Chapter 10: Returning Heart

Harry loved his godfather and Remus, but when he heard those words about returning to school, returning to Quidditch, he jumped out of his seat excited at the fact that he could return to his old somewhat normal life. His celebrations stopped when he saw the look on his lovers face.

"What wrong Draco? I thought you would be happy to come back here… you told me you loved it here" Harry asked softly crouching in front of Draco.

The blonde looked away toward the window and shook his head. Inside, he was screaming; he knew the moment he set foot in the Slytherin common room, it would be pure suicide. It was only a matter of time before someone found out that not only was he gay but shagging the savior of the magical world!

"It's nothing. I was just lost in thought. It feels like I haven't really been gone at all" he lied smiling at Harry.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat before speaking again. "Because of the time you have been gone and the fact that you two are bonded. I have decided that the corridor on the third floor that you once visited in your first year if you recall," She said giving him a stern look, "there is a private residence that you both will be sharing. It is a way of protecting you since no one outside this room knows of it." The Transfiguration teacher replied as she ushered the boys to their feet and led them through the school to their new home.

The corridor had been magically been refigured to resemble a much smaller emptier hall that looked more welcoming this time. Torchlight glowed all around them as they walked toward an interesting painting that they had seen many times on their way to their classes. It was a beautiful painting of a castle in the far distance and in the foreground was a heard of unicorns running free.

Draco was in awe by the painting, he felt like he could step past the paint and walk into that world of beauty. "The pass word is 'tranquility', you both learn it well… your things are all ready inside. You have been excused from classes tomorrow and you will start again next Monday. By then we'll have a story as to how you rose from the dead, Mr. Potter" The older woman said at the doorway. She left the teens to explore their secret home, hidden in the walls of the magic school.

Harry looked around at the large sitting room. the room was beautiful covered with large tapestries and paintings. "Well we don't have to worry about any homework for a few days… though Snape might try to force us to make up all that work we missed" Harry said chuckling as he walked over to Draco and put his arms around him.

"I'm just worried how everyone around here will take the news that I'm no longer single" he said smirking and turning to face Harry. "Don't think I forgot about your punishment… but I will wait." The blonde said looking over his shoulder.

Harry smirked "You know Christmas break is coming up in a little while, do you want to spend it with me?" he asked blushing lightly.

Draco stood there and smiled softly "Of course I would want to spend the holidays with you" moving over to the raven haired teens side he draped his arms over Harry's shoulders and kissed him before pulling away. "Where would you like to go?" he asked staying close to Harry.

"Since I've had enough of seeing your father to last me a life time, I think we should go somewhere safer then the magical world. Possibly muggle London and other areas." He said avoiding bringing up his relatives at all costs. "I'm beat… I would think you would be too; you summoned a Patronus that was almost as big as a Quidditch stadium, what memory was that strong?" he asked taking Draco's hand from his shoulder and leading him up the stairs to the grand bedroom that was fit for a king.

The blonde smiled warmly "I used the memory of the first moment you kissed me. The burning passion that was hidden behind that first kiss was enough for me to save your life." Draco remarked pulling his hand from Harry's and hoping onto the bed and laying back on the eagle owl down comforter.

Harry smiled softly, he was ready to climb into bed and sleep the week away. Though he knew that he wanted to just collapse next to Draco, he knew that if he was going to take Draco to see the muggle world they would need a place to stay.

I'm going to be committed to St.Mungo's for even thinking of staying there for the holidays. Harry thought as he walked over to the desk near the window and started to write a letter to his magic hating family members. When he was finished he nudged Hedwig awake from her perch by the window and gave her the letter.

"Take this to the Dursleys; now don't give me that look… I know it's crazy to stay there but it's the safest place." The teen said opening the window as he watched the snow white owl take off and head into the darkness.

Letting out a great yawn he made his way over to the bed leaving a trail of clothes behind him till he was standing at the side of the bed in a pair of green silk boxers. Removing his glasses he set them on the nightstand beside him.

Draco let out a whistle causing Harry to blush all over. The blonde had already stripped out of his clothes and was lying on the bed in his silver boxers. When his lover was lying beside him it took all of Draco's self control to keep himself from jumping the other teen.

--

By the time the Christmas holiday rolled around the students had learned and accepted Harry's false death and had shown him in their own ways what they felt. Many were overjoyed that he was still alive to keep them safe, while others namely Slytherins were always following him with their eyes. Only a few dared to follow him in person.

For a month Draco and Harry were able to keep their relationship private from everyone around them, in potions however Snape showed his protective authority over his godson more by constantly berating and demeaning Harry's potion skills even if he made a perfect potion Snape found some flaw with it and chewed him out for it.

Harry was glad when classes were over for the day he wanted to collapse on his bed with Draco and forget about potions and look forward to the long private train ride to London. In a train car all alone with Draco doing whatever they pleased.

Falling into a large chair he sighed loudly, his classes were over for the day and the next morning he would be on his way to his family's home for vacation. Harry was bored, it was his free period and Draco was busy studying in the library. It was the safest place for him since he didn't have to worry about being jumped there by Harry.

With their relationship a secret Draco knew if he wanted to get any work done for his teachers he had to stay a distance from even looking at his lover or they would end up in another broom closet.

By dinner Draco had finished his homework and decided that he had spent enough time away from Harry. When he arrived back at their room he wasn't shocked to find Harry asleep in the chair like a cat curled up to keep warm. The blonde could only smile at the scene in front of him.

Leaning down over the arm of the chair Draco kissed Harry's cheek before pulling away.

"Get your bum up and finish packing, you won't have time in the morning" Draco said taking a seat on the arm of the chair.

Harry opened his eyes and sighed audibly as he rose from the chair and trudged over to his trunk and pulled out the rest of his things that he needed for holiday and tossed them into the trunk he and Draco were sharing.

"When we get to the station tomorrow night we're going to be going to my family's place for a few days. They won't be too thrilled that I'm home so don't expect anything less than living hell from them." Harry remarked throwing the last book into the trunk.

Draco waved his wand causing everything in the trunk to fall into order in the space saving trunk. "It's only fair that I meet your family, when people are in a relationship they meet each other's family. I've always wondered about your life outside of school." The blonde said sliding off the arm of the chair into the seat his legs hanging over the side.

"Well you're going to meet three people who treat me about the same as a house elf. No… I think they were treated better than I was. Before I was eleven and I found out I was a wizard my aunt and uncle forced me to live under the staircase in the broom closet. I was bullied by my cousin and his friends daily, I cooked and cleaned… when they had guests over they gave me a slice of bread and cheese for dinner an hour before hand then it was off to my closet to be locked in for the rest of the night." Harry said sitting down on the floor his back against the trunk; he looked at his feet as he continued "When they went out for my cousin's birthday I was left behind at a neighbor's house. After my first year here life back home if you could call it that was more like hell than ever, luckily the previous summer I was moved from my closet to the spare bedroom. Here I'm treated like royalty, back there I'm no better than dirt to those people." He finished and looked over at Draco.

The blonde locked eyes with his boyfriend and processed everything he had just learned. The other Slytherin always used to wonder if Harry's family treated him the same way as he was treated in the magical world. Getting up from the chair Draco walked over to Harry and sat carefully in his lap.

Sharing a soft and loving kiss Draco knew that he made the best choice for his life.

--

The next morning after a filling meal, the students that were going home for the holidays loaded themselves into the carriages and waited as they were brought to the train station in Hogsmeade.

When their carriage arrived Draco and Harry made sure to keep up their façade of despising each other as they dragged their shared trunk and owl cages into the train they started to look for an entire empty car. As soon as they found an empty compartment they locked the door and put down all the shades. Stuffing the trunk away they collapsed into their seats next to each other and waited.

"I must have been insane to think about going back there… maybe this was a bad idea" Harry mumbled as he began pouting.

Draco sat up and looked at Harry sitting next to him "You are going, and you are going to put your foot down. How can you fight the dark lord every year and let yourself get pushed around by a bunch of stupid muggles." Draco said snuggling into Harry's shoulder.

Harry smiled as he kept Draco close to his chest. Outside the window the scenery flew by as the train rushed toward King's Crossing. The snow had been falling since noon.

By the time the train pulled into the station Harry and Draco had pulled their shared trunk down from the rack and placed it on to a cart. Going through the barrier they made their way over to the three Dursleys waiting impatiently.

Draco could feel the tension in the air from the muggles before him, their eyes glared at Harry mostly, it was if he didn't even register to them.

"Get moving boy, Marge is coming tomorrow and you have to clean the house tonight, we haven't told her you'll be there so just keep your ruddy bird quiet and stay out of our enjoyment." Vernon said his face slightly red.

Petunia's eyes finally noticed the blonde standing next to her nephew, being a nosey woman most of her adult life she wanted to know, who he was.

Harry had been quiet for some time now and he felt it was time that he introduced Draco so his uncle would have to wait to yell at him where there weren't so many witnesses.

"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia this is Draco, he's a friend from school and he's coming to visit you so he can get to know you." He said his voice had started wavering a bit as he could see his uncle's eyebrows crush together in anger.

With a grumble Vernon ushered his family and Draco to the car as they loaded the single trunk into the back of the car, Harry and Draco squeezed in the back seat with Dudley and two owl cages that were currently empty.

--

The drive from London was a silent one, Draco was staring out the window at the still falling snow. When the car finally pulled into the driveway of number four privet drive Draco wasn't too shocked at the size, just that muggles seemed to like living so close together.

Upon entering the house he looked at the walls of pictures and other décor that filled the front hall. The moment the door to the house closed Draco was met with Vernon's large face. He could tell the man was sizing him up; his father had done it when he met with other people when Draco was growing up.

"You boy, you're from that school as well. Don't think just because I let you into my house that I like you at all, your kind are freaks of nature. While you're here there is to be no talk of your freaky life. I don't have to worry about throwing you out, unlike this degenerate" Vernon said shoving a fat finger into Harry's shoulder.

Draco only smirked "Harry has told me about you, you like to demean him and crush him under your thumb. You want control of everything in your life. The truth is you treat him like this because you're terrified of him. You're also compensating for the fact that Harry is better man then you will ever be. " The blonde said confidently.

Petunia stood there and stayed quiet in her mind the gears were turning, she had watched many shows, and had peered over enough garden fences in her time to recognize what was going on. Placing a hand on her son's shoulder she pushed him off into the kitchen to get the oven started for dinner, normally she would do such a thing but something deep in her heart told her to stay rooted to the spot.

Vernon looked as if he was going to have heart attack. No one had ever spoken to him with such confidence before. He was at a loss for words as he mouth slowly opened and closed. When he was able to speak again he glared at his nephew. "You boy, get your trunk up to your room right now then get back down here and start cleaning." the man growled as he watched Harry and Draco climb the stairs to the small room that Harry used during the summer months.

When they placed the trunk on the floor at the end of the bed Harry sighed and looked at Draco. "Are you trying to get me in trouble? It's not really a good thing to speak to my uncle like that" Harry said moving over and putting his arms over Draco's shoulders and kissed him softly. He didn't hear his cousin as he lumbered down the hall and stood in the doorway.

Dudley stood there the food he had been stuffing into his mouth was splattered on the wood floor of the hallway. He stared at the two teens still kissing before him. Letting out a squeal he waddled back down the hall and down the stairs to the sitting room, he started to babble about Harry and Draco kissing.

Draco finally pulled away and smirked at his lover and brushed a loose wild strand of Harry's hair out of his emerald eyes. "You really are the best kisser, not to mention the shagging is the best. Though I never have slept with anyone else." The blonde said reassuringly as he led his boyfriend back downstairs.

When they reached the bottom stair Vernon was waiting for them both.