Chapter Text
December 25
Harry and Draco may have known each other for over a year now, but their relationship was never the kind of relationship where you’d meet each other’s friends or family. But after meeting Draco’s mother, Harry figured it was time for Draco to meet his friends. So the other day they had met up with Ron and Hermione for dinner. Draco had been shaking with nerves, as he had never actually been in a real relationship before, let alone he had met a partner’s best friends who were more like family.
There had been some initial awkwardness, because Hermione and Ron knew all about how Draco had cut Harry out of his life just months ago. Harry regretted telling them everything, because it wasn’t fair on Draco. But then, he never thought he’d see Draco again at the time, did he? Let alone that just months later they’d be in a relationship and living together.
Ron was obviously still worried, because he had pulled Harry to the side after dinner to ask him if he was sure about this. Harry appreciated Ron looking out for him, but he knew that things were different this time around, so there was no need for Ron to worry. Hermione managed to be polite to Draco, and friendly even, but Harry could tell that she was just as worried as her fiancé. But, Harry figured, with time they would learn that Draco wasn’t just using Harry, and that he wasn’t like his previous partners. That this relationship was the real thing.
Molly had given Harry a call after hearing all about dinner from Ron and Hermione, and she had insisted that he and Draco would join them for Christmas dinner. Harry didn’t agree right away, because he didn’t want to put too much on Draco too quickly, but Draco couldn’t have been more grateful for the invitation. And, with Narcissa organising her dinner the day after Christmas, they could make it to both parties.
After celebrating Christmas Eve by ordering in their favourite food, and curling up on the couch watching cheesy Christmas movies, they had spent the whole night making love. And as soon as they’d woken up this morning, they had fallen right back into each other’s arms.
“We should go and eat something,” Harry sighs, as Draco kisses his neck - his hand still caressing him. However, as much as Harry is enjoying this, he knows that if they don’t get out of bed now, they will probably stay here for the rest of the day and end up being too late for dinner with the Weasleys tonight.
“Are you sure?” Draco mumbles, before teasing his hand over the inside of Harry’s thigh.
“Yes!” Harry laughs. “Molly is going to kill me if we’re late, so…” he tries, but when Draco rolls on top of him, the rest of his words go up into a soft smile. “Draco…”
Draco pins Harry’s hands above his head, and he kisses him. He still remembers how just a year ago he had lain in front of the fireplace, when Harry had touched him for the first time. He had been too scared to move - too scared to touch Harry back. But now here he is, kissing Harry without hesitation. He can kiss him and touch him, without shame. He can tell him he loves him, without being scared that the words may end up tearing his life apart.
He stares down at Harry’s face - at the soft and loving smile he has on his face. Draco denied it for a long time, but there is no denying anymore that he is head over heels in love with him. It’s still a new feeling to be here, but when he looks at Harry, there is a feeling in the pit of his stomach which he has never felt before. It’s a kind of hope. Hope for the future. And for the first time in his life he is allowing himself to dream.
“Merry Christmas,” he whispers, feeling himself get emotional.
“Merry Christmas.” Harry whispers back, as he frees his hands from Draco’s grip, to pull him down into his arms.
After finally getting out of bed, they had had breakfast, and they had given each other gifts, before settling by the fireplace to play Scrabble. It was a quiet, relaxing moment before they’d have to get ready for dinner tonight, for which Draco is excited but terrified at the same time. He knows that the Weasleys are Harry’s family, so he wants them to like him. But, as Harry teased, it’s not the Weasleys Draco should be worried about. It’s Sirius, who will be at dinner tonight too with Remus. Of course Harry was just teasing Draco, because once they’d see how happy Harry is, they’d immediately welcome him into the family.
Harry can tell that Draco is starting to get distracted from the game, so he sits up, and he flashes a worried smile. “Are you okay? Are you nervous about tonight?”
Yes, Draco thinks, of course he is nervous about meeting Harry’s family. But that’s not why he was distracted. A year ago they had lain here, and even though he had tried for months to forget about that night, the memory is still as vivid as it had been then.
“Do you remember that first time we…” Draco blushes. “When you…?”
“Of course.” Harry chuckles. “How could I forget about you kicking me out?” he teases, nudging his leg against Draco’s.
“You know that was the first time I…” Draco struggles to get the words out, still ashamed of how he had tried to change - how he had tried to be good - for so many years. “I’d never done that before. Not with a man.”
“I know.” Harry nods, the smile on his face now gone, because he knows that this is no laughing matter.
“You made something inside me come alive,” Draco admits. “Something I had tried to hide all my life.”
For a moment Harry wonders if Draco is holding that night against him after all - if he blames him for having to face those feelings. But when Draco smiles up at him, he knows that this is a good thing. That he is grateful that it happened, even if it took him months to realise and accept that.
“If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t think I would have been able to tell my mother,” Draco continues.
“Stop it,” Harry shushes him. “You would have met someone else, and he’d…”
“No, I wouldn’t have,” Draco disagrees, knowing full well that he wouldn’t have let any man come close. That he never could have cared for any man as he does about Harry. “I would have married Astoria and kept lying,” he says, before smiling shyly, “Well, perhaps not Astoria. I don’t think she was very happy when we were together. But I couldn’t have done any of this without you. You gave me…”
“You did this yourself,” Harry objects. “I didn’t do anything.”
Draco wants to disagree, but he knows that Harry will never accept that he freed him. That he will always think that Draco would have gotten to the place where he is now, even if they had never met. But Draco knows that he would have gone on living a lie for the rest of his life - however long that may have been, as he was growing more depressed with each day that went by.
Harry doesn’t want to take credit for where Draco is today, because he still thinks he could have been a better friend to him. He had let him leave to be with Astoria, and not once did he try to help him. He knows that Draco doesn’t see it that way, though, and instead of arguing, he grabs him by the front of his t-shirt, and he pulls him in for a kiss.
“You know you can’t just kiss me every time I say something you don’t want to hear, don’t you?” Draco teases.
“I could try.” Harry grins, before pulling him back in for another kiss. “I love you.”
A year ago it would have scared the living daylights out of Draco, not only to have Harry say this to him, but to say the words himself. But not anymore.
“I love you too.”
