A/N: Hey guys, so this is a few hours late, sorry! It's 2am on Sunday, and I'm utterly exhausted! But anyway, this is the first real interaction between Harry and Draco, and before you ask, no it's not at that level of steaminess yet. They need some help to push them together. (; Anyway, I hope you enjoy this because I worked my arse off trying to write this damn chapter. It didn't want to be finished. (:
Thanks to: icetae: i really do appreciate the edit (: i've only got one year of French under my belt
HPfan29: Your review has been taken into consideration, and they will have serious moments, not to worry.
LIGHTNSHADOWS: It means they have a lot of trouble (what they would call helping) to cause (;
KissedLock: Thank you dearie (: That made me smile!
sara: You do get your wish (; it's how I had it planned from the start.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I still do not own the wonderful world of Harry Potter, or even the smallest, insignificant character. ): I try hard, I really do, but I don't think J.K. takes too kindly to my wanting Ginny to have died in CoS and keeping Severus, Fred, and Dobby alive. (Yes, I'm keeping Dobby around(: )
Warning: There's really nothing much to warn y'all about. It's not really all that worthy of a warning, but Harry is a damn good tease.
'Thoughts'
{Parseltongue}
"Talking"
Three: Fine Wine and Dine
Harry
I paced the length of my private room in front of the fire, waiting very impatiently for 7:30 to come. The time seemed to pass slower the closer it got, and that was beyond annoying. I was still a bit agitated from my first class of the day, and my meeting of those damn transfer girls. Who were they to make an outburst like that? It was only the first day of term, and I was already wishing for the Yule holidays.
I looked at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room and groaned. Ten more minutes; still ten more minutes until dinner.
Draco
There was still ten minutes until I was expected for dinner with Potter, and I was passing the time with Blaise and Pansy. They were chattering away while I watched the clock carefully. I was ready to go, had been for a few hours now, and would have left early, but I didn't want to seem too eager. This wasn't a date, after all. However, I couldn't wait any longer, so I shooed my friends out the door ahead of me so I could collect myself before the awkward dinner date.
"Good luck, Dray," I heard Pansy murmur to me as they split off in the direction of the dorms after I shut the door behind me. I made my way to the other professor's rooms, halting suddenly at the portrait that guarded the door.
"Salazar Slytherin. You're Salazar Slytherin. How did you become the guarding portrait to these rooms?" I managed to ask after I picked my jaw up off the floor. Slytherin's portrait chuckled at my reaction.
"Ah, my dear snake. I have heard much of you. You are welcome to an intelligent conversation with me at anytime but now. He has been pacing and muttering for an hour. Please shut him up." The portrait swung forward, ushering me in without a password. I slowly stepped through the entrance, and the first thing I noticed was the huge grandfather clock in the corner that told me I was still five minutes early. I snuck in silently so as not to startle the tense figure perched on the edge of the chair in front of the fire. The next thing I noticed was the dining table set for dinner, waiting for food and people to complete the scene.
A house elf walked in through the door from the little kitchenette. It looked up at me and let out a little squeak. I immediately recognized my old house elf, Dobby. I put my finger to my lips and hoped he would stay silent. He nodded awkwardly, pulling on his oversized ears. I stalked over to the man still perched on the chair, oblivious to the world around him, and I leaned on the arm of it, brushing his shoulder with my hip.
Potter jerked to life, pulling a chuckle from me. He abruptly stood, and I lost my carefully placed balance, tumbling back into the plush armchair. He seemed to snap back to reality at that point. I glared at him as he outright laughed at me.
"What, pray tell, it so funny, Potter?" He ceased that beautiful deep rumbling noise to my disappointment, and offered a hand to help me up.
"Your hair is all messed up, Draco. I have never seen it with a single hair out of place," he said as he pulled me out of the uncomfortable position. I immediately went to fix my hair as soon as I was on my own two feet.
"Shut up, Potter. Let's just go eat." I scowled at him, earning another smile and short huff of laughter. If falling in a chair and fixing my hair gained me that reaction, I might be willing to put up with the humiliation of it all.
"Right, dinner. This way," Harry chuckled as he waved me toward the dining table. I took the place right next to him, ignoring the strange look he shot me. I was going to take advantage of the closeness now, just in case this didn't go well. We ate in silence for an hour and drained close to four bottles of wine before I had to break the tension.
"So, Potter, you wanted to talk?" I finished my last bit of steak and leaned back in my chair, waiting for him to say something.
"Yes, I did. I wanted to put our past behind us and maybe start a friendship." He sounded confident until the last word. He ducked his head, waiting for some sort of refusal, I was sure. I smiled at his sudden shyness and placed my hand oh top of his. His head jerked up and he tensed under me.
"Relax; I'm not going to hurt you. I would like us to be friends. It's all I wanted since I saw you in Madame Malkin's. I would be honored to be your friend, Harry." I was serious, with a straight face, only squeezing his hand on the last word. I smiled at him, a real smile. His eyes widened in surprise, but he smiled back and tuned his hand to hold mine. My eyes flicked down to our connected hands, and we both seemed to come back to reality. I snatched my hand back, him doing the same and I feel the heat rush to my face. 'Well that's embarrassing. He probably thinks this isn't a good idea now.' The second I thought it was the same second he took my hand in his again. He stood up, pulling me out of my seat as well and dragged me to the chairs in front of the fire.
"Sit. Let's talk. Friends talk." He seemed so awkward, but I couldn't help but find it cute. I pulled my hand from his and sat obediently on the chair I had ungracefully fallen in earlier.
"Not there. That's my seat, Draco." I laughed and patted my thigh, motioning for him to sit on my lap. Part of me was screaming at me for being so forward, and the other part hoped desperately that he would take me up on the offer.
"Come on, Potter, I don't bite." I winked as he scoffed at my statement. I wouldn't believe me either. He did, however, sit on my lap, facing sideways on the chair, legs hung over the arm. His acceptance of the situation reminded me that we had both had a bit too much to drink, marring our judgment. I wasn't going to complain anytime soon, though. That would be counterproductive. I decided to talk like he suggested.
"So how are you and the Weaslette? Do you have a ginger baby on the way yet?" I couldn't help but ask with a bit of annoyance and disgust evident. To my surprise, Harry laughed and smacked my shoulder lightly.
"That's mean, Draco, but no; I don't have a baby on the way. I'm not with Ginny. I had to kick her out of my rooms yesterday when she tried to make a move on me," he said, and I could have sworn I heard a bit of disgust in his tone. He looked me straight in the eye and grinned.
"I never did like her much. She's like that annoying sister you don't want hurt, but you want to get rid of so bad. She doesn't really get the fact that it's not just her I don't want. I don't want any girl." His smile faded as he seemed to realize what he said. I felt happiness bubble up in me.
"You're gay?" I couldn't seem to help the stupid questions that poured out of my mouth around him. He nodded in answer, studying my face for a response.
"Regretting telling me to sit on your lap, aren't you?" The faint smile on my face slipped off as I shook my head. He had no idea how happy I was to hear this.
"No? What about now?" He leaned close enough for me to smell the faint scent of his shampoo, and my mouth went dry. 'Surely he wouldn't be doing this if he was sober,' I licked my lips involuntarily, and watched the corner of his mouth tilt up in a small smirk. He was trying to make this awkward! I wasn't going to let him win though. I wanted him much closer than he was, so I shook my head again, hoping he'd do something.
"And what about now? And if I was closer?" I could hear the laughter in his voice, and that furthered my resolve.
"I don't regret it." The second the words were out of my mouth, a pair of lips were crushed against mine. My eyes slid shut and I moaned involuntarily into the kiss. He pulled back sharply, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"What? What's wrong?" Again, another stupid question.
"You let me kiss you. You didn't stop it." Right, of course. That would be what made him stop.
"Shut up and kiss me again, Potter," I growled out. He placed a hand on my chest and shook his head.
"Harry. Use my first name if I'm going to be snogging you senseless, Draco." A shiver similar to the one I had in reaction to him yesterday ran down my spine, and I nodded my head numbly.
"Fine, Harry, shut up and kiss me again." That was all he needed. He was gentle this time, barely brushing my lips before grabbing my bottom lip and sucking it into his mouth.
Harry
The gasps and moans escaping Draco sent shots of arousal through me. I hadn't anticipated the reactions of the blonde. I took advantage of his gasps, invading his mouth with my tongue. I traced over every dip and ridge and groove of his mouth. He tasted like apples and wine, and I loved it. His tongue caressed mine as I explored, and I was unwilling to part despite our need of oxygen. I detached my mouth from his and took shallow breaths as I began to place kisses along his jaw and down his neck. His breathing was labored and he shuddered when I traced over his exposed collarbones. 'Oh, I'm so glad he wore a v-neck,' I couldn't help but think as I drew a whimper from those beautiful, kiss-bruised lips.
"Ha – Harry…please…" I smiled against his neck, playfully nipping at his earlobe.
{Yes, Draco?}, I hissed in his ear. He groaned and tensed under me. I chuckled at his reaction.
"What was that?" he asked breathlessly, and I pulled away, resting my forehead on his.
"That would be Parseltongue. {I still have the skill. You like?}" I watched as his lips parted and his pupils dilated from lust.
"I'll take that as a yes," I said with a smirk. I pressed another kiss to his lips before pulling away completely and not-so-gracefully getting off his lap.
"Come on, Draco. We have classes tomorrow. You need to get some sleep." I pulled him up off the couch and walked him to the entrance. He seemed to catch onto what I was telling him, and I saw the hurt flash across his face.
"Yeah, right, sleep. I guess I'll be going then." I heard the sadness in his voice, and pulled him in for another kiss. I figured this would be my one time to indulge myself in what I really wanted. I knew tomorrow Draco wouldn't want to have anything to do with me, new friendship be damned.
"If it wasn't for class, I would keep you here," I whispered against his lips before pushing him down the short hallway to the entrance portrait. He looked back one time before disappearing from view, and I knew that was the end of it.
A/N: The beginning of a wonderful...friendship? Either way, more fun to come (; haha my mind has taken residence in the gutter and i must be really tired to have found that sentence funny. My pillow calls! Review, review, review! Their sex lives depend on it!
