The Consequences of Loving a Malfoy

Chapter 2

The next day at breakfast, Harry felt eyes on him as he ate his toast. He looked up and down his own table, but nobody was looking at him. He scanned the other tables and found Draco Malfoy staring at him with a big grin plastered on his face, and a happy look in his eyes. He was looking right at him, and his grin only got bigger when he noticed that Harry was looking back. Harry knew he ought to be careful; it wouldn't do to be caught gazing at Malfoy with a smile on his face; people would start asking questions, but he had a whole bunch of ready-made excuses that he had made up with Draco the night before.

They had sat and talked late into the night, and Harry had ended up staying in the other boy's rooms for the night, because it was far too late to be wandering the halls, even for him. Anyway, he didn't have his cloak with him so he was sure to have been caught. He had slept on the green leather couch and Draco had slept in his bedroom, which was just off the common room, along with a bathroom, a small dining room and a kitchen. He had returned that morning just as his roommates were getting ready for breakfast. Ron no longer stayed in the dorm, so nobody asked any questions. For all they knew he could have been with a girl.

If only they knew.

Harry had discovered that Draco was not the boy that everybody thought him to be. He wasn't cruel and evil, but funny, caring, and understanding. This just made Harry fall for him even harder. They had talked about their families, and Harry also discovered that Lucius Malfoy was not the man he had thought him to be. Draco described him as a loving father, who loved his mother very much. Harry had asked if the rumours that Lucius beat his wife and son were true, and Draco had managed to convince him that the answer was no. He had told him stories of how his father had taken days off work just to spend time him with him, and had taken him on trips all over the world. He explained that his father had had no choice but to join Voldemort, as Draco's grandfather had threatened to kill him if he didn't. He had never once told Draco that Voldemort was the only option, and instead encouraged him to support Dumbledore and the Order, and do everything that Lucius couldn't.

All this astonished Harry. He had always thought that Lucius was an uncaring bastard.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

From what he had heard, Draco loved his father very much, and missed him terribly when he was not there. Harry had felt very guilty; because it was because of him that the blonde boy no longer had a father now that he was locked up. He was now solid in his resolve that Lucius should be released, if not only for Draco, but for himself as well. Lucius sounded like the father figure that he himself much needed and wanted. He couldn't wait to find out if Draco's descriptions of the man were true. If they were, Harry was sure to find happiness living at Malfoy Manor with him, Draco and Narcissa. As long as Lucius took nothing more to do with the Dark Lord and perhaps joined the order, Harry should have a good future.

In return, Harry had told Draco all about his life at Privet Drive, and how his Aunt and Uncle hated anything different from the norm, especially him. He told him how badly he was treated, and how he hated it there. He said that he hated his fame, and would trade it for his parent's lives any day. He described his adventures in great detail, and how he dreaded the end of the year, when he knew that Voldemort would show his face in one form or another. When he got to the part about the third task in his fourth year, he had to stop, and he had sobbed uncontrollably. Draco had taken him in his arms and held him until the tears had subsided. He went on to explain about what had happened at the end of his fifth year, and how Sirius had died so suddenly. He would have cried again, but Draco had still been holding him, and that seemed to calm him more that he ever could have imagined.

They had stayed like that all night, until they went to bed, talking in soft voices about how sorry they were about the past and how they would have done anything to change what had happened between them. It had been a waste of five years of their lives, and they promised each other that they would stick together from now on. Draco had declared Harry an honouree Malfoy and told him that after this was all over, he would come and live with him, and promised that he would never have to return to his Uncle's house ever again. When he had said this, Harry had been filled with joy, not unlike the kind he had felt when Sirius had told him that he could have lived with him, at the end of his third year. He only hoped that this joy wouldn't fade as fast as the other one had.

Now, as he sat at the breakfast table in the great hall, staring at the blonde across the room, he felt the need to shout and jump with glee. It was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. He now had someone he could love and who would love him back. Someone he could talk to about things that he had never been able to talk to Ron or Hermione about. Someone he could call family. Sirius had been family, but it had been hard to share things with him, as he was always on the run. They could never sit down and have a heart to heart when Harry felt that he needed it most, and Sirius couldn't just waltz into Hogwarts when he was feeling low, so Harry could comfort him. Harry knew he would be able to do all these things with Draco, no questions asked. It felt good.

He couldn't wait to talk to the other boy again. He wanted to make sure it hadn't all been a dream. He wanted to hug him and make sure that he was real. It all seemed to good to be true, and he wanted to make sure that he wasn't imagining it. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, looking into the eyes of the other boy. It seemed like an age, but he knew it couldn't have been more that a few minutes. He never wanted the moment to end, but it was all to soon before he received a nudge, and he knew that Ron had noticed his lack of attention in the conversation that they were having.

"What's so interesting over there? You've been looking in the one direction for ages." He followed his gaze, and his eyes landed on Draco, who seemed to have snapped out of his trance and was buttering his toast. To the untrained eye, Draco would have looked perfectly normal, but Harry was an expert on Draco-watching and couldn't help but notice that the blondes face was a shade pinker than usual.

He didn't even need to think about the lie he was about to tell Ron, as it was the most believable of the dozens they had come up with the night before, for this situation.

"Aren't I allowed to plan evil schemes for my arch enemy in peace anymore." He said in an irritated tone. "I was just enjoying a staring contest, - which I was about to win, I might add - when you butt in and start asking stupid questions. What did you think I was doing looking over there? Blowing the bastard kisses?" He chanced a glance at Ron, satisfied that there was no way he could really guess what he had been doing, and was glad to see a Slytherin worthy smirk on his friend's face.

"That's my boy. Give them as good as you get, that's my motto. Just wait 'till you play him in Quidditch, that'll teach him. He really had a ball last year, when you got that lifetime ban, and I wasn't doing well in my keeping. Let's see who's singing 'Weasley is our King' this time, eh?"

Harry knew that Ron had been training non stop over the summer, and he had to admit that the Slytherins were in for a surprise when they saw 'King Weasley' play this year. Harry had watched Ron play, and he had no doubt that no other team stood a chance. Ron didn't let a single goal in, in the three weeks that Harry had stayed at the Burrow, and he didn't think he was likely to let one in all year either. Their first game was in a month and as the opening game was always against Slytherin, he knew that Ron would be training harder than ever while the weather was still dry. Thank God he now had Draco, because he didn't think that Ron would have a minute to spare anytime soon.

He looked back over at the Slytherin, and saw him making head gestures towards the doors. He nodded to show that he had understood, and returned to his food, feeling the blonde's eyes on him as he left the hall. He waited a respectable amount of time and then told Ron he was going to catch up on some sleep that he had missed the night before. Obviously, someone had told Ron about Harry not being in the dorms that night, because he just winked, and smiled at him knowingly. Harry grinned back and then walked out of the hall.

He saw Draco standing at the front doors, waiting for him. It was Saturday, so they didn't have any classes and were free to spend the day as they liked. He walked up to him and they shared a hug. Harry knew that Draco had no romantic interest in him, but was still glad for the contact. If he couldn't be with him, then at least they would be able to spend time with him, and get to know him better. He didn't know what he was planning to do today, but Harry didn't care, as long as he could be near him and talk to him.

"I missed you." Draco said. He saw the happiness in the other boy's eyes and knew that he was feeling the same way as himself. He laughed and answered the other boy, a large smile on his face.

"What are you like? You only saw me this morning when I left. Don't tell me you got lonely at breakfast." He said all this in good humour, and made sure Draco knew it by adding, "But I missed you too."

"Ha! I knew it! Us Malfoys always miss each other. Its because we are such a lovely family."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Well it can't have done the Malfoys any harm then to let me join the family, could it."

"Of course, Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived and not a drop of impure blood in his veins. I don't think you could do any family any harm, you're such a goodie goodie. I'm sure you'll improve the Malfoy reputation drastically. Or ruin your own." He added as an after thought. But he was also kidding and proved it by throwing an arm around Harry's shoulders and kissing him on the cheek. "But I suspect it will be the former."

Harry felt all the blood in his body rush to his face when Draco kissed him. He ducked his head to hide it, but the other boy noticed it anyway.

"What? Why are you blushing? Huh? What did I do?" The boy was terribly confused.

"Nothing" Harry murmured. "It doesn't matter"

"Yes it does! Oh come on."

He pulled the raven haired boy in the direction of the lake and found them a comfortable piece of grass to sit on.

"Now, tell me what's the matter!"

"I said it was nothing!"

"You don't blush that badly for no reason. Hang on." he thought about what had happened, and suddenly, his face showed an understanding. "Ohhhh." Was all he said. There were a few moments of silence and then the other boy asked him, "Harry...are you...gay?"

Harry nodded miserably.

"And when I kissed you. Why did you blush?"

Harry mumbled something incoherent.

"What?" Draco asked, already fearing the answer.

"I said that I like you." Harry's face turned scarlet again.

"You... You like me." Draco repeated. He was silent for a few minutes and then, "May I ask, in which way do you like me? Romantically, or sexually?"

"Both." Was the answer that he got.

"So you don't like me then." He stated. "You're in love with me."

TBC.