Drarry One-Shots 2

Pavlovian Effect

255. "You do know a lot about my blushing schedule."

Hermione's eyes widened as she saw Harry coming to the common room from his dorm. She tossed her homework to the seat next to her and waved towards him.

"Harry, hey!" she called, loud enough that more than a few heads turned, but she didn't care. She couldn't miss her chance. "Can we talk for a moment?"

Harry halted in his steps and redirected his course towards her. "Hermione? Yeah, sure, what's up?"

She took a big breath before speaking and cleared her through. "I think, well, I think we should talk about Draco and you." She looked at Harry seriously and hoped he wouldn't run away. Maybe she should cast a subtle sticking charm to his shoes?

"W-what about Draco and me?" Harry muttered, his eyes panicked. "There's nothing between Draco and me!"

"Harry..." Hermione sighed in pity. She did expect this, to be honest, but it was still sad that he felt like he couldn't talk to them about such a big development. She steeled herself and continued her part of the conversation. "Well, you know how some people can cry on command?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Harry asked with a frown. "What does that have to do with Dr-Malfoy?"

"I know you can't cry on command, but you can maybe – well, it's not really on command, but more like a trigger!" she said quickly, waving her hands around as if that'd help her find the right words. She didn't want to be too direct in case he spooked and really fled. "Like... like Pavlovian effect. Have you heard of it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, 'Mione." Harry shook his head, but she could swear there was a flicker of recognition in those green eyes of his.

"Look, I think that you don't realise that you blush whenever, whenever this thing happens," Hermione explained, her eyes glancing around and looking for Ron. Maybe he'd be able to explain it to Harry properly.

"It's like this thing happens, and then you blush," she persevered despite her inadequacy in dealing with boys. "And it's becoming quite frequent –"

"And you do know a lot about my blushing schedule," Harry interrupted with an eye roll and that sarcastic tone of his, but she didn't let it faze her.

"– and it's not that I'm concerned, it's just that I'd like to talk to you about it because it seems like you're sort of... avoiding it? Or trying to hide it?"

They stared at each other for a moment, both heavily uncomfortable with the situation. Finally, Harry grimaced and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm still not following," he muttered, but now, Hermione was almost certain he was.

"It's quite simple, really," she said, slower this time, her eyes searching. "Every time he walks in, you turn this embarrassing shade of red."

"Malfoy?" Harry whispered. His hand flew to the back of his neck and he broke eye contact they'd been holding pretty steadily up until this point. "Are you joking?"

"I'm not! You do blush when he walks in the room!" she said and smirked when she saw a certain blond entering the common room. Harry followed her gaze, and there, he was blushing!

"Like right now!" Hermione said in triumph, and then her gaze softened as she took his hand in hers. It was partly for comfort and partly to keep him in place now that the whole thing was coming together.

"Honestly, Harry," she continued, "I don't know how you two thought no one would figure out you're sleeping together – it's so obvious! Just tell him everyone knows and stop this whole 'we can't look at each other if someone's within the 5-mile radius' thing."

Harry stared at her for a moment, his teeth worrying his lip. He kept glancing at the armchair on the other side of the room, which now hosted Draco Malfoy.

"You think so?" he asked hesitantly.

"I know so!" Hermione replied immediately with a grin and then pushed him away in the direction of the armchair. "Go! Do it now!"

Harry nodded and began striding towards Draco's relaxed form. Once there, he leaned down and kissed him hard and fast. Draco froze for only a moment, but soon, he was responding enthusiastically, even going as far as to pull Harry to straddle his lap in the armchair. What proceeded was a very interesting make out session that made Hermione extremely glad that the Eight-Year common room was separate from everyone else – it wouldn't do for the little kids to be traumatised by such a display.

Sooner rather than later, Seamus seemed to have had enough and yelled at them from across the room. More specifically, he yelled, "Hey, get a room!"

Harry pulled back from the kiss and started laughing, prompting Draco to laugh too. Draco leaned to the right from where he had his face buried against Harry's neck to catch Seamus's eyes.

"We will, Finnigan!" he yelled back. "Thanks for the suggestion!"

He and Harry exchanged a few hushed words, and then they proceeded to leave the common room together, hand in hand. Hermione watched them go with a weirdly proud feeling in her chest.

"I guess that works too," she muttered to herself. While she hadn't intended to induce a semi-inappropriate make-out session between Harry and his boyfriend, it did work as a wonderful coming-out technique. Happy that was done with, she turned back to homework and successfully removed her worrying about her best friend from her mind for at least a little while.