〘 chapter xv: A FIRST DATE〙
Harry was running his hands through his hair nervously and pacing just on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest when Draco walked up. Harry had been so consumed with his own thoughts that he didn't even notice Draco until the smell of his cologne wafted over towards him in the small breeze. Harry looked up to find Draco striding towards him with a backpack on his back that Harry had never seen before. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater and dark jeans. His cheeks were red from the wind and cold. Harry found himself surging forward to meet him. "Hi." Harry said breathlessly.
"Sorry I'm late. Carter was giving me hell about stealing food." Harry cocked his head, unsure who Carter was. "Jeremy Carter? The Hufflepuff Prefect?" How did Draco know more of the students at Hogwarts than Harry did?
"Oh... I don't really know who the Prefects are this year." Harry said with a small frown. Draco shrugged.
"Doesn't really matter." Draco said. "You ready to go find a nice place to get killed at?" Draco asked. Harry nodded.
"Yeah, it'll be fun." He leaned in to kiss Draco but he put his hand on his shoulder and stopped him from coming closer. Harry paused.
"Not here." Draco said in a hard voice. Harry's shoulder's fell a little. "Someone will see." Harry wanted to say, Who cares? But clearly, Draco cared. Harry trailed after Draco, the two boys walking in silence for quite some time. Harry grimaced, feeling like he had soured the whole day before it had even started. Draco huffed and stopped and Harry nearly ran into him. "Will you stop pouting and hold my hand Potter." Draco said, glancing back at the dark haired boy over his shoulder.
"W-what?" Harry said. Draco always thought Harry looked kind of cute with that stupid confused look he always wears. Draco held his hand out to Harry. Harry took it and stepped a little closer to Draco, squeezing his hand lightly.
"That's better." Draco said before they continued walking together. Harry blushed slightly, staring at their feet. "Where do your friends think you are?"
"Umm.. I told them I was going to be with you." Draco stiffened slightly but they kept walking. "Well, I told them I'd be with the person I've been... Sneaking around with." Harry said with a shrug. "What about you? Where do Pansy and Blaise think you are?"
"Probably off brooding somewhere." Harry snickered. "It's true. I brood in towers a lot."
"I've noticed." Harry said with a smile and after that, they slowly eased back into their usual banter which made both of them sigh in relief. Draco had been unsure if this... Whatever this was... Could hold up when they weren't flirting with one another and testing boundaries and snogging in dark towers and hallways. Draco was worried the actual "date" aspect of this might ruin what they had but so far... So good.
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"I feel like I recognize this place." Harry said, looking around as Draco pulled a blanket out of his backpack.
"It wasn't where you died was it?" Harry laughed as Draco pulled out a familiar bottle of alcohol.
"No, I don't think so."
"Good." He said, plopping down onto the blanket, continuing to pull way too many things out of the backpack that surely couldn't all fit in there. "You probably just recognize it from all the other times you ran around stupidly through here." Harry half smirked and sat in front of Draco, crossing his legs.
"Is that one of those bottomless backpacks." Draco half rolled his eyes.
"It's not bottomless. It's just got a lot of space in it." Harry looked at the spread of food.
"How much did you steal exactly?" There was enough rolls and sandwiches for almost a dozen people. There was five different kinds of fruit, some leftover roast from last night, jars of jelly, peanut butter, a tossed salad, what looked like a thermos of soup and Draco was just now pulling out some custard and several slices of pie.
"I... I didn't know what you would like." Harry was surprised to see how hard Draco was blushing. He smiled widely and reached out to brush some of Draco's hair out of his eyes. Draco looked up at him nervously.
"How cute." Harry said softly before leaning in completely and kissing him. Draco kissed him back as his heart raced in his chest. Cute? Harry Potter had just called him cute.
"Shut up." Draco mumbled, pulling back. Harry laughed.
"This is why Carter was mad at you." Harry said, gesturing to everything in front of him.
"Actually he didn't see me take all of this. He only caught me stealing some pie. I had already packed everything else away." Harry grinned at him.
"I can't believe you took all of this for me though." Draco clenched his jaw. Damnit Harry had such a cute smile.
"I'm going to eat too." Draco argued. "I didn't know what I was hungry for."
"Me." Harry said. Draco scoffed as Harry started to laugh. Was Harry always this oblivious with the innuendoes/comments he makes?
"Shut up Harry." Draco said. "Don't make me regret this." Harry grinned.
"You won't." Harry said. Which was true, even if their first date went awry and they were attacked by something in the woods, Draco would still think this was the best date ever because he was here with Harry and that's all he's ever really wanted. "If Ron were here he'd eat everything." Harry commented.
"If Ron were here, I'm sure he'd think I'd done something to you, slipped you a love potion or casted some sort of spell on you." Draco said watching Harry pick up a sandwich and bite into it.
"Did you?" Harry asked with a grin.
"You're the one who kissed me." Draco said. "I was thoroughly against the idea of us."
"Liar." Harry said. "And you might have slipped me a love potion through those cigarettes."
"Why would I douse perfectly good cigarettes with a love potion?" Draco demanded, slowly tearing a roll into pieces and eating it.
"Because I'm just that fit." Harry said with a smirk. Draco was going to argue with him but he ended up almost choking on the roll when he looked up at Harry. That smirk he was wearing almost killed Draco.
"Hardly." Draco said, a furious blush on his face. Harry grinned and looked back down at the food, reaching for another sandwich.
"How's your mum by the way?" Draco arched an eyebrow at him. His mouth was so dry right now.
"My mum?" Draco said, confused. Harry nodded as Draco reached for the bottle of alcohol. He twisted off the cap with one hand and took a drink.
"Did she ever tell you what happened out here?" Draco slowly shook his head no, perplexed. He knew his parents were out here when Voldemort attempted to kill Harry but that's all his parents said about that. "She saved me." Draco nearly spit out the firewhiskey.
"She what?" He said.
"Your mother was the one who came to see if I was still alive or not. Voldemort wasn't sure and your mom volunteered to check." Draco was surprised.
"And she didn't... She didn't tell..." Harry shook his head.
"No. She felt my pulse and then she asked me if you were alive, if you were okay, and as far as I knew, you were so I said yes and she told everyone that I was dead."
"I can't believe..." Draco had goosebumps up and down his arm. He wasn't sure if he was simply shocked or scared. Why would his mother do that? Is that why they were trying to hustle him away when Harry jumped back to life? Voldemort would know she lied and then... "Why would she do that! Voldemort could have..."
"Hey, it's fine." Harry said in a soft voice, reaching across and taking Draco's hand. "I hope you're not mad she saved me." Harry said with a cheeky grin. Draco scoffed.
"Of course not. I just... Why would she lie? She was so afraid of Voldemort how could she..." Draco shook his head in disbelief.
"She did it because she loves you." Harry said. Draco looked up at him like he was an idiot but Harry's eyes were so soft and warm that the tension in Draco's shoulders fell away. "It's the same thing my mum did." Draco scoffed.
"Your mother sacrificed everything for you. That's not what..."
"It is though. She knew I was alive Draco. She knew that once Voldemort realized she lied, she might be killed but she had hope that she would see you again. She risked everything for you. I can't even imagine what she would have done if I didn't know you were okay." Draco looked baffled.
"I... I don't know what to say." Draco said slowly.
"Well... Could you tell her I said thanks. You must write to her." Draco swallowed hard.
"Every week. She... Worries." Harry nodded, squeezed Draco's hand one last time and took up another sandwich.
"Well tell her I said hi and, thank you. I'm really glad she didn't give me up. It's because of her that we were able to stop Voldemort."
"I just... I still don't get it. I know my mom loves me but..." Draco didn't want to say it but he had thought about it on several occasions. He had thought his parents fear of Voldemort, trumped their love for him.
"I guess she had hope in me too Draco." Draco looked up at Harry who was smiling wider than Draco anticipated. Draco slowly found himself smiling back.
"Yeah... I guess she did."