"Ahh Mr Malfoy! Mr Potter! How pleasant it is to see you again, and quite a surprise to see you together I might add, though fantastic non-the-less. Please, please follow me and we'll get your bags dropped off before meeting with the rest of staff before dinner"

Professor McGonagall had aged since the boys had been in school, her once dark brown hair now showing grey highlights throughout it and her once stern looking face softened slightly by the added lines forming around her eyes and mouth, some things hadn't changed though, right now she was marching infront of them; her posture rigid, expecting them to follow along heading up towards the higher floors.

"I had to consider quite carefully where to put you boys for your stay, I'd have liked to let you use the room of requirement however it's currently used for training purposes by the older students – smart idea of yours that was Harry – so really it has to be one of the dorms, I'm sorry about that, as you've gathered since we're heading upstairs it's obviously not Slytherin or Hufflepuff's and I wasn't certain you'd be able to enter the Ravenclaw tower with the riddles so I figured Gryffindor was the most suitable choice, I really hope that's okay with you Mr Malfoy, we could find another arrangement if necessary"

At saying that McGonagall stopped walking and turned to face the boys expectantly, particularly looking at Draco, waiting for an answer to her unspoken question.

Looking quickly at Harry, Draco nods his head happily "I've never been into the Gryffindor tower, I'd love to see what it's like on the inside" realizing how enthusiastic he sounded Draco took a deep breath and with a small nod indicated they should continue on their way.

Reaching the portrait on the 7th floor McGonagall turned to the boys, "Being Christmas, the password this week is Figgy Pudding, though please do be nice, The Fat Lady is getting fed up of rude children, I hope you prove they'll grow out of it – not that you were ever that rude Potter."

Upon hearing the password the portrait swung open revealing the whole in the wall Harry had definitely not missed clambering through. McGonagall it seems, was not intending on going any further, rather just ensuring they got to their tower in one piece.

"Here I leave you boys, Harry, if you head up to the 7th year dorm room, you'll find another door right next to it, it was used for 8th year students, or anyone needing to repeat a year, the room will be yours, as will most of the tower, there are only a handful of students still here for the holidays, I hope you be respectful of them working, I hope to see you for dinner in the Great Hall in a few hours, if you wish to see us beforehand, most of the staff are currently in the library"

With a small smile she was gone, marching back off towards the staircase down to join the rest of the staff.

Grabbing Draco's hand Harry clambered through the portrait hole, dragging Draco through after him, giggling like a school boy when Draco fell through, needing to be caught by Harry. They stopped for a few moments, both boys staring around in wonder, Harry being flooded with memories of times he'd spent in this room, sitting by the fire with Ron and Hermione, floo calling Sirius, testing Fred and George's sweets, petrifying Neville to sneak out of the dorm. Draco seemed to be awestruck, taking in every small detail, the cushy chairs with a fireside seat, the window seats overlooking the quidditch pitch in the distance.

"It's so warm and, homely in here, I don't think you ever saw the Slytherin dorms, but it was always so cold and dark down there, very much like the students who's abode it is, it has extravagant furnishings of course, but the green hue always made it feel like a place where anything not quite legal could happen"

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, leading him over to the plush armchair by the fire "Actually honey I did see your dorm, I had a conversation with you while I was down there actually, only, you could say I wasn't myself, that was back when we were only 12, so many years ago now"

Draco pulled away from where they were both sat in the chair, clutching onto the armrests so he wouldn't fall, "WHAT. That's not true. You did not ever come into my house dorm. Any you definitely did not talk to me while you were there." In a smaller voice he leans in a little closer and mutters "I'd have remembered if you had"

Harry looked at Draco sheepishly and muttered "Polyjuice potion? I err, I was Goyle, and Ron was Crabbe, we, well we thought you were the one opening the chamber so we wondered if you'd say anything to us about it"

Draco's eyes widened before he smiled, leaning forward he murmured "my lioney snake" before kissing Harry deeply, twisting around so he's straddling Harry's hips, bracing his arms either side of his head. Draco rolls his hips down slightly, earning a gasp and small moan from Harry, pulling away just slightly, in a husky voice he growls "I never thought I'd get a chance to have my way with you in my favourite chair"

"And you won't quite yet"

"At least not for a few more hours at least anyway"

With an undignified squark Harry shoves Draco away a little too forcefully, having to grab him before he collapses to the floor, whipping his head around he sees two young girls standing grinning near the bottom of the stairs.

Harry stared at the two girls in shock, there was something so familiar about them, but they could only be 3rd years at the oldest, they weren't at school at the same time as him, so what was it?

Draco seemed to notice Harry's fixation, glaring at the two girls for breaking up their heated session he turns his attention back to Harry, and trying to get him to loosen his rather tight grip on his wrists; "baby? I'm not going to fall, you can let go of me. Harry. Hey Harry. Let go please"

Harry shook his head a little and loosened his hold, instead twining his fingers with Draco's before standing up and heading over to the girls, who seemed to be having a conversation by just sharing looks.

The closer Harry got the more he could see what made him so shocked, the girls were obviously twins, and at first Harry had thought it was the shockingly familiar red hair that had tricked his mind, but the deep brown eyes and the square jaw were all so well known to him that he couldn't be imagining it, without realizing it, he muttered "Ginny?" and stepped even closer to the girls.

One of the girls stuck out her hand "Gideon Weasley, number one daughter of Bilius Weasley, pleasure to meet you"

Harry staggered back, leaning against Draco for support, "I have met you before, you were at the wedding, I didn't even remember you being there. You must be, Fabian?" Harry added the last part while turning to look at the other twin.

"I think fabulous is the word you're looking for" she said and grinned "Of course you've met us before"

"You're right, we were there"

"That day when it all went wrong"

"Harry Potter's birthday"

"Bill & Fleur's wedding"

"The fall of the ministry"

"my what a busy day for two 7 year old minds to take in"

Eyes wide Harry groaned "Stop stop stop. I haven't had to decode Fred & George's sentances for 6 years, I can't keep up yet. Slowly, tell me, how are you, and the rest of the family?"

"Well shouldn't you know"

"You were best friends with the family"

"pretty much spent every summer with them"

"Didn't you?"

"so why must we now tell you all the news?"

"But if you must know"

"we can tell you everything"

"over dinner, of course"

The girls shared a look and grinned, in unison they said "See you at the Gryffindor table!"

Just before the portrait closed behind them Gideon turned back, with a wicked grin she called "Behave yourselves while we're gone, we'll know if you don't!"

With a stunned look Harry tugged on Draco's hand leading him up the stairs to where the 8th year dormitory await them. Pushing the door open, Harry was pleased to find it was much smaller than the regular boys dorms, instead of the normal 5 tiny beds there were just two slightly bigger beds, Harry was happy to note that he and Draco could just about fit into one bed.

Without saying a word Harry pushed the door shut and pulled Draco over to the farthest bed, collapsing down onto it and simply lying together, bodies folding perfectly to each other's. With a sigh Harry settled his head onto Draco's shoulder, burying his face in the crook of Draco's neck and inhaling his scent.

"That was a lot more difficult than I ever even considered, I'd forgotten there were Weasley cousins, especially forgotten they were twins" Harry's voices was muffled where he was pressed against Draco, looking up slightly Draco could see a shine to his eyes, like he was trying not to cry "Fred" was all he said before he whimpered slightly and buried his head against Draco again.

Unsure of what to do, Draco gently ran his hands through Harry's hair and down his side, trying to soothe him without saying the wrong thing, letting him just have his time to remember; that was something Draco knew all about.