So sorry for the long break! Hopefully we are back up are running, and I hope you enjoy!

Warning: N/A

Chapter 6- When They Love

"Were you just going to leave without me?" Harry's voice echoed around the opening of the woods. Draco almost jumped as he turned to face where Harry was leaning against a tree, standing enough in the shadows that Draco hadn't seen him. He didn't know what he'd been expecting, sneaking off before diner and thinking Harry wouldn't notice. As if there was anything about him Harry didn't notice these days.

"I just wanted to get it done," Draco said, turning to continue heading into the woods. Harry didn't bother to answer as he followed him.

The woods were quiet, heavy around them. He hated them, hated the freedom he felt from disappearing across the border and fading away from the castle walls. It made him think of Lupin's words, the way he'd looked at him expectantly, claiming he only wanted to help. As if he wasn't a liar.

"Draco," Harry said from behind him, and Draco couldn't help but turn. Harry had always relaxed in the forest. That invisible weight he carried on his shoulders lifting. He had even stopped frowning at he stared back at Draco, green eyes worried and caring. Draco used to love that he was the only one Harry showed this side of himself to. Now he wasn't sure he deserved it—after everything he'd done to Harry, everything he wanted to do.

"What?" he asked when Harry didn't continue, and Harry turned his face away, biting his lip.

"Just… forget it," he said, brushing past Draco as he continued. And he was so warm, smelling of caramel and damp leaves, and Draco wanted him so badly. Missed him so much.

"Stop denying yourself," Lupin had told him. He'd had his left hand wrapped around his chains, holding them up as if to take the weight off his wrist.

"That doesn't make sense," Draco had answered.

"You're out of control because you're denying your nature," he'd told him, and he'd sounded so sure, so convincing. "Denying who you are." Draco didn't know how to do what he said. Didn't even know if he could trust Lupin.

He stepped into the clearing before he even realized that Harry had stopped. The sun had already set, the sky a dark orange piercing through the trees. Harry was already standing in the center of the clearing, his fists clenched at his side as he faced away from Draco.

"Lucius told me you went to see Lupin," Harry said, still not turning.

"I…" Draco answered. "He did what?"

"I don't want to hurt anyone," he'd told Lupin.

"You will if you don't find your balance," Lupin had insisted. As if it was that simple.

"Draco-," Harry started, but Draco interrupted him. He could feel the anger burning through him, Lupin's words echoing in his mind, the red starting at the edge of his vision, the tightening of his muscles.

"That's not your business," Draco said, and Harry turned toward him, eyes flashing.

"But-," Harry tried again, his voice softer this time, hurt, and that just spiked Draco's anger even more, turning it around in a feedback loop toward himself and then back toward Harry.

"I can take care of my-."

"But you don't have to," Harry interrupted, his voice quiet, firm, and Draco stopped talking before he knew what he was doing. "You know, Severus had me go to the mind healer. She had me make a list of things I care about," he said, his eyes casting sideways, biting his lip, and Draco could see his muscles trembling as he forced himself to continue talking. "I might not have it all figured out, but I do know that you're on my list—that I care about you." Harry blinked once, hard, his lips tight, face still half turned away. "But I'm starting to feel like it's not the same for you."

"Harry-," Draco started before he had to cut himself off, the moon appearing over the trees, and he could feel the change ripple through him.

"So, you're asking for my help?" Lucius asked, standing with his back to Severus' desk. He had his hand tight around his cane, facing the fire, and he could feel Severus' reluctance.

"Yes," Severus answered, and Lucius hated the way he said it. He had thought they were passed this. This… mistrust. He had asked Severus to marry him for Merlin's sake. And even though Severus had said yes, he hadn't meant it. That much was clear to Lucius now. He just wished he understood why.

"What is this really about?" he asked, turning around. Severus' face was tense, shadowed. It reminded Lucius of back when they were still serving under Voldemort. Back then Severus knew he had to hide everything he thought, everything he felt.

"I've told you," Severus answered. "The ministry-."

"No," Lucius interrupted. "Why are you acting as if we're…" he tightened his grip on his cane again, his eyes flicking unwillingly down to the silver ring still sitting on the edge of Severus' desk. He wondered if Severus had even touched it since Lucius had asked to marry him. "I thought you knew I would always help you. You don't have to ask as if we're still hardly friends."

"I doubt you appreciate my consistently asking for your help," Severus said, his voice tight, eyes set, and Lucius couldn't decide if he was angry or just trying to be.

"What does that mean?"

"Isn't that why you're asking me to marry you?"

"What does my proposal have to do with this?" Lucius answered, stepping forward. He could feel his own anger on the edge of his vision, making it hard to think, hard to listen when Severus was being so ridiculous.

"What doesn't it have to do with it?" Severus said. "You must want something."

"Yes," Lucius answered, and Severus tensed, his hand curling around the edge of his desk. "I want you. I want to be with you. I think I've made that very clear."

"I…" And Severus just stared at him as if he was speaking a different language, his dirty hair falling into his face. And Lucius didn't understand why it was such a surprise. "That's all?"

"Why did you think I proposed to you?" he asked, keeping the snap out of his voice through sheer force of will.

"I didn't know," Severus answered, turning his face away. "I thought you had to want something. There had to be a reason."

"There was a reason," Lucius said, and he felt suddenly so heavy. Bitter. Tired. He should have known. He had thought Severus had understood, and he had no idea what to do now that he knew he didn't. "I asked you to marry me because I love you, Severus."

"Lucius-," Severus started, half standing, his face repentant, intense, but he just held up his hand, turning away.

"We need to deal with the ministry."

Whatever Draco was about to say got lost in his transformation. Harry didn't expect the wave of disappointment that washed through him. He hadn't been planning on confronting Draco. It hadn't been his plan, but he also knew it needed to happen. Draco wasn't talking to him, and he needed to know why before he drove himself insane. A prospect he hadn't realized scared him until that moment.

He stepped back, watching as Draco curled into himself as he transformed. It was smoother than the first time he'd changed, and though his face contorted with pain, obviously less painful. The first time, he'd screamed and screamed, clawing at himself and now, he was relatively still.

Harry was quick to follow him, tucking his arms in and willing himself to change into his bobcat form. He was on four legs by the time Draco was changed, looking up at his nose. Draco lowered his face a fraction, smelling him with a deep sniff before turning and lumbering off in the opposite direction. Harry followed him, stepping over a leaf as he did. He knew Draco could hear him, knew by the way Draco's ears twitched back.

The last few changes between them had been like this. Easy, nonthreatening. It was as if Draco's werewolf form knew they were mates, even if his human form didn't. Draco trudged away from him, breaking the ring of trees as he headed deeper into the forest. Which was fine, deeper into the forest was good, as long as he didn't turn toward-

Harry stopped abruptly as Draco veered right, toward the darkest part of the forest. Where they definitely didn't want to go. Draco immediately looked back at him, his ears perking up as Harry turned and started walking the other direction. There was half a second where he was afraid that Draco wouldn't follow him, but then there was a low sigh, and Draco was there, his nose at Harry's flank, soft, affectionate.

And the truth was that he was beginning to miss this warmth when Draco wasn't a werewolf. When he had to open his eyes and realize that maybe Draco wouldn't do anything for him.

"I can't believe the rumors going around about Harry and Snape," Ginny said, her fingers tight against her quill.

"It does seem a little absurd that anything is going on between them," Luna answered. She didn't bother to look up from her own essay as she continued scribbling down the parchment. They were studying in the library, their books open and spread across the table. The only reason they were here instead of their own dorms was because Ginny had wanted to hang out. Luna had dragged Blaise along once she realized Dean was also going to be there, dreading spending time alone with Ginny and her boyfriend.

"Honestly," Blaise said, frowning out the window and hardly bothering with the herbology essay spread in front of him. "Potter barely liked Malfoy, and they were dating. I hardly see him having an affair with the headmaster."

"What do you really know about Potter though?" Dean asked.

"What?" Ginny answered, and Luna didn't miss the snap in her voice.

"I mean," Dean said, setting his own quill down and swallowing as everyone turned to look at him. "He doesn't sleep in the boy's dorms, he doesn't talk to anyone, he's moody, I've seen him going into the Forbidden Forest more than once, and well…"

"What?" Luna asked.

"I've heard things about him from Ron," Dean said. "They're not exactly good and-."

"You know Ron and Harry had a falling out," Ginny interrupted, her lips twisted with annoyance. Luna wondered if she should interrupt. If it was even her place to interrupt. It was hardly the first time Ginny and Dean had argued, but they didn't mean she enjoyed hearing it. "You can't trust what Ron's saying right now."

"Yeah, except maybe he's right," Dean answered, meeting her eyes with equal annoyance. "How do you know Ron was the one who was wrong?"

"He was the one that was wrong," Ginny said.

"But how do you know?" Dean insisted.

"He tried to set me up with Harry knowing he was with Malfoy," Ginny snapped. "And when that didn't work, he told the whole school that Malfoy was a werewolf just to spite them. I wouldn't exactly call that upstanding behavior."

"It wasn't like we didn't deserve to know-," Dean started.

"Hey, guys," Neville said, appearing suddenly at the edge of their table. Dean snapped his mouth shut even as Ginny continued to glare at him.

"Hello," Luna answered, smiling up at him. She must have been convincing since Neville relaxed, sliding into the seat next to her.

"I have to finish this," Ginny said, standing abruptly. She picked her textbook and parchment up, wrapping it up in her arms as she stomped away.

"I should go after her," Dean sighed, taking the time to pack up before he followed.

"Did I do something?" Neville asked, and Luna resisted the urge to sigh. She was more than tired of Ginny and Dean's arguing, of listening to Ginny complain but not do anything about it. She was tired of watching Ginny make out with him in front of her when it was clear she didn't love him. When Luna did.

"It wasn't you," Blaise answered, twirling his quill once as he looked over at her.

"Oh," Neville said, furrowing his brow, and Blaise turned to him, the left side of his lip lifting.

"You've finished the herbology essay, right," Blaise asked, pointing down at the parchment in front of him. "Could you help me with mine. I'm having trouble with this one part." Which Luna knew was a blatant lie. Blaise wasn't having trouble; he was just deliberately not doing it, but then, if that was the way he chose to talk to Neville, then she wasn't about to rat him out.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Neville answered, and Luna didn't miss the blush that started at the base of his neck.

"I'll help you with your potions," Blaise said, the right side of his mouth rising to meet the left.

Draco woke up like he usually did, his arms tight around Harry's shoulders, Harry's head resting on his collarbone—naked on a forest floor. He tensed, opening his eyes and looking down as Harry shifted against him. Harry still had his clothes on, but then Harry usually did when they woke up like this. Even after sex, Harry had just never liked sleeping naked. And honestly, feeling the scrape of leaves against himself, Draco couldn't exactly blame him.

He lifted his head to look around them. They weren't in the clearing anymore. They weren't usually when he woke up these days. He could tell they were deeper into the woods, the light filtering past the tree canopy. He wondered where exactly they were, how they'd ended up there, if he'd tried to hurt Harry.

Harry shifted against him again, sighing against his skin, and Draco couldn't stop himself from tensing. From feeling the tickle of Harry's hair against his throat, his breath across his chest, the smell of him, the feel. He tightened his arms around Harry, relishing in how he relaxed in his arms; he missed him like a second heartbeat.

"I love you, Harry," Draco muttered, pressing his face into Harry's hair.

"Draco," Harry exhaled, his hands wrapping around Draco's shoulders and clutching as if he was afraid he was about to jump up and run. "Don't."

"But-."

"Just…" he interrupted, and Draco could feel Harry clench his eyes closed against his chest. "If this is your way of leaving then just don't bother."

"I'm sorry," Draco answered, his arms tightening even more. He wondered if Harry could even breath anymore, though he wasn't complaining, he wasn't pushing him away, and he supposed that was as much encouragement as he was going to get.

"I never meant to make you feel like I didn't love you," he said, and Harry shifted, tilting his head so they were looking at each other, his expression quizzical, guarded, and Draco knew he'd have to do a lot better. But he couldn't keep pulling away, not for himself, not for Harry. It was tearing them both apart. "I was scared," Draco shook his head, forcing himself to hold Harry's eyes. "I was scared of hurting you. Of being a werewolf. I still am."

"Draco…." Harry started, his hands tightening on Draco's shouldered. He bit his lip, his eyelashes fluttering uncertainly. "I don't want… I mean… you don't-," he flushed bright red as he set his jaw, looking up at Draco. "It's just that you should never have to feel scared around me. I'll take care of you."

"I…" Draco trailed off, staring down at Harry, because he wasn't sure Harry had ever comforted someone just because. He wasn't sure he had ever wanted to, and Harry was looking at him like he was everything, and he couldn't help remembering back when Harry had told him the truth about being raped, when Harry had turned to him and told Draco exactly that.

He bent his head, pressing his lips to Harry's softly, his arms about as tight as they could get, and he hoped Harry could feel how much everything he had just said meant to him.

"You're everything to me," he muttered when he pulled away, and the way Harry's eyes widened, shining up at him as he leaned up, pressing his lips to Draco's was enough to know he understood.