Fic: Grand Noble

[mini_fest_mod]

Title: Grand Noble
Author: celestlyn
Rating: R
Characters: Harry/Draco
Prompt(s): H/D Shopping for a tree
Warnings: Explicit m/m sex
Summary: With the relationship still new and Yule approaching, Harry and Draco go shopping. Things do not go according to plan and as they confront their cultural differences, they come together in some surprising ways and learn some things along the way.
Word Count: 3690
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.


Grand Noble

"Come on, Draco! You don't need to dress up to go cut a tree." Harry rolled his eyes impatiently; anxious to be on their way.

Draco looked at him with surprise and annoyance. "No! We are not cutting a tree," he stated, flatly refusing to consider it.

Harry looked at him with a hurt look, "But you said...."

"I said we could go 'get' a tree, not trudge through the woods in the snow, hack down a tree and drag the dirty thing home." Draco couldn't imagine why Harry would want to do that. But then, there were many things he didn't understand about Harry. It would be so much simpler to just let one of the house elves from the Manor take care of it. They'd argued about it last night and he'd finally given in and consented to go pick out a tree with Harry. It was their first Yule together and it seemed important to him, so he'd relented. They would go to Diagon Alley or maybe into London, pick out a tree and have it sent to their flat. What could be simpler than that? There were places that sold beautifully decorated ones. The Manor always had the most exquisite Yule trees.

Harry looked crest-fallen; like he'd just lost his best-friend. "I thought we settled this last night when you agreed to go with me today to get a tree. Where did you think we were going to get one?"

"I thought we'd just go buy a nicely decorated tree from a specialty store in London. It'll be easy to just pick out one we both like and have it delivered to the flat. Then we can spend the afternoon shopping and maybe go have a nice dinner somewhere." He hated to disappoint Harry and hoped the shopping and dinner would be enough to make up for their row last night.

"No, Draco! You want to go to some ridiculously expensive store and buy a ridiculously overpriced tree, that's decorated with a bunch of ridiculous ornaments that someone else has put on it, then have someone deliver it, so you can go to more ridiculously expensive stores and purchase more ridiculously expensive clothes, that you don't need!" Harry's disappointment had been replaced with a righteous indignation.

Draco flinched in surprise at the vehemence in Harry's rant and raised his hands in that universal, 'hands-off' signal; he was at a loss. He had no idea why this was so upsetting to Harry. They had always done things that way at the Manor and he had no idea how else to do them. Surely, most wizards didn't cut their trees in the forest, like Hagrid did. Harry was angry and yelling personal insults at him and he had no idea why. Well, he really didn't know, for sure, where the beautiful trees at the Manor came from. He assumed that they been bought already decorated with the crystal icicles, silver garlands and fairy lights, but perhaps the house elves did it. Either way, they always seemed to appear at the Manor just before their annual holiday party. He tried to think of a way to make things right. He really didn't want to argue, although the make-up sex was always so incredible after a good fight. He knew that Harry had been raised by those horrible Muggles, who never bought him anything nice for Yule. At Hogwarts, Harry had always spent the hols at the castle or with the Weasley clan. Draco understood that it meant a lot to Harry to be included in the family's meager, but enjoyable celebrations. He was determined that he would lavish all sorts of attention on Harry this year. So if he had to do things a bit differently, that would be fine. Perhaps he could negotiate a bit.

He reached out and pulled Harry to him. Leaning in, he touched his forehead to Harry's and wrapped his arms around his waist. "I'll tell you what. Why don't we compromise? We can go to one of those corner tree lots and find a lovely tree that will be perfect in our flat. Then we'll spend the day decorating and have mad, passionate sex in front of the tree all evening. Hm? Sound good? Just... please don't make me go into the woods and cut one, Harry. I still have nightmares about that awful time at Hogwarts when we were forced to go deep into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. It was terrifying and I was chased by all sorts of horrible things. I don't ever want repeat that."

Harry snorted and rolled his eyes again. He felt a bit guilty about his outburst, but he could see that Draco was trying, so he agreed, reluctantly. "Ok, I'll accept your compromise, but if memory serves, I was the one being chased by horrible things in the forest."

"No, I distinctly remember a snarling, drooling, vicious creature chasing me, Harry."

"Draco, that was Fang, you ponce!"

"Oh, well whatever! Let's just go find our tree, so I can come home and have my wicked way with you, " he thrust his groin into Harry's, suggestively. "You will owe me after I do all of this manual labor."

"Yeah, okay, Draco." Harry finally smiled. "Since you are making such a big sacrifice, I'll let you do whatever you want to me later."

Draco's eyes widened and he released Harry. "Ok, let's make this quick then."

_________________


By noon, they had been to four tree lots and they hadn't found one 'acceptable' tree. Harry, obviously thought they were all beautiful, but as this was their first Solstice together, he'd easily deferred to Draco's more discriminating taste.

They'd been haggling with a rather disagreeable man and Draco longed to get this over with. Looking sternly at the salesman, he put on his haughty, Malfoy mask and made his request. "Sir, I'm sure these are lovely trees and all, but we wish to purchase something with a bit more...style. Could you show us your more...'stately' trees? Spare no expense, we want a tree fit for the Queen."

The salesman looked annoyed and shuffled his feet on the ground. "Young man, these are all that we have. Surely, you don't think the Queen gets her trees on the corner lot. However, these are fine trees. They come from the best tree farms in the country."

Harry's head snapped up and his eyes widened. Draco looked incredulous. "Did you say, 'tree farms', sir?" Draco asked with more than a little interest. He had no idea such things existed.

"You didn't think that I went into the woods and cut all of these myself, did you?" the impatient man asked. He obviously knew he would not be making a sale this time.

"Of course not!" Draco snapped, not anxious for the condescending salesman to know that it was exactly what he thought. As Harry shoved his hands into his pockets, looking slightly embarrassed, Draco took another approach.

"Sir, if you would be kind enough to say where we might find one of these...tree farms, we'll be on our way." His voice dripped with politeness and a false respect. It seemed to do the trick, because a few minutes later they had apparated to a tiny hamlet in East Sussex, far from the crowded beaches.

-------------------------

They arrived at the apparition point and looked around. The little village was picturesque with rolling green hills surrounding it, covered with a dusting of snow. Within minutes, they had secured directions to the local Christmas tree farm and set off down the road. When it was safe to do so, they would apparate nearer to their destination.

Harry reached over and took Draco's hand. "Thanks for doing this," he said as he pulled him closer, walking shoulder to shoulder along the roadside. A light snow had begun to fall and he was glad they had brought warm coats and gloves. "That salesman was a bit of a git, but he told us about the tree farms. I've never seen where they come from, have you?"

"I have never wondered where they come from," Draco shook his head. "We left details like that to the house elves. Or at least, I think they did." They walked quietly for awhile, each in his own thoughts. Draco had known when they began dating that there would be many uncomfortable moments as they confronted their cultural differences. He had grown far beyond the ignorant thoughts he used to harbor regarding Muggles; the reality of Voldemort had seen to that, but he couldn't turn his back on his whole wizard heritage.

The silence was broken when Draco asked, "Did you know that the Yule tree is a relatively modern tradition? Druid wizards placed evergreens over the doors to ward off evil spirits. The Solstice marked the longest night of the year and dark forces were at their strongest. Fresh greens were symbolic of life and mistletoe, along with holly, represented eternal life, so placing them over the doors kept them safe through the darkest nights of the year. It wasn't until the late middle-ages that wizards began using evergreen trees and decorating them with symbolic tokens and Muggles began putting lit candles in the trees."

Harry stared at Draco in wonder and shook his head.

"What!?" Draco asked. "You don't believe me?"

"It isn't that," Harry laughed. "I thought you said you didn't know anything about Yule trees."

"I didn't say that," Draco was slightly annoyed at the perceived insult. "What I said was that I didn't have anything to do with the acquisition and decoration of the trees at the Manor. I never said I didn't know the historical background of said trees. Honestly, Potter, you have no idea of the importance Purebloods place on traditional values and keeping those traditions alive in the Wizarding world. If we don't, we lose our whole history and lose sight of who and what we are."

Harry shot him a warning look. He didn't wish to argue with Draco about silly pure-blood philosophy. They had finally reached a truce on the whole subject of pureblood vs mixed-blood wizardry. It was a fragile truce, though, and he had no wish to bring it into their conversation.

Draco sighed again as he realized what Harry was thinking. "Not Purebloods, Harry! I didn't mean lose sight of Pureblood tradition, although I don't want to do that, either. I meant Wizarding culture, in general. It's very important not to lose sight of our wizard roots. You have to agree on that, right?"

"I guess so, but it's still hard for me to think in terms of wizarding roots, Draco," Harry insisted. "Remember, I was raised as a Muggle and I didn't even know wizards existed until I was eleven. All I was ever taught was Muggle traditions."

Draco snorted and started to say something rude about Muggle traditions, but then he thought better of it and tightened his grip on Harry's hand. His attention was shifted to a sign pointing to the tree farm a short way ahead and it was time to apparate again.

The tree farm looked nothing like any farm they had ever seen, but Draco had to admit that he had seen very few farms in his life. It looked more like a small forest, which certainly didn't go unnoticed. But then, he supposed a bunch of trees grown together could hardly look like anything else. In any event, the whole scene was beautiful; small, rolling hills, covered in a thin layer of snow. It suddenly seemed a lot more like Yule, with the crisp, cold air and the snow falling. He looked over at Harry and got a warm feeling in his gut. He looked adorable; his messy hair all covered with snowflakes and his nose all red from the chill. But he looked happy and that made Draco happy. Harry had not always had a happy life and his Hogwarts years, while surrounded by friends, had been filled with the horrors of Voldemort. In the months since the Dark Lord's demise, Harry had relaxed and was learning to enjoy his new life. While it was not without some pain and guilt, it was comforting and their relationship was a constant that Draco did not want to give up.

They approached a wooden shack and a smiling man came out to greet them. He was friendly and easygoing and had the ruddy look of someone who made his living out of doors.

"Can I help you find what you're looking for? I'm assuming you want to cut a tree?" the man asked, then seeing both boys nod, he looked around. "Prices are the best around and we have most all species of trees you might want for your holiday needs. What kind of tree do you want?"

Harry looked a little confused, "I don't know! I didn't realize they came in different kinds. They all looked the same to me. We always had big tall ones at school, but I guess we'll have to get a smaller one for the flat."

Draco smiled indulgently, then spoke with that Malfoy confidence again. "We must have a Grand Noble Fir, Sir. Two meters in height."

Harry's head whipped around in surprise and he looked at Draco silently mouthing, "Grand Noble Fir?"

"Absolutely! The Malfoy's never put up anything but a Grand Noble," came the audible response.

"Of course they don't," it was Harry's turn to smile indulgently. Sometimes he got fed up with Draco's arrogance and his know-it-all attitude, but he knew it wasn't done to belittle him. It was just the way he was. He had never been beaten down and called a freak the way Harry had. He often wished he had a little of that proud confidence. Try as he might to change, he always felt a bit like an imposter; like the world would discover that he really wasn't a wizard, after all. Or worse, that there was no Wizarding world. It was times like this that he loved Draco most; when he was being utterly and completely himself. He reached over and took his hand again.

"Then show us your Grand Noble Fir trees, Sir," Harry confirmed.

The man pulled a folded map from his pocket and handed it to them. "You can see that the different sections are color-coded for the species of tree. Just look on the list and you will see that the Grand Noble Firs are in the purple section. If you follow the path up that way, about half a kilometer, you will see that the Grand Nobles have a ring of purple painted around the base of the trunk. Just cut above that ring and bring it back. I'll measure and clean it up for you. The hand-saws are hanging along that wall over there. You have the place to yourselves today. Mid-week sales are slow and I don't expect to see a crowd until the weekend."

Both boys looked at each other and then back at the saws hanging on the wall. There was nothing for it. They'd have to take a saw along, even though they both knew they would have no use for it. But seeing as how it was a Muggle establishment, they would have to go along with the idea.

They slowly made their way up the trail to where they began to see the purple painted rings on the trunks of the trees. Harry looked at the rows and rows of trees and he was struck by how regal and truly beautiful they were. Draco was right, they were perfect. All they had to do now was find the right one.

They walked up and down the lines of trees, going deeper and deeper into the miniature 'forest'. Snow continued to fall lightly and it looked like a fairyland to Harry. His hand felt warm in Draco's and he wanted to hug him and tell him how happy he was that he had let him have his way. He really wanted this to be a special day for them and Draco knew that. Harry wanted it to be special for Draco, too.

Stopping abruptly, Harry pulled Draco toward him, drawing him in and enveloping him in a strong embrace. He reached up and cupped his face, bringing their lips into alignment. Cold lips met cold lips and warm breath fogged Harry's glasses. His lips parted, inviting Draco in and his tongue slid slowly across Harry's mouth. He tightened his grip on the Slytherin and was rewarded with a heated moan. Draco's body pressed tightly against him and he answered with a quick thrust into his groin. Draco's hands dropped to cup his arse and held him tightly against him. Harry's hands fumbled with the buttons on the front of Draco's coat and it wasn't long before he slid his fingers up under the brown jumper and fingered a pair of erect nipples. He wanted to lick them and gave a frustrated sound as he threw his head back, exposing his neck to his lover. Wet kisses, licking and biting had him gasping for breath. Harry tore at the other man's trouser zip and upon opening it, thrust his cold hand inside, gripping the erect cock and tugging slightly as a loud groan burst from Draco's throat.

"Merlin,Harry!" he gasped, "We need to go home now!"

"Can't..." Harry was almost incoherent with desire. "Can't wait. Need you. Now!"

That was enough for Draco. Public sex wasn't a kink of his, but he could do this. He was a wizard, after all. He glanced around and came to a decision. The tall fir next to them was thick with branches clear to the ground, but he drew his wand and with a few well placed cutting charms, removed the lower branches. As they dropped to the ground, Harry ducked under the canopy of the tree, grateful for the shelter. He leaned against the narrow, bumpy tree trunk and fought for breath. Draco's mouth was on him again in an instant, but he shook his head in frustration, pushing him away, yet crying out at the loss of him. He tore open his trousers and dropped them to the ground along with his pants. Stepping free of both, he nodded to Draco, who quickly cast notice-me-not and lightening charms on Harry. Then he reached for him and scooped him up, lifting him and bracing him against the tree trunk. Harry clamped his legs around Draco's hips and reached up, grasping a limb with both hands, taking some of the awkward weight from the other man, allowing him to free his cock and position himself at Harry's entrance.

Suddenly, Draco stopped and looked up at Harry in panic. "No lube," he cried in frustration.

At that moment, Harry didn't care. All he wanted was to feel Draco inside him, filling him with everything that he was. He wanted to proceed without the lube, but he knew he would be sorry later, if he did.

"Snow," he gasped, "do it now."

Draco had never seen Harry so needy and desperate for him and he quickly reached up and took a handful of snow in his hand. Harry's legs tightened around his waist and he held his breath as Draco's fingers spread his cheeks and sought his opening. Harry gasped audibly as the snow was pushed inside, along with a little pre-cum from both of their cocks. It wasn't much, but it was enough as Draco's fingers probed into the tight anus. He stretched and opened him as carefully as he could and then repositioned himself at his entrance, pushing the head slowly inside. Harry hissed at the brief discomfort; the cold making it hard to relax. Harry lifted and canted his hips slightly and then lowered himself slowly until Draco was fully buried inside him. Mouths and tongues sought one another again and Harry sucked desperately on Draco's tongue, as he waited to relax. He didn't have to wait long.

A few moments later, Draco was moving inside him, pulling almost out and then sliding gently back until he was completely inside his lover. A few long, slow thrusts had both of them gasping and straining for more and he set an easy rhythm. Harry let go of the branch with one hand and reached between them, stroking his own cock in the same motion. It wasn't long before Draco stiffened and Harry could feel the pulsating spasms of the man's orgasm and he followed shortly behind, coming in spurts across their bellies and onto the snow-dusted ground below. Draco watched Harry and drank in the sight of his completely debauched state. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen and he wanted nothing more than to apparate them straight home and into bed.

"Gods, Draco!" Harry breathed as he let go of he branch and collapsed against him.

"Overwhelmed by my incomparable skill and brilliance, Potter?" Draco feigned arrogance.

"Completely!" Harry was sure that this had been one of Draco's most brilliant moments.

Quickly pulling themselves together, neither could think of anything but spending the rest of the day pleasuring each other in every way possible. Draco finished cutting the tree down with another spell and cast a lightening charm on it. Hoping he would not have to explain the missing branches, he lifted the trunk and they set off back the way they had come. After paying and returning the saw, they hurried back down the road, waiting for the first opportunity to duck into the shadows and apparate home with their prize.

The Grand Noble Fir would be the perfect tree for their first Yule together and Draco conceded that it held more meaning and memories for them than any store bought tree would have done.

"Uh..., Draco?"

"Hmmm?" Draco was still a bit lost in the afterglow.

"Can we just skip the decorating today and maybe go straight to the mad, passionate sex part?"

Draco grabbed him and they apparated on the spot.

FIN