He Protec

He attac

But most importantly, he Snac

*******************************************************

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood at the top of the High Street in Hogsmeade. "So, where are we going to meet again?" Hermione asked and looked from Ron to Harry. "The Three Broomsticks in an hour perhaps? Oh, and please, no peeking at what shops I'm going into."

Ron and Harry exchanged glances. They knew that Hermione did all her shopping at Smythwick's bookstore, and there was no danger that they wouldn't be shopping there. They both nodded their head at their bushy-haired friend.

"Sure thing, and meet back in one hour," Harry confirmed. He quickly moved down the street to the bookstore to buy Hermione's present. There were a number of Hogwarts students in the shop and Harry poked around looking at the tons of books on display.

He finally found a book that he knew, in his gut, Hermione would like to read. '101 spells and enchantments for the young and talented' and 'The hardest guide to performing magical incantations'. It was perfect! He pulled out the right number of Galleons, gave them to the bookkeeper and left the store. He knew Ron didn't like reading, so he made his way down to the sweet shop, brought some sweets and headed to Zonko's to buy Ron something he knew he'd like.

Harry then went for a little search around Hogwarts to find something for Draco. Yes, he wanted to buy Draco a gift though he knew the blonde probably had everything. It was quite hard to find something Draco would like but he eventually found a few things. He got him a 34 Printing everlasting Moon Lamp which had two colours, white and yellow, and the only way to light it up was by tapping once on it. It reminded him of a muggle gift a little bit just because of its structure. The reason he got this for Draco is because he wanted to show the blonde just how beautiful the silvery moon was, and how unique his silver eyes were.

He also got Draco a Crystal Ball with a 3D solar system inside the glass and a silver stand to go with it. It was to remind him that their friendship meant more than the world to him. It's a little cheesy, and Harry knows this, but Harry won't tell him. It would be like a secret Santa. And for Ivy since he knows she likes witchery stuff he got her some tarot cards and a carved deer skull to put on a wall. Also, for Hermione, he got her a Clutch that looks like an old leather book and a red mug that says 'My books are my best friends', in white cursive letters. He got Ron a black wallet with little hand-stitched snitches on it and an O-shaped magnetic levitation globe with the Earth in the center of it. He just thought that Ron would like to see what the Earth looks like when spinning around and levitating inside a circle.

He hurried to meet Ron and Hermione at the Three Broomsticks. He just hoped Draco and Ivy would like their presents. The only thing that troubled him was how he was going to wrap it. Hermione was the last to arrive, carrying large rectangular packages.

"I am finally done at last!" She said with a smile and guided them through The Three Broomsticks until they found a seat together on the left side of the restaurant. "Harry, may I please use Hedwig to deliver my parents presents?"

"Of course, she'll be glad to get out and fly," Harry said and looked around the room. Draco was at a table on the other side of the room. Ron and Hermione had seen him also. Hermione gave Harry a knowing look. Harry looked down at his Butterbeer to hide the clear blush on his face from being caught staring. He felt the need to look up, so he did, Silver eyes locked with Emerald green and Harry smiled at the blonde Slytherin, Draco returned the smile and wriggled his fingers at Harry. Harry nearly fell off his chair from that gesture as he felt his cheeks burn a darker shade of red and looked back down at his Butterbeer.

Hermione giggled a little at her lovestruck best friend. She just enjoyed watching her best friend fawn over Malfoy. "Honestly, Harry," she whispered over the table to him in a low voice. "Just go on over and sit with him if you're going to stare at him like that."

Ron looked at her, then to Harry. He didn't hear what Hermione whispered to Harry from the chatter in the restaurant but shrugged it off as something unimportant and looked around the cafe. He glanced at Blaise Zabini, ignoring whatever weird warm feeling in his heart he felt as he looked at him.

Harry sighed, wishing he could do that so easily. It looked easy in his head. "Would anyone recognize Draco though? Would they notice me if I covered my scar," he whispered back to her. "I mean, he told me he doesn't want his father finding out in any way." He trailed off in thought and stared at the Slytherin dreamily.

Ivy glanced around the room for a familiar Gryffindor girl with dirty blonde hair who unfortunately didn't see her. Then she spots Harry looking at Draco and she smiled. She quickly nudged Draco on the shoulder and pointed over to Harry. "Harry keeps staring at you," she said in a low voice while smirking. She quickly puts the bags of presents she brought on the table furthest away from his so he wouldn't try peeking in.

"Yeah, and?" Draco asked her with raised eyebrows. He was uncertain what she wanted him to do about it. What could he do? He has a feeling Harry hasn't told Granger or Weasel about their friendship. Unless Harry did tell them, he wouldn't be mad at all. It's Harry's decision whether he wants to tell his friends or not and if he trusts them enough to not spill it out to the world. "What am I supposed to do about it?"

He was fiddling with the handles of the black bags he had his presents for his friends. He had shopped alone and made sure Pansy didn't sneak in and find what he was buying for her. Speaking of Pansy, she's still shopping. He brought her an engraved silver jewellery box with her name on it in golden letters. He got Blaise a Mystery gift box and hoped that whatever was inside Blaise will like. He also has a box of chocolates for him too. For Harry... well, that's a surprise. And last but not least he got Ivy an engraved black necklace that has 'Best Cousins Forever' on it in little silver letters.

Harry just realized he didn't know who his friends were taking to the ball, he looked up at Hermione with a grin. "So, Hermione, when are you going to tell us who you are going to the dance with? We are going to find out in three days anyway... And how about you Ron?"

"Honestly, Harry," Hermione said, a little shocked as he didn't seem to remember who she was taking. Well, who had asked her? She did tell him a few weeks ago. "Have you forgotten already?"

Harry shrugged and Ron snorted. He then sighed as he looked from Harry to Hermione. "Blaise Zabini actually asked me and I kind of panicked and told him I'm going with Lavender which then I had to actually ask her," he said and scratched his head a little, watching his best friend's surprised expression. "I'm going to ditch her anyway so I can talk to Blaise during the evening."

"Don't ditch her Ron, that's a little rude," Hermione said with a strict shake of her head. She just doesn't want her dormmate to become upset. "Instead, be mature and tell her you want to talk to your friends. It's an easy fix."

"I'll do that," Ron said with a nod. He didn't want to go with her or anyone really. He just needed a date to the Yule Ball so he could get in. "Although when I did ask her, she didn't seem to be pleased. I don't really care though."

Harry nodded at him while Hermione sighed a little. They eventually headed back up to the castle to wrap their gifts and give them to the house elves for them to deliver the presents on Christmas day.

*****

Due to the Yule Ball coming up as well as Christmas, many people had left Hogwarts to go celebrate the Christmas Holidays with their families. Only Harry, Ron, and a few other students had stayed at Hogwarts. Hermione was off with her family. Ron and Hermione both tried to get Harry to come to the Weasleys for Christmas, but he told them that he was fine and would like to stay at Hogwarts. Ron ended up staying with Harry for the holidays at Hogwarts. Harry knew Hermione would be back on Christmas day, but only for half the day to spend time with him. He knew that when the Yule Ball neared the students would start to come back.

Harry woke up with a throbbing arm due to him laying on it. He really didn't want to get up and head down to breakfast as he was feeling too numb too. He just wished he could sleep forever but something that kept him from doing just that was Draco and his new friend Ivy Black. Although, he didn't recall asking for her friendship, or even the other way around. Harry believed that Ivy probably thought that he was too much of a freak to be her friend even though she kind of had the same problems as him.

Harry sat up in bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes, feeling the stinging sensation in his arm. He looked around the dormitory with blurred vision and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and slid them onto his nose. He cast a silent "Tempus!" telling him it was around 5 in the morning on Saturday. He sighed sadly and looked over at his sleeping roommate Ron Weasley who was in the land of dreams. He wished he could have dreams instead of scary nightmares that kept him up all night.

Harry took another glance around the room; Ron was indeed asleep. He slowly lifted his Pajama sleeve up and over his elbow, the cuts he made a few nights ago were still there like always. He just stared at his cuts, remembering the conversation he had with Ivy a few days ago and how he told her about why he's been so depressed. Well, of course, he didn't tell her everything. As in, how he would get abused, where he got abused and when Dudley and his gang bullied him.

Harry decides that he should try the spell to make his cuts disappear just so he knows how to do the spell in case he needs it in the future. He twists his torso and reaches for his wand on his bedside table. He then looks back at his cuts and says goodbye to them as he points his wand at the cuts on his arm. "Vulnus Expleret", he whispers and sways his wand up and down his arm. It does nothing and he tries again. "Vulnus Expleret!" It doesn't work and he starts losing hope a little. He then tries one more time, swaying his wand up and down his arm which then faded his cuts and turned them into scars. It was intriguing to watch but he also missed seeing the fresh red cuts on his arms. At least he could cast the spell easily. It was a simple spell anyway.

He pulled his Pajama sleeve back down past his wrist and tucked himself underneath his bedsheets and tried to fall back asleep. However, he had no luck. He'd spend the day with Ron anyway so they're both not alone as not many students had remained at Hogwarts for the holidays.

He got up, dressed warmly in Dudley's old, oversized blue jeans and red sweater, grabbed his Gryffindor scarf too and crept down into the empty common room, looking down at the 7-foot-high fir tree filled with the familiar wizard decorations. He sighed miserably and stared under the tree, seeing loads of presents piled up underneath the dark green leaves. The Dursleys gave him depressing presents for Christmas, and even for his birthday. It was miserable. The only time he was given true Christmas presents was in his first year with Ron as he stayed at Hogwarts.

By the time it was breakfast time Ron had come downstairs into the common room, dressed warmly. "Let's go," his ginger-haired friend said, and Harry was brought out of his thoughts, looking away from the fur tree.

They headed down to The Great Hall, keeping their eyes on the sky in case Peeves had planted Mistletoe. Walking through the large grand doors, Harry saw the familiar 12 gigantic Christmas trees filled with wizarding ornaments and decorations. But what and who he didn't expect to see made him slightly happier. It was Draco Malfoy who was wearing a Slytherin green jumper with black jeans and Dragon leather boots. He had his Slytherin scarf hanging loosely around his neck and had a black beanie on his blonde head.

Draco wasn't alone. Ivy Black was next to him and was quietly singing Muggle Christmas songs. She was wearing a black Christmas sweater saying "Merry Krampus" with black leggings and her regular gothic platform boots. And on the other side of the table was Blaise Zabini who wore a dark green sweater and black trousers with black boots.

Harry made his way down the Gryffindor table and sat with Ron. He was looking at all the Seasonal breakfast foods the tables had on offer and decided on a plate of pancakes with maple syrup just so Ron wouldn't get suspicious of him not eating. He hadn't taken the second vial of potion yet though he knew he should have.

Harry looked up at Ron and sighed after quickly glancing at Draco. He hadn't paid attention to the few other students who stayed for the holidays such as a few Hufflepuff's in a big group, Ravenclaws in a small group of friends and Slytherins. He thought about telling Ron about the truce and decided he should do it now than later. "Um... Ron?"

Ron looked up at Harry with a mouthful of waffles. He chewed and swallowed it down so he could say, "Yeah?" He's been so hungry and caught up with eating food that he didn't see Draco staring over at them.

Harry took a deep breath and sighed. Here goes nothing. He just hoped Ron would take it well. "Have I ever told you about the truce I made with Draco?" he asked his best mate and watches as Ron's jaw suddenly parted. "I know it's shocking to hear..."

Ron looked at Harry then behind him at Malfoy who he noticed looking their way, he glared at the blonde. He ever thought the impossible was possible until now. Unless Harry was messing with him. "No," he muttered, and shook his head but then he saw Zabini and felt his face get warm. It was probably the fireplace doing that.

He looks back at Harry with a blank stare, "What's with calling him Draco instead of... you know, Malfoy?" The look Harry gave him told him that no lie or joke was being said.

"Well, we made a truce at the start of the year, we stopped using each other's last names when we talked to each other. I was hoping that I could go and sit with him and Ivy," Harry said and began stabbing his fork into the pancake in front of him on the plate. Every time the fork went through the pancake a 'clink' would be heard as it hit the plate. "I'm calling him Draco because it's his first name, Ron."

Ron thought for a moment about letting Harry sit over there with Malfoy. He didn't want Harry to go alone so he would tag along. "Okay then, we can go sit with them," he said but was unwilling to go. This was Malfoy they were talking about for Merlin's sake. "But if he says anything rude about my family or friends, I swear I will hex him to next week! The main reason I'm going to go sit with them is because Zabini's there and he's a cool dude."

"I'll make sure he doesn't, and thanks for understanding," Harry said and was glad Ron could put the differences aside for once. It was nice to know Ron was making friends with a Slytherin. His smile genuinely built as he looked over at the Slytherin table behind Ron. Draco was chatting to Ivy while eating jam scones and drinking what looked like Eggnog.

Ron smiled and waved a dismissed hand at him, hoping Harry was right and that Malfoy wouldn't start anything. "By the way, who's Ivy?" he asked as he once again began stuffing his mouth full of waffles.

Harry pointed behind Ron at the Slytherin table to a girl with Black hair sitting next to Draco. "She's the girl sitting next to Draco," he said and watched as Draco got some jam on his top lip. To his disappointment, he watched Draco use a napkin instead of using his tongue to get that jam off his lip. "She's really nice."

"Okay, I'll meet you over there soon," Ron said as he tried to finish off his waffles fast. He always wondered what Harry was up to since the beginning of the year as he would always go off somewhere and never return until class time. It worried him a lot, and if he knew Harry was with Malfoy, well, as long as his friend was happy.

Harry nodded, got up from his seat with his plate of pancakes and began walking over to the Slytherin table. He was glad there were only two Slytherins left behind otherwise it would be a little awkward. "Happy-nearly-Christmas, guys!"

Ivy looked up at the person approaching her and her cousin and smiled. "Happy-nearly-Christmas to you too, Harry!"

"Happy Christmas, Harry!" Draco said with a big warm smile and his cheeks became warm as he saw Harry's fluffy hair all messed up. He wondered how Harry could just leave Weasel easily and come over to sit with them. Harry would never have been able to join them without getting hexed by all the Slytherins if it wasn't for the Holidays.

"May I..." Harry starts, pointing to the seat next to Blaise and he looks to the floor awkwardly. This shouldn't be too hard. "Um, can I join you please?" He sounded a bit shy, and it only added when he saw Draco smiling at him.

Ivy nodded her head and Draco gestured for Harry to sit while Blaise just smiled and looked behind him like he was trying to find someone. "Of course, you can sit with us, Harry," Draco said a little boldly. Then he looked at the plate in Harry's hand and noticed it was pancakes. But the pancake hasn't even been eaten yet, but he could tell the poor pancake had been stabbed multiple times by a fork. He hopes Harry has taken the next vile ofmED Potion. "So, why isn't Weasel with you?"

Harry gave a little half smile as he sits down on the other side of Draco and Ivy next to Blaise and puts his plate of pancakes down. He then sees Ivy's phone on the table but thinks nothing of it. As much as he would rather Draco call Ron by his given name, or just Weasley, he doesn't mind if it's still 'Weasel'. Not unless it actually hurts Ron's feelings.

Ivy nudged Draco in the arm, a little worried about how Harry must be feeling when calling his friend, a 'Weasel'. "Draco," she hissed and fought to not hit him on the arm for being rude. "Be nice!"

"It's okay, you can call him that, I guess. He'll be here soon," Harry told them, even though he didn't know when Ron would come over to them. Maybe he chickened out and went to talk to someone else. "Just promise me you'll not start fighting, especially since it's nearly Christmas."

Draco nodded as a promise that he wouldn't start anything with the Weasel. But then that just leaves Weasel with not starting the fight with him. "Fine," he muttered and then looked at Harry a little seriously, pointing at Ron's ginger head by Gryffindor table. "Just make sure he doesn't start the fights. I'm only defending myself if he does or says something."

Harry smiled at Draco. He asked Ron not to and he trusts Ron to keep his promise. He just hopes both boys will keep their promises. "Oh, he won't," he told him with an honest tone, and a little sigh as Draco gave him a charming smile.

Ron came out of nowhere and sat down at the Slytherin table in between Harry and Blaise. He extended his arm over the table when he saw the girl he'd never seen before. Was she new to Hogwarts or has he not paid attention to anyone except for the Gryffindor's? "Hello, I'm Ron."

Ivy smiled at Ron and tried to make it as big as possible as she reaches over and shakes his hand. "Hello Ron, I'm Ivy," she says and after the handshake she grabs her fork and cuts mini slices into the strawberry jam scone. "Ivy Black."

Ron gave Ivy a questioning look, feeling like he knew that name from somewhere. He shook the thought off and looked down at the scones in front of him. "Nice to meet you, Ivy," he said and decides to give Blaise a smile.

Harry stared at the plate of pancake in front of him, feeling slightly sick just by looking at it. But he doesn't want to feel sick just by looking at food. He hasn't taken the next week of ED Potion that he brewed for himself in the library's secret room with Draco.

Draco saw Harry staring sickly at the pancake. He sighed and wondered when Harry last took the vial of potion when he should be having one every week. "Harry, are you alright?" he said with a worried smile. "I can make a few more vials of the potion for you."

Harry looked up at Draco, getting lost in the silver eyes that stared right back at him. "Yeah, I'm fine," he assured him with a little nod, and a smile that made Draco's heart flutter. "I have plenty left. When I do run out, we can make them together sometime. I'm sick and tired of not eating."

"Then eat," Ron mumbled and he reached for a long red and white peppermint candy cane in a woven white basket. He tried to take the candy cane out of its wrapping, but he found it hard to do. It seems he dismissed what Harry had said, that Harry and Draco had been hanging out and brewing Potion's together.

Ivy's smile shrunk back down to a frown as Ron said that. She knows how it feels to be in Harry's position, to not want to eat because it makes you feel sick. It sucks and she knows it. She then picks up her phone from the table and starts taking pictures of the large Christmas trees, the other students, and Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Ron for memories.

Blaise sighs at the Gryffindor trying to unwrap the candy cane. "Give it here, Ronald," he drawls and shows Ron his palm. The Gryffindor looked a little uncertain but eventually gave him the candy cane. Blaise easily unwrapped the candy cane in a matter of seconds and gave it back to Ron. "There you go. Now shut your mouth and suck on it."

Ron's ears turned a little red, and then his face, at what the Slytherin told him to do though he was going to eat the candy cane either way. He put the end of the candy cane in his mouth, blushing a little as the Italian Slytherin just stared at him, and so he looked away and ignored the weird feeling in his stomach and heart he was feeling.

Draco knew what he had to do for Harry. He had to feed him himself. "Harry, you need to eat," he said softly and decided to get up. He walked over the table, trying not to step on the plates of food, jumped down and sat beside Harry. He then grabbed a piece of toast and started buttering it with lemon flavoured jam. He ripped the toast carefully up into little bite-sized pieces and held one up for Harry.

"Um..." was all Harry managed to say as he stared at Draco trying to feed him food like a child. His blush returned to his face as he thought about letting Draco do this, and so he wanted this to happen even if it makes him seem like a child. It was sweet what Draco was doing but he could feed himself... just not right now. He wasn't hungry.

Draco rolled his eyes at him but smiled at the obvious blush on his friend's face. "Open your mouth, Harry," he orders and pokes Harry's bottom lip with the shred of toast. It was fascinating watching the bread push into Harry's lip a little. "If you won't feed yourself then I will."

"And if you're not going to eat that pancake I will," said Blaise as he reached under Ron's arms and grabbed Harry's plate. He didn't want to let it go to waste so he started cutting up his own pieces to eat.

Harry opened his mouth at the order and started feeling Draco place a little slice of bread inside his mouth. He started chewing, tasting the ashy taste the bread left but when looking at Draco's smile the taste changed to a really nice lemony flavour. He liked this really nice flavour.

Draco smirked a little and realized that Harry was actually liking the flavour of the jam. He did too. Lemon was his favourite flavouring in nearly everything. Some say it's weird, but he doesn't. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Ivy cupped her hand over her mouth and giggled quietly at the two oblivious boys in love with one another. She was just finding this so adorable, and she wanted to see more. She wanted to see some kissing but secretly, she didn't know that her cousin and Harry had kissed, and even a couple of times.

Ron stared at the two boys in shock. He had no clue what was going on except Malfoy feeding his best mate food. It was just... weird. But he admitted to himself that it looked kind of... adorable. But guys shouldn't be doing this...

Beside him, Blaise was smiling at the thought of him feeding Ron or even the other way around.

Draco grabbed another small bite-sized piece of toast and waited until Harry had finished eating the first one, then gave the next piece to Harry. It was amusing to watch Harry eat, though at times he had to look away because it would just be awkward having someone stare at you while eating.

Harry ate the piece of toast that he was given and blushed, he'd been staring at Draco's lips the entire time. He quickly looked up into those silver eyes he loves and grabbed a small piece of toast off the plate beside him and placed it in front of Draco's mouth. Two can play it that way. He'll eat the rest soon.

Draco felt his cheeks warm up and he slowly opened his mouth to let Harry put in the piece of toast. This was a twist for him. He didn't think this would happen at all. He already ate breakfast anyway so there's no point in eating anything else. But he did this for Harry just because he fed Harry first and probably embarrassed him.

Harry smiled a bit and grabbed another small piece of toast from the plate. He actually liked doing this. He then fed the next piece to Draco and watched as the blonde ate it. Draco grabbed another piece of toast and fed it to Harry just to finish off where he was getting at earlier. He wasn't going to let Harry control this situation. He made sure Harry finished the whole plate off, so he knew Harry had eaten something and had enough energy to function.

"Thanks, Draco," Harry said with an embarrassed smile and a flush crept across his cheeks. He cleared his throat and thought of Draco feeding him again, which actually didn't sound too bad. It's weird to admit but he likes Draco feeding him. It's like couples do except he and Draco aren't together yet. The thought of it put a smile on his face.

Draco gave Harry a charming smile at the green-eyed Gryffindor. He saw Harry had a little bit of lemon jam on his top lip and so he thought of something fun to do. "Harry, you have a bit of-," he said, pointing at the top left corner of his mouth which was in the wrong direction. He did that on purpose.

Harry wiped his hand over the top left corner of his mouth and looked down at his hand. He didn't see anything sticky on his hand but thought that lemon jam wouldn't leave a kind of mess or mark. "Did I get it?"

Draco smiled and shook his head, a little bit of mischief showed in his face which made Blaise quietly chuckle. "Here, let me get it for you," he said and reached his hand over to wipe his thumb over the top right corner of Harry's mouth. When the jam was now on his thumb, he popped his thumb in his mouth and sucked it clean. He kept trailing his thumb over Harry's top and bottom lip. "You know, you have a really pretty smile."

Harry blushed at the compliment as well as having Draco wipe his thumb over his lips made his heartbeat rapidly inside his chest. "T-Thanks, Draco," he said a little nervously and rubbed his hands down his pants to rid of the sudden sweat. "Um-, y-you have really pretty lips." If it was possible, his blush deepened as he just admitted something that he shouldn't have.

Ron knew what was going on, Draco Malfoy was flirting with his best mate. He tried not to snort so he quickly stole a few pieces of pancake from Blaise's plate and stuffed his mouth with it. He felt a little jealous, he didn't have that to do with anybody. Hell, the only guy he knew was attractive was Zabini but knew the wizard wouldn't be all mushy like that.

Draco felt his cheeks redden more knowing Harry just complimented him. And not just him, his lips. Merlin, now he just wanted to kiss Harry in front of Blaise, Ivy, and the Weasel. He should do it just to see Weasel's reaction though. But he didn't because... there were professors at the Professor's table, and he didn't want them to see. Not even Professor Snape.

Ivy just wanted to make voodoo dolls of Draco and Harry and just get them to make-out. She then started singing again, but in a softer voice. "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells. Jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!"

Draco and Harry just stared into one another's eyes in silence, but they dropped their gazes off one another as they didn't want their professors seeing, or the very small groups of students from other houses who stayed at Hogwarts for the Holidays. Being at each other's house table was risky but it seemed nobody really noticed that Harry Potter 'The Chosen One' had joined his "rival" at the Slytherin table.

Ivy sighed and tapped her fingers on the table with boredom. "Just kiss already!" she mumbled quietly enough so nobody could hear her as Ron and Blaise were talking amongst each other, and there was a little more chatter coming from the small groups at every other House table and the Professor's table.

Sooner than later, breakfast was finished and people either went back up to their dorms or stayed behind. It was a chilly month, so the students mainly went up to their common rooms to spend their day there. Harry, Draco, Ron, Blaise, and Ivy were the only ones left in the Great Hall.

-

Minerva McGonagall had watched Harry Potter cross the room and sat at the Slytherin table. At first, she thought the worst was going to happen, that she would have to separate two students who could start a fight. She noticed Harry began talking to the Slytherins as if he were friends with them, even Ron Weasley joined the table and began talking to the three Slytherin students. She knew from years of teaching students that anyone who tried to sit with the Slytherins would immediately get hexed, shouted at and sent to the Hospital Wing. She had reason to suspect the worst. She even watched as Harry talked to Draco Malfoy, his rival of four years, but they were getting along as if they were... friends.

"Severus," she whispered beside her, hands cupping her goblet of warm tea, "Should we be worried about where Mr Potter is seated? Whom is he conversing with? I'm surprised they haven't started throwing hexes at each other yet."

Severus Snape looked up from his Toast at his godson and Mr Potter. They were, in fact, having a conversation with smiles on their faces. Surely Draco remembers the talk they had earlier this year? The talk about being careful, that things in the world are changing, and how they should remain slow in this sudden friendship he has noticed has risen between the two. He had warned Draco that starting a friendship with Mr Potter would be dangerous, but he noticed how happier his godson was since befriending Potter.

"Give it a few minutes," he says coldly. "I'm certain something will start them up." He trusts Minerva. She is like a mother to him sometimes. He knows she wouldn't tell around what she's seeing between the two boys. Unlike the idiots who think it's fun to start spreading rumors about someone. He dislikes those people.

"If you're so sure," Minerva mutters, and she watched the Slytherin table closely as she continues to eat her Eggnog French Toast.

-

Ivy thought of something fun to do after breakfast. She loved having snowball fights and building snowmen and why not have some fun with everyone? It would be a great way to make friendships bloom. "Let's go outside!"

Draco looked outside the windows at the snow falling on the grounds of Hogwarts. Even looking at the snow made him shiver a little, but then the contact of Harry's hand touching his just slightly made him feel all warm inside. "Outside?" he asked with a disbelieving voice. "In this cold weather? No, thank you!"

"Why not?" Harry asked them and gave Draco a little nudge in the elbow with a smile. "We can use warming Charms, you know. We can cast them upon us before we exit out of the castle to wherever Ivy takes us."

"Alright, fine," Draco drawled and smiled back at Harry, just to assure him that he would come with them. He doesn't exactly want to miss out on anything fun that could happen if he doesn't go. Plus, Harry will be there, so he has some entertainment and someone to watch. "I'll come."

"Great!" said Harry happily, and he looked beside him at Ron who was in a conversation with Blaise about something. He didn't know what they were talking about, but he heard something about music and dancing. He looked back at Draco and Ivy. "Let's go. I'm guessing Ron's too busy talking to Blaise so we should leave them here."

"What?" Ron asked as he looked over at Harry, but Harry, Ivy and Draco were already getting up to go somewhere. He didn't want to miss out on anything fun, and he wanted Blaise to come too. "Wait for us!" He yelled as he got up, grabbing Blaise by the arm while ignoring the Italian's "WhOAh!" of being dragged away from the table and caught up with the three students.

Draco linked arms with Harry; it would look like they were a couple. There weren't Hogwarts students around them who would look at him and Harry walking together and think it was odd. It isn't every day you get to see two "rivals" walking together arm-in-arm. It means he could pretty much hold hands with him, but that would just make his cheeks burn with an obvious blush which he doesn't want anybody seeing. His pale skin can't hide a blush as well as Harry's lovely light honey-golden skin can.

Harry felt his cheeks warm up as Draco linked arms with him, and he tightened the grip a little as he enjoyed the warmth coming from the blonde. He walked with Draco out into the snowy grounds by the lake, frozen over with ice, they were following Ivy and where she was taking them. Harry remembered the last time they linked arms together, under the invisibility cloak after flying. It was an amazing night, even if he did wake up with a red face from windburn. One thing they haven't done is hold hands though.

"Eeeek!" Ivy squealed as she exited the castle front doors into the Courtyard and ran up to a mound of snow. She started rolling up balls of snow and then threw one at Harry and Draco with a mischievous smile.

"Hey!" Draco spat while shielding his face with his free arm while Ron and Blaise laugh gleefully at him. He quickly tightens his scarf around his neck. But then Ivy grabs two other snowballs and throws them at Blaise and Ron just so they know what it feels like.

"It's so on, Ivy!" Harry said, his voice rising with excitement, but he also found this quite challenging. He unlinked his arms with Draco and ran over to another mound of snow. He rolled some snow into a ball and threw it right at Ivy who ducked as she laughed and threw one right back at him, hitting him on the side of the neck. He groaned from the cold wet snow and rubbed his neck repeatedly to try and warm it.

Draco watched his two friends with a smile. He decided to join in with the two and make his own snowballs but got hit by a snowball from Ron and Blaise. Bloody Teams. In fact, when did teams come into this? "I'll get you two for that!"

Ron poked his tongue out at Draco while Blaise just smirked at him while hiding behind a tree. "Catch us if you can, Malfoy," Ron said with a grin and decides to run off in the opposite direction of Blaise just to try making his own snowballs.

Draco was going to throw some snowballs at Weasley but fought back the temptation, all he wanted was to be near Harry. He snuck behind a tree and found a big mound of snow. With a smirk, he rolled as much snow into balls and started chucking them at Ivy, Blaise, and Harry and ducking behind the tree, so they don't see him.

Of course, Harry felt curious to who threw those snowballs. He got hit in the face with one anyway and glanced at Ivy. He made another snowball and hit Ivy in the back as she was making more. He chuckled and watched her squeal because of how cold it was.

Draco, who was behind a tree, gathered up more snowballs and started throwing them at Harry. As soon as Harry looked over to where he was, he ducked down, and Harry snuck around the tree Draco was behind and hit him on the back with one of his own snowballs. The blonde fell into the snow.

"Gottcha!" Harry said with a chuckle and helped the Slytherin up from the ground. However, the blonde Slytherin had other plans as he pulled Harry down with him until they were both on the ground, Harry on top of Draco. They stared at each other, into their eyes though their eyes gradually looked down at the other lips and remembered the last time they kissed.

Harry blinks at the sight of Draco below him, so handsome and perfect with his high sharp jawline, glistening silvery-grey eyes, soft white-blonde hair, and a beautiful pink tinge to his cheeks. He smiles and looks around them, seeing no Ron, Blaise, or Ivy in sight. He looks back down at Draco and bites his lip.

Draco rolls his eyes at the Gryffindor who he believes is somewhat scared of others seeing them like this. He wanted to kiss Harry and wouldn't care if anyone saw it because all the other students and Professors were in the warm castle. The only people who will see him and Harry are Ivy, Blaise, and Weasel. He doesn't care.

He grabs Harry's sweater in one fist and yanks Harry down further towards him. Harry hesitates a little, knowing what the Slytherin wants and so he gives it to him. But first, his right hand came up and caressed the blonde Slytherin's pale cheek with a tinge of pink just to feel the softness of him, and to study his face close up.

"Merlin, Potter," Draco whispers, a little impatiently though he loves how Harry's caressing his cheek as it made butterflies flutter around his stomach and a sudden warmth spreads through his body. "Just kiss me already." He reached his hands up and wrapped them around Harry's neck, smiling as Harry started leaning down.

Harry just couldn't take not kissing Draco. Draco practically asked him to so he's not going to let this kiss go away easily. Excitement coursed through him like a new type of blood had been injected into his veins. Then he leaned down and watched silver eyes full of stars, and the moon, and silver diamonds flutter closely and it only made his heart start hammering its way out of his chest. The Slytherin leaned up a little until their lips connected, and Harry felt his heart skip a beat so he pushed him down a little to indicate Draco should lower his head back down, so his neck doesn't cramp and that's what he did.

Draco unconsciously tilted his head to the side a little to deepen the kiss. With one hand, Harry took the black beanie off Draco's head and let it drop to the ground and Draco ran his hands through Harry's messy black hair. They kissed more and more passionately by the second, and Draco's hand slipped under Harry's red sweater and up his spine. He felt a tremor go through Harry's body which excited him a lot at knowing his touches could do this to Harry.

Harry pulls away quite quickly as he hears the snow crunch in front of them, and he looks up. Blaise Zabini had crouched down and stared at them with an amused smirk on his face. The bloody Slytherin saw everything, but he doesn't really mind. "Y-You're not going to tell?"

Draco looks behind him at his best friend from Slytherin house and smiles. It seems that he and Harry had been spotted and watched after all. At least someone knows. But then again, he would have to tell Blaise that he and Harry had been kissing for a few weeks. It would be a nice conversation to have though.

"Your secret's safe with me if that is what you want," said Blaise and his smirk then turned into a genuine smile. "Draco, you owe me to keep my mouth shut." Draco nodded; he knew what Blaise wanted. A massage from the best in The Wizarding World. He can arrange that. Blaise nods back. "This was quite a lovely sight to see. I do hope you keep this up, but right now I believe you should get off each other before anybody else sees you."

Harry got up off Draco first and helped the blonde Slytherin up from the cold ground. They stared into the other's eyes for a moment, still holding the others hand until Blaise had to clear his throat with a smile and walk off.

Harry let go of Draco's hand and a blush spread across his cheeks. "Um," he says and presses his lips together, then he smiles at the event that just happened. He had kissed Draco again. He hoped there would be more kisses in the future. "That was... remarkable, Draco!"

Draco blushes at the compliment of how good he made Harry feel. "Yeah, it was," he said, his eyes glistening again, and he thought of what else to say since they were having a moment. "Harry, I really like you. In case you haven't already noticed since we've been snogging and hugging."

Harry just stares into those silver eyes. Those eyes looked at him in a way that told him something with deeper meaning. "Draco, I like-" But he was cut off.

"Harry? Draco? Where are you?" a female voice called out from a few feet in front of the tree Harry and Draco were behind. It was Ivy. "Oh, I bet they're trying to get me back for the snowballs and are teaming up with one another. Very funny, guys! If you can hear me."

Harry and Draco decide that they should make an appearance. But first, Draco reaches his hands up to Harry's cheeks and cups them while smiling. He caresses those soft cheeks gently which then he makes a split-second decision to pull Harry into a quick, random hug. He just hasn't gotten a hug from Harry in what feels like ages, and he misses them. They're like a hug directly from a warm comfy blanket.

Harry was a little surprised when Draco hugged him since they haven't hugged in so long. He wished hugs and kisses were recent things that happen nearly every day. Every day seems better actually. He digs his nose in the side of Draco's neck and smells that delicious scent of citrus. It was captivating and made it feel like he was nearly levitating a few inches off the ground. "You know, I still got you," he whispers into Draco's ear, and his breath ghosts on the Slytherin's neck as he hugs him back a little tighter.

It wasn't until Harry kissed his neck that Draco actually felt his pants tighten. But he knew it wasn't his pants doing it. He knew exactly what was going on, but he chose to ignore the feeling as much as he could. He blames it on Edwardo and the sodding git's horniness, and now because of him he gets horny easily and starts thinking dirty. Thinks dirty thoughts about Harry, only when Harry kisses his neck like he did or it's just the need he feels. He's learnt how to control these thoughts and needs though. He wants his, whatever he has with Harry, to go slow. Not to be rushed. "Oh, is that so?" He then asks and smirks at what this could come back to. It seems the snowball fight must happen again.

"I know so," Harry said with a sneaky smile and leans out of the hug though he doesn't want too as it's nice and warm and comfortable. He just knows Ivy and Ron would be looking around for them while Blaise, he hopes, is staying away from their location so he doesn't give it away. He then walks back around the tree to make himself visible to everyone.

Draco kneeled down and gathered up a couple of snowballs in his hands, ready for a snow fight. As Harry's back was turned to him, he took his chance and threw a snowball at Harry. It hit him right on the neck, and he hoped that it hurt a bit so he could go kiss it better whenever he's next alone with Harry.

Harry stood there frozen, feeling the cold snow hit his neck. Whoever threw that is going down in the snow. He shivered from the contact of the cold snow and turned around, seeing Draco with an armful of snowballs. "You- Sneaky snake!"

Draco gave Harry a half-smile. He enjoys riling Harry up a lot, but he makes sure it won't mentally hurt Harry, whatever mean thing he does or says. "It's part of the reason why I'm a Slytherin, Harry," he said boldly and throws another snowball at Harry. It just misses him when Harry ducks to the ground.

Harry rolled his eyes playfully and wiped the snow from his shoulders, scarf and front of his jumper. He wished he brought gloves with him. "Shall we sneak up on Ivy, Blaise or Ron?" He then asks just so the Slytherin will hopefully stop throwing snowballs at him.

Draco smirked at the thought of getting Blaise and Weasel back. "Weasel and Blaise for sure," he said, and he seemed to have a gleam of excitement in his eyes. "I'd love to get them back! Don't you want to, or have you not been hit by their snowballs?"

"His name is Ron, not Weasel," Harry corrected him, putting his hands on his hips. "And yes, I've been hit once or twice by Blaise and Ron. However, you and Ivy have hit me multiple times with snowballs so I believe I should be getting you back."

Draco steps back just out of wariness, knowing Harry could get him back in ways that he doesn't know of. "N-No, you shouldn't be getting me back," he stuttered a little and cocked his head to the side. But he knows that Harry is right. He and Ivy were the ones throwing the most snowballs. "It should be Blaise and Weasel. They deserve it!"

Harry crossed his arms over his chest, wanting to mention Draco's hate for Ron's family when they had done absolutely nothing. "Why do you hate the Weasley's so much?" he asked in a soft voice. "I mean, I know his family are apparently 'Blood Traitors', whatever that means to you but seriously. Why?"

"I don't hate them, Harry," Draco said in a quiet voice, and he shook his head. "They're blood traitors because they live with Muggles, live like Muggles. But I've come to realize that they just want to live happily. Can't stop them from living their own life." He gave him a little smile and squatted to the floor to begin making another snowball. He looked up at him, and a single snowflake landed on the tip of his nose. He didn't even bother to brush it off. "Shall we?"

Harry smiled at the snowflake on Draco's nose. It was cute. He then began helping Draco make snowballs, not forgetting about the fact that Draco had hit him with more snowballs than anyone else. "We shall."

The two boys snuck around the tree, carrying their snowballs and they glanced at each other as they saw Ivy making a snow angel. They grinned and began throwing their snowballs at her, trying to get her in the face.

"Hey!" Ivy yelled as she hid her face from the snowballs that were being thrown at her unexpectedly. She felt the cold snow on her face and shivered. "I'll get you!" she just made out in a shaky voice and looked over at the two people throwing cold snow at her. It was Draco and Harry. She quickly got up and started throwing the snowballs she hid to her side at Harry and Draco from the ground.

Harry ducked just in time, but Draco wasn't so lucky as it hit him straight in the face. Harry laughed and pointed at Draco who squinted his eyes because of the cold ice snowball. Draco sighed and sent a snowball at Harry but just missed as it flew over Harry's shoulder.

"Ha-ha!" Harry teased and smirked at the blonde whose white-blonde hair had snow on it. It was beautiful actually. But that would be cold, and he knows it. "Nice shot, Draco. You missed by a few inches."

Draco sent another snowball at Harry, hitting him right on the nose. He smiled as Harry started sneezing and he hoped that Harry didn't get any up his nose. He knows what it's like. "That was all karma, Harry!"

Ivy saw them and watched them with a smile. She hoped something exciting was going to happen, so she reached for her phone in the pocket of her jumper, turned it on and swiped through her apps until she came to the camera. She immediately started recording them, so she has videos to show Pansy when she gets back from the holidays.

Harry laughed and wiped the snow off his nose. He walked over, gave Draco a smile and reached up to brush the snow off his whiteish blonde hair. He ran his fingers through Draco's hair, loving how soft it is under his fingers. He remembered the times he ran his fingers through Draco's hair. The time when making the sleeping potion, he remembered Draco taking the sleeping potion and falling into a deep sleep. Well, that's what he thought. He remembered stroking the blonde hair and leaning in to kiss Draco as he lay there sleeping. He just wanted to kiss Draco again and feel those soft lips kiss his own again.

Draco closed his eyes as he felt Harry's hands in his hair, and he sighed because it was a nice feeling having Harry caress his hair. It was like a massage. Harry traced his hand down Draco's cheek, and his eyes trailed down to Draco's silvery eyes which opened and stared right back at him with passion and need. He watched as Draco's eyes looked down to his lips then looked back up again to his eyes again. They both felt the need to lean in and so they did.

"Bloody hell!" Ron dropped the snowballs he had, and they all fell with a 'splat' on the floor, crumbling to pieces. What he was about to see made him drop all the snowballs he was going to throw at Harry, Ivy and Malfoy. He was shocked, surprised but also confused. How did he not see this coming? He was told just this morning that the two had become friends. A truce agreeing to friendship, or even more.

Draco and Harry whipped their heads around and looked at a shocked Ron. They were only inches away from kissing and he interfered in their moment. They both took a startled step back from one another with blushes on their cheeks.

Ivy giggled at the two boys, she'd been watching them playing and come close to kissing. If only Ron hadn't come, they'd be kissing right now. She was just so excited to see her cousin and Harry have their first kiss together but that's just what she thought. Little did she know those two had already kissed and even a couple of times. She then pressed stop on the recording and put her phone back in her pocket.

"Mate?" Ron asked and hesitated, he looked over at Draco. He just didn't want to believe this. He couldn't. After three years of the rivalry, it has actually come to something new. He should have known. Malfoy teases and makes fun of Harry just to hide the fact that the git likes his mate "I swear Malfoy. If you did anything to him-"

"He didn't do anything, Ron!" came the infuriated voice of Ivy Black. She picked up a snowball from the pile of snowballs she made and threw a snowball at him. Then she began muttering something in French. "Comment osez-vous empiéter sur ce moment! Ne voyez-vous pas qu'ils allaient s'embrasser?!" (How dare you intrude on this moment! Don't you see they were going to kiss?!)

Ron looked at Ivy with utter confusion, not knowing what she was saying. To him, it sounded like Ivy had stuffed a ton of food in her mouth and was trying to speak. It was hard to understand but then he realized she was speaking French.

Draco, on the other hand, knew what his cousin was saying in French. He blushed redder - if that is possible. But at least nobody could understand her besides him and Blaise. "Tu sais que je peux te comprendre, non?" ("You know I can understand you, right?")

"Bien sûr, je sais que tu parles français, Draco," she said in her soft French-British accent. "Je le parle pour une raison." ("Of course, I know you speak French, Draco. I'm speaking it for a reason.") She sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a migraine start to come.

Draco sighed and walked up to his cousin. He has a feeling that she's getting one of those headaches that really hurt, and he doesn't want her going through that kind of pain. So, he hugged her. "Ne parlons pas français devant Harry, je ne veux pas qu'il se sente exclu." ("Let's not speak French in front of Harry as I don't want him feeling left out.")

Harry looked up at Draco as he heard him say his name. He wanted to know what Draco was saying and why his name was included in the conversation. Were they talking about something important that involved him? Then he noticed he liked how Draco was speaking a different language, hearing the British-French accent mixed together was beautiful.

Ivy wrapped her arms around Draco in the hug, thanking him by giving him a little squeeze. She adores hearing her cousin say how he doesn't want Harry to feel left out just by talking in French. "Très bien," she says with a little sigh. "Je sais combien tu tiens à lui, c'est gentil. C'est ta vie amoureuse." ("Alright, fine. I know how much you care for him, it's sweet. It's your love life.")

Draco nodded and ended the hug with her. He took a step back as he said, "Je connais. Merci." ("I know. Thank you.")

"Thank you for everything, Ivy," Draco repeated, but in English. He looked behind him at Harry and gave a smile. When Harry smiled back at him, he looked ahead at him back at his cousin. "And I mean it."

"It's no problem at all, Draco," Ivy said with a wave of her hand to dismiss the gratitude her cousin was giving her. She really didn't need it. Besides, she actually didn't do anything to help him. "It wasn't me who helped you at all. It was you, Draco. You've made it this far. I only gave you a suggestion. I'm so proud of you, Draco."

"What are they talking about?" Harry asked Ron beside him in a quiet voice, and he watched as Ron shrugged his shoulders. He sighed and wondered what Draco was thanking Ivy for, and why it seemed important.

"They're speaking in cousin," said Blaise and he walked forward to stand between Harry and Ron. He leaned back a bit to put snowballs on their heads just for fun and it seemed that the two Gryffindor's didn't notice or feel it. "I don't know what they're talking about either. Neither does Pansy at times so we just let them talk."

"Hey, no doing that!" Draco snapped at her as he leaned back from her finger trying to boop his nose. "Vous savez qui j'aurais préféré me tordre le nez." ("You know who I would rather have boop my nose.")

Ivy nodded with a little chuckle when she knew who exactly Draco would let boop his nose. She actually wanted to see the booping happen. "I know," she said and then leaned a little forward to whisper. "Now, go to him!"

Draco smiled and walked back over to Harry. He began to get a little nervous as those green eyes stared into his own eyes. "It was great spending time with you this morning, Harry," he said, giving Harry's arm a squeeze. He thought about possibly seeing Harry later today. "Ivy, Blaise, and I must take our leave back to the dungeons. Perhaps, we'll see you again today?"

Harry nodded slightly with a small smile; a bit sad that Draco must leave but he hopes he'll be seeing him soon. "Thank you for this incredible morning and I hope we will see each other again sometime today."

Draco leaned forwards towards Harry and gave him a kiss on the cheek in front of everyone, and he heard Ivy's giggles, but he chose to block them out of his hearing. "We'll see you then," he said to Harry and then walked back to Ivy, feeling the blood rush to his own cheeks from what he had done. "Désolé, je lui ai dit que nous reverrions bientôt," he whispered to her. "J'espère cependant que ce sera vrai." ("Sorry, I told him we'd see each other soon. I do hope that will be true though.")

Harry felt how warm his cheeks were and watched the two walking back into the castle. Then Blaise went after them right after he gave Ron a smile. Harry then looked over at Ron who was looking down at the ground, drawing something in the snow with his foot. "So...."

Ron looked up at Harry, not knowing what to say. He had witnessed a lot of things today and his best mate nearly kissing Malfoy was one of them. It surprised him; Harry surprised him.

"It's okay, Ron," Harry said with a gentle voice, hoping Ron will accept him. The thought of Ron thinking badly upon himself pushed him down into the darkness in his mind, but he tried bringing himself up into the light just in case Ron does accept his sexuality. "Just talk to me when you're ready."

Ron nodded hesitantly. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it as he had nothing to say. Not once in his life had he ever had to think about the fact that guys can like guys. He didn't think it existed until this year when he found out about Cedric having a boyfriend. Well, he has heard of men liking men for a while, but he has never thought of it ever.

Harry shook his head at his speechless friend, disappointed that Ron had nothing to say, so then he headed back into the castle. He was about to head up to the Gryffindor Tower when he caught three familiar people walking down a corridor towards the Dungeons. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Ivy Black. He jogged up to them but made sure he wasn't seen, and he pretended to come from the Grand Hall. "Oh, Hello again."

"Harry!" Draco said with a warm smile while remembering a minute or two ago that he kissed the boy's cheeks and about twenty minutes ago when he kissed those pink lips of his. He felt excited that Harry was here with him again. This would be his actual first Christmas Holiday with Harry and he hopes it won't be his last.

"Couldn't last five minutes without Draco?" Blaise smirked Harry's way. "Where's Ron?" He looked around the corridor in case the ginger was around. "Did you abandon him?"

"Shut it, Blaise," Draco gritted out with a smile, elbowing his friend in the side. Blaise winced and clutched his side. "I'm sure Harry didn't abandon w- Ron." It felt strange using Weasley's first name. He will probably get used to it if Harry wants him to call the Weasel by his given name. He would do literally anything for Harry.

"Harry, we were just heading down to the Slytherin common room," Ivy said, ignoring Draco and Blaise's comments. She wondered if she could get her cousin and Harry locked into a room together. She gave him a mischievous smile and wiped some snow off her black jumper which she had missed before. "Did you want to come?"

"I guess... but wouldn't I because I'm a Gryffindor not be allowed in your common room?" Harry looked at the red-cheeked Draco and smiled sweetly, finding Draco looked absolutely attractive. But to think about the rules of each Hogwarts House he is sure students aren't allowed to bring other students from other houses into their own House common rooms.

Ivy shrugged, not too sure if houses are allowed in other house's common rooms. But she would break a few rules since it's Christmas. "I'm not too sure, but we're the only Slytherins here so nobody would tell on us."

"Where is Ron?" Blaise asked Harry again as he didn't get an answer the first time.

"Oh, he just..."Harry trailed off as he remembered Ron being silent and speechless. He wished Ron could have said whatever was on his mind even if it could have hurt. "He wasn't really talking to me; I don't think he could talk. Guess he was a little shocked."

"Typical," Draco said with a nod which earned him a nudge in the ribs by Ivy. He grunted and rubbed at his side where she nudged him. It kind of hurt but he knew why she was like this: her mother. Her darn mother who he hasn't seen in a year and doesn't plan on seeing ever again.

"Anyway," said Blaise just to change the mood. He knew what Draco was feeling as it is why he doesn't really spend time with Ivy much. She's a nice girl but can be a little... nudgy and elbowy at times. "Let's head down to the Dungeons." The two other Slytherin's and the one Gryffindor nodded and started making their way down to the Slytherin dungeons.

Harry remembered the second year, tricking Draco with the Poly Juice potion to think that he and Ron were Crabbe and Goyle to try and find out who the Heir of Slytherin was. He half-smiled at the memory, nearly tripping over a loose slab of stone. Ivy felt like something interesting was going to go down, so she got out her phone and started recording her friends in secret.

Draco smiled at Harry, enjoying how he was so deep in thought and how he'd bite his lip and zone out. "Stop thinking so deeply, Harry," he just blurts out. "It's so distracting!"

Harry felt his cheeks start to warm up, knowing he was blushing, and the worst part was hearing Ivy getting the giggles and Blaise snorting at them. "Stop staring then!" he said in a loud but soft voice and rubbed the side of his neck, embarrassed.

Draco blushed and opened his mouth but all that came out were stutters, "I- I wasn't staring!" He smiled at the ground, realizing he and Harry are kind of flirting. He likes it though. "I just notice things..."

"Yeah, right," Harry said in a teasing way with a roll of his eyes. He saw Draco looking at him, which he really liked seeing. Then he winked at Draco when saying, "Like how you notice how pretty my smile is."

Draco's blush deepened in colour, his mouth parted, shocked that Harry would say that out loud in front of his friends. He couldn't control his emotions or what his body was doing when Harry was talking to him. "I-..." And then he pointed to the wall in front of them. "We're here at last!"

Harry was about to say something to tease Draco more but realized that they were already in the dungeons at the entrance to the Slytherin common room. He remembered the memory, following Draco into the common room as Crabbe and Ron as Goyle.

Blaise muttered the password under his breath and the secret passageway opened, revealing a green-lighted common room. As much as he likes hearing Draco and Harry flirting, he would rather get back up to the dorm and read the book about the latest fashion trends his mother got him. Ivy smiled at the recording as she will definitely show Pansy this and show Draco later with Pansy so they can tease him about it. She stops the recording but keeps her phone out in her hands.

Harry walked into the common room behind Draco and Ivy, memories still fresh in his mind from the second year. The common room was exactly how he remembered it. Long and Low, green lanterns hanging from the stone ceiling, black and green furniture, gigantic arched windows looking into the black lake, skull candles on every black architecture table and a fire burning in the ginormous fireplace. It was nothing like the Gryffindor Tower he was used to being in. He followed the two Slytherins to a familiar set of black lounge chairs while Blaise seemed to disappear behind them. Harry stared at the lounge chairs before him, Draco sat on the same one he did in the second year and Ivy sat on the other.

Draco gestured to the Gryffindor to sit down with a pat of the lounge cushion beside him. He's thankful the flirting stopped, but he'd rather flirt with Harry for real when they're alone. He just doesn't know when the next time he'll be alone with Harry. "Harry, you can sit down if you want. The chairs are not going to eat you up."

Harry sat down next to Draco in a side-sit position and was a little closer to him. They were almost touching elbows. "I know that," he said quietly, a little uneasy from the memories of the second year. "So, may I ask why you guys stayed back for the Christmas Holidays instead of spending it with your family?"

Ivy shifted in her seat, finding it uncomfortable. She didn't like telling people why she'd rather be at Hogwarts, even if Harry and Draco knew of her problems with her mother. She'd like to spend her Christmas at Malfoy Manor, but she doesn't want to cause any trouble to Mr and Mrs Malfoy by staying there and having one more mouth to feed.

Harry noticed Ivy's reaction and frowned, knowing the answer to his questions. He looked beside him at Draco, wondering why he was at Hogwarts instead of being with his family. "Draco, why aren't you spending the Holidays with your family?"

Draco smiled and looked over at his cousin. Right now, at this instance, Ivy was his family since his parents were a little busy for their own reasons. "Ivy is my family, Harry," he said, and his smile widened as his cousin smiled back at him.

Then Harry smiled as he loves the way Draco thinks about his family like that, and then there's him who doesn't have a family that loves him. He's just an orphan. A sad, depressed, Orphan. "I meant why aren't you staying at your house with Ivy for the holidays?"

"I know what you mean, Harry," Draco said and rubbed his arm a little sadly. "Ivy and I aren't at Malfoy Manor because my father is always busy with work, even during the Holidays. I did spend the first few days of the holidays Owling my mother, she Owls me back. She usually spends Christmas with her friends. It's always been like that; I don't mind it though because I get to spend the rest of the week with my friends and favorite cousin."

"Oh, I'm sure you get bored of having me around," Ivy said and flicked her hand at them. But she also gave them a sad nod as she knows she's not very liked in her classes by the other students her age. "I know I'm a little boring to others."

Draco shook his head, not believing anything she said. "No, not at all," he says with an assuring tone. "You're lovely to have around. You're my one and only cousin. Besides my other cousin who I've never met before and is a few 10 years older than you."

Harry nodded, agreeing with Draco about Ivy being a wonderful friend. "He's right, you know," he says in a soft tone. "You're a lovely girl, and lovely to be around."

Ivy flushed at the compliments. Compliments she knows she doesn't deserve but must believe in her cousin and Harry. "Thanks, guys," she said as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ears. "You're both amazing to be around."

"Thanks, Ivy," Harry says gratefully with a smile. Draco nods his gratitude, staring at Harry's smile.

Ivy smiled at the two boys. "We should play a game," she then said and thought of the perfect game to play. She wanted to see some action.

"What kind of game?" Harry asked curiously while he was looking down at the skull on the table in front of him and Draco. It was an odd decoration to have, but then he notices the candle inside it. Skull candles he hasn't seen in a while.

"I'm not sure," Ivy said and shrugged though she had a game in mind. A game in which she'll see what she wants to see with one simple word. "Truth or dare? Never have I ever or Exploding Snap? Christmas editions, of course!"

"Truth or Dare," Harry said and wonders just how daring these Slytherin's can be. He's heard of the Dares Fred and George do with the other sixth and Seventh years and they can get pretty weird. He's heard George ask someone to lick someone's shoe, to chew on someone else's chewed gum, and to get someone to take off one piece of clothing from someone else.

"I'll start," said Ivy and she immediately looked at Harry, smirking. She wondered how far the Gryffindor would let her go with this game. "Truth or Dare, Harry Potter."

Harry sighed. Decisions, decisions. Either risk doing something bad or stupid or admitting something personal. He's going to go with Truth because he knows Ivy won't go too far into asking him very personal questions like what his home life is like. "Truth."

Ivy smiled at him. She'll start with something easy, of course. Then after a while she'll get to the hard and fun stuff. "Ever been in a relationship before?" she asked him, though she didn't want to find this out just by herself. The question was for Draco to hear.

Harry shook his head and said, "Nope." Not once has he considered going out with someone in the past. He just doesn't think he's attractive or fit enough for people to like him that way. He looked at the blonde Slytherin next to him. "Draco, truth or dare."

"Um..." Draco said and looked up at Harry, deep in thought on which to choose. Should he risk it or not? Since Harry chose Truth, he decided to play Truth as well. "Truth."

Ivy rolled her eyes at him. Some would consider saying "Truth" as smart but in reality, it doesn't work that way. Who knows what hard truth could be said that Draco wouldn't want to say and admit? Like his not-so-obvious crush on Harry of course!

"Have you ever been in a relationship before?" Harry asked him. He just had to know. It was important to find out if his friend he really likes has liked and been with someone before. He felt like he was holding his breath when waiting for Draco to answer the question.

"I- er." Draco looked directly at Harry, and Harry smiled. He didn't know if he could do it, mentioning Edwardo Bullen. After all, it was a part of his life that he didn't like to admit or tell. He only really told Blaise, Ivy and Pansy about it earlier this year. He will tell Harry when he can.

Ivy groaned. She had to save her cousin. If Draco wanted to tell Harry about Edwardo, then he could do it when he was ready. "Okay, no..." she says seriously. "You have to ask the person a different question and not the same one you were asked." She then hesitated and sighed at the two boys. "Harry, ask Draco another question. After, Draco, it'll be your turn."

"What's your family like?" Harry then asked Draco. He wanted to know more about Draco's family. He knew Draco's father had a terrible temper from what had happened in his second year after Harry had slayed the basilisk. He was certain that Lucius Malfoy was going to attack him right in front of Dumbledore. It wasn't hard to imagine what Draco's father was capable of in his own home with no one to stop him. "Don't need to go into complete detail, just anything about them."

"My mother doesn't work, she stays at home most of the time," Draco begins to tell him as he leans back against the leather couch. "She's lovely. I'm certain she'll like you, Harry. She loves shopping and visiting Paris and other places around the world. She likes to paint and garden in her spare time. She has a few greenhouses at the back of our Manor."

"And your father?" The air around them stilled, Harry thought he must have said something wrong as he watched Draco closely. He felt a pang of dread, wondering if Draco's home life was ok. "I'm sorry, Draco. You don't have to answer-"

Draco waved a hand of dismissal, "My father's away from work a lot of the time. I don't see him often which, I admit, I prefer."

Hearing this concerned Harry. He always prefers Vernon to stay at work. He regrets in the afternoons waiting for the man to get back from work. "Why do you prefer him being away?" Ivy nods; she was intrigued too. Harry would have thought she knew about Draco's life outside of Hogwarts.

"He gets into these...rages when he comes home from work," Draco admits after a minute, shoulders sagging. He hopes that because he's telling Harry this, the Gryffindor will warm up to him and maybe tell him about his life and why he has off days. "I know not to ask about his day and what happened because when I've asked in the past he has hit me."

Harry knew Lucius was cruel, but he didn't think he'd be that cruel to hit his son after a bad day at work. He understands Draco. "Same," he decides to say. He couldn't let Draco feel like he was alone. Ivy and Draco looked up at him, alarmed. "When my uncle gets home and it's been a bad day, he does take it out on me."

"In what way?" Draco asked immediately. He remembered what Harry told him earlier in the year, how he gets locked up in his room by his uncle, and now Harry's admitting that the uncle of his takes his anger out on Harry. Now he knew there was definitely something up with Harry's mental health that involved his family. It sounded like abuse, but he had to make sure, he couldn't just assume the worst. "What-"

"Draco!" Ivy said at once, and when he glanced at her, she shook her head firmly at him. "Leave it." She looked at Harry softly, "Do you have someone to talk to about this, Harry? Not just a friend. How about Professor McGonagall? Or a therapist or psychiatrist?" Harry shook his head. "There are places in both wizarding and Muggle world who can help you. You both should look into it."

"My father doesn't hit me like that anymore," Draco protested quickly. He realized what he said and looked at Harry apologetically. Ivy raised an eyebrow at him, and Draco leaned his back onto the couch, sighing slowly through his nose. "Harry, is your uncle still taking his anger out on you still, as you mentioned?"

Harry looked at his trainers and fiddled with his fingers. "Can we skip this topic, please?" he asked quietly with a frown. "It's close to Christmas after all. Maybe another day we can talk about this heavy stuff."

"Harry's right," Ivy stated with a nod. " Draco, it's your turn."

Draco looks at her. He wanted to find out more about Harry's home life. "Ivy, Truth or Dare?"

Ivy wanted to spice the game up a little. But by a little, she actually means a lot. So, she said with pride, "Dare."

Draco sighed and tried to think of a dare for her. What could he make his cousin do, that's appropriate of course? There were so many options to choose from. "I dare you to..." He noticed Ivy's phone in her chest pocket of her sweater and smirked. "I dare you to stay off your phone for the rest of the month."

Ivy laughed as this was going to be so easy. She never really uses her phone unless she plays games offline like crosswords or Colour-in puzzles to calm her mind. "Alright, it sounds simple enough." She looked at the Gryffindor who was staring at her cousin and she smiled, "Harry, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," Harry responded just as she finished asking him. He wants to at least play fair. Not just saying Truth. He knows Truths can get boring, unless Draco's the one saying the Truth then it does get interesting, and he gets to learn more about his favourite Slytherin. Perhaps he'll keep the family-related questions out of this game.

"I Dare you to..." Ivy trailed off and hesitated, then she grinned at her cousin, knowing a perfect dare. "To compliment your best friend." She watched as Harry raised an eyebrow at her, and she smiled. "I meant Draco, Harry. Compliment him."

"Oh," said Harry who now gazed at the handsome blonde Slytherin beside him. He looked at Draco up and down, noticing the rosiness of the blonde's cheeks as he did so. Cute. Undeniably cute. He couldn't decide what to compliment as there's so much to compliment.

Draco blushed when noticing Harry was looking him up and down, like the Gryffindor was checking him out. He really likes getting attention from Harry.

Harry swallowed. His stomach was overwhelmed with the intense butterflies fluttering everywhere. There was just so much to compliment about Draco. His hair, lips, eyes, face, body... Okay, maybe that's a little too far. "You have really pretty eyes... very silver, like stars shining in the night sky."

Ivy snorted and fell backwards into a fit of laughter. This was hilarious! Harry had just complimented her cousin's eyes by saying they're very silver and that they're pretty. Not that she doesn't think silver is a nice colour as it is a Christmas colour. But her cousin's eyes aren't silver. "His eyes are grey, Harry. Not silver, but okay."

"Oh," Harry drawled, tilting his head to the side. No, they were silver to him. He blames it on his terrible eyesight and glasses. "Same thing."

"No wonder you're so blind, Harry. Silver?" Draco's face reddened even more from the compliments, and Harry snorted at the insult. His pupils dilated and he licked his lips as he looked down at Harry's lips that he wanted to moisten by kissing him. He swallowed and said, "You, Harry, have really pretty emerald, green eyes."

Now it was Harry's turn, he felt a blush rise onto his face. Draco wasn't meant to compliment him. He then smiled when realizing there was still a game to play. "Ivy, Truth or Dare."

"Truth," Ivy said immediately and smiled sweetly at the two blushing boys.

"Ever had your first kiss?" Harry asked though he knew it was a lame question. But it was also a really popular muggle question, as he remembers. He just wants to keep the game going. Plus, he is learning more about Ivy too. "You don't have to answer that question. What's the silliest reason you got detention for?"

Ivy nodded at the questions. "First kiss was with a muggle girl," she admitted with a smile. "I met her out in a café one day. When my mom was out doing business things, I had the day to myself, so I decided to head out into the world and do some exploring. She was my first girlfriend, actually."

"What happened?" Draco had to ask. He had never heard of this story before. It seems he still doesn't know his cousin much. He swore if this muggle girl did something to his cousin like break her heart...

"She was curious as to why I kept a drumstick, which is what she thought my wand was, in my long boots every day," Ivy said, looking down at her palm and began drawing swirls with a finger into her palm as she remembered the distant memory. "That was until she caught me levitating a piece of toast in the air while a butter knife spread honey jam on it. Let's just say... I had a lot of explaining to do."

Harry and Draco both nodded. They wouldn't know what it would be like in that kind of situation. Yes, Harry's accidentally used magic in front of his relatives, but that was because he was angry. Really angry, as he remembers it all.

"Anyway," Ivy said with a sigh, wanting to forget that right now. "I've never gotten a detention before. Ever. I'm a goodie-two-shoes." She glanced at her cousin with a smirk on her lips. "Draco, Truth or Dare."

Draco puffed out his cheeks, earning a little chuckle from Harry which he smiled at him for. "Dare," he said easily and now wondered what she had in mind. Would it be simple or hard for him? Would she have him do or say something?

Ivy began to love this current situation and game now. She could get him to do and say anything. She opened her phone to press the record button again and she placed it down on the skull candle, so it was leaning on it and the camera was facing Harry and Draco. She walked around the table and leaned towards her cousin to whisper in his ear. She smiles and goes back to the other couch, grabs her phone, and zooms in on her cousin and Harry.

Draco smiled. He really wants to do it in front of her since he and Harry have kissed multiple times. He glanced down at Harry's lips.

Ivy grinned at him and thought that her cousin was actually going to do this. It was making her excited, and the excitement pulsed through her veins.

Harry stared at them both curiously with furrowed eyebrows. He didn't know what was going to happen. He suddenly sat up straight and his body automatically faced Draco.

Draco swallowed. This was it. He crawled closer to Harry and leaned closer, heart beating wildly in his chest and those butterflies came back to his stomach and fluttered around. Harry felt his heart skip a beat; Draco was only inches from him. "Kiss me, Potter."

Harry blinked, and he stared into silver orbs which he saw galaxies of stars and shiny crystals. Or maybe they were grey. Harry really couldn't tell the difference between the colours.

Draco smiled slightly as he leaned his forehead on Harry's, and that's when his heartbeat decided to quicken its pace as Harry's emerald, green eyes brightened at the thought of kissing again. Instead of them just kissing alone, they had company but chose to ignore her. His lips were so close that Harry could have easily leaned in the rest of the way and kissed them, and the thought filled his belly with butterflies.

Draco's hand comes up to Harry's cheek, and his other moved up his arm. He trailed his fingertips on Harry's forearm, barely even touching Harry's skin and Harry's just lucky that he performed the Vulnus Expleret spell last night. The touch made Harry shiver. He felt Draco's breath on his lips and Harry closed his eyes, cherishing the moment and then Draco leaned in closer and parted Harry's lips.

The kiss was gentle at first, as Draco didn't know if Harry wanted to be kissed in front of anyone yet but then it got firmer as Harry didn't pull back. They couldn't even hear the soft sobbing coming from the other couch where Ivy was. Draco's hand went behind Harry's neck and pulled him closer to his face, the other hand lying on the couch.

Harry's hands wrapped around Draco's neck before he could even think about anything. This is what he wanted. Harry wanted nothing else besides Draco Malfoy. It was the kind of kiss that was so intoxicating your brain couldn't handle thinking about anything else. They only broke out of the kiss when they needed to breathe, and Draco briefly basked in the image of Harry's heavy-lidded eyes and black messy hair before their lips met again. Harry deepened the kiss, pulling Draco on top of him so that his legs were straddling Harry's. It was so much and not enough all at once. Louder sobbing only broke them out of the kiss, and they turned their heads to look at Ivy who was sobbing happily and fanning her face with a hand while the other hand still held her phone and it was recording.

"I guess we should tell her that this isn't our first kiss together," Draco says as he leans back so that Harry can sit up. Then he hears and sees Ivy sobbing harder but still with happiness. He smiled at her, glad he and Harry could make her happy.

"I can't believe you never told me this," Ivy sobbed, and she wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her black jumper. But that didn't matter right now. She sniffed and looked at them with a smile. "I can't wait until I tell Pansy this. This has made my day. This is the best early Christmas present ever, guys. Thank you."

"I guess you're welcome, Ivy," Harry says and as he sits up, his hand finds its way to Draco's, but he quickly brings his hand back to his lap. Like Draco could sense his need, he reached for Harry's hand and intertwined them together with a smile. Harry's a little surprised at the meeting of hands, and he smiles. But then he sighs as he really shouldn't leave Ron alone during the holidays. "I think I should... erm... head back. I don't want to leave Ron alone."

"Oh, we understand, and you better go find him," said Ivy softly but also a little seriously as she knows what it is like being alone on the Christmas holidays. She stopped the recording and placed her phone on the table. "That's actually an order. Nobody should be alone before Christmas. I hope we see you again today."

"I hope so too, and I'll see what I can do," said Harry and he looked at Draco. He decides to stand up so he's ready to leave them to find Ron. "Oh, and I can't wait to go get that Butterbeer with you, Draco." It was to remind the blonde of what he asked him. "When you're ready, of course."

Draco smiled and nodded as Ivy yelled, "What?!"

"Um... perhaps ask Blaise if he would like to hang with Ron for a while too," Harry suggested, then shrugged. He didn't know why Blaise disappeared on them. The bloke shouldn't be alone either. "Those two get along quite fine, and if I do hang with one of you today again, he will have someone else to be with besides me."

"That's sweet of you, Harry," Draco says softly, and he stands up too. "Let's go..." He placed a hand on Harry's back and led him to the exit of the common room and when they were out of Ivy's hearing zone. "I hope to see you at lunch, Harry."

Harry scratched the back of his neck as he smiled. " You will, Draco. I'll be there." He looked down at his trainers for a moment, then his eyes met Draco's gaze. "Do you think we can meet each other in the Library's Secret Room on Christmas Eve? I want to give you your presents." He knew they wouldn't be able to meet like they did today as he knew students would be coming back for the Yuletide Ball tomorrow afternoon. He wants to spend some quality time with Draco alone.

"Then I can give you your presents," Draco said, nodding his head, smiling at him. "I can give you Ivys too. What time would you rather?"

"Around ten?" Harry suggests. He felt glad Ivy got him something for Christmas as he got her a few things.

Draco nodded, "Sounds like a plan." He'd just have to escape Pansy as he knew she'll try bombarding him with questions once Ivy tells her about today.

Harry nods. The thought of being in that room alone with Draco while the fireplace heats the room sent warmth all through him, and he feels excited for the future hours of today and tomorrow. "I'll see you then."

Draco smiled at Harry and stepped forward, his arms finding their way around Harry's sides, and he leaned forward. "Happy-nearly-Christmas, Harry Potter," he whispers before pressing his lips hard against Harry's.

Harry blushed and nipped at Draco's lower lip, and it wasn't until Draco leaned away that he wanted those lips back on his own to kiss them and keep them warm. "Ditto, Draco Malfoy."

Draco pressed his lips together, then winked at Harry and brushed a few strands of Harry's black hair out of his eyes. "You really do have a beautiful smile, Harry."

Harry felt as though he was as red as a tomato. "Thanks, Draco," he says a little softly and looks down to the floor, smiling happily. "You do too." He bit his lip and looked back up at him, "I need to go."

Draco nodded. He wished Harry didn't have to go. Couldn't he stay? It would be marvelous having another person to spend even Christmas with. "Alright, I'll see you at lunch then."

"Yeah, see you then," Harry said and decided he should walk away now, and so he turned around and did just that. He glanced back at Draco for a second who waved goodbye at him and then he proceeded back to Gryffindor Tower.

As soon as Harry left, Draco turned around with a smile and went back to his cousin who had been watching him and Harry for the whole time, and she was recording them again, but he pretended he didn't notice. He sighs happily and collapses on the couch he and Harry were seated on together. "This has been the best Christmas Holidays ever, and it hasn't even finished yet!"

"I know!" Ivy says and beams at how happy her cousin looks. It's a real treasure to see her cousin in love and so elated. "So, how long have you two been secretly snogging? Where do you kiss each other if not in the corridors of Hogwarts?"

"We've been kissing since the second time he and I went flying," Draco told her and smiled at nothing while his cheeks glowed. He told her everything but he couldn't exactly tell her about the secret spots, so he made up a place in his head. Behind a tree. "And I noticed how the sun shone in his eyes, making his eyes shimmer and I couldn't take it. So, I kissed him then."

Ivy got the giggles when listening to the story. She could actually see the scene in her head, and it excited her. "Now, are you already secretly dating?" Draco hesitates for a moment before he shakes his head, and she sighs. "Right. Didn't Harry mention something about Butterbeer?"

"Yes, after the first task Harry asked me if I'd like to get Butterbeer with him," Draco admits to her and Ivy's dark eyes widen in surprise. "I said yes, of course. He took into consideration my thoughts too, how I don't want anyone to recognize Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy - rivals - having Butterbeer together and getting along as friends. Or more if they pick up on our body language. I don't need Father to hear about Harry and I too."

"That's quite generous of Harry, thinking of you first," Ivy smiled, looking back down at her palms again. "What have you two planned? If you're going to go on a date with him, you'll need a plan. I could change your or his hair colour, or put a disillusionment charm on one of you."

Draco stiffed at the mention of his hair and changing it to a different colour. He shook his head tensely, "We have a plan, yes, which doesn't involve dying one's hair or making the other look like a completely different person."

"Oh? What is the plan?" Ivy had asked, curiously leaning forward. "If there's any way we can help. By 'we' I mean Pansy, Blaise and I."

"Harry asked me not to tell," Draco said and gazed off at a creepy skull candle that lay on the table between the couches he and Ivy sat across from. He didn't think Harry would want anyone else to know about the Invisibility cloak. It's like how Ivy doesn't want anyone to know of her fangy secret, besides the people that matter to her. "Maybe he'll tell you one day. You should tell him about your secret too."

Ivy shrugged. She then tilted her head to one side, listening to the sounds of the common room, and she sniffed the air. "How about a round of exploding snap... Blaise?" She turns to look at Draco's friend.

Blaise had just entered back into the common room from the dorms, glaring at her. "I dislike it when you do that, Ivy," he stated and joined Draco on the couch, facing her with a bitter smile. "One would call it an invasion of privacy."

Ivy snorted and sent a wave of confusion into the air towards him, her dark eyes flashing blood red, pupils dilating.

Blaise blinked as he realized what had happened. What she did. "How dare you!" he snapped with a hard smile at the young woman with red eyes. She doesn't show her true form when around all other Hogwarts students, only the few she's friends with.

Draco summons the playing cards with a smile, agreeing on the game to pass the time. Those two can fight some other time. He wanted a challenge.

-

Harry strolled through the castle, trying to find Ron but he just wasn't anywhere to be found. So, he decided to just head back up to the dorm room. He collapsed on his bed with a smile. Months ago, he would have bitterly laughed at the thought of being able to actually smile. To be in love and worth something.

He cupped his hand over his mouth and sighed, remembering how soft Draco's lips were on his own when kissing him. Harry had to admit that this was the best Christmas he'd ever had. Even if it's only been a couple of hours spent with Draco and Ivy. Mostly Draco.

He heard footsteps; they were entering the dorm room. He sat up and stared at Ron Weasley who walked in and looked to be deep in thought. "Ron," he said, still wondering if he was getting the silent treatment "Um... about what you saw earlier..." Harry felt quite awkward right now. If this was going to be how he'd come out to Ron, then so be it.

Ron looked at him for a moment, really wondering if Malfoy had put a spell on his best mate. "Forget about it, Harry," he said, gesturing to Harry to stop the conversation with a wave of his hand. "I think I may have been seeing things..."

Harry frowned. What did he mean he was seeing things? He knew very well that Ron was there when he and Draco were inches away from kissing. Just the thought of kissing Draco again sent pleasurable shivers down his spine, and it spread some sort of light through his body that he felt as if could chase away his depression. "Ron... do you accept-" But it was too late for Harry to finish the sentence as Ron had already walked out of the room.

Ron was confused. Very confused. What was happening to his best mate? Or, in fact, what was happening to himself? He had grown up thinking that liking the same gender was bad. That it was unnatural. But now, that he's seen his best mate nearly kiss his rival? That was something new to see. He didn't know what to think or feel as he sat down in one of the armchairs in the common room and stared at the roaring fireplace that heated up the room. He even admits there are a couple of blokes he knows who are ... handsome. But wasn't that normal to think another bloke was handsome?

What is it like with girls? He's heard Ginny call a few girls 'Pretty' and 'Beautiful.' So, it is normal, right? It's just a word, isn't it? Just a word? Then the thought of Blaise Zabini popped into his head. He groaned. He was never able to get the Slytherin out of his head at times. It was bloody annoying. It was like Slytherin was trying to take over his own mind. It got to the point where he just wanted to shout at the Slytherin and tell him not to try and Imperio him.

He does admit that Blaise is incredibly...handsome. He had had a few dreams where he kissed the bloke but thought that he was just confused and needed to have a drink of water. But even after having a glass of water, the bloke fought his way back into Ron's head. Ron was even thinking of having a chat with Fred and George about this since they are older and possibly know a lot more about adolescence and growing up.

But he doesn't want to in case his older brothers think he's some kind of... what's that word? Lesbian? No, Prick? No... What was it? Poof? Ah, yes, a poof. He didn't want to have to be called that by his brothers. It's just... He doesn't know but it would hurt him. Bloody Hell! What would Ginny even say about it? What about Mom and Dad? What about Percy, Bill, and Charlie? Well, Percy was the one who put the thought in his head that being ... What was it? Gay? Yes! Percy was the one who told him that being gay was wrong. But was it wrong? Was it wrong to like the same gender? This was a tough thought for Ron as he remembered exactly what Percy told him.

Ron was ten years old at the time when he was peeking into Ginny's bedroom one cold Sunday morning in January, and Percy had just finished reading Ginny a fairytale book. Ron recalled hearing about the prince and his secret friend who was a slave in the book. When the prince and the slave were staring at each other for what seemed like a long time, and Ron remembered something about the prince and slave staring into each other's eyes, he became intrigued by the book even more.

So, when Percy finished the book and closed the door to Ginny's room quietly, Ron stood in the way of his older brother. "I admit I was listening to the book you were reading." Percy looked down at him in surprise. "Is it alright to like the same gender?"

Percy sighed. He looked deep in thought as if thinking of something. Or someone. He eventually shook his head and gave Ron a solemn look. "No, even the muggles say it's bad."

"Really?" Ron asked, frowning at his older brother. He didn't want to believe this. Can't a male and another male be happy? If a male and female can be happy, then what about a male who's in love with another male? Or a female being in love with a female. "But what if they are happy with the same gender?"

Percy shrugged and looked as if he was thinking about it, "Well, then, I guess it is their choice if they want to be judged by other people."

"Judged?" Ron said and his voice raised a little. He was scared and thought about how people would react if he were to hold hands with a boy and kiss him continuously. Well, when he's older. "Are you sure all the muggles say it is bad? What do they believe?"

Percy shrugged again. "The muggles believe in these two people called Adam and Eve," he said, and hesitated. He looked around the hallway quickly and then headed upstairs. Ron followed close behind him. "They say, 'God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.'"

"What if Adam and Steve really liked each other?" Ron asked him sadly, his brows gathered in. What if they fell in love with each other? Percy walked into his room and sat on the side of his bed, facing a Chudley Canons poster. Ron joined his older brother on his bed beside him. "That book sounds like one of those stories mom reads to Ginny about those weird lovey-dovey stories with a prince and a princess."

"It's because princes are supposed to have their princesses, and princesses are supposed to have their princes," Percy explained to him while adjusting the glasses on his nose. He glanced up at a Chudley Canon poster on the wall facing him and frowned. "There are no princesses living happily ever after with another princess. It's only man and woman."

"What if I end up with a guy, Perce?" asked a scared Ron. What if he falls in love with a guy? What would that be like though? "What will Mom and Dad say?" Percy's shoulders sag and Ron realizes his older brother had been staring at his Chudley Canon's poster for quite a bit of time. He looked back and forth between Percy and the poster on the wall, confused. "Percy?" He poked him in the shoulder.

Percy jumped in surprise, blinking twice, looking down at Ron. "What? he asks, softly.

Ron thought Percy had been in some trance. He shrugged it off. "I said, what would Mom and Dad say if I ended up with a guy? Or if you want to be with a guy?" He smiled. Percy was like one of the boys in the book, only he was staring at a poster with a group of men on it. He wondered if that meant something.

Percy's cheeks tinged a shade of pink. It's the same shade Ron always recalls seeing on his face when Percy is talking about that friend of his. Olive... no, Oliver. Oliver Wood. Always, Ron thought, it's always when Percy talks about Oliver Wood that his face turns that colour. He never understood it before, and now, he thinks he does.

"It's better if you don't find out, Ron," Percy stood up off the bed and ruffled Ron's hair with a half-smile. Ron looked at his Chudley Cannons poster when he heard Percy's footsteps leave his bedroom.

And that was when the memory ended. Ron continued to stare at the fireplace, wondering if Percy was right about it all. The only people he's seen together are boys and girls, not girls and girls or boys and boys. He's never actually seen any girls kissing girls. The first male-male couple he saw kissing was Cedric and his boyfriend on the train to Hogwarts. And bloody hell! He came close to another with Harry and Malfoy. What would happen if Harry and Malfoy started dating? Would their friendship change, or would it be the same? Just the thought of losing Harry to Malfoy was horrifying.

Well, he wouldn't know how to react to that. Angry? Oh, yeah, for sure! He would not let Malfoy ruin their friendship if that was what Malfoy was going to try to do. He made an oath to watch the Slytherins carefully to make sure they are not up to anything off like love potions that would make everyone delusional so they could take over the school. Whoa! Okay, he knew he was going a bit far, but you got to keep your eyes on your surroundings, right? What was that word that creep of a professor used? Continuous vengeance? No... Constant vengeance? Yeah, that sounds about right... But the last word wasn't right. He knew that... Constant... Constant... Constant vigilance! Yes! Constant Vigilance!

Ron sighed and laid his head back on the chair. The sounds of the crackling fireplace, the smell of the burning fire and watching the snow falling down behind the large windows were so relaxing. Before he knew it, the relaxing sounds were making him give way to sleep. Then his eyes snapped open immediately as he realized something. He can't believe over the years he had forgotten about it. "Percy's gay?" he said loudly to the roaring fireplace, palms gripping the chair armrests tightly. Then he yawned and melted into the seat, mumbling, "Percy's gay."

And while Ron fell asleep on the couch, Harry was still up in the dormitory laying on his back on his bed while looking up at the canopy above him. He was wondering what Draco was up to, and where he could be. Possibly the Slytherin common room or dormitory, obviously! He sighed and rolled onto his side, staring out the window closest to Neville's bed. The snow was falling lightly across the grounds, and he noticed Hedwig soured in circles happily in the sky.

He checked the time with a "Tempus!". He could not believe his eyes. It was 11:00 already? Unless he and Ron went down for an early breakfast... Yeah, that must be it! Time flies fast when you are having fun. No wonder the time was so slow at the Dursleys. The only things that made the time fly by were the chores he was instructed to do. But it did not matter, as long as he was working hard on something as it always took his mind off his depression and everything else.

-

Ron woke up to the sound of a loud bang coming from upstairs and when he opened his eyes, he saw Harry come down the stairs. What was the time anyway? His stomach was rumbling so that gave him the time. It must be lunchtime then.

Yawning a little, he decides to head out of the common room and head down to the Great Hall. But he actually starts dawdling while thinking deeply about today and what he's seen. He then spots Blaise Zabini casually walking towards the Great Hall with a book in his hands. He had to admit that Blaise had style when walking, which he hoped wasn't strange to think about.

Ron then looked at the bloke coming towards him up and down. He doesn't understand what he's feeling at all. It's like there's butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. What he doesn't understand is why he gets this feeling every time the Italian Slytherin enters a room he's in or when he just sees him in the corridors.

Blaise stops walking when he sees Ron looking at him, and he can easily tell he's being checked out. He smirked and took the last few steps up to the other male and leaned on the wall with his arms crossed, his book facing forward. "Well, hello there Ronald."

"H-Hi," Ron says a little shyly, and stammers as he talks. He didn't know what to say as he believed he was caught in the act of staring. He wondered if Blaise thinks badly of people being gay. He kinda hoped he didn't.

Blaise smiles at the stuttering Gryffindor, finding it cute. He then thought of today's events and who he caught kissing behind a tree in the snow. "Did you see Draco and Harry kiss today?" he asked the Gryffindor who then looked a little confused. "I actually caught them kissing while Ivy was making snow angels, and you were off collecting snowballs. It was a beautiful sight to see, seeing our best friends deep in love with each other."

Ron just didn't believe it. He didn't want to believe his best mate was gay. But would he actually mind if Harry were gay? It's a little strange, especially if it's Malfoy Harry's into. It's himself that minds if he were gay though. What would his mom and dad think about that? "Um... that's cool." The thought of kissing Blaise popped into his head, and he believed he was going crazy. He looks up above them and freezes. The darn Poltergeist and his idiocy. "Bloody Hell!"

"I know!" Blaise said and he beamed at the thought of kissing the guy he likes in a similar way to when he saw Harry and Draco kiss. "It just... seems like a dream come true to Draco. He has liked Harry for years! What about Harry? I don't know him as well as you do."

Ron just shakes his head, and he looks Blaise in those chestnut brown eyes instead of staring at his lips like he did earlier. Why he was looking at the Italian Slytherin's lips, he had no idea. What was happening to him? Then he thought about how Harry would feel kissing Malfoy. What was his best mate feeling? He doesn't know as Harry's never told him. But he would like to know... "Um... can you close your eyes for a minute?" He wants this to be quick, so he's not trapped in a darn invisible forcefield by a weed.

Blaise blinked at him and tilted his head to the side a little, confused about why Ron wanted him to close his eyes. "Um... why do you want-" But he was cut off as Ron leaned in fairly quickly and their lips met. Blaise's eyes widened in surprise but then he let his hands move to the small of Ron's back and he closed his eyes.

Ron was even more confused. How can a male make him feel this way? It was just so confusing. He felt as if his brain had switched off and nothing around them mattered. It was just him and Blaise snogging in a corridor of Hogwarts near the Great Hall. Bloody Hell! He subconsciously moved his hand up to Blaise's face and then his hand moved down his face, resting it on the back of Blaise's neck. Blaise wrapped his arms around the other male's waist as he moved his mouth against Ron's anxiety and worries making way to numbness.

They only broke away as they needed air, blushes clear on their faces, and they just stared into each other's eyes. Blaise smiles and rubs the back of his neck, still very surprised about what Ron did. "Ron... I didn't know you-" Yet again, he was cut off but now in the way he wanted.

"Mistletoe," Ron then says and points above them at the floating weed which is slowly disappearing. He also smells a strong scent of Holy, and the feeling of magic surrounding them. He takes a few steps back, thinking about what he has just done. He's still confused though he really enjoyed the kiss with Blaise. "I- Can we not discuss this with anyone, please? I'm just very... confused."

Blaise then understood what Ron meant. Ron was confused about his sexuality. A lot of people are nowadays until they get kissed by the same gender then it sparks an interest in them. "Yes, we can keep that undiscussed," he told him with a smile. "And it's okay to be confused about your sexuality. It's not just you. Oh, and I just wanted to say that I enjoyed the kiss a lot." He then bit his lip, his smile not going away. "Perhaps I'll see you again today?"

Ron nods at him and immediately heads off to Gryffindor Tower with a little smile on his face, Blaise watching him go. He can't believe he kissed Blaise Zabini under the Mistletoe which he believes is a little romantic.

-

Harry spots Draco immediately and joins him and Ivy at the Slytherin table for dinner. Before he came down, he had taken a vile of ED potion as he thought, even though he liked Draco feeding him it shouldn't be a thing the blonde had to do to get him to eat.

During Lunch he just spent it with Ron playing Exploding snap and Wizards Chess while eating from the basket of snacks and Butterbeer Harry had asked Dobby to get for them. "Hey guys," he says merrily and slides onto the table seat next to Draco. "How are you since our last meet-up in the Slytherin common room?"

"Ivy can't stop smiling at all, that's something," said Draco and he purposefully touched Harry's hand a little. He smiled at his smiling cousin, knowing that it was the happiest he had seen her. Besides, the day when she found out he was her cousin and had family.

"Oh," Harry says, and he smiles at Ivy who's on the other side of the table. "Is it because of the thing that happened during the Truth or Dare game and telling you how long Draco and I have been...err...kissing for?"

Ivy nods and she dishes up her plate with Seafood Salad and some Turkey with Cranberry sauce. She licked her lips at the smell and dug into her meal. "Yes, it was beautiful to see," she admits as she blows on the hot turkey piece on her fork. "I've already Owled Pansy about it, just so you know. There's no escaping her excitement when she gets here."

Draco sighs at that realization and knows he won't be able to escape Pansy's ranting about how the kisses were and how long he and Harry have been kissing. Even the thought of kissing Harry again excites him. "I'll just have to hide away somewhere so she can't find me tomorrow," he says with a wink at Harry and starts dishing up his plate with food, and Harry's plate too.

Harry thanks him quietly with a kiss on the cheek which he actually didn't plan to give but gave it anyway. He noticed the rosiness in the blonde Slytherin's cheeks and smiled. Feeling like someone was watching him, he looked around the Great Hall at the few students spread out around the room but none of them were looking over at him. So, then he looks up at the Professor's table and freezes. Professor Snape was looking down at him, unimpressed with an eyebrow raised.

Harry swallows and looks to the middle of the table in front of him, wondering if Snape saw the kiss he gave Draco. But he thought nothing of it and decided to start eating his dinner. If the kiss angered his professor, then so be it. It wasn't Snape's problem and there was nothing the man could do about it.

Ron had just walked into the Great Hall, and he blinked at his best mate and what he just saw... He actually saw his best mate kissing Malfoy's cheek. When sitting next to Blaise on the other side of Ivy who was holding some odd rectangle box thing in her hands and aiming it at Harry and Draco, he began eating from a plate that's already been dished up. He's trying to get used to all of this.

"So, you two going to run off together at some point?" Ivy asked Harry and Draco with a smirk. She flung a green pea at him, hitting Harry on the nose and she smirked as Harry wiped the spot on his nose where the pea hit.

"Nice aim, " Harry says. He shrugged at Ivy's question. He'd like to do a lot of things with Draco that normal couples do. Like hold hands in the Great Hall.

"I'll take Harry to the boy's dorm sometime," Draco says and winks at Harry. Harry grins. "We can watch the Merfolk and Giant Squid swimming by." He wants to weave their fingers together so Harry's hands surround his own with warmth and also so they can hold hands but fought back the urge.

Ron suddenly looked up at him, confused and a little astounded. "The Slytherin's dorm room have windows looking out into the Black Lake?" he asked, and his tone contained wonder for the impossible. The impossible is possible in Hogwarts, and he knows this. But then he remembered the second year and grimaced; they didn't get to see the windows.

Harry wasn't surprised at all really. He knows the Slytherin common room has windows that also look out into the Black Lake. In the dormitories though? That's something he would like to see. Perhaps sometime else when he and Draco are alone, Draco will take him up to the boy's dormitory.

"Yes, Ron," said Blaise with a firm nod, and a smile as he remembered what they did under the mistletoe. "The Slytherin common room and dormitories have windows outlooking the Black Lake. It was a little scary at first when we were first years and extraordinary, but we got used to it over time. It's peaceful too. It's like looking into a window that shows a new world."

"It truly is incredible to have when we wake up and go to sleep," said Ivy, and she remembered the times she invited a few Beauxbaton girls into the dorm room during the evening and they were mesmerized by the window and everything floating and swimming by. "I like to count the fishes or mermaids before I go to sleep. It's exactly the same as counting sheep but you can actually see the Merfolk and fish."

"Wow," said Ron, and then he started eating the rest of his dinner, and everyone followed. When their plates were empty and they had second helpings if needed, the dinner vanished and was replaced by dessert.

Harry grabbed himself a slice of his usual Treacle Tart. Draco smiled at his boyfriend if he could call Harry that, enjoying the Treacle Tard. Typical, he thought, that's Harry's favourite dessert. He dipped his finger in the whipped cream on his pudding and wiped it on Harry's nose. Harry froze and looked down at his nose, and then beside him at Draco.

"Heeey!" Harry said with a prolonged 'e' and wiped the cream off his nose, a blush creeping up his face and with it a wave of heat. All he could hear was Draco and Blaise laughing at him, Ron snorting, and Ivy giggling. He groaned as Draco did it again but this time with more cream. He would have looked like Rudolph but with a soft white nose. And then Draco did something that Harry could have gasped from. He licked the cream off Harry's nose and then gave a kiss to the end of his nose too.

Draco licked his lips as he swallowed the cream down. It wasn't the cream that tasted nice to him, it was Harry. He would do that over and over again just to see Harry's reaction and the blush that would form on his face.

Ron sighed and stood up, wanting to get an early sleep from what he had seen and done that day. Maybe it's all a dream and he'll wake up on Christmas morning at the Burrow in his bedroom with Harry sleeping on the guest bed. "I don't know about you all but I'm going back to Gryffindor to get an early night," he told them, his voice sounding quite tired. "Harry, are you coming?"

"I'll come," said Harry with a nod, pushing his empty plate away. He was a little full of Treacle Tart already and he knew if he stayed with Draco, it'd be midnight by the time he wanted to leave. It'll be hard to leave Draco even if he sees him tomorrow. Tomorrow when everyone comes back to Hogwarts, they have to get back into Malfoy and Potter in public. "See you all tomorrow."

"Bye!" Ivy says with a wave.

"Bye."

Draco pouted a little at Harry, and he intertwined their hands from under the table. He didn't want Harry to go but he must. Harry has a dorm to go to and so does he. "Harry, do you have to go?" He tried but to his disappointment, Harry nodded. "Alright. But can I walk you there since we'll be back to Potter and Malfoy tomorrow when everyone arrives?"

Harry looked at him as he stood up from the table seat and he nodded. "I'd like that," he says as he knows and hopes he will get a goodnight kiss from Draco. It would be their first goodnight kiss and hopefully not their last.

"Bye guys," Ron said and quickly headed off first, not caring if Malfoy were to come too as long as he didn't come into the common room. His quick departure made Harry and Draco follow after him. He sneakily glanced a half smile at them whenever he saw Harry and Malfoy hold hands. It was cute and he admits it. But what Percy told him, still rings in his mind. He'll have to talk to him tomorrow.

When Draco noticed Ron had stopped at a portrait of a large lady in a pink dress, he turned to Harry, trying to ignore the word Weasley said that opened the portrait into what looked like a tunnel leading into a common room with red and golden furniture. He pulled Harry closer and brought his lips to Harry's. Draco kissed him gently, pressing his mouth to the Gryffindor's. The feeling of fire completely consumed Harry, and he was lost in the kiss they shared. The kiss was a long one, full of mutual passion and a shared love. Harry buried his hands in Draco's white-blonde hair, running his fingers through it as he kissed him with an unearthly fire and passion. But then they finally broke apart, breathing heavily and staring into each other's eyes.

"Sweet dreams and have a good night, Harry," Draco then whispers after catching his breath, and he gives Harry's nose a little nuzzle with his own. To his amusement when he leaned away an inch or two, a blush rose to Harry's cheeks and spread across his face. "I'm hoping to see you tomorrow. Boyfriend."

Harry's cheeks colour. "Er, yes, Y-yeah? Is that what I am? We are?" he stammers.

Draco nods, smiling at Harry's stammering and the way those green eyes twinkled. "We've been snogging for a while, Harry. That's what two people call each other when they're hugging, flirting, spending time together alone, and snogging. Would you call us something else? Enemies with benefits, perhaps?"

"Boyfriends," Harry said with a half-laugh. "It works for me."

"Great, then," Draco grins.

"You have a great night too, Draco," Harry says, and he slides his hands down Draco's neck, getting a feel of him under his fingertips. It sent shivers down Draco's spine from the touch, and he instinctively pushed the rest of his body against Harry's. Harry rested his chin on Draco's shoulder, loving the feel of Draco's body pushing against his.

Draco pressed a kiss to Harry's neck, making Harry gasp a little and close his eyes. He kissed his way from Harry's neck up to his jaw and then to his lips where he then kissed him a little fiercely. The moan that escaped from Harry's mouth went straight down to Draco's groin, and he turned them both around and pressed Harry to the wall. They've only started officially dating and Harry's already making him feel like this, so turned on. "Merlin, Harry," he whispered and attached his lips back to Harry's mouth.

Harry let out a "Mmm" in the kiss and slipped his hands up the band of Draco's Slytherin jumper, and he kept moving his hands up until he felt the skin of Draco's stomach. The Slytherin shivered in ecstasy and that only made Harry slide his hands further up Draco's stomach, passed the bellybutton.

Draco quickly leaned away from the kiss, and took a step back from Harry, not wanting to go too far. He already was getting turned on. Should he be thinking of this already? Or should it be in a month's time or more? Perhaps he should ask Ivy but keep the fact that he and Harry are now dating out of the conversation. He knows she's a girl, but she's older. Surely, she should know something. And he doesn't exactly want to tell anybody else.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Harry," he said as he twined their hands together, and gave him a kiss to the cheek. "Have a good night!" Waving goodbye and longing for eye contact, Draco was on his way back to the Slytherin dungeons.

Harry smiled at Draco's departing figure and cupped his own cheek. He then, after saying the password to the common room, walked through the tunnel and headed up to the boy's dormitory. There, he found Ron lying on the bed and staring up at the roof. "So, how was your day, Ron?" He just wanted to ask even if he knew his best mate would have spent it with Blaise.

Ron sighed and turned his head around to look at him, remembering seeing his mate and Malfoy kiss just outside the portrait. He watched most of it, before Malfoy pinned Harry to the wall outside and he felt weird and headed to the boy's dorm room. He then said what's on his mind. "I kissed Blaise," he said. "But it was under a Mistletoe," he added quickly.

Harry widened his eyes a little and stared at him in disbelief. His best mate had kissed a guy. "Oh my god, Ron!" He beamed. He never thought he'd be able to have a conversation like this with his mate. "How was it? Did you enjoy it?"

"I actually enjoyed it," said Ron, and he nodded his head only slightly. "But... I shouldn't have. I can't be into guys. It's bloody unnatural and disgusting. I'm just so confused. Why should I be liking it when it's unnatural? Poofs are unnatural people. Girls and Boys were made for a reason: to make more girls and boys. But liking the same gender will just cut off your family line and make it go extinct. Why would you want that?"

And then Harry frowned, and he turned away from Ron, sitting on the side of his bed. His best mate just told him that people who like the same gender are disgusting and apparently unnatural. That just made Harry's day go from incredible and happy, to just complete and utter shit. He turned around, his body facing the head of his bed and he looked at his mate. He could already feel the tears forming in his eyes. "Do you even know what you said?" he asked him in a flat tone of voice.

He watched as Ron opened his mouth to say something, but he cut him off with a slow shake of his head. "Never mind, don't answer that..." he says and decides to grab his pajamas, soap and dark blue towel and go have a shower. He just needed to get away and that's what he did. He sluggishly made his way to the boy's bathroom and undressed in one of the stalls.

He turned on the shower and stood under it. The tap water was magically charmed to turn on to a suitable heating for the person using the shower and it was just right for Harry. He began to break down into tears from what Ron told him, and he began scratching at his arms. Ron was right. He is disgusting. He is a freak who cuts himself. Why would Draco not choose to continue the Malfoy generation and had chosen him instead. It was silly of him to think that he and Draco would work out in the first place.

He scratched and scratched at his arm, wanting to feel pain but as he looked at his forearm, he noticed the cuts he had made days ago appeared on his arm like he had just made them. It was the spell that he used to fade them from sight. So, he scratched and scratched until the scabs tore off and he began bleeding.

He leaned against the wall, staring at his arm and watched the blood form in the cuts and a few little droplets trickle down his arm. He just wanted to make more cuts just to feel numb from this pain, but the scratching did help him a little bit. He thought back earlier today with the meet-up at the Slytherin table with Ivy and Draco, the secret kiss behind the tree he and Draco had even if Blaise found them, the talks in the Slytherin common room, the game of Truth and Dare, kissing Draco in front of Ivy and telling her about the previous kisses, and last but not least, being told by Draco that they're boyfriends.

What a great day it was, but now his day just spiraled down just like his depression. He didn't want this to happen, but Ron had to just make him feel worse now. Now he feels he should have stuck up for himself, Draco, and Ivy. But no, he chickened out and believed what Ron told him. He is a freak after all. A gay freak who's disgusting. He believes he doesn't deserve the love Draco gives him, and the intense feelings around his body that are because of Draco. He just doesn't deserve someone so amazing as Draco.

Trying to distract himself from the negative thoughts, he began washing his body with soap until he felt he was clean enough to turn off the taps and dry his body so he could get into his warm long-sleeved pajamas. He then proceeded back to the dormitory where he snuck in. Harry crawled up to his pillows, wriggling under his bed sheets and Duna and turned away from Ron. He had a restless sleep.   

*****

Christmas Eve

It was the morning of Christmas Eve and Harry woke up with a yawn. He tried to smile, knowing Christmas was around the corner, but felt too depressed, so he hugged his arms around his legs and stared at the end of his bed. He looked around the room, seeing only Ron sleeping in his bed. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and was thinking about what it would be like to spend time with Draco for Christmas.

He turned over, bored and looked out the nearest window at the early morning sky. Christmas should be spent with family, family which he does not have. Ron was already sitting up in bed and wiping the sleep from his eyes. Harry ignored him because of what his "friend" told him last night.

About how what he has with Draco is unnatural but to him it is the most beautiful thing in the world, to be loved by someone for just a moment in his life before his dark thoughts reemerge. He remembered he had to meet with Draco at ten to exchange gifts. That brought him a little bit of excitement. But as he heard Ron get off the bed and lean on one of the 4-posters of Harry's bed, Harry had begun to feel worse.

Looking at Ron staring down at him, he mutters, "Morning, Ron." He didn't want to talk to Ron at all, to show him that the git hurt him, but he kept his feelings deep inside himself. He had to. Nobody can know what goes on inside his head.

"Morning, Harry," Ron says brightly as if he didn't just insult his best friend last night in the worst way possible. "I had fun yesterday, talking with Blaise, laughing with him." He smiles.

"Cool," Harry says in a flat tone. He was glad Ron had fun. He just wished his "friend" could realize his feelings for Blaise and talk to him more. Hell, even leave the room so Harry can be by himself. He had to make the decision for himself though. "I'm going to go, go see Dobby. I'll be back soon."

Ron looked at him for a moment, before he nodded, "Alright, Harry. See you then."

Harry hurried into the bathroom to get dressed, and he grabbed the stack of boxes from under his bed, his invisibility cloak too and hurried out of the boy's dorm and down the steps into the still empty common room. He knew students would start filling the common room today when they all start to arrive.

He wanted to see Draco, even if it meant waiting for the blonde until clock strikes ten. He headed down to the library, putting his cloak on as he neared the entrance into the secret room and opened it up. He didn't wait for the torch lights to come on as he walked down the dark tunnel, welcoming any dark presence lurking in the void.

Pointing his wand at the fireplace, the flames burned to life, warming the cool room up immediately. Harry set the presents down on the midnight blue couch but realized he needed food, so he called Dobby to grab him some breakfast scones and pumpkin juice for two. Dobby had popped out of the room with a curious look at Harry.

Harry skipped breakfast anyway, but he knew it would be best to eat something. He can't let the ED Potion go to waste; he'd feel bad.

Looking at himself in the vanity mirror, he straightened his posture, ran a hand through his messy hair and put a smile on his face. He hoped Draco didn't mind creases. Harry's heart skipped a beat when Draco entered the room, dressed in cashmere, looking all cutesy and warm. He thought his heart had stopped beating as Draco pulled him into a hug.

Harry melted into the blonde's embrace, wanting to stay like this forever. He noticed the few presents levitating in the air behind Draco. "I guess I won't be seeing you Christmas day?" he asks.

Draco leaned away from the hug a bit, his arms holding Harry's elbows, silver-grey eyes glimmering as he smiled. "I mean, you could do, but it'd give everyone something to talk about. Pansy and a few others have returned from their holiday, so the common room is starting to fill up."

Harry laughed. He felt chills run through his body at the gentle caress of Draco's thumbs over the skin above his elbows. "It was only Ron and I the last time I checked this morning," he tells the blonde but tries not to think about Ron. "By the way, Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas, Harry," Draco replies with a smile and a kiss as they sit down on the couch. But he suddenly jumps up, afraid he sat on something. Looking down on the couch, he noticed a funny-shaped object in wrapping paper. There was a tear in the wrapping paper, showing a part of an animal skull. "Oops."

"Ivy's present," Harry said and picked it up, putting it on the table closest to them so it wouldn't get squashed. "Nice to see it's hard enough that your arse doesn't crush it."

Draco laughed and kissed his cheek, "My arse can crush many things, Harry." He winked. "Did you want to test that theory?"

Harry blushed. "N-no," he stammered, baffled. He didn't understand. How can one test that hilarious theory? Not yet.

"Speaking of presents," Draco said, moving a few of the presents on the couch to the side so he could sit down on the couch, the presents floating in the air behind him piled around the other presents Harry had on the couch. He shuffled through them, before picking out one and handing it to Harry.

Harry looked at the present wrapped in shiny peach-coloured wrapping paper with a yellow ribbon around it. He took it with a smile and sat on the floor below Draco and opened it quickly. Inside was a weighted blanket which came with a little note. 'This is a soothing and comforting way to relieve anxiety and sleeplessness. They can also help generally with stress or depression. -We love you, Harry. Always remember that. I & D'

Ivy and Draco.

Inside that same present were three little boxes in which he read the description. There were candles with individual scents and a self-help book. Interesting, Harry thought. "I love these!" he beams, putting his gifts to his side. "The blanket looks so snuggly and warm. I've never had my own candles before either." He's never used candles before and had no interest in them but he's sure he can light one up in the boy's dorm and cause havoc while his dormmates wonder where that sickly sweet scent of vanilla honeysuckle is coming from. He pushes up onto his knees, shuffling through the presents beside Draco before grabbing one and giving it to the blonde. "Here."

Draco gave him a delighted smile as he took the gift from Harry and carefully unwrapped it. "Five lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golfing." He looked up at Harry and chuckled. "Thank you! Nobody has ever given me such a perfect gift. I do need to work on my swing."

"You're welcome," Harry grins. "Perhaps, someday, you can take me golfing?" He had never thought about playing golf in his lifetime, but with Draco, he wanted to play and learn.

"That sounds marvellous, Harry," Draco says in a bubbly tone, and a blush floods his cheeks as he hands Harry another present. "It's a plan for, yes, someday. Can't exactly golf in Hogwarts."

Harry immediately started opening the next present, wrapped in the same coloured gift wrap, and the first thing he saw was yellow fabric. Curious, he pulls out the yellow fabric from the package and recognizes it as a hoodie. A yellow hoodie that smells brand new and is his direct size. But that wasn't all he got. He was given another hoodie but deep green, two long-sleeved cotton shirts in a range of dark blue and black colours and a grey cashmere sweater. He got new pants too.

Harry just couldn't believe he got clothes from Draco. At least he has clothes other than the baggy ones he's worn his entire life and whatever other hand-me-downs he gets from Dudley. But the problem was how he was going to hide these clothes from his uncle when he went back to that hell hole. Maybe Ivy knows a spell that would help him hide his items like she knew the Vulnus Expleret spell.

"You're always wearing baggy clothing, which isn't a problem at all, I found you're rather cute in oversized hoodies," Draco admits softly. Harry reaches up, putting a hand on Draco's knee with a smile and the blonde covers Harry's hand with his own and holds it. "I just wanted to ask why. Why do you wear such large clothes that don't fit you?"

"They're hand-me-downs from my cousin," Harry tells him carefully, knowing he could admit something he shouldn't quite easily. He knew to be wary, smiling sadly at the thought of telling Draco what he went through, which he wouldn't ever do. He doesn't want people to find out. It's his life-time secret. "He's quite large. My uncle and aunt don't give a dam about me, won't buy me anything at all."

"You can't buy your own clothes?" Draco asks. 

Harry shook his head, "If they find out I have money... I dunno what they'll do." He'd rather not find out. The Dursley's, unfortunately, were his guardians so they could take his money away from him. If they found out how, that is.

Draco nods. He didn't prude on any further. Harry stood up, put an arm around Draco's waist and pulled him close. "Thank you," he mumbles, planting a deep kiss into the skin on Draco's neck. "They're wonderful presents. So thoughtful."

Looking over the blonde's shoulder he spotted a basket. Thanks, Dobby, he thought as he Accioed the basket to him. "Breakfast is here!"

"Mmmmm," Draco said, looking down at the lovely woven basket in Harry's other hand. "What did you bring for breakfast?"

"You'll see." Harry placed the basket down on the table in front of the couch, kneeling he opened it up and started pulling out scones and pastries with little dishes of jam and a thermos of pumpkin juice. "If I can't kiss you good morning in the Great Hall, then I can kiss you now at breakfast." He looked up at the blonde, "Minus being surrounded by students. This is your chance."

Draco scanned the food over with his eyes, sitting back down on the couch. "How did you manage to get the food?" he asked with a smile and a kiss. "I didn't see this basket earlier when I came in."

"Oh, I just asked Dob-one of the house elves in the kitchen to make me something for breakfast," Harry said with a shrug. "To include enough food for a plus 1." He didn't know if Draco knew that Dobby, the Malfoy family's former house elf, was in the kitchen or if he would even care. Still, he didn't mention Dobby just in case as he didn't want any trouble for his house elf friend.

Draco grabbed a sticky bun and bit into it, then gave Harry a sticky kiss. "Thank you, Harry," he says with soft smile. "Nobody has ever done such a lovely thing for me before." Not even Edwardo was this sweet, he thought with a long sigh. All of it included forced kisses, talking about the same topic repeatedly as if the older bloke forgot they had even talked about that topic, and running around Paris visiting cafes and restaurants.

"What's wrong?" Harry said at once, second guessing what he had said to Draco and done for him. "Do you not like scones? The pastries? Did I say something-"

Draco pressed his fingers to Harry's lips, shushing him as he shook his head. "I meant what I said. What you did here is so sweet! I loved your presents too." He thought about telling Harry about Edwardo but decided to leave that for another day. "I'm just being emotional. Nobody, I mentioned, has ever been so nice to me like you have."

Harry smiled against Draco's fingers, grasping Draco's wrist and pulled his hand away from his face. "I'm glad then," he told the blonde, lightly kissing Draco's knuckles. "Now, let's eat."

"One more present from Ivy," Draco says as he reaches for a hamper with a black ribbon tied around the top on the couch and passes it to Harry. Green eyes glittered as Harry sat down on the couch and opened the hamper.

Harry notices the small hamper is full of what he knows as muggle sweets such as Hershey's, M&Ms, Cadbury, Ferrero's, and Lindt. He's only ever had candies that Dudley doesn't like such as the fruit-flavoured ones, which then his cousin would give him some, on a rare occasion anyway. It confused him a little, how did Ivy get these? "Tell Ivy thank you for the gifts she's given me," he looks up at Draco. "They're wonderful!"

"I'll tell her you said so," Draco says, smiling at him. Looking down into the basket he notices something. "No plates or goblets? Looks like we'll have to share that Pumpkin Juice."

Harry shrugged. He didn't mind sharing. In true Dobby fashion the house elf had forgotten to give him plates and mugs. He chuckled to himself, knowing that's what Dobby does best.

"Here," Draco says and slides his silver Malfoy ring off his middle finger. He reaches for Harry's right hand and brings it up to his mouth where he gives a kiss to Harry's knuckles. His gaze meets Harry's, his lips still on Harry's knuckles and he smiles at the red tinge appearing on the Gryffindor's face. He leans away and slides the ring on Harry's ring finger. It was a perfect fit. "I want you to keep it on during the day, and whenever you want you can give it back to me."

"Is this some Slytherin trick?" Harry grins, a little wary about the fact that he could lose the ring somehow. What if it slips off? Although it looks like a perfect fit. How could that be? Having something that belongs to Draco on him feels new. "A tracker, perhaps? It's a nice ring."

"No, you ponce," Draco laughs. Harry shuts him up with a deep kiss on the neck and Draco sighs, putting an arm around the Gryffindor's waist.

Harry sees a logo in the round part of the ring that looks up at him. It was a large black 'M' on the center of a shield with two black dragons on the side of the crest. "Is it a family heirloom or something?" he asked.

Draco nodded his head and looked down at his ring on Harry's finger. "It's the Malfoy family crest," he tells him and rubs his thumb over Harry's knuckle. "It's been in my family for generations. Only the oldest Wizarding Families have crests so the Potter name would have a family crest since your father was a Pureblood."

"Not one that I know of," said Harry, and he shook his head as he scanned his memories for knowledge about the Potter family and crests that they could have. He knew of none and didn't remember Sirius or Remus telling him of the Potter crest.

As he stared into Draco's silver-grey eyes, or, well, grey apparently, he realized he hadn't thought of Ron at all and the hurtful things his mate had told him since spending time with Draco in this room. The thoughts had all flown out of his mind, just like when he plays Quidditch it focuses his mind on staying on the broom.

"What are we going to do for the rest of the day?" Draco then asked him, and he reached his hand up to run a hand along Harry's bottom lip, enjoying how distracting he was to Harry. "What do you want to do?" he continues and looks back up into pools of emerald-green.

Harry gave a slow shrug though he knew exactly what to do. What he wanted to do. "Can we um... lay together for a little while?" he asks, already is moving slightly forward towards the blonde Slytherin. "As a new official couple?"

Draco smiled warmly at him, and he nodded. "I'd love that," he said in a soft voice and moved back a little until he was at one of the dark blue pillows by the armrest. He leaned down on the pillow and extended an arm towards Harry.

Harry crawls forward, lowering himself into Draco's arms, his head resting on the pillow, their noses inches away from touching. He wishes he had a rug to cover them both but all he needed was Draco's body heat surrounding him with warmth and the roaring fireplace.

"Are you ready for tomorrow night?" Draco asked quietly.

"Since I'm going with Fred it'll probably be a laugh," Harry said, folding his arm over the pillow so he could rest his head in his hand as he looked down at Draco. "Beats going with a girl."

Draco chuckled, placing his hand on Harry's waist. "I cannot wait for the latest Daily Prophet article to come out after the Yuletide Ball: The Chosen one: A Gay Exclusive."

"I'll be gob smacked if they did write an article on the ball," Harry mutters. "No real point in it; it's just a dance."

"A Yuletide dance that only ever happens every 100 years," Draco reminds him, and Harry groans. "It doesn't happen every year, only when the Triwizard Tournaments happen.

Harry groans again as he realizes he's officially coming out to the Wizarding World tomorrow night. It's too late to turn back now. "For fucks sake."

"If it does happen, I might have to start calling you The Gay Who Lived," Draco grins. "Or The Chosen Gay. The Gay One."

"Ha ha."

"When did you want to go on that Butterbeer date?" Draco asks, closing his eyes as the scent of pine flows through his nostrils and he feels immensely calm and relaxed. He smiled; Harry had kissed him on the nose. "I don't think I want to show our relationship status to the outside world. Not yet at least. We can sneak around using your cloak?"

Harry nods his head, "We can use my cloak to get in and out of Hogsmeade. If you have any romantic but classic date ideas, then go ahead." He feels so right like this is where he was meant to be, in Draco's arms. "I love a surprise, Draco. So, surprise me."

Draco opened his eyes and looked down at the Gryffindor whose eyes were closing, and he looked pretty much at peace. The sight adored him. He smiles as he leans his head forward to kiss Harry's forehead and with his fingers, he brushes away the dark hair from closed eyes.

"I really love it when you do that," Harry mumbles and feels sleep pull at him. He's never felt sleepy when he's lying alone but whenever he's with Draco, it seems too easy. It is easy.

Draco gives Harry's forehead another slow kiss and he feels Harry slowly nodding off into sleep. He's looking forward to alone times with Harry like this in the future, where they're snogging, cuddling, or just lying down next to each other. He yawned quietly and nuzzled his nose in Harry's pine-scented hair. They could stay like this for a bit but he knew he'd have to wake Harry up at some point so they could go back to their dorms and spend the rest of their day with their friends.  

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Question of the week: Do you have any pets? If so, what are they? If not, what would you like?