A/N: See? Wasn't this a fast update? And it's a long one too… In my opinion, the number of reviews should raise correspondingly. Though I won't beg. Not yet.

OOOoooOOO

Draco was in mid style, more playing with Harry's hair than anything, and making a half hearted attempt at teaching him how, when Dobby the House Elf popped out of nowhere.

Draco was used to House Elves, having grown up in a Pureblood house. Harry, however, had no such experience and jumped, nearly screaming.

"Fuck me! Dobby! What are you doing here?" Harry asked, waiting for his heart to slow down.

"Dobby is coming to warn you that we is bringing bags, and Harry Potter Sir and his friend are not to be frightened."

Draco smirked. "Little late for that, eh Harry?"

The boy in question scowled but turned back to Dobby. "Whose bags are you bringing up? There's no one else here."

Dobby shuffled his feet nervously. "Mister Harry Potter sir, it is the other students coming back. They is arriving soon."

Time in the room stood still. Harry who had been looking at Dobby turned to Draco.

"Oh Merlin. How did I forget we were still at school? It's September already?" He asked desperately, not entirely sure what he wanted him to say.

Draco ran a hand through his hair in a rare display of stress. "I haven't thought about school in ages."

They stared at each other for another moment.

"I can't believe this is the last time we'll be alone."

"That's not true Harry. Once our friends know, it won't be difficult getting time alone. And don't your friends already know we're mates? How much more is there to tell them?"

Harry started playing with the buttons on Draco's oxford, staring at his hands.

"I suppose that's true. We can talk between classes and now that your father knows, we don't have to hide it from anyone right?"

Draco covered the others hands with his own and pulled him closer.

"We'll see each other, trust me. We're in a relationship now, and school starting is not going to change that."

Harry smiled scrunching his nose. "It's so weird having you talk like that. I' so used to you being an arse…" He laughed to show he was joking.

"Yes well, I am extremely complex. There are many layers to this man."

Harry nodded. "I know, it takes awhile to get to know the God under the thick exterior."

Draco mock glared. "As nice as this is, I'm sure I know of a better way to spend our last few hours alone together."

Harry smiled playfully and grabbed Draco's collar pulling him close.

OOOoooOOO

Downstairs in the Great Hall, the first years were being sorted.

Hermione was looking around the Gryffindor table.

"I wonder why Harry didn't come down to eat with us. Maybe he's not feeling well?"

Ron was upset. "I wish they would skip the sorting. I'm hungry and I want to see Harry!"

Hermione sighed. "All you think about is food."

Dean budded in saying "Yeah Ron, pay attention to the amazing wonder that is the sorting."

Hermione pinched her face and shook her head. "Dean, if you're going to eavesdrop, agree with me, alright?" Ron and Dean laughed.

A few hours later, Ron was finishing up dessert with Hermione poking him, trying to hurry him up.

"Hermione, I love you but I swear to Merlin, if you poke me one more time, I'm going to go slower out of spite."

She clenched her jaw and glared. Ron dropped his fork and glared back. "Fine, but you owe me chocolate frogs next visit to Hogsmeade. I was enjoying that." He put down his spoon full of chocolate pudding.

"Fine by me." Getting up, they asked Dean and Parvati if they would take their places as Prefects and lead the first years upstairs.

They wanted a head start so they could give Harry a proper hello. Climbing the steps up to their tower, Ron was practically jumping.

"Do you think he found more on vampires? He's probably had quite a bit of time on his hands here all alone right?"

Hermione smiled indulgently, thinking to herself that he had not, in fact, been alone. He had his mate in the castle with him.

They entered the common room, having both been told the password on the train as they were Prefects. Seeing it empty, Ron said, "I just sort of assumed he'd be in here. Shall we check our room?"

Not waiting for a reply, Ron went up the flights with Hermione close behind him.

He pushed open the door to the seventh year dorm, Hermione over his shoulder, and then closed it with a squeak.

A cry of "Fuck!" could be heard quite clearly through the closed door, and Ron turned to Hermione, his face and neck a deep red.

Hermione couldn't help herself, she giggled.

Ron looked at her in shock. "Hermione!"

Another giggle escaped before she reigned in control. "I can't help it. I do have hormones you know." She inwardly cringed. She should not have said that.

Ron looked appalled. You can not tell me you were turned on by that! Ugh!"

Hermione was spluttering. "Not turned on! I just thought it was cute!"

"Well you don't have to be so… Lavender-like."

Hermione sucked in a breath. "You did not just compare me to that airhead. Look, It's Harry! Maybe I'm just glad he's found someone!"

"Someone to fuck!"

Hermione slapped him.

"Go to hell Ronald. Just because you don't approve does not make this wrong. They're clearly made for one another or else they wouldn't be mates. You'd better not be a shit about this."

"I'm not… I just…" Ron was still rubbing his sore cheek and tried to get his thoughts in order.

"I was caught up in the moment. I've had time to think about it, over the summer you know? And I hot used to the idea. Sure I hate Malfoy's guts but if Harry likes him that much, there must be something to it, right?"

Hermione's expression softened.

"Thank you Ron, that's very mature of you… mostly."

The two decided to wait in the common room for Harry to come down. And for Ron to calm down; his face was still burning.

OOOoooOOO

Inside the dorm room, there was an entirely different sort of conversation taking place. When Ron had opened the door, they had – thank the Gods – had their pants on, but the rest of their clothing had made itself scarce.

Upon hearing the door open and seeing his two best friends' faces, Harry shot up, hitting his forehead on Draco's nose, eliciting a curse from the blonde.

They were just now putting on their various items of dress, trying to work out where their plan had taken a turn for the worse.

"Well I suppose we might have cast tempus a little more often. But I swear, the last I remember, it was quarter of three. Where did those four hours go?"

Draco tried to calm him.

"Listen Harry. I know this must be a tad embarrassing for you, but they were going to find out anyway. You were going to tell them about us soon and at least this way, you skip the stuttering."

"A little embarrassing? Oh Merlin, it's mortifying. I've always thought Ron was a bit of a homophobe, and I can't guess how he's going to react to seeing us like that. Imagine your friends walking in on us."

Draco crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"My friends have walked in on me doing that, just as I have walked in on them. It's not a big deal."

"Yes well then I imagine it's differe – " Harry cut off and gave Draco a slight double take.

"Exactly who have you done that with?"

"I… well I don't like where this is going. How did this get turned around on me? Anyway, we were not involved at the time so you have nothing against me."

Harry scoffed. "I know, I'm just curious."

The blonde sniffed indignantly. "If you must know, it was Blaise in fifth year."

"Ah well," Harry smiled teasingly "I'm a little jealous of you. I did always think he had a marvelous arse on him."

Draco gaped at him. "I can't believe you just said that." He said laughing. "Although I must agree. He does have a rather nice arse."

Harry snorted and threw a pillow at him. "Shut up, you."

Draco smiled and dodged the flying object. He ran his hands through mused hair, fixing it.

"Do you want to go meet your friends and explain?"

"I guess I sort of have to. You coming?"

He shook his head. "I need to get back to my dorm and answer my own questions. Can I have your cloak for the trip?"

"For sure. See you tomorrow in class I suppose."

Draco smiled at him, gave a quick peck and disappeared under the cloak.

"I'll see you out."

OOOoooOOO

Once Draco was out of the common room – complete with comprehending looks for Ron and Hermione – Harry sat across from them, falling heavily into his chair and sighing.

"So, you'll be wanting to know how that happened I expect?"

"Yeah mate, but maybe now isn't the time. People are coming back up."

As if on cue, the portrait hole opened to reveal Parvati and Dean with a whole crowd of first year students straining to look past them into their new common room.

Harry led his two friends to the dorm room, this time giving an exaggerated knock.

"See how easy that was Ron?" He asked, giving him a half smile.

Ron smiled back, turning pink yet again.

Sitting down on various beds, Ron finally asked what had been waiting to burst out.

"Harry, Malfoy!?"

Harry smiled. "I know, I didn't like him at first, but once I got to know him, he was so much better. Please just give him a change Ron."

Ron quickly nodded. "Harry, I can't promise he'll be my best mate, but I'm willing to give him a chance… Only because Hermione's making me." He said, trying to save face.

"Same here, Harry." Hermione said from across the room.

Harry smiled ecstatically. "Thanks so much guys. You really don't know how much better I feel. And by the way, I am so sorry you walking in on that. Merlin. That's so awful. I'm really sorry that you had to find out that way."

"That's alright!" Hermione answered a little too quickly.

Harry gave her a strange look while Ron just looked slightly sick to his stomach.

"Well as Hermione said, that's okay, just please never do that where I might find you again."

Harry gave a sheepish look. "We lost track of time. Normally I would never do that. We were going to part ways around five, but then Draco did this thing that really – "

"Stop! My ears! Harry, no!"

Hermione was laughing and Harry had the distinct expression of a person trying to look guilty, but just enjoying themselves way too much.

"Ron, leave. I want to hear what Draco did."

Ron did so, looking as if he might cry.

Looking back before he exited the room, he said, "Please, just don't tell me later… Please."

He left to the sounds of laughter.

OOOoooOOO

On the way down to the dungeons, Draco was trying to figure out how to tell his friends of this.

He was unexpectedly nervous. After all, his friends already knew he was a vampire, they already knew he was gay, and most of them knew he did not serve the Dark Lord.

No reason to get all panicky then.

Harry had had it much worse though, all things considered.

Draco was surprised his mates' friends had taken the news to well. It wasn't everyone who would calmly… okay so semi-calmly accept the fact that their best friend was a vampire and mate to their rival.

Alright he was officially off track. Although his mind was understandably wandering to Harry, he had to come up with a speech of sorts for Pans and Blaise.

And maybe Teddy.

Maybe.

Honestly, he decided, they were Slytherins. There as only one way to go about it in the end.

He stormed into the Common Room, with his normal flare – having taken off the invisibility cloak before entering – and grabbed Pansy and Blaise, heading for his dorm room.

He released them when they arrived and looked up to happy faces.

"Hey Draco! How's your summer been?" Pansy asked.

"And how's the vamp coming? You sniffed out your mate yet?" Blaise added.

Draco cleared his throat nervously, not afraid of letting his cold exterior slip in front of his best friends.

"As a matter of fact, I have. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

He stalled. How the hell had Harry written that letter? He could barely thing.

Which of course, his brain interrupted, was absolutely ridiculous, because they were his friends and they knew everything about him.

Surely this would not come as a huge shock.

"Draco?" Pansy cut in on his thoughts.

"Yes right, of course. My mate is in Gryffindor." He waited for their reactions but they simply starred, wanting more.

"It's Harry Potter."

Pansy looked rather happy at the news, while Blaise was put out.

"What do you look upset?" He asked his dorm mate cautiously.

Pansy butted in, "It's because he owes me fifty galleons now. Good job Draco. How does he feel about you?"

Draco smiled happily.

OOOoooOOO

See? Long chapter, and with next to no waiting from the last one! Review please! Makes me go faster. I'm going to try to get another chapter out before break is over, so encourage me ;).