Two Houses (HarryxDraco)

Chapter 42

"Happy Valentine's Day."

Harry, who had been staring into space, only snapped his head back towards Draco and reality when his beau took his usual seat next to him at the breakfast table.

"What?" he replied distractedly.

Draco cocked an eyebrow at him. "I said, Happy Valentine's Day. Am I right in assuming that you forgot what date it is?"

"Oh." Harry hunched his shoulders and grimaced. "I did, yeah. Sorry. Was I supposed to get you something, or..?"

Draco shook his head. "Count your lucky stars that I'm as romantically inclined as you are, otherwise you'd have been in big trouble."

"Well, I've got bigger things to deal with than worrying about what kind of chocolates and flowers you'd like," he huffed.

"Oh, so now you're worried about the play?" Draco teased. He picked up a silver pitcher filled with pumpkin juice and poured the contents into two goblets for himself and Harry. "While the rest of the school has been losing their collective minds over it, you've been so relaxed you've been practically horizontal. Well, it's a bit late to start worrying about it now, don't you think?"

"Oh. Yeah, the play. That's what I'm worried about..." Harry cleared his throat and stared at the contents of his goblet before taking a protracted drink from it.

"I'm only teasing you," Draco assured him. "I didn't get you a gift or anything either."

Harry looked relieved. "Thank god for that. I was afraid that you'd want me to take you to Madam Puddifoot's or something."

"Certainly not," Draco scoffed. "Canoodling over doilies and teacakes isn't really my idea of fun. Call me unromantic, but Valentine's Day is grossly commercialised."

"Yeah, it's always been my least favourite holiday," Harry admitted. "I always preferred Christmas myself."

"As do I," Draco agreed, casting a disparaging eye over the garish decorations that adorned the Great Hall. "Give me Christmas trees, icicles and mince pies over this ghastly display any day."

Harry and Draco looked up towards the ceiling at the pink and red rose petals that had been enchanted to appear from nowhere. While some of the students may have enjoyed the display, most seemed to find it a nuisance, as the petals drifted lazily through the air before landing on top of the continental breakfast that had been laid out for them. Harry picked up a slice of toast and brushed off a few stray petals before applying a generous amount of jam and butter to it.

"At least we don't have to deal with dwarves delivering valentines to everyone this time around," Harry mused.

"Oh gods, who could forget them?" Draco cried. "Didn't you get a valentine from someone that year?"

"I can't remember," Harry lied, taking a large bite out of his toast. Draco grinned.

"I'm pretty sure you did!" Draco smirked. "Something about you having eyes as green as a fresh pickled toad, if I remember it correctly—"

"Please, shut up," he mumbled. Draco laughed as Harry's face turned a similar shade of scarlet as the Gryffindor tapestry hanging above the breakfast table. Keen to change the subject, Harry asked, "We've got a few hours before we need to head down to the stadium for the show. Since you don't want to go to Madam Puddifoot's, what would you rather do instead?"

Draco drew Harry a licentious smile. "A couple of ideas come to mind. Perhaps we could squeeze in one last 'rehearsal' before tonight's big performance?"

"A 'rehearsal', eh?" Harry grinned. "I hope you're meaning the kind of rehearsals that we used to practice in empty classrooms and broom cupboards before we officially became an item."