3 June, 2011

"I'm sorry, Harry. I can't do it."

"What do you mean you can't? We've been on this case for months, Blaise. Not going isn't an option."

"Then you can use the Polyjuice and go in my place. You know as much about the case as I do. You'll be fine."

"They're pure-bloods. I'll do something un-pure-bloodish and they'll know something's off. What's so important that you'd blow the case?"

Blaise sighed, sagging in his chair as though Harry had just punched him. "Sunday's Draco's birthday. I'm taking him to dinner. Pansy's out of town and... he doesn't have anyone else. I won't abandon him. Not tonight."

"Well, if he weren't such an arse, he might have someone else." Harry scowled. He and Blaise had been partners for years and he still didn't understand why Blaise was so devoted to the arrogant prat.

Blaise glared at him. "He's only an arse to the people he likes. The rest he ignores altogether. I'll make a deal with you. I'll go to the meeting if you'll go to dinner with Draco."

Blaise crossed his arms over his chest, and Harry knew there was no changing his mind. The case would be dead in the water, because they'd never get another chance meeting with all parties involved again. It would be a waste of four month's worth of undercover work.

"After what he did last month? No fucking way."

"Oh, come on, Harry. It was just an innocent prank. No harm came of it."

"He transfigured my robes into a green sequinned evening gown in the middle of a speech to the entire International Council! How is that an innocent prank?!?"

"Yes, well—" Blaise grinned, despite his obvious attempt not to. "At least it was an attractive dress, and quite honestly I think that one backfired on him. Did you see the look on his face when you stepped down from the podium? He couldn't keep his eyes off your thigh peeking out of that rather showing slit up the side."

"For Merlin's sake, Blaise. How can you—?"

"Besides, you were the one who charmed his robes to twist around his ankles during the Ambassador's Ball last month. At least you didn't end up with your nose nestled into the French Ambassador's cleavage."

"He had it coming." Harry grinned. That had been a particularly good one. "After all, he started it, with that ridiculous Love Potion at your birthday party," he added with a bit of a pout. Harry still had women owling him for dates, and that had been months ago.

"Yes, you're obviously still twelve years old." Blaise shook his head and stood to leave. "I really wish you'd both get over this childhood – whatever it is – and just learn to get along."

"Fine." Harry didn't like it. But this case was too important to throw by the wayside. He could deal with Draco for one evening, surely.

Blaise beamed. "Meet him at L'atterrissage at seven." He paused at the door and turned. "Oh, and don't forget to take a gift."

~~~

5 June, 2011

Needless to say, Draco wasn't pleased when Harry turned up at the restaurant instead of Blaise. Harry had endured insults about his attire, his hair, his manners, his intellect, and there had been mention of his shoe size that sounded suspiciously insulting, but Harry wasn't quite sure about that one. Over the course of dinner, Draco had also insulted the waiter, the food, the music, the decorations, and had whispered conspiratorial insults about the majority of the other patrons. Harry had been unable to resist laughing, since he'd agreed with most of them.

"What is this?" Draco asked when Harry slid a small, neatly wrapped box across the table.

"It's a birthday gift, you snarky prat. What does it look like?"

Draco looked at it dubiously. "It looks like someone wrapped a box in Gryffindor bedcovers and tied it with a yellow ribbon they stole from a toddler's hair."

"Just open it," Harry said, biting his lip to keep from laughing at the way Draco's nose crinkled.

Draco pulled the ribbon cautiously, as if he expected it to explode at any moment. Harry couldn't say he blamed if for that, under the circumstances. When nothing happened, he looked up at Harry, his brows creased in confusion.

Harry rolled his eyes and waved his hand to encourage Draco got get on with it.

Draco scowled, but tore the paper away and opened the tiny box, his confusion even more evident when he lifted the delicate gift. "You've gifted me with a piece of string. How touching."

Harry chuckled. The man could be such wanker sometimes. "You wrap it around you wrist and it repels a particular person's jinx. George made one for me after—"

"So that's why—" Draco looked up quickly as though he'd been caught with his hand in the till.

"Why whatever jinx you obviously threw at me last didn't work?" Harry smirked, enjoying the slight blush that tinted Draco's sharp cheekbones. "Yes. That would be why."

"But this will... why are you giving this to me?" Draco looked more confused than ever, and slightly insecure, which was worth more gold than Harry had in his entire Gringotts vault.

"Perhaps we could call a truce?" Harry answered. "Blaise is my partner—"

"And my friend," Draco interrupted, his eyebrows raised.

"Yes. So maybe we owe it to him to—"

"Get along?"

"You have an annoying habit of interrupting, you know that?"

"It's a skill that comes with years of practice. Don't try it, you could injure yourself."

Harry laughed. He couldn’t help himself. Draco was an infuriating brat, but he did it with such style Harry couldn't help but be amused. "Blaise says you're only an arse to people you like."

Draco crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "Blaise knows me well."

That was probably as close as Harry would ever get to an admission that Draco liked him, but he'd take it, because heaven help him, life would be insanely boring without Draco around. "Dessert?"

Draco graced Harry with a coy, secretive smile. "For starters," he answered.

~~~

5 June, 2012

"Yes. That. Fuck. So close."

Harry smiled around Draco's cock, chancing a glance up to watch Draco's eyelids flutter just before Harry's mouth was filled with the bitter taste he'd grown to love. Draco sagged against the desk, using the fingers still tangled in Harry's hair to tug him up into a messy kiss.

"Happy birthday," Harry whispered against Draco's lips once the kiss had ended.

"Merlin on a broomstick, Harry. If you get any better at that I'll be forced to place your mouth up for hire. We could retire very rich men."

"We're already very rich men."

Draco smiled, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist to pull him closer. "And it's a good thing, because if anyone else dared to touch your mouth I'd end up in Azkaban for murder."

Harry leaned forward for another kiss just as the door to his office swung open.

"Bloodyfuckinghell, can't you two do that somewhere else?"

Harry couldn't help but smile at the devious smirk that crossed Draco's lips.

"Oh, don't worry, Blaise. We will. It's my birthday, after all."

"And my desk? Can't you at least molest your own desk, Harry?"

Harry stepped away from Draco long enough to help him zip and button his trousers. "Mine is too messy," he answered, causing Draco to chuckle.

Blaise pulled out his wand and waved it around the room. The smell of sex was replaced by lilacs. Blaise shook his head as he shoved them both toward the door. "Sometimes I long for the days when you two fought like cats and dogs. Life was so much simpler then."

Draco paused at the door, pulling Harry into another kiss. "I'll see you tonight at L'atterrissage," he whispered against Harry's lips. "And do try to dress like an adult for once, would you?"

Blaise snorted, but Harry ignored him. "I could come naked and you wouldn't care."

Draco smirked. "That will most definitely happen, but not until after dinner." Draco gave him one last lingering kiss before opening the door. Harry watched him walk down the long corridor.

Yes, life would be terribly boring without Draco around.

♥ ♥ ♥