Xx

"Look at this," Theo told Draco, standing in front of the Slytherin notice board. "looks like Harry's starting up a quidditch 'club'." A piece of parchment with unfamiliar handwriting was pinned on it. The parchment bore the stamp of Gryffindor. It was inviting students to play Quidditch for fun and it didn't take a genius to work out who was behind it.

"I bet they're allowing the whole school for your benefit, Draco," Pansy teased. Draco snorted but his stomach tickled with butterflies.

"Are you going?" Theo asked. "I might investigate it."

"You know I don't like Quidditch," Draco huffed. Theo smirked.

"I know you don't like giving up a chance to spend time with Harry." Draco groaned.

"You could continue what happened last time you flew with him," Pansy tempted. Draco knew he couldn't win. He was going to go whether he liked it or not and that was that. People outside of Slytherin saw him as the unchallenged leader but he and his friends were, in fact, equals.

"Get some quidditch leggings, too," Pansy advised. A slow smile spread over Draco's face. This could be more fun than he originally thought. Blaise soon joined them, textbooks in hand. They all left for their class.

Draco was surprised to see Ginny was in their class. She was sat in between Harry and Hermione, chatting to them animatedly. Harry greeted the Slytherins briefly before continuing his conversation. Draco frowned in annoyance at the lack of attention. He channelled his annoyance at Ginny. Their conversation didn't stop when class started, and they were told off by the alchemy teacher.

"You came here to catch up on missed work, Miss Weasley. Don't fall further behind." Ginny's face went as red as her hair and Draco smiled to himself. After a bit of theory, they were able to practice harnessing the elements in their magic. Draco had been taught this since he was young; first using earth to ground his magic and then using the other elements to strengthen it. They paired up and first worked on meditation to harness the elemental magic. Draco was very glad this year they only had to do this for the first five minutes of the practical class. Sitting around doing nothing for forty minutes in sixth year was mind numbing.

Draco chose to stand near Harry, who had infuriatingly paired up with Ginny. The Weasley girl was shooting blasts of air at Harry, attempting to knock him off his feet. Harry easily blocked her spells, though. Draco wanted to hex her into next week but was still wary of her bat bogey hexes, so he stayed away. Instead he made another attempt to drag Harry's attention away from her.

"Quidditch club was a clever idea, Harry." Harry smiled at him while defending himself easily.

"Thanks. Playing with you gave me the idea." Draco tried not to blush. He knew Harry didn't mean just him, but it still made him smile.

"I think Theo is going to make me come with him," Draco told him.

"Not coming for me then?" Harry asked, mock pouting. Draco smirked.

"Maybe if you ask nicely." Harry was suddenly flung backwards and landed on his back a few feet across the classroom.

"Sorry, Harry," Ginny shouted at him, grinning. Draco flicked his wand at her and vines anchored her to the floor. She frowned at Draco and he shrugged.

"Just practising earth magic."

Xx

"Mate?" Ron asked in the dark.

Harry hummed sleepily. "what?" it was midnight on a Friday and the other Gryffindor boys were asleep.

"Are you okay with me and Hermione? Now that you aren't seeing anyone."

Harry frowned. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be."

"I don't know. You just seem... Sad. When you're around us."

"Oh. Sorry," Harry apologised. He didn't want to make his friends feel bad for being together.

"It's okay." They lay in silence for several minutes.

"I guess it's to do with what my mind healer said," Harry eventually admitted. "You and 'Mione have each other. You're closer to each other than anyone else. I can't have that without being obsessed."

Ron turned on the light, slipped from his bed and climbed onto Harry's. "Sorry, mate." he put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Your mind healer might be wrong," he offered. Harry shook his head sadly.

"I do get too obsessed and ruin everything."

"you're still friends with 'Mione and me." Harry hummed.

"I guess so. But remember how I shut Hermione out to start with?"

"We both did that. It was because we thought she was boring and annoying. Not because you wanted me to yourself." Harry exhaled heavily.

"Maybe." Ron sighed.

"Harry, you have to do what makes you happy. Life's too short." Harry snorted. He knew that more than anyone. He was living on nearly 18 years of borrowed time after all.

"I don't know how."

"Stop rejecting Draco for a start," Ron told him, with a glare that almost rivalled Hermione's. "Talk to him without feeling guilty."

"Why does everyone assume everything is to do with Draco?"

"Because it is, and has been since first year." Ron reached behind Harry and pulled out Draco's jumper from under his pillow. He showed it to Harry with raised eyebrows. Harry felt himself blush. "How do you really feel about him?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"Ugh." Harry pulled Draco's jumper from Ron's hands and over his face. "I honestly don't know."

"Well, what does Draco do for you that no one else can?"

"I kind of lied to you when I said nothing happened after Draco came back. We kind of...cuddled." Ron raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. "I don't do that with anyone else."

"Okay. How about emotionally?" Harry frowned.

"I don't know. I just really like his company."

"Mate, don't bite my head off, but I have to ask: is there a possibility you see him as, you know, more than friends?" Harry started.

"No! Of not!" Harry had never had those feelings about any men, let alone Draco.

"I just had to ask. Mainly because we -" he gestured to the sleeping boys, "think that maybe Draco sees you like that." Harry's stomach jolted unreasonably.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"You don't think so?" Ron actually looked surprised.

"Of course not!"

"Okay." A long pause. "You two are really… I don't know. Different. Together."

"What do you mean?" Harry was genuinely confused and intrigued.

"Draco smiles around you. He smiles around his friends but it's different with you. He softens. And the way he looks at you. Harry, I really think he does fancy you." Harry's stomach felt like it was tied in knots.

"He does." Harry jumped at the disembodied mumble from across the room. "Now please, be quiet." The request was punctuated by a yawn.

"Think about it next time you see him," Ron whispered. He slid off Harry's bed and went back into his own. Harry extinguished the light and gathered Draco's jumper into his arms. He had lots of tokens from his friends and family. He just happened to have Draco's in his bed. Harry sighed and pressed his face into Draco's jumper. It was beginning to smell more like himself than Draco now.

XX

Draco's face fell when Harry threw his jumper back at him. Harry had had it for a whole week, so he'd hoped the Gryffindor had wanted to keep it. He fixed a forced smirk on his face.

"Didn't like my gift, Potter?" He asked.

"No. I mean, yes I did like it."

"Then why are you giving it back?"

"I thought you might want it back?" Harry was obviously lying.

"Potter." Harry sighed.

"It doesn't smell of you anymore," he admitted. Warmth rushed through Draco. He couldn't keep what was probably an embarrassingly big smile off his face. He tried to hide it by bringing his jumper to his face. It did smell like Harry, along with fireplace smoke. He was dying to hug Harry again and be enveloped in his warm, calming scent. He felt his body relax as he inhaled. Ever since the morning in the room of requirement, Harry became comforting, rather than an infuriating, energising presence.

He forced himself to put the jumper down. They'd finished the vast majority of their transfiguration project weeks ago and they'd come together to refresh their memories and put the finishing touches on before they handed it in.

"Do you remember where the neat version of this went?" Draco asked, flicking through their bound together project. Harry stood over him to look. Draco could feel Harry's body heat and his arm resting on his shoulder as Harry flipped pages. Draco's body went into overdrive. He suddenly became aware of his whole body. He'd reacted to Harry's presence in a similar way ever since he acknowledged his crush on him, but this was stronger. It was the feeling of being so close but not being able to have. The urge to just hold Harry was overwhelming. He clenched a fist to distract himself.

"It's right here." Harry pointed out the parchment right where it should be. "are you okay?" Harry looked concerned.

"Yeah. Just a bit distracted."

"Your mum?"

"Yeah," Draco agreed, but he was much more distracted by Harry himself. Not that he'd tell Harry that. Harry looked at him critically. "I'm fine. Really. I'm just stressed and distracted."

"Okay." Draco sighed when Harry moved away from him. The air was now freezing. He really had to up his game. He made a mental note to ask a house elf to bring him some clothes from the manor. A haircut wouldn't go amiss either.

"Just leave it," Harry finally snapped at him. Draco had messed up for the third time and Harry had finally lost patience with him. Draco tried not to take it personally since he knew Harry was also stressed but it still stung.

"Would you like me to leave?" Draco asked softly.

"No, I-" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry." Harry met his eyes. "I'm just worried about you." Draco's eyebrows flew up. "I haven't seen you like this since before we started working together and then I convinced myself I didn't care." Draco's stomach flipped, and butterflies spread over his whole body. "I just-" Harry growled frustrated. "I hate seeing you like this."

"I'm okay. You don't need to worry about me." Harry smiled but it didn't reach his worried eyes. Draco felt guilty for making Harry worry about him when it was just because of a crush. Maybe a little more than a crush. Draco dragged his hand through his hair. He really, really needed to do something about the fact he was completely, hopelessly in love with the fucking saviour of the wizarding world.

xx

Sorry for the wait. My mental health has been bleugh lately and it affects my writing. I won't abandon the fic though, don't worry.