Harry,

Bloody hell! It's bloody annoying having such a big family. Ginny won't shut up about something utterly ridiculous and George and Fred have gone on a Pranking Extravaganza! Last Tuesday, they used some trick that sent a ghost cat running before my feet and I almost broke my ankle falling down the stairs! They laughed for the rest of the week, but mother was royally pissed. They had to do the rest of the chores that I had to do, but they had fun while doing it, breaking plates and sending clothes flying around the house. Also, Hermione sent me three letters before I could even respond to her first one. I sent you one first just to tick her off. If I can live with this, you can live with what's under your roof. See ya soon.

Ron

Harry,

It's so good to hear from both you and Ron! He's being stubborn with letters and makes me irritated, but you're always so willing to write. I hope everything is all right over there. Everything here is swell. Mother and Father are taking me out to dinner tomorrow night as another congratulations from coming home. But I really miss you two. I can't wait until the school year starts again. Summer is too slow. Sincerely yours.

Love, Hermione

Harry smiled at the letters. It was always nice to hear from them. Every time he woke up and felt a good deal of dread from the family downstairs, it was all washed away when he found two letters at the door. It gave him a new feeling, a warm sensation that gave him an honest smile for the rest of the day. Even if life here wasn't so great, he was still loved and although it was a good distance away, he would see them again-along with that earnest, refreshing feeling that made him so happy it was as if it was all a nightmare.

"Harry!" The shrill, hoarse voice called from another room. "Where is that mail?"

"Coming!" He shouted wearily. He shoved the two letters deep in his back pocket for safe keeping and picked up the rest of the mail he had no interest for. He carried it back to the modern but stylish dining room and threw the bills on the table. "Here."

"About time." The pig known as Vermon snorted.

Harry rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen, pausing to step aside for the horse known as Petunia to get through first.

"And hurry up with our breakfast!" Dudley, the spoiled brat, cried annoyingly, appearing from the living room.

Harry scowled as his chubby face smirked in his own. "It's coming." Dudley purposely bumped his shoulder as he shoved past him, making Harry let out a deep breath to keep his cool.

Life was so much better than this at school. The people he saw, good and bad, were much more thrilling than these people. Every word they said were like nails on a chalkboard to him and every moment they made, every glance, or rise of the eyebrow was like a slap to his face. He would never be happy here. The only time he was remotely close to being happy was when these horrid people left. They did it in spite, too, and Harry knew it well. They would show off their enjoyment in front of Harry only to leave him behind. He preferred it that way, but wouldn't say a word of it to them. Even as he recalled this, he was busy cooking in the kitchen when he got another perfect example.

"Dudley, honey," Petunia called in a shrill, irritating voice. "Come here a moment." He obeyed, ungluing his eyes from the television set for once and seating himself at the table beside his mother. She pulled his chair closer as he sat down and put a boney arm around him. "What do you want to do today?"

Dudley raised his dark eyes to the ceiling dumbly as he thought about the simple question. "There's a movie marathon on at nine."

Vermon dropped the newspaper to meet his wife's blank stare. She smiled back to her son and gave Harry a quick, foul glance. "How would you like… to go to that new amusement park?"

His eyes glazed over with excitement. "Are you serious?"

"One just opened up a few towns over," Vermon explained from behind his newspaper. "If we leave right after breakfast we could make it there by noon."

Harry rolled his eyes as Dudley almost fell out of his chair from his wild reaction. "I can't believe it! I can't believe it! We're really going!"

"Of course, Harry," Petunia spat viciously with a smile, "you'll have to stay. We can't have the house looking like this when we return."

"Yes ma'am," Harry forced out between tight lips.

Harry tuned them out as they started to brag about all the rides, all the food, all the fun they were going to have without him. He had learned to do that very quickly. He gave himself other things to think about wile he worked. He thought about Hogwarts, of course, and all his friends. What Ron was possibly doing to deal with Ginny's rambling and his brothers' pranks. What Hermione was doing with her parents at their family dinner night. What Draco was doing and if he had given him a second thought since school ended.

As he concealed his anger away and put his effort into the work, he started working at his usual, steady pace. He flipped the pancakes, pumped the orange juice by hand, scrambled the eggs and made some over easy. He buttered the toast and had to throw away one he burnt, set the table so it was perfect the way they wanted, and piled on the food as if he were feeding a bunch of animals, which, to him, he was. He stole a piece of toast and the extra eggs for himself which he ate in his room while he got out a piece of paper and ink to respond to the letters. As soon as he finished eating and got everything set up, his name echoed up the stairs and he dropped everything he was doing.

He cleaned up the plates, cups, and silverware as the family left and tossed them in the sink, threw away used napkins and scraps, cleaned off the table and washed it. He pushed in all the chairs, dried the table, and started on the dishes, washing every single one while the numbers seemed to grow the more he worked on them. After that, he collected all the dirty laundry, gagging on the smell of Vermon's rotten and fungus growing clothes, and shoved them into the washing machine. He dusted all around the house, spit shined all the family portraits and collectables, vacuumed every room in the house, and finally put away the clean dishes. He trudged up to his room one more time and grabbed his feather pen. Right as he began to write on the letter, the buzzer for the washer went off downstairs. He groaned loud enough to disturb Hedwig, his pet Snowy owl, and had to apologize.

He went back downstairs and exchanged the clothes from the washer to the dryer. He then had to go to all the rooms, change all the sheets and fluff all the pillows. He cleaned both toilets in the house, brought in fresh towels, and put the dirty ones in the washer. He had to clean Dudley's room, which he always hated more than the rest of the chores. The brat wouldn't clean his room even if Harry wasn't there to pick it up, but he made it an even larger pig's style specifically for him. Clothes scattered everywhere, scraps of food covered the floor, and mold was practically growing on everything. Harry had to pick it all up, no matter how much he detested it. If he skipped out on a single chore, he wouldn't get some of the dinner that he would have to cook.

By then he had to put the wet clothes in the dryer and fold the dry clothes. Once he had put those away in the right drawer in the right room, it was time for the next load. It was amazing how fast time was flying. One of the reasons he hardly noticed was because his mind was elsewhere. He always imagined Hogwarts, things he learned in class and the crazy things he did with his friends. He was picturing Hermione slapping Ron's arm from something he said; Ron complaining and asking Harry to take his side in which he backed away from.

"No way, man," Harry remembered laughing. He waved his hands and shook his head. "I'm not getting involved with you two."

"Aw, c'mon, Harry! You're suppose to back me up!"

"Well, Harry knows I'm right." Hermione had said with a smile.

Ron had scoffed. "If you're right then I'm bloody insane."

"Then you're crazy, Ron, 'cause she's right."

"I told you."

"Seriously? You're bloody joking!"

Harry smiled at the memory and how his friends acted. He loved it all. Even when they were making fun of him for something stupid he did in class, he loved the way they laughed, smiled, and joked with him. He loved how Ron would mess up on a spell and Hermione would flirt as she tried to show him how to fix it. It made them feel like a family, like the one thing he always desired, but could never grasp.

The next load in the dryer went off and made him jolt out of the memory. He folded those clothes and put them away with the others. He started dinner by boiling water and peeling potatoes. He pulled out fresh cut steaks to thaw out and warmed up some peas. It was slow cooking, so he could take his time and he occasionally caught himself staring out the window of the kitchen. The sun was gone, but the moon wasn't up, a beautiful sight that Harry couldn't resist. It wasn't exactly day, but not quite night either. The sky was a solid grey color, mixed between dark orange and dark blue, blending perfectly in one calm stroke of an artist's brush that covered the entire sky.

The last time he was staring at such a sight, he was in the Slitherin Dorms after just waking up. He was leaned on the windowsill from the green and white bed, naked from the waist and up due to the blankets wrapped around his hips. Two cold hands slid around his body like a constricting snake and pulled him into a warm embrace. Harry smiled at the chin that rested on his shoulder and the golden eyes that they held. His smooth hair was dangling in his face, the white strands like silver in the dim dawn light.

"Can't sleep?" Draco asked in a tired whisper.

Harry slowly shook his head. "I guess…. Just woke up. Didn't bother to try."

Draco thought on the response and pulled him closer, eliminating the space between their bodies entirely. "Do we need another bondage session to help with that?"

Harry gasped slightly, then laughed as Draco placed several kisses all over his ear and cheek. "No!" He said with an earnest smile.

Draco sighed and dropped back down on the bed. "Fine…" He glanced at the brunette in his window who continued to stare at the glimmering sky. He then traced a single finger up and down his spine, lightly and slowly. He grabbed the very ends of his auburn brown hair, twisting them between his fingertips to feel the very softness they held. Harry felt a tingle go down his back and he turned to the white haired boy laying behind him. He crouched down low and rested upon his chest, letting one of Draco's pale arms wrap around his back. "What's wrong?" Draco asked when Harry settled down his head on his shoulder.

Harry remembered pausing, not wanting to answer but feeling the desperate need to. "Summer break is in a few days…"

"And?" Draco felt Harry wince when he asked the question.

"I won't see you for three months…" Harry fell into the silence weakly until he started to bounce from Draco's slight chuckles. "What are you laughing at?"

Draco pulled his head up before Harry could sit up in frustration. Draco kept their faces close and ran his finger through the beautiful brown locks. "I'm not going to leave you," he said, solemnly. "Remember? I promised you that." The long lashes dropped over the silvers eyes in a narrow gaze. Draco smirked and rolled his eyes. "Okay, I broke it once, but that was for good reason." He leaned Harry's head down so their foreheads gently touched and he melted his golden gaze into the silver ones he loved so much. "I won't let three months separate us… All right?"

Harry closed his eyes and let Draco's sweet words wrap around him, surround him in such a comforting blanket that he suddenly didn't feel worried anymore. Draco's word were the only thing he needed; they made him feel safe, warm, and at his place. He loved those words and always longed for them. They soon became a desire, just to hear him speak, and such sweet words always trapped him in those golden cages for as long as he wanted.

"I love you, Harry." Draco said in a soft whisper. The kiss that followed after those sugar coated words was so gentle and so mesmerizing that Harry refused to let go. He had snatched his hands around Draco's neck and kissed him back as much as he could, never wanting to leave, never wanting to fall.

Harry was touching his lips, remembering the sweet kiss along with those honey-kissed words echoing in his head when the Dursleys returned home. He quickly jumped off the counter he was sitting on and finished up the last bit of the food. The steaks were still a little pink, so he poured more sauce on them and let them simmer. The peas were done so he turned off the stove and got to mashing the potatoes. As he cooked and aligned the food on the plates for the savage beasts entering the room, he couldn't help but think how skillful he had gotten in cooking over the years. If he were a girl, he would probably make a good housewife. The idea made him flush a bright red in the cheeks and he quickly pushed away the image in his head.

"Well," Vermon sighed as he examined the house. The rest of the pack followed behind him, also examining the rest of the results he had done. "It looks… okay. Could be better," he spat with a chuckle. "Work harder next time. This will never impress the neighbors."

Harry clenched his hand into a fist at his side as he set the plates. "Yes, sir…"

If only he could leave. Harry wished to be seventeen so he could use magic to zip their mouths shut. To stop the orders, the insults, the useless words being hissed at him every second. If he lived in a better world, he could run away and start a new life away from these people forever, but that couldn't happen for at least another month. This was to be his last summer with the Dursely's and the most horrible one at that. After he turned seventeen and returned to Hogwarts, he would never return here again.

He gave the pigs their slop and snuck some food up to his room. He finally shut the door and locked it, refusing to come out even if they ordered him to for some reason. He collapsed on the bed and pushed the plate of food away. He was too tired to eat. This was how he spent his days, cleaning until time stopped and the family returned. His body ached right down to his bones and his limbs felt too numb to move. Yet, the memory of his friends pushed him to his feet. He crawled over to his desk, flicked on the lamp over the papers, and sat down with a sigh. Hedwig cried quietly to get his attention in which he stuck a finger through the cage and scratched her neck. He picked up the feather pen and after thinking tiredly for a minute, he began to write.

Ron,

Good luck with Ginny. Maybe you can have George or Fred cast a spell on a piece of candy that you can give her to shut her up. And if you think carefully, you can get your brothers back with one of their own pranks. Watch what you're doing and don't hurt yourself because Hermione will more upset then your mother. Over here, I can't avoid the torture. They come and go and I clean up after them. I honestly feel like a bloody maid. But it'll all be worth it when I turn seventeen. The day I get out of here will be the happiest day of my life. Well, until then.

Harry

Hermione,

Your family sounds sweet. I'm glad you're enjoying your time with them. Plus, you shouldn't fret about Ron; you know how lazy he can get. Everything here is as peachy as always, running and cleaning, but I don't mind. Hell is hell and I'll get out of it some day. I miss you as much as Ron and the others and can't wait until school starts. Sincerely yours.

Harry

As he folded up the letters nicely and closed the envelopes, a third paper was revealed under the others. He must've grabbed an extra one by accident earlier. His hand stopped mid-way of putting the paper back. Draco ran through his mind and he thought if writing a letter to him would be nice. He missed him like crazy and would love to hear from him as much as he liked to hear from his other friends. But then again, Malfoy Manor was a dangerous place. They were in a secrete relationship. If his father or mother was to find the letter without him knowing, all hell would break loose!

Still, he couldn't stop the pen from being dipped in ink and starting to scratch on the paper:

Draco,

It's been a week and I'm already sick of home. I hope your break is going better than mine… Things suck here and are going like usually… Except I keep having this dream where I'm back at school, but for some reason it's falling apart and I need to get out so I'm running up the stairs to the potion floor of the school. When I reach the top, I find you there. I remember hugging you and then everything seems fine. It reminds me that the only place I really feel safe and happy is with you. So that's why my break sucks and that I need to see you, like, now. Anyway, when I turn seventeen, I'm sure something will work out. I miss Ron and Hermione a lot, but I can't shake you from my mind. So, come see me soon, okay?

Love, Harry

Harry felt his face burn as he finished writing the letter. He suddenly wished he wrote in pencil so he could erase just about everything he wrote. He felt so girly saying he missed him and he even signed it with Love! He quickly tore off his glasses and rubbed his tired face. What was he doing? He couldn't send this. There was no possible way! Even if there was, the things he wrote were far too embarrassing for even Hedwig to see. Yet, something was itching at him to send it. He asked himself why, but he already knew the answer. If he could have the slightest, the thinnest chance of hearing from the boy he loved, he would grasp it without hesitating. Still… It was impossible.

Sadly, he put the paper away. He couldn't write to him. As much as he wanted, he would have to wait. He remembered Draco's words, those sweet, addicting words that promised him they would stay together. He never thought going to summer break would hurt this much. It hurt leaving his magical home and friends, but now the pain was doubled now that he had a lover. He felt his heart hit his stomach as he put the letter away on top of a stack of papers and books on his desk.

He flicked off the lamp, petted Hedwig, put the plate of food on the desk, and set his glasses down on the bedside table by his pillow. He stripped off his shirt and pants until he was only in his underwear and he climbed into bed. He always had trouble sleeping here so he expected the few hours that ticked by while he lay wide awake. He stared at the blurry ceiling that was covered in shadows, patiently waiting for those shadows to engulf him and drag him away from reality and into the world of dreams. Usually, he felt sick to his stomach or just plain upset at this fact, not being able to sleep, but tonight he didn't seem to mind. As he lay there waiting, he kept picturing the bleach-blonde hair that resembled beautiful snow and the perfect golden crystals of eyes. He imagined the eyes gazing at him from beside him and the stands of white hair dangling in is face. He imagined the cool touch of Draco's palm gently grazing his cheek like he always did and pushed the hair out of Harry's bare face. Even though he was practically blind, he could see Draco perfectly beside him, stroking his hair, gazing at him, pulling him close, hugging him, and even kissing him. Light, butterfly kisses that just barely grazed the surface of his lips, enough to send him chills all along his limbs. He loved it. He loved every second of it. He loved him.

Before he knew it, he was asleep, smiling at the thought of his lover beside him.

Finally done. Sorry, these chapters will be produced slower than The Spell of Love's chapters. They need to be detailed specifically so I hope they aren't bad xP Review and tell me what you think! Hope it's good. Chapter 3 coming soon.