To Harry Potter Christmas break could not come fast enough; the endless lingering of Sirius Black's escape and lonesome Hogsmeade trips that left him to wander the school created a heavy curtain of dejection. To him the only class worth while was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin, but during break he was no where to be seen. The festive atmosphere of the Gryffindor common room quickly emptied as excited students, who stayed for break to leave the castle, left; making Harry feel gloomy. He couldn't even visit Hagrid as many of the teachers —including him— left with the students to celebrate Christmas that was to be in a few days time.

As Harry watched the last student, a Hufflepuff , leave through the front entrance door; he began to walk back to the Gryffindor common room as there was no other place to go. Once he entered through the portrait hole his heart jolted with the reminder that he in fact has a map to go anywhere he wants without getting caught: the Marauder's Map. Even Snape, who finds particular amusement in poking his aquiline nose into Harry's business in hope of catching him performing any action that would allow him the excuse for punishing Harry, is avoidable. He quickly climbed the stairs to the boy's dormitory and clicked open his trunk. The map was neatly hidden within his Quidditch Through the Ages.

Harry then unfolded the map and pointed his wand against it, stating quickly, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Suddenly before Harry, the lines marked as rooms within the castle cascaded onto the parchment and began to reveal its remaining inhabitants. Scanning the many rooms and floors, Harry could see that virtually all of the teachers had left except for Professor Binns, Professor Trelawney and Snape. It was the same with students as well: there only seemed to be a 6th year Ravenclaw, who Harry recognized by their name that they were a prefect, and Malfoy. With his cloak this would be the easiest occasion of all to slip through the castle and into the one-eyed witch's hump

He paid no attention to keeping his footsteps quiet since there was no one around to hear them. What seemed like ages, Harry finally reached the hallway with the witch at the other end. With no need to view the map as there was no one near the statue, Harry slipped it into the pocket of his robes and began to walk quickly with escape in mind. His heart now appeared to beat faster with the thought of hanging out with his friends, and eradicating the severe loneliness he had been feeling. As Harry neared the statue almost at a run he could feel a sudden tug on his cloak; he jerked his head around swiftly to see Malfoy stepping on the cloak as he was under the impression that there was no one else there. To Harry's dismay, he failed to grasp the cloak as it began to slide off his head as if in slow motion.

Not only had Malfoy's heal tugged the invisibility cloak, but he had managed to step on Harry's robes, causing him to suddenly lurch backwards. Malfoy had not even realized what had happened until he was on the floor after tripping over Harry's toppled body.

"What the?" Malfoy hissed as he cupped his elbow that he had clearly hit on the stone floor on the way down. He looked under himself slowly and jumped back like he had been electrified. "What the hell are you doing, Potter? There was no one here just a second ago!" Harry didn't answer. "Come for a surprise attack, have you?"

Harry sat up quickly seeming disgusted to be within 2 feet of him, and said through grit teeth, "like I would have to sneak up on you, you're slower than a flobberworm." Malfoy's frown twitched visibly as his eyes stared into Harry's with obvious hatred.

"Are you looking for a duel, Potter? Because I think you would look much better splattered across the corridor walls!" Harry then quickly pulled his wand from his robes at the same time as Malfoy, but no spells came from their mouths as both of them could hear footsteps coming their way. "Oh piss-" is what Harry heard from Malfoy before Harry clasped his hand over his mouth. Malfoy jerked from Harry in disgust but Harry held; he could see by the shadows that it was Dumbledore and Snape. Harry quickly let go of Malfoy's mouth and threw the cloak over the both of them.

"We can't have them know that we were about to fight!" Harry whispered. That wasn't the real reason, though; Harry would give anything for Snape to never find out about his cloak.

"And how is some sheet going to stop them from catching—" but before he could finish, Dumbledore and Snape had begun to stroll down the long corridor that echoed their quiet voices. Harry once again held his hand over Malfoy's mouth and the both of them stood close together and still like statues. He could feel Malfoy jerk as Dumbledore and Snape were right in front of them. They stopped immediately once Dumbledore and Snape ceased their walking right in front of the two.

"What is it?" asked Snape in a low tone. Dumbledore didn't answer, but turned toward Harry and Malfoy, and gave a small smile as though he was viewing the statue. Harry could see the twinkle from Dumbledore's glasses as he turned, and continued to walk. Both of them could just hear Dumbledore express that he had a large appetite for some Treacle tart.

Once they had turned the corner Malfoy pushed away from Harry and slipped out from under the cloak "What the hell is this? You—" his eyes widened, "you have an invisibility cloak!" He couldn't see Harry as he was still under the cloak, but looked at where they'd just been with eyes abruptly full of malice. Harry was glad because his face was struck with horror. The second worst person to know is MALFOY!

"Listen, you can't tell anyone!" Harry hissed.

Malfoy's face contorted into an evil smile, "why the bloody hell shouldn't I?!" Harry looked around anxiously; time seemed to tick faster and faster as if a bomb would burst and Malfoy would suddenly run screaming: "HARRY POTTER HAS AN INVISIBILITY CLOAK!"

"You better not!" Harry spat, "or I'll—"

"HA! What?! What are you gonna do to me, Potter?! Set a dung bomb on me?!"

Harry became fearful of not finding a persuasive reason. He looked all around to get an idea: Should I duel him? No, Dumbledore and Snape will come back! He then suddenly saw an owl fly by the nearest corridor window and stopped... mail...mail?... BLACKMAIL! BUT HOW?! And in a split second with no thought Harry did the first thing that he could think of, but thinking back he would have much rather come up with something else...

Harry took the front of the cloak, and with ease threw it over Malfoy once more because he had not known exactly where Harry was. Before Malfoy could move and inch, Harry propelled toward him and pressed his lips against Malfoy's. Harry had pushed so hard with the sudden adrenaline that he had made it so they struck the wall hard as he kissed Malfoy. Both of them immediately slid down quickly, for the corridor was wet from the tracked in snow earlier (obviously Filch was taking vacation from any sort of cleaning). Harry was now sitting on top of Malfoy, but he could not back up this time because he was pressed against the wall.

Harry pressed so hard, that in his mind behind all the warm fuzz that congested it he internally chuckled at the thought that this should shut him up for a long while. Breathing to Harry was something that he could not remember how to do; as he felt his empty lungs seize, he finally took a long gasp through the space between their lips. Harry could not tell if Malfoy was kissing him back of trying to push him off, so he finally parted from the wet lips that he had clung to for such a short, unbreakable time.

Why did I do THAT?! Harry thought as he fell onto his butt, panting. The cloak had been pulled underneath the two. Their scarlet faces mirrored each other. I just kissed...Draco Malfoy... Harry couldn't grasp the idea as they both panted and stared at each other with complete shock. Harry then noticed that Draco had tears in his eyes. Must of been a while before he got to breath...

"Now," Harry said quietly with his breathing just now slowing, "you go and tell, and I'll tell everyone that you cornered me!"

Draco stared at Harry with astonishment, panting while sitting against the wall. His cheeks reddened more even as his breathing slowed. He then quickly stood up and ran toward what Harry remembered as the Slytherin common room in the dungeons.