Ron and Harry probably should have been practising their Protean Charms with Hermione, Ginny and Luna during their first-period charms class. Instead, they sitting at the back of the class playing Gobstones under the desk.
"And I win, yet again!" Ron cheered. Harry folded his arms grumpily. "You need to step it up, mate."
"You're definitely cheating," Harry complained.
"Oh, don't be a sore loser." Ron laughed. "I expect 5 sickles on my bedside table this evening."
"Fine." Harry rolled his eyes. "Hey, I need to ask you for help."
"Does someone need me to give them a right jinxing?" With a flick of his wand, the Gobstones returned to their box.
"Nothing like that," Harry assured him. "I need, romantic advice."
"Then why are you coming to me?" Ron chuckled. "I don't know what I'm doing? Wait, have you got your eyes on someone?"
"I guess," he shrugged. "But, how did you know that you really had feelings for Hermione?"
"Why are you asking me? What about Ginny? How did you know you had feelings for her?" Ron frowned.
"I guess I just knew," Harry glanced over to his ex-girlfriend.
"Then do you feel the same way for this new bachelorette?" Ron wiggled his eyebrows, making Harry snort. He didn't reply for a while, however, thinking about this idea.
In the past week, since they had returned, Draco and Harry had shared many encounters that he couldn't describe in any other fashion than flirtatious.
He continuously saw Draco out of the corner of his eye, looking in his direction during meals or perhaps across the common room. But now when Harry caught him, Draco no longer glanced away hurriedly. Instead, he preferred to place a mysterious smirk on his face and initiate a battle of the wills, refusing to be the first to look away.
It was the small brushes of their hands during their potions tutorials, the antagonising whispers during their potions class, the purposeful nudges and glances in the dorm room. These were the things that made that strange feeling in Harry's stomach appear and distract his entire self from what he is supposed to be doing.
"Yes," Harry said finally.
"So who is it? You better not be stepping down from my sister."
Harry shuffled closer to Ron, looking around the room and lowered his voice. "Don't say anything, don't react."
Harry grabbed a piece of parchment from the desk in from and scribble Draco in black in with his quill.
He slid it towards Ron who, as per Harry's instruction, did not react. In fact, for several seconds Harry was worried that he had broken his best friend and he could hardly detect an even an intake of breath from Ron.
"What?" It was so quiet that Harry almost missed it. Ron's shaky response stumped Harry, he slumped in his chair feeling a little stupid. "What?"
"Please don't freak out," Harry grimaced.
"Freak out?" Ron's voice cracked a little. "This is a loaded announcement, Harry!"
"Can we not make this a big deal," Harry looked around hurriedly, thankfully Ron's raise in voice didn't attract any attention.
"How come you never told me you were gay?" Ron whispered, quite offended.
"I'm not!" Harry hissed.
"Then what is this?" Ron waved the piece of parchment in his face.
"I'm not gay," Harry said. "I know I liked Cho and Ginny. This is a one-off thing."
"So you like girls. And Malfoy?" Ron sighed, clearly trying to get his head around the announcement.
"I mean, I guess," Harry shrugged.
"Wait, how long have you been having gay feelings for Malfoy?"
"Can you not call them 'gay feelings'?" Harry rolled his eyes.
"Fine. How long have you had these 'not gay feelings' for Malfoy?"
"Seriously, not helping."
"I'm just trying to understand!"
"I've been almost sure for about a week but if I think about it, ever since he started opening up I haven't been able to help myself being a little interested," Harry admitted.
"Right," Ron squinted at him. "You've got to tell Hermione, mate."
"I know. We've got potions next, I'm sure Malfoy won't mind me leaving the potion to him, lest I ruin it," Harry tried to lighten the conversation with humour. Ron didn't seem impressed.
+ + +
"That wasn't quite what I was expecting," Hermione smiled a little when Harry revealed his secret to her. She glanced back to Draco who was beginning the potion set for the lesson.
"So are you going to tell him why he's an idiot?" Ron asked desperately.
"Of course not," Hermione placed an arm on Harry's bicep defensively. "I'm surprised, but I think it's cute. Right out of a romance novel."
"Thank you?" Harry smiled unsurely.
"You better go back to lover boy," Hermione smirked. "Slughorn's coming."
"He's not my-" Harry cut himself off, there was no use fighting it.
"I thought for a moment they were hoodwinking my favourite assistant," said Draco without looking up from the potion when Harry returned to his side.
"Good to know you missed me," Harry retorted sarcastically. "Also assistant?"
"Of course, I have been carrying you all year," Draco shrugged. "Pass me those Lionfish Spines."
Harry picked up the spines and offered them to Draco lazily.
"Put a little pep in your step, would you? I can't work with your depressing attitude," Draco rolled his eyes.
Harry sighed, knowing he couldn't win against Draco's will. But he couldn't help himself as he leaned against the table, watching Draco do the work that he himself probably should be doing.
"Enjoying the view?" Draco smirked. Harry choked on air, causing Malfoy to raise an eyebrow in his direction.
"Shut up, Draco."
"Never."
+ + +
Harry was used to people staring and whispering whenever he went anywhere in the wizarding world. Every year in Diagon Alley or a new batch of first years arrived Harry felt like they saw him as this amazing spectacle.
He was not expecting halfway through the school year, however. Even students in sixth and seventh years were doing it which made Harry incredibly uncomfortable.
The Great Hall was even worse. As he made his way to were Ron, Hermione and Ginny were sitting it felt like the eyes of the entire school were on him.
"Where have you been?" Scolded Hermione in a hushed voice, her eyes darting around.
"I forgot my jumper," Harry frowned. "What's going on?"
"You don't know?" Ginny raised an eyebrow. "It's all anyone's been talking about since yesterday afternoon!"
Harry's thoughts went straight to the Prophet. Did some sleazy journalist write another horrid article about him?
"They-"
"Ginny no!" Ron glares at her.
"He deserves to know!" Ginny leant over the table slowly. "They're saying that Malfoy slipped you a love potion and now you're in love."
"What?" Harry spluttered. Ginny sat back down, nodding solemnly.
"Maybe you should be more careful as to where you have these, uh, delicate conversations." Everyone's head turned behind Harry where a very smug Slytherin girl was standing. It was Park, she must have overheard the conversation during potions and told the whole school.
Harry's eyes instinctively looked over to scan the Slytherin table. He found Draco bear the end of the table. A third year of his house was talking to him animatedly.
Draco stood abruptly and lefts the hall at quite a fast pace.
"Excuse me," he said, standing up from the table, making it a point to elbow Park out of the way.
He walked briskly in the direction in which Malfoy left, scanning the halls from him before spotting the back of his blonde head.
"Malfoy!" He called after him. Draco didn't stop, he kept walking. Harry quickened his pace to a jog, trying to keep up with him. "Draco!" Harry reached out and grabbed the Slytherin's upper arm, forcing him to stop.
Draco looked around hastily. "We are not doing this out here." He dragged Harry to the nearest empty classroom and shoved him inside.
"I'm so sorry," Harry apologised when Draco locked the door before leaning against it and running his fingers through his own hair.
"You're sorry?" Draco let out a sarcastic laugh. "Not everything is about you, Potter! This is only about me! You were just an easy target."
"What do you mean," Harry frowned, grabbing Draco's wrist. He half-heartedly tried to pull away from Harry but let his arm go limp in his grasp.
"It's me. She hates me, also you probably, she hates nearly everyone," Draco explained. "She's making a point, using you because she knows it'll hurt me the most."
"What are you talking about?" Harry stepped closer, their shoes almost touching but Draco refused to look at him, staring at the floor to the side.
"That no one could ever love me unless I bewitched them," said Draco. He let out a small noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob but no tears come out. "Especially not, you."
"Draco, that is not true," said Harry. His heart hurt for the damaged boy in front of him.
"You don't know that, Potter. You don't know me."
"It was my conversation she overheard," Harry sighed. This caused Draco to look up at him through his eyelashes. "In potions probably, she came up to me at breakfast and told me herself."
"So you think I gave you a love potion?" Draco frowned.
"No, of course not," Harry laughed, looking down at where he held Malfoy.
"Then," began Draco slowly. Harry could almost see the cogs turning in his brain. "You have, feelings for me?"
"Honestly? I don't know," Harry looked up, locking their eyes. He could see his bright green eyes reflected in Draco's grey ones which were studying his face carefully as if trying to deduce whether Harry was lying or not. "I feel something. I want to be around you, I want to impress you, I want to make you smile. I never thought I could feel this way about a-"
"Death Eater?"
"I was going to say a boy," Harry chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"Oh." Draco seemed stumped with the information he had just received. He pulled himself together and stood up straight, an inch or two taller than Harry and pulling his wrist away gently. "Do you want to know the best way to be sure?"
Harry nodded. Then time seemed to freeze.
All at once he felt Draco's pale hands cupping his chin and his cold lips on his. Harry's brain seemed to short circuit, he was having trouble keeping up with what was going on. His eyes fell shut on their own accord and he found his hands reaching out to Draco just to keep himself balanced. His fingers found the front of Draco's Slytherin robes and they clung to it for dear life.
Draco pulled back before Harry could catch up with reality.
"How about now?" Asked Draco softly, leaning his forehead on Harry's. "Do you know now?"
"Yes."