For the rest of the night, Harry was worried. There was a party in the common room that started as soon as the rest of the fifth years got back that breached for dinner before resuming after. Harry didn't make it, as he had a date with Draco.
As soon as he entered the room, Draco was picking him up and spinning him around. Harry laughed at the rush. "We're done with exams!" Draco exclaimed, and kissed Harry.
Harry wrapped his legs around Draco's waist, hoping he wasn't too heavy. Draco's arms snaked around his back, keeping him there against his chest. He really needed a Draco hug after his day. All he wanted to do was sit with Draco for the rest of the night.
Harry told Draco as much as he could about the vision and his and Sirius's conversation. He felt even worse about not being able to tell Draco about Voldemort wanting him to get the weapon from the Ministry. He had a feeling Draco knew he was hiding something, but Harry was thankful he didn't ask.
Draco wanted to go over the exams, question by question, like Hermione. Unlike with Hermione, he could listen to Draco talk all day, so he didn't mind nearly as much. As Draco was talking about the question about the war in 1723, his pocket started talking. "Harry?" He quickly pulled out his mirror to see Sirius's face.
"Sirius! What's happening? Draco's here."
Sirius's eyes moved over to look at Draco and Harry positioned the mirror, so he could see both of them. "Hey, Draco. I wanted to give you a quick update, but I'm afraid I have some bad news." Harry and Draco exchanged a worried look. "I assembled a group of people to go to the Ministry with me, got in touch with Dumbledore, and we headed over there. Voldemort had caused some sort of distraction, so the place was deserted. There was a group of Death Eaters, including all those who escaped from Azkaban, waiting and there was a fight. Moody didn't make it. He was hit by a cutting curse and bled out. He was the only casualty." There was a moment of silence as they all digested that.
Harry couldn't believe it. Moody was a hardened Auror, he had already survived one war, so many attacks, he would've thought Moody would be fine. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. It was his fault. This wouldn't have happened if Harry had just kept his mouth shut. Draco pulled him into a hug, almost as if he could hear what Harry was thinking. Harry probably just had a look on his face like he needed a hug.
"Dumbledore came too and rounded up the Death Eaters that hadn't been captured. That's when the Minister and half the Ministry turned up." Harry's head snapped up, looking at Sirius. "They arrested the Death Eaters on trespassing charges, we were lucky to get out of it myself, but luckily we had a couple Aurors on our side, which helped fudge the details. Draco," Sirius focused on him and a look of sympathy came across his features. "Your father was with the group. He was arrested as well. I'm sorry."
Harry quickly turned to Draco, who looked shocked. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Harry pulled his head in to rest on his shoulder. Draco let him and hid his face. "Anything else happen, Sirius?" Sirius shook his head.
"I want to remind you Harry, that Voldemort may still try to lure you there, and you can't go under any circumstances. Tell me immediately if he tries to pull something again. I'm going to be keeping my mirror on me at all times from now on. I actually caught Kreature trying to destroy it earlier today, can you believe that little bugger? He's been acting so strange, too. He burst into tears when he saw me earlier. Well, we're having a full meeting now, so I've got to go, but we'll talk soon, Harry. Draco, I'm sorry, again about your father. It can't be easy hearing that. I'll see you both at the end of term."
Harry placed the mirror face down and kissed the top of Draco's head. "I'm sorry, Baby." He said into Draco's hair.
"What did Sirius mean about Voldemort trying to lure you to the Ministry?" Draco's voice was muffled. Harry startled, he had missed that Sirius had said that in front of Draco. Maybe it was no longer important that he not tell anyone, since it had already happened?
"Sirius warned me that Voldemort might try to trick me into going to the Ministry."
"Why?"
"I don't have all the details, and he told me not to tell anyone, but—"
"It's ok, you don't have to tell me."
"Really? Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"I don't need to know if you were told not to tell anyone. I trust you, Sweetheart."
Harry squeezed his arms around Draco, more touched than he could ever say at Draco's simple declaration. "I'm sorry about your Father, Babe."
Draco breathed before he spoke. "I'm not." Harry tried to look at Draco's face, so he sat up until he could look at Harry. "Don't you realize what this means? My father is in prison. He might have to stay there. I'm free! I can go home this summer! If my Father isn't there, there's no one to force me to join the Death Eaters or hurt me. I don't care in the least that he's arrested, this is good news!"
Harry thought about it, and it did seem like a good thing. "What about your Mother?" She seemed nice enough, according to what Draco had told him about her, but she seemed colder and more aloof than involved in any way.
Draco frowned. "She wants me to be a good Pureblood just as much as Father, but I don't think she's convinced that I'd have to be a Death Eater to do that. I know she wouldn't protect me from Father, but I don't think she'd force me to join or even be a sympathizer without him around. Harry, this is what I've been dreaming of!" He hugged Harry forcefully. Harry wasn't entirely convinced that Draco would be safe, however.
"What if your father's friends come around? What if Voldemort comes for you? I still don't know if you should go home, Draco."
"Why would Voldemort come for me? I'm nobody to him. And with Father in prison all the responsibilities of the head of the house of Malfoy fall to me. I need to be in the manor, taking care of things. Harry, this is important. I was afraid of my Father, but my Father is out of the picture. Hopefully until I graduate. This summer, I'll get everything into place for me to run away when he gets out. This is the break I've been praying for, everything will work out now, just wait, you'll see."
Harry took a deep breath. "Draco, I still have a bad feeling about this, but I understand that you feel you need to do this. I don't fully understand why, but I can see that you do. I just want you to do one thing for me, ok?" Draco raised his eyebrow as Harry leaned over and grabbed his bag. He had brought it specifically to give his present to Draco.
"I want you to take this and use it if you feel unsafe. Happy early birthday." He handed the wrapped package to Draco, who tore into it eagerly.
He pulled out the enchanted necklace with a Celtic knot and small jewels from its box. "It's beautiful." He commented as he put it over his head.
"It's a homing portkey. I made it. It's designed to transport you when you give the keyword and it'll take you to wherever I am. I put the homing signal into my necklace, so if you're ever in trouble, whether it be this summer or ten years from now, you can always come to me. Literally. I put all sorts of enchantments on it to repel rituals and enchantments that would bring harm to you. It has the same charm as our bracelets, so no one can see it, and has a minor shield charm so minor hexes won't harm you. If anyone does happen to feel it, they won't be able to forcibly take it from you. I tested it out a bunch of times, so I know it's safe. Promise me you'll use it if you feel like you need to?" Draco looked at him with an odd expression.
He was looking at Harry like he was the most precious gem he had ever seen, like he couldn't believe he had been honored enough to actually see him. He kissed Harry gently, reverently, his hands on either side of Harry's face. When he pulled back, he looked at Harry's eyes and shook his head slightly.
"I love you. And I promise I will use it if I'm in danger. Thank you, Harry, I've never felt so safe in my life." Harry kissed the side of his head as Draco looked down at the pendant. "What's the keyword?"
Harry whispered it in his ear. Draco raised an eyebrow. "A little conceited, don't you think?"
"You're one to talk." Draco laughed and kissed Harry again. They tumbled to the ground, still kissing.
"I am not conceited," Draco whispered as he unbuttoned Harry's shirt. They moved to their knees, upright and pressed together.
"You absolutely are," Harry murmured back through his lips as he started working on Draco's shirt.
"Am not, you gorgeous man," Draco said between kisses as he scratched at Harry's bare shoulders.
"You are too, you conceited, beautiful man." Harry retorted as his lips moved along Draco's neck. Draco moaned as Harry found the spot that elicited that response. His nails scraped along Harry's spine, making him shiver deliciously. He went for Harry's belt as Harry pulled his shirt off.
"You are the big-head, Boy-Who-Lived." Draco panted as Harry worked his way down to Draco's nipple. He pulled one into his mouth as he pinched the other one. Draco loved having his nipples played with, they were extremely sensitive. He switched his mouth with his other hand before speaking.
"You are the haughtiest person I've ever met, you stunning, striking man." Harry had his belt undone and was tonguing his way further down Draco's torso. Draco shuddered in response.
"You are going to suck me, you handsome, egotistical man." Draco demanded as he was revealed. Harry licked his lips at the delicious sight before swallowing it quickly.
They lay there quietly panting what seemed like hours later as their breathing evened out. Harry's lifted leg came down and Draco started stroking Harry's stomach. After a minute, he got up only to plop himself down on Harry's chest. "I am really going to miss you over the summer."
"I am going to miss you as soon as I leave the room." Draco chuckled. "Are you sure I can't tempt you into staying with me and Sirius?" He was only partially joking, not just for the blowjobs either.
Draco sighed wistfully. "Not this summer, Sweetheart. I want to live with you as soon as we graduate, though."
Harry hummed happily. "Where would we live?" He asked as he pulled a blanket over them. It was getting cold and he was unwilling to lose skin contact with Draco. "At the Manor?"
Draco hummed as well. "I don't think so. It's so big, even for me, sometimes. I think I'd want to get a little flat. Not too little, at least two bedrooms, two baths, a nice big living room where we can cuddle on the couch. Maybe we could get one of those…tell-la-visions" he pronounced, "and get take out, and watch one of those movies on Friday nights, make out half way through, move it to the bedroom…" He spoke slower and slower, his voice taking on a purring quality as he leered at Harry, reaching up to kiss him.
Harry felt his heart start to beat faster, but it wasn't a panic attack. It was desire and excitement for the future. He had never felt this excited for something that hadn't happened yet. He pulled Draco's head closer to his as they kissed and pictured it, wanting that future more than he had ever wanted anything.
"That sounds so perfect," he whispered as they separated. "Could we get a dog?"
Draco made a non-committal sound. "How about a cat?"
Harry considered. "How about both?"
Draco snorted before he kissed Harry's jawline. "Haven't you heard they don't get along?"
"Haven't you heard we don't get along?" They both laughed happily, and Harry turned so he could hover over Draco. He moved his hand to cup Draco's face and kissed him slowly. Draco moved his leg, so it could rub along Harry's.
"Did I say anything that bothered you?" Draco asked, looking a little guilty. Harry was confused.
"When?" Draco raised his eyebrow. "Oh. No. That was actually incredibly hot. I enjoyed every minute."
Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I almost called you a slut, I got a little carried away."
Harry thought for a moment. "You can if you want, next time. After all… I am your slut." Harry watched as Draco's eyes darkened, he had whispered that last part huskily in his ear. He wasn't prepared when Draco lunged at him, throwing him on his back as he placed himself on top of Harry.
"You're my slut?" He asked as he started licking Harry's jawline. "You're all mine?"
A stream of heat worked its way up Harry's chest from his stomach. "I'm all yours, Baby. I'm your dirty little slut." He did feel some anxiety at saying that, but it was masked almost entirely by the burning desire it brought forth.
Again, their desires took them over, and they laid panting in each other's arms.
He was incredibly relaxed. "Holy hell, Draco." He said and laughed. Draco chuckled breathily too. "You have quite the mouth on you."
Draco hummed. "You have quite the mouth on you, my love." They both laughed again and kissed. Harry turned on his side, Draco turning to match him, and he stared into those beautiful silver eyes. There was happiness and love shining through them. Harry had never felt so connected to another person. He was sure, as sure as he could be, that they were as close as they could be if they had just had full-on sex. "I love you so much," Draco whispered to him, as if he was hearing Harry's mind.
"I love you, too, so much." Harry returned.
They stayed on the ground, kissing lightly and moving their hands slowly across each other's bodies, enjoying how intimate the moment was.
"If your Father is in prison, and can't do anything about it, does that mean we can make our announcement? That we're together?" Draco stared at him, considering, stroking Harry's hair.
"I think…we need to wait, and make sure he's not going to get out any time soon. As soon as he's convicted, we'll have our coming out party." Harry grinned and kissed him hard.
"You mean it?"
"Yes. I think we've waited long enough. Are you excited?" Harry climbed on top of Draco.
"Are you kidding? I've been waiting years for this! How do you think we should do it?" They spent the rest of their time together coming up with ideas for announcing their relationship. Some were short and sweet, some were outlandish, some ridiculous, but Harry realized he didn't care. Things were finally looking up.
"It's ok," Draco whispered into Harry's hair. He was shaking and hadn't been able to stop. It was several days later; the last feast of the year was happening without him and Draco. He took a deep breath trying to regulate his intake. Someone had to have noticed they were both missing at the same time. They were risking so much to be here, together. Harry didn't think he could leave Draco's arms if he tried.
He pulled Draco's arms tighter around him, gripping the fabric of his robes, needing his closeness.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Draco asked as Harry's breathing slowed. He didn't know what he would do without Draco. He had begged Draco to come to their room over their bracelets, and Draco had entered the room panting, out of breath from running the entire way there. He had pulled Harry into his arms without asking, and Harry had burst into tears. He held Harry, rocking him slowly, letting Harry cry all over his robes, without a single clue what was wrong. He hadn't demanded answers, hadn't even asked what was wrong. He just kissed the top of Harry's head and waited patiently.
Harry sniffled and shifted so they were sitting next to each other on the cushioned floor. He still had his head on Draco's shoulder, and both their hands were connected. "Something happened." He said, and memories of the previous night flooded his senses.
Must, I must, get it. I have to get…it. I have to. Must get…it. There were voices, giving him instructions, telling him what he didn't know he had to do. It was confusing, yet freeing. His bed was comfy, but the cold stone was needed below his feet. The roar of the fire was crucial. He had to get into the fire. He had to move. It was vital that he go…somewhere. Ahead. The most important thing in the entire world, the whole universe was forward, and he had to get to it. He simply had to, or he'd die. There it was, and he had to pick it up, he had to give it to someone. That was demanded of him. He had to. Keep Going! Keep Going! It was important. Hand it over. Hand it over. Hand it over. HAND IT OVER! It was important. IT WAS IMPORTANT.
Harry shook his head to clear it. "Last night, I don't really remember everything. Dumbledore said there was a weak-will potion in my system."
Draco gasped. "That's an extremely dark potion! It weakens your strength of will until you are powerless to any random suggestion. Who gave it to you?"
"I don't know. I think I'm getting ahead of myself, I don't know how to start." Draco waited patiently. "According to Dumbledore, here's how it happened."
*** Last night
Harry awoke, sort of. His eyes were open and seeing, he was sitting up in bed, taking in his surroundings. He was in his dorm, snores echoing off the walls around him. Get up, a voice whispered in his ear, echoing in his brain. You have to get up. Really, he was still dreaming, his conscious mind locked away.
He listened to the voice. There was absolutely no reason not to. The voice gave him instructions, leading him onwards. He went to the common room, then out into the corridors. The chill on his bare feet registered but didn't compute. It didn't matter. All that mattered was moving forward and getting the thing.
He came to a door, it was locked. He waved his hand and it unlocked. Simple, no need for him to stop, that was insane. The voice instructed him to go to the fireplace, throw floo powder into the grate, and say three words.
"Ministry of Magic," came out of his mouth, was that him? It didn't matter, he should get in the flames. He should move forward again. He was walking and the chill of the floor against his bare feet registered somewhere in his brain but didn't have any impact on him. It didn't matter.
The screeching of the grates didn't matter, all he had to do was stand still as it moved and move when it became still. His footsteps were loud in the silent corridor, but they didn't matter either. Nothing mattered but obtaining the object.
He moved forward at the voice's insistence. There were doors in the way, but they didn't matter. Not that one. Not that one. Not that one either. There, that one. That was what he needed. He moved forward again.
There were orbs around him. He shouldn't be here. This was wrong. No, it was important, he needed to be here, he needed what was here. It was important.
Pick it up, the voice said. It was there, right in front of him. He needed it, it was important. No, he couldn't, it was important that he didn't. No, it was important that he did. He couldn't pick it up. He should pick it up. He wouldn't, he would. He did. He picked it up.
Good, the voice finally praised. It was good. It was bad, but it was also good. Bring it to me, the voice said. Maybe he shouldn't. A small, new concept opened up in the very back of his mind. It wasn't fully formed, but he thought, why should I? It was defiance, and that wasn't good. It was important that he not defy the voice.
Why though? The new voice questioned. Why should he do everything this voice said? He was walking, but his feet were cold on the stone floor. He didn't want to have cold feet. He was tired, and he wanted to go back to sleep in his nice warm bed. His feet wouldn't be cold then, if he were in bed. Why wasn't he in bed? Why was he moving? He didn't want to move. Why should he be moving?
He was in a hallway, and he realized that. He was waking up, just a little. KEEP GOING! The voice demanded. Harry didn't like the voice. He didn't want to listen to it.
Vaguely, he realized he was in a large room. He didn't want to be there, even if it was important that he be there. There were more voices now, they were all around him, coming from figures. Dark figures, he didn't like them.
He was Harry. Harry was who he is. He was standing in the atrium of the Ministry for Magic. There were Death Eaters all around him in their dark cloaks, forming a loose circle, as if they were guarding something. There, ahead of him, was Voldemort, hand outstretched. "Hand it over, Potter." He was saying.
He still wasn't fully awake. His brain was at war. The voice wanted to hand it over, was demanding it. It was important. But he was also Harry, and Harry didn't want to give whatever this thing was over. It had to be important, if Voldemort wanted it. It was important that he not hand it over, just as important as it was that he did hand it over.
Voldemort had been smiling in a very evil way. Now, he was demanding to know what was wrong. "The potion must be wearing off my Lord, or he is fighting it."
"I'll deal with you later," Voldemort hissed. "You will hand it over, Potter, now!"
If anything, it helped him. He didn't do what Voldemort wanted, just because Voldemort wanted him to. He was Harry, not a play thing of Voldemort's. He followed what his heart and mind said, not what Voldemort said.
Voldemort was angry now. "Hand it over! Now!" Harry was backing away. He was fighting it. He had to, it was more important than anything.
"Don't you want to know what it says, Potter? Everything you have ever wanted to know, every question you've ever had is right there in your hand. All you have to do is listen, and you will know everything you've ever wanted to know."
That sounded good. He did want that, but not if Voldemort did. "No," his gravely voice said. It hadn't been used in a long time. He struggled over the word, as if not entirely sure what it meant, what it entailed.
"HAND IT OVER!" Voldemort yelled, both aloud and in his mind. He was the voice, the voice he didn't like, saying things he didn't want. It was important that Voldemort not get this orb, even more important than his own life. Voldemort wanted this badly, so badly. It was important to him, so it was just as important that he not get it, no matter what.
He looked at Voldemort, was he awake now, where was he? Voldemort was yelling, the Death Eaters were shouting at him, he had a massive headache, and his feet were cold. He just wanted to go back to bed. Whatever had happened to him, was ending, as was his life, he thought.
He raised his hand, holding it out to Voldemort and watched as Voldemort's face slowly transformed to twist into triumph, then fall into defeat.
He threw the orb as hard as he could to the ground. It burst into a million pieces at his cold feet, a ghostly figure rising from the shatters. She began speaking in a high-pitched, harsh voice, Voldemort was still screaming, there was so much noise, Voldemort raised his wand, and Harry fully awoke as a spell headed straight to him.
He ducked, and it flew over his head, hitting a Death Eater in the distance. Voldemort was still screaming, still throwing curses, they were heading straight to Harry, and he didn't have his wand. He dodged all of them, but that last one, whatever it was, headed at him, and there was no escape. He was going to die.
Something fell in front of him. It was white and heavy, and exploded on impact, small bits of stone hitting the hand Harry had raised to protect himself. He had no idea how he was still alive, it made absolutely no sense.
"Dumbledore!" Voldemort screeched, and there was mass chaos. Spells were flying everywhere, figures in scarlet robes were fighting the ones in black, one figure in bright blue robes was fighting Voldemort. It was Dumbledore! He was saved!
A spell went right over his head, and he ducked against the far wall for cover. Another statue from the fountain came to life and covered him. All across the atrium, the figures in black were escaping through the fires lining the walls, or falling, or being tied up. Many harsh minutes later, and a small circle of bodies had formed, outlining the fight between Voldemort and Dumbledore. It was the most intense battle he had ever seen. The colors of light exploded everywhere, things were being conjured and destroyed.
"Harry!" Came a shout to his right, and he turned to see Sirius, racing towards him. He stood from his hiding place, running towards him.
The moment slowed, as moments do when something awful happens.
Just as Harry was feet from Sirius, a jet of light headed towards him, and he was going to fall directly into its path. His momentum was still moving him forward, there was no escape. Then, he was being pushed backwards, and Sirius was falling on top of him, face lined with pain.
"No!" He was screaming. In the background, Voldemort had disappeared, and Dumbledore turned towards Harry, terror etched into every line of his face.
"Harry!" He tried to warn, but Harry was too concerned with Sirius, yelling for help. Remus was next to him in a second, face white, wand already casting spell after spell, when Harry's scar suddenly exploded in pain.
He was pain. There was nothing else. Nothing in the world. He was screaming, begging for it to stop. It wouldn't the pain wouldn't stop for anything, nothing but death. It would be welcoming, and he could see his parents again. "Kill me!" He was screaming into the ringing silence of the atrium, and everyone there remembered it for the rest of their lives.
He wanted to die. He truly wanted an end to it, an end for everything. It didn't matter that he would never live again, he had to die. It was the only way to stop the pain. It didn't matter that he would never see anyone again. He would never see Sirius, or his friends, or Draco. Draco. Draco.
The word bounced around his head, and he heard it thousands of times, each one bringing forth a memory of what he would be giving up. Walking together, under the invisibility cloak; all those fights in the halls; secret exchanges of notes and letters, the only way they could communicate sometimes; Draco, calling him sweetheart; escorting Draco to his common room like the gentleman he tried to be; kissing everywhere they could, both in locations and on their bodies; Draco, looking at him with those beautiful silver eyes; whispering sweet nothings to each other; worshiping each other with everything they had; talking about anything and everything; laughing at each other and even the least funny of things; laying together, sleeping cuddled in each other's arms; Draco, sticking his tongue out at Harry; drying each other off with white, fluffy towels; running his hands over Draco's creamy skin; Draco's softness and hardness; Draco's perfection; Draco.
He was still screaming, but now it was wordless. It was still pain filled, but now it was leveled. He couldn't die. He just couldn't, he had something to fight for, to live for. He wanted more with Draco, more life with him. He was filled with hope for the future, filled to the brim with love. He wanted so much out of life, and Draco was the one to usher all of it forth.
He saw quidditch matches, Hogsmeade trips, classes, houses, pets, children, friends, points, cups, tests, baths, casting spells, marriage, happiness, love.
There was more screaming, all in his head, and then, there was silence, except his panting. He was sore all over, every inch of his body hurt. He couldn't move.
Slowly, he became aware of movement around him, voices, noises. There were words being spoken to him, but he was too far out of it to register what was being said. He moaned in pain as he was lifted, as gently as it was. The scene around him was changing, he closed his eyes, too tired to do anything else.
When he woke, and he wasn't sure he had fallen asleep, he was in a white room, the hospital wing. "Harry." A voice called to him, and he looked over to see Dumbledore. He looked even more tired than Harry felt. He sat up despite his protesting body. "Harry," Dumbledore repeated. Harry stared at him, his head still wasn't quite clear. "I'm so sorry, Harry." Harry was surprised and confused to see tears forming in his not twinkling, blue eyes.
*** Present
"…And it's me or him. I have to kill him or die trying. I can't…I don't know what to do, Draco." Draco was crying with him, and they hugged tightly. They were both openly sobbing, and Harry felt just a tiny bit better. He couldn't lose Draco, no matter what else happened in his life, however long it lasted, he was so lucky to have Draco. He did remember the part where Voldemort had possessed him, how thoughts of his love for Draco had saved him. He hadn't told Dumbledore that it had been Draco he was thinking about, he had assumed Harry was thinking of Sirius and Harry didn't correct him. Draco couldn't be lost to the world, no matter what.
Sirius was going to be fine. It was the first thing Harry had asked. He had thought he had died, but he was fortunate Remus had been there, able to counteract the hex right away. He was in Saint Mungo's, recovering, Dumbledore had promised that Sirius would call on the mirror as soon as he woke up. Harry hadn't wanted to know what Sirius was shot with.
Harry stroked Draco's hair. Seeing Draco so upset was calming him, bringing out the desire to protect him. In a way, he was relieved for having answers, relieved that he finally knew what Voldemort wanted with him. He still had a bundle of dread deep in his core, but it didn't feel as tight, sitting here, holding Draco to him.
"I love you so much." He said into Draco's blonde head. Draco let out a sob and lifted his head to meet Harry's eyes.
"I love you. So much." Draco's eyes were red and wet, his nose was dripping a little, his cheeks were red, puffy, and tear-stained, his lips dry and chapped. He was so beautiful. Harry conjured a handkerchief and slowly cleaned Draco's face. Draco sniffled.
"What are we going to do? How are you going to defeat him?" Harry loved him.
Harry had to do it, he had to. "Draco, I don't know what I'm going to do, but it'll be alone. I can't be with you anymore." Draco's mouth opened, and a breath escaped him. "I've been thinking about this a lot, and I need to know that you are ok, I love you too much to sacrifice you. Voldemort is after me, and if he finds out about us, he'll kill you to get to me. This wasn't an easy decision to make. It will kill me, but you are more important than anything, and I need to put you first, so…goodbye." He kissed Draco's forehead, and started moving away, already feeling his heart shattering into millions of pieces. He couldn't bear to look at Draco's face, sure he would see heartbreak there too.
A hand grabbed his, warm and perfect. It pulled him as Draco stood, standing directly in front of him. Harry was wrong, his expression was furious.
"Bullshit, you selfish, egotistical, self-centered, conceited, awful, stupid man. I am not going to let you do this. You think I'll be magically ok if you leave me? I have given up everything for you, and I don't care what Gryffindor nobility idea you've got into your head, it won't work. If I choose to fight Voldemort," Harry stared at him using the name, he usually at least winced, "in public, it will be by your side. But just take a break from being idiotic for a moment and think like a Slytherin. We have been together for two and a half years, and no one knows. All we have to do is keep the secret for just a little longer, until Voldemort is dead, and we can continue as we have been. No one has any clue, Voldemort doesn't find out. Doesn't that sound like a better plan than your stupid, illogic plan?"
Harry bit his lip, searching Draco's determined eyes. "If you die, it will kill me."
"If I die, it will be because of Voldemort, not you. What if we do break up, and I die anyway? Will that make you feel any less guilty?"
"No." Harry admitted, sitting down again. He really thought that this was the right thing to do, but Draco brought up some good points, and his plan would allow them to be together. That was selfish, whatever Draco said.
Draco sat next to him and took his hand, Harry let him. "Harry, do you trust me?"
"Of course, with my life." Harry said. Draco smiled softly and placed his hand on the side of Harry's face, forcing him to meet his eyes.
"Then trust me enough to let me make this decision about my life. Believe me, if I thought I was in enough danger and I thought it would help, I would dump your sweet arse in a second. But I don't believe that. I think that you will protect me against anything, and the safest place I will ever be is by your side. I think that you and I together is a winning match. I think that you need me to defeat Voldemort. I think that you will need me to take care of you. I think I love you more than anything in the world. I think that together, we can take on anything."
Harry stared at him, hope, happiness, warmth and love swirling in a bubble in his chest. "Are you sure?"
Draco rolled his eyes, and Harry felt tears pricking on his. "I am. I've never been surer of anything in my life." Harry bit his lip before slowly nodding, and Draco pulled him into his arms. "I promise, you won't regret this."
Harry hoped he knew what he was talking about. Draco had always been smarter than him. "I'm sorry, Baby. I'm sorry."
"It's ok." Draco kissed his head as Harry started sobbing. "I knew you were an idiot when I started dating you." Harry choked out a laugh. "I love you. So much. Don't do that to me again. I don't know what we're going to do, but I can't do it without you."
"I don't either, but we'll find a way." He said with sudden clarity. "I have no idea how, no idea at all, but I know that I will figure it out, because I feel like I can do anything when I have you by my side. So as long as you are with me, I can do absolutely anything. And I will do absolutely anything to keep you, to live with you, to love you. I know that we will get through this. Together." Draco stared at him. "Together?" he asked, more hesitant.
Draco bit his lip, sniffling, then touched his forehead against Harry's. "Together." He agreed.
He slept in Draco's arms that night. His friends were under the impression that he was still in the hospital wing, wanting to be alone, and he couldn't say no when Draco asked him not to leave. He wasn't sure what Draco told his friends, if anything. They ended up going to the Room of Requirement, sleeping in a huge, fluffy bed in a warm, comforting room with a roaring fire. It was everything Harry needed for the last day he was seeing Draco for a long time.
"There was two good things Dumbledore told me about." Harry told Draco's hand, which was curled up, clasped in his against his lips as they laid, Harry's back to Draco's chest in bed. Draco hummed in question. "First, he saw my hand, and wanted to know all about that, and when I told him, he was pissed. Told me I should have told him, understood why I didn't, commended me for my courage, yada yada." Draco smiled and kissed the back of Harry's head. He loved that, to Harry, commendation from the great Albus Dumbledore warranted a 'yada yada.' He would never grow tired of the man in his arms.
"Do you think Umbridge is going to get arrested?" Draco asked in excitement. Harry laughed.
"I honestly don't think so. She's so slimy, I'm sure she has some back up to cover her arse. I'd be very surprised if she's still here in the morning, the way Dumbledore was acting."
"What was the second bit Dumbledore told you?" Draco prompted when Harry fell silent.
"Oh, that's right. Well, Dumbledore said I didn't have to go back to the Dursleys!" Draco sat up to look at Harry.
"That's the best news I've heard all night! Oh, Sweetheart, I'm so happy for you, I know you were worried about that." Harry shrugged modestly, turning on his back to face Draco. A faint blush of pleasure was staining his cheeks. Draco knew he was bottling his emotions again and tried to get some of them out.
He detangled himself from Harry and started jumping on the bed, right next to Harry's body, bouncing him up and down. Harry started laughing immediately, clutching his sides when they started to hurt.
"Come on, join me, we're celebrating!" Draco demanded, and Harry got up to jump with him. They jumped and laughed together, holding both hands. "You don't have to go back to the Dursley's!" Draco started chanting it in a song, and Harry joined in, replacing the "you" with "I."
Draco's foot moved from under him, and he fell against the cushions, swearing but still laughing. Harry landed next to him, massaging his ankle, some of the mirth gone from his eyes, but not completely since Draco was still in a good mood.
Harry examined Draco's foot carefully, making sure there were no obvious injuries, and Draco had a moment of thankfulness that he had Harry. His long, dark lashes brushed against the lens of his glasses when he blinked, and Draco felt himself fall even more in love with him.
He sat up, and grabbed Harry's face, taking three heartbeats to look at his beautiful face. For some reason, he couldn't speak, and was somewhat choked up, so instead, he leaned forward to kiss Harry.
Harry tilted his head in confusion at the look on Draco's face, but seconds later, enjoyed the passionate kiss. He placed his hands on Draco's neck and they fell back against the pillows again, not separating for a long time.
The next morning, they stayed in bed for as long as possible, kissing, touching each other, and talking quietly holding each other's hand for as long as possible before they parted. Harry still had some packing to do, his last several days had been crazy. The students collectively boarded the Hogwarts Express, more depressed than he had ever been. Not even the story of Umbridge's removal from the school cheered him up.
Dumbledore had arrived and taken up place in his office with absolutely no trouble. When he requested in his polite way that she vacate and leave immediately, she refused, saying that she was the Headmistress. Apparently, Hogwarts itself disagreed with her. She was chased out the front doors by suits of armor, portraits screaming at her, being pelted with food by the students. Dumbledore simply sat on his thrown-like seat at the Head Table and commented to an amused McGonagall how excellent the tea was that morning.
Ok, it cheered him up quite a bit.
He sat in a compartment with Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Ginny. They mostly talked quietly, but near the end of the journey, Cedric Diggory appeared at the door. He found something to say to each of the other members of the group, then asked to speak to Harry, privately.
Harry had been expecting something like this, and what he had dealt with the last couple days made it easy to see it as a small thing.
"I was disappointed we weren't able to hang out more this year," Cedric said. Harry nodded. "I was a bit more preoccupied with my studies than I had intended, I didn't mean to ignore you."
"You didn't." Harry disagreed lightly.
Cedric shook his head. "Well, I was hoping I could write to you over the summer, maybe we could meet up and go out sometime?"
Harry took a deep breath. "I would like that, but if we do, it will have to be as friends." He said simply.
Cedric blinked, then shuffled his feet. "I see."
"I have a boyfriend, and I love him." Harry was so tired. "We're not quite ready to come out of the closet yet, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone, but that doesn't make it any less real. I hope we can be friends."
Cedric looked up at him, blinking. "Oh. Well, alright. I can certainly respect that. How long have you been together?"
Harry gave him a half smile. "Over two years. Yeah," he added at Cedric's surprised look. "Hopefully things will be a bit calmer next year and I can tell you who he is. It's killed me that we can't be open about our relationship. I hope you understand."
Cedric smiled, and it was a real one. "I do. Relationships are hard, same-sex ones can be a bit harder under the right circumstances. I hope you get to come out soon, and I promise, I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you," Harry said, and held out his hand. Cedric shook it, and said he hoped he could still write to Harry. Harry agreed, and they departed. Harry was confused why Hermione ducked into the compartment as he came back.
An hour before they made it back to the station, Draco entered the cabin. "You're dead, Potter." He said, and Harry had a hard time not snorting or laughing.
He stood instead, "funny, you'd have thought I'd stop breathing."
"I know you got my father arrested, Potter, and you're going to pay." Harry followed him out as he left.
"Don't follow me," he warned his friends, then called out "Hey, Malfoy!" In front of his and Draco's friends, he shoved Draco into an empty compartment and closed the blinds.
"Your father deserved everything he got!" He yelled to the closed door, then kissed Draco quickly. "I just wanted one last kiss from you for the summer."
Draco grinned. "You'll pay for everything you've ever done to me, Potter!" He yelled, then said quietly, "just one?" and kissed him.
"Oh yeah?" Harry yelled, placing his arms around Draco's neck. "As many as we can get away with."
"Oh, yeah! My father will hear about this!" Draco's arms wrapped around his waist. "I love you, I'm going to miss you so much."
"What's that going to do? Your father's in prison!" He attacked Draco's neck with heated kisses. "I'm going to miss you. Sure, you don't want to come home with me?"
"I don't need my father to take on you, Potter!" Draco let out a soft moan into Harry's ear. "Think we can get away with some blowjobs?"
Harry snorted. "What are you going to do about it then?" He very carefully pulled down Draco's shirt collar to place a heated kiss on his collar bone. "Meet me in the bathroom in five minutes."
They exited the compartment to a small crowd after they had loudly exchanged insults for a couple minutes. They had checked their appearances to look like they hadn't been kissing. It was the most dangerous and exhilarating experience they had shared together.
It was easy getting to the bathroom.
It was harder to crouch down on his knees on the tiny bathroom to worship Draco, but it was definitely worth it.
Draco sighed, then grinned down at Harry before they traded places.
Draco hummed and licked his lips before he kissed Harry. He absolutely loved kissing after they pleasured each other. He could taste their delicious tastes mixing, creating the best flavor he had ever had the pleasure of trying.
"I can't wait for summer to be over. You know, maybe we can meet up at Diagon again, or get a private hotel room somewhere."
"You just want another blowjob."
"That, and I want to see your gorgeous face." Harry sighed happily.
"That's a great idea. Send me a message over the bracelets, alright? I love you."
"I love you too, I'll see you soon." They kissed once more and left separately, checking to make sure the coast was clear first. Harry had a harder time than ever parting from him. Remus was going to be waiting for him at the platform, and they would go see Sirius, who had woken no worse for wear, then head to Grimmauld Place. Sirius wanted to show him the new house himself, when he was free to leave the hospital. Even with the potential for the best summer ever staring him in the face, he wanted it to be over, so he could be back in Draco's arms.
Draco looked around the Platform, searching for his mother. She was tall and blonde, so she was pretty easy to spot. He got several distrustful looks, but he was used to that. He was used to people looking at him like he was a Death Eater's son, and he was. Now so, more than ever. His father had brought great dishonor on the house of Malfoy when he had been caught. It was a Slytherin Rule, if you must do something wrong, don't get caught.
Now, however, things were looking up. He would go home, and restructure how the Malfoys were seen. By the time his father made it out of prison, he would be unable to change what Draco had done. He would speak to his mother, they would change the wards, make charitable donations, and possibly renounce his father's ways.
He hadn't told Harry his full plan, not wanting to hide anything from him, but unable to get Harry's hopes up, in case it fell through; it would make a wonderful surprise in any case. He was hopeful that he could walk into the Great Hall during the Welcoming Feast, the very last one student to arrive, all the other students already seated. He switched it up sometimes, but he would either stalk right up to Harry Potter, and kiss him, or drop to one knee and propose.
It would be a glorious way to come out. Personally, he was favoring the proposal option. He had started wanting to marry Harry at some point this year and started making plans to make it happen. If he could talk to his mother, she could sign a document making him the head of household, which would grant him power, which would allow him to change how he was perceived. Thanks to Harry, he had protection and a means of escape, the last components to his plan he needed. Harry's determination to break up with Draco had thrown a bombarda on his plans, but he still planned on asking Harry to marry him.
No matter what happened, he had a plan, and a way to execute it, and Harry. He had Harry. As long as he had Harry, he was alright. Of course, he didn't have enough of him. He wanted more, and this plan was a way to get more. Nothing would stop him, he would succeed or die trying.
"Mr. Malfoy," a deep, rather scary voice sounded behind him.
"Mr. Goyle. Mr. Crabbe. A delight, as always, to see you." He shook their hands, wondering about their predatory smiles. He could see Vincent and Gregory behind their fathers, arms crossed and looking at him with cold smirks, rather poor imitations of his own. He was suddenly struck with the realization of who had snuck the weak-will potion past Harry's defenses and into his bloodstream.
"You'll be coming with us." Mr. Goyle said.
Draco reared back. "I'm just waiting for my mother, have you seen her around?"
"Oh, we've seen her." Mr. Crabbe said. "She's waiting for you at your manor. In a bit of a spot, your mother, you see. Asked us to pick you up and bring you to her." They exchanged large smirks and Draco felt his insides grow cold.
"What did you do to her?" He asked, anger rearing up inside him.
"Us? We didn't do nothing to her. The Dark Lord, on the other hand…" Mr. Goyle trailed off quietly and suggestively.
Draco closed his eyes, terror and anger raging war inside him. He took a deep breath and opened them slowly. "I don't have a choice, do I." His voice was so even, considering how upset he was. "Take me to her."
Their smiles widened and they each grabbed one of his elbows before leading him away.