LIFE IS A DANCE FLOOR ~ Part 2

Pairing: H/D
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Mature content, gender bending, angst
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Long black eyelashes stood out against the paleness of her face, and as they fluttered open Draco found himself sliding into the green meadows of her eyes. He pushed his fingers through the fringe covering her forehead and felt his breath catch in his throat. It was gone...the famous scar that had defined Potter’s life no longer marred the spot above her right eyebrow. Easing from the bed, he stood before her and held out a hand, offering support to deal with the feeling of lightheadedness that was an aftereffect of the changeover.

Harry's eyes traveled over Draco's muscular body--from head to toe, lingering briefly on his naughty bits as her emerald gaze swept past his groin. Now she understood how Malfoy had gotten the nickname Slytherin Sex God...he was hung like a bloody Hippogriff!

"Come with me," Malfoy said, smirking as he saw where her glance settled. "I want you to see yourself."

She followed him into the bath, stopping when the blond wizard pulled her in front of a large full-length mirror. He stood close behind her and pushed aside the curtain of black hair that covered her forehead. She gasped as she stared at the stranger who looked back at her.

"It’s gone!" exclaimed Harry. "My scar...it’s gone."

"One of the benefits of the glamour," explained Draco, trailing his hands over her shoulders and down her arms.

"Wow...is that really me?"

A tall, willowy woman with brilliant emerald eyes stared back at him. She was a more feminine version of himself...the strong masculine features subtly softened by the glamour. Slowly, her eyes shifted downward taking in the perky breasts, trim waist, and the curve of her hips before finally settling on the patch of black curls between her thighs. Embarrassment flared within her and she sought to cover her genitals with her hands.

"Don’t hide yourself; you’re beautiful," Draco assured her. "Let me look at you."

Apprehensive green orbs looked at the reflection of the tall muscular man standing behind her as he pulled her hands away from her body. She was transfixed by their reflections as his hand ran over her arm, trailing it across her chest, and finally resting it on her tummy just below her navel. Harry’s cheeks coloured pink as she watched her nipples harden and become taut little nubs begging for attention.

"Ohhhh my..." was the only coherent response she could muster.

"Oh my, indeed," murmured the naked blond as his other hand caressed her breast, his thumb and forefinger tugging gently on the aching peak. "So nice...soooo verrry nice."

Draco smiled as Harry leaned back against his body, the dark head falling against his shoulder as the new sensations overwhelmed her. Her nearness was intoxicating and he felt his cock harden against the firm globes of her buttocks. Harry’s eyebrows shot up and disappeared in her fringe in surprise when she realized what was pressing against her. The hand on her belly dipped lower and disappeared into the dark thicket of pubic hair; the long fingers of the former Slytherin Seeker finding and gently massaging the tiny bundle of nerves hidden within. Malfoy was rewarded with a long moan of pleasure as his fingers expertly explored the slick folds. Harry’s eyes closed and she arched into the questing digits, opening her legs wider and reveling in the warm, tingling sensations Draco’s touches were spreading throughout her groin.

"See, and you thought you wouldn’t be attracted to me," chuckled Draco, ghosting a breath of warm air against the delicate shell of Harry’s ear and making her shudder with delight. "I knew you would; it’s that old irresistible Malfoy charm."

His touches made her feel like the center of the universe had suddenly shifted and was now centered between her thighs. Draco brought her right to the brink of orgasm, waiting until her knees began to buckle before ceasing his erotic explorations. Harry moaned pitifully as Malfoy withdrew his fingers and took her hand, pulling her towards the bedchamber.

"Not yet...not yet. I want to make your first time as a woman unforgettable," he promised, a sultry smile lit his face and warmed his grey eyes. "It will be like no other orgasm you've ever experienced. I promise you."

Throughout the whole experience so far, Harry had been unusually reticent. She was finding it a little daunting dealing with the gender change and the realization that ordinary thoughts suddenly seemed to be governed on a more emotional level than when she was a man. There was also another problem that she was putting off thinking about, and that was the growing attraction towards Malfoy...both as a man and as a woman.

Plus, there was the unbelievable worry that Draco would think her butt was too big. What the fuck was that about?

As they reentered the bedroom, neither paid the slightest attention to the fact that, while they were in the bathroom, Biddy had thoughtfully added a couple more logs to the bedroom fireplace, bringing the room to a comfortable, cozy temperature. Draco backed towards the bed, drawing Harry along by both hands until he reached the raised dais. The tall blond bent down and scooped the slender witch into his arms, depositing her in the center of the mattress before stretching out full length next to her. Those brilliant green eyes blinked apprehensively at him, her teeth worrying at her lower lip and wariness wrinkling her brow.

"There's nothing to be worried about," Draco murmured reassuringly against her lips as he leaned over and kissed her softly. "Trust me."

The dark head nodded. "But I..."

"Shush," he said gently. "Close your eyes."

Her brow furrowed deeper as she looked into the silvery depths of Draco's eyes, trying to assess his intent. "Is this some sort of weird Slytherin foreplay or twisted Slytherin mating ritual? What are you..." she began, only to be silenced as his lips captured hers again.

"Shush," Draco repeated, a little more insistently this time. "Trust me. I won't do anything to hurt you. Weird Slytherin foreplay and mating rituals, indeed!" he scoffed. "Really, Potter, the odd notions you Gryffindors come up with." Draco couldn't help but laugh at such preposterous ideas.

Harry stared hard at Draco. She was feeling extremely vulnerable, very open, and exposed at the moment, and it wasn't easy to let her guard down and trust the Slytherin. But, as her thoughts drifted back over everything Malfoy had told her this evening, she realized that the mature adult lying next to her wasn't the malicious little git she had known during their years at Hogwarts. Any misgivings she had melted away.

"I trust you," whispered Harry.

"Good, now relax and do exactly as I say," replied Draco. "Close your eyes and put your hands above your head."

"Why do I have to close my eyes?" she asked. "Can't I..."

"Trust me. Just close your eyes and allow your senses to take over," he said, placing her hands above her head on the pillow, palms up and open. "I'm not going to bind you; you'll be free to move at any time. If you want me to stop at any time, just say so."

"All right," her voice squeaked as she closed her eyes, her body remaining tense and rigid.

"Let yourself go and follow the sensations," whispered the blond wizard.

Draco knelt on the bed over her body, depositing light, feathery soft kisses on her face. He moved up and placed a kiss on her upturned palm before tracing Harry's 'life line' with his tongue. Smiling as her fingers curled, he trailed the tip of the velvety organ down her inner arm, pausing briefly to suck lightly at the bend of her elbow. Her body quivered but she kept her eyes closed, trying to remain motionless was becoming increasingly difficult under the constant barrage of erotic sensations. The warm wetness of Draco's mouth traveled over the sensitive skin of her upper arm and across her armpit, producing stronger trembles and a chorus of giggles; her eyelids fluttered but remained shut.

"Keep them closed," reminded Draco. "Give yourself over to what you're feeling."

He worked his way across her collarbone before laving the valley between her breasts, enjoying the way her body arched into his mouth. As his lips closed over one of the dark nipples, Harry's hips began to undulate as her fingers flew down to comb through his hair. Letting go of the pebbled nubbin of flesh, Draco gently pushed her arms back above her head, placing a kiss once again on the open palm.

"If you want me to continue, you have to keep them here."

His command was meet with a pout and a sultry mewling sound, but Harry obediently kept her arms exactly where he placed them.

"That's a good girl," Draco purred against her cheek. "Just relax and enjoy."

A delicious idea popped into the Slytherin's brain and he reached for the Cymbidium orchids, pulling one of the stems from china vase. The petals of the flower had the same softness and texture of skin, and he smiled as he traced the path recently traveled by his mouth with the exotic blooms. He kissed her lips again, this time wiggling his tongue into the velvety softness of her mouth. The kiss deepened and became more passionate, leaving both of them panting as Draco withdrew. Harry groaned at the loss of contact, but stopped as Draco brushed her passion-swollen lips with the orchid. The brunette's tongue darted out to brush against the petals; her brow wrinkling as she tried to identify what was touching her mouth. She sniffed and inhaled the delicate spicy scent of the exotic blossoms.

"Hmmmm..." she purred.

"See if you can tell what is touching you."

Draco kissed her softly on the lips, slipping his tongue between her lips again.

"That's easy," she snorted. "You."

He ran his tongue from her chin to the valley between her breasts and stopped.

"You again," replied Harry triumphantly.

Next, Draco trailed the orchid over her breast and brushed the engorged nipple lightly.

"Ahhh, do it again," requested the dark-haired witch.

Smiling to himself, Draco complied.

"Ohhhh, that was the orchid."

He ran his hand between her legs and tried to spread them apart. Immediately, her body tensed and she pinched her knees together.

"Relax and don't fight it," he said. "I promised I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

After a moment's hesitation, she let him push her legs gently apart. He nestled between them and ran the orchid from her breast, down over her abdomen, finally drawing the flower over the cleft of her womanhood, making her entire body break out in goose pimples. Before she could decide, he ran the orchid back over her clit and followed it immediately with his tongue.

"Oh fuck," she exclaimed as her body arched off the mattress and into his tongue.

"Well, what's your answer?" he chuckled, blowing his warm breath against her inner thighs.

"Do it again," begged Harry breathlessly. "Do it again."

"In a minute," replied Draco. "Scoot over towards the edge of the bed. No, no...keep those eyes closed until I tell you to open them."

Reaching for his wand, he pointed it above the bed and whispered a spell under his breath. The entire ceiling rippled, like a droplet of rain splashing into a still puddle. It glistened and shimmered as the surface became silvery and reflective, its mirrored wake spreading quickly towards the outer edges of the room. As the shiny ripples disappeared, the surface coalesced and became solid, transforming the ceiling above his bed into a gigantic mirror. Sliding off to the side of the bed, Draco pulled her hips to the very edge of the mattress.

"Relax, just relax," he instructed, applying gentle outward pressure on her knees and pushing them towards her chest. With her feet now resting flat on the mattress, he knelt beside the bed and began to worship at the altar of her womanhood.

The satiny touch of the orchid petals against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs made Harry’s entire body quiver. She could feel the warmth of his breath and the velvety wetness of his tongue as it followed the path of the flower...coming ever closer. A strangled moan escaped her lips as his fingers toyed with the delicate folds of skin; gently parting them to expose the tiny kernel of nerves nestled within. The strangled moan became a full-fledged cry of passion as Draco fastened his mouth over her clit and laved it with his tongue.

"Open your eyes, Harry," Draco purred against the softness of her flesh.

Emerald eyes opened slowly and then widened in surprise as she found herself staring up at her reflection in the mirrored ceiling. It was even more shocking to actually see Draco Malfoy's head buried between her legs. As her eyes were riveted on the tableau above her, his arm reached up and those long Seeker's fingers cupped her breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Harry's body arched into the caress and she moaned as Draco used his other hand to toy with the passion-slick folds of her sex.

Was that beautiful creature clutching the pillow really him? Watching Draco go down on the raven-haired beauty in the mirror was really turning Harry on. It was like having the ultimate "out of body" experience or watching a Muggle porno flick but actually feeling every touch and sensation.

She gasped as his finger slid into her, gently probing the heated depths and stretching the tight membrane that marked her virginity. His tongue swirled around the opening as he stroked in and out, gradually increasing the speed and rhythm until she was positively squirming. Harry was rapidly losing all inhabitations as the feelings of ecstasy began building, she cried out his name as she pulled her legs back further to give him better access.

Draco’s finger sought out the sensitive spot on the inside of the velvety walls, applying a wiggling pressure until Harry’s body began to quake and writhe in a naked sweat. When the phenomenon of Harry’s first female orgasm finally exploded, her body went rigid as she was caught up in the sheer intensity and magnitude of the experience. Her cries of passion were punctuated by gasps for breath as her hands clutched his head, grinding her pussy against his invading mouth and fingers.

In one swift, fluid motion, he rose and wrapped his muscular arms under her body, gently sliding her back to the center of the bed. Her body felt boneless and pliable in his embrace as he cradled the passion-intoxicated witch under his body. Cupping her face in his hands, Draco kissed her deeply. As his tongue wiggling between her lips, Harry could taste the nectar of her orgasm on his lips and tongue.

"I know I promised I wouldn't hurt you, but as a woman--a virgin--there will be some pain the first time for you. If you don't want to go any further, I'll understand."

She blinked trustingly back at him, her emerald eyes heavy-lidded with passion, "I don't care about the pain...I want you."

Draco heaved a sigh of relief, not even realizing he had been holding his breath while waiting for her response. "I'll be as gentle as possible," he said as he reached his hand between their bodies and positioned his cock against the virginal barrier. "Ready?"

At her nod, he pushed forward into the resistance. Leaning down and capturing her mouth in a kiss, he swallowed her cry of pain as he thrust into her body, breaking the hymen. Draco was now completely encased within her heated channel, patiently keeping his body very still and letting her get accustomed to the feeling of being filled.

"I'm sorry it had to hurt," he murmured against her check, kissing away the single tear that leaked from the corner of her eye.

Ever so gently, he began to tighten his buttocks and thigh muscles, rocking gently into her body. At first she clung to him, holding tightly onto his forearms, eyes closed and head thrown back with the black tresses fanning out across the pillow. After a couple of minutes, the pain lessened and it wasn't so bad. In fact, Harry found it was extremely enjoyable, and upon further experimentation, she found by clenching her muscles, she could get Draco to moan quite nicely.

"Oh god, you're so tight and wet," he murmured into the delicate pink shell of her ear. "I could make love to you all night."

The small bit of her brain still functioning noted that the Slytherin hadn't said he want to fuck all night...he had definitely said make love. But now was not the time for examining such things so Harry's subconscious filed that tidbit away for future reflection and gave her mind up to just enjoying the physical joy the blond was coaxing from her body.

There was a sensual aura of grace about Malfoy. Perhaps it was that supreme confidence that served him so well in every other aspect of his life that also made him such a capable and generous lover. Harry would never have suspected the Slytherin Sex God of being so gentle and considerate and that thought brought on pangs of guilt over the rough way he had taken Malfoy when their roles had been reversed. Pushing that thought from her mind, the raven-haired beauty turned her attention back to the man gliding in and out of her body so sensually.

"I like the way you move," she whispered breathlessly against the corded column of his neck. "Such rhythm must be attributed to all that exotic dancing you did at The Pink Pensieve."

"Maybe it's because I just like 'dancing' with you," responded Draco.

"Is that what you call what we're doing...dancing?" Harry laughed as she ran her hand over the sinewy muscles of his back.

"Let's see exactly how well you can dance," the blond said with a smirk.

From his position between her legs, he leaned back and shifted his body, swinging her leg across his chest and settling down onto the bed behind her in one smooth, graceful motion, never withdrawing from her tight pussy. With them both now laying on their sides, he pulled her right leg up and reached underneath the shapely limb with his arm, massaging her clit as he began to pump into her a little more vigorously. Draco eased her shoulders flat and lowered his mouth to suckle her breast, drawing gasps of delight from her as the sensory stimulation went into overdrive. A light sheen of perspiration glistened on both their bodies as they worked in time with each other's movements...bucking and grinding against one another. Harry began to tingle all over again and before long her entire body was convulsing with another climax, this one even more intense than the first.

While she was still in the throes of completion, Draco rolled her gently onto her back and settled once again into the delicious warmth of her thighs. They held hands, pressing their palms against each other and lacing their fingers tightly together before placing them on either side of her head. Draco rocked back and forth, savoring the delicious sensations of her tight walls gripping his engorged shaft. In and out he thrust, picking up speed and intensity as the tingling sensations began to build in his stomach before rocketing straight to his groin. Dove grey eyes locked with emerald green as he thrust with increased vigor, propelling them both rapidly towards a mutual orgasm. As he ground against her one final time, the dam of pleasure burst and Draco cried Harry's name out as he spilled himself into her accepting body. She followed him into ecstasy, fighting for breath as she cried out her pleasure and clutched his sweating body to hers. An almost palpable magic flowed between their conjoined bodies and enveloped them in a pale blue haze before slowly dissipating.

The ragged sound of their breathing filled the bedchamber, and as Draco's breathing returned to normal, he opened his eyes looking closely at Harry. She quickly tried to turn her face away from him and hide the emotions that overwhelmed her, but her shoulders began shaking as the tears coursed unheeded down her cheeks. Draco withdrew from her and rolled to her side, gathering Harry into his arms and placing feather-soft kisses all over her face.

"Did I hurt you?" he murmured against her passion-blushed cheek as she spasmodically inhaled. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

"No, it's just..." she whispered against Draco's chest between shuddering breaths. "It was so wonderfully incredible. Honestly, I don't know why I'm crying...I feel so foolish. All of a sudden, I felt overwhelmed by the strongest emotion I've ever felt in my entire life and just couldn't hold it back any longer."

Draco smiled and drew Harry into a long, tender passionate kiss. When their lips parted, they studied each other's faces, aware that all the walls between them were now lowered and revealed the naked, raw honest emotions they both shared.

"Didn't I promise you an orgasm like no other you've ever experienced, and being a Malfoy and a man of my word, it was my sworn duty to deliver," the blond chuckled, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Yes, you certainly did," replied Harry, smiling tentatively.

As the heat of passion cooled in her veins, insidious little doubts began to creep into Harry's consciousness. Could this truly be the real Draco Malfoy or was it another carefully crafted illusion by the Slytherin? Perhaps all these strange emotions she was feeling where Draco was concerned were a direct result of the glamour. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to change back, to return to the comfortable normality of being a male once again.

"I think it's time for me to change back, Draco," she said quietly, while avoiding looking directly into the probing stare of Malfoy's crystalline grey eyes.

"Sure, I understand," the blond said knowingly as he retrieved Harry's wand from the bedside table.

The dark-haired witch pointed her wand and quickly uttered the spell, gasping and writhing as the delicate female form morphed back into that of a male. Harry laid very still, his eyes pinched shut until he gradually became used to his body once again. A gentle touch ghosted over his skin as Draco comforted him; the other man's touch sending tiny shivers of pleasure galloping along his nerves and telegraphing an unfamiliar feeling of desire for another male to his groin. These thoughts and feelings thoroughly confused him; he had never been attracted to men before. Was it possible this was some sort of weird 'hangover' effect from the glamour?

As Harry pondered this possibility, he felt Draco's hand brush over his groin, gently caressing his semi-erect penis. His eyes flew open and his body jerked in surprise as the blond began to stroke him, bringing him to a fully erect condition instantly. And before a coherent thought could form in his brain, Draco had lowered his head and taken Harry's hard cock in his mouth, the blond's long slender fingers wrapped around his length, pumping vigorously as his head bobbed up and down.

'Oh my god,' Harry thought to himself. 'Malfoy is giving me a blowjob!

The Gryffindor felt every swipe of Draco's tongue, every scrape of his teeth, and every wet suck of Malfoy's sweet mouth on his doubly sensitive organ. Glancing down at the blond head bobbing and lapping energetically on his cock as if it were a delicious lolly, Harry marveled at the intense concentration on Draco's face. As if he could feel Harry watching him, Draco opened his eyes and looked into Harry's eyes with a rapt expression of exhilaration lighting his face. With grey eyes locked on brilliant green, the Slytherin withdrew the hardened shaft from his mouth, making a great show of running the flat of his velvety tongue around the ruby crown and dipping into the weeping slit. As Harry watched, Malfoy held his gaze and plunged his mouth all the way down the shaft, causing the dark-haired man to cry out and gasp as Draco's lips brushed the dark patch of his pubic hair.

Harry felt the tension quickly mounting in his groin and he shuddered as he tried to hold back the tide of passion from erupting. Recognizing the signs of his impending orgasm, he tried to push Draco from him.

"No...no...stop," he stuttered, pulling frantically at Draco's shoulders. "Draco, please stop...stop...I'm going to cum, I can't hold back much long...longer."

Malfoy released Harry's passion-reddened member long enough to say reassuringly, "It's all right, Harry, you go right ahead," before renewing and redoubling his efforts.

"Can't stop...can't stop...oh fuck...fuck" gasped Harry as he fisted his hands in the silky blond strands of hair and thrust deeply, spilling his completion into the warm wetness of Draco's mouth. Laying there trembling in the aftershock of one of the most powerful, mind-shattering orgasms he had ever experienced, Harry was only dimly aware of Draco stretching out next to him. "Oh god...I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"Harry, you haven't done anything I didn't want," Draco tried to reassure the obviously distressed man, smoothing the messy raven locks. "It's all right."

Harry allowed the Slytherin pull him against his body and as Draco kissed him softly on the mouth, he could taste the tang of his completion on the other man's lips. As he tried to mentally process everything that had taken place to him this evening, a ragged sob racked his body and he kept his eyes pinched shut, not sure whether he was up to looking Malfoy in the face after what just happened between them.

"Listen, don't worry about it; everything will be all right," Draco told him. "Now, get some sleep and we'll talk about it in the morning."

He gently stroked the dark head until Harry's breathing became less fretful, wondering if Harry had finally fallen asleep from sheer emotional exhaustion. As he lay there, the blond was only dimly aware of Biddy sneaking quietly into the room and placing more logs on the fire before she approached the bed and pulled the duvet over them. Potter sighed and rolled onto his right side, facing the far wall as Draco curled up behind him, fitting snuggly against the Gryffindor's body like a couple of spoons in a silverware drawer.

Harry lay on his side, facing away from the blond-haired wizard, feeling the long fingers of the former Slytherin Seeker carding through his hair and gently massaging his scalp. As sleep was beginning to encroach on the edges of his consciousness, he heard Malfoy whisper something against the messy tangle of black hair that instantly penetrated his brain and left him wide-awake.

"God, that was so incredible. Just like I always imagined." As Draco drifted off to sleep, contently snuggled against the warmth of Harry's body, he murmured, "I love you, Harry Potter."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco stretched and rolled over, expecting to make contact with a warm body. Instead, as he blinked the sleep from his eyes, he found a note lying on the pillow next to him where Potter should have been laying. His hand trailed over the pillow and judging from the coolness of the satin, Harry had been gone for quite some time. Harry obviously had slipped quietly from the bed while he had been asleep, leaving the note on the pillow before Apparating back to Hogsmeade.

The blond wizard carefully unfolded the message, his breath catching in his throat and almost choking him as he read the hastily scribbled note.

Draco,

I need a bit of time to deal with this. Rather than wait
till morning, I thought it best to leave right away. Ron
and Hermione will have my guts for garters if I don't
return to the reception.

H


"Bloody coward! What the hell happened to that trademark Gryffindor bravery, huh Potter?!" he demanded of the departed wizard. "Damn you for making me feel this way."

The rather impersonal tone to the note cut through his heart like a knife. As he let the note fall from his shaking hand, his chest constricted and his heart ached. It felt as though a Dementor had just sucked the soul out of his body. After all they had shared and experienced together the previous evening, the last thing Draco expected was to wake up alone and to such a dismissive message. Potter couldn't have hurt him any more if he had cast the Cruciatus Curse on him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Biddy watched her master cautiously; her long fingers clutching the sides of the tea towel she was wearing as she crept silently up to the table. Her beloved master had been very quiet and withdrawn lately...ever since he had brought that dark-haired wizard home with him last week. It was the driving goal in her life to serve and take care of the last remaining member of the Malfoy family, and the tiny little creature was pained to see him so distressed. She didn’t want to disgrace the generations of her family who had faithfully served the Malfoys by letting anything bad happen to the sole heir of the Malfoy dynasty. There had to be something she could do to ease his suffering.

"Master Draco is wanting more tea?" she asked. The blond wizard only shook his head, not even bothering to look at the diminutive house-elf. Gathering her courage, she tugged nervously at the edge of his robe to gain his full attention. "Biddy wants to be helping you. You is being so unhappy, sir. Maybe you is wanting an owl to send a message to..."

"No! That will be all for now, Biddy," he said dismissively, cutting the elf off before she could finish. He waved her away, not watching as her large bat-like ears drooped and hung limply against her head, dejection written all over her expression. He didn’t care, all he wanted was to be left alone.

Draco sat at the dining room table, idly strumming his fingers against its smooth, polished surface, staring moodily into his empty teacup. Self-pity wrapped itself like a mantle around his shoulders, and he hated himself for feeling this way...he wanted to hate Harry fucking Potter for making him feel this way, but he couldn't. For the hundredth time since the night of Weasley's wedding, he mentally berated himself for being foolish enough to think there had been even a remote possibility that Harry cared for him. He felt lost and lonely inside, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to get the dark-haired wizard out of his mind--whether as a male or as a female.

Had he been mistaken that glorious night? Had he only imagined that he and Potter had connected on a deeper, more emotional level?

Apparently, he had.

Picking up the wretched missive Harry had left on the pillow, Draco stared at the hastily scribbled words. The Gryffindor must have really been in a hurry when he penned the piece. Briefly, he tried to imagine what Potter had felt that night. He let the small parchment note fall from his fingers, wondering why he kept torturing himself by continually reading the damn thing. Harry hadn't given him much to go on when it came to understanding what the Gryffindor was thinking, and the constant rereading had not changed the message or helped him discern any hidden meaning. The note had been brief and had made no promise of further communication between them.

Five whole days had gone by, and he hadn't heard from Harry.

Nothing...absolutely nothing!

Not a single word!

In five fucking days!

His spirits sunk even lower, his Malfoy pride and stubbornness rejecting Biddy's idea of sending a message to Hogwarts. That would seem entirely too needy, he reasoned. And besides, it was beneath the dignity of a Malfoy.

Draco was castigating himself for having laid his heart and feelings bare only to have them trampled and ignored once again by the bloody Gryffindor...just like after the Great Battle. A snide little voice inside his head mocked him and reminded him that famous Harry Potter had gone back to his safe, comfortable life, perfectly happy to forget all about him again.

A sharp tapping on the window drew him from his melancholy, and he got up to investigate the cause of the racket. Pulling the curtain back, Draco instantly recognized Harry's snowy white owl, Hedwig, hovering outside his window. He pushed the casement open and she swooped into the room, landing gracefully on his shoulder. She hooted softly and held out her leg, waiting patiently for him to untie and read the small scroll.

Draco's emotions felt torn--icy, cold fingers of dread clutched at his heart, fearing yet another rejection from The Boy Who Lived...who seemed to have grown up into The Man Who Broke Draco Malfoy's Heart. Another part of him fluttered with joyous anticipation, his long fingers shaking as he unrolled the parchment and read Harry's neat handwriting.

D,

Life is a dance floor
Love is the rhythm
You are the music!
Dance with me again?
Friday evening?

H


The snowy owl's large, luminous amber eyes stood out in sharp relief against the whiteness of her feathers as she watched him closely, waiting for him to finish reading the message. As soon as his eyes passed over Harry's initial, she thrust her leg out and pecked him on the ear. Her meaning was obvious; she had been instructed to wait for his answer.

'Dance with me again?' it said.

His heart sang and he was suffused with an almost giddy euphoria. Draco knew exactly what kind of dancing Harry was talking about!

He scribbled his response on the parchment and quickly tied the scroll back onto Hedwig's leg. As the snowy owl flew out the window and started her journey back to Hogwarts, a smile brightened his face as he mentally calculated the hours and minutes until he would see his lover again.

The End