SOrry for a late update :( I have no excuse, except extreme busy-ness! I hope I can make up for it with an extra long chapter? How about the news that the other fanfic I'm working on should be up soon? No? Well how about this cookie? Love you all, please review xxxx
"Mister Malfoy is here, Mrs Malfoy."
"Thank you Blinky, send him in please." Narcissa Malfoy offered a slight smile to the young elf, wrapped in a tea towel. Blinky disappeared with a crack, and a couple of seconds later a platinum blonde- haired teen walked in.
"Draco, darling!" Narcissa exclaimed, leaning in to Draco and planting a light kiss on his cheek.
"Hello Mother", Draco replied, somewhat less pleased. He straightened his back at her touch, but then relaxed when she said, "Your father isn't home, yet."
"Oh okay, well I assume we will be dining together tonight, yes?" Draco questioned.
"Yes, we will. Why don't you go and freshen up a bit, and then come down at 7. Your father should be home by then." Narcissa started lightly pushing her son toward the staircase, up to his room.
"Okay, Mother, I get the hint! I'll leave you to your work, and I won't bother you!" Draco laughed as he ascended the stairs, behind a house elf carrying his luggage.
Narcissa feigned innocence, before joining her son in laughter. She loved Draco, she really did, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him because of the exorbitant amounts of pressure that Lucius placed on him. I just hope Draco likes our choice of partner for his 'marriage'. She thought, before retreating to her office to make a few calls regarding work.
Narcissa didn't have a job, but she was looking into becoming some sort of Healer; being cooped up in the Manor all day was taking its toll on her. She hoped to get out and see the world, without being controlled.
That night, during dinner, Lucius broached the topic of the arranged marriage that Draco was to have.
"So Draco", he began, "Your mother and I have spent many hours thinking about whom you shall marry and we have decided."
"Oh, that's um, great Father. Thank you." Draco flushed a little, gulped nervously and then downed the rest of his red wine. I can't marry someone! I'm gay! And I think I like Potter! Oh dear, this isn't going well, I should not have come home...
Lucius coughed, interrupting Draco's thoughts, before continuing. "Anyway, would you like to meet her?" Draco noticed the use of the word 'her', and his stomach dropped a little lower than before. If that was possible.
He gave a slight nod, and then turned to the doors, where his future wife would walk in.
She walked in, and Draco's jaw went slack, his shoulders slumped, and then he jumped out of his chair.
"PANSY PARKINSON!" He screeched, in a very uncharacteristically Malfoy way.
"Good evening, Lucius, Narcissa...Draco." She slightly narrowed her eyes at his name, and then she slowly made her way to the table and sat down. Draco muttered a reply and then faced his parents.
"We thought you would like her, son." Lucius stated matter of factly, while Narcissa gave a comforting nod from next to her husband.
The blonde teen stood from his place at the table, and marched out the room, his back stiff and his head high. The last thing he heard before he left the room was Pansy's high pitched voice, promising to follow him and 'back it all better'.
The brunette finally tracked her future husband down, in his room. He was slumped against his wall, eyes shut, head in his hands. Pansy noticed that his face was tear- stained.
"Hey", she said softly. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Draco replied sarcastically, "Maybe it's the fact that I have to fucking marry you!" His voice reached a hysterical pitch. Pansy laughed humourlessly.
"Well, I'm not too thrilled about it either, you know." She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, comforting his shaking body.
"You're much more of a brother to me. The thought of us...y'know...just urgh!" She shuddered. Draco laughed, lifting his head from his hands.
"I'm gay." He whispered the words quietly, staring into Pansy's brown orbs, searching for comfort.
"I know!" She laughed, shaking her head at Draco before pulling him into a hug.
Draco spluttered. "H-how did you know?" His eyes were unbelievably wide.
"It's obvious! You were never really in a proper relationship for the 17 years I've known you or whatever, and you care way too much about what clothes you wear!" Pansy chuckled, but with her next line, her voice softened and became a bit more serious.
"I've known for ages. Probably longer than you've known yourself!" She continued laughing, but released Draco from her death grip of a hug.
"So tell me, is there a guy?" Pansy asked, a wicked grin slapped on her face.
Draco's blushing face and the long hesitation told Pansy all she wanted to know.
"Who is he? Does he go to Hogwarts? Is he good looking? Do you really like him? Are you officially together?"
Draco sighed and answered all of Pansy's questions.
"Urm, Harry Potter, yes, yes, yes, no."
Pansy gasped, now it was her eyes that widened. "Potter? And wait, why aren't you officially together?"
"Well, we've kissed a few times, but that's it. I don't know if he wants anything more." Draco inwardly groaned, hoping this wasn't the case. He had a bad case of Potter Fever, and it needed to be cured. He licked his lips at his own thoughts, and then he returned to Pansy and her never ending list of questions.
"So then ask him out! Take him on a proper date, show him who you really are!" Pansy laughed as if it was the most obvious thing ever, before skipping out the room. "Bye!" She shouted, already in the distance.
The blonde's thoughts starting running away with him. I could take Potter, I mean Harry, on a proper date. That is a good idea. But what would we do?
Draco sighed, heaved himself up from his spot on the floor, and went back to the hell that was dinner with his parents and his supposed future wife, Pansy freaking Parkinson.
Two days later, during Potions, Harry noticed a pale hand holding a piece of parchment, and sliding it in his direction. On the front it said 'To Harry'. Slowly, he opened it up and read its contents.
Harry,
Please come on a proper date with me. Meet me at the Main Door tonight at 9. Please.
Draco x
Harry lifted his gaze to the blonde next to him, who was watching him intensely, and gave a small nod. He couldn't help but feel elated, a date with Draco. This was going to be exciting...
Harry stood under his Invisibility Cloak outside the Hogwarts front gates and wondered where Draco was. His breath escaped from his chapped lips in white clouds, floating through the air before dissipating before his eyes.
Footsteps caught Harry's attention and he spun around swiftly, only to be faced with Draco, a mere metre from his own body. Harry was confused by the blank, unseeing expression gracing Draco's face. Realisation sunk in, and he remembered his Invisibility Cloak. He whipped it off, registering the shocked look on Draco's face, before the blonde took a few steps back- for comfort.
"Of course", he scoffed. "Only Harry Potter would have an Invisibility Cloak!"
"Hey!" Harry laughed, faking a pout, hoping he looked cute.
"Don't do that, you look too cute!" Draco chastised, laughing as well. He boldly leaned into Harry and took a hold of his hand. Harry intertwined their fingers and flashed a smile in the blonde's direction.
"So, where are we going?" Harry asked, suddenly curious as to what they were doing, and very excited at the prospect of an evening with Draco.
"That, my friend, is a surprise! Now, come here, you need to put this blindfold on." Harry reeled back in surprise.
"You'd better not try anything, Malfoy!" His eyes flashed, but he followed it up with a sheepish grin and a step towards his date.
"Go ahead", he sighed dramatically, pushing his head towards Draco. The boy wrapped a blindfold around the Harry's head and then pulled on his arm, leading him to the surprise.
Draco took hold of the blindfold and peeled it off of his date's head.
"Surprise", he whispered in Harry's ear. The raven haired boy opened his eyes and his breath hitched a little as his eyes widened.
"Draco..." He breathed. "This is all too much, it's beautiful!" His eyes lit up as he gazed around him at his surroundings.
They were stood on the school's Quidditch pitch, though it was barely recognisable now. It was filled with flickering candles, contrasting with the ebony blanket that was the all-too-smothering night. In the centre of the pitch, on the thick and soft green grass, lay a red and white checked picnic blanket, laden with too many variations of food to count. Strawberries, chocolate, sandwiches, cake, pie, everything was all set out on the blanket.
Draco pulled on Harry's arm after about a minute of him daydreaming, his mouth open in surprise at the picnic. Harry's eyes shot back to meet his and the corners of his mouth pulled up into a large grin. He ran toward the blanket, dragging Draco behind him. They fell onto the blanket, Draco on top of Harry. He placed a soft and chaste kiss upon Harry's lips before rolling off him, panting. Harry moaned at Draco's departure, but sat up and picked up a strawberry.
"Mmm, these are so good", Harry shut his eyes, truly appreciating the food. He licked his lips and then grabbed another from the box. Gingerly, he lifted his hand to Draco's mouth and raised an eyebrow questioningly. The blonde opened his mouth eagerly, and Harry slowly placed the strawberry in his mouth. A trickle of strawberry juice escaped from Draco's mouth, and Harry wiped it away with his thumb, staring into silver eyes the entire time. He leaned down and placed a slow, sweet kiss on Draco's lips.
"Harry, did you used to hate me?" Draco asked softly, pain hiding behind his eyes.
"No." Harry replied, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't think I ever hated you, I was just blinded by first impressions and what I had heard from other people." He leant over and squeezed Draco's hands reassuringly.
"Did you ever hate me?" Harry was surprised by how small his voice had become, worried about what Draco's response would be.
Draco swallowed and then began. "No. To tell the truth, I was jealous of you. You had a perfect life, The Boy Who Lived, everyone wanted to be you or be with you. I knew you had it easy. You were loved by everyone."
Harry laughed hoarsely. "Loved by everyone? For 11 years I lived in a cupboard under the stairs in my Aunt and Uncle's house, while they starved and tortured me. My parents were killed by a psychopath who tried to kill me and my friends multiple times. I hated the fame, all I've ever wanted is a quiet life, and it was taken away from me before I could even walk! And in the future, I'll never be able to have the nice, idyllic family life I've always dreamed of, living in a cottage in the country, because I'm so damned famous! I HATE IT! I never had it easy." His voice rose slightly at the end.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea they treated you that way." Draco shook his profusely. "I was a jerk, and a prat, and an idiot. I just wanted a friend and then when you turned me down I became jealous and started to idolise you unhealthily."
"It's okay, I was a prat to you too, and I became a bit obsessed with you as well." Harry pressed his lips against Draco's before continuing. "But it's all over now, so we can just move on."
"Easy for you to say, you don't have this engraved in your arm." Draco rolled up his sleeve and pointed to the Dark Mark. Harry replied with a sharp intake of breath and widened eyes. After about a minute he gradually extended his fingers and caressed the tattoo.
"Does it hurt?" Harry asked softly, focusing intensely on the Mark. When Draco answered, he transferred his gaze to his date's face.
"It used to, I would lie in bed and there would be constant excruciating pain running through my arm. But since you...finished Him, there hasn't been any pain. Now it's just a tattoo for people to judge me on."
"Why would you get it?" Harry watched as Draco sighed, buying himself time for a reply, he ran a hand through his perfectly mussed up hair and then turned to Harry.
"My father. All my life, I've just wanted to please him, it's the way I was raised, you know, Malfoy pride and all. So when he told me that I was to be branded with the Dark Mark, I had little choice but to obey him. He can be very forceful when he wants to be." Draco rolled up his other sleeve and showed Harry an array of purple, green and yellow bruises.
"I'm so sorry, Mal-Draco. I wish I had known..." Harry's voice trailed off and he looked away, fighting off the salty tears that were collecting in his emerald eyes.
Draco's elegant fingers wrapped around Harry's face and he pulled him up to face him.
"Listen to me", he urged. "You couldn't do anything, you with your silly hero complex, you're such a Gryffindork!" Harry pulled away until he saw the cheeky grin on Draco's face. He laughed and couldn't help but kiss him. Draco deepened the kiss, pulling Harry over him. Harry's lips parted, and Draco dove in, exploring the raven haired boy's wet cavern.
Suddenly, the heavens opened and rain starting pouring over the two of them. They broke apart, panting. Harry smiled widely and kissed Draco again. They continued, regardless of the fact that they were both now sopping wet.
Kissing in the rain, Harry decided, was his favourite thing to do.
Harry sauntered back through Hogwarts, unable to keep the smile off his face. The date was fantastic, and he hoped it would happen again.
He reached his room, and saw a certain red- headed girl waiting for him. His expression hardened as he walked over.
"Ginny", he stated. "Why are you here?"
"I needed to apologise. I was rude to you, and I forced you to admit something you weren't ready to. I'm sorry. I fully accept you being gay, and I am no longer going to be bitter with you. That's all, so I guess I'll go." She started to walk away.
"Wait!" Harry called out.
"I went on a date with Draco Malfoy."
Ginny spun round, squealing. "No way! I'm so happy for you! You guys would be perfect together!"
"You're not annoyed that it's Malfoy?"
"A little bit, but I said I would support you, and I follow up my promises. I'm really happy for you. Honestly. Besides, I kind of like Malfoy's friend, Blaise Zabini," She enveloped Harry in a tight hug and then skipped away humming to herself.
Harry simply laughed and shook his head. He hoped everyone would react this way when they found out about him and Malfoy. If there was a 'him and Malfoy'...