On The Wings of A Dragon

22. Joy

WHAT THE HEART IS FULL OF - THE MOUTH WILL SPEAK

Draco in the meantime hadn't meant to blurt it out the way he had, but his heart was just filled with so much love for Harry, he couldn't help it.  And it wasn't a lie.  He did love Harry, but he was also in love with him.

He knew this for sure, because the days that were spent away from him were terrible to get through.  He told Harry this once, only to have Harry confirm what he was saying.

"A day without you is like a day without breathing Draco", he had said.  Making Draco's insides go all fuzzy and warm, and he never wanted it to stop.  Draco and Harry were both very stubborn men, neither of them backing down or giving up first.  It seemed there was a new challenge on the horizon, and Draco knew better than anyone that time was a gift.

Having lived through a war, he wanted to live like there was no tomorrow, so he made his decision to tell Harry how he felt.  There was no hiding it anymore, and anyway, Harry had said it back.  He had no worries that him declaring his love for the savior would damage their friendship in any way.  

Take the chance Draco, bite the bullet.  Don't be the same coward that you have always been, was his last thought as he went to bed that night.  He couldn't wait for the next day when he was going to tell his 'friend' what was really in his heart.

When Harry arrived the next morning, he came with two bouquets of flowers.  One for Narcissa, and of course one for Draco.  He had thought about what to do, and how he was going to tell him, and made the decision to ease him into it.  He wasn't good with words, he knew this, but he also knew that Draco understood him, and they finished each other's sentences anyway.

"Morning Harry", said Narcissa from the lounge.  "Oh, those are lovely", she said pointing to the flowers.  

He offered her one saying, "These are for you", with a shy smile.

She took them and inhaled the scent of the many different color tulips.  "Thank you Harry, they are just gorgeous.  I presume those are for Draco?", she asked with a raised brow.  

Harry blushed and said yes.  "I have to tell him something - and I'm not sure of the reaction.  The flowers are to soften the blow, I think", he said with shaky voice.

She laughed at his nervousness.  "He is waiting for you in the garden.  He also said something about needing to tell you something", she said with a knowing look in her eyes.  He nodded to her, licked his lips and made his way towards their garden.  The garden of the Manor was luxurious, the green lawns immaculate, the flowerbeds extremely neat and tidy.  A water fountain in the middle with sparkling water pouring from a mermaid holding a bowl in her lap.

Sitting on a wooden bench at the foot of the fountain was Draco with a gift in his lap.  His knee was jutting up and down as if he was nervous about doing something drastic.  Which he was, but Harry didn't know that.  He reached Draco and called out his name, but it seemed that his friend was so deep into his own head, he never heard him.

So Harry did the next best thing.  He leaned down and kissed Draco on the head.  He was startled and let out a shriek, making Harry laugh out loud and Draco scowl at how he had been crept up on.

Then his eyes fell on the flowers, while Harry dropped his gaze to the gift in Draco's hands.

At exactly the same time, they both decided to talk.

"Harry, I need to tell..."

"Draco, I have something..."

Then they both burst out laughing again, and it was both from nerves and finding each other silly for saying practically the same thing.

And because Harry is a gentlemanly sap, he said that Draco could go first and say what he needed to say.  In truth, Harry was a wreck.  He wasn't sure if Draco was going to shout at him for the words of love yesterday, because he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it if that was the case.  But he had to be dreaming because Draco's face was glowing.

And he looked beautiful.

Draco looked into Harry's gorgeous eyes, exhaled a breath and hoped with all his heart that Harry would accept his gift and his words.  

"Harry", he said softly.  "Yesterday I told you that I loved you - and before you interrupt me, let me finish", he said when he saw that Harry opened his mouth to say something.  

Harry nodded for him to go on, his heart racing and his eyes glistening, his hands gripping onto the bouquet tightly.

"I meant it.  I meant it when I said that I love you.  But the truth is - I am in love with you.  I have been for a while now".  At this point Draco had silent tears running down his cheeks, because he couldn't put it into words how he really felt about the man standing in front of him.  

But he never had the chance to finish what he wanted to say, because Harry dropped the flowers, and grabbed him by his collar, pulling him flush to his chest and kissed the rest of his words away.

Swallowing them and trying to show Draco with his actions, that he felt the same, and his elation at hearing the words that he himself wanted to shout out to the world.  Draco held onto the gift with one hand and put both arms around Harry's neck, and kissed him back with passion.  Each of them getting lost in the touch of the other.

Finally when they broke away from the kiss, Harry opened his eyes, and cupped Draco's face so that he could look at him.  "I came to tell you the same thing - I wanted to tell you yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, but I was so scared.  I didn't want to lose you Draco, and I thought..", and now it was Draco who was pulling Harry's face down to his, so that he could kiss him good and proper, because words in this moment didn't matter.

Their joy at finally embracing what they were both feeling was being seen by Narcissa, and she knew that when her time came to leave this world, her son would be loved.  Her son would be happy, and that is all that she had ever wanted.

Harry picked the flowers up and gave them to Draco and was surprised to receive a gift of his own.  He unwrapped the tiny box, and inside was a pair of earrings.  Silver stars that had a tiny green emerald in the center.  They kissed each other thank you again, and sat down on the bench.