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An excited chatter filled the dark room as someone opened the window, letting the cold, winter wind enter the hallway and reach the foot of the staircase. The draught was unstoppable, unforgiving, as it blew out, one by one, every candle placed on the steps. Every candle but two. Two twin flames were still burning opposite to each other.
Someone closed the window; someone else cried “Lumos!” and the giant chandelier began to sparkle once again, bringing to life a group of curious faces. Everybody was curious to know whose wish would come true.
“My candle didn’t make it,” sighed Neville, “guess it’s not my lucky day.”
“Told you ‘t was all rubbish, of course a candle can’t survive the wind,” Ron said matter-of-factly.
“Just ‘cause your candle blew out, Weasley, that doesn’t mean this whole tradition is rubbish,” Draco said from his corner, arms crossed over his chest.
“And of course your candle is still burning,” replied Ron with an eye roll.
“As a matter of fact, Weasley, it is.”
“Oh, Draco, that’s really lucky!” cried Luna. “What did you wish for?”
“That’s private, thank you very much.”
“Draco, dear, be nice to our guests,” came Narcissa’s voice from the next room. Draco grimaced, but bit his tongue when Weasley sniggered.
“Well,” Hermione cleared her voice, “there’s still one mystery to solve. Who lit the other candle?” She scanned the room, looking for the culprit, and her eyes fell on Harry. “Harry? You seem a bit quiet today.”
Harry shrugged. “I’m trying to solve the mystery, just like all of you.”
But there was no mystery to solve at all, for Draco distinctly remembered Potter placing his candle right opposite his own. Why didn’t Potter just admit his candle was still burning? That was interesting.
Just then Narcissa barged into the room. “Dinner is served,” she announced, throwing a quick glance at the staircase. “But there are two candles left! Why, that’s very curious.”
Draco felt his face burn. “Mother, it doesn’t matter. We’d better go, or dinner will get cold.”
“What’s so interesting about it, Mrs Malfoy?” interrupted Hermione.
“Nothing,” Draco replied coldly, but his mother smiled politely and continued. “When there are two candles left, that means two people wished for the exact same thing. It generally happens when those two people are in love.”
Everybody was throwing curious glances at Draco. He felt so stupid now for announcing his candle was still burning.
“I think it’s time for this particular wish to come true. It’s been years!” Luna said enigmatically, and Draco didn’t know if he wanted to strangle her or hug her more.
“I agree with you, dear,” Narcissa smiled. “Now let’s eat and see how things evolve.”
Draco kept his eyes on his plate throughout all dinner. He occasionally stole a glance at Potter, who looked as panicked and uneasy as Draco did. This was an old pureblood tradition, and Draco had spent many a Christmas wishing for the same thing, which presently never came true. Now it could potentially come true, and yet he was terrified. So terrified he just wanted to run to his room and hide there for the rest of the night, until the guests went away.
Before he could blink, dinner was over, and he excused himself to the restroom, only realising he was being followed when someone locked the door behind them. Draco turned around just to find himself face to face with Potter. “What are you-”
“So,” Potter started, green eyes glinting. “I didn’t think we wanted the same thing.”
“D-don’t know what you’re talking about,” Draco stuttered.
Potter smiled devilishly. “Didn’t take you for the romantic type, Malfoy.”
“Let me go,” Draco said breathlessly.
“Not until we sort this out. Why don’t you just admit it?”
“A-admit what?”
Potter stepped closer, way too close for Draco’s sanity to remain intact. “That you want me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Potter, I don’t want-mphh!”
Potter captured his lips in his own before Draco could finish the sentence, and every coherent thought fled from Draco’s mind. He’d waited for so long, years of pining and moping, and now this idiot thought he could just kiss him like nothing ever happened?
“You were saying?” Potter whispered in his ear after another burning, passionate kiss.
“I really hate you,” Draco breathed.
“I can see that. You must hate me a great deal to kiss me so fiercely.”
“Oh, I hate you more than anyone else, rest assured.”
Potter kissed him again, and Draco’s knees buckled. “I’m pretty sure everybody knows what’s happening here right this moment.”
Draco chuckled. “I don’t think I care about that anymore.”
“Mmm, me neither.”
“Stay here tonight,” Draco panted in Harry’s ear. “I have a big, comfy bed…”
“You don’t even have to ask.”
***
“Merlin, they’re taking a really long time,” Neville commented, sipping on another glass of champagne.
“I don’t think I want to know,” said Ron, his face a sickly shade of green. “Hermione, please tell me you knew nothing about this.”
“Well, I had my suspicions, I must admit. They’ve always been rather obsessed with each other, really.”
“They were so full of Nargles it was impossible to miss,” Luna exclaimed airily, looking outside the window. No one found anything to reply to that.
Later, when Harry and Draco came back, rather flushed and dishevelled, no one dared ask a single question.