分卷阅读52（2 / 2）

“I’m not used to people like you loving me.” Draco doesn’t look at him. “The war left its mark on the bad guys, too.”

“I don’t think you’re a bad guy.”

“And that’s probably the biggest difference between us.”

Harry stares at him, not knowing how to fix the sudden rift that had appeared, but it seems that he doesn’t have to, because Draco turns to him, face pale and jaw set like he is preparing for a punch to the face, and he knows that the old Malfoy has showed up to the fight.

“You want the truth?” Draco isn’t waiting for an answer, but Harry nods anyways. “The truth is that I care about you a lot, and maybe this whole time we’re together I was waiting for someone to show me how it wasn’t happening, how this wasn’t real or you didn’t want me because it just seemed too good to be true. And I was so afraid of that that I started looking for warning signs that weren’t even there, and you made this comment—I forget what it was, really, because it was that insignificant—about how I should start looking for places, too, and I thought that you didn’t want me to come with you, which meant that you could not think about me the same way I think about you, because you, Harry, are it for me, too.”

Harry doesn’t have a response at first, because he remembers the comment (and how stupid, because he only meant that Harry wanted Draco’s opinion, not that he was trying to throw him out on the street) and it was before they even got the cottage, which meant that this must have been needling in Draco’s brain for weeks.

“You had to have known that wasn’t what I meant.” There were tears burning in Harry’s eyes and he blinked them away. “Didn’t you?”

“Well I almost bought a flat in London, so I’d say that I didn’t.”

“I just wanted you to be happy, so I was trying to say that—that you didn’t just have to follow me, or whatever, that it wasn’t my decision, it was our decision. That’s all.” He was frantic, desperate for Draco to understand this. “I was trying to let you know that we were on equal footing with this.”

(There’s another thought, one that he doesn’t want to focus on, about how maybe Draco didn’t want to live in the cottage after all, but come on. Harry had built him a potions lab, for Merlin’s sake.)

“And I knew that. Logically.” Draco lifted one shoulder apologetically. “But I also knew that you could change your mind any time.”

“I’m not changing my mind, Draco.” And even though it’s much too soon, possibly even unwanted, considering how badly Harry had apparently screwed things up, he adds, “I love you.”

It cancels out whatever response Draco had been forming. “You do?”

“Of course I do. Draco, you stupid, stupid man.” Distantly, he registers that Draco does not say it back, but Harry doesn’t think on it for long, just stumbles forward and sinks to his knees in front of him, clasps their hands together. “Of course I want you were supposed to come with me. That was never even a question.”

“In your mind.” Draco was smiling now, tears slipping over onto his cheeks, and Harry counted it as a win. “Plan letting me in on it next time, won’t you, Harry?”

Harry smiled. As long as they were talking of next times, he figured they would be okay.

Chapter 42

Harry

When it comes time for them to move in, he’s almost caught off guard.