It was silly really, the way that such a small action impacted Harry this greatly. First, he and Draco Malfoy were roommates in their eighth year at Hogwarts. Their room was neatly divided down the middle, split almost by an invisible string on that first day back. Harry's bed was against the wall on the far left, Draco's a mirror image on the right.
Second, the two men spent most of their time, alone together, in a peaceful? silence. Harry never thought Draco Malfoy of all people could be a strong, comforting presence in his life, but here we are in the month of October, where beds have slowly but surely traveled across the room to be closer to one another. Now, only their nightstands stand between their beds, pushed closer together for quiet conversations during nights where they find themselves trapped in the past.
If you asked Harry, he could name the catalyst that seemingly pushed him to take Draco in as his friend. It had been the end of the first week of classes when they finally stopped politely avoiding the other and staying out of their way. Their only interactions up until this point had been fetching a cold glass of water for the other once they had awoken from nightmares. No words were exchanged.
Draco had been terrified after that. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never came. He hadn't expected this quiet kindness, not from Potter. So, when muggle studies had taught him the art of friendship bracelet making, he thought it couldn't hurt to make one for his roommate. An olive branch he had reasoned, never thinking it would bring them close.
After carefully weaving the bracelet for Potter, Draco figured why not take it a step further? Both men suffered from anxiety and nightmares to name a few lingering effects from the war, and Draco was an expert at brewing calming draughts. He loved experimental magic as well, and under Slughorn's supervision, he was able to magically embed the properties of the calming draught permanently into the bracelet. He tested the bracelet for one day before shyly giving it to Harry.
"What's this?," Harry asked softly, closing the textbook he was reading to give Draco his full attention.
"It's a friendship bracelet. We made them in muggle studies. I thought... maybe... you'd like to have it? Look, I have one too!," Draco rushed. "I worked with Slughorn to magically interweave a strong calming draught into the strands. I tested it last night and it seems to work. You don't have to wear it. I guess it's kind of stupid actually. I just thought- well I suppose it doesn't matter what I thought I'll just go and-"
"Malfoy. Are you done now?," Harry questioned gently.
Draco could make out amusement in Harry's eyes, and he nodded.
"That was very kind of you. I would love the bracelet, if you're still offering it."
"Yes, of course. Here."
"You made this?"
"I did."
"It's beautiful. Very intricate. Thank you Malfoy. Tie it on for me?"
"I can do that."
Draco didn't know why he was feeling so embarrassed all of a sudden, but he couldn't even look at Harry anymore.
"Oh. Oh wow. I can actually feel that."
"I hope it helps."
"It already has," Harry replied, making eye contact with Draco as he gently ran his fingers over the bracelet.
That was the start of... something. Draco was hesitant to label it, but he and Potter were at least friends. Harry found himself gravitating towards Draco once again, but not because he felt like he was up to something. No, he was feeling protective over Draco and wanted to keep his roommate and newfound friend safe.
Now, whenever one of them couldn't sleep at night, they would leave open one of their bed curtains as a sign that they could use some company. Draco felt privileged to get to know a more private side of Harry, and he didn't take Harry opening up to him lightly. He knew it was a massive sign of trust, and Draco wouldn't break it. Harry had all of Draco's Slytherin loyalty.
October had never been a good month for Harry. As the end of the month neared, his nerves were as frayed as Draco's bracelet to him had become. It was a constant source of comfort for Harry, he quite literally treated it like a lifeline, his fingers constantly finding purchase on the braided strands.
It was a Friday, and Harry had not slept well at all. Halloween was drawing near, and he was listlessly drifting through the day. Draco hadn't been near him the whole day, and Harry would have been more worried if he was able to stay awake long enough to dwell on it.
It was in Potions where the panic truly set in. Harry absentmindedly ran his fingers over his bracelet, froze, and then repeated the motion before looking down in horror. His bracelet was gone, and Harry was so overcome with guilt and grief that he covered his mouth, fighting a wave of nausea, and ran out of the classroom. He collapsed on the floor outside of the room, and desperately began searching the corridor for the bracelet.
When it didn't turn up, he stumbled into his room and began throwing his few possessions around. If it wasn't in his room, Harry didn't know where it could be. Tossing his pillow in frustration, he gasped when he saw the edge of the bracelet sticking out from his pillowcase. Harry didn't even think before he threw himself out of bed and onto the floor to retrieve the bracelet. It was at this time that Draco had entered the room, unbeknownst to Harry.
"Oh thank Merlin! I thought I lost you, I was so upset. It would break my heart to tell Draco I lost the bracelet because he made this for me and it's my favorite thing I've ever been given."
Harry's voice cracked as he leaned against the wall, closing his eyes.
"And now I'm so mental I'm talking to an inanimate object. By Godric I need help."
Draco watched quietly as Harry kept running his fingers over the bracelet he had made for him. His heart had never felt this full. Draco had thought Harry only wore the bracelet to be nice. He never realized how much it actually must have helped the other man.
"Potter,?" Draco inquired, voice more gentle with the other man than it had ever been.
Harry's eyes shot open in a wide panic.
"I'm sorry for the mess I'll clean it up right now-"
Draco took out his wand, and with a flick of his wrist everything was back in its rightful place. He watched as Harry wiped his eyes, trying to cover up that he had been crying.
"Are you okay? You left class in a hurry," Draco asked carefully.
"My answer depends on how long you've been standing there."
"Since you almost threw a pillow in my face."
"Oh. Well that's embarrassing."
Walking over to Harry carefully, Draco held out a hand. Harry took it without question. Instead of letting Harry's hand go or walking him to his bed after helping him up, Draco instead brought Harry over to his own bed, greatly surprising the Gryffindor.
"I'm sorry," Draco spoke.
"For what?"
"Being distant this morning. I saw you weren't wearing the bracelet anymore and I thought you hated it and were only wearing it to be nice at first but you finally got tired of it..."
They both knew there was an implied "tired of me" at the end of that sentence, and Harry frowned.
"I love it."
The fierceness of Harry's tone sent shivers down Draco's spine.
"I felt off all day and couldn't figure out why until Potions. I thought it was because I barely slept. I hate the month of October, it never brings me anything good. That class always makes me nervous so I always fiddle with the bracelet and it helps calm me down enough to where I can pay attention. But then I realized it was gone and I searched the hallway for ages and then I started panicking even worse so I came back up here...," Harry trailed off quietly.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"You're easy to talk to, now that you're Draco and not Malfoy."
To anyone else that statement would've been confusing, but Draco understood.
"I'm sorry that was rude, you're being nice to me and I messed it up."
"I'm not offended. I much prefer Harry than Potter myself."
Sighing, Harry buried his face in his hands. After leaving him be for a moment, Draco pulled Harry's hands away.
"Left or right?", Draco asked as if he didn't already know the answer from the first time to tied the bracelet on.
"Left."
Draco carefully tied the bracelet back onto Harry's wrist. It had see better days.
"You're sure you want to keep it on?"
"Draco I had a full on panic attack because I thought I lost it. You made it for me and it's special. I love it."
Taking out his wand again, Draco whispered a restorative spell and charmed it to stay on Harry's wrist unless the counterspell was said.
Grinning at the return of his bracelet, Harry lightly ran his fingers over the cord and smiled.
"Thank you Draco."
"If I knew something as dumb as that would make you smile I would've made you a friendship bracelet years ago," Draco snorted as he laid back into his pillows.
"I probably would've thought you were trying to track me."
"We would've been on even ground then, you always seem to know where I am."
Harry shrugged nonchalantly, fighting the rising blush off his face.
"It's a blessing and a curse what can I say."
Turning onto his elbow and looking up at Harry, Draco replied, "how about, I'm sorry for stalking you for 8 years Draco?"
"But what if I'm not sorry?," Harry asked, batting his eyelashes innocently at Draco.
"What do you mean by that?"
"No, I don't think I am sorry. I quite like how this arrangement has turned out," Harry replied with a grin, settling into Draco's pillow.
"You're saying that like you've had a hand in it- you didn't."
"Can we clarify so I know what I did or didn't do?"
"The room."
"Not to keep an eye on you, not in the way you think," Harry responded quickly, grabbing Draco's hand tightly, as if he would disappear.
Harry thought he might, with how rigid he had gotten at the admission.
"I just... you've always fascinated me you know? It was something else, being seemingly hated for being me, not because I'm Harry Potter. You didn't care, you don't care, and when McGonagall said I needed to room with someone and Ron wasn't coming back well... I asked if it could be you. I've always felt the need to be near you, it's like a magnetic attraction.
I didn't think you would do anything. I liked being able to sit with you in a quiet silence that I didn't feel like I had to fill. Everyone else always expects so much from me, but you expect absolutely nothing. It was selfish of me. I also wanted to make sure that you were okay.
We're a lot alike, more so than I ever realized Draco. I know how I was and wasn't handling all of this. I hoped you were faring off better than I was. Then you got here, and I thought that maybe we needed each other. Once you gave me this bracelet, you thought of me in a positive way and all it made me want to do was be closer to you. I've become quite fond of you Draco Malfoy," Harry finished fondly, looking at Draco on the pillow across from him, his face bewildered.
"I've been fond of you for years, Potter. Harry. I felt the same need to take care of you that you felt for me. I wasn't sure how well it would be received. You saved my life so I thought..."
"You saved mine as well," Harry replied, inching closer to Draco.
Draco pursed his lips, and watched as Harry's eyes tracked the movement. Questioningly, he took his bottom lip between his teeth, and he heard Harry's soft inhale.
"I feel that magnetic attraction to you too," Draco admitted quietly on an exhale of breath, worrying his lip some more after the admission left his mouth.
"Can I try something?"
"What would you like to try?"
"I'd like to kiss you, if that's alright with you."
"You fancy blokes then?," Draco asked, trying to buy himself some time.
"No, not blokes. Just you," Harry admitted, caressing Draco's face softly, carefully positioning himself over Draco.
"Oh. As long as you don't hate me afterwards."
"I never hated you," the sentence ghosted over Draco's lips, barely brushing them until Draco leaned forward and closed the distance.
Draco pulled back long enough to whisper, "me neither," against Harry's lips before connecting them again.
{This was so self-indulgent and has been sitting in my drafts since late 2020}