~ Epilogue: Six Months Later ~

"You're in a good mood today," said Stacie as Draco prepared ingredients for the Veritaserum the Ministry had ordered.

Draco simply smiled back at her. She had to know the effect that his recent breakthrough in his Dreamless Sleep variant would have on him. He'd been high on his victory all day. He couldn't wait to tell Harry—

The smile dropped off his face at the thought of his boyfriend. Draco realized that he'd barely thought of Harry for the past couple days. He'd been too busy perfecting his potion, and Harry had been off on another mission for nearly a week now. Draco frowned. He knew that Harry's work sometimes kept him away for long periods of time, but it was starting to bother him. Or maybe that was just guilt because he'd been preoccupied. An unpleasant feeling began to take hold inside him.

Am I starting to take him for granted, too? he wondered. He knew that was one of his worst faults when it came to relationships. Ever since he and Harry had gotten together, they'd both discovered a lot, both about each other and themselves, and why neither of them had had much success with relationships before. Draco had sworn things would be different this time. He'd felt different from the start. Harry made him feel alive in a way no one else had, and had managed to hold his interest even after six months together. They both enjoyed spending time together and relaxing after work to talk about their days. Things really seemed to be going well between them.

Or so Draco had thought. But for the first time, he was beginning to worry that maybe he'd messed up this relationship, too. He wished more than ever that he knew where Harry was, just so he could reassure himself that everything was all right.

If Stacie noticed the drastic change in Draco's mood, she wisely kept it to herself. Draco finished his work in silence, but for the first time, he noticed how chilly it was in his laboratory. Just outside the window, he could see what looked like a nasty snowstorm, the wind howling as it blew snow furiously in all directions, making it impossible to see. Draco was glad that he could just Apparate home, but knowing that he'd be snowed in for the night, unable to leave his lonely apartment, just made the long, cold night ahead of him that much more unappealing.

"See you Monday?" Draco looked up, startled, to see Stacie gathering up her things, preparing to Apparate home. She was eyeing him with uncharacteristic uncertainty. His sudden mood swing must have worried her more than he'd realized.

"Of course," he said, mustering up a small smile. "Have a nice weekend, Miss Winters."

Once he was alone again, the sense of loneliness returned with sudden force. The chill in the air seemed to seep into his bones as he put away the last of his equipment and gathered up his own belongings. And the fact that it was a Friday night only made it worse. Instead of enjoying a break from work, the weekend loomed over him, threatening to crush him with the weight of its emptiness.

He turned on the spot, reappearing in his living room, which was as dark and chilly as he'd expected. Through the windows, he could see the same snowstorm raging outside. It would've been the perfect weather for snuggling in front of his fireplace with a warm cup of cocoa and someone special, but the only person he wanted to be with was away on a mission somewhere Draco didn't even know.

Draco's stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since lunch. The thought of making dinner held little appeal, and he would've liked to go out just for a little warmth and human contact if the weather wasn't so bad.

Draco sighed. It would do no good dwelling on it, he told himself firmly. Once he started dinner and got a fire going in the fireplace, his apartment would feel a bit warmer and cozier. And maybe he could put on some music to cut through the silence. He didn't really believe himself, but turned in the direction of the kitchen, anyway. At least it gave him something to do.

He entered the hallway leading to the kitchen and halted abruptly. There was a light on, visible just beneath the kitchen door.

Someone was in his apartment.

Hardly daring to breathe, Draco tiptoed closer to the door. He realized that he could smell something cooking, and his brow furrowed. It couldn't be his house-elf, he thought. Since he tended to keep long, inconsistent hours, he didn't require her to prepare regular meals for him while he was working. But it must be someone who had access to his apartment, because his wards hadn't gone off. He tentatively opened the kitchen door, wand out and ready.

Harry was standing in front of the stove, as if it was the most natural thing in the world and he hadn't been gone for a week. He was wearing a ridiculous, frilly apron designed to look like a French maid's uniform — and nothing else. Draco's mouth went dry, and he made a funny sound in the back of his throat.

Harry turned at the sound, smiling broadly. "You're home!"

Draco nodded dumbly. It was all he could do. "So are you," he said at last.

Harry looked puzzled. "Of course I am." He studied Draco carefully for a moment. "Did you think I wouldn't come back?"

Draco lowered his eyes. His worries seemed silly and melodramatic now. Before he could answer, Harry had crossed the room and gently raised Draco's chin so he could look him in the eyes. "Of course I would come back to you," he said. There was a ferocity about him, even in that ridiculous apron, that made Draco feel safe and protected in his arms.

Draco slid his arms around Harry's waist, snuggling against him with a contented smile. He let his fingers skate lightly over Harry's bare skin, and Harry shivered.

"I missed you," Draco said simply.

"And I missed you," said Harry. "Wait 'til I tell you about our mission — you won't believe what happened!"

Draco closed his eyes as he held onto Harry, basking in his presence. "I want to hear all about it," he sighed. "And then, I can't wait to tell you about my latest breakthrough in the lab."

"Breakthrough? With your Dreamless Sleep adaptation? Did you finally get it to work?" Harry sounded so eager to hear about it that Draco could hardly believe he wasn't dreaming. He leaned back to study Harry's face, and Harry looked just as interested as he sounded. Draco smiled and gave him a lazy, lingering kiss.

"Later," he said. "Why don't you finish dinner — it smells wonderful — and I'll go set the table, and we can spend the evening regaling each other with our adventures of the past week? And then do whatever else you had in mind." He let his eyes roam up and down Harry's body, pointedly taking in his attire, then kissed Harry again and hurried off to set the table before he could protest. As he laid out the dishes and lit a few candles to create a more intimate atmosphere, he couldn't seem to stop smiling. Harry had come back to him, and it didn't seem like he was going anywhere. Now the weekend ahead of him was filled with wonderful possibility. For the first time in years, he felt like he'd finally come home.

~ fin ~

Thanks for reading and/or reviewing! Hope you all enjoyed!