Harry did not look up from his potions book when he heard familiar steps approaching him. He wanted to get this done before dinner. "Harry."

There was another confirmation that this was Ron. Not that Harry had needed one. He could discern the sound of Ron's steps any time... Now he could not remember what he had just read. What did that sentence say? Dang, what was this paragraph even about? Something about the use of an algae...

Something moved in his peripheral sight. "This paper-fly was waiting for someone to open the portrait." Ron commented. Harry decided it was useless and looked up from his stupid potions book. An elegantly folded white origami butterfly landed on his pointer finger. Harry felt his heart flutter. "Could you stop with those sap eyes?" Ron asked. "It's disgusting."

Harry rolled his eyes at Ron, carefully taking the butterfly in his hand and examining it. Draco really thought of a little something new every time. After they had a huge fight about loyalties and too little time together about five months ago, Draco and Harry had started sending small origami messages through the castle. They never wrote much, mostly just 'I miss you' or 'meet me there and then' or something funny that had happened that day, but every time a message arrived, Harry felt a wave of affection for his boyfriend. While Harry just did some clumsy airplane (which he had to explain to Draco first what it was) or a crane, Draco's origamis were delicate and beautiful.

Carefully, to remember how it was folded, Harry opened the message. 'I have big news.' Harry read the familiar handwriting. 'And a surprise. Love you.'

Confused, Harry turned the paper over but there was nothing more. He read the note again and frowned. He had a surprise? It was kind of random. Harry wondered if he had forgotten something. They did not even agree to meet somewhere. And the one year anniversary was still about two month away. The ten months anniversary was also not today and Harry did not think they were going to make a big deal out of it.

"Are you done?" Ron asked. That was when Harry noticed that his best friend had not sat down yet but instead was impatiently shifting from one foot to the other.

"Why are you not sitting down?" Harry asked.

"I'm hungry?" Ron said like Harry had just asked the most stupid question on earth. Harry felt a bit stupid because, yeah, Ron was always hungry but-

"What time is it?" Harry asked.

"Dinner time." Ron said.

"Shit, really?" Harry jumped up and looked down at his unfinished potions homework. He groaned. "When am I ever going to finish all of this?"

"Don't stress out, mate." Ron said. "I haven't done it either. Hermoine'll help us."

Harry nodded. That was true, but that did not mean he felt good about it. He was trying so hard to keep up with Draco, without too much of Hermione's help. Hey, just because they were together now did not mean they were not still rivals. But, Harry thought as he followed Ron to the portrait exit, maybe it was time to admit defeat to Draco regarding school accomplishments. Harry had plenty of other talents he could defeat Draco with.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked. They were arriving in the Entrance Hall where many students were flocking into the Great Hall.

"Where do you think?" Ron said.

"Library." Harry guessed.

Ron nodded. "Hope she remembers dinner. Today's Hamburger day."

Harry grinned. He loved this dinner almost as much as Ron did. On their way to their usual seats with the Gryffindor sixth years, Harry spotted a certain blonde. It was not hard. He was sitting at his usual seat with the Slytherin sixth years.

That was when Harry remembered their last secret rendezvous in the Astronomy tower five days ago. Draco's parents were getting divorced one of these days. Harry felt terrible for forgetting. He intentionally sat on the side where he was facing the Slytherins, and watched his boyfriend closely. In the Astronomy tower, Draco had told Harry that he had mixed feelings about this parent's divorce. Every child wanted to have a wholesome family, and Draco knew that in his own cold way, his father loved Narcissa. He would be the one suffering under the divorce. Draco's mum, on the other hand, would probably find peace and freedom. She was the one who wanted to get separated after all. She wanted to find out who she was outside of this purposive pureblood marriage.

Harry had watched Draco often enough by now to read him from across the room. As opposed to what Harry would have thought, there was a rather excited flair to Draco's movements. Not that anyone but Harry would have noticed, he was still a Malfoy who was taught to keep his emotions off display. But his mood was peculiar considering he had been so down about his parent's divorce.

"You're not subtle." Hermione murmured. Harry tore his gaze from his boyfriend and looked at her, then around the Gryffindor table. No one was looking back at him. Hermione had expressed her astonishment many times about the obliviousness of the whole school. According to her, Harry and Draco were the least secretive couple in the history of secret couples. And that was 95 percent Harry's fault. In Hermione's opinion. In Harry's opinion, it was Draco's fault for looking so gorgeous all the time.

"He wrote me a note about a surprise." Harry whispered so only Hermione could hear. "But he didn't say anything about a meeting. I'm a bit worried."

"I don't think you have to worry about him breaking up with you." Ron chimed in quietly.

"What? I didn't think- Wait." Harry pulled out the note and stared at it. 'I have big news. And a surprise. Love you.' "No, I don't think... Is it?" Harry felt unsettled.

"No, don't listen to him." Hermione whispered and boxed Ron's arm. "Idiot."

"Ow." Ron rubbed his arm. "Blimey. Why are you even so insecure? You're the sappiest couple in Hogwarts. It's disgusting."

"You're just jealous, Ronald." Hermione said. Ron snorted dismissively. "Don't sweat it, Harry. He's not an idiot. He knows what he's doing."

Harry nodded and smiled. "I know. He's so smart."

"Disgusting." Ron said. Hermione hit him again.

"Hey, did you hear about that fight between Cho and Cedric?" Lavender leaned into their general direction.

"I thought they were not right for each other from the beginning." Parvati said.

"Why?" Dean said. "I thought they were cute."

They spent rest of the dinner listening to the latest school gossip. Though none of them really participated because Hermione hated gossip since she was sometimes at the receiving end of it, and Ron was too engrossed in the Hamburgers. And Harry had no idea what was going on with other students.

It was around 8 o'clock when Neville decided to return to the common room and Ron, Hermione and Harry decided to follow him.

"Potter!" Was the first thing Harry heard when they exited the Great Hall. The Entrance Hall was full of students who did not want to return to their small common rooms or dorms just yet or who wanted to hang out with students from other houses.

But there was one person who always stuck out to Harry. Draco and his Slytherin crew came up to them and Neville tensed. He still thought they were bullies to the golden trio. That's what they wanted the school to believe. Hence, the petty school fights they kept up now and then. Harry had never admitted it, but he kind of liked those fights. There was something about the confidence and aloofness with which Draco carried himself and the way they riled each other up...

"Malfoy." Harry said. He had to make a great effort to not grin like an idiot. The twitch in the corner of Draco's mouth told him he was not very successful. Then again, they had done this a million times and no one had ever been suspicious. "You and your friends need help with your potions homework?"

It was a quip because the Slytherins used to be effortlessly good in potions due to Snape's favouritism. Now, though, Snape was teacher for Defence Against The Dark Arts and Professor Slughorn had taken Snape's place as the potions teacher. And he was favouriting Harry, because he was the Boy Who Lived. Why did all the potions teachers favour students? Was there something in the potions fumes?

"Remember this?" Draco ignored Harry's jab. Instead, he hit Harry's chest with a newspaper. Harry grabbed it quickly and pulled it away. Draco let go easily so Harry guessed it had been his intention. Opening the Daily Prophet, he recognized a huge picture of himself on the front page. The headline said 'The boy who lived fourth Champion at the Triwizard Tournament in Hogwarts'.

"This is from two years ago." Harry said. He remembered this day clearly. He had been in an awful mood because him and Ron were fighting and everyone was hating him because he was stealing the show from Cedric Diggory as a Champion. And then Draco had mocked this article where Rita Skeeter had made up an interview about his life and feelings. Looking back, this was probably the day this whole thing between him and Draco had begun. As more than just nemeses. "What are you-"

"Wanna be in the papers again?" Draco interrupted.

Harry looked at him with confusion written all over his features, probably. Draco knew the answer to that. "Not really-"

Before Harry knew what was happening, he felt Draco's familiar lips on his and his body heat and that comforting and simultaneously exciting scent... And for a few seconds, Harry forgot where he was and got lost in the feeling. Then, he remembered just where they were standing. In the Entrance Hall in front of half of the student body. And it had gone quiet.

Harry pulled back abruptly. "What are you doing?"

Draco grinned mischievously, but there was a nervous glint in his eyes that told Harry that he was terrified of having done something wrong. "What does it look like?"

"Draco." Harry whispered. "There are people." In the back of his head, Harry knew he was not helping the situation by standing so close to his boyfriend and having a whispered conversation.

"Ever so observant." Draco teased and pressed a light peck to Harry's nose.

"What are you doing?" Harry repeated because Draco's proximity and the general situation prevented him from thinking clearly. But it was kind of thrilling. Harry noticed his heart beating faster, not because he was uncomfortable, but because, well, everyone could see Draco had chosen Harry. And he was showing it. They were out. Why did he ever think this was a bad idea? "Draco!", Harry suddenly remembered. "What about your father?"

He focused back on Draco's amused face. He probably had watched Harry spacing out. Draco had told him many times how people could read Harry's every emotion from his face and he had probably watched the whole train of thoughts on Harry's face. This, coupled with the fondness in Draco's expression, made Harry blush.

Draco shrugged and pulled Harry closer again. "I'm officially a Black now."

"What?" Harry was confused.

"My mum is divorced." Draco explained, still quietly only for Harry to hear. "So I decided to take her maiden name too."

"Oh," Harry said. It did not entirely make sense to him, but the whole situation made his head feel like it was filled with cotton candy. Draco often made him feel this way. It was surprising that Draco did not think of him as completely daft. And the students watching made everything a thousand times worse. Noise had broken out in the Entrance Hall, Harry noticed. Students were shouting and speculating and questioning...

Harry took a quick look around. Almost every person was looking back at him and shouting questions. Harry broke away from Draco and took his hand. "Let's get out of here." Determinedly, he fought his way through the crowd until he reached the door. Opening the heavy door, cold air hit them. Harry threw a thankful smile at Hannah Abott, a Hufflepuff from his year, who shouted, "Leave them alone!", at some students who kept asking questions and went to follow them outside into the cold breeze.

Draco and Harry wandered along the castle, shivering. At least the cold air helped Harry clear his mind. Finally, turning the corner, Harry felt less watched. "So... Why didn't you tell me you wanted to come out?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged. "It was funnier this way." Harry gave him a look of disbelieve. Briefly, Harry thought he would get along well with the Weasley twins. "Was it okay? Are you okay?"

Now Harry was the one who shrugged. "It felt good. I'm sure there will be a few... uncool... effects or situations tomorrow or, you know, in the future. But right now, I feel good."

"Good." Draco smiled and squeezed Harry's hand. Harry grinned back.

"I still don't really get why you did this today." Harry said. "It was kind of sudden. A few days ago you were very sad about your parent's divorce."

"I realized something." Draco said. "Now that my mum's not a Malfoy anymore, I don't have to be. I mean, don't get me wrong, I liked being a Malfoy. It put me in a kind of privileged position, but it also came with a lot of pressure. Now, my dad can't pressure me with that Malfoy argument anymore. And it's not like I'm not intending to give him a Malfoy or Black heir, just... Not in the way he thought I would. I don't know. I guess it's just kind of a feeling? You know?"

"Not really." Harry said honestly. "But I guess I get where you're coming from?"

Draco laughed. "I guess it made more sense in my head. It's just, you know how much I struggled with giving up the ideals I grew up with. I guess not being a Malfoy anymore, at least not by name, it kinda takes the pressure of. And, I can't be disclaimed from the family."

"And the Blacks are okay with this?" Harry wondered.

"God no." Draco laughed. "They're all purebloods too, mostly. But I'm not really attached to that name. Therefore, it doesn't really hurt to be rejected from it. Also, my mum is okay with it and that's all that matters."

"Draco." Harry smiled and pulled him in for a hug. "I'm proud of you."

Draco laughed breathlessly. "Sap."

"I love you." Harry said.

"Love you too."

<3