Real or Fake?

Eventually Neville got bored waiting for the two lovers to come out, so he went back up to the common room.

About an hour after Neville had gone up, Harry hastily broke away from yet another kiss with Draco.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked worriedly.

"Look at the sky!" Harry said, pointing up at the darkened sky they could see through the greenhouse roof.

"Oh shit, we need to get back to the castle," Draco observed, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, we should or Hermione's going to get after me to get enough sleep again." 

Hermione wouldn't have in fact, no one would say anything to either of them about where they had been, most everyone knew that Harry and Draco were together and most everyone was fed up about the two mutually pining for each other.

Exiting the greenhouse, Draco locked it by casting a quick colloportus, and they hastened back towards the castle.

"Oh, I meant to ask, but we got a bit distracted. Um, why are you wearing Gryffindor quidditch robes??" Harry asked

"...When we got distracted we had already been talking for half an hour. Did it really take you that long to notice??" he replied in shock.

"I noticed when I was about to head out, I just didn't mention it," Harry answered in a dignified tone.

"You were going to head out at what can't have been earlier than 7:30. I walked in at 6:55."

Harry tried to think back, though the recent events had muddled his thoughts slightly.

"So it took you half an hour to notice I was wearing red," Draco stated.

"I-..." 

For lack of a better answer, Harry stuck his tongue out at the blonde.

Draco eyed him suggestively.

"Much as I appreciate the offering, that is a childish reaction, Mr Potter," he teased. "Also we really need to hurry back to our dorms."

By now they were in the Great Hall. The soft light from the floating lanterns lit Draco up with a peaceful glow, and Harry noticed that his hair had gotten longer over the summer, and was now down to his chin. 

Ok so my observation skills do need work, Harry mused.

"Wait, you never answered my question," he said, pouting. 

"Apologies, your inattention to detail messed up my train of thought," Draco answered pompously. “What was the question again?”

Harry stuck his tongue out again petulantly.

"Why are you wearing Gryffindor robes?"

"Oh! That. Right. Um… I figured that given how hot you look with Gryffindor robes, it would be perfect for me and I’d become irresistible. Goodnight!”

“Goodnight?”

“... This is the door to the Gryffindor common room, which leads to your door, and it is probably at least 11pm by now. How is this a hard question?” Draco asked, confused.

To Harry’s surprise, they had indeed gotten back to the Fat Lady’s portrait. 

“When did we get here?”

Draco let out a muffled laugh and couldn’t stop the grin spreading onto his lips.

“I think you may need to upgrade your glasses,” he said, laughing.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. … Wait, where did you get the Gryffindor robes?”

“Gotta go, bye!”

Draco started backing away hastily, but Harry caught him in his arms.

"Well, if you won't answer my questions, I'm not letting you leave."

Draco looked around nervously.

"Wouldn't people start gossiping if I stay with you overnight?" he asked worriedly.

"They already thought that we were an item, when you started ignoring me, I think half the school asked me if I was ok and if we had broken up," Harry said.

"Wait what?"

"Did they not bother you?"

Draco shook his head.

"Huh. I guess having been a death eater helps with communication. Now, answer my question, will you?"

"Care to remind me what the question was?"

"Where did you get Gryffindor robes?" Harry repeated.

"Ginny," he finally answered.

Harry tried to speak but only succeeded in spluttering out an incoherent mess of  sounds.

Draco offered him a wry smile.

"You… you got… Gryffindor Quidditch robes… from Ginny…"

Draco nodded.

"Genevra Molly Weasley…lent you some robes."

"Yup," he said cheerily.

"akhskhli why?"

"I asked nicely."

Harry stared at Draco for a minute.

"You do realize I know her right?"

Draco pretended to act shocked.

"Do you? Wow, next you'll be telling me you two have dated!"

The sarcasm apparently going over Harry's head, he answered as if he regretted being the one to have to break the news to Draco.

"Actually… We kinda did… go out, in 6th year," he said apologetically.

Draco's mouth twitched into a smile.

"Yes, I did remember that. Well. I was kidding earlier."

"Why do you remember it well?"

"I have a crush on you, and I had convinced myself that you were straight."

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the Fat Lady.

"Do you two plan on spending all night right here or did you want to go in?"

"We're going in. Alabaster," Harry replied.

Her portrait begrudgingly swung open to reveal the common room.

"Harry, I can't!"

Harry, who had stepped over the threshold, turned back, confused.

"Hmm? Oh, it looks steep but it really isn't," he reassured him.

"Not the step, I can't stay over in the Gryffindor dorm!"

Harry frowned.

"Why not?"

"What if someone finds out?"

"Then blast them apart! Or I could if you don't want to," Harry suggested, in a not-worrying manner at all.

"What if my family finds out?"

"Then I'll talk to them, and if it doesn't work I'll… I’ll adopt you!"

Draco muttered something that Harry assumed he hadn't been meant to hear.

I'd rather you marry me than adopt me but whatever.

"I'm not going to pressure you to do something you don't want to, but if other people's reactions are the only thing keeping you out there, I'd prefer it if you come in. The Fat Lady doesn't like staying open too long."

Draco hesitated at the entrance a moment longer, then made up his mind and entered the enemy territory.

So. Much. Red.

Harry walked in, oblivious to Draco's wide-eyed gawking at just how red it was. The Slytherin common room did have a main theme of green, but there were other colors in there. Gryffindor, just red. And somehow none of the reds exactly matched.

Harry flopped down onto one of the armchairs, gesturing after a moment for Draco to sit down as well.

"I thought we were going to go to bed?"

"I still have questions about your robes," Harry said, in a rather commanding tone, "Sit."

Draco sat down opposite the raven-haired boy.

"Right, so 1, how did you get Ginny to agree to lending you your robes, 2, why Ginny, 3, couldn't you just have transfigured your usual robes red?"

"Why didn't I trans– because I'm an idiot who forgot that magic exists apparently."

Harry grinned at that.

"Um, since I already started answering your questions backwards, I may as well continue like that. Why Ginny? I guess I figured that you two were less close than you and Ron, and that she would be more capable of keeping a secret from you,” Draco explained.

“Why did you want it to be a secret?”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

"Oh."

"Right, now, how I got Ginny to lend me her robes…" Draco trailed off.

Harry waited a bit, then prompted him.

"Go on," he said encouragingly.

"I- It was yesterday…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~