Disclaimer: Harry Potter and cast, settings, blahblahblah, belong to JKRowling. I only borrowed them to play.
Warning: Just a quick non-graphic kiss between men. Slight Spoilers, maybe?
Author Note: Occurred to me while doing homework and decided to write it. Enjoy.
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Bet
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"How is the new job going, Harry?" Hermione asked after the three friends had spent an hour or so reminiscing about their childhood. With Ron busy at the Ministry and Hermione having recently given birth to her and Ron's first child, the golden trio hadn't had the time to meet up in a while. However, Harry being appointed the newest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts was a big deal for them and they decided to meet at the Three Broomsticks.
"It's going well, thanks. Classes started up a few weeks ago and nobody has been hexed into the infirmary yet." Harry replied after a sip of his Firewhiskey. "It's a bit odd though, being back at Hogwarts."
"I still say that it's a bloody shame you had to retire from the Aurors so soon." Ron stated after a few gulps of his own Firewhiskey. Harry had been hit by a pretty nasty curse in the line of duty and the Ministry felt that the effects would impair his work. After hearing of his early retirement, McGonagall immediately offered him a position at Hogwarts, which Harry readily accepted. "They're definitely overreacting." He added before going for another sip.
"Ronald! I thought I told you not to bring that up." Hermione scolded before turning back to Harry and continuing as if her husband had never said anything. "That's great, Harry. I'm sure you'll be better than any of the teachers we've had."
"Well, except for Lupin, maybe." The redhead added before thinking, causing a shadow of grief to appear in green eyes. Receiving a glare from Hermione, Ron quickly tried to change the subject. "Right then, Harry, anyone interesting at the school this year?"
Hermione quickly latched on to the new topic. "You haven't dated anyone since you split with Ginny." The witch pointed out, happy to have something else to talk about.
"Really you two," Harry sighed. Although he too was glad for change of focus, he wished that Ron had thought of something else. He was quite tired of listening to people worry about his being single. "It's a shame things between me and Ginny didn't work out, but I'm over it. I'll go back to dating when I find someone I'm interested in." Harry said, perhaps a bit too irritably.
"Don't be like that, Harry." Hermione implored, trying to convey her sincerity by looking straight into Harry's eyes. "We're just worried about you. You and Ginny had been together for so long, everyone thought you'd marry eventually, but then suddenly split. That was almost a year ago and you haven't shown interest in anybody since." She smiled and tried to lighten the mood. "The Daily Prophet will have to start making up stories of secret lovers and tryst if you don't give them anything real to talk about soon."
Harry resisted the urge to snort. "I'm fine. Really, you don't have to worry about me." When Hermione continued to stare at him doubtfully, Harry ran his hands through his dark, messy hair that hadn't gotten any more manageable with age. "Look, will it make you feel better if I get up and snog the next person who walks through the door?"
It looked like the witch was about to scold him for saying something ridiculous, but Ron spoke up first.
"Of course it wouldn't Harry." The redhead replied with a mischievous grin that resembled that of the twins' before the war. "S'not like you'd do it anyway."
"Oh?" Harry asked, clearly rising to the challenge as his Gryffindor nature demanded he must. "Ten galleons says I will."
"Deal." Ron smiled as he reached across the table to shake his best mate's hand.
"Harry, don't." Hermione warned, using her best parental voice. "This is silly. We aren't school kids anymore. You two should know better than to make some childish bet!"
Ignoring her, Harry released Ron's hand and moved away from the table to stand beside the door. He didn't have to wait long before he heard approaching footsteps. With a wide grin, Harry took his place and watched for the door to open. Hermione was overreacting, how bad could it be? When his victim entered, he didn't bother to look to see who they were or even to check their gender. Harry just grasped their robes and drew them in for a long heated kiss.
He heard Hermione gasp loudly as Ron made a strange straggled sound from their place at the table, but assumed they were just shocked he'd actually followed through on the bet. Harry, eyes still closed, spent a few moments trying to draw a reaction from pleasantly soft, but regrettably immobile lips before giving up and stepping back. When he opened his eyes, Harry found himself staring into the stunned grey ones of Hogwarts' Potion's Professor, Draco Malfoy.
An awkward silence later, Malfoy's shocked expression turned blank and he finally managed to speak.
"Potter." He said, voice betraying nothing. A skill Harry was suddenly envious of as he squeaked his own response.
"Malfoy." Harry hated how scared he sounded. He and Malfoy had put their petty schoolboy rivalry behind them years ago, but that didn't mean they were friends. Hell, he was pretty sure Malfoy hated him although the other man had never outright said so.
"I'm going to pretend that never happened and we'll never speak of it again." Malfoy stated, his voice flat and emotionless. His grey eyes stared directly into Harry's green ones until The-Boy-Who-Lived found himself looking away.
"R-right. Sounds good."
"Excellent." The potions master swiftly turned and walked over to table across the room from Harry's as if nothing had happened.
Harry, however, was still recovering from the shock and numbly stumbled back to his equally stunned friends and sat down. Ron, who looked a bit green in the face, slid ten galleons and his still half-full Firewhiskey across the table to Harry.
"Think you'll need that more than me, mate."
"Yeah, thanks, Ron." Harry picked up the drink and downed half of what was left. He was thankful that even Hermione was still too shocked to lecture him or start on the 'I told you so'.
Awhile later, the three put the incident behind them and settled back into friendly conversation. There seemed to be a silent understanding that they were never to mention the bet again. However, Harry couldn't help but notice that Malfoy's eyes would occasionally drift over to his side of the Three Broomsticks. As he recalled an article that appeared in the Prophet a few months ago about Malfoy calling off his engagement to Astoria Greengrass, Harry wondered whether or not Malfoy hated him after all. Harry grinned into his tankard and somehow doubted that the kiss had been entirely forgotten and secretly looked forward to when he and Malfoy would speak of it again.
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Well that was fun.
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