“Oh,I’mnotherebeauseI’mlonelyoranything,”Pottersaid,hastily.“NordoIthinkyouare.”
Somehow,Draodidn’tbelievehim.ButhesaidnothingwhilePotterontinued.
“Itjustsukssometimes,youknow,beingstukbetweenbeingaroundouplesallthetimeandpeoplelosingtheirshitoverme.There’snotverymuhinbetween.”
“So…”Draodeliberatelylefttherestofthesentenehangingintheair.Potterseemedtopikuponthat.
“So,you’vealwaystreatedme…well,I’dliketosaylikeanormalperson,butthat’snotexatlytrue,isit?ButyounevertreatedmelikesomethingIouldn’tliveuptoandyouneverwalkedoneggshellsaroundme,either.Ilikethat.”
Draostaredathim.WhilePotterhadtalked,twooffeeupshadfloatedinfromthekithenandpedthemselvesinfrontofhimandPotter.Draoquiklyputtwotablespoonsofsugarinhis,thinkinghardwhilehepikeditupandstartedstirring.
“AreyousayingyoulikedthatIwastreatingyoulikeshit?”Henarrowedhiseyes.“Isthatsomekindofweirdkink?”
Pottermadeasoundthatwassomethingbetweenhokingandughing.“Idon’thaveaweirdkink,”hesaid,andthenaddedunderhisbreath,“Atleast,that’snotoneofthem.”
Draofeltaprikleonthebakofhisnekwhihhetriedveryhardtoignore.Slowly,hetookadeepbreath,hopingPotterwouldn’tnotie.“Whatexatlyareyousaying,then?”
“IguessI’msaying…IfeellikeIdon’thavetopretendwithyou.Youknow,I…anjust…beme.”
Draoalmostdroppedhisup.Itseemedhehadjustlostontroloverhisbodilyfuntions.HiseyesstartedwateringashestaredatPotterwithoutblinking,beauseheouldn’tmoveasinglemusle.Henotiedhowthenowslightlyblurry,bkhairedfigureinfrontofhimstartedfidgetingagain.Draowouldhavesavouredit,ifhewasn’tfeelingsoutterlyruffled.
WhatPotterhadjustsaid…Itwasthebiggestomplimenthehadeverbeengiven.Sortof.No,atually,itwas.Still,Draowasn’tentirelysurehowPotterhadmeantit.Surely,Draowasreadingfartoomuhintoit.Thisinexpliable…infatuationwithPotterwasmakingitunneessarilyhardtodistinguishbetweenatualspokenwordsandwhatheseretlywantedtohear.
Hesuddenlyrealisedhewasprobablyexpetedtogivesomesortofansweroromment.Buthehadnoideawhattosay.
‘Great.Meanwhile,IfeellikeI’mgoingtohurlwheneveryou’reanywherenearmeandmyheartwantstojumpoutofmyhestandintoyours,butdon’tmindme.Youkeepbeingyourself.’
Hedesperatelytriedtokeepastraightfae,slowlyliftingtheuptohislips.Whateverhewasgoingtosaynow,hehadtodivertPotter,butalsohimselfifhewasbeingho,fromthethuormthatwasraginginsideofhim.
“Soyoudidn’tpydumb,iswhatyou’retellingme,”hedrawled.“You’rebeingyourtrue,imbeileself.”
Potterblinkedathimlikeabarnowl.“What?”
Draoforedhimselftosmirk.“Exatly.Butit’salright,we’lljustadd‘ompassionforthedense’tomygrowinglistofoutstandingtraits.”
Potterblinkedsomemore,beforeherolledhiseyesandhislipsstrethedintoalopsidedsmile.“Clearly,youhaven’tlostyourharmingmodesty,”hesnorted.