Favoring The Bold {Drarry}

- o -

The newspaper laid between them on the coffee table and Harry stared at it confused for a long moment before looking away trying to figure out what they had been talking about. He was sure Val would laugh just as hard too if she had been there. If only he could remember. He searched the room in thought before stopping while staring just slightly above the mantle.

She had been the first to see the paper. The picture on the front was enough to stop her in her tracks as she walked to the café during a coffee run for lunch. The picture itself wasn't jaw droppingly perfect, but it was beautiful.

Harry and Draco were seated on a bench at the park. The blonde had his head thrown back, caught mid-laugh. The sun had caught Harry's face just right as he stared at the other man, a full spread smile across his face. The lines around his eyes weren't too pronounced yet, but it was clear he was elated. They were practically on opposite ends of the bench, they were so far apart, but they looked as though they couldn't have gotten closer if they tried.

The way her boyfriend was looking at the other man is what made her buy the paper. The headline was the reason she walked to the house they shared instead of back to work.

"I wonder sometimes, if you'll ever look at me like that," Valerie said softly in a hopeful voice. She spoke as it she wanted Harry to agree. Maybe let her know that he did. Tell her that he always had. Tell her that there was no way in hell he could look at anyone else like that.

Harry said nothing.

She looked down at the paper again.

"Harry...?"

The man in question looked up at his girlfriend, still in thought.

"Yeah?"

"You were doing it again," she looked in the direction he was staring (away from that picture) as if something would appear there. "Is this some wizard thing I can't see-"

Harry looked confused before shaking his head and smiling at her. He stayed on the couch, but reached his hands out to grab ahold of hers. He leaned in and kissed the knuckles of both of her hands before looking into her eyes.

"Just thinking."

"About Draco?" Harry looked at her with a surprised smile.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"You were worrying at your bottom lip again." She pressed a thumb to his mouth before pulling the lip in question free from more torment. Harry's tongue came out in a quick flash of pink as he attempted to pull his lip back into his mouth. Their eyes met and she smiled softly at him. "You know you can just tell me to go, don't you?"

"Why would I do that..?"

"Well-" she tried to choose her words wisely, but there was no other way to say what needed to be said. She couldn't just act like everything was fine. She would get over it, ahe was sure of it. "You clearly love him and-"

"I've always loved him. Probably always will. I don't see what that has to do with us, though." The darker man had pulled her onto the couch with him and tugged her closer until she was snuggled against his neck and he was practically talking into her hair. He kissed the top of her head then her cheeks before relaxing both of them into the couch.

"Hare, you have to know that this isn't easy. Loving someone who isn't going to ever love me back fully?"

"I'm confused. I thought you loved me..." He sat back with an odd sort of thinking face before turning to her again. "Do you love Draco or something- Was this some sort of famous person fantasy-"

"No, Harry. I do love you, but you love Draco. That much is obvious."

"So why does that mean I can't love you? I've dealt with how I felt for him for years, okay? It's not something that can go away, but it isn't something I plan on acting on either. Especially since I have you and I love you. Loving Draco is something that just is. I can't change it. I've made my peace with that and moved on."

Valerie pushed herself away and stood up with tears in her eyes.

"Hare, that's not love." She was looking him in the eyes now and it was hard for him to try and look away. Her gaze was unwavering even as her voice shook sadly. "You may love me- I'm sure you do, but this isn't how love works. You don't just love one person with all you are and give the rest to someone else. That isn't fair...not to yourself. Not to Draco. Not to me."

Harry stood up quickly, knocking over a few pictures on his side table when the couch shifted. He grabbed her hands but she snatched them away.

"No, Val, listen- I probably said that all wrong. I do love Draco, I'm not denying that, but I love you too. He was my first love! He's James' dad! Sure we left on pretty rough terms, but we both did what we thought was best, am I supposed to hate him?"

"Yes! No? Harry, I don't know, but-" she shook hair out of her face. She placed a kiss on the messy-haired man's cheek. "I can't just stand by and wait for the other shoe to drop. Wait for you to remember why you fell in love with him again. I'm all for this, okay? Once you figure out what's going on between you two."

She walked over to the door and opened it before laying her copy of the key of the table next to the door.

"Val, don't do this. I love you, please, just-"

"It's okay, Hare. I love you too." She sent him a small wet smile. "This is for the best." She shrugged. "I'll be around."

The sound of the door closing behind her sounded too final and Harry couldn't help but flop onto the lounge in defeat. His elbows rested on his knees while he let his head fall into his hands with a weighted sigh. Tears fell from his eyes silently and unannounced.

He understood why she left, but there were so many other reasons for her to stay...Reasons for them to get through this. The more he thought about it the angrier he got. He picked up the thing closest to him and tossed out at the all, watching as the plastic television remote burst into bits of plastic and magic.

Teddy ran down the stairs first. When he saw his dad in tears he shushed James and turned so that they could both go back up to their room quietly.

"What's wrong with dad," James asked trying to force his way around his older brother.

"Nothing," Teddy said closing the door to their bedroom. "Let's play a game, okay?"

"I call first controller!"

Teddy laughed and agreed. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew Dad needed time and he was going to let him have it.

-&-

not as angsty...
though val is gone
for now. she'll be around

sorry for the late update
im also writing another new fic

guess who it's about
Scorpius

guess what it's about
Drarry

guess what it has
Time Travel

guess who's excited
Me

lol. im a self destructive mess
when it comes to fics

hope you guys enjoyed
love y'all

-- angel janeé xoxo 💋