Letters

July: Another Slow Dance

The next time they danced together it was in the garden at Godric's Hollow. They danced alone, no crowds, no furore, no formal waltzes, no press. Just Harry and Draco dancing slowly amongst the fairylights on Harry's twenty-first birthday.

Because they'd started the party early, it meant people drifted off earlier than usual too, Pansy and Peanut dragged Gin and Blaise and Nev and Achara off to a nightclub in London. George and Angelina and Mione and Ron left for home and Luna and Rolf decided they would go for a night-time exploration of the local fields because there was a rumour that Cornish Pixies had been sighted in Devon and Somerset and they wondered if they'd travelled as far north as Wiltshire.

That left Harry and Draco sitting together alone, the music lulling them gently as they stared up at the stars together.

'I've enjoyed tonight,' Harry said happily.

'Dance with me,' Draco whispered.

So, they danced together under the stars as Enrique Iglesias's Hero played in the background, much to Harry's amusement.

Draco rested his palms on Harry's arse, his fingers tracing over Harry's trousers again. 'I like leather trousers,' he mumbled. 'You should wear them more often.'

'Mione said you'd like them...' Harry sighed contentedly.

'Mione?'

'Mhem, she and Peanut have been conspiring. I think Peanut does a lot of conspiring in the background...' he mumbled.

He was also fairly certain Peanut had put together the compilation playlist of smoochy songs and had purposely put it on just before she left. They'd already been serenaded by Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars, Alicia Key's If I ain't got you, and Christina Aguilera's Beautiful. Still, it seemed to be working and before long, as is wont to do in these kind of situations, one thing lead to another and without an audience, Harry found himself kissing Draco again and, because there was plenty of time until it was 11.45, he pulled Draco by the hand between the patio planters, into the cottage, and upstairs to his bedroom so they could make the most of their time alone together.

When Peanut had said she'd be at Lily Cottage to organise the arrival of the table, she hadn't just meant the arrival of the long oak table that would easily seat all his guests, she also meant all the little details that Harry would never have thought of by himself. When he came home, he found his garden full of hanging baskets and patio containers filled with hot-coloured flowers, and there were fairylights wound around the great oak tree at the bottom of the garden and strings of lights that stretched over the table and patio area. The grill had arrived too and Harry was very pleased with it, it had two halves which meant he could cook for a small party on just one half but it could easily provide for a large party too.

Ron and Mione arrived early on the night of his party to help Harry finish setting up, only to find him fussing over booze and glasses and still in a pair of slouchy jeans and a grey t-shirt.

'I thought Peanut cleared all those out of your wardrobe,' Mione said.

'I had to hid these,' Harry admitted.

'Hmmm,' she said. 'Come on, upstairs. You need to get ready.'

'I am!'

'Definitely not!'

Harry looked at Ron, pleading silently for help.

'It's no use looking at me like that, mate. You know we'll never change her mind. You might as well try to stop a charging Erumpent with a flip-flop and a bowl of jelly.'