Life goes on... (drarry)

[6, 7] REMASTERED

Christmas Ball

Harry and Draco had never spoken about the nature of the two of them attending the ball together. Neither of them were particularly keen on introducing the idea that they could be going as a date, mostly out of insecurity and fear of rejection. So it was never spoken aloud, and the two of them tried to be normal about it.

Harry's POV:

He spent the entire afternoon getting ready in the Gryffindor dormitory, fixing his robes, trying to tame his hair, trying to get Hermione and Ginny to help tame his hair, only for him to not be satisfied when he looked at the clock and saw that there were only five minutes left before he had to leave. He tried fixing his robes again. "Stop that," Hermione swatted away his hand. "You look fine. Besides, you should put on your mask." Hermione was already wearing hers. She looked absolutely stunning and Ron was sure to have a heart attack when he saw her. Harry quickly slipped it on, but ushered Hermione out to meet Ron and have a nice evening with him.

He left a few minutes later to meet Draco on the way to the Great Hall. He glanced around to spot his blonde hair anywhere, but it was impossible with all the masks everyone was wearing. Suddenly someone approached him from behind with a whisper, "It's you, Harry, isn't it?" Draco's voice. Harry spun around. Draco looked absolutely breathtaking, even if he couldn't see his face. His robes looked very expensive and suited him so well, his hair was mostly slicked back with one strand falling over his forehead. Harry had the urge to reach out his hand to touch it. He also looked taller than usual, he somehow managed to tower over Harry, but he had no idea if that was the actual height difference or just his imagination. He bit back the little 'wow' that threatened to escape and instead just nodded. "It's me," he replied. Draco audibly sighed, "Oh thank Merlin. I was worried I'd never be able to find you." 

The two of them spent time mulling around, eyeing the buffet and having a few drinks. It was a fun time and the perfect opportunity to engage in more casual conversation. Draco pointed out the dancing of some of the others, making fun of people tripping over feet and awkward exchanges when a dance went badly. It made Harry laugh, he had never expected him to be such pleasant company. As the night went on and the drinks kept coming, Harry started to feel warm and slightly buzzed. His initial worry of people recognising him and Draco suddenly didn't feel so serious anymore. Instead, he was too focused on Draco's beautiful eyes that were only slightly visible under the shadow of his mask. He wondered if there had always been such depth to them. He also noticed the pull his lips seemed to have on him, Harry had never realised how hard it was to look away. He eyed Draco's pale hands with those long, slender fingers. Had the thought of holding them always been so present in his mind? It didn't seem to matter in that moment. Everything was warm, the sounds around him were fading but loud at the same time. All he wanted was to share a dance with Draco before the night ended. The dance floor was at maximum capacity, it would be the perfect, and possibly only, opportunity for the whole night. He leaned forward, determined to ask the question but didn't calculate the distance properly and leaned in a little too far. His lips brushed the exposed skin of his cheek under Draco's mask by accident. "How would you feel about a dance?" He pulled away, cheeks reddening by the unexpected contact. Thank Merlin for those masks. If the question surprised Draco, he didn't show it. In fact, he didn't really say much at all and just nodded. Harry was too drunk to care, that was more than enough for him. Before either of them could process what was happening, they were standing on the dance floor in the middle of dozens of students. It wasn't a slow song, thankfully, or else they would have had to figure out who was going to lead first. The crowd pushed them together and they had no choice but to start jumping with them. Harry took a hold of Draco's arm to steady himself and he could have sworn he felt a hand on his back for a second. But then again, he was extremely drunk. The one dance turned into several. It was impossible to get off the dance floor once they entered it, getting pushed and shoved by the crowd. Not that they would have wanted to leave. They were laughing the entire time, occasionally shouting something into each others ear over the music. Harry felt ecstatic with Draco's body so close to his, the effects of the drinks still clouding his mind. The pull he felt from his lips was still present, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, even in this state. If the time ever came for that, it would have to be a more special and private moment. It was the most fun he had in a very long time.