Trust

Draco thought he was dreaming since he was in a bedroom with Harry again but the smaller man under him kept him from fully believing that it wasn't real. Harry's mouth was pressed against Draco's and his tongue was trying hard to entwine itself with his. He pulled away for a moment and sat on his knees looking down at Harry whose clothes were disheveled and face was a slight pink color. For a moment, Draco wondered if kisses can make someone drunk but the thought flew from his mind as he leaned back down to kiss Harry's neck. From the neck he moved down to trace along what was seen of Harry's collar bone.

"Mm, Draco," Harry said as he wrapped his arms around Draco. He could feel his shirt being unbuttoned and cold hands exploring his skin. He felt soft lips pressing kisses onto his skin and he felt his heart that was almost beating out of his chest.

Minutes or hours, Harry couldn't tell how long Draco spent loving the skin before him. Neither of them could believe what was happening. Draco's hands traced every line and contour of Harry's torso. A finger slowly circled a pink nipple before Draco's tongue followed suit. He could feel it harden and he somehow managed a smirk with his tongue still licking at the smaller man's chest. A small sweet mewl came from Harry's mouth as he reached up to entwine his fingers in the blond hair in front of him. Suddenly the dream turned in a different direction as a pale hand slid under the waistband of Harry's pants.

"Draco, stop!" Harry cried out with fear in his green eyes. Draco froze in his position but didn't try to remove his hand. "Draco, please Draco, don't."

"Don't you trust me?"

"I'm just..." his shaking voice trailed off.

"You're afraid, right?" Harry was wide-eyed, waiting for Draco's reaction. The man removed his hand and sat back, using his other hand to pull Harry up into a sitting position. Draco pulled Harry into his arms and held on tight to the trembling body.

"I'm sorry," said Harry in a small voice.

"No, don't apologize. It's my fault, all of this is my fault," Draco whispered into his ear. He planned to hold Harry there for a while longer but apparently Harry had other ideas. Harry released himself from the warm embrace and got off the bed.

"I should go," he said as he straightened his shirt and fumbled to get the buttons through the holes. Draco wad tempted to help when Harry just turned around and headed to the door, leaving the half buttoned shirt the way it was. "Bye," he said quickly before leaving through the door. Draco heard him running from the room and down the hall.

He sat staring at the recently vacated space and then fell forward onto the bed, groaning at his lost chance. He knew Harry, and knew that if he ran out like that, without the thought of pulling out his wand to Apparate, he wouldn't be back for a while.

He was out in the garden pulling some of the weeds by hand in the flower beds that were closest to the door when a familiar owl swooped down and dropped a small envelope. It had been a month since he had last seen Harry and Draco knew this envelop had information that will make him sink or swim.

Draco almost jumped for joy, and Malfoys never jump for joy, because the small letter was asking if Draco wanted to go to dinner with Harry. The letter made it clear that that was all they were going to do but even so, Draco's heart was beating fast in anticipation.

After brushing the dirt off his hands and knees, he walked inside and to his room where he spent the rest of the afternoon making himself look as good as possible to Harry.

It was half past six before Draco finally deemed himself ready. Harry would probably laugh at him if he knew how long he spent in front of the mirror. He smirked in the mirror and tucked a stray blond strand in with the rest. A few minutes later and he was standing at his door with a new cloak on. He pulled out his wand and Apparated to the restaurant. The note said to be there at seven but being twenty minutes early shouldn't be a problem. He wanted to show that Harry could trust him and he wouldn't have to worry while waiting for him to show up.

He stood outside of the restaurant, waiting for a sign of Harry. As he waited a few thoughts crossed his mind. One of them was the fact that this was likely the first time he had stepped out of the manor in almost five years. Draco looked up and down the busy street that seemed no different than it was years ago. The lights from all the other businesses still practically lit up the street to the point that it looked like the sun was up.

A dark brown mop of hair was spotted a little ways down the street and Draco instantly recognized it as Harry's hair. A smirk spread across Draco's face as he walked to meet Harry.

"Were you waiting long?" asked Harry when they were a few feet apart.

"Not at all," he replied and got closer to Harry. Draco leaned down to place a light kiss on Harry's tantalizing lips. Harry turned his head at the last second and the kiss landed on his cheek. Draco thought it was unusual but didn't waste any more time thinking about it. Harry still didn't quite trust him and he knew it would be a while before he did.

They headed into the restaurant and walked straight up to the young man at the podium.

"Do you have reservations?" asked the man.

"Potter, table for two," said Harry a little impatiently.

"Ah, Potter, yes. Right this way," he said taking two menus and led them through the restaurant and to the small secluded table with a nice view of the city. The man set down the menus, smiled and then walked back leaving the two standing at the table.

Draco felt it was poor service but held his tongue. He pulled out Harry's chair who blushed before sitting and letting Draco push the chair in. Draco walked to the other side of the table and sat in his own seat.

"We need to talk about what happened," Harry said clearing the silence. Draco noticed Harry seemed anxious and agitated and he wondered if Harry thought of this dinner in the same way that Draco thought of it.

"And I agree," he replied. Harry turned his head to the side and cleared his throat.

"I don't think we should be together. Maybe as friends but not as lovers again."

"Why?" Draco asked, not showing the emotions that he felt at Harry's words.

"Because I'm scared, I'm scared it'll turn out like last time and I just can't go through that again."

"It won't-"

"How do I know that?" Harry snapped back. "For all I know you could be an amazing actor and can easily lie who spends every night in a house with a lot of men. You may be telling the truth but how am I supposed to believe you? I just want to be friends." Draco waited a minute, letting the words set into his mind before he decided to speak.

"I can't be just friends. I love you like a lover, I can't just jump into being just friends with you. It doesn't work that way."

"But-"

"It's not like when we barely knew each other and were able to set aside what happened in the war to be friends. No, I've already experienced too much with you. And even if I could just be your friend, would you really trust me, feel comfortable around me? Around a person who wants to kiss you, who wants to hold you, who wants to spend every second of every day with you, could you really be friends with me?" Draco paused a minute to allow his words to sink into Harry's mind. "I finally have a chance to be with you again and do you really think I'll settle for being friends? It's all or nothing, Harry. It can't be halfway." Harry hung his head down and Draco regretted being so harsh.

"Harry, I'm sorry. I know you love me and I know you're scared. Maybe we could try-"

"No, you're right. We can never be just friends. You said it was all or nothing, right? I choose nothing." Harry abruptly stood and headed out of the restaurant. He was in so much shock that Draco almost forgot how to stand up. When he did and raced out the same way, he was met with an empty street.

"Dammit!" Draco cursed, punching the brick wall of the restaurant with all the force he could muster. He punched it again and again, until his knuckles bled and he fell against the wall, not knowing what to do.

"What can I get for you?"

"Something I can drown my sorrows with," Draco replied to the old bartender, who was drying a martini glass when he sat on the stool. This used to be his usual bar, so many wonderful, terrible memories were created here and every single one of them Draco regretted. Every memory but one. The memory of meeting Harry here for the first time after the war.

"Broken heart?" The bartender asked, pulling a small brown bottle and a shot glass off the shelf.

"Broken?" Draco scoffed. "It was broken five years ago. Now it's shredded."

"Women can do that. What was she like?" asked the bartender. Draco didn't know if he sounded reminiscent or comforting, not that he really cared. The man set down the shot glass in front of Draco who downed it in one gulp.

"He was perfect, smart, fun, and so easy to love, but also so easy to take advantage of, knowingly or not."

"You don't seem like the type to swing the other way." Draco let out a heartless chuckle and shook his head.

"Neither of us did until we really got to know each other and then it just felt right, like it was destiny." The bartender just nodded and poured another shot.

"Well, I have nothing against you guys. I have a nephew like that. Came out and told us all, right off the bat. Sure, it was a shock but he said that that was who he was and there's no use trying to change him. So what happened?" Draco took a deep breath and told a condensed version of his story, minus a few parts like forcing himself on Harry and what happened last month.

"Your story sounds absolutely terrible," said a voice to his left. A man sat a few stools down, twirling the olive in his martini. He had short dark blond hair, and light blue eyes that stared back at Draco with full interest. "Want me to comfort you tonight?" A provocative smile spread across his face but Draco just couldn't find it tempting like it would have in the past. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the bartender turn his head away and then walk to the other side of the counter. Draco rubbed his fingers over the sore and scraped skin on his knuckles and took a deep breath before shaking his head.

"Sorry, but I think alcohol will be the only thing comforting me tonight." With that said Draco stood, placed a couple bills on the counter to pay for the drinks and then headed out of the bar. What he said was a lie. He knew of one other thing that could comfort him and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Author's Note: Sorry guys but I have to leave you hanging a little, and plus it'll be a while before I can post the next chapter, since I have the deadly "writer's block." This chapter alone was so hard to write because I didn't quite know what to do... I didn't want Harry to just go along with Draco, because wouldn't that be kind of stupid? Plus it would ruin what I have planned for future chapters. I wanted Harry to be a little... conflicted (is that the word?) inside. I wanted part of him to love Draco and part of him to be scared and for some reason it was really hard to figure out how to do that.