Cassiopeia Lily Malfoy (Harry X Draco)

Chapter 4

At work the next day, he couldn't focus. Draco was only a few doors down. At lunchtime, he slipped on his invisibility cloak and sneaked into Draco's cell.

"Who's there?" said Draco, his voice strained and frightened.

"It's just me," said Harry, taking off his cloak.

"Fuck me, Potter, I thought you were someone coming to assassinate me!"

"No one's going to assassinate you."

Draco laughed unhappily.

"No, of course not," he said. "Not Draco the Well-Loved, Friend of the Wizarding People."

"Sandwich?"

"Thanks."

Draco took the ham sandwich and wolfed it down. Harry wondered what they were feeding him.

"Cassie thinks I don't love her," said Harry.

"Your French is improving."

"I haven't told her I do, yet."

"I'm not sure it would help," said Draco. "She's not like me; doesn't care all that much about verbal affirmation."

Harry looked at him in surprise.

"You?"

Draco flushed and glanced away.

"I go a bit weak for praise." His face hardened. "Yes, Potter, because my father never gave me any. Can we move on?"

Harry blinked a few times. Draco's ears were pink, which was generally a good sign that he should change the subject.

"I will tell her I love her," said Harry. "I just didn't want to freak her out."

"You won't," said Draco, sounding bored.

"Well. Good."

"Granger's been by a few times. Thanks for that."

"She's the best lawyer in Britain," said Harry. "And if you call her a mudblood and she quits, I'm not hiring another one."

Draco clenched his jaw.

"Your high opinion of me aside, you still haven't told her about Cassie."

"Haven't had a chance to, yet," said Harry. Draco plucked cobwebs off his robes.

"Cassie's scared that you're ashamed of her," he said. "I've always tried to convince her you're not, but until recently the facts weren't exactly on my side."

"I'm not ashamed of her," said Harry, his stomach twisting.

"Of me, then, which to Cassie amounts to more or less the same thing."

"I'm not... I'm not ashamed of you," said Harry, half-heartedly.

"Merlin, don't hurt yourself. Are you planning on telling anyone about her?"

"Of course!"

"Sooner the better, then."

"I was going to wait till you were free. I thought it would make you more comfortable."

Draco gave him a puzzled look.

"You realise that you can't make this comfortable for me? Anyway, you'll hurt Cass' feelings if you wait."

"Right. Okay. I'll introduce her to Ron and Hermione."

Draco shifted unhappily, drawing his arms around his slender body.

"Weasley won't be... prejudiced... against her?"

"If he says anything I'll fucking hex his eyes out."