Chapter 10
The days after their confrontation felt like walking on a tightrope. Harry couldn't decide if the air between him and Malfoy was filled with more tension or curiosity. Everything was different now. Every look, every word, even the briefest moments of silence between them seemed loaded with meaning.
It was impossible to ignore.
Harry had been trying to focus on his homework, the pile of essays growing in front of him like a mountain he couldn’t climb. He found himself in the library, a place he used to go to escape everything, but even here, he couldn’t find peace. The soft rustle of pages, the steady hum of students studying—it all felt distant.
Then, as if summoned by some cosmic force, Malfoy appeared in the aisle just a few tables away.
Harry’s heart skipped a beat.
He tried to ignore him, but Malfoy’s presence seemed to pull at him, like a magnet. Harry's eyes flicked up, and their gazes met across the room. For a moment, time seemed to slow down.
Malfoy didn’t look away. Instead, he took a few deliberate steps toward Harry, his shoes clicking softly on the stone floor.
“Potter,” Malfoy said, his voice cool and casual, though Harry could sense the tension behind it. “You’re really going to bury yourself in work like this?”
“I’m busy,” Harry muttered, not looking up, trying to act as if nothing had changed.
Malfoy raised an eyebrow, leaning against the table. “So this is how you’ve been avoiding me? Hiding in the library, pretending you’re too busy for a conversation?”
“I’m not avoiding you,” Harry shot back, his voice sharper than he intended. He didn’t want to admit that Malfoy’s words had struck a nerve. “I’m just—”
“Just what?” Malfoy interrupted, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You’re not fooling anyone, Potter. I know you’re thinking about me. So why don’t you stop pretending?”
Harry felt his face flush, but he didn’t back down. “You think you’re the center of my universe, don’t you?”
Malfoy’s smirk widened, and he leaned in slightly. “You’d be surprised.”
Before Harry could respond, the librarian shushed them from across the room, and Malfoy straightened up, stepping back with an exaggerated sigh.
“I’ll let you get back to pretending, Potter,” he said, his tone almost playful. But there was something darker behind it—something that made Harry wonder if he was being baited, and if, for some reason, he liked it.
Malfoy turned to walk away, but then stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. “Meet me tonight. Midnight. Room 204. If you want to stop pretending.”
Harry blinked. Room 204? It was a part of the castle that was often left untouched. Harry didn't even know who used it.
Before Harry could respond, Malfoy was gone, disappearing between the aisles of books.
That night, Harry lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t stop thinking about Malfoy’s words. Room 204. It kept echoing in his head, louder than any of his other thoughts.
He wasn’t sure why he was even considering it. Why was he still thinking about Malfoy? And more importantly, why couldn’t he stop?
After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, Harry finally pushed himself out of bed. He threw on his cloak and quietly made his way down the stairs, trying not to make a sound. He had to know what this was.
What was the challenge, the game, that Malfoy was playing?
Harry stood in front of the door to Room 204, his heart thumping in his chest. The castle was quiet, the halls empty and dimly lit by flickering torches. He could feel the weight of the decision hanging over him.
He didn’t know what he was expecting, but this—this was different from anything he’d ever done before.
He pushed the door open, stepping inside, and found Malfoy leaning against the far wall, arms crossed, waiting for him. His eyes flicked up, and he didn’t say anything at first—just regarded Harry with that same, infuriating, smug look.
“So, you came,” Malfoy said, his voice soft but carrying a note of satisfaction.
Harry swallowed, suddenly feeling like he was in over his head. “You said to meet you here. Now I’m here. What do you want?”
Malfoy pushed himself off the wall and took a slow step forward, his eyes never leaving Harry’s. “I want to see if you’re brave enough to admit what’s been building between us.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Harry said quickly, but his voice faltered. He could feel the tension building between them, thick and charged. The way Malfoy looked at him, the way his presence felt so close—Harry couldn’t ignore it anymore. It was undeniable.
Malfoy’s lips curled into a smirk, and with a single step, he closed the space between them. “Yes, you do.”
Before Harry could react, Malfoy reached out and cupped his face, pulling him in for a kiss—fast, intense, and like a spark igniting something inside Harry he hadn’t expected. His heart raced, and for a moment, all he could focus on was the feeling of Malfoy’s lips against his.
This wasn’t just a kiss. It was something else, something dangerous, and Harry wasn’t sure whether to pull away or lean into it.
But he didn’t pull away.
That kiss. It changed everything. Harry knew it the second their lips parted and he pulled away, his chest heaving, his mind racing.
“What the hell was that?” Harry asked, his voice shaky.
Malfoy didn’t answer immediately. His gaze was intense, almost as if he was waiting for Harry to process what had just happened.
“Did you think I didn’t know what you were feeling?” Malfoy asked softly, his voice hushed. “You’re not the only one who’s been pretending, Potter. This was never just about games.”
Harry opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. His mind was too cluttered, his thoughts too jumbled to form a coherent response.
Malfoy took a step closer, his breath warm against Harry’s skin. “This... changes things. I don’t think either of us can go back to pretending after tonight.”
Harry stood frozen, unsure of what to do, where to go from here. But one thing was certain—this was only the beginning.
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-author
ok so im not sure but for now this is it? idk if ill add more and if i dont, ik its kinda 'unresolved' but i just like ending stories on cliffhangers