Thank You for your reviews! :

TearfullPixie, MaraNekoyasha13, dominygringa, Daddys little crazy bitch.

Author's Note : I'm sorry for the wait, but, this chapter is verrry long, so.. :)

Anyway, enjoy! :)

~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~

Chapter 2 The Truth Reluctantly Comes Out

"Are you comfortable, Malfoy?" Harry asked him nearly an hour later. "Do you need anything?"

"Well," the gorgeous blonde drawled, crossing his slender legs where he was seated on a couch complete with buckles and bolts to hold it's metal-legs to the carpeted-floor of the fairly-large plane.

"Since you asked, a foot-rub would be simply divine."

Harry laughed, grinning as he shook his head at him, speaking unthinkingly with his amusement.

"Oh, Once and Always Prince of Slytherin, surely you do jest with me, for though you could find none in this land more devoted then I to your happiness and well-being, I doubt whether one such as yourself would truly allow me to touch thee."

Malfoy blinked, actually looking perplexed at his rhyme.

"How are you devoted to my happiness and well-being?"

Harry's face turned serious for the first time since he had met him outside the Leaky Cauldron, and he started to slowly back away from him.

"The plane will be taking off soon, so I should go, but I'll come back a bit later to check on you, okay? You should buckle up…"

"You have not yet answered my question, Potter," Malfoy said, unwilling to let it go as he reached up behind himself gracefully to draw down the belt and fasten it over the front of his slender chest with a faint-click.

Harry sighed heavily, taking one of the single-seats directly opposite Draco and buckling himself in with a resigned expression.

"I've changed since the last time that I saw you at Hogwarts the day of the Final Battle, Draco," he began, not even noticing his use of the other man's first name as he was so used to using it in his own mind.

Malfoy, however, did notice, though he did not comment on it.

"I'm no longer the reckless young boy that I once was. I know myself better now; like I wish that I had known myself then. If I could go back, I would fix everything, but I can't. You are my only regret, Draco. I should have taken you're hand that first day in Hogwarts. Hell, I should have done something. Anything. But I failed," he continued, swallowing audibly as his green eyes filled with moisture, trembling with emotion as he looked away.

"I failed, and that one mistake has haunted me since the last time that I saw you. I realized that I loved you too late, and now I'll never know what it feels like to be held by you, to be kissed by you, to sleep in your arms… I'll be alone until the day that I die, because I'll never find anyone that could possibly make my soul fly as just the mere thought of you does… I can't… I can't talk about this anymore," he said, his voice breaking as he shook, struggling to free himself from the seat belt before stumbling over to the bathroom.

"Oh Godric, I'm going to be sick…"

Malfoy blinked, barely hearing the sounds of the other man's distress through the partially closed door as he struggled to come to understand the flood of pain-riddled information.

"Harry?"

Jason Nott's voice came through the speaker-unit on the ceiling of the airplane.

"Is everything alright back there? I need to take off soon, and you were supposed to be up here ten minutes ago."

Malfoy undid his belt, stepping over to the speaker and pressing the button to speak into it.

"Potter is in the bathroom being ill," he said tactfully, restraining himself from making any cruel comments.

"What?" Jason said, his voice sounding concerned. "Can he hear me?"

"Probably."

"Harry? What did we talk about yesterday? I told you that I didn't have to agree to take Malfoy onto your plane. You shouldn't be distressing yourself so, especially in your condition-"

While he had been speaking, Harry stumbled out of the bathroom looking as pale as a ghost, heading for the speaker and cutting off his words quickly.

"Yes, thank you, Jason, I know. It won't happen again. I'll be up in a minute."

"Don't push yourself. I'm sure that Malfoy can afford a few minutes delay."

Harry trembled as he started to walk toward the cockpit, cringing away from Malfoy as he walked past him.

"Potter?" the blonde said, his voice strangely soft. "What did Jason mean, your condition?"

"I don't see how that's any of your concern, Draco. Perhaps if as I wish, we were friends, or possibly more, but it's far too personal to discuss in casual-conversations."

"And… If I said that we could be friends? Or at least try to be?"

"If such an event were to occur, then I might reevaluate my position on the matter."

"Are you dying?"

"No, of course not," Harry gasped as he spun to face him quickly. "Why on earth would you ask such a question?"

"Because you said that you would be alone for the rest of your life, which implies that you think that we don't have enough time to become more then friends, and because if that was the case, I would not want to become your friend and then lose you to death."

"No, I didn't mean…"

Harry sighed, moving over to the speaker-unit and talking into it.

"Jason, take off without me, okay? You can call if you need me, but I really need to talk with Draco."

"Whatever you say, boss."

Draco had already gone back to the couch and strapped himself down, so Harry went back to the chair opposite him and did the same, only starting to speak when the blonde looked at him pointedly.

"I didn't mean that we didn't have time, I meant that you're never going to forgive me for that day twelve years ago, and that I'll never find a lover because I'll never want anyone but you. You're you, Draco, and there's never going to be anyone that could ever replace you in my heart. I'm not dying. I'm not going anywhere, and I'll always love you, whether you ever return that love or not."

"Wow, Potter.. Uh, I mean Harry. I never really took you for the emotional, everlasting-love type."

"I think that both of us can safely agree that neither of us really ever knew the other. I know you. I know the way that you prefer your hair be fixed, I know how to make your tea, but I don't know the really important things. The way that you look in the morning, the way that you would look after a night spent making love, the way that you kiss. Those are the things that I want to know, the things that I want to share with you."

"And if I say that you can have those things? What would you do?"

"I'd have to be sure before I'd tell you my secret, so I'd ask you to kiss me to prove it."

As they had been speaking, they had unconsciously leaned closer to each other, and it would have been all too easy for Harry to reach those soft pink lips.

Instead, he waited with bated-breath, his eyes staring into Draco's beautiful gray ones.

The former Slytherin moved his head forward slowly, cautiously, and their lips finally met in a gentle-kiss.

Harry melted, his eyelashes fluttering closed as he made a soft sound of pleasure in the back of his throat, thankful for the seat-belt that kept him from pouncing the blonde like the sex-starved virgin that he was.

The kiss ended far to soon for Harry's liking, and he was slow to open his eyes, blinking briefly to banish the darkness, the better to see Draco's face.

"Godric, you are so beautiful...," he whispered, blushing at his own words, but he didn't look away from those silver eyes that looked steadily back at him.

He could see that Draco was about to ask him about his secret again, so he moved the few inches that were necessary to kiss him again, parting his lips slightly under his in silent-invitation.

Surprisingly, Draco didn't push him away, even accepting the invitation by sliding his warm tongue between his parted lips and into his mouth.

Harry shuddered, trembling as his hands moved of their own accord to twine themselves into the blonde's long, loose hair in a gentle-caress, stroking its softness as he had longed to do for nearly five long years.

"Mmm," he hummed when the kiss had ended again. "Your hair is just as soft as I'd always imagined that it would be… Perhaps more so."

Draco looked amused at his quiet words, grinning slightly. "Really, Potter? You truly had fantasies about my hair?"

"Have, still currently, but yes. Perhaps more vivid then a good little Gryffindor should have, but then, the Sorting Hat did tell me that I would have done well in Slytherin."

Draco was clearly shocked now, gray eyes wide with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Perfectly."

"Then how did you end up in Gryffindor instead?"

"Another mistake. I asked, actually begged, the hat not to put me in Slytherin. "Anything but Slytherin," I told it. I was a fool. If I hadn't been such a coward, I might have been able to fix my mistake with you, and we could have been together all this time…"

"Perhaps," was all Malfoy said. "Either way, I'm here now. How do the kisses compare to your fantasies?"

"There's no comparison. My vivid, yet feeble, imagination could never live up to the real thing. An angel could not kiss any better then you…"

"Good," Draco said smugly. "Now that that's settled, will you share your secret with me?"

"Alright. I'm-" he began, his voice cut off as the plane lurched in the air violently, automatically reaching for Draco's hand when fear jolted down his spine, making his eyes wide as he looked at him.

The speaker-unit crackled briefly, and Jason's voice came through.

"Harry, Draco, we've got a problem. It looks like someone must have tampered with the tank. I'm sorry about your plane, boss, but I think we should bail. There's nothing I can do. The fuel is gone."

"Yes, go," Harry ordered him, his hand tightening around Malfoy's. "I'll follow with Draco immediately."

The two of them heard a loud-crack through the speaker-unit that was Jason's departure from the plane, obviously deliberate to let them know that he was safely away.

He kept hold of Malfoy's hand, concentrating on the image of his house in his mind.

Nothing happened.

"Anytime would be good, Harry," Draco said, feigning calm.

"I'm trying. It's not working. You try. Take us to your Manor or something."

The blonde nodded, his brow furrowing as he concentrated on a mental-picture of his bedroom.

Nothing happened.

"This isn't good," the Gryffindor said, his suddenly-pale lips trembling, as was the rest of him.

"Alright, if we're going to crash," Draco said, automatically taking charge of the situation since Harry clearly couldn't in his panicked-state.

"Where is the safest place to be on the plane?"

"The bathroom. It's small. Less likely to be damaged."

"Okay."

The former-Slytherin unhooked his own belt, then Harry's, slipping an arm around his waist to keep him close as they stumbled across the floor of the jolting-plane and into the bathroom.

He closed the door behind them, locking it as he lowered Harry to the floor gently, going with him and holding his shaking body near to keep him safe.

"Oh god, Draco…" he actually whimpered against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry…"

"Shhh," he whispered soothingly, his expression soft as he looked at him. "It's alright, love. It'll be okay."

"But what if we die? It'll be my fault…"

"We're not going to die. And even if we do, it will not be your fault. You couldn't have known. If anything it's my fault. I was probably the target. There are many who still judge me for the mistakes that I made as a child."

A tremor traveled through Harry's body, and he clutched at Draco's shoulders with a moan of pure-terror, his green eyes wide and dilated with panic, his lips trembling as he spoke.

"I-I love y-you, Draco."

"I love you, to, Harry," he promised, pressing a kiss to his parted-lips, relieved when the brunette relaxed into his embrace, still mindful of his condition even though he was not yet aware of what it was.

"We'll be okay. We'll get through this. Together."

Harry nodded, moving closer to him, seeming to relax even further in response to that nearness.

The plane was falling faster now, the walls and floor rattling with the force of its descent, and they were silent now, just holding each other close comfortingly.

Suddenly, they heard a loud screeching sound, and Harry looked up, gasping and throwing himself atop Draco, pushing the blonde to the floor as the mirror that had previously been secured to the bathroom-wall above the small sink shattered when it fell on him.

"Harry?" Draco wheezed beneath him as he got his breath back slowly, struggling, but finally managing to sit up.

"Are you alright? Speak to me. Oh god, you are bleeding!"

"What?" Harry asked, his voice squeaking with fear. "Where?"

"Your leg. The glass cut your calf. It looks pretty deep…"

"Oh, thank Merlin," he breathed, looking strangely relieved.

Draco frowned, reaching into one of the drawers and locating a needle and thread, taking his bottomless shoulder-bag that he always carried and starting to empty the contents of all the drawers and cabinets that he could reach without standing into it, but before he could ask Harry about his strange words, the plane finally landed, it's entire structure rattling violently.

He finished quickly; standing up and slinging his bag over his head again so that he wouldn't lose it, helping Harry up as well, wincing when he made a soft-cry of pain as he put weight on his foot.

"Come one, Harry," he said encouragingly, opening the bathroom door after casting a shield over them both for protection, finding the rest of the plane destroyed as he led him through it and out onto a white, sandy beach of whatever island they had landed on, helping him to sit down once they were a safe-distance from the plane's wreckage.

"I'd better try and fix that leg of yours," he continued, kneeling by his side. "It looks serious."

"Alright," Harry agreed, rolling onto his stomach to give him easier access to the wound, unaware that as Draco removed his shoulder –bag and started to roll up the leg of his stiffening, blood-encrusted pants, he was silently checking out his obviously taunt backside in the tight-jeans.

First, Draco pulled out his wand, casting a cleaning-charm on his pants and skin quickly.

Then he took the needle, since he didn't know any healing spells, sanitizing it with a blast of boiling-hot water from his wand, threading it and starting to sew up the deep-cut carefully.

Harry flinched at the first stitch, making a soft, hissing sound at the pain.

"I'm sorry. Do you want some aspirin for the pain? I can conjure water for you to wash them down with."

"No, thank you. I can't take drugs."

"Because of your condition?"

"Yes."

"Will you tell me what it is now?"

"Okay, just… Just don't freak out, please?"

"Alright."

Harry took a deep-breath, letting it out on a soft-sigh.

"I'm pregnant."

Draco paused in his stitching for a moment, glancing up at the back of his head and then starting again when he looked back down at his own moving hands.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant. That's a lot of the reason that I was so afraid. Also for you and me, of course, but when you said that I was bleeding… All that I could think was, "No"," he explained, his breath hitching a little with emotion.

"I… I can't lose this baby, Draco. Before this, before us, it was the only thing that I was living for. The only thing keeping me sane. We've been through so much together, already. If I lost him now… I know that I'd be okay eventually, because you're with me, but it would hurt so badly… There aren't words…"

Draco blinked, his grey eyes filling with moisture at the level of emotion in Harry's soft voice.

He cleared his throat, but it still shook slightly as he spoke.

"I thought that you said that you'd never had a lover…"

"I haven't."

"Then how?…"

"I went to a muggle-clinic so that my visit wouldn't be recorded in the papers like it would if I were to go to St. Mungo's. They preformed the Insemination, and four months later, here we are."

"Four months?" Draco said as he finished stitching up the cut, pouring alcohol over it and then covering it with gauze gently, pining it closed with the metal-clips.

"How are you not showing more?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, rolling over with a wince as his calf-muscle pulled and shifted with the movement, looking up at him with a soft-smile, blushing slightly as Draco took his hand in his and helped him to sit up gently.

"I've always been slender. It happens when you don't get as much nourishment as you should when you're a child. Besides, I'm showing more then you can tell. I'm using a Glamour."

"Really? May I… I mean, will you… let me see?"

Harry was surprised at how uncomfortable Draco sounded as he asked him for what he wanted, or, at least, what he thought that he wanted.

"Of course," he said simply, removing the Glamour easily, lifting up the bottom of his shirt to reveal the roundness of his bare stomach.

He was stunned when Draco reached out to touch him hesitantly, his hand stroking his bare skin in a gentle caress, looking at his stomach almost fondly, his lips curving into an amused and tender smile when he felt Harry tremble at his touch.

Then the blonde took a deep-breath, almost as though bracing himself for some imminent pain.

"Do you… Do you know who the donor was? I know that clinics don't tell unless they have the donor's permission to."

"I know. The Clinic does not."

"What do you mean? How could they not?"

"Because it was a muggle-clinic, I went in disguised as a woman," Harry explained. "I didn't choose one of their donors. I took in my own unmarked-vial, explaining that I had never been intimate before, that I felt awkward doing it myself and that if they would help me I would give them whatever they wanted. Of course the women were all understanding and helpful at my supposed nervousness. The truth was, I didn't want to make a mistake. You've no idea what I had to go through to get that one small vial; I couldn't afford to screw it up somehow. I made a rather generous donation to the Clinic as well, but it was worth it. I would give anything for this baby."

"You took your own vial?"

"Yes."

"Then who is the other father?"

Harry smiled at him, his emerald eyes extremely gentle as he looked up at him through his thick, dark lashes.

"You are, Draco."

"What?" Malfoy gasped, looking stunned and dazed. "How?"

"Pansy," he answered simply. "I knew that you and her were still friends, that you trusted her. So I told her my secret, that I love you, made her promise not to tell you. I gave her the vial, and she used magic to clean your sheets and fill it with your seed for me. I don't think that she would have done it, except that she knew I was telling the truth because I was crying when I asked her. I promised her that there would be no child that was more loved and cherished in this world, so she finally agreed."

"And when were you going to tell me this, or weren't you?"

"I don't know. I wanted to, because I want you to be a part of our lives, but…"

"But what, Harry?"

Harry trembled, biting his bottom lip briefly.

"I… I was afraid that if I did, you might try to take him away from me, and I couldn't bear that… It would have killed me…"

Draco actually flinched, pain flaring in his ash-grey eyes as he moved closer to Harry and drew him into his arms comfortingly.

"Oh, Harry… I'm so sorry for all the pain that I've caused you… If you had only told me sooner…"

"It's alright," Harry whispered, curling his body into him automatically. "You're here for us now, that's what matters… That's everything…"

Draco kissed him then, their lips meeting for the third time.

Harry relaxed into the kiss with a low-moan, his hands twisting in the fabric on the back of the blonde's shirt as he clutched at him tightly.

"Draco…" he breathed softly against his lips, tugging him closer. "Please… Make love to me…"

"What, right here?"

"Here…"

"What if somebody comes looking for us?"

"I don't care… Besides, if we couldn't get off the plane, what makes you think that Jason could get back? Whoever tampered with my plane, they must have done something to trap us here, right? How could we be trapped if we could be rescued?"

"How do you know that we're trapped here?" Draco asked in puzzlement.

"Because after you fixed my leg, I tried to take us to my house again. I couldn't do it."

"Oh. Do you want me to try to take us to the Manor again?"

"Okay. Go ahead."

Draco nodded, slipping an arm around his shoulders, closing his eyes as he concentrated his mind on an image of his bedroom, picturing them both appearing in the middle of his king-sized, silk-sheeted, curtained-bed.

Harry gasped as he felt the air around them start to vibrate, throwing his arms around Draco's neck, burying his face against his shoulder, focusing on the fact that he really wanted to be with Draco at the place that the other man was picturing.

The combined-force of their magic together was enough to break through whatever barrier had stopped either of them from doing it alone, and they vanished from the beach, reappearing in the middle of a large bed, lying on their sides and facing each other, the exact position that Draco had pictured them in.

Harry smiled at him, gasping softly when Draco leaned closer to kiss him, surprising the former-Slytherin when he pressed a fingertip to his lips to stop him.

Then he drew his wand from the sheath that held it strapped to his lower-leg, conjuring his Patronus and sending it off with a message to Jason telling him that they were okay and safe at Malfoy Manor and that Harry would contact him again soon, then he set his wand down on a nearby bedside table and turned back to Draco with a slightly-nervous smile.

"What was that?" Draco asked him before he could say anything.

"What was what?" he asked in confusion.

"Your Patronus. What is it? I couldn't tell."

"Oh," Harry said, flushing pink a little with embarrassment at his question.

"I know that it used to be a stag while we were in school, and, like I said, I couldn't get a good look at it, but it didn't look like a deer to me at all."

"Yeah, it was, but it isn't anymore. It hasn't been since sixth-year. It's a dragon now, for you, Draco. I've always loved you, but my Patronus didn't change until then because that's when I was finally able to admit it to myself without feeling guilty like I was doing something wrong. I had no idea until then that male/male relationships were so widely accepted in Wizarding Society. For the first ten years of my life I was taught that the only sin that was worse then loving another man was believing that magic was real. I've broken both of those rules now. It was a lot for me to process, but I'm fine now with the choices that I've made and the stand that I've taken with the few friends that I have. More then fine."

"What do you mean exactly? What stand?"

"Most of my friends expected me to marry Ginny Weasley, Ron's baby sister. They just assumed that it was what I wanted without even asking me. She did to, for a while, but then in sixth-year she started to notice how I watched you, the way that I looked at you, how I was always thinking, even obsessing, about you. She was the first person that I told how I felt about you. That I love you. She was the one who told me that it was alright that I feel the way that I do, that it was less frowned upon in this secret-world that we share. It wasn't long after that that I came out of the cupboard to everyone about how I was. Most of them were disappointed, though there was the sudden influx of pleased males once I'd "switched sides", all of them wanting to be the "Savior of the Wizarding World"'s first time, which I promptly turned down, making it crystal-clear that if I couldn't have you, then I wouldn't have anyone. I think they've finally given up on me ever settling down. At least they've stopped trying to set me up with dates. Mrs. Weasley is planning a shower for me and the baby, though."

"Oh. Wow. May I come?"

"Of course. It's for your son after all. And… Whatever I am to you now…"

"Lover…" Draco whispered with soft eyes, leaning closer to kiss him briefly on the lips, then scattering gentle-kisses over his face, cheeks, chin, nose, forehead, and even his closed eyelids before stopping reluctantly. "Lover…"

Harry trembled at his words and actions, snuggling himself closer against his side and laying his head on his shoulder with a quiet, happy sigh.

"So," Draco asked, slipping an arm around Harry's waist and holding him close. "How do you know that it's a boy-child?"

"Well, I don't, since it's probably to soon to tell yet, I don't know much about male pregnancies, and I do plan to go to St. Mungo's before the shower, but it's what I want. To hold your son in my arms. To present him to you. I know how important a male-heir is to the older families, and I want to give you that."

"I'm sure that you will, Harry, but I will be perfectly happy with whatever we get. A little girl with your eyes would be just as welcomed and loved as a son."

The former Gryffindor smiled, sitting up a little to kiss him on the mouth, his lips parting slightly above his before they touched.

"I know."

Then their lips met, the kiss deepening quickly as Draco slid a hand down Harry's side, pressing lightly on his right hip to guide the slender brunette's body beneath his, careful not to rest to heavily atop him because of the baby, his pale hands then slipping under the fabric of the other man's shirt, touching and kneeding the gorgeously-tanned skin of Harry's upper-chest like a cat would, feeling his hardening nipples against his soft palms as a shudder rippled through Harry's body and transferred to his.

"Draco…" Harry moaned, panting loudly as he buried his face against his hair once they broke the kiss for air reluctantly.

"Oh, Merlin, Draco… I've wanted this for so long… I need you inside me… Please…"

Draco bit his lower lip to muffle his quick intake of breath at his request, but Harry heard him anyway, opening his green eyes and looking up at him with a questioning look, nervousness clear on his face now as he swallowed audibly, licking his lips.

"It's okay if you don't…" Harry whispered, trying and failing to hide his hurt at the thought of it.

"If you don't want to right now… We… We could just talk some more. We can do whatever you want. I don't want to scare you away by pushing too fast. This can be, move as fast or as slow as you want it to, I promise."

Draco shook his head, a faint-pink flush spreading over his pale cheeks quickly.

"It's not like that, Harry. I would, if I could, but I literally can't. Because of the way my family is… I mean that honor is very important to us, so to avoid any illegitimate children; my father cast a chastity-charm on me before I left for Hogwarts in first-year. I can find release when I'm alone, but that's it. What you and Pansy did… Well, that was probably the only way that this could have happened."

"Oh," Harry said, disappointment clear in his eyes as he spoke. "So we have to be married before we can make love?"

"Yes. You seem upset, Harry. Do you not want to marry me?"

"Of course I do. You know I do. But you haven't seen me in five years, Draco. I love you with everything I am, and I want you more then I've ever wanted anyone or anything, but we can't just go out right now and get hitched."

"Why not?" Draco asked simply.

"What?" Harry gasped, his green eyes wide at his reaction.

"Look at it logically. People used to wed with people that they never even knew before the marriage, or if they were lucky they got to meet their Intended once before the wedding. We already have more then that. We have a history, and though it isn't exactly a positive one, we have very strong feelings for each other, and we have our baby."

Yes, but… I just…"

"What is the obstacle that stands between us?" Draco asked softly, lifting a hand to run it through Harry's hair tenderly, causing the brunette to close his eyes with a contented sigh as he stroked the full-length of the long strands.

"What is it that is holding you back from giving yourself to me today? This very hour, even? Are you afraid of what others will think?"

Harry opened his eyes at his last question, and Draco was surprised by how cold they were, like the dark green grass of spring coated in an unexpected layer of frost.

"Never," he said firmly, his voice determined. "I've never given a damn what the Wizarding Public thinks of me, and I'm going to marry you today, this very hour, and if they don't like it, then they can just kiss my pregnancy-fattened ass!"

Draco blinked, his lips curving into a soft smile of amusement as he leaned forward to press a brief-kiss to Harry's lips.

"I like your ass," he stated blatantly, his gray eyes sparkling. "I was checking you out while I fixed up your leg. And nobody but me is allowed to touch your ass, let alone kiss it or anything else."

The frost in Harry's eyes melted into soft, green pools, the venerability returning as he shifted closer and twined his arms around the blonde's slender upper-torso tightly, placing his forehead firmly against the side of his neck as he whispered near his ear.

"I would never be able to allow anyone but you such intimacy… I think… I think that I might actually kill anyone who tried to…"

Draco drew him closer, chuckling quietly.

"I admire your intent to stay pure for me, but that might be a bit of an overreaction."

"That wasn't a joke, Draco. When… When I'm really upset… or frightened, the magic… The magic just rises up out of me from my core and lashes out at whoever angers or scares me. I've tried to control it, but… I'm not very good at it. My Comforter is trying to help, though I'm not certain that it's truly working. I should probably just give up on it altogether."

"Your... Comforter?" Draco asked hesitantly, uncertain of the other man's meaning.

"That's what me and her decided I would call her since I didn't like calling her my Shrink. It made it sound too much like I have a metal-problem when I had to explain it to other people. At first mostly just my friends since I'm my own boss. Now a lot of people go to her, for the same problem, or for other reasons, because I supported her publicly and told everyone that she was very helpful to me. I still see her. Every Tuesday afternoon."

"Oh? Who is she?"

"Ginny, actually. Why?"

"Just curious. Can I not wonder about my lover's life?"

"Of course you can. Ask me anything you want."

Draco's expression turned serious, and he pressed a kiss to the top of the brunette's head, inhaling subtly, wondering what scent of shampoo he used to wash his soft hair.

"Harry James Potter," he began, his voice soft and completely honest as he continued to stroke the other man's long hair tenderly.

"Will you come with me now to the Ministry? Will you consent to be Bonded with me? To love me as I love you? To care for and love our children as I love you and will love them?"

Harry trembled against him and tightened his hold, his voice sounding like a joyful-sob as he answered quickly.

"I w-will. I promise. There's never been anyone but you, Draco. Only you."

Draco smiled, sitting up and pulling Harry with him, coaxing him to stand up slowly, steadying him and looking concerned when he swayed on his feet a bit.

"Are you okay? Do you usually have problems with balance? I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself."

"No, I'm fine. It's not the baby, it's you. You make my ankles weak when you touch me…"

Draco smirked, pulling him closer against his side gently, slipping his arm around his waist snugly.

"Don't you mean I make your knees weak?"

"No, I mean my ankles. I've always thought that saying was stupid. It's the ankles that help hold you up and shift to bear your weight and keep you standing."

"True. So, I'm the only one who has ever kissed those sweet, strawberry-red lips of yours?"

Harry flushed, pink spreading across his cheekbones rapidly at his question.

"Yes."

"Not even Cho? I did hear rumors."

He was surprised when the former Gryffindor snorted quietly.

"Hardly. Cho is a liar. She spread that rumor herself because she knew that Cedric was in love with me. Or, at least, with who he thought I was. I told him that my heart did and always would belong to another. He understood, and she knows damn well that I'm gay because she tried to force herself on me to try to prove to Cedric that I wasn't gay."

"Really?" Draco asked with narrowed eyes that Harry could not see. "What happened?"

"Nothing. She couldn't manage to get a reaction out of me before I pushed her away. I filed a restraining-order with the ministry informing them that she had sexually harassed me, and Cedric was horrified and dumped her for it. He's married and settled down now with Viktor Krum, if it can be called settled since they travel around with Viktor's Quietude team during the season."

"Oh. Well, shall we go?"

"Yes."

"Okay. It's traditional for each of the people being Bonded to have two friends, or family members, who are close to them there to witness the Ceremony. Do you know who you want to have?"

"Ron and Hermione," Harry answered without hesitation. "You?"

"Vincent and Greg Crabbe-Goyle. Pansy's traveling, and Blaise wouldn't want to be there."

"Why not?"

Because he's always wanted to Bond with me."

"Oh. Why didn't you?…" Harry asked softly, biting his lower-lip in his distress.

"Because I was never interested in him that way. I'm not gay. I've never wanted a guy. I've never really wanted anyone. I've always thought that I had plenty of time to settle down, to decide what I wanted and needed, to explore and decide what I would be when the time came to choose my Mate. But you… You make me burn inside, Harry… It makes me want to be able to be with you in that way, because I want to make love with you, to feel your warm skin against mine, to feel you. Your beating heart against my chest, your breath against my neck, your arms around my shoulders… Just your touch… I want you to be my Mate. I didn't realize until you started flirting with me just how… how lonely I was… And… And it hurt… It hurt bad… I know that I'm not that good at explaining how I feel… Most Slytherin's aren't, because they find it hard to trust, but I need you, Harry… I want you. I always have. In my life, in my heart, in my bed. Forever. Until the day I take my last breath and beyond."

Harry's green eyes glazed over at his declaration, his breath hitching in his chest as his heart sped up instantly.

"Oh, Godric…" he whimpered in the back of his throat as a violent tremor of longing passed through his body and into the blonde's where they touched each other.

"Let's go, please… I need you now, Draco… I need you so much…"

Draco nodded, tightening his arm around the other man's shoulders, and they vanished.