"Harry!" it was interesting that Harry heard Ron shouting his name. It was early in the morning, Harry knew, because Draco hadn't felt the need to wake him yet. A habit that Harry didn't think would ever break. For some reason the blonde seemed to enjoy waking early and forcing Harry to do the same.
However that didn't answer as to why he heard Ron. Ron wouldn't have been up before Draco anyway. He liked mornings as much as any sane person, which was not at all.
Harry's door banged open and Ron bounded in with Hermione close behind. Harry sat up startled.
"What are you two doing here?" Hermione sighed and glared at Harry.
"We sent you a letter three days ago saying we were allowed to come visit and would be here today unless you told us not to come."
"Oh."
"Didn't you read the letter?" Harry thought back. He remembered Draco throwing a letter at him, but he didn't open it. That had been an odd morning, and then he'd been distracted lately with Draco kissing him.
"No." Harry answered sheepishly.
"I told you it would be better for him to have to write a no rather then a yes." Hermione commented to Ron. "Harry you need to read your mail. It could've been something important."
"Yes Potter. I, for one, would have loved some warning of the wonder trio's reunion." Three heads snapped to the doorway that Draco was casually resting against. He looked more like the real Draco then he had for the last few days. And more so then he ever normally did so early in the morning.
"Draco." Harry said with a smile. "I didn't know."
"Not like it matters anyway. This is Harry's house not yours Malfoy." Ron chimed in.
"Shut-up Ron." Harry ordered calmly. "I would have told you if I knew."
"Whatever Potter. I expect breakfast when I get downstairs." Harry nodded slowly. Draco glanced around the room again and left.
"Git." Ron commented quietly.
"Don't Ron."
"What are you acting so odd?" Ron asked. "You don't like him either"
"Yes I do. He's different in this dream then he is normally. He's my friend, so be nice to him."
Hermione sighed, "You're not dreaming. I've told you this several times."
"You don't know I'm dreaming. This is my dream not yours."
"Harry, you're not dreaming mate. I know it too." Ron informed.
"Well then why is Draco being nice to me?" Harry demanded.
"I don't know."
"Just because he's nice doesn't mean you're dreaming." Hermione tried. "He might just want—"
"Just be quiet about it okay?" Harry asked. "I'm glad you guys are here but if you if you keep pestering me I'm not going to like it for long. I like Draco." Harry stated. "Don't be mean to him."
"Fine Harry." Hermione agreed.
"Great." Harry smiled. Ron plopped down on the edge of Harry's bed.
"You're acting weird mate. But whatever makes you happy I guess. I'll be nice to ferret boy if I must."
"You're off to a good start I must say." Came from the hallway. Ron was about to snap back at Draco but Hermione stopped him and looked over at Harry who was chuckling.
"So we have to be nice and he doesn't?" Hermione demanded.
"He wasn't being mean. And Ron calling him ferret boy was hardly being nice."
"Fine."
Harry just grinned. Hermione seemed so confused. "Why don't you guys go downstairs? I'll be down in a bit to make breakfast."
"Are you crazy? I'm going to go to sleep. You have no idea what time she decided we needed to be awake at. Let me tell you it—it was several hours before I would ever think of getting up."
"Just because I enjoy using my day to the fullest."
"Yeah well you don't have to force it on others." Ron grumbled. They walked out of Harry's room and Harry heard the door to the room Ron used when he was staying at the house open and close and Hermione go downstairs.
Harry got up grabbed some clothes and showered quickly. He was brushing his teeth when he saw Draco enter the hall. Harry smiled at him as best he could around his toothbrush, Draco raised and eyebrow at him and went back into his room. Harry finished and went to Draco's room. He knocked on the door and quickly walked in.
"I'm sorry." Harry closed the door and moved towards the middle of the room. Draco was finishing getting ready in a mirror hanging in his room.
"Yes I got that when you said as much earlier." Harry moved closer to Draco.
"Don't be mad. I would have told you had I known."
"I know Potter."
"Harry."
"Harry." Draco said annoyed.
"Nothing is going to change just because my friends are here."
"Oh please Potter!" Draco snapped. He stood and started slicking back his hair, something he hadn't done since Harry informed him he preferred it lose. "We can't act the same with them here."
"Why not?"
"We just can't." Draco snapped frustrated.
"I like you." Harry informed him. "I like being friends with you." Harry moved closer to Draco and wrapped his arms around him form behind looking at him through the mirror. "I like kissing you."
"We're not going to be able to anymore." Draco said resigned.
"Why not?" Harry demanded. He turned Draco around and kissed him. "That was easy enough."
"You're friends know you're not really dreaming. They're going to end up making you dislike me again." Draco said wrapping his arms around Harry.
"No. They could try, but it wouldn't work." Harry said decidedly. He kissed Draco again for a while before pulling back. "I'm going to go make breakfast. I'll see you downstairs."
"Yeah, looking forward to it." Draco mumbled. Harry grinned back at him.
"Its not the end of the world."
"Says you." Harry walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. "Bloody Potter. Why did your friends have to come?" Draco turned back to the mirror and looked at his reflection. "He's not going to want you anymore."
Draco walked resignedly downstairs. He wasn't yet to the bottom when he heard the sounds of Granger in the kitchen trying to convince Harry he wasn't dreaming. Which in and of itself could be a problem. How would Harry react to knowing Draco knew he wasn't dreaming? It was a horribly frustrating situation he was in, brought upon by people Draco didn't even like.
He walked into the kitchen and found Harry at the stove with Granger next to him talking his ear off.
"Hermione, you can list anything you want from school but I already know all of that. So the fact that my dream version of you knows it too makes perfect sense. And so you've not proven I'm not dreaming." Hermione stopped for a second. Draco slipped into the room and sat at the table.
Harry turned and grinned at him, "Hi."
"Hello." Draco said in a muted fashion. He didn't know how to act around the girl who was such good friends with his—well with Harry.
"Breakfast will be ready soon."
"I can hardly wait." Draco said blandly. Harry turned back to the stove grinning. Hermione was standing next to him scowling over his shoulder. Harry bumped into her getting her attention back on him.
"Stop. He wasn't expecting you."
"He doesn't have to be rude." She replied quietly.
"How else do you expect him to act?" Harry asked curious. He grabbed the food he'd make and set it on the table and sat down. Draco glanced at it and over to Harry with a raised eyebrow.
"Took you long enough." Hermione sat and watched Draco filled his plate and start eating. She kept staring at him waiting to be acknowledged and Draco steadfastly ignored her. Finally she reached forward and started getting some food for herself.
"Has Harry been cooking for you everyday Malfoy?" she asked. Draco looked over at Hermione with a bland smile on his face.
"Can you imagine me cooking for him?" Draco asked.
"No. But I'd think you'd have a better attitude towards him with him being you're only form of food and shelter." Draco's smile turned into a smirk. His eyes shifted quickly to Harry stopping him from saying anything.
"Do you think Potter and I haven't come to some sort of agreement for him to be willing to cook for me, and even force his friends to be nice to me? If I was still acting the same wouldn't I have garnered the same sort of reaction I always got from him?" Hermione looked at Draco and over to Harry. Harry was smiling as he shoveled food into his mouth.
"I—I suppose so."
"Well then. I think then that you could keep your nose out of business that doesn't concern you."
"I have every right to try and protect my friend. If you're trying to hurt him—"
"I'm not." Draco said. "And I'd appreciate you not accusing me of such things again." Draco stood and put his plate in the sink.
"I shall be in the sitting room." He informed Harry.
Harry stood, "I'll be there in a bit." Draco looked to Granger and back to Harry, he nodded and left the room. Hermione watched till Draco was out of the room and turned back to Harry ready to start harping at him again to find him glaring at her.
"What?"
"Did you ever think it might be hard for him? Especially since none of us had ever gotten along with him till recently?"
"Harry I'm trying to help you." She explained. "You think you're dreaming. He's probably using that for his own benefit in some way."
"Even if he is that's my problem, not yours." Harry got up and put his plate in the sink. "Please leave me alone for a bit." Harry walked to the door and it burst inward with Ron on the other side.
"Malfoy said there was food." Ron said sitting at the table and piling food on his plate.
"You talked with Malfoy?" Hermione asked amazed.
"Yeah I went to the sitting room figuring you'd be there, I wasn't able to fall back to sleep for crap. Malfoy was setting up a chess set and I asked him what he was doing, he said he was going to beat Harry again and I said if he wanted to play with someone who actually understood the game to wait till I was done eating. Then he said something Malfoyish more or less meaning yes. So yeah." Ron shoved a forkful of food into his mouth. Harry grinned at him.
"Wait about an hour mate before you come back to the sitting room okay?" Ron nodded.
"You can help me with the dishes then." Hermione said. Ron's face fell. Harry laughed at him leaving the kitchen.
Draco didn't understand Harry's friends in the least. He figured the redhead to be the bigger problem facing him, after their encounter he wasn't sure. How frustrating. Plus Granger was being as difficult as he knew she could be.
Draco didn't notice walk into the room till he saw him moving pieces around on the chessboard from there starting positions. Draco looked over and watched Harry.
"What are you doing?"
"They aren't going to be bugging us for an hour."
"So? What are you planning to do?"
"Not play chess." Harry finished moving pieces and sat next to Draco. Draco sat back watching Harry.
"Now what Potter?"
"Harry." Harry reminded him. "I like you using my fist name. And I'm not going to stop using yours, Draco." Harry said grinning. Draco started to say something but Harry interrupted him with a kiss, Draco kissed him back for a few moments before pushing Harry away.
"What if your friends don't listen to you and come in here?" Draco asked blankly. Harry kissed Draco again but Draco didn't respond. Harry pulled back and looked at him, Draco simply was looking back at him expressionless.
"I don't care if they find out." Harry said. "I would tell them but it thought you wouldn't want them to know. I'm not ashamed of liking you." Harry moved away on the couch sitting on the opposite side. "I don't really understand what the problem is." Harry said quietly. Draco sighed and looked over at Harry.
"You still think you're dreaming."
"I am." Harry said confused.
"No Harry. You're not. I don't want you to hate me when you realize that."
"I thought you agreed with me dreaming? Even if I wasn't I'd still like you if this was the way you acted in real life." Harry stated simply.
"How do you know for sure?" Draco demanded. "If tomorrow you somehow realized you were awake you think you wouldn't be upset over what you've done with me?" he thought over what Draco said finally turned back to him. He was watching the wall steadfastly ignoring Harry. Harry slipped down the couch so he was back next to Draco.
"What'ca looking at?" he asked.
"Nothing." Harry sighed. Draco was sitting stiffly with his hands folded in his lap. Harry grabbed one lifting it and running his fingers along Draco's. He intertwined them together holding Draco's hand and tugged it towards him. Draco didn't pull it away.
"Draco please. I—" Draco sighed and rubbed his free hand along his face.
"I don't want you to hate me again Harry." Draco said nearly whispering. "I hate that I don't know if you'll be mine or not. I hate that your friends are here. Even if you want me still they're so important to you I can't know for sure that you'll not decided one day they're right. And even if you don't I have to share you now. I want you to be mine. And not just this dream you. I want you to be mine even if you do wake up, if you realize this isn't a dream."
Harry sat back and watched Draco. Did he like Draco that much? He wasn't sure. He didn't like the Draco he knew at school, but this wasn't the Draco from school. Or maybe it was. With everyone saying he wasn't dreaming, maybe this was the same Draco. Was that okay? He already decided it was, but Harry was still convinced he was dreaming.
"I want you now just like that." Harry started. "I want you. I enjoy being around you and getting to be close to you, and kissing you. I don't care what my friends think about it. And—if it ends up I'm not dreaming, it will be hard. I still don't understand how this could have happened with the Draco I knew at school. We both hated each other an awful lot you know?" Harry asked imploringly, needing Draco to understand. "I don't think I'd let you go now though. Even if that Draco came back. I think I would force you to be mine again. I would make you get along with me again. Even if this is a dream it doesn't matter I want you. So you'll have to deal with being with me." Harry brought the hand he was holding of Draco's up to his mouth and kissed the back of it. "No matter what."
"I think I can deal with that." Harry's face burst into a grin, Draco smiled at him shyly. "I feel sort of pathetic." He announced.
"Why?" Harry asked tucking himself in further into Draco. Making sure he was as close to the other boy as he could be.
"It's only been a few weeks. I don't want to let you go for even a minute already."
"Me neither. But I'm not pathetic. I just know I have a good thing."
"Yes well, you have me, I'm stuck with a willful headstrong Gryffindor."
"Yeah, but it's okay. He's kinds cute." Harry said matter-of-factly.
"Kinda." Draco agreed. Harry grabbed Draco and pulled his head over for a kiss. He didn't have his lips pressed on Draco's for more then a few seconds before Ron's voice burst into the room.
"Come' on, mate. I mean I can handle the mushy stuff as, Hermione told me not to interrupt, but come on. I am not going to watch you guys kiss." Harry pulled back and glared at Ron, Draco doing the same along side him. Ron unfazed sat across from them and tossed them each a letter.
"Hogwarts letters." He explained. Harry put his to the side. Ron was pursuing the chess set up but seeing Harry's lack of interest looked up.
"Aren't you going to open it?"
"Why? We're not going back to Hogwarts this year so it doesn't really matter what is says does it?"
"Why aren't you going back?" Draco demanded right as Ron asked, "When did you decide that?" Harry looked at Ron confused.
"You were there. Right after Dumbledore died. You knew I wasn't going back. You and Hermione said you weren't going either."
"I think I would remember something like that." Ron said a bit unsure.
"Why aren't you going back?" Draco asked again.
"I have to find—something." Harry explained. "After Snape killed Dumbledore I am the only one who knows about them that can."
"What are you on about?" Ron asked. "Snape didn't kill Dumbledore."
"Thank you." Draco said waving his hand in Ron's direction, "see he knows Dumbledore wasn't killed by Snape."
"But he was." Harry challenged. "I was there."
"So was I." Draco reminded him.
"Fine, whatever." Harry grabbed him Hogwarts letter and ripped it open. At least he wouldn't have to deal with Ron and Draco's wrong facts as he looked it over.
"Hey, were you playing Harry?" Ron asked looking down at the chessboard.
"Yeah." Draco decided lying would be easier then explaining.
"Best I've ever seen him play." Ron said amazed. Draco looked down at the board and laughed. Harry had set it up so Draco was losing quiet spectacularly. Best part was Harry probably would have lost even with the magnificent set up. Draco moved his pieces back to the starting position and Ron did the same with Harry's. Draco moved back to Harry and kissed him lightly on the lips. Harry smiled at him as he pulled away and skimmed the rest of the letter intent on putting it away to finish reading later when his eyes fell to the signature on the bottom.
Deputy Headmaster,
Severus Snape
He tried to keep clam he really did. Tried using the knowledge that both Ron and Draco said he hadn't really done anything the night Dumbledore was killed. But it didn't work. He didn't calm down. He didn't control himself.
The glass windows in the room did shatter.