I'm not Allowed to Love You

The Confrontation

The night of Slughorn's Christmas party was coming up, and Draco couldn't help but feel a dropping in his stomach when he heard of Potter taking the Lovegood girl.  He knew he wouldn't get invited by him, but that didn't stop him from hoping. He refused to go with Blaise, saying he didn't want to go at all, and that it would waste time he could use to do much more important things. But he tried to sneak his way in, all the same. It was just his luck to be caught by Filch.

    "Little brats, wandering around after curfew. Invited to the party, ey? Well, we'll see about that," The caretaker muttered after Draco said he was invited to Slughorn's party. Filch dragged Draco by the ear into the party, right over to Slughorn himself. Right over to Potter. The idiot. Draco simply hated how much he loved that boy. Draco pulled himself from his grasp, furiously admitting that he had attempted to gate-crash. Potter smiled at him, or maybe he had simply been laughing. Slughorn allowed him to stay, and Draco's heart dropped. He couldn't speak to Potter here! He couldn't speak to him at all!

Snape asked for a word, outside. Okay, fine. They walked a short way to a small room. Draco wanted out of the room, and quickly stormed out, after a heated conversation between him and Snape. Upon exiting the room, a large whiff of treacle tart hit him in the face. He looked out upon the corridor, seeing no one, but with a smirk, he walked father away from the party, knowing He would follow. Draco turned into an empty classroom, and made sure the door was wide enough for a skinny boy to slide through without having to touch the door. When the smell followed him into the room, Draco smiled to the wall; Gryffindors were so predictable.

"You can take off that cloak," Draco said aloud, to thin air. His voice seemed louder than it was. No one was unveiled. Draco gave a small frown, and turned away from the wall. "I know you're there, Potter. You can take it off. I won't hex you."

Still no reply, and Draco became uneasy. He knew Potter wouldn't uncover himself unless Draco was unarmed. But Draco didn't want to throw away his only form of defense. It was when his urge to see Potter became so strong that he felt he could have crushed a brick when he tossed his wand into a far corner with a sad tinkling noise.

"There. Unarmed. Would you take it off now?" Draco asked again. A small shuffling sound came from near the door, and the thin boy materialized from nowhere, looking nervous and slightly confused.

"How'd you know I was there?" The boy questioned, unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"You smell of treacle tart. Now, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Draco said, hoping he wouldn't get questioned about the treacle tart comment.

"I- what?" Whatever Potter had been expecting, that was not it.

"Never mind that, now. We have limited time. What did you feel you so urgently needed to know that has caused you to follow me wherever I go?" Draco ushered, impatiently waving a hand in the air.

"I- er- I heard you under the tree...," Potter began, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Ah. Here I was, believe you would question me about where I've been and what I am doing, when all you want to know is if what you heard is true," Draco said, relaxing quite a bit.

"Er, yeah. I've realized you won't tell me anything about that. But... is it?"

Draco sighed, resigned to what he promised himself he would do. "Yes, I am homosexual, which means I like people of the same gender as myself, males."

"But... the part about you liking... me? Is that true?" Potter pushed.

Draco sighed dramatically again. Because why not? "No, Potter. I don't like you. Can't you tell? I've been in love with you since I first met you. I honestly hate it. It's hard, loving the boy you hate."