Harry walked purposely across the room, feeling absurd as he waved his arms around like some sort of mad bird.

Draco couldn't help but snort with amusement as he stood observing with clipboard in hand.

Harry glared at him. "You promised you wouldn't laugh."

"I made no such promise," Draco said evenly as he glanced at the screen to his right and then made some notes.

Harry watched him with hands on hips for a moment before curiosity got the better of him. "Well?"

Draco finished writing then glanced up. "Try again with the Disillusionment Charm," he ordered without replying to Harry's question.

Harry rolled his eyes but walked back to the left side of the room without complaint. After working for Draco for two months, he was used to the Slytherin's less than forthcoming manner. As frustrating as that aspect was, Harry had to admit that he quite enjoyed working alongside the blond and delving into the intricacies of security devices and charms. He had come to realise that providing people with a safe environment was like being an Auror without having to chase the bad guys - which was kind of a perfect fit for him.

Harry cast the charm and waited for the cool trickling sensation to stop before he once again walked past the camera prototype that Draco had set up beside him.

He stopped and turned expectantly, watching as Draco bit his bottom lip distractedly as he looked at the screen and made some more notes. The Slytherin was a very meticulous worker and it was easy to see why his business was thriving. Harry had to admit that it was a cunning move; setting up a security business post-Voldemort and cashing in on people's lingering fear of rogue Death Eaters or new Dark Lord wannabe's. He couldn't really fault Draco for playing on people's fears because there were rogue Death Eaters and there very well may be another Dark Lord wannabe out there somewhere. So if it made him money and kept people safe, and just as importantly, feeling safe, then more power to him.

"Harry?"

Harry blinked and looked up.

Draco shifted his weight and looked slightly exasperated. "You can end the Disillusionment Charm now Potter."

"Oh, right." Harry smiled in embarrassment as he realised he'd just been standing there, silent and invisible, and he quickly ended the charm with a quick tap of his wand, shivering a little as the pleasant warmth flowed over his chilled body.

Draco's lips quirked into a tiny smirk before he reached out to switch off the camera and then sat down on one of the tall metal stools with his clipboard of notes laid out in front of him.

Harry hopped up onto the worktable beside him and picked up his discarded apple from earlier. He took a bite and munched contentedly as he tried to read over Draco's shoulder.

Draco sighed and levelled Harry with a look. "What have I told you about reading over my shoulder Potter?"

Harry grinned as he wiped some errant apple juice from his lip. "How else am I supposed to know what's going on? You won't tell me anything."

Draco narrowed his eyes at him but Harry could see the glow of amusement hidden in those grey depths. "Alright, take a seat like a normal human being and I'll tell you."

Harry grinned and slid off the table before taking a seat on the adjacent stool.

Draco turned back to his notes, tapping his quill on the parchment with a thoughtful frown. "So… the only thing the Disillusionment Charm will fool is a basic camera that relies purely on visual triggers. The light beam, the infrared heat detectors and the ultrasonic waves will all be triggered by someone, regardless of invisibility cloaks or charms."

Harry took another bite of his apple and chewed as he thought over what Draco had said. He thought about the Disillusionment Charm and it suddenly tweaked something in his mind. "What about a cooling charm?" he said aloud.

Draco turned to look at him, which Harry took as consent to continue.

"If someone were to use some sort of spell or charm to lower their core body temperature, could that fool the infrared detectors?"

Draco's gaze slid to the tiny round camera behind Harry as he mulled over what he'd said. "Hmm… it's a possibility."

"So to provide the best defense possible, the camera should really incorporate all three components, to cover all bases," Harry continued.

Draco nodded pensively. "Yes, I think you're right."

Harry smiled as Draco then made a note on his secretive clipboard. "See? I can be useful."

Draco finished writing then glanced up with a reluctant smirk. "Yes Potter, sometimes you actually use that brain of yours. I may have to start paying you two apples a day."

Harry laughed and pointedly bit into his apple again as Rose walked into the room with her coat slung over one arm.

"I'm off for the day gentlemen," she announced, looking at the two of them with a fond smile. "Do try to behave tonight."

"Goodnight Rose," Draco replied.

"No promises," Harry said through a mouthful of apple.

Rose shook her head of wavy, mousey-brown hair before turning and heading back out the door with a careless wave.

It was Friday evening and time for their weekly "bender," as Harry and Ron commonly referred to it.

Draco quickly scratched out a few more notes as Harry stood and stretched his arms over his head, apple core in hand.

"Do you think anyone would mind if we went to a Muggle pub tonight?" Harry asked.

Draco finished writing and banished his clipboard and quill to his office before turning to Harry. "I don't see why they would," he replied.

The two walked into the empty front room and slipped into warm winter coats. It was now early November and the cold crisp feel of winter was already heavy in the air around London.

"Any particular reason?" Draco asked as he buttoned up his black wool coat.

"Just a bit tired of the media attention every time I step outside," Harry replied bitterly as he wrapped a slightly tatty striped scarf around his neck.

Draco completed his stylish ensemble with a pair of knitted grey gloves and raised a brow as Harry jammed on an old pair of woolly red mittens. "I'm sure we can accommodate our celebrity's request," he drawled.

Before Harry could respond, there was a loud knock at the door. Draco pulled the door open to reveal their motley group of friends standing huddled together on the cobblestones, attempting to blow warmth into their frozen hands.

"Come on!" Pansy whined. "It's bloody freezing out here!"

Before Harry could say anything, Draco jumped in to inform them all of a change of plans and directed them to a Muggle pub that he was familiar with in nearby Shaftesbury.

Harry flashed him a grateful smile before they all Disapparated.

. . . .

The Kings Arms in Shaftesbury was a warm and welcoming setting as they sat clustered around two wooden tables that they'd pushed together in order to accommodate their rather large group. It seemed most of the town was inside, escaping the inclement weather to have a drink by the fire or to play a round of pool.

The Hogwarts group talked and laughed, and Harry was immediately swept up in the comfort of having a pint with close friends. They still teased him mercilessly about working for Draco but Harry took it all in stride. Most Friday nights, nothing could ruin his good mood.

"Next round is on me," Harry announced as he got to his feet, swaying ever-so-slightly after consuming too much beer on an empty stomach. He and Draco had completely lost track of time and worked right through dinner; Draco had only consumed tea all afternoon and Harry had only had tea and a single apple. He glanced at said blond but Draco looked his usual lucid and coolly composed self.

Harry made his way over to the bar to order their drinks and stood leaning against the shiny brass railing to wait.

"Hullo."

Harry glanced to his left to see a young man who looked to be in his early twenties smiling at him. "Oh, hi," he replied slowly, mind frantically working to remember if he knew this person or not.

The man's smile only widened. "You don't know me," he said with amusement.

Harry couldn't help but smile back. "Sorry, I'm not very good with faces so I often find myself in very awkward situations."

"I'm Tim," he replied, holding out a hand.

"Harry." He took his warm hand and shook it amiably. "Are you a local?"

"Yeah, Shaftesbury born and bred," Tim replied with a nod.

"Seems a nice town," Harry supplied, glancing around at the crowd of people.

"It's alright," Tim shrugged good-naturedly, "bit boring at times." He turned to face Harry. "I don't mean to be presumptuous Harry but, do you think I could see you some time?"

Harry blinked. "Erm…"

Tim smiled. "You don't have to answer now; I'm just sitting over there with some friends if you want to talk later."

Harry looked to see where he was pointing to a table in the far corner which sat two other blokes. "Yeah, sure…" Harry trailed off as Tim picked up his drink and, with one last smile, wandered back to his friends.

Harry turned back to the bar to pay for his drinks then carefully picked up the heavy tray and slowly carried it back towards his waiting table. He felt his face heat when he suddenly realized that they were all staring at him with little smirks on their meddlesome faces.

"Alright, let's have it," Harry sighed as he dropped back into his chair.

"Did he ask you out?" Hermione asked with affected nonchalance as she grasped her pint in two hands and pulled it along the table towards her.

"Yes," Harry muttered, staring hard into his drink, hoping to disappear.

"When's the big date?" Ginny asked as she glanced over her shoulder towards Tim, her long red plait falling over one shoulder.

"I think it's great you're dating a Muggle," Blaise put in with a wink. "They don't know you're famous, do they?"

"I'm not dating a Muggle," Harry interrupted before they could get too carried away. "I mean, there's nothing wrong with dating a Muggle obviously," he said before Blaise could be insulted. "What I mean is that I'm not dating him. We're not going out."

"You said no?" Hermione asked with a frown. "Why?"

"He's fairly cute Potter," Pansy put in negligently.

They all turned to look at Tim then and Harry slouched even further down into his seat as Tim chose that moment to glance up and raised his brow at all the staring eyes.

"For fuck's sake, leave Harry alone," Ron said with a roll of his eyes. "Just because that man is gay does not automatically mean that Harry wants to date him. He could be an absolute twat."

"Yes, thank you," Harry replied forcefully, then immediately felt bad and so added, "but he wasn't."

"Not helping Potter," Draco murmured from across the table.

The others could sense that Harry wanted off the subject of his love life, so they fell back onto other subjects and left him alone.

Harry's good mood had dimmed a little, and he sat there in silence, nursing his pint, lost in thought. It wasn't that he was lonely or depressed because he didn't have someone in his life that fit the role of "boyfriend," it was just that he was still a living breathing twenty-two year old male who had certain needs; needs that Tim had swiftly reminded him of with his easy smile and nicely muscled arms.

Harry finished off his pint with a sigh; circuitous thoughts swirling nonsensically around his faintly inebriated mind.

"You alright Harry?"

Harry turned to his left, trying to shake off his sullen mood. "Yeah, I'm alright Luna," he said with a rueful smile. "I s'pose I've never gotten used to people prying into my personal life - even when it's my friends who are doing the prying. I know you all mean well."

Luna smiled and lifted her empty pint to stare at his warped form through the glass. "There's nothing wrong with being sensitive," she said.

"I'm not sensitive," Harry bristled. "I'm just… private."

Luna turned her dreamy, wide-eyed look on Tim, still gazing through the empty glass. "He's not right for you," she finally surmised before setting down her faux Omnioculars and turning back to Harry.

"Oh?" Harry replied with a reluctantly amused grin, leaning his head in his hand and looking up at her with interest. "Why's that?"

"He's not your opposite," she replied, as though that made complete sense.

"My what?"

"Your opposite; he's not your other half," she explained, tilting her blond head to one side to stare thoughtfully at him.

"The Ying to my Yang?" Harry added with a smile; Luna's innate quirkiness already beginning to cheer him.

"It's Yin," she corrected with a pleased smile, "and yes, exactly."

"Oh well, be sure to tell me when you see my Yin," Harry said flippantly, sitting up. "I seem to be missing one."

Luna's pale blue eyes flicked to Draco just as Blaise exclaimed, "what in the actual fuck are you two talking about?"

Harry laughed and leaned drunkenly against Blaise's left side. "I think it's time for another round," he proclaimed.

"Here here!" Ron heartily agreed, raising his empty glass into the air.

The next couple of hours flew by and Harry felt the last of his bad mood washing away with each passing pint.

The cold night air was a shock to the system when they finally all stepped outside to Apparate to their respective homes. They bid each other a cheerful goodnight until only Harry and Draco were left standing in the dark, quiet street.

Harry stumbled slightly when Draco suddenly grasped his wrist.

"Don't want you splinching yourself Potter," he explained with a smirk, pale cheeks flushed with alcohol and grey eyes markedly glassy.

"You're just as sloshed as I am Malfoy," Harry accused, squinting at him.

"Yes but the difference is, I can handle it," was the arrogant reply.

Before Harry could splutter a retort, the pull of joint Apparation grabbed ahold of him and yanked him through space, then roughly tossed him out again into Knockturn Alley, Draco still holding tight to his wrist.

"Whoa…" Harry steadied himself then glanced over at Draco. For some reason they both found this incredibly funny and began to laugh, leaning heavily on each other in a futile attempt at keeping balanced.

Harry straightened up and linked his arm through Draco's, dragging him as they stumbled along the rain-slicked cobblestones towards Draco's shop and their flat.

Draco made a huge show of opening the secret bookcase entrance to the flat, causing Harry to snicker all the way up the staircase and into the flat, the two of them leaving a messy trail of coats, gloves and boots on the floor in their wake before collapsing onto the floor in front of the sofa.

Harry leaned his head back on the cushion behind him and closed his eyes, shutting out the spinning lounge room. He smiled at nothing, enjoying the pleasant liquid warmth coursing through his body.

"Why didn't you want the twat?"

"Huh?" Harry turned his head with a frown and opened his eyes a crack.

Draco was looking back at him, grey eyes still glassy but dark with curiosity. "The twat. Tim. Tim the twat."

Harry laughed once and turned back to look up at the ceiling. "He wasn't a twat, he was… nice. Too nice for me," he said; words streaming from his mouth before they're even fully framed thoughts in his mind. He sighed and closed his eyes again. "I don't want nice."

"Oh no?" Draco replied with amusement. "What do you want?"

"I just want… sex," Harry replied slowly, mouth seemingly unconnected to his brain. "I want sex whenever I feel like it - without the bother of having to go out and find it."

"Like a prostitute?" Draco supplied, sniggering.

"Yes!" Harry crowed, turning back to him with wide excited eyes as though Draco were a genius. "Exactly like that - except free."

Draco laughed and Harry grinned at him.

"I don't need a boyfriend," Harry continued, "I just need…"

"A good fuck?" Draco interjected with a smirk.

Harry tipped his head back with a groan. "Yes…" he whispered, beginning to feel a little hot and bothered around the edges.

Draco nodded, seeming to agree with him.

Harry swallowed, lost in thoughts that were making him squirm. "When was the last time you…?" he suddenly asked aloud.

Draco stared down at his hands as he thought back with a concentrated frown. "I think… nine months?"

Harry lifted his head and stared at him in shock. "Nine months? Holy fuck Malfoy; you need a shag as badly as I do."

"Too busy," Draco muttered, still frowning at his hands.

"Yeah, too busy," Harry repeated nonsensically.

"You can't go the next two years without at least a hand-job every once in a while."

"That's true," Harry replied very seriously.

There was a pause as they both thought about this grave discovery.

Draco swallowed then turned to look at him, eyes lit with a strange glow. "Perhaps we could help each other out Potter."

"Wha's that?" Harry replied with a frown.

"Well, we both want the same thing, so perhaps we could help each other."

Harry's expression cleared and his impossibly green eyes widened as he cottoned on. "With hand-jobs?"

Draco snorted. "Yeah, hand-jobs - and stuff."

Harry laughed then sobered, then laughed again. "But… you're Malfoy."

Draco rolled his eyes then shifted so that he was on his knees facing Harry, trying to focus as his vision swam a little with the sudden movement. "Close your eyes," he instructed.

Harry jerked away from him. "W-what are you doing?"

"Just do it Potter," Draco said in exasperation.

Harry felt a rush of alcohol-fueled nerve and did was he was told. He closed his eyes and waited, holding his breath.

There came the softest of touches against his lips as Draco tentatively pressed his mouth to his in a chaste kiss.

Harry opened his eyes and promptly giggled against Draco's lips; his face was just so close - and he was kissing Draco bloody Malfoy!

Draco glared and began to pull back but Harry quickly grabbed onto his arm to stop him. "No wait, try again. I'll behave," he promised, striving to get himself under control.

Draco seemed to hesitate so Harry took a deep breath and leaned forward; closing his eyes as he firmly pressed his lips to Draco's. This time the kiss didn't stop and Draco eagerly pressed back against him.

Harry felt all his amusement and niggling moral objections drift into the background of his clouded mind. With a hitched breath, his body began to respond and take over; he'd been aroused off and on all night, and he was unexpectedly given an outlet for it now. Suddenly it didn't matter that it was Draco he was snogging, but a warm and fit male body, ready and willing. He knew he wasn't going to last long.

Harry's arms came up to wrap around Draco and he pulled so that the blond was suddenly straddling his lap. Harry moaned into a kiss that was suddenly open mouths and urgently stroking tongues. Draco tasted of beer and the slightly salty taste of pub chips.

Draco pulled back and quickly brought urgent hands to the zip on Harry's jeans. Harry licked his lips as he watched, then canted his hips upwards so that Draco could slide his jeans and pants down, exposing his erection; lying engorged and pink against his abdomen.

Draco stared hungrily for a moment before wrenching open his own trousers and roughly pulling out his own swollen prick.

They each took the other in hand and stroked as best they could while continuing to kiss, trading panted breaths and moans as they arched up and into the other's fist, eyes squeezed shut in anticipated pleasure as their orgasms began to build.

Draco was the first to give in as he gasped and shot his load all over Harry's fist and stomach. Harry watched in rapt attention before free-falling into his own orgasm, throwing his head back with a cry and pushing into Draco's fist one last time as he ejaculated; adding to the warm sticky mess already covering the both of them.

Draco placed his hands on the sofa behind Harry as he leaned forwards to catch his breath. Harry's hands slid to Draco's hips as he closed his eyes and let his head fall back.

"That was sudden," Harry observed breathlessly, the warm pull of sleep swiftly drifting over him. He was too weary to care that a half-naked Draco Malfoy was currently sitting in his lap covered in their cooling semen. Somehow he just didn't have the energy to feel anything but pleasantly sated.

Draco finally pulled back and looked Harry in the eye. Harry could see the same sated haziness in Draco's eyes but also a hint of trepidation, as though he were concerned about Harry's reaction.

"I think that was one of your better ideas Malfoy," Harry stated with a reassuring smile.

Draco relaxed and slid off of Harry's lap. He got his feet under him and pulled his trousers back on before holding out a hand to help Harry up.

"Are things going to be weird now?" Harry asked as he pulled on his pants.

"Only if you make them Potter."

Harry laughed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Does that mean you want to do this again?"

Draco smoothed out his shirt before looking up with an arched brow. "That was the general idea."

Harry smiled. "Great."

"Goodnight Potter," Draco said, unable to hide a tiny smirk of amusement as he turned away.

"Night Draco." Harry grinned as he watched him leave then headed off to have a quick shower before jumping into bed. He couldn't help thinking that while this could look like a really bad idea from the outside, it was the perfect solution - for both of them. He had everything he could ask for: his friends, a job to keep him busy, a place to live, and a flatmate who provided sexual relief any time he wanted it, without the trappings of an actual relationship.

Harry sighed in satisfaction as he closed his eyes. He knew he wasn't going to tell his friends about his arrangement with Malfoy; they would never understand or approve, and the cloak-and-dagger of it all definitely added a touch of excitement to it.

His last thought before drifting off into a deep sleep was if this was still going to seem like a good idea when he woke up and alcohol was no longer making his decisions for him.