Chapter Text
Draco was on edge ever since the Ball was announced, not that he was worried about not having a date to attend the ball with, rather it was Harry being popular that made him anxious. Occasionally, some or the other student would approach Harry asking him if he would attend the ball as their date. Each time a person approached him, Draco was close to losing his marbles as he did not want Harry to go to the ball with someone else.
A few days back during the Hogsmeade week, Draco was satisfied with just having his and Harry's robe co-ordinated, however now with everyone asking Harry, he wants to be the one who goes as Harry's date. As a result of not wanting to deal with this anxiety, he has been slightly avoiding Harry. If 'slightly' meant not spending his regular time with Harry or bolting in the opposite direction when he spots Harry, then he is on the right track. He can't deal with seeing Harry agree to someone's proposal, and definitely wouldn't like to be the front-row audience for that.
Hermione spotted him as he walked towards the Quidditch field to see Harry practise with others. She waves at him as he takes a seat beside her.
"Hello, Draco," she says, an opened book on her lap. He smiles in return.
"Not my place to be asking, but are you avoiding Harry?" she asks.
Draco's face contorted as if he was hit in the face, but in reality, he was just slightly uncomfortable to have been straightforwardly confronted by her. He wants to deny saying he wasn't but he knew she wouldn't believe him.
"Um, I'm just busy," he says as an excuse. Hermione frowns at the reply but doesn't press on it.
"If you are avoiding him though you are denying it, I suggest you stop. It's almost Halloween so Harry is already on the edge because of his parents.. you know it's their death anniversary. He would feel worse if you avoid him." She says, worry written over her face.
Draco did notice the slight tension around Harry recently. He was cooking more often and was spaced out most of the time. Draco forgot about the bitter relationship Harry shares with Halloween. He was so wrapped up in his issue of preventing his possible heartbreak that he ignored the obvious signs of Harry being low-spirited. He makes a mental note to talk to him later.
Harry flies towards them spotting Draco on the benches. He was upset that Draco was avoiding him for some reason he wasn't aware of, but seeing him watch him fly made Harry approach them. Draco smiled at him when Harry came close, though the smile looked strained.
"Oh hello there Malfoy, finally found some time to watch me" Harry taunts. Don't come at him for holding it against Draco when he tried to understand the reason for the sudden cold shoulders of Malfoy. He couldn't find any single reason as to what wrong he did.
Draco frowns at those words and rolls his eyes at Harry. He felt a pang of pain at Harry calling him Malfoy. He didn't show it out, but he did feel about it.
"Meet me in my room after you are done with the practice, Harry," he says as he gathers his things to leave. Harry did not respond.
Later, when he was done with the practice, Harry washed up and went to Draco's room. Blaise was in the common room playing some weird game with Seamus, while Theo was probably in the library. The curtains to Draco's bed were drawn together but Harry could see the outline of Draco reading a book lying on the bed. He opened the curtain, and Draco looked up from his book. He patted the space beside him. Harry laid on his back staring at the ceiling, while Draco closed his book and turned towards Harry lying on his sides, his head propped on his hand.
"Quit staring at the wall, Scarhead," Draco said.
"Mind telling me why you gave me the cold-shoulders, Draco?" Harry asked, still staring at the ceiling.
Draco thought of ways to avoid answering that question before Harry even came. However, he couldn't find a decent and convincing answer for it that Harry would believe. He stays silent for a few minutes. He sighs before answering.
"I am just uncomfortable with all the people approaching you all the time." He answers honestly.
"In case, you haven't noticed, even I don't like the attention I get. I hate it." Harry answers without any second thought.
Draco huffed at the response. Rolling his eyes, he turned his back to Harry. The oblivious doofus of a saviour did not understand Draco. But, Draco also wasn't specific about why he hated the attention, so Harry wasn't completely oblivious. Will Draco say the actual reason? He definitely wouldn't.
Maybe the reason that this whole ordeal bothered him was due to his current relationship with Harry. He wasn't this annoyed even when Ginny and Harry were dating, or when Harry was trying to woo Cho Chang. Not like he was unbothered at that time, he ate Pansy and Blaise's ears off on how Potter was a slimy git and how Cho Chang had no clue what Harry was even like. He criticised every little thing Ginny did, to the extent that even Theo was annoyed at his rant. Now that he has gotten used to being one of the closest people to the raven-haired boy, he does not hesitate to be a little more upfront with his feelings.
An arm slips around his shoulders making him turn back to his previous position so that he was facing Harry once again. Harry's hand moved from his shoulder to rest on Draco's waist. Draco stared into those green eyes that reminded him of the forest near the Black Lake. They looked anxious.
"Don't hide from me Draco. I hate it when you aren't around. " Harry says slowly, staring right back at Draco.
The sadness in Harry's eyes made Draco soft and reach out to hold the side of Harry's face with one of his hands. He gave a small sad smile to Harry.
"And I hate the thought of you with someone else" Draco uttered.
"I don't like seeing people ask you out when I feel that it should be me by your side. How I wish I could be your date to the ball. How I wish I could hex every person who asks you out. You wouldn't know." He continued.
"Why don't you tell me then?" Harry replies in a low voice still looking at Draco.
"I love you, Scarhead. I always have, even when we were sworn enemies. I don't think I can bear to see you with someone else now that I've known your affection. " Draco spills still adorning a sad smile.
Malfoys never show their emotions and weaknesses, but here he was spilling his biggest secret and showing his most vulnerable side to Harry of all people. He blames the company of the eighth year and mainly the company of Harry for mellowing him into whatever he is. His father would frown at Draco if he saw him now. He could blame his father's absence in his life at present too for his lack of ability to conceal his feelings now. Malfoys don't wear their hearts on their sleeves but certain Gryffindor did, and he influenced Draco. How could he hide when the man he loved looked so down.
He knew he did not stand a chance. Harry did not fancy blokes like he did, given his dating history. Potter just considered him as a friend and confessing his feelings to him was a gamble. Not a calculated move like he would've taken as a true Slytherin.
"And what if I said, I liked you back too?" Harry whispered breaking the eye contact finally.
"Then, I would risk it all to stick to you, irrespective of what all might come our way," Draco says caressing Harry's face. Harry looked at him, a small smile making its way onto his face.
"Fancy taking me as your date, Dray? And maybe make me your lover too?" Harry says smiling.
"Sure, Potter" Draco replied with a grin so wide that his cheeks hurt.
Maybe Harry was just asking Draco out because of the abrupt confession, but it doesn't bother Draco. Who is he to deny his lifelong wish of being the chosen one's lover?
"Now the matching robes make sense. Quite possessive of me, aren't you?" Harry joked.
"You wish, Potter," He laughs