Harry wasn't quite sure what to think anymore. He sat in the Room of Requirement, which had taken its normal form for when Draco would be here with him. The only difference was that he was not here, nor did Harry want him to be. Dumbledore was gone, the DA disbanded, and his newly budded relationship with Draco had withered into a pile of dust. So here he sat, curled in a beanbag, thinking of a way out of this mess. The thought of going to the Ministry of Magic found itself bouncing around in his noggin. It seemed ridiculous, the thought in general. But it might be his only hope. Their only hope. Ron, Hermione, Sirius...
A sound came from the entrance. Harry froze, his heartbeat quickening. The door opened a crack, and a boy slipped through.
"Why are you here?" Harry spat.
"I should ask you the same thing. It's too dangerous with this place so heavily guarded." Draco fell into the beanbag across from him.
"It was empty when I last peeked at it."
"I asked ol' Umbridge if I could be the sole guard for a few hours. Took the feed right from my hand."
"That doesn't mean we're still okay." Harry averted his eyes and stared hard at the ground.
"I know. Is it a crime that I wanted to see you again?"
"Actually, yes."
Draco sighed, sitting up in his seat. He twiddled his thumbs for at least a minute before answering.
"Look, I know you hate me. I'd do the same if that's what I assumed happened. It was the Edgecomb girl that sold you out, not me! I lied to keep this place safe, I tried to make you happy, I-" Draco gulped, unaware of Harry's widened eyes fixed on him. "I'm sorry. It hurts me to know that that's all I can say at this point, but I can't help it anymore! Bloody hell Harry! I love you!" His words echoed across the walls. Draco intensely stared Harry in the eyes, almost in tears. "Do you have any idea how I bloody feel? Or are you as stuck up as the others say?"
"But you're the one who looked at me with such a stony face I thought you lost all thought for me!" Harry raged. "I think the stuck up one here is you! You never gave a damn about me before, so why now?!"
"Things have changed, Harry. I'm not the guy I used to be! Hell, I learned to love my greatest rival! I was just too daft to realize how much I cared for you, okay?!" Draco snapped.
"Well... I... AGH!" Harry threw his hands in the air. Draco watched as Harry started to pace around the room.
"We can fix this." He pitched in.
"I just don't know how, Draco. You seemed pretty glad about trashing the DA."
"What else could I do?! Crabbe, Goyle, Umbridge... They can't know about us!"
"I know, Draco, I know. I can't tell Ron or Hermione about any of this either. It hurts not to." The boys sat in silence for a minute.
"Harry, can we try again? Please?" Draco pleaded.
"I- I guess." Harry blushed, making eye contact with Draco. Upon saying these words his entire face lit up like a firework display.
"Really? You have no idea what this means to me. You won't regret this." Draco stepped close to Harry and gave him a peck on the cheek. He smiled, momentarily gazing into Harry's eyes, but turned and left. Harry felt his cheek, still thinking over the conversation. Could things really be the same? It could have been a simple misunderstanding, but Harry was still uncertain of what to think.
