The black night sky was overcast with heavy clouds, the first variation from the clear frosty nights in almost two weeks. The clouds provided the ground with a little insolation, meaning it was marginally milder than other evenings, but Harry's breath still hung around him in a frozen fog. He sat down slowly, fumbling inside his robes for the fresh packet of cigarettes. Finding it, Harry pulled it and his lighter out, peeling the plastic off slowly. He dropped it into the dark water, watching as it fluttered slowly onto the surface.

Harry took a cigarette out, putting it in his mouth and lighting it. Inhaling slowly, he took the cigarette from his lips as he placed the packet onto the rocks. Harry blew the smoke out over the lake before bringing the cigarette back between his lips. He flipped open his lighter, the small flame illuminating his hands and face.

"Harry." Came the voice from behind him. Lost in a revere Harry had jumped, causing the lighter to snap shut and fall onto his lap, burning his fingertip before it did so.

"Bugger." Harry muttered, his voice slurred from the cigarette still in his mouth. He heard Draco chuckle as he sat down beside him. Harry took the cigarette from his lips, deliberately blowing his smoke in the direction of the blond. He brought his afflicted finger to his mouth and sucked on the tip with a frown on his face.

"I'm probably going to have a blister now you git." Harry murmured around his finger. After a few moments without a retort he turned to look at Draco.

The blond was staring very blankly at Harry's mouth. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Draco? ...Hogwarts to Malfoy..." Draco blinked a couple of times before shaking his head. Harry smirked, taking his finger from his mouth and replacing it with the cigarette. He inhaled slowly, still looking at Draco inquisitively.

"What?" Draco said in a somewhat snappish tone. Harry smiled back sweetly.

"Absolutely nothing at all." Draco turned to face over the dark lake. Harry watched him for another moment, convinced of a blush residing on his high, aristocratic cheekbone.

Harry turned, blowing smoke out and following its curving ascent.

"It's only three days until Christmas." Harry pointed out conversationally as he flicked ash into the lake. Draco groaned.

"Don't remind me, if another suit of armour sings 'We wish you a Merry Christmas' to me one more time I swear I'm going to melt it downand make it into a cutlery set." Harry laughed as he took another drag of tobacco.

"Someone is clearly in the festive spirit." He drawled sarcastically, something he had obviously picked up from Draco over the months.

"There's not exactly a massive amount to be festive about. It'll be just the same as last year." He stared over the lake, keeping his face devoid of any obvious emotion. Harry exhaled the last of his smoke and tossed the cigarette into the lake.

"You went back to the manor last year didn't you?" He asked as he turned to look at Draco. The blond nodded and responded.

"I had to go through my mothers things and believe me there was a ridiculous amount of stuff. It was so bizarre: normally I would be so excited about Christmas. I'd wake up, have an even more extravagant breakfast than usual. Then we would all go into the parlour and I could open my presents." Draco stopped and sighed.

"I'm guessing you got a lot of presents." Draco turned to meet Harry's stare.

"Of course I would, being Draco Malfoy: spoiled brat extraordinaire." He practically spat before moving his focus to the mirroring surface of the black water. Harry winced, more at himself than Draco's action. He placed his hand lightly on Draco's thigh.

"I didn't mean that Draco." Harry said, rubbing Draco's thigh lightly and reassuringly. Draco sighed.

"I know you didn't Harry. I think they felt that by buying me expensive gifts that they could make up for the lack of love."

"It didn't make up for it?" Harry asked, his voice soft. Draco shook his head.

"It did for awhile but as I got older it was painfully clear that they didn't care. In the end all I wanted was someone who would actually love me..." Draco drifted off, taking a long breath as he looked up at the clouds. Harry continued to watch the way the emotions played on the Slytherin's face.

"This'll be my first year in seven where I won't wake up to Ron stealing my chocolate frogs." Harry smiled to himself at the memory of his best friend.

"You miss him a lot don't you?" Draco asked, never looking round.

"Of course ...Hermione too ...all of them." Harry's tone became sorrowful as he looked away from Draco.

"Do you ever go visit Granger at St. Mungos?" Harry nodded slowly.

"On her birthday and every so often. It isn't fun seeing someone who used to always be intelligent and composed acting completely out of it." Harry's voice became exceedingly quiet, his reassuring strokes coming to a halt. He felt Draco's hand come to rest on top of his and he sighed.

"What a happy conversation this is." The blond said to him. Harry gave a small chuckle.

"You have a point there, guess we're both alone except for each other this year." Harry looked back round at Draco.

"Small consolation." Draco's voice had a hint of sarcasm but Harry could see sincerity in his silver eyes "But I'll take it."

Harry smiled at him and Draco gave him a small smile back.

"Oh what father would say if he could see menow." Harry rolled his eyes at the blond.

"I dread to think." Draco let out a small snort of amusement.

"It's strange but even though I hate the bastard and he has been dead for almost a year I still wonder what he would do as if
he were about to round the corner and punish me for something." Draco shifted a little, eyes peering across the lake.

"You can't help that. The man was a negative influence on you for your entire life, it'll take awhile to shake that." Draco nodded, his hand gripping Harry's a little tighter than it had been.

Harry smiled again, jumping suddenly as realisation hit him.

"I'd almost forgotten." He said as Draco looked round startled.

"Forgotten what?" Draco asked him, an eyebrow raised as Harry who was now rummaging inside his robes.

"I got you something in Hogsmeade the other day ...sort of a Christmas present but in light of this evenings conversation it might cheer you up a bit." Harry continued to fumble in the many pockets of his robes until a triumphant expression spread across his face. He pulled out a flat, rectangular parcel and handed it to Draco.

"I never thought you would be this good at wrapping something." Draco commented as he surveyed the silver paper and red bow. Harry, who was in the process of lighting another cigarette, shrugged.

"I didn't, the woman in Honeydukes did." Harry saw Draco's eyes widen as he inhaled and put the lighter back down.

"Honeydukes?" Harry nodded, exhaling and flicking ash from the cigarette.

"Yes Draco, that's what I said." Draco mouth curved into a grin as he began slowly peeling off the paper. Harry took another drag, watching the blondes actions.

"Funny, I always thought you would be the kind of person to rip presents open." Draco stopped what he was doing and looked up at Harry.

"It draws out the experience if you do it slowly." Harry raised an eyebrow. Draco smirked back at him. "Now who is the perverted git?" Harry laughed.

"That's just your bad influence." Harry replied, taking a drag of his cigarette and blowing the smoke from the corner of his mouth so that it avoided Draco.

"I think you mean my good influence." The Slytherin replied but Harry stayed silent.

Eventually Draco had the present unwrapped, the paper and the bow now smouldering on the rocks as a result of his incendio. The blondes eyes grew wide once more.

"It isn't much Draco, don't get so excited." Harry said, taking another long drag of tobacco.

"It is exciting though. It's dark chocolate with raspberry centre." Harry blew out smoke as he laughed.

"I know that. I remembered about your unhealthy love of dark chocolate from Halloween. That particular bar seemed to suit you perfectly." Draco frowned at him in question "Dark and fruity." Harry smirked at him as the Slytherin glared half heartedly.

"I will thank you kindly not to refer to me as fruity." Harry smiled innocently at him.

"I will remember that in future then. You can open it now you know?" Harry said, indicating to the bar with a wave of his hand. Draco grinned and turned his focus to the chocolate in his hands.

Harry chuckled as the blond tore open the bar of chocolate without any semblance of decorum.

"For someone who takes so much pride in how they appear to others you seem pretty quick to dismiss the snarky, pureblood Slytherin persona."

Draco peered up at Harry, mouth never actually detaching from the dark chocolate. It looked like he was about to reply when he clearly decided that biting off a rather large square was more appealing. Harry smiled and shook his head as he flicked the end of his cigarette into the lake. It was only when he watched it sink that Harry noticed light ripples forming on the surface of the black water.

He looked up to find large snowflakes falling from the dark expanse of the winter sky. Draco stared upwards as well, swallowing his mouthful of chocolate. His silver eyes grew wider as a few flakes landed on his upturned face, melting on his skin. He closed his eyes, mouth curving into the smallest of contented smiles. Harry quite obviously stared, marvelling at the childlike delight that the, normally sardonic and frankly bitchy, Slytherin was taking in the snowfall.

He stopped staring and tutted however when he noticed the thin layer of raspberry fondant on Draco's bottom lip.

"What?" Draco asked as he opened his eyes and looked round at Harry.

"You've got the raspberry stuff on your mouth." Draco flicked his tongue over his bottom lip

"Is it gone?"

"No, not quite." Harry replied and Draco repeated the action

"How about now?" Harry rolled his eyes and shuffled nearer the blond

"Honestly Draco, I thought I was hopeless." Harry cupped his fingers around Draco's chin and brought his thumb across the
Slytherin's bottom lip. The fondant felt sticky beneath his fingers and with another swipe Harry discovered that is was still there.

He leant in closer to see better in the dim light from the castle behind them. Harry could see Draco's lip shimmering almost as clearly as he could feel the blondes warm breath against his nose. Harry raised his head a little, eyes flicking up to Draco's. The Slytherin's eyes were closed again, stray snowflakes clinging to his blond lashes.

Harry ran the back of his hand slowly up Draco's jaw bone, feeling the way the blond shivered beneath his touch. Draco's eyes flickered open when the tips of Harry's fingers moved down his neck, his breathing then hitching when Harry's hand cupped itself softly around the back of his head.

Harry leaned in ever-so-slightly, closing his eyes as he did so. With only the tiniest hint of reservation he pressed his lips lightly against Draco's.

As Harry pulled away, Draco tilted his head and pressed softly back against Harry tentatively. Harry laced his fingers in the lengths of Draco's blond hair, gently bringing the Slytherin into him for a stronger kiss. He allowed this action but as Harry swiped the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip, tasting the raspberry and chocolate, Draco wrenched himself backwards and scrambled to his feet.

Harry looked up at the tall form of the blond, wearing an expression that combined sheer confusion with utter dejection.

"Potter I ...we ..." Draco stammered as he took several steps backwards. Harry clambered to his feet, robes catching beneath him in his haste. He took a step towards Draco who promptly turned away and walked swiftly over the rocks. Harry stared after him, unblinking and dazed. He watched the departing blond until the flurries of snow caused him to fade away.

Harry turned back to face the lake, right hand subconsciously fixing itself around his left wrist. He moved his hand to take his glasses from his face to wipe off the moisture that was blurring his vision. When they had been taken off, Harry realised that the water wasn't on his glasses at all...