Together, We Can Soar (A Drarry FanFiction/"Falling" 2 of 3)

Chapter Four

   They walked out together, slowly making their way up to the kitchen entrance to hopefully spend an hour or so in relative private. Dinella and the other elves had been ecstatic that Draco was not only still coming to visit them, but that he now brought Harry along too and was generally much happier for it. Harry was already planning on what cakes to request of their little friends, who tripped over themselves to please the boys in the most adorable and affectionate way. Harry had worked out cream confectionary was the best, as Draco could easily be coerced into licking said cream of Harry's fingertips, another small victory of intimacy.

Yes, the afternoon was shaping up to give them as pleasant an anniversary as they could manage, and Harry thought maybe he could make it even more special that evening if given the chance, pondering if he could maybe get away with smuggling some of that cream back to his room after hours.

He snapped back to reality though, tuning into what Draco was telling him. He was talking about a trip he was planning on taking once they had graduated, to Peru to hand pick some exotic potion ingredients for numerous concoctions he hoped to work on in preparation for applying for jobs in the autumn. He had his heart set on professional potion making, Harry now knew, and this was the second time this week he'd 'casually' brought up his travelling aspirations. Harry really, really hoped that was because he was working up the courage to invite him along too. The idea of going away together, of being able to openly be a couple all day, was almost too good to be true.

Maybe it was this thought that gave him away somehow. Perhaps he was grinning too broadly, or listening too intently as they wandered down the bustling corridor, but suddenly he felt daggers being thrown metaphorically his way, and he turned his head instinctively to search out their origin.

He was almost not surprised to find the two Ravenclaw Fourth Year girls he'd lambasted in the library for making fun of Draco. He had no idea of their names still, but Number One was looking at him with barely concealed incredulity from several feet away, with Number Two attempting to distract her and bring her back into the conversation she was having with a couple of other girls.

Harry locked eyes with her, glared, then turned away. But Draco had already noticed and stopped walking, looking between them both. "Oh," he said softly, clutching protectively at the strap of his bag. "Is that them?"

Harry had naturally stopped too at Draco's hesitation, and now moved to face him, removing the most hostile girl from his line of sight. "Who?" he lied miserably.

Draco gave him a sad twitch of a smile. "The girls who said, you know," he mumbled, a tinge of pinkness creeping into his cheeks. "Who called me pudgy."

Harry had a moment of panic. He wanted to deny it was them, that it had even happened. He wanted to spin Draco around and keep him well away from any further damage they might do, but deep down, he realised that probably wouldn't work.

Instead, he took hold of Draco's shoulders and looked him straight in the eye, not caring he was breaking their no contact rule. "Ignore them," he rasped in low tones, pouring all his conviction into the words. "What they think doesn't matter, only what you think does."

Draco tried to laugh, but it was a little watery. "Well," he said ruefully. "I think they're right." Harry was horrified for a second that he might actually start crying. He'd be damned if he gave those silly girls that satisfaction.

"And I think that's bollocks," Harry growled, trying not to raise his voice so anyone else could hear him over the hubbub of all the students changing lessons. "I think you're gorgeous, but if you need a bit more convincing I'll be happy to give you another demonstration right now if you come back to me room with me."

He wanted to lighten the mood, and he managed to get a small smile out of Draco, so he figured he was on the right track. And besides, the hot, protective urges that were shooting through his body at that moment were making him want to get Draco back to bed immediately anyway. Even the suggestion from someone that he wasn't good enough, that his body wasn't perfect, had Harry fit for a fight. But the softness he saw in Draco's eyes made him hope that wouldn't be necessary, that he wouldn't have to shout at anyone again.