By the time Severus found Draco laying half submerged in a snowdrift, the boy was awake and holding a bleeding nose. He gave the blonde a perplexed look and waved a general cleaning charm. Draco offered him a small 'thanks' and held out his hand.

Before taking it, Severus had to ask. "Who attacked you?"

"It was Harry, he punched me," Draco replied in a nasally voice. The blood had been cleaned away but his nose was still quite swollen.

"And why exactly did he punch you?" Severus questioned as he grasped Draco's hand and began to pull the blonde up.

Draco's face became beet red. "Because I kissed him," he blurted, cheeks turning a bright pink.

Severus froze in shock and Draco's hand slipped away. The younger wizard fell back into the snow with a loud 'Oomph'. He gave the older man a searing look before pushing up from the ground. Wiping off his robes, he made a move to continue to the castle.

"You did what?! Severus exclaimed, grabbing Draco's arm roughly.

"It was an accident," Draco attempted to explain, "I'd been drinking, we both had been." He rubbed his chin. "Maybe I was under Imperio, maybe I still am, you should check."

Severus crossed his arms over his chest. "You do not appear to be under any curse and the castle's wards would have alerted me if any Unforgivables had been used on school property. I would like to blame this on alcohol, but I fear it may be a deeper issue."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco huffed in an uncaring tone as they walked toward the castle. "I was merely caught up in the magic of the evening. I have been quite lonely…"

"Save your excuses," Severus interrupted. "If you truly wish to rationalize this into some kind of foolish mistake, do not waste your time by telling me. Your personal life is your own." He stopped at the door and turned to glare down at the other man. "But Harry Potter is a Hogwarts' professor and I will not have any funny business between you two. If you can't be friends, that's fine, but at least be civil."

"But I…"

Severus held up a finger. "And do not paw at other Professors without their consent." With a flip of his robes he stalked away. "I certainly don't need any lawsuits."

Draco balked at that. "Lawsuits! It was nothing, just a misunderstanding."

"Let us hope that Mr. Potter believes this as well," Severus replied icily, "Because if I have to choose between an easily replaceable Potions Professor and the first competent Defense Professor this school has seen in years," he paused. "Well, let's just say, I don't think you would be pleased with my choice.

Draco swallowed audibly, his steps stalling as the Headmaster continued to stalk down the hall. He placed a hand over his eyes.

"What in the world have I done?"

There was no answer, but someone had heard his question. Little Hermione Longbottom stood hidden behind one of the suits of armor to Draco's right. She'd been unable to sleep, so she decided to sit by the window and she'd seen the most surprising sight. Professor Malfoy had kissed Professor Potter! Then Professor Potter had punched Professor Malfoy! The whole situation was beyond belief and she had to find out more.

DSz

Dumbledore returned to his frame in Harry's quarters and gave the man a stern look. "Would you like to tell me why Professor Malfoy is lying unconscious at the front gate?"

Harry wrung his hands in his robes. "I didn't mean to punch him, but I've been drinking. You know how I get when I've been drinking," Harry pleaded.

"You appear to be quite sober."

"Well, the whole experience must have sobered me up then," Harry huffed. "I was quite drunk before. Totally drunk actually. So drunk I could hardly see."

The former headmaster's bright blue eyes drilled into him relentlessly and after a few seconds passed Harry just couldn't take it anymore. "He kissed me!" Harry shouted. "What should I have done? Okay, maybe I shouldn't have punched him, but he kissed me!"

Dumbledore's eyes began twinkling like mad. "I'm surprised the Professor Malfoy is such a poor kisser, so poor that you had to punch him in fact."

Harry shrugged and plopped down on the sofa. "No, it wasn't so bad. It was just," he waved his hands, "you know."

"No, I don't know."

The black-haired wizard's eye narrowed dangerously. "You know why I have to be careful. You know what happened last time I let my control slip. The last time…"

"You were hurt." Dumbledore broke in sadly.

"I'll never let someone do that to me again," Harry responded sourly, "I'll never allow myself to be taken in again like I was with him. Just look how that ended up, do you want that to be Draco someday when he's hurt me and I destroy him to get even?"

Harry looked away while brushing tears away with the sleeve of his robe. "You know why I can't let anything happen. I can't allow myself to lose control like that, not when it's so easy for me to hurt someone."

Dumbledore shook his head. "You cannot live alone forever, my boy. Eventually you will get lonely."

"It doesn't matter if I'm lonely. It's just the way it has to be. What's the use in it anyway? I'll outlive them all and still be left alone in the end, so why even bother?"

"Draco might be worth it," the old wizard suggested tentatively but Harry shook his head.

"I do care about Draco, I don't know in what way or what may come of it, but I can't let it happen. I can't let it end like it did with…the other."

"As you wish, but I do think you should at least speak to the young man and apologize for overreacting."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know and I will, but tomorrow would be better, I think. Tonight I'm just a bit too emotional to deal with all of this."

The lights automatically dimmed as the Boy-Who-Lived stretched out on his sofa. It was easy for him to sleep tonight, with all that happened. A giddiness bubbled inside his stomach at the thought of meeting Dudley's family and especially little Lily. She was such a sweet girl and he was already planning ways to spoil her rotten.

Eventually his mind circled round to the end of the evening. It had been a beautiful evening. Harry had been enamored with the softly falling snow and the starry sky, but then Draco had to go and ruin it with that…that…kiss. He reached up and ran a finger over his lips, shivering involuntarily. There had been something magical there, that was something he truly could not ignore, but he knew that all kisses could be magical given the right circumstances. Surely the entire episode had been all one big misunderstanding.