Series: The Music Box
Part 3: Anyone Can Catch Your Eye
Author: Lady B
Character(s): Draco, Harry, Pansy, Hermione, OFC
Rating: PG
Summary: Having both filled out a questionnaire, now they waited to see the results.
Challenge: IJ/LJ AWDT Valentine's Quickies #3-8: (3) Secret Admirer, (4) Three's A Crowd, (5) One Dozen Long Stemmed Roses, (6) I'm Sending You Some Kisses, I Know You Like Them, (7) Dark Secret Love, (8) Blind Date
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Sorry I got behind. Work's been keeping me so busy I'm exhausted when I get home.


Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart.
~Author Unknown

Harry stared at the simplistic plaque hanging above a non-descriptive door. Hearts Desire.

"I can't believe I let them talk me into this." he mumbled.

He took a deep breath and opened the door. At first glance, he thought he'd accidentally walked into someone's front parlor. There were comfortable arm chairs and sofas around the room perimeter and a tea service off to one side. There was also a virtual library along the wall near the door. There was no bell to announce his presence, and he was about to call out to let someone know he was there when a side door opened. A woman stepped out and faced him with a warm smile on her face. She was young by wizarding standards but looked to be in her mid-sixties. Hair as dark as coal streaked with flecks of silver that reminded him of Snape. Eyes as bright as the sky, reminding him of Dumbledore. She wore some type of silken dress laced with lots of gauzy material that reminded him strongly of Trelawny.

"May I help you?" she asked. He detected a hint of a Russian accent.

"Um...yes. My friend, Ginny Weasley set up an appointment for me."

"Ah, Mr Potter! A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Madame Aniela Petrova. But please, call me Anna."

"Harry, please."

"Harry, then." she nodded, "What brings you here today?"

"Ginny thought I needed 'fixing up'. Her words, not mine."

"I am assuming she has been her before?"

"Yes. She and my other friend, Luna are set to be bonded in a few weeks."

"Ms Lovegood, I am assuming."

"Yes."

"She was a pleasure to work with, and so easy to match. Let us see what we can do for you, eh?" She indicated a door that he hadn't noticed before. Wary, and gripping his wand tightly in his robe pocket, he stepped into the room. The door immediately slammed closed and he was cloaked in darkness. Fighting not to panic, he drew his wand and cast a small level Lumos to see. The only piece of furniture in the room was a beige couch.

"Mr Potter," came Anna's voice somewhere above him, "I must ask of you to place your trust in me so that I may better read your aura."

"And what if I want to leave?"

"You are not a prisoner here. If you wish to leave, simply open the door."

Harry looked at the door behind him. What would his future be if he stepped outside? Would he always be alone?

Taking a deep breath, he moved to the couch.

"Just lie back and close your eyes."

"All right." He lay back on the couch and closed his eyes. Almost instantly, a vision appeared to him. He could clearly make out himself, naked on a bed while another male hovered above him. He tried to see the man's face but something was blocking it from his view. A hand moved into his line of sight and he noticed a platinum band on the third finger. He glanced downward and saw a matching band on his own hand. The other hand touched his cheek, stroking his jaw and around his neck. Harry could actually feel the love in the touch and it made him want to cry.

"Who are you?" his vision-self asked.

"You'll know when you see me." came the whispered reply.

A bell sounded in his ear and his eyes snapped open. He was shocked to see he was in his own bed at his flat. He looked at his clock and saw that it was almost five in the evening. He'd practically slept an entire day! But that wasn't possible...or was it?

There was a knock on his bedroom door.

"Harry? You awake?" he heard Hermione call.

"Yeah, 'Mione. Come in." She stepped into the room, a smile on her face.

"I didn't think you were ever going to wake. You must have been pretty blitzed after this afternoon. But it was nice of you."

"What?" Harry frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"You gave Luna and Ginny a surprise bridal shower."

"I did?"

"Yes."

"I couldn't have. I was at Hearts Desire most of the afternoon." Hermione gave him an odd look and an unpleasant feeling settled into his stomach.

"Harry...you couldn't have been there. You were there a week ago and nothing came of it." The unspoken 'yet' hung between them like a bad smell.

"Whaaaa-!" he gurgled. "A week! I missed a whole week! How could I have missed an entire week?"

"I don't know. Ginny said the same thing happened to her. She walked around in a fog for a bit, but the minute she saw Luna, it was like she woke up. It's a bit like Sleeping Beauty if you ask me. Terribly romantic." Hermione mused.

"Hermione Jane Weasley! This is not some muggle fairy tale!"

"Oh calm down, Harry. You're still breathing aren't you."

"Ha bloody ha." he grumped.

"Oh get up, Mr Broody. We're supposed to be meeting Pansy for supper in an hour." She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of bed. Realizing he was naked beneath his sheets, he scrambled to cover himself up.

"Hermione!"

"Oh calm down! It's not like I haven't seen one before, especially with Ron running about starkers on weekends. He's quite big in that area, you know. Makes my heart pound thinking of it." she sighed dreamily.

"Thanks for the mental image, Hermione! Now I have to go scourgify my brain!" Harry groaned, finally succeeding in wrapping his bedsheets around him. She laughed before shoving him toward the bathroom.

- - -

Pansy was sitting in the cafe on the edge of Hogsmead waiting for Harry and Hermione when she sensed someone behind her. She whirled around and smiled when she saw Draco. They hugged briefly.

"By yourself?" he asked as she directed him to an empty seat.

"Waiting for friends. You're welcome to join us."

"I have business at Gringotts and stopped for a bite to eat."

"How are you doing?"

"Much better than before. I no longer have this insane urge to fly to Greece and hex the man's balls off."

"Progress indeed. Did you give any thought to what I suggested a week ago."

"You know...I did go there. And somehow, I ended up losing a week of my time somewhere."

"The Fog Effect." Pansy nodded.

"Beg your pardon?"

"That's what Luna calls it. She said the minute she saw Ginny, she 'woke up' so to speak."

Draco analyzed that for only a second, "Oh! It's like some kind of sensor that lets you know when you've found your match."

"Exactly." Draco watched her wave to someone behind him and he turned to see who it was. His breath caught in his throat when he spotted Hermione and Harry coming there way. Harry wasn't looking their direction at the moment. He was busy ogling the new racing broom in the window of the Quidditch supply store. The longer Draco stared at him, the more aware of his own heartbeat he became. And suddenly it was as if a light had gone off in his head. His eyes widened.

"I need to go, Pans. It was nice seeing you. We should get together sometime. Bye!" Draco called out, backing away from the three of them. He turned on his heel and fled.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked, spotting Draco's fleeing form.

"He always was an odd one." Pansy shrugged. Harry finally joined them.

"What did I miss?" he asked as he reached for a croissant.

"Draco being his usual silly self." Hermione chuckled.

"And that's news?" Harry grinned, eating his food.

"Harry fancies himself a funny man this evening." Hermione shrugged. A waiter came to take their orders and then a peaceful conversation about nothing ensued.

- - -

The following afternoon, Harry returned home from his charity work to find a brightly covered Winky standing in his sitting room. She had taken up the late Dobby's eccentric habit of wearing as many brightly colored socks and hats she could.

"Hello, Winky." he smiled warmly.

"Master Harry Potter. Someone be asking Winky to bring this to you." She reached into her tunic and pulled out a small gift-wrapped package.

"Thank you, Winky."

"Master Harry Potter is welcome." Winky bowed before blinking out. He set the box on the table and waved his wand over it to detect any hidden hexes and curses. The only thing on it was a standard shrinking charm and a preservation charm. Curious, he opened it. In the blink of an eye, a large vase filled with a dozen stunning red roses appeared. Harry could only gape like a landed goldfish.

There was a card attached and he quickly took a look at it.

No flower on this planet can
Compare to the beauty
That is you.

It wasn't signed but he still found himself smiling like a love-sick teenage girl.

"Kreacher!" he called out. Kreacher was by his side in an instant.

"Master."

"We need to find a good spot for these. Somewhere with lots of sun during the day."

"Kreacher think library be good."

"Would you take care of it for me?"

"Yes, Master Harry." Kreacher nodded, carefully collecting the vase in his hands before shambling down the hall. Still wondering who his mate would be, Harry turned toward the kitchen to do some therapeutic baking before he headed to Hermione and Ron's for dinner.

- - -

Plans for Luna and Ginny's upcoming bonding (set for Valentine's Day) were progressing at a fast rate, so fast that Ginny had a panic attack on the afternoon of her fitting when she discovered that she had gained ten pounds overnight and had to have her dress refitted. Harry calmed her down by telling her he would go to Honeydukes and buy her that expensive French chocolate she loved so much.

He stepped out of Honeydukes an hour later and headed toward Owl Emporium to pick up some extras for Pig when he caught sight of a blond head of hair making its way through town. He stepped into the shadows of a nearby building to see if it was who he thought it was and was rewarded when he spotted Draco. Draco seemed oblivious to the world around him as he dipped into the bad in his hand. Upon closer inspection, Harry blinked with shock when he saw it was a bag of chocolates. But not just any chocolates. They were plain old Hershey's Kisses from America.

He watched Draco pop the candies into his mouth like expensive chocolates and as the man walked by, he caught sight of a second bag peeking out of the pocket of the man's robe. A warm feeling began to start in his heart.

The longer Harry watched Draco eat his muggle chocolates, the warmer he became until with a shock, a bright light exploded in his brain blinded his thoughts for a moment. He shook his head to clear it and suddenly felt more awake than he had all year. He analyzed this feeling for a moment and his eyes snapped to Draco with an accuracy he hadn't used since his school Quidditch days.

"My mate!" he whispered, not even questioning why this fact didn't bother him, "Ron's going to flip when I tell him." he chuckled. He watched Draco disappear around the corner before turning and heading back to Honeydukes. He had a present to buy.

- - -

Draco apparated home with a sigh, glad another day of working for Gringotts was done. He went to his room, intent on a shower, dinner and then bed when he saw the box resting on his bed.

Curious, he opened it, seeing a note resting on top of whatever was beneath the velvet covering.

From me to you, these kisses few.
I know how much you like them.

He moved aside the velvet and stared in stunned surprise at the large assortment of Hershey's Kisses resting inside. There was also an invitation from the company to visit Hershey, Pennsylvania for a free tour of their chocolate factory.

"Whomever this is, knows me well." he chuckled to himself, popping an almond covered Kiss into his mouth.

- - -

Another Ministry dinner, held the week before Valentine's day, found Harry and Draco in the same room together, and to their secret delight, sitting at the same table, directly across from one another.

There were longing looks between the two of them the entire night, neither noticing that their friends around them were watching them with slight smiles on their faces. Except Ron. Who looked like he wanted to be sick.

- - -

Draco stared at the girl across from him, wondering for the thousandth time why he allowed Blaise to talk him into another blind date. All she did was giggle into her hand and exclaim to whomever walked by how much she wished she had Draco's hair. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

There was a commotion near the entrance of the restaurant and Draco sat straight up in his chair when he saw Harry step into the room, a giggling female latched onto his arm like a boil.

Draco caught his eye and winked at him, before nodding his head at the girl on his arm. Harry rolled his eyes and shrugged as the restaurant owner personally ushered the couple to a table on the opposite side of the room. Harry sat so that he was in Draco's line of sight the whole time. Draco was secretly pleased and it made his dinner companion that much more tolerable.


To be continued...

Sorry this seems rushed, I never expected to get so far behind. But I think it turned out all right. I'll be working on Prompts 9 and 10 later on this evening.