Day 2
Harry woke slowly as the morning sun tickled his nose. He stretched luxuriously. He hadn´t slept so well ever. For a brief moment he wondered what had made the difference. He smiled when he remembered. He loved, and he was loved back. It made all the difference in the world.
Harry got up quickly. The other boys in the dormitory were still asleep, so Harry made good use of having the bathroom for himself for once. He took a long shower using cherry blossom shower gel (he remembered how good Draco smelled and he wanted to smell as good for the blond) and spent nearly a quarter hour trying to tame his hair.
After using his best ironing charms – he had to remember to look up better ones in the library – on his school uniform, Harry got dressed. By the time he had finished lacing his (freshly polished) shoes, Ron woke.
"Harry?" the redhead asked. "How do you feel today?"
Harry scowled at his best friend. "Fine, as long as you don´t insult Draco."
"Listen, Harry," said Ron, "I´m sorry. I shouldn´t have said that. Professor McGonagall explained to me how important this is for you and how you can´t help your feelings. I´m your best friend and I really should have supported you from the very beginning. I was a git, but I will stand by your side from now on if you let me."
Harry grinned. It was good to know Ron was supportive. "I wouldn´t even want to think about doing this without you."
Ron smiled. "So, we´re best friends again? You forgive me?"
"You will help me?" Harry asked in return. "You know so much more about wizarding traditions than I do. I want to do this right."
"Of course I´ll help you," promised Ron. "As long as you don´t expect me to share your enthusiasm for Malfoy."
Harry slapped Ron playfully. "I wouldn´t want that. Go and find your own sweety."
The other boy made a face. "He´s all yours, Harry. Now, let me get ready and we can go downstairs for breakfast."
"Hurry, I don´t want to make Draco wait."
"But it´s expected of you! How can he show that he´s serious, when you serve him everything on a platter? Courting a person is also a bit about suffering for them. Let him wait for a little while. The sweeter he´ll find seeing you when you make your appearance."
Harry nodded in understanding, nevertheless he paced the room impatiently while he waited for Ron to shower and dress.
-x-
Draco was already at his seat at the Slytherin table when Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the Great Hall. His friends, Crabbe and Goyle, were talking to him, but the blond didn´t listen. He was looking at the doors of the hall expectantly and when Harry entered a bright smile lit up the blond´s face.
The Slytherin raised his wand and pointed it at Harry.
Ron and Hermione looked ready to jump in front of their friend, but Harry stopped them with gentle touches to their arms. Draco wasn´t going to curse him, Harry knew that. He returned the other boy´s smile equally brightly and waited for Draco´s spell.
The blond winked at him conspiratorially before he muttered his spell. Soft pink rose petals rained down from the enchanted ceiling and formed a path to Harry´s favourite seat. Harry´s heart missed a beat when he followed the trace of roses and found a delicate silver vase with a single red rose beside his plate.
He blew Draco a kiss, his cheeks hot with embarrassment. Draco caught the kiss and pressed it to his heart, blushing, too. Around Harry girls oohed and aahed. The Gryffindor hero couldn´t begrudge them their jealousy. Who´d have thought that Draco was such a romantic? And to be the target of the blond´s romantic advances was pure bliss.
Harry bent forward to smell at the rose before he reached for scrambled eggs and ham, his favourite breakfast.
When he looked up he realized Ron was staring at him.
"What?" he asked nervously. "Do I have parsley stuck between my teeth, or what?" He just hoped it was something else after all the effort he had put into brushing his teeth this morning.
Ron was about to say something, but Hermione was faster. "That was very kind of Malfoy, to give you a rose." Ron´s expression clearly stated that he had other adjectives than kind in mind, but Harry decided to leave him be. Anger wouldn´t make his face prettier and he wanted to look good. He knew he´d never be anything but the ugly duckling next to Draco, but that didn´t mean he couldn´t try to look nice for his beloved.
"Yes, it was, wasn´t it?" Harry beamed at Hermione instead. "He really is a sweety."
Draco waited for them when they left the Great Hall. "Mmh, is this cherry blossom," Draco leaned in to smell Harry´s hair. "Delicious, love."
Harry blushed. "You smell good, too, Draco." Lavender and honey. So sweet.
"Harry, I don´t think it´s appropriate to sniff each other in the Entrance Hall," Hermione said softly.
"Yes. Thanks, Granger," the Slytherin retreated a step, but kept looking at Harry longingly.
"Thank you for the rose, Draco," Harry said awkwardly. "That was a wonderful gesture." He rose the hand carrying his rose.
"I was hoping you´d like it."
"I like it a lot. It´s beautiful."
"It´s ugly next to you." Draco took Harry´s hand in his and pressed a kiss to his fingers before the Gryffindor could object. "I´ll see you at lunch."
-x-
Never before had Harry been so glad that his next lesson was History of Magic. While Professor Binns droned on and on about centaurs in ancient Greece, Harry drew tiny hearts all over his notes. From hearts he moved on to writing his love´s name in delicately decorated capital letters all over his notes from last lesson. The only setback was that History of Magic wasn´t a joint Gryffindor and Slytherin class.
The afternoon, Harry told himself, was going to be better. He was going to see Draco in Care of Magical Creatures. But before that, there was lunch.
The second class before lunch was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall kept looking at Harry with a mixture of pity and anger. After a lecture on how to turn an inanimate object into an animal (or rather a good enough copy; the transfigured animals weren´t really alive, but when the spells were used correctly, they moved) the professor showed them a nut and pointed her wand at it. A white ferret popped into existance where the nut had been and started to weasel around the professors desk.
The assembled Gryffindors burst out laughing.
Harry had to fight back tears. "Stop it!" he screamed at his Head of House. "I can understand their petty jealousy for they are nothing compared to his beauty and cleverness, but you are a teacher! Shame on you, Minerva McGonagall!"
The professor tightened her lips and retransformed the ferret into a nut.
", an ermine is a very noble and magical creature. Your classmates were merely laughing about the animal´s hectic movements. You, on the other hand, seem to have shameful associations."
Harry gasped. First the professor made fun of Draco and than she blamed him, of all people!
"I´m not going to listen to this one minute longer!" Harry threw his textbook into his bag and stomped out of the room, ignoring the professor´s call to return to his seat.
He wandered through the castle for half an hour, unsure of where to go. It would be nice to wait for Draco in front of the charms classroom, but somehow Harry knew that it wouldn´t be appropriate in a courtship.
At last he decided to wait in the Entrance Hall. If he was lucky, Draco would come downstairs early and maybe they could nick a private moment without being seen. Harry hid behind the statue of Godric Gryffindor and waited.
Draco came hurrying down the marble staircase first. His robes were billowing behind him when he all but ran downstairs.
"Psssst!" Harry hissed softly.
The blond stopped and looked around.
"I´m here!" Harry put his arm around Gryffindor´s waist and waved.
"Love?" Draco hurried to the statue and slid into the small space behind it. "You must have read my mind!" he whispered urgently and before Harry knew soft lips touched his.
It was pure bliss. Draco´s kiss was nothing like Cho´s. It was soft and firm at the same time and the other boy tasted of chocolate.
Harry moaned and slid his arms around the blond. "Mmh, is this chocolate? I never saw you eat chocolate for breakfast." He burried his face in Draco´s robes and inhaled that sweet smell of lavender and honey.
Draco chuckled. "I can´t eat bacon and onions when I plan to steal a kiss from you later, can I?" He kissed Harry´s hair.
"I´m sorry," Harry felt close to tears. "I had bacon for breakfast. I´m an idiot."
The Slytherin stroked Harry´s back and tsked. "You taste sweet to me, love. Sweeter than anything I tasted before."
Harry smiled shyly and raised his lips for another kiss, but they were interrupted by a cold voice.
"Draco Iapetus Malfoy! Stop that behaviour immediately and come here!"
Harry jumped back from Draco as if burned. The blond slid a calming hand down his arm and gently pulled him out of their hiding place.
In front of the statue stood Lucius Malfoy, practically radiating anger.
"I got a letter from the headmaster that there has been a potions accident. I rush here fearing the worst for my heir and what I find is him snogging the Potter boy in a dark hiding place! Explain yourself, Draco!"
"We´re courting," said Draco, stepping in front of Harry protectively. "We were just sharing a private moment."
"Courting?" shrieked the taller blond, his voice an octave higher than before. "Have you lost your mind? How can the headmaster allow this to happen?"
"He suggested it himself," Harry piped defiantly.
"He suggested?" ´s voice went up another octave.
"Lucius!" Professor Snape joined their small group. "I suggest we take this conversation to a less public place. My office, perhaps." He indicated the corridor leading down to the dungeons and a hint of a smile appeared on his stern face, but only for a moment.
"Yes, less public sounds good," panted Lucius Malfoy and followed the potions master.
Draco and Harry followed the two men. The blond squeezed Harry´s hand reassuringly.
-x-
Professor Snape prepared tea while they waited for the hastily called headmaster. Again, Draco and Harry had been forbidden to sit side by side. Instead Draco´s father occupied the middle chair of three.
The wizard´s face gave away the inner turmoil he was in. A muscle in his cheek twitched from time to time and his eyes never stayed quiet, they darted around the room nervously.
There was a knock at the door and the headmaster entered without waiting to be asked inside.
"Lucius, I take it you got my letter," he greeted the blond wizard.
"I was notified a potions accident had occured and when I come here I catch my son and heir trying to suck Potter´s tongue out of his face and hear that you suggested they court."
Harry shuddered. Tongue? Somehow the suggestion of Draco sucking his tongue sounded interesting, not in the least disgusting.
"It was the most sensible way to deal with the situation at hand, Lucius," the headmaster pointed out jovially.
"Situation? What situation?" Mr. Malfoy glared at the headmaster.
"There was a potions accident," said the potions master. He handed out cups of tea. "Draco and were supposed to brew Amicitia. Only they mixed up some ingredients and added powdered moonstone."
Harry wondered whether this account would make any wiser. By the speed the blond man paled it seemed that yes.
"Amortentia? Tell me that my son didn´t brew Amortentia and you didn´t realise it!"
"Of course I realised it, only that was after their cauldron exploded and splattered them both," professor Snape spat back. "The good news is that they also added scarab eyes. Their infatuation won´t be permanent."
"Permanent?" echoed in that high-pitched voice he had used in the Entrance Hall.
"The results of the explosion were rather spectacular. We needed four students to pull them apart."
"Things got better when I suggested a courtship," the headmaster took over.
"How long?" asked , who seemed to have regained his composure.
"We aren´t sure. A week. Perhaps two. I assure you, Lucius, we did everything possible to protect Draco and Harry from themselves. Misters Crabbe, Goyle and Weasley and Miss Granger promised to keep an eye on them and prevent them from doing anything ... foolish."
"It seems you have taken the appropriate measures. The courtship was a reasonable thing to do. Draco, I expect you to go through this with the decorum I tought you. Remember that when I courted your mother I didn´t as much as touch her before our engagement was made public. And then I only kissed her fingertips until the wedding. This is how things are handled among upper class people. No more snogging in dark corners!" With the last words he glared at Harry.
"Yes, father," said Draco solemnly.
Harry´s heart missed a beat. Yes? Draco was no longer going to kiss him? But then he caught the blond´s eye behind the older Malfoy´s back and he knew that Draco had only said this to calm his father.
"I´m somewhat relieved to learn that this is the result of an accident. I don´t think I could have faced your mother if you had become engaged with this scrawny halfblood crab out of your free will," sneered Mr. Malfoy.
"Father, you will not insult my intended!" hissed Draco.
"I will insult whomever I wish to. As long as you eat the food of my table you will not talk back to me."
Harry wondered whether it would be helpful to point out that, technically, Draco was eating from the Slytherin table at the Great Hall most of the time.
"Father, I followed your suggestions willingly, but you have no say in who I give my heart. I ask you to accept my choice and support me. Harry will be your son in the not so distant future. You´d better get along with him well."
Lucius Malfoy was on his feet instantly. "My son? What next? The mother of my grandchildren?"
Harry had to suppress a whimper when the man stormed out of the office.
In the door, Lucius Malfoy turned. "You have an eye on them! And mercy on you if this makes its way into the papers, Dumbledore!" He pointed his snake-headed walking stick at the headmaster threateningly.
-x-
The headmaster himself escorted Harry to the Gryffindor table to get a bite for lunch before it was over, while professor Snape went with Draco. Dumbledore asked Ron and Hermione to keep a closer eye on Harry and by the way Snape spoke to Crabbe and Goyle urgently a similar conversation was going on at the Slytherin table.
After a quick lunch Harry went down to Hagrid´s hut, closely watched by Ron and Hermione, for Care of Magical Creatures. He had been looking forward to this class all day. It was a combined Gryffindor and Slytherin one and Draco was going to be there.
Unfortunately the blond was equally closely guarded by Crabbe and Goyle, but neither of their friends could prevent them from looking into each other´s eyes all lesson long. Harry thought he might drown in the grey of Draco´s eyes.
Hagrid informed them that they were going to study Cleasles, creatures which looked like overgrown rats on first sight.
"Cleasles are very useful," said the half-giant. "They will protect their master at all cost. They look harmless and aren´t very big, but don´t be mistaken. They´re fierce fighters and their teeth are very sharp. They are also great at finding magical items. Some people will tell you though that the best about them are their entertaining qualities. Great tap dancers, cleasles."
The students giggled.
"Our cleasles here are young, they won´t be able to hurt anybody yet and they aren´t bound to a master at this age. Never touch an adult cleasle without the express permission of its master," added Hagrid. "Well, what are you waiting for? Team up in pairs and catch a cleasle. The best way is to engage them in a tap dance and then grab them. When you have one, get some food from over there," he pointed at a huge box of grapes, "and feed them. As a homework I want an essay on this species and a decent drawing of a cleasle with special emphasize on its weapons. Teeth, claws and tail."
Harry and Draco were both up as if chased by the devil. They fled their friends and met a small distance from the class amidst a group of cleasles.
"Which one?" whispered Draco and Harry looked at the small creatures.
"This one!" Harry pointed at a slim cleasle with light brown fur. The tips of its ears were reddish and the tail was a bit bushier than the other cleasles.
"Grab him when he joins me," ordered Draco and started to tap dance.
Harry couldn´t but stare. The blond boy moved so elegantly! Again, he had to wonder why Draco had cast an eye on him, Harry Flat-foot Potter. Ah yes, the potions accident. That, Harry realised, had been the most lucky moment in his life.
"Harry," panted Draco, "please believe me when I say I love you looking at me, but this is quite exhausting. Can you please catch that beast?"
Harry looked down at the cleasle, which was following Draco´s lead enthusiastically and tap dancing for all it was worth. Quickly he stooped and grabbed the animal. It´s fur was perfectly soft. Harry stroked it, while Draco rushed to the grape box to get some food for the small creature.
The cleasle started to purr after some gentle strokes.
Draco settled down by Harry´s side, close enough for their thighs to touch. He picked a grape and held it out to their cleasle. It was accepted with a twittering sound.
They watched the cleasle eat for a little while. Then Draco picked another berry, but instead of giving it to their model organism, he held it out for Harry. The Gryffindor had to lean a bit closer to take it. Draco made a sniffing sound and purred contently. "Did I mention that you smell good?"
Harry smiled at the other boy, chewing his grape happily.
"I want to lick that juice from your chin," whispered Draco.
Harry looked whether they were watched. All their classmates were occupied with their own assignments. Boldly Harry took a grape and held it out for Draco between his teeth. The blond licked his lips and moved closer to get his price.
"Oh no!" Hagrid grabbed the two boys by their necks. Both squealed and their cleasle fled in panic. "Back to your houses! Both of you! Hermione you are in charge. When the time´s up just release the cleasles onto the lawn. I´ll take care of them later."
The half-giant pulled the two boys back to the castle by their necks. Harry tried desperately to at least catch a glimpse of Draco, but Hagrid was too big. To make matters worse, professor Snape was waiting for them at the entrance.
"I´ll take Malfoy from here, Hagrid."
Harry was forced upstairs. Professor McGonagall waited for him by the portrait of the fat lady.
"Eluise," she said with an angry glance at her student, " isn´t allowed to leave the tower before tomorrow morning. Potter, you will have dinner at the Common Room and I want your word that you will behave in the future. Don´t make me restrict you to Gryffindor Tower until the potion has worn off."
Day 3
Harry woke early the next day. How could he sleep after his Head of House´s threat to lock him away? His heart ached at the thought of not being able to see Draco at least from afar. No, he was not going to risk losing the blond. He was going to behave like a true pureblood wizard being courted. Then nobody could object to his and Draco´s relationship and they couldn´t lock him away.
He decided to ask Hermione or – in case there was something the girl didn´t know – look things up in the library. It was time that he invested some time in this courtship. He owed that to Draco.
After an rather long stay at the bathroom – Harry couldn´t decide whether to use that cherry blossom shower gel again or rather go for a new fragrance – the young Gryffindor dressed. He left the tower in a cloud of cherry blossom even before the other boys were up. The fat lady reminded him to behave.
"I wouldn´t like to deny you passage, but I´m bound to obey the Head of Gryffindor," she said sadly.
Harry promised to be good and rushed downstairs to the library.
Madam Pince looked up from the card index box she was working on. "No snogging in the library," she said sternly.
Harry blushed hard. Dumbledore must have informed all staff of his and Draco´s relationship. "Where do I find a book on courting rituals?" he asked through gritted teeth.
The librarian pointed him at a shelf in the back of the library.
There was a whole stack of books on courting. Harry chose the thinnest and started leafing through it.
He nearly missed breakfast, but luckily Madam Pince sent him off in time.
This day there was no rose petal shower, but Draco blew him a kiss from the Slytherin table and when Harry shovelled scrambled egg onto his plate, it arranged itself in a heart shape. The meal was nearly over when Draco got up from his seat and brushed off Crabbe and Goyle´s hands angrily. He stalked over to the Gryffindor table.
"Harry Potter," he said in a carrying voice for all the students and teachers to hear, "I formally ask your company for today´s Hogsmeade outing. If you´ll kindly accept my humble request, I will await you at the gates at nine o´clock sharp."
Harry was glad he had read up on wizarding traditions. He got up from his seat and conjured a single red rose and kissed the bud.
"Draco Malfoy," he said in an equally carrying voice, "I formally grant your request. I will be at the gates at nine o´clock sharp. Take this token of my promise." He handed Draco the rose.
The blond took the flower and inhaled its smell.
"I can hardly wait," he whispered before he left the Great Hall in a flourish of robes worthy of professor Snape.
-x-
"What!" Harry shouted at Ron and Hermione. "We´re courting! He´s supposed to take me on dates!"
Ron glared back at him equally angry, but Hermione tried to soothe his mood. "Harry, it´s not so much that we think you shouldn´t go on a date. We just, well, we just think you shouldn´t go to Hogsmeade. Why don´t you take a romantic walk around the lake or something."
"Oh yes, a walk through the brushwood is good enough for Harry Potter. He doesn´t deserve fancy restaurants or cafés. I thought you were my friends!" Harry was agitated. Was it asked too much for his friends to show a bit of support.
"The brushwood is much more private, mate," Ron pointed out.
"Private?" shrieked Harry. "What do you take me for? I won´t make that this courtship a farce! I read things up. I had to go to the bloody library because my supposed pureblood friend didn´t tell me what was expected of me!" He held up the book he had borrowed from the library. ´Anticipation and Longing: A guide through wizarding courtship to happiness´ by Bathilda Bagshot.
Hermione blushed at the sight of the cover, a wizard kneeling in front of a witch, offering her a velvet box with a ring. She glanced at Ron.
"You are not going to marry Draco Malfoy!" shouted Ron. "You don´t need to know about courting!"
Harry stumbled backwards until his calves hit an armchair. He dropped into the soft cushions. "Do you think Draco isn´t serious? That he´s toying around with me? I´m not that kind of boy!"
"There, mate! You are a boy! You can´t marry Malfoy!"
"Well, techically, he can," said Hermione and Harry felt new hope. "The statutes for marriage and bonding, established in 1354, clearly state that marriage can be sought by two persons. There is no mention of them being a witch and a wizard. It has been done before, you know."
"Thanks, Hermione!" beamed Harry. "I have to tell Draco about that. Or do you think he knows?"
-x-
Harry left the castle one minute to nine in his best robes. Ron and Hermione were following him at a safe distance. He had forbidden them to go with him, as he had no intention whatsoever to take his friends to his date with Draco.
The blond waited already for him. Crabbe and Goyle stood a little to the side. Seemingly Draco had had the same problems with his friends as Harry.
"Love," Draco beamed at Harry. He wore the rose Harry had given him on his lapel. "I couldn´t think of anything else all morning."
Harry offered his hand to Draco to kiss. The blond looked at him with satisfaction. "You did your homework," he kissed Harry´s fingertips. Then he offered his arm to Harry and they left the school grounds to walk down to Hogsmeade.
The village seemed all new to Harry, like he was seeing it for the first time. Everything was so different, so much more exciting, with Draco by his side.
Draco took him to the post office first. The blond explained the different kinds of owls to Harry and the Gryffindor listened, breathless.
"How come you know so much about owls? I always thought you weren´t very interested in magical creatures."
Draco smiled. "Don´t misunderstand me, but your friend Hagrid really isn´t doing us much of a favour in his choice of creatures. I´m very interested in magical creatures. Useful magical creatures. Not the monsters he uses to show us. Post owls are extremely useful."
Harry swallowed hard. Draco had a point. The creatures Hagrid brought to class were often more interesting than useful. "So, what is this one?" he pointed at a small reddish brown bird.
"That´s an Eurasian pygmy-owl. They´re the smallest owls in Europe. People like them for short distance messages. Father has one to communicate with mother when he´s in the green houses of the manor. They´re cute, aren´t they?"
Harry had never taken Lucius Malfoy for a person to like gardening, but then he had realised what a wonderful person Draco was only recently.
"We´ll never need one," the blond continued. "I have no plans to let you out of my sight ever." He kissed Harry´s fingers again.
-x-
They walked for a while, enjoying the shop windows together. Draco insisted on buying Harry some chocolate at Honeyduke´s. ("Sweets for my sweet!") They shared the treat on their way to Madam Puddifoot´s. Harry licked his lips when he saw a bit of chocolate on Draco´s upper lip. He could easily think of a delicious way to clean the blond´s mouth.
"What?" smirked Draco when he realised Harry was staring at him. "Is there dirt in my face?"
Harry groaned. "Worse. You have chocolate on your lips."
"Naughty thoughts, my Harry?" the blond whispered into the Gryffindor´s ear. He pulled Harry into the next doorway.
Harry gasped in surprise. "Is this appropriate?"
Draco´s eyes twinkled mischiefeously. "It´s what we both want. And there´s nobody to see us."
Harry lost no time at all. He fell on Draco´s neck and cleaned the other boy´s lips thoroughly. The blond wrapped his arms around Harry´s waist and pulled him closer, kissing back with equal enthusiasm.
After some sweet – and too short – minutes Draco disentangled himself. "We have to stop or I´ll forget all good intentions. Let´s have a cup of tea, love."
They continued to the tea parlour and Draco payed the matron some galleons extra for a private little table, which was shielded from the view of the other guests by some big pot plants.
Madam Puddifoot herself served them a pot of tea and a large piece of chocolate cake.
"Let me do that, sweetheart," whispered Draco and poured tea for them both. "Milk?"
"No, thank you," Harry grinned like a fool. He could hardly believe it! He was sitting at this very romantic place with his love and they were having tea!
If Harry thought things couldn´t get better he was mistaken. There was only one fork for the cake. Draco cut off a small piece and held it out for Harry to peck it from the fork. Harry hummed. The cake was delicious, as was being fed by his beloved. Draco smiled and ate a tiny bit of cake himself. He made a purring sound and licked the chocolate off the fork.
Harry thought he was going to faint. Watching Draco clean the fork with that pink tongue of his was the most exciting thing he had done, ever. This was even better than quidditch!
They ate all the cake, Draco feeding Harry and alternately having pieces of cake himself.
Harry was a bit disappointed when Draco got up from his seat early.
"Do we have to go back yet?" he asked. "We have nearly an hour to walk back to the castle. They won´t leave us alone at the castle."
"I have no intention to go back," laughed Draco, his eyes shining. "I thought we´d go to Gladrags and get ourselves a nice souvenir."
"Gladrags?" gasped Harry. He had never been to that clothes shop. He had never bought any clothes but his school robes at Madam Malkin´s.
"Of course," beamed the blond. He seized Harry´s hand and pulled him out of the tea parlour and down the street to the shop.
-x-
"Mister Malfoy! What a pleasure!" the shop assistant, a wizard of maybe twenty-five years, bowed. "How can I be of assistance?"
"Shirts, Appleby, we´d like to buy shirts," Draco said arrogantly. "Silk, I think. And we need a colour that fits us both."
"Now that´s difficult," mused Appleby. He measured Harry critically. "You look best in grey or powdery blue, but I don´t think it will fit your companion very well."
"What do you suggest for him?" Draco asked sternly.
The shop assistant walked around Harry twice. "Wine-red or a nice green. It would go well with his eyes." The young man gasped. "Mister Potter! I´m terribly sorry! I didn´t recognize you at once! It´s an honour to have the chosen one in our humble shop!"
Draco stepped between the older wizard and Harry. "He´s MY chosen one," he hissed angrily. "So, what about those shirts?"
"I suggest green. It´s not your best colour, but you´ll look better in green than Mister Potter in light blue." The shop assistant clicked his fingers and two elves in dark blue silk loincloths brought an assortment of green silk shirts.
Appleby led the way to a changing room. First Harry thought it was awkward to share the room, but only until Draco started to open the buttons of his shirt with a predatory expression. Harry swallowed hard and followed the blond´s lead eagerly.
They both stared their fill while they changed into the first pair of green shirts and Harry thought it was a pity they couldn´t touch due to Appleby´s presence. They would have liked to try on every single shirt in the shop, but they had to get back to the castle in time.
"Those are acceptable," drawled Draco. "We´ll keep them on."
Harry tried to talk Draco into letting him pay for the shirts on their way to the counter, but the blond would´t have it. "We´re courting, love," he said insistantly. "I´m supposed to give you presents."
"How come you´re expected to buy me gifts, but I´m not?" pouted Harry. "I´m not a girl!"
"But you´re younger than me, so I´m supposed to take the lead in this courtship. And I know you´re not a girl."
They left Gladrags hand in hand. Their little errand had taken longer than they´d thought it would and they had to hurry back to Hogwarts if they wanted to reach the castle before Filch closed the gates.
"So it is true!" said a uncomfortably familiar voice.
Harry wanted to let go of Draco´s hand, mindful of Lucius Malfoy´s threats, but the blond squeezed his fingers reassuringly.
"Miss Skeeter," he drawled arrogantly. "What can we do for you?"
"I, myself and me would like to know your reaction to the rumours that Mister Potter here associates with you for your money only."
"That´s a lie!" cried Harry.
Draco turned and touched Harry´s lips with the tip of his index finger gently. "Hush, love, don´t let the evil witch upset you." He turned to the reporter. "You will be thrilled to hear that the rumours aren´t true at all. Mister Potter fell for my looks." He slid a slim hand through his blond hair. "And I ask you, who wouldn´t? You will excuse us now. We´re in a hurry."
He pulled at Harry´s hand gently and they hurried off towards the castle.
"I´m sorry Draco!" panted Harry. "Your father will have our hides."
"Father may be angry, but he never punishes me. He´ll be angry with Dumbledore for letting us go to the village." He giggled.
By the time they reached the gates (just in time to slip past Filch) Harry´s mood had improved. They parted only when they reached the Great Hall.
Ron made a face when he saw Harry and Draco enter the hall in matching shirts. "Don´t you think you´re laying it on a bit thick?"
"Where were you?" asked Hermione. "We thought we could meet you for a butterbeer or something."
Harry told them about Honeyduke´s, the tea parlour and the clothes shop (he left the shared changing room out).
"Draco waited on me hand and foot all day," he said dreamily. "I really have to do something for him in return. Any ideas?"
"I do have some ideas," admitted Ron, "but I guess you won´t like them." He glared over to the Slytherin table where Draco was talking to Crabbe and Goyle with a dreamy expression rivaling Harry´s.
"If you don´t support me, then say nothing at all," snapped Harry. He´d never taken Ron for stubborn. Why couldn´t the redhead see that Draco was the love of his life?
"I do support you," Ron reassured him though. "It´s only that I´m more interested in girls and Malfoy hardly qualifies as a girl."
"No, he definitely doesn´t," Harry sighed, remembering Draco shirtless back at Gladrags.