A/N: Hellllloooooooo peoples. Thank u all so much for reviewing, it's very motivating and it makes me happy! Muahaha, what the hell was up with Draco's cryptic comment? Well you'll just have to read to find out! Ooh by the way, I'm tossing in symbols that give more insight to Draco all over the chapter, so look for 'em if you want.

When we finally slipped out of the car, I was surprised to see it was almost sunset. Either we'd been in Draco's room longer then we thought, or I'd fallen asleep in the car. I looked up nervously and saw a huge building looming on the horizon. It was crafted of shining black stone and large pillars surrounded the outside of the building, holding it's heavy vaulted roof up. There was a large flight of stars leading up to the building. And even before the stairs was a walk of the glimmering stone.

"What is this place?" I murmured.

"This is a building." Draco shrugged. "Now come on, the parties inside."

"Yeah I figured that much." I grumbled. Draco started to walk towards the black walk and I hesitated for a moment. I looked behind us to the limo had left, we were stranded.

"Come on, Harry. I'm right here, there's nothing to be afraid of." Draco purred. Harry looked over at Draco, he stood at the edge of the black walk, holding out a hand to him. His golden locks glimmered with blood read highlights in the sun's fading light. His dazzlingly icy eyes danced with anticipation and dominance.

I glared at him and walked onto the black path with him, brushing past him. "I'm not a pet to be talked down to." I hissed.

He shrugged me for once, but his larger strides quickly brought him right next to me and then we walked together. I looked down to the side of the path to see roses, thick roses. They were such a dark shade of red that in this light they looked both black and the crimson red of blood. Mistletoe was also scattered within the roses.

"Mistletoe?" I asked. "It's not Christmas."

"No, it's not." Draco agreed. "There are other symbolic values to mistletoe." He muttered cryptically before walking on. I looked after him and then back down to the mistletoe. I could've sworn something other then me had aggravated Draco…but…how could a simple plant aggravate him. I must've done something.

I trotted after him and opened my mouth to ask a question, but it was cut off by the sight before me. I stopped, gasped, and then starred for a small moment. ON either side of the walk were two magnificent statues of a hooded man. One held a scythe and the other a rope circle. "The grim reaper?"

"MmHm, they must've changed the garden decor for the party," Draco snarled. He suddenly wrapped an arm tightly around me, pressing me against his side.

"The grim reaper means death….nice atmosphere for a party." I chuckled darkly. After the two statues the path widened as it lead to a huge open gate. The gate was intricately carved iron with dark green ivy crawling up it length. Now there were white and red cherry trees in full bloom all around us, mixed in with mistletoe and roses.

I looked the trees a little more and noticed one had a broken branch that hung off and dangled in the wind. That's freaky, but as I looked around more that sense of nervousness that was tingling in the back of my neck grew into full blown panic when I noticed each tree had a broken branch that dangled in the wind. "Draco…" I whispered. I didn't realize my feet had stopped moving.

"I'm right here, Harry."

"Can we go back to the Factory? This place isn't right." I hissed.

"I'm sorry that you had to come here," Draco sighed. He looked over at me with his baby blues, now dead to the world. "I should've left you at the factory."

I scoffed and gave Draco a playful shove. "Please, like I'd let you go to some creepy ass party alone? Who would embarrass you?" I grinned at him, desperately attempting to bring him out of his shell. The last thing I needed was a living corpse to cling to.

Draco's tiny frown bloomed into a smile and he rolled his eyes. "Who would embarrass me indeed?"

We kept walking, however as we passed through the cherry trees I was careful to stay very, tightly pressed against Draco. I felt that if I stood on my own the cherry petals would pick me up and carry me away. As we walked through the gate I noticed that interwoven by iron one each side were swords. One side of the gate had a broken sword and the other was two crossed swords.

"Doesn't a broken sword mean death?" I hissed.

"A life cut short, actually."

"What's with all the death omens! There was a grim reaper back there!"

"I suppose they simply wanted to switch the garden up," Draco growled, I could tell his frustration wasn't directed at me. "Last year it was all about symbols of lost innocence."

"Pink." I said suddenly.

"Harry are you on drugs?"

"No, the cherry petals, you dimwit," I growled, "Red and white makes pink."

Draco looked down at me with laughing eyes and a completely deadpan face, one silvery blonde eyebrow raised.

"Pink means innocence…" I trailed off, hoping Draco would catch my drift. If this year was all about death themes, why not black cherry petals?

"They never completely leave a theme behind, I guess they just wanted to add insult to injury." The blonde shrugged.

"I don't get it though." I sighed. "How is pink insult to injury?"

"Someday Harry…" Draco trailed off, his eyes were fixed on the cherry trees around us.

I decided not to push. Draco was already nervous and stressed about this strange little convention as it was. But I couldn't stop trying to connect death and innocence in my mind. Draco wasn't dead…or innocent…I wasn't dead…and I certainly wasn't innocent.

"Harry," Draco's soft voice brought me out of my trance. I suddenly realized we were at the top of the stairs, right at the front door of the building, surrounded by those pillars. Up close I realized the pillars were all draped with velvet. The doors before us were carved with images of dolphins and little angels, prancing around. It looked innocent enough, but the more I looked at it I noticed there were swords, the angels were attacking each other…but each was smiling happily like the perfect cherubim. "When we go inside…don't yell or scream. In fact draw as little attention to yourself as possible."

"What's so dangerous about a convention? You're acting like we're jumping into a tank full of sharks."

"That's an excellent metaphor." Draco grinned before tapping the door with his foot. The doors swung open to reveal people…everywhere. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the dim candlelight to see that these people glittered with diamonds and gems. Suddenly I felt something slip around my throat. I looked up to see Draco fastening that choker around my neck.

"Fucker." I growled as somebody slipped the coat off my body. I blush, feeling completely exposed without it and clung to the first confident thing I saw, which happened to be the blonde candy maker I was living with. "What did you put on my neck?"

"It's a nice little reminder of who you belong to." Draco snickered. I looked down at it and finally made out it was a diamond studded MD. It was comfortingly cool and the weight on my collar bone relaxed my a little bit.

"Well then, why don't we just give me dog ears and a tail!" I hissed in outrage.

"It's to make sure nobody tries to molest you in a dark corner, idiot…well nobody except me." He leered and I blushed, growled, and attempted to kick him all at the same time. I ended up just standing there blushing furiously.

"Draco Malfoy, pleasure to see you again." A smooth voice said. I glanced up to see a man standing before us, dressed in a black suit, glittering with diamonds. He had bright red eyes and black hair that was styled so his bangs fell over one eye. I found myself huddling a little closer to Draco.

"Tom." Draco acknowledged in return. I looked up at my blonde protective wall and found his eyes were dead, bored, and angry all at once. I looked back at this Tom fellow and saw his eyes flash with anger. "I see you've redecorated the garden."

"Ah yes well you know, I suppose it's just, wishful thinking." Tom shrugged with a wicked smirk twisting at his lips. "You appear to be looking well...A little pale though."

"I should get out more," Draco said with a smirk. "You seem to be missing your plaything…what happened to the redhead?"

"She," Tom hissed, eyes smoldering. "Had a little accident…an unfortunate tumble down the stairs into the basement."

"I liked her, very pretty, very sweet." Draco shrugged, the wicked smirk now twisting his lips. "Have you met, Harry?"

"Harry," Tom hissed in a very snake like manner. "He looks exactly like James, so much like James." Tom added, an oddly nostalgic look in his eyes. "I'll leave you to mingle." He murmured before stalking away.

"How does he know my dad?" I whispered to Draco.

"Your father owes us a debt Harry, remember? He made a pact with Tom, my father, and a few others. Your father failed to…uphold his end of the pact." Draco explained. "Good job looking pretty by the way."

"…thanks?"

"Draco!" A female voice exclaimed. A brunette with sparkling chocolate eyes was striding towards them. She gave Draco a small hug. "You look well."

"As do you, Hermione."

"Oh! Who's this!"

"This is Harry." Draco chuckled.

"Pleasure to meet you," Harry purred, carefully kissing the girls' hand.

"He's such a ladies man!" Hermione laughed to Draco, she looked back at Harry "Can you come talk with me? I know a few ladies who'd love you!"

Harry moved to disentangle himself from Draco, when the taller man squeezed him tightly. "Sorry, Hermione, but I still have more formal introducing that I need my teddy bear for, but I'll deliver him to you afterwards." Draco walked off, and I winked at Hermione, sending her into giggles.

"Why couldn't I go talk to her? She seemed sane." I growled.

"I need you to meet a few more people, now be on the look out for a man with long black hair and a blonde guy, we need to stay away from them." Draco warned.

"Draco!" A voice snapped softly.

"Fuck." Draco cursed. He glanced back and smiled, "Hello, Sirius…If you'll excuse me for a moment-"

"No talk with us, it's been much too long." The other man growled. Draco cursed again so only I could hear and it made me grin at him. Draco glared at me, making my grin even wider. Standing before us was a tall man with a long wild main of black hair that shone blue in the candlelight. His eyes were a twinkling electric blue that seemed oddly familiar to me. Tucked at his side was a small man with wavy blonde hair. It shone shades of light frothy golden and pure blood red in the light and his eyes were the most dazzling, warm amber I'd ever seen.

"Sirius, Remus," Draco said with polite nods to the taller Sirius and the blonde who was just a little smaller then him.
"Harry!" Sirius gasped looking down at me, he faced Draco with a massive glare. "What the fuck are you doing with him!"

"Sirius!" Remus growled, slamming his foot into the taller mans. "Remember to be polite! Or they'll eat you alive. "Draco can we talk somewhere more private." He covered quickly. The mass that had been starring at Sirius' outburst looked away, back to their petty conversations.

We started to walk and I whispered in Draco's ear, "Who are they? I think I know them."

"Sirius and Remus were your father's very good friends. They too entered the pact."

"So your dad, my dad, Sirius, and Remus…who else was in this pact?" I growled.

"Sirius and Remus entered it as one person, the other one was Tom." Draco sighed.

"What didn't my dad do for the pact?"

"He left debts unpaid, they fall to you." Draco snarled. "Harry please stop asking about it."

I growled low in my throat but never the less shut up. I didn't want Draco to get mad and clam up.

We slipped outside onto that deck with the pillars, except this was a separate area, light with candlelight.

"Why the fuck is Harry with you! I thought the debt was paid!" Sirius snarled.

"It wasn't, Sirius." Draco responded, trying to maintain just a little respect for the other man in his tone.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" I growled loudly.

"Hiya Harry," Sirius greeted, his eyes flying from anger to joy. He hugged me quickly and grinned at me. "You look exactly like you dad, how's lils doing?"

"…she's alive."

"That bad huh?"

"Dumb bitch hasn't left the couch in years." I sighed, the memory of my disappointing mother flooding back to me.

"That's no way to talk about your mother," Remus admonished lightly, also giving me a hug. "But I can understand your resentment of her. I had the same problem when I was even young,"

"So…You knew my dad?" I asked.

"Jamesy ol' buddy ol' pal," Sirius remembered fondly. "Good man…Great man. I'm glad he didn't live to be apart of this masquerade." Sirius snarled at Draco.

"Don't blame me." The blonde hissed. "He could be with Tom right now."

"Yeah well you're not much better. Do you have a fucking leash for him?" The taller man growled.

"A leash?" I couldn't help snickering. "Jez Draco I didn't think you were so kinky."

Sirius and Remus starred at me as if I had lobsters crawling out of my ears and I winced. Me and my big mouth. Draco's eyes light up and he smirked. "Only for you, baby."

"Baby? Very original nick name Mr. Powers." I laughed.

"Are you flirting with him?" Sirius finally stammered.

"NO!" I growled, Draco snickered next to me, "No, definitely not…at all-okay, maybe a little bit!-no!" I stuttered blushing, "A little bit!"

"I never thought I'd see the day Draco Malfoy flirted." Remus chuckled. "Harry, really though, are you doing alright?"

"Yeah…doing fine…confused, but good."

Remus nodded. "It's better to be confused, all this…candy business…should be forgotten as soon as the debt is paid." A sad look came over Remus' face. "It's not something you want to remember."

"I have to leave?" I asked suddenly.

"You're only with me until the debt is paid…" Draco said stoically. His eyes died suddenly, as if somebody had snuffed the fire inside them.

Now I remember the contract and being signed up for an illegible period of time. I looked up at the beautiful doll that was protecting me, and I remember how his eyes lit up whenever I made him laugh or whenever I did something dumb. I remembered how he teased me and I remembered how he lent me is coat that very first night. I realized with a start that I didn't want to leave…when the time came…I couldn't. I looked back up at Draco and another even more distressing thought ran through my mind…I think I was falling in love.

"Sirius! Sirius Black!" Somebody called from inside

"We'll talk later." Sirius growled.

"Good luck Harry." Remus sighed, giving me another quick hug. He slipped me a piece of paper with a number on it. "Call us anytime." And then he followed Sirius inside.

I sighed and leaned on the one of the pillars. I didn't want to leave…I didn't want to ever leave Draco alone in the shark tank. Suddenly a pale hand slammed the pillar right next to my head.

"Harry…this is a very good dark corner for molestation…" Draco teased, his breath hot on my face, sending little shivers up my spine.

"Quit teasing."

I started to push myself off the pillar when another hand pressed against the pillar on the other side of my face. I glared up and found Draco's face to close to mine for comfort. I looked into his dancing eyes, glimmering in the moonlight. "I'm not teasing Harry."

I felt panic well up inside me for a moment and I looked away uncomfortably. Disappointment rolled off Draco in waves. He started to back off when I suddenly darted forward and pressed my lips against his, he was so shocked he didn't move, so I helped. I wrapped my hands in his lapels and leaned back against the pillar, yanking him back with me.

My head hit the stone pillar and my mouth opened against Draco's as I uttered a tiny mew of shock more then pain. Draco took the opportunity to let his tongue slither into the cavern of my mouth. His tongue teased mine into a heated battle for dominance, Draco bit my lip and I yelped.

The blonde drew back, grinning at me. "I win." He murmured huskily, leaning in again to lick and kiss the red mark he left on my lips.

I smirked at him and wrapped mar arms around his neck, drawing him closer, he didn't seem to mind. I took it a step forward and wrapped one of my legs through his. I was pressed against the pillar, but my balance completely rested on Draco now. He would either realize who he'd just made out with and let me fall to the ground in disgust or decide to hold me up. I waited for him to push me away….but he never did.

Draco's chest pressed mine against the pillar even more, so now neither of my feet touched the ground, I was completely wedged between him and the pillar. The blonde's hair was mused from my fingers tugging at it. His eyes were bright and glittered in the light. His suit was rumpled and his lips were bruised pink from our kiss.

He pressed his silky lips against mine in a quick little kiss before letting a predatory smile curve onto his pale lips. "Happy Birthday Harry."

And I couldn't help grinning at him, this was by far the best birthday ever.

A/N: Damn, I'd kill to have that birthday present! The convention will continue next chapter, so in the mean time, happy birthday Harry! Even though I changed his birthday a few months…Oh well. Please review people!