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Sweet Like Chocolate

Summary:

The annual Christmas market is taking place and it's Harry's job to take the photos. He doesn't expect to see a familiar face in one of his photographs, nor does he expect to reconnect with that familiar face over hot chocolate.

Notes:

Thank you to M for betaing!

To Titti: Happy holidays! I tried to incorporate a couple of your prompts in this fic and I hope you like it! :-)

Work Text:

The air was crisp and there was a definite smell of snow being carried on the breeze as Harry approached the Christmas market. It was still a fairly new event that had been taking place for the last few years and had grown in size each year. What had begun as a handful of stalls lining the street beside Gringotts Bank was now a bustling hive of activity in its own specially created square alongside the bank. It never failed to amaze Harry as he wandered between the stalls, taking in all the sights and sounds.

There was Christmas music playing from the main entrance to the market, and he could smell every kind of Christmas treat he could think of as he walked through the rows lined with fairy lights.

His favourite was the stall that sold spiced Christmas biscuits; he couldn’t resist buying one or two to nibble on as he wandered. Of course, he wasn’t there just to sample the treats. He was supposed to be taking photographs for The Quibbler. The market always generated a huge amount of interest, and people liked to see pictures from the event.

At one end of the market stood a merry-go-round, on which the customers could choose to ride one of the array of enchanted wooden unicorns and winged horses. It played a tune that soon became familiar to anyone who visited the market, but miraculously never became annoying, and there were twinkling lights lining the roof to make the experience even more magical. It was always full of children who laughed with delight as their unicorn tossed its head, or tried to nibble the tail of the winged horse in front. Harry spent a few minutes by the merry-go-round, snapping more pictures than he normally would to try and capture as many images of the grinning children that were currently riding on it.

He moved on, lifting his camera every time something caught his eye. He always took pictures of every stall in the market, aiming to capture the true atmosphere as well as he could. He couldn’t help but grin as he saw the natural, carefree smiles of people who weren’t being asked to stop for a picture. He liked taking these candid shots much better than the posed ones he was sometimes asked to take.

He tried to take in what each stall was selling as he snapped away, but before long, everything blurred into one multi-coloured shape. He’d look again properly when he was developing his photographs. He could take his time doing that, and often made notes of stalls he wanted to visit again as a paying customer to get gifts for his loved ones.

As he wended his way through the maze of stalls, a delicious chocolatey smell caught his nose. He turned and spotted the source: a small wooden cabin decorated with fake snow and obligatory fairy lights – all white rather than multi-coloured like the other stalls – with a couple of small wrought iron tables and matching chairs sitting in front of it. A sign above the window read ‘Chocolat Chaud’ in fancy, scrolled lettering and a quick translation spell told him that it was exactly as he smelled - hot chocolate. Harry lifted his camera and snapped a couple of pictures, making sure to capture the magical appearance of the building. He couldn’t remember seeing it in the market in previous years, so he decided it must be a new business and made a note to come back another day to sample the wares.

*

An hour or so later, Harry made his way home and headed straight for his photo lab. He wanted to make a start on developing the photos before he ate. He knew that there had been advances in the Muggle world of photography, but he much preferred the traditional way of developing film. There was just something calming about watching the images appear. He set about getting everything ready, making sure it was all set out in the right order. Checking his watch, he changed his mind about getting something to eat right now. He continued with the development of his photos until they were all done and laid out for drying before he headed back into the kitchen to make his food.

It didn’t take him long before he was sitting down at the kitchen table and eating the steak pie and chips he’d prepared. He hadn’t decorated for Christmas yet, as it was only just a week into December, but he wondered whether he should buy a tree this year or not. It was only him in the house, and he’d likely be going to The Burrow for Christmas lunch, so would there be a point in having a tree just for him? He would maybe put up a few garlands and leave it at that this year.

After he finished his food he quickly washed the dishes and, drying his hands on his jeans, made his way back to the lab to begin looking through the photos he’d taken. He enjoyed this bit almost more than he enjoyed taking the photos in the first place, because he could take his time and study the details of each stall, really taking in the beauty of each one. The first two dozen were of the merry-go-round and he couldn’t help but smile at the pure joy he could see on the faces of the children. There were a couple of faces he recognised from some of the photographs he’d taken previously, but many more that he didn’t. Not that it mattered. The joy was universal. He continued working through the photographs setting aside the best ones to submit to the magazine as he went.

Finally, he reached the last few photographs of the hot chocolate stall. Pulling them across the table, he examined them carefully. The cabin was very inviting, he could almost sense the warmth inside just by looking at the soft glow of light that was emanating from the open door. As he moved his gaze from the door to the window, he froze. Visible through the window, which he hadn’t noticed at the time, was a very familiar head of white-blond hair.

He hadn’t seen Draco Malfoy in at least seven years, not since the day of his trial at the Ministry. Harry bent his head lower, peering at the photograph closely. It was difficult to see properly, given that he hadn’t been trying to photograph the inside of the stall, but Draco didn’t look much different from how Harry remembered him. His hair could be a bit longer, he thought.

What was obvious to him was how his stomach had immediately clenched at the sight of Draco. He remembered meeting Draco once after his trial when Harry had returned his wand to its rightful owner. It had been awkward and stilted, but he remembered wanting nothing more than to give Draco a hug. He’d looked broken by the stresses of the trial and, even though he’d been given a much lighter punishment than his parents, Harry had recognised the signs of guilt. He had also recognised that the atmosphere between them had changed. They’d spent a few hours that day discussing their shared past, both apologising profusely for previous misdemeanours before finally, Harry had cautiously given Draco the hug he’d clearly needed. He’d felt a spark then that he’d only ever felt twice before, but had been reticent to mention it because it felt absurd. The idea that he might suddenly have feelings for someone he’d considered an enemy seemed completely ridiculous.

He’d realised that the spark he’d felt for Draco meant that he wasn’t strictly straight. He’d always sort of suspected that was the case but had never been able to really examine the possibilities in the midst of battling Voldemort. He dated plenty of men – and women – in the following years but none that he really clicked with. There was always something missing and he thought that, maybe, he knew what it was. But he couldn’t be sure, having never spoken to Draco, or anyone, about it. He thought that maybe now might be the time to get to know Draco again.

*

The next day, once the light started to fade again, Harry made his way to the market. Although it was open most of the day, he preferred to visit when it started to get dark so that he got the full effect of the fairy lights and the atmosphere. He had his camera around his neck, just in case anything new caught his eye. He’d make another visit to the merry-go-round to capture more visitors to it as he knew those prints would always be of interest to parents. But then he decided he’d wander around some of the stalls to see if he could narrow down some gifts for people.

He set off along the rows, pausing at each stall that caught his eye. A lot of the stalls he stopped at were food related, and he made a note of the ones he wanted to go back to a bit closer to Christmas. Before he knew it, he’d reached the merry-go-round and paused for a few minutes to take some more photographs. He couldn’t help but smile at the infectious laughter that was emanating from it. He lingered for a few more minutes before heading for another row of stalls.

Eventually, he found himself standing in front of Chocolat Chaud again. His stomach was doing somersaults at the prospect of actually talking to Draco. The hot chocolate smelled delicious, he couldn’t deny that, but he also couldn’t bring himself to walk into the cabin and buy a cup. So, instead, he took a few photographs and made his way back to the market entrance before heading home. He kicked himself for not going into the cabin and not least because the hot chocolate really did smell heavenly.

*

Over the course of the week, Harry found himself falling into a routine of going to the market. He always ended up standing outside ‘Chocolat Chaud’ but not going in. He took photos each time, trying to convince himself that he wasn’t being ridiculous, but all that resulted in was an album full of slightly out-of-focus photographs of Draco. Which was, in itself, ridiculous.

So, when it came to Saturday and Harry once again found himself walking into the market, he resolved that today he would go in and finally buy a mug of hot chocolate. He took his time walking along the rows of stalls, his camera poised to take photos of anything that was different to his previous photographs.

Eventually, he arrived at ‘Chocolat Chaud’. He took a moment to look at the cabin, taking in all the fairy lights and decorations that had captured his attention on his first visit. He was so captivated by the lights that he didn’t notice someone exiting the cabin and walking towards him, which meant that when they spoke, he jumped violently.

“Potter? What are you doing here?”

Harry gasped as he stepped backwards. He recognised the voice, of course, but he hadn’t expected to hear it so close to him. Before he could reply, Draco repeated his question.

“You know, I thought I saw you out here a few times earlier this week. Can I… help you with anything?”

Harry took a deep breath and looked at Draco properly. As he’d first thought, the familiar blond hair was, indeed, longer than Harry remembered it being at school. It was swept back from his face with a thin headband, and if he wasn’t mistaken, Draco was also wearing a touch of eyeliner on his lower lids. That was interesting, thought Harry. Now that he could see him, he realised that the outfit Draco was wearing was slightly on the gothic side with a touch of steampunk. He was dressed all in black, with trousers that were loose-fitting around his thighs, narrowing at the knee but he couldn’t see the bottom of the trousers as Draco was also wearing knee-high lace-up boots with metal buckles decorating the leather. Above the waist, Harry could see a ruffled black silk shirt underneath the fitted black and silver frock coat. If he was honest, his mouth had gone a little dry at the sight.

“Potter?”

Harry shook his head slightly and licked his lips. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” Well, that was a ridiculous thing to say after gazing at the stall every night for a week, he thought.

“What?”

“Sorry, that’s not… I mean… that first night. I didn’t know this was your stall,” Harry said with a frown. “Then when I realised, I wanted to come and speak to you.”

Draco frowned too. “But you haven’t spoken to me. You’ve just been… standing here.”

“I know,” Harry said, half groaning. “I wanted to speak to you, but I couldn’t bring myself to come in.”

“What? Why?” Draco asked, the frown on his face deepening.

“I don’t know,” Harry replied honestly. “I thought… I wasn’t sure you’d want to speak to me.”

“I thought we’d put things behind us that day you returned my wand?” Draco asked. His voice was soft, and Harry could sense he was guarded.

“We… did,” Harry said. “At least, I thought we had but then… I haven’t seen you for the last six years or so. Even though I kept an eye out for you.”

“I’ve been around,” Draco replied. “Granted I’ve kept myself to myself for the most part, but I’ve been around.”

Harry gazed at Draco for a moment before looking down at the ground. “I must have been looking in the wrong places.”

Draco nodded slowly. “I’d say you must have been, yes. A shame, really.”

Harry looked up. “Yeah?”

Draco nodded once more. “I never did thank you properly for that hug.”

Harry felt himself turn red and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “You, er, remember that?”

Draco snorted. “Of course I remember it. It’s not every day the Saviour of the Wizarding World gives you a hug, you know.”

Harry groaned before laughing slightly. “Alright. I suppose I asked for that.”

“A bit,” Draco said with another nod. “I did think about that hug more than once over the years.”

“Me too,” Harry admitted. “I just didn’t know if you’d want to talk about it.”

“Well, you’re here now,” Draco said. “Why don’t you come in? There’s a mug of hot chocolate with your name on it.”

“Really?”

Draco nodded again. “Yeah. I mean, you haven’t tried it. It’s the least you can do.”

Harry laughed. “Alright. Lead the way.”

Draco turned and began to walk back towards the entrance to the cabin, turning his head once to make sure Harry was following.

Harry moved quickly to follow him, wanting to prove that he wasn’t going to run in the opposite direction.

Once they were inside, Draco moved so that he was behind the counter. Harry supposed that was his default position, given that this was his stall.

Harry watched as Draco took a decorative ceramic mug from a rack that sat behind the counter and began to pour thick, creamy hot chocolate into it before adding a swirl of whipped cream and sprinkling chocolate curls over the top. “Well, you certainly have the presentation down,” Harry said, looking from the mug to Draco. “How much?”

Draco shook his head. “There is no charge. I want you to try it.”

“Are you sure?” Harry asked. “I don’t mind paying…”

“I’m sure. You can buy the next one, though,” Draco replied. “Because you will be back again, won’t you?”

Harry licked his lips as he reached out to take the mug of hot chocolate from Draco. “I think that seems likely, yes.”

Draco raised an eyebrow but there was a hint of a smile on his face.

Harry lifted the mug and took a small sip, trying not to get the cream all over his nose, but it proved difficult. It was worth the effort, he realised when he tasted the hot chocolate that slipped past the mound of whipped cream. He looked at Draco with wide eyes. “Wow.”

Draco smiled. A small, pleased smile that looked nothing like the sneer he so often wore at school. “You like it?”

“Like it? That’s the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted,” Harry replied, lifting the mug to take another sip. “I know you won’t tell me exactly, but is it your own recipe?”

“You’re right. I won’t tell you exactly, but it is an adapted family recipe, yes,” Draco answered. “Perfected over the years until it became what it is now.”

“It’s amazing,” Harry said. “Honestly. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to come in here.”

“You were overthinking things,” Draco said softly. “I have to admit, I hoped I’d see you while the market is taking place. I’ve seen your photographs of the market in previous years. They’re good.”

Harry shrugged slightly. “I try my best. It helps to have such varied subjects. There’s always something different happening in the market, and the lights and decorations make everything look so enchanting.”

“What a wonderful, childlike sentiment,” Draco said, sounding amused.

Harry shrugged. “I didn’t really get to enjoy Christmas properly as a child, so I make the most of it now. The lights always made everything look magical – before I realised magic did exist, of course – and I used to love seeing them, even if my aunt and uncle did their best to make sure I didn’t actively enjoy Christmas. Now I can enjoy it any way I want to.”

Draco gave a small smile and a nod. “I understand. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like an insult.”

“It’s okay. I know not everyone enjoys the Christmas lights like me,” Harry said with a grin. “Anyway. This hot chocolate… is this what you do for a living now?”

Draco nodded. “I do have a dedicated shop. It’s not around here, but I thought I’d like to come back for the Christmas market this year.”

“Oh, really? Is it just hot chocolate or do you do coffee and stuff too?” Harry asked interestedly.

“I don’t do coffee on its own, but I do make mochas,” Draco replied. “There are plenty of coffee shops out there, but I am yet to find another shop that just does hot chocolate. So I decided to make that corner of the market my own.”

Harry smiled and glanced down at his mug. “Of course you did. I don’t know why I’m surprised. You must be doing very well from it.”

“You’d be surprised at how many people want hot chocolate in the summer,” Draco said with a grin of his own, this time. “It does slow down a little bit, but I’m fortunate enough that I can still survive.”

“Good. I’m glad,” Harry said. “So, er, I really should be going but this has been nice. Catching up with you, I mean.”

“Oh. Alright then,” Draco replied. “Will I see you again?”

Harry nodded. “You can count on it. Now that I know what this stuff tastes like, you won’t be able to keep me away.”

Draco laughed, and Harry realised that he’d never heard a laugh like that from him before. “I’m flattered, Potter. Well, you will be welcome any time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry said, smiling as he drained his mug and looked around for somewhere to put it.

Draco held his hand out to take the mug from him. “I hope that you do. Good night, Potter.”

“Good night, Malfoy,” Harry said, making his way to the door. He lingered for a moment, his gaze on Draco as he washed the mug Harry had given him. Then, with a small shake of his head, Harry stepped back outside and into… snow. Looking up, Harry smiled. Snow was another thing he loved about Christmas and there were still thick flakes falling and settling on the ground. Perfect for another visit to the market tomorrow night for more pictures, he thought. Snow always added another element to the photos he took of the market and, in his opinion, made them better.

*

The snow fell steadily overnight and most of the next morning, covering the city in a thick white blanket. Harry spent most of his day in the house, catching up on some housework that was sorely needed before putting on his boots and overcoat as the day drew to a close.

He headed for the market, camera around his neck as usual. As he reached the entrance, he paused for a few minutes, taking photos of the sign over the entrance which was lit up and twinkling against the snowy backdrop. Then, exactly as he’d done previous nights, he made his way through the market while taking as many photos as he could of every stall and, as always, the merry-go-round before finally ending up outside of ‘Chocolat Chaud’.

This time, instead of staying outside after taking his photos, he headed for the door. As he stepped inside, the smell of the hot chocolate brought a smile to his face. He wasn’t the only one inside the cabin today, there were a few others clutching takeaway cups and handing silver Sickles over to Draco behind the counter.

As he looked up to thank the customer, Draco glanced in Harry’s direction and their eyes met. Harry found a warmth filling his chest at the smile that appeared on Draco’s face. He was sure there was a matching one on his own face. He waited patiently in line until he got to the front. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Draco replied, the smile returning. “What can I get you?”

“One hot chocolate, please. With all the extras,” Harry said.

“Takeaway or sit inside?”

“I’ll sit in if that’s okay?”

Draco nodded. “Of course. It’ll just be a moment, so if you’d like to take a seat, I’ll bring it over.”

Harry smiled and nodded. “Alright. Thanks.”

Draco turned away to begin making Harry’s order and Harry made his way to one of the small tables that were on one side of the room. He looked around, taking in the simple decoration that was inside the cabin. He hadn’t noticed it last night, he’d been too busy concentrating on Draco.

A few seconds later, Draco appeared at his side. “Your drink.”

“Oh, thanks,” Harry said, looking up at Draco with a smile. “Do I just pay when I’m finished?”

Draco nodded. “Yes, please. Just in case you want another after this one.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry replied, still smiling.

Draco nodded once more before he turned and walked back to the counter to serve the next customer.

Harry watched him go, half turning in his seat. Draco was wearing the same outfit as he had been yesterday, possibly with a different shirt, Harry couldn’t really tell. What he did know was that he liked the look. He’d never thought about it before, but eyeliner on Draco was incredibly attractive.

He turned his attention back to the mug of hot chocolate that was still waiting for him, picking it up and taking a sip. He closed his eyes briefly, savouring the taste of the creamy chocolate mixed with the whipped cream. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Draco it was the best hot chocolate he’d ever tasted. The hot chocolate at Hogwarts had been good, but it wasn’t a patch on Draco’s. Judging by the steady stream of people entering the cabin and leaving again, clutching their takeaway cups, he wasn’t the only one who thought so. He kept watching as Draco greeted each customer with a polite smile, including the children and he couldn’t help but smile, too.

He knew it was silly, but he hadn’t ever imagined that the Draco Malfoy he’d known at school would turn out to be someone who was so popular with the general public. It certainly hadn’t been the case during his trial, Harry recalled. It was nice to see, he thought. Nice that things could change.

Harry sat for a while longer, drinking his hot chocolate and observing the people who were still steadily entering the cabin and their interactions with Draco. Occasionally he heard a laugh and it made him smile when he realised it was Draco’s laugh. He recognised that his feelings towards Draco had changed a long time ago. If he was completely honest with himself, it had been during the battle that he’d realised it – the relief he’d felt when he’d managed to pull Draco onto his broom in the Room of Requirement had been on a different level. The terror he’d felt at the thought of Draco not making it out had stuck with him for a long time after that night, though he’d only really recognised it for what it was well after the event when he’d recovered from the trauma of Voldemort trying to kill him. By then, the Malfoys were on trial and he couldn’t say anything to Draco. He hadn’t dared say anything to anyone, for fear of what they’d say. Draco was on trial for some of the most serious crimes of the battle, and although Harry managed to speak in his defence, no-one had been sure of what the outcome would be. When Draco had been given probation but ordered to remain under house arrest, Harry had been allowed to meet him once to return his wand and then they hadn’t seen one another until the last couple of days.

Looking across the room to where Draco was serving someone else, Harry smiled again. He turned his attention to his mug, realising it was empty. Then he stood up and made his way to the counter.

Draco looked up at his approach. “Finished?”

Harry nodded. “Yes, but I’d like another. A different kind this time, though. What would you recommend?”

“I have some different flavoured syrups,” Draco said, turning to gesture at the row of bottles that stood on the counter behind him. “There’s caramel, hazelnut, gingerbread and peppermint. I can recommend all of them.”

“Alright, surprise me then,” Harry said, a smile playing on his lips.

“Are you sure?”

Harry nodded. “I trust your judgement and I can’t decide. So a surprise is the only option.”

Draco gave a soft huff of laughter and nodded. “Alright. Go and sit down and I’ll bring it over when it’s ready.”

“Thanks,” Harry replied, still smiling as he went back to his seat at the little table. He noticed that the market seemed to be a bit quieter now, and when he looked out of the window, he could see that the snow was falling once more. He smiled. He loved this time of year.

A few seconds later, Draco appeared at his side to place another mug of hot chocolate in front of him.

“Oh, thanks,” Harry said, smiling. “This looks great.”

“I hope you enjoy it,” Draco replied, glancing across towards the counter. There were no other customers in the cabin right now, so he slipped into a chair opposite Harry.

“I’m sure I will,” Harry said, lifting the mug to take a sip. “How was business today?”

“It’s been steady all day,” Draco said. “Rushed off my feet sometimes, twiddling my thumbs at other times, but steady enough.”

“I imagine you’re doing a roaring trade. This is gorgeous,” Harry replied, gesturing to the mug of hot chocolate. “The peppermint isn’t too strong.”

Draco smiled. “Glad you think so. You don’t need much of the syrup to get a nice flavour.”

“What’s the most popular flavour you sell then?” Harry asked, taking another sip.

“At Christmas, it’s the gingerbread and peppermint equally,” Draco replied. “The rest of the year it’s caramel. But I sell plenty of all the flavours really. Everyone has their own favourite, but the hot chocolate is the real hero. If the chocolate wasn’t good, I don’t think the flavoured syrup would save it.”

Harry smiled and nodded. “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about. I know I’ve already said it, but this really is amazing.”

“You have but I will never tire of hearing you say it,” Draco replied with a smile. “So, in the spirit of reconnecting, what have you been up to? Just taking photographs?”

Harry nodded, putting his mug down once more. “Yeah. I was offered a place with the Aurors but I decided it wasn’t for me. Not after… you know. So I took a bit of time out and just explored a few things. I realised that I really quite like taking photos, of all kinds of things. So that’s what I did, just practicing different techniques and things. Now, I suppose I can count it as my career.”

Draco smiled. “Do you think anyone would have predicted this for us at school?”

“Absolutely not,” Harry said with a grin. “Although I don’t know which of us they’d be most surprised about.”

Draco chuckled softly. “No. So, what about a partner? Is there anyone… special in your life?”

“Ah,” Harry said, lifting his mug for another sip before answering. “No, not at the moment. I have had relationships, but mostly short-lived. What about you?”

“Same as you,” Draco replied with a shrug. “A few relationships, if you could even call them that. They were very few and far between, and I suppose you’d probably call the people questionable. I mean, they’d have to be to consider getting involved with someone like me, wouldn’t they?”

Harry frowned. “What do you mean ‘someone like you’?”

“An ex-Death Eater,” Draco said with another shrug. “It’s alright, I came to terms with it long ago. It’s taken long enough to build the business – that’s why my name isn’t attached to it – never mind beginning a relationship. There was always someone ready to question their sanity or to ask them if they really wanted to be with me. Some ran early on, some stayed a bit longer, none of them were a great loss in the end. If they weren’t prepared to ignore what people said, then as far as I’m concerned I’ve had a lucky escape.”

“You deserve a second chance though,” Harry said, still frowning. “I mean, it’s been nearly ten years.”

“Not everyone is as forgiving as you,” Draco pointed out. “Anyway, it’s okay. I didn’t have anyone I really felt anything for.”

“Do you wish there was someone?” Harry asked, looking down at his mug and using one of his fingers to scoop some of the whipped cream off the top and sucking it into his mouth. He was aware of Draco’s eyes following the movement.

“Maybe,” Draco replied after a moment. “There was always someone I hoped would…”

Harry lifted his gaze to meet Draco’s eyes once more. “Same here, I suppose. But… I was stupid. I tried to justify not talking about it by thinking that it wouldn’t work. I wish I’d been brave enough to take the chance.”

“You were halfway there with the hug,” Draco said softly, his gaze not leaving Harry.

Harry studied Draco’s face for a moment. He’d always suspected that he hadn’t imagined the spark between them, but it was nice to have it confirmed. He nodded slowly. “I wanted to say something, I did, but it felt ridiculous. You know? We’d never even been friends… how could it be anything more?”

“I know. I wanted to say something too, but felt the same as you,” Draco replied. “Then when you didn’t say anything, I wondered if I’d imagined it. Then I didn’t see you for seven years.”

“Sorry about that,” Harry said, looking down briefly. “I didn’t know if you’d want to see me again after I returned your wand. So I stayed away, and then when your house arrest was over, I naively thought you would find me if you wanted to talk.”

Draco gave a huff of laughter. “Would you believe I thought the same? I absolutely didn’t want to lower myself to hunt you out and confess my feelings only to find out that you were happily settled down with someone else. So I didn’t go out of my way to make myself obvious.”

Harry chuckled softly too. “I suppose that makes us as bad as each other.”

Draco nodded. “I suppose it does.”

Harry smiled and looked down for a moment before glancing around him. “What time do you normally close up?”

Draco glanced at the clock. “Any time now. I normally close up a bit before the market actually closes for the night,” he said, turning back to Harry. “Why?”

“Do you fancy taking a walk with me?” Harry asked.

“A walk? Where?” Draco replied, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Just around the market? It’s a nice place to walk with all the snow and lights,” Harry replied with a small shrug.

Draco smiled. “Yeah. I’d like that. I haven’t had a proper chance to have a look around. You can show me all the best bits.”

Harry grinned. “Alright then, that’s settled. Let’s get ready to go.”

“Wait there. I’ll make us a couple of hot chocolates to go,” Draco said, standing up and heading for the door. He flipped the sign to ‘closed’ and closed the door before going back to the counter to make their hot chocolates.

Harry stood up too and moved around the shop, pushing the chairs into the tables and making sure any rubbish was tidied away.

“You don’t need to do that, you know,” Draco said as he squirted whipped cream onto one of the drinks.

“I know. I wanted to help,” Harry replied, smiling.

“Oh. Well, thank you,” Draco said, returning the smile and moving on to the second drink.

A couple of minutes later and they were both outside, Harry standing to one side and holding both drinks as Draco locked the door of the cabin behind them. He smiled as Draco joined him and took one of the drinks, then they set off around the market.

They walked slowly, sipping at their hot chocolate and talking as they did so. Harry pointed out his favourite stalls, before dragging Draco into the cabin that sold the spiced Christmas biscuits to buy a couple for them to eat. They carried on walking, nibbling at their biscuits as well as sipping the hot chocolate.

“These are very good,” Draco said, glancing at Harry. “I can see why they’re one of your favourites.”

“Want to know a secret?” Harry asked, without waiting for an answer. “That stall used to be my absolute favourite.”

“Used to be?” Draco replied, raising an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“I tasted your hot chocolate.”

“Oh,” Draco said, a smile appearing on his face which Harry was amused to see him try to hide behind his cup of hot chocolate.

“Sorry, that was really cheesy, wasn’t it?” Harry said, chuckling. “But it is true.”

“It was a little bit cheesy, yes. But I appreciate the compliment,” Draco replied.

Harry smiled and looked down briefly before turning his attention to where they were walking.

They fell silent as they continued working their way through the stalls, Harry still pointing out the good ones, and eventually, they reached the centre of the market where a huge Christmas tree stood, covered in multicoloured lights with an illuminated star at its top. Harry had taken pictures of many people standing in front of the tree over the years, both candid and posed. It was a wonderful backdrop and it always made him smile to see it.

“Wow,” Draco breathed, looking up at the tree with an enthralled expression on his face. “It’s beautiful.”

Harry nodded. “It is, isn’t it?”

“The whole market is, actually,” Draco said, glancing around. “I can definitely see why it makes you feel so happy.”

“I love it,” Harry replied with another nod. “It’s just… magical, for want of a better word. I love the way the lights all twinkle. It changes how you look at things.”

Draco nodded in response. “I understand what you mean. It’s… amazing.”

They were leaning against the fence that enclosed the Christmas tree now, facing one another.

“It feels quite… intimate, being here with you like this,” Harry said, picking at the lid of his hot chocolate cup. “Does that sound silly?”

Draco shook his head. “Not at all. I was thinking the same, actually. It’s the kind of thing you’d do with a partner, isn’t it?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah…”

Draco looked at him again, their eyes meeting.

“I’d really like to kiss you,” Harry said softly. “I don’t know if it’s the tree, or the snow, or…”

“I don’t know either, but it’s working on me as well,” Draco replied. “I’d like to kiss you too.”

Harry chuckled softly as he took a step forward and leaned in, pressing his lips to Draco’s in a gentle kiss. Kissing Draco was exactly as he’d imagined it would be; full of electricity and feeling. He brought his free hand up to Draco’s neck, gently cupping it as they continued to kiss.

They parted a few seconds later, both smiling shyly at one another, but not putting any space between themselves.

“There’s someone over there taking our photo,” Draco murmured, inclining his head to one side. “Isn’t that your job?”

“Yeah… but it’s nice to have the night off,” Harry said with a grin. “Do you mind them? We can ask them to stop if you want?”

Draco shook his head, sliding one arm around Harry’s waist. “It doesn’t bother me. I came out of hiding a long time ago.”

Harry grinned. “Good,” he said as they both leaned in for another kiss, the sound of a camera clicking in their ears.