Pairings: Draco/Harry, Harry/Ginny, Ginny/OFC…and there will be more, but it's a surprise for now.

Warnings: Nothing in particular except that there is explicit adult romantic activity between consenting adults – including slash, femme slash and polyamoury.

Category: Romance

A/N: This is a brand new work in progress. I told myself that I would never put a work in progress up on again…turns out that I lied to me. As a warning, I have been known to take years to finish stories when my muses desert me for a bit. Proceed with caution.

The story is canon compliant up until the end of the regular part of Deathly Hallows, but is not at all epilogue compliant. From there on out it's A/U.

Also, Harry and Ginny have very complicated love lives, as you will see...

oOoOo

"Potter! Potter! Potter!"

Harry soared around the stadium, grinning wildly with the snitch clasped in a firm, yet gentle grip. The match was finished but the snitch continued to struggle in a vain attempt to fly free. A few moments passed and then, when the animated ball failed to break from Harry's grasp, the golden wings' rapid fluttering slowed until they were almost still. The Seeker pumped his fist once more in triumph, basking in the roars from the crowd. England was advancing to the semi-finals for the first time in years.

Once the victory lap was complete, Harry descended and at last his boots touched the ground. At least for a few seconds they did. He'd no sooner swung off his broom than he was being swept up onto the shoulders of England's two burly Beaters. They carried him off to the changing rooms amid a swarming crowd of well wishers carrying banners and waving England flags. Everyone wanted to shake Harry's hand or to touch some part of him: his leg, his boots, or the hem of his robes if that was all they could reach.

Finally the trio passed through the door to the changing room and McCarthy and Allen set him back down. The three of them grinned at each other like little boys and McCarthy started jumping up and down. "We won! We won! Did ya see the look on that Peruvian Seeker's face when Potter came up with the snitch?" At this point he slapped Harry so hard on the back that he had to take a step forward to keep from toppling over. "He didn't even know where the snitch was!"

"It didn't hurt that you aimed a bludger right at his face as I made my move," Harry chuckled. "He was a little distracted by that."

"Give yourself some credit kid," Allan – an import from the States – always called Harry 'kid' even though he was only a couple years older himself, "you're a far better Seeker and everyone knows it."

"If you say so." Praise still made Harry feel a bit uncomfortable, even though he knew the words were true. He was better than the Peruvian Seeker and he'd just proved it out on the pitch.

McCarthy thumped him on the back again as the rest of the team and their coach filed in. Everyone was in high spirits and they playfully jostled each other and talked at the top of their voices about the match until their coach – a spunky little witch named Libby who always reminded Harry of Madam Hooch – shooed them all off to the showers.

"All right you lot, there will be plenty of time to relive the match later. Get changed so that we can get out of here and get to the drinking!"

Every member of the team laughed as they shrugged out of robes and grabbed towels out of their lockers. The joke was that Libby never imbibed anything stronger than butterbeer. Her father had been a drunkard.

The hot water cascading from the shower head was so soothing to Harry after the hard fought match that he lingered longer under it than he normally would have. The rest of the team was already out and dressing by the time he joined them, which of course made him the subject of their good-natured ribbing.

"Oi, are you sure you had time for your complete beauty regimen, Potter?"

"Yeh, we can wait if ya wanna go back and exfoliate one more time. Mebbe add some moisturizer?"

"Leave off, Jimmy," a female voice called from the other side of the room, "yer just jealous because no girl in her right mind would date a hulk like you."

Harry glanced over just in time to see Lauren, one of the Chasers, wink at him. They'd become very close friends in the weeks since joining the national team together. It would be a sad day indeed when she went back to the Harpies and he back to the Cannons. He grinned back.

"Tell that to yer mum," Jimmy McCarthy shot right back. The entire team groaned and chuckled at the same time.

Lauren dialed up her accent to comic effect. "My mum would tear you in half, she would. Ya'd be cryin' like a little babby before she was done wit'cha."

"Well that's not difficult," the other female chaser, Alana Winterton, put in with a laugh. "Making him cry, I mean." McCarthy pretended to scowl at her and she blew him a kiss. Those two had actually been seeing each other for a year and if Harry was any judge, they'd be together for the rest of their lives.

The joking and taunting went on while everyone waited for Harry. Libby came back to chivvy them along but when she found out they were just waiting for the Seeker, she tousled his wet hair fondly. "Your girlfriend's outside waiting for you, Potter."

"Which one?" Lauren teased.

Harry had to laugh. "Well, since you're already here, it'll be Ginny, won't it?"

"Oh, I don't know. You might have added to the harem while I wasn't looking," she fluttered her eyelashes at him and picked up her bag. "I'm going to go have a chin wag. You know, tell her all the things you say about her behind her back."

"And laugh at all the things she says about me, I'll wager," he gestured for her to go on. "The rest of you lot can clear out too. I'll just be another minute."

His teammates went, still chatting and laughing as they filed out of the room. Libby was the last in line and she turned back toward Harry. "I almost forgot, Potter…"

Harry looked up from tying his shoelaces just as she tossed a package to him. He caught it with ease. "Somebody left this for you with the security wizards outside. I had Miss Weasley scan it to make sure there weren't any hexes or curses on it. She says it's clean."

He glanced at the wrapped package and then back to his coach. "Err…cheers, Libby."

"You're welcome. Now get to it. We haven't got all night!"

As soon as she was out the door, Harry turned the package over in his hands. It was medium-sized and had some bulk to it, though it wasn't exceedingly heavy. A small, white card was attached with Spellotape. Harry pulled it off and read:

Harry,

I noticed that you've been having some problems with your grip. These should help.

-An Admirer

His grip? Harry frowned. Well, yes, he'd had a bit of trouble lately – not that it had inhibited his performance enough that someone would notice, or so he'd thought. He turned the card over to see if it held any other clues as to who'd sent it, but the back was blank. Very curious.

Setting the note aside for the time being, he slipped his fingers under the wrapping and stripped it carefully away. When he saw what was contained within, he could only stare in disbelief. It was a pair of gloves the likes of which he had never seen before. The backs were tough and glossy, probably fashioned out of dragon scales for their protective properties. The fingers and palms were delicate, lamb or doe skin perhaps, for greater dexterity.

Harry slipped a glove onto his left hand and gasped. It was amazing! There had to be magic at work because aside from the armor-like sturdiness covering the back of his hand down to the knuckles, he felt every sensation as though he wasn't wearing gloves at all. He flexed his hand a few times, still staring at it.

Who could have sent them? Gloves like these would have cost a fortune. Harry might have suspected his coach if he hadn't known that Libby spent every knut she had to support her family. His thoughts turned next to Draco but dismissed that notion almost immediately. Draco would have wanted to make a show of such an opulent gift. It couldn't have been him. Ginny likewise only got a passing thought. Harry knew she would never have been able to afford them. She also would have waited until they were home alone so that she could have seen the look on his face when he opened the package.

The Seeker sighed and pushed the gloves gently into his bag before standing to leave. He probably would never know who'd sent them. The truth was that it could have been anyone. Harry would just have to make certain that he put the gift to good use.

oOoOo

Lauren and Ginny were dancing on the bar amid the rowdy cat-calls of the quidditch team and most of the pub's other male patrons. The two girls were belting out their favourite Weird Sisters tune and Ginny was playing air guitar as Lauren managed her imaginary microphone.

"And we'll riiiiiiiiiide…the wild draaaaaaagon!"

The chorus reverberated from the walls as everybody joined in. Harry was laughing and trying not to spill his drink. Their Keeper, Berkley, kept bumping him as he swayed back and forth. Ginny looked down at Harry and winked before ending her air guitar – and the song – with a flourish. The whole crowd cheered and a dozen hands helped her down from the bar.

When she and Lauren were safely on the ground once more, the two women embraced and gave each other a friendly kiss. The kiss was turning more than just friendly when Harry leaned close and cleared his throat. Ginny had the grace to look a little embarrassed as they broke apart. She was usually more discreet than that but the firewhiskey had obviously gone to her head.

"So," Harry yelled over the din, "what do you ladies have planned for the rest of the night?"

"Lauren is going to crash at our place if that's all right with you."

"In your bedroom, I take it?"

Lauren grinned and snaked an arm around Ginny's waist. "You can join us if you like."

"No, he's probably going to go spend the night with that blonde knob that he's so fond of." Ginny rolled her eyes but she was smiling.

"I don't know. He wasn't even at the match today." Harry felt a stab of annoyance as he thought about that.

"Of course he was, Harry."

"What?"

"Oh honestly. You can spy a tiny golden ball moving faster than Pigwidgeon at full tilt but you can't spot a Malfoy when he's sat with all the other posh gits right where you'd expect him? What kind of Seeker are you anyway?"

Harry felt the heat rising to his cheeks and tried to tell himself it was the alcohol. So Draco had been at the match after all? He gulped the last of his drink and glanced around, wondering if he'd be missed if he slipped out now. Lauren spotted his look and leaned forward. "Go on then. We'll cover your retreat." She gave him a wink. "Just remember that we have a team meeting at noon tomorrow. If you're late, Libby will get cranky and nobody wants a cranky Libby. Got it?"

"I got it. Thanks, Lauren, I owe you one."

"Careful there. I just might collect on that some day!" She grinned and then made a shooing motion with her hand. Harry leaned in to kiss her cheek and then gave Ginny a quick peck on the lips. "See you tomorrow."

"Have a good time. Tell the poncy git that I say, 'Hello.'"

Harry snorted. "Just 'Hello?'"

"Well, 'Hello and I hope he gets kicked in the face by a Thestral.'"

"I'll be sure to tell him." Grinning, Harry set his empty glass on the bar, waved at his two friends and snuck quickly from the pub. The air outside was pleasantly cool after the heat of the packed room. Harry walked for a few minutes along the road, enjoying the breeze off the nearby river. Once he'd cooled down a bit, he apparated to Draco's townhouse and knocked at the door. A house elf answered.

"Oh, Harry Potter! Come in. I will let Master Draco know you are here."

Before Harry could reply, the elf disapparated, leaving the wizard to shut the door behind himself. At least Harry didn't have to wait long. He'd expected the elf to come back but instead his eyes fastened on Draco as he sauntered out into the hallway.

The blonde saw him standing there at the door and a lazy smirk settled on his full lips. "Didn't think I'd see you tonight, Potter." He paused a few feet away from Harry and leaned against the wall. His posture was all feline grace and collected arrogance but Harry could read what lurked underneath.

"I didn't see you at the match today."

"Really?" Draco took a sip from the brandy snifter he cradled in his right hand. "I must mean less to you than I thought if you didn't notice that I was sitting in the top box."

"I was a bit busy at the time. Ginny told me you were there. Well after the fact, of course."

"Oh yes? And how is our favourite blood traitor?"

"She sends you her regards and said to tell you that she hopes you get kicked in the face by a Thestral." Harry thought the two of them took far too much pleasure in insulting each other. Not that insulting Draco wasn't fun, because it was.

"Please tell her, when next you see her, to watch her back. Still lots of dark wizards out there that would like to get their hands on a pretty young auror like her."

Harry felt his eyebrow threatening to climb into his hairline. "I thought you weren't involved in that anymore."

"Oh, I'm not," Draco's tone was dismissive but he toyed unconsciously with his glass, "but I do hear things."

Harry took a step closer so that he could bury his fingers into the snowy white material of Draco's shirt. "You'd better only be hearing and not doing, Malfoy."

"Or what, Potter?" Draco's grey eyes held a challenge.

A growl rose in Harry's throat and he pulled the other man into a punishing kiss. He didn't let go until Draco brought a hand to his chest and pushed him back a half a step.

"You're…" Draco panted for breath, "you're going to kiss me into submission?"

"If I have to! I didn't keep you out of Azkaban just to delay your inevitable return!"

"Relax, Harry," Draco set his glass on the table by the door so that he could wrap his arms around Harry properly. Harry loosened his grip on the other man's shirt and looked into his eyes for a long minute.

"You were just winding me up, weren't you?"

The blonde's ever present smirk slid into a smile. "It's too easy." He leaned forward to press a lazy kiss on Harry's lips. "You really need to learn to not be so histrionic." Draco paused for only a second before correcting himself, "No, nevermind. You'd be so boring without the dramatics."

"I suppose you'd be boring too if you weren't such an ass?"

"Oh, undoubtedly." Draco leaned in and started kissing his way over Harry's neck.

"Not fair…" Harry mumbled.

"All's fair in love and war, Potter."

"Is this love…or war?"

"Yes."