Chapter 5
Harry was in the Great Hall for breakfast when Draco came waltzing up to the Gryffindor table. Everyone went silent, including Harry who was pinned to his seat, frozen, with Malfoy’s gaze on him. Harry heard Ron begin to choke on some of the food he was eating. Hermione made a small noise of question. Draco didn’t look anywhere else, seemingly taking his time as he made his way to Harry.
“Potter.”
Harry blinked, turning his body towards Malfoy,
“What’s up, Malfoy?”
He tried to be casual, but he could feel his face getting hotter with the gazes of the entire Gryffindor table on him.
“Let’s meet up on the grounds for our session today instead of the classroom. It’s getting a bit boring there.”
“Yeah, okay. Same tree as last time?”
Draco finally spared a glance to some of the people around them, before his eyes returned to Harry’s, a small smirk now on his face.
“I’ll see you there. Don’t be late.”
Draco said before turning to walk away.
“You know I won’t be. I promised.”
Harry let himself smile, and what he couldn’t see was that Draco was smiling too, walking himself back to the Slytherin table.
It took Harry a second to come back to himself, turning back towards his plate. After a few seconds he realized he could still feel a bunch of eyes on him. He looked up to see Ron gaping at him with an open mouth, Hermione’s wide eyes staring at him with a confused look on her face, and different variations of shock on everyone else’s faces.
“So it’s true then, Harry? You and Malfoy are best mates now?”
Dean Thomas piped up, a big teasing grin on his face.
“Oh shove off Dean. He’s just tutoring me so Snape doesn’t fail us.”
“That’s not what it looks like to me. You got all heart eyes when he came over. ‘Oh Malfoy! I promised! Let’s go make out under our tree!’ You were practically drooling all over your robes!”
Dean’s teasing made Harry’s heart beat faster. Was he really being that obvious? Do people know? He frowned at Dean, opening his mouth to respond but Ron beat him to it.
“Oi, leave Harry alone. All this staring and talking about Malfoy is making me sick.”
The people who were still listening in laughed at Ron before turning back to their own conversations. Harry turned back to his own plate of food, trying to listen to what Ron and Hermione were talking to him about but he couldn’t pay attention. His gaze kept wandering over to the Slytherin table, occasionally catching Malfoy’s gaze.
He wasn’t sure if he should be embarrassed by how often Malfoy was catching him staring but at the same time he couldn’t bother to care that much. Malfoy was nice to look at. Especially when he kept making confused faces back at him, his eyebrows scrunching and his lips turning downwards into a frown. Harry especially liked the reaction he got when he smiled at Malfoy. His eyebrows would raise and it seemed like he couldn’t help but to smile back, a timid quirk of lips directed towards Harry.
Harry noticed that Malfoy didn’t touch his plate of food.
Eventually, Harry managed to get caught up in a conversation about Quidditch with Ron, which led them all the way to their first class of the day from the Great Hall.
The day went similar to how it usually does except for Malfoy was excessively present everywhere Harry went. Of course, he’s been here the whole time, but now Harry was hyper-aware of his presence.
When Harry got harassed by Snape during potions, whenever he got the answer right, instead of being ignored, he got a small smile and a nod of approval from Malfoy. Harry didn’t think his life could get any better than it was when Malfoy had made eye contact with him and gave him that look. A proud look. Directed at Harry. Malfoy was proud of him.
Nothing else eventful happened during Potions, but Harry was still riding his Malfoy high as class ended and as he walked down the halls.
Harry went to the kitchens instead of the Great Hall for lunch today, taking something with him out to the grounds. He headed straight for his favorite tree and stopped when he saw Malfoy was already there, laying down on his robes, his eyes closed and hair fanning out against his dark robe on the ground.
Harry took a second to stare at him, he looked at the way Malfoy’s hands were laying on top of each other on top of his stomach, the way his legs were loosely crossed at his ankles, the way his eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks. Harry also noticed that Draco had already brought the potions stuff out to their spot.
Harry snorted softly in amusement which startled Draco, who shot up where he was laying down and looked at Harry with wide eyes. Once he realized who it was he rolled his eyes, huffing before laying back down on the ground.
“Getting in your beauty rest there, Malfoy?”
Malfoy didn’t grace him with a response, just opened one of his eyes to scowl at Harry before shutting it again.
Harry laughed at him before moving to sit next to him, careful not to sit on his robes. He pulled out his House Elf packed lunch and began eating it.
“Didn’t eat lunch in the Hall?”
Harry turned his head towards Malfoy who was now propped up on his elbows, head turned slightly to the side as he nodded towards Harry’s sandwich.
“Oh, uh no. Went to the kitchens. House Elves gave me a sandwich.”
Draco scoffed,
“Figures that the boy who lived would get his lunches straight from the kitchen.”
“I’ll show you where it is sometime. Maybe then you’ll eat more.”
There was a beat of silence before Draco responded in a cold voice.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Draco asked, his face suddenly blank and cold as he looked at Harry.
“What? Nothing! I just noticed you don’t seem to eat a lot when we’re in the Great Hall, and sometimes you don’t show up at all.”
Harry clumsily tried to explain his comment, panicking at the thought of Malfoy being angry with him about saying something stupid. Malfoy seemed to get a bit nervous at Harry’s explanation.
“Didn’t know you paid that much attention to me, Potter.”
Draco said, causing Harry’s face to burn.
“I just notice things, is all.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you notice all kinds of things, Potter.”
Draco teased, his voice now losing all of the coldness it had before.
Harry shook his head, looking down at the uneaten half of his sandwich. He looked up at Malfoy before holding it out to him,
“Here. I know you didn’t go to the Hall, and I’m full.”
Draco looked down at the sandwich in Harry’s hand before looking back up at the other boy, studying his face for a minute before gingerly taking the sandwich out of his hand for himself.
Harry looked away then, thinking that it might be awkward if he just watched Malfoy eat.
They sat in silence for a while as Malfoy ate the other half of the sandwich before spelling away the wrapping that it was in.
“Thanks, Potter.”
“Is that gratitude I hear, Malfoy?”
“You wish. I was just being pleasant. But if you can’t do the same, I might just have to take it back.”
“I thought we were making progress, Malfoy.”
Harry turned to grin at him, receiving an eye roll in return.
“Yeah alright, Potter. There was some gratitude there.”
Harry laughed and shook his head at Malfoy’s dramatic and solemn expression as he spoke. He reached out to shove lightly at Malfoy’s shoulder which transformed the other’s expression into a matching smile.
They sat for a while and talked before Malfoy glanced at his watch, reaching over to pull the potions stuff towards them.
“Alright, Potter. Are you ready to learn?”
“Never.”
Draco huffed a laugh at that,
“It’s not that bad.”
“No, I guess it’s not. Not when you’re teaching it.”
Harry responded, reaching out to grab the parchment of instructions from Malfoy. Malfoy stared at him oddly for a moment before shaking his head and telling Harry to hurry up.
This study session felt different to Harry than their other ones did. He felt like he could be himself. He felt like he could laugh louder. Malfoy seemed like he was less buttoned up as well. Instead of keeping a neutral or snarky look on his face, he let himself relax and smile almost freely.
Harry finished brewing his potion, vialing it so he could take a closer look at it. He held it up to inspect it, grinning at his final product.
“I think I’m getting rather good at potions.”
“Yeah, it helps when you actually pay attention to what you’re supposed to be doing. Let me see.”
Draco reached out to grab the vial from Harry. Minimal hand touching occurred, much to Harry’s disappointment.
“It helps when you’re the one teaching it. You actually make sure I understand it. Your voice is also much more pleasant to listen to than Snape’s.”
Harry commented, watching as Malfoy turned the vial in his hands as he looked at it. Malfoy paused his ministrations at Harry’s words, his eyes snapping up to look into Harry’s. Draco didn’t say anything as he looked between Harry’s eyes. Harry didn’t say anything either, just let himself be looked at. He looked at Malfoy right back.
After a few seconds, Malfoy scoffed and shook his head.
“You’re definitely into compliment territory, Potter.”
“Yeah, it was supposed to be.”
Harry shrugged as Malfoy gave him a questioning look.
Malfoy held the vial out for Harry to take. Harry reached out and took the vial from Malfoy’s extended hand. He let his fingers brush the inside of Malfoy’s wrist before he pulled his hand away, shoving the vial into his bag.
It was silent for a few moments before Harry spoke up again, nerves swirling around in his stomach.
“If I keep doing well, are you gonna stop tutoring me?”
Malfoy didn’t look at him as he thought about his answer.
“Well there would be no point in tutoring you if you already know how to do something, Potter. Plus, Snape said we only had to do this until you had a decent grade.”
Harry felt his stomach drop at Malfoy’s words. He swallowed, his eyes tracing Malfoy’s for a hint of something. Harry didn’t say anything, just looked away and waited.
“I think you’ve got a ways to go before you’re caught up, though. Don’t get too excited about not having to spend time with me.”
Harry’s eyes snapped back towards Malfoy, who was now standing up and shaking his robe off, much like the last time they were out here. He packed up the potions equipment with a swish of his wand.
Harry gathered his things and stood up as well, watching until Malfoy was finished packing before speaking up.
“Let’s be friends, Malfoy.”
Malfoy’s hands stopped where they were fixing his robe, his eyes on Harry once again, the lines of his body tense. Harry thought he looked scared.
Harry held out his hand, offering up the handshake that he denied Malfoy of all those years ago. The nostalgia and significance of this moment was hitting Harry like a train right now, the nerves swirling around in his stomach and his throat tightening with emotions.
Malfoy stared blankly down at Harry’s outstretched hand for a few seconds before his eyes trailed back up to Harry’s. Harry felt like Malfoy was searching for something so he let everything show. He tried to tell Malfoy through his eyes, and a small reassuring smile that he was being genuine. After a few more seconds it seemed like Malfoy made up his mind.
The heaviness of the moment only grew as Harry watched Malfoy lift his own hand, placing it in Harry’s before giving it a squeeze and a shake, smiles now on both of their faces.
“Friends.”
Malfoy said, dropping his hand back to his side.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then, Draco.”
“See you tomorrow, Potter.”