A.N.: Okay, so my goal of Christmas was a little farfetched, but I will try to finish this soon! It shouldn't be too long now. Please review!

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The day before the ball and three days before Christmas itself, Draco was getting fitted for a suit. Over the past two days he'd done everything in his power to be nice to Harry Potter. It was working for the most part, but he was beginning to get annoyed with the odd looks the Boy-Who-Lived cast at him.

As the magical tape measurer and quill set worked, Malfoy devised his Holiday Ball scheme. Somehow he'd have to get Harry to dance with him. Maybe an announcement of the couples' dance. Yes, that would work. He'd simply say that he wanted to dance but couldn't dance alone due to the rules.

The blonde smirked. "I am such a genius," he thought out loud. The quill paused on the paper pad as though it was giving him a critical look. Draco simply sneered at it and the feather immediately began to scribble away.

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Meanwhile, Harry Potter was sitting in the Gryffindor common room. Overnight a Christmas tree had sprung up in the corner complete with gold and red ornaments. At the top of the tall tree was a golden Griffin that would sometimes try to pounce on itself or eat a tree branch. Harry found it quite amusing, but he sighed at the bareness under the tree. Perhaps tomorrow he'd travel into Hogsmeade and buy the tree a few presents. It looked awful cold down there.

The Boy-Who-Lived was also considering looking into Draco Malfoy's actions. The blonde, whom Harry had admitted to himself was sexy, had been acting very… nice. Perhaps the season had gotten to him, but Harry doubted it. Sometimes it seemed Draco had no feelings at all.

Harry chuckled and went back to his Christmas paper on Quintaped babies and why you should never go looking for them. Smirking, Harry wrote, "…because they're bad." on the parchment, knowing Snape would no doubt kill/maim/torture him. But it was worth it sometimes.

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The morning of the ball, Harry was nowhere to be found in the castle. Instead, he was trudging through the snow into Hogsmeade.

First he stopped in Honeydukes, buying many candies to decorate the tree with. He also bought a few of the new Blue Hummingbirds that chirped. They reminded Harry of chocolate frogs (hopefully without the whole coming back to life thing) and would be perfect for the girls of Beauxbatons. For Durmstrang, Harry purchased the new Bott's all-flavor suckers, selecting only the ones with seaweed in the middle. He considered them a homey treat for boys who traveled via ship-sub.

Next he stopped at Zonko's to purchase a few things for the Weasley boys. They were mostly muggle things the boys and their father would love. While there Harry also bought Ginny some color change lipstick that would change with her mood. It seemed quite fitting for a teenager.

Stopping at Gladrags, Harry bought 3 pairs of Gryffindor socks for himself, Neville, and Seamus. They seemed hideous, but were also just the right gift.

Harry made a final shopping stop at Scrivenshaft's where he purchased a beautiful and expensive quill for Hermione. It was a long, white feather with golden edges and a golden nib. To go with it Harry picked up a bottle of golden ink.

He walked with the items, enjoying how quiet the little town was. Glancing at Gladrags, Harry stopped. He glanced at the gifts, frowning as he realized something. "Oh bloody hell, I forgot to buy for the others." He trudged back into the clothing store.

For the Hufflepuff twins he purchased a pair of new 'fit-to-your-feet' boots in white and black. They would suit the rather outspoken but friendly girls. For Blaise Harry picked out a t-shirt that said 'Pureblood' on it. Harry didn't like Blaise's muggle-born prejudice but he wasn't about to argue over it. He rather liked Blaise's cool attitude and the way the boy smiled.

Suddenly, Harry stopped. One name rose in his mind. 'Draco'. What was he to buy for the blonde Slytherin? Looking around, Harry felt at a loss. "What would he possibly want? A Malfoy owns everything," he mused out loud.

Almost immediately a man clad in a nice suit was beside him. "Can I help you, sir?" he asked extravagantly. Harry was caught off guard and simply stared at the man, who by now was polishing his nails on his suit and admiring them.

"Umm… er… what?" he asked and the man looked at him.

"Can. I. Help. You?" the man repeated slowly. Harry blinked, then nodded.

"I'm looking for a gift for someone."

"Alright, what kind of gift?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, he's a student. A Slytherin at Hogwarts…," he trailed off and followed the man to the Hogwart's department of the store where Harry had first bought the socks.

"Well, my boy, you're in luck. Just yesterday we received a brand new item," he stated in a salesman's voice and turned to a new case. Harry gasped as he looked in. It was perfect!

Inside the glass case was a jacket. It was black leather with a snake on the zipper and a Slytherin patch on the breast. With it came a new green scarf. The man saw his look of wonder and puffed out his chest as he started a generous sales pitch.

"It's genuine leather from the finest centaur stallions. The inside is real manticore fur, very soft, very beautiful, and very rare. Just the thing for a Slytherin, eh? You can see the zipper's charm is a petrified snake. Real for extra style, of course. And the patch is the best part. Not only does it broadcast the wearer's house but also his or her name! It's quite extraordinary. An exquisite piece, yes, sir?"

Harry nodded, staring at it. "I'll take one. Are they shrink-to-fit?"

The man smiled. "Most everything here is nowadays," he said and selected a jacket, carefully giving it and its scarf to Harry.

The boy smiled and went to the counter, looking at the clerk. "Do you gift wrap?"

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Harry made one more stop at the post office in Hogsmeade to send the gifts to the out-of-towners before returning to Hogwarts with the nicely wrapped gifts and candies. He wasn't sure exactly why he'd bought the jacket for Draco, but something in him told him the blonde would love it. Well, at least, he desperately hoped he loved it.

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Meanwhile, Draco was in front of the mirror, looking at his suit. It was a silvery grey that matched his eyes. He sighed. Being in it made him hope Harry would find it attractive. He wondered what the other boy would wear and momentarily considered buying him a matching suit.

"No, that wouldn't do," he pondered out loud. Then the secret would be out even to Harry who could be as unsuspecting as a lamb. The boy was almost too innocent for words, but it was one of the things Draco loved the most about him. Harry was sweet and self-sacrificing, something Draco had hoped to find in a lover. Harry was also popular and good looking, matching the blonde in those aspects.

Maybe there was a chance after all.

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The bell sounded, signaling dinner and the approaching arrival of the other students of Durmstrang and Beauxbaton. Harry was already dressed in a black suit and in the Great Hall, putting the candies at the tables for the guests.

Currently there were 3 tables on the main floor of the huge room, though they were tiny in comparison of the large hall. Above, the candles burned lightly and snowflakes fell around them only to diminish before they could reach the tables. Where the tables ended the dance floor began. It was elegant silver that glistened and caught light like a diamond.

Harry blushed as a thought of dancing with a certain blonde boy entered his head. What was he doing thinking that? Sure the boy was attractive, but it was Malfoy for Merlin's sake! The boy that teased his friends, messed up his possessions, and was a general asshole. But lately…

"No," Harry insisted to himself and put down the last seaweed sucker. The remaining students wandered in, Draco leading the line. The Slytherin was dressed in a gorgeous, well-fitted silver suit.

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He and Harry matched quite well, Draco noticed before sitting down. Harry took a seat beside him and Draco had to resist the urge to scoot closer. His gaze on the boy's pale face only deterred when Dumbledore stood and clapped once. The 5 students looked up, attentive.

"Thank you each for helping with the preparations. It assures me that our guests will be most satisfied with their stay. Now, without further ado, let the Holiday Ball Festival begin!" Dumbledore shouted, and immediately a giant gong sounded.

The giant doors swung open and 21 students strolled in hand in hand. The boys of Durmstrang were wearing crimson outfits with white fur trimmings and black boots. The elegant girls of Beauxbaton were dressed in wintry blue dresses with white fur as well. Their characteristic hats were gone, replaced with fur-trimmed caps.

Harry and Draco smiled. They were a beautiful holiday site to behold. Immediately the other tables were filled and with a clap of Dumbledore's hands the food appeared.

Harry smiled at Draco who leaned across him to grab a potato. "Happy holiday, Draco," Harry whispered and the blonde looked at him before smiling in return.

"Happy holiday, Harry." Perhaps he would get his dance with the Boy-Who-Lived.