—Draco POV—

I woke up the next morning facing the wall, and with Harry hugging me from behind. I slept the whole night, and I think he did the same. I turned around to face him, happy at the thought that he got a full nights sleep.

His features were relaxed, it seemed he was still sleeping. I repositioned myself to be able to sweep his hair away from his eyes, and my hand ended resting on the side of his head. However I noticed his eyes move below his eyelids when I brushed his hair out of the way. I smirked, getting an idea.

"Well, I guess he's not awake yet." I said ironically. Looking at him and waiting for a reaction.

"I'll bet if he was awake he'd love some ice cream." I saw Harry struggle and fail to hold back a smile, he then opened his eyes.

"How did you know I was awake?"

"You're terrible at hiding things. Maybe that's why you were never in Slytherin."

"Oh shut it. You know I was actually supposed to be a Slytherin?"

"I highly doubt it." I said mockingly.

"No really, I was. Even after my first year the sorting hat offered to allow me to switch houses, saying he stands by his initial decision."

I gave him a face. "What would you say if I told you I don't believe you?" I said.

"I'd say that's classic of you."

I laughed slightly at that. And I began playing with his hair.

"A Slytherin? Actually?" I said in disbelief, a smile playing at my lips.

"Actually." He said, also with a laugh. Just then, he pulled his forehead to rest against mine, both of us began to calm down from our small fit of laughter. Our breaths mingled together thanks to our proximity.

—Harry POV—

"Hey... can I talk to you?" I asked, nerves setting in. I need to do this, and who better than Draco to talk about it with? He's helped me a lot recently, and he's allowed me to feel comfortable around him too.

"Of course. I'm always here for you." He said. I pulled my forehead away reluctantly, missing the comfort, but needing to look at him while I did this. I took a deep breath to gather some courage.

"I want to talk to you about Ginny. And about the letter."

"Okay. I'm listening." He said with a genuine appearance.

I took another breath. "I guess the first thing I should do is apologize for the other night. For scaring you and for getting sick and trying to push you away..." I said, I closed my eyes, scared to meet his.

"You don't need to apologize. You reacted in a plausible way. I understand." He said. "Hey. Look at me." He continued gently. I opened my eyes slowly, a bit worried.

"Don't worry about that. It's big news, and it's important news too. It's also something you probably didn't see happening eight years ago. You shouldn't apologize for your reaction." He explained.

"I guess," I said shyly. "I guess, I'm sorry you had to deal with it."

"You don't have to be sorry about that either. I'm here by choice, and I was there by choice. I want to help you and I'm willing to deal with things." He said.

"To think, ten years ago, I was head over heals... and we had almost this forbidden love fostering in the middle of such turbulent times. She was my first, well, almost everything... we were happy with each other... even when I was a complete arse to her efforts towards my health. I regret that. I still love her. You know? And I wish her the best. I just...it's not the same type of love. And that feels almost wrong." I said. He lay right beside me, listening to everything.

"Speaking of being an arse..." he said. "I guess now is as good of a time as ever to apologize for everything I'd done to you in the past." He continued.

"No please don't worry about that." I replied, we looked at each other in the eyes.

"I was an uptight jerk and an idiot. I didn't make your life any easier."

"Who would have known about my life though... besides, it's alright, really." I responded. I brought my hand up to caress his face.

"If anything you were a welcome distraction, considering you weren't Voldemort or the Dursley's.."

"Have I mentioned I really don't hate you." He said in a whisper, a small broken laugh came after it.

"I think you may have mentioned it." I answered, also allowing a laugh to escape.

We brought our foreheads together, though I kind of wish it were a kiss. We closed our eyes and stayed in that position.

Soon, I spoke: "I'm surprised Scorpius hasn't come bursting in asking about you." I said, a smile forming on my face.

"I think yesterday is the latest he's ever gone to sleep. And I could tell he was fighting it too." He let a laugh escape "I am never carrying him again. If his mother could see him now..." he said, his voice trailing.

"What was it that happened to her to go so young?" I asked curiously.

"A blood curse was cast on an ancestor of hers. She ended up with it. Having Scorpius greatly weakened her... She passed away 6 months later..."

"I thought she'd passed during childbirth."

"It is easier to say it that way isn't it." I felt his face heat up and I knew it was because he was holding back tears.

"Hey, remember: if I can cry with you, then you can cry with me too."

He let out a single chuckle, again. "I guess that's how it works." Draco said with a breaking voice. I held him closer and he silently let tears fall.

"I'm happy that she gets to rest now. And I know she's looking over us. And I know she's happy that I've moved on." He said softly.

"I'm sure she is." I responded.

After a long while of the two of us comforting each other in an embrace. Draco spoke.

"You should respond to Ginny." I sighed, he's right.

"I know."

"Let's get up ok? We'll eat breakfast, you'll take your medicine, I'll have Scorpius bathe, and we can floo to your house." He said.

"You'll be there right?"

"Undoubtedly."

—-

We were now in the office at my house. Scorpius is in Teddy's room playing with toys, meanwhile I am standing in front of the desk. It hasn't been touched since I was last here. I swallowed my nerves, trying to stop shaking.

"I don't want to have to read it again." I said, Draco was standing next to me.

"Then don't. You only need to respond to her." He said, letting my owl out to fly around outside.

I sighed, sitting down at my desk. "I want to talk to her about this... in person. Not through a letter. It's not right. I'm not forcing her to stay with me or anything, I just don't want it to happen like this... we're on opposite sides of the globe I- why did she do it this way?" I said, my head began to hurt at these thoughts.

"Why don't you tell her that though?" Asked Draco, sitting down on top if my desk. "I mean, tell her you want to talk in person. I don't know if you'd rather go to London or-"

"I- I'd really rather not." I said, a bit tense. "I haven't been there since the war. I don't know if I'm willing to go back, I-" I sighed, not finishing whatever my thought may have been.

"Wait really? What about Teddy?"

"I've been working on that." I said shortly. I wanted the conversation to end. This is something I really haven't been able to make up my mind on. What do I do for Teddy? It's pretty obvious Hogwarts will want him to attend there, meanwhile Ilvermorny here in the states only knows him through his papers from when we moved... and we didn't even move close to Ilvermorny... that was stupid of me. I don't know the slightest thing about the American Wizarding World yet I've lived here for 8 years and Teddy's own tutor is an American Wizard.

"You alright there?" I heard Draco ask, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him in confusion.

"You weren't responding to what I was saying." He told me.

"Oh. I'm sorry. What- what is it you were saying?" I asked, slightly embarrassed.

"I was saying that you could ask her to come home to speak. And so that you can see Teddy again anyway."

"Yeah. I guess. I just... that feels a bit overbearing of me.. 'I know you want a divorce but could you come home and talk?' It seems uncaring." I said, pondering what to write.

"Suggest that Granger and Weasley come over...for damage control I guess... if you would like I can also be there."

"What is this a divorce party?" I said in disgust.

"No Harry, I'm only suggesting, I don't know... just go to London for crying out loud. I'll be there, we can apparate or floo and that way it'll be less painful for you I guess... explain that I'm going to be there, or not, I don't know! Tell her that you need to speak, whether it's here or in London or at Granger's or Weasley's house, I don't know Harry, but you can't just leave without responding to her. And you told me yourself that you want to have this conversation in person. Tell her what you've told me. Don't worry about it being perfect or anything like that. This is a big thing you're talking about. You're not a politician who needs to plan all of his speeches." He said, now slightly out of breath. I was taken aback by his minor passionate speech.

"Just talk to her." He said once again. "You can't keep avoiding things." He said. Now it was my turn to lose it. I stood up in anger.

"Well that's pretty tough isn't it Malfoy. In case you haven't realized you're the first person I've opened up to in a decade. I don't know what I'm doing and it is far from my comfort zone." He then stood up.

"Your comfort zone doesn't mean shit to the real world Harry! Please." He said. Suddenly his tone and expression was exhausted and desperate. I realized I'd had a fit that was completely uncalled for. He spoke again, softly.

"I may be the only one you're comfortable with talking to... but in this situation, I'm not allowed to be the only person you confide in. If anything, people will find it suspicious that you confide in me of all people. You need to be able to speak with your wife."

I stood there speechless. I didn't know what exactly to say, and I felt like saying anything would be inappropriate, so instead, I sat back down at my desk, and with shaking hands, I wrote.

—-

It's now many hours later, and I took to sitting on my roof, listening to choral music. I told Draco I'd needed to blow off steam after sending the owl and he didn't protest to it. I've been up here for quite a while, but the music accompanied by a view of the multicolored sky and setting sun simulated a sort of escape from my reality. I felt at peace, yet, in a sort of disconnected and lost way. I took a deep breath as I continued to let my distraction engulf me.

The endless and seamless blend of blues, yellows, pinks, and whites played in perfect harmony with the music in my ears. The sky had such a subtle, yet sudden way of changing. You're watching every second unfold, yet you don't realize how different everything is until it's too late.

At some point while lost in the endless floating scenery, I felt Draco's presence behind me. He sat next to me without a word, and put his arm around me. We leaned in to each other.

After a while of the two of us taking in the sunset that -though seeming impossible- was soon to end, I felt a soft, gentle, quick kiss on my neck. I turned to meet Draco's eyes. Somehow, the silver-grey of his eyes kept me in my daydream.

I learned up, and we connected in a mutual passion for each other. Our hands roaming everywhere, grabbing every piece of each other we could.

—-

Eventually, he pushed me down in his bed. Hands placed beside my head. We kissed, and soon, we were laid bare in front of each other. I never thought I would have felt like this... I never thought I would be making love with the one I love, freely, deliberately. For just this moment, the shadow of my burden did not loom over the both of us.

It was allowing us to freely be together, for the first time since I'd tried to breathe my last.