Solarium de Caritate

Chapter Five

December 24, 2000, Ministry of Magic Christmas Eve Ball, Ministry of Magic Ballroom Four

"So, what are you going to do?" Ron asks, sliding an arm around Hermione's waist.

"Tell him how I feel, I think," I say, smiling nervously.

"You should bring him to the Weasley Christmas party tomorrow!" Charlene bounces on her toes excitedly.

"Er, I'm not sure...I mean, I don't even know how he feels yet—"

"Don't be dense, Harry," Ginny rolls her eyes. "He obviously fancies you, too. Although you might be right in thinking he may not be ready for a Weasley Christmas just y—"

She cuts herself off, her eyes going wide as she stares over my shoulder, and a second later I realize why.

"Harry?"

Trevor is standing behind me when I turn around, his stunning hazel eyes watching me intently as he holds out a hand. "Can I have this dance?"

I glance nervously back at my friends, who are all looking at Trevor with carefully neutral expressions. Well, all except for Ron, who is glaring at him openly. I can't help feeling a rush of affection for my best friend. Loyal to a fault, and I love him for it.

"Harry, please. Just one dance."

"Fine," I take Trevor's hand and follow him out onto the dance floor.

As we pass him, I make eye contact with Draco, who is frozen in place, his expression a careful mask, eyes flinty.

"Five minutes?" I mouth, glancing at the archway.

He nods, his stance relaxing slightly after I smile at him.

As we dance, I let Trevor lead me, watching him curiously.

He's still as handsome as he ever was, but the thrill I once felt at being held by him is gone. I find myself wondering how I could have ever thought I was in love with him. Everything about him just feels so wrong now.

He'd been controlling, pushy, even manipulative...and to top it all off, at the end he'd cheated. Looking at him makes my stomach turn a bit, but other than that I feel...nothing.

"Harry?"

Trevor halts our dancing, holding my shoulders in a tight grip, his eyes searching my face.

"What?"

Instead of answering, he leans down and kisses me. In the middle of the fucking ballroom. At a Ministry function in front of hundreds of people. As if he doesn't know me at all. Maybe he never did.

I shove him off, glaring furiously. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Harry, I—"

My eyes flit frantically around the room, and I don't quite realize what I'm looking for until I see it—the flash of white-blond hair disappearing through the archway that leads to the stairs. I didn't see Draco's face, so I don't know if he cares, or if he's just managed to escape in that moment, but either way I need to talk to him.

"I miss you, Harry," Trevor declares loudly. "I made a mistake, but I'm sorry. Why can't we pick up where we left off?"

I'm surprised at the fury that floods through me, at the venom that suffuses my response. "We can't pick up where we left off because I don't miss you," I snarl as I turn away, drawing audible gasps from several onlookers. "Stay the fuck away from me."

With that, I take off running for the stairs, only pausing when I've reached the open doorway to the balcony, our hiding place.

"Draco?"

He's leaning against the edge of the balcony, a single champagne flute held loosely in his hand.

"Shall I offer congratulations?" He asks, without turning around.

"For?"

"You know what for, Harry. I saw you."

There's accusation in his voice, along with what I'm hoping I've correctly interpreted as a fair amount of jealousy.

"He kissed me...I didn't kiss him back," I murmur, watching the line of Draco's back tense. "If you'd stuck around a bit longer, you'd have seen me shove him off and tell him to stay away from me."

I step onto the balcony and close the door behind me, flicking a Locking Charm at it, just in case someone followed me up here.

Draco still doesn't move, so I walk up to the stand beside him, leaning lightly against the stone railing. A breeze ruffles our clothes and hair, and I risk glancing over at his face.

There are tears pooling in Draco's eyes, and I'm simultaneously thrilled and saddened by that. I find myself holding out a hand.

"Dance with me."

He sets his drink down and obeys without hesitation, letting me set a hand on his shoulder and interlocking the fingers of the other with his. He carefully places his free hand on my waist, gasping softly when I pull him flush against me, but quickly relaxing with a sigh.

A warm, content feeling floods through me. This. This is right. This is what I want.

We're dancing cheek-to-cheek, swaying gently to the music that travels up the stairs from the party below. I cast a Warming Charm around us just as it begins to snow.

Light flakes fall, swirling and dancing around the bubble of heat, the light from the door making them sparkle.

"You're a terrible dancer," Draco teases, voice shaky.

"Draco," I whisper, my voice coming out deeper and rougher than I intended. I turn my head and press my lips to his cheek, that simple action alone sending a thrill through me and making him shiver lightly in my arms.

"Yes?" He breathes.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yes."

I bring a hand up to his cheek, gently turning his face to meet mine as I press our lips together. Kissing Draco sends both warmth and arousal flooding through me. It's like...jumping off a cliff and coming home, all at once. Exhilarating and terrifying and heartbreakingly perfect.

It's just a soft brush of lips at first, tentative and hopeful and unbearably sweet, over and over, and then the restraint inside me snaps. I run my tongue over his lower lip in askance, and he opens his mouth against mine with a needy sound. I drop his hand in favor of sliding my hands into his freshly cut hair, lightly tugging at the soft strands, and he moans. Merlin, Draco.

One of his hands tightens around my waist, the other coming up to stroke the back of my neck as we slow down to explore each other's mouths.

"Draco." I pull back to growl against his lips, "How could you ever think I'd want him, when all I've been able to think about, night and day for months now, is you?"

"Harry," he sobs against my mouth, sending a thrill down my spine. He pulls back to look into my eyes, pressing our foreheads together, panting lightly. "I thought you didn't want me...after last time..."

"I did. I just didn't want to take advantage of you. Everything was so fresh and painful, and you were so upset..."

"Always the noble hero." Draco rolls his eyes and I can't help but laugh and kiss him again.

After several long, perfect minutes, we draw back, beaming at each other. "Can I take you to dinner?" I ask.

"Right now?"

"Yeah, right now. The food at this thing was awful, I'm starving."

Draco grins. "Me too."