Usual Disclaimer: Unfortunately this world and its wonderful inhabitants do not belong to me, they belong to J. K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing them. I am making no money from this it is purely for the enjoyment of those few who choose to read it. Thanks J. K. for lending me your ready made world of magic.
A/N: Thanks as always to my reviewers, namely: Andromeda Summer, Laura, Beloved, spamy, NiaSphinx, Rei the Genki-Chan, Marguerite/Matalis, SeparatriX, Nichole08, WolfWitch, Isis-mystic, tamachan444, White-Winged-Sihde, Her My Own, Malfoy's Kitten, HOnEySky, The-Magnificent-Fuzzy, Siriusly Black2, Dark Peppermint, Arwen Urodumiel, Random H/D Fan Who Does Not Bother To Log In, Elebereth, SiLvErFaTeD, Serena McKeenzo, Dragenphly, and Uncalled For (I didn't really understand your review, by the what you wrote I gather that you could not find any chapters after chapter one- I hope you do find them cos your review confused me a bit :-) )
Again, update will be in two weeks time as I am going away for a week as of tomorrow.
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Chapter 24 - Always when they're asleep.
They all slept till late, Harry and Draco now able to do so without fear of being found. Fortunately they bore the effect of the Firewhiskey well and the headaches were minimal.
Harry and Draco lay, for a long time after they woke, in blissful silence just staring into each other's eyes and stroking each other's hair.
"It's all over." Draco smiled. "They know."
"Well the worst part's over.. There are still quite a few people who don't know..." Harry picked fault. "But I'm glad they know." He added with a smile.
Silence descended once more and Harry turned over in his mind the question that had plagued him since the previous night. Eventually, when he knew that Draco was beginning to sense his insecurity, he voiced the question.
"So... how far have you been with a girl...?"
"Not very far..." Draco answered swiftly and rose from the bed and began to get dressed.
"Why are you lying to me?" Harry asked, sitting at the edge of the bed and putting on his glasses. Draco looked to him but he looked down at his lap to hide the hurt in his eyes.
"Because I don't want to hurt you." Draco sighed and, having only managed to put his trousers on, sat down on the edge of the bed beside Harry but not close enough for them to be touching. He ran his fingers over the marking on his bare chest trying to calm Harry through it.
"Tell me." Harry looked up, staring piercingly at him. "... You done it with a girl before you were with me?"
Draco nodded.
"Who?"
"Harry.. I..." He looked at his feet and the truth hit Harry like a ton of bricks.
"No. Please no... you didn't..." Harry stood up. "You slept with her? With Cho?"
Draco nodded again. "Just to get at me? Did you hate me that much?" The hurt in his eyes was unmistakeable as he gathered his clothes and pulled them on.
"No! Harry you know I never hated you!... It was just..."
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"It didn't exactly come up in conversation! What was I supposed to say "The weather's nice today oh and by the way I slept with Cho"? Would that have made you feel any better than you do now?"
The comment stung Harry and he froze, holding onto the doorframe for support.
"I didn't think it'd matter this much to you..."
"If you didn't think it was important, you wouldn't have hidden it."
"... You and her were never serious..."
"That's not why I'm upset... I don't know why I'm upset... Sex is supposed to be special... and you lost your virginity to spite me? It hurts Draco.. I can't... I need to think." He pulled on his t-shirt and made his way to the Den.
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Harry sat in one of the armchairs in the Den and breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself. He massaged his chest where a dull ache had set in. He stared blankly at the mural for a while then he paced about for a bit. He tried reading but got no further than the first paragraph of the book he had picked up. Eventually, sitting back in the armchair and drumming his ringers restlessly on the arm of it, his eyes settled on the orb, which sat on the desk to the side of him. He rose and moved towards it. The dull ache in his chest, which had been getting progressively worse as time had passed, now began to throb urgently as he moved closer to the orb. His fingers itched to pick it up as he stood in front of it. He raised one hand and grasped the pendant around his neck while the other hand reached out to the orb. He had barely touched it with the tips of his fingers when the fog cleared, leaving the image of his mate in clear view.
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Draco resisted the urge to cry after Harry left. Instead he paced the room, unsettled by the argument he had just had and by the aching feeling that had filled his chest. He brushed his hair, paced the room, made the bed, paced some more. He could not stand the thought of Harry being angry with him. He had regretted it. Since the moment he had let his spite and hurt pride take over and lured the Chang girl to bed he had regretted it. At first he had hoped it would draw Potter's attention to him but when it was over he had felt sick inside and had hoped that Harry would never find out. But then again, when they had gotten together he had also hoped that he and Harry would have no secrets. Had had felt guilty and sick to the stomach about what he had done and agreed when Cho had turned on the waterworks and begged him to swear to secrecy.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered that Harry was watching him as he sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry." He murmured.
"I'm sorry too." Harry whispered to the orb. He felt guilty for making Draco feel so bad about a mistake that had happened in the past. He could not even rationalize the feelings that were racing through him over the situation. Cho had never meant that much to him. Draco was right - they were never serious. But why had Draco done such a thing to spite him? If he had gone to such great lengths to hurt him then - was it any different now?
Harry watched through the orb as Hermione entered the room. She approached Draco in a comforting manner but he snapped something at her and she left. Draco immediately looked guilty and put his head back in his hands.
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"Where's Harry and Malfoy?" Ron asked as Hermione joined him and Ginny in the kitchen. "I thought you went to get them?"
"His name is Draco, Ron" Hermione corrected, "and it seems he and Harry have had a small domestic."
"What about?"
"I don't know, I didn't ask."
"Maybe we should go out for a while - give them time to... make up." Ginny suggested with a glint in her eye.
"Ginny! Don't be disgusting!" Ron protested, catching on to the innuendo quickly for once.
"You thought it." Ginny shrugged, giving him a smirk that she had perfected with a little help from Draco since she had arrived.
"I think Ginny has a point. I think they might need some space to sort things out."
"Is it that bad?" Ron's face darkened. If Draco had hurt Harry...
"No I don't think it's huge but I think the stress of the past few days has caught up with them." Hermione placated him.
"Come on, let's go out and have breakfast." Ginny suggested, "...or should I say lunch." She corrected, checking her watch.
"Good idea. My treat." Hermione agreed and she and Ginny went quickly and quietly upstairs to get their bags and the three of them were soon strolling outside in the mid-day sun.
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Draco listened to the front door click shut behind Ron, Hermione and Ginny as they left and decided to go to Harry.
Halfway there though he met Harry in the hallway. They stood staring awkwardly at each other for a moment, only a few feet away from each other. Both of their chests pounding in a painful urgency for one another.
"I'm sorry." They both whispered in unison, causing them both to smile slightly.
"Can you forgive me?"
"Of course I forgive you... It was in the past... I was just being silly... I just..."
"What?"
"Do you really love me?"
"Of course I do! With all my heart, never doubt that!" Draco moved forward and Harry allowed himself to be enveloped in the embrace his heart ached for.
"I love you too." Harry replied in barely a whisper, but Draco heard.
They spent the rest of the day in comfortable silence, resting entwined together on the couch in the lounge, feeling no need to move or speak. Harry lay against Draco's chest and Draco toyed lazily with Harry's jet hair.
They were asleep when Ron, Hermione and Ginny returned along with a few guests.
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"Harry! Draco! We're back!" Hermione called as a word of warning. They had met Molly, Fred and George at the door, about to ring the bell.
"Molly and the twins are here to see you!" She called as they moved towards the living room. She peeked around the door and abruptly turned, blocking the doorway.
"Why don't we go into the kitchen? The lounge is a bit of a mess." She suggested with a large fake smile. Behind his mother and twin brothers, Ron's eyes widened in realisation of why Hermione was causing an obstruction.
"Don't be silly dear. I can clean up any mess with a flick of my wand."
Before Hermione could respond she was brushed aside as Molly and the twins hustled into the room.
"Oh dear Merlin!" Mrs Weasley's hand flew to her mouth as she stopped abruptly just inside the doorway and took in the scene before her.
Asleep on the couch, entwined together, were her adoptive son and the spawn of the man whose family had caused her family more hassle than was conceivable. Their chests rose and fell as one with their soft breathing. Their right hands were clasped together and resting on Harry's stomach. Draco's other hand was resting just inside the waistband of Harry's jeans at his hip and Harry's other hand rested on Draco's leg.
Mrs Weasley made to leave again but the twins were already barging their way in, completely unprepared for what they were going to see.
Looks of pure shock were replaced by grimacing looks at one another, which were then replaced by large shit-eating grins.
"Harry's a bummer boy?!" Fred said rather loudly and two glaring silver eyes were suddenly visible from the couch.
"Out!" Mrs Weasley ushered her children all the way to the kitchen, leaving only Hermione, who remained just inside the doorway, behind.
"Shit." Harry groaned as he came to, taking in the situation. They sat upright and Harry put his head in his hands. "Not again."
"Always when you're asleep." Hermione sighed from where she was standing, pointing out the irony of the situation.
