Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
April 7
Draco has been standing in the seventh-floor corridors for half an hour under a disillusionment charm. And Harry is yet to show up. He has contemplated leaving him a note and heading back but something in him wants to wait.
It is not after another ten minutes that he hears footsteps. And of course, in perfect Potter style, he just takes off the cloak in the middle of the corridor and looks around for Draco.
Draco casts a privacy charm around them and then ends the disillusionment charm.
"Hello, Harry. You were supposed to be here at 6 according to everyone's time convention. Not Potter time convention."
Harry rushes towards him and gives him a chaste kiss. Draco is startled for a moment but he kissed back.
"Where were you? I was so worried."
"Worried! I was here for the last 43 minu–"
"No yesterday. I was looking for you but you weren't in the castle."
"I had gone home. Some financial statements needed my signature and ward maintenance."
"You could have told me!"
"I did. After Ancient Runes. You had Herbology."
"Oh shit, I–"
"Forgot. Like you always do."
"In my defense. I had not completed the homework and was too worried about getting caught by Sprout to pay attention."
"Again. Like always."
As soon as they entered the room, Harry jumped on the bed and said something like'finally'. Draco sighed in disapproval.
"Don't be such a spoilsport. You know you want to."
"No, Potter. I will climb on the bed as a normal person would after taking my shoes off."
Harry simply kicked his shoes off as though trying to make a point. How stupid.
Draco goes and lies down next to Harry. Harry climbs on top of Draco and starts kissing his neck. Draco's hands make their way under Harry's shirt. He pulls the other boy’s shirt off and rolls them over so that he is on top of Harry.
"Want to?"
"Yeah. I missed you." Draco won't accept it but he missed Harry too.
An hour later, they are both lying next to each other, satiated, and Harry tries to curl up by Draco's side. He won't admit even under wandpoint, but he loves it.
"Draco?"
"Hmm."
"I was thinking, maybe we should tell our friends about us. I am getting tired of trying to make excuses."
Draco laughs and says, "That goes on record as the stupidest idea you have ever had and Merlin knows it's a big list."
"What are you laughing about! I am serious."
"And you seriously can't think that it will end well."
"Why not?"
Draco sits up and looks at Harry, trying to figure out whether or not he is joking.
"What makes you think that it will end well for either of us."
"I just want to stop lying about us or pretend that this relationship does not exist."
"You may have a short memory, but others don't and we have been sworn enemies for the last 5 years. Do you think that you can just tell people that we are together now and it would just make sense?"
Harry sits up straighter.
"Why does it matter what others think? This is about us."
"Then why are we even having this conversation?"
"I just want to be able to go out with you as others go out with their boyfriends and girlfriends."
"I already told you how I feel about public gestures."
" And I am not going to go on my knees in the middle of Hogsmeade. I just want to tell our friends. Or do you just want me to be your dirty little secret is that it."
" No, it is not that. Do we have to do this right now?"
" If not now, then you will always find a way to distract me and never bring it up."
" Where is this coming from? We have a good thing here. Why do you want to ruin it?"
" I just don't want to be alone in a good thing."
Does he feel lonely with Draco, is that it? Merlin, he should have seen it coming before getting attached. Draco's jaw tightens as he spits out,
" Oh, I had no idea."
"No! It is… Don't take it like that. I just ...it...is just that I..."
" You what!"
" I...I …"
" What is it, Potter?"
"I...um... I nothing, don't worry about it. " He responded weakly. Is he saying what Draco thinks he's saying?
"Harry, what is it?" Draco asks slowly this time. He'd better not be wrong about this one.
"Harry."
"Draco,"
"I love you." Harry looks at him, eyes wide in surprise. Fuck, he was wrong. Fuck. Fuck.
"Look I know it's too soon and you may proba–"
"I love you too."
"Harry.."
"I love you. God, I wanted to tell you for weeks, month even I just didn't think you'd feel the same way and–"
"Shut up and kiss me."
It was a tender but chaste kiss, unlike anything they had shared before, and Draco didn't know he could ever have these kinds of feelings for anyone, much less Potter.
Draco lies back down after they break the kiss and Harry lies down next to him and says, "So this was our first big fight as a couple."
" Hmmm, I am not opposed to how it ended."
" But still Draco, I meant it and–"
" This again."
" Just hear it out."
" Fine, who is it that you wanted to tell anyway."
"Just Ron Hermione and Sirius, my godfather."
" And you would probably want me to tell my friends and family."
" Yes and, oh wait your mother will probably not take it too kindly that you are with me, considering your father is in prison because of me and I am a half-blood."
" No, she's got nothing against half-bloods and she didn't like father, but it is not that. It was one thing that she took a while to accept that I am gay but bringing a boyfriend home is another thing entirely."
"I understand if you don't want to tell her yet. "
" You know when I first came out, mother yelled at me and we had an ugly fight. I left home and went to France. My ex, he was kicked out of home for being bi and when I came back, I was mentally prepared for something similar. But when I came back, she was worried sick and hadn't gone to the Aurors only because the elves saw me leave. She even canceled my betrothal. I don't know how she will take it but she definitely won't be happy about it if I tell others and not her. "
" I understand. My godfather was disowned by his family and you are related to him so even he might react badly. Look I get it, it won't be easy but can't be impossible. I mean until last year, the two of us having a conversation and neither of getting injured was just as impossible. Ron and Hermione realizing that they liked each other was just as impossible. Maybe it will end well."
" Did anybody ever tell you the difference between optimism and toxic positivity? "
" I understand your logic but I am very serious about us and I want to do this."
" There is one other thing though."
" Pray tell what is on Draco's mind? Oh let me guess, another reason for why this is a bad idea."
" You know whenever I have to convince my mother of something I go tell my godfather first and he will have my back and vice versa. They're the only people who can convince each other of something."
" Well if you want to tell him first then we can."
" You don't even know who he is."
" I have a feeling that you are going to tell me."
" Yes, your favorite professor, Snape."
" Oh my god, you are really going to make that kind of joke to talk me out of–"
" I am not joking. Merlin, Potter why would I joke about that. He is my godfather. He and mother have been friends since he was in third year and she was in fourth. For Merlin's sake, they were even classmates in uni because Severus is the kind of person who refuses to take a gap year."
"He hates me. "
" More than I used to hate you. "
"We can do this, right?"
" I don't know."
" Draco, I love you. And I want to be open about it."
Draco puts his arms around Harry and pulls him closer.
"Why are you being so stubborn about this, Weasley and Malfoy families have hated each other for centuries. Sev has a long-held grudge against your godfather, whereas your godfather who is presumably related to me hates his family. And I can assure you that Blaise and Theo will kill you, that is if Pansy does not get to you first. My friends and I, have hidden many things from each other but we have always hated it and I get where you are coming from but I honestly don't see this ending well."
"Do you even want to stay with me, long-term?"
"Harry, you know I do." His voice sounded way too soft for his own ears.
"Then why are.., look in the long-term, we will inevitably have to tell people so why not do it now? How about if this goes wrong then you get to say I told you so."
Draco lets out a small chuckle and says, "Fine, I concede. Let's do it. But friends on Friday and I am telling Severus on Saturday."
"Saturday is Hogsmeade weekend, so we can all meet up there you know so that our friends can also become... um.. acquaintances."
"Don't push it too far."
"Come on, how about I tell Mione and Ron they are only meeting you and you do the same."
"Someone has learnt new tricks, huh, well, I don't see the three of them willingly meet Weasel and Granger so, this will have to work. But right now, we better return. I need a good night's sleep." Just when he saw Harry open his mouth about something, he said, "And I am not hearing anything about staying the night. It is a weekday."
Harry pouts and gets up. Draco thinks his boyfriend has the cutest pout ever.