Chapter 20

The week before prom the school was in full frenzy. Students getting last minutes dates, teachers keeping the children in line and laying down dress codes and parents putting in a budget for dresses and limos.

But no one had it worse than Draco. As head of the prom committee he was in charge of making sure everything went off without a hitch.

He sat on the floor of the guest bedroom with Hermione going over the plans for the prom, Harry and Ron standing over then with concerned expressions.

"Do you think they were invaded by pod people," asked Ron. Harry gave him a stunned look.

"They've been working together for weeks down," said Harry. "I don't think we should worry."

"I'm not worried about Hermione. She's scary when she's angry, but I've seen how Malfoy is when things don't go his way, and that scares me more."

Harry chuckled at his friend's comment and turned back to his boyfriend. Draco, whether in concentration or angry, was cute.

"No, no!"

Harry turned to see Draco looking at the streamers for the color scheme. He was holding up the blue and silver streamers.

"What's wrong, Draco," he asked.

"I told them we needed violet and silver. Violet! They gave me midnight blue!"

"What's the difference, Malfoy," asked Ron. "It's blue."

"Midnight blue when I asked for violet! I wanted to make it special. Different!"

"We can still work with it, Draco," said Hermione trying to calm the boy down.

"I suppose so," he said reluctantly.

"If anyone can, it's you," said Harry with a smirk.

"Of course I can," said Draco in an offended voice. "I am the best at everything."

Harry softly chuckled and helped his boyfriend and friends with the streamers.

XXXXXXXX

"So are you going to ask him?"

Draco turned curiously at Blaise. "Ask him what?"

"To prom. It's in a few days. Can't put it off."

"I'm going to prom with Harry. There's no need to ask him."

"Yeah, you do. Whoever asks wears the pants."

Draco looked at him confused. "What?"

"Don't you know? The man always asks the girl out. If you don't hurry. You'll be the girl."

"I am most certainly not the girl," growled Draco.

XXXXXXX

"You going to ask him," asked Ginny. Harry gave her a curious look. "Draco."

"To prom? I thought that'd be fairly obvious."

"But it's traditional to ask."

"Why do I need to ask my boyfriend to prom?"

"Pants, Harry. Pants."

"What do pants have to do with asking Draco to prom?"

Ginny groaned and laid her head down on the table.

"Is it really that important?" he asked.

"He's expecting it so I would say yes."

Harry thought for a moment. "Think I should?"

"Harry, I swear to God, if you don't ask that boy to prom I will."

Harry laughed. "Wonder what Blaise'll be saying about that."

"He won't say anything unless he wants a testicular retrieval. He knows by now he don't own me."

Harry laughed. "Forget Riddle. You're the scariest thing on the planet.

Ginny smiled as if given a compliment.

XXXXXXXX

Harry walked up to Draco as the other boy closed his locker. It was the end of the day and they had just finished Chemistry with Snape. Harry was held after again to be reprimanded for lazing in class and Harry pretended to listen.

Draco put the last of his books in the pack hanging by his hip before looking up at Harry.

"Hey, Harry," he said. "What did Snape say?"

"Same old, same old," said Harry.

They headed out toward the car, Harry fidgeting the whole way.

"Harry, really, I haven't seen you fidget since we first kissed," said Draco.

"Draco, I need to ask you something."

"Good, because I do as well."

"You first," said Harry with a smirk. Draco shook his head.

"No, you said it first so you're first."

They both paused for a moment to gather their courage.

"Will you go to prom with me?" they both said, and then stopped.

"Ah hell," said Harry.

"Excuse me?" said Draco. "I was going to ask you."

"I was going to ask you," said Harry with a chuckle.

Draco sighed. "Blaise said that I should ask if I didn't want to be the girl in the relationship."

Harry chuckled. "Trust me, you are not a girl." He sighs. "I just wanted to take you on a proper date. Not those private dinner and movies we had last week at Remus's."

"I quite liked it," said Draco. "The A-Team was very funny and exciting."

"You know what I mean, Draco," said Harry. Draco smiled at him and nodded.

"I do, and I would love to go to prom with you." Harry smiled at him gratefully. Draco leaned up and lightly pecked him on the lips. "That's for asking." Then he punched Harry hard in the arm. "And that's for waiting till the day before to ask."

Harry rubbed his bruised arm. "Knew I shouldn't have taught you boxing."

Draco smiled at him. "I'll kiss it better later." And he walked off. Harry stared at his retreating back hopefully.

"Promise?" he asked following his boyfriend and Draco never answered.

XXXXXXXXX

The next day Harry struggled with his tie, his fingers fumbling with the cloth. He was being silly. He tied a tie every day for the past seven years. Why was he stumbling with one now?

"You look like your father on his first date with your mum."

Harry jumped and turned to see Sirius looking at him from the doorway.

"Sirius," he breathed in relief. "Don't do that."

Sirius chuckled. "Sorry, couldn't help it."

"Well, can you help me with this tie? I can't seem to get it right."

Sirius chuckled again, walked over to his godson and tied the tight properly. When he was finished Harry picked up his jacket and put it on. From the corner of his eye he saw a flash and turned to see Sirius holding up a camera.

"This is so going in the album," he said with a grin. Harry groaned.

"Siri…."

"Better go if you want to get Draco and get to the dance on time," said Sirius quickly. "And tell Tonks I want doubles of everything!"

Harry laughed as Sirius followed him out the door, bouncing on the balls of his feet the whole way, and watched Harry leave in his car. It didn't take Harry long to get to Tonks who immediately began listing the rules as they waited for Draco to finish.

"Home at eleven, eleven thirty at the latest," she said with Romulus next to her and Remus keeping a safe distance at the couch. "No spiking the punch or any such nonsense."

"Yes, ma'am," said Harry trying not to laugh.

"Do you have a condom?"

"Tonks!"

"Dora!"

"What?" asked Tonks looking between Harry and her husband. "It's a perfectly legitimate question."

"One that is preferred off the record, thank you, Tonks," said Draco and Harry looked up at him.

And froze. He wore a white three piece suit with a green tie, opposite of Harry's black suit and red tie. His hair was moose to a soft fluff and he was even wearing eyeliner, which was sexy as hell.

Apparently he had been staring at Draco for a while because the next thing he knew Tonks was snapping her fingers in his face.

"I think you killed him, Draco," she said.

"That had been the desired effect," said Draco walking in front of Harry and smiling. "Ready?"

"Yeah," said Harry smiling back.

"Wait," said Tonks grabbing a camera. "Smile like you love each other."

All three men laughed as Harry put his arm around Draco and Tonks snapped a few shots before finally letting them go.

When they reached the gym Harry as amazed at the effort Draco had put into the dance. Streamers hung on the ceiling. Midnight blue and silver balloons hung at corners and doorways. Lights were hung up to make it look like the night sky.

Harry gaped at the sight of it.

"You like it?" asked Draco sheepishly. Harry smiled at him.

"I love it," he said.

"Harry! Draco!" They turned to see Ginny dragging Blaise behind her. Hermione was not far behind with a very peeved Ron. "You both owe me a dance."

"They owe me one too," said Hermione.

"Don't look at me," said Ron and Blaise.

"I promised I'd dance with Draco first, so you all will have to wait," said Harry.

"But first, pictures!" said Ginny pointing to the photographer.

They spent several minutes joking in front of the camera before getting a formal picture and went out to the dance floor. True to their word Harry and Draco danced several times with Ginny and Hermione, but mostly danced with each other.

Harry was dancing with Luna when he felt something amiss. He turned to look at his friends standing by the punch bowl talking. Excusing himself from Luna he walked to his friends.

"Where's Draco?" he asked.

"In the bathroom," said Blaise and Harry took off. "Harry!"

Harry run out of the gym and down the hall toward the bathroom. He could not tell why but he knew something was wrong.

Walking into the bathroom he found it completely deserted. One of the sinks looked like it had been used recently but there was no sign of Draco. Harry stood there for several moments in thought.

"Maybe I missed him," he said. "Maybe he's out taking a walk."

Harry took out his phone and prepared to dial Draco's phone when something caught his eye. He bent down and picked the object up and stared at it in shock.

It was Draco's bracelet that Harry gave him for Christmas. Draco had never taken it off since he got it. Maybe he had dropped it?

Harry quickly dialed, hoping that Draco would answer.

"This is Draco's phone. I can't answer right now because I'm out living my life, so please leave a message at the beep."

TBC