Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

Summary: Non-Epilogue compliant. Harry, mid fight against remaining Death Eater factions, finds himself somehow transported to a strange world, Narnia. He learns to live, to love, and eventually to be a little bit selfish.

Warnings: Slash. Cross dimension travel. Character death. Murder, violence, fighting.

Pairings: HP/EP.

Author Note: As of 30minutes ago I have been having trouble with the internet so the rest of the chapters will be put up over the next few days when the internet stops being such an arse. I cannot upload from my tablet so you have to wait again for my internet to my computer to stop being stupid! Sorry.

Chapter 9

The victory party was rambunctious and loud. They had a huge bonfire in the centre of camp and some beings played instruments which had people dancing around the fire. Obviously there was a dampener to the mood because people had died and they were mourned. They celebrated the victory though and all pledged, slightly drunkenly, their loyalty to King Edmund.

Edmund laughed, danced and talked the evening away with his silver crown on top of his head and wearing some of his finer clothes. Lucy danced with as many people as she could, even pulling Harry in for a reel or two before leaving him in the capable hands of one of the tree nymphs who insisted on decorating his hair with blossoms which only fell off when he danced another reel with somebody else.

Harry caught Edmund's eyes periodically through the evening and got a smile every time he did so. Every time he saw it he smiled. He felt like a damn fool, completely wonderstruck. At least he was a damn happy fool.

Harry eventually made his escape to his tent. The party was winding down because it had been a very long day. Only those who had nearly died and had received Lucy's tonic were able to party on as if they hadn't been awake since dawn. Harry was not one of them. He was tired, bone tired.

In his tent he spelled a bowl of water full, stripped off his top and washed. He had only had a brief wash earlier to get rid of the worst of the grit and grime of the battle. Now he took his time and scrubbed, being sure to refresh the water every minute or so. His hair took him seven bowls of water to clean. He had soaps and shampoos made from various Narnian plants. If he knew what the plants were and their properties then he would have made a hair cleaning potion that they had learned about all those years ago in Hogwarts. As it was a lot of the plants in Narnia were different to Earth's and so he didn't really want to attempt to make a potion. He left the potions and lotions to the natives, the people who knew and understood the fauna. Mostly it was fauns and centaurs who created them, with nymphs whispering in their ears.

Harry washed, rinsed, washed again, then dried off. He discarded his clothes to soak in a different bowl and cleaned off his legs last before pulling on some clean baggy trousers and a loose top to wear to bed.

He snuffed out the candles and slipped beneath the sheets of his bed falling into sleep almost instantly.

He woke an unknown time later to another presence in the room. He bolted upright and grabbed his wand from under his pillow trying to identify the intruder in the almost pitch black of his tent.

"Harry, it's me!"

"Edmund! What's wrong? Lumos." Harry's wand light up with a small ball of light and he held it out so he could see Edmund more clearly. Edmund winced at the light and shielded his eyes.

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to see you." Edmund whispered and a hand reached out and touched Harry's.

"You couldn't wait till morning?"

"No, I really couldn't." Edmund admitted and slipped onto Harry's bed, sliding in between the covers. Harry twisted around to face him, to watch so he would know what came next. His heart, that had been hammering in his chest in fear only moments ago, hammered violently with anticipation.

Edmund lay down beside him, slid a hand over Harry's cheek then down to his shoulder and tugged Harry down onto the bed with him. Harry lay down keeping his wand between them to cast some light. Edmund's eyes were just dark pools where the light couldn't reach and Harry couldn't see even a hint of their colour, let alone make out the emotions inside them. Edmund slid his hand up to Harry's cheek again, cupping it and rubbing his thumb back and forth across Harry's cheek.

"I couldn't sleep." Edmund finally confessed. "I did not want to for fear that this day was just a dream and that you never revealed what you felt to me."

"It wasn't a dream." Harry whispered in reassurance, breathing out a sigh as Edmund rose up and pressed their foreheads together. "And I won't take my words back."

Edmund pressed a brief kiss to Harry's lips, suction tugging one of Harry's lips between his and sending shudders down Harry's spine. Harry abandoned his wand to the bed and put his hand on Edmund's neck encouraging another kiss. Edmund obliged. Their lips slid over each other. Edmund's lips felt soft against Harry's but as Edmund moved them Harry felt the muscles hiding beneath the soft skin tense and release. His lip moved and clung to Harry's when Harry tried to draw back.

Their lips made a wet noise as Harry broke away from the kiss and Harry smiled, the noise obscene but telling to how much Edmund didn't want the kiss to end. Harry breathed, kissed him again making that noise once more as they parted. Over and over Harry kissed him, just to hear that noise and Edmund ended up laughing and eventually pushing Harry away.

"Alright, alright." He laughed and Harry flopped down onto the bed and picked up his wand again. The lumos spell still hadn't gone out thankfully but the light only meant that shadows were cast over him and Edmund in the light. He lifted his wand and put it on his bedside table, one he had transfigured from a rock upon arrival at camp and it still maintained its grey look. He shifted his head against his pillow and stared at Edmund who had his head resting on the pillow next to Harry. Harry bent his legs to better balance and knocked his knees into Edmund's. He shifted and gave Edmund an apologetic look.

"I should make the bed bigger if you are staying." He offered and Edmund shook his head.

"I don't want to move. Can we not share? Squash together?" Harry licked his lips and nodded.

"Yeah. OK. Um…If you roll so you are on your side then it would be easier." Harry explained, the words barely more than a breath. Edmund nodded hesitantly and leaned forwards to give Harry a kiss before doing as he was asked. Edmund rolled to face away from Harry and Harry shifted in behind him, resting his chest almost reluctantly against Edmund's back. He slid his right arm up over Edmund's and intertwined their fingers. Edmund squeezed back as they arranged their legs to spoon better.

Harry shut his eyes to sleep but Edmund shifted restlessly every couple of minutes and it kept him awake.

"Ed? You OK? Are you uncomfortable?" Harry asked and squeezed Edmund's hand in his.

"A little." Edmund admitted and Harry pulled his hand back away from Ed as if he had been burned. Edmund took a quick breath in and twisted around onto hgis back. "It's not because you are touching me. I…I'm not used to sleeping on my left side."

Harry let out a sigh of relief, shutting his eyes with the immensity of it. A hand stroked up his arm to his shoulder soothingly but it still took Harry a moment or two to have the courage to open his eyes again. He laughed at his own nervousness and insecurity then, secure in the affection in Edmund's gaze.

"We could try it the other way around." He murmured and Edmund nodded, shifting over to lie on his right facing Harry but leaving enough space for Harry to turn around and lie back down. Harry did so, shaking a little. He lay down and Edmund did as Harry had done minutes ago and pressed his body to Harry's back. Harry bit his lip trying to relax as much as possible. Edmund wrapped an arm around Harry's chest hugging him and pressing a kiss to the skin just below Harry's ear.

"Good night Harry." Edmund whispered into his ear.

"Night Ed." Ed gave him another kiss to his neck then settled back onto the pillow sighing as he relaxed. Harry ran his hands up and down Ed's forearm that was still wrapped around his chest trying to get used to the sensation of being held like this. It was odd to be the one wrapped in someone's arms. Odd but good.

Harry didn't remember falling asleep but he woke periodically through the night when one of them shifted. By morning, even with all the disturbances during the night that came with sharing a bed with another person for the first time, Harry had enjoyed one of the best nights sleep of his life.

Harry had ignored the light that threatened that it was morning for the last few minutes. He didn't want to open his eyes and end his rest. His body ached and he just didn't want to move. Today would be a clean-up day, they would have to tend the wounded again, pack up camp and start going back to Cair Paravel.

The bed shifted and the space behind Harry suddenly sprung up as a weight was lifted from it. Harry was, thankfully, led on his front so he didn't move much but he was jostled and it prompted him to finally open his eyes and look around. He blinked at the light in the tent that, even through the tent walls, was bright.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Edmund whispered and Harry craned his head around, lifting it from the pillow to turn it so he could see the other side of the room. He brushed his long hair from his face and smiled at Edmund who had a frown of regret on his face.

"Nah. I was just trying not to be awake." Edmund nodded and sat back down on the bed brushing Harry's hair behind his ear. The tender touch made Harry smile. "Sleep OK?"

"Yes, you?"

"Yup." Harry nodded and stretched. He groaned and closed his eyes. "Urgh my muscles are sore." He grumbled and Edmund laughed and nodded.

"Mine too. Still, at least there shouldn't be any more fighting today."

"No, we've just got to sort out the dead, bury or burn them, help the wounded and begin packing up ready to leave."

"Well the plan is to leave tomorrow morning assuming patrols can be sorted out. I have to talk to my generals but that is my plan."

"Ah yes, you get the bureaucracy and I get the manual labour."

"Manual labour…" Edmund tsked his tongue and nodded to Harry's bedside table. "The most lifting you will do is to raise your wand."

"I'll have you know spell casting is very tiring."

"So is bureaucracy."

"Fine. You win." Harry laughed and rolled over so he could sit up. He rolled his shoulders and pulled his shirt down from where lots of it had bunched around his neck. "I suppose we better get started."

Harry got up from the bed and lifted his wand. With a spell he had fresh water in the bowl and his wash cloth cleaned and ready to be used. From his bag he pulled a fresh set of clothes.

"I uh…" Edmund started which drew Harry's attention to him. He was still sat on the bed and looking a little uncomfortable. Sheepish eyes met Harry's and a smile quirked the younger man's lips. "I don't know what the protocol for this is."

"The protocol for what?" Harry queried and threw his clean clothes onto the bed.

"For the morning after spending the night in your tent." Came the confession which had Harry shrugging.

"I don't either. I suppose we make our own protocols."

"I suppose so. Of course, all moral codes would say I shouldn't have shared your bed last night."

"Depends which moral code you go by. In your English time it would be highly frowned upon I think. In my timeline there is absolutely nothing wrong with it at all. This isn't England though and Narnia is something else entirely."

"It isn't wrong in your time? Have you done this before then?" Edmund's face twisted strangely as if he was aiming for nonchalance but something else kept getting in the way. It took Harry a moment to process but when he understood he laughed.

"Done what? Shared my bed with somebody for the night?" He laughed again and snorted as he shook his head. "No. It's a completely new situation for me."

"So I am your first?" Edmund's face cleared and something joyous took place of the jealousy that had threatened earlier.

"Yes Edmund." Harry sighed with a smile and he crossed to the bed. He put his fists down on it and leaned forwards so he was face to face with Edmund. "You are the first person I have ever said I love you to, you are also the first ever person to share my bed."

"Good. I like knowing that I'm your only." Harry rolled his eyes but stopped the movement when Edmund slid his hand into Harry's hair again and pulled his head closer. "If we get to write our own protocol about this whole situation then I want to kiss you before I leave to go back to my tent."

"Ah, and here I thought I would kiss you good bye on my doorstep."

"That too." Edmund said and Harry laughed even after Edmund pressed their lips together. He tried to keep a straight face and join in the kiss properly, but it took a few long seconds before he was able too by which time Edmund was smiling into the kiss and they couldn't carry on.

"Come on, the sooner we start then the sooner we get to finish." Harry said and pulled back from the bed to stand upright. Edmund nodded, stood and crossed to the door. His bed clothes looked ruffled and in the early morning light his white shirt and lightly tanned trousers showed of the creases. Edmund had obviously already put his boots on, boots Harry hadn't realised he had but now that he thought about it Edmund had to wear something on his feet to walk between the tents.

"I will see you later." Edmund said with promise glittering in his eyes.

"You will."

And Edmund left, the tent door flapping shut behind him. Harry fingered his clean shirt for a moment and just watched the door. Then he felt stupid, gave himself a mental shake to buck his ideas up, and started getting dressed into his work shirt and trousers ready for a day on the battle field tending the dead and preparing for the send-off ceremony.

It was a long arduous day and Harry didn't have time to do anything, let alone eat, until late that evening. He cleaned up in his tent and cancelled all the spells that transfigured items in his room. His bed reverted back to a mat with some blankets and a few twigs. His bedside table changed back into a rock. His wash bowl turned back into a leaf. Then, once everything was changed back, Harry left his tent and helped everyone to take it down. They would be sleeping under the stars that night from the sounds of things. Apparently the order from King Edmund was that half the army would leave camp the following morning at dawn while the rest of the army would stay put and follow a few days later.

When they all lay out down their mats to sleep Harry found Lucy and Susan beckoning him over. He lifted his mat and walked over to them, carefully stepping around the soldiers and animals and other beings to get to the centre of the group where there was a space left with a spare mat next to it currently unoccupied.

"That is Edmund's mat. He said we should stay close together because we are all heading back in the morning." Susan explained and lay down her mat with a slight huff. "I haven't had to sleep like this in years."

"Oh don't be such silly about it Susan. It's not like you've never done it before. You've just got used to sleeping on soft beds." Lucy teased and sat down on her own mat. "I'm looking forward to sleeping under the stars again."

"Yes well you would. Sometimes Lu I think you wish you had been born a boy." Susan griped and twisted onto her side, curling her arm under her head.

"No, sometimes I wish you had been born a boy so you wouldn't worry about being clean all the time and wouldn't complain about camping. You used to like it."

"Yes well I grew up. Urgh sleeping on the floor is not comfortable at all, I'm not going to get any sleep."

"Do you want me to transfigure your mat into something more comfortable?" Harry offered but before Susan could answer Edmund walked over and intervened.

"No. One night on Narnian soil will not kill us." Edmund said with a warning look to Susan whose mouth closed audibly as she snapped it shut.

"Edmund! Is everything alright?" Edmund nodded to Lucy's question and took off his weapons belt, laying it on the floor beside his mat.

"Yes, it's all fine. There are scout schedules all drawn up and regular armed patrols. We now have written agreement of their surrender and they have been given leave to dispose of their own dead under heavy supervision. I have been told all the carts are ready to leave for Cair Paravel and all the horses are prepared to take us home in the morning. Everything is going exactly to plan. I almost wish it wasn't because then I wouldn't have this worry that something bad is going to happen."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Things shouldn't go to plan so well, that's all."

"Don't jinx it Edmund." Susan grouched. "Let's just get some sleep."

Edmund sighed and lay down on his mat, turning on his side to look at Harry. He offered Harry a smile and, as if by some unspoken agreement, they did absolutely nothing more than that.

The night had been a long one. Harry found it hard to sleep and in the end only managed to fall asleep for half an hour before an alarm went off in camp signalling an attack. Everybody was up in arms and bustling around the place in seconds when the small skirmish of enemy soldiers appeared from the trees and attacked them. The Narnian's fended them off but not without more casualties because not all of them had slept in their armour.

Hours later the battle ended and Harry walked between the wounded healing as many as he could. The Narnian's were in sour spirits despite winning the skirmish. They sullenly allowed Harry to heal them, barely speaking a word to him and not meeting Edmund's eyes as Edmund passed.

Edmund was in a rage; hissing, spitting and yelling for all to hear about how he had known everything was too easy the night before and that nothing ever goes to plan so perfectly. He roared about how unchivalrous and dishonourable their opponents were to not only attack in the dead of the night but to break their own treaty only hours after signing it. More scouts were sent out to trace the enemy back and plans were drawn up to smoke out the remainder of the enemy and bring them to justice. That got the Narnian's attention. Many of them stood and cheered in agreement at that plan and some went so far as to get a war tent put up immediately for Edmund and his generals to plan another battle.

Susan and Lucy joined Edmund and the generals in the tent, both looking solemn and determined. Susan had put away her gentleness and had embraced the desire for justice and, perhaps, some revenge for her people. Harry declined going into the tent. He could be put to better use helping the wounded. He was not very good at planning battles, despite having sat in on many Narnian war councils. By now Edmund knew his capabilities and could factor it into the plans, as could Peter. So, Harry stayed outside and healed every gash on every being that needed healing. He healed bumps, gashes, scrapes, slices, cuts, bludgeon wounds and bruises as best he could. He then helped clean off armour ready for the next day, the menial labour helping to calm the army's mind.

Hours later, over dinner, Harry charmed the fire to dance in different shapes and he enchanted various carvings the different men had made for their children and had them do various things like dance, fight and act out stories. The men's spirits were cheered immensely by the time Edmund and the others emerged from the tent, called them men to silence and explained the plan of attack.

"…get a good night's rest. Tomorrow we battle. For Aslan!"

"For Aslan!" The men cheered and started clearing away and putting out the fire.

"Harry! I need to speak with you." Edmund called and beckoned Harry into the war tent with a serious and solemn look on his face. Harry followed without delay, Edmund's war generals following after. Once inside the tent Edmund rounded the table and stood on the other side of it, his fists planted on the map in the middle and a look of consternation and determination in his eyes.

"Your majesty." The situation was so serious Harry began with Edmund's title, something that wasn't especially liked but it was what situation demanded and Edmund's nod said he understood that even if the clenching of his jaw betrayed his displeasure.

"Harry. Our plans are set but we have need of your magic."

"Whatever you need."

"You mentioned to me once that you had a spell that created a ghostlike animal. It chased off some sort of horror of your world."

"The patronus charm. Yes."

"We need to chase out the enemy or at least draw them out. A ghostly creature in the woods would help us do that." Edmund laid out his plan and Harry nodded in understanding. He went on to say that once the enemy was drawn out they would need Harry to cast a spell that would cause an earth quake. Harry only knew one spell that would do that, an area charm, but he said he would need to be close to the enemy for it to have any effect and would have to be awau from the Narnian's because the spell would impact them too. It was then decided, although Edmund specifically protested, that Harry would periodically apparate to the middle of the enemy ranks and cast that spell, thus taking out as many opponents as possible. Edmund didn't like it because of the risk to Harry but he did agree that it would certainly help.

Once it was all planned out the Generals, Rodak and Crixo, left the tent leaving Harry alone with Edmund who looked very out of sorts. Edmund ran a frustrated hand through his now messy gold hair.

"Ed?"

"This is not how I hoped this would go!" Edmund griped and looked up with frustrated and upset eyes. Harry carefully walked around the table unsure of his welcome in Edmund's personal space with Edmund looking so haggard.

"It will be alright Edmund, there can't be many enemies left now."

"That was not what I meant." Edmund growled and turned from the table angrily to face Harry. Rough hands gripped the side of Harry's face and Harry had a second of fear before he discarded it. Edmund stared at him with a wild look in his eyes. "I waited a year, nearly two years, for you to realise that there was something between us. And now you have finally acknowledged it and accepted me we get drawn apart by everything else! Our plan is a dangerous one for you, I am asking you to walk in and face what could potentially be an army alone just so that my army has the advantage. After so long waiting, it could all be over tomorrow."

"I'm not going to die tomorrow, and neither are you. The plan is a good one, like all your plans. And afterwards we will go home." Harry did his best to reassure Ed who just closed his eyes in dismay and nodded grudgingly, disbelieving. Harry put his hands on Edmund's shoulders and squeezed. "Hey, look at me." He implored and waited until he had Edmund's undivided attention. "I meant what I said. I won't take it back. Tomorrow I will do my bit for Narnia and for you, and afterwards I will come back. It is as simple as that."

"I wish I had your confidence." Ed whispered and leaned their foreheads together.

"What's there to not be confident about? It's a good plan and there can't be too many enemies left. We will win this battle Ed, and when we do you will wonder what you spent so much time worrying about it for."

Ed laughed and they rested together, foreheads touching and arms around each other.