Draco dug around in his bag for something to eat before continuing their search. He could sense that Harry had eased a bit of pressure off, but didn't want to mention it and give him false hope. Besides, knowing all too well how his Gryffindor mind worked, he feared Harry would try more injurious wandless magic in an effort to normalize too quickly.

As evening settled in Harry announced that they were finally in a part of the forest that he recognized. He still couldn't remember exactly where he had buried his wand, but he was certain they were closer.

Draco suggested that they stop for the night and withdrew a thick folded square of fabric from his bag. With a flick and a twist the fabric sorted itself into a cozy peaked tent, complete with bedding inside. Next he Accioed some firewood and Incendioed a lovely, crackling fire. Harry hauled over two stumps to sit on, which Draco promptly Transfigured into a pair of Adirondack chairs.

"I have to admit, I do sort of miss that," Harry mused as they sat back and propped their feet up by the fire.

"Accio Firewhiskey," Draco called, then deftly snatched the bottle out of the air. He popped it open and took a swig before handing it over.

"Firewhiskey," Harry murmured. "It's been a while."

They made a simple supper from the supplies Draco had packed and drank in companionable silence as night fell around them. Draco was pleasantly relaxed, and surprisingly comfortable with the idea of camping out. If anything was evidence that change was possible, he thought, it was that.

"So what's keeping you from living how you want to live around other wizards," Draco asked, taking a swig from the bottle.

"Expectations," Harry said.

"Who says you have to live up to anyone's expectations?" Draco asked. "Especially people you don't know."

"I hear what you're saying," Harry took a drink, "but the people I know are just as bad."

"Granger has her hands full with her daughter now," Draco waved his hand dismissively. "She's too busy to mother you, too."

"I guess so," Harry chuckled. He stared into the fire for a while before speaking again. "What's she like?"

"A girl, named Rose, ginger hair," Draco ran out of information.

"I should have been there."

"Yes you should have."

Harry was quiet for another stretch. His magic was subdued, wafting gently around the firepit and the two chairs. Draco hoped he would be able to sleep in an enclosed space with it.

"What if I went back and told the Daily prophet to piss off?" he said slowly. "And what if I told the ministry that I don't want to be an Auror anymore? And what if I told Hermione that I'm capable of making my own decisions?"

"What if nothing, that's exactly what you're going to do," Draco said.

"And what if I want to be who I want to be, and maybe that's not always a nice person? And maybe I don't want to have to save anyone anymore."

"Then don't save anyone. And be a prat sometimes." Draco said.

"And what if," Harry stopped and shook his head.

"And what if what?"

"And what if I want to like whoever I like, and I want to be with whoever I want to be with, even if," he stopped again.

"Even if what?"

"Even if that person," he took a breath, "is a man?"

Draco's heart squeezed. Was that part of it? Did he feel like he could only be himself in the muggle world?

"Why not?" Draco said. "That's what I do."

Harry looked up and held his eyes. Draco knew he couldn't be surprised. Surely he realized how close Draco had come to kissing him just hours ago. Surely he remembered that day down at the lake, that fraction of a memory of fingers laced together. Or maybe he didn't, and Draco had been holding onto a memory that only mattered to him.

"I'm getting paid to bring you home," Draco blurted out. "My life debt paid if I save your life, and five hundred galleons to bring you home." He stared into the fire. "Just to be honest with you."

"Now that's a phrase I never expected to hear from Draco Malfoy," Harry snorted. He took another big swig off of the bottle. "Hermione and Ron are paying I assume."

"Yes. But I waived my actual fee for the Tracking part of the deal."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I wanted to find you," Draco wondered belatedly if he should have kept that to himself.

"Did you, now?" Harry smiled at the bonfire.

"I sort of put the idea in their heads," Draco went on, going for full honesty.

"But what's this about a life debt?" Harry asked, handing the bottle over.

"I owe you for saving my life in the Room of Requirement. And now I'm paying it off."

"You don't owe me," Harry said. "I didn't have the choice to either save you or leave you. I can't hold you in debt for something where there was no choice."

"You could have left me, anyone else would have," Draco said, turning the bottle in his hands.

"I'm not anyone else."

Draco gazed at the swirling amber liquid and thought his next question through carefully.

"Who saved me? The person you're supposed to be or the person you want to be?"

Harry looked up and studied Draco carefully. His magic rolled gently around him, tendrils licking up his arms and caressing his face. "The person I am."

Draco smiled and looked away. He hoped the warm firelight would mask the pink flush in his cheeks. He took another swig and passed the bottle back. They drank silently for a while longer until Draco felt a pressing need that couldn't be ignored.

"I need to go drain the basilisk," he said as he pushed himself to his feet.

Harry snorted indelicately and raised his eyebrows. "You what?"

"Think of all of the colorful magical euphemisms you'll miss out on if you don't come back," Draco said, stretching his arms above his head. "I'll be back in a jif."

"I need a slash, too," Harry said. They each chose a direction and stumbled off to find a suitable tree. Draco wasn't quite pissed, and didn't suppose Harry was, either, but he was nicely relaxed and a teensy bit wobbly.

He finished his business and buttoned up, then made his way back to the fire pit just as Harry was returning, too. Draco stood before the fire and made a few gestures to coax the logs together and goose the flames a bit.

He felt Harry's magic arrive ahead of Harry himself. The satiny sweet smoke of it mingled with the campfire and filled his head with a delicious thrum. He closed his eyes as it curled around him and threaded through his clothes and hair. A moment later Harry stepped up beside him and bumped their shoulders together.

"You're amazing without a wand," Harry murmured. "Even with a wand you're better than anyone I've ever seen."

"I'm not as powerful as you are," Draco kept his eyes fixed on the fire, too nervous to look at Harry directly. "As much as school-aged me would resent present me for saying that, it's true."

"But you're more skilled than I am," Harry said. "You always have been. You've never gotten by on luck."

"Maybe not," Draco nodded. "But I had other unfair advantages to open doors for me."

"Regardless," Harry said. "By now it's more about what you do with it than how you got here."

Harry's magic crawled up Draco's spine, raising gooseflesh and shivers as it enrobred him in slipperiness. Harry's shoulder was still pressed up against his and the single point of contact roiled with the intermingling of their essences. Draco's eyes fluttered as the sensation spread through his body.

Harry raised his hand slowly and pivoted Draco so that they were standing face to face. He was two inches taller than Draco, and broad enough to engulf him in his arms. He tentatively touched Draco's neck, just behind his ear, and drew him forward with shy nervousness in his eyes.

He paused where they had stopped before, their noses just brushing, their breath intermingling in the minuscule space between them. Draco's lower lip trembled, aching for closure, for even a whisper of a kiss. One of them had to do it, one of them had to be brave.

Harry's thumb traced the curve of Draco's ear, his eyes filled with need. Draco understood. He was never going to be brave enough to close the distance between them. He could face dark wizards and dangerous magic, but he was scared of kissing Draco Malfoy.

He smiled and raised his hand to cup Harry's cheek and draw him in just that last bit of distance. He kissed Harry lightly, an exploration, a test perhaps, to see if it felt right. When Harry didn't reject him Draco slipped his hands around his waist and drew him in closer so he could push deeper and show him that, yes, it was indeed right.

Harry's hesitation dissolved. He pressed back eagerly, his hands moving now, encircling Draco's body and holding him up against his hard, muscled chest. Draco's head swam with disbelief, astonished that it was actually happening. The memory of that brief, glancing contact by the lake six years ago was drowned out by this moment, the realization of possibility.

They kissed deep and long, their tongues sliding across each other and their lips moving as one. Breath mingled, fingers threaded through hair, hips pressed against each other with mutual desire. Draco took a chance and stepped in the direction of the tent, drawing Harry with him. Harry followed, holding Draco close so that not even a slip of parchment could fit between them.

Draco folded back at the entrance of the tent and checked Harry's face for willingness. Harry's eyes were locked onto his, following his every move. His magic swelled and surrounded them, both pulling Draco near and nudging him towards the tent.

Draco knelt and crawled through the flap, followed by a silky rush of Harry's essence. Harry entered immediately behind, securing the flap before returning his attention to Draco.

The interior of the tent was lit from outside by the orange glow of the fire. Shadows shifted along the fabric walls. Their skin reflected the sharp contrast between firelight and darkness. Harry reached for Draco and quickly unbuttoned his shirt as though afraid he might change his mind. Draco allowed the button-down to be peeled away and cast aside.

Harry paused now, noticing the elaborate sleeve tattoo that emerged from beneath the West Ham T-shirt sleeve and extended down to Draco's wrist. He traced his fingers across the design, his mouth small and round in wonder. Draco yanked the T-shirt over his head and discarded it, holding his fully exposed left arm out for Harry to see.

Across every inch of skin constellations swarmed in an inky blue night sky, transitioning from stars to colorful embodiments of their shapes. Cygnus the swan on his forearm emerged from a cross of pinpoints, Ursa Major and minor on either side of his wrist formed bears from rectangles of light. A set of stars around his elbow formed Canis Major with brilliant Sirius at the heart. Around his bicep and crawling up to the point of his shoulder a sinuous line of stars formed the shape of Draco, the celestial dragon that was his namesake.

Harry feathered his fingers across the design, lingering on his forearm. Draco rolled his wrist in the firelight so Harry could see the way the blackened blue ink background obscured the indelible Dark Mark, rendering it nearly invisible under all but the closest scrutiny.

The light touch raised gooseflesh again, which Harry noticed with a smile. He dipped his head to kiss his way up Draco's tattooed arm, drawing even more goosebumps to the surface. Draco leaned forward on his knees and guided Harry's arms around his waist, reveling in the sensation of strong hands on his back as he pressed a kiss to his mouth.

Draco unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the strong shoulders and chest that he had been fantasizing about since he saw the merit photo at the greengrocer's. His fingers eagerly pressed into the curvaceous lines of muscle, savoring the hardened coiled strength beneath his velvety skin. He could sense Harry's magic seeping from his pores, hot and vaporous at the surface, shimmering above his skin like a desert mirage dancing just above the hot sand.

Harry cupped Draco's head in his palm and tilted it back to reveal the expanse of skin along his neck and shoulder. He buried his mouth in the groove that ran from Draco's ear to his collarbone, kissing sensually and nibbling his flesh. He slowly leaned Draco back until he was laid out on the bedding, completely yielding to Harry's command.

Harry unbuttoned Draco's trousers and pushed them down, followed by his pants. Without hesitation he dipped down to trace his tongue along the line of Draco's hip flexor from his groin to his abdomen. He nuzzled the platinum stretch of hair that grew neatly between Draco's navel and his cock, then slipped his mouth around his cock's head, eliciting a grateful moan from Draco's throat.

Harry's magic crawled up Draco's body, slithery and slick and smooth. It filled his nostrils with a sweetness that had taken on an earthy, musky topnote, evoking the most savage, animal desires from deep within the primal core of his brain. He growled and clutched the bedding as Harry savored his cock, no sign of hurrying evident in his movement. Every inch of Draco's body was on fire, and the smoke of Harry's essence permeated his skin.

Harry released him and crawled up to press a kiss onto Draco's mouth as he unbuttoned his own trousers. He propped himself up on one elbow and paused, gazing down at Draco with desire and need.

"What do you want to do?" he asked innocently.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" Draco traced his fingers down Harry's strong, stubbled jaw.

"I'd like to," Harry blushed and couldn't finish his sentence.

"I'd like you to, too," Draco smiled. He widened his legs and grasped Harry's cock.

"I can't," Harry gasped, his eyes fluttering as Draco stroked him slowly, "conjure." He struggled to raise his hand and curl his fingers.

Draco understood. He drew Harry's hand to his mouth and kissed the center of his palm, then ran his tongue up the length of his index finger. He pushed Harry's finger into his mouth and sucked, rolling his tongue around the tip. Harry's jaw went slack as he watched Draco savor the digit. Draco looked up at him with a devilish gleam in his eye. He knew the sight was driving him mad.

He released the finger, smirking at the disappointed moan the escaped Harry's throat. Then he whispered a lubrication charm and Harry's palm was magically slick. Disappointment forgotten, Harry grinned as his hand slithered between Draco's legs and tickled his entrance. Draco groaned involuntarily and widened his thighs, inviting Harry to enter.

Harry pressed in and kissed Draco along his neck as he stroked and curled, relaxing the tightness and preparing him for more. Draco's hips rocked reflexively against the dizzying sensation that overwhelmed his self-control. He could feel Harry's magic penetrating him, a satiny sheath that slid even deeper than Harry's finger could reach.

Then a second finger made its appearance, adding a twisting, fluttering, scissor-kick that rocketed straight to Draco's pleasure center. He pushed back, sitting on Harry's hand and drawing him in further. By the time the third finger made an appearance he had had enough of fingers and was desperate for the real thing.

Harry sensed his need and withdrew his hand, then rolled over on top of him and pushed his knees up. Draco nodded eagerly and curled his legs around Harry's waist as he pressed forward and entered firmly. Draco's back arched and he cried out as Harry's cock penetrated him, shooting off bolts of electric pleasure that contracted his muscles and left a tingling hum in their wake.

They gasped together and moaned together, skin slapping together as they pushed in rhythm, Draco tugging his cock and squeezing Harry's arse. Harry kissed him between breaths, then arched his neck towards the sky, then kissed him again.

Draco heard snippets of words fall from his own lips, simple commands like harder, faster, deeper. His body was giving orders and Harry's body was obeying as directed. They thrust as one, the air around them rising in a wild torrent of Harry's overflowing magic, it slipped around and between them, whirling like a cyclone as they climbed towards climax. Draco threw his arms around Harry's back and dug in his fingers as the swirling whirlwind whipped them with gale-force speed. His bollocks tightened and his breath hitched as orgasm welled up from deep inside.

He threw his head back as he came and arched as high as he could, pressing onto Harry's cock with every ounce of strength. The shout of ecstasy held suspended in his throat, paralyzed by the unprecedented peak that seized every muscle in his body. Finally the cry wrenched free, tearing at his larynx as he bucked wildly beneath the other man.

Harry's face was red, sweat beading across his forehead and temples as he came in pulsing shots. He grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut, cursing between his teeth in an elongated hiss. As the crest passed his thrusting slowed and finally he lowered himself to lay draped across Draco's body in sated exhaustion.

"You're crushing me," Draco grunted beneath the full weight of Harry's muscled body.

"Sorry," Harry raised himself up and slipped free with a kiss. He laid down beside Draco, and raised his hand, a cleansing charm on his lips.

"Don't," Draco brushed his hand away. "Scourgify," he said, clearing the remnants away.

They laid together quietly, heads nestled side by side, fingers tracing lazy lines up and down each other's bodies. Harry's essence was calm, and if Draco wasn't mistaken it had diminished somewhat. He thought sex might be an acceptable substitute for releasing Harry's pressure if they couldn't find his wand.

"Draco," Harry said softly. The sound of his name, his personal name, not his family name, reawakened the gooseflesh on Draco's skin.

"Yes?" he murmured.

"What happened to the tent?"

Draco opened his eyes and stared up at the night sky, crisscrossed by a multitude of tree branches.

"That's a very good question," he said.

They sat up and looked around in bemused silence. The bedding was still there, along with their clothes. But the tent was completely missing and the fire had gone out.

"I think we might have fucked the tent out of existence," he said dryly.

He searched his clothing for his wand and then cast Lumos to look around. Harry dressed quickly and then offered to hold the lighted wand as Draco dressed. The tip flared brilliantly when he took the wand from Draco's hand, illuminating the area like a floodlight.

"Give me that," Draco took his wand back. "You'll blind us both,"

"Sorry," Harry gave him a sheepish crooked smile that made Draco want to undress him all over again. Then Harry frowned as he noticed the West Ham shield on Draco's T-shirt. "I used to have a shirt like that," he said. "I've been looking for the bloody thing for months."

"Well," Draco cleared his throat awkwardly. "This is your shirt. Hermione gave it to me for Tracking. But I've sort of been wearing it."

"You've been wearing my shirt?" Harry smiled again, this time sweetly. He pulled Draco in and kissed him again.

They found the tent after a bit of searching and a Lumos Maximus or two. It was caught up high in a nearby tree, dangling by a corner and fluttering in the wind. Draco called it down and reset it with a flick and a twist.

"Frankly I'm surprised my arse is still in one piece," Draco said as he tossed his bag inside. Harry blushed furiously and snorted into his hand.

Draco set protective wards around the perimeter of the campsite to keep out predators, then they curled up together and fell asleep.