Did I keep you all waiting long enough? XD Sorry, ferreal though, things have been pretty hectic for me.

A/N at the end….. Because I don't feel like putting them all here.

Disclaimer: I really hope Rowling doesn't try to sue me.

Chapter 5: In Which The

It hadn't been too many awkward minutes when Harry Potter's toddler daughter started to cry. "Harry, I think it would be best if we left… I don't think Lily's feeling so good." Ginny said and there was a tone of tension under the worry in her voice.

"Yeah, I think so too." Harry agreed softly. "You go on out and get the kids settled in the car, yeah? I'll be out in a minute. I'll just say 'bye to Dr-… Malfoy."

Ginny decided it would be the best way, maybe if he said good-bye to Malfoy in peace, they'd never hear from him again. With a slight nod she stood and gathering up their children, she led them out to the once-green (now purple) Ministry cars that were waiting for them outside The Leaky Cauldron.

Harry stayed seated for a moment, not sure what to say. Although he didn't want to keep Ginny waiting. His eyes fell on the messy dishes strewn over the table from lunch. With a slight smile his eyes drifted to Draco's pristine plate and area, where the blonde continued to sit with a bored expression forever on his face, sipping his tea, it was nearly gone by now, but even as he tipped his head back a little more to catch the last of his drink, his eyes never left Harry.

"So, Potter, it seems you're going to be departing soon." Draco said, pleasantly enough.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I don't have too long, but I wanted to say good bye in…. private." Harry said, eyeing Old Tom who had just toddled over to clear the table. Taking up on the hint, Tom decided he could clear the table a few minutes later and hurried back to the bar.

Harry had received a note that morning. Not by hand, or by owl, but by breakfast. Just as he'd bitten into his roll, he found that he had a mouthful of sweet bread and….. parchment? One quick glance at the curling aristocratic script and Harry knew who it was from, Slytherin green ink aside, it was obviously from Draco Malfoy. He looked up at the blonde, but Draco was talking to Blaise Zambini, a strong, boasting smirk on his pointed face. After that, Harry quickly looked away and shoved the note into his robes, resolving to read it properly once he was away from still watery-eyed Ginny.

When Harry finally got to his first class, he read it discretely under his desk; fingers curled around the small piece of parchment and held in the shadows, he was careful to not let it be seen by anyone else. He was successful in that, at least.

We'll meet in the Great Hall during third block.

That was all that the note said. It was not an invitation, or a suggestion, or even a question, but a fact, and it was not signed. It wasn't a cruel or angry note, however it was cold, as facts tend to be.

So, rather than going to Herbology, Harry explained to Hermione, Ron and Neville that he wasn't feeling very well, and was just going to go and lay down in Gryffindor tower before lunch. Ron just shrugged ("I'd not be feeling well either if Malfoy had snogged all over me." He said quietly as he walked off.), Neville looked worried, but didn't say anything before following Ron, and Hermione, she'd given up ages ago, and after throwing her hands up and rolling her eyes she hurried off after the boys so as to not be late to class.

Harry waited a few minutes before he left, not wanting to be caught outside of class, and not wanting to bother with the Invisibility Cloak. Setting out for the Great Hall, he met no one on his way there.

Draco was already there, seated at the Slytherin table. Harry'd known he'd be there, so Draco's presence wasn't a surprise, but the look on his face was. The cold-hearted Slytherin, Draco Malfoy, sharp featured with a cutting tongue sat looking genuinely heartbroken with the same sopping expression that Ginny had had on her face the night before.

He didn't look like that this morning, did he? Harry wondered; he was sure he would have noticed.

And that was when Harry Potter crumbled inside.

Old Tom had retreated into the back kitchen to do the dishes, which there were plenty of, and Draco and Harry were having a cup of coffee before Harry ran off with his family for good. Without Ginny and the Potter kids, the silence between the two men was far more comfortable.

"How's your coffee, then?" Harry asked, deciding no matter how pleasant the silence was, they needed to wrap things up and say good-bye. He didn't know how long he'd kept Ginny waiting already, but he didn't want to be too much longer.

"It's very nice, actually. The Leaky Cauldron may not look like much, but I'll say this for it, Old Tom makes some of the best coffee in London; wizarding or otherwise." Draco said before taking a nice long swig of his drink.

"Really, now?" Harry said as he smiled to himself at the thought of Draco doing anything in muggle London, much less ordering coffee.

Draco wasn't worried about being caught out of class. He'd swaggered down to the Great Hall, his trademark smirk plastered across his pointed face, and no one stopped him, they wouldn't have dared.

Once settled at the Slytherin table, he pulled a book from his bag and set about to waiting for Potter.

He had to wait longer than he'd expected, and after awhile Draco began growing worried. He checked his watch every few moments, and he tried to read but couldn't concentrate. Then he began to worry.

If anyone other than Harry Potter had walked into the Great Hall just then, Draco would have been completely embarrassed, and probably would have cursed them into a puddle whether they were teacher, student, or Minister of Magick. But, as it were, Harry Potter was the only one to walk into the Great Hall while Malfoy sat brooding.

At first neither said anything, and Draco stood up with a hard look behind his eyes, he was already putting his mask back on.

"Malfoy…"

"Potter."

"What do you want?"

"Want?" Draco asked smugly. "From you, Potter? There's nothing I want, that you can give me."

Harry said nothing, but looked at Draco as though he did not believe the other boy.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm leaving then, if that's all you were going to say." Harry said, as he turned to leave.

"Don't!" Draco called, and he hated his voice for cracking. "Look, don't go, Potter. I-…. I do want to talk; it's just, you know, I'm not very… good at it…." He trailed off, looking away from Harry out of embarrassment.

"You do it enough; I'd expect you to be a pro." Harry said with a stony look, but there was a smile in his voice so Draco knew it was a joke, and the blonde smirked in return.

They decided to walk while they talked, partly so they wouldn't have to look each other in the eye, and perhaps see something the other wasn't ready to, and also incase they got caught by a teacher out of class, one could just say they were the other's escort to see a teacher about detention or some such. Luckily they didn't see anyone the whole time they wandered the halls together.

As they walked through the halls they started out silent. Harry decided that since Draco was the one who wanted to talk he would let the blonde begin. Meanwhile, Draco was working up the courage to say what it was he had to say. Although he had never been afraid to speak his mind on his political stand for the Dark Lord, or to make rude comments about the Weasley's loud enough for them to hear, but when it came to telling Harry Potter, THE Golden Boy, how he felt…… well, it was a lot harder than telling the girl Weasel she was ugly.

"So…. How'd your house take….. you know, last night?" he finally asked.

"Not too badly." Harry said. "They may actually hate you more than they did before, if that's possible."

Draco chuckled.

"What about your house?" Potter asked.

"Better than you'd think actually." The blonde said.

Potter's eyebrows raised, feigning interest. He'd been spending too much time with Malfoy it seemed. He cleared his throat and asked "Really?" trying to cover up the look.

But Malfoy had seen it, and pretending that he hadn't he simply said "We Slytherin's, are cunning, and sly. We love a well planned trick. It wasn't hard to convince them, either. I just told them I seduced you, to get your mind off the Dark Lord, and to get at that Weasel girl." He smiled, proudly.

Harry frowned to himself in disbelief. "And….. is that the truth?" he asked catching the blonde off guard.

He looked at Potter, but said nothing.

"Is that the truth, Malfoy?" Harry repeated.

They had stopped walking and stood at the top of one of the many Hogwarts staircases. The two boys stood facing each other. Green eyes level with the grey, and the stood icely, stiff and hard. A barrier of invisible ice was frosting between them.

"No," said the infamous Draco Malfoy.

Melting the ice.

"I… I think I love you, Potter."

An imaginary puddle formed on the floor.

Potter said nothing.

And at that moment, Malfoy kissed Potter.

Draco grabbed Harry hard at the shoulders and pulled him into a thick loving kiss.

It was sloppy and a little off center and kind of hard. Draco felt bad about bumping their noses, jolting them both a bit, but the kiss, as imperfect as it was, spilled all of Draco's heartfelt confession and feeling into Harry's mouth.

Suddenly he was shoved away. Harry Potter put his own hands on Draco's shoulders, and shoved. Hard. He pushed the other boy away and drew a hand over his wet mouth.

He wiped away the kiss.

"Yeah? Well, listen, Malfoy. I DON'T love you." And with that, he turned and went down the stairs, and back to Gryffindor tower while Draco stood at the top of the stairs, watching Potter go.

The two men were preparing to go. Surely Ginny was on the edge of her seat with apprehension. Standing, Draco and Harry slipped on their overcoats and walked to the front door together.

The pub was still empty. Amazingly enough, The Leaky Cauldron had become less and less popular over the last 9 years. The Potters, Weaselys and a few other old wizarding families still came around once in a while, but mostly the only traffic was from magical creatures on their ways to Diagon Alley.

So, of course, the two men had no audience for their good bye, besides each other and Old Tom.

Standing face to face again, like so long before, things were so similar to that day, and yet it was all different. Draco, broader than his Hogwarts days, though still just as pale held out a friendly hand, for a good bye shake. Harry, the same height as Draco, like when they were in school, had put on a few pounds, but it flattered him in a fatherly sort of way, took a hold of Draco's hand. It had been so long since they touched, and now it felt almost like an old drug. Draco's hand was cool and smooth to Harry's hot worn one.

"It's been lovely seeing you again, Potter." Draco had a genuine smile on his face.

"Yeah, it's been so long, It's been a real pleasure seeing you again…." Harry trailed off, a sad smile playing around his own lips.

And then he leaned in and kissed Draco Malfoy. At first it was just meant to be a soft farewell kiss, but the heat of the moment carried it over, and soon Potter had let go of Malfoy's hand, and with grasping fingers was pulling Malfoy closer to him.

And then Draco placed his hands on Harry's shoulders and pushed him away, softly.

"I'm sorry, Draco! I didn't mean it, all those years back, I did love you, and I still do, I was just so confused and scared…. I love you SO much."

But Malfoy shushed him.

"Potter, as much as I loved you, and still love you, you're a married man with a loving wife and almost four beautiful children…. Don't do this to them."

And Potter didn't know what to say.

And with a pat on the arm and a smile, Draco Malfoy walked out of the Leaky Cauldron and down the street, thinking 'Why did I just say THAT?'

Fin.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Yep, that's it. Not much, but it was good practice! …..which is all I'm doing this for. Awful I know.

Yes, so, ON to the reviews! ;D I decided to address all of the ones I've received individually, because that's how I roll, babeh.

Squeegee, Thanks! I didn't really think about the narration…. And in actuality the first chapter is really my favourite. I like how it's set up, I just wish that I could have kept that style more consistent in the other chapters.

hippolina97, Thank you, it's all about the writing, really. And it was rushed. In fact, most of this story is really rushed. But I did take care to at least try to slow down after your comment.

Trumpet Geek, Well, I hope you're satisfied. [By the by, my sister plays trumpet in her school band.

sighed-anonymous, Thanks a lot!

siriuslyremus, thank you very much! Glad you approve.

angels-songwriter, LULZ! Thanks, I'm happy you find it so hawt. Your comment made my day. I just wanted you to know that.

Corvin, Sweet. Thanks!

Autumn Skys, I seeeee, I'm not what you'd call a 'Ginny Fan'; I don't even like her in femmeslash! But, hey, whatever floats your boat; I'm still glad you read and reviewed… I'm going to assume you liked the ending, then?

Horcri On Ebay, you're not the first person to mention the 'uniqueness' of this story. I wouldn't mind an explanation. And as far as the grammar, I generally like to think of myself as a grammar Nazi! So the fact that you pointed out a mistake, I as like "WTF, ferreal???" and I saw what you meant and totally made a note of it, hopefully my upcoming writing will be improved. Thank you, one can't improve without critique, I really really appreciate it! 33

Also, down with Ginny! The only Weasley I never liked! XD

narcoleptic86, Unfortunately, it's doubtful. Harry and Ginny are together at the end of this fic. I'm sorry. I hate it too…. But I might have a one-shot of Harry and Draco in a sneaky Brokeback Mountain scenario [without the mountain. ::winkwink::

Angel., D00D! I knowz! Me too, totally hated her, even in CoS. She's such a secondary character, so to put her with THE main character in a pairing was just way wrong, I don't know what's the matter with Rowling, but I think she stopped trying in like, book 3. And I hate the Ginny/Harry pairing too, but in mine Harry and Draco iz in love! ;D So that makes it better, I guess…. But thank you very much. I'm very glad that my writing carries the story enough.

angels-songwriter, I'm so glad you came back, and that I could help restore the love for such a hawt pairing. ;D

I'm glad you like my Ginny, I still hate her…… and thanks so much for liking!