An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
GallifreyisBurning @gallifrey1sburning
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Original Male Character(s), Minerva McGonagall, Colin Creevey, Lisa Turpin, Viktor Krum
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Bullying, Boys Kissing, First Kiss, Coming Out, Leaked Sex Photographs, Off-Screen Reference to Gore, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy Has Panic Attacks, Lucius Malfoy Being an Asshole, Disowned Draco Malfoy, Supportive Harry Potter, Minor Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas, Hogwarts Eighth Year, H/D Sex Fair 2020
Draco Malfoy has only two goals for his eighth year are Hogwarts: 1) stay as invisible as possible, and 2) get enough NEWTs to be accepted at a university abroad and get the hell out of the UK. Everything is going according to plan until he is unceremoniously outed by the Daily Prophet and subsequently disowned.
Finding himself the unexpected focus of unwanted attention and harassment, he is suddenly dependent on the good will and protection of the last people he would have expected — Harry Potter and his gang of do-gooder Gryffindors (plus Luna Lovegood). With his world turned upside down, how will Draco make it through the rest of the year? And worse still, as he grows closer and closer to Harry, how will he get out with his heart intact?
“Yeah, no problem,” Harry answered, running a hand through his hair for what looked to be the dozenth or so time that evening.
Draco fidgeted for a moment. “Shall we sit?” he finally asked, gesturing at the stretch of floor they had shared so many times before.
Once they had settled side by side, turned inward just slightly so that they could see each other more easily, Draco took a deep breath and then let it out in a rush. “There is no way for me to say this that doesn’t make me sound like a twelve-year-old girl,” he said ruefully, “so I’m just going to say it. Do…” he braced himself and made himself meet Harry’s eyes. “Do you still have feelings for me?”
Harry flushed and looked awkward, but nodded. “Yeah, I… yeah.”
At this, Draco felt the tension he had been carrying for days—weeks? Months, maybe—drain from his body. “You do?” he asked with a wide, relieved smile.
Obviously noting the change in tone, Harry relaxed as well. “Yeah. It’s gotten a bit worse, if we’re being honest.”
“Oh, thank Merlin,” Draco said in relief. When Harry raised an eyebrow he went on. “I don’t mean… I meant, for me as well. I can’t stop thinking about you.” He felt himself blushing but forced himself to go on. “I was afraid I’d missed my chance, because I was too afraid. But I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I don’t want to hide who I am or who I want just because it makes other people uncomfortable or angry.”
Harry grinned, and Draco thought that his whole face looked alight. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Harry look happier. He turned further inward so that he was facing Draco completely, and Draco imitated him so that they sat cross-legged, knee to knee. “That’s good. That’s really, really good,” he said, and Draco couldn’t help but grin back at him. “So, are we… that is, do you want to…” He seemed unable to find the right words.
Draco reached forward tentatively, placing his palm face up on his knee, and Harry readily reached forward and took it. “I do, but…” Harry’s smile began to dim at the word, but Draco pushed onward. “I still plan to go study abroad, assuming my exams went as well as I think they did, and I don’t know if you’d want to start something knowing that I’ll probably be gone by the fall. I don’t even know what you’re planning to do after school ends; I’ve been too afraid to ask.”
Harry’s smile had returned. “Is that all that’s holding you back?” he asked, and Draco nodded. He squeezed Draco’s fingers comfortingly. “Then I want to.” Draco gave him a skeptical look, and he went on. “No, really! There are international Floo calls and portkeys, and also Muggle transport. I’ve never been on an airplane, but I’ve always wanted to. If this works—if we work—then we’ll manage. We can figure it out as we go along.”
“Won’t travel and such conflict with whatever you’ll be doing, though?” Draco couldn’t help but ask, playing with Harry’s fingers.
“Honestly, I still don’t know what I’m going to be doing,” Harry confessed. “But I’m seriously considering trying for professional Quidditch. I’ve been writing with Viktor Krum about it, finding out a bit more about what it’s like, and I think I’d really like it. I mean, obviously I love to play, and it would also mean I could travel a lot for games and stuff. I’ve never really been anywhere but Surrey, London, and school. And Viktor saw me fly back in fourth year, and he said that with some practice he thinks I’d easily be good enough. And I’m going to be in the papers no matter what I do, so it’s not like I have to worry about the press too much.”
Draco could feel his jaw drop as he listened. “That’s why you were writing to him?” he asked when Harry had trailed to a stop.
“...Yes?” Harry said in confusion. “Why else would I be?”
“I thought—” Draco cut himself off and blushed, looking up at the ceiling.
“You thought what?” Harry asked, sounding intrigued now.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Draco muttered. “I thought you were interested in him, okay?” He gave Harry a challenging look. Harry looked positively delighted.
“You were jealous?” he asked, gleeful.
“You were jealous!” Harry laughed and Draco groaned.
“Can we drop it, please?”
“In a bit. Let me gloat for a minute.” He grinned some more.
“Must you?” Draco sighed, put upon.
“Yes,” Harry answered. “I was good about not pursuing you for months; let me have this!”
After a few more moments of Harry grinning like an idiot and Draco pouting at him, Harry finally settled enough to provide some genuine reassurance. “Seriously though, Draco, I’ve never been interested in Viktor. I respect him as a Quidditch player and a person, but that’s all. And anyway, I don’t even know if he’s into men; I never asked. It doesn’t matter one way or the other. Okay?”
Despite his embarrassment, Draco couldn’t help but feel relieved at this. “Okay, I believe you.”
“Good. So…” he looked at Draco hopefully, tugging at his fingers slightly. “Can I kiss you now? Because I’ve been wanting to for—”
He didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence, because Draco had surged forward on his knees and cut him off with his lips. Harry’s free hand came up in surprise and grasped onto Draco’s hip. Draco took the opportunity to let go of Harry’s fingers, opting instead to brace one hand on his shoulder while tangling the other into the messy hair that he’d been wanting to touch forever. Unfortunately, this move shifted his center of gravity more than he’d anticipated, and they toppled to the floor, Harry’s head hitting the stone with an audible crack as Draco’s hand flew out to catch himself.
“Ow,” Harry said, rubbing the back of his head resignedly.
“Fine,” Harry reassured him with a wry smile. “My head’s hard enough to take on a bit of rock.”
“You said it, not me,” Draco smirked before leaning back in.
What the kiss lacked in finesse, it made up for in feeling. Once they’d found an angle where their noses weren’t colliding awkwardly and Harry’s glasses weren’t poking Draco in the face, they settled into something that felt so right that Draco was annoyed that they hadn’t been doing this forever. He was positioned over Harry now, propped on one forearm while Harry’s hands found their way back to his hips. As their tongues slid against each other, the small part of his mind that could focus on anything but the places their bodies touched decided that this was probably the happiest he had ever been.
It was quite a few minutes later when they reluctantly parted. Draco rolled to the side so that he was lying on the floor next to Harry, leaning on his elbow. Harry turned to face him.
“So, we’re doing this, then?” he asked.
“Yes,” Draco answered, smiling yet again and feeling like he might never stop. “Yes, we are.”
“Good,” Harry responded, and leaned in to kiss him softly once more.
