Chapter 6
Harry woke up that morning in a great mood. He woke up as the sun was just filtering through the window next to his bed, turning his face towards it, a smile on his face already. He reached over and grabbed his glasses from his side table, sliding them onto his face before getting up and out of bed to get ready for the day.
The longer Harry was up, the more his nervousness seemed to intertwine with his giddiness. Malfoy had said they were friends and that he would see him today. Of course Harry saw him every day, but today was different. There were different expectations now. He stared at himself in the mirror for a while, trying to tame his hair to no avail before giving up.
He headed back to the room where Ron was still sleeping, to no one’s surprise. Harry walked over and shook him,
“Come on Ron, get up.”
Ron snuffled in his sleep, rolling over to bat at Harry, half-asleep.
“Let me sleep.”
“You can sleep later, mate. C’mon, I’m starving.” Harry reached down to shake Ron’s shoulder again. This earned him a huff and a groan in response as Ron woke up fully, pushing his blankets off of himself.
“No one in this tower can sleep until a decent time. What time is it anyways?”
“No clue. I’m just hungry.”
Ron sat up and looked over at the window, squinting at the light filtering in.
“Mate, the sun is barely up. Why in the hell are you up and excited already?” He reached up to rub at his eyes and scratch his head, yawning as he did so. Harry just shrugged.
“I already told you. I was-”
“Hungry. Yeah. I caught that. Whatever, I’ll get ready, you loon.”
Harry grinned at Ron gratefully, moving back to his bed to gather his books and shove them unceremoniously into his bag. He pretended not to hear some of the choice words Ron was saying about him and waking up early, but soon enough they were out the door and headed to The Great Hall, Hermione in tow.
“Honestly boys, I’m proud of you for being up at a decent time.” Hermione said, a smile on her face as they were walking, reaching over to loop her arm with Ron’s.
“Harry was the one that woke me up at the ass crack of dawn. It was not by choice, ‘Mione.” Ron complained.
“Well one of you has got to be responsible sometimes, hm?” Hermione countered. Ron just sighed.
They all sat at their usual spots for breakfast. Harry wasn’t lying about being hungry but he was really just anxious to get to the hall before Malfoy, so he could see him come in, if he came at all. If he didn’t come, well then Harry would know to grab something for Malfoy as well.
“Quidditch is starting up soon.” Ron reminded Harry, leaning over to shove at his shoulder with his own, a grin on his face.
“You trying out this year, mate?” Harry asked, smiling and shoving back at Ron.
Ron shrugged, seeming to sober up a bit at the question.
“I honestly don’t know if I’ll make the team even if the entire team was injured.” Ron said glumly.
Harry shook his head at that.
“No, c’mon Ron. We’ve practiced! I promise you’re not as bad as you think you are, and practicing with the team would help you out even more. I think you should go for it, honestly. It’d be awesome if we were both on the team.”
“I’ll think about it, mate. It would be pretty awesome though.” Ron and Harry shared grins again at that, turning back to their plates when Hermione reminded them about the Transfiguration paper they had due by the end of the week.
“Aw, come on ‘Mione. It’s only Tuesday!” Ron complained, mouth half full as he protested.
“Well I’ve already finished my essay, Ronald. Honestly, you’ve got to start caring more and not putting things off until the last second. It won’t work out for you well in the future. Especially if you two are still set on being Aurors.”
Both Harry and Ron turned to look at eachother, sharing glances before conceding with Hermione’s point just to appease her.
After a while, Harry started to become antsy with no sign of Draco entering the hall. He kept glancing at the entrance, waiting for him to come walking in dramatically, his entourage in tow. After the tenth time glancing at the doorway, Ron asked,
“Waiting for someone, mate?” He teased. Harry shoved at his shoulder.
“No. Shove off.” Harry said, ducking his chin and picking at his food.
“Well Malfoy just walked in. Not that you were waiting for him or anything.” Ron commented, an amused smile on his face as Harry whipped his head up so he could see the entrance and sure enough. There was Malfoy walking in, robes moving and billowing as he walked gracefully into the hall.
Harry stared as Malfoy made his way to the Slytherin table, leaving his glance towards Harry until the last second. As soon as their eyes met, Harry promptly choked on the bit of muffin that he had been eating. He began coughing, Ron laughing beside him as he slapped him on the back, not that it was helping any. Malfoy seemed amused as well, quirking an eyebrow up and smiling as he sat down.
“Man, I don’t think you could’ve been any more smooth than that!” Ron laughed.
Harry got over his fit, his face blazing with heat as he promptly stood up.
“I’ll see you lot in class.” Harry said quickly, grabbing his bag and heading for the door.
Harry had thought he had mentally prepared himself enough to at least act a little bit normal when Malfoy looked at him, but clearly he was wrong. He ran his hand down his face as he tried to push down the embarrassment, walking himself out to the quidditch pitch. He had a little while before classes began, he thought as he plopped himself down at the edge of the pitch in the grass.
He didn’t know how long he sat out there, but clearly long enough for someone to come looking for him. He heard someone approaching, assuming it was Ron coming to get him. Instead, Malfoy sat himself down right next to Harry in the grass, not even bothering to lay his robes down first.
Harry thought he might combust into flames right then and there, snapping his head away from Malfoy to stare at the goal posts.
“Quit an exit you made there, Potter.”
“I didn’t make an exit. I just walked out.” Harry said, shrugging.
“Yes, after loudly announcing that you would see your friends later. I might add that your walk was more of a run.” Malfoy said, amusement laced in his tone.
Harry shook his head,
“They were just being annoying.”
Malfoy didn’t say anything in response for a minute.
“Would you like to be alone?” He asked tentatively.
“Yes-” Harry started, Malfoy went to pull himself up, but Harry shot his hand out to grab Malfoy arm,
“No- I- I want to be alone, but I can be alone with you here.” Harry tried to explain but ended up making no sense in the process, seeing as the way Malfoy was looking at him.
“Vacation from your friends, then? Time for me to repay the favor I guess.” Malfoy said, situating himself back down where he was previously. Harry pulled his arm back from where he was holding onto Malfoy, face going red again. God, he couldn’t catch a break today, clearly.
“It’s not repayment, Draco. I would like you to stay, that’s all.” Harry said honestly.
“Still on with the first name thing then, huh?”
“Well yeah. Friends don’t typically call each other by their last names.”
“Slytherins do.”
“You guys aren’t normal in any sense of the word.” Harry said, laughing a bit.
“Like you’ve got any room to talk, Potter.” Malfoy countered, knocking his shoulder into Harry’s.
“I’ll get you to call me by my name.”
“Is that supposed to be a challenge?”
“No, it’s a promise. And you know I always keep those.” Harry said, turning to grin at Malfoy who shook his head in amusement.
“You’re horrible.”
“And yet, you’re still here.” Harry said, his smile softening a bit, watching as Malfoy’s look softened as well.
“And yet.”
They sat on the pitch for a while before Malfoy deemed it time to get to class.
“Come on, Potter. Class time.”
“Do we have to?” Harry asked, looking up pleadingly at Malfoy, who was now standing.
“Yes, now come on.” Draco said. Harry just sighed. After a second he held his hand out for Malfoy to help him up. Malfoy stared at his outstretched hand for a second before grabbing it and helping Harry up.
“I’ll race you.” Harry said, but it came out as more of a question.
“We are not children, Potter.” Malfoy said, barely hiding his amusement at Harry’s suggestion.
“Loser has to do the other’s transfiguration homework.” Harry challenged. Draco’s eyebrows raised,
“If you need help with your essay, Potter, all you have to do is ask.”
Harry huffed, giving up on his race idea.
“I don’t need help, I just don’t want to do it.” He said as they began walking side by side off the pitch.
“I could still help if you wanted.”
Harry looked over at Malfoy, an eyebrow raised,
“Offering to help me for nothing in return? That’s not the Draco I know.” Harry teased slightly. Malfoy breathed sharply out of his nose in lieu of a laugh.
“Nothing but quality time from the Chosen One. Isn’t that what everyone else wants?”
Harry shook his head at that,
“Not quality time, no. Just autographs mostly. Or answers to their questions. An opening to slip me a love potion, sometimes, but not quality time.”
“What makes you think I’m not trying to do those things as well?” Malfoy joked.
Harry laughed, looking over at Malfoy.
“I supposed it’d be better if it was you doing those things, I’ll be honest. I might even still count those as quality time coming from you.” Harry teased right back.
“Here we are again, Potter. Keep talking like that and people might think you’re flirting.”
“Is that not what people will think you’re doing as well?”
“Fair point, Potter.” Malfoy conceded, adjusting his bag on his shoulder as they entered the castle once again.
“Quidditch starts up soon.”
“I am aware of that.”
“Wanna play some seeker on seeker sometime?” Harry blurted out as soon as the thought crossed his mind. He could feel his ears getting hot again as Malfoy stopped walking to look at him strangely. When Malfoy didn’t say anything, Harry added,
“We’re friends, Draco. Friends do things like that together.”
Malfoy seemed to consider this before nodding shortly,
“Fine. I don’t see why not.”
Harry smiled at him,
“Brilliant! How about tonight? Same time as when we went to the astronomy tower?”
“Sneaking out again, Potter? Who knew the Boy Who Lived was such a rebel.”
“There’s lots of things you don’t know about me, Draco.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry asked,
“I’ll see you for our session, Potter.” Malfoy just shrugged it off and walked into the classroom, leaving Harry standing in the doorway contemplating his entire existence.
After a few seconds, Harry walked in as well and went to take his seat next to Ron and Hermione. When he seen Ron turn to talk to him with a teasing glint in his eye, he held up his hand,
“Don’t say a word.”
Ron held up his hands and laughed, shaking his head.
“You’re absolutely hopeless, mate.”
Classes dragged on as much as they usually did. Harry was bored out of his mind the entire time, but at least while he was tuning out everything he could watch Malfoy as he took notes. That’s how Harry spent the majority of his classes that he shared with Malfoy. Watching him glance up, eyes focused on what the professor was saying before looking back down at his parchment and writing smoothly with his quill. In his classes that he didn’t have with Malfoy, well… He just daydreamed about him.
By the time it came for him and Malfoy to meet for their study session, Harry was in the kitchens, grabbing something for himself and Malfoy just in case he also didn’t go to the hall when he realized that they hadn’t said where they were going to meet today. Harry panicked slightly, not wanting to be late if he didn’t know where Malfoy was. He whipped out the Marauder’s Map, whispering that he was up to no good, before quickly scanning it to find Malfoy’s name.
Harry nearly laughed when he saw Malfoy’s name, seeing that he was at the Quidditch pitch. Of course he had gone there. Harry quickly thanked the house elves before taking off to the pitch, snacks secured in his bag.
Once Harry arrived at the pitch, he saw that Malfoy had not brought any of the normal potions equipment. Confusedly, Harry approached the other boy, taking his spot next to him.
Before Harry could ask, Malfoy spoke,
“Glad you found me, I thought I was gonna have to go looking for you. No potions today, Potter. We’re vacationing.”
Harry let out a laugh at that,
“What? Why?”
“Because I feel like we need a break. So we are just going to sit here for an hour or so. This is something that friends do, is it not?”
“Well, I guess. But you don’t usually call it vacationing. It’s just hanging out.” Harry said, laughing again.
“Well then we are going to hang out, Potter.”
“That’s fine by me. Any excuse to get out of Potions is good for me.”
Harry reached into his bag and pulled out the things that the house elves had packed for him.
“Did you go to the hall?”
“Yes.”
“Did you eat while you were in the hall?”
Malfoy paused for a second before answering,
“I- No I did not.”
“Here. I went to the kitchens again. Have what you want.” Harry offered with a smile.
Malfoy reached over and snagged an apple from him, biting into it.
“You never cease to surprise me, Potter.” Draco said after he had eaten his bite. Harry turned to look over at Malfoy, swallowing his own bite of food,
“It’s Harry.” Harry said cheekily. Draco rolled his eyes in response.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to give up on that. You’ll always be Potter.”
“You don’t even want to test it out? C’mon Draco.”
Draco shook his head,
“It’s already weird enough with you calling me by my first name. And I’ve already tested it out. Those moments are not for your ears to hear, Potter.” Draco said smoothly, taking another bite of his apple.
“What moments?” Harry asked, cheeks heating at the thought of Malfoy whispering his name in the dark. Those couldn’t be the moments Draco was talking about.
“Not for your ears, Potter.” Draco said, coolly.
Harry went silent, stewing in his own embarrassment for a while and finishing his sandwich. Draco finished his apple as well, taking it upon himself to vanish his core as well as Harry’s sandwich wrapper.
“Thanks.” Harry said, smiling.
“We’re on to gratitude now, Potter.” Draco joked.
Harry huffed a laugh,
“I’m eternally grateful for you Draco Malfoy, vanisher of my rubbish.” Harry joked.
“Has a nice ring to it. You should be eternally grateful for me more often, Potter.” Draco leaned back onto his hands and turned to look at Harry.
“Oh, should I be announcing it every time?” Harry looked right back at him.
“As long as you say it like that, I wouldn’t mind.” Draco said.
Harry panicked a bit. There is no way Draco isn’t flirting with him right now. He’s definitely not that delusional.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
They were quiet again for a moment, just looking at each other. Harry couldn’t decide if it was weird or mesmerizing, the way Malfoy’s gaze pinned him to the spot. He watched as Malfoy’s eyes went from his eyes, to his scar, to his mouth, then lower yet, before coming back to his eyes.
Harry cleared his throat after a minute, turning to look away.
“Still up for quidditch tonight?”
“Scared, Potter?” Malfoy asked. Harry wasn’t sure if he was talking about quidditch or about the staring contest that occurred a few seconds ago, but he went with it and said,
“You wish.”
Draco seemed pleased with his answer, making a small noise in the back of his throat as if in approval.
“I’d never turn down a chance to beat the Chosen One, you know me. Be prepared to lose horribly, Potter.”
“You really think you’ll win?” Harry laughed before adding,
“We should wager on it.”
“Wager on it?” Draco asked, interest piqued as he looked at Harry.
“Yeah. Winner gets to ask for whatever he wants, and the other person has to do it. No exceptions.”
“That’s a dangerous wager, Potter. Sure you trust me enough to bet on that?”
“Of course.” Harry said without hesitation. Draco seemed surprised by this, but nodded regardless.
“Alright. Bets on, Potter. Be prepared to lose horribly, and then do something incredibly embarrassing.”
“It’s still funny that you think you’ll beat me.”
“I don’t think I will, I know I will.”
Harry reached over to shove at Malfoy’s shoulder, both of them laughing. He dropped his hand back down, leaning back on his hands like Malfoy was doing. He wasn’t very mindful of where he had placed his hand though, his pinkie coming into contact with Mafloy’s nearly had him jerking his hand away and falling on his back. But, he stayed put, his cheeks heating for the upteenth time that day.
Malfoy didn’t seem to mind and neither of them moved away. Harry could’ve sworn Malfoy’s pinkie moved a bit closer to his, pressing them together, but he couldn’t be sure. Not with the way his head was spinning and his heart was thumping in his chest.
They sat out on the pitch for a while longer, pinkies still pressed together, before Malfoy decided their time was up. When he went to move away he slid his fingers over Harry’s briefly, before sitting up straight.
“Well Potter, this was enlightening per usual, but I’m afraid I have to end our vacation. I have actual work to do.”
“Not a vacation, Draco.” Harry said amused.
“It’s more fun to call it a vacation.” Draco said in return, moving to stand. He held out his hand for Harry to take, so he could help him up. Harry felt his stomach swoop dangerously at the gesture before he reached his own hand out to grab Draco’s, letting himself be pulled up.
“Fine, vacation it is.” Harry conceded. Draco smiled at him, bending down to grab his robes and shake them off. He slipped them back on easily before speaking,
“I’ll see you soon, Potter. Might want to get some practice in if you want any chance of beating me.”
Harry shook his head, not bothering to hide the fond look on his face,
“Yeah alright. I’ll see you later, Draco.”
With a final flash of a smile, Draco turned and walked off the pitch, leaving Harry to contemplate all of his life decisions once again.
He seriously didn’t know if he could do this. Draco was going to eat him alive.