Disclaimer: The characters belong to JKR, not to me, so does Hogwarts, I
don't own anything except the stuff that's crap. Don't sue me because I'm
not pretending to own this stuff.
~*~
For the next week after Draco had kissed him, he avoided Harry in classes and in the halls. Harry missed the insults coming at him in Potions. He wanted to hear Draco's voice, but the other boy stonily ignored him. Even Ron and Hermoine were starting to wonder about his silence.
"Malfoy hasn't been insulting you so often, Harry," said Hermoine one day before Potions class.
"Slimy git's probably planning something," Ron snarled.
"Umm," said Harry. "Maybe he's, uhh.... busy....?
"Busy?" Hermoine raised her eyebrows. "When has Malfoy ever been too busy to insult you, Harry?"
"I dunno.... Maybe he's busy with.... uhh.... Death Eater meetings." Harry was feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
Ron scoffed. "And that's different than usual because....?"
"Did something happen, Harry?" Hermoine asked. "Because you can tell us, you know. If he's done something....
"No," Harry said shortly. "He hasn't done anything."
"Harry...."
At that moment, Snape walked through the door. "Silence!" he barked. Everyone stopped their conversations and faced the front of the room.
"Today we will be brewing a Resolve Potion. Can anyone tell me what it does?"
Hermione's hand was in the air before the Potions Master had finished speaking. "Anyone?" Snape asked coolly. "Fine then. Miss Granger?"
"It strengthens the resolve of the drinker and gives him or her to do things that they were nervous about doing."
"Right then." Snape glared at Hermoine. "I will be splitting you up into pairs. Granger and Bullstrode, Weasley and Zabini, Longbottom and Parkinson, Patil and Goyle, Brown and Crabbe, Potter and Malfoy.
Malfoy looked up at Snape in horror and looked as if he were about to say something, but shut his mouth. Harry moved over to sit by him.
"Hey," he said.
Malfoy's voice was full of contempt. "Potter," he sneered.
Harry remembered that they were supposed to be enemies. "Malfoy," he sneered back.
They began to brew their potion. It was a silvery color, like Draco's eyes. Harry remembered the moments he had spent with Draco behind the Christmas tree. He wondered if it could ever be true. Did Draco really like him back?
"Potter, watch what you're doing!" Harry came out of his reverie to find himself about to add armadilo bile instead of the juice of the Venemous Tentacula. Draco had caught hold of his hand to stop him from ruining their potion. Harry fancied that Draco had squeezed his hand almost affectionately as he let go.
"Sorry," he said. "I was thinking about.... something else."
Draco muttered something about Gryffindors being idiots. Harry kicked him under the table. They glared at each other for a minute and then went back to brewing their potion. Harry was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on Resolve Potions with the sexy blond Slytherin so close to him. He wondered if he could ever have the courage to ask Malfoy about what had happened behind the Christmas tree. Suddenly an idea struck him. When Draco had his head turned, Harry snitched a spoonful of their finished potion and, making sure that no one was looking his way, he popped the spoon into his mouth. He swallowed the potion and hoped that it would give him the courage to do what he was more nervous about than he had ever been about anything in his entire life.
After class, Harry caught up with Draco in the hall. Ron and Hermoine were argueing energetically about the Charms paper, so they didn't notice him slipping off.
"I need to talk to you," he hissed in Draco's ear. He shoved the blond into an empty classroom as everyone made their way down to lunch. He shut the door quickly, hoping no one had seen them go in.
He faced Draco. "You've been avoiding me all week. But I need to know. What happened at the Christmas ball?"
"Nothing happened," Draco said quickly. "Nothing ever happened."
Harry looked into Draco's eyes and saw that he looked extremely small and scared. But in a flash, he was Malfoy again, haughty and arogant.
Malfoy moved toward the door. Harry caught him by the back of his robes.
"You can't pretend it didn't happen, Draco," he said.
"Oh yes I can." Draco's voice was bitter and harry supposed that he must be trying not to cry. "And I'm going to. And I don't appreciate you interfering, Potter."
"Please, Draco.... Tell me what happened. Why.... Why did you kiss me?"
"I didn't!"
"Draco.... I need to know."
"Isn't it obvious?" Draco's silver eyes looked like they were pleading with Harry for.... something. "I love you.... Harry."
Harry was so stunned he sat down heavily on the floor.
"I have to go," Draco said quickly. "Don't tell anybody, please Harry."
"Draco, don't go!"
Draco paused with his hand on the doorknob. "What is it?"
Harry stood up and crossed over to where Draco was standing. He placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Draco.... I kissed you back. I've always watched you, ever since our first year. When I'm around you, everything is perfect. All my troubles fall away and there's just you and me. But there's pain, too. I want you so bad it hurts, Draco.... I love you too."
Draco began to cry. "I didn't think you would do this to me, Harry. Love blinds us and we don't see when someone wants to hurt us. I'm sorry.... I misjudged you.... Potter."
"Draco, I'm not playing with you," said Harry, completely baffled. "I do, honestly and truly, love you."
Draco looked at him, unsure whether or not he should believe him. Harry stepped forward and kissed Draco on the mouth. For the second time in his life, everything was perfect. Harry once again felt that nothing mattered anymore, not even Voldemort, as long as there was Draco.
Harry broke off the kiss. "Are you convinced?" he asked.
Draco nodded wordlessly.
"We should leave," said Harry. "Trust me, we don't want to be found like this."
"I'll go first," Draco said. "Leave 10 minutes after I do so we're not seen coming in to lunch together."
Harry reluctantly slid his hands off of Draco's shoulders. "I love you," he whispered in his ear. Draco kissed him briefly before slipping out of the classroom.
Harry sat down in a chair. He heard the door click softly closed behind Draco. He could still taste Draco, something spicy like cloves. He had never admitted, even to himself, his feelings for the blond Slytherin. But he had always known it, deep down in his heart. He had always been secretly disappointed when he didn't see Draco at the Slytherin table at breakfast. His voice had always been bitter honey to Harry's ears, spitting insults at him in a voice like an angel. He remembered going back the the Dursleys' after his first year. he had thought of nothing but Draco. No matter how hard he tried to get the other boy's face out of his head, the more Draco kept coming back. Two years ago, Harry's feelings for Draco had intensified. But still he kept them a secret from everyone else. He wanted Draco. He needed Draco. He had dreamed about him every night for two years. Usually at first Draco was doing normal everyday things, but more and more often in Harry's dreams Draco wasn't wearing anything. He had performed a silencing charm on himself every night ever since Ron questioned him about who he was talking to in his sleep. If Draco's name had ever slipped out.... But everything was perfect now. Draco loved him. Harry couldn't help but think about what he and Draco might do together soon. He smiled.
~*~
For the next week after Draco had kissed him, he avoided Harry in classes and in the halls. Harry missed the insults coming at him in Potions. He wanted to hear Draco's voice, but the other boy stonily ignored him. Even Ron and Hermoine were starting to wonder about his silence.
"Malfoy hasn't been insulting you so often, Harry," said Hermoine one day before Potions class.
"Slimy git's probably planning something," Ron snarled.
"Umm," said Harry. "Maybe he's, uhh.... busy....?
"Busy?" Hermoine raised her eyebrows. "When has Malfoy ever been too busy to insult you, Harry?"
"I dunno.... Maybe he's busy with.... uhh.... Death Eater meetings." Harry was feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
Ron scoffed. "And that's different than usual because....?"
"Did something happen, Harry?" Hermoine asked. "Because you can tell us, you know. If he's done something....
"No," Harry said shortly. "He hasn't done anything."
"Harry...."
At that moment, Snape walked through the door. "Silence!" he barked. Everyone stopped their conversations and faced the front of the room.
"Today we will be brewing a Resolve Potion. Can anyone tell me what it does?"
Hermione's hand was in the air before the Potions Master had finished speaking. "Anyone?" Snape asked coolly. "Fine then. Miss Granger?"
"It strengthens the resolve of the drinker and gives him or her to do things that they were nervous about doing."
"Right then." Snape glared at Hermoine. "I will be splitting you up into pairs. Granger and Bullstrode, Weasley and Zabini, Longbottom and Parkinson, Patil and Goyle, Brown and Crabbe, Potter and Malfoy.
Malfoy looked up at Snape in horror and looked as if he were about to say something, but shut his mouth. Harry moved over to sit by him.
"Hey," he said.
Malfoy's voice was full of contempt. "Potter," he sneered.
Harry remembered that they were supposed to be enemies. "Malfoy," he sneered back.
They began to brew their potion. It was a silvery color, like Draco's eyes. Harry remembered the moments he had spent with Draco behind the Christmas tree. He wondered if it could ever be true. Did Draco really like him back?
"Potter, watch what you're doing!" Harry came out of his reverie to find himself about to add armadilo bile instead of the juice of the Venemous Tentacula. Draco had caught hold of his hand to stop him from ruining their potion. Harry fancied that Draco had squeezed his hand almost affectionately as he let go.
"Sorry," he said. "I was thinking about.... something else."
Draco muttered something about Gryffindors being idiots. Harry kicked him under the table. They glared at each other for a minute and then went back to brewing their potion. Harry was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on Resolve Potions with the sexy blond Slytherin so close to him. He wondered if he could ever have the courage to ask Malfoy about what had happened behind the Christmas tree. Suddenly an idea struck him. When Draco had his head turned, Harry snitched a spoonful of their finished potion and, making sure that no one was looking his way, he popped the spoon into his mouth. He swallowed the potion and hoped that it would give him the courage to do what he was more nervous about than he had ever been about anything in his entire life.
After class, Harry caught up with Draco in the hall. Ron and Hermoine were argueing energetically about the Charms paper, so they didn't notice him slipping off.
"I need to talk to you," he hissed in Draco's ear. He shoved the blond into an empty classroom as everyone made their way down to lunch. He shut the door quickly, hoping no one had seen them go in.
He faced Draco. "You've been avoiding me all week. But I need to know. What happened at the Christmas ball?"
"Nothing happened," Draco said quickly. "Nothing ever happened."
Harry looked into Draco's eyes and saw that he looked extremely small and scared. But in a flash, he was Malfoy again, haughty and arogant.
Malfoy moved toward the door. Harry caught him by the back of his robes.
"You can't pretend it didn't happen, Draco," he said.
"Oh yes I can." Draco's voice was bitter and harry supposed that he must be trying not to cry. "And I'm going to. And I don't appreciate you interfering, Potter."
"Please, Draco.... Tell me what happened. Why.... Why did you kiss me?"
"I didn't!"
"Draco.... I need to know."
"Isn't it obvious?" Draco's silver eyes looked like they were pleading with Harry for.... something. "I love you.... Harry."
Harry was so stunned he sat down heavily on the floor.
"I have to go," Draco said quickly. "Don't tell anybody, please Harry."
"Draco, don't go!"
Draco paused with his hand on the doorknob. "What is it?"
Harry stood up and crossed over to where Draco was standing. He placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Draco.... I kissed you back. I've always watched you, ever since our first year. When I'm around you, everything is perfect. All my troubles fall away and there's just you and me. But there's pain, too. I want you so bad it hurts, Draco.... I love you too."
Draco began to cry. "I didn't think you would do this to me, Harry. Love blinds us and we don't see when someone wants to hurt us. I'm sorry.... I misjudged you.... Potter."
"Draco, I'm not playing with you," said Harry, completely baffled. "I do, honestly and truly, love you."
Draco looked at him, unsure whether or not he should believe him. Harry stepped forward and kissed Draco on the mouth. For the second time in his life, everything was perfect. Harry once again felt that nothing mattered anymore, not even Voldemort, as long as there was Draco.
Harry broke off the kiss. "Are you convinced?" he asked.
Draco nodded wordlessly.
"We should leave," said Harry. "Trust me, we don't want to be found like this."
"I'll go first," Draco said. "Leave 10 minutes after I do so we're not seen coming in to lunch together."
Harry reluctantly slid his hands off of Draco's shoulders. "I love you," he whispered in his ear. Draco kissed him briefly before slipping out of the classroom.
Harry sat down in a chair. He heard the door click softly closed behind Draco. He could still taste Draco, something spicy like cloves. He had never admitted, even to himself, his feelings for the blond Slytherin. But he had always known it, deep down in his heart. He had always been secretly disappointed when he didn't see Draco at the Slytherin table at breakfast. His voice had always been bitter honey to Harry's ears, spitting insults at him in a voice like an angel. He remembered going back the the Dursleys' after his first year. he had thought of nothing but Draco. No matter how hard he tried to get the other boy's face out of his head, the more Draco kept coming back. Two years ago, Harry's feelings for Draco had intensified. But still he kept them a secret from everyone else. He wanted Draco. He needed Draco. He had dreamed about him every night for two years. Usually at first Draco was doing normal everyday things, but more and more often in Harry's dreams Draco wasn't wearing anything. He had performed a silencing charm on himself every night ever since Ron questioned him about who he was talking to in his sleep. If Draco's name had ever slipped out.... But everything was perfect now. Draco loved him. Harry couldn't help but think about what he and Draco might do together soon. He smiled.