Draw The Line

Realized feelings: Chapter 20.2

When they arrived in the Three Broomsticks, it was quite packed and they barely got a table. They settled down into a small booth in the back corner, it was a bit cramped and their knees brushed against each other under the table.

Harry cleared his throat and Draco looked up at him. He was about to say something when a waitress arrived at their table.

"What can I get for you?" she asked with a bright smile that slightly wavered when her eyes landed on Draco.

"Two butterbeers please," Harry quickly said, noticing the look and the waitress hurried off without a second glance at Draco.

Draco let out a sigh and picked at the side of the table.

"I'm sorry," Harry murmured, watching as Draco's fingernails ran across the edge of the table.

"For what? It's not your fault. It's my own for the things I did."

Harry suddenly reached across the table and grabbed onto Draco's hands, stopping them from continuing to worry the table. Draco startled a bit, but didn't make a move to pull away. "It's not your fault, you didn't have a choice."

"You wouldn't have said that last year," Draco mumbled, dropping Harry's gaze and looking down at his hands.

"Well I didn't understand what I do now last year, "Harry said sternly. "Draco, look at me," when Draco finally looked back up, Harry continued, "You were put in a tough position and you can't be blamed for that, and even in that position you still found a way to save my life. You risked your own safety to help me and I'll never forget that, you had a part in defeating Voldemort too. That goes for your mother as well, she saved my life too and I'll forever be grateful to both of you."

Harry and Draco looked at each other for a moment and a sudden urge to kiss Draco passed through him. He was just about to lean over the table when he heard someone clear their throat.

Harry looked up and saw the waitress had come back with their drinks and she looked utterly shocked. Harry and Draco both coughed awkwardly and pulled their hands away from each other as the waitress put the drinks down and hurried off, shooting them glances the whole way across the room.

They both drank their Butterbeers in awkward silence. When Harry was about halfway through his drink he finally tried talking to Draco again about something else. Draco was quickly smiling again and had forgotten all about the intense moment they had both just shared.

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When they finished Harry paid for both of their drinks and they left where Harry spotted Hermione and Ron across the street. He cast a quick tempus and when the time showed 12:30 he muttered "oh crap."

"What's up?" Draco asked.

"I was supposed to find Ron and Hermione at 12, and it's already 12:30," Harry said as he gestured across the street to where Ron and Hermione were walking together. "They'll be wondering where I am for sure. I'm sorry, but I better go and catch up to them alright? I'm sure you want to hang out with Parkinson and Zabini too."

"Yeah, of course. It's no problem," Draco said.

"Thanks a lot, Draco," Harry said with a smile, "I'll see you later back at the castle!" With that Harry rushed across the street to meet up with Ron and Hermione.

"Hey guys!" Harry said as he came up behind Ron and Hermione.

"There you are, finally. I thought you were going to be with Malfoy all day," Ron complained

"I told you that I had to be with Draco for two hours today for the punishment," Harry laughed.

"Draco?" Hermione questioned, her eyebrow raised a bit at him. Harry blushed, it was the first time he'd called him Draco in front of anyone. They were on a first name basis now, sure, but Harry hadn't actually called him Draco when it wasn't just the two of them.

"We're in a first-name-basis now," Harry replied, trying to hide his blush, but Hermione noticed it anyway. Her eyebrows rose slowly in recognition.

"Since when?" Ron said with a tone of contempt, he knew that Harry and Draco had seemed to be getting along better but Harry had reassured him that they weren't anything more and he felt angry that Harry would befriend someone like Draco. Hermione, on the other hand, felt angry at Ron's complete obliviousness and the tone he used, especially when Harry was so obviously feeling pretty happy about it.

Harry suddenly felt a bit embarrassed about liking Draco as he remembered just how much Ron hated him. How stupid could he be for thinking that there could ever be a possibility that they could get along. "Since several days ago. We've decided to try and be friends." Harry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Hermione beamed at him, "That's great!"

"How is that great?" Ron cut in, "It's Malfoy, Hermione."

"So? Everyone deserves second chances. He hasn't done a single thing wrong this whole year so far, and has been nice as far as nice goes for him. He's been nice to you right, Harry?"

Harry felt embarrassed as Hermione turned the conversation about Draco back to him, "Yeah, he's been nice. He's just a bit reserved."

Ron had to admit that Draco truly hadn't done anything this school year so far, but it didn't mean he liked him any more.

"Just because he hasn't tried to let any Dark Lords into the castle this semester, doesn't make him any less of a git," Ron mumbled and picked up his pace to go into Honey dukes.

Hermione looked up at Harry's face to gauge a reaction over Ron's outburst, and her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the sad look in his eyes as he stared after Ron. Hermione sighed.

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Draco had watched as Harry rushed over to his friends across the street and he couldn't help but feel a bit hollow. He'd been hoping to spend more time with him, and hadn't realized how fast the time had gone.

In that moment he realized that Pansy was right, that he was perhaps in love with Harry Potter, and that was one of the reasons he was never going to tell Harry. He couldn't stand the fact that Pansy was right and he knew that the second he said anything she'd never let it go.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason. There was also the slight issue that Harry was a boy and so was he, which was something his father would be anything but pleased to find out about. What would he do if his father found out? Draco suddenly thought. It was bad enough that he was kissing Harry at the parties, at least those could be explained away with the excuse of it being a game, but there was no way to explain actually liking him. The thought sent a shiver up his spine and he felt himself beginning to panic just over the idea of it. He had no idea what to do besides just ignoring it, so that's what he decided to do. He would ignore his feelings for Harry and they'd eventually go away.

A/N: *Art belongs to Mischief Managed on Tumblr*