“bloody hell, potter, spit it ou—”
“maybe i ed you,” potter sputtered.
“alright, maybe you didn’t, so what?” drao said, and he ould feel their oion falling bak in that old familiar pattern, seeing who ould make the other feel dumber with eah word.
& him a hastising gne and dra he felt rise to his heeks. so maybe only he was falling bak into his old otter seemed quite determio be different.
“if yreat revetion is that it turns out you don’t mind me so muh, i am goio ask you to have better revetions from now on,” drao ontinued, onsiously softening his voie.
“that’s not it,” potter insisted.
“merlier, get on with it then,” drao said, his eyes gravitating bak tootter’s hah the sheets. he he would oo move his own a fratioouhing.
“that artile,” pan. “the one you have saved in your book—”
“you’ve lh that?” drao stiffened.
“i—i’m sorry, i shoulder stuttered. “but i wao say it was right.”
drao gasped for air like a fish out of water. harry had lh his book. he tried tain his omposure, but he was sure it was in vain. “otter, i have a few saved.”
“you know whih one, malfoy. the one ginny had doer we broke up. the artile.”
“you—potter, that’s extremely invasive,” drao swallowed.
“are yoing to harp on that wheold you that—”
“i’m proessing, potter,” he spat finding harry’s eyes again. “i’ve been exiled f on four years, you’re the first persoo that isn’t minerva mgonagall in as muh time, aellihat you’re…what are you tellier? you’ve not said anything.”
harry inhaled sharply, biting off a response. his haheir fra.
“i’m saying that i don’t hate you, malfoy,” he finally replied, his voie barely above a whisper.
“thahank you so fuking muh. if you’re quite fii, it’s best you leave,” drao hissed turning oo fae away from the other boy.
“no—”
“go.”
“i’m not quite finished.”
“go anyway.”
&he rustle of harry’s lothiood. his heart jumped to his throat as he heard the bedroom door lik shut. this was his only haing it slip through his fingers. he rolled over, his head spinood up too fast, or maybe it was the adreore open the door ahe r harry’s wrist just as he reahed the door to the hall. harry stiffe his touh but didn’t turn around.
drao pulled gently at his arm until harry turo fae him. harry swallowed visibly.
the silehem physially pained him, but he w through his mi. harry opened his mouth to say something idioti no doubt, something ruihat wouldhe mess of words he had spat out before any learer. he had to stop him.
drao fisted his free hand in the olr of harry’s shirt and pulled him l himself not to think about how terrible a was to eve with this man for another seond.
“malfoy.”
the sound of his own name shook him from what must have beeary instane of insa go of harry’s wrist, lettihing at harry’s shirt fall to hang limply. he turned away fr his head.
“sorry. i wasn’t thinking straight. go.”
“are you sure?”
“even if i wasn’t, i don’t have a hoie.”
harry sighed.
“you might assword.”
“you might wa,” drao replied, with around.
“i don’t want to,” harry replied. the entrane opened, seemihan it ever had before, and still harry was gooo quikly.
“idiot. you fuking idiot,” drao murmured.
harry hurried down the hallway bak to his rooms.
“i love you, malfoy. i love you, drao. i love you, i’m sorry,” he whispered to himself. “see, it’s not that hard to say.”
& he ouldn’t say it. he ouldn’t say it out loud, not when drao was there to hear.