Day 16. Harry Potter. Harry/Draco. Cause Trouble Title: Cause Trouble Author:digthewriter Word Count: 840 Rating: PG-13 Warning: EWE. Auror Training Academy. Made up stuff. Pretend Relationship. Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended. Author's Notes: This story is going to be called "Nothing Ventured. Nothing Gained." Each chapter is going to have a unique title but it'll all be part of one big story. I hope! AO3 link for all chapters in a row! All my thanks to nia_kantorka for the beta - omg best alpha/beta ever!
The room was radiating with Christmas decorations. The cafeteria where the academy cadets met for lunch looked as though it'd been completely transformed.
Everything was vibrant, shimmering, and there wasn't a corner in the room left unattended.
Harry walked in with Malfoy by his side, ready to steal the show.
After he'd kissed Malfoy in such an urgency at the Burrow, a few days ago, they'd not really talked about it. Still, there was something there Harry wasn't able to identify, but hadn't questioned it either.
He'd never felt closer to Malfoy. Yet, he'd never felt further apart.
They held hands whenever they were in public, teased each other with innuendos to keep up the facade, and kissed each other when the timing seemed right; but when they were in their quarters, they slept in separate beds. At the same time, they talked about everything.
Malfoy told him about his day, and listened to Harry as he spoke of his. They gave each other advice in dealing with their colleagues, techniques in the training, and if anything, Harry felt as though he'd found a friendship in Malfoy he'd not thought possible.
Still, Malfoy wasn't his. Not really. It was all pretend, and maybe someday it was going to be over.
Now, they were finally here. The highlight of the season; the reason Malfoy had asked Harry to be his pretend boyfriend. The Auror Academy holiday party: the night where all Auror cadets let go of their inhibitions and simply enjoyed themselves.
The Christmas tree was lit, the gingerbread cookies were set on all the tables, the champagne and the wine were flowing effortlessly. Harry was Malfoy's date, who looked so bloody radiant, Harry was sure he was the reason the room was shining so brightly.
"Thanks for this..." Malfoy leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I don't know if I could have done this tonight without you."
Harry leaned in and kissed Malfoy's neck, making sure he really made a good show of it. "I can't say the pleasure hasn't been all mine."
Malfoy smiled and before he kissed Harry on the lips, he whispered, "you're really good at this pretend boyfriend thing, Potter. I'll have to consider you again if I need your services."
Harry was about to reply with something witty and possibly flirty when Sebastian Darlington, of all people, walked up to then.
"Draco..." he whispered, looking annoyingly hot with his dark brown hair tousled, his blue-green eyes shimmering, and his dark navy robes fitting him well.
Harry scowled at him, his hand squeezing Malfoy's hand hard, as he tried to keep his cool.
"Oh, Seb! Didn't know you were here already..." Malfoy gave Sebastian a quick once over and turned to the man that was standing next to him. "Hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Draco Malfoy. And this is my boyfriend, Harry Potter."
The man that was by Sebastian's side offered his hand to shake Malfoy and Harry's hand but Sebastian held him by his elbow and slightly jerked him away.
"Boyfriend? I didn't realise you two—"
"Yeah, well..." Harry chimed in before anyone else in their little group could, "I knew that the moment Draco was single, I had to tell him how I feel. I couldn't watch him ruin his life, waste his time, with losers anymore. I wanted to be with him, and now I am..."
Harry raised an eyebrow and glowered at Sebastian, nearly daring him.
"I'm sorry... were you two a thing?" the man next to Sebastian said.
"And you are..." Harry said in his most Malfoy-tone ever. Malfoy turned to him and smiled as if he approved. Spending all that time with Malfoy was making him sound like him.
"Marco. Marco Jacinta. I'm Sebastian's boyfriend."
"Is that true? Which one?" Malfoy asked.
"I don't understand," Marco said, looking confused and his gaze darting between Malfoy and Sebastian.
"Oh, you know, I was with Sebastian for months until I discovered that he had more than one boyfriend. I mean, you'd have to be around for a while to not have known about us. We only split a few weeks ago—"
"A few weeks?" Marco said, sounding surprised, and then he turned towards Sebastian, glaring at him. "We've been together for months, you said I was the only one—"
"Oh, honey..." Malfoy said smoothly, "Look, Harry. The poor soul... He'd no idea he'd been shacking up with a compulsive liar, and a cheat..." Malfoy shook his head as if he felt bad for the bloke, and Harry knew he didn't. Malfoy was kind of a bastard at times. Okay, most of the times.
"What?" Marco nearly shrieked, and Sebastian started to lie through his teeth immediately.
"Don't listen to him, Baby. He's just jealous—"
Marco slapped Sebastian then, the echo of his hand meeting Sebastian's cheek spread throughout the room and Malfoy took a step back.
"I think this is the time we go and find our table..."
"Right, you are," Harry agreed and he and Malfoy walked away from the arguing couple.