Draco sat up from where he had been laying on the bed beside Harry, who had a sheet of parchment laying on a book, using it as a clipboard. He snaked an arm around his boyfriend's back...

And promptly tickled him. Next thing the pair knew, Draco was sitting on Harry's legs, tickling him to what looked like apparent death. Harry was screeching and trashing, trying to push Draco off of him. He was laughing so hard that tears were running down his face, and finally he managed to roll over so that he was laying on top of the other boy.

He smiled playfully, and lent down and pressed a chaste kiss on his forehead. "Thanks for that!"

Draco laughed. "That's what you get for putting soap in my food last week!"

Harry rolled his eyes and rolled off of Draco. "It was a prank, okay? And you were laughing!"

"So were you," Draco pointed out, brushing a strand of raven hair off of Harry's forehead and touching the lightning shaped scar gently with his long and pale fingers.

Harry smiled and closed his eyes. Whenever Draco touched his cursed scar, he felt calm and content. Even though their relationship was, of course, a secret, they spent as much time together as possible. Whenever they had free periods, both snuck off to the Room of Requirement, where they had set up a convenient area with a bed, two beanbag chairs (which Draco had taken a surprising liking to), and a fireplace which crackled with green and red flames, courtesy of one of Harry's charms that he had looked up solely for that purpose.

They were happy, though. Even though they were still forced to be apart outside of the room and when they managed to get a few seconds of time together, they were contented and most happy when they were together.

Draco spoke up again, pulling Harry out his mental rant. He went quiet, and rolled away from Harry and sat up, who tried to chase him and pull him back into his arms, but Draco stood up and looked at Harry with a stern expression and his hands on his hips. The boy got a childish look of disappointment on his face.

Draco took a deep breath and looked down at Harry. "Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Harry looked at Draco with a look of mixed anger, surprise, happiness, and regret on his face. "I finally forgot about the stupid Triwizard Tournaments, and you just bring another thing related to it up?"

Draco gave in to the look of sadness on Harry's face, and sat down and wrapped the boy in a warm and tight hold. He felt Harry hug back instantly.

"I want to show the world who we are. We shouldn't have to hide, just because we are supposedly rivals. We are amazing, Harry! We are special and we shouldn't let a few haters stop us!" Draco said, feeling anxious about what Harry's response would be.

He felt Harry shift and look at him. "I would love to. But how would the others react?"

Draco pulled Harry closer to him if that was even possible. "I don't need anyone else. I finally have you, and that is really all I need."

Harry's eyes filled with tears at the statement. "I feel the same. Hermione and Ron are special to me, though, and I really want them to accept me. But if they don't, I have you. Like an emotional support animal! Like a puppy!" Harry burst out laughing.

Draco rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's craziness. He knew that whenever Harry was stressed, he would be silly. "You don't have to come if you don't want to," he whispered.

Harry instantly stopped laughing and looked at Draco earnestly. "What? No way! I'm coming with you!"

Draco stood up and walked over to the small table that stood beside the beanbags. He opened a drawer and pulled a sheet an of paper out. Harry tilted his head until he realized that it was a letter.

Draco went to sit in his red beanbag and patted Harry's green one. Harry instantly shot up and plopped down into the chair.

Draco opened the letter and cleared his throat. He began to read.

"Dear Draco,

I wrote to you today to tell you that I have recently talked to Voldemort." Draco heard Harry gasp, but swallowed and kept reading. "He says that we will be able to have a meeting in two weeks. At this meeting you will be taking the vows that a Death Eater needs, and then Voldemort will brand you with the Dark Mark." Harry suddenly stood up, but Draco held his hand up and Harry stopped, his mouth opening and closing like a confused goldfish. He blinked back some tears, and continued reading. "You will make me so proud! You will be the youngest Death Eater so far, and I know that you will be devoted and serve the Dark Lord! I will see you soon, Draco. Love," Draco took a shaky breath and finished, "Father."

At this Harry burst into tears. He ran to Draco and Draco flinched, fearing that Harry was going to hit him, but he did the opposite. He hugged him, though this time it was with raw emotion and feeling.

Draco sat stunned for a second and then whispered, "Harry?"

Harry sobbed. "Draco, why? Why do you have to leave me, after all that we've been through?"

Draco felt a tear slide down his cheek. "That's my point. I'm not going to let this happen."

Draco stood up and walked over to the bed with Harry still crying into his shoulder. He sat down and rubbed small circles into his back.

"I want to help teach classes about Voldemort and his weaknesses so that kids will know exactly what they will need to protect themselves."

Harry stiffened and sat up, with tears staining his cheeks and red cheeks. "What?"

"With you. A secret class and I want you to help me teach it."

Harry smiled through his tears. "You would do that?"

"Of course. I hate Voldemort. Please let me, Harry."

Harry grinned a full and wide smile. "Yes. Oh, Draco! I love you!"

Draco eagerly pulled away and said, "Thank you, Harry. I want to go to the Ball with you, not just because you are an amazing person, but I want to prove to your friends and family that I am worthy. Thank you. I love you too."

Harry smiled. "Of course I'll go to the ball with you, Draco."

\|/

Draco grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him around the corner right before they got to the Great Hall, where the Yule Ball was being held. "Just remember that I love you, Harry Potter." He pressed one last kiss on his lips before smoothing his robes out and stepping around the corner with Harry in tow.

Harry grabbed his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "I love you too." He stepped up beside Draco, looked at their linked hands, smiled, and pushed the ball doors open.

Instantly they were met with loud gasps and whispers. Several people had gone blank with shock at seeing the two main rivals of the school clasping hands with their fingers entwined.

Draco took a deep breath and smiled at Harry, and felt a great feeling of comfort when the boy smiled back, and pulled him forward, towards his friends. Granger, Weasley, and the Weaslette were sitting at a table with only one seat left, presumably, they were saving it for Harry.

Harry looked at the seat, and then grabbed another chair from a table and dragged it over beside the original one and plunked down in it.

Draco sat down carefully beside Granger, who had a suspicious smirk on her face. Weasley was staring at them like suddenly they had both grown another head, and Weaslette was glaring angrily at Draco.

The quiet murmurs and mutters that filled the Great Hall were slowly getting louder and then returning to a normal speaking tone. Though many eyes had turned away from the table, Draco suspected that people were still talking about them, and shifted uncomfortably in his seat until he felt a hand on his thigh.

Harry looked at him and smiled reassuringly. He moved his hand off of Draco's leg and grabbed his hand instead and rubbed Draco's knuckles in a soothing pattern.

Harry knew that Draco would be uncomfortable at the Yule Ball, no matter what. Truth be told, he was extremely worried as well as to what Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the others would think.

They sat in uncomfortable silence until Ron spoke up. "What is going on here?!"

Harry felt Draco squeeze his hand, and clear his throat. "Harry and I are dating. Isn't it obvious?"

Ron made a move to stand up, but Hermione grabbed his arm and whispered something in his ear.

"But he's an infuriating git!" Ron yelled angrily, pointing at the blonde. "He's got to be using some sort of love potion on Harry!"

Harry glared at the red headed boy. "I'm not under the influence of a love potion. Deal with it."

Hermione spoke up. "Yeah, well, then, why is he here? Why would Draco come with Harry if he was using a potion, and run the risk of getting caught?"

"Guys, can we go in the hall? We have something to tell you, and we need your help." Harry said quietly, avoiding the astounded glances that the five were getting because of Ron's outburst. He stood up, and Draco, Ron, and Hermione followed. When Ginny tried to stand up as well, Harry bit his lip and shook his head at her.

"Sorry, Gin, but this is something that just us need to talk about." Angry tears welled up in her eyes, and she huffed and sat back down, scraping her chair loudly against the floor so that Draco had to pull his hand out of Harry's and cover his ears while wincing. Ginny got some satisfaction until Harry muttered something in his ear, looking aggravated and worried. Draco nodded and Harry grabbed his hand again, and she slumped down in her chair.

Hermione pulled the doors open, and the others filed out. She turned to face the couple with her hands on her hips.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Draco cut her off. "I know that you think that I don't love Harry, and that we've been enemies since first year, but we've actually been friends since we had detention and had to go into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. I was scared, and Harry comforted me, and we became friends. We've been dating for close to seven or eight months now, in secret, but I assure you, I'm not doing anything to Harry. He is amazing, and most of what's kept me up and happy these past few years. I know that Harry feels the same way, and I wanted to ask you something. I don't want to be a Death Eater. I don't ever want to follow Voldemort. Recently, I have received a letter from my father that I will be getting the Dark Mark and becoming a Death Eater in two weeks. But I won't. I am never going to let Voldemort control me. He's a monster, and I won't be. So we came out to ask you: will you lead a class with us to teach kids about Voldemort, and how to protect themselves against him?"

Hermione and Ron stood staring at Harry and Draco. Ron still looked unbelieving, though, so Harry spun Draco around so that he was facing him and kissed him.

Draco smiled and put his arms around Harry's shoulders, and Harry put his hands on his hips. Harry broke off of the kiss, and said, "I love you, Draco Malfoy."

Draco kissed him on the tip of his nose, and said, "I love you too, Harry Potter."

At this, they turned back to Ron and Hermione. Ron was green and was gagging, and Hermione, for some reason, was grinning like a crazy person.

She stepped forward and hugged both of them. "You know, I'm actually not that angry. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."

Harry smiled and hugged her back, with one arm still around Draco. They all turned and looked at Ron, who was still green.

Ron sighed. "Okay, I'll say this. Harry, you're my best mate, and if you want to be with Malfoy, I'll accept that."

Harry shook his head. "I don't want to be with Malfoy. I want to be with Draco, and that's what you'll call him."

Draco punched him playfully on the shoulder, and Harry sent him a sideways grin that he laughed at. Ron smiled at them. "Okay, Draco. Listen, it may take me a bit to get used to, but I'll still support you." He shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

Harry held out an arm, and Ron grabbed it and joined the group hug. And that was what everybody walked out to a few minutes later to check on them, Harry and Draco and Hermione and Ron all standing in a circle and hugging each other.

Oh, how things were changing.