They were lucky enough to arrive at a location where how-to workshops were in session. Harry signed them up and they wandered around for a half hour until it was time to start. His guests were less impressed by the shop, possibly because the building supplies were less vibrant and somewhat unidentifiable in nature. They passed an aisle full of shiny new toilets and Narcissa blushed and buried her face in her husband's shoulder. Gliese wandered through the lighting department, marveling at the decorative sconces and lanterns.

"Potter!" Draco called from the next aisle. Harry rounded the endcap and found Draco standing with his arms folded in front of a display of light switches. "These don't work," he said disapprovingly. He jabbed a finger out and flipped one of the display units, and of course nothing happened.

"They're not hooked up or anything," Harry said. "It just shows you what they look like."

"How am I supposed to know if I want it if I can't see what it does?"

"You know what it does. It's a light switch."

"That's what they want you to think," Draco said knowingly. He pointed disapprovingly at the display. "Marketing."

"Sort of," Harry scratched his head.

Just then the store announced the start of their workshop. They rounded up Gliese, Narcissa and Lucius and headed to the back of the warehouse, where an employee was handing out orange smocks. Harry suddenly wished he had the power to freeze time, or that he could get away with snapping a photo on his mobile. Because no one back home would ever believe him if he told them that he got the Malfoy family to put on orange smocks and participate in a DIY workshop.

"What are you smirking at?" Draco hissed under his breath as the instructor handed out materials.

"You're wearing smocks!" Harry grinned, his voice overflowing with delight.

"You just wait until I get my wand back," Draco's mouth twitched as he tried to hold his scowl. Harry knew better.

The workshop was for basic woodworking skills. The instructor showed them how to nail two boards together, to sand them and putty the joints, then put down a coat of primer. Harry did fine, but the others struggled. Draco at least tried to keep up with Harry, even if it meant doing manual work. Lucius and Narcissa could barely hold the hammer without cringing, and Gliese was unable to produce enough strength to pound a nail or sand a board.

Harry was moving quickly, trying to finish first while Draco pursed his lips and attempted to outdo him. He was absorbed in applying primer when he heard an unusual sound. It was lilting, musical, and if he didn't know better, happy. He and Draco looked up at the same time. Narcissa was laughing. She had accidentally smeared wood putty down Lucius' arm, eliciting a look of horror as it dried on his skin. He held his arm aloft, mouth agape, eyes wide, as Narcissa giggled uncontrollably. Draco looked over at Harry with utter disbelief in his eyes. Harry wondered if she had ever laughed like that before, and if so, how long it had been since her son had heard it.

Still more shocking, Lucius blinked and then a smile broke across his face. Not a huge smile, but a smile nonetheless. His brow was furrowed, his eyes were bewildered, but he smiled at his wife as though he were seeing her for the first time. He chuckled and shook his head as though he didn't understand what was so funny.

"Do you see that?" Draco asked Harry quietly. "I don't know what that is."

"That's your parents enjoying each other," Harry said.

"I don't know what that is," Draco repeated, holding his eyes pointedly.

"Sometimes children forget that their parents are people, too," Gliese said mildly as she dabbed paint on her project. "They loved each other once, and perhaps they still do in their own way."

"Not in my lifetime," Draco frowned and went back to his painting.

The instructor helped Lucius clean up and declared both Harry's and Draco's projects passable. They were all allowed to keep their smocks, although they knew well enough to remove them before leaving the store.

"I could use a rest," Gliese said as Harry hailed a cab. "What else did you want to show us today?"

"It's not what I want to show you," Harry said quickly. "It's whatever you want to do. You'd mentioned wanting to see a chemist's shop but we can head back to the house if you'd like to rest instead."

"If no one minds," Gliese said apologetically.

They piled into the car and headed back to Grimmauld Place once again. They were all a bit worn out from the superstore shopping experience, and agreed that a nap sounded brilliant. The elder guests retreated to their rooms, leaving Draco and Harry in the hall.

"I don't really feel like napping," Draco said.

"I can turn on the telly for you," Harry offered. Draco nodded.

Harry switched it on and found a nature programme, then went down to the kitchen to put together a tray of drinks and snacks. He sent it up via the dumbwaiter and went back up to the drawing room. He set out the tray on the coffee table and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked.

"I was thinking about lying down," Harry said truthfully.

"I'll be bored," Draco said.

"You can come up and talk at me while I sleep," Harry joked.

"Okay," Draco stood and waved him out of the room.

Harry was nonplussed. He hadn't expected Draco to respond, much less favorably. They left the refreshments and climbed the three flights of stairs to Harry's room. Draco closed the door behind him and flopped into a chair by the window. Harry stood in the middle of the rug, not quite sure what to do with himself.

"Go ahead," Draco waved his hand dismissively. "You said you were going to nap and that I could talk while you sleep."

"Sure," Harry laid down on his back and folded his hands across his abdomen. He stared at the ceiling and wondered whether he was really expected to try to sleep. Why was he playing along?

Draco leaned forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, and he gazed out over the back garden. The house had a small sliver of land that was fenced on all sides and protected from detection by the same Fidelius Charm that hid the house. Harry closed his eyes and tried not to feel awkward about his former school rival sitting in his room while he rested. He consciously slowed his breathing and willed his muscles to relax. He removed his glasses and set them on the side table, and nestled his head into the pillow. He could just make out the sound of birds outside, and the occasional rumble of trucks on the nearby roads.

"You're right, you know," Draco said finally, his voice low and introspective. "He did sell us the story that purebloods are better."

Harry was instantly alert. Once again he regretted having brought it up. He shouldn't have put it in Draco's head. He wished he could go back in time and unspeak those words.

"It started long before I was born," Draco said. "My mother's family were some of the worst offenders. They were the kind of people that put it into the Dark Lord's head in the first place, back before he was the Dark Lord."

Harry rolled onto his side and squinted at Draco. At this distance without his glasses he could only see a blue and blond smudge.

"They campaigned for the value of blood purity, and he in turn rose to power on a promise of promoting blood purity," Draco said. "They fed each other the same lie, back and forth, and more and more people believed it." The blue and blond smudge sat back in his chair. "I grew up with it. I never had to be convinced, it was just the way things were. I grew up being told I was special because my lineage was pure. That was my value as a person. I never doubted that it made me special."

"I grew up being told I was worthless," Harry murmured. "Which might be why I never believed it when people told me I was special."

"That's because you're daft," Draco said. "I think a part of me knew blood wasn't enough," his voice was distant and detached. "But it was all I had. Blood and money." He laughed bitterly, "When he marked me I thought it meant I had finally accomplished something. We were all purebloods. Or most of us, really. But to be marked, that meant you were special amongst the special. I thought it meant something."

Harry didn't know what to say. He propped himself up on his elbow and slipped his glasses back onto his face. Draco was bent over now, thoughtfully tracing his fingers over his Dark Mark.

"I'm back in school," Draco said suddenly. "I started last autumn. Did I tell you that?"

"No," Harry said.

"Studying law. I'll become a barrister or solicitor, perhaps. Maybe I'll have a chance to argue before the Wizengamot someday," Draco nodded to himself. "Ironic, isn't it? Law is the study of the difference between right and wrong. I'm probably the last person who should be trusted with that judgement."

"Or maybe you'll understand it better than most," Harry said. Draco looked up finally and regarded Harry silently. "Do you want to lie down?" Harry asked suddenly, without thinking it through.

Draco blinked and looked down at his hands, then stood and crossed to the other side of the bed. He stretched out on the mattress next to Harry and they laid side by side without touching. They both laid on their backs and looked up at the ceiling, their hands folded across their abdomens.

"Good thing this bed is too large for one person," Harry said with a smirk. Draco snorted once and closed his eyes. A moment later Harry did, too, and then they both slept.

Supper turned out to be an adventure of its own kind. They decided as a group to try an array of the various items they had purchased at the grocery store. Harry put some effort into arranging the mostly junk food artfully on various trays and platters, and set them all out along the dining table like a smorgasbord. The Malfoys and Gliese walked along the table with their plates, sampling this and that and assembling strange meals of crisps and cocktail sausages and breakfast cereals and salad croutons. When Harry tried to excuse himself they insisted that he stay on, if for no other reason than to explain the various items they tried.

Because the dining table was covered in odd foods they adjourned to the drawing room to eat. Harry turned on the telly and explained that eating supper in front of a programme was a very common muggle activity, which pleased Gliese to no end.

Harry sat on the fainting couch near the wall as Lucius, Narcissa and their Auntie settled on the sofa directly in front of the set. Draco sat in a straight-backed chair near the fireplace.

"Are you boys going out again tonight?" Gliese asked during an advert.

"Maybe," Draco looked across the room at Harry.

"If you want to we can," Harry's heart beat a little faster. The idea made him nervous. His head had been in all the wrong places all day. A bit of drink and he might do something he regretted.

"I want to," Draco said decisively.

Harry collected everyone's plates and opened the liquor cabinet for their perusal. He thumped down the stairs a little more casually than he should have, and then swept all of the dishes into the dumbwaiter. Down in the kitchen he set the cleaning charms off and running, and when he was certain everything was heading in the right direction he went back upstairs to change.

Draco was already dressed in a black fitted shirt with nicely tailored trousers. His hair was neatly styled and he was waiting in the hall for Harry's arrival. He popped his head into the parlor and bid the elder members of his party goodnight, which they returned with a distracted murmur.

"Let's go," Draco led the way out of the house.

"Where to?" Harry asked as they rounded the corner to the nearby alleyway.

"I want to try that pub where you knew the doorman," Draco said.

"No," Harry's heart thumped painfully.

"Why not?"

"Because it's Friday and it will be jam packed and it's a different sort of crowd you won't be into," Harry rattled off reasons.

"How do you know what kind of crowd I'll enjoy?" Draco said stubbornly. "I remember where we went last night. I can Apparate without you, you know."

"You really won't like it," Harry said desperately. He knew it was pointless, his former rival had made up his mind. He held his arm out in defeat and with a stiff pop they Apparated into the alley in the club district.

"The Magic Hat," Draco read the sign as they approached. "Tell me that isn't why you come here."

"It's not why I come here," Harry said miserably. His chest ached and his legs felt like stone. His secret was about to be completely blown apart. And unless Draco was a particularly open minded sort, it would likely put an end to their burgeoning friendship.

Steve was at the door, as he usually was, and he hugged Harry with one burly arm. He greeted Draco by name, too. He always had a good memory for faces.

"How are you tonight?" Steve asked with another friendly shoulder squeeze. The line of men at the door peered jealously at Harry and Draco, who had been guided past the velvet rope without hesitation. "Colin is in."

"Fine, thanks," Harry ducked his head and ignored his second comment.

"Oh come on, you're going to let those two poofters in?" a mincing boy halfway down the line called.

"Poofters?" Draco snorted.

"Come on," Harry sighed and knew it was time to get on with the inevitable.

They pushed through the crowd near the entrance and Harry led Draco to the bar. It took some jostling but they finally managed to squeeze through to the counter. Harry saw Colin working down at the other end and knew it was a matter of seconds before the lid was blown off. Surely Draco had noticed that there were virtually no women around. It had to be obvious, even in the low lighting. If he took even one look at the dance floor he would see boys paired up and dancing to the pounding beats. It was pretty hard to miss, and Draco didn't seem all that oblivious.

"Harry!" Colin caught sight of him and approached with arms outstretched.

Here it comes.

"How are you, love?" Colin eyed Draco coolly, and then leaned across the bar and kissed Harry straight on the lips.

It was so much worse than he had expected.

"I'm fine," Harry had to hold the edge of the bar to keep from collapsing. His head was swimming and his legs felt weak. Draco eyed him curiously. There was surely no doubt in his head now.

"Who's your friend?" Colin asked with false brightness. "You and your blonds." Draco cocked his head with a smirk and looked at Harry as though interested in how he would respond.

"This is Draco," Harry said. "Draco, this is Colin. My..." he paused, knowing he couldn't call Colin an ex, because they had never been exclusive in the first place. "My friend."

"Nice to meet you, Draco," Colin shook his hand strongly. Harry noticed that he had tensed up his muscular biceps and flexed a little. He wasn't sure if he was doing it to come on to Draco, or if he was a little jealous of what he thought was competition. As Colin eyed Draco challengingly he realized it was the latter. Well well. Mister I-want-to-be-free felt threatened by Draco Malfoy.

As maybe he should be. Wait, no.

"Can we get a pint, Colin?" Harry raised his voice to get his attention. Colin was locked in a staring contest with the Slytherin boy, and Draco seemed even less inclined than Colin to back down. He had put on his best haughty sneer, the one that refused to be intimidated, the one that knew no one was better than him. He had definitely picked up on Colin's insecurity.

"Sure," Colin tore his eyes away and pulled two pints. Harry paid up, suddenly not in the mood to run a tab on his former lover's good graces.

"Cheers," Draco nodded, one eyebrow raised with the condescendingly refined air of the upper class. Harry hadn't seen this side of him since school and he was happy not to be on the receiving end.

Harry pointed to a free table away from the speaker stacks and they sat with their beers. Harry had nothing to say, because there was nothing to say. Draco had dropped the arrogant sneer and was now simply looking around at the crowd.

"Come here often?" he asked in a neutral tone.

"Yes," Harry saw no reason to lie anymore.

"I didn't know you were queer, Potter," Draco went straight to the point.

"It's not really your business, is it?"

"Things might have been different if I'd known," Draco said, draining his glass.

"I know," Harry grimaced at the thought of public humiliation. He spun his empty glass between his fingers.

"That's not what I mean," Draco read his expression. Suddenly he stood and nodded toward the dance floor. "Come on."

Harry followed self-consciously. Draco had been toying with him all day. Now he wanted to dance at a gay club for a laugh. He wished he had never brought him to this neighborhood, that he had guarded his secret better.

The drums throbbed sensuously as a low grinding bass rumbled everything in its path. The dance floor was crowded, but not so much that people couldn't pair up. Draco paired up with Harry and moved to the rhythm. Harry was embarrassed but he moved a bit, too. Draco smiled and danced a bit closer, his arms raised and his hips swaying. Harry averted his eyes. He had never danced just to dance. He had always used it as a prelude to a hookup. Which meant he had developed an automatic response to dancing that made him anticipate sex. Which, considering his partner, was not a great thing right at the moment.

Draco stepped closer, until his hips were touching Harry's. He swayed and grinned devilishly, then dropped a hand around Harry's neck. Harry's heart pounded furiously. He was having a hard time keeping it together, keeping his expression neutral. He wanted to press up against his former classmate, to stroke his arms and tell him that he didn't care about his Dark Mark or any of that past rubbish. He wanted to grab him up in his arms and do what he would do with anyone who danced like he danced.

Draco pulled him closer until their foreheads touched. Harry was breathing hard, even though he wasn't dancing much at this point. They were so close again, only this time he couldn't blame the drink. He'd only had one and his senses were still sharp. He looked up into soft gray eyes and his chest felt like it would split in two.

Draco's swaying slowed and his hand squeezed the back of Harry's neck. Harry willed himself not to close his eyes and groan in pleasure. He wished he could because it felt so damn good. Draco slowed and slowed until he wasn't dancing at all anymore. He was a rock in the midst of a sea of dancers, and Harry clung to him like a drowning man. His ears pounded with his heartbeat, and the music pounded jealously back. Harry's throat was dry. He couldn't speak even if the music were quiet enough to permit it.

Draco squeezed his neck again and slid his other arm around Harry's waist. He pulled Harry close and stroked his thumb down his spine. Harry's hands moved of their own accord and wrapped around Draco's hips, too.

And then two things happened at once. First, Harry realized that this wasn't all just for a laugh, that Draco wasn't dancing with him to be a pal, he didn't have his arm wrapped around Harry's waist for no reason. Second, Draco kissed him.

An electric jolt shot through Harry's body, and he physically jumped at the sensation of Draco's lips on his. Draco withdrew slightly and regarded him with a curious smile. Then he dipped his head again and swept Harry's mouth up in another kiss.

Oh sweet Merlin, yes.

He was peripherally aware of the swarm of dancing bodies that buzzed around them. Draco stroked Harry's back and ran his fingers through Harry's hair and kissed him deeply with lovely, languid lips and tongue. Harry kissed him back, his body wishing it could race away to the climax. But the other boy kept him reined in, sensuously touching him and savoring the sensation..

"Get a room," someone shouted from the throng of dancers. Draco smiled, his lips still pressed against Harry's. Harry couldn't help it, he smiled, too. He walked backwards, drawing Draco with him to the edge of the dance floor. They found an unoccupied booth in the corner and slid onto the seat. And as soon as they were seated Draco drew Harry in again.

They kissed on and on, and Harry swore at least three songs played before they came up for air. And then they kissed again, unable to get enough to justify stopping. Draco slipped his hand underneath Harry's shirt and drew his fingertips across Harry's bare skin. He kissed down Harry's jaw to his neck and buried his face in his collarbone, licking and tasting along the way. Harry clung to Draco, his mind a jumble of half-thoughts and unfinished notions. Draco worked his way back up to Harry's mouth and explored with his tongue, then finally withdrew with a series of smaller and smaller kisses, until their lips were just barely touching.

"I wish I'd known," Draco said into Harry's ear.

"Me too," Harry closed his eyes as Draco's breath sent a wave of goosebumps up his arms.

They sat back in the booth and Draco comfortably draped one arm around Harry's shoulder. They rested their heads together and Harry thought about how previous encounters at The Magic Hat had all led him to the toilet cubicle for a quick blowie or a furtive shag. He didn't much feel like visiting the bog this time. Except he kind of did, but only because he actually needed to use it.

"Going for a slash," Harry said into Draco's ear. "Be back in a jif."

He hurried to the back and hoped he would be able to find a free urinal. He made quick work of it and headed back to the table. Draco was still there, of course he would be but Harry thought it was notable anyway, and he grinned cheekily as Harry approached.

"Harry," Colin appeared at his elbow, a towel tossed casually over his shoulder. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"It's not really a good time," Harry said apologetically. Draco was too far away to overhear their exchange over the music but his body language said they had his full attention.

"Just for a minute," Colin grasped his arm firmly as though he wouldn't take no for an answer. Harry took a step back but his hand remained locked on his arm. "I just want to talk to you," he said.

"Problem?" Draco was at their side so quickly that Harry suspected he had Apparated to close the distance.

"No problem, mate," Colin released Harry's arm. "I just need to speak with my boyfriend for a minute."

"Since when are you my bloody boyfriend?" Harry was suddenly angry.

"Since we started fucking four months ago," Colin said sharply.

"Whatever happened to keeping things open, playing it by ear?" Harry snapped. He wished they weren't doing this near the speaker stacks, where they had to shout to hear each other. "You didn't want to be my boyfriend. Not until now, not until you saw me with someone else."

"Maybe it's time to go," Draco had put on his best sneer again. He regarded Colin like a trivial interruption, something to be dismissed. No one could make a person feel infinitesimally small like Draco Malfoy.

"Maybe so," Harry was saddened by this turn of events. Colin had jerked him around for ages, made him feel miserable about wanting to get closer. And now he was acting like it hadn't happened that way at all. He wasn't naive enough to think Colin had had a true change of heart. He suspected that if he were receptive to this ploy, Colin would just impose the open relationship stipulation again. He didn't want Harry, he wanted to be wanted. He wanted to be fawned over. And Harry, stupidly, had granted him that for months.

"Harry," Colin cocked his head winningly. He reached out and drew his thumb down Harry's cheek. Harry leaned away from his touch. "I just want to talk."

"I don't have anything to say anymore," Harry said firmly. He looked to Draco, who continued to fix his unblinking, unnerving, superior glare on Colin. He was glad Draco didn't have his wand. He shyly took his hand and squeezed it to get his attention. "Let's go."

They wove their way through the crowd and left Harry's former lover behind. Harry bid Steve good night and they set off down the sidewalk. They were still holding hands, and this time Harry knew it wasn't ironic or dramatic or a laugh. After a block and a half he paused and turned to look at his Slytherin schoolmate.

"He wasn't my boyfriend," he said firmly. "But we were together for a while."

"How recently?" Draco drew Harry close and put his arms around his waist.

"It's been a few weeks since we did anything," Harry felt compelled to be fully honest. "But I asked him out again pretty recently."

"How recently?" Draco asked again, raising a hand and gently brushing Harry's hair back from his forehead.

"Yesterday," Harry said guiltily. "It was an accident. Force of habit. Nothing happened."

"Are you going to ask him out again?" Draco asked, still holding him close.

"No," Harry shook his head decisively.

"All right then," Draco shrugged. He leaned in and kissed Harry tenderly.

They kissed again, and then again and again. Harry didn't care about passing cars or the way they were fully visible in the glare of the street light. He didn't care about anything but the way he felt at that moment. Draco pulled away and smiled gently with sparkling eyes.

"Alright, mate?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Yeah," Harry pulled him in again. "Alright."