Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.

Authors Note: Warnings - Please read this warning before continuing. This chapter contains heavy slash. It's quite graphic, but tasteful. Please don't read it if you're under age, it is for a mature reader only.

This is also the last chapter in this little story. There is a two chapter sequel which will be posted as chapters 6 and 7 of this, shortly. I'm thankful for all the lovely reviews and would appreciate any comment on this chapter.

Enjoy.

Jamie.

xx

Morning found Harry asleep flat on his back; arms and legs sprawled openly. But he didn't stay that way for long. His eyes flew open when he felt a soft wet warmth between his legs. Looking down, Harry was mesmerised by the sight of Malfoy's head at his groin, and cool grey eyes looking up at him. The tip of a pink tongue was poking from between Draco's lips and swirling around the head of his erection.

"Bloody hell," he moaned as his hips automatically arched up to get more of that wet tongue and the warmth he had woken to. He had no idea where his pyjama bottoms had disappeared to, but he didn't care.

"Harry," Draco breathed out, and the air over the damp head made him shiver.

"Draco, why are you doing this?" Harry managed to get out.

"I want you to make me forget, Harry. Forget that people like him exist in the world that do…what he said he was going to do." Draco's face wore a frown, but he nuzzled his cheek along Harry's erection, and sighed. "Please?"

"What?" The heat in his groin made him groan.

Draco looked up at him, pleading. "I've not done this before…with a man…and…and you're a Gryffindor and you wouldn't hurt me, would you? I want to know that it can be good. If something happens later and I get caught, I want to know that it can be good."

"Draco…" Harry started. He wasn't too keen on being used just because he wouldn't hurt Draco. But Draco stopped him by dropping open-mouthed kisses along the length of his shaft and Harry moaned instead.

"Yes…" Harry grabbed Draco's arms and pulled him up to lie on top of him. Draco's legs settled either side of Harry's thighs, and when their erections met a flare of shuddering heat spread through Harry's body like wildfire. He reached round to the back of Draco's neck and drew his head down and into a deep kiss. There was a trembling hint of desperate need in that kiss, of a desire to be consumed by it, and as they searched each other, licking and sucking on lips, it seemed that the cares of the world slipped away and their only reality was each other.

Their bodies, unaccustomed as they were to each other, nevertheless came together urgently, achieving a perfect rhythm that seemed so familiar and so right that it startled Harry and he pulled back, breathless.

"We need lube," he said. He was desperately nervous that he was going to hurt Draco. He'd never done this before either, with a girl or a boy. Was it supposed to be this easy, this effortless? He picked up his wand and muttered a spell that covered him a greasy lubricant.

Draco nodded, biting his lip as Harry also covered his fingers in lubricant. "Okay," he said wriggling around and bracing himself over Harry, arms trembling and voice as fragile as fine china.

As Harry slid one finger inside Draco, he watched him carefully, tentatively pushing it in right to the knuckle. A look of surprise crossed Draco's face, and he squirmed a little, closing his eyes. He had no idea what Draco was supposed to feel like…inside, so Harry took his time before adding a second finger, searching Draco's face for any sign of distress. That didn't seem to be the case, though as Draco was beginning to roll his hips, pushing back onto Harry's fingers.

"You ready for another one? I…I think there should be three," Harry asked.

"Yes," Draco replied, breathily, still looking a little dazed.

Harry pushed a third finger inside. God he was so tight, but he could feel Draco slowly stretching, allowing him in and rocking in time with the push and pull of Harry's fingers. Draco opened his eyes and looked down at Harry. He began whispering, so softly that Harry could barely hear him.

"Is this what I've wanted all this time… This… You?"

"You sure you want this?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Please…now."

Gulping, Harry nodded, removed his fingers and reached down between them to take his erection in his hand. He helped guide Draco into the right position. Inch by inch Draco sat down on him, and the heat and the tight squeeze of muscle surrounding him almost made Harry whimper. He was too hot, too tight, and once he was fully sheathed, Harry was positive that one movement from Draco would make him come.

Deep and intense as the sensation was, Harry didn't want it to end too soon, and he gripped Draco's hips and held him still, watching his face carefully, seeing the grimace and knew that he was hurting. It was enough to pull him back from the dangerous edge - the one where he came too soon and ruined it for Draco.

"Draco…?"

"I'm ok," Draco answered, opening his eyes and staring down into Harry's. "Just give me a minute." Draco's voice was tight and strained but he held Harry's eyes and devoured his resistance.

"You're so tight," Harry whispered, feeling the miniscule relaxation of the muscles around him, but he kept motionless, waiting and shaking from the tension.

Draco rolled his hips a little and the sudden flush of adrenaline that shot through Harry, along with the sight of Draco's eyes fluttering, made him join his breathless moan to Draco's.

"God, Harry, I'm so…full…of you," Draco moaned and he could feel through the hands on Draco's hips, that there was little tremors of what Harry hoped was pleasure rippling through him.

"Fuck…move…now!" came Draco's order as he lifted himself up and dropped back down. Harry wasted no time in lifting Draco again and this time ramming his hips up, meeting Draco half way. Their skin slapped together, noise almost lost in the blending of their groans. Draco's hands were on Harry's shoulders, their eyes locked as they moved, Draco's dark and needy and full of something that Harry couldn't define, even had he the ability to step back and analyse it.

With a whimper, Draco moved slightly and Harry thrust hard, hitting his prostate, which only made Draco gasp and move faster begging Harry to hit that spot once more. He gripped his own erection and began pumping it hard. "Please…" he moaned and bucked and shook and Harry thought that watching Draco was just about the most erotic sight he had ever seen.

Ultimately, it was too much and Harry let out a loud groan and his whole body tensed as he came, pushing his hips up, holding Draco still while he thrust into him, until Draco collapsed onto Harry's chest as he shuddered and spasmed into his own orgasm.

A short while later neither of them had moved, though Harry had pulled the covers over them both. Draco was still lying on Harry's chest, his head buried into Harry's neck, and Harry had wrapped his arms around Draco, and was just holding him.

A muffled voice from Harry's neck broke the silence. "Thank you, Harry."

Harry stroked Draco's hair and smiled, wondering at the place he found himself in. If anyone had suggested that Harry would lose his virginity with Draco Malfoy…well, no one ever would have suggested it, it was beyond belief. And yet…

And yet, he realised now; he would not have it any other way. It wasn't pretty or perfect, and it hadn't taken very long, but Harry knew it was something that he would always remember as being amazing.

Eventually, Draco rolled off him and onto his side and Harry quickly moved to what he was considering his favourite way to sleep; snuggling up into Draco's back and holding him, as if he was some sort of protection for him.

As they fell asleep once more, even the thought that he would be leaving later on couldn't dull the pleasant glow that he felt.

The pleasant glow didn't last long, however. When they both woke later on and Dobby had bought them their breakfast, Harry broached the subject of him leaving.

"I'll be leaving tonight," Harry said.

Draco immediately dropped his fork and stared at Harry. "I'll come with you, then."

"No, you can't, Draco," Harry replied shaking his head.

"Well, I'm not staying here on my own! I can help you. I want to. I don't know what it is that you have to do, but whatever it is, I know it has to do with killing him and I want to help."

Harry looked at him for a moment; saw how determined he was and understood his need to help kill Voldemort for what he had done to his mother and had planned for himself. But, Harry couldn't do it; he couldn't take Draco with him. He didn't want to admit it, but Draco had become too important to him. In just a few days their hate had turned into something that it perhaps should have been all along and Harry was not prepared to risk that.

And then of course, he wasn't supposed to tell anyone else about the Horcruxes either. How could he go off searching for them with Draco and not tell him what they were doing?

"You can't help me. This is something I have to do on my own."

"I bet Granger and the Weasel are allowed to help you," Draco said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"No, they aren't," Harry replied, hotly.

"So, why can't I go with you then? Am I not good enough for the almighty Potter to work with? I'm good enough for you to shag but not good enough to help you kill that…that…fucking monster? Is that it?" Draco was yelling now.

"No, just shut the fuck up, Malfoy!" Harry yelled back, banging his own knife and fork down on his plate with a loud crash.

"Then what?" Draco shouted. "I want the chance to see you kill that fucker! I want my revenge too, Potter," Draco's voice broke on the last sentence. "You said you wouldn't leave me and now you're going and leaving me here all alone and I don't…"

Harry's temper drained away and he was left with that feeling of helplessness once more.

"The reason that I don't have Hermione and Ron with me is that it's too dangerous. People that are with me or close to me are a target and I don't want to lose them. That's why I broke up with Ginny. She would have been a target. You…you're safe here. Hogwarts is safe for you. I'll leave you the map and…and you can talk to Dumbledore whenever you like…"

"Oh great," Draco scoffed. "Locked up in the castle for god knows how long, with a portrait of the man I tried to kill. Brilliant, Potter," Draco said, his arms folded across his chest in what Harry now recognised as a defensive gesture.

"I'll be coming back. I'm not sure how long I'll be, but I will come back. I just want you here, safe and sound when I do." Harry muttered.

"People are always trying to make me do things to 'keep me safe', Potter. My mother did, Snape did and even Dumbledore did, and now you. Why can't I be trusted to make my own choices? I'm not safe. Whatever I do, both sides want me. I thought you were different."

"Draco…wait…" Harry stood up and pulled Draco up and into his arms. He was stiff but unresisting and kept his arms crossed in front of his chest, though he did drop his head onto Harry's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I haven't explained myself very well."

Draco snorted. "Thick as always, Potter," he said, but there was no animosity behind it, just a resigned sullenness.

"Look, you can come with me if you really want to, I'll let you make that choice. I'm sorry, you're right; it should be your choice. But hear me out, okay?" Harry's hand was rubbing up and down Draco's back and Harry marvelled at how easy it was to be standing here like this with him.

Draco pulled back, looked at Harry, calculating for a moment, then, obviously deciding that Harry was sincere, he nodded and wound his arms around Harry's waist as he laid his head back down on Harry's shoulder.

"There are some things I have to do before I can kill Voldemort," Harry began. "I don't know where I'll be going and I don't know for how long I'll be gone. But it will be extremely dangerous, and I don't want anyone else to risk their lives for me. I've already lost Sirius and Dumbledore to this war. They were two of the most important people to me and I don't think I could stand to lose another. Something in me breaks when I do."

Harry turned his head and kissed Draco's forehead. "For some reason, that for the life of me I can't fathom," he grinned, "some blond prat has come to mean a lot to me…too much to risk," he finished in a whisper.

"It would be a big relief to know that you were safe and away from harm while I was gone. One less person I have to worry about. But, it's your choice. I would give almost anything to be able to have you with me – almost. I wouldn't give your life for it though and that's what it may come to."

Draco's arms wound tighter and he sighed. "I understand. But you can't save everyone, Harry. Not everyone will be able to stay safe for you and it won't be their fault if they can't. I'll…I'll think about it and let you know sometime before you leave."

Draco let him go and stepped back, a troubled look on his face. Harry nodded; it was as good as he was going to get. Somehow he'd talk Draco into staying here.

.o0o.

The rest of the day, they spent doing almost nothing at all. They took a trip to the Library for books - just in case - and they used Harry's cloak, as much for the chance to walk huddled together under it than anything else. It had been Draco's suggestion and Harry happily agreed, figuring it was a need for the comfort of close contact that precipitated it.

There wasn't much need for them to talk a lot and in any case, Harry saw that Draco's attention often drifted away and he became thoughtful. Narcissa wasn't mentioned by tacit agreement and that suited Harry. He had no idea what to say about it that had not already been said before. It was a horrible, horrible thing to experience and reminding Draco of it would serve no purpose that Harry could see.

He often caught Draco looking at him when his attention wandered and he wondered what he was thinking. Occasionally, Draco would smile when he was caught, but more often than not, they would just look at each other until one or the other looked away. At first, Harry had found these long, lingering looks discomforting, but now he found them soothing, like they were connected in an understanding of sorts.

Dobby served them lunch and Harry warned him that he was leaving and that if Draco stayed, then Dobby was to take as good care of him as he had of Harry. Tearfully, Dobby said that he would be honoured to take care of what was so important to Harry. Draco had sat there scowling and added after Dobby left that he was still going with Harry and had all that really been necessary as Draco wasn't a possession to be handed over into the care of someone else. Especially a house elf.

They almost argued over that; Harry annoyed because Draco still treated Dobby as a lesser being, and Draco annoyed because Harry assumed way too much. It took Harry explaining that he just wanted Draco to have someone in the castle to make sure he was alright, if he stayed, before Draco relented only slightly mollified. Harry ignored his barb about him always having to play the hero and all was forgotten.

As the afternoon wore on, though, and the time for Harry to leave approached, they became quieter, each caught up in their own thoughts. Finally, as dusk was descending, Draco stood and took up his wand. Harry watched him place the Disillusionment charm on himself.

"Harry, I need some time to myself to think. I'll meet you out where you found me, near the Whomping Willow. I assume that's the tunnel we'll be leaving through?"

Harry nodded to the space where Draco had been standing. "Alright, I'll be out there, soon," he said and watched as the door opened and then closed again.

When he was gone, Harry looked around the room, saddened to leave it. It had been his home for only about a week and yet so much had happened in the last few days that it seemed like he had been there much longer. He wasn't going to get all melancholy about it; he would be back soon enough, assuming that Draco stayed. If not, well, this room had served its purpose. It had kept them both safe, given Draco a secure place to hide and would continue to provide that if needed. But it was time for Harry to complete his…mission? task?…fulfil his destiny? Harry laughed wryly. How melodramatic was that?

The few things he needed to take with him were packed into his knapsack and before he left, he sat down and composed letters to Hermione and to Remus, adding a longer letter for Hermione and letting them know he was safe and would keep in touch as often as he could. He apologised for worrying them, but found that the time was…well spent. In retrospect, it was well spent indeed. Posting the letters would be one of the first things he did after leaving the school.

Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak around himself, picked up his knapsack and left the Room. As he walked down the Halls and outside he wondered how long it would be before he saw this place again. It still felt like home, even as empty and hollow as it was now. In the future…if he had a future after Voldemort, he thought he might like to come back here and teach. The politics of the Ministry frustrated Harry and in all honesty, these days he could not see himself becoming an Auror after it was all over. Hogwarts was home and home was where he wanted to be. Number 12 was always going to be the Black residence and not even reminders of Sirius' presence in it was going to change that and Harry had never felt comfortable there.

He berated himself a little over getting all melancholy over leaving after he'd told himself not to, but he smiled when he headed out to the Whomping Willow and saw that Draco had removed the charm and was lying on his back in the grass nearby, the fading light making him a dark patch on the ground only lightened by his blond hair.

Harry dropped down beside him and stretched out. Draco gave him a small smile and went back to looking up at the sky that was just beginning to be dark enough for the first of the stars to appear.

"I went and apologised to him," Draco said.

"Who?"

"Dumbledore. When you found me in his office – that's what I'd been doing."

"Oh. What did he say?"

Draco sighed. "Something along the lines of our choices define who we are. He said that after all that had happened I would understand the importance of choices."

"Ah…" Harry said.

"I used to hate you. I hated that you always hogged all the limelight. You beat me at everything and your name was always in the paper. You were a fucking celebrity and I wanted the attention and I could never understand why it was you that got it. A speccy git with messy hair and a scar, who wore bad clothes. What did you have that I didn't? Me? A pureblood with a pedigree as long as my arm."

"Draco…"

"No, Harry, let me finish. I've done a lot of thinking lately and I see now that in the past, my choices were all made from a flawed perspective. I was bought up to see things one way and if I didn't, there was hell to pay. And don't get me wrong; I bought into all those pure blood supremacy ideals because I wanted to. It was what I knew, what I was taught and if there's one thing that kids want, it's to impress their parents."

Harry moved his head to rest against Draco's shoulder in silent support.

"But I never saw things from anyone else's point of view before. I made my choices based on selfish things. It was what I wanted, what I thought about things that mattered and not anyone else. And the fact that it fit with my father's ideals only made it seem more…right. Well, it felt like I was making choices anyway, until that night when Dumbledore died. That's when it all hit home. I was not making choices at all, I was just following orders, doing as I was bred to do, being the lackey and not seeing the big picture."

Draco's hand reached for Harry's and held it tightly.

"Even faced with death, Dumbledore gave me a choice and it kind of exploded what I knew of him…and you. And I think then that I made the first independent choice I'd ever made in my life. God, I still hated him and you, but to see him dead? No, I didn't even want that anymore let alone be able to actually do it."

"I think he knew that, Draco," Harry said softly. "He even told you that he didn't think you would be able to."

Harry could feel Draco nodding beside him, though by now he could barely even make out his shape in the dark, as the moon had yet to rise.

"So, that's the reason I've decided to stay here," Draco said in a soft but firm voice. "You have something to do that's bigger than my revenge and I can't be the one to stop you. What if in the heat of battle, in a life or death situation, I find I just can't kill? Or…what if I hesitate and it costs you your chance to rid us of that vermin once and for all?" Draco's voice was full of self-doubt now and Harry moved closer so that their whole sides were pressed close together.

"I don't want to be the reason that you fail, Harry. What you have to do is too important for me to impose my own personal agenda on you. I trust you to do your job, Potter," Draco's voice became gruff with repressed emotion. "But if you don't succeed and then come back for me, I'll hunt you down myself."

"I'll come back for you, I promise," Harry replied, his own voice thick. "I'll be back before you know it."

Draco heaved a huge sigh of relief and there was a comfortable silence between them, both deep in their own thoughts as they watched the moon rise above them. After a while, they both turned their heads towards each other and in the moonlight, Harry could just make out Draco's eyes, dark yet shining and full of sadness.

"Harry?"

"Hmmm?"

"There's a lot of things I've done that I now regret, but this…us…isn't one of them."

Harry smiled and placed their joined hands over Draco's lips. "Shh… I know."

Another long silence fell between them and they let their eyes roam each others faces, Harry needing to remember what Draco looked like, supplanting old memories of the sneering Malfoy he had for something to hold onto when things looked bleak.

"Do you believe in fate, Draco?" Harry whispered.

"I'm not sure, why?"

"I wasn't supposed to be here, in fact, it was a mistake to come here. No..." Harry stilled Draco's look of shock by leaning in and kissing the corner of his mouth. "I meant, in terms of the job I have to do, coming here was a bit of a strategic error. But, if I hadn't, I would not have found you…I think it was fate that threw us together. Maybe there is a reason for that."

Draco looked at him thoughtfully for a while and then grinned. "Sodding hero aren't you?"

"What?" Harry asked, grinning back but not understanding.

"Rescue lost dogs and kittens too, do you? You saved me, you prat."

Harry blushed. "You would have been alright."

"You underestimate yourself, Potter," Draco shook his head.

"I'm going to tell Hermione about…all this," Harry said quietly, remembering the letter he'd already written her. "Just in case I…" He caught Draco's tension beside him and didn't finish the sentence. It didn't need to be said anyway. "I trust her."

Draco only nodded and stood. Harry joined him and held him in a tight hug, rewarded by Draco's arms hanging onto him for dear life. "You'd better go," he said. "The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back for me." Then he pushed Harry away and stood there with his arms crossed.

Harry remained quiet. Whatever this was between them, it was too new, too undetermined to warrant tears and promises and heart breaking farewells, but he could no longer be casual about leaving Draco either. He turned, with a certain heaviness in his heart and picked up his knapsack from where he'd dropped it on the ground.

The next thing he knew, his arms were full of Draco once more and he was being kissed until he was breathless. "Now, Potter, if that doesn't make you hurry the fuck up and go so you can come back to more of that then I don't know what will." There was a teasing sadness in Draco's eyes and Harry answered in kind.

"Just the thought of that will keep me warm at nights, Malfoy. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

"Go!" Draco said, with an incline of his head towards the tunnel entrance.

"Prat!"

"Speccy git," Draco countered, but there was a catch in his voice.

Harry ducked into the tunnel and gave Draco one last look, to see him standing there silhouetted in the moonlight, a solitary, lone figure, with his shoulders sadly slumped.

He'd be back. Of that he was certain.