I Beg Your Pardon, Potter?

Chapter 1

"I beg your pardon, Potter?" It was lunchtime and Harry Potter had just asked Draco Malfoy out on a date.

"I asked you out, Malfoy." It had been a dare from Seamus.

"I think I will go with," Draco paused, squinting at Harry, incredulous at even being asked. "No."

"Oh good," Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Well, then why the bloody hell did you ask?"

"It was a dare."

"Oh."

"See you around, Malfoy!" and Harry skipped away, while Malfoy frowned after him.

...

Later that night, Draco lay in his bed, staring at the velvety green canopy of his four poster bed. He was thinking back to how Harry had asked him out. He'd half considered saying yes. Hell, why not? It would have been a laugh. But then he'd have had to kiss Harry and he didn't really want to do that. (Did he?)

But it had been a dare anyway, so it didn't matter. He was glad it was a dare. He didn't like Pothead that way. He didn't like him at all come to think of it. It would have been awkward if it hadn't been a dare though. They would have had to get through all the sexual tension in Potions where they always seemed to be paired together. It was like Snape had a secret, or not so secret, sadistic side and he enjoyed watching them torment each other. As much as Draco admired the Potions Master, he sure creeped him out.

...

Sure enough, the next day:

"Malfoy, go with Potter and see if you can bring out the hidden Potions skills that may be lurking somewhere inside his thick skull," Snape said in his oily voice. Draco wondered idly if he practiced making his voice sound that way so that it would match his hair. Then he wondered if Snape would sound different if he washed his hair.

"Great," Draco huffed as he sat down heavily beside Harry. "You again." Harry grinned at him.

"Don't worry," the black haired boy said. "I won't ask you out again. What potion are we making?" Draco frowned and consulted the board.

"Uh," he said. "Dreamless Sleep Potion."

"Cool."

"No," Draco corrected. "Not cool. Difficult." Harry frowned for a moment, then a grin spread across his face.

"But I've got you as my partner! You're good at Potions!" Harry said, enthusiastically.

"What is wrong with you, Potter? Are you high?" Draco asked. Harry shook his head and giggled. "Drunk then?" Harry looked around to make sure that no one had heard what Draco had said and nodded quickly. Then he giggled again. Well, that explained a lot. "Were you drunk yesterday when you asked me out?" Harry nodded again.

"And I was dared," he said.

"I know that."

"Ooh, touched a nerve, did I?" Harry teased.

"No," Draco snapped. "Now start reading out the ingredients." Harry sighed and turned to the correct page in his book.

"Frogspawn. Corcoran weed. A bunny foot. Some water-"

"How much water?"

"A liter and a half. Winter sage. Red rose petals..." and the list went on. Harry grew more and more bored with reading them out, so he invented some of his own ingredients and swapped them around with the ones that they were given. Just for kicks and giggles. Because at the end of the day - who really cared? Harry didn't. At that moment, Harry didn't really care about anything.