holy? drao had no fukihe only thing he knew was, his heart had his full; never had he been almost moved to tears by the simpliity of spoken words.
pers were still twisted in his hair, his thumb stroking his forehead. fearioo hoked up if he waited any longer, drao leaned forotter’s lips with his.
it was strange, how different kissi in that moment; as though all these different kii through him had suddenly found a way out of his body. they were almost tangible on his skin. and on his lips, he ould almost taste the sweetter’s words. it was . almost t.
he slowly pulled bak, drinking i expressioh in his eyes.
“kind of paradoxial, isn’t it,” drao said, knowing he was about to rui you ahi a believe me whehe same.”
“do you?” potter immediately asked. “feel the same?”
a was. the question of all questio drao had been trying to avoid for merlin knows how loion he fi ready for. kind of. not really. he was a queasy mess to be ho. but, he supposed, sihey were already being disgustingly seal and all…
“do you remember the third task of the triwizard tour in fourth year?” he asked, otter’s fae turned from anxious to onfused.
“um…yes?”
“alk into that maze, i had a strange feeling. i ouldn’t put my fi at the time, it was just…my gut tellihing, i guess,” drao murmured. “and theh diggory’s body.” he heard potter inhale sharply. “it made me think…you ould have died that day.” he paused, trying to gather up the e to say the words without sounding like he was being hased by a dementor. “that…was the first time i realised i had feelings for you.”
&h fell open and he looked like he was going to say something, whih drao hose to ignore.
“aarted dating g,” he soffed. “i wao snap your nek when i found out y her. it was—” he bit his lip. could he really do this? he was already feeling overwhelmed. he searhed potter’s fae for any indiation he should stop talking. his dark skin looked ashen and he was obviously shoked. if anythio keep going. “and whearted dating weasley—” he gulped. he had ell potter any of this. maybe it oi maybe, it was exatly otter o hear. “when you started datied you so muh. i ouldn’t orate on—on osed to do. but it also made me rekless, beause—beause i k what i wa didn’t matter anyway. the dark lord was about to kill me, so oint in hopi a humh and shook his head. “and theed him.” he looked pht i blinking. “you defeated him, giving everyone a seond hane for happi me.” he k being fair, but this was how he had felt bak theo avoid you as muh as possible, but you’re so bloody stubborrying to talk to me. i just ould.”
potter looked as though drao had just punhed him. he opened his mouth, but before he ould speak, drao raised his hand.
“i swear to merlin, potter, if you i me ook ah. “i don’t think i an say what i—” he quikly looked sideways, every musle in his body tense. for oer seemed to be doiold, stayi. drumming his fingers against his thigh, drao braed himself for the most diffiult part yet. “i didn’t think it ossible, that you ould like me like that. ever. astoria and i, we’ve been friends for years. ahough we aren’t iially, we deided gettihe best option we had. her family ressurio find a husbale dowhough my mother did no suh thing, it was very muh implied she was waiting for ahing was going as it osed to…until you stumbled into my life again.” he rubbed his fiips against his forehead as if that would help him think. “it was different than it had been ihing was suddenly…intensified. i old astoria how i felt about you, but, funnily enough, she already kold her i wao all off the e. i guess it was more obvious than i thought.”
the following sileh meaning. did potter already knoas going with this? was he still trying to figure it out?
“um, an i say something?” potter asked quietly. without looking at him, drao nodded. “why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”
drao arhed an inredulous eyebrow. “for very obvious reasons, potter. like i said, i you would like me like that, so oint?” it hysially painful to say these words out loud. his pride was begging him to stop. but if his pride rie he had to pay to get potter to fi a dikhead he was bei shall be. “i finally realised how my hoie would affet all the lives of the people involved, how unfair it would be. i would rob astoria of the hao find true happih someoruly wah her. there was a time when i thought we might ome to love eah other, but…that would have never happened. beause—” he balled his hands into fists, trying to stop them from shaking. damn it! it felt like he was holdi in his hands, it t he wouldn’t rush it.
“beause?” potter ehoed.
drao losed his eyes, his heart hammering so violently ihought it was going to burst. “beause—beause i’m alrea