He found himself in the library, got in with Potter's invisibility cloak, and truth be told that was a tough conversation to have with Potter. You don't need to know the details about that right now, but just how Potter had managed to let Draco use his cloak was a mystery within itself.
So after a fair bit of reasoning between them, Potter actually let him use his invisibility cloak. But the only thing that Draco had not intended to be included with his agreed-upon borrow meant was that Potter came along with him, to the location where he would be needing the cloak to get in.
That was not the plan at all. Nevertheless, Draco was desperate so he found himself sneaking outside of the west wing 8th-year common room door with Harry Potter by his side, a gleeful grin on that adorable face. Draco couldn't help but take one look at it and smile. He cursed himself for it. I mean this was the whole reason why he wanted to go to the library in the first place, to get rid of that smile that played simply across his face as he listened to Harry talk like he was 12 again.
"This is exciting you know, sneaky out, late at night, I mean I used to do this all the time! It was either just I or I'd take Hermione and Ron sometimes. With this very cloak, you know my dad had this before I did, and in my first year here, Dumbledore gave it to me as a present and-"
Harry stopped talking immediately once he noticed Draco's breath hitch. He knew then that he shouldn't have mentioned Dumbledore because not only did that bring horrible memories for him but it did for Draco as well just judging by the look on his face.
Stupid me, Harry thought.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean-"
"You're always sorry Potter, just shut it ok? Do you want Flinch to hear us?"Draco snapped in low tones, turning down a corridor and dragging Harry with.
Harry gritted his teeth, stumbling over the stone a little, trying to stay under the cloak. "Well maybe if you would stop hurling me down the corridor, then maybe my foot wouldn't accidentally slip from under the cloak and be seen by a certain cat that would be right in front of us, yes, then maybe we wouldn't be caught."
"Oh, you sarcastic piece of shit there's no c-"
A hand covered Draco's mouth in an instant, Harry's hand and with his other, he pointed forward at Mrs. Norris who was advancing towards them. Draco's eyes went wide with understanding of Harry's words that were spoken moments ago and also fear. How much trouble had he already gotten into? If he got caught doing something as simple as going to the library at night with Harry Potter of all people, they might just think he was going to poison the boy to get revenge on his precious Dark Lord.
Ok, Draco admitted, that was kinda stupid. No, it was ridiculous.
Harry silently moved to the right of the hall, pushing Draco with the side of his body, his hand still covered over his mouth. Once at the wall he stopped and prayed that the red-eyed cat would keep walking on, her head turned sharply to them, squinting her eyes, then turning feverishly around she stocked off.
Harry let out a breath of relief as he saw the end of the cat's tail disappear out of sight as it turned a corner. And at that same time something wet had licked his hand, he yelped, his hand falling free from Draco's mouth and it was Draco's turned to cover his mouth to keep his shouts at bay. "Now would you shut up? We don't want the feline to come back." With that being said he released his hand but Harry still had a few things to say.
"What was that you arse?!"Harry whispered hissed, rubbing his hand on his cloak trying to get Draco's spit from it. "Ugh!! What the fuck Draco?!"
Draco all but smirked at him and then he proceeded to drag Harry along the rest of the way to the library.
Once there, Draco took off the cloak, lit a candle, and began looking through the isles of books. "Draco!" Hissed Harry.
"What?" Draco snapped back. Would you stop calling me that? He thought to himself.
"I thought you didn't want to get caught?" Harry pulled the cloak down to where it only showed his head which looked like it was floating.
Draco rolled his eyes, "Really, Potter, I think it's fine." He stopped talking in a whisper now and kept looking through the books, "The five minutes we had to walk here from 'The Mrs. Norris run in' I thought to myself even if we did happen to be caught I doubt we would be in any trouble seeing as I am with the one and only Harry Potter, the one who undoubtedly defeated the Dark Lord himself; I really doubt that it would be possible that you could get in any trouble and me on the other hand, well I have you don't I? All you'd have to say would be something like: 'Oh Malfoy and I were just doing some late night studying you see...uh since we're such good friends now! Because I'm Harry Potter and I love everyone...blah blah blah.' See? Something like that Potter. Now have a seat and make yourself comfortable."
"Ok then, but why did we bring the invisibility cloak if you don't care about getting caught?" Harry pulled the cloak off and laid it across his arm.
"Well Potter, originally there was no 'we' but you're here now so like I said you can't get into trouble. So just sit Potter I wanna get back as soon as possible." He grabbed a book from the shelf, flipped through it, then shook his head irritably and returned it to its place on the self.
"But how do you know I won't get into trouble? I'm a kid like everyone else here." Harry said, shaking his head in confusion.
"You're not a kid, you're an adult, just like I am and the rest of the 8th years," Draco said, almost dully.
"I still don't understand...you could have just come here without the invisibility cloak then-"
"In the dead of night Potter?"
"Well, you said that I could do the same." Harry was having a hard time understanding this whole ordeal.
"Because you're Harry Potter and you can't get into trouble anymore."
"So you're saying you will though?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Given my past," Draco took a breath, "I thought that was clear to everyone, especially you Potter."
"Oh."
"Yes 'oh'." Draco tutted, "now sit would you!"
"Demanding much?" Harry tilted his head at him.
Draco just glared at him, the firelight making his eyes dance.
And to Harry's and Draco's surprise, he did indeed sit down, taking the cloak and hanging it on the back of the chair. He crossed his arms and slumped into the chair like a 5-year-old who just got his toy taken away.
Draco blinked, looking at the back of the unruly mop of black hair, that he wanted to run his hands through.
He scowled at his thoughts and went back to the books.
He appeared next to Harry sometime later with about seven books in hand.
"Jeez Draco, planning a wedding?"
Yes, with you. Shut up!
"Shut it, Potter, light another candle would you?"
Five minutes later with Draco's nose in a book, Harry spoke.
"So what are you looking for again? I can help you know?" He reached across the table to where Draco put all the books on his left side so Harry wouldn't do the exact thing he was doing right now.
Fast as a snake would he grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled it away before he had time to wrap his hands around one of the various texts.
"I said very clearly before we left, that I did not need your help and you were to sit there, silently, and let me do what I need to do." Draco cocked his head to the side, dropping Harry's wrist, glaring at him. "Got it?"
"No."
Draco snorted, "What?"
"No, I don't get it Malfoy, what's so secretive that you can't tell me? Huh?"
Draco stuck out his jaw, holding his gaze, "I also clearly remember you telling me that you weren't going to ask questions either, that was a promise Potter."
"I don't care Malfoy, I don't make great on my promises if I suspect someone is up to something." He tapped his foot on the ground looking more deeply into Draco's eyes. "So, are you gonna tell me?"
"You know what is this game you're playing, with the name thing anyway? Whenever everything is all light and breezy you call me by my given name and once you want to know something you switch to Malfoy? Is this a game to you?"
"It's not a game Malfoy, I just wanna know why you dragged me to the library at three in the morning."
Draco scoffed, "You're the one who invited yourself!"
Harry scoffed back, "You're the one who wanted my cloak in the first place!"
Draco closed his eyes for a brief second, and breathed out, trying to control the rage that boiled inside of him.
Opening his eyes that flashed like two sparkling swords at Harry he said, "Do you even remember your promise Potter?"
"What are you talk-" Harry's eyes went wide.
"Yeah that one, remember now? At the beginning of this year I do distinctly remember
you telling me- and your words now that I repeat: 'if you need anything Draco, anything at all, just ask, I owe you one.' Your words, not mine."
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna randomly give you my cloak."
"I get that but the least you could do is not ask questions."
"I still don't trust you though, so don't change the damn subject Malfoy, and answer the damn question!" His hand slammed down on the table and Draco gulped.
"I-" That was like a punch to the gut, Draco thought, I mean what was I thinking? Of course, he doesn't trust you. With all the things you've done. Don't be an idiot Draco.
God and he couldn't tell Harry, he knew he couldn't, he would just have to end this and it would be over, so he could never tell Harry why he was here and they could both keep living their lives, Harry would marry his girlfriend, Ginny, and Draco...Draco would be put on a pedal stole by his mom and dad and watch them play Matchmaker. They would find him a pretty girl and the Malfoy bloodline would stay pure. It's what his parents wanted so therefore it was what Draco wanted.
Lies the voice in the back of his brian said lies you know what you really what it right next t-
"Ah shut up!" Draco put his hands to the side of his head and plunged face first into his book. Shaking his head mumbling indistinguishable words.
"Draco! W-what are you doing? Are you ok?" Harry grabbed one of Draco's hands but Draco just pulled back and brought it to his head again.
No not now Draco thought. This happened often to Draco, he would get these flashbacks of all the things he didn't want to hear or think that he kept to the back of his head, but once he even mentioned one of them to himself he would completely lose it. He hated himself for it. It was just merely a small panic attack, as he likes to call it. The memories and thoughts played out like:
"Pansy you're not helping me!"
"Come on Draco! Just admit it! You like him! I know you have for years! I've seen it, I'm not blind and neither is Blaise!"
"Don't get me involved in this Parkinson!"Blaise said from the couch, looking up from the book he was reading.
"You're the one who just had said not only a week ago that: 'oh Potter's clearly gay, for Draco at least.' See right there!" Pansy said pointing at Blaise, "that smirk you have on now, same as when you said that!"
"Oh I know," he turned to Draco, "she's right you know."
Face beet red Draco growled, "I thought you didn't want to be involved Zabini!"
"Oh I really don't, but this is getting interesting. Go on." He smiled, he just sat there and fucking smiled.
"I'm not admitting anything to you too!"
"Oh, so you do have something your hiding then?" Pansy crossed her arms in almost a triumphant way.
Draco embedded his nails in the palm of his hands.
"I never said that," Draco said, teeth clenched.
"You implied it, in oh so many ways," Pansy smirked.
That was enough for Draco, he simply left.
***
'Your catching feelings Draco'
'Just think it over Draco'
'Accepted it Draco'
'You're being naive Draco'
'You're thinking about him again, aren't you Draco?'
And the thing was that yes, he was. He always was. And he knew who was behind it. Or so he thought.
***
Harry didn't know what to do- Draco clearly looked like he did not want to be touched, but it seemed that he actually needed some type of comfort.
Oh god, he was crying now.
Harry had stood when Draco started freaking out and now he had sat back down but brought the chair as close as he could make it to Draco's chair.
Still unsure of how Draco would respond to anything right now, he very carefully placed one hand on Draco's back.
Draco stopped shaking and crying immediately.
Uh oh, Harry thought.
In an instant, Draco's chair toppled to the ground and he shot at Harry, cold venom lacing his words, "How dare you comfort me, Potter! I don't need your comfort of all people!"
Fresh tears rolled down from Draco's red eyes and down his pale cheeks.
"I don't deserve comfort."
Harry's mouth gaped in shock slightly, "Everyone needs comfort Draco, it's just apart of being human."
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"That!" Draco pointed at his face which had a confused expression on it. Cute. SHUT UP! And it made Draco have butterflies.
"DAMN IT, POTTER!"
He tore to the table with all the books. He started reading them faster than Harry ever saw Hermione reading, which was quite impressive seeing that was near impossible.
Harry still sat there completely bewildered. And that's when he noticed the title of one of the books: Love curses and potions effects by Fallwade Manicy
Wait-
"Draco are you trying to make a love potion?"
"No!"
Harry gasped "You are! Aren't you?!"
Draco wanted to slap him.
"No! No I'm not!"
"That's why you didn't want to tell me! Because they're banned!" Harry looked at him curiously with a small smile playing on his lips. "I even thought Draco Malfoy would be smart enough to know that that would be in the restricted section, guess not."
Draco didn't even need to turn to know he had a smirk on his face.
"You think you're so smart do you?"
"What's that supposed to mean Malfoy?"
Who cares anyway? I might as well tell him now.
Draco sighed, "You see Potter," he closed the book and turned to him, "I'm not making a love potion, I'm trying to break it.
And for some unknown reason, Harry's cheeks burned red.
"You're lying."
"I am not Potter, I suspect it was either Pansy or Blaise who did it- no it was probably both of them."
Potter blinked. "They cursed you," Draco nodded "with a love potion?"
Harry snorted at this.
"It's not funny, and now that you know, help me look." He handed Harry a book.
Harry grabbed the book and looked at it turning it over and over, inspected it.
Draco just watched him do this, "it's not gonna bite Potter, open it for heaven's sake."
Harry chuckled and shook his head looking up at Draco he said, "You really believe they cursed you with a love potion- or a love curse- what- Draco I simply don't understand this, why would they do that?"
Draco thought about this, why would Pansy and Blaise want to curse him with this hell, and it most definitely was a curse because he felt pain most definitely internal pain in his chest, his heart aced every time he was Harry and Ginny and when Harry would laugh or smile stupid butterflies danced annoyingly in his stomach.
He knew it was Pansy and Blaise doing this because if they never pointed it out to Draco he would have never noticed the strange feeling but once they had he knew they did something to him and they asked to make sure their plan worked.
And that's what Draco came up with to satisfy himself into thinking that's what really was going on here and he could make all of this go away even though he knew deep down he was wrong.
So he came up with an answer to give Potter and the meantime.
"Because they care for me and want me to find happiness," he rolled his eyes, "I guess."
"Huh, so who was this love curse potion whatever it is directed on? If you don't mind me asking."
Draco coughed, "I mind Potter, I really do mind."
Harry got up and put one hand on the table and one on the backside of Draco's chair, and got up right to Draco's face, "Come on, tell me. Who is she? Or he? No judgment here." Harry smiled.
Draco was sure he was going to faint.
"Please Harry I don't wanna tell..."
"Draco, you already told me this much, might as well finish it off with the person's name."
Draco gulped, what do I gotta loose, god he's close, he thought, I could just kiss him and so he did.
***
"Harry, did you find the keys!" Draco called, looking around the table full of mail.
Harry came up by his side and pecked him on his cheek. Draco went scarlet.
Harry bit his lip, "Right here, Potter." He handed him the keys to the house.
"Thanks." Draco shook his head and laughed, "You love calling me that don't you?"
"Oh I so do," Harry kissed him and looked up into his eyes, arms around his neck. "I still thank Pansy and Blaise every day for giving you that potion."
"Oh shut up you, we should go we don't want to be late meeting Ron, Hermione, Pansy, and Blaise."
"Yeah ok," Harry said.
Once Draco locked the door to their muggle house, yes muggle, they locked arms and started walking to their favorite cafe to meet the other couples.
"Gosh, I love how the cafe is so close we can just walk," Harry said, breathing in the late-night air.
"Um-hm." Draco agreed.
After a bit of peaceful silence, Harry couldn't help himself.
"I still can't believe you made up a whole story about how your friends-"
Draco shook his head and smiled.
"You're never gonna shut up about this are you?" Draco said.
"Never, I mean come on Draco, that's borderline crazy to say you were under a curse just to cover up that the fact that you actually had feelings for me!"
"I know, I was naive back then."
"Were you just scared I wouldn't like you back?"
Draco sighed, "I mean yes and no, it's just that I didn't know what I was feeling, it was all so new. And not to mention the fact that you had a girlfriend at the time!"
"Please don't remind me- not that Ginny is gross or anything but kissing someone who isn't you just seems-"
"I get it, Harry," Draco laughed.
"Oh look we're here!" Draco looked up and sure enough, there were. He saw all of their friends inside through the window, all talking like they knew each other for ages.
It seemed like Harry could read his mind because he said, "Weird right, never in a million years would I have thought that my husband would be Draco Malfoy and my best friends would be talking with Slytherins like they knew each other for years."
"Well it happened didn't it?"
"It did Draco, it sure did," Harry said, and at that moment Hermione spotted them through the window and waved at them to join, with a huge grin on her face.
"We should go in Harry," Draco whispered.
"I know." But he just stood there and smiled. And by now all four of their friends looked at them curiously just standing there staring at them.
Then Harry released Draco from his hold and turned to face him fully and grabbed both sides of his face and kissed him.
This surprised Draco a bit but he kissed back smiling ever so.
When Harry let go his eyes were still closed and he was biting his lip.
"What was that for." Draco breathed out looking at Harry's closed eyes.
"I don't know...I'm just so happy." He opened his eyes, looking at Draco so lovingly.
"You're something else, you know that?"
"Of course I am, I'm Harry Potter." Harry tried to make his face go serious but failed miserably.
Draco grabbed Harry's hands that were still holding his face and kissed them, he looked at the gold rings on both of their fingers for a brief second before smiling, and then looked at Harry and said, "I love you."
"I love you too," Harry said back smiling just as big, both completely oblivious to the world.
They both jumped when they heard a bang on the glass, they turned their heads to see Ron holding up his hands clearly annoyed that they hadn't come in yet, Blaise sipping his drink and rolling his eyes while Pansy was wiping her tears and Hermione smiling at them.
"Ok yeah, let's actually go in this time," Harry said and pulled Draco towards the door but Draco planted his feet on the ground, and right before Harry had time to question, he was pulled right back on Draco's lips.
They could almost hear Ron groaning in exasperation.