Day 13. Harry Potter. Harry/Draco. When you tell him how you feel. Mean it. Title: When you tell him how you feel. Mean it. Author:digthewriter Word Count: ~1100 Rating: PG-13 Warning: EWE. Auror Training Academy. Made up stuff. Pretend Relationship. Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended. Author's Notes: This story is going to be called "Nothing Ventured. Nothing Gained." Each chapter is going to have a unique title but it'll all be part of one big story. I hope! AO3 link for all chapters in a row!
Harry thought about Malfoy's reaction for quite a long time. It was one thing that Harry grumbled (mostly to himself) whenever Sebastian was mentioned but for Malfoy to act so jealous, in the privacy of their own quarters, was a very different thing.
"You know the Prophet sent me a letter this morning about interviewing us. Together."
"For what?" Malfoy asked, finishing off the last of his hot cocoa Harry had made for him.
"Our dating life. I understand if you don't wish to do it. I mean, it is fake, right? It's not like we are actually going to announce our engagement or something ridiculous like that. We're going to break up in the New Year. I don't want any more unnecessary attention than I've already been receiving. Next thing you know they'll run an article on how we're introducing Christmas traditions to each other - even though I have no traditions. I'd not realised that once I signed on with you as my boyfriend, the press would be back in my life. Not to mention all the lies I have to tell my friends around me."
"So you don't want to do it?" Malfoy asked, looking confused. "Then why did you even bring it up?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like I have anyone else to talk this out with. I tried..." Harry stopped before he nearly confessed that he'd told Padma, but she hadn't even believed him. "Forget it."
"No, hold on..." Malfoy said sitting up on his bed and looking alert.
"Oh no. I shouldn't have said anything."
"Are you interested in anyone else, Potter?" Malfoy asked.
You. "No. Not in anyone else, Malfoy." Well, it was the truth - from a certain point of view.
"So what's the harm in continuing on this charade? I read one of your interviews a while ago—"
"You've been reading up on me?"
"Not the point," Malfoy said sternly. "Now. Let me continue, so I read that you'd said that you weren't interested in anyone because you wanted to concentrate on Auror training. So the chances of you meeting anyone here besides me, I reckon, are low. Unless you think you'll happen to fall for someone in the next term. If you think you're developing feelings for someone, then tell me, and we'll call it off. But for the time being, I wish to be single but I don't want Sebastian to know that I'm upset about what happened between us..."
"Wow, you can talk, Malfoy. I'd no idea."
Malfoy glowered at Harry and Harry grinned up at him. "So, that's a yes on the interview then? We'll pretend to be madly in love with each other, can't keep our hands off each other! Oh, and even better, we can wear each other's clothes. Do you still have your Slytherin tie from Hogwarts? Maybe I can wear your tie and you can wear mine! We'll be so nauseatingly in love, no one in the wizarding world would want to talk about us!"
"I hate you, Potter."
"I know, but more than that, you need me."
Malfoy sighed with resignation and leaned back into his bed. "That, I do."
0-0-0-0
A few days later, when the Prophet sent none other than Rita Skeeter to interview them, Harry had his game face on. He should have known as his luck would have it, it'd be her he'd have to deal with.
They sat in the common area of their dormitory. Thankfully, it was noon time so almost everyone was either in the cafe, or had gone out of lunch.
Their thighs touched as Harry held Malfoy's hand in his and spoke to the reporter. After the formalities of "how did you two meet" - which she knew, and "was it love at first sight" - which it most certainly was not, they got to more detailed questions.
"How did you know Draco Malfoy was the one?"
Harry took in a deep breath, squeezed Malfoy's hand, and then looked into his eyes. "I guess I always knew," he said. Malfoy smiled back at him, and Harry knew that Malfoy thought he was acting. He had his fake smile on him, as in Harry was doing a good job being over the top.
"Right..." he mumbled to himself and looked at Rita. "The timing was never right. During the war, we were forced to be on the opposite sides and then after the war we were here. Malfo—Draco always had a boyfriend, and I sort of just pined in silence for a while." Harry shrugged, refusing to make eye-contact with Malfoy. "And with his last breakup, I knew I had to do something. I had to confess. And well as they say, the rest is history."
Rita sighed deeply and then scribbled away on her parchment. Another quill and parchment hovered behind her, which was also taking notes. Harry could only imagine how much of what he'd said was actually being written.
"Are you serious?" Malfoy asked with a whisper.
"I'm sorry, Draco, what was that?" Rita stopped writing to look up at them.
Harry gave Malfoy a tentative smile and before he knew it, Malfoy kissed him. Harry didn't have time to ponder whether or not it was a real kiss or just for show. He simply kissed him back. If it was for show, he had to make it a good one. If it was real, then he had to kiss him.
"And what about you, Draco? How does it feel to know that Harry has been waiting for you all these years?"
Malfoy wiped a tear from his eye and Harry couldn't see clearly so he didn't know if it was a fake gesture or not. "I'm surprised to know that I had a chance. I dated around, never approached him with my feelings because I'd no idea he'd reciprocate them. I thought he was so..."
"So...?" Rita urged him.
"First, I thought he was straight. Then, I thought he was out of my league. So—"
"Out of your league? You can't be serious!"
Malfoy smiled at him so innocently that Harry couldn't help himself. He kissed Malfoy again. They kissed and kissed and kissed until Harry saw the flash from the cameras that broke his concentration.
"Ah. Young love," Rita Skeeter said sounding whimsical. "Too bad it never lasts."
Harry was taken back by her comment and before he or Malfoy could say anything else to her, she packed up to leave.