LOVE ME OR HATE ME ◦ H. POTTER, D. MALFOY

07.

Draco Malfoy was in a sour mood. Not that it was much of a surprise, but he had gotten some bad news. He would not be, as usual, staying at the Manor for Christmas, as his parents had matters to attend to.

And worse of all, his father had told him that he was receiving the Mark in half a year.

Draco was scared out of his mind. He didn't want the Mark! He didn't want to get involved in all of this...Dark Arts nonsense. But he knew his father would be angry if he told him the truth.

Draco stuffed his hands in his pockets, breath slightly puffing out of his mouth as he wandered the corridor. He had nobody to confide to, nobody that would understand his feelings.

Except, perhaps, Harry Potter.

That wasn't an option, not at this point. Harry had been giving him the silent treatment since Draco had been rude to him a few weeks ago. Draco absolutely hated himself.

Another Christmas alone, he thought to himself.

Then Draco paused. He could hear something from the hallway up ahead. He crept to the corner where the two hallways met, peering around the corner.

There was a dark-haired figure, which Draco recognized as Harry. But there was another dark-haired figure with him, who Draco didn't recognize. And they looked like they were...kissing. Harry Potter was kissing a girl.

Draco's heart began to sink, and he suddenly understood why. How hadn't he seen it before? He should have known, from the way he felt all the time when he was around the raven-haired boy. He was smart. He should have figured it out sooner.

Draco Malfoy was completely head over heels for Harry Potter. And Harry Potter was not, as Draco could see, gay.

Harry seemed to finally break away from the girl, who Draco finally saw was Cho Chang. He had heard that Harry had a crush on Cho for the longest time. It looked like he was getting his way, finally. Cho was sniffling, but she was managing to smile through her tears, which Harry returned.

Draco had seen enough.

---

Harry felt like he could sing! Cho Chang, his longtime crush, had finally kissed him. And under mistletoe too, so it was all the more romantic. Harry couldn't wait to tell his friends.

He pushed open the door to the dormitory that he and Draco shared, quietly going inside.

He and Draco hadn't been on speaking terms for a few weeks now. But since it was nearly Christmas, Harry felt that it was time to make amends.

What he didn't expect to see was Draco packing his trunk.

"Malfoy?" he asked, eyes widening from behind his glasses. "W-What're you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Draco sneered. "I'm leaving. I've requested to move back into the Slytherin dormitory."

"Why would you do that?" Harry demanded, walking over to him. "I mean, really, think about what you're doing-"

"I have thought about it, Potter. And I've decided it's for the best." Draco replied.

"I thought we were becoming friends."

"Well...it wasn't meant to be."

"But-"

"I saw you and her! I saw you kissing her."

Harry stopped in mid sentence, his mouth slightly open in shock.

"Were you...were you spying on me?" Harry asked. "And why do you even care about Cho?"

"Because, you idiotic git, I love you!" Draco shouted.

Harry froze, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly. He couldn't believe the words that had just come out of Draco's mouth. But yet, as a flush began to take over Draco's face, he knew Draco wasn't playing tricks on him. 

"I didn't know you were gay." Harry said stupidly.

"It's called bisexual, Potter." Draco said dryly. "You should try it sometime. But now you see why I can't be around you anymore. I can't trust myself. And now that I know you're taken with someone, I'd feel guilty if I were ever to express my feelings in a physical way."

He shut the lid of his black embossed trunk, his face determined.

"Well, I didn't say I hated you for it." Harry said. "I also didn't say I didn't return the feelings."

"Wait. So, you love me as well?" Draco had an almost hopeful look on his face.

"Well, erm...no. But I want to be friends. Even though I don't...feel the same."

Draco's face fell again, and Harry felt almost guilty. It wasn't his fault that he only liked girls in that way. But something in his heart was telling him that he was making a terrible mistake here.

"Fine. Then, I bid you goodbye." Draco said tonelessly, dragging his trunk  towards the door.

Harry could only watch him go. And Draco's heart could only break in two.

-- END OF PART ONE --