How to Save a Life

Harry shrugged into the jacket of his suit and gave himself a quick once over in the mirror. Even to someone with as little knowledge of clothes as himself, it was obvious that Narcissa had done a very good job of selecting his outfit. It was almost as if it had been made for him.

It was a simple black single breasted suit, but the cut and the fabric screamed tastefully expensive, even to Harry. He had on also a crisp white shirt and a black silk tie (which had taken many frustrating minutes of struggling to put on correctly.) The only missing element was a pair of cufflinks, which Harry had never owned, nor had any need to previously. However, he figured that it was a safe bet that Draco would have some he could borrow.

He headed out of the bathroom, back into his dormitory and found himself pinned by the appraising looks of his roommates.

“You look nice, Harry,” Neville offered.

Seamus nodded emphatically. “What he said. Only scratch ‘nice’ and use hot instead!”

Dean gave the Irish boy a friendly dig, and then turned to Harry. “Nice threads, mate.”

Harry grinned at them in return. “Thanks. I’ll see you guys down there.”

There were quite a few people milling about in the common room when Harry got down there. Sulking members of the lower years, who were not old enough to attend the dance, were grouped together on the sofas, shooting resentful glares at anyone within range.

There were also quite a few boys stood near the foot of the entrance to the girl’s dormitories, obviously waiting for their dates to appear. Harry grinned to himself at some of the young wizard’s interpretation of ‘muggle wear’ and found himself thanking Narcissa Malfoy heartily.

As Harry turned to exit the room, he found his route blocked by a grinning Dennis Creevey.

“Hi, Harry,” he greeted, breathlessly.


“Hi, Dennis,” Harry answered, resigned to his fate.

Dennis began chattering away but Harry really wasn’t paying that much attention. There was too great a similarity between Dennis and Colin for Harry to ever be able to look at him without remembering his dead older brother.

It suddenly occurred to Harry that the other boy was looking at him, smiling, as if waiting for an answer to a question. He shook his head free of his memories and turned his attention to the present.

“Sorry, Dennis, I lost myself for a moment there. What were you saying?”

“That’s ok, Harry. I was just asking if you were looking forward to the dance. I’m a bit nervous myself.”

That was when Harry realised that Dennis was in fact wearing a shirt and tie and appeared to think he was attending the Halloween ball, which was a little confusing as only 6th years and above were allowed to attend.

“Um, I guess so Dennis, should be fun. But how come you’re going? I didn’t think you were old enough?”

Before Dennis could answer, it was done for him.

“He’s my date.”

And all of a sudden there was Ginny Weasley standing in front of him with a cool expression on her face, and Harry was all too aware of the fact he had never had that conversation with her about him taking Pansy to the dance

Ginny stood to the side of Dennis and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder.

“You’re going then,” she accused, without a hint of question in her voice.

Harry nodded sheepishly. “I got talked into it,” he explained, not for one moment expecting this to be sufficient.

“Hmm,” was all Ginny said, and yet she managed to pack so much meaning into that one noise.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments which didn’t seem to affect Dennis, who was busily engaged with shooting adoring looks at both Ginny and Harry in turn. Finally Harry mustered the courage to break the deadlock.

“You look nice, Gin.” And it was the truth, Harry reflected, she did look very nice. Her curtain of auburn hair swung loose over her shoulders, which were bare. She had on a pale gold strapless dress that looked almost like silk, though Harry could hear a little voice at the back of his mind that he recognised as Draco’s, scoffing at the thought of a Weasley in anything so fine. The dress fell in tiers to just below her knees and the outfit was completed with a black sash around her narrow waist.

Ginny gave him a smug smile, as if to say ‘yes and look at what you’re missing out on.’ Not that Harry felt, on any level, that he was missing out. Ginny might look very pretty all done up like this but there was no comparison to Draco.

“Thank you, Harry. You don’t look so bad yourself.” The stiff tone in which they were spoken belied the pleasantness of the words and Harry was not so naive as to think he had gotten away with anything.

“Come on, Dennis,” Ginny practically ordered, before taking the younger Gryffindor’s hand and pulling him in the direction of the portrait hole. As he clambered out of the common room, Ginny paused for a moment and turned back to Harry.

“You know, Harry. If you didn’t want to take me to the dance, you could have just said. You didn’t have to lie to me.”

Harry barely had time to register her words, let alone refute them, before the girl had spun on her heel and flounced out of the portrait hole, allowing it to slam behind her.

“That went well then.”

Soft as the voice was, Harry still jumped in surprise and turned to find Hermione smiling at him. Harry grinned wryly in return.

“As well as can be expected under the circumstances, I suppose. How come she’s going with Dennis? Not that it’s any of my business who she goes with; it’s just a little odd is all.”

Hermione shook her head lightly and her shower of ringlets danced with the movement. “I don’t know, Harry. They seem to be spending a lot of time together lately. But you’re right; it is a little odd, given the age difference.” The girl paused here and looked speculatively at Harry before continuing. “I did wonder if maybe it was part of some plan to make you jealous.”

Harry squirmed a little, uncomfortable with this thought. “I hope not,” he said, keeping his voice neutral. “She really is wasting her time if that’s the plan.”

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but whatever she had planned to say was forgotten as Ron appeared at her side and slung his arm proprietarily around her waist.

“Harry,” he acknowledged gruffly, giving a brief nod in his friends direction. The redhead then turned his attention to his girlfriend.

“You look amazing,” he gaped. Hermione flushed and opened her mouth to refute the compliment, but Harry spoke first.

“Ron’s right, Hermione, you really do look amazing.” Hermione flushed even more at Harry’s compliment but made no further effort to dispute it.

Harry looked at Hermione and realised for probably the first time that the girl he had grown up with, whom he loved like a sister, had become a woman. Her usually frizzy hair now hung in tamed ringlets that framed her lightly made up face. Like Ginny, she was wearing a strapless dress that showed off her feminine shoulders.

Harry knew even less about women’s clothing than he did about men’s but he decided that Hermione’s dress was lovely. It was a mink colour and in what looked like satin, but it had an organza overlay that was embroidered with daisies and a matching sash around the waist.

Harry was dragged from his musing by the sound of his name being spoken. He looked up and found Hermione looking at him expectantly.

“Sorry, Hermione, what did you say?”

“I just said that we were on our way down to the Great Hall now and did you want to walk down with us. I presume you have to meet Pansy.”

Harry didn’t miss the faint scowl that crossed Ron’s face, as it did when anything Slytherin was mentioned. But he chose to ignore it and nodded his agreement to Hermione instead.

“Okay, that sounds like a good idea. I had better get a move on anyway. There were definite threats of hexing made for if I was late.”

Hermione chuckled at this and even Ron managed a smile. Harry found himself overwhelmed with a feeling of longing for the way things used to be between the three of them and vowed to make more of an effort to rebuild their shattered friendship.

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Harry made it to the Slytherin common room with moments to spare. He muttered the password and waited while the door appeared and allowed him entrance. The scene in the dungeons was much the same as it was in Gryffindor tower, although the younger Slytherins obviously knew better than to show their disgruntlement.

Harry had barely stepped inside the room when a hand grabbed his wrist firmly and dragged him in the direction of the boy’s dormitories. Draco slammed the door to his room behind them and turned to Harry with a predatory look on his face. His eyes raked over Harry’s body.

“There’s something to be said for this muggle clothing,” he admitted, whilst motioning for Harry to turn round.

“Draco, I feel stupid,” Harry protested, but complied with his boyfriends request nonetheless.

“Shh, Potter. I’m just admiring how hot you are.”

Harry grinned at this. “That seems to be a popular opinion today.” Grey eyes narrowed at this.

“Why, who else has been saying that?” Draco’s tone was calm but Harry could sense his jealousy all the same.

“Only Seamus, you know what he’s like.”

“Maybe I should have a quiet word with that horny Leprechaun. If he’s at all attached to his balls he will keep such opinions to himself.”

Harry smiled at this and closed the distance between him and the blonde. “You know, you’re kind of hot yourself when you’re all jealous.”

“I’m not jealous, Pot...” Whatever else Draco had been planning to say was lost here as Harry’s hands planted on his shoulders and he felt himself being pressed up against the door. Harry sealed his lips over the blondes in a searing kiss, his tongue flitting against Draco’s, their bodies flush against one another.

When Harry pulled back, gasping from the intensity of the kiss, he found Draco was smirking at him from swollen lips.

“If that’s the kind of reaction I get, I think I should try this jealousy thing more often.”

Harry smiled lazily in return. “Behave,” he admonished.

Draco’s hands travelled up to Harry’s neck and began to adjust his tie. “Don’t you know how to tie these things properly, Potter. Honestly, what would you do without me?”

“Wank a lot,” Harry retorted, a cheeky grin on his face.

Draco chuckled at this but any response he planned to make was drowned out by the loud banging on the door.

“I hope you two are decent because I’m coming in. Actually, I don’t mind if you are indecent!”

Draco barely had time to move away from the door before it swung open to reveal a grinning Pansy. She took in the sight of both boys in their suits and mock pouted. “Fully clothed, how disappointing.”

“Pansy, you really are a dreadful pervert,” observed Draco. The blonde was stood behind Harry, his hands locked round the Gryffindor’s waist, his chin resting on the smaller boy’s shoulder.

Pansy walked over to them and ran her finger and thumb down the lapel of Harry’s jacket approvingly. “You certainly scrub up well, Harry. I guess I’m going to be the envy of all the girls tonight. And some of the boys too,” she added with a cheeky smirk in Draco’s direction.

Draco tightened his grip around Harry and trailed several possessive kisses up his neck. Pansy grinned at this territorial behaviour.

“Draco, we’re going to be late if we don’t leave soon. Daphne is already in the common room waiting impatiently for you. Now stop molesting my date for the evening and let’s go.”

“He may be your date, Pansy, but Harry’s my boyfriend, just remember that.” Draco’s tone was friendly enough, but Pansy had known him long enough to recognise the warning in his eyes.

“Please, Draco,” Pansy answered in a dismissive tone. “I gave up chasing queens a long time ago. Right after you dumped me for Blaise. Now you’ve got five minutes to do whatever it is you need to do, and then I expect your rather lovely arse down in the common room ready to leave.”

She turned on her heel and headed towards the door. As her hand grasped the handle, Pansy paused and looked over her shoulder, a devious smirk on her face.

“If you’re any longer, I’ll tell Harry all about that stuffed toy you have hidden in the bottom of your trunk. The one you think no one knows about!”

The door slammed behind Pansy before Draco had time to put into action any one of a number of plans for revenge that flitted through his mind. He turned back to Harry and found his boyfriend smirking at him, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

“Stuffed toy?” Was all that Harry said, but it was enough to provoke a furious blush on Draco’s face.

“If you mention that again, I will obliviate you! Now come here, I have something for you.”

Draco took hold of Harry’s hand and dragged him over to his bed. He rifled in his bedside drawer and produced a small black box which he placed in Harry’s palm.

“What is it?” Harry asked curiously.

The blonde rolled his eyes. “How about you open it and find out?”

Needing no further prompting, Harry pressed the catch on the velvet box and watched in anticipation as the lid popped open. Nestled inside, Harry found the most perfect pair of cufflinks. They were very simple square shape of what looked to Harry like silver (which Draco later explained was platinum.) The metal was matt in appearance so as not to distract from the rather stunning green emerald that was set with in the top right corner.

As Harry looked closer, he noticed that there was some engraving in the bottom left corner. Closer inspection revealed that it was a small H and D intertwined and Harry felt his chest tighten at this simple declaration from his boyfriend.

“Draco, they’re beautiful. Would you...Would you put them on for me?”

Harry slipped the box into Draco’s outstretched palm and then presented his cuffs to the blonde. When Draco had fastened the second cufflink to Harry’s shirt, he kept hold of his boyfriends hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a chaste kiss to his pulse point.

“They match your eyes,” he murmured.

“They’re beautiful,” Harry answered, admiring his new adornment.

“So are you,” Draco replied without pause.

Harry flushed prettily. “I feel bad, I didn’t get you anything.”

“Harry, I didn’t get those for you to get something in return. Although,” he added, a lascivious look on his face. “If you really want to give me something, I’m sure I could come up with a few ideas for later.”

“Pansy’s waiting, Dray,” Harry pointed out reluctantly as the blonde pressed closer to him.

“Let her wait,” Draco muttered against the sensitive skin of Harry’s throat.

A distinct shiver ran through Harry’s body as Draco’s tongue trailed along his jaw line. He allowed himself to be carried away by the sensation for a moment before a warning shout echoed through the room.

“Draco, you have 60 seconds, or I’m telling the whole common room.”

Draco continued licking a trail up Harry’s neck, intent on ignoring Pansy’s warning.

Harry placed his hand on Draco’s cheek and gently eased his head back from its current home in the crook of his neck.

“Draco, we have to go.”

“Don’t wanna,” the blonde pouted.

“Stuffed toy,” Harry reminded him. “You really want the whole of Slytherin knowing about that?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Potter.” Despite his denial, Draco picked up the jacket to his charcoal grey suit and slipped it on. Harry took a moment to drink in just how good Draco looked in formal muggle wear.

“Come on, Harry.” Draco was already over at the door and looking back at his boyfriend impatiently. It seemed that the threat of revealing his ‘deepest secret’ worked as a great motivator on the blonde. Harry made a mental note to pry more information from Pansy later.

They headed back into the common room which was now virtually empty. Harry watched with narrowed eyes as Draco made his way over to Daphne Greengrass, took her hand and raised it to his lips.

“You look beautiful, as ever,” he murmured as his lip pressed against her flesh. Daphne let out a feminine giggle that was designed to be flirtatious but to Harry sounded just like nails on a blackboard.

“Pay no attention,” a voice to his left whispered. Harry turned just as Pansy slipped her arm through his. “It’s just etiquette. Crap, really, but it’s how we were raised” she explained.

Harry grimaced, “Have I mentioned how annoying all this pureblood rubbish is?”

“You may have mentioned it once or twice,” Pansy confirmed with a wry smile. “Shall we go?”

Harry nodded in agreement and they followed Draco and Daphne out of the common room and headed in the direction of the Great Hall.

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