Chapter Text
Chapter 10
Harry's pov
I wake up that morning more nervous than I’ve ever felt in my life, my hands are trembling before I’ve even gotten dressed. Every thought in my head is a mess of anticipation and nerves. And I am not throwing away my shot at this, the kind of nervousness that settles into my bones and refuses to leave, no matter how much I try to ignore it.
…like my heartbeat is trying to escape my chest and my brain can’t focus on anything except what’s going to happen today. I get up and do my usual routine then go to class; it was impossible to focus — I couldn't pay attention to anything Professor Burbage was saying. The only thing on my mind was Draco. Just Draco. All the time. He had corrupted my mind. I hated it. I was supposed to hate him… But Merlin chose for me to love him instead.
I finally get out of class and head to the common room to grab something before I go meet Draco. When I arrive, I see Hermione and Ron sat having a conversation on the sofa.
There’s a moment you know you’re fucked, when your freinds try to talk to you before your supposed to meet your crush i thought to myself.
I try to walk past to grab my potions book, but Ron grabs my robe and says, “Hey, don’t tell me you’re sneaking off again already.”
I freeze, feeling my ears heat up. Hermione glances up from her book, giving me that knowing look she’s perfected over the years. “You’re going to see Malfoy, aren’t you?” she says gently — more of a statement than a question.
I rub the back of my neck, suddenly very interested in the floor. “...Maybe,” I mutter. Ron lets go of my robe, his mouth twitching into a teasing grin. “Merlin, you’ve got it bad,” he says, sounding more amused than anything. Hermione reaches over and squeezes my arm. “Just be careful, okay? And, you know… have fun,” she adds, a tiny smirk tugging at her lips.
And you ask yourself what would you do if you had more time?
I groan, face warming even more. “Enjoy your date with Draco, mate,” Ron adds, smirking. “Thanks, I guess, but its not a date.” I manage, grabbing my potions book and turning toward the door, heart thudding faster with every step.
The walk to the potions classroom was the most surreal, my thoughts spinning in circles I couldn’t seem to stop. Every breath was laced with Draco — his face, his voice, what might happen once I finally saw him. After I tried to flirt with him yesterday my nerves shot through the ceiling when I opened the potions classroom door and saw Draco sitting at one of the desks.
Of course, he had to look annoyingly perfect — platinum hair that somehow caught the light just right, his tie loosened like he couldn’t care less, and those sharp features that made him look like he’d stepped straight out of one of those stupid glossy Witch Weekly magazines. Not that I was admiring him or anything; it was just impossible to ignore someone who looked like that.
It’s all in your head. You can’t believe the things you’re seeing Harry I think to myself .
I walk in, desperately trying not to blush, and keep my gaze fixed anywhere but on him. My hands felt awkward at my sides, and my heart thudded way too loudly for my liking. “You’re early,” I managed to say, hoping my voice didn’t give away just how off-balance I felt. The room smelled faintly of old parchment and potions, but all I could focus on was the way the light hit his hair, or the way he was leaning back in his chair like this was all perfectly casual.
He looked up at me, one brow arched with that usual smugness, and suddenly I had no idea what to do with myself except stand there like an idiot, wondering why my knees felt a little too weak. Eventually, I walk and sit myself down next to him and grab my bag to take out my book and ingredients for our potion. Meanwhile, Draco takes out his quill and the piece of parchment with our essay written on it and begins to write, picking up from where he left off.
I glance sideways at him, my hands suddenly feeling too clumsy as I fumble with my book and tiny glass vials. The scratch of his quill is steady, confident — as if none of this bothers him at all — but I can sense him watching me out of the corner of his eye. “Need some help there, Potter?” he drawls, a trace of amusement in his voice that makes my stomach do a ridiculous flip.
It was flying high, defying gravity, and I couldn't pull it back down.
I shoot him a quick glare, hoping it looks more annoyed than nervous. “I’m perfectly capable, thanks,” I mutter, though my fingers still seem to have a mind of their own. He smirks without looking up, and the corner of his mouth tilts just enough to send a hot flush crawling up my neck.
And that’s when my elbow accidentally nudges his arm, making him blot the parchment. “Merlin,” I breathe, wincing. He finally looks at me properly, silvery eyes glinting as he leans a fraction closer. “You really are a disaster,” he says softly, the teasing lilt in his voice making my heart jump. And when you’re nothing, it sure feels good to finally be something.
“I am not a disaster, I… I am just a bit tired,” I say, desperately hoping he believes me.
“Sure…” he replies, smirking at me.
“You really are a disaster,” Draco teases, voice low and soft as he watches me nearly knock my quill onto the floor. I shoot him a glare, but it’s ruined by the way my face is already heating up. “I’m just tired,” I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck. “Not all of us can look perfect this late.” His brow arches with that familiar smugness. “Perfect, huh? That almost sounded like a compliment.” I shrug, heart pounding faster than I’d like to admit. “Take it however you want, Malfoy. I’m sure you usually do.” “Trust me,” he replies, leaning his chin into his palm, “I’m very good at hearing what people don’t say aloud.” His eyes sparkle with amusement — and something more. “And you do a lot of that.”
I can’t help the short laugh that escapes me. “Says the guy who can’t go five minutes without a smug comment.” “Someone has to keep you on your toes,” Draco says, voice going a shade softer as his gaze settles on my face. “Besides, you seem to like the attention.” I hesitate, suddenly hyper aware of how close we’re leaning toward each other. “Maybe I do,” I admit before I can stop myself. For a breathless moment, neither of us speaks. My eyes drop to his lips — I don’t mean to, but they seem impossible to look away from. Draco doesn’t move either, except for the subtle way his hands have gripped the edge of the table, like he’s holding himself back. “You’re staring,” he murmurs, voice a little huskier. “You make it hard not to,” I whisper before my brain can catch up.
That’s when my body takes over — I lean in without thinking, closing the distance in one quick, dizzying motion. My lips press against his, tentative for only a second before I feel him start to go hot, hands sliding up to my shoulders to pull me closer. It’s clumsy and unplanned and perfect all at once. My hands tangle in his hair as his arms wrap around my back, and we lose ourselves in the kiss until the world outside the classroom might as well not exist at all. I say “you know.. You know you're beautiful right?” he grins and says “yes of course i know that” i roll my eyes and put him back in for another kiss.
And in that small, secret space where nobody could see us — where the scent of parchment and the fading smell of potion ingredients mixed with his — we kissed until my lips tingle and my heart felt too full to fit inside my chest. And as long as you’re mine, come be how you want to be i thought .
I finally forced myself to pull back, breathless, my hands trembling as they loosened their grip on his robes. The silence between us felt charged, like neither of us dared to say what we were thinking. Draco brushed his thumb over my cheek, eyes searching mine one last time before he straightened up. For a second, he looked as dazed as I felt. “I’d better go,” he murmured, voice low and a little unsteady. I just nodded, my lips still tingling.
He hesitated, like he wanted to say something more, then instead offered me a small, private smile — the kind that made my heart do a strange little flip — before turning and slipping out of the classroom. I stayed there for a moment longer, hands pressed to the desk as I tried to calm my racing heart. The door swung shut behind him with a quiet click. And all I could do was stand there, breathless and utterly wrecked, wondering what on earth was going to happen next.