Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters and objects. They belong to J. K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Inc., Warner Bros, and other licensed copyright holders. I also don't own the rights to any musical piece named in this fic, including the folk song "Come to You Again" (which is public domain, by the way). The plot, any original items, characters, spells, composition titles, etc. are mine, however. Yup, mine, mine, mine, so there…hah!

A/N: Sorry for the delay, my computer's been a bit temperamental-grrr! Anyhoo, this is slash and not a whole helluva lot happens this chapter, c'est la vie. And THANKS to all those who've reviewed! For those who've been waiting for the recital dinner, my apologies…you'll have to wait a bit longer for the reappearance of the OCs, this chapter is for the boys (they have ish you know).

3.

Draco edged himself down and got comfortable in Harry's arms. They lay face to face, and for the first time in over four years he felt truly at home in his bed. With long elegant fingers he traced over Harry's features once again committing them to memory, and mapping the changes that signalled his lover had indeed left boyhood behind. With one last pass over Harry's lips, he spoke, "Talk to me Harry. Say what you were going to. Don't be afraid. We always said we could tell each other anything."

Anger flashed like lightening in viridian eyes. "Don't you dare say that to me," he hissed, "if it were really true you would've told me. You wouldn't have left me." He choked over the words, "You lied to me Dragon. You said you'd always be with me that you'd fight by my side and never leave me. You said you'd love me forever. And you lied. You snuck off like a thief in the night without a word like…like we were some dirty little secret you didn't want exposed to the daylight." Harry turned his face away as molten tears burned their way down his cheeks.

Draco cupped Harry's cheek and turned his face, his own eyes fierce, "I have never lied to you. I fought by your side Harry because I believed in you, and because I love you. I never thought we were dirty, or that we should've hid what we were to each other. I left because I love you and didn't want you to be hurt. They would have never accepted that their hero was in love with someone most of the world saw as his enemy. And I have never left you Harry. You carry the best of me here," he laid his hand over Harry's heart. "I will love you forever. There has never been another. There will never be another, because I belong only to you and I always have."

"Draco…I missed you so much. And seeing you--seeing you yesterday…it was like everything had changed, but nothing had changed at all."

He nodded, he understood…whether they were separated four minutes or four years, between them it was just right. He sighed, knowing he could never walk away from that again (figuratively speaking), now that it'd claimed him again. He knew there'd be no solace for either of them if they separated now. And he was willing…eager in fact, to make it known, to reclaim this part of his life--of their life. "I know, and now that we're here together Harry I have to tell you that we're not going to be parted ever again. I'm not running anymore. I missed you too."

Harry squeezed him tighter, "And I'm not letting you go. Not ever…It's going to be hard Draco." Harry sniffed, "You've built this whole new life and I-I…"

"You're wondering if we fit anymore."

"Yeah," he nodded warily.

"We'll always fit," Draco said with confidence. "So tell me what have you been doing?"

Draco smiled at his lover's bewildered look, "Well if we're going to work on the 'fit' thing I need to know about your life. You know all about me. My life is relatively simple. For the most part I live as a muggle, and I've been here getting my degree. I bought this house and made some changes, so I could live here without too much difficulty. I made a few, or 6, really wonderful friends who've become my family, and whom I desperately want you to meet.

I've dreamed about you every night, and thought about you every spare moment, and some not so spare moments when I've managed to nick myself in the kitchen or shaving or embarrassed myself in class because I was chasing my daydreams of you instead of paying attention. But I have no idea what you've been doing, so tell me about your life luv."

Glad to see he'd coaxed a small smile from Harry's lips, Draco poked his ribs gently and motioned for him to answer. Smile in place, Harry nodded, "Well…there was a lot to do after. Rebuilding and chasing down Death Eaters who'd escaped. I worked with the Order for two years. A few of us were tutored between missions and granted special dispensation by the Ministry to become Aurors without the full, official training. I kept busy and kept moving, and that was good, but…I-I couldn't keep it together. I worried about you so much…I missed you so much," he said softly, his voice thick with an unnamed emotion.

"For a long time we were sure you'd been taken by Death Eaters..a-and there was a mission where we'd captured a group of fugitives from Voldemort's Inner Circle. I was so sure they knew where you were. And so angry and lonely," he broke off and looked away.

As guilt and regret washed over him Draco closed his eyes, it was shame he'd heard in his lover's voice. He knew Harry's temper. Knew what he was capable of. What all humans are capable of really, and he knew at some point Harry had crossed a line that he felt marked him as a lesser man, as a man who embraced something evil, base, and perverse within himself instead of fighting it. Draco sighed and pulled Harry to face him again. "How many deaths am I responsible for Harry? How many did I drive you to kill? Or am I responsible for torture too?" He asked flatly.

Teary green eyes grew wide, "How did you--?"

"I know you Harry Potter. I know every bit of you. Now tell me."

Harry closed his eyes, "Four. I used the Cruciatus curse on four of them and one by one they died screaming and begging for mercy."

Disgust and self-loathing were an oily taint coating Harry's words and Draco desperately wished he could take it away and knew that he couldn't. He could however, share the burden. Acknowledge his own part in this and maybe together they could heal his lover's wounded soul. "Did you enjoy it?"

Harry reared back horrified, "No! How could you--"

"I didn't think it. I don't think it. I asked because I need you to understand some things."

Hesitantly Harry nodded.

"You tortured four people to death needlessly and it was my fault."

"No! I--"

"Shut it Harry! It was my fault. If I'd told you I'd gone then it wouldn't have happened. You may have done the ill deeds, but I was the cause. You are not an evil being because you acted under a wrong assumption."

"But I--"

"Shut it Harry!" Draco growled, "You are not an evil being because you acted under a wrong assumption. I was the cause, and the responsibility for those deaths is mine as much, or more so than it is yours. What were you doing as they died?"

Harry's tears continued to fall, "Screaming back at them," he answered hoarsely. "I begged them to tell me where you were so I could lift the curse. But they wouldn't tell me. One kept yelling that they didn't know--that they hadn't taken you. I called him a liar, and hit him with the curse again. I wanted it to stop. I didn't want to cause them more pain, but they wouldn't tell me where you were, and-and I needed you so much and I remembered that they were high ranking Death Eaters and that they'd tortured more people than I probably knew in the whole world. I told myself they deserved it because they were evil people who tortured and maimed and killed innocents and they wouldn't tell me where you were. B-but it was a lie and I killed them for no good reason because they weren't lying, they didn't have you," Harry sobbed and Draco held him until the storm passed then kissed away his tears.

"You thought yourself a monster. And for a brief moment in time maybe you were, but whatever you were was my making Harry. It wasn't your fault really. In war and its aftermath sometimes good people do atrocious things. It doesn't make those things right, but you learn that in an extreme circumstance you're capable of something so out of character and wrong to you and it's frightening and you start to think what if that's who I really am? This monstrous evil creature capable of heinous acts? And it eats at you and pulls at you until you're not sure who you are anymore and you wonder if you ever knew who you were.

"It's a trick of the mind Harry, and it's a cruel thing to do to yourself. You did a horrible thing during a terrible time. It's not who you are, but knowing that you're capable of it makes you more human. Makes you know that even in yourself there is something to fight against and rise above. And every day you live as someone better than the monstrous evil creature you know you could give into, could become, you win."

Draco smiled at the look of near awe on his lover's face, "That's how I felt. Exactly how I felt and I couldn't get back Dragon," he looked away, "I'm still not back sometimes. But what you said helps. If I can make myself really believe it I think it'll help a lot. How did you know?"

It was Draco's turn to look away. "I said I'd mostly been here and I have, but that first year," he shuddered at the memory, "that first year I was a mess Harry. I'd just run. I had no idea how to live in the Muggle world. I had money but no legs…I went to Switzerland first and stayed in a private Wizarding hospital there for two months while they did what they could to heal my body. When I was as good as I was going to get I explained that I wanted to leave the Wizarding world and they transferred me to Liebchenhegen, a private Muggle long term care and rehabilitation clinic with the story that I'd been in a car wreck that left me paralysed and with a strange form of amnesia where I couldn't remember things about basic daily functioning.

I was tested, poked and prodded for month by about a dozen neurologists who were fascinated that I could speak fluent French, Italian and German, was capable of complex mathematics, but didn't know how to use a DVD player or what a microwave did. I had months of 'life skills' therapy to 'relearn' things about the world which was essentially a crash course in Muggle studies. I had gruelling physical therapy to relearn how to use my body in the ways that were available to me as a disabled person. And I did psychological therapy to help me deal with my trauma."

He sighed and scratched his hand through Harry's hair, "That was really hard. Even if I could have told my therapist everything, I had a hard time actually getting the words out. She suggested music therapy and got me to start composing and playing. I would write a piece and play it for her and we'd talk about why I'd written it and how it made me feel or what I was trying to express. It was really good for me and that's actually how I decided I wanted to go to school for musical composition. Later, when I was ready she helped me apply to schools and put together audition tapes and faked transcripts for me."

Harry looked up, "She faked school records?"

Draco nodded, "After we'd had a break-through, yes. I had told her as much truth as I could and fudged some parts, but one day she suddenly just stopped me and asked who I thought I was fooling. She told me if I wanted to heal then I was going to have to face the truth of what happened to me and what I'd done."

He laughed as he remembered, "She looked me straight in the eye and said 'Lucius Malfoy was a sadistic sycophantic bastard who maimed his own son for life. You killed him and you feel guilty because you think he deserved it. You feel guilty because as much as you think he deserved it and as much as you hate him for what he did and what he became he was your father and deep down you still loved him too. Admit it.'"

He smiled at his shocked lover, "Yeah I was gobsmacked, and wore that same expression for about 10 seconds then I broke down and sobbed for what seemed like hours. And she just held me and told me it was okay to let it all out. When it was over and my face was red and puffy and covered in snot, she handed me a wad of tissues and said, 'Anne Marie Romare. Liebchenhegen's resident psychologist and squib.' I just laughed…I'd spent weeks trying not to say too much or trying to figure out what I wanted to say and in three seconds she made it possible for me to just let go of all the pretence and really talk about what I needed to. She helped me face my greatest fear, well my greatest fear besides losing you, I was so scared that in taking all those lives in being glad they were dead that I'd become as cold-blooded as my father, that I'd become a monster just like him and given into the evil inside me.

She helped me see that wasn't true, that during the war I did terrible things, I killed and destroyed families and snuffed out lives like they meant nothing, but that those were terrible things I had done, they weren't who I was. You did some terrible things my love, it's not who you are."

"How long did you stay there?"

Draco thought back, "6 months. And when I was admitted to Claremont I came here to California and rented a flat in a complex designed for disabled people. It was sort a transition community where people like me could learn how to be independent outside of a clinic environment. I learned a lot there and healed a lot. I learned not to pity myself and that my life wasn't limited even though my body is."

Harry smiled and tucked a loose lock behind Draco's ear, "I'm proud of you Dragon. You didn't give up on yourself, and you found a way to make a life that's substantive and meaningful."

Draco smiled back, "Thank you. I've worked hard and it wasn't easy Harry." His smile faded as he set his face determinedly, "Now tell me the rest luv. What happened after the Death Eaters died?"

Harry pulled away a little, but Draco didn't let him get very far and he was surprised at the strength in his lover's arms. "I-I don't--"

"Tell me Potter. We're not going to keep anything between us. Not ever again. So spill."

Harry sighed and let his eyes drift closed, "I ran a bit mad after that. I had horrible nightmares where I relived it all again and again. Sometimes it was as it happened, sometimes I was watching as the Death Eaters tortured you, sometimes I was a Death Eater torturing you. It was pretty bad. I-I thought maybe I was going to end up at St. Mungo's for a while."

"Oh Harry," sadness clouded Draco's eyes and he held Harry tighter. "I'm so sorry luv."

"It's okay Dragon. After a couple of months it was obvious I wasn't getting any better, and I was in bad shape physically as well. Remus and Snape decided I needed to get away. They took me to this isolated little cottage Remus has; we stayed there for three months. I had long talks with them both, and I walked a lot, and did a lot of thinking. And finally came to some kind of…well, tentative peace, I guess you could call it.

When we came back I didn't want to continue as an Auror, but I still needed to stay busy. The Chudley Cannons needed a Seeker and I was available," he chuckled, "I think they would've taken me even if I was a horrible Quidditch player. And Ron, of course, was delighted."

Draco shook his head, "Of course he was. So you're a professional Quidditch player now? I'm impressed."

Harry smiled, "No, gave it up after the World Cup, so I really only played a season, but it was fun and it kept my mind occupied, and I made some new friends."

Draco cocked his head, "So what are you doing now?"

"Well…Slughorn returned to his retirement. Snape reclaimed the Potions position and that left--"

"You're the DADA professor at Hogwarts!"

Harry grinned, "No, guess again."

Draco gaped, "No? Why no?"

"Do you really think Remus would be parted from Severus now? Hogwarts already has a very good DADA teacher, though some parents raised a stink so he's still restricted from being Head of Gryffindor."

"So…"

"So…Hagrid married Madame Maxine last year Dragon."

Draco squirmed, "Ewwwwwwww! Bad, bad mental image. I hope to the gods they don't have children!"

Harry shot him a look, and Draco's jaw dropped, "Absolutely not!"

"She's due in another month or so. I know, I know. I really hope I'm not named godfather or something, because it'd be bad form to drop the baby during the Naming, and I doubt I could hold something that heavy for long."

Draco shuddered, "All I have to say is gods bless her, and I really hope you're not named godfather either. So you're Gryffindor's Head of House, and you've taken on Care of Magical Creatures."

"Yes. It's brilliant. I've turned Hagrid's hut into a sort of Creature Care Laboratory so students can have experience with long term projects, and it's good to be inside during the winter or on stormy days. I've set up enclosed environments for some of the smaller more domesticated creatures, but best of all there was room for me to set up an enclosure for my snakes!"

Draco rolled his eyes and said drolly, "I'm sure the students just love that."

Harry chuckled, "Yeah. About that--for a house whose mascot is a snake I've found that Slytherins are the most…reticent about being around my favourite pets."

"That's probably because your snakes are all highly poisonous dangerous creatures Potter and Slytherins have a strong self-preservation instinct."

Draco was glad to see his lover laughing so freely--he'd missed that. In those last days there'd been little to smile about, let alone laugh about, and it seemed like it had been an age since he'd last heard Harry so mirthful. In that moment, he was just glad and happy and didn't really think about it, he just leaned into Harry and said, "I love you," and brushed his lips across his lover's.

The contact shocked them both and he backed away quickly, "Oh gods. Harry, I-I'm sorry. It's too soon. Too much, too fast. I-I didn't mean…" panicked Draco back-pedalled desperately afraid he'd ruined things.

Harry grabbed his hands and kissed them, "Shh. Hush Dragon, it--it's alright. It was a bit of a surprise, but a welcome one." He smiled, "When you woke up and you kissed me--I know you thought were dreaming--but it made me feel so wanted, and loved. I-I haven't had that since…and well just now, you made me feel that way again. I don't think it's just us falling into old habits either. I think we're just meant to be together like this. It's just us making what we feel inside a physical thing too."

Slowly, so not to scare his love, and to be sure it was wanted, he leaned forward. His eyes slid shut as their lips touched. He kissed him gently, tenderly wanting nothing more than to ravish his mouth, but content to go slowly. He pulled back and smiled, "I love you too, you know."

Love and desire shone from grey eyes as Draco nodded, "I know. I've always known." The words were a little breathless, but sure, and suddenly all the hesitation faded away, desperate urgency springing up its place, pulsing between them and calling them into each other's arms.

Harry's hands roamed along Draco's back, re-exploring the territory he'd once known so well. Draco was still slender, but firm delineated muscle surrounded his form now, reminding Harry of his lover's increased strength, and that four years had passed since he'd last held him like this.

Harry kissed him again, knowing he could happily spend the rest of his life just kissing this man, his Dragon, whose lips were oh so supple, and warm, and soft and moist. But he had time. They were together now, and he was never letting go--he had a lifetime now to savour his lover's intoxicating mouth. So he let his mouth wander instead, trailing over the planes of Draco's face and down his long, slender neck.

His arms tightened around Draco's back and pulled their bodies completely together so that they touched everywhere, but it wasn't enough. He wanted needed more. "Dray--Dragon I- I need you. Now. Please.""Yes luv. Yes."Harry spelled their clothes away, and then they were happily gloriously naked and Draco's silken skin was sliding against his. He twisted slightly pulling his lover to lie beneath him.

"Dragon is this okay? I don't-I don't want to hurt you and I don't know how to-to…" Harry trailed off helplessly. His desire was rapidly mounting, but he couldn't hurt his lover, and he didn't know how well Draco could move.

Draco rubbed soothing circles on Harry's chest. He wanted him badly, but things had changed and they needed to be open about it, they needed to slow down. "Shhh. It's okay Harry. Just relax, we'll learn this together. I haven't done this since…well since before. We just need to keep talking. You tell me what works for you, and I'll tell you when something doesn't feel right for me. I can't feel my knees, or anything below, and my thighs aren't all that strong, so I think you'll have to prop my legs where we want them to be." Draco leered at his lover, "lucky for us there are plenty of pillows on this bed."

He laughed as Harry nearly lunged off the bed to gather the scattered pillows. They fumbled their way through positioning Draco's legs learning to be comfortable with their bodies and each other. When he was comfortable and his legs seemed to be positioned well for healthy circulation, they'd placed the pillows to support his legs and thighs in a way that they'd be fine for a while, he opened his arms to Harry and smiled, "C'mere and love me Potter."

Harry lay between Draco's legs and revelled in the feel of being in his lover's embrace again. At once it felt the same and different. He still felt that coming into Draco's arms was like perfect belonging. It was the same, in that there was no where in the world that was as safe or warm. In that way it was like going back through time, and reliving the first time they'd been together this way. Then, like now, the combination of nerves and anticipation twisted his stomach and made him shiver with need.

"I want you Dragon…so much..." He panted, "I've wanted little in my life as much as I want you right now."

Draco's smile was pure sin as he spread his thighs further to cradle Harry's body. He arched up to meet every touch, fleeting or firm, and was pillaged, or was ravished in every kiss. The room's quiet air was soon filled with the music of their joining--the moans and grunts of their pleasure, the sounds created from the two of them as they played each other's bodies in exquisite harmony, coming at last to a shattering crescendo that left them both breathless and satiated.

Harry spelled them clean and they settled finally, Draco gently pulled to lie comfortably on top of Harry. He cradled his lover's face while Harry's arms wound around him, grounding him in the reality of their love as much as anchoring him to his body.

There were a million things he wanted to say--to shout, he was so happy, but very little came out as he gazed down into his love's shining emerald eyes. "You make me whole," he whispered, and smiled gently at the man who meant everything.

He kissed away the tears gathering in the corner of Harry's eye and waited patiently for the words that were trying to make their way from his lover's mouth. Harry closed his eyes and his lips over the words that would not come then opened them to try again. "I-I can't live without you Dragon. I can't be." Harry rolled them to their sides "So…I guess the only question now is whether I'm moving here or whether you're coming back with me," he joked weakly trying to dispel the heavy weight and expectation that had settled over them.

Draco shook his head and Harry's heart plummeted. He slammed his eyes closed sealing his despair within and shutting out the painful rejection. Draco roughly jerked his head up. "Don't you dare shut me out Potter. Open your bloody eyes! Look at me!" He ordered.

Harry raised his tear-filled eyes to meet his lover's and was surprised to see only love and acceptance there.

"I didn't mean no, Harry. We will be together. I promise. I just don't know where yet, or how. You have your life at Hogwarts, and you're happy there. I don't want to take that away from you. We have to talk this all out. I won't give up my music. We have to find a way to bring our lives, as they are now, together so we can both do what makes us happy. Nothing I have or do will mean anything without you, but I know us both well enough to understand that we have to be doing something. Neither of us were meant to be men of leisure, and if we're not happy in what we do, no matter how much we love each other we're going to be miserable."

Harry nodded with relief and sound of Draco's determination wrapped around him, "So we're going to find a way to make this work."

"Yes. Of course. Absolutely. It's guaranteed. You bet your life," he said smiling dropping pecking kisses on Harry's lips as he answered. "Today we are going to talk, and catch up with our friends. Tomorrow, we'll go to Santa Inés Market so I can purchase an owl. Then, you are going to go home tomorrow night, and wake up the next day, and play with creepy creatures and little hellions." He sighed, "I am going to stay here, wake up the next day, and send my newly purchased owl off to Denver, home of the US Ministry of Magic, then go beg my advisor's forgiveness for passing out before my recital reception, then drag my well shagged arse to Dr. Hook's boring Advanced Music Theory class, bring myself home, and hopefully fire call you once I've been connected to the Floo network, and we'll talk some more. "

"Ahh…the Malfoy has spoken," Harry yawned and Draco actually giggled, "Okay so we'll talk after we--"

Draco's phone rang and he groaned. "Bugger me."

Harry grinned, "Already did." Draco smirked. "Don't answer it."

He shook his head and reached toward the end table, "Have to. There's so much going on right now that I need to check in with every one. Go to sleep. I'll make my calls and rouse you in a little bit."

Harry nodded already drifting off. "Don't leave the bed though. Nee-need you with me," he yawned.

Draco leaned over, kissed his cheek, then grabbed his phone and message pad. He almost chucked the phone across the room when he checked the Caller ID display. It was Johansen. He resentfully, hit the call back button, and waited.

"Dr. Emile Johansen."

"Hi, Dr. Johansen, it's Draco Malfoy, I just missed the phone and thought it best to ring you right back." Draco rolled his eyes…Must make nice with the pompous but brilliant man who is holding my ability to graduate in his hands.

"Ahh yes Draco. I'm glad you got back to me so quickly. Are you feeling better? I admit many students have an attack of nerves surrounding their senior recitals, but most happen beforehand. I've never had a student pass out after a good performance."

Ugh-- pompous but brilliant man who is holding my ability to graduate in his hands is digging for information, "Oh well. Yes I am feeling much better. I'd had a bit of a shock at the end of the recital and as you know passed out, but it's all been taken care of and I'm feeling much better today."

"Oh good good. You see one or two of my colleagues were very interested in meeting with you and graciously extended their stay when they learned you were ill. You're free this afternoon yes?"

Translation: you'd better not say no if you know what's good for you. "Actually Doctor, I had some friends fly in unexpectedly for the recital and I'll be spending the afternoon with them in town. Would your colleagues be interested in perhaps meeting here for lunch instead? I assure you my house is worthy of company, so you needn't worry about poor impressions."

Draco checked the time, 12:15-perfect, "Professor. Can you be here--say…half one? I'll set out a late lunch--sandwiches or something and we can talk. Could you rally your friends and make it this way by then."

The older man cleared his throat, still wary. He was well acquainted with off-campus housing, and rumour had it that Malfoy lived with several people. Still, he had said his home was presentable, and he'd found him to be a very honest young man…"That's fine Draco. We'll be there at 1:30. I don't have my school directory in front of me so tell me your address."

Draco heaved an internal sigh of relief, "16 Harmony Court. It's in Old Towne. You should be able to find it easily. If you come in on Schubert you'll run perpendicular to Melody Drive where the Dean's house is. Harmony is two blocks over. Mine is a yellow and white rancher, 4 houses in from the corner, and you can park on the drive or on the street, whichever you prefer."

"Ah-ah well…well then," the flustered man stammered, and tried to regain his footing. He really hadn't expected to find students living in that part of town. "Very good. 16 Harmony Court, 4 houses in from Schubert."

"Thank you sir, for being so accommodating."

"You're quite welcome Draco, think nothing of it. We'll see you at 1:30 Draco. Good-bye"

"Good-bye." You pompous, meddlesome, insufferable, old git!

Tbc….