Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs to JKR and anyone she legally lets use them. Not me.

A/N: I'm back! :] It's a fairly short chapter, but my muse is FINALLY back. :] And I decided to post today, cuz it's my birthday! Hehe, my birthday gift to myself :D Thank you for the lovely reviews and not abandoning me! (and I shall never ever abandon this story, I promise) Thank you for the fave/alert adds as well!

Enjoy!

Chapter 25

Draco gaped at Severus as he processed what the man had said. "What?" Grey eyes wide, he quickly looked from Potter's face, a frozen look of shock on his face, to the smug challenging look that graced his lover's features.

"What the fuck Severus? What did you say?" he hissed, having trouble parsing what his lover had said.

Severus remained silent however, his onyx eyes frozen on Potter's face. The Gryffindor clenched his hands, his knuckles turning white, every muscle in his body taut with tension.

Slowly, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Malfoy, have you checked Snape over yet? Vela threw him back while they were dueling and I think he might have hit his head a bit too hard."

Severus's eyes narrowed into an expression that Draco recognized all too well. His lover was preparing for an all-out verbal duel. "I am in possession of all my mental faculties Potter, thank you very much. It is you who is avoiding the obvious. You and I both know I am right in my deductions. Why else would you keep a drawer full of Dr—" Potter's hand flew up suddenly to silence Severus, a dark look in his eyes, even as a blush faintly colored his cheeks.

Taking a deep breath, Potter seemed to force himself to relax, calming his swirling magic. Glancing quickly at Draco, Potter focused on Severus and said, "I think you need to rest, Snape. You're clearly hallucinating and not thinking clearly."

Having had enough of the secret conversation that was going on in the room, Draco's temper snapped and he quickly cast a Finite on Severus and blocked Potter from exiting the room.

"Enough, Potter. There is something you two are hiding from me. Considering the fact that it clearly has relevance to me, I believe it is time for you two to confess."

Potter glared at him, and Draco had but a moment to conceive the danger he had put himself in before he was quickly, but with an odd gentleness, pushed out of the doorway and against the corrdor wall. "You do not know what you ask, Malfoy." With that, he strode out of the house and Apparated away.

Draco turned to face Severus, taking in the frustration on his face. "Severus. Explain. Now!"

Harry appeared at Remus' front door, chest heaving from the sudden release of tension he'd experienced upon leaving Grimmauld Place. He knocked agitatedly, needing to see Remus, needing to talk to him.

The door flew open and Remus appeared, the genial smile on his face faltering at the sight of a broken Harry.

"Harry?" Remus gasped, reaching out to draw the younger man closer to him, closing the front door behind them. Steering him towards the couch, Remus settled him in, quickly pouring a cup of tea for him and wrapping the man's shivering fingers around the warm cup. "Harry, what happened? Are you alright? What's going on?"

"Severus figured it out."

Remus flinched at the broken, painful tone that escaped Harry's lips, eyes widening at the implications of what he had said. "What?"

Harry no shivered and nodded, "He's going to tell Draco." Harry looked up, his face plaintive, eyes brimming with unshed tears, "Why is this happening to me Remus? I just wanted to forget, forget that I ever felt—" Harry broke off, tears beginning to escape as he tried futilely to bury them away and reclaim the emotionless Auror façade he wore much of the time.

"Oh Harry, Harry," Remus drew Harry to him, resting his raven head against his shoulder. "Sssh, it's going to be okay child." Harry seemed to shake harder, sobs finally escaping his body.

Teddy poked his head out from around the corner, blinking innocently at his father and his godfather. Approaching slowly Teddy came around the sofa to touch his Uncle Harry's knee softly, "Uncle Harry…why are you sad?"

Harry sniffled and wiped his tears, giving his godson a small smile, "Ah, Teddy, nothing."

Teddy pouted, "I'm not three you know. You're crying. I only cry when I'm sad." The eight year old crossed his arms and gave the two men a weak glare.

Harry laughed weakly, drawing the child into his lap. "Ah yes, you're getting all grown up on me aren't you?" Teddy glanced at him, but continued to pout.

Smiling Harry hugged the child, "Somebody found out something I was trying to hide, and now they will know. That is all."

Teddy cocked his head, "Is it bad Uncle Harry?"

"No, not really. Just…a secret."

"But now it's not right?"

"No…I suppose not."

"And the somebody, do you love them?"

Harry blinked at the child owlishly, "I…care about them yes."

"Dad says that if I keep secrets from him, and he finds out, he'll be sad and disappointed in me. Because he loves me and people who love each other don't keep secrets from each other." Teddy said, his voice righteous. "You should just tell them, Uncle Harry."

Harry laughed and hugged the boy closer, "Ah, if it only were that easy."

Remus smiled sadly and drew both his boys to him.

Severus poured himself a snifter of scotch, and sipped it, letting the rich liquid warm him.

"Severus. I am waiting. What is this about Potter loving me? Have you gone mad?"

Leaning against the table, his back to Draco, Severus began speaking softly, "The summer before your seventh year you claim to have been in a coma. Something I told you."

Draco nodded.

"But I have no recollection of telling you this. I was reviewing Potter's file when I saw that the weeks you claimed to be in the hospital, Potter was as well."

Severus took another sip of his liquor, "I was in Potter's room, leaving him his potions, when I found the original of this photo." Slipping his hand into his pocket, Severus retrieved the copy of the photo he had made and stored in his lab. Placing the photo on the table, Severus turned to watch Draco's reaction.

Draco looked at Severus for a moment before looking down to take in this mysterious photo. Upon seeing it however, he immediately froze.

Potter and him. Sitting on a hospital wing bed, laughing playing chess…and then Draco saw the look in his silver eyes as he glanced at Potter, and Potter's responding smile. His heart clenched and he looked at Severus on disbelief, "I…I look…"

Severus nodded, "You look like you're in love. That is the glance you give me Draco."

Draco sat down heavily in the chair behind him, his hand clutching the photo. "Why don't I remember this?"

Severus sighed and settled himself into a chair as well. "Potter says that we removed your memories for some reason. I hypothesize it was because you wished to spy and did not have the mental faculties to hide the information away from Voldemort. And, it would not have done you any good to have been found to be in love with the Boy Who Lived."

Draco's hands began to shake, "So you Obliviated me?"

Severus shook his head, "No, we just removed the memories apparently."

"Which…which Potter has."

Severus nodded.

"And he didn't think to give them back to me?" Draco's voice became bitter and brittle. "He didn't want me to remember…whatever it was that we had."

Sighing, Severus set his hands atop Draco's shaking ones, "He did. We left, remember? And, apparently, there are now consequences to giving you those memories back. Your mind will not easily assimilate the memories because after we removed them, we also concealed with a variation on the Fidelius. Potter claims that this means you can never remember those memories. And if he does return them to you, it is possible that you shall forget everything, may forget the past eight years, may have holes in your memory…"

"So I could forget loving you."

Severus barely contained a flinch as he nodded.

"I don't want them back," Draco declared, his Malfoy mask stone still. "There is no reason for me to remember something I don't need. I have everything I want."

Severus sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. "Draco…"

"No, Severus. That is my decision."

"You heard what Potter said. He loved you. And you loved him back…"

"And now I love you. Why does it matter? You should be happy I don't want to remember!"

Severus sighed and squeezed Draco's hands, "If that is your decision, Draco."

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