Chapter 19

"We come from two different worlds, Harry," Malfoy said, softly. The careful tone he was using, Harry had heard it before. It was the thing Malfoy did when he spoke to families who'd lost a loved one and Malfoy was trying to console them. Now he was trying to console Harry.

"I know," Harry said. "Why do you think that it took me this long to tell you how I felt, and I didn't even mean to say it like-"

"How long have you felt this way?" Malfoy asked.

"How long have you?"

Malfoy let go of Harry's hand and straightened up. Harry hated the empty feeling he'd immediately got. "It's hard to say. Time sort of blends together. There's me hating you, wishing you were dead, and then there was that time you really were dead. Then one day I woke up and realised that I was in love with you."

"Hm," Harry said, thinking over the words.

"And you?" Malfoy asked.

"I dunno either. I think I realised at the Christmas party last year when you brought whatshisname..."

"Guillaume," Malfoy said, patiently.

"Yeah, that." He knew the man's name. He just hated how it sounded coming from him.


0-0


Chapter 20

"We are just friends," Malfoy said.

"Yeah, you are just friends now," Harry said with a scowl. He hadn't missed how they were huddled in the corner, laughing, sharing a drink and holding hands. That was not very friend-like. That was over-friendly.

"We tried in the beginning, but it didn't work."

"Why?"

Malfoy shrugged. He looked away from the table for a moment, towards the till and then his gaze returned on Harry. "He was jealous of you."

"Of me? Why was he jealous of me?"

Malfoy made a face and looked at Harry, annoyed. It was one of those Malfoy faces Harry was so used to. When he thought that Harry was being too thick. Maybe he was, but, he wanted Malfoy to say the words.

"I talked about you and he didn't like it. Once..."

"Once what?" Harry asked, curious, but the waitress stopped by the table and brought them their breakfast.

"I once called out your name, during..." Malfoy said when the waitress had walked away. Harry's expression widened and his jaw practically dropped. "During a fight. It was a fight. I called him Potter."

Harry grinned. "Sure, that's what it was."

"It was!" Malfoy insisted.


TBC