Rivaling Affections

Chapter 11

"They're touching," Minerva announced with a wry grin.

"What? When did this happen?" Narcissa asked excitedly.

"It's hardly noticeable unless you're looking for it, but obviously I am," she giggled. She hadn't felt so young in years as she did chasing after those two stubborn boys. "It's small things so far, a graze of the fingers as they pass each other something during a meal, a carefully placed hand at the small of the back, I even saw Harry push back a lock of Draco's hair the other morning," she cooed.

Andromeda nodded. "They do the same things at home now, Harry even makes a special dessert most nights and he never used to bother cooking while school was in session except occasionally on the weekends. And they spend almost every evening in the garden talking."

"But it's still only talking?" Narcissa asked.

"I haven't even seen them kiss even once since the weekend Draco arrived," Andromeda commented.

"Me either," Minerva noted. "Though they both take their career at Hogwarts very seriously, so I would be quite surprised if they ever did anything of the sort on school grounds."

Narcissa nodded. "Draco might press the issue, but I doubt Potter would agree to it. He has a heavy sense of responsibility to the students."

"But things are certainly progressing," Andromeda offered. "Slowly," she added with a grumble.

"What can we do to speed things up?" Narcissa asked. "Maybe a weekend alone?"

Minerva's eyes lit up. "Brilliant, Cissy."

Andromeda nodded in acceptance. "It looks like I'll be coming to visit you this weekend, dear sister," she added with a grin.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Things had remained polite between Draco and himself, and every once in awhile Harry thought the other man might be considering a romantic relationship with him. However, whenever this would happen, things would quickly cool and he would be left wondering if Draco even noticed the chemistry between them or if it was all just a figment of his own imagination.

It was fairly quiet for a Friday.

Normally students were anxious for the weekend, but since Hogsmeade weekend was held on the previous week, they were slightly more subdued at present. His first class after lunch was a group of first year Slytherin's and Ravenclaw's and Teddy was among them.

It had been easy enough to assure Teddy that he didn't care about the sorting and that he loved him regardless, but seeing him surrounded in a sea of green was still slightly hard to swallow, though he vowed never to let the teen know of his inner turmoil. He did love Teddy, and he knew that boy's character outweighed the stigma given to Salazar's house, much like Draco's did.

His godson beamed at him as the students began to file in. Harry had vastly escalated the curriculum when he began teaching the students, and that day's lesson was on werewolves, not previously taught until third year. Harry however knew that because of Voldemort, there were far more werewolves in wizarding society than ever before, and thought the students would gain more from knowledge over them rather then, say bogey curses. Not that Harry was opposed to a good bogey curse, but he tended to give those sorts of studies as homework. Just imagining the common rooms filled with students performing the curse on each other would lighten his mood.

Harry moved to the front of the classroom, scanning the crowd of attentive students and leaned against the back of his desk. He told Draco to warn Teddy of the lesson, knowing it would be a touchy subject, and a brief nod from his godson confirmed he had gotten the message and looked at least mostly ready to hear about his father's condition inside the classroom. Harry wouldn't be going over anything that Teddy didn't already know, as they had talked extensively about Remus on several occasions, but Harry knew that it must still be difficult for the boy.