Harry doesn't take long at all, and he comes up with a silver platter with two plates on top, the glasses and pitcher floating in behind him. "You can do wandless magic?"
"Yeah. Simple, really, something I picked up last year."
No, not really, Draco wants to say. Because wandless magic is almost impossible to conquer, but should he really be surprised? This is Harry Potter.
Draco takes his plate and mumbles his gratitude, and when he lifts the cover his stomach gurgles. There's a piece of grilled chicken over a small pile of thinly sliced vegetables. And it smells divine.
He doesn't even wait for Harry to sit down, he sticks his fork right into it, puts some in his mouth, and groans.
"Good?"
He passes what he has in his throat and looks to Harry to find him smiling widely at him, the silver platter in front of him on the duvet. "Yes, thank you."
"You're welcome."
The Slytherin spoons a little more into his mouth and chews it before turning back to Harry. "Will you eat?"
"Not yet. I'll wait until you're finished."
Draco nods and goes back to his plate, and Harry adjusts himself over the bed, picking up the book poking out of Draco's bag. He reads the title.
"Is this the book you used to find the place I was stuck in?"
The blond hums, nodding. There's a bit of squash dangling from his lip and Harry points to it.
"Yes," he says when he's done with that. "It is actually very helpful in explaining magical signatures. It also has a chapter on bonds, which is why I still have it."
"Isn't this from the Restricted Section," Harry asks curiously, flipping the book to run his finger down the spine. He taps the bottom of it. "It is."
"I had to get it out of the library."
"How'd you do it?"
"I...copied a temporary magical signature of it to a piece of my notes."
"Impressive," Harry nods, grinning. "Didn't know you had it in you."
"I have had a lot of things in me." Draco's eyes widen and he slaps a hand over his mouth, his fork clanging on the plate.
"I know," Harry smirks. "I've seen it."
Draco can only laugh behind the back of his hand and throw his head back. "By Salazar, Potter!"
Harry laughs. "You said it."
"It was meant to be a thought."
"Yeah, well, you can't keep much from me."
The Slytherin's head tilts in thought. "How so?"
"The...other Draco told me that since I'm the Alpha in the bond, there's a lot of things I can do. Like, earlier in the library. I can smell you from far away. And...I can Apparate through the wards."
"What!"
"He also said that you can't keep your thoughts in, as my mate. Because I have to know what you're thinking."
"I cannot lie to you, basically."
"Right. And I feel what you feel sometimes, if it's strong enough."
"We really got ourselves into something deep."
"Yeah," Harry chuckles. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."
It doesn't take long for Draco to finish his plate and down a full cup of water, but when he's done, he sighs in content. And the he remembers something.
"You kissed me."
Harry stops flipping through the hard-cover book and looks up at Draco, who's setting his empty plate aside. "What?"
"You...kissed me. A few days ago."
"Oh, yeah," Harry nods, looking back down to the book to hide his blush. "I apologized for it."
"No," Draco says frustratedly. "You took my first kiss, Potter."
"Oh."
"Yes. And I am very upset about it."
"I'm sorry?"
"Is that it?"
"What?"
Draco glares. "Is that all you have to say about it?"
"What do you want me to do?"
"Make it up to me?"
"You want another one?"
"Another kiss?"
"Yeah."
Draco stares at him for a moment. "No."
"You hesitated."
"No, I did not."
"You want a bouquet?"
"Do I look like a girl?"
This time, Harry stares at him for a moment. "Well, yeah. Kind'a."
"You are the worst mate."
"Well," Harry throws his hands up and laughs. "What do you want, Draco?"
"For you to give me a proper kiss," he grumbles, crossing his arms as he looks away.
"I think you forgot you can't lie to me."
"I was not lying. I do not want another kiss. I want a proper kiss. There is a difference."
"Come here, then."
With a wave of his hand, Harry's forgotten plate moves off the bed. Draco gasps in his throat when he's being lifted and then he's on Harry's lap, staring at forest green eyes and red lips. "Potter."
"I'm sorry," Harry says sincerely. "I was an idiot and in the wrong for kissing you out of the blue. I should have found another way to know if you were actually there."
"Oh," Draco whispers. There's only one thing he can focus on and it's Harry's mouth. "Thank you."
Harry lifts his hands, sets one on Draco's thigh and the other on his cheek. He rubs his thumb over Draco's bottom lip. "Can I tell you something?"
"Yes."
"I kind of...liked kissing you. Very much."
"You did?"
The Gryffindor nods, and he leans closer to set his forehead on Draco's. "I did. And I wanted to do it again. In the Tower, the Astronomy Tower."
"And to think you were my arch-nemesis a year ago."
The way Harry's mouth lifts up in mirth has Draco's eyes closing and just inhaling Harry. "Even as your arch-nemesis, I think I wanted to do other things than punch your pointy face."
"Other things?"
"Like snogging you, of course."
"Oh?" Draco's eyes disappear into his hairline and he can feel Harry's forehead crinkle from smiling. He never opens his eyes, the moment is too precious.
"Yeah."
"Yes. Now you can," Draco feels breathless already, with Harry's hands on him. He thinks he should feel pathetic, but his heart is dancing.
"Yeah," Harry grins. "I can."
And he closes the gap between them, his lips moulding to Draco's, and he feels the vibrations of Draco's groan through his tongue. His stomach warms and then there's a slither of heat crawling up to his mouth, and he pulls Draco closer to him, the hand on his thigh moving to his lower back.
Harry pulls away to take a deep breath, and as soon as his lungs stop feeling shriveled he dives in again, scooting Draco's hips closer to his stomach so he can feel every fiber of his mate.
It's phenomenal.
The way Draco melts into his arms, and the way Draco sighs when Harry licks into his mouth. Harry doesn't want to stop. Draco's hands slide from his biceps to his neck, into his hair and back to his arms, like he doesn't know what to do with them, like he wants to touch Harry everywhere.
The Gryffindor pushes his tongue into Draco's mouth again as he lays back, letting the blond drop his weight over him. Harry moves his fingers underneath Draco's shirt and loves the way he shivers.
Draco pulls back, leaves his face hovering over Harry's with his eyes closed as he catches his breath. The dark-haired boy keeps rubbing his fingers on the skin of his back, wondering how he gets it to be so soft. "Salazar," Draco whispers.
Harry grins wolfishly, nudges his nose against his mate's. "Good?"
He nods. "Apology accepted."
The stay like that for a few seconds, with Harry running his fingers in circles on Draco's skin, and with Draco just inhaling the scent that composes Harry.
"This is not weird," Draco says. He sounds surprised but...calm.
"I hope not. Because then this would be awkward."
The Slytherin laughs, his eyes squeeze harder and he laughs. "Buffoon."
"I've never heard you laugh," Harry murmurs, amazed. "Wow."
"Wow?"
"I like your laugh. 'S beautiful."
Draco flushes and moves back. "We need to figure this out."
"I know."
"First thing, no one can know yet."
"Inner circle?"
The blond nods, watching as Harry swoops his hand into his own and plays with his fingers. "Only inner circle. We have to tell Weasley and Granger that they cannot tell anyone else."
"And Blaise."
"That is taken care of," Draco waves it off.
"Of course," Harry rolls his eyes.
"What about abilities?"
"I can Apparate through the wards, and hear what you're thinking. And I can smell you, which sounds weird, but really isn't."
"Right," Draco nods. "We covered that."
"What about you? Do you think you have a special power?"
"Apart from being able to find you all the time, I do not think so."
"That makes sense," Harry says suddenly. "I can Apparate through wards in case I need to get to you, and you can find me no matter what because of the same reason."
Draco nods. "It is also the reason you can hear my thoughts, in case I am in mortal peril. But you must remember to keep the channel open."
Harry nods without missing a beat. "Are you going home for the Holidays?"
"I am not allowed near the estate," Draco's voice lowers. "Part of my sentence is to fulfill it without the aid of my mother."
Harry frowns. "But...that means she's alone in the Manor. With no magic."
"She was allowed to keep one house elf to help with daily tending. Other than that, my mother always finds a way to get what she needs."
"Have you talked to her?"
"She Floos when she can. I spoke to her earlier this week. She is well, as far as I could tell."
"Does she know about...the bond?"
"No," Draco says immediately, shyly looking away. "And it is best she does not until I see fit to tell her."
"But she's your mother. Shouldn't she know, if Blaise knows? You did get your gene from her."
"That is irrelevant. She is not even aware I inherited the other two bloodlines. As far as she is concerned, I am a pureblood Malfoy in need of a suitor."
"A suitor," Harry's brows lift to his hairline. "Why do you need a suitor?"
The Slytherin closes his eyes and exhales. He didn't want anyone to know about that. "Mother wants me to find a suitor...for protection."
"Protection? Against what?"
"Remaining DeathEaters."
Harry sits up at that, and Draco has to scoot back and lean on his thighs. "DeathEaters? What...What do you mean?"
"You were in the castle most of the summer and well into the semester," Draco wonders out loud. "You were not aware of the first attacks."
"Attacks? Draco."
"There are a few DeathEaters that managed to escape before the Ministry got to them. And they have been targeting families that turned against the Dark Lord, eliminating the heirs."
"So you. You're one of those targets."
"Hence, a suitor," Draco nods. "Mother wants me to find someone that is not a pureblood, since that is what the DeathEaters are searching for. If I marry into a family of infidels, I am no longer a pureblood. No longer a target."
*******
Blaise is hurrying up the staircase of the West Wing, his mind set on Draco. He hears silence when he nears the door, and he doesn't hesitate in pushing it open.
"Merlin's socks," Blaise yells, turning around immediately. "I have to stop doing that."
Draco and Harry look at each other and both lift a brow.
"We're decent," Harry says. He tightens his hold on Draco when he goes to move off.
The darker Slytherin turns cautiously, and then whirls as he starts walking again. "Sorry to interrupt your little escapade, but I need Draco."
The blond frowns. "What is it?"
"I'd rather do it in private."
"If you're trying to have him hide something from me, it won't work. Mind as well tell him now."
Blaise scowls, but he faces Draco again. "Your mother has been kidnapped."