Disclaimer: For the fourth time, I do not own the Harry Potter characters, although I would really like to. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoy it. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to review and let me know what you think.

Three days had passed since that kiss with Harry. Three days and Draco had avoided him like the plague, spending a copious amount of time at work and his own flat much to Ron's dismay. Sure he'd seen Ron after he returned from Ireland but only for a few hours and at Draco's own flat. He'd been interrogated, of course, but assured Ron that he had to work on reports for the hospital and that required a quiet atmosphere. He argued that Ron and Harry were notoriously loud while watching muggle sporting events.

He still wasn't sure whether Ron believed him or not but he just couldn't cope with being around Harry. He just knew that he would say, or worse, do something that he would only regret. He was in a relationship with Ron and he had to put as much distance as possible between them. Harry would be out of Ron's flat soon enough and then everything would go back to normal.

Not that he wanted it to. He wanted Harry. He'd never wanted anything more, but just because Harry kissed him didn't mean anything. Draco understood that physical expression just happened sometimes. He'd felt the physical chemistry between them but that did not lead to partnership. It definitely did not mean that Harry would want a relationship.

And there was Ron. He really didn't want to hurt Ron. And he unquestionably didn't want to damage the familial friendship that Harry and Ron shared.

Draco circled his living room for the twenty second time while his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of both of them. Finally, he tired of himself and flopped ungracefully on an overstuffed chair. He was emotionally spent.

Three days was all he got because as he readied for bed that night, the door bell rang. It pierced the calm atmosphere Draco had tried so hard to create in an effort to rid himself of continual thoughts of how fucked up his life had become. He desperately needed a rest but it wasn't forthcoming.

He tromped to the door and swung it open, assuming it to be Ron. Surely, the fates were taking the piss, because he got Harry instead.

Instantaneously, he was bombarded with torrent of emotions ranging from lust to irritation. Internally, he was a chaotic mess but somehow was able to generate a cavalier expression.

Several moments passed and neither said a word. They gazed at each other until Draco couldn't tolerate it anymore. "yes?" Draco quirked an eyebrow.

"You can't stay sore at me forever, you know," Harry stated imperturbably as he leaned casually against the far wall of the hallway, hands in his pockets, and an indescribable expression gracing his face.

"I never said I was mad at you."

"You certainly act like it." Harry responded and Draco could see his lips twitch involuntarily.

"Well, I'm not." And he wasn't. If Draco was angry with anyone, it was himself.

"Can I come in?" Harry sounded hopeful.

"No."

"Are you afraid that I'm going to kiss you again?" Harry moved away from the wall and took several steps toward Draco.

"Of course not." Draco attempted to sound indignant. Harry's smile proved his attempt unsuccessful.

He had been trying to maintain a calm and collected façade, for that's all it was, a façade. But as Harry reached out to tuck a stray bit of hair behind his ear, twisting it in his fingers as he did so, Draco's cool exterior cracked right down the middle and he knew that his face was rapidly turning an embarrassingly bright shade of red. If Harry were to kiss him, he would liquefy into his embrace, he just knew it.

"Sure." Harry said, withdrew his hand, turned, and took off down the hallway. Draco could only stare at his retreating back. He wanted to yell for him to stop. He wanted to sprint down the corridor after him. Predominantly, he wanted Harry to kiss him again.

"I don't believe you, by the way." Harry stated over his shoulder and disappeared down the stairs.

"Draco?" Hermione's voice carried through their shared office the next morning.

"Yeah?" Draco glanced up fleetingly from the thick volume on magical diseases that he was pursing.

"Harry's moving into his new flat today."

"Yeah, I know. Ron called and told me this morning." Draco said distractedly and turned another page. He skimmed two pages before Hermione spoke again.

"Well, Ginny and I were thinking of throwing him a house warming party." This statement grabbed Draco's attention. He lowered his head and looked at her over the wire rims of his reading glasses.

"House warming? That doesn't sound like Harry."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, you're right. How could I have forgotten? I'm not allowed to call it that." she giggled and collected a stack of folders from her desk before continuing, "an informal gathering of close friends at his flat for profligate drinks and stimulating conversation."

Draco grinned at her. "That's sounds more like him...although, usually he doesn't speak so pompously."

"Well…I'm not quoting him exactly." She pouted without any real meaning.

Draco laughed and earmarked his page before shutting his text.

"So, who's invited?"

"Other than you and Ron, Ginny's bringing Dean since they're back together. And we invited Neville, but that's it."

"I just talked to Ginny last week, she was dating some muggle." Draco said, confused.

"Yes," Hermione clicked her tongue before continuing, "but now, its this week. And this week she wants Dean."

"But for how long? A year ago, she wanted Dean and only kept him a few months." Draco laughed. Ginny was a fickle dater. She loved romance and new relationships. She wasn't so good at keeping them going.

"Who knows." Hermione grinned, pushed away from her desk, and practically skipped over to perch on the side of his. "I need to run an errand…so tell Ron about the dinner, if Harry hasn't already. It's this Friday since neither you or I are on call for this place."

"Okay. We'll be there." Draco accepted. He realized as soon as she began the conversation that the efforts he'd made in avoiding Harry and hopes that he could continue to avoid Harry were futile.

"Of course you will be." She said, dropped the files she was carting into the inbox on Draco's desk and floated out of the room. When he heard the door close behind her, he dropped his head to his desk with a loud thump.

Friday night arrived faster than Draco could've imagined. And he was exceedingly nervous at seeing Harry. And the inescapable fact that he would have to reside in the same room as both Ron and Harry made it even more difficult. But at least there would be others around, Draco really didn't think he could survive any form of activity alone with just the three of them. For a week, he'd already done everything humanly possible to avoid such an evening.

He paced Ron's living room and waited edgily for him to get out of the shower. He lit a cigarette, more for something to do than any actual craving, and inhaled deeply while glancing around the living room. He'd never look at Ron's couch the same way again. It now held such a valuable memory. He avoided it, for the most part, like an angst ridden teenager.

Guilt swept through him as he thought the two of them of there, kissing like they'd never have another opportunity. Maybe that was the truth, they wouldn't. The certainly couldn't until Draco's circumstances changed and even then, would Harry keep him? Harry had already openly admitted that he couldn't find anybody he'd fancied for long term. Would Draco be in that lot? Would Harry only want to sleep with him and then chuck him out like yesterday's garbage?

Draco berated himself for his train of thought as he took another drag off his cigarette. It didn't matter what Harry would or would not do.

Draco began to earnestly resent his relationship with Ron the exact second Harry opened the door and smiled welcomingly. "Hey," was all he said, looking only at Draco. And Draco wanted to jump him.

"Is it Ron?" Neville's voice was somehow heard over the varying conversations and soft music playing in the background.

"Yeah," Ron bellowed in excitement and worked his way through the small crowd toward Neville.

Draco surveyed the room. The small gathering of close friends Hermione described did not entail sixteen people.

"Who expanded the guest list?" Draco questioned, still standing in the doorway.

"Ron, actually. He told some people from work." Somebody cackled loudly and Draco glanced over Harry's shoulder, trying to find the culprit. Harry did the same. "Seamus. He wasn't invited, he crashed." Harry stated laughingly.

"Ah." Draco fidgeted uncomfortably and his grip tightened on the wine bottle he was carrying. He looked down at his clinched hands and it dawned on him. "This is for you," he held out said bottle toward Harry.

"Thank you," was all he said as he reached out for the bottle. Instead of accepting it straight away, Harry wrapped his hands around Draco's and Draco felt like he'd touched a livewire. He couldn't prevent the gasp that escaped. Harry blinked and tightened his grip around Draco's hands for a spit second as if letting him know that he'd recognized the chemistry.

The inability to have the sexual tension between them satisfied was going to drive Draco barmy, he just knew it.

He glanced around the crowd nervously, sure that somebody could see the sparks flying between them, sure that there had to be literal sparks.

"I'm glad you came." Harry said and re-adjusted his grip on the bottle, this time relieving Draco of his burden. "You can come in, you know," Harry was forced to continue when Draco made no effort to move away from the middle of the door frame.

"Right." Draco moved into the room, allowing Harry to shut the door.

Draco realized that he'd drank too much and gotten himself tipsy when he actually began to laugh at the jokes of one Dean Thomas. Thomas wasn't witty and never had been.

Draco surveyed the room at noticed that everyone's eyes were practically glazed over. Everyone that was left, at least. Neville and Ginny refused to cease with giggling no matter how many complaints were thrown at them. Dean threw out one, which normally would not be amusing, anecdote after another.

The entire room had drank entirely too much wine and they had the empty bottles, littering the carpet, as evidence.

"I can't find my damn drink." Harry laughed as he trotted around the coffee table searching. He stopped at an inn table and leaned down to stare at a wide-rimmed wine glass, half full.

"I think that's my glass." Ron grinned and finagled his way around the table to snatch it up before Harry could touch it. Harry wasted no time in taking it from Ron.

"You're wrong…I think its mine." Harry took a sip from said glass of wine and then turned to go back to his seat when Ron murmured something Draco couldn't understand.

"Excuse me?" Harry said incredulously, turning around quickly to face Ron.

"That one's mine Harry, find your own." Ron said, suddenly angry. Harry appeared surprised at the outburst, at first. Draco watched as several emotions passed over Harry's face, confusion, understanding, and then agitation. He glowered at Ron. Everyone looked toward them curiously.

"No need to fight boys…there's another bottle." Ginny grinned and waved an unopened bottle in front of her face.

"I can't do that.' Harry responded icily. You have the only one I want," he continued.

"I hate that for you." Ron replied curtly.

"Admit it Ron, this isn't your glass and you know it…you only want it because I noticed it first." Harry appeared to be losing his temper.

"But I claimed it first! You didn't have the balls!" Ron shouted and Draco briefly thought he'd suffer from ringing ears for days. Ron's face was swiftly turning red. Harry didn't look much better.

"So, you think what you're doing is alright? When you knew how I felt…how I still feel?"

Everyone turned from one to the other, watching them argue, like spectators at a tennis match.

Draco wondered what they were really fighting about. Nobody could possibly be this upset over a glass of wine.

"Do you think I'm going to give up?" Ron said more quietly, with less resolve and anger than he'd had before, as if Harry's last words affected him.

"You may not have a choice."

Ron's expression turned textbook consternation and he stepped closer to Harry.

"Enough!" Hermione's voice rang through the flat. Everyone, including Ron and Harry, turned toward her. She looked nervous but quickly schooled her expression into a characteristic smile. "Listen to yourselves. It's just a glass of wine, right?" She laughed but it didn't reach her eyes, which were trained directly on Harry. His eyes widened, almost comically as if he'd just realized she was there. He glanced around at the assembly. Nobody bothered to hide their interest in the spectacle.

"It's so asinine to fight about this," Harry said with a forced laught, finally turning back to Ron.

"Yeah." He lackadaisically grinned at Harry and then to everybody else. "Got a little carried away, didn't we."

Everyone began to laugh uneasily. Ron clapped Harry on the back and they smiled at each other, but it was strained at best. A few minutes of teasing banter between the two diminished the tension as far as everyone else was concerned and the party continued, the drinks flowed even more freely.

"I need to come in." Draco said as he flung open the bathroom door. Harry stood at the sink, washing his hands.

"Be my guest."

"Thank you." Draco said as he crossed the bathroom and stared at the bathtub, trying so hard to remember why he'd wanted to see the bathtub.

"Problems?" Harry questioned as he dried his hands.

"I'm pissed."

"As we all are."

"And I don't know why I came in here…I can't remember now."

"Okay. Well, I don't know either so lets go." Harry motioned toward the door but Draco shook his head.

"I've a better idea," Draco said as he reached for Harry, gathering as much of his shirt as he could and tugged him closer. Somewhere deep in the crevices of his mind, Draco knew it was a bad idea. He knew he wasn't supposed to touch Harry, did he not resolve this already? That he was with Ron, who happened to be in the other room. He had decided to vanquish his adolescent daydreams about Harry but their proximity simply wasn't conducive to his plans. And Harry looked so gorgeous and smelled so good. And Draco was so very drunk.

Harry went to him willingly and allowed Draco to shove him against the side of the sink.

Draco draped himself over Harry provocatively. "Are you going to kiss me again, Harry?" He whispered.

"Is that alright?" Harry asked making no effort to touch Draco, his arms flaccid at his sides.

Draco was on the cusp of answering when the noise level stemming from the living room escalated. He hesitated, feeling sober suddenly. He backed off of Harry and dropped his hand. Harry's shirt crumpled in wrinkles where Draco had gripped it. Draco stared at the floor, trying to figure out what to say to justify his behavior to Harry and to himself.

"I won't kiss you again until you tell me its alright." Harry leaned toward him suddenly and whispered irritably into his ear before leaving the bathroom.

The next day found Draco on Hermione's doorstep. He wasn't even sure how to broach the subject but he had to talk to somebody. Granted, she wasn't going to be impartial because of her ties to both Harry and Ron, but she was his best friend. And that's what he needed.

"What did you need to talk about, Draco," Hermione questioned as she made room for Draco on her living room sofa, pushing aside piles of clean laundry. "Sorry about the mess…I've been doing the wash," she added shyly.

Draco waved a hand casually, "Don't you even worry about it…I should have given you more warning that I was coming over to visit."

"You can come by anytime you want, you know that, without calling."

Draco smiled, dropped down on the sofa, leaned back, and heaved a great sigh.

"So…what's up,? Hermione prodded when it appeared that Draco was avoiding her earlier question.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you if you had ever thought that…" Draco tried. The words just weren't forthcoming.

"Spit it out Draco," Hermione demanded with a slight smile.

"There's something I'm missing." Draco shook his head as he tried to figure out how to word the rest of his thoughts. "It isn't Harry or Ron to fight like they did last night."

"I'm not sure I'm following," Hermione frowned and adjusted her position on the sofa, bringing her legs to rest under her.

"and after this thing with Harry, I just can't…" Draco continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"What thing with Harry?" Hermione inquired, eyes narrowing to miniature slits.

"I kissed him…or rather, he kissed me." Draco rambled, "we kissed each other, fuck!"

"My god," she groaned audibly and then continued, "I explicitly told them that I was staying out of this. To not tell me anything and now here you are, spilling soiled laundry all over the place and I don't know what to do."

"Hermione. What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Its you, Draco. They're fighting over you. They always have."

Figuratively, Draco's mouth hit the floor as he gaped at her. "You're off your rocker."