Harry Potter was good at stating the obvious. Huddled in a lucky niche behind a tapestry in the third-floor charms corridor – in a compromising state of undress with his worst enemy, no less – he was quite sure that this time, he would suffer for his actions.

"This was not a good idea." He moaned quietly.

He heard the boy huddled beside him utter a repressed snort of laughter.

"Oh really?" Malfoy retorted in a whisper. "Because I thought that almost being caught near-starkers in an empty hallway with your arch-rival was a fabulous idea! Especially when said arch-rival is another boy! Smashing! Really a public service you know – giving Filch a nice, hearty glimpse of what he's missing! Why, it really has to be the most splendid idea I've ever-"

"Malfoy! Shut up!" Harry hissed, clapping the hand that wasn't desperately clutching his clothing to his chest over the other boy's mouth. "Just because he can't see us doesn't mean he can't bloody hear!"

Draco looked indignant and smacked Harry's hand away immediately, but remained silent, folding his arms across his bare chest and mouthing something that looked to have the word "wanker" sprinkled liberally throughout. He retreated as far from Harry as he could, but seeing as the hole behind the tapestry they were hiding in was rather small, he was much closer to Harry than he would have liked for maximum sulking impact.

Harry peeked around the brocade edge cautiously, then, breathing a sigh of relief, stepped out from behind the hanging.

"All right, he's gone. I think we're safe." He announced.

"Well, that was a bit too close for comfort," Draco declared, flinging the tapestry away with a flourish as he stepped into the empty hallway. "Imagine if he had caught us. I shudder to think, really. This is what happens when one gets careless!" He tsked, and began pulling on his shirt.

"As if it's my bloody fault?" Harry demanded, looking outraged as he hopped about, pulled his trousers back on.

"As if it wasn't?" Draco finished pulling his right arm through the left sleeve of his now quite rumpled shirt, and, realizing his mistake, somehow managing to retain his haughty air as he pulled it off and re-inserted the proper limbs in their proper sleeves.

Harry barked out a brisk, unpleasant laugh. "Yes, because I was the one who accosted you on the way back from detention and tossed you up against the wall!" He began pulling his shoes on violently. "I was the one who stuck my tongue down your throat before you could even figure out who I was!" His shoes were on now, and he jumped to his feet, haphazardly pulling on his shirt.

"Actually, you did toss me up against the wall," Draco pointed out. "Rather kinky of you, Potter. I would never have guessed you liked it rough. You've always seemed like more of a gentle fellow, all lemon drops and unicorns and rainbows, sort of a more submissive—"

"Just shut up, Malfoy." Harry growled, casting about for his tie. "Where is that bloody thing?"

"Try checking up your arse?" Draco suggested helpfully, looping his own tie around his neck.

Harry chose to ignore him, and began talking to himself in a distracted way. "This just isn't my day. Detention with Snape, attacked by my worst enemy in the worst sort of way, almost caught in the halls after-hours by Filch, and on top of it all, I've lost my bloody tie!"

"Oh honestly, Potter, it's tucked in your back pocket."

To Harry's embarrassment, it was tucked in his back pocket, and he flushed slightly. "Oh."

"Tsk tsk. Where would you be without me?"

Harry whirled around to face Draco, brandishing his tie like a deadly weapon. "I'd probably be tucked in bed, not in this hallway, having this conversation. In fact, I'm quite wouldn't be here at all!" He glared at Draco, and began savagely knotting his tie. "In fact, I'm not sure at all why I am here!"

Draco grinned. "Because I attacked you after detention, tossed you up against a wall, and stuck my tongue down your throat?"

Harry groaned. "As if I needed reminding."

"Well, you sounded so unsure; I figured it would help to jog your memory a bit."

Harry didn't even bother replying. He tugged his cloak on, and stormed away without a word of farewell.

"Oh, honestly!" Draco exclaimed to himself, rolling his eyes. He folded his cloak over his arm, and jogged after Harry.

"So that's it?" He demanded, following a step or two behind Harry. "You're just going to flounce off?"

"I am not flouncing!" Harry said, picking up his speed slightly and continuing down the corridor.

"You most certainly are!" Draco said. "Look at you! You're running off like a little girl. You won't even look me in the eye. In fact, you seem quite-"

"Oh will you just bugger off?" Harry demanded, whirling to face the other boy. "First you assault me in the hallway and... and... molest me for your own probably evil purposes, then your ridiculously loud moaning almost gets us caught by Filch, and now you won't bloody leave me alone! What are you playing at, Malfoy?"

Draco paused, looking almost meek for the first time. He shrugged, hands in his pockets. "I fancied a snog."

Harry looked incredulous. "And you couldn't have snogged anyone else?"

"Well, I obviously could have. I mean, look at me: I'm probably the most eligible bachelor in the whole school. I'm devastatingly handsome, fantastically wealthy, and let's not forget charming and witty."

"Malfoy..." Harry warned.

"Also, I'm quite a fabulous salsa dancer." Draco went on. "Really, anyone would want me. And I'm fairly sure everyone does, which really just goes to show-"

"Malfoy! Quit avoiding the bloody question!"

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Oh, all right. But you're entirely without a sense of humour." He sighed, and examined his fingernails. "If you must know..." He paused for dramatic effect. "I'm gay."

Harry snorted. "No, really?"

"Really." Malfoy said gravely.

"Malfoy. There are hundreds of other boys at this school, many of which I'm sure are just as gay as you. Why couldn't you have just snogged one of them?"

"Honestly Harry, you're even less imaginative than you are clever."

"Malfoy..."

"Oh all right." Draco said, and frowned. "I just..." He stopped and shook his head, looking – for once in his life – lost for words. "Well, I suppose I rather like you."

"You don't... You can't like me!" Harry said, looking rather alarmed. "You spent all of Potions tossing full niffler bladders at me!"

"I never said I was mature about it!" Draco sniffed, smoothing his hair. "Besides, everyone expresses themselves differently. Just because I enjoy driving you mad doesn't mean I don't want to snog you senseless every time I see you."

Harry frowned. "Look, Malfoy, that's bloody well and good, but this is not going to continue."

"Why not?"

"Because you're a bloody sod and I hate you!" Harry pointed out. "Not to mention you hate me back."

The blonde boy cocked his head to the side, folding his arms across his chest. "I never said I hated you."

"Oh come off it, you tell me you hate me at least twice a week!" Harry accused. "More, if there's a Quidditch match coming up!"

Draco looked thoughtful. "Alright, yes, that's true. But I don't really mean it, you know."

"Draco. That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"It just isn't done!" Harry explained in an exasperated tone.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You really need to get out more, Potter."

"I get out plenty, thanks." Harry said indignantly.

"Oh, well in that case…" Draco grasped the front of Harry's robes and pulled the boy to him.

"Malfoy!" Harry pushed Draco away, clutching his robes to his chest. "What are you doing?"

"I was attempting to snog you, but you're being a bit difficult about it."

"Stop trying to snog me!"

Draco pouted. "Oh, but why?"

"Because!"

"That's not an answer, Potter."

"I don't care!" Harry said. "We have to stop this."

Draco cocked an eyebrow. "And by stop I assume you mean ignore that it ever happened, pretend it didn't, and never speak again?"

"Well, that would be preferable, yes," Harry said, looking miffed.

Draco's mouth set into a stubborn line, and he shook his head defiantly. "No."

Harry's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"Are you deaf, Potter? I said no. It's quite a simple word. Just two little letters, in fact. N-O. Quite elementary, really. Even a most tremendous wanker like yourself should be able to-"

"I bloody know what no means!"

"Well then. Stop acting like a dolt."

"Stop coming on to me!"

Draco pretended to look hurt. "But you're so irresistible!"

"That's not funny."

"Well, all right, maybe not irresistible. You're rather cute in your own way, though."

"Draco!"

"Well fine, maybe not cute, either. I guess you must just have a special something that drives me wild."

"Stop being such a great prat! I'm bloody serious, Malfoy!" Harry began pacing back and forth in the confined space. "You think people aren't going to notice us snogging in the halls?"

"Are you suggesting there's going to be more snogging?" Draco sounded delighted.

"No!"

"Don't play coy now, Harry."

"I'm not playing coy!" He insisted, and felt his cheeks warm.

Draco gasped. "You're blushing! You do want to snog more!" He sounded delighted.

To his dismay, Harry's cheeks burned ever hotter. "I do not!"

"Oh, I think you do." Draco had a devilish look on his face, and took a step towards Harry. "I bet you're just dying for it, aren't you?"

Harry took a step backwards. "No!"

"Oh, but you are!" Draco took a step closer. "You're thinking about it right now, aren't you?"

"Malfoy, stop it," Harry said, nervously glancing around for a quick escape route.

"Potter – Harry. Look at me." Draco commanded, stalking ever-closer.

Harry swallowed hard, stepping backwards and into a corner.

"I don't… I errr… Ah…" His eyes darted side to side, up and down, and finally locked with Draco's.

Draco didn't waste time with words. He leaned in, grabbing Harry's arms tightly and capturing Harry's lips with his own. Harry made a noise in the back of his throat, something somewhere between a whimper and groan, and leaned into Draco. Draco smiled against their lips, predatorily, and deepened the kiss, still holding Harry in place. He ran his tongue lightly across the other boy's lips, and thought that perhaps he tasted a bit like danger, though he couldn't be quite sure. Draco had never, to his knowledge, been in danger.

It was actually a rather good kiss, he thought. Much better than the ones before, where it had been all struggling for power and teeth and that whining thought that Draco would receive a hexing of a lifetime in a second. This time, there were much less teeth, much more tongues, and though they were slightly more clothed, the element of naughty and forbidden excitement was still there.

Draco did his best to contain his glee when Harry growled low into his mouth, and, twisting them around, slammed Draco into the wall for the second time that evening.

Definitely not lemon drops, Draco thought to himself, restraining a giggle. The rainbows, though…

Draco was very pleased to note that, once again, articles of clothing were coming off.

Oh, he thought absentmindedly, as Harry slipped his tongue between his lips. There go my trousers.

Draco's trousers were soon followed by Harry's shirt, Draco's tie, and Harry's trousers, all of which flew across the hallway with a hapless ferocity, a ferocity which was only nearly as violent as the rate at which Draco's neck was being marked.

"Urghk," he said eloquently, as Harry's teeth pulled on his earlobe. "That's um… that… oh my."

Words failed him as Harry's lips hit the sensitive spot on his neck just below his hairline, and he tangled his fingers in the other boy's messy black hair, yanking the lips away from his (not-so-) poor, marked neck only long enough to capture them in another brain-destroying kiss.

"You're not going to be able to stand up when I'm done with you," Draco heard Harry growl as he pulled away for a moment, only to continue sucking a path down towards his left nipple. "I'm going to –"

"Draco?"

A girl's voice slit the silence like a bad suicide attempt, and Harry jumped back, eyes wide.

"Not again," Draco moaned, as Harry grabbed his scattered clothing, running off down the hall. "Shit."

"Draco," Pansy said again, edging around the corner. "Where are your trousers?"

Draco shrugged helplessly, turning his eyes heavenward. "I don't know."

"Draco," Pansy continued, "you've got marks all up and down your neck. You look like you came out the wrong end of a Stinging-Sucker hex."

"I know."

"Draco," Pansy said, looking rather alarmed by the light of the lantern she held at arm's length, as though worried it might bite her if she held it too close, "I heard a boy just now. I know I heard a boy. Where has the boy gone, Draco?"

Draco grinned for the first time, turning to Pansy. "He'll be back."