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“Oi, Potter.” Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, called out to Harry.
“Yeah?” Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the Slytherin. “What do you want?”
“You dropped this.” He held out a dark box decorated with light blue snowflakes.
“That’s not mine.” It looked like something someone would buy from Hogsmeade, the village that Harry didn’t have permission to visit. There was no way he dropped that box.
“Does it look like I care?” Flint raised an eyebrow. “Just take it.” He shoved it against Harry’s chest before storming off. Harry had to quickly move to catch the box so it wouldn’t fall.
“This isn’t mine!” He called after the retreating snake.
“It is now.” Flint shouted back before disappearing around the corner, leaving Harry alone in the corridor holding the mysterious box.
Harry huffed, annoyed but stuffed the box into his bag. He would look at it later, he had planned to do his homework in the library while his friends were in Hogsmeade that way he could hang out with them when they returned without it hanging over his head.
Sat in the Library, his potion’s essay half complete, Harry pulled out the mysterious Snowflake box. It was about the same size as his textbook but half as thick. It kind of looked like a box of chocolates, something that Harry wouldn’t have dropped and seeing as there had been no one else in the corridor before Flint came along, it was kind of obvious that the box was from the Slytherin Captain, although why he would want to give a box of chocolate to Harry, he did not know. With a shrug to himself he opened the box and had his suspicions confirmed that it did contain chocolates. It held three rows of six chocolate snow flakes, one row was milk chocolate, another was white chocolate and the last was dark chocolate or at least that was what the small card on top of the chocolates claimed.
Snowflake Chocolates
Perfect for those who need a helping hand with making friends.
Did this mean that Flint wanted to be Harry’s friend? He stared bewildered at the little card. Like magical portraits, the card had moving snowflakes. It was rather pretty. Did he want to accept this though? Flint was a Slytherin, was on an opposing team for Quidditch and well, he was a bit of brute too. It was, however the first time someone had bought him chocolates and that made Harry really tempted to accept them.
“It would be a waste to throw them away.” He mumbled to himself before giving in and picking up one of the white chocolate snowflakes. He took a bite and his eyes lit up at the taste. It was sweet but not overly so like white chocolate tended to be. It melted in his mouth much like a real snowflake and he found himself relaxing into his chair as he enjoyed it. Flint really had good taste in chocolates. He quickly finished the rest of that snowflake and allowed himself one more before he put them away. They were too good to eat them all at once. He would have to thank Flint...no, Marcus, he should call him Marcus. He would have to thank Marcus for the chocolates. In fact, he should go find Marcus right now to thank him, it would be rude to keep his friend waiting after all.
With that decided, Harry packed up his things and pulled out the Marauder’s map to see where his friend Marcus was currently at. He made a mental note to thank the twins again for gifting him the map as it would help him find his friend more easily. He spied Marcus’ name in heading towards the Great Hall, so he quickly cleared the map and put it away before leaving the library. He wanted to catch his friend before he reached the Great Hall.
“Marcus!” He called as he saw his friend. His friend paused at the shout of his name and looked at Harry confused. He wondered why his friend was confused to see him, maybe he hadn’t expected to see Harry yet?
“Potter?” He raised an dark eyebrow at him as Harry stopped directly in front of the taller student. He was almost twice the size of Harry and Harry was impressed by his friend’s height.
“Thank you for the chocolates.” He told him earnestly. “I haven’t eaten them all yet, as they’re too nice to eat in one sitting.”
Marcus grunted in response.
“And the note said that they help make friends, but of course we’re already friends!” Harry continued. “We have so much in common, we both love quidditch after all.”
“Potter, are you alright?” Marcus frowned at how energetic and well friendly the little Gryffindor was being.
“Of course I am,” Harry tilted his head confused. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’re acting awfully friendly with me.”
“Well, we are friends.”
“Can I have a look at those chocolates again?” Marcus asked to Harry’s surprise.
“Sure.” He pulled out the box. He didn’t want to share them, not really but Marcus was his friend and friends share things so he held the box out.
To Harry’s confusion Marcus didn’t pull out a chocolate but the little card. He watched as his friend turned the card over and read something on the back. Harry couldn’t remember there being anything written on the reverse of the card but Marcus had better eyesight than Harry and probably saw something that Harry didn’t.
“We need to see Snape.” Marcus growled.
“Okay.” Harry didn’t like Snape but if his friend said that they needed to go see him then he would go see him.
Harry followed after his friend as they headed down into the dungeons and towards Snape’s office. His friend was so great, he knew the fastest way to get to the office without being seen! He would have to ask him later if he knew any other short cuts through the school and show him the map that the twins gave him, he bet that he would be really interested in it. It would make his friend happy and that was important.
Marcus was so cool, he went straight into Snape’s office without knocking, how brave was that? He didn’t think anyone in Gryffindor would be brave enough to do that. His friend was so awesome.
“Mr Flint.” Snape’s cold voice greeted them. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I think I poisoned Potter.” He handed over Harry’s box of chocolate.
“But you gave that to me.” Harry complained. Why was his friend giving away his gift? Maybe he had a good reason but Harry felt kind of hurt, that was the first gift that Marcus had given him.
“I’ll get you something else.” Marcus promised and that calmed Harry. He knew it, there must be something wrong with the chocolates, that must be why they went to Snape, though they could have gone to the Hospital Wing. Maybe Marcus felt more comfortable going to his head of house for help?
“’Warning, includes Gregory’s Unctuous Unction.” Snape read aloud before he sighed heavily. “Potter how many did you eat?”
“Only two.” He held up two fingers to be extra helpful. “They were too nice to eat in one sitting.”
“Well that’s something at least.” He heard Snape mutter but didn’t really pay him any mind, he wanted the box back. Even if Marcus said he would get him something else, this was the first gift that he had given him, he didn’t want Snape to have it even if there was an unction or whatever in it.
“What does the Unction thing do?” Marcus demanded gruffly, pulling Harry back to his side as the Gryffindor tried to reach for the box. Harry clung onto his friend’s arm. If he couldn’t have the box back then maybe Marcus would comfort him for the loss.
“It is similar to Amortentia but instead of making the person, in this case Potter, fall in love with you it induces strong friendship. You are, in his mind, his best friend.” Snape explained.
“He treats all of his friends like this?” He gestured to where Harry was practically clinging to him.
“It does have the effect of exaggerating their emotions towards said best friend.” Snape’s lips twitched in amusement of the short third year clinging to his seventh year. “It makes the drinker believe that their friendship with the potioner the most important thing in their tiny little minds.”
“Please tell me you have an antidote.” Marcus all but begged.
“Don’t you want to be my friend?” Harry asked feeling confused. Didn’t Marcus give him the chocolates so Harry would be his friend? If so then why was he trying to fix it?
“There is indeed an antidote.” Snape turned, his robe billowing behind him as he headed to his personal potion cabinet. “Get him to drink this.” He held out a blue vial.
“Drink it.” Marcus ordered Harry bluntly.
Harry eyed the vial with a frown. He didn’t want to drink it, he didn’t want to stop being friends, best friends, with Marcus. “Promise that you’ll still be my friend afterwards.” He demanded.
“If you still want to afterwards, sure.”
Maybe Harry should have been suspicious to why his friend agreed so easily but why would he be? Marcus was his friend, even if he wasn’t dopped up on a potion, surely they would be friends anyway.
Harry drank the antidote.
The morning after the next Hogsmeade weekend brought with it a delivery that Harry hadn’t expected. He accepted the package from the owl, giving the create a piece of bacon in thanks for its hard work.
“What’s that?” Ron asked around a mouthful of toast.
“Not sure.” Harry frowned. He opened the letter that was attached to the package first.
Potter,
I promise that these ones aren’t potioned.
Marcus.
Harry felt his ears turn red at the reminder of what happened the last time he had accepted chocolates from Marcus Flint. Sure nothing terrible happened, in fact as soon as the older student realised that there was something wrong with him, he got him help. That was rather decent of him and honestly made Harry dislike him a lot less. And he had found himself watching Marcus more; watched how he helped the first year Slytherins; watched how he seemed to prefer savoury foods to sweet; watched how much he trained for Quidditch even outside of official training times and he watched how Marcus watched him back. Sure, Marcus wasn’t the most attractive of boys but Harry had never cared about looks. He cared about how people acted and Marcus had shown that he was secretly a softy. Harry quickly developed a crush on the older student.
“So who’s it from?” Ron asked bringing Harry’s attention back to where he was. He was very much aware of the piercing gaze of Marcus as he opened the package. It revealed, unsurprisingly, a box of chocolate.
“A friend.” Harry smiled to himself and helped himself to a dark chocolate snowflake. It was bitter but smooth and more importantly wasn’t potioned. “I’ll meet you in Transfiguration.” He told Ron before standing from the table, the box of chocolates and the note clutched in his hands.
Harry ducked into an empty classroom not far from the Great Hall, very much aware that he was being followed.
“Potter.” The tall Quidditch Captain stepped into the room.
“Flint.” Nodded at him. “Thank you for the chocolates.”
“I promise that they aren’t poisoned.” He grunted.
“I know.” Harry bit his lip and wondered if the original potion hadn’t been cured but had mutated because Friendship wasn’t what he was feeling at this moment. “I like them.” He stepped closer to the Marcus, he would always be Marcus in his head.
“Good.”
They stood in silence for a moment before Harry caught sight of something over their heads. He looked up at the ceiling and his breath caught. It was one of those jinxed Mistletoes that the Twins had charmed all over the castle. Basically whoever stood under one, were stuck there until they kissed. He felt his face flush.
“What you looking at?” Marcus frowned and then looked up. Harry watched as the Slytherin’s ears and neck turned red as he realised that they were stuck. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Harry saw that Marcus’ hand twitched, whether he was going to reach for his wand to dispel the prank or not, he would never find out because Harry gathered his Gryffindor courage and pulled Marcus down by his tie so he could reach his face and soundly kissed him.
It was just a simple brush of warm lips against warm lips, but Harry was pretty sure that it was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. He didn’t linger though, he let go of Marcus’ tie and stepped back.
The Slytherin was frozen in shock.
“You kissed me.” Marcus finally managed to say.
“I’ll take responsibility.” Harry quickly said. It was something he had heard from one of his Aunt’s programs that she watched after Uncle Vernon had gone to bed and he didn’t really know why he said it but it felt right.
“Do you even know what that means?” Marcus asked bemused, a slight smile on his face.
“Uh…”
“It means.” Marcus pulled Harry closer, leaning down so that his lips were by his ear. “It means that you have to marry me when you become of age.” He straightened up so that he could see the look on Harry’s face and was surprised by the determination he was showing.
“Then I will definitely take responsibility.” Was Harry mad for agreeing to marry Marcus when he was thirteen? Sure they wouldn’t actually get married for at least another four years but it was odd right? And yet, he didn’t want anyone else to get to kiss his soft lips, to experience his hot breath on against his ears…
“Alright then.” Marcus nodded. “I’ll have my father contact our lawyers to draw up a betrothal contract for us.”
“My aunt will never sign it.” Harry frowned. It sounded like something a guardian would have to give permission for.
“She doesn’t need to.” Marcus reassured him. “You are the last of your line, you can sign your own contracts.”
“Okay then.”
“Okay.” They stood awkwardly for a moment before Marcus cleared his throat. “I’ll go write that letter.” He paused and then stooped down to press a quick kiss to Harry’s forehead. “Be good and don’t accept food from stranger people.”
“Maybe you should have warned me before I accepted some from you.” Harry teased back.
Marcus just laughed, pressed another kiss to Harry’s forehead before leaving the room.
Alone, Harry pressed his fingers to his lips to hold in his happy squeal. He had his first kiss and hadn’t been rejected!
Neither Harry nor Marcus could keep a smile off their faces for the rest of the day.