"I've sent a patronus to Kingsley Shacklebolt. The aurors will be here shortly to collect the bodies." Dumbledore and Professor Snape stood tall against an array of incapacitated Death Eaters scattered about the astronomy tower.

Severus nodded. A silence befell the tower as the two men turned their attention to the group of teenagers whose stare was fixated upon the center of the room.

Ron and Hermione held each other as silent tears ran down their faces. Seamus and Dean stared solemnly. Hannah's face was buried in Neville's robes as he bit back his own cries.

No one moved a muscle as they observed Draco absolutely losing what sanity he'd managed to retain.

His back flexed and contracted harshly with each sob. A part of him was in complete denial that the Harry lying in his arms would never move again.

He held Harry close, closer than he'd ever before. His hands gripped each shoulder blade and pulled them tightly against his body. Harry was much colder than he should be. Draco was trying to warm him, to transfer any bit of heat into his lifeless body as if he'd come out of hibernation like a cold blooded snake.

His tears were falling forward, landing in droplets that splashed against Potter's pale skin. There were no words to describe the emptiness that was beginning to consume Draco Malfoy.

"Harry, come on Harry, wake up, love." He pulled back to gaze at Harry's face, resting the statuesque body against his lap and taking his head between both hands. His voice was shrill, desperate.

"We did it, Harry. We beat them. You beat them. I'm so, so proud of you." He smiled and chuckled innocently while tracing his thumbs in circles along hollow cheek bones. He then brushed nimble fingers through tendrils of raven hair affectionately.

"I love you, Harry. I love you so damn much. Wake up for me. We have so much life to live together." The utter desperation and blatant need was evident with each syllable. He teetered on the edge of bargaining and denial.

Harry didn't move.

Draco's insides contorted, twisted, and fucking cracked as a new round of sobs formed a painful bubble in the back of his throat.

"Please, Potter. Please." He begged for the impossible. "Please don't leave me. I need you. I fucking need you so much."

He leaned over his body once more as what little hope he'd held on to was lost. The bubble he'd held tightly in place burst and escaped in a waterfall of sobs that refused to be quelled.

His entire face felt prickly and swollen and like it would explode at any moment. His stomach was a protruding knot that only tightened with each passing moment that Harry Potter ceased to be the Boy Who Lived. Grief did not begin to cover this.

He would've traded anything, given anything, done ANYTHING to have him open those emerald eyes. The ones he couldn't live without. The ones he would have to live without.

And all of the pain transformed into an anger so fiery red that he knew he'd implode if he tried to contain it.

"God damn it, Potter! Why!? Why would you do this? Why do you always have to be the GodDamn hero!? Fuck!"

He didn't say another word but settled for the muffled sobs that continued to pour relentlessly. His grip on Potter didn't soften though his knuckles were a raw white. Nobody said a word.

Severus approached Draco cautiously and placed a sympathetic hand on the surface of his shoulder.

"Draco. It's time to leave."

He had no reply. His blonde hair clung to his forehead in all the wrong places, dripping with sweat and mucus and tears. His cheeks were stained with filth and sobs and oil that tended to appear in times of stress. He looked and felt like war.

He silently pulled himself together, what little he had left. He rose slowly.

Harry was cradled, limp within his arms. Draco refused to loosen his hold on the boy as he stepped sluggishly, one foot at a time, toward the stair case. He met eyes with no one.

Each step was a hollow beginning to a life that Draco wasn't sure he wanted to live. He knew that Voldemort had to be defeated. But he also knew that Harry had to be the one to win. What would Dumbledore's Army do now, without the Chosen One? What would Draco do, without the one he'd chosen?

His shoulders slumped forward as each foot trudged the stairs. He stole a glance at the boy wrapped tightly in his arms. He was so peaceful; he could really just be asleep. Having one of those dreams he'd confessed to having about the two of them. Draco felt the edge of his lips turn upward at the thought.

His lips remained a ruby red, though the rest of his face was ghostly. Memories traced the outline of Draco's thoughts. Those lips parting willingly, inviting Draco inside. Pleading for more contact. Desiring nothing but each other.

Harry's fingers caressing Draco's cheeks, and his stomach, and his chest, and oh god, how wonderful those fingers had felt upon his skin...nothing could compare. Nothing would ever compare.

There were smiles and chuckles and a warmth that Draco had never experienced before Harry. Life had been so cold without him... his spine quivered with a chill as he dropped another step. He could feel the winter seeping in again, coating his bones and threatening to rob the summer that Harry had shared with him.

There were no more tears, only a hollow carcass that Draco knew he was becoming. When he reached the base of the astronomy tower, he checked to make sure he was alone before propping himself against the stone and sliding to the ground. He needed a moment of solitude with Harry before the ambush of teachers and aurors threatened to take him.

His knees were bent with Harry resting against the hard surface of Draco's thighs. He gazed once more at his porcelain-like features, frozen in a state of tranquility that showed to be most beautiful.

An impulse settled upon Draco, and there was something he knew he needed to do before he could let him go.

Harry's world was pitch black. He blinked a few times, attempting to let his vision adjust. Was he still in the astronomy tower?

He stood, feeling his way through the darkness. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

When silence followed, it was evident that he was alone. His voice echoed throughout the nothingness impossibly.

He stretched his hands outward like antennae, grasping for the surface of wall or structure. But it appeared that this mystery place was entirely vacant.

Fuck, was he... oh fuck. Memories flooded him of his last moments. He remembered ascending the steps to the astronomy tower whilst trying not to stumble against the cloak. He'd seen Pansy, clearly in distress and on the side of Dumbledore's Army. The sight was all too familiar to Harry and he knew at once that she, like the love of his life, had switched alliances. It was an easy feat to forgive her.

He used his invisibility to disarm her father and continued on his mission to find Draco.

Hastily, he'd turned to his left to see Draco standing his ground valiantly. Thank Merlin, he was ok. He'd breathed a sigh of relief before throwing a random curse here or there to help the others. His eyes never strayed from the blonde.

And that's when he noticed Lucius Malfoy take a personal interest in the young man. He was stomping forward invincibly. Draco began to fire an array of spells in his direction, all blocked without so much as the lift of a finger. This was true anger.

Harry noticed Draco's grey eyes become cloudy with fear. Lucius's hunt continued. There was nothing he could do.

And then Harry had realized what was happening. He'd been here before, in a nightmare. A sort of familiar deja vu swept him from the ground up, leaving a trace of goose pimples in its wake.

He wouldn't let Draco die this time. He wouldn't allow his father to rob one more thing from the boy that he loved. Without a second thought, he lurched forward and closed the gap between them.

The next thing he remembered was a sharp, stabbing pain in the center of his chest and the brightest white light he'd ever seen. He tried to make sense of what was happening, but all too soon everything had turned black.

And here he was.

He continued to prod about this odd sort of purgatory, praying he'd find some reprieve. He never thought death would be so utterly... empty.

He wondered what would happen if he quit searching; if he gave up and laid back down and went to sleep. Would he find peace? Did such tranquility exist without Draco?

Was this experience the same for all who had faced death? Was this the same place that found his mother and father so many years ago?

"No."

The voice that broke the uncomfortable silence came from directly behind him. It was a confident, heavenly voice that seemed to brighten the area without a single light. Harry abruptly pivoted, needing to see the owner of such a musical sound.

He gasped at the sight before him. There, standing with a resonating pale glow, was an angelic woman with copper red hair. He'd seen her before, but only in pictures and the occasional steal from the Mirror of Erised. His lips formed a relaxed smile, finally feeling the peace that he'd expected.

"Mom." He didn't dare move; he was afraid that any slight twitch would make her disappear. He'd been waiting his entire life for this moment.

"Harry." She beamed, smiling softly at her son. "I'm so proud of you."

There was a flash of light, and Harry squinted to keep his focus. He couldn't stand to lose her, not when they'd just been re-united.

The darkness settled around them once more to reveal two more silhouettes, bodies glowing with a ghostly haze. Harry found himself unable to speak.

Before him was his mother, now accompanied by the face he knew to belong to his father. Harry fought the urge to embrace the both of them; his fear that they would somehow suddenly disappear beneath his hands was prevalent.

Beside his father was the all too familiar figure of Sirius Black. Harry found himself choking back tears as he watched them all smiling softly in his direction.

"Son." James spoke, beaming in the same fashion as Lily.

"Harry." Sirius winked and nodded with acknowledgment. "It's good to see you again."

"I-I... It's so wonderful to see you all." Tears began to flow freely down Harry's cheeks.

"We love you, Harry. We've missed you so, so much." Lily was tearing up, her smile fixed in place warmly.

"What you did, son... it was the most noble thing you can do for someone. There are no words to describe how proud you've made us." James locked eyes with Harry genuinely. He choked on the tears that continued to well up from his throat.

"When you sacrifice yourself for someone you love, things happen. Things that cannot be explained." Sirius added, gesturing toward Lily. "Your mother's love for you defeated Voldemort. Your love for Draco saved him from his father."

Harry paused, allowing the words to soak deep beneath his skin. Draco. He'd... saved... Draco. That meant that no matter what had brought him to this place... Draco was safe. As much as the absence of the boy ached, he could rest knowing that fact.

"I love you, all. Thank you." Harry stepped closer to the trio but refrained from reaching out to them.

"When you love someone, Harry. It's important to never give up on them. At all costs." His father spoke with a heavy seriousness that made Harry question whether there was an underlying message involved. He nodded, a thousand questions racing through his mind.

A silence settled between them, and Harry couldn't help but blurt what was hanging at the forefront of his mind.

"Do I get to come with you all?"

No one answered right away. The silence caused Harry's skin to crawl, and he wondered frantically if he'd be stuck in the nothingness forever.

Finally, his mother spoke.

"You are more than welcome to come with us, my love, if that is what you choose. We would love to have you." Her smile remained, soft tears streaming down her cheeks.

"If I choose? What other choice do I have?" Harry's confusion was evident in the cracking of his voice and the way his eyebrows pulled upward concernedly.

"You can come with us," his father gestured to either side of himself, "or... you can go back."

Harry felt his knees weaken. "Go back? To the astronomy tower?"

Sirius nodded. "To Draco."

"I- I don't understand. I'm dead. You're dead. We're all dead. How can I get to go back?"

"Like I said," Sirius continued, "things happen when you give up yourself for the ones you love."

Harry suddenly felt frantic. Here were the people he wanted more than anything to join for an eternity. To get to know the ins and outs of... because he'd never been given the chance.

He wanted to cuddle his mother and learn to play ball with his father and get bad advice from his uncle. He found himself sobbing in a manner quite unlike his earlier cries.

He felt helpless. He gazed ahead of him, soaking in the faces of his loved ones. He pictured himself in heaven, spending forever with his family.

And then he saw Draco, whose father had never smiled at him like his own was at the moment. He thought of those crystal gray eyes, piercing and honest and sharp as a sword that could perforate him whole.

He thought of "I love you's" and forevers and making love.

He remembered his late night drunken revelation that staying away from Draco wouldn't protect him.

He pondered those soft lips, and how they'd resurrected everything good within Harry. How he couldn't remember living any sort of life without them. Without him.

He focused back on the adults before him. And that's when he realized that... he was no longer a child. Yes, he'd forever want his mother and his father. He'd eternally wish to make up for everything that they'd lost because of Voldemort. But, as much as he wanted them... he didn't need them.

What he needed was a chance at defeating the Dark Lord. He needed to see his friends laughing and making memories in a world where Voldemort was no longer feared. He needed... Draco. And Draco needed him.

He gulped, afraid of what was to come. If he said no, this would be the last he would see of his family. That hurt more than he'd intended it to.

His head hung, knowing the right thing was to go against everything within him that wanted to run straight ahead to his family. His feet remained planted in the darkness.

"Harry, my dear, sweet Harry." His mother's voice was as comforting as ever, and he never wanted to let it go. He didn't dare look up to meet identical green eyes. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to look away.

And then, a miracle happened.

A warmth tingled across his skin as he felt three pairs of arms wrap tightly around him. He gasped, choking on sobs that were stifled by the sudden contact.

He rested his cheek on his mother's shoulder, nestling his face in her clothing and vowing to never forget her scent. There were several pats on his back from his father followed by the tight grasp of Sirius Black against his arm.

This was heaven.

And it was going to be so hard to leave.

They stayed like this for what seemed an eternity. What could have very well been one. Harry knew that their moment had ended when he felt his mother slowly retract.

"It's time, my love." The three had formed a line across from him once more. Harry nodded determinedly, not allowing himself to cry again.

"What is your decision, son?" His father's solemn and reserved expression gave nothing of his opinion on the matter.

"I..." Harry paused, swallowing. "I have to go back."

"I think you've made the right choice, my boy." Sirius winked as the edges of his mustache turned upward into proud grin.

Harry nodded, unsure of what to expect next. Was it going to hurt?

"Until next time, Harry. We'll be waiting."

His mother gave him one last loving smile and leaned forward to leave a lasting peck on the surface of his cheek.

And then, in a flash, they were gone. And Harry was alone in the darkness.

Draco inched his face forward, aware of how awkward and senseless this was. He wasn't even sure why he was doing it. He just knew somewhere deep down, with that Gryffindor sense that Harry had somehow instilled into his subconscious, that this was something he needed to do. He continued to lean forward until his face approached Harry's. With only inches between them, his mind's eye revisited the first time they'd kissed.

They were two teens that were never meant to be together. Opposite ends of the earth couldn't have stretched the distance placed between them by their heritage. And yet, they'd found love in the middle of the school loo.

It was impossible, improbable, and yet nothing had ever felt so right in Draco's entire life. And he'd decided that Harry Potter was it for him.

His nose brushed against Harry's gently. Merlin, his scent was still prevalent and Draco was taken back to burning logs and hot cocoa. He choked back the tears that had threatened to resurface at such familiarity. Throwing hesitation to the wind, his lips parted and he moved to join them to Harry's.

As lips were on the brink of becoming flush, Draco felt a prickling sensation from the hair on his posterior arms standing rigid.

His body, he quickly realized, was responding to something he'd felt. Hot, heavenly, impossible...

Breath.

He felt the soft caress of breath brush smoothly across his lips.

He jerked backward, eyes scanning the boy's face for any sign that what he'd felt had been real. For a moment, nothing happened, and Draco knew he'd been hallucinating.

But then... emerald eyes flashed open. And Harry began to gasp for air.

A burning fire lit in the empty space that had consumed Draco Malfoy. Suddenly, the ice began to thaw. His organs began to untwist, and...

"Harry." It was a whisper, afraid that if any volume was added the last few seconds would disappear as fast as they had come.

Harry Potter jerked upward, heaving and panting and doing anything he could to catch his breath. Apparently resurrection knocked the wind from you.

"Oh my god. Fuck! Harry!" Draco placed a soothing hand on his back, supporting the boy as he caught air.

Soon enough, it became easier to breathe, and Harry's lips quirked into a smile that melted every bit of Draco's winter.

Draco blinked in disbelief, afraid that if he moved Harry would fall limp and lifeless once more. His own breath quickened as the color in Harry's cheeks resurfaced. Bloody hell, he was... he was alive!

"Harry, what the... how did you-"

Draco's concerns were muted by Harry all but throwing himself against him. He grasped Draco's face between his hands and pressed their lips violently together, savoring the moment that had almost been infinitely stolen from them.

Draco thrust his arms around Harry's body in an embrace that he vowed to never relinquish.

Harry didn't need Heaven; he'd found it right here. He was ever present, never faltering, a newfound strength blooming between the likes of himself and Draco Malfoy. He now knew that he'd allow nothing and no one to come between himself and what he so thankfully held in his arms.

They separated, disbelief staining Draco's expression, even mid-snog.

"Harry, I don't know what the fuck is going on, but can you please promise me that whatever brought you back isn't going to take you away again?" His voice began to crack in place of inflection.

"I promise. I love you, Draco Malfoy. I'm staying right here." Emerald eyes pierced silver with an honesty that Draco could never mistake. He felt himself relax.

"Thank God, Harry. I can't do this without you." And Draco pulled him into a hug that brought a mutual understanding of never letting go.

"Harry!" The shrieks of Hermione caused Draco and Harry to separate briefly, smiling subtly at each other in understanding.

Hermione sprinted down the final steps of the astronomy tower with Ron in tow.

Draco and Harry stood so that she could pull him into a suffocatingly tight embrace. Ron followed, and Hermione let him go with a confused but grateful expression. There were several pats on the back as Ron whispered "I'm so glad you're back, mate. I really thought we'd lost you."

Harry grinned as they pulled apart.

He didn't have a chance to explain his phenomena as there were more foot steps approaching.

Down the steps came Professor Snape, who looked as if he'd seen Death himself when his eyes landed on Harry.

"Potter-how..."

Harry shrugged, smile still plastered on his face.

Snape said nothing but bore a contemplative look that suggested his growing acceptance of the situation.

"Potter, We've got to get you out of here before the Death Eaters figure out that you're anything but dead." He stepped forward, prepared to lead the way to Harry's concealment.

"Draco, help Mr. Potter to Madam Pomfrey. Granger. Weasley. You head back up to give your statements the the aurors when they arrive. Do not mention this."

Ron and Hermione nodded and gave Harry apologetic looks before heading back up the stairs.

Snape began to lead the way to the infirmary, keeping a sharp eye for anyone that might witness Harry alive.

He turned back subtly, a cheek appearing over his right shoulder. "By the way, it's good to have you back, Potter."

Harry started at Professor Snape's sentiment and felt a squeeze from Draco's hand to his. He nodded at the Slytherin head of House.

"It's good to be back, sir."

Snape smirked and continued onward to Madam Pomfrey.