Chapter 4 embarrassment and explanations

Once in the Great Hall Draco kissed Harry on the cheek before nearly skipping to his table.

Harry, resigned to his fate, forwent his table completely and walked up to the head table and stopped in front of Professor Snape, whispers following him as he went, seeing as how all of Gryffindor knew what he was doing.

"Yes Potter?" Snape nearly growled. He obliviously wasn't a morning person, which just made everything just that much worse.

"I, Harry Potter, confess my undying love you for you, Professor Snape!" Harry yelled loud enough for the entire hall to hear.

Catcalls and whistles came from Gryffindor and laughter rang throughout the rest of the hall. Professor Flitwick fell out of his seat with a squeak and Professor McGonagall slapped her hand to her forehead.

"Well Severus that tells us where those chocolates filled with love potion came from." Dumbledore said with his twinkling eyes filled with mirth.

Harry blushed as he looked at Professor Snape and could feel the anger washing over him in waves. Words were not forming for him.

"Detention. Yes I know." Harry said softly before turning and walking straight out of the Hall.

Without stopping Harry went to Transfiguration and sat at his seat and put his head down.

After a while he heard the soft clicking of heels and knew Professor McGonagall was there.

A hand sat on his shoulder softly.

"Your detention will be with me. Albus finds it entertaining that you should not spend detention with your love interest." She said smiling.

"Yes ma'me." Harry said lying his head back down.

"Will you tell me why you had to do it this morning at breakfast the morning after Severus received a box full of chocolates filled with love potion?"

"I didn't know he had." Harry mumbled feeling his face flare back up.

"Yes, well… I understand the rule of breaking a dare or bet in Gryffindor. Not many people choose to break it for that one reason. In fact, if I am not mistaken, your father started that tradition their first year." She said smiling softly. "And I am quite sure no one has done it since Mr. Black got a black eye…"

"Yes… well…"

"I know. You can help me grade something tonight. After I Floo Remus and Sirius and let them know you broke a dare or bet. I can't wait to see their faces…" she said walking to the front of the classroom as soon as students started to trickle in.

After a day of "what did you back out of?"'s and "what did you get?"'s and "did you see his face?"'s Harry was sick of people. Especially Ron. Who was asking why he backed out when he only had two weeks left.

He had taken to dashing up to the dorm before lunch to grab his cloak and hiding the rest of the day other than to pull Draco under the cloak between potions and charms for a quick kiss.

After his detention Professor McGonagall opened her office door to let out a rather sick looking Sirius and a still laughing Remus.

"Why, oh why, did you do it Harry?" Sirius cried falling to his knees dramatically in front of his godson.

"Remus… help." Harry said pitifully to the werewolf as Sirius began to hug his middle and pull him down to the floor with him.

"Bad Padfoot." Remus chided only to get a glare in his direction after he pulled Sirius off of Harry. "Now. Harry… you backed out of a dare?"

"Yes." Harry mumbled.

"Would it happen to be the one Ron made over the summer?" Remus asked.

"Yes."

"I see."

"You see what Moony. I'm still confused." Sirius said pouting.

"I'll explain it to you when we get home." Remus said quietly before looking back at Harry. "You may want to explain it to Mr. Malfoy as well. If someone other than you tell him…"

"I know. I… I just don't want to hurt him." Harry said quietly.

"I understand cub. Please extend the invite for Christmas for Mr. Malfoy and Ron and Hermione. Mr. Malfoy is welcome to stay as long as he wishes but I am quite sure Ron and Hermione will be spending a lot of time at the burrow with Molly." Remus said with a smile.

"Why is a Malfoy coming?" Sirius asked suddenly looking like a lost puppy.

"I told you I'd explain it at home. I'll see you in two weeks Harry." Remus said with him and Sirius hugging Harry and shaking hands with McGonagall.

Walking slowly Harry made his way to the Room where Draco was waiting on him. He dreaded this moment since he fell in love with Draco.

Harry had to explain… and in the process quiet possibly lose Draco. So with a heavy heart and had held high he opened the door to the Room.

Half an hour later…

"A dare?" Draco asked softly. At first he thought Harry had been joking… but this was not something to joke about. Betrayal, hurt, anger, and disappointment flitted across Draco face so quickly Harry barely caught them before Draco's infamous Malfoy mask was thrown up rather sloppily. "So this was all a…a… joke to you?" Draco sounded so small and defeated.

"Never." Harry replied viciously.

"But… you just…"

"It was Ron. He was drunk. The dare was for me to have a relationship for two months. But… I fell in… in love." Harry said turning away blushing deeply. Draco stood up.

"A week and two days away… why the bloody hell didn't you just wait it out?" Draco asked cruelly swinging his arms around madly, evidently hurt and doing a rather poor job of hide it. "Then you could have been with… the one you love." Draco's shoddy mask was falling quickly. He jumped out of his chair and made a bee-line for the door. Only to find it refused to let him through when he yanked and pulled on the handle. "Let me out." Draco begged his arms fell down to his sides. His voice cracking with unshed tears at the end.

"But I don't want to." Harry whispered softly in Draco's ear, making him jump not having realized Harry had moved at all. "I don't ever want to let you go." Harry whispered kissing the shell of Draco's soft ear and wrapping his arms around him. "I fell in love you… my silly Slytherin."

finis