"Breasts..." Nothing.

"Long legs in a short skirt..." Nothing.

"A pale, flat stomach..." A little twitch.

Frustrated, Harry glared at the unresponsively limp cock that was cradled in this hands. "Why isn't this working?" he growled, tugging harder. Giving up, he reverted back to his usual fantasy: soft, gentle lighting, and strong, pale hands caressing him. Immediately he felt a response swelling between his hands, and he smiled to himself.

* * * *

A few hours earlier, during lunch, when an angry Slytherin girl had insinuated that the famous Harry Potter was stupid, his entire house had loudly jumped to his rescue. However, when she called him a flaming homosexual, there was very little protest from anyone. Furious, while the entire Great Hall laughed at him, he turned to snarl at his two best friends. "Why are you not defending me?" he demanded, venom dripping from his voice. They both looked terrified, but Ron finally spoke up. "Well, erm, Harry... we weren't really sure, is all. The last time you dated someone was last year, and that didn't go very well... you don't really seem to be interested in girls very much..." He slowly trailed off when he realised how surprised Harry looked. His mouth was hanging open, and he seemed to be trying to communicate, but he was failing miserably. "I am no such thing!" he finally declared, before huffing off without finishing his meal.

* * * *

So now, two hours later, after moping around his dorm for a while, he decided to prove it to himself, at least. If he was being totally honest, he wasn't really attracted to girls. But that didn't mean he had to be attracted to boys, either, so he decided to test himself. That is how he ended up alone in the bathroom, conjuring up images of scantily clad women in an attempt to become aroused. After this failed to cause a reaction, he decided that he would test his attraction to men at a different time. All this questioning his sexuality was making his head hurt.

* * * *

That night at dinner he was very quiet. Ron and Hermione knew that he was angry, but they decided to leave him alone. If he wanted to talk to them, he would. They were only partially right, however. Of course he was angry that everyone made assumptions about him, but he was mostly just confused. What if they were right? Sure, maybe he didn't think of girls when he wanted to get aroused, but he didn't think of men, either. Well, not really. He was attracted to bravery, to traditionally "manly" things, like flying or fighting or skill with magic. But girls did those things too, right? Growling into his dessert, he drowned out his thoughts with curses.

* * * *

Across the room, Draco Malfoy was smirking at the slouched back of his rival. If Potter was gay, well, that was just too good to be true. There were so, so many ways that this information could be used against him, and Draco was sure to find the best way possible. Grinning, he attacked his pudding with gusto and began to plot...

He knew that he would be able to get help from almost anyone in his house, but first he wanted to have a plan. And to do that, he needed to observe Potter to fully understand his weaknesses. This plan was going to be personal. Getting up from the table, he exited the Great Hall and found a good hiding place. This was going to be so easy.

* * * *

As if hearing all the whispers during dinner was not difficult enough, Harry also had to deal with all the teachers staring at him. Some of them had kind, understanding looks on their faces, but most wore looks of disgust. Snape, of course, had the most repulsed look of all, but underneath there was an even more terrifying look of twisted delight. Groaning, Harry realised that Snape would stop at nothing to exploit him.

Hearing Harry's groan, Ron and Hermione followed his gaze. Looking worried, Hermione began whispering worriedly to Ron, who just looked confused. This was the last straw in Harry's mind. He angrily stood up and growled, "If you have something to say, just say it to my face!" With that, he whirled around and stalked out of the Great Hall, Ron and Hermione rushing behind him.

* * * *

"This is the worst hiding spot ever" Draco muttered to himself, cursing his long legs and the stone floor that he was kneeling on. If this hadn't been too good to pass up, he would have been long gone. Grumbling about how long it took Potter to eat, he shifted positions again. Suddenly, he heard the door fly open and Granger's voice calling out Potter's name. "Perfect," he thought, sinking to the floor and peering through his eye slot.

Potter, looking extremely upset and close to tears, was stalking away from Weasley and Granger. Something the Mudblood shouted made Potter's face change, and he stopped abruptly and whirled around to face them. "Why didn't you tell me?" he bellowed, shaking with fury, "We're supposed to be friends! How could you not tell me that's what everyone thought? How long have you thought this?" He was breathing heavily, hands clenched at his sides.

Granger just stood there, rooted to the spot, looking like she might cry. Finally, Weasley took a deep breath and answered, "Harry, mate, we didn't think we needed to tell you... we thought that you were trying to hide it from us. We figured you'd talk when you were ready. We were actually feeling kind of insulted that you hadn't told us for years and years..."

"WHAT?" Potter yelled, tears actually slipping out now, "You've thought I was a queer for YEARS and you never said anything?"

Draco shifted slightly in the momentary silence. He would never admit it, but he kind of felt bad for Potter. He was obviously having a hard time accepting this, and he would hate it if he knew that Draco was listening. Shaking his head as Granger began talking, he tried to ignore the guilty feeling that was growing inside of him.

"So Harry... are you saying that you aren't gay?" Granger asked hesitantly, tears choking her voice.

Potter glared, but then he seemed to give up. His face fell and his entire body slumped in towards his friends. In a dull, shaking voice he muttered, "I don't even know anymore... maybe." Then, as though Granger were a lifeboat and he was sinking, he threw himself at her open arms.

Shaking his head softly, Draco looked away. For some reason he was having a hard time watching Potter in the arms of that Mudblood. He glanced back up just in time to see her stroke his dark hair and lead him and Weasley to the staircase. As he wandered slowly back to his common room, he tried his best to focus on creating a plan, but all he could think of was Potter's wounded green eyes.

* * * *

Monday morning meant two things to Harry Potter: he would be tired from the weekend, and he would have to sit through double Potions with Snape first thing in the morning. Truth be told, neither of these things really appealed to him. Especially since this morning he would have to deal with rumours about his sexuality on even less sleep than usual. He and Ron had spent most of the night talking, which helped to mend their fight, but did not help his mood any. Grumbling, he dragged himself down to breakfast and wolfed down some eggs and bacon before descending down to the Potions room.

After Snape had swept into the room, he divided the class into pairs. Harry was stuck with Pansy, an extremely obnoxious Slytherin. Ron, who hated Potions, was paired with the second worst student in the class (Ron himself took the title of "worst"), and Hermione was grouped with Malfoy, who just sat there sullenly. Needless to say, the trio was not impressed with that morning's arrangements.

As Harry resigned himself to a terrible day, he watched his friends settle into their roles of genius and goofball. Right on cue, Hermione began reading her textbook and chopping her ingredients, while Ron started arguing with his partner and accidentally knocking things off of his desk. Harry smiled softly and then turned with a sigh to the ask at hand. At least he could look forward to the Quidditch practice tonight.

At the end of double Potions, Harry, Ron, and Hermione met up in the hall. As soon as they were alone, Hermione leaned in and murmured, "Malfoy was acting really strangely today. He kept staring at Harry, and he even asked me how I was today! And he let me take charge of the assignment... I'm kind of worried. What if he's planning something?" Neither boy had an answer, and while his best friends discussed Malfoy's odd behaviour, Harry allowed his mind to wander to more pressing problems.

* * * *

If there was one thing Draco hated, it was being confused. When he woke up on this particular Monday morning, he was very confused. His sleep had been filled with dreams of a certain dark-haired, green-eyed hero, and he did not like it one bit. His dream-self seemed to be enjoying Potter's company, and when he woke up, he could see the effects of this enjoyment on his body. His entire day continued in this pattern of confusion and complete disagreement between his mind and his body. During Potions, his mind instructed him to be snotty to the Mudblood girl, but he ended up being civil, and (he hated to admit it), even friendly. That, coupled with the fact that he could not tear his eyes away from Potter, made his day very strange indeed.

In general, Potter didn't do anything particularly exciting at all that day. He smiled occasionally, but generally had a pained look on his face, most likely due to the fact that every person he passed treated him differently. Some, mostly Gryffindors, treated him only slightly differently, but almost everyone else treated him with outright hostility. To keep up appearances, of course, Draco had to insult him, but he didn't like to. He told himself that observing Potter from a distance would be better for his plan, but he mostly just hated being the cause of the pain in his green eyes. Whatever the reason, he did his best to just avoid contact with Potter and watch from a distance. That is, until Quidditch practice.

* * * *

Now that Harry's Monday from hell was almost over, he relaxed a little. All he had to do was conduct a Quidditch practice, and then it would be all over. As long as they didn't have to share the pitch with the Slytherins, he would be happy. Since the two weeks of rainfall at the beginning of the year caused a huge setback in all Quidditch practices and games, every night had two teams scheduled for practice to catch up. It was less than ideal, but it usually went fine. As long as the other team wasn't hogging the field, which was often the case when the Slytherins were involved.

He traipsed down to the pitch with Ron, both thinking their private thoughts. Just after noticing how foggy it was, Harry realised that he had forgotten his whistle, which was necessary now since yelling anything was futile with the other team on the field as well. Sighing, he asked Ron to have the team do a few drills while he went back to get it.

As he walked back towards the pitch more than ten minutes later, he began thinking about what aroused him. He couldn't define it, but most of the examples he could think of were generally displayed by males. This did not comfort him at all, but he tried to put it out of his mind as he neared the Quidditch pitch. Looking into the fog, he tried to pick out the other team they were practising with. Just then, a player flew by him. The action caught his eye, and he found that he couldn't look away. This player, who was of indeterminate gender and house due to the huge black cloak they were wearing, was breathtaking. Their ass was tight and expertly placed on the handle, and they were flying as if they were born to. In spite of the wind and fog, this player was able to master the broom and guide it gently with long, pale hands that must have been stronger than they appeared. "That person, right there," Harry thought, "that person is my sexual orientation. That is what arouses me." And with a smile he realised that his cock agreed.

* * * *

By the time his classes were over, Draco was extremely tired. It was very hard to follow Potter without suspicion, and he was too tired to eat dinner. He knew, though, that Potter would be at the practice, and that would be a good opportunity for observation. When he got there, Potter was nowhere in sight, so he spent the first twenty minutes flying in lazy circles. Flying was so freeing that it took him quite some time to notice Potter standing on the edge of the pitch, just staring at him. When he did, though, his heart fluttered a bit. He frowned at that, then reasoned that he had been waiting for Potter, so that was a logical reaction. Curious about Potter's gawking, Draco did a few more laps, then he threw off his hood and came to rest near him.

When he took a closer look at the boy in front of him, he saw the strangest expression on his face. It was a mixture of shock, horror, pain, embarrassment, and also, strangely enough, resignation. This threw him off so much that he almost couldn't remember why he had stopped. Then, with a slight stutter, he mumbled "Try to keep your eyes inside your head, Potter." Cursing inwardly at the pitiful nature of this comment, he was surprised when Potter's face fell even more. He looked almost exactly the same as he had two years ago, when he came out of the maze holding Cedric Diggory's body. With a shudder he came back to reality, and realised that Potter looked like he was going to be ill. Taking pity, he grabbed Potter by the arm and dragged him to the change room, where he vomited violently. Groaning, Draco began helping him clean up. What was wrong with Potter? What was wrong with him?

* * * *

It was almost midnight before Harry calmed down enough to be able to tell Ron and Hermione what had happened. However, even though he could, he certainly wouldn't. He planned to just ignore this lapse in judgement and keep living his life. Good Lord, even being gay would be better than being gay for Malfoy. He shuddered and closed his eyes against the image of Malfoy's face after looking at Harry.

No matter how much he willed it, though, Malfoy did not stay out of his dreams that night, or any night afterwards. Over and over again, the same dream: Malfoy dancing through the air, then touching down in front of Harry, his grey eyes full of passion. And his hands, those long, pale hands...

* * * *

No matter how much he puzzled over it, Draco could not understand why Potter had responded in such a way. It had been weeks, and Potter had spent that time staying very much out of his way. Well, he thought he was. Draco was still following him faithfully, despite having no idea what his plan would be. What he learned was simply that Harry was the nicest person ever. He was always doing nice things for everyone, and it was infuriating. What on earth had anyone done for him? He also seemed rather happy. There were still times when his mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not. However, most of the time Draco could see his beautiful, rounded lips curving into a smile. Sometimes, just before sleep came, Draco wished for nothing more than being able to place a smile like that on the boy's face. During the day, though, he did not allow himself to think of such things.

A few weeks after the debacle in the Great Hall, a particularly slow second-year brought it up in the Slytherin common room. Idle conversation ensued, but Draco became most interested when he heard Pansy Parkinson declare, "Nobody really cares that he's gay, but it gives more room for humiliation. Girls throw themselves at him, but not guys. I bet that if someone found out who he likes and exposed it, the rejection would kill him!" Generally speaking, Draco thought that Pansy was about as intelligent as a cabbage, but she had practically handed him a plan on a silver platter.

Now all he had to do was find out who Potter liked and have him reject the wonder boy. It was foolproof! He began taking notes immediately, titling his paper The Downfall of Harry Potter and outlining his steps. It would be perfect.

* * * *

Harry had thought that he was going mad the year before. Even though he was having a hard time, he was able to talk about it with his friends and Sirius and Dumbledore. Now, though, he had no one to talk to about the insanity that was going on in his mind. He couldn't keep his eyes off of Draco. He dreamed about him, and even thinking about him made him smile and caused a flurry of action in his groin. This was very, very bad. Hermione may have taken it okay, but Ron would be appalled. If word ever got out to ANYONE, especially Draco, Harry would be crucified. So he kept quiet, just going about his daily business and sneaking glances at Draco whenever he could. This was getting far too out of control for his liking.

* * * *

Draco was very, very concerned. His research, after a month and a half, was taking him nowhere. Harry was nice to everyone, and the only indication he ever gave of being in love at all was that he was far too interested on who was in a room. However, he seemed to be always disappointed. Either this man didn't exist, or he was never, ever in the same room as Harry. "Or," a voice in Draco's head suggested, "maybe the man he loves is in the room, but he's hiding behind tapestries and tables." At this thought, Draco's heart fluttered and he had to take a moment to calm his face and groin.

That was another problem with this investigation. Even if he ever found the object of Harry's affection, he would be far too jealous of him. As if that wasn't bad enough, he wouldn't be able to hurt Harry with the information, because he didn't want to hurt Harry anymore. Good Lord, did he just think that? Maybe he was crazy, but maybe, just maybe, he was falling in love with Harry Potter. He still kept the plan in his pocket, just in case he came to his senses.

* * * *

One crisp day just before Christmas holidays, which happened to be exactly two moths after Harry's unintentional coming out, things changed dramatically. It was a regular Monday, up until Potions. Draco was paired with Harry, which made him far happier than it should have. He looked exhausted, so Draco decided to be nice to him. Leaning in very, very close to Harry's ear, he whispered, "You look too tired to work. Stay away from the potion. You might blow us up." Harry was wide-eyed and confused, with good reason. What was supposed to come out meanly ended up sounding gentle and sweet. Shaking his head, Harry turned away and laid his head on his arms. In moments, he was sound asleep.

Trying to control his erection, Draco completed the first half of the potion. He then came to a step that required Harry to hold down a live scorpion while he killed it safely. Hating to wake him up but having to, Draco leaned in close to Harry's ear and wrapped his hand around the smaller boy's leg. With a small shake, he whispered into his ear, "Harry? Harry? It's time to wake up... I need you." He moved back a fraction of an inch, waiting for a reply. What came was not at all what he expected.

Harry shifted slightly, pressing a raging erection into Draco's hand. Then, still asleep, he groaned softly. "Draco... Draco... I love you." Thankfully, this was said too quietly for anyone else to hear, but it shocked Draco hugely. He could feel a blush spread itself across his face, and a rush of blood target another area, also. Harry must have heard his gasp, because he woke up very suddenly. "Eh? Malfoy? Whatdoyouwant?" It took every ounce of self-control that Draco had not to admit "You, Harry."

* * * *

After dinner that night, Draco realised that he had to act. Not having Harry was killing him, and a Malfoy should always be able to have what they wanted. Besides, he was pretty sure that Harry felt the same way. After following him for so long, Draco knew exactly where to overtake him while he was alone. After missing dinner to primp, Draco hid in an empty classroom to wait.

* * * *

Harry hurried from dinner to take his shortcut to the dormitories. He didn't have anywhere to be tonight, but he felt rushed anyway. Just as he rounded a corner, he saw Draco from the corner of his eye. Startled, he turned his head quickly. The two boys spent a long moment studying each other. Draco looked more perfect than usual, with his white-blonde hair framing his face and his clothes looking perfectly pressed and tailored. In fact, his pants seemed tighter than usual. They accentuated his ass perfectly, not to mention his... erection? Harry did a double take before staring openly at Draco's face.

"Come here, Harry." Draco was confident, especially after he saw Harry. That much perfection had to be his. Harry's dark hair was flopping in his huge green eyes, and his perfect lips were open in surprise. God, how he wanted to kiss those lips.

Harry obeyed, willing his heart to quiet. This, however, seemed to be impossible, especially when he realised that Draco had used his first name. Harry stepped into the empty classroom, quickly followed by Draco, who shut the door hurriedly.

"What do you want, Mal – " Harry's question was interrupted by Draco's mouth, which covered his urgently. The second he realised what was happening, Harry responded. Sliding his tongue across Draco's lips, Harry moaned softly. The taste of him filled his mouth, and he forgot everything else, until Draco pulled away to answer his question. "You, Harry, oh god, I want you so badly." Draco breathed these words directly into Harry's ear, and Harry melted.

"You have me, Draco. I'm all yours..." Harry's voice petered out into a groan of pleasure as he felt Draco's tongue slip across his earlobe and down his cheek. Their mouths met again, each one struggling for dominance. Just as Harry was beginning to feel in control, Draco released his mouth and rained kisses down Harry's neck. Harry's shirt obstructed him for only a moment, until he unbuttoned it and continued his trail of kisses down to the top of his pants, where he stopped.

"Hey!" Harry groaned, head still thrown back in pleasure. Grinning, Draco slowly unfastened Harry's pants and torturously slipped them down to his feet. Encouraged by Harry's moans and throbbing erection, he removed his boxers in the same way. "I've wanted to do this for so long" he murmured before teasingly stroking the bottom of Harry's shaft. Grasping it more firmly, he began slowly pumping his hand up and down. Pleased with Harry's reaction, he suddenly stopped and took the cock into his mouth completely, which cause Harry to cry out in unexpected pleasure. Humming softly, Draco expertly used his tongue and lips to dissolve Harry into a quivering heap.

Harry realised that he was very close to his climax, and he was unwilling to let himself orgasm without pleasuring Draco first. Grinding his teeth, he forced his legs to support him again and stood up. Smiling faintly at the change of leadership, Draco submitted to Harry willingly. Harry quickly removed all the clothing that was in his way, finally reaching the last layer. "Briefs?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, thoroughly amused. Draco growled at him and removed them himself. Still smiling, Harry's eyes raked over Draco's body, growing more aroused as he gazed at the unbelievable beauty before him. Suddenly overwhelmed, he pounced on his former rival, knocking them both to the ground. Using nothing but his tongue, he trailed from Draco's lips all the way down to his naval. After so long, he wanted to savour the moment that he first tasted the long dreamed-about cock.

Draco, however, had more pressing needs. Whimpering slightly, he thrust his hips, hitting Harry repeatedly in the chin with his now-weeping erection. Harry finally acquiesced, enveloping the head with his strong, warm lips. Tasting Draco like this put them both over the top, and after a few quick licks, Draco came into Harry's mouth while Harry spilled all over Draco's legs.

After a while, the boys came back to their senses. Grinning sweetly, Harry turned and kissed Draco on the mouth. After returning the kiss, Draco suddenly realised the time and jumped up. Cleaning quickly, he turned to Harry, who hadn't moved, and chastised him, "Harry, come on! Everyone will notice that we aren't where we're supposed to be! We can't let anyone know about us."

Sighing softly, Harry agreed and collected himself. Draco quickly made a plan to stagger their departures, and with one last kiss he ran out the door. While he settled down to wait, Harry mulled over the events of the day. It was certainly strange, but he wasn't complaining. He loved Draco dearly, and now Draco seemed to want him. His smile grew wider as he collected the last of his things and headed out the door.

* * * *

Two weeks later the routine was still going strong. At breakfast every morning Draco would send Harry a note giving the time and place of their meeting, and they would act like enemies until they entered that room. In spite of great desire, neither boy had suggested actual penetration for fear of rejection and lack of time each day. In spite of this, they both managed to satisfy each other every day quite well.

One Hogsmeade day a few weeks later, they got the perfect chance to spend all day together. They both decided to stay at Hogwarts, and meet up later in the day. Draco started a rumour that the Slytherin common room was flooded, which promised them at least a few hours alone. When Slytherins were involved, Draco's word was law. After separate careful preparations, both boys resolved that today would be the day that they experienced sex with one another.

Slightly nervous, Harry showed up right on time. Draco looked nervous too, which made Harry feel better. They stood bashfully, neither wanting to make the first move. After a few awkward moments, Draco took a deep breath and closed the distance between them. Tentatively he placed his hands on Harry's shoulders and drew him closer. Smiling up at the taller boy, Harry wrapped his arms around Draco and held him close for a long moment. Then, feeling Draco's erection digging into his stomach, he laughed softly and brought his lips to the blonde's ear. "Well, well, aren't we excited?" he murmured, tracing Draco's jawline gently.

In answer, Draco aggressively covered Harry's mouth with his own and gave him a long, deep kiss. Pulling away slightly, he grasped Harry's lower lip with his teeth and pulled gently. Harry purred in response, grinding his erection against his lover's thigh. Draco slowly slid his hands up Harry's shirt, pulling away from his lips long enough to yank the garment over his head. Grinning cheekily, Harry repeated the gesture, pausing for a moment to pull on Draco's nipples, which hardened almost instantly. Growling, Draco lifted the smaller boy and carried him to a large, overstuffed couch. Harry, who had not bothered to unlatch his legs from Draco's waist, moaned softly at the pressure that Draco's weight put on his groin.

"Harry?" Draco asked, looking unsure again, "Is it okay if... well, you know... I mean..." He trailed off lamely, blushing a bright pink. Smiling softly, Harry looked at him with love. "I think I would like that very much, Draco." Looking much more confident, Draco quickly removed his own pants, revealing a rather impressive erection. Then, he focussed again on Harry.

Straddling Harry roughly, he brought their lips together, pulling on Harry's lips and tongue with his teeth. Caressing Harry's arse all the while, he nibbled down his neck and latched onto the area just above Harry's collarbone. Sucking with greater intensity, he alternately nibbled and licked at the soft skin. His partner was not fond of the delay, and impatiently pushed his shoulders down. Smiling gently, Draco continued his trail over Harry's chest, stomach, and hips. Slowly and agonizingly, he removed Harry's pants. As soon as he was free, Harry bucked his slick erection against Draco's own, moaning impatiently.

With one wave of his wand, Draco summoned some lube, which he applied generously to his fingers. He carefully teased Harry's entrance with his fingers, eliciting an excited gasp from the smaller boy. He gently entered Harry with a single finger, which caused him to cry out in pain. Withdrawing, Draco looked at him with panic in his eyes. Eyes closed, Harry gestured that he was alright. "Just do it, Draco!" Harry gasped desperately, holding Draco's weeping cock and guiding it toward his ass. "I'm not going to last much longer..."

Grunting in agreement, Draco used his own pre cum to lubricate his cock and then hovered over Harry's opening, panting slightly. He waited until Harry had opened his eyes before slowly inserting himself. Harry's eyes widened before he bucked his hips upwards, plunging Draco inside him completely. Both boys gasped before Draco began pumping in and out, causing them both to forget everything but the pleasure. Taking Harry's cock into his hand, Draco timed his last thrusts with pumps of his hand. Both boys came simultaneously, their screams mingling together as they reached the height of their passion.

Harry regained his mind before Draco, and took this time to examine his lover. He slowly traced a finger down his pale jawline and gazed lovingly at the perfection that was lying in front of him. Leaning close to the tousled blonde head, he murmured a soft "I love you" before kissing the other boy softly and snuggling close again. He wanted nothing more than this – Draco, beside him.

An hour later, both boys had regained consciousness, and Draco was panicking slightly about the time. Harry, however, didn't feel the need to be so rushed. "But Draco, they're going to find out eventually, right?" he asked plaintively. "Why can't we be open about this?"

Draco frowned thoughtfully. On the one hand, he would love to call Harry his boyfriend and openly court him... he was actually completely in love with the boy, although he wasn't quite ready to admit it yet. But on the other hand, he would be laughingstock of the school. Maybe if he didn't initiate it, he would be able to handle it better... "Why don't you come over to the Slytherin table during dinner tonight, Harry?" he suggested. "Then we could sort of ease people into the idea."

Harry frowned slightly. He would have preferred a more mutual arrangement, but if this was the best he was going to get, then it would have to do. "I'll think about it, Draco. Maybe not today, but I'll think about it." Draco smiled, realising that this was the closest Harry would come to agreement. After cleaning up and giving each other a steamy parting kiss, Draco sent Harry on his way. He had to do his hair in order to look perfect for dinner. No one must suspect anything yet.

* * * *

With an hour left to kill before dinner and the arrival of his friends, Harry looked around his room for something to do. Sighing at the mess his trunk was in, he began sifting through the dirty laundry, arriving at a several-week-old pile of papers. Looking at it blankly, he began examining each piece and throwing them away one by one. Potions homework... note to Hermione... note from Ron... note in Draco's writing... Bewildered, Harry took another look at his lover's neat handwriting. He couldn't remember getting this note. Opening it anyway, he slowly scanned it, his face getting more and more hurt and angry as he read. This was clearly not supposed to be in his possession.

* * * *

Draco stepped into the Great Hall cautiously. He was extremely excited about this meal. If Harry didn't bring it all out into the open, then Draco would himself. He smiled at the thought of everyone knowing. He would love nothing more than to be able to hold his lover's hand in the hallways, to be able to kiss him openly. This was going to be wonderful.

As he sat in his usual spot, he glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Harry wasn't there yet, but Draco could wait. Long minutes later, just as he was beginning to worry, the door opened slowly. Harry stepped in and walked in a determined way right towards the Slytherin table. Draco smiled encouragingly at him, but his grin faltered slightly at the look on Harry's face. He looked almost angry. Draco's fears were confirmed when Harry reached him, eyes blazing.

Leaning very close to Draco's ear, Harry hissed, "I was so close, you bastard. You almost had me. I'm sorry your little plot didn't work out, but you almost made it. I hope you're happy." Draco blinked rapidly, wondering what on earth Harry was talking about. Before he could say anything, Harry slapped a crumpled piece of paper onto the table. "I hope you enjoyed your free fuck, Malfoy, because that's the last thing you'll ever get from me."

Growling and blinking back tears, Harry turned on his heel and stomped out of the Great Hall, not looking at anyone. The room had been unnaturally hushed, but as soon as the door banged behind Harry all hell broke loose. Draco couldn't concentrate on anything though, except for the paper in front of him. Unfolding it slowly, he took one look and then became paralysed. Written in his big, bold green handwriting at the top of the paper were the words The Downfall of Harry Potter.

* * * *

That night, Harry came clean to Ron and Hermione about everything. Sobbing through the entire story, he explained his initial attraction, their falling in love, and even the sex. At this point Ron, who had been surprisingly supportive, yelled out in protest. "Oi! Mate, you actually... Oh god!" Hermione shushed him angrily, and the two spent the night comforting Harry. Nothing they could do could erase the hurt, though. The first time he ever let anyone in, he got used, and nothing they could say would change that.

* * * *

A week passed, then two... Slowly, Harry began to function in a normal way, until only Ron and Hermione could tell that he was dying inside. He hadn't spoken to Draco since that dinner, no matter how many ways Draco tried to get his attention. He needed to explain to Harry how much things had changed since he made that list, but he didn't know how. So, swallowing his pride, he decided to ask the only people who would know.

"Weasley! Granger!" he panted, running to catch up with them in the hall, "Can I have a moment?" Looking at him icily, Granger declared that she would rather be eaten by the giant squid than talk to the person who had hurt Harry so much, while Weasley nodded like a fool behind her. Defeated, Draco allowed his emotions to crawl to the surface for a split second. Just as he was turning away to hide the tears, Granger's face changed. "Malfoy?" she asked gently, "You didn't mean for this to happen, did you?" The kindness in her voice was all he needed to pour everything out to her, including how desperately he wanted to be with Harry.

"What should I do?" he asked in conclusion. "What does he need me to do? I'd do anything, you know that." Hermione looked at him thoughtfully, and then replied, "What he needs is to know that you will risk rejection and shunning for him. That you care enough to be the one risking everything. He hated that you pushed him away after sex; he just wanted to know that you would be there for him. Show him that you changed since you wrote that list, and he should forgive you. If he doesn't, then he's dumber than I thought."

Smiling and thanking her, Draco began to plot again. Only this time, it would win him back his prince. Hopefully...

* * * *

"Alright guys, just do it like we practised. And don't worry, I'll take care of the Snitch." Harry's pep talk was a little lacking in cheer, but it made up for that in competitiveness. Draco may have taken away his heart, piece by piece, but Harry would be damned if he was going to take away his Snitch. As they faced off across the pitch, Harry growled, "May the best man win, Malfoy." It was probably a trick of the wind, but he could have sworn that he heard his rival say "Yes, I'm sure you will Harry." Shaking his head, he flew off, trying not to think of his opponent.

* * * *

All Draco could think about was Harry. He watched the boy weave through other players, spin, dive and take complete control of his broom. Sighing, he gave up even trying to look for the Snitch. All he could see was Harry. Glancing at the packed stands, he smiled slightly. The Slytherin/Gryffindor game was always popular. His eyes swivelled back to his main interest, who had suddenly disappeared. Panicking slightly, Draco searched the sky before his eyes came to rest on a small figure on the grass below him.

Without stopping to think, Draco shot into a controlled dive. Landing a few feet away from his lover, he quickly ran to him. The only thought in his head was of Harry's well-being, so he didn't even realise that all playing had stopped. All the teachers were rushing towards the boys, expecting Harry's fall to be the outcome of a fight with Draco. They stopped short, however, when they realised that Draco was crying.

Draco himself hadn't noticed his tears, because all he could see was Harry, breathing shallowly on the ground in front of him. He bent down and gathered the smaller boy lovingly into his arms. Then, stroking Harry's arm gently, he began carrying him toward the school. Suddenly, Professor Dumbledore's voice broke the overwhelming silence. "Mr Malfoy, where are you taking Mr Potter?" he asked kindly. Draco blinked at how loud the voice was in the quiet, then responded equally loudly, "To the hospital wing so he can be tended to properly."

Most people were confused by this. Why was he crying, and why did he care about his rival? Snape clearly wondered the same thing, since he just stared at his godson and demanded "But why?" Draco, who didn't notice Harry stirring in his arms and opening his eyes, just responded truthfully. "Because I love him, sir, and I can't deny it anymore."

The stunned silence that followed his words gave him a chance to look down at Harry's face, which was beaming up at him. "Do you mean it?" he murmured softly, searching Draco's eyes. Draco, who was too stunned to speak, seemed to have passed Harry's test, because the next second he was kissing Draco feverishly, arms wrapped around his neck. As the stands around them erupted in indignation, shock and approval, all Draco could feel was the soft, warm lips of his lover and the gentle pulling of his hair.

And knowing that Harry forgave him, and that he loved him, was enough. For once in Draco's life, he was content.