A/N: Sorry that this one is late, I was out Christmas shopping and such so I didnt write this part until very late and then just forgot to post it here before I headed to bed, terribly exhausted! I hope you enjoy it!

A Christmas Homecoming by HPFangirl71

Part 10:Harry Pushes Just a Bit More…

Harry sat still in the darkened balcony, his eyes not on the ballet below but rather on the handsome blonde man sitting next to him. It always thrilled him to see Draco in moments where his guard was completely let down. These rare moments made him sure, why he loved the man. He watched in awe as Draco sat mesmerized by the dance and music of the performance. To Harry the ballet was a snooze fest but to Draco it was something else entirely and Harry loved seeing him this happy.

When the ballet ended, Harry and Draco walked from the theatre hand in hand. Both wearing sappy grins as they entered a muggle coffee shop. Harry ordered them both cappuccinos as they took seats across from one another in the comfy booths.

"I absolutely loved the show! Thanks for the present Harry. It was a really good idea for us to get away and spend some time together." Draco said to him, the look on his face making his excitement quite obvious.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought a muggle performance might be a bit mundane compared to some of the wizarding ones you've seen." Harry said with all honesty.

"No, actually I found it to be even more magical. Since the war, I've come to appreciate what muggles can do without the aid of magic. It's quite amazing when you think about it." Draco mused out loud.

Harry looked at him with utter adoration, shocked at the man he had become since the war. He wasn't the arrogant, prejudiced boy he'd once met at Hogwarts, that's for sure. Harry reached across the table and took Draco's hand. He let his rough, callused fingers interlace with Draco's long elegantly tapered ones. This evening was what this whole relationship was about… them rediscovering one another and finding love amidst those discoveries. He loved Draco and it pained him to realize that perhaps Draco didn't quite return his feelings as wholeheartedly. Harry intended to enjoy whatever this was that was going on between them for as long as it could possibly last…

It was snowing and bitter cold when the two men arrived back in London after their trip to Paris. They were oblivious to the biting cold as they climbed the stairs to Harry's flat, still warm with the memories of their trip. When they got upstairs though, it seemed as if the magic had broken. Draco suddenly thought he should check in with his mother at the manor and Harry had calls from friends and family who wondered where he had been. The mere mention of the rest of the world seemed to jar them from their romantic fantasy and back into the land of bitter reality. Harry was the first to break the silence with a request that he was sure Draco wished he'd never offered.

"We should go out to dinner like we did in Paris." Harry said without thinking.

"We can't… we'll be seen." Draco mumbled.

"Okay let's have coffee then." Harry countered.

"Harry stop, I told you we can't be seen together." Draco told him once more.

"Why the hell not?" Harry asked him, a bit louder than he'd originally intended.

"I told you that I can't do this so don't push it!" Draco insisted.

"It's just coffee Draco. I have coffee with lots of people; Ron, Hermione, even Shacklebolt for crying out loud! Why can't we be seen together?" Harry yelled at him.

"Ron and Hermione are your friends. Shacklebolt is the bloody freaking minister of magic! People expect to see you out with them. Besides, you're not fucking any of them!" Draco cried out in sudden desperation.

"We don't have to go to Diagon; we can go to a muggle place… Please Draco! I just want this to be real! I want us to be real! Please Dray…"

Harry was begging now and he felt the tears sliding freely down his face. He knew that he was pushing Draco as far as he dared but he was desperate for him to feel something. He wanted this relationship to work and without them venturing outside the apartment, it couldn't be anything more than just a fantasy. The room was still and silent as Draco crossed the room and took Harry within his arms. Harry could feel his regret even as he wiped away his tears and held him ever so tightly. He felt the warmth of Draco's words of comfort both on the nape of his neck and within his heart.

Fine… We'll go out, just don't cry anymore. Please don't cry…" Draco whispered, his lips pressed tightly up against Harry's ear and Harry felt the wet of Draco's own tears as they fell…