"Wow," Ginny said, suddenly and loudly, making half the table jump in surprise. It was supper and they were all minding their own business, tired from a day of studying and gossiping. Everyone looked towards her.

"Wow, what?" Harry asked, and took a sip of pumpkin juice to recompose himself.

"Wow, that," Hermione answered, indicating to the doorway of the Great Hall with a tilt of her head. Harry looked over. Draco, Theo, Pansy and Blaise had just walked in. Nothing new.

"What about them?" He asked, confused.

"Look at his hair!" Ginny exclaimed, gawping. She had a sort of vacant look on her face. Harry looked back over to him. The Slytherin's longish blond hair was no longer slicked back but shorter and softly wavy. It was very different but not exactly worth causing a fuss over. From Ginny's reaction it could have been a blue mohawk.

"He had a haircut," Harry said, shrugging. Pansy had changed hers too by the looks of it. "They went shopping in Paris." Ginny frowned at them in jealousy.

"Paris?" she repeated, wistfully.

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked.

"He told me," he said and tapped his head. Hermione's mouth fell open.

"You can communicate from that far away?" She sounded amazed. "Harry!"

"It sounded a bit odd and took more effort, but yeah. Easy." He shrugged and put another forkful of food in his mouth, slightly wishing he'd kept it to himself.

"Wow. That might be a record."

"Who cares!" Ginny butted in. "Why aren't we talking about how hot Draco's hair looks!" Hermione smiled at her.

"It does look good," she agreed, and Ron looked outraged.

"Why does everyone bloody fancy Malfoy now?" he asked them all.

"I don't," Harry protested, and everyone turned to look at him. "What?"

"Everyone else seemed to have noticed, too," Neville added. They watched heads turn towards Draco and the girls stare. Harry frowned in annoyance. He smiled though when Draco's eyes went straight to him. Harry gave a little wave and suddenly half the students around him were shooting daggers at him. Harry rolled his eyes.

"He probably just did it for the attention," Harry told them. He could be such a drama queen. At least he got what he wanted.

"Mate, I think he only cares about one person's reaction," Ron told him, watching Draco's eyes flick up to Harry every few seconds.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion.

"Yours!" Ginny, Ron and Neville chorused. Harry snorted and shook his head. Everyone was being particularly excitable and ridiculous today. Harry didn't blame them; they'd been cooped up for most of it.

"Shame," Ginny sighed, not hiding her gawping.

"Seriously, though, you spoke to him in Paris?!" Hermione asked, clutching his arm excitedly. Harry nodded. "That's incredible!"

"I suppose we've known each other for years and we both come from powerful backgrounds," Harry reasoned. He knew Hermione thought there was more than that, but he wouldn't entertain the idea.

"That's very true, but it is honestly amazing. I do wish you'd let me write a paper on it."

"It's not that I don't want you to, I just don't want it to be the next daily prophet headline. I'd say keep it anonymous but everyone with half a brain would guess in thirty seconds." Hermione looked disappointed but he knew she understood completely.

"I know. It'd just be fantastic to have more information on this topic out there." Harry thought about it for a minute.

"Okay, well, write it if you want but don't publish it anywhere big for a few years until the war publicity has gone down." Harry smiled when Hermione's face lit up.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she grinned widely.

"You'll have to ask Draco yourself, though," he warned. He laughed when she immediately jumped up and almost skipped over to the Slytherin table. He really didn't know why she was so keen when her workload was already huge.

Draco listened to her with a slight smile on his face, and when she was finished with her speech, he looked over to Harry for confirmation. Harry nodded and Draco then nodded to Hermione. Her excitement could be heard across the hall. Harry laughed at the expression on his face when she hugged him. She bounded back over to the Gryffindor table.

"He agreed!"

"I guessed!" Harry grinned at her, glad to make her happy and hoping that his decision to take a chance wouldn't come back to bite him.

Xx

Harry met up with Draco outside the Great Hall after they'd finished eating.

"Your hair looks good," Harry greeted him with a smile. Draco's hand went up to touch it, as if he'd forgotten about it.

"You think so?" he asked, almost shyly. Harry smiled.

"Yeah. Ginny particularly likes it." Draco's face took on a pink tinge.

"Ah. that explains the staring."

"Sorry, she wasn't exactly subtle." Draco snorted.

"It's alright. At least the stares were for a good reason," he smiled, almost sadly.

"True." They fell quiet for a moment.

"So, I suppose Granger wants to interrogate us about this," he said, tapping his temple.

"Yeah, though she won't publish it until we both say she can." Draco nodded in understanding.

"Did she say why we're apparently so good at it?"

"She doesn't really know. Could be our strength, our occlumency skills, our shared experiences -"

"Or we're just soul mates," Draco added with a shrug, but his eyes were full of humour. Harry snorted.

"As if that exists."

"You don't think it does?" Harry scanned Draco's face but couldn't pick out any particular emotion. Harry shrugged a shoulder.

"Well, I think some people are drawn to each other but l don't think you're meant to be with one specific person," he reasoned, gently. He didn't want to insult Draco's beliefs, however surprising they might be.

"It'd be good though, if it was real, and someone could invent a spell to show you who yours was." Draco looked wistful.

"Where would the fun in that be?" Harry asked, smiling.

"It'd have saved years of tension between Weasley and Granger," Draco joked. Harry laughed and agreed. Hermione suddenly popped up beside them, as if summoned by her name.

"Please, please, please can I speak to you both?" she asked. Harry pretended to huff at her.

"Yeah, but let's go to the Room of Requirement." She beamed.

Xx

The trio walked to the seventh floor, chatting happily. Hermione also praised Draco's hair and the Slytherin puffed up proudly. They all thought of their ideal place for the interview and the room produced was beautiful. It had hard woods reminiscent of the Gryffindor common room, with ornate carvings and plush seats. The colour scheme was mostly neutral, with a few rich reds and lush greens. It had a fire lit and already warming the room. Harry immediately went over to the counter with a hot plate and put the kettle on to boil. He was used to electric but knew it worked like a saucepan. Draco came over to help, and scooped four spoons of the tea, dragon's breath, which Draco revealed as his favourite, into the teapot. He recommended they added a spoon of brown sugar to their tea to balance it out. When they were all settled around the coffee table with their teacups, Hermione began to fill Draco in on their bond and the history around it. Harry yawned but Draco was paying attention to her every word, interested. He read the book passage Hermione showed him and harry could feel his excitement through the link.

"We could go down in history for this!" he exclaimed. Harry smirked.

"Like we're not going to already," Harry reminded him. Draco waved a hand.

"Wars happen all the time. This is completely unique."

"That's what I've been trying to say," Hermione said, with a smug look at Harry.

"Still don't believe in soul mates?" Draco asked him, almost incredulously.

"We aren't, though," Harry huffed.

"You both have been aware of the other since the moment you met and remember, Harry, that in 6th year you knew his every move without trying." Harry felt himself blush. "Soul mates may not exist but you're both fatefully intertwined."

"Whatever that means," Harry snorted to hide his embarrassment. He felt a rush of nervous energy flow through his link to Draco.

"Did they ever feel the other's emotions?" he asked Hermione suddenly.

"Not that I know of… Why?" Harry hesitated.

"We can," Draco told her for him. Her jaw dropped.

"You need to tell me everything, right from the start." Both boys told her the story, right from how Draco felt uncomfortable being seen with Harry, which made Draco look at the floor, ashamed and pride bubble up in Harry at how far he'd come. They tried to think of all the things they could do and each one seemed to please Hermione more and more.

"I wonder what else you can do, like sending images!"

"We shared a dream accidentally once," Harry suddenly remembered. Draco blushed pinker than Harry had ever seen him go before, or ever even though possible.

"Merlin! Do you think you could do it on purpose?"

"I don't know, but we've been here for hours, so maybe we should call it a night." He felt a little strange about trying new things with Hermione sat there, scrutinising them. Draco checked his watch.

"Merlin! it's eleven."

"We should head back. All of the candles would have gone out by now." Harry stretched.

"We could sleep here?" he half joked, half asked. Draco looked tempted but sighed.

"No, I've barely seen Theo and Blaise all day so I should at least grace them with my presence tonight."

"Come on, then," Hermione said, standing up. She gathered up her parchments while Draco cast the spells to clean up their dirty tea things. Harry was surprised he knew domestic spells. Harry himself didn't even know any. Harry preferred to do things the muggle way and or Hermione and Ron used spells to clean up their flat.

"I don't think that tea was my favourite, but it made a nice change," Harry told Draco when they were back in the corridor.

"It suits you, though, Draco," Hermione added, smiling.

"What? Called dragon and not very easy to get along with?" Harry joked. Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.

They parted ways at the stairs to the Gryffindor tower. Harry had offered to walk Draco back, but he assured them he'd be fine. 7th years had a more relaxed curfew and he could easily use the 'studying in the library, got kidnapped by the stairs' excuse. Hermione said goodnight to the Slytherin with a heartfelt thanks and a touch to his arm. Harry hugged him quickly and told him to be careful. Hermione smiled indulgently at them both. She had been mainly worried about their friendship to start with, but Draco had proved that he really had changed. She hated the things he'd done but was beginning to like him. He made Harry happy and that was all that mattered.

"Thank you again for helping," Hermione said to Harry as they were climbing through the portrait. Harry smiled, now feeling drained and sleepy.

"I mainly enjoyed spending time with you both. I hope Ron's not feeling too left out."

"He was with Dean and Seamus all night. He's mainly just angry with Draco still. It'll take him a bit more time to push that aside than you and I have. I'm trying to convince him if I can like him after what Draco called me then he can. I think he's less willing to understand why he said those things. He'll talk to him and joke about him but he's still angry." Harry made a face.

"The more I get to know him, the more he seems like a different person."

"In a way, we all are," she said with sad eyes but smiling. Harry remembered how they all were in first year. He wished they didn't have to go through what they did to become the people they were now.

Harry bid goodnight to Hermione and headed up to his dorm. He was tempted to magic his teeth clean, but it never felt or tasted right. He stumbled though his nightly routine and fell into his bed without bothering with pyjamas. It wasn't that late, but he just felt drained. All the other boys were in bed. Ron had been waiting up, reading a magazine, when Harry walked in. They'd had a hushed conversation before Harry headed to the bathroom and now Ron had his curtains closed, concealing the light from his wand. Harry pulled Draco's jumper out from under the pillow and pressed the super soft fabric to his face. He curled up and was about to drop off when an image of he and Draco curled up together in front of the fire after he'd seen his mum. The amount of comfort, warmth and affection that came through the link with it was overwhelming. Harry tried to send one back of them hugging but he wasn't sure if he was too far gone into sleep to send it.

Xx

The next couple of days passed in a blur. Their professors started handing out exam timetables and everything got a bit more real. Harry was spending so much time with his head in his books that he barely had time for anything else. He could tell Hermione was getting frustrated that he kept pushing her attempts to interrogate them away. He wished he'd spend more time on his classes beforehand, but he was still healing from the war and the whole friendship with Draco happened and now he was paying the price. It wasn't so bad, though. He found the Slytherins were all good at certain subjects and occasionally they studied together to pool their knowledge. Usually it was 20% studying and 80% bickering and chatting. Harry was also beginning to get nervous about the end of term. They officially finished in June, but they were allowed to stay until as late as the middle of August. Harry was thankful since he wasn't ready to move on quite yet. He needed to decide what to do about Grimmauld Place and potentially find a home for himself. He knew he'd rather live in muggle London to try to keep some privacy. As for his career, he didn't know what to do. Everyone was expecting him to become an auror, but he wanted to help bring Teddy up and have his own family. He knew his friends felt similarly. Thankfully Hermione and Ron weren't quite ready to have a family and neither of them were completely sure of their career goals, so Harry felt less useless. He'd suggest getting a place with them for a bit like they did over the summer, but he didn't want to interfere in their relationship. He knew they meant nothing by it but he felt like he was in the way sometimes.

The professors were putting on courses in the summer to help the 7th years start their careers. Harry was looking forward to finding out all the jobs the wizarding world had to offer and hopefully find one that suited his needs. Until then, he'd just focus on his exams.

Xx

"I'm never going to be good at potions!" Harry moaned and let out a cry of frustration. Slughorn had handed back his essay and it had so many corrections there was almost more of Slughorn's writing than his. After the first 3 inches he'd given up marking and just put crosses everywhere. He pushed the parchment away from him and thumped his head on the desk. He heard Draco pick up the parchment and embarrassment twisted in his stomach. He heard Draco sigh.

"Most of the theory is right, just the wrong application." Harry lifted his head.

"What do you mean?" Draco showed him the essay.

"This is only for potions brewed above 100°c, see, because you put ceramic beads in to stop it from overboiling. That's why you have to use a ladle and can't use all the potion." Harry nodded. "And here you say you have to use mandrake roots one by one, but that's only for potions with highly reactive ingredients. For some, like this one with unicorn hair, you have to put them all in at once or they won't react at all." Harry let out a frustrated sigh.

"Why is so complicated?!" Draco snorted.

"It has to be. Particularly with medical ones, where the slightest molecule can make a difference in the body. It's fascinating."

"It's too difficult."

"Look, let me help you write the next essay. Granger just memorises most potions work, but I understand it in detail. I might be able to help you more."

"Alright. Thank you."

"I'll fish out a few books for you, if you'd like." Harry smiled at Draco, happy that someone at least believed he could do it.

"Today we will be doing some sample exam questions," Slughorn told them. "You may use any resources you have to help you. This will teach you what the questions are asking from you." Harry could have sworn Slughorn aimed that last bit at him.

Hermione, Ron and Blaise joined them on their table with their books. It had become natural for them to team up for lessons like this and the professors didn't seem to mind. Some were stricter than others, reminding them they wouldn't have their friend's help in the exam, but most knew that group work was a good revision technique. It helped those that knew the information remember it and reword it and those that didn't know the information yet to learn it in a way that might be more understandable for them.

"Question one: what must be added to a potion with puffer fish to make it suitable for human consumption?" Hermione read out from the board. Harry frowned.

"We've never learned about puffer fish!" he protested angrily.

"We don't need to," Draco soothed. "We just need to think about the potions we've made that uses them."

"Skelegrow," Harry supplied.

"And swelling solution," Hermione added.

"So, what ingredients or methods do both potions have?"

"Methods? They're asking for ingredients," Ron told them, frowning at the question.

"Does the question say ingredients?" Draco asked, smirking at them. They shook their heads. "Look at both potions and see what's used in both." They did as they were told and pulled out their books. Hermione was a few steps ahead since she'd written down the ingredients and methods of all the potions they'd learned in a notebook.

"I can't see anything," she told them, flicking from one page to the other. "One uses Chinese chomping cabbage, the other uses nettles. One is heated on high for five minutes, and the other is heated on medium for twenty minutes."

"So, plants and heat?" Ron asked.

"Sort of," Draco agreed. "Puffer fish needs a lot of heat to denature the enzymes in the poison and it needs iron so the chemicals bind to it and not the iron in blood."

"It says nothing about iron!" Harry protested.

"The cabbage and nettles," Draco pointed out.

"Both leafy greens and rich in iron," Hermione told them.

"That question is really unfair." Draco shrugged a shoulder.

"It's a hard one but it's supposed to test your ability to apply what you've learned. It'd be too easy just to spit out information memorised from the textbook," he sent a slightly apologetic look to them all. He expected Hermione was the only one that could do that with ease, even if it may take her longer to find the relevant information.

"Why can't it be easier?"

"Well it's an elective class and you don't need as high of a percentage as other subjects to get an outstanding."

"Why did we choose this again?" Ron asked with a huff.

"Well, I had to, and you just got roped in," Harry reminded him with a grin, remembering how McGonagall coerced Ron into taking it. Ron grumbled.

"I envy Seamus, Dean and Neville." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Potions is a fantastic subject. You're just not intelligent enough to appreciate it," he said, dryly. Ron huffed.

"Bloody arrogant Slytherin," he muttered, but with no real heat behind it.

Slughorn took their parchments in at the end of the lesson, promising to mark them and go through the answers next lesson. Harry hoped he'd get a better mark this time with everyone's help.

Xx

Harry flopped down next to Draco on the grass. They'd managed to sneak away from everyone else and Draco was thrilled he finally had Harry alone. In truth, Harry also missed their alone time together. They'd been constantly surrounded by their friends, or with just Hermione, over the last week. Draco knew he could be alone with Harry inside his head, but it wasn't the same. He still craved his company, the physical contact, and most importantly the full attention. He had that now, and his stomach fluttered as Harry rolled onto his front next to Draco, propped on his elbows and smiling down at him. Draco fought the sigh of longing, wishing he was a few inches closer. To make matters worse, Harry used a finger to flick a strand of hair from Draco's eye, grinning in amusement. Draco huffed, hoping it came across as annoyance at being groomed by Harry and not as the frustration at the world for taunting him.

"I'm still not used to your hair like this," Harry told him.

"Me neither. Don't think it's too… muggle do you?" Harry smiled at him.

"No. It suits you. Makes you less… pointy." Draco smiled but he frowned in worry.

"I'm not too… pointy, am I?" Harry smiled.

"Relax, you're very attractive," harry told him. "I mean, that's what the girls say anyway," he added hastily, blushing and looking away. Draco smiled slyly.

"What do you think?"

"I, ah, suppose you'd be considered handsome. Haven't really thought about it," Harry stuttered out, still not looking at him properly.

"Maybe you should," Draco told him, quietly, his heart hammering in his chest. Harry snorted.

"I'll leave that to the girls." Draco hoped the disappointment didn't show on his face.

"You do remember I'm gay?" Draco asked him.

"Yeah, just I don't know any men interested in you," Harry said, shrugging. Draco let out a breath slowly and tried not to feel the upset bubbling up inside him. Of course, he was just being stupid, thinking his obviously straight friend would be interested in him. He rubbed his eye, trying to stop it burning with tears. Harry sat up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well." Harry regarded him for a few seconds before nodding. "Well let me know if there's anything I can do to help." Stop being straight, Draco thought bitterly. He sat up and turned his back to Harry. He ran a hand through his hair, his stupid, Muggle hair. He felt stupid for getting it cut.

"I'm sorry," Harry offered but Draco could tell he didn't know what he was apologising for. He felt Harry's arms wrap around him and he stiffened but didn't have the strength to push him away. His touch made his body thrum with electricity. "Try to get more sleep tonight." His breath tickled Draco's ear and one tear slipped down his cheek. He hadn't realised how much he wanted Harry until if felt like he could never have him. Harry released him.

"Have you written to your mum lately?" Harry asked.

"Yes, she's almost completely better and the chances of her getting ill anytime soon is very small," he told Harry, turning to smile at him.

"I'm really glad."

"Me too. I should probably write to her again soon."

"You can now, if you'd like. I have to read some transfiguration pages."

"Okay. When do you want to revise our project? The exam is in three weeks, so I'd like to do that soon."

"Free period on Tuesday?"

"Sure." Draco pulled out his letter parchment from his discarded bag while Harry got out his book. They stayed doing their own things, Harry occasionally asking Draco questions and Draco telling Harry what he was putting in his letter.

"Do I tell her about Hermione's paper?" he asked. Harry thought for a moment.

"You'd better, just to be safe."

"I don't know how much to tell her, to be honest." Draco bit his lip.

"Tell her the basics but you don't need to tell her personal information if you don't want to." Draco hummed.

"It's not that, it's just I don't want to worry her."

"It's not like you're ill, it's not a negative thing," Harry reminded him, smiling.

"I know. I just don't want her to think I'm strange."

"You are," Harry told him. Draco smiled. "She loves you, no matter what. She'll be okay with it."

"I told her about us being friends now. She seemed pleased. I think she's happy I got into the right crowd for once." Harry snorted.

"We're not the 'right sort', remember?" Harry teased, but Draco just felt guilty. He still wasn't overly fond of Ron but the other Gryffindors were good people.

"You always were," he replied, softly.

Xx

"You don't think that was homophobic, do you?" Harry was telling his friends how he'd managed to upset Draco earlier that evening. He didn't really believe Draco was just tired since he felt his upset through the link. He was so confused to what he'd said wrong.

"He might just be feeling insecure," Neville suggested.

"He did ask if his hair was too 'muggle'." A loud groan came from beside him.

"Have I ever told you how dense you are?" Seamus asked him. Harry frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I've told you from the second you started your friendship with him the answer to all these questions you have and yet you're oblivious!" Harry glared at his supposed friend.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, getting angry.

"Listen to me, now." Harry stated at him. "Draco fancies you." He said the words as if they were each their own sentence for emphasis. Harry snorted.

"Of course, he doesn't." Seamus sighed.

"Why not?"

"We're just friends."

"Trust me, Harry. He doesn't want to be just friends."

"What makes you say that?" Seamus banged his head on the table, narrowly missing his plate.

"The way he looks at you like no one else is in the room; the way he lights up when you talk to him; the new haircut; how he got upset when you told him you weren't interested in him. Need I go on?" Harry was dumbstruck.

"He does all that?"

"Yes," all his friends and a couple of eavesdroppers chorused. He frowned. Why didn't he notice anything? His eyes flicked to the Slytherin table and found Draco with the ease years of finding him in crowds and the pull of the link gave him. Draco felt his eyes and looked up to meet them. Harry felt his whole body feel warm. He sighed and stood.

"I'm okay," he told his friends before they could ask. "I just need some time to think." he smiled at them all and left the Great Hall, telling Draco through the link the same thing he told the Gryffindors.

Harry went to the broom shed without thinking and exchanged his book bag for his broom. He rose into the air and sped off. He flew hard for a while until he'd worked off the anxious, frustrated energy he was feeling. He slowed and hovered, facing the quickly setting sun. While he didn't want it to be, Seamus' revelation did answer some questions. Harry began to remember a lot of things Draco had said or done that could be chalked up to him… liking Harry. Harry couldn't even think the other terms yet, it was too strange. Harry wondered if it was his fault. He thought of all the times he'd complimented or hugged Draco and how he'd slept with the Slytherin wrapped in his arms that day he'd come back from the Manor. He really hoped he didn't lead Draco on.

He had no idea what to do now. Did he confront Draco? Did he stop touching him? He hated his friends for telling him. It made everything so complicated.

After staring at the sunset and then the stars for a while he'd decided. He'd treat Draco the same way but watch what he did and said. If he wouldn't do it to Ron or the other boys, he wouldn't do it to Draco. With his plan in mind, he flew happily back to the broom shed. By the time he got back to the common room he felt much lighter.

"I'm sorry for telling you like that, Harry. I realise it might have made things awkward," Seamus said, and he really did look sorry. "I got a bit carried away."

"It's okay. " Harry smiled at him. "I needed to know. I can make sure I don't lead him on now."

"Good idea, Harry." Seamus put a hand on Harry's back. "Are we okay?"

"Yeah," Harry confirmed, grinning.

That night Harry took the Draco's jumper from his bed and placed it in his trunk. He felt a little lost without it but he knew it was the right thing to do.