Kiss and Tell

Chapter 11 - Red

Harry felt himself regain consciousness, but didn't open his eyes. He'd been having such a good dream. It was ten years into the future and he was living with Malfoy in Manchester. Harry was an Auror while Malfoy worked at the ministry.

It wasn't a particularly eventful dream, not like last time, and the two lived a simple life. They visited with Ron and Hermione  --who were also married--  at their house not even 10 miles away from where he and Malfoy lived. A sense of complete contentedness hung in the air around their cottage.

Then he woke up. 

Harry groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Light flooded the room, forcing his hand up to his eyes to shield them. Everything around him was blurry, so he reached to his right and felt around for his glasses. Shoving them on his face, Harry got his bearings and heard a faint snore coming from the foot of his bed in the hospital wing.

Sitting in a large, green armchair (Madam Pomfrey fashioned him one right after he fell asleep), was Malfoy. He had his head resting in his hands and was curled up into a ball in the middle of the chair. The way his head was positioned, Harry noticed how completely disheveled Malfoy's blond hair was.

It stuck up at all different angles and heights. Straining to reach, Harry poked Malfoy in the arm with his toe to wake him up. Malfoy snorted and coughed, but opened his eyes nonetheless. As soon as he saw Harry was awake, Malfoy smiled and stretched his arms out wide.

"Hey, Potter. It's nice to see you alive. I thought you might have died."

Harry laughed. "You wish."

Now it was Malfoys turn to laugh. He stood up from his chair and strolled over to Harry's bed. Malfoy looked a bit nervous as he positioned himself next to Harry, one leg hanging off the bed. He stared at his feet.

Harry cocked his head. "You ok?"

Malfoy opened his mouth then closed it again. His face grew redder. "There's something I feel like you have the right to know. Obviously the potion worked, so we won't be seeing as much of each other. But that being said, I wanted you to know" he took a deep breath "I wanted you to know that I love you."

Malfoy looked directly into Harry's green eyes and said it again with confidence. "I love you."

Harry, so taken aback by Malfoy's sudden declaration, was speechless. He just sat in his striped pajamas and stared at his boyfriend. Boyfriend. The word sounded funny now. Boooy-frieeend. It sounded like something Ginny would write next to Harry's name a thousand times in her journal, not a title that Harry gives someone.

Malfoy, who was growing panicky, quickly stood up and paced around the foot of the bed. He came to an abrupt stop and barked out a laugh. It was a harsh laugh, not one that suited Malfoy. Harry looked up, confused.

"You know what Potter? Haha! I was kidding! You fell for it! Wow! How stupid are you?" Malfoy chuckled nervously and practically ran from the room before Harry could say anything.

Harry slumped back into his pillows. Realizing that when Malfoy said he loved him, he hadn't said anything back, Harry groaned pinched the bridge of his nose. Suddenly, it felt like his bedsheets were trying to strap him to the bed- trapping him forever. He had to get out of this place.

Harry flung the covers off of himself and bolted from the hospital wing. He didn't know where he was going, but he just wanted out.

Harry turned corners and eventually slowed to a walk. He found himself at the Gryffindor common room. He gave the password, which was "cabbage patch" and stepped inside. On the floor were Ron and Hermione furiously playing a gave of wizards chess. It looked to Harry as if Hermione was losing. Badly.

Ron thought for a moment and moved his queen. "Checkmate. I win."

Hermione looked at the board and huffed. "This is stupid game anyway. Muggle chess is much more practical."

Ron shrugged "Well I guess it's good for me that we're at a magic school."

Harry cleared his throat and sat down at a nearby couch. The fire crackled behind them. Hermione looked up from the floor. "Harry! I hadn't noticed you come in! Are you alright?"

Ron moved more towards Hermione. "Yeah mate, you gave us a right good scare. I didn't know what happened to you."
Hermione nodded.

"We were walking from breakfast this morning and Malfoy came flying past us. We thought he was crying but he moved too fast for us to really get a good look at him. Is everything alright?"

Harry let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding in and told them about what happened the night before with the potion. How Madam Pomfrey found a way to get them apart (clearly, as Hermione pointed out because Malfoy wasn't attached to his hip at this moment), and Harry told them about everything that Malfoy had said to him this morning when he woke up.

Hermione gasped and put a hand on her mouth. "Did you say it back?"

A lump began to form in the bottom of Harry's throat, making it hard to breathe as his eyes watered and heat rushed to his face. He shook his head "no. I just kinda sat there like a fucking idiot. I think it may have given him the wrong impression. 

Ron let out a low whistle "Ya think?"

Hermione elbowed him. She then turned back to Harry. "What are you going to do? Are you two still together?"

Again, Harry shook his head. "I don't know at this point. I think I just have to go find him and figure out what's going on."

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Ahhhh!!! I think this is the longest chapter I've written! I hope it didn't bore you all to death! I know I ended it in the middle of a scene, but I have good intentions. XOXO