Life went on. Far quicker than Harry anticipated, the students of Hogwarts moved on from the drama of the Amortentia — once Ron was out of the Hospital Wing and he and Hermione had made up, there wasn't really much to gossip about. Romilda hardly showed her face outside meals, and Harry ignored anyone who tried to ask him about it.
Since nothing awful had happened, only Ron making a fool of himself in front of the whole school, everyone seemed perfectly happy to just brush it off as a prank gone wrong, look to the next bit of juicy gossip — look back to the question of who Harry was taking to Slughorn's party.
Part of Harry didn't blame them for not wanting to dwell on it. But another part of Harry — the part that was still diligently checking every meal, every drink, refusing anything that was handed to him from anyone he didn't trust — couldn't believe how little they cared about how catastrophic it could have all been.
Then again, with Dumbledore as their example, how could he expect anything less?
As the Christmas holidays — and Slughorn's party — drew closer, the students began to get restless. Harry didn't doubt many of them would be staying at the castle over the break, their homes too dangerous to return to. Since the Floo Network was now being monitored, Professor Flitwick had offered to create portkeys for everyone who wished to go home; which was technically illegal, but so were half a dozen other things the staff were doing, including harbouring Harry Potter. Harry had already been assured that Snape would take him and Draco home with a portkey of their own, and the matter had been cleared through McGonagall. That also meant that McGonagall would assume Harry was spending Christmas at Malfoy Manor, but considering how tight the manor's wards were locked down, Harry didn't see that being a problem.
Ordinarily, Hogwarts would have been abuzz with children eager to go home for Christmas, to have a break from classes and homework. And they were still eager for that, but it was… more wary. Fragile. Like wounded animals waiting for a chance to slink away and heal in private.
Everyone knew what lurked beyond the castle walls. Not everyone was confident in their own safety should they step past them. But they were all trying their best to get into the holiday spirit. Especially for the younger years, who knew enough to be scared but not enough to properly understand why. The castle was decorated as cheerfully as ever, and Slughorn was pleased to assure everyone that his party would bring just the jolt of festive cheer they all needed.
"It'll be a bit quieter than I had hoped, of course," he added apologetically during one Potions class. "I originally wanted to invite some friends of mine from outside the castle — ex-students, you know, who have an interest in helping the next generation find their feet — but of course, with safety concerns being what they are, that hasn't been possible. But not to worry! I'm sure we'll all still have a smashing time!"
Harry wasn't so sure about that, but he'd committed to the thing now. At least he was dragging Draco with him; he wouldn't have to suffer alone.
It was quite impressive, how many people cared about who Harry was taking to the party, despite how few of them would be attending as well. He knew why, of course — he'd made it pretty clear that his date was a boyfriend, not just a friend the way he'd taken Susan to the Yule Ball — but it still baffled him to have so many people interested in his love life. People who just a few months ago had been hissing insults at him in the corridors, accusing him of going Dark.
There were dozens of eyes on him at dinner. As if he was going to reveal his secret now, an hour before the party, in front of the whole school. Harry kept his head down and focused on his meal, ignoring Ginny's quiet cackling at his side.
"I can't wait to see everyone's faces," she muttered, making him glare at her.
"Surely it won't be that much of a shocker?" he remarked. Across the table, Lavender giggled.
"Sorry, Harry, but if it's who I think it is, it will be," she told him. He sighed.
"It's probably exactly who you think it is," he said mournfully, watching her eyes dart across to the Slytherin table. The brunette girl let out a quiet squeal of delight.
"God, that's hot," she said, then blushed. Far from being offended, Harry laughed.
"He is," he agreed, well aware of how ridiculously attractive his boyfriend was.
"She meant both of you," Ginny told him, elbowing him in the side. "And she's right." When Harry raised an eyebrow, she just winked. Lavender giggled again. They headed up to Gryffindor Tower to go and get ready for the party, Harry loudly declaring in the common room that he was meeting his date at the party so there was no reason for people to linger.
Neville was Ginny's date, so the two boys put on their dress robes together, ignoring Ron scowling at them as he did the same — Neville in a chocolate brown set that made his eyes look extremely bright, and Harry in deep purple robes that had been a present from Narcissa, so he had to assume they were incredibly fashionable. He took some extra time to try and tame his hair.
"You're putting in an awful lot of effort for a bloke who's seen you at your worst, y'know," Neville remarked in amusement. Harry shrugged.
"We don't get dressed up very often. And it might only be Slughorn's party, but… this is a big deal, for us." Their first time in public as a couple. He didn't want Draco to have a single ounce of regret about standing at his side.
"Well I think that's about as good as it'll get, mate," Neville told him bluntly. Harry looked in the mirror, turning his head to check his hair from several angles, then sighed.
"I suppose." He put away his hair potion, washing his hands with a quick spell. "Let's go, then. Don't want to keep Ginny waiting."
The redheaded witch was indeed waiting for them, her face lighting up at the sight of Neville. She wore pretty gold dress robes Harry hadn't seen before, but they complemented Neville's robes well enough Harry wondered if that had been an intentional matching. Perhaps Neville's gran had been involved?
"Well, you two scrub up nicely," she said approvingly. "Shall we go find you a man, Harrikins?"
She sounded so much like George for a moment, Harry had to do a double take. Then he snickered. "Good thing I know exactly where to find one," he joked.
"Oh, I wish I was going tonight," Parvati moaned enviously, sprawled on the sofa in front of the fire with Lavender. "You all look so good! There's never any excuses to dress up around here."
"We need another Yule Ball," Lavender agreed with a wistful sigh. "You three have fun."
Just as she said that, Hermione started to descend the staircase from the dorms, and the trio exchanged a look, then hurried out of the portrait hole. The last thing they wanted was to get stuck walking to the party alongside Ron and Hermione. "I wonder who McLaggen's taken," Harry mused, thinking of the only other Gryffindor in the Slug Club.
"One of the Hufflepuff girls in my year, but I can't remember which," Ginny supplied. "Pretty sure all the girls in sixth and seventh know better than to agree to anything with him."
That wouldn't surprise Harry one bit.
"You ready for this, then?" Ginny asked, looking excited. "Your official coming out. Well. Y'know. Your other coming out."
Harry snorted. "Yeah. I'm ready." He'd been ready for ages, to be honest. But this felt like the right time — a big event, where it would be extremely impolite for people to ask questions, and he could leave for two weeks almost immediately after.
He wanted everyone to know Draco was his.
Still, his stomach fluttered anxiously as they grew closer to Slughorn's office. And then he saw him.
Draco was waiting in an alcove, slightly shielded from view, his hands clasped in front of him. He looked up at the sound of footsteps, and his lips curled in as wide a smile as he dared show in public. He stepped out of the alcove, giving Harry the full view of him in perfectly tailored slate-grey dress robes, the tie knotted at his throat the exact same colour as Harry's own robes.
Definitely Narcissa's doing, there.
"I can hear the hearts of half the students of Hogwarts breaking already," Ginny remarked teasingly. "Godric, you look smitten. Go on, if you must."
Harry snickered, but happily crossed the distance between him and Draco, offering his date a smooth bow. "May I?" he asked, offering an arm. Draco cocked an eyebrow at him, then snorted, stepping closer and resting his hands on Harry's shoulders, kissing him firmly.
"I really need to find more excuses to get you in formalwear," he drawled, smoothing his hands over the front of Harry's robes. They were high-collared, with no need for a tie or anything, but surprisingly comfortable.
"Only if you're there with me," Harry returned without missing a beat.
"I should've nicked Colin's camera on the way out," Ginny sighed, approaching with Neville's hand in hers. "One picture of the two of you looking like this sent to Witch Weekly, I'd never have to work a day in my life."
Draco laughed, neatly tucking his arm into Harry's. "Please; that rag doesn't pay nearly as well as it should." He stepped back, gesturing for the other pair to go ahead. "Ladies first."
"Only if you give us a minute to get in there before you make your big entrance," Ginny replied, patting Harry on the cheek before letting Neville escort her into Slughorn's office, where music and quiet conversation were already drifting through the open doorway.
Harry let out a long breath, glancing up at his boyfriend. "Sure you want to do this?"
Draco rolled his eyes, kissing him again. "I have spent the last two years waiting for this, Potter. Don't chicken out now; you're supposed to be the brave one."
A slightly breathless laugh escaped the Gryffindor. "Fair enough." It was easy. He just had to walk through that door, and they would be out. They had friends in the party; Ginny and Neville, and Blaise and Daphne. It would be fine.
He steadied his shoulders, squeezed Draco's arm, and stepped forward.
Slughorn's office had been magically expanded for the occasion, the walls draped in jewel-toned fabrics to give the illusion of some sort of huge tent. It was vaguely smoky within, but not nearly as crowded as it might have been if Slughorn had been able to invite his friends along.
As such, every single person in the room could see Harry and Draco walk in together.
"Harry, my boy!" Slughorn was right there, wearing a velvet hat and matching smoking jacket, and he almost dropped his glass of port as he looked at Draco. "Well, well — Slytherins and Gryffindors getting along, indeed!" He laughed, wiggling his bushy brows salaciously. "You have been keeping a tight lid on this one, haven't you, my lad."
Harry flushed. Luckily, Draco was a pro at these kinds of situations. "Harry has so little of his private life kept truly private, Professor," he said earnestly, "I'm sure you can understand his want to let our relationship grow without prying eyes."
"Quite right, Mr Malfoy! My, my — I had, of course, heard the rumours of the Black family reuniting after the death of Lord Malfoy. My condolences, Mr Malfoy," he added hastily, but Draco shook his head.
"Thank you, Professor, but there was little love lost between myself and my father — or, indeed, him and my mother. We are much happier without him forcing us both to stand at his side." The insinuation was clear; neither remaining Malfoys agreed with Lucius' beliefs. "Mother was delighted to get back in touch with her cousin Sirius, and that certainly made things easier for Harry and I — but we had eyes for each other long before then." Draco winked, and Slughorn chuckled.
"Say no more, lad," he teased, winking exaggeratedly. "Well, wonderful to have you both; please, enjoy the party! Ah, Miss Granger, good to see you!"
The only thing stopping Harry from whirling around on the spot to see Ron and Hermione's faces when they saw him with Draco was Draco himself, pointedly escorting him away from Slughorn and over to the side. "Don't stare yet," Draco warned in an undertone, expertly moving them to stand in a place they could easily see the door from without looking too obvious. Everyone was still staring at them — including Ron, now, who was blatantly ignoring Slughorn's attempts to talk to him as he gaped at the two of them.
"You're far too good at this," Harry accused, making Draco smirk.
"This was what I was raised with, darling. Lord Malfoy is always a master of the art of conversation." He brushed a stray curl off Harry's forehead. "Slughorn is an easy target to win over. Let him think he's privy to some great secret and you have him — I daresay we've made him the envy of his entire social circle, giving him such juicy inside knowledge before the gossip rags."
"Then I should've done this ages ago, if it'll win him over," Harry muttered. "Maybe now I'll be able to get him to talk." Though about what, he still wasn't sure.
"I suppose we have been a bit remiss on your pureblood etiquette lessons, all things considered," Draco mused. "Once things are quieter, we'll have to pick that back up. You'll need to know how to handle people like Slughorn going forward."
Harry groaned quietly — he'd been perfectly happy with those lessons being abandoned in favour of more important things, like how to kill Dark Lords. Draco laughed fondly. "Chin up, love. I'm sure I'll find a way to make it fun for you." His grey eyes darkened, and Harry couldn't help but kiss him, even as it set off a wave of gasps and whispers throughout the room.
"Having fun, are we?" Daphne and Blaise appeared beside them, both looking far too amused by the whole affair. "I thought Becky Arncliffe was going to cry when she saw you two walk in together."
Harry frowned, looking over at the seventh year Ravenclaw girl. "I've never spoken to her in my life."
"No, but she's had a crush on Draco for forever now," Daphne told him smugly. Harry blinked, surprised by the sudden flare of jealousy within him.
That was unexpected. He hadn't had to worry about that before; none of Draco's admirers were as bold as his own. But of course, there were people who fancied his boyfriend; Draco was gorgeous and the perfect pureblood and obnoxiously wealthy and the epitome of Slytherin. It made more sense for people to fancy him than Harry. He liked the idea of those admirers being disappointed at the news that Draco was taken, a lot more than he thought he would. He'd never taken himself to be the possessive type.
It seems he was learning all sorts of new things, tonight.
Ginny and Neville sidled over, both holding flutes of what looked like champagne. "Have you seen Hermione's face? She looks like she's going to explode," Ginny said gleefully. "Also, Daphne, you look offensively gorgeous tonight, those robes are amazing."
"Thank you," Daphne replied, quietly delighted. "You two are a very stunning couple. You should get a picture to send to your grandmother, Neville; let her show off her handsome grandson to her Bluff club."
"I'm not even going to ask how you know about my gran's Bluff club," Neville said, shaking his head. All of a sudden, Harry remembered a conversation from half a lifetime ago now; sat in an abandoned classroom with Draco Malfoy, their friendship still fragile, being told never to play Warlock's Bluff with Daphne Greengrass or she would rob him of everything he owned. His insistence that he would never be in a position to play cards with her in the first place.
How naive he'd been.
Trying his best to be discreet, Harry looked over at Hermione and Ron, now they had escaped Slughorn's grasp. Hermione did indeed look like she would explode — or perhaps like she'd eaten something very, very sour. It was surprisingly reminiscent of his Aunt Petunia, and Harry had to swallow the laugh that threatened to burst out. Beside her, Ron was as red as his hair with fury, thankfully wearing a less hideous set of dress robes than he had to the Yule Ball. He was glaring daggers at Harry and Draco, and Harry wondered if the pair would be brave enough to confront him over his choice in boyfriend while surrounded by all these people.
It wasn't just students in attendance; some of the other professors were floating about, too, with glasses of something alcoholic in hand. Harry's brows shot up at the sight of Professor Sinistra stood with her hand low on Professor Babbling's back, the two women chatting with their heads close together in a way that could only be described as intimate. Was that new? Did everyone know about that, and Harry had missed it?
He turned to Draco. "Did you know about Sinistra and Babbling?" he asked, and Draco hummed, following his gaze.
"What? Oh, yes, those two have been together for ages now. Theo swears he once caught them snogging in the Astronomy Tower back in second year."
"Theo's a filthy liar," Blaise cut in. "It was a brief peck at best."
"Maybe he didn't know the difference at the time," Ginny suggested. "I'm sure he does, now."
"Susan's made sure of that," Neville agreed ruefully, making Ginny giggle.
Slughorn didn't seem to quite know what to do with himself, now they had all arrived — it was clear he'd hoped for this party to be a much bigger event, with lots of impressive people to introduce them to.
Harry was inordinately glad it wasn't.
This was bearable — stood with his friends, drinking champagne offered to them by a house elf carrying a silver tray, pretending the rest of the room didn't exist. It wasn't quite what he'd call a party, but it was bearable. Certainly, with Draco's arm around his waist, he would've put up with much worse.
At one point, Slughorn did drift towards their little cluster, looking just as surprised by the pairing of Neville and Ginny as he was by Harry and Draco. Harry wondered if he was starting to reconsider Neville, as he drew the Gryffindor boy into a conversation about Herbology. Not that Neville wanted to be reconsidered.
"What about you, then, Harry? Grand plans for Christmas, or kicking about the castle?" the professor asked, once Neville had told him about the work he planned to do in his greenhouse over the break.
"Sirius and I are spending Yule with Draco and his mother," Harry replied, watching Slughorn's moustache twitch at his pointed use of the wizarding holiday.
"Well, that's marvellous — I've not been to Malfoy Manor in many a year, now; your grandfather Abraxas used to throw quite the soiree, back in the day!" he added to Draco, chuckling. Then his gaze grew sad. "I never quite approved of the company, you know, but they were still excellent parties all the same. Such a shame about Abraxas; he was such a bright lad, one of my best students! Then he fell in with young Riddle, and… well," he shook his head, as if trying to banish the thoughts. "No use thinking about what once was."
Harry's eyes widened, and he sent a discreet look at Draco, urging him to keep the conversation going.
"I didn't spend much time with Grandfather — he passed when I was quite young, as I'm sure you remember — but I do seem to remember he spoke highly of you. You were the Slytherin housemaster at the time, were you not?"
"Indeed I was!" Slughorn confirmed, brightening up. "Back when I had a little more energy to spare!"
"Yes, he always spoke so fondly of his time as a Slytherin. I don't believe he ever mentioned anyone named Riddle, though. A classmate of his?"
"Yes, yes — but I suppose he wouldn't have called him that, now, would he?" Slughorn reached for a new glass of wine off a nearby tray, his rosy cheeks only getting redder the more he drank. "Now, there's a story of wasted potential if I've ever seen it. A young man who could've had everything, if he'd only been a bit more polite about asking for it. I tried my best, so I did, but there's only so much you can do with one as determined as Tom Riddle!"
Across from him, Harry saw Ginny's face turn chalky, her hand gripping tightly to Neville's.
"Did this Riddle boy come to you for advice, then?" Harry asked tentatively, heart hammering against his ribs. "I'd imagine you had plenty of it, for someone with as much… potential as you say he had."
"Oh, I tried, but he wanted advice on the kind of thing it's not polite to speak of!" Slughorn ran his fingers over his moustache, sipping at his wine. "No, no — I thought I could help him when he was young, but by the time he was set to graduate he'd already gone too far down the wrong path. Terrible, terrible shame." He peered up at Harry, eyes a touch unfocused. "I think old Albus is jumping at shadows when it comes to you, my lad — telling me to watch out for the past repeating itself. Bah! He's looking for trouble where there isn't any. You've a good head on your shoulders, Harry, my boy — don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
He blinked, then shook his head, straightening up suddenly. "Good lord, how much have I had to drink? Listen to me, getting maudlin — it's being back in this castle, does funny things to an old man's head!" He chuckled, the sound a touch strained. "I think I'd best grab something to eat; line the stomach and all that. I'll see you all later!" He gave that awkward chuckle once more and retreated quickly, and all six of them let out a collective breath when he was gone.
"What the hell was that about?" Ginny hissed, staring urgently at Harry. He pursed his lips. That hadn't been nearly as enlightening as he'd hoped.
"Dumbledore asked him back for a reason. I'm trying to find out what it is."
"And you think it has something to do with this Riddle bloke?" Daphne asked, frowning. "Who is he, anyway?"
"It's You-Know-Who's real name," Neville piped up, surprising Harry. "Ginny told me," he added, seeing his friend's confusion. "About the diary and stuff."
Of course, that made sense.
"Slughorn taught the Dark Lord as a child?" Blaise realised, eyes following the tipsy professor across the room. Harry nodded.
"Yeah, and I think he taught him something he perhaps shouldn't have, but I can't figure out how to get him to tell me." He sighed, leaning against Draco. "Bugger, that was the closest I've gotten in ages."
"There's plenty of time after Yule," Draco pointed out. He brushed a kiss over Harry's cheek. "I doubt you'll get anything more out of him tonight, though."
"Yeah, you're right." Harry frowned, but cheered up at the sight of Ron glaring at him. "Well, at least the night wasn't a total waste. Ron's been so busy trying to kill Draco with his eyes, he's ignored Hermione all night. And she doesn't look happy about it." She was tugging on her boyfriend's arm, trying to get him to dance with her; a few couples were drifting around the small dance floor space.
"That's a win if I've ever seen one," Ginny agreed, amused. "Count yourselves lucky — I have to spend all bloody Christmas with him. I can't even floo to Neville's, with the network under watch." She pouted, and Neville dropped a kiss on her hair.
"I'm sure one of your older brothers will apparate you," he pointed out.
"Yes, be glad you're not staying under apparition wards," Blaise added, distinctly unimpressed. He was staying at the castle for the holidays, and while Harry knew George had plans to sneak in at least once, it couldn't be easy for them.
"Do you think we've stayed long enough?" Harry asked, surveying the room critically. No one else had left yet — but that didn't mean they couldn't be the first.
"I think if you stay long enough for Weasley to have one more glass of wine, you'll regret it," Daphne replied, nodding in Ron's direction. Harry grimaced.
"Yeah, okay, we're leaving."
"We can't all leave at once, Slughorn will notice," Neville said, then sighed. "Go on; you two get out of here, we'll cover for you."
"Knew I liked you for a reason, Longbottom," Draco remarked. Neville snorted.
"While I merely put up with you for Harry's sake," he lied cheerfully. "Will I see you back at the dorm, Harry?"
"I think it'll piss Ron off more if I'm not," Harry said. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. No one argued the point, and Harry offered a smile to the group. "Good night, then. Thanks for making this evening surprisingly entertaining. And if I don't see you before we leave, Merry Yule," he added, mostly to Blaise and Daphne, who returned the sentiment.
With that sorted, the two boys slipped away from the party, hand in hand. Harry was just a touch bubbly from the champagne, and he leaned into Draco's side as they walked away, grinning to himself. "This time tomorrow, we'll be back home, and the whole damned castle will know I'm in love with you," he declared happily. Draco smirked at him, eyes fond.
"Whatever shall we do until then?" he drawled, voice turning a little husky, sending shivers of arousal through Harry's body.
"I can think of a few ideas." He stopped abruptly, shoving Draco back against the wall and devouring his mouth, fingers sliding into the blond's perfectly parted hair, messing it up in a very satisfying way.
He could do this, now; snog his boyfriend in the middle of corridors, without having to worry about someone walking across them and telling the whole school. And God, it felt good.
"Let's go somewhere more private," Draco urged, breaking the kiss and taking him by the hand. "Put a few of your ideas to the test."
Harry didn't need asking twice, and the castle obliged by pulling a passage to the seventh floor into the space behind a nearby tapestry.
It had been one of Harry's smarter ideas, making sure the rest of the HA didn't know how to access the Room of Requirement outside of meetings. It meant the place was almost guaranteed to be empty when he wanted to use it to fuck his boyfriend in peace.
It was certainly more comfortable than the Chamber, at any rate.
.-.-.-.
Despite what he'd said to Neville, Harry and Draco did eventually return to their dorms; they might want to make a statement, but not the kind of statement made by turning up to breakfast in last night's dress robes. They parted ways long after their dorm mates would have gone to sleep, and in the morning Harry made sure to be out of Gryffindor Tower well before Ron awoke, his trunk packed and shrunk in his pocket. He wanted to avoid that particular meltdown as long as possible. As he strolled leisurely down to breakfast by himself, he wondered how long it would take for word to properly spread. Already it had clearly reached a few people — several of the students he passed on his way down began whispering to each other as soon as he passed them.
He wasn't surprised to see Lavender and the Patil twins sat at the Gryffindor table when he arrived, the hall sparsely occupied otherwise. With portkeys to take instead of a train to catch, the students weren't as worried about being late.
He joined the girls at their section of the table, letting himself look as satisfied as he felt.
"So how was the party, then?" Parvati asked archly. Harry winked at her.
"I'm sure you've heard all about it already," he returned. The Indian girl grinned impishly.
"Hermione was furious when she got in last night," she confided. "I swear, Sophie had to hex her silent just so we could all get some sleep. Apparently you and your boyfriend looked far too smug and handsome at the party last night."
"Smug and handsome," Harry repeated, then chuckled. "That's him in a nutshell, yeah."
All three girls tittered — Harry knew the twins were pretending the information was as new to them as it was to Lavender, so their friend didn't feel left out.
"I can't believe you managed to keep that secret! I mean, I always thought there was a spark between you two but I was never sure if it was just a hate-attraction sort of thing. And then you became friends and I wasn't sure what to think!" Lavender said, running her fingers through her curls. "How long has that been going on?"
"How long do you think?" he retorted. She mock-scowled, hitting him lightly on the arm.
"Don't play with us, Harry," she pleaded. "Not after all we've done for you!"
"Not after all we can do for you, working damage control here while you're cosied up with your boy all Yule," Parvati added pointedly. "If we have the truth we know what to do with the more outrageous lies."
She had a point and they both knew it; if the rumours were left to their own devices, Merlin only knew what they might come back to after Christmas.
"Oh, alright then," he relented playfully. "Only because I can trust you."
"I bet it was this summer," Lavender cooed. "Once your godfather and his mum reconnected."
"Earlier," Harry told her, watching her eyes widen.
"Really? Sometime in fifth year? He did help us out when Umbridge found the HA room, I suppose… was it after that?"
He shook his head again. "Earlier."
All three of them goggled at him, now; even the Patil twins didn't know how long the relationship had been going on, they'd just known about it for longer than Lavender.
"More than a year?" Parvati pressed keenly. "Was it the summer before last year?"
Harry had kept them in suspense long enough. "Fourth year, day after the first task," he revealed, smile going a little goofy just at the memory. The girls gaped at him.
"Never!" Padma gasped, stunned. "All that time and no one knew?"
"Almost no one," Harry confirmed. "Fred and George knew almost from the beginning, and Neville figured it out after the Yule Ball. Apparently I spent half the night staring at Draco's arse. Good thing no one else saw me, to be honest."
"You've spent most of the last three years staring at my arse, Potter; I'm sure no one noticed the difference."
Harry brightened immediately, looking up at his boyfriend; he hadn't heard Draco approach — nor had he noticed the entire hall go hushed at the Slytherin's walk towards the Gryffindor table. Harry didn't pay them any mind, urging Draco to sit by him and leaning in for a kiss, heart thumping hard and smile threatening to take over his entire face. "Good morning," he greeted, whole body going warm at Draco's fond gaze.
"Good morning, love. Ladies," Draco added, nodding to the three awestruck girls. "I suppose you're grilling him for details, then? If he's talking about my arse."
"You know me; any excuse," Harry said, winking. He reached for the teapot, pouring Draco a cup without needing to ask.
"You've been waiting for this moment for ages, haven't you, Harry?" Lavender said knowingly, her lips curling smugly. "Merlin, you're practically glowing."
"Wouldn't you be?"
"It's like something out of a romance novel," Parvati sighed. "Star-crossed lovers from opposite houses, having to hide their love for their own safety. Oh." She practically swooned, and Harry caught Draco's eye, trying not to blush as he thought about the other type of romance novel he had once compared their relationship to.
"Oh, Merlin, I'll never escape it now," Neville groaned as he sank into the seat beside Padma, glaring tiredly at Harry and Draco. "Gone are the days where you two could only be disgustingly adorable in private."
"Yup," Harry declared proudly, kissing Draco's cheek. "Sorry about it."
"No you're not."
"No, I'm not," Harry agreed, unrepentant. Draco sighed.
"You're going to ruin my reputation," he despaired, making Harry grin all the wider.
"You've known that for years, and yet here you are."
The hall was getting busier now, more people coming down from breakfast — anyone who hadn't heard the news about Harry and Draco was quickly informed, their eyes swivelling straight to the pair at the Gryffindor table. Harry and Draco both tried not to react overmuch, but they didn't hide themselves either. Harry still swiped Draco's toast with a jam-sticky kiss to the blond's lips, and Draco didn't shy away from getting right into Harry's personal space as more people joined them at the table, many of their friends pretending to be surprised by the revelation.
"So who won the betting pool, then?" Harry asked, and suddenly the group went silent.
"What betting pool?" Ginny queried, just a touch too innocent. Draco snorted.
"Daphne won it, of course," he revealed. "Really, all of you should know better than to let someone dating Luna enter a betting pool."
"What! But she's your friend, she wasn't supposed to enter!" Susan blurted in protest.
"No one told me not to," Daphne said breezily, appearing as if summoned. "You've made me a very rich lady, boys."
"Buy us something nice for Yule and we'll call it even," Draco retorted instantly.
Several people didn't look impressed, but none of them could say anything without admitting that the reason they hadn't entered the pool themselves was because they already knew who Harry was dating. Clearly, Daphne had no such morals holding her back.
"Bloody Slytherins," Ernie muttered, rolling his eyes.
Harry glanced down at his watch, then frowned, seeing Snape striding away from the head table. "We'd better get moving, love. Portkey to catch," he reminded.
"Don't want to be late," Draco agreed, neatly setting his cutlery down on his plate. "We'll see you all in the new year, then. Happy holidays."
The table rang with well-wishes returned, and the two boys stood to leave, heading for the doors. As they passed behind Ron, the redhead jerked his elbow back, catching Harry in the leg. He glared up at his ex-best friend. "You really ditched us for him?"
"I didn't ditch you for him," Harry retorted icily. "I ditched you and found him. Entirely unconnected. But honestly, Ron — you sound awfully jealous. Is that something Hermione should worry about?"
And with that bombshell, he practically skipped from the hall, Draco's hand in his.
Their break was off to an excellent start.
.-.-.-.
Leaning against the doorway of the conservatory, watching two figures on brooms zoom about the air over the pitch, Sirius smiled to himself, wrapping his chunky cardigan tighter around his body. There was snow on the ground — four or five inches at least, and more to come overnight — and the garden already held the signs of a snowball fight abandoned in favour of quidditch.
He didn't mind this kind of cold. The crisp, bright cold of winter, the kind that came with laughter and fun and curling up by the fire with hot chocolate once everyone was exhausted and soaked through with snow. This was a good kind of cold.
It was made even better by having his pup home. His boys, really; they came as a pair by now, and with Remus and Severus being what they were it was much easier for all of them to just claim both and be done with it.
He heard familiar footsteps, and then muscular arms wrapped around his hips, a warm chest pressing to his back. He sighed slightly, leaning into the embrace, melting into Charlie as he always did. "Glad to have them home?" the redhead asked knowingly, kissing his cheek. Sirius hummed in affirmation.
"Wish we could keep them here," he mused wistfully. The next two weeks would fly by.
"You'd get sick of them eventually," Charlie teased. "Trust me; a full house isn't as fun as it sounds after six weeks stuck together. I used to beg to go back to Hogwarts early, every summer."
Sirius laughed, trying to imagine what it must be like, being the second oldest of seven, having so many siblings around all the time. He'd only ever had Regulus, and the occasional visiting cousins.
"I dunno — full house sounds nice these days," he mused, hands covering Charlie's. "Before long, those two will be done with school and ready to move out into their own place. Don't know what I'll do then." He was happy enough to move back into Grimmauld once it was safer — now he'd reclaimed the house from his horrific childhood there, made better memories, made it a home — but he doubted he'd be able to convince many people to move back with him. Remus and Severus would want their own place once they could go public… Narcissa would move back to her manor… it would just be him and Charlie, rattling around that big old townhouse. "I'm sure we'll think of something to keep you occupied," Charlie assured. "Once we've gotten bored of having the place entirely to ourselves."
A frisson of excitement ran down Sirius' spine; both at that prospect, and what might come after.
He knew what he was getting into, falling for a Weasley.
"It'll start getting dark, soon," he said instead. "Want to grab our brooms and join them for a bit?"
He turned, seeing Charlie grin, cheeks dimpling. "I'd love to." He kissed Sirius quickly. "You get the brooms, I'll get our coats." His blue eyes softened. "Don't want you catching a chill out there."
Sirius smiled, watching him go — as if that were possible, when he had Charlie around, warming every single inch of him from the inside out.
.-.-.
Dinner that evening was a raucous affair; the whole family was at Seren Du to celebrate the start of the holidays, even the Tonks family and Kingsley were there. Harry couldn't be happier, surrounded by his loved ones, eating delicious food and cheerfully regaling them all with the story of his and Draco's coming out right before they had left the school.
"I just wish we'd been able to see Dumbledore's face, but he wasn't at breakfast," he said, shaking his head. "Ah well; I'm sure he'll have something to say about it when we go back."
"And I'm sure he'll soon realise that hardly anyone gives a damn what he thinks anymore," Tonks declared with a grin. Sirius barked a laugh at her side.
"Too right! You should've seen how many letters I had after the love potion incident; parents whose kids had written home about it, wanting to tell me they'd support our family if we wanted to pressure Albus into expelling the girl."
"Really?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Amortentia is serious business, cub. She's lucky she's underage, or it would be an automatic Azkaban sentence," Remus explained.
"Horace is the lucky one," Snape sneered. "It's bad enough brewing Amortentia to show to students, but leaving it unsupervised long enough for a fourth year to steal some! He's fortunate he's ancient enough that the International Society of Potions Masters can't be bothered to properly reprimand him for it."
"I didn't realise they regulated that sort of thing," Harry mused, and Snape nodded.
"He's lost his license to brew it, after this incident. Not an enormous loss — I can't see him brewing it often, even for demonstration purposes. But now that's on his record he'll lose his Mastery if he's caught in possession of it again. Or if any students of his are caught with it."
"Do you think anyone else managed to steal some?" Draco asked.
"Highly unlikely," Snape assured. "He's an idiot, but he's not that incompetent. And after the spectacle the Vane girl made of herself, anyone who might have some will think twice about using it."
"Good," Harry declared vehemently, stabbing a roast potato. Under the table, Draco squeezed his knee sympathetically.
"Enough about that," Sirius waved off, sensing the dip in the mood, "we've got two weeks of freedom ahead of us!" He turned to Harry, grinning. "If it's alright with you, pup, we thought we'd do proper Yule celebrations this year, rather than the more muggle Christmas?"
Harry beamed at him. "That would be brilliant!" There weren't many of the Old Ways he could follow while at school — Dumbledore didn't let anyone celebrate Samhain at the stone circle anymore, let alone anything else — and he'd been hoping they could work Yule celebrations into their family traditions, if Sirius was willing.
He looked around the full dining room; there were far too many of them to keep eating in the kitchen, on nights like this. This was his family — missing a few members, if he counted the other Weasley siblings he cared about, and their partners. Even in his wildest dreams, shut away in his cupboard while the Dursleys spoiled Dudley all Christmas, Harry had never imagined he would ever have this many people who loved him.
The world might be getting darker out, the war escalating, but there was still plenty of joy in Harry's life. He'd forgotten that, a little bit, cooped up in the castle with Dumbledore and all those people who glared at him and all those damned black envelopes.
And now, he had a whole two weeks of that joy to look forward to.