Harry hears the knock at the door, but doesn't look away from the easel. "Come."

The door opens and Draco strides into the room on purposeful feet, shoes tapping lightly on the wooden floor. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

Harry throws a sheet over the easel and swivels in the chair to face him. "Of course not. I was just finishing up for the night."

"I wondered if I might have a moment of your time."

Draco's face is set in determination, hands held close at his side.

He's made a decision.

"I always have time for you, Draco." It comes out far lower than he intended, and Draco's eyes dilate at the silky undertone.

"You said before that I should consider seeing a Mind Healer."

Harry rests his hands on his knees as Draco begins a slow, pacing circle about the room. "If that's what you need, then yes."

"I've already seen one," Draco replies, glancing around at the walls in no particular fashion. "When I came back from Switzerland. It was," he pauses, "necessary at the time."

"I see."

Draco continues on his aimless journey, but never gets really far. He's not more than five feet away from Harry at any given point.

"I was low, lower than I have ever been, even after the war, when I came back. My head was in all sorts of places, and I admit to…unhealthy ways of coping."

Harry swivels in his chair to keep his eyes on Draco's face. "Unhealthy?"

"Mindless sex." Draco waves a dismissive hand in the air. "More of the same I experienced with Blaise. Ruthless Doms, violent ones. Some Muggle drugs. Potions, too. Those four months after my return are a bit of a blur. But I realized I needed help, so I went to a Mind Healer. Very discreet. Ravenclaw. It was very therapeutic. I learned a lot about myself. And I vowed never to get into a situation like that again." He stops and shoots Harry a sad smile. "If only for Mother's sake."

Harry nods. "Yes, I can imagine she was quite distressed."

"Distressed?" Draco half-laughs. "She was absolutely livid with me for being an idiot. She warned me about Blaise in the first place, but I was just out of prison, Father had died, our reputation was in shambles, and we were scraping by on our last galleon. Admittedly, I didn't intend to fall into bed with Blaise. I went to Switzerland for the purpose of rebuilding the family wealth. I thought Blaise would merely be the cherry on the sundae." He lowers his gaze to the floor and shakes his head. "I was wrong."

Draco continues on his trek around the studio, glancing at Harry out of the corner of his eye every now and then. Harry keeps circling on the chair, tracking his every movement.

"I know you seem to think that I was embroiled in some sort of domestic violence, and in hindsight, yes, it was. But not to the degree you're thinking. I wanted what he offered. I thought it was what I needed. I thought I needed to be punished, and Blaise wanted someone to punish." His gaze flicks to Harry and he smiles. "It should have been the perfect arrangement. But you see, Blaise only unleashed himself in the bedroom. Outside of that, we were the typical pure-blood couple. Poised, driven, socially desirable in certain circles. My name still carried more weight than his in society, much like it had in school. His inferiority complex is truly breathtaking." Draco sighs and puts his hands in his pockets, craning his neck back to look at the ceiling. "The bedroom was the only place he could take out his jealousy and berate me for my standing. And I let him."

Draco is silent for a moment, his brows are furrowed, and Harry can almost see the words tumbling around in his head.

"Everything that happened between us was consensual. Soberly and knowingly consensual. I took it because I thought I deserved it. His sin was my atonement."

"Draco—"

He holds up a hand. "Please let me finish. If I don't say this now, I don't think I'll have the courage again."

Harry nods and Draco continues.

"Blaise was my first experience with this kind of relationship, and I was ignorant to some of the forms it can take. I—I have a need to submit, I know that now. And I know that it comes from a different place than I originally thought. I sought men who were like Blaise, terrible and cruel, because I thought that's how Doms are. I didn't think the way I needed to submit would ever be in line with any Dom's need to control. And once I was in a place to make a better decision, it wasn't worth the effort involved to try to find someone who could fit my needs. And then you drop in here and all the memories come flooding back, and I find myself responding to you. Good and bad."

Draco stops pacing and walks closer to Harry, stopping in front of him. His eyes are sad, a little bright, and utterly beautiful. "I've had nothing but pain and humiliation with this type of relationship. I've been disappointed and hurt. And for a long time I thought I would rather be alone that have to endure that again. And you say that it's real, what I want. That I can give you control and let myself go. Let myself feel. Because that's what I need. I have been raised to maintain control of myself my entire life. To be in control of every situation, every outcome. To have the advantage, no matter what it takes. To always wear a mask of superiority and never show my true feelings." Draco averts his gaze and swallows, steeling himself. When he looks back to Harry, he says, "Emotions are sometimes uncomfortable for me. It makes me feel vulnerable and a Malfoy is never vulnerable."

Harry hears Lucius Malfoy's voice in Draco's tone.

"Blaise wanted more than I could provide, and he wanted something completely different. He is a sadist, through and through. While I—I am no masochist." Draco takes in a deep breath, and his gaze flickers across Harry's face. "He wanted something without bounds, someone he could debase and degrade to no end. No limits. And I couldn't stomach that, not with his intentions."

There's a banked fire in the corner of Harry's heart, one that's been put aside to be forgotten. Draco's admission has funneled oxygen into it, enlarging it, spreading it out, and now it's creeping across his bones in a white-hot burn. Draco is wrong. So very, very wrong. Because what Harry sees in front of him is not a man with conditions. Draco is not a man who will be bound by reservation. He is not a man who will thrive under the oppression of his own fear.

Harry's voice is firm. "We will have no boundaries. We will go where you have never been before. And then we will go farther. We will be limitless."

"Harry—"

Harry shakes his head and smiles as he stands, placing himself directly in front of Draco. He feels the heat from Draco's body, gets a nose full of his aftershave. Draco swallows, but stands his ground.

"I'm not going to throw you into the deep end of the pool and watch drown, Draco. There is an order to be observed, and we will observe it. If you can trust me, there is nothing we can't do. I want this relationship, and I want you. It's your choice."

Draco inhales sharply and huffs out through his nose. "Then I choose yes. I choose to commit myself into your hands."

"Completely?"

"Completely. I am yours." Draco's eyes cut into his so fiercely, Harry has to clench his fists to keep from dragging Draco to his chest. "So bind me. Bleed me. Or break me."

Harry leans in and savors the moist heat of Draco's breath on his cheek as he says, "I don't want to break you, Draco. I want to set you free."

"Then do it. Because I can't go on like this. Not anymore."

Harry steps back and gives him a thorough perusal. When he finds his voice, he puts every last inch of steel into it.

"Tomorrow night. My room. Nine o'clock."

"Yes, Harry."

Harry watches him turn and walk away. Gone is the defeated slump Harry's been accustomed to seeing on Draco's shoulders. Just as he's about to cross the threshold, Harry calls after him, "I'll be waiting. Don't be late."

Draco swivels to face him and Harry can see a light in his eyes. "A Malfoy is always punctual." The little grin that slides across his lips makes Harry want to tackle him and fuck him into the floor. "Especially when he's the guest of honor."

Harry smirks in spite of himself. "Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight, Harry."

When the door shuts, Harry sucks in a harsh breath and adjusts the erection that's been insistent in his jeans.

Yes. Limitless.