A/N: I wanted to post this chapter up on Christmas Eve as a present to you all, but it didn't get written until last night into this morning. Anyhow, I got it up before New Years, so Happy Holidays, all! And thanks for reading/reviewing/following/favoriting. (I celebrate every time I see any of those counters have increased. So it's a happy bit of holidays from you all to me, too. Thanks. :))

Waking Up

Chapter 10: Skipping in the Snow

Harry led Luna toward Herbology, her first class of the day.

"It's a lovely winter's day, don't you think, Harry? All the haclkebees make the snow glisten," Luna said dreamily.

"Hacklebees?" Harry asked. He knew he probably shouldn't, but he had to.

"Hmm, yes. They live in precipitation. They fall with the rain and snow. Live off of the acidity in the water. And they have iridescent color mechanism to hide them. Didn't you ever wonder why the snow or rain seemed to have rainbow-like colors from certain angles and lights?" she responded.

"Er, no, not really. I guess I never paid that much attention to the snow or rain. But if they have rainbow colors, wouldn't it be hard to hide in supposedly clear water?" Harry questioned reasonably.

"One would think, but they have their ways. Man accounts for the colors by other means," she answered with a smile.

"Right," Harry said, allowing the subject to drop.

He didn't particularly know what he was doing. He'd never been good at seduction anyway. The Cho thing last year had blown up in his face. The guys he'd been with this year had approached him. Besides, that was different and this was a girl and not a particularly normal one at that. What could they talk about besides hacklebees and wrackspurts and nargles?

"Here we are, Harry," Luna turned to him once they'd reached the green houses and she reached for her bag hanging off of Harry's shoulder.

"Oh, right," he said, handing it over to her. "Well, I'll- I'll see you later, Luna."

"Goodbye, Harry. And watch out for the ableshoots!" she warned him before walking into her class.

Harry didn't even want to consider what ableshoots were. He simply turned and headed for his own first class. It was still early so it shouldn't be too many people there yet. Ron and Hermione were already there, though, and waiting to question him about his meeting with Luna before class began.

"How'd you get her to go with you, anyway?" Ron asked him.

"I just asked her if I could walk her to class. You know Luna, she wouldn't read anything else in the gesture, but everyone else would," Harry told him.

"But you carried her bag, too!" Ron exclaimed.

"Just a friendly gesture. It was actually rather heavy; I wonder what all she has in there," Harry mused.

"Well she is a Ravenclaw," Hermione reminded them. "She probably has a load of books and things."

"Possibly," Harry shrugged. Didn't much matter now.

"And of course everyone saw the way you were smiling at her and whispering in her ear," Ron continued. "The whole House was asking us what you were doing flirting with Looney Lovegood."

"I wish they would stop calling her that. Luna is a perfectly lovely girl. She's just a bit…" Harry cut off, searching for a word.

"Strange?" Ron supplied.

"She is not strange," Hermione interjected. "Luna is just… ethereal. She has a rather otherworldly quality. It's like she knows more than the rest of us."

"Or that she isn't from this planet," Ron playfully threw in.

Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"And that's a funny thing for you to say, Hermione, considering how much you hate Divination and all things like it. I'd think considering someone otherworldly would fall into that category." Ron pointed out.

Hermione had no come back for that, either.

"Anyway," Harry cut back in, "I don't know how to flirt with her, not really. Not that I know how to flirt with any girl, not that I want to," Harry added with a bit of a frown, "But Luna is altogether different, as we've already acknowledged. What am I supposed to say to her?"

"You could tell her to back off," came a drawl from the doorway.

Everyone turned to see Draco walking in looking far less than pleased.

"Or was it really your goal to use her to trick the horde into believe she was the one you're seeing?" Draco asked. "I don't imagine she'd take that well. Might break her nutty little heart," he finished with a cruel smirk.

"Never took you for the jealous type, Malfoy," Ron barked a laugh.

Draco turned cold eyes on him. "Jealous? Of Looney? You're joking. You must be mad to believe I'd ever feel such a plebian emotion, especially in regards to Looney Lovegood."

Ron just laughed harder. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not using her, per se," Harry spoke up, having felt uncomfortable at Draco's description of Luna's part in his deception. "I was just being friendly to her. Everyone will just take it as me seeing her."

"Oh please, Potter. Have you told Looney what you're doing?" Draco asked him.

He took Harry's lack of an answer as a negation. "So then you're using her. She is an unsuspecting pawn in your little lying game. I'm actually rather impressed, Harry. I didn't know you had it in you," he finished with a smirk.

Harry felt decidedly uneasy at this point. He didn't want to think he was using Luna. She was just a convenient person to convince people of his lie. But he supposed Draco was right. It was cruel not to tell Luna of his plan. He didn't want her to feel hurt when it eventually came time to reveal he was dating Draco.

"You're right. I should tell Luna," Harry said to him.

Draco frowned. "That's not what I said."

"But it's what I'm going to do. And none of this would be necessary if you hadn't left these on me," Harry scowled at Draco before pulling his shirt collar aside to show his neck where the hickeys still bloomed with vivid color. Harry wondered how long until they would fade.

"Ah, yes," Draco smiled widely at him before approaching to touch the marks. "I'm rather proud of these," he said, tracing them with a finger. "They're my visible claim on you," he whispered in Harry's ear before kissing one of the marks.

Harry heard Ron gag loudly in the background, but his immediate attention was focused in on Draco's fingers and lips on his skin.

"You two had better hurry this up," Hermione said from somewhere far off. "Class starts in a few minutes. Students will begin showing up any second now."

That had apparently snapped Draco out of it as he stepped back from Harry. It took Harry another few seconds to come out of his own touch induced trance.

"Uh, right, class. Umm…," Harry trailed off, looking around.

He took his seat and Ron and Hermione soon followed suit, Ron still with a bit of a disgusted look on his face. Harry ignored him. Draco had taken his customary seat at the front of the classroom, as well.

Students trickled in over the next 2 minutes and when class began Snape came in with his usual swirl of robes.

Harry didn't pay as much attention to that lesson as he should have. He'd decided it was safe because today was a note taking class instead of a potion brewing one and he could let his attention wander a slight bit today. His mind wandered to the tingling he still imagined he felt on his neck where Draco had touched and kissed him. Draco had said they were his visible claim on Harry. Suddenly the marks didn't seem nearly as offensive as they had last night.

Harry's eyes occasionally flickered to Draco as well, but he tried to make that happen less often. Wouldn't do to be caught looking at him. And Draco was absorbed in his note taking anyway. He never even spared Harry a glance. It was during of Harry's absent-minded strokes of his neck where Draco had pressed his lips when Snape finally seemed to have had enough of his wandering attention.

"And it seems some of us are so clever as to not even need to take notes," Snape drawled in his usual oily tone as he snatched up Harry's parchment.

It was only a few inches long whereas a quick glance to his left told Harry Hermione's was at least a foot and a half. Damn.

"If you're so clever, Mr. Potter, why don't you take up teaching the lesson? Do you even know what this lesson is about?" Snape sneered.

Harry was drawing a blank. He knew he'd written down the topic on his parchment, but that had been at the beginning of class at it was now a quarter of an hour away from ending. Instead of the sarcastic remark that came to mind in response, he merely stared at Snape in silence. It would help him refrain from saying something stupid and have the added benefit of annoying Snape by not playing along with his game.

"No?" Snape drawled. "You do not wish to resume our lesson? You do not know what the lesson we have been discussing for the last 75 minutes is even about? Pity," Snape finished sarcastically. "Detention, Mr. Potter. Perhaps there you will be more inclined to actually pay attention."

Harry did not give Snape the satisfaction of any kind of response. He merely bowed his head in acknowledgement with a spoken "Yes, professor," just to keep Snape from saying anything else.

But he still didn't bother paying attention to the last of the lesson. After all, Snape had already given him detention and he had not bothered to return Harry's parchment. Hermione just sighed at him from his left. When the class was packing up to leave Snape called him.

"If you would stay after for a moment, Mr. Potter, we will discuss the terms of your detention," Snape said.

Hermione and Ron tried to stay after to wait for Harry, but he ushered them along lest they be late for their next class.

"Yes, run along. Mr. Potter will be fine without being under your watchful eyes for the few minutes it takes for me to give him instruction and him to walk to his next class," Snape drawled at Ron and Hermione. "I imagine you all will survive the separation for that long."

Ron's cheeks heated up and Harry wondered if it was from embarrassment or anger, but he was smart enough not to say anything. Hermione had suffered at Snape's hand long enough to keep her expression controlled. They left the room together after another glance at Harry. There were a few snickers heard at Snape's pronouncement.

Harry noticed Draco and his crew were one of the last few to leave the room. When it was clear, Snape turned to him and pulled out a parchment where he seemed to have written a schedule.

"Since I am filled up this week, you will serve detention with Caretaker Filch this Saturday afternoon," Snape was saying.

Harry tried to hide how much that option didn't appeal to him. Snape had to know the only person students hated more than himself was Filch. Filch would likely try to get Dumbledore to agree to chain Harry up in the dungeons. It wasn't going to be a great Saturday.

"I will inform Mr. Filch of your meeting with him and will let you know then what time you are to meet with him. That is all, Mr. Potter," Snape said with dismissal clear in his tone.

Harry just bobbed his head again before turning and leaving the room. He debated whether or not he really wanted to go to History of Magic. Merlin knew even listening in that class was a trial and he was already in the 'not taking notes' mood. So what was the point of going? Besides, a free period sounded like a decidedly good idea right now.

Thus decided, Harry made his way toward his dorm. He'd spend his new free period outside and for that, he needed his outdoor cloak. He was heading up the stairs from the dungeons when he caught Draco coming back down them looking annoyed.

Harry blinked in surprise. Draco ought to be on the other side of the castle right now. Sixth year Slytherins had Divination with the Hufflepuffs this class time.

"What are you doing down here?" Harry asked him.

"Heading to my dorm?" Draco asked in return, sarcasm heavy in his tone.

Had Harry really been thinking, he'd have assumed Draco was headed there, but he'd let his surprise talk.

"But I thought you had Divination with Trelawney right now," he said.

"I do," was Draco's sole reply.

Harry didn't respond. He thought the obvious "why are you here, then?" question was evident in his silence.

Draco rolled his eyes before answering it. "How long can you sit in Trelawney's class before your entire brain shuts down from boredom? I decided to skip the shut down today and just not go to class. And you, are you headed for thought meltdown by Binns now?"

"Actually, Harry said, "I thought I'd skip that myself. I was headed to my dorm to get my coat. Now seemed like an opportune time for a private walk outside."

"Oh," Draco said, clearly looking shocked, before his face morphed into a bright smile. "Surprises, surprises, from you, Harry. First using your loony friend. Now skipping class. What's next? Might I start expecting you to turn to the dark side?" he joked.

"Well, I'm already dating the school's resident bad boy. I'm well on my way," Harry laughed before he noticed the renewed shocked look on Draco's face.

A quick review of his comment had his smile fading. Perhaps he had been wrong to use the word "dating." They had not actually said they were officially a couple yet. Maybe Draco still considered them just fooling around, even if he had claimed Harry. Maybe it was just a claim for Draco's current sex partner. Hadn't he said something of that nature when Ron and Hermione questioned him? Harry's hopes died a little with the thought.

"I- I meant, umm," Harry flustered, not sure whether to take it back or not. He didn't want to ruin whatever he and Draco had by saying the wrong thing, but he had thought they were something more now.

Draco's face seemed to soften in the wake of Harry's uncertainty, his shock melting into a slightly amused smile.

"I hadn't thought of it like that, since we haven't actually been on any dates, but I suppose what we're doing could be termed that. We are… boyfriends, I guess," Draco said with another amused smile.

Harry had to crack a small smile at that, too. He had rarely used that term in his last relationships, even. He'd had some relatively private dates with them, explored his sexuality with them, gotten to know them a lot, but had rarely called either of them his boyfriend. It was still rather new to him.

"Yeah," he said to Draco. He cleared his throat, as it had mysteriously gone a bit thick on him since he'd thought he and Draco were still nothing but bed buddies. "So anyway, would you like to come outside with me? Heh, we could consider it our first date." He tried for a cocky smile at his flippant remark.

Draco cracked another smile before considering his offer. "Yeah, why not. I was just going to waste the time away in my room anyway. Might as well spend it outside with you."

Harry laughed at him. "Nice to know I'm a better option than spending time alone in your room."

"Marginally, at least," Draco said with his characteristic smirk.

"And at most?" Harry teased.

"Much better," Draco said, eyes darkening as restrained lust began building in him.

Harry could see it all through his eyes. Windows to the soul, some muggles called them. He thought they'd never been more right about anything. This wasn't the first time he'd thought he saw Draco's soul purely through the unadulterated view of his eyes. But Draco wasn't pure. He was tainted by this world and the things he'd seen, heard, and experienced in it. They all were. But Draco's taint held a lot of allure for Harry. It was an odd complement to Harry's own.

Harry was swept away by his thoughts. There was naked exposure right here- in Draco's eyes. And all of it showed passion. He couldn't let that go unanswered.

Harry grabbed Draco and smashed their lips together. He wasn't currently concerned that they were in a very public stairwell and not very far from his least favorite teacher at this school. Right now his only concern was returning Draco's passion, desire for desire.

He traced Draco's lips with his tongue and was rewarded with Draco moaning into his mouth. Harry took this as an invitation and let his tongue explore Draco's oral cavern. Their tongues wrestled and Harry imagined he could taste on Draco's tongue all the words and sounds the blond wasn't able to say or make right then. All the moans and pleas and requests and demands Draco would likely make of him were all transmitted to Harry through their tongues being wrapped around each other. Harry wondered if Draco knew he was translating his desires through touch, wondered if Draco understood any of what Harry himself was saying through their contact.

Harry allowed the kiss to last a few moments longer. It was pleasure beyond pleasure, yes, but they were in the middle of an often used stairwell. Anyone could come along at any time. If they were so inclined, they could continue their activities outside. Harry pulled away before moving in to kiss Draco once more, much more softly this time.

"Let's go get our things. I'll meet you back here in 10 minutes, okay?" Harry asked him.

Draco only nodded, his slight panting not allowing him to actually speak yet.

Harry smiled before tugging softly on Draco's hair then leaving to get his cloak. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face.

It took Draco several moments after Harry had left to break himself from his daze. He loved that Harry could surprise him like that. Just a spontaneous kiss in the middle of the stairwell with so little provocation. And such a heated one, at that. Draco would almost say the kiss had made his knees go weak if it weren't such a girly sentiment. As it was, it had awakened something in him. Awakened something outside of him, too, frankly. He was almost anxious to get outside and cool his ardor.

He walked down the stairs and to his common room slowly. He had 10 minutes, after all, and wouldn't need it all to get his coat and come back. Besides, it wasn't the easiest thing to walk comfortably given his current situation.

He had gotten his coat, calmed his nether regions substantially, and returned to the top of the stairs all in 8 minutes. Harry was just coming back down from the stairwell at the other end of the Entrance Hall at the 9 minute mark. Draco silently admitted he looked rather fetching in his green cloak. It was darker than his eyes and thus set them off in a nice contrast. Draco wondered who had picked it out for Harry as the raven never had any fashion sense. He wouldn't know such a thing would look good on him.

Draco's own coat was Slytherin silver. He knew it played off his eyes well, too. Funny the way they complemented each other right then. Not to mention them wearing the two Slytherin colors. Anyhow…

"Are you ready, Harry?" Draco asked making a sweeping gesture with his arm toward the door as if to say, "after you."

Harry took the hint and laughed as he pushed his way out the door and into the winter snow. Draco just watched him for a second. Draco didn't know if Harry liked the snow in general, but he certainly seemed to be enjoying it now. But that might have been the rush of truancy.

Draco walked down the steps and let his eyes wander from Harry to look over the grounds. There was no denying that Hogwarts was a beautiful place. The castle itself was a work of art. Majestic architecture with its towering walls and sky sweeping turrets. Its archways and bridges and lake. And then there was the Forbidden Forest. Despite the creatures that dwelled within, the Forest made a lovely backdrop to the rest of Hogwarts just then. It, like the grounds, was blanketed in snow. It almost tricked one into thinking the Forest could be as clean as the fallen snow that lay atop it. For surely nothing that pure would dare touch something so contaminated by its inhabitants.

Draco was pulled from his musing by something wet and sloppy and slightly hard colliding with the side of his head. The impact took him so off guard that he lost his balance momentarily. When he regained his footing from stumbling, he turned to see Harry doubled over, holding his stomach from laughing so hard. He tried to speak but couldn't because of the mirth wracking his body. Draco scowled at him as the snow dripped down his face.

Draco picked up some snow and quietly packed it while Harry was still laughing loudly. A swift throw had the joy wiped clean from Harry's countenance as snow was wiped from his eyes. It was Draco's turn to laugh now as Harry fought to clear his vision of the fluffy flakes. Soon Harry joined back in on the laughter, despite it being at his own expense.

It was all out war after that, snowballs flying this way and that. Draco managed to dodge many and caught Harry off guard a time or two with a hit, but mostly their Seeker reflexes kept them both snow free. After dodging Bludgers for years, snowballs were nothing in comparison.

But it was still fun. Numb fingers and toes were no excuse to go in as playing with Harry like this more than made up for the slight discomfort. Draco rolled behind a tree, narrowly missing the snowball that would have surely hit him in the face had he stayed still another moment. He retaliated with a short series of snowballs hurled in all directions from his hiding place. His muscles were starting to ache and Draco considered using magic, but the muggle way was so much more rewarding when Harry yelped from one of Draco's balls landing successfully.

When the challenge of hitting Harry with the snowballs wore off after too many successful dodges on Harry's part, Draco charged him and tackled Harry. After the shock of impact with the ground wore off, Harry roared with laughter, but didn't try to fight Draco off.

Seeing as how this opportunity was too good to miss, Draco grabbed a handful of snow and smashed it into Harry's face. Draco grinned widely as Harry yelped from the chill. This time Harry did fight him and they rolled around until Harry was on top of Draco. He repaid the favor in kind and Draco soon found himself with a face full of snow. He sputtered as he sought to breathe through the fluff.

Harry seemed to take mercy on him because he laughed softly as he helped wipe snow from Draco's face. Draco watched Harry smile down at him and saw the laughter and tenderness in Harry's eyes. It was almost intuition; Draco knew that Harry was going to kiss him.

Two seconds later he did, bending slowly to press cool lips to Draco's own. It was a sweet kiss, lacking the passion but with all of the tenderness Draco had seen in Harry's eyes. They moved their lips slowly; there was no rush to this. They were more than content just sinking into each other just then. Passion had its time and place, but there was always room for affection.

It slowly heated, becoming more intense the longer their lips were connected. Draco was frankly shocked they hadn't melted all the snow around them with all the heat they produced in their frenzy. Tongues were introduced and hands began wandering and they were rolling again. Draco found himself on top of Harry again and he used that to his advantage. He shimmied his body along that of his raven and they both had to groan at the sensations such a move elicited.

Mouths connected more fiercely now than ever and it was almost rough the way they fastened on to each other. Hands grabbing and teeth sinking in and legs and arms tangling much like their tongues. It was as if they couldn't quite get enough.

When the need for air became too much for them to ignore, Draco dropped his face to the curve of Harry's neck and shoulder and felt Harry lay himself back into the snow. When Draco looked up, it was to see Harry's face amazingly flushed and his green eyes half shut and red, swollen lips panting and tousled hair speckled with snow.

The snow flecks caught in his hair actually made it kind of irresistible to Draco. He wanted to run his hands through it. See what made it all shine. He gave in to the temptation. He ran his fingers through Harry's strands and heard a small sound of contentment hum deep in Harry's throat. Draco smiled softly. He was glad something that was currently giving him pleasure was also pleasing to Harry.

Draco continued to stroke his fingers through Harry's hair, but glanced down at the calm raven beneath him. Harry's eyes were fully open now and watching him. The heat from their kissing had died down substantially and what was left of it was now mixed with that self same tenderness from when they'd begun these pleasing activities.

Draco kissed him softly before speaking.

"I think we should go in now. I imagine we've been out here longer than we'd planned. Our friends are probably missing us by now. And we're likely missing lunch. Besides, I'm cold," he said with a small smile.

"I can warm you back up," Harry said softly.

Draco laughed lightly. "Oh, I know you can. But I'd rather neither of us got hypothermia or something from lying in the snow too long." But he traced Harry's lips with his fingers, anyway. He sighed before getting off of the bird. "We should go, Harry," he repeated before putting his arm down to help Harry up.

Harry sighed too, but took Draco's hand after a moment and allowed himself to be hauled to his feet. But he didn't relinquish his hold on Draco when he was on his feet. Instead, he pulled Draco into a hug and just held him a moment.

"Thanks," he whispered into Draco's ear. "This was great."

And then Draco felt soft, cool lips pressing into his neck and fingers tangle briefly in his hair before Harry withdrew.

They walked back to the castle slowly, not wanting the afternoon of them alone together to end. This was the first time that they had spent that wasn't mostly all about sex. They'd had fun and played together. No real rivalry. Sure, the competition was there, but it hadn't ruled them. No one person had to win. In this game, both of them had. And the kissing had been special. It was the most intimate their kissing had ever been, as heated as it had gotten since their first tryst in the broom cupboard. It was a day to remember. Neither was looking forward to going back into the castle and pretending they hadn't just spent hours together, enjoying each other's company. Neither wanted to go on pretending they hated each other.

They skipped lunch in the Hall. First, they only had 20 minutes until it ended, anyway. Second, neither wanted to separate quite yet. But third, and mostly importantly, neither could go in looking quite as they did. Snow strewn. Rumpled clothes. Flushed skin. Swollen lips. Messy hair. They could not be the only two in the entire Hall that looked like that. Harry's guise of dating Luna would be smashed to bits if he appeared to have just been thoroughly shagged while she was as pristine as ever.

So they snuck down to the kitchens. The House elves would keep their secret if told to, unless Dumbledore himself asked. He was their first allegiance, after all. Then came everyone else.

They had stowed their outdoor gear and made themselves warm and as presentable as possible again. They'd know whether or not they pulled it off if no one gave them funny looks in Transfiguration in 30 minutes. For now, they were comfortable with the reminders of their first date. Frankly, neither could remember having a better one.

Class passed slowly, and again Harry couldn't quite keep his attention on the lesson. His eyes found Draco a lot more often than they had that morning in Potions. Ron and Hermione had tried getting his attention several times but had given up after awhile. It was clear that they wouldn't interest him while Malfoy was still in sight. It had finally taken Harry losing 10 House points from McGonagall to snap him out of it enough to actually pay attention. He hadn't mastered the spell by class' end, but he was close. That's as good as anyone could ask of him in this mind frame.

Dinner passed slowly, as well, but mostly because Harry just wasn't paying attention to anything going on around him. He made particular sure not to look at Draco more than twice during the entire meal, but his mind was rarely elsewhere.

Finally, toward the end of the meal, he made himself rise and head towards Luna at the Ravenclaw table. He had things to discuss with her and now was as good of a time as any. Besides, with as love sick as he was sure he was probably looking about now, it was the perfect way to visibly project those feelings onto her so the school didn't begin to question his story. Not yet anyway. He was sure he'd mess up eventually, though. But for now, he hoped they believed the lie. This was the best he could do.

A/N: Anyone remember the kissing scene from chapter 3? I've been talking to one of my reader's lately and that was her favorite. It was brought to my attention then that that was like the last hot kissing scene. Couldn't do. So I tried to create another. Hopefully this fits the bill. And it had fluff. Who doesn't like fluff in their lives? x3 And there was so much more I wanted to put into this chapter, but thought this was a good stopping point. But with that, I suppose writing next chapter should be no problem. That one ought to be fun. ;)