Togetherness

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended


Special Huge Thanks to Keikokin for taking time out of her busy life to beta for me. You are the best! Thanks to Tarallynne Moon for her extra beta help too.


Chapter 3 The Days to Come

Their days took on a pattern. Harry would get up early, shower and cook breakfast. Draco would get up, eat and then shower. Both would get ready for classes that they now had together. They would come back to their room for lunch and talking, and then back to classes before dinner in the Great Hall each night.

During the free times they would find themselves in the library studying or Draco would be studying Harry while cooking. Harry had even found a couple of cookbooks. He would surprise Draco every Friday with a new recipe that he wanted to try. Some were received with high praise while others were not up on the list to “try again”. The talking between them came easier now and they found themselves sharing more with each other, thoughts, ideas, dislikes and likes. Neither realized how much closer they were getting. Until.

It had been about two months together, and they had managed not to kill or hex each other. Harry looked at the calendar and realized how long it had been, and his first joyful thought in a long time entered his mind. He would make a cake and surprise Draco with it tonight after dinner as a dessert. In fact, he would cook a dinner and convince him to eat in tonight instead of in the Great Hall. Harry began working on the meal. He had decided on something unusual for tonight and started looking through the books. He decided on a couple of things that way they could each have what they liked when they tried it and they could always have any leftovers tomorrow. Harry started by getting all the ingredients together. He had time since Draco was off in the library working on a potion’s assignment that he had already completed. Harry’s timing was working well tonight, and he had finished getting the food prepared and table set when Draco came in.

Draco noticed all the smells in the hallway when he was getting closer and wondered what Harry was up to this time. He entered, and his senses went into overdrive. He hadn’t smelled anything like this since a party at the Manor and he hadn’t been allowed to attend. “Harry what’s going on?”

Harry spun around and looked at Draco with a rare smile. Draco gasped at the transformation in Harry.
“Do you realize it has been two months to the day since we moved in here, and we haven’t cursed or hexed each other? I thought we deserved a special meal for ourselves as a reward, so I cooked. Tonight, sir, on our menu you will find an array to satisfy even your picky palette. We are having, to start, a warm cherry tomato salad followed by baked oysters with spinach. Then on to the Steak au Poivre and Saffron rice. For dessert you can have chocolate mousse or bananas foster or both”

Draco was stunned. He hadn’t heard of anything that elaborate in the school except for really special occasions and in the Manor at home for one of his parent’s gatherings. “Wow, Harry. Are you trying to impress me or seduce me?”


Chapter 4 The Dinner and the Start of Something Magical

Harry looked in shock at Draco, and the smile faded away. “I was only trying to” Harry stopped speaking and turned away from Draco to look at the table. Had he been trying to impress him? What did he mean by seduce him? Harry turned back around with a forlorn look in his eyes. “I was only trying for something special to mark a special occasion. It wasn’t for what you said. Enjoy your dinner.” Harry started off towards his bedroom.

Draco realized what this had meant to Harry and how bad he had fucked it up. “Harry, wait. Harry don’t leave, help me eat this wonderful meal. You went to an awful lot of work for us.” Draco walked over and stopped Harry with a hand on the shoulder. He ran his hand down Harry’s arm and gently clasped his hand and lightly squeezed. “C’mon Harry, you did this for us, not just me. I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, it’s just I wasn’t expecting anything like this. It’s like a big date between people and it was just a surprise.” He led Harry back to the table, pulled out Harry’s chair and seated him. He leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Thank you Harry. I can tell it’s going to be delicious, and you took so much time fixing it for us to enjoy.”

Harry shivered when he felt Draco’s breath on his ear. He wasn’t used to that kind of contact – hands and whispers. Harry had other sensations traveling his system, but tried to ignore them.

Draco decided to sit next to Harry tonight instead of away from him. He needed to show special consideration to Harry after all the hard work. He moved his dishes and chair next to Harry then sat down. “Ok, Harry let’s start this feast of ours. Serve me.”

Harry looked at him and saw some of the old arrogance back then smiled at him. Harry began serving the salad and was surprised when he heard Draco hum in appreciation. “Harry try it. It’s good. I haven’t had this before. It’s on the ‘do again’ list.” Harry took a bite from his plate. Even though he prepared it, he had to agree with Draco.

They finished and went on to the oysters. Each looked at them and then at each other. Harry looked at Draco. “How about we each take a ‘No thank you’ helping? It means we take just enough to try it and if we don’t like it we can always say ‘no thank you’ to more?” Draco nodded and they proceeded. Draco liked them and Harry didn’t care much for them.

Draco asked Harry if they could put them on the list for ‘really special occasions only’ and Harry agreed.

They finished eating through the steak and rice and were feeling full.

“Why don’t we take the dessert to the common room and can have it when we want?” Harry was feeling stuffed. Draco agreed and they got up, grabbed their desserts then headed off, not worrying about the dishes, the house elves would take care of them.

Harry curled up on one end of the couch, and Draco went to the other end, but turned with his back to the end of the couch, his legs stretched out in front of him.

“Potter, you are going to make someone a wonderful husband, you do know that right?”

Harry looked at him and shook his head. “Don’t think so Draco unless it’s within the next couple of months and I doubt that.” He looked at Draco and realized what he had just said. His eyes grew wide and he looked away fast.

“Harry, what the hell are you talking about ‘in the next couple of months’”? Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Draco moved closer to Harry on the couch.

“I think I’ve said too much as it is. I’m sorry Draco, it’s one of those thoughts that just pop up from time-to-time. It’s nothing really.”

Draco heard Harry trying to convince himself, but it wasn’t working on Draco. He moved in closer again and was forced to wrap his legs around the smaller wizard. “Harry look at me and talk to me now.” Draco touched Harry’s cheek with one hand and turned it toward him then grasped a hand with the other. “Harry, make this easy on both of us. Tell me. I can’t help if you don’t tell me. I can’t read your mind but it might be fun if I could. C’mon spill the beans”

Harry to lto look at Draco and he squeezed Draco’s hand “Draco, if I tell you, will you promise not to feel sorry for me or pity me? It’s something I knew would happen eventually and I don’t think it can be stopped. Even Dumbledore doesn’t know about it yet. Well, can you?”

Draco looked at the serious emerald eyes searching his. He had never really noticed the eyes before, but they were gorgeous. Tonight he would promise this man in front of him anything to see him smile again.
“Alright, I promise I won’t pity you or feel sorry for you. You’ve had enough friends do that in the past.” And he waited.

Harry took two huge breaths and began his story, telling of his mistreatment with relatives, then at Hogwarts, the teachers who favored him and the one who hated him, the students who weren’t sure of him and then his “friends”. “Haven’t you noticed they’ve never shown up here even though I have dinner with them every night in the Hall? They are trying to distance themselves since I don’t fit in anymore. I took care of the problem for our world. The ones closest to me ignore me now that they don’t need me. It also helps that they are shagging like bunnies in the spring. To really make matters worse, I miss them.”

Draco could hear the pain in Harry and wrapped his arms him and brought him in closer. “Harry,s iss is odd for me. Harry, don’t cry, they aren’t worth your tears.” Draco brushed the tears off Harry’s face and dragged his thumb back across Harry’s lips.

Harry hung his head again. “You don’t understand Draco. The doctor’s in St Mungo’s told me I didn’t have much longer to live since the final battle. It seems I was hit with something they don’t recognize and it’s fatal according to them.”

Draco sat stunned. He was holding a dying man? It wasn’t possible! This was Harry bloody Potter, the Defeater of the Dark. He had a long life ahead of him. “Harry they must have been wrong. I won’t let you go now. Too much is between us. You are the only true friend I’ve had in this school. Harry let me help you however I can?" Draco turned Harry’s face to look in the eyes and saw them crying and pulled it unto his chest, just below his chin. “Shh Harry, its ok, I’ve got you now and I’ll help”. He didn’t realize he had been rocking them gently on the couch. He tilted Harry’s head up and looked into the eyes again and was drawn into them. Without thought, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Harry’s.

A/N If anyone is interested, I got the idea for the different foods used as aphrodisiacs from: http://entertaining.about.com/cs/valentinesda1/a/aphrodisiacmeal.htm The menu looks good whether its an aphrodisiac or not! Hope you enjoy. Leave me comments - let me know!