It was when they switched class rotations that Monday that it really hit Harry how close to Halloween it had gotten. Having to process that along with Slughorn's increased expectations, Harry felt himself deflating the closer it got to Potions.
Draco was walking with Harry to all of their shared classes, shaking off the stares. It was daunting sometimes being seen together, and that was another reason Draco tended to skip meals with his classmates. It was easier being alone, and not having to deal with any pretenses. Besides, Harry would join him for meals more often, and sometimes they would eat together in different parts of the castle.
Knowing Potions was after lunch, Draco brought Harry outside to eat, frowning as he pushed food around his plate.
"Hey, you have to eat," Draco told him gently.
"Not hungry," Harry replied, closing his eyes as he spread out in the grass, pushing his plate away.
He opened an eye in surprise as he felt Draco lie down beside him.
"But the grass stains-"
"You're more important to me than the grass. Tell me what's bothering you. You had a nightmare last night didn't you?"
The silence was all Draco needed to confirm, and he found himself entangling Harry's fingers with his own.
"Harry, look at me," Draco said sincerely. "If I had a nightmare and I woke you up, what would you do?"
"I'd get you a glass of water, hold you, and ask you if you wanted to talk about it."
"Why don't you give yourself the same courtesy? Why do you have to struggle alone?"
"I don't know how to ask for help," Harry replied quietly, throwing his arm over his eyes.
"Then don't ask," Draco replied, gently removing Harry's arm. "If you have a nightmare, you can't sleep, or anything happens where you don't want to be alone, then just come and see me. If you don't want to wake me up? Fine. There's always space in my bed for you."
"Okay. As long as I don't wake you up," Harry conceded after a few moments in thought.
"Perfect. I'll see you tonight though. Mine or yours?"
"Let's go yours. Your bed is more comfortable than mine."
"I can fix that, you know. Remind me later."
Harry bummed in agreeance, turning his head to look at Draco, whose eyes were closed.
"Are you gonna eat?"
"If you will."
Shaking his head fondly at the other man, Harry picked his plate back up.
"Thank you."
"Potter, you don't have to thank me for exhibiting basic human decency."
"No, I don't. But you do always go above and beyond for me, and I don't take that lightly. So, thank you."
"Any time."
"Did you... still want to be my partner? I understand if you don't-"
"Potter please we've partnered up in all of our classes this rotation and everyone has just about died over it. If I had any issues with being seen with you they would have been addressed beforehand.
Which I don't, just to clarify, because I know how your mind works. I like that we're friends, and you don't mind being seen with me. Whether or not I think that's a good thing is besides the point."
"But-"
"I worry about you. I know you care, but people don't see me like you see me. I don't want you getting backlash for being seen with me, that's all."
"It's bound to happen, and I hate that I have to even say that. I didn't think there would be anything from when I went out with Ron. I won't let them further tarnish your reputation. If I have to give them an interview myself then so be it," Harry replied, a deep frown taking over his face.
"You never give interviews."
"But I would for you," Harry replied honestly, smiling softly at Draco.
Draco opened his mouth to respond, then promptly closed it, unable to find the words. They came easier for him at night than out in the open, sitting in the daylight.
"Come here," he said instead, opening his arms for Harry, who promptly placed his head on Draco's chest.
"I will tell you to do whatever you feel necessary. I'm not asking for anything."
"Even if you did, I'd give it to you," came Harry's genuine reply.
"I know you would, and that's why you're special. I just need you to try your best. You're incredibly smart Potter. You don't need me to hold your hand in Potions, I know that you're skilled.
Snape was a prick to you and most others, so you gave up on his class. I've helped you with your homework, I've studied with you. I know the ways in which you learn best, so I will help you and make sure that you not only pass, you actually understand the materials. I'll go a step further and say you'll even learn how to apply your knowledge."
"If you succeed I'll owe you. Perhaps even a life debt."
"As if I'd ever take advantage of that."
"It'll be there."
"It's time for us to go Potter. Can you handle it?"
"I think so."
Draco's quiet laugh calmed Harry down, a smile growing on his face against his will as his head shook with the force of Draco's laughter.
"That's the spirit. Let's go."
Harry sighed, but rolled off of Draco all the same. He allowed Draco to help him up, taking a minute to admire the rays of light surrounding the other man.
Dragging his feet the whole way there, Harry allowed Draco to choose where they sat. Being mindful of Harry's preferences as well as his own, Draco chose a table in the front corner of the room.
"Is this okay?"
"This is fine. Thank you for not choosing front and center."
"I wouldn't do that to you."
"Harry my boy!," Slughorn greeted cheerily a few minutes later. "Partnered with Draco oh my star pupils! I'm quite excited to see what the two of you come to create. I do hope you'll decide to take my class once you're through with rotations in a few weeks."
"Of course Professor, we'll heavily be considering it," Draco replied, grateful that his professor was treating him no differently.
"Do keep in mind I have a highly coveted apprenticeship up for grabs. It will be highly competitive, but I may be willing to accept two students, but no more than that."
Draco gently placed his hand on Harry's shaking leg.
"I'll make sure you don't blow us up," he teased.
"If something does happen, Felix is yours," Harry replied, the joke going sour.
"Potter, if you keep saying things like that then something will happen," Draco replied sternly. "When you're casting, you're putting intention behind your words to cast your spell. How do you think your Expelliarmus became so powerful? All magic is cast with intent, and those intentions determine whether the spell that was cast is light magic or falls within the realm of the dark arts.
If you're unsure of yourself, you lose your intentions and that is when your spell will fizzle out, be miscast, or simply not work. If you go into this course, or any of them for that matter, telling yourself you're going to fail, you will. That's how magic works. You should know what with being able to do wordless and wandless.
I don't mean to be harsh, I just need you to understand. Love tough or whatever the muggles say."
"Tough love," Harry corrected gently with a smile on his face.
"I didn't mean it with that connotation-," Draco began to correct, his face reddening, as Slughorn decided it was the perfect time to begin the lesson.
"Thank you," Harry replied quietly, beginning to take his own notes, an odd feeling growing in his chest at Draco's words.
Draco watched over Potter dutifully the whole period. He gently corrected his wand movements, double checked his notes, and supervised as Potter almost single-handedly completed their first potion. It was a potion they had learned to brew years earlier, and messing it up would cause no ill effects.
After receiving praise for his potion, Draco watched as Harry finally relaxed.
"Do you want to relax for the second potion and watch me, or do you want to help?"
"I want to help," Harry responded, a determined glint in his eyes and an edge to his voice.
Harry liked the way that Draco talked to him. Not once did he ever feel stupid for asking questions. Even if they didn't quite correlate to what was going on, Draco answered them happily and praised Harry's thinking. Potions was... dare he say kind of fun when he actually knew what he was doing?
On the way back to their tower, Harry told Draco just as much, and Draco laughed, throwing an arm over Harry's shoulder.
"I told you so," he sing-songed, grinning down at Harry.
"Okay, I admit you were right-"
"Harry!"
Draco felt Harry tense up under him, and he brought him closer to his side.
"Weasley, Granger," Draco greeted, eyebrow raised at Hermione.
"Malfoy," Weasley greeted. "Hello Harry. How did Felix like those new treats?," he greeted, positioning himself on Harry's other side and walking with them to the tower.
"These might be his favorites yet. The new blend seems to be better for his digestion too. Crookshanks enjoying his new toy?"
"He hasn't ruined it yet, I'm sure he knows that you helped pick it out. That cat has something against me I swear."
Draco snorted quietly.
"Something to add Malfoy?," Ron asked, carefully keeping his tone neutral.
"He probably senses that you like Felix better. Cats are more sensitive, you know. Do things for him because you want to, not because you feel like you have to. I'm sure he's very protective over Granger."
"Felix is very protective over Harry," Ron countered with a shrug.
"I'm still not quite sure why he likes me. Potter and I have similar traumas and ways of handling our emotions I suppose."
"And now did you come to that conclusion?," Hermione asked, rolling her eyes next to Ron.
"Because unlike you, Draco and I talk about our problems. He accompanied me to a session because he wants to get better, and he values our relationship. He helps me with my work and doesn't make me feel inferior to him for not understanding something. He'll explain it in ways that make sense to me. He's kind and he's caring and he's one of the best friends that I have ever made. You'll just have to deal with it."
"Harry," Ron started quietly.
"I'm tired. In case you've forgotten it's almost Halloween and I have dead parents to mourn. I'll be seeing you. Maybe," Harry replied offhandedly, his arm falling to wrap around Draco's waist protectively and drag him the rest of the way to the dorms.
Felix was on him as soon as he entered his room.
"I'm okay baby boy, thank you."
Collapsing into his bed, Felix immediately snuggled into Harry's side. His arm fell to the side, an open invitation for Draco to join.
"You did very well today," Draco said quietly, his head on Harry's shoulder.
"Why does it always feel like one step forward, five steps back?"
"I'm proud of you, I hope you know that. You're doing so well."
"It doesn't feel like it."
"I'm giving you my completely unbiased opinion."
"I dunno, you might be a little biased with your tough love for me," Harry teased gently.
"Oh fuck off will you?," Draco groaned.
"Only if you fuck off with me."
The automatic reply earned something between a laugh and a choking sound from Draco, and Harry was mortified.
"That is not what I meant at all-"
"You can't backtrack this time Potter. What an enticing offer. You've given me much to think about, what with your clear preference for women and everything."
"My preference for women is as clear as my vision," Harry confessed, rolling onto his side to look at Draco and gauge his reaction.
"But you wear glasses- oh. Oh?"
Draco felt his heart flutter, and he dug his nails into his palm.
"Yeah. That's okay?"
"Of course it's okay," Draco replied gently, brushing some hair off of Harry's forehead as he collected himself. "That doesn't change my comfort levels around you. You're still the same old Scarhead."
"I haven't told anyone else. I'm still not sure what I feel you know? Just, not straight."
"Cheers to that then. Did you wanna work on the Herbology report in a few minutes? I'm sure she's going to assign another one in class today, so I'd like to get it done if we can."
"That sounds good," Harry agreed, smiling up at the ceiling. "Thank you."
"What do you tell me about thanking you for basic human decency?"
"That you don't need to thank anyone for the bare minimum."
"Precisely. If anyone doesn't accept you for who you are I'll hex them into the next century. It's no one's business but your own anyway."
"You're something else Draco Malfoy," Harry said fondly. "Herbology then?"
Their free period had gone much too quickly for Draco's liking, and class had been a nightmare. He grimaced as they left the greenhouse, wishing he was wrong about the second assignment.
"Why do I have to breed plants? That sounds dangerous, you know. What if I wanted a whomping willow crossed with devil's snare?"
"Why in Merlin's name would you want that?," Harry asked, wrinkling his nose.
"Why not?"
"Think of it in a practical way," Harry encouraged as they walked back to his room. "When we're brewing potions we have to use multiple ingredients because they all hold different properties. What if you created new plants that had more of those properties so the brewing process was easier?"
"Harry, you're a genius! Come on, we're going to Slughorn."
Harry didn't exactly know why he was a genius, but he allowed Draco to take his hand and drag him from the greenhouse to the dungeons.
"Oh, hello again boys. Can I help you with something?"
"Professor, Harry had a brilliant idea. Professor Sprout is having us work on a plant breeding project, and we were wondering if we could use that for our practicum."
"Thinking about your practicum already are you? Excellent! Have a plan on my desk for me in two weeks time. I'll talk to Professor Sprout about it, and we'll hold a conference afterwards. I'm very excited to see what you come up with."
Harry was speechless as they left the dungeons, Draco happily chatting about the exciting prospects of their project.
"Did you just volunteer me for a whole year of Potions classes?"
Draco stopped in his tracks, his hand immediately darting to his mouth.
"Potter I am so sorry-"
"Make it up to me later. I don't want to think about this right now."
"I can do it myself I didn't mean to-"
"As if I'd leave you alone in all of this. You did call me a genius after all, can't have you taking credit for my brilliant idea."
Draco pulled Harry into a hug, his chin resting on Harry's shoulder, finally feeling hopeful about the future.