Harry arrived back to his tower room and locked the door with a charm he remembered yesterday from Draco's training. What the hell had just happened? That certainly couldn't have been right. She was acting very strangely, but then again, she was a sixteen-year-old girl and he wasn't exactly versed in how a sixteen-year-old girls acted.

He had to talk to Hermione and wondered if she was still in the library. But just then the charms on the door dissolved and Draco swept in. Harry froze. Draco looked up and spotted Harry and they both stopped and stared at one another. Harry defrosted first, even though he felt vaguely guilty about recent events.

"We can't start acting this way in front of each other," he said. "I mean… from what I gathered, we know each other pretty well." He couldn't stop the blush that bloomed on his cheeks.

Draco's expression cut right to his heart. Talk about tragic loves. "It's just a bit…you know. Difficult, that's all."

"Is it because you want to…to kiss me?"

Draco stiffened. "Yes. Very much."

"Oh." Harry didn't know what he expected to hear when he asked it, but it did send a thrill through his chest. But then he thought about the girl. "Look, are you quite sure I'm not…bisexual?"

That took Draco aback and he blinked. "Uh…yes. What on earth makes you think so?"

"Because this girl came up and kissed me and acted as if we have a 'thing' going."

"WHAT?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to make of it. She said it's been going on since Saturday."

"Saturday? That's when all the trouble began." Draco's anger seemed to abate with this news. He paced and worried his bottom lip with his teeth. Then he whirled on Harry. "Who is it? This girl? A student?"

"Er…yes. She won't get into trouble, will she? Maybe I led her on or something."

"Harry, you only lost your memory, not your mind. You're still gay. And you are most definitely not bisexual."

He felt relieved at that…and then couldn't imagine why.

"Who is it, Harry?"

"It's that Serenity Hudson girl."

"Hudson?"

Draco pondered and Harry thought that it might turn out all right until he heard Draco murmur, "I'll kill her."

"No, wait, Draco. Something about all this is wrong. She must know I'm gay-"

"Too right! She came to the bloody wedding!"

"Then…then there has to be something behind it. And if this started the same day I began my problems then it might stand to reason that they are related."

Draco nodded, breathing harshly through his nose. "Yes. Yes, it may stand to reason. We've got to collect the Weasleys and discuss this." He headed toward the door but turned once toward Harry. "Stay here. And for God sake, stay out of trouble."

"I didn't do anything!"

At the door Draco grabbed the handle and then stopped. He stood immobile a long time. Too long. Harry was about to ask when Draco finally spun to face him. He wore a very haunted expression, one that cut right to Harry's heart. Draco took several halting steps toward him and stopped a meter away. "Harry. Can I…It feels like it's been so long. Would you mind terribly…if I kissed you? Just one."

Harry jerked upright. And he realized his shoulders weren't the only thing to do so. He felt a twitch in his trousers as Draco closed the gap between them. His breath suddenly seized. Yes, he wanted Draco to kiss him. He nodded. He was afraid his voice would crack if he spoke.

Draco was the same height and all at once they were standing toe to toe, eye to eye. He didn't raise his hands. He merely leaned in. Harry felt the heat from him, smelled his cologne and his sweat, and held his breath. His face neared and Harry swept his eyes closed, lifting his face slightly toward him. He felt Draco's breath on his lips and then…they touched. Draco's lips were feather-soft and the encounter was brief. But perhaps he heard Harry's soft whimper of disappointment, or perhaps he himself could not stand to let such an opportunity go, but he leaned in again and pressed more firmly, sliding, opening his mouth slightly to nibble gently with just the soft flesh of his lips.

Harry sighed down to his bones. Draco moved in closer until their chests touched. Harry lifted his hands and cupped Draco's face. Draco's tongue swept over his closed lips and Harry opened them, swallowing that sweet, moist flesh. His own tongue swirled around Draco's and he opened his mouth wider, groping wildly at the other's lips with a burst of passion that had come from deep within him. He clutched the other closer and he suddenly felt Draco's arms crush around him. This was magic! This was amazing! All thoughts of Serenity Hudson fled under the onslaught of Draco's lips and tongue. Oh yes! He could well see why they had such a "vigorous" relationship!

Their bodies were pressed tightly together and Harry's erection felt the hardness of Draco's rammed against his. It was a delicious feeling and he wanted it to go on, but knew they couldn't allow their passions to take control just now.

Draco broke away first. He stepped back with a surprised look on his face. Harry felt the loss of warmth immediately. His mouth was wet and he licked his lips, tasting Draco.

"We…we have things to do," said Draco in a hoarse voice.

"Yeah," said Harry. He kept Draco's gaze tightly in his own. How he wanted to sink into those gorgeous grey eyes.

"So. They'll be no more talk of this girl, now will there?"

Harry shook his head.

Draco nodded. He pulled at his robe to straighten it, wandered toward the door, but seemed to forget for a second why he was leaving. "Library," he reminded himself, and left with only one backwards glance, yet that one glance was so full of hunger that Harry staggered back a few paces before the back of his knees collided with the settee and he fell back into it.

Wow. Nope. Not bisexual.

* * *

Draco hurried, blushing furiously. Why had he done it? Why had he kissed Harry? Was it to prove something? Well, whether he had intended to or not he certainly had, not only to himself but it appeared also to Harry as well.

Harry wanted him. That inescapable conclusion filled him with elation he had never known before. Harry wanted him. Even if Harry didn't remember, couldn't, he still wanted Draco and that was all that mattered. Harry was all that mattered. He wanted to jump up and holler, but forced himself to behave and hurried his pace even faster toward the library.

He turned the corner and just before he could enter the library, he ran into Felecia Rosencrantz.

"I'm terribly sorry, Professor," she said, stepping back and brushing at her robes. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Not your fault, Rosencrantz. It was me who wasn't paying attention."

He was about to side-step her when she glanced both ways down the corridor and looked up anxiously at him. "Professor Malfoy, can I speak to you alone for a second?"

Draco felt a rush of panic. Wasn't Rosencrantz Hudson's best friend? Was she about to make a move on Draco too? He'd had enough with sexual impropriety suits to last him a lifetime, even if all charges had been dropped.

His collar felt unusually tight. "Uh…I don't know. I'm in rather a hurry-"

"Look, it won't take long. It's about Serenity."

That awakened him and he nodded, gesturing for her to duck into the nearest classroom. He shooed two Hufflepuffs in a clinch out of there, but didn't have the heart to take points. I am getting soft, he mused.

"What about Hudson, Miss Rosencrantz?"

"Well, sir. If I'm not mistaken, I think she's taken a love potion."

"A love potion?" Of course!

"Yes, sir. She seems to be fixated on…well…on Professor Potter, sir. But I don't see how."

Rosencrantz was good in Potions. He knew what she meant. If it had been a love potion and Serenity had succumbed to Harry as the object of her desires, that would mean Harry would have to have made the love potion, and that was ridiculous. "Yes. That is troubling."

"Serenity has been…" She hesitated. "Well…I think she's getting herself into trouble. We all know Professor Potter is involved…that is, he's married to you. That makes him safe, but he's so young and…so cute and all. We've all got a bit of a crush on him."

"I know exactly what you mean."

She laughed mirthlessly. "Yeah. Of course. But I think she may be taking it a bit too far, if you know what I mean."

"I will see to it that nothing happens. And Professor Potter is aware of the problem."

Draco tried to leave but she held his sleeve. "What is the matter with the Professor, sir? We're all a bit worried about him."

"I'm worried about him, too. But he'll be all right. Just be a good friend and keep an eye on Miss Hudson. Keep her out of trouble, and for God's sake keep her away from Professor Potter."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

He thanked her and excused himself to depart for the library. He found Hermione in the restricted section. "Hermione, thank God. I have a lot to tell you."

"I have a lot to tell you, too."

But Draco noticed many eyes on them and he hastily said, "Not here. Back to the DADA classroom?"

She nodded, grabbed a book, and followed.

Draco couldn't wait until they reached the tower and began telling her in rushed sentences, "There's a female student who's developed quite the passion for Harry and it has all the earmarks of a love potion."

"What? But Harry would never-"

"Exactly. But this seems to have started on Saturday."

"Saturday?" They reached the classroom but the Defense class was still in session. They gently closed the door and retreated back into the hall. Hermione lifted the book she carried and gestured with it. "This is a book about memory charms and curses from the restricted section and it's pretty thorough. There is a lot of Dark magic associated with these sorts of curses. I was getting close to understanding them and then this." Her finger was keeping a place saved and she opened the book to it and showed him. There was a page missing, torn from the book.

"Any idea what it was?"

"I know it was a memory curse. But I don't know what kind. But I did ask Madam Pince about it and she said that this page was torn out some thirty years ago. She made a notation at the time here, you see."

"Thirty years ago. So it wasn't likely Voldemort."

"No. That was after his time."

"But why then is the only memory Harry has of Quirrel? He said it was an evil feeling. I can't help feeling that Voldemort is involved."

Hermione shook her head vigorously. "It can't be. He's dead. You saw for yourself."

"But how many times has he died already, Hermione? And he hates Harry."

"It can't be him."

"I don't know." Draco worried his lower lip. Voldemort couldn't come back. He just couldn't. Draco couldn't stand the idea of living in fear again.

He stared at the ragged remains of the torn page and shook his head. "Anyway, it could have been anyone taking that," he said gesturing to Hermione's book. "And it might not even be the right spell. Is there any way to know? Does anyone else have another copy of this book?"

"Dumbledore does," she said. "But we'll have to wait till he gets back."

"Damn."

"I think the next step is to talk to Serenity Hudson," said Hermione. "She might know something."

"It's funny that it should happen all of a sudden on the same day, don't you think so? Hudson's crush and Harry's memory. Did Ron find out anything about visitors to the school?"

"I don't know. When he's done in the class we'll ask him."

They waited until students filed out of the classroom. They were full of smiles and chatter, and Draco heard a bit of what they were saying. They were thrilled that another hero from the war was teaching their class. Many nudged their friends and pointed out Hermione as they passed.

Draco ushered her into the room as the last students left and Ron was waving his wand over the board and erasing what he'd written. He smiled up at Draco and Hermione. He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek and Draco felt a sudden dreadful pang of jealousy.

"We've got news," said Hermione, and pulled him down into a seat. She relayed what she and Draco discussed and finally asked him what he'd discovered.

"Nothing. No one noticed anyone come to the school that day. It's bloody frustrating."

"But it all started on Saturday," said Hermione. "We've got to find out what was different about that day. We'll just have to keep at it."

"Where the hell is Dumbledore?" growled Ron. "Shouldn't he be here?"

"He couldn't have known that something would happen to Harry," she said, though there was a trace of accusation in the tone of her voice.

"I know. But at least he should check in to see that the school hasn't burnt down or something."

They all heard a movement at the top of the stairs and they saw Harry standing there. "Hi," he said. "Talking about me again?"

They tried to make excuses until Harry laughed. "Gits. I know you're talking about me. That's the reason you're here." He shook his head and descended the staircase. He raised his eyes to Draco and they seemed softer. "Hi," he said quietly.

Draco gulped. He was a sucker for those green eyes.

"I guess it's time we get to the Great Hall and get a spot of dinner," said Ron. He took Hermione's hand. "Coming, Harry?"

"You two go along. I have something to talk to Draco about."

Draco's heart plummeted. It was that kiss. It was too much too soon. He knew it had been a mistake the moment he asked for it. Why had he been such an idiot?

He stood frozen, unable to move even after the Weasleys left. Harry was already heading back up the stairs when he stopped and looked back. "Draco? Coming?"

With a heavy heart, Draco dragged his feet up the stairs, dread filling him as he neared the study. He trudged through and dutifully followed Harry for what he knew was "the axe".

He stepped through the portrait hole and stopped at the doorway. A table laden with linen and candles sat in the centre of the room with a place set for two. Absurdly, Draco thought of the night Harry had proposed to him. How long ago was that now? Four months?

Draco turned a shocked expression toward Harry who suddenly looked a bit shy. "I just thought that we should…you know…get to know each other better. It's…um…a date. If that's okay."


On to Chapter Six
"First Date"

Back to Chapter Four
"Process"

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