Harry was bored.

It's now been two hours since they first got into the damnable lift.

And Draco was still pacing tirelessly before him.

Harry wriggled his toes in front of him and looked at his feet.

He looked at Draco's covered ones and wondered what the boy's looked like.

Yep.

He had never been So Bored in his life.

He looked at fingers critically now and frowned.

They were rather uneven.

He started to bite along the edge of a particular crude one.

"That's disgusting, Potter. Stop it." Malfoy said snootily, his hands behind his back.

His posture combined with the pacing might have looked formidable if he hadn't still been bare-chested.

Harry defiantly stuck his tongue out at the blonde.

Draco muttered something under his breath that sounded like "immature Gryffindors."

"Can't you even *try* to keep still, Malfoy? All your walking around is making me dizzy!" Harry moaned.

"I *can't* stop. Got to keep moving. It's against my nature to be so immobile and useless." he said pointedly looking at Harry, with a superior smile.

"Yeah. Right." Harry rolled his eyes.

He stretched lazily on the floor and yawned.

His back cracked audibly when he arched it.

Motivated by this, he then cracked his neck, oblivious to the horrified expression on Draco's face.

"You're going to break your neck one day if you keep doing that!"

"No, I won't." Harry dismissed him languidly and turned his attention on his fingers next.

He started cracking them loudly, one at a time, looking thoughtfully at Draco who had stopped dead in his tracks to glare at him disapprovingly.

"I never knew you were such a fusspot, Malfoy." Harry noted with interest.

"I am NOT a *fusspot*!"

"Are to. And you're worse than Hermione."

"Am not! And you take that back!"

"Are to. And make me."

Draco scoffed at this but resumed his pacing nevertheless.

He *really* couldn't keep still.

He was starting to wonder if he wasn't a tiny bit claustrophobic.

"Potter."

"Hmm?"

"Don't you feel… even a little freaked out by this?"

"What? Being stuck with you?"

"No." Draco stopped, "I mean about being trapped in here. This little - windowless cell." he said, gesturing with his arms.

"And by the way, *anyone* would be privileged to be stuck with me, Potter." he added.

"Well, it doesn't bother *me*. It's actually a little bit roomier than my closet was."  He chose to ignore the last comment.

"Your closet?"

"Never mind."

"I'm being *serious* here."

Harry sighed.

"Okay... The trick - is not to think about it." Harry suggested, "Do you need me to rub your back again?"

"What?! No!" Draco looked indignant, "And it will *be-hove* you, Potter, if you never make mention of that, ever again." he threatened silkily.

Harry; who was by now, immune to any and all threats made by The-Boy-Who-Cried-Like-a-Baby didn't even bother responding to this one.

Draco watched him sternly for a few moments before he finally nodded, pleased with himself for sounding so menacing and effective.

"So. How do I do that then?" He asked again, and resumed his pacing.

"Do what, Malfoy?" Harry asked, distracted.

He was now busy trying to find a way to make a noose out of his discarded tie.

He thought he might offer it to Malfoy to go hang himself, if the need should arise.

"Not think about this!"

"Oh, that...So - just think about something else. Hmm…Let's see now…" he paused thoughtfully.

"Ah! Got it. Try thinking about what you're going to tell the Slytherins when you lose to me at Quidditch this term." Harry said helpfully. "Again."

"Very funny, Potter. If I had known you were such a comedian I'd have voted for you instead of Ron."

"What do you mean - voted?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"Oh, you didn't know? There's an annual poll to vote for the best and the worst in Hogwarts." Draco said importantly.

"Really? I don't remember ever hearing about this...Who gets to vote and decide?"

"Only the most distinguished of students."

"And that would be…"

"Slytherins of course."

"Right... Why am I not surprised?" he said wryly.

Silence.

"Aren't you going to ask what you got voted for?" Draco asked impatiently when Harry remained silent.

If he didn't know better, he'd think Potter was trying to ignore him!

"Nope." Harry pushed his glasses up his nose and frowned in concentration as he adjusted his newly makeshift noose to make it even tighter.

Draco bristled.

"Well- I'll tell you anyway." he said haughtily, as if he was doing Harry an enormous favour.

"Oh, please do." Harry mumbled sarcastically without looking up.

"*You* Potter, was voted 'Most Likely to Die a Gruesome Death'." he announced gleefully.

"I'm touched."

Draco ignored him and continued.

He was on a roll.

"And Weasley! Weasley was voted Class Clown and Biggest All Round Loser!" Draco said triumphantly.

"I'll be *sure* to tell Ron the happy news… Say, what do you think of this noose?" he asked suddenly, holding it up.

"It looks exactly like your necktie. And don't try to change the subject- I was just getting to the good part -"

And so, Draco prattled on and on for many, many minutes; ticking off names, and announcing even more and more ridiculous sounding categories until Harry felt just about ready to test-drive the noose on a certain skinny neck.

"Malfoy! Please, just stop!"

"Why?"

"Your mindless chatter *doesn't* amuse me, or can't you tell from my very PAINED expression?!" Harry yelled, throwing his tie/noose at Draco's face.

Draco's hand shot out to catch it automatically.

"Well, I never!" Draco shook his head in derision, "Manners, Potter!"

Harry closed his eyes, took a deep breath and counted slowly from one to ten.

*Bless-ed Golden Silence.* he thought in sweet relief.

"What is this supposed to be for, anyway?" a voice asked.

Harry wondered if he dared risk opening his eyes.

He considered recounting.

To a hundred.

"Potter, I'm *talking* to you." The voice whined.

Harry sighed dejectedly. So much for sweet silence, he thought glumly.

He opened his eyes to look at Draco.

The blonde had, by now put the black necktie around his own neck, where it hung loosely against his bare chest.

If Harry didn't know any better, he'd think Draco looked kind of *hot* like that.

His eyes widened in horror at this.

Maybe Malfoy was right.

Maybe he really *was* pervy and sexually repressed.

And maybe –

"Is it really some kind of Muggle hanging accessory?" Draco cut in, truly puzzled.

Harry shook his head; his mouth had gone dry.

"It's just something they like to wear. It's meant to be formal." he finally found his voice.

"And people usually wear it with a shirt, too."

He swallowed and forced his eyes to focus on anywhere else but Draco's naked chest.

And they unwisely travelled instead to the graceful curve of his broad shoulders, the slim, tapered waist, the sexy way his jeans were hanging off his narrow hips, that incredibly cute ars-

"How strange…" Draco remarked to himself as he fingered the tie absently.

"Yeah." Harry echoed and wiped the sweat off his brow with a shaky hand.

"What were we talking about just now? Before I was so rudely interrupted?" Draco asked.

*Oh no.*

Harry grimaced and braced himself.

"Oh right. I was telling *you* about how they absolutely *insisted* I be crowned 'Most Desirable and Alluring yet Mysteriously Unattainable Hogwarts Bachelor' AGAIN! After four straight years of holding that title, I told them it was time I let someone else enjoy the spotlight for a change… But apparently, they *were* no other contenders! Imagine that! And of course, they were so desperate to have me, it would've been cruel of me to deny them…" he prattled on.

Harry shook his head, and fumed.

He must've been out of his mind if he thought for even a moment that Draco was attractive.

What a thick-skinned insufferable brat!

He must *really* love the sound of his own voice.

"Malfoy. For the last time - and please note that I am asking you nicely; DO-SHUT-UP!"

"Potter. I understand how you were raised by wolves and all, and sometimes our ways may seem strange and alien to you, but do try to understand that in *civilised* society, wizards, especially wizards with *intelligence* such as myself, enjoy having conversations with other wizards. It helps us to pass the time."

"But this isn't a conversation- you're just going on about yourself!" sputtered Harry.

"Your point being?"

"AAARRGH!" Harry screamed in frustration and banged the back of his head against the wall.

"*Must* you make such a racket?" Draco scolded.

"ME?!" he stood up angrily and faced the blonde.

"I'm not the one who's been bleating on and on for half an hour!" he yelled..

"Bleating?! This was your idea, remember? You said I should think about something else besides being stuck here!"

Harry blinked.

Okay, so he did say that.

But he didn't know that would instigate such torturous and annoying speeches!

"Well, since you seem to have all the answers, what do you suggest I do instead?" Draco asked and crossed his arms in a challenge.

Harry thought hard.

There was no way he wanted to hear any more mind-numbing diatribes from a Draco-Malfoy point of view; so talking of any kind was out of the question.

Draco tapped his foot impatiently and started to open his mouth to deliver a snide retort.

And was interrupted yet again.

By a very unexpected tongue plunging into his mouth.

In a blink of an eye, Harry had grabbed one end of the tie and pulled him roughly forward.

And before Draco even knew what was happening, he was being thoroughly and deeply kissed.

+++++++++++++

A/N: Much love to all who reviewed! This is such a fun fic to write and your feedback makes it even more so!