Wrinkles in Life

Chapter Six

       Hogwarts had fewer students than usual, but that was expected. What wasn't expected was for the number of new students to be the same and for most of the old students to return, including Slytherins. Everyone just wanted to get their lives back. It was expected that some people attacked Draco and other Slytherins, but what wasn't expected was for other students to defend them and for Draco to become a leader. He taught the younger students deflective spells and would help them with their homework. Pansy told him that Harry was rubbing off on him and the blonde couldn't help but laugh. People were surprised, but the ones who knew them the best were not so fazed. The two boys understood each other and got along. Large parts of their lives had been controlled by others. Harry had the prophecy and Draco had his parents.

      Draco and Harry spent a lot of time together and even owled each other every day during the winter holiday. Ron told Hermione that it was "almost as obsessive as sixth year" this morning at breakfast. Draco and Harry didn't hear them, though, they were too busy working on their homework. Or, Draco was telling Harry that he needed neater handwriting while he proofread the Gryffindor's potions essay.

      Everyone sat at different tables now, not caring too much about the house arrangements. Harry had always thought the whole system breeded hatred and negative exclusivity than house pride and friendly competition. Everyone liked it better this way. People were allowed to make more friends and see that stereotypes were not always true. Just look at the Golden Trio and the ex-Death Eater, they had assimilated well, even if Draco and Ron sometimes got too heated about Wizard Chess. They had become so close that Draco contemplated telling them he wore makeup and liked boys several times. He couldn't, though. These friendships were too important and fragile to risk it. Or at least that's what he said to himself. In truth, Draco was scared of rejection from the people he felt honest and comfortable with.

      "Why are you looking at me like that?" Harry asked as they poured over his essay. I'm thinking about how I'd be heartbroken if you ever hated me for being me, Draco thought. I don't want to mess up this friendship. I've messed up on too many things already. You're too important to me...

      "Nothing," he said and Harry shrugged. They continued looking over to the parchment in comfortable silence and then started reading again. Draco felt Pansy looking at him and gave her an easy smile that did nothing to ease her worried thoughts. This isn't just friendship, Draco, she thought. This is falling in love. Harry unconsciously tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Draco's ear and they continued to not notice the way they were looking at each other like the other one hung the moon or the way everyone else looked at them like they were inevitable.

      Draco continued to wear makeup in secret and started to look at Harry Potter through a different lens now, but still in the same way. Draco had looked at the Boy Wonder with longing and sadness before, a person whom he could never even begin to imagine he could have. Now, he looked at Harry Potter with more longing and more sadness, a person whom he now loved but still believed he could still never have. She wouldn't tell him what she thought yet. Neither of them were ready to face his feelings and she could see that. Pansy looked at Hermione and Ron, and they gave her an exasperated look as if to say, we know.