Thank you to Aabity on AO3 for this gorgeous cover art!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
He steps into the hallway and Ron follows him, shutting the door behind them.
"First," Ron says, blocking Harry's path down the hall, "you are going to tell me exactly what's going on between you and Malfoy."
"There's nothing going on," Harry says uncomfortably. It feels true enough; maybe the potential for something had existed, however briefly, but whatever might have been there had been rather decisively and painfully cut off before Harry could even fully understand what it was.
"There is totally, obviously, something going on. I know you've always been weird about Malfoy, but it's something different now. I saw the way he looked at you; the way you looked at him."
"Fine. We kissed. It's nothing, it didn't lead to anything else."
"You kissed Draco Malfoy?"
Harry has already pushed past him and started walking down the hallway, but Ron is quickly back at his side.
"Was it good, at least? He must be good, if you're still all starry-eyed over it."
It was good, Harry thinks, lost for a moment in the recollection of it, and he knows Ron has caught the day-dream look that answers his question. It was amazing, until suddenly it wasn't; Harry forces himself to set the memory aside as he rounds on Ron. "You can't tell anyone."
"No worries," says Ron, rolling his eyes. "Snog whoever you like. Just— be careful, that's all. Malfoy's always been the one to get you in trouble."
Harry sighs. "Believe me, I know."












