Title: How to Get a Boy to Know You Like Him
Author: justme_jane
Gift Fic For: october87
Prompt: #73 - Freeform Prompt: Hogwarts era! H/D both secretly in love with each other. Harry is returning back to the dorm after detention with Umbridge. Harry is miserable and wishing a perfect world existed in which he could run into Draco, and he runs into Draco who can't control how upset he is when he sees Harry's hand. This leads to Draco caring for an exhausted, miserable Harry and sharing sweet kisses and hugs.
Word Count: 4,114
Rating: PG-13
Betas: None, er… myself? Haha!
Author's Notes: I took it a bit further than what you asked for, I think, but either way, hopefully you enjoy - I had fun writing it! There actually isn't much Umbridge in here, just whatever is taken from the book, so hopefully you don't really mind that, as I used it mostly as a starting point and whatever, lol. :D (This was written for LJ's HD Happy Schmoopy Love Fest a.k.a. HD_Smoochfest. Enjoy!)
Summary: Harry is coming back from detention with Umbridge when he runs into Draco, out late at night on Prefect's duty. Draco sees his hand and – voila! – protective!Draco!!! XD Their relationship evolves from there… :) A warning though? EXTREME OOCness. Sorry 'bout that, just couldn't help myself, it seems to be how I get my fluff in there!!! Haha! XD

--

"Tut, tut, I don't seem to have made much of an impression, yet," she said, smiling. "Well, we'll just have to try again tomorrow, won't we? You may go."

Harry left her office without a word. The school was quite deserted; it was surely past midnight. He walked slowly up the corridor, then, when he had turned the corner and was sure that she would not hear him, broke into a run.

Draco Malfoy loved being a Prefect; the power. The privileges. Ah, yes, such privileges, privileges galore!

The blond fifth year had been mulling this over, smirking to himself as he patrolled the corridors late at night, stopping in mid-stride long enough for a dazed look to overcome him, when one Harry Potter came speeding down the hall. He'd been looking back to make sure he wasn't being followed when he smacked right into Draco, the force of the impact so hard that it caused them both to fall to the ground.

Groggily, rubbing their heads, Draco and Harry each helped each other to get up from the ground.

"Potter," Draco said in slight surprise, "what are you doing out at this time of night?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I could be asking you the same question."

Draco, in turn, raised his own eyebrow and just stared at him.

"Fine. I was just… going for a walk?"

"In the middle of the night, in a nearly-deserted school? And it wasn't a walk, either. What were you running away from, Potter?"

"I dunno. Everything? My life?" He sighed, shrugging as he rubbed his head once more.

"Wow, Potter. That's deep for…" Draco checked his watch, "…nearly one in the morning. Can't we talk about something else?"

And then he saw it.

"Potter?" Draco asked, glancing down between them. "Why… why is your hand all red?" he asked hesitantly as he brought Harry's hand up so that he could inspect it. When Harry said nothing, Draco pressed on. "Harry? Who did this to you?" Draco growled, instantly growing protective and eyes hardening at the thought that anybody could possibly have the gall to be stupid enough to harm the Boy Who Lived.

Harry's eyes stayed on the ground.

"No one…" he replied softly.

Draco matched his tender tone. "Harry. Please, I want to help you. And I can, if only you tell me who hurt you."

Harry's sudden sobs shocked Draco to the bone. He steered them over to a nearby alcove, one hand on Harry's lower back.

Harry sniffled, embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he choked, reddening. "I didn't mean to load all this on you, really." He wiped at his face to rid himself of the tears there. "It - it's Umbridge."

"What's Umbridge?"

"My hand," Harry elaborated. "It was my detention. Blood quill."

"Blood quill," Draco repeated in as deadly a tone he could manage, eyes shrinking into a glare. "I'll kill her."

Harry's eyes snapped open to stare, shocked, at Draco. "What?" he asked dumbly. "But, you're on her Squad."

"Screw the Squad. That bitch is going down, Potter."

Draco's sudden urge to protect him, added to the fact that they were actually having a real conversation - despite the circumstances - made Harry laugh out loud as Draco smiled lightly that he could change Harry's attitude so, and brought his hands up to wipe away Harry's stray tears.

Harry stared up at him, wide-eyed, at the sincere gesture, and held Draco's gaze as he turned it on him.

Draco had started to lean in just the slightest bit when Harry broke the tense silence. "I - I should probably go - Ron and Hermione are probably expecting me back by now." Draco dropped his hands.

"Right. Can't let them think you've been mysteriously kidnapped by Umbridge - or killed. I wouldn't put it past her to do either one," he mused, making Harry laugh again as he moved out of the alcove to stand.

"Can I ask you something, though?" asked Harry, sobering.

Draco only nodded.

"Why'd you join her Squad, anyways? I mean, I never really understood why you would join. You just… I don't know, don't really seem like the type to follow someone else's lead." And by the tone in Harry's voice Draco knew immediately the implications of what he was really saying.

"You'll find out soon enough, Potter."

Harry nodded solemnly and had started to head off to the Gryffindor dorm rooms when he heard Draco speak again softly.

"But, you're right, Potter… I'm not."

And when Harry turned around to stare at him, Draco was gone.

--

She'd done it again.

That stupid fucking Umbridge bitch had done it again.

And Harry had just let her.

Not that he could really say anything about it anyhow - she'd probably just end up doing something even worse to him, and then where would he be?

Dead, probably, or at least nearly tortured into insanity or something like it.

Harry sighed, desperately wishing it could be just like the night before, with Draco coming along out of the clear blue and actually making him feel better about himself, if even in just the slightest bit.

As he was pondering this, he'd just turned a corner of the hall he was in to return to his room for the night, nearly running into the wall, and would have, had it not been for the hands that grabbed him to steer him back into the right direction just at the last second.

Harry opened his eyes, wide and surprised, and finally saw his savior. "Draco. What are you doing here?"

Draco smirked saucily at him. "Oh, you know - patrolling the halls again tonight, just to make sure you don't get into more trouble…" His smile faded, however, as his eyes traveled down to Harry's hand. "Of course it seems Umbridge is already trying to take care of that on her own," he said softly, but Harry didn't miss the sheer anger and - dare he say it - possessiveness - in the blond's voice as he lifted Harry's hand to inspect it once again. Draco's hands on his sent shivers down his spine. "You wouldn't mind me murdering her, would you? I'm sure I may get suspended, or perhaps expelled, but, well, even still."

"It's nothing, really," Harry assured him.

"You're such a fucking martyr, Potter. This?" He yanked Harry's hand further toward himself and waved it in frustration. "You think this is nothing? Bull shit," he growled and glared as he walked off angrily and started to pace.

Harry stared at him in worry. "Draco?" he said softly, hesitantly.

Draco stopped abruptly, pivoting on his heel as he yelled, obviously frustrated. "What?"

"Why… why do you care?" Draco stared at him. "I - I mean, it's just… you hate me. I always thought you hated me…"

"Assumptions, assumptions, Potter," said Draco, smirking slightly, despite the anger that was still boiling beneath the surface. "You're always making assumptions, coming to your own conclusions… Just because I act as though I may hate you, it is just that - an act. Although, it's actually probably a good thing you think I hate you - I'm doing this for my father, Potter. Everything I do is all just an act I put on for my father. So that he won't see who I really am, because if he knew who that was, he would most likely sell me over to the Dark Lord for such betrayal so that he could have me killed. And yes, Potter, he is that cruel, since you were wondering."

"But… his own son?"

Draco shrugged. "It's who he is, Potter. He loves the Dark Lord more than his family. It's just who he is; he can't change and I can't make him change. And I don't really want to. If he only loves me when I obey him, then it's fine. I'm fine with it, really. When he is finally killed I want to be there, or be the one to do it, just so that he can't finally see who I really am." He looked at Harry then, scrutinizing him. "I suppose my saying this so cruelly and taking such masochistic pleasure in it makes you hate me even more, yes?" Harry didn't say anything. "If that is the case, then by all means, leave, I will take no offense."

Harry thought for a moment. "And if not?" he asked, face set in a hard line, determined to take his stance.

"If not…" Draco paused. "Then you won't mind going out with me, say, this Saturday night."

Harry spluttered. "W-what?"

Draco stepped forward to take the shocked brunet's smaller hands in his own strong ones. "I like you, Potter. You have to know this."

Harry blinked at him owlishly. "Er… what?"

"Always the ever-so-eloquent Harry bloody Potter," Draco quipped, smirking as he laughed. "I like you, Potter," he told him again. "What part of the concept is so incredibly difficult for you to grasp, exactly?"

"All of it?"

Draco sighed. "You really are trying to make this just so hard for me, aren't you?"

"Not trying, but succeeding, apparently."

"Let's try this, then. In other words, I like you. A.k.a., I want to date you. In laymen's terms - I want you, I need you, oh baby, oh baby," Draco drawled, and rolled his eyes.

"But… you hate me."

Draco wrenched his hands from Harry's, yanking them through his pale blond hair. "Aarghh! Dear Merlin, you are dense! Look, I do not hate you. Alright? I do not hate you. I did it merely for appearances. Okay?"

"But that doesn't make any sense."

"Haven't you ever heard of 'pulling pigtails' before, Potter?"

"Eh…"

"You know, in elementary school, when boys pull the hair of the girl they supposedly like? It's like that, Potter. Only we're not in elementary school, and you're not a girl. Either way, though."

"Oh."

"So… will you?"

"Will I what?"

"Go out with me, Potter," Draco clarified impatiently.

"You really want to go out with me? It's not a joke or anything? No one set you up to ask me? This isn't a trap? You really want to, er… date me?"

"I do, Potter."

"I'll think about it," said Harry, stoically. "I'll let you know tomorrow."

"Do you have to think about it because you know it's killing me?"

"Maybe," Harry said stiffly, though Draco could see the small smirk in his face and mirth in his eyes.

"So, I'll see you later, then?"

"Yeah. You'll see me later." Harry couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

Draco had turned to go back to his room for the night, when Harry called his name hesitantly.

Draco faced him once again, one eyebrow raised in question. "Yes?"

Harry fidgeted for a moment before groaning in frustration and launching himself forward to attach his lips to Draco's own pliant ones. Draco immediately thrust his tongue into Harry's sweet mouth as he pushed the smaller boy up against the wall behind him. Harry moaned, grappling for some sort of support and finally settling on swinging his legs around Draco's waist comfortably and wrapping his arms around his neck. Draco's hands roamed the lovely, lithe body, finally settling on cupping the boy's arse. They broke off a moment later, needing air as they panted heavily. "Draco?"

"Harry?"

Said boy swallowed thickly. "Thank you."

And with that, he disentangled himself from Draco's arms, leaving the blond boy standing there confused and speechless.

Always leave 'em wanting more…

--

"Harry? Harry?"

Said boy was staring straight ahead at the other end of the Great Hall, obviously spacing out.

Hermione shoved him in the shoulder, the unexpected force of it nearly causing Harry to tumble off the bench he was sitting on. He let out a small squeak of surprise, catching himself on Ron sitting next to him, chewing on a kidney pie. "Hermione! What the bloody hell are you doing?! Gods… And I wasn't even doing anything, jeez…"

"Exactly my point," his bushy-haired friend told him. "You were just sitting there with your head in your hand as you stared straight ahead. Did you even hear anything I said?

"…What were you looking at, anyway?"

Harry turned his gaze back to the object of his affections. "Beautiful…" he murmured softly. "Hey, 'Mione? What do you think of Malfoy?"

Ron spoke up before she could even say anything. "He's a git; what else is there to think of him?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the ginger-haired boy, before turning her attention back to Harry. "What do you mean, what do I think of him, Harry?"

Harry turned self-concerned eyes on her. "I think I like him, 'Mione. As in, like him, like him."

"Are you serious?" She exchanged a quick glance with Ron, who was now green in the face.

Harry looked affronted. "Of course I'm serious, Hermione, I wouldn't say something like that if I wasn't serious. Look, you just don't know him like I do. I've… gotten closer to him over the last couple of days - he's not what he seems."

"When have you been speaking to Malfoy, of all people?"

"Oh, well, he's been on Prefect's duty the past couple of nights and so I ran into him after… after detention with Umbridge."

"Oh? You did? And you… worked things out then, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah, I guess we did. We talked about things, and, well… he said he wanted to date me. He said he really likes me and that everything all these years has been just for his father, to please him. And I believe him; I mean… that doesn't make me naïve or anything, does it?" Harry asked hesitantly, uncertainly.

"I don't think so, no," said Hermione, smiling at him as he went back to staring at the blond across at the Slytherin table and watched as he sighed happily, emerald eyes twinkling with love.

--

"Today, you will be working on a variation of the Ageing potion."

Harry's head shot up to stare at Snape in surprise.

"It is a variation that it allows the drinker to see into his or her future - once you have taken several drops, you will be able to see where you will be in ten years, what your whole life will be like if you stay on the path you are currently on at the moment and continue to make the same decisions. It will be like a Pensieve, in that you will be able to see your life ten years from now and be there, but not actually able to experience it or interact with anyone. You have the hour to finish and by that time I will come around to see whether or not you have gotten it correct. If you have, you will see your future. If not, well… we'll see just how many of you dunderheads have accomplished in your failure to do this.

"You will be working with partners today, and I would like you to be in Slytherin-Gryffindor teams."

Of course he would mention his own House first… Harry thought bitterly as the rest of the class broke out into outraged cries.

"Silence!"

They reluctantly quieted at Snape's bellow.

"The teams will go as follows… Goyle, Weasley; Parkinson, Granger; Zabini, Finnigan; Malfoy, Potter; Nott, Thomas. Now. Go."

Harry picked up his books and bag and moved to sit next to the blond.

"Hello, Malfoy."

Draco grinned at him. "Oh, hello, Potter." He leaned over to speak conspiratorially. "I bribed Snape before class to let me work with you."

"How'd you manage that?" Harry asked with a slight grin.

"Told him I had compromising photos of him. He's such a fucking pushover. It was just too easy to bend him to my will. Pathetic, really. I was a bit sad it was so easy - I like to enjoy my challenges, you know?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. A challenge is nice." Harry lowered his eyes to the cauldron in front of them on the desk in a way that could only be described as demure. "So, uhm, d'you want to get the ingredients or shall I?"

Draco just smirked at him as he left the table to do just that. While he was gone, Harry glanced at the instructions on the board and copied them down to his parchment for when Snape decided to erase it - because he really was that much of a wanker, yes.

Draco returned to their station with everything needed and set out to work, giving things to Harry to chop, slice, and dice before adding them into the cauldron. While they virtually avoided one another in the process of making their potion, Harry couldn't help the sidelong glances he sent the blond when he thought he wasn't looking, though Draco had been doing essentially the same thing.

"Hour's up!" Snape roared. "Everybody please label your vials and put the stoppers in. I will come around and have you and your partner test your potion. Parkinson, Granger, up first."

Snape strode over to the two girls, pulled out the top and used the dropper to place three drops on each of Hermione and Pansy's tongues.

Each girl gasped and their eyes glazed over as they seemed to go into a sort of trance.

The class looked on in fascination as they virtually left their time in favor of the future before coming back to the present. Hermione flushed a bright pink and sent what she thought was a furtive glance in Ron's direction – though obviously it wasn't, since Ron merely stared at her in oblivious response – while Pansy merely shot Blaise a large smirk which he returned with a hopeful grin.

"Wonderful," Snape preened at the two partners. "Full credit."

Hermione smiled proudly at Pansy and Snape as the Potions Master searched for his next unsuspecting victims.

"Next I think will be… Malfoy, Potter, you're next."

Draco stood proudly while Harry looked like a frightened puppy next to the statuesque blond.

Snape did the same as he did with the two girls, placing three drops of their potion into each of their mouths before they were transferred to their tentative futures.

Harry's vision blurred for a moment before clearing and revealing to him… a kitchen. More specifically, a kitchen in a house. Older Harry was waddling around the kitchen there, barefoot and hugely pregnant, as he retrieved dishes from the cupboard to set the dining room table.

"I'm telling you, though, Draco," Older Harry was saying as he put two plates in their places on the wooden, tablecloth-clad table, "that's really what she said."

"Hermione told you that after we have these two that we won't sleep and will have nearly no social life at all? This is what she told you?"

"She says she and Ron haven't been out in years. Years, Draco!" Harry plopped himself down onto a chair exhaustedly, head falling into his hands.

"Dear Merlin…" Draco muttered, following suit. "But, hey…" Harry glanced at him. "It's all going to be worth it, right? I mean, if I have to wait until they're grown and well into Hogwarts for us to be able to go out together without having to worry about the sitter, then so be it. I can wait that long. It's a small price to pay, I think. We're having twins, Harry. Twins. One girl and one boy. I don't know about you, but I think that's something to smile about."

Draco stood and walked over to Harry's chair before taking his face in hands and leaning down to kiss Harry's forehead.

"I love you, Draco."

Draco breathed him in. "I love you, too, my Harry."

Harry was pulled out abruptly before regaining consciousness and coming back to himself. Harry, wide-eyed, turned his head to stare at the blond boy next to him, who was merely staring back at him.

And then Snape broke the silence, reluctantly congratulating Harry for a surprising job well-done and cheering Draco for his 'impeccable potions-making skills.'

"Next: Goyle and Weasley. Go."

With slightly shaking hands, Harry scribbled on a piece of his parchment not yet to have been tormented by Harry's little-kid-like handwriting, and slid it across the workstation to Draco.

Want to go somewhere to talk?

Draco caught Harry's eye for a moment, subtly taking his wand in hand before directing it across the room toward Seamus and Zabini's vials of potion.

They blew up, much to Harry's surprise.

Why would Draco be blowing up his own best friend's potion? He usually reserved that sort of thing for Harry… but, well, things were different now.

The potion exploded, splashing on all those in the immediate vicinity, which was mostly only Seamus and Zabini, standing right there next to it.

Harry shot the blond a look that clearly said 'what the hell are you thinking?!'

Draco only raised an eyebrow at him in answer.

"Potter!" Snape yelled, stalking over to him as the boy froze in his seat.

"Er… yes, Professor?"

"What on earth did you do to Weasley's potion?!"

"I – I didn't do anything to Ron's potion! Why would I anyways, he's my best friend!" Harry yelled back incredulously.

"Detention, Mr. Potter!"

"But, I didn't do anything! This is completely unfair!"

Snape was about to speak again when Draco's cool, calm voice broke in. "Actually, sir, it was me. I helped Potter, here. He and Weasley were in a fight and he wanted to get back at him so I blew up his and Blaise's potions. Sorry, sir. Won't happen again," he said, sickeningly sweet and innocent.

Snape fumed at his godson. "Fine. Detention, both of you, tonight."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the blond and was surprised when all Draco did was smirk and wink right back at him.

--

"Clean every single cauldron in this room. I have a bell that will alert me when you have finished; I do not care how long it takes – I've got all night. Wands, please." Both Draco and Harry placed them into Snape's outstretched hand. "Get to work." And with that, Snape left the room.

Harry growled at Draco as soon as they were left alone. "You say you like me, so I believe you. I say we can maybe try something together when you ask if I want to go out with you sometime. And then you pull something like this when I ask if you'd like to go somewhere to talk and wind up landing us in detention! And since when have you been able to do wordless magic, anyway?! Stupid, pompous prick… Thanks, Malfoy, really, thanks a lot. I mean, what the hell were you even thinking, anyho—mmphh!" he exclaimed, muffled, as Draco planted a kiss on his lips. He protested at first for the slightest millisecond before kissing the blond back, (and quite enthusiastically if he did say so himself) and smiled around the kiss as Draco pushed him back against the classroom wall.

"D-Draco, I…"

Draco had opened Harry's robes and unbuttoned his shirt and had now moved onto kissing his now-revealed chest. "Mmhmm?" Draco murmured distractedly.

"I really… oh gods, yes…" he moaned, "I really like you, Draco. A lot."

That made Draco stop where he had his hand had started undoing Harry's pants while the other hand somehow wormed its way beneath them. "I really like you, too, Harry. A lot."

Harry chuckled nervously. "Well good, otherwise this, er, greeting would be super inappropriate," he said, smiling.

Draco paused and retracted his hands from where they had previously been. "Did you see what I saw, today in class?"

Harry nodded at him after a moment of staring right into Draco's pale grey eyes. "Yeah. I did. Draco, do… do you want it to be like that?"

"Do you?" the blond countered, an eyebrow raised.

Harry lowered his eyes, a smile and blush overcoming his features. "I'd love it if it were like that… I – I think I'd like a future like that. Wouldn't you?"

Draco stepped forward to the boy again, placing a hand against the wall on either side of the wall beside Harry before leaning down and stealing a kiss from him once again.

Pulling back, Draco grinned widely at him and let out a small chuckle. "I'd like that very much, yes."

And as Harry smiled back at him, he couldn't help but think how very becoming it was on Draco.

Of course, then again, everything looked good on Draco.

So maybe that wasn't actually really saying anything at all.

Finite!

A/N: Review, if you like, please! Love you all! And I promise to be back with new chapters "Auld Lang Syne" and "Marital Bliss - Or Maybe Not" soon. See you all soon!!!!! XD

-Jane.