READ FIRST: Okay, just so you don't get confused. Yes, I skipped the sex scene last chapter and as some of you guessed – you all know me too well – I had a good reason for doing so, it's in this chapter as a memory which is where it may get confusing. About half way through you'll find italicized paragraphs; this is Harry essentially reliving his first time bottoming with Draco while actually having a conversation with him. So current time is normal and memory is italicized. (Note: Harry's thoughts are also italicized but they should be easy to differentiate.)

Digitallace: This is the interlaced scene I was telling you about…

Enjoy everyone and don't forget to review.

Chapter 17

Harry didn't have any trouble falling back to sleep that morning, he felt like his happiness had driven away all his other troubles and it lulled him into a warm and peaceful sleep. Ron woke him just shy of two hours later when the red-head discovered them both late for breakfast. They rushed to get dressed – Harry was anxious to see Draco again and Ron was anxious to snag some warm toast – and sprinted down to the common room together, nearly running head first into Alice.

"Alice!" Harry cried in surprise. "You running late too?"

"Yeah, I had trouble getting to sleep last night," she said.

Alice stood there looking at him with wide eyes and he knew what he had to do. After his night with Draco there was no way he could be with another person, not even in the way he was with Alice; superficially. Draco was perfect, he was everything, and if the world found out, well so be it, they would deal with it when they had to. He knew they would be together forever and nothing, not even Voldemort, would stop them.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said addressing his best friend. "You go ahead, I'll catch up okay?"

"Ah, sure," Ron replied. He squeezed Harry on the shoulder in a show of support and made his way down to the Great Hall.

"Can we talk for a second?" Harry asked Alice.

"Sure," she replied.

"I had a really good time the other day on our date," Harry started, thinking it was best to ease her into it with something positive.

"Yeah me too."

"Actually I always have fun with you," he said. "You're a really great person."

Alice smiled at him teasingly, but he could see the worry on her face. "I feel like there's a 'but' coming up here," she said.

"But – I just don't feel that way about you – romantically, I mean," he confessed.

He couldn't look her in the eye when he said it so he kept his eyes fixed on one of the couches in the common room instead.

"Oh, I guess I sort of knew already" Alice said, her voice cracked and she sounded defeated. "Still, I hoped I might be wrong."

"You knew already?" Harry asked, completely shocked.

Alice nodded lightly. "It's Malfoy, isn't it?" she asked as though she already knew the answer. "You love him."

"What!?" Harry exclaimed astonished at how much she knew; he suddenly felt like he didn't know Alice at all. "No," he said, trying to deny the truth in case she was only guessing. He could see her tears catching in her eyelashes.

"Don't lie, Harry. I know," she reprimanded him, catching his lie easily. "He's been bullying Joey relentlessly lately, not that Joe told me about it, but some of the older Hufflepuffs did," she explained.

"Your brother?" Harry asked gently, he remembered her talking about him once or twice before.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "I've seen Malfoy glaring at me across the Great Hall and following me in the corridors sometimes. I had no idea what was going on until I saw him at the Quidditch game yesterday. He was staring at you and I just knew."

"He was at my game?" Harry breathed in awe. He knew he shouldn't smile right now but he couldn't help it, Draco hadn't missed his game after all.

"Yeah, he wasn't in the stands though," Alice answered. "He was down near the castle."

"I thought he wasn't there," Harry whispered to himself, but Alice heard.

"That's why you were so miserable at dinner," she concluded. "Huh," she grunted as though she had just fit two pieces of information together. "Those rumours were true weren't they? You've been with him for months, long before me…"

"Allie," Harry pleaded with her, hoping she would understand.

She did understand. She understood far too much for Harry's liking.

"Did you use me?" she asked simply, a tear from each eye finally escaping to mark her cheeks.

"What? No, I-" Harry started before pausing upon seeing the look on her face. It was too late, she already knew and lying to her now would only make matters worse. "Yes, I'm sorry," he admitted finally.

"Wow, I'm such an idiot," she said laughing hollowly at herself.

"I'm sorry Allie," Harry apologized genuinely. "I know I hurt you but you can't tell anyone. Please. If his father found out…"

"I won't say anything," she promised after a tense moment between words. She wiped away the few tears she had shed and Harry saw the resolve in her eyes; she would not cry over him again. "Not for him though, he's a jerk, but I'll do it for you."

Harry nodded gratefully, but didn't say anything as he was sure there was nothing she wanted to hear.

"What you've done to me is cruel and I won't ever forgive you for it," she continued after a while. "We can't be friends, but I'll keep your secret."

Harry's chest tightened at these words and he suddenly felt unwell knowing she wouldn't be a part of his life anymore, not even as friends.

"Allie, please," he begged, hoping she would reconsider. "I'm sorry."

"As they say Harry," she finished with a sad smile, "you've made your bed now lie in it."

Harry watched her walk away feeling hurt all over, his only comfort was that Draco would feel more comfortable with things this way. He knew his boyfriend would be jealous if he and Alice remained friends so perhaps it was better for everyone that they didn't.

Harry wasn't even half way to the Great Hall when he was met by Hermione and Ron returning to Gryffindor Tower; Hermione looked unusually pale and rather shaken. Ron was holding her tightly around the waist as they walked.

Harry rushed up to them quickly. "What's wrong?" he asked Ron worriedly, referring to Hermione.

"She was one of the first there, she saw her," Ron explained.

"Saw who?" Harry asked. "What happened?"

"Someone killed Mrs. Norris and left her floating above Dumbledore's chair," Ron replied. "It's not an ordinary hovering spell either; they're still trying to get her down."

"What!?" Harry cried, once again shocked to the core. It was a good thing he was a fit and healthy 16 year old boy or he might have had a coronary by now.

"Yeah, Filch totally lost it, they had to take him to the hospital wing," Ron described sullenly. "Actually, that's not all," he continued, looking as though he suddenly remembered something.

"What?"

"It's Malfoy," Ron said. "People are talking as though he was the one that did it."

Harry didn't reply he just ran as fast as he could to the Great Hall. He was sprinting down the corridors and sliding at every turn he made. When he arrived he saw people crowding everywhere.

Damn, he thought, Draco could be anywhere in this!

He roughly pushed his way through the crowd and towards the Great Hall, as he got closer to the front it got harder to push through but he persisted even after a few students blatantly groped him as he passed by; he felt rather violated actually, but he was more frantic about finding Draco.

He heard the whispers about Draco almost as soon as he reached the crowd of people, catching snippets of conversations from random students.

"Did you hear-"

"Yes, Draco Malfoy."

"-sixth year Slytherin-"

"Did you see Mrs. Norris?"

"-blood everywhere-"

"You know, the evil blonde one."

The fear that Harry felt grip his chest as he heard whispered accusations of Draco's involvement with Mrs. Norris' death drove him further forward into the throng of students searching for a flash of white blonde hair. He didn't believe the accusations, but he was afraid that others did and their reaction should they find Harry's lover before he was there to protect him – well, he didn't want to think about it.

"Back! Everyone back!" Harry heard Professor McGonagall shout over the loud chatter of the students.

As everyone seemed to move back as a group, Harry pushed forward. He continued this dance with the crowd until he reached the front and caught a glimpse of Mrs. Norris. She was hanging as though her tail was hooked from the ceiling, her body was devoid of blood as it pooled underneath her staining the table and Dumbledore's golden chair. Her chest had been torn open and ripped apart and her insides were dangling out of her body. The smell was atrocious like they'd pierced her intestines in their frenzied attack. Whoever had done this to her had enjoyed every second as they mutilated her body.

Harry had to swallow back some sick that started to come up from his stomach. There was no way Draco had been involved in this and Harry wondered where on Earth people had gotten that idea in the first place.

"Back please Harry!" McGonagall shouted to him and he complied.

"Apparently it was Draco," Harry heard a dark haired Slytherin girl say. "Good on him I say, that cat was a menace!"

"Where is he?" Harry asked her before thinking about it.

"Get lost, Potter," she snapped at him, looking pleased with herself.

Harry drew his wand even though he knew he shouldn't; he couldn't help it he was bordering on a panic attack wondering where his lover was and whether someone had decided to exact revenge on him for his cruelty. He knew what his housemates were like and they wouldn't be kind after a stunt like this. He also knew that because it was Draco, they wouldn't stop to listen to reason either; they would think he deserved it whether he was actually responsible or not.

"Tell me now," he threatened the Slytherin girl with the tip of his wand aimed at her heart.

She just whimpered and pointed down towards the dungeons.

As soon as he glimpsed Draco his chest tightened again because inconceivably Draco was smiling – grinning actually – surrounded by a group of Slytherin thugs Harry hadn't seen Draco with in a long time. They were touching him, patting him on the back, gripping his shoulders tightly in a show of brotherhood and camaraderie; Harry stopped dead in his tracks to watch the sight. He stared at them, time seemed to slow and his eyes focused on Draco's face and his smile, his lips and instead of making him feel weak in the knees as they would normally do made Harry feel sick to the stomach. He knew before he even approached Draco that this beautiful man was entirely responsible for the state Mrs Norris was in at this present time and he was basking in the glory showered upon him by his Slytherin brothers.

Draco looked up at Harry with those startling grey eyes and in an instant Harry was transported back into the blonde's arms; they held each other naked as his pale silky skin moved around him and inside him – when, for the first time, Harry had showed his boyfriend how much he loved and trusted him.

Harry felt sick and came dangerously close to throwing up. 'No,' he thought to himself as he swallowed back the sick feeling once more. 'It's not true, it's not possible. There is a reasonable explanation and Draco will tell me. He loves me.' And with that burst of reassurance Harry pushed through the crowd towards Draco pulling him away from his adoring fans and into as private a corner as he could manage in this panicked room.

"Hey," he whispered. "Why is everyone saying you killed Mrs. Norris?"

Harry searched the empty grey eyes for a hint of shock at such a ridiculous claim; he found nothing but fear in them.

"Harry, not here," Draco begged.

Why didn't he deny it? Was it was true? Did he kill her?

Harry searched those wide grey eyes for the truth and he found it shining there as clear as day.

Oh God, Harry thought. He did.

His heart ripped from his chest. He could almost see it, feel it beating outside of his body. He felt his limbs go numb, first his fingers and toes then he felt the numbness travel through his veins like poison stealing every feeling from his body. He was left with nothing but the memory of that face, those eyes as they made love the night before. Images flashed through his mind and enveloped his soul as though reminding him of what he had so he would feel the full force of it being torn from him in this moment.

"You didn't, did you?" Harry pleaded for Draco to deny it – deny it and just hold him until everyone and everything disappeared and all that was left was them – together – it was all that mattered. "You didn't-" Harry couldn't even finish.

Draco kissed Harry roughly at first; fixing their mouths together with his hands firmly locked in Harry's thick raven hair. Harry moaned and it was as though that small noise reminded Draco to control himself; this was about Harry. He began to kiss his lover tenderly with short, sweet, gentle pecks over and over again.

"Harry, I can't do this, not here…" Draco whispered, he tried to grab Harry's wrists but the angry Gryffindor yanked them out of his reach.

"Just say you didn't do it! Say it!" Harry didn't exactly yell this out, but his voice wasn't whispered like it usually was when talking to Draco in public.

Draco's hands floated sensually along Harry's exposed skin, kissing him with his fingertips and tickling him gently. Draco's arms were wrapped tightly around his naked chest; holding him close as if he was trying to pull Harry into his soul to join them together always so they'd never have to part.

"I can't," Draco whimpered pathetically, his eyes were downcast.

"You killed her?" Harry gasped, knowing Draco had just confessed his involvement with her death. He had known it already but Harry still felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach, knocking all the wind out of his chest. He was struggling to breathe.

Harry thought Draco's fingers – as they skillfully prepared him for the larger intrusion to come – felt amazing, but that was nothing compared to the shattering mixture of pleasure and pain he experienced when Draco entered him for the first time. He could feel Draco moving inside him, carefully sliding in and out with strong rhythmic thrusts. Harry felt full, he felt whole and complete with Draco inside him like this.

"I had to." Draco barely spoke but Harry still heard him, they were standing so close together and people were starting to notice. Harry felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. His numbed hands didn't register Draco's strong grasp of them but a few others in the room did.

"Why?" Harry asked, his voice and sad eyes were as pathetically desperate as Draco's.

He could hear Draco whispering in his ear. "Oh God, Harry! You feel perfect!"

"Harry, people are looking," Draco hissed. "Can we do this later?" Despite his words Draco never let go of Harry's hands, although the dazed young man never noticed.

"What did she ever do to deserve that!?" Harry growled; his anger licked at him as he felt Draco's betrayal drown him in this gigantic room that suddenly seemed too small.

Harry could feel Draco's hot breath tickling the back of his neck; with every moan Draco would lean into Harry just a little further, enough for his soft, wet lips to connect with Harry's flesh, kissing his neck and he could feel his desire burn hotter. Sweat was forming along his forehead.

"Harry," Draco pleaded again. "Please, I can explain but not now."

"This isn't like you! You're not some demented cat-killing sociopath! Why would you do that?" Harry hissed.

Nearly everyone had noticed their odd exchange of words by now and they were all listening in.

"Tell me!" Harry demanded.

Draco just looked at him, his mouth gaping open as words seemed to fall silently away from him.

"Uh," Harry grunted in shock as something seemed to fall into place for him. "Dumbledore," he whispered to himself, but Draco could hear even if their audience couldn't. "She above his – left for Dumbledore. A message," he stuttered.

Draco moved inside him so well, so gently. Harry didn't feel like he was being fucked, he didn't even feel his climax building; all he felt was this explosion of emotion inside his chest. Love. He felt like he could stay here forever.

Draco's faced washed with alarm just for a moment – a fraction of a moment – but it was enough for Harry to know he was on the right track. "You're threatening him," Harry stated as he remembered his conversation with Ron and Hermione about the stalker photos of him.

Oh God, the photos.

Harry's face which was, until now, largely expressionless opened in shock and then frowned with hurt once again as he made another connection; he stepped back from Draco who stepped forwards with him so they were just as close as before.

"Jesus, the photos!" Harry gasped softly. "The one in my bedroom, I was sleeping. It was you? Is this – Mrs Norris – is it about me?"

He could smell Draco all over him; his shampoo, the soap he uses and something else that's just Draco. He could feel the fragrance like it was a blanket wrapping him up; safe and warm in the scent of his sweetheart. Protected.

Draco's eyes left Harry's for a second to glance around the room into the faces of hundreds of students watching their exchange with a mixture of shock, interest and disgust. Draco dropped Harry's hand like a hot potato and for the first time the young Gryffindor noticed it had even been held. This small action – which paled in comparison to Draco's current betrayal – felt like another hit to the stomach.

"God, Potter! You're so up yourself aren't you?" Draco spat at him. "Why does everything have to be about you!?"

"Why are you doing this?" Harry whimpered, suddenly desperate for this boy who was currently killing him to touch him again – just one last time.

Draco's breath was starting to catch in his throat, Harry could feel him tighten his hold around his waist pulling him in closer again. Draco's thrusts quickened for a moment before they slowed again. Harry knew Draco was trying to control himself so he wouldn't hurt him.

"Doing what, Potter?" Draco snapped again, although this time it didn't have quite so much bite. "You better be careful! Don't go accusing me of anything…"

The nausea and dizziness Harry had been fighting off overtook him as he came to fully realize what Draco had been doing while Harry was busy falling in love with him.

For the first time Harry concentrated on his own excitement which while building had been overshadowed by other more intense feelings as he gave himself completely to Draco. The heat in his groin burned hotter than it ever had before and he instinctively reached down to stroke himself furiously. "God Draco," he choked out, "Fuck me – harder, babe – please!"

Harry turned from Draco and pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered around them. He fled to the nearest bathroom without looking back and flung himself through the door and into the nearest stall.

Draco released his chest and moved his hands down to Harry's hips to steady himself and his love as his pace quickened and he pumped in and out of him; faster and faster. Harry could feel his climax building and his balls tighten. "Urgh, Harry!" Draco groaned into his ear as he emptied himself into his boyfriend's arse. That was all Harry needed to hear as he too released a cry, squirting thick white come over his hand and Draco's sheets.

Harry heaved out the contents of his mostly empty stomach into the toilet bowl. He felt his stomach tighten again as he gagged into the toilet with nothing coming up. Again his stomach clenched and this time the vomit burned his throat as it came up; he coughed and spluttered yellow bile into the toilet.

The bathroom door creaked as he heard someone enter.

"Harry?" they called to him.

It was Ron.

Harry fell asleep in Draco's arms just like that; Draco stayed inside of him, filling him, until his cock fell asleep too and slipped out of its own accord. Harry felt blissfully content in this position. 'Come and get me if you want to Voldemort,' he thought, 'because right now I feel like I could take on the whole world and win.'

Ron pushed open the door to the stall Harry hid in; he didn't have time to lock it as he threw his head into the toilet.

"Oh Jesus," Ron mumbled as he looked over Harry.

Harry felt very small. His hair was messy, his cheeks were tearstained and his mouth burned with the taste of vomit. He turned from Ron and threw up again.

"So it's true, it was him?" Ron asked, not really expecting Harry to answer, it was obvious what the answer was.

Ron sat himself behind Harry placing one hand on Harry's shoulder and the other he used to rub his back soothingly as the crumpled boy dry retched into the toilet, having nothing left in him to throw up.

Harry felt hollow; cold, empty and so alone.

"He won't get away with it," Ron whispered dangerously. "Everyone knows. We'll get him, don't worry."

Harry choked out another sob and fresh tears stained his cheeks. "I'm so stupid!" Harry berated himself. "The whole time it was him! The photos – everything…" Harry looked up at Ron with his sad sparkling green eyes. "And you all knew, didn't you? You, Hermione, Dumbledore – you all told me over and over, but I didn't want to believe-" Harry choked on the end of his sentence as another wave of emotion hit him.

"You all knew he was using me," Harry whispered pathetically.

Ron sighed. "I really wanted to be wrong," he whispered, "more than anything."

Harry fell back into Ron's embrace. "I really loved him," he said. "So much."

Cue longest Author's note EVER, please read as I explain some extra stuff…

No touchies! (Code for 'please don't hurt me!')

Oh GOD! Is that me ruining their relationship again!? And when you've all been so good review-wise… I did it good and proper this time too, didn't I? Don't worry this isn't a punishment, I planned this from the beginning – the punishment break up was totally unplanned and worked in just to be mean to you all!

You all knew it was coming anyway didn't you? I tried to be a little subtle about it but I think I failed spectacularly.

Extras 1: I timed it all perfectly so Harry would be constantly fighting his friends (and Dumbledore) about his relationship with Draco (so he'd feel like a big shmuck when Draco turns out to be exactly what his friends – and Dumbledore – told him he was) and only hours after Harry finally confesses his feelings and gives himself completely to Draco this happens!

Extras 2: Also I won't work it into the next few chapters because this is a minor detail considering everything else, but just so you know – because it sickens me to know – Harry came to Draco after Mrs Norris had been killed, hence Draco freshly showered. The little prick actually made love to Harry that way after setting up that little morning surprise for the rest of Hogwarts! Doesn't that just make you gag? Did he actually think he would get away with it? I guess there's no great time to say 'oh and um just ignore the dead cat at breakfast okay?' when you are having sex.

Also hands up who cried… come on, admit it! I cried just writing the damn thing…

Extras 3: Oh and I don't really know when the best time is to tell you – it's probably not now, as I'm already going to get a bashing I think – but this story is almost at a close. There will be 20 chapters to the story so only 3 left after this one.

Review please… and remember I love you all (and I love Harry and Draco too!) so don't hit too hard xo

Runs away to hide under her bed from all the torch-and-pitch-fork wielding readers shouting 'Burn her! Burn the witch – I mean bitch! Burn the bitch!'

If she weighs the same as a duck... she's made of wood.

And therefore...

...A witch!