Change of Hearts

Change of Hearts

Chapter 10

Final exams were starting to creep up on them. Now that the whole student body knew about Harry and Draco, they found it much easier to spend time together, studying or otherwise.

They were everyone's favorite couple. Mostly due to the fact that there was no longer a constant battle between the two, and that because of it, Gryffindor and Slytherin were closer to becoming friends than ever before.

But of course, this peace, as does everything, didn't last long, and the Potter-Malfoy relationship was headed for rocky waters.

Maybe it was the stress of the exams, or the burden of keeping his feelings secret, but Harry was severely pulling away from Draco, and everyone else for that matter. He would be gone for hours at a time, and always come back upset over one thing or another.

Hermione and Ron had their theories, being that they were nearing the anniversary of his godfather's death, but no matter how many times they approached him, Harry never said a thing.

"Why are you being like this, Harry?" Draco demanded cornering him out on the grounds one afternoon. "You're not just hurting yourself, but me and everyone else. Don't you care anymore, Harry?"

Finally he cracked.

"Yes!" he shouted, tears burning at his eyes. "I care too much!"

"Then why are you pulling back? You're building walls, Harry, I know, I've done it! Why do you insist on doing this to yourself?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

He tried to walk past Draco, but his Seeker reflexes were faster. Draco grabbed his arm and held him in place.

"Talk to me, damnit! WHY?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" Harry bellowed, tears spilling out over his checks.

*****

Draco felt his arm fall.

"No," he whispered shaking his head. "No," he said again louder.

"Yes," Harry told him firmly.

"You can't, Harry," he pleaded. "Tell me you don't love me. Tell me you're joking."

"I can't, Draco."

"Damn you, Harry!" he shouted. "You're not supposed to love!"

"I'm not supposed to do a lot of things," he shouted back. "But I do anyway! How many things do you do that you're not supposed to do?"

"That's not the point! The point is you love me. You love me and you're not supposed to."

"Why? Are you the only one allowed to love? Why can't I?"

"Because--" Draco tried to answer, but the truth was there was no reason for Harry not to love him.

"Exactly," Harry said. "You can't think of anything, can you?"

Except one.

"Yes I can," Draco insisted. "My father. Harry, he'd kill us both if he knew."

"Damnit, Draco, if you give me that sorry piece of shit as an excuse again, you will never hear the end of it."

"Why are we fighting?" he asked seriously. It wasn't as thought he'd forgotten the topic of the fight--Harry loved him--but more along the lines of why were they still fighting? Why wasn't he jumping for joy?

"You didn't like it when I told you the truth."

"Let me rephrase that. Why are we still fighting?"

"Same reason."

"I'm sorry, I should be jumping for joy, but I'm not. I should be telling you just how much I love you, but again, I'm not. What the bloody hell is wrong with me?"

"Love," Harry answered simply. "It confuses the hell out of everyone, but makes you more sure than ever before in your entire life. It's a bit of an oxymoron if you ask me."

Draco chuckled. Harry had a point. "Just don't pull away from me, Harry. I know where it gets people. I know how it feels, and I know who it hurts. Promise me."

"I can't do that, Draco."

"Why? Why cant you promise?"

"...I just can't. I can't explain it, so don't ask."

*****

He made his getaway, leaving Draco stunned and confused.

He got to his dormitory before he was cornered by anyone else. And it had to be Ron, of all people.

"What's wrong with you Harry? Is it Sirius?"

"No," Harry replied shutting him out.

"Don't you even, Harry," Ron ordered seeing past Harry's walls. "You've done this to us for six years now, you are not doing it again. Now, what is wrong with you?"

"Does everyone still wonder how I feel?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember Halloween when Dean said everyone knew how Hermione and Draco love me, but no one knows about me?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "And it's still the same."

"Well, I just told him and best he can say is that I can't because of his father."

"How do you feel then?"

"I love him."

"Whoa. You sure?"

"I've never been more sure in my life."