Time Together

Draco slipped through the shelves of the library and silently cursed himself for putting off his DADA report. He hated that class, not because it taught the defense against dark arts, something he was not proud to say that he was proficient in, but because no matter how hard he tried he was terrible in the class. He found the book he was looking for his research and made his way back to the table at the back of the library.

No one used the table and chair at the back, the legs were uneven, the table itself liked to give slivers and tipped over on occasion. The armchair was stained, smelled funny and a little poof of dust was emitted whenever someone sat down. Spiders were also very fond of the corner set. From what he could glean from other students the table and chair just appeared one day back there and refused to be moved or cleaned so they had been left. Draco had made them his own and after many months of tolerance and repeated visit's Draco came back one day to find a lavish chair of velvet and a table of the finest stained cherry wood in the place of the nasty chair and table that had been there before. Draco had continued to use it from that day on.

Draco paused before the table, laying down the heavy book in his arms and arranging it so that it wouldn't block the rest of his materials. He moved to sit down but before he could someone came up from behind him, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him down into the chair upon the grabbers lap. Draco started to cry out and struggle only to find a hand gently covering his mouth and arms that held him tight.

"Hush, Draco. It's only me." Harry's voice whispered lightly into his ear as he let go of Draco's mouth and curled his arm around Draco's waist.

"What are you doing?" Draco said, his face flushing.

"I'm holding you." Harry murmured back as he pulled Draco closer to himself, farther back into the chair.

"I need to work on my report." Draco protested weakly, not wanting him to let go.

"In a moment, just a moment."

Draco knew he shouldn't put off the report any longer but he let himself relax anyway, falling back into Harry embrace. He could feel his breath upon his neck smell the scent that was undeniably Harry's. He let his head fall back against Harry's and his hands slipped down to cover Harry's own. Their fingers intertwined and Draco could feel Harry's heart beating slowly against his back. The moment was perfect, Draco let his eyes close, listening to the sound of Harry's breath, to sound of his beating heart. Then, much too quickly the moment was over and Harry's arms disappeared from around his waist.

"What are you working on?" He asked softly.

"The defense against dark arts paper." He admitted sheepishly.

"That's due tomorrow isn't it? And it was assigned when? A week ago? Never thought you to be a procrastinator." Harry said, Draco could feel the playful smile upon his mouth.

"Only when it comes to this class."

"Well let me see if I can help."

They spent the better part of four hours working on that essay and when they were finished it was deep into the middle of the night, past midnight.

"My portrait's sealed." Harry said as he glanced at his watch.

"I'm sorry," Draco said softly, "You shouldn't have stayed with me."

Harry snorted, "And be locked in that dungeon alone for the rest of the night? I'd rather spend my night with you, no contest."

Draco flushed at the comment, "But where will you stay for the night and why hasn't Dumbledore noticed that you're missing?"

Harry laughed, pulling a hand through his hair, "I could just as easily stay here and Dumbledore doesn't know everything. I have a few tricks up my sleeve that no one knows about."

Draco's fidgeted for a moment then said quietly, "You could stay with me…I wouldn't mind."

Harry smiled warmly, "Neither would I and it would give me time to talk to you about something I've been putting off till now."

A heavy weight sank to the bottom of Draco's gut. He wondered what it could be that he wished to talk about and though he tried he couldn't escape the idea that it was something horrible. Draco gathered up his things, Harry taking half and linking hands he led Harry through the maze of bookshelves, then hallways. He stopped in front of the Slyherin entrance forcing himself to concentrate on remembering what the password was and not the fact that he was bringing Harry to his dorm.

Harry watched the tense lines of Draco's shoulders as he pulled the invisibility cloak from his robe and pulled it around himself. As Draco spoke the pass and turned around to find no one there. Harry grinned slightly, taking in the confusion on Draco's face and how adorable he became when he let down his defenses around Harry. That deep, curling, hot, giddy feeling reemerged, starting in his stomach and spreading through his entire body, lodging itself in his chest and loins. He bent down and caught Draco's lips with his own, his eyes opened wide with shock for a moment but once inside the hood he could see Harry. He frowned, almost pouted as he pulled away, pulling the hood from Harry's head and glaring accusingly at him.

"That was a bloody mean thing to do. I thought you had gone and left me here alone and then you go and scare me half to death…."

Harry felt a small drop of fear take place with the abstract and irrational fear that Draco would suddenly change his mind about how he felt and leave Harry there. He reached out of the caught Draco's hand clasping it tightly.

"I'm sorry, I never do it again, I'll never leave you." He paused at his own words and was startled to realize that he meant it, he never wanted to leave him. He had had barely two days, not even that, with this new, unmasked Draco. There was no rational way to explain his feelings. He couldn't understand it, couldn't explain it and for some reason he had the feeling that it wasn't meant to be understood. As if was caught up in the strings of fate, for the first time really seeing past all his misgivings and preconceived notions about everyone and everything, especially Draco. He felt naked to the world and blind to its workings, he was afraid every step he made was simply a dream ready to crumble under him or that it was all a horrible trick. He had this feeling that he was being offered something incredible and would never have this chance ever again.

He took a deep breath and squeezed Draco's hand comfortingly, looking into Draco's face, now flushed a bright red, "I should've warned you. I was afraid someone might still be up in your common? I know there still would be in my wing."

"…I didn't mean to snap at you, you're right….I was just…scared."

Harry smiled as he pulled the hood back over his head and his hands disappeared within the folds of the cloak.

"I'll be right behind you," he whispered softly in Draco's ear.

Draco shivered silently, feeling his breath upon his neck and walked into the Slytherin common.