Chapter 31
While Draco slept heavily in Harry's arms, he remembered that Hermione and Ron were leaving for the Christmas break that morning. He was torn, he desperately wanted to see them before they'd gone, but he also didn't want to disturb Draco. Harry decided to gently pry himself away from the blond, against the wishes of his body. Pulling on some casual jeans and a jumper Mrs Weasley had made for him he crept quietly out of the bedroom.
He half ran half sped walked to the breakfast hall, not wanting to be gone from Draco too long. When he arrived there he spotted his two best friends sitting together.
"Hey guys I wanted to see you before you'd gone, how are you?" He said, sitting down in the seat opposite them."
"Not bad, probably not as bad as you anyway." Ron said snidely.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"You. Last night. Getting pissed out of your brain? So drunk you can't remember eh?"
"Well maybe I was a bit drunk, but it was a party so what?"
"Harry, you were dancing...with Malloy." Hermione interjected.
Harry felt his cheeks flush up with heat, of course he remembered the dancing, he'd just forgotten where he was, and who he was. It was a stark reminder that not everything was perfect.
"Well it's not like what we did was illegal, nobody died."
"But people have died Harry! Because of him! Look when you decided you wanted to be friendly to him we said nothing, maybe because we thought it was some elaborate plan to spy on him or something, but this? This is too much. God it was like you were a couple or something, it was sickening."
Harry's mouth completely dried up, he had nothing to say. He was terrified. One wrong move, one wrong sound, and the truth would come spilling out. And everyone would hate him, and Merlin knows how much worse it would be for Draco.
"I...I was really drunk, and I am sorry, I d-didn't realise it was that bad. It's just been all the stress with the extra year, and coming back after everything, I don't know, I just needed to blow off some steam."
He just needed to get out of here, out of the now staring students around him.
"Yeah well you need to control yourself a bit better next time yeah? And don't go with him, come with us instead so we can ... keep an eye on him." Ron nodded. Harry wondered how long he'd been this authoritative.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to go and uh sleep the rest of this hangover off, I'll write to you both yeah? Have a good Christmas, I'll see you when you're back." He lied, practically sprinting away and out of the door, he didn't stop till he reached his room.
Carefully, so that he didn't wake Draco, Harry crept back into the room. He needn't have bothered, as Draco was stood, wide awake staring out of the window.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, I just wanted to say goodbye to Ron and Hermione."
"It's okay, I wouldn't have slept for long anyway."
His eyes were still trained on the world outside, not at Harry. Draco looked almost sad, perhaps not sad, but tired, and not because he hadn't slept.
"Are you alright? You look as though you have something on your mind."
Part of him didn't really want to ask, too afraid of what the answer would be. But he knew he had to, he'd only feel guilty and drive himself mad if he didn't find out what Draco was thinking anyway.
"What are we doing Harry? What is this? I know we were both drunk last night, but I need to know what you want."
"I...I want you."
Draco's slender figure turned, slivery eyes searching for a hint of a lie.
"I promise, I want you Draco. You make me feel like me again, I can be myself when I'm with you."
He crossed the room towards the other boy and took hold of both his hands in his own.
"I want us to be together, you don't have to decide right away I know it's a lot."
Draco closed his eyes and let his head fall back, still gripping on to Harry. He noticed a small smile playing on his lips.
"Draco say something please, use your words!" Harry laughed.
"Yes Harry that's what I want too, it's all I want, but it's not going to be easy. People hate me as it is, they'll hate me even more when they realise that I've stolen their perfect Potter and turned him over to the dark side."
"You haven't turned me, you've saved me."
"Oh god Potter please stop being so ridiculously cheesy." He huffed, despite the cute blush settling on his cheeks and neck.
"And anyway I wasn't going to make it public knowledge straight away, it'll be easier to brake everyone in gently, don't you think?"
Harry didn't want Draco to be offended, but it was the only way for them to be together, safely, for the time being.
"Yes...yes I agree, it'll be fine, we'll just have to be careful."
Harry let himself believe that Draco agreed, despite the strange sinking feeling in his gut.
Brushing the sensation away, he pulled Draco forward slightly and placed multiple soft kisses all over his face and neck, just as Draco's stomach rumbled lightly.
"Breakfast?"