Harry didn't dare move. He was going to stay hidden in the secret corridor behind the tapestry on the third floor, because he didn't trust his feet, or the rest of his traitorous body. He was terrified that if he tried to walk back to Gryffindor tower, his feet would instead lead him straight back to Draco.
The link had been quiet since he had fled from Draco, and he suspected it would stay that way until he chose to break the silence.
What on Earth had happened to Draco in the past week? The shuffling, awkward, insecure boy had gone, and somewhere along the line he'd been replaced with someone with a devious streak of confidence. Guaranteed, it was shaky and still laced with nerves, but there was no doubt about it. Draco had found some self-respect and had apparently come to terms with his sexuality.
And was now using it to torment Harry and ruin his life.
He wondered if he'd ever have found this out about himself if he'd not been linked to Draco. He cringed, imaging what life would be like if he'd carried on going out with Ginny. Surely he wouldn't have been able to do it? Surely if he was getting this wound up over another bloke, Ginny wasn't really doing it for him?
He felt awful. Truly awful because until that point he had genuinely believed that he liked Ginny, that he wanted her. But now whatever he had felt had been eclipsed by Draco simply standing next to him and playing with his bloody tie.
The git had changed everything.
Harry made his feet move and took a step towards the tapestry and then groaned as he realised something was missing from his side.
He'd left his bloody bag.
Oh, how the tables had turned.
He didn't dare go and retrieve the bag now. He didn't know what Draco was going to do for his next move at all, and that made him nervous. The balance of power had shifted in a big way, and he wasn't sure he liked it. Before, when he was the one holding onto Draco's secret, it was easy to coax Draco into a more compliant state, to try and help. But now Draco was the one with Harry held in the palm of his hand, Harry had no choice but to accept that Draco would be the one calling the shots from now on.
Draco had been cleverer than Harry had initially realised. He'd practically given Harry the go ahead to tell everyone about his sexuality, but Harry couldn't do that unless he wanted to potentially blow his own cover.
Shoulders slumping, he cautiously moved his feet towards the tapestry again. He didn't feel any overwhelming urge to run back to Draco, so took a few more steps. That was just how he was going to have to do it, he reasoned. One step at a time.
All he had to do now was to get back to the dorm room. One tiny little thing. He didn't have to talk to Draco, or go and fetch his bag, or contemplate just how he'd ended up fancying my ex-nemesis who just happened to be a bloke. No. All of that big and frankly terrifying stuff could wait.
Wishing he had his invisibility cloak, he managed to get back up to the common room without incident. Well, expect for a few people staring at him, but that was to be expected after Ginny's outburst in the Entrance Hall. It wasn't lost on Harry that she may have been a teensy bit right. Figuring out just how right she was could wait until he'd actually had some time to think about everything, in privacy, and after the initial shock and terror had worn off.
"Not so fast."
His attempt at a stealthy manoeuvre across the common room was sabotaged as a hand grabbed the back of his robes, jerking him to a standstill. Wildly, he thought Draco might have somehow been so bold as to break into the Gryffindor common room, but as he turned he came nose to nose with a decidedly less startling face.
