The Souvenir
Harry/Draco [PG-13, 1779 words]
Disclaimer: JK Rowling and co own everything. I am writing for fun and not for profit.
A/N: unbeta'd and inspired by a similar statue I bought while on vacation in Rome.
Summary: After seven days away during an undercover Auror mission, all Harry wants to do is take a shower and catch up on sleep before surprising his boyfriend. Like the rest of Harry's life, nothing goes as planned.
The Souvenir
Harry drags his fingers across his scalp, wincing in pain, but wanting desperately to get rid of the grime that had accumulated during his undercover mission. He had spent the last seven days all across Italy, hiding in abandoned buildings, rarely sleeping, and eating the most horrid meals as his team had trailed a group of illegal potions dealers. Months of tracking down the potions dealers had paid off when they had finally caught them trying to sell to an undercover Auror in Venice.
As soon as Harry had finished providing an extensive verbal report, along with Pensive memories, and had gotten clearance by the Healers, Harry had requested a meeting with Kingsley Shacklebolt. The meeting had only lasted long enough to have his request approved, before Harry had Apparated home straight into his bathroom, determined to wash away everything.
It's eleven in the morning, so Harry's not surprised that Draco is not at home. In fact, he had counted on that fact so that he could surprise Draco, to make up for the time he could not Floo call him. As Harry adds more shampoo to his hair, he thinks about what he would do after he wakes up from a much-needed nap. He would cook dinner, open a ridiculously vintage wine that Draco swore only to use on special occasions, and, if Harry's lucky, then he might be able to tempt Draco in staying in bed all night.
A draught of cold air catches Harry completely off guard and he immediately opens his eyes. That turns out to be a bad idea, because he doesn't have his glasses on and the shampoo stings his eyes, blinding him further. In shock, Harry coughs, trying to get rid of the water that has managed to enter his oesophagus. Harry steps away from the stream of water only to bump into lean muscle and arms wrapping around his chest from behind.
"What did you bring me, Harry?" Draco whispers in his ear.
"No 'Hello, Harry. So glad you're still alive. How are you doing?'" Harry says as he tries to normalise his breathing.
"Oh, pardon me," Draco replies. "Let me make up for my horrible behaviour." In a matter of seconds, Draco casts several spells that clear Harry's airways and Vanishes any trace of shampoo from his eyes. Harry doesn't admit it out loud, but he loves when Draco uses wandless magic.
"Better?" Draco asks.
Harry nods. "How did you even know I was home?"
"I know everything," Draco murmurs against Harry's neck. He doesn't offer any explanation, instead choosing to massage Harry's neck and shoulders. Harry groans as Draco's long fingers dig deep into his skin, working out the stress that has accumulated this past week.
"Everything," Harry repeats. "Then you should know if I brought you a gift."
Draco removes his hands from Harry's shoulders and Harry lets out a disappointed sigh. "If? I know you did. If you didn't, you're a dead man, Harry."
"Why do you need a present? If I remember correctly, you got everything you asked for on your birthday a month ago." Harry smiles at the memory, one he still uses to conjure a Patronus. Harry had asked Draco to move in with him because he wanted to wake up and not worry that Draco wouldn't be there in the morning. Draco had smiled and said, "Took you long enough, Harry," before giving him the best blow jobs of his life.
"I deserve a present because I endured seven days without knowing if you were still alive. I missed you." Draco's voice is quiet, but it still manages to fill Harry's body with warmth that comes every time that Draco admits his feelings out loud. It was so different in the beginning of the relationship, when Draco would stay quiet and reserve whenever Harry would say that he loved him. However, over time, Harry had come to treasure Draco's quiet admissions.
"You did? You know I would never leave you, right? You have ruined me for anyone else, Draco."
Draco hits Harry's shoulder. "Do not mock me, Harry!"
"I'm not mocking. Just stating the truth, Draco. Besides, I missed you, too."
"Of course you did," Draco says quietly. Harry tries to turn around so that they can see each other properly, but Draco wraps his arms around Harry's body, preventing him from moving.
"Now I'll only ask again because I know you're tired and sleep deprived. What did you get me, Harry?"
"What makes you think I brought you back anything?" Harry teases. "If I remember correctly, I was on a mission, not on holiday."
"You went to Italy, one of the world's most popular countries, and you came back empty-handed? What a shame. I'm sure the journalists at Witch Weekly will be displeased to find out that they need to print a retraction when they voted you as the best boyfriend one could possibly hope for. Your fans will be so disappointed," Draco says. His hands are slowly making their way down Harry's chest, touching every inch of skin that he can reach.
Harry snorts. "My fans? Or just one fan in particular? Let's face it, Draco, you're a Harry Potter fanboy."
"I don't care. I got what I wanted in the end. Now, what did you bring me back from Italy?"
Finally, finally Draco's hands are on Harry's cock and it's so much better than his own hand.
Harry can't even think properly, not when Draco is teasing him, slowly stroking his cock in the way he enjoys. "A man?" Harry says it like it's a question.
Draco's removes his hands and Harry groans at the loss of pleasure. "Excuse me? Do you care to repeat that?" Draco says, his voice dangerously low. "You better not be asking for an open relationship."
"No! Nothing like that! I didn't bring home a literal man," Harry hastily explains, turning around to see that Draco's lips are pressed in a thin line. "I brought you back a statue."
"Why the fuck do I want a statue?"
"Well, he reminded me of you. His name is David."
"That better not be a joke, Potter. I am literal perfection. No artist could ever come close to capturing what I look like," Draco says, crossing his arms against his chest.
Harry smiles faintly. "Of course not. I doubt anyone could. But you see, I only had an hour to pretend to be a tourist in Florence and I saw the statue at an open market and thought of you."
"How so?" Draco grudgingly asks.
Harry tries for humour, saying, "Well, he's very pale, wears no clothing at all just like you prefer, and he's cold to the touch, just like you are right now."
"This is not helping you at all, Potter," Draco says through clenched teeth. "If you go any further, those might be the last words you say," Draco warns.
"Cut it out with the 'Potter' thing. My name is Harry."
Draco doesn't say anything.
Harry holds up his hands. "Fine, if you don't want the statue, then I'm going to put it in my office." He steps closer to Draco, brushing his hair out of the face. He's finally able to see Draco clearly for the first time. "Don't tell me you're jealous of a statue."
"If you like it so much, Potter, then why don't you kiss David?" Draco says, turning away when Harry attempts to kiss him. "I'm sure you would enjoy that so much more." Draco steps out of the shower, casting drying charms and heating spells before slamming the bathroom door shut.
"Shit," Harry says, turning off the water and running out the door. He forgets to put on his glasses as he hurries to catch up, almost stumbling several times.
Harry finds Draco in their bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed. He has a silk bed sheet wrapped around his body, with only his head peeking out. Even though Harry is nude, Draco seems the most vulnerable at the moment. Harry watches him, trying to choose the words that will cause no more miscommunication.
"I didn't buy the statue for you; it's for me," Harry begins, but Draco cuts him off.
"Why do I care, Potter?" Draco asks, tugging the bed sheet tighter around him.
"No, please listen before you say anything," Harry says. He continues when Draco doesn't interrupt again. "This last Auror mission made me realise how much of the world I still haven't seen. I haven't traveled properly and I can't do it if I'm stuck behind a desk whenever I'm not on a mission."
Harry takes a chance and goes to sit down next to Draco. "So I took a year off and wanted you to travel with me."
At those words, Draco finally turns his head to look at Harry with wide eyes. "You're telling me that you took a year off from the Aurors, a job you love, just to travel?"
Harry nods. "I've saved up enough holiday time. And Kingsley happens to agree with me. Said it would do me some good to have a social life and to gain some new experiences."
"Why not ask Granger and Weasley?"
"Not this time. Even though they are my best friends, they are busy starting their own lives together now." Harry reaches beneath the bed sheet to find Draco's hand, intertwining their fingers together. "That statue is just the start of the souvenirs I want to collect. For every place I visit, I want to have something that will remind me of the fun times I had whenever I see it. I want to have so many good memories during my year off, enough to fill a Pensieve." Harry rests his forehead against Draco's, as he adds quietly, "But they'll only be happy memories if you're there by my side."
Harry's caught off guard when Draco pushes him down on the bed and rolls them over so that Harry is looking up at Draco, the sunlight making his hair shine gold.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Draco says. He doesn't say anything else, but Harry doesn't need to hear any more words.
"Hey, Draco, for what it's worth, I'm sorry too. We both didn't communicate properly, but we can learn from this, okay? This is not the worst argument we've had, and I doubt it will be the last."
Draco buries his head against Harry's neck, the short hairs tickling Harry. "Well, let's try not to have an argument for a year, then. I want us to enjoy this holiday."
"I have no doubt about that," Harry says, smiling just before Draco begins kissing him.