Author's Note: I am not J.K.R. I don't own these characters; blah blah blah…
Also I am still working on Chapter Three of Unknown Allies – have no fear I should be able to post it in the next week! This is just a one-shot that I couldn't stop thinking about on the way home from work! Enjoy.
Harry tumbled down from the luggage rack still covered in his invisibility cloak. Draco chuckled as Harry scrambled to his feet. "What the fuck, Draco?" Draco just winked, "did you think I didn't know you were there, Harry?" Harry looked at his feet, "how did you figure it out anyways?" Draco smirked at his boyfriend, "You smell like you." Harry grinned… "Stalker much, Malfoy?" Draco frowned at the use of his last name, and Harry just gave him a small smile, "You know that we can't slip up, this year of all years." A cloud of gloom took over the couple and Draco nodded. "You're right Vol-The Dark Lord wouldn't hesitate, I have no family protection, even among the Death Eater's my name is mud." Harry smiled grimly, "Well, I have the first cover already planned for you." Draco looked up, intrigued. "What's that?" Harry just smiled and casted a spell over himself, Draco looking confused questions Harry… "Why did you just numb your face?" Harry sighs, lies on the floor and looks up at Draco, "Break my nose." Draco stutters… "y-y-ou can't be serious! That's crazy!" Harry just shrugs, "You've got to have a cover Draco, we've been on the train for too long already and this is a great one." Draco sneers, "Alright Potter, you asked for it…"
With a sickening crunch, Draco steps into Harry's nose, the feeling makes him sick, but the nessicity of the situation is perfectly clear when he steps out of the compartment. All his friends are looking at him quizzically. He gives them a curt nod and sweeps off towards the waiting carriages, on his way by Tonks, he mummers "Compartment 5" and prays that no one notices the tip-off. As he sits down in the cartiage, he takes a deep breath, and pulls up his sleeve to show his cronies his new "body art." He successfully holds back the shudder that the dark image makes on his pale skin, and schools his features into a scowl. "Youngest Death Eater in history, they'll never see it coming." He doesn't mention that the thing no one will see coming is that fact that he is a spy.
Harry gets to the Great Hall late, and is glad to catch back up with his friends, but he knows that Draco and him need to meet again soon, the summer has been a long one and so much could've happened. Without Draco's father in the picture, Harry isn't sure where Draco stands and needs to know that he is okay, the comment on the train made Harry very nervous. He tries to catch Draco's eye, and then Snape's but to no avail. Finally on the way back to the common room his prayers are answered.
"Potter, Mme. Pomfrey would like to see again regarding your most recent incident. If you would follow me…" Snape's drawl cut through Harry's musings. Ron and Hermione montioned to follow him when Snape snapped out "I'm sure that Harry is quite able to walk on his own, get back to your common room, it wouldn't be good to be out after curfew on your first day back now would it?"
Harry nodded, and quickly followed Snape down the Hall. Once out of hearing distance, he asked "What's going on, what happened this summer…" Snape cut him off, "Potter! Quiet down, my godson will no doubt inform you right now, and I for one hope that you can get it out of him!"
Harry nodded in understanding. Draco could really be quite secretive, especially when he thought that he was protecting his loved ones. Upon entering the infirmary, Harry was relieved to see that it was only him and Draco, Snape left the room and spelled the door closed. Both boys knew that he would wait outside.
Harry tried to pull Draco into his arms, and when Draco resisted, Harry just looked at him. "Dray? Why aren't you looking at me? What's wrong? What happened?" Turning away, Draco tried to avoid Harry's embrace again, but Harry was too fast. Harry yanked up Draco's chin and stared into his eyes, suddenly Draco's bottom lip began to tremble and his eyes filled with unshed tears. Harry tightened his hold. "It's okay Dray, no matter what it is we can get through it… I promise…" Draco shook his head and a single tear fell out of his right eye. Harry kissed it away softly. "Tell me darling…" Draco's body suddenly broke into sobs. Harry could barely understand what Draco was saying, "… hiccup… hiccup, I'm… not… hiccup… a murde…. Hiccup… threatened …. Hiccup, my mom…. Hiccup and it's …. hiccup …. hiccup horrific… I can't …. Hiccup… look at…. hiccup it…"
Harry just held on tight until he relaxed a bit in his arms, he smoothed out his hair and rubbed his back. Finally, Draco had calmed down enough to talk. Harry just held his hands and listened to his boyfriend's hellish summer. At the end of the litany of abuses that had happened, the worst of all was clearly the task that he had to complete this year. Harry shuddered to think about how it would've all played out if Draco didn't have the complete support of the headmaster. He looked Draco in the eyes, "you know that we can get your Mother out, you know that we won't make you kill Dumbledore…" Draco shuddered at the thought… "… but Harry, now I am useless, I can't go back if Dumbledore doesn't die, so I can't be a spy and…"
"Shh Dray, it's going to be fine, we'll figure something out tomorrow. We'll talk to Dumbledore tomorrow and figure out a solution, we're both back safe at Hogwarts, that's what matters…" Harry chuckled darkly and Draco looked him in the eye "What can possibly be fun about this Harry?" With a small smile, Harry replied "I guess this time you win the worst summer award." Draco just hit Harry on the shoulder and turned to tell Snape that they were ready to go back to their dorms. Harry grabbed his arm to pull him back into a final embrace when Draco let out a yelp of pain. Concerned, Harry tried to lift up Draco's sleeve only to be suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong Dray?" asked a concerned Harry, Draco just replied "You know what it looks like already, no need to see mine…" Harry grabbed Draco again and spun him around. "You didn't tell me that he gave you the Mark as well! Draco!" For the second time that night, Draco couldn't meet Harry's eyes, "I tried to tell you earlier, I can't even look at it, it's awful and ugly and…" Harry interrupted Draco with a soft kiss on his lips, "Nothing is ever ugly on you. Is it quite painful still? Can I please see it?" Draco nodded and looked away, Harry slowly lifted up his sleeve to reveal a fresh Dark Mark. Without much thought, he leaned down and kissed it. Draco hissed, startled Harry looked up "Did I hurt you?" "No, actually that felt quite nice, but " a shudder ran down his spine as Harry kissed it again, "stop that Potter, I can't even look at it, can we just stop?" Harry nodded and covered the Mark again, "Now we're even Dray, we've both been marked by him." Harry pointed to his scar, and Draco shook his head. "Hardly even, you never wanted that, and …" Harry put his hand over Draco's mouth, "And you didn't want yours either! Mine shows how much my mother loves me, and yours shows how much you love your mother, you have nothing more to be ashamed of then I do." Draco nodded but still did look Harry in the eye.
They left the hospital wing in silence and Snape walked them towards Gryffindor Tower, as they reached the Fat Lady, Harry turned to say Good Night when he noticed that Draco had held Snape back a bit, walking forward he looked at Harry, "You're wrong, yours does show how much your mother loved you, but mine shows how much I love you." With a quick peck on the lips, Draco turned back and followed his head of house to the dungeons. Harry stood in the hallways dumbly for awhile processing what just happened.
They had never really laid their feelings out like that before and although Harry knew that he loved the other boy he was always a little nervous about how Draco felt about him. It wasn't a matter of trust, or loyalty, it was just pure fear, and now Harry realized that Draco was probably feeling worse than him, Harry had just stared at him… feeling terrible about his reaction, Harry thought about all the ways that he could make it up to Draco, by morning he hit upon a plan.
Their first class that day was double potions with Slytherin's and Harry needed to get a detention, but without Malfoy. This was going to be difficult as they normally got them together as an easy way to spend together or even with Snape. Harry refused to make eye contact with Draco the whole class and could practically feel the hurt radiating off him, but Harry knew that this had to be perfect. He didn't want Draco to think that he was only saying the words without the feeling behind them. Finally in the last 5 minutes of class, Harry misdirected a parchment airplane, making Snape get it in the nose. The class broke out into snickering and Snape glared at Harry. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Draco to see if the signal was up to get them both, but Harry refused to confirm. Snape shrugged and gave Potter the "light" detention of 5 hours of potion sorting later that night. Harry looked angry, but he was relieved that the first part of his plan was complete. Then he messaged to Draco. "Meet me tomorrow before breakfast in Snape's Office. We need to talk" He hoped that the other boy would show even though he was upset.
Later that night, Harry used all of his latent Slytherin abilities to convince Snape to help him with what he needed to get done, although when they got to their destination, Snape almost backed out again. "Merlin, Harry! What are you thinking? You know it won't be the same! I thought you were doing something a little more… traditional…" Harry just looked him in the eyes "He needs to know that we are in this together, the whole way, I know that it's not the same, but I think it's the clearest message." Snape nodded, but still looked skeptical.
When Harry stumbled back into his room later that night everyone was surprised to see the look of happiness on his face. Hermione asked if Snape cut his detention short. Harry said "Actually I have to go back and finish before breakfast tomorrow." Hermione started to question her friend again, but Harry went straight off to bed. Meanwhile Draco was moping in his room. He knew that come morning he would go to Snape's office, but he was trying to convince himself that perhaps this wasn't as bad as Harry's note sounded. Draco knew that they hadn't really put serious labels on their relationship, but e thought that it was fairly obvious that they loved each other. After another hour of pacing, Draco collapsed on his bed to get a fitful night's rest.
Morning light woke Harry and although he was still sore, he didn't regret his decision last night at all. He quickly got ready and headed down to the potion master's office. Once inside, his insides churned a bit, worried that Draco would be so upset from him ignoring him yesterday that he wouldn't show. Finally the doorknob turned and Draco stepped in. Harry rushed over to him and peppered him with kisses. Draco was a little stunned by the action as he was preparing himself for the worst. Harry finally calmed down enough and looked deep into Draco's eyes "I'm sorry love for ignoring you yesterday, but I had to do something to make this perfect, I, Harry James Potter, do love you and although I know you will take me at my word alone, I wanted to show you how much…" Draco's eyes widened as Harry pulled up his own sleeve to show his very own Dark Mark.
Draco gasped. "Harry!" Harry just smiled… "I know it's only a muggle tattoo, but…" he trailed off as Draco's eyes started to well up. Draco just smiled "I think it's brilliant…"
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