A/N: Hey everyone! My beta finished this chapter so I posted sooner than expected. Oh yeah… by the way… please do not take offense if you're a practicing Wicca as I make light of your holidays. They are actually deeply rooted in Celtic Mythology, and I have twisted them to suit my story. I actually did quite a bit of research before writing these last few chapters so I could remain as close to the true descriptions as possible.

Chapter 26- Puzzle Pieces

"C'mon… tell me what your dream was about…" pleaded Harry. The two love birds were currently seated in front of each other on the window seat that spanned the large pane of glass in the Room of Requirement. They sat cross legged with their knees touching.

"They'll be here soon…" said the blonde.

"I don't care… we have plenty of time."

"I never should have told you I had that dream last night. I don't know… I'm still getting used to this whole-opening-up-to-another-person thing…" said Draco crossing his arms over his stomach. Harry liked seeing this vulnerable side of him. It was rare that he ever let his guard down enough for Harry to understand what was going on inside of his head. As close as they had become, Draco was still very guarded about himself in numerous ways.

"Please…" Harry whined. "I've told you about my dreams!"

"That's completely different… they aren't even your memories!" Draco said heatedly. Realizing what he just said, he tried to take it back. "Sorry… that was awful… I didn't mean that." His pale blue eyes darted upward and searched Harry's face for understanding.

Harry sighed deeply and looked away for a moment realizing that Draco wasn't trying to slight him. "I know… it's just that you don't tell me a lot about what you're thinking. We always seem to focus on what else is wrong with me," he said sadly, shrugging his shoulders up to his ears and then letting them fall back in defeat. Harry wasn't so selfish not to realize that Draco probably needed to talk about stuff too.

"It's not like that… I just worry about you with everything going on so it seems stupid to talk about the mundane things going on inside my head…" Draco began.

"Can you at least tell me if it is a good dream or a bad dream?" Harry urged him.

"Oh, it's definitely a good dream," said Draco raising his eyebrows in a characteristic manner. "It always is…"

"Always? You have recurring dreams?" asked Harry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yeah, just this one. It's about you. I've been having it since last summer… before you came to the Burrow actually… but it gets longer and longer each time I have it. It's kind of corny really."

"How so?" asked Harry.

"I don't wanna say… I'll sound all girly…" said Draco trying to preserve his pride.

"Please… if it's a good dream about me, then I want to know…" Harry begged again.

"Fine!" said Draco, throwing his hands up in the air. "The dream always starts off the same… It's summer, and you and I are flying on broomsticks across a field, laughing and having fun. You usually try to impress me by making some bold maneuvers on your broom. In the dream, I used to never be able to catch you… but now, when I finally do, we fall to the ground beneath the shade of a tall tree, and we tickle each other endlessly…"

Harry started giggling at this point because Draco's dream did sound pretty girly. It sounded fun too, but he didn't usually think of Draco as being a hopeless romantic as this dream implied. "Okay, I'll stop now… sorry… continue…" he said smiling.

"After we stop laughing, I look into your beautiful green eyes and we start kissing each other softly…"

"Like this…" said Harry as he leaned forward to plant some chaste kisses on Draco's mouth.

"Hmmm… just like that… and then we take off our shirts and I start running my hands over your sweaty body…"

"Like this…" said Harry, as he slipped his hand under Draco's shirt and ran it across his pectoral muscles and around to his back, tracing his spine lightly.

"Mmmhmmm…" said Draco as leaned in for another kiss.

This time Harry parted his lips and allowed the blonde's tongue access to his mouth. They explored each others mouths for a short while, savoring each other's presence. Harry suckled on Draco's upper lip lightly, and breathlessly asked, "What happens next?"

"Well, we start to remove the rest of our clothes and we cuddle up under the tree and lay in the cool grass touching one another…"

"And?" asked Harry expectantly, kissing Draco again firmly on the mouth. He was starting to feel a little hot and bothered by the erotic dream.

"And nothing… I wake up after that…" said Draco, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Oh… that's a pretty sexual dream Draco…" whispered Harry as he nuzzled Draco's neck.

"No, it's not… It's innocent snogging, I swear…" said Draco, sounding defensive. He always tried not to push Harry into any sexual situation for fear that he might upset him.

"It's okay. I like your dream… even if it is quite sexual. Honestly Draco, did the fact that we are flying on broomsticks completely elude you?" asked Harry, tracing Draco's jaw line with soft kisses. There had been a long-standing joke in the wizarding world that the reason why Quidditch was such a popular sport was the fact that broomsticks had inadvertently become phallic symbols. Players who were the best "riders" were said to be good in bed as well.

"What? You're saying that… Oh… I get it…hee-hee…" Draco giggled. "Can't blame a boy for his raging hormones now can you?"

"Nope…" said Harry, capturing Draco's lips again with his own. Their arms went around each other; bringing their bodies closer together as they kissed. Draco began to run his hands through Harry's messy black hair, stopping periodically to twirl a silky strand between his fingers. So involved they were in their ministrations that neither heard the door open.

Ron and Hermione entered the room and set their things down at the table, completely missing the two boys sitting in the corner by the window. "Looks like their not here yet, Ron... I don't see… Oops," said Hermione, finally catching sight of the two boys.

Upon seeing their friends enter the room, Harry and Draco flew apart and started straightening themselves out. Harry's hair was messier than ever, and both of their mouths were red and swollen.

"Uh… we can come back," said Ron, turning away from the scene quickly.

"No, it's okay. We planned to meet to here study anyway. We got here a bit early and just… uh… got carried away," said Harry. He could see now why Ginny had forgotten to do her assignment for Muggle Studies. Being intimate with the one you love had way of making you lose total sense of space and time.

"I see that," said Hermione smiling. "If you're sure…"

Harry nodded quickly and went to go find his bag of school supplies. He found it with Draco's lying beside the couch. He carried both to the large table that had appeared, and handed the blonde his bag of things.

"We need to start locking that door…" said Draco groaning. This was the second time they had been caught in a compromising situation in this room. Harry laughed at his boyfriend's disappointment. He would really rather be kissing Draco somewhere else, but they all had a big test coming up in Defense Against the Dark Arts this week. Remus had recently been piling on the required reading in addition to the practical application they studied in class.

"I thought we would start by reviewing each others' notes and seeing if anyone wrote something down that the rest of us missed that might be helpful…" Hermione began.

As usual, Hermione's notes had spanned several long parchments, and she truly thought that everything she wrote was important to remember. Draco and Harry, on the other hand, had written comparable amounts on one sheet of parchment each and felt that Hermione was had gone a bit overboard writing down everything Professor Lupin had said.

Ron had taken considerably less notes than the other three and was scrambling to copy some of the information from his girlfriend. The red head seemed to have a hard time figuring out what he should take notes on in class. Even transferring information from Hermione's paper to his own, was a tedious chore. He was incredibly smart and was known as being somewhat of a strategist, but the poor boy always seemed to get lost in his own thoughts during class. Harry had known Ron for a long time now, and part of him suspected that his friend had what was called learning disability. Unfortunately, it wasn't something Harry knew how to help with, and as far as he knew the wizarding world did not address learning difficulties in the slightest. So he helped him muddle through the best he could.

They studied DADA for nearly an hour when they all decided to move onto something else. Hermione pulled out her arithmancy notes, while Draco began reading a book called Most Potente Potions he had borrowed from Snape while chewing on the end of his quill thoughtfully. Ron had settled for practicing transfiguration, his best subject, in one corner of the room. Harry decided to skip studying all together. Instead, he began to research more information on the mysterious veils he had learned about in the book he had borrowed from Madam Pince.

Harry opened the book on Celtic Mythology and used the index again to find another set of pages that made reference to the veil. What he found was a two page layout describing two of the eight major holidays in the Celtic belief system. Harry recognized them both, as they were dates that witches and wizards also celebrated. He never really understood the significance of them before, not that he really cared to pay much attention. He found himself feeling intrigued as he glanced at the black and white illustrations on each page.

On the left was a description of the festival of Samhain. The illustration below it showed a picture of a family communicating to the ghosts of their ancestors. Thinking back on his own upbringing, Harry remembered that Halloween had its origins in this ancient festival. A school teacher he once had while living with the Dursleys explained that long ago people believed that demons could walk the earth on the eve of Samhain. In order to ward off these evil spirits, people wore scary masks and built large fires in hopes of protecting their loved ones. Over time, the practice evolved into the ritual of trick or treating that is common today.

On the right side was a description of the festival of Beltane. Below it was a picture of a Maypole, and several men and women dancing around the tall structure, intertwining the ribbons than hung from the top of the pole in an intricate pattern. Each person wore a wreath of flowers on their head. Staring at the upright wooden pole, Harry wondered for a moment if the Maypole weren't also a phallic symbol. Draco's dream was still fresh in his memory. Trying to hide his smirk from the others, Harry set about reading the two short descriptions.

Samhain

Samhain was the New Year to Muggle Celts. In the Celtic belief system, turning points, such as the time between one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore or the turning of one year to the next were seen as magical times. During Samhain, (October 31st) it was believed the veil between the worlds was thinnest, and the living could communicate with the dead. A great Pagan feast on November 1st usually took place during this time, celebrating the New Year and the arrival of the cold season.

Oddly enough, this time of year is also a special occasion for witches and wizards, and we celebrate similarly to our Muggle brethren. Large celebrations are held during this auspicious time of the year and ancestors are remembered.

Harry looked down at the page in dismay. The book had made another reference to the veil, but it wasn't anything that he didn't know before. He was looking more for an actual location of the veil or perhaps a time frame in which he should begin his journey. He continued reading the information that followed on the next page.

Beltane

Beltane is the great spring holiday of the Goddess, and is the last of the three spring fertility festivals and the second major Celtic festival. Beltane, and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into two seasons, Winter and Summer. Beltane is celebrated on the first of May, and is commonly known as May Day. A popular activity around this time is dancing around a May Pole, intertwining colorful ribbons representing love, prosperity, friendship and peace. Celts believe that the Goddess herself will slide down the May Pole and consummate the marriages that take place on this special day.

Beltane literally means "fire of Bel." On the eve of Beltane, the Celts used to build two large fires and drove their herds between them. This ritual celebrated the return of life and fruitfulness to the earth. As Samhain is about honoring Death, Beltane, its counter part, is about honoring Life. Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of "no time" when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest. Celts believed that when the veils are so thin it is an extremely magical time. It is said that that the Queen of the Faeries rides out on her white horse trying to entice people away to the faeryland. (See pages 245-247 to learn more about the Muggles' understanding of Faeries).

At first, Harry felt frustrated. This wasn't helpful at all! The book didn't give the location of the second veil like he had expected, and it wasn't like he could just go search the southwest coast of Ireland looking for the elusive island. There were probably hundreds of islands in that given region. How would he know which one contained the veil? Glancing back at the book's index, he realized that he had run out of information. He had already read everything the book had to offer on the two veils.

Feeling somewhat discouraged, he reread the two passages again and then froze. There was at least one piece of information contained within the text that could be helpful. He had overlooked it the first time. "Beltane, like Samhain, is a time of "no time" when the veils between the two worlds are at their thinnest." The more Harry thought about it, the more he realized that maybe this section had answered at least one of his questions in regards to when he should begin his mission. The festival of Beltane would be here in one month! Trying to contact or possibly save Sirius when the veils were at their "thinnest" seemed to be the answer. And there was no way Harry could wait until the end of October to do this.

Excited by the prospect of saving Sirius, Harry searched the page again and made sure that he didn't miss anything. He even studied the illustrations to look for hidden clues. It was then that he noticed that someone else had scrawled a quick note in the margin at the bottom of the page.

"Very interesting… I hadn't thought about an ideal time of year to perform the spell!" LP

The initials by the note said LP! Could it stand for Lily Potter? Harry knew that his mother had done extensive research on ancient magic, but was it possible that she had used this very same book? He traced her words with his fingers when he remembered something. Harry suddenly stood up very quickly, causing his chair to fly backwards and hit the wall behind him.

"Harry? What is it?" asked Draco, as he pulled the quill he had been chewing away from his mouth.

"Did you learn something new?" asked Hermione, eyeing the green book he was holding in his hands.

"I think so…" said Harry. He placed his finger in the book to save the page he was on and closed the book around it. He then righted his chair and began walking towards the door.

"Where you goin', mate?" asked Ron.

"I need to check something out… I'll be back in a few minutes…" said Harry in a rush.

"Do you want us to come with you?" asked Draco, looking concerned.

"No… it's alright… I'll be back in a jiffy…" said Harry. He opened the door of the Room of Requirement and stepped out into the hallway. Seeing that no one was coming his way, he proceeded to run all the way back to his dormitory. He quickly gave the password to the painting of the Fat Lady, and rushed across the common room, up the stairs, and into the boys' dormitory.

Seamus and Dean were just headed out of their room when he came barging in. "You okay, there, Harry?" asked Dean.

"Yeah… just forgot something in my trunk that's all…" he said, trying to catch his breath.

"Alright then… See ya, later," said Seamus, as the two friends walked out of the room.

He was grateful to find that he was now alone in his dorm room. Harry grabbed his mother's journal from his trunk and lay down on the bed with green book he had brought with him and opened it to the correct page. He glanced quickly down at the bottom to make sure the words hadn't disappeared or anything, and turned his attention to his mother's journal. All the while he had been running up here, part of him wondered if he hadn't dreamt the whole thing up. He was greatly relieved that he hadn't.

Since he had received the remarkable gift from Snape at Christmas, Harry had not had many opportunities to truly read through it carefully. With the Death Eater attack on the Burrow, the events of New Years Eve, and the time he spent at Remus's, he really hadn't given it a second thought. Harry felt somewhat guilty that he had neglected a gift as precious as this, and he made himself promise that he would read it cover to cover at the next available opportunity. For now, he needed to stay focused on the task at hand. He opened up the old, battered leather journal and briefly reread the inscription on the first page.

Defense Against the Dark Arts
Research and Notes
By Lily Evans Potter

My hope is that one day my research will be invaluable
in defeating the Dark Lord. The ancient texts hold many answers
to our questions and we are only now realizing how important this
ancient magic can be. Let the light prevail!

Harry was once again amazed to learn that his mother was responsible for this important and dangerous research. She seemed so passionate about her work, and he wished that he had gotten a chance to know her. She was so special in so many ways. It was a shame that she was never able to complete her research and publish it in a book. Harry thought that maybe some day he could do it for her, as a tribute to saving his life and to preserve her memory. The fact that it even survived the rubble of Godric's Hollow, and that Death Eaters hadn't found it was amazing. He knew he had Snape to thank for that.

He thumbed through the pages, skimming the contents of each one, looking for something that may be helpful in saving Sirius. Lily Potter seemed to be adept in many areas of magic, but she primarily focused on spells and potions in her work. Most of the information Harry had found were on ancient protection spells that wizards could use against the unforgivable curses. A few looked fairly easy to master, and Harry thought that he should bring them up with Remus to see if he might want to incorporate them in his lessons. A lot of her work seemed to make references to the use of blood magic.

Harry found the Solara Amicus spell that Draco had used last Halloween, and again read the notation that Snape had added before he gave Harry the journal. He also found a spell that he thought his mother might have used the night that she was killed so long ago. She made references to the love between a mother and a child and had written a series of ancient magical incantations. Unfortunately, the information seemed incomplete as the ingredients for a potion she also made reference to were still experimental at the time she wrote the entry. There was no way to know for sure if the potion she was working on ever worked, or if this was the magic she had used to save her child's life.

Harry skimmed through several more entries until he came across an illustration that made his breath catch in his throat. Right there, in his mother's journal was a rough sketch of the Veil done in her own hand. Below it were the following words:

My husband is an auror so I would often visit him while at work in order to gain access to the library in his department. I became thoroughly intrigued when I was one day taken to a room in the Ministry of Magic that housed an archway that was covered with a tattered Veil. Mysterious voices could be heard whispering behind the black cloth, and I became enamored with learning more about it. I have yet to discover what the ancient runes mean that are carved around the archway, but I have made some progress in learning more about its origins. (See Analysis of Celtic Mythology by Theodore Waterbane in Hogwarts library).

Harry's heart was beating loudly in his chest as he continued to read his mother's handwriting on the following page. Why hadn't he read any of this before? This seemed to be everything he was looking for.

I knew from my research that the veil is only one of two in existence, and that long ago it was used to punish criminals. Maybe we can detain Voldemort this way if there isn't a way to defeat him. The Ministry has fortunately granted me access to the restricted section of their library, and I was able to find out that there was a way to retrieve lost souls that may have fallen through the veil by accident or were wrongfully accused. It appears that ancient wizards also felt the same hesitation I feel about sending a soul to Limbo if there was any lingering doubt of their innocence. As the practice of using the veil as a prison became obsolete, so did the information about its origins. Only a handful of texts make reference to it, and most are behind lock and key at the Ministry.

Harry read the next few pages carefully as Lily Potter described in detail the potion that must be brewed on site, and how it should be poured into some type of stone basin in front of the archway. Then he read about the incantation that is uttered in order to call forth the lost soul you are looking for. The final step in completing the process is the addition of a blood sacrifice from a loved one to the potion. Apparently, it helped the lost soul in reanimating their lost body.

"This is it… This is it… Oh my gods… this is it…" said Harry jumping up and down on the bed on his hands and knees. He soon stopped his childish playing and lay back on his bed thinking about everything that he had just read.

There couldn't have possibly been a way for Harry to learn all of this on his own. The Ministry certainly wouldn't have allowed a Hogwarts student to use the restricted section of their library, and he couldn't think of any other way he would have found this information without his mother's help.

He closed his eyes and said prayer in his heart for his mother, wherever she was. Did she have any idea when she began her research that it would become so important in Harry's life? She saved him when he was only one year old, and exactly fifteen years later her research helped him again when Draco used the Solara Amicus spell. And now he would use her research to help save Sirius from his horrible fate. Sirius… Wait a minute, where is the second veil? He thought wildly. Harry turned back to his mother's notes, skimming frantically for the missing piece of information. In one corner of the journal he found a notation that seemed to be an afterthought.

The location of the veil off the southwest coast of Ireland still remains hidden to me at this time.

"Shit!" said Harry aloud. He had everything he needed, but the location of the second veil. He might have to do this at the Ministry of Magic after all. "Shit! Shit! SHIT!"

He grunted aloud in frustration. Desperately trying to think of what he should do next. Glancing at his watch, he realized that he had been gone almost half an hour now. Knowing that his friends were probably concerned about him, he made his way slowly back to the Room of Requirement. He was in an almost trancelike state as he thought about what he had just read. He carefully placed his mother's journal on top of the mythology book, and pressed both against his chest as if he were carrying precious cargo.

Upon reaching the hidden room, he opened the door and found the three of them turn their heads to stare at him anxiously. "You were gone quite a while… what's going on?" asked Draco. The blond rose from where he was sitting and met Harry halfway across the room.

"I got sick of studying so I began to do some more research on the veil. I learned something new…" said Harry softly.

"Really? What?" asked Hermione, as she and Ron walked up behind Draco.

Harry was beginning to feel a little cornered, so he ignored the question and went to gather the things he left behind earlier. Setting the Celtic book and his mother's journal on the table for a moment, he grabbed his quill, ink, study notes, and a few large textbooks and shoved them into his shoulder bag.

"Harry… you promised not to keep this a secret…" Draco chastised in an irritated manner. "Why are you so quiet?"

Harry sighed deeply as he hoisted the enormously heavy bag onto his shoulder, but still said nothing. Using his wand, he cast a feather weight charm on it, and shifted the bag into a more comfortable position. It was then that he noticed Ron looking quizzically at the old leather bound journal on the table.

"What's this?" asked the redhead, as he reached for the odd little book.

"No, don't…" said Harry, grabbing it quickly before Ron could even touch it. He pressed it firmly to his chest as if to hide it from prying eyes. Ron took a step back, bewildered by Harry's strange possessive behavior. "Sorry… it's just that…" Harry began to explain.

"It's your mother's research isn't it?" asked Ron. "I remember Snape giving it to you at the Burrow, but I haven't seen it since."

"Yeah," said Harry nodding. He glanced down to look at the precious journal in his hands. "Actually… that's why I left earlier. I discovered that my mum had used this myth book in her research and I wanted to check her journal to see if she mentioned the veil at all."

"How did you know she used the myth book?" asked Hermione, looking somewhat confused.

Harry thought about her question, and a smirk, not unlike Draco's signature trademark, was soon plastered on his face. "She committed an awful crime Hermione…" he said sarcastically, watching her facial features. "She wrote in a book…. and then signed her initials…"

Hermione put her hand up to her chest in shock, her mouth and eyes open wide. She truly looked horrified at the thought. "I can't believe Lily would have done such a thing," she replied. Books were treasures to Hermione, and the mere thought of writing in a book or dog earring a page was sacrilegious to her. Harry and Ron learned that the hard way during their first year when they were caught flattening a book they were reading so that it would stay open. Hermione screamed that they were breaking the binding on the book and used a spell to fix it that she had found for that purpose. He would never forget the lecture they got about the proper way to handle books after that.

"Well, she did…" said Harry confidently.

Draco and Ron rolled their eyes at Hermione's behavior, before returning their glare at Harry. The three waited quietly for more answers. Seeing that Harry wasn't going to say anything, Draco said, "Well, did your mum's journal reveal anything?" He seemed to be really curious about the journal's contents, especially since he had first learned of it before Harry knew of its existence.

Knowing that he couldn't outright lie to the one that he loved Harry said, "Yes, in fact she described the veil in great deal. Apparently she gained access to the Ministry's library while my father was an auror, and she did a lot of research there. I-I would rather not say r-right now what I learned…" It wasn't that he didn't want the others to know; it was just that Harry was still determined to do this on his own if possible, and the less the others knew, the better off he would be.

"Alright," said Hermione. "But don't keep this a secret to yourself for too long, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," said Harry. He turned to leave again, when he felt a hand on his elbow.

"And where do you think you're going?" asked Draco.

"The library, actually. Why?"

"I'm going with you…" said Draco. When he saw the look Harry gave him, he whispered, "Maybe we can sneak a kiss behind the stacks."

"You don't give up, do you?" asked Harry, waiting by the door with a smile.

"Nope!" said Draco as he grabbed his things.

"So, what are we doing here?" asked the taller boy, walking a bit too close for comfort.

"You'll see…"

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see…" said Harry, ignoring the scowl Draco had just made He walked up to Madame Pince's desk and said hello. The librarian turned to look his way, surprised by the friendly greeting. Seeing that it was Harry, come to ask for her help again, a smile crossed her face that made her look a few years younger. Harry suspected that she didn't really interact with many people, and she seemed sad and lonely. It was a pity, really. She seemed to be such a caring person. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it before.

"Well, hello Mr. Potter… Mr. Malfoy… what can I do for you?" asked the librarian, rising from her seat and straightening her robes.

"Well, you were so helpful before, I was wondering if you can help me locate some information again," said Harry politely.

"It would be my pleasure… do you wish to use the reference tome again?" she asked, fetching it from behind her desk.

"Actually, I just need to look at some maps of Ireland please," said Harry. Nodding, she put her precious tome back in its resting place.

"Does this have to do with your sudden interest in Celtic Mythology?" she asked, as she came out from behind her desk and walked across the large library.

"Actually it does…" said Harry following the librarian, trying to match her brisk pace. As usual, there weren't many other students in the library at this time of day. Just a few Gryffindors and some Ravenclaws scattered about the room.

"Here we are," Madam Pince said. She lifted a large atlas from one of the lower bookshelves along the windows and placed it on a large table. She then pulled her wand from beneath her robes and cast a banishing spell on the thick layer of dust covering the book. A plume of smoky gray particles filled the air for a moment before dissipating completely. "Sorry about that… this atlas hasn't been used in quite some time. I'm afraid that Hogwarts doesn't teach geography so it doesn't get a lot of use."

"Thanks," said Harry sitting down in front of the huge book, and motioning Draco to join him.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked sweetly.

"Um… I'm not sure… If I find something that's important… is there a way to make a copy of it?" asked Harry. He was thinking back to the copy machines his Muggle teachers had used when he was younger. It would be quite handy to actually have a map with him when he set out on his mission.

"Sure…" she said. "Just let me know when you're ready." She left the two boys alone and returned to the information desk.

"What's the atlas for?" asked Draco, looking slightly bored as he propped his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand.

"I'm looking for the location of the second veil…" said Harry as he struggled to turn the large pages.

"How do you know that it will be on a map?" the blond asked.

"I don't… but I thought it would be worth a try."

Locating the maps he needed ended up being a difficult task. The large book was filled with hundreds of maps, and finding what he needed took longer than expected. He found a few maps of Great Britain. Some showed the topography of the region, and others showed landmarks and major cities. He decided that he would probably need a map of major landmarks and cities so that he would be able to navigate across the small countries to reach his destination. Since he couldn't apparate or create a portkey, (not that he really wanted to), it seemed that flying was the only way to go.

He continued to search the large maps until he found one of only Ireland. There wasn't a lot of detail on the map, and Harry struggled to find a single name of any of the islands that dotted mainland Ireland's coast.

Glancing upwards, Harry realized that Draco had disappeared somewhere. He craned his neck in either direction, but didn't see the blond anywhere. Madam Pince took his actions as an indication that he needed help of some kind, so she cautiously approached him.

"Would you like to make any copies?" shed asked, carrying with her several rolls of parchment.

"Yes, please," said Harry, pointing out the maps of Great Britain and the one of Ireland he desired. He watched bemusedly as the witch used her wand to cast a charm that allowed her to transfer the image in the book onto a sheet of parchment.

Seeing the two copies she had created for him, Harry got an idea. "Is there a way to… blow up… or kinda zoom in… on a section of a map, so that it is larger and easier to see?"

"Hmmm… I have never tried that before. What section of the map do you want to enlarged?" she asked.

"The southwest coast of Ireland, please," said Harry, hoping the she wouldn't start getting suspicious about his reasons for needing that section of the map.

"Let's see…I think I can… yes…" she said as she traced a square around the southwestern portion of the map with her wand and then used the same spell as before. This time she transferred the image to a smaller piece of parchment. Harry was about to protest that he needed a larger copy when she smiled and said, "ENGORGIO!"

The small map began to grow until it was practically the size of the other maps. Harry looked down excitedly to see that several smaller islands with their names beside them had now appeared on the map. "Thank you!" he said.

"Sure, let me know if I can assist you in any other way."

Harry sat down again, studying his personalized map. He searched through many of the islands, looking for something that may indicate where the veil was hidden. There didn't seem to be any symbols or anything to go on, so Harry started by reading the name of the islands that map depicted. Some were fairly large, others were down right tiny. Aran Islands, Great Blasket Island, Valencia Island, Dursey Island, Bear Island, Clear Island, Donn Island…Wait a minute! Donn Island!

This has to be it, Harry thought to himself as his heart began to pound with anticipation. The veil was said to be on an island off the southwest coast of Ireland, and that Donn had created it. And here is an island called DonnIsland. This can't merely be a coincidence!

All the pieces of the puzzle slid into place, and Harry could now see the bigger picture. With a clear sense of where he was going, a time frame in which to do it, and the means with which to revive Sirius in his hands, Harry felt elated with joy. The sense of purpose that coursed through his veins was invigorating. He carefully rolled up the three maps and placed them in his bag. He then closed the atlas and returned it to its proper shelf.

Since Draco had yet to return, he set about looking for him in the stacks. He found the blond a short while later, pouring through a potions book in the middle an aisle way. Harry knew he had not yet seen him, so he tiptoed toward him as quietly as possible.

When he was as close as he dared to get, he reached up and planted a strawberry kiss on the back of Draco's neck. Startled, Draco threw the book in the air and whirled around, grabbing his wand. Harry laughed at the bewilderment on his boyfriend's face.

"Oh… you are so going to pay for that…" said Draco. Neglecting to put back the book that had fallen on the floor, the blond began to chase Harry through the stacks at the back of the library.

Harry was feeling rather giddy after his recent discovery, and decided to play along. Never before had he ever so carefree. He dodged back and forth, in and out of the stacks, just one step ahead of his boyfriend. That is until Harry ran into a dead end. Seeing no where else to go, he spun around and faced his pursuer giggling wildly. Draco was approaching him steadily, his fingers wiggling as if he were about to attack him.

"No… don't tickle me… I'll do anything…" he pleaded playfully as the fingers began to touch his sensitive skin.

"Anything? Really?" said Draco, as he paused to ponder the thought. "How about we go outside and re-enact my dream?"

"Draco…" said Harry. "I hardly think that sexual encounters on school grounds are permissible."

"Well, how about I just attack you in the school library then?" asked Draco, pushing Harry up against the stacks and capturing his lips in a kiss.

Harry felt very weak in the knees as his mouth was attacked by Draco's, and he was grateful that he at least had the book shelf behind him to hold him up. He suddenly felt very needy and slightly bold. Grabbing the taller boy by the shoulders, he spun them around so that he was now the dominant one of the pair. As their passionate kissing increased, Harry pressed his straining groin up against Draco's thigh and moaned appreciatively at the stimulation it caused. He could also feel Draco's growing member through the fabric of their robes. Taking his cues from Harry, Draco reached a tentative hand around to grab Harry's bottom.

Unfortunately, for the second time that day, and perhaps the third time that month, Harry and Draco were caught unaware as they continued to snog one another.

"Ahem…" said a voice from behind.

"You have got to be kidding me!" said Draco angrily as he stood up to his full height.

Harry wheeled around, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand to see who had approached them. Lavender Brown was the last person he had expected to see.

"Hi," she said, as she leaned sideways against one of the stacks.

"Hi," said Harry, feeling rather sheepish at the moment. He was positive that he was now bright red with embarrassment. "Sorry… Are we in your way?"

"Nope… You dropped your book, Draco… I thought that you might want it back," said Lavender, holding out the book that he had discarded earlier. Harry wondered if she had been watching them all along.

"Oh… thanks," Draco muttered, as he stepped forward to take the book. Harry knew he probably didn't have any intention of checking the book out. He had most likely used it to cross reference the book he was reading earlier.

"Sorry to disturb you two…" she said in a giggly voice. "But for the record… I think you two are absolutely adorable together. Don't listen what anyone else says, okay?"

Harry nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say in return. He peeked around the corner after she left, and made sure that no one else was coming. He turned back around to see his very red faced boyfriend.

"She has some nerve!" said Draco, looking quite angry.

"What? What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"She as the audacity to say we look 'absolutely adorable together' and not to listen what others say, when she has been helping to spread the gossip about us around school!"

"You're right. She was… but I think she might have stopped now. At least it's one less person against us."

"Yeah, right! People don't change! She just wanted to ogle Potter and Malfoy snogging so she can go blab it to everyone else," he said, crossing his arms with the book still in one of his hands.

"You're kidding right? People don't change?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Well, no, generally they don't."

Harry gave him a knowing look and then smiled. "I think people can change their ways, if they really want to."

"What are you implying?" asked Draco, as Harry stepped closer.

"Just that you… my dear Draco… are much different from the annoying git that used to torment me and my friends for nearly five years."

"So, I've changed… is that it…" said Draco looking defensive.

"In the best ways possible," said Harry, placing a gentle kiss on his already swollen lips. Draco moaned pitifully when Harry took his lips away.

"I swear I'm going to whisk you away someday, so that I will finally have the chance to get you alone without being interrupted," he whispered into Harry's hair, as he pulled him into an embrace.

"That sounds nice…"

"Hey, did you find what you were looking for in those maps?" asked Draco, suddenly remembering what they had came for.

"Yes, but I would rather not discuss that right now…"

"Why not? Planning on keeping that a secret as well?" he asked in an irritated tone.

Yes! Harry thought. "No, it's just that I had something else in mind right now," said Harry.

"What's that?"

"Finding someplace quiet where we can be alone…"

"I think the Room of Requirement may still be occupied by Granger and the Weasel," said Draco, his eyes now shining with desire.

"I don't care where we go, just as long as we aren't interrupted …" said Harry kissing Draco again.

"You have no idea what you do to me…let's go!" Draco took Harry by the hand as they quickly made their way out of the library.

A/N: I know, you are all probably yelling at your computer screens for not writing about Harry and Draco snogging more, but I thought that they might need a little privacy. (LOL) Anyway, these last two or three chapters were needed to set up the ending of this story. Sorry if they were a bit on the dry side. The next four or five chapters should be a little more exciting. I'm starting to think that there is a bit of Hermione in me. I treat books that same way she does! Or maybe there is a bit of me in the Hermione in my story.

Many thanks to all my reviewers and my beta Drae!