A/N: *does the screaming thing* On one hand, I survived finals. On the other hand, I had to give up sleep and any semblance of an eating schedule in order to do so. Anyway, happy new year! I'm really sorry for the delay in updates, I've been super busy and then ACOMI just slipped my mind. I've also hit a pretty bad case of writer's block, and I was a little reluctant to upload a new chapter when I hadn't made any progress on the rest of the fic.

I don't want to leave you all hanging, though, so I'm uploading anyway and hoping this will inspire me to finish the chapter I'm working on. Thanks for your patience, guys. As always, reviews are appreciated. This is my favorite chapter so far, so I'd love to know what you guys think! Happy reading!


Chapter 7

"You're not getting anything?" Harry asked Draco as they joined the queue for the register so Harry could purchase the myriad items he was juggling.

Draco shook his head. "No one to shop for," he said plainly. "Besides you, anyway, and I'm hardly going to purchase your Christmas present with you right here."

"Not even for your parents?" Harry pressed.

Draco's lip curled. "I'm not too keen on reminding them of my existence right now," he said shortly.

Harry looked at him curiously, but they had reached the register by then, and Harry was forced to redirect his attention to the cashier instead of Draco's estrangement from his parents.

Still, Draco wasn't lucky enough for Harry to drop the conversation entirely. The reprieve he was granted was mournfully short, and just moments after they left the shopping center, Harry asked, "So where are you staying over break, then?"

Draco spared a moment to think about the question. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted finally, clenching his fists as a defense against the warning bells ringing in his head telling him not to share this vulnerability with Harry. "I thought I might stay with Blaise or Pansy, but Pansy is going to France with her parents, and I'm fairly certain Blaise is sharing his flat with his flavor-of-the-month."

Harry nodded once in acknowledgement but otherwise did not respond. He dropped his gaze to the bags in his hands, absently hefting them as he mulled something over. Content to avoid the subject, Draco did nothing to break the ensuing silence.

A minute later, Harry spoke again. "Come stay at mine, then," he said, determination etched on his features. "If you really don't have anywhere to go."

Draco stumbled on the pavement. He grabbed Harry's arm to steady himself, then used the grip to force Harry to face him once he was upright again. "You can't be serious," he said faintly.

Harry shrugged. "You don't have anywhere to stay; I'll have the flat to myself since Ron's going home over break. It makes perfect sense."

Draco made a strangled noise. "It's a little early to move in together, don't you think?" he asked. He realized then that his hand was still on Harry's shoulder, and he snatched it away before Harry could notice how long it had been there.

Harry started walking again as he replied, forcing Draco to follow. "It wouldn't be permanent," Harry pointed out. "Look, just think about it. You've still got a week to decide, yeah? Besides, if you're that concerned, you can just cover Ron's portion of the rent over break." He jostled Draco's shoulder with a smile, amusement glinting in his eyes.

They had reached the station by then, and Draco fell silent as he focused on scanning his card and following Harry to the correct platform. He took a minute to regain his composure and properly consider Harry's invitation.

Uncertainty warred with gratitude in Draco's mind. They had only been dating for a few months, and though Draco felt more and more secure in their relationship with each day, he still wasn't comfortable laying himself bare in front of Harry. What if Harry suddenly decided he wanted nothing more to do with Draco?

Draco scoffed at himself. Hadn't he decided not to let his worries of the past dictate his future? Now that the shock had worn off, Draco had no excuse to refuse. He had nowhere else to go, as Harry had so aptly pointed out, and Harry had made it clear that he didn't mind the imposition.

The carriage doors had long closed behind them when Draco turned to Harry and said, "Let me know how much the rent is; I'll cover it. I wouldn't dream of imposing you for so long without recompense."

Harry's mouth split open in a wide grin when he realized what Draco was saying. "Just pay me in kisses," he told Draco. "I think a thousand ought to cover five weeks' rent."

Draco scowled to hide his mortification. "So you're not planning on going anywhere over break, then?" he asked, changing the subject.

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's response to being teased but answered nonetheless. "The Weasleys are having me over for Christmas dinner; I might stay a few days to help out and hang out with Ron." His expression brightened then. "Why don't you come with me? Ron says his mum always cooks enough for a small army; I'm sure she wouldn't mind one more mouth to feed."

"As your date, you mean," Draco clarified.

Harry nodded.

Draco's mouth went dry. He had steadily grown more willing to come out to his and Harry's friends, even if he wasn't entirely comfortable, since he at least knew they would be supportive. But the thought of announcing his sexual preferences to a group of virtual strangers was enough to give him heart palpitations. He would never be able to maintain control in a situation that unpredictable and potentially volatile.

"If Weasley's family is even half as annoying as he is, I think I'll pass," he drawled, hoping his voice didn't sound as shaky as he thought it did.

Harry sighed. "I wish you'd make more of an effort to get along with Ron," he said. The argument was a familiar one, since Harry and Draco both staunchly refused to change their stances.

"I will when he stops acting like I'm only dating you to steal your virginity and prey on your innocence," Draco maintained with a haughty sniff.

The assessment was not overly inaccurate. On each of the rare occasions they had met, Weasley had made a point to impress upon Draco the severity of the consequences he would face if he broke Harry's heart. Weasley's overprotective behavior would have been endearing, in much the same way a precocious toddler was endearing, had Draco not found it so immensely irritating already.

Weasley's animosity seemed only to grow when, a week later, Draco rolled his suitcase through Harry and Weasley's front door. If looks could kill, Draco mused, he was sure the intensity of Weasley's gaze would have flayed Draco's skin from his bones the second he crossed the threshold. The redhead fumed silently from where he stood angrily, arms crossed and shoulder stiff with tension, in the kitchen.

"I'm only a phone call away, Harry," Weasley said loudly. With a quick glance thrown towards Draco, and a valiant attempt to lower his voice that fell just shy of success, Weasley continued, "You know you can stay with us, yeah? Mum wouldn't mind one bit."

Harry smiled good-naturedly. "I'll be fine here," he reassured his friend. "You should go, though, or you won't make it to the airport in time."

Weasley didn't move. "You're sure you won't get lonely?" he pressed. "Or bored? Or unhappy?"

Draco sighed impatiently, fed up with Weasley's failed attempts at subtlety. "Weasley, I will have Harry all to myself for over a month. I assure you, I will find ways to keep him entertained." He drew the final word out suggestively, leering at Harry as he did so. Weasley's face reddened, but he finally picked up his own luggage, hugged Harry one more time, and walked out of the flat.

The moment he and Harry were alone, Draco crossed over to Harry and pulled him into a deep kiss. "What do you say we celebrate Weasley's departure by defiling his bed?" he whispered conspiratorially.

Harry swatted at his chest with a laugh, calling him on his bluff. "We have Netflix and popcorn," he said instead, laughing again when Draco's face lit up with childish joy.

"Then why are we just standing here talking? Go on, make the popcorn, we have movies to watch and actors to heckle," Draco said imperiously, urging Harry to start moving.

They spent much of the first week cuddling together underneath layers of blankets to block out the cold, moving only when one of the two had to go to work or run errands. The days blurred together, passing by in a haze of falling into each other with complete abandon. In want of something to do, their snogging sessions grew increasingly common and heated in equal measures, until Draco reckoned he had mapped every inch of Harry's skin with his lips, and Harry had done the same to Draco.

A week before Christmas day, Harry absently pointed out the lack of a proper Christmas tree in the flat, and the two braved the cold weather and holiday crowds to hunt down the perfect specimen. They found it eventually, a plastic, moderately-priced neon monstrosity wedged behind two larger packages containing faux-evergreen trees. Draco was hard-pressed to contain his disdain for the gaudy tree, but he had to admit it had begun to grow on him by the time they lugged it back to the flat.

To his chagrin, Draco found himself inexplicably drawn to the horribly cliched Christmas films that seemed to air without pause as the holiday drew ever near. He forced Harry to watch as many of the cringeworthy films as they could stomach. More often than not, their impromptu movie marathons turned into drinking games that ended with the two laughing too loudly and snogging sloppily, the films continuing to play unheeded in the background.

They went ice skating once, a few days after buying the tree. Draco immediately took to the ice, but Harry couldn't seem to skate more than a meter without falling spectacularly. Draco teased him mercilessly about it as they made their way back to the flat, cheeks red and fingers shoved deep into their coat pockets. Harry retaliated by sticking a handful of snow down the back of Harry's shirt, leading Draco to declare war. By the time the two stumbled through Harry's door, they were cold and wet, snow clinging to their clothes like a second skin. Neither boy could stop laughing.

As he took in Harry's disheveled and flushed appearance, Draco thought to himself, This is what coming home feels like. The thought took his breath away.