"Hermione, come on!!!!! Shopping time!!!! You promised it!!!!" "Harry, it's only 8am. l wanted to sleep in for once. It's Saturday and I had an awful week. Why did I chose you as flatmate?" "Cause Molly didn't trust you and Ron alone. Scared he'll get you pregnant before you can say contraceptive" Harry said with a sly grin. "Harry!!!!! How dare you!!!!" Hermione screamed, blush evidently in her voice. "C'mon Mione, I know you love me." "Unfortunately."

"Ummmm, the shoe store is that way" "Yes, but breakfast is this way. Don't look at me like that Harry. I had to get up early because of you, at least let me get some food. Besides, we're going to be shopping the whole day, we need to eat now." "Okay, fine. Guess you're not in your best mood when you're hungry anyway." "Harry!!!"

Grinning madly, Harry swiftly sidestepped Hermione before she could slap him with her bag. "How about I'll pay for your breakfast?" "You better do that."

Impatiently, Harry drowned the rest of his coffee and started tapping with his feet. "I'm not done yet. Stop making me all nervous." "But Mione, I need those new shoes. What if they're already sold out when we get there?" "Harry, you reserved you a pair. You paid 50£ in advance so that they reserved you one. Without even knowing if they'll fit you." "I had to. Everyone wants those shoes and I don't want to get them in some ugly colour because I was too late.
Or worse and I get none at all." Hermione sighed, rolled her eyes and took another sip of her tea. All throughout school he only wore those horrible old clothes from Dudley but since they graduated two years ago he changed his wardrobe completely. Not that she complained, Harry looked so much more handsome now since he wore fitting, good looking clothes. She wasn't the only one who noticed either, some girls sitting at the table next to them were constantly looking at Harry and giggling. "Guess you got yourself another fan club Harry." "What? Oh, them?" "The waiter whose butt you were checking out is surely interested too." Blushing, Harry stammered "I uhhh, I didn't I wasn't... ummmm, was I that obvious?"
"Please, I'm surprised those girls didn't notice. Anyway he is winking at you. Bet you could get his number. But isn't it curious that every guy you show some interest in has some odd resemblance to Draco Malfoy?" "What? No!!! I.... No!!!" Harry stuttered, choking on a biscuit. "Harry, calm down. Here, take a sip. Better now? We can't have you dying here, can't we? Otherwise you'll never have the chance to marry Draco." Impossible as it seemed but Harry only blushed harder at those words. "Marrying? Him? Stop being ridiculous." "You're the one who's acting ridiculous. I know you fancy him since 5th year. Don't deny it Harry. I'm not stupid. But you are for not making a move. All through 8th year you could've asked him out but didn't. And now you just sit there looking like a lost puppy.
If he really means that much to you, why don't you just write him? Honestly, sometimes I have the feeling you like being miserable and lovesick." "How can you say that? Yeah, OK, I fancy him
since 5th year. But he hates me." "Harry, you're just dense. He doesn't hate you. He never did. Remember 8th year? Potions? He got late there by accident cause he knew I'd work with Ron. And he knew that by any chance Pansy would make sure you were the only partner left. He did that on purpose. He wanted to spent more time with you. Why do you think did he always help you writing your essays? Not because he wanted to make sure that you mess up your potions. He wanted to be with you. Honestly, you both were being so obvious with your crush, everyone else except you noticed it. I know for fact that Seamus and Dean made a bet about when you would get together." Now Harry looked downright confused and heartbroken. "Why do you know that? It can't be true." "I'm sorry Harry but it is. Pansy told me. We both had Ancient Runes and in our last year we started studying together. That's when she told me. We already made a plan to get you two together but then you somehow started dating Wood. I never asked before, but why did you date him? How did you end up with him?" So Harry told her the story. "I was doing my potions essay alone because Draco had this appointment with McGonagall. He told me should I meet him in the library afterwards. I was a bit late cause maybe I fell asleep while doing the essay. Anyway, on my way to the library I saw Draco snogging Blaise in an empty corridor. The next day I tried to ignore it but I needed to get out. So got the invisibility cloak and sneaked into Hogsmeade. I was just walking around when I literally bumped into Oliver. I wasn't paying attention where I was going and he couldn't see me of course. So I run into him and he felt someone crashing into him and then saw my feet lying on the ground. I might've felt down. I took off the cloak, apologized and he invited me into the three broomsticks. We drank some butterbeer and maybe some fire whisky and we laughed and he made me feel better and then we just kissed. It just happened. He's such an incredible kisser. He walked me back to the castle and asked me if I wanted to see him again, to have an actual date. I said yes and we snogged some more. That's the whole story."
Leaning back, Harry took another sip of tea and watched Hermione's reaction. He could see her brain working and processing the new information. He still remembered how devastated he felt when he saw Draco with Blaise. It broke his heart. Before, he knew he had a crush on Draco, but in that moment he realized he loved him. All through his relationship with Oliver -the only relationship he had in years- he never felt like he did with Draco. He tried, but it wasn't the same. That's why he broke up with him, feeling guilty for not loving him. When he broke up, Harry started crying and feeling like he's been a terrible boyfriend. He told Oliver the whole story. Even then he was wonderful to Harry, comforting him and confessing that his true love was Percy Weasley. Never brave enough to confess his feelings, he couldn't stand seeing Percy date other guys. Harry helped him in his heartbreak as much as Oliver helped with Harry's.
But unlike Harry, Oliver finally was brave enough to confess Percy his feelings. In two months they would marry and Harry was going to be Oliver's best man, Ron Percy's.

Mione, come!!! We can stop at the bookshop later. I need my new shoes." "Sure. We can't have you wait any longer, can we? Besides, my nerves can't stand you like this any longer." "Whoa, that was low even for you, Mione." "See what you and your shoes are doing with me."

"Hi, I reserved a pair of the new Adidas shoes. The name is Potter." "OK Sir, I'll get you them. You just have to wait, it's a bit hectic today." Hermione snorted. 'A bit hectic' put it very mild. The whole store was so full of people, she thought she'd get claustrophobic in there. Only because of some shoes. Merlin knows what was so special about them. They looked nice, sure, but they were exorbitantly overpriced. But she guessed that wasn't her problem if Harry or anyone else there wanted to pay so much.
"Here, your shoes", with those words, the stressed girl practically shoved the box in Harry's arms and now had to listen to shoppers complaints why Harry already got his shoes when they were there before him. Searching for a less crowded place, Harry and Hermione finally settled down in a corner of the shop before he opened the box and saw his shoes for the first time. "Ummmm, they're silver and green. I wanted them in gold and red. Although they do look nice" carefully, Harry took one shoe into his hands and took a closer look. It did look good the combination of silver and green, but he couldn't wear Slytherin shoes. Noticing that they were also a size too small he put the shoe back into the box and closed it.
"Come on, we've got to give them back and get mine." "Harry. Didn't you notice the name written on the box?" "No? I didn't? Which name?" Harry carefully examined the box and surely there was in big, bold letters Malfoy written over the front. "Since when does Malfoy have muggle clothes? And why does he have to buy them here? "
"I could ask you same Potter. Why do you buy them here and since when do you have any taste in fashion?"
Harry groaned. Of course Malfoy had to be here too. "Malfoy. Parkinson." "Potter. Granger. Without Weasley this time?" Shaking her head Hermione hugged Pansy. "Hey Pansy, Hello Draco. How are you?" "Hey, we're fine. Draco here just couldn't wait to get his new shoes. Acted like a little boy who can't wait for Christmas." Draco blushed. "I did not." Harry snickered. This was better than he thought. "Oh please. As if you were any better."
"Mione, he didn't need to know that." Now it was Draco's turn to snicker. Hermione and Pansy shared an exasperated look. "So Draco, now we've found your shoes you can give Harry his." "You got my shoes Malfoy? I hope you didn't ruin them." "Funny I wanted to say the same thing Potter. Now give me my shoes." "Give me mine first." "You give me mine first. You may be shocked but not everything is about you." "Oh piss off Malfoy." "Boys!!! Stop acting like dumb little kids. You're supposed to be grown up men for god's sake" Pansy chided them "if you don't stop I'll make you." "I help you Pansy. They're awful. I need a tea and something with chocolate when we're done here. Wanna come with us? " "I won't say no." Now Harry and Draco both looked shocked. "What??? You complain because you can't stand us together and now you force us to spend time together?" "Draco, Honey, we never said we can't stand you together. You just drive us crazy acting like absolute morons. Right Hermione?" "Right." "Mione, how can you???" "Stop whining Harry. You now it's true." With that, Hermione gave him a stern glare, took both shoes boxes out of the boys hands and gave them the right shoes back. "Now stop gaping at me like some idiots and try on your shoes." "We're not gaping and we're not some idiots. Well, I am not. He is." "I am not. You are." "Don't ridicule yourself Potter. I'm not. An. Idiot." "Yes. You. Are. Malfoy." Now they were standing nose to nose, shoes forgotten in their hands. "Oh good Lord. What did Pansy and I to deserve this? Draco, Harry. Get a grip. You're not some little boys anymore. You buy now those shoes and then we're going in some cute little café like civilised people." "Yes Hermione."

Draco was pissed. Why did Potter always got under his skin? It was exhausting how his heart beat faster as soon as he saw him. It didn't help that he looked better than ever with his fitting clothes. Seeing his muscles underneath his shirt made him want to rip it off.
Harry was irritated. What in hell just happened? And why did Malfoy act like he couldn't stand him when he supposedly liked him. If only Harry wasn't so lost as soon as he looked into those damn eyes. And his lips. Whenever Harry saw them he imagined all those things he wanted them to do. He was doomed.
Pansy and Hermione were exhausted. Why couldn't those dolts admit they were in love and stop acting. It was so fucking annoying.

"So Pansy, what are you doing when you're not shopping?" Hermione asked as they sat down in her favorite café. "I'm working as an event planner. I always loved managing stuff like that. You work at the ministry? Already planning your career as minister?" Hermione blushed. It was her dream to become minister for magic and change the world for a better. Pansy just laughed softly. She didn't question that Hermione would become minister. She was made for that role. "And you're training to become Auror, Harry? Maybe you'll see Draco more often then. He is in healer training." "Cause it's a dream come true for me to tend to Potter and hold his hand while I clean his scratches and take care of his bruises" Draco replied with as much sarcasm as he could muster because he did dream about that.

Just as Harry was about to answer he accidentally knocked his water glass over his shirt. "Fuck!!!!! My shirt!!! Fuck fuck fuck!!!!!"
Fuck was exactly what Draco thought. Harry was wearing a white -now transparent - shirt. He could not just see his rock hard abs but also his nipples. Dark, hard nipples. Nipples he wanted to play with and suck at. Fuck. He was growing hard. But he couldn't look away. This was like he was in one of his wanking fantasies. Besides that they were in public and the fact that Potter would never come near his cock.
Noticing Draco's stares Pansy smiled devilish. "Thank you for your reminder Harry. I almost forgot. I'm planning a pool party and you have to come. You can take Ron with you Hermione. Do you want to bring someone with you Harry?"
Before he could ruin that, Hermione quickly answered. "Well, since he's single he's going alone. Do you have someone? Or Draco?"
"No we're both single. So Harry's in good company."
Draco was as good as death. He knew Pansy just made the party up, she never mentioned it before. But why did she had to torment him like that? A pool party. With Potter. He was going to embarrass himself.
Harry froze in his attempts to dry his shirt without magic. Why did Pansy do that? He knew he had no chance but to go there. But how was he supposed to survive seeing Draco in only his swimming trunks. Half naked and wet. Only the thought alone made him hard. This was going to be awful.
Pansy and Hermione shared a look and nodded. If this party wasn't going to get them together nothing was.