#the second task

‘Percy seized Ron and was dragging him back to the bank’

Summary: Instead of Ron being in the Black lake for task two, Draco is

No one had yet to find about Draco and Harry's relationship. No one had yet to catch them snogging in deserted broom closets. No one had yet to catch their longing stares and sly smiles at each other throughout the day. No one had yet to catch their hands briefly touching when they pass each other in the halls. No one had yet to catch Harry in the Slytherin dorm or vice versa. No one had noticed how all of their fights looked staged. Or so they thought.

When Dumbledore found out that Harry had taken Parvati Patil to The Yule Ball he wasn't surprised. He also wasn't surprised to catch Harry and Draco sneaking off with each other in the middle of a dance. Though he was surprised to find that they came back to the Ball not looking like they had snogged but instead looking as if they had gone through hell. Harry's eyes were red and had tear streaks running down his dismembered face, which he quickly tried to wipe off. And as for Draco, he was in worse shape. His usual pale face was somehow even more pale while as Harry, also had red eyes that was pure evidence of crying.

Dumbledore, being a huge Drarry shipper, was worried about the pair. Since the day he had overheard their confessions to each other on the Astronomy Tower, he had been convinced that the couple were soulmates. Had they broken up?

He quickly got up from his seat at the table and carefully walked over to Harry, who was sitting at one of the many empty tables. Dumbledore pretended to spot him wiping off his tears.

"Oh, Harry, what's wrong?" Dumbledore asked the boy who was now hunched down in his chair.

Harry jumped at his name being said and tried to wipe his tears off even faster than before. "Oh, i-it's just al-allergies."

Dumbledore made a noise as if he was thinking and after a few seconds he answered. "So, I assume you're allergic to Draco Malfoy and him vice versa? You walked off with the boy perfectly fine but when you came back I guess you started to have...an allergic reaction. Am I right or do you want to tell me the real story?"

Harry's face flushed as he turned away from Dumbledore, embarrassed. Dumbledore just smiled and put a hand on his shoulder as a reassuring act to show Harry that he could trust him. He gave a weak smile back but it quickly disappeared as he glanced back at the blond haired boy who was sitting at another empty table. Draco had been staring at the boy with an extremely sad expression twisted on his face, but when he saw Harry's startling green eyes on his he quickly looked away. After a few seconds of Draco's face in his own palms, he stood up from his chair and run-walked out of large room.

Harry glanced back at Dumbledore, his eyes unmistakably miserable, and followed Draco out.

Dumbledore just stood where Harry had just been while his eyes were focused on the spot where Draco and Harry had just disappeared. After a couple of seconds of this, he felt a large hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Madam Maxime holding a hand out to him.

"Care to 'ance?" the half-giant asked. Dumbledore just nodded and took her hand, while they glided to the dance floor.

                                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning of the second task was torture for Harry, who had been up all night trying to find out how to breath underwater for an hour. But the real reason he was miserable was because he missed Draco. He had completely disappeared with no explanation.

Ever since their fight at The Yule Ball, their arguments had gotten more serious and physical. But unlike a toxic relationship, they both knew that the other one loved them dearly. And their fights were nothing compared to that.

But Draco hadn't came back like he promised when he left Harry in the library. And after that he couldn't focus because his worry for him had over thrown any other thought he had. He remembered what his purpose of going to research was when he was abruptly awaken by Dobby. He was about have a panic attack when he realized that now Draco was gone AND he didn't know how to do the second task.

"Don't worry, Dobby has the answer!" The house elf said, showing him the gillyweed. Harry let out a small sigh of relief and took it from him, thanking him. "No worries, but Dobby has been assigned to lead you to the Black Lake."

And so he followed him. His own footsteps echoed throughout his mind as they finally reached the dark water with the school already there. Draco was not there.

Dumbledore came up behind him an placed his hand on his shoulder "Calm down, Harry. I'm sure this task will breeze through. But it looks like something else is on your mind, do you want to ask me something?"

Harry looked into the old man's eyes, ready to say something. But at the last second he closed his mouth and shook his head. Dumbledore was not pleased that the boy had yet again denied to tell him the truth.

"Okay, well get going. You need to get ready with the other champions." He said in the most calm tone he could muster. Harry let out a brief whisper and headed for the dock, gillyweed in hand.

And right before the cannons went off he stuffed it in his mouth and quickly swallowed it and dived into the water. The gillyweed had a horrible taste with a weird texture. And for a moment he thought it hadn't worked. Until he felt the gills forming, his feet turning into flippers, and his hand turning into rough spread apart skin.

He quickly set off so he could get this over with. He just wanted to know where Draco was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he heard the high pitched voices and songs he knew he had successfully swam to where the mermaids were. And when he trudged through what looked like seaweed, he was presented with hundreds of them. They were all gathered around four...people? As he swam forwards to get a closer look he saw him.

Draco.

He was suspended by his feet, while his body was almost floating in the water. He looked peaceful. Draco surely couldn't be Harry's insensitive. Could he? At that moment he spotted Hermione hanging next to him. What was going on?

He quickly paddle my way through the water to Draco and Hermione. But when he got to them he didn't know quite what to do. Does he release Draco or Hermione? While caught up in his pondering, he felt a poke in his ribcage and grimaced slightly. He looked over at the mermaid that had just stabbed him in the stomach with his trident with a glare at the half fish pointed to Draco. Harry tried to say something but was quickly reminded that he was under when the only thing that came out of his mouth was bubbles.

There was nothing he could do but try and get Draco out of the Black Lake. Harry also knew that he was the first to arrive considering that all four champion's person was still here.

When were they going to get here? he thought. What if they don't make it in time? What if-

Another poke in the ribs. Harry mouthed the word "fine" as he started to hack off the seaweed that was keeping Draco leveled. When it finally broke, he grabbed his arm and yanked him towards Hermione with him. But when he started to free Hermione, he felt the same sharp pain course through his body.

"What now" he again tried to say but clearly wasn't heard as the mermaid hissed

"Only one!" What was he going to do? He couldn't just leave Hermione here with the...,He glanced at the mermaid's trident again, ..dangerous fish.

At that thought, Victor Krum out of no where, swooped down with his head being transformed into a shark and bit Hermione free. He quickly swam away without even looking at Harry who now was just floating with Draco at his side.

With Hermione out of the way, Harry could see clear as day Cho stuck in the same situation as Hermione once was.

Harry started to panic. Should he just swim to the surface and trust that someone would come and get them? Or should he stay and wait it out while potentially losing the challenge?

He chose the latter and kept a tight grip on Draco's arm whilst every five seconds, glancing to see if he was alright. And of course he was. After about five minutes of this, Cedric came to rescue Cho and Draco and Harry were left with what looked like a relative of Fleur.

Harry was about to have a full blown panic attack now. The time had surely ended a few minutes ago and Harry now had to carry to people up to the surface while the gillyweed wore off.

He decided to make it quick so he didn't die at the bottom of The Black Lake and hastily got the blond girl free and grabbed her arm so he had them both at his side.

He could now feel his fins and gills wearing off, as swam up towards the sunlight beaming into the water from above. When the trio reached the surface, Harry could feel water coming out of his nose. And it felt horrible.

He thought people would be cheering as The Boy Who Lived successfully completed the second task with two people, but the crowd was silent. He realized why when he looked over his shoulder at the pale faced boy whilst paddling back to shore. Draco and the girl had come out of the spell and were now following behind Harry, all coughing like crazy.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Once all champions and and 'the people they would wish the most' were safe and had blankets wrapped around their shoulders (courtesy of Madam Pomfrey), is when the murmurs had started.

"Why was Draco in the lake? Was he for Harry?"

"What's going on with Draco and Harry?"

"Do you think they're in a secret gay relationship?"

"Was Draco in the lake a mistake? Did they mean to put the Weasley?"

"Who's top and who's bottom?"

"A Death Eater should not be associated with Harry Potter"

"omg otp"

But the whispers stopped when Harry took Draco's fragile and shivering body in his arms and cupped his face in his hands while doing the unthinkable in front of the whole school.

Harry Potter kissed Draco Malfoy.