Close Enough

Ch 6 classes begin

The next morning Harry woke early not quite sure how he made it to his bed, the last he remembered he was sitting in a chair by the fire. Looking to the night stand Harry grabbed his watch and checked the time, 6:30. On the table where his watch had been sitting, there was an envelope addressed to him. Harry recognized the loopy handwriting immediately and tore the envelope open, hurriedly scanning the note grinning like a mad man before leaping off of his bed, landing softly on his feet like a large cat, to go shower and get ready for what would prove to be an interesting day. In Harry’s haste to get ready the note fluttered to the floor without him noticing.
Just before Harry had woke up Draco had been watching him sleep, the slow rise and fall of his chest, breath escaping through slightly parted lips. But when he began to move Draco pretended to be asleep so as to not unsettle the young Gryffindor quite so early in the morning. At Harry’s sudden excited movement Draco pretended to start waking up just in time to see the note flutter to the floor and Harry grab some clothes out of his closet and hurry out the door. Curious, Draco snatched the note off the floor:

Harry,
Of course your friends are welcome here. As much and as often as you like. I will have rooms set up for them to stay over an extended time if they wish to. As long as they do not distract you from your studies. I’m sure Severus will keep an eye on that for me. Have them come as soon as you like.
Yours,
Albus Dumbledore

Draco looked from the note to the now closed bathroom door across the hall, ‘his friends? Who?? Those kids from the train station?? And why is he so excited about it??” He scowled. ‘I want him to be that excited about seeing me.’ Jealousy began to warm Draco\'s insides. He tried to shake it off and get ready for his day.
As he began gathering clothing for the day and thinking about a shower, Draco couldn’t help but think about the fact that Harry, his Harry, was in the shower right now. Naked. Wet. Wet and naked. Touching himself all over. That few seconds of thought was enough to draw Draco’s attention to his groin. ‘Gods if only he knew what he does to me.’ Draco listened to the running water and sat back down on his bed. ‘I wonder if the head-coot knows what he is putting me through. My mate in the other room, naked, and nothing I can do about it!!’ Draco began to growl deep in his throat. ‘I don’t know how long I can hold off just going up and jumping him. Snogging the daylights right out of him. But no. I can’t, he doesn’t know that I’m his intended.’ He sighed trying to put the image out of his mind by finishing getting ready for the day.
Draco jumped a little when a voice chimed from the door, “Hey Draco. You are one lucky bloke, you know that?” Draco looked up to see Blaise leaning against the door jam looking into the room.
“Yes I do know that.” Draco replied smugly. “But to what, may I ask, do you refer?”
Blaise gestured to the now open door of the bathroom, “I take it you missed your dear Harry’s exit then?” When Draco looked confused Blaise smirked. “Let me just say he looks like a sinful treat waiting to be unwrapped. Thank whatever god Dumbledore got the idea from to not have us wear a uniform anymore.” And with that Blaise walked down the hall and left the dorm for breakfast.
When Draco arrived in the Great Hall it seemed that he had already missed seeing Harry. And when he received his class schedule he realized that he probably wouldn’t see him at all until lunch, and then in potions after. The morning was a blur, the first day of classes were always a little boring. All the professors always did a review session on their first day back, which if you ask anyone is quite boring and holds no ones attention, not even the professors.
Draco nearly ran to lunch, wanting to see whatever it was that his Harry seemed to be wearing to get even Blaise’s attention. Not that that was difficult or anything, he would pay attention to anyone who was even mildly attractive, and Harry had always been one to attract the attention of all those around him. He didn’t know if it was the fact that Blaise had paid attention even though he knew that Draco was Harry’s mate, or that he used the term “sinful treat”, Draco couldn’t be quite sure what made him quite so anxious. However he didn’t see Harry there at all, and he had paid close attention to the whole room from the time he walked in to the time he left to make it to potions on time. Draco walked slowly passed the potions masters private office, knowing that he didn’t like to be bothered before classes began, but stopped abruptly outside when through the partially open door he heard the voice of his intended.

“… I thought you would like to know before they got here… I know it has been a while since you have seen Cordalina…” came Harry’s voice softly.
“Yes, I appreciate your letting me know Harry. I’m so glad that the headmaster is letting your friends come and see you.” Severus said. “I know that you have gotten quite used to them being around, especially after the summer….”
“I am…” Harry interrupted. “I have only been back here for a day and I miss them. I’m not comfortable here, Sev. I don’t like how this place makes me feel. How everyone looks at me…” Harry’s voice sounded sad.
“It’s okay to feel that way, Harry. And I know that having the band here will help you feel better, that’s why when the headmaster asked me what I thought I told him why he was even entertaining the idea of saying no.” Severus chuckled. “just remember Harry that I am always here for you, no matter what. Even with them here, you can always come talk to me.” There was a pause. “oh and before I forget..” the clink of glass on the wood. “here is your potion for the next week, let me know if you feel any changes, I need to know if you are building a tolerance so I can make it stronger. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Thanks Sev. I’ll be fine. I’ve got the potion, and my necklace. And even if that fails, the twins taught me how to protect myself. So stop worrying okay??” A chair scrapes the floor. “Time for class Sev. We gotta go.”
At that cue Draco moved away from the door enough and pretended to just be walking past when the door opened. Severus came out first giving Draco a questioning, and yet knowing glance and said “come on boys wouldn’t want you to be late.” Before walking the rest of the way down the hall to the class room. With this Draco took in the sight that was before him. Framed in the doorway stood his intended, his mate looking absolutely good enough to eat. His ebony hair falling just so around his face and just past his shoulders; a form fitting but by no means tight black t-shirt; dark charcoal gray pants with many straps, pockets and buckles that fit his slim hips just a little low and flared out to a boot cut around the ankles; the toes of black Doc Martens could be seen poking out from under the cuffs of his pant legs; a black belt with three rows of silver studs on it; and on his writs were a pair of black and silver gauntlets that went halfway to his elbows, the one on the left bore a watch face and silver swirl details, the other had only the silver details but more where the watch face was on the other.
Harry looked up at Draco slightly confused by the appraising look on his face, “Um, Malfoy? We should get to class before we end up in detention.” This sufficiently snapped Draco out of his reverie; he looked into Harry’s eyes for a moment before Harry passed him on his own way down the hall. Draco followed not far behind, “sinful treat is right. I am a lucky man.’ Draco admired his mate’s graceful, confident stride as they approached the classroom. Draco suddenly realized that there was something very, very different about Harry now. The Harry that he had been rivals with for years, fought with, picked on, and ridiculed seemed to be gone. That fairly scrawny and geeky looking child that Harry had been when they began school, had now morphed into this sexy, confident, gorgeous man. Draco wasn’t sure when this change occurred really, or why he hadn’t noticed, but he did wonder if even without the whole intended Vampire thing if he would have been attracted to him. The answer to that was obvious the second the thought entered his mind, OF COURSE HE WOULD! Harry was sexy, and he didn’t seem to know it or care. And that simple fact made him all the more desirable. Add that to the fact that he was probably the sweetest, most caring, and most adorable person on the planet and you have a dead ringer for anyone to want him! Especially an extremely gay Malfoy who always looks for the best in life, Harry is the best any hot young gay man could ask for, thus Draco would have wanted him for his own. Now Draco didn’t care when the changes happened, why, or even how, all he knew was that he was lucky to be Harry’s intended and that he was going to let Harry know it as soon as he could figure out how.
They reached the classroom to find almost all of the seats were taken. There was a seat in the front left next to Blaise and Pansy, and one front and center with no one really near it. Harry moved to the lone seat in the middle and set down his things, before glancing up at Severus who gave a small nod. A smile crept across Harry’s face at this small gesture and then looked up to the board, sitting and opening his book to the correct page and waiting for class to begin. The potion that they were to make that day was a healing draft for the hospital wing, it was difficult and an almost grueling task to make. Everyone in the class, except Harry, groaned at the assignment. Harry set off to work at a quick, controlled, steady pace chopping, slicing, mixing. Draco stole glances across the small space of classroom between himself and Harry just to see how he was making out. Harry had gotten better at potions over the past year, but still wasn’t the best, and this potion was even difficult for Draco who was top in the class tied with Hermione. However as Draco glanced at him again, it almost seemed as though Harry was on autopilot, he never looked at the book or the board, but Draco could tell by the color of his potion that Harry had done everything correctly.
Toward the end of class Severus walked around checking everyone’s potions for accuracy. He went to Draco’s table first, commenting on how perfect theirs were. As he made his way around the room, it seemed that not many people were able to do it completely right. Most seemed to have accidentally put too much crushed lavender in theirs. Draco watched in rapt attention as Severus finally landed in front of Harry’s cauldron. He looked down at the contents and then back up at Harry. Severus knocked his knuckles on Harry’s desk one time and walked away without a word. Draco looked at Severus as he walked away from Harry’s desk, and then back at Harry who’s face bore a small, very faint smile.
“Would all of those I told made the potion correctly please fill a flask and bring it to me before you clean up.” Severus sat behind his desk and began looking through some papers on it as the students bustled around cleaning their areas and walking flasks of potion up to the professor’s desk. The last to bring their potion was Harry, he set down the flask with a small glass on wood click, rapt his knuckles once on the desk and walked away. Again Draco observed this from his desk as he gathered all of his things together. Looking up at Severus he saw the same small, faint smile gracing his face that had been on Harry’s moments before. It seemed that Harry and Severus had some type of understanding about their behavior in class. Draco looked back toward Harry’s desk just in time to see him make it to the door and exit the class room.
Draco left moments after Harry did, but the other boy was nowhere in sight. With a sigh, Draco began making his way back to his dorm to drop his books before dinner. When he arrived he almost ran into Harry who came out of the portrait hole just as Draco moved to go in.
“Wow, Potter. What’s the hurry? Dinner doesn’t start for another forty five minutes.” Draco asked.
“None of your business, Malfoy.” The statement was meant to be cutting, but it wasn’t. The excitement in Harry’s eyes and the small smile on his face didn’t let it be. Harry couldn’t even manage to put any venom into his name.
“Potter, I am head boy. Everything is my business.” ‘Especially when it has to do with you.’ He added to himself.
“Well this isn’t.” Harry looked down at his watch and his smile broadened. “Don’t want to be late, gotta go.” And with that Harry pushed past Draco and was off down the hall. Draco looked after him for the time it took him to blink and literally threw his things into the common room and set off after him.