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//December//
Harry realised he was falling for Draco the first time when it was Christmas. Eighth year had given the unexpected friendship of Pansy, Blaise and Draco and now he was in trouble.
"You alright, Harry?" Draco asked, nudging him in the shoulder as they followed their friends into Hogsmeade. He was wrapped in a scarf, hidden beneath his cloak and only the pink tips of his ears and nose could be seen. His hair almost blended into the snow around them.
"Y-yeah," he replied shakily, "just daydreaming."
Malfoy gave him a warm smile that was electric and Harry looked away, to the path ahead, and definitely not at the man beside him.
//January//
The first time anyone else noticed his interest was in the common room. Harry was slumped on the sofa, feet in Draco's lap, and listening intently to him reading aloud from a potions book. He was completely mesmerised.
Hermione noticed because never in her whole time in knowing Harry did she know him so interested in potions, except for when in possession of the Half-Blood Prince's book. She smiled to herself, working out the reason only a few weeks after Harry had. Going back to her book she didn't notice Pansy looking exactly the same way at their friends.
"Fancy a game of exploding snap?" Ron said, breaking Harry from the spell he was under.
Harry started as if forgetting everyone else was there. He yawned, stretched and nodded. Beside him, Draco snapped the book shut and got ready to play too.
//February//
They were all sat in the common room beside the fires. Blaise and Seamus were trying to coax everyone out to the Three Broomsticks but everyone was much too content in the warm to risk the cold.
It was then that Draco stumbled down the stairs, hair wild, and wearing Harry's hoodie. Hermione's eyes widened in shock before realising Harry was right beside her and the logically solution was that Draco had been napping.
"Where were you?" Pansy asked, not looking up from her Charms book.
"Sleeping."
"Why didn't you do that last night?"
"I did. I woke early."
They left it at that. Draco came and took the seat beside Harry and Hermione noticed how neither seemed to notice the hoodie situation. She supposed this was to become a thing now, sharing clothes.
Pansy, sat beside Ron, was wondering if they were a couple yet. Her eyes met Hermione's from where she sat opposite her. They looked at each other knowingly, saying nothing.
//March//
Ron finally clocked onto it in March. Hermione had let them all leave the library after an extensive revision session when Harry suggested a quidditch game.
Blaise, Harry and Ron Vs. Pansy, Draco and Ginny soon turned into a Potter vs. Malfoy game. Ginny slouched off to where Hermione sat, no longer irritated at her brother dragging her out to play the game.
"Are they a couple?" She asked casually, watching the two of them tail one another from one side of the pitch to the other.
"I'm not sure - I don't think so."
Ginny shrugged and they watched the game in silence.
"Do you think Harry knows?" Ron asked, climbing up the stands to sit beside his girlfriend.
"Knows what?"
He pointed over at where the two seekers were going into a dive, their laughter echoing across the field.
"That he likes Malfoy!"
Hermione and Ginny shrugged, but Hermione had the feeling he did. For a while now he would smile when he thought no one was looking, would stare at Malfoy whenever given the change and always blushed when Draco teased him.
//April//
Harry was in denial. He knew how he felt about Draco, and he knew his friends knew. Their not-so-subtle glances and whispered conversations hadn't gone amiss. No, it was the fact he wasn't allowing himself the possibility that Draco felt the same way too.
"Hello?" Draco said, waving a hand in his face. Harry, like he had been so often recently, had zoned out.
"Hi," Harry blushed, "day-"
"Daydreaming."
They were revising potions in the library with Pansy, and Draco was sporting his favourite Harry hoodie - the dark green one. Pansy had barely noticed when he'd worn it, it happened so often it was practically his.
They went back to working until Harry frowned. Pansy, who had been writing from where she sat opposite, looked up as Draco's quill stopping.
"I don't understand this," Harry said.
Harry moved his potions book in between them, propping it up with his left hand. Draco made to hold it, but the former held on. They ended up with Draco's right hand over Harry's left as he pointed out the reasoning behind the information. Harry nodded, biting his lip as his cheeks blushed. Pansy had a suspicion that when Draco asked him if he understood and Harry nodded, he still had no idea.
//May//
"Exams, exams!" Hermione exclaimed on entering the common room. Everyone groaned with the realisation that this was true. Two weeks and exams began. Only four weeks of horrific exams to go before they were finally free!
"Thanks for the reminder," Pansy growled, not putting down her Transfiguration book. Ron though, from where he sat beside her, used his girlfriend's arrival to excuse a revision break.
"Fancy a walk outside?" He asked her, wanting to feel the sunshine. Being cooped up inside made him antsy. Hermione agreed only after Ron promised that they could go and revise in the library after lunch.
Outside the sun shone and the birds chirped and they strolled down to the lake. Hermione wanted to talk about what they were planning on doing after leaving, they'd had the conversation a hundred time before but Ron didn't mind.
"Is that Harry?" Ron interrupted a little later, pointing over at the lake.
"I think it is."
Harry was sprawled out by the lake, books scattered around him and writing on some parchment. Beside him, leaning against a tree trunk, was Draco. He was reading out from his Defence Against the Dark Arts book and every now and then Harry interrupted to say something.
They left the two of them in their study bubble and walked on, but they could ignore the sound of their friend's laughter as they eventually turned back to the castle. Hermione turned back in time to see Harry's head now resting in Draco's lap, reading another book out loud. Draco's laughter was loud enough to reach her at the Castle's doors.
//June//
"Oh my goodness!" Pansy exclaimed. "They're actually over."
"We're free!" Ron grinned.
They had just completed their last exam of the year and the seventh and eighth year students were filtering out of the castle and out into the blinding light of the summer sun.
"What now?" Hermione asked, looking utterly lost.
Ron took her hand and gave it a squeeze. She look a little less sad when he caught her eye.
"Hogsmeade?"
"Hogsmeade."
Later on, ice creams eaten and cool pumpkin juice drank, they decided to head back to Hogwarts. They still had until late July for the Hogwarts express to take them back go London, but now they had to plan for their future. Jobs, houses, where they'd go next.
"I'm going to France, at least for a little while," Pansy thought aloud. Blaise said he would be too, they both had family out their and wanted to travel before contemplating coming back to England.
"Auror training," Ron said determinedly, holding Hermione's hand and half thinking about having another icecream tomorrow.
"Working for the Care of Magical Creatures Dapartment at the Ministry, definitely," Hermione said as strong-willed as Ron was.
Harry and Draco walked just behind the others. Harry knew his friends had both already applied for these jobs and now waited for the reply. He knew they would both get them and do well, really well.
The thought of the future excited him, but he'd really miss Hogwarts.
"I was thinking of becoming an Auror," he said not to anyone's surprise. Even after a lifetime of fighting he wasn't prepared for giving up he fight. He and Ron had spent many evenings planning this future together.
Beside him Draco brushed his hand with his. Harry's face heated up and it had nothing to do with the sun beating down on them.
"I was thinking of asking McGonagall about a potential position here," Draco said quietly as their school loomed in front of them.
This had everyone stop in their tracks. Pansy thought he might come to France with her, Hermione felt he'd stay in London with Harry. No one even thought for second that anyone could stay here.
"Really?" Pansy asked in surprise.
"She mentioned they were going to look for a new potions teacher," he shrugged.
Beside him Harry's heart gave a tug. They'd both talked about this before, and Harry had been filling enthusiast about the idea of Malfoy staying. In turn Malfoy had been enthusiastic about the Auror program. It would be hard not seeing each other.
"Well, I'm sure she'd be delighted to have you," Hermione said, the first to recover and start walking again not before her eyes flickered over to Harry.
//July//
Platform 9 3/4 was packed. With their trunks behind them they had to push through the crowd to get to a quieter place. They didn't want to say goodbye, but their futures awaited.
Ron, Harry and Hermione had all been accepted into the Ministry of Magic and were due to start mid-August. Pansy and Blaise had both made plans to go to Paris and had been rather enthusiast about the trip they'd planned for their travels.
Draco felt his stomach churn. The Gryffindors were going straight to The Burrow from here and his fellow Slytherins to France. After being accepted as the new Potions teacher he had signed himself to a very busy few months. He had work to plan, books to read and a teacher training programme to do that Mcgonagall had helped him aquire. From here until September he'd be too busy to spend anything more than a day or two out of London.
"Go say goodbye to him," Hermione told Harry as they made for the exit.
Harry didn't need telling twice and quickly grabbed Draco's elbow and pulled him into a shadowed alcove.
In the months since falling for Draco he'd still done nothing. They had been as close as two people could be and several rumours on the status of this relationship had circulated school. Harry knew everyone knew, and recently he suspected Draco did too.
"Before you go," he said quietly, looking into Draco's eyes, "I need to tell you something."
Draco stood stock still, scared for the future and the loss of his friends.
"I love you."
Neither of them said anything else for several moments. Harry began to suspect Draco hadn't heard and was about to said it again when suddenly Draco moved close enough to leave hardly a breath between them.
"Really?"
Harry nodded, feeling himself blush. Even if his feelings weren't reciprocated he was glad Draco wasn't shouting or confused, or worse, leaving. There was a moment where time seemed to freeze.
"I love you, too."
In an instant their lips were together in a desperate wish to not be apart. Neither wanted to leave the other but knew the inevitable would soon arrive. They broke apart and caught their breath.
"You could live with me," Harry suddenly said, as they realise their friends were waiting and moved to leave.
"What?" Draco looked in disbelief and thought of a house full of Weasleys.
"I have a place in London, it was my godfather's. I'm going back there in a week. You could join me before you go back to school."
Draco nodded, a smile wide on his face. Perhaps the future wasn't as lonely as he thought.
They laced hands as they tugged their trunks through the crowd and onto the muggle platform where their friends were waiting. They couldn't help but laugh when their friends caught sight of their linked hands and breathed a simultaneous "finally."