CHAPTER 8 – How Slytherins Throw Christmas Parties

The Slytherins nodded respectfully toward their leader, who had sunk back into a lying position, watching the starry sky above with his feet resting in Harry's knee.

"Beautiful, Draco." Pansy sounded amazed. "It was utterly heartbreaking, but I have never heard you sound so beautiful in all my years."

"It was," Blaise agreed. "That does not, however, change my wish to know what our dear Draco is hiding, but rather intensifies my curiosity. And, knowing the rules, I'm on Pansy's right side, so the question is mine."

"Blaise…" Draco's voice was thin. "Why?"

"Because you have to handle this and I will not have you handle it alone." He also turned his gaze toward the sky and its unnatural moon, avoiding looking into Draco's silvery starlight eyes. "You know we love you. Now answer or know whatever dare that my vicious brain might invent for you." There was a hard note in Blaise's voice, one that stated more clearly than any harsh words that he would have his way, sooner or later. Draco seemed too lost in his mind and tired to hold him back, yet…

"Will you shut up if I choose dare?"

"For the moment, I could."

"For how long?" Draco shook his head absent-mindedly and turned a little to look his black-haired friend in the eye and Blaise considered the question.

"Two days," he finally answered. Draco snorted.

"A month."

"You know I will not go above four days, Drake. Why not settle for that?" A silence that could have been cut with a knife followed, Draco staring intently into the metallic blue eyes in front of him.

"A week."

"Of course, Draco…" Blaise muttered sweetly. "On to your dare, then, shan't we?"

"What will the next foolishness be, brother?" Draco responded.

"Oh, quite simple, I think… let me have a chat with Pansy first, would you?" Without waiting for an answer, Blaise rose out of his chair and summoned the girl to his side, her raising a silencing-shield around the two of them before they began their discussion.

To Harry, it felt like it was going on forever. Why, oh why was the stupid thing taking so long? Draco was in pain, he just knew it, somehow. But he also knew that Draco would not – could not – pass anything the two plotters threw at him. One reason was his honour, but the true reason was that, somehow, Harry knew that Draco was quite aware that the three days he had bought himself would be dearly paid, in one way or another. The shield fell and the two returned to their seats. Blaise looked determined, slightly surprised but mostly determined.

"Draco Malfoy, your dare has been decided. You shall kiss Harry Potter." Jaws dropped and the few people there stopped dead at whatever they had been doing. Those who had been unaware of the topic of the conversation inside the shield all sat dumbstruck.

"What?!" Draco then roared, noticeably shocked. "Blaise, you…" The silver-blonde was at a loss for words. Then he lowered his head, acknowledging defeat. "I know you won't re-negotiate this, but be certain, brother, you'll pay for this," he growled. Blaise merely nodded.

"Make me believe, brother, while you're at it. Do it well." Blaise had a strange tone in his voice, Draco was massaging his temples as if he had been struck by a sudden headache. Then he stopped, turning to Harry. He moved closer with the deadly grace of one born of a family who had lived the House of Snakes for generations passed. He gripped the sunburnt chin with pale velvet fingertips, but there was no need to turn it since Harry's frightened eyes were locked with Draco's.

"Relax," Draco mumbled as he moved ever closer. "Is it that big a deal?" he wondered, suppressing the answer he wished to give himself and obviously not expecting the answer he was then given.

"I really can't say, Draco," Harry breathed out, he hadn't even noticed holding his breath until he let it out. "I've never kissed a guy before, you know." And Draco stopped dead.

"You haven't?" It wasn't really a question, but Harry shook his head nonetheless. The lean Slytherin sighed. "I might have expected as much from a Gryffindor, I suppose… but from you of all Gryffindors?" he wondered, looking into the emerald power of those eyes. "The one whom half the school's gays would jump without even asking permission, if only they dared?" Harry seemed taken aback.

"Well, uh… no," he mumbled. Draco nodded thoughtfully.

"Then just relax. Take my hands." He took the hands that fumbled toward his lightly, but with confidence and calm, his eyes not letting go of those beloved sea green depths right in front of him. "Trust me, Har," he breathed and gathered Harry's hands in one of his own, placing the other around Harry's chin and the boy finally seemed to relax.

Velvet lips, the colour of well stored wine met silken ones that seemed made of roses' petals. A delicate tongue carefully pried them open, running over the rosy flesh with loving care, feeling hard teeth and at last touching its mate, and then… he felt response.

It was weak, a slight movement of tongue only, touching the side of his and almost driving him instantly crazy, that gleam in the wide eyes that were the darker green of uncertainty and excitement, making him want to shove his tongue deeper into that inviting cave, throwing himself onto the only one who had ever made him feel like his heart would break free of his body and drift off into the realm of Heaven. And he held it all back, conveying a "trust me" with his calm gaze. His tongue swept over and around Harry's and another slight response sent shivers down his spine.

Harry could not believe his eyes. Neither did he feel that he could trust his heart, his tongue or his eyes, but… for some strange reason, the calamity of those silver eyes, with their long eyelashes and the soft smile he knew curled those wondrous lips that met his carefully… for some reason those eyes were trustworthy. The young man behind them – the very obvious Draco behind them – would not betray him. How he knew, he could not say. A month ago he would have considered Draco Malfoy anything but trustworthy, yes, only a week past they had been no more than best enemies, but a door had opened in Harry's soul when those alluring lips touched his, when that tongue of satin flesh started its slow circling of his own. He could not help but try to touch it, neutrality and detachment were not options and he could not possibly draw away from this… feeling. There was simply no resisting this.

They met in unison, moved like one, their mingled breath warm on their faces. Draco's hand had lost its grip somewhere along the way and he searched fervently for Harry's, whose darker hand gripped its much paler mate carefully, though still with the former trace of uncertainty. Draco's light tongue swept over lips and circled Harry's, unbelievably satisfied as it no longer danced alone. Green eyes wide with surprise, excitement spreading through the two youngsters like wildfire.

Behind Draco's back and blocked from Harry's view, even if his eyes had not been locked with the diamond stare, sat a very surprised Gregory Goyle, a very satisfied Pansy Parkinson, a Mary-Ann Greengrass who had known what to expect, but still could not seem to believe her eyes and a relaxed Blaise Zabini with a pleased smirk on his beautiful face, nodding respectfully to Pansy.

To Draco it felt like all too short an eternity later that they broke off the kiss and he smiled lovingly at Harry, who slowly felt a burning blush creeping up on his cheeks. Fortunately, all the Slytherins had decided to look vaguely in any direction but his, Blaise and Pansy choosing to focus on their gorgeous housemate with his slightly glazed eyes. Blaise grinned.

"Don't you think you'd be better off at the real party, Draco?" he mumbled. Draco turned around and raised an eyebrow. Then his brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps," was all he said, before turning around. "Har, if you're coming?" Then, Draco Malfoy strode gracefully out of the magic circle, followed by a most confused Harry Potter. When they had exited the circle Pansy smirked proudly.

"I told you they were just a minute away from ripping each others' clothes off, Mary-Ann, didn't I?" The other Slytherin nodded thoughtfully.

"I didn't really think it was that serious, though… haven't seen Draco so caught in the turn of events since… well… never, I think."

"Of course, darling," Blaise said with a smile. "He's in love… and you two made a spectacular show out there, I even think Draco himself suspected you weren't quite honest with your accusations."

And they all laughed.

Outside, Harry noted, you saw nothing of what was inside, you still only saw the sofas, the little tables and, he realised, one or two little glasses of that green liquid on each of the tables. That had definitely not been there when they went inside.

"What are you looking at?" Draco's voice resounded like silver bells in the room, like they had resounded within the circle when he sang, Harry noted. "No one can enter when the decided number have." Draco smirked, as if his world had not turned upside down just a minute ago. "It's a quaint little thing, that circle-spell. Do you remember that you heard something questioning you about your name when you first entered?"

"Yes, why?" Harry looked befuddled, making Draco's smirk wider and less wicked.

"For usual Slytherins, we're first questioned about name and then year, so that we'll be sorted correctly, but when I entered I named a protégé – namely you – and you automatically went with us."

"Protégé?" The green eyes darkened somewhat, confusion mixed with a hint of anger in his deep voice.

"Yes," Draco said with a nod. "Those are the rules, you see. Had I named you 'friend' it would have asked me several more questions and the circle would have considered you an enemy of Slytherin that had to be kept under tight surveillance." The smirk grew nastier again. "Like I said, a quaint little thing."

"Certainly seems so," Harry agreed, taken a little aback by the complexity of it all, he was quite sure there were more rules he'd never hear of – they were after all the House of Snakes, the ambitious ones, with all their scheming and secrecy.

"Want to go take a look at what our parties are like for the rest?" Draco wondered.

"Sounds like an idea as good as any," Harry replied, trailing behind the pale blonde with that atypical, slightly rosy tinge to his cheeks.

"Wow," Harry said, leaning close to Draco's ear to be heard above the sound. His breath on Draco's ear made the usually unflappable boy feel weak all over, so he simply nodded in response. The music was loud in this room. There would be other rooms, many almost completely silent, some like this one – full of the sound of drinking, laughter and sex. A few tables were occupied by well-dressed Slytherins – and most of the Ravenclaws that had come – that sat, all drinking, some socializing, playing wizard cards or some strange game Harry had never seen before that seemed to consist of two wizards moving things across some kind of strange chess-like board with an amazing speed. Some were dancing across the floor, moving as he had never thought possible. This wasn't what made Harry feel most out of place, though, feeling like he was a rabbit that had suddenly been invited to the fox's den.

All over the place, lying on the floor, on tables, standing or wherever there was place, were people making out. Many who weren't were half-naked anyway. He couldn't quite tell if he was repulsed – like he knew he ought to be – or intrigued. To his surprise, the latter felt more… right, in his mind. This was getting totally out of hand, and he felt like worse was coming up.

"Hello, Potter," a sugary-sweet voice said from somewhere to his right and as he looked over a Slytherin he couldn't name was squirming, quite shirtless and dressed in a short, tight, dark green leather skirt only, really close to his arm. Now this was definitely not what he had planned for.

"Uhm… hello," he managed to push through his dry throat. She winked at him and smiled, what was probably supposed to be a completely irresistible, seductive smile – one that Harry found simply scary.

"Wouldn't you like to show me what the moonlight looks like… somewhere a little less crowded, perhaps?" Harry began to sweat. How am I supposed to get out of this

"Sarah," a voice cut off from behind and he thanked any and all gods possible for the existence of Draco Malfoy. "Leave it and go wash your face." The voice had grown icy cold and Harry could only too well picture the face that went with that voice, feeling lucky that it wasn't directed at him. The girl let out a squeaky noise and ran off, while the dark young man turned to face his saviour.

"Thanks."

"No problem," the honeyed voice was real, no mocking fake to make him feel bad. "I could feel your disgust and it was affecting me badly," Draco said, absent-mindedly looking at the well-shaped face, its masculine lips, furry brow and the deep, green eyes that were… blinking at him.

"What did you just say, Draco?" Realization hit the pale young man and he sighed.

"Nothing important, there's this book I have to study, you see? My mum's diary… nothing serious." Harry looked even more confused.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You'll see when I find what I'm looking for." Draco smiled at him. "For now, I think we need to share a bottle of firewhiskey and go somewhere less noisy, where we can talk without ruining our voices, yes?"

"Definitely," Harry agreed.

Half an hour and a bottle of firewhiskey later – the whiskey mostly consumed by Draco, considering he had a greatly higher tolerance of alcohol than Harry – they found themselves sitting beneath a giant oak, by a lake that glittered in silver and green.

"Our colours, you know," Draco mumbled in a darker ear.

"Schlytherin colours?" Harry mumbled into the air, quite off due to the alcohol.

"No, you dimwit," the Slytherin in question hissed, "yours and mine. Green for your eyes, silver for mine."

"Oh." Harry tried to rise and managed only to fall on his face in the sand. There came a chuckle from behind and he turned to lie on his back. "Well, you try it if it's scho funny!"

"Oh, I can, Har." Draco smirked and stood up, less gracefully than usual and he had to lean on the tree not to fall, but he stood. "Now what do you say?"

"Scheater," Harry slurred. "Bet you can't walk without…" Harry searched for words and ultimately found them, "…holding that thing," he concluded, obviously quite proud of himself. Again, Draco smirked.

"I can't? Well, at least I can speak correctly, you drunk little Gryffindor."

"If you're scho damn good," Harry growled, managing back into sitting position after a few tries, "then do it. Come over here, you Schlythie baschtard!"

"Oooh, I'm scared," Draco swooned dramatically and leaned in on the tree. "I'm threatened by a Gryffin-whore who can't even stand. Well, I can walk." He took a step, but didn't let go of the tree.

"What did you call me?" Harry roared. "Get over here!" To this, Draco only smiled and took another step toward him, still not letting go of his only handhold. And another… and after one more, finally let go and stood straight on his own. Apparently assured by his success, he took two steps rapidly, which led to him falling face-down side by side with Harry, who was laughing so hard he couldn't keep himself up, but fell backwards. With this, the fighting began, although neither of the boys could do more than some light slapping and rolling around on the ground until they had sand all over, both laughing hysterically.

"I won," Harry smirked, pinning Draco's hands to the sand with his own and lying on top of him. The pale growled for a moment, before he surrendered to the heavier boy.

"Oh sure, if you want it," he sighed. Harry's lips curled in a childishly satisfied smile. "What's your prize?" The question took Harry by surprise.

"Uhm… dunno…" his brain felt mushy and his thoughts were swimming around somewhere in there, behind locked doors it seemed.

"Harry," Draco exclaimed, "you can't just not have a prize for the winner!"

"But I didn't… think of it like that," he argued sullenly. "I don't…" Suddenly, a thought appeared in his dull mind. "Play for me later and I'll let you go." This seemed to upset Draco.

"What?! You can't be serious," he whined. "I don't give concerts, I told you!"

"You will… if you want to get away from here," Harry purred in a truly, and to Draco surprisingly accurate, Slytherin-esque manner.

"If you wish," he surrendered, "but on one condition." Harry had begun letting him go, but leaned back again, closer this time, his face barely an inch from Draco's.

"And what would that be?" Suddenly, he didn't seem drunk at all. Draco was almost about to re-think the entire thing. He couldn't force such a thing upon… Who says I force anyone? He could just go for a simpler solution if he wants to, he concluded before speaking up.

"I need to know you really want this, that it's not just a whim, Harry." It had been so long since Harry had heard Draco use his full name that he frowned and looked intently at the other.

"Yes?" was the only word he uttered.

"If you're not, simply change your terms. But if you really want to hear me play… you have to kiss me first." With this, Harry was back to being his since two weeks usually confused self.

"I have to what?" he wondered. What's this all about? Is Draco… does he… I… all thought became irrelevant as he heard his mouth utter the 'yes' he did not understand. He lowered himself that last inch, lips meeting lips, pulling away.

This is not what it was before, Harry thought. Before… I didn't have a choice. Before, I couldn't really have stopped it, but now… And his mind threw it back at him: Does it matter? Does anything matter compared to the electricity of those cold, velvet lips?

And they accepted each other, lips finally meeting in a closed kiss that sent shivers through them. Harry stood on hands and knees, his still slightly uncertain thoughts overrun by his lips, trying to bury themselves into the lips he had not quite been able to forget since he first touched them, in that Slytherin Circle where only half of him belonged.

This is… Oh Merlin, he… I would do anything… Draco's thoughts were erratic, torn from one subject to the next by the rosy, silk lips on his. Anything to keep this… Can hardly breathe… Who cares… Sweet… Sweet siren song…Oh, if you would only open… Must not force… His choice only… Sweat broke forth on his forehead as he held emotion tightly controlled, willing his lips to stay discreetly closed with all of the Malfoy concentration he'd been taught. But he could not keep himself from carefully nibbling those lips, so forbidden and so unbelievably sweet.

Drake… Harry gasped. He'd kissed Cho Chang once, but never had she made him breathless. Sweet gods, I shouldn't… But I… it seems like he really… The thought was hard to form, Harry had never really considered what it would be like to kiss someone whom you suddenly realised must be… Gay… Draco Mal… Drake… Under the careful, passionate ministration of Draco's lips, Harry's knees went weak, his defences crumbled and he broke free… Not harm Drake… just before he fell, knocking the wind out of the pale one entirely.

He… Broke off. Draco forced his thoughts to surface, trying with all his might to hold the tears back. I can't believe this. No air… but how could I care? Harry… He's not interested… and I can't live without him… He felt strong arms holding him, but somehow the feeling only intensified the pain. What use is comfort, when all chance of happiness has been taken away? What use is holding back… And the tears of Draco Malfoy flowed freely, tears he had been keeping locked up in his soul for more than a decade ran down his cheeks fast enough to scare him. I did not cry when my father hit me, I did not cry when he let me down… I did not cry when my mother died… why now? Then, he felt it.

Silken lips brushing over his cheek, a satin tongue carefully licking the tears away as fast as they ran down. And the pain ran like his tears, his anguished cry breaking the night's relative silence like a knife. Won't this ever go away?! Why am I not allowed to simply die, let this pain subside? A soft hand silenced his screaming and the lips left his cheek. Inside, Draco Malfoy felt emptiness wrap around him. For the rest of my life, I will be alone… Har… there will be no one to take your place, ever.

That was the last thought he had, before the emptiness subsided and his eyes snapped open to meet the wonder of their emerald brothers, as Harry's lips again met his, his tongue prying open velvet lips and finding its way into the bewildered young man's mouth. Draco could not help but respond as soon as his lips parted. As the night wind brushed past their writhing bodies, the two former enemies drowned in each others' arms, breathless with sensation, the notion of pulling away wiped from the face of their world, that lasted an eternity and more… and they would not let go.

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Ok, if anyone's expecting anything hotter than this, I wouldn't count on it. You see… this is me. And I don't write smut, I write romance. Ta-Dah…

I'm currently working on the ending (how come I don't have time enough for everything? I want a 30-hour day, that would fit me perfectly), but it's going to take a little time. Chapter 9 is currently going through the lawn-mower and I'll give you what comes out whole. ;)

Question 1:

I have non-english people in chapter 9. The desiscion I have to make would be either to try and write English with a Russian accent (which I obviously suck at, but I haven't changed too much) or to just write correct English and the accent be forgotten.

Question 2: In chapter… oh, 11 I think, there's a fighting scene. Since I'm so much better at describing fights than smut it got, well, slightly gory. It's not as gory as it could have been, but there's blood and stuff like "and his throat was ripped out with a horrible sound". Does that qualify to re-rate the fic to a higher-level rating?

And of course REVIEWERS I LOVE YOU!

Can I get you something? Tea or coffee? Kill somebody for you alone to prove how much I adore your reviews? Any word, anything above two letters is worthy of a great "hooray" and you have deserved SO much more than that!

Trinity Vida-Malfoy, thanks for the support – it is muchly appreciated hops around doing silly things! AJ586, wow, that's a better review than I've earned, bows deeply CreativeAngel, ever grateful for your skills as a beta! diinamichelle, yes, school is tough when you get to those periods, but I hope to be slightly quicker (though I'm having a bit of trouble kicking and trashing the ending into place looks innocentgrins)