"Remind me, again, why I ever agreed to play quidditch with you," Draco called from other side of the pitch as he flew to the Gryffindor.
"Because we're friends," Harry responded from the tree he was hanging from. The boy thought it was a good idea to play a seekers game in the middle of the night once Draco was healed, and somehow, Draco agreed through days of convincing. It had been 2 weeks since they were friends, 2 weeks.
While looking for the illuminated snitch, Harry "mistook" a firefly for the object instead, and headed for the trees outside of the arena. He was now hanging from a tree, his broom stick laying on the dead branches beneath him. "Could you go any faster!"
"You're lucky I'm even helping you!"
"Oh please, like you'd let me fall!"
"Actually yes I would, in fact," Draco rolled his eyes and stopped right before the oak, just at eye level with Harry who was dangling over a 40 foot drop.
"You're kidding me, right," Harry struggled, his palms bing stabbed by bark, "I can't feel my hands!"
"You know it would be a shame if someone just," Draco trailed off playfully, sticking his fingers right next to Harry's stomach, inevitably causing the boy's eyes to widen.
"You wouldn't dare tickle me right now!"
"You underestimate me, Potter. Entirely too trusting, you are... Gryffindors..."
"Draco, seriously! This hurts really bad!" His arms were starting to tingle. Harry, regretting his decision, just wanted to be saved by Draco and ride off into the night with him, just like their first date.
"Hmm, what a shame," Draco picked at his nails, sarcastically uninterested.
"What happened to friends helping friends, friends having each other's backs?"
"Well, I mean, I never signed a contract. I didn't know there were requirements-"
"MALFOY! I can't hold on any longer!"
"You know, you have a bug on your face," Draco said without a care in the world, lounging on his broom like it was a couch
"A bug," Harry breathed, frustrated and his body on fire, "you're barking!"
"Actually no, it's just a beetle-" was all Draco could get in until Harry screamed as the fell from the branch made of what felt like nails.
Draco reacted lately, but just before Harry touched the ground, he grabbed him.
"I thought you could hold on longer!"
"At what point did you believe that! When I was begging you to come get me or when I told you I couldn't hold on anyone more," Harry shouted in his ear as they took off. His arms hurt immensely as he wrapped them around the blondes waist and immediately felt at home.
"I mean, you'd think you'd kill a murderous lunatic after years and years of anguish and be strong enough to hold onto a tree for 2 minutes!"
"Why don't you try it?"
"Nah, I already know I'd win."
Harry laughed. "Damn Slytherins so full of themselves." This caused Draco to smile. "Stop smiling like some bonker! You look like a crazy person who deserves to be in a mental hospital!"
Draco's smile faltered as if he went into a trance. "What's wrong," Harry asked.
"It's just, I've never really smiled before. Like truly."
Bullshit, Harry thought. He had proof, photographic evidence, that Draco smiled, and damn well, too.
"We'll just have to fix that then," Harry said, sort of disappointed, but hopeful in that Draco didn't hate him anymore.
"I guess we will." Draco was quiet for a bit before flying around the forest a while, then bringing them both down where Harry had dropped his broom. "I'll meet you in the common room," the blonde asked.
"Actually I'm heading to the library," Harry said bringing his fingers through his hair, slowly.
"The library? At 5 in the morning on a Saturday, you want you go to the library. Why?"
"Research."
"Research? Okay, Potter, whatever you say." Draco said before walking away into the sun rise.
"Good night," Harry called after him.
"Good morning!"
Harry smiled to himself. He couldn't change that man for who he was, even if he tried.
But he sure could change his memory.
-----------------------------
Harry started cracking open the memory books, sitting away from where he and Draco had their study date just because it distracted him, however he would look over his shoulder for some motivation when his eyes wanted to give out on him.
They were terribly heavy, his lids, and they kept falling. The last time he had any real sleep was before the trial, even past that. And as of recent, due to his access to an open library, he hadn't necessarily wasted time. To get to the point, he'd probably been running on two hours of sleep each day for the past month and a half.
Drowsiness took over and Harry, after hours for researching, fell into an uneasy sleep, his arm holding his head on a stack on books.
Unknown to Harry, Draco had walked in searching for an empty seat. Everyone gave him dirty looks, really, so he decided to take a seat next to The Boy Who lived.
Potter," the blonde said quietly, shaking his arm. He shifted. Draco examined Harry's features which were totally relaxed, and he had to admit, solemnly, that he was.. attractive, as well as vulnerable. Potter looked like a little kid almost, as if all the worries in the world didn't matter. "Potter, nap time is over."
Harry's eyes split open slightly. "Mmmm Draco, hi," he smiled. "Your hair looks nice." He sounded drunk. "You should wear it like that more often," Harry mumbled before running his hand through the pristine white hair, which was impeccably soft, lingering his fingers to Draco's chin, running the pad of his thumb over his bottom lip.
People were staring widely just at he two being together, plus word had spread about Harry's proclaimation.
"Potter, what the hell are you doing? Wake up you baboon," Draco scolded, grabbing the books from under his arm. Harry's head fell and he slammed his head on the desk, causing him to wake fully.
"Sorry, I thought you were someone else," he lied, wiping his eyes under his glasses.
"Right," Draco replied, "how long have you been here?"
"Since we've been flying, what has it been, four hours," he questioned.
"Fourteen."
"Fourteen! God, I'm going mad."
"What could you possibly be researching that causes you to be here for fourteen hours?" Draco looked at the books he had in his hands and answered his own question. "Memory charms? What would you be studying that for?"
Harry took a bit and thought it through. Should he tell him? Maybe it could trigger something and Draco would think about it, but then again, trigger is a dangerous word. It could trigger something and Harry didn't want a scene in the middle of the crowded library.
"Hermione erased her parents memory to keep them safe, I'm only helping her," Harry lied. That stung his heart a bit.
"You're a great friend, you know that, right," Draco said. That stung a lot. Right, a great friend. More like an extravagant boyfriend who refuses to give up despite his love completely forgetting their entire relationship, who then goes under a mental attack at any hint of their past. "But I didn't say that, for the record."
"Right," Harry fake laughed.
"Have you started your Defense Against the Dark Arts essay?"
"No, not yet."
"That means you aren't going to do it, doesn't it."
"You know me so well, that's actually very accurate," Harry really smiled and Draco laughed as well.
"You can copy off of mine, although I don't think it would matter. Pumblechook always fails us anyway."
"He's an arse," Harry said, putting his head against the desk.
"He's worse than Umbridge, that's for sure, even though I didn't think that was humanly possible."
"I thought you liked her, you were one of her favorites."
"No, for some reason she drove me nuts."
'Yeah, she physically abused your boyfriend in front of your face and tortured him for months on end, that's why,' Harry thought to himself.
"Me too," Harry responded. Draco opened his potions book and started reading, well skimming. He more was focused on Harry's scent.
It was intoxicating.
Harry mumbled but Draco was too deep in thought to hear it. "Pardon, what?"
"I said," Harry propped himself up, "I think Pumblechook is worse because it's a personal level."
"Right... Potter, you never did tell, why did you defend me at the trial," Draco asked curiously, sitting up straighter. Harry sat up as well and ran a finger through his hair. 'Because I love you.' Nah that sounded tempting, but wouldn't do.
"You deserve better."
"No I don't. Potter-"
"Harry."
"Whatever. You hate me. I've been nothing but a nuisance for years, ever since I met you. I've done everything against you for 7 years, and I almost.. I almost..." Draco's voice got very low, "murdered somebody. I'm supposed to be rotting away just like the others."
"You're not an assassin if that's what you're worried about. I was there that night. You wouldn't of done it."
"But Potter-"
"Harry," he said strictly.
"Listen, I feel-"
"You're not worthless, if that's what you're going to say. You're not bad. You just don't know, okay?"
"I want to know. I'm tired of hating myself. I'm tired of hating my past."
"And why are you telling me this," Harry said. He was fine with it, Draco opening up to him so quickly, he just wondered. But then again, Draco did open up to him at the very beginning of their real relationship. It was pure chemistry.
"Because there's something different about you."
"Really now, something different about me?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. I probably sound mad right now."
"Oh, no you do. That's one of the side affects of being friends with me, remember. Loss of sanity."
"Right," Draco smiled, "sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"It's fine." Harry genuinely smiled at him, and Draco bared his teeth just like he did on their first date. "Hold on. Stay right there." Harry put his fingers to Draco's face and pulled his cheeks up. Readjusting his smile, Harry shut Draco's lips and pulled them so he looked like he wasn't an actual assassin. "There!"
"Thanks," Draco laughed. "I should probably go. I'm starving and I need to fix my hair-"
"Fix your hair?"
"I mean, get cleaned up." That's not what he meant to say. Words just escaped his mouth uncontrollably as he got up from his chair.
"Does that mean you're putting gel in your hair?"
"Possibly."
"No, keep it like that, It looks good! It looks sexier like that." That, Harry didn't mean to spill.
"Sexier," Draco questioned, startled almost at the openness of Harry. It'd only been 2 weeks of them being friends, but Draco felt and invisible connection with the boy and was okay with it honestly. If Blaise told him that, he'd probably punch him in the mouth.
But Harry's different.
"Yeah, sexier," Harry decided to play it off confidently, "I mean, looking like you have plastic hair is a turn off." Shit.. He didn't mean to put it like that.
"Okay then, thanks for the... abnormal, yet straight forward advice." Draco seemed amused so Harry didn't beat himself up that much.
"Friends help friends out, right?"
"Sure.. Maybe if you brushed your hair, it'd look sexier too...I think," Draco responded awkwardly. "Like gelled it up."
"Gelled it up?"
"Like, never mind!"
"No tell me," Harry smiled.
"Like," Draco took his hair and stood it up but it fell down right away and Draco just smiled carelessly.
"Okay, I'll be sure to try it," the raven haired boy laughed. "And never become a cosmetologist." Draco didn't really know what that was and Harry got the message as reassured him. "Someone who works with hair and make up."
Draco stuck his tongue out in response. "You shouldn't either."
"I know."
"Okay.. Erm.. Bye," Draco said cautiously as if he was on a time bomb, eager to explode at any second. He began to walk away but Harry stopped him.
"Wait. Will you meet me at the boathouse tomorrow?"
"Why the boathouse?"
"First thing that came to mind," Harry scratched behind his ear. He had to find places that didn't disrupt Draco's memory, and a boat ride sounded new and exciting. "At noon. Don't eat lunch."
"Okay, sure," Draco somehow agreed.
"It's a date," Harry exclaimed but the weird look on Draco's face. "Not like that, not a date, but like, I mean, a set time and place date not like a date that two people would go on, well I mean two people are going but it's not a date... But it is a date..but it's not... if that makes sense."
"It's doesn't, but I understand. Bye, Potter." He rolled his eyes.
"Harry!" He called as Draco walked away. Harry decided that even if he could never get Draco's memory back, he could always just try to make Draco fall in love with him again. It couldn't be too hard since he already had done it before.
Oh, and to let you in on a secret: it totally was a date.
---------------------------
Harry shut the door behind him with his bottom lip between his teeth.
"Mate, there you are," Ron said, turning from Hermione. "How are you?"
Harry's mouth broke into a huge grin. "I'm great."
"Really," he replied, surprised. 'Great' hadn't been in vocabulary in months.
"Yeah," Harry walked to his bed, sat on the edge of it and kicked off his shoes.
"You've been reading for hours... You hate reading," Hermione spoke cautiously.
"I do, Hermione. Thank you for that observation," Harry grinned, sitting back, "But... I do like reading when Draco Malfoy sits next to me. Though I don't get much done."
"You two talked," Ron asked, "and he didn't freak out?"
"No. It's was quite lovely actually."
"What'd you two talk about?"
"His hair," Harry said, dreamily.
"Seems intellectually stimulating," Hermione tucked her hair behind her ear.
Harry nodded, looking off into space. "Yeah..."He couldn't shake the look of Draco, hair all messy. It made him think of their first time, Draco's sex hair, loose, splayed against the pillow, and how soft it was. "It was wonderful."
"You didn't bring anything up from your past together?"
"I didn't want to. He asked me why I was reading all those memory books, though. Gave me a fright," he ran a hand through his hair, which may or may not have been greasy. He needed to shower. "He really has no idea, though, that his memory was erased."
"But you two are getting along better, right?" Ron took a bite of a chocolate frog. "Not like how it was at the trial?"
"No, it's much better now. We're friends."
"Yes, Harry, we know," Hermione spoke more stern, "because word got round about what you did to the hufflepuff quidditch team."
"They hurt him," Harry argued.
"That doesn't mean you can put them all in the hospital wing," she crossed her arms. "That was really bad. I'm surprised you haven't gotten yelled at for it."
Harry shrugged. "I dunno. I was angry. They deserved it... Oh don't give me that look. Draco doesn't have anyone to defend him. Sure, Pansy and Blaise, but he's isolated himself from them. They don't sit together at breakfast anymore. They always have."
"Harry —"
"He thinks no one loves him, I can see it."
"Yes, but beating up someone who lost their sister in the war isn't going to solve that—"
"Yeah, well they shouldn't have done that to him," Harry crossed his arms. "I know exactly how he feels. He doesn't think he deserves anyone, he told me. And that was before his memory got erased. I can only imagine his self-worth now. You saw him after the trial, he didn't think he even deserved a lawyer, and neither did the Ministry. And having a bunch of prefects beating him to bits isn't going to help. Kisses and snuggles from his boyfriend are, but I can't really do that right now, so seeking revenge is the only other way to show him I care. That, and no one messes with my family like that. I'd do the same for you two, you're my family, too. "
"You're our family, Harry, but —"
"Pansy talked to us the other day, by the way," Ron interjected, "Asked how you were doing."
"Did she say anything about Draco?" Harry furrowed his brows. "Is he okay?"
"They say he's calmed down, not as angry anymore."
"They also say that he's gotten over his hatred for you," Hermione interjected. "Blaise think's he's just being petty at this point, but Pansy says that's how he acted when he first had a crush on you."
"He has a crush on me?" Harry blushed, smiling immensely.
"Don't get your hopes up too high," Ron grounded him, "that's just what Pansy said. They don't know for sure if he does."
Again, Harry bit his lip. He looked at his hands, which he played with, because he was just so damned happy. "Well that's still a good thing. I didn't want to go on a date with someone who hates me... although I've already done that before now that I've mentioned it, and it ended up going pretty well. I got a boyfriend for two years after it."
"You have a date," Hermione shot up. "With Draco?"
Harry nodded. "I don't know if he thinks of it as a date, but I do. We're going as friends."
"Harry, you understand how potentially dangerous this is?"
"I won't bring up anything. I won't even try to kiss him. But ff our fingers accidentally brush, I'm not going to cry about it. And the flirting will be minimal so he doesn't get the wrong idea."
"Where are you going," Ron asked.
"I didn't want to take him to any place we've got to before, you know, just in case he has one of those episodes that he does. I'm taking him to the boathouse and we're going to have lunch on a the Black Lake."
"So you're having a date that technically isn't a date because he doesn't know it's a date, and to make sure you keep it civil and seem as if you're only friends, you chose to take him on a romantic boat ride picnic, alone, and you see nothing wrong with it?"
Again, Harry shrugged. "So, what should I wear?"
"Do you really think this is a good idea," Hermione asked. He could see the concern written all over her face.
"I don't see why not."
"What if you accidentally say something about your relationship and it pushes him away further?"
"It's not like I'm going to be like 'Hey Draco, look at that fluffy cloud. It's shape reminds me of the time we had sex on the stairwell at Grimmauld place and got carpet burn on our arses.' I'm just going to compliment his shoes like how I did when we went on our one year anniversary trip to the Chamber of Secrets, and if he starts making out with me like how he did then, I'm not going to stop him."
Ron pulled a face. "Really, Harry? The stairwell? You couldn't have at least gone to a bed or something?"
"I promise you Ron, if we would have tried our absolute hardest, we still probably wouldn't have been able to make it to a bed."
"Bleh," he covered is eyes and started wiping them. "Now I can't get the image of Draco Malfoy's carpet-burned arse out of my head."
"What a coincidence, neither can I," Harry said, cheekily.
Ron screamed into his hands.
--------------------------------------
Draco headed down to the lake at 11:45, his stomach rumbling. Harry was already there with a basket of food next to him, his feet in the water as he sat at the end of the dock.
"Hey," Draco said, smoothly.
"Oh hey," Harry replied much more rushed and scattered as he hopped out of the water, splashing some of the liquid on the pavement and Draco shoes. His hair was actually brushed to Draco's surprise, and was gelled up as recommended.
"Your hair looks nice," the blonde complimented.
"Sexier?" Harry bit his lip. He looked damn good.
"Much sexier. Look who shouldn't be a coszoologist..cosmezologist..coscmowologist-"
"Cosmetologist?"
"That's what I said! Look who shouldn't be a cosmetologist now."
"You, Still! You don't even know how to say it."
"Whatever, Potter!"
"Harry!"
"Whatever! Why did you ask me to meet you here of all places? Eating outside of a boat house. Not very appetizing."
"We aren't eating out here."
"Then why did you make me walk all the way down here?"
"Isn't it obvious? We're eating on a boat that's why."
"Oh," Draco let out profoundly. How could he not of caught that?
"It'd be best if you took off your shoes. Might get a little wet, I hope you aren't wearing nice clothing," Harry called as he pulled the boat out of the tether. "Ready?"
Harry threw the basket in and jumped on one of the seats while Draco just stood there, almost flabbergasted. "You're really taking me on a boat ride, Potter?"
"Call me Potter one more time and I'll tip the boat over. Yes I am, come on."
Draco obeyed and took of his cotton socks and nice shoes, rolling up his trousers to his knees. He then got on the small dingy and they set off away from the castle.
"You know this lake is dangerous," Draco questioned.
"Yeah, I mean, I have swam in it for over an hour," Harry reminded, a little more nervous than he intended to be.
"Oh that's right, I forgot about that."
They had a half hour of small talk as they slowly made their way from the castle to the shining waters of the black lake. It was absolutely gorgeous out. The sun was shaking and the breeze was light and cooling. Autumn had almost reached the castle.
"I'm starving," Draco begged for food. Harry grabbed the ham sandwiches that were in the basket, along with strawberries and treacle tarts. "How'd you know my favorite foods?"
"I mean glaring at you across the great hall for 7 years, I kind of picked up on some things." Draco agreed with the answer and was a little less creeped out at this point. "What's my favorite dessert?" How much did he really remember?
"Excuse me?"
"You don't know, or am I just a better enemy than you?" He knew Draco liked a challenge.
"I see how his game is, alright. You love treacle tart as well as... blueberries and vanilla ice cream," Draco pondered.
"5 points to Slytherin," Harry smiled, causing Draco to laugh as he took a strawberry to his mouth. "Alright, we have to get to the deeper stuff, the stuff with more meaning."
"I take it you and Weasley play this game."
"We did when we first started out being friends."
"Sure.. Okay, meaning of life, go!"
"No freaking idea," Harry answered immediately," If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"
Yes! It's falling and hitting the ground! It's the same as you falling from 100 meters, if no one is around to see you, do you still break a bone," Draco answered sarcastically, "what would you call your autobiography?"
"A Fucked-Up Life by Harry James Potter," he laughed,"A habit you hate?" Harry knew the answer of this one. Leg shaking.
"When someone keeps shaking their leg. I just want to punch people in the mouth when they do that. Who are you asking to the ball?"
"Wait- ball? What ball?"
"The Halloween Ball. It's being held in your parents honor, surely you know about it."
"No, when did this happen?"
"They announced it at dinner the other night!"
That's why. Harry hadn't been to actually supper since the first day back. He'd always go to the kitchens if he was hungry, but he stayed in the library almost all hours of the day.
"Who are you going to ask," Draco repeated.
"I actually have no idea." He could go with Draco if he really wanted to.
"What about the Weaslette? Aren't you two dating?"
"No, we never had anything, really."
"Oh, I'm going with Astora Greengrass."
"What!" Harry almost choked on the crust he out in his mouth. How the hell could Draco have already gotten a date already! How the hell had he even liked someone so quickly!
"What's wrong with her?"
"She's not your type!"
"How could you know what my type is?"
"Because I just do! She's not right for you.. I heard she's an absolute slut, plus she's ugly-"
"She's one of the prettiest girls in school!"
"She has HIV," Harry mumbled under his breath. He grew devastated. What was he supposed to do now?
"What!"
"Nothing! I just don't see you two together."
"It doesn't matter because I'm going with her. Anyway, next question. What's your biggest fear?"
That was an easy one.
"Forgetting."