Harry glanced up from his textbook as Crabbe and Draco walked into the empty classroom. He stood, eyes still scanning the page, "Draco says you're dueling tomorrow, so I thought we could do a practical—"

The breath squeezed out of Harry as Crabbe hoisted him into a hug. Draco stood in the doorway, languishing there with crossed arms and an amused smile. "Alright, Vince, you might be choking him out now."

Crabbe deposited Harry back on the floor. He held up a piece of parchment, beaming. It was his last defense test and at the top was an E circled in red. Exceeds expectations. "Oh, great job!"

Crabbe beamed. "Best score I ever got."

"And that's with a professor who is firmly anti-Slytherin," Draco added. "Not bad at all."

"I got you these." Crabbe presented a plate of slightly-smushed cupcakes with green frosting and silver candy snakes on top. "These were in the common room. I stole them for you."

Harry bit into one. He wasn't as much of a sugar-fiend as Draco was, but these were pretty delicious. "Thanks, Crabbe."

Harry wished Ron and Hermione could see Draco in these lessons. As Harry worked with Crabbe, Draco was full of support and encouragement. It obviously meant a lot to Crabbe, who almost looked shy when Draco would tell him well done.

After the tutoring session, Harry insisted they take the rest of the cupcakes back. Last thing he needed was to show up at dinner with a plate of Slytherin-themed dessert.

When he got to dinner, Ron and Hermione avoided looking at him. They hadn't saved him a spot and even though he knew they wouldn't, it still stung.

He slowed, eyeing the table nervously.

Dean waved and pulled his bag off the seat next to him. Ron shot him a dirty look, but Harry was flooded with relief.

Halfway through dinner, an owl dropped a small package in front of Harry. A note with it said it was, "To our anonymous investor."

Fred and George.

Harry hesitated, glancing over at Ron suspiciously. Was this really some kind of thank you for the start-up money or had Ron told them about Draco? Could a howler come in a box?

Cautiously, he opened the lid.

With a pop, green glitter exploded into his face. On either side of him, Dean and Lavender shot back with cries, each having gotten a sprinkling.

Harry cringed, wiping at his cheeks.

"It won't come off," Lavender whined, trying to brush it out of her hair.

With a sinking stomach, Harry saw a note sticking out from the box. He plucked it up.

Figured we'd give you 24 hours of Slytherin green to think about your choices, mate!

"Twenty-four hours?" Dean read over his shoulder. "This is going to last for a whole day?" He looked upset as he scrubbed at his cheek, even though it barely sparkled.

Harry realized in horror he'd have to go to class the next day with his whole face covered with the stuff.

Seamus's head threw back in a laugh. "Brilliant! Harry, you look ready to support Ireland, just need to throw some orange in there too."

"It's not funny, Seamus," Dean barked, wetting his napkin and wiping it at his cheek. "It's an anti-gay thing, isn't it? They think we're all glittery and flamboyant or something."

Seamus went serious. "What? No! Wizards don't think like that. It's just a prank."

Dean scrubbed so furiously, Seamus snatched his hand away from his face.

Harry wiped with his own sleeve, but it wasn't coming off. "Fred and George are not anti-gay, I promise. Just anti-me right now. Sorry you got caught in the cross-fire."

Lavender winced. "It's not so bad. Looks kind of cute in my hair. And on my nose," she said unenthusiastically.

Dean sagged over his plate as Seamus pet his back.

Harry grabbed his bag and got up, appetite gone.

Seamus was looking worriedly between him and Dean. "Come on, it's just a laugh. Sit back down."

But it didn't feel like a laugh. Ron and Hermione and him, they'd had their fights before. But to think the whole Weasley family might be mad at him… What if he wasn't invited to the Burrow anymore? What if Mrs. Weasley never offered him a hug again?

Harry felt like he might be sick. He ducked his sparkling face as he strode out of the Great Hall and almost ran smack into Ginny and Neville.

"Harry! Harry?" Ginny asked. "What the—"

Neville didn't say anything. He pointedly turned his head away from Harry, jaw set.

Harry weaved around them, hurrying to hide in the Room of Requirement.

#

When Harry snuck into the common room, it was late and almost empty.

Ginny looked up from where she was reading alone in one of the chairs. When she saw him, she jumped up. "Harry."

He tensed as she strode up to him, bracing himself.

She tsked when she saw his face. "My idiot brothers, I swear!"

Harry eyed her warily. "You're not mad at me?"

"No! I'm sorry everyone's being so awful." She took his wrist and led him over to the couches.

Harry took a steadying breath as he sat. "I figured you'd be pretty upset about it."

Ginny offered him a sympathetic smile. "Remember second year when I unleashed a deadly creature into Hogwarts and almost got everyone killed?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck. "That was sort of the incident I was thinking would leave you pretty mad about me having anything to do with a Malfoy."

"I was thinking more about the part where you risked your life for me and never blamed me for any of it. I trust you, is the point. And I, for one, haven't forgotten that your friends and my family are some of the most important things in the world to you, so you're not going to be dating anyone who's slagging off any of us."

Harry felt his stomach unclench a little. "Thanks."

The fire crackled and in the quiet of the common room, Harry was almost able to relax.

"So, I want to hear. Tell me about Malfoy. How the hell did you two end up going from practically wrestling in the hallways to snogging?" Ginny tilted her head. "Now that I say it out loud, maybe I answered my own question."

Harry laughed. It felt so good to joke about it like it was okay. Harry glanced around the common room, but the only people in there were out of hearing distance. "You really want to hear this?"

"Yes. You have your pick of a lot of people—why Malfoy?"

"Are you mad? I don't have my pick of people."

Ginny gave him a look like he was being stupid even though she was the one who was absolutely nutters if she thought people were lining around the corner to date him.

But still, if he did have his pick of people now, he would pick Draco.

"I guess…he makes me feel normal."

Ginny's eyebrows arched. "Malfoy makes you feel normal? Malfoy's about the least normal person I can think of."

Harry snorted. "Maybe that's why. I dunno, he definitely doesn't think of me as some savior of the wizarding world." Harry blanched, remembering Ginny's poem second year. "Er…"

Ginny winced. "Let's not rehash my sordid history of being your fangirl. Alright, I do get that, actually. So is it just shagging or is it more than that?"

Harry groaned. "We're not shagging. Is this normal wizard culture to just ask people that? Are you shagging Neville?" He arched an eyebrow.

Ginny pointed with a surprised laugh. "Ha, that is a total Malfoy look right there!"

"Oh god, seriously? He'll never let me live it down if he notices."

Ginny searched his face. "You really like him."

Harry ducked his eyes, offering a shrug.

"I heard all Malfoy does with people is shag, so what do you two do together?"

After a moment of regarding Ginny warily, Harry relented. "Er, well, we—"

"Don't," came an angry voice. Ron stood at the foot of the staircase in his dressing gown, red-faced. "Nobody wants to hear about it, Harry!"

Ginny got to her knees on the couch to yell at him. "I want to hear about it. You're being a real prick, Ron."

"Don't yell at me when he's the one hooking up with that evil ferret!" Ron pointed at Harry.

Harry lost it. "This is so typical of you, Ron! I'm sick of you turning your back on me for stupid shit. This is fourth year all over again!"

"Well, if I'd known back then you'd start hooking up with our enemy then maybe I wouldn't have apologized!" Ron shot back.

Harry got to his feet, knowing he must look absolutely stupid with green glitter all over his face. "Our enemy is Voldemort, you git!"

Ron practically spat. "When will you be letting him bend you over a desk?"

Harry recoiled as if Ron had hexed him.

"Ron," Ginny near-whispered, sounding quite shocked, "take that back. Apologize."

Even Ron seemed startled by what he'd shouted. But in the end, he said nothing.

Harry wordlessly picked up his things and walked out of the common room, ignoring Ginny calling after him.

#

The next morning, Harry made his way to class alone. He'd slept in the Room of Requirement, snuck into the common room to shower and change while everyone else was at breakfast, and nearly blinded himself failing to get his face to stop sparkling green.

Halfway to herbology, a tripping jinx swept his foot out from under him and he fell hard, his bag spilling its contents across the floor.

He sat up, wand out, to find a group of Hufflepuffs sniggering as they passed by.

He was still looking around for who shot the curse, when one of the Hufflepuffs sneered, "Look, it's Malfoy's bitch."

Harry was so shocked, he just stared as they walked out the door. The Hufflepuffs hadn't been great during the whole Potter Stinks episode, so he didn't know why he was startled.

But he was startled.

What they'd said and the venom with which they'd said it... Somehow, with all Draco's reassurances about wizards not caring about this stuff and that Slytherins slept with Ravenclaws without any incident all the time, Harry had half-convinced himself that people wouldn't care.

But the Ravenclaws were normal teenagers. Harry was not.

Alone and with his sparkling face, it was hard to not feel humiliated as he collected his things, ignoring the curious glances of students passing by.

#

The new DADA instructor had been clearly opposed to teaching the Slytherins defense, but this was ridiculous. He'd been later and later to lessons and now it was fifteen minutes through and he was still nowhere to be seen.

Everyone lounged around chatting, not seeming too bothered at the sorry state of their education. Draco was surprised the Ravenclaws weren't more annoyed, but he suspected they must be getting make up tutoring to compensate.

A group of Ravenclaws appeared next to Draco and his friends.

"Is it true?" Kim Sheringham asked, eyes filled with the delight of someone with gossip.

Draco regarded them warily. "What?"

"That you're in love with Potter?"

Draco nearly choked. "I'm not bloody in love with Potter."

Theo shook his head dramatically. "Draco doesn't know how to love."

Alannis Shepley didn't seem convinced. She was smirking, seeming to enjoy herself grandly. "I thought you didn't shag Slytherins for a relationship. You shagged them because they were good at it. But apparently Potter shagged one and scored himself a boyfriend."

Draco forced himself to lounge back in his chair as though he wasn't bothered by this conversation one bit. "You don't know what you're talking about. Potter and I are casual."

Sheringham raised an eyebrow. "That's not what people are saying. They said you're off the market."

Draco regarded his fingernails. "Well, people are misinformed."

Another Ravenclaw girl narrowed her eyes. "Oh really? Who have you been hooking up with aside from Potter then?"

"It's not my style to name names." Draco ignored the pointed looks of his friends.

Blaise, though, got a flash in his eyes Draco didn't like. He lowered his voice. "Potter doesn't put out."

Draco saw red. "Blaise, shut your mouth."

Blaise shrugged innocently. "You need someone to keep you satisfied while you play the long game with Potter. In fact, our dear professor seems to be missing, so if you wanted to actually get some action, a quickie in the bathroom seems entirely reasonable. You game, Sheringham?"

A considering smile came over Sheringham's face. She glanced to the door. "That sounds kind of fun. What do you think, Draco?"

Pansy and Theo watched Draco closely. He kept his face schooled, but he was feeling inclined to murder Blaise.

Blaise winked at him. "You're welcome."

Draco's jaw worked. He could do it. He could slip off with Sheringham and tell her to keep it quiet. It had been too long, really. He could really use a decent shag to release some tension.

His mind presented him the image of shagging Sheringham in the loo. It left him feeling cold.

Another image replaced it. Signaling Harry to sneak out of his class and pulling him into the loo. Trying and failing to stay silent as they shagged urgently. Harry whimpering the way he had on the couch when Draco had ground against him.

Heat rushed to his groin at the thought.

Frantically, he replaced the image of Harry with others, glancing around the room for inspiration. None of it worked. The only one that turned him on was Harry.

Fuck. Something really was wrong with him.

"Another time," he said stiffly.

Sheringham nodded in understanding, but her two friends grinned like evil loons. Before they headed off, one said, "Try Clemente's in Hogsmeade. You can get Potter some chocolates and a rose on the next trip into town."

Blaise watched them go. "If you're not feeling Sheringham, I'm up for it. Potter never needs to know."

Draco avoided his eye, pretending to review his textbook. "I'm not in the mood."

Theo patted his knee. "It's alright to be hung up on Potter. He's bloody adorable. Makes me desperately want to whisper naughty things into his ear. Oh just the idea of teaching him…guiding his hand…"

"Theo, go take a cold shower," Draco snapped.

Blaise leaned in, lowering his voice. "Are you sure Potter's not toying with you, Draco? Because he seems to be the one calling all the shots here and you're just dancing along like a puppet on a string."

The Ravenclaws were all whispering, casting gleeful glances his way.

#

Later, Draco found himself in the Room of Requirement glancing irritably at the clock. Harry was supposed to have met him here forty-five minutes ago.

And Draco hadn't left. He'd waited. He was still waiting.

Draco had never waited around for a date. They waited for him. They always wanted him more than he wanted them.

He paced the room. He'd turned down two offers of sex today for what? To be waiting for Potter like he was part of the Golden Boy fan club. What the hell was he doing?

It was like he was losing himself. He was Draco Malfoy, damn it. And he'd been doing what with Harry? Snogging, talking, lying around, sometimes while presed up against each other…oh Merlin's tits, had they cuddled?

He stopped and stared in horror at the rug in front of the fireplace as if a terrible crime had been committed there.

People were right. He had been neutered by fucking Harry Potter.

Everything they'd done had been dictated by Harry. Harry had controlled Draco's life for the last several weeks, telling him he had to slow down, stop, back off. What if it wasn't just some hang up? What if he was toying with Draco? And Draco had let him.

And Draco was…feeling hurt by it.

Fuck this. Maybe it was time for Draco to call the shots.

The door opened and Harry came inside. "I'm sorry I'm late."

Draco waited for more, but Harry didn't offer anything else. No explanation. He put on a cool expression and shrugged. "I didn't notice."

"Oh good."

"Did you think I was just sitting here wondering where you were?" He snorted.

Harry shot him an odd look. "I mean, I know I'm pretty late. I just…had this stuff on my face. I wanted it off before I came."

Harry sat on the couch with a sigh. Draco strode over and climbed straight onto his lap and captured his lips before he could make a comment.

His fingers went straight for the button on Harry's trousers.

Harry seized his hands and pulled away, gaze shooting up to Draco in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"I haven't slept with anyone else. I haven't told anyone about anything we've done. You trust me, right?"

Harry hesitated. "Yeah, but—"

"Then what? Don't you want to know what it feels like? I'll only use my hands." Draco kissed his neck.

Harry swallowed. "I don't want to do that with someone just…casually."

Draco flipped off him onto the couch in a huff. "So snogging's okay though we're not dating? Making out's okay? But anything more than that's not? I'm starting to get the feeling you don't want to ever have sex with me."

Harry shot him a hard look. "What the hell is wrong with you today?"

"What's wrong with me? Everyone thinks I'm some sort of joke, that's what's wrong with me! It's humiliating!"

"Humiliating?" Harry's voice rose.

"It wouldn't be embarrassing if we could move along a little faster! This isn't even normal for Hufflepuffs!"

Harry flinched. "I thought you were okay with it."

Draco pushed to his feet, suddenly wanting some distance. Anger thrummed through him. "I have people who want to have sex with me, you know. I've told them no without any good reason to back it up. You have no idea what people are saying to me. Calling me neutered, saying you're playing me. I am losing everyone's respect."

Harry's eyes blazed. "You just begged me to keep things how they are!"

Draco saw red. As though he was desperate or something! "I did not beg. I don't bloody beg because I don't bloody care! I'm not your boyfriend, Potter!"

The two glared at each other in silence.

Harry's jaw worked. "It's pretty clear we're wasting each other's time."

"Clearly," Draco said coldly.

Harry refused to look at him any longer and began grabbing his things. "Don't come to Crabbe's tutoring sessions anymore."

"No problem. Theo can have you. Let him figure out your chastity belt complex!"

"Don't ever talk to me again." Harry stalked out and slammed the door behind him as hard as he could.

Alone now, Draco sat there breathing heavily, kicking the end table and breaking the leg. Realizing his hands were shaking, he ran his palms over his legs.

It was over. He was free now. Free to sleep with whomever he wanted to. He'd get his reputation back. His classmates would respect him again….

It was over.

#

Harry sat in the library the next day, staring numbly at the unopened book in front of him.

His dormmates might have heard through the rumor mill that it was over and Harry couldn't handle their reactions. If they were still awful about it, that would almost be better than if they tried welcoming him back now.

This had been…inevitable. Draco had always made it clear what he wanted.

He remembered the way Draco had danced with him at the Slytherin party. They'd jumped together with the crowd during one energetic song, Harry grinning and Draco unable to keep sniggers from escaping his lips. Draco had listened with what Harry had thought was such sincerity when Harry had explained why sex made him so skittish. And Draco had clung onto him only a couple days before, looking so worried they might have to stop.

He'd let it all get to his head. He'd started to believe it was something more than it was.

The chair next to him screeched and Theo dropped into it. He dramatically dropped his books to the table. "I've heard," he announced.

"Shouldn't you be consoling Draco?" Harry muttered miserably.

"Draco's got Pansy and Blaise, and they're just getting their heads bitten off. Draco insists he doesn't need consoling. And I like you better than Draco anyway." He crossed his arms behind his head and cast Harry a winning smile. "So, where's the rest of the Dream Team? It's your time of need; isn't this where you guys shine?"

Harry went back to staring at his book. "They ditched me when they found out about Draco."

"Wow, so things are pretty shitty for you right now."

Harry looked up at him, managing an eye roll. "Thanks so much for your expert consoling. I can see Draco's really missing out."

"Well, I'll be your substitute Dream Team of one. What is the Gryffindor thing to do here? Do we sword fight? Rescue an orphan from a burning building? Eat carbs?"

Harry couldn't quite smile, but it did make him feel a little less terrible. He eyed Theo suspiciously. "Are you just trying to get into my pants?"

Theo smiled at him slyly. "Which answer would give me a better chance?"

Deciding to take that as a joke, Harry snorted. "Hey Theo?" he said softly. "Thanks for this."

Theo put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course."

#

Slytherin house knew how to celebrate a good breakup…or whatever had happened. And they were especially thrilled at the rumor going around that Draco had dumped Potter for not putting out.

Draco had repeatedly told people he and Potter had never been dating in the first place, so there had been no dumping involved, only an amicable parting of the ways. But people much preferred gossiping that Harry had looked like he was about to cry at dinner.

Draco had glanced over and while Harry did look miserable, he certainly hadn't looked ready to burst into tears.

So, now he was somehow the center of attention at a Slytherin party celebrating the freedom of being single.

"Come on, perk up." Blaise handed him a clear shot without anything to chase it. "You're well rid of that frigid bore. Now you can shake him off and get back to having fun with people who actually know how to have it."

He clinked glasses with Draco, but Draco didn't down it right away. Blaise was supposed to be his friend and he still refused to just bring Draco a drink he actually bloody liked. Whenever Draco tried to mix something up sugary, Blaise always made some snide comment or whispered, "Would your father drink that?"

Draco downed the shot and tried to suppress a shudder at the taste. Maybe Blaise was right. Apparently, people were judging what Draco did a whole lot more than he'd ever realized.

Someone thumped him on the back. Graham Montague. The prat had slicked his hair back just like Draco used to wear it. Damn, had he looked like that much of a tosser when he'd gone that hard on the hair gel?

Montague grinned at Draco, sipping something clear with a wedge of lime in it. "So, did Potter really beg you on his knees not to leave him?"

Draco felt a strong urge to punch the fifth year in the nose.

Instead, he arched an eyebrow. "Are you old enough for this party? It's only fourth years and above."

Montague pouted and slunk away.

Draco downed another shot with a grimace. He suddenly wanted to be extraordinarily drunk.

"Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me," Blaise muttered, expression sour.

Draco followed his gaze to the common room portal and felt an unpleasant jolt.

Harry was entering on his own, looking quite unsure of himself as he entered the dimly lit common room.

"Who the hell invited Potter?" Draco demanded.

"I did," said Theo with a smug grin, reaching past them to quickly splash some vodka and juice together in a couple cups. "If you don't want him, I'll definitely have him."

Draco's heart pounded murderously as Theo headed over to Harry with a warm welcome. Harry smiled half-heartedly, accepting the drink and letting Theo guide him to some chairs near the drinks table. Draco quickly moved in the opposite direction before he met eyes with Harry, but out of the corner of his eye, saw Harry spot him anyway.

Draco grabbed Millicent's arm as she passed. "Where's Pansy?" Pansy would make him feel saner.

"Getting off with Cowley somewhere."

Draco took a steadying breath. He plucked the drink right out of a fifth-year's hand, ignoring the indignant, "Excuse me!", and took a gulp.

Who cared if Harry was here? They weren't together. It wasn't as though Harry was going to end up with Theo. Theo might enjoy flirting with Harry, might lust after Harry like a buck in rutting season, but he'd find the idea of a monogamous relationship about as appealing as Draco did. And Theo was a horny fucker, but he was honest. Draco could at least respect that about him.

There was nothing here for Harry. Harry would realize that soon enough.

He took another swallow of his drink.

For the next half hour, Draco nodded absently at the conversation around him while watching Theo floundering as he tried to chat Harry up. A few times, Harry glanced over in Draco's direction, but would then turn back to Theo and down some alcohol while he tried to not look so miserable.

When a Ravenclaw boy Theo had been flirting with in Arithmancy came up and whispered something into his ear, Harry waved at Theo with an insistent "go on" gesture. With a pat on the back, the two left Harry alone near the alcohol.

But Harry didn't leave the party, like Draco assumed he would. He shifted uncomfortably, then busied himself with pouring another drink.

Draco glanced around anxiously for Theo. Come on. Theo couldn't really be letting Harry stay there alone surrounded by Slytherins.

He comforted himself with the memory of Harry hexing Blaise. Harry could handle himself. He'd leave soon.

The couch sank as Bastien Queensbury plopped down beside him. Bastien had a sort of unearthly beauty that Draco always suspected came from some veela blood down the line. But Bastien was also very, very dull.

"You're looking down tonight. Need some help getting over it?

"No."

Somebody approached Harry and Draco stiffened. Then, he startled, realizing it was Blaise. Harry's hand went toward his wand, but Blaise held up his palms saying something. A minute later, he offered his hand. Harry hesitated, but then warily shook it.

What the hell was Blaise playing at?

"I heard you were obsessed with Potter now. I guess it's true."

Draco whipped his gaze over. "What? No, I'm…" He cleared his throat, realizing a few people were whispering and side-eying him. "Bastien, you have my attention."

"I do enjoy having your attention, Draco." Bastien propped his arm on the back of the couch and…yes, he was posing.

Merlin, was this a trial Draco had to endure?

The next time he snuck a glance over at Harry, he was talking to Blaise emphatically, with wilder hand gestures than Draco had ever seen him use. Blaise nodded with a smirk on his face and Draco's lungs froze. He knew that look. He had watched Blaise use that look, use the same techniques he was using, to pick up people before. The way he understandingly listened to Harry babble on about something Blaise clearly didn't care about, the comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, fingers brushing the bare skin at the junction between Harry's shoulder and neck, the attempt to keep eye contact…

Draco jerked in fury when Blaise leaned in and kissed Harry on the corner of his mouth. Harry pulled away and blinked in surprise. Blaise took Harry's hand, saying something in a soft tone, his other hand stroking Harry's face. He then leaned in again and though Harry sat very stiffly and looked a bit confused, he didn't run off when Blaise's lips met his.

Draco felt like a whole stadium was collapsing inside of him.

Harry was kissing Blaise. And it was no stupid peck under the mistletoe.

Warm breath ghosted over his ear. "Want a distraction?" Bastien whispered, pressing a moist kiss to his earlobe.

Draco shut his eyes, grabbed Bastien's neck, and kissed him hard. He hoped Harry would look over. Hoped he would feel this same horrible feeling Draco was experiencing.

He couldn't tell if Harry was watching, so, he just made it all very showy and hoped it would cause some stir.

As Bastien sucked on Draco's neck, he finally got a chance to risk a peek.

The spot where Harry and Blaise had been was now occupied by a group of seventh years setting up body shots.

Draco searched the room, unsure if he could take seeing Harry singing on the dance floor with Blaise or laughing at his jokes on a couch somewhere.

But when he found them, Draco froze.

Blaise was leading Harry up the stairs to the boy's dormitory. Harry's eyes closed and opened heavily. He braced himself against the wall and Blaise caught him as he nearly stumbled back down the stairs he'd already climbed.

Harry was seriously wasted. What the hell was Blaise doing? He couldn't possibly be taking Harry to his bed, not in that state.

Draco pushed off of Bastien and scrambled to his feet.

"You really are obsessed."

Draco shoved through people and extricated himself from the grips of those trying to keep him for a chat or a snog, panic rising into his throat.

The images that raced through his mind had him sprinting up the stairs, not caring how it looked.

He would kill Blaise. He would fucking kill him.

He nearly collided with Blaise at the landing to the sixth-year dorm. He was dressed, but disheveled, his shirt untucked and some of the buttons undone.

"Woah there, Draco, where's the fire?"

"Where is he?" Draco didn't wait for an answer. He shoved past Blaise into their dorm.

Harry lay on his back across Blaise's bedspread, eyes closed, legs hanging off the side of the bed. The only clothing that had been removed had been his shoes.

Relief washed over Draco. Nothing had happened.

Blaise lounged against the doorway, arms crossed with a smug smile on his face. "He said you don't like sleeping with virgins, so I offered to help him eliminate the problem."

Draco turned to Blaise. "That had better be a fucking joke."

Blaise smirked. "Aw come on, Draco, don't be upset. So, Potter chose me to deflower him instead of you. You chose Pansy over me. It all evens out."

A kind of horror washed over Draco. "This is about trying to make me jealous? Potter chooses someone else, fine, that's not the issue. He was drunk off his fucking arse! You were not seriously going to touch him in that state."

Blaise shrugged a shoulder. "You were teaching him all those lessons. This would just be a lesson from me. Don't get wasted in the Slytherin common room if you don't want to wake up without your trousers."

Draco slammed Blaise into the wall with a bang and shoved his wand under Blaise's chin.

Suddenly, Blaise's demeanor changed. His mouth quirked into a disbelieving grin and he laughed. "Merlin's tits, Draco, I'm just messing with you. Obviously I didn't touch your precious Golden Boy. I was putting him out of the way before he fell off his chair and Carrow got to him." When Draco didn't lower his wand, Blaise rolled his eyes. "You ran into me leaving the room, didn't you? He's unconscious, Draco. I'm not a monster."

Draco searched his face. He'd been friends with Blaise for years. Blaise had always backed off when the people he was messing around with had too much to drink, well before the point Harry had been at on those stairs. Far before unconscious.

But the expression on Blaise's face when he'd led Harry up hadn't been one of annoyance. There had been something in it, hadn't there? What if Harry hadn't passed out?

His gaze fell to Blaise's untucked shirt.

Blaise pushed away the tip of Draco's wand. "You need to relax." His finger hooked into Draco's belt loop. "You are far too wound up. Let's take the edge off, hm?"

"Don't touch me," Draco growled.

Blaise put his palms into the air. "Alright, not having a sense of humor tonight I see." His eyes lit up. "I know what kind of fun we could have with Potter that even you couldn't object to."

Draco didn't like the sound of that at all. He grabbed Blaise's arm. "Let him sleep it off."

"He apparently wants to be one of us. We've all gone through a little hazing at a party. Don't worry, I'll go easy on him." But despite his light tone, Blaise ripped his arm away with a flash of a hard look before heading down the stairs.

Draco hurried over and shook Harry's shoulder. "Potter. Potter, it's time to go."

But Harry didn't wake.

A commotion downstairs filled Draco with a sense of dread. He headed out only to run into a stampede.

He blocked the door. "What's going on?"

Bastien grinned. "Blaise says Potter's passed out. We're going to tie him to the quidditch hoop as a tribute to the Gryffindor team."

It wasn't…that bad. When he'd passed out at his first party, they'd drawn a dick on his face and handcuffed him to the fireplace. Blaise's first time, they'd changed him into Pansy's clothes and took photos that they still liked to bring out once a year.

This was a right of passage. And once everyone was asleep, Draco could sneak down and untie him so Harry could slip back to Gryffindor.

"I've got markers!" Tracey Davis shouted.

He and Harry weren't together. He wasn't Harry's keeper. If it was just a light prank, it was better to let them get on with it. Any fuss about it might turn the crowd's temperament from giggling to vicious.

So Draco stepped aside. Head buzzing, he headed down to the common room.

Crabbe came up to him, hands in his pockets. "Should I punch Blaise?"

Draco dragged his hands down his face. It sounded very appealing.

At that moment, the group emerged from above, carrying Harry's limp form between them. Draco almost let his cool mask slip as he saw Harry's relaxed face, looking so unguarded, being manhandled by the crowd. He forced himself to look away.

He reluctantly followed the crowd toward the door, Goyle by his side.

Draco looked around, confused. Theo and Crabbe were still hanging back in the common room.

"Theo. Vince. What are you hovering around for. Come on!"

Theo poured himself another drink. "No thanks. I'm going to be the one to pick up the pieces after this. Potter is fit as hell and after you burn your bridge with him, maybe he'll find me more appealing."

Crabbe shrugged. "Harry's nice to me. He's helping me pass Defense."

Draco stiffened. If he didn't go, it would be back to people accusing him of being whipped or panting after Harry.

Blaise slung an arm around Draco's shoulders. "I'm sure everyone agrees that you can have him, Theo. You can deal with all his frigid shit, right Draco?"

"Get your fucking arm off me," Draco growled.

Blaise stepped back and gave an exasperated sigh. "Merlin, Draco, lighten up. It's a bit of fun. Potter is the one who showed up to the party celebrating your freedom from him. We're doing this for you."

"Shut the fuck up, Blaise. You're doing this because you're jealous. First of Pansy, now of him." Draco's lip curled. He wanted to hurt Blaise. "Because you want desperately for me to find you special. To have my attention. But Potter can just walk by and be more interesting to me than you ever will be."

Blaise's eyes flashed, his jaw clenched. He slammed out of the portrait hole after the others.

Draco sank onto the leather couch, burying his face in his hands.

Crabbe sat next to him, patting him on the back painfully.

Draco sighed. "Sorry, Vince. I didn't think about your tutoring when I broke it off with Potter."

"Harry's still tutoring me." Crabbe frowned. "He looks sad all the time now and so do you. Are you sure you had to break up?"

Theo handed Draco a drink. It was clear. Not pink at all.

"They broke up because Harry was getting too attached. Draco is a playboy who would break Harry's heart in the end. He did the right thing by cutting it off early."

Draco nodded. Exactly right.

He gulped down the drink.

#

Draco ignored the entourage spilling back into the common room. Blaise came over and plopped on the couch, Millicent and Goyle trailing after. Draco, Theo, and Vince were playing poker and Draco had worked very hard to get his expression schooled into an aloof, uncaring one.

"I have a present for you, Draco. Something you couldn't get for yourself," Blaise sneered.

Something soft hit him in the chest, knocking his cards out of his hand.

Draco held up a shirt.

No.

He dug through the wad of clothes. Trousers. Fuck. Harry's boxers. They'd stripped him completely.

Draco jumped to his feet. He loomed over Blaise, eyes flashing. "You and I are done. You crossed the fucking line tonight."

He ran to the portal.

Blaise called, "You're welcome, Draco!"

Laughter trailed after as Draco slammed out the portrait and ran through the dark, empty hallways.

When he got to the grounds and approached the Quidditch Pitch, he felt a lurch in his stomach to see Harry sitting against the center pole, arms tied with rope above his head. His knees were up to his chest, his ankles crossed to cover himself. He was shivering. It was bloody freezing out here and they didn't cast a warming charm on him? Those arseholes.

As Draco got close, Harry jerked and lifted his head, pulling his knees closer to his body.

They'd written all over him with markers and as Draco slid up, his stomach twisted. Frigid was scrawled in multiple places. Up his shin were the words, I belong and on the other one, on my knees. Across his chest: Ream my virgin arse.

He'd been such a bloody idiot thinking this would be in good fun.

Draco knelt next to him, whipping off his robe and draping it over Harry's shivering form. He cast a warming charm. He quickly vanished the ropes and helped lower Harry's now-pale wrists.

"They took my clothes," Harry's eyes welled.

"I brought them. Let's get you to the locker rooms. It's warm in there and I'll help you clean up."

"Did you let them do this?"

"No! I mean, I didn't know it would go like this. I just thought it would be a silly joke. I thought if I tried to stop them, it would make it worse." Draco croaked, a tightness in his throat preventing him from getting the words out smoothly.

Harry turned his head away, glaring into the distance.

Draco helped Harry up and, careful not to look below Harry's face, pulled the robe over Harry's shoulders and wrapped it around him.

Harry stumbled as he took a step, still very drunk. Draco hugged him close to his side. Harry didn't look at him the entire way to the locker room bathroom.

When they reached the sinks, Harry got a look at himself in the mirror and let out a humorless huff of a laugh at the bold words on his forehead. "Boy Toy Who Lived. You think of that?"

"Of course not." Draco wet a hand towel in the sink. He turned Harry away from the mirror, wiping at the words, but the letters didn't smear as easily as he'd hoped. "Look, I know it seems bad, but we do this kind of bullshit to each other. It won't be a big deal."

Harry stared off at nothing. "Sometimes, I think you're the naïve one."

Draco felt a pang at that. "You might be right."

Harry grabbed the towel from Draco and pushed his hands away. His movements were sluggish and clumsy. "I can do this myself." He wet it in the sink and a hard look shuttered over his face. "I'm missing my shoes. Don't bring them to me. Crabbe can or Theo can."

"Potter, wait. Everything has sucked since we stopped. I didn't mean what I said. Things just got really fucked. Let's meet up in the room tomorrow. Nobody has to know. It could just be between us."

Harry whipped around, eyes blazing. "Are you bloody kidding me? Look around. My friends won't speak to me. People are talking about me and attacking me. And I just messed up really fucking big."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"You have no idea how badly I'm going to pay for tonight." Harry's chin trembled. "I've lost everything and you…you think I'm humiliating."

Draco stared at him, stunned. "Potter, I don't. I—"

"Just leave me the hell alone," Harry said, voice cracking.

The door slammed behind Harry and Draco didn't bother to follow. He stood in the middle of the bathroom, too horrified to move.