Chapter 7; Can I Stay?

Hermione taught him how to use the moving box, which was much appreciated on his part. Though she continuously laughed every time he mentioned the 'moving box.'

Draco was nervous. And he didn't think he had been to this extent, ever. That alone was something of a great accomplishment.

Mel and Draco sat down, anxious to show Harry what they'd gotten. Mel had a magical purse that shrunk the things placed in it, which the blond found very useful. Mel pulled out bag after bag, and Harrys face grew more comical with each.

"Blimey! At the rate you two buy things, I'll be broke by next monday!"

"Oh, hush." Hermione countered. "No need to overeact. Even if that does happen, we'll just parade you, the saviour, around with us and get everything for free."

Harry muttered something about girls and Draco sniggered. Then the golden boy looked over the pile of bags again. "I'm not sitting through you showing me all that."

All Mel had to do was look at Harry and he sat down on the couch like an obedient dog. Draco needed to learn that look.

"But there's no point since I'm about to leave anyways!"

Draco froze. Leave? What did he mean by that?

Harry seemed to notice the look on Draco's face and added; "I mean, I'm just moving because I don't want you to have to stay where someone can attack you again."

"W-wait, I can stay with you?"

"Um, yeah. Mel called me earlier and told me about... Your situation. You're nothing like you were in sixth, so I'd feel sort of guilty just letting you go. And if Mel took you in, I'd never hear the end of it from Ron, so I guess you're stuck with me."

Draco smile at Hermione. Now he knew why she suddenly dissapeared in the Beauxetau earlier. He mothed 'Thank you' to her.

Mel poked Harry in the chest and said; "You're not getting out of this next time."

Harry gulped and glanced at the mountain of bags again. "Next time?"

Mel laughed as she grabbed Draco's hand and levitated the bags. "Stay over at my house tonight. Ron's been called to a late Auror trainee practice he thought was canceled, so he won't be much of a bother."

Harry's eyes widened. "Ron firecalled me about that thirty minuets ago! How do you know that?! He dosn't have a mobile!"

Hermione just smiled again and for a second Draco thought she planned on killing him.

She didn't, she just stepped into the floo with Draco as the bags followed them like marching soilders.

"You like him."

Draco nearly choked on the cake filling Mel was making and had let him try. Why was Life so intent on killing him?

For someone with batter on her face and a frilly, baby blue apron on, she looked dead serious.

Draco and Mel had unearthed some pastry recipy from one of the books she had lying around, and had decided to try it out. If it was good, she'd make it for the Christmas party she planned on hosting in two months.

"W-who?"

She smacked him on the arm with her spoon [really, just take a second and imagine that; Hermione in a frilly apron and batter on her face smacking a blushing Malfoy on the arm with a wooden spoon.] "Harry, of course!"

Draco bit his lip. "Maybe I do. But it's not like it matters. He'd never like me back."

"Don't tell me you can't see the way he looks at you!"

The Slytherin looked at her blankly, and she began muttering about the obliviousness of men.

He cleared his throat wilst rubbing his arm, wishing to change the subject. "So how're things with Wea-Ron?"

"Good. He's too cluless to do much himself, so I'm usually then taking steps in the relationship. I'm really fine with it though; I couldn't stand being with someone who constantly demanded control."

The blond nodded, but found himself unable to find the controling position in a relationship apealing.
Which led him to some suggestive pictures of how he could let a certain someone be in control.

Don't think about it. Don't think about it.

Mel placed the batter bowl and the spoon back on the counter in front of her.

"You know, sometimes when I look at you, Draco, I still see Malfoy,the pureblood git that terrorized us in school. But then... You say something so out of context that it becomes impossible to see you as the old Malfoy."

The blond raised an eyebrow.

Mel just shook her head. "I mean, I'm not criticizing you or anything. I'm just impressed at how much you were able to change."

Draco leaned against the counter top. "Well, it wasn't as hard for me because I never really liked hurting anybody. But I was taught that it was right to do so and every time I regreted hurting somebody or second guessed myself I thought I was a coward, not strong enough to do it."

"So like the Angel and the Devil on your shoulder?"

"More like a constant competition with myself. Since I did what I thought was justified, it never occured to me to stop-
It was just the feeling of guilt I had to deal with if anything went too far."

"Ahh."

After that, the conversation rather drastically moved to shoes.
Draco and Hermione sat on the couch watching the tell- telle-
Thing while they waited for the sweets to bake.

As poncey as it sounded, Draco actually enjoyed it. He learned the names for different heeled shoes so he didn't keep calling them heels,
and also found out -and quiet embarrassingly- that he and Mel had a simmiler shoe and waist size, so they could borrow each other's clothes.

Draco felt like the gayest person ever. And he wasn't even certain that he was yet!

Other the the tell-tail fact that he wanted Potter of all people in his bed doing naughty things to the blond-thrusting in and out and- yes! Harry! There! Don't st-ah- kind of thing. He blushed just imagining it happening and Mel's words pounced on it like a tiger.

"You're thinking about Harry, arn't you?"

"Err..."

She laughed her I knew it laugh and pushed him in the arm-ow-before continuing. "It's just so obvious, Draco! I mean, it's like love at first sight-
Only in this case it took you both eight years and a lot of changing on your part."

Draco figured he should have been offended with the last part but he wasn't. To him it sounded like-
"You're inferring that Harry likes me?!" He said, shocked.

She looked Draco tenderly. "You're swiming down an Egyptian river, Draco. And it's called 'Denial'."

I've decided that I'll be updating this every weekend from now on, just to keep it steady.

Thank you all for the awsome reveiws! Its people like you that keep a story going!

-Russia