Harry tried to get his hair to cooperate, he spent a good while in the bathroom trying to sleek his hair back but now his hair, with too much hair mouse, stood in all directions as if he'd just gone across the country on Hagrid's bike.

He sighed and pointed at his hair with his wand, muttering the spell to clean his hair, when suddenly his hair was long enough to trail across the floor.

-o-O-o-

Snape closed his eyes, ignoring the screech from the bathroom, no doubt the other very busy getting himself all gussied up for his date. He heard the door open and hurried short steps and the sound of something dragging on the floor. With the keen sense that came with being a teacher in a boarding school, he knew something was up. Though not known for it, his curiosity got the better of him and he rose to go to the common room of their room, Potter looking through the drawers, with a long mess of wavy hair.

"The devil did you do, Potter?" Snape scoffed. Harry jumped and turned to him horrified. Feeling particularly spiteful he smirked at the boy. "Want me to braid it for your date?" He was pleased the moment the other's face turned dark red, with anger or embarrassment, he didn't know.

"Just fix it!" Harry exclaimed.

Snape went to sit down on the couch as the other ran around looking for a pair of scissors. Snape grabbed the other as he was passing and pulled him down to sit on the rug, in front of him. With a quick accio the scissors were in his hand and Harry sat quietly watching the orange glow of the fireplace.

"We need to get your powers under control… they're getting stronger." Snape said.

"I don't know why I'm losing control in the first place, this time I even used my wand." Harry said as the snips of the scissors were heard. He felt the other's fingers passing through his hair and shuddered faintly, blushing as he felt the other's hands grace his neck at times. If the other noticed he gave no indication of it. Harry felt the weight on his head start loosening as the other fixed his hair.

"You must be eager to want to impress Mr. Krum." Snape said casually. Harry didn't answer him. It wasn't Krum he wanted to look good for. "There… your hair is such a mess either way." Snape scoffed passing his fingers through the other's hair trying to arrange it into a manageable way to no avail. Harry felt like he was in heaven. He knew it was weird, but having the other gently passing his fingers through his hair was almost lulling him to sleep.

The knock at the door startled him.

"Looks like your date's here." Snape said, and pulled his hand back, having been unaware of the effect he was having on the young man.

"I don't have to go, you know." Harry said. Snape scoffed.

"We all have to go. I am headmaster after all." He said getting up to go to his room. Harry watched him go and went to open the door. Krum smiled at him.

"Ready?" he asked offering him his arm. Harry felt a little strange being treated like a girl, but not knowing how to go about dating another guy, he just went with it.

"Yes." He reached for his arm and they walked together towards the ballroom. Nerves settled into his stomach as he saw everyone together. But at least neither one of them were champions, so they didn't have to start with the first dance.

Krum guided him to the drinks table offering him some mulled wine. It was really good, though he noticed that it had an age barrier, the younger students that snuck a cup, when taking a sip, the cup would empty slightly before it touches their lips. The more they tip their head backwards the quicker it vanishes until there's nothing left.

Harry chuckled remembering when he was that age, though he wondered if he ever had that innocent expression the children had. Children… that's all he had been at the time. He'd been forced to grow up so fast.

He felt eyes on him, and without needed to look for him, he made eye contact with Snape, who was talking to the two headmistresses whilst glancing at him. He broke eye contact when Krum pulled him closer to the centre, to look at the champions and the first dance. Harry noticed that Ginny had brought a friend from her year to compensate for being unable to be with Neville.

As usual she was perfect and Harry remembered just how dreadful he was. "Um… Viktor? Perhaps dancing is a bad idea." He tried but Viktor laughed.

"None sense Harry. Don't vorry, just let me lead." He said petting his cheek. Harry felt a fire inside his chest and looked to see Snape, not looking at him, but something told him the other had been doing so just seconds before.

"Alright then." Harry said still uncertain.

Too soon the song ended and Harry felt himself getting pulled towards the dancefloor. There was a burning on his chest once more, as Krum placed his hand on Harry's waist and grabbed his hand, pulling him close, Harry unable to stop blushing at their proximity. In one step Krum was leading him and to Harry's surprise, he found that following the other was easier than he'd expected. Despite everything, he found himself having fun.

-o-O-o-

Harry saw Ginny coming up to him the moment Krum went to get a couple of more drinks. Her determined eyes and disapproving expression just told Harry about the subject ahead of him.

"Harry… do you know how… it looks for you to be so close to Krum with your soulmate right here?" She whispered.

"Oh god Ginny, we're just friends, and Snape and I are nothing more than a student and teacher. There will never be anything there." Harry reasoned. Ginny wasn't about to let it go.

"Stop this now, this is embarrassing. You and Krum can never be happy together."

"We're just friends!" harry exclaimed.

"That is certainly not what he's after." Ginny warned him. Harry knew that but there was nothing wrong with coming with Krum anyway, it wasn't like Snape was going to spend time with him. Looking up for him he noticed that the other wasn't even here anymore.

"Here you are Harry." Krum said smiling gently, passing him another cup of mulled wine. Harry smiled in gratitude, taking the cup. The other was so sweet and kind that he found it almost cruel that he wasn't paired with him.

"Thanks…" He said taking a sip.

"Why don't we take a walk?" Krum suggested as he noticed Ginny's disapproving expression and Harry nodded, going off with him, taking little sips of the warm wine, a buzz already going through his system.

They walked silently along the cool corridors that overlooked the snowy paradise beyond and stopped by a couple of arches that would take them to the snowy garden. Harry looked up, admiring the swirling puffs of snow spiralling through the skies. Before he knew it he felt Krum's warm body radiating heat onto his own and he looked up to see him very close. The professional seeker cupped his right cheek with his hand and slowly leaned in.

He was going to kiss him. This was it. This was his first kiss with a man. He felt his eyes close and his heart race wildly, feeling excitement flow through him in a way that even Ginny had never accomplished. The other's lips were close enough for him to feel the other's warm breath on his lips now. The image of Snape passed through his mind and Harry flinched, turning his face away, Krum landing his kiss on his cheek inside.

"I'm sorry…" Harry whispered as the other pulled back surprised. Krum made Harry turn back to look up at him.

"He doesn't love you Harry… I can make you happy." He whispered. Harry blushed, thinking of Snape's snarkiness and sarcasm. Thinking of the way the other passed his fingers through Harry's hair, the way the other made him feel just by being near him. It wasn't lust, it wasn't even love yet. It was safety. When he was with Snape he was at peace, he didn't have to be worrying about his own safety because he knew, he knew there was the potions master that carried the burden with him.

"Thank you for asking me to the ball Viktor… I have to go." He said and pulled away. The other didn't stop him and Harry went back to his rooms. He found the potion's master sipping tea as he read a book. Maybe it was the buzz, or maybe he unhinged more than a couple of screws with the earlier loss of magical control, as he walked up to the headmaster, putting a hand on each arm rest, leaning down towards the other and kissed him.

The only thought that fit into his head at that moment was that the other's lips were softer than he'd imagined they would be. Then he felt the other grab a fist full of the back of his robes and tugged him back.

"Potter! What do you think you're doing!" The other exclaimed. Harry gripped onto the other's arms shaking the other slightly.

"Look me in the eyes… read my mind… All I could think about was you…" He blurted out and Snape scoffed as the other's face turned dark red.

"You're drunk." The other pointed out.

"I am not!" Harry exclaimed. "I have a buzz at most." He said gently.

"Look at me." Harry felt a shudder go down his spine hearing the other talk to him in that husky tone and hesitated but looked up. He didn't feel a strong invasion, but he did think about all the times he'd had Snape in his mind. That was most of the night really. Then before the almost kiss.

"You wanted it." Snape pointed out.

"With you…" Harry whispered. Snape didn't answer and Harry nervously looked down. "I wanted to dance with you too…" Even then Harry could hear the loud classical music still drifting through the castle.

"Well then… who am I do deny the golden boy a dance on the yuletide?" The other said. Harry wondered if he'd passed out in the snow and he was hallucinating the other's firm hand on his waist, or the proximity to the other, or when they started to move together, swaying gently to the beat. In the small common room they moved. And this small common room was all Harry needed, as he blushed darkly, unable to look up into the other's eyes again and they danced. The one time he braved a glance, he saw Snape's stoic face, though his eyes had softened enough for Harry to become a blushing mess and decide not to look up again, until the dance ended.

"Merry Christmas, sir…" he mumbled. The other let out a dry laugh but said nothing to ruin the moment.