So Complicated
So Complicated
Disclaimer : These characters don't belong to me. They are J. K. Rowling's. Here's the second part . . .

Draco blinks as his eyes adjust. He looks at the clock : 7:30. He shivers, missing Harry's warm body next to his. He pulls back the covers and grabs a bathrobe. He makes his way into the small kitchen and pours himself a glass of orange juice.

As Draco sips the juice, he sees that Harry's left him a note, telling him that he's gone up to the infirmary to check on baby Tom. Draco's sighs. It's been a week since they decided to stay at Hogwarts, and Harry keeps refusing to talk about their position.

Draco gets dressed and makes his up to the infirmary, a bagel in hand. He sees Harry in a corner, standing above a crib. Draco comes up behind him and gives his neck a quick kiss.

Harry turns around and smiles. "Hey."

"Hey. I brought this for you," Draco replies, handing Harry a bagel.

"Thanks," Harry says, taking the bagel gratefully.

"How's the baby doing?" Draco asks, watching the baby as he sleeps.

Harry also turns his eyes to the baby. "He's good, all things considered."

Both men watch the baby in silence, each in drowned in their own thoughts. Finally, Harry breaks it. "You, know, Remus didn't want to name the baby Tom, not at first. No one in the wizarding world has had a baby Tom since Tom Riddle turned into Voldemort. Remus was like the rest of them, he said the name was cursed. Hermione disagreed. She said that someone needed to clean the name, and their son was the one to do it. Eventually, she persuaded Remus, and he ended up being as adimate about it as she was. I guess the name is kind of cursed. Little Tom here has no parents, and he's living in the Hogwarts Infirmary."

Draco puts his finger in to let Tom, now awake, play with it. "It wouldn't be so bad to grow up in Hogwarts. I could think of quite a bit of mischief to get into."

Harry laughs. "I know you could."

"It's a good thing that this little one is named Rose, his strength is incredible," Draco laughs, wincing as the baby squeezes his finger. Harry laughs at the name Remus and Hermione had picked out, incase the baby ended up being a girl.

Draco pulls his hand away and shakes it. "Well, I better get going before he sends me to Madame Pomfrey with a broken hand."

"Okay, I'll be back at the rooms in a little bit," Harry says.

Draco leans in and kisses him, and Harry kisses back willingly. Draco pulls away, a grin on his face. "I love you, you know."

"I know," Harry replies, a grin as wide as Draco's on his face.

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Harry comes out of the bedroom the next morning and yawns. "I'm going to go for a walk around the pond. Wanna come?"

Draco doesn't stop putting last night's dishes into the dishwasher. They had decided not to eat in the Great Hall last night, and it had been fun, but now the dishes have to be done. "No."

"Oh, come on, it's beautiful outside," Harry persists.

Draco turns off the water with exasperation. "No, Harry, because I need to come up with a plan. In case you haven't noticed, we're the two most hunted wizards in the world."

"We can just stay here."

Draco throws up his hands in disgust. "Every minute we spend at Hogwarts we put everyone here at risk. What about the students? They don't need this sort of danger."

Harry shrugs. "The Death Eaters won't come here. they won't face Dumbledore."

"Harry! I grew up with Death Eaters; my own father was a Death Eater! They'll come, if they're desperate enough. And, they're desperate enough right now, trust me."

Harry just shakes his head. He knows that what Draco's saying is right, but he refuses to acknowledge it.

Draco looks at him pleadingly. "I know you've been through a lot these last few months. You lost a lot of friends, but so did I, so did the rest of the wizarding world. If we don't do something soon, we will die, and their lives will be wasted. Please, Harry, I need you right now."

A silence descends on the two lovers. Harry looks at Draco, letting Draco's words sink in. Harry's mind starts to clear of the fog it's been in ever since the final battle. He sits down at the table, ready to talk.

"Okay. What are our choices?" Harry asks.

Draco leans back against the counter. "We could run."

"Like Ron and Sirius?" Harry asks quietly.

Draco only nods.

Harry looks directly into Draco's eyes. "No, Draco, I won't run. That's not the life I want. We've come so far. That's not what I want with my life."

"Our life," Draco adds quietly.

Harry nods. He gets up from his seat and goes to Draco, taking his hands in his. "I have dreams. Dreams of a life where we can be us, and live in peace. A life where I no longer have to wake up at night to see you shaking, scared of Death Eaters. Draco, I'm scared to death of never fulfilling those dreams."

Draco takes him in his arms. "I know, I know. I'm going to try and find another way, okay? I'll be back for dinner."

Harry kisses him deeply. "Okay."

Draco grabs his winter cloak on his way out the door. His mind wanders as he walks, and he's surprised to find himself outside Snape's door. He pushes the door open and walks in. All the little faces turn to him in awe.

Snape looks up from where he's inspecting a first year's caldron. The little boy seems very relieved to be out of the spotlight and Draco chuckles to himself. Some things never change.

"Class, this is Draco Malfoy," Snape tells the class as he walks over to Draco.

"Wow! One of the great leaders in the war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," a first year girl says, her voice filled with wonderment.

"Voldemort. Call him Voldemort, he's not worthy of all your fears," Draco tells the girl softly.

She looks terrified at hearing the name, but manages to squeak out, "Yes, sir."

"Good," Draco replies, giving her a big smile and patting her on the back.

She immediately starts to giggle with her friend about being touched by Draco Malfoy. Draco just smiles and turns to Snape.

"Do you need to talk?" Snape asks.

Draco nods. "But, it can wait till after class. I'll just watch."

"It's bound to be amusing- double period with the Slytherins and Gryffindors. Make yourself at home."

Draco laughs as he sits behind Snape's desk and watches the young witches and wizards. Draco's mind drifts back to happy memories, and the class is dismissed all too soon.

"Too be that young again," Draco sighs.

Snape laughs. "You make it sound as if you're old or something."

Draco also laughs. "Yeah, well, life was so simple then. Now, everything is so complicated."

"What's on your mind?" Snape asks, pulling up a chair.

"Harry," Draco replies simply.

Snape raises an eyebrow questioningly. "You're not breaking up, are you?"

"No, no," Draco replies quickly. "It's just, I'm worried about him. Sometimes, he's just the same as he's always been. But, at other times, he seems, I don't know . . . distant, far. He talks stuff with no meaning and he doesn't care about anything. His mind used to be so sharp, and now I feel as if it's clouded or foggy."

"He has been through a lot lately. He lost a lot of friends in the war, and now his best friend and godfather are on the run, unable to contact him," Snape points out.

"I know. Actually, that's why I'm here. I need to find someway to escape the Death Eaters."

Snape sighs. "I know you don't want to hear this, but running is your best option."

Draco shakes his head. "Harry won't. He sees Ron and Sirius doing it, and he just can't. I definitely back him up on this one, thought. Is there any other way?"

Snape shrugs. "You could always hide."

"Yeah, I guess," Draco replies.

"There is always the secret-keeper charm."

"Yeah. Well, I told Harry I'd be at dinner, so I'd better go."

"I'll walk up with you," Snape offers.

"Thanks. Thank you for everything, really," Draco tells him sincerely.

Draco takes his seat next to Harry. He eats in silence, watching the people around him, trying desperately to think of a plan. He sees Harry, his face alight with a happiness that hasn't been there for months.

Harry finishes his conversation with McGonagall and turns to Draco. He whispers in his ear, "I have something to tell you."

"What?" Draco asks, genuinely curious.

"Over here," Harry tells him as he drags him to a corner of the Great Hall.

"Okay, what's so secret that you dragged me all the way over here?" Draco asks.

Harry looks at him, a happy glint in his eye that Draco can't miss. "I've decided to take care of baby Tom."

Draco stares at him, his eyes wide. "What?!"

"Keep your voice down," Harry tells him quietly.

Draco whispers back, his voice hard. "You can't take care of yourself, how can you take care of a baby?"

Harry shrugs. "You'll help, won't you?"

"Harry, how do you indent for us to do this?" Draco asks incredulously.

Harry shrugs again. "Look, Tom is the son of my two best friends and mentors. He has nowhere to go. I'm not going to see him end up on the streets."

"There has to be some other way."

"Where else can he go?"

"I don't know. Dumbledore will figure it out."

"He's out of ideas. Remus and Hermione don't have any relatives who can take him."

"Can't he just get put up for muggle adoption or something?"

"Draco! Remember, I grew up with muggles!" Harry says, his voice rising above the loud whisper they had been talking in.

"And you turned out all right," Draco replies.

Harry shakes his head. "How could you say that? I was awful. I hated every minute of it, I used to count down the seconds. The Dursleys were awful, Draco. I won't condemn Tom to that same fate."

"Okay, okay. But, there has to be somewhere else he can go. Not a muggle orphanage, and not with us."

"Draco, please, listen to me," Harry begs.

"I am, but there is no way that we can take care of him. There's just no way."

"Why? Give me a good reason," Harry asks, his voice angry. By this point, everyone left in the Great Hall is watching the argument between the two heroes.

"Because, Harry. Do you not know the danger we're in? We don't have a home. We're hunted, on the run, whether you want to admit it or not. The road is not the place to raise a family."

Harry looks at him, hurt in his eyes. He says slowly, "We are not on the road."

Draco throws his hands up in despair. "Harry! Everybody knows it but you!"

"No," Harry says, his voice sure and decisive. He lowers his voice so only Draco can hear. "Well, Draco, I will take care of Tom, and raise him like he deserves. I've made my decision. Now, it's time for you to make yours."

Draco looks down at Harry's feet. Slowly, he shakes his head. Draco watches the feet walk away and he hears the swish of robes as everyone in the Great Hall turns to watch the great Harry Potter leave the room, pain and fear on his face.

Draco sighs, realizing that he's been playing with the ring on his left hand, a symbol of his and Harry's love, the whole time. He slumps to the floor, his eyes focused on his slim fingers as the fiddle with the gold band.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going away on Sunday, so hopefully I'll have the third chapter done and posted by then. If not, it won't be posted for a week, I'm sorry. Just pray that I finish the chapter by Sunday. Anyway, please review. Tell me whether I should end this happily, or should I not. Hmm, anyway, just tell me in your reviews. Thanks, Mara