Bright light filtered in through the window, a tiny patch of sunlight streaming through the window fell on Draco's face. He winced and rolled over to find the bed empty. He felt around for a second before realizing that Harry was gone. He sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He yawned and stretched then rolled out of bed.
He winced as his feet hit the cold wooden floor. He grabbed his bathrobe quickly and wrapped it around himself. He slipped on some slippers and plodded out into the living room.
There was already a fire in the grate, crackling happily. Draco yawned again and moved into the kitchen. Harry was there making coffee. He smiled when Draco came in. Draco sat down at the counter and watched as Harry slid a cup of steaming brown liquid over to him.
He seized it and poured a liberal amount of milk and sugar into it, turning it into a lighter brown color. Harry watched him as he did every morning, marveling at the amount of sugar that went in.
"Some day, you're going to die from a sugar overdose," Harry told him seriously. Draco took a deep drink from the liquid and sighed happily.
"That has yet to happen," Draco said, setting down his cup. He smiled cheekily at Harry and Harry laughed.
He moved around the counter to stand beside Draco. Draco swiveled in his chair and looked up at Harry. Harry slid his arms around his neck and rested his forehead against Draco's.
"Did you sleep well?" Harry asked. Draco nodded and tilted his head up for a kiss.
They kissed softly for several minutes until Harry pulled away. He kissed the side of Draco's mouth one last time then moved back around the counter. He pulled a piece of toast out of the toaster and placed it on a plate.
He buttered it and passed it on to Draco. He munched it quietly, enjoying the serenity of the morning. Harry made another for himself and they sat in contented silence.
Harry leaned against the counter, looking out the window. It was snowing again; the flakes flickered past the window lightly. Harry paused eating his toast momentarily, watching the snow.
He turned from the window suddenly and faced Draco. Draco looked up expectantly.
"We didn't finish our snowman," Harry said. Draco raised an eyebrow. He had been hoping Harry would forget about the snowman outside, in the freezing cold snow.
"Harry," Draco said, not really wanting to go. "I don't really want—"
"Please?" Harry wheedled, giving him his best pout. Draco groaned, knowing he would give in.
"But, Harry…"
"It's only one snowman," Harry said, still pleading with his eyes.
"It's so early," Draco whined.
"It's 11!" Harry exclaimed. Draco sighed but gave in just the same.
"Okay, but only one snowman," Draco said. Harry nodded excitedly. He rushed off to put on more clothes while Draco slowly drained the last of his coffee.
He set the cup down in the sink that was overflowing with dishes. He knew he would have to clean them soon, but he dreaded the task. He followed Harry's direction towards the bedroom.
When he got there, Harry was pulling on thick socks and boots. Draco changed his clothes, putting on a heavy coat and boots. Harry waited impatiently for him to finish. Then he pulled Draco outside to where the snowman still stood.
The snowman looked at him with no eyes and only one arm. Harry grabbed a stick nearby and stuck it in his other side. Now he had two arms. Harry looked around the ground nearby while Draco contented himself to watch.
Finally, after some digging in the snow, Harry came up with two shiny black rocks. He stuck them in the snowman's head and made eyes. He took a step back and surveyed his work. Something was missing, besides all the rest of the facial features.
Harry looked around, eyes scanning the ground. There was nothing on the ground besides snow. All their tracks from the previous day had been covered up by fresh powder. Draco watched his search, not helping in any way.
Finally, after five minutes of Harry searching, Draco was growing cold.
"What are you looking for?" he asked impatiently. Harry stopped and sighed impatiently.
"He needs something," he said seriously, inspecting the face of the snowman. Draco gave him a quizzical look.
"What kind of thing?" he asked, daring to move closer to the mound of snow.
"I don't know… something's missing."
"A face?" Draco drawled.
"No," Harry said. "Well, yeah. But that's not it."
Draco surveyed the snowman critically, but he couldn't come up with anything that it was missing besides the obvious nose and happy smile.
"I know!" Harry cried. He bent down and scooped up three more stones. He placed them strategically on the side of the snowman's face. Draco looked closer and his eyebrows went up.
"Harry," he said. "Is that snowman smirking?"
Harry turned to him with a grin on his face. Draco gave him a withering look, but it didn't deter Harry's grin.
"Now I always have something to remind me of you," Harry said in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"Until it melts," Draco said.
"But he'll always be with me," Harry said, pretend swooning. Draco laughed at his words and Harry grinned.
Harry moved over to Draco and hugged him to him. Draco sighed and leaned into him.
"I have to go into town today, baby," Harry said quietly.
"Why?" Draco asked, pulling back. "You were just there yesterday."
"I know," Harry sighed. "But I promised to help Mr. Shminn unload the new books."
"Harry, why do you promise these things? I thought you wanted a quiet life."
"I do, but I can't help helping people," Harry said. Draco sighed and moved back from him. Harry watched him sadly.
"Don't worry, baby. I want to be here with you," he said convincingly.
"I know," Draco said quietly. Harry moved back over to him and kissed him softly.
"I'll be back later, okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Draco said. Harry gave him a small smile and took off down the hill.
Draco watched him go, slightly disappointed. He didn't understand. When Harry had made the decision to disappear from the wizarding world, Draco had agreed somewhat reluctantly.
It had been difficult to give up everything he had ever known just like that. Harry hadn't allowed magic in any form. It had been two years since they had moved to house on the hill and no magic words had been uttered in that house so far.
At first, Draco had had real trouble adjusting. He didn't like doing things the Muggle way. It had grown on him, but it had taken awhile.
Harry's reasons for moving so far out in the country away from all things wizard had been that he sought solitude from the constant barrage of people; people wanting his attention, sending him mail, requesting his presence at many events. After Hedwig had died, he had not gotten another owl to replace her. He never sent any mail.
The only people who knew where he lived were Ron and Hermione. They kept that information to themselves and rarely visited. Draco had thought that moving here had been to be alone. Then why was he becoming involved in the Muggle village below?
Draco sighed and turned his gaze from the direction Harry had taken. He turned it instead to the house that stood behind him. The roof was covered in snow and a few large icicles hung over the porch. It was a two-story house that looked quite welcoming.
Draco wondered why Harry would want a welcoming looking house if he wanted people to stay away. He shrugged and walked up the steps to the front porch. He opened the front door and went into the warmly lit living room.
He rubbed some snow out of his hair and shivered. He quickly shut the door behind him and pulled off his coat and boots. He decided that he was too cold and went to take a shower.
He stripped off his cold, wet pants and stepped into the hot, streaming water. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the water. He reached over and grabbed the soap, cleansing himself.
When he was done, he shut off the water and stepped out. He grabbed a towel quickly and wrapped it around himself to block out the cold. He dressed rapidly in a green sweater and jeans.
He dried his hair, not wanting to catch cold. He walked out into the living room in just his socks and looked around. The fire was still going but was starting to die. Draco walked over to it and stoked the embers. It flared up momentarily then died back down. Draco shrugged and walked over to the thermostat. He turned it up to 70 degrees then went to the kitchen for something to eat.
He rummaged through the cupboards and pulled out a loaf of bread. Then he went to the kitchen and pulled out some jam. He made himself a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. When Harry had first taught him to make his own food, it had been a disaster. Jelly everywhere, sticky, purple jelly.
Harry had laughed at him in his hilarious state. Needless to say, Draco had not been very pleased. Since then, he had mastered the skill of a knife. He was fairly progressed in cooking.
While he was making his sandwich, he looked over at the overflowing sink. He groaned at the amount of dishes there were. They had no actual dishwasher for god knows what reason. Therefore, all the dishes had to be done by hand, and it took forever.
It was Draco's turn and he'd been putting it off for a few days. He dreaded having to do it. Harry had begun to nag him about the state of the sink for the past couple days. Draco kept saying he would do it then wouldn't.
Draco turned away from the mess and took his food into the living room. He propped up his feet on the coffee table and munched his sandwich quietly.
He flipped on the T.V. Since it was a Tuesday morning, little was on. He finally landed on some stupid muggle talk show. He wasn't really listening; he just had it on for the noise. He became restless just sitting there.
His eyes wandered back to the kitchen. That huge pile of dishes was just visible around the corner of a wooden post. He sighed, knowing he would have to do it soon. He wondered how long he could possibly put it off for before Harry forced him to do it.
'It would be so much easier if I could just use magic,' Draco thought to himself.
He turned his gaze to the box sitting on the mantle. He contemplated it for a second.
'Wait,' he thought. 'Harry's not home… I could use magic, and he'd never know.'
Draco hesitated for a second. He knew Harry didn't want him to do any magic but it was so tempting. He'd gone without it for so long.
Draco looked around hastily as if he would see someone staring in the window at him. When he seemed sure that no one was watching his every move, he went slowly over to the mantle piece.
He stared at the dark mahogany box for several minutes. He reached for the top slowly but stopped just on the verge of opening it. He bit his lip, stuck in indecision.
Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out. He reached out and flipped the box open slowly. There lay two wands on dark red velvet. Draco's eyes lit up as he saw his wand for the first time in years.
His hand descended into the box and fingered the wand on the left carefully. He picked it up gently and grasped the handle. It felt odd, holding his wand after such a long time. It didn't feel a part of him as it had used to.
He shut the box quickly and moved away from it. He almost felt as if he was cheating or something. He went in to the kitchen and pointed his wand at the pile of dirty dishes.
"Evanesco," he said. Automatically, the grunge was gone from the plate and cups. Draco smiled slightly to himself, enjoying the feeling.
He pointed his wand once again at the now clean dishes. He muttered another spell and the dishes put themselves away into the cupboards lining the walls. Draco was satisfied with his work and returned to the living room.
He looked down at the floor and noticed that it seemed kind of dirty. He pointed his wand at it and cleaned it with another spell. He smiled again. Having his wand back was almost like finding a long lost friend.
Next, he cleaned their bedroom, moving all the clothes on the floor back to their original spots. He dusted the tables and shelves. He cleaned practically the entire house. When he finished, he moved back into the living room, admiring his wand fondly.
Then it hit him. He looked around himself at the sparkling house and his face fell. Harry would know. He'd know that Draco couldn't have done all this on his own and he would be furious.
Draco moved quickly back over to the mahogany box and carefully placed his wand back inside, like putting it in a casket. He pulled away, shutting the lid quietly. He moved back into the middle of the living room.
What was he going to do? It was too late now. Draco decided he would just have to wait and face the consequences. Besides, it was only a tiny bit of magic, nothing life threatening.
i 'Right,' /i Draco thought to himself. i 'It's okay, a little bit of magic never hurt anybody.' /i
He sighed and sat back down on the couch, turning the T.V. back on. He fidgeted for a while then told himself to calm down. Everything would be fine.
He distracted himself for the next hour by going into the kitchen and making a cake. He knew Harry's favorite cake was vanilla with strawberries on top, so he set about making one. It took a while for him to figure out the frosting tubes, but eventually, he managed to make it look semi-decent.
He stood back to admire his work and nearly jumped when the front door slammed shut. He quickly told himself to get a grip. He breathed deeply then swaggered out to meet Harry.
Harry was taking of his snow covered jacket and boots. He pushed them off by the door and pulled off his wet socks as well. Draco walked over to him quickly and Harry smiled at him.
He slid his arms around Harry's shoulders and leaned in for a kiss. When they parted, Harry smiled warmly at him.
"Hey, baby," he said. Draco forced himself to smile back. "I'm gonna get changed, kay?"
"Yeah," Draco agreed. Harry gave him another quick kiss before disappearing into the bedroom. Draco breathed a momentary sigh of relief. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Harry figured it out. Draco never cleaned, or hardly ever. It was always a rare occurrence when he did.
He sat down on the couch, waiting for Harry. He heard him come out from the bedroom and sit down beside him, sighing in a relaxed way. Draco looked over at him and Harry grinned at him. Harry crawled down the couch and on top of Draco.
"How was your day?" Harry whispered, looking down at Draco.
"It was good," Draco replied quietly. Harry grinned and leaned in to kiss him.
Draco's arms came up to wrap around Harry's upper body. Harry slid his tongue into Draco's willing mouth, tasting him. Draco moaned slightly as Harry nibbled his bottom lip. He slid a hand under Harry's tee shirt.
Harry groaned and shifted into a more comfortable position. Draco gasped when he felt Harry's erection pressing into his own. The kiss became fevered and more passionate.
When Harry finally pulled away, they were both panting. Draco arched his body upwards and Harry smirked at him. Draco moved upward and licked Harry's neck. Harry threw his head back and groaned. Draco nipped at it, leaving a little red mark.
Harry looked down at him and smiled. He moved to kiss him again. The kiss was rushed, tongues intertwined and clashed. Hot breath intermingled between the two. Draco's hand slid into Harry's dark hair, messing it up more.
Harry groaned as Draco pulled lightly on his hair. He nibbled Draco's lower lip, drawing a groan from the blond. Harry ground his body into Draco's, enjoying the sounds he emitted. Draco arched back up, following Harry's body.
He whimpered when Harry broke the kiss. Harry smiled down at him and kissed him softly. He pulled away and settled down on top of Draco. Draco ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly.
"How was the unloading?" Draco asked, semi-sarcastically. Harry sighed and looked up at him from his position on his chest.
"It was okay, cold though," he replied. Draco nodded, not really listening.
Outside, snow was still falling. The soft powder was piling up outside the window, making it hard to see out. It was early afternoon and the sun peeked through a tiny spot in the grey clouds. Draco sighed as he watched the tiny flakes of snow flutter past.
Harry looked over to the fire and noticed it had gone out. He pushed himself off Draco and stood up.
"I'll be right back," he said. He walked over to the door and slipped his boots back on then pulled on his coat. He left through the front door. Draco saw him walk around the outside of the house. He came back in a few minutes later with an armful of wood.
He slipped off his shoes and dumped the wood by the fire. Draco was still sitting on the couch, watching as he went. Harry bent over the fireplace, trying to enliven the fire. He added a few logs and watched as it grew.
He sighed, satisfied, and moved back to the couch with Draco. He put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. Draco didn't say anything to him, just leant against him, thinking.
His eyes wandered once again to the little box sitting oh-so-innocently above the crackling fireplace. He wondered how Harry would react, what he would do. It hadn't been that much magic…
Harry shifted on the couch. His eyes traveled around the room. As they went they took in the spotlessness of the room. His expression became more quizzical as he went, taking in the floors, the counters, the shelves, the kitchen. Finally, he turned to Draco, his eyebrows bunched together.
"Draco," he said slowly. "What happened here?"
Draco hesitated before responding, trying to find the best way to go about this.
"What do you mean?" he responded lightly. Harry looked around again, his expression becoming more and more suspicious as he went.
"What did you do?" he asked suspiciously, turning to Draco, his eyes blazing. Draco's eyes widened and he stood up quickly from the couch. Harry followed his movements and gave him a hard look.
"Nothing," Draco said quickly.
"Doesn't look like nothing," Harry said dangerously.
Draco didn't respond but looked down at his feet. Harry's eyes narrowed as he watched him.
"You used magic!" he exclaimed. Draco winced at the tone of his voice but looked up at him, seemingly prepared.
"So what if I did?" Draco said challengingly. He had never been afraid of Harry and he wasn't about to start now.
"Draco," Harry said in a low and dangerous voice. "Why?"
"Why?" Draco repeated incredulously. How could he not know why! "Why do you think!"
"I really don't know," Harry said angrily. "You know I don't like to use it!"
"It was only one time!" Draco exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Harry glared at Draco and moved in closer. Draco watched him carefully as he moved forward.
"When you agreed to move out here with me, you agreed to give up magic," Harry whispered dangerously.
"Yes, but don't you think it was hard for me!" Draco exclaimed. Harry didn't say anything, just stood looking at him.
Draco gave him a pleading look, begging for understanding. Harry just scowled at him.
"Did you think it was easy for me to just give up everything I had ever known!"
"No, but you didn't have to! I didn't force you to come here with me! You came on your own volition, Draco. I didn't i force /i you to do anything!"
"You're right, you didn't," Draco said angrily, firing up. "But it's not like I've been given any kind of leeway!"
"You knew this was how it would be when you said yes!" Harry yelled, his temper rising. "I thought you were prepared to do this for me, Draco!"
"I was. I am! But you can't expect me not to slip up once in a while! We're not i all /i perfect, Harry."
Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise and shock. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"What did you say?" he asked, barely controlling his temper. He had begun to shake from all the suppressed rage. Draco crossed his arms and raised his nose in the air, adopting his childhood persona.
"You heard me," he replied. Harry's eyes flashed dangerously as he glared at Draco, breathing hard.
"I can't believe you would even dare to say such a thing," he growled at him. "You know everything I went through. You, of all people, should know what it was like, being controlled by the people you thought loved you. You can't possibly think that I wanted to i be /i perfect, that I wanted to become the savior of the wizarding world. Don't you dare call me perfect ever again."
Draco listened to Harry, but refused to give in. He stood there with his arms crossed, still glaring at Harry.
"So you're not perfect," he hissed. "Then you understand how I feel."
"How you feel!" Harry yelled. "What about how I feel? One thing, Draco! One thing, that's all I asked you to do for me when we got together. And you can't even do that!"
Draco's mouth dropped and he glared at Harry.
"I have done plenty for you, Harry. I gave up everything I had ever known for you."
"Well, it doesn't seem to have mattered, does it?" Harry asked acidly.
"Maybe it doesn't matter!" Draco exclaimed, glaring at Harry. He moved around the couch and Harry watched him go through his narrowed green eyes. Harry turned as Draco moved, glaring at him.
"It matters, Draco!" Harry yelled.
"Right," Draco said sarcastically. "It matters."
Harry glared at Draco, his eyes shooting fire. Draco refused to give in and didn't say anything more.
"Fine, Draco," Harry growled. "Fine. I guess it doesn't matter to you what I think. Of all the things I've ever asked you to do, this was the only thing that ever really mattered."
That pushed Draco out of his silence.
"Of course you matter! But it can be hard sometimes."
"Sometimes!" Harry repeated. "Do you think it's easy for me?"
"It seems like it. It's not like you ever act like anything is ever wrong! How am I supposed to know?"
Harry tried to say something several times, but appeared unable to form a complete sentence. Finally, he steeled himself and stood up straighter.
"I'm going for a walk," he said coldly. He walked out from in front of the couch and to the door. He pulled on his jacket angrily, stuffing his arms into the sleeves.
He gave Draco one last hard look before he stormed out the door, slamming it shut in his wake.
A/N: Please review!