CHAPTER 10

Draco was a bumbling mass of nerves before he Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. He had left early, and to his surprise, Harry had Apparated to the Apparition spot near the Leaky almost as soon as Draco had arrived. He was shocked, but he quickly schooled his expression. He had not expected Harry to show up on time, much less EARLIER. He smirked and teased Harry for showing up early. "Well, I would have NEVER expected Harry Potter to show up in time, and by the looks of my watch EARLY for a meeting! You seem to stun me all the time!" Harry blushed a furious red, and Draco found his heart beating wildly at the sight of a flushed and blushing Harry. It made him look so adorable and innocent. Once he saw that blush, Draco decided to make him blush whenever and however possible. And he stuck to his resolution. He kept his remarks teasing, and always said them with a friendly smirk. He could have sworn that Harry was red for at least ten minutes. Conversation went on very smoothly between the two of them. They had more in common than they had expected. Harry also told him of his most interesting and adventurous Auror mission. It was very thrilling and when Harry came to the part where he was cursed, Draco couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

As far as dates went by (it was a date according to him), it was very successful. Draco was especially glad when Harry stretched his hand out, asking him to become a friend. His heart would've leapt out of his chest, but years of training of Malfoy decorum prevented that from happening, especially when Harry asked him to lunch to his house on Saturday. He replied with a simple nonchalant "I'd love to." While his heart did cartwheels in his chest.

It wasn't going to be so bad. All he had to do was seduce Harry slowly.

Saturday didn't come as fast as Draco would've liked. It dragged out very slowly, and he had trouble concentrating in classes. He spent more than required time in the shower every day, in the morning and at night before sleeping. Harry never left his thoughts.

On Friday evening only did Draco realize he hadn't received a time and the exact address to Apparate to Harry's home. As soon as the thought he struck, his mind started spewing all sorts of horrible possibilities – Harry asking him to lunch to embarrass him, Harry asking him to lunch and poisoning him, Harry asking him to lunch and hexing him, Harry asking him to lunch but forgetting that he had been invited, etc. Silly notions, Draco thought. Why would he do that? He hasn't even given me a time and address, why would he do anything like that? I know what to do, I'll owl him. Maybe then I'll know his true motives.

Considering it to be a good plan, he took some parchment, a quill and some ink, and thought about how to write the letter to Harry.

HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM

Harry was having a very difficult time at work. He had just been on a small case, something about an apothecary shop selling adulterated potion ingredients at cheap rates and causing large scale potion making trouble. It was a very easy case, but thinking about potions brought back thoughts about Draco and their evening together. Time for a break, he thought, as an image of Draco filled his mind; Draco laughing, joking around, smirking, the conversations they had had, and that he had also invited him for lunch on Saturday, which happened to be the next. Harry's face froze. He hadn't given Draco a time and the address to arrive at. What an idiot he was! He quickly took a spare piece of parchment and a quill and ink. Just as he was about to dip his quill into the ink, an owl entered the office floor. It was a very elegant looking eagle owl and it swooped across the room and landed on Harry's rather cluttered work desk. It daintily placed the letter it was carrying on his desk and calmly waited while Harry opened the letter and read it. It was clearly waiting for Harry to write a reply.

Harry,

It may or may not have struck your mind, (considering it already being filled with saw dust) but a normal person usually gives a time and proper address to a guest whom s/he has called home. I know you may not be considered a normal person by many (me excluded), I would still like a time and address to show up.

Sincerely, Draco Malfoy.

A smile pulled at Harry's lips. No one considered him a normal person, they all thought he was an incarnation of God and treated him with reverence (except of course, Umbridge Jr.) and it felt good to be treated as an equal, especially by Draco. In fact, this single letter only made him like the man more.

He really does have a good sense of humour, he mused as he re-read the letter. Why did I notice it just now? He quickly turned the parchment over and scrawled in a time and an Apparition spot for him to Apparate to. He gave it to the eagle owl and it left with a soft whoosh. Harry felt a weird sensation of calmness as he saw the bird fly away.

That night, when Harry lay in his bed, he didn't think of how much he missed Ginny. In fact, Ginny was the last thing on his mind for the last few days. He fell asleep dreaming of Draco laughing and kissing him.