Let's Help Each Other (drarry)(eighth year)

Chapter 8

That night Harry lay awake, thinking about his earlier conversation with Dean and Seamus. 'You should get yourself a girlfriend'. That's what Dean had said. The thing was, he did have a girlfriend, Ginny. But when the two got back together they had decided to keep their relationship under wraps. There had already been so much strain on their relationship and having it publicized all over the Daily Prophet sure wouldn't have helped. The only people who they told were the Weasley's, of course, and Hermione. No one else knew.

The last few weeks Harry and Ginny hadn't seen much of each other. It was hard to talk when you were no longer in the same common room. They'd say 'hi' to each other in the halls and sometimes they'd sit together at the Gryffindor Table but they didn't want to draw too much attention to it being just them so Ginny mostly stayed with Ron and Hermione. Ginny too has become distant after he started spending so much time around Draco. He didn't know what everyone's problem with him was but it was infuriating. Draco was a better friend than any of them would ever be. Friend, he reminded himself mentally. He's just a friend.

He hadn't talked to Ginny in weeks. Not really. Nothing more than the occasional "hi". He knew he needed to talk to her now; he knew he needed to break up with her. He was gay and in love with someone else. He couldn't just keep her hanging onto him. It wasn't fair, not for him and certainly not for her. But he couldn't. He couldn't break up with the first person he ever loved.

Sure, recently he's been getting less and less attracted to Ginny but that had nothing to do with Ginny. Ginny was absolutely beautiful. Both inside and out. She was the strongest, most courageous, most badass women he'd ever met. But she was also kind and had a great willingness to help others. And that was why, many years ago, he had fallen in love with her. Back when their relationship was simpler. When she loved him and he loved her. And it was only the two of them.

But it's not anymore. It's not just the two of them. Because Harry had gone and fallen in love with someone else. He was sure Ginny would understand. Their relationship had been crumbling for ages and they couldn't really be seen together publicly. She must know how hard that would be. And Harry was sure she would understand, if it was anyone else but Draco Malfoy.

How could she possibly understand why Harry had gone and fallen in love with his sworn enemy? His sworn enemy that bullied him and all his friends for YEARS. Who tried to get him expelled and got him detentions more times than he could count. And how could she understand why Harry had gone and fallen in love with a guy?

She's going to think Harry never loved her. And she's going to think their whole relationship was a lie. And it wasn't. Harry did love her, he loved her immensely and he wouldn't have traded their relationship for the world. That's why he was going to break up with her, it wasn't fair for him to drag her along when he'd only hurt her in the end. He loved her too much to do that to her. He was going to do it tomorrow.

***

Draco lay awake that night, unable to sleep. His brain was running a million miles an hour. He was in love with Harry. How in the hell did that happen? Just a year ago he hated him. If someone would have told him that he would fall in love with Harry Potter, he would've had them locked up in a mental hospital. Because that's what this whole thing was: mental. It was absolutely crazy. How could he be in love with Potter? They've been enemies since the day they'd met and have hated each other since.

It just wasn't fair. He was supposed to be the Malfoy heir. He was supposed to find a nice, pureblood girl and marry her and start a family with her. And that's what he had wanted his whole life, or rather that's what his father had wanted for him his whole life. But now? Now his father was serving his lifetime sentence in Azkaban prison. His father was as good as dead. And now, Draco could do whatever he wanted. He could fall in love with Harry Potter if he wanted to, who was gonna stop him?

I guess I know now what Granger was saying, he thought. "You guys only fight to hide your true feelings". How she knew that, he guessed he'd never know.

'But,' he thought 'if she said 'our' true feelings... does that mean Harry likes me too? No, of course not. Even if Harry was gay, he'd never like me. I bullied him and tortured him and got him so many detentions. But he said he forgives you. Forgiving me doesn't mean loving me. But he smiles at you all the time and blushes when you touch. That means nothing. He's just a nice person, that's all. Come on, you know it's more than that. No, it's not.'

Draco continued to have a fight with himself until he got so worn out he finally decided to just try and figure out if Harry liked him. How? He didn't know yet, but hell if he had to kiss him to find out, then so be it.

Two updates in three day?! It's a miracle! Kidding. Anyways, hope you all like this little chapter, getting to see inside our two boys' brains. Don't forget to vote, share, and comment: tell me if you like the story, what I should change, things like that.

Also thank you all so so much for 200 reads!!!! I really appreciate it!!!

TTYL,
~E

Published: May 22