Nights Like This
Title - Nights Like This
Rating - PG
Pairing - Harry/Draco
Summary - High up in the Astronomy Tower, under the cover of night, lies Hogwarts' best kept and most beautiful secret.
Disclaimer - I own nothing but the plot.
A/N - Thank you very much to Arsinia, for betaing.
Secrets are often portrayed as dark, dangerous things that people hide because they are ashamed - and this is often the case - but what many people fail to realise is that secrets can sometimes be the most beautiful, pure things in the world. Sometimes people keep secrets because they have something that is just too personal to let the rest of the world see; some things are too precious to share.
The sky was unusually clear for a winters’ night. There were almost no clouds covering the stars that were sprinkled like glitter across the inky black sky.
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were leaning against the wall of the Astronomy Tower, cuddling up to each other to keep warm and stop the icy December wind from getting to them.
Nothing but the whistle of the wind and their soft whispers could be heard; it seemed as though they were the only two people alive, and sometimes they wished that were true.
The two boys enjoyed all of the time they spent together, but it was nights like this that they most looked forward to; late nights when everyone else in Hogwarts was tucked in bed, allowing them to sneak out together. It was nights like this when they shared the most romantic moments, like the time they had confessed their true feelings and the first time they had made love.
They cherished spending time together without having to worry about people seeing them. They loved being able to talk about normal, tedious things like how their day had been and what they had eaten for lunch. They just liked being together.
Draco moved behind Harry and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy’s waist. He rested his chin on top of the Gryffindor’s head and breathed in his familiar cinnamon scent.
“I love you,” said Draco quietly as he exhaled.
Harry’s stomach flipped - like it did every time Draco said those words. He took one of the Slytherin’s pale, elegant hands and placed a soft kiss on his knuckles. “I love you too.”
In a few weeks it would be the boys’ first anniversary and if they were being completely honest, both were surprised that their relationship had lasted so long. The months following their unexpected first kiss during a Herbology detention had been difficult, to say the least. Both had found it hard to let go of the rivalry that they had become so accustomed to over their five years at Hogwarts. They had almost called it quits after one particularly nasty argument, but had soon realised that they could not end the inconvenient relationship that they had unintentionally started.
“Are we always going to be a secret?” asked Harry, almost inaudibly as he turned to face Draco.
Draco paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before answering, and ran his fingers through Harry's silky but unruly raven hair. “No, we don’t have to be.”
“Do you want us to be?” asked Harry.
“No,” replied Draco. “I want the entire world to see how far we’ve come. I’m proud of us.”
Harry chuckled. “Maybe not the whole world, but maybe our friends should know.”
Draco nodded. “Tomorrow then, we’ll do it tomorrow.”
A combination of excitement and fear ran through the boys as they realised that if all went according to plan, it would only be a few hours until they could finally be together without hiding. It would no longer be as though they were doing something wrong, which was just as well because they both knew in that moment that things had never been more right between them.
“But Harry,” began Draco, “promise me we’ll still have nights like this?”
Harry smiled softly. “Always.”