Romeo and.... Julius?
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy and all related characters and locations are the property of JK Rowling, her agents etc. I'm just borrowing them though I dearly wish I didn't have to give Draco back. The plot belongs to the bard eternal - William Shakespeare. I've borrowed quite heavily from the text of Romeo and Juliet for this, but as some of the words have been changed I haven't put the excerpts in italics. Sorry. I know several of you will look at this in horror but it's really for my own pleasure, so....
Warnings: This is Slash fiction – specifically Draco/Harry slash. Don't like, don't read. Certainly don't try and sue me!
Thanks again to my reviewers – as requested this one is longer. I have also changed my setting to accept anonymous reviews ;-) should really have done that earlier… Anyway – on with the Ball!
Scene 3 – Many meetings
Dinner was soon over and the Gryffindor crew practically ran back to their dormitory to get ready. Ron kept reminding everyone that it was a masked Ball until Harry finally lost his patience. "Look. Ron. We love you dearly, but you can really stop telling us now. We got it – we wouldn't be going otherwise. Not that I think we should be going in the first place…"
"Don't start that again, Harry." Seamus said, then looked over at Ron "C'mon, mate – I though you needed to get us those masks!"
Ron cheered up and started to root around in his trunk while his dorm-mates got their clothes ready. "Ah ha!" the tall red-head straightened and brandished several masks "I knew I left them in here!"
He pulled one on and turned to look at the others. Dean started to snicker and Seamus scratched his head "Err, Ron I think you put it on upside down."
"Oh." The red-head corrected his mistake. "There – see! No one will know it's us!"
Even Harry had to admit that Ron's face was unrecognizable. The mask was a simple golden colour but it seemed to be enchanted. The longer one looked at it that harder it became to tell who was wearing the mask. "Where did you get these from Ron?" he asked, buttoning up the green shirt he'd chosen to wear.
"The twins." Ron shrugged "I have no * idea* where they got them from.
"Boys? Are you ready?" Hermione stuck her head around the door and flushed when she saw Seamus shirtless.
The Irish-man grinned "It's all right – I don't mind!"
"I do!" Hermione quickly retreated, and Seamus pulled a shirt on when Ron glared at him.
Moments later they emerged into the common room – and Ron handed the masks out. "I want these back!" he warned them all with stern looks. Seamus looked very disappointed but they all nodded agreement.
"Let's go then!" Dean announced with a grin.
As the other's left Harry made very sure he had his invisibility cloak with him. The shrinking charm that George had taught him during the summer coming in very handy as there was no way he wanted to Slytherins to guess he had one!
Down in the dungeons…
Blaise and Draco surveyed the Slytherin common room with some measure of pride. It had been made to look spotless and small candles were floating in the air, bathing the whole room in a soft, dancing, light. Crabbe and Goyle just gazed hungrily at the snacks. Thankfully, Draco reflected, they'd put Millicent Bulstrode in charge of those. She'd done a very good job… and was now hovering by the snack table giving all the Slytherins dirty looks and making comments along the lines of 'They're for the party.'. No one was going near the snacks until she said so. He checked his watch, and pulled an elegant black mask down over his face. "Alright, open the doors. Hopefully with more people in here I'll be able to avoid Pansy."
Blaise glared but didn't comment. Pansy hadn't emerged from her dorm room yet. The Slytherin girl was still trying to make herself look 'just right' and Draco was devoutly hoping that she stayed there all night as nothing was likely to make her face look any better. A nod to Crabbe and Goyle and the two large boys moved over to open the portal. Neither were wearing masks, but it didn't really matter as they were bouncing for the night – Blaise had stated that there was no way he was letting them dance at 'his' party! Several masked students started to enter the common room, and Draco nodded happily. He clapped his hands and the music started. "Time to dance!".
The party was already well underway when the Gryffindors arrived. Dean was trying in vain to see whether or not Justin Finch-Fletchly was there but with all the masks the task was impossible. "Well at least they won't recognize us." Hermione muttered to herself.
Ron rolled his eyes "In these masks? No way. C'mon Mione, dance with me?"
Hermione smiled. "Well… if you insist…"
Ron smiled and pulled her close to him before whirling them out into the room. Harry sighed. With Dean and Seamus off pursuing their own ideas of conquests he was left on his own. With a heavy heart he sat on one of the green-leather couches in a corner and watched the dancers. Suddenly one caught his eye, and Harry stopped breathing for a moment. The boy in question – for boy it undoubtedly was – was simply stunning. He let his eyes run up and down the other lad's body, noting that it was firm and toned, and also how the muscles rippled under the silk of his shirt. "Did my heart love 'til now? Forswear it sight!" he murmured to himself. All thoughts of Cho were gone, completely. He'd never seen anyone as perfect as the boy in the black mask! "I've got to talk to him!" he said, starting to make his way around the edge of the room to where he saw the handsome lad going to get a drink.
He just happened to pass Goyle on his way around, and spoke just as he passed him. The large Slytherin frowned, mental cogs clicking around. His face brightned momentarily as the connection was made "I know that voice…" he said to himself, face darkening again "That's Potter…" he started to follow Harry.
A hand on his shoulder stopped him, and Goyle turned to look back. It was Blaise "What's the matter, Greg?"
Goyle pointed a fat finger to where Harry was approaching Draco "Blaise, that's a Gryffindor! Our foe!"
"Potter is it?" Blaise asked, eyes twinkling.
"That's right." Goyle grunted and started to move off again.
Blaise's grip on him tightened. "Let him alone, Greg. He wouldn't come here like this to start a fight in our dorms."
Goyle growled "It's Potter!" he protested.
"And I'm in charge, Goyle. You'll set a riot in here if you try and tackle him! Leave him, I say!"
Goyle had a face like thunder, but retreated back to Crabbe. "We'll get him for this, never fear.".
Across the room, at the drinks table, Harry approached the man of his dreams. From behind he grabbed the other boy's hand, spinning him around and kissing the delicate fingers as he did so. He looked up and emerald eyes met sliver. Harry flushed. "I'm… sorry." He stammered out in a quiet voice "I'm being too forward."
The sliver eyes matched the smile on Draco's face. With the masks he had no way of recognizing Harry's face… and with Harry talking in such a different voice to the one he usually addressed him with the Malfoy heir had no idea who the handsome man that had just kissed his had was. He laced his fingers with Harry's, drawing him closer. "I don't think so." He said in an equally quiet voice, trapping and holding the other's emerald eyes.
In that moment, which seemed to last for years, though in fact was only seconds; in that moment both Harry and Draco fell in love. "Move not whilst my prayers effect I take." Said Harry, cryptically, before he leaned forwards and captured Draco's lips with his own. The kiss was brief, soft, but electric. As the two parted there was the knowledge in both pairs of eyes that they had found their match.
Draco put his other hand on Harry's neck, and drew the Gryffindor down into another kiss. This one deeper, and within seconds Harry's tongue was running over Draco's lips which parted and soon their tongues were battling with each other for supremacy. It could have gone on like that for a while but a hefty tap on both shoulders caused them to break apart once more. Millicent gave Harry an odd look before turning to Draco. "Blaise wants a word with you." She said.
Draco rolled his eyes and, with a last squeeze of Harry's hand, went off to find Zabini. "Who was that?" Harry asked Millicent in a quiet voice.
She gave him an odd look again "That." She said proudly "Was Draco Malfoy. And Pansy isn't happy with him." She gave him the odd look again and walked off.
Harry looked pained as he watched where Draco was talking to Blaise and Pansy. "Is it really Malfoy?" he asked himself "O dear account, my life is my foe's debt!"
His thoughts were interrupted a moment later by Seamus tugging at his sleeve "Time to go, Harry, the sport is at it's best."
Harry turned sad eyes down to his Irish friend. "Aye so I fear, the more is my unrest."
Ron joined them "Stop doing that, Harry. It's wierding me out. C'mon we have to spilt."
Seamus and Ron started off out the door, which Harry noticed Dean and Hermione also going through. He took off his mask as he turned to leave himself.
Draco's eyes had never left Harry all the time he had been talking to Blaise and Pansy. Having fallen in love he wasn't about to let that love out of his sigh. Then he saw Harry remove his mask. "Oh no." he said "Oh no.". His heart was sinking even as he accepted the inevitable – he'd fallen in love and in the same night lost it, for Harry could never be his, not with the way things were.
Turning he left a very confused pair of Slytherins behind him "My only love sprung from my only hate, to early seen unknown and known too late!" sighing he retreated to his dorm.
In a corner of the common room, Harry slipped his invisibility cloak over his head. "I have to see him before I go to bed!"
A/N – sorry for the cliffie, I couldn't resist. Well, actually I'm not sorry, you'll just have to wait to see what happens. Or read Shakespeare.