Title: Hook, Line, and Sinker

Author: GrapeSmshr

Rated: G to PG-13, depending on the chapter

Coupling: HP/DM slashy goodness

Updates: every Friday.

Summary: H/D *slash* Everyone loves the holidays because love blooms. Each chapter is a different holiday in which Harry and Draco find romance. Fourth holiday: New Year's Eve!

A/N: This chapter is pretty short compared to a couple of the others, but it was meant to be that way. Anyone else a firm advocate of New Year's resolutions? ::sees no one raising hands:: Well, that's ok. I make em but rarely keep em, so I don't know why I bother. But Harry and Draco, on the other hand...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Holiday 4: New Year's Eve

Rated: G

.

.

"Four minutes!"

An excited cheer buzzed through the crowded Great Hall as students and teachers alike partied away the last few minutes of the year. The crowd wasn't extremely large, but it was larger that usual. Among the students who stayed at Hogwarts for winter break was Harry Potter. He'd rather eat *anything* Hagrid cooked than spend a holiday with the Dursleys. By whatever miracle, his two best friends had also stayed behind.

Grinning wildly, Ron Weasley thumped Harry on the shoulder and repeated, "Four minutes, mate!" He had one arm slung around the waist of his girlfriend, Hermione Granger, and the other hand carried a champagne glass of pumpkin juice.

"Wonderful," Harry grumbled sourly, wondering what he had to be excited about. Sure, he was ringing in the new year with two of his favorite people in the world. And he couldn't forget that in six months' time he would be graduating from Hogwarts and starting his life. But... he'd be starting his life alone, just like he was alone for New Year's Eve. He told his friends so.

Patting his arm reassuringly, Ron told him, "You're not alone. You have us."

"That's not what he meant!" Hermione said as she elbowed him in the side so he'd release his arm from her waist. She sat down next to Harry, taking his hand in hers. "Thinking about him?"

Harry nodded miserably. "What kind of person stays for Christmas but leaves before New Year?" He had watched from Gryffindor tower as said object of conversation had left the school in a Thestral-drawn carriage the day after Christmas. Harry's heart had leadened and dropped into his stomach. He just couldn't enjoy the rest of the holiday.

Gazing at him sympathetically, Hermione answered, "Who knows? But don't let the fact that he's not here ruin your evening. I know you like him, but you'll get to see him after winter break."

That wasn't the point. Harry had made a resolution last new Year that he would tell the object of his affection about his feelings. Of course, at the beginning of the year he really hadn't been interested in anyone but had been speaking of a hypothetical someone. But now he was interested, and that person wasn't here. Harry would have to break his resolution and be alone yet again. "Yeah, after break," he echoed dismally.

Sitting opposite him and Hermione, Ron piped in brightly, "Don't worry, Harry. I'm sure there are a few decent blokes at the party who'd like to have you for a snogging partner."

Hermione was about to whack him over the head for his insensitivity, but to her astonishment, Harry chuckled.

"You know, that's probably true." Even though he wasn't interested in anyone else, he did find the thought amusing. And he knew it was true because he had had a few offers, all of which he politely declined.

"Three minutes!"

Harry watched his friends glance at each other. There were three minutes left until midnight, and they were putting their fun on hold to try and cheer him up. He was pretty sure they didn't want to be spending their time with a moping Harry Potter. He leaned into Hermione, gently nudging her. "Go on."

"What?"

"Go spend some time alone. The year's almost over."

"We don't want to leave you like this," Hermione protested, but Harry held up a hand to stop her.

"I'll be fine, really." He gave them a tiny smile to help his argument.

"We don't need to be told twice." Ron grabbed Hermione and pulled her up, flashing a grin at Harry before disappearing among the dancing couples.

Sighing, Harry went to get a glass of pumpkin juice. He observed the others around him, dancing and laughing and starting their midnight snogging a few minutes early. At least everyone else was having a good time. Harry suspected he was the only one feeling sorry for himself.

"Two minutes!"

Weaving his way in and out of the crowd, Harry found a side door that led to a balcony. He leaned up against the stone ledge, starting out into the blackness of the night. Well, he tried to look on the bright side. At least he wasn't dead. He got very close more than a half-dozen times, but he always managed to stay alive in the end. He had two best friends whom he loved dearly and who loved him back. And yeah, he had an entire entourage of followers, but he could definitely do without them. All in all, life wasn't that bad.

So what if he was all alone on New Year's Eve? So what if his resolution was going to be broken? He'd just make a new one and focus on that. He needed to stop feeling sorry for himself and just enjoy the rest of the night.

"One minute!"

Oh, who was he kidding? He was miserably alone on one of the biggest nights of the year, and the one person whose company he longed for wasn't here with him. What was the big bloody deal with celebrating a new year, anyway?

Elbows resting on the ledge, Harry leaned his chin on his hands and closed his eyes. If only he could block out the party sounds... He'd leave the party, but he knew Ron and Hermione would eventually hunt him down. So he might as well pretend like he had a good time when they asked him in the morning. He'd save face, and they'd save their lectures. It was a win-win situation, except for the fact that he didn't win.

"Thirty seconds!"

Did they have to count down from every little interval? Harry didn't want to be reminded that the year was coming to a close. With a frustrated growl, he turned around and found himself face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked before he could stop himself. He was shocked to see the Slytherin there, as he had watched him leave only days before. What was he doing back at school?

Draco's expression was one of pure amusement. "Am I not welcome?"

"That's not what I meant," Harry corrected himself quickly. "I just, well... I saw you leave. Why are you back?"

Contemplating the question a moment, Draco answered simply, "I had to fulfill my New Year's resolution, so I came back." He took a step closer to Harry.

Harry was almost afraid to ask, but he just couldn't help himself. "What was your resolution?"

"To be a decent bloke."

Heart thumping wildly in his chest, Harry's brain rewound to earlier when Ron had said something about finding Harry someone to snog at midnight. He turned questioningly to Draco, who was now smiling pleasantly at Harry.

"And, of course, to find a snogging partner," Draco finished, leaving no doubt as to the fact that he had overheard Harry's earlier conversation.

"Ten!"

"Do you mean..." Harry began.

"Nine!"

"Yes, I mean."

"Eight! Seven!"

Harry wasn't quite sure he heard right. Draco wanted to snog him? Maybe he misunderstood in all the shouting. "What?"

"Six!"

"I want you, Harry Potter."

"Five!"

Harry's eyes widened. He hadn't misunderstood that. "You want me?"

Four!"

"Yes, I want you," Draco confirmed with the slightest upturn at the corners of his mouth.

"Three! Two!"

"I want you, too."

"One!"

"Then come here."

As the school exploded in mounds of confetti and streamers, Draco grabbed the front of Harry's jumper and pulled him into the most breathtaking kiss either had ever experienced. The party didn't exist. There were no other people. It was just the two of them, arms around waists and lips refusing to part, even long after the last streamer touched the ground.

Lips curling into a smile, Harry pulled back and asked coyly, "So, what's your resolution for this year?"

In response, Draco dipped his head and softly brushed his lips across Harry's.

"Funny, mine too," Harry laughed as their lips joined again to get a start on fulfilling the upcoming year's resolutions.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Who's going to argue with resolutions like those? I know I wouldn't! I want to give a special thanks to Rebuky, who reminded me about one of the best holidays to write about, Aprils Fool's Day. I totally forgot about that one! Should be fun... Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love em to pieces.

Now for a shameless plug... I just posted a new one-shot, HD of course, entitled Cold Feet. If you have the time, please read it! It's pretty short. I love you guys! Until next week!