23 - Choices

HALEY

Before meeting up with Hermione inside The Three Broomsticks, Haley stopped by Honeyduke's for a short while. She ended up spending much more time inside the little sweet shop than she had intended. Finding a suitable Valentine's Day present among all the cheesy hearts and angels had been much harder than she had anticipated.

When she finally stumbled into The Three Broomsticks it was already early afternoon. Hastily, she squeezed through the mass of students toward the table she spotted Hermione waving from.

"Haley, over here!"

"Sorry, I totally forgot the time while–" Haley broke off, realising who else was sitting at her friend's table. Luna Lovegood and… Rita Skeeter?

Hermione smiled at her warmly and pulled out the chair next to her. Hesitantly, she walked over and let herself sink onto the chair between Hermione and Luna. Her gaze kept wandering to the older witch opposite her, who was taking her in like she was the most promising meal on the menu.

"You're much prettier than I remember you," Rita commented, her colourless lips turning into an interested smile. "I didn't think you were the dress type, honestly. Unless," her fingers were crawling over to her crocodile leather bag. "Might you be going on a date?"

"It's none of your business if Haley went on a thousand dates." Hermione snapped. "So, you can put that away, right now!" She was nodding toward the green quill the older witch had fetched from her bag.

Rita grudgingly complied, the blonde hair that was hanging in lifeless strands around her face made her look positively miserable.

"She's right, though," Hermione said softly. "You do look beautiful. Where'd you get that dress?"

"Oh, that's…" Haley tried not to blush. "Cinderella Charm." She admitted quietly, feeling Rita's curious eyes rave over her.

"Cinderella Charm?" Luna asked interestedly.

Haley coughed awkwardly. "Er… it's a charm that transfigures three hazelnuts, filling them up with clothes you wish for in that moment."

"Oh. I didn't know that charm. The dress is really pretty."

"Thank you." Haley replied, picking at the seam of her violet dress that stopped shortly above her knees. Inside the transfigured hazelnut, there had also been matching tights, shoes and a silver clasp to hold together her hair. Around her neck, she was wearing her fairy necklace.

"Your first date? Handsome guy, is he?" Rita asked, leaning across the table eagerly.

"One more word about Haley's love life and the deal's off and that's a promise!" Hermione said irritably.

"What deal?" Rita asked. "You haven't mentioned a deal yet, Miss Prissy you just told me to turn up."

Haley was curious about the reason for this strange meeting as well. As it turned out, Hermione wanted Rita to write an article about everything that happened the night Voldemort returned. And it was supposed to be published in the Quibbler. Had she heard that right? So, that was why Luna was here, as well.

She didn't know what to think. Finally, she had the opportunity to talk about the night Cedric died. To tell people the truth. Why was she hesitating, then?

"Okay, Haley? Ready to tell people the truth?" Hermione asked, touching her arm gently, reassuring her that she didn't have to do this alone. She was leaving her a choice. She could still say no. But did she want to?

"I suppose," she replied, sitting up straighter. She still remembered the joyful expression on Cedric's face, right before they touched the portkey. She had to do it for him. People deserved to know the truth about his death. Haley nodded once to encourage herself. Hermione squeezed her arm.

"Fire away, then, Rita," she said serenely, as the older woman picked up her Quick-Quotes Quill and smoothed out a blank roll of parchment on the table.

Talking about Cedric's death and everything happening afterwards wasn't easy. It was as if she was back at the graveyard. Watching helplessly how her friend died and the most evil wizard in the world returned to life. It was hard at first. But at some point, the words just poured out of her like they had been held back behind a gate that had now opened.

Forbidden words finally free now. If someone would ask her later, exactly what she had said, she wouldn't have been able to say.

When she was done recounting one of the most terrible nights in her life, there was a long silence.

After what seemed like hours, Hermione cleared her throat, a hesitant look on her face.

"Um… Thank you for telling us all of this." She said quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, of course." Haley replied hoarsely. She didn't feel too bad. She felt lighter somehow. Like when you stood in the middle of a storm and realised the wind wasn't going to hurt you but instead let it breeze through your insides, removing everything that weighed you down.

Hermione looked from Luna to Rita, biting her lips. "Haley, is… there anything you would like to… um… revise?"

"What?"

"I mean, like something you'd rather not see published…" She shared another look with Luna. "Like a name… or… anything?"

Oh. Haley understood. She felt awfully hot all of a sudden. The names. Of course. She had told Rita the name of every single Death Eater she had seen at the graveyard. Including Lucius Malfoy…

"Why? Someone you want to protect?" The older witch asked curiously. Shit. If she told her to scratch Lucius Malfoy now, she would start to wonder why. If she wanted to make it less obvious she would have to tell her to leave out at least two names. But who should she choose? If she was honest with herself, she didn't want to let off even one of them. They were Death Eaters. They deserved to be called out on their actions. They had killed innocent people. They hadn't even blinked at the sight of Cedric's dead body. They would have laughed if it had been her dead body.

Haley shook her head. "No." There was a hard, unforgiving edge to her voice. "Leave it as it is."

Hermione glanced worriedly from her to Luna, while Rita watched Haley again as if she was a delicious slice of cake. "Well." She raised an eyebrow curiously. "If that's all. When do you suppose the interview will be published in your father's rag?"

"Oh, that's probably going to take some time," Luna answered. "He has this lovely long article on the Crumple-Horned Snorkack coming up, so it might take another two or three weeks."

Two or three weeks… That meant… There was still some time before…

She had to tell him. She had to tell her boyfriend that she had just publicly named his father as a Death Eater.

…

DRACO

Waiting was one of the most tedious activities ever invented. At least he didn't have to wait outside somewhere. Actually, it was quite nice in Madam Puddifoot's VIP lounge. But still. He had wanted to spend the whole day with Haley and now it was already past three. Where was she? What was she doing? She wasn't out with another guy, was she? No. She'd said her friend needed her. But on Valentine's Day? Perhaps she was seeing another guy after all. Or maybe something had happened? Should he go out and look for her?

With a groan Draco got up from the couch and marched over toward the door leading out of the VIP lounge. He opened the door, not even grabbing his coat, wondering where he was supposed to look first, when he came face to face with the exact girl, he had been worrying about.

Her hand was raised, as if she had been about to knock on the door. His sudden appearance seemed to startle her. He frowned. "What took you so long?"

"I…" She gaped at him, before looking at her feet. "It took… longer than expected… Sorry." She apologised quietly. Then she peaked past him into the large room. "What… kind of place is this?"

Draco pulled her inside with a grin. "Have you never been to Madam Puddifoot's?" He asked, closing the door behind her. The girl shook her head, taking in the elegant decoration of the room. The crème coloured walls, the table set for two with a candle and flower arrangement in the middle, the flowers on the walls, the wide couch in front of a chimney in the back. And of course the floor, which was made out of glass. The VIP lounge was situated on the first floor, right above the main café, making it possible for them to see what happened below them.

When she noticed the floor, her eyebrows shot upwards. "Can't they see us?"

"No." Draco shook his head. "It's a spell. But it goes only one way."

As she kept glancing at the people below them in fascination, his eyes wandered all across her familiar silhouette. Violet definitely was a good colour on her. And why wasn't she wearing dresses more often? The lightweight fabric, accented with ribbons and little fabric flowers at the seams made her look even lovelier than usual. She ducked down slightly, so she had a better view of the other students. That way he could admire the silver clasp her hair was held together with, which was decorated with little flowers as well. Had she put in all that effort for him?

Haley rose to her feet again, still focused on the people in the café. "They're all couples." She noted curiously.

"So? We fit right in, don't you think?" He smirked at her, taking a step closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. He dropped a kiss onto one of her cheeks, letting his lips linger there for a moment. "By the way…" he whispered close to her ear. "Is there a reason for your… new look?"

"My new look? What do I look like?" She wanted to know, still pressed up against him. Reluctantly, Draco released his hold, keeping her at arm's length.

"Well," the boy slowly let his gaze travel across her form once more. "Elegant… lovely…" Incredible, sweet, enchanting, beautiful. If he tried, he could easily make a whole list of these kinds of adjectives to describe her. She raised her eyebrows sceptically.

"I think, even my parents would approve of you like this." He winked at her playfully.

"Your p-parents?" Haley's eyes widened slightly. Had he said something wrong?

"They're not hiding behind the door or anything," he assured her.

"Of course not. I'm not stupid." The girl chuckled nervously, as if that was exactly the thing she had been afraid of. It had been a stupid joke. He had probably also reminded her of the fact that she didn't have any parents. Way to go, Draco, he thought, mentally kicking himself.

He coughed awkwardly. "Are you hungry?" He asked, not being able to come up with a more subtle way to change the subject.

"A bit," she whispered, as Draco walked over to the table and pulled out one of the chairs for her. Haley sat down with a snort.

"What?" He asked defensively, taking the seat opposite her. She shook her head, trying not to grin. "You don't have to pretend to be some wizard gentleman."

"Who's pretending?" He frowned. She was mocking him. Honestly, he shouldn't be attracted by that. But he was. He was drawn to Haley Potter no matter what she did.

…

HALEY

The way he was smiling at her didn't help. In fact, it made the guilt feel even heavier in her stomach. When he'd mentioned his parents earlier, she had almost had a heart attack. If there had ever been a chance that Draco's family could approve of her, she had ruined it an hour ago. As soon as they found out about the article, they would deeply despise her. If they didn't do that already.

"Is something the matter? Did you fight with your friend again?" His worried voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head. "No, we didn't fight, it's just–" It's just what? It's just that I thought it was a good idea to tell the world your father's a Death Eater?

"Hm? What is it?" Draco asked, reaching across the table to still her fingers, that kept getting entangled in the crocheted table cloth.

The reassuring weight of his hand was a reminder of how much he cared about her. What if she just told him? He wouldn't hate her, right? She took a deep breath.

"I-"

And then the portrait of a lavender field on the wall to her left swung open, spitting a swarm of gigantic insects into the room.

"What the-?" Haley jumped to her feet and got as far away from the insects as possible, almost stumbling into the couch, which Draco seemed to find incredibly amusing. Calmly, he sat at the table and chuckled.

"Some Gryffindor, you are," he said with a snort. "They're just fairies."

Now, she saw it as well. What had looked like a swarm of killer hornets were actually harmless little fairies. But what were they doing here?

Slowly, the girl returned to the table. And then she noticed that they were carrying something. A tray with two huge steaming cups that were promptly placed in front of the students.

Noticing the wonder on Haley's face, Draco smirked. "Perks of the VIP lounge." He winked at her. "Also… they won't tell anyone they've seen us here together."

"Ah. That's… good. I guess."

As suddenly as the swarm of fairies had appeared, they now zoomed away again through the hole behind the portrait.

"Er..."

Not ten seconds later, they reappeared with another tray filled with sandwiches, and pieces of various delicious looking cakes. In no time at all, the table was covered in an array of chocolate cake, strawberry cake, cheese cake, pumpkin cake and several others. She hadn't even realized how hungry she had been.

"Go ahead," Draco invited her, gesturing toward the food.

"This looks amazing," Haley breathed, wondering which of the treats she should try first. The fairies had left them alone again. Well, except for one, that was sprawled over the edge of her saucer. She watched the two of them curiously, the slow fluttering of her wings ringing like bells. Maybe she was lingering, in case they needed anything else?

The boy grinned, seemingly pleased by her answer. Then he heaped three spoonfuls of sugar into his cup that turned out to be filled with coffee.

Haley snorted.

"What?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow and adding another spoonful of sugar.

She shuddered at how sweet it had to be. "You certainly like sweet things, don't you?"

Finally, he put down the spoon, placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin in his hands.

"I do," he said with a soft smile, looking at her as if he thought she was the sweetest thing of them all. The apparent adoration in his eyes turned her insides into a knotted mess, leaving her slightly nervous and dizzy. She cleared her throat, blindly reaching for a piece of chocolate cake and putting it on her plate. The flavour of chocolate was so rich that she closed her eyes, savouring the aroma on her tongue.

"Is it good?" The boy asked.

She nodded enthusiastically. "It's amazing."

"Really?" Quick as lightning he reached over with his fork and stole a bit of her cake.

"Hey!" She protested weakly but it was already too late.

"Mm. Delicious," he agreed, smirking at her cheekily. She rolled her eyes. "I understand now, why mother liked to come here so much, when she was a student."

Haley almost choked on her chocolate cake. His mother. She coughed violently, trying to get the cake out of her windpipe. He never talked about his parents. Why did he have to keep bringing them up today of all days?

A pale hand pushed a cup of coffee in front of her. She gulped it down, glad that it wasn't hot any more.

"Better?" Draco asked worriedly. She nodded, setting down her half-empty cup, now that she could finally breathe again. This was ridiculous. How was she supposed to pretend everything was fine, when the mere mention of Draco's mother or father made her almost choke to death? Maybe she should just tell him. She didn't want to hide this from him, when he was being so sweet to her. There was a chance that he would understand, right? That he wouldn't dump her right away?

Swallowing deeply, Haley opened her mouth and said, "Look, earlier today, I-" The girl's eyes widened, her hands flying to her mouth in surprise. Why did her voice suddenly sound like Dobby's?

As much as he seemed to be trying, Draco couldn't stop grinning. "You sound like a house elf!" He snorted, trying not to laugh. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay!" She squeaked. "I sound like I swallowed a helium balloon and you have nothing better to do but laugh at me!" It was her punishment. She was sure of it. All the effort he had put into this date and she had been about to ruin it. Ruin everything. What had she been thinking?

"Sorry." Draco kept chuckling. "It just sounds so funny."

"I'm glad my misery is this entertaining to you."

What could have caused this? Her nerves? A spell? Then her gaze fell upon the fairy that was soaring above her cup of coffee now, holding her stomach, because she was laughing so much. Her quiet laughter sounded like bells, while bits of fairy dust were raining into her drink. Had it been the fairy dust? Maybe the effects of it could be reversed if she took another sip. She downed the rest of her coffee as if it was pumpkin juice. Her throat felt completely normal. Had it worked?

She really hoped it had. The smug way in which Draco was smirking at her, was seriously starting to annoy her.

"Stop looking at me like-" She started to say but stopped herself because her voice now sounded deep like Uncle Vernon's.

The fairy was rolling on the table, laughing. The boy snorted. "Like what?" He asked around a chuckle.

Haley crossed her arms in front of her chest. Pouting. "Like I'm some failed experiment." She mumbled quietly. "Just help me fix this."

The obvious way he was trying not to laugh gave her the rest. She had to make a hilarious sight. She snorted, before chuckling softly herself. The absurdity of the situation! If Uncle Vernon could see her now.

"It's the fairy's fault," She said, pointing at the magical creature, that was now hitting the table with one little fist repeatedly because apparently she found the situation that funny. Under normal circumstances she probably would have just laughed it off but the interview with Rita had left her overly sensitive and on edge.

…

DRACO

It was hilarious. He knew he shouldn't laugh but he couldn't help it.

"Stop laughing already!" Haley thundered but she was grinning as well.

"All right, all right," he conceded. He knew she was going to make him regret it if he took it too far. Also, he simply couldn't refuse her anything when she was pouting like this. Actually, it was an interesting combination of pouting and trying not to grin.

"Drink this," Draco placed his own cup of coffee in front of his girlfriend, nodding at the drink encouragingly.

"Why?" The girl asked, eyeing the liquid sceptically. "That's just coffee."

"It might neutralize the effects of the fairy dust." At least it probably wouldn't make it worse. Fortunately, the fairy hadn't floated anywhere close to his cup.

"Might?" She repeated and it sounded really strange how her deep voice soared into slightly higher registers. She sounded like Goyle had when his voice had been breaking. He bit his lips. That particular image was not helpful.

"Or you could also wait for the effect to wear off by itself. Who knows how long that's going to take, though." Challenging her always worked. She shot him a glare but still took the cup and a hesitant sip. She put it down with a grimace.

"Ew, that's so sweet!" She complained, her voice no longer a deep husk. "How can you even drink this?" She stared at him as if he was completely insane. Draco lifted an eyebrow.

"What?" She asked and then it dawned on her, fingers flying to her mouth in surprise. "It worked!" She exclaimed, beaming at him. "It's normal again." Her excited little laugh gave his heart a familiar squeeze. He loved seeing her like this. It was even better than the pouting.

It didn't last though. Only a moment later, Haley groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Merlin, this was embarrassing," she muttered. "Stupid fairy dust."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Come on, it could have been worse." This had been harmless compared to being turned into a cat or falling off a broomstick.

She frowned at him. "How so?"

"Well, at least no one's turned you into a cat." He muttered with a shudder. He really didn't want to think of that incident again.

"Oh right. I almost forgot." She replied. He'd gladly forget about it as well. Why did he even mention it?

"Shit," Haley shook her head disbelievingly. "I sounded like my uncle just now."

"Your Muggle uncle?" Draco noticed the disgusted tone of his voice too late. It was a habit. If he was Haley's uncle he couldn't be too bad, right? Just because he was a muggle… he was still her family. How could he fix this?

But Haley didn't seem mad at all. She simply nodded, as if his reaction didn't bother her at all. Perhaps she didn't get along with her uncle. Or maybe he really was horrible. After all, there had to be a reason, why she usually stayed at Hogwarts during Christmas break.

"He always furrows his brows like this." She chuckled, scrunching up her eyebrows. "He's got this huge moustache that always wobbles up and down when he gets mad." She finished with another laugh that sounded slightly sad.

"I've made it worse now, haven't I?" She said, grimacing. "Now you're going to picture me with a moustache."

That muggle sounded truly awful. Did he get mad often? At Haley? He didn't know what to feel. But he did know that he had to do something to cheer her up. He got up from his seat and walked over to her, standing beside her chair.

"What?" She said, when he placed his left hand on her cheek, making her face him. He angled her face every which way, frowning slightly.

"No." He shook his head, continuing in a serious tone, "I don't think a moustache would suit you at all. It would look terrible."

Haley chuckled.

"On second thought," he said, turning her face around completely so he was faced with the back of her head. "It might work like this."

Now she was laughing for real. "You're such an idiot," she said, taking his hands from her head and turning to face him again.

"An idiot? Didn't I help you get your voice back?"

"You did," she relented, her thumb softly drawing abstract shapes on the back of his hands.

"See? I saved you from a miserable and lonely life with a peculiar voice."

"Lonely?" Haley pulled her hands free and crossed her arms. "You'd abandon me because my voice sounds peculiar?"

He pretended to think about it. "Hm… Probably not." She lifted her eyebrows. "Although, I'd have no choice but to Silencio you all day."

She huffed, shaking her head slowly. "You're unbelievable."

He grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't meant as one!"

She was so lovely when she was riled up like this. Full of life and passion. How could he ever abandon her?

"I'd never leave you because of a peculiar voice," Draco whispered, taking her face in his hands and leaning down. "There's much worse than that. A peculiar ear for example." He leaned in closer and pressed his lips to her earlobe. "Or a crooked nose." He nudged her nose with his own, before dropping a kiss onto it. He frowned, rubbing his thumb under her lower lip. "Or a weird froggy mouth." He kissed her lips softly, wondering if he would ever get used to the way his whole body started to tingle and his heart threatened to burst. It was the sweetest pleasure.

"What a relief that I don't have a crooked nose or a froggy mouth," Haley said sarcastically, when he pulled away.

He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "What a relief, indeed."

She rolled her eyes, pulling a face. She was so cute. Even with that expression. Draco wrapped his arms around her and nestled his face in between her shoulder and neck. "Honestly, though. I think I could get used to all of that." He whispered it like it was a secret. Which it technically was because he would never tell any one things like this besides Haley. She already knew he was in love with her. What did it matter? She could turn into a troll tomorrow and he'd still love her. Most probably. He could get away with this kind of comparison. It was highly unlikely that either of them would turn into a troll tomorrow. Or on any other day for that matter. Still, the point was, Haley was incredibly cute and pretty and he liked looking at her. But that wasn't the reason he loved her. Not by far.

…

HALEY

She was officially the worst girlfriend ever. With every sweet thing the boy said or did, the guilt was growing heavier, almost threatening to overwhelm her. Hermione had been wrong in saying rather than Draco she deserved someone sweet and kind. Draco was kind. And sweet. And now, she was wondering if she even deserved him. She felt terrible for keeping a secret from him. But wouldn't telling him what she had done be even worse? It was a good thing he couldn't see her face the way they were pressed against one another. Or else he would surely notice that something was wrong.

After a while, he had to pull away from her though, meaning she had to do her best returning his soft smile.

"Is that you're new thing now? Pulling faces?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

Haley shook her head, relieved that he didn't suspect anything. "It's just… been a long day." She mumbled, glancing down at her lap. It wasn't even a lie. The quidditch training and the interview had been exhausting. Not counting in the feeling of guilt.

"Oh, well." He straightened up. "Do you want to head back?" There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Er..." She was such a let down. Could this have gone any worse?

"Come on, then. We can take a walk through the village at least." He placed a few sickles on the table and fetched a familiar mirror from his shoulder bag.

"You want to go first?" He asked, offering the metamorph mirror to her. Right. He had mentioned that he was going to bring his mirror.

Haley nodded and took the mirror, holding it in front of her face. She did look exceptionally pretty today. Except for the slight frown she hoped he hadn't spotted. She tried to bring her lips to smile. Only a bit. It looked somewhat convincing. Now, she only had to think of a way to disguise herself. Hm. She always looked like a completely different person without her glasses. So that was what she got rid off first. And she added some freckles because she found them cute. But was it enough? Perhaps she could change the colour of her hair as well. What would he say, if she tried something different this time? Like blond? The girl in the mirror grinned back at her with blond hair, that spilled across her right shoulder in a thick braid. A few strands hung loosely around her face. Even her brows were blond. It was strange. She barely even recognized herself. But wasn't that exactly the point?

"Done?" Draco asked, when she lowered the mirror.

"I think so?"

The expression on the boy's face was a mix of surprise and amusement.

"What did you do to my girlfriend?" He asked with a snort, while taking the mirror back.

She chuckled, giving a one-shouldered shrug. While waiting for him to finish his own disguise, she played with the end of her braid. He didn't take long. After no more than a minute, she was faced with someone who… she hardly recognized. His hair was jet black and slightly curly and there was a pair of glasses on his nose that could have been her own. He even had a 3-day stubble beard that made him look ten years older. The only thing that was familiar about him were the grey eyes and the pointy chin. And the smirk of course. No one ever smirked like this besides him. If anybody recognized either of them, she would be more than surprised.

"What do you think?" He asked, raising a dark eyebrow.

Haley shook her head, trying not to grin. "What did you do to my boyfriend?" She muttered, frowning in mock-confusion.

That made Draco laugh, pushing the mirror back inside his bag.

"Honestly, you look like a weird older male version of me." She scoffed. "Except for the eyes."

"I don't know what you're talking about." His smirk said otherwise, though. "You're the one who copied my amazing style first." He pointed at her hair.

She rolled her eyes. "You're not the only person in the world with blond hair."

"White blond is quite rare actually," he replied, taking a step toward her and running his fingers along her braid. "It's a Malfoy thing." He winked at her in a way that was mischievous and somehow warm at the same time, leaving her strangely nervous. As if there was something he wasn't telling her. He was even blushing slightly. Was it something embarrassing?

…

DRACO

Seeing Haley with her green eyes and his trademark blonde hair did strange things to him. At first she had reminded him of his mother. But that hadn't lasted for long. She didn't have his mother's regal features that often made her appear distant and closed off. Instead, her round face was always open, clearly showing exactly what she felt most of the time. Familiar. In a different way. And then another thought had entered his mind. He had never seen anyone who was not a Malfoy with that particular hair colour. It's a Malfoy thing. If he had a sister, she might look something like this. Only, there was no one in his family with green eyes. She could be Haley's sister then. If her mother or father was a Malfoy. Which wasn't the case. And why was he even thinking about this?
Because it wasn't really the past, that the sight of her made him think of. It was the future. If she ever had a daughter… would she look like this? Would she have Haley's eyes and his hair?

He shook it off. It was much too early to have these kinds of thoughts! Or was it?

"Blond looks good on you…" He breathed. "It goes well with your eyes." His heart skipped a beat. Did she understand… what he was playing at?

She smiled, tilting her head to the side. "You think so? Maybe I'll dye it."

No. It didn't seem like she got the hidden meaning of his words. Well, perhaps it was better that way. He had to stop thinking too far ahead.

"Shall we?" He asked, offering his hand to her.

"Okay." She took his hand, which felt familiar and warm in his own and maybe it didn't matter. What mattered was that she was here with him now. The future could wait for another day or two.

…

HALEY

The streets of Hogsmeade were crowded with students. Most of them seemed to be couples, caught up in their own worlds. Just like Draco and her. No one was paying them any attention. Would anyone even have noticed if they had gone out as themselves? She snorted, shaking her head.

"Hm?" Draco asked, breaking their comfortable silence. It was nice, walking in the streets with him, holding his hand and simply enjoying his company. She could almost pretend they were a normal couple. A normal couple that didn't have to change their appearance if they wanted to take a walk together.

"Do you remember our first date?" She asked in return. "When we used your mirror?"

He nodded. "Why?"

"I was just thinking..." She explained, as they passed a group of girls leaving Honeydukes. "Back then, I… I thought it was so strange walking through Hogsmeade with you. And… I remember thinking that it was okay because we were both pretending to be someone else. I wasn't really me and you weren't you."

She felt his fingers tense slightly. But he didn't pull away. His unfamiliar dark brows were furrowed, though. (He looked so strange with the black hair.)

"What about now?" He wanted to know, his voice suspiciously casual.

"Well…It's kind of the opposite." She admitted. "I don't want to pretend to be someone else. I wish we didn't have to. It would be nice… if we could just go on a date without worrying about other people seeing us together."

"So… you don't find it strange any more?"

Haley shook her head. "Well… that beard… that's really weird. Don't ever grow a beard, okay?"

He laughed at that, pulling her hand inside his coat pocket and making her walk closer to him.

"No promises." He said around a wide grin. (That stubble really was weird.) "I'm glad you changed your mind," he whispered close to her ear. So close that she could feel his stubble scratch over her skin.

"I'd prefer the real you over that bearded version any day," Haley teased but she knew he understood what she was trying to tell him. That she didn't need to pretend any more. That she wanted to be with him. And she was no longer scared to admit that.

…

It would have been the perfect date. If not for the sinking feeling that had settled in her stomach since the moment she saw his face this afternoon. For a blissful while, she had been able to force the thoughts revolving around the interview to the back of her mind. But now, as they passed the Great Lake, she was suddenly reminded of Cedric who had helped her with the Second Task by telling her to take a bath together with the Golden Egg. And then, he'd been killed by Voldemort. Because of her. Because she had convinced him to take the Triwizard Cup together. Usually, she was able to keep her mind off these traumatising memories. But the interview had brought every painful detail back to the surface.

"Okay?"

"Huh?"

"I said is it okay if we take a little detour. Or would you rather return to your dorm right away?" Draco asked, slightly frowning at her.

"No, that's fine. Where are we going?" Haley asked, trying to sound more enthusiastic than she felt.

The boy squeezed her fingers which were still tucked into his coat pocket. "You'll see."

As it turned out, the detour lead them straight toward the green houses.

"Herbology? On the weekend?" Haley said mockingly.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid, Sprout is helping Pomfrey in the Infirmary this evening." He opened the door and ushered her inside.

"And you know that how?"

"I've got my sources." He winked at her. "Besides, you're starting to look like yourself again. And I don't think anyone is going to find us in here."

He was right. Who would voluntarily spend their Saturday evening inside one of the green houses? Besides Professor Sprout. Or Neville possibly. But the only other living beings apart from the two of them were all the plants. And most of them seemed to be asleep, seeing as it was quickly becoming dark outside. Their date was almost over. This was the last chance to tell him. He deserved to know the truth, didn't he? Maybe she would feel less guilty afterwards. It was the right thing to do, wasn't it? She balled her hand to a fist and took a deep breath. It was easier now that he wasn't looking at her but rummaging around in his shoulder bag.

"Look, there's something I have to tell-"

"Here!" Draco said at the same time, holding a little red box out to her.

"What? For me?" The sudden interruption left her slightly disoriented.

The boy frowned. "No. Obviously, I brought you here, so I could give this Valentine's gift to that breathtaking mandrake behind you." His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Ha ha. Very funny." She chuckled anyway. "So, you brought me a gift?"

"No. As I said, it's for that beautiful mandrake on the shelf behind you." The wide amused grin on his face destroyed his efforts of teasing her. He even walked past her toward the shelf, where a couple of mandrakes were sleeping in their pots peacefully.

Haley giggled, shaking her head and grabbed his arm to stop him before he accidentally woke them up.

For some reason, he seemed extremely pleased when he faced her again.

"Fine, you can have it." He said generously and offered the wooden box to her. It was similar to the one that had contained the necklace he had given her for Christmas.

"Are you sure? What about the mandrake?" She teased, her fingers resting on the clasp.

"Just open it," he urged impatiently. So, she did him the favour. And was hit with an explosion of smells. Vanilla. Cinnamon. Almonds. Chocolate. Inside the box was a chocolate dragon the size of her hand. Its wings were spread out as if it was flying and somehow it reminded her a bit of that Horntail she'd fought in fourth year.

"A chocolate dragon." She murmured. How unexpected.

"Marvellous, right?" Draco responded eagerly. "At first I couldn't decide what kind of shape to use but I think the dragon is perfect."

"Wait. You made it yourself?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes." He confirmed. "It was Luna's idea. But I made the chocolate myself." It was cute how proud he sounded.

"Why a dragon? Because of your name?"

"Not really." He paused, seemingly wondering how to answer. "It was that dragon… the one you fought against. That horrifying dragon… made me realize I didn't hate you."

"What?" She was hearing this for the first time.

He seemed to be fighting with the next words, his gaze drifting somewhere off to the side. "I felt… terrified watching that dragon spit fireballs at you. I didn't understand why…" He shook his head. "Shouldn't the sight of you fighting for your life make me happy?" For a second he looked at her as if the issue still confused him. "But instead I started to have nightmares. In which I was the dragon. Hurting you… Killing you." He was whispering now. "It didn't take me long to realize why the sight of your unharmed face every morning filled me with such relieve. Or why I caught myself staring at you more often than I was not."

His fingers reached for her face and started to caress her skin. "You know the rest." His grey eyes flicked toward the chocolate dragon between them. "It's like a reminder," he continued. "that I don't ever want to hurt you again."

Haley didn't know what to say. She was deeply touched by the story and the incredibly sweet gesture.

"I don't think I can eat it." She finally said, trying to ignore the burning behind her eyes. "It's too cute to eat."

Draco sighed dramatically. "I'll make you another one then. An ugly one. So you can actually get a taste of my masterpiece." How was he that sweet, damn it!

"What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?" He asked, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her closer. How could she tell him now, after all that? After preparing such an amazing date and giving her such a meaningful gift? She couldn't ruin it all like this. She'd tell him another time. Tomorrow. It would be the first thing on her list tomorrow. Maybe until then, she could also think of a way to explain it to him gently. So, he could understand. So, he wouldn't hate her.

…

DRACO

The way she was smiling up at him looked slightly forced. Something was off about her today. Was she still troubled because of her friends?

"I just… wanted to tell you that…" She paused, reaching into her bag and pulling out a little jar filled with… chocolate? The chocolate was oval shaped and leaned against the back of the jar. There was a little figure in the corner – made of marzipan – that looked a lot like Haley (raven hair, glasses, lightning scar). But she had huge spirals instead of eyes and overall looked a bit daft. Above the little candy-Haley white sugary letters said: I'm crazy about you. Draco snorted.

"I didn't make it myself," Haley admitted. "But I thought it was cute in a way. Highly offensive, but cute." She grinned. "They're a hit over at Honeyduke's. Even sell better than these."

She held a similar jar in front of his eyes. It had the same candy-Haley in one corner but instead of crazy she looked fairly normal. She was pointing her wand to the side and little pink hearts seemed to come out of it. There was some more writing above the hearts: You're my Chosen One.

"I know, it's terribly cheesy. But you know, of all the people who receive one of these, you'll be the only one who gets it from the real me."

He chuckled, looking at the two jars, she had given him. "So, which one is it? You're crazy about me or I'm your Chosen One?" He asked teasingly.

"I couldn't decide, which one I liked better," she said, pouting her lips in a way that was unfairly irresistible. She was too cute. How was that possible?

"You're terrible at choosing chocolate," he tsked, leaning forward so their noses almost touched. Absently, he placed the chocolate on the table next to them so it wouldn't get crushed between them.

"Terrible?" She raised her eyebrows, which were back to their usual colour again.

He nodded seriously, the tip of his nose tickling lightly when it accidentally touched hers.

"I have to say, you're pretty brilliant at choosing a boyfriend, however." He smirked at her smugly. He expected her to roll her eyes. Or to make a sarcastic remark. Or shake her head at least.

Instead her lips turned into a little smile and she whispered, "I know."

And before he had time to wonder why her smile seemed the smallest bit sad, Haley had wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. And since he was more than just a little bit crazy about her, too, the taste of her lips made him forget anything that didn't involve kissing her back.

…

HALEY

Tomorrow. She was definitely going to tell him tomorrow. She didn't have the heart to ruin such a perfect night.

…

A/N: And here's the seccond part of that monster chapter almost in time for Valentine's Day! I'll go hide somewhere now so no one can blame me for being fond of a little drama...
Oh, in case your interested about the meaning of the dragon for Draco, I kinda wrote a lovely long thing about the first task and how it caused Draco to develop all kinds of feelings... I'll post it sometime soon. It's like a prequel to all of this.

Hang in there!