Song of the Sea

chapter nine

Draco woke up several hours later, feeling slightly better, he assumed it had something to do with the fact that he was in the tub, but probably more due to the boy slumped sleeping next to him, his hand gripped fiercely in the brunettes. He stared, his heart beating irregularly, daring to hope for what this might mean. Had the boy accepted him? That was a question for later, for right this moment all he wanted to do was watch the rise and fall of the other boy's chest, feel their hands clasped together.

He flicked his fin trying to get comfortable and accidentally splashed the three other people sitting at the foot of the tub, startling them awake. Hermione smiled over at him, a strange knowing look in her eye's that made him uncomfortable. Blaise waggled his eyes at him, inclining his head towards his and Harry's clasped hands and Draco rolled his eyes at his friend. He made the same pointed look back at him when he noticed how close he was sitting to Longbottom. His cheeks flushed and he looked away from the smug look on Draco's face. It would seem that things were coming up for the boy's.

Draco looked over at Harry when he stirred, and was surprised to see bright green eyes staring back at him, filled with concern, and something soft. Draco's mouth fell open when he realized it was affection.

"how are you feeling, Draco?" the brunette asked, pulling his hand out of Dracos. he missed the warmth it had provided, but was pleased when Harrys hands whispered over his face down to his chest. it would seem the boy was looking for any injuries, but draco wouldn't have any. He had just needed to get hydrated. He would have to go to the lake though, soon.

"Feeling better, are we?", a low voice drawled, dripping with amusement. all heads whipped to the doorway and Hermione, Longbottom, and Harry all made to block Draco from Snape's view. He felt touched that the gryffs were already so keen on protecting his secret, and he shared a bemused smile with blaise, who had already known that snape knew about what had happened to draco.

"Move aside, I am here to see to Draco. he needs these potions before he can sneak off to the black lake, and I've brought Harry and blaise a bundle of gillyweed each, extra, if anyone else were to be invited on a swim. It is a great honor to swim with his kind.", Snape pushed his way through the children and conjured a chair to sit next to his godson. He looked over Harry with concerned eyes, but relaxed in relief when both boys beamed at him, their hands finding each other once more. They had finally accepted each other. He only hoped that the rest of their year would run smoothly, but knowing the both of them, he knew he would have to keep an eye out for trouble. He stayed to talk with the group, making sure that they knew what to expect, and how to see the signs that Draco needed the lake. Only when they all nodded their understanding did he finally take his leave.

"How long have you been here, 'mione?" Harry asked, his voice filled with caution. He still wasn't entirely sure where they stood with each other. she looked away from him, her mouth turned down in a frown, her eyebrows scrunched together in thought.

"Just a few hours. Theo told me something weird was going on in the dorms and that he could find any of you a lot, so I came looking, found you all in here. I asked a few questions-"

"interrogated us is more like it!" Blaise cut in, mock glaring at her. she scrunched her nose at him in irritation and continued.

"And, because I had barged in and seen the state Draco was in, they sat me down and explained what they could. they left everything else to Draco, in case there was anything he didn't want me to know. They made sure to threaten me if I ever got in between you too." she smiled at Harry and he looked down, blushing. She stood up and squatted in front of harry, grasping his chin and forcing him to look at her.

"Harry. I have already messed up as your friend when this school year started, by not seeing how Ronald was making you feel. how i was making you feel. I don't want to ever do that to you again. If this is what you want, if you think that he will make you happy, then I am prepared to fight tooth and nail to make sure it's accepted and that you two remain safe. I'm not going to let you down again, Harry." she said fiercely. Harry smiled at her with watery eyes and leaned forward to embrace her. when they pulled apart Hermione was surprised to see Draco holding up a bundle of gillyweed to her.

"I must go to the lake by tomorrow night and I would be honored if you would join Harry and I. '' He looked over at Longbottom and nodded at him, "you as well,Neville. I can see that you are fierce friends, and I would like to extend my hand in friendship to both of you. you are quite attached to Harry and i plan on being by his side however much as possible, so i believe we will be seeing a lot of each other." Neville walked over to Draco and shook his hand, all traces of nervousness gone, replaced with determination. He took the gillyweed from the blonde and walked back over to Blaise, smiling sweetly at him. He turned to Hermione who watched all of this with content. She smiled at draco and took the offered gillyweed as well, a bubble of excitement rising in her chest. She needed to research all this, in private of course.

"so…." Harry started, waggling his eyebrows at Hermione. "It's Theo is it? how often do you spend time with him?"

"Yeah, I thought you were sweet on Weasley," Blaise piped up. Hermione's face went crimson and she glared around the room.Neville shrunk back from her stare but the others held firm, only Harry expecting what was coming next, He was the only one who knew better.

"I'm going to say this once, and only once. Ronald and I were never a thing, and will never be a thing. He is a sexist pig, and thinks women owe him everything. He only ever kept me around to keep up his grades and try to get in my pants. It's insulting. Theo however, is a sweet boy who likes my company just because. he is smart enough by himself that I don't need to keep his grades up, he's witty, and he is a fantastic kisser. you really should talk to him, Draco. he is worried about you." She stood up and walked out of the room, headed to the library of course, leaving most of the boys with their mouths open. Harry and Draco sniggered at her retreating back and then all the boys began to laugh. leave it to hermione to make a big exit.