Title: Reminiscing
Author: Ananda Ray, aka Louisa O'Connelle ()
Furniture: trophy case
Rating: R
Summary: Harry and Draco reminiscing, awwww how sweet.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Notes: My first challenge fic. I�m just happy I got it in on time.
Harry sat. Now normally this wasn�t anything extremely remarkable, or to be noted, but it was the room in which this action was taking place that made it unusual. He sat on a long wooden bench, leaning forward with his head in his hands, elbows on his knees, staring strait ahead.
Looking at this room always brought back memories. Some good, some not so. He tried not to dwell on the negative and melodramatic, really he did, but like everyone else his mind tended to focus on everything he wanted it not to. Harry closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath of air. Letting it out on a sigh as one would expect a smoker to, he felt himself slip into deep thought.
A year earlier. Harry had been in that same room, looking through the glass, running his fingertips along it�s edges. It was the beginning of his sixth year, and often he came to this place to remind himself of what had happened in the past. Of course, he didn�t know that it would also be the beginning of many other things. He stopped when he came upon one item in particular. He leaned forward, pressing his face to the glass, his breath clouding the clear pane. Suddenly footsteps sounded behind him. He raised himself up, turning to see who had intruded on his privacy.
�What are you doing here?� A familiar voice asked�
Harry felt arms wrap around his shoulders, drawing him out of his mind. He leaned back, taking his head out of his hands.
�Did you hear me?� Questioned the intruder.
�No.� Harry responded, shaking his head. �I was thinking.�
�Don�t do too much of that, you�ll hurt yourself.� The other insisted.
Harry snorted, laughing softly.
�Anyway, I asked what you were doing here.�
�Why ask questions you already know the answer to?� Harry prodded.
�I don�t know. What were you thinking about?�
�Last year. When you walked in on me here.� Harry responded, turning on the bench to look at the other. His eyes met the silver-gold ones of the boy behind him. �Do you remember that night, Draco?�
�Of course I do, Harry. How could I not?� Draco asked, moving to straddle the bench so that he was facing his boyfriend.
�What are you doing here, Malfoy?� Harry asked, walking away from the case.
�I came here to think.� The Malfoy heir insisted, flouncing into the room.
�You came to the Trophy Room to think? Kind of an odd place to think.� Harry muttered.
�Did I ask your opinion? Anyway, I said I wanted to think, not hold a conversation.� Draco snapped, walking over to one of the shorter trophy cases.
�Sorry I just -� Harry began.
�You what? You thought I might like to talk to you, Potter? Really, you overestimate yourself.� The blonde tormented without looking up at Harry. He had moved so that his palms were resting on the top of the glass case, and his body was leaning towards the shelving.
�No.� Harry defended. �I thought you had come to bother me, or challenge me or something.�
�I am so not in the mood to duel.� Draco muttered, the tone of his voice harsh. �In fact, I�m not even in the mood to think.�
�But I thought you came here to think.� Harry pointed out, a bit flabbergasted.
�Well, I�ve changed my mind. I�m allowed to do that, you know.� Draco snapped.
�In doing so are you not thinking?� Harry asked pointedly.
�Oh shut up Potter.� Draco grumbled. �I didn�t come here for an interrogation.�
�No.� Harry remarked blandly. �You came here to think. But you�re not doing that either.�
�You would NOT leave me alone.� Draco laughed, lacing his fingers through Harry�s, a genuine smile gracing his face. It made him radiate, and a part of Harry wished that everyone else could see this side of his boyfriend, while at the same time he wanted to keep it to himself.
�I�m glad I didn�t.� Harry murmured. �Else we wouldn�t be like we are now, would we?�
�Oh, I don�t know about that.� Draco said suggestively.
�What do you mean?� Harry asked suspiciously.
�Do you remember what happened next?� Draco prodded.
�Well, not everyone does everything they say they�re going to. Stupid Gryffindor.�
�Bloody Slytherin. Why can�t you do anything the proper way?� Harry snapped. �Even once?�
�There�s nothing in the rulebook that says that Slytherins have to be evil, you know.� Draco retorted. �Or that Gryffindors have to be good.�
�It doesn�t have to be state-�
�No.� Draco cut off. �Slytherins are supposed to be cunning, and will do whatever they have to, to get power. What if they used that for good? Or Gryffindors. They�re supposed to be brave. Well you can be brave and evil at the same time you know, it�s not that difficult.�
Harry stopped. He�d never heard anyone, much less Draco Malfoy, say that a Slytherin could be good, or a Gryffindor bad. �Ron told me that there�s not a witch of wizard gone bad that wasn�t in Slyth-�
�Now that�s a lie. There have been plenty of evil wizards outside of Slytherin. They just aren�t as well known because everyone assumes that only Slytherins are evil. Or people mistakenly think that they were in Slytherin. Did you know that Valkyrie Tyan was a Gryffindor? She was really evil, back in 17-�
�Is there a point to this?� Harry asked.
�Is there a point to anything I say or do?� Draco questioned.
Harry made a face that was almost unreadable to Draco. Like he was thinking really hard, and not coming up with any answers. Draco�s stomach fluttered.
�No, Potter, there isn�t any point.� Draco muttered.
�Then what�� Harry began, but trailed off as the scowl on Draco�s face registered in his mind. It wasn�t the normal Malfoy �I�m so much better than you� scowl/smirk, it was more of a �why don�t you understand?� scowl.
�I�m just keeping myself distracted.� Draco finally spat.
�From what?� Harry asked in bewilderment.
�From - I don�t know. My thoughts, my emotions, my feelings.� Draco said, looking at the floor. One of his ghost white hands ran along the frame of the trophy case before him.
�I don�t know why you would want to hide from your feelings, Malfoy.� Harry announced, as he walked closer to where the blonde was.
�Maybe I don�t like what I�m feeling, Potter.� Draco whispered.
�It doesn�t change that you�re feeling it, though.� Harry reasoned, stopping next to the taller sixth year.
�It doesn�t mean I have to like it.� Malfoy snapped, glancing up and back down when his grey eyes met Harry�s green ones.
�Look, Malfoy, if you run away from your feelings they�ll drive you insane. I�m not saying that you have to act on them, just accept them.� Harry insisted.
�Potter, why are you giving me advice?� Malfoy asked slowly.
�I - I don�t know.� Harry admitted. �Maybe because I think you�ll listen. Maybe because I don�t have anyone else to give advice to. Maybe because I feel similarly.� Harry shrugged, and putting his hands on the edge of the case on either side of his body, hoisted himself up. He sat with his hands tucked under his knees, legs hanging off the side, leaning slightly forward.
�You�ve never spoken to me like this before.� Draco murmured, raising his head to look Harry in the eyes.
�You�re never given me a chance.� Harry reminded.
�I think,� Draco began reaching out with his mind and grasping Harry, clutch on to the dark haired boy�s soul with all of his might. �I think I would like to give you a chance, Potter. If you�ll let me.� He rushed to add.
�I�d like to be given a chance.� Harry agreed.
In the space of that time everything seemed to stop. Draco looked at Harry. Harry looked at Draco. Without thinking - without needing to think - they both leaned forward and their lips met in a soft kiss.
�You were lucky.� Draco insisted. �I�d already given you a chance.�
�Draco, I was eleven years old!� Harry exclaimed. �Up until I found out about Voldemort I thought you were the most evil thing on the planet!�
�Well, I still resent that.� Draco grumbled.
�I know you do.� Harry murmured, nuzzling his face in the side of Draco�s neck. �Will you ever be able to forgive me?�
�I suppose, maybe. Someday.� Draco agreed.
�Good.� Harry murmured, and slid off the bench to move over to that same trophy case of one year ago. He hoisted himself up as Draco followed to do the same. Harry opened his arms, letting his boyfriend snuggle up against him.
�So what does this mean?� Harry asked, as he cradled Draco�s hand in his own.
�What do you mean?� Malfoy asked.
�Well, obviously this means that things can�t go back to the way they were.� Harry reminded.
�I suppose.� Draco agreed. �That�s okay, I didn�t like things as they were anyway.�
Well, I figured.� Harry murmured. �What I meant was, what�s the status of our relationship now?�
�You mean, like, are we boyfriends?� Draco asked.
�I - I guess that�s what I mean.� Harry admitted, slightly embarrassed.
Draco thoughts abut this for a moment. What would it be like to have Harry Potter for a boyfriend. It would cause a lot of commotion. At school the Slytherins would either be appalled, or welcome him into their folds. At home even more fuss would be made. Lucius would be furious, and most likely disown his son. Narcissa wouldn�t care. She might possibly raise and eyebrow at his sexual preference, but nothing more. He wondered if it would be worth it.
Draco unclasped Harry�s hand, and slid off the trophy case. He turned to completely face the Gryffindor, who was looking at him quizzically. �Harry, would you like to be my boyfriend?� He asked.
Harry smiled. �Yes.�