Chapter Four: Happy Christmas, Harry
Christmas was looming ever closer. It was just a few days away. Everyone who was going home had left already, and it was just Harry, Ron, the other Weasleys, and Draco as far as their gang went. Draco really wished that he could stay in Gryffindor Tower with them instead of all by himself in Slytherin. Draco was heading down to the Christmas Eve dinner, there were only a handful of teachers too, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, and Trelawney. Draco was glad that they were here together, although he wished that Hermione was there too.
Ron waved him over as soon as he saw him. They were all gathered at the Gryffindor table, even the teachers. Draco greeted them all with a "Happy Christmas" and handed Harry a present. "Here, love, I wanted you to open this now." Draco said, there were a couple of other things he'd gotten for Harry that were most assuredly in the Gryffindor common room in Harry's pile.
Harry took the present, and opened it slowly. Inside was a pin, in the shape of a broomstick, that he could pin on his shirt. "Oh, Draco, that's brilliant. Thank you, love." He said, and gave Draco a kiss, everyone teasing.
"Blimey, get a room." Ron said, teasing in his tone, as he reached for the pumpkin juice to fill his cup.
Draco threw a napkin at him. "Shut up, Weasley." He said, laughing. He was really having a good time with these friends, and it was startling to him. Draco had never thought that he'd be friends with Harry Potter, let alone dating Harry Potter. But he really was happy about it. It was amazing if you really thought about it. He slid an arm around his boyfriend's waist. "It's Christmas and we're happy." He said, sticking his tongue out at his friend.
"Yeah, Ron, unless you want to join them." George cracked, and everyone laughed. Ron threw a spoonful of mashed potatoes at his brother, hitting George square in the face. This caused more laughter. "Joke's on you, Ronald, I like mashed potatoes." George shot back, amidst his own laughter.
Harry looked at Draco. "Walk with me a moment?" He asked, and his boyfriend nodded. Harry led him out into the hallway, so they could talk. Harry asked, "Help me pin this on?" He held up the pin. Draco gave him a smile and nodded, moving to help pin it to Harry's shirt.
"You're….. I can't believe you, Draco. This present… it's really brilliant." Harry said, looking into his boyfriend's gray eyes. He didn't know how he was supposed to live up to that. He had gotten Draco some things, but none of them were as nice as this pin that Draco had gotten him. Harry didn't let his eyes stray from Draco's face. "And you're really… you're really having a good time with us, aren't you?"
Nodding, Draco settled his arms around Harry's neck. "Yeah, I am. I told you, Harry, I've changed. They're my friends too, now. I just wish Hermione was here. But I'm glad she had her parents to go home to and I already sent an owl wishing her a happy Christmas." He said, knowing how weird it must still be for Harry. It had been weird for Draco at first, but he was just fine now, he was glad that he had them in his life. "Dumbledore said I could join the Order too, when I'm old enough, and he sees no reason why I can't come and stay at Grimmauld Place during the summer if I want to."
That was news to Harry's ears. "What about your parents? I know you haven't told them yet…. But you know that Lucius isn't going to want that at all." Harry said, sliding his arms around Draco's waist. This was feeling more and more comfortable, more and more like it was where he was supposed to be. "I wish I had somewhere to offer you to stay if they kick you out…. But I can't imagine that the Dursleys would welcome you to the house, especially if I told them that you're my boyfriend."
Draco said, "Actually, Lucius doesn't know, but Mother does." He had sent an owl to his mother. He had wanted her to know how happy he was. He'd also wanted her to know that he was out as far as being a Death Eater. He had told her she could disown him if she wanted, but he was going to be in the Order, and the Order would protect him from her and Lucius if necessary. He hadn't gotten a reply back, so he wasn't sure how she felt about it.
"She might have told him, but I don't know for sure. Whether she did or not though, she hasn't sent an owl back. So I don't know what her feelings are about it. I could get there at the start of holidays and my stuff could be on the lawn."
Harry could hardly believe it. If Draco was telling his mother, then it was official. He really was on their side. That was when he knew that he loved him too. Merlin help him, he was in love with Draco Malfoy. "I love you, Draco." He said, looking into those gorgeous gray eyes. He couldn't believe it, but he really did love him.
The look on Draco's face was priceless. "Really?" He asked, and Harry nodded. Draco kissed him then, spinning around with him. Harry laughed, letting the taller boy spin him off the ground. Before he or Draco could say anything else, Ron showed up.
"Come on, you wankers, we're eating, and McGonagall is totally pissed." He said, giving them a grin. Ron couldn't believe that Harry was gay, and dating Draco Malfoy of all people. Ron was happy for him though, if that's who he wanted to be with. Ron had really thought something was going to happen with Cho Chang, but clearly not. The whole school knew about Malfoy and Harry, and people either thought that it was disgusting or they were way too involved in it and were asking questions and telling them how cute they were or something.
Draco nodded, setting Harry back on his feet, and reaching down to take his boyfriend's hand. Before they could get far, they heard his father's voice calling out across the hall. "DRACO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Came the furious yell of Draco's father Lucius.
"Father?" Draco asked in disbelief. He and Harry turned to face Lucius and Narcissa, who both looked upset. "What are you doing here? I told Mother, I am not coming home, I am with Harry now, and I don't care what you think about it." He said, he knew that they wouldn't try anything with Dumbledore around.
"You are joining the Order?!" Lucius demanded to know. He didn't know what he was going to do with Draco, he had thought he'd been raising him right, and he wasn't. Now he was gay, which Lucius thought he might have been able to deal with, but now he was dating Harry fucking Potter? Really? This was unbelievable. "You cannot join the Order." He said, he couldn't come out and lecture him on being a Death Eater right now, but he could lecture him on joining the fucking Order of the Phoenix.
Draco looked at his father, Harry squeezing his hand tightly, to let him know that he was there for him. Draco looked at Lucius. "Yes, Father, I am joining the Order. You can't stop me. I will figure out somewhere else to live if I have to." Draco told him, folding his arms tightly. He didn't know what he was going to do. But if he had to go on without his parents, he could. He knew that he couldn't do what they wanted him to anymore. He had to be himself, and he had changed from the boy who had been their son.
Lucius said, "We are here with your things, you are no son of mine." His tone was sharp, and Draco wasn't surprised at all, it was why he hadn't chosen to tell Lucius, because he knew that this had been going to happen. He didn't know what he was going to do but he would figure something out.
"Fine, Father, I was prepared for this. I knew that you'd disown me, and I am prepared to be who I really am without you." Draco's voice was shaking a bit, but Ron and Harry were still standing with him, and Draco knew they would have his back no matter what happened. That was strange, he had never felt that before. Loyalty. He couldn't believe it. It was amazing. It felt really good. To know that he had friends who had his back.
Narcissa actually looked upset about this, that she was going to be upset without him. She looked sorrowfully at Draco, but didn't say anything. Draco wondered if she was afraid to speak up. He was sure that was it, because Draco had a suspicion that Narcissa was willing to accept whatever she had to about Draco to keep him in her life. Draco wondered if he should speak to her, but he didn't want her to get Lucius upset with her. He had never been a wife bullier, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't start now.
"Just go, Father. I don't need you in my life if you aren't going to accept me as I am." Draco said, and to his surprise, his parents did leave, and Draco felt relief, but he also felt sorrow. He loved his parents, even if sometimes his father could be evil. Draco felt tears come to his eyes, and Harry told Ron to go on in and they'd join him in a few minutes.
Harry brushed some of Draco's blonde hair out of his eyes. "It's okay, Draco. I'm here for you…. I know that it's not the same, but I'll be here until you tell me to go." Harry said, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend, and holding him tightly. He wanted Draco to know that he would always be there for him. It was still weird to think of Draco as someone who was really in his life, and not his arch enemy anymore. Wonders never ceased.
Looking into Harry's green eyes, Draco said, in a wobbly voice, "I'm okay, Harry. I….. I will always love them, but if they can't accept me for who I am, I don't need them in my life. I am going to have to figure out some kind of living arrangements….. And have my things put somewhere till I do." Draco knew that he didn't need most of what they had brought for sure, he already had his most precious possessions here with him at Hogwarts. "My mother looked like she might come around though…. I'm going to hope for that." He said, burying his head in Harry's neck for a moment, taking a deep sniff.
They went back inside to eat, and Ron offered Draco a room at the Burrow, which touched Draco more than he wanted to admit. He said they could send his things on the day after Christmas, and his mum would get him all set up in Ron's room. Ron told Draco he'd be glad to share a room with him. Draco didn't know how he had gotten lucky enough to have friends like this. Draco had been a horrible person, and he knew that he shouldn't get to have friends like this, who actually wanted to be there for him. Draco was glad that he was getting a second chance to be a better person.
"Thanks, Ron, I think I'll take you up on it. It's not as if I have anywhere else to go. Are you sure it'll be okay with your mum and dad?" He asked, they were just finishing up eating, and it was time to head up to bed.
"I'll send them an owl, but I think it'll be okay." Ron said. "I kind of thought already that it might have been an issue, and I wrote to Mum to ask her if it would be okay for you to stay if Lucius and Narcissa kicked you out, and she said it would. She also wanted me to tell you that if Harry trusts you, then she trusts you." Ron shrugged. "I forgot to tell you that, sorry."
That also touched Draco more than he wanted to admit, his eyes were bright with unshed tears. He nodded. "Thanks, Ron." He said, he actually regretted not coming around sooner, because he wanted to be the person that Harry was proud to be with. He wanted to be a better person, and he could have been that person all along. Now he was, though, and he didn't want to waste a minute of being him. The new Draco.
Harry walked with him to the Slytherin dorms, which were down in the dungeons. Draco stood with Harry outside, wishing he could sleep with Harry that night, he didn't want to be alone. He was the only Slytherin who had stayed for the holidays. "I'll see you in the morning, love." Draco said, sighing and kissing Harry softly and tenderly on the lips.
"It'll be okay, Draco. I love you." Harry repeated, it was getting easier to say it the more he said it. He brushed his hand through Draco's blonde hair. "You are a good person, Draco. Don't let your parents not accepting you change you. You've changed for the better. Don't let them define you. Be who you want to be." Harry said. He was more than a little worried that Draco would go back to who he used to be, but he was choosing to have faith that he wouldn't.
"I don't think I'm ever not going to love hearing that. I don't care what you got me, that's the best thing I've ever gotten. You've made it the best Christmas ever." Draco told him, and after a few more snogs, Draco went inside. He had meant what he'd said to Harry. It really was the best Christmas he'd ever had. He went to the dorms, to start getting ready for bed, and when he was finished, he sat down to write a letter to Hermione, wishing her a happy Christmas and to tell her that Harry had finally said he loved him. Draco also included the visit from his parents, and told her that he was going to be staying with the Weasleys. He was starting to think of Hermione as his best friend, and that was really surprising to him. He thought it was kind of hilarious though, because of how he had felt about Muggle borns. He refused to let himself think the bad word anymore.
Life was going good, and he hoped that that wouldn't change.
Author's note: So, this story won't stop coming out of me. I hope ya'll are liking. I'm sorry it's so fluffy, but I can't help it. That's usually not what I write, so don't get too used to it, I am sure some angst will be coming soon. Lets me know what you thought if you like!