Drarry Potions AU

Chapter Fourteen

Almost, almost, almost.

That's what was running through Harry's mind.

Almost kissed him.

Almost said yes.

Almost was going to stay.

And then he ran. For fear of what Draco might've said yet.

That was his whole life with Draco, wasn't it? Almost. Might have. Maybe. . . It was the typical feeling of knowing that you're close, so close, like what you want, what you know you really want, is close enough to reach out and touch. But at the same time you're so far away because there's an invisible wall secluding you from it, like you're watching it from the other side of the world. Like to get past the barrier he has to go all the way around and it'll take him years longer than what it should have, had some invisible force not been standing in his way.

Six years.

Six years and a month ago to the day, he could've taken Draco's hand on the train.

His barrier had been Ron, Malfoy's word choice towards his first friend. Hagrid practically telling him that Slytherin produced an endless list of dark wizards. Compelling him to shove it off. To not take Draco's infamous "hand of friendship."

The barrier had caused a rift between the Gryffindor and the Slytherin, taking him nine years to find his way to the other side after a plethora of obstacles, all caused by one of three things: House rivalries, being on opposite sides of the war, or being school nemeses.

And now that Harry had pushed through all of them, coming just within reach, his feet were stuck, grounded, rendering him unable to come any closer, only inches away, yet still so far. Just like he had been his entire time at Hogwarts.

He rolled over on his pillow and sighed. He'd been in all of his classes except the ones Malfoy was in, though he didn't know why he couldn't compel himself to be as brave as he should've been as a Gryffindor.

Ron came in and he pretended to be asleep, even though he knew that feat would be a long time coming.