Title: Ancient Magic and Traditions
Author: drarryisgreen
Characters: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione, Pansy/OC
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Random fluffiness. Ancient magical traditions made up. Jealousy. Character manipulation.
Word count: 1750
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Summary: It really is Slytherin jealousy vs. Gryffindor valour. Pansy likes to manipulate, Hermione likes to encourage.
Beta: The wonderful Rililang

Ancient Magic and Traditions

It was a familiar setting.

It was the spot where Pansy had thrown her twenty-fifth birthday party. A small garden just behind her husband's family's manor. It had been a chilly night in early December, but she had insisted on an evening affair outdoors. Her husband, Angel Russell, had spared no expense in utilising elves and servants to ensure that the heating charms in the garden lasted all night.

Over a hundred guests attended this lavish event, including Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Although Pansy had apologised to the Wizarding community and to her Hogwarts associates for her behaviour, she had never liked spending time with the three Gryffindors. She especially didn't like Harry because Draco hand turned her down for him. Angel Russell was her second choice, and unfortunately for her, he was in cahoots with Harry and Ron. Hermione came with the package and she had no say in it.

Another reason Pansy had married Angel was because she knew Draco hated him; he did as much as he loved Harry. Pansy always knew who Draco hated or loved, but the other parties were never privy to such information.

Much to the Wizarding world's surprise, the most eligible bachelor, the-Boy-Who-Lived, was still single. Many in the Wizarding world also wondered why Draco never accepted any Pure-Blood marriage proposals.

Pansy knew it all, and she kept it to herself, because she enjoyed prominently in other's miseries. She knew that both Harry and Draco were gay, marvellously in love with each other, and admirably loyal to that unrequited love. Yet, they were both fully unaware of the other's feelings, never confessed.

So, on the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Pansy, decided to throw a lavish party and invite her cousin Kenneth to flirt with Draco. If she couldn't have him, neither could Harry. Pansy figured that one of these days, Draco would slip and shag or at least snog a bloke that reminded him of Harry. Kenneth was her test subject of the night.

She'd lit up the gazebo in the middle of the garden. The outside of the monument had vegetation growing in all manners, sporadic yet artful at the same time. The top of the structure had a mini-garden for itself, with pink flowers, mainly Hibiscus, forming a shape of a crown. This indeed was Pansy's garden, and she was the queen. The inside of the gazebo had floating candles that targeted the structure in a spotlight, so anyone at any corner of the garden, could easily look over towards the gazebo and know what was happening.

Pansy and Angel had danced in the middle of the gazebo for the first time as husband and wife, and that was the spot she had wished for Harry to watch Draco kiss her cousin Kenneth. Musical instruments played themselves in the back of the construct; a violin, a viola, and a flute worked together enchantingly.

Pansy had dropped a note in Draco's pocket, asking him to meet her by the gazebo at half past ten. When he arrived, there was no one there and he waited. A few moments later Kenneth stopped by and introduced himself. They talked; mainly Kenneth flirted, as Draco curiously looked around for Pansy. A server popped by and offered them two glasses of champagne. The two continued talking as they sipped on the Perrier Jouet. Kenneth waved at the server again who quickly refilled their glasses.

Kenneth was charming, and quite on top of his game. Pansy had told him that Draco wasn't easily impressed and Kenneth always loved a challenge. Twenty minutes into the conversation, Kenneth had his arm around Draco and thought he had him eating out of his hand. The flirting was uninvitingly interrupted when Harry showed up.

"Hello," Harry innocently stated as he broke into the tête-à-tête, causing Draco to immediately leave Kenneth's grip.

"Can we help you?" Kenneth asked crudely.

"Potter!" Draco sounded more startled than he was; he mentally blamed the champagne. "Kenneth, this is Potter, Harry, and this is Kenneth, Pansy's cousin." Draco made the introductions and watched the two men shake hands. Kenneth was visibly annoyed at the disruption.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping I could talk to Draco here, if you don't mind," Harry said as he nodded at Kenneth out of respect and finished the last of his Firewhiskey.

"Actually, we were in the middle of –" Kenneth began to speak as Draco interrupted him.

"I don't mind, I would love to have a talk," Draco said, receiving another glare from Kenneth as though he'd just made the biggest betrayal.

"Excellent then." Harry's smile was smugger than Draco had ever seen. It was as though he'd just won a coin toss and was up first at Quidditch try-outs.

"What do you want, Potter?" Draco asked, his tone changing to a hint of disdain as soon as he was aware that Kenneth was far enough.

"You were about to kiss him," Harry said calmly.

Draco raised an eyebrow and looked at Harry up and down. "So?"

"I couldn't have that," Harry confessed.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked. He was stunned as this was the closest they had ever come to professing their feelings, and Draco was shocked because he had always imagined himself to be the one doing the declaring. He was delighted, but didn't understand, why did Harry care who he kissed?

"So I was standing over there, with Ron." Harry pointed at a corner in the far end of the garden. "And we were just taking in the exquisiteness of all the decorations, you know, Pansy really went all out for the party. It's more extravagant than her wedding –"

"Point, Potter," Draco stated.

"Right, ahem. So Hermione came up to us and said that she overheard Pansy telling Angel that she had the perfect plan for getting you together with her cousin Kenneth. She thought that you two would just make a great couple – Then I looked over here and you were in his arms –"

"And your point?" Draco asked.

"I don't know, Hermione said that this was my last chance so I just marched under the gazebo because I couldn't have him kiss you under it," Harry answered. He opened his mouth again to say something else but closed it. He looked in his empty glass of Firewhiskey and looked around for the server. It was as though he had run out of liquid courage and required more.

"Why can't you have him kiss me under it?" Draco asked. He was intrigued. This was going better than he'd ever imagined, and he wasn't about to give in.

"Because," Harry stressed, "I have been told that everyone who kisses under this gazebo for the first time has ended up getting married. Angel and Pansy kissed under here for the first time, so did his parents, apparently. Also, Hermione said that the Russell manor was constructed in the seventeenth century and under ancient magic and it was constituted by an old Greek King, Jencir, for his love, who had agreed to marry him under this very gazebo. So, it holds a lot of history and magic and romance…" Harry paused to read Draco's expression. Draco was stunned silent again. "So, you see. I couldn't have him kiss you under the gazebo for the first time. Because, I would like to reserve that right."

"Potter –" Draco began to speak as Harry interrupted him again.

"I know that you have this rule that you don't date your co-workers," Harry said.

"Who told you that?" Draco asked.

"I have been – asking, and I heard something like that," Harry replied.

"Oh," Draco said. He had turned down one offer for a dinner date by a former co-worker and he couldn't think of any other reason so he'd made up that excuse.

"But, we won't really see each other during the day –"

"Potter –"

"And, I mean, we won't be at work during the summer, Christmas holidays, and Easter –"

"Potter –"

"Besides, you teach Potions and I am the Flying instructor and Quidditch coach–"

"POTTER!"

"What?" Harry asked, startled, as though he'd just been woken up from his little dreamland. He was speaking like he'd practiced the speech a few too many times and didn't realise when Draco was trying to interrupt him. "What is it?"

"I believe you wanted a kiss," Draco said as he brought himself closer to Harry and pulled him in so they were standing in the middle of the gazebo.

"Oh, yeah. I did, I do."

"Good. It would be wrong to not uphold the custom of kissing the one you love under the gazebo for the very first time." Draco didn't give Harry a chance to respond. His leaned down to meet Harry's lips for the first time.

Draco's lips brushed Harry's; they were softer than he'd imagined. He felt a rush of pleasure when Harry responded instinctively; his mouth capturing Draco's to acknowledge the kiss. With each suck, each push, Draco was firmer and deeper. He was distantly aware of the fingers on his neck, as he lightly grabbed at Harry's shoulders, pulling him in. He was overwhelmed, it felt amazing – it felt right. He mentally cursed himself for not endeavouring this before. He was so foolish; they could have been snogging for months, or more.

When their lips broke apart, their foreheads remained attached. Harry's glasses had gone a bit foggy and Draco smiled in appreciation that he wasn't the only one that felt the wind getting kicked out of him because of that kiss.

"So, you love me?" Harry asked when he'd finally caught his breath.

"Potter –" Draco began to spit another insult, he could never help himself.

"Don't be curt, just answer the question," Harry demanded. Draco liked this side of Harry, insistent and commanding.

"Yes, Potter. I love you, to answer your question simply." Draco paused and asked another question. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I told Pansy, I thought she might have expressed that to you. I never saw any change in the way you acted towards me, so I thought maybe you didn't feel the same way."

That bitch. "What made you confess to me in person today?" Draco asked. He was going to deal with Pansy later on his own terms. Right now, having Harry in his arms was sufficient.

"Hermione suggested fighting the battles head-on," Harry replied.

Draco was impressed. "I always liked Granger," he responded.

"No, you didn't."

"No, no, I didn't."

THE END

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