Drarry - Baby Steps

Getting back up

Doorbells. It's barely been forty minutes since she last ran to open it, thirty minutes since she gently closed them behind the regular guest. It had been Mrs. Malfoy with a bag stuffed with clothes, books and supplies her son might want. He'd moved out of Malfoy Manor a month ago now, but she kept finding things of his that he might need in his new apartment. Pansy suspected she simply wanted excuses to see her son as often as possible.

Her skirt dances around her legs as she struts though their hallway, announcing: "I'm getting the door!" A muffled grunt of agreement echoes out of the room opposite her own. She stops dead in her tracks as soon as she rips the door open. Her eyes narrow almost automatically. With a hardened, superior expression, she demands: "What do you want?"

The person facing her pulls up their shoulders, shifting their head. Green eyes look down at her pleadingly though the veil of big, round glasses. "I was hoping to speak with Draco." Potter replies.

Pansy purses her lips and leans against the doorframe, cocking an eyebrow. "What makes you think he lives here?"

All she receives in return is a breathed: "Please, I need to."

"He's not home. Please don't come here again." Determinedly she slams the door shut - but Potter blocks it by pushing his foot in and making a pained face. "Merlin's beard tweezer, aren't you a persistent one!" She vexes, folding her arms and clenching her teeth, "I'll say this slowly so you can follow, bonehead. Leave, or you'll leave with some curses on your chosen butt. Am I being clear?"

Neither her elevated chin nor her threatening words seem to have any impact on Potter. He keeps looking miserably at her. "Pansy, listen to me. There's been a giant misunderstanding."

"Oh, really? Not from what I heard."

That second, Potter's pupils widen, but he's not even paying attention to her. She spins to look behind her - Draco has pushed his door open and is staring at Harry across Pansy's shoulder. "Draco, he won't leave." She informs him as he slowly edges closer. Looking back and forth between the two boys, she feels she understands even less than back in Arithmancy class. "Draco?" Pansy asks again, but he briefly raises his hand to tell her it's okay.

"Draco, can you hear me out?" Harry asks again, standing a little taller this time.

"I suppose." Draco answers, his voice raspy. Blonde strands of hair are falling into his face. Harry never saw him this dishevelled. It reminds him of himself when Draco first stepped into his apartment. Which is what he does now.

"Do you want tea?" Draco offers quietly. Pansy watches the whole scene play out curiously.

"No, thanks. I just want to talk." Sheepishly, Harry follows Draco into his room and Pansy closes the apartment door. "I'll be right here if you need me, yeah?" She assures her flatmate, studying the two of them one last time before Draco's door shuts behind them. There hasn't been a time when Potter didn't mean trouble, she thinks.

Harry sits down cautiously on Draco's bed, far away enough to seem like strangers.

"How did you find me?" Draco wants to know, his voice shaking slightly. He shouldn't care that Harry sees him in this condition, in this environment, now that...

"I spend all of last week asking around. I went to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade and even to the Cauldron on a daily basis, until I came across Blaise Zabini yesterday and he told me." Kneading his own hands in his lap, Harry tries to steal some glances at Draco. It's surprising how sure of himself he feels all of a sudden.

"He just told you?" The last thing Draco wants to feel now is betrayal, but he can barely help it.

"No, I had to sit him down and explain myself. Then he gave me this address." Harry tries to smile. But Draco doesn't even look at him, his eyes are fixed on the window surveying a beautiful park. "What is there to explain?"

"Everything!" Comes the eager answer, "It wasn't right to leave things the way they were back at Andromeda's. You misinterpreted what I did, you barely gave me time to react because you thought I wouldn't be serious enough about it."

"So I've made mistakes. I'm well aware. Is that what you came here to tell me?" It's impossible to keep the bitterness from his voice now, and Draco is disgusted by it.

"Not in the least. Draco," Harry turns towards him, why does he turn towards him, "Has it crossed your mind that I might feel the same way?"

Draco's chest heaves up and down, he doesn't feel capable of breathing any more. Could it be? All this time he thought it was a cruel joke, even though cruel is the last word anyone would use to describe Potter, isn't that the reason he loves him so much?

"I didn't take your hand to provoke you. The last thing I want to cause is pain. I meant to tell you ... I care about you the same way. It took me a while to see that, and I hope you can see it too - " Harry stops when Draco turns to face him. His insides start dancing around un-rhythmically. He feels the stupid need to say something in order not to get lost staring at his former nemesis, so: "I really think we could be happy together."

Draco presses his lips together, his entire face lighting up in an uncharacteristically childish smile. "You think so?"

"Yes." Harry answers confidently enough, not having to think about it for a second.

"You make an excellent point." Draco's smile is contagious, and Harry holds his breath as the blond boy leans in to kiss him softly. By then all remnants of a doubt have disappeared from his mind, and he gives in to the other boy's touch.

That's when Pansy barges in through the door. "HA! You guys are snogging!" She exclaims triumphantly. Harry freezes insecurely, but Draco just beams at his flatmate like he just got the coolest birthday present. "I owe Blaise 20 Knuts," Pansy realises calmly, cocking both eyebrows, "But I'm happy your misunderstanding worked out that well for both parties," She winks, "This is the last time I'm barging in. I promise." With these words she slides out of Draco's room again, grinning mischievously, and she shuts the door behind her.

"She sounds like she'd been rooting for this for a long time." Harry observes, feeling light.

Draco, who still hasn't stopped smiling, shrugs. "She spent the past seven years around me, that might be why."