The Slytherins dare Draco to ask Harry on a date. Only… Harry wasn't supposed to say yes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

It's a Dare, It's a Date

"…and when the first Cleansing Charm was used on a human being, the skin practically peeled off their body! Isn't that intriguing!" Hermione flounced alongside Harry and Ron on their way to lunch. Speaking of lunch, after hearing Hermione's lecture on the history of cleansing charms, Harry wasn't sure if he still had an appetite.

"That's fascinating, Hermione, really," Ron assured their bushy haired friend, whose face immediately brightened.

"I know! And several other victims of the original spell developed permanent boils on their skin, and when those burst, they sprayed acid that-"

"Are you trying to ruin my appetite? Is this some kind of intervention, where you're trying to get me to eat less? Are you attempting to put me on a diet?" said Ron as food dropped from his fork and onto his plate, where is slumped depressingly. Harry chuckled lightly at the vision of misery on the ginger's face. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise

"No! No no, not at all!" she brusquely stammered. "Your body is quite fine…just fine…" she trailed off, blushing madly as she ducked her face into her Charms book. Ron's face immediately flared as well, and his food now lay forgotten on his plate for another reason entirely.

Knowing about their feelings for each other, Harry suppressed a grin as both parties turned a funny shade of pink. He sighed quietly to himself, wondering if he would be able to give them the final push they desperately needed and wanted. If they were holding themselves back because they were worried about what Harry would think upon being the new third wheel in their relationship, Harry needed to find a way to ensure them that he would be alright. He had six years of their friendship, and it wasn't going to go away just because Ron and Hermione started dating. Honestly, at this point the entire population of Hogwarts was jumping at every chance to shove Hermione and Ron into each other's arms.

Gathering up his book bag, Harry quickly stood so as to hide his laughter from his love-struck friends. Hermione was busily trying to explain her words, accidentally switching 'fine' with 'fit', as Ron puffed his chest proudly. Harry pressed his lips together amusedly and moved towards the doors of the Great Hall, which had emptied considerably as class time approached, only to come face to face with Malfoy.

Speaking of change.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry ran a hand down his face tiredly. Immediately, Ron and Hermione were at attention by his side. The remaining Gryffindors stiffened and an electric static filled the air as it commonly did before the two class rivals got into a row. Chatter quieted and heads turned in a blatant show of ignoring subtelty, curiosity burning behind the questioning stares of the students left in the Great Hall. For Draco Malfoy never approached Harry Potter without reason. Apprehension and excitement tingled in every nerve of Harry's body as he noted the rouging of Malfoy's alabaster cheeks.

"Well, er, I was wondering if you would like to go the Hogesmeade with me this weekend," Draco winced as if forming the sentence physically hurt him. Harry's jaw dropped to the ground and his stomach flipped oddly, as if a thousand butterflies had developed the desire to be released from their tomb within him. They were evil butterflies, of course, as Harry would never feel anything other than disgust and hatred for the blond standing before him. So the evil butterflies wreaked havoc on their encasement- the poor, unsuspecting Harry- while beside him, Ron looked slightly green, and Hermione was glaring at Malfoy as if he had just called her Mudblood, not that he had just asked her best friend out on a date.

"…What?" Harry asked in pure bewilderment, staring at the blond Slytherin standing before him. The words were quiet but rang loudly throughout the now silent Great Hall. Draco's cheeks mottled red under the emerald gaze and the blond twisted his hands in front of him. Harry almost breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that the boy was just as uncomfortable, if not more so than he was.

"Please say no, it's a dare," Draco nearly begged, and Harry's eyes were drawn to a group of Slytherins behind Malfoy, who snickered rambunctiously in response.

At that point, an evil, purely wicked idea formed in Harry's mind. A sly smile crept upon his features and Malfoy's eyes widened in horror. This may be the only chance, he realized, to get back at the blond in the way he yearned to. It would be Malfoy's punishment for making Harry's life a living hell for the past six years. Why not return the favor and give Draco a miserable day that he would never forget?

A full blown, slightly maniacal grin swept across his face. "In that case, I agree. This weekend, it's a date!" Harry said uproariously, making Draco's face pale and Hermione and Ron stare at their best friend in bewilderment. Malfoy's Slytherin posse, which Harry could now see consisted of Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, and Daphne Greengrass, collapsed into giggles, and many had tears glistening in their eyes. Their laughter only increased upon seeing Draco's discomfort.

Gathering what dignity he had left, Draco sniffed. "Right then," he voice was strained and his shoulders were taut. Harry rewarded himself a pat on the back for his brilliance. "I'll see you Saturday," Malfoy turned stiffly and shoved past his friends, face flaring with color as he rushed from the scene. Harry watched him depart with a grin, barely containing his anticipation for the weekend and his 'date' with the Malfoy heir.

Despite the buzz of excitement surrounding each visit, Harry had never adored Hogsmeade. It had been enchanting in the beginning, a small magical village nestled away from the world providing a pleasant escape from the Hogwarts grounds. Yet the same shops aged alongside Harry, and though the town never lost its charm, Harry found himself losing his initial eagerness to visit.

Regardless of that, Harry kept his cheerfulness throughout the rest of the week as he awaited the trip. An incredible amount of people had approached Harry about his supposed date with Malfoy, inquiring about his mental health, Malfoy's attractiveness, sexual tension- which Harry was convinced was non-existent- and their alleged newfound love. An astounding number of students exclaimed "It's about time!" with their hands thrown in the air. Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of that. He received numerous pats on the back at his cunning, and one to many catcalls whenever Harry and Draco passed each other in the corridor. Malfoy never failed to glare at him with unadulterated hatred- if looks could kill, Harry should have been six feet under days ago.

Not everyone was elated with the recent development between the two enemies. As expected, his two best friends were far more curious than content, and he was given more than one warning about watching out for Malfoy, including Ron's wise words on the matter, "because you never know what the slimy git has up his slimy sleeve." Yet he didn't let Ron or Hermione's pressing questions ruin his fun. He knew they were partially concerned for his sanity when he had accepted Malfoy's gracious invitation, and were somehow doubting his motives. Harry shook his head to himself- he was going to annoy the Slytherin prat into the next century, and no one was going to take his joy from it.

Students pushed past him and the bustled through the narrow street. Their chattering voices bounced animately around the chilly October air as they enthusiastically pointed out Halloween themed goodies on display in the shop windows. Cobwebs and toads stuck to the glass while enchanted jack o' lanterns sang eerie tunes from their perch on the shelves. Scanning the crowd, Harry found no Malfoy in sight. Silently, he cursed the blond for making him wait. He absently wondered if the boy had decided to give in to his survival instincts and bail. But Harry had seen the spark in Malfoy's eye, and knew that he couldn't back down from a challenge with Harry, as his pride lay on the line.

He finally spotted bright blond hair winking at him through the throng of people. The corners of Harry's eyes crinkled with amusement as the blond stormed over to him, seeming to bring a dark cloud with him. An eyebrow raised in question as Harry took in the Malfoy heir's appearance. He was polished as usual, every article of clothing immaculately placed and each piece of hair carefully styled to pull off the messily perfect look.

"Ah, I see you put in an effort for me," Harry said in regard to his appearance as Malfoy approached him.

It was odd, but for a moment, it actually sounded like Malfoy growled.

Laughing at his antics, Harry put out his hand and beckoned for the blond to come closer. Slowly, Malfoy slid up to him, eyeing Harry with wearily. He nervously checked his surroundings, and Harry had to gape at how many people were already noticing the interaction between the two school rivals.

Ignoring the attention, the brunette turned back to the blond. "Where to, pumpkin?" Harry couldn't suppress the large grin of amusement that spread across his face. Malfoy swallowed thickly, eyes watching their classmates roam around them in the snow instead of looking at the raven haired boy beside him.

"We could go to the Three Broomsticks, but that's a bit crowded, or Madam Puddifoot's if you're into that kind of thing I guess…" Draco trailed off uncertainly when Harry snorted. "Or we could just, you know, walk." The boy scuffed his shoe on the ground, scraping it against the rocks.

"You're not very good at this, are you," the Gryffindor stated, peering at the blond in delight through his glasses.

Draco's eyes narrowed into slits. "You weren't supposed to say yes," he hissed, and Harry threw his hands up in defeat.

"Okay, okay. You lead the way…pumpkin."

Draco growled and stomped off down the road, Harry following close behind him, laughing merrily. This was going to be a fun day.

The unlikely duo ducked into shops, artfully dodging outright stares and Colin Creevy's eager camera lens. Harry was enjoying dragging the grumbling and complaining Malfoy around. He tried to take Malfoy's hand from time to time but the other boy kept snatching it away with a growl. Harry took an excruciating amount of time to point out small gifts and magical gadgets, 'oooing' and 'ahhing' over the most insignificant of things just to grate on the other boy's nerves. It was incredible how easily Malfoy became frustrated. He severely lacked patience. The muscles in his jaw would clench and he would grind his teeth together, eyes squinting around the corners and his frown deepening as his lips drooped downwards. Then, as Harry knew from many years with him, there would come the insults. Strangely enough, Harry frowned to himself in thought, Malfoy words lacked their usual sharpness today. Whatever insults he delivered were half-hearted and almost lame, as if Malfoy had given up and accepted defeat.

Avoiding Madam Puddifoot's was all nice and good, but walking outside began to take its toll. The air bit at his skin, and Harry shivered as a chill raced down his spine. Draco noticed immediately.

"Are you cold?"

Harry snorted. "Why, are you going to offer me your jacket?" he joked, but the words fell from his lips as he saw that Malfoy's jacket was already halfway off. "Er-" he mumbled as the blond draped it over Harry's shoulders, leaving himself vulnerable to the October sky in nothing but a dark blue long sleeved shirt.

"How chivalrous," Harry grumbled as Malfoy bunched the jacket around his shoulders tightly. He was certain that Draco was trying to suffocate him with the offending jacket, as he was definitely squeezing Harry much tighter than necessary.

"Don't worry 'ickle pop-kins, I'll keep you nice and warm," the blond smiled contemptuously, though his eyes ducked from meeting Harry's and hid under thick lashes.

"So you'll make a person eat slugs but make sure they are temperately sound?" Harry shook his head in awe at the blond.

"I'm a man of surprises," Malfoy shrugged.

"Evidently," Harry said, referring to the fact that the two of them were together in Hogsmeade on a date, it being just a dare making it no less strange.

The two continued walking until they reached the end of a stretch of shops. There was a small tea shop on the corner that Harry had never paid much attention to before. The two boys exchanged glances. It was small, relatively quiet, not crowded and lacked the gushy hearts and love songs that Madam Puddifoot's was infamous for.

"Do you want to-?" Malfoy jerked his head in the direction of the door, and Harry nodded, just as grateful to get out of the cold as the Slytherin was. And he didn't even have a coat! The blond surprised Harry yet again when he held the door open for Harry, and though Harry commented sweetly "Thanks pumpkin" as he squeezed through, he knew that the blond held the door more out of habit than anything else.

There were only six tables in the cozy shop, and only one other was occupied. Thankfully, it was warm inside, and they were served tea fast enough to help fight off the chill. Harry sheepishly wondered if he should give Malfoy back his coat or not. Would that be weird? Would Malfoy be offended? Or maybe he wouldn't care at all?

The silence was a heavy weight on their chests. Harry felt as though he was being smothered by the thick and burdensome tension in the air. Now that they were no longer walking, there seemed to be nothing to fill the silent void between them. Conversation did not come easily to the two, and Harry wondered what could possibly be a safe topic.

Naturally, he decided to break it in the only way he could think to.

"So, are you gay?"

Malfoy spluttered and choked on his drink. His eyes bulged comically and he gave several watery coughs whilst banging on his chest in hopes of some oxygen. Harry waited patiently for his episode to finish, sipping his tea to pass the time. Finally, once Malfoy gained some semblance of stability, he questioned,

"Why would you think that?"

His voice sounded as if sand was stuck to his throat. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Your friends had you ask me out on a date."

"Because they hate me!" Draco argued vehemently.

"I was only curious," Harry smiled slyly. "Do your friends usually force you into homosexual dates?"

"Of course not," Draco spat, glaring at Harry with renewed ferocity. Then, the charcoal eyes turned thin and glinted dangerously in the dim light. "What are you suggesting?"

Harry decided to have some fun with this. He pretended to yawn first, almost laughing out loud when Malfoy's hands gripped into fists, and finally drawled, "Hypothetically, let's say a group of friends dares a fellow friend to ask out someone, and that someone just happens to be that friend's secret crush? Theoretically, of course, it'd be great fun for the group of friends to see their friend finally act on their feelings, wouldn't it?" he ended with a leer that had Draco shifting in his seat. He watched the blond process his words, enjoying the way his brows furrowed in annoyance and eyes widened with slight surprise.

Malfoy was silent for another moment before he rushed out, "Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Gay." Draco squirmed at the word and he squinted at Harry, as if it would help him know the answer. Harry didn't know what it was, but it sounded as though Malfoy actually cared about his reply to the question. Perhaps it was the way he leaned forward anxiously, or the nervous jiggle of his thigh.

Harry smirked in amusement. "Why would you think that?" he said mockingly, and Malfoy moodily shoved his hair out of his eyes. Harry couldn't help but admire the way it stubbornly fell in soft tresses back to where it was. Was it possible for the platinum blond hair to reflect golden sunlight in a sunless room? His hair seemed to gleam with an unearthly glow. But enough of admiring Malfoy, the boy had made the mistake of opening his mouth and ruining all potential attractiveness.

"You agreed to go out with me," he pointed out, as if Harry needed reminding.

"Indeed I did."

Harry sipped his tea again, enjoying the flash of impatience in Malfoy's gunmetal eyes. It was obvious that his show was infuriating the blond, who was gritting his teeth together.

"So if anyone is the gay one here-" Malfoy began childishly, looking as though he was about to point his finger at Harry. Sighing, the Gryffindor cut him off.

"I think this is a silly thing to be debating when we are both on a date with each other, two people who happen to be, last I checked, very male," Harry raised an eyebrow, quelling Draco's soon-to-be tirade. He watched the other boy deflate, and Harry quickly brought up the safe topic of Quidditch to steer them away from more strange moments.

They talked well enough for quite some time, and the conversation flowed a bit more easily when it wasn't a volatile topic. However, just as Harry was about to defend Viktor Krum (of whom Draco had quite calmly said he'd like to burrow a bludger up his arse), Harry noticed that it appeared that Malfoy was no longer paying attention. Or rather, he was looking at Harry, yes, but he didn't seem quite engaged. He had a dazed expression on his face and a glossy look in his grey eyes, one hand propped under his chin, the other forgotten by his cup of tea. If Harry were being honest, he'd admit that Malfoy looked strangely wonder struck. His lips were slightly parted and his entire face seemed…rosier. Warmer. More friendly.

Was he feeling okay? Harry wondered.

Recognizing that his very important Quidditch rant was going, well, unrecognized, Harry casually mentioned, "And you know who I think you should go on a date with after this?"

"Mhmm."

Ah, little to no engagement. Just as he suspected.

"Snape. Severus Snape. You two compliment each other so nicely."

"Sure, hmm," the blond said absently, and Harry flicked some cold tea at him. Draco startled, jumping as the liquid splashed across his cheekbone. "What was that for?" he yelped in surprise, trying to dry some of the offending substance from his shirt.

"I knew you weren't paying any attention. You just agreed to date Snape!" Harry exclaimed, and Malfoy's face turned from one of surprise to one of horror.

"He's my godfather!"

"You said you think you two would compliment each other nicely!"

"Bollocks," Draco sunk in his seat. "Sorry, then, I must've gotten lost in thought," he coughed in embarrassment.

Harry teased, "Caught up in a day dream about me, eh Malfoy?"

"I don't need to day dream about you, I have the living nightmare right here in front of me," Malfoy scowled, and just as Harry was noticing that he did not like that angry expression on Malfoy's face, he also spotted some of the tea Malfoy had missed getting off his face.

"This is too cliché to resist," Harry laughed as he leaned across the table and used his thumb to wipe away the tea drop on Draco's cheek. Malfoy had frozen, breath and all, when Harry had moved closer. Wide, unblinking eyes stared as Harry brushed the liquid from his face, and the skin seemed to warm under Harry's touch. Frowning, Harry pulled back, watching in confusion as Malfoy ducked his blushing face into his shoulder.

"We should…we should get going, it's getting late," Malfoy muttered, standing abruptly and fumbling in his pockets for change. Before Harry could make a quip about Malfoy paying for their date, the boy slammed some galleons on the table and was out the door. Harry practically had to run to keep up with him.

"Thankfully, this is where we part. I'm so elated that you agreed to grace me with your company so as to completely ruin my Hogsmeade weekend plans," Draco stomped ahead of him in an effort to leave Harry with his sarcasm and nothing else. Not wanting to let the boy off that easily, Harry reached out a hand and wrapped it around the blond's arm, reeling him back in. Malfoy let out a loud gasp of protest at being manhandled, but no amount of wriggling could loosen Harry's grasp. He glared at Harry as his mouth turned in a pout, but only after his eyes nervously flitted around the area to see if they were being watched.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" the brunette prompted slowly. He watched as Draco's face painted with confusion, before the expression smoothed out.

"Did I forget the part where I damn you to hell and tell you to eat dirt?" the boy smiled sweetly, and Harry couldn't remember why he resisted the urge to smack him upside the head. With a heavy book. Or a weighty plank of wood.

Instead, he grinned evilly, eager to see what Malfoy would do with his next words. "Doesn't a date end with a kiss?" he mostly said it to get a reaction out of the blond, but could not deny the fascination in which he watched Draco's emotions play out on his face. Dark eyelashes framed wide, glassy eyes as Draco's mouth popped open with a soft, wet sound. "W-what?" he stammered weakly, nose crinkling in a way Harry refused to think of as adorable. He watched as Malfoy reacted in the oddest of ways. The blond's throat seemed to close as he choked and searched for words. He could practically see the blood racing through the veins beneath the ivory skin, which burned with a vivid blush.

Harry teased lightly, "Well? I'm waiting."

He was thoroughly thunderstruck when the blond took Harry's face in both hands and clumsily pushed his lips onto his own, desperation coloring his movements as he pressed his body up against Harry's. Harry's eyes widened as Malfoy's squeezed shut, the blond's fingers cupping his cheeks before sliding down and around his neck. Draco angled his head to pull Harry closer, and he was overwhelmed with Draco's scent. His kisses were laced with tea and cinnamon, a surprisingly pleasant mixture, and Harry's lips tingled as Malfoy moaned softly, the vibrations causing his head to go fuzzy as the sensations shot south. Shocked and mind-numbed, Harry's mind couldn't function enough to listen to the alarm bells screaming at him to pull away. His fingers could only curl into the front of Malfoy's jacket, and he absently hoped that he painfully pinched some of Malfoy's skin.

Malfoy was peppering his lips with small, full kisses, undeterred by Harry's lack of reaction. Draco licked and nibbled at Harry's lax lips, shyly probing at them with his pink tongue. Harry refused to open his mouth, despite the admittedly enticing advances. He could feel the harsh pants of Draco's hot breath against his skin as he attempted to coax Harry's mouth to return the affections. The brunette began to feel dizzy as those warm lips pressed tiny kisses along his jaw and sucked along the sensitive skin of his neck. Harry gasped, his heart thrashed violently against his ribcage, and Draco's face lit up at the recuperation. The blond gave a delightful purr that nearly took Harry's breath away.

His skin was thrumming with electricity and each touch gave him a soft jolt. But something was niggling at the back of Harry's mind, some reason why he shouldn't be kissing Malfoy out in the middle of Hogsmeade. Alarmed with the sudden rush of logic, Harry gently guided his fingers behind Draco's head to attempt to pull him away gradually. He found himself staring at Malfoy in amazement when the boy let out a loud groan as Harry's fingers touched the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Draco tipped his head back tentatively, timidly offering his neck for ravishing. Molten silver eyes shyly peered at him under drooped lids. The gesture had heat pooling in Harry's lower abdomen, and he knew that he needed to get out now or risk the eternal embarrassment that Malfoy had managed to evoke such feelings of arousal in him.

Abruptly, Harry's fingers found purchase on Malfoy's shirt, barely noticing the hammering heartbeat beneath the warm skin, and he pushed Draco off of him. The blond actually mewled at the loss of contact. He stumbled backwards with a dumb expression on his flushed face, his long pale fingers immediately touching his discolored lips in awe.

Breathing shallowly, Harry's stomach knotted painfully as he stared at the boy in front of him. "I was kidding. I didn't expect you to actually…" he rasped, wiping at his mouth with his shirt sleeve.

"Oh," Draco breathed quietly, face blushing vibrantly as he worried his now swollen bottom lip. Something seemed to click inside Harry's mind as he watched the previously confident Malfoy morph into one full of insecurities and uncertainty. The fingers lowered from Draco's lips to fasten onto his other hand, where the sweaty appendages twisted in unease.

"You've been waiting to do that all day, haven't you?" Harry said slowly, and Malfoy's muscles tensed. His eyes became gleaming silvery mirrors and his bruised lips rounded into a soft 'o' before pressing into a thin line.

"I…yeah."

Taking another swipe at his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt, Harry stared at the boy before him. He looked so…disappointed. His face was crestfallen and miserable, eyes downcast and his warm blush that was caused by the kiss was slowly becoming replaced by a humiliated flush. He didn't look like the tough Slytherin Harry loved to hate. He was just a school boy whose crush had just pushed him away. It seemed so…human.

Harry felt guilt wash over him. He was the one who had put that look on Malfoy's face. Normally, the thought would have made him smile, but seeing the- dare he say it- shy looking boy in front of him, something tugged at his heart strings. "What do you want me to do? he exclaimed in exasperation. Grey eyes peered at him cautiously, and the owner of them shuffled his feet.

"You can stop wiping your mouth, for a start," Draco said timidly, offended. Harry gave a start and his hand froze where it had been about to touch his lips again. He winced, lowering it hastily, realizing how rude the gesture must look. It wasn't that he was grossed out, necessarily, but his lips felt…odd.

"All I want is a chance."

"You had a chance, today, on our 'date'," Harry said slowly.

"Please, if you call that a real date, then I think you're a lost cause," Draco rolled his eyes, but he turned serious once more upon seeing Harry's face. "Come on, what do you have to lose?"

"Pride? Dignity? Self respect?" Harry tried flatly, dully noting that each word caused Draco to flinch.

"No!" he exclaimed in frustration, brow furrowing. "You said yes to me for a reason,"

"Because I wanted to make your day miserable! That was the plan!" Harry argued immediately.

"Well, your plan failed. You didn't try all that hard. But I had a goal, too, you know."

"To embarrass me by dragging me out on a date with you?" he asked dryly, and Draco winced once more.

"You're the one who said yes. Face it, there must have been something there that you liked about me for you to agree, or you wouldn't be here. You don't care that much about making me miserable. There was something in it for you, too," it almost sounded like Draco was pleading with him. "I wanted to show that you can give me a chance. That you can trust me. "

"I don't trust you."

"I understand that. You have no reason to. But I-" Draco licked his lips nervously. "I want to show you that you can. All I'm asking for is one more chance, Potter. Let me show you."

"I…" Harry ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. He couldn't believe this was happening. "This is insane," he stated weakly, and Draco bravely came closer.

"It wouldn't be us if it weren't," he smiled slightly, unsurely. Harry cast a look around to see if many people were watching.

"Ron and Hermione already think I'm crazy," Harry cautioned

"Then this will be no loss to you or them," he drew even closer.

"Everyone will stare. We'll be laughed at," Harry persisted as Malfoy came to a stop right in front of him, resuming the place he had been before when their lips had been otherwise engaged.

"That's not a no," Draco beamed at him, eyes shining brilliantly as his hand shyly slid down to grasp Harry's lightly. The Gryffindor stared down at their intertwined fingers then back up to the startlingly grey eyes.

The smile was infectious, and Harry found himself grinning in return. "No it's not," he agreed, "It's a date."

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!