I own absolutely nothing!

A/N: Hey guys! Chapter 9, Ta-da! I could bitch and moan about why it has taken me an eternity to update, however I will spare you the drama. I'll say this though - When life blows, it blows hard! My apologies for the hold up, though.

Anywho, school holidays are almost over, woohoo! My little prince will be starting full time education in 2 weeks time and I'm already mourning the loss lol. Hopefully, I will get back on track writing-wise once he is outta my hair, but I can't make any promises. I do promise, though, that I will certainly NOT be giving up! One thing I'm not is a quitter! Hell, I tried to make a relationship with a gay man work!! Haha. (That sounded soo blasé; I almost fell for it myself.)

Thank you to everyone who is continuing to read and review. I love you all x

Warning - swearing (as usual!)

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Previously…

His stomach twisting with absolute horror and his heart sinking pitifully in his chest, Draco gazed at the document for a long moment. The name Lily Potter in the box marked deceased caused his heart to squeeze painfully and he couldn't stop the tear that slid down his face, landing on the word marked 'Mother' beside the space left for occupation

"It's me." Harry whispered tightly.

Chapter 9 - Someone like you.

Draco's eyes slid up from the document in his hands and connected with Harry's glittering green orbs; a loaded look passing between them as a heavy silence descended.

Harry wasn't sure what else to say, wasn't sure if he should say any more. He saw in the periphery of his vision Draco swallow a few times, his Adam's apple sliding down his pale throat and disappearing behind the knot of his light blue tie.

Icy cold fear washed over Harry. He was sure that he had overstepped that invisible employer/employee line, and the feeling only increased the longer Draco remained silent.

The blonde's hard grey stare became too much, too intense, and Harry could no longer hold it. Instead he pulled his gaze away and concentrated on the document in the blonde's hands. Purely to break the tense silence, and studiously ignoring the voice in his head that was screaming for him to shut the hell up, Harry continued his story.

"I was a year old. My parents, Lily and James, had no other family so I grew up in care." He said, one of his fingers coiling around the knot of his own tie, gently loosening it.

He stared off, his gaze lingering on the fake flickering of flames on the screen ahead of him.

"I used to lie in bed at night and try to imagine what they were like; how they looked and smelled and sounded-" He whispered softly as though he were talking to himself, "-I'd close my eyes and pretend that I could hear them talking or see them laughing, pretend they were there. That's all I ever wanted…someone to be there…" He trailed off, this time fully aware that he was saying too much, yet he couldn't stop talking. He didn't want to stop talking.

He could feel Draco studying his face, probably waiting for a tear to fall, but none did. He simply smiled humourlessly, his gaze still locked on the artificial fire as his mind slipped easily into his past. He could almost smell the scent of the bed sheets at the Children's Home, the echo of kids laughing, the scurry of mice behind the walls…

"I spent my entire childhood alone; I was never adopted…I think the first lesson I ever learned was that I was the only person I could rely on. I mean, I don't have ridiculously crippling trust issues, but I've always…" he paused, biting his lip thoughtfully as a small frown pulled his eyebrows together "…kept my distance, you know? Stayed back and avoided being…" he trailed off again, his eyes immediately flashing to Draco's face as though he only just realised he were still speaking. An apologetic, almost embarrassed, expression passed across his troubled face, and he adopted one of his false smiles.

Draco was displeased to see the manufactured pull at the corners of Harry's mouth. It displeased him because it wasn't really a smile, more of a grimace, and it always showed the opposite to humour. It never reached the brunette's eyes and it never made Draco want to smile in return. He reasoned that, given Harry's tale, it wasn't something that he was likely to smile fondly about. A small shiver passed over the blonde as he imagined what life had actually been like for the man sitting before him, and he felt a new type of respect for the brunette.

The unnatural smile that Harry had displayed lasted all of two seconds before it was replaced by a heavy frown. "Sorry, I'm being extraordinarily unprofessional; you shouldn't have to listen to this." He murmured, gently removing the death certificate from Draco's hand and placing it back inside the red folder.

Draco noticed how delicately Harry handled the file, as though he were afraid of damaging it, and he reasoned that the brunette had every right to hold dear the information. It all suddenly made sense - Harry's desperation when Draco had 'mislaid' the red file on his first day…of course he would be upset about losing something so personal, so vital.

Blinking, Draco replied "No. It's fine, really." His voice was so soft that he was barely audible; afraid that if he spoke too loudly it would somehow break the spell that had fallen over them.

He knew that Harry wanted to talk, he could see it. All he had to do was wait; patience was always the key with the brunette, and lately Draco found himself with more than ample supply of it.

Another humourless smile pulled at Harry's lips, his finger pulling at the knot of his tie once more, and as though the realisation that he was no longer at work had hit him, he tugged more firmly, pulling apart the knot and removing it altogether. Draco's eyes widen slightly as the brunette began undoing the buttons of his shirt, and he suppressed a groan when he stopped at two, pulling his collar apart with a heavy sigh.

When Harry didn't continue speaking, Draco began to prompt him. "It must feel good coming home everyday, though -" He smiled, his eyes leaving Harry's face and instead flicking around the room pointedly " -Knowing that it's yours."

"You'd think, but not really." Harry replied with a shrug. "I mean, a home is only a home when it has a family. Otherwise it's just four walls containing stuff. I feel more at home at Aurors but even then…there's something missing…" He frowned to himself in bemusement "Its kind-of like I battle so hard to have my own life that I'm forgetting to live it"

Draco, sensing the brunette's decline in mood, decided to try and lighten the moment.

"Deep." He smiled softly and was pleased when Harry mimicked it, obviously taking the statement as it was intended. A small breathy laugh escaped Harry's lips and he turned to face the blonde, rolling his eyes slightly

"Yeah. You know, I had my first job at the age of 12, it was a paper round. I was desperate for independence even then. If I wasn't studying I was earning money, intent on making something for myself." He said, the smile remaining, and Draco felt his stomach flutter as he saw the corners of the brunette's green eyes crinkle. There it was, Harry's real smile.

"What made you want to become a solicitor?" Draco asked, turning slightly so he was facing Harry, his leg accidentally brushing against the brunette's hand causing an electric shock to shoot through the blonde's body at the contact. He suppressed the urge to grin madly when Harry failed to remove his hand, keeping it so his fingers rested against Draco's knee. The blonde couldn't tell if it was deliberate or not because the brunette was studying the dresser holding the pictures of his parents, a slight frown on his face.

"I knew quite early on that I wanted to work within the law sector." He said vaguely, turning away from the photos and back to Draco. "Hermione encouraged me; she and I both filled out University applications together, lived together in a shared house. She was the first person whom I actually…connected with."

Draco's eyebrows shot up and his stomach plummeted. Connected with?! So, Harry really did have a thing for The Weasel Woman, they had a history…

Harry's sudden laughter filled the room causing Draco to jump slightly "In a purely platonic way, of course! Oh, God, I love Hermione dearly, but I could never…! No, she's like a sister…" Harry shuddered, an amused smile pulling at his lips. "That's why she's so…uptight around me; she feels the need to protect me. Not that I need protecting!" He added as an afterthought.

Draco couldn't help but disagree, albeit silently, and he decided to divert the subject before he spoke his mind. "You said that you met Tom Riddle yesterday? How?"

Any trace of humour that was left in Harry's expression vanished at the sound of Tom Riddle's name and was replaced by the same troubled, ill expression he had worn the day before in his office. Draco instantly felt wretched for destroying the light moment that settled over them; however he became intrigued by Harry's reply.

"Is this between me and you?" The brunette asked, turning his piercing green gaze to Draco's face.

It took less than a fraction of a second for Draco to think about. "It always is." He replied simply.

A small smile tugged at Harry's reluctant lips as Draco's instant statement sunk in and a distant part of his mind wondered when he had come to trust the blonde. After all, he had just told the other man far more than what was appropriate for a boss to tell his employee and now he was going to dispense even more private information, information that he hadn't even entrusted to his best friend.

His smile faded as he gazed at Draco's expectant face and he sighed softly. "He's serving 7 life sentences in Azkaban prison. I requested an appointment with him…under Hermione's name." he said guilty, his eyes ashamedly looking away from the blonde. "I didn't want him to realise who I was and refuse to see me. When I arrived at the prison, I told them that Hermione couldn't make it and had sent me instead."

"I'm guessing she wouldn't be too happy…?" Draco murmured rhetorically. He needed no reply having spent a month in her presence; he knew Hermione would go ballistic if she knew what Harry had done.

"Hermione throws around the word 'obsessed' a lot. I suppose she's right…she usually is. You saw how mad she was because I had that file-" Harry said, pointing at the folder that was once again on the coffee table "-she'd probably have me sectioned if she knew I had been to see him. She doesn't understand, she doesn't know what it's like! Sometimes you need something so badly that you're prepared to do anything to get it, sometimes desperate times-"

"Call for desperate measures?" Draco offered softly. "I understand that more than anyone. You don't have to explain yourself to me, Harry." he added, shaking his head gently.

"I don't want you to think badly of me." Harry confessed, once again staring intently into Draco's eyes, and the blonde was sure he could feel Harry's fingers lightly caressing his knee; however he was afraid to look down, afraid that if he drew attention to it the brunette would stop.

"I wouldn't." Draco breathed.

Harry's head fell heavily against the cushions behind him; however he didn't break eye contact.

"It felt right, that I visit him on the anniversary, almost poetic. I thought that I was going to get answers, closure…" He whispered, his eyes flickering away for a moment before once again settling on Draco's silver orbs. "If anything, I felt worse. He didn't care, had no remorse, nothing. I've spent my whole life waiting to meet the man who…! You know, when I told him who I was, he just…" Harry trailed off, mortified when his eyes began to sting indicating the impending arrival of tears.

He moved so suddenly that Draco literally gasped with surprise. Standing and grabbing the file, Harry moved around the sofa and disappeared into the kitchen, and with a desperate need to have it out of his sight he stuffed the folder into one the many drawers lining the room.

Draco turned and watched, a troubled frown springing to his face as the brunette displayed his standard 'Harry' behaviour. Draco had come to find that when things became a little too difficult for the other man he would disappear behind a mask of distraction, however this time Draco wasn't going to let it drop.

Following Harry into the other room, ignoring the fact that the brunette was randomly opening cupboard doors in an attempt to look busy, he leant against the door frame with his arms crossing loosely over his chest. "What did he do?" He asked softly, not missing the small hitch in Harry's movements.

"Cup of tea?" The brunette asked as though he hadn't heard Draco speak, flicking on the kettle and grabbing two mugs from a cupboard above his head.

Draco didn't reply. Apparently he had no choice as the other man was going to prepare two mugs either way. He knew whatever Tom Riddle had done was bothering Harry deeply, that much was obvious from the level of his distraction, and he wondered whether he should just drop the subject and leave Harry be; however, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted to know.

"What did he do, Harry?"

The brunette, who was half-way through pouring the kettle-water into the mugs, looked at Draco, his expression more broken than Draco had ever witnessed, and he opened his mouth to reply.

Suddenly his green eyes widened and the kettle that he had been holding slammed against the counter-top. "Shit!" he cried out as the overflowing water from the mug seeped into his shirt and onto his stomach.

For a moment Draco was completely puzzled by the other man's reaction. It wasn't until Harry began ripping his shirt out from the waistband of his trousers that he realised the brunette was in physical pain. "Fucking hell, that's hot!" he gasped, fumbling with his buttons in his haste to remove his shirt.

Draco ran forward, grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him over to the sink, throwing a tea towel that was folded on the drainer underneath the cold water tap in the process. Harry, who was hissing a non-stop string of profanities under his breath, was still struggling with his shirt, and Draco, needing to be able to place the wet cloth directly on the brunette's skin, began pulling at the fabric himself.

If Harry was surprised at Draco's sudden desperation to remove his clothes, he hid it well. Although, Draco reasoned, it was probably due to the added distraction of the blonde ripping Harry's insulin set from his skin in his haste.

"Oh, my God! Kick me in the nuts whilst you're at it!" The brunette hissed, his hand flying down to the red mark on his hip where the sticky tape that kept the connection inserted had been savagely torn from his skin.

Ignoring the fact that Harry was now displaying vast amounts of smooth pale skin and was in possession of the most delectable chest Draco had ever seen, he gently pressed the cold cloth against the red mark that was forming on his stomach where the scolding water had touched. Another hiss escaped Harry's lips, and Draco suppressed the urge to laugh.

"Should I kick you in the nuts now or later?" He asked, trying to keep the humour from his voice as he concentrated on the brunette's stomach, his hand still holding the cold cloth in place as Harry seemed too irritated to do it himself.

"Careful, at this rate I might die of hilarity." Harry replied, sullenly rubbing at his hip. Draco refused to look down incase he saw anything that resembled a needle and instead busied himself with inspecting Harry's first wound, albeit with a rather large smirk on his face.

"You know, I think you'll live. And don't worry; you're not scarred for life." He laughed, glancing up from Harry's stomach to his face, his eyes catching the odd scar that marred the brunette's otherwise perfect face.

A reluctant, knowing smile pulled at Harry's lips. "Well, I have it on good authority that guys with scars are sexy." he laughed, placing his hand over Draco's as to press the cold cloth closer to his skin.

Draco's hand tingled and his entire body fought to stay still, to not move and maintain contact, however his practical side took over and before he could pull Harry close and kiss the life out of him, he slipped his hand out from beneath the brunette's and took a step back.

"Oh, right. Good luck with that." he breathed, removing his eyes from the other man altogether and turning to fix the mess that Harry had made of the counter top. "And I'm sorry." He murmured, finding another cloth to soak up the water.

"You're forgiven. I'll just deduct compensation from your wages for my pain and suffering." Harry laughed, pulling his insulin pump from his trousers and inspecting it for water damage. He sighed knowing he'd have to go and replace the connection to his skin.

Draco turned, his expression sombre and when he caught Harry's eye he shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry if he hurt you. You don't deserve it."

Harry was thrown by the abrupt return to the subject and felt his eyes widen slightly as Draco's statement sank in. The brunette was taken aback by the gentleness of Draco's voice, the tenderness of his words. The blonde sounded sincere, genuine, and Harry very nearly let himself take comfort in the other man's words.

"I don't want your pity." He mumbled, glancing back at his pump, looping the long thin tubing distractedly.

"I don't do pity, this is empathy. I know what it's like…to have someone knock you down, and I'm sorry." Draco said tightly. He very much wanted to look at Harry but his stomach was unable to handle it. "Can you please stop waving that thing about, because I will pass out." he added, holding his hand up to try and block out the image of the tiny needle that swung around with every loop Harry made of the piping.

Glancing up at Draco's suddenly pallid face and the hand he held out, Harry glanced down and realised why the blonde was so edgy. "It's O.K, it's not a needle, see-" He said holding up the disc that Draco was trying to block out. "-It's plastic. I only use a needle to insert it."

"Still, I'd rather not look at it." Draco murmured, his eyes trained on the window behind Harry's head.

"Right, I'm sorry. " The brunette nodded before pulling off the tubing and set and disposing it in the bin. "It's gone."

Draco, feeling like a complete idiot, lowered his hand, and with a blush staining his pale cheeks he sighed. "Thanks." He said softly, shame colouring his tone.

"Why are you afraid of needles?" Harry asked suddenly. He stared at Draco's face intently, noting with curiosity the sudden stricken expression that sprang to the other man's face. It was a question he had wanted to ask since the blonde had mentioned it back in his office, but at the time with Hermione present he didn't want to cause the other man any discomfort. Now, however, he had no reason to hold back.

Draco opened his mouth and closed it again, his entire being screaming discomfort and for a moment Harry felt guilty for bringing the subject up, however out of nowhere the blonde's chin jutted out and his head tilted, an expression of superiority sliding across his face. "Why am I blonde, and male, and right-handed? I just am!"

Shocked by Draco's abrupt shift in attitude, Harry found himself replying before he even thought of what he was saying. "Why do you do that?" He asked, his tone just as harsh as Draco's had been "Why, when I make any type of reference to your life, do you snap at me and stick your nose in the air?"

Silence met Harry's words and stretched on for a number of minutes. It was an uncomfortable silence; the kind that you can feel pressing against your eardrums and both men struggled to find a way out of it.

Turning his back on the other man, Harry threw the wet dish towel in the washing machine and busied himself with trying to cover his exposed chest with his wet shirt that now had several buttons missing. He could feel Draco's eyes boring into his back, and a glance at the window above the sink showed the other man's reflection with a look of pure annoyance on his face. Harry watched as, for the first time since they had arrived at his flat, Draco's hand made its nervous little journey through his silvery hair, and Harry found himself disappointed that he had caused the other man to feel discomforted in his home. That was the very last thing he had wanted to do…!

Deciding to break the frigid atmosphere that had settled over the kitchen, Harry turned to apologize; however before he even had a chance to open his mouth, Draco spoke.

"I don't like needles because..." he began, his chest heaving slightly as though he were fighting an on-coming panic attack. He paused, his eyes flicking to the ground away from Harry's intense emerald stare, and he seemed to change his answer at the last moment. "…they hurt." he finished lamely.

Harry knew Draco was lying, he knew that Draco knew this too which caused Harry to frown. Why would the blonde lie so blatantly, and badly, when he knew that Harry would spot it a mile off? Why would he lie about something as innocent as a needle phobia? It didn't make sense!

Silence descended again, only this time it wasn't as deafening, just awkward. Harry didn't know how to reply without causing more tension because he really wanted to know why the other man kept so much back. Why he didn't share anything remotely personal!

Leaning against the counter top, Harry studied Draco's tightly controlled stance; his hip resting against the counter top on the opposite side of the room, arms crossed tightly against his chest as though he dearly wished he could disappear into himself. The look of sneering superiority had vanished from his face and had been replaced with an odd expression of resignation as he stared at one of the terracotta floor tiles, his hair falling into his eyes hiding any type of emotion that Harry could hope to read in them. Draco appeared to all the world that he was a naughty school boy waiting to be told off. Why?!

The tension became too much for Harry and he found himself randomly opening cupboards again, moving cans and packets around haphazardly. "I was devastated when I realised I'd have to use needles all the time." He said in an attempt to divert the conversation away from the blonde. "I'd always been squeamish because of an evil nurse who gave me a tetanus shot when I was 9, so the moment I was told I'd be dependant on them…well, I didn't react too well." He said, shaking his head. Drawing his head out of the cupboard, he chanced a glance at Draco, who was still staring at the ground; however a slight inclination of his head showed Harry that he was listening.

"I wasn't diagnosed with diabetes until I was 23." Harry continued, leaning his head against the open cupboard door, his eyes staying on the other man. Draco's silvery eyes snapped up and connected with Harry's, disbelief evident in his stare.

"23? Type-1 Diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood." The blonde contradicted, his tone indicating he was certain of what he was saying. It was the first time Harry had ever heard the other man say anything with such confidence and certitude.

The brunette frowned because Draco was right; generally his type of diabetes was diagnosed in childhood…

"That's true, but I was sick for a while with a virus and my immune system kind-of attacked my insulin producing cells and….yadda, yadda, yadda." Harry replied, closing the cupboard door, the need to look busy overshadowed by curiosity at Draco's reaction. He now had the blonde's undivided attention; it was like Harry had finally captured the other man's interest, intellectually speaking.

"That's incredibly rare." Draco murmured, his arms unfolding from his chest and falling to his sides.

"It is. How do you know?" Harry asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Draco's limbs retracted instantly, his arms curling defensively against his chest once more, and he seemed to catch himself as his chin began to jut out and disguised the movement as a casual head flick to remove the hair that had fallen into his eyes.

"My father is a cardiovascular surgeon, you pick things up." He said with a tight shrug of his shoulders. Harry wasn't as surprised that Draco's father was a surgeon as he was by the fact Draco had actually told him. It was quite possibly the very first piece of personal information the blonde had actually volunteered. His nonchalance wasn't really fooling Harry though; he could tell there was more to it than what Draco had said. Harry had a feeling that Draco and his father didn't get along too well.

"You said you didn't react well…" Draco prompted when Harry's inquisitive gaze became more than a little suspicious.

A small amused smile pulled at Harry's lips as he considered his reply, and the blonde breathed a small sigh of relief; he really didn't want Harry becoming too interested in his background.

"I tried to kid myself that I didn't need the insulin, so obviously I didn't need syringes either; I threw them all out." Harry laughed, missing the shiver that passed over Draco.

"How long did you last?" Draco asked, his head tilting as he surveyed Harry. He noted with more than a little surprise that Harry still had vast amounts of chest on display.

"I collapsed the next day…in the middle of court! Luckily, I was only observing. I ended up in Accident and Emergency being rigged up to a bunch of IVs. So much for avoiding needles!" Harry laughed, and he was pleased to see Draco finally smile again. The small quirk of the blonde's soft-looking, pink pouty lips made the tense atmosphere that had engulfed the room instantly melt away.

"I'll never forget that day. I vowed to just get a grip and get over my fear. The funny thing is it wasn't even the fact that I almost slipped into a coma that shook me."

"What was it?" Draco asked softly.

"Whilst I was in A and E, a guy was rushed in, attempted suicide from what I could tell. I remember his girlfriend screaming as a bunch of doctors frantically tried to save him" Harry said, his eyes leaving Draco's face and staring at a patch of wall to the right of his head, recalling the day from 2 years previous. "They kept using those shocker paddle things, you know -" He said looking back at Draco and demonstrating with his hands "Clear!" He added, holding imaginary paddles out before him.

A small chuckle escaped Draco and he shook his head at how adorable the man before him looked. "Defibrillator?" he supplied, shaking his head with humour.

Harry's head bobbed up and down, as he continued with enthusiasm "Yeah, that. Well, they kept using that, and all I could think was this guy was trying to kill himself…how was I any different? From that moment on I tried my best to take care of myself. I figured one of us should do our best to carry on living." His face turned sombre, his eyes distant "For all I know he's dead" he whispered.

"You don't know that." Draco said softly, the urge to comfort the troubled looking man almost indescribable. "He could have pulled through and won the lottery" He smiled, his stomach fluttering when Harry returned it. "For all you know you've passed him on the street and…admired his car."

The peal of laughter that escaped from the brunette caused Draco's heart to grind to halt and he turned his head away as he tried to dismiss it.

It felt as though a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped over the blonde's head and he fought to keep himself from gasping as his skin erupted with goosebumps. What the hell was that? It was one thing fancying Harry, but it was quite another for his heart to be reacting to him! Anything beyond a quickened pace was utterly out of the question! There was no way on earth that Draco could let himself feel anything beyond lust for the man stood before him.

Harry, sensing Draco's sudden shift in mood, cleared his throat and continued as though the blonde hadn't interrupted. "Anyway, I always think that could've been me. I guess I owe him a lot, hopefully he is driving around in a Porsche somewhere." He added with a small smile.

A forced smile pulled at Draco's lips a beat too late and Harry found himself trying to analyse it. There was so much to Draco that he just didn't understand, so many small, almost imperceptible details like the odd way his mood would swing in the complete opposite direction in the matter of seconds, and he couldn't work out why, as hard as he tried he just couldn't fathom.

Both of their attentions were drawn suddenly to the kitchen counter where Harry's pump had begun bleeping, interrupting what was sure to be another tense silence. Grateful for the distraction, Harry grasped the small device and with the press of a few buttons, shut the beeping off. "I better go and…" He trailed off, holding up the pump as an explanation.

"Right, I'll go." Draco said softly. He felt it was probably wise to put as much distance between himself and Harry as possible because he really didn't like the way his heart had begun stuttering in the brunette's presence.

Harry's heart, on the other hand, sank. He really didn't want Draco to leave. The blonde somehow brought life to a flat that Harry had never felt any particular warmth for and he didn't want that warmth to go away. That thought surprised Harry because, generally, he didn't feel comfortable having people inside his home, he always felt awkward and inhospitable, but with Draco it was different. It was natural. It was like he was meant to be there, belonged there.

Harry watched as the blonde man's teeth pulled anxiously at his soft-looking bottom lip and he desperately wished he had the courage to sweep across the room and kiss it. "Don't feel you have to-"

"No, it's fine. I actually want to go and have a look at the church we passed anyway." Draco shrugged, casually pulling at the loop of his tie.

Harry's eyebrows shot up "St. Albus's?" temporarily thrown. The image of Draco sitting in church appeared in Harry's mind and he fought to keep the shock from his face.

"Yes. My friends, Pansy and Blaise, are getting married there in a few weeks." Draco replied, a small affectionate smile sliding across his face, and Harry found a tiny bubble of envy developing in his chest. He'd like nothing better than to warrant that kind of smile from the blonde man. He quite obviously loved the people of whom he spoke of.

Looking away, knowing that disappointment was probably evident on his face, Harry crossed his arms against his chest. "Well, it's a beautiful church. I'm sure they will love it."

Smooth laughter filled the room, and glancing back at Draco's face, Harry found the blonde wearing an adorably incredulous expression. "You don't know Pansy, she'll hate it until she has decorated it herself." he laughed, shaking his head as though his statement were common knowledge. "Blaise is going to have a dog's life. Thank god I'm only the best man and not the groom, that's all I can say!"

"Best man? Important job. I was Ron's best man…we totally forgot the rings, Hermione was livid." Harry said with a guilty laugh.

Draco's heart skipped again, and before he had a chance to scold himself for it, he opened his mouth. "Do you want to come with me? To the wedding." he asked bluntly. As soon as the words were said he regretted them. Of all the idiotic…! He knew he was setting himself up for a fall, and judging by the way Harry's eyebrows shot up it was definitely going to be a long drop down. He could almost hear the wind whistling in his ears!

Harry knew he was staring but he couldn't seem to stop. Draco had just…asked him out? That was definitely how it sounded.

Was Draco gay then? Sometimes Harry thought that maybe the blonde was flirting with him, sometimes the things he said and the way he said them, the way he carried himself…his impeccable dress sense! But then he'd see him talking to Fleur, the way his eyes sometimes strayed towards her as she walked passed, an expression of longing and appreciation painted so blatantly across his face. He could never be sure. It was like Draco was trying to confuse him. And he was succeeding.

Draco wished Harry would just tell him no and end his agony. The look of complete astonishment that was displayed on his face was practically killing the blonde. What the hell had he been thinking?! Asking Harry to the wedding had to be one of the most stupid things he had ever done…and Draco had done some freakin' stupid things in his time! Harry was straight, for Christ sake!!!

"Yes."

Draco's eyes fell to the ground at the sound of Harry's voice, shrugging his shoulders in an attempt at nonchalance as he began to reply. "Right, you're probably busy and…wait, yes?" He added, shock crashing over him. His traitorous heart skipped again, letting him know that it had heard Harry and was going to celebrate. It promptly began hammering against his chest.

A self-conscious smile pulled at Harry's mouth as he watched the astonishment render the other man speechless. The blonde begun biting his bottom lip again and Harry felt a familiar stirring in his stomach. Lust.

"Champagne and the prospect of Best Man foul-ups…how could I possibly say no?" Harry said with an amused shrug. He wasn't lying, he did quite like champagne, and he would be amused if Draco forgot his friends' rings; however that wasn't the reason he agreed to go. He just had a feeling that Draco had asked him with less sordid intents than what Harry's mind kept producing.

Draco's celebrating heart fell into his shoes at Harry's remark and never before had be felt so entirely crushed. Forcing an unwanted smile to his face, Draco nodded. "Yeah, I'm…I'm good at foul-ups." He whispered with a small humourless laugh.

Harry frowned, wondering what the other man meant, however he was distracted when once again his pump began to beep.

"You better go and sort that out, I'll…go." Draco said, edging towards the kitchen door. Harry, cursing the pump in his hand, nodded.

As much as he wanted to beg the blonde to stay, he watched as he gathered up his things and made his way towards the door. Meeting him there, his hand hovering over the handle, standing so close to the blonde that he could smell his aftershave, Harry did something he rarely allowed himself. He spoke without thinking. "I think you'll be a great Best Man…besides, you're my Best Man everyday. Not a lot of difference really."

Draco's silver eyes sparkled as he gazed into Harry's, and almost simultaneously, both men noticed the shift in atmosphere. It was almost as though the air around them was charged by the sexual tension that had exploded between them.

Harry was sure the blonde could hear his frantic heart as he began to inch closer, he was sure he'd soon be close enough that the other man would be able to taste his hot, puffing breaths. His eyelids willed to close as he inched still closer to the gorgeous man before him, and he greedily breathed in the aftershave, the unadulterated scent that was pure Draco.

I've been roaming around, always looking down at all I see…

Draco jumped backwards before Harry even had a chance to comprehend where the music that had burst into life had come from. With a horrified expression, the blonde extracted his mobile phone from his trouser pocket and slammed it against his ear. "Pans', now isn't a great time." He said in a tight, strangled voice, his eyes blinking rapidly. Harry had never seen the blonde so completely ruffled, and the stirring in his stomach doubled.

He watched as the blonde paused, taking in the callers reply, and a bubble of confidence exploded in the brunette's chest as he saw Draco disconnect the call.

It was now or never, he decided. He would do what felt right and deal with the consequences later.

As a famous poet (O.K, Ron!) once said…fuck it mate, you only live once!

Focusing completely on Draco's wide silver eyes, Harry once again leant in. His left hand, that still clutched at his insulin pump, slowly stroked the length of the blonde's arm and joy exploded within Harry when the other man didn't pull away.

Feeling emboldened, the back of Harry's hand trailed over Draco's shoulder and settled just below his ear, his fingers lightly brushing against the hair that sat there. And good god it was soft.

A small smile pulled at Harry's lips as he felt Draco tremble slightly at the touch, and whether it was confidence, or lust, or sheer dumb idiocy, the brunette pulled the blonde closer.

Draco, whose heart was jumping around his chest like a deranged gymnast, was torn between closing the space between himself and Harry, or wrenching the door open and running as fast as he could. He wanted Harry to kiss him, wanted Harry to drag him into his bedroom and have his way with him, but a little voice in his head whispered that he should run. Run as fast as he could and never look back. Run before Harry hurt him, before he destroyed the confidence and self-esteem and everything else that Draco had spent the last few years trying to rebuild. Run before he destroyed Harry, just like he had destroyed…

The brunette's lips were inches, centimetres, away from Draco's and the time for decision was almost spent. With a devil may care attitude fighting with his feeble attempt at restraint and self-preservation, the blonde took a calming breath through his nose and felt his eyelids drop.

Beep, beep, beep.

Harry's pump beeped shrilly in Draco's ear, causing him to once again pull away with a start.

It was all wrong, he concluded. Something was trying to tell him that kissing Harry was a bad idea, call it divine intervention, call it sheer paranoia, but whatever it was it convinced Draco to turn and to guide Harry's right hand that still rested on the handle to open the door.

"Go and reattach that, you've already had a close call today, don't try for a second." Draco said, completely aware that he was holding his nose in the air like Harry had described earlier, however he felt the need to hide behind his façade until he was safely away from Harry and his lips. "Bye."

As soon as the door was closed, Harry slumped against it. He willed his heart to slow, his breathing to relax but his body just wouldn't obey. With a feral growl, he pushed himself away from the door, flinging his blasted pump onto the coffee table as he passed, and threw himself onto the couch.

He collapsed against the sofa cushions and stared at the ceiling as he willed the hollowness in the pit of his stomach to disappear and the frantic beats of his heart to slow.

Had he just tried to kiss Draco?! Had Draco almost responded???

His head swam with possibilities which did nothing to calm his racing heart.

Something had changed. Something had drastically changed, and a new, unidentifiable sensation raced through Harry's veins and exploded inside his chest.

For weeks he had been thinking about Draco, thinking about what life would be like if he just bit the bullet and made a move. He had thought about every sexual exploit known to man, picturing the blonde at the heart of all of them. Weeks had passed and the feelings intensified.

He wanted Draco, not only sexually but emotionally. Yes, he wanted to have mad, frantic, passionate sex with the blonde, but he also found himself wanting to know him, really know him. Mind, body and soul. He wanted to know what made Draco so defensive when conversation was directed at him, wanted to know why he lied about his past and settled for a job that was so obviously below him. But most of all, more than anything in the world, Harry wanted to love him.

It wasn't until later that night when he felt himself reaching the borders of sleep, when his brain finally processed the day's events and he remembered all the details of his life he had shared with the blonde man, the amount of trust he had put in him, that Harry realised what that un-named sensation that had sped through his body had been. It was hope.

As the knowledge of that settled, something else occurred to him. Something that surprised and also pleased him, so much so that a small smile pulled at his lips even as he slid into the depths of sleep.

He realised that it had already started. Realised that, without his conscious knowledge or permission, his heart had already begun to make space for Draco, had begun to prepare itself to embrace the odd blonde man. And his heart, Harry decided before he fell into unconsciousness, had his full support.

To Be Continued…

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A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Love you lots, like Jelly Tots, but not as much as vodka shots! Ahaaa! (Wow, I'm such a loser)