Ron squawked and the pillow was clapped to his lap. He backed up against the headboard.
"Ron, that's my pillow you are currently molesting."
Ron's mouth twisted.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I was being discreet. I also wanted my two thousand Galleons worth. And I got it. Your body is nicely responsive."
To my pheromones. Draco smiled contentedly. Ron made a choked sound and looked away.
"Explain to me why you are embarrassed."
"What is there to explain?"
"I'm not embarrassed."
"Well, you want me!"
"And?"
"I just don't feel comfortable about you seeing me like this, okay!?"
"Right then. Well, get dressed and go back to you dorms. Your erection should go down from all that walking needed."
Ron was giving him that walleyed expression again.
"Now what's wrong?"
"Why do you have to call it that?"
"Call what what? Clarify, Ron."
Ron blinked. Apparently his blush had once again reached maximum capacity.
"Call…call it an…erection."
Draco raised an eyebrow.
"It is an erection, Ron. Oh… you prefer the plebeian habit of referring to all things sexual in slang."
"Well, I heard you use slang once or twice."
"That was before I learned better."
Ron snorted.
"Truly. Slang is low class. Why use one word when there already is a word to name it?"
"Not all things already have names."
"Really. Name one sexual thing or act that has no name but slang."
Ron thought. Merlin, he's actually thinking about this.
"Blowjob."
"Fellatio."
"What!?"
"Fellatio. Verb, to fellate. Fellating, fellated, will fellate, would fellate, should fellate… Should I continue conjugating?"
Ron shook his head.
"Fellatio," he tried the word out. "It does sound better. I guess."
"Ha."
"But you can't seriously say that humping's got a real name?"
"Depends. If there is no penetration, then the proper word is frottage."
"Frottage."
"Yes."
"Weird."
"Ron."
"What?"
"We just had a conversation on obscure, to you, sex terms," Draco handed Ron his clothes. "I just thought you should know how unprecedented that was."
Ron made a faint unhappy noise. Draco smiled and did not look away as Ron dressed.
"Your Galleons and Frogs will be delivered on Christmas. Can you wait?"
Ron nodded.

"Hey, Ron. Where were you?"
Ron flushed.
"Well?"
"I got a massage from Draco."
Jackpot! Harry stuffed a pumpkin pastie into his mouth to prevent him from smiling.
"Really?"
"Um. I'll be getting a thousand Galleons and a load of Frogs for Christmas this year."
Draco, this is just so uninspired. Harry gulped down his pastie.
"He paid you to let him massage you? But he's massaged you before."
"This time was different."
I'll bet, thought Harry.
"How?"
Ron mumbled something.
"What?"
"I said I was naked."
Harry's eyebrows shot up. Draco got Ron naked? Ron waited for Harry to either start making disgusted noises or for him to express sympathy. He didn't expect him to just sit there. And start laughing.
"It's not funny!"
"Sorry!"
Harry stopped laughing with some difficulty.
"Why would Draco want to see you naked? You're having me on, aren't you?"
Ooh. Bad acting. Hope Ron doesn't notice.
"No. Draco is going to give me a thousand Galleons and the equivalent in Frogs because I let him massage me in the buff."
Harry nodded. And Ron became suspicious.
"Why aren't you surprised?"
"I'm not surprised?"
"You knew! You knew he wanted…" Ron's fists clenched. "If you weren't my best friend in the world Harry…"
"Hermione knows too."
"What!?"
So Harry explained to Ron that Draco didn't just have eyes, he had a nose only for him.
"You are very special to him, Ron. I really think you should give it a try."
"Harry. You are not setting me up with Draco bloody Malfoy!"
"Why not?"
"I like girls!"
"That could be a problem," Harry adjusted his glasses.
"Could be? Harry, have you gone mad?"
Ron slashed his hand in the air to cut off Harry's reply.
"Okay, so he's decent now. Okay, so he can't help it, and I can't help that I've got something he wants. But why did you help him?"
"I actually can't say why I'm doing this. The truth bites, huh?"
Ron snorted.
"I've got a theory," Harry ventured.
"Oh, joy."
"Draco hasn't told me much, but he has admitted to feeling lonely. And he says lots if you listen to him complain about this whole situation. He doesn't just want you for your body, Ron. I think he's starting to really care for you."
"So?"
"Well. Um. I feel sorry for him?"
"Harry. If it weren't so you to do that, I'd kill you. You can't set me up with him just because you feel sorry for him!"
"Okay, okay! I get it. It was stupid of me. I encouraged him. So now what?"
"Now what? It was your idea!"
"But I can't convince him to stay away from you now. Not since you let him see you naked. Do you know what that means to a Veela?"
"No."
"He didn't use his pheromones to convince you did he?"
"No. I didn't feel anything."
"Then you went in willingly?"
"Yes."
"If you did that, it means that you are telling him that you are willing in every way."
Ron blanched.
"Though come to think of it, bribing you was a pretty Slytherin thing to do. Slytherin of you to accept despite personal embarrassment. He's probably even more attracted to you now."
"Ugh!"
Harry patted Ron's shoulder.
"But you do know that he likes you, maybe even about to love you. And why. So what are you going to do? You have all the pieces. Your move."
Ron startled at Harry's choice of words.
"Harry, this isn't a chess game."
"I hope not. Because if this doesn't go right, one of you will be hurt and right now, it's Draco and not you. You do know that he's not going to drop you, do you?"
"Yeah. I get that feeling too. It's all so complicated."
"Ron, there's nothing wrong in saying no to him. And he should listen to what you have to say."
"But it just doesn't feel right. It's weird. I can't just say no all of a sudden."
"Huh. Can you like him?"
"He's a guy."
"He's part Veela. He can do some things that are pretty female. You might appreciate it."
Harry didn't elaborate, no matter how many times Ron asked.
"You'll only find out if you let him get close to you. And who knows? You might like him back."
"Maybe. Yeah, maybe. Don't hold your breath."
"Come on, Ron. There has to be something."
"He has been really nice to me. And… he compliments me. A lot. And he does look… good."

Draco was not surprised that Ron did not appear at the Great Hall. He had assurances from Harry that Ron wasn't going to stay in Gryffindor Tower the whole time, so it wasn't a total loss. In the meantime, he had to get a thousand Galleons worth of Frogs. He walked outside of the castle. It was snowing. He grumbled to himself. Next thing he needed to do was to figure out a more efficient way of using his wings without tearing clothes or taking them off. He stripped off his robe, shirt and shoes and switched forms. He bundled them up, Shrunk them, and put them in his bookbag, which he slung over one shoulder. He shivered, but the cold wasn't as bad as he expected. It did make some sense. Veela lived in the mountains, and judging from the books, they went around starkers in all weather. A strong downward beat of his wings and he was aloft. Honeydukes was just the place to supply the Frogs. And maybe, he could do some more shopping on behalf of Ron.

Christmas arrived. Ron woke and in addition to yet another Weasley sweater and gifts from Harry and Hermione, there was a large box, wrapped in metallic green with a flourished black ribbon.
"No doubt who that's from. Open it!" Harry was enthusiastically curious.
Ron opened it and of course there were the Galleons and the multitude of Frogs. But at the bottom of the box…
"This is a conspiracy."
Harry was rolling around on the ground laughing.
"Ma-Ma-Ma-Haaahaaahaaahaaa!"
"Maroon silk boxers. He got me maroon silk boxers. I can't believe he got me maroon silk boxers."
"You going to wear them?"
"What? No!"
"You sure?"
"Yes!"

Ron pushed open the Portrait, to find Draco leaning against the wall. He smiled.
"Merry Christmas."
Ron blushed. And shut the Portrait on Harry. He braced himself against the frame to keep it shut.
"Why did you have to give me those?" he hissed.
"It was part of the deal, Ron. I don't think you would like it if I went back on my word."
"I meant the boxers."
"Oh. Just a little fancy. It's nice and luscious. Reminded me of you."
Why did he have to drop compliments like that all of a sudden? Ron gave up trying to stop and just blushed.
"Uh… Thanks. For everything."
Draco laughed.
"Are you going to let Harry out now? The feast is waiting."
Ron belatedly stood away from the portrait. Harry pushed it open, a little vexed. He shook his head when he saw Draco.
"Don't visit us too often if he's going to do this all the time."
They went down to the Hall and sat down. There were so few people staying over that they sat at the same table. Draco's mouth quirked in satisfaction when he found that the other students staying were some Ravenclaws and some younger Hufflepuffs. He selected a seat opposite Ron and Harry, safely separate from them, and began to eat. Harry was going through the feast at an impressive pace, not missing any of the dishes. Ron was eating, but not with half the gusto normally associated with the act.
"Saving room for dessert?"
"What?"
"Saving room for dessert? Like chocolate, perhaps?" Draco asked.
"Oh. Yeah. Yeah, it will take room."
They fell silent, letting other conversations fill the gaps.
"Hey, Draco?"
"Mmm?"
"Want to join us? Harry and I thought that maybe we can't finish it all."
"You two don't really think you can physically take in all of that chocolate at once, do you?"
Both Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Draco snorted.
"Gryffindors. Why not? Where will the festivities be held?"

"Ron heard me give the Slytherin password. And it can be changed, can't it? Just let me in."
It was reasonable, so Draco was allowed into the Gryffindor Common Room. They went into the dorms and Ron dragged the box with the Frogs over to his bed. Harry sat on the floor and took one.
"All cards that Ron doesn't have already are ours, okay?"
"I don't collect them," Draco was unwrapping a frog.
"What? Blasphemy!" Ron quipped.
"That's being a Slytherin for you. Come back here!"
The Frog had leapt into the air. Draco snatched it easily and crammed it into his mouth. He looked at Harry and Ron, who were gaping at him.
"What?"
"That was just…" Ron snapped his fingers.
"Good thing you don't do that on the Pitch."
Draco frowned and opened another Frog. It leapt up and again he caught it easily. An evil smile came to his face.
"Well well well…What a lovely surprise. The next Quidditch match will be interesting."
"How-"
"What-"
Draco laughed.
"I don't know. It's a bit odd for me also. Maybe…"
He switched to his secondary form. He carefully slit open another box with his claws and the frog jumped. Faster than it looked possible, his head snapped forward and with a clean snap of his beak the frog was gone.
"Marvelous!"
Draco stayed in his form, snapping up his 'live prey' with zeal. Harry began organizing the cards.
"Morgana, Morgana, Morgana, she's everywhere… Oh, here's a good one, didn't you say you needed a Finegas?"
"Hm? Oh! Yeah! Give it!"
"This one's Cathbad. And Taliesin. Looks like a surfeit of Celts," Draco passed his cards to Ron.
Ron was ecstatic.
"Fred and George will be so jealous! They haven't got these!"
Later, Harry crawled to his bed.
"Full. So full. And if I don't see another Chocolate Frog, it will be too soon!"
He flopped into his bed.
"Lay on the melodrama," Draco found a Dumbledore and Merlin.
"Really. I have so much chocolate in me, I'm pretty sure I can breathe on a Dementor and scare it away. Urrrgh…"
"Sorry Harry," Ron didn't sound sorry.
"Just you wait until it hits you. Good night. Going to sleep now."
His bed curtains swished shut.
"Low stomach room, huh?"
"He did tuck in at the feast."
Ron and Draco continued to open Frogs. A thought struck Ron. He looked at Draco, who was examining a Cassandra card. Something warm and wriggly, something anticipatory seemed to get hold of him as he watched Draco. Like kicking a broom off ground in the dark, it was risky, but Ron just knew he had to do it. He was a Gryffindor, after all.
"Draco?"
"Hmm?"
"I didn't give you a Christmas present."
"This is a good enough Christmas present, seeing you happy."
"No. I want to do something. Please."
"But you already let me massage you and see you naked. I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to make you any more self-conscious."
What am I saying? I'm a Slytherin!
"Just change back, okay?"
Draco returned to his human form. He was sitting on the floor. Ron slid down from his spot in his bed to sit next to Draco. He took a deep breath.
"Merry Christmas."
He darted forward and planted a chocolate sweet kiss on Draco. Draco started in surprise, but began to return the kiss. Ron jerked back and Draco was left with his lips puckered over air. He opened his eyes.
"Unacceptable. The caliber of your present is not nearly as consequential as mine. Try again."
Ron blushed.
"Fine."

At first, it felt weird. That was Ron's conclusion. But then, it started to feel good. Really good. Why he started kissing Draco, he couldn't articulate. Only that the kisses from Draco's mouth were delicious like no Chocolate Frog was delicious, that Draco was lavishing indescribable sweetness upon him and it was new and wonderful. Before he knew it, somehow Draco was on his back and he was on top, doing things he didn't know one could do with a tongue. It was warm and cozy and why didn't he try this before? Draco broke the kiss and burrowed his face into Ron's neck, squeezing a hug.
"Perfect," he mumbled. "More!"
So they occupied themselves. Ron didn't have any idea what to do with a male body, but when his fingers found a nipple and he felt Draco smile against his lips, he couldn't bring himself to care. He pinched and twisted. Draco's body tensed like a bowstring and he arched into Ron, panting. They came to an impasse when they inadvertently rolled onto some Frog boxes. The crinkling discomfort forced Draco to sit up. They stared at each other for some time. Draco sighed and moved to stand up.
"It's late."
Ron frowned.
"You're going back? Now?"
Ron hesitated for just a second.
"No. Stay here. Please?"
The quiet surprise on Draco's face was replaced with a measure of uncertainty.
"I mean it. Come on."
They undressed. Draco raised an eyebrow.
"You are not wearing my other present, Ron."
"Oh. Sorry. I'll wear it tomorrow."
"Promise?"
"Yeah."
"Marvelous."
They crawled under Ron's covers. Draco cooed.
"I thought you only did that when you were changed."
"Exceptions happen, Ron. This may be the nicest Christmas present anyone's ever given me."
Draco turned on his side and slid his arm across Ron's stomach, finding his hand and squeezing it.
"You know, there's no one else I'd rather sleep with than you."
Ron felt a bubble of droll gladness. He didn't feel a bit embarrassed by Draco's gentle implication.
"Good to know."

TBC