A/N: So this is set during Harry's fourth year, while Ron is ignoring him. Ron is a git.
Disclaimer: I own nothing… except a huge imagination and bad sense of humour.
"Oh Harry, just ignore him and I'm sure he'll stop," Hermione said sadly after recently watching The-Boy-Who-Lived endure endless taunts and flashes of 'Potter Stinks'. Ron still wasn't talking to Harry either, though that was ok because they both knew the red-head was jealous.
"Hermione, I doubt that'll make it go away," It was childish really, just ignore the problem and it'll go away. That, unfortunately, was not how things worked.
"You never know. It can't hurt to try?" Hermione said, before a devious grin spread across her face faster than Krum on his broomstick, "What about if every time he says something to you, you compliment him?"
Harry didn't look amused.
"Hermione are you ok? You didn't hit your head or anything?"
"Harry just try it!" Hermione pleaded, she really wanted to see the arrogant blonde's reaction.
"Well… But… Ok, fine, for a week, then it's back to the taunts," Harry caved, but began to think of all the strange friendly comebacks he could use.
"Oh, this will be fun!" Hermione giggled and clapped her hands, sounding much more like Lavender and Parvati than she would have liked.
Potter was, possibly, one of the most infuriating yet easy to taunt people Draco had ever been unfortunate enough to meet. He had almost everything, money, fame, loyal and trusting friends, yet he had the nerve to reject the friendship of a Malfoy?
Ok, so maybe that was four years ago, but hey, who's to say The-Boy-Who-Annoyed-Every-Slytherin-In-Existence wouldn't one day see the full potential of befriending him. That, or he still wanted to be friends. Unfortunately, Potter took an instant disliking to him. If he could go back to First-Year, he would probably ask the boy if he was nervous for the Sorting, instead of insulting Weaselbee's parentage.
Would the hat have sorted him into a different house, had he stopped and thought out his actions? Or maybe, if his mother hadn't told him everyone would love him, regardless of who they were? Well, wasn't she wrong.
"Ok Harry, you ready?" Hermione said as Draco made his way over, his signature smirk pasted on his face, with Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini in his shadow. They each had a Potter Stinks badge pinned neatly to their robes, and were once again holding the box filled with them, though there were less in the box then the other day.
"Potter! Have you changed your mind about the badges?" the blonde Pure-blood sneered, "Maybe I should be your campaign manager?"
Crabbe and Goyle laughed while Zabini rolled his eyes. He knew that Draco only wanted to be friends with the Boy-Who-Lived, yet he had a funny way of showing it.
Harry swallowed the huge lump in his throat. 'Come on Harry! Be a Gryffindor!' he thought to himself, before saying the first thing that came to mind. Luckily, he made it smooth and not desperate and awkward.
"I like your hair this morning, Malfoy. Nicely combed," He said, looking Malfoy right in the eye. He blanched, Crabbe and Goyle looked bewildered and Zabini stifled his laughter, nodding at Harry in appreciation. That was strange.
"W-what!?" Malfoy spluttered, almost incoherently, "What are you playing at Potter?"
Feeling confident, Harry continued, mildly enjoying himself.
"And while I would love to spend more time with you chatting, I have Charms to get to, good day!" and with that, Harry and Hermione walked off, ignoring Ron's shocked face. Harry was disappointed that Ron still wasn't talking to him.
The dark-haired boy looked back one last time to see Malfoy and Zabini furiously discussing something, probably him. Suddenly he hoped there was no retaliation, or he would have a full-blown compliment war going on between him, and his second biggest enemy, the first being Voldemort, of course.
Harry envisioned how funny this would be.
Bring it on.
Harry's next encounter with Malfoy was, suspiciously, that afternoon, out on the grounds by the lake.
He approached and Harry said lazily to the approaching blonde, "I like your outfit Malfoy!"
"I wear this everyday Potter! It's my Slytherin robes… But anyway, I didn't come here for you to worship me, believe it or not," He sneered, "What I wanted to know is wa-"
"And I really like your shoes, where did you get your boot polish?" Harry interrupted, feeling superior. Malfoy turned a nice shade of puce and almost expected a vein to pop out like Uncle Vernon.
"POTTER," he yelled, silencing the raven-haired boy, "What do you think you are doing?"
Harry smiled as warmly as he could muster at the thought of Malfoy, "I've just really come to appreciate you, Drakey, you with your fine locks, and, and confident strut."
"Well stop it… Wait, really?" Malfoy went from annoyed to confused and almost... Hope? Harry almost felt bad for what he was to say next. Almost.
"No, but have a good day!" Harry said cheerfully. Zabini, who had walked over with Malfoy and watched the whole exchange, nodded at his companion, who smiled at Harry. Odd.
"You too Potty!" he grinned, "And your glasses are so trendy!" and with that, Malfoy walked off, leaving Harry with his jaw open and Hermione with a twinkle in her eye, not unlike the one Dumbledore often accompanied.
"HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER!" Harry yelled, causing some startled First-Years to jump and run off, unaware of the previous exchange between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Pairs. "What have you started? When will this end?"
"Harry calm down, maybe some good could come from this," she reasoned, "You could end your fighting with Malfoy forever!"
It was a good point, but Harry still wasn't happy. Hermione saw his upset look and moved closer to put an arm around him. Suddenly he was swept into a warm memory of First-Year, sitting on the grounds without a worry with Ron and Hermione. No worrying about the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Voldemort or even Malfoy.
"It'll be fine Harry, you watch."
Over the next few weeks, Harry and Draco were constantly at each other's throat, each trying to give the better compliment. It was a little silly, according to the teachers, but the war raged on.
"Hey MALFOY! Your teeth are so lovely and shiny today!"
"Yeah Potter? Well I love your hair today; did you ruffle it a bit more this morning?"
"ENOUGH!" McGonagall snapped from the teachers table after watching the two yell at each other from opposite ends of the Great Hall. Students giggled as they both sat back down, grinning like clowns at a child's birthday party as Dumbledore smiled.
"Potter, your green eyes! So dazzling, like dancing emerald's!"
"Thanks Malfoy! Seeing you walk into the dungeon's every lesson simply brightens my day!"
"ENOUGH!" Snape snapped from the front, and every student in the class could have sworn he turned green watching the exchange play out. Harry and Draco each took seats, winking at Snape in sync, to which he promptly fainted.
"Malfoy! I had a dream about you last night, I've never enjoyed a dream as much as that one!"
"So sweet of you Potter, sometimes I'm jealous of you because you're so amazingly perfect!"
"ENOUGH!" Ron and Pansy yelled together, each going red. Everyone in the courtyard laughed, eager for the next round of compliments coming from the two.
"Umm… Malfoy! Your giggles bring tears of joy to my eyes!"
"Well Potter.. Your farts smell like rainbows!"
"Yours smell like Amortentia Malfoy!"
"Do you know what that even smells like Potter?"
"Uh… Your farts?"
"Probably!"
Draco Malfoy was what you would call a composed person. A composed person until Harry FREAKIN' Potter began to compliment him everyday for two weeks. He returned each and every one of them, of course, each getting even more ridiculous than the last.
Sometimes Draco wondered if it was ever going to stop and realised he didn't want to stop. What would happen when they run out of compliments for each other? No, he would have to try extra hard to find things to compliment Potter on. Stupid Potter, with his hair, and eyes you can get lost in for hours on end.
But no, Draco wasn't thinking about Har-Potter! He NEVER thought about Potter other than a quick compliment before Potions.
That was, until he realised he had developed feelings for Harry. Not of friendship, more than that. Oh, if only his father knew of this, think of the shame. And Zabini! He had seen this coming, it was all over his smug Slytherin face.
Suddenly he heard Granger and Har-POTTER walking past, probably on their way to the library. They were talking in hushed voices and Draco decided to follow. His heart almost stopped when he heard his name.
Why?
Because Draco Malfoy had a crush on THE Harry Potter.
Merlin save him.
Harry was in trouble.
Not trouble as in he needed saving. It was trouble that he couldn't be saved from, it was too late for him. He didn't want to do this anymore, compliment Dra-Malfoy each and every day! He didn't want to look at his stupid soft blonde hair, or grey eyes that used to be so cold and stiff but now warmed up whenever he laughed.
STOP!
"Come on Harry, just keep it up a little longer, kill him with kindness!"
"But… I can't anymore!" Harry cried, yanking on his hair in frustration and embarrassment, "I just… can't."
"Why though? It's working! He isn't bullying you, or me, or even Ron anymore!" She replied, bewildered. Harry turned red.
"I know, but…" he paused, then worked up the courage like a true Gryffindor, "I like him."
Hermione's jaw dropped open, her eyes widened in disbelief, "Harry…"
"I'm sure of it 'Mione! I just can't believe…" he trailed off, and his eyes filled with unexpected tears, "Why him, 'Mione? Of all the girls and boys to fall for, it HAD to be him!"
Hermione sat looking thoughtful, all doubt and disbelief gone from her face. Whatever was coming next, Harry knew he wouldn't like it. It wasn't enough to distract him from Malfoy though, thinking about his soft blonde hair…
"Well, you are both very alike!" Hermione said, and Harry blanched.
"We are NOTHING alike Hermione, what are you talking about?" Harry was shocked, how could Hermione even think that? Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, she justified her sudden burst.
"Well, you both love Quidditch, especially seeking, you both stand up for what you believe in and, honestly, you are both naïve at times," the bushy-haired girl explained and Harry about fainted, right there on the spot.
"But there is no chance of it EVER happening Hermione!" He cried, close to tears, "It can never happen! His parents would never allow it, and he's probably straight, which, it seems, I can't seem to say the same thing!"
"Umm, maybe you shouldn't speak before knowing what the real story is Potter," Malfoy came out from around the corner and Harry felt a surge of panic as his face heated up.
"How much did you hear?" Harry demanded, looking over to Hermione for support. To his surprise, she grinned and walked off. "Hermione!"
"What's her problem?" Malfoy muttered, looking over to her.
"Don't worry about that, just tell me how much you heard?" Great, things were going back to the way they were before, this time with Malfoy knowing a hugely embarrassing secret about The-Boy-Who-Questions-His-Own-Sanity.
"All of it," the cocky boy grinned before taking a step closer.
"Wh- Malfoy what are you doing," Harry was unsure, this had never happened before.
"Something I've wanted to do for a while but hey, better late than never, right?" Malfoy said, leaning in, before stopping. "Oh, and please, call me Draco."
And with that, he leaned in and kissed the boy who lived, who returned the favour in surprise.
Later that Day
"So Harry, how about it?" Draco was comfortably sitting on a lounge in the library, his head resting on Harry's shoulder, his boyfriend.
"How about what Draco?" he asked, confused.
"Can I be your campaign manager?"