Real or Fake?

The evening light was slanting through the windows, lighting the plants up with an ethereal glow. Neville gasped and rushed forward to one of the plants that had fallen over, fussing over it. 

Draco would be there in 15 minutes.

Harry distractedly watched Neville clean up the dirt that had spilled, rehearsing what he wanted to say.

It really was inconvenient that he turned to mush around the other boy, he mused, it was different to the discomfort and awkwardness he had experienced when talking to Cho or Ginny.

Neville looked up from his plant, whispered "Thanks for playing dead, he won't notice now if I leave instead of going into the storeroom," and left, calling out quietly to Harry that he was getting a new pot for the plant.

Harry was broken out of his reverie by the sound of leaves rustling. He looked around for his herbologist friend, and, not seeing him, mentally congratulated Neville for his cunning.

He had asked Neville to accompany him to this meeting because he was scared of Draco's reactions, and he wanted moral support.

Neville, clearly, thought that Harry needed to suffer alone, and had left. Harry was surprised that he would leave a plant in distress, but, upon a closer examination of the plant in question, he saw that it was in perfect health, and that the pot was undamaged.

The plant, seemingly sensing Harry's gaze on it, rustled its leaves in a way that Harry could only describe as smugly.

"You helped him, didn't you!" he said to the plant.

It nodded as best as it could without a head.

"Should've known that he would be able to convince you to play dead, we really should stop underestimating that boy," Harry said, impressed by Neville's idea.

"Do you often come to the greenhouses to talk to thin air?" a voice asked, amused, from somewhere behind Harry.

Harry jumped, but replied without turning around.

"I'll have you know that I'm not talking to thin air, that plant," he said, pointing at it, "is an excellent listener.

The plant rustled smugly again.

Draco let out a surprised sound.

"We have Witch Hazel here at Hogwarts?"

"I'm not a plant expert, ask Neville."

"Right. Speaking of Neville, he said you wanted to talk to me about something?" Draco asked, not-so-subtly changing the topic.

"Do we have to? I was rather enjoying discussing random plants I've never seen before."

"Well, I guess we could, if you really want. For example, did you know that that tendril of Baolach Teannóg slowly creeping up behind you has teeth and is venomous?"

Harry yelped, jerked away from the plant and tripped on air, landing in Draco’s arms, causing him to squawk again.

“You’re-You’re closer than I thought,” Harry managed to stutter out. Draco’s arms were tight around him to keep him from falling over, and Harry was definitely over analyzing every aspect of his life that had led to that moment.

“I’ve learned over the years that you’re clumsy as fuck, and that it’s probably a good idea to have someone stand within reach so that you don’t go flying,” Draco replied with a smile that Harry only heard as he was concentrating on stabilizing both his thoughts and his his body.

Finally managing to stand without Draco supporting him, Harry wheeled around to face him.

The effect was slightly ruined by his cloak nearly tripping him up again, although he managed to stay upright this time.

“I’m not clumsy!”

“Says the boy who just managed to trip twice in just as many minutes,” Draco teased.

Harry felt his face redden, but didn’t answer. The air was surprisingly colder without Draco’s arms around him.

"Right, well now maybe you've learned your lesson about letting your guard down in a magic greenhouse?"

Harry scowled at Draco, whose eyes widened and he brandished his wand past Harry.

"Stupefy!"

Gingerly turning around, Harry saw yet another plant that had been reaching for him before the other man saved him. Again. Were these plants even legal?? …Harry wasn't really the right person to judge that though, having broken into the MOM a year earlier…

"I forgot you never learn your lesson," Draco stated mildly.

"What are you talking about??"

"You stayed at Hogwarts despite having been put into danger every year, you–" Draco was cut off by Harry.

"Look, not all of us have chateaux we can hide out in. Hogwarts, in terms of danger, was probably safer than the Dursley's. At least here I have friends," Harry said angrily.

Draco looked shocked, and put his hands up in surrender.

"What did they do to you to make you feel safer in a literal death machine??"

"Hogwarts isn't a death machine?"

Draco stared at Harry.

"Not a death machi– 1rst year, troll, the Dark Lord in the back of a teacher's head. 2nd year, basilisk in the walls, the Dark Lord's soul. 3rd year, murderous hippogriff, mass murderer on the loose after you, 4th–"

"Buckbeak wouldn't have attacked you if you had listened to Hagrid, and Sirius– Sirius was my godfather and he was trying to protect me from Wormtail," Harry corrected.

"...Wormtail?"

"Peter Pettigrew," he clarified.

Draco blinked at Harry for a couple of seconds, then shook his head as if to clear his thoughts.

"You'll have to tell me about that one sometime. Anyways, 4th year, a tournament that was canceled in the past because too many participants had died, rise of the Dark Lord. 5th year, teacher who made you carve your own handwriting into your hand, and you started a literal army to fight against her. 6th year…" Draco faltered. "6th year I was a bit busy or He would kill my parents, but you still had time to learn a spell that cut me open and I kinda let in some bad people so you were busy with that… 7th year you disappeared for a bit, then showed up for a literal battle where at least 70 people on your side died!" Draco finished.

"Sixth year I mostly just… stalked you. Oh, and I destroyed various bits of Voldy's soul."

"...Stalked me?" Draco asked, letting the issue of Voldemort's soul go forgotten.

"...My dad and his friends created a map that can track where anyone is in the castle. I tracked you because I thought you were up to no good," Harry explained.

"Your dad created a spy map you used to stalk me?? I mean, you weren't wrong, I was up to no good, but still…"

"Yeah, it does sound bad when you put it like that. And, well, I was following you around because, as I said, I thought you were doing evil things– "

"I was," Draco interjected.

"– but also because I kinda…" Harry paused, "Ikindahaveabitofacrushonyou…" he finished in one breath.

"I don't– wait, what?"

"Nothing, forget it."

"Oh, I heard perfectly well what you said, I just want you to say it again," Draco said, grinning broadly.

Harry turned away, bright red and regretting having said that.

"I-I'll be going then," he said, hurrying to the door.

"Wait!"

Harry turned back, his hand on the doorknob.

The setting sun cast a warm glow over Draco, making him look almost like an angel. He didn't have his usual smug look on his face, which might have helped with the divine appeal.

Harry gave a little start as he noticed for the first time that Draco was wearing Gryffindor quidditch robes along with his usual Slytherin tie. (Harry has the observational skills of a rock lmao). Red suits him, he thought. Everything does actually. And I bet nothing would suit him too–

"Yes?" he prompted, to try to stop picturing his opponent without robes, and because Draco seemed at a loss for words. 

For once, he thought, mentally rolling his eyes.

"I-Were you kidding when you said you had a crush on me? You had been flirting with me since September, until I froze you out."

"I started flirting on a whim, and over the course of the banter I realized I had fallen for you."

"So you just wanted someone to banter with," Draco summarized sadly.

"What, no! Flirting with you helped me realize that I had fallen for you at least by 6th year, maybe before."

"O-oh."

The two looked awkwardly around the room.

"Um, for the record, I have had a crush on you since… I realized it in 4th year, but it was probably way before that," Draco said suddenly, "You were the first person I'd met who didn't want to associate with me, and I kind of respected you for that."

"You've had a crush on me since 1rst year?? Godric, you suck at showing it," Harry said, trying to hide his euphoria.

"Yeah, well, I… I was trying to get your attention!"

"By casting Crucio on me??"

"I had a hard year, ok?"

"Your love language is torturing the person you like??"

"Whatever, I still have the advantage: I have been in love with you since 1rst year, whereas you only started having feelings for me 3, 4 years ago," Draco argued.

"It's not a contest!" Harry said, shoving the blond playfully.

Draco shoved him back, and the two boys started play-wrestling.

Draco managed to catch Harry in his arms, at which the latter froze, then relaxed into his embrace.

"I want to kiss you so badly," Draco murmured into Harry's ear.

Harry twisted around in the other boy's hug to face him. Reaching up, he pressed his lips gently onto Draco's.

"I want to kiss you too," he said, albeit a bit belatedly.

They met in another kiss, Harry threading a hand through Draco's hair and putting the other on his back and Draco moving his hands up towards Harry's neck and hair.

Pulling apart to breathe, the two lovebirds smiled at each other, before going in for another kiss or two. Or 40.

Outside, if they had been paying more attention, they would have seen Neville softly cheering as he watched through a plant he had put a spying spell on.

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