A/N Again, a slow update, I'm sorry! They will get quicker again! I'm very sorry for the lack of review responses in this chapter, but I'm so excited about it that I HAVE to upload it NOW! I already took the time out to proof-read it! And I have school tomorrow so should really go to bed sooner rather than later but I want to upload NOW! Do you understand?! Anyway, I'm really sorry I haven't replied to any of you; you are all LOVELY people and I loved all your reviews from the last chapter, I promise in the next chapter I'll write really long responses!! Love you all!! Now go read!! nods and smiles a lot Oh, also, thanks to those of you who keep giving me cookies, I like cookies… smiles more

Dissolving

Two weeks later, Draco had not told Harry the truth. He tried to for a few days after deciding that it was best, but the more he tried, the less he managed to get out. And what made it even more difficult was that Harry hadn't noticed that anything was wrong, and he had stopped questioning why he shouldn't tell the others about their secret affair – so why ruin it when Harry wasn't worried?

Yes, that was what they called it now; an affair. Every moment that Draco wasn't at work, Harry was with him. He told the Weasel's and Granger that they were having lessons: well, if the lessons were about how to have gay sex, then yes, Harry was indeed having lessons. For the first week, Harry had asked Draco a lot why he shouldn't tell Weaselette about it all, since he was an 'honourable' Gryffindor. Draco sneered to think, however, that he had evidently changed Harry into some form of cross between the honourable Gryffindor and the untrustworthy and sly Slytherin, since Harry was getting quite good at lying to his 'friends' – and he seemed to enjoy it. Every time he entered the manor, he'd appear with a smirk and say something like 'I'm learning how to make things float now', and then five minutes later, they'd be in Draco's bed, hot and sweating, begging for some sort of mercy, or perhaps more pleasure. Harry had not yet had the pleasure (literally) of Draco entering his body, and Draco suspected this was why he liked it so much, because it made him feel more 'grown up' to be the one penetrating every time.

This evening was no different, as Harry entered in only minutes of arriving at the house; thrusting into Draco, making him feel pleasure that he had only ever imagined – and not imagined with a man. But Draco had gotten over that now, neither names nor gender mattered anymore, as Draco fell rapidly into something that was far more than a close friendship.

All too soon, the two lay side by side once more, panting and squeezing each others hands. And once again, Draco felt the urge to tell Harry the truth, but then realised that he couldn't ever lose this; the only thing that he was really living for…

Harry collapsed next to the radiant blonde who was sweating on the bed. He, too, panted, and held Draco's hand back just as tightly when Draco took it. He felt his hair sticking to his forehead, and shivered when Draco rolled over and licked his wet neck.

Soon, the panting died down and Draco laid with his head on Harry's chest under the same thin sheet that they always covered themselves with after all the passion and heat that was their sex.

"I don't have work tomorrow," Draco said lazily just before Harry fell into a silent sleep.

"Oh…" He replied, opening his eyes. "Why not?"

"I just wanted a day off," Draco answered. And although Harry couldn't see his face at all, he knew he was smirking.

"And why's that?" Harry sneered.

Draco turned over to face him and smirked once more. Harry felt a pounding where he had only just calmed down, and craned his neck down to kiss him.

"Oh, by the way," Draco said after he had pulled away, "I have tickets for the Quidditch World Cup in August. You'll probably get some free anyway, since you're in the Ministry, but would you like to sit with me?"

Harry smiled, but it faded quickly. "That means I have to tell Ron, Hermione and Ginny though, doesn't it?"

"Tell them what? About us?" Draco asked.

"Well, yeah…"

"No," Draco said quickly, "You'll just tell them that you're coming with me because I taught you how to fly again – they'll understand. And if they don't," He added at Harry's concerned look, "You'll just tell them (again) that I'm a better friend than them!"

Draco finished by laughing, but Harry did not.

"Friend?" He repeated quietly.

Draco stopped laughing. "What would you call me?"

"A… Well…" Harry stuttered, and then shrugged. To be quite honest, he didn't know what this secretive relationship they were having would be called – other than an affair, of course. But what would they call each other? Boyfriends? Harry doubted that very much.

There was a sudden awkwardness in the air that Harry hadn't felt for a very long time, so he was very thankful when Draco brought the conversation back to the subject of the next day.

"So what time will you be coming over?" He asked after a few moments.

"In the morning," Harry replied, "Early."

He watched as Draco's lips curled into another smirk and he said, "All day then?"

Harry failed to hold back a shudder, "All day," He replied.

All day, however, was not what they got. The next morning, after Harry arriving home very late the night before, he was bombarded with questions as Ron, Hermione and Ginny refused to go to work. He finally got rid of them at eleven o'clock, more than two hours after they usually left. And as soon as they had gone, he, too, disapparated out of the house and onto Draco's front door step.

To his surprise, it was not Draco who answered the door as it usually was, but Daniel, the house elf.

"Hello, Daniel," Harry said kindly as he walked through the door. "Where's Draco?"

The elf bowed low and replied, looking at the floor, "Master Malfoy told me to let you straight in this morning, sir – many hours ago… He has got more company now, sir."

"More company?" Harry repeated, "Who?"

Without waiting for a reply, however, he walked towards where he could suddenly hear loud voices coming from – and angry voices at that.

"Why are you doing this, Draco?" He heard a woman's voice shout, "I've waited for almost two months now! You've been so busy with work that I never get to see you, and on the one day that you don't have work you 'forget' to contact me?! Why, Draco?!"

"For Merlin's sake, Pansy; I haven't 'forgotten' to contact you, I just didn't want to!" Draco shouted, and Pansy gasped loudly. "I'm sorry…" Draco added after letting out an exasperated sigh.

"No you're not!" Pansy shouted, sounding as though she was crying. This was the point when Harry thought he should probably go in, so Draco could use it as an excuse to get Pansy out. But just as he walked in, Pansy shouted at Draco, "You're seeing someone else, aren't you?"

"No!" Draco yelled, but Pansy had already turned around and seen Harry. He got the distinct impression that something was wrong. Pansy turned back to Draco, evidently not caring about Harry, but then slowly, as Draco looked on blank-faced, she turned back around to look at Harry again, her expression half confused, half considering.

And then her jaw dropped.

Harry gulped as she turned back to Draco once more, quickly this time, and said, "You're fucking Potter!"

"What?" Draco squealed, far too high to be obviously honest.

"You and Potter are fucking!" She said again, louder this time, "You're shagging him!"

Harry looked at Draco, who was staring at him worriedly.

"Shut up!" He suddenly yelled at Pansy.

"I'm right though, aren't I?" She said, suddenly seeming angry.

Draco paused, and then said slowly, "Pansy, it's not what you th…"

But he had said the wrong thing, for the next thing Harry knew, there was a shot of red light coming right at him – if he hadn't ducked just in time he didn't know what would have happened.

"Pansy!"

Harry looked up to see another flash of red light hitting Pansy and forcing her backwards into the wall with quite a smack.

"Draco, don't…" Harry said, hastily getting to his feet.

"Don't stick up for her; she just tried to hex you!" Draco shouted, more at Pansy than at Harry.

"It – it doesn't matter…" Harry lied, because the truth was, it did matter. And now he finally understood why Draco didn't want anyone to know about their deeper relationship.

"It does…" Draco said softly, looking him sensitively in the eyes.

"Ergh, stop it, both of you!" Pansy suddenly shouted from the other end of the room – Harry had forgotten she was there. "How long has this been going on? Did you just forget to tell me?" She rounded on Draco as she walked towards the door.

"Pansy, it's not like that!" Draco yelled, but she was already in the hall, opening the front door. "Where are you going? Pansy!"

Then, just as Harry thought she was leaving, she spun around and glared at both of them, such an evil glare that Harry had never seen one before, or maybe he had, but could not remember it.

"You're both going to pay for this," She said quietly. "You've ruined my life!"

"Oh, Pansy," Draco said in a bored tone, "You sleep around anyway, what difference does it make to you if you still have me or not?"

Her eyes widened and she shouted in a final tone, "You wait! You'll regret ever laying hands on Potter, Draco, I'll make sure of it!"

And the door slammed with enough force to bring the entire manor down, but it didn't. Harry stood staring at it for several seconds after Pansy had gone, but Draco merely tutted loudly and turned to go up the stairs.

Harry turned to look at him and, eyes wide, he said, "I'm so sorry…"

"What for?" Draco asked, continuing up the stairs.

"Well, if I hadn't walked in, then she wouldn't have clicked!" Harry said, following him into his bedroom.

"Oh, someone had to find out sooner or later…" Draco said quietly, sitting on the bed heavily and putting his face in his hands. "It was just a shame it had to be her…"

Harry didn't know whether to be shocked about Draco's reaction to Pansy's threat or not. She sounded quiet serious and yet Draco didn't seem scared but more… disappointed or upset.

"What do you think she'll do?" Harry asked quietly, sitting down next to him.

"Oh, just put a report in the Daily Prophet or something, I expect," Draco answered lazily, "So the whole world will know by tomorrow morning."

Harry looked away. "You don't want that, do you?"

Draco looked at him. "It – it's not me I'm worried about."

"Why are you worried about me? I don't care if people know," Harry said truthfully.

"Yes but, there's the Weaselette and your friends…"

"I don't care about them," Harry said soothingly, "All I care about is you…"

And then something happened that Harry had never seen before. Draco began to cry. Tears fell down his face like Harry didn't know was possible. Draco couldn't cry, he was the strong one – Harry was the one that cried all the time, not Draco. Something must have been wrong.

"Draco… What is it?" He asked quietly, taking his hand.

Draco sniffed and shook his head, "It's nothing…" He said weakly.

Harry knew he was lying. "Draco, you can tell me anything, you know that?"

Draco stopped himself for a moment and looked at him. Harry looked into his eyes and noticed that the tears in them looked like great seas, or big clouds in front of Draco's grey irises – he'd never realised how much emotion was stored in those eyes before.

"I…" Draco started, "I have to tell you something…"

But then he broke down again and began to cry some more. Harry touched his face to calm him, and felt that it was incredibly hot.

"Come here…" He said, and he pulled Draco's jumper off, leaving him in a cooler t-shirt, the type which he never usually wore because of work.

Draco then sniffed again and raised his arm to wipe his face and push his hair back, and that's when Harry noticed it…

There, on Draco's left arm was a mark, as clear as day. It looked more like a scar now, but Harry somehow knew it was something that he shouldn't be pleased with, something that he hated. Although how he knew that, he couldn't say…

Draco noticed him staring at his arm and stood up quickly, saying nothing. Harry stood up after him and walked over to the centre of the room next to him.

"Draco…" He said, but Draco pushed him back with a fierce kiss.

Harry was taken completely by surprise, and so returned the kiss, letting Draco's tongue enter his mouth with no difficulty, but almost as soon as it did, Draco pulled away.

Harry looked at him moving in a distressed sort of way, still crying, holding his left arm with his right hand.

"I don't want to lose you, Harry," He cried.

"Draco…" Harry said again, but then Draco pulled Harry's shirt off over his head and threw it away, wrapping his shaking arms around Harry's naked torso. Harry tried to pull away and said, "Draco, you're scaring me... Draco, let go!"

Draco did as he was told and released Harry reluctantly. Harry then looked at his arm once more, and couldn't help letting a feeling of disgust run through him. He looked up into Draco's eyes which were drying out now.

"Harry, let me explain…"

But he could say no more, as there was a deafening crash from down in the hall way. Both he and Draco looked at the door, and heard running footsteps up the stairs.

"Harry…"

Harry didn't need to be told twice, so he ran over to Draco and stood behind Draco's outstretched wand… But then, he felt almost faint as he saw who stood at the door to the bedroom as it opened quickly.

Both Ginny and Pansy stood there; Pansy sneering evilly, Ginny red-faced, wide-eyed and gawping like a repulsed fish.

"Harry…" She whispered breathily, "You are… Parkinson was right…"

"Ginny…" Harry whispered. Yes, he wanted her to find out, but not like this…

Ginny ran away from the door and back towards the stairs, and Harry felt compelled to run after her, even though he didn't care about her in the way she cared about him; he felt sorry for her.

"Ginny!" He shouted as he ran.

"Leave me alone!" She yelled from the hallway.

Harry left Draco's room and followed her.

Draco glared at Pansy, who was still smirking at the doorframe. He then looked at the Dark Mark on his left arm. It was all falling down around him… His one happiness was dissolving around his ears, and because of a mark which Harry had finally noticed.

He scratched at it savagely, just as disgusted with himself as Harry clearly was a few moments ago, and grabbed his jumper from the floor as he heard a shout from the landing; "I don't want to speak to you! All this time! You were having gay sex behind my back!"

"No… Not all the time… You don't understand!"

"You're not welcome at home, do you understand?"

"Ginny… Listen to me!"

"Get off! Harry, leave me alone!"

Draco was at the door now, about to run across the landing to him as he pulled his jumper over his head. But in that second of darkness, he heard a scream, heard continuous banging… And then he looked, and Harry was no longer at the top of the stairs…

Harry struggled to breathe as he landed in a strange position at the bottom of the stairs. He felt a terrible pain in his head, a pain like he'd never felt before; it was excruciating pain; it made him dizzy; it made everything fade to black.

A/N Ahhh!! Hope you like it!! Hope its not too, erm… what's the word… bitty?? Well, it seems all bitty to me anyway haha! But I hope its not! I loved writing this chapter. Just wait for the next one my friends!!