Hello all. A big thanks to Hidden Lily for the quick beta. Sorry I haven't responded to any reviews but I love reading them so much. Still, I think you all prefer me writing more story than replies, eh? Thank you to all who are still bothering to read this story. Enjoy the chapter!

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Chapter 14: Appeal

Draco lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, but avoiding any sense of deja vu simply because these days when he lay in bed like this, his emotions were swirling. Not long ago he had been barely a walking corpse, not caring about whether he lived or died. Now, he cared all too much.

Harry was still out there talking, but Draco couldn't handle any more discussions. He wasn't used to being a part of things. He knew things might change for better or worse tomorrow, and he couldn't help wondering ....

Had he made all the right decisions since he helped Harry escape and let himself be rescued in return?

As the door quietly opened and Harry slipped inside, his face going from serious to a fond smile at the sight of him, Draco merely shook his head at his own ridiculousness.

There wasn't any doubt how right that one action had proved to be, come what may tomorrow.

Harry pulled off his shirt and trousers, reaching for his pyjamas-

'Wait,' Draco whispered, lifting his covers in invitation, showing that he didn't have much on at all. He could see Harry's throat swallowing as he stared at Draco, who almost put the covers down again as he blushed red down to his navel, but then Harry stripped completely and jumped in beside him.

'Jesus and Merlin, you're cold,' Draco muttered and Harry snorted at the mixed cursing. He snuggled closer and Draco gasped. 'Have you been outside?'

'Mmmm, maybe,' Harry murmured, turning his head and kissing Draco's collarbone. He followed its contour, causing different kinds of shivers.

'Oh, that's nice,' Draco encouraged. He tugged at Harry until their lips met, banishing the last remnants of cold.

It felt almost innocent, Draco mused as they cuddled and snogged underneath the covers, the cold from the stone walls kept at bay by their passion; innocent compared to his sex-life up to that point. He didn't really want to compare or remember at all. Harry was so very different from Adam and his ... friends.

'You all right?' Harry whispered. 'We don't have to-'

'Just ...' Draco fought his cringe at the cheesy line- 'make love to me.' Harry smiled, a soft chuckle escaping him, and kissed Draco's pointy nose.

'Love to.' Harry shifted so he was covering more of Draco and began kissing him in earnest. One couldn't help but admire the absolute honesty in every kiss, its unashamed passion and caring. Draco closed his eyes, letting his emotions get the better of him, for it ignited him. He took a firm hold of Harry's hair, tilting the head to the side and kissed back with burning need.

'Oh,' Harry gasped as he settled firmly between Draco's legs. They started rocking, the covers slipping. Harry made a grab for it and for a few moments it was awkward as he summoned his wand and cast a mild sticking charm so it wouldn't slip. Draco wondered if it was the cold or the slight fear that someone would make a late-night visit. 'Sorry,' Harry muttered.

'Doesn't matter.' In fact it was rather endearing, though Draco would never say that. They slowly found their rhythm again. Draco gasped into Harry's mouth and made indignant noises, but he hardly cared. The bed started creaking, but neither noticed. They forgot all about plans, awkwardness or that big important thing called reality. Draco wanted to look down between them, but Harry distracted him with his increasingly sloppy kisses. He scratched at the man's back, but failed to find purchase as both of them were getting sweaty.

'Gah, ah, 'Ha-arry,' he moaned, loud enough to cause embarrassment even in his current state. Harry's answering groan made up for it. Draco couldn't tell who started, but all too soon he had to let go.

They came down from their high with sweating foreheads pressed together, arms around each other.

'Merlin, I hope no one heard us,' Harry suddenly announced. It was almost exactly what Draco had been thinking and a bark of laughter escaped him. Harry chuckled self-consciously so Draco shut him up with a slow kiss. Harry's hum of approval was very satisfying.

They fell asleep sticky and warm, but most importantly, for Draco at least, with the knowledge that it had been worth it, come what would.

XXX

Draco had never seen such a crowd. Unruly, deafening, terrifying; all too nice words for the scene in front of them. The streets were filled for miles and miles around. They were shouting, waving signs, half of them demanding the warts be arrested and neutralised on sight, the other screaming for fairness and a stop to the violence ... though perhaps the "half" bit was a slight exaggeration. In any case it was impossible to tell because they were all equally loud.

The police and military were trying to keep the two sides separated. A platform had been erected in front of the court building. Draco supposed some sort of statement from some important person was going to come from there, but he was more preoccupied with wondering how the hell they were going to get inside.

They weren't disguised with magic and that fact alone put Draco on edge. He was wearing jeans and a green sweater with a baseball cap and scarf to cover his features in case they needed to make a quick get away. Harry wore similar attire.

They were accompanied by the Weasleys, Kingsley, and Snape, who were supposed to be behind them, but when Draco glanced over his shoulder he only thought he spotted a red head somewhere in the sea of people.

When he turned back his heart leapt into his throat. 'Harry!' he yelled, scanning the crowd in search of him.

Then a strong hand slipped into his and gripped it hard enough to bruise. Harry's face was filled with equal parts worry and relief. Draco pressed close.

'We should get out of here,' he practically shouted into Harry's ear in the hopes of being heard.

'No, we have to do this,' Harry replied. They were nearing the platform, but Draco had no idea how they were going to get by the police.

Draco looked up and saw a lot of official-looking people standing on the platform. The noise from the crowd picked up, people swaying like waves crashing upon the shore. Fights were breaking out and law-enforcement was pushing into the crowd to intervene.

'Shit!' Harry cried as he and Draco were pushed in different directions. Their hands were slipping. Just as they were about to lose each other, Draco felt himself being pulled into Harry's Apparition. Because of the distance between them Draco was barely pulled along. When he appeared he swayed dangerously, feeling the distinct urge to throw up. His ears were assaulted by a gasping and roaring crowd.

'Listen to me!' Harry's voice was loud now and Draco blinked his eyes open to the sight of Harry shouting into a microphone. 'Please, listen!' Slowly, the noise abated, but they were hardly silent. Draco felt as if they were standing on top of them all, and swaying with them. He gripped the railing. 'We have a right to be heard.'

As Harry realised he actually had the massive crowd's attention – whether from his magical appearance or his reasonable request Draco knew not - he suddenly grew noticeably uncertain.

'Go on,' Draco urged. 'There's no one else.' Harry nodded and turned to face the crowd, filling his lungs with air quickly and then speaking clearly and confidently. Draco admired him immensely in that moment.

'Look at me,' Harry began. 'My name is Harry Potter. I always knew I was kinda different because strange things would always happen around me. People called me a freak, bullied me even. I didn't think there was anything I could do to change any of that. Then a letter came that changed my life.

'I found out there was a whole world with people like me and they saved me. I never asked for magic, in fact when I was little I would probably give anything to be rid of it, but wizards taught me control and understanding. Without Hogwarts, without the Ministry of Magic, I would be as uncontrollable as many of you fear.'

Harry took a deep breath. Draco scanned the crowd. Many faces were turned to him in awe and hope, but many others held fear and disgust. It was impossible to tell if Harry's speech was having any impact. They hadn't talked about this sort of thing, so for Harry to just speak from his heart like this was amazing to hear, and see.

'You hunt us down like animals, and insist we have too much power, but you fail to realise what destroying our world will do: it will do exactly what you're trying to stop: make us uncontrollable and maybe even dangerous. I won't deny that having magic is probably a lot more power than one single person should have, but that's just it! We aren't one person, we're thousands, tens of thousands world wide, and without our world, then we will cease to be, and the individuals will be all that's left.

'You say we need to follow your laws if we're to live in your country, but this is our country too, and this government hasn't been following its laws while locking us up and throwing away the key. Neville Longbottom is one of my best friends. He was working with a group of biologists, but when they found out what he was, they locked him up and experimented on him, driving him almost completely insane. Is this right? Or is he just a wart?'

Harry had tears in his eyes at this point, and Draco could feel sour bile in his throat at the thought of the things done to witches and wizards everywhere.

'Draco Malfoy, the man standing next to me, had to live in hiding for years in terrible conditions. If his magic had manifested even for a second without his control, he would be in prison without trial, for breaking an unfair and impossible law. A law that reminds me of the worst kinds of laws passed in the history of mankind...'

Harry let that reference lie, but Draco could tell it had not gone unnoticed by the crowd.

'For thousands of years we've lived apart from you with a live and let live philosophy, mostly, but we can't go back to that now. We want to coexist, but this is an unprecedented situation. We're not a problem that will go away with enough neutralisations. Sooner or later you're son or daughter will come to you and say they did something magical. It could happen to anyone. It happened to me.'

Harry stopped rather abruptly, perhaps realising he had nothing more to say. The crowd was almost completely silent. He turned to Draco, looking a little lost. Draco smiled reassuringly, a little unnerved at the lack of noise, but wanting to be strong for Harry.

His smile was cut off rather abruptly, however, when a sickening loud bang noise was heard from below and something hard and painful struck him in the gut. Harry's eyes grew wide with horror. Draco looked down to see his green sweater was growing darker and darker. The pain was minimal, actually, unreal.

'YOU TRAITOR!' someone shouted. Draco's eyes found a face in the crowd. Adam's face was twisted in rage, the gun still pointed upwards. He fired another shot, but it never reached Draco, because Harry's wand was out and the bullet hit his shield.

The crowd was screaming now and the opposing sides were at each other's throats. They stormed towards the platform, the military pushing back violently. Draco felt short of breath.

'Draco!' Harry cried, supporting him. When had his legs given out? 'Stay with me. I'm going to risk Apparition, all right? Hang on.' Draco's head became so heavy it fell back and blackness was threatening. He could feel the wetness of all the blood, and the pain was increasing steadily. Harry took hold of his head. 'Draco, look at me!'

'Harry.' Ow, his stomach was really hurting now. He grimaced.

'Can you hold on?' Draco wanted to say yes, he'd be fine, but he wasn't sure, so he nodded. Harry gathered him up in his arms.

'Still worth it,' he whispered just as the pain became unbearable as he was pressed through Harry's point of Apparition. He screamed and then everything went black.