It took him a long time to notice.
Love wasn’t supposed to hurt. Pain wasn’t a prerequisite. So why was that all he knew?
“It’s not enough.” That wasn’t what she meant though, was it?
The words that came after cruelty weren’t supposed to cause more pain.
“You’d be better off if you’d just listen more.”
You’re nothing without me.
“See what happens when you do whatever you want?”
See what I do to you because I can?
Her words might have been a gunshot but it was her love that was the bullets.
It took Harry a long time to notice.
Wasn’t used to love not hurting. Wasn’t used to biting words being affection. Wasn’t used to being cared for.
Draco was silent most of the time. Made it hard to truly understand where he stood in their relationship.
But it was the silence that drew him in the most. The little quiet gestures that said more than words ever could.
It was the extra scarf whenever he knew Harry would forget.
Your well-being is important.
It was dinner kept warm by a heating charm well after midnight whenever he knew Harry had a late shift.
It was the sweet smiles sent his way whenever he rambled about his day, thoughts, ideas or issues.
And when words were uttered, they made his pulse rush and his face heat, because everything came back to one meaning.
“Don’t leave yet,” whispered Draco, eyes on Harry’s face. “I want to memorize everything about you.”
“Moron, be more aware. If you hurt yourself again I’ll—”
“I wasn’t sure if I could use my cauldron to make your cake, so if it tastes like a potion, you better keep quiet or else, Potter. I mean it. I didn’t spend hours just to—”
“Merlin it’s unfair just how gorgeous you are.”
“As insufferable as your laugh may be, don’t muffle it.”
“I made your favourite,” Draco sniffed, “Even if you did use the wrong soap on my robes last night.”
It didn’t matter if Draco preferred to say nothing most of the time, it didn’t matter that when he did speak it was usually with a biting remark mixed in with a warmth he didn’t tend to show other people.
Because all of it came back to what Draco truly meant, what he always showed whether with words or in his silence.
