Disclaimer: I do not own any characters created by J.K. Rowling. I also do not share her homophobic views.
Chapter Fifty-Two
.
Draco awoke far earlier than he needed to. The weather was already teetering on hot outside, but in his bedroom the air was cool, laced with the tickle of magic. It never ceased to calm his nerves. With a soft sigh, he turned his head away from the lightning windows and closed his eyes. The weight on his chest shifted and he drowsily pressed a kiss to Harry's forehead as the brunette slung an arm over his waist and cuddled closer. Despite being barely conscious, Draco found himself smiling and slipping easily back into sleep within minutes.
When he woke up for the second time, it was to voices coming from downstairs. Rubbing sleep from his eyes and trying to claw his hair into submission, he dragged himself out of bed and started to make his way downstairs. There were no sounds coming from the nursery or the master bedroom, so it was safe to assume that everyone else was already awake and down in the kitchen.
"Good morning," he grumbled roughly as he stepped down, barefoot, onto the cool tiled floor.
The commotion he'd heard upstairs quietened down as he went over to the counter to fix himself some breakfast. "Good morning sunshine," Sirius quipped from the head of the table, his wand knotted his hair into a bun as he raised a mug of coffee to drink.
"Did you sleep well, Draco?" Remus asked as he scooped some Weetabix off of Teddy's chin.
"I woke up earlier," he said. "But I fell back to sleep right away."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry shoot him a shy little smile. His green eyes twinkled brightly. He wasn't wearing his glasses, and Draco was startled by how exposed Harry's face appeared without the circular frames. He found he quite liked being able to see the brunette's unguarded features.
Settling down at the kitchen table between Remus and Sirius, Draco took a drink of his juice and stirred some brown sugar into his porridge. "So, what's the plan for this weekend?"
"Well, we're going to head on over to King's Cross for about midday," Sirius scratched at his jaw. "So, the quicker we're all ready, the better. Buxley is due to come over in the next hour or so to adjust the monitoring spells on you. Then we'll take the train up to Hogsmeade and check-in at the little bed and breakfast by Scrivenshafts. Then it'll be dinner and an early night. Your mother is due to be apparated to us first thing tomorrow morning with Auror Buxley and Auror Schafter."
Draco squirmed a little in his seat. "Why is Buxley not coming up with us then?"
"From the way I understood it, Kingsley trusts that your magic was restricted enough to not pose any threat. Whereas your mother is of a higher risk and needs two escorts," Remus stated, turning so that he could observe the blonde. "Are you okay with that?"
Shrugging he said, "I don't really have a choice, do I? I just want to get to the graduation. Anything until then is inconsequential."
"I can't wait to take the train," Harry piped up. "It's always so crowded at the start of term, but this year it won't be so bad."
Draco snorted, "You just want to sprawl out on the seats."
Harry rolled his eyes. "How come we're spending a long weekend in Hogsmeade anyway? I thought we weren't going to do that until I was my proper age again."
"The opportunity presented itself," Sirius shrugged. "Are you really complaining about getting out of the house, Harry?"
"No. It's going to be weird seeing Ron, Hermione and Draco graduate and not me."
Under the table, Draco nudged Harry's hair foot with his own. "There's no reason why you can't graduate next year, if you wanted to."
Harry offered him a soft smile. "I know that. I'm just not sure it's something that I want. I'm not even sure … on what comes next."
"There's plenty of time for that, pup," Sirius clasped Harry's shoulder with a smile. "You're young, you can afford to not know. Hell, even I didn't have a set plan."
"You were in Azkaban for twelve years."
"Semantics," Sirius scoffed. "Point is, even before then I never dreamed of becoming a professor. Do I regret doing it? There are a few people that make it a headache, but I do love being everyone's favourite professor."
"Second favourite," Remus smirked.
Sirius stuck his tongue out.
Harry and Draco caught one another's eye over the table and fought to suppress their smiles. Draco ducked his head to focus on eating his breakfast. Under the table, Harry stroked his foot up Draco's angle. It filled him with a warm, giddy feeling that they could touch one another like this now.
Scooping the last of his porridge into his mouth, Draco carried his things over to the sink and quickly scrubbed them clean. "I'm going to go and get ready, make sure I have everything."
"Make sure that you're all ready by eleven at the latest. We don't want to keep Buxley any longer than necessary."
"I'll need to drop Teddy off soon," Remus sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "I feel like I could sleep for the next thousand years."
The other three men exchanged sympathetic looks. The full moon was approaching and, being only four days away, it was already leeching Remus' energy. Taking initiative, Draco casually went down into the cellar and came back carrying a small vial with a bright orange potion inside. He handed it to Remus, a comforting hand on his shoulder. Remus' wide, amber eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled up at Draco. He popped the cork and drained the potion. Within seconds his cheeks were rosier, his eyes brighter and he sat up a little straighter.
As he made to leave the kitchen, Draco caught Sirius watching him. When their eyes locked, Sirius mouthed 'thank you', and smiled softly as the door closed behind Draco.
.
Back in his bedroom, Draco saw Harry looking out of the window. Closing the door with a click, he crossed the room and hesitated the briefest of moments before winding his arms around Harry's waist from behind. He pressed his nose into the brunette's sleep-mussed hair, and drew in a deep breath, hugging him close. Harry relaxed back into the embrace.
"Are you nervous?" Harry murmured.
Resting his chin in the crook of Harry's neck, Draco contemplated the question. He hadn't given it much thought in all honesty, although the few sleepless nights he'd had over the last few weeks indicated that somewhere, deep down, he was anxious about it all. He knew that his name didn't circulate in the Daily Prophet anymore, hadn't for months, but the fact that he had been a branded Death Eater and that he was going back to the scene of his crimes to graduate of all things? It was asking for trouble. Then again, he had two aurors accompanying him and his mother, and on top of that he had Remus and Sirius. With the full moon approaching, both men were going to be on edge, so there was no telling how they would react if someone dared to threaten Draco.
"I just want it over with. I don't fancy being in a room with students that are legally able to do magic and who wish me dead."
Harry tipped his head back to lean against Draco's shoulder. Despite his growth spurts this time around, the blonde still towered over him. He found that he didn't mind. He liked having to tiptoe a little so that he could kiss Draco.
"I'd protect you; you know?" Harry said. "I know you don't need it, but I don't think I'd be able to control myself if someone threw a hex at you."
"I appreciate the sentiment. If it wouldn't get me thrown into Azkaban, I'd return it."
"That's okay, I know you'd do what you could."
"How are Ron and Hermione getting to the castle?"
Harry shrugged, "I think they're taking a Ministry car? Hermione said she might be getting the train with her parents, but I don't know if it's the same one."
"It'll be good if she could get the train with us," Draco hummed. "But then I'm also more than happy to just hide away in our own compartment."
Turning in the blonde's arms, Harry leaned up and pressed a kiss to Draco's lips. He felt warm where their chests pressed together. Grey eyes watched him, dark and piercing. He felt so exposed whenever Draco looked at him, but he found himself liking it, which was odd considering how much he loathed the reporters tailing him whenever he'd walked around Diagon Alley.
"I'll happily hide with you wherever you want," Harry grinned.
"You say that now, Potter," Draco smirked, the vague tremor in his voice only noticeable if you knew to listen for it. Harry knew. The bastard always knew when Draco wasn't being entirely honest.
He felt his heart squeeze in his chest.
The weight of memories as yet unlocked hanging in the air between them, sucked all the warmth and comfort from their skin. A tremor ran down Draco's spine and Harry crowded closer; a frown etched between his brows. He nudged his nose against Draco's, hands brushing up the length of his chest to wind around his neck.
"Can I kiss you?"
Draco nodded mutely, sombrely, as he accepted the kiss with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. With each kiss, his body responded, warring with the mental block trying to numb him through. When he felt Harry's lips kissing down his throat, he leaned back so he could look down into the frown marring the other boys face and the lip caught between his teeth.
Tugging the front of Harry's shirt, he pulled the teen flushed against him, gripped the back of his next and surged in for a deep, ravenous kiss. Harry grunted in surprising, melting into the rough embrace as Draco backed them up towards the bed, gripping and pawing at Harry with his free hand. The rough, passionate kisses barely allowed them enough time to get air into their lungs but neither cared. Draco usually didn't take charge, their shady situation on Harry's age always playing on his mind, but there was a knot in his chest that throbbed at the thought of him never having given Harry an indication of his worth.
"You're gorgeous," he growled, hiking Harry's shirt up and nibbling a trail up his stomach.
Harry chuckled breathlessly. He sat up so Draco could pull his shirt off over his head. He kicked his shorts off and watched, heart beating rapidly, as Draco stripped himself out of his own clothing. Both naked and sat on the bed, Harry couldn't contain his delight at seeing the svelte muscles of the blonde man before him, or the dark ink of his tattoo standing out against his pale skin. His body definitely reacted well to seeing Draco naked and hungry.
Leaning back on his elbows, he cocked an eyebrow at the blonde, arousal rushing through him at the predatory glint in Draco's eyes.
"Cannot believe I get you all to myself," his voice was husky, making Harry grow harder as Draco spread his thighs. "Fuck, you're stunning."
Harry rolled his eyes, biting back a retort. When Draco trailed his long, pale fingers down the length of his cock, over his balls and teasing at his cheeks, he let out a moan.
Draco kissed up along both his thighs, his hand wrapped around Harry's twitching erection. He feels completely out of his depth, but he just does whatever feels natural when it comes to the young man beneath him. He licks a stripe up Harry's dick, chuckling when he let out a choked gasp. His own cock his hard and aching to be touched, to feel friction, and he wasted no time in sliding up between Harry's legs and pressing their bodies together.
It's far too hot for the rutting and writhing rhythm they create, but Draco can't find it in him to care. All he cared about was gripping onto the headboard for support and thrusting his hips against Harry's as fast as he can while pressing him down into the mattress. His hair is falling into his eyes and his muscles are straining, clumsy with sweat, but all he can focus on is the way Harry is moving beneath him; how his eyes roll back in his head, how his mouth opened to gasp and moan, how his fingers dig into Draco's arse cheeks, spurring him on, keeping their bodies locked tightly together.
"Draco -Draco, please! I need m-more! Please-please-please-please-please!"
"What do you need, Potter? Tell me what you need," he growled.
"Fuck -y-you! I want to feel you in me!"
Draco tried not to lose his rhythm, digging his nails into the headboard. The precum and sweat makes the friction between them dizzying, he can barely focus. He runs his tongue up Harry's throat, biting at his pulse point, before biting his earlobe.
"Not yet, baby. Want it to be good for you."
"You're always good for me …" Harry practically sobbed, thrusting his hips to meet Draco's. His chest and cheeks were flushed, pupils blown and his hair in disarray.
Draco pulled back, released the headboard and cupped Harry's face in his hands. The sting of nails in his arse feels rough and wonderful at the same time. He lets out a shuddering breath as he pressed hot, open mouthed kisses over Harry's cheeks, nose, his eyelids and finally his mouth over and over and over. Harry leaned into the kisses, trembling beneath him as tried to hold off his orgasm.
Pressing one last deep kiss to Harry's mouth, Draco shifted down so that he was lying on the bed between Harry's thighs. He wasted no time in taking Harry into his mouth, earning him a surprised cry from the brunette. Draco sucked on Harry in the way he'd learned that he liked over the last few weeks. Harry came with a strangled grunt, fingers knotted into the blonde's hair, and Draco's name had never sounded sweeter than it did in that moment.
Before exhaustion overcame him, Harry scrambled to sit up, dazed, and quickly took Draco in hand and stroked him hard and fast, coaxing him to cum within minutes, his cry muffled as he bit Harry's shoulder.
Utterly spent, both boys collapsed onto the sweaty mattress, Harry on his back, Draco on his front. They were both flushed, panting heavily, and slick with sweat and cum. Harry had a dopey look on his face, his eyelids drooping closed. Draco decided that this was his favourite moment; seeing Harry looking so elated and relaxed warmed his soul. Yet when Harry turned those bright, adoring eyes onto him … he felt so unworthy of the love that swam in them, yet he basked in it at the same time.
"Draco …" Harry trailed off, knowing that he shouldn't say the words, but meaning them in his silence.
Draco reached for his hand, "I know. I do, too."
Harry squeezed his hand. His eyelids started drooping closed again.
"Come on, scarhead. Don't fall asleep on me now. We need to have a shower before the Buxley gets here."
Harry heaved a sigh, staring up at the ceiling with a tight jaw. "I wish I could freeze time just … for now."
"Me too."
The quiet that settled around them felt as though time, had in fact, stopped. They lie that way for a while; they could easily fall asleep and just wake up without a care in the world. But real life didn't work that way.
Draco sat up and ruffled a hand through his hair. He looked over his shoulder at Harry and felt his heart clench at the sad smile he wore. He took the brunette's hand and squeezed.
"Come and shower with me?"
A twitch of his lips. "Okay."
~0~
Buxley had arrived and adjusted the restraints on Draco's magic in the form of a cold iron cuff that was spelled around his wand arm. It felt unnaturally cold against his skin, as though the very metal loathed his magic, and at the same time he didn't feel as nauseated as he had before with having his magic dampened down to its very embers.
He presented a scroll for Sirius and Remus to carry at all times, to show to any and all officials present over the weekend, before departing back to the ministry in preparation for Narcissa's transportation the following day. Once the official business had been taken care of, the four men gathered their belongings, shrunk them down to fit into Remus' battered old briefcase, before stepping out of the front door.
They apparated to King's Cross, and as soon as they'd made it through the barrier, Draco heaved a small sigh of relief. The platform was nowhere near as busy as it usually was at the start of term, less than a quarter full, in fact. Still, as the four men made their way towards to the train to get a compartment right away, Draco couldn't ignore the weight of the glares sent his way.
Remus and Harry had already boarded the train, but Draco had stalled in his tracks, sweat breaking out across his skin. He knew how he must look so those people; Kreacher had pressed his best and only attire -the ones he'd worn throughout his trial -and he had managed to tame his hair into a swept-back look, without the horrendous gel Lucius had been so fond of. He had the nerve to stand tall, as though he had every right to be on the platform. Clearly their black looks thought otherwise.
A firm hand on his shoulder made him jolt back to reality.
Sirius looked at up at him, grey eyes wide and searching. There was an intensity there, a trait his mother held. Perhaps it was genetic? "Are you okay, kid?"
Draco swallowed and gave a curt nod, his gaze briefly flicking over to a small group across the way.
Sirius glanced over at them and, whether it was the intensity of his stare, of the fact that The Sirius Black had spotted them, the group seemed to pale as a unit and disperse further into the gathering crowd. It made Draco feel marginally better, but only just.
"Try not to worry about them," Sirius stated as he planted himself directly in front of Draco. He adjusted the tie at his throat and smoothed the crisp, black lapels down. "You have as much a right to be here as anyone. Hold your head high, keep on high alert, and if you ever feel a little down, ask Moony for some chocolate. That man's been packing bars since before I met him."
A grateful smile ghosted over Draco's lips, and he felt some of the tension work its way out of his muscles. How was it that Sirius always seemed to know what to say to him? Perhaps Remus had had a hard time of it back in school?
"Alright, come on. Remus will be wondering where we've gotten to."
Draco allowed himself to be steered towards the train, Sirius' hand a comforting weight on his shoulder the rest of the way.
.
"Are you alright?" Harry propelled himself from the small entry way. He'd been leaning against the wall, gnawing on a thumbnail as he waited for his godfather and Draco.
"Nothing we couldn't handle," Sirius smirked, ruffling Harry's hair before side-stepping down the walkway to find Remus.
Harry turned his attention back to Draco, noting that he still looked somewhat tense. "Are you sure you're alright? What happened?"
"Nothing to get your knickers in a twist," Draco sighed, rubbing at his temples. "Just some people throwing looks, nothing that can't be handled."
Harry gave him a sympathetic look before reaching for his hand. "Want to go and sit down with Sirius and Remus?"
Draco hummed. "Hermione not shown up yet?"
"I've not seen her."
"Okay. I think I need to just … sit and be quiet for a while."
"With my dad's?" Harry snorted. "Not likely."
Draco followed Harry down the narrow corridor, peaking in through the glass windows. He tried his best to ignore the looks of the few people who'd sat down already, but it was difficult not to feel like an imposter. Still, he pushed forward, allowing the weight of Harry's hand in his to comfort him. Finally, they made it to Sirius and Remus' compartment. Both teenagers stilled just outside the door, taking in the scene before them; Sirius was sat in one corner of the right-hand row of seats, with Remus lying down, his head propped up on Sirius' thighs. He was so tall, that he still had to bend his legs to be able to fit onto the long, padded bench. His eyes were closed as Sirius combed his fingers through the caramel coloured hair.
Harry tentatively knocked on the glass, not wanting to disrupt if Remus had already fallen asleep.
Sirius looked up, smiled and beckoned them in, Remus cracked an eye open as the door slid open, but otherwise didn't move. "We'd wondered where you two had gotten to," he remarked, his voice hoarse.
Draco settled down in the seat across from the two older men. He already felt cramped in the tight space, wanting desperately to stretch his legs some more, but he didn't want to be harassed going outside. Harry seemed to sense his agitation; he reached out and took Draco's hand in his own and gave a gentle squeeze.
"Want to lie down?"
The blonde shot Remus a look. It did look mildly more comfortable than sitting ramrod straight. Plus, maybe this would encourage Harry to play with his hair, too. Harry quirked his lips into a smile and patted his thighs.
"Come on, lie down. You don't look like you slept too well last night."
"That's because I didn't," he groused. "You snore like a Hungarian horntail with a headcold."
"Rude!" Harry gasped, earning a laugh from the two men opposite. "I'll have you know I do NOT snore!"
"That's not what Ron says," Draco smirked, stretching himself out along the chair and mirroring Remus' position and rested his head in Harry's lap.
"Ron is a filthy liar! He's the one who snores. We all had to learn silencing charms fast so that we could cast it on his curtains every night."
Sirius let out a bark of laughter, jostling Remus, "tell me, that he knows that?! Please, I beg of you!"
"Nope, I don't think he knows even now."
"Well good luck to Hermione," Remus murmured, his eyes falling closed again. "I know what it's like to have all your illusions of a happy life with your partner shattered, because they snore or do something else abhorrent."
"And what, pray tell, do you mean by that, Messer Moony?"
"Why Messer Padfoot, I do believe you've forgotten all those times you gave the boys dorm fleas for a month. Or the time that you got stuck halfway in your animagus form and your wagging tail kept me up all night?"
"I was happy to be with you!"
"Yes, at the expense of my sleep."
"Who are you kidding, Moons? You barely slept as it was."
"Exactly, so when I actually was getting to sleep at a reasonable time, my stupid mutt of a boyfriend got stuck with a tail and big ears and gave me whiplash with his tail."
Sirius pouted and, if he'd had his canine ears, they would have visibly drooped.
"I still want to try and learn to become an animagus," Harry piped up. "Although, as cool as being a stag probably was for my dad, I don't think it would be practical. At least dogs are more commonplace in central London."
Remus snorted, "Yes, and Peter was a rat. Oddly fitting, in hindsight."
"A stag would have looked out of place though, down the local offy," Sirius smirked. "Unless it was somewhere near a vaguely wooded area."
"What about you, Draco?" Harry asked, brushing the few blonde hairs out of the older teens closed eyes. "Do you ever think about trying to become an animagus?"
"On the one hand, it would be an incredible achievement," he stated, eyes closed. "On the other hand, I can't even conjure a patronus, so I think becoming an animagus is a little beyond my capabilities."
"On the one hand, cousin, I can understand your reasoning. It is incredibly difficult and I don't know how three fifteen year old boys managed to do it," Sirius cocked an eyebrow at his cousin. "On the other hand, Pettigrew."
Draco frowned, turning his head to look up at his cousin, "What are you talking about?"
"Are you honestly telling me that you, Draco Malfoy, are not smarter than a fifteen year old Peter kiss-arse Pettigrew?"
"Obviously I'm smarter than that rodent."
"Then it will just be a case of practising and determination. You think it was easy for us? James wanted to be the first to get it right, soe misguided nonsense to impress Lily," Sirius tutted and rolled his eyes at the memory. "But he choked on the mandrake leaf during Quidditch and had to spit it out and start all over again. He was pissed!"
"Who was the first one to do it?"
"Who do you think?" Remus asked, before jerking a thumb up at Sirius. "This mutt of course."
"And that's not an ego-boost, by the way," Sirius stated matter-of-factly. Though it couldn't be denied that his younger self HAD been entirely too smug at the idea. "I just had a very good incentive to get it right the first time."
"What was that?" Harry asked.
A look of utter adoration took over Sirius' face. "Remus," he said.
Remus jerked his head back to look up at Sirius. "Me? But we didn't even officially get together until halfway through sixth year."
Sirius looked sheepish, "I know. I just couldn't bear the idea of you spending another night alone, tearing yourself to shreds. I wanted to give it everything I had."
Remus grasped one of Sirius' hands. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."
"It's okay, I would have yelled at me too."
"Good. It was still a totally insane idea from the beginning."
"Wouldn't have changed it for the world, Moony, and you know it."
Remus rolled his eyes with a fond smile but didn't argue any further.
Draco distinctly felt as though he were intruding on a private moment. It was a wonder to him that these two grown men had the ability to act like star-struck teenagers sometimes. He knew it made sense, logically. They'd barely had any time together, torn apart by war, circumstance, and false allegations. Still though, Draco secretly hoped that, in the years to come, he and Harry would still find a way to look at one another in such a manner. Perhaps even reminiscing about their petty rivalry with some amount of fondness rather than bitterness. It was a nice dream, even though it was entirely improbable.
A knock on the door drew their attention upwards.
Hermione beamed and waved at them, sliding the door open. "I'm so glad I found you, it's weird to see the train so empty."
"Hermione, lovely to see you," Remus greeted, making no move to lift himself up.
Hermione gave him a smile, her eyes swimming with sympathy, but she knew better than to make a comment. She must keep close track of the moon cycles to know that one was imminent. Standing to one side, she made just enough room for her parents to poke their heads around the corner.
"These are my parents, Jean and David Granger. Mum, Dad, this is Sirius, Remus, Harry you've met, and this is Draco."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," Draco immediately stood up and offered his hand to them. His stomach was in knots, aware that everyone was staring at him like the Angel of Death, but he didn't care. He was relieved when David shook his head firmly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Draco. Hermione's told us a lot about you."
Jean offered a smile, the tightness around her eyes relaxing only slightly. Distantly, Draco recalled that their memories had only been returned just before Christmas. He bit the inside of his cheek and, after Jean shook his hand, took his seat, ramrod straight, beside Harry. That's when they realised that there wasn't enough room in the compartment for everyone.
"Oh … that's okay, we can go to another compartment," Hermione said.
"No, no, don't trouble yourself," Draco stated, standing back up. "I wanted to have some peace and quiet anyway. Please, help yourselves."
It was a little awkward wiggling his way past Mr. and Mrs. Granger to get to the corridor, but once everyone had shuffled around, it did feel a little easier to breathe. Thankfully there was a compartment, two doors down, that was free. He slid the door back and went inside, immediately feeling calmer. He was still tense, but hopefully he could nap the rest of the way to Hogsmeade.
.
Hermione and Harry exchanged a troubled look before both their gazes followed Draco as he extracted himself from the situation. Being in a crowded space clearly wasn't good for him and there was no doubt that not all of the stories had told her parents about him, had been flattering. Standing awkwardly in the doorway, Hermione and her parents exchanged a baffled, tense look, silently debating on what they were to do next.
"Please, Jean, David, have a seat," Remus graciously forced himself upright and waved his hand at the vacant seats beside Harry. "The food trolley will be along within half an hour of us leaving the station. I'll go and have a word with Draco."
His tone brooked no arguments. Jean and David gingerly sat down beside Harry, offering him pleasantries that fell on deaf ears. He was anxious, thrumming with energy. He wanted to be the one to go and comfort Draco.
"Will he be alright?" Hermione asked, settling down next to Sirius. "I can imagine this is all a bit overwhelming for him."
"Remus will sort him out," Sirius replied.
"Really? Even so close to the … um …" she shot her parents a look, but they weren't paying attention.
Understanding seemed to dawn in Sirius' eyes. He cleared his throat a shook his head. "He'll be fine. He didn't sleep well last night, but a few nights of calm and quiet and he should be good as gold."
Hermione frowned but didn't say anything else. She exchanged another tense expression with Harry, which he returned.
.
Remus knocked on the compartment door so as not to startle Draco, but the fact that he had to be polite was grating to his already frayed nerves. He could smell the sweat and anxiety even through the closed door. When he tried the handle, he found that it was unlocked. Tutting, he let himself in. Draco watched him as he closed the door and cast a silencing charm at the door to ward off any eavesdroppers. Slipping his wand back into his holster, Remus sank down into the low chair and fixed Draco with an arched eyebrow and pursed lips.
"Is there a reason you've run off with your tail between your legs?"
Draco closed his eyes at the dog puns. "No, I did not," he bit out. "It was too crowded in there anyway. Compartments can just about take six fully grown teenagers, let alone seven absolutely grown adults."
"So, you ran off."
Draco tensed and Remus smirked at the automatic reaction. He knew Draco wasn't a coward, not the way he thought he was. However, his aversion to the word alone was enough to put him on the defensive.
"Talk to me, Draco."
"I didn't want to sit alone with them and have them judging me alright," he sneered. "I know Hermione probably complained about me in her letters home and over the summer holidays. Probably not as bad as the Weasley's clan but Merlin's balls, I know I was not shown in a good light. Plus, Hermione had to tell them all about he war, didn't she? And no doubt the stupid part I played in that."
"She might have done."
"So, no, frankly I didn't feel like sitting around being judged. I'm going to be doing that tomorrow afternoon with all those families watching me and letting me know I do not deserve to be a part of that celebration."
"Is that how you really feel, Draco? After all the hard work you've put in, all those Wolfsbane potions you made for me? All the times you helped Harry or pulled sleepless nights trying to find a way for a spell to work better? Do you truly honestly believe that Minerva would have even given you the chance to study, had she thought you were a lost cause?"
Draco clenched his jaw but didn't reply. Of course, he didn't.
Remus let out a breath, keeping his voice as neutral as he could manage. "You have to believe in yourself a little more Draco. I've found, since I was your age, that it doesn't matter how many people you have encouraging you, if you cannot believe in yourself, then it really is all for nought. You've done so well up until now."
"Maybe because I was locked away in that house and didn't have a need to confront any of this bullshit."
"But you did, Draco! You tackled so many things head-on and you have no idea how proud I am of you," Remus' intense amber gaze was piercing, and Draco had to duck his head, staring down at his lap. The raw emotion in Remus' voice was rattling him to his very core. "So, what if you haven't made a corporeal Patronus yet, or even attempted to brew the potion needed to begin the Animagus process. You. Have. Time. You cannot measure your self-worth by what other people think of you. I did, for years, and look where that got me."
"You're doing pretty well for yourself now."
"Yes. Now, I am. But it was a hell of a hard road to get to here, Draco, don't ever think it's easy. Even now, I struggle, and I know you've seen me at some of my low points."
Draco nodded. He had seen Remus at his low moments. In the early months, when Sirius was the one teaching for the week, Draco had found Remus at the kitchen table with his hands clamped over his ears, wand forgotten somewhere, while Teddy screamed bloody murder from the play-pen across the room. He had seen Remus going through sleepless nights, dragging himself around like an inferi, forcing himself to be active around young Harry and his baby son. Draco had stepped in to help, but he had been entirely too new to muggle cooking -or cooking in general -and he hadn't wanted to touch any baby-mess, so it had been difficult.
Yet, Remus was a fighter.
Not to mention, he had Sirius fucking Black in his corner. He'd run Remus soothing baths and work the tension out of his muscles, he'd cook him his favourite meals even when he was bone tired from the work-week himself and had to deal with a moody teenager and two bawling infants.
"You're stronger than I am," he breathed, his throat tight.
Remus snorted. "I only ever got to this age because I'm as stubborn as I am. But I was also determined not to let something like being a werewolf keep me from what I wanted to be. I'm not going to spoon-feed you some crap about how life gets better, the grass is always greener on the other side, and positivity in the face of adversity is going to see you through, because it won't. Not always. There is no real recipe for being what you want to be. You make plans and you stick to them or find a contingency. Yours and Hermione's idea to offer aid and support for the newly turned werewolves is going to be met with backlash, but that doesn't mean it's not important. It doesn't mean it's not worth fighting for."
Draco worked his jaw back and forth, trying to keep his emotions in check. His body was feverish with containing himself and his palms were starting to sweat.
"You, Draco Malfoy, are reformed and you will keep on reforming. You are bettering yourself and yes, there will be backlash and there will be people who will never change their minds, but I'll tell you something." A heavy, scarred hand grasped both of Draco's, forcing him to look up into those molten amber eyes. Remus was leaning across the aisle to stare at him. "You, Draco Malfoy, are worth fighting for."
That broke him.
Curling over, Draco dropped his face into his hands and let out a strangled cry, the emotions he'd been trying to stamp down, erupting to the surface. He felt hot tears streaking down his cheeks, his skin flushing an ugly pink colour as sobs racked his body.
A weight settled beside him, a pair of strong arms wrapping around him and holding him close. The smell of Remus was almost too much to bear, but Draco clung onto the man's thin cardigan for dear life. Soothing circles were rubbed into his back, and he felt Remus' chin resting on top of his head, where he'd coaxed Draco sideways to lean against his chest.
"It's okay, you're okay," Remus soothed, his tone far gentler than it had been all day. "I've got you."
Draco's throat refused to work. He just shook and clutched on tighter. Remus continued to soothe him.
He didn't know how long they stayed that way in the empty compartment. He was vaguely surprised that no one else had sought them out to see if they were alright. He wasn't too sure he cared. With a jolt, the train started to pull away from the station. Draco looked up at the window and only distantly realised that they were moving. He forced himself upright, the moving scenery not registering for a few minutes. Cupping a hand over his face, he wiped away at the tears, his hands shaking as he did so. His hair was a mess, his face blotchy and wet and he'd probably gotten snot on Remus' trousers. The man didn't seem to care.
"We're moving," he choked out, his voice hoarse.
"Yes, it appears so," Remus sighed. He withdrew his wand and cast a quick 'scourgify' at his trousers. "You look somewhat ruffled. Would you like me to help?"
Draco nodded mutely, eyes glued to the window as London started to grow blurrier, the train picking up speed.
Remus raised his wand and muttered a few spells, fixing Draco's hair, his magic tingling as it erased the tear tracks and took the ugly flush from his cheeks. From his pocket he drew out a bar of muggle chocolate and broke a piece off and offered it to Draco.
"I know you probably don't feel too well right now, but eat this, you'll feel better."
Draco automatically took the chocolate and popped a piece in his mouth. The sugary goodness melted on his tongue and instantly soothed him. He sighed softly, letting his agitated mind quieten down.
"I'm going to head on back. Do you want me to send Harry over?"
Draco looked up as Remus stood and straightened his muggle clothes down. He nodded and whispered, "Yes please."
"Alright, give me two ticks."
"Wait?"
Remus paused in the doorway, turning with an arched eyebrow to Draco.
"Um … t-thank you, Remus."
His moustache twitched upwards in a smile. "Of course, son."
And damn if that simply phrase didn't floor him as Remus slid out of the compartment.
A few minutes later, Draco was sat hunched over in a corner, his forehead resting on the cool windowpane, when the door slid open. He automatically stiffened before turning to see Harry and Hermione standing awkwardly in the doorway.
"Is it alright if we join you?" Harry asked.
Draco nodded, his heart skipping when Harry immediately sat down beside him and took one of his hands in both of his. He offered Harry a tired smile.
Hermione settled down in the seat opposite Draco, "I hope you don't mind me coming too. I didn't fancy being the odd one out with two sets of parents."
"Not at all," Draco winced. His throat was still hoarse. "I'm sorry I walked off earlier. That was rude of me."
She waved his apology away, "Don't apologise. This is all weird for Mum and Dad as well. They've never been on the train or seen Hogwart's. Not sure leaving them with Sirius was entirely sane, but I'm also hoping he can ease them into it. Relax them somewhat."
"Sirius, relaxing?" Harry smirked. "Oh, Hermione, it's almost like you want your parents to hate magic."
She nudged him with her foot, "Shut up, you! I just thought he can be such a laid back person, maybe it will give them the idea that not all wizards are maniacal wankers."
"Is that how Voldemort's going down in history? A maniacal wanker?" Draco drawled, smirking a little. "I'm sure he's turning in his grave already."
A gentle knock from the door alerted them to the arrival of the food trolley and the jolly old witch who pushed it. "Anything off the trolley, dear?" she smiled in at them.
Harry and Hermione stood, coins in hand, and brought back an array of different foods, from sweets to pasties and bottles of drink. Draco accepted a pumpkin pastie with a tired smile. In truth, he wasn't hungry, but it was a long trip to Scotland and he needed something to keep him going.
Their conversation turned to more positive things, thinking of the future beyond the graduation ceremony. They all had different ideas of how best to start getting donations for Draco's wolfsbane project, and he was glad that even Harry was able to contribute, whereas before his potion mishap, he would have probably tried to change the topic to Quidditch. He bit into his pastie, one-handed, the other still entwined with Harry's. As said brunette was discussing how the Black and Potter fortunes were substantial enough that he could easily fund the project on his own, without worry, Draco couldn't help but feel his heart swell at the passionate blaze in Harry's eyes.
He had something to fight for and, with the way Harry looked at him with that stupidly adoring smile on his face, he tentatively hoped that he might be something that Harry was willing to fight for, too.
A/N: Regarding the timeline and Pettigrew's abilities; from Prisoner of Azkaban:
'Yes, indeed', said Lupin. 'It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong – one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will.'