lyonessheart

Title: Silence is golden
Pairing: H/D preslash
Summary: Sometimes it doesn´t need many words to get across what you want.
Rating: PG
Author Notes: writen for the lovely

idikehaine who gave me the following prompt: I love to read H/D fics, where one of them gets a secret love letter (either on Valentine, birthday or just so) and wonders who could it be, and at the end he finds out (some kind of way) and they become a couple!! (The end thing refused to cooperate - but I hope you like it anyway.

Also fills the prompts from Assigment 1 and 3 for the Hd_writers games: On the Bench“, Common Room, Red vs. Green, Locker Room,

DIsclaimer: The boys are not mine and I only play with them for fun!

Coming back to Hogwarts felt strange. He was aware of the fact that he was no longer a prince amongst his peers, but merely a tolerated former death eater. He didn´t expect kindness and hoped to simply pass the year, sit his exams and then exile himself to France.

His father had not survived Askaban for long. One of his former comrades had taken his frustration out on him, and a direct hit to the head had killed the proud man. He wasn´t entirely sure what to feel, or if he felt anything at all. Mostly he was numb.

Mother lived withdrawn in Switzerland and wrote him long letters every week. He wasn´t going to worry her more by telling her that she was the only active human contact, that he initiated.

He wasn´t aware how suspicion turned to worry over the passing time. He kept to himself working diligently. He worked with his appointed partners, never saying more than needed.

And it only changed when one day Weasley was his usual obnoxious self during Potions. They were working on the potion, Weasley had decided that he would only stir and that Draco would to everything else, when Harry Potter decided to try and get some sense into his best mate.

Harry approached their workstation and jumped right in. "Ron, this is supposed to be team work!“

"So? I stir and he does everything else.“

Harry blustered. "Letting Draco do all the work, while you only stir is hardly fair!“

Weasley turned red with anger. "And I suppose working with you would be fairer to him?“

Harry sighed and turned back to Zabini. He was chopping his jabberknoll root angrily, his back to his friend. Draco observed them and envied his former friend only slightly.

Zabini smiled tentatively at Harry. "It is not as bad as I thought working with you, you have managed to not blow up the couldron yet.“ Draco couldn´t supress a grin. Potter was well known for his abysmal potion skills.

Harry grinned. "I just wish, Ron would pull his own weight. Putting him and Draco together is a recipe for disaster.“

This earned him a smirk. "Just because you have found a liking for former Slytherins, doesn´t mean he has.“ Draco shrugged internally – not many people had found a liking for him. Former Slytherin or not. He turned his attention back to the couldron only to see that the concotion boiled dangerously, whatever Weasley had done to the potion had made it unstable. Draco didn´t think he simply reacted. "Get down Weasley!“ Dracos panicked shout, and his attempt to get Weasely out of the range of the potion was followed by an explosion, and then everything went black.

It was late at night when he regained consciousness. His head was throbbing like mad and he was nauseous. It was sure that he would be on the bench if he were still playing Quidditch.

Madame Pomfrey bustled into the hospital wing. „Ah Mr Malfoy, I am glad to see you awake. I am sure you have a nasty headache, you took quite a hit when you protected Mr Weasley from the explosion.“ She handed him a phial with potion. „That will help with the headache. I am keeping you here until the wound has healed completly.“

She smiled at him. „Mr Malfoy, I am glad you are back here, and you did good with Mr Weasley. I think you should be right as rain soon. And you have already a get well card.“

He looked at the card. It was a sight to behold in reds and greens as if the writer wasn´t sure which colour to prefer, it should have looked awful but somehow it wasn´t a versus but more a perfect blend. Against his better knowledge he opend it. He expected a a prank, but was surprised by the kind words.

Dear Draco,

Thank you for finding your inner Gryffindor and protecting Ron today. I know it has taken a lot of strenght to come back and I admire you for it. I hope you will get better soon. I miss your quiet presence in our Common Room. If you would look up once in a while you would see that we all have moved on. I would like to get to know the new Draco Malfoy better. I find he is a good looking bloke that I would love to count at least among my friends, if not even date him.

Yours

A secret admirer.

He found himself speechless. He had tried to stay out of everybodys business and somehow someone, had noticed him. He felt a bit choked and he was sure he knew the handwriting, but he wouldn´t confront the writer yet.

On the next morning Weasley stopped by and stood there akwardly until he made known that he was awake. Weasley stuttered a bit, before getting out.“Thanks Malfoy, for getting me out of the explosion range, that could have been bad.“

He didn´t really know what to respond to this. So he just sat there and looked at Weasley.

"So Malfoy, I heard that you play a mean game of Wizarding Chess. If you feel like it I would like to start over.“

Now he could´t hold on longer. "There is no way you came here on your own. You hate me.“

Weasley flushed. "Well Harry was pretty upset with me. After the war, I really don´t want to disappoint him again. And I don´t hate you, well not much. So what do you say? Want to see if we can play a game without tearing into each other?“

He looked up and nodded mutely.

Weasly smiled a tentative smile and left again. Draco was left to his own devices until Madam Pomfrey came back and decided that he was well enough to leave the hospital wing.

If he held his head a bit higher and his back was a bit straighter, well who was to say Malfoys didn´t retain their pride, it just had taken a bit longer for him to find.

He stepped into the class room and sat down at his usual workstation. Potter sat next to him, and greeted him with a nod and a tentative smile. "Good to see you healthy again, Draco.“

He didn´t say much to that, but he smiled to himself when his view fell onto the parchment before Potter. He really wasn´t good at that secret admirer thing, because his handwriting was pretty obvious, but Draco would keep playing the game a bit longer. He hadn´t had that much fun since – well to be honest – since ever.

In the evening Weasley approached him and he found himself playing a truly engaging game of chess with the guy. Weasley was great at strategy and Potter sat next to them all evening, watching quietly. Hours later they still were at it and decided to keep the game going during the next evening.

Later Hermione approached him over a homework issue and he found himself drawn into animated discussions with her and Blaise. He apologized quietly for calling her a mudblood before and she accepted, to his surprise. Before he knew it, it was as if he had always belonged with them, Potter always quietly in the background, a staunch support and silent request to be nice to him. It should have irked him to no end, instead he found it endearing.

One day – weeks after the former Gryffindors had decided to adopt him, Potter approached him with a broom in hand. "Would you like to go flying with me?“

He froze, memories of the last flight he had undertaken threatend to overwhelm him. A warm hand on his arm brought him back. "Draco, I am so sorry! I didn´t want to bring bad memories back up, but maybe if we fly together just for fun, it might help?“ These eyes so earnest and green imploring him to trust him. So instead of arguing, he simply left the castle and crossed the grounds, past the locker rooms. As he stood there under the open sky he realized that during the last few months, he somehow had made peace with himself.

When Potter reached him, he smiled and found the answering flush that adorned Harrys neck adorable. "So Harry, are we going flying?“

Harry smiled. "That is the first time you said my name.“

"Yes well it is kind of weird to call Hermione and Ron by their first names, and you still Potter. After all you have been calling me Draco quite persistently.“

Harry beamed at him and once they were flying, Draco felt free. If he had managed to make friends with the three people he has antagonized most during school time – well then there was hope for his future, and exile wouldn´t be needed maybe.

Draco decided to call upon his inner Gryffindor once again and leaned up to whisper into Harry's ear.

"By the way, I wouldn´t mind dating you either – my not so secret admirer.“

Harry whiped around and looked at him, like a deer caught in headlights.“What? How did you know it was me?“

It is too funny seeing the saviour so flustered, so he has to take pity on him. "Your handwriting gave you away. But you have been so quiet, that I wanted to know if you would ever work up the nerve to tell me. Its been two months, I lost my patience. So I just thought I´ll let you know.“

Harry landed the broom, and Draco found himself in an embrace so strong that he doubts he will be let go anytime soon.

"Can I kiss you?“ Harry asked and Draco couldn´t keep the little barb to himself.

"I don´t know if you can kiss me – but you certainly may.“

And that was the last thing that was said for a long time.

Because sometimes - silence is golden.