Author: jenniferlupin

Rating: PG-13

Challenge: #5. Harry or Draco go to Neville or Blaise, or both, for relationship advice.

Notes: My story was beta read by wha_hoppened on LJ.

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Draco strode into the Slytherin common room and glared around. His gaze eventually settled on Blaise Zabini, who gave him a rather snotty look.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Blaise sneered at him.

Malfoy's glare intensified. "I want you to shut up and follow me." He stomped up the stairs to the boys dormitory, leaving no one in doubt of his apparent irritation.

Blaise rolled his eyes and waited a few moments before getting up from his chair. He could feel a headache coming on. This would be the third time in two weeks that Blaise would have to clean up whatever mess Malfoy had made with his Muggle-loving boyfriend, Potter. It was getting tiresome.

Still, Malfoy was a useful friend and so Blaise trudged up the stairs. He walked slowly into the 7th year dorm room, poking his head in first to make sure he wasn't about to be hit by any solid objects. He walked all the way in after he discovered nothing flying through the air. Malfoy was simply laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Blaise went to his own bed and flopped onto it. "What is it this time, Malfoy?" he asked as he turned to lay on the side facing the other boy.

"We had a fight," Malfoy spit out.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Yes, I realize that, about what?"

The blond let out a harsh puff of air. "Stupidity. Harry's being stupid. And girly."

Blaise snorted. "I can't ever imagine why you two fight, Malfoy. What with your way with words and all."

Malfoy shot him an angry look. "Shut it, Zabini."

"Alright, fine. Just tell me what the hell happened so that I can tell you how to fix it."

This time, Malfoy simply sighed. "I really don't know. We were in the Room of Requirement." Blaise nodded. Ever since Malfoy had discovered that room, he spent nearly every night in there, fucking Potter's brains out.

"I was trying to, you know...get on with it."

Blaise rolled his eyes yet again. "Come, Malfoy, we have so many of these little talks. You were trying to get Potter to drop his pants and bend over like a good little boy."

"Fuck you, Zabini."

"Just tell the damn story, Malfoy before I hex you so bad you won't be able to fuck Potter ever again."

Malfoy continued to glare, but apparently, he really needed help and so he continued.

"Anyway, he kept babbling on about how I always go straight into sex, which isn't true at all. I snuck out last weekend to watch the bloody stars with him and if that's not romantic, I don't know what is."

Blaise ignored his urge to laugh at the thought of Malfoy cuddled up against Potter under a tree during a starry night and waved for the other boy to continue.

"He said that I wasn't being romantic enough for him. That I ought to try and seduce him sometimes. And then he sort of segued into something about how we never talk enough and he couldn't really tell what I felt. Which is stupid because I'm always hugging him and holding his hand."

Blaise winced slightly. Malfoy really didn't get it.

"Is that all?"

"No, I asked him what he wanted to talk about and he became irritated for no good reason." He put his hands over his face and rubbed his eyes. "It seemed like he wanted to say something, so finally I just told him to spit it out. He got really angry, said I had ruined everything and stormed out." He turned to look at Blaise. "I tried to follow him, I really did, just like you said before. But he told me to sod off and that just made me angry." He laid back down and resumed staring at the ceiling.

"You also said not to talk while I was angry and so I just left."

Blaise smiled slightly. "Well, frankly, I'm impressed you remembered that much of what I said."

Malfoy didn't even react this time. Blaise took pity on him and didn't tease him further before giving his opinion.

"Well, Malfoy, it seems that whatever he wanted to tell you was a really big deal in his eyes. Something he wanted to be perfect, since he said you ruined everything. Unfortunately, Potter is an even bigger dolt than you are and didn't go about it the right way."

Malfoy quickly raised himself into a sitting position. "Now you listen to me, you little..." he began, quick to defend his boyfriend, even while mad at him.

"Come off it, Malfoy, I'm trying to help," Blaise interrupted.

Malfoy quietened, but didn't lie back down. He simply narrowed his cold grey eyes and said, "Get on with it then."

"I think he wanted to tell you how he really felt about you, but was nervous about how you would respond."

"How he feels about me?" Malfoy asked.

"Yes." And then just to make sure that Malfoy completely got it. "He wanted to tell you he loved you and he wanted you to say it back. I'm sure he imagined some kind of scenario he said that and then you would get all weepy, say it back and then you two would cry together." Blaise shuddered.

Malfoy looked too shocked to retort. "He...he didn't think I would say it back?"

This surprised Blaise. He figured that first and foremost Malfoy would try to think of a way to get out of that particular conversation.

"What would you have said?" He asked, cautiously.

Malfoy looked at him, seeming to stare through him. He got a secretive sort of smile on his face.

"I have to talk to him." The blond jumped off the bed and practically ran from the room. Blaise laid back.

"Well, hell."

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Draco ran through the halls of Hogwarts, checking all the places that Harry was likely to be. He felt frustration begin to build up as he turned yet another corner onto a hallway that was conspicuously Potter-free. Then, an idea struck him.

He turned around in his tracks and ran towards the entrance to the castle. He had a feeling that he would find his irritating boyfriend somewhere in or around the Quidditch pitch.

Sure enough, Draco discovered the disgruntled Gryffindor lying on his back in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, apparently contemplating the night sky. His legs were crossed and his head was cradled in one of his hands. Draco smiled to himself.

He walked over to Harry and plopped down beside him. Harry didn't acknowledge Draco's presence, although he couldn't hide a slight stiffening of his body.

"I'm sorry."

Harry nodded. "Me too."

Draco laid down next to him and slipped his hand into the one laying on Harry's stomach. He turned his body towards the Gryffindor and laid his head on the other boy's chest.

A slight wind blew over the two of them.

"I love you," Draco whispered.

He felt Harry smile.

"I love you, too."

They didn't move for a very long time after that.