Chapter Text
Harry pov:
You know, after defeating voldemort and being hunted for 7 years, I thought I'd atleast get one year of peace. For nothing complicated to happen in my life.
Turns out that is not the case.
You see, around a few days after we came back for 8th hear (to finish our 7th year studies), draco and pansy ,willingly, apologised to me and my friends and from there bloomed an unexpected friendship. But it was nice, on the outside draco is a cold , unbuttered guy..barely smiling.
However once you get to know him, he is deeply beautiful on the outside and inside, he cares for his friends and mother, hides his true emotions when it gets too much, his eyes twinkle when he starts laughing and the light hearted arguments with hermione about astronomy and studying.
Safe to say, somewhere along the 2 months of our friendship, I've developed a type of crush on him. Not the "oh my God he's hot" kinda one where it makes you feel like a twelve year old schoolgirl. No, mine is more of the "he's-so-beautiful-i-want-to-be-around-him-all-the-time-and-his-attention-and-notice-on-me". Maybe it's a bit obsessive, but some days I remember how I fell in love with him. Though I've kinda come to the acceptance that it will always be one sided. My friends know of my sexual orientation, I don't know if he does but he gives hints of his acknowledgement.
Like the other day, we were looking at a magazine and this guy came up and he turned to me" hey would this one be your type?" . I froze. How did he know? However a thrill rushes through my body that he doesn't care either way.
What makes my chest ache is the fact draco is probably the straightest man I have ever seen. Fucking hell, why do the hot ones always have to be hetero. But it's fine, we move on.
Maybe I will too some day.
Before I know it, a white bread roll hits me right in the forehead where my lightning scar is marked, pulling me from the void of my thoughts. Looking up, I see dracos mischievous smirk directed right towards me.
A smile adorns my face, "bitch!" I say before throwing it right back at him. Rising laughs out of us both.
"Damn harry, thought you was my friend..you hate me I get it. " turning to our friends, "the abuse is real." MY heart skips when he directs his eyes made of ice back in my direction.
"Shut the fuck up, you dramatic bitch"
He fakes an offense, lifting a hand to his chest. " Oh! That's bullying that is, and you know damn well my dramatic personality is my best trait." Before I can even blink he leans over the table putting a arm around my shoulders and taking his other head to roughly swipe in my hair, messing it up than usual.
"Hey!" I say whilst laughing more than I ever have.
"Guys! You are such children, come on lets go to the common room." Hermione says breaking us out of our little moment.
Never losing the upturns of my lips, we all get up and steadily walk back to the eighth year common room where draco promised ron a game of chess. Hermione is on Ron's side and,undoubtedly, I'm on draco's.
Once again I forget I'm in my thoughts and I feel a little shove on my shoulder, I turns around and look at draco trying to hide his smile. Starting a smirk myself, I lean up and ruffle his hair knowing how much he takes pride in his appearance.
"Harry James potter! How dare you!" Talking as if I betrayed him, contradicting his tone I just laugh. He leans towards me to return the favour before I dip and start running to the common room. "Catch me while you can!"
Without even looking back, draco breaks into a run after me. "Come back you little shit" forcing a laugh out of me. Within a few seconds we are out of hermione and Ron's sight.
Hermione pov:
Walking calmly next to my boyfriend, holding his hand, we just watch harry and draco playfully fight before draco runs after the other to where we are going anyway. I break into a smile as I reminisce on their past rivalry and how they both seem comfortable and happy around each other now. Fact is, only I notice how harry looks at him. Like he's the only person in the world. I know ;
A) I'm the brightest witch of our age and
B) it's how I used to act around ron.
I feel a feather light kiss on my temple and a squeeze of our hands.
"Hey you okay?" My boyfriend asks.
"Yeah I'm good, just thinking about how draco and Harry's friendship has changed and the thought that I wonder when they will finally get together" ron snorts.
"Yeah, I think it will be that harry slips up about something within the next 2 weeks. There's no way they can drag anything any longer" before i can reply, we walk through the eighth year common room painting.
The sight before me makes me laugh, draco is lazily collapsed on the sofa and harry is draped along the arm chair and draco's legs.
How their not a couple, I do not know.
Draco pov:
I'll never ever get tired of spending my time with harry. He (easily) makes my day better and our friendship is to the point where I only feel comfortable enough to tell him the personal things. My breath comes out in pants as we both calm down after I chased him from the hallway outside the great hall to the common room because he messed up my perfectly sophisticated hair.
Harry sits up and I flas a smile towards him whilst looking into his astonishing, green eyes. He's so hot it's unfair, sometimes I imagine what it would be like to kiss him.
To hold his hand.
To cuddle with him.
For him to look at me like he wants me forever.
But I know he never will. Im just glad he gives me the opportunity to be my best friend and no matter what, I'll never take that for granted or ruin it. He means too much at this point. Even if I've had a crush on him since third year, I can bear it. I mean I have for 5 years so why should it be any more difficult?
From the corner of my eye, I witness ron and hermione holding hands and walking through the painting, my heart aches for a bond like that with someone. However at the end of the day, who would want me? I'm a heartless 17 year old who has a disgusting mark on my left forearm.
Standing up, me and ron sit down on the floor infront of the fireplace, warming us up because it's like -5 degrees right now during the winter. We begin our match of chess.
Harry pov:
The realisation that I've never liked anyone as much as I like him, hits me hard. The longing for draco is unbearable sometimes. He sits opposite ron complaining about cheating schemes he appears to be using.
What a sore loser.
Hermione sits down next to me on the crimson couch, and breaking my stare at their play, I turn around to her as she starts talking.
"I know how you think about him, harry." I freeze at her words and the calming mother tone she brings.
Steading my breath, "I don't know what you mean 'mione ".
However she only replies with "I think you know very well what I mean. Come on lets go talk upstairs." With that, she steps behind ron, crouching down, to give him a kiss on the head and "were just going upstairs" which earned an "okay" from him before she turns around to me and starts pulling me to walk upstairs into my room to talk. However I don't miss the look draco gives me as we go up, instead, I revel in it.
Within around two minutes we both sit in the middle of my bed,with the door closed, as she begins our "talk".
"Harry, your not subtle, well not to me and ron. We.know. I see how you look at him, like draco is the only person in the world, like he's the only one you want to be around. I see what you really want, and your hesitance towards it. Harry, I don't care what you think, whether or not you believe you deserve to be loved like that or not, but don't throw it away..if anyone deserves it, then it's you."
I didn't even know when I started crying, I just did. Tears stream down my cheeks but for what? The truth in her words? My insecurities? Or my longing? I didn't know. Wordlessly, she pulled me into an embrace swiping a comforting hand on my back.
" I think I'm in love with him hermione. I know it's probably too soon and he'd never feel that way for me because I mean, why would he? I'm nothing special and he's-" she cuts me off.
" okay harry, stop. Stop that right now. Your are worthy of him and trust me there are no need for the tears. Do you not see the way he looks at you? How he only goes to you for absolutely anything? And the way your always the centre of his attention, he trusts you and wants to know you more than anyone else. Har, he's always around you because that's his choice. He deserves you just as much as you deserve him."
Taking a shaky breath, "I don't know hermione. Have you seen him? He's probably the straightest man I have ever seen in my life. Why do the hot ones always have to be into women." She pulls back. Looking at me like I'm an idiot.
"Harry James potter, you know I love you, and I'm your best friend but how fucking oblivious can you be? He is just as gay as you are it's so apparent. Do you not remember how a month ago, we were watching that movie and he saw that one guy and said, I quote "God he's so hot I'd let him know me anyday" and we all just laughed? I think he's the guy who's least into women."
Oh.
"Look, even if he was a gay man, that doesn't mean he'd feel anything for me." With that she just huffs and says "ill let you rest and think about it" before bidding me goodbye.
I don't rest. I just stay up all night just thinking about it.
The next morning...
I wake up with a groan before stumbling down the stairs and laying on the common room sofa. My head almost bangs on the chair arm before I sit up, rubbing my eyes. I hear a slight laugh infront of me to my left.
Draco pov:
"Har you okay?" I disguise my concern with a laugh. .
He just hums. "Couldn't sleep much" God he's so stupid sometimes. I sit down right next to him and put an arm on the back of the couch behind his head, scratching his scalp for about a minute. He groans in satisfaction. This is not unusual for us as we have this type of comfortable friendship, although it's not all the time, none of us hate it. "That's nice" he says. I know it is. I have the sudden urge to kiss his temple but refrain myself.
"So what's kept you up?" I ask, Starting a conversation .
"Mm, nothing. Just thinking"
"What about?" Continuing the scratches on his head.
He stills for a second before relaxing. "Nothing". I know harry enough to know when he lies to me. This is one of them times.
"Don't lie to me harry." Mjstering up the softest tone I can but also with no room for protest. However he just stays quiet so I drop it for now, and as ron and hermione come downstairs we all just chill in the common room for a few hours. Me and ron playing chess by the fireplace, hermione writing her transfiguration essay and harry laying on sofa turned to the cushions, catching up on his sleep.
"Do you reckon Harry's okay?" I ask in the silence. Opposite me ron replies;
"Yeah, why wouldn't he be?"
"I don't know, I tried to talk to him this morning but he just said he was thinking and couldn't sleep but wouldn't tell me what about" I explain to him. Hermione not engaging in the conversation because she's focused on her work so can't hear any of us.
"Hm, maybe it was just one of those times where he feels overwhelmed? " I agree with him and return to our heated game of chess.
A few hours later, my bestfriend (pansy parkinson) walked through the painting with her usual poise, and asked us three "hey on Friday would you guys like to come to hogsmeade? There's a 50% offer on everything" My eyes light up as I agree aswell as hermione and ron.
"Yeah of course!"
"And harry?"
"I don't know, I'll ask him when he wakes up" nudging her towards Harry's sleeping form, earning an "oh" from her. It couldn't have been 45 minutes before he woke up and stretched, his adorable face scrunching in discomfort from his muscles being so stiff. He couldn't wake up entirely before pansy asked him, but he agreed to go with us on our hogsmeade trip.
For the rest of the day we basically do the same thing and nothing, when dinner rolls around, we all head to the great hall to eat.
To be fair, the next 5 days follow this pattern except through the week we all head to our classes before relaxing together in the common room. (Until we had to go to bed).
Friday comes around quicker than I interpreted, and I'm currently sat in astronomy with hermione completing our work before the professor announces we can pack up and leave. Walking through the halls, we meet up with ron,who gives hermione a kiss, and harry, who just smiles and walks in a rhythm next to me.
"Right guys, let's get ready and meet up at the doors of the great hall in an hour to meet pansy and to get to hogsmeade?" I ask and I have three agreements from the infamous golden trio.
Harry pov:
The ache for wanting draco becomes more unbearable as the hours go on. I hold myself back because the last thing I want to do is ruin our friendship, it's too important.
It's been around an hour and 15 since we all went back to our rooms to change and I take a deep breath before walking to our destination where we agreed to meet and as usual, I'm always the late one.
Walking up to my friends, I greet them and surprisingly, I wasn't the last one to arrive as we are apparently still awaiting for pansy. I stand next to draco talking to my three friends while we (not so patiently) wait for her to get here. It was her idea to go after all and with a 50% off deal on everything? That's an opportunity she'd never miss.
Draco pov:
Harry finally graced us with his presence and if I wasn't already in love with him, I definitely am now. His black jeans sealing his frame perfectly and the light grey shirt he wears hugging him beautifully making him look more stunning as usual. We all greet him and I try to keep my racing heart at bay, to a normal beat.
Around 15 minutes later pansy arrives and I wouldn't say I get mad at her per say, but I made it known to her I wasn't the happiest either. She made us wait twenty minutes!!
Pansy, ron and hermione turn around to start our walk to hogsmeade, but before we can, I stop and speak to harry which causes them all to pause aswell as they (seemingly) want us all to walk together.
"Har, seriously, it is in the middle of winter and you are not wearing a jumper or coat. Come here, I got an extra you can take it" I say reaching into my bag to give him something to keep him at a warm temperature.
"Draco-" he tries to protest before I stop him and make him wear the jumper.
"There, now you cannot be the foolish one who forgot to bring something to stop himself from freezing"
What he says next makes me smirk and direct my full attention on him even when butterflies erupt in my stomach.
"Okay, but please babe I'm fine there was no-"
Harry pov:
Shit. No,no,no,no. He wasn't meant to hear that, I didn't even know I said it. Great, he's going to hate me or feel disgusted and I just ruined everything we had. I swallow a lump in my throat fighting the tears threatening to well in my eyes and turn around to walk away.
"You know,actually, I need to go to my room. I uh- forgot..something" before I can turn around and move even more, he walks forward with a permanent smirk and a sophisticated stride I only refer him to have.
Draco pov:
There's no word I've wanted to hear from him more. Fuck the chokehold he has on me, it's ridiculous.
"No you don't." He steps back but I only walk more and as soon as I'm close enough, I manoeuvre my hands to rest on his hips, whilst swiping my thumb comfortingly at the point. I pull him closer to me. His eyes search mine, I can't decipher what for. Threat? Truth? Love even? My thoughts stop as I look back into his eyes.
"I- draco I'm so sor-" he tries to say before I cut him off.
"I'm not. You know, darling, if you wanted to say something you should've done it in confidence. Preferably when we are alone, but now ,with people, works too."
His beautiful eyes light up, like lights on a christmas tree.
I lift a hand from his hip and trace my thumb on the scar situated on his forehead to then slide it down, cupping the right side of his jaw. My other slide up from his hip to curl around Harry's waist, sliding my thumb up and down to keep him calm, but also myself.
His arms lift up to wrap around my neck, interlocking his fingers behind . "Draco,i-"
Pulling him closer to me,only slightly, "shh har, it's okay don't worry about it" I say before leaning closer to connect our lips. Almost instantly does he respond by kissing me back, removing one of his arms (the other clinging to my shoulders, holding his hand on the back of my neck) to hold my jaw mirroring mine. Our mouths move in sync with each other, like we was born to do this, like we were meant to find each other, like the universe is trying to tell us that we are soulmates. I deepen the kiss by pushing my tongue through his mouth which he reciprocates for a few seconds before retracting and kissing like before.
Way too quickly I have to pull away to breath, harry disconnects his arms to slide down my shoulders, tracing my arms before reaching down to interlock our fingers which throws the feeling of belonging, that we were always meant for this to happen as it feels so right.
Harry pov:
Woah. Never in my life did I expect draco to return the feelings, let alone kiss me..especially like that. But he did, and I can never imagine any better feeling than his hands on my body and his lips kissing mine. He pulls away so we can both breathe again and I don't fancy letting him go anytime soon so,instead, I lean forward and press my forehead onto his. I close my eyes just to let myself feel. To feel the close vicinity and breath of him.
He winds both arms around my waist this time just before I open my eyes. I lean back slightly and he pecks my lips shortly because we are still trying to breathe. "Call me it again" I say without thinking.
I know he's smirking again from the tone of his voice. "Hm, call you what again?" I know he already knows what I'm referring to.
Draco pov:
I know what he's referring to but I still like to play a little game with him.
"You know, the thing from a few minutes ago" I just snort and return his desire.
"Darling? Is that it, call me what you want."
Harry pov:
"Yes" I shakily breathe out. He says I can call him whatever so maybe..I might try something. I've always wanted to call him;
"Sweetheart. Hey.." the smile he makes causes my heart to flutter. I lean back slightly and hug him, nuzzling my head into the part between his neck and shoulder.
"I love you" I blurt out without knowing.
"I love you too" he mutters into my hair, tightening his arms around my waist.
Pansy just has to ruin the moment, doesn't she?
"Aw how sweet but come on guys we need to leave. The offers won't last forever."
We all chuckle at that, "Shut the fuck up pans, let me hug my new boyfriend" my heart leaps.
We pull apart but not before pecking him on the lips a few more times.
Stepping away, "let's go my love"
He smiles, "Come on then baby" before taking my hand and walking with the others.
I'd fight and win the war all over again if it meant I could have this.