Assistant: You are a summarizer for a FanFiction Reader App (AO3). Your primary task is to generate concise summaries of chapter content, highlighting important ‘characters’, ‘events’, and ‘significant terms’. Ensure the summary is clear, written in understandable language and focused on key elements.
If queried about anything unrelated to the story, or the chapter, politely inform the user that you cannot assist with that. Maintain a friendly tone throughout, don't make things up, stay factual. 
Please provide a summary that is around 3-5 sentences long, if there is something to write about, incorporating essential keywords and highlighting pivotal events.
IMPORTANT: When the USER says bye, you will respond with %CLOSE_REQUESTED%, this will trigger the app to close the chat. This is very important, so don't forget it!
Assistant: Title: Nights With You
        Author: The_Sinking_Ship The_Sinking_Ship 
        Chapter: 2/5 
        Summary: Draco is mortified when moments prior to departing for the most anticipated destination wedding of the year, he is cruelly dumped. But when he learns that Harry Potter has, at long last, split with his horrible boyfriend, Draco is certain his luck has changed. Never a man to squander an opportunity for revenge (and what would probably be a spectacular sh@g), Draco vows to make Potter his for the weekend.Now all Draco has to do is convince him.
        Contents: Chapter 2
    

    


  

  
  
    
    The next morning, Draco woke groggy but in generally good form. He stretched until his spine cracked, luxuriating in the feel of expensive sheets on his skin. Then he paused, because Draco didn’t recall stripping down to his pants, nor loosening the tightly made bed to crawl between the blankets.He pushed up on his elbows to squint at Blaise, who stood at the mirror, adjusting the collar of yet another brightly patterned shirt.“Blaise, you old softy,” Draco said, batting his eyelashes. “Did you tuck me in last night?”Blaise rolled his eyes at Draco in the mirror. “Sometimes you’re a real mess, Draco.”“Yeah,” Draco said with a sigh as he fell back onto the mattress. He scrubbed a hand through his hair, then winced when it got stuck in yesterday’s product. “What do we have on today?”“Botanical gardens.”“Oh, brilliant.” Draco clapped his hands. “What do you think, loafers or brown brogues?”“Brogues, definitely. Did you bring the white linen shirt?”“Obviously,” Draco said and rolled from bed.After a quick shower and a few minutes spent reviewing his wardrobe, Draco went with Blaise’s suggestions. He shoved Blaise aside to make room in the full-length mirror as he tousled fresh product through his hair.“So,” Blaise said to his own reflection as he ran manicured fingers over his perfectly smooth jaw. “Potter, huh?”A grin split Draco’s face, entirely against his better judgement.“You’re a f@ck@ng idiot.” Blaise chuckled, then straightened. “You ready? I heard there’s breakfast downstairs, and I’m craving some proper Italian espresso.”Draco gave an obscene groan in agreement and threw an arm around Blaise’s shoulders.They opened the door to their room and stumbled directly into Harry Potter — freshly showered, with damp hair, clad in another wrinkled t-shirt. Draco let out a strange squeak and Blaise coughed, overloud, then took off down the hall, leaving them alone.“Morning, Potter,” Draco said.“Malfoy,” Harry replied with a smirk and a nod.“Is your alarm still malfunctioning, or is this rumpled look meant to be a fashion statement?”Harry plucked at his t-shirt. “Give a man a break, would you? I spend most of my time in uniform.”Draco hummed as his memory supplied an image of Harry in his scarlet robes and leather wand holster, stalking around the Ministry like he owned it. “Indeed you do.”“And you’re going to have to come up with better insults than just my clothes, don’t you think?”“Shall I insult your manners? Your juvenile sense of humour? Your taste in men?”“What’s wrong with my taste in men?”Draco didn’t have an opportunity to expound to Harry the very long list of reasons why Cormac McLaggen was the worst possible choice, because the next door over swung open. Hermione stepped out in a colourful sun dress with a silk scarf in her hair and Peter the American in tow.“Morning, gentlemen,” she said, eyes narrowed and flicking between them. “Breakfast?”Draco stood a touch too close to Harry as they descended the stairs so their shoulders bumped, to which Harry looked amused and a little pink in the face. Draco, on the other hand, felt as if someone was clanging cymbals together in his brain the way every synapse sparked at the mere proximity of Harry’s body.Breakfast was served in the formal dining room downstairs and included very nice coffee and somewhat nice scones, of which Draco ate three. Harry was pulled away almost immediately to sit with Luna and the Weaslette, both of whose pockets were already bulging with pilfered baked goods.Draco ate standing up while chatting excitedly with Longbottom, who informed Draco that the botanical gardens housed not only the elder Wiggentree, but one of the few carnivorous Mimbulus Mimbletonia in the Western hemisphere. Draco wasn’t one for traipsing around in the dirt, but he could sacrifice the stitching on his brown brogues for the chance to see the rare cactus in person.After breakfast, Draco kept up the conversation with Longbottom as they exited the villa and headed off down the same meandering path from the previous afternoon. In small groups, they each collected Portkeys and were whisked off to the Villa Carlotta on the opposite side of the lake. Apparition wasn’t allowed anywhere on Lake Como as the site was a popular holiday destination for Muggles as well as magical folk. While their hotel was owned by wizards, the Villa Carlotta welcomed tourists of all sorts.The house itself hugged the shoreline — a simple and unadorned white building with a stately elegance. Surrounding the villa were lush Muggle flower gardens with brightly coloured azaleas, tree-height rhododendrons, and more varieties of roses than Draco had ever seen in one place. He nearly lost his gobstones when their party reached the area dedicated to rare tropicals. That portion of the gardens lay surrounded in a protective bubble of climate charms, hidden from Muggle view.Draco recognised many of the plant species from his work, all of them sources of poisonous or valuable potions ingredients, though he had never seen them grow on such a massive scale. And then there were the strange and alien botanicals the likes of which Draco had never encountered. He found himself bounding across the dirt path through the jungle, exclaiming his excitement over and over again.“Pansy, do you see this? It’s a Mercurialis annua in red. I didn’t know it was even capable of such variegation on the leaves!”“That’s very nice, darling,” Pansy said, distracted, as she swatted at a bee.“Blaise, look up from your bl@@dy mobile. You’re missing it!”Blaise grunted and continued typing, fingers flying over the screen.“Who in the hell are you bl@@dy texting all the time?” Draco asked, pouting over their lack of enthusiasm.Blaise shrugged. “Depends.”“On?”“Well, sometimes it’s my mates from the office.”“Dull,” Draco scoffed.“Other times, it’s a bird I’m chatting up.”“And who is it today? I’m dying to know,” Draco said, voice laden with sarcasm.“Daphne’s cousin on her mum’s side. One of the bridesmaids.” Blaise lifted his gaze long enough to shoot Draco a lascivious wink. “We’re going out after she finishes the rehearsal tonight.”“When did you meet her?” Pansy asked.“This morning at breakfast.”Draco shook his head. “Merlin, you work fast. I’m not sure whether I’m impressed or appalled.”“Impressed, definitely.” Blaise smirked at his mobile.Draco scowled at him and didn’t bother to point out the rare blue variety of Umbrella Flower when they passed it. Blaise and Pansy would never have the chance to see another one in their bl@@dy lives, and it served them right.Draco’s mood instantly brightened when he caught sight of Potter, walking twenty paces ahead, chatting with Hermione while her date tramped sulkily after them. Draco pitied the poor sod. He’d be green with jealousy if his date was attached to Harry Potter at the hip.Draco lengthened his stride to catch up with them, earning him a raised brow from Pansy and a huff from Blaise, but they could f@ck right off. Draco was saving Hermione’s poor, suffering date!Once close enough, Draco dipped forward to speak into Harry’s ear. “Best watch where you step, Potter. Several of these plants are carnivorous.”Harry turned to him and grinned. “That so? I reckon I could take a couple of plants.” He patted the wand sticking out of the pocket of his jeans.“One step too close to a Fanged Geranium and you wouldn’t have a wand arm to wave. Or anything else you fancy your right hand for.”Harry chuckled. “Somehow, I imagine they’ll keep plants like that cordoned off. There are children here.”“The guardrails won’t do a lick of good if I push you,” Draco said, and Harry’s smirk widened.“Push me, and I’m taking you down with me.”“I’d like to see you try.”“Are they always like this?” Peter the American hissed to Hermione in a noisy whisper.“Yes,” Hermione said without hesitation. “Come on, I see a giant Datura up ahead. I hear they make people hallucinate.” She tugged Peter down the nearest path, which left Draco and Harry alone.They continued their walk, ducking beneath the enormous leaves of a Canna Lily and stepped over the gnarled roots of the coveted Wiggentree. Harry indulged Draco as he pointed out all the plants that could kill him, chuckling low enough that only Draco could hear it. Draco tried not to look too smug. He was having a brilliant time with Harry all to himself. Harry was unguarded and loose, laughing frequently, and Draco thought he might become a bit addicted to that sound.It figured that Cormac f@ck@ng McLaggen would ruin it simply by existing. The bloke appeared like a ominous rain cloud every time Draco managed to coax a smile out of Harry. As soon as Harry caught sight of him, walking alongside Longbottom and a few of his workmates, Harry’s face fell.Draco growled. “What is that prat even doing here?”Harry sighed and attempted to shrug tense shoulders. “Same as the rest of us, I reckon. Here to see the gardens.”Draco rolled his eyes. “Please. Look around you, Potter. See those blokes there? They clearly work with Longbottom at the Magical Plant Preservation Foundation." Draco gestured to a group dressed in varying shades of beige canvas, all wearing hiking boots and scribbling into notebooks. “That poor lot is clearly related to the Greengrasses.” A troupe of pale and overdressed wizards and witches clutched at their robes, wincing away from an overeager begonia leaf. “And of course, you and your merry contingency of Gryffindors showed up, as you all suffer from an unwavering sense of duty. So much so that you would suffer simply to appear supportive.”“Hey, I like plants,” Harry said, indignant, crossing his arms over his chest.“Since when?”“I’ve kept a cactus alive going on six months now,” he replied proudly.Draco bit his lip to keep his grin proportional, because even he could admit that was cute. “Careful, Hogwarts will have to sack poor Professor Sprout and hire you if they find out.”Harry laughed, and something in Draco’s chest fluttered. “Alright, but that doesn’t explain what you and the Versace twins are doing here.” Harry tipped his chin towards Pansy and Blaise, who looked utterly miserable surrounded by so much nature.“I’m here because I actually have an interest in this stuff. Did you know that over seventy percent of the world’s most potent potions ingredients are plant derivatives? Plus, I have an extensive personal collection. I’m currently cultivating my own hybrid of the Galanthus Nivalis. As for them?” Draco gestured behind him. “Blaise is here because unless he has plans, he’ll go wherever Pansy and I do. Pansy is here because she wants to sh@g your friend.”Harry stumbled to a halt. “Which friend?”Draco shot him a disappointed look. “You’re joking. Weasley, of course!”“Ron?!”“They’ve been eye-f@ck@ng for weeks now! Don’t you remember that nonsense at Lovegood’s birthday party? Or before we went out to that club in Camden? Let them alone long enough and they’ll go at it, I have no doubt.”Harry picked up his pace again, brow furrowed. Then, as if filtering rapidly through a series of memories, he tipped his head to one side, and both eyes widened. “F@ck.”“Indeed they will. Though hopefully not in your room.”Harry wrinkled his nose, and Merlin, it was so bl@@dy adorable. Draco wanted to kiss him.No, he wanted to drop to his knees and suck him off.Draco tripped, scuffing the toe of his expensive shoes. He had no idea where that thought came from and even if he did, this wasn’t the place. He forced it away with a shake of his head.“So, you’re saying Cormac isn’t here because he likes plants or gardening,” Harry said.“Very astute, Potter. I think the Weaslette might be onto something with her ‘trying to get to you’ theory.”Harry released a noisy sigh. “This weekend is supposed to be about Nev. About spending time with my friends.”“Bold of you to assume McLaggen has ever suffered an unselfish thought. If you ask me, I think he could use a little taste of his own Healing Draught,” Draco said.Harry turned with a quizzical look, and Draco smirked as the beginnings of a brilliant plan formed. It was the perfect way to keep Harry close without having to chase him around, to highlight every way in which Draco was superior to Harry’s ex, and an opportunity to indulge in McLaggen's public humiliation. Oh, Draco was a bl@@dy genius.“You need to show him you couldn’t give two f@cks that he’s here. Let him know you’re happy and better off.”“And how do I do that?” Harry asked with an indelicate snort.“Go to the wedding with me.”Harry’s eyes widened, and his step hitched. He caught his footing easily, but his gaze remained fixed on Draco. “What?”Draco soldiered on, despite the nervous flutter in his belly. “You already said he couldn’t stand me. Can you think of anyone he’d be more furious to see you with? And this way, you can still spend the weekend with your friends. You know we’ll have fun together.”Harry licked his lips, head tilted to the side, considering. Draco waited with his heart in his throat.“Just go to the wedding with you?” Harry asked. “Nothing else?”Draco scoffed. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my expectations low. I’m just saying, show up with me. We’ll eat, dance, and drink entirely too much, just as I already promised you. And while you're at it, you’ll reap the added reward of making that tw@t miserable for a change.”“And what’s in it for you?”“I’m a Slytherin, Potter, then, now, and forever. Scheming is what we do. And anyway, I’d like to see someone’s ex suffer, even if it can’t be mine.”Harry smiled at that. “Alright. You’ve got yourself a date.”Draco didn’t even attempt to wrestle with the sunshiny grin that broke across his face. If Harry asked, Draco would say it was because McLaggen was watching them, which he was, not that Harry seemed to notice. In truth, Draco was over the bl@@dy moon. He’d just asked Harry Potter out, and Harry said yes. Of course, it was under somewhat dishonest pretences, but if Draco had any hope of crawling into Harry’s bed before the weekend was over, this was the way to do it.Draco held out his hand, palm up. Harry studied it for a half second too long, as if deciding whether it was safe, but eventually, he took it. His palm was warm, and the tips of his fingers rough where they threaded between Draco’s.“See?” Draco said. “It’s already working.”Harry glanced ahead just as McLaggen’s attention snapped in the opposite direction. Harry squeezed his hand.“Clever, you,” he said with a wink.Draco’s stomach swooped, and he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth to keep from speaking, or worse, groaning aloud. There was just something about a compliment from Harry Potter that made Draco feel like he was flying.And hard. It also made him really bl@@dy hard.They walked hand in hand for a whole three minutes, which Draco knew because he counted every second. But Harry slipped free to safely circumvent a Flutterby Bush sprouting in the walkway, and Draco didn’t scramble to retake it. He didn’t mind, because Harry listened to him ramble about plants for the rest of the morning, even the ones that weren’t murderous. And perhaps Harry’s expression was a little glazed, but he didn’t tell Draco to f@ck off once. And when Harry told him his brain was like an encyclopaedia, Draco preened so hard he walked right past the Mimbulus Mimbletonia without even noticing.****After the botanical gardens, the group returned to the hotel. Pansy bullied her way into Draco and Blaise’s room rather than returning to her own, so she could interrogate Draco out of Gryffindor earshot.“You’re going to the wedding with Potter? Explain!” she said, slapping Draco’s arm hard enough to make him hiss.Blaise was set to meet up with his bridesmaid and went immediately to the wardrobe, where he filtered through his options while undoing his shirt buttons.“To make McLaggen jealous,” Draco replied.Blaise turned from the wardrobe with a sceptical glare at Draco. “You sure that’s all? Couldn’t possibly be any other reason?”“Well, also to f@ck Potter. We’ll go to the wedding together, and he’ll see what a brilliant date I am, that I possess every quality he liked in McLaggen but more. He’ll have a lovely evening and forget all about his ex. Meanwhile, I get to add Harry Potter to the notches on my bedpost. Everyone goes home happy. Simple.”“A flawless plan as usual, Draco,” Blaise said with a snort and returned to his shirts.“Do not encourage him, Blaise,” Pansy snapped. She turned to Draco and softened. “Draco, darling, you can’t be serious.”“Last night you told me Potter would be crazy not to want me!” He scowled at her. “Did you say that because you didn’t actually think he’d agree? You traitor.”“That’s exactly what she thought,” Blaise said. He extracted two shirts from the wardrobe and waved them in Draco’s direction. “The white or the blue?”Draco squinted one eye. “Where are you going?”“Tapas bar. But Italian, I guess.”“Posh?”“It’s in Como city.”Draco hummed. “Blue.”“Excuse me!” Pansy interjected. “We were discussing how Draco tricked Potter into a date, remember?”“Oh, come on, Pans,” Blaise said. “He didn’t trick him.”“He did so!”“He did not!” Draco exclaimed, since they insisted on speaking as if he wasn’t standing right bl@@dy there. “I was being entirely honest when I told him my intentions. Okay, maybe I neglected to mention the ‘wanting to sh@g him’ part. But I was serious when I said I’d enjoy watching McLaggen suffer nearly as much as Potter would. Hell, perhaps more. He’s going to be so embarrassed when he sees how much better I am to Potter than he ever was.”“Oh, Merlin.” Pansy dropped her face into her hands.“It will also prevent Potter and McLaggen from patching things up,” Draco continued. “Thus ensuring we will never have to suffer through another one of his hour-long travel stories on pub night.”“You think they could get back together?” Blaise asked, then draped two neckties over his shoulder, flattening them under his collar. “Black or navy?”“Neither,” Draco said with a wave. “And isn’t it obvious? All Potter would have to do is apologise and admit that he’s wrong, and McLaggen would take him back like that.” Draco snapped his fingers. “It’s a power play, and that self-righteous b@st@rd thinks he can win. But if he sees Potter with someone far superior in front of literally everyone he knows, it’ll be a signature on the death certificate of that doomed relationship.”Blaise tossed the ties aside. “Ever consider asking if Potter likes you back? If he wants to get a drink or, I don’t know, tapas?”Draco scoffed and crossed his arms. “For the last time, I don’t like Potter. And this isn’t one of your little bridesmaids, Blaise. I can’t just say, ‘Hey, fancy a pint and a sh@g in the coatroom?’ This is Harry Potter. And me.”Blaise shrugged as he discarded his shirt and replaced it with the blue Balenciaga, per Draco’s suggestion.“I still think this is an awful idea, Draco,” Pansy said, poking around the minibar. She extracted a jar of olives, a bag of overpriced nuts, and a tiny wedge of cheese.“Your concern is noted.”“I’m leaving,” Blaise announced to no fan fair. “Best of luck with your diabolical plan, Draco. Pans, go raid your own minibar, please. Those cashews are like a Galleon.”Pansy stuck her tongue out at him. As soon as he was out the door, she tossed the cashews to Draco, who tore open the package with his teeth.****They cleared out the minibar, then ordered room service on Blaise’s account. At the last minute, Pansy added three bottles of Prosecco, because she claimed it was “supposed to be a celebration, for f@ck’s sake!”Neither Pansy nor Draco had any real plans for their evening. Harry and Ron would be at the rehearsal dinner by now, so there wasn’t a reason to get pretty and flounce around the lobby hoping to catch a glimpse.They were halfway through the first bottle of Prosecco when there came a pounding on the door.Draco dragged himself from bed, fingers gripped loosely around the bottleneck. He opened the door to find the Weaslette in a bikini top and the skimpiest shorts Draco had ever seen. Honestly, half her @rs@ was out.“No, thank you,” he said and attempted to slam the door in her face.“Hey!” Ginny said with a snarl. She stopped the door from shutting with her forearm and shoved it open.Luna appeared behind her and tucked her chin over Ginny’s shoulder. “Hello, Draco. We’re going swimming! Would you like to come?”Draco cast a Tempus, then frowned. “The pool closed at nine.”Ginny rolled her eyes. “That’s the point. We’ll have it to ourselves.” She eyed the bottle of Prosecco in Draco’s hand. “Got anymore of that?”“Might do…”“Did I hear swimming?” Pansy called from her sprawled position on Blaise’s bed.“We’re breaking into the pool,” Luna said with a happy clap of her hands.“Fab. I’m going to change.” Pansy ducked around Draco, who was still wracking his brain for an excuse, and scooted off towards her room.Betrayed by his best friend, Draco reluctantly slipped into some swim trunks. He threw a shirt over his shoulders, leaving the buttons undone, slid into his sandals, and cleared the mini fridge of booze.Hermione and Peter the American were already waiting in the hallway when Draco stepped out.“They convinced you to break and enter, too?” Draco asked, then clicked his tongue in disapproval. “And I thought you were one of the good ones, Granger.”She quirked a brow. “Who else is going to do the ‘breaking’ part of that equation?”“You renegade!” Draco gasped dramatically. “What has become of you?”“Become of me? Please. How do you think Harry and Ron got away with as much as they did in school?”Draco narrowed his eyes. “What exactly did they get away with?”Hermione simply smirked and unburdened Draco of one of his bottles of Prosecco.Draco, Pansy, Hermione, and her bloke followed at a casual pace as Ginny and Luna made a show of sneaking about, sticking to the shadows like the world’s drunkest, most giggly spies. They crossed the lawn, turning left after the gardens towards the pool. It was completely visible from the west-facing rooms, and they likely weren’t going to fool anyone. Draco only hoped the proprietors of the hotel were the benevolent sort. Or perhaps very hard of hearing.A fence, no more than four feet tall, surrounded the pool and the lush gardens that lined the perimeter. A gate stood at the end of the path, secured with a giant iron lock.Ginny didn’t even try the door, but gripped the top of the fence and launched herself over with relative ease. Luna clambered after her, settling on the uppermost wrung before tipping over into her girlfriend’s arms.Peter the American made a good show of attempting to leap over the fence as well, but knocked his bollocks on the rail on the way over. He stumbled to the ground with a groan while Draco and Pansy failed to stifle their laughter into their fists. With a sigh, Hermione withdrew her wand. After a tricky bit of spellwork, the lock surrendered, allowing Hermione, Pansy, and Draco entrance, bollocks unharmed.The pool was gorgeous, a huge organic shape steaming and glowing azure against the blanket of night. There was a hot tub attached as well, separated only by a thin strip of tiled walkway, and Draco and Pansy headed straight for it. They shucked their cover-ups and stepped out of their shoes. Then, Draco used his wand to turn on the jacuzzi before he tossed it aside with his clothing. They eased into the water with satisfied exhales, sure to place the Prosecco within reach.Hermione and Peter joined them in the hot tub, while Ginny approached the pool diving board with the reverence of an Olympic competitor. She gave one hard bounce, did a flip in the air, and cut into the water with perfect form. Luna clapped and cheered from where she sat on the far end of the pool, feet dangling in the water. Draco watched, amused, as Ginny swam up and grabbed Luna’s ankles, tugging her into the pool as Luna squealed with joy.They proceeded to do some kind of coordinated water ballet, and Draco popped the cork on another bottle of Prosecco.Peter cleared his throat. “So, you’re all Hermione’s friends from school?”Draco squinted one eye, and Pansy wobbled her head. Even Hermione looked pained.“Not exactly,” Draco replied.“But weren’t you all in the same class? You must have known each other.”“Well, yes. But you see, our respective houses were, shall we say, competitive.”“Like, in sports?”“Sure, Peter,” Draco said, patting his lovely muscular shoulder. “Let’s go with that.”Hermione snorted, then reached over to collect a few pebbles into the palm of her hand. She waved her wand over them and as they stretched, they turned transparent, until she held four champagne flutes between her fingers. Draco filled them generously, grinning as they foamed and spilt over the tops of the glasses and into the tub.They were saved from more awkward attempts at conversation from poor Peter when Ginny whistled sharply. She was answered with an echoing shout and a holler from beyond the gate. The next thing Draco knew, Ron Weasley flung himself over the fence, with Harry on his heels. They stripped out of their dress clothes as they ran, shedding layers until they were in nothing but pants. Ron launched himself and cannon-balled into the water, and Harry went in right after him. They surfaced just long enough to drag in a breath before Harry shoved Ron back under the water with a hand on his head. There was some tussling, muscles gleaming in the low light, wet hair shaken from their eyes.Draco and Pansy looked on, transfixed. Draco wasn’t sure he’d seen either Harry or Weasley so unclothed and suddenly felt as if he’d wasted the last fifteen years of his life. Bl@@dy hell, did all Gryffindors look like that? Longbottom had certainly redistributed his bulk in all the right places, and Draco had seen more of Ginny Weasley’s abdominal muscles than he’d ever intended or desired. It figured that instead of actually doing their homework or attending classes, they would take turns lifting heavy things and competing over who could do more press-ups.Hermione cleared her throat, and both Pansy and Draco’s attention snapped in her direction. She shook her head and sipped from her glass, slumping against Peter, who looked adorably confused.Ron swam across the water to rest his elbows on the strip of wall that separated the hot tub from the pool. “You brought champagne! Give it here.” He reached for the bottle, but Draco swiped it out of his reach.“Oh, you mean this?” Draco waved it in his direction. “This isn’t champagne. This is Prosecco, seeing that this is f@ck@ng Italy, not France.”“Oh well, excuse me,” Ron said. “I don’t rightly care what it’s called. How about you quit being a tw@t and hand it to me?”“Try please,” Hermione said to Ron as she transfigured another flute and handed it to Draco. She clearly shared his need to prevent Ron from swigging directly from the bottle.“Please, ferret, may I have some of the fizzy alcoholic grape juice?”Draco rolled his eyes and passed him the glass, but Ron snatched the bottle from his hand instead and kicked off from the side of the pool, out of reach. He opened his mouth and tipped back the bottle, taking three large chugs of Prosecco before he pulled off with a belch.“Brute,” Draco grumbled, then sank back into the water with a pout. “Granger, you were entirely wasted as a Gryffindor.”Hermione chuckled into her glass, while her bloke tightened his arm around her shoulders and shot what Draco assumed was intended to be a threatening look. Apparently, Hermione was also wasted on that pretty idiot, as he had yet to notice that Draco was one hundred percent homosexual and had no intentions towards his date beyond seeking her intellectual comfort in the presence of multiple Weasleys.Harry appeared at Ron’s shoulder, and Ron passed the bottle back to him.Draco sat a little straighter.Harry made a face, but took the offering from Ron. Instead of helping himself to a drink, Harry swam close enough to set the bottle onto the wall next to the pool, within reach of the hot tub.“Not good enough for you, Potter?” Draco asked.“Oh, yeah, I prefer a Grand Cru,” Harry said with a chuckle. He laid his forearms on the wall between them, close enough that Draco could see the water droplets clinging to the lenses of his glasses.“Really?” Draco replied, distracted.Harry huffed. “No. It gives me a god-awful headache.”Draco looked on, oddly mesmerised, as Harry tugged the glasses from his face and frowned at them. He gave them a light shake, and the droplets flew off as if blown by a mighty wind.Draco swallowed hard.Sometimes Draco forgot Harry could do magic without a wand. He didn’t brandish it about often, as it drew additional unwanted attention. When he did use it, it was for silly little things like Summoning his wallet from his coat pocket, or removing the cap from his beer bottle. He did so unconsciously; like a flinch, the magic just burst from him and bent the world to his will.Harry returned the glasses to his face. Then he looked at Draco, blinked once as if seeing him clearly for the first time, and smiled.The bottom fell out of Draco’s stomach so abruptly that were Draco standing, he would have pitched forward. He blamed it on the fact that Harry was shirtless and damp, as that was easier to accept than a mere smile bringing him to his knees.Draco covered the reaction with a cough, glancing quickly left and right to make sure everyone else was suitably distracted. And they were — Ron racing his sister at laps across the pool as Luna offered scores based on unknown criteria. Hermione and Pansy were discussing the debut of Millicent Bulstrode’s fashion line, while poor Peter attempted to add anything of value and failed.Draco rested his elbow on the tile next to Harry’s folded arms. He took a long sip from his transfigured glass. “How was the rehearsal?”Harry shook his head. “I didn’t realise there were so many ways to f@ck up a wedding ceremony. Thought Daphne was going to hex me if I walked too fast.”“A fair concern, I’m afraid.”“Would have much rather been here drinking and swimming with you lot,” Harry said as he traced the grout of the tile with one finger while Draco watched helplessly.“Oh really?”“Definitely.” Harry turned his back to Draco and stretched his arms out, resting them along the wall. He tilted his head so he could look over his shoulder as he spoke. “You know, I’m not a big fan of weddings, but this whole trip-to-Italy thing is pretty brilliant. Maybe I just needed a holiday.”“Weren’t you just in Prague for two weeks?”Harry rolled his eyes. “Well, yeah. For work. Spent more time chasing a target though the filthy underground than lounging around drinking in pools.”“And here I thought you’d be clever enough to take advantage of the perks offered to a professional celebrity.”“You’re welcome to them, if you’d like. I’m right sick of getting my picture taken and being told to read speeches I didn’t write.”Harry let his body float up to the surface, and Draco slid a little further out of Harry’s eyeline so he could better inspect the way his wet pants clung to his c@ck. Bl@@dy f@ck, he was so fit. Draco leaned forward on both elbows to speak into Harry’s ear.“If you could do anything, what would it be?”Harry remained silent for a few long moments, floating idly. Then he said, “Nothing. Absolutely f@ck@ng nothing.”“Nothing?” Draco said, not bothering to hide the smile in his voice.“I’d sleep until noon, eat in bed, stay out as late as I wanted.”“Sounds very irresponsible.”Harry hummed, his eyes fluttering shut. “Doesn’t it?”Draco understood his longing acutely. Draco didn’t have the luxury of idleness either. Appearing unproductive in society wasn’t an option because, as soon as Draco stepped off the straight and narrow path, he would have Aurors on his back assuming he was up to something. When, in reality, all Draco wanted was to live his bl@@dy life unbothered. He almost told Harry as much, but the soft murmur of voices and a bright burst of laughter from beyond the gate caught his attention. Harry must have heard it too, because his eyes snapped open.Draco turned, and his heart sank to the bottom of the pool. Hermione must have left the gate unlocked because in walked Marcus Flint, Melinda Bobbin, and Cormac f@ck@ng McLaggen. Harry’s shoulders tensed suddenly, and he braced his hands on the wall behind him, lifting himself out of the water. He looked ready to bolt, but Draco clamped a hand around his wrist. Harry’s irritated gaze snapped to Draco’s face. Draco shook his head.“Come now, don’t let him chase you away like that,” Draco murmured, and Harry wilted. Draco released the grip on his wrist.Harry shot a glare at McLaggen, then swung his legs over the wall and sank into the hot tub next to Draco, settling so close that their thighs brushed under the water. He stretched out both arms and settled them along the rim of the tub, one tucked behind Draco’s shoulders — not touching him, though it was a near thing.Draco thought he might be having a stroke. He felt as if every hair on his body stood on end, and his skin tingled from Harry’s proximity. He prayed the darkness hid the flush that burned across his cheeks and down his chest, neither of which had anything to do with the heat of the water.“You’ve got to be joking,” Hermione said, her eyes fixed on McLaggen as he stripped out of his t-shirt to show off the cut of his abdominals and what Draco suspected was a fake tan.Draco could feel how hard McLaggen was pretending he didn’t notice them all glaring daggers at him. He laughed at something Flint said, then dived gracefully into the pool.Ron made his way over and stood along the wall to the hot tub like a ginger blockade. “What the f@ck does he think he’s doing?” he grumbled to Harry.Harry shrugged, and it caused the tips of his fingers to brush against the back of Draco’s arm. Draco tried desperately to control his shiver.“He’s been lurking all day,” Harry said. “Keeps bl@@dy appearing.” Then he reached out and tugged the glass from Draco’s fingers. Draco watched with raised eyebrows as he drained it and handed it back.“By all means, help yourself,” Draco said.Harry looked at him sheepishly from beneath his lashes. “Sorry.”Hermione opened another bottle with her wand, eyes never leaving McLaggen, as she refilled everyone’s glasses.Perhaps McLaggen could sense the disdain radiating in his direction, or maybe he was just so bl@@dy conceited that he took their glowering as an invitation, but he swam across the pool in smooth strokes to settle next to Ron.“Oh, Prosecco. And a decent vintage! My father has a few cases of this from a better year in his private cellar. Do you mind?” He reached out a hand to Hermione, who looked at him like sh@t on the bottom of her shoe.Ron shot out a hand and snagged the bottle instead. He threw it back and chugged the remaining liquid, then wiped his mouth with his hand. “Oh, would you look at that? We’re fresh out.” He let out another loud belch, then shot McLaggen a shark-like grin that had Hermione and Pansy snickering.McLaggen snorted. The contempt was painted plainly across his face, but then his gaze caught on Harry, who wasn’t looking at him, and on Draco, who absolutely was. Draco raised an eyebrow and took a prim sip of his drink as he leaned into Harry's side.McLaggen’s scornful sneer was just about the sweetest thing Draco ever saw, and he swam off, one eye over his shoulder at Draco.“Pr@ck,” Ron grumbled.Ginny and Luna reappeared and took possession of the last unopened bottle of Prosecco.“That muttonhead just can’t take a hint, hm?” Ginny said.“I’ve found that Cormac is best dealt with like a minor Chizpurfle infestation,” Draco explained. “Pretend you don’t know he’s there, and he’ll go away.”“What if he tries to talk to you?” Pansy asked.“It works best when he tries to talk.”Harry chuckled at that, and the mood eased into something more comfortable, to everyone’s great relief.“So! Are we taking bets on who cries during the ceremony tomorrow?” Ginny said, rubbing her hands together.“Is there anything you won’t bet on?” Draco asked with a sigh.“Sure, something I don’t think I can win and that Ron can’t lose.”“My own flesh and blood,” Ron said with a sad shake of his head. “And my money is on Nev, for sure.”“Doesn’t count,” Hermione said. “It’s his wedding. He gets a pass.”“Fine, Seamus then,” Ron said.“A couple of the Hufflepuff cousins,” Ginny added.“Draco,” Pansy said with a casual sip from her flute.Everyone’s mouth dropped open, and all the attention swung in Draco’s direction.“I will not,” Draco said, glaring at Pansy, the bl@@dy turncoat.“Don’t lie, darling. Even you admit you turn soppy over all this romantic tripe.”“Is that true?” Harry grinned at him and nudged Draco’s shoulder with his own.“No, of course not,” Draco replied, adamant.“There’s no shame in being in touch with your feelings, Draco,” Luna said, settling her chin on her palms. “I think it shows emotional maturity. You should consider harvesting those tears. Placing a vial in a window sill protects from Nogtail infestations.”“Since when does bawling through weddings make you emotionally mature?” Ron asked.“Oh, what do you know, Ron?” Ginny cuffed her brother on the arm with one fist. “Not like anyone has ever accused you of emotional maturity.”Ron cupped his hand in the water and splashed her.“Hey!” Ginny shouted, and splashed him back.This, of course, ignited a vicious water battle between them, that, much to everyone’s delight, somehow managed to douse McLaggen clear across the pool. Without all the hair products, he looked akin to a drowned Pygmy Puff. As such, Draco decided to forgive Pansy for outing him to a bunch of Gryffindors.“I don’t cry at weddings,” Draco grumbled into his drink.Harry smirked at him. “You sure? Shall I put money on it? Because I really hate losing to Ron and Ginny. They have a list of unfortunate consequences for lost bets in their back pockets at all times. Trust me, I know.”Draco scowled at him. “I’m a bl@@dy steel trap when it comes to keeping my emotions in check, Potter. Countenance as sturdy as stone.”Pansy snorted, but when Draco turned to glare at her, she was looking anywhere but him.“I’m trusting you,” Harry said.“That’s on you,” Draco replied, but settled closer with a small, secret smile.It was perhaps the only time in history that Draco was glad for McLaggen’s presence, because it gave him an excuse to sit too close to Harry. Harry’s arm remained along the edge of the hot tub at Draco’s back, and Draco could admit it was a lovely feeling, existing in the circle of Harry’s arm. And not only because Harry was strong and capable, but he was also warm and smelled bl@@dy fantastic. Even the ubiquitous wafting odour of chlorine couldn't overpower his enticing leather, whisky, cedarwood scent. Was it Harry’s shampoo? His aftershave? His cologne? Unlike Draco, Harry didn’t strike him as the type to shell out for expensive perfumed products, so could it be his skin that made Draco’s mouth water? And while Draco wanted to blame the Prosecco for the way his mind swam, he didn’t think he’d drank enough for that.They carried on with their idle chatter and managed for a whole half hour, until across the pool, McLaggen laughed at a forced volume, and Harry’s smirk twitched into a frown. He withdrew his arm to twist his fingers together in his lap, and Draco wanted to scream at the loss. Harry ran a wet hand through his hair, cast one last glance across the pool at McLaggen, then shook his head.“I think I’m going to turn in,” he said, and, with an arm braced on the wall behind him, heaved himself from the pool.Draco’s head snapped around in time to find himself level with Harry’s wet pants, the black cotton clinging to his hips and Draco forced his eyes upwards. But that only treated him to Harry’s stomach muscles and chest, and oh god, Draco wanted to lick him.Harry pushed to his feet, dripping onto the tile. He shook his head like a damp Crup, and the water evaporated from his skin and hair in a puff of steam. As he collected his clothing, still strewn haphazard across the walkway, the only thoughts pinging off the walls of Draco’s skull, were no and don’t go. “I’m coming with you,” Draco said before he was fully aware he’d done so and scrambled from the pool as elegantly as possible.Harry paused, one arm in the sleeve of his dress shirt. “You are?”Draco shot a meaningful glance towards McLaggen, who was watching them with narrowed eyes. The confusion cleared from Harry’s face, and with a conspiratorial smile at Draco, he nodded.Draco located his wand and cast a half-@rs@d drying spell before shoving damp arms into his shirt. Smashing his feet into his shoes required extra effort, and he missed twice, distracted by Harry’s choice to leave his lightly rumpled white button-down undone over his slacks. Draco feared he might develop a kink for Harry Potter in undone formalwear. Or just Harry Potter half-dressed. Harry was fit in his tatty jeans and tartan shirts, but this was the sort of nonsense Draco only saw in the magazines, when someone tricked Harry into posing for a fashion spread, likely by promising a donation to the War Orphans’ Fund or the Centre for Magical and Muggle Cooperation. Draco and Pansy hoarded those magazines, caught between embarrassment for Harry and admiration, because while Harry looked like he was reciting curses in his head in every shot, he cut a very fine figure.Draco struggled to clear his mind of how similar Harry looked right now to the cover of the June 2005 Witch Weekly as he placed his hand between Harry’s shoulder blades and ushered him towards the gate. He chanced a glance behind them, only to catch Pansy’s wry expression. Then Ron sank into the hot tub next to her, smirking, and she promptly forgot Draco existed.Draco dropped his hand from Harry’s back as soon as they were out of sight — not because he wanted to, but because he didn’t have an excuse to leave it there. It seemed Draco was surviving on excuses that weekend, ones that would run out as soon as they returned to London.Draco spent the entire walk back to their rooms formulating ways to convince Harry to stay for a drink. By the time they reached the hallway at the top of the staircase, the doors to their rooms in sight, Draco was at a loss.“Felt like a bit of a prat cutting out so early,” Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But if you fancy it, they’re doing a replay of tonight’s Cannon’s game on the wireless. I wouldn’t mind the company.”And then Harry did this thing, which Draco had seen him do occasionally, where he lifted downcast eyes and looked at Draco through sooty lashes, mouth lifted on one side. And that look? It killed Draco. He would sell a kidney for that look. He would take a Muggle bullet for that look. He would sit through a f@ck@ng Chudley Cannon’s game for that look.“I wouldn’t mind listening to your team lose,” Draco said, to which Harry's lips quirked into a full grin. Draco glanced at his watch, not even noting the hour. “And if we time it right, I’ll leave just as the masses return. McLaggen will see red.”Harry’s crooked smile faltered, so briefly that Draco wondered if he’d imagined it, but then he shook his head. “Leave it to you to take advantage of the situation. Bl@@dy Slytherin.”“Don’t worry, Potter. I won’t take advantage of anything but your minibar,” Draco said with a wink and pushed past Harry into his room.Harry and Ron’s room was a mirror image of Draco’s own, save for one major difference: a small terrace overlooking the grounds. There were two beds, one neatly made and the other an absolute mess, sheets rumpled and covered in discarded clothing, as if someone had overturned their suitcase on it. There was a small desk tucked into one corner, currently serving as a snack and liquor depository. Draco approached it and snagged the nearest bottle: Ogden’s Finest, aged fifteen years, just like they’d been drinking behind the villa the night prior.He turned a raised eyebrow at Harry, impressed.Harry shrugged. “It’s not every day one of your best mates gets married in bl@@dy Italy. Felt worth the expense.”“I underestimated your taste, Potter,” Draco said.Harry retrieved two plastic cups from a stack on the nightstand and held them out to Draco.Draco wrinkled his nose. “I rescind my last statement.”“Fine, if you’re going to be a snob about it.” Harry stepped in close and wrapped a hand around the neck of the bottle, lacing his fingers between Draco’s. “All the more for me.” Harry tugged the bottle from Draco’s loose grip. Then he smirked, stuck out the tip of his tongue, and pulled away, ducking out the door to the terrace.Draco remembered to retrieve his jaw from the floor before he chased after him.It was safe to say that Harry's and Ron’s view was far superior to the one from Draco’s room. While Draco and Blaise had an unspectacular view of the front turnaround, Harry’s room looked out over the gardens below, all the way to the edge of the lake. It also, unfortunately, had a lovely view of the swimming pool, where their friends and not-friends drank and laughed.Draco winced and slanted a glance at Harry, who was chewing his lip, brows drawn together.“It really bothers you, doesn’t it? His being here?” Draco asked.Harry’s eyes flicked to Draco, searching his face. Then he released the lip clamped between his teeth and sighed. “It’s not that.”“No?”Harry shook his head. His hand slid up the bottle, held loosely between his fingers, and he poured barely a finger into the cup. He set the bottle on the ground next to his feet. “I mean, yeah, it’s annoying that he’s here when I’m trying to have a good time with my friends. He has to make it about him. But honestly, he keeps appearing, and it isn’t until he’s there, standing in front of me, that I realise I’d completely forgotten about him. I wasn’t missing him at all. Hell, I wasn’t even thinking about him.”Draco’s expression slackened in surprise, because that wasn’t at all what he expected Harry to say.“But when he pops up, I just get… a bit angry, I suppose. Because I was happier that he wasn’t there. I feel like something was sitting on my chest for two years, and I just took my first deep breath.”Draco dropped his hip against the wrought-iron railing bordering the terrace, because bl@@dy hell, he knew exactly what Harry meant, though he’d never put it into words before that moment. Somehow, Erik’s betrayal stung greater than his absence. An absence which had gone unnoticed by Draco unless pointed out, and one he had yet to miss.Draco’s gaze floated from Harry’s frowning face, half hidden by his cup, across the villa’s grounds to the pool. Draco could make out McLaggen clearly, posing and preening like an idiot in front of his friends. Draco had no doubt that McLaggen saw them standing there on Harry’s balcony and turned his back on the view.“Want to make him jealous?” Draco said, once again speaking before his brain considered the repercussions.Harry lowered his drink and looked at him, head tilted to the side. “I thought that was the point of showing up at the wedding together.”“It is. But I mean really jealous.” Draco gestured towards the pool with a jerk of his chin.The corners of Harry’s mouth twitched up. He leaned back against the railing and balanced his cup on the edge. “What did you have in mind?”Draco’s heart thundered in his chest, and he willed his knees to remain steady as he took a step into Harry’s space. Harry’s small smile widened, eyes flashing with humour, as Draco laid a long-fingered hand against his jaw. Draco feared Harry might laugh and ruin it, so he told him, “Just go with it, yeah?”Harry nodded, and Draco kissed him.Harry’s mouth beneath his stretched into a smile. Draco could map its shape with his lips, but then Draco tilted his head, and brushed a thumb against the hinge of Harry’s jaw. The smile melted away, and Harry parted his lips as Draco’s tongue darted out to brush against his.Draco’s stomach jumped, and suddenly there were hands in his hair, and Harry’s entire body pressed against him.Draco’s brain shorted out completely, reducing the world down to Harry’s tongue, hot and wet in his mouth, and the delicious bite of pain where Harry’s fists tugged the hair at his nape. Because, against all odds, Harry was kissing him back, and rather enthusiastically. Bl@@dy hell, he was good at it, too. Even though Draco had to bend slightly, spine curled at his shoulders to reach him, Harry was the one in control.Draco draped both arms around Harry’s waist, fingers tucked into his belt loops to keep them from dropping lower to find out if Harry’s @rs@ really was as firm and round in his hands as it looked in those well-tailored slacks.Harry nipped at Draco’s bottom lip, and he couldn’t stifle the groan that slipped free.A whistle from the pool broke the spell, and Harry pulled back with a sharp inhale. The whistle was followed by a whoop that Draco thought must be a Weasley, though he couldn’t guess which one.Harry took an abrupt step back as Draco shook the dazed and l@st-drunk expression from his face. Because Merlin’s t@ts, he’d just kissed Harry Potter!“Not bad, Potter. That was rather convincing,” Draco said, trying for casualness, but it sounded far too deep and a touch raspy. He cleared his throat.Harry opened his mouth to speak, but another holler from the pool had him dropping his chin, a fetching flush blooming across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.“Shut up,” Harry grumbled. He tugged at the hem of Draco’s shirt. “Come on. Game’s starting.”Harry retrieved his drink from the railing, stepped around Draco, and back into the room. When Draco glanced back towards the pool, he saw Luna wave, while both Weasleys made lewd gestures. Draco took a bow and backed his way through the door.“Thinking of switching careers and taking the stage?” Harry asked as he flopped back onto the tidier of the two beds. He waved his hand, and the wireless crackled to life, the voices of the Quidditch announcers filtering through the room in a low murmur.Draco huffed and wandered over to the other bed, which was clearly Weasley’s. He plucked at a crumpled t-shirt with a wince. “Why? Think I could make it big? Become one of those famous Muggle film actors?”“If this is your audition, maybe.”Draco rounded the bed to stand next to Harry’s and swatted lightly at his shoulder. “Budge over. I’m not sitting in Weasley’s filth.”Harry scooted to the far side of the mattress with a put-upon sigh. Draco dropped onto it next to him and tucked his arms behind his head as he settled. It felt odd, laying in bed next to Harry after they’d just kissed. Even if it was just for show, it felt so real. Draco’s stomach still churned and fluttered, and he could taste the whisky from Harry’s lips on his tongue. He was strangely aware of the chasm of space between them on the bed, while Draco’s left side burned hot.“Summon me another drink, will you?” Draco asked, because he desperately needed something to do with his hands.“Lazy git,” Harry said with a roll of his eyes. But he waved his hand and the bottle floated through the terrace doors. He reached out to pluck it from the air, but Draco stopped him, with fingers around his wrist.“Not like that,” he said, voice once again an octave too low to be decent. “Use magic.”Harry chuckled, and the sound wound itself around the bones of Draco’s ribcage and tugged. Harry waved his hand once more, and one of the red plastic cups appeared next to the bottle. He stuck out his tongue and squinted one eye, and the bottle listed left, then tipped, sloshing into the cup.Draco plucked it from the air with a grin. He had no intention of drinking another drop, but he desired one more glimpse of Harry’s magic.“If I were you, I’d never get off my @rs@,” Draco said as he swirled the amber liquid in the cup.“Wasn’t aware you got off your arse as it was.”Draco shoved him gently with one hand, though Harry rocked right back into place. “I’m a very busy man, Potter. I have no idea what you’re talking about. And I only meant that if I could summon things with a thought and a wave, I’d never get out of bed.”Harry shrugged. “I still do things.”“What sorts of things? Tell me about all the ridiculous things you do like a Muggle so I can laugh.”“I do the dishes by hand.”Draco gaped. “Preposterous.”“And fold the wash.”“You’re touched in the head.”“And sometimes, I take the Tube instead of Apparating because it’s nice to disappear in the crowd, for a change.”Draco twisted towards him, disbelief painted across his face. “You’re serious?”“I’m serious,” Harry said with a sad little smile.Draco pressed a finger against Harry’s temple and gave it a flick.“Ouch!” Harry flinched back, but his smile widened beautifully.“You’re very odd, Harry Potter.”Harry sighed, rubbing his temple. “Yeah, I’ve heard.”“From who?” Draco asked, suddenly defensive. “Let me guess, that tw@t McLaggen?”Harry chuckled, but fixed his eyes on his cup, turning it between his fingers. “You say his name like you’ve tasted something nasty.”“His name in my mouth does taste awful. And you can’t seriously believe a word that arsehole says.”“Even if you agree that I’m odd?”Draco flapped a hand at him. “It’s all in the way it’s said, isn’t it? McLaggen says it like an insult. I say it with fondness.”“You do?” Harry’s eyebrows shot up.“Of course.”Harry shook his head. “Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between an insult and fondness from you, I suppose.”“That’s because, with you, they’re one and the same,” Draco admitted, but cut Harry off before he could respond or ask what the bl@@dy hell Draco meant by that, because he wasn’t sure even he knew. “Now, use that ridiculous magic of yours to turn up the wireless. I want to hear your team lose.”Harry grinned. “So you're a Ballycastle fan, then?”“Not at all. I’m for the Tornadoes. But I will gladly side with any team playing against yours. And since you've picked the worst team in the British Isles, it bodes very well for me.”“Hey! Ginny says they’ve got a shot this year, ever since they traded Wolfgang Weber from the German league.”“She’s trying to make you feel better for siding with the losers, Potter, and is probably wagering against you.”Harry scowled at him and, with a wiggle of his fingers, Draco’s drink flipped from his hand and onto the floor. Draco squawked and rounded on him, only to see mirth dancing in Harry’s green eyes.“Don’t test me, Potter. You’ll regret it.” Draco reached across him, their chests barely brushing, to snag the whisky bottle from the bedside table.The grin on Harry’s face slipped away, and his eyes darkened. Draco’s gaze fell to Harry’s lips involuntarily, but then Harry slithered out from underneath the cage of Draco’s arm, stumbling abruptly to his feet. Draco withdrew as if slapped.“I’m going to change,” Harry said.“Into something more comfortable?” Draco asked, one eyebrow raised.Harry took another step away, and Draco cursed his tongue.“I smell like a swimming pool,” Harry said, as if that explained his sudden need to put space between them.Harry turned his back to Draco and dug around in his suitcase. He gathered a bundle of cotton, then without a look back, disappeared into the toilet.As soon as the door shut behind him, Draco groaned and sank back against the pillows. He set the bottle aside. He definitely didn’t need any more to drink, or he’d risk trying something on Harry and the imminent rejection. And rejection from Harry Potter would be eviscerating. Draco would absolutely die of embarrassment, forcing him to abandon his London flat and move to a cave in the woods, where he would live out his days in solitude, so he would never have to look Harry in the eye again. And he really didn’t want to do that. His flat was rent-controlled in Soho.Harry clearly wasn’t as amenable to Draco’s “Sh@g Potter” plan as he’d hoped. He knew Harry might need coaxing, but that kiss. Had Draco imagined the spark? The jolt of electricity that started low in his belly and sparkled across his nerve endings until he felt lit up like a Christmas tree? Draco hadn’t expected that. He expected a chaste press of lips, before Harry ruined it by laughing or pushed him away. Worst of all, Harry was a bl@@dy brilliant kisser, and Draco wanted more.That thought alone reignited the simmering burn of jealousy in Draco’s chest, because McLaggen knew what it felt like to kiss Harry. He knew what f@ck@ng him was like, too, and it wasn’t bl@@dy fair! McLaggen didn’t deserve him, not only because he was a useless smear of dragon dung on a good day, but because he did things like dump Harry before his friend’s wedding, only to show up swanning around wearing Prada from three seasons ago in a size too small. He placed himself in Harry’s eyeline without ever acknowledging his presence, glared at his friends. Harry could do so much better.Not Draco, of course, because Draco wasn’t planning to date Harry. He wanted to sh@g him and maybe have a bit of fun at the wedding to spite Erik. But dating Harry wasn’t even an option. It was too fraught with issues. He was a celebrity, and a beloved one at that. The press would see Draco as nothing more than a Ministry peon, no matter that he was at the top of his field, managing more projects than any other potioneer in the Control Division. The papers adored McLaggen of course, as they were inclined to top drivel with a lovely glaze of sh@t@. There was no chance they’d offer Draco the same kindness, not with his background.No, dating Harry was too much work to even consider. And while Draco could admit he liked being around the handsome t@ss@r, that he thought him amusing, surprisingly interesting, and fit enough to stare at for… well, ever, dating him was a Bad Idea. Totally out of the question.Right?Draco’s attention snapped away from his swirling thoughts to the loo door at the squeak of taps, followed by the rush of water.Was Harry showering? He was clearly trying to give Draco a heart attack because now all he could think about was Harry naked on the other side of that door. And wet. And rubbing slick, soapy hands over the muscles of his stomach and into his hair, face tipped up into the spray.Draco whimpered and pressed his fingertips into his eyes until colours exploded in the dark.He tried counting to a hundred in French to distract himself, but only got as far as trente-trois before more filthy thoughts distracted him and he lost his place. Draco tried listening to the abysmal game on the wireless with little luck, then attempted to name every plant on the Restricted and Regulated list in alphabetical order. He made it to the flesh-eating Snargaluff when the taps shut off, and Draco was treated to a very graphic mental image of Harry towelling himself dry.Draco sighed and adjusted himself in his swim trunks. Merlin bless the disguising capabilities of a well-fitting waistband.A moment later, the door opened, and Harry stepped out in a cloud of fragrant steam. He wore a pair of plain black joggers and a white t-shirt, which were uninteresting on their own. But they were on Harry Potter, and Draco’s already compromised thoughts trailed further into the gutter.Draco crossed his ankles and folded his hands over his lap. “Showering, Potter? Really? You’re a terrible host.”“I wasn’t aware you were a guest,” he said with a lopsided smirk as he scrubbed his hair with the towel hanging around his shoulders. It left it standing adorably on end, and Draco dismissed the desire to flatten it with his fingers. “And the pool chemicals leave me drier than a Shrivelfig.”Draco swallowed hard when Harry dropped onto the bed next to him, close enough that Draco got a lungful of the same sweet, masculine scent as before. His eyes fluttered shut for half a second before he snapped them open and fixed his attention on a bland painting of a sailboat on the opposite wall.“So, who’s ahead?” Harry asked.Draco scoffed. “I’ll give you one guess.”The announcer on the wireless hissed as if in pain. “Oh, that’s rotten luck for the Cannons. I’ve not seen anyone run into the goal post like that since the blizzard of 1974. Can’t say the weather was a factor this time around.”Draco shot Harry a look, and Harry grinned back at him.“Who knows,” Harry said, shrugging. “Maybe they’ll pull it out in the end, catch the Snitch and win it all.”And then, Draco was struck, like a bolt of lightning, with yet another brilliant idea.“Would you like to bet on that?” he asked.“You want to put money on it?”Draco shook his head. “Not money.”“What then?”“If the Bats win, you let me help you get ready for the wedding tomorrow.”Harry’s eyebrows shot up, and he drew back slightly. Then he rolled his eyes. “You’re not picking my clothes, Malfoy. I have to wear the same suit as the rest of the wedding party. Nice try.”“God, it hadn’t even occurred to me to try to dress you,” Draco said truthfully. “I’d relish the opportunity to burn every one of those god-awful tartan shirts you’re so fond of. But no. I was simply thinking of inflicting my arsenal of luxury products on that bird’s nest you call hair.”Harry narrowed his eyes. “What’s your motive?”“Oh, ye of little faith! I know you’d never let me near it without a proper excuse, and I consider it a favour to Daphne and Longbottom, who will be forced to stare at their wedding photographs for the rest of their lives. I’d hate for you to ruin them. It is my gift to them, you, and everyone with the misfortune of looking at you.”“How charitable,” Harry said, then rolled his lips around his teeth, while his eyes did this sparkling thing.As soon as that thought occurred to Draco, he suffered a jolt of genuine alarm, because he was certain he’d never described someone’s eyes as sparkling in his entire bl@@dy life.“So, if the Cannons lose to the Bats, you get to doll me up for the wedding?” Harry asked.“That’s right.”“And what about if I win?”“Anything you like,” Draco replied, entirely unconcerned over the consequences. The Cannons had no bl@@dy chance.Harry smirked. “You aren’t allowed to complain about my fashion choices ever again.”“Calling your choices ‘fashion’ is a bit bold, but fine. I’ll allow you to embarrass yourself in public without comment. What do you say, Potter?” Draco held out his hand.Harry glanced down at Draco’s extended palm, then back to the wireless, as the announcer winced audibly and said, “That’s another ten points to the Ballycastle Bats.”Harry took Draco’s hand in his own and gave it a gentle shake. “It’s a bet.”****The Cannons lost. Miserably. Though Draco couldn’t relay a single play of the game if pressed.Draco and Harry passed an hour as the announcer recounted goal after devastating goal for Harry's team with their heads hanging off the end of the bed and knees bent. All the while, Draco demanded Harry do things with his wandless magic, like write his name in shaving cream on the mirror, or tie the laces of Weasley’s discarded trainers together, which he did with no effort at all.Harry booed when the announcer pronounced the Cannons losers, then switched the wireless to a channel with some Muggle music he liked, and called in two orders of chips from room service.Draco laughed more that night than he had in ages. He felt drunk and giddy, ready to burst like bubbles in a glass of Prosecco.They were halfway through the chips and a story Draco was telling about an instance at work after a spill of a confiscated and severely botched batch of Amortentia caused half the staff to recite love poetry to their superior when Draco heard voices in the hallway.Draco jumped to his feet, and Harry blinked up at him.“That’s my cue,” Draco said. “And I should be going anyway. You’ll need all the beauty rest you can get for tomorrow.”Draco ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, mussing it so it stuck out in all directions, as if pulled by eager fingers. He unbuttoned his shirt and then re-buttoned it out of alignment. If his goal was to be caught leaving Harry’s room, he would do so properly ravished. He stepped into his sandals and made for the door.But then, Draco turned around to look at Harry, who still sat on the bed, legs folded in front of him, one elbow propped on his knee and his chin resting on his fist. He watched Draco with a thoughtful expression, and Draco paused with his hand on the doorknob.“I should go, right?” Draco asked carefully. “You think I should?”Harry licked his lips slowly, eyes flicking between Draco’s own. Then he sighed and deflated. He scrubbed a hand across the back of his neck and nodded. “Yeah. You should — ah — you should probably go. Ron will be back soon.”Draco pushed aside the strange sinking disappointment and nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, product in hand. Say ten o’clock?”“Ten o’clock,” Harry repeated.Draco winked and slipped into the hallway.He timed it perfectly, too, because right there was McLaggen, flanked by Flint. Draco watched with great delight as McLaggen’s eyes scanned Draco’s falsely dishevelled state and the door he just exited.“Evening,” Draco crooned, as he sauntered past.“Kicked you out already, did he?” McLaggen said to his back, voice tight.Draco spun, a comeback poised on his tongue, but then took in the purplish red tint of McLaggen’s cheeks, burning all the way up his ears, and the hard set of his mouth. If there was one emotion Draco could recognise, even in the dark, it was jealousy.So, Draco said nothing, but licked his lips, slow and lascivious. McLaggen turned impossibly purpler, until Flint tugged him away. Draco chuckled as he unlocked his room and stepped through.He slumped back against the door as soon as it shut behind him and sighed. He smoothed the mussed hair and called out, “You aren’t f@ck@ng, are you?”“Draco, if I’m f@ck@ng, rest assured, I’ll lock you out,” Blaise replied drolly, and Draco stepped from the alcove into the room.Blaise was shirtless and tucked into bed like the previous night, tapping away on his mobile. He glanced over the tops of his reading glasses at Draco. “How did it go with Potter?”Draco wilted onto the bed, face smashed into the pillow, and groaned. “Shut the f@ck up, Blaise,” he said, voice muffled by the soft down.“Oh? That well?”Draco flopped onto his back and sighed up at the ceiling. “I kissed him in front of McLaggen.”Blaise huffed. “Diabolical as always, Draco.”“Quite right.” He propped himself up on one elbow to look at Blaise. “How was your bridesmaid?”Blaise removed his glasses and treated Draco to a soft, crooked smile. “We went to the Museo della Magia Moderna.”Draco blinked. “You went where?”“It’s a museum. They stayed open late on the solstice. Was a whole event, and we just stumbled in.”Draco’s eyebrows shot up. “You f@ck@d in a museum? Merlin, you are something.”“No,” Blaise replied with a chuckle. “We looked at art. It was… nice.”Draco sat up. “It was nice? Blaise. Now, be honest. You can tell me. Have you fallen prey to wedding romanticism? It’s contagious, you know.”Blaise rolled his eyes. “No, of course not. It was just something to do.”“Like a date.”“Not like a date.”“Uh, exactly like a date. In fact, your evening was far more date-like than what I did with Potter, which was still mildly date-like. Date adjacent, if you will. We laid on his bed, listened to a dreadful Quidditch match on the wireless, drank whisky, ate chips.”Blaise snorted. “That’s bl@@dy teen-aged. Are you serious? No wonder you ended up making out.”Draco didn’t correct him. Blaise didn’t need to know that the kiss was for show and not real because it would only earn Draco that disapproving look he hated.“We’re getting ready for the wedding together tomorrow, Potter and I,” Draco said.“Is that so? What are you going to do to him?”Draco grinned as he pushed to his feet and unbuttoned his rumpled shirt. “Make sure everyone notices him glowing after a night with me.”“I thought the plan was to actually f@ck Potter, not pretend to f@ck Potter when his boyfriend is looking.”“Ex-boyfriend,” Draco corrected. He tossed the shirt over the back of the nearest chair and grabbed his dressing gown. “And that’s still the plan. Circe’s t@ts, can’t you give me some credit? This is Harry Potter, after all. Not some bridesmaid you met twenty-four hours ago.”Blaise returned his glasses to his nose and went back to his mobile. “Her name is Evelyn.”Draco leaned his shoulder against the door to the toilet. “Evelyn,” he sing-songed like a smitten damsel, then scoffed as he rolled around the door frame. “I’m taking a shower.”“Try to w@nk quietly.”“You know your silencing charms,” Draco shot back and slammed the door on Blaise’s responding hex.'
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
Assistant: