Disclaimer: I don't own.

Note and Warnings: No magic, set during their Upper Sixth year (17) and GAY!

A Cinderella Story.

Chapter Three.

The cloth moved smoothly over the counter he had just sprayed with disinfectant, taking the spilled salt, the drops of sauce and any other stains away quickly. Under his arm was the menu stand which he replaced when the table was clean again, going on to the next one.

"Harry! Napkins need a re-fill!" someone called out. He dropped off the disinfectant and cloth, grabbed a sealed pack of napkins and headed for the dispenser by the trays of knives, forks and spoons. Expertly he filled the napkin dispenser up and tidied up the sauces and sachets before going back to cleaning the tables off. Time flew by as he worked, the early evening people changed into costumed party goers and family nights out. "Order up!" Harry looked up when the call came, the waiters and waitresses were all busy or missing from the dinner, "Harry take this to the booth at the back will you?"

"Alright," Harry said quietly, putting the tray of freshly cleaned forks down to sort out later he grabbed the first two plates and headed over to the table, giving a grimace as he realised who was sat there. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, the two large boys that shoved people out of the way and two rather ugly girls. "Chicken Caesar Salad?" Harry asked politely.

"Oh look it's the Diner boy," one of the goons snorted, what an original insult…not. Harry ignored them and waited for the answer.

"Mines the Chicken, Riah's the Tuna," Pansy sneered at Harry who plonked the two plates down before the girls uncaringly, turning he went back to the counter and picked up the next two plates of burgers and fries. Before he could even ask the two fat boys grabbed them from him and bit into the thick and greasy burgers hungrily. No manners at all. Harry couldn't stop himself from grimacing before he went back and grabbed the last two plates, one a cheeseburger and fries and one just plain fries. It turned out that Blaise was the owner of the cheeseburger.

"Can I have some Ketchup?" Draco asked, not politely. Just asked. Harry nodded and went to grab a couple of pots of Ketchup for the beautiful boy.

"You can go now," Pansy sneered at him and Harry was all too happy to obey, "He is so not getting a tip. Stupid freak."

"Pansy don't be such a bitch," Draco snapped and all his friends stared at him in shock while he just continued to eat his chips.

"What did you say to me?" Pansy asked, her voice holding a threatening tone.

"You heard me, I told you to stop being such a bitch," Draco shrugged, "So stop it." Another chip was dipped in the Ketchup and then eaten calmly. "Unless you want to find yourself a new date for the party." She glared at him but said nothing further, picking up her fork once more she stabbed a piece of lettuce almost furiously.

Harry watched from where he was re-stocking the tray of knives and forks as the group ate and then left, Draco paying for all of them at the counter on their way out. Harry could honestly say he was glad when the idiots had gone…well maybe not Draco. He was very cute despite being a jerk 99 of the time, even Harry could see what everyone was infatuated with. The bell above the door jingled loudly and Harry heard Ron complaining about his costume loudly, making their working friend smile.

"I feel stupid."

"You look lovely."

"I don't want to look 'lovely'."

Returning behind the counter Harry reached beneath where the customers couldn't see and pulled out a cloth and a spray bottle of disinfectant. Looking at the café's resident Lancelot and Guinevere he came back out from behind the counter and began to clear the tables where people had just left their stuff. A job he had to do far too much in one shift, how many times did tables need to be cleaned?

"Harry! What are you doing? We've got to go!" Ron said, his voice confused, "Where's your costume? You aren't planning to go like that are you?"

"No, I'm not going at all. I have to work," Harry said with a sigh.

"But what about your mystery date?" Ron asked. These two were the only people he'd told about that, "You can't not go, you have to go!"

"Well I can't. Uncle Vernon's let most of the staff have tonight off. It's me, Maxxie, Gemma and Cook. I can't leave them to struggle along alone," Harry said calmly, "If you see someone waiting for me tell him I'm sorry but I couldn't help it."

"Not gonna happen," Hermione said, her tone deadly serious as she walked over to Maxxie, the guy behind the till who was the night-shift supervisor. "Maxxie Harry's got a date for the first time in years, can you do without him tonight?"

"'Mione!" Harry snapped, blushing at her bluntness.

"A date?" Maxxie asked, his tone interested, "With who?"

"It's a mystery date, that's why he has to go!" Hermione told the secret quite happily, "So can you cope with him going? Please Maxxie?"

"The Boss would kill me if he found out! He specifically said not to let Harry go anywhere…I could loose my job!" Maxxie said panically, "He's coming back at Midnight to clear the registers but I guess…I guess if Harry got back for then I could pretend he'd been here all night."

"Thanks Maxxie!" Hermione said happily, leaning over the counter she kissed his cheek. Ron looked on in shock, that was his girl! "Come on boys…what?" she'd noticed both of their shocked expressions. Maxxie was chuckling behind her. "God Ron it was just a thank you. Let's go." She grabbed each of them by a hand and dragged them from the little Café. "Now Harry we'll go and get your costume and…"

"I don't have one."

"Pardon?" Hermione asked, stopping by Harry's car she let go of their hands and turned to face him. "You don't?"

"I didn't think I'd need one, I knew Uncle Vernon would make me work in the end," Harry said simply, "I can just go as…a troubled teen."

"No you wont, but we'll find you something. To your house Harry and step on it. I'm sure you'll have something that can make up a costume suitable for your date," Hermione said calmly, looking expectantly at the locked her. She and Ron had walked to the café, they walked everywhere if Harry was busy. Harry blinked a few times before fishing his car keys out of his pocket, opening the door.

"Have you got any costumes?" Ron asked from the back seat as they sped along the roads to Harry's house, "From a party or last year?"

"No." Parking on the road as usual Harry followed the two up to the house he lived in, a house he wished he didn't. Every wall or flat surface had pictures of Dudley on them, the decorator that aunt Petunia had employed had obeyed her wishes and everything was very pink, very floral and very sickening. Ron actually winced as Harry led them up the wide stairs, along the landing and through the plain white door, up the old and worn stairs and into the attic a.k.a. his bedroom.

Technically it was the largest room in the house but most of it was filled with the families junk. A path in the junk went from the top of the little stairs to the end of the attic with the little window in it, under which was Harry's small bed. Next to the bed was an old wardrobe with only one of it's door still on it. There was a desk on the other side with Harry's laptop on it and a pile of his school books. And next to the desk was a chest of drawers with the bottom drawer missing.

"Now I know why we hang at mine or Hermione's," Ron said quietly.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped.

"Sorry…"

"Don't worry, it's true," Harry shrugged, opening up his laptop he turned it on, "Go on then Hermione, take a look. There probably won't be anything. And don't worry it's all clean, I make sure to wash all mine whenever I can." The girl of the trio went into action, opening the door of the wardrobe she went through his things hanging up on the metal hangers.

"Any games on there mate?" Ron asked.

"Ron! Come and help me!" Hermione ordered and the boy quickly obeyed. Harry sniggered, boy did Ron have it bad for their friend. He'd do anything for her, "What do you think of…" Harry tuned them out and brought up his emails.

To : Homeless#236

From : cLoSeTmisfit#118

Subject : none.

I'm writing this mainly to calm myself down and to remind you of our agreement to meet. You haven't forgotten have you? I hope you'll be there, I'll need saving. My father's making me go with the most idiotic girl you will ever meet. She's got this disgustingly meringue type dress to be Cinderella, it's truly awful! At least my costume as Prince Charming is nice and rather sexy. I wonder what yours will be like…I wonder who you'll be. Truth be told I'm a bit nervous about meeting you, me, nervous! I'm hardly ever nervous! Excited too, you're my first real friend, the first person that I've told everything to. Well I'll see you soon I hope.

Love…me. xXxXx

"Harry? Have you got any white shoes?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"Um, yes…why?"

"Are they trainers?" Hermione answered with a question of her own.

"No, they're a pair of Dudley's old dinner shoes that he grew out of. They fit me so I have them," Harry said, "They're with the rest of my shoes under the bed." He watched the girl as she pulled them out and looked them over. "What are you thinking Hermione?"

"You're going as Cinderella."

"Um, you might not have realised Hermione but Cinderella is a girl."

"You're going as the male version Harry. You've got the right clothes for it and we'll stop of at mine on the way and I'll do your hair and a little bit of make-up," Hermione said as she laid out the things she'd found on Harry's bed.

"Hermione I might be gay but I don't wear make-up."

"You will for tonight Harry, you have to."

"Fine. Just don't make me look ridiculous."

"I'd never do that. Now get changed."

Harry obeyed Hermione's order and his friends turned their backs to give him privacy as he changed into what she'd found. A white silk shirt that was once again Dudley's old thing and hung loosely around Harry but not disgustingly so, it's collars and cuffs in a slight ruffle making the shirt seem more stylish than it really was. A very light cream waistcoat went on top with a pattern embroidered around its hems, hugging close to his chest. It reminded him of all those old films he'd seen, like Pride and Prejudice where the men had tight waistcoats with huge sleeves billowing out. On his legs went white jeans, ripped at the bottom and at the knees. And then the shoes.

"I'm done," he said calmly. They turned.

"Oh wow," Hermione breathed, "That looks sexy. Now I've got a mask I wore last year as the Good Fairy which will go well and like I said your hair needs doing so let's go. We haven't got long, we're already late as it is." She turned and walked down the path, "Let's go." After shutting down the laptop the boys followed her.

The music was loud and the three could hear it clearly as they parked in the hotels car park. Ron took Hermione's arm in an attempt to be a gentleman.

"Can I just ask you something quickly?" Harry stopped the pair.

"Yes mate?" Ron asked.

"Are you two going out now or are you still pretending not to be aware of the others feelings?" Harry asked boldly, locking the car, a grin on his face as both of them stood looking like goldfishes for a moment, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Harry!" That was Hermione of course, shouting out in shock.

"Well am I right?"

"Yes," Ron answered, looking at Hermione. "Well hopefully…Hermione will you be my girlfriend?" The girl blushed, gave a very girly like giggle and nodded.

"Finally!" Harry said triumphantly, "Do you two have any idea how long I and the rest of our friends have been trying to get you together?" The two once again blinked at him in shock. "Now that that's settled we should get inside." Suddenly nerves hit him right in his stomach. "What if he's not there? Or what if it's a joke?"

"He'll be there and it wont be, I've read some of your emails Harry and his seem to be genuine. And anyway Harry if he is a bastard you can have a good night with us," Ron said calmly. "So lets get going." Not allowing Harry to respond he pulled Hermione inside and Harry could do nothing but follow.

The party was in the ballroom of the hotel and a large DJ station had been set up at the end furthest from the double doors. Couples were all over the dance floor, some were dancing so closely Harry was sure they were breaking the law or something. Teachers from school were walking around with clipboards marking the students on their costumes. And the music was even louder in here.

"Give me your phone!" Hermione shouted in Harry's ear. Harry obeyed with a frown and watched as she set an alarm, "So you wont forget to get back to the café!" He nodded his thanks and slipped the phone back into his back pocket safely. "Have fun Harry! Let's go dance Ron!"

Taking a deep breath Harry walked slowly to the middle of the dance floor, trying not to fiddle with the mask he now wore over his eyes and nose. It was white lace and as Hermione had said actually made the costume look even better. She'd spiked out his hair with gel that had glitter added to it and the make-up Hermione had spoke of was a tasteful showering of glitter on his eyelids and cheek bones where they were visible. All too soon he reached the middle of the dance floor and stood alone and waited…and waited.

"Hello." The voice came from behind him and was rather familiar. Slowly Harry turned and his mouth dropped open in shock. Draco Malfoy.

"Draco Malfoy? You're cLoSeTmisfit?" Harry asked quietly, barely heard above the music. His face showed his amazement, well his eyes did anyway.

"Yes. I take it then that you are Homeless#236," Draco smiled at him. Harry nodded. "Who is it under that mask?" Draco was dressed like he'd said as Prince Charming in a costume pretty similar to Harry's only the waistcoat was deep red, he wore a black jacket and riding boots.

"It doesn't matter, this was a mistake," Harry said, blushing deeply under the mask he turned to go. Draco Malfoy, of all people he had not expected this.

"Wha-why?" Draco asked, catching his arm.

"Your Draco Malfoy," Harry answered, saying that simple sentence as though it were the answer to all things, "And I'm no body. Plus…you're not…"

"Gay? I'm still the person you spoke to online. I've told you over and over that I hide myself for everyone else's wishes but I don't want to any longer," Draco said passionately. "Can we go out into the garden and talk? I can barely hear you."

"I don't kno-" Harry sighed. "Alright, let's talk."

Draco led the way and Harry followed, letting the slightly taller and more popular boy get people out of the way until they were outside in the gardens which had also been hired for the school's party. Stopping at a little stone bench Draco sat and motioned for Harry to sit beside him.

"Will you tell me who you are now?"

"No." Harry answered softly, still not believing that this was happening, that Draco Malfoy of all people…

"Can I guess? Twenty questions?" Draco asked, his mood obviously a good one. Truthfully Draco was pleased with the person he had found out to be his secret friend, the boy in the mask looked kind and caring and beautiful. Now he just wanted to know who he was. "Ten?"

"Ten."

"Do I know who you are?"

"Probably."

"You are in my year right?"

"Yes."

"Classes?"

"Some."

"Big Mac or Veggie Burger?"

"What?" Harry asked surprised.

"It's a valid question. Big Mac or Veggie Burger?"

"Big Mac. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing really, just means that we have the same taste in foods." Harry couldn't help but smile at the answer. "How many more have I got?"

"Five."

"Five?" Draco counted them on his fingers, "No my friend six…"

"You asked the last one twice," Harry teased.

"That doesn't count!"

"Yes it does," Harry laughed loudly. "But fine, fine, you've got six."

"Are you an open gay or a closet like me?"

"Open amongst my friends but I don't hide it amongst others," Harry said, "I still…I still can't believe that you are…" Harry sighed and blushed again. Draco smiled at him in a very un-Draco like way.

"I am gay. I'm just a very good actor."

"I guess you must be, I've met your father and to convince him that you like that Parkinson girl…" Harry bit his lip. He shouldn't have said that, he'd just been there when his relations had met the Senior Malfoy.

"You've met my father?" Draco asked, "So your in my sort of circle?"

"Not really but someone I…know…is," Harry answered trying not give anything more away. Draco nodded slowly.

"Why wont you tell me who you are?" Draco asked.

"I'm not sure you'd like me."

"I wasn't sure you'd like me. I'm a bastard for lack of a nicer term." Harry chuckled softly, "Come on, you know that's what you thought until now."

"Ok, until now. Now you've just completely confused me."

"Good. Maybe now that you're so confused about me you'll let slip who you are and I can call you by your name," Draco said as a slow song came on. "Do you dance Homeless#236?"

"Is that one of your ten questions?" Harry asked.

"It can be if it get's you to dance with me," Draco answered boldly, standing up and holding his hand out like a gentleman of old. Harry slowly nodded and allowed himself to be pulled from the seat, led to a larger part of the patio and then allowed Draco to lead. Somehow he seemed to fit perfectly in the other boys arms, his own about Draco's shoulders as Draco's were about his waist.

"You're a good dancer," Harry commented as Draco led the way much better than Harry had seen others lead.

"Lessons, compulsory." Harry nodded and laughed. "You're beautiful. I always thought you would be from the way you wrote."

"I'm not beautiful under all this," Harry said with a blush, "It's the costume, no more. And I expect the mood of the evening hasn't helped much."

"No that's not it," Draco said calmly, "You are beautiful and mysterious…and you still don't believe me do you? I'm still Draco Malfoy, the straight git from school aren't I?" Still they danced together.

"Maybe. You have to admit it's a lot to take in," Harry said.

"So to plan B of convincing you," Draco said with a grin and then he was leaning forwards and pressing his soft lips to Harry's. The black haired teens eyes widened briefly before they fluttered closed and he responded to the best kiss of his life, his fingers threading through Draco's blond hair. Draco pulled him closer and the kiss deepened, their tongues moving together. It was when Draco's hand was roaming down Harry's back to his ass when the vibrating alarm went off on his phone in Harry's back pocket.

"Oh no!"

"What is it?" Draco asked worriedly as Harry pulled away completely.

"I have to go." Harry turned and began to rush away.

"But I don't know your name yet!" Draco called after him, following the other boy quickly, "Wait!"

"I'm sorry!" Harry called back returning his phone to his pocket he ran blindly towards the exit just as the teachers announced across the sound system that it was time to crown the King and Queen of the party, the two students with the best costumes. Draco was still following Harry when his name was called out.

"Draco as Prince Charming has been named King!" There were cheers as a spotlight was put on him and he paused quickly. "And…wait this can't be right. It has here that the other winner is the male Cinderella but that can't be right…" A spotlight was put on Harry as he rushed but he ignored it, "And he seems to be running away." Draco watched at a distance as Harry's phone fell from his pocket just as he left the room. "I guess then that the other prize for best costume must go to Miss Pansy Parkinson, the female Cinderella." There was a loud and annoying squeal from Pansy but Draco didn't listen any more, he was rushing towards the phone on the floor, his link to his mystery date. Maybe it would tell him who he was.

A/N There we go, a long chapter three. Another will follow soon (I hope).