As he entered the Great Hall the next morning, Draco's eyes went straight to Severus's place at the staff table. There was a noticeable gap between the two professors on either side. Disappointed, he made his way to the Slytherin table and went through the motions of eating breakfast, but a knot had formed in his stomach that killed his hunger.

Draco's first two lessons were spent deep in thought. His professor's sudden disappearance had to be linked to what had happened last night. Had Dumbledore found out and given Severus the sack? The meddling old man had a way of always knowing what was going on in his castle.

Or had Draco scared him away? The knot in his stomach worsened at the thought that he might have done something to repel Severus. He had made a hasty exit after what happened last night. Did Draco disgust him so much that he was avoiding him?

As soon as the bell signalled the end of an extremely boring History of Magic lesson, Draco was out of the door and heading towards the dungeons. If Severus was still in the castle, he would be in his office. Even if the professor didn't want to see him, Draco was going to find out what was wrong.

There was a timid knock on the door. Severus barely noticed; his only acknowledgement of the sound was to lift his head a few inches from his pillow and shout, "Fuck off!" His head was pounding relentlessly and bright spots kept flashing in front of his eyes.

The door opened anyway. Turning over so that his back faced the door, Severus tried to give the impression that he was asleep. Whoever it was who had the nerve to disturb his misery closed the door and crossed the room to stand next to the bed.

"Professor?"

The quiet, tranquil voice reverberated through Severus's body, sobering him up and filling him with dread. It was the voice he heard in his dreams, calling him to bed, where his deepest pleasures would be fulfilled. Draco's voice. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, unable to face the boy, disgusted by his own lust for someone 30 years his junior.

A soft, warm hand touched his shoulder, sending ripples of pleasure down his spine. His sharp intake of breath was sure to let Draco know that he wasn't really asleep. Reluctantly opening his eyes, he surrendered to the boy's firm grip and let himself be turned onto his back. Smelling the sharp tang of alcohol on his breath, Draco recoiled a little.

"You're drunk!" he accused, face showing his concern.

"Can you blame me?" Severus replied softly, lips barely moving. He turned his head a little to look Draco in the eyes, intending to discomfort the boy, but instead found himself captivated. He was falling into a clear blue sky, the wind wrapping itself around him and holding him close. Draco could see right through him; he could read Severus's perverse thoughts and they must repulse him.

"What do you want?" Severus asked in a shaky voice, his entire body trembling despite the sudden heat that filled the room. Draco's response was to climb onto the bed, placing his legs either side of Severus's hips, straddling him. He placed his hands on either side of Severus's neck and, ever so slowly, he bent down so that his soft blonde hair tickled Severus's face. Every time he exhaled, Severus felt a breath of warm air disperse across his face.

"I think you know what I want." Draco whispered. A moan of anticipation escaped Severus's lips as the boy kissed him tenderly.

This time it was his turn to dominate. Severus's robes were swiftly removed and Draco was free to run his hands down his lover's bare chest. The professor shivered at the contact, arching his body towards the boy, demanding more. Draco granted his wish, planting a trail of fiery kisses from his stomach to his neck and bringing his head up to nip gently at his ear. Severus tightened his arms around Draco's body and softly murmured, "Fuck."

Delighted by this response, Draco focused his attention to the man's ear. He ran his tongue around the inside of the lobe, catching it between his teeth and pulling at it playfully. Judging by the satisfied moans emitted from Severus's throat, he had found a particularly sensitive area.

One hand affectionately stroking his professor's back, the other playing with a strand of the silky dark hair, Draco moved on to Severus's neck, sucking at the tender flesh and kissing the spot where he'd left a mark.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together, so that Draco could feel Severus becoming hard against his thigh. He sat up, fingers brushing gently against the professor's nipples, and surveyed the skinny white body that he controlled with his touch. The man's ribs were visible through the fragile skin that stretched across his chest. Running his fingers along each bone that jutted out through the skin, Draco repositioned himself so that he knelt between the slender legs. Taking Severus's erection in one hand, he prised apart the legs with the other and slid himself slowly inside.

Severus bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. It had been so long since he had been entered. His muscles were tense enough to make this painful for him. Sensing this, Draco took his left hand and squeezed it gently. He rubbed each delicate finger with his thumb, then massaged the rough skin of the palm. Severus closed his fingers around Draco's thumb and relaxed a little.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Severus's chest was so tight that he had to take a deep breath before answering. His voice was full of need and lust. "No. Please… don't stop."

As gently as he could, Draco made love to the man he had worshipped for six years. He wanted Severus to know that it didn't matter how badly he treated him; he would always be there after the pain and humiliation and self-disgust, to hold him and make him whole again.

Severus came into his hand and Draco licked it clean, savouring the taste. Moaning his lover's name and clutching the hand that had never let go of his own, he came, collapsing onto Severus as if the strings holding him up had been cut, burying his face in the mess of black hair that spilled across the pillow.

They lay side by side, stroking and kissing and whispering their secrets to each other. When night fell they made love again, screaming each other's names into the darkness.

A/N: I feel like I should do a fourth chapter that fits in with the end of Half Blood Prince. Obviously during this fic I ignored Draco's mission and Severus's promise, so I want to show how their relationship fits in with what happens. However, I'm not quite sure how to do this. If you would like to see a fourth chapter and have any ideas, please send me feedback.