𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐋𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍 ↬ 𝔡.𝔪𝔞𝔩𝔣𝔬𝔶

10 | c h e e s y

{"T}here's a spot up the hill that overlooks Hogsmeade. You wanna check it out?" He asked, "We still have time until we have to meet up with the others."

"Merlin, are you sure you didn't plan this? There's no way this is your first date."

Draco's cheeks tinted--they seemed to be doing that a lot lately--as he gestured to a hidden path, "Just follow me."

We took a rocky road up to a little hidden hedge out of sight by the low hanging trees. Moss clumped at the roots of the trees, and small, but vibrant flowers were budded, waiting for Spring to bloom.

We sat down on the grass, and the breeze was stronger than before.

"Potter?" Draco asked, putting his arms behind his head to lay down.

I copied his position, "What?" The sky was a calming grey, with heavy rainclouds. They were the kind that needed just a few more days until they overflowed.

"If this were a real date, would you have enjoyed it? We just did everything we normally do."

I turned to look at him, propping my self up with one arm. I needed to see his expression to come up with an answer. His face remained impassive, and I realized that his eyes reflected the color of the clouds.

"If this were a real date, I think this is the part where I would confess my undying love for you," I whispered softly, cringing slightly at the cheesiness. 

Draco laughed at my crinkled nose, "And you call me cheesy."

I picked at the clumps of daisies hidden in the tall grass, looking up at him in only quick glances, too scared to hold his gaze. Now that we were alone and my stupid teenage hormones were going off, I knew I was going to say something stupid if I opened my mouth. 

Draco stared at me, trying to read my eyes and gauge if I was joking or not. I could practically hear his brain ticking trying to think of how to answer.

How did I want him to answer? At this point, I didn't know.

We knew what each other was thinking to a certain extent. It was now a battle of silent wills; a contest to see who would be willing to leave themselves vulnerable in front of the other.  

All was silent except for the whizzing of the wind passing through the grass. The silence felt weighted, yet fragile. It held a momentum; we both knew we were treading into dangerous territory, and one word could change things forever.

Draco's mouth set in a firm determined line as he opened his mouth, but faltered, and then tried again. A nervous look washed over his face as he asked me cautiously, "Potter, is it bad that I wish this were a real date?"

"No," I replied after a brief pause. "Draco, is it bad that I want to ask you out?"

"No—well you should let me do that," he answered with a hopeful, yet still cautious smile.

My lack of self-control propelled me forward into saying what both of us knew but refused to acknowledge. "Draco Malfoy, I think I like you," I confessed. The seconds that followed were arguably the scariest seconds of my life.

"What do you like about me?" he asked playfully, tilting his head.

I looked at him in disbelief. Where was the acceptance? The rejection? The confession back? This bastard was playing with me.

"You know what, I just might take it back." A wave of embarrassment flooded through me.

"Nononono—" Draco was quick to stop me, "Just tell me, Potter. What do you like about me? If you don't tell me, I'll assume you were lying."

"You prick," I mumbled before sitting up. "I swear to Merlin—"

Draco quickly sat up, his eyes wide with anticipation. He looked almost like a cat. Curious and punchable. I realized I had misread his earlier look as playful, when in fact it was disguised anxiety from countless years of nonacceptance and invulnerability.

I sighed, before relenting, "Well, first, I like it when you bring me food even when I didn't even ask for it, because I know it means you think about me. I like the pout you do whenever you feel sorry, even if you don't like admitting it. I like it when you wait for me while we're walking. I like that you're obsessed with anything lemon flavored. I like the smile you make after winning a Quidditch game, and how you make the same face when you finish a book you like. I like it when you hold my hand, even though sometimes it makes me nervous. I like that you always bring me a blanket, and how you paint my nails better than I do. I like how your favorite color is yellow, even if you tell everyone it's green, and I like that you always find me, wherever I am. I think I like everything about you, Draco." I said, almost breathless, looking up to see his expression.

"Potter..." Draco said, his expression one of awe, "Won't you please go out with me?"

"Maybe," I said, tilting my head just like Draco had previously done.

He looked so devastated that I had to end the joke quickly, "I'm kidding, Draco."

His expression brightened up, but I had to ask, "So what do we do now?"

"Well...I mean, it depends." He fiddled with the pile of daisies I had picked. 

"On?"

"Well, I reckoned that I would just follow your lead. Or, you know, you could tell me what you're comfortable with and what you're not." he hid his head in his lap to hide his blushing. 

"And that's why you're my type." I said under my breath while laughing. 

"Why are you laughing, Potter?" he complained, "Stop it!" 

"Remus is going to freak out about this." I giggled, thinking about the lecture I was in for.

Draco groaned, "We're never going to hear the end of this from Zabini."

"Wait, wait-" I said wheezing from laughter, "Imagine the look on your dad's face if we tell him!"

We both fell into laughter again, and those minutes seemed like hours. It was a weird, gleeful feeling, being liked back. 

After a while, we eventually fell into a peaceful silence. With my head resting on his lap reading the book I had bought, Draco was preoccupied with the daises, intent on making a flower crown. Cheerful voices carried over from the town below us, and the few minutes of calm with Draco was the most serene, liberating feeling I had ever felt.

"Hey, Draco." I said seriously after a few minutes, rolling on my stomach so that I could prop myself up with my elbows. 

"Hm?" the corners of his lip curled up when hearing my voice, and I knew then what I wanted to do.

"Kiss me?"