The Boy Who Was Given Up

Chapter Thirty-One: The first date

By the time Hogsmeade day arrived, Harry and Draco were practically bouncing with excitement.

"What's up with you two?" Pansy asked, peering over the breakfast table.

The boys had been giddy all morning, sneaking glances at each other and laughing at inside jokes no one else understood.

"Nothing," Harry replied dreamily.

"Please," Pansy shot back, rolling her eyes. Draco and Harry just laughed, too wrapped up in each other to care.

"Well, we'll see you later!" they both called as they bolted from the table, leaving their friends shaking their heads in amusement.

Outside the castle, they grabbed their coats and ran through the gates, the cool morning air bracing and refreshing. They slowed to a leisurely walk as the adrenaline wore off, enjoying the calm of each other's company.

On the way to Hogsmeade, they chatted about everything, from favorite music to which celebrities they thought were cute. Harry's occasional jealous teasing over a celebrity crush only made Draco laugh harder. Soon he had Harry's hand in his own, entwined as they strolled in comfortable silence.

Arriving in Hogsmeade, the village was alive with spring blooms and bustling shops. Draco's eyes lit up, and he practically dragged Harry toward the sweet shop.

"Harry, look at all of this!" he exclaimed, wide-eyed and awestruck. Harry, however, was too distracted by Draco's enthusiasm to notice the sugary displays.

"Har?" Draco asked, tilting his head.

"Sorry," Harry mumbled, shaking himself out of the daze. "Yeah, there's so much here."

Draco laughed, and together they picked out a few treats before wandering the streets, marveling at the scenery.

"This is such a nice place," Harry said softly, rubbing the back of Draco's hand with his thumb.

"Yeah, peaceful too," Draco replied. "Not quiet, just happy. Look at everyone, no one's frowning."

Harry nodded, smiling. "I suppose it'd be hard not to smile here."

Eventually, they made their way to the Three Broomsticks for lunch. Warm air greeted them, and Harry led Draco to a side booth he had reserved.

A waitress approached. "Whatcha want, loves?"

"One butterbeer each, and some fries, please," they said in unison.

Once she walked away, Harry leaned slightly closer. "You know, I've been wanting to take you on a date for a while."

"Well then, why didn't you?" Draco teased, making Harry laugh.

"I... I guess I wanted to ask your dad first," Harry admitted.

"Wait...you asked my dad?" Draco blinked.

Harry laughed. "Yeah. I wanted to be sure you'd say yes."

"You're so dumb! Of course I would've said yes! I've wanted to date you since the day we met," Draco said, laughing.

"Well, that can be arranged," Harry said with a wink just as the waitress returned with their food.

After trying their butterbeers, Draco leaned back and asked curiously, "So, Harry... tell me something about you."

"What do you mean? You know everything about me," Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't know everything, Har. There has to be something you've never told me. Like... I like to paint. Didn't know that, did you?" Draco laughed.

"Wow, you paint? That's amazing! You'll have to show me sometime," Harry said, his eyes wide and full of wonder.

"Sure, but no deflecting. What about you? Something I don't know?"

Harry hesitated, then whispered, "I want to... collect rare potion ingredients."

"Really?" Draco asked, intrigued.

Harry's eyes lit up. "Yes! There's a whole set of ingredients that only exist in snakes. No one else can get near them. It's kind of freelance, I guess. But learning about them, being close to them, it's incredible!"

He went on, animated. "There's one called Lumen Flow, or 'light flower.' It's ancient, it glows, leaves luminescent gold residue, and it's used in the most complicated potions!"

Draco couldn't help but smile. Seeing Harry so passionate and carefree made him realize he'd do anything to help this dream come true.

"That sounds amazing, Harry. You should definitely pursue it. People would pay anything for ingredients like that. And if I'm not wrong, they can be used in potions that can heal wounds instantly. You should talk to Severus about this. I'm sure he could take you along to gather ingredients, give you some experience."

Harry's eyes lit up with pure joy. "Really? You think he would?"

"I'm sure of it," Draco reassured him.

The two continued talking for hours before deciding it was time to head back to the castle.

On the way back, Harry stopped and took Draco's hands. "Dray, I... I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, Har. What is it?" Draco replied.

"Well, I had a great time today, and I wanted to know if you'd like to go on another date... as my boyfriend?" Harry asked, his eyes full of hope.

"Of course I will!" Draco beamed, leaping into Harry's arms. They held each other for a moment, smiling widely, before slowly pulling back. Yet even then, they stayed locked in each other's gaze.

Their faces drew closer, lips inches apart, until finally they met in a sweet, lingering kiss. When they pulled away, still holding hands, neither spoke. They were both starstruck, knowing their joy would last, at least for now.

But in the wizarding world, forever rarely lasted as long as one hoped.