How Are You, Really? (Drarry)

Chapter Five: The "Secret" is Out

Draco was propped up, pretending to read as he listened to Harry pace back and forth on the other side of his bed curtains. He had been prepared for Harry to confront him as soon as he came in, and Draco had been rehearsing what he was going to say.

Harry finally ripped open the curtains. Draco almost screamed it was so sudden but managed to surpress the urge. Instead he laid his book down and met Harry's emerald eyes. If Draco wasn't careful he'd get lost in them. "What do you want, Potter?"

Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I know we've never been friends - in fact we've only ever been enemies - but I'm begging you Malfoy please don't say anything about what he heard today it's just that -."

Draco cut off the rambling. "I already promised I won't say anything, Harry."

Harry stopped and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Draco sighed. "You can be rather thick, Potter. I mean what I said."

"But why would you just stay quiet like that?"

Draco realized Harry didn't know. He blurted out, "Harry, I'm gay."

Harry's eyes grew to twice their normal size. "You're gay?"

It took everything in Draco not to laugh at the dumbstruck expression on Harry's face. "Flamingly so, Potter. I thought everyone knew."

After several heartbeats of silence Harry stuttered, "How was I supposed to know?"

The smile on Draco's face slipped some. "What with the rumors going around our 6th year, I thought you would know."

Harry shook his head. "What rumors were there? I missed them."

Draco tried to keep his smile on his face but he felt it turn brittle. "Oh you know just the usual faggot comments and such."

Stricken, Harry sat on the edge of Draco's bed and stared at him. Draco soaked in the attention. Harry had never looked at him before, not with such caring, and Draco wanted to remember every moment of it. Harry broke the silence by asking tongue-in-cheek, "Didn't you threaten them with your father?"

Icy fingers of fear grabbed Draco unbidden. "My father doesn't know, and god help my soul if he ever finds out."

Harry sat silently for a moment, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. Draco couldn't look away. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm sorry, Draco."

"Don't be. He's locked away in Azkaban and I don't have to worry about him anymore."

"You know, I think this is the first time we've ever had a civil conversation, Malfoy." Harry flashed him a grin and Draco's heart squeezed. This boy would be the death of him.

"I think you're right, Potter. And no one got hexed. Or punched."

"You think we can call a truce?" Harry asked, hope clearly written onto every corner of his face.

Draco stared at him, shocked. "I had no idea all I needed to do was come out to you, and we'd make peace."

Harry blushed. "I just thought – since we're together all the time – we could try being civil to each other."

Reaching out his hand, Draco waited for Harry to clasp his to shake. As soon as their skin touched Draco was shocked by a current of magic. "Ah!" he cried, pulling away. Harry must have felt the same thing as he yanked his hand back as well.

"What the hell was that?" Harry yelled, shaking his hand.

"I have no idea!"

"Well you know more about magic you tell me!" Harry demanded, cradling his hand.

Confused, Draco asked, "Did you just call me smarter than you, Potter?"

Harry glare at him. "No. You've just spent your entire life in this world. I was raised by muggles." The was he paused over the word muggles sent unease flowing through Draco's veins. Something wasn't right there. Before he could ask Harry continued. "So you'd know more than me. What was that? It hurt!"

Draco chewed on his lip. There was only one possibility: his feelings were so strong that his magic had leapt from him to Harry, trying to get closer to the object of his affection. But he couldn't tell Harry that. "I don't know. Our magic probably just reacted to each other. Here give me your hand and we'll see if it happens again." Draco grabbed Harry's hand without thinking, twining their fingers together. "See? Nothing. Just a fluke."

Harry stared at their joined hands a puzzled expression on his face. Draco flushed, realized what he was doing and hastily dropped Harry's hand. "This is so surreal," Harry whispered.

"What is?"

"I'm sitting next to you and I don't want to punch you in the face."

Draco snorted. "Everything is different now Potter, in case you haven't noticed."

"But how different are you, Malfoy?"

Freezing, Draco couldn't meet Harry's emerald eyes. "More than you could know, Potter. More than you could know."

Harry sat for a second in silence before standing. "We'll see Malfoy. Sorry for bothering you." He gestured toward the book. "And thank you for telling me. Even if everyone else already knows." He turned and closed the curtains behind him.