A/N: I'm back! And with a long chapter as well, honestly! I never figured it would be quite this long. I wrote most of it when I had a random spike of inspiration on the way back from work. Because I already knew what I wanted to write, I just didn't know how I wanted to word it... And then I did. And then I can't/couldn't stop writing XD. So it was 5:30 when I went to bed. I had work on that day as well, so I was quite tired. I wrote the rest today, as well as the spellcheck. I wouldn't be surprised if I missed some though... Anyway, there's quite a bit of Dutch in here. As usual, translation will be down below!

And so Draco talked for hours, sometimes being interrupted by Harry who wanted to know more, or who seemed to recall the things that happened. Dinner had come and gone without either of them noticing, and it was deep in the night before three months' worth of living a different life was over and done with.

"I'd like to visit Blaise and Theodore."

Draco blinked, as it was the first thing that left Harry's mouth. Blinking some more, he looked at Harry expressionlessly, trying to make sense of his words and the reason as to why he wanted to. Yesterday evening he talked about Blaise and Theo, as well as their story. Obviously, he also talked about all the other people that were part of their life now, including Damien.

"Well, as Ron and Hermione are currently on their honeymoon, I'd like to meet your friends as well. Besides, they were worried about what happened, weren't they?"

Cocking his head, Draco met the evergreen eyes he came to love so much, trying to decipher the need to go on this particular day, instead of taking it easy and coming to terms with his memories slowly. "Yes, that's very much true. But do you think you ought to be moving around so much, meeting people you don't know, except for what I've told you?"

Smiling gently, Harry answered the inquiry. "As I said yesterday as well, I'm fine. Or at least, I will be fine. Sitting around won't help me anyway. Besides, I didn't know them when you first introduced them to me, either. Yes, it might be a bit awkward for me to meet them again without me knowing them, but I feel like I will benefit more from seeing and speaking to them. So please, let me do this. Let's visit your friends. I want to know more about the people in my life."

Nibbling on his bottom lip, Draco thought about it for a short while. But, as his mate had so aptly said, there was nary a reason for him to refuse. Sighing in defeat, there was nothing for it. "Okay, then. We'll go. Just… Please, don't push yourself, all right?"

Nodding, Harry stood up from the table. "All right, then. Please, lead the way."

With Harry in tow, Draco walked through the front door, still feeling slightly apprehensive. It's not that he didn't trust his friends. It was simply that such a substantial amount of mental baggage was unloaded onto Harry's psyche, that he feared shocking him back into his previous memoryless state. Factually he knew this to be wrong, though.

However, Astral had still berated him that morning, as he had given her an update on Harry and everything which had transpired between them. She had used words such as "reckless" and "impatient", and went into a tirade about how "foolish you two had been for carelessly looking up information without considering the consequences" and whatnot. When he had mumbled a quiet "eind goed, all goed", Astral lectured him for another good thirty minutes, thinking his ears might come off all the while.

After the early lecture, he had already developed quite a headache. Harry's request after it hadn't made the pounding in his head ease up any. Instead, it contributed to the dull throb that was ever so persistent. However, he would never want to deny a request made by his mate. So he had consented, as he had done when Harry first wanted to meet the two. Having to introduce him to his friends again would feel rather odd, as Harry already said it would. Even so, he had a feeling there would be absolutely nothing to worry about. It would simply be a bit awkward at most. Grinning to himself, he knew Blaise would make sure nobody was able to actually feel and experience that awkwardness.

As they reached the quaint house, his heartbeat unwillingly sped up. Blaise did say they could visit whenever. However, he figured Blaise didn't intend for those words to come back at him that quickly. Indeed, even Draco himself thought they had to sort through a lot more baggage before getting at the point they were at. And with the way he had left so hurriedly before… Well, he would simply have to treat Blaise to one of his favourite drinks in the tavern. It had been too long since they last took a day off to relax together. Then again, they weren't students with free time on their hands anymore. They were both full-fledged adults, each working hard to secure their future.

Standing in front of the wooden door, he glanced behind himself to see how Harry was holding up. When he got an affirmative nod, he steeled himself. With an exhale, he sharply rapped on the door. Within moments, he heard the quiet shuffling of feet making their way over to the door. With a dry grin Draco noted that it couldn't be anyone else but Theodore. If it had been Blaise, even Harry behind him would've recoiled in shock at the ruckus heading their way.

Within moments, the door swung inwards, revealing a Theodore poking his head out, to see who was there. He acknowledged Draco with a nod, swinging the door open wider. However, as Draco stepped forward, Theo met Harry's eyes, and they widened. With a silent glance, he looked at Draco questioningly. Grinning wryly, Draco gently strode past Theodore. "I'll explain once we get inside." Glancing backwards, he beckoned Harry.

"We were worried about you, you know? After you left so hurriedly last time, and we hadn't heard from you, we wondered whether or not everything was all right. But I see now that it couldn't have been that bad." Theodore said after Draco's back as he closed the door.

Turning his head to face Theo, Draco narrowed his eyes. Never quite knowing what to think of the other teen, he also had a hard time discerning whether or not the remarks were well-meant or a sly dig. Realistically he knew the other teen meant well, but in his heart, the stab at Harry wasn't appreciated. "I'm sorry, we were rather busy sorting through our own baggage. Like I said, I will explain once we all sit down. Really, I wanted to contact you guys sooner, but as it was, more important matters required my attention. I'm certain you of all people know what it's like to recuperate under the watchful eye of your mate. Don't you?"

Nodding his head, Theo replied. "Yes, I do know. Please take a seat for now. I'll be preparing some tea for you. Blaise is still asleep, though. I'll rouse him in a moment, so please wait until I've served tea." Walking over to the kitchen, Theodore broke off from the pair, dragging his heels.

Sitting down on the couch, Draco decided against storming his best friend's bedroom, if only for Harry's sake. Gesturing Harry should sit down, too, they settled down comfortably. "Well, that was Theodore just now, as I'm sure you've figured out already. I didn't think Blaise would still be asleep, though. He's usually an obnoxiously loud and cheerful morning person. I don't know how he does it, but it has bothered me quite a few times in the past." Grinning wistfully, he thought back on their Hogwarts days, when Blaise jerked open the curtains of his four-poster bed, his cheery voice echoing in the small room, which resulted in a cranky Draco. Still, he had very fond memories of those days.

"Well, I'm not as much of a morning person myself, but I can really respect those who get things done in the early morning. It seems quite impossible to do, don't you think?" Grinning, he answered Draco, while casually glancing around. The cosy atmosphere felt familiar, just like his own room had felt familiar in the Manor. There was warmth here. Of that, he was sure.

His eyes looked back towards the entrance, which Theodore just passed with mugs in his hands. Setting them down, he excused himself. "I'll try to wake up Blaise, now. Please, do not hesitate to start drinking. I'll be right back." With those words, he left the room, the door creaking silently.

Being left to their own devices, Draco reached for his mug, cradling it in his hands. With it being October, the weather was starting to take a turn for the worst. Though it wasn't raining, the wind was bitterly cold, cutting into skin. A warm cup of tea was exactly that which expelled the cold, warming the insides. "The tea Theo makes is the best, always. Well, perhaps mother's tea might be slightly better. Either way, it's always such a pleasure to be handed a cup. I'm pretty certain you'll agree with me."

Leaning forward, Harry grabbed his own mug, blowing the steam away. Cautiously taking a sip, his eyebrows raised on his forehead. He was pleasantly surprised by the taste. The smell itself was enough to make him think the drink was delicious. Yet, when he took a sip, his expectations were met and exceeded. Taking another sip, Theodore joined them.

"He ought to be coming soon. I'd like to inquire as to how things have been lately, but I think it's better to leave that talk for when Blaise is here. Harry, I do hope you feel at ease here, at the very least. It must have been a rather hectic time for you, having amnesia and such. It must have been rather scary, I bet."

Nodding, Harry regarded the other teen over the rim of his mug. This was another human, the same as him. Not an elf. This was simply another teen, someone he could have met down the street of his aunt and uncle. Strange how both their lives were influenced like this. The threads of fate were quite mysterious indeed. "Actually, it was more frustrating than anything else, honestly. It is simply very hard to think your surroundings are familiar, yet not knowing the reason as to why that is. The same goes for this room, honestly. I know I know it, yet I can't find any clear memories to connect to it. It's a very peculiar feeling indeed." Taking another sip of the tea, he let the warmth spread through his body. At that moment, the door opened, and in came the person they had been waiting for.

Blaise yawned as he walked in, rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake up. He grinned at Draco as he saw his best friend, before his brown eyes locked unto green ones. With eyes the size of saucers, Blaise couldn't help but to exclaim: "Harry! I'm not sure whether or not you remember me, but I'm so glad you're all right! I was anxiously awaiting your arrival." Running up to the teen, he awkwardly crouched down to pull Harry into a crushing embrace. Closing his eyes, he was on the verge of tears, overcome with emotion. "Honestly, I am so, so glad you're safe and sound now. I have been worried sick." Pulling away slightly, he cradled Harry's face in his hands, trying to gauge whether or not he had been too overbearing. When he saw the gentle smile, he was assured that he hadn't pushed too far.

Or so he thought. Two different taps on his shoulder alerted him that there were other people in the room as well. An irate Draco had a hand on his shoulder, intend to push him away from Harry if he had to. As he craned his head backwards, he saw Theodore standing over him, a dark shadow crossing his eyes. Grinning mischievously, he cooed: "Aww, it can't be that the both of you are jealous? There's nothing to be jealous about. This is simply some friendly bonding." Hugging Harry a final time, he stood up and patted Theo on his shoulder, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for the tea, love." Taking the mug from his hands, he settled down into his chair comfortably, a huge sigh escaping his lips.

"I'm honestly very glad to see the both of you again. However, I'm afraid I'm not quite up to date with everything that happened. Might the both of you be so kind to fill me in? I hate being left in the dark, you see."

And so Harry spoke of his activities in recent days, the things he remembered, and the things he didn't remember. It was a long story, and many cups of tea had come and gone by the time he was finished. When it was time to go back home, Harry felt quite honestly regretful to leave. He felt the warmth like he hadn't before beaming from the bonds they all shared. And it really warmed his heart to see there were friends who accepted him as he was. Be it like he was, and how he is.

"If possible, I'd like to meet with Damien."

Harry had dropped that line as they barely closed the door to Blaise and Theodore's house. Draco stopped walking, an incredulous look on his face.

"Daar is absoluut geen sprake van." Not even caring what language he spoke in, Draco stood stock-still, his entire body burning up due to that one line, the throbbing in his head returning as well. There were things he was not as firm about as he should've been, but there were most definitely cases when he had to be firm and unwavering. This was one of those times. "I will not have it. Besides, there is no way you'll be able to visit him. He is detained in a personal cell, and there is no possible way for a citizen like you to worm your way inside. Setting possibilities aside, I will not let you get hurt again. I promised to never let hurtful things befall you anymore. Allowing you to simply waltz into that place is the same as a free pass to letting you get hurt. I will not stand for it."

His heart warming at his mate's attentiveness, Harry breathed out, trying not to hurt the blond's feelings with what he wanted to say. Continuing his walk, he forced Draco to tag along, though he could basically feel his anger radiating off of him. "I know you feel like you should protect me at all times, and I appreciate you trying to look out for me. However, there are times when you're simply unable to stop things from happening. Just like you couldn't stop Damien from hurting me. And no-" Harry interjected as he felt rather than saw Draco taking offense to those words- "I do not blame nor resent you for it. You couldn't have known what would happen. However, it doesn't negate the fact that I got hurt. And for sure I will get hurt many more times. Obviously I hope it's not going to be to these extremes…" Smiling wryly, he didn't wait for Draco to interject.

"Besides, as he already hurt me once, what's the worst he could do to me now? Fire some mean words? Badmouth me? Honestly, there is nothing he could really do to me from behind bars. So really, I do not see how you could be so against it? He is in a prison cell and I'm not. There is nothing he can do to me now."

Shaking with anger, Draco hissed the words rather than spoke them. "Yes, there are still ways he can hurt you. Maybe not physically, no. Verbally? Maybe not. But simply by him being there you could get hurt. You can recall your past trauma, and not recover from it. You might even have a relapse! There are too many risks that I am most certainly not willing to take. Nor am I willing to let you take them! Absolutely not! Don't be so absurd, Harry. If you think about it rationally, I'm sure you'll see things my way."

Setting his jaw, Harry stood his ground. "And what if not meeting him is preventing me from remembering everything? Maybe I need to meet him so I'm able to leave it all behind me. I don't think he can traumatise me any further, honestly. I basically already know what happened, so there's no way for me to collapse when seeing him. I really hope you consider looking at it from my perspective."

However, Draco adamantly stood his ground. "No. Instead, I think you should try looking at it from my point of view for once… Over the course of the last few days I have been quite accommodating, letting you do the things you wanted. Even when it was against the healer's orders, even if it went against common sense. I do not even think we should have an argument about this in the first place, as it is completely nonsensical."

"Well, then, I have to disagree, I'm sorry to say. I still think that visiting would allow me to fully regain my senses, to put that chapter of my life behind me for good."

"Harry, no. I will stand my ground on this one. You want to visit the library? Fine. You want to visit my friends? Also fine. However, visiting an assaulter? Visiting a criminal in his own cell? Are you absolutely out of your mind? I very much have to disagree."

Glancing behind himself, Harry shook his head with a disappointed look. "I see we will not be able to concede on this point. I'm sorry, then, but I'm going to have to do this. For myself. For us. To move on." With those words, he sped up and walked into the deserted manor. Heading towards his own room, he closed the door behind him, wanting no interaction with Draco for the rest of the day. Pacing around his room, he heard Draco across the hallway, slamming his door closed.

Feeling slightly pained for forcing his way so often, he decided to show his appreciation for the other teen after all was over and done with. Harry did not necessarily disagree with Draco's way of thinking. He was just adamant on this final point. It was the only thing having to do with his memory loss. After that, he had met most people he interacted with, save for Ron and Hermione. Deciding he should visit the Weasleys and Grangers sometime soon, he lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

His emotions swirling inside, there was no way he could level-headedly face Draco like this. In fact, he might even skip out on dinner altogether this day. He wasn't in the mood for it, nor did he want to see the blond when both of them were running high on emotions.

Turning around, he thought back to the words Draco said, finding truth in them. For sure there was no way for him to enter a prison without someone to accompany him. However, the Malfoy name held some weight around the realm. Therefore, it wouldn't be too far-fetched that one of them was able to get him inside. Risking a potential run-in with Draco, he quietly left his bedroom, shutting his door silently. Although he knew the blond might know he left his room, he didn't want to alert him unnecessarily. Besides, he figured Draco himself wanted to cool his head as well. Walking extra quietly in front of Draco's room, he walked down the stairs, praying someone had returned in the meanwhile. As he heard some noise in the kitchen, he cautiously walked up to the room, peering in. when he saw the eldest Malfoy, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Upon seeing the teen, the silver-haired man nodded his acknowledgment. "Dinner will be done in a few moments, just wait a little while."

Feeling decidedly guilty he opted to skip out on dinner, he puffed up his chest, hoping it would give him the courage he needed. "Thank you very much. However, there was a favour I wanted to ask you about instead… It is a once in a lifetime request, honestly. And I'm not sure whether or not you can arrange it… Yet, I still want to try asking…" Knowing he was bumbling, he couldn't help but fidget, his earlier bravado already completely forgotten.

Raising his brow, Lucius stirred the pot, waiting for the teen to finish. Surely it was rare Harry had a request of any sort. In the couple of months the older man had seen the teen milling about, he knew that asking requests was something that was not for him. Harry always tried to figure out a way to make it work, no matter how difficult the task might be. Therefore, he was anxiously waiting for the request itself.

"I need to visit the prison." Heaving a sigh, Harry decided there was nothing for it but a direct approach. "I would very much like to visit Damien, so I can find closure. I know it's a lot to ask, and I'm not sure whether or not such a request can be granted, but I really wanted to try asking anyway." Breathing slightly heavily, he looked at Lucius Malfoy hopefully.

In the meanwhile, Lucius had stopped stirring, the request leaving him slightly shaken. For sure that was the one thing he never would've expected. Who on earth would willingly request to see their aggressor? "Are you completely sure?"

Once he saw Harry nod with set eyes, that was all the older man needed to know. "Very well. I will try to arrange a visit. However, it is quite late today. I'll see whether or not tomorrow is feasible, as I figure you would like to visit on short notice." At the confirming nod, he started stirring the pot again.

Once he was finished cooking, he handed a plate to Harry. Shuffling his feet, Harry awkwardly took the plate. "I'm sorry, but is it all right if I take it upstairs? I would like to eat alone today."

Raising his eyebrow, Lucius nodded his consent. Really, the house seemed to be surrounded in a very weird atmosphere that day. Shrugging it off, he decided to grab a plate for himself and his wife as well, reserving enough for Draco. Yet, Draco never showed for dinner.

Walking down the stairs, he shivered as the air seemed to cloy to his skin in an unpleasant way. The way was lit, though the torches lighting the hallway were flickering so badly due to the wind making its way inside, the shadows it created made for some near-misses and cautious footwork. A cranky Draco was waiting outside for sure, arms crossed over his chest, a frown and pout on his face. Down here, the person to greet him was Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy. Without the help of his influence, he wouldn't have been able to come down here at all. Knowing it had been a selfish request, he was very thankful for the chance to try and find closure.

At last they reached to bottom of the stairs, making their way to a very specific cell. The cells that were inhabited didn't show any convicts, nor was there any noise indicating there was anyone there at all. Yet Harry knew there were people situated there, due to the low humming of spells. He seemed to be more attentive to magic ever since he regained his memories. Wondering whether or not that had anything to do with their bond, Harry pressed on, before they reached the particular cell they were searching for. Turning around with a stern look on his face, Lucius Malfoy opened his mouth. "Now, before I lift the spell enabling you to see and speak with the convict, there are several things I'd like to address. No matter what the circumstance, no matter the reason, do not touch the bars directly. The result isn't deadly, but it is not pretty, either. Be careful when initiating contact. The spells ought to protect you from harm, but I advise you to separate yourself from the cell so you're at least an arm's length away."

Taking a breath, the older man continued, this time in a less stern voice. "I'm not exactly sure whether or not you recall everything that has happened. In any case, if it becomes too much for you, do not hesitate to call on me. You have been through a very traumatic event, and it would be unwise to press on, straining your mental and physical health. There is no reason to let someone like this influence your life any more than he already has. And although there are spells disabling him from harming you, there is no way the words he will use are censored in any way, shape, or form. Therefore, his words might cut deeper than you would like. In any event, please call on me when something overbearing is happening. And please, conduct yourself properly, so I do not have to regret my decision to make an exception for you. It isn't easy pulling strings on such short notice."

Swallowing, Harry nodded, showing his consent. "Of course. And once more, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know it is highly exceptional, but I do appreciate this very much. It is a favour I would not have called upon if I didn't think it was necessary to move on."

Waiting with bated breath, he waited for Lucius Malfoy to nod his consent. When he did so, Harry let out a small sigh of relief he hadn't realised he had kept in. With the lowering of the elder Malfoy's hand, the cell became visible, as well as the person inhabiting it.

"Very well then. Fifteen minutes is all I'm able to give you. Once you're done, please find your way to the beginning of the hallway, and do not make a detour. If your fifteen minutes are up, I will be here to inform you as such. If that's all clear, you'll have to excuse me." With a slight bow, Lucius Malfoy moved back into the shadows, blending in seamlessly.

Turning his attention to the badly lit cell, he had to squint slightly to make out the shape that was Damien. The other teen's back was facing him, making him unable to see his face properly. Breath hitching in his chest, he had to forcefully remind himself to keep breathing, to not succumb to the painful memories. There was nothing and no-one who could hurt him anymore. What had been done had been done, and there was nothing he could do to change past events.

Figuring the other teen would be able to hear and understand him, he opened his mouth to speak. However, not knowing how and where to start, he closed it, frowning. How did one go about starting a conversation with their aggressor? Breathing out, he steeled himself, as there was a limited amount of time to be spend here. "I do not think I'm the person you intended to see. However, I do not think either me or Draco would grant you the satisfaction of him visiting you to deal with you. Instead, I thought I'd pay you a little visit, after everything we've been through. I do not intend to ask you for your reason as to why you did the things you did. It's not my job to find out. Besides, your reasons are your own, and I do not wish to bother with you more than I have to." Breathing out shakily, he sincerely hoped Damien didn't pick up on that small weakness.

"You see, I don't remember you at all. And I don't think I'll give you the satisfaction of trying to remember, either. Instead, you are but a little bump in the road, some unfriendly face which decided to show itself at an inopportune moment. And that's fine by me. I just wish I could delete you from Draco's mind, like you disappeared from mine. Because only then do I think you will be remembered as you were. Useless and obnoxious. Someone who doesn't deserve another person fretting over. A person who is best left forgotten. Someone who will barely be remembered, be it for good or bad. Because that is how much you mean to me, personally. Less than a memory; but a figment of my frazzled mind. And really, I can't be mad at you. Because that would mean you still hold some power over me. But you don't, and you never will anymore." Taking a breath, Harry continued, fiercely locking eyes with icy blue ones, as Damien turned towards Harry, a blank look in his eyes.

"Honestly, I do wish you the best of luck in life, and I mean that. And I do hope you've learned from this. You're young yourself, so there is still time to better yourself, to change. If not for yourself, than for the people you've yet to meet. Because they deserve better than what you have to offer right now. Try to surround yourself with different people, with different things. Maybe it might even be a good idea to move away from here, so you won't be tempted to fall back into the same habits." Looking solemn, Harry paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. In the time Harry held his soliloquy, Damien didn't move an inch, looking as disinterested as he had at first. Moving closer to the bars which served no purpose, Harry lowered his voice in a wistful lull.

"I'm not sure how much you know about me. I don't know whether or not you know what my history looks like, nor whom I've encountered in my lifetime. But believe me when I tell you this: your fortune can turn around. Sometimes, all it takes is a helping hand. And a little bit of motivation. I was a person who had nothing, who faced nothing but abuse from my relatives. Yet, in this moment, I couldn't be happier. And all it took was a chance meeting. Well, maybe not so much a chance meeting, as it was anything but. But to me, it felt as if that single encounter was enough to free me of the life I had been living. If you do good, surely good will come your way as well. I sincerely hope you will find that happiness in your life as well."

For the first time since Harry had entered the prison, Damien opened his mouth, a wicked grin painted on his face. "Doe niet alsof je mij kent. Hoe durf je mij de les te lezen? Je weet niet wat ik heb doorstaan deze jaren vol minachting en verbanning. Ik, veranderen? De wereld veranderd ook niet voor mij, waarom zou ik wel voor haar veranderen? Maar prima, we zullen wel zien of dat ene "noodlottige moment" me tegemoet komt. Ik denk niet dat er zo'n sprookjesachtig eind op mij wacht. Maar goed, geniet verder van je leven, en laat mij nu met rust. Ik heb geen zin in deze berisping. Bovendien zit ik hier toch nog wel een tijdje vast voordat ik vrij mag." Scoffing slightly, Damien firmly turned away from Harry, shutting himself off from the other teen, as much as his words had done.

Turning around himself, Harry took a step away from the cell, before glancing over his shoulder. "Then use this time to reflect on everything. And if you do not like to wait for fateful encounters, make them yourself. Create your own opportunities, don't wait for them to face your way. All the best to you, Damien. I'll be going now."

And with those parting words, Harry walked away, every step feeling as if weight was falling off of his shoulders, leaving him feeling lighter than he ever had. He walked up towards Lucius Malfoy, nodding his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much for granting me this opportunity. Now I think I can properly move forward. I couldn't have done it without your help. Thank you." Emphasising his final thanks, he walked out of the room with a nod.

Walking with his head raised high, the cool air against his skin felt great as he walked through the door leading to the outside world. The dank, damp room he left behind felt as if he had closed a door in his life literally and figuratively. Smiling slightly to himself, he walked up to a highly disgruntled Draco at the foot of the meadow with gusto. He felt so much lighter and the day so much brighter by meeting the person he never wished to meet ever again.

Returning home, Harry felt exhausted. However, when he saw concerned blue eyes looking from afar, he decided to gather all his strength to face the person he knew he should have faced earlier. "Mrs. Malfoy. No, Narcissa. I'm sorry to ask this of you so suddenly. But my internship. Do you think we can continue it? And before that, can you once more teach me everything up until my memory loss? I'm very sorry for the long delay." Giving a crooked sort of smile, Harry had a hard time containing his tears, the emotions of that day catching up with him. Although his memories hadn't caught up with him quite yet, he still regarded Narcissa as a mother figure. She was always there for him. Draco didn't necessarily have to tell him, as it was a feeling he had, rather than memories.

Smiling a gentle smile with tears in the corner of her eyes, Narcissa walked over to Harry and drew him in her embrace. "But of course, my dear Harry. You know we will welcome you with open arms. I will teach you as many times as necessary. So when do you think you can start? Tomorrow?" Holding Harry at an arm's length, she smiled to let him know she was joking slightly. She didn't want to put more weight unto those fragile shoulders. It was already a wondrous feeling to have Harry not pull back from her. She had genuinely been slightly hurt, though she understood, when he had pulled away several days ago. As Harry was like a second son, she wished all the best for him, hoping he would regain his memories, or at least regain a semblance of normalcy.

Harry wiped away a stray tear, laughing boisterously. As he hadn't been able to see Narcissa the last few days, not even on the day when he regained his memories, it felt extra special to him. Besides, he felt it would help him greatly in regaining the life he had lost. What had been could stay in the past. What he would like to focus on the most was the present and the future that was shining brightly.

"Well, tomorrow might be rather early. However, I would love for you to start re-teaching me everything I knew. There's nothing I'd love more than to roll back into work."

Ruffling his hair slightly, Narcissa beamed at him. "Perfect. There's a little project I had been working on since way back. I had intended to show it to you after your first day at internship. Well, it might be a little bit late, but I'd like to show you tomorrow. For now, rest up, and I'll call on you when you're ready."

Nodding, Harry smiled, letting his appreciation show. "Of course. Thank you very much."

"I'm still mad at you, you know?" Draco mumbled unintelligibly. Even though his words might sound as such, only a slight pout was what's left of his anger.

After eating dinner, they had moved towards their bed, lounging around until sleep would claim them. It had taken quite a bit of effort to convince Draco to wait near the prison. Yet in the end, he had consented, his worrying over his mate being the leading cause.

Humming lightly, Harry closed his eyes, snuggling up against the warmth Draco provided. "That's fine. I'm just satisfied right now. Honestly, it's scary when I think about not regaining all of my memories. It leaves me really shaken, to be honest. But then again, I do think I regained my most important ones. For everything else, I'll be satisfied with stories. However, I do know worrying about it won't help one bit. And now that I've spoken to everyone I have been involved with, save for the Grangers and Weasleys, I think I can properly face the future. Because the memories I will be making from now on will be that much more precious. And they will be worth that much more to me."

Drawing Harry in his embrace, Draco put his chin on top of Harry's head, breathing in the familiar scent of his mate. Breathing out hard through his nose, he had a hard time reprimanding the dark haired teen. Because he knew that somewhere, Harry was right. Though he didn't think he was wrong and had been wrong, either. There were simply different outlooks concerning the same issue. "Just take care of yourself from now on. And whenever something seems amiss, do not hesitate to call on me. I can't afford to lose you. So please, just think about me and my mental health as well, won't you?" Smiling wryly, he wondered how on earth he got saddled with such a troublesome mate. Honestly, he never would've guessed such a stubborn and headstrong person would complete him as much as Harry did.

When instead of an answer gentle breathing was all that greeted his ears, he figured Harry had already fallen asleep. And honestly, wasn't that the best idea any of them had had these couple of days? Succumbing to the warm tendrils of sleep, Draco closed his eyes, cradling his mate to his chest, ready to let the fatigue of recent days drain away.

A/N: Translation time!

Daar is absoluut geen sprake van - Absolutely not/Out of the question

Doe niet alsof je mij kent. Hoe durf je mij de les te lezen? Je weet niet wat ik heb doorstaan deze jaren vol minachting en verbanning. Ik, veranderen? De wereld veranderd ook niet voor mij, waarom zou ik wel voor haar veranderen? Maar prima, we zullen wel zien of dat ene "noodlottige moment" me tegemoet komt. Ik denk niet dat er zo'n sproojesachtig eind op mij wacht. Maar goed, geniet verder van je leven, en laat mij nu met rust. Ik heb geen zin in deze berisping. Bovendien zit ik hier toch nog wel een tijdje vast voordat ik vrij mag (sorry, it's really long, lol) - Don't pretend to know me. How dare you lecture me? You don't know what I've been through. Years of disdain and exile. Me, change? The world doesn't change for me, so why would I change for her? But fine, we'll see whether or not that one "fateful moment" will come my way. Though I don't think such a fairytale ending is waiting for me. But sure, do enjoy life, and leave me alone now. I'm not too keen on being lectured. Besides, I'll be stuck here for quite a while before I'm released.

Rumpledforeskin: honestly, I giggled more than I have any right to at your name, lol. Sooo many bonding (*cough) fics, I know
Guest: Here you go, a fresh new chapter!

So, I might have lied a tiny bit? I think I won't be able to wrap up this story in one chapter, so expect me to have, like, 31/32 chapters in total. I think that's a nice goal to have. I don't want to rush into the ending too much :). I'd like it if I could wrap it up this year, though. I mean, it's been (almost) 8 years since I started, no joke! It's time for me to let go, now, haha.