I'll Never Let Go

by Bookworm1063

During their fifth year at Hogwarts, Professor Umbridge discovered the existence of the D.A. She was going to punish Harry… maybe worse. Draco couldn't let that happen. But his actions have consequences he never dared to hope for. Drarry, OOC Slytherins.

2. Chapter 2

Year Six

As it turned out, Harry didn't have to wait until September to see Draco. They ran into each other in Madam Malkin's shop over the holidays.

Draco gave one of his signature sneers when he saw them, but his eyes flew straight to Harry.

"If you're wondering what the smell is, mother, a Mudblood just walked in," Draco said, but he wasn't looking at Narcissa Malfoy or Hermione. In fact, Harry thought, Draco's distraction was quite clear. He hadn't looked away from Harry once- which made sense, considering that the last time they'd spoken, Harry had told Draco that he had to kill the most evil wizard who ever lived or die trying.

Madam Malkin rushed over, fussing over language and wands, but Harry wasn't paying attention. He just smirked back at his boyfriend and said, "Hello, Malfoy. Had a good holiday?"

"It was better when I thought I could make it to September without having to see your moronic face, Potter." It was well below the usual caliber of Malfoy's insults.

Narcissa chose that moment to appear from behind a rack of robes. "Friends of yours, Draco?" she asked, looking them over. "Or perhaps not."

"Defiantly not," Draco said, still sneering. Harry really wished he wouldn't- Draco was much better looking when he smiled.

"I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more, dear, let me just-" Madam Malkin said, reaching for Draco's arm. Draco yanked it back.

"Mother, I don't think I want these robes anymore," he said, yanking them up over his head. Harry didn't miss the panicked glance Draco threw around the room.

Oh. Oh. Fucking hell.

They'd known this was coming, of course. It was no secret, which side of this war the Malfoys were meant to be on. Draco and Harry both had known that this would likely happen before Harry could stop Voldemort. But neither of them had been expecting it so soon.

Draco and his mother swept out of the shop. Harry didn't miss how Draco pretended to bang into him so they could squeeze each other's fingers for a moment.

Then they were gone, and Harry stood there, in shock. He hardly noticed when Madam Malkin fitted him for his new robes, and wandered through Fred and George's joke shop in a daze. Ginny had just called Mrs. Weasley over to look at miniature Pygmy Puffs when Harry saw Draco hurrying up the street, alone this time.

Harry hesitated, but everyone was distracted by the displays, and honestly, Harry was so desperate to talk to his boyfriend, he'd have done it even if the whole shop had been staring directly at him. He pulled out his invisibility cloak and tossed it over himself as he pushed out the door.

Harry followed Draco up the street until the other boy slid into Knockturn Alley. Harry saw him duck into Borgin and Burkes, so he leaned back against the brick wall outside the shop door to wait. He couldn't hear anything that was going on inside the shop, but after a few minutes, Draco emerged, looking thoroughly exhausted. As he passed, Harry threw the invisibility cloak over them both.

"Harry," Draco said. "You shouldn't be here."

"Come on," Harry said, grabbing Draco's hand. He dragged his boyfriend back through the streets until they reached Gringotts, the wizarding bank. Harry ducked into the small alley between the tall marble building and the shop next to it, pulling Draco after him. Only then did he remove the invisibility cloak.

"Let me see," he said.

Draco compulsively grabbed at his left arm, flinching. "Harry-"

"Draco. Let me see."

Draco sighed, glancing around before yanking up the sleeve of his robes.

Sure enough, etched onto Draco's forearm was the Dark Mark. The skull, with a serpent coiling out of its mouth.

"Tell me what happened. I want to help you, Draco."

"Not with this."

"Ok, I want to help you to not have to do whatever it is you're supposed to do. Look, I don't care if Voldemort ordered you to burn Hogwarts to the ground- we'll figure it out."

"He wants me to kill Dumbledore, actually."

Harry blinked, stunned. "No way," he said. "You're sixteen, not even an adult- no one has ever- even Voldemort's afraid of- he's hoping you get yourself killed, isn't he?" Harry understood how Voldemort thought, perhaps better than anyone. This was the sort of thing he'd do. Punish the Malfoys for Lucius' failure at the Ministry. "This is all my fault."

"What?" Draco threw his free hand into the air, looking stunned. "Because you didn't give Voldemort what he wanted? Because my father failed at being evil? What the hell, Harry? This isn't your fault."

Harry shrugged, fingers still tracing the outline of the Dark Mark on Draco's arm. "Agree to disagree."

Draco's eyes had dropped to Harry's fingers on his arm. "How can you do this?" he whispered, and his voice was horse with self-loathing and guilt. "Comfort me, touch me, when I'm branded with… that."

Harry reached out and placed his hand against Draco's face. "Because I love you," he said, and he'd never been more sure of it. He'd never been more sure of anything.

"I don't deserve that," Draco said.

"Yes, you do. Everyone deserves to be loved," Harry said. "And besides," he added, "Dumbledore's old as shit. You may get lucky." Draco chuckled, and Harry couldn't hold back a snort of his own before he leaned in and kissed his boyfriend.

They were there long enough that Harry was sure Mrs. Weasley or one of the others had noticed his absence, but he didn't care. Draco needed him. Everything else was secondary.

And then someone cleared their throat.

Wow. This was the second time someone had walked in on them in two months. Harry and Draco really needed to find better places to make out.

Both boys spun around to find Narcissa Malfoy standing at the mouth of the alley, gaping at them.

"Oh," Draco said, coughing awkwardly as he struggled to fix his hair and sleeve. "Hello, Mother."

"Draco," Narcissa said. "What…" she trailed off, at a loss for words. "Never mind. Let's go."

Draco turned to face Harry. "I'll see you on the train," he said. "Find me, ok?"

"Of course," Harry said. Draco leaned in and kissed him once, softly.

"See you then."

Draco walked over to where his mother was waiting, looking highly embarrassed by the whole encounter. Draco, meanwhile, was completely unruffled. You might have walked in on him writing a potions essay. As opposed to, you know, snogging someone who was supposed to be his sworn enemy.

Harry made it back to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, where he convinced a hysterical Mrs. Weasley and a skeptical Ron and Hermione that he'd been in the back room the entire time.

o-o-o-o-o

On his way back from lunch with Slughorn, Harry ditched Ginny and Neville to follow Zabini.

When Zabini went to close the door to the Slytherin sixth-year's compartment, Harry grabbed the door handle and shoved his foot into the gap between the door and wall. "Not a word," he hissed in Zabini's ear, pulling himself up into the luggage rack. The cloak flapped around his feet as he did so, and Harry could have sworn Draco's eyes followed the movement.

Draco leaned back in his seat, a small smile playing around his lips. "So, Blaise," he said. "What did Slughorn want?"

"Just trying to make up to well-connected people," Zabini said as he threw himself into the empty seat next to Goyle. "Not that he managed to find many."

Draco laughed. "Who else had he invited?"

"McLaggen from Gryffindor, someone called Belby from Ravenclaw, Longbottom, Potter, and the Weasley girl."

"Belby's a prat," Pansy said. "And isn't McLaggen's uncle big in the Ministry, Draco?"

"Yeah," Draco said. "What did the Weasley girl do to interest Slughorn?"

"Dunno," Zabini said. "She's popular, but her family's not well connected."

"I know you think she's good-looking, Blaise," Pansy teased. "Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky. I mean, she's got a thing for Potter, but it's not like he's available- right, Draco?"

"Shut up," Draco said. Pansy and Zabini almost fell off of their seats laughing. Crabbe and Goyle were looking back and forth between them, blinking slowly, like they were trying to remember how to turn their brains on. If Pansy wasn't careful, Harry thought, even they were going to catch on.

Draco was probably thinking the same thing, because he said, "Crabbe, Goyle, get lost. Go… Give the Weasleys a hard time or something." Crabbe and Goyle got up and shuffled out of the compartment, too stupid to understand that they'd just been dismissed.

"You can come down from there, Harry," Draco said the moment the door slid closed behind them. "Blaise and Pansy don't bite."

"I don't understand where you found those two," Harry said. "Are you sure no one put the Imperius curse on them?"

Pansy shrieked, and Zabini burst into laughter again. Harry swung down to the floor and pulled off the invisibility cloak.

"What the fuck, Potter," Pansy said. "Don't do that. It's creepy."

Harry ignored her, focusing on his boyfriend. "Did you have to send them to bother my friends?"

"Please. Even Longbottom is more than a match for those idiots," Draco said, but he was smiling. "Hi, Harry."

"Hi," Harry said, stepping closer to Draco and pulling him in for a kiss.

"Ugh," Pansy said. "Kill me now."

"First time I agree with you about anything, Pansy," Zabini agreed. "Oi, lovebirds. Get a room, will you?"

Harry and Draco ignored them until Pansy threw a pumpkin pasty at Draco's head. "Stop."

Draco rolled his eyes, but stepped away from Harry. "What?"

"Don't we need to discuss the you-know-what? I mean, now that you've gotten rid of those useless gits."

"Right," Draco said, falling back into his seat. Harry, Zabini, and Pansy sat around him.

"Are we planning Dumbledore's assassination?" Harry asked.

Pansy and Zabini blinked at him. "You told him?" Zabini demanded. "When?"

"We ran into each other in Diagon Alley," Draco said. "And no, we're not planning his assassination. My mother already did that. We just have to make it take as long as possible. You don't have to be involved in this, Harry," Draco added. "I won't… I mean, I don't expect you to help. If you don't want to."

Harry reached over and took Draco's hand. "Draco," he said, "I mean this in the nicest way possible- you're an idiot. Of course I'm helping you."

Draco's eyes watered as he smiled at Harry. Pansy gagged again.

"If you're sure."

"I wouldn't be here if I weren't. Now, what's the plan?"

"It's pretty simple, actually. We have to fix the Vanishing Cabinet."

Harry blinked, stunned. "The one Montague got stuck in last year?"

"Yeah," Draco said. "He told me that while he was stuck in there, he could sometimes hear whatever was going on at Borgin and Burkes, and sometimes Hogwarts. I realized that the other Vanishing Cabinet must be at the shop… So my mother did some digging and found out where Filch stashed the broken one after Montague turned up."

"The Room of Requirement," Zabini said, reaching for the pile of Chocolate Frogs on one of the empty seats. "That's ironic. Dumbledore again? I've got about twenty of him… Anyway. Continue, please, Draco."

"I didn't realize Filch knew the Room was there," Harry said.

"If he didn't before, he defiantly does after last year," Draco pointed out. "So we need to fix the Hogwarts vanishing cabinet as slowly as possible while still actually making progress. Voldemort wants to use it to let in a group of Death Eaters through Borgin and Burkes, as a distraction while I sneak off and take care of Dumbledore. If I'm too fast, half of Hogwarts is dead, and if I'm too slow, then Voldemort will kill me and my entire family."

"Us too," Pansy pointed out. "It's all our necks on the line if we can't pull this off."

"You too?" Harry asked, whipping his head around to stare at Pansy and Zabini. They exchanged a long look before pulling their left sleeves up simultaneously.

Twin Dark Marks branded the skin there, identical to the one on Draco's arm.

"Bloody fools," Draco muttered, looking away. Pansy and Zabini dropped their sleeves.

"After Voldemort drafted Draco into his inner circle," Zabini said, "We asked if we could join up, too. He gave the Dumbledore job to the three of us."

"Probably figures the more people he can punish for the Ministry, the better," Pansy said. "Make an example, you know."

Harry stared at Blaise and Pansy for a moment. What they'd done… It was the sort of thing Ron and Hermione would have done for him.

Draco shook his head. "You should never have done that," he said. "Now we're all going to die."

"Not if I can help it," Harry said. "Which… I don't know how much I can, but I'm going to try."

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Blaise said, "Ok. Now what?"

"Room of Requirement, tomorrow night after dinner," Pansy said. "Don't get caught."

o-o-o-o-o

"It's Polyjuice Potion, sir," Hermione said. Harry glanced around the Potions classroom, catching Draco's eye on the other side of the room. The four of them- Merlin, when had Harry, Draco, Pansy, and Blaise become 'the four of them'- were meeting in the Room of Requirement that night, and Harry was worried about getting caught. If they could use Polyjuice potion to post guards… From the look on Blaise and Draco's faces, they'd already had the same thought.

"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here… Yes, my dear?" Hermione's hand was already in the air.

"It's Amortentia!"

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask, but I assume you know what it does?"

Hermione started talking again, but Harry had stopped paying attention. He shifted closer to the gold cauldron, breathing in the steam curling in spirals from the surface. The scent of treacle tart, and the woody smell he associated with broomsticks, and the overpowering scent of green apples.

Harry glanced back over at Draco and winked.

o-o-o-o-o

The night after Katie Bell was cursed by the necklace, Harry, Draco, Pansy, and Blaise met in the Room of Requirement.

"Is she ok?" Draco asked Harry, reaching over to take his hand.

"I don't know. I think they're moving her to St. Mungo's tomorrow."

No one had anything to say to that, until Pansy said, "I got an owl from my mum a few hours ago. Apparently she and Draco's mother sent the necklace. Madam Rosmerta is under the Imperius Curse."

Everyone stared at Pansy. "And your mother just… Told you that? By owl? Merlin, Pansy- what if it had been intercepted? All mail into and out of Hogwarts is being searched!" Blaise said, leaning forward from his spot on the floor.

"It's fine. She didn't send it with the regular mail, and the letter is spelled to look like a Daily Prophet clipping if anyone but me reads it. And she told me because she wanted to apologize for it not working- it was for Dumbledore, you know."

"She's trying to save you," Harry said. "I can't blame her- even if she did just put my best Chaser in the hospital."

"I think we have bigger problems right now, Harry," Pansy commented. When Harry, Blaise, and Pansy had gotten on a first-name basis with one another, Harry didn't know.

"I know. They're not going to try that again, right? You guys are screwed if anyone else offs Dumbledore. And if Dumbledore's dead…"

"It's game over," Draco finished. "I'll write to my mother tomorrow."

Blaise stood up, offering a hand to Pansy. "We should get going. Curfew. If Crabbe and Goyle get caught-"

"You two go," Draco said. "I'll see you later."

"Ok," Blaise said, smirking in a knowing way. "See you." He and Pansy set off through the maze of objects for the door. Harry turned to face Draco.

"It's going to be ok. Maybe."

Draco laughed. "No, it's not. Everything we're doing… It's not a solution. It's just a stay of execution. Eventually we're going to have to do something. Or die."

"Not a chance," Harry said. "We'll get through this."

"Harry…" Draco murmured. "Look, if we can't pull this off… If someone finds out you helped us… Voldemort will kill Pansy and Blaise, but you could live. Find a way to beat him. You really shouldn't be helping with this."

Harry sighed, pushing a stray lock of Draco's hair back into place. "Draco, I told you already- I'm here for you. I'm going to help you, in any way I can. I love you, and there's nothing you can do about it. Ok?"

Draco leaned forward, so they were practically nose to nose. "You might be better off if you didn't."

"Too late." Harry closed the remaining space between them.

They ended up missing curfew, and by the time Harry turned up at breakfast the following morning, Ron and Hermione were frantic.

o-o-o-o-o

Ron looked like he was about to jinx Dean Thomas into jelly, and Harry was not in the mood to replace another Chaser this close to the match.

Dean, in the meantime, was looking like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He gave Harry a shifty grin that Harry returned, with an apologetic expression.

"Er… C'mon, Ginny," Dean said. "Let's go back to the common room…"

"You go!" Ginny exploded. "I want a word with my dear brother!" Oh, Merlin.

Dean seized the opportunity and practically sprinted away. Harry envied him- he had a feeling Ron would not be ok if Harry chose now to depart. Besides, the least he could to was try to minimize the damage.

Ron and Ginny were screaming at each other, and when they pulled their wands out, Harry figured it was time to intervene.

"Oi! Both of you, shut up!" he said. Ron and Ginny ignored him. "Just because I don't do it in public-!" Ron was saying as Harry stepped between them. They continued to fight-

"Or have you got a picture of Auntie Muriel stashed under your pillow?"

Ron cast a hex at Ginny, and Harry lunged forward, shoving Ron's wand arm down. "That's enough!" he shouted, interrupting Ginny's ongoing tirade. "Both of you! What the hell?"

Ginny just shook her head and took off in the direction of the common room. Ron yanked his arm free of Harry's grasp and scowled at Ginny's retreating back.

"C'mon," Harry said. "The last thing we need is to get caught past curfew."

They hurried back to the Common Room, Harry making sure to take a route that didn't lead past the Room of Requirement- Blaise and Pansy were working on the Cabinet tonight. Ron, fortunately, was too busy fuming to question it.

"Snogging in public- who knows what people will think- could have been anyone…"

Harry was too lost in thought to notice. He was wondering what would have happened if Ron had walked in on him and Draco kissing in that same deserted corridor… betrayal of trust… supposed to be my friend…

Harry knew he was being dramatic, but he'd never seriously considered what Ron and Hermione might think if they ever found out about him and Draco. Keeping it a secret had always been a matter of Draco's safety, and if there was ever a day when it wasn't… when Voldemort was gone, and they could just be themselves… Well, Harry figured he'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

"D'you think Hermione did snog Krum?" Ron asked him as they turned into the Fat Lady's corridor.

"What?" Harry asked, confused. And admittedly distracted from his daydream of him and Draco, alone in that corridor… "Oh… er…" Yeah, she probably had.

That night, Harry lay awake in his four-poster, trying not to let his thoughts wander to his boyfriend. He really did need to get some sleep.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry had managed to convince Draco not to call out sick for the Quidditch match. "Come on," he'd said. "It won't be any fun for me otherwise. Besides, I thought we didn't want to fix that damn cabinet too soon?"

"Regretting your decision to help, Harry?," Draco had asked.

"No," Harry had replied. "But I think you need to relax." So Draco had agreed.

Now Harry soared around the grounds, scanning the match for any sign of the Snitch. Zacharias Smith was commentating, and Harry was resisting the urge to call a time-out so he could test out that slug-vomiting curse Ron had tried to use on Draco in second year.

Gryffindor was a hundred points up, and neither Seeker had so much as glimpsed the Golden Snitch. "I love you, Harry," Draco said, swooping down next to Harry so no one could hear him, "But don't think I'm going easy. You're still going to lose."

"Come on, love," Harry said. "When have you ever beat me at Quidditch?"

Draco smirked and said, "There's a first time for everything." Then he swooped away again, high above the stadium. Harry permitted himself a moment to watch in admiration before flying toward the Slytherin goalposts.

Harry did indeed catch the Snitch, and Gryffindor partied late into the night- though Harry wasn't present for most of it. He did have a brief and extremely awkward conversation with Ron and Hermione in the changing room (of course he hadn't given Ron Felix Felicis; Harry would never cheat at Quidditch). From there, he waited in the changing rooms until they had emptied, and Draco appeared in the doorway, smirking.

o-o-o-o-o

The next morning, Harry was treated to a lengthy tirade from Ginny about Ron's hypocrisy, and the two of them spend breakfast comforting Hermione, and shooting Ron and Lavender nasty looks.

When Harry wasn't in the Room of Requirement with Draco, Pansy, and Blaise, he spent his evenings doing homework in the library with Hermione.

"And incidentally," she warned him one night, "You need to be careful."

Harry rolled his eyes, already defending the use of the Half-Blood Prince's book to Hermione, but she cut him off.

"I'm not talking about your stupid so-called Prince. I'm talking about earlier." And she went on to tell him all about Romilda Vane plotting to slip him one of Fred and George's love potions.

"I'm not planning on inviting anyone to Slughorn's party," Harry said. "I'll just pop in for an hour or so. What's the big deal?"

Hermione rolled her eyes mightily.

"They're never going to give up as long as they think you're available," she said. "Just ask someone. What's the big deal? Surely there's someone you want to ask? Or can at least tolerate?"

"Umm…" Harry trailed off. The only person he wanted to ask to the party was Draco- you know, his boyfriend- but he obviously couldn't do that.

"There is!" Hermione cried, looking delighted. "Who is it?"

"No one, no one… Wait a minute. How did Romilda Vane get those love potions anyway? Isn't Filch searching all the mail?"

"Fred and George send them disguised as other stuff- cough potions and the like," she said. "And love potions aren't technically Dark Magic, so it would be down to Filch to figure it out, and he's not a very good wizard, I doubt he can tell one potion from another-"

She was interrupted by Madam Pince, who kicked them out of the library after trying to kill Harry for owning a book that had been written in (and possibly because Hermione had been rude to Filch).

When they got back to the Common Room, Hermione said, "Honestly, Harry. Just ask someone- whoever it is you're interested in. You're the Chosen One- I doubt she'll turn you down."

"Why do you assume it's a she?" Harry asked. "Good night, Hermione."

Then he headed up to bed, still chuckling about the flabbergasted look on Hermione's face.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry didn't ask Draco to go to Slughorn's party with him. If Draco said yes, and word got back to Voldemort… Still, there wasn't much point going to a Christmas party if you couldn't go with your boyfriend, so Harry ended up wandering the halls.

"…cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled-"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"

Harry whipped out his invisibility cloak, ducking under it as he pressed his ear to the classroom's keyhole. He must have spent a good five minutes there, listening, before he heard footsteps and jerked away from the door. Draco threw the door open and stormed away; Harry, without a moment's hesitation, followed.

Harry waited until they were a few corridors away before saying, "Draco."

Draco spun around, scanning the empty corridor, and Harry pulled off his invisibility cloak.

"Harry," Draco said, visibly relaxing. "I'm guessing you heard that."

"Yeah," Harry said. "Are you ok?"

"I just… I don't know what's going to happen if I can't pull this off. To you, or Blaise, or Pansy… I can't be responsible for your deaths. I just can't. Especially not yours, Harry. If you die because of me, I won't be able to live with myself."

"Draco." Harry stepped even closer to his boyfriend, grabbing his hands and looking directly into his silver eyes. "If I die, it won't be because of you. My life is better because you're in it. I get up every morning and find the strength to carry on with all the shit life has thrown at me because I love you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. And I know you can do this. I know you- you never give up, I've never known you to fail at a single thing you put your mind too. Just remember that you're not alone, ok? Blaise and Pansy aren't going anywhere, and neither am I."

Draco was crying- tears were leaving tracks of salt on his cheeks. But Harry thought he may have been smiling a little bit, too. "What did the Amortentia smell like to you?"

"Why?"

"Just curious."

Harry blushed, somewhat embarrassed. "Treacle tart, wood from a broomstick, mostly apples. What did it smell like to you?"

Draco laughed. "Did you know you always smell like Quidditch? Broomsticks and fresh air. That's what Amortentia smells like to me."

Harry laughed, too. "You're telling me we're desperately attracted to each other."

"Guess so," Draco said. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you too."

Draco's lips had just met Harry's when someone behind them said, "Ahem."

It was Snape. Again.

"So," he said. "You're still doing that."

"Yeah," Harry said. "So could you leave, please?"

Snape strode forward. "Twenty points from Slytherin and Gryffindor, for being out of bed after curfew and… questionable activities in the corridors."

"It was just a kiss," Harry complained. Draco was too busy trying not to laugh to say anything.

"I would give you both a detention," Snape continued, "But apparently the temptation of being in a room alone together would be too much. Go to bed. Separately," he added.

Harry and Draco left, both of them practically cackling.

o-o-o-o-o

"What's going on with you lately?" Ron asked.

It had begun to snow, and the Burrow's kitchen was warm and cozy, full of the smell of Mrs. Weasley's cooking. Harry and Ron were peeling sprouts at the sink, and it had taken Ron repeating his question three times before Harry heard him.

"Sorry, what?" he said, turning from the window."

"Merlin's underpants- what is wrong with you? You're zoning out, blushing at random moments, and you saw Malfoy in Borgin and Burkes and didn't even mention it once after you told us! No obsessing, no stalking… Something's gotten into you."

Harry had spent plenty of time over the past year obsessing over Draco Malfoy- but Ron didn't need to know that. So Harry said, "I dunno. Life, I guess."

"You haven't even been fighting with him as much," Ron continued, ignoring Harry.

"Seriously, Ron, it's fine. Everything's fine." Harry made a mental note not to daydream about Draco in front of people. Apparently he just blanked out entirely. Who knew?

"Hello, boys," Fred called out, moving into the kitchen, George just behind him. "Aaah, George, look at this. They're using knives and everything. Bless them."

o-o-o-o-o

Harry met up with Hermione in the Common Room the day he got back to Hogwarts- which may have been a mistake, as he'd just come from the Room of Requirement. Pansy and Blaise had been smart enough to stay away this time, and Harry knew his hair was a mess, and his face was flushed. But he could blame that on the cold, and his hair was always a mess. Hopefully Hermione wouldn't catch on.

"Hey, Harry," Hermione said, dropping into a chair next to him. "How was your Christmas?"

"Great, yours?"

"Pretty uneventful… Here," she added, pushing a scroll into Harry's hand. His next lesson with Dumbledore was scheduled for the following evening.

"Thanks," Harry said. "Look, Hermione, I was wondering. Can't you and Ron-"

"No," she interrupted. "So who were you snogging before you got here?"

"What?" Harry automatically reached up to straighten his hair. "No one."

"Sure," Hermione said skeptically. "Why won't you just tell me? Is it because it's a bloke? I don't care."

"I know," Harry said. "And it's not that. I just… It's more complicated than that."

"So you were snogging someone."

Harry sighed. "Yeah."

"I knew it! Strange, though. I always thought you liked Ginny."

"Ginny?" Harry laughed. "Look, there might have been a few times last year, after Cho and I broke up, when I thought about it, but… no. I don't like her like that."

"Ok. Won't you just tell me who you do like? Or are you going to make me guess?"

"Neither. I'm going to go unpack- keep your guesses to yourself, because knowing you, you probably have one- and knowing you, you're probably right."

o-o-o-o-o

Apparition lessons started a few weeks later, and Draco got into an argument with Crabbe and Goyle within the first five minutes.

Harry knew, of course, that the two Slytherins were rapidly becoming tired of standing guard outside of the Room of Requirement for hours at a time, more often than not disguised as a young girl.

"Malfoy, pay attention!" McGonagall snapped. Draco moved away from Crabbe and Goyle, flushing a deep red- and somehow managing to blush even more when he met Harry's eyes from across the room.

"…five feet of space in front of you," Twycross was saying. Harry seized the opportunity to move closer to Draco, ignoring Hermione when she called after him. In all of the chaos and jostling that was occurring all around the hall, Harry grabbed Draco's hand and gave it a brief, reassuring squeeze before moving away.

After the lesson, Harry and Ron headed back to the Common Room for a game of Wizard's Chess (almost six years, and Harry had never beaten Ron at that game), and that night, right after dinner, he slipped away out the portrait hole and over to the Room of Requirement to meet Draco, Pansy, and Blaise.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry managed to shake off Hermione at the Common Room, and after a brief conversation with McLaggen, headed directly to the Room of Requirement.

Draco was already there, sitting on the ground in front of the Vanishing Cabinet. Blaise was with him, talking in a low voice while Pansy stood nearby, looking awkward. When she saw Harry, she hurried over and said, "What the fuck happened to Weasley?"

"Poison," Harry said. "In a bottle of Slughorn's- he said he'd meant to give it to Dumbledore…"

"Shit," Blaise said, looking up. "How many people want him dead?"

"Everyone and their mother, apparently," Harry said. "Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right."

"Thank Merlin," Draco said. His voice was hoarse, and when he looked up, Harry could see how red the other boy's eyes were.

"Draco," Harry said, dropping down in front of him. "This wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was. I'd put good money on this being my mother's doing again- trying to save me from Voldemort, like there's anything that can do that. Fucking hell," Draco exclaimed, pushing himself to his feet and starting to pace frantically. Harry rose more slowly and watched him. "This is such complete and utter shit."

"Tell me about it, mate," Blaise said. "But we can't go to pieces over it."

"Draco," Harry said, reaching out and grabbing his boyfriend's shoulder. "Calm. Down. Please."

"Harry, please. There's no way you don't blame me for this- that's your best friend in there."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "And the only reason I'm not losing it right now is because of you. At the rate you're going, you're just going to make me worry more. I don't blame you, Draco. How could I?"

Draco shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, but Harry stopped him with a kiss. Pansy sighed in exasperation and seated herself on the floor to wait; Blaise mumbled something under his breath and joined her.

When Harry and Draco broke apart at last, they both ignored the two Slytherins sitting on the floor and stared at each other- reading each other's emotions on their faces the way you might read a book.

"Ok," Draco said. "What's next?"

o-o-o-o-o

The day of the Apparition Exam arrived at long last, and Harry had already made up his mind not to go to Potions. There wasn't much point- it would have just been him, Draco, and Ernie anyway, and Harry didn't think he'd have much trouble convincing Draco to skip.

"Draco," Harry said, stopping the other boy in an empty corridor after breakfast. "How do you feel about skipping Potions?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, amused. "I could be persuaded."

"Great. Meet me at the top of the Astronomy Tower in twenty minutes, ok?"

"Alright. What are we doing?" Draco asked.

"Having fun!" Harry called back over his shoulder, already walking back toward the kitchens.

Persuading the house elves to part with a large quantity of food was unsurprisingly easy- especially with Dobby and Kreacher working in the kitchens. Five minutes later, and Harry had left the kitchens with a picnic basket full of pastries, chicken legs, pumpkin juice, apples, and Harry's favorite treacle tart. He made a quick stop at Gryffindor tower before making the climb up to the Astronomy tower.

Draco was already there, since he hadn't stopped in the basement and the top of a different tower first. Harry grinned, spreading the blanket he'd grabbed from the dorm on the flagstones. "Come on," he said. "Sit with me."

Draco rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, too. The two boys sat on the blanket and looked out over the grounds. The sun was shining, illuminating the scene in slanting bars of gold. The sky was the sort of clear pale blue you only see in spring, with fluffy wisps of cloud scattered here and there. A gentle breeze was blowing, stirring the edges of the blanket and sending stray locks of hair whipping into the boy's faces.

Harry reached for the picnic basket, handing Draco an apple and a bottle of pumpkin juice. "Here."

"Thanks." Draco took the food, setting it next to him on the blanket. "Why here?"

"Seemed as good a place as any," Harry said. "No one comes up here during the day, and the view's good. Did you have a better idea?"

"No," Draco said. "We haven't been on many real dates, you know. Just the Room of Requirement last year."

"I know," Harry replied. "That's why we're here. I figured since I couldn't take you to Slughorn's party, this was the next best thing."

Draco leaned over, resting his head against Harry's shoulder. "This is nice," he said. "I can't remember the last time I just…"

"Relaxed?" Harry suggested. "Stopped worrying for two whole seconds? That's not healthy, you know."

"Whatever. I'm fine now."

"Ok."

The two boys spend the whole day up on the Astronomy tower rooftop, eating all the food Harry had brought and talking, which eventually turned into snogging, until they had to go inside or risk detention. Harry hadn't lost a single point for Gryffindor in a whole week- he'd rather not start now.

o-o-o-o-o

Charms class a few weeks later found Harry, Ron, and Hermione trying to turn a flask full of vinegar into wine; Hermione was the only one having much luck with it. Ron, meanwhile, was telling Harry about his and Lavender's breakup.

"That sucks, mate," Harry said. "You're not all that upset, though, are you?"

"Hell no, I've been wanting to end it for ages- shit. Hermione, I think I'm making it snow." Sure enough, white, fluffy flakes were falling from the ceiling.

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione said, grabbing Ron's wrist and directing his wand back to his flask of vinegar.

"Sorry," Ron said bashfully. "Here-" he reached out with his free hand and brushed some of the snow off Hermione's shoulder. Harry grinned and looked away.

"Well," Hermione said, but she was blushing. "Apparently it was a bad night for romance all around. Ginny broke it off with Dean, have you heard?"

"Really? Why?" Harry asked, curious.

"I don't know, something silly. Ginny said Dean was always trying to help her through the portrait hole or whatever… Seamus doesn't seem too upset, though.

"Seamus? Why would he care?" Ron asked.

"Dean is his best friend, Ron!" The two of them started bickering, but Harry caught Seamus' eye across the room and raised his eyebrows, nodding at Dean. Seamus blushed and looked away.

Knew it, Harry thought, grinning.

"So," Ron said. "Ginny's single again. Probably won't last. She's too popular for her own good…" he shot Harry a look.

Harry almost burst into laughter right then and there. Did Ron actually think that Harry was interested in Ginny? Merlin.

"That complicates things for the Quidditch team, doesn't it?" Hermione blurted. Harry knew full well that Hermione didn't give a shit about the Quidditch team- she was trying to spare him from Ron, for which Harry was very grateful.

"Yeah, if Ginny and Dean aren't speaking…"

Professor Flitwick chose that moment to come over and reprimand them, and both Harry and Ron walked out of class with extra homework. On their way back to the common room, neither Ron nor Hermione noticed Harry's internal argument-

I should just tell them.

I can't. If this gets back to Voldemort-

It's Ron and Hermione. They won't say anything.

Anyone could be listening!

Blaise and Pansy already know. Draco said you could tell them.

I can't risk his life!

This is getting out of hand. Ron thinks you're interested in Ginny, for crying out loud!

Still! If there's even the slightest chance…

This is completely ridiculous!

Harry might have said something to Ron and Hermione, but when they got back to the Common Room, Katie Bell was waiting for them.

o-o-o-o-o

After that, Harry was splitting his time between classes and homework, meals and sleep, the Room of Requirement and Quidditch practice, and lessons with Dumbledore. He didn't have a single second to spare, and so he never got the chance to speak to Ron and Hermione about Draco. He was so distracted that he had received several injuries thanks to Bludgers at Quidditch, and to make matters worse, Ron was becoming increasingly suspicious. He still seemed to think Harry might have feelings for Ginny, which never ceased to amuse Harry, though it was getting increasingly annoying. Even with Hermione always changing the subject every time Ginny or Harry's love life came up, Ron still found ways to pry.

All in all, Harry was thinking now might be a good time for another swig of Felix Felicis.

o-o-o-o-o

With only a few days to go before the match against Ravenclaw, Harry somehow had even less free time than before. Every single night found him on the Quidditch pitch with the team, training for the final game. Most nights, Harry went from there to the Room of Requirement to meet Draco, Pansy, and Blaise. If he got to bed before two in the morning, it was a good day.

Harry was on his way to the Room of Requirement after practice one night, checking the Marauder's Map as he always did, when he spotted Draco's name in the boy's bathroom one floor down.

Harry didn't hesitate. He took the stairs down to the bathroom two at a time and pushed the door open.

Draco was standing at one of the sinks, obviously crying. His shoulders were shaking, and his hands gripped the side of the basin so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.

Draco whipped around when he heard Harry come in. "Harry," he said, tears still streaming down his face. "Please, just… just go."

"Draco," Harry said, walking over to where his boyfriend stood and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I'm not leaving you."

Draco shook his head, turning away. "Everyone does, eventually."

"That's crap," Harry said. "Your parents, Blaise and Pansy, me… we'll never turn our backs on you. What's brought this on?"

Draco took a deep breath, shoulders shaking. "Voldemort… he… he sent out a message. Death Eaters are coming through that Cabinet in a few weeks, tops, and if the Cabinet's not fixed… Harry, he has my mother." Draco broke down into a wave of fresh sobs.

"Draco," Harry said. "Draco, look at me. Please, look at me." He waited until Draco's silver eyes, brighter than usual with unshed tears, met his own. "We're going to get through this. Voldemort hasn't won yet. I refuse to let you give up."

"I don't have much choice," Draco said. "I can't let him hurt my mother… But I also can't let him attack the school."

"You won't have to make that call," Harry said. "Something you learn early on in Gryffindor is that there's always a way. You just have to keep fighting."

"Funny," Draco said, still crying a little. "We learn something similar in Slytherin. When blackmail fails, there's always murder."

Both boys were laughing and crying now. "What do you need from me?" Harry asked softly.

"Stay with me," Draco said. "I don't have the energy to be strong right now- I just want you to hold me."

"Of course," Harry said, pulling Draco to the ground half under the sinks, wrapping both arms around his boyfriend as Draco did the same. "I'll never let go."

o-o-o-o-o

They'd done it.

Gryffindor had won the Quidditch cup after a spectacular capture of the Snitch from where it had been lurking two inches above Cho Chang's head. Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty. Harry and the rest of the team had been dragged up to the Common Room with the rest of the House to celebrate; the party had been going on for hours already and showed no sign of dying down any time soon.

Harry was heartily sick of the celebrations already, and took the first opportunity that presented itself, slipping back out of the portrait hole while everyone was distracted by Neville, who had just tried to take a drink out of a nose-biting teacup and was now laughing about it with the rest. Neville really had come a long way since first year.

Once Harry had made it out of the Common Room, he pulled out the Marauder's Map. Draco, Blaise, and Pansy were nowhere to be seen, but Crabbe and Goyle were lurking in the seventh-floor corridor once again. Emerging from the Common Room behind him was a dot labeled Ginny Weasley.

It was too late to throw on the invisibility cloak. Harry touched his wand to the parchment and muttered, "Mischief Managed," stuffing the map back into his robes just as-

"Harry? Can I talk to you?"

Harry turned around, a fake smile already plastered onto his face. "Sure, Ginny. What's up?"

"I don't know if you heard, but I broke up with Dean," Ginny said.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I know."

"I just wanted to make sure," Ginny said. "I don't want this to be weird." And then she stepped up to Harry and wrapped her arms around his neck-

Harry shoved her off just before their lips touched. She stumbled backward, a hurt expression flaring across her face, and Harry couldn't help feeling a little guilty. "Sorry, Ginny-" he began, not sure what he was supposed to say next.

"It's ok," Ginny said. "I like you, Harry- I've liked you for a long time. And Ron was sure you felt the same way… I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have just…" she trailed off, looking more embarrassed by the second.

Harry chuckled. "Ron," he said, "Is a little bit clueless. Ginny, I love you, but not like that. You're my best mate's sister- hell, you're like a sister to me. I don't want to ruin that."

"Alright," Ginny said. "I should have expected this. Hermione says you're seeing someone else."

"Yeah," Harry said. "I am."

Ginny nodded. "Do you love her?"

The corner of Harry's mouth twisted up into a half-smile. "Yeah, I love him."

Ginny's eyes flew wide open; for a moment, she looked so much like an owl that Harry had to laugh. "Oh," she said, blushing. "I, uh, didn't realize… I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Harry said, still laughing. "How could you have known?"

"Hermione wouldn't shut up about it."

Harry sighed, rolling his eyes affectionately. "Hermione needs to learn when to keep her mouth shut."

"I'll tell her you said that."

"Please don't; she'll kill me."

Ginny laughed at that, calming down long enough to say, "So is it Draco Malfoy?"

"What?" Harry took an automatic step back, stunned.

"The person you're seeing. It's Malfoy, isn't it?"

"What're you…" Harry stopped talking at the look on Ginny's face. "How'd you know?"

"It's really obvious. He hasn't been half as much of a prat this year, and I've seen him watching you. Hell, I've seen you watching him. I just kind of ignored it. It would mean I didn't have a chance." Ginny smiled sadly and turned away, headed back to the Common Room. "Let me know if you ever change your mind, yeah?"

"I won't," Harry said.

"I know," Ginny replied. "But still."

Harry raised one hand in a wave, making his way to the Room of Requirement with his head spinning.

"Hey," he said, throwing himself down on the floor next to Draco. "What's up?"

"I fixed it!" Pansy said. "Is that bad?"

"Shit," Harry said. "Umm… Is that bad?"

"I don't know," Blaise said, burying his face in his hands. "On the one hand, Voldemort won't kill us now. On the other hand…"

"It's only a matter of time before Death Eaters storm the school," Draco said, taking Harry's hand in his own.

"How did you do it?" Harry asked.

"I punched it," Pansy admitted ruefully.

Harry blinked once, surprised. "Well," he said. "That does work rather well on Muggle technology."

Draco shook his head. "I will never understand Muggles."

o-o-o-o-o

Fuck.

Dumbledore had found a Horcrux, sure; with the world's worst possible timing. Blaise had it on good authority that Voldemort planned to launch his attack on Hogwarts tonight, and Harry couldn't exactly warn Dumbledore without telling him how Harry knew about it. Which meant they were about to leave the school defenseless, right before a Death Eater attack.

Harry sprinted back to the dormitory, ignoring Ron and Hermione when he passed them in the Common Room. When he reached the trunk at the edge of his four-poster, he grabbed the cloak, the Marauder's Map, and the rolled up socks where he kept what was left of the Felix Felicis. Then Harry threw himself back down the stairs and told a flabbergasted Ron and Hermione what had just happened.

"…so here's what I need you to do. I'm ninety percent sure Voldemort is going to attack the school tonight- no, listen to me!" Harry said, reading the skeptical looks on Ron and Hermione's faces. He shoved the map and socks into Hermione's hands. "I need you to keep an eye on Snape. Anyone shows up on that map who isn't supposed to be there, you get McGonagall. Rustle up anyone you can from the D.A.- the contact galleons will still work, right? If this goes down the way I think it will, the extra protection around the school is useless."

"Harry, what the bloody hell-" Ron started to interrupt, but Harry ignored him.

"The Felix Felicis is wrapped up in those socks. Anything happens, you share it between the two of you, and-" Harry broke off and glanced at Hermione. "You've figured it out, right?"

"Yes, I think so," she said. "I'll make sure he gets some."

"His friends too, if there's enough left," Harry said. "Check the dungeons, see if you can find any more for the D.A., wasn't there a small cauldron down there? Good luck- stay safe-" And then he was running, back out of the portrait hole, toward Dumbledore's office and near-certain doom.

o-o-o-o-o

Dumbledore was weak, and that was the Dark Mark hovering over the Astronomy tower, and a slim figure pacing back and forth across the ramparts-

"Harry," Draco cried as he and Dumbledore landed on the top of the tower. "Thank Merlin-" he threw himself into Harry's arms, half-sobbing in relief. Harry hugged his boyfriend, who had apparently forgotten that Dumbledore was even there.

"Draco," Harry gasped. "What happened? Is it-"

"Blaise was right, they're here- I found out someone set off the Dark Mark to lure you two back here, I was supposed to be waiting, to kill Dumbledore… Harry, if it hadn't been for the Felix Felicis, I never would have made it in time."

"Is everyone ok?" Harry asked. "Ron? Hermione? Pansy? Blaise?"

"I don't know," Draco said. "Hermione found us and offered the Felix Felicis, but there wasn't enough for all of us… Blaise made Pansy and me take it, I don't know if he's ok… And someone's dead, one of the Order, I stepped over the body on my way back…"

"Fuck," Harry said, but before he could continue, Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Boys. We don't have time for this. At any moment, Death Eaters will breach this tower, and we must put on a good show when they do." He spun to face Harry, raised his wand, and murmured, "Petrificus Totalus!" Harry's arms sprang to his sides, and he fell backward against the tower ramparts, unable to move or speak.

"Draco," Dumbledore said, "His invisibility cloak-" Draco pulled the cloak from Harry's pocket, but hesitated for a moment.

"I love you," he whispered, pressing his lips to Harry's cheek. Then he flung the invisibility cloak over Harry, pointed his wand at Dumbledore, and cried, "Expelliarmus!" Dumbledore's wand sailed away into the night.

"You will not have to kill anyone tonight, Draco," Dumbledore said. "And for what it's worth, I forgive you." Then he looked over to where Harry stood, immobilized and invisible, and said, "Your parents would have been very proud."

Just then, four Death Eaters in black robes burst through the door from the staircase.

o-o-o-o-o

Harry sprinted out onto the Great Lawn, gasping for breath. Up ahead, he could see Snape, still dragging Draco along behind him. Draco was twisting and struggling against Snape's hold on his wrist, trying to return to the school-

"Go, you idiot," Harry muttered. He'd be firing curses at Snape right now, if he thought he could manage it without hitting Draco. As much as he hated Snape for everything that had happened, Draco's best chance of survival was to go with him. As much as this was killing Harry, there was nothing he could do.

Behind him, Harry could hear the thunderous steps of the brother and sister Death Eaters. There was a loud bang, and Hagrid's hut was on fire.

"Leave him! He belongs to the Dark Lord!" Snape called from the gates, and the brother and sister ran, Disapparating just beyond the grounds. Harry let them go- his focus was on Draco, who was still trying to get away from Snape.

"Dammit, Draco, just go!" Harry muttered under his breath, starting to run for the gates.

"Protego!" Snape shouted, and the Shield Charm sprang to life between Harry and Draco, who had broken free of Snape's hold at last and who was now trapped mere inches away from where he'd be able to Disapparate.

"Please, Draco. Go," Harry said. "Stay safe."

"I can't leave you!"

"Yes, you can. I'll be fine- go!" Snape was striding over to them now, expression intent on murder.

"I love you," Draco said. "I'll find you."

"I love you," Harry said. "Always."

And then Snape grabbed the back of Draco's robes and Disapparated.

o-o-o-o-o

It was Ginny who found Harry, kneeling in the grass next to Dumbledore's body, clutching the fake locket and note in one hand. He had to get up- he had to make sure everyone was ok, he had to make sure Blaise and Pansy had gotten out- but for the moment he just couldn't move, until Ginny pulled him away.

"Ginny," Harry said as they entered the Hospital Wing. "Is everyone ok?"

"Yeah," Ginny said. "There's a Death Eater down-" For a moment, Harry's heart stopped, thinking of Blaise and Pansy- "Some guy called Gibbons, and Bill, Neville, and Professor Flitwick are hurt…"

"Merlin" Harry said, approaching Bill's bed in the Hospital Wing. Vicious cuts and scratches ran all over his face, leaking blood everywhere. He was surrounded by an assortment of friends and family, and Madam Pomfrey was hovering over him with her wand.

"Is there any way…" he started to ask, but Madam Pomfrey shook her head.

"We can make improvements, but these scars will never heal completely."

"What happened?" Harry demanded, looking around. It was all too much… Dumbledore dead, Bill injured, Draco and the rest of his Slytherin friends facing an uncertain fate…

"Savaged by Greyback," Ron said. Everyone started discussing the possible consequences of Bill's injury and Dumbledore's death, but Harry had zoned out, staring blankly out the small window until Tonks asked him what had happened.

"It was Snape," Harry said. "I was there, we were at the top of the Astronomy tower. We flew in, and… Death Eaters arrived, and Snape did it. He killed Dumbledore." He glanced over at Hermione, hoping she could answer the question he couldn't ask…

"All of the other Death Eaters escaped," she said. "Including the underage ones."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. He could only hope that wherever they were, Blaise and Pansy were all right, and would be able to find Draco.

A hush came over the Hospital Wing as the phoenix lament drifted over the still grounds.

o-o-o-o-o

"Harry," Professor McGonagall said. "I need to speak with you."

"Alright," Harry said, pulling himself to his feet. He followed McGonagall up to what had been Dumbledore's office; Harry glanced over at the newest addition to the collection of Headmaster's portraits and flinched.

"Harry," Professor McGonagall said. "I need to know what happened tonight."

"What?" Harry asked.

"I need to know what you were doing with Dumbledore tonight. I need to know whatever it is you aren't telling me about Mr. Malfoy. I need to know everything you can tell me about how those Death Eaters got into Hogwarts."

"I'm sorry, Professor," Harry said. "I've already told you everything I can." Dumbledore had said not to tell anyone except Ron and Hermione about their lessons, and he'd already broken that rule by telling Draco, Pansy, and Blaise.

"Potter," McGonagall snapped; Harry didn't fail to note the renewed use of his surname. "I knew you and Mr. Malfoy… I know there was something between you at one point, but you cannot possibly justify defending him now."

"Yes, I can," Harry said. "I've told you everything I can. Draco didn't do this."

"But he did have a hand in it," McGonagall snapped. "It's time to face facts, Potter."

"I am," Harry said. "If Draco's to blame, than so am I. I helped him."

McGonagall looked truly stunned for the first time tonight. "No," she whispered. "You would never… You helped the Death Eaters?"

"No, of course not. I helped keep my boyfriend alive. We didn't have a choice, Professor. What's done is done, and it's not Draco's fault. There is one thing you should know, though," Harry said suddenly, remembering something Pansy had said a few months back. "Madam Rosmerta's under the Imperius Curse. That's how the necklace and poisoned mead got into the school."

"What? Who- How-" Professor McGonagall gasped, but before she could say anything else, the door swung open, admitting the heads of Houses into the office.

o-o-o-o-o

The centaurs had returned to the forest; the merpeople had dived back into the depths of the lake. Where Dumbledore's body had lain moments before, only a white marble tomb remained. Harry had turned around in his chair, looking back toward the lake and the grounds beyond.

"Harry," Hermione hissed in his ear. "Look." Harry spun around in his chair and looked in the direction Hermione was pointing.

Under the yew tree, on the shore of the lake, was a tall, slim shadow. "Go," Hermione said. Harry needed no prompting; he was already moving.

Harry made his way through the crowds, trying to avoid notice as much as possible. Fortunately, everyone was too busy genuinely grieving or gossiping to pay one lone Hogwarts student any attention.

"Hey," Harry said as he approached the yew tree. Draco Malfoy stepped out of the shadows.

"Hey, Harry. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, everyone made it through all right. You?"

"Surprisingly, yes. Blaise and Pansy say hello- and send their condolences," Draco added. Harry gulped and nodded. "Thank them for me."

"Of course," Draco said, reaching for Harry's hand. Harry leaned his forehead against Draco's shoulder and started to sob. Draco's free hand rubbed soothing circles up and down his back until he was able to breathe again.

"You know I won't be back next year," Harry said.

"I know," Draco said.

"Draco, I don't expect you to wait for me, if that's not what you want. I don't know how long this will take. You know what I have to do."

Draco responded by leaning over and pressing his lips against Harry's. "I'll wait," he said. "Forever, if I have to."

Harry nodded. "Me, too."

Draco reached out and cupped the side of Harry's face in his hand. "I love you."

"I love you too," Harry said, and he knew he was crying again, but there didn't seem to be anything he could do to stop it.

"When this is all over…" Draco said. "I'll probably go to Azkaban. Or die. But if I don't… Find me, ok? Even if you change your mind."

Harry shook his head. "I'll never change my mind. Not about you. And I won't have to find you- you'll be there. When we end this. I can't do it without you."

"You won't have to. I'm rooting for you, Harry."

Harry reached out and kissed his boyfriend again. And again. And again. Because who knew when they'd see each other next? Who knew if they'd both live through this?

Harry had to believe that they would.

"I will see you again," he said. "I swear it."

Draco nodded and stepped back into the shadow of the yew tree. "I hope you're right," he said. "I love you, Harry."

"I love you," Harry called after him, but he was already gone.