cut
"Anything?" Trowa spoke into the speaker hidden in his collar.
"Nothing," Harry's voice came over the com-link. "There are 5 more houses we haven't checked. Time is running out." Trowa cursed and wiped his brow.
They were running out of time. In less than 6 hours, at midnight, the Ritual will be complete, and they had 5 more houses to check out, each at least a half an hour ride away from one another.
"Damn it," Trowa hissed. "Can't you think of anything that would make this quicker?"
Harry was quiet for a few moments. "I'll need help," he said and Trowa frowned.
"From whom?"
"Meet me at the local college in half an hour. I'm calling someone in."
Trowa frowned at that and made his way back to his car. "Will it work?"
"It has to," Harry said and Trowa's heart actually clenched at the tone of Harry's voice. "It has to."
cut
Trowa locked his car and looked at the building of the Nottingham College. The sun was setting and the building looked somewhat intimidating. A second later a car and a bike parked beside him. A woman in her mid twenties got out while Harry pulled off his helmet and mounted off of his bike.
"Trowa, this is Martha. Martha, this is Trowa. Come on," Harry spoke hurriedly and rushed towards the school, leaving the other two no other choice but to follow.
"Can you tell me why you need my help?" Martha asked as they reached the door. "You'll have to find another way in. They lock the…"
"Alohomora!" Harry snapped and the door was flung open.
Martha gaped while Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Magic sure is useful," Trowa muttered and Martha looked at him in shock.
"M-magic?" she looked at Harry only to find him already gone and the two ran after him.
"Evan, what's going on?" Martha asked, "Evan? Harry ?!" she snapped, and Harry stopped in his tracks and turned on his heel, almost bumping into Trowa and Martha.
"Duo was taken by the culprit. I need to find him. For that I need your books," Harry answered in a rush.
"You know who's…"
"I know," Harry said and looked at Trowa. "I just can't believe I was stupid enough not to act on my instincts right away."
Trowa frowned. "Let's find Duo first and then we'll take care of everything else, alright?" Harry nodded and looked at Martha.
"Martha, I need a book with either tracking rituals or locating rituals; even a retrieving ritual would do, but I need it right away."
Martha frowned and looked at the floor. A moment later she started to walk towards her office. "I've never read anything similar to what you're asking for, but I do have something interesting."
"Martha…"
"The man who sent me one of the first books I gave you, that Longbottom man, I contacted him a few days back. Just yesterday he sent me a few more books. He didn't tell me anything, but I've tried to read through those books. I couldn't. I couldn't even figure out in which language they are written." They reached her office and entered. She walked over to her table while Harry and Trowa looked around. She picked up a heavy looking package and looked at Harry before she opened it. "So," she said and Harry frowned at her.
"What?"
"Magic is real. This – This Ritual they are trying to perform will actually work."
"I don't know if it will work," Harry said. "It's Necromancy. It goes against everything and anything left sacred in this world. Even if they manage to open to Gates of Gehenna to summon whatever they are trying to summon, no one knows what will come out. There is a reason Necromancy is not only frowned upon, but forbidden as well."
Martha frowned and looked at the package. "And what about you?" Harry raised an eyebrow while Trowa looked at him with interest. "What are you?"
"I don't know," Harry said and Martha raised an eyebrow at him. "I think it's obvious that I'm a Wizard, but who I am? I only know my name, and that I've spent one hell of a lot of time trapped within something. Now." He shot Martha a pointed stare. "The books."
Martha sighed and opened the package. She took out three big, ancient looking tomes and placed them on her table. Harry immediately ran over and turned the tomes towards himself.
"What in the name of Merlin?" he whispered as he opened the books. He glanced at Martha and Trowa before he started flipping the pages.
"Martha, this…"
"I have no idea what this is," she cut Harry off. "I've never seen anything like it."
"This is over 2000 years old!" Harry said. "And this language – It's been dead since – since before the Roman and Greek Empires!" he flipped through the pages, his fingers caressing the letters on top of each page.
"Can you read it?" Trowa asked and Harry snorted.
"Of course I can read it," Harry grunted. "I've practically spent Merlin knows how much time as part of this world. There is no language, dead or alive, that I don't understand or can't read," Harry murmured and put the first tome aside while Trowa and Martha looked at one another with raised eyebrows. Harry growled as he flipped through the pages of the second tome.
"Will you need anything?" Trowa asked and Harry flipped another page.
"Chalk and four square meters of space," Harry said and flipped another page.
Trowa and Martha exchanged a glance. "I'll find some chalk," Martha said and ran out of the room.
"I guess I'll make some space." Trowa muttered and looked around.
"Not here," Harry murmured and Trowa looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Harry was frowning as he traced written lines with his right index finger.
Trowa moved closer and frowned when he looked at the strange circle drawn at the bottom of the page. "It that it?"
Harry swallowed and nodded. "Yeah," he murmured and Trowa looked at him.
"Is something wrong?"
"No. I have everything I need," Harry said and Trowa saw that his finger lingered on one faded word.
"What does it say?" Trowa asked and Harry raised his head. In that moment Martha ran in with a box of white chalk.
"Found it."
"Good. I need you to take me to the roof," Harry said and Martha nodded. She turned around and ran out of the room closely followed by Harry and Trowa.
"Why didn't you try this sooner?" Trowa asked as they climbed the stairs towards the roof.
"Because my magic is out of control," Harry explained. "I don't have a wand to channel it. Little things I can do, but things usually explode when I try something bigger. That spell was supposed to unlock the door, not slam them open. Bigger things require more concentration and more often than not I lose control and it leaves me weak for an hour or so." Trowa frowned as they reached a door and Martha tried to open them.
"Harry…"
"Move." Harry cut her off and moved forward. The door all but flew out of its hinges and Martha and Trowa raised eyebrows.
"I see your point," Trowa muttered as they followed Harry out. The man turned on his heel a few times, looking around frantically.
"North, north, north, north," he muttered constantly as he tried to orient himself.
"This way," Trowa said and pointed north.
Harry nodded and walked into the middle of the patio on the roof. He looked around again, and Martha gasped when the box of chalk flew out of her hands and Harry caught them in his. He got down on his knees and placed the box of chalk beside himself. He took one out and started to write something on the ground.
Martha and Trowa could only stand to the side and watch as Harry worked. Half an hour later they were staring at a large circle. Strange symbols marked South, North, East and West. In the middle of the big circle was a smaller circle, and four lines of those symbols marked North-East, North-West, South-East and South-West. Harry stood up and winced as he rotated his injured shoulder.
"What now?" Martha asked.
"Now we pray it works," Harry muttered and carefully walked into the middle of the circle. Martha and Trowa jumped to the side as the tome suddenly darted between them and straight in Harry's hands.
They stared in wonder as the book started flipping pages on its own and levitated above Harry's hands. Harry pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small see through bag. Trowa frowned when Harry pulled out a few long, brown strands of hair.
'Duo's hair?' Trowa thought. 'He must have known he would need them. But where did he get them?' Harry placed the strands of hair on the open pages of the book, straightened and swallowed.
"Lam náre lee cer ortháe lee, Quéno do uth Quenomé!" he spoke in a strong voice, and to Martha's and Trowa's surprise the circle under his feet started to shine.
They looked around when the air filled with the scent of ice and snow, and the temperature dropped a little.
"Xúre látham órtho órthea. Resé lam," Harry spoke and his clothes started to dance around him as the wind picked up speed.
The symbols suddenly rose from the ground and started to circle around Harry.
"Lósce umin dárue. Hárthe xar umin lam céye lim. Resé lam!" the book moved away from Harry and the strands of Duo's hair caught fire.
They burned sapphire blue and the symbols dancing around Harry started to spin quicker. Martha whimpered and Trowa pulled her against his side as the wind picked up speed.
"Lam náre lee cer ortháe lee, Ekhárte do uth! Hárthe xar lam dáru! Hárthe xar lam céye lim! Resé lam!"
Trowa and Martha squeezed their eyes tightly shut when light blinded them.
Moments later it was over and their hearts clenched once they opened their eyes and looked at Harry.
The man was on his knees, his clothes were smoking, he was breathing as though he ran a marathon and he was clenching something to his chest.
"Harry…" Trowa's breath hitched in his throat when Harry moved his hand from his chest and a mercury like strand glimmered in front of him, going off into the distance.
Harry chuckled and raised his head. Trowa couldn't help but shiver when he saw the look on Harry's face. It was a grin that promised a world of pain. Harry stood up, raised his right hand and a drop of blood appeared on his fingers when he touched the strand that seemed to start in his heart. "Gotcha."
cut
"Damn it!" Trowa cursed when he had to take another sharp turn. Harry was speeding on his bike, breaking every single rule in the book, and Trowa had some trouble keeping up with him.
Whatever that strand was it seemed to be leading Harry to where Duo was, and Trowa hoped as hell it was so, because the clock was ticking. His phone rang and he answered it.
"Barton," he snapped and swallowed another curse.
"I called the police! They said you should call them the moment you get there and to not do anything until reinforcements come."
"By the time they get there the ritual will be done already!"
"Then don't wait for them, for all I care!" Martha snapped. "Just get this over with before Harry kills himself!"
Trowa snorted and took another sharp turn. "We'll call you when it's over," he said and ended the call. Harry suddenly slowed down and Trowa followed him to a stop. Harry got off of his bike and took off his helmet. He reached into the storage and pulled out a .45 and a few magazines. Trowa got out of his car and ran over to Harry.
"We'll have to go on foot from here," Harry said and checked the bullets in his gun. "You armed?" Trowa nodded. "Let's go."
"Martha talked to the police. They want us to wait," Trowa said, but followed after Harry never the less.
"They can choke on it for all I care," Harry grumbled as he led Trowa through the forest. They were keeping low as they walked through the woods, listening closely to every sound.
"What the…" Trowa muttered when Harry stopped and pulled him down. They were hiding behind a bush, right behind the fence of an ancient looking cemetery.
"I didn't know there was another old cemetery in this town," Trowa hissed and Harry hummed. He looked around with a small frown.
"That's because this is a Wizarding cemetery, and not only that," he said and pointed up at the mansion on top of a hill, looming over the cemetery. "It's a private cemetery, and I'll bet you a 100 it belongs to our culprit," Harry growled. He pulled out his gun as he looked around, and Trowa frowned when the mercury strand started to fade. "Let's go. We have only half an hour left," Harry said and Trowa nodded.
They jumped the fence and keeping low to the ground made their way towards the mansion.
'Hold on, Duo. We're coming. Hold on.'
cut
Duo coughed as he slowly woke up. His mouth was dry, his head ached like fuck,and he really, really wanted to kill someone.
"You're finally awake."
Duo opened his eyes slowly and looked at the man he hated more than he ever hated anything in the world. "Derek," he bit out and Derek smirked at him. "God, how I hate you," Duo growled and tugged on the shackles around his wrists. He could hardly move. His whole body was heavy for some reason.
Derek chuckled and walked over to kneel in front of Duo. "You know…" he murmured and gently caressed Duo's cheek with the back of his fingers. "I'm almost sorry for needing to do this, but I don't have a choice, you know? You're the perfect sacrifice next to him." Duo frowned at that. His brain was fuzzy, his sight blurry, and he was barely keeping himself awake.
"Him?" he mumbled.
"Yeah. Your partner. I never thought it would be possible for two True Heroes to exist at the same time, but I suppose it's some kind of cosmic karma. Only a True Hero can love a True Hero."
"What are you…"
"Not that it will matter to you," Derek stated, and although his expression turned sad, his eyes shone with madness. "It's a pity. I would have loved to have gotten the chance to have you for myself." Duo felt bile rise in his throat. "But in 15 minutes you'll be dead. I'll just have to settle for someone less perfect than you, Duo Maxwell." The shackles fell and Derek grabbed Duo by his braid and pulled him up. Duo wanted to fight him, he really did, but his body was so heavy.
'Harry!' he thought and his heart ached. 'Please. Hurry!' he was dragged into a huge room. 12 unconscious girls were hanging by their hands above a huge pentagram. In the middle of it was an altar with a big cauldron in front of it, big enough to fit a grown man. He saw Derek's brothers already waiting for them. Duo tried to struggle, but the more he did, the weaker he felt. They tied him up on the altar and he almost puked when Derek bowed down and stole a kiss from him.
"I just want you to know that you're not dying in vain. You're dying so that a great man would come back. A great Wizard who will change this world. Only the worthy will inhabit it, and those who aren't will be put in their rightful places as servants of the worthy."
"You're insane," Duo managed to bite out and Derek chuckled. He straightened and walked out of the line of Duo's sight.
"Let's begin brothers! Midnight is upon us!"
Duo squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to think of a way to set himself free. 'No!' he thought and desperately pulled on his binds. Derek's brothers took their places on each side of the altar while Derek stood in front of him, a strange stick in one hand and a knife in the other. He started chanting something in a language Duo couldn't understand. Jonah and Dave took their knives and moved towards the girls hanging over the huge pentagram.
'No!' Duo thought and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Of all the times for him to be helpless...
"The hour is upon us!" Derek shouted with an insane grin on his face. He was about to say something when the door shook. Duo turned his head to the side and his heart skipped a beat.
"Derek?" Jonah called out.
"Hurry up!" Derek snapped and started chanting again. The door shook again, and Jonah and Dave moved towards the girls. They placed their knives on the throats of the first two as the door shook for the third time.
"NO!" Duo shouted as the doors flew out of their hinges. Two gunshots echoed through the night and Dave and Jonah fell on the ground, dead.
"NO!" Derek screamed and Duo breathed a sigh of relief when he caught sight of Harry and Trowa.
"You made the mistake when you called me to brag, Derek Malfoy!" Harry snapped with his gun aimed at Derek who was growling at him with eyes flashing threateningly.
"You will pay for this," he growled and swung his blade. Derek screamed when Trowa shot his hand and the blade embedded itself beside Duo's head, making his breath hitch in his throat.
"Step back from him, Derek!" Harry snapped with his gun steadily aimed at Derek. The moment Derek took a few steps back Trowa rushed over and quickly undid Duo's shackles with the skill of a former thief.
"Good ta see ya, Tro," Duo murmured weakly as Trowa picked him up. It didn't take long for the ginger haired man to figure out that Duo was drugged to the point of not being able to move.
"Take him out of here!" Harry ordered still holding Derek at gun point. "He's mine."
"Harry…"
"I'll be fine, Duo. Go," Harry interrupted Duo, and Trowa started leading Duo out of the room.
"You're not going anywhere!"
"Duo! Trowa!" Harry shouted but it was too late. The two were flung forward. Duo hit the wall and fell on the ground unconscious, while Trowa grunted and winced as invisible bindings appeared around his body, holding him in place.
Harry growled, his eyes glowed and he lowered his gun. His eyes fell on the wand in Derek's hand and hatred filled his heart.
"You recognize this?" Derek spoke with a mocking grin.
Harry sneered at him and straightened as he placed his gun back into his holster. "That wand doesn't belong to you," Harry spoke.
"Ah. But it answers to me just fine," Derek said and rounded the altar. "You see, you might be its real master, but I have been wielding it for several years now. Ever since I found it in my great-grandfather's secret room. I only had to look at it to know it is the infamous Elder Wand, the strongest wand in existence, last owned by none other than Harry James Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World. The Savior that vanished into thin air and who stands in front of me right now." Derek chuckled. "Honestly I thought you'd be more…"
"More?" Harry growled when Derek hesitated, only for the maniac to snicker at him.
"Simply more," he said and raised the wand, his face turning into an emotionless mask. "It will be easy to kill you."
Harry snorted and his eyes glowed. "I'm not that easy to kill," he growled, and his clothes and hair started to dance in a strong wind that suddenly appeared in the room.
Trowa could only watch in complete and utter fascination. He glanced at Duo's prone form and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no blood around him. Trying to move Trowa managed to roll onto his side. He looked at Harry and found the two at a standstill. Ever so slowly, Trowa started to edge towards Duo.
"Die!" Derek shouted and a green light flew towards Harry. The Preventer dodged and charged at Derek, and Trowa had to try hard to concentrate on reaching Duo. The battle that was going on right in front of him was terrifying and awe inspiring at the same time. He finally reached Duo and nudged him with his shoulder.
"Duo? Duo, wake up!" Trowa hissed.
"Why don't you just die?!" Derek screamed and Trowa looked at Derek and Harry. He frowned when he saw Harry's pale complexion and the shadows over his eyes, but Harry was still fighting.
And it seemed like he was winning.
"Sectumsempra!" Harry roared and Derek screamed.
Trowa gasped out a breath when the invisible binds around his body vanished and he could move again. "Duo!" he snapped and shook his friend trying to wake him up.
Duo groaned lowly and slowly opened his eyes. "Trowa?"
"Come on. We need to get out of here." Trowa picked Duo up slowly.
"What the…" Duo mumbled, looking at Harry with unfocused eyes.
"CRUCIO!" Harry roared and Derek fell on the ground, screaming as thought someone was tearing him apart. "That's for all the innocent lives you took," Harry growled.
Derek screamed harder as the green light grew brighter.
"That's for shooting me."
Derek's voice broke and the spell stopped.
Duo and Trowa watched in shock as Harry walked over to Derek. The wand flew out of Derek's twitching fingers and into Harry's hand, and he pointed it at the simpering man.
"And this is for Duo," Harry bit out. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Trowa bowed over Duo when the bright green light shone from the wand and covered both of their heads with his arms.
Once it was all done, and the light disappeared, Trowa raised his head and looked at Harry.
The man stood in his place looking at him and Duo with an unreadable darkness in his eyes. It could have been described as pain filled, sad and brokenhearted, and yet not one of those could give that look justice.
Duo slowly pushed himself up, ignoring Trowa's call and attempts to help him. Harry swallowed and bowed his head.
"Harry?"
The room started spinning again, and Duo knew he was close to fainting. 'Maybe I never even woke up. Maybe all of this is a dream.'
"Harry…"
"Duo!" Harry shouted and ran forward when Duo lost his footing and started to fall. He caught Duo in his arms and winced when his wounded shoulder was pulled, but ignored it in favor of focusing on Duo.
"Harry…"
"It'll be fine, Duo," Harry whispered as he cradled Duo to his chest with his right arm and brushed his left hand through Duo's hair. Trowa was on the phone calling the ambulance and the police, but Harry could hear nothing of what he was talking about. Duo's eyes were looking at him with confusion and – and betrayal.
"Harry…"
"Please, don't hate me, Duo," Harry whispered brokenly as tears filled his eyes. "Please don't hate me."
Duo could hardly understand what Harry was talking about. He was so close to fainting, and he wanted to. He wanted to fall asleep and for everything to be over and done with when he woke up. His eyes started to close and Harry's heart skipped a beat.
"Duo?" Duo's eyes closed and he relaxed in Harry's arms. "DUO!"
cut
"About time you woke up."
Duo frowned and looked around. He was in the hospital, in a comfortable bed, and when he looked to the side, he found Quatre sitting beside him with Trowa and Wufei in the back.
"Guys?" Duo muttered and slowly pushed himself up. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, since Harry had to go back to hand in a report to Une…" the moment Quatre mentioned Harry, Duo winced and grabbed his head. He groaned as memories of what happened flashed through his mind.
"Duo? Duo?!" Quatre cried out and took a seat on Duo's bed, grabbing his shoulders to steady him.
Duo's eyes snapped open and he looked at Trowa. "What happened?" he bit out and Trowa looked at Wufei.
"We don't think you're ready yet to…"
"What happened?!" Duo roared. "Why was Harry – and what was – what the hell is going on?!" the three exchanged glances full of worry, before Trowa stood up and walked over to the bedside table. He took the tablet off of it and gave it to Duo.
"This should answer a lot of your questions about Harry," Trowa said and Duo took the tablet from him with a frown.
"But just keep in mind that he's still Harry," Quatre warned and Duo looked at him. He swallowed heavily and clicked on the icon under which 'Harry Evans-Potter' was written.
Trowa, Wufei and Quatre exchanged a glance.
This could get ugly.
cut
"Are you sure?" Une asked, looking at the resignation papers Harry just handed in.
"I am," Harry stated dully, and Une looked up at him with a frown. His eyes were dark, his skin was pale. He looked like a man tired of life; tired of everything.
"You know that I won't say anything to anyone. You are one of the best Agents Preventers have. You don't have to…"
"I do," Harry cut her off. He was looking straight ahead, avoiding looking in Une's eyes. "I did what I was sent here to do. I've done my job. I'm sorry, Commander, but it has to be this way."
Une frowned when she saw the subtle coiling of Harry's muscles. "What about Maxwell?" she asked and a nerve beside Harry's right eye twitched and his lips pressed into a thin line.
"Give him a break occasionally," he spoke in a strained voice. "And – and find him a partner who won't fail him." Harry saluted Une and turned to leave.
"Potter…"
"I'm sorry, Commander Une. Good bye," Harry said and left Une's office. He walked down the hallway with his head bowed and eyes pointed at the ground.
"Harry?" he heard Heero's call, but continued on. He rushed into the elevator and looked up just as the door started to close. His eyes met Heero's and the Japanese man's eyes widened when he saw Harry's eyes.
"I'm sorry," Harry said just as the doors closed. He leaned back against the wall and fisted his right hand in his shirt over his heart.
'It's over, Harry. Now you just need to gather enough strength to leave,' he thought. A single tear trailed down his cold cheek. It turned to ice just before it touched the ground and broke into millions of sand-like, glimmering tears.
'I'm so sorry, Duo. I'm so sorry.'
cut
"You should be home," Une looked up at Duo. Just yesterday he was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health, and now he was standing in front of her.
"The guys showed me everything. They also told me why you didn't inform me of everything right away. Now, I want to know where he is." Une frowned at him. "Our office is empty. Where is he?" the tone of Duo's voice left no room for argument, and his usually violet eyes were practically black with rage.
"He handed in his resignation papers yesterday."
Duo frowned at that, and Une thought she saw something resembling panic in Duo's eyes. A second later, he turned on his heel and left her office without another word.
Une sighed and rubbed her forehead with her right hand. "Damn them," she muttered. "Even more paperwork."
cut
"He handed in his resignation paper," Duo spoke a second after he slammed the door to Quatre's home-office open.
"What?" Quatre asked and stood up.
"He's leaving!" Duo cried out as he paced. He brushed his bangs back with his right hand, and bit into his bottom lip. "He knows we know. He must know that you've told me everything. Une just told me he handed in his resignation papers yesterday. He's leaving!"
Quatre frowned and took a seat at his table. "Maybe he's not leaving because he wants to, Duo. Maybe he's leaving because he has to."
"He has a choice, Quatre! Instead of staying here and facing this mess, he's leaving!"
"Duo, you heard what Trowa said, what happened when he faced Harry! If you take into consideration everything we know about him, I think we can freely conclude that he's here on borrowed time. He was set free from that ice so that he could defeat Derek and his brothers. The way I see it, he did what he was sent here to do. That testimony…"
"Quatre, you do understand that I'm still trying to get my grips over all of this?" Duo blurted out frantically. "Five days ago magic was just something out of stories and legends! Five days ago Harry was just a damn good Preventer I was working with!"
"A damn good Preventer you slept with," Quatre corrected him. Duo blushed brightly and continued pacing. "Harry is still a damn good Preventer Agent. He just has a complicated past."
"A complicated past?" Duo repeated and snorted. "He's a damn Wizard! You didn't see it, Quatre! You didn't see it when he fought Derek! I thought I was still dreaming! I thought I was unconscious! He's a damn 300 year old Wizard! I slept with a 300 year old Wizard!"
Quatre rolled his eyes. "A 300 year old Wizard you care about and whom you need whether you want to admit it or not."
Duo stopped pacing and looked at Quatre with wide eyes.
Quatre frowned at Duo and slowly stood up. "Duo?"
"I need him," Duo murmured in amazement, and Quatre's frown deepened when Duo heavily took a seat in the closest chair. "But – But he lied to me."
"He couldn't lie to you if he didn't remember anything, Duo."
"But he knew…"
"And simply avoided to tell you," Quatre cut him off. "You never asked the right questions, Duo. I think you know the difference between lying and not telling since you've practically perfected that art."
Duo snorted and hid his face in his hands.
Quatre sighed and walked over to kneel in front of Duo, and he placed his hands on Duo's knees. "Do you remember what Trowa said? About that time he was pulled into Harry's mind?" Duo looked up and his eyes met Quatre's. "He loves you, Duo." Duo swallowed difficultly and his eyes darkened. "He loves you. I wouldn't be surprised if all of this happened because of you; because he came out of that ice for you."
"It doesn't matter," Duo mourned. "If our deductions are right, he's gonna go back to that."
"Not if you stop him," Quatre said and Duo's froze up. "He loves you, Duo."
"But I don't…"
"Bullshit!" Quatre snapped and Duo flinched back. "Don't you dare lie to me, Duo Maxwell! You can lie to yourself all you want, but not to me! Don't you remember that I can feel it?! You were attracted to him the moment you met him; you liked him before you left for that mission, and you're damn well in love with him now!"
Duo's breath caught in his throat.
"I'd bet my entire fortune that you've been in love with him for a good part of the mission, but you, Duo Maxwell, are a fucking expert in lying and denying yourself what you want and damn well deserve!"
Duo swallowed and a small smile tilted his lips. "Gee, Quat," he muttered in a broken, raspy voice. "I don't remember if I've ever heard you curse like that."
Quatre rolled his eyes and stood up, brushing his hair back with his hands. "You are a right idiot, Duo," he murmured and turned to look at Duo. "He loves you. He needs you. You weren't awake when Wufei and I came to the hospital. He and Trowa were with you in your room and he looked devastated. He left only when he was sure that all three of us would be there with you. I could feel it, Duo. He loves you. He doesn't want this. And here you're still denying that you need him and love him just as much."
"I don't even know him…"
"Yes, you do!" Quatre cried out, frustrated enough to almost want to pull his hair out. "You know enough! You knew enough to fall in love with him!"
Duo looked away from Quatre. His heart was breaking, and he couldn't breathe. It felt as though a huge mountain settled on his back. The very thought that Harry would be gone hurt something awful. 'But he lied to me. He lied. Everything was a lie.'
Quatre sighed when he felt Duo's dilemma. "A Hero will always, always be alone, because no one can ever truly love a Hero," he recited and Duo looked at him wide-eyed. "They love his fame, they love his accomplishments and they love the idea of holding the Hero's love. But no one can ever truly love a Hero. Harry will come back because he is a true Hero; because no one ever loved him for who he is. No one ever saw who he truly was. Until the time someone finally seesthat, Harry will remain a Hero. He will remain alone. And he will always, always come back in the Earth's darkest hour."
"So…" Duo gulped and looked at his hands which he clasped in his lap. "So, he needs someone to – to…"
"Not just to need him, Duo," Quatre whispered. "He needs someone to love him. He needs someone to love him more than the world will ever need him. There will be other Heroes. Others will come, but for as long as there is no other True Hero. If you think about it, the world was in need back during the wars, but he didn't come back then because we were there. We risked everything to bring peace to the world. He came back when we wouldn't be enough to save the world. If Derek and his brothers succeeded we would have something on our hands we would never be able to defeat. Something more powerful than anything we've ever seen. Harry is a True Hero; an honest to heart True Hero. And he is ready to suffer centuries of loneliness until another great evil arrives just to fight it and go back to being alone again. I could feel it, Duo. I could feel his sorrow and pain. He doesn't want to leave," he stressed out.
"But why is he leaving then?" Duo asked and looked at Quatre desperately, and the blonde's heart ached at that.
"Because the world will need him again, and not to leave he needs someone who will need him more than the world ever will. He needs someone who will love him more than the world will ever need him. And you do, Duo. You just don't want to admit it."
Duo's heart ached so hard he thought it would stop beating.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
"What should I do, Quat?" Duo asked and Quatre walked over to him. He offered Duo his right hand and Duo took it in his left hesitatingly, allowing Quatre to pull him up.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
"Go to him. Talk to him," Quatre said and let go of Duo's hand. "See to it that he stays."
Duo nodded and turned towards the door. Once he reached it he looked at Quatre over his left shoulder. "What if it's not enough?"
Quatre's eyes filled with sadness. "Then you'll lose him forever."
cut
Harry wiped his brow with his shaking right hand. He was alright for the moment, but he knew he wouldn't be alright pretty soon. He could feel it.
'Just two more rooms, Harry,' he thought to himself as he went back to cleaning.
He didn't want to leave anything behind; no trace of DNA, no trace of anything. He already had it arranged with Martha for the books he and Duo used during that mission to be burned. There were other books in the world, but at least they would be harder to find.
It hurt.
It hurt thinking about Duo.
It hurt because he thought he would be able to disappear from Duo's life easily.
He knew that there was a chance that he and Duo would never get a chance to be together.
Now he was sure of it.
Now that Duo found out he would hate him.
Hate Harry for not telling him.
Hate Harry for being something that no longer has a place in this world.
Harry finished with the bedroom floor and stood up, only to sway in his place as a wave of cold sweat covered him.
He took a deep breath and stood still for a moment.
He was shaken from his thoughts when someone knocked hard on the front door.
He frowned and slowly made his way down.
His right hand trembled over the knob and his breath hitched in his throat. He slowly opened the door and his heart stopped beating for a second. "Duo…" he gasped looking in Duo's wide eyes.
"Harry?" he whispered, taking in Harry's pale skin, the dark circles under his eyes and his shaking limbs. "Damn it, what happened to you?"
Harry gulped. "Duo, what are you – what are you doing here?" Harry asked tiredly and Duo's eyes hardened.
"I came to talk to you."
Harry glanced over his left shoulder at the hallway filled with boxes, ready to be taken to the closest second hand shop. "Now is not the best…"
"Either you'll move and let me in or I'll move you myself, which with the state you're in won't be all that hard," Duo cut him off sharply and Harry looked at him for a second.
He sighed and took a step to the side. Duo nodded at him and walked in, only to stop in his tracks. He swallowed difficultly and walked past the boxes and into the living room.
"I'd offer you something to drink but I don't have anything," Harry said as he entered the living room and heavily took a seat in the closest armchair.
Duo swallowed and took a seat on the couch. He looked at Harry and his heart clenched when he saw him sitting low in the armchair, his right elbow braced on the armrest and his right hand covering his eyes, while his left arm rested on the left armrest, his fingers gripping it tightly.
"I know everything," Duo stated and Harry lowered his trembling hand to look at him. "Trowa filled me up on what happened after I was taken. I've read your old file, I've seen the footage." Harry nodded with his eyes focused on the tea-table. "You lied to me. From the very start, all you've ever done was lie to me and my friends."
Harry looked at him tiredly. "I thought if anyone would know the difference between lying and 'not telling' it would be you, Duo," Harry said and Duo frowned at him. "I never lied to you. I have no memories of what happened. I remember practically nothing from before being trapped in that cold hell…"
"Trowa told me what he saw, Harry!" Duo snapped at him. "He told me what happened when you relapsed again. He told me…"
"It means nothing, Duo!" Harry cried out and stood up. He fought the dizziness as he started to pace, gripping the bridge of his nose with his right thumb and index finger.
"It means everything!" Duo roared and jumped to his feet. "It means that the only reason you came here was to save the world! It's means that I was nothing but a damn tool…"
"Don't you say that!" Harry thundered and rounded on Duo, making the braided man's breath hitch in his throat when he saw the anger and desperation in Harry's eyes. "I never lied to you, Duo! Not once! I knew I was sent to the past! I knew, because I did that! I did that because I wanted to become someone in this world! I did that so that one day I would be able to stand in front of you as your equal! I fought and bled so that one day I would be able to look into your eyes as something more than a pile of distorted thoughts and emotions! I was brought back to stop Derek and his brothers, but not once did I think of that, because ever since I woke up in that hospital, my one and only thought was you!"
Duo could only stare at him in shock. Harry swallowed and seemed to pull in on himself. He looked away from Duo and crossed his arms over his chest. He was shivering harder than he was before.
"So everything you told me – the night we spent together…"
"I love you," Harry stressed out and Duo's breath hitched in his throat. "I fell in love with you a long, long time ago. I watched over you - I cared even when I was trapped in that – that place. I risked everything for you, even though I knew that in the end it would mean nothing. My only thought was to get to you - get you to see that you're not what you think you are, that you're more, so much more, not only to – to me, but to a lot of other people. I knew I wasn't given nearly enough time, but I thought that maybe…"
"What are you talking about?" Duo whispered weakly and took a hesitant step forward, "Time?"
Harry swallowed difficultly and looked around the room. Duo followed his gaze and his heart clenched.
"You're leaving," he stated. "You're actually leaving."
"I don't have a choice, Duo," Harry muttered brokenly as he wrapped his arms around his waist tighter, and Duo's eyes hardened.
"You're running away. Instead of staying here so that we could deal with this…" Duo stopped when Harry chuckled weakly.
"There is no dealing with this, Duo. I'm not leaving because I want to…"
"Of course you are!" Duo snapped. "You're a coward, Potter! Your little secret got out and now you're running…"
"I don't have a choice!" Harry cried out and two lamps in the room and the TV in the corner blew up.
Duo tensed up when Harry swayed in his place, breathing as if he ran a mile. He grew even paler and if Duo looked close enough he could see the way Harry's breath colored with every exhale. The data he read on Harry, everything they went through and Trowa's recounting of what happened in Harry's room back at the hospital suddenly slammed into Duo's mind.
"You're relapsing," he muttered as realization finally hit him, and Harry looked at him. Harry's knees threatened to fail him but he was determined to remain on his feet. "You're – you're going back to…"
"Duo…"
"Harry!" Duo snapped and jumped over the table to catch Harry as the man lost the battle against weakness and fell forward. Duo led him over to the closest armchair and helped him sit down before he kneeled in front of him. Duo's left hand brushed against Harry's right and he hissed at the coldness of Harry's skin. He looked at Harry's face only to find him looking at the tea-table. "Harry, why is this happening?"
"I've done what I was supposed to do," Harry murmured quietly as his unfocused eyes stared at the tea-table behind Duo who unconsciously covered Harry's knees with his hands. "I've stopped them from bringing back an evil that would destroy this world. My time here is running out."
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Duo snapped when Harry tried to stand up and jumped to his feet to glare down at the heavily breathing Wizard.
"Why are you still here, Duo?" Harry asked in a broken voice and Duo started a bit when Harry looked up at him. "There's nothing for you here. Given enough time you'll forget about me. You'll find someone who'll love you; someone who won't lie to you." His voice turned bitter, and his whole body started to tremble.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
Harry sighed and slowly stood up, and Duo looked at Harry's hunched back as he walked towards the hallway.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
"Leave, Duo. Please don't make this harder on me than it already is," Harry begged and Duo slowly stood up.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
"Harry, why are you leaving? Why aren't you fighting this?" Duo asked. The words from that testimony constantly ran through his mind.
"Duo…"
"Don't brush me off!" Duo all but screamed and Harry tensed up. "You say you never lied to me! Tell me the truth!" the Gundam Pilot heaved as Harry glanced at him over his left shoulder with dead eyes.
"Because I don't belong here," Harry murmured, and Duo's breath hitched in his throat. "I am a Savior. I am a Hero. I fight and then rest until another evil comes, and then I fight again. I have no place in this world. I died for it too many times," Harry recited dully, and even though he was looking at Duo, the braided man had a feeling Harry wasn't seeing him.
"But why can't you stay?" Duo asked weakly and Harry looked away from him. He fisted his hands by his sides, and bowed his head.
"Because the world will need a Hero one day again, and there's no one who would want me to stay not because I'm a hero, but because they l – because they need me." Harry corrected himself quickly making Duo frown.
That which he didn't want to name burst in Duo's heart and his knees felt week.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
"What if I told you that I need you?" Duo asked before he could think about it and tensed when Harry snorted.
"You don't need me, Duo," Harry drawled bitterly and turned his back fully on Duo. "You don't need me." Duo frowned when he felt as though that wasn't what Harry wanted to say. "You should go, Duo. I have a few more things to pack before I can leave. Go and forget about me." Harry walked into the hallway, and Duo's heart broke.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
"Wha…" Harry suddenly found himself slammed against the closest wall, with Duo's mouth on his, stealing his breath away. Duo's hands were in his hair, Duo's groin was rubbing against his, his warmth was around him, and his scent was smothering him.
"You're not leaving," Duo growled against Harry's lips and Harry's breath caught in his throat when Duo pulled his shirt out of his pants and pulled it over his head only to slam his lips against Harry's again. Harry's hands flew up and he cupped Duo's face between them, kissing him back with just as much passion.
Harry's heart broke and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut when Duo wrapped his arms around his waist as though he would never let him go. "Duo, please – please don't…"
"You are an idiot, Harry James Potter," Duo bit out as he buried his nose in Harry's neck.
Harry's breath hitched in his throat when Duo flicked his hips against his, creating that sweet, sweet friction.
"You're an idiot if you think that after everything we went thought I'll just sit aside and let you go."
"Duo, don't…" Duo kissed Harry again and something broke inside the wizard.
Duo hissed in pain when he found himself slammed against a wall, and Harry stumbled back and leaned against the opposite one. If he wasn't leaning against it his knees would have given up on him.
"Harry…"
"Why are you doing this, Duo?" Harry whispered weakly. His eyes were glowing, his arms and legs were shaking, the bullet wound on his shoulder was showing signs of strain, and although his skin was almost deathly pale, and his lips were turning blue, his cheeks were rosy. "Why are you making this so difficult?"
Duo swallowed difficulty and pushed away from the wall. His heart broke when Harry slid down the wall weakly, and fisted his hands in his hair as he bent his knees and pulled his legs close to his chest. "Why are you doing this to me?" Harry asked in a broken, wavering voice.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
Duo's knees threatened to betray him as he took a small step towards Harry.
"I know I hid things from you, I know I – I hurt you, but…" Harry looked up at Duo weakly and Duo fell on his knees in front of Harry. "I don't deserve this. I don't…"
"You do," Duo murmured and slowly crawled over to Harry.
The temperature in the hall dropped drastically and Harry's breath hitched in his throat as his hands unclenched and fell to his sides to rest limply on the floor, and his legs slid apart. Duo crawled between Harry's legs, cupped Harry's face between warm hands, and rested his forehead on Harry's. "You do, because you thought I would just give up on you. I told you once, Potter. I don't do one night stands," Duo muttered and Harry choked up on air. He was shivering madly in Duo's arms.
"Duo, I can't – I need to – I can't stay here," Harry whispered and Duo moved back a little when he felt something tickle against his legs. He looked around and his heart stopped when he saw a thin layer of ice climbing up Harry's legs.
"Harry, what's going on?" Duo asked and looked at Harry. The Wizard's eyes have grown duller and his shivering grew worse. "Harry?"
"It's too late."
A whisper sounded in the air as a cold wind picked up speed.
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
And what then shall we see?
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
The Time's run out for him.
"No," Duo blurted out and cupped Harry's cheeks in his hands. "No!"
In the next moment images and memories flashed through Duo's mind and he choked up.
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
He gave all he could give you.
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
He needed saving too.
Duo saw it all. He saw it when Harry had said goodbye to his former lover; a man with blond hair and sad, icy-blue eyes, just so the both of them could fulfill their duties. He saw it when Harry married a nice, red-haired girl. He saw it when Harry first held his son in his arms.
He felt the love Harry had for the small creature. He saw it when Harry found out his wife and son were dead. He felt Harry's pain and sorrow. He saw Harry leaving everything behind, knowing he would never find peace.
He saw Harry saying goodbye to everything he held dear. Everything he loved. He saw it when Harry walked into that cave for the first time, shivering and shaking from the cold, tears of pain and loss streaming down his cheeks.
Savior; brave and bold.
You fought and stood against Her.
You lost everything,
fighting for what's good.
He felt the peace Harry felt, locked inside that icy prison. He watched as Harry watched the world, losing sense of himself, locked away alone for decades.
Decades which slowly turned to centuries.
Duo saw the beginnings of the wars from Harry's perspective. He saw Heero, Quatre, Trowa, Wufei and himself as Harry saw them. He felt Harry's sorrow and compassion as he watched them grow. He felt Harry's pride as he watched them win.
He felt Harry's joy when Heero and Relena got together, when Quatre and Trowa admitted their love for each other, when Wufei and Sally finally opened their hearts to one another.
And he felt Harry's sadness as he watched him.
Duo felt Harry's heart break as he watched how he pulled away from everything. He felt Harry's heart fill with compassion and love as he watched him struggle in a world without war. He choked up when Harry's emotions overwhelmed him.
Duo watched as something else disturbed Harry's rest. He felt the darkness rising. He felt Harry's struggle as he tried to get out of his icy prison, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw himself and Wufei setting Harry free.
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
And what then shall we play?
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
Now time has flown away.
Duo felt the power Harry used to go back in time. He experienced Harry waking up in a hospital room without knowing what was going on, knowing only his name. He saw Harry struggle to walk again. He saw Harry doing his best to make himself a place in this world, with one thing in mind.
Duo.
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
He laughed at Fate and mourned Her.
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
Now rest waits for the Savior.
"No…" Duo whispered as he watched everything revolve from Harry's perspective. His eyes filled with tears as he felt Harry's joy when they first met. His breath hitched in his throat as he listened to Harry's thoughts. His body shivered with passion as the memories of their first night together flashed through his mind.
I love you -whispered into the dead of the night.
Duo let go of a wavering breath when Harry's love for him hugged his heart tightly.
...no one ever loved him for who he is...
He cried when he realized that Harry knew from the beginning he would have to leave if Duo didn't see him for who he was.
His heart broke when he realized that despite everything Harry had risked his heart just to try and show Duo that he wasn't as bitter and lost as Duo thought he was.
"You were a great Gundam Pilot. You did your very best. You survived; you didn't allow the war to turn you into a bitter, sad creature it turned most soldiers in. Yes, you may have allowed your job to pull you in to the border of obsession, but you didn't forget your friends. They simply should have tried harder to pull you away from it."
Duo's eyes snapped open and he looked in Harry's glowing orbs. Harry's breathing was strained and heavy and the shivering stopped. The air around them was cold and a strong wind was blowing.
"Harry?"
You are smart, intelligent, quick on your feet and you have a heart of gold. You will never belittle yourself in my presence again, do I make myself clear?
"Harry, snap out of it," Duo murmured hurriedly, fighting against the pull of Harry's memories, trying to bring Harry out of whatever was pulling him away from Duo. "Harry, snap out of it!"
We'll take care of this case. We'll beat this together. You promise me – you swear to me that after this shit is over, you'll remember what I told you, alright?
"Harry, please – please, don't go," Duo whispered as he caressed Harry's ice cold cheeks with his thumbs. "I need you, you self-sacrificing, dumb idiot! Can't you feel it? Harry, please!" Duo snapped and something glowed in Harry's eyes. "There's – There's so much for you here! Heero, Wufei, Trowa, Quatre, Relena and Sally would love you, if you only let them get to know you better! We would all have so much fun together! You – you can't leave me alone with them! You can't leave me alone again, Harry!"
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
And Time slips away.
Tick Tock. Goes the Clock.
Goodbye you have to say.
Duo whimpered when he saw that the ice moved all the way up to Harry's knees and that it was growing steadily harder.
"I need you, Harry!" Duo cried out weakly and rested his forehead on Harry's. "I – I love you."
In that moment Harry's breathing stopped and everything stilled.
Duo opened his eyes and looked in Harry's. "Harry?" he murmured. He didn't notice that the wind suddenly stopped. He didn't notice that the temperature stopped dropping. He didn't notice that the ice stopped moving.
He saw the way Harry's lips quivered. He heard the slight intake of breath. He felt a shiver run down Harry's body. He saw a spark come to life in Harry's eyes.
"That's it, Harry," he whispered and kissed Harry's lips lightly. "That's it. Come back to me, you idiot. You know I can't do this alone. I can't. Not without you. I'll just – I'll just go back to how I was before that mission. I'll just go back to being that stupid, broken shell of myself, because it was you, whether you want to admit it or not, that brought me out. It wasn't Wufei, or Quatre, or Trowa, or Heero, it was you. Your stupid disappearance. That stupid mission. You brought me out, Harry." A tear slipped down Duo's cheek and fell on Harry's lips.
Harry's tongue flicked out and licked his bottom lip. "Duo?" he murmured and Duo almost whimpered.
"That's right, you dumb fuck. I'm right here, and I'm not letting you go!" Duo gripped Harry's face harder and rested his forehead on Harry's. "I'm not letting you go. I need you, Harry. I need you."
"Duo…" the braided man felt Harry's hands fist on his sides. He almost heard Harry's heartbeat quicken.
"Don't leave me, Harry." Duo begged and Harry shivered. "I need you. I need you more than I've ever needed anyone."
"Duo…"
"I love you, Harry." A gust of warm wind passed over them and Duo shivered when he felt Harry's arms wrap themselves around him. Duo moved closer to Harry until he was sitting between Harry's legs. He wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders and buried his nose in Harry's neck.
"Duo?" he looked up slowly and his breath hitched when he looked in Harry's eyes. They were filled with more life than ever before. Harry's lips weren't as blue as they were before. Color was slowly returning to his skin. He was still shivering, but it wasn't from the cold.
Ice was quickly melting off of his legs.
Duo gulped when Harry raised his right hand and gently caressed Duo's cheek with the back of his fingers.
"Say it again," Harry murmured in a deep, tight voice.
"I love you," Duo whispered and Harry swallowed difficultly.
"Again," he bit out and bowed down to rest his forehead on Duo's.
"I love you."
Harry kissed him hard and his hold on Duo tightened making Duo yelp. "Again," Harry growled as he pushed his hand under Duo's shirt, and Duo felt Harry's member awaken against his thigh.
"I love – God, Harry, I love you." Duo suddenly found himself on his back with Harry over him, the muscles of his arms, shoulders and chest flexing as he leaned over him. "I love you."
And then Harry kissed Duo with every piece of love, hope, desperation and passion he had in his body. "I love you too."
cut
Quatre gasped when Duo ran into his office. Duo's hair was a mess, his clothes looked like they were just thrown on him, his eyes were wide, and he was breathing as though he ran a mile.
"He's gone," he gasped out and Quatre frowned.
"What?"
"He –I went to him! I talked to him! We – I told him I loved him! I – We – We slept together! I thought he was fine! Quatre! He's gone! I woke up and he wasn't there!"
"Duo, calm down!" Quatre shouted and ran over to his best friend. He gripped Duo's shoulders tightly and led him over to the couch. The braided man was hyperventilating and he was shivering like mad. "Are you sure he's gone? Did he leave a message? Did he…"
"Nothing! I woke up and the house was empty. All the boxes and – and things, they were all still there, but he was gone!"
"Did you try to call him? Did you…"
"He's gone, Quatre!" Duo cried out and tears filled his eyes. "You didn't see him yesterday! He started freezing already! He was leaving already! He's gone! It wasn't enough…" in that moment Quatre's phone rang and both of them jumped in their places. Quatre looked first at Duo and then at his phone.
*This is the secretary of Quatre Barton. Leave your message after the signal.*
"Quatre, this is Harry. Please, if you're near, pick up!"
Quatre rushed over to the phone and picked up quickly. "Harry? What the hell happened?!"
"I don't know where Duo is. I left to the closest store to pick up a few things. I came back and found him gone. His phone is turned off. Quatre, do you know where he could have gone."
Quatre looked at Duo who was standing rooted to his place. "He's with me, Harry. He's…" both of them jumped in their places, when in a swirl of colors Harry appeared in the room.
"Harry!" Duo gasped and ran into Harry's arms. Harry's phone fell on the ground and broke as he wrapped his arms around Duo.
"Duo…"
"You idiot!" Duo snapped and pulled back. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! After the stunt you pulled yesterday-…"
"I left you a note!" Harry cut him off. "I left it on my pillow. I wrote that I went to the closest store to buy something to eat!" Duo gaped at him and Quatre, despite everything, couldn't help but chuckle.
The door of his office opened again and Trowa walked in only to stop in his tracks when everyone looked at him. "I heard shouting," he stated and Quatre snickered.
"We'll leave you two alone," he said, walked over to Trowa and took his left hand in his right, leading him out of the room.
Once the door closed Duo and Harry looked at each other.
"Duo…" Harry's head snapped to the side when Duo hit him.
"Don't you ever do that again!" Duo snapped. His hands were fisted by his sides, his eyes were full of tears, and he was shaking like a leaf in the wind. "Don't you ever – ever do that again!"
Harry sighed and a small smile tilted his lips. He moved forward slowly, carefully, and gently wrapped his arms around Duo. "I'm sorry," Harry whispered as he pulled Duo close. Duo hugged him tightly and buried his face in Harry's neck. "I'm sorry, love," Harry said and cupped the back of Duo's head with his right hand while he rubbed soothing circles in Duo's back with his left.
"I was so afraid. I was afraid you left for good. After yesterday – After I saw you fading, I thought…"
"Hush..." Harry whispered. "I made a mistake. I should have woken you up. I'm sorry. I'll never do that again. I promise. No more leaving like that. I promise."
Duo shivered against Harry. They stood in place, swaying lightly as Duo slowly calmed down. He pulled back after some time and roughly wiped the tears that escaped his eyes away with his right hand. "How stupid of me," he muttered and Harry chuckled.
He cupped Duo's face between his hands and kissed him lightly. "It was stupid of me, not of you. The note must have fallen off the pillow and you probably covered it with the blanket. I should have woken you up. It was my mistake and I'm sorry."
Duo chuckled and shook his head. "It's okay. Just – Just don't do that again. Ever again. I think you've provided me with a new set of nightmares with what happened yesterday."
Harry's eyes filled with sadness and he caressed Duo's cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm sorry."
"No." Duo shook his head. "It was my mistake. I was too stupid not to figure it out immediately."
"You didn't have a lot to work on, to be perfectly straight."
Duo chuckled at that and Harry snickered. "Sure," Duo said and rubbed his hands against his thighs. "Straight. Right."
Harry chuckled and shook his head. "You okay now?" he asked and Duo snorted.
"I'm far from okay. My boyfriend is a 300 year old Wizard. I think I'll need some time to get used to that." Harry chuckled and hugged Duo again, his shoulders relaxing when Duo hugged him back and rested his head on Harry's shoulder.
"Think of it like this," Harry murmured. "When we're on a mission together, now that I don't have to hide anything, both of us will be safer. I have the Elder Wand now, so my magic will be easier to control and besides; it seems I've somehow retrieved my memories again."
Duo looked up at Harry with a frown. "So what I've seen yesterday…"
"Was almost everything of my life before I got myself trapped," Harry continued and Duo hummed.
"Almost everything?"
Harry chuckled. "Yeah. You didn't see my younger years, the time I spent in Hogwarts…"
"Hogwarts?" Duo asked with a frown and Harry groaned.
"It's a long story."
Duo smiled. "Well maybe you could tell me over dinner," Duo suggested and Harry raised an eyebrow at him.
"Right! You still owe me dinner."
"Hey!" Duo snapped. "I cooked during the mission."
"Yeah, but the deal was our first free night. That doesn't count," Harry said and Duo snorted, leaning his head back when Harry started kissing down his neck.
"If anyone owes someone dinner it would be you, mister," Duo said, trying to stand strong under the gentle nips and kisses Harry was littering down his neck, and the gentle scrapping of Harry nails over Duo's skin, just over the waistband of Duo's pants. "Dinner, movies and a slow, nice, long round of sex."
Harry chuckled and Duo shivered when Harry's warm hands slipped down Duo's thighs and gripped his ass, pulling him closer. "Whatever you wish," he said and Duo moaned.
"NO SEX IN MY OFFICE!" the two jumped apart when Quatre shouted.
They looked at each other and burst into fits of laughter.
"So!" Duo said and looked at Harry, his eyes filled with mischief. "Just how did you get here so fast and would it work for the both of us?"
Harry chuckled and kissed Duo again. "Hold on tight." And they disappeared in a flash of color.
cut
Translation of Harry's Tracking Spell:
I summon thee and beseech thee, Creation of all Creations.
Hear your son's plea.
Answer me.
Find that which I lost.
Bring back what I cherish most.
Answer me.
I summon thee and beseech thee, Mother of All.
Bring back what I've lost.
Bring back what I cherish most.
Answer me!
