Title: And then you laughed

Author: Keikokin

Beta: Nefernat

Pairing & Rating: Harry/Draco, PG

Summary: Draco finds out that Harry Potter only flirted with him because of a dare.

Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry Potter, along with her publishers and merchandisers. No maliciousness intended in any way, shape or form.

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“Come on Harry, be a sport!” Seamus hollered drunkenly from his barstool.

“The next one to walk through that door,” Fred put in next, while leaning heavily on the long wooden bar.

Harry was starting to wish he hadn’t come to this party, especially when the decision was made to go pub crawling. He really wasn’t much of a drinker. He sat staring into his pint wondering why he was here.

“I double-dog dare you,” Ron said seriously. “Don’t get too excited boys, Harry won’t do it.”

Rage filled Harry. Ron had been snipping at Harry with little jibs and jabs at him from his sexuality to his lack of a love life since the end of the war and now this. Right then and there, Harry made up his mind that the next bloke to walk through the door of the small bar would indeed get chatted up as per the dare.

He’d show Ron.

Just as the thought left his brain, while his hand was still shaking Seamus’ in acceptance, the door opened. Harry gasped. He was sure he was looking at a ghost. Time had changed him; the pointed face was gone matured into distinction that screamed of good breeding. His hair was soft, falling around his eyes and face, obscuring it slightly as if he wanted to hide from the world. But the voice asking for a pint of bitters was unmistakable.

It was Draco Malfoy.

There was a rough shove to Harry’s lower back and he almost sprawled on the floor, but managed to catch the back of his chair in time to stop it. He glared back at the others who were now sniggering loudly into their drinks. Straightening out his shirt and smoothing a hand over his hair, Harry made his way over to the far corner where his mark stood reading a framed newspaper clipping on the wall.

“If I knew you were going to grow up to be so bloody handsome, I would have been nicer to you in school,”. Harry tried with a smile.

Draco looked up through soft, blond fringe at him. His grey eyes blinked as he took him in and Harry saw the recognition in his eyes, then disbelief. “Potter, you do realize who you’re trying to flatter don’t you? Won’t being seen with a Malfoy tarnish your sterling reputation?”

“Some things are worth it and I can tarnish it quite well on my own, although I prefer company,” Harry smirked.

“Did you just use my own smirk on me, Potter? Exactly how much have you had to drink?”

“Enough to realize I was an idiot in school.”

Draco laughed. “I could have told you that Potter.”

There was no malice in that voice. It was soft, smooth, cultured and refined as always, but different. The easy laughter was delightful and seemed to soothe Harry's very soul. It caressed Harry’s mind somehow and parts quite a bit further south if he were to take full stock. He felt alive and wanted nothing more than to suddenly spend all the time he could in this man’s company. His body fully agreed. And his heart soared. 

Malfoy made to move away and Harry stopped him by barring his way with one arm. His feet were riveted to the spot with the mere possibility that Malfoy was not only gay, but open to his flirtation. Who knew? It was as sobering as an ice cold shower. With complete seriousness he said,” If I was were smarter I would have asked you out back then.”

“What makes you think I would have gone out with you then or now?” Draco asked quietly, turning fully away from the clipping now,  to give Harry his full attention.

A small grin pulled at the corner of Harry’s mouth. “Power? Respect?” Draco’s left eyebrow shot up at the accurate assessment. “But if I was really honest, I’d like to get to know you a bit first, so maybe you’ll like the real me.” Harry shot Draco a shy, engaging grin that lit up Draco’s world like a sunrise.

“Okay, Potter you’re on,” spilled out of Malfoy’s mouth before his head had managed to wrestle control back from his suddenly enraptured heart. He was simply grateful that he hadn't commented on how adorable Potter looked at the moment.

Harry suddenly frowned. “I think we should go somewhere right now.”

“Why?” Malfoy asked in confusion.

“Because I don’t want you suddenly turning back into the Old Malfoy I loved to hate in school overnight. So I’ll make sure I’m with the one I like by sticking by your side for right now,” Potter said all in a rush.

Malfoy took a small step forward and said in a deep, husky tone, “Apparate me.”

With a tremor of lust, Harry put an arm around Malfoy’s waist and Apparated them straight to his own bedroom. He blushed faintly as Malfoy pulled away a bit and looked around taking stock. “Hmm, not quite the destination I had in mind. You don’t believe in being subtle do you Potter?”

“Harry.”

“Yes, I suppose surnames are a bit formal at this point,” .” Draco stepped closer and ran his hands up Harry’s chest, marveling at how firm it was even beneath the clothes he had on." Speaking of which, ... Clothes might be too, given our present surroundings.”

“Are you – you sure?” Harry asked feeling a wave of nervousness come over him. Where had all that fabled Gryffindor bravery gone? It had been a complete charge after hearing Draco’s sultry voice, but now that the voice had gone formal it had vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. “I mean, don’t you still hate me?”

A fair, blond eyebrow was raised at this remark. “I’m a wizard, same as you Harry. If I had wanted to leave, I would have. If I had not wanted to endure your clumsy attempt at flirting I would not have done so. It is entirely possible that I find you reasonably comfortable company.” Harry smiled broadly at this. For Draco that was high praise indeed.

Harry found his bravery once more and closed the small gap between them. “May I kiss you?”

Draco inhaled sharply. “Yes,” he whispered. Harry’s lips were soft, full and Draco felt oh, so deliciously lost. Unbidden, a loud, moan escaped his throat.

 ***************************************************************

Seamus frowned into his drink. Fred elbowed him sharply, “What’s wrong mate?”

“Shouldn’t Harry be back by now? It was only a simple dare. Why did he go away with him?” Seamus asked, hoping it didn’t come out in a whine. His booze induced high had just crashed and burned into the ground because of the dare’s results.

Fred made a face before calling loudly over the table and music to George and Ron. “Oi, why’d Potter go with Malfoy?”

“Oh, right, it wasn’t part of the dare,” Fred said slowly as if just figuring this little detail out.

Ron was even slower on the uptake. “Why?”

“I tell you why, because Harry likes Draco Malfoy and always has,” Seamus groused, taking a deep swig of beer. The Weasley’s laughed. “Okay, if it’s so funny then, what do you figure the reason is? They’ve been gone a few minutes now. Where are they?”

This put an instant kibosh on the laughter. The three redheads stared at each other. “Maybe Malfoy did something to him?” Ron asked hopefully.

Fred raised an eyebrow at George who shook his head. “I never saw any wands come out.”

“Are you all blind? Didn’t you see the way they were smiling at each other?” Seamus snapped.

“Oi, how much have you had to drink?” Ron asked Seamus. “There is no way that Harry would do anything more than the dare needed.” He grimaced. “Harry like Malfoy? Are you nuts? I’m his best friend! I would have known if he was, well that is to say…”

“Attracted to dangerous types?” George smiled. “Perhaps our little leprechaun here is too.” He looked at Seamus teasingly before looking at his brothers with a nod.

Seamus folded his arms over his chest. “So what are we going to do about Harry? Maybe he’s in trouble.”

“Maybe he’s right and we should rescue him?” Ron questioned his big brothers.

The twins looked at each other evilly. “Sure, let’s go. It should be fun.” The two chorused. The group took a guess as to where Harry might be and arrived in Harry’s flat a moment later. They all looked around the small, but comfortable loft situated in Wales.

“He’s not here –“ Ron began but was cut off by a loud moan from the direction of Harry’s bedroom. His face paled. “Oh, no. You don’t think-“ It was the same tone of voice he used when someone began to talk about spiders and it was laced with both fear and disbelief.

Fred put a hand on his little brother’s shoulder. “Steady on little brother, sounds like our quarry is this way. Go ahead.”

He pushed a very unhappy Ron ahead, winking at his brother as he did so. Seamus glumly followed the pack of Weasley’s toward Harry’s bedroom. Gulping loudly, Ron knocked on the door. “Harry? Is the dare done?”

******************************************************** 

Pain shot through Draco’s mind and heart and body like a forge-hot sword. He pushed Harry off, mid-kiss feeling hurt and betrayed. “Dare? What Dare?” Harry found a wand pointed at his heart. “Start talking Potter and I mean now.”

Harry’s wide-eyed concern was answer enough for Draco. He always could read Potter like a book. “Draco please, it might have started like that –“

Draco sneered, feeling the old rage reignite like a wildfire in the wind. “Did you have fun with your little game, Potter? It’s always the same with you isn’t it? You’re so bloody high and mighty, it doesn’t matter who you break along the way does it?” Draco was upset to note that his voice broke on the last bit.

“Harry!?” Ron called louder. “Are you in there?” He pushed open the door to find Draco looking at Harry with more hatred in his eyes than he’d ever seen before. But there was something else too. Pain? Ron pushed this thought away as he noted Draco’s wand pointed at Harry’s chest. His wand was out in a heartbeat and he pointed it straight at Malfoy.

It was Fred and George who said loudly, “Expelliarmus!” All the wands held by Harry, Ron and Draco flew into their outstretched hands. They nodded to each other then pocketed the wands.

“Hey!” Ron yelled in outrage.

The twins grabbed their little brother and pulled him from the room. “I didn’t think even you were this dense Ron,"said Fred."They need to talk," offered George.

“Yes, we do,” Seamus announced pushing his way forward. “This was just a bloody dare, Malfoy. Don’t start thinking you can have Harry, because you can’t!”

Harry grabbed Draco’s arm to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere before turning to look at Seamus. “Since when did you become my keeper?” Looking to Draco he continued. “It might have started as a dare, but it changed. It’s not a dare anymore. I have Draco here because I want him here.” Surprise etched Malfoy's fine features, softening when he realized Potter would never lie to one of his own, much less rise to his defense unless he felt something too.

“EWWW!, Harry! but But its bloody Malfoy!” Ron yelled in disgust even as the twins pulled him from the room.

The door shut soundly behind them and suddenly it was just Seamus, Draco and Harry.

Harry glared at Seamus. “Don’t you think you should leave, Seamus?” He knew he was being rude, but he didn’t care. Draco was still here so maybe he still had a chance to explain himself. “Draco and I need to talk.”

“It was just a dare.” Seamus sneered at Draco. “Harry only flirted with you because we made him agree to do that to the first person that walked in the bar.”

Harry felt Draco’s arm jerk. He looked at him with a plea in his eyes and heart. “Please don’t go. I can explain, on the graves of my parents I swear.”

Draco looked at Harry assessing his words and their veracity, “Five minutes”.

Smiling widely and whispering 'thanks', Harry turned from Draco to Seamus. “Please, Seamus. It may have started as a dare, but somewhere along it I realized that Draco means something to me. Maybe he always has. If you thought it should be you instead, I’m sorry. But I view you as a friend, almost another brother like Ron and the twins.”

Harry pulled away from Draco and gave Seamus a quick hug to soften the blow. “I’m sorry Seamus. Can we still be friends?”

Seamus was subjected to one of Harry’s famous smiles and he realized he was lucky to even be one of Harry’s close friends. Who was he to stop Harry from finally finding happiness. He glared at Draco with animosity. “If you so much as hurt him Malfoy, you’ll have me, the Weasleys and a whole army of people out for your blood. Do you understand me?”

Draco gave a small nod of acceptance, but it seemed to satisfy Seamus who was grinning at Harry. “Do I get to kiss the bride?”

Before Harry knew it Seamus had stolen a fast kiss before turning on his heel and exiting the room. The doors slammed loudly behind him. But it wasn’t loud enough to cover the sound of Seamus whistling, apparently feeling quite smug with the stolen affection.

Harry turned nervously back to Draco, holding up his hands. “I didn’t know he was going to do that, I swear.”

“I know. Four minutes Potter and counting.” Draco folded one arm over his chest, tapping his fingers on his upper arm with the other.  

“Right,” Harry nodded. “This is what happened," Harry began to related the details of the evening as fast as he could before he reached the critical part in it as far as he was concerned,"….and then you laughed.”

Draco cocked his head to one side. “I laughed?”

Harry smiled shyly. “Yeah, you laughed and didn’t act like a git and it was, I don’t know, special.” Harry looked unhappily toward the wall. “I’m not good at talking. Hermione usually does it for me.”

“I think you’re doing just fine, Harry,” Draco reached forward and cupped Harry’s face in his own. “Promise me something though?”

Harry blinked at the sudden change of topic. Then he smiled widely hoping this meant he was off the hook. “Anything.”

“No more dares?” Draco laughed.

Harry happily agreed and then they finished their kiss.