Author's Note: Written for my best friend's birthday. Rated T just in case. Enjoy!
Harry was curled up lethargically on a chair in the library of Grimmauld Place. "Harry, we need your help," Kingsley spoke gravely.
"Again?" he asked tiredly, laying his head against his stretched-out arm.
"Harry," Hermione spoke seriously, "Draco's dying."
"What?" he demanded, straightening instantly. He rose, and had to grip hold of his chair for a moment. "Take me to him." Hermione's brow furrowed. "I could get myself there, but I wouldn't be much use."
"All right," she murmured, holding out her hand. In moments, they were in a room at St Mungo's – even after so few visits, Harry could recognise it. He spotted Draco lying on the bed, his skin almost grey, and his legs buckled. He gripped hold of Hermione's arm. "Harry, you need looking at," she spoke firmly.
"After Draco," he replied, voice just as firm. She let out a huff but didn't argue. His gaze on the blonde, he approached his bedside. Following instinct, he climbed onto the bed and curled up beside him, resting his hand on the blonde's chest. His eyes drifted closed.
HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM
Harry blinked awake to find Draco looking at him curiously. "You look better," he murmured.
"I feel better," the blonde replied softly.
"Mm," he hummed. "So am I. Sorry," he breathed as he realised he was curled around the blonde. He sat up and shifted to the end of the bed. As his feet touched the floor, they went out from under him and he had to grip the bed firmly.
"Get back here," Draco ordered, tugging the brunet's wrist until he complied.
"So much for thinking I was past it," Harry muttered, using his dwindling energy to climb back onto the bed.
"How long have you felt like this?" Draco asked concerned.
"Few days," he replied vaguely.
"I'm surprised you haven't been brought here before now," Draco replied, lips curving slightly.
"I've had some time to myself," he stated, lying back down with a sigh.
"Was that your idea or theirs?"
"Theirs," he stated. "Hermione will be feeling guilty now," he murmured.
"Most likely," he agreed. "Why were you like that earlier?"
"Instinct," he replied absently, closing his eyes as he felt his energy levels dipping once again.
"Perhaps you should listen to your instinct again?" he suggested, concern clear in his voice.
Harry shifted so that he was curled up against the blonde, his hand resting on his chest over his core. He let out a soft sigh, and fell asleep.
HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM
"This bears investigating," Draco murmured as Harry opened his eyes again.
"What does?" he asked. As he shifted to move away, Draco gripped hold of him. "Draco?"
"I don't fancy you nearly collapsing again," he stated, and with a sigh, Harry curled close again.
"You were saying?" he prompted.
"How were you feeling? Before you came here?"
"Lethargic," he replied honestly. "Physically drained not magically."
"I would have been really worried if it was magically," the blonde replied with a smile. Harry's eyebrows rose. "We both know you're powerful," he huffed, causing the brunet to smile. "I wonder if your symptoms started the same time as mine?"
"Can't tell you exactly," Harry murmured. "Lost track of time."
"That tallies too," Draco murmured. "Did you feel as if you were missing something?" he asked softly.
"And that you'd die without it?" Harry finished.
"If I didn't know any better-" Draco started and cut off.
"Yes?"
The blonde licked his lips. "Our symptoms are similar to those of soul mates kept apart," he stated.
"I don't know as much about them as you do, obviously," Harry murmured. "But they die without the other one, right? If one dies, the other follows shortly after."
"Exactly."
"If that's what it was, you should have started to die when I was in the Forbidden Forest." He felt Draco still beneath him. "Draco?"
"Did you die briefly?" he asked softly. "Before the Dark Lord returned with you dead, I felt as if part of me was ripped away, and then returned in moments. And I knew, for no reason at all, that you weren't really dead."
"There might be another explanation for this," Harry murmured, spreading his fingers over Draco's core, before pulling them together again. "But, for now, why don't we treat this as if that's what's happening. Why would we both begin to die, when we're both alive?"
"Because we hate each other," Draco stated.
"I don't hate you." The blonde tilted his chin so that their gazes met. "I've never hated you," he continued firmly. "I've been pissed as hell at you, certainly, but no more than that." He licked his lips. "Did you think I would reject you?"
"I don't want you to be with me out of duty," he spoke hotly, and Harry let out a pained noise.
"Take it back," he entreated, letting out another pained noise.
"I'm willing to be with you," he spoke in a rush, and let out a relieved breath when Harry's colour began to return. "Sorry," he breathed, stroking Harry's hair gently.
He smiled at the blonde. "I think we've had our confirmation," he breathed. He glanced down, before meeting Draco's gaze squarely. "It wouldn't be out of duty," he spoke firmly. "Okay, Fate hasn't always been kind to me, but they wouldn't be so cruel as to give me a soul mate that wasn't perfect for me," he murmured. "I'd take it on faith, until we felt it for ourselves."
"You do realise what we'd have to do to confirm it, don't you?" he asked softly and the brunet blushed.
"Yes, but…" Draco waited patiently. "It's not an unpleasant thought."
"And here I thought you were straight."
"So did I," he murmured, then pulled a face.
"What?"
"Never mind," he spoke quickly.
"Harry," he chided. "If we're going to do this, we need to be honest with each other. And it's not as if we can do anything else but talk at the moment," he added.
Harry removed his hand from Draco's core, and slipped it beneath his shirt, before returning it to his previous position. "Better," he murmured, and the blonde hummed an agreement. "It wasn't that I thought I was straight," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper, "but that I'd had it drummed into me from a young age, that being anything other than straight was unnatural."
Draco ran his fingers through the brunet's wild mane. "You didn't have an easy childhood, did you?" he murmured. "Even before you came to Hogwarts."
"I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy," he stated.
"That's good," the blonde murmured.
"You weren't my worst enemy," he spoke flatly, grinning when Draco scowled. "You were my rival," he continued firmly, "completely different thing."
"I suppose," he huffed with a pout.
"You still took up quite a bit of my thoughts and attention," he assured. "Especially in sixth year," he added ruefully.
"You mean when you were stalking me?" Harry blushed, causing Draco to chuckle softly. "I found it quite…pleasing. When I wasn't annoyed because you were getting in my way."
"Nothing ever was simple between us, was it?" he murmured, playing his fingers over Draco's skin softly.
"Don't do that," he breathed. Harry stilled his fingers and looked at him curiously. "It felt pleasant," he assured, "but I don't have the energy to follow it to its conclusion." Harry blushed furiously. "You are adorable," he murmured, cupping the brunet's cheek gently, smiling when Harry leant into the touch. "You're touch starved, aren't you?"
"A bit," he answered softly.
"Well," Draco murmured, rubbing the brunet's cheek with a gentle thumb, "you've got the perfect opportunity to sate it." Harry opened his mouth. "I'm willing," he assured. With a soft smile, Harry leant up and kissed the blonde sweetly before settling back into his previous position, slipping his other hand beneath Draco's top.
Harry disentangled himself and sat up. Draco's eyebrows arched. He tugged his top over his head, and threw it on the chair near the bed. With a sigh, Draco retrieved his wand, and removed his own top with an expert flick. Harry snuggled against the blonde, his cheek resting on his bare shoulder, while his left hand settled over his core. "Much better," he murmured. Draco's arms came up and wrapped around him, causing him to let out a contented sigh. The blonde rested his chin atop Harry's hair with a contented sigh of his own. "Do you want me to move into the Manor?" he asked softly.
"I'd sooner move in with you," he replied honestly.
Harry's lips curved upward. "It'll require redecorating," he warned.
"We can tackle that together," he murmured, stroking his hand up and down Harry's bare back, his lion all but purring at the touch.
"It'll take a while," he breathed.
"It's not a bad thing to have a project to occupy our time while we get used to each other." Harry hummed. "I could do much worse than you," he breathed.
He felt the brunet smile against his skin. "I can think of few better," he stated, and rubbed his cheek against Draco's skin before closing his eyes.
HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM
"Are you actually sleeping?" Harry asked as he opened his eyes.
"Yes," he reassured. "I'm waking up just before you." The brunet shifted. "Before you remove more clothing, remember we will get guests."
"Mm? No, this is enough," he replied absently. He shifted far enough away to stretch languidly, before curling back against the blonde. "Just been still too long."
"An affliction you rarely experience," he murmured.
"Used to having my time occupied," he replied, lifting a negligent shoulder. He licked his lips. "Draco?" The blonde hummed curiously. "Do you want kids?" he asked softly.
"As many as possible." Harry shifted so he could meet the blonde's gaze, startled. The blonde smiled at him warmly. "I would love to have more children than Arthur and Molly Weasley," he stated warmly. "However, given that you are likely to be the one carrying to term, I will let you dictate the number."
Harry's smile was bright. "Sounds good to me," he murmured and leant up, kissing the blonde softly. Draco cupped the back of his neck, and kept him pinned when he would have pulled back, deepening the touch until the brunet moaned.
When he released him, they were both panting hard. "What about company?" he asked breathily.
"I'm sure they've interrupted worse than a snog before," he remarked with a smirk. Harry's lips curved. "Any more than that'll have to wait until we get home."
"Home," Harry breathed. He blew out a breath. "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling impatient to get there." Draco's eyebrows arched. Harry grinned and took hold of Draco's hands. He guided Draco's right hand to hover above the blonde's core with his left, and his left hand over Harry's core with his right. He linked their fingers together, then closed that final distance. Draco gasped as he felt the connection take hold, the sound echoed by Harry. When he made a subtle movement, Harry tightened his grip, ensuring the touch remained solidly in place.
It took several moments for the connection to cement, after which he loosened his hold. Draco made no move, but stared at Harry. "How did you know to do that?" His lion shrugged. "You realise, that just because we know we're better, doesn't mean we can leave?"
"Yes," he sighed. "But it won't take them too many tests to figure it out," he stated, opening the door with a flick of his wrist. "The sooner you see Grimmauld Place, the better," he stated, aware an alarm had been tripped. "It needs a total overhaul. I don't mind if we use Slytherin colours. I'm fond of green and silver," he spoke with a grin. "Just not in Sirius' room, okay?" He turned his head to the door before the Mediwitches entered. "Do you need us to separate?"
"It would be best," the senior witch replied.
Their fingers parted reluctantly. Draco sat up while Harry slid to the end of the bed. "Is this far enough?"
"Yes," she replied, turning her attention to Harry, while her companion stepped beside Draco.
Draco watched as Harry chatted to her easily, secure in the knowledge that not only was Harry his, but that he had chosen to be. Harry's gaze flicked to his with a warm smile the blonde automatically returned.
'You realise, your Mediwitch would be flirting her ass off, if her superior wasn't in the room,' Harry spoke to Draco mentally. The blonde startled. 'And you weren't so focussed on me,' he added, grinning at the blonde.
'That hardly matters,' he drawled in response, grinning when Harry shivered.
"Leave your experimenting until you are home," the Senior Mediwitch chastened.
"Sorry," they replied in unison.
"Well, the diagnosis is clear. Ensure you don't block your connection in the future," she ordered, and they dutifully nodded. "You have been given a gift," she spoke warmly. "Go, and enjoy it."
A flick of his wrist, and he and Draco were fully dressed, their wands securely in their holsters, and he gripped hold of the blonde's hands before transporting them to Grimmauld Place.
"A little notice would have been nice," Draco drawled as he straightened.
"You do know I'm impulsive," he retorted with a grin. "You don't mind I brought you straight here, do you? I figured you'd want to see what you were getting into – so you can change your mind if necessary – before you got your stuff."
Draco tugged him into a kiss, stilling his next words easily. He pulled back with a satisfied smile. "I will not change my mind." He glanced at the décor around them. "Although I might enlist help," he murmured.
Harry linked their fingers together. "The more the merrier," he stated. "And it's probably best if our loved ones get used to each other. Before the wedding," he added. The blonde's eyebrows arched. "Don't worry, I'm still expecting you to propose, but you're traditional enough to want to get married before we have kids…" he trailed off, expression sheepish.
"Don't worry, Harry," he murmured, bringing their joined hands to his lips and kissing the back of his lion's, "I knew what I was getting into with you." He stroked his lion's hand with his thumb. "I can't promise it will be easy, but whatever difficulties we face, we will get through them together."
"Together," Harry breathed and leant up, giving the blonde a kiss that was sweet and full of promise.