Gold Tinted Spectacles (Hecatemus Book #1)

Chapter 15 - Coaching and Other Pastimes

Draco had been standing outside the Gryffindor team meeting and as Harry ran he heard his soulmate's laughter in his head.

* * *

One thing Harry was not expecting as he sat in the common room reading "Hecatemae: The Greatest Loves In History" (a dull text book that had a few useful pieces of information in it) was for a copy of Witch Weekly to be dumped in his lap. There on the front cover was a picture of himself and Draco glaring and gesturing at each other in the middle of the Quidditch pitch after the previous year's house final.

Harry had caught the snitch, but he and Draco had collided and crashed into the ground together, at which point they had started yelling at each other. Someone had obviously captured the moment on film and they were arguing for the whole world to see.

"You thought you were a pin up before," Ron said, flopping down onto the sofa beside his friend, "you and Draco are now the hottest thing to hit the newsstands since Cecily Boden married Kirk Strange."

Harry did not get the reference, but he did understand the meaning. Ever since Harry had hit sixteen, a growth spurt and been made Captain of the house Quidditch team, he had had trouble with the teen magazines. The Boy Who Lived had become The Boy Who Every Teen Witch Wanted On Their Wall and there didn't seem to be a month that went by when someone didn't publish a picture of him.

Harry had just started to ignore it and continued to refuse the offers of exclusive interviews. He had known that his relationship with Draco would spark media interest, but he had assumed that the teen magazines would shy away from the subject.

"I'm firmly attached to another male," Harry bemoaned looking at Witch Weekly in a most exasperated manner, "why would a girls' magazine want anything to do with me now?"

"Because, Harry," Hermione said coming up behind Ron, "there's nothing more romantic than true love. The first person to get a shot of you and Draco kissing will earn a fortune."

"My camera's upstairs," Colin Creevey offered as he walked past.

Harry glared at the sixth year, but the boy looked unrepentant and continued on his way. The fact that half the Wizarding world was speculating on his love life was highly embarrassing as far as Harry was concerned; of course Draco was enjoying every second. As if on cue his lover came bounding down the tower steps from where he had been in their room.

Draco had made himself surprisingly at home among the Gryffindors already and, although the first years were terrified of him, the rest of the house had settled into the routine of having their own Slytherin in residence. Harry thought most of them viewed the rather unconventional young man like an eccentric lost relation who had shown up on the doorstep.

"Ooh, more fame," Draco said cheerfully as he placed himself on the arm of the sofa next to Harry. "We really should take charge of this and do an interview or something."

For a moment Harry just looked at his lover open mouthed. From trying to hide, Draco appeared to have gone to the other extreme. An unrepentant grin was all that greeted the incredulous look Harry knew was on his face, as Draco picked up the magazine.

"We can't stop it, Harry," Draco said as he leafed through Witch Weekly to find the article, "we may as well control it."

Harry opened his mouth to voice his opposition to the whole idea and then just closed it again; it made an odd sort of sense.

"I know I will hate myself for saying this," Ron commented as Harry tried to sort out what he was actually considering, "but Malfoy might be right."

"Of course I'm right, Weasley," Draco said with his usual impeccable timing, but his voice held no venom, "I am always right."

"And modest too," Harry commented with a laugh.