The pained cry and struggling woke Draco. He gripped the shoulders of the man beneath him, trying to wake him and hold him still at the same time.
"Harry. Harry!"
Draco found himself on his back faster than he could blink, Harry sitting across his chest and pressing thumbs into his throat, fingers touching around the back of his neck. With a single jerk of his hands, Harry could easily snap Draco's neck. His eyes widened but he didn't struggle, sensing it would only make things worse. He could only wait for the haze of dreams to disappear from those green eyes.
He took a small moment to be thankful for the foresight they'd had to leave all the knives in Harry's office. He was sure he'd have found one buried in the flesh beneath his jaw if Harry had had one at hand.
"Draco?" Harry asked in a small voice. The pressure on his throat vanished and he raised a hand to smooth away the remaining pain. Draco coughed. Harry was out of bed in the next second, pacing the dark room.
"I'm sorry, Draco, I didn't know-"
"Harry, it's alright," Draco soothed, tugging him back with both hands. "You warned me. It's alright. It'll take more than a second's pressure to kill me, after all." Harry let out a choked sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob and buried his face in Draco's neck.
"I hate the dreams," he whispered. Draco ran a hand up and down his back.
"Have you tried Dreamless Sleep potion?"
Harry chuckled dryly. "I built up a tolerance in fourth year. Got addicted by fifth year. The Order put me through detox over the summer after that. Withdrawal's a bitch."
That was…frankly kind of impressive. Dreamless Sleep was a very potent potion. To have to increase the dosage enough to build up a tolerance meant Harry's dreams must be absolutely terrifying.
There really was nothing to do but suffer through it if even Dreamless Sleep was out.
"I'm sorry," Draco told him.
"Everyone is," Harry replied in a weary voice. "It doesn't ever change anything."
He had a point. Potter hadn't led an easy life by anyone's standards. Compared to Harry's past, Draco had been an utterly spoiled prince, even after he had been bound to the Dark Lord.
Eventually, Harry's breathing slowed and he stopped shaking. They both drifted off to sleep again.
-0-
Harry looked critically at his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his lightweight linen robes self-consciously. He doubted he would ever get used to having to look like a noble in addition to being one. He reached for his cufflinks, only to have Draco hold them in an outstretched hand.
"Don't you look formal for a Saturday," he said, surveying Harry's deep green and slate grey ensemble carefully. Harry could hear the question hidden in his statement. He never worked on the weekends. Where are you going?
"I'm visiting a few people today. Ron and Hermione, Molly and Arthur, Neville," he listed off before hesitantly adding the last name, "your mother."
"My mother?" Draco gave him a shocked look. "Why?"
"You've been here over two months. Your mother, who risked death or worse from Voldemort just to know if you were alright, you know, might want to hear how things are going." He looked away from silver eyes, focusing intently on putting on his cufflinks. "You aren't allowed to send her any letters, but I can visit her. I hope you don't mind…"
Draco kissed him.
"You idiot," he breathed. "Of course I don't mind you visiting my poor, lonely mother when I can't. I just can't imagine why you would bother."
"Because I-" Harry choked on the words, unable to get them past his throat. It turned out he didn't need to.
From the way Draco kissed him, Harry knew he understood.
"Are you going to tell her about…" About this? About us?
"Do you want me to?" A long pause while Draco thought.
"Yes. She should know that I'm happy."
-0-
"Lord Potter, I must confess I hadn't expected to see you here." Narcissa always looked like the picture-perfect Lady, even when no one was around to see, and he admired that about her. He bent to kiss her knuckles, as tradition required.
"Please, call me Harry, Lady Malfoy," he murmured. "I was out visiting today and felt the desire for the company of a beautiful, refined lady." He accepted the tea she offered him.
"Then you must call me Narcissa." Harry inclined his head in acceptance. "I hope you don't feel visiting me to be an obligation, Harry," she said at a moment. "You have done so much for my family, please don't feel you still owe us a debt."
"Narcissa," Harry settled his teacup in the saucer and fixed her with an earnest gaze. "I hope to be able to count you as my friend, not an obligation or someone I owe a debt. I have come to enjoy Draco's company in my home and trust him with some of my greatest secrets. He has told me himself that he is happy with me, as I am sure he will tell you when we visit for Christmas." He waited a moment for understanding to appear in her eyes. She smiled softly when she realized his message.
"Oh, Harry, that will be wonderful." She took his hand gently in hers. "It's been many years since I have seen my son truly happy. Ever since the Dark Lord returned, his smiles have always been somewhat forced. It will be lovely to see him smile like he used to."
Harry let the tension drain away from his body. He would never admit it to Draco, but he had been worried Narcissa wouldn't accept them. It was part of the reason he wanted to tell her now, instead of waiting for Draco to be there at Christmas. If she rejected him, it would hurt him deeply. The only question now was how his father would react. Christmas would be the earliest he could be told.
"Thank you, Narcissa," he said softly. "I hope…I hope your husband can see things the way you do."
"Of course he will," she promised. "Lucius loves Draco beyond anything else. He is no longer of the same opinion of you after your actions at our trial, he will not react as you expect him to, Harry."
They passed the remainder of the afternoon with Narcissa leading Harry gently by the arm through the gardens that had become her pet project.
-0-
Draco poured out a glass of Firewhiskey as Harry slumped into one of the large armchairs. He'd shed his outer robe as soon as possible, leaving him in grey slacks and a cream-colored button up. He'd rolled up his sleeves and undone the first couple of buttons on the shirt.
"Busy day?" Draco asked lightly, handing over the Firewhiskey.
"Ta." Harry took a large drink. "Nev was perfectly happy to see me. He kept dropping hints about a wedding, so I think he probably asked Luna to marry him, which is great for them. It was a bit strained at Molly and Arthur's, but they always love hearing about Teddy. Ron and Hermione, well," another sip of the liquor, "Got a door slammed in my face over there. They seem to think holding a grudge will be better for them in the long run." Draco winced in sympathy.
"And my mother?" he asked after a moment.
"Narcissa and I spent a lovely afternoon looking over her garden project." He looked up at Draco with a happy smile. "She sends her love and says she's excited to see us at Christmas." Draco couldn't help but smile back.
Harry down the rest of his drink and grabbed Draco's hand, tugging the blond into his lap in the oversized chair. He wrapped his hands securely around his waist, and Draco put his arms around Harry's shoulders.
"Who would have thought we'd end up like this?" he whispered, leaning in to kiss him.
Draco responded eagerly, and the kiss heated up quickly. Harry's hands tightened on his hips, pulling him in closer. The movement brought their groins flush together, making Draco gasp at the contact. Harry's lips moved to nibble at his ear.
"Can I stay with you again tonight?" he asked in a low, husky voice, rolling his hips up into Draco's. Draco moaned and nodded, and Harry apparated them away to his room.
Draco let himself be pushed back against the bed. Harry popped open a few buttons on his shirt, then gave up and slid it over his head instead. He traced hands down Draco's bare chest and stomach, following fingers with lips and teeth and tongue. He paused at the waistband of his slacks, looking up to meet his eyes. Emerald green formed a barely-visible ring around pupils blown wide with lust.
"Do you mind?"
"Don't you dare stop now," Draco ordered breathlessly. He groaned as Harry rid him of slacks and pants in one movement, exposing him to the cool air.
-0-
Harry stared at Draco for a moment, laid out in all his glory. He was flushed and panting, fine blond hair wild from Harry running fingers through it.
He was a little lost at what to do next. Theo might have been his first love, but their situation hadn't really been…ideal. Harry had never gone further than kissing.
He ran the tip of his tongue along the vein, trying to keep himself from gagging as Draco's hips bucked up. He pressed them into the bed with one hand before taking him in his mouth and swallowing him down as far as possible.
Draco made the most beautiful noises, moaning and crying out as Harry bobbed his head. His own erection strained at his zip, and Harry shoved his hand into his pants to stroke himself.
He moaned around Draco. The blond stuttered out a warning just before his mouth was flooded and he tried to swallow it all without choking at the awkward angle. Harry followed after a few more strokes.
Harry sat back on his heels, grimacing at the wet feeling. Draco looked up at him, face still flushed and breathing hard. He could see everything he wanted to say in those sparkling silver eyes.
"I'm going to take a shower." Draco's face fell ever so slightly. Harry kissed him lightly and added, "Wouldn't want to get your bed all sticky."
Draco fell asleep almost as soon as he had draped across Harry's chest, but Harry stayed awake awhile longer, just watching his lover sleep. He noticed the glint of the Ministry tracking cuff on the wrist resting near his shoulder. He traced a thumb over the thin, warm metal, wondering at all the things that had brought them to that moment.
Privately, he thought about replacing the cuff with a different bit of metal in two years' time. Like a ring.