Change of Hearts

Draco looked across the hall at the Gryffindor table. The weasel and Granger were there, but not his Harry.

His Harry.

He loved that. Harry was his, he was Harry's. But who was he to dwell on the emotional ties of relationships?

Unconsciously he rose from his table and wondered over to that of the Gryffindor's. He asked the two where Harry was, but neither of them had seen him all day. Granger had gone as far as to say that he left after she did.

He left them and the rest of the school with the intention of turning in early. When the doors closed behind him, he looked at the marble staircase where Harry had been often seen. Where Harry was now.

"Where've you been," he demanded.

"Around."

He sounded depressed, like somethin was troubling him.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Excuse me?" he asked finally looking at Draco.

"I called you a liar. Would you like to know why?" Harry nodded. "Something's the matter, and I know it. Maybe you don't want to tell me, fine, I don't care, but tell someone."

"I told you, nothing is wrong."

"Merlin, Harry, do you do this to your friends too? Has this argument become a common occurrence in the golden circle?"

"What?"

"It's what the Slytherins call you three. Well, one of the things we call you..."

The doors to the Great Hall opened and the students poured out.

*****

Hermione and Ron practically ran over to him.

"Where have you been, Harry?" Hermione asked him.

"Around."

"Around!" she shrieked. "We've looked everywhere."

"Then you'd have found me. I was out on the grounds."

"I flew over the grounds, mate. All of them. I'd have seen you."

"I know, I saw you."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted to be alone, now would you stop pestering me?"

"Yeah, sure mate.... Didn't mean to make you mad."

"I don't think it's your fault, Weasley. I think it's mine."

"Why would it be your fault?"

"He doesn't know then?"

Harry shook his head. "I didn't tell him."

"Draco, I swear," Hermione said getting right into Draco's face, "if you hurt Harry, your father isn't going to get a chance to kill you. I will. Understand?"

"I'm not the one you should be worried about."

"You're Harry's boyfriend now. That makes you competition. You have me to worry about."

"Boyfriend?" Ron asked confused. "When did this happen?"

"And you're not the one I have to worry about."

"Obviously earlier, Ron," Harry answered angrily.

"I am now."

"Will you two please stop fighting? I will not have my best friends fighting with my boyfriend."

They were mere centimeters away from eachother. Hermione was standing on the balls of her feet so she could achieve such a thing. They stared eachother down, not willing to let the other gain the upper hand.

"Sure Harry," they replied together.

*****

Harry stood suddenly and squeezed his way between them, facing Granger. He put his hands on her shoulders and stepped forward, forcing her back. "No fighting," he told her.

Then he turned to Draco.

"You won't be fighting with them. Understand?"

Draco nodded, incapable of speech at the moment.

"Good."

Distantly, he heard Harry's lap dogs talking and couldn't catch any single word. He had trouble thinking at the moment. Harry was too close...Harry was all he could think about.

Mostly those eyes. Those infinite green eyes that always betrayed his emotions...he didn't have the walls Draco was famous for.

So how was the golden boy supposed to break his heart? No one, not even his mother had gotten past those walls. Then again, they had to come down sometime, didn't they? He knew he'd never be ready for it. Never want it to happen. And Harry was already closer than anyone ever before.

All Harry had to do was kiss Granger in front of him. And mean it.

She wants him, so she's going to try to steal him, right? If it works, then everyone is happy, well not necessarily happy, but this whole thing would be a success.

Draco moved to kiss Harry. After all, how many times would he get the opportunity to do so? But Harry wouldn't let him.

*****

Hermione ran up the stairs as Harry stepped back to stop Draco's kiss. Ron followed.

"Not in front of Hermione."

"Why?" Draco asked angrily.

"I can't hurt her."

"But you can me?"

"You want me to!" Harry yelled. "Don't you get it? You think you're the only one who's going to get hurt? How big is your ego? Yours isn't the only heart at stake here! I'm going against everything I am because I can't let you die because I wouldn't help! As everyone always says, I love playing hero." He finished quietly saying, "but I never feel like one..."

"I never thought that. In fact, I thought that you would be the only one not getting hurt in this mess.... I've just realized how wrong I was." Draco paused, clearly bothered by something. "What do you mean, you love playing the hero? You are one."

"Don't call me that. I am no bloody fucking hero."

"What about that Boy-Who-Lived stuff?"

"It wasn't me."

"I don't believe you."

"No, it's true." Draco arched a finely tailored eyebrow. Harry sighed and proceeded to tell Draco that if his mother hadn't died that night, he would have. That she sacrificed herself and Voldemort had even confessed as much.

Was Draco getting closer? Or was he, Harry, the one who was moving?

Either way, they were locked in a kiss now.

He completely forgot he was where anyone and everyone could see them. He forgot about everything but Draco, his boyfriend. He forgot what he was supposed to be doing to said boyfriend and what he was already doing to his best friend.

*****

"You disgust me," a low, slimy voce sounded from somewhere to Draco's right.

The two sprang apart and looked around to see a very pissed off Professor Snape.

"Professor Snape," he breathed in shock.

"If I remember correctly, Draco, your father told you to keep some distance between yourself and Mr. Potter."

"W-well, he said that I had t-to get over Harry, sir."

Draco looked down at his shoes. They were festinating at the moment. A lot more interesting than looking into the eyes of his godfather by far.

"Get over Potter? And what would he say to this madness?"

"Please don't tell him, sir."

"Why not, Mr. Malfoy?"

"He said he'd kill me, sir," he answered still looking down at the shiny spot on his shoe.

"Surly you jest. Your father would not murder you."

Draco didn't answer. He knew the only reason for Snape to say that was because of Harry's being there. This was not good, this was bad, this was very bad.

"Both of you, follow me."

He led them up to Dumbledore's office and told the story to the old headmaster. Once finished, Dumbledore sat with his hands neatly folded under his chin, thinking. He said nothing for the next few minuets or so and when he did it was to ask Snape to leave.

"Sit down," he instructed the two teenagers. "Now, Mr. Malfoy, do you truly believe that your father would do as he has threatened?" Draco nodded. "Then why, may I ask, have you done this?"

Draco hesitated. "I hate my father, sir. He wants me to be what he is, he says it's tradition for the Malfoy heir to follow in the footsteps of his father. I don't want to be some prat who has all the right people in my pocket through blackmail or money. I don't want to be some stupid Death Eater fawning over Voldemort. I want to be my own person for once."

Dumbledore was silent again. Longer this time.

"What are your reasons, Harry?"

*****

Harry thought. What were his reasons?

"I won't have anyone else's blood on my hands."

"Harry I am going to say something now, and I think you know what it is. Should I ask Mr. Malfoy to leave?"

Harry nodded and Draco stood. "I'll be waiting outside."

Again Harry nodded.

"Harry, you are not responsible for Sirius's death. Bellatrix Lestrange is responsible for his death, and she will pay. They all will. Believe you are doing good with what you are doing for Mr. Malfoy."

"Good, my arse," Harry muttered. "I've got Hermione in tears, Ron seeing red, and Draco...Draco's just--why am I doing this?" he shouted angrily standing.

He wondered over to the window and watched the sun setting behind the forest.

"I didn't care about what I had to do on the train when he asked me to help," he said quietly looking out at the slowly darkening sky. "Today, he asked me to break his heart. I'm not the type of person to get into any type of relationship with the intention of sabotage." Harry closed his eyes. "Knowing I'm going to hurt him, and Hermione, and I guess Pansy too...what am I supposed to do?" he asked turning back to the headmaster.

"I don't know. Have you told him this?" Harry nodded. "Perhaps you should change the terms of the relationship. Ignore whatever threats Lucius sends in your direction, and remember, you're safe here."

"For how long?" Harry asked, not referring to his age, but the fact that Voldemort had returned and was starting to become more daring. More desperate.

"I don't know, Harry."