分卷阅读20（1 / 2）

“Hey.”Whenhegetscloser,thereisnomistakinghimforanyoneelse.“Waitaminute,willyou.”

Hegrabshimbytheelbowandyankshimbackward,themotiontohard,anditwrenchesDracoaroundtofacehim.“What?”

Dracospitsthewordathim.Andwhyshouldn’the?ItwasHarry’sbestfriendwhothrewhimout,afterall.“I’msorry.”

“Youshouldn’tbe.”Dracostaredatthesky,andHarryknewthattheshakywayhewasbreathingmeanthewastryingnottocry.“Hedoesn’thavetoforgiveme.Ididawfulthings.”

“Butyoudidgoodthings,too.”Harrydidn’tknowwhythiswassoimportanttohim.Maybehejustwantsthesetwopeopletobeasimportanttoeachotherastheyaretohim.“You’regood.”

“Notgoodenough.Andyoushouldn’t…”Adeepbreath,onethatwasmeanttoforcecalm.“Youshouldn’tbehere,youshouldgoinside.”Itdoesn’tlooklikehereallymeansthat.“They’llmissyou.”

“Idon’tcarewhattheythink.Idon’tcareabouthim.”Itwastrue,suddenly,andHarryknewit,thathecouldturnhisbackontherestofthemiftheydidn’twantDraco,hewouldbewillingtomakethattrade.Hewasalsostandingclosetohimnow,soclose,closeenoughtobedangerous,butHarrycannotmakehimselfstepaway.“Iwantthis.”Apause,wherehegotevencloser,hishandsonDraco’sshouldersandhisfingerstwistingintothefabricofthisshirtthatwastoothinforthecoldweather.“Iwantyou.”

Dracocloseshiseyeslikeitpainshim,andthenbowshisheadsohisforeheadispressedagainstHarry’s.“Wecan’t.”

“Wecan.”Harrysays.‘Wecandoanythingwewant,anddamntherestofthem.”

Theexclamationfeltsogood,soperfect,thatherealizesthatitmustbetrueandclosesthoselastfewinchesuntiltheyarekissing.It’sreallynoteventhat,justaghostofatouchagainsthisskin,butitcouldbe,itcouldbemore,untilDracoshovesthemapartandstartstoshakehishead.

“No,”Hestepsaway,andthemomentvanishesintoawkwardnessandunease,thetwoofthemstaringateachotheruncertainly.“Wecan’t.”

Heshakeshisheadonelasttime,thenaparatesleavingHarrytoturnbacktothepartyalone.

Chapter16

Draco

Thesilencebetweenthemisstifling.

NotthatDracothoughtthatheandHermionewouldbeabletomeetattheirusualtimeandpretendthatthingsarenormal,afterwhatRonhadsaidtohimandDracolefthercryinginthemiddleofherownapartment,buthedidn’treallyexpectittobotherhimallthatmuch.Apartofhimreallyhadfooledhimselfintothinkingthatthiswasjustasortofacademicarrangement,thatitwouldallevaporateoncetheyhadfiguredouthowtomakethepotionswork.Likethiswasasortofwe’retheonlytwopeoplewhocandoit,solet’scallatrucewhilewework,andthattheminutetheywerefinishedalltheschoolyardtauntinghehaddonewouldriseupbetweenthem.

Clearly,likesomanyotherthings,hewaswrong,becausenowhecouldn’tstandthewaythattheyweretalkingstrictlyonlyaboutthepotiongurglinginfrontofthem(thoughitwasalessliketalkingandmorelikemildlypanickedscreaming,becauseneitherofthemcouldfigureoutwhyitwasbrownandoverflowingtheontothetable)andpretendingnottolookateachotheroutofthecorneroftheireyes.Itseemedthatsomewherealongthelineofhardworkandlatenights,theyhadbecomefriends.

Andmaybethatwasinevitable,whenalltherandomscrapsofinformationtheytelleachotherabouttheirlivesandtheirhopesstarttopileup,orwhenhethrowsablanketoverherwhenshefallsasleeponthecouch,orwhenhefindsoutherfavoritefoodandmakessurethekitchenisalwaysstockedwithit.Andhe’sgladofit,really,butitdoesmakethingssupremelyawkward,becauseifhe’snotmistakenhehasnowbecomethebestfriendtheboyfrienddoesn’tlike.

Dracodecidestobethebraveone.“Listen.”Hetakesadeepbreath,andthenashakyone,andthenvanishesthepotionwithonejerkymotionofthehand.Hermionemakesasmallnoiseofprotestinthebackofherthroat,butDracowasalwaysmuchfastertorecognizealostcausethanHermione.Sometimes,therereallyisnothinglefttodobutstartover.“Aboutlastnight.”