Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, sir. I is being a sneaky elf and borrowing it, sir!
Warnings: Language
A/N: I am constantly taking prompts for this until it is listed as "complete" or until I say otherwise. I can't necessarily promise the prompts will be completed right away, but as soon as I am able. :)
Prompt: Apples
Draco Malfoy bit with perfect white teeth into the skin of a green apple he was holding in one of his pale hands. He licked his soft, plump pink lips to clean the juice off of them. He enveloped another bite of the apple into his perfect mouth, and tossed his head while he chewed, his gorgeous platinum hair sliding back into place when he did so.
"Harry? Harry, you're drooling."
"Err, what?" Harry blinked, coming out of his reverie and reminding himself that it was stupid to be jealous of a piece of fruit. Hermione peered at him, a small frown on her face.
"Are you alright?" Concern laced her voice.
" 'M fine, Mione." Silently he pleaded with her to drop it. He couldn't explain it to her, and definitely not to Ron. They'd never understand.
Hermione looked utterly unconvinced, but appeared to have decided that during class was not the time to deal with it. She shot him one more frown and turned her attention back to Hagrid.
"Now this litt'le bugger 'ere," said the large man cheerfully, gesturing to a monstrous blob, "Is a friendly litt'le tyke known as a Jiggernaut. This one 'ere, I like ter call Felix."
Malfoy's pale porcelain skin went paler at the sight of the monstrosity. His grey eyes were wide with fright, though the rest of his features were schooled into an indifferent mask. Harry suppressed the urge to comfort him. Knowing Malfoy, he'd probably get hexed if he tried.
He let out a tiny sigh; a forlorn little sound that did not go unnoticed by Hermione. Her eyes narrowed and he knew there was no getting out of it now. Shit, he thought, running a hand through his messy black locks. He bit his lip and spent the rest of the lesson trying to come up with a plausible excuse to give to Hermione.
He couldn't admit he fancied Malfoy. He just couldn't.
During supper in the Great Hall, Harry picked at his food and avoided Hermione's eyes. When he was finally sure she wasn't watching anymore, he snuck a glance at the Slytherin table. There sat Malfoy, with another green apple. He was playing with it, rolling it back and forth between his palms and over his wrists as he chatted animatedly with Blaise Zambini.
Harry stared at that apple, rolling over the creamy expanse of skin, and wish he could trade it places. He groaned inwardly, realising that he was, in fact, jealous of an apple. Or rather apples. Malfoy seemed rather obsessed with them; even more so than in previous years, though if Harry remembered correctly he'd always fancied them.
Harry wasn't sure exactly when it started, though he had a general idea. He returned Malfoy's wand after the war, and they had a long, civil conversation. He'd testified for Malfoy and his mother and had gotten them off, so Narcissa had invited him over to the Manor. He'd figured, why not go return Malfoy's wand? Merlin knew Harry didn't need it anymore. He already had two wands; his and the Elder – there was no point in keeping a third.
But it was after that conversation, he seemed to run into Malfoy wherever he went. And while Malfoy wasn't any different – apparently he'd used up all the civility he had in him the day Harry had returned his wand – Harry couldn't shake the memory of the passionate, eager young man with a thirst to prove himself whom he'd spoken to that day. He took to watching Malfoy, and now that he wasn't doing so under the suspicious nature he'd had during sixth year, he began noticing things about the blond. How he acted like he was better than everyone else but in reality had a massive inferiority complex. How he talked like money, position and status were the only things that mattered, but he would look longingly at groups of close friends who truly cared about each other or couples who were in love, all when no one else was watching. How his perfect Malfoy mask didn't quite reach his eyes, and if you looked close enough you could see what he was really feeling.
Harry quickly learned that despite everything he said and did to the countrary, Malfoy's deepest longing was to be accepted and loved for who he was, and his deepest fear was that he would never be. Harry longed to be the one to give him that acceptance, but he'd grown resigned to the fact that while he had dropped their previous animosity, Malfoy certainly hadn't.
He sighed again, and winced as he was forced to get up and excuse himself to avoid Hermione's penetrating stare.
Harry lay in bed, bored out of his mind. He didn't dare go down to the common room, because Hermione was there and would immediately pouncing on him like a lion onto its unsuspecting prey.
He pulled out the Marauder's Map and tapped it with his wand. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." He watch the map spring to life, and searched for that one dot in particular.
A cursory glance over the map told him that Draco was not in the castle. He scanned the grounds and found Malfoy's dot sitting alone under a tree by the Great Lake. On a whim, he grabbed his invisibility cloak, slipped it on, and hurried out of the dorm and through the portrait hole.
He didn't slow down until he was outside. He walked over to the tree where Malfoy sat, trying to keep quiet. Malfoy was sitting there, eating another green apple. Harry stood and watched him a little while, until Malfoy's voice broke the silence.
"Potter," he drawled. "If I must suffer your presence, you might as well take off the bloody cloak and sit down."
Harry's jaw dropped, and for a moment he stood there in shock. How had Malfoy known he was there? How had he known about the cloak?
Malfoy huffed. "Honestly, Potter, I've known about the cloak since the train in sixth year. It's not like you can just stand there and fool me that way." Harry winced, remembering, and instinctively reached up and rubbed his nose. He slid the cloak off and folded it over his arm.
"How'd you even know I was there?" he asked.
"A herd of rampaging hippogriffs is quieter than you at your stealthiest, Potter," came the answering sneer. Harry snorted, knowing that wasn't true, but acknowledging to himself that he'd still been breathing pretty heavy when he approached the lake.
"So what brings you out here, in an invisibility cloak, no less?"
Harry debated for a moment, then decided he had nothing to lose. "I was looking for you, actually."
Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Why on earth would you be looking for me? The Weasel and the Mudblood not good enough company anymore?"
Harry snorted. "Malfoy, why do you have to act like such a prat? Why can't you be pleasant like you were when I visited last summer? You were full of hopes and dreams for the future, and you were pretty damn nice to be around."
Malfoy was silent a moment. "If I didn't know better, Potter, I'd think you were trying to be my friend." Was it just Harry or was there a touch of wistfulness in his voice?
Harry leveled his gaze on the Slytherin. "Maybe I am… Draco." He waited with baited breath for the blond's reaction.
He started when he heard his given name from Harry, then sat still a moment, his features perfectly neutral. He turned and looked Harry in the eyes after a few minutes. "You really think I was nice to be around?" he asked, the light in his eyes eager while his face showed no expression.
"I do," answered Harry immediately, and held out his hand. "So, Draco… friends?"
Draco hesitated a moment longer, then allowed himself a small smile and reached out. "Friends… Harry," he agreed, taking Harry's hand. Warmth tingled along Harry's hand all the way down his arm at the contact, and he laughed delightedly. He sprawled out lazily beside Draco and smiled at the sky.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Draco smiling beside him. He pulled another green apple from his robe pocket and offered it to Harry, who took it with a smile. Draco produced another, and they both bit into their apples.
Friends, thought Harry as he crunched the apple. And maybe, just maybe, someday maybe more.