An irritated groan escaped Harry's mouth as he sensed the familiar grasp around his neck. He didn't even have to open his eyes since he already knew who it was.
"So that's what you're doing when you're supposed to be in class, huh? Making friends with the new guy?" Spat Malfoy, both of his eyebrows furrowed as he firmed his grip.
The brown-haired boy beneath him struggled to speak at first. He finally opened his eyes, authorizing his gaze to meet with the blonde's.
"What do you mean?" He mumbled, trying his best to break free from Draco's grasp, but Malfoy only tightened his palm along the flesh even more. Once Harry finally caught on to how Draco had figured that out, he opened his mouth to protest.
"Were you bloody stalking us?" Questioned Harry—he was now a slight more capable of talking. "And yes, I was. He doesn't seem so bad, now does he?"
To Potter's astonishment, his words hung free in the air since Draco left no response whatsoever. He only fixed his glare more firmly then ever, his eyes filled with a mixture of outrage and wrath, in which Harry could sense the blonde's blood boil from inside him.
"What? He told me you guys are friends! Why is it s-"
"Friends? Friends? The guy literally just fucking got here, and I know trouble the second it steps in. Perhaps Parkinson and Zabini were dumb enough to play nice and befriend him but I know for a fact that I won't, and neither will you."
"Why?! You don't even kn-"
"Because I fucking said so." Growled Malfoy. By the look on his face it seemed like he really believed that Lucien is bad news, but Harry won't have it that way.
"First of all," He muttered, and to Draco's surprise, he broke free of his grasp. "Get off me, we're late to class and I'm not looking forward to a detention because of you." Harry breathed out as he jumped off of the wall and pointed his index finger at the blonde's face. "Second of all, you don't tell me what I can and can't do."
His finger was still levitated right in front of Malfoy's face, who of course, was looking down at the furious boy with a grin—and that made Harry even more exasperated as a gasp made it's way out of his mouth.
Turns out Draco had firmly held the boy's finger, in attempt to lower it down, but in fact he only pulled him closer.
"Oh yeah? We'll see about that." He whispered in arrogance. His breath was along the shorter boy's lips, who unwillingly felt a ray of shivers run down his spine, but he managed to keep his glare fixed onto the blonde with signs of rage and frustration.
And with that, Draco let go, his smirk never fading away from his face as he placed his left hand in the pocket of his trousers and walked away, leaving Harry still standing there not moving a muscle. Potter was mad.
Irritated with Malfoy and himself.
Who does he think he is? Telling me who I can and can't be friends with?
Bloody moron.
His outraging thoughts of the Slytherin were cut short when he noticed that Draco had stopped halfway in his track. Turning his heels around, he rose his two brows at Harry, who eyed him without uttering a word.
"I thought you didn't wanna' be late?" He spoke in a mocking tone, smirking as he watched Harry visibly roll his eyes and walk closer, brushing past him as he followed.
***
"Okay everyone, now it's time to t-" The trembling yet squeaky voice of Professor Sybill was cut off as the two boys, Draco and Harry, barged in about thirty minutes late into Divination class.
All eyes fell onto them as they both stood in utter awkwardness. That was until Harry decided to finally speak up.
"My severe apologies professor. I- just couldn't make it on time unfortunately." He muttered in a low tone, a flush of embarrassment fled through him at the fact that it's only been a few days and he was already arriving late to two classes in a row, and was probably going to receive detention, if not with Snape, then non-doubtfully with Trelawney.
"Mr. Potter," She spoke, then averted her gaze onto Draco. "Mr. Malfoy. It's been thirty minutes and you two have just arrived."
Harry formed his lips into a thin line as he pushed his glasses back with his finger, as his eyes were fixed on the ground. Meanwhile, the blonde held a bland expression on his face—he looked like he was anything but interested in what she was saying, given the fact that he never really fancied Divination class that much.
"This may be quite unpleasant for you to hear but I'm going to have to give you both detention." The professor muttered as she looked at the two boys, as if she was waiting for a reaction. Harry and Draco only nodded briefly in response. "It will take time during the afternoon, at 4 p.m. Please head to the library at that time, and you'll be asked to rearrange the book shelfs for about an hour or so." She paused, then proceeded. "Now, if you may, go take a seat at the back of the class and try to catch up with the work as much as possible."
***
"This is all your fault. I hope you know that."
"Oh please. It's not my problem that you were out having a friendly conversation with the new mysterious prick instead of rushing to class."
"Shove off, won't you?"
"Or what?"
"Just- shut up."
"Make me, scarhead."
"Moron."
"Wanker."
"Git."
Both Harry and Draco have been on and off, bickering ever since detention started.
"Not like that! Idiot!" Spat Potter as he stepped in front of the blonde, who was somehow placing the books in a wrong way.
"Whatever. This whole thing is stupid anyway."
"Stop being dramatic. We're almost done-" Harry cut himself off and proceeded to correct his statement. "Or should I say, I'm almost done. You've barely done anything except nag and complain if I'm not mistaken."
"Okay then. If that's the case then I'm going to go and sit down while you almost finish. Is there a problem?" Asked Malfoy with a hint of mischief in his eyes, as his smirk grew wider.
"You're a real dick, y'know that?"
"Only for you, darling." The blonde responded arrogantly as he winked at Harry and headed to take a seat, pretending like he did not notice the raven-headed boy's cheeks turn as red as a Weasley's hair.
~About ten minutes later~
Harry permitted a relieved sigh to escape his mouth as he sat down opposing the blond, who only watched in silence.
Only thirty minutes had passed and their duty was done, meaning that they had another half an hour in the library to themselves.
There was a long moment of awkward silence between the two boys, but Harry was too busy trying to untangle the knots in his messy hair to notice that.
"What are you even doing?" Huffed Draco as he eyed the focused boy. Potter had his fingers into his fluffy brown hair—they weren't even visible at this point. But the voice in the back of the Slytherin's head must admit that he looked adorable like that.
"Well," Harry finally spoke up as he tidied his posture on his seat, allowing his hands to drop back from his head onto the sides of his thighs. "I'm obviously bored and we're done early."
"Really? I didn't know that." Replied Draco in his usual sarcastic tone that made Harry huff in annoyance.
"Y'know Malfoy, there's actually a lot to talk about, and you know it."
"What are you implying then?" Spoke the blonde, placing his knuckles beneath his chin in attempt to sound interested, but both him and Harry know that he's just being a prick and acting dumb.
Harry simply ignored the boy's sarcasm and went straight to the point.
"What I'm saying is that we have to stop avoiding what had happened- the other night. We should talk about it Malfoy-"
"Then talk."
"You didn't let me finish." Harry snapped but kept his tone as calm as he could. "I was saying that we should talk about what- what you- confessed."
The Slytherin lifted his palm and rummaged it through his platinum blonde locks as he fixed his gaze onto Harry. "Why don't we talk about what you confessed?"
A quite bewildered expression was plastered on Potter's face, as if he was trying to recall himself doing or saying something out of place that night.
"Oh come on, Potter." Malfoy interrupted, a smirk curled up on his lips once again. "You said you fancied me." He paused, watching the flushed state of the other boy. "Wait, no, not like that." Said Draco with a mischievous grin, then proceeded to correct his previous statement by mocking exactly what Harry had said that other night. "I'm addicted to you Malfoy."
He did not get the chance to keep sneering as one of Harry's books collided with his face, causing him to groan.
"Malfoy, now is not the time to talk about my romantic feelings nor magnifying your large ego even more." He paused, glaring as he watched the blonde chuckle under his breath. "Can you start taking this seriously for once?"
"Listen," Draco uttered. "I'm pretty sure I explained everything while I was under the effect of Veritaserum. I told you whatever you wanted to know." He breathed out, suddenly sounding more serious about the situation. "I want to forget and not talk about it."
Harry's face features relaxed a bit as he managed to understand. Draco really seemed to be uncomfortable with that conversation and wanted to get passed it. Harry was willing to do that for him but still, even though Malfoy explained everything—how and why he did what he did, it was still quite confusing to Harry at some point.
"Okay—fine." He finally sighed. There was another a brief moment of awkward silence in the room, but not until something popped up into Harry's mind. He hesitated to ask at first, but then he reckoned that he was going to either way, and this is a quite convenient time.
"Hey Draco."
"Mhm?"
"Can I ask something?"
"Go on." He sighed.
"Uhm- do you- I mean-" He stuttered but eventually found his word balance.
"Malfoy, what are we?"
The Slytherin looked at Harry with an arched brow. He was still quiet as he lifted his arms and placed them behind his head, resting his back on his seat.
"Whatever you want us to be."
"Yeah-but- is- is the feeling mutual?"
Draco grinned slightly, "What the fuck do you think?"
Harry disregarded the fuzzy feeling in his stomach as he heard that.
Was that a yes?
"I don't know?" He asked, knowing he sounded extremely dense.
And with that, the blonde did not reply with words, but indeed with actions. He suddenly stood up onto his feet, and shifted a tad closer, looking down at Potter who was still seated with a befuddled expression on his face.
Without uttering any further word he grabbed the boy by his red tie, lifting him up so that their faced were only inched apart. Malfoy's hands were still holding onto Harry's collar, both boys breathing a bit more heavily.
In a brief second, the blonde shut the mere distance between them by softly pressing his lips onto Harry's, whose body tensed and heated up quickly at the sudden action, but he took no time in returning the favour.
It was a short, gentle kiss. Draco pulled away after a moment and fixed his eyes onto Potter's, allowing cloudy grey to meet with emerald green once again.
Harry concluded that this previous action was Malfoy's way in answering him, so he did not question it.
He took a small, sharp breath, but still not moving a muscle further from Draco's presence. "B-but we can't-" He stuttered. "We're—enemies- as much as I want this- a-and as much as you do too, i-it's just not-"
He was shushed by the Slytherin placing his thumb onto his lips, gesturing silence. "I know, I know."
Even though there was nothing standing in their way, it was still not easy for them to just give in. Harry and Draco were sworn enemies since they were eleven, so you could say they need some time to get used to it, even though they want one another more than anything.
It was still complicated.
"We can just continue like this, if you want. No one has to know, until we're ready." Suggested the blonde, breaking the silence. He was still towering over Harry as they stood—the raven-headed boy looking up at him with his bright eyes, and nodding briefly, gesturing an okay.
And with that, Malfoy did something so far from expected to both himself and to Harry.
He pulled him into a gentle embrace, with his arms around Potter's torso, as a signal of comfort.
Draco has never done this before, not to anyone other than his dear mother.
Yes, it did feel unusual to be hugging your seven-year-long rival, but at the same time, it seemed like this was everything he ever needed.
Harry's head was buried in the crook of the blonde's neck.
He felt so... safe.
"Am I interrupting something here?"
Both the Slytherin and the Gryffindoor jumped at the sudden familiar tone.
Harry pulled away to see a wide-smirking Pansy Parkinson standing on the doorway of the library.
"Bloody hell." Malfoy muttered under his breath as he shut his eyes close in embarrassment.
"Why did you stop?!" She shrieked in excitement. "That hug was so adorable!"
The two boys stood awkwardly as their faces turned into a bright shade of red. Harry groaned.
"What is it Pansy?"
The black-haired girl did not bother to wipe out that smirk off of her face as she eyed them both in mischief. She finally shrugged it off and decided to say what she came here to say.
"Okay so," She sighed, inching closer. "Nothing important, just that you two have to come tomorrow—the dungeons—6 p.m."
Harry furrowed his brows in confusion while Malfoy held a blank expression.
"For what?" They asked in union.
"What do you think? We're throwing a bloody party, idiots!" She grinned. "Oh and don't worry, I'll make sure we won't get caught."
Harry glanced up and Draco for a second, then bak at Pansy. "Who's joining?"
"If you're wondering, yes, we did invite Granger and Weasley." She yawned. "Actually, I'm pretty sure Lucien mentioned that we could invite people from any house."
At at that moment, Harry could literally sense Malfoy's body tense, but he chose to stay quiet.
"Lucien you say? As in the new guy?"
"Yes, Draco. We literally met him. Besides, he was the one who came up with the idea actually." Pansy responded. "So?" She changed the subject. "Are you guys down? It's not like you have a choice, I'm dragging your asses there either way."
Harry looked at Draco once again, who was glaring at Parkinson like some murderer. He did not utter any word, so Potter decided to handle things himself, given the fact that he completely did not mind Lucien being there of course, unlike Malfoy.
"Yeah okay. I'll think about it." He muttered.
"Same here, even though there's a fat chance that I won't." He seethed and Harry could not comprehend the sudden change in tone and actions but he was sure it had something to do with De Martel being there.
A/N: This is probably the longest chapter I've written *fuck boy face*
And also yes, I did change the title of this story—didn't really like the other:/