A/N: Lean back and simply enjoy an angst-free, romantic chapter!

36 Christmas Gifts, a new year begins and lessons start again

The following morning Draco and Harry were laying beside each other, arms and legs entangled, both of them sleeping soundly. One boy was snoring continuously and both overheard the loud bang at the door before a certain black-haired Slytherin with steel-blue eyes stormed into the room calling loudly, "Hey, lovebirds, get up finally! It´s almost lunchtime and I can´t wait any longer with unwrapping my gifts."

Draco opened his eyes slowly grumbling hoarsely, "Why do you always storm in like that, Blaise? When will you ever learn to not disturb my beauty slumber?"

Blaise grinned mischievously responding, "Wow, two questions at once early in the morning. Don´t overdo, Teen Rebel."

The silver-haired boy groaned because of the other boy´s cheerfulness and tried to move unsuccessfully because Harry was still sleeping on top of him, arms slung around him. Blaise came closer watching the couple suspiciously and stating dryly, "You look like dead tired in spite of sleeping til lunch."

Draco muttered groggily, "We didn´t get much sleep tonight. Don´t ask ..."

The silver-haired boy was barely able to keep his ice-blue eyes open and he yawned while he wrapped his arms around his smaller boyfriend waking him gently with a soft kiss on his forehead. Harry opened one eye, only a little bit, and moaned as he was aware that Blaise stood in front of his bed watching him with an amused expression on his face. Harry closed his eye again and buried his face on his lover´s chest, whispering with a muffled voice, "I´m tired ... I need some more damned sleep."

The handsome Slytherin with the black ponytail smirked arching one elegant eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Oh, you forgot to curse me this time. And now get up please ..."

Harry lifted his head and managed to get himself into a sitting position, still looking half asleep and rubbing his temples tiredly.

Our ever so morning-grouchy Slytherins stood up finally and they then headed for a waking shower to feel fresh again before they went back to their rooms for dressing. Blaise Zabini waited impatiently sitting on their usual place in front of the fireplace at the Slytherin´s common room for his friends. The handsome Slytherin with the silky long hair was wearing a Scottish kilt with silver and green patterns on a satin-like black underground and a silver-grey satin shirt. After a while Draco was the first who appeared wearing tight black leather pants and a white silk shirt with ruffles at his sleeves. The blonde ran his fingers through his long silvery blond hair to get some strains out of his face and sat down on the sofa too. Harry entered the common room shortly afterwards wearing tight black satin pants with little silver chains on it and a somehow transparent black silky shirt.

The Slytherin trio took their Christmas gifts to unwrap them eagerly before they would go to the Great Hall for lunch. Draco smiled one of his rather rare genuine smiles as he unwrapped his boyfriend´s parcel and took out carefully a silver journal which turned out to be a sort of diary with a beautiful photograph of Draco and Harry kissing each other on the first page and a poem beneath the picture that was written by Harry himself which read:

Without you I wouldn´t know how to love

Without you my life would be only pain

Without you my existence wouldn´t have any sense

Without you I wouldn´t exist anymore

You are my saviour

You are my true friend

You are my desire

You are my love

Draco had tears in his eyes as he read the poem and hugged his lover affectionately trying to calm down for a certain well planned surprise and he felt like his heart would stop to pound at every moment when he let go off his boyfriend finally watching the other boy open his gift, his mouth dry like after a hot summer day. Harry gasped for air as he opened the gift that his lover gave him. In the small parcel was a small silver amulet which had the form of an flying dragon with ice-blue eyes. Harry then pulled his boyfriend into an embrace and kissed him gently before he asked huskily, "Can you open the necklace for me and lay it around my neck at once?"

Draco smiled warmly and laid the necklace around his lover´s neck with tender moves closing it carefully. The silver-haired boy smirked nervously and pulled out a similar necklace with a golden dragon that had green eyes laying it into his boyfriend´s hands whispering, "Can you give me the favour back, my love?"

Harry glanced into his lover´s glittering eyes with shining emerald eyes and laid the necklace around his neck with slightly trembling hands. Draco explained with a hoarse voice and an unusual shy expression in his face, "The two amulets are symbols for our love ... er ... I mean ... we belong together now."

Draco Malfoy suddenly knelt down in front of his boyfriend blushing deeply and asked softly, "Harold James Potter, do you want to marry me after graduation?"

Harry closed his eyes and answered with a very deep and passionate kiss caressing his boyfriend´s face and stroking his silky, silver hair gently. As they finished the kiss panting for air heavily the Boy-Who-lived answered huskily, "Draconis Malfoy, it´ll be a honour for me to marry you."

They looked into each other´s eyes and kissed again forgetting completely their surroundings while their kiss grew more and more passionately.

Blaise Zabini grinned widely and tried to suppress some giggles, as he was aware that their two younger housemates must have witnessed the scene as well. Damien and Adrianna were staring at the couple with widened eyes and the girl had tears in her eyes. Blaise twinkled with his steel-blue eyes towards the younger students and called out cheerfully, "The celebration can begin!"

The two lovebirds stopped kissing and both of them had very lucky and affected expressions on their faces. Noticing the two younger Slytherins both boys blushed deeply and they returned hastily to unwrapping their remaining gifts. Blaise was the first who wished them luck, hugging both boys breathlessly and Adrianna and Damien did the same, smiling shyly. Draco felt relieved that his well prepared surprise was such a complete success and Harry seemed to be really lucky, his smile reaching his sparkling green eyes.

The five Slytherins went together to the Great Hall for lunch radiating cheerfulness and solemn mood. The Slytherin trio ignored all the icy glares of certain troublemakers and the days until the new year feast went on very fast and without any more incidents. Terry Boot arrived one day after Christmas and Blaise was very happy to have his boyfriend back. Surprisingly Pansy and Hermione came back to Hogwarts earlier than expected. The two girls explained that they wanted to stay for the new year feast together with their friends. Vincent Crabbe came back at 31st of December in the afternoon with a grouchy mood and a blackened eye telling his friends that his parents had to travel to Paris and they didn´t want to take him with them because he accidentally happened to make his father explode as he refused to get the Dark Mark but he didn´t want to explain why he did that and what exactly happened.

The new year feast was in the Great Hall which was now decorated with garlands in all possible colours. The Slytherins smuggled several bottles of champagne looking like butterbeer in. Shortly after the usual best wishes for the new year at midnight Draco and Harry disclosed to their friends that they had to say something and they drew all the attention to them. Draco showed his usual Malfoy Smirk and called out loud enough for everyone to hear "Harry and I are engaged! We promised each other to marry after graduation."

The two boys pulled out their up to now well hidden engagement necklaces and a storm of cheering broke down making both boys grinning happily.

Terry Boot sneered arching one elegant eyebrow and spoke amused to his lover "That´s the reason why you smiled so secretly when I asked you how Christmas was. You knew it, am I right?"

The black-haired Slytherin widened his steel-blue eyes pretending to be innocent and called out, "I never did that. I´m a good secret keeper ..."

Both boys laughed heartily embracing each other tenderly and the platinum blonde Ravenclaw kissed the other boy parting his lips gently deepening the kiss to a lustful tongue duel. Two certain Gryffindors were watching the scene with sour expressions on their faces grimacing disgusted which was promising nothing good.

The few days until the school started again were passing very quickly and the students had to finish some researches for their homework. The seventh year began to become very difficult and hard since they had to prepare for the graduation exams and all of them were very busy with their studies which meant there wasn´t many time left for planning further pranks or fighting in spite of the tense atmosphere between two certain Gryffindors, their Hufflepuff ally and our Slytherin trio. School started again and the teachers began to train advanced skills very hard, trying to prepare their students for what may come during graduation.

A/N: Review if you like it, please!