Harry looked at him. He looked different. The skin around his neck and face seemed a shade darker than usual. There was a tinge of red on his lips and slight colour in his cheeks. His blonde hair was a clean mess. Wavy even, towards the ends. His eyebrows were brushed and stroked. Harry turned to Ron.
"Bloody hell!" Ron mouthed " Malfoy is wearing makeup."
Harry's eyes stole back towards the blonde guy striding with an expressionless face holding his head high towards his desk. He seemed oblivious to the stares and whisperings around him. Or was he?
He chose the seat next to the high windows at the near end of the classroom. The sun's hue framed like a halo around his face. The contrast of the black robes against his paler self and that blonde hair made him look like he belonged to a museum. Harry couldn't move his eyes from him.
"Harry!" Ron shrugged him eyeing at the girl sitting beside him. He turned to see a bemused Hermione with an eyebrow arched at him.
Harry felt the warmth crept at his cheeks. He looked down, pretending to fidget with his quill.
"Well.. he looks different today." He said.
"Different? Merlin's beard! The guy is wearing makeup!"Ron said with a somewhat disgusted look.
"Well he looks better than half the girls here" Hermione said looking around the room.
Harry turned to look at girls in the back. Their heads were aligned as they whispered amongst themselves gawking towards the end of the room. And somewhere towards the back of the class, Pansy Parkinson had a smirk on her face as she eyed Draco.
"Mental! How can anybody enjoy looking at that!" Chimed Ron with disgust eyeing Draco, who sat still as ever looking outside the window.
Harry lost Hermione's comeback to Ron as he watched Draco's graceful hand setup his quill and parchment. He was just a few desks away. Harry felt the oncoming urge to go and talk to him. But it would have to wait. The headmistress had just arrived.
The class had been as usual. And in his attempts to catch a glimpse of Draco, Harry had earned two extra sets of homework. After the class, Harry had hurried as fast as he could to collect his stuff but by the time he was done, Draco was gone. He hurried outside to the corridor leaving Hermione and Ron. But the corridor was swarming with people going to their next classes and he couldn't spot the perfect blonde hair anywhere. Hermione and Ron caught up to him.
"Do you have to use the bathroom?" Ron asked.
Harry shook his head.
"Harry, are you okay?" asked Hermione with concern.
"Yeah I am fine" lied Harry as he put up a faint smile. They made their way to the next class.
Ancient Studies was boring. Ron almost dozed off at the squeaky barely audible voice of Professor Bathsheda. She had a petite figure and seemed older than McGonagall herself. Her hair was tied in a clean bun with a few strands of black amongst the white ones. She wore dark emerald Robes and had a spectacle by the tip of her nose. Unlike Ron, even while Harry was awake, he wasn't paying any attention to the lecture. His eyes were fixated on the beautiful blonde haired guy who sat at the back of the class.
Draco felt like he would explode any minute under Potter's one after another intense gazes. His face had been too much even after the shower to show up to classes. Pansy had bought some makeup for him after the war when he had been depressed and blurted out after a rough night of drinking that he was gay and had always loved the red shade lipstick his mother wore often. Of course there was a coming out party. This was Pansy Parkinson we were talking about. Draco had been overwhelmed by the acceptance of his close friends. Even Blaise, who had the emotional range of a tea spoon seemed happy and had brought him a gift. Draco was still saving that wine for a special occasion. Before coming to class he had asked Pansy to do his makeup which she had happily complied to and added in the hairstyling herself which Draco was very skeptical about. But after everything was done, he felt like the hair style fitted perfectly with the subtle makeup. He had watched Harry from the outside talking to Ron. He had walked in the class expecting the various stares and whispers and it had taken all his might to not look at Harry. Of all the stares, Harry's was the only one that crawled up to his skin. He had been catching glimpses of him from the corner of his eyes during Alchemy and Draco had felt extremely conscious expecting to mess up and get extra homework. But in the end Harry got his punishment for making him too flustered by getting two sets of homework. He had rushed after the class leaving behind Pansy and Blaise to not get caught up with Harry. From the corner where he hid, he did see Potter rushing and looking for him in the crowd. This class seemed no less different as he constantly found himself under Harry's gazes. He quickly stole one from the corner of his eyes as Professor Bathsheda asked a question and Hermione raised her hand, instantly turning a sleeping Ron and distracted Harry's attention back to the Professor. Draco knew he had to be fast after this class as well or Harry would find a way to talk to him. And Draco had to push him away less make a fool out of himself into falling for him. For Merlin's sake, Harry wasn't even into guys.
As soon as the classes got over, Draco stood up to leave. But Harry had already been prepared. He rushed out of the class and followed Draco who was striding away. The corridor was almost empty, for classes were just getting over. Harry ran and stopped Draco by appearing in front of him. Draco stopped as he felt his heart beating against his chest at the sight of Harry.
"Move. Potter." he said pressing his lips together.
Harry suddenly pulled him by his arm dragging him to the closest bathroom. Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"For Merlin's sake, Potter! What are you doing!" exclaimed Draco in anger as Harry closed the door behind them.
"I need to talk to you" Harry said.
"I have no whatsoever desire to talk to you" said Draco trying to open the door behind him.
"But I do." said Harry blocking his path.
"I demand to be let out now" hissed Draco, Harry's scent was being too overwhelming for him.
They were standing too close for Draco's comfort. His body was physically hurting trying to restrain himself from diving into his arms.
"Potter! Let me out" he shouted.
Harry didn't move and stood his ground.
Draco moved back.
A stubborn Gryffindor fool. He thought.
"What" He said as he crossed his arms.
Harry looked at him as he relaxed a bit.
"What is it that you want?" Draco hissed.
"Draco.. yesterday-"
"Yesterday? Pansy said you brought me back to the dorm. Look Potter if you want to embarrass me because you stumbled upon me while I was out of my sense, well go ahead. I do not give a Merlin's ass about it." fumed Draco with anger. He held his breath in, wondering if Harry would see through his lie. Harry's face quickly turned into that of disappointment and shock as he looked at Draco.
"Blacked out.." he said softly.
"Why? Was there something else?" asked Draco, his eyebrows frowning.
Harry looked down at his shoes.
Did he really not remember? He looked at Draco, trying to read his eyes but they seemed aloof.
"No" he muttered shaking his head "there was nothing else"
"Are you done or do you have more to blabber about?" asked Draco in an cold calm manner as he uncrossed his arms.
"You may leave" Harry said dejectedly as he moved aside.
Draco strode past him and unbolted the door. Before he left, he stopped.
"If anything, Thank you" he said.
Harry looked after his walking figure as felt his heart heaved down with a weight. He picked his bag up and left the bathroom. As he walked towards the dormitory, he wondered if it was just friends that he wanted to be with Draco Malfoy.