LJ: Maiwiz {December}

Chapter 25: Baby it's Cold Outside…

Harry shuffled his feet beside the Victorian-style Greek house indignantly, waiting for the hail to stop. The awning above him was being assaulted, and Harry wondered how long it was going to last. He took one for the team and put up a protective charm. He could apparate, but he wasn't looking forward to being beat down with hail on his way to the dorm. A robbery had occurred and there were even more protections put in place, now you had to apparate a mile away from the building. Harry didn't quite want to.

The actual robbery had given Draco and him quite a scare, Draco had left Colin back in the room while they went to classes. Thankfully, the robber seemed more interested in some aristocratic vase than a simple mirror. Harry checked his muggle watch and huffed. He didn't want to go back inside and deal with what felt like a press conference.

"Look who it is. Harry Potter!" A familiar voice called out and Harry turned to see Blaise stand half-in half-out the wooden doors. "Zabini." He grunted and tried to not get a future migraine. "Is that anyway to address your boyfriend's best mate?" Blaise said, in his trademark surprised voice. "Why aren't you in the party?" Harry sighed and leaned back against an awning pole. "Because they hog me like flies and Draco is home sick and even though he said to go on without him, I want to make sure that prat is okay."

Truthfully, Harry had worried about him the whole night. Harry still only had about 8 years in the wizarding world and didn't know much about wizarding illness, but it seemed like some variation of the flu. Of course, if he had tried to stay with him to coddle him Draco would hex him into next week. He was not in the best of moods when he was sick.

"Ah, the old 'I'm a Malfoy and Malfoy's don't need checking up on' rant? I've heard that a couple times whenever Pansy and him have a go." Blaise said and scanned Harry like he was looking for something off. Apparently, Harry was satisfactory enough because his coal eyes snapped back to Harry's in a flourish. "It was more like a 'get out of here before I hex you, you messy-haired prat' but sure."

Draco had awoken him at 4 am and started puking, much to the dismay of Colin and the dismay of Harry for having to clean up after it. It was only a week until Christmas Eve but it didn't look like there would be Christmas caroling. Colin told Draco that his ashen face reminded him of the ghost of Christmas past and he wanted to take a picture of it, not knowing the hour tantrum It would ensue.

In the present, Harry still didn't know what to get the hot-headed blond and standing out here instead of observing Draco quietly for any reaction to shopping in Hogsmeade wasn't helping. Blaise nodded swiftly and held out a crepe for Harry. "Store bought, but still decent. I understand they're important to you two now?" He said with a knowing smirk.

Harry scowled and took the crepe, sniffing it for poison and then obligating stuffed it into his mouth and dared Blaise to comment on it. Blaise's face stayed blank and Harry's scowl deepened. Where Draco always made him angry, Blaise always made him unnerved. "I would suppose so. You, of all people, were there when the screaming fest happened after his hangover."

Draco laughed and took another thing out from behind him, prompting Harry to wonder if he had some sort of hidden compartment back there. "It's a flyer for an antique potion set from a medical potioneer Draco always talked about when he was a kid. Draco's not an inventor, for sure, but he always had an affinity for simplicity in potions, especially if there is some sort of altering spell involved, if you catch my drift." Harry winced. He had come face-to-face with some of Draco's tweaked creations back in school.

"Wait… why are you giving me this?" Harry said, confused. He grabbed onto the flier and admired the set, it was beautifully crafted and ahead of its time. Blaise sighed and put his hand to his forehead. "For his Christmas gift, for merlin's sake. I don't want to stay up with him on Christmas Eve as he complains about whatever gift you gave him. But make sure you bid fast." With that he winked and closed the door behind him, leaving Harry in the chill and realizing the hail had stopped for a while now.

Merlin's tits.

~.~.~.~.

{Christmas Eve}

Draco fumbled with his gift for Harry, spelling the wrapping paper on with one hand and signing off his name with the other. He had been confused and stiffy about what to get him, but Weasley, in an angelic mood, had tipped him off about a signed muggle Irish Quidditch jacket from one of his years at school, Draco couldn't remember now.

Harry was off with the Weasley and had left his present for Draco in plain sight, its gold wrapping mocking him. Draco wanted nothing more than to rip it off and look at what's inside, and had almost once, but had heard a tell-tale sign of something expensive rattle when he tried to shake it and had stopped immediately.

Muggle outer wear was in more than ever, and while Draco would never understand why one would wear a skinny jacket instead of a warm cloak, it was all the rage for everyone else, including his half-blood boyfriend. Yeah, he called him his boyfriend sometimes in his head. Don't judge him. He finished the jingle bell wrapping paper and collapsed in a heap on his comforter, pulling his cloak tighter around him. It was freezing and Merlin knew why Harry was out and about in the first place, and it didn't help that the wintry weather had inspired his illness in the first place.

Luckily for him, Lucius had sent medicine from the Alps and Draco had sat stuffed up in his dorm, grateful at least to miss his studies for a week. He had yearned for something to do, though, like maybe making a paper dragon spit a poisonous hex. Unfortunately, his quill and scroll was inside his desk and he wouldn't dare ask Harry to get it for him.

"Draco! Hey, love!" Harry said, holding open the door with one hand and wiping a cold sweat from his forehead. He was wearing the cute beanie Draco had picked out for himself- and boy, if that did not make a warm feeling in his stomach. "'Hey' and 'Love' are muggle words, Harry." Draco scowled half-heartedly and went over to hug him, not caring in the moment that anyone might see.

Harry hurriedly closed the door and smiled up at him. "Turns out playing quidditch in the snow isn't as fun when it's only the two of you." Draco rolled his eyes and pecked him on the corner of his eyebrow. "I want my present now." He whispered, cooingly. Harry chuckled and pulled a hand out to put his gear away. "Is that why you're being nice to me?" Harry said accusingly, and Draco allowed him to remove himself from the hug.

"Yes." Draco drawled and went over to fetch his present, holding out a matching arm to his tone to point to Harry's. "I call mine first!" Draco said, mood quickly elevated. He tore into his present without waiting for an answer. Draco gasped at the box with the clear picture in the center of it. It couldn't be… "I can't take all the credit. Blaise pointed me towards it." Harry acknowledged. Draco gaped at him and just nodded. "This… must have cost you a fortune." He said numbly.

"Well, it's not like I'm poor or anything. Can I open mine now?" Harry said, obviously nervous. Draco nodded stoically and resumed staring at the beautiful box. Harry sliced his box open with a cutter charm and erupted into a yelp of surprise. "Thank you, Draco! This jacket's the coolest!" He said, replacing his woolen sweater with the one in the box. "You okay?" He said, eyeing Draco who was currently staring at him.

Draco, in one fluid movement went up to Harry and grabbed onto his neck, kissing him boldly. Harry gasped and kissed him back, and Draco was happy for once getting the upper hand. It went on for at least ten minutes before Colin piped up. "Is this an inconvenient time?" Colin said from Draco's bed post. Both gasped in surprise and pulled away.

"Colin?!"