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: 1213

Title: As Long As You Love Me

Note:

Warnings:

Beta: ViolaMoon

Hogwarts

Assignment 4: Muggle Cultures: Valentine's Celebrations: Task #1 - Cards: Write about having a secret admirer

Yearly:

Prompt 526 [Colour] Navy Blue

Harry was sitting in the great hall, trying to avoid eye contact with all the lovesick fans, he couldn't stand Valentine's day, all the gooey love letters and flowers that simply died within a week. He didn't understand it. He didn't know what it was that made all the girls' all starry eyed. It simply made no sense.

"Another card," he said to Ron as Hedwig swooped down to drop it in front of his plate of bacon and eggs.

This card was navy blue, and it had a bouquet of flowers with it. When he smelled the flowers, he noticed something different about them.

Harry laughed; reading the card to himself; something about the person's way of writing led him to believe that this person has the same attitude towards this over-commercialized day, and yet, they went through the effort of sending him a card anyway.

Even the gesture seemed to be giving out mixed signals, and although there was a part of him that longed to know the identity of the mysterious card giver, he didn't know what he would do if he found them.

"This one seems different," Ron said, picking up on the difference in Harry.

"Why do you say that?"

"Mate, it's all over your face. This girl made you laugh," Ron said.

Harry grimaced. "Oh, please let it not be a girl."

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Ron said simply. Ron had been a beacon of support after Harry came out privately, and Harry would never forget how his friend never treated him any differently.

"The flowers are charmed," Harry said instead.

"How?"

"They don't die," Harry said, touching the petal of one of the lilies.

"Well, maybe the admirer is Gryffindor and heard you mention the problem with flowers is how fast they die," Ron shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe," Harry said. His eyes went over to the Slytherin table, and he saw Malfoy appearing to be deep in discussion with Crabbe about something.

Malfoy's grey eyes met Harry's, and he made sure he broke the glance first, looking down at his food.

'What if it isn't?' Harry thought to himself. He knew who he wanted it to be, the Slytherin he lay thinking about at night, and if he was being honest with himself, the one he dreamt of. Of course he had every right to be cynical about Valentine's Day, how many people really knew him for who he was?

"Where is Hermione?" Ron asked, as if he suddenly noticed she wasn't sitting beside them. Harry used the excuse to look over at the Slytherin table, and sure enough, there was Hermione, sitting beside Blaise Zabini, seemingly deep in conversation. Harry couldn't help but smile into the flowers, and he stood up, taking the letter to his room. He placed the enchanted flowers by the side of his bed, and he longed with all his heart to find the person that knew him as well as his best friends.

He couldn't help but wonder if meeting eyes with Draco across the room was a coincidence. Surely, how would Draco Malfoy know his personal opinion about flowers, unless it was a sentiment they shared. He couldn't dare to dream that it was from him, yet something was building up inside him that longed to be let out.

Harry knew he should just be thankful to the sender, and whoever it is, they deserved to be thanked for what they had done for him. It was the first unique card he had received. The only one not filled with generic "be mine" sentiments or how much they loved him.

"Harry, you have a million people dying to go out with you, and you are turning them all down, for what?" Hermione asked.

He held up the navy blue card and handed it over.

"You don't even know who sent this, Harry," she insisted, passing it back to him.

"I know the person knows me," Harry said.

Blaise Zabini walked over to Hermione as they stood chatting in the hallway near the Potions class.

"My darling," he said, bowing dramatically. Hermione laughed and blushed. His eyes seemed to get a puzzled look in them, and he spoke to Harry for the first time.

"Hey, Potter? Who gave that to you?"

"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "It had no name."

"I could have sworn…" Blaise said but stopped.

"What? Who sent it?" Harry asked, betraying himself.

His expression changed again. "How would I know?"

"You look like you recognize it," Harry pressed.

"Well, Hermione, can we go?" Blaise asked, again ignoring Harry.

Harry was sitting, holding the navy blue card like a lifeline, every couple had dates at Hogsmeade. His eyes met Malfoy's, and he found it strange that he seemed to be the only other person alone this weekend. Love had blossomed among the students of Hogwarts, yet Harry remained steadfast that the only person he wanted was his mysterious letter writer. He had gotten a few more letters, each on the same navy blue paper.

Draco Malfoy was sitting on a bench just out of hearing distance, and Harry watched as Blaise and Hermione approached him. Hermione's body went rigid, and Harry could tell Draco had said something to her. Blaise looked over to where Harry was sitting, and Harry's heart leapt.

'Could it be that his mystery admirer was Draco?' he wondered to himself. Now that he had thought of it, he couldn't help comparing the tone of the letters to the way Draco usually spoke and acted.

When he looked up, Draco was suddenly standing in front of him and his heart skipped a beat.

"What's that?" Draco asked, pointing at the letter Harry held.

"None of your business," Harry said, but his voice wasn't sounding as confident as usual.

"Are you quite sure of that?" Draco said in his usual snarky tone.

"It's a prank, isn't it?" Harry sighed.

"Actually, no," Draco admitted. "I wasn't planning on telling you, but Zabini insists you need to know. Granger almost hexed me when I told her to mind her own business."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "That sounds like Hermione."

Draco's hands went into his perfectly slick hair, as if attempting to fix it, and Harry could see he was shuffling his feet. 'Was the one and only Draco Malfoy actually nervous?' Harry wondered.

"So, why did you send it?" Harry asked, it was like the confession wasn't needed once Harry saw Draco reacting to it.

"I would have thought you would have a little bit of a clue," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Be serious, you can't really like me?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged noncommittally.

"The flowers were genius, I still have them beside my bed," Harry admitted. It seemed this confession gave Draco some confidence.

"Want to get some ice cream with me?" Draco asked. Harry nodded, and Draco held out a hand to pull him up, and he tucked the navy blue card into his robes and reached out to take the hand. When he got up, he grinned at Draco.

"So, you think I'm sexy?" Harry asked cheekily.

"Don't make me regret telling you this already," Draco said, and Harry could have sworn he saw a hint of pink on Draco's usually pale face.