Chapter Fourteen:

Home

A/N: Please read, Review, and enjoy! No longer will I have a Beta, so if there are mistakes don't be mad at me! ^^ Song artist: Breaking Benjamin.

But the rest of the Fic is dedicated to Kyte Pheonix, thanks so much for all your awesome Beta-ing so far!

I've got a little red bow

And I bought it for you

'cause I know you're not fair

I don't get it, oh well

and you colour my skin

But the colours don't blend

'Cause I'm gonna get you

and you're little dog too.

There's a yellow brick road

That we follow back home

There's no place like home.

XXXX

The wind whipped through the hollow streets of Hogsmeade; the candles on storefront windows long blown out, the rain pattered down lightly into overflowing puddles. Without even stopping to think, Harry bolted towards the edge of the Wizarding village to where the Shrieking Shack stood on its own. Harry entered through the front door and headed to the tunnel through the floor boards. All of his senses were on overload, paying attention to the smallest of movements as he went over counter curses continuously in his head.

His nerves refused to cool down until he exitted the pathway nearby an hour later. After touching the knot to still the Whomping Willow, he found what energy was left in him to run to the castle of Hogwarts.

Despite the dire circumstancces, Harry felt nostalgia as he came through the Entrance Halls of his old school. Over the past five years it really had become the definition of home to him. Knowing it was past curfew, Harry hurried his way to the Wing of the Castle where he knew the entrance to Dumbledore's office was. He couldn't spare any further delays - he didn't want Draco to get sick of worrying, waiting for his return to Durmstrang.

He stood anxiously at the statue of the Eagle, his mind racing with names of Muggle candies and before he could spill any of them, the statue sprang to life and a staircase was turned upwards from the floor. Harry smiled thankfully for Dumbledore's near-omniscience as the old Headmaster, the greatest Wizard alive, descended down the stairs in a light blue robe. His long silver hair was tangled from wayward sleep, he looked grim and weary beneath his halfmoon glasses instead of cheery and prosperous as he usually was.

"Mr Potter," Dumbledore began calmly, "We must bring you to Madame Pomfrey, but please let us not waste anytime," he then swept past Harry who confusedly blinked before hurriedly following the Headmaster.

"Sir, I'm fine really bu-"

"Do you know who it was that took you, Harry?"

"Took me? Er, no sir. I've been trying to think...hang on, how did you know I was even taken?" Harry asked, stopping in his stride.

Dumbledore swiped around and had an flashing fiery look in his eye as he grabbed a handfull of Harry's clothes in his hand, "Your magical aura is severely wounded, I can see it Mr Potter. So you don't know who. Please, tell me how and where to were you taken?"

"I-I still can't remember how. I think I was poisoned, or Obliiated, because I can't recall any of it. Last I remember I was leaving the Hallow's Eve Ball at Durmstrang and then...then I woke up as a prisoner in the Riddle Manor," Harry had begun walking hastily beside the old man once more who sent him a quick sideways glance.

"The Riddle Manor, you say? What happened there, can you remember any faces, Harry? Any at all?" Dumbledore's questions all seemed rushed, his breath hitched. Harry hadn't seen him this frantic, and he decided it best to leave his own questions till later.

"Yessir. There was Wormtail, Macnair, Rosenburg and Malfoy. B-But Lucius helped me! If it weren't for him and Draco, I would've never gotten away!" Harry quickly added.

"Voldemort was there, Harry?"

"Yessir, I think that's their Headquarters, they were everywhere!"

"Now Harry, I need you to listen quickly to me for the whereabouts of Tom Riddle are matters that need to be dealt with immediately. I awoke as soon as you broke the wards of the Castle and Firecalled Madame Pomfrey who is waiting for you in the Hospital Wing. Tell her all that you can and I will rejoin you when it is possible," Dumbledore quickly ordered, his high tone of authority firmly in place.

"But-"

"Harry, time is not our friend!" Dumbledore hissed importantly.

Harry swallowed and nodded slowly before watching Dumbledore turn away and suddenly disapparate without a sound. Of course was the only one that could do that in his own castle. He then made his way to the Hospital Wing, where surely enough Madame Pomfrey stood at the entrance ushering him in.

"I can't say I'm happy to see you here again, Potter," she mumbled tiredly, still in her nightgown as she led him to a bed.

Harry attempted to chuckle but instead only rasped. He did as he was told and as Madame Pomfrey examined him, he explained the details of all that he could remember from the night of Halloween until the moment he sat in the Hospital Wing. The mediwtich made hymns and haws the entire time, listening carefully to his story as well as finishing off her tests.

"Alright then, I want you to take one of these now and rest up. When you wake up, there'll be another one on your bedside table and you will need to take it. I'll asses you again in the morning Mr Potter, but for now your body needs to generate itself," Poppy explained tiredly.

"But, I really feel fine. Shouldn't I-"

"It is your magical core that is most damaged, Mr Potter, and it is what needs the rest. In the morning, Professor Dumbledore will have returned from his business and will wish to speak with you I am most certainly positive. Now drink this and sleep," she clipped, shoving an uncorked vial of clear liquid in Harry's direction.

He eyed it for a moment before taking it into his own hands and throwing the icy liquid down his throat. Right after he swallowed, he couldn't even remember going to sleep.

XXXX

"Shush, Ronald! Do you not remember being told to keep his appearance secret?" Hermione's voice drifted in from the corridor just as the morning sun began to rise.

"Yeah, but who else is awake at this bloody hour anyway 'Mione?" Ron countered before he stifled a yawn.

Harry slowly woke and began to grin as he heard the usual bickering of his two best friends. He pulled himself up on his bed and quickly downed the second potion Madame Pomfrey had left for him. He rubbed his eyes just as he heard the two Gryffindor's enter the Hospital Wing.

"Oi mate, you're awake!" Ron said in surprise as he made quicker steps over to his friends bed, Hermione on his heels. He hugged him tightly before sitting down on the chairs around the bed.

"How are you feeling Harry?" Hermione asked softly after breaking away from a hug from him as well.

"Quite fine, really. Merlin, am I glad to see you two, it feels like its been years," he smirked, and even as he said that and his friends slowly smiled back at him, he felt as though the three were still closer than ever. Even with their lines of communication cutoff for months, he still believed them to be inseperable even by time.

"Yeah well, it's not really the best reason to be seeing you now is it," Ron chuckled, and with that snaked his arm around Hermione's shoulders who sat in the chair next to his.

Harry raised his eyebrow and couldn't help but let out a laugh at that, "So er, Dumbledore told you then?" he asked, not wanting to explain the events of the night before again.

"Professor McGonagall did. It must have been so terrible, Harry!" Hermione sighed sadly.

Harry shrugged, he needn't be reminded of something that couldn't be changed. "So when did you two finally happen?" he asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Oh, uhm...back in September. We were going to tell you but, never really got the chance to be honest," Ron blushed deeply as Hermione looked away, almost as if they were ashamed that Harry hadn't known.

"Well congrats on finally getting it together then you two! I'm happy for you," Harry said truthfully. And then reality hit him.

His lips recalled the soft touch of Draco's on his own. His arms around that slim body, his eyes gazing into those of liquid silver, and his rough fingers fumbling over his boyfriend's alabaster skin. He choked.

Harry felt more distant from his friends now then when he was at Durmstrang.

"You seem much happier than when you first left for Durmstrang," Hermione admitted curiously.

"Yeah, it's, er, not as bad as I'd have thought. I've met a few good people, and the lessons are fantastic. I really think they could help me with fighting Voldemort in the future," Harry admitted shyly, pushing down the pink blush that was rising on his cheeks at the thought of why he was so happy nowadays. It was all in his cunning, understanding, beautiful and intelligent companion. How was he supposed to just come out and confess his relationship with Draco Malfoy to two of the people the boy used to tease the most back at Hogwarts?

"That's fantastic. Too bad there aren't any girls for you to date over there," Ron winked, snuggling Hermione closer to him as she surpressed a small giggle.

"Uh, yeah, about that..."

The doors to the Hospital Wing suddenly swung open and in walked Dumbledore followed by Snape, Lupin and a large Black dog. "Sirius!" Harry called at once with a sloppy smile.

The large dog jumped onto of the bed and began to lick Harry's face happily in greeting. Harry laughed and patted his Godfather merrily before he leapt off and transformed into himself and winked at the boy. "Glad to see you're doing better, Harry," he smirked.

"Yes, Madame Pomfrey informed me that no serious damage was done. None that she did not reverse anyway," Albus spoke slowly, more calmly than he had been doing the night before.

Harry looked around at all the adults in the room and noticed the exhaustion on all their faces. "You didn't...goto Riddle Manor, did you sir?" he asked the older wizard.

"Yes Harry we did. Only a few minor Death Eaters remained and were successfully captured. It seems they relocated as soon as they found you inevitably escaped their grasps,"

"Smart Death Eaters," Sirius mumbled with a slight air of lightness in his voice.

"Lucius was still there and was glad to hear of your safety," Snape slurred between his clenched teeth.

"Malfoy? Why the bloody hell would he care?" Ron snapped, Hermione and Harry both turned to glare at him.

"We're all glad to see you're doing well Harry, but there's still much raiding of the Riddle Manor to be done," Remus said with a small, tired smile.

"Of course, I understand Moony," Harry nodded quickly, but then turned forlorningly to Sirius.

"Thankfully, I'm still Undesirable No.1, meaning you have me to your immediate disposal," his Godfather grinned largely, Harry mirroring him.

"I will return when your visiting is finished and Madame Pomfrey is convinced you are free to go, Harry. For now, I have a guest most anxious to see you," Dumbledore announced, a small smile creeping up his face.

Harry immediately smiled from ear-to-ear.

Draco.

"Please, sir, please send him in,"

Dumbledore nodded and began to lead Remus and Severus out of the Hospital Wing so they could return to the Riddle Manor. Just before he left he turned to smile over at Harry once more, "Congratulations on your new relationship, Harry. I find that in these times we cannot have enough people to trust,"

Harry turned crimson as all of those three of his friends remaining turned questioningly in his direction, "Thank you sir, I'm rather happy about it myself," he blushed.

"Happy about what, exactly?" Ron began to slowly ask.

Just as Dumbledore left, the sound of running footsteps were hear on the stone floor and an ill-kempt Draco Malfoy burst through the Hospital Wing doors and ran straight over to Harry's bed. Ignoring the others presence, he immediately jumped up ontop of the bed and tightly embraced Harry into his arms who melted into the familiar, comforting touch.

Even Ron's murderous, bedazzled, and confused screams didn't reach their ears and they hugged one another, as if it had been years.

Draco pulled back slightly to look down at Harry, and the emerald eyed boy decided to keep it to himself that he saw tears shining but unshed in those silver eyes as he tenderly clasped his face in his hands.

"Oh Harry, I was so scared. Oh Merlin, never do that to me again. Please never do that to me again," he begged softly and then bent down to capture Harry's dried lips in his own.

Harry sighed and kissed his boyfriend back before a shout of rage filled his eardrums and this time he was able to register it.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY YOU WILL KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN IN MY INFIRMARY! And Mr. Malfoy!" Madame Pomfrey said with utter surprise before turning her eye on him, "For whatever reason you are...assaulting my patient as you are, you will get off his bed this instant! This is a Hospital Wing, not a Droxy circus!" she cursed and mumbled before toddling away.

Draco smirked down at Harry before quickly kissing him once more, "Sorry for assaulting you, love,"

"No need, you're free to do it anytime," Harry smirked before realizing the implications of his own words and blushed harshly once more, making Draco laugh - a sound the two Gryffindor's hadn't truly heard.

"Well, you said you and Draco had gotten close but this isn't what I thought it was. Either way, I'm glad you've found somebody Harry," Sirius smirked

"Thanks Siri," Harry smiled half-heatedly, considering he couldn't get Hermione's pink face and Ron's rageful one out of his side vision.

"Listen, I can explain..."

"Explain why the bloody hell you were snogging a Ferret?" Ron snapped testily.

Draco raised an elegant eyebrow as he looked down to examine his fingernails, "I would choose your words wisely, Weasley. I believe by this point Harry has described the level of Dark Magic they teach us at Durmstrang," he teased and threatened.

"I-I'm really confused," Hermione spoke up softly.

"I said I'd explain, please just let me..."

"I will, I will," she quickly said, "I'm just confused about Mal-Draco,"

"Hm? The All-Knowing Granger getting confused? I thought that was unheard of!" Draco taunted.

"Draco," Harry whispered under his breath, his boyfriend's attitude wasn't going to help him any.

"It's just that...you've both been the top bachelor's of Witch Weekly for Two years now...and now you're together? What are people going to do?" Hermione whispered, she looked seriously perplexed by the situation.

Draco, Sirius, Harry and even the angered Ron shared a look before they all spoke one word at the sametime,

"Women,"