Chapter V – Pre-Mortem

Draco waited, happily at the table.

"I hope you like spaghetti," he said, "It's really all I know how to cook."

Harry laughed and sat down as Draco straightened out the dark blue tablecloth.

"It looks delicious," Harry faintly smiled as the two began eating.

"So," Draco began with a mouth full of food, "How was the potions test?"

"Er…" Harry said, "I'm confident I passed."

Draco stared at the single candle, as a pool of melted wax began to form. He slowly put another fork full of pasta into his mouth as he thought to himself, It's probably my fault.

"So what exactly did you hear about Seamus?" Harry asked, as he never really enjoyed small talk.

"He saw me in the boys' bathroom, "Draco said, putting down his fork, "He told me that you told his about us."

"And?" Harry said, as he chewed a heap of spaghetti in his mouth.

"You can't just go around telling people!" Draco slammed down his silverware.

"Seamus is my friend," Harry defended, "I trust him."

"Well I don't feel comfortable with you telling EVERYONE!" Draco yelled.

"Everyone? EVERYONE? I told ONE person! Why the hell do you have to act so insecure all the time? I can't keep hiding this, Draco," Harry gripped his fork tightly. "Everyone's been asking. I can't keep ignoring my friends all the time!"

"Who else knows?" Draco said quietly and stern.

"What?" Harry said looking slightly irritated.

"Who. Else. Knows?" Draco repeated slowly.

Harry paused for a bit, "Just Hermione and Ron," Harry said as he scratched his head.

"That doesn't sound like one person." Draco put his head down and held it between his hands.

Harry paused again and then let out a big breath, "I can't keep hiding us, Draco."

"What are you saying?" Draco said as he looked up worried.

"Draco, I love you." Harry said as he gently held up Draco's chin. "But this. This hiding, and making up stories all the time… it isn't going to work for me," Harry wrapped his hand around the left side of Draco's face, "I hate having to… suppress my feelings in public. It's like asking a bird not to fly, in fear of being shot. You should—we should be proud of us." Draco stood still, as tiny droplets his the bottom of his shirt. Harry stood up and hugged Draco from behind. Draco was silenced. He couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe. Draco stared blankly at the candle's flame, as the tears in his eyes made it slightly out-of-focus. He watched as a drop of wax slid down quickly and then stopped midway, as it hardened. "If you can't have us simply hold hands while others watch, maybe we just shouldn't be." Draco's couldn't believe what was happening. "I love you" Harry whispered.

As he left, Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the card he'd bought. The corners were rounded. Harry slowly placed it on in the table.

"Ever since you've showed me this place," Harry said quietly as he took Draco's locket off his neck, "I waited for you to kiss me in front of your friends. Or, for once, not pull your hand away if someone came near." Draco sniffed and bit his bottom lip as Harry put the locket down in front of him. "I told myself, 'If Draco did something nice, I'd give this back to show him that I've cared for him so much, all this time'." Draco realized what it was, and he turned all the way around to look Harry in the eyes. "That was six years ago."

Harry left the Room of Requirement as Draco watched the candle shrink. After Harry left, he kicked over the table. Shards of glass and cold spaghetti litter the floor. The candle hit the ground and the flame caught on the tablecloth. The fire grew bigger and bigger as Draco simply watched it. The tears in his eyes accumulated, making his vision nothing but a blur of red and yellow flickering lights. With the heat on his face, he watched as the flame spread to a pile of rubber boots. He wiped his eyes and pulled out his wand.

"Aguamenti maxima" he mumbled, sniffing again. The fire was put out, as a mist followed the burst of water from his wand. He stood in the dark room as water slowly seeping into his shoes. He blinked slowly as he picked up the necklace from the puddle of water. The bottom half was irreversibly charred.