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“OOOOMPHF!� Harry yelped and doubled up on the bed, completely winded. What on earth was that pillow filled with? Rocks?

“Do you give in?� His tormentor knelt over him, his fringe falling over his eyes, barely concealing the blazing pools of swirling grey. The bed creaked dangerously under their weight.


He gripped Harry’s shoulders, once more pinning him against the soft eiderdown, and slowly lowered his face towards his captive. He breathed into Harry’s ear. “I said -�


“NEVER!� Harry yelled, shoving a fistful of the blankets into Draco’s face. Taking advantage of his momentary disorientation, Harry grabbed the edge of Draco’s jumper and forcefully yanked it upwards over his head.


“What the…?� A bewildered Draco flailed around wildly, but his arms were useless in his cocooned state.


This had to be the ultimate humiliation - being imprisoned by his own jumper.


He wriggled on the bed in order to steady himself, but only succeeded in toppling backwards over the edge with all the grace of a particularly inebriated troll.


CRASH


“YAAARRRRGH!�


That was the bedside table coming down on him.


THUMP!


The contents of the table promptly fell on his head.


Draco continued his ridiculous battle with the woollen straitjacket – one he seemed to be losing.


“Mmmph pfffth OOPHF!�


“Sorry?� Harry asked innocently, pretending to strain. “I didn’t catch that.�


Draco spluttered in exasperation and spouted more obscenities. Thankfully, the jumper censored his language.


Harry teased him even more. He cupped his hand behind his left ear. “What’s that? I shine like the sun and my smile puts the roses in the garden to shame? Oh Draco, stop it -�


Draco let out an exasperated snort and mumbled something unintelligible.


Harry giggled and pretended to blush. “Oh don’t, really, I’ll get a big head -�


Draco spat out a mouthful of sleeve and growled. “Don’t get smug with me Potter. You’ll pay for this. I know how to make you suffer!�


“No…anything but that!� Harry protested, a look of abject horror crossing his features. “Please, no! Don’t make me eat your cooking -�


“Why, you little…!� Draco twisted free his right arm and withdrew his wand from his trouser pocket. He aimed it at Harry. “You are so infuriating!�


“Oh come on, Draco,� Harry whined. “Fight fairly. No wands.�


"Excuse me?� Draco blinked. “Fairly? It was you who used my own clothing to attack me!� He finally disentangled himself from the offending garment and threw it onto the floor in a huff.


“For goodness sake,� Harry lectured in mock-seriousness. “I thought even you might be able to outwit an article of clothing. I mean it’s not as if I set something on you that really tested your brain power. Like a plant pot -� Harry ducked for cover just in time before the photo-frame that Draco aimed at his head came flying through the air.


Harry held his arms up in surrender. “OK, OK,� he laughed. “I solemnly swear not to set any more inanimate objects on you.�


THUD!


This time it was a shoe, and it landed right where Harry had been standing seconds earlier. The shoe bounced off the wall and hit Harry squarely on the right shoulder.


“Gah!� Harry winced in pain and slid to the floor. That particular part of his body had been weakened in a Quidditch incident years before, and although it was very nearly back to its full strength, it was still very vulnerable. It didn’t take very much effort to hurt Harry’s shoulder - and Draco knew this very well. The Slytherin grimaced.


“Harry -�


The Gryffindor’s eyes were screwed up tightly and he didn’t appear to have heard Draco. He mouthed an obscenity but no sound came out.


“Harry – I’m sorry – I….�


“That was below the belt Draco.�


“I didn’t mean – I was aiming for your knee….�


“My knee?� Harry asked incredulously. “That’s a good three feet away from my shoulder at least!�


“I said I’m sorry….�


“Don’t take up archery.�


“Oh very funny Potter!�


“Stop calling me that!�


“Make me!�


Suddenly Harry stopped rubbing his shoulder. He looked at Draco for a few seconds and his expression softened. “Fine, I will,� he slowly replied.


Harry suddenly stood up and walked towards their wardrobe, still massaging his shoulder. After opening one of the doors, he knelt down and moved a few shoeboxes out of the way. He carefully slid his left arm along the inside of the cabinet and past the worn-out box containing his first pair of Quidditch robes that he still kept hidden away safely. Draco smiled and looked away at this. He knew that Harry still kept these robes. Even though Harry didn’t know he knew. Harry’s hand was now almost touching the very back of the wardrobe. He fumbled for a few seconds until his fingers finally grasped what he was looking for. He had picked it out in one of the shops just off Diagon Alley a fortnight ago, when he had journeyed there alone one afternoon.


“What’s that?� Draco eyed Harry’s clasped hand suspiciously as the Gryffindor stepped closer. Suddenly his eyes widened. “Wait - it’s not that Retexo Oppedo potion is it?� Draco’s lips twisted in disgust. He knew exactly what the effects of that particular potion were. It forced the drinker to substitute insults with compliments, so needless to say it was not the kind of potion that any self-respecting Slytherin would consume. He clamped his mouth shut, lest Harry should force him to drink the offensive liquid. Draco paled at the thought of not being able to insult anyone ever again. He shuddered. That didn’t even bear thinking about.


He backed towards the doorway and was caught completely off-guard when Harry slowly knelt in front of him and held out his right hand, in which was grasped a plain white gold ring.


Harry lifted his gaze to meet Draco’s and all of a sudden both their mouths went dry.


“Oh Harry -� Draco whispered, a lump forming in his throat.


Harry swallowed several times. “Draco,� he whispered hoarsely. That one word carried so much love that the Slytherin thought he might just dissolve right there and then. He looked into those dark green pools and he could see that they were misted over with emotion.


Harry gently reached towards the pale, long-fingered hand and threaded their fingers together tenderly. He cleared his throat. “I… I want you to know how much…how much….� He ran his other hand through his already-ruffled hair and a nervous laugh escaped his lips. “It was a lot better when I practised it, I promise you....�


Holding back his tears, Draco lowered himself until he was kneeling in front of Harry. “Come here,� he whispered, gently wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him closer.


Harry planted a soft kiss on Draco’s forehead and raised a tender hand to caress the side of his face. He trailed his thumb along the angular line of his jaw. As he did so, a single tear trembled under its own weight and rolled down Draco’s cheek.


Forcing back his own tears, Harry struggled to find the words that had seemed so easy to say to his own reflection only the week before. He took a shaky breath to clear his lungs, and looked into the face of the man he loved with all his heart. And before Harry’s next words even left his mouth, those grey eyes had already given him the answer.


“You make me so happy, Draco…. Will you marry me?�


Draco still swears that his heart stopped beating in that instant. It was all he could do just to nod wordlessly while Harry’s trembling fingers reached for his partner’s equally trembling left hand and sought out his third finger.


“I give you this ring, and with it I -�


The tears were now rolling thick and fast down both their cheeks.


“ - I give you all of me,� he whispered.


And as the sun slowly descended to meet the horizon, Draco’s face descended on Harry’s to capture him in a long, lingering kiss.


……………………


Much later that night, lying in Harry’s arms, Draco remembered something. He had been absently tilting his left hand, admiring the way in which the newly acquired item of jewellery on his finger caught the light as it moved, when it suddenly popped into his mind. He replayed the events of earlier that day and then turned towards his fiancé, taking care not to put too much pressure on his right shoulder.


“You hadn’t planned on asking me today, had you? I mean – just after I flung that shoe at you, I said something, and then you suddenly proposed.� Draco wrinkled his forehead in concentration. “What was it?�


Harry smiled as he remembered their ridiculous squabble earlier. “I suppose I was waiting for some sort of an opportunity to present itself,� Harry explained, tilting his head towards the Slytherin. “And when you told me to make you stop calling me Potter, it seemed like a good enough excuse.� He smiled slyly and brushed a soft kiss on Draco’s cheek. “Because after our wedding you won’t be able to.�


Draco smiled softly, leaning into the kiss. “I don’t get it…. Why won’t -�


Suddenly it dawned on him.


He grabbed the blankets and turned over roughly.


It was customary in wizarding marriages for the couple to adopt the surname that came first in the alphabet. So in their case, that would be Malfoy.


Draco pursed his lips together in a huff.


Damn it. Outsmarted by Potter.


AGAIN.





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I really hope you liked this!!!


I had the idea of a pillow fight, but after I’d written the beginning, I really didn’t know where this story was going. It’s only when I got to - “Oh very funny Potter!�/ “Stop calling me that!�/ “Make me!� - that the ending came about.


I would love it if you left a review just to tell me what you think! =)


Since this story I have written ‘Happily Ever After?’ which is the prequel to this (although it stands alone as a one shot as well). I’d love to hear what you think of it!!