Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.















The morning owl post was swooping into the Great Hall. But, Harry wasn’t paying too much attention, as he rarely received any mail. He did receive the occasional note from Hagrid for tea, though. So he was rather surprised to see Hedwig gently land by his plate with an envelope in her beak. But, as he detested having people read over his shoulder, he tucked it in his robe pocket.

It was much later that day when he remembered about his letter. He was in the hall, looking for a bit of parchment to make a quick note, when he rediscovered it. His face lit up and the idea for the note was quickly forgotten. Looking at the envelope, he noticed it was simply addressed:

H. Potter

He flipped the envelope over and saw a beautiful wax seal with a dragon at its center.
The handwriting was very neat, and yet vaguely familiar. Harry shrugged and opened it.

Your presence is requested for dinner tonight at 8 p.m.
Dress is casual. Please respond by writing your answer below.

Harry bit his lip. There was no signature at all. But the Dark war was over. The chances of this being from a Death Eater were slim to none. Harry gulped. Never in his entire life had he received a dinner invitation like this one. He looked over the stationary. It looked very expensive. Holding it up to the light, he noticed it seemed to be embossed with the same dragon as the wax seal.

He decided to think about it and put it back in his pocket. Then realizing the halls were almost empty ran to his next class. It was very difficult to get his mind off the invitation.
If he accepted and it was a trap, he was a dead man - nothing new there, really.

But, what if it was genuine, who sent it? He scanned the room, no one looked particularly guilty today. If someone fancied him, why wait until he was in his senior year? Did they need to wait until the Dark War was over? Why do it at all?

He looked at Hermione. Should he ask her opinion? But, no - he could just hear the answer. She would freak out and go look up dinner invites in the library after demanding he tell a teacher. Ron would shrug his shoulders and say he didn’t know what to tell him. In the end it was up to him.

His last class of the day went so badly; he decided he could use a night out. So Harry took out the invitation and wrote back an answer.

Sorry it took me so long to respond. If the invite is still open, I accept.

Thanks,
Harry

Harry gasped as the letter began to fold in upon itself and turned into a beautiful paper dragon. It seemed to wink at him. Then it took to the air and flew out the window. Several students gasped, and Harry narrowly missed receiving detention for disturbing the class. Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances. Harry knew the inquisition would soon follow.

He was right. No sooner did the class end, then his two friends demanded to know what the dragon was all about. But, tired after his long day of worrying he gave them only the briefest of explanations and left them standing open mouthed at Harry’s cavalier attitude toward his own safety.

Harry went straight up to his room. Thankfully, as a senior he had his own room and wouldn’t be disturbed. In fact, the truth was that ever since he accepted the invitation, he had butterflies in his stomach. Nevertheless, the whole prospect of getting away from the castle for a dinner date was very exciting. He silently thanked the person who had invited him.


The dragon landed softly in its owner’s hand. Long graceful fingers stroked its back and the paper unfolded. A rare smile filled the authors face. Penning a swift response, mindful of the approaching hour, the dragon came once again to life. The dragon spread its delicate paper wings and took to the air.


Harry was ripping his wardrobe apart, looking for suitable clothing. The Gryffindor was grateful that he had spent some of his inherited fortune on clothing. Finally, he decided on a very dark green cotton shirt and twill black trousers. Putting them on, he frowned and reached for a spell book on fashion spells.

A smile filled his face and he said the appropriate incantation. The dark green shirt was transformed into silk and the trousers to leather. Pleased with his appearance he removed the outfit. Harry proceeded to shower, shave and put some cologne on. He used spray and gel on his hair in an attempt to tame to his dark unruly locks.

As a last step, he changed his earrings to black onyx and green emerald studs to match his outfit. Harry shook his head at his reflection, noting that in some sort of Freudian slip, his clothes closely resembled Slytherin colors.

Harry walked to his window. As his eyelids fluttered closed, a vision of Draco Malfoy filled his mind. Draco Malfoy was undoubtedly the biggest nuisance and the most handsome man; he’d ever had the pleasure to be aggravated by.

With a smile, he thought of the physical attributes of the man. He had almost waist length hair that shimmered in the sun. It was almost always pulled back over his broad shoulders. The Seeker was taller than Professor Snape, his head of house. Draco Malfoy, who was his enemy for all those years, and later joined the Order helping to defeat Voldemort.

Harry’s emotions for the blond man were confusing at the best of times. Part of him lusted for him, and another part wondered if they could ever get by the years of feuding. But, he thought sadly, this was a waste of time. Harry shook his head and tried to think of something else.

That was when he noticed the paper dragon fluttering in front of the window. Smiling embarrassedly, he wondered how long the dragon had been there while he was daydreaming of Draco Malfoy.

As he unlatched the window, the tiny dragon swiftly flew into his hand. Harry didn’t know how to read any return message, as it was still a dragon. Just then the dragon rolled over, apparently trying to scratch its back. Then it rolled over again, and getting the idea Harry rubbed its back. The dragon winked and fell apart into a letter once again.

Harry was sad to see the little paper dragon go, but was also eager to read the response.

I am pleased you decided to accept my dinner invitation. Simply hold onto this paper at the appointed hour, and it will port key you for our dinner date.

A smile filled Harry’s face. Whomever this person was they certainly had style. A date? That explained the ever- increasing flock of butterflies in Harry’s stomach. The pendulum clock on the mantle read 20 minutes before 8. He ran to the loo for one last nervous leak. Then he began to pace, five minutes, three minutes, two, and suddenly the familiar pull behind his navel told him the port key was working.


A lone figure was pacing in a refined, elegant dining hall. The grand room was filled with red roses and candlelight. Sparkling light refracted from the crystal chandelier hanging high above a long, walnut table. Crystal goblets, antique china and silver candlesticks had been set out. There was champagne sitting in ice waiting to be served. Dark velvet helped to soften the glow and the fabric was echoed throughout the room. Somewhere in the extensive room a soft chime rang eight times. The handsome figure turned gracefully and took a deep breath for courage.


Harry gasped as his feet hit something solid, and he felt an arm steady his entry.

“You can open your eyes,� a soft voice whispered into his ear.

Opening his eyes, Harry turned toward the voice and looked straight into the dark, stormy gray eyes that haunted his every moment. It was the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy which looked back at him. Harry felt his knees go out from under him. But, the Slytherin caught him around the waist and held him steady.

“Easy. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shock you.�

“Malfoy?� Harry gasped.

“Well, I’m glad you still have your senses intact.� Draco chuckled.

“You invited me on a dinner date?� disbelief filled Harry’s face.

“Yes. I did. I would like to have a private talk with you. This is not a trap, either. It took quite a bit of persuading on my part to have our Headmaster to give permission for my plans. If you want to leave, you may. But I wish you wouldn’t.� Draco said very softly.

Harry’s legs went weak again, and Draco shook his head.

“Perhaps, you should sit down?�

Draco directed him to the table, pulling out a chair for Harry. Harry sat down in a daze. Draco smiled and went to sit on the opposite side of the table. It was then that Harry’s mouth dropped open while taking in the luxurious setting, the candles, and the red roses. Never in his life had he seen a room as exquisite as this one. He gulped and pinched himself in the leg, closed his eyes and opened them again.

“This is beautiful,� Harry whispered.

“I’m glad you approve.�

Draco gave him a dazzling smile and Harry was grateful he was sitting. He knew he was staring at Malfoy in wild-eyed wonder, and felt stupid about it. But, he couldn’t stop either. This was too incredible. Draco Malfoy asked him out on a dinner date, arranged things with Dumbledore, and had gone to all this trouble to talk to him. At some point he had gone straight past disbelief into pure astonishment.

“Would you care for a bit of the bubbly?�

Harry blinked and nodded at the champagne being offered to him. A small voice in the back of his head asked what the champagne was for, and it took a bit for the question to make its way to his mouth. He watched numbly as the blond poured out some ‘bubbly’.

“What’s the champagne for? Are we celebrating something?�

His host handed him his drink, which he gladly accepted. Draco raised his crystal goblet and tapped it softly to Harry’s, eliciting a beautiful chime from the crystal.

“The champagne is to commemorate and celebrate our first date.�

Harry drank from the goblet unsure of what to say or do, so he pinched himself in the leg again. But Draco saw the movement and wince, for the second time.

“You’ll give yourself bruises if you keep doing that. I assure you this is real.�

“No. It can’t be. I must be dreaming.�

“Perhaps some food will make you feel better?�

Draco rang a small gong, which Harry hadn’t previously noticed, hidden as it was among the vast amounts of roses. Instantly, food appeared on the table.

“I seem to recall that lobster and crab were your favorite foods?�

“Uh, yeah. Thanks for remembering. But I don’t even remember saying that.�

“You did actually, at a meeting for the Order, when Tonks arrived with Maryland crab cakes, and Maine lobster.�

A blush began to rise on Harry’s face. It was incredible that Draco Malfoy of all people should remember such a thing. Doubt filled his mind as to whether or not Tonks even remembered that, since he sure hadn’t.

“Well, I don’t know about you but I’m starved. Dig in.�

Harry nodded. As Harry put the first butter saturated morsel in his mouth, he moaned with pleasure. Draco smiled with delight, and began to eat. They didn’t talk during dinner but the air was filled with the snapping sound of shells, and moans of epicurean delight.

The blond watched his guest out of the corner of his eye, while he ate. Harry ate slowly, and seemed to take an almost sexual pleasure out of each bite. He watched as the Seeker licked each stray drop of melted butter from his lips, before continuing onto the next bite. Draco sighed with longing.

Patience was a virtue born unto all of his family. However, getting to this day with the Gryffindor Seeker had seemed an eternity. It had been many years ago now that he had started to realize the true nature of his feelings for the man. He had tried for a long time to deny it, repress it and act it out through displaced anger – to no avail. When he’d finally come to grips with his own feelings, the timing to express them was wrong.

First, there was the concern over the reaction of his parents. But, when his parents passed away in Azkaban that worry died with them. Then there was the Dark Lord. Draco shuddered at how close Harry had come to losing his life. If not for Wormtail, finally repaying a life debt, standing as a shield, taking the ‘Avada Kedavra’ curse intended to kill the Savior of the Wizarding world, Harry would have died. But the sacrifice gave Draco and Harry to scream out the killing curse onto the Dark Lord together, and the war was over.

With the last remnants of his supporters receiving kisses from Dementors, the danger was gone. Then Draco had to wait for Harry to recover from the emotional scaring he’d received during his imprisonment by Voldemort. Finally, the Golden Boy of Gryffindor had transformed into a man, and the time was ripe. Draco made the necessary preparations and sent the invitation.

Seeing his guest had finished with his meal, Draco rang the gong again, and the dishes emptied.

“Would you like some dessert?�

“Not right now, thanks. The meal was fantastic enough.�

“I’m glad you liked it.�

“What was it you wanted to discuss with me?�

Draco sighed. He hoped this would go well.

“Us.�

“Us?�

“Yes.�

“Go on.�

Draco took a deep breath. He reached across the table and took Harry’s hand. Harry gulped, noting the butterflies were now in his chest.

“For a long time now, I have felt a change between us. We seemed to have gotten over our past differences in light of what we have been through these past few years.�

Draco took another deep breath of air.

“I think that we belong together, Harry.�

Harry’s world stopped moving. It wasn’t just that Draco had called him by his first name. It was that his heart had just stopped beating. Or had it been stopped all these years, and only now it had actually started?

“Belong together?�

Harry heard these words slip from his lips without knowing he had thought them.

“Yes, I’ve wanted to date you for ages, but the time was never right.�

“What? Why didn’t you tell me? Do you have any clue how long I’ve wanted to be with you?�

“You have?�

“Yes, I have, Draco.�

Draco willed back tears. Harry had called him by his first name. His Harry wanted to be with him too. He threw down his napkin and walked over to the other side of the table.

“Come.�

Draco offered a hand up to Harry. He drew back a set of curtains and Harry gasped. Moonlight cascaded over perfectly manicured grounds and a reflecting pool flanked by rows and rows of flowers. Harry felt Draco pull him out into the gardens. Fountains flowed over rock landscapes looking like mini-waterfalls.

“Draco,� Harry gasped. Draco smiled amused at the reaction of his raven-haired guest.

They finally sat down on a secluded bench, near a gazebo.

“Look, Harry I know we are still in school. And I agree it is important that we finish at Hogwarts. But, I would like you to consider moving into the Manor, here with me, when we graduate.�

Harry gasped. Draco put a finger to his lips.

“Please let me finish, Harry.�

He nodded and Draco removed his finger.

“We can certainly date in school, but it will be difficult. What can we hope for by sneaking around into abandoned classrooms, making a reservation for the Astronomy Tower, or hiding under the stands on the Quidditch Pitch? What I am offering is a more mature relationship. We can come here to be alone, or for dinners, or just to get away. By the time we graduate, co-habitation would simply be the next logical step.

Harry felt a tear running down his face. Draco removed the tear, wiping it away with a finger, and kissing away the saline on his finger.

“Did you know Harry that tasting someone’s tears can make you fall in love with them?�

“I don’t need your tears for that Draco. I love you already.�

Harry leaned over to kiss Draco, and Draco met him halfway. It was a tender, loving kiss that washed away any lingering doubts the pair might have had left.

“Does that mean yes, Harry?�

“Yes.�

As they leaned in to kiss again, Draco whispered, “ I love you, too.�

The end