[HOLD UP ON YOUR READING FOLKS! I need to give this chapter some credit, actually, a HELL of a lot of credit to Grace Thernstrom. They saved me from the dreaded writers block and brought to you this chapter of AToF! LOVE THEM IMMENSELY! This is what I politely command you to do. And Grace, THANK YOU for your help, even though I've said it like it's going out of style I honestly would give you a hug if I could. Internet hug? Anyway, I had to get this little spiel out of my system, though I hope it's clear my gratitude is apparent. Enjoy this long-awaited chapter of AToF. Peace.]
"Bloody hell, Harry." Ron breathed a sigh of relief.
"How long was I out for?" Harry rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, looking at the people who surrounded him. Ron, Seamus, Dean, and even Neville had grins spread across their faces.
"Just the one day. Gave us a scare though, mate." Seamus said. "Madam Pomfrey came to check on you, too. Said it was most likely exhaustion and that you should rest for the day. At lest you're back it action again!"707Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBB3MT2aIB2
Exhaustion? Ha, if only they knew. Harry had only seen them just yesterday, the only difference was that he was looking through a separate pair of lenses.
"All right, we better stop buggering you. We'll be late for breakfast at this rate!" Rob clapped Harry on the shoulder and went to his normal business.
"Late for BREAKFAST?" Seamus questioned. "Is THAT more important to you than anything?"
"It is the most important meal of the day, Seamus." Ron snickered. Harry felt happy to be here again with his friends. It was great being with Malfoy for a bit, but all good things must come to an end. Rubbing his temples, Harry stretched out of bed and nearly toppled over when a frightened voice stole his attention.
"Harry, we screwed up again."
"How does this keep happening?! And why is it tending to be me more often than not?!" Harry paced around the Room of Requirement hours later. He had long forgotten his cushiony and rather comfortable bean bag that he usually squashed in, his brain racing from theory to theory.
"Maybe the effects of the duel are still stuck with us?" Harry furrowed his brow.
"This could all be a test of fate. We could be destined for each other!" Draco spoke sarcastically near Harry's right ear.
"Draco, this isn't the time for jokes! We have to figure something out now!"
"Bummer. I was going to tell everyone about us today, too. This really ruined my plans." Harry sighed, obviously Draco was in a sickly sort of mood today. Hopefully this didn't drag out.
"It would really be nice if I could have some input on this, Draco." He said coldly.
"Alright, alright I'll help! Er- were you thinking about me last night?"
"I was inside your head. It's a little hard not to. I mean, sure, I think of you often... Wait, what does this have to do anything with you being in my head again?!" Harry fired up again.
"Just curious." Harry felt as though Draco would have a playful smirk dancing across his face like a sly villain sneaking through the darkness. It not only irritated him, but it made Harry all the more intrigued about Draco, or even more drawn to him. He sighed. This guy sure was a lot of work.
"You're a lot more difficult than you think you are, you know. Heh, but I guess not as difficult as Ch-" He stopped himself. Unfortunately, Draco was nipping at his tail immediately.
"As who, Harry? Who am I not as difficult as?!" Harry gulped the lump in his throat, well aware that Draco already knew the answer.
"Cho. We've been over for longer than I've known you. Well, really known you, I should say. I-it was a long time ago, we shouldn't dwell on it."
"A long time ago? Oh, you mean last Christmas?! I saw you two at Madam Pudifoot's even on Valentines Day! Sickening..." Draco mumbled the last part.
"In case you didn't get the memo, we broke up on Valentines Day, when she started blubbering everywhere over her dead boyfriend." A wave of dread and regret washed over Harry as soon as the words left his mouth. He did like Cho at the time, and Cedric had been a great guy. What was he thinking, letting his lips run freely like that? It was downright disrespectful and he knew it.
"I- I'm sorry." Harry croaked, a dry taste in his mouth. "I didn't mean for it to sound that way."
"It's okay. I, er, may have overreacted to the idea that you've been with someone else before. My fault, okay?"
"Right." Harry looked down, though he needn't have done so. He still was the only living being within the solitary walls of the Room of Requirement. But of course, it was quite the contrary when you have a two-for-one package.
"Ugh, and I was planning on spilling out our secret today, too!" Draco fumed.
"And what makes you so certain that's a good idea?"
"It has to come out eventually. I mean, we are together, aren't we?" Harry hesitated. "Yes."
"Doesn't sound like it." Draco shifted around uncomfortably.
"It's not that easy of a decision. But I do think we could give it a shot..." Harry finished. He felt Draco swell in joy.
"Sounds good."
By now, Draco had become a part of Harry's daily life. It befuddled Harry's mind, to think of the days he had wasted feuding with him. If only they had been friends at the beginning, things could have been different. They wouldn't have to hide their friendship, or in this case, their relationship. Harry sat in a red armchair later that night in Gryffindor Tower, catching up on the classes he had missed.
"You spelled Polyjuice wrong."
"No i di-" Looking a few words back, Draco was right. He grumbled, removing the extra 'L' he had added by accident.
"You seem in a resentful mood." Draco commented. "What's ailing you?"
"Just stress, I guess." Harry whispered under his breath.
"Hey," Draco started again. "You don't have a problem with me telling everyone when I'm back in my own body again, right?"
"Not particularly. Though I still think it's a bad idea. At least have me there for it, okay?"
"Fine by me. Thanks." Draco radiated an aura of happiness for a while after that, and even when Harry crawled into bed late at night his brightness hadn't dimmed at all. Perhaps he really was serious about them. Then again, so was he.
The morning dawned upon Harry and with it a shivering chill. Winter wasn't entirely gone just yet, he figured. An unusual amount of silence told him that Draco was, yet again, gone. He didn't expect it to happen this fast. Was he ready? There was only one way to find out. Harry gulped, pulling on his jumper and mustering up all the courage he had to walk to the Great Hall. Draco sat at his table with the other Slytherins. He made eye contact with Harry and smiled. But then he turned back to his food and continued to eat. Now wasn't the time, then. A smaller crowd would definitely be easier than the whole school, even though word would travel fast enough. So Harry waited, until the right time would show itself. Waiting, waiting...
"Something wrong, Harry?" Hermione gazed over at him worriedly.
"Er- I was up all last night finishing up my homework. Just a little weary." He smiled, telling her to disregard his actions, though she would soon know regardless of how tired Harry was. She nodded, taking a bite of buttery toast. Harry didn't bother to ask why Hermione wasn't as persistent as normal, but other thought swam across his mind instead.
Then came Potions class. The first class that Harry and Draco shared that morning. Harry could hardly hear Snape's lecture through his heart pounding louder than a drum. The class ended, and while students were filing out of the room, Harry saw Draco stand, looking nervous himself.
"Excuse me." He said, loud enough to grab the attention of the class. "I- I want to say something. About Potter." Harry could see how much he shook, the fear of falling over his shaky knees almost a reality. Everyone had their eyes glued to him, some on Harry. Clearly they all thought another fight would commence. Harry glanced over at Snape, who was pretending not to notice what was happening.
"I-"
"We're together now. No more fighting or feuds, no more duels. We've decided to stick together." Harry interrupted. People whizzed their heads from him to Draco, all equally confused. There were murmurs among the crowd. Harry caught a 'they must be joking' and a 'this is some sort of trick, I know it!'.
"He's not lying!" Draco blurted. "We're done with fighting! We're friends now! No, not just friends-"
"Ew, you're gay?" A Slytherin girl stuck her tongue out in disgust. Draco shrunk down, blushing furiously.
"Does it matter what sexual orientation we deem ourselves to be?!" Harry snapped. "I don't see anyone throwing you down because you just got back together with your boyfriend for the fifth time this week! So don't put anyone down just because they think differently than you do!" The girl cowered before Harry, wiping away a tear. She lingered for only a second longer before turning on her heel and dashing out of the class, sobbing.
"Anyone else want to go?!" Harry challenged, suddenly out of breath. None dared to speak, or even move for that matter. Harry shot a glare at the crowd, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike and went to Draco's side.
"Thanks, Harry." Draco croaked.
"Not a problem. Are you all right? You're shaking..." Draco gave a wobbly chuckle.
"Yeah, I'm just disappointed I couldn't say it myself. Maybe I am a coward after a-"
"Now you need to shut it and stop thinking like that. You've done a hell of a lot more braver things than I have."
"Harry, you've gone up against the Dark Lord five times and come out alive. You're famous for it."
"So? I don't nearly as much skill in patience or thinking of other peoples feelings like you. That's brave."
"Sure." Draco shook his head, collecting his books. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?" With a smile, Draco gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek and left. Luckily most of the class had withdrawn to their own groups by now and only a few saw this. Harry picked up his textbooks, and turned to leave. He caught the eye of Ron and Hermione, who both looked utterly shocked. Feeling his face grow hot again, Harry walked a little faster than normal out of the class.
Lunch came around and with it a new opportunity. Draco had invited him out to relax. And so they sat in the shade of the trees, just spending the time with one another.
"But honestly, thank you for pitching in back there. I don't think I would've made it out alive." Draco chortled.
"I had to have my own say, it couldn't be all one sided!" Harry grinned. It sure seemed easy, sitting with Draco now just hanging out together, like they always wanted to.
"Coming from the one who claims to be right all the time."
"What? No, that can't be right..." Harry scratched his head, causing Draco to laugh.
"Believe it or not you have your own faults too, Mr. Harry Potter."
"But I'm the Boy who Lived, I can do anything!" Harry snickered at his own joke alongside Draco.
"All joking aside," Draco said after their laughter had calmed down a bit. "How've Ron and Hermione taken this?"
"Er- they haven't talked to me since then." He dropped his gaze.
"Or you haven't talked to them. They're your friends, aren't they? They'll support you with this, even if they don't particularly like it."
"You're sure?" Harry asked, uncertain himself.
"Positive. Crabbe and Goyle have already accepted us. Well, maybe a little forcefully. They seem skeptical about it."
"At least they talk to you."
"Then talk to Ron and Hermione tonight! Get their say on this! Don't just muck and bugger around about it! Honestly, you're a lot more lazy without me to boss you around." Harry roller his eyes.
"Okay, I'll do it. I'll fill you in tomorrow then." Draco nodded in agreement, a cheerful smile present on his face. How unlike him, or, so it was before. Draco was a whole different person now that Harry actually knew him.
"So, er, how are you?" Harry stated later in the common room, both Ron and Hermione present.
"How ARE we? Bloody hell, I'm more disappointed than anythi-" Hermione shoved a hand over Ron's mouth irritably.
"What Ronald's trying to say is why didn't you mention this to us before? Harry, you know we're your friends."
"I just tensed up." Harry twiddled his thumbs.
"Honestly. Don't be afraid to tell us anything, alright? We're here for you."
"But bloody hell, Harry, how did you keep that all in-"
"Ron! Shut it!" Hermione hissed. Harry couldn't help but smile. Thank goodness they didn't shun him or something ridiculous like that. The inner joy of having his friends able to accept whom he loved was a valuable thing, and such Harry didn't plan to shatter that trust anytime soon or in the future at all for that matter. This could patch up all the negativity that had lurked between Draco, Ron, Hermione and himself ever since they met. That could be pushing it, but it was okay to dream of what could happen. Especially when the future looked bright.
