Chapter 4
He stared at the man sitting next to him, he was tall and slender. His hair messy and unruly, the waves in their hair evident. Harry watched as he opened his mouth to speak, he couldn’t hear anything. His earphones blaring rock music, covering any sounds the man made.
He watched as the other man raised a brow, tilting his head in confusion.
Harry paused before quickly pulling his hood down and pulling out his earbuds. The other man’s cheeks turned a light pink color, he turned away from harry, a hand covering his face.
“What are you doing here?” Harry asked the man.
“I wanted to see you.”
“Where have you been… Draco?”
Draco smiled softly, “I had to go home, there were some things to deal with.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now Potter.” Draco’s voice dropped, his usual sharpness replaced by a vulnerability Harry didn’t expect. “I just needed space. Things... aren’t as simple as they seem.”
Harry furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of Draco’s words. He hadn’t seen him for days, and now Draco was sitting here, next to him, speaking like they were old friends. Harry wanted to demand answers, to know why Draco had been avoiding him, but something in Draco’s eyes held him back. It was as though he was asking for patience—something Harry wasn’t sure he had left to give.
“Space for what?” Harry asked, trying to keep his voice steady, but it came out sharper than he intended. “You’re acting like nothing has happened between us, like we we’re not—”
Flirting, or acting like we were dating… Harry thought.
“Harry,” Draco interrupted, his voice soft but firm. “Please, just... let me explain. Not here, not now. But soon, okay?”
Harry opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself. Draco’s eyes were pleading, and Harry’s heart skipped a beat. The more he tried to ignore it, the more he couldn’t. There was something about Draco that pulled at him, something that made him want to understand him, to see behind the mask.
“I don’t know if I can keep waiting, Draco,” Harry said, his voice barely above a whisper. He could feel the frustration bubbling inside him. “You keep disappearing, and I— I don’t know what to make of any of this. What’s going on between us?”
Draco exhaled slowly, his hand gripping the edge of the bench as if he were bracing himself for something. “I don’t know how to explain it,” he admitted, looking down at his hands. “But I can’t just walk away, Potter. Not from you.”
Harry’s heart skipped a beat at those words. He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or even more confused. “What do you mean?” he whispered, barely able to hold back the flood of emotions rising in him.
Draco finally looked up at him, and for a moment, Harry swore he saw something flicker in his silver eyes—something raw, something real.
“I mean,” Draco started, his voice trembling slightly, “that I... care about you. More than I ever thought I would.”
The words hung in the air between them, as if neither of them quite knew how to react. Harry’s pulse raced, his mind a whirlwind of questions and doubts. But for the first time in days, he didn’t feel alone. Draco was here, beside him, and maybe—just maybe—there was something more to this complicated mess than he had realized.
“I—” Harry began, but before he could say anything else, Draco leaned forward, his face inches from his own. Time seemed to slow as Harry’s breath hitched, his eyes locked with Draco’s. The world around them disappeared, leaving only the two of them in that quiet, tense moment. The only sound was the beats on his earphones that dangled on his hoodie.
And then Draco’s lips were on his.
It was soft at first, hesitant, as though Draco was testing the waters, unsure if Harry would pull away. But Harry didn’t. He couldn’t. Instead, he leaned in, his hands finding Draco’s, feeling the warmth of him, the truth of everything they had left unsaid.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless and wide-eyed, Harry didn’t know what to say. What could he say? His mind was still reeling from the kiss, from the feelings that had come rushing to the surface.
Draco smiled softly, his eyes never leaving Harry’s. “I guess that’s one way to stop you from talking.”
Harry laughed, breathless and a little shaky, but he couldn’t help it. He felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off his chest. Maybe this wasn’t as confusing as he thought.
“Well,” Harry said, his voice still a little raw, “you definitely got my attention.”
Draco chuckled, his fingers brushing lightly against Harry’s. “Good,” he said softly. “Because this... this is just the beginning.”