The silver trio

An Awkward Conversation

I decide to talk to Harry the next day before I change my mind. I tell Draco my plan and go to find Harry at lunch. I walk up to the Gryffindor table. Harry instantly makes me eye contact with me and looks away quickly.
"Oh, hello", Hermione smiles, knowing what I came here to do.
"Good morning", I smile back.
"Sleep well?", Ron asks.
"Well, thanks.".
I stand there awkwardly hovering. "Um, Harry?", I say quietly.
He looks up, a tense look on his face.
"Yes?", He says curtly.
"Can we talk?".
He looks at me and sighs.
"Please."
I try and look as welcoming as possible.
He gets up. "Don't want to make another scene", He mutters.
We begin to walk away from the table. Hermione glances at me, reassuringly.
Once we're out of earshot I say, "You didn't make a scene".
He laughs, "I did, no need to lie to me".
I don't know what to say so I stay quiet and follow him.
He leads me outside where he sits down on the grass.
"Care to join me?". I sit down across from him on the grass, legs crossed.
"So what's this about?", He asks.
"I wanted to talk to you about the DA lesson. I assume Mione told you about the room of requirement", I say, making sure no one else can hear.
"She did. What about it?".
"I just wanted to remind you that you'll be teaching, you know, maybe you should start looking over some defensive spells. If I were you I'd make a plan", I explain.
He sighs, "You should be teaching it not me".
I look at him, and laugh, "Are you for real? I don't have the patience to be a teacher. I'd get pissed off if one of them couldn't do a simple spell and end up quitting".
He chuckles, "You wouldn't. Anyways, people like you so much they wouldn't even care if you got pissed off at them".
There's an awkward silence.
"I didn't mean-".
"It's fine. I know what you meant.". He nods gratefully.
"I'll make a plan. Or at least i'll try", He says.
"Thank you Harry. I really appreciate it", I smile, happy with his compliancy.
I almost get up to go but he begins to talk.
"I'm really sorry about what happened...what I said. I was angry.", He explains.
"It's okay Harry. I know you didn't mean any of it. It's all in the past now", I say, hoping that will be all.
He sighs deeply, and stares at me.
"(Y/N), I meant everything I said. That's the worst bit".
"What?", Is all I can say.
"I shouldn't have said it out loud, and I apologise for that. But...I stand by what I said. Maybe you'll last, maybe you wont, but he doesn't deserve you, he never has and never will". He sits waiting for my reaction.
"You're right, you shouldn't have said it out loud". I get up off the grass hastily.
"(Y/N).", He says, his voice desperate.
"What Harry?".
He looks at me like a wounded animal, begging for help, or food. Survival even. He's given me all this power over him. Power that I never asked for, and that I don't want. It's not fair.
"I love you".
It's the first time he's said it out loud.
"Please. Don't do this. Don't say those words", I plead.
"I can't help it. You need to know. I love you. I have since the day we met. I admit i've been awful since you and Draco, but it's only because I can't bear to see you with him", His voice is eager, yet sad.
He steps towards me, takes his hand and pushes my hair behind my ear.
I look at him, and suddenly feel a great sorrow.
"I love you Harry. I always will. But not in the way you want me to. I'm with Draco and you can't change that", I say solemnly.
He steps away.
"I know.".
His face is drained of all sanity it seems.
"I'll wait", He almost whispers.
"No you won't, you'll carry on with your life and meet someone who loves you the way you need. I promise you".
"No. I'll wait until the day you're ready. I'll wait. Always. I promise.". His eyes are teary now and I don't know what to do.
"Harry..."
"Everything alright?".
I spin around, and spot Draco coming towards us.
Harry rolls his eyes and steps further away from me.
He takes a final look at me and says sincerely, "Always".
He averts his gaze to Draco and to my surprise, he doesn't glare at him or make a snarky comment. He just stares at him with a sad look in his eyes, before turning and walking away.

"What the fuck was that?", Draco asks as we go inside.
"A very awkward conversation", I say, not sure what else there is to say.
He stops suddenly.
"He didn't try anything weird, did he?".
"No, nothing like that. Promise".
I tell him everything, leaving out nothing.
"He just doesn't get the hint does he?", Draco says after i've finished explaining.
"Well at least he doesn't hate me anymore. Now we can get on with the DA", I say.
"Pft. As if he ever would. You know what, I think he's actually insane. Blaise was right I have one day left to live", He jokes.
"Why would you ever listen to Blaise?", I tease.
"Excuse me?", Blaise says coming up behind us.
"Fuck, sorry Blaise, but It's true. You come out with some very questionable bullshit at times".
"I don't know, I think he's on to something", Draco says.
"What did I miss?", Blaise asks.
I explain my encounter with Harry briefly to Blaise.
"You've got roughly 18 hours mate", He says clapping Draco on the back pityingly.
"Oh shush you enabler", I say.
"Enabler? Merlin, that's a new one".
"Shit, is lunch over?", I ask, noticing crowds of students suddenly flooding out of the great hall.
"Yes. You were out there so long I thought maybe he actually had gone insane and murdered you or something, so I went out to check", Draco explains.
"Good call. I reckon if you got there even a minute later she'd be gone", Says Blaise, very seriously.
"Can you lot stop talking about murder!", I cry.
"Alright, alright! Bloody hell", Blaise complains.
Draco, out of nowhere, reaches into his cloak and pulls out a big lump, wrapped with tissue paper out of one of the inside pockets.
"I brought you a sandwich. I salvaged it best I could", He smiles shyly, his cheeks filling with colour. He's not used to being affectionate in front of Blaise, even if it's just a small gesture like this.
"Well isn't that just adorable", Blaise teases.
"Shut it", Draco says, but he's grinning ear to ear.
"Thank you Draco. I'll eat it on the way to class", I reach up to kiss him on the cheek.
"Right, dial it down a bit", Blaise jokes and I kick him in the shin.
"OW! Balls!", He cries.
Me and Draco laugh loudly until we're interrupted by an all too familiar voice.
"Eh hem", She coughs, in her high pitched tone.
Umbridge has just appeared in front of us.
This can't be good.
None of us dares to speak.
She smiles sweetly, enjoying our obedience because she knows it stems from our fear. Fear of what she may do.
"(Y/N) (L/N), would you please come with me to my office. I'd like to have a little talk", She says, happily.
Fuck.