Author: Artemis (Artemis1000@gmx.net)
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Pansy and all the other characters are owned by JKR. I own only the plot.
Timeline: They're in their sixth year
Rating: I'll be careful and take R (for swearwords)
Chapter: 2/2
Pairings: Harry/Draco, minor Seamus/Blaise and Pansy/Colin
Summary: The evening of the valentine's ball.
Author's note: It's still slash, if that's not your cup of tea, hit the back button.

Midnight Meeting
By Artemis

Chapter 2: The Valentine's Ball

Draco was ushered all day around by Pansy. She hadn't left him alone for longer than 30 minutes, either bugging him to tell her everything about last night - and Harry - hurry up or ask Harry who her secret admirer was. He hadn't told her that it's Colin Creevey out of spite for depriving him of his privacy all day.

It'd been unnerving, but in some way it'd also been sweet. While the Slytherins were close, they rarely showed it this openly.

"I'll see you at the ball, okay?", said Pansy when they reached the junction leading to Gryffindor tower and main entrance. She's at the very least as nervous as Draco - and at least he's able to hide it very well. In her royal green dress consisting of a skin-tight lace corsage as top and a skirt-like bottom part she looked beautiful, but Pansy was still self-conscious. The skirt was made of several layers silk, the upper sheer layers consisted of almost transparent silk, the lower were opaque. Her hair was put up, festive make-up on her face. To that she wore emerald earrings and a necklace, set in silver.

"Of course."

"Promise me that you'll be nice to Harry, will you? You can't scare him off, not so short before the ball. You wouldn't have any time left to apologize and persuade him to go with you. I need to go the entry hall or…"

"Then go!", commanded an unnerved Draco. He didn't picked Harry Potter often up at the Gryffindor tower and he needed some time to prepare for the inevitably confrontation with his classmates. It's not like he tried hard to be nice to them usually…

"Hey." Harry smiled shy at the blonde boy, not sure what to say. Or if he should say anything, for that matter. "I didn't thought he would come…"

"I didn't thought he would be here", thought Draco. He's fumbling nervously with the top clasp of his night-blue velvet dress robes "Hello. Are you ready?"

"I am."

"Uh…"

"Maybe we should go? I would like to be early at the ball, when there aren't many people already." The Gryffindor didn't only intended to avoid a scandal at the ball, he also wanted to avoid a confrontation with his housemates. Some of them dated Slytherins, but this was neither general knowledge nor accepted by everyone.

Although Harry was nervous and half dreading the ball, he enjoyed being in the company of Draco. even if it's an unusually agitated, self-conscious Draco. "Do you think Snape will come?", he asked to break the tense silence. "Snape at a valentine's ball, that's a sight to remember…!"

"As head of house he has to. Only for a short time, but he has to come. McGonagall?"

"Will come, but no more voluntary than Snape. She's afraid, I quote, "House Gryffindor would get indecent". I suppose she'll have her fun after the ball, when she can kick the non-Gryffindors out of our tower."

"Yes, I'm sure the vixen will have the time of her life." He wasn't so sure whether he would have a good time. House Slytherin knew what's going on and they didn't minded - they're more open-minded than people gave them credit for as long as it wasn't about the damned Mudbloods - but what about the Gryffindors? Draco had never listened when his housemates were discussing the troubles of inter-House relationships and now he's regretting it.

Harry's worries were similar, just that he's worried about two particular Gryffindors than the whole House. Since Ron and Hermione were too busy with each other, he didn't had the time to tell them exactly what'd happened.

~~~

Harry crawled through the portrait hole blissfully unaware that he's still dressed in Slytherin clothing. Open green school robes with Slytherin embroideries and a green scarf, underneath it a silver t-shirt with Slytherin snake, black denims and trainers - luckily they'd found a Slyth with the same shoe size. His pyjamas were in a bag since he really couldn't walk around in them at day. Though Harry wasn't sure anymore what's worse…

Ron and Hermione who're snuggling on a couch turned around as one. Hermione looked mildly amused when she saw his new style - she thought obviously it'd been a prank.

Ron was hyperventilating, his face between snow-white and red. "Harry! Harry! Do you know what you're wearing? You… you didn't, did you?"

"Malfoy!", grinded Harry as way of explanation out. It's really unfair. Even after the kiss and everything Draco only gave him this clothes, obviously being keen on humiliating him in front of his whole House.

"Oh. Go upstairs and change or someone will kick you out. See you at the ball, 'Mione and me are going for a picnic."

"Uh… okay. See you later."

~~~

"You remember the clothes you gave me? They caused quite a stir."

"Really?", asked the Slytherin as innocently as he could manage. It didn't sounded very convincing. Innocent just didn't suited Draco Malfoy and he knew it. And still it's too good an opportunity to tease Harry. "Nobody can expect me to waste it, not even Harry, can he?"

"Idiot!" But a small smile was tugging on the corners of Harry's mouth.

Against their expectations the Great Hall was already crowded with students as well as teachers when Draco arrived with his date of the night.

This hadn't been the way they wanted things to go. But he could handle this just as well. After all Draco was used to causing scandals, stirs and indignation. He's only worried the… reaction would chase Harry away. "Oh, oh. It doesn't looks good for my chances of Harry in the future. His little Gryffindor fan club will talk him out of coming with one of the bad guys in no time."

"What will we do if people freak?"

"Nothing." Draco risked another glance into the Great Hall. Until now they're gone undetected, at least a small advantage. "Absolutely nothing. We'll go in there casually, as if it's a matter of course that we go together to the ball. If someone freaks, you ignore them. That's the least painful way. People will freak out and they'll calm down again."

"That isn't much of a comfort."

"I know. Just mind your poise, I'll take care of the rest."

That didn't sounded comforting either. Rather like he's going to order Crabbe and Goyle to beat everyone up who's complaining. But since Harry didn't knew how to handle the situation, Draco did and he didn't felt like attracting his date's wrath himself, he kept quiet. At least until his interference was necessary.

The great uproar didn't happened to both boys relief. The majority of the couples were too busy dancing or flirting, the Gryffindors and Slytherin who did notice didn't looked greatly surprised, let alone shell-shocked. Only the teachers were making convincing imitations of fishes.

"Huh? No one cares?"

"Let's enjoy it as long as it lasts."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"I only have good ideas."

Harry snorted teasingly and accepted a glass of butterbeer from a house elf. "I wonder how Draco can be so cool. But it's a nice feeling that for once I don't have to get us out of the trouble. Of course, usually it's also me who gets us into these messes in the first place…"

"Do you want to dance, Harry?"

"Dance? I don't know, I'm not such a good dancer. I mean, I wouldn't exactly turn your feet into minced meat, but it won't be much better either…"

"I'll teach you."

Two songs and some wounded feet later, Harry commented, "you know, our people are surprising me. No uproar, no panic attacks…" Only the poor, confused Hufflepuffs hadn't gotten yet what's going on.

"I'm a bit surprised myself. I expected your little admirers to loose consciousness when they see their great hero came with someone else", said Draco in an innocent "I didn't did anything, I'm just a little angel" voice.

Of course Harry didn't bought it. Rather he's annoyed that even at their date Draco couldn't stop making fun of his housemates. "Look, if you just came to annoy me…"

"I thought we covered that already. The opportunity was just too god to resist."

"Great, just great, Draco! Either you stop that or you get yourself another date, and don't believe I would be bluffing." When Harry was sure the other boy was told off enough, he smiled again at him. "I feel like dancing again, how about you?"

"Next time I have a date with you I'll wear steel shoes", the Slytherin quipped, but went with Harry again to the dance floor.

The Boy Who Lived could restrain himself just about from making a victory dance. "He truly said we would have another date! Yeah, Draco really does like me!" The rest of their dance Harry had a silly little smile plastered on his face.

The evening was halfway over when Hermione and Ron finally noticed who Harry's date was. Well, it's also the point when they noticed that Harry was present.

"Ron, hush! You're going to make a fool of yourself and ruin the ball for everyone! I don't claim to understand why Harry came with Malfoy of all people, although so many girls - and boys - asked him out, but I trust his judgement. He'll have his reasons, no matter how weird they may seem. And look at the Slytherins, they aren't surprised at all."

"Maybe he blackmailed Harry, that's the ultimate humiliation and it would be just like the ferret face!"

"Ssh, Ron!", hissed Hermione dangerously calm. She looked desperately around for a potential Ron-sitter and finally caught sight of Seamus. Since his date was Blaise Zabini she guessed he at least wasn't stark raving mad like Ron. "Seamus! Seamus, I need your help!"

"What is it now, Granger?!", snapped Blaise.

"Blaise, you shut up for a moment. Hermione, do you have hot gossip?"

"No, but you have to help me. Ron is ready to rip Malfoy's throat out. I need someone to baby-sit him while I talk with Harry and clear this whole mess up."

"I can help you there, Granger. Draco and Potter are an item, they're happy and if Weasley doesn't leaves them in peace he's going to be on the wrong end of some very nasty curses that could just perhaps ruin his night…!"

"I'm… I'm maybe jumping to conclusions … but I wonder if you would like to play tomorrow Quidditch against me. One against one? Under normal circumstances I would suggest we convince our Houses of making a game, just for fun, but…"

"The odds are I'll say yes if you ask."

A very flustered, blushing Harry found suddenly the tips of his shoes and the floor very interesting. Only when he's afraid Draco could leave he asked, "would you like to?"

"You meet me after lunch at the locker room?"

"Great!"

"I'll rather leave now, I'm still tired. And I believe the Weasel and Mudblood would like to talk to you."

"Draco! Don't call them that!"

"What?"

"I like you, but that doesn't makes them any less my friends. And I can't accept that you insult them all the time. Can't you at least try to be a little bit nicer?"

A long-suffering sigh, "just a tiny bit. I won't turn into a goody-two-shoes because of you."

"But…"

"Harry! This is nothing I'll negotiate about! Either you come to terms with my behaviour or you forget about me and go on with your life", he said in a determined, stony voice, grey eyes piercing into green.

"As long as you try to be a bit less of a git, I'll try to get used to your attitude and I'll also try to keep my friends from spooning your brains out."

"Thanks, I appreciate it", chuckled Draco wryly.

"I'll meet you on the Quidditch pitch at dawn, Harry."

Harry stayed rooted to the spot for a while, his eyes never leaving Draco until the door closed behind the Slytherin.

A happy smile lightened Harry's face

"I think I'm falling in love…"

The End

Yeah, I know the end was kinda lame. But when I'm honest, I just wanted to be done with this little fic because I just don't get any decent scenes written for this story. So I decided on a quick and painless end rather than forcing myself to write something that can only end up being crappy.