Chapter Text
It's Sunday, one day after the legendary snow battle. People were talking about it all throughout the rest of the day yesterday, whispering in shock about how Gryffindor and Slytherin actually managed to team up and win the fight, let alone Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. It's Sunday evening, after dinner has finished in the Great Hall, and Harry is in a rabbit hole.
Metaphorically.
He's sitting in the common room, beside the fireplace but tucked away, with books about mermen and magicks all around him, as well as his notebook and pencil to write down notes. He wants to be prepared as possible for the Second Task, so he's taken up subjects he think will be useful to succeed in the task, and not drown 2 minutes in.
Harry is currently muttering softly to himself, going over the different potion ingredients he thinks would be useful to create a potion for underwater breathing. He has a whole double page in his notebook about the Bubble Head charm, but that's a last resort, if it's even an option, since the spell is a 6th year spell, and trying to learn it in a week is not very ethical.
He's so deep in his head, that he doesn't notice Hermione walking over until she plops down beside him on the small sofa he's sitting on. Harry does not jump when Hermione sits down either, he totally does.
"Harry, what are you reading about? Don't tell me it's about the task again!" Hermione whispers.
"Why are you whispering?" Harry replies, also keeping his voice low.
"Because it's 10 PM, Harry!" She hisses back, gently smacking Harry's arm, "Why are you still up?"
Harry blinks, "It's 10 o'clock?"
Hermione hits him again.
"Ow! Okay, okay. I lost track of time, I'm sorry!"
Hermione huffs, "Idiot." She says, but she grabs two mugs she had placed on the side table when she sat down. She hands one of the mugs to Harry, who finds out that they're both filled with hot chocolate.
"Thanks." Harry mumbles, taking the mug and cradling it in his hand, carefully sipping the hot drink.
"You're welcome." Hermione replies, relaxing against the back of the sofa with her drink, sipping it slowly.
They both sit in comfortable silence, slowly drinking their hot chocolate and relaxing by the fire. Most of the other students are already in their dorms, but a few fifth and seventh years are scattered across the common room, probably cramming in some extra studying for their O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S.
Harry is staring into the fireplace, watching the flames crackle and jump as they devour the logs inside the hearth. The colour is so warm, so welcoming, that Harry is just drawn to it. He's always preferred the warmth over cold, despite his favourite season being winter. There's just something so special and comforting about the feeling of being nice and cozy by the fireplace. Even though he wasn't always allowed to enjoy it, he still felt that warmth deep inside him when winter came around Surrey.
"Hey... Harry?" Hermione asks softly, and Harry turns to look at her, never having heard her so hesitant before.
"Yeah, 'Mione?" Harry replies, forcing himself to pay attention.
Hermione watches the hot chocolate swirl in her mug, "Say... yesterday. The snowball fight. You paired up with Malfoy, right?"
Harry nods slowly, "Yes.. I did." He replies, watching Hermione cautiously, "What about it?"
Hermione opens her mouth, and hesitates before plowing on, "You two worked well together. Like... really well."
Harry frowns, tilting his head. He thinks over the snowball fight yesterday. "Okay.... is there a point you're getting to? It's not like you to waste time, 'Mione."
Hermione huffs out a soft laugh, "Fine, fine. What I'm trying to say is... well. Harry, do you like Malfoy's company?"
Harry pauses, sipping at his drink as he thinks, "...you could say that, yes."
Hermione nods, "Yeah. I noticed yesterday. You two seemed quite in sync with each other's actions and thoughts. It's.... nevermind."
Harry looks over, "No, tell me Hermione. I wanna know what you think."
Hermione chews her bottom lip, looking away to stare at the fire, "It's just... you two seemed like friends. Like you hung out regularly, which I know you dont do, but it was... odd."
Harry hums, looking away out of the window. Does he enjoy Draco's company? He can admit that yes, he does. Does he want to be friends with Draco? Maybe, since he's never really understood their 'rivalry'. Does he like Draco?
...
Oh shit.
Does he like Draco?
Draco is reading his book in the common room, tucked away in one of the corner couches. He isn't really reading, but he's pretending to so people don't come and bother him. But, of course, his idiotic friends won't leave him alone.
"Draaaccooooo!"
Draco sighs as he hears Pansy call his name, and he turns to see Pansy, Theo, and Blaise approaching him.
"What did you do now?" He asks tiredly, and Pansy cackles as she plops down beside him.
Blaise walks over to an armchair and sits, while Theo sits on the floor against Blaise's legs, pulling a book out of nowhere and starting to read.
"Nothing! We just wanted to come hang out with our favourite Slytherin boyyy." Pansy coos, grinning widely at Draco.
Draco shoots her an unimpressed look, and he hears Blaise snort from the side.
"I seriously doubt that. What do you want then?" Draco asks, shutting his book and shifting so he's more comfortable.
That's when Theo looks up, making direct eye-contact with Draco, "We saw what you and Potter did at the snowball fight. Pansy wants to interrogate you about it." He says bluntly.
Pansy gasps, turning to Theo, "Theo! I thought we agreed that I'd do the talking!" She hisses.
Theo shrugs, going back to his book, "Don't care. Talk now."
Pansy huffs, before turning back to Draco, "But yes, I amd going to interrogate you now." She says, smiling at Draco knowingly.
Draco narrows his eyes, before he lets out a long sigh, "Ask away then."
Pansy grins, and Draco knows he's going to regret saying that.
***
"So let me get this straight." Pansy says, her arms crossed several hours later after she finishes questioning Draco.
"You like Potter?"
"Yes."
"As more than a friend?"
"Yes."
"And you thought, that to get closer to him.."
"..."
"..was to hold out a snowball, and ask him to obliviate the opposing team in a snowball fight."
"Mhm."
Pansy rubs her temples, "Merlin's sake Draco, what am I going to do with you?"
Draco shrugs, "You asked, I answered. That's what happened in this deal."
Pansy glares at Draco, before turning to Blaise and Theo, who have stayed silent the whole time, "Care to aid me a bit here?!"
Blaise shrugs, "You got it covered."
Theo sighs, and shuts his book, looking right at Draco.
"You're scared that Harry doesn't return your feelings because you've literally never seen him show any affection or emotion to anyone but his friends, and even so, that's platonic affection, and you worry that if you confess that Harry's going to do one of two things. One, he rejects you and you drown yourself in the Black Lake from embarrassment. Or two, he completely misunderstands you in his adorable ways, and friend-zones you for life. Which I'd just like to say, neither of the two is going to happen, because that boy looks at you the same way you look at him Draco, so I say, just take a chance and go for it."
Draco, Pansy, and Blaise all stare at Theo after he finishes his speech. Theo offers nothing but a shrug, before he opens his book and continues reading. Pansy turns to Draco, "Well I couldn't have said it better. There you go Dray."
Draco scoffs, "You don't know that." He mutters, but he doesn't quite believe it himself as he turns and heads up to his dorm room.
His mind swirls with Theo's words, since the observant boy had hit the nail on the head. Draco sighs, mindlessly going about his bedtime routine, and he soon finds himself in his bed. He stares at the ceiling of his canopy bed, listening to the shuffling of Blaise, his dormmate, as the other boy goes about his own routine.
Draco turns to his side, closing his eyes and willing himself to sleep. But his tratouris brain instead brings up Harry's face during the snowball fight. The shine in his eyes, the happy grin on his face, the way the sun illuminated his skin.
Draco buries his face in his pillow and groans.
He's so far gone for the Gryffindor boy.
***