Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy - Trust My Heart - One Shot - PG-13
Title: Trust My Heart
Author: screaminglungs
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Harry wishes Draco could just say how he feels, so harry could stop wondering why he feels that he's bullied him into having a relationship.
Authors Note:Inspired by an interview I read with J.K. Rowling over at the Leaky Cauldron you can read it here but in particular it was what she said about Draco's emotions that made me write this; "Harry’s problem with it (talking about Occlumency) was always that his emotions were too near the surface and that he is in some ways too damaged. But he's also very in touch with his feelings about what's happened to him. He's not repressed, he's quite honest about facing them, and he couldn't suppress them, he couldn't suppress these memories. But I thought of Draco as someone who is very capable of compartmentalizing his life and his emotions, and always has done. As always thank you to my beta reader kcstories
“Why the fuck can’t you just say what you mean for once? I’m twenty-three years old, Draco, not seventeen. I can’t take these mind games anymore!” Harry growled and ran his hands through his already dishevelled hair.
“What do you want from me? You asked me out, I said yes, we’ve been out on a few dates and suddenly you want some sort of a commitment?” Draco sneered, reminding Harry of the horrid pointed faced boy Draco had once been.
“Don’t make me out to be some needy woman. It hasn’t been ‘a few dates’, it’s been six months, Draco, six months of me running after you, of me coaxing you into a relationship, and I don’t think I can do it anymore.” Harry sighed wearily and slumped into the armchair opposite Draco’s.
“Coaxing me? I’m not a child.” Draco’s cheeks reddened and he glared viciously at Harry.
“Then stop acting like one!” Harry roared.
“I’m not the one having some sort of emotional breakdown just because I won’t come to a stupid wedding with you,” Draco snapped in annoyance.
“Just because? It’s Ron and Hermione’s wedding! Heard of them, have you? They’re my best friends and this day means a lot to me!” Harry answered frostily.
“Your point being?” Draco crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyes skyward.
“I thought that I meant something to you, that you’d come along to show me some support. I’ve obviously been completely out of mind!” Harry snarled and stood abruptly from the armchair, disappearing into his kitchen.
Draco sighed heavily. He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t used to this, and he didn’t know how to function in this kind of relationship. Harry was always completely honest with him, about everything. If Draco wanted to know something, Harry was only too happy to give him the information he wanted. Draco knew exactly what he meant to Harry without ever having to dig for the information. Harry told him every time they met with smiles and touches and kisses and most significantly, with words. Harry had told him he’d found him attractive long before they’d started dating. Harry told him he thought Draco was beautiful. Harry told him he thought he was falling for him and the whole experience had been utterly bewildering.
Draco was not by nature an honest person; he did not know the meaning of compassion or love. He had never been told that he was loved, not by his parents or his friends. He wasn’t sure he even knew what love was, how he was supposed to react in situations such as these. It wasn’t that he didn’t care; the very thought of Harry telling him that they were over made his chest ache and his stomach churn, but he still didn’t know how to give more. He knew it was still Harry that made the majority of their plans. It was almost always Harry asking him out, asking him to come over and Draco always had fun. He adored being around Harry, but he was forever holding back. He didn’t know how to give himself to someone else without leaving himself completely open to being hurt. His father had always made him believe that emotions simply made him weak and the fact that Harry wanted things from him, some reassurance that all of this meant something, scared Draco witless.
Harry came back into the living room and stood staring expectantly at the blonde.
“I always knew things would be hard between us, but not like this. You make me feel as if I’ve completely twisted your arm. That it’s somehow my fault that we’re like this because I’ve bullied you into this relationship in some way. I’m running around after you like some mooning school girl and it’s utterly humiliating!” Harry snorted. “If you can even call what we have a relationship.”
“You didn’t bully me, but I told you, back when we first started this, that I wasn’t used to this kind of thing, and I meant it. I can’t just suddenly change! I can’t be some Hufflepuff, all hearts, flowers and declarations of undying love,” Draco whispered, his voice barely audible.
“Really? If you don’t want to be around me, then don’t be. I’m not going to beg for anything from you, I haven’t asked a single thing from you, except your company. Not until now. I’ve really tried. I am really trying here, Draco, but this isn’t easy for me.” Harry sighed.
“Do you think this is exactly easy for me? I don’t know what to do anymore! You say you’ve never asked me for anything, but you want these things from me that you give so easily, but I don’t know how to wear my heart on my sleeve like you! Do you think I like us fighting all the time because I can’t seem to just say how I feel? I was always taught that if you let people know how you feel, they’ll have the upper hand, they’ll hurt you.” Draco’s breathing was ragged. He knew he had lost control a little, said more than he should have, but strangely, it felt good.
“Have I ever given you the impression that I would hurt you? Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I do!” Draco snapped. He was more frustrated than he could ever remember being.
“Then what is it? I don’t know what else I could possibly do to make you more comfortable around me, to make you realise that I’m not going anywhere. I’ve done and said everything I can think of, but you still won’t let me in. You won’t even stay here overnight, or properly tell people that we’re a couple. I don’t even know if you think of us as couple. Do you think of me at all? Or am I completely wasting my time? There are so many questions that I have for you that I don’t ask because I’m scared of pushing you too far. One too many questions and you’ll bolt and I’ll lose you for good and I’ll never know, but to be honest, I’m sick of it.” Harry sounded defeated.
“I was conditioned to think in a certain way, Harry, to put my feelings into boxes and some of those boxes are harder to open than others.” Draco didn’t know how to explain and he was doing a poor job of trying.
“Oh Draco, for goodness sake! You were conditioned to hate me, you loathed me from the moment we met, but you seem to have gotten over that! You can even be around Hermione without calling her a Mudblood,” Harry snapped. He looked pale.
“And that’s taken me, what? Twelve years? Fuck, Harry! Why can’t you just accept that this is the way I am?”
“Because I don’t even know why you’re here with me.”
“I…”
“Is this all some sort of elaborate joke? Make Harry Potter fall for you, run around after you like an idiot, just to prove that you can without even trying?” Harry was examining his hands as he stood there in front of Draco, who was too shocked to say anything in his own defence.
“How could you even ask me that?” Draco’s throat felt awfully tight and alarm bells were going off in his head telling him that this was one of those defining moments, a ‘make it or break it’ situation.
“I’m surprised I haven’t asked you that earlier,” Harry replied honestly.
“Do you truly think I’m capable of that? Of manipulating you in such a way?”
“I don’t know what you’re capable of, Draco. I don’t know you, remember? You know me; I’ve told you everything there is to know about me, but aside from the basics, I’m clueless about you.” Harry shook his head wearily.
“Harry, I don’t…”
“Know what to say? Or do? I know, Draco, and the problem is now, neither do I. I used to think that I could wait for you, for however long it would take, but I can’t anymore. I cannot keep waiting, and giving myself to you over and over again without getting anything in return.” Harry sighed and met Draco’s eyes for the first time since returning to the room. “I’m going to go upstairs and I’d appreciate it, if you weren’t here when I came back down.” Harry turned on his heel and marched out of the living room.
Draco sat on the sofa staring into the flames of Harry’s fireplace for a few long moments. Fuck. He had utterly screwed up this time. No doubt about it. He could hear Harry banging around upstairs. He winced when something heavy hit the ground and yet, he still couldn’t find the words. They were swimming around his head somewhere, but all and any attempts to put them together coherently failed. He waited for the banging to stop and left the house.
*
It was a small Muggle church. The kind that was hidden away amongst houses in the backstreets of central London. Draco stood a little further down the street, leaning on a tree, watching people, wizards and Muggles alike, as they entered. Each of them was given a programme by the two Weasley twins standing in the doorway, wearing matching black and silver dress robes. It was a cold day, but Draco could feel his palms sweating. It had been more than two weeks since Harry had asked him to leave, and he hadn’t heard from him since.
It seemed that the ever-resilient Gryffindor had finally given up on him, and this had left Draco feeling empty in a way that he had never felt before. His father had been wrong. It didn’t matter whether you gave your heart to someone or not, you could still get hurt and boy, was Draco hurting.
As the crowds died down, Draco took a deep breath and crossed the street towards the church, hoping that he could slip on through without any comments from the twins. Even after all these years, they still made him incredibly nervous. Luckily, just as he stepped up to the church, the roar of a Muggle car behind him alerted the twins to the bride’s arrival and they rushed inside the church themselves.
Draco found himself a place at the back, and he immediately spotted Harry at the front of the church, standing next to his best friend. He was nervously tugging on his collar, his sleeves, his jacket, and Draco couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t the groom meant to be the nervous one?
The reason for Harry’s nervousness was that he was standing in front of so many people. Despite it being Ron and Hermione’s wedding, Harry couldn’t help being who he was and it was obvious that just as many eyes would be on him today as there would be on the beautiful bride. This was why he had wanted Draco with him. He had wanted some support.
Draco felt his stomach churn at the thought of their last conversation. He hadn’t had a full night’s sleep since. It hadn’t taken him long to realise he had been an utter prat, but it had taken him a while to work out what he would do to make it up to Harry, and what he would say when he finally saw him again.
The organ flared and Hermione slowly walked past Draco’s back row and further into the church. Draco watched as Ron turned to look at his soon-to-be wife, looking at her with all the adoration and love he felt for her clearly reflected in his eyes.
Just this once, Draco actually envied Ron Weasley. He wished he could tell Harry how he felt with a single glance. He wished he could stand in front of a room full of people and tell them and the whole world that he loved Harry Potter more than he ever thought he could love anyone, because he did; he knew that now. He hoped with all his heart that one day, he would be able to. For now, though, it just mattered that he said the words and hopefully, Harry would accept them.
The ceremony was a short one and he eased out of the church along with the rest of the congregation. He watched from afar as the newlyweds drove away in their bright white car. He was jerked back to reality when someone grabbed his elbow and yanked him back from the crowd into the back of the church.
Pulling his arm away, Draco turned to meet Harry’s angry eyes.
“What are you doing here? Come to torment me? You said you wouldn’t come and now you’ve come anyway?”
Draco swallowed hard. He had hoped Harry would have been happy to see him, taken this for the gesture it was, and appreciated Draco coming.
“I haven’t come to torment you. I came- I came to-” Draco hated himself for being at a loss for words so early into this. That morning, he had spent hours practicing in front of the mirror, rehearsing what he would say to Harry, and now it was all gone.
“No words again? There’s a surprise.” Harry crossed his arms over his chest and stared at a spot behind Draco.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t come here to make your day harder.”
“You’re sorry?” Harry snorted. Draco wasn’t used to this side of Harry, the defensive, hurt side of him that wanted to lash out, and it unnerved him because this had to be what he had been like most of the time, unresponsive and hard to talk to. No wonder Harry had gotten fed up.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I came here because I wanted to talk to you and tell you the things I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time but didn’t know how.” Draco stared resolutely at Harry. He had to get this out before he lost his nerve.
“Go on.” Harry’s voice sounded less defiant, but his arms were still crossed and he still had that haughty look on his face. It really was like he was practicing in the mirror.
“I love you,” Draco blurted, and gaped, shocking himself. Where had that well planned speech gotten to?
“You what?” Harry stared at him. He looked as flabbergasted as Draco felt.
“I’m in love with you, and I do want you around. You won’t have to bully me into this because I want to be with you, and I'm never going to be any good at the sappy stuff and I’ll never be all hearts and flowers and chocolates, but I just wanted you to know that I do care. I love you.” Draco felt like the floodgates had been opened, and he didn’t quite know how to stop.
Harry stared at him as if he had just grown two heads. He really hadn’t expected Draco to change anytime soon.
“Harry, where are you? We’re wanted at the reception hall now! There you are!” Draco turned around and came face to face with Oliver Wood, who smiled brightly at them; he was all chocolate eyes and a blazing white smile. Draco felt his stomach lurch. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, just wondered where you’d gotten to.”
Draco felt himself go cold. “Don’t be sorry. I was just leaving. I’ve obviously made a grave mistake.”
Draco couldn’t look at Harry. It was obvious that he wasn’t needed, and that Harry had quickly moved on and found someone else; someone who could support him better. Cleary, the only thing Draco had accomplished by coming here had been to completely humiliate himself. “Bye Harry,” he mumbled and shouldered past Oliver out into the street.
Draco felt like his chest was imploding. Harry hadn’t needed his words, after all. It had been too little, too late. Oliver was probably in there right now, saying far more eloquent things, the things Harry wanted and needed to hear. Draco had been a fool, and he only had himself to blame.
He blindly marched down the street, his head down and his hands shoved in his pockets. He was even further humiliated to realise that he felt like he might start crying. Stupid floodgates.
“Draco!”
He sped up. He didn’t want Harry to see him like this. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this.
“Draco, wait, please!” Harry’s footsteps sped up along with his own, until he could hear Harry running behind him. Harry grabbed his arm and spun him around. Their eyes met and Draco’s watched as Harry’s widened.
“Draco, that wasn’t what it looked like.” Harry was out of breath.
“You don’t have to explain. I’ve never given anything to you, so why should you have to justify yourself to me?” Draco’s voice cracked.
“Why? You daft git, because I love you too. Oliver’s just a friend.” Harry pulled Draco closer and examined the blonde’s face, his green eyes boring into red rimmed grey.
“You do?”
“Of course I do, you prat.” Harry smiled and Draco couldn’t help but smile back.
“Good, because I don’t just say that to anyone.” Draco laughed softly and pressed his lips to Harry’s, that empty feeling inside feeling as if it were slowly filling with every soft movement of Harry’s lips against his own.
Draco broke away and buried his face in Harry’s neck. Maybe, Harry really was someone Draco could trust his heart with after all.
Author: screaminglungs
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Harry wishes Draco could just say how he feels, so harry could stop wondering why he feels that he's bullied him into having a relationship.
Authors Note:Inspired by an interview I read with J.K. Rowling over at the Leaky Cauldron you can read it here but in particular it was what she said about Draco's emotions that made me write this; "Harry’s problem with it (talking about Occlumency) was always that his emotions were too near the surface and that he is in some ways too damaged. But he's also very in touch with his feelings about what's happened to him. He's not repressed, he's quite honest about facing them, and he couldn't suppress them, he couldn't suppress these memories. But I thought of Draco as someone who is very capable of compartmentalizing his life and his emotions, and always has done. As always thank you to my beta reader kcstories
“Why the fuck can’t you just say what you mean for once? I’m twenty-three years old, Draco, not seventeen. I can’t take these mind games anymore!” Harry growled and ran his hands through his already dishevelled hair.
“What do you want from me? You asked me out, I said yes, we’ve been out on a few dates and suddenly you want some sort of a commitment?” Draco sneered, reminding Harry of the horrid pointed faced boy Draco had once been.
“Don’t make me out to be some needy woman. It hasn’t been ‘a few dates’, it’s been six months, Draco, six months of me running after you, of me coaxing you into a relationship, and I don’t think I can do it anymore.” Harry sighed wearily and slumped into the armchair opposite Draco’s.
“Coaxing me? I’m not a child.” Draco’s cheeks reddened and he glared viciously at Harry.
“Then stop acting like one!” Harry roared.
“I’m not the one having some sort of emotional breakdown just because I won’t come to a stupid wedding with you,” Draco snapped in annoyance.
“Just because? It’s Ron and Hermione’s wedding! Heard of them, have you? They’re my best friends and this day means a lot to me!” Harry answered frostily.
“Your point being?” Draco crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyes skyward.
“I thought that I meant something to you, that you’d come along to show me some support. I’ve obviously been completely out of mind!” Harry snarled and stood abruptly from the armchair, disappearing into his kitchen.
Draco sighed heavily. He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t used to this, and he didn’t know how to function in this kind of relationship. Harry was always completely honest with him, about everything. If Draco wanted to know something, Harry was only too happy to give him the information he wanted. Draco knew exactly what he meant to Harry without ever having to dig for the information. Harry told him every time they met with smiles and touches and kisses and most significantly, with words. Harry had told him he’d found him attractive long before they’d started dating. Harry told him he thought Draco was beautiful. Harry told him he thought he was falling for him and the whole experience had been utterly bewildering.
Draco was not by nature an honest person; he did not know the meaning of compassion or love. He had never been told that he was loved, not by his parents or his friends. He wasn’t sure he even knew what love was, how he was supposed to react in situations such as these. It wasn’t that he didn’t care; the very thought of Harry telling him that they were over made his chest ache and his stomach churn, but he still didn’t know how to give more. He knew it was still Harry that made the majority of their plans. It was almost always Harry asking him out, asking him to come over and Draco always had fun. He adored being around Harry, but he was forever holding back. He didn’t know how to give himself to someone else without leaving himself completely open to being hurt. His father had always made him believe that emotions simply made him weak and the fact that Harry wanted things from him, some reassurance that all of this meant something, scared Draco witless.
Harry came back into the living room and stood staring expectantly at the blonde.
“I always knew things would be hard between us, but not like this. You make me feel as if I’ve completely twisted your arm. That it’s somehow my fault that we’re like this because I’ve bullied you into this relationship in some way. I’m running around after you like some mooning school girl and it’s utterly humiliating!” Harry snorted. “If you can even call what we have a relationship.”
“You didn’t bully me, but I told you, back when we first started this, that I wasn’t used to this kind of thing, and I meant it. I can’t just suddenly change! I can’t be some Hufflepuff, all hearts, flowers and declarations of undying love,” Draco whispered, his voice barely audible.
“Really? If you don’t want to be around me, then don’t be. I’m not going to beg for anything from you, I haven’t asked a single thing from you, except your company. Not until now. I’ve really tried. I am really trying here, Draco, but this isn’t easy for me.” Harry sighed.
“Do you think this is exactly easy for me? I don’t know what to do anymore! You say you’ve never asked me for anything, but you want these things from me that you give so easily, but I don’t know how to wear my heart on my sleeve like you! Do you think I like us fighting all the time because I can’t seem to just say how I feel? I was always taught that if you let people know how you feel, they’ll have the upper hand, they’ll hurt you.” Draco’s breathing was ragged. He knew he had lost control a little, said more than he should have, but strangely, it felt good.
“Have I ever given you the impression that I would hurt you? Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I do!” Draco snapped. He was more frustrated than he could ever remember being.
“Then what is it? I don’t know what else I could possibly do to make you more comfortable around me, to make you realise that I’m not going anywhere. I’ve done and said everything I can think of, but you still won’t let me in. You won’t even stay here overnight, or properly tell people that we’re a couple. I don’t even know if you think of us as couple. Do you think of me at all? Or am I completely wasting my time? There are so many questions that I have for you that I don’t ask because I’m scared of pushing you too far. One too many questions and you’ll bolt and I’ll lose you for good and I’ll never know, but to be honest, I’m sick of it.” Harry sounded defeated.
“I was conditioned to think in a certain way, Harry, to put my feelings into boxes and some of those boxes are harder to open than others.” Draco didn’t know how to explain and he was doing a poor job of trying.
“Oh Draco, for goodness sake! You were conditioned to hate me, you loathed me from the moment we met, but you seem to have gotten over that! You can even be around Hermione without calling her a Mudblood,” Harry snapped. He looked pale.
“And that’s taken me, what? Twelve years? Fuck, Harry! Why can’t you just accept that this is the way I am?”
“Because I don’t even know why you’re here with me.”
“I…”
“Is this all some sort of elaborate joke? Make Harry Potter fall for you, run around after you like an idiot, just to prove that you can without even trying?” Harry was examining his hands as he stood there in front of Draco, who was too shocked to say anything in his own defence.
“How could you even ask me that?” Draco’s throat felt awfully tight and alarm bells were going off in his head telling him that this was one of those defining moments, a ‘make it or break it’ situation.
“I’m surprised I haven’t asked you that earlier,” Harry replied honestly.
“Do you truly think I’m capable of that? Of manipulating you in such a way?”
“I don’t know what you’re capable of, Draco. I don’t know you, remember? You know me; I’ve told you everything there is to know about me, but aside from the basics, I’m clueless about you.” Harry shook his head wearily.
“Harry, I don’t…”
“Know what to say? Or do? I know, Draco, and the problem is now, neither do I. I used to think that I could wait for you, for however long it would take, but I can’t anymore. I cannot keep waiting, and giving myself to you over and over again without getting anything in return.” Harry sighed and met Draco’s eyes for the first time since returning to the room. “I’m going to go upstairs and I’d appreciate it, if you weren’t here when I came back down.” Harry turned on his heel and marched out of the living room.
Draco sat on the sofa staring into the flames of Harry’s fireplace for a few long moments. Fuck. He had utterly screwed up this time. No doubt about it. He could hear Harry banging around upstairs. He winced when something heavy hit the ground and yet, he still couldn’t find the words. They were swimming around his head somewhere, but all and any attempts to put them together coherently failed. He waited for the banging to stop and left the house.
*
It was a small Muggle church. The kind that was hidden away amongst houses in the backstreets of central London. Draco stood a little further down the street, leaning on a tree, watching people, wizards and Muggles alike, as they entered. Each of them was given a programme by the two Weasley twins standing in the doorway, wearing matching black and silver dress robes. It was a cold day, but Draco could feel his palms sweating. It had been more than two weeks since Harry had asked him to leave, and he hadn’t heard from him since.
It seemed that the ever-resilient Gryffindor had finally given up on him, and this had left Draco feeling empty in a way that he had never felt before. His father had been wrong. It didn’t matter whether you gave your heart to someone or not, you could still get hurt and boy, was Draco hurting.
As the crowds died down, Draco took a deep breath and crossed the street towards the church, hoping that he could slip on through without any comments from the twins. Even after all these years, they still made him incredibly nervous. Luckily, just as he stepped up to the church, the roar of a Muggle car behind him alerted the twins to the bride’s arrival and they rushed inside the church themselves.
Draco found himself a place at the back, and he immediately spotted Harry at the front of the church, standing next to his best friend. He was nervously tugging on his collar, his sleeves, his jacket, and Draco couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t the groom meant to be the nervous one?
The reason for Harry’s nervousness was that he was standing in front of so many people. Despite it being Ron and Hermione’s wedding, Harry couldn’t help being who he was and it was obvious that just as many eyes would be on him today as there would be on the beautiful bride. This was why he had wanted Draco with him. He had wanted some support.
Draco felt his stomach churn at the thought of their last conversation. He hadn’t had a full night’s sleep since. It hadn’t taken him long to realise he had been an utter prat, but it had taken him a while to work out what he would do to make it up to Harry, and what he would say when he finally saw him again.
The organ flared and Hermione slowly walked past Draco’s back row and further into the church. Draco watched as Ron turned to look at his soon-to-be wife, looking at her with all the adoration and love he felt for her clearly reflected in his eyes.
Just this once, Draco actually envied Ron Weasley. He wished he could tell Harry how he felt with a single glance. He wished he could stand in front of a room full of people and tell them and the whole world that he loved Harry Potter more than he ever thought he could love anyone, because he did; he knew that now. He hoped with all his heart that one day, he would be able to. For now, though, it just mattered that he said the words and hopefully, Harry would accept them.
The ceremony was a short one and he eased out of the church along with the rest of the congregation. He watched from afar as the newlyweds drove away in their bright white car. He was jerked back to reality when someone grabbed his elbow and yanked him back from the crowd into the back of the church.
Pulling his arm away, Draco turned to meet Harry’s angry eyes.
“What are you doing here? Come to torment me? You said you wouldn’t come and now you’ve come anyway?”
Draco swallowed hard. He had hoped Harry would have been happy to see him, taken this for the gesture it was, and appreciated Draco coming.
“I haven’t come to torment you. I came- I came to-” Draco hated himself for being at a loss for words so early into this. That morning, he had spent hours practicing in front of the mirror, rehearsing what he would say to Harry, and now it was all gone.
“No words again? There’s a surprise.” Harry crossed his arms over his chest and stared at a spot behind Draco.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t come here to make your day harder.”
“You’re sorry?” Harry snorted. Draco wasn’t used to this side of Harry, the defensive, hurt side of him that wanted to lash out, and it unnerved him because this had to be what he had been like most of the time, unresponsive and hard to talk to. No wonder Harry had gotten fed up.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I came here because I wanted to talk to you and tell you the things I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time but didn’t know how.” Draco stared resolutely at Harry. He had to get this out before he lost his nerve.
“Go on.” Harry’s voice sounded less defiant, but his arms were still crossed and he still had that haughty look on his face. It really was like he was practicing in the mirror.
“I love you,” Draco blurted, and gaped, shocking himself. Where had that well planned speech gotten to?
“You what?” Harry stared at him. He looked as flabbergasted as Draco felt.
“I’m in love with you, and I do want you around. You won’t have to bully me into this because I want to be with you, and I'm never going to be any good at the sappy stuff and I’ll never be all hearts and flowers and chocolates, but I just wanted you to know that I do care. I love you.” Draco felt like the floodgates had been opened, and he didn’t quite know how to stop.
Harry stared at him as if he had just grown two heads. He really hadn’t expected Draco to change anytime soon.
“Harry, where are you? We’re wanted at the reception hall now! There you are!” Draco turned around and came face to face with Oliver Wood, who smiled brightly at them; he was all chocolate eyes and a blazing white smile. Draco felt his stomach lurch. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, just wondered where you’d gotten to.”
Draco felt himself go cold. “Don’t be sorry. I was just leaving. I’ve obviously made a grave mistake.”
Draco couldn’t look at Harry. It was obvious that he wasn’t needed, and that Harry had quickly moved on and found someone else; someone who could support him better. Cleary, the only thing Draco had accomplished by coming here had been to completely humiliate himself. “Bye Harry,” he mumbled and shouldered past Oliver out into the street.
Draco felt like his chest was imploding. Harry hadn’t needed his words, after all. It had been too little, too late. Oliver was probably in there right now, saying far more eloquent things, the things Harry wanted and needed to hear. Draco had been a fool, and he only had himself to blame.
He blindly marched down the street, his head down and his hands shoved in his pockets. He was even further humiliated to realise that he felt like he might start crying. Stupid floodgates.
“Draco!”
He sped up. He didn’t want Harry to see him like this. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this.
“Draco, wait, please!” Harry’s footsteps sped up along with his own, until he could hear Harry running behind him. Harry grabbed his arm and spun him around. Their eyes met and Draco’s watched as Harry’s widened.
“Draco, that wasn’t what it looked like.” Harry was out of breath.
“You don’t have to explain. I’ve never given anything to you, so why should you have to justify yourself to me?” Draco’s voice cracked.
“Why? You daft git, because I love you too. Oliver’s just a friend.” Harry pulled Draco closer and examined the blonde’s face, his green eyes boring into red rimmed grey.
“You do?”
“Of course I do, you prat.” Harry smiled and Draco couldn’t help but smile back.
“Good, because I don’t just say that to anyone.” Draco laughed softly and pressed his lips to Harry’s, that empty feeling inside feeling as if it were slowly filling with every soft movement of Harry’s lips against his own.
Draco broke away and buried his face in Harry’s neck. Maybe, Harry really was someone Draco could trust his heart with after all.