Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

A.N - Written for Michy. Harry Birthday Darling, I hope you have a brilliant day, and get everything you wanted. Love you :)

Beta'd by the lovely Lissy Stage. Thank you :P

Memorable

Harry sighed to himself as he sat at the bar, a half empty whiskey tumbler in front of him. Why did life have to be so unfair? His friends were all around him and yet, he had never felt more alone in his life. Things were supposed to be easier now, with no Voldemort. Harry's life was supposed to have been his to do what he wanted with. Did he not deserve some happiness?

Ron and Hermione, perfectly matched and paired up, were happily engaged and planning to buy a house as soon as they'd saved enough money. Seamus and Dean were made for each other and had finally realised it. Even bloody Sirius and Remus were snuggled up in the corner of the bar, too happy to notice that Harry was one drink away from crying.

Draco took the seat next to him, but Harry ignored him.

Since the war ended, Draco had been a solid presence in Harry's life, a dependable friend who always had time to listen, or talk, or even just be there to get pissed with. He didn't judge Harry, and more importantly, to Harry at least, he didn't want anything other than for Harry to be himself and be his friend.

For Draco's part, anything he could do to help Harry was only repayment in everything Harry had done to help him at the end of the war. Draco's life had been a wreck, his Father locked up, his Mother dead. Draco himself had been looking at a long stint in Azkaban before Harry spoke up on his behalf. Draco believed that to be the end of their seemingly called truce, but it was far from over. Harry spent time with him after the trial, helped him sort a flat out, and a job, helped him remember how it felt to laugh and smile, and helped him to cry when he couldn't.

Draco knew he had a lot to pay Harry back for, even though Harry told him to hush every time he said anything of the sort. The only thing he had to offer, and apparently the only thing Harry needed, was to be there for him as a friend, a confident, or just someone to spend time with. Draco had no problem doing that for the rest of his life.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked quietly, gesturing to the barman for a drink.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, still not looking at what he knew would be the caring expression on Draco's face.

"Harry, you can do better than him. Stop pining for him, and start living your life. Seriously, he isn't worth it."

Harry scoffed, downing what was left in his glass.

"Do you think I don't already know that I'll never have him?" he asked, turning to look at Draco. "Do you think it doesn't kill me to see him at the Burrow, or when we go out, or every bloody time I see him for that matter? I know he will never be mine, Draco, but it doesn't stop it from fucking hurting!"

"I know, Harry," Draco said quietly, wrapping a comforting arm around the now shaking shoulders of his best friend. "Come on, you can stay with me."

Harry thought for a moment about refusing, but he knew if he did, he would only be punishing himself. With a weary nod, he allowed Draco to steer him away from the bar, and through the club, sighing into the comfort of his arms when Draco wrapped Harry in a hug Apparate them home to Draco's flat.

The living room was already set up for their arrival, with a horror movie, popcorn, a Stasis Charm keeping it fresh, a plush quilt on the sofa and two large bottles of Harry's favourite Muggle drink, Coca Cola.

"You knew I was going to have a bad night, huh?" Harry asked when he saw everything laid out, amused despite his sour mood.

"I had an inkling. Pizza or Chinese?"

"Whatever you want, Draco, I'm not fussed."

"Chinese, it is."

"I don't deserve you, you know," Harry mumbled as he flopped onto the sofa, pulling the quilt around him. "You're far too good to me."

"I know. And, even if you don't deserve it, I'm going to help you get your groove back."

"How?"

"I'm going to help you get over Charlie Weasley!"

xxxx

"Draco, this really isn't a good idea," Harry complained as Draco messed with his hair, trying to subdue it even slightly.

"I told you, a new romance is just what you need to get over him," Draco said, a small smile on his face as he finished Harry's hair, giving him a small nod of approval. "There, you're all ready. Just... Just give it a chance, Harry, alright?"

"For you."

"No. For yourself. You look good, so go have fun. Floo me later?"

"Yeah, soon as I get home. I do appreciate you, you know?"

"I know. Go on, you don't want to be late."

Draco watched as Harry flooed away to meet his first date.

He hoped Harry had fun, he missed his friend. For months, he had been pining over Charlie Weasley. One night, that was all it had taken, and Harry had been hooked to the admittedly good looking Weasley. Charlie had other idea's apparently, and while he had let Harry down gently, he had explained in no uncertain terms that he wasn't looking for a relationship and yes, they had enjoyed a fun night, but that was all it would be. Harry had been inconsolable for weeks after, and while he was now semi-functioning again, Draco still missed the man Harry had been before.

Draco sat in the living room, waiting for the Floo call that surely awaited him, hopefully a happy Harry who had enjoyed a good night out, It was nearing eleven o' clock when the fire flared, but instead of the head in the fire Draco was expecting, Harry walked out of the flames with a strange look on his face. He sat down next to Draco without saying a word, turning to look at him with his head tilted to one side.

"I thought you loved me, Draco?"

"What?" Draco asked with a frown. What kind of a bloody question was that? "How was your date?"

"Justin Finch-Fletchley? Are you serious?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"Aside from him being a perpetually happy man with an irritating laugh, you mean?"

Draco chuckled. "Yeah, apart from that?"

"He thought I set a snake on him in school. He still worships Gilderoy Lockhart. He collects fucking toy trains. Do I really need to go on?"

"Um, no? I'm sorry, Harry. I'll try better next weekend, alright?"

"No. No, no, no. Not again, Draco."

"Harry, it was one date. You can't let that put you off!"

"But -"

"No buts. The next one will be better, alright?"

"Fine. No Hufflepuffs, especially not happy ones."

Draco laughed again, getting up from the sofa and walking to the DVD rack.

"Horror or comedy?"

xxxx

"Are you trying to make me swear off dating forever?" Harry asked as he stepped through the Floo the following week. He held out the bag of Chinese to as he shook off his cloak and hung it up.

"No, why? What happened that was so bad this time?" Draco asked as he grabbed some plates and cutlery from the kitchen.

"Nothing, really. We were having an okay conversation, the company seemed good, you know, a fairly nice first date," Harry said, as he helped dish the food up.

"And?"

"And then the guy asks me how much I'd charge to spend the night with him, what with me being such a good Harry Potter lookalike."

Draco gawped at Harry, his mouth wide open as he stared with disbelief.

"Excuse you? He said what!?"

"Oh it only got better from there out. When I finally convinced him that I am the real Harry Potter, he started crying in the middle of the street, and explained to me through his sobs that he was my biggest fan and would I please, please, do him the honour of marrying him?"

"You're having me on. You've got to be. No one is that whacked out!"

"I'm being one hundred percent honest. And I'm never going on another date again. Ever."

"I'm going to kill Blaise!"

"What does Blaise have to do with anything?"

"I asked him for the names of some of his friends who weren't at Hogwarts with us. I thought it would be a good idea to set you up with someone you didn't spend seven years in school with, you know?"

"Hmm. Turned out well, that, didn't it?"

"I'm sorry, Harry, really, I am. But listen, third time is the charm, and well, if it goes wrong, you can come here and we'll get a take away and watch a movie."

"I'd rather skip the date and stay in with you, Draco," Harry replied, realising as he said them that the words were true.

He also realised that though his dates hadn't gone well, he had enjoyed the time spent here afterwards with Draco. It settled on him that he hadn't thought about Charlie once during the time he had spent with Draco either.

"Harry? You alright? You seemed to disappear then."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm fine, just thinking. What did you say?"

"Let me try once more?"

"Alright. That's the last one, though, okay?"

"Okay. Trust me, the next one will be... memorable. I promise."

"The last two have been memorable, Draco, just not for the right reasons."

xxxx

During the week, Harry almost called the next date off countless times, had tried to think of a million ways out of going. He didn't want to date random people, people he had absolutely no interest in at all.

He saw, though, that Draco had been right. Charlie wasn't worth the time spent angsting over him, time that could be spent having fun with the people he cared about.

The person he cared about.

As the date drew nearer and nearer, Harry came to the conclusion that there was only one person he wanted to go on a date with. There was only one person he wanted to spend the evening with, and all following evenings, come to think of it. Draco sodding Malfoy.

Harry sighed. He was well and truly fucked.

Harry sat at the bar in the Leaky Cauldron, awaiting his date. He had arrived ten minutes early, and was nursing a drink when he felt a familiar presence behind him.

"Did whoever you set me up with decide not to come?" He asked, not turning around.

"Harry?"

Turning in his seat to see Draco standing in front of him, looking strangely nervous, an expression that didn't suit the usually confident man, holding a single red rose.

"I am your date."

"Honestly?" Harry croaked, almost faint with relief and happiness.

"Honestly."

"I don't get it," Harry said, pulling the seat next to him out for Draco to sit down, and taking the proffered rose.

"I needed you to realise that there is more to the world than Charlie Weasley. I also thought that maybe if I offered you some comparisons between time spent with me, and time spent with others, you might realise that you have more fun and more things in common with me than any of them."

"You... Do you like me, Draco? For real?"

"No," Draco mumbled, moving closer to Harry. "I love you, you blind idiot."

The kiss Draco bestowed gently on Harry's lips felt like heaven, and Harry sank into it blissfully.

"Come on," Draco said, offering Harry a hand. "I promised you a memorable date, and Malfoys always deliver on their promises."

Harry took the hand with a small smile. "You already have. Anything else is just a bonus."