CONT...


Chapter 11

"You don't have to cook," Malfoy said suddenly and offered the cup of coffee to Harry. "I mean we can go out for breakfast. You know, after you change..."

Harry raised an eyebrow. Seemed like the thing to do. "I..."

"That is if you're okay with that. You know, going out together, to eat something," Malfoy said slowly as if Harry were an imbecile.

Harry scowled at how Malfoy was treating him. But, he couldn't really blame him, either. Harry had slammed the door on Malfoy's face.

"Sure, I'll just go and get ready then," Harry said, taking a sip of the coffee and then made his way to the bedroom, leaving Malfoy behind.

When he picked out a shirt from his closet and started to put it on, he heard Malfoy's voice. "Your bedroom's bigger than I had imagined. Cleaner too."

"What are you doing here?" Harry nearly jumped.

Malfoy ignored him and entered the room, taking a full look around. He scowled at a picture of Harry and Ron near the door, and then quickly schooled his face. Eventually, he turned towards Harry and frowned. "Well, are you going to get ready or just keep staring at me?"


Chapter 12

Harry stared for a few more seconds before he took off his nightshirt and threw it in the hamper next to the cupboard. He could feel Draco's eyes on him, but he acted as if he didn't care. He found a black button-down shirt and put it on. Now, it was the matter of his trousers, did he really want to take of his pyjamas in front of Malfoy and then put on his jeans? No, he wasn't ready for that.

He grabbed his jeans and made his way to the bathroom. "I need to brush my teeth," he said.


Chapter 13

When Harry was dressed and feeling comfortable enough, he left the confinement of his bathroom and reentered the bedroom. Malfoy was still there. He was relaxed back in Harry's bed and was reading one of the Quidditch magazines that'd been laying about.

"What are you doing?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Seeing if I like the bed," he said casually.

"Always ready to jump the broom, aren't you?" Harry teased. Although, imagining Malfoy on his bed wasn't something new to Harry.

Malfoy waved his hand in the air and then got up off the bed. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Harry nodded and they were on their way.


Chapter 14

They arrived at the restaurant of Malfoy's choosing. Harry was oddly calm about the entire ordeal, given how nervous he'd been about his actions the night before. When he looked at Malfoy, he felt as though, maybe, just maybe, Malfoy was a tad bit nervous.

"Is the window okay?" Malfoy asked and Harry nodded.

Malfoy grabbed menus by the door and they took their seats. It was one of those places where you had to go up to the till to order and they brought it over to your table.

Of all the places Harry had thought his first date with Malfoy would've been, it wasn't something like this. This place was so run-down, low-key, so...normal. It was so Harry, and not Malfoy at all.

"How did you find this place?" Harry asked, looking over the menu.

"Why, you don't like it?"

"No, it's great. Just you know, not something I expected you to know about."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow and Harry knew he might have crossed a line.

"I ate at places like these after the war. I wasn't exactly swimming in the highest of social circles, you know."

Right. Of course. And here was Harry with the foot in mouth disease again.


Chapter 15

"That's not..." Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Now he could see why this was easier when they were drunk. "It's not what I meant, okay? I just said, I liked the place. It's not where you usually hang out nowadays, so I was just surprised, is all. It's not a bloody insult."

"Why are you getting so worked up?"

"Why am I-" Harry placed his menu down and stared at Malfoy. "I'm just trying to understand you."

Malfoy didn't say anything.

"Isn't that the point of all this?" Harry asked, suddenly very defensive.

Malfoy only chuckled.


Chapter 16

Harry scowled, not understanding why Malfoy was now laughing at him.

"I thought the point of all this..." Malfoy said, and then paused. "This breakfast date of sorts—"

"So this is a date?"

"Why wouldn't it be a date?"

"And when I invited you to the pub—"

"Well, you never told me those were your attempts at dates."

"That's because you were too much of a git to even allow me the time to explain—"

"If you have to explain it, Potter, then it's not fucking romantic!"

"Yes, and this is bloody well romantic, Malfoy."

The waitress arrived at that exact moment with two glasses of water. They still hadn't ordered anything. It was obvious they had to order or leave. They couldn't just hang out at the restaurant.

"What do you want?" Harry nearly spat out, holding the menu.

"I'm not hungry," Malfoy said.

"Then we have to leave."

"Is that your twisted way of an invitation, Potter?" Malfoy spoke in disdain.

It took Harry a moment, and then he started to laugh. He couldn't help himself. This was all so ridiculous. Merlin they were bad at this. Just really, awfully, bad.

"I'll order us some eggs," Harry said.


Chapter 17

Harry walked up to the till

and placed orders for scrambled eggs and toast with orange juice. He returned to the table, and Malfoy looked grim.

He figured Malfoy thought this wasn't going to work. They were on their first, somewhat, official date, and it was going badly. They'd only argued and Harry was starting to wonder what the point of it all was.

Except, the idea of giving up on this before it even started, almost broke Harry's heart.

"I'm sorry," he said to Malfoy, sitting sat across from him. Relationships weren't easy, he knew.

"Me too," Malfoy replied.


TBC