“luna.”
&illed. “what did she tell you?”
drao ould see the unease in his eyes. he suspeted potter didn’t realise how muh luna knew, how she a of his friends had put the piees together; but he seemed to be oing the possibility they might have aught on. it obviously terrified him.
“bsp;i sit down?” drao asked, pointing at a spot beside potter. he seemed relutant but slowly moved aside to make some room. as drao to him, potter’s expression hardened. he avoided his gaze, huggio his hest.
“this isn’t aion,” drao said, arefully sitting down. “i just want to talk. i never would have said those things to you if i had known…” he broke off, uo phrase it. what luna had told him sounded pusible but he wa frehought—i thought it was about the dark mark. or about you…iook so muh to say these words out loud. they were easily yelled in a fight. but now that he ktli demons, he was more io show potter his own iies.
“it’s got nothing to do with you,” potter murmured, staring at his k’s g to do with you, but that—” he sighed. “i just—i hate that i feel this way, but…i an’t do anything about it.”
“how do you feel?”
“i don’t want to—”
“i know you don’t want to talk about it. but hoosed to uand if you don’t tell me?” potter’s features twisted iortured. when it was lear he wasn’t going to say anything, drao added, “i o kherwise, we really are done.”
it sounded harsher than he had meant it. what he had wao say was that they wouldn’t stahey wereely ho with eah other. the thought horrified him, but he didn’t o ohis and he knew as soon as potter would ope the same from him. it washing drao artiurly looking forward to, but he was willing to try.
“that’s not fair,” potter murmured, his fae set in a stubborn sowl.
&his is fair,” drao retorted. “look, you told me you were worried about disappoi fet about that. you should eople think.”
“i knootter muttered. “but…i are about what you think.”
drao paused. this kiy wasly something he was used to. aally admitted he felt the same otter, he ouldhe rushing sense of responsibility potter had just burdeh. so…as getting them nowhere. drao wondered how far he ould go with potter unneessarily. he always ated s and o, but he had shlimpses of his vulnerable side and if that wasn’t an indiatioed drao, what was?
“so…” drao brushed the duvet with his fiips, searhi words. “luhe magazines.”
&ly k o expin ahe look on potter’s fae said everything.
“she knows,” he whispered, resignati loudly in his voie.
“yeah. she’s worried about you.” tentatively, he put his hand on potter’s knees. “i’m worried about you.”
apparently, that had beehing to say. potter looked up, his eyes full of defensiveness.
“i know it’s not normal,” he said. “i know i’m a freak.”
“potter,” dra to stay alm. “you’re so many things, but you’re hat, potter huffed and turned away again. drao had o say. he tried to put himself in potter’s shoes, tried to imagine how agonising it must be for him. “potter, please,” he said, beseehingly, “tell me. just tell me e night at the manor.”
“i thought luold y,” potter said, stubbornly.
“do her. she was to help. besides, if it wasn’t for her, i probably would now.” slowly, drao let his hand glide down and urled his fingers around potter’s forearm. “aheories from luna isn’t the same as you telli happe to knoere thinkiogether.”
potter looked torn. it took several moments until he finally spoke. “i really like you, drao,” he whispered.
whatever drao had expeted, it ertainly hadhis. he tried to tuhe sudden whooshing in his ears aer’s raspy voie instead.
“it’s almost like…when i’m around you, things don’t feel as bad.”
drao otter paused after that. that was a lot to take in.
“i—i thought—” he felt the musles in potter’s arm lenh. “i thought i would be okay with—i thought i ould—”
“could what?” drao said softly. potter only shook his head. “what are you so afraid of? what ould be so bad you an’t tell me?”
“i—i kept thinking—”
&er strugglihis made drao uer’s muggle retives, those awful reporters—he would hex them all if they’d ever rossed paths.
“what were you thinking?” he said quietly, hoping it would eo finally say it.
“how ould someoiful as you—”
drao froze. poing to say what drao thought he was going tht? beause if he did, drao would have to shout at him. again. knootter would immediately lose off if he did that, he tried to stay alm and otter to ontinue. when he did, his voie was barely a whisper.
“how ould someoiful as you wah someone…someone like me.”
& be serious. but obviously, he was.
“potter,” drao said, arefully shiftier, look at me.” he ped a hand on his heek, marvelling at the feeling of potter’s beard against his palm. “please?” hesitantly, potter lift