( Closer )

His hand was warm. And as Draco balanced on a branch high up in a tree, it was the only thing stopping him from falling. Draco smiled, his legs trembling under him, as he flung his head back and looked up at the stars through a gap in the leaves. Harry's hand tightened around Draco's.

'Isn't it great?' the green-eyed boy asked, a little breathlessly.

'It's beautiful,' Draco said softly. He reached out to the night sky, his eyes wide in wonder. 'They seem so close. Like you can almost touch them.'

His fingers curled into his palm. Standing there, on this utterly moonless night that belonged to the stars, he wanted to gather galaxies and planets into his grasp. To cradle them in his arms. He wanted to pick stars out of the sky one by one and show the world their beauty.

And most of all, he didn't want to let go of Harry's hand.

A small tug of fingertips pulled the blond away from his musing and brought his gaze to the boy at the tree's trunk. For a moment, as they stared at one another, Draco thought of another time – when the dawn had come and it had rained. To a moment when he had been weightless in love, and so sure as he spoke those words that had been said. But what was left was an ache, a sense of longing whenever he saw those eyes and that painfully beautiful smile.

'Come, let's go higher,' Harry whispered into the night. Draco nodded and turned, holding tightly onto that hand, a little terrified that he trusted this boy so much. It took a few steps, one after the other, to get to the trunk. Harry pulled him close, an arm around his waist, as there wasn't much space to stand and to put their feet. Draco wanted to curl into the warmth of Harry's chest, but stopped himself, shaking slightly.

As Harry lifted himself up onto a higher branch, Draco watched him. Sometimes, when hope left him and he was alone with the sadness, he thought Harry had forgotten. That whatever was placed upon them had taken the memory of that dawn away from him. He looked down, gulping down the feeling of rising tears.

'Hey,' a voice from above called softly. Draco looked up at Harry's concerned face. 'Are you all right, Dray?'

Draco smiled sadly, then closed his eyes, chuckling lightly. With the back of a hand, he rubbed a few rogue tears away. Hope, it was never far behind the sadness.

'I'm okay,' Draco replied, grabbing onto a small protruding branch for leverage. 'Let's go find those stars. I want to show you Orion and Sirius.'

Harry searched Draco's face for a moment, before smiling too. He rolled his eyes, looking back up. 'You and your silly star formations.'

Draco laughed, climbing up past him. 'The last one to the top is a rotten egg!'

Harry's smile widened into a grin. 'Ha, you're so on!'

xXx

The ground was covered in leaves, the new and the old, pressed into the soggy soil by many feet. A small breeze ruffled Draco's hair as he sat with his legs stretched out and his palms resting on the ground behind him. The air was fresh, full of the smell of springy soil and river sand. Draco took in a long, deep breath, staring up at the patches of blue sky between the layers of leaves. The branches, with their load of dark-green leaves, swayed slightly, chattering with the wind.

Draco closed his eyes and listened. Down river, he could hear Hermione and Ginny arguing over the captaincy of the now-completed raft, before Ron laughed and splashed them, resulting in squeals and giggles. The blond boy relaxed his body, letting his breaths flow into one another like a stream into a river, listening all the while. The river gurgled and rushed, while reeds swayed and whispered together. He could hear the birds in the tree above singing and chirping as they weaved their hanging nests.

He opened his eyes and smiled. For every day that passed in this place, he felt his whole self settle into its rhythm. And sometimes, tiny whispering thoughts in his head dared to call it home.

Dry leaves crackled under a footfall. Draco looked over his shoulder and his smile widened.

'Coming to break my peace and quiet?' Draco asked in amusement. He sat up, and dusted his hands off, his legs crossed beneath him.

Harry shook his head with a smile.

'Joining me then?'

'For a little while,' Harry said, looking over at the river with a fond look. 'Till Hermione has calmed down. And stopped chasing Ron.'

Draco laughed, patting the ground at his side welcomingly. 'Safe haven then. The trees will keep us safe, don't you worry.'

'And if they don't, you would, won't you?' Harry asked, sitting down.

Draco gave him an affronted look. 'Of course. But if she offers to make me the captain of the raft, I may reconsider . . .'

Harry grinned and playfully smacked him on the shoulder. 'Idiot.'

'I resent that,' Draco said with a mock frown. 'I can be silly, but never an idiot.'

Harry rolled his eyes. 'Okay, a silly not-idiot then.'

Draco chuckled, looking back up at the birds and their nests. They sat like that, in silence. It was comfortable, gentle in a way. The world moved around them, pulling them with its flow and soothing their minds as it went along. There was no sense of urgency, no clock to check and follow.

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco looked down at the space between them. Their hands were so close. He could feel his hand tremble as he inched it closer, till he touched skin. Draco gave Harry a side-long glance, and saw that they boy was still looking at the river. Then, slowly, he felt Harry's fingers curl around his own.

Both of them smiled, not looking at one another.

Draco held Harry's hand, liking the soft warmth. They said nothing, and slowly, Draco started to trail his thumb along Harry's palm. When he ran his fingertips over the back of Harry's hand, he paused when he felt a line of small scars. He followed their shape, then realised they were words.

He frowned, then lifted Harry's hand onto his knee. He inspected the faint scars as he felt the weight of Harry's gaze on him.

'I must not tell lies?' he said, looking up at Harry. He trailed circles over the skin of Harry's wrist soothingly.

Harry shrugged a shoulder. 'It's from before.'

Draco nodded, then smiled at the boy. He gained a smile in return, as they stared at one another. He could feel his heart beat in his chest, the blood in his veins move.

'Do you remember?' Draco asked quietly, and knew from one look that Harry knew he wasn't asking about the scars.

Harry squeezed his hand tighter for a moment, then slipped it out of Draco's grasp. He stared down at the ground, his smile a sad one.

'I do.'

xXx

The fire flickered and danced with the crackling of burning wood. Draco watched glowing red heat emanate from the embers, so intense next to the darkness of the night. He kicked his feet up to warm them, curling his toes so he didn't have to see how dirty they were. He outstretched his hands, fingers spread wide, as he put them closer to the fire. The nights were cold, especially with the wind that howled and thrashed. But even with the small breeze that sometimes sprung up, the sky was cloudless and a chill had set in that night. When no one spoke, it seemed like the world had become heavy with stillness and silence.

It was like even nature was asleep.

Draco rubbed his hands and blew on them to get them warm. Across from him, he watched as Ron picked up a sleeping Ginny, resting her head on his shoulder with a fond look. Hermione was fretting over the remains of their supper, while trying to convince Harry to return with them, back to their home.

'What about you, Draco?' Hermione asked suddenly, turning to the blond. Draco blinked, then shook his head.

'I'm going to stay for a little while longer,' he answered, giving her a reassuring smile. 'Got to warm up a bit more.'

'Well, okay, if you guys are sure . . .'

'We are, 'Mione. Don't worry,' Harry said. 'Go make sure that Ron and Gin aren't faking it so they can go skinny dipping in the river again.'

Hermione laughed, and ruffled Harry's already messy hair. 'See you later then.' She ran down the hill, along the narrow path, to catch up with Ron.

Draco turned back to look at the fire. He could feel himself tremble, not just because of the cold, but from the feeling of loneliness that suddenly befell him. He didn't feel like talking. The ache in his chest hurt.

He could feel Harry staring at him.

Draco's head jerked up when he heard movement and saw Harry get up to stand. He couldn't look away from the boy across from him, through tongues of smoke and flame. He stared as Harry opened his arms wide, his head tilted back and eyes closed.

Then he started to move – to dance.

Draco watched, at the boy's body as it swayed, flowed and spun. He moved his whole body, his hips, his head, his arms and hands. The dance changed from one moment to the next – fleeting, swift, then slow. Harry moved without a care, with such contained energy and grace. For a second, it seemed to Draco that Harry was not human, but a bird flying through the sky.

'What are you doing?' Draco whispered, hugging his knees.

Harry opened his eyes. 'I'm dancing.'

'Why?'

'Because I can.' Harry offered him a hand. 'Join me?'

Draco stared at the hand, then, with a shaking one of his own, he took it. He was pulled up into Harry's arms.

'Follow my lead,' Harry whispered into his ear. 'Let's forget about the world.'

Then they were touching - hands, hips, waists, skin. They moved against and with one another, next to the fading flames, under the stars, and with the breeze that passed them by. Draco let his thoughts go and followed his body, and Harry's, his mind singing in the silence with his thundering blood. He rode his fear, and every little emotion that he had, till their end. He felt them, let them finish and he was left with a deep contentment that resonated.

When the dance slowed, till they were simply holding each other, they rested their foreheads against one another's. They could feel each other's breath on their skin. As their breathing calmed, they looked at one another and smiled.

'I want you,' Draco said softly.

'I know, but you'll never have me completely. Only a side of me, out of the many.'

Draco leaned in close, his lips a breath away, and smiled.

'Then I'll collect the sides of you I can.'