Saving Myself || A Drarry Story

XXXVIII: Back at Hogwarts

The Christmas holidays came and went quickly, and Draco had finished all of his schoolwork while Harry was rushing to get his done. Harry thought that it would be odd, having one of his professors knowing him outside of Hogwarts. But, luckily, Draco told him that it really wouldn't be a problem.

Harry had voiced his concerns about how his father already knew he was with Draco, saying that it didn't matter if people knew about the two of them. But he was still afraid. He wasn't sure what Ron and Hermione would say, and he was sulking around.

Draco was ecstatic, to say the least. "Does that mean we can go to Hogsmeade together? Talk during classes?" he asked, his smile wide.

Harry grinned and scratched the back of his hand. Draco touched him and he stopped, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah."

Draco touched his shoulder and whispered a sweet, "I love you, " and kissed his cheek, making the smaller boy giggle, surprising both of them. "Did you just---"

"I did not, " Harry blushed. "Don't you dare---"

"I made Harry Potter giggle!" Draco said happily as Harry smacked his arm. "Only me!"

Harry stomped his foot like a toddler, crying out, "Shut up!"

Draco laughed and ran out of the room, cackling all the way as Harry chased him throughout Sirius' home, both not listening to him or Remus telling them to stop.

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"They're unbearable, " Remus groaned as he lay down next to Sirius. "But Harry seems to be getting a bit more comfortable around us."

"Yeah, " Sirius grinned. "But as long as Draco's happy, I'm happy."

"Teddy adores him, " Remus added. "And Harry's so good with him."

Sirius kissed Remus' cheek, making him smile even more. "At least Teddy can stay with me some more. We get along fine."

"God, I love you, Sirius, " Remus whispered against his lover's chest. "So does Teddy."

"Love you too, Remus."

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The day before term started, Harry and Draco Apparated to Hogsmeade after saying goodbye to Teddy and receiving tearful hugs and Harry even let Snuffles lick his hand, but he washed it immediately after with about a pound of soap.

Harry kept hold of Draco's hand as they trudged through the snow up to the castle, his heart pounding. How would Ron and Hermione react? Would they care, or would they not mind?

Right before they walked in through the front doors, Draco released his hand, telling him quietly, "You look very nervous. You don't have to do this right now, " and he shook his head before walking in, leaving Harry all by himself.

Harry let out a deep breath before walking in, his famous scowl prominent. He didn't even glance over at Draco, who was sitting between his friends.

He sat at the Slytherin table in front of Ron and Hermione, almost completely ignoring their stares. That is, until he asked hotly, "What are you two looking at?"

"Your father wrote to us, " Ron told him and Harry's fork stopped halfway to his mouth.

"About what?"

Ron cleared his throat and smiled a nasty, disgusting thing. Hermione said, "He told us you didn't go to the Manor. That you were with Malfoy."

"I wasn't, " Harry lied not too quickly, looking them both in the eye as he made a gesture with his hand as if he were brushing the subject away from the table. "I met a girl that goes to Beauxbatons. She gave it to me, if you swing that way, " he smirked, the low unusually hot in his throat.

Ron raised an eyebrow. He wasn't convinced. "Why didn't you tell your father?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm seventeen. I don't have to."

"Really?" Hermione laughed. "You look about thirteen. If that."

Harry hissed, "I won't hesitate to hit you."

Ron glared as Harry continued to eat. Hermione was red and she stabbed at her steak and kidney pie, waiting for McGonagall to dismiss them to retire for the evening. Harry felt somebody touch his back and he whipped around.

"What?" he asked Professor Lupin, his glare deadly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco watching.

"I wanted to know if you put in the effort to complete your Defense Against the Dark Arts essay over the break."

Harry scoffed, "I had better things to do than your essay, "

Remus pursed his lips and muttered something under his breath, making Harry huff. He pulled his silver flask discretely and poured a bit of whatever was in there into his goblet of pumpkin juice, ignoring the looks he was getting.

"Even if I were with Malfoy, " Harry started quietly, "what would you two do?"

Ron snickered. "That wouldn't happen and you wouldn't want to know."

Hermione let out a cackle and Harry snickered, feeling sick. He pushed his food away and ignored the urge to twist the ring around his neck. He had been a fool to think that they would have a different answer. Anyway, what did he care? He was Harry fucking Potter and didn't need their approval, of all things.

Draco doesn't mind this, does he? Harry asked himself. You're being paranoid.

That night, Harry was at his desk, working on his Defense Against the Dark Arts essay for Remus, trying his hardest to do his best, when Draco came in, his Head Boy badge freshly polished and his smile wide.

"Hullo, " Harry smiled, looking up from his essay for a second to greet him before turning back to it, his quill scratching fervently. He needn't look at his watch to see that it was eleven o'clock.

"Hey, " Draco said, conjuring another chair and sitting close to Harry, who looked up again. "You okay?"

Harry sighed, "No, "

Draco told him, "I'm listening."

"I didn't think it would be this hard, coming out, " Harry explained. "And Ron and Hermione are already suspicious of me."

Draco told him softly, "You don't even have to say anything. Just let them see and that'll be enough. Nobody can mess with you when you're with me, Harry."

Harry picked up his quill and continued to write, ignoring Draco's concerned gaze as he said, "You can't keep a tab on me all the time. We don't have every class together and it's only a matter of time before I snap again and possibly kill someone."

Draco shook his head. "You aren't going to kill anyone."

Harry glared at his parchment as he said, "Then I just snap."

Draco's hand travelled to Harry's thigh, trading little circles on the inside and making Harry sit straight up. "Even if you do, I'll always be here." Harry swallowed and his arms felt unexpectedly heavy and his legs were shaking. Draco, still tracing little circles, added, "I love you. So, so much."

Harry bit his lip and said, "Really?" making Draco chuckle quietly.

They spent the next hour and a half there, whispering sweet nothings, touching and grasping each other's breath away. When one o'clock came along, and Draco said that he had better get going, Harry gave him a heated kiss before letting him go, smiling and laughing when Draco hit his knee against the doorframe because he had been looking at Harry and not where he was walking.

They said one more "I love you, " before Draco left, making Harry groan and wish Draco hadn't just rubbed his thigh.

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