A/N: As someone wise once said: "the hardest thing about writing smutty slash is the pronoun confusion". DAMN RIGHT THERE MISTER/MISS/MRS! It was a paaaaiiiiiin. And I struggled. Hard. It was probably a million times harder than their…you-know-what. Yeah, so if you think it's at least a little good, please tell me, lol.
I also want to apologize for the amount of time it took me to update. I get like emails every day from writers who update their stories like once or twice or day. I wish I had the time to do that, but I don't. I have a lot to do in school and my last exam coming up in a couple of weeks, so I've been pretty busy.
Also I wanted to thank all of you for leaving reviews! You have been truly awesome and I really appreciate all of them. If I haven't answered yours it might be because your private message-function is disabled or that I simply forgotten. Please tell me if I haven't answered yours and I promise that I will! I find it very important to answer all of you, especially since you're all amazing and wait for my chapters this long.
Anyway, here goes.
CHAPTER 13 – I'M FANTASTIC LIKE THAT
Harry's lips were soft against his, even though he had Draco firmly pressed against the closed door to the broom closet. Draco groaned as Harry flushed his body against his, pressing their torsos together. He could feel every heartbeat, every ragged breath that ghosted over his own lips as Harry pulled away a few inches.
"Don't stop", Draco whispered and couldn't care less that he was almost begging, something he had been raised never to do.
Their eyes met for a few seconds and it almost felt as if Harry tried to memorize the moment, before he pressed their lips together again. A feeling of satisfaction pulsated through Draco's chest as their bodies came in contact once more.
Draco's hand found Harry's neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. He slowly traced Harry's bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, feeling a pleased lurch in his stomach as Harry groaned in response, parting his lips willingly for Draco.
Strong hands travelled along Draco's sides, keeping him firmly against the door but still somewhat fulfilled the need to feel that Harry seemed to have.
Draco marveled over Harry's soft lips and whimpered as the contrast of teeth gently trapped his bottom lip. He grabbed a handful of Harry's thick, unruly hair in an attempt to keep himself steady and in control, but he was already hard.
Teeth and lips abandoned Draco's mouth to travel along his jaw and his breath hitched as Harry kissed surprisingly rough right below his ear. Draco closed his eyes and gave in to the sensation of slow, torturing kisses Harry planted along his throat.
He had kissed before, of course, but nothing like this. Ever. He felt feverish and out of breath, gasping loudly whenever Harry's teeth came in contact with his sensitive skin and he had a desperate need to touch that he had never felt before.
Harry's body felt so good against his, the muscles on his upper arms strong under Draco's hands as he grabbed them for support when Harry nibbled his ear. He could feel the hardness of Harry's dick press against his own as they forced their hips together.
"Yes", Draco whispered, dragging out the 'S' unintentionally as the tip of Harry's tongue joined his lips at that spot just below Draco's ear. He shivered and let his eyes close to heighten the sensation.
He could hear Harry's breaths, just as ragged and shallow as his own. He could feel them whisper over his skin. He gasped as Harry bit down just where his throat and shoulder linked.
Harry bloody Potter was too damn good at this.
Draco caressed the hard structure of Harry's chest and abdomen through the soft fabric of his shirt. He pressed his hand against the small of Harry's back, pushing their bodies together once more and he could feel the quiet moan against his throat as their erections ground together.
Electric shocks of pleasure shot through him and he buckled his hips again, moaning as the electricity blasted inside him once more. He knew that his responses to Harry's lips and body were bordering to embarrassing, but he couldn't stop himself from letting the sounds out of his mouth, from letting his hand caress the small of Harry's back and practically grope his ass shamelessly.
It felt even better than it had looked in that shower, Draco stated to himself and squeezed just enough to make Harry ground against him again.
"Yes. Oh, yes. Fuck." Harry's voice was husky and low, and made Draco whimper by the mere sound of Harry cursing from pleasure. Draco knew the feeling, of course. He was rock hard, almost aching with need and he groaned loudly as they pushed their bodies together once more.
His hand shook a little as he fumbled with the buttons on Harry's shirt. Even though their lips had locked again and Harry's tongue was tracing his bottom lip, Draco was a little afraid that he would pull back. But he soon forgot his fears as he explored the newly exposed skin with his hand, stroking the chiseled structure of muscles under surprisingly soft, still slightly tanned skin.
He could feel Harry shiver against his hand and Draco dared to drag it lower. His lips felt swollen and he had a feeling that the skin on his neck would never look the same again, but the only thing he regretted was not doing anything like this sooner.
His fingertips brushed against the waistband of Harry's trousers and they both froze, as if neither of them had realized what they were doing until that very moment. Draco felt Harry's lips leave his, to pull back only a few inches, just enough to make eye-contact.
"I…-" Harry started, his voice still hoarse, his fingertips lightly tracing over Draco's cheek as he seemed to be searching for words. "I've never done anything…like this before. Well, like this, not just like…that." He nodded pointedly towards Draco's hand with his last words.
For far too long, Draco's head was completely empty, only echoing the sound of the blood pulsating through his body.
"At all?" He managed finally.
"With a guy", Harry said quietly and looked as if he would have blushed if his blood hadn't been transferred elsewhere.
"Me either", Draco offered, his brain still too fuzzy to work properly.
A small smile ghosted over Harry's face before he crushed their lips together again, effectively kissing any coherent thought out of Draco's brain.
His hand didn't shake at all as he unzipped the trousers and he felt the puff of air over his throat from Harry's sigh of relief. Draco groaned as he felt another hand unzip his own and he slowly palmed Harry through his underwear, enjoying the feel of the hardness pressing against the fabric.
"Yes", Harry groaned and pushed against Draco's hand for more friction and mimicked the movements with his own hand, causing Draco to moan loudly before their lips met again.
The need for release was suddenly pressing on, his whole body tingling and he slipped his hand inside Harry's underwear, grasping the warm hardness of his dick. Draco let his hand stroke Harry slowly, taking in the feel of his cock and the enticing sounds that left his mouth.
It almost blackened in front of his eyes when Draco felt Harry's hand grasp his dick, adopting the same pace as Draco's.
"Oh god", Harry moaned when Draco's thumb caressed the slick head of his cock. "Oh god yes, Draco."
Draco knew they were way too loud for standing inside a broom closet in the middle of the night, way past curfew, but he didn't care. The sounds of Harry's moans, the way he said Draco's name as if he wasn't even aware that he was saying it, the way he stroked Draco – it was too much even without caring about getting caught.
His body was aching for release and when Harry grasped him more firmly and started to stroke him faster, moaning into Draco's ear as if he, too, was losing it, Draco realized that he had already lost. It felt as if his brain concentrated on the spots where their bodies connected and the sounds Harry was making. Draco couldn't take it.
"Yes, yes, yes! Harry I'm…I'm yes." Was all he managed to groan before his head fell back against the door as his back arched when he came. He didn't even notice that Harry did the same before he heard his own name joined by a moan.
Harry's damp forehead came to rest against his as they shared their ragged breaths with closed eyes. Draco stroked the strands of hair at Harry's neck absentmindedly, for a second he felt as if he was doing something forbidden, but then soft lips brushed against his own and chased the unwelcome feeling away. He could feel Harry's arms gently fold around him after zipping their trousers up again, pushing their bodies together in a way so different from just a couple of moments ago.
"I still feel light-headed", Harry mumbled after a silence filled with their calming breaths.
"M-hm, I'm fantastic like that", Draco said quietly, not really wanting to admit how much he enjoyed being held and cuddled against a bloody door in a broom closet.
He could feel Harry's quiet laugh against his cheek and smiled a little in spite of himself. A comfortable, fuzzy warmth spun around in his stomach, making him feel a little tingly wherever Harry's body was in contact with his.
They both froze when the sound of Filch's voice pushed through the door and Draco held his breath, listening intently to the footsteps that came closer for every heartbeat.
"Crap", Harry whispered and pushed away from Draco. Harry started buttoning his shirt with his wand and Draco noticed that his hair was even more of a crazy mess than usually. It wasn't going to be hard to guess what they had been doing in there if Filch tried to open the door and the whole school would know within the next two hours about Potter and Malfoy in the broom closet.
Great.
Harry snatched the invisibility cloak from the floor with his free hand and motioned to Draco to join him beneath it. He looked just as freaked out as Draco knew he should feel, but his brain was still too fuzzy to be able to compose any other feeling than that warmth Draco had flipping in his stomach.
He felt strangely pleased when he got under the silky cloak and their bodies came in contact again, but when Filch's voice sounded right outside the door Draco forgot all about the need to be near Harry.
"Stupid kids for throwing a party. They didn't think we would find out, did they, Mrs Norris? They didn't think we would catch them and take them to the headmaster, did they? Stupid kids…" Filch went on and on about the stupid kids he had to deal with every day, until the sound of his voice slowly faded into silence as he walked pass the door without opening it.
"I wonder who's stupid if he doesn't even open the closet doors when there's been a party." Harry snorted and Draco laughed in relief. As much as he enjoyed making out with Harry…and all the other stuff, he wasn't up for telling the whole school what had just happened.
"Let's get out of here before he comes back. I won't believe that we're this lucky before we're in our bed without Filch staring at us."
Harry made a face and pulled the cloak over their heads. They practically ran through the corridors and breathed just as heavily when the arch closed behind them as they had been in that broom closet half an hour ago.
"We're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow, right?" Harry said as he sunk down on their bed, toeing the shoes off his feet.
"Yeah, I need to buy Christmas presents." Draco nodded and spelled the sleeve of his shirt open before removing it and tossing it in his trunk. He crouched down next to it and started rummaging through it in search for the list of people he was supposed to buy gifts to. "Do you have any errands?"
When there was no answer he looked up and found Harry looking at him with an odd glint in his eyes. He looked almost heartbroken.
"What?" Draco asked quietly and tried desperately to remember if anything he had said could have been offensive in any way.
"I'm so sorry", Harry whispered and his shoulders slouched in a way that would have made Draco's mother upset.
"For what?" Draco stood up and scratched the back of his head in confusion, but couldn't come up with any explanation to Harry's strange mood change. It had come so sudden and Draco was sure he had a part in it somehow, but he couldn't for the world figure out what he could have done.
"For this", Harry said quietly and Draco flinched away from the tickling sensation of fingertips brushing over the scars on his chest. He saw the hurt flash over Harry's face when he cringed away and hurriedly put his hand over the one on his chest before Harry had a chance to pull it away. He hadn't even been thinking about his scars and that Harry hadn't seen them before and he knew he should feel uneasy about it, since he had tried his best to keep them hidden ever since they had gotten there.
"It tickled", Draco whispered and realized that he had walked straight into a situation that was far more intimate than the one they had shared in a broom closet a little while ago. "And…it's okay. You've already apologized."
"I didn't know what it did. I didn't know you would have these scars. I…" Harry looked as if he was about to cry.
"Jeez, Potter, don't be so melodramatic. You said you're sorry and I said it was alright. I broke your nose and almost had that half-giants pet decapitated. You don't owe me anything", Draco snapped, sounding a little harsher than he had intended to. For a second he thought that he had made Harry even more upset, but then a smile slowly spread over the still slightly kiss-swollen lips. Thank Merlin. Draco wasn't made for comforting people, he had realized during the copious times Pansy had burst out in tears in front of him and he never seemed to know how to react.
"I hate it when you call me Potter", Harry said and pulled a face, but he still kept that tiny smile steady on his face.
"Old habits die hard, Potter", Draco retorted snidely, but smiled back.
"We'll just have to work on that, won't we?" Harry pulled back his hand from Draco's chest and spelled the sleeve of his own shirt open before tossing it on the floor. Draco felt his gaze linger a little too long on Harry's naked chest and shook his head in an attempt to clear his brain.
"You're going to have Mrs Norris bite me every time I call you Potter?" he snorted and shucked his trousers before folding them on a chair next to the bed. Harry yanked their linked arms in punishment and Draco made a face of pretend agony before pulling his pajama bottoms on.
"I happen to know you're ticklish", Harry pointed out when Draco sat down on the bed and pulled the cool covers over his tired body.
"Don't you dare", Draco snarled and scooted away as far as he could from Harry while still remaining in the bed. He got a laugh in response to his threat and Harry nudged his arm as if to ask him to scoot closer again, but he didn't say anything. Draco had realized that Harry often choose to answer with a laugh, or a snort and not words, but he wasn't sure if that was Harry's way of saying that the conversation was over or if he was of the opinion that a snort was just as good as any other answer. Draco didn't share that opinion at all.
Draco sighed in defeat and flicked his wand to put the room in to complete darkness with the exception of the pale moonlight. He could hear Harry's soft breaths next to him and see the shadow of his silhouette against the pale pillow. Something turned inside his chest and he smiled to himself without really knowing why.
He fell back against the mattress and felt his tired body relax under the covers. Harry turned next to him, probably searching for a comfortable position, but Draco was waiting for him to fall asleep so that he would cuddle up next to Draco in his sleep again.
"Harry?" he said quietly after long moments of silence and hoped for no answer.
"Mm?" Harry mumbled from somewhere in his pillow, but didn't move.
Draco felt an odd knot in his chest. He worried even though he didn't want to. Harry had acted as nothing had ever happened in that closet and now he was falling asleep as if it wasn't even bothering him.
"Draco?" Harry's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Yeah…I just…what's happening?" And now it was out there, for Harry to answer. Because Draco couldn't.
"What do you mean?"
Draco had forgotten how thick Harry could be when he wanted to. This was bloody fantastic.
"Nothing. Never mind. Good night." He suppressed a sigh and turned his back to Harry, ignoring how awkward his arm bent behind him when he tried to avoid yanking Harry's arm. He closed his eyes, determined to fall asleep as soon as possible, but failed miserably when he felt Harry moving closer to him under the covers.
A warm arm snaked around his side and he could feel Harry snuggling up behind him, putting their linked arms in a weird position between them, but Draco didn't even care if he had to amputate his arm in the morning when he felt a few soft kisses on his shoulder followed by Harry's nose nuzzling his neck.
He didn't even care about not knowing what was happening right then and there. He didn't care about anything except for the soft puffs of deep, even breaths against his neck that told him that Harry had fallen asleep.
-"-
Draco woke early the next morning from feeling overly warm. It took him a few minutes to connect to his brain enough to remember what had happened the night before. He cast a tempus-charm and realized that they had a good three hours before they had to get up for Hogsmeade.
"Is it morning?" Harry mumbled sleepily behind him.
"No", Draco answered quietly and the overly warm feeling nestled itself in his chest when he heard Harry's slumberous voice. "You can go back to sleep."
He felt Harry's arm tugging him closer and gave in as he scooted back against Harry, closing the space between them and was surprised to find himself feeling completely comfortable in spite of their weirdly bent arms.
Later Draco awoke when a hand gently shook his shoulder. He groaned when he opened one eye and was immediately blinded by the sunlight. Stupid bloody sun.
"We got to get up if we're going to make it to Hogsmeade", Harry said and Draco could feel him moving behind him.
"Oh right. Christmas presents." The last thing he wanted to do right now was to go out in public and act as if he didn't want to spend all day in bed spooning with their precious Harry Potter.
"Do you think you could help me out with something for Hermione?" Harry asked suddenly and Draco had to turn on his back and catch a glimpse of Harry's face just to make sure he wasn't kidding.
"Are you serious? I don't even know her."
"No, but you might know a book or so that she hasn't already read. You know like…wizard history stuff, or so. The only books I know are the common ones and she has already read those, naturally. I can't give her quills from eagle feathers forever." Harry shrugged and looked as if he felt a little guilty over his lack of genius when it came to buying presents.
"I'll tell you if I see anything she might like. I need to go to this place anyway to buy something for Blaise. We can pick up something for her there." Draco tried to say it casually and not as if he felt really pleased with himself for being able to help out. Harry rewarded him with one of those smiles that caused Draco to forget how to breathe for a few heartbeats, leaving him all dizzy from the lack of oxygen.
They walked to Hogsmeade through the thick layer of snow that covered the ground with groups of people around them, talking and laughing in excitement. Draco noticed Creepy Creevey from a distance and made a promise to himself to hex the crap out of that toothpick and his mugglecamera if he came anywhere near Harry.
"Draco!"
It took Draco a few moments to realize that it was Pansy calling for him from behind them. They stopped and turned as she hurried up to them, but Blaise was nowhere to be seen.
"Hi!" she said a little out of breath and smiled. Draco smiled back and Harry nodded politely, apparently accepting that she accompanied them to Hogsmeade.
"I've missed you!" she added once they had started walking again. "I'm sorry I haven't visited you or anything. It was just kind of…you know…"
Awkward. Weird. Harry freaking Potter is attached to your arm for Merlin's sake! Yeah, Draco knew.
"It's okay", Draco said honestly and shrugged. It could have been worse – she could have acted like Weasel. "It's kind of difficult for everyone. I don't blame you."
"So Christmas presents?" she said with a smile, pretending like the earlier part of their conversation never happened in a very Slytherin-like fashion.
"Yeah, mother gave me a list." Draco rolled his eyes and shrugged. His mother thought it was very important for Draco to buy Christmas gifts to people who had once invited him to their birthday party when they turned five, or a very distant relative in Japan who Draco had never even met, because he might need a favor from them some day. Draco thought it was ridiculous to come up with presents for so many people and had started to refuse, but then his mother had agreed to come up with ideas for presents for most of them so that Draco only had to buy them. And since he didn't like to make his mother disappointed and had to bring a shopping list to Hogsmeade every bloody Christmas to make sure he got everything he needed to the stupid people on that stupid list.
"You, too?" Pansy turned her gaze to Harry and smiled politely. Draco thought he would faint from the shock of seeing his friend being polite to Harry Potter to make life easier for Draco.
"What? Yeah." Harry had obviously been lost in thought and a bit taken aback by being asked an honest question by a Slytherin. "Yeah, I have a few to buy too, but not nearly as many, though."
"Lucky you." Pansy sighed and turned to Draco again, who did his best to smile appreciatively. "Blaise couldn't make it, apparently, but he didn't have the chance to tell me before this morning for some reason, so I'm meeting Millicent at The Three Broomsticks. She left early so I thought I would have to walk there all alone, but then I saw you!"
"You look awfully happy for someone who just told me I was their last option", Draco snorted and Harry's unexpected cough sounded a lot like suppressed laughter.
"Don't be cranky!" Pansy said and hooked her arm through his. "I know just the right gift for you this year."
"You said that last year, too", Draco pointed out. "And I'm not really that into a year's subscription to Witch Weekly."
He could see out of the corner of his eye how Harry had to bite his lip hard and look the other way to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
"I have a much better present this year", Pansy said and shrugged off his remark as if it had been dust. "You just wait and see."
"Oh I will!" Draco assured her as they entered the gates to the tiny fantasy land that was Hogsmeade. "There's Millicent." he said and nodded towards the very bulky form of his housemate right outside The Three Broomsticks.
"See you later, Draco! You, too… err Potter!" Pansy skipped off and waved to them over her shoulder.
He turned to Harry who was gazing out over the small fountain beside the Christmas tree and the tiny houses with their roofs covered in snow. Witched and wizards hurried between the little shops on both sides of the cobblestone roads that were visible where the snow had melted away from too many hurried footsteps.
Harry had a few snowflakes in his dark hair and his cheeks had caught a little color from the cold. He had his scarf tied tightly around his neck and chin, almost covering his mouth, but Draco saw the smile there and his heart skipped a beat.
"What?" Harry said suddenly as if he just now had realized that Draco was staring at him.
"Nothing", Draco mumbled and blushed. He felt stupid for staring at Harry in a similar manner to what Creepy Creevey spent his days doing. On the other hand, he was pretty sure that Creepy Creevey had never spent his evenings in the same fashion Draco had done in that broom closet last night. One point for team Draco.
"Where to?" Harry asked and gave Draco that breathtaking smile for no reason at all.
"Where do you need to go?"
"You're the one with a list. I'll just come along and see if I find something wherever you go. I haven't really planned anything to buy, so."
"It's not really as if you have another choice than to come along." Draco snorted and started walking towards the Apothecary. "I'll just take all the boring stuff first and then we could get something to eat before we continue and I need to buy a book for Blaise, so we could just look for something for Granger at the same time."
"Are you always this much of a control freak?" Harry wondered in amusement.
"I'm not a control freak!" Draco protested.
Harry only snorted and rolled his eyes in reply.
A few hours later they sat at a table at The Three Broomsticks, gulping down their butterbeer to still their thirst. Draco had been sure that Harry would start to whine about being dragged along to silly stores with useless stuff for ridiculous prices, but he hadn't complained once. More on the contrary, in fact, Draco had got the impression that Harry had found it somewhat entertaining. Even though Draco almost had a fit over Harry's bad habit of looking with his fingers and not with his eyes, but he had managed to keep quiet every time he saw the marveled look in Harry's eyes as if he was entering a world he had no idea existed.
"Sorry if I bored you with all the shopping." Draco said and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Harry looked up at him from behind his glass with raised eyebrows.
"I wasn't bored! It was really interesting. I never knew stores like that even existed here. I mean I guess I should've known that you can shop for talking crystal balls, but it's not like I've ever been in the need for one", Harry said thoughtfully and put his glass down on the table. "Hermione is not really into anything but books and Ron's, well…"
Weasel was too poor to even set his foot in stores like that.
"I don't really know why one would want a talking one, though, because it never bloody stops!" Draco muttered irritably and kicked the bag next to him when the crystal ball started singing Christmas carols for the third time in an hour. When he looked up again he saw Granger and Weasel making their way towards them and tried to steel himself mentally.
"Hi Harry! Malfoy", Granger greeted and offered a smile to both of them. Weasel nodded behind her and looked as if he both tried to catch and avoid Harry's gaze at the same time.
"Hello", Draco said and scooted over with his chair so that they could join them at their table.
"Have you been shopping?" It was obvious that Granger tried desperately to keep conversation, but Weasel wasn't much of a help.
"Not really", Harry said. "Draco has a list, but we're buying more after we've had some rest. Have you?"
"Just a few", she said and pretended as if she hadn't heard Harry call Draco by his first name. Weasel had noticed, of course, but to Draco's surprise he didn't burst out in rage but looked as if he did his best to behave.
"Ron has bought a couple too, haven't you Ron?" Granger added as if to force Weasel to take part of the conversation.
"Err, yes. To mum and dad." He nodded as if to confirm his own statement and glanced nervously over to Harry who looked calmer than Draco thought he would.
"That's good", Harry said. "What did you get them?"
"A kettle, for mum. A couple of batteries for dad. He collects them." He added the last part with a quick glance towards Draco who nodded in his best attempt to be polite. He had a hard time to even tolerate Weasel, but it was obvious that he was trying and Draco knew how much Harry wanted them to be friends again.
The stiff conversation eased up a little when Weasel realized that Draco wasn't going to taunt him today. Draco didn't participate much at all, because every time he said a word Weasel got this weird look on his face as if he didn't know how to behave, so Draco decided to keep quiet.
"I wish we could ask you to accompany us, Harry, but we're going to get your presents now, so you can't", Granger explained as he rose from her chair, but Draco had a feeling she had planned this to make sure that Weasel and Draco didn't have to put up with each other for too long. He was forever grateful, of course.
"We should get going, too. Draco still has a few thousand, or so, to buy", Harry said and smirked when Draco pulled a face at him.
"Have fun! We'll see you in class, right Ron?" She put an elbow in Weasel's side and he nodded with what seemed to be a genuine smile. Apparently the golden trio was a complete again. Draco would probably have been less glad over the fact if Harry hadn't looked so happy.
As Granger and Weasel walked off Draco guided Harry in the other direction. There was a small, antique store that had a book section that few knew about. He was quite sure that Granger didn't or he would've seen her there in one of his many visits.
"I preordered a book I've been searching for as a gift for Blaise. They sent me an owl about it last week and put it away for me until I could get here, but I think we could find something for Granger since they have a lot of unusual books." Draco searched among the worn backs of the books for a title that could interest an incurable know it all like Granger. "Wizarding World: A democracy – Truth or Baloney?"
"Baloney. Seriously?" Harry scoffed and peeked over Draco's shoulder when he carefully took the heavy book from its shelf.
"Wizards have a thing for crazy words", Draco answered and handed it to Harry who accepted it with a wide grin.
"Wizards have a thing for crazy anything. This book is perfect for Hermione, though. Thank you." And then he offered Draco one of those smiles again that made Draco feel as if a swarm of bees had been flying around in his head all day.
"Ah, mr Malfoy!" The owner of the store turned up out of nowhere and offered a toothy smile in greeting. He was an old man with a few grey strands of hair left and a monocle on his right eye. He always dressed in overly colourful robes and had too many rings on his fingers, but he was very very kind and had a mind for service more businessmen should learn from.
"Bernard," Draco greeted and pointed towards Harry. "I brought a friend, too. He found a book and I'm here to pick up my reservation."
"Of course, of course. If you follow me Mr. Malfoy and Mr…?" Bernard turned, slightly confused over his own realization that he had no idea what Draco's friends name was, and looked at Harry who blushed.
"Err, Potter, sir. It's Potter."
Bernard exchanged a very unsubtle look with Draco to confirm that this actually was the Mr. Potter.
"Mr. Potter! What an honour to meet you! I had no idea you were a friend of Mr. Malfoy's. Come this way and we will get you your book, ." Bernard hurried ahead of them through the store and pulled out a brown package from behind the register. He had unwrapped the book carefully by the time Draco and Harry had made their way over. Bernard pushed the book across the counter towards Draco who carefully picked it up and stroked the leather cover of the book where faded letters said: Quidditch – the comprehensive guide. It was a first edition copy that was almost a hundred years old. A treasure for any Quidditch fan with descriptions of that times most successful teams and their players and a complete guide of the best broomsticks the market could provide a hundred years ago. Malfoy Manor's library had a copy a little older than this and Draco knew Blaise had been drooling over it for years, but they were hard to get a hold of.
"Wow", Harry breathed and stroked the back of the book with a finger as if he was afraid he would break it if he used his whole hand.
"Yeah", Draco said. "It's brilliant. We have one at home, but Blaise hasn't been able to get a hold of a copy. He will be stoked."
"He should be. It's…I mean. That's like the best gift one could get, if one's not Hermione. He's going to be really, really glad for this." Harry smiled and Draco could feel his lips return the gesture without his brains permission.
A couple of hours later they were done and empty handed as their gifts had been sent back to the school by owls. Now they wandered around the streets of Hogsmeade while trying to avoid big groups of students.
"Do you want go somewhere in particular?" Draco asked when they found themselves wandering down the same road for the fifth time in twenty minutes.
"Just anywhere where there won't be a hundred people staring. I've had enough for one day." Harry looked a little tired and with right, Draco decided, when he thought about the huge amount of people who stared shamelessly, or even pointing at him. It was ridiculous how people seemed to forget all their manners as soon as they saw the lightning scar on Harry's forehead. "The Shrieking Shack?"
"Sure", Draco nodded, even though he wasn't too fond of that place since Harry had covered his head in mud during third year.
He let Harry lead the way through the village and he noticed that it was getting darker. It wasn't very late, but since it was winter the sun settled way too early for Draco's liking. He was getting cold to, as the long day outside in the snow had made his clothes clammy and all but warming.
"Harry!" Draco felt like killing someone when he saw that it was Creepy Creevey who came bouncing towards them. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Harry looked as if he wanted to sink through the ground as he plastered a stiff smile to his lips.
"Hi, Colin."
"So, you had a nice day here, Harry? Did you buy a lot of presents? I bought you a present, but I'm not telling you what it is. No, you have to wait until Christmas, Harry!" Creepy Creevey looked like a bloody Christmas candle where he stood, staring at Harry as if he had seen a naked Veela and while he kept bouncing in his place.
"You shouldn't have bought me a gift, Colin. I didn't get you anything." Harry said in a tired voice and Draco found himself admiring him for not having killed Creevey yet, because Draco was heading towards that point very quickly.
"Oh, that's okay, Harry! I just bought you something I came across while I was looking for something for my brother. So I was really sad that you left so early from the party, Harry. It would have been nice to talk to you more. I never see you anymore!"
And that was when Draco had enough.
"Creevey, if you don't leave Harry alone before I count to three you won't have legs to keep you bouncing", Draco said calmly, earning confused stares from both Harry and Creevey who started laughing nervously.
"One", Draco stated and pulled out his wand from his pocked. He watched Creevey look over to Harry for support, but he obviously found none. With a sigh Draco flicked his wand and sent Creeveys gaunty legs dancing down the street, joined by the rest of his body, of course.
"I thought you were going to count to three?" Harry said dumbfounded as he looked after the now tap-dancing feet and legs of Creepy Creevey who brought the rest of his body longer down the street.
"Let's just say patience isn't my virtue."Draco smirked and shrugged as Harry sighed in defeat.
"You know I'll have to apologize to him now, right? Where are his …legs taking him? Back to school?" Harry sent a worried look over to the street corner where he had last seen Creevey.
"Don't worry. Someone will find him and free him from the hex and he'll walk home on his own."
"You just sent him off? No destination? What if he gets lost? We have to go find him!" Harry made an attempt to hurry after Creevey, but Draco held him back.
"I'm not going after him. He's probably quick-stepping around by now. If he's not back when we get back I'll go find him." Draco only added the last part because it was the only thing that made the crease between Harry's eyebrows to smooth over somewhat.
"I don't know", Harry Hero-complex Potter said and took a last glance towards the direction Creevey had last been seen.
"I promise", Draco said and tugged a little at their linked hands. "Let's go. The Shrieking Shack, remember?"
"Right." Harry smiled in defeat and only looked back twice to see if he could catch a glimpse of Creevey.
There was not a person in sight when they found themselves in front of the ghostlike building and Draco leaned against the top plank of the fence that surrounded the house. It looked a lot smaller now than it had four years ago and a lot less terrifying.
"Thank you", Harry said suddenly after a long, for once, comfortable silence.
"For what?" Draco turned towards him and shivered against his will when a cold wind ripped through his damp clothes.
"Are you cold?" Harry asked effectively ignoring Draco's question.
"Thank me for what?" Draco insisted and he could see how Harry sighed mentally over his stubbornness.
"For this day. It's been great. And thanks for being nice to Ron and Hermione. Especially Ron, as he's never been very nice to you."
Draco shrugged since he had no words to say that didn't sound ridiculous or cheesy, or both.
"So, are you cold?" Harry asked again.
"A little. We don't have to leave, though." Draco didn't want to force Harry away from the place where he seemed to relax for the first time all day. Draco leaned against the fence again and rested his head on his arms, just to make it clear that he was fine with staying for a while if that was what Harry wanted.
A surprisingly warm hand nestled itself between the collar of Draco's cloak and his scarf, providing his cold neck with a comfortable warmth. He looked up only to find Harry standing so close to him, their bodies brushing against one another as Draco straightened himself from his slouched position over the fence.
Harry's hand behind his neck pulled him closer, the clouds of smoke from their mouths turning in to one as their breaths connected. Draco closed his eyes as he found Harry's damp hair with his free hand right before their lips connected.
Harry kissed him slowly and almost carefully, so very different from the evening before. But this was all so very different from the evening before. Something in Draco's chest tripped over itself when Harry pulled away for a moment only to come back in for second kiss, a little more determined this time.
And for the first time, Draco's knees grew weak from a simple kiss.
Chapter end notes: Thank you so much for reading. As always I appreciate hearing all of your opinions. I'll do my best to answer your reviews, of course, but it might take some time due to exams and other utterly boring and (sadly) time-consuming stuff. There aren't many chapters left now, ladies and gents!