Disclaimer: No, the characters are not mine. I wish.

Thank-you list: To Alice, my beta reader! And to ALL OF YOU who had taken your precious time to review! I wish I had the time to thank you properly. For those who have been following the story from the beginning, THANK YOU for not having abandoned me! I warn you: 17 pages of sappiness ahead! I dare you not to smile after you've done reading it! And now, the chapter!

Chap. 47 – Love Me

Draco would never forget the stress he had to undergo in that cold beginning of December. During the two weeks that followed, he had endured a series of trials and endless depositions in Courtroom Ten. It had been hours and hours of humiliation, and they had taken extreme courage.

It hadn't been easy to testify against Lucius having him only a few feet away staring at Draco with murderous eyes. It had been even harder to expose his personal life to everyone in Courtroom Ten. But it had to be done. Smear, torture, violence, raping... And then the most difficult thing of all: to tell everyone that Lucius had been the one behind that horrible scheme.

His efforts had been worthy, though. His deposition was a final – and definitive – blow in Lucius' large sheet of crimes. It was what it took to lock him away forever. As Lucius was taken away by a group of five Aurors – one of them being Hermione – he shot Draco one last look of hatred that told him to watch his back from that moment on because he hadn't heard the last of Lucius Malfoy.

Throughout that fortnight, he barely had the time to talk to Harry properly. It terrified him what Harry might think of him after hearing his true past story. Although Harry had tried to talk to him before, Draco had preferred to postpone their conversation until after Lucius' trial.

Draco had isolated himself and faced his demons alone. He had ignored Harry's insistent calls as much as he could. In his mind, he thought he had to go down that path of his old life alone, and close it once and for all before starting a new one again. He delivered his letter of resignation under Hermione and Boss' protests and went hiding in a Muggle hotel close to the Ministry.

The truth was that he was feeling like a loser and a failure. His pride was shattered. He had been so certain of himself. He had thought of himself as unbreakable, but two encounters with Lucius had proven him wrong. He had let himself be taken in a childish trap, and hadn't even bothered trying to get out on his own. It had taken Hermione and Harry to free him. But worse, it had taken his mother's help to finally nail Lucius.

He was left under the impression that he had been living a lie until now. He was devastated and depressed. Once upon a time, he had been one of the best Aurors in the Headquarters. He had a great apartment and a great life. Now he was just pathetic.

He started to drink alcohol every night to help him sleep, which only served to make him even more miserable.

On Saturday night, a day after Lucius was finally imprisoned for good, a very pissed off Harry Potter burst into his hotel room without his consent, took him out of bed and shook him until Draco had no choice but to react.

"What the fuck, Potter! Let me go!" Draco shouted. He pushed Harry away with all his might, but he was the one who ended up losing his balance and falling with his butt flat on the bed.

Because his head was still feeling the effects of the bourbon he had drunk the previous night, he felt the room spin.

"What the fuck do you want?" he asked Harry in a very bad mood.

Harry crossed his arms and raised a brow.

"What do I want? Well, let me see. I'm looking for Draco Malfoy, my boyfriend. Have you seen him anywhere?" Harry asked quite seriously.

Draco made a face. "Stop trying to be funny."

"Am I laughing?"

Draco looked up and saw that indeed, Harry looked quite solemn. He had never seen him look like that. It also struck him how gorgeous and stunning Harry looked. He hadn't taken a good look at Harry since the raven-haired man had come back from Tibet. He had missed quite a lot.

This was the new Harry Potter. He was wearing blue jeans, black sweater, black leather jacket and a Gryffindor scarf around his neck.

He did not resemble one piece of the old and depressed Harry Potter he had met in September. The green eyes that Draco adored so much were sparkling with life and passion again.

Seeing Harry so well should have made him happy. But instead, it upset him. It just proved to him that when compared to Harry, Draco was still a loser. He wasn't worthy of Harry's love anymore.

The flaming green eyes captured his, and to his distress, Draco let himself fall under their spell.

Draco sighed, too tired to carry on with his fury. He didn't have the energy to kick Harry out. As a matter of fact, he wanted the opposite. He wanted to cling to Harry and never let him go, just like the pathetic person he was.

"Draco..." he heard Harry's soft voice calling him. His heart beat faster. Maybe Harry didn't despise him for being such a weakling. Perhaps there was still a chance for the two of them to work things out.

"Did you call me your boyfriend just now?" Draco asked, suddenly aware of that fact.

It was Harry's turn to sigh. "Yes. Do you still doubt that?"

Draco felt shaken. "I don't know..." He wrapped his arms around himself and lay down on his back. Then he stared at the ceiling. "I still can't talk to you, Harry. I'm not ready yet. I don't want you to see me like this. I'm horrible and pathetic."

Harry grunted something. He opened his mouth once, twice, but he didn't say anything. Finally, he said harshly, "You do look awful. You have bags under your eyes; your hair is as greasy as Snape's on a bad day at Hogwarts. You're incredibly pale, and you seem to have lost some weight. And you have a beard!"

Draco sat up straight and looked at him crossly. "I'm not that horrible!"

Harry frowned. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? Because it's freaking me out. It freaks me out even more that I'm starting to want the old narcissistic, conceited and vain Draco Malfoy back. You look just like me when you first came into my house."

Draco slowly walked towards the bathroom where he almost had a heart attack as he saw his image in the mirror. He realised that not only did he feel awful, but he also looked awful. And the worst part of it all was that he had let Harry see him like that.

"Bugger!" he cursed, hiding his face in his hands. "I look hideous."

"I told you so," said Harry from the door of the bathroom.

Draco made a face. "Well, what did you expect? You're not the only one entitled to a breakdown! See why you shouldn't be here? I didn't want you to see me like this!"

"Draco, I saw you having a breakdown once. It was quite scary. It was scarier than seeing your dazzling fairy blond hair turn dirty and oily. And the beard… Well, it's kind of sexy, actually. It gives you this bad boy fuck-my-brains-out look," Harry said. "But the rest of you is not so appealing… Maybe the last time was actually better. You were acting crazy, but you were a lot more… interesting."

"Just… shut up! You could at least be more sensitive to a person you just called your boyfriend!" Draco shouted, slamming the door on Harry's face and locking it. "Just stay there! I'm going to take a shower."

"I'm very sensitive!" Harry exclaimed, while Draco told him to go to hell. Harry smiled.

When Harry first got into the room, he thought about taking things slow with Draco. But then he remembered that when he was depressed, his fights with Draco were what shook him out of that and made him feel alive again. He figured he should try the same method with Draco. It seemed to be working by the way Draco was reacting. He heard the water running, and he shouted, "Hey, Draco. Want some company in there?"

Inside the bathroom, Draco sneered, "After you've flattered me so much? After calling me unappealing? I'm sure you'd prefer to wait for me outside."

"Well, let's face it. You're not looking your best at the moment," Harry provoked him, happy that Draco was finally talking to him.

"I'll show you, Potter! Just wait! I'll look so dazzling you'll get blind when you see me!" shouted Draco, forgetting about his crisis for a while to focus on putting himself together and showing Harry just how stunning he could be.

Half an hour later, he got off the bathroom wearing only a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. His face was clean and his hair was shining brightly again. Harry's eyes ogled him.

"See?" Draco put his hands on his waist, cocked his head and smiled wryly. "I haven't lost weight. In fact, I think I've actually gained some, which far from making me chubby, it only makes more attractive than usual."

"I can definitely see that," Harry said hoarsely. His eyes sparkled with a strong desire. Being away from Draco for so long had made his hunger increase. But he needed to control himself. It wasn't time to take Draco in his arms yet. If he chose the wrong moment, Draco would run away from him like he had been doing since Harry had come back.

Their eyes locked, and they stared at each other for a long time. After a while, Harry took the initiative to come closer. Draco's heart lost its regular pace as he waited without moving.

"Are you feeling better now?" Harry asked, stopping just a few inches away without touching him. "Can we talk?"

Draco leaned against the wall and sighed. He crossed his arms to hide his trembling hands.

"I don't know. What do you want me to say, Harry? How do you want me to look at you after everything that has happened?" he asked sadly. "I'm afraid to look at you."

"Why?" Harry asked puzzled.

Draco stared at him as if he had gone insane. "Why? Because I don't think you can love me after hearing about Smear. I'm dirty, Harry. I don't deserve you. Besides, you saw just how fucked up my family really is. Not that you didn't know before, but now you actually saw it with your own eyes. Why would you want to be with a guy like me with such a heavy background?" Draco looked down. "I don't like myself very much at the moment… So I guess you deserve to be with someone who isn't so complicated and weak. I'm afraid that when I look into your eyes I'll know for sure that you don't want me anymore because I'm too much trouble."

Harry raised Draco's chin so they could be face to face.

"You really are trouble! And I'm very, very angry with you," Harry said, making Draco's eyes flicker. "I'm angry because you lied to me. Not about Smear. I can understand why you didn't tell me about him. We've been together for a short period of time. There's still a lot to know about each other. I was angry because you didn't tell what really happened to you the day I called from Tibet. You told me everything was all right when it wasn't!"

"I didn't have the right to get in the way of your healing process, Harry," Draco tried to excuse himself. "I wanted you to come back, but I didn't want to be selfish! I wanted to be good for once! You have no idea how difficult it was to tell you I was okay."

Harry took a step back but kept his eyes on Draco. "What a time to be noble, Draco! I don't want you to be noble. Not about things like that."

"But can't you see how hard it was for me to choose not to tell you anything? You'd have done the same thing if you were in my situation!" Draco exclaimed, distressed.

"All right." Harry agreed against his will. "I do understand why you decided not to tell me. What I can't understand is why you decided to confront your father alone! It was the stupidest idea you'd ever had! Snape nearly gave me a heart attack when he told me!"

Draco sighed. "I had to do it. Now this is something I don't expect you to understand. I'd do it all over again if I could."

"What? Let yourself be trapped in such a ridiculous way?" Harry asked incredulously.

"No!" Draco replied heatedly. "Can't you see that this is the reason why I can't face anyone? I'm deeply ashamed of my failure. My pride as an Auror was crushed! I had to deal with him alone, and I failed! I thought I had got over my past, but I was so wrong." Draco closed his eyes for a moment. Then he slipped to the floor and hugged his legs. "I'm a failure. My past still haunts me."

Harry knelt down beside him. "So what? I'm also a failure! Don't you remember that just three months ago I was immersed in sorrow and self-commiseration? It was thanks to your help that I found my way out of it."

Draco shook his head. "I had nothing to do with it. It was Sirius and your trip to Tibet that made you get better."

"Don't be stupid!" Harry exclaimed. "It was you! You turned my life upside down. You infuriated me, you shook me up, you made me realise what I was missing. You made me aware of my heart. It was all you, Draco. You woke me up. I still think you're stupid, but so I am. We're a pair of idiots. But so what? You loved me even though I was such a mess. You endured my obnoxious company. You gave your heart to me even though I was confused and couldn't give you anything in return."

Deciding that he had waited long enough, Harry pulled Draco into a tight hug, praying that he blond wouldn't push him away.

Draco froze for a second, but when he breathed in Harry's scent, he melted. He threw his arms around Harry and surrendered. He felt tears coming to his eyes, but he made an effort not to cry. He couldn't believe Harry was holding him with such need and tenderness.

"Don't shut me out, Draco. I understand you're hurt. God, every time I think of what those bastards did to you I almost lose my mind. But allow me to do for you what you've done for me. Let me comfort you. Let me love you."

"I thought you'd hate me," Draco whispered with watery eyes. "Once you knew the truth about me, you'd despise me."

"No. I did hate you and despise you in the past, but not anymore. When I think of how much you've suffered alone..." Harry tightened his hug. "That's what makes me more furious. I really, really feel like killing your father for what he did to you." Harry stared at Draco and stroked his face tenderly. "Don't say foolish things anymore. You're not dirty, and I won't leave you because of Lucius, Narcissa or any other crazy Malfoy. I already knew that Lucius wasn't in his right mind. I didn't realise he could be so cruel to his own son. But that doesn't make me angry or disappointed with you, Draco. Didn't I tell you before? I love you! I'm sure of my feelings now, and I don't want to spend another second away from you. These two weeks almost killed me. Hermione was the only one who could convince me to give you the time and space you needed to recover. But I couldn't wait any longer. I couldn't wait to take you in my arms properly. I couldn't wait to love you again."

Without wasting another second, Harry captured Draco's lips in a voracious kiss. Draco let himself be ravished willingly. Harry almost hurt his mouth with his eagerness to kiss him more deeply.

"Do you still love me?" Harry asked against his mouth.

"Of course I do," he replied, short of breath. "I've been in love with you since Hogwarts..."

"Then why did you push me away?"

"Fear. I was afraid you'd reject me."

Harry smiled feebly. "You... Who knew, huh? You always act so securely. I never thought that deep down you were so fragile."

Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder and sighed. "I hate to say this, but I'm only fragile when it comes to you. The rest of the time I'm very strong, Potter."

Harry chuckled. "That is the most preposterous thing I've ever heard!"

Draco raised his head to stare at Harry immediately. "Preposterous? What do you mean by that?"

"Look at the way you treated me while you were staying with me in my house!" Harry pointed out. "I don't recall you being fragile at all!"

"I treated you like a king! I even cooked for you, you ungrateful git!"

"You also threw water at me, practically forced me to jog with you," Harry began to list it, "yelled at me on many occasions, gave me a sleeping pill while lying to me about it, kissed me while you were still dating Bill, ravished me inside the bathroom of a night-club, made me insanely jealous when I caught you in Diagon Alley with Bill, and left me with my heart in my mouth when you decided to face your problems on your own."

Draco frowned amusedly. "How long did you take to come up with this?"

"Hey, the list can go on and on," Harry said playfully. Draco smiled. Harry caressed his face again with the back of his hand. "I love your smile. Never stop smiling."

Draco grinned. After everything Harry had said to him, his heart felt incredibly light. His fears were being put down one by one. He had never thought he would hear Harry confessing so many of his feelings at once.

"Tibet really did wonders to you," Draco pointed out, staring deeply into Harry's bright eyes.

"It did. I'd like to take you there with me someday. I think you could use some of Tei Pei's soul treatment. Although I must warn you, I'm still short-tempered and moody."

"So I guess Tei Pei doesn't perform miracles, huh?" Draco teased. "Well, that was expected. I mean, your godfather is not exactly sane. I guess Tei Pei can only do so much."

"You're hilarious," Harry said with a sneer, making Draco stand up and taking him to bed.

Draco was amazed by Harry's power to calm him down. Although his heart was still afraid of the future, now that Harry was there with him, he didn't think it would be so difficult to handle it. With Harry by his side, he felt he could face anything. If only he hadn't been so terrified before. If only he hadn't ran away from Harry after he rescued him from Malfoy Manor.

"I love you so much," Draco whispered.

Harry smiled, laying on top of Draco and taking off his towel.

"Does this mean I'm getting lucky tonight?" Harry asked playfully.

"Maybe," Draco provoked him. "If you're a good boy."

"Good boy? I've been a bloody angel! Your guardian angel, actually. And to think that it was the other way around not so long ago."

"Hey! This is still a sensitive topic! I still can't believe I let myself be rescued like some damsel in distress... It's really annoying." Draco hid his face in his hands, flushing slightly.

"Oh, come on. You enjoyed it, admit it!"

"I did not!"

Harry tickled him. "Admit it! You like the idea that I'm your Prince Charming ready to rescue you from an evil wizard..."

Draco chuckled. "Not in a million years. Although... I think you'd look rather sexy wearing a prince's outfit. I think swords are erotic. Would you show me your sword, Harry?" he asked seductively.

"Of course," Harry said hoarsely, sucking Draco's neck and then nipping it gently. His hands caressed Draco's bare chest. After that, his mouth replaced his hands. His tongue encircled on of Draco's nipples, making him moan with pleasure.

"I've missed this. I've missed your hands and your mouth on my body," Draco whispered. He threw his head back as Harry stroked his cock that was beginning to stir.

"Do you want this, Draco? Do you want me? Because if you think we're going too fast, or that this is still not the appropriate time to..."

Draco admired Harry's self-restraint. He had his share of pain, though. He wanted to feel all the pleasure Harry could provide him. He was desperate to feel loved.

He looked into Harry's eyes that were glowing beautifully just for him, and he said without worrying if he looked too sentimental, "Love me, Harry. That's all I want you to do. I want you to love me."

"I already do," Harry answered serenely. He kissed Draco slowly this time, tasting his lips softly.

Draco's arousal built as Harry's mouth travelled down his navel, and his hand enfolded his erection. Harry used to tip of his fingers to tease the head of Draco's cock before licking it and stroking it up and down with his hands and mouth.

"Please…" Draco moaned, bucking his hips as the pleasure built up inside him.

"What?" Harry whispered.

"Let me touch you, too," Draco pleaded. "I've been craving you since you've left."

"So have I," confessed Harry, lying beside Draco and letting the blond have his way with him.

Draco lay on top of him and took the initiative to kiss him this time. He inserted hot kisses between tender ones until he and Harry were moving their hips together. Draco positioned himself between Harry's legs, making their throbbing arousals touch. Harry grabbed Draco's ass and pulled him closer while he moved his hips. Their cocks pressed together as their movements got faster. It was as if they were trying to mingle into one. The friction between their bodies increased, and so did the pleasure.

"Draco, look at me," Harry urged.

Draco looked at him but didn't stop moving.

"What do you see?"

Draco licked his lips. Harry was the image of perfection with his flushed face, his swollen lips and his untamed hair. His eyes were glowing like two big emeralds. He brushed their lips together.

"What do you see?" insisted Harry before Draco could deepen their kiss.

"That you're beautiful," Draco whispered against his mouth.

"Look closely," Harry asked.

"What do you want me to see?" Draco asked, amused.

"You told me you were afraid to look me in the eye because you thought I didn't want you anymore. Does it look like I don't want you?"

Draco's eyes sparkled. "No," he answered, touched.

Harry touched their foreheads together. "Then don't suffer alone, stupid. Next time you can lean on me. We have each other now. Right?"

Draco smiled broadly. "Right," he answered before shoving his tongue in Harry's mouth.

Harry buried his fingers in Draco's hair and moaned as he felt about to burst. Draco increased the pace of his thrusts and jerked. Harry clung to him as he climaxed moaning his name again and again. Draco followed him a few seconds later, sucking Harry's neck until it bruised. Harry didn't complain, though.

Breathing soundly, they didn't let go of each other not even when their hearts went back to normal. Harry leaned his cheek against Draco's collarbone and sighed fully satiated.

"You know," said Draco in a low, drawl voice. "You should go to Tibet more often. I mean… You've clearly come back very inspired…" he teased.

Harry smiled. He drew small circles on Draco's navel sensually. "Do you want me to leave you so soon?"

"No!" Draco quickly exclaimed. "I'm just stating that I like the new Harry. Not that I didn't like the old one. But I like how sexy you've become." Draco bit his lower lip as Harry teased his sac. "Merlin! You're insatiable."

Harry chuckled. Draco caught his naughty hand and kissed it.

"Don't get me wrong, Harry, but I need to rest a little before doing it again. I was a mess before you came. I let the stress build up to a dangerous level… You've helped me relax, so now I'm exhausted."

Harry stroked his face gently. "When you feel like talking about… everything… I'm here for you. I promise not to judge you. I want you to be able to trust me. I've been so worried about you these past weeks."

Draco stared at him. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't face anyone."

"Those who truly love you aren't judging you, Draco. Hermione was devastated when you resigned your post. Are you sure about that? You liked being an Auror."

Draco sighed. "Right now I'm not sure about anything. I need some time to think things over…"

"I understand. There's something I want you to consider, though."

"What is it?" Draco asked.

"Move in with me. Not for a month, but… for a long time…" Harry asked.

Draco's voice was caught up in his throat. He stroked Harry's hair, kissed him softly on the lips and said, "Okay. As long as you don't mind waking up at 6:00 am."

"Oh, actually… I got used to that."

"I won't cook for you all the time."

"I didn't ask you to."

"And no more strange women in the house. No more Mindy and Cindy, either, no matter how great you think they are."

"Hmm… That might be a little difficult…"

Draco pinched Harry's nipples hard.

"Ouch!" Harry complained, stroking his bruised nipples. "Do you need to be so violent? I'm only saying that because Mindy and Cindy have the tendency to just pop up in my house. I can't just kick them out. It wouldn't be polite. Besides, now we can kiss properly in front of them. They'll be so happy," Harry teased.

Draco made a face. "I hope you're not suggesting that we accept their invitation to have a foursome."

"I'd kill them before they put their hands on you. Which reminds me… Bill. I talked to him."

Draco widened his eyes. "Really? What for? I already ended things with him. He's really into Jacques now."

"I know. Jacques wouldn't leave the room while we talked, even though Bill kept threatening to hex him. That boy is really scary…" Draco chuckled. Harry continued, "Anyway, we sorted things out between us. We are friends again. He told me to take good care of you. I'm still feeling a little… threatened by him. I mean, he's so tall and well-built, and he has a great hair and such beautiful eyes…"

Draco frowned. He propped his elbow on the bed, and his head on his face. "Harry? Are you gay now? I mean, totally gay?"

"Why?"

"Because you sound like you're attracted to Bill. Not that I blame you… He really is gorgeous."

Harry made a face. "Just shut up."

They laughed. Then they grew silent.

"Thank you, Harry," Draco said, pulling Harry next to him again and making him rest on his chest. "Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for being here."

"I'm the one who has to thank you. You have no idea how much you've helped me," said Harry, kissing him.

"So this is really it. No more dramas? We can finally be together?"

Harry smiled. "Yes." Then he made a face. "Well… sort of."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked worriedly. "Don't tell me my father has escaped from prison, or that my mother has decided to stay here and make our lives a living hell. Harry… You're not lying to me about Tibet, are you? I mean… Is there something you need to tell me about… Voldemort?"

"No, thank God! Voldemort is definitely gone," Harry affirmed. "Your mother has indeed gone to Paris. Hermione made sure of that. And your father is enjoying having lost all of his powers in Azkaban. He has three private guards watching him. I made sure of that."

Draco breathed in relief. "Then what is it?"

"Well… Snape and Sirius are still living in my house, and it doesn't look like they aren't going to go back to Scotland anytime soon. Sirius is very happy to have come out to the whole wizarding world again, not to mention that he's enjoying spending more time with me."

"I see." Draco could imagine how happy Severus was about that.

"So Snape is being quite… unpleasant. It is funny to watch Sirius and Mrs Black argue, though. They seem to hate each other, but deep down I know they like their fights."

Draco chuckled. "Oh, my God. I can only imagine…"

"There's something else, too. We've received a double wedding invitation."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "From whom?"

"Bill and Jacques, and Fred and Dennis."

Draco almost jumped from the bed. "Fred and Dennis? Has the world gone upside down?"

"We are together, aren't we? This is proof enough that the world has gone mental."

"Are you teasing me, Potter?" Draco asked.

Harry threw him a sensual look. "Is it working? Are you ready for another go?"

Draco's hand slid down Harry's body and toyed with his cock. "Maybe."

Harry moaned. "Great. Because I'm catching on fire…" Harry kissed Draco until they were both out of breath and ready to restart their love games.

Draco was in a blissful state. He decided to put his worries aside and just give himself to the moment and Harry. He finally had his dream come true. He finally had Harry in his arms.

After all the drama, they deserved some time off to just be happy.

They loved each other throughout the night, and only went back to Grimmauld Place the next day.

As they entered the house, they heard Sirius and Mrs Black cursing each other while Severus grunted something in the background. They looked at each other and smiled.

Harry closed the door and took Draco by the hand. Together, they would start a new chapter in their lives.

TBC…

A/N: This is actually the end! All that's left is the epilogue, which might take a while to be written since now I have a full-time job! Finally some money! Yay! Now I'll only have the weekends to write… I'm kind of sad because of that. But when I think about the money (even if little) that I'll get… I get a little better! Money to buy HP stuff. /mutters something about pathetic people/ At least this chapter didn't end with a cliffhanger! And it was a sweet chapter, right? It put a big smile on my face. I love sappy endings. So let's celebrate Draco and Harry's love! OMG! I did it! LMLMN is finally over! Or almost! But really, next chapter will only be for fun! Can you imagine what I'll write about? Place your bets!