This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Word Count: 1101

Title: Fishing Online

Note: AU! Catfish

Warnings: catfishing, swearing

Beta: DarylDixon'sgirl1985

Hogwarts

Yearly:

Prompt 784 [AU] Catfish

366: [19] Atmosphere

The Three Broomsticks was a new chat room online that Draco had been frequenting quite often lately. It had become one of his favourite past times. He would sit in Malfoy Manor and type, and type, and type.

Draco didn't want anyone to know that he was using this chatroom to chat with another man. He couldn't come out just yet, so he hid behind the photograph of a blonde woman that he had gotten off the internet. He started talking to Prongs 2.0 online, and he and this man truly seemed to have a lot in common.

They both loved Quidditch, and they both had very tough family lives. Draco found himself loving every second the two of them spent talking about everything and anything. That was until Prongs 2.0 said he wanted to meet Draco.

Draco managed to stall for a while, but sooner or later the truth would come out, and he was talking to this man under the pretense of being someone else. No matter how he spun it, he could get into real trouble about this.

Another ping from his computer, and he rushed to the open browser that held the popup from Prongs 2.0.

I really think we should meet. I managed to find a connection with you that I haven't found with any other woman, and I would love a chance to woo you properly.

"How chivalrous," Draco muttered to himself, before switching the screen off without a reply to his suitor.

I'm not who you think I am…

Draco typed, his finger hovering over the send button when another message from Prongs 2.0 came through.

Are you scared I am not who I say I am? Is there a reason I keep my face out of my pictures?

The thought had occurred to Draco, but since he was doing the same thing, he couldn't blame the man for being cautious.

I'm not my photograph

Draco replied instead, pressing send before he could change his mind again.

Okay, shall we say 3 on Friday?

Draco laughed. Did this man not understand?

I'm not even a woman

It felt like the typing took forever before Prongs 2.0 replied.

Even better

The date was set up, and Draco had never been more nervous about anything in his entire life. He was supposed to be sitting with a red rose in the corner booth of Honeydukes, and wearing a lilac scarf around his neck.

This man knew he wasn't who he said he was, but still agreed to meet him. Draco found this strange, but he was thankful for the chance to meet someone face-to-face that could potentially be someone he loves. If he was completely honest with himself, he had to admit he had fallen for this man, and if he was even somewhat attractive he would probably want to drag him home to Malfoy Manor and have his wicked way with him.

When Potter walked in through the door, Draco wanted to disappear, and when their eyes met across the room, and the recognition hit Draco, he felt like the floor could swallow him whole.

'Harry Bloody Potter is my date? Oh Merlin,' Draco thought, and when Potter smiled at him as he walked over he felt himself go weak in the knees.

"Potter," Draco said when he got to the table, trying to grab the rose and hide it underneath the table. "What are you doing here?" He was trying his best to sound intimidating, but he knew it wasn't going to work, not this time.

"It appears I'm your date, Draco," he grinned cheekily, sitting down across the table.

"Don't mock me, Potter," Draco spat with a venom he knew was born from a deep rooted fear.

"I'm not, I really enjoy talking to you, and now that I know you don't look like a troll…" Harry trailed off with a suggestive look.

'Holy shit, Potter is flirting with me,' Draco thought. "I don't know what you're up to," he said instead, trying to calm his racing heart.

"For fucks sakes, Draco," Harry said with a shrug. "This isn't a trick; I didn't know who you were."

"Then why are you still here?" Draco said, opting to ignore the first name basis.

"I fell in love with you, the real you," Harry admitted.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Draco scolded.

"I didn't mean to fall in love with you," Harry laughed. "Did you mean to fall for me?"

"What makes you think I fell for you, Harry?" Draco said, noticing his use of Harry's first name too late.

"You haven't left," Harry said simply.

'He is right you know,' he berated himself subconsciously.

"That doesn't...I'm not," Draco was at a loss for words, something that never happened to him. "What I mean is, it would be rude to walk out in the middle of a date."

"Why can't you just be honest?"

"It's not in a Slytherin's nature to lay it all out on the table."

"Then maybe you shouldn't be so keen on being the bad guy," Harry said, but his eyes held something soft inside them.

"Well, maybe I don't want to be the bad guy anymore!" Draco said suddenly.

Harry took the hand beneath the table that was holding onto the red rose, and took it from him.

"I didn't come for us to fight," Harry lowered his tone above a whisper, leaning in closer to Draco.

Draco didn't understand how this atmosphere had changed so quickly. He realised that there was softness in Harry's eyes he could imagine from the person on the other side of the screen. There was acceptance there, and Draco was new to this.

"You really like me, huh?" Harry asked, smiling, holding the rose to his nose, and then seemingly brushing it over his lips before placing it on the table again.

"I do," Draco admitted. "I was ready to take you home before you walked in." Draco had no idea why that slipped out of his controlled mouth, but he didn't seem to mind when Harry's face turned a bright pink and he almost growled his next words.

"You want to take me home and ravish me?"

Draco felt a shiver of anticipation go through him, and he felt the Goosebumps rise on his arms.

"Yes," he said simply.

"I can be up for that," Harry smirked, turning Draco's insides to jelly. "But perhaps on our next date, okay?"

"Next date?" Draco asked.

"You can't expect me to be happy with only one," Harry grinned.

"I suppose not," Draco smirked.