The Proposal

The next few days were a whirlwind of chaos.

After the disastrous family gathering at Malfoy Manor, Harry had expected some sort of resolution, some explanation for what had happened. Instead, he found himself locked in an emotional limbo, unable to even look Draco in the eye without feeling the sting of everything they'd lied about. The façade they'd so carefully built was crumbling, and there was nothing they could do to fix it. Not now, not after the whole world seemed to know.

And yet, despite the devastation, neither of them could quite let go of the twisted, complex relationship they'd been building.

Draco had barely spoken to him in the days following their lie being exposed. Whenever they crossed paths, it was like the air between them crackled with unsaid words, accusations, and the raw emotions neither of them knew how to process. It was getting harder and harder to pretend it didn't matter.

Today was no different. Harry had been summoned to Malfoy Manor once again, though he didn't know why. Draco hadn't even bothered to warn him about what was coming. All he knew was that he was about to have yet another conversation that would make him question every decision he'd made over the past several months.

When he stepped into the foyer, he was immediately greeted by the cold, sharp eyes of Lucius Malfoy, who was standing near the fireplace with his arms crossed. His presence alone was enough to make Harry feel small, as if he were under scrutiny for every breath he took.

"Potter," Lucius said, his voice as calm as always, though there was an edge of something colder beneath it. "Draco is waiting for you in the study."

Harry nodded stiffly, trying to quell the anxiety rising in his chest. He didn't know what to expect—did Draco want to continue with the farce? Or was this the final straw, the moment everything fell apart for good?

The study was quiet when Harry entered, the heavy curtains drawn, blocking out most of the light. Draco was sitting behind the desk, his back to the door, staring at the fireplace. His posture was tense, rigid even, like a tightly wound spring just waiting to snap.

"Draco," Harry said, his voice strained despite his attempts to keep it neutral.

Draco didn't acknowledge him immediately. He stayed there for a long, uncomfortable moment, as though processing his thoughts. Finally, he spoke, his voice low but filled with unmistakable anger.

"How could you let that happen?" Draco's words were sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife. "How could you just—just—reveal everything like that? You think this is funny? That the whole world knowing about our lie is some kind of joke?"

Harry's heart hammered in his chest, his temper flaring. "I didn't think it was funny, Draco! I just—" He threw his hands up in exasperation, not sure what to say anymore. "I didn't want to keep pretending. We're both drowning in this mess, and you're acting like I'm the only one to blame!"

Draco's head whipped around, his eyes burning with fury. "You were the one who decided to play the bloody hero, Potter! You were the one who thought this whole thing was a great idea! So, don't start blaming me for your idiotic decisions!"

Harry's breath hitched, his frustration mounting. He couldn't keep doing this. Not like this. "Oh, so it's all my fault now? I'm the idiot, Draco? Funny, because the last time I checked, you were the one who suggested this stupid engagement in the first place!"

"You're unbelievable," Draco spat, standing up from his chair in one fluid motion. "You think you can just walk away from this and leave me holding the bag, don't you? You think you can tell the truth and everything will magically be fine?"

Harry stood his ground, his fists clenched at his sides. "I'm not the one who's been pretending to be in love with you this entire time," he snapped, voice rising with every word. "You're the one who—" But Harry couldn't finish the sentence. He was too angry, too upset by everything that had happened.

Draco took a step forward, his eyes flashing with fury. "Don't act like you weren't in on it too, Potter. You think I'm the only one who's been pretending? You were playing your part just as much as I was. And now, look where we are. Everything's falling apart, and you—"

"I'm falling apart!" Harry shouted, his voice breaking with emotion. He was so tired. So tired of lying, of pretending. "I can't keep doing this, Draco. I can't keep pretending that this—this thing between us—doesn't matter."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Draco stood there, frozen, his eyes wide in shock. Harry felt like he had just revealed everything he'd been hiding, and the weight of it pressed down on him like a hundred tons. But before he could process it, Draco's lips curled into a sneer, and the mask he'd worn for so long slid back into place.

"Don't be so melodramatic, Potter. You think I want your pity?" Draco's voice was cold, dismissive. "Don't act like you care. You're just angry because this is all your fault. You always think you're the hero, don't you? You think you can fix everything, make it all better, but guess what? You can't."

Harry felt the anger flare again, burning hot and quick. He stalked up to Draco, not caring about the distance between them anymore. He was done pretending he didn't care. Done pretending that this wasn't fucking killing him.

"You don't get it, do you?" Harry hissed. "I've spent the last—" He had to stop, his chest tightening as he struggled to breathe. "I've spent the last months walking on eggshells, lying to everyone—including you—and it's wearing me down. But you—" He jabbed a finger at Draco's chest. "You think it's all just a game, don't you?"

Draco scoffed, but Harry could see the flicker of something in his eyes. Was it guilt? Was it regret? Harry didn't know anymore, and it made his head spin.

The air between them crackled with the tension of a thousand unspoken words, but before either of them could speak again, the door to the study burst open, and Lucius Malfoy appeared in the doorway.

"Enough!" Lucius's voice was like a whip, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene before him. "What is this? Are you two children or grown men? I've had enough of this charade. If you're going to ruin my son's reputation, Harry Potter, at least have the decency to do it properly."

Harry flinched, the words stinging more than he cared to admit. He opened his mouth to respond, but Lucius held up a hand.

"No, don't bother. I've heard enough." Lucius turned to Draco, his gaze as cold as ice. "I expect better from you, Draco. You've done enough to humiliate this family, and now you're dragging Potter into it. If you two want to tear each other apart, do it somewhere else."

And just like that, Lucius was gone, leaving Harry and Draco standing in the tense silence of the study. The space between them had never felt wider, but Harry knew something had shifted. They were no longer playing a game.

But the fight wasn't over—not by a long shot.