Disclaimer: Any recognisable characters, setting and scenarios are owned by the wonderful and amazing J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros and other suchlikes. I am making no money and am doing this for purely entertainment purposes, don't eat me. Also, many jokes in these belong to my humorous friends who will possibly eat me if I don't give them credit

A/N: Hey my beautiful wonderful darling sweetheart readers... If you're still there I'd like to give you all a major apology. Basically, exams, holiday and lack of inspiration to write about Christmas in the middle of summer. I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. But here's the thing if you're a Doctor Who fan, expect a fanfic soon because the first episode is tomorrow! Here's the chapter anyway, beta'd by me as per, so feel free to point out mistakes. There's a hell of a lot of dialogue in here and the prose aren't great, but subtext wise I've gone crazy. Notice non gender specific descriptions coming from Harry. Okay yes, Enjoy and please do review, it saves house elves!

Hermione was sat in the library reading up on shared dreams. She was looking for any and every kind of psychological connection and it seemed that there wasn't any type of magic that could just attach itself to two people. It always had to be cast by one or both of the pair. However the fact was either one of them was spectacularly good at lying, or this didn't happen. Neither one knew the other had been having the same problem. She'd thought long and hard about cornering them both in a room and getting them involved, surely having a clear picture from both sides would help? But after a while she decided if they'd get in a fight over a bathroom perhaps it was better to not bring them into this just yet...

It was nearly lunch time and she needed to eat. She'd had breakfast earlier than usual and her stomach was rumbling louder and louder each time. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a couple sat in the corner doing something suspiciously not reading. Cooly and calmly she waved her wand and a book fell on the boy's head.

"Last warning." She called over, without bothering to turn around and she saw them move away sheepishly from the corner of her eyes. Really, she did love being a prefect sometimes. She'd been offered the position of head girl, however she'd declined to give one of the 7th years a chance, it would've hardly been fair. It's a tradition that the 7th years are head boys and girls and Hermione wouldn't be the one to break the tradition. If she'd been in 7th year and an 8th year had've got the part she would not have been happy.

She wrote a quick note to Blaise asking him where he'd got to with his research. They'd only been working on it for a week, but she could already see who hadn't been doing his homework. Within a minute she had a reply.

"Between Draco and Pansy I've had no sleep or spare time. I have a life you know, Granger."

Well somebody was in a bad mood. She thought to herself.

"Is Malfoy still having the dreams, and can you tell if Harry does?"

"Draco is, yes. Potter's never asleep so I don't know."

Hermione thought for a moment, she knew Harry was getting to be a bit of an insomniac because of these dreams but she didn't know he never slept. She'd have to work a bit faster, Christmas would be no fun if Harry was miserable, and Christmas was tomorrow. She was reminded of it everywhere she went with younger years wearing santa hats and festively dressed trees on every corridor. If only she could figure this out. She'd looked up every single type of bonding spell, even ones cast by one of the pair just in case. She'd been searching for things that could happen accidentally, but nothing fit. Perhaps it wasn't a bonding spell at all, but then what was it?

"We need to talk to them." She wrote on the note. She knew this was probably a bad idea, whatever truce they'd come to seemed to have been broken recently and they'd been fighting like cat and dog since the toilet scene yesterday.

"I'm not ruining my Christmas. We'll talk to them on boxing day."

Hermione smiled when she got that note. She loved it when wizard's used muggle terms without really realising it.

"Get some sleep, and do some research. I thought you'd be more helpful but obviously not." Hermione wrote back.

"Whatever, Granger. Is Potter straight?" Was the note she received in less than a few minutes. She rolled her eyes, what is it with him and... Oh. Maybe this bond was caused by something other than a spell. Probably not though, Harry wasn't someone to talk about his feelings, but he couldn't hide them either. There was no way he and Malfoy could have forged an emotional or physical bond strong enough to make this happen without Harry letting it slip. And she'd looked up hatred bonds extensively enough to know they hadn't managed one of those. If he was implying what she thought he was, he must be mad.

His disinterest in Ginny, one of the most beautiful girls in school, had added to her suspect that Harry may not be all that interested in girls. But you couldn't just jump to conclusions like that, she knew. And even if Harry was interested in guys, surely he wouldn't be stupid enough to like Draco, and not tell anyone.

"Theoretically, yes. But then who really knows with him?"

Draco was planning out many different and strenuously painful ways to kill Blaise Zabini and make it look like an accident. He let the hot water in the shower run over him and soothe his aching muscles from fighting yesterday and his broom ride last night. He hadn't really been expecting a truce between him and Harry to last long, they couldn't ignore each other for seven years why should it be different now?

The door slammed and Draco had to stop himself from growling with frustration. "I know this is a big bathroom but I'm not sharing so fuck off."

It was still quiet a moment after, and Draco felt like a bit of an idiot. Hell, maybe he was hearing things. The door opened again, and then a pregnant pause before it shut again. Draco rolled his eyes, deciding it'd just be Blaise trying to be more annoying than he already was.

"Did you leave the shower on, Zabini? You told me the bathroom was empty."

It took Draco a moment to recognise the voice, long enough for a locking charm to be cast on the door.

Draco muttered under his breath, turned the shower off and threw a towel around his hips. "Blaise I'm going to kill you!" Draco yelled and heard hysterical laughing from outside the door as he got out the cubicle.

He got out and felt the cold instantly, it was like the arctic in comparison to the hot shower he'd been in.

When Harry saw him he stared for a moment, then blushed, then turned away as Draco smirked at him. Okay, so maybe he was kind of cute... Draco mentally slapped himself for that thought.

"I'm sorry, Zabini said the bathroom was empty and..."

"Shut up, it's Blaise I'm killing, not you." Draco said and walked over to the door, trying about four wandless charms to open it, each one failing.

"Open the door!" He called, and this time he was sure he heard Pansy laughing. Why couldn't he just have normal friends?

"Please, Zabini?!" Harry called hopefully.

"If he's not responding to death threat's he's not going to respond to 'Please'." Draco deadpanned and turned to give Harry a cruel look. "Why is it always the bathroom?"

"No id..." Harry trailed off, staring at Draco's chest.

"What?" He asked.

"Y-your scars..." Harry said, his voice a near whisper.

Draco looked down and sure enough there were the three pink scars that he'd gotten so incredibly used to seeing. At first he'd always put a glamour over it, even when his shirts were covering it or he wasn't going out. Recently he'd not really bothered, his friend's had all seen them and he didn't really get changed around people anyway.

Of course Harry looked like a freshly kicked puppy, but Draco wasn't sure if he was entirely ready to forgive him just yet. After all, it was Harry's fault anyway.

"Yes, my scars. You want to stroke them?" Draco asked, though it wasn't a sincere offer. Unable to help himself he rolled his eyes, shoved Harry out the way in order to get to the door.

His fists slammed down hard on the door and it shook in its frame a little.

"Open the door. Now." Draco called, trying to keep himself calm enough to sound commanding.

Slowly, the door clicked and unwound itself like clockwork, then creaked open. He had no idea what charm Blaise had used on the door but it was acting like the vaults at Gringott's. Draco told himself he'd have to get Blaise to teach him that charm.

Harry sat down at the lunch table opposite Hermione and sighed. It'd been a long morning. Blaise had decided to take it upon himself to make Harry's life a misery by trying to get Draco and himself to spend time together. If Draco hadn't threatened to hex his balls of they'd have been locked in the bathroom to kill each other. Honestly, Harry couldn't understand Slytherin's sometimes.

"Where've you been?" He asked accusingly.

When Hermione looked up from deep thought she smiled apologetically and Harry fought hard to be angry at her. She was a little too easy to be friend's with sometimes.

"I'm sorry Harry, I didn't think you'd want to study History of Magic with me." Hermione said with a smile and tapped his hand with her own. Harry couldn't argue with that. There was nothing he could think of that'd he'd be less glad to do, other than perhaps sowing his own finger's together and then eating them. So far nobody had given him that ultimatum.

"I think you ought to make a formal complaint about the living arrangements."

"Me too." Hermione grumbled between mouthfuls, barely looking up from her book. She'd tied her hair up in a bun today and it was falling in her face, a clear sign she'd been busy reading all day.

"You know Blaise tried to lock me and Malfoy in the bathroom?" Harry whined, and when Hermione looked up and raised her eyebrows he continued. "Yeah, apparently he thinks we need to make friends. Stupid, right?"

Hermione chuckled for some reason but when Harry shot her a glare she went serious again. "Preposterous." She agreed in a deadpan.

Harry looked at her funny but carried on eating. Sometimes it was just better to accept that Hermione knew things you didn't. It was like dealing with Dumbledore, you only ever really knew half of what they did. Probably less, as Hermione knew just about everything.

"So, where have you been? Other than the bathroom." Hermione asked.

"Helping Lisa with her potions homework. Well, sitting with her and pretending I knew what she was talking about." Harry shrugged, thanks to his partner he was getting top grades, so of course she'd have asked him. Plus he now knew the answers without asking Hermione...

"Really? Did she ask you to?" Hermione asked with a smug smile on her face which Harry didn't really understand.

"Yes. Why?" Harry asked slowly.

Hermione laughed, which made Harry a little nervous. "Sometimes, you can be incredibly thick, considering you're a hero and everything."

Harry narrowed his eyes, but decided to let it pass. It clicked into place what she meant, and he rolled his eyes, mumbling a "It's not like I'm interested in her anyway."

Glancing down at her book and then back up again, Hermione gave Harry a serious look. "So who are you interested in?"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and considered it for a long time. Not Ginny, not Cho, not anyone he'd previously been interested in. When he thought about it there was nobody, nobody he could take an interest in. Other than Draco and his friends. And he was only interested in Draco because, because well... He just was, but it wasn't an interest interest like Hermione was talking about. Or at least he didn't think so. He knew Draco was sexy but he wasn't gay, which made knowing that just normal. And non interested, he thought.

"Nobody." Harry said with a shrug, but she didn't buy it for a moment.

"Who would you be interested in?" She asked with a sincere look of interest on her face.

"I don't know, someone interesting." When Harry saw the look she gave him, he decided to elaborate a little. He wasn't scared of Hermione, he told himself, he just didn't want to upset her. "Someone different, because the same is boring. Someone I can relate to, just someone who's interesting."

Hermione appeared deep in thought and Harry continued eating, even though he wasn't all that hungry.

"You know Draco?" He said a while later, and Hermione looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

"Draco?"

"Yeah."

"Right, okay. Yes I know Draco." Hermione said, but Harry had no idea what she was trying to get at.

"He has scars, three massive white ones over his chest and stomach, from where I... You know." Harry said awkwardly and hoped Hermione would tell him Draco was a git and deserved them. It was what Ron would say, but he knew he was biased. All three of them were, but Hermione was one of those eternally reasonable people.

"Did you apologise?" She asked neutrally. Damn, Harry thought.

"No. Should I?"

"If you're calling him Draco now, then yes you should." She said simply.

Draco was reading and the dorm was empty. Pansy had told everyone they were staying up until midnight to welcome Christmas, but Draco had told her no. He didn't want to eat her food, which probably had some kind of potion in to make people give up their darkest secrets and then wet themselves. He didn't want to dance around and act like he was enjoying himself, because he wasn't.

It'd hit him this evening that he'd probably never spend Christmas with his family ever again, and certainly not with their souls intact. Sure, his parents weren't exactly a campaign for perfect parenting, but they cared. His mother did, at the very least. He didn't even know what he was reading, and he had been on the first page since he picked it up and hour ago. He could probably have done with some firewhiskey from the little party outside.

The door creaked open and Harry walked in, making a beeline for Draco's bed.

He really could have done without that.

"Fuck off, Potter." Draco spat and turned to lie on his stomach instead.

"No. Can I sit down, Draco?" He heard Harry ask.

"No. And it's most definitely Malfoy." Draco answered with all the menace he could muster.

"I'm sorry, for hurting you. I didn't know what that spell did, else I wouldn't have done it." Harry said softly, sounding too sincere for Draco to ignore. Cursing inwardly, he turned over and sat up.

"I know." He said, and it was true. Snape had told him, he'd told him almost everything. Snape had more than once tried to convince him to join his side, whatever side that was in the end.

"I'm really so sorry, and I wish I could take it back." Harry sat down anyway and smiled weakly.

Times like this reminded Draco of why he hated Harry so much. Harry and his sweet smile, Harry and his heroic qualities. Harry and his strong morals, his charming dorkiness and his ability to be perfect all the fucking time. Draco really really hated it. It wasn't even jealousy anymore, just pure hatred for Harry and his perfection.

"Forgiven, go away." Draco muttered and picked his book up back open to the first page. He tried to read it but he found he couldn't take anything in with Harry sat there watching him.

"How are you, honestly?" Draco heard Harry ask cautiously.

"I don't want to talk about it and if I did I wouldn't talk to you." Draco replied and Harry sighed.

There was a long moment of silence, only broken by the sound of each one breathing and Draco turning the page even though he hadn't read anything yet. He didn't even know what it was about.

"I used to hate Christmas too. Believe it or not I was treated little better than you treated Dobby, even on Christmas. And then when... When people die and it's Christmas and you know that you're never going to see them again, it just makes it seem a little redundant. Because what is the point, really? And you can really depress yourself, I know. I just... You don't have to sit in here alone." Harry said slowly and awkwardly. It did make Draco feel a little better, but of course he'd never admit to that.

"So what do you suggest I do instead?" Draco asked, disinterestedly.

"Help me finish this bottle of Firewhiskey so we can both sleep until Christmas Dinner." Harry offered cautiously while holding up a bottle, and Draco smiled despite himself. That really wasn't a bad idea, and the bottle was nearly full so he probably would sleep. Well he probably wouldn't now he thought of it, not peacefully anyway.

Sighing he nodded in agreement and crossed his legs in order to sit up properly. He'd unbuttoned his shirt to halfway down earlier but other than that he was still dressed, whereas Harry was in some rather tasteless pajamas. They looked like the room around them, red and green Christmas vomit. With smiley face snitches on, to add insult to injury.

"Those pajamas are ridiculous." Draco said conversationally.

"The fact you're still fully dressed at 11pm is ridiculous." Harry replied.

"I like clothes."

"You spend enough on them."

Draco narrowed his eyes and snatched the bottle out of his hands. He took a big swig and felt the burn go down his throat and warm his insides. Then as he put the bottle down he tried to hide the wince and saw Harry smirk out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" Draco asked impatiently.

"Too strong for your delicate palate?" He teased and Draco shot him a serious look. Delicate, in other words weak. Harry was calling him weak and Draco didn't like it one bit. Okay, it was slightly irrational. Draco knew it but he couldn't make himself care.

"I'm not delicate." He said proudly, grabbed the pack of cigarettes on his bed-side table and the bottle of Firewhiskey, and made his way out the door.

He stormed across the common room pretty much unnoticed and so did Harry, who Draco could hear trailing after him. Up the stairs, across the great hall and down the corridor.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked impatiently.

"For a smoke." Draco replied.

"Cigarettes are a muggle invention." Harry said, as if that meant Draco wasn't allowed them.

"Used to care, don't any more."

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's tantrum, he really was like a spoilt child. Draco pushed the doors open and stepped out into the cold, and Harry slipped through them behind him. It was bitterly cold outside, and it looked like it'd probably snow more tomorrow. The night air was rigid and they both sat down on a wooden bench, which they very nearly froze themselves to.

"Bloody hell it's freezing." Harry muttered as he saw Draco pulling out a cigarette with one hand and giving him the bottle with the other. He took the Firewhiskey reluctantly and took a swig, the liquid seeming to heat him up from the inside out. It seemed Draco was ignoring his comment on the weather.

"Want one?" Draco offered and Harry considered it for a moment. Draco seemed to sense his internal debate. "Too rebellious for your heroic personality?" He mimicked Harry scarily well.

Still, rising to a challenge was something Harry did well. He grabbed the cigarette and took it in his hand, mimicking Draco. He suddenly wished he'd have done the whole smoking thing a while ago, so he wouldn't look like a total dunce in front of Draco. Draco muttered a charm and both cigarettes lit up, he turned to look at Harry expectantly. The face he pulled was like the kind used on poster campaigns for "Don't give in to peer pressure".

"I've never..." Harry explained, but when Draco raised his eyebrows he took a drag anyway.

It burned down his through like fire and half choked him to death. He inhaled but got no oxygen and his body didn't like is one bit. He pulled the cigarette out his mouth and felt his chest heave as he he coughed and spluttered. Harry felt like someone had poured acid down his throat, and he was sure if he spoke his voice'd come out croaky.

"Clearly." Draco said and laughed, taking the cigarette off Harry. "No more, you'll hurt yourself."

But Harry wasn't going to let that happen. He wasn't going to accept defeat that easily, no way.

"No! Right give it here." Harry snatched it back, nearly burning himself in the process. He remembered someone saying not to fully inhale if you don't like it, or something like that anyway, when he was forced out with Dudley and his friends one time. And so he took a shallow drag and blew it right back out again into the cold night air where it diffused into nothing.

Draco laughed again at Harry, and Harry looked at him puzzledly. But Draco just blew smoke in his face and laughed harder. Harry decided to let it go, because Draco was much nicer when he was laughing. They sat in silence for a long time, until they'd both finished their cigarettes and passed the bottle between them several times.

"When did you cast an unforgivable?" Draco asked quietly.

"The only time it worked was on Carrow, when he spat at McGonagall." Harry replied simply. He didn't really want to answer, but it was better than arguing. He guessed it made them have a little more in common, and he knew very well he wasn't perfect. "You?"

"When I was forced to, either by my father or in self defence." Draco said simply. "Is it true you didn't know you were a wizard until you were eleven?"

"Yeah. Are you gay?"

"Yeah, are you?"

Harry thought about it, for the first time. He really thought about it, his drunken mind wasn't able to make a decision through the slightly blurry edges.

"I don't know." Is what he settled for eventually, and he was suddenly hyper aware that he was sat rather close to Draco, a fact he hadn't noticed before through the cold and the conversation. It really was freezing and Harry found himself shivering, but Draco seemed contented enough, so Harry didn't really want to say anything to upset him.

"You should decide." Draco said earnestly, staring out into the distance.

The air was still and the night and darkness around them seemed almost oppresive, but not in a bad way. The clock chimed midnight quietly from the other side of Hogwarts, but neither one said a word. Neither one wanted to spoil it.

Then they heard a high pitched meow, and Harry turned round to see Filch's cat running off into the building.

"Shit." Harry and Draco simultaneously swore and got up.

"Fucking squib I'd bet he'd give us a detention on Christmas you know?" Harry heard Draco say behind him as they ran down the corridors to the common room. The warmth inside had hit them like a wall and they were both thawing already and they said the password and sped down the steps to the now empty common room. Obviously everyone had gone to bed just after midnight while they'd been freezing themselves to death outside. They crept in trying to stifle laughs in their drunken state.

"Glad to see you two are having fun but if you wake me up again I swear to Merlin I'll skin you both alive." Blaise said through his teeth as they came charging into their dorm.