IT'S COMPLETE! WAH! Look guys, I'm TERRIBLY sorry about the long wait. School has been kicking my ass more than usual... plus, I'm transferring, I'm moving this summer (maybe TWICE), and I've just had some personal stuff going on. So, yeah. But, this one is longer than the rest, as promised! And I hope you all love it. I'm going to answer the reviews at the end, plus provide a list of the songs thatwere used at the beginnings of each chapter! So, READ ON! I'll have a long, sappy thank you at the very end.
Chapter 18
And so all of the lovers will say
Forever star-crossed will we stay
Harry was awoken to Draco's lips softly touching his own. His eyelids fluttered open, and he found himself kissing back. The living room was dark except for the glow of the fireplace. He pulled his head away and furrowed his brow.
"What time is it?" he asked sleepily. He must have dozed off on the couch while waiting for Draco.
"A little after midnight," Draco whispered in reply. He had been kneeling beside the couch, and now crawled on top of Harry, placing a line of kisses down his jaw line.
"Where have you been?" Harry asked. Draco shrugged softly and sat up, unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt.
"At the Ministry," he said simply. He then slid his hands slowly up Harry's shirt. Harry shivered slightly, as Draco's fingers were very cold against Harry's warm flesh.
"You were at the Ministry this whole time?"
"Mmm-hmm," Draco murmured absently, shifting his hands to the button of Harry's pants. He leaned down for another kiss, but Harry quickly shook his head and pushed him back up.
"No, wait a minute," Harry persisted. "Tell me what happened, then. How did it go?"
"It was fine," Draco answered quickly. "I have to go in tomorrow morning, so I might be gone before you wake up." And without waiting for a response, he leaned down once more. Again, Harry pushed him back, only rougher.
"Stop, all right? I'm trying to talk to you."
"There's nothing to talk about. So let's worry about it later." And with that, Draco finally succeeded in getting his kiss.
"We will talk about it later, then," Harry muttered against Draco's lips. Draco smiled and rolled his eyes.
"Let's take this upstairs, though," he suggested. "After all, we've had bad experiences with this couch." Harry snorted softly and pushed Draco off of him and onto the floor. Draco's eyes widened and although he scowled, there was a playful shine in his eyes.
"That was one time," Harry said with a grin, standing and making his way to the stairs. Draco immediately jumped up.
"You're not getting away that easily," he threatened, chasing after Harry. He caught up with Harry at the stairs and quickly spun him around, their lips clashing hotly. Instead of going up the stairs, they found themselves moving back into the living room, wasting no time undressing each other. Their clothes were carelessly strewn about the room, neglected wherever they landed when they were thrown off.
Harry swallowed hard, given no time to react when he was roughly shoved against the wall. Draco licked and kissed his way down his neck, his chest, his stomach. Harry cried out once Draco took him into his mouth. He closed his eyes and ran his hands through Draco's hair, completely forgetting their half-argument from before. If Draco's new job was going to require him to come home late, and this is what happened each night? Maybe it was worth it.
Each of Draco's movements was slow and deliberate, when the last thing Harry wanted was a slow and deliberate blowjob. This is clearly meant as torture, Harry thought. With each murderous second that passed, he realized that he had never in his life wanted a rough fuck as badly as he wanted one at that moment.
"Draco . . . " Harry tried to say, but the words seemed caught in his throat. Upon hearing his name, Draco grazed Harry with his teeth, causing him to gasp loudly and tug at the blonde hair in his hands.
What was driving Harry insane the most was that he was positive Draco knew what he wanted, and that was exactly why he was taking his time, making sure each motion added a new bead of sweat to Harry's brow. The way his tongue moved gradually and how Draco gripped Harry's hips hard enough to leave fingernail marks–it was agonizing bliss.
"Draco, I . . . " Harry attempted to say again. With this, Draco pulled his mouth away and gazed up at Harry, a look of devilish innocence in his eyes.
"What?" he asked with a small grin.
"I want . . . " The words were cut short when Draco stood, inching his face closer to Harry.
"What do you want?" Draco whispered, just lightly brushing his lips against those of his lover. Harry found himself panting, and wanting nothing more than–
"You," he finally said. "I want you."
Draco smirked and kissed Harry fiercely, their tongues meeting only briefly before Harry was turned around, facing the wall. He groaned sensually as Draco entered him, moving slowly at first, but quickly thrusting faster and faster. Harry clutched at the wall as Draco stroked him, trying to hold on for as long as he could.
It didn't take long for either of them to finally come. Harry felt his knees buckle beneath him, and he clung desperately to the wall. Draco bit onto Harry's shoulder, moaning against his flesh. They remained as they were, breathing heavily against each other.
"That was . . . " Harry started, breathlessly. The only word he could bring himself to use was, "Amazing."
"Yeah," Draco panted in agreement, running a hand up Harry's back, to his neck, and stopping near his ear. He turned Harry's head toward him, capturing his lips. Harry slowly turned, wrapping his arms around Draco's neck, pressing their chests together.
"So much for the bedroom," Harry murmured. Draco grinned, adding another kiss.
"Too far away," he said softly. Draco led him to the couch, laying down and pulling Harry on top of him. Harry landed with a light "oomph" and rested his head on Draco's chest, planting a small kiss.
"So, what was all that about?" Harry asked.
"What, do I need a reason to make love to my boyfriend?" Draco replied. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but then paused as a smile played on his lips. He pulled himself up so that he and Draco were face-to-face.
"I'm your boyfriend, then? That's an interesting development," Harry teased. Draco rolled his eyes.
"You're the one who insisted on titles, so I gave us one. Have fun explaining it to Weasley."
"No thanks," Harry said grimly. Reaching his hand up, he gently pushed a few stray hairs from Draco's forehead. He so badly wanted to press the subject of Draco's new job, but had decided against it. There was something too euphoric about that moment, too entrancing about the light of the fireplace and how it gave Draco's body an iridescent glow. Harry trailed his hand slowly down Draco's cheek, admiring the feel of his flushed skin.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked, a slight twinge of nervousness in his voice.
"Nothing," Harry said with a soft shrug. "Just . . . I've never known anyone to be so flawless."
"I'm anything but flawless," Draco muttered, shifting his gaze.
"I know. That's what makes you perfect. Perfect to me, anyway." Draco hadn't returned Harry's gaze. Harry smirked and said, "I had no idea that Draco Malfoy could ever be embarrassed by a compliment."
"I'm not embarrassed," Draco mumbled. Harry grinned widely.
"Yes, you are!" he argued playfully. "After all these years, I discover that you don't like being fawned over."
"That's not true," Draco corrected him. "I have no problem being fawned over. But you are just being utterly sappy."
Harry gave Draco a quick kiss and said, "And it wouldn't kill you to be a little sappy, too. You know, now that we're boyfriends and all." Draco scoffed.
"I think I like arguing better than your teasing shit," he said. Harry laughed and bit Draco hard on the shoulder.
"What the fuck are you doing!" Draco cried, looking stunned. Harry only smiled. Draco continued, "You've gone bloody mad, haven't you?"
"You always bite me, so I figured I'd get you back," Harry explained casually. "And this is your fault, anyway. You can't shag me like that and expect me to be quiet."
"Well, I didn't realize I'd wound you up that badly," Draco said, a confident smirk creeping onto his face. Harry knew exactly how to wipe that smirk away. Turning onto his side, he slowly moved his hand down, down, and loosely gripped Draco.
"I can wind you up a bit, too, you know," Harry breathed into Draco's ear. He felt Draco grow hard again at his words, so Harry tightened his grip. Draco let out a strangled moan and clutched the couch, arching his hips against Harry's hand. Harry licked Draco's neck, his moans vibrating against Harry's tongue. With each gasping breath, Harry quickened his pace.
"Oh, fuck, Harry . . . " Draco whimpered.
"Told you," Harry said, nipping at Draco's earlobe.
"I'm gonna–" Draco began, but before he could, Harry's hand stopped. Draco's eyes darted around in confusion. ". . . Harry?" he asked quietly, a note of pleading in his voice.
"You didn't tell me about your job," Harry whispered. Draco's jaw dropped.
"You bastard," he said in disbelief.
"What? I'm just saying," Harry said, rotating his wrist just slightly, causing Draco to squirm. "Why? Did you want something?"
"Harry, please don't do this," Draco begged.
"I just wanted to know if you got a job," Harry said nonchalantly.
"Fucking hell . . . "
"Did you?" Harry asked, slowly loosening his grip.
"Yes!" Draco blurted out. Harry stilled his hand and gave Draco a kiss on his sweaty brow.
"Really?" His hand began to move again. "Doing what?"
"It's nothing," Draco said quickly.
"Then why won't you just tell me? I'm not really big on secrets. You should know that by now."
"This is really an inappropriate time . . . "
"Now's as good a time as any. Unless you don't want this," Harry suggested, his hand picking up speed again. Draco's fingers dug deeper into the couch. Harry grinned, and added, "But I think you do. So . . . " he lowered his voice, "What is it?"
"I need . . . I mean, I have . . . " Draco stammered. Harry knew Draco was very close now, but he was willing to hold out for as long as he needed. He was determined to get Draco to talk.
"C'mon. You're almost there," Harry persisted.
"Muggle artifacts!" Draco shouted. "Misuse of Muggle Artifacts!"
And Harry finally let him come. Draco cried out, his release having been well-deserved after all that.
"Thanks," Harry said with a sly grin, and kissed Draco on the cheek, brushing a few strands of sweaty hair out of his lover's face.
"You," Draco said, turning a furious gaze at Harry, attempting to catch his breath. "You!"
"I what?"
"You should have fucking been placed in Slytherin," Draco said. "That was horribly unnecessary. I would have told you eventually."
"Yeah, right. It may have been unnecessary but how else was I going to get you to talk? You avoided the subject tactfully enough earlier."
"A word of advice? The next time you want me to talk, please choose another method. I really could have done without all that."
"Sorry," Harry said, although he clearly wasn't sorry at all by the smirk on his face.
"And I wasn't trying to avoid the subject earlier, thank you," Draco argued.
"Whatever," Harry said, shifting so that he could rest his head on Draco's chest once again. "That's funny though, that you ended up getting Mr. Weasley's old job."
"Really? Because I'm not laughing."
"That's because you take yourself far too seriously. In fact, I bet it was killing you just now having to beg, hmm?" Harry asked. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Don't flatter yourself so much," he scoffed.
"I'd say the same for you," Harry said evenly.
". . . Is this turning into another argument?"
"No," Harry replied. "Just some old-fashioned ego-bashing. You can't have forgotten all about that."
"I prefer ego-stroking, personally. It's a much better follow-up to sex."
"Like your ego needs stroking," Harry said.
"If it did, you'd be the last person I'd ask. I had no idea how much of a bloody tease you could be when you don't get your way."
"Hmm. Maybe I should have been put in Slytherin, then," Harry commented. "Complain all you want, Draco, but at least I did get what I want. And you liked it, even though you'll claim that you didn't."
Draco paused for a moment. Then, he moved a hand to Harry's head on his chest, and gently brushed at his hair. He said, "I can admit it. It was sexy as hell to see you take charge." Harry lifted his head and raised an eyebrow, looking up at Draco.
"Oh yeah?" he asked with a grin.
"Yeah, but that all faded away quickly when I thought you weren't going to finish. That was just cruel," Draco stated. Harry snorted.
"You know I would have. I'm not that cold. Maybe that's why I didn't place Slytherin. Gryffindors always start what they finish. A true Slytherin would have just left you hanging."
"I guarantee that tonight would have been our last shag, in that case. Or at least the last time I let your hand anywhere near me."
"Well, we wouldn't want that, would we?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows.
"A life without shagging is worthless, I always say."
"That's . . . an interesting way to think of it." Harry paused, and said quickly, "Look, I don't know why you didn't just tell me about your job. It would have been a lot easier on you if you had." Draco sighed and shifted uncomfortably.
"It doesn't matter anymore, I suppose. You know, so that's that. Now," he propped himself up on his elbows, "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed, so I need you to get off me."
"Aw, that's not very nice," Harry said.
"Like you would know about that," Draco retorted, and pulled himself out from under Harry. Harry watched as Draco went around the room, picking up the clothes they had thrown earlier. Just as he reached the stairs, Harry interrupted him.
"Want some company?" he asked with a grin. Draco turned around and blinked once. Then, he laughed and threw the clothes in his hands at Harry. Harry threw his arms out and swatted at the clothes before they hit him. Finally, Draco jerked his head toward the upstairs, smirked, and continued on his way. Harry gathered up their clothes with a mischievous smile, and followed.
DASHESWONTWORKSOHEREISAPAGEBREAK
By the start of the next week, Harry and Tonks had been given a new assignment that required Harry to be spending a lot more time at the Ministry. Conveniently enough, Draco was still spending the majority of the day at the Ministry as well. Come Tuesday, Harry found himself wandering the corridors of Level 2, debating on whether or not he should pay a visit to Draco at the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. After all, Draco could be very busy. Harry remembered Mr. Weasley talking about some of the catastrophes he had to fix when he was in charge of that department.
But, he could not be busy, Harry thought. Besides, what would a short visit hurt?
He walked back to the Auror Headquarters and crossed through the hallway there to another corridor. Here, he traveled to the end of the hall and found himself faced with two doors–one, a broom closet, and the other, the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. He grinned and knocked on the latter, then placed his hands in his pocket. After a moment, the door handle turned slightly before being thrust open. Harry's grin was replaced with a furrowed brow as the man standing in front of him was not his boyfriend.
"Yeah?" asked the man, who was quite short and balding.
"Um, is Draco Malfoy here?" Harry asked uneasily.
"Draco Malfoy? Of the Malfoys?" inquired the man with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah . . . "
"Can't say I've seen him. Never even met him."
"I see," Harry said, feeling his stomach drop. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Had Draco lied to him? With a sigh, Harry turned to leave, and said, "Thanks anyway."
"Oh, hey! Harry Potter, right?" the man asked. Harry paused and let out another sigh.
"Right." It had been quite a long time since a Ministry worker gawked at him.
"I'd heard you were around here! I'm Alden Manning. I work here now."
"Mm, right. I'd heard there was a new head of the department," Harry replied flatly. He forced a smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Alden. I've got some work to do, so I'll see you around."
"Nice meeting you, too! I hope you find that Malfoy you're looking for," Alden said.
"Thanks. I'm sure I will." Harry turned again and went back down the corridor and to his office. At this point, he wasn't quite sure what to think. If this Alden whoever was the new head of that department, then Draco couldn't possibly have been given that position. But Draco had to be doing something all day . . . and part of the night.
Harry shut the door behind him and walked over to his desk. Once he took his seat, he let his head drop to the desktop with a loud bang. He couldn't bring himself to pay attention to the throbbing pain in his forehead. He knew he should probably give Draco the benefit of the doubt, but he was having trouble searching for that possibility.
There was a knock at the door, and Harry's head shot up. "Come in," he called. He was hoping against hope that it would be Draco at the door, but it wasn't. It was his fuchsia-haired partner, Tonks. Harry offered a small smile.
"Hiya, Harry," she said brightly. "How are ya?"
"Fine, I guess."
She walked over to his desk and took a seat on the chair opposite of his. It only took a few seconds before she asked, "What's wrong?" Harry shrugged and slouched back in his chair.
"Nothing," he answered.
"I find that a little hard to believe. C'mon, you can talk to me. What's going on?" she persisted. Harry paused before sitting up straight and leaning forward.
"Can I ask you something?" he said, his voice hushed as if saying it too loudly would make it real.
"Of course."
"Draco doesn't work at the Ministry, does he?" Harry asked. Tonks smiled.
"Well, sure he does. Why?" she replied. Harry's face went blank, and he found himself growing frustrated.
"Because I went to visit him today, and he wasn't at his office."
"Really?" Tonks asked absently, retrieving her wand from her pocket and conjuring a teakettle and two cups. "That's strange."
"Yeah, considering the person who answered the office door was the new employee who had just gotten that job."
"Oh, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts? Yeah, there's a new bloke in that position." She poured two cups and set one in front of Harry.
"Then why did Draco tell me that was his job?" he asked quietly, half to himself.
"I wouldn't get too upset about it, Harry. I'm sure he had his reasons," Tonks reassured him, sipping her tea. Harry glanced at her before picking up his own cup and taking a drink. He found the hot liquid slowly calming his nerves, although he was still incredibly on edge.
"That's easy for you to say. Your boyfriend hasn't been lying to you for a week."
"Relax, Harry. I'm telling you–don't worry so much."
"How can you tell me not to worry? What the hell has he been doing for a week that he had to lie to me and say that he's the new fucking head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department!" Harry exclaimed, slamming his cup down on the table. Tonks rolled her eyes and put a hand on top of Harry's. She stared at him sternly.
"Harry, calm down. I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" he asked exasperatedly.
"I already knew that Draco was lying to you, but I'm telling you that it's nothing to worry about. It wasn't his decision," she explained. Harry gazed back, dumbly.
"What?"
"Look, Arthur had talked with a couple of the Unspeakables and they said they wanted Draco to join their team. You know how things go with them, you're not supposed to know their true identities and all, and with Draco's family history, they told him not to tell you. They decided it would be a good way to see if he was cut out for the job, you know–if he can keep things quiet, especially from you."
" . . . So, you're saying that Draco's an Unspeakable," Harry said slowly.
"Yes–"
"But he's not supposed to tell me as some test of character?"
"Well . . . basically," said Tonks.
"That's absolute bollocks! Why would they do that? And why would he agree to it?" Harry cried. Tonks threw her arms in the air and groaned.
"Harry, try to understand this. The Unspeakables are exactly that–unspeakable. And you know that the Malfoys have a terrible reputation. If they want to make him an Unspeakable, it would be very easy to find out how trustworthy he is by if he tells you or not. So, when they ask him not to tell you, he did his job and kept it quiet."
"Then why are you telling me the truth now? Aren't you supposed to be silent about it, too?"
"Not exactly," Tonks said with a grin. "Arthur told me the situation as soon as it happened. I was instructed to tell you the truth only when and if you approached me about it. And, seeing now as you did bring it up . . . "
"Kind of, but you started questioning me."
"Well, that can just be between you and me then, eh?" she suggested, setting her cup down, her eyes shining with amusement. Harry smirked.
"Sure thing."
Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door. Both of their heads turned to the direction of the sound, and then Tonks looked back at Harry, a smile plastered on her face. Harry sighed. He knew who it was, and so did she.
"I'm sure you have something to do with this?" he asked her, gesturing toward the door. She stood up from her seat and shrugged.
"My lips are sealed. Anyway, I'll let myself out, and your visitor in." Tonks strode to the door, giving Harry a wink over her shoulder before opening the door. There stood Draco, his hands behind his back, staring blankly down the hall. He turned to the door and raised his eyebrows at Tonks.
"Good afternoon," he said, bouncing slightly on his heels. Tonks laughed and gave him a light punch on the arm.
"Rather formal, aren't we?" she asked. "Try that one again." Draco cleared his throat, his expression unreadable.
"Hey there, Tonks. Glad to see you looking so swell," he said unconvincingly, without enthusiasm. Tonks grinned.
"You take yourself far too seriously, mate," she commented.
"I've been told, but not in this context. Anyway, you were leaving?" Draco asked, standing aside and clearing the doorway. Harry wasn't quite sure if Draco was really being rude, or if this was some kind of friendly banter. Tonks let out an exaggerated gasp.
"Am I being kicked out of the room?" she asked, acting astonished.
"Unless you want to watch us shag on the office desk, then yes."
"DRACO," Harry scolded, standing up from his seat. Yes—it was indeed just friendly banter. Tonks busted out laughing, while Draco rolled his eyes and smirked. Harry face had turned a bright shade of pink.
"I think I'll pass, but you boys have fun," Tonks said. "Nice seeing you, Draco."
"You, too," he told her. She slipped past him in the doorway, and Draco entered the room, shutting the door behind him. He sauntered over to the chair where Tonks had been and sat down. Sitting his feet up on the table and resting his arms behind his head, Draco said, "So, about that shag . . . "
"I'm not much of a Seer, but I don't foresee that happening anytime soon," Harry stated, sitting back down. Draco sighed.
"Oh, lighten up."
"I am lightened up, I'm fine," Harry said. He and Draco sat in silence for a moment. Harry wasn't sure if he should say anything to Draco about the job just yet. He knew if he didn't bring up the topic, Draco never would, seeing as he lately had been avoiding any in-depth discussions about work—and now Harry knew why.
"So," Draco said slowly, interrupting Harry's thoughts, "You have a very exciting office here."
"You've seen it before."
"I know."
"Nothing's changed in it," Harry commented. Draco let out another sigh.
"I was being sarcastic. You know, you're rather off-color today," he remarked. Harry shrugged. Draco paused, and said, "Is there something you need to say? Because you seem a bit preoccupied, except I can't see anything here that's distracting."
"I see something that's a bit distracting," Harry said with a grin. Draco smiled lightly.
"And you still don't foresee any shagging?"
"No, can't say that I do. Well, you know, at least not right now. Not during work hours. It's a bit uncouth, don't you think?"
"I definitely agree. That's why I suggested it in the first place," Draco replied dryly. "All right then, what's on your mind?"
"Noth—"
"Don't say 'nothing' because I know there's something. So . . . out with it." Harry hesitated and considered for a moment what he was going to say. What was there to say? He glanced around the room before turning back to Draco, who was staring at him expectantly.
"Well," Harry began. "I, um, made a discovery today." He fell silent, biting his bottom lip. He couldn't figure out why the subject was making him nervous. In a way, he almost felt guilty for knowing the truth, especially if he wasn't intended to know anyway.
"Okay. And?"
"Yeah . . . About someone I know." And once again, he found himself at a loss for words. Draco narrowed his eyes.
"Should I not have asked?"
"No, it's fine—um, it's just . . . " Harry took a deep breath, deciding that perhaps it would be easiest if he pretended at first that he wasn't talking to Draco, but to a stranger. He exhaled slowly and said, "I found out that my boyfriend is not in charge of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department." Draco's eyes flickered momentarily with anxiety, but quickly switched to a façade of indifference.
"Really? And what makes you think that?" he asked, his eyes focused somewhere on the floor.
"When I went to visit him at his office and he wasn't there."
"Ah," was all Draco responded with. He clearly hadn't thought up a defense story yet in case this situation was to happen.
"But um," Harry continued, "It wasn't really important once I heard a rumor that my boyfriend is really an Unspeakable." He offered a smile and added, "That kind of made up for it. Or at least, I can understand why he lied."
Draco still didn't have a proper reply. All he had come up with was a blasé "Hmm. That's interesting." He then turned his eyes to Harry and remained silent before finally asking, "Are you angry with him?"
"No. I was at first, but I talked it over with a good friend—the one who told me about my boyfriend's true career—and I realized that he didn't have much of a choice."
"Ah," Draco said again, uneasily. "Well . . . I'm sure he didn't want to lie, but he also didn't want to disappoint you."
"I know, and for that, I forgive him," said Harry. Draco ran a hand through his hair, seemingly confused.
"I don't know if I should feel guilty or relieved," he explained with a small laugh.
"Don't feel guilty."
"I—You can't tell me not to feel guilty. But you're right, I didn't really have much of a choice; it was either agree to lie or not get the job. If I went home that night without a job, after all you've done for me . . . I just—I couldn't do that. I wouldn't do that. It was either this or some mediocre job filing parchment and running errands, and I think I'd kill myself if I had to do that."
"I don't blame you for doing what you did. I'm not angry, believe me," Harry reassured him. Draco sighed.
"If you are—"
"I'm not!" Harry said, suppressing a grin. "Merlin, this is unlike you to actually be worried."
"Well, fucking hell, Harry—I come in here and you look as if someone died. Of course I'm going to be worried."
"I just didn't know how to bring it up to you, that's all. Really, I'm fine with it. I'm proud of you."
Draco suddenly gave Harry a smug smile. He asked, "How proud?" Harry laughed.
"Don't you have work to do?" he asked, teasingly.
"Don't you?" Draco retorted. Harry paused.
" . . . Touché. Well, I can't work while you're here."
"I can't work while I'm here, either."
"I guess we're taking a break, then."
"That was established ten minutes ago when I came here," said Draco.
"Yeah, how did you know I was coming in? I left after you were gone."
"I passed Tonks on Level Five about an hour ago. She said you were here."
"Thought so. I'm glad you and Tonks are getting along."
"Well, she is family. I never had a chance to get to know her very well, though." He quickly looked at his watch. To prevent any further addressing of his family, a subject Draco still seemed hard-pressed to discuss, he said, "I should get back."
"Oh," said Harry, looking disappointed. "Okay." He and Draco both stood, walking to the door. Draco turned to face Harry.
"See you tonight?" he asked.
"Late?"
"Actually . . . I should be home in time for dinner." To this, Harry smiled. Draco leaned in for a kiss, placing a hand behind Harry's head, urging his lips forward. Harry needed no urging at all, eagerly meeting Draco's lips and wrapping his arms around his waist. Harry moaned softly as Draco's tongue slid into his mouth. Then, Harry broke the kiss and grinned.
"Kissing me like that in my doorway may eventually lead to office shagging," he said. Draco raised his eyebrows and smirked.
"I'll keep that in mind." He gave Harry another kiss, then said again, "See you tonight, love."
DASHESWONTWORKSOHEREISANOTHERPAGEBREAK
Harry traveled up to London after leaving the Ministry that night, seeing as the Ministry was located just below the city. He stopped into a small photography shop to pick up a roll of film he had dropped off the morning prior. Harry waited in line behind an older man who looked as if he had been standing there for an eternity.
His thoughts drifting to what lie ahead during the evening, Harry hadn't even noticed the woman who took a spot behind him in line until she called his name.
"Harry?" she asked. He swung around, faced with a smiling, tan-skinned woman about his age, with shining black hair and a swollen belly. Holding her hand was a little girl around four or five years old. Harry recognized the woman at once.
"Parvati?" he asked, breaking out into a grin. His eyes drifted to her stomach. "You're . . . "
"Pregnant? I know," she said with a laugh. She looked down at the little girl beside her and added, "This is my daughter, Jade."
"Wow," Harry replied, somewhat awestruck. For some reason, it seemed he had forgotten that the rest of his graduating class had grown up as well. He said, "I didn't even know you were married."
"Oh, I got married about two years after graduation. I met Jade's father in Scotland where he worked as a Healer. He transferred to St. Mungo's last year, so we're back in the area," she explained. "So, how have you been? I haven't seen you in ages!"
"I've been great, actually. Things are going really well."
"That's great! Hey, I hear you're dating Draco Malfoy." Harry paused, turning stone-faced.
" . . . Oh?" Harry asked, not so pleased to discovered that his love life was hot news. "How'd you hear that?"
"Well, believe it or not, I ran into Pansy Parkinson–who's still a horrible cow, by the way–and she said she overheard Dean Thomas saying he found out from Ginny Weasley–I had no idea they still talked!–who was told by–"
"Ron?" Harry interrupted.
"Yes!"
"Fantastic," he mumbled. However, Harry felt somewhat relieved that Ron had been talking about it. He knew what Ron was like, and if Ron was still utterly disappointed, he would have kept his mouth shut. He smiled, accepting this unspoken approval.
"What's he like now? I mean, apparently he's grown up if you can tolerate him," she said with a giggle.
"Yeah," Harry said, surprising himself with how comfortable he was about the subject. "Well, he's still snide and snobby–some things never change–but he's, you know, not so quick to judge anymore. He's a bit more mellow."
"That's good to hear. I'm glad you're happy, Harry. You deserve it," she said, giving him a friendly pat on the arm.
The old man in front of Harry finally took his photographs and left, grumbling something about horrible service. Harry moved up in line, waiting for his own pictures to be returned to him.
DASHESWONTWORKSOHEREISONELASTPAGEBREAK
Harry apparated home, having not yet looked at his photos. He entered his house and hit the light switch, then took a seat on the couch. Removing the pictures from their envelope, he sifted through them. The roll of film that had been developed was from the day that Draco found the camera. Harry had a laugh at several of the pictures, some of which were badly focused shots of the wall and floor. There was a photo of Draco holding the camera in front of the mirror, except the flash had whitened out most of the picture. The next photo was Harry, half-asleep in Draco's bed, and then there were a few of Harry and Draco separately blocking their eyes from the flash.
Finally, Harry came across the one picture he had been anticipating. He replaced the pictures in the envelope, but set the last one aside. A minute later, the front door opened. Harry's eyes turned toward the noise, and he saw Draco entering the living room, considerably earlier than normal, as promised.
"Hey," Harry said with a smile. Draco returned the gesture and joined Harry on the couch, resting his head on Harry's lap.
"Photographs? Are those the ones I took?" Draco asked, eyeing the envelope in Harry's hand.
"Yeah. You certainly don't have the hang of a camera, do you?"
"Well, I don't really take pictures, do I?" he retorted. Harry laughed and handed him the photo he had set aside.
"That one turned out well," Harry said. Draco took the photo and looked over it, a small smile on his face.
"I'd say so," he replied. The photo was of Harry and Draco, both smiling but not in a posed manner, but rather as if they had been caught in the middle of a funny conversation. It was the photo that Draco had taken of them the morning of his camera attack. Harry then remembered what Draco had said.
"We're frozen in time," Harry commented, his voice hushed. Draco's eyes continued to study the picture. He then rested the photo beside the others and gazed up at Harry.
"We are," he said. He sat up, giving Harry a quick kiss on the lips. Then, he said, "I expect you to put that one in your office. You need some decorations in there."
"All right," Harry replied with a grin. Draco nodded.
"I'll make dinner, then?" he asked. "I'm sure you have something instant around here." Getting up from the couch, he ventured into the kitchen. Harry watched him leave, and sighed to himself. He stood, took the photos to the mantel above the fireplace, and placed them there. With one last glance at the photo on top, he followed Draco into the kitchen.
And for the first time in their lives, everything was perfect.
And there it is! Baby's complete! I hope you all lurved it, but if not... well... I think it summed up nicely! I apologize for the crazy page brekas, but I didn't want to use the line tool, and the dashes, for some reason, won't work. Oh well! To the reviews:
Lani-David - Thank you so much! I do plan to keep their personalities somewhat similar in the next story. Draco will be a little more immature, as he was in school, and Harry will be quite a bit more virginal, but all in all, they'll have a good time. I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you liked this chapter:) :)
Carrie Anderson - Well, I'm glad I didn't disappoint youno break-ups! And I'm glad you like Tonks, too! I love her as well. I had to include her in this chapter, too, hehe! Thanks for reading!
Hatchy - Oh, I love you. You're the reason this story's even here, you know! I owe you my life. Thanks for sticking by me! I love you!
HedwigPig - Sorry I wasn't quick about updating :( Eh, I ended it because to keep it going, I'd have just been dragging things out, and I'd rather end it quickly and neatly than slowly and sloppily. I hope you found the ending enjoyable enough!
blusorami - I definitely agree about the flames. I mean really, no one's FORCING them to read. They shouldn't read a story they won't like. The description SAYS that it's slash and all that. But anywho, college isn't so bad, really. I mean, I think what makes it tougher than high school is that your professors don't keep on you to do your workso if you screw up, they aren't going to dig you out of it. You're on your own, which is hard, but really great, too. And thank you for answering the prologue/epilogue question :D I hope you liked this chapter and thanks for reading:)
Lindsey - Man, same goes for you as for Hatchy, even though I kept this a secret from you ROTFL. I love you like mad, hun :D
Lady Slone of Snow Mt - THE SANDLOT! I haven't seen that movie in forever! (I really hope I'm right, because I'm fairly positive that's what it's from, and I asked a few friends and they agreed!) Thanks for reading:) :)
Sarah - Aw, thanks :D I'm pleased with my Tonks too, hehe. I just like Tonks, you can have a lot of fun with her. I hope you liked the finale!
wonderclam - Awww, I'm sorry! Well, I have some other fics floating around, and another brainchild emerging if you'd like to check those out :) Thank you for reading!
EtrnlSakura - You know, I'm usually the one who writes the tragic stories, but I couldn't bring myself to do it in this one. I wanted my first official Harry!Draco fic to end happily. So, here you go! Happy ending! Haha :) Thanks for your review, love!
destinywriters - Aw, thanks dear! I hope the ending was good enough for ya, haha!
Em - Oh man, when I first got into HP fic, the first story I read was Harry!Draco and I've been hooked ever since! I'm glad you liked my story:) I plan to get the next one out soon, I've been working really hard on plotting it and everything. Keep your eyes out for it:)
YamakitoMatsukari - Haha, he really does, but as Harry thought in the story, at least it means he's coming to terms with it all, which is a good thing! And I love Ron, he's my favorite character in the books (strange, then, that I write about Harry!Draco, haha!) Thanks for reading!
crazyaboutpotter - LMAO Thanks! Yeah, my friend has been bugging me to write a Ron!Hermione story, and I keep saying I will, but it's going to be a tough transition, because I really love writing Harry!Draco. Thanks for reading, dear :)
Hanan - Haha, don't worry, I'm nuts about smilies too. I don't even smile this much in real life! But thank you for your review, and I hope you liked the ending:)
psychodraco - Oh, you are my third love. Love love love!
driven to insanity - Hey! Haha, long time no chat :D Hope you liked the ending. I tried to keep it a bit light :)
Kasey - Ooh, musical practice? My friends in high school were always in the musicals, so don't worry, I'm used to tired musical behavior:) Aw, don't take Harry and Draco from me! I will cry :( Hehehe. Thanks for reading, love :)
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the songs used in each chapter:
Chapter 1 - Velvet Sky by Los Lonely Boys
Chapter 2 - Your Armor by Charlotte Martin
Chapter 3 - Fade by J. Englishman
Chapter 4 - Shiver by Coldplay
Chapter 5 - Last Day On Earth by Charlotte Martin
Chapter 6 - Name by the Goo Goo Dolls
Chapter 7 - On Your Shore by Charlotte Martin
Chapter 8 - Fade by J. Englishman
Chapter 9 - Follow Through by Gavin DeGraw
Chapter 10 - Falling Down by Ben Jelen
Chapter 11 - Konstantine by Something Corporate
Chapter 12 - Dying By Degrees by Planes Mistaken For Stars
Chapter 13 - When The Arrow Went Out by Planes Mistaken For Stars
Chapter 14 - The Fiction We Live by From Autumn To Ashes
Chapter 15 - Feel by Robbie Williams
Chapter 16 - Supreme by Robbie Williams
Chapter 17 - I'm The Best At Ruining My Life by From Autumn To Ashes
Chapter 18 - On Any Given Day by Carbon Leaf
Okay, on my final note... I want to thank you all SO MUCH for your love and support (God, this is a bloody Oscar speech, isn't it?) through this story. I've definitely had my tough times with it, but all of your reviews made writing it a blast! I really hope I didn't disappoint with the ending, but if so... I'll try and make up for it in the next story! So keep an eye out for either some one-shots, or, eventually, my next WIP that is tentatively titled "Beautiful Disaster" (like the song... cliche, I know, but hey). I hope to have that out soon, and to have it on an updating schedule so that I don't leave you guys hanging for over a month again!
...And I'll take this opportunity to tell you all to go read my newest one-shot "Through Those Eyes", if you haven't already! Thank you all again so much! I love you guys!
