Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 2

The Dinner

Harry spent the next several days alone. He didn't want to have to explain himself to anyone. It was easier this way.

He managed to come to terms with the fact that Draco was really going to give Severus a chance. He would wait until the end of his life for Draco to realize he wanted more. He got up, showered and dressed, and made his way down to the Great Hall. He wasn't going to wallow in self misery any longer.

Throwing the doors open, he waltzed to the Gryffindor table and sat down at the farthest end of the table so he could watch the room. He didn't eat a lot, just enough to stop his stomach from growling. He was more interested in watching the other students. If he wasn't spoken for, then he was going to make every single person in this room swoon for him.

He made eye contact with several girls in the other houses. He winked at a few and even blew a kiss to one in Slytherin. The rest he was simply gazing at, letting them see a sexier, more suave side of him. When his eyes finally rested on Draco, he smirked to himself and dismissed himself from the table. He could feel the eyes of all the girls he had flirted with on him as he sauntered out. It was the last time he would allow himself to be seen by the rest of the student body. He was going to hide himself away in the Gryffindor common room and undergo a complete change.

A month later he took a flask of polyjuice potion with him to Diagon Alley for some new clothes. He didn't want to change his look completely, but he did want something a little different. He picked up new robes, black with dark green trim to show off his eyes. He got his eyes magically corrected at St. Mungo's, had his hair cut and styled so the tips just barely fell over his eyes if he was looking up with his head tilted down. He got his ears pierced and stopped to get some more groceries on the way back to the castle. He had given the kobe steaks from his last attempt to Dumbledore, who enjoyed them immensely, and he planned on having his wonderful steak dinner.

When he got back to the common room, he got his calligraphy set out and wrote another letter.

He strolled into the Great Hall while lunch was in full swing. Everyone turned to stare; they hadn't seen him in so long and now with his new look he was the center of attention. Hedwig flew through the window and soared over everyone to land on Harry's outstretched arm. He smiled and handed her the letter he wrote the night before. He grabbed a celery stick from the Hufflepuff table and watched her glide through the air towards Draco. He watched Draco's eyes widen when the realization hit him that Hedwig was coming to him. Harry watched him take the letter from Hedwig and look back at Harry, his eyes wide with astonishment.

He winked at Draco, smirked and waltzed back out of the doors while munching on his celery stick. Today would be an interesting day.

Draco finished his lunch as fast as possible without bringing attention to himself and hastened out the door. He wanted to read the letter before Severus got done with his lunch. For once, he was thankful that he didn't pay any attention to the students during meals.

He made his way up to the astronomy tower and opened the letter with shaking hands. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, no one had ever made him nervous before.

'Draco,

I'll be quite frank. You don't seem as happy as you were a month ago. I would be delighted if you would join me for dinner tonight in the kitchens.

With Great Anticipation,

Harry

P.S. Wear something nice.

He was left breathless. How could a letter do that to him? Suddenly he was more excited than he had been in a long time. He pocketed the letter, and just in the nick of time.

Severus walked through the door and pulled him into his arms. Draco sighed and looked up at him with sad eyes. Harry was right-he did want more. He wasn't sure if Harry would give him that, but he knew Severus wasn't going to provide it for him.

"Sev, we need to talk." Severus pulled away and shushed him.

"You want more than what I can give you. I understand, I knew this wouldn't be long term with you. I hope you find happiness. And if you ever need a friend, you know where I'll be." With that, he swept out of the room. Draco marveled at how easy it was to get Severus to understand. He was always good at understanding Draco when others couldn't.

He ran to his common room to get cleaned up and changed.

Harry was just sitting down as Draco walked in. He looked quite nice with his dress robes and silver hair.

"Draco, I'm glad you decided to join me. Please, sit. I just finished plating everything so dinner should still be hot." He sat down across from him and poured them each a glass of wine. Draco smiled and thanked him.

"Listen, Harry. I don't know what I want. I just want you to know that." Harry smiled at him, looking up through his bangs. That combined with the smell of the food made Draco want to drool.

"Oh I'm well aware. I plan on showing you what you never knew you wanted." He lifted his glass and took a sip while Draco took a bite of steak. Watching him eat was always a treat for him. He always took the time to taste what he was eating, something very few people did anymore.

"Oh my god. That's incredible." Harry laughed, the sound faintly echoing off the walls.

"Well of course it's good, I cook nothing but the best for special occasions."

"And what, pray tell, is the special occasion?" Harry stopped laughing and smiled softly at Draco. He took a slow bite of asparagus and chewed thoughtfully before answering.

"The occasion is that you decided to join me. I know it isn't much-" Draco cut him off mid sentence.

"Not much? You cooked the best steak on the planet, made authentic french sides and dessert, bought a bottle of wine that's much too expensive for just any night and you have us eating by candlelight at a table for two with all the house elves gone. That is the most effort I've ever seen anyone put into anything."

"Well when you put it that way, I guess I did do a lot most people wouldn't have done. Tell me, how's everything going with Severus?" He watched Draco take a sip of wine before answering.

"I broke things off with him. He seemed to understand." Draco smiled a little. "I guess you were right all along Harry." They ate dinner and talked about small things.

"Well, I'd say it's time for some creme brulee, what about you?" Harry asked, pouring the two of them yet another glass of wine. Draco wasn't getting tipsy, but he definitely felt warm and tingly.

"Sure," he managed to giggle out. "Creme brulee is one of my favorites." When Harry got up and walked away to get them, Draco caught himself blushing. Why, he didn't know. "Harry? Why did you ask me to join you for dinner?" Harry placed their desserts on the table and sat down. He mulled over his answer for a moment before smiling and drinking the rest of his glass of wine in one swoop.

"I would have thought that was obvious. I would like to make a proposition. I've grown a lot over the years. Being trained and molded into a weapon my whole life doesn't leave any room to stay a child, mentally speaking. I've done a lot of research. I've combed the gossip mills, asked around and observed constantly for the last few years. And you want to know what I've learned?" He took a small bite of his dessert before continuing. "Humans are incredibly selfish, childish and yet amazingly cruel to those that don't follow the status quo. I've watched you savor the creme brulee the house elves make, even though I know for a fact you come from a wealthy family and most likely have had much better. I know you don't particularly like taunting the other students just because of the house that they're in, because you take a moment before you say anything to gather yourself enough to spit out the words you don't want to speak. And then I watch you dig your nails into your palms as if to punish yourself after speaking that way to someone else."

Draco opened his mouth to speak, and yet Harry cut him off. "You hide yourself from everything that could hurt you if you were to lose it because you have lost so much before. You don't show appreciation with your words because that's seen as weakness in your father's eyes. You shy away from compliments, as they've always been swiftly used to kick you down. And to top it all off, I know you get easily irritated with people who assume to know you. Which is why I've buttered you up with creme brulee, even though I'm not particularly fond of it. So to end my little speech, I'll leave you with this to mull over. I don't want to fight anymore. In fact, I'd like to get to know you without having to observe you. I want to put our fighting at an end. It's only hurting us both by doing it, and I would appreciate the opportunity to get to know you a little better." He pushed his unfinished dessert across the table for Draco to finish.

"But why do you want to get to know me?" He laid into this one a little more slowly, savoring it. Harry leaned forward.

"Can you keep a secret?" Draco nodded, leaning forward. He was suddenly intrigued. "As you've noticed, I don't have much luck with the ladies. I have much more luck with the gentlemen I've been interested in. The downside there is I've taken a liking to you in particular and I'd like to explore that a little more. If you'll let me." Draco swallowed the last bite and swished the wine around in his glass. He was interested in seeing how that could go-after all, it's not like the two of them didn't have any history. And Harry had observed quite accurately. He wondered if he would be that attentive in the bedroom…

"Let me be clearer. You can take your time to think it over, even. But I'm not looking for a relationship based off of sex. I want something more substantial. I want to be able to confide in you, and you with me. I want those sappy things you hear people talk about all the time. The long walks, the picnics, the spoiling with small gifts all the time. I want a relationship, not a fling." The sincerity glowed from the emerald eyes.

"Alright. I'll give it a shot. You're right. I do want something with a little more than just the physical side to it. It wasn't enough and even though I was with someone several times a week, I felt lonelier than ever. I want to give this a try. I'll accept you as you are, if you accept me the way I am. We both know we won't change on a dime. We might not even work out. But I'm willing to give it a try. Fighting you just isn't the same as it was. My heart hasn't been in it for years, and neither has yours been."