A/N: Well... hey there. I realize this is about 4 years later than it should've been, and for that I apologize. I don't have much of an explanation. It's been a while, but I tried to keep the writing style and characterizations the same as they were before, so sorry for any errors on that front. And it's unbeta-ed and only barely edited since I wanted to get it out to you guys in case something happened and it wasn't posted for another four years or something. So let me know if you catch any errors or if anything isn't consistent with previous chapters or anything :)

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed or favorited this story. You were all a big inspiration in getting me to finish this story :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Harry gazed morosely at the essay in his hands, written in Zabini's flourished handwriting. The effects of the love potion had been shut down by Madam Pomfrey, and there was nothing physically wrong with him, but he was just... tired.

The whole thing was a mess. He couldn't believe that this whole despicable mess was Zabini's fault, all done with good intent. The man was mad. Some of it was its own sort of genius (honestly, charming the diaries? Harry wished he'd have thought of that to help with the war effort...) but on the whole, it was just insane. And the lust potion Zabini had administered on himself. He'd broken up with Draco because of some crazy effort to make their relationship stronger?

Harry rolled the parchment back up and flopped down on his bed. Draco had cheated on him. He had. Even though it was because of some half-cracked plan Zabini came up with, Draco had done it of his own free will. And he hadn't even had the sense to come to Harry immediately and tell him about it. He'd had to hear it from Draco's 'informant' when she came to give her report.

Draco's sorrowful eyes drifted in his mind. It wasn't like he missed the blond. After all, Harry hadn't even intended on getting in a relationship with Malfoy in the first place. They hadn't spent long enough together for him to really miss him. But... it showed promise. Unlike all the girls who had flocked to Harry despite him breaking up with their predecessors at every corner, Draco didn't seem to care about his fame. They had similar interests and Draco was really kind of adorable when he was angry.

He thought back to his conversation with Zabini when he'd brought his apology and the written account of the story by. The Slytherin had first recounted everything he'd done and then given an apology that actually sounded sincere. Well, at first at least.

"Was that good?" Zabini had asked at the end. "I promised it would be a good one. Do you forgive me?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Sure, Zabini, I forgive you. I guess your intentions weren't bad."

Zabini grinned. "That's the Gryffindor spirit! Mind you, Pansy and Draco are still giving me the cold shoulder. I think Pansy's upset since she spent so much time in the library with Granger when I knew all along." Harry refrained from commenting that perhaps Pansy had other reasons to be upset besides that.

Zabini seemed to hesitate, then took a breath. "Look, Potter, I'm sorry. I really am. Just... can you please give Draco another chance? I feel awful. He's still all morose he doesn't have you, and now Pansy's watching me like a hawk to be sure I don't try to fix it again."

Harry shook his head slowly. "Zabini, that's not a good idea. It was his free will, right?"

Zabini shrugged. "I mean, yeah. But it was just automatic on his part, honestly. He hasn't been in a relationship before, you know. He's just had casual things on the side. It's no excuse really, that he didn't know how to hold himself back, and he'd been stressed because I nearly killed you, you know, but he really didn't mean to mess up so badly what you two had. And I pulled out all the stops I could to get him most likely to agree. I made him comfort me and all."

"Zabini, I don't want to hear about how you seduced Draco."

"Just give him one more chance? Please?"

Harry had sighed, unwilling to listen to Zabini's arguments for longer. "I'll consider it."

Now Harry laid on his bed, reflecting on Zabini's words. It couldn't hurt to try again with Draco, could it? If nothing else, just because he didn't want Zabini to turn around and try to fix the situation as soon as Pansy got distracted from watching him. That was enough of a reason, right? Yeah. That was a perfectly fine reason. Not anything about him missing Draco or wanting to kiss him or anything. Nothing like that.

"Hey, Draco, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Draco spun around as soon as he heard Harry address him. Merlin. Harry was speaking to him again? This was either good, or very, very bad.

Beside him, Blaise started bouncing and Draco could just tell he was about to do something horrible. Draco caught Pansy's gaze and nodded his head towards the doors of the Great Hall. She nodded understandingly and yanked Blaise away. Harry watched them go, giving Blaise some sort of strange look Draco couldn't read.

"Sure, Harry," he answered casually.

Harry nodded, suddenly looking indecisive. "Uh, here, let's go over here," he said, and nudged them over to a little ill-lit corner beside the doors. It was still in plain view, but people probably wouldn't notice them talking quietly there. As long as they didn't see exactly who it was, they would be alright.

"So," Draco started. He felt his cheeks start to heat up. He was next to Harry, speaking with him again. And it wasn't because their friends had abandoned them at the same time nor because Blaise had done something insane to mess with their relationship. "I- I'm glad you're speaking to me now." He immediately cursed himself. Not only was that not what he had meant to say, but it sounded childish, like he'd been upset that Harry hadn't been speaking with him before. Which he had been, but mostly because it was a reminder of how much Harry hated him.

Harry glanced away and nodded slightly "Yeah, um... well I guess I just was considering some stuff and wanted to talk about it with you."

Draco tossed his hair back and leaned against the wall. He could look casual. He was a Malfoy, after all. "What's up?"

Harry looked back at Draco but then decided that was a mistake when the blond looked decidedly more attractive than he had before. He glanced down at his feet. "Well, I talked with Zabini a bit when he delivered the explanation essay and apology letter. Thanks for that, by the way. And he advised that I get back together with you."

Draco's eyes widened. Harry couldn't really be considering that, could he? To trust him again? That would be amazing.

"And I mean, I guess it's better than Zabini trying to interfere again," Harry continued. After all, that was definitely his only reason for this.

Draco smiled. Well, he would've preferred that Harry confess he couldn't possibly live without him, but he supposed he would have to make do with Blaise being the reason. Perhaps there was something good about Blaise's madness, if it got Harry to reconsider rejecting him. After all, given time, Harry might come to love him on his own.

"Draco?" He heard Harry's voice inquire softly. Draco's eyes snapped back to Harry from... wherever they'd been. He'd been daydreaming about them on dates.

"Yeah?" He asked, grinning back at Harry.

Harry looked a little confused. It was adorable on him, even though with anyone else Draco would have been disdainful. "You haven't replied at all yet. Do you- do you want to?" Harry's heart was stuck in his chest. Draco had to be willing to take him back, he had to. I thought it was just because of Zabini? a voice whispered in the back of his mind. You should be happy if he doesn't want you back, then Zabini won't ever bother you again.

Draco blinked at him. "Of course. I- I would love to."

Harry smiled, and Draco could have fainted. "I- um. Good. That's cool then." He paused. "Uh, Draco, d'you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"

Draco was still maintaining a calm facade, but it nearly broke as those words wormed their way into his former daydreams. "Sure!" he exclaimed, but then drew back. "I mean, it only makes sense, if we're dating, right? We should go on dates to be dating." There, that sounded logical and aristocratic.

Harry smiled back. "Right. That does make sense." He hesitated. He wanted to ask but... it was weird. In the middle of the corridor? Besides, this was just because of Zabini. But still... "Hey Draco, do you... um, you know..." Draco was staring at him with a face that clearly said 'No, I don't know.' "Do you want to kiss? Just quick, since we are back together and all..." He muttered.

Draco's heart swelled. "Of course," he murmured, and leaned down to press his lips to Harry's.

Merlin, how he had missed kissing Harry throughout this whole ordeal. To have gotten a taste of the boy, and then to have it ripped away so quickly... He'd been dying for it, even if he hadn't realized. He only got the slightest taste of Harry before the other boy pulled away.

"We shouldn't in the hall," Harry said quietly.

Draco was still too ecstatic to be upset about having his kiss broken off. After all, if he did well this time there wouldn't be any limit to the kisses he would get in the future... and he would hopefully get a lot more than kisses further down the line.

So Draco nodded amiably. "Of course. Do you want to go to dinner or...?" He let his question dangle, just in case Harry wanted to continue somewhere that wasn't the hallway.

"Yeah, to dinner," Harry answered quickly, a bit more of a flush rising to his face. Quite a difficult task, Draco observed. The other boy's face was already quite red.

As they walked into the Great Hall together and split towards their separate tables, Draco wasn't sure he'd ever felt happier than this moment.

Epilogue

Ron was really pissed off that he was here. He could probably leave, but then Hermione would be upset... and Ron didn't like making Hermione upset.

They'd run into the group of three Slytherins in the corridor and he'd already known it was over. Hermione had partnered with Pansy on the last potions project and had been rambling about how she needed to meet with her, and he had heard Harry mention to Hermione that he hadn't gotten any 'alone time' with Draco in too long. Ron inwardly shuddered. He really hated overhearing conversations between Harry and Hermione about the couple. What they were doing... it was just disturbing. He could turn a blind eye most of the time, since it was his best mate, but sometimes it just got annoying. Like now.

They had all gone to the room of requirement, where Pansy and Hermione could work and Harry and Draco could do... ew. They had been making out, but now they were partially hidden by the couch. He could see the back of Draco's head above the seat, but Harry was nowhere to be seen. Ron shut his eyes tightly and turned away. No. He wouldn't think about where Harry's head was.

Meanwhile, he, Ronald Weasley, was having the worst time out of anyone in the room.

"So, Weasel, what's your worst fear?"

"Spiders," Ron answered mechanically, still focused on scrubbing the images of what Harry could be doing behind that couch out of his head. He paused. "Shit, Zabini, stop with all the questions, you-" Ron's hands balled into fists as he noticed the movement of the other boy's quill. "Zabini, are you taking notes?" He growled.

Zabini shrugged. "It's for my collection."

"I don't want to add to your stupid information stamp collection thing!" Ron was about to grab the parchment from under Zabini's hand, but then started. "Hang on. There's nothing on it."

Zabini smirked. "It's like the diary spells I did, Weasel. Anything I writes goes straight into my collection and disappears from this parchment. So, what do you masturbate to?"

Ron choked and he heard Zabini laugh. Merlin. This was torture. Just torture. Harry's... thing with Draco had turned out to be the worst thing ever. Alright, so Malfoy wasn't even that bad some of the time. And Pansy was tolerable. But he never had to handle either of them alone, just Zabini, who was the worst of them all.

Ron pushed up from his seat. "That's it, I'm leaving!"

Hermione glanced towards him. "Not yet, Ronald. Me and Pansy haven't finished yet, and I don't think that Harry and Draco..." she glanced towards the couch and raised an eyebrow. "...have 'finished' yet either. Why don't you chat with Blaise some more?"

"No," Ron moaned. He wasn't sure he could take much more of this. He glanced toward Zabini, expecting to see some sort of maniacal glee at still having Ron at his whim to torture with all sorts of questions. Instead, the other boy had some sort of strange look on his face. It wasn't glee nor resignation so... what on earth could he be feeling? Surely he was happy about getting to torture Ron some more to add to his weird stamp collection.

But instead Zabini gazed at him for a moment before turning away. "Oi, Draco! Finish up!"

"I'm busy, Blaise," Draco panted.

"I can see that," Zabini answered. "If you don't pull your pants up so Weasley can go back to his room, I'll take pictures of you and sell them to the Daily Prophet."

"Dammit Blaise, you promised!" Draco growled, and then his head disappeared behind the couch.

"But I didn't swear an unbreakable vow," Zabini grinned. He then glanced over at the girls, who were both peering at him over their books. "Hey Pansy, go work with Granger in the library or something?"

Pansy shook her head and returned to her book.

Zabini looked back at Ron and shrugged. "Hey, I tried. Can't you go back on your own?"

Ron blinked at him for a moment. "Why did you try to help me?"

Zabini paused and shot him a grin. "An experiment for my collection, of course."

"Of course," Ron muttered under his breath. Honestly, Zabini was such a prat. "Well, you can record on your weird parchment that I'm going back to the tower now."

Zabini smiled enigmatically. "I certainly will, Weasel."

Ron stepped into the corridor and shut the door loudly behind him. Blaise gave the door an amused look, fished a book out of his bag, and sat himself down in a plush chair to read for a while.

It had worked out as well as it could've, he supposed. He'd tried to help, but had only messed up more. At least advising Potter to try again with Draco had worked, and now they were certainly a happy couple... perhaps too happy, if anything. And Pansy and Granger had actually gotten along pretty well and had become good friends. And he, Blaise? Well, he was himself. He had suitably avenged Draco and Harry when the Weaselette had been spreading homophobic nonsense around the school. He continued to quietly discourage anyone who spoke ill of their relationship, with the help of his handy collection. And he clearly could single-handedly annoy the Weasel to the point of insanity.

At least everyone else was happy.