Chapter 4:: Minty Breath
When Ron told Harry that Draco was gay he only half believed him. Ron wasn't reliable enough with stories that big. He was constantly making things up, so Harry almost pushed it aside after he had thought about what Ron said to him. Now the truth had come, and from the very person. Harry's cheeks went bright red and he looked down at the floor. His heart was still pounding.
He could feel Draco's breath on his face. "Oh."
"That's all you can manage? A simple 'oh'?" Draco laughed at the clearly uncomfortably surprised boy. "I tell you two of my deepest secrets – and both get an 'oh' response. You are something else Potter." Draco said softly.
"Well... I don't know what else to say to that. Am I supposed to grab you in my arms and give you the kiss of a lifetime or something?" Harry said sarcastically with short glances at Draco.
"That wouldn't be so bad, Potter." Draco wasted no time in answering the question.
Harry snapped up his towards Draco, his eyes shone with shock. "Ex-Excuse me?"
Draco started to chuckle. After a while he stopped and only a smile was left on his face. He was looking at Harry, smiling. This day was amazing! He had seen Draco smile with happiness, and the smiles weren't phony. And to top it off, he was gay. Harry's cheeks were still red and he had backed off from Draco slightly. Draco took initiative and started to walk slowly towards Harry as if he was a timid animal that would run at any second for safety. Harry noticed and looked up.
"I'm not going to hurt you Harry..."
"... I know."
Draco was again, mere inches from Harry's face. "Then why are you backing away?" his breath smelled like mints. Draco reached up and tentatively touched Harry's cheek. His hand was cold. Harry imagined that everything on Draco's body was cold... and that he could warm it up for him. But soon banished the thought as he looked down sheepishly. Draco put another hand underneath his chin and smiled at Harry, the smile told him that it was okay to be doing this. He then started to move in for a kiss.
"I – err, Draco... I-" he was cut off by a pair of surprisingly warm lips. Harry was taken aback at how soft Draco's lips were. "Did he use lip chap?" Harry idly wondered to himself. The kiss was soft, and it sent shivers up and down every inch of Harry's body, but unfortunately only lasted a few seconds. But then Draco did something unexpected, and so unlike himself. Harry thought he was going to kiss him again – mind you, he wasn't objecting to it either. But instead with the greatest of tenderness, he turned his head, kissing Harry's cheek, and whispering in his ear:
"Don't be afraid of me Harry... I'll see you at school." With that he kissed the lobe of Harry's ear and started to walk away. The last kiss sent a delightful shiver down his spine to his toes and back again. Harry was left standing there frozen. He heard Ron and Hermoine greet Draco on the stairs and they began to come up to the room. Harry quickly moved to the book that Draco had dropped, and began to read it. What the hell was a Naois Toad?
"Harry! There you are! We were beginning to be a bit worried. So you spoke with Draco?" Hermoine walked over to Harry and noticed the page he was looking at. She quickly snatched the book from him. "Ohh! Naois Toads! They can shape shift into any animal and they have a form of medicine on their skin! Amazing animals they are. I do hope we study them with Hagrid!"
Harry looked at her blankly, then at Ron. Neither of them had noticed that his lips were slightly pinker than usual, and his face was also – slightly pinker than usual. "Good... I don't have to tell anyone about what happened with Draco..."
"Hey... what were you and Draco doing up here, Harry?" Ron walked over to Harry and crossed his arms.
Harry's mind raced, it was these times that he was glad that he was an expert liar. "Nothing, just talking about summer. We found that toad in the book too. I thought it was pretty neat. He's going to be Quidditch captain and seeker this year..." Harry started to lie. He hoped that neither of his friends would notice.
"Oh, cool. I'm still head boy though, and that's better than any-" Hermoine had thrown the book at Ron's head and it landed with a very loud THUMP, and smashed to the ground. "OW! HERMOINE! What the hell was that for?"
"GUYS! We have to get back to Ron's! Or we'll be late for... err... LUNCH!" Harry suddenly stepped in-between Ron and Hermoine. He didn't want to have to sit through another fight. Ron grumbled, rubbing his head and threw a very nasty look back at Hermoine who only scowled at him. They both followed Harry down the stairs and back to Ron's.
- . . . . . . . . . . -
School started the next day, and Harry was up at dawn. He was quietly looking through his things when he found the Marauders map. Harry smiled at the memories he had had with the map and thought about if he should give it away to another pairing of students so they could keep the tradition that Fred and George started. Harry already knew all of the passes like the back of his hand, and all the incantations as well. But he so loved to sit in the middle of the night and watch the figures go about their business. That is how he found out Peter Pettigrew was still alive, back in third year. If it wasn't for that, they never would have found Peter, and a lot of things would be different. Harry suddenly felt a pang of pain as he thought of Sirius. He missed him; he was Harry's only living 'relative' in the wizarding world. He was almost going to go live with him too – until his plans were changed.
Harry was startled by Ron's muttering in his sleep. He was tossing and turning again, most likely dreaming about spiders. Harry crawled over his bed and over to Ron. Harry lightly shook him and whispered, "Ron, there are no spiders. And if there is, you tell them to sodd off and you'll be safe." Ron nodded in his sleep and soon started to snore.
When Ron told Harry that Draco was gay he only half believed him. Ron wasn't reliable enough with stories that big. He was constantly making things up, so Harry almost pushed it aside after he had thought about what Ron said to him. Now the truth had come, and from the very person. Harry's cheeks went bright red and he looked down at the floor. His heart was still pounding.
He could feel Draco's breath on his face. "Oh."
"That's all you can manage? A simple 'oh'?" Draco laughed at the clearly uncomfortably surprised boy. "I tell you two of my deepest secrets – and both get an 'oh' response. You are something else Potter." Draco said softly.
"Well... I don't know what else to say to that. Am I supposed to grab you in my arms and give you the kiss of a lifetime or something?" Harry said sarcastically with short glances at Draco.
"That wouldn't be so bad, Potter." Draco wasted no time in answering the question.
Harry snapped up his towards Draco, his eyes shone with shock. "Ex-Excuse me?"
Draco started to chuckle. After a while he stopped and only a smile was left on his face. He was looking at Harry, smiling. This day was amazing! He had seen Draco smile with happiness, and the smiles weren't phony. And to top it off, he was gay. Harry's cheeks were still red and he had backed off from Draco slightly. Draco took initiative and started to walk slowly towards Harry as if he was a timid animal that would run at any second for safety. Harry noticed and looked up.
"I'm not going to hurt you Harry..."
"... I know."
Draco was again, mere inches from Harry's face. "Then why are you backing away?" his breath smelled like mints. Draco reached up and tentatively touched Harry's cheek. His hand was cold. Harry imagined that everything on Draco's body was cold... and that he could warm it up for him. But soon banished the thought as he looked down sheepishly. Draco put another hand underneath his chin and smiled at Harry, the smile told him that it was okay to be doing this. He then started to move in for a kiss.
"I – err, Draco... I-" he was cut off by a pair of surprisingly warm lips. Harry was taken aback at how soft Draco's lips were. "Did he use lip chap?" Harry idly wondered to himself. The kiss was soft, and it sent shivers up and down every inch of Harry's body, but unfortunately only lasted a few seconds. But then Draco did something unexpected, and so unlike himself. Harry thought he was going to kiss him again – mind you, he wasn't objecting to it either. But instead with the greatest of tenderness, he turned his head, kissing Harry's cheek, and whispering in his ear:
"Don't be afraid of me Harry... I'll see you at school." With that he kissed the lobe of Harry's ear and started to walk away. The last kiss sent a delightful shiver down his spine to his toes and back again. Harry was left standing there frozen. He heard Ron and Hermoine greet Draco on the stairs and they began to come up to the room. Harry quickly moved to the book that Draco had dropped, and began to read it. What the hell was a Naois Toad?
"Harry! There you are! We were beginning to be a bit worried. So you spoke with Draco?" Hermoine walked over to Harry and noticed the page he was looking at. She quickly snatched the book from him. "Ohh! Naois Toads! They can shape shift into any animal and they have a form of medicine on their skin! Amazing animals they are. I do hope we study them with Hagrid!"
Harry looked at her blankly, then at Ron. Neither of them had noticed that his lips were slightly pinker than usual, and his face was also – slightly pinker than usual. "Good... I don't have to tell anyone about what happened with Draco..."
"Hey... what were you and Draco doing up here, Harry?" Ron walked over to Harry and crossed his arms.
Harry's mind raced, it was these times that he was glad that he was an expert liar. "Nothing, just talking about summer. We found that toad in the book too. I thought it was pretty neat. He's going to be Quidditch captain and seeker this year..." Harry started to lie. He hoped that neither of his friends would notice.
"Oh, cool. I'm still head boy though, and that's better than any-" Hermoine had thrown the book at Ron's head and it landed with a very loud THUMP, and smashed to the ground. "OW! HERMOINE! What the hell was that for?"
"GUYS! We have to get back to Ron's! Or we'll be late for... err... LUNCH!" Harry suddenly stepped in-between Ron and Hermoine. He didn't want to have to sit through another fight. Ron grumbled, rubbing his head and threw a very nasty look back at Hermoine who only scowled at him. They both followed Harry down the stairs and back to Ron's.
- . . . . . . . . . . -
School started the next day, and Harry was up at dawn. He was quietly looking through his things when he found the Marauders map. Harry smiled at the memories he had had with the map and thought about if he should give it away to another pairing of students so they could keep the tradition that Fred and George started. Harry already knew all of the passes like the back of his hand, and all the incantations as well. But he so loved to sit in the middle of the night and watch the figures go about their business. That is how he found out Peter Pettigrew was still alive, back in third year. If it wasn't for that, they never would have found Peter, and a lot of things would be different. Harry suddenly felt a pang of pain as he thought of Sirius. He missed him; he was Harry's only living 'relative' in the wizarding world. He was almost going to go live with him too – until his plans were changed.
Harry was startled by Ron's muttering in his sleep. He was tossing and turning again, most likely dreaming about spiders. Harry crawled over his bed and over to Ron. Harry lightly shook him and whispered, "Ron, there are no spiders. And if there is, you tell them to sodd off and you'll be safe." Ron nodded in his sleep and soon started to snore.