Draco was a zombie, or that's what he'd felt like all day. His classes were nothing but a vague blur mixing together in his mind. He couldn't remember what, if anything, he'd eaten. The only thing he could recall clearly was each and every time he'd seen Harry. He'd somehow been able to pull himself together long enough to glare. It was nothing but deeply ingrained self-preservation kicking in. He couldn't let Harry see the pain, he couldn't let the other boy know the power he held.

He was almost to his common room that afternoon when he changed direction. He didn't want to answer any questions and, though he was very grateful for her concern, he didn't want to see Pansy. Draco didn't want to see anyone. He found an empty classroom and sat on the floor. The tears came again, but weren't as frenzied as last night. What would Lucius say if he could see his only son, his heir, sitting on a dirty floor crying over Harry Potter? Draco shook that thought off before his mind could take on his father's voice and berate him for his unsuitable behavior.

There was a knock on the door and before he could answer it opened. Pansy walked in with a school owl perched on her arm.

"It's for you. Stupid beast wouldn't give it to me, so I brought the whole damned owl," Sure enough there was a folded up piece of parchment in it's beak with his name on it. Draco's name was scrawled messily on the front in Harry's handwriting. He wanted to jump up, snatch it away, and read it immediately. He didn't. He was scared.

"Draco, would you please, at the very least, take the bloody note? I don't fancy standing here all night getting covered in owl droppings," She held her arm down and the owl wobbled precariously before extending it's head and depositing the letter into Draco's open palm. As soon as it's post was delivered to the rightful recipient, it flew away.

"Well, are you going to read it, or stare at it longingly all night?" It seemed to take his hands an excruciatingly long time to unfold the paper. It could have been because his eyes were closed.

"For Merlin's sake," She grabbed it and read it aloud.

"Draco, I'd like to talk to you. Please come see me? I'll be waiting, not only tonight, but every night until you come. Harry."

His first thought was that Harry had signed the letter with his name, something he'd never done before. His second thought was that he had to get to the Room of Requirement as quickly as he could. His third thought, which he didn't have until he was standing in the seventh floor corridor, was that Harry owned him. Well, there was nothing he could or would do to change it, so he might as well get used to it.

He tried to calm himself before he opened the door. It sounded like Harry wanted to try to work things out, but he couldn't get his hopes up. Even if Harry apologized, Granger was still hanging over their heads. If Granger had somehow come around who was to say that Harry wouldn't behave the same way when someone else challenged them?

When he entered the room, Harry was sitting on the settee staring into the fire. At first he thought Harry hadn't heard him come in, but then he started to speak.

"I told Hermione that she couldn't decide who I dated. I told her that I didn't like the way she'd talked about you or how she'd been treating me. I'm so sorry, Draco. It wasn't your fault and I shouldn't have taken it out on you," Harry still hadn't moved or turned to look at him.

"Well, good for you. What happens the next time someone doesn't like me? It's going to happen a lot, you know. I imagine it won't be long before everyone knows I'm a death eater's son. It's a damned wonder he avoided public persecution last time, he won't be so lucky again. What then, Harry? It won't just be one person, it will be the whole bloody world. I tried to warn you. I told you it wouldn't be easy. I told you and you said… you said," He was hyperventilating and his words were coming out jagged. He couldn't keep it together. Fifteen years of emotion control went down the drain, he was reduced to a stuttering, babbling imbecile.

"I want to try," Harry was up and coming toward him slowly, "I said I want to try, and I still do."

"I don't know if I can do this again, Harry. If you run-"

"I won't."

"If you decide it will be easier without me-"

"It's not, it's hell. One day and I barely made it through, I can't do it again either. Draco, please?"

"I don't trust others easily, Harry."

"I know, and I won't give you any more reasons to distrust me," They were almost nose to nose and Harry's hand was hovering beside Draco's face. Draco could feel the heat of that hand and wanted badly to lean his head into it. He hesitated too long, but instead of being discouraged, Harry closed the distance between them.

There was kissing, frantic kissing with too many teeth and way too much desperation. There was a hand clawing at his shirt and another gripping his hair. His own were moving over Harry's back in a frenzy. There were moans, groans, broken apologies, and declarations of devotion. He was sure he was growling the other boy's name over and over, but he couldn't stop himself.

Then they were moving, tripping over their own feet and stumbling into furniture. They crashed into a wall, Draco was flat against it with Harry crushed against him. The hand that had been clawing at Draco was working the buttons of his shirt out of their holes. The second his chest was exposed, it was attacked with tongue, teeth, and lips. It was raw and urgent. It was exactly what Draco needed.

One of Harry's hands left Draco's body long enough to sling the door to the bedroom open. Harry never stopped his exploration, he just pulled Draco from the wall and maneuvered them through the door. There was a flurry of clothes being yanked off and haphazardly discarded. The moment they were naked Harry toppled them to the bed.

Draco's hands scrabbled for purchase on damp skin when Harry thrust against him for the first time. Harry gasped and his eyes rolled back in his head.

"Shit, so damn good," Draco rolled his hips to encourage more movement and was rewarded with a series of hard, long thrusts. It was great, but he needed more friction. He flipped them over, Harry's breath hitched and he moaned Draco's name. Draco lost control.

He worked a hand quickly between their bodies and firmly gripped their erections in his hand. He set a fast pace and used his free hand to trap Harry's above his head. He wouldn't last long, but it didn't matter. Draco latched onto the skin on Harry's shoulder and sucked. He wanted to mark the boy as his own, it was slightly barbaric, but he felt compelled to give Harry a reminder.

"Draco," It was a plea, a demand for release and Draco wouldn't deny him. He worked their cocks faster and only seconds later felt the first pulse of Harry's cock. He drained Harry with only a few more strokes and released the other boy to concentrate on his own pleasure.

His hand was knocked away and Harry's wrapped around him. He met green eyes that were watching him with amazement and adoration.

X.X

Harry didn't let himself drift as he was normally wont to do after orgasm. He felt Draco still moving above him and opened his eyes to see the most erotic sight he'd ever witnessed. Draco was straddling him and pulling harshly on his own cock. Harry had an urge, not for the first time, to touch - so he did.

It was an amazing feeling. He was in complete control of Draco's pleasure. It wasn't the control that made him feel so powerful though, it was the fact that Draco willingly submitted to his ministrations. Draco trusted him with this, he knew Harry had no experience, but he trusted Harry to please him. Harry was determined not to disappoint.

He figured it couldn't be much different than doing it for himself, so he did what he liked. It was a little odd and the angle was off, but he decided that he very much liked touching Draco Malfoy and wanted to do it as often as possible.

He wanted to take his time, but that could wait until next time. He focused on getting Draco off as quickly as possible and succeeded in a shorter time than he'd expected. Ten strokes was all it took (he'd counted). Draco moaned and erupted over Harry's hand.

"Fuck, Harry," He arched several times then stilled. Draco was breathing heavily and his hair had fallen in his eyes. Harry thought, again, that he was possibly the most beautiful boy in the entire world.

Harry used the hand not covered in Draco's seed to trace the outline of the almost formed muscle adorning Draco's chest and stomach. He started at the 'v' pointing to the prize still in his hand and worked his way up. His eyes followed his finger and he thought that with so much to admire, it probably wouldn't take much for him to get hard again.

With a sigh, he dropped his hand. They still needed to talk. He wasn't sure if they'd made things better or worse. He'd just needed to feel Draco, to know that he could still, if only for a few minutes, be close to the other boy.

Draco eased his body off Harry's and quickly retrieved his wand. He spelled away the mess covering Harry and then joined him on the bed again. Harry was slightly reassured of where they stood when Draco snuggled up to him. Draco laid his right arm and leg over Harry and rested his head on Harry's chest.

"So, are we ok?" It seemed like a ridiculous question given their current frazzled state, but it needed to be asked.

"I don't know if we are right now, but we will be. I just felt like you were choosing her over me. I guess I couldn't fault you for that if I'd done something wrong, but I've tried so hard. I changed so much in my life for you. I... I really care about you, Harry and it hurt to be cast aside like that."

"I care about you too and I'm so fucking sorry. I don't know what I can do it make it better." He had an idea, but he wasn't sure if they were ready for it. He could prove his willingness to fight for their relationship if he just told everyone. Then a sightly different idea hit him. It would give everyone time to adjust a little before they found out about their romantic relationship.

"Hermione invited us to go to Hogsmead with her and Ron this weekend. I know we were going to wait to tell anyone, but maybe if we were seen being friendly it wouldn't come as quite a shock," He felt Draco tense. "What is it?"

"You have to promise me it won't cause problems for us. You have to swear that you won't treat me like I'm dispensable when everyone starts talking. This is a major step for me, one I wasn't concerned with until recently. Once I'm seen with you, even just as friends, my loyalties will be laid out for everyone to see. Some of my housemates won't even talk to me anymore," Draco raised up far enough so that they were face to face.

Harry placed a hand on either side of Draco's face and looked him directly in the eye, "I've learned my lesson, I'm not going anywhere. I like you, a lot. I was miserable all night and all day. I spent the night here last night, hoping you'd come back. I was sorry not even a minute after you walked away. Hell, I was probably sorry before I even said what I did, I just wasn't thinking clearly. I'm so sorry, Draco. I need you to know that it was a one-time moment of stupidity that will not be repeated," Draco's eyes were suspiciously glistening when he leaned in and kissed Harry lightly on the mouth before laying his head back down.

"I forgive you," Harry smiled at how much that sounded like the old Malfoy. Draco had resumed his previously haughty air even as he circled Harry's nipple with shaking fingers.

"Thank goodness. It won't happen again, Draco. We're in this together and I won't forget that."

"You'd better not… But if we fight once in while, and this is how it ends, I'm ok with that," Draco kissed his shoulder and pulled him closer.

Harry didn't want them to fight ever again, but thought Draco might just be on to something.

A/N: I hope this was wicked enough, but even more, I hope it seemed real. I had a hard time with this because I wanted this to happen, but I didn't want it to seem like they were solving their problems with sex. I hope it didn't come off like that. If it did, I'm truly sorry. It's rather difficult to be an unbiased judge of your own work.

I think Harry has now earned the title of 'lover!'

Hugs, kisses, and love to hold you over til the next installment.

Oh, I posted a new story. It's a different take on chapter 5... It's from Ron's POV, but it's not the Ron we know and love from this story. I wondered how Harry's request might have affected Ron if he were in love with Harry and poof! I got a new little ficlet! If you're not scared of it turning you off this story or Ron, check out A Different Line and let me know what you think.

Corrected, even the a/n, lol. Skruck! This is exactly the reason I need a beta... I end up with easily noticable mistakes and crap that doesn't flow. So, I added some dialogue and I hope it fits. K, I'm off to beta hunt.