Harry had a grin on his face before opening his eyes, that's how happy he was, however he didn't have a concrete answer for it, not needing one. He only thought about the next meeting with Draco, and seeing his smile again.

He went to the bathroom for his well deserved shower, mentally preparing himself in the fact that his heart was to race the rest of the day no matter what he thought about. That and there were classes to attend to, double potions being the first one, yet, in fact, this time he was actually excited to attend, being able to see Draco for two hours straight, even if they couldn't talk.

Harry made his way down to breakfast sat in between his best friends, facing the Slytherin table. Upon looking up, Harry discovered that Draco hadn't even made his way down yet- well, up concidering they were in the dungeons.

Draco. Not Malfoy.

He wondered if Draco was to wear his hair without gel as it was at the end of their date: windblown with nightlust. Harry came to the conclusion it looked better like that, and when he put a loose hair behind his ears when it fell to his face, Harry got that warm, fuzzy feeling as well as the yearn to untuck it and tuck it again. He imagined each strand feeling softer and softer from the last-

"Harry?" Hermione's voice called him from his Draco-induced trance. He was startled, looking away from the vacant seat across the hall and onto his plate of eggs and toast. "Are you alright? You seem out of it this morning."

"Oh er- yeah... I- erm, I'm fine," Harry tried to maintain a neutral composure, but then he said the word 'fine' and his cheeks, betraying him against his own will, involuntarily pulled upward.

"Why are you so smiley, mate? It's kind of unnatur-" Ron couldn't finish his sentence due to Hermione gasping whilst her eyes lit up like a lightning strike.

"Oh my god! You went on another date again didn't you," she tried to keep from shouting... well she really didn't try to keep from shouting, Harry just wanted her to. His muscles refusing resistance, Harry grinned even larger; so big, he had to bury his head in his arms to keep from blushing. It was if his cheeks were screaming more than Hermione did.

"Please just announce it to the whole school, Hermione," Harry snapped, raising his head again, facing her.

"Sorry," she lowered her voice. "Come on, Harry, tell us about it."

"We talked," Harry looked down at his eggs, smiling like a nutter.

"You talked? And?" Hermione lit up like a Christmas tree.

"And," Harry bit his lip, "it went fine," he held back.

"What are you not telling us," Ron asked, nudging his shoulder playfully.

It's Draco Malfoy. Nah... not only would his friends freak out, but he would be breaking Draco's promise. "We just... we connected really well, but it's strange. H-she's... she's not what I expected."

"Maybe that's a good thing, mate," Ron patted his back. "What type of a girl is she? Tom-boy? Tom-girl? Does she play for her house."

"She's..." Harry thought about it and smirked to himself. "No, she doesn't play," Harry decided that would narrow it down too much. Draco walked in, hair gelled- unfortunately- and they locked eyes momentarily. Harry smirked to himself. "And tom-girl definitely. Really, very girly. She probably spent twenty minutes on her hair alone this morning."

"Really? I thought you would go for someone more... rougher, your love of quidditch, vanquishing of Dark Lord's and whatnot!"

"I mean, I took her flying-"

"You took her flying," Hermione wailed, causing Harry to jump. "Harry you can't do that if she's a tom-girl! It's not like she's Ginny. If you took me flying I'd probaby cry, you and your crazy moves!"

"I didn't do any of those!" Yes I did...

Harry didn't want to press, and made a mental note to write down what he would lie about. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Honest!"

"Harry, mate, we can see right through you," Ron laughed, "Did she have fun at least?"

"Yeah, a lot of fun, so ha, Hermione!"

"Just make sure you're taking care of her," Hermione told him, "And if you need girl advice, let me know."

"I will," Harry smiled, but not at their kindness and (somewhat) respect of privacy (hey, at least they weren't begging for a name or house); he smiled at the fact that he wouldn't be needing any girl advice whatsoever.

Just then he looked up to the Slytherin table and locked eyes, and they both sneered at the same time, however Harry's faltered and he looked away before he could laugh, and before his friends noticed who he was looking at.

"He's in for it, Hermione," Ron said, shaking his head.

-----------------------------------------------

"Pansy," Draco shouted from within his bedroom. He only used the didactic tool of waking the entire dorm in emergencies. He said it was the fastest way to get her to him: embarrass her in front of the Slytherin population.

It wasn't but a few moments until a grumpy ratted mess walked into the room prepared to be either shocked or mutually disappointed. She found Draco with his blankets splayed on the floor along with all of his pillows except for one which he hugged in a fetal position.

"What's wrong with you!" All he did was point at his heart and start to stutter in a nervous fashion. "Ugh more relationship issues? Come one Draco, it's not like you are learning how to catch a bogart. It's just a crush!"

"Pansy! M-my heart it, it hurts!! It's the worse pain I've ever been through! And it won't go away!"

"How did it go last night?"

"What? I'm in pain Pansy! How am I supposed to focus on my date with Harry if I'm undergoing a heart attack!?" His voice broke every few words. He was freaking our over a certain warm and fuzzy feeling feeling in his chest.

Pansy began to smile and commented on his rampage. "So it went well."

"Yes it went great thank you. Why are you...?"

"You called him Harry. Potter obviously means something to you besides an enemy now. Have you properly kissed yet?"

"What," he said breathlessly, "Pansy I think I'm dying right now!"

"It's Potter!"

"What? What about Harry," Draco's voice cracked yet again. Pansy rolled her eyes and pointed at his chest. "No, Harry wouldn't... he likes me! I didn't see his wand on him, he couldn't of hexed me, I would have felt it!" Then he scoffed. "No wonder... he probably just fooled me just like I fooled him to get even. Hell, he probably poisoned his cheek so when I kissed it I would have a stomach ache, and he's horrible at potions so it's a late reaction-"

"You kissed him on the cheek," Pansy lit up. "You're joking!"

"No! And then he smiled at me with his damned dorky smile and he blushed-"

"He didn't poison you," Pansy leaned on one hip, speaking coolly, almost as if she was bored.

"He- what?"

"You do have emotions, you know, even if you don't use them," she picked at her nails, "You're doing this to yourself."

He ran his fingers through his hair aggressively before calming a bit and swallowing. "This is what father wanted to save me from, huh?"

"Yup. Sucks, doesn't it."

"And it's not going to go away?"

"Nope," she popped the 'P'. "He's burned into you now, unfortunately."

"Oh Merlin!" He rolled over and buried his face in the pillow that he was just hugging desperately.

"Your heart races when you seem him? Stomach has butterflies?"

"No, Pansy! I'm becoming weak!"

"Calm down, will you? You're finally becoming a human being, congratulations. Don't be scared, embrace it! You finally care about someone."

A giant smile replaced his worried, flustered face. "I care about someone. I like someone. Pansy, I'm falling for someone!" He was silent for a bit, and when he spoke, he did in that of a tone of quiet. "I want to kiss him."

His heart raced at that statement. He couldn't believe he said it out loud.

"So kiss him," Pansy sat on the bed next to him.

"Can I?"

"You should, though I'd probably make sure he wanted it first. He's your... he's whatever you call him. Are you official yet?"

"We don't know," Draco bit his lip. "I want to be, though."

"You do?"

"I think so," Draco couldn't keep from smiling, "I really think I do."

"I'm happy for you," she grinned, however her face dropped when: "Stop smiling."

"Why?"

"I mean if you want a news article in the Prophet about this strange behavior and your father call you up in demented curiosity as to 'What Malfoys shall and shan't do,' I suggest a usual sneer to greet Potter hello. Make everyone believe you're not falling over a stupid Gryffindork."

"Oh Merlin, a Gryffindork! I'm falling for a damned Gryffindork!"

----------------------------

The blonde walked down to breakfast with a stomach of butterflies, which he called nuisances, and a heart skipping beats like there was no tomorrow; Draco was convinced if it kept doing that, his lack of oxygen would cause him no tomorrow. He walked through the Great Hall, avoiding eye-contact with Harry, knowing he would break out in a smile if their eyes met. He felt Harry's stare all the way across the room, which caused chills to vibrate down his spine.

Their sneers matched and his heart, annoyingly, skipped a beat yet again, and Draco felt like scolding it.

Palms sweaty, the whole love thing was foreign to the Slytherin, and he was terrified to mess it up. What if Harry thought he was really sneering at him?

"Draco, I can hear your over thinking," Pansy whispered next to him, "You're fine."

It wasn't long before Draco had to go to Potions and maybe he could just talk to Harry about everything. He knew they wanted it a secret, but how far should he go? What would hurt Harry?

He hoped Snape hated the latter enough today so they would be paired together, but when he arrived, notes were drawn on a blackboard, just waiting eagerly to be copied.

Harry had already sat down and faced the board so he couldn't look at Draco at all.

"Sit down everyone," Snape curled. "Start copying. Come tomorrow these will be erased from the board completely, and if you don't get the information, I will feel no sympathy. You have the whole period."

The students groaned at the workforce ahead of them.

It was about halfway thought the class when Draco was too distracted for anything. He kept thinking about whether or not he did anything wrong. Last night, he kissed him on the cheek, and Harry smiled right?

Although Pansy saw his doubts, she also saw through them. It had nothing to do with his 'inability to love' moreover it being Harry Potter himself. She remembered Draco starting Hogwarts, how their first night, he refused to converse with anyone because Potter, above all, had rejected him. He probably hadn't any idea if Potter would be genuine or not.

Harry, however, was thinking the same thing. He really liked Draco, like really liked him. Draco was an elite: how could he ever want someone as scruffy and mismanaged as Harry.

Maybe it was just the fact that last night was so surreal to both of them, yet so real, that it was like a dream.

The rest of the class went by slow, and Draco found it harder to concentrate. Harry completely zoned out. When the bell rang, Draco was in a panic.

This was the first time he didn't complete his assignment... ever.

The both packed their things, each stealing glances from another, each giving permission to. Harry was last to leave, already running late to class when an arm pulled him into a corridor. Harry abruptly resisted and started talking, however Draco put a hand over his mouth to keep him mumbles muffled.

"Did I scare you," Draco asked, amusement in his eyes to hide his doubt.

"Yes," Harry said at Draco's release.

"Good," he smirked. Harry shoved at his shoulder.

"What do you want," Harry laughed.

"Erm... I don't really know... to talk?"

"Who's an ignoramus now," Harry teased.

"Listen," Draco said, "I'm not really... good at this..."

"This?"

"Relationships, I guess," Draco bit his lip and crossed his arms. "Feelings... you..."

"You're not very good at me," Harry quizzed.

"If you hadn't noticed, I've sort of hated you for years. Sometimes still."

"What, you're saying that you don't like me?"

"No."

"Fear of commitment?"

"Possibly? I hate emotions in general."

"How have you been living," Harry asked. "I always thought you were just a complete arsehole."

"No, I am. It's just... my arsehole side of me doesn't like this new side of me, but this new side of me likes this more that my arsehole side and-... I'm confused."

"At least you admit to having an arsehole side," Harry bit his cheek.

"What are we," Draco asked, still curious as to last night.

"What do you want to be?" Draco's heart sped.

"Well, what do you want to be," he argued back.

"I think sometimes I want to whack you upside the head-"

"I want to kiss you," Draco blurted out.

Harry stopped all speech, deciphering if he heard that right. "What?"

Draco didn't know what to say, nor how to react, so he did the only plausible thing he could think of: he grabbed Harry by his tie, completely messing it up, and smashed their lips together in a somewhat forced, however very much real kiss. And he knew it was real when Harry put a hand to Draco's neck.

That and the fact his mouth felt like it had been completely set on fire. His limbs warmed and brain went fuzzy.

They were only in that state for a matter of seconds when they heard people from the opposing hallway and they broke apart completely. It was Harry's followers, of course. Peasants.

Draco acted quickly and grabbed Harry by the wrist, leading him to an unlocked door inhabiting cleaning supplies.

"Why do the Weasel and Mudblood always follow you?"

Harry snapped his hand back from Draco.

"Don't call them that! They're my best friends, and if you can't respect that, then you may as well leave now. I have two rules: keep it a secret and respect my friends. I couldn't care less what you called me out in classes and in the hallway, but call Hermione a mudblood once, it's all over, and same goes for Ron about a blood traitor," Harry scolded.

"Right," Draco tried to process it. That would be a hard one. He personally liked those nicknames.

"Now, what is it you want us to be?"

"I want... I want," Draco hesitated. He didn't know if he could say it outloud. "I want.. Harry. I want Harry."

"Then you'll get Harry," the Gryffindor said, lowering his voice a bit. "Stop making it complicated."

"I want to be you're boy-.. boyfrrr... that thing."

"Boyfriend? You actually want a commited relationship?"

"Why is that so surprising," Draco snapped.

"It's not," Harry said, "Wait, yes it is. God, two weeks ago we were punching each other and now we're kissing each other. Don't you think we're moving a little fast?"

"Yes, but sometimes I think it's not fast enough," Draco said quietly. He hated feelings. He hated talking about his feelings. He hated feeling his feelings. "Is it going to feel weird the entire time?"

"Feel weird?"

"Yeah, like here," Draco pointed to his heart and stomach and throat and brain and ended up giving up there.

"I think that would be a good thing," Harry smiled warmly. Draco scoffed. "Oh poor you, actually having emotions," Harry laughed at him. "How awful."

"At least you're easy to talk to," Draco babbled.

"At least you smell nice. How much cologne do you wear anyway?"

"Shut it, Potter," Draco smiled and ruffled Harry's hair.

"So," Harry bit his lip. He stuck out his hand, a gesture which reminded Draco of first year oh so clearly, and he tried not to frown at the thought of it. "Boyfriends?"

"Boyfr-... That thing," the blonde responded, grasping his hand firmly and shaking it. So that's what it's supposed to feel like. "I never imagined I would have a b- boyfriend." Draco knew if his father heard him say that without 'I am Pansy's new' in front of it- crucio wouldn't cut it.

"Me either," Harry said. "Meet me by the lake, at four, okay?"

"Okay," Draco nodded and smiled, "B-boyfriend."

They departed with smiles on their faces.

-----------------------------------------------

Draco waited by the lake for an extra 15 minutes before Harry showed up in their original spot.

"Fashionably late," Draco, looking him up and down, raised an eyebrow as Harry stepped to him. They were still in their uniforms, classes just finishing.

"Shush it," Harry snapped lightly, "McGonagall held us late. Besides, you're just as bad as me so don't go there."

"Er- no, my hair doesn't look like a Cornish Pixie nest," Draco spoke with sarcasm. Harry stuck out his tongue.

"At least my hair isn't plastic," he crossed his arms with a smirk.

"Alright," Draco sneered back, "Fair enough."

"Ha! When are you ever fair?"

"I'm sometimes fair," Draco pouted.

"You know you're cute when you pout," Harry softened.

"Cute? What am I some four-year-old child in a pile of puppies?"

"Fine. You're horribly ugly and a pain to look at," Harry almost laughed.

"The same for you, Scarface," Draco bit with a sneer.

"Alright, enough with the insults-"

"But it's the best thing about being with you: endless snide remarks."

Harry shoved him and Draco shoved him back. "Come on, prat, I want to show you something."

Harry grabbed his hand and walked them along the boarder of trees outside the Forbidden Forest until Harry ceased movement abruptly.

They stopped in front of a large oak tree, in fact, it was the largest one along the treeline. That tree was the beginning of 13 trees in a straight row, just as monstrous and congruent as the starting point. It was strange since all the other trees were all grown in random spots in the soil; different types of skyscrapers.

"Follow me," Harry smiled, looking back at him before starting at his trek, Draco watching only Harry in front of him. The Gryffindor ran in between the superstructures in a zig-zagged patters, going on opposite sides of the trunks, weaving as the path came and avoiding roots.

Draco tripped on one slightly, simply because he was staring at the back of Harry's head... and his robs in the wind... and the way his shoulders- focus Draco!-, but don't tell Harry that. He didn't notice.

(He totally noticed.)

"Harry, where are you taking me," Draco asked, his palms getting sweaty as they got denser. Harry didn't answer. He just kept his loco motor consistent and constant. It wasn't until long til they reached the edge of the 13th and final tree.

A small area surrounded by trees larger than life created a constant shadow as well as barrier to them, however, to the left of them was a large hallway shaped from the land, plants such as vines and branches and thorns surrounding it. The rest was wooded areas, homes of monsters Draco nor Harry would wish to meet. There was almost complete darkness, the only source of light coming from the end of the stretch of the wall of thorns.

"Harry I don't understand. Why didn't you just go on one side of the trees. It was just a straight line! We look like idiots. Walking in between them