Draco stood in a corner of the ball room looking bored. He was at the Ministry's annual celebration of what they liked to call 'Victory day'. It was the fifth anniversary of the fall of Voldermort. Draco looked around the ball room and sneered. He didn't want to be here. He wished he could go home. He was only here because Pansy had nearly nagged him to death about it.

Well, she can drag me here, but she can't force me to mingle, he thought, as he made his way to a quiet corner of the room, with his glass of champagne and wondered why everyone insisted on being so boring. He was startled when someone came around the corner and bumped into him.

"Potter!" he said, his tone sharpened by surprise.

Potter was looking distinctly agitated and he kept glancing furtively around him like he was trying to hide from someone. The poor bloke looked like he was about to throw up.

"Is something wrong?" Draco said.

"It's Romilda," Harry said trying not to flush with embarrassment at the thought that he was being harassed by a woman.

"Romilda Vane? That dark haired bint with pointy teeth...dresses a bit like a slut?" Draco said.

Harry nodded.

"What has she done to get you into this state?"

Harry flushed. "She keeps following me around, insisting that I dance with her," he said plaintively. "And she's very...gropey," he said flusing even further.

Draco felt his heart flip over at the sight of Potter looking so flushed and cute and so adorably lost...and all because he was being chased by a woman. That little fact made the whole thing even more adorable, in his opinion. He had a strong urge to take Potter in his arms and tell him that he would take care of him, that he would protect him from any and all gropey women. He valiantly resisted the urge and tried quite desperately to keep that fond smile from taking over his face. He didn't succeed at all.

Harry saw that smile and he couldn't help thinking how good Malfoy looked when he smiled like that. Malfoy always looked good. He was the epitome of smart and poised and sexy...everything that Harry wasn't, but that smile made him all the more attractive because it softened the sharp lines of his face, softened his whole personality, in fact and made him seem more likeable. Harry was still staring at Malfoy when he heard someone call his name.

"Merlin! She's found me," he said, sounding desperate.

"Just tell her to get lost," Draco said.

"She won't listen," Harry said. "This is the woman who tried to dose me with love potion back when we were in school. Telling her that I'm not interested will have absolutely no effect."

"Then tell her that you're taken," Draco said as he took a step towards Harry.

Harry's eyes widened. Is Malfoy suggesting what I think he's suggesting? he wondered.

"Harry!" Romilda said again. She was only a couple of feet away.

Harry decided to act. He moved closer to Malfoy until they were just a couple of inches apart. He glanced at Malfoy's mouth and he was overwhelmed by a desire to taste it. And not just because he wanted to get Romilda off his back. In fact he forgot all about her as he put his arms around Malfoy's neck and pulled him close. He pressed his lips to Malfoy's. He felt as if he was in a trance. Malfoy wrapped his arms around Harry and he kissed back. There was an almighty shriek right behind them.

"Harry Potter! What are you doing?!" Romilda screamed.

Neither of them paid any heed to the commotion around them as several other people made their way into that corner of the room, led by Romilda's shrieking. There were gasps and exclamations. Draco didn't care. He was too busy discovering what a joy it was to have Harry in his arms like this, so warm and pliant as he opened his mouth and let Draco kiss him thoroughly. Harry, for his part, had only one thought in his head...that Draco was a wonderful kisser and that he would happily spend the rest of his life kissing him.