Chapter Fifteen:

Love You Madly

A/N: Read, Review, Enjoy!! I estimate that this story shall be finished by the end of April - no promises though, you never know what could pop up! xD

Love You Madly - CAKE

I don't want to wonder/If this is a blunder

I don't want to worry whether/We're gonna stay together

Till we die.

I don't want to jump in/Unless this music's thumping,

All the dishes rattle in the cupboards/When the elephants arrive.

I want to love you madly/I want to love you now,

I want to love you madly, way/I want to love you, love you

Love you madly.

*

It wasn't the best way to end a Sunday; Harry pretending to laugh at the Slytherins (mostly Draco's) expense. Nobody thought anything was wrong with this, the Sixth Year Gryffindor's were just glad that their friend was at least joining them in their escapades once again. Harry was just overtly glad that Monday had finally come around, because the more he looked forward to it the longer it seemed to take. Now sitting at dinner, Harry felt like minutes had suddenly turned to hours. Across the hall...things weren't much better for a certain Slytherin.

'At least he is smiling. All because of me,' he thought smugly between bites of his chicken. "Draco darling, do you have any idea what month it is?" Pansy's irritable voice found its way into his head.

He turned a stern gaze towards her, "October," he simply responded with tightness.

"Yes but...what's in October, luv?" she cooed, closing the distance between the two on the bench and confidentally putting her arm around Draco's waist.

"Hallow's Eve," Draco said shortly, shrugging her off and ignoring the pout that had followed his actions.

"I still will never understand why you fight us. We are meant to be married," she frowned heavily, crossing her arms as Crabbe and Goyle snickered at Draco. Even they understood why he protested this so much.

"My Father is no longer around, therefore the agreement is nullified, understood? So back off, Parkinson," Draco warned icily, turning back to his meal and thoughts of Harry without a second glance. Pansy huffed and gathered her things, as she stood she sent a glare at the sniggering Slytherin's.

"I expect you to be taking me to the Ball at the end of the month...I've even got costumes picked out for us," Pansy explained stubbornly.

'Urgh...why did Father ever have to set me up with such a pest?' "Pansy...you know I am not ever going to be seen with you at any sorts of Balls or public outings. It is already torturous enough that we are in the same House, now could you just bugger off and play out your little fantasies elsewhere?" he grumbled lightly, never once taking his eyes off his plate as he daintily ate.

Pansy stood with a slightly shocked expression; who knew why, Draco did always turn her down. "Fine then, but you'll be begging to get back together with me in no time!" she huffed and turned on her heel, stalking out of the Great Hall with nobody paying her much mind.

"Hah, you wish, pug," Draco whispered to himself with a snicker. Crabbe and Goyle allowed themselves to laugh more loudly now, Draco smirked. 'I love those two. I do not give a damn how daft they might be, but they always find the expense of Parkinson funny just as I do,'

"Crabbe, Goyle, would you cover for me tonight if Snape ends up poking around?"

"Sure, where yah off to, Malfoy?" Crabbe grinned knowingly.

"I bet he's got a hot date," Goyle nudged his friend with a wink, and they both smirked as Draco raised an eyebrow at them.

"Not that it is any of your business, but yes I do," he grinned maliciously. 'Oh, Harry, and a hot date it will certainly be...'

"Who is it this time? Not that same lass from Ravenclaw...what was her name...? Anne, Annie..."

"Wasn't it a bloke last time? I was certain it was Fletchy," Crabbe interupted his friend, both smirking like wild baffoons.

"I would not dare touch a Hufflepuff with a ten foot poll!" Draco snapped, feeling rather misjudged at the moment, "But yes, it is a bloke and no I am not telling who so do not get your hopes up. You know, it would not hurt the two of you to get out with somebody other than each other every once and awhile...there has got to be somebody in this school willing to uh..." the blonde turned to his friends and looked them up and down. "Nevermind, misjudged myself," he concluded, the two larger boys chortled with laughter at the Prince of Slytherin's sarcasm.

This is when Draco enjoyed being a Slytherin. When they would all poke fun at each other, and not matter how venomous it never hurt; unless you were Parkinson, of course. Sometimes Draco believed she should have been a Hufflepuff, but alas they got stuck with the pug.

The Sixth Year group of boys went silent again, becoming preoccupied with their meals. Draco kept glancing from the Gryffindor Table and at his wrist watch by the minute now, why was time moving so slow! All he wanted was to hold Harry in his arms again, smell his heavy scent, wrap his fingers in his tousled hair, kiss those rough, amature lips...but, why the hell was time acting as though it had stopped!?

Grumbling, Draco piled more food onto his plate. He never normally ate this much and still no matter how slow or how little the spoonfuls, it seemed as though the people around him were eating even slower. He was going to wait until most of the Slytherin's had left the Great Hall before persuing the Room of Requirments. It seemed as though Harry had the samething in mind, Draco had caught him numerously checking his watch and he could see the slight frustration on the brunette's face. This made Draco lit up with absolutely joy; Harry was anxious...to see him!

After what felt like eternity, Crabbe and Goyle left the Prince to his own bidding. By this point, the Great Hall was becoming rapidly emptied by the minute. Draco's heart lit up with glee as he saw Harry anxiously pushing the conversation he was indulged in with Ginny along. It seemed, from across the Hall, that the Weaselette was rather upset. Harry, however, wasn't taking in any of that for sorts of notice.

'She is probably attempting to bed him again. When will these girls learn that .Mine?' Draco thought protectively. He took his time packing his bag up and fitting it rightfully over his shoulder. He left the Great Hall in slow strides, his nose in the air as always. The younger Slytherin's that were still present looked up to him in awe. The Hufflepuff's, under Second Year, were frightened if they past him having heard many-a-stories, but the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors remained indifferent.

What paid off, was when Draco cocked his head slightly over his shoulder just before exiting the Hall and saw that Harry's eyes were sternly fixed on his retreating figure. He smirked proudly before sweeping off towards his destination. He had to get the room prepared and make it just right and comfortable for Harry's standards.

The room he thought of turned out to be rather small, as he seemed to figure that Harry did indeed like smaller spaces unlike him who was more used to the spacious Malfoy Manor. He clicked his tongue, impressed by his work as he went to settle down on the crimson red, comfortable couch that sat in front of a large window. It was the only window in the room, and aside from that it was pretty much open space, though the stone floor was covered in dark carpet.

It was less than ten minutes when Harry arrived, he bustled into the door but immediately slowed down upon seeing the back of Draco's head. The blonde stood up and allowed his eyes to hungrily rake over Harry's blushing face and his hands, twidling nervously at his sides. Draco smiled gently and moved forward, Harry just stood there waiting for...well, he wasn't exactly sure what he was waiting for. But when Draco's arms closed around him tightly, he knew that that must have been it as he smiled and embraced the boy back, dropping his shoulder bag onto the ground with a heavy thump.

~I don't want to fake it/I just want to make it

The ornaments look pretty/But they're pulling down the branches

Of the tree.

I don't want to think about it/I don't want to talk about it

When I kiss your lips/I want to sink down to the bottom

Of the sea.

I want to love you madly...~

Draco smirked and kissed the top of Harry's head, when he pulled away gently to look down at his face he saw a smile there as well. "Somebody looks happy," he teased, bringing up a hand to gently push aside the smaller boy's fringe.

"Only because I'm finally with you," Harry blushed heavily, having not expected those truthful words to escape his mouth. "Do you have any idea how long it feels like it's been,"

"Urgh, please do not remind me, love. It feels like today dragged on for eternity!" Draco whined as he led Harry to the couch who hesitantly sat down beside Draco, the blonde didn't leave much room between them as he pulled the boy close to him.

Harry's head lay gently against Draco's shoulder as he felt fingers ghosting circles on his collar bone. He sighed, forgettnig all reason and thought for the time being as he closed his eyes in a dazed sense of reality.

"Harry," Draco said softly with a slight shake, "I would like to tell you a few things I think you deserve to know," his tone was serious and nervous at the sametime, but to somebody who didn't know Draco it sounded perfectly normal. But Harry knew Draco, Merlin he knew the boy inside and out quite literally.

"I'm all ears," Harry said, sitting up straight and turning towards his...boyfriend? Lover? Harry shook his head 'My Draco,' he resolved internally.

"You see...I would actually prefer to, if you do not mind, to ah- show you instead of...tell you," Draco suggested, he had unsnaked his arm from Harry and had taken out his wand which Harry looked at slightly apprehensively. "Do you know how to perform Leglimens?"

Harry gaped, caught completely off guard by the question. "Yeah, I do, not well but yes..."

"Good. I would like you to do so on me, and then I can specify which memory it is you look at. It will be unaltered, untarnished and then...you will be the only one to know..." Draco trailed off, he had been entirely nervous about this whole situation. What was Harry going to say when he found out what he had done? Would he hate him, never talk to him again? Draco had hoped dearly he wouldn't, for Harry meant too much to him now that he felt he might die if that happened.

"I'll do it...if you're sure about this," Harry agree, taking out his own wand in anticipation.

"I have never been more surer," Draco said, his voice came out more feebly than he would have wished it to.

"Alright, ready?" Harry asked, the blonde nodded numbly. "One...two...three..Leglimens!" he concentrated on Draco, on Draco's head, and he found that it wasn't that hard to enter. 'It's probably because I've already seen inside of it,' he guessed to himself.

Flashes of memories were running through his head until he heard Draco mutter the spell, "Specifico!" and suddenly one memory latched onto Harry's head and pulled him completely under, without his control.

Harry blinked a couple of times, it felt as though he was really there! He looked around what he knew to be the entrance of the Malfoy Manor from Draco's nightmares. He saw Narcissa Malfoy talking hurriedly to Draco, who looked very much as he did at that present day and age, by the staircase. Harry walked towards them as their words became audible.

"...promise me, Draco! You must never, ever, follow your Father! Please, promise me...you have no idea..."

"Mother, get ahold of yourself! What are you rambling about, what is wrong?" Draco urged worriedly, he had reached out and grabbed his Mother's hand and was stroking the back of it, it seemed to have a calming effect on the beautiful, older woman.

"The Dark Lord, Draco...he has fallen!" Narcissa hissed, her eyes were wild with...something Harry couldn't quite place, but he decided it was along the lines of fear.

"Wh-what? Are you sure...how do you..."

"There is not enough time, Draconis! Lucius will arrive any moment, he will want to take you away to go into hiding with the other Death Eaters and I urge you not to listen to him! Do not follow, son, you are still untainted by the Mark...I cannot risk losing both of you, I cannot handle it...please," she begged, there were tears in her eyes that did not fall and it was the closest Draco had ever seen his Mother to crying.

Draco felt numb, inside and out as he held his Mother there upon the staircase. And then with a loud crack, Lucius had apparated behind them. "Draco, we must leave this instant," he said officially, the blonde youth looked horrified between his two parents.

Narcissa gathered herself and stepped in front of Draco, separating Father from Son. "You will not harm Draco any longer, Lucius. I have stood by long enough. He is not meant for the same path you foolishly chose. Allow our son to make his own mistakes," she challenged, her arms were held out wide so that Draco was completely shielded. He stood stalk still, his mouth agape and unknowing what to do in this situation.

"Narcissa, you are the fool! You have no idea what is going on here, you insignificant excuse for a woman!" Lucius cursed, his hand raised high before it smacked down hard across his wives face. Harry flinched at the sound of it, but he could not look away from the scene as he was in fear for Draco.

"Draconis, now!" Lucius screamed angrily, "We have not the time for pety foolishness!"

"Lucius, the only way Draco leaves is over my dead body," Narcissa growled under her breath. Harry's eyes widened. 'So this is how she died? The papers never released it...'

"Fine by me," he snapped and raised his wand, Draco lept forward and grabbed harshly onto his Mother's arm.

"Mother, no! I'll do what he says, don't go!" he cried, tears were streaming down his face by this time.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lucius' voice echoed in the great entrance way of the Malfoy Manor, as Narcissa's lifeless body fell to the ground and Draco fell ontop of her, weeping mercilessly.

"Draco, what have I taught you?" he hissed acidically, grabbing his son up roughly by the arm as Harry watched horrified, the old man's wand pointed at Draco's throat as the blonde boy still cried on. "That Malfoy's do not cry,"

"Well...I guess I am no longer a Malfoy then, am I dearest Daddy?" Draco choked out, tears still pouring. Harry felt his heart break open for the boy. He was standing in front of his dead Mother, being threatened by his Father. This was Draco's family, the only home he had ever known, and it was being ripped to shreds all because he, Harry, had defeated the Dark Lord on that same fateful night.

Lucius snarled, his hand slapped down hard on Draco's face and then he released his son to crumble to the floor, sobbing. "That will teach you to have such snark. Now I am going to retrieve a few necessary items from my study, when I get back here you had best be ready to leave, Draco, or so help me...you will end up worse than your Mother," and with a swish of his cloaks, Lucius had quickly vanished up the marble stairway.

Draco completely broke out into sobs now, he turned back to his Mother and kissed her cheeks repeatedly. "Mother, Mom...I love you, I love you...this is for you," he whispered through tears. Harry watched, unable to do anything but simply that.

The young boy, barely sixteen, gathered himself and stood up. He was taking shaky, deep breaths. Harry walked forward, came closer to his Draco and reached out to touch him but his hand fell through the memory fragments of the boy. The tears had stopped, but there were still unshed sobs in his chest.

Lucius swept back down the stairs, a trunk levitating behind him. He looked over his son. "Are you ready then, we will be Along-Side Apparating so no mishaps, boy," he warned testily.

A smirk came across Draco's features, and it suddenly terrified Harry. It was a malicious, completely evil, smirk. "Now dearest of Father's, did you think I would actually come along willingly when you just murdered my own Mother?"

"Draco...we have not time for your pety games..."

"No, we haven't...the Ministry will be here soon," Draco said thoughtfully, that same terrifying smirk on his face. He raised his wand in a quick motion and before Lucius could say anything he belted out a venomous, "Avada Kedavra!" it echoed eerily through the Manor. There was no other sound save Lucius' body crumpling to the floor beside Narcissa's already cold one.

Draco looked down at the two people who had raised him, if that was a fit enough phrase for it. They had given them life, and one had sacrificed their own for his and the other he had just taken. His face was emotionless, but Harry knew that many different feelings must have been running through him like a tidal wave. "Dawny," the House Elf appeared before him with a shocked look on its face. "I need you to burn my Father's body in the kitchen fireplace. You must speak of this to no one. Get all of the elves to help you completely clean out the fireplace afterwards, just tell them it is for routine cleaning. Do all the fireplaces, in that matter, actually. Do not tell me where you put the remains of the ashes, I must not know. You must keep this to yourself and you must hurry! Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, Master Draco," the House-Elf was trembling with fear as he grabbed ahold of Lucius' arm and disapparated into the kitchens to do as he was told.

Draco sighed heavily and looked down at his Mother's dead body, the grief was seen in his eyes but it didn't reach the rest of his face. He stalked over to the drawing room opposite the foyer, Harry followed. He watched as the blonde firecalled the Ministry of Magic, contacting Fudge himself in an instance. 'How did he get direct access?' Harry wondered, but it soon slipped away.

"Cornelius. My Father returned home, murdered my Mother for denying to escape with him. He almost murdered me as well, he escaped just moments ago. You may check the Apparition wards when you arrive. I will be expecting an arrival within twenty-four hours to...dispose of my Mother's body...I understand that at the time you are tremendously busy as the Final Battle has finished," Draco said rather professionally, and before the Minister could respond he ended the firecall and Harry felt that familiar tugging at his navel.

He was apparated out of the Malfoy Manor to its gates, Harry found this rather clever of Draco as the young boy walked back in and towards the house which was at least five minutes away. 'He must have done that to alter the Apparition wards...it will register that a Malfoy male came and went within this time frame, but no wards are that specific...clever, Draco,' Harry found himself admiring the Slytherin. How was it that he could act in such a stressful situation?

And then he followed Draco back into the entrance way where he sat on the stairs, staring dully at his Mother's body as he willed all the tears down.

Suddenly the memory altered, it changed and Harry was brought to another time within the Manor. It was the next day, Draco sat on a chair in what looked like Lucius' old office. Snape, Remus, Dumbledore, Fudge, Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye and a few other Ministry officials all sat there with clipboards opposite of Draco eyeing him suspiciously. Some, like Dumbledore, were smiling encouragingly.

"Mr Malfoy, we are almost finished with our questions," Fudge said tightly, his eyes reeming over the list on his parchment with weariness. It was obvious that the whole lot of them had been up all night, questioning people who had been involved with the Final Battle and apparantly the domino effect deemed that Draco was apart of that group.

"You are doing wonderfully brilliant," Dumbleodre beamed at him, the twinkle in his blue eyes was larger than ever and Draco knew that it was due to the fact that he had just won the war. Draco stared disgustingly at the old man, and this irked Harry greatly as he watched from the sidelines.

"Did Lucius Malfoy murder Narcissa Black?"

"Yes,"

"Where was it Lucius was going?"

"I do not know,"

"Where is he now?"

"I do not know,"

"Is there anybody else in the Manor at this moment?"

"Other than you and the House Elves. There is not another living soul," Draco said truthfully. His final answers of what was an hour long interrogation seemed to finally satisfy the group. Fudge proceeded to tell him how they would be making bi-weekly visitations to the household to ensure that the wards had not been broken, that Draco had not been communicating with any other Wizard's, and most especially Lucius.

Before all the elders turned to leave, Draco stood up and crossed his arms, sniffing audibly. "You think you are so great, Dumbledore," he snarled, it was Lupin who whipped around with fury in his face whereas everybody just looked surprised at the youth. "You pretend like this was your war, like you won it, like you should have all the glory. But you did nothing. It was all him, you know. Potter did everything. A fifteen year-old boy out-smarted you and the Dark Lord! Hah!" Draco's voice was sour and low, his fists were clenched as Severus and Dumbledore raised their eyebrows to him.

Dumbledore, chuckled, much to everybody's disbelief. "Ah, Mr Malfoy. I am glad to see that you are seemingly unaffected by this turn of events. You will be recieving your Hogwarts letter within the next couple of weeks, see you in September," he said cheerily, and walked out of the room. The other wizards gawked at the old man's back as Draco glared at them all.

"Get out of my house," he whispered to nobody in particular before falling back down on his chair.

Then everything, for Harry, went into a large blur again. He was pushed and swirled through weeks of memories until he finally grabbed ahold of one, the one that Draco had meant him to. He was in the hallway outside of Lucius' study, listening to what was supposed to be a private conversation.

Harry peeked around the corner from beside Draco, the blonde was breathing slowly and looking at the two men that Harry now looked at as well. "Snape and...Remus?" Harry whispered, astonished at what he was seeing.

"Does he? I've known that child my entire life and never have I seen him so - so dead!" Snape exclaimed sadly, lowering his head.

"Maybe that's the problem, Same goes with Harry..."

"What about that Potter, boy? What does he have to do with my Draco?" Snape seemed angry, venomous, and appalled all at once for Draco being compared to Harry. But then, much to Harry's amazement, Remus stepped forward and hugged Severus. Yeah...HUGGED HIM. Harry's head was absolutely swimming by now.

"They are going through the samething, sort of. They are at a crossroad in life, one that none of us will ever experience as intensly as they are. They are alone in a great big world where so many people expect so many things of both of them. They are lost. And I think their biggest problem is that we continue to treat them like children when they are indeed no longer that," Remus said reassuringly.

"They are only sixteen, of course they are still children. We were still throwing petty insults at one another then," Snape sounded defeated, depressed.

"Yes, but it's not age that counts but what one has experienced. I think I can speak for both Harry and Draco that at their age they have experienced more than most people do in their life-time. They both just need time, Sev. They'll get there, I promise," Remus said softly, his hand cupped Snape's face and brought it up to look into his eyes. They smiled at each other almost lovingly, and Harry's world was ultimately spinning at that moment.

"Promise?" the other man asked desperately.

"Marauder's Promise," Remus stated firmly, this jolted Harry back into reality. 'Did he honestly just say that...to Snape?! What the fu-!?!'

"I'm not taking that thing worth anything," Snape said snarkily with a grin.

Harry suddenly felt himself being pushed out and he allowed himself to be, he was too confused anyway to continue being inside of that memory. When he finally came back to reality, Draco was looking down at him sadly, Harry's head was lying gently in his lap as Draco stroked his hair lovingly.

"Harry," he whispered.

"Did I honestly just see that?" Harry gaped.

"Please do not think I am bad, tainted, a murderer...you must understand!" Draco began quickly, trying to explain his actions.

Harry's eyes blinked a couple of times up at Draco. His Draco, his platinum hair cupping his pointed face, his smooth silken skin. And Harry laughed. "Draco, it's not that. I feel terrible for you having to go through all that, don't get me wrong. But it's Snape and Remus. You've honestly got to be kidding me with that one!! Since when have they been all buddy-buddy?! They've hated each other....FOR DECADES! I just don't get it. I don't. And Marauder's promise?! Honestly, Remus, throwing yourself around like a little who-r-"

"Yes, Marauder's Promise. What is that exactly?" Draco questioned, his curiousity peeked with the fact that Harry seemingly understood this part of his memory that he had always been lost about.

"Oh, erm, it's just a saying, really. You see, since Remus is a werewolf his friends decided that they too should be half-animals. They illegaly became Animagu's when they were back at school. There was Peter Pettigrew who turned into a rat nicknamed Wormtail, Lupin was Moony, my Dad was a stag and his name was Prongs and then..." Harry took a deep breath, thinking about all the Maurader's depressed him. There was only one left. "And Sirius Black was Padfoot, a big black dog," he whispered, he closed his eyes in soft memory. It hadn't been that long ago that Sirius had passed through the veil.

"Oh," Draco was silent, but his hands still worked gently on Harry's hair. It calmed and relaxed them both.

"I just can't believe Remus would...SNAPE! Oh my Merlin's sake..Snape, of all people...what in the hell is happening to this world?" Harry began again, his brow furrowed and his eyes frantic but he seemed reluctant to get up.

Draco snickered, looking down at the love of his life with complete admiration. "You get worked up over the silliest of things, my love," he teased and planted a gentle kiss on Harry's forehead as the boy blushed. "Could you do me a favour?" he asked with a smirk.

Harry raised his eyebrow, "Anything," and he suddenly found himself thinking 'I would literally do anything Draco Malfoy asked of me,'.

"Never, ever change,"

*

I don't want to doubt you/Know everything about you

I don't want to sit across the table from you/Wishing I could Run.

I want to love you madly/I want to love you now

I want to love you madly, way/I want to love you, love you

Love You Madly.