Harry recalls Malfoy's comments about his smell. Was it bad? He didn't assume so, it had never been a problem before. Then why was Malfoy commenting on it to him?
Next time they were in Hogsmede, he decided, he would find a new cologne. Lucky for him, the next trip would be this weekend.
A small voice at the back of his mind asked why he cared so much, but the rest of him silenced that part, too wrapped up in pleasing the other boy to care. He would just ask Hermione to help while they were there. Now all that was left to do was wait.
X.x.x.X
He spoke to Hermione about it the night before the trip. He didn't tell her why, but he assumed she knew by the look on her face.
At the shop, which sold different potions and, as Harry so eloquently put it, "smelly stuff," Hermione made quick work of finding him a new scent. He stood there awkwardly as she picked up bottles and smelled them, mumbling incoherently to herself. She decided on a vanilla scent that smelled distinctly like Christmas to Harry.
As he was paying, he saw Hermione buy something as well. As many times as he asked, though, she wouldn't tell him what it was.
X.x.x.X
The next day, Harry went up to Malfoy, as he was picking a fight with him anyway, to see what he thought (though he would never admit that to anyone).
Before he could get a word in, the blond's nose was curled in disgust. "Merlin, Potter, that's even worse," he exclaimed, amusement clear in his voice. Crabbe and Goyle laugh monotonously as they walk behind Malfoy as he walks away.
Harry huffs and looks to Hermione. "Come on Harry. I have another idea. But for now we have class."
It wasn't until late that night that he found out what that idea was. Hermione came down to meet him and Ron in the common room. She had a small vile in her hand. She opened it without a word and put it under Ron's nose, telling him to smell.
"Why are you making me smell your perfume, 'Mione?" He asks, a crease in his brow. "I hope you don't expect Harry to wear that to impress Malfoy."
She goes beet red and stares at him, a slight smile pulling at her lips. "It's amortentia, Ron. You smell your favorite scent." Ron goes silent and stares, looking bashful and embarrassed.
She clears her throat and looks at Harry. "Now he can't say you smell bad. It's different for everyone, so he will smell his favorite thing." He takes it from her outstretched hand and nods, standing to head to his dorm.
"I'll just leave you two alone...you have some things to talk about." He walks up the stairs with a smirk, hearing Ron try to take his previous words out of the air, before he is silenced by him shutting their room door.
"Neville, Seamus, I believe I'm owed some money."
X.x.x.X
For the first time ever, Harry is excited for Potions with the Slytherins. The entire way there from the Great Hall, people ask him what cologne he's wearing, and smell him, making him feel more than a little awkward. He doesn't pay attention to what he smells, not caring enough to know. He walks up to Malfoy when he sees him.
"How do I smell today, Malfoy?" He asks, a cocky smile on his face, not even embarrassed by the odd question. Ron and Hermione stand behind them, holding hands. Hermione smiles like she's in on a secret that nobody else knows.
Malfoy raises an eyebrow at him. "What are you on about, Potter? You smell as you usually do." Before Harry can say anything, Snape opens the doors and herds the students in the class.
Harry is left to brood in his thoughts all of class, listening half-heartedly. What did he mean, he smells normal? He has amortentia on! He should smell his favorite...oh.
Oh.
He gasps, sitting upright in his chair. Luckily, Hermione's the only one that notices.
"What is it, Harry? Are you alright? What's the matter?" Harry just stares at her, astonishment on his features.
"The amortentia. Malfoy. He smelled my usual scent. Bloody hell. 'Mione, what the hell. He doesn't like me. There's no way he likes me, he hates me. Of course theres no-"
"Shut up, Harry!" She hisses so Snape doesn't hear. "Of course he does! Come on, how are you so blind, even Ron knew!" She looks exasperated and stares at him. For some reason a smile is tugging at his lips.
He fights it off. "That's impossible. What should I do?"
She looks at him evenly. "Do you like him?"
He stares and stutters, before taking a deep breath through his nose. He pays attention to the smell this time. And he smells one thing. Or person.
Draco Malfoy.
"Bloody hell. I think I do." He thinks of all the times he's seen Draco, whether it's on the quidditch field, or in the hallways between classes, and remember's how his heart beat always picks up slightly. How he seems to always be on his mind, making his mood improve no matter how hard he tries to deny it.
"Meet him in the Astronomy tower then! Do something!" Harry nods absently, looking over at where he's sitting, to see him looking back. Both look away quickly when they catch each other's eye.
Harry takes another piece of parchment and scrawls Meet me in the Astronomy tower at 10.
He waits for class to end impatiently, and when it does, he rushes to Malfoy. He shoves the parchment in his hand before turning on his heel and walking out. Right before he passes the door, he turns and sees the blond looking at the parchment, and he would have sworn he saw a blush on those pale cheeks.
X.x.x.X
The clock in the common room says 9:50, and Harry decides it should be enough time to get to the tower.
"Here goes nothing," he says, putting his invisibility cloak over his head.
"Good luck, mate. We'll see you when you get back?"
"No, Ron, don't wait up. I'll see you in the morning. Not sure what time I'll be back."
Hermione smiles at him. "Have fun. We'll see you later."
The last thing he hears upon leaving the portrait is, "He better not be out 'till morning," and excited laughing from Hermione.
X.x.x.X
His heart races as he opens the door to the tower. His watch reads 10:01, and, upon hearing the silence, wonder's if he is actually going to show. He entertains the idea a moment before the door opens and Malfoy steps in. Harry tries not to be too relieved.
"What do you want, Potter?" He asks, though no malice is heard in his voice. A good sign, Harry hopes.
"Amortentia," is all he can think to say.
"What?" He asks, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"You know what amortentia is, right?" He asks, barely able to make eye contact with him.
"Yes, Potter, I'm not stupid." Harry takes a breath before replying.
"I've been wearing amortentia all day."
Malfoy looks at him strangely, a slight redness creeping to his cheeks and ears. "You must have made it wrong, Potter. You smell like you always do."
Harry looks him straight in the eye. "No, for one Hermione bought it, and second, everyone else was reacting to it." He takes a step closer. "So my question is, why didn't you?"
Malfoy stutters before regaining control of himself. "That's nonsense, Potter. You are not my favorite smell." Harry takes another step closer.
"But I must be. Otherwise I would smell different to you right now." Another step. They were within a meter of eachother, another step and they'd be able to touch each other by reaching out a hand.
"Well what do you smell, Ha-Potter?" And another step toward him. He wasn't backing away, so, Harry supposed, that was another good sign.
"Honestly, Malfoy?" The blond nods, and takes another, officially in his personal space, though Malfoy didn't seem too upset by the fact. "Well," Harry rakes a breath, losing himself in the mercury-colored eyes, "you. I smell you."
Draco takes a step toward him, towering slightly over him. "Oh really." He says, though it's not a question.
Harry nods. Draco is so close, he can feel his heat on his skin, warming him in the brisk night. He decides to take a risk, and hope he doesn't screw everything up.
"May I kiss you?"
"Merlin, yes."
Harry closes the gap between them, pressing his lips to the taller boy's. Draco wraps his arms around his waist as Harry places his hands on either side of his face.
There aren't fireworks when their lips meet, like you read in books. But, Merlin, did it feel right. They kissed slowly, and, honestly, awkwardly at first. They pull away and look at each other, before Harry is wrenched into another kiss, this one gone with the awkwardness, and just full of emotions neither of them could comprehend just yet. For now, there was nothing. No Voldemort, no expectations to meet, just each other, their kiss, and the room around them. Nothing else matters, as long as the other is there.
They break apart to breath, their foreheads pressed together, sharing breath. Harry had moved his hands to entwine in Draco's hair at some point, and kept them there now. No way was he going to end this moment until it was completely necessary.
"You messed up my hair," the blond says lightly, an honest smile on his lips. Harry looks at that smile, the way it lights his angular features and gives him another sort of beauty he had never seen on anyone else. Something so strictly Draco that no one else could pull it off, no matter how hard he tried.
"Worth it."
Draco looks at him, something showing in his eyes that Harry had never seen before. Vulnerability.
"Harry?" He nods in acknowledgement, eyes closing with absolute contentment. "Are we going to do this again?"
Harry opens his eyes, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "I hope so," he says, and kisses him again.
Okay well, here's the first one. If you have any suggestions let me know!