A/N: This is an AU where the triwizard tournament didn't happen. Perhaps Harry was kidnapped at the end of the school year and that's how Voldemort returned. cx
Of all things Dumbledore could have chosen for an award (the fourth years had had a really good Quidditch season), he just couldn't help himself. He decided to take the two winning teams to a muggle amusement park... and they didn't get to choose riding partners. No, they had to ride with the person the sorting hat chose for them. And, the sorting hat being a blunt sort of... object, he gave Harry the worst partner he could've hoped for--Draco Malfoy. Now, they spent the first half of the day in countless arcades and gift shops, Draco occasionally asking Harry an awkward question about what something did or was. But then Harry got really bored. "Can we ride now?" he complained.
His partner glanced at him. "What?"
"The rides, Malfoy. Can we go now?"
It was around noon, and of all things, the Slytherin Prince looked like he was about to vomit. "I have a confession."
"What?" Harry sighed.
"I'm afraid. I've never been anywhere like this before."
Harry grinned. "Come on, Malfoy, I promise you it's not scary. Let's go."
He grabbed Malfoy by the shirt collar and dragged him to the biggest roller coaster in the park. "You're going to love this."
But while they were in the cart, on the way up the first hill, the blond really started panicking. He was so nervous he was hyperventilating. "This is the worst thing I have ever done," he muttered, wrapping his arms around himself and squeezing his eyes shut.
Harry began to feel bad that he dragged the Slytherin to the biggest roller coaster, and he remembered how frightened he was for his first ride. "Draco?"
"What Potter?" Harry didn't like how deathly quiet Malfoy was.
"We're about to go down the hill. And I see you're frightened, so I want you to think of it this way. Imagine you're on a broom during a quidditch match, and you have to spiral downward. It's a lot like that, this is a controlled ride, it's perfectly safe."
"A broom, eh?"
"Yeah."
Harry watched while Malfoy slowly loosened his arms and opened his eyes.
And then the car stopped for a moment before it shot down the nearly straight angle of the tracks, and Malfoy screamed, his hands instantly gripping Harry's arm before either of them had time to think about it. A moment passed while they shot down before they went over the next few hills and the corkscrew. They began to climb another huge hill. Malfoy slowly let go of Harry's arm.
"You know... I kind of like this thing...," he told Harry slowly.
"Really?"
"It's not what I expected... Why is it so extreme?"
"Muggles live on adrenaline. They don't have magic, or dragons, or--"
"Anything cool?"
Harry laughed. "Well, not like we do."
And now they were shooting down another hill. Malfoy was laughing hysterically, and Harry decided it suited him. Before Harry had a chance to question his train of thought, the ride was over and they were climbing out of the cart.
Malfoy looked hopeful. "Uh... Harry... Do you think we could ride more of those... What do you call them?"
"Rollercoasters? Sure." Harry decided he'd put the blond through enough, he wasn't about to point out that Malfoy had called him by his first name. "Which one do you want to ride?"
And Harry realized by the end of the day, they were on a first name basis. They even sat beside each other on the bus. "I want you to know that I've had an exceptionally thrilling day, Harry. And, no matter what happens from here on out, this is possibly one of the best days of my life."
Harry was dumbfounded. "Really? Why, Draco?" he asked softly.
"Because for the first time since we met, I felt like you might like me a little bit," the blond admitted.
"You mean, like you like you?"
"Well, I, uh, I'm--"
"Please be honest, Draco. Don't lie to me, please."
"Yes," the Slytherin said, almost impossible to hear.
"I... I don't understand... I've had a crush on you since the day we met, Draco."
"What?"
"I... I'm sorry." They were now at the school and Harry rushed off of the bus, away from everyone he knew and his friends' questioning gazes. He sat down by the lake, praying that nobody would bother him there. He felt like crying, he shouldn't have been so stupid. If he hadn't said anything, there would be nothing that Draco--no, Malfoy--could use against him. But he let it slip, his feelings, and now the entire school was going to break him. Everything Harry knew and loved would be gone.
"Harry?" someone asked softly. It was Hermione. "Somebody would really like to talk to you. He promised he wouldn't tell anyone... whatever it is."
Harry felt his stomach twist into knots. "I--uh--okay."
He heard her walk away as somebody gracefully sat down beside him. "Harry, is it true, what you said on the bus?"
He nodded. Harry didn't trust his voice, and he couldn't come up with a complete sentence in his head, anyway.
"Are you afraid I would tell everyone? I would never... Unless you liked me enough to date me and eventually tell them about it."
"What?"
Draco sighed. "Harry, I have always admired you, adored you, even. I want to be with you, no matter what. I know if you say yes and want it to be a secret, we'll have to pretend to fight, but I'm willing to do that for you."
"Draco, I would never make you hide it. I... I want to. I want to be with you. Draco, will you be my b-boyfriend?" he turned to face the blond, hope lingering in his gaze.
"I would love to, Harry. I'm so glad you asked." Draco leaned forward, kissing his new boyfriend. "I promise, I will do my best to make you happy."
"I promise I won't hide the fact that I'm practically in love with you." Harry grinned when his Slytherin blushed. "Come on, it's time for dinner."
