"Malfoy." Ron and Hermione said at the same time.
"Granger, Weasley," Draco said, nodding to Harry's friends. It was very easy to feel the awkward air surrounding the strange looking foursome. Harry was rubbing the back of his head nervously as he watched Draco eye his friends, and vice versa. Perhaps he should have told Ron and Hermione about his and Draco's "progress". They had no idea Harry would end up bringing the blonde to the little get together by the lake.
Harry snorted for no reason, three pairs of confused eyes turned on him.
"Harry?" Draco, Ron, and Hermione questioned at the same time. Ron and Hermione were shocked that Draco was calling Harry by his first name, though not as shocked as Draco was. He seemed a little startled by how easy it was to go along with this "friend" thing if his slight blush meant anything, but of course, he was only doing it because he had been challenged, right? At least that was what Draco seemed to want to believe. Harry had reason to believe otherwise.
"Okay!" Harry yelled loudly.
This made Draco jump, though he gave Ron a glare when the redhead had the nerve to giggle. Not snort, or give him a mocking look, but giggle?
Ron just raised an eyebrow as if saying "what?" Ron was trying very hard to be nice, forgetting their past differences and looking at Draco as if he were a new person. It was surprisingly easy, but it was all for Harry's sake. Ron couldn't be open to the idea of being Draco's friend, too, could he?
Noticing the exchange between his friends and Draco, Harry couldn't help shooting them an amused look. "Sorry for yelling, just a little happy, is all." Draco actually blushed. "Now for why I yelled, it's time for us to have fun."
"What exactly are we going to do?" Draco asked. "And if my being here is a problem, I can just go," he snapped out of habit when he noticed how Ron and Hermione were staring at him. Draco crossed his arms as if he was trying to look tough, but he just looked out of place and nervous.
Thank God Hermione could read that about him, because the girl spoke up before Ron could and ruin the little "truce" the four seemed to have at the moment. "Of course, it's not a problem Dr... I mean Malfoy. We're glad you're here, right Ronald?"
When she said Ron's name like that, Ron knew he better behave. "Yeah, right," Ron agreed. "Harry, what are we doing here, though?"
"The three of you are a little slow, aren't you?" Harry teased. "Why else would we be at the lake? We're going swimming as I already told Draco. With the squid, I might add. He's rather friendly unless you catch him or her in a grumpy mood."
"I thought you were joking about that!" Draco yelled, pale cheeks seeming even more pale.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, I mean the fact that he saved Denis that one time does not automatically declare the Squid the sort of thing that wants to share his or her water, I mean, he didn't so much save Denis as pick him up and put him back into the boat, in a way that said "stay out of my water," you know?" Hermione reasoned.
She had a funny feeling Harry was being silly to break the ice between them and Draco a little.
"I agree with Granger," Draco said before he realized what he had said. "Who the hell is Denis anyway?"
"You remember him," Ron said, "the little boy who was wearing Hagrid's coat, "I fell in the lake!"
"Oh..." Draco sighed. He felt so weird being here and pretending they were all normal friends. He was supposed to hate them all, but ever since that dream he had somehow shared with Harry, things just didn't feel the same, couldn't feel the same.
"This is so, so very amusing, two Gryffindors and one Slytherin, afraid of a little Squid," Harry tutted. "What's the world coming to?"
Draco glared at Harry, though the glare was quickly replaced with a blush when Harry started to de-robe and then he started to take off his clothes for goodness sake, right there! Right where everyone could see. What in the world was he thinking? Hermione and Ron seemed just as shocked.
The brunette rolled his eyes, "Hello, I'm wearing swim trunks, and look at this, I have a wand." Harry mock gasped, and then he smiled, more at Draco than to his friends. Harry turned the wand on himself and whispered a repelling charm. "Nothing in the lake will bother me now. Do you guys trust me or not?"
"Harry, Harry!" Hermione yelled out a warning. "A simple little repelling charm will not, I repeat, will not stop every creature down there from getting at you. They do have magic of their own, in a way, especially the merfolk."
Harry hesitated. He hadn't known that. Leave it to Hermione to see a flaw in his plan to have a little fun. He couldn't even remember the last time he went swimming. Oh, right in the real world, he had never gone swimming before.
Wait, that could be a problem in and of itself, Harry thought with a blush, feeling foolish. He cursed the Dursley's for never letting him have fun and then turned to face the three who were now giving him shocked looks. "Damn," Harry half groaned, half pouted.
It was to their great surprise when Draco of all people started to laugh and laugh and laugh. Ron had to wonder if he was still under that emotion charm, though he knew Draco couldn't be. Harry walked away from the lake, bending down to pick up his clothes.
"Shut up, Draco, you would have thought the spell would work too. It's not funny!"
The blonde shook his head. "No, Harry, it is funny. Y-your face, priceless. I can't believe... ha ha. God, what kind of spell have you put on me, Harry? Calling you "Harry" and laughing with your friends."
"And enjoying yourself to boot," Ron couldn't help but taunt, though not in a mean way, okay so just maybe a little.
"Oh God," Draco's eyes went wide. "Am I? No, wait, I can't be. I mean... this is surreal and freaky, and why are you smiling at me, Granger?" Draco grumbled, seeming very self-conscious. "Crazy people, I've been possessed by a bunch of Gryffindor... I'm doomed!"
"That feeling," Harry chuckled, "Is the happiness of having people you can hang around and talk to with no hidden intentions, no fear of backstabbing. Don't fight it so much, Draco. Give in and come to this side, after all, this side has me." Harry smirked. That got a blush from Draco.
"Bah," Draco snorted, though he didn't sound too much like a git, so it was some progress. "One month, Harry. I said one month, and Malfoys always keep their word, so go on, show me what friends are really like." The blonde crossed his arms. Draco didn't know it, but his mask was nearly falling. He was pouting, reminiscent of a young child.
"Oh Draco," Hermione chuckled, "and don't give me that look, okay? It's hard to call someone by their last name after hearing their best friend being all lovey-dovey about them. I know you hate me, or maybe you just hate the fact that I'm not a pureblood, or whatever, but we all know you're good in your way, I mean . . . well look what you did to prove you were on the side of light, turning down Voldemort. Well, anyways, I kind of don't hate you anymore, for Harry's sake." Hermione grinned.
"Don't make me regret it, now if you boys will excuse me, I have tons and tons of homework to finish." Without even waiting for Draco's reply, the girl started to head back toward the building.
Draco watched her go, his jaw nearly on the ground.
"Second what she said, oy Hermione wait up," Ron yelled.
"Lovey-dovey?" Draco turned to Harry, giving the brunette a scandalized look. "Lovey-dovey, you, about me?" The blonde had a feeling he had just been set up by Harry's friends so that they could be alone. "Lovey-dovey? Harry, what the hell? You do not come off as the mushy type. That's so weird."
Harry shrugged. "She went a little over the top, but whatever. I guess I have had my moments around them, but hey, I did tell you I loved you, didn't I?"
Draco blushed. "I wish you'd stop throwing those words around so easily, it's... well, it's damn embarrassing. So stop it." Not many people cared about him without an agenda.
"Forgive me for liking to say it," Harry said softly. "You know, you're here and all, so I want to be able to say it when I want to, even if you don't feel that way. I mean, most everyone I have ever loved is now dead and . . . and well, you're not. So I want to say it. I won't stop it. You of all people should understand how I feel, but I don't want to bring up bad memories," Harry finished.
Draco considered Harry for the longest time before he huffed. "Whatever," and even quieter, "maybe I get it, even if it's hard to believe we . . .I mean… you'd have these feelings."
"It's okay to love someone, Draco, even if it's not in a romantic way." Harry heard that little slip, though he figured Draco was still trying to sort out how he felt; what feelings were real, and if their shared dream had just been Harry's. It was a magical dream, after all. Who really could tell how they worked?
"I do not love you, Harry!" Draco snapped. "I'm just . . . just, I don't know. Stop saying confusing things. For one month, I'm your f-friend, nothing more. Don't forget that."
Harry smiled. "I won't, if you won't." Harry almost winked at him, but he held back.
Draco blushed at what Harry insinuated.