AU for HBP, set Christmas of 6th year. Response to silverhope's challenge – 'The Bet'
Credit for the idea goes to silverhope on TSS who made the challenge – view end for the challenge itself.
Also posted at TSS.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything HP related (apart from a copy of the books... and a freebie pen, and freebie mug, and a calendar, and...). It all belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Inc., Warner Bros., and any other entities involved.

SERENDIPITOUS

By

SilverSkies

"Harry, dear, it's good to see you again." Mrs Weasley was once again fussing at the arrival of her children, which to her seemed to include both Harry and Hermione. "Do come in, chip chop, the lot of you will catch your death of cold!"

Harry shared a rueful grin with Hermione, she being the only one who could appreciate just how much he wasn't used to Mrs Weasley's mothering. Nonetheless the trio entered the Burrow, pleased to be out of the cold winter air.

"It's very kind of you to invite Mrs Weasley," Hermione began, before being interrupted by the older woman's kind tones.

"Nonsense. Why, you and Harry are practically part of the family!" Mrs Weasley bustled about in her usual fashion taking hats and gloves.

Whilst Ron was busy trying to outmanoeuvre the twins – a fairly tempting plate of mince pies awaited in the kitchen, partially under their mother's watchful eye; Harry and Hermione had shared another long glance. The two of them adored the Weasleys – they were a wonderful family, bright, bustling, and cheerful. However they were somewhat tired at the Weasley matron's increasingly less subtle attempts at matchmaking – Hermione and Ron, Harry and Ginny. Really, it was all well and nice that she wanted them to be part of the family, but neither of them were particularly interested in the partner's she had chosen for them.

Harry, for one, was gay. A fact he had told no one save Hermione, during a mutual commiserating in regards to Mrs Weasley's matchmaking. Hermione had been quick to point out Harry's interest in Cho, to which he'd pointed out – 'I liked the fact she was a Quidditch player, 'Mione. Now tell me if that isn't the sign of a gay wizard. And I'm sure you remember my lack of reaction to Fleur during the Tournament…' Hermione on the other hand, was not gay, but certainly wanted more intellectual stimulus in any partner she might choose. Harry had given her a speculative glance as she listed her desired qualities, before pointing out in a half-amused voice that Snape fitted her description, to which he'd had the pleasure of seeing Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her generation appear completely gobsmacked, before exacting her revenge – which had resulted in Harry and Ron losing a bet. Losing a bet to Fred and George – who with twin evil grins had told him that even his elevated status as their sole investor would not save him.

The trio woke early the next day – part habit and part threat. Fred and George would be hosting them for the day at their new shop in Hogsmeade. Harry and Ron would be acting as testers for their Wheezes, whilst Hermione was there for the laughs, and would hopefully stop the twins before letting Ron and Harry getting hurt.

After a drawn-out breakfast, Ron, of course was trying to delay the inevitable. The twins finally grew impatient and frog-marching him to the fireplace threw in the Floo powder before tossing an indignant, whining younger brother into the green flames. Harry and Hermione made their way without protest, garnering looks of approval from the twins.

"Honestly, you'd think –

"he doesn't trust us –

"to take care of him!" was their own exclamation concerning Ron's behaviour.

Harry stumbled awkwardly from the Floo, before tripping over and falling sprawled on the floor. He awkwardly got up to his knees before having first one, then the other twin land on top of him.

"Gerroff!" came the muffled voice from underneath the pile of redheads.

Hermione and Ron were too busy laughing at their friend's predicament to be of help, but the twins were quick to recover and were soon dusting Harry off.

"What were you –

"doing down there, I must –

"say, peculiar business for a –

"fine, upstanding chap –

"like yourself to lower –

"himself to waiting on the floor. Or –

"perhaps little Harrykins –

"enjoys such a position…" the twins exchanged a look, before waggling their eyebrows at Harry.

"What say you Harry?" One twin began,

"Up to a little game of…" the other twin whispering something in Harry's ear, causing him to turn as red as the trademark Weasley hair.

"Oi! Quit coming on to my best mate! It's a might disturbing seeing that." Ron's response was a comforting reassurance in contrast to Hermione's somewhat glazed look.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Harry asked, somewhat concerned at his friend's detached state.

She came to, with focussing on him, before flushing slightly. "Fine. I'm fine." Before smirking wickedly and saying "Aren't you boys supposed to be testing something?"

"Right you are, Madam!" said Fred, or George (even this author can't tell them apart), before revealing with a flourish, and a drum roll courtesy of the other twin, a small tray covered with what appeared to be snowflakes.

"Introducing our newest -

"latest –

"invention extraordinaire! We –

"call them 'ICE!'" the last was said in unison.

"Ice? But they're snowflakes! Have you two taken one too many unidentified potions?" Ron sounded puzzled.

"It's from a Muggle saying we heard, Ice –

"I. C. E-

"In Case of Emergency-

"Each snowflake allows the user to Apparate a short distance-

"hopefully enough to escape from-

"those nasty men in black-

"those terrible evil doers-

Then in unison: "The INLAND REVENUE!"

The trio exchanged glances.

"It sounds promising, I take it you still have a few kinks to work out." Hermione's question was more statement of fact, and she continued with a growing smile "this will be a tremendous aid against the Death Eaters if you can get it to work!"

"Oh, it works, we just need a couple of test subjects to make sure it Apparates the user to a safe place." George (or Fred) stated solemnly, whilst the other twin nodded his head.

"Okay." Ron said, obviously gearing himself up, "Let's have it then!"

The twins handed the two boys a snowflake each, "Tell us what you think of the flavouring too, alright?"

"Mmmffmm" was Ron's apparently affirmative reply as he disappeared with nothing but a small pop, and his empty clothes as evidence of his passage.

Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the clothes minus Ron, and had opened his mouth to presumable yell at the twins, before he too disappeared – sans clothing.

"Fred and George Weasley! Perhaps you would care to explain why Harry and Ron have left their clothing behind!" A few quick nudges revealed something more frightening to her mind, "And without their wands! In this weather! Just you wait!"

"Oops?" Fred hastily said, hands out in an attempt to placate the witch.

"They won't have gone far Hermione."

"And, um, actually we're not sure why the clothing gets left behind, it only happens about half the time."

Hermione scowled at the twins, before relenting. "First we find Harry and Ron, then…you realise we need to figure out why half of them apparate naked."

The door to the back room of the shop burst open.

"YOU UTTER PRATS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA…erk" Ron suddenly remembered Hermione's presence before turning beet-red and clutching the first thing that came to hand to cover his bits, which turned out to be a rubber chicken.

"Ron, do calm down and get dressed," the young witch said primly, "We have to find Harry – Lord knows he could find trouble in a children's play scheme."

"Shouldn't we wait here for him?" offered up one of the twins.

Plan agreed on they settled down to wait for a few minutes.

After five minutes, Hermione bounced up from her seat. "It's been long enough, something must have happened to Harry!"

The boys exchanged glances.

"Hermione, don't you think you're overreacting a bit?" Ron's question was hesitant, not wanting to get a well-read witch annoyed at him.

"Not at all! Do you want Harry to get pneumonia? Hypothermia? Frostbite? Have to have his extremities amputated? Do you have any idea how punishing the cold is on the human body?" As Hermione blasted out her lecture on her unwilling listeners, who steadily turned greener as she described in detail some of the effects, Harry was far away, much further than Hogsmeade. He was in Wiltshire, not that he knew that, but he did figure out where he was however - Malfoy Manor.

After the first experience of vertigo, Harry had landed swaying slightly – pleased to be upright, and not so pleased to be naked. He was going to kill Fred and George. Once he got back that is. Actually, his surroundings didn't appear to be anywhere in Hogsmeade that he was familiar with. A lush Persian rug tickled against his toes and there was a large four-poster bed before him. An occupied bed at that, and Harry had all but decided the best option would be to quietly vacate the room, without waking the occupant and find a fireplace so he could Floo back to the twins.

Then he heard the moan. The occupant was moaning – all he could see was a few tufts of blonde hair – white blonde, which looked familiar… but it couldn't be. Draco Malfoy had no reason to be staying in Hogsmeade, although… Harry didn't know of any place like this in Hogsmeade – it was too rich, too lush, and far too expensive. The room reeked of taste and money. Old money. Lots of money. Then came the moan again, and a name.

"Oohh… Harry!"

That brought Harry up short, from where he was moving towards the door – was it possible?

"Oh, Harry, yes! Just there… Oooh…" Draco Malfoy came with a gasp, bolting upright in his bed, sending both shudders of lust and terror through Harry as he could only stare at his school nemesis. Flushed and panting from his dreamtime exertions, silver hair mussed, slightly shaggy at the ends, bangs coming down just past his earlobes – Draco Malfoy was a sight to behold.

"Beautiful." Harry wasn't aware he spoke aloud, until Draco (he couldn't call him Malfoy, not after seeing him come with Harry's name on his lips) abruptly turned to look at him.

"Harry…" Draco trailed off, blushing slightly as he observed his rival's naked form. Long, Quidditch-toned legs, the beginnings of a fairly impressive erection, a toned abdomen, all that creamy skin begging to be tasted, with a light dusting of darker hairs trailing down his belly to what lay between his legs, and those Avada-green eyes, pupils dilated with desire, that perpetually messy dark hair…

"Harry," Draco repeated in a firmer voice, "Come here."

Harry found himself obeying without conscious thought. "Draco…"

The blond pulled back the covers and beckoned the dark-haired boy closer, "I want you Harry. You are so perfect. Make me yours."

"D-Draco." Harry couldn't help the stuttering on the other boy's name as he moved ever closer to the blonde. Hand cupping the back of Draco's head, fingers twisting in silken locks, he claimed those lips.

The kiss was gentle, Harry's tongue gently lapping at Draco's lower lip before the other boy's mouth parted and they duelled for dominance, tongues twisting past each other, lapping at the inside of each other's mouths, brushing against the sensitive roofs, before breaking apart with a gasp for air.

"You-You're real. Not a dream." Draco sounded out of breath and disbelieving.

"Very much real." Was all Harry got out before the smaller boy pounced, pinning Harry against the bed, straddling the darker boy's larger form. Harry proceeded to be kissed with greater urgency than before, hips thrusting against his own as the two boys learnt the joys of friction.

"I don't care how it is you're here, but you're mine now." Draco's voice purred into his ear.

"I-I can't stay. But…oh… we can do this again at s-sssschool…" was all Harry managed before dissolving into the sibilant hisses of Parseltongue.

Draco's eyes went wide at the sound, arousal building higher than ever before. Until with a shout he came, Harry not far behind.

The two boys held each other through it all, before relinquishing their grasps upon each other somewhat, basking in the afterglow.

"Pot-, Harry. We are definitely doing that again." Draco said with more than a hint of imperiousness in his voice.

"Most definitely." Harry paused. "I like you Draco."

The blond stared across at the brunet he had just…well… come over. A slight twitch and "I rather enjoy your company too," before flushing, and steadfastly not looking over at the Boy-Who-Lived.

"I'm glad." He said, leaning over the smaller form for another kiss. "Um, I don't suppose you know how I can get to Hogsmeade from here…"

Draco sat up in alarm, "You're not going dressed like that!"

Warm green eyes smiled at him, "I hadn't planned on it, no. Got any spare robes in my size?"

Draco looked appraisingly at the young wizard, "Go clean yourself up, there's a bathroom through there." Pointing towards the door Harry had originally planned on leaving through.

By the time Harry came out of the en-suite, Draco had laid out a surprise.

"Draco, I didn't know you had one of those." Harry's look was shocked.

The blond just smirked, "It's actually one of yours, you do look rather nice in them after all."

Harry blinked, "You stole a pair of my Quidditch robes?" Then he laughed, "No wonder you never get the Snitch if you're too busy eying me!"

"Prat," was Draco's good-natured grumble. "You're mine now, remember?"

The possessive tone caught Harry for a moment, before he decided that it was probably a Slytherin thing. After all he himself would hex the stuffing out of anyone who decided to start flirting with his… boyfriend, he guessed the word was.

"Well Draco, I'll… um… see you on the Express, I guess… write me." And with green eyes pleading at him, all Draco could do was nod in return.

He swallowed, "Through here, you can use the Floo. I… We will still be together back at Hogwarts, right?" Insecurity shone through in Draco's grey eyes.

"Always." Harry replied, sealing his promise with a heartfelt kiss, before tossing in the Floo powder and stating the address. "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!"

Harry tumbled out the other side, into the midst of an argument between Hermione and Ron, the twins acting referees.

"Alright there, Harry?" Asked the twins, identical grins on their faces as they took in his red and gold robes.

"…Harry… Harry!" Hermione paused mid-diatribe, grabbing him into a hug, which Harry gladly returned. "You're alright! Where have you been? And why are you wearing Quidditch robes?"

Harry grinned at them all before saying "It was an early Christmas present."

Ron gave him a funny look before saying, "Bit of an odd present if you ask me, ran into a fan I take it?"

Harry just gave a mysterious smile before agreeing, "You could say that. It was a brilliant gift though."

"Harry?" Hermione asked in query.

"Lets just say that I'm going to be getting a series of similar gifts once we get back to Hogwarts."

The twins exchanged glances before turning on their brother. Using their distraction, Hermione leaned closer to Harry, "What happened?"

Green eyes shone with happiness. "I have a boyfriend," Harry whispered.

Hermione gave Harry an appraising look before nodding. "I hope it goes well Harry."

"So do I. It'll be my Christmas wish this year… and my New Year's Resolution…" he gave Hermione a furtive glance, "You will give him a chance won't you?"

There was a moment as Hermione digested this information – her eyes widened in realisation, "He truly cares for you…" Harry nodded in her pause, "…then I'll support you. Good luck Harry, you'll need it!"

FIN

AN: It ends there, because I can't wrap it up any better. And it is now nearly 6am and I've been writing since 4… Mainly because I can't end it any better, and otherwise this will just drag on. Yes, I keep very odd hours.

AN2: Yes, it's slash and H/D... written as a gift, for a friend - who likes H/D, and I made sure to put in all the things she likes... so blame her for it all... (H/D is not my preferred pairing...) Personally I have a theory on why she likes H/D the way she does... (am now wondering what my favourite slash pairings say about me...Oro)

Inland Revenue - tax people... I figure they would be disliked by the twins... having their own business and all...

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The Challenge:

Pairing: Harry/Draco

Required Lines:

"You realizes we need to figure out why half of them apparate naked."

"Draco, I didn't know you had one of those."

Plot Summary:

Everyone is on Holiday break from Hogwarts, it is during 6th year. Harry is spending it at the Burrow. It is about 7 in the morning and the Twins are testing a new apparating candy at their shop in Hogsmeade. Ron and Harry are the test subjects because they:

a) lost a bet, or

b) owe the twins a favour.

The candy is suppose to only apparate the eater a short distance.

For example, from inside the Great Hall to the Quidditch Pitch. Ron apparates into Hogsmeade, and then goes back to the Twin's shop. Meanwhile Harry, somehow, apparates into Draco Malfoy's bedroom inside Malfoy Manor. Harry has been attracted to Draco for sometime now, but has told no one. Draco is still asleep and dreaming of Harry