Chapter 3

'How far have you come, Harry?' Draco asked as he entered their flat, carrying four bags of groceries.

'Palmer's stalking Malcolm right now. They are going all over the school.' Harry shouted back from his room.

'Why?' Draco asked, coming to stand at Harry's door.

Harry lifted his head up and frowned at him. 'You explain, why did you have him roam all the corridors in the last chapter?'

'Um,' Draco said, awkwardly folding his hands across his chest.

'Is he looking for something? Or is he searching for a place to meet up with someone?' Harry prompted. 'Or is he trying to find a place to escape to?'

Draco didn't reply for a while. He was tenaciously drilling holes into the carpet with his stare alone.

'It's just so that I know what to do when Palmer confronts Malcolm and how to take the story forward.'

'Yes, the last one,' Draco said at last and cleared his throat. 'He is feeling completely burdened with coming out to his parents, his crush on Palmer and resisting his father's coercion into joining the joke of a family business that their family's recruitment of spies for the other side is. Additionally, he doesn't have anyone to talk to. So he's feeling pretty alone.'

Harry didn't notice the somber tone Draco's voice took as he explained. He rolled up the parchment and flicked his wand at the other materials on his desk. Within a few seconds, the items rearranged themselves into their original slots.

'If he didn't antagonise Palmer at every opportunity, he probably would have found a great friend in him,' Harry said, grabbing two of the bags Draco was still holding and walking into the kitchen.

'I mean, he made a placard opposing Palmer when Palmer went for the inter-school sports meet.'

'So you think he deserves to be lonely?' Draco asked, taking the groceries from Harry and putting them away in the supply closet.

'No, I'm just saying Malcolm appears to have brought this upon himself. You realise all this angst isn't really necessary? We could have just made it a non-angsty story if we made Palmer accept Malcolm's offer of friendship on the first day of school. By the way, why did it have to be at a railway station?'

Harry had been haunted by a whisper of something eerily similar ever since Draco suggested that incident.

'Don't complain. You agreed to the story having hints of tragedy,' Draco said, still laying the groceries out.

That he didn't respond to Harry's other question totally went over Harry's head.

'I only think that perhaps the story would have been faster paced if Holly had just smacked their heads together and made them see sense. Malcolm was mean to Robert, sure, but Palmer was also openly hostile. I mean, he judged Malcolm for insulting a person he didn't know and then proceeded to do the same himself in the next moment.'

'He was defending his friend, Harry,' Draco said, turning to their refrigerator. 'Malcolm was the one who was being arrogant and foolish. He really had it coming. You would have done the same for your friend, you actually did.'

Draco mumbled the last sentence under his breath.

'Still, I wish I could just go and take it all back,' Harry said, not having heard Draco as he was formulating other ideas in his head. 'In fact, I think we probably should write about what it would have been like if they had become friends instead. Can you imagine the banter, though? It would have been smashingly sarcastic. Plus, we both are actually quite similar.' Harry said, mentally hitting himself on the head for once again becoming one with his character and talking of Palmer's feelings as his.

'You do?' Draco stopped arranging and asked in a small voice, his back still turned to Harry.

'Yes,' Harry replied.

'But you agreed to not change the story once it's written. It's the whole reason we decided to not go through all the chapters until the entire story is finished.'

'Which is why I'm not changing it. Oy, how long are you going to do that? They're all set,' Harry said, pointing at their stock of fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. 'What if your guy doesn't like you being fastidious?'

'No, he won't,' Draco said absently.

'How do you know that?'

'I just do.'

'How, Draco?'

'Because you don't,' he said, finally facing Harry. Immediately his eyes widened and for some reason he flushed crimson. 'I mean,' he cleared his throat, 'you didn't mind when we first started living together. You got used to it.'

Harry looked curiously at the strange mixture of emotions flitting across Draco's face. Why was Draco so uncomfortable about talking about the guy he loved? Harry felt the atmosphere of the entire room changing whenever he brought up the topic of Draco's secret crush. Was he afraid that Harry would be judgemental? But Harry was not. He knew Draco knew that. So what was it?

Then his brain caught up with the other thing Draco said. Living together. They have been living together, haven't they? They went to work together, they cooked and ate every meal together, they went grocery shopping, their friends knew each other and they all frequently met up. They also went home at the end of the day and often had movie nights. They had also co-parented Teddy. Harry had got so accustomed to having Draco around him at all times of day that he never stopped to realise that they behaved almost like a couple!

No! Harry shook his head once and focussed back on the present. Draco was watching him with a funny expression on his face that Harry couldn't decode. What he did work out was the last bit Draco said. You got used to it. That's it! Draco had become Harry's habit. It was why the thought of Draco moving in with his future boyfriend made Harry nauseous. It explained things. Harry mentally nodded at himself. He dismissed the voice that asked him if that also explained why he felt angry.

'Well,' Draco cleared his throat again, 'since you've been honest, I'll tell you the complete reason for Malcolm's actions.'

Harry stood straight at that. 'Oh thank God! I was wondering how big of a fight I'd have to write out this time after their confrontation.'

'This time?' Draco asked, perplexed.

'Remember their second year? You made the two idiots enroll for the Wrestling Club in their school and then fight out their frustrations, all hands and fists. They could have just talked,' Harry whined.

'This is the seventy sixth time you've asked me that. Tell me, would you rather have them sign up for a Duelling club?' Draco had an odd look in his eyes as he asked.

'No! Of course not! We'd have to change the entire setting to a magical one then. We are doing this all Muggle so that people know about the Muggle world too.'

Draco was silent as he brought out the vessels and set about making preparations for dinner. Harry observed him from afar lost in his own thoughts. Something in what Draco had just said brought back that eerie whisper that kept insisting Harry somehow already knew what the next incident in Draco's story would be. Harry was overthinking. Yes, it was Harry's overthinking, his dramatism as Hermione liked to call it.

'So, what was the real reason, anyway?' Harry asked, making his way over to where Draco was chopping some veggies.

Draco stopped his work and sighed deeply. Turning to Harry, he said, 'He wants Palmer to catch him.'

'What? That doesn't make sense, he's always avoiding or escaping Palmer. That's not how a person who wants to be found behaves,' Harry argued.

'Isn't it?' Draco said wistfully. 'Well,' he continued, 'Malcolm wants Palmer to catch him so that he gets to talk to him and tell him. He's very desperate, Harry. He can't go home without a solution in hand. Because it's either that or following in his father's footsteps and he has no intention of doing the latter. He's cornered, Harry.' Draco locked eyes with Harry as he finished.

Harry was silent for a moment. 'That's hard,' he unknowingly said, looking deep into grey orbs shining with an indecipherable emotion. 'I don't know how you did it at sixteen.'

Then he facepalmed. 'Oh God, Draco!' he groaned. 'Do you have this problem too? I kind of get into my character's head so much that I start feeling what he feels. And I keep mistaking us both for Palmer and Malcolm just because we're writing about them. Who knew writing a book would be so intense?' He shuddered and moved to the stove to set a pan on top of it.

'Are we still going to the pub later on?' Draco asked, as if in a daze.

'Yeah, Ron claims 'Mione needs a break. I strongly suspect he's not getting time to let loose with Rose and everything.'

'At 8 o'clock then?'

'Yes.'

An owl tapped at the window at that moment and Harry let it in. 'Draco, this note is for you.' He handed it over watching the brown owl curiously. 'Hmm, he doesn't look familiar. Who is the note from?'

When Draco didn't answer, Harry turned to him and found him sufficiently stunned. He walked up to him and lay a gentle hand on his shoulder, startling Draco so much that he jumped back with a yelp. Harry was worried now.

'What is it? Is it bad news?' he asked, carefully approaching him once again. Draco shook his head no and then bobbed his head yes. His look, though, said 'maybe.'

'You are scaring me, Draco,' Harry said again, and then it hit him. 'By any chance, is it..' Harry had to gulp down a heavy, bitter knot in his throat to finish his sentence. 'Is it from him?'

Draco, seeming to have come to his senses, yelled out a high pitched 'NO!' and then hurriedly Incendioed the tiny paper. He went back to cooking as if nothing had happened. Harry was getting more than worried. He was outright frustrated. Draco's actions were screaming everything but no at him. He was starting to get an idea about what the lead in his stomach and the fire in his veins meant. Then began the loop of "What am I doing- Draco's my friend- I should help him- He's a habit- I'm overthinking" in his head and his brain was showing the beginnings of a massive migraine.

Harry cursed internally and said, 'We can skip the pub if you'd like.'

'No,' Draco said sharply.

'Are you-'

'YES, Harry, for Merlin's sake now, pass the potatoes!'

Draco's food never tasted so sour in Harry's life.

Draco always dressed himself smartly and according to the trending fashion but that day he was looking exquisite. Yes, exquisite. There was no other way to describe his look in the form fitting grey trousers and the deep green button down he wore. Harry noticed that Draco was frequently looking about the room, glancing at the other tables and the dance floor. He also noticed Draco inconspicuously scribbling off a note and sending it with the owl that brought bad tidings, before they left for the pub. Harry sighed.

'What's the matter with you two? You're both out of it today,' Ron said, sipping his drink.

'Nothing,' Draco said a little too quickly and then whipped out his phone when it pinged. By the colour rising onto his smooth cheeks, Harry had no doubt it was from his crush, who apparently had one of his own on his blond adonis. Draco slid out from his seat next to Harry and excused himself to two confused looks and an openly boiling one.

'That's strange,' Ron said.

'Tell me about it,' Harry murmured, his eyes still fixed on Draco's form moving to the loos. He started making a mental list of everything he knew about the other guy. He was a wizard, Draco loved him and he was very obviously waiting behind that door that proclaimed "Men's." Harry tasted bile in his mouth.

'Any longer, Harry, I'm positive the door to the men's washroom is going to be blasted off its hinges,' Pansy said with a shrewd look in her eyes, alerting him to her presence.

'Hi, Pansy,' Harry mumbled, taking a sip of his mocktail. He liked neither the tone of her voice nor her look. Pansy Parkinson was many things and right then, she was the most dangerous person to be around.

'Something wrong?' Hermione asked gently, laying her hand on Harry's. Only then did Harry notice that his fingers were trembling. From fear, anger or jealousy, he didn't know. Jealous. He was jealous Draco had a special someone. No, that's ridiculous. He couldn't have expected Draco to remain single forever, could he? He was jealous of the other guy. No, that meant.. something Harry's brain refused to acknowledge. He banged his fist on the table, exhaled loudly and said, 'It's just the story, 'Mione. It's mentally taxing. For some reason I feel it's a very familiar story and I'm reliving it. Did you, by any chance, read it out to me anytime?'

'No,' Hermione replied and Harry realised what an absurd question it had been. A lull spread over the table as everyone momentarily paused their conversation but Harry's ears were filled with the ticking of the hands of his watch. It had been ten minutes since Draco went in. Whatever tiny hope he had that Draco was only using the loo flew out of the window as more time passed. Anger was morphing into rage and taking complete control over whatever sense he had remaining. He downed his drink, abruptly stood and went to the dance floor and started gyrating to the music. His goal was to dance hard enough to forget Draco and his guy. Fifteen minutes later, he leapt to the bar and ordered their strongest alcohol. He threw it down the back of his throat and signalled for another. He was slowly getting high and only realised how drunk he was when he found himself dancing with a blond head. He lifted his hands to circle them around his partner and his eyes landed on his watch. Shit! It had been more than forty minutes since Draco went in. Harry tore out of his partner's grasp and rushed in the direction of "Men's," his increasing anxiety for Draco beating the high out of his mind. That brought back his anger, though.

Harry didn't know what he expected to find when he opened the door but what he found was most certainly not on the list of things. He felt slightly embarrassed and slightly relieved when he entered and saw that Draco and his crush were not engaged in a quickie. He, in spite of his fury-fuelled state, noticed how even his inner voice snapped out his crush, like it was a toxic word. Harry supposed it was true. What was also true was that the room contained only two other people- Draco and Craig the Loudspeaker.

'Craig?' Harry asked, his anger melting into surprise. 'What are you doing here?'

'Taking a piss,' Craig smiled, waggling his eyebrows at Draco, who looked totally unimpressed with his pun.

Feeling suddenly protective, Harry moved to stand in front of Draco, one hand reaching up unconsciously to cup his face. 'Is he troubling you?' he asked, keeping one eye trained on Craig and rubbing his thumb across Draco's cheek.

Craig held up his hands in a placating gesture. 'I wouldn't. Everyone knows not to mess with Draco if they don't want a painful death personally delivered by the saviour.'

Harry frowned at him. 'What does that mean?' His voice was bordering on cutting which was probably why Draco laid his hand on his shoulder.

'Merely that you wouldn't let a single fly buzz around Draco,' Craig said walking backwards and then almost fleeing the bathroom.

Harry nearly laughed at how comical his exit was but his eyes landed on his friend who still looked troubled.

'That expression is not matching your beautiful clothes, Draco,' he said in an attempt at making Draco laugh, one finger of his other hand absently toying with the placket of Draco's shirt.

But Draco didn't respond. Harry suspected Draco didn't even hear him, his eyes instead seemed to be riveted on Harry's fingers. Fingers? Harry pulled his hand back and Draco looked up.

'What is it?' Harry asked, cupping Draco's face in both of his hands. Draco's eyes swam with a vulnerability he never usually showed and that settled the matter for Harry. He pulled Draco into a crushing embrace and asked, 'Please, I can't see you like this. What's the problem?'

In answer, Draco snaked his arms around Harry's waist tightly and rested his head on Harry's shoulder. Harry started stroking his back tenderly, making soft shushing sounds.

'Is it the letter? Was it from your guy?' Harry asked at length, when he couldn't resist it any longer. He was amazed his voice came out normal instead of accusing. It was almost as if Draco liking a guy was okay provided he remained in Harry's arms. Wait what? What kind of twisted logic was that?

'No,' Draco croaked. Was he unhappy that it wasn't from the guy? Harry quickly shut his brain from over imagining further.

'Okay,' Harry said, not at all liking how relieved he sounded. 'I thought you were going to meet him here.'

Draco shifted and cracked open a lid, one questioning eye directed upwards into Harry's green pupils.

'You weren't very discreet sending the owl off,' Harry said, his cheeks colouring fast. He made no move to cover it though. He had no objection to Draco seeing him blushing if it meant he stayed in Harry's arms for longer.

'No it wasn't him,' Draco said again. Harry looked at him, silently asking him what it was then. 'Just,' he replied, burrowing his face back into Harry's shoulder, 'a little private thing, is all. By the way, you are sloshed.'

Harry chuckled and held Draco for a few minutes more before saying, 'Yeah, let's go home, Draco. You're very tired. Is it the story? I know, it's quite intense.' He guided Draco out of the bathroom with one hand on the small of his back.

Draco was stopped from replying with the appearance of a blond head that slurred without preamble, 'You with him?'

Harry blanched as Draco eyed him but he still saw the flicker of dejection on his friend's face before Draco locked it behind his mask.

'No,' Draco said, stepping out of Harry's embrace.

'Yes,' Harry said firmly, pulling Draco back against his chest and wrapping his hands fiercely around his waist.

The guy eyed him doubtfully. 'Didn' look like it back there,' he said, tilting his head to the dance floor.

Draco made to move again but Harry didn't let him. He instead planted a loud, open mouthed kiss on Draco's cheek and proceeded to nibble on his ear. 'Was too drunk,' Harry said in lieu of an answer, pulling Draco's shirt out of his trousers. 'Confused you for my boyfriend here,' Harry started peppering kisses down the side of Draco's neck. He felt Draco relaxing into him.

'What's going on here?' Ron asked, coming up behind The guy and narrowing his eyes at him. Oh shit! In his attempts to forget about Draco and his crush, Harry had forgotten about his friends as well. And what a sight he made for Ron, happily feasting on Draco! Ron, to his credit, though, didn't bat an eyelid at them.

'This guy here is trying to hit on my boyfriend,' Draco said, gasping as Harry slid his fingers underneath Draco's shirt while still continuing his assault on his neck.

'He's obviously not interested,' Ron said pointedly.

The guy looked uncertainly among the three of them.

'Hermione?' Harry asked, glancing at Ron. He shifted his head to lap at the other side of Draco's neck as well, deliberately ignoring the dumbhead.

'With Pansy. You guys good to go, mate?'

'Yes,' Draco breathed, arching as Harry found a sensitive spot.

The guy finally got his cue and retreated into the crowd. Ron nodded once and went back to their table. Harry lifted his head, nodded at Hermione and Pansy who seemed to have their jaws on the table, threaded his fingers through Draco's and dragged him out. Once they were outside, though, Harry didn't know what to say. Thankfully, it looked like Draco did.

'How on earth did you attract such a creep, Harry?' he asked, letting go of Harry's hand.

'I really thought he was you,' Harry said in a voice low enough to be inaudible, looking stubbornly at his feet.

'You wanted to dance with me?' The disbelieving note to Draco's tone made him look at him.

His eyes were shining in the glow of the night lamps.

'Yes,' Harry said, noticing that they were still standing close to each other.

'Next time, then?' Draco winked.

'Next time,' Harry smiled back. The air around them was filled with the steadiness of the promise they both just made.