Red and Green

You do not see me as I truly am.

However, how many of us

Show our true face to the world,

When all is illusion, anyway?

You laugh in my face.

You do not even try to hide your disdain for me.

Tell me, why do I threaten you so?

I did not try to ingratiate myself into your ranks.

I never wanted to be your friend.

I just didn't want to be your enemy.

The battle lines were drawn long ago.

You surround yourself with those you call friends

But how many of them have seen your true face?

I know you better than they ever will.

Do they know of your taste for darkness?

Do they hold you at night when you scream my name?

No one understands you the way that I do.

Admit it; you enjoy the touch of silk against your cheek.

You want to taste the edge of pain

Because it is all that you know.

You were damaged long before I met you

Maybe that is why you come to me

You lose yourself in me again and again

Yet by morning's light you deceive yourself

You crave my touch but you deny yourself

Because it must be wrong to feel this way

In the morning you will leave me

But you will return

You will not tell your friends about me

I will always be your dirty little secret

~Draco

Your eyes bore into mine across the hall

Silver to my green

Slytherin colors

I know beneath that haughty gaze

Lies the beating heart of a Gryffindor

You are braver than you think

You can break the bonds that limit you

If you only believed

You are not your father

Your life is mapped out for you

But you can rip it up.

I am not your enemy.

But, you are right;

I'm certainly not your friend.

I don't have a reason to care

But I do, anyway.

If I can't reach you, who can?

~Harry

What do you have to offer me?

I confess,

Something for nothing

Does not appeal to me

Must be the Slytherin in me

I will tell the truth, but

After you, my dear...

Tell me that what we shared

Meant nothing to you

Tell me that you do not thirst for me

The way that I do for you

What am I to you?

Not a friend, you declare.

A distraction, a pastime

A dirty deed done in secret

Because Merlin forbid the Golden Boy

Could harbor such shameful lust

Wouldn't want to disappoint

Your loyal subjects, milord

~Draco

Harry arose from his seat, the letter still clutched in his hand. He ignored the whispers from the other Gryffindors. Hermione grabbed his arm, but he shook her off. This needed to be done, right here, right now. He approached the Slytherin table, trembling with emotion. The blond boy smiled lazily in his direction, for all appearances bored by the intrusion.

Secretly, however, he was pleased. Harry had come. He knew that the urge to tell the truth ate at the boy. He knew that Harry had no choice but to admit his feelings. The only glitch was that Draco was still unsure what feelings exactly they were. He challenged Harry to confront him, without knowing if the raven-haired Seeker merely was attracted to him or harbored deeper feelings. He wanted to believe in Harry. There had always been Harry in his life, if not in body then certainly in spirit. He wanted to believe in love, but life had been a harsh teacher. No one sticks their neck out for anyone else without wanting something in return. Harry had denied that their frenzied lovemaking could mean anything at all, but to Draco, it meant the world. Now was the moment of truth: did Harry Potter, the savior of the magical world, love Draco Malfoy, son of the enemy? If Harry rejected him, and it turned out that his confession was all for nothing, Draco would be signing his own death warrant.

"Lost, are we, Potter?" he drawled, keeping up appearances. It would not do to let Harry gain the upper hand here.

Harry gritted his teeth, trying to force himself to keep from blurting out their secret. What if this was all a cruel joke? What if he told the Great Hall that he cared for Draco, and then was rejected by him? Harry would be humiliated in front of everyone. He had much more to lose than that, since it could be used against him. He summoned up the courage, saying, "Not at all. I was wondering if I may have this seat."

Draco laughed on the inside, though his face remained inscrutable as ever. Harry would suffer a major blow to his pride, not to mention confuse his best friends by sitting at the Slytherin table. In a calm voice, Draco announced, "To what honor do I owe the presence of the Great Harry Potter?"

Harry's temper began to rise. "You know fully why I am here, Draco."

Draco sneered, "I have no use for your tongue, Harry." He stressed the use of his first name.

Harry chuckled merrily, and replied in a false voice, "Why, Draco! I'm crushed, truly I am. That's not what you said last night, darling." He grinned at Draco, causing him to raise an eyebrow. Oh, really; two could play that game. In spite of himself, he began to enjoy the verbal sparring. He heard the room let out a collective gasp. No one had ever heard anything like that from Harry before.

Draco's opinion of Harry rose higher with that comment. "Well, Harry; you should know." Crabbe shot a very confused look at Goyle, who shrugged in return. Draco noticed this, and teased, "Oh, like you're not madly in love with Goyle." At that, Goyle began to inch away from Crabbe. Draco returned his full attention to Harry, who appeared more at ease. "Have you come to kiss my feet, then?"

"Not exactly," he smirked. "Although, you could kiss my..." A shout rose from the Slytherin table at Harry's arrogance. Harry stood there, arms folded across his chest, mirroring Draco. His heart began to throb painfully, as he felt the first stirrings of hunger for the lithe Seeker. "Why don't we go somewhere a little more private, then?"

Draco felt, rather than saw, Professor Snape approach the table. He knew that he had only a few moments to say what had been on his mind for eons. "Enough of this banter, fun though it may be. You read my note. Are you man enough to admit it, then?"

Harry smiled, this time letting his poker face drop. "If you are." Draco stared into his brilliant eyes, feeling drawn into Harry's very soul. Harry reached for his hand.

"After you, dear," he replied in a courteous tone, accepting it. They shook hands.

Harry pulled Draco into a hug, eliciting shouts of shock and disapproval from many onlookers. He released Malfoy, turning to address the Head Table. "My name is Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy is a nancy boy!" he announced loudly. He ducked as Draco drew his wand to curse him. He began to race around the room, chased by his boyfriend, shouting, "He's a poof! He's..." He dissolved into laughter, panting hard.

Draco started to laugh, "I'm going to get you for this Potter, mark my words!" Professor Snape stopped dead in his tracks when he realized that they were not going to hex each other to death in front of the whole school. Draco said, "Pardon my boyfriend's outburst, sir. He cannot help being a silly git!"

Harry slowed down as Draco caught up with him. Shyly, he took Draco's hand in his own, a blush spread across his cheeks.

The Headmaster's eyes began to twinkle in amusement. "Harry, my boy, you have given an old man much needed entertainment this morning. So, it is official, then?" He looked to Draco's face, shining with perspiration and happiness. The boy had lost that guarded look he usually wore when not sneering at his fellow students. In its place was an eager, joyful look, such as a young child displayed on Christmas morning when he received a gift only dreamt of. Harry had put that look there, he realized with a pang.

Harry shrugged. "I love him. There is no point in hiding it any longer." He looked into Draco's stunned face. Grey eyes searched his own for the truth, as if he wanted desperately to believe, but afraid to hope. For the first time, Harry saw how afraid Draco had been of rejection. He squeezed his lover's hand in encouragement. To the rest of the hall, he proclaimed proudly, "I am a homosexual. Deal with it. Now, come one, Draco; let's go play some Quidditch!"

Arm in arm, they marched off to the Quidditch pitch, leaving a path of chaos in their wake. As they exited through the wide double doors, Draco was heard to exclaim, "If you are lying to me, I will have your head for this!"

In the sweetest voice imaginable, Harry replied, "Draco, you can have all of me."

The End