Chapter Three: Enemies With Benefits

Draco was starting to think that maybe he could really be with Harry, as long as it was in secret. It was now coming up on Christmas, and Harry still hadn't defined the relationship. He was still "thinking" about it, and that was all he would say whenever Draco brought it up. He wished that he could change Harry's mind, it seemed as if Harry was fine with their situation, which Draco was coming to think of as "enemies with benefits", since they still really weren't friends.

He had noticed that Weasel and Granger knew about the hookups though, so he was starting to spend more time with both of them, despite his other friends' dismay. Draco was now out of favor with most of the Slytherins, and his school reputation was starting to change. He had fallen out of favor with Umbridge, too, which he didn't really seem to mind, she was an awful person. Draco no longer wanted to follow along with his father's agenda, and that was changing him. He didn't think it was necessarily a bad thing. He was now going to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas.

At the moment, he was heading for the Gryffindor table, it was breakfast time, and he had taken to eating with Ron and Hermione and the other Gryffindors. At first, the other students had been prickly, but the more he ate with them, the more that they got used to it. It was almost like he was an honorary Gryffindor. Draco was starting to find that he didn't hate them just because they were Gryffindors anymore.

"Morning." He said without a trace of scorn as he sat down with Hermione and Ron, the twins were also sitting there.

Hermione was the one who had started to come around to him first. She gave Draco a smile. "Morning, Draco." She said, the twins were still calling him 'Malfoy', but they were starting to come round on him. She reached for some toast. "Do you need me to check over your homework?" She asked. She always did that for Harry and Ron, and she was starting to ask Draco if he wanted it done for him too. It was just what she did for her friends. She wouldn't write it for you but she'd check yours to make sure it sounded okay.

Draco shook his head. "It's fine, but thanks for asking." He appreciated that she had asked. Although he was sure his Potions essay was just fine. He reached for the scrambled eggs to put onto his plate. "Where's Potter?" He asked, when he was around anyone but Ron and Hermione he still called him Potter, trying to keep people from figuring out that his views on Harry had changed.

"Harry's out practicing Quidditch, he ate already." Hermione replied, giving him a smile. Fred and George were watching Draco carefully, as they always did when they joined him for breakfast. She wondered if the twins weren't here if they'd be talking about Harry. They didn't every time he ate with them, but they did a lot.

"Seeing as how he's playing against us tomorrow, I hope he's practicing quite a bit." Draco said, reaching for some pancakes. He had been trying to convince Hermione to let him into Dumbledore's Army, and she was still dragging her feet. Harry had told him about it, and that's why she wasn't mad about it. It was supposed to be a secret from anyone who wasn't in it. But he knew that she was starting to give in.

This was when Fred spoke up. "We're going to cream the Slytherins, Malfoy." He said, reaching for some scrambled eggs. He took a bite. "You don't count as a Slytherin, you're totally a Gryffindor. Hermione, you should let him join the DA." He said, causing all of his breakfast companions to look at him in shock. It was the first time he'd acknowledged Draco as one of their friends.

"See, Hermione, Fred thinks I should be in the DA." Draco said, once you spent enough time around them, you could tell them apart. He wasn't even upset that he could tell them apart. He was glad that someone was trying to convince Hermione that he should be in the DA, too, that was quite helpful.

"Alright, you can join the DA." Hermione allowed, causing Draco to grin widely. "I'll get you a coin and sign you up. But just remember what happens if you tell anyone." Hermione said. She didn't think he was going to tell anyone though, Draco had changed quite a lot, which honestly, she had never thought was possible. He was starting to realize how wrong his ideals had been.

The bell rang then, and Draco grabbed his last two pieces of toast. It was time for Potions with the Gryffindors. He still sat with Crabbe and Goyle, but he wasn't really friends with them anymore. It tended to make Potions pretty awkward. He walked with his new friends, Hermione and Ron holding hands. Draco met Pansy Parkinson's eye, and she gave him a glare. She was no longer talking to him, and he found that he didn't really care about that so much.

Snape was different with Draco now too, and he had to admit, he didn't care about that, either. Snape was torn between his affection for Draco and treating him like shit because he was friends with Harry Potter's friends. Harry still was having trouble coming around on being friends with him, even though they were shagging just about every day. Draco was supposed to meet him after supper at the Shack, actually.

When they reached the dungeon, Draco saw Harry, who looked freshly showered. He looked gorgeous, and Draco had to admit, he was already looking forward to meeting up with him later. He parted from Ron and Hermione, Fred and George were seventh years and had already gone up to their own class, Transfiguration. Draco settled into his seat next to Goyle and Crabbe, opening his Potions book, Snape beginning to drone on about the potion they were going to be working on.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting at the table across from Draco and his former friends, and Hermione passed him a note from where she was sitting. Very brave to do in one of Snape's classes. It said: Draco, why do you want to join the DA?

He took his time in answering, he wanted her to believe him. Draco had done a lot of changing over the past couple of months, and he didn't want to undo any of it. He wanted Hermione to really believe that he had changed. Hermione, I am a different person than I was. I support Harry and Dumbledore now. I was going to be a Death Eater, Hermione. Whether I wanted to be or not. Now I want to be in the Order of the Phoenix and fight Voldemort. It could get me kicked out of my house, but it's what I want. After he'd written that out, he passed it back.

Hermione's answer was to give him a nod, and that's when it was time to start work on the Potion, which was one that was hard for fifth years. Draco, in a bold move, gathered up his things and moved to sit next to Hermione. Snape saw this, and leveled Draco with a glare, but in a move that wasn't really characteristic, didn't ask him to move back. Hermione looked at Draco, her eyebrows raised.

"I just feel better working with you lot." Draco said, shrugging.

It was hard for Harry to believe that Draco really had changed, and he could tell that this was going to be a thing that happened all the time. Harry wasn't sure that he believed that Draco really was on their side now, but he supposed that if Snape could be, which honestly, he wasn't sure he believed either, then Draco could be. Harry knew he had to tell Draco how he felt. He wasn't in love with him, he was still just getting used to Draco being what he said he was going to be. But if he really had changed, it was quite possible that he would be able to be with Draco.

"Okay, well, are you sure it's not so Hermione can help you with your potion?" Harry asked, and Ron nudged him in the side, hard. If Ron was willing to accept Draco had changed, maybe he really had. Harry looked at Draco, meeting those gray eyes.

"It's not that, when are you going to realize that they're my friends now too?" Draco asked, a bit exasperated. He'd known Harry was stubborn, but honestly. Draco wasn't even sure he considered himself a Slytherin anymore. It's not as if you could change it, but he liked to consider himself a Gryffindor. He would be the only Slytherin in the DA.

Harry sighed as he reached for some newt's eyes. "I suppose that I could concede on that." He said, he was sure that he should, since Ron had befriended Malfoy. Harry was still having trouble working all of that out in his mind. He wondered what was next, if Draco was going to keep sitting with them, keep being around. It was hard for him to contemplate.

"He's joining the DA." Hermione told Harry in a stage whisper. She knew that Harry wasn't going to like that. But he was going to have to get used to it. She trusted Draco now, and so did Ron. She knew the other members of the DA would too, once they realized that Harry did. She just needed to get Harry to see that Draco had changed.

Harry rounded on her, but his reply wasn't as harsh as he thought that it would be. "You think that's wise?" He asked, but he knew that she thought so, because she had told him that he was joining. Harry sighed when he saw Hermione's look. "Alright, alright. He's joining the DA." He said, and got back to work on his potion, Snape walking by ceased their talking.

Later that evening, Draco and Harry were alone in the Shrieking Shack. Neither of them had moved to start their shagging, though, they were sitting on the couch, looking at each other. Harry looked at Draco. "Are you really wanting to join the DA and the Order?" He asked, he wasn't sure how Draco would manage to get away with joining the Order, but they'd talked about how Draco wanted to at lunch.

"Yes, Harry. I don't know why you're having such a hard time accepting that." Draco said, looking at Harry with an eyebrow raised. He didn't know how he was going to manage being in the Order, but he really wanted to join. He was going to have to make other arrangements for living quarters once his parents found out, though. Draco just wasn't sure what he was going to do in that situation. Maybe Ron's parents would let him stay, or Sirius would consent to letting him stay at the Order headquarters.

"Can you really blame me? Why would I believe that you've changed?" Harry asked, despite their conversation, they were sitting like a couple would, their legs wrapped up together. They were facing each other, and Harry noticed how close to his crotch Draco's foot was. But he didn't feel the need to try and move it.

Draco moved closer, moving his legs, sitting next to Harry, putting an arm around his lover's shoulders. "Because, Harry, I've been trying to show you how much I've changed. I don't know how else to convince you." He leaned out and kissed him then, his tongue moving softly into Harry's mouth.

Harry couldn't help but kiss him back, and it was freaking him out how much Draco was starting to feel like his boyfriend. They shagged every free moment they could get, Draco was becoming friends with Harry's friends, he was in the DA, it was feeling very much like a relationship. Not that Harry minded being in one, he just wasn't sure that being in one with Draco was a good idea. Draco told him every time they had sex that he loved him, and Harry felt bad that he wasn't able to say it back just yet.

When Harry kissed him back, Draco tugged him closer, pulling him onto his lap. Harry's arms slid round his neck, and Draco's slid around Harry's waist. Neither of them seemed to be in a hurry though, just content to sit and snog. Draco broke the kiss, looking into Harry's green eyes. "When are you going to get it through your thick skull that I love you?" He asked.

As Harry looked into those gray eyes, it's like it clicked, like magic. He brushed his hand through the hair at the nape of Draco's neck. "I guess right now." He said, leaning forward and kissing him again. When they broke to breathe, he said, "You're my boyfriend, okay? That's what I'm ready to say."

"Okay." Came the blonde's reply.

Author's note: Wow, two updates in two days. I can't promise that will keep happening, but I really hope that ya'll like it so far. Hang in there, I think it's going to be amazing. Review if you like!