Chapter Twenty-Two:
The Secret's In Telling
A/N: Read, Review, Enjoy!!
.Lover - Thank you, I thought people'd get mad about my Snape-softness!!
allieb23 - Haha, yeah I hope Ron has enough 'ducks in a row' in this chapter for you ;). I laughed out loud when I read that, and I'm totally stealing it!!! =P
koryssa-kory - Oh yes...if I were Ron I woulda died seeing Snape being affectionate...wait, what am I saying? If I were any Hogwarts student, I would have died seeing Snape affectionate...Y'know I was so close to maybe actually commiting murder in this next chapter with a certain Weasel in mind but...that'd be way too messy to clean up!! ;)
ruth hammond - I'm really glad you're enjoying reading the story, even in the odd way you read it!! =) ^^
The Secret's In Telling - Dashboard Confessional
The signal is subtle
We pass just close enough to touch
No questions, no answers
We know by now to say enough
With only simple words
With only subtle turns
The things we feel alone for one another.
There is a secret that we keep
I won't sleep if you won't sleep
Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given
We are compelled to do what we must do
We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden.
*
"Geroff, geroff of me!!!" Ron struggled against the wall, but Draco held firm as the redhead was surprised to find that the Slytherin was quite a bit stronger than he was.
"Not until you tell me where you think you got the right from," growled the blonde, his eyes were glaring daggers and his heart thumped loud in his chest. He had become overwhelmed with anger, the need to hurt Weasley was over powering him until he felt a shaking hand on his shoulder. His eyes never left Ron's frightened ones as he grunted to the boy touching him, sending calm vibrations through-out him.
"Draco...please...I don't know why've you've gotten all upset but just...let him go, please," Harry pleaded softly to his boyfriend, his warm breath wisped across Draco's throat making him sigh, but he still didn't release the other Gryffindor.
"Harry, you cannot keep doing this to yourself. It is the samething as how you refused to let Madame Pomfrey look at your nose, just like how you pretended everything was alright, how you never told a soul what happened, how you took everything that bleeding family dished out to you, how you think you deserve all of this but really all you deserve is love," Draco said affectionately, though his voice sounded strained, he was smiling sadly but his eyes still were ice pelting at Ron.
"Please...Dray, it's Ron, my best mate," Harry whispered again, feeling a lump in his throat threatening to sound. 'No, you can't. Be strong, not in front of Ron and 'Mione, I don't want them to know...'
"Harry, he-"
"Get off me, you dirty filthy snake!" Ron hissed, he was sick of having a wand poking harshly at his throat, his neck was hurting, "Both of you are completely insane, you know that right? Completely bonkers, and not only that but you're the dirtiest, filthiest fucking thing in the school," he snarled, glaring at both Draco and Harry.
Harry's hand fell from Draco's shoulder and he found himself getting dizzy, 'Dirty. Filthy. Nothing, you're worth nothing. All you are is dirt. Filth. Nasty, excuse for a human being...' was all he was thinking as he blindly fell backwards onto the Hospital Bed, he was sweating and feeling faint and wanting everybody to just shut up and go away so he could be left to his useless thoughts. Harry felt the sob push up through his throat, it sounded and echoed in the Hospital Wing, and then the silent tears came, he covered his face and began shaking his head. 'DIRTY! FILTHY! FREAK! FREAK!' Uncle Vernon's voice boomed inside of his head.
"You...you fucking insufferable arsehole," Draco growled lowly, he wound up his free hand and drew back before punching Ron rightfully in the face, with all his might and power. He cracked his knuckles and let the dazed boy fall to the floor, blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. "Do you have fucking ANY idea what Harry has gone through? And you will never, ever fucking touch him again...do you hear me? EVER!" Draco screamed angrily, Hermione was looking shocked at the whole situation between the three boys, completely unable to process or move whatsoever.
"What the fuck, Malfoy? You think you can just order people around like that...and what do you mean been through? We've been there the whole time YOU tortured him in school, we were there with him during Voldemort, during it all! Where the fuck were you? You just came waltzing in afterwards, fucking prick," Ron snapped, wiping the blood from his face and standing up slowly with the support of the wall, but he wasn't on that much of a physical offensive at the moment.
"Do you Weasel, know what those so-called relatives of his put him through?" Draco was whispering now, malice lacing every word so intricately as Harry continued to cry to himself, shaking his head attempting to shut Vernon up.
"They were dicks to him, we know. The Cupboard, the starving, the bars on his window, we know!" Ron snapped angrily, clenching his fists at his side now.
"Do you know how many fucking times Dursley and his fat boy beat and raped him? Do you know that?" Draco's voice was barely audible now, but his anger was the most prominent thing.
Hermione gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as Ron's eyes went wide. "You're lying. You're playing games, d-don't do that Malfoy!" Ron cursed, but as he turned his gaze to the shaking boy on the bed he didn't believe his own words.
"It all makes sense now," Hermione whispered, boy boys turned towards her in a flash. "I mean, he didn't want any of us to touch him. He kept acting weird, taking Dreamless Sleep Drought, and then there were those bruises we saw...for a second, if anything..."
"Well, that was me actually," Draco interupted with a smirk, remembering the evening he had almost given Harry's darkest secrets away.
"What do you mean, you? You hurt him?!" Ron yelped.
Draco turned to him in a flash, grabbing his collar and thrusting him against the wall again in one fluid movement, "I would never hurt my Harry, do you understand that?" he growled and then released his grip on the boy before turning to the brunette, shaking. Draco's heart melted and he quickly found himself cradling Harry, much to Ron's disgust and protest, the boy allowed himself to cry into Draco's chest as the blonde protectively held him and pet his hair.
"Harry, love, he did not mean it," Draco glared at Ron again, "You are not dirty. Or filthy. You are the most wonderful, kindest, smartest, person I have ever had the opportunity to meet. Do you understand that, love? You are everything to me, gods you make me so happy..." he whispered soothingly, and slowly Harry released his face and turned to look upwards at Draco with a sad smile.
"You make me happy too, Dray," his voice sounded broken, but at least he was speaking. Hermione felt tears prickling her eyes, in disbelief of everything she had heard.
"So it's true?" Ron asked quietly.
Harry slowly dragged his head to look away from Draco and at his best friend before slowly nodding, "Everything Draco said is true. The soul mates, the part where we...er...made love," Harry blushed and shifted uncomfortably in Draco's arms, making the blonde hold him tighter, "and everything he said about the Dursleys," Harry looked away now, down at his lap where we had apparantly been playing with his fingers without realizing it.
"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried finally, she reached out to grab her friend for a hug but Draco hissed at the sametime that Harry retaliated, she leaned back into her seat looking hurt. "Harry, you know I'm not going to hurt you. I would never. I love you, Harry," she whispered.
"I-I know but...I can't, 'Mione," he responded sadly.
"But Malfoy gets to touch you!" Ron growled.
"Maybe because I am his mate, Weasel," Draco snapped with another glare.
"Yeah well if you're my best mates...mate...then you should fucking at least call me by my first name," Ron crossed his arms and sat down on the seat beside Hermione with an angered glare.
Harry looked up hopefully at his boyfriend and best friend and felt like doing a happy dance, but refrained from such activity, as Draco smirked his pattoned smirk. "Well then Ron, I am quite sure that Harry here would be glad to tell you everything you would like to hear if you act like an adult about it," Draco offered.
Ron exchanged an uncertain look with the Slytherin before looking towards Harry who nodded softly, although biting his lip nervously. "Love, it will be alright," Draco whispered, to which Harry turned to him and kissed him softly on the lips with his wet, tear-stained face.
"I know, you're here aren't you?" Harry grinned at what he said, and the fact that he was finally able to say it in front of Hermione and Ron without fear.
"Never leaving, either," Draco smiled back, "Now, what would you like to know?" Draco turned to the other Gryffindors, once again wishing it just to be him and Harry in the Hospital Wing so they could fall into much needed sleep...it had been a long, emotional night...
"First off, I wanna know....Harry..." Ron said softly, looking with concern at his best friend of Six Years and his hero every since he was old enough to remember the story his parents told him about The-Boy-Who-Lived, "...what happened with the Dursleys? And more surprisingly....what the fuck is with Snape?! Was he CRYING?" and with this comment, Harry chuckled and the stories began.
"First off, I would like to explain fully my presence here, so that the Weasel does not blow a fuse," Draco drawled lightly, his arms still tight around Harry's body which had ceased its shaking as he leaned against his mate. Harry felt the calming vibration of Draco melting into him, he didn't understand how but he knew that it was the blonde next to him, he could tell it was his energy and there was no way Harry would deny it.
"Yes, I would like that," Ron snapped backed, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the Slytherin, the same boy he had been hating with such passion for the past six years, cradling and soothing the boy who had been his best friend for six years.
"Harry, do you mind? Or would you like to tell?" Draco asked softly, ignoring Ron's icy glare as he bent his face low beside Harry's own.
Harry sighed and nuzzled his lover, he felt complete relaxation by all of his own natural emotions and the intruding ones, "Can I tell your story, and you tell mine?" he whispered, Draco merely nodded.
"C-Can you guys just listen? I mean, I know you'll have questions but just..wait," Harry began softly, both of his friends nodded slowly at him, "It happened on the night of the Final Battle, remember how Lucius somehow got out? Well, he apparated home and.." he shot a look at Draco but the blonde didn't seem to be listening, merely looking with concern down at Harry.
"Lucius was expecting Draco to leave with him into hiding, and we all know that the Death Eaters fled to Norway. And Draco didn't want to, he never wanted to be a Death Eater...Ron, please let me finish. So Draco refused to go, but his Father wouldn't have an of it. Narcissa stepped in front of Draco, she didn't want him to leave either so Lucius...he killed her and, well, and..." Harry was stuttering, his cheeks were flushed as Hermione and Ron listened.
"I killed Lucius because he deserved it and there was no way he was going to drag me into his maniac cult," Draco quickly hissed, a bemused smirk found its way onto his face as even the redhead sat with his mouth open as Harry held tight to him.
"Malfoy, that's..."
"My name is Draco," he quickly interupted Hermione who blushed and looked down at her hands.
"Well, Draco, that is incrediably...brave of you," she said, unsure of herself and how her words would effect her hot-blooded boyfriend. But, much to everybody's amazement, Ron was smiling sadly at the Slytherin though he didn't talk.
"Thank you, but it was not brave. It was the only other option I had," Draco said with a slight shake of his head, he didn't want the attention to be on him. He didn't matter at that moment, it was Harry. He took a deep calculating breath before speaking again, "Now I am guessing the two of you understand the nature of Harry's relationship with the rotten Dursley bunch?" he hissed the last name, "Over the summer it seems as though Vernon, being the upright bastard he is, began to severly starve, hurt, and even rape Harry. By the end of the summer, that whale of a son he has joined in with all activities. It seemed as though the woman was the only one with a bit of heart in her, but not enough to do anything about it," Draco growled softly, but when he felt Harry's hand on his own between their cuddled bodies he sighed comfortingly, "I understand that he had not other place to go...but why did you not get him a flat in London, or somewhere more secure and reclusive? Something spontaneous, something the Death Eaters would have never thought of,"
"We-we didn't know it'd get that bad, really!" Hermione cried, the tears were rolling down her face again. "If we had known, I swear we would have gotten him out right away! But we didn't, how could we know? We just thought he was still upset from Sirius passing away," she sobbed, Ron put his arm around her shoulders and brought their chairs closer together, Harry was looking down at his lap again not wanting to face his friends.
"In my opinion, there is no excuse for either of you," Draco snarled.
"In my opinion...those fucking bastards are going down, I swear it mate," Ron growled in response, him and Draco shared a look that completed it all. They would exact revenge for Harry, in due time of course.
"Now as for the meaning of how the two of us became entangled, well..." Draco smiled slyly, he could feel Harry blushing beside him as he quickly pecked him on the cheek, "I am not too sure what accounts for our interest in one another, be it negative or positive at the time, but it was obvious we were becoming thoroughly interested. I noticed I could provoke Harry, unlike anybody else could anymore. We started talking, and we made a bet. It was a simple bet to figure out what each others greatest fear was, and we both ended up losing that bet. The consequences were to perform an advanced spell that would switch our minds into one anothers bodies for two whole weeks. When I got into Harry's body, well...I could not believe the pain I felt. Bruises everywhere, broken ribs, broken leg, cuts, constant headaches, how the bloody hell he lived is a mystery to everyone still," Draco shook his head at the thought of it. "We experienced each others nightmares, dreams and lifestyles and I guess everything just paned out from there. How hard is it not to fall in love with somebody when you know their deepest, darkest secrets?" Draco finished with Harry looking up at him with bedazzling emerald eyes.
"Not hard at all...even if that person is a dirty, rotten Slytherin," Harry smirked, making Draco chuckle lightly and bring the boy closer to him.
"You..you two did the body switch?" Ron shoked out eventually, "You could have died," he whispered.
"You could have gotten expelled! Arrested! Harry James Potter, you do know that is illegal, correct?!" Hermione exploded, her usual Motherly tendencies bursting upwards.
"I know, I know, 'Mione! But for some reason...I trusted Draco, and there's no way I'll doubt what I did then because it brought me here...with him," Harry blushed but he didn't look away from Draco's own silvery eyes, they were both crashing with emotions.
"And your soul mates?" Ron asked unsurely.
"Yes, we are. Technically married, especially due to our delicate situation. The bond we completed when he made love had been attempting its completion ever since Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were alive. They were soul mates, yes, and we are the last living descendents of that line. My Father and Harry's Father were both soul mates, though they barely even spoke more than a few times and each interaction I can assure you was nastier than the last. But Harry and I found our way around the small line between hate and love and crossed over into love, that allowed our souls to fully recognize one another and become whole again," Draco explained tenderly, Hermione was blushing at the boys before her - weary looking but every much affectionate with one another.
"So...I guess I'll have to get used to the big prat then, won't I, Harry?" Ron groaned.
Harry looked up slowly and when the moonlight shone in from the window on his tired face, it was wearing the largest grin he could ever remember having.
*
Our act of defiance
We keep this secret in our blood
No paper or letters
We pass just close enough to touch
We love in secret names
We hide within our veins
The things that keep us bound to one another.
*
It was mid-December and the corridors of Hogwarts were chilled to the bone, even with the regular heating Charms on them which were never strong enough in Harry's opinion. He had just finished gruelling Qudditch practice on a Friday night in the cold, wet snow before he trudged into the castle up to the Fifth Floor. Ron had left practice early due to the onslaught of what he felt was the flu, he hurried out of the cold and to the Hospital Wing to get it dealt with so it didn't ruin his end of term examinations, which were coming all too soon.
And Harry was happy, although freezing, as he paced three times passed the empty wall before a door appeared. He slipped inside with a smile on his face. 'Seeing Draco...the best part of everyday,' he thought cherily to himself, the room was small though cozy. It had a soft red couch in front of a blazing fire, Harry quickly kneeled in front of the flames with his shivering hands outstretched.
So much had happened since the end of the War, so much that Harry thought he would never get over again but found himself getting more used to his life everyday. After he and Draco were released from the Hospital the day after Blaise, Mr Zabini, and Pansy were all arrested for illicit activities, causing bodily harm to another Wizard, illegal apprehension, amongst many other charges, the two continued to keep their relationship under wraps. Though there were questions as to why the boys were not constantly at one anothers throats, they merely ignored each other and had verbal spats whenever they had accidentally run into each other.
They couldn't come out with it yet simply because the incident on Halloween was skillfully covered up by Dumbledore with the help of Professor Snape and Professor Lupin. To the Slytherins, Draco was still their Prince and his Father was still at large and on the run.
"Cold practice?" Draco's drawl sounded from behind Harry, making the boy quickly jump up onto his feet and rush over to greet the blonde.
They embraced each other warmly, Harry nuzzled into Draco's lavender scent wafting from his milky neck and he sighed happily. "I missed you," Harry whispered, his dry lips lightly scraping on Draco's skin making him hiss with pleasure.
"Mmm...it has only been a day, am I that irresistable, Potter?" Draco teased, his hand on Harry's back was twisting the longer strands of hair around his finger as his other hand was trailing down until he landed on Harry's backside, giving it a prominent squeeze.
"Oh, and it's not like you want me...right?" Harry smirked playfully, he detatched himself from Draco and backed up until he was against the back of the couch. Harry began slowly unbuttoning his shirt until it flapped open, revealing his toned chest, he trailed a finger curiously along his abdomen as Draco watched with wide, hungry eyes. "Hmm...I guess I'll just have to play with myself then," he grinned and reached into his black trousers, his hand grasped his member and began to stroke it hard and slow as his head thrust back.
A moan of pleasure escaped his throat with the word "Draco," rolling sedcutively off of his tongue.
Draco growled hungrily, as he stomped over to Harry he tore off his shirt and undid his belt buckle before thrusting his body up against Harry's now warm one. The brunette felt hands on his chest, his back, in his hair, down his thights, overtop of his own hand on his member, and pleasure shot through him. Harry groaned and opened his eyes to silver orbs, pure passion residing in them just for him.
Harry found himself smiling as he released himself and moved to trace lines on Draco's back, when his fingers fell across the long, thin purple scar that bubbled slightly against the Slytherin's perfect skin, Draco gasped. "Every part of you is beautiful, Draco. Even this scar," Harry whispered into his lovers ear before gently kissing beneath it.
"No, it is ugly. A mark from my Father,"
"A memory, Draco, of the things we went through that made this possible," Harry corrected him, and then he snaked his tongue along a vein in Draco's neck.
"Urgh, Harry, kiss me, please," Draco whined, and Harry obligingly brought his lips up to Draco's and they came together in a heated kiss. Their lips suckled, their tongues swirled passionately, hungrily...
"Oh, Draco, I want you. I want you right now," Harry hissed in need, coming apart from Draco's mouth just for a quick second.
"Then have me..."
"OH! MY! MERLIN!" came Ron's bewildered shriek. The boys jumped hastily apart, Harry blushing and buttoning up his shirt as quickly as possible. Ron had his hand covering his eyes as Hermione had averted her attention to a particularly interesting spot on the floor.
"What are you two Gryffindorks doing here?" Draco snapped, he turned his back to them to pick up his disgarded shirt and slide it on.
"For the samething you're here for," Ron muttered, finally allowing his eyes to peek open as he caught a glimpse of the blonde's back. "Malfoy...what the hell did you do to your back?"
"My Father found it rather prudent that I did not forget that Malfoy's do not cry, that Muggles are beneath us, and that Malfoys most definitely do not beg," Draco rambled tightly, and then Harry was at his side clasping his hand tightly.
"I-I don't get it...your Father did that to you, when?" Hermione questioned softly. Over the past couple of weeks, the four of them had been becoming more used to the idea of being around one another, especially as two couples. Although Ron was constantly weary of Draco, everything seemed to be lightening up when they were left in privacy.
"Oh, I believe I was nine," Draco answered easily, Hermione and Ron both looked aghast, "It is the past, dead and gone. Anyway, why did the two of you ruin a perfectly good snogging session?" he changed the subject, making Harry blush.
"That didn't look like a snogging session to me...let me tell you that," Ron mumbled with his hands now in his pockets, his eyes avoiding both of the otehr boys. It was still too awkward for him to see, Harry and Draco together.
"We just wanted to come here, we didn't think anybody would be in here, truthfully," Hermione explained.
"Oh, the Weasel finally getting some action?"
"Draco!" Harry hissed beneath his breath as his blonde lover chuckled and shook his head, a few platinum locks falling in front of his startingly silver eyes.
"What? know it is just as impossible for me to believe too, Harry, I mean the two of them...doing that? Hah! they are too big of goody-two-shoes to step out of line inside of a school," Draco teased as Ron turned purple in the face.
"Hey, I'll have you know that 'Mione and I are perfectly happy bending some rules when it comes to sex!"
"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione screeched, looking rather tousled and embarassed as Draco began chuckling even louder now.
"Now, now, we will leave the two lovebirds to their own devices. Come on, love, I know of a broom closet that needs tending to," Draco purred seductively, dragging Harry out of the Room of Requirments before either of the other three could say anything in response.
"Draco, what if somebody sees us!" Harry whispered, looking wildly around, "We can't just go walking through Hogwarts halls, expecting nobody to be up and about as we go find ourselves a cozy broom closet! What if a Slytherin comes around, what are we going to do Obliviate him?" Harry was worried mostly for his mate, it was all for Draco that they weren't blowing the cover of their relationship and as the blonde dragged Harry by the hand through the corridors of Hogwarts and descended down the stairs he was risking it all. And then Draco's sexy, low slur awakened the badgering deep in Harry's stomach so that he completely ignored the consequences of being caught.
"Scared Potter?"
"You wish,"
*
Until the last resilient hope
Is frozen deep inside my bones
And this broken fate has claimed me
And my memories for its own
Your name is pounding through my veins
Can't you hear how it is sung?
And I taste you in my mouth
Before the words escape my lungs
And I'll whisper only once...
There is a secret that we keep
I won't sleep if you won't sleep
Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given
We are compelled to do what we have to
We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden.