A/N: Text with "-" represent Draco's mystery person.

Chapter 7: On The 5th Day of Christmas...

December 18th...When Draco opened his eyes Thursday morning, there was a package on his night table. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sat up quickly and opened it. It looked like an ordinary parchment and quill. He frowned. His secret gift giver was getting ridiculous. He started to shove the box away and stopped when something caught his eye. A minute ago the parchment had been a blank sheet. Now there was writing on it. He picked it up to read.

-Good morning, love-

Draco was speechless. He picked up the quill and replied.

Uh...good morning.

-Sleep well?-

I did. Thank you. Um...who are you?

-You know I can't tell you that until the ball.-

Sorry, just had to try. What do you want?

-Just to talk to you.-

All right. What do you want to talk about?

-You.-

Me? Why?

-I'd like to get to know you better before the ball. Indulge me?-

That sounds okay to me.

-What did you do yesterday?-

You should know, you set it up.

-Tell me?-

All right. I spent the day in a spa with Harry Potter, of all people.

-Does that bother you?-

Not really.

-Then why do you seem so surprised?-

Because a year ago I couldn't stand the little shit and now...

-What?-

I kissed him yesterday.

Now why had he admitted that?

-Did you enjoy it?-

Yes. But...oh I don't know what to think! Last year I wanted to kill him. This year I want to fuck him into the floor.

-I'm confused.-

You're not the only one.

-Try?-

Well. I don't know when I started to like Harry. It just happened. Just like that kiss happened. Did you know he's gay? And he likes me back?

-Doesn't sound like a one-sided relationship to me.-

I don't want to rush him and ruin it for the both of us. I'm just the type of person to do that.

-You do tend to be a bit...greedy.-

You're laughing at me. I can tell.

-Sorry.-

Well apparently, you know me. What house are you in?

-I can't tell you that either. You'll just have to wait like every one else.-

I know. Had to try.

-I must go now. My house mates are returning.-

Wait! When can I talk to you again?

-Don't worry. I carry this with me. Write whenever you feel the need to talk and I will respond when I can.-

Thank you for this gift then.

-Oh! This wasn't your gift. That you'll get at lunch. Bye, Draco Malfoy.-

The words faded from the parchment and Draco smiled, feeling warm. This was just like his new friendship with Harry. Thinking about the green-eyed boy, Draco's smile slid a fraction.

"Wait a bloody minute!" he exclaimed. What if my mystery person and Harry are one in the same? He thought to himself. "Draco that's ridiculous. Harry's too Gryffindor to be that devious." he muttered. But what if he is? How do you deal with it? His inner voice asked him. "Then I guess I'll just have to prove it. But how to do it without arousing suspicion is the key."

"Draco? You coming or not? You've been lazing about in bed for an hour!" Blaise shouted through his door.

"Hang on a minute and let me get dressed!" he shouted back.

"Just throw some clothes on you git! I'm starved!"

"Hold your bloody horses, Zabini!" grouched the blonde. For once, he didn't bother with being fashionable, tossing on an old comfortable pair of jeans and a t shirt he had before putting on his robes. Running his fingers through his hair, he checked his appearance in the mirror.

"Honey, if I were human, I'd eat you alive." his mirror told him. Glad he hadn't bothered with his hair, he left his bedroom.

Blaise nearly choked when he saw Draco's appearance.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded.

"What?" Draco asked.

"You're wearing muggle jeans, Draco! Jeans! And your hair is a mess!"

"I'm trying something different today."

"Why?" Poor boy's obviously confused by this new Draco. Besides, this will be my gift to Harry for today.

"Because it's time for a change, Blaise. You should try it sometime." And with that, Draco sauntered out of the Slytherin common room.

Blaise wasn't the only one who noticed Draco's new appearance. He suddenly became the talk of the whole school. He sat in his usual place at the Slytherin table and began to eat. He was immersed with eating and reading The Morning Prophet when he realized someone was calling his name. He looked up and around for the source and saw Ron and Hermione waving to him. He caught Harry's eye, who simply smirked at him again. Sighing, Draco got to his feet and went over to their table.

"What is it, Ronald?"

"First of all, don't call me Ronald. My mum does that sometimes and drives me nuts." Ron groaned.

"What do you want, Weasley." Draco grinned. Ron sighed with happiness.

"Much better." he grinned. Draco laughed, a genuine laugh and Harry looked at him in surprise. Draco stared back at him as if to say I do know how to laugh, Potter. Harry simply shook his head with a grin and went back to eating. "Anyway, we were wondering if you and your friends would like to join the 3 of us for a picnic lunch this afternoon."

"What's a picnic?" Harry wondered, seemingly confused. No one noticed the mischevious glint in his eyes. 3 sets of eyes, one blue, one dark brown and one cool gray stared at him in various stages of shock.

"Harry, what...how...the fuck, mate?" Ron babbled incoherently. Harry looked at Hermione and Draco, more confused than ever.

"You mean to tell me you've never been on a picnic before?" Draco asked.

"If I knew what it was, I'd tell you if I have or not." He said this with a completely straight face.

"You've got to be joking?" Draco exclaimed. Harry took one look at Draco's face and burst out laughing. He took a second look at Draco's expression and he completely lost his composure, doubled over, laughing until tears were leaking from his eyes. He couldn't even draw a breath of oxygen and was starting to turn an alarming shade of blue. Draco ran around to him and pounded him on the back. "Breathe, Harry! Come on! In and out! Steady does it!" Draco got Harry to calm down and Harry took a big drink of water before regaining his composure.

"What the hell, Harry?" Ron gaped. He'd never seen Harry laugh that hard in his life. It was a bit scary.

"Sorry. The look on Draco's face was worth nearly choking to death." Harry giggled. Did he just giggle? Draco's eyes widened in surprise. "Of course I know what a picnic is, you gits. Hello? Half-blood boy here!" Giving in to an impulse he couldn't ignore, Draco swatted Harry in the back of his head.

"Prat." Draco grinned. At that moment, Snape chose to step up behind the four of them.

"Lions and Snakes mixing it up. Very interesting to see." he intoned. Then he looked at Harry. "Mr Potter, if you insist on braying like a hyena in heat, I suggest you do it outside. It's put me off my breakfast for the next 3 days, I dare say. Good day, gentlemen, Granger." And in a swirl of black, he was gone.

"I think Snape has mellowed over the last year." Hermione stated, watching their Potions teacher walk away.

"You think?" Ron grinned. He looked back at Draco. "So about that picnic?"

"Fine, Weasley. We'll be there. Although I don't know why you want to have a picnic in the middle of winter."

"Are we or are we not wizards?" Hermione stated. "Warming charms, Draco. Merlin!"

"Thanks for the reminder, Granger." Draco laughed.

"Great! So 12:00 at the big elm by the lake?" Ron wondered.

"That will be fine. See you later." Nodding to Hermione and Harry, Draco returned to his seat.

Hermione turned back to Harry. He noticed her looking at him.

"What?" he asked. She always made him nervous, looking at him like that.

"Today's the day."

"For what?" She arched an eyebrow at him. "Oh! That!"

"You're not chickening out are you?"

"No." he hedged. He touched his glasses. "I've had them for so long, they feel as much a part of me as my wand does." Ron spotted Dean coming in with Seamus and excused himself to go talk to him about their next Quidditch match against Ravenclaw the following weekend. Hermione felt free to say what she wanted to say while Ron was occupied.

"Harry. Please don't take this the wrong way, but, don't you think Draco would like to see you without them?" Harry inhaled sharply. Am I that transparent?

"I don't know what you're talking about." he denied.

"Harry, this is me you're talking to. We both come from a world where homosexuality is practically frowned upon. Things are different for wizards. And I've seen the way you stare at Draco when you think no one is watching." Harry opened his mouth to speak but she stopped him. "I'm not judging you, Harry. I love you too much. And if Draco is the one you fancy, you have my blessing. And if he hurts you, I'll only be too happy to hex his balls off for you. Slowly and painfully." Harry reached across the table and took her hand, kissing it gently.

"Thank you, 'Mione. That means a lot coming from you." Harry smiled. "What about Ron? He's just coming to terms with Malfoy being a friend. How do you think he'll react to this bit of news?"

"He'll be fine with it. I'll break it to him gently and beat him across the head with my heaviest book if he gets mouthy." she grinned. Harry laughed.

"All right, Hermione. I'll go through with it."

"Want to do it before lunch and surprise everyone?"

"Okay." he nodded. Ron returned just then.

"Okay what?"

"Harry's going to get his vision corrected before lunch."

"Good for you, mate." he grinned. "Then maybe Malfoy will stop stalking you in the halls and just snog you or shag you already." Harry, who'd just took a sip of his juice, promptly choked. Hermione was equally shocked. They both stared at Ron like he had just told them he was really Voldemort back from the dead. "What? Oh come off it! I'm not that blind!"

"How long have you known?" Harry asked. Ron's face reddened a bit before he answered.

"YoutalkinyoursleepHarry." Ron muttered. Harry took a moment to translate that, then blushed so hard his face matched the color of Ron's Gryffindor shirt. He dropped his head into his arms.

"Oh god." Harry groaned.

"No worries there, Harry. I approve." Harry's head shot back up.

"You do? Why?"

"Fire and Ice. Black and White. Hot and Cold. Bread and Butter. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Opposites attract. Need any other analogies?" Harry shook his head. "It always reminded me of something my mum always said. If the boy is always picking on the cutest girl in school then that means he really likes her."

"Better not let Draco hear you called him a girl." Harry grinned. As if sensing he was being discussed, Draco looked up at them. They smiled at him, setting his teeth on edge. He studiously went back to reading the paper and they laughed.

Ron met Blaise, Draco and Pansy at the pre-arranged spot, 3 baskets of food floating along behind him.

"Where's the other two-thirds of your happy little group?" Blaise wondered.

"They'll be along. Harry had something to take care of and asked Hermione to go with him."

"Why didn't you go?" Pansy asked. Ron looked at her and then quickly looked away, lest he give something away.

"Didn't want to." He quickly spread out a huge blanket for everyone to sit on and started unloading the food while Draco cast a warming bubble over their area.

10 minutes later, Harry and Hermione arrived. Draco paused, the glass of juice in his hand forgotten as he got a look at Harry. His green eyes captured all his attention. Without his glasses he looked heavenly. Without his glasses...whoa!

"Harry! Where's your glasses?" Blaise asked.

"Don't need them any more." Harry answered, sitting down beside Draco. Draco couldn't take his eyes off him. Pansy saw this and elbowed him in the ribs harder than she intended.

"Dammit, Parkinson! Are you deliberately trying to bruise me?" he growled.

"Sorry, babe, but you were staring again." she whispered into his ear. He blushed. "Try not to be so obvious."

"Thanks." The 6 of them settled down to eat and just talk, getting to know each other a little bit better. Draco noticed Harry kept looking him over every few minutes, but kept it to himself.

Never tip your hand before you're ready, Draco. He thought to himself.

Later, Harry transfigured a stick of wood into a flying disc and suggested a game of Monkey in the Middle.

"I'm not getting turned into a monkey!" Draco exclaimed.

"Me neither!" Ron agreed. Both Harry and Hermione laughed and explained to them how the muggle game worked. Once they understood the rules, it was a free-for-all. Since there were 6 of them, they put 2 of them on the inside and the other 4 outside.

Draco and Ron were in the middle after about their 8th turn. Hermione tossed it over their heads to Harry and Draco gave chase. Harry had just reached out to grab it when Draco barreled into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Draco landed on top of Harry with a loud -oomph-. They were both breathing heavy. Draco stared down into Harry's face, desire in his eyes. Harry licked his suddenly dry lips and Draco's eyes watched the movement of his tongue.

"You ok?" Draco asked, his voice husky.

"I think so." Harry whispered.

"Didn't mean to hit you so hard.

"It's okay, Draco." Harry smiled. There was an awkward silence. "I like your clothes."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Harry. They're a bit more comfortable than the old uniforms." Draco smiled. Another long silence.

"Your hair looks good like that." Harry added.

"I didn't feel like messing with it today." Draco told him.

"It looks good. Do it more often."

"I will, then."

"..." An awkward silence from Harry.

"..." More of the same from Draco.

"You're kind of heavy." Harry grinned after a moment.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I like it." Draco groaned softly, feeling his body tighten in response. Harry's eyes widened and he became aware of his own painful erection pressing against the front of his jeans.

"Well this can't be good." Draco whispered.

"The others are watching us I bet."

"Oh god."

"Yeah."

"What should we do?"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Draco! If you're not going to snog him or shag him, then get off him so we can play!" came Pansy's irritated voice. That broke the tension and both boys laughed. Draco rolled off of Harry and helped him to his feet. To Harry's surprise and delight, Draco pinched his arse lightly. They returned to their friends and continued their game.

They had decided on another picnic for dinner, this time in one of the disused classrooms (the temperature outside had dropped so low, a warming bubble wouldn't have worked), when Caedmon swooped in, dropping a package at Draco's side. The package unshrank and Draco's eyes widened as the box grew twice it's normal side.

"What the hell is in there?" Harry asked. Draco looked at him sharply. Guess that means he's not my mystery person.

"Don't know. Oh wait! I was supposed to get this at lunch." Draco took the attached parchment and read out loud.

Happy 5th day, Draco.

I hope you enjoy these. They're pretty hard to come by.

I'm sorry I'm late getting them to you. I was waiting to add to it and

the item was late arriving.

Draco set aside the note and opened the box. His loud gasp echoed through the room. Inside was a collection of books: The Unabridged Works of John Michael Greer, A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and other Subversives by Carol K Mack, and Journey of Souls by Michael Newton. Hermione was in awe.

"What's in the the Greer collection?" she asked. Draco looked over the titles.

"The New Encyclopedia of the Occult, Encyclopedia of Natural Magic, A World Full of Gods: An Inquiry into Polytheism and Circles of Power." he answered.

"Oh my god! Those books are rare in the wizarding world!" Hermione gaped. "You can't find those in any magic library at all! Not even in Hogwarts!"

"You can find them in muggle libraries?" Blaise wondered.

"Yes. Muggles think differently than wizards. They regard magic as simple parlor tricks, like pulling a rabbit out of a hat or making something disappear and reappear in a different location. They see it, they just don't want to believe it." Hermione explained. "Draco, those books are so rare. You should feel so lucky."

"Only Hermione could get worked up over old moldy books." Harry sighed, rolling his eyes.

"You should try reading one sometime, Potter." Draco replied.

"I read!"

"1001 Ways to Catch A Snitch doesn't count." Hermione told him. He stuck his tongue out at her and they all laughed.

"Who would have thought that Draco Malfoy was a nerd in poncey clothes?" Ron laughed. Draco stuck his tongue out in much the same way as Harry did.

"Draco, I'd love to borrow those when you're done." Hermione told him. She was practically foaming at the mouth.

"Easily arranged, Granger." Draco nodded.

"Nerds." Blaise groaned.

The Slytherin-Gryffindor sextet headed back to the Main Hall when it neared curfew and parted ways at the steps leading to the dungeons. They promised to all sit together at breakfast the next morning.

No one could see it, but all 6 of them fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

A/N: The titles of the books are real. I wanted to give Draco books on Arithmancy, since I recalled reading an H/D fic where it was prompted that it was his favorite subject. So I did a Google Search for Arithmancy books. You can find/purchase all the above books at And my thanks goes to the fic writer who said Arithmancy was Draco's favorite subject. It was that prompt that inspired this chapter.