A/N: I seem to have messed up middle names. Apparently Lucius' middle name is Abraxas, but I already used that as Draco's, so I gave Lucius the middle name of Sceleris instead, which supposedly means "evil one" in Latin. Ironic much? I don't know, I just used a translator. Any Latin speakers?
There was another flash that nearly blinded them both. Draco felt Harry sagging in his arms weakly, and, concerned, he held him tightly to his chest, supporting Harry's weight with his own. The flash faded, and Draco blinked, the Room of Requirement coming into focus. Hermione, Pansy, and Blaise were all staring at them, wide mouthed. "You just left, and now you're back?" Blaise whispered, confused. Apparently no time had passed.
Draco shrugged, a happy grin settling over his face, as Hermione shrieked, "Oh, Harry!" before flinging herself at him. Harry staggered weakly, as the force drove the breath from him.
"Hermione," he choked.
Draco gingerly removed Harry from her grasp. "He's feeling the effects of the journey," he said gently. "Let's get him seated first." Hermione's eyes brightened in understanding, and they all moved to the couches, where Pansy and Blaise proceeded to mimic Hermione's enthusiastic greeting, awkwardly hugging the seated Harry.
Draco sat beside Harry, arm around his Inima. He never wanted to let go again. Hermione sat on the floor by Harry's feet, her eyes studying her best friend. "Never do that to me again," she murmured. Harry looked apologetic.
"I had to…you know that," he said quietly, looking at his hands, which were clasped in his lap.
Draco rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. "Look, what happened, happened," he sighed. "I don't want to even remember the past few months. Let's just focus on living our lives now…"
"What was it like?" Blaise interjected.
Harry shuddered. "I was treated well, but it was still horrible." He shifted uncomfortably. "Death took every opportunity he could to taunt me with horrid visions…it was worse than being connected to Voldemort." A haunted look came into his eyes. "Please…don't ask me to go into any more detail. I don't want to ever think about it…"
"You don't have to," Draco soothed. "Let's talk about the other problems at hand…like, how are we going to explain your sudden reappearance?"
Hermione smiled. "Already taken care of," she said triumphantly. "It has been released to one humble Rita Skeeter, who doesn't want certain information leaked about her, and she has agreed to write an article detailing an ancient ritual that revives a lost Inima. Unfortunately, that means that your marriage, as well as the fact that you are Inimae, is now public information." She looked apologetic. Draco shrugged.
"Saves us the hassle of making up a new story," he said amicably. "So that's one problem solved…"
"What's the other?" Pansy asked. Draco and Harry shared a long look.
"Death only let me go on one condition," Harry muttered. Hermione's eyes narrowed.
"And what was that?" she demanded. "Harry, you didn't promise anything bad, did you?"
"Depends on how you look at it," Draco said bitterly. "Death said we had to find another willing soul to take Harry's place. We have one year to do so, otherwise he takes Harry back, forever."
A stunned silence met his words. Harry shrunk against his side nervously, and Draco sensed the emotions roiling within him.
Ah, how he missed being able to see, touch, and speak to Harry…he'd even missed their telepathic bond, and the emotions he could sense.
He was distracted enough to almost miss Hermione's quiet voice.
"I'll do it."
"No."
Draco was reminded of the strength Harry possessed, as Harry snapped. "I refuse to let you trade your soul for mine," Harry continued adamantly. "I will find someone else. None of you."
"But Harry-"
"No, Hermione." Harry's eyes were anguished. "I've already lost a lot of people…I can't lose you too. You're all I have left of my childhood." They shared a long look.
"Did you see…him, down there?" Hermione asked softly, referring to their lost friend. Harry shook his head.
"I was kept from the other souls," he answered. "It's like Death knew and anticipated Draco's coming."
"So what are you going to do then?" Blaise asked. Harry shrugged.
"I have a year to think about that…right now, I just want to enjoy the life Draco restored to me…I want to be happy and carefree, for the first time in my life. For once, I don't have any expectations resting on me." He smiled peacefully. It caused Draco to smile as well. Kissing Harry's cheek, he squeezed him lightly.
"And you can be." You can be just Harry, Draco murmured in his mind. Harry glanced at him lovingly.
At last, he replied.
•••
As expected, the hubbub that surrounded Harry's return was overwhelming. Owls poured in, to the point where Headmaster Dumbledore, pleased with Harry's return and desiring a certain level of comfort for the young man, set up a system that would filter out fan mail, requests for interviews, and even a few hate letters, no doubt from secret Voldemort supporters. Only the few owls that were approved would be let through.
A similar system was set up for Draco, though it was less secure, allowing a few distasteful letters to slip through. It was in this way that Draco came to receive an unmarked letter. Slitting it open, he pulled the paper out just enough to briefly recognize the spidery, elegant handwriting. His heart sank, as he shoved it back into the envelope. It was another one of those letters.
Harry looked up, in time to catch Draco's frown. For a brief moment, he wished he was sitting at the Slytherin table, so he could ask what was wrong. Wait a minute… He grinned to himself. He had Telepathy.
Draco? he asked. The blonde's gaze shot up, and for a moment, uncertainty flickered across his face, before he smiled.
Yeah?
What was that?
Draco's smile faltered slightly. Nothing. Despite Harry's warning look, Draco refused to say anything more. Just some…upsetting news.
C'mon, Draco, we're Inima, for Merlin's sake! Just tell me…
Don't worry about it.
Don't be like that…
Come off it, Harry. It's not important. Harry huffed, and retreated from Draco's mind, ignoring the blonde's gentle, but firm apology. He turned to Hermione, ignoring the apologetic look Draco shot him. Hermione looked up at him, then glanced over her shoulder at Draco. Her lips parted in the beginning of a question, then closed, as she thought better of it. With a small sigh, she returned to reading her book, leaving Harry to poke at his food, ignoring the occasional look sent his way, and the attempts of Draco to catch his attention.
•••
Dumbledore had somehow convinced the castle to add an extra room, somewhere near the Room of Requirement, for Harry and Draco since they were married Inima. The room had been decorated to their liking, and both rather liked the idea of returning to his own room, shared by their special someone.
But right now, Harry would rather be anywhere. He was still ignoring Draco, still hurt by the earlier snub. And now the blonde wouldn't leave him alone.
"C'mon, Harry, I said I was sorry…" Harry kept his eyes on the page in his new Potions book. Even though he'd saved the Wizarding World, he was still expected to finish his schooling, which meant catching up on a ton of homework. Not even the excuse of being dead got him out of it.
"Ignoring me isn't going to make me tell you anything," Draco said irritably. "You don't need to behave like a first year."
"I thought we agreed to tell each other everything," Harry said, breaking his vow of silence. He still didn't look up. Draco's face fell.
"We did," he replied, his voice quiet.
"So why not now?"
"Because…it doesn't concern you."
"But it seems to concern you." Harry finally looked up. "Draco, anything that upsets you concerns me."
"It's not upsetting-"
"So you were lying to me earlier?" Draco stopped midsentence. Harry's tone was disappointed. "Which is it, Draco? Upsetting or not? Whatever it is, it does seem to be bothering you…why?"
There was a long silence, as Draco gazed at the small fireplace. Harry sighed, and returned to his book.
"It's from my father."
Harry's head snapped up. "What?" he breathed.
Draco turned around. "It's from my father," he snapped. "It's a threat letter, okay? A bloody threat."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked, his eyes hurt. "How long has this been going on? Is it the first one?"
"No, it's not the first one, and it's been going on awhile," Draco growled. "I didn't tell you because one, you were dead, and two, when you were brought back, I didn't want to worry you."
Harry recoiled. "Sorry," he snarled, the hurt deepening. Why was Draco yelling at him?
"Too late for that…is this how it's always going to be? You always pressuring me into telling you something I don't want to tell you?"
"It will be if you're always keeping bloody secrets from me!" Harry yelled in return.
"It's always got to be about you, huh? Always about your knowledge, because the oh-so-almighty Harry Potter can't stand being in the dark, even if it's for his own good, huh?" Draco's eyes sparked with anger, as Harry's began to dull with fear and hurt. But the blonde didn't notice it, as he spat out words of venom. "You're such a prat, Potter. Just because you saved the bloody Wizarding World doesn't give you the right to act like you're so high and mighty."
"Then maybe I shouldn't have saved the Wizarding World, huh, Malfoy?"
"Got that right. Maybe someone else would have made a better hero. Maybe someone else who wasn't so full of themselves! Someone who could do something of worth without getting a big head over it!"
Draco stopped suddenly, his chest heaving, and a feeling of dread sinking over him. Harry had slammed his book shut, and was now standing in front of Draco. His eyes glittered with unshed tears. "So that's what you think then?" he asked softly. "I'm just a prat who's full of himself? That I shouldn't have ever been born? That saving the Wizarding World was the only thing of worth I ever did?"
Draco opened his mouth to take it back, but it was too late.
"Good to know that's how you feel," Harry whispered, before shoving past Draco roughly, and exiting the room.
"Harry," Draco began, but there was only the slam of the door behind his Inima. He stood there for a moment, stunned, and unsure of what had just happened. Pain, hurt, and sorrow washed over him, and it brought tears to Draco's eyes. The amount of pain that Harry was feeling…
He reached out with his mind, only to find himself being blocked. And suddenly, the stream of emotions from Harry was cut off. Harry was completely blocking him off. Suddenly afraid for his Inima, and what Harry might do considering how distraught he was, Draco took off running out of the room.
"Harry!" he called. There was no answer, and the corridor was now empty. Harry was gone, and Draco had no idea where he'd gone.
