Midnight Meetings

Part 6- His signature scent

Harry POV
Sleeping. That's a thing of the past. My minds flooded with thoughts and no one to express them too. I can't tell Draco, not these anyway, Hermione is an option but I know her answer will be sugar coated and not what I need, Ron...just no. I guess I'll have to talk to Hermione. 
"Um can I have a word with you sometime today. Alone." I whispered, pulling her to the side. Her eyes darted around my face, trying to pick up any hint to what this chat will be. 
"Um we both have a study lesson in the hall second, so before then?" She whispered back. Ron turned around and looked at us both before going back to whatever goes on in that red head. "Yeah but what about...you know." I said, gesturing to Ron. 
"I'll tell him I wanted to ask you something regarding spiders and knew he wouldn't want to be around for it." She said laughing quietly. I smiled as a rush of relief flooded my body.

We got into the dining hall and sat down. After grabbing a slice of jam coated toast, I started on the questions Draco gave me. 
"Harry is that potions homework?" Hermione asked panicking. 
"No just homework from my study thing from last night." I said while finishing a question. 
"Oh yeah how did that go?" Ron asked before shovelling the remainder of maybe a pancake. 
"I don't know, we studied." I said, missing out all my favourite details. 
"That's not all that happened surely?" Hermione said, suddenly interested in the conversation. "We studied love potions and then Sir Nicholas came in and got the complete wrong idea which made Draco maybe angry I'm not sure. Then it was awkward for like two hours." I summarised before turning back to my work. Ron and Hermione carried on talking and occasionally whispering to each other. I didn't care. I cared about the blonde boy staring down at the table and tracing something with his finger on the other side of the room. I'm not even sure I knew why I cared, but I did.

I walked to potions on my own completely forgetting about Ron and Hermione. I was too engrossed in my thoughts to wait for them, I'll apologise later. I walked in to see only Draco in the room. 
"Did you finish it?" He asked, snapping me out of my head. It took me a few seconds to realise what he was on about before pulling out the piece of paper. 
"Sorry Ron got some golden syrup on it. Hopefully it's good." I said before sitting down in my seat. Snape walked in to see only Draco and I. "
Perfect. Potter I want you sitting next to Draco. You sitting next to your friends seem to be distracting and hopefully he will influence you and actually make you pass." He said scowling. I picked up my books and dumped everything on Dracos desk. His eyes widened and he shuffled over slightly. 
"Looks like we're partners now." I said smiling at him. 
"I would say make yourself at home but it appears you've already done that." He said scowling at my mess. Laughing, I tidied up my side. He looked at me with a look of thanks.

"Today we shall be making amortentia. This potion creates a unique aroma to the person smelling it. This scent reminds the smeller of the person they love. This could be something like their signature scent down to their favourite flavour of Bertie Botts every flavour beans." Snape droned. You could tell he'd rather be teaching a more exciting subject. He went through how to make it and told us to get on with it. Draco rushed up to get the ingredients needing. 
"Right Harry." He paused realising he used my proper name. "Um you learnt this yesterday so make it and don't mess it up." He said with a threatening scowl. I took a deep breath and added the ingredients into the bowl. 
"Remember the turn it eighteen times anti-clockwise until we get the pearl sheen." Draco said. He was relying on me to get this right so he doesn't fail in front of his godfather. I turned it the number of times before it went the pearlescent shade. "Oh my god Harry you actually done it!" Draco shouted loudly. 
"I know oh my god Draco you taught me. I made something." I said before grabbing him and hugging him without realising what I was actually doing. A throat cleared, I released him and looked up. It was Snape. 
"Congrats Mr Potter, I see that study session wasn't useless. So what do you smell?" He asked me. I nervously went closer to the potion and took a deep breath. My eyes widened and my heart stopped beating. I smelt Draco. "So?" Snape asked. 
"Um I smell a sort of a faint hint of  hair product but also a sweet scent like vanilla and coffee. A fruit...apple? Then there's a musk sort of dark scent to it. I don't know sir." I said blushing. 
"Do you recognise it? And remember Potter I'll know if you lie." Snape said sternly. I slowly nodded.
"I think so but I'm not sure." I said blushing even deeper. 
"Ok what about you Mr Malfoy." He said turning to face him. He lowered his head to the cauldron. 
"Um mint and I don't know like forest. Vanilla, maybe baking. Grass and sweat. I... i don't know." He mumbled. Snapes eyes drifted between the two of us. 
"And?" He asked. "I don't know if I recognise mine either." He said blushing. Whoever this scent was, Draco loved them and this angered me. 
"Um sir what do you smell?" I asked, immediately regretting.
 "What I smell is none of your business. Write down a summary of your work." He said before leaving to another table.

The rest of the lesson was engulfed in a cloud of awkwardness. 
"So what you got next?" He asked me. 
"Study hall. Hagrid supervising today." I said. He nodded and silently left the room.
"Bye then" I whispered.

"So Harry what did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked walking over to me. I had completely forgot about that until this moment. 
"Um well wait a second." I said, leaving the classroom and walking on the less crowded side of the hallway. 
"Right um. Please don't judge me or I don't know um I'm gay. Well I don't know. I'm really confused." I said leaving back against the wall and shutting my eyes. I was holding back tears and slightly shaking. I felt her hug me. 
"I can't tell you the answer to that but what's making you think this?" She asked softly. 
"A boy called...well that doesn't matter. I can't sleep, I can't focus, I can't think. I just want to know." I said, my voice cracking slightly. 
"Look let's ditch study today. Um I'll go tell Ron." She said going to leave. I grabbed her wrist. "Tell him and he can join. He deserves to know." I said. She nodded and went to fetch him. A few seconds later Ron appeared.
"Hey mate, lets go back to the common room." He said putting his hand on my shoulder.

We got back to the common room and I flopped down onto my bed. 
"So Harry who's the boy that's making you ya know feel things." Ron asked. I groaned at the thought of Draco. 
"Ron he's not telling us that. Um Harry could we make a nickname or something for him?" She asked tenderly. I nodded. 
"What's a word that reminds you of him?" She added. The moon. The way it reflected off his perfect head of hair and how the silver shine it creates like a star. "~
The Moon. So like moon boy or something I don't know." I muttered into the pillow. Silence filled the air. 
"I just...I don't know anymore. I can't decide how I feel about him, why I feel this, why him? I just want him but I also don't." I said. A cool hand came and stroked my head. 
"Have you ever been attracted to boys before?" Hermione softly said, her voice sounding like an angels. 
"Or anyone." Ron added. I heard Hermione hit him. 
"Never a boy but then not a girl. I thought I liked Ginny, well I had too cause she liked me and I can't hurt her but I don't know it's not right." I said, feeling a tear fall into my pillow. 
"I don't have to worry bout you messing with my sister, now my brothers." Ron said, then gasping at what he said. A smile crept onto my face,
"don't worry, gingers aren't really my thing." I said, starting to feel a small burst of happiness. I heard Ron gasp and then laugh. 
"Do you know if you love him?" Hermione said quietly, knowing it was a sensitive subject. 
"What is love? What's it like?" I asked, sitting up and looking at both of them. They looked at each other and blushed. Ron gestured to Hermione that she could go first. 
"Well I knew I've loved Ron for ages. Knowing that the thought of him could improve any mood and his presence just makes me my best self. I feel comfortable with him and I feel like we could do anything together." She said looking at the ginger boy. He was grinning bigger than ever. 
"I uh wow. I just love you so much." He said before kissing her. So that's love. That's what I've longed for. That's what I hoped and dreamed about ever since I was a kid. A thing I've longed and never had and now it's all i feel. Ron and Hermione returned back from pratically eating each other's face off. 
"Did you smell moon boy in potions today?" Ron asked, with a grin on his face. I blushed giving away my answer. They both just grinned like i said my first word. 
"Look Harry, we're not the best at this as we're not gay." Ron said laughing slightly. "How about going to talk to someone like Dumbledore or Lupin?" Hermione suggested. I nodded. I knew lupin was in Hogsmeade for a bit. 
"Yeah I'll send him a letter asking if he can meet me. Thanks guys. I love you both so much." I said hugging them both. 
"Your welcome mate." Ron said. "We're always here to talk and help you." Hermione added. "Just don't let that moon boy take over."

They left and went back to the study hall. I got up and wandered over to the window, staring out at the scenery. I could see out beyond Hogwarts, into the fields and meadows. I took a deep breath and got a piece of paper.

Dear Mr R. Lupin
I know your in town for a few days and I was wandering if you had any free time soon to talk. Please get back to me as soon as possible.
From Harry Potter.
I signed the envelope and waited for Hedwig to return from her morning hunt. So this is it. I'm gay and I love Draco Malfoy.

A/n: oh boy oh boy that's a lot.