"You are not putting that cage in the bedroom, Potter."

"Well he has to go somewhere," Harry set the skink's terrarium down on the parlor cocktail table.

"I don't know why you need it anymore," Draco raised an eyebrow. "It's clearly a substitute for me, and now you have me."

"He is not!" Harry protested. "Just because he's white and I named him Dragon-" his voice petered out and he shook his head with a laugh. "Maybe you're right, maybe he is a substitute."

"You can put it downstairs in the shop," Draco said. "But I'm not promising he won't get eaten."

"By what?" Harry's eyes widened.

"Where is she? Millie said she dropped her off this morning," Draco peered beneath the sofa. "There you are," he scooped the black Persian cat into his arms and held her up for Harry to see. "Harry, I'd like you to meet, er, Hairy."

Harry looked at him over the top of his glasses. "Beg pardon?"

"Don't read too much into it," Draco said. "It's Hairy, like long hair."

"Right," Harry smirked dubiously.

"No really, and I didn't name her anyway," Draco said. "It's a coincidence."

"Right."

"Well you have a lizard named Dragon!" Draco shouted.

"Indeed I do, Draco," Harry chuckled. "Here, let me hold my namesake."

"She's not-"

"Hello!" Hermione's voice came through the Floo. "Can we come through?"

"Come on, then," Draco waved his hand and rubbed his temples.

Suddenly the parlor was filled with Gryffindors and offspring. Hermione burst into tears the instant she arrived, which caused Rose to start crying, which drew Harry's attention to the baby, which cause him to start crying. Ron and Draco exchanged a look across the room and each went to comfort their partners.

"Uh," Ron looked up with a face full of doubt as he eyed Draco's arm around Harry's shoulders. "What's all this, then?"

"Oh," Harry looked up now, tears arrested. "Well. You both know that I'm, you know."

"Sort of," Hermione cocked her head and shushed the baby. "I mean really? I thought you were still working that out."

"It's long past worked out," Harry said. He took Draco's hand in his and blushed. "And there's always been something here. Just never really spoken aloud. Until now."

"Oh cut to the chase, he's moving in with me," Draco rolled his eyes. Hermione and Ron stared at him in shock.

"I said bring him home, not shack up with him!" Ron shouted.

"Please calm down," Harry pleaded. "This is who I am, and this is what I want. It's either this or I go back to live among people who don't care."

"Well I'm not paying five hundred Galleons for this," Ron huffed.

"Harry, we want you to be happy," Hermione said. "You don't have to live up to our expectations. It's your life. It always has been."

"No it hasn't," Harry said sadly. "But from now on it will be."

"So you're staying, then?" Ron asked. "You're not going to live as a muggle anymore?"

"I'm going to keep my job at the bookstore," Harry said. "I like it and I like my coworkers. But I've given up the flat and I'll come home to Diagon Alley at night, I suppose. Maybe help out in the shop a bit." He checked Draco for agreement.

"Damn straight. I'm not feeding that bloody lizard, so you'd better show up to take care of it." Draco said. "For your information Granger, he named his pet after me, too. So you can keep your thoughts about my cat to yourself."

Hermione and Ron stared at him like he'd lost his mind. And maybe he had, he thought. Because what could be more mad than this? Six years out of school, six years spent reinventing himself and putting Hogwarts behind him, and here he was holding hands with Harry Potter and entertaining Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. If there was anything more mad than that, he didn't want to hear it.

"Draco! Are you there?"

"Oh sweet Merlin," Draco sighed. "Yes, pile on in, Millie."

"Salazar!" she exclaimed as she climbed through the Floo. The cozy parlor was crowded now. Draco shoved Harry over on the sofa to make room for Millicent on the other side.

"Millicent," Hermione said coolly.

"Hermione," Millicent raised a groomed eyebrow in return.

"Ladies, let's start fresh, shall we?" Draco said. "No use getting into a debate over who put whom into a headlock in second year."

Millicent sat up straight and cleared her throat uncomfortably. Hermione busied herself with the baby. The silence was thick.

"I hear you're a healer now," Ron said.

"I am," Millicent smiled. "Turns out I had a knack for something after all."

"And I hear you're dating," Ron's cheeks flushed.

"You didn't really say it, did you?" Millicent's eyes bugged out at Draco.

"It might have slipped out."

"Merlin," she buried her face in her hands. She glanced over and noticed Harry's hand intertwined with his. "Hold on, what's that?"

"It's exactly what it looks like," Draco said.

"Darling!" she squealed and kissed him on the cheek. "Good thing, too, Potter. He's been in love with you for ages. Totally in denial about it, though."

"Millie," Draco groaned. He wished he could crawl under the sofa and hide.

"Now we're even," she smirked.

"Slytherins," Ron shook his head in amazement.

"It's okay," Harry squeezed Draco's hand. "I've been totally in denial about you for years, too."

Hermione and Ron exchanged an uncomfortable look. Millie squealed in delight again.

"Well this has been lovely," Draco raised his voice. "But Tracking takes a lot out of me and I'd like to get some rest."

"I need to finish unpacking, too," Harry said.

The Weasley family and Milicent all agreed to let them have some peace and quiet. Hugs went all around, which resulted in an embarrassing accidental embrace between Milicent and Ron, and then they were all through the Floo.

Harry spotted a small baby sock on the floor and held it up for inspection. "They forgot this."

"Never mind that, Potter," Draco sighed. "I suspect they're going to be traipsing through that Floo often enough that it will work itself out."

"You really don't mind?" Harry slipped his arms around Draco's waist and kissed his neck.

"Keep doing that and I won't mind if they ask us to babysit," Draco moaned.

"Really?" Harry leaned back and eyed him suspiciously.

"Merlin no, are you mad?" Draco made a gagging face. "There's only so far any one man can change."

"Maybe so," Harry murmured. "I guess I'll just have to find that out for myself."

Draco kissed him deeply and took him by the hand, fingers laced together as they escaped to the bedroom. He looked up and met brilliant green eyes, not fleeting this time, no longer the look of missed opportunity. Harry laid him back on the bed and quirked his lips in a smile.

"What's that look for?" he asked.

"I was just thinking," Draco threaded his fingers through Harry's hair, "I won't have to wait another six years for this. You're going to be here every day."

"I'd die if I had to wait another six years," Harry leaned greedily into his touch. "Promise me something."

"What's that?"

"Promise if I ever leave, you'll always come find me." Harry said softly.

"I wouldn't worry about that, Potter," Draco said. "Now that I've gotten the taste of you, I would track you to the ends of the earth."

THE END