It was a long night. Harry was up for most of it, reliving every delicious second, usually with his hand under the covers. The rest of the time, he wondered what this could mean.

OK, they liked each other. Had interesting conversations and enjoyed doing things together. Harry loved Draco's competitiveness and his intelligence, his sharp tongue and quick wit.

OK, they were intensely attracted to each other. All night, Harry could only think of kissing and touching him everywhere. Making him pant, shudder and moan. And the thought of Draco's long, pale hand running over his skin...

But there was a world outside the high hedge of this castle, and Harry had to use any means to return to it. The sooner the better. The longer he stayed, the deeper they would both get pulled into this. This, this... whatever it was. Harry knew he could easily lose himself in it. Dive deep and not come up for air for a year or two.

Draco had some feelings too, it was obvious. Were they strong enough to let Harry go?

Harry sighed. He strongly doubted it. Draco had been a loyal son his whole life. If he hadn't split from his family and Voldemort over his task to kill Dumbledor last year, he wouldn't do it for a few (incredible, amazing) kisses. And Harry couldn't stay here for weeks, waiting for those feelings to develop, never knowing if they would get there.

That left only one choice. One horrible, awful choice.

...

He awoke from a light nap to a strange sound. The cell door unlocked and swung open, but Draco wasn't there.

Confused but curious, Harry slowly left the cell and went to the bottom of the stairs. The thick door at the top was open too.

Harry's heart beat faster. Was this it? Draco setting him free? Acting like the doors were left unlocked somehow? Not taking too active a part in his escape?

He moved up the stairs, quickly but cautiously. What would he discover at the top? Lucius?

Instead, there was a dining room table covered with a dozen different foods. Pancakes, strawberries, whip cream, sausages, bacon and eggs.

He sensed a presence beside him. Draco, a tentative smile on his face. "I wanted to do something special...," he said, a flicker of self-doubt coming across his face.

Harry grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "It's incredible. Looks delicious," he said, but his eyes were going down to Draco's lips again.

Draco pushed Harry against the wall, kissing him deeply, nothing held back. Harry groaned, his arms going around Draco and hugging him close. Finally. It felt so good. So right.

A minute or two later, Draco was pushing him on to a sofa and climbing over him. "Brunch can wait. Stasis charm..."

Harry nodded. "Yes, this first. Need you so bad," he moaned, kissing down his neck. "But the house elves?"

"I sent them to the store. Told them to come back in two hours," Draco said, his leg slotting in between Harry's.

"Perfect," Harry said, rolling Draco on to his back. He did a slow grind against Draco, making them both pant. Grabbing Draco's wrists, he pinned them back against the sofa as he gave him a deep, dirty kiss.

But under one hand, he felt something hard. Draco's wand, tucked up his sleeve like most witches and wizards did. Harry didn't let himself think for even a second.

Grabbing the wand, he pulled it out fast and pointed it at Draco, his stomach sinking like a stone, his hand trembling a bit. "I'm so, so sorry."

Draco froze underneath him, his eyes wide, his face going pale. "You aren't...," he stammered, barely getting the words out, "you wouldn't..."

Harry shook his head. "I have to." Looking away from those beautiful eyes before he changed his mind, he shouted out firmly "Accio wands!"

Several other wands shot towards him, and he caught them with his natural seeker skill. All the wands from the skirmish at Malfoy Manor. He got off Draco, standing with shaking legs.

Draco's expression had turned to hard fury. Deep hatred. His eyes seemed to glow with it.

"Immobilus," Harry said softly, and it felt like a piece of his heart was dying as the magical bonds went around Draco, even covering his mouth. Harry pulled a blanket over his still body, tucking it around his neck, wanting to give him some comfort.

"They will be back soon and find you," Harry said softly, unable to meet Draco's accusing eyes again. He wanted to say more, but what could he say?

In the dining room, he made the food disappear, not wanting Draco to have to face it later. A romantic gesture that Harry had callously used against him.

Luckily, the door let him exit the castle, much to his relief. Now for the final step.

He apparated to a forest Hermione had taken them to last fall. It had trees close together, lots of places to hide. He made a pile of leaves, put up some protective wards, and waited. If there was anyone following him, they would do it within the first day. He didn't want to lead them to anyone on his side.

He felt numb, the look on Draco's face constantly flashing through his mind. Pure betrayal. He could hardly sleep, curled up on the dry leaves, half expecting to be discovered at any moment.

He could only hope in time Draco would come to understand his actions.

The next morning, he apparated a few different places before going to Shell Cottage.

...

-One Month Later-

Harry walked around the Room of Requirement, the buzzing hiss of the horcrux in his ears, in his scar. He could feel that it was close.

Pure instinct lead him to a plain wooden box. The diadem was there, a large blue gemstone making up the body of the Ravenclaw eagle.

"Well, well," Draco said, coming around a pile of furniture with Goyle and Blaise, all with their wands drawn. "What brings you here, Potter?"

Leaving the diadem in its box, Harry stepped away to face them, heart pounding. His eyes drank in the sight of Draco. He was wearing his black suit, looking much the same as he had a month ago. But his face was a bit thinner, his skin paler, and his eyes harder than Harry had ever seen them.

"I could ask you the same," Harry said, wanting to pull out his wand. He was probably better in a duel than Blaise and Goyle. Surely there was a way to get out of this without hurting anyone.

Draco's hand never wavered. "You have something of mine. I want it back."

Harry's mind was a blank for a few seconds. Oh, his wand. "What's wrong with the one you have?"

"It's my mother's. It's powerful, but not the same," Draco said. "Doesn't quite understand me. Know what I mean?"

Harry completely got that. There were so many unasked questions between them. He started with the main one. The one that still stuck in his mind all these weeks later, when he had gone over things again and again. "Why didn't you tell her? Bellatrix."

Draco just glared at him. Blaise and Goyle had no idea what he was talking about.

Harry wanted to scream in frustration. "You knew it was me. You didn't say anything."

But Draco still said nothing, his cold, dead stare speaking for him.

And that, more than anything, made Harry want to cry. He had missed Draco so much, felt awful about what he had done, and Draco wanted nothing to do with him except get his stupid wand back.

Goyle shifted beside him, not liking the lack of action. "Come on, Draco. Don't be a prat. Do him."

Still Draco held Harry's eyes. Seeing who would look away first. Could Harry look him in the eye, hold his gaze, after what he had done? Draco seemed to be daring him to do so.

Harry desperately wanted to look away. Sink to his knees, beg Draco for forgiveness. Kiss him, hug him, make sure he was OK. But his duty came first. Before everyone and everything.

Draco seemed to sense his friends shifting, reacting to the tension between Harry and Draco. "Easy," he crooned, keeping them from doing something stupid.

But then Hermione and Ron appeared, and it was chaos. Wands went flying, Ron was hollering and chasing after the Slytherins, as Hermione and Harry searched for the diadem. Just as they found it, Ron came running back, screaming in fear. Fiendfyre chased after him almost like a sentient being, and they all ran for their lives.

Luckily, they came across some Quidditch brooms and started flying out of the room. Harry heard a scream, and saw Goyle falling from a high stack of furniture into the fire. It was awful.

"We have to go back for them," Harry shouted at Hermione and Ron, turning his broomstick around. He had said 'them' but there was only one man he headed straight for.

Draco was perched on the top of a huge pile of furniture, looking around in desperation and coughing from the smoke. His skin was shiny with sweat from the heat of the fire climbing all around him.

But through all that, he saw Harry coming towards him, his sharp eyes finding him and holding him. He stuck him arms out, getting ready to grab hold of anything.

Harry had to swing past him twice before Draco swung up behind him on the broomstick, clutching Harry's waist firmly. Pure relief shot through Harry at the close contact and he headed right to the exit. They all had to make it.

He had to decline sharply to get through the doorway, and the weight shift made them lose their balance, crashing to the stone floor in a pile, the broomstick skittering away. Stunned and breathless, Harry tried to grab hold of Draco.

But the man pushed him away with a hard shove, his face twisted into a sneer of distaste, and scrambled to his feet, racing away.

Ron and Hermione tossed him a basilisk fang, and Harry stabbed it into the diadem. They tossed it back into the burning Room of Requirement, hearing the screams from that part of Voldemort's soul scream as it died.

...

-A/N: Just one chapter left! Thanks for reading!