Chapter 4 It's Just Draco
Harry sat by Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Percy and Ginny at lunch.
"Harry?" Hermione asked him, her brown eyes concerned. "Are you okay? You look distracted by something."
Harry hummed in agreement, nodding and looking up at all of their faces with a soft sigh, pulling out his wand and casting a strong silencing charm, ignoring the looks of surprise on their faces in response. "I need to tell all of you guys something, but before I do, I want your promise that you won't reveal anything that I tell you to anyone outside this group, circle, whatever we are. It's important to me that you don't."
"Of course we won't, Harry," Hermione said, placing a gentle-hand on his shoulder. "Yeah," Ron added. "You can trust us. All of us."
The others all nodded their agreement as well.
"Okay," Harry said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Draco is going to be coming over here after lunch is over-"
All of them gasped at Harry's use of the Slytherin's first name, except Fred, George and Percy, looking shocked and wary, Ron most of all.
"Why is he coming over here, Harry?" Ginny protested, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yeah," Ron grumbled, looking a bit annoyed now. "Why?"
"May I finish what I was saying?" Harry asked patiently.
"Go ahead, Harry," Hermione encouraged him, nodding.
"Thanks, 'Mione. As I was saying, Draco is coming over here to speak with me. I want you to at least try to be civil to him. If you can't, then please don't say anything. This is very important to me."
"What's so important about it, Harry?" Fred asked curiously.
"Yeah," George questioned him. "Is he your friend now?" the twins asked together.
"Um, well… Not exactly. Draco is… He's going to be Courting me."
"What?" Hermione, Ron and Ginny all gasped out.
"Courting me," Harry repeated, one pale hand scratching the back of his neck nervously. "You know, romancing with the desire for eventual marriage."
"I didn't know you swung that way, Harry," Percy said, his tone slightly disapproving as he looked at him.
"Urm, well… I don't, exactly. I don't swing any way. At least, not anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"It has nothing to do with the fact that he's a guy," Harry tried to explain. "It's just Draco. I… I love him… That's why I've been… Not happy. I thought that he hated me, with good reason, and I just couldn't face it anymore… I had to do something…"
"So you retreated into your own mind to be with him," Hermione realized, her brown eyes understanding and pitying. "Oh, Harry…"
Harry winced at her words, but nodded as he looked down at his plate, picking up his ham and cheese sandwich and taking a bite, chewing it slowly and cautiously. Thankfully, the urge to heave never came, even letting him take a few more bites before he couldn't eat anymore. He set the nearly half-eaten sandwich back down on his plate, smiling a little in triumph. When he looked up again, the expression in all of their eyes was heartbreaking. He flinched, seeming to shrink in on himself.
"Please don't look at me like that," he pleaded, his green eyes filling with pain. "I'm fine now, really."
"Yeah?" Ron said, looking unimpressed. "And what if Malfoy lets you down? What if he uses this against you?"
"He will not. I trust him."
"Why?" Ginny interjected incredulously.
"Because I must. I love him."