Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any part of the HP fandom. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this story. At all. Also, all characters depicted in sexual situations are of age.

Title: The Secret Life of Draco Malfoy Part (7/7)

Author: icicle33

Rating: M

Pairing(s): Harry/Draco and mentions of Harry/OMC and Draco/OMC

Warnings: Post War AU, Dracocentric, contains a past relationship and breakup between Harry and Draco, lots of adult language (Draco never learnt to control his tongue), humour and flangst, m/m sex

Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who has read, reviewed, and favourited this story! Life has been crazy these last couple of months and even though I have been writing, I just haven't been able to post. I apologise for not posting this ending for so long, but I hope you all enjoy it. I do have one more thing I'd like to do with this story after this chapter and I'll explain at the end of the story. Enjoy.

~8~8~8~

It was a beautiful summer night. A cool breeze drifted off the river and the patio was filled with the sweet aroma of honeysuckle and orchids that Draco had been growing all summer. Antonio had set the table for two; sunflowers and twin candles adorned the table. It was the perfect romantic setting for an unforgettable night—except for the fool who was sitting across from him.

Antonio had been gone for at least twenty minutes, but he and Potter sat in silence, staring at their plates.

"This is really good," Potter said, finally breaking the quiet.

"Antonio is a superb cook."

"I can see that." Potter scooped some more lentils into his mouth. "But what is it exactly? I've never had anything like it."

Draco rolled his eyes. "That's because your version of dinner always comes in a takeaway carton."

Potter frowned and Draco felt a little guilty. So far, Potter was making an effort. He shouldn't have snapped so quickly.

"They're dal," he explained, "a type of Indian lentils. And that's palak paneer, basically a type of Indian cheese cooked with spinach and spices."

"Oh." Potter forked a piece of the paneer and stared at it. "I knew it wasn't chicken. I thought maybe tofu." He shrugged. "The only Indian dish I've ever eaten is—"

"Chicken tikka masala." Draco locked eyes with him, his cheeks burning from Potter's intense gaze. "I remember."

Potter smiled, his entire face brightening. "You do? I didn't think you thought—"

"Of course, I thought about us. God, I've been thinking about nothing else since you've shown up. I'm not a heartless bastard...regardless of what you might think."

The smile on Potter's face faded and he looked down at his food, pushing it around his plate. "I don't think that," he whispered, talking more to his plate than to Draco.

"Then what is that you...what do you want from me, Potter? You can't seriously be planning to turn me into the Ministry."

Potter's head snapped up from his plate. "I won't. I promise." He paused, a pensive look on his face. "You're doing amazing work at your clinic. I would never take that away from you."

Draco blinked; all the anger that was coursing through his body dissipated. Potter was doing it again, that annoying charming thing of his.

"You think it's amazing?"

"Absolutely!" Potter smiled again wider than before. "It's brilliant, Draco. You're brilliant."

Draco's cheeks burnt; he could feel the blush spreading down his face. "Stop it, you don't really mean that."

Potter dropped his silverware and reached across the table, cupping Draco's hand in his. "I do," he insisted. "God, Draco, I miss you so much. I've thought about you every day since you left."

Draco whirled his hand away from Potter's, his lightning Seeker reflexes not as rusty as he imagined. "Don't. You can't come here and mess with my life again." He closed his eyes. "Not after last time. Please...you had your fun...don't jerk me around again."

"I'm not...I just..." Potter furrowed his brow, deep in thought. "I need to know what happened. What did I do? Why did you leave?"

"You're kidding me, right?" Draco snorted. "I'm not daft, Potter. I know about the deal you had with my mother." He paused for a moment, gaining his courage. "And about the letters."

"Wait...what?"

"Don't play dumb. I know that Mother was forcing you to watch out for me...because of the life debt you owe her." Draco breathed an exasperated sigh. After so many years, it felt good to get all this off his chest. "You don't owe me anything, Potter. We're even. I won't be your pet project again."

"Draco, you weren't—"

"Yeah, right. Why else would you spend so much time with me? Taking me to dinner...teaching me about Muggles, taking me shopping." A strained, manic chuckle forced itself from his lips. "God, I must have been so pathetic to you. Poor Malfoy, no job, no life skills of any kind. Did you laugh about it with your little friends? Did you? Did you?"

Draco was fuming now. Without even realising it, he had stood from his chair and was standing in front of Potter, shouting in his face.

"You really are a twat, you know that?"

Potter grabbed Draco and forced him onto his lap, his face only inches away.

"Yes, your mother asked me to watch over you, but that was more like making sure your scrawny arse didn't join Lucius in prison. I did all those things because I wanted to. Because I fucking love you, you complete berk."

Before Draco could respond or even comprehend what Potter was saying to him, Potter grabbed him from behind the neck and pulled him closer, devouring his lips in a eager kiss.

Draco had kissed plenty of blokes—okay maybe not plenty—but enough blokes to know what a good snog entailed. Kissing Potter was something else. Potter kissed liked he did everything else in life, with a raw and fierce determination. He kissed Draco as if the world were ending that night and they were the only two people on the planet. Perhaps in the universe. Draco never had a quiet mind; a million thoughts were always bouncing left and right, but as soon as Potter kissed him, his mind went blank. The only thing he could think of was Potter; the only thing he saw was Potter. All he could say was "More."

Their kiss might have gone on for hours or perhaps it was mere seconds, but when they broke apart, Draco gasped for air and was lightheaded.

"Potter...Harry?" His voice was lodged in the back of his throat, his cock painfully hard against his trousers.

"I love you, okay?" Potter said, when he finally caught his breath. "I've been looking for you for months, years even...basically since I found out you weren't in France."

Draco looked down at the floor. He didn't want to talk about France. That was just another lie in the endless web of lies that were slowly strangling him. "I wasn't. I didn't—"

Potter placed a hand underneath Draco's chin and lifted it towards him. "I don't care. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. Just tell me that you still feel the same. That we can try this again."

Draco closed his eyes; his heart was beating against his chest so rapidly that he was certain that Potter could hear it. Hell, he was certain that his neighbours could hear it.

"I-I-" He wanted this so much. The idea of Potter with Antonio or anyone else for that matter was slowly killing him. It felt like someone had snapped him out of a horrific nightmare. But it was all too fast. Could he really trust Potter? There were still so many questions left answered. He needed to know.

"What about the letters?" he asked, once again cursing his masochistic nature.

Harry wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "What letters?"

Draco sighed and looked up to the ceiling. "The ones from your other lovers. The older Weasley and Boot."

Harry's eyes widened in realisation. "Those letters from ages ago?"

"Yeah, I found them the day before—"

"You left." Harry frowned, a pained expression evident in his eyes. "I remember. Oh my god. Is that why you left?"

Draco pursed his lips into a thin 'O'. He had left for many reasons: his mother's bargain, the letters, shame, trying to forget. For someone who loved to talk, it was difficult for Draco to put his emotions into words. "Partly."

Harry looked at him expectedly, so Draco took a deep breath and continued. "I was already working at a Muggle veterinary clinic when I left. I hadn't told you because I was too ashamed, but you know about my probation. I was desperate and had to take a job."

"But, Draco. I wouldn't care about any of that."

Draco opened his mouth and closed it. This was getting difficult. He had to explain this the right way. "I-I guess I knew that deep down...but that didn't change my shame. And then there was the doubt about your deal with my mother." He frowned. "And then that day I finally left, I saw those letters. Letters from not one but two different blokes that wanted to fuck you...or you were already fucking." He looked down at the floor again, staring at his shoelaces "I couldn't stay. Not after that."

Harry threw his arms around Draco again and brought him close, planting kisses on top of his head and whispering in his ear. "I'm so sorry." His voice was breaking, strain noticeable in every word. "I wish I knew." He sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Those letters meant nothing, okay. Yes, I had a short fling with Charlie once, but that was ages ago. I wrote him back that same day and told him that I had met someone." His voice was soft, tears welling in his eyes. "I want you, Draco. No one else."

Draco lifted his hand and wiped the tears underneath Harry's eyes. As much as he sometimes wanted to beat him into a pulp, seeing Harry cry always broke his heart.

"And Boot," Harry continued, "I was never with him. He always wanted something more, but I already had everything I needed. Please, believe me."

Draco felt his own lump building in the back of his throat but quickly swallowed it down. Malfoys didn't cry. Merlin knew that Potter was maudlin enough for the both of them. He pressed his lips against Harry's in a soft kiss and rested their foreheads together.

"I believe you." He stared into Harry's annoyingly green eyes. "I-I'm sorry that I just left...only leaving that note and that lame excuse about an apprenticeship. I should've faced you and—"

Harry silenced him with another kiss. "Forget it. I don't care anymore...just don't run off again." His eyes looked panicked again.

"I suppose not," Draco said, smirking. "But I'm not giving up my practice...or my research...or this flat. And you have to make it up to me...take me shopping, give me massages, fuck my brains out."

Harry shook his head and laughed, his eyes no longer pained. "Whatever you say, as long as you pass out my cards to all your customers."

Draco sighed. "They're not customers, Potter."

"Whatever...just give them the cards." He leant in and blew into Draco's ear, his breath hot and lips tickling his earlobe. "And I'll fuck your brains out...any time... any place." He dipped his tongue into Draco's ear, massaging the inside and then nibbling the lobe in that way that always drove him wild. "As long as I get to call you, Dr Malfoy."

Draco broke into a wicked grin. "You have yourself a deal there, Potter." He wrapped his fingers in Harry's hair and positioned himself on his lap so their crotches rubbed against each other. "You better get started on it. Immediately."

~8~8~8~

6 months later...

Draco opened his eyes and stretched out his arms and legs, wriggling his fingers and toes as quietly as possible. He didn't want to wake the messy head of hair that lay beside him. Most mornings, Draco still couldn't believe that he wasn't dreaming—that Harry was really his. Harry lay next to him; his strong limbs were tangled underneath the covers, one leg hanging off the bed and his face hidden underneath their silk comforter, only ringlets of thick hair, black as ink, splashed onto a pillow. A ridiculous besotted smile stretched across Draco's face. Sometimes, he felt like he was waking up to an empty bed. Potter always burrowed underneath the covers, along with their two dogs and cats. It was strange being the only normal one who enjoyed sleeping on top of the covers instead of underneath them. He wasn't sure how they all breathed down there—but they seemed content—so he let them be.

It was a chilly winter morning; a light frost covered their bedroom window; the remnants of fresh snow dusted the barren treetops. The sky was grey and cloudless, the sun nowhere to be found. Draco used to hate winter mornings like these, waking up in huge empty bed, no fireplace to keep him warm. He had never been fond of sleeping alone. At least he didn't have to worry about that anymore. Harry was warm and toasty enough for the both of them.

When he left the wizarding world, Draco thought that he would never find happiness again. Magic was his entire life, the only thing he knew. Yes, he had found a great friend in Antonio and was even able to find a career he enjoyed and excelled at, but he didn't think that he would ever find true happiness again, especially not without Harry.

The first time they got together, Harry had been far from the perfect boyfriend. He left his dirty socks all over the flat and never hung up his wet towels or cleaned out the toaster. Sometimes, he fell asleep and left Draco miserable in his rooms for hours, waiting for a fire-call that never came. He refused to visit the Manor, yet he forced Draco to play nice with the Weasels. Even so, no one else that Draco dated before or afterwards compared to the way Harry made him feel.

Antonio had technically been a perfect boyfriend. He never made a mess in their flat; he was a marvellous cook and an unselfish lover. He never forgot to call if he was going to be late, and he always left Draco little notes around the flat, telling him how much he appreciated him. But he wasn't Harry.

No matter how wonderful another bloke was, no one could take Harry's place. There was something about him that drew Draco to him, like a moth to a flame. He knew that he would burn and possibly even disintegrate into a million pieces, but it was impossible to stay away. Luckily for him, it seemed like the attraction worked both ways.

For the last six months, Harry had not left his side. He was insistent on making up for lost time. Within weeks, Harry had abandoned his flat in Hogsmeade and had moved in. Luckily, Antonio had not minded taking Harry on as a third flatmate. He just smiled and told Draco that he thought it was brilliant, especially since he would only have to pay a third of the rent now. Draco humoured Antonio and allowed him to pay his new reduced rent rate; however, the truth was that Draco never accepted a penny of Antonio's rent, not after everything he had done for him. The poor sod was insistent on paying rent, so every month Draco deposited Antonio's rent money into a savings account that he could later give to his sister or his niece for a university fund. In the end, he knew Antonio would appreciate it.

After making up with Potter, Draco had stayed angry with Antonio for exactly two weeks, giving him the silent treatment and forcing him to work all of Draco's morning shifts. He hadn't been thrilled that his supposed best friend went behind his back and plotted with his ex-boyfriend. If Antonio had attended Hogwarts, Draco had been certain that he would have been a Hufflepuff; he was such a gentle and caring soul. But after that little stunt he pulled with Harry, he wasn't so sure. Perhaps the bloke had some Slytherin in him after all.

Draco had also been a little resentful towards Antonio—afraid that he secretly fancied Harry. For the first two months of their relationship, he kept an eye on Antonio and Harry at all times, forcing them into intimate situations to see how they would act. Sure, it was a sneaky, Slytherin thing to do, but Draco needed to be certain. They had convinced him so thoroughly that they were really dating—that Draco needed to make sure he wasn't being made a fool.

This second chance at happiness, second chance at life, meant everything to Draco. He could not go back to way things were before, to his half-life. Luckily, he had nothing to worry about. Harry only had eyes for him, and Antonio had met a nice girl that worked in a Muggle pet store. After that, life had grown comfortable between the three of them. Harry and Antonio were both such integral and essential parts of his life: blood and oxygen to him.

Harry was his oxygen; if he went too long without him, he felt like he couldn't breathe, like he couldn't see clearly. But Antonio, he was just as important. In his own way, he kept Draco stable and sane, helped him not attack some of the more difficult pet owners that came into their clinic. He had never imagined that his life would turn out like this: shacking up with Harry Potter, a Muggle Veterinary Surgeon, and their two dogs, two cats, and a parakeet. Still, he wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

For so long, his whole life had revolved around magic. He thought that in order to become a great wizard, he needed to live in an extravagant manor and hold a position of power and prestige. Life experience and Harry had taught him otherwise. He didn't need any of those things to be a great wizard. He lived in a humble—okay maybe not so humble flat—in Muggle London, held a career as a Muggle Veterinary Surgeon, but he was still a wizard. Perhaps an even greater wizard than he would have been if he followed in his father's footsteps.

Often times, life did not work out that way one wanted it to. As a child, Draco used to pout and cry until he got his way. Unfortunately, that strategy didn't work as well in adulthood. He learnt that instead of pouting, he just had to grab life by the balls and make his own way in the world. It had not been easy, but he had survived, endured—and in the end, his reward was so much sweeter.

Merlin's saggy balls, he was turning into such a sap. He blamed Potter, of course. Just because they were an item, did not mean that Potter wasn't still responsible for every negative thing that ever happened in Draco's life. The only difference was that now Potter also got credit when things went right—like how Potter's business card idea actually worked and he referred all of his clients to Draco and vice versa. Oh, no, clients! They were probably already late.

Draco snapped himself out of his daydreams and turned to look at the clock. 8.32. Fuck, Potter's first clients were coming at 9.00. He needed to get the idiot up.

"Harry! Harry!" Draco reached across the bed and shook the largest lump that was still huddled underneath the comforter. No response. Potter wasn't a morning person either.

"Harry, come on, we're going to be late," Draco said, still shaking his barmy boyfriend. When he didn't receive a response again, he tugged the covers off the bed. Within seconds, four grumpy protests filled the room: one human, a bark, and two meows.

"Doc, stop it. It's Sunday."

Draco clucked his tongue at the animals and then smacked Harry on the head. "I told you not to call me that, Potter! And you have your first client at 9.00. Did you forget? A special holiday shoot."

Rubbing his eyes, Harry sat up in bed and reached for his glasses. "Oh, Merlin." He stretched his arms over his head and groaned. "Why did I ever agree to host a photo shoot on a Sunday?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Beats me. It's all that moral fibre you Gryffindors have." He avoided Harry's eyes and reached over to greet Winston, Harold, and Oliver. "Too much fibre always makes me sick. So I just avoid it."

Harry lifted his chin and let out a high-pitched chuckle. "Oh, yeah, I forgot that you're such a big bad Slytherin. You spend your days healing sick puppies and pussycats."

Draco frowned and leant over to shove Harry again, almost pushing him off the bed. "Shut up! Like you're any better?" He sat up straighter and crossed both arms in front of his chest. "At least I don't take pictures of puppies and pussies in costumes all day."

Harry blushed, two pink patches spreading up his cheeks. "Fine, fine. We're both lame." He leant forwards for a good morning kiss, but Draco offered him his cheek instead.

"Not until you brush your teeth. And time is ticking away, Potter. Get to it."

Harry grumbled but pushed himself out of bed. "I know. I know." He walked across the room and put on his dressing gown and slippers. Draco watched him and then picked the comforter off the floor and snuggled under it again, trying to get comfortable.

"Aren't you going to come with me?"

Harry stood in the doorway, pouting at him. His hair was even more of a disaster than usual, sticking up in all directions as if he had got in a fight with a feral Pygmy Puff; and his face was all sleep-creased and puffy. He was utterly adorable, and there was no way Draco could have denied him anything. Still, it wouldn't hurt to play with him a bit.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I don't know. It's so cold out. And it's so comfy here." He raised his arms behind his head and then nuzzled his head in between Harry's pillow and his own. "I have so much more room now."

"What?" Harry blinked those impossibly green eyes at him and stuck out his bottom lip. He looked like a small child who had just been told that Christmas was cancelled.

"But—we?"

Draco sighed and then sat up again, giving Harry his sternest look. "Well, I suppose I could accompany you," he drawled in his haughtiest voice, "but it's going to cost you. Big time."

"Don't worry," Harry said, a wide smile on his face, "I'm dating this really successful bloke who runs his own clinic. Money is not a problem."

Draco rolled his eyes and then propped himself out of bed. Once upon at time, grey winter mornings had been his downfall, but now he found that he didn't mind them all that much.

~The End~

*Please read the final note below.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading and supporting me throughout this entire fic! I apologise again for taking so long to post this and hope you enjoyed the happy ending! If it weren't for Lauraunderhill, I never even would have realized that I was missing the last chapter. Thank you again bebe for your lovely message and if anyone ever has any questions or comments feel free to ask. There are so many of you that have followed and favorited this story. Now that the end has come, I'd love it if you could leave me your final thoughts. I was just hoping that everyone was waiting until the last chapter to leave a comment. *hint hint*. Either way, thank you so much for reading. = D

But what about the smut you promised?

I've been slowly working on an adult version of this chapter, (like I promised at the end of the last chapter), but I haven't had time to finish it yet. I've written three versions and they just haven't been right, so I've refused to post them. I really like the way this fic turned out and I don't want to ruin it with a poor sex scene.

I still plan on finishing the updated sexy epilogue, but I didn't want to keep all you lovely readers waiting any longer. If you're interested in reading the new sexy ending with the extra scene/scenes, then make sure you are following this story. I won't promise an exact date when I'll post it, but I do promise that it will come one of these days when I'm feeling inspired. In the mean time, I'll be posting a new sexy H/D one-shot called Kiss Me at Midnight and two new long H/D fest fics that are completed as well as some Glee fic(Klaine and Brittana). Thank you again for your support and I hope you'll continue to read my future fics. I really enjoyed writing this universe and might consider exploring it again in the future. What do you all think? Were you satisfied with the ending?

Have a wonderful week!

Comments are love.

~Icicle