Bound by Love

Chapter 11: A Plan for What Comes Next

Harriet's POV

The night air had cooled considerably, a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves as Draco and I sat together in the clearing. It was peaceful, the kind of calm I had always craved, but there was an understanding between us now that this moment couldn't last forever. Soon enough, we'd be back at Hogwarts, where everything was more complicated. Still, for now, this felt like our own little world, hidden from everyone else.

"I guess we should talk about... what happens next," I said after a while, breaking the silence. The words felt heavy in my mouth, not because I didn't want to discuss it, but because I wasn't sure how things would play out once we returned to school.

Draco didn't look at me right away, his gaze focused on the sky. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that too."

I shifted, bringing my knees up to my chest as I looked at him. "This-us-whatever this is... it's going to be different when we're back at Hogwarts."

He nodded slowly, his expression serious. "I know. It's not going to be easy."

His words hung between us, the weight of them undeniable. We both had reputations at Hogwarts-his as the cold, calculated Slytherin, and mine as the hero of the wizarding world. Neither role allowed for the kind of connection we were building now.

"What do we tell them?" I asked, biting my lip.

Draco finally turned to look at me, his eyes soft but thoughtful. "I don't think we should tell them anything right away."

I blinked, surprised. "You want to keep it a secret?"

He shook his head slightly. "Not exactly. I just think... we need to figure out what this is before we bring anyone else into it. We're still... figuring things out."

I thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. He was right. We had barely scratched the surface of whatever this connection between us was. Throwing our friends into the mix would only complicate things. And frankly, I wasn't ready for that conversation with Hermione or Ron yet. Not when I barely understood it myself.

"So, what? We just act normal around them?" I asked, not entirely sure how we'd manage that.

Draco smirked slightly, but it didn't have the same edge it used to. "As normal as we can."

I let out a small laugh. "Right. Because we're so good at normal."

His smirk softened into something more genuine, and I felt my heart skip a beat. There was something about the way he was looking at me now, like he was seeing me in a way no one else had before. I wasn't "The Chosen One" to him. I was just... Harriet.

"I don't want to stop this," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Even when we go back."

Draco's expression grew serious again. "Neither do I."

The simplicity of his words, the certainty in them, made something inside me settle. We didn't have all the answers, and there were going to be challenges, but this-whatever this was-was worth holding on to.

"We'll figure it out," he said, his voice steady. "We'll take it one step at a time. Maybe we don't need to tell anyone right away. Let's see how it goes."

I nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. "You're right. We don't need to rush into anything."

Draco's eyes flickered with something I couldn't quite place, but it wasn't fear or hesitation. It was more like determination. "I'll have to figure out how to deal with... Pansy," he said, the name rolling off his tongue with distaste. "And you'll have to deal with Ron and Hermione."

I winced slightly at the thought. Hermione would overanalyze everything, and Ron... well, Ron wouldn't understand. I could already imagine the look on his face if he found out. But I didn't want to think about that right now.

"I'll handle them," I said, though it came out more like a promise to myself than to Draco. "But let's not think about that just yet."

He nodded in agreement, his hand still resting close to mine on the grass. "No, not yet."

I hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been lingering in my mind. "What are we, Draco?"

He turned his gaze to me, his expression unreadable for a moment. "I don't know yet," he admitted. "But I know I don't want this to end."

My heart fluttered at his words, and I felt a small smile pull at the corners of my mouth. "Me neither."

The night was quiet around us, the only sounds the gentle rustle of leaves and the occasional chirp of crickets. There was no rush, no urgency. Just us, sitting side by side, figuring things out one step at a time.

"We'll keep meeting," I said, more sure now. "Not just here, but... we'll find ways at school."

Draco nodded. "We will. We'll keep this between us for now. We'll take it slow."

Slow. The word felt right. There was no need to rush this, whatever it was. We had time to figure things out, to navigate the complicated world we were returning to. But for now, in this clearing, it felt like everything was falling into place.

"We should head back," I said reluctantly, knowing it was getting late.

Draco sighed but nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

We stood up, brushing the grass from our clothes, and for a moment, we just stood there, facing each other. There was something in the air between us-something unspoken but understood. This was just the beginning, and we both knew it.

He took a step closer, hesitating for only a moment before leaning in and brushing a soft kiss against my forehead. It was gentle, tentative, but it sent warmth flooding through me.

"I'll see you soon," he said quietly, stepping back.

I smiled, feeling my heart race. "Yeah. Soon."

We parted ways in the clearing, walking in opposite directions, but I knew this wasn't the end. It was just the start of something neither of us had expected.