Disclaimer: Oh yes, of course they're mine. Just as the sun is made of ice
and money grows on trees. Miss Rowling? If you wish to sue please find
someone else, I can't even afford a lawyer let alone a settlement.
Warnings: Mild sex, avoidence of questions, and freaky eyes have made a come back!!!!!!
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Blood & Nails.
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Epilogue. Happily Never After.
Draco opened his eyes and stretched a little.
"Well?" Came the voice from behind him. "What is the dire prediction for today, my darling?"
He smiled and rolled over on to his back and then to his side, to properly face Harry and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "It's four days until our *vacation* ends and we have to go back to work." He gently smacked Harry on the side of the head. "And don't call me darling."
Harry smiled and then yawned doing his own stretching, not want to get up just yet. "They should have given us longer than a month. I mean, well, Hermione ....." He trailed off and closed his eyes, wondering where it all went wrong.
"It will do Hermione the world of good. She's been sitting around for the last two weeks, organising and reorganising everything in our apartment simply because she has nothing better to do. Work will give her something to hold on to."
"She needs to get better." Harry muttered sullenly. "It nearly destroyed her."
"Working will help her, you know what she's like. She needs something to occupy her days so she can spend only the nights worrying and fretting. It'll be the best thing for her, you know that."
"It just seems wrong to go back so soon."
Draco gave a hum in agreement and kissed him on his neck. "It'll do us all some good to go back to work."
Harry opened his eyes and smiled. "Well, we'd better make good with all this free time, because it'll be ending shortly."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Draco leant over and gave him a gentle kiss.
"GUYS? YOU UP?" Hermione's voice cut through the room as Harry snickered.
Draco sighed. "Yes we are! So you want to give us a few minutes?"
Harry slapped him on the arm as an odd snorting noise came from the living room. "Don't do that! I don't need the idea of her knowing what we're doing in my head."
"Oh, please. She probably watches."
Harry shut his eyes tightly. "I'm not hearing this. I can't hear a damn thing."
"You know, Potter, it's customary to put your hands over your ears when doing that, not shut your eyes. I think you're getting a little confused."
"Are you going to fuck me or not?"
"Now that I've had the chance to think about it ... or not. Come on, get up and let's have breakfast." And with that Draco rolled off the bed and stood, looking for the clothes he had laid out the night before.
"You're fucking me around, right?"
"No. We have a busy day today." Draco smirked when it wouldn't be seen.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"We can have sex later, that'll give us something to look forward to. Come on, get up, get dressed, eat."
Harry scowled and watched Draco starting to pull on his clothes. "Prick tease."
"I said later." Draco gave him a mocking look.
Harry rolled his eyes and then had to smile when Draco turned away. "And what if I don't want to go out there just yet?"
"Your choice."
"Fine, I'll just stay here and finish myself off."
Draco stopped walking to the door and looked back. Harry's hand had already slipped under the blanket and it was very clear what was going on under the covers. The blonde weighed his options, decided and walked back to the bed, pulling the blanket back completely and chucking it to the floor. "It's not fair on the other boys when you play this little game on your own, Harry."
"Try and stop me."
"Okay." Draco caught Harry's hand and stopped its movement. "That was easy." He smiled when Harry pouted. "Now, now, don't get upset. You know I'd only do that if I had something else in mind."
"Like what?"
Draco took a step back to fully appreciate the view. "Oh, I haven't quite decided just yet. But I'm sure it'll be fun." He ran his tongue across his top lip slowly, enjoying the reaction it received. "You might have to sit up for this." He waited and then sighed. "Well, come on. Sit up."
"Oh, sorry." Harry did as he was told, wondering what the hell was going on.
"No, keep your legs out straight, lean back on your hands if you have to." Harry complied and Draco moved back to kneel on the bed. "Hmmm, now what should I do with you?" He placed his fingertips on Harry's chin and slowly dragged them down his throat and torso, stopping level with Harry's hips, careful not to touch Harry's cock.
"Bastard."
"Whine, whine, whine, whine, whine. Is that all you ever do, Potter?" The fingers trailed back up. "You really should just shut the hell up sometimes." Draco pushed his fingers into Harry's mouth, cutting off whatever he had been about to say. "You've got a very pretty mouth, too bad you ruin the image by speaking." He smiled at the indignant look that was sent. He pulled his fingers out of the other's mouth and sucked the saliva off of them.
Harry smiled at the sight and reached out to bring him in for a kiss, but his hand was batted away. "Hey, come on. One kiss."
"Maybe later. First I want you to fuck me."
"What, I can't fuck *and* kiss you at the same time?"
"I want you to fuck me like you did the first time."
Harry blinked. "What?"
"Well, I thought it would be only fair. We got to relive *my* first time, so now we should do yours." Draco smiled. "Aside form the fact that we don't exactly have a Great Hall, I'm sure we can manage."
"What brought this on?"
Draco smiled, taking his shirt off. "Now I need an excuse for us to fuck the way I want?"
Harry thought about it and shrugged. "Well, not really, no."
Draco was fully naked by now and he hopped on the bed and lay down on his side. "Besides, our beginning wasn't the best. We really should make up for all the hassle and worry that we went through."
Harry pushed him onto his back and then rolled to lie on top of his lover, smiling broadly. "That could take years, you realise."
"That was rather what I was planning on." Draco smirked as he shifted his legs to wrap around Harry's waist. "Didn't you read the inscription on your engagement ring?"
"I don't want to fuck you like the first time, I want to watch your face while I do it." Harry gave a pout, hoping he looked adorable enough for his fiancee to back down.
Draco sighed, not really minding how it was by now, just as long as it ached and was beautiful. "Okay, fine, but next time we get to do it my way."
Harry gave an agreeing nod and moved forwards, pushing himself in slowly. "One day I'll talk you into letting me do it *my* way."
"Where's the fun in it if it doesn't hurt?" Draco looked almost dangerous with the smile that he sent.
"Weirdo." He smiled and shook his head, wondering why Draco liked it to hurt so much, though grateful that it probably wasn't as bad as it used to be. "You'd be surprised how nice it when there's no pain. I always enjoy it like that." Harry pulled back and then moved forward again, enjoying the reactions that this gave him. "Let me guess, you took it dry with no prep the very first time too?" Harry had only ever asked this once before, he'd never really felt the need to know about Draco sex life during the time when it didn't involve him.
"Of course I did. Had to talk him into it though."
"And did he call you a freak?" They picked up a little speed, both of them knowing when to do what by this time.
Draco smirked and shook his head before gasping. "No." He pushed back a little faster this time, wanting it to go on. "I believe 'weirdo' is the word that you've always used."
Harry stopped moving out of pure shock, making Draco grunt with annoyance. "You ... what?" His eyes widened as it all sunk in and he searched Draco's face for any signs that would say he was being played with. There were none. "Jesus, Draco! Were you completely insane? I had no idea of what I was doing, I could have hurt you!"
"You make that sound like a bad thing?" Draco flicked his eyebrows and smiled.
"But I assumed ... I mean, you seemed to know when ..."
"Despite what you must have obviously thought, Potter, I did not spend the entire of my adolescence shacking up with who ever took my fleeting fancy." The thought actually amused Draco somewhat.
Harry was still looking shocked. "But ... you never said and ... I didn't know, I just thought ..."
The blonde gave an annoyed sigh, wishing they could fuck and talk about this at the same time. "Let's see, trying to make sure I didn't fail school and arouse even more suspicion than what I already had." A quick kiss. "Trying to make sure I didn't royally screw up with Voldemort and get my entire family killed." Another kiss, this time to Harry's throat. "And trying to keep myself from screaming in frustration with all that was going on." He smiled and shifted, causing Harry to gasp softly. "When exactly did you think I had the time for anything else? Hell, I had to cut into my sleeping time, just to go and see you when we got together, as it was."
Harry finally started to move again, only much slower this time. "Why *did* you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Start it with me. You said once before that you would never have done that."
Draco gave a tight smile. "Things change." Was all he offered, hoping it would be enough.
Harry looked at him in a peculiar way before just smiling and giving him a kiss. "We'll talk later."
"Glad your finally on the right idea." Draco shifted again to give Harry a better chance to touch him.
Harry complied and firmly wrapped his fingers around Draco's erection, leaning in for another kiss as they continued.
----------
Hermione and Morgan were sitting at the table sifting through some documents. They both gave a smile as Draco sat down on the table top and Harry went to the kitchen to make coffee for everyone.
"Been well since I saw you last night?" Morgan asked, feigning innocence.
Draco tossed a serviette at him. "Shut it, boy." He lit up a cigarette and ignored the frown of displeasure from Hermione. "Everyone looking forward to going back to work?"
"Hermione's already started." Morgan reached over and pulled the cigarette out of Draco's mouth, taking a draw from it himself before handing it back. "She's nuts."
"Well excuse me, but the Mor ....." She shook herself physically before continuing. "I did have other cases that I was investigating. I have to get back to them." Her artificial eye remained trained on the documents as she turned her head to look at the clock. "Only another 99 hours, 23 minutes and 14 seconds before we get back to it."
"You're right." Draco nodded solemnly at Hermione before turning his gaze to Morgan. "She's nuts." He and Morgan shared a smirk as Hermione huffed.
"Anyway." She ignored their expressions. "We were thinking that perhaps we should go to your country house after you've ..." Again, she couldn't continue her sentence, but no one ever made fun of it. "When you've finished the stuff you have to do today."
Draco nodded as he carefully watched how much maple syrup was being poured into his coffee. "Sounds like a great idea. Be nice to get out of the city for awhile."
"Yeah, and your house has everything!" Hermione was cheering up again. "Even a pool!"
"Sure. You're all welcome to use it, but I don't swim." Draco replied smoothly.
Harry walked over to deliver the coffees. "Yes, Ko. We know you don't swim." His tone was almost mocking but Draco let it go.
"Well, if you two are quite finished having sex, we're supposed to go shopping." Hermione took her fake eye out and rubbed it with her special cloth. Morgan blanched at the action, still not comfortable with seeing that happen.
The eye was done amazingly well. Draco had insisted upon getting it custom made which meant that it matched Hermione's original eye colour perfectly, while still being effective and fully functional. Most times when both eyes were pointing in the same direction, you really had to study it hard to be able to spot which one had been replaced and which one was still real. A fact that Hermione's parents had thanked Draco for at least once a day since the incident.
Draco plucked it from her fingers and tossed it in the air a couple of times. "Actually. I was just telling Harry before how you probably use this to watch us."
"I do not! How can you even think that?"
"Oh come on! You would ignore the opportunity of watching two very beautiful boys getting off with each other?"
"I would never intrude on your privacy!" Hermione blushed rather fiercely and ducked her head. "Not on purpose."
Draco snickered as Harry made a yelping noise, spilling his coffee across the table top.
"You watched us!" Harry squeaked, his face starting to burn.
"It was only once!" Hermione tried to defend herself. "By accident. I went to shout that your silencing charm was wearing off so I automatically just turned my head in the direction of your room and well ..... I haven't quite got the hang of this thing yet." She held her hand out for her eye.
"I don't care how it happened, it's creepy." Harry gave a shudder. "I'll never have sex again."
"Bullshit." Draco finished his coffee and carefully tossed his mug to the sink. "We'll just kick her out."
Morgan dissolved into silent laughter, unable to hold it back anymore.
"Fine." Hermione stood up and shuffled her papers back into their folder. "Can we please just go shopping before your hormones over take the world again."
"Too late, but fine."
----------
Draco and Harry quietly walked down the corridor towards the door they had to go through. They had spent hours shopping, talking and occasionally stopping for food with Hermione and Morgan and now they had to do what Draco had hoped to avoid all day. "I swear, Harry, no more than five minutes."
"Fine, sure, okay. But you're still coming, you promised."
"I can't believe I still let you talk me into doing this."
"Oh, come on, Ko. Just please be nice ..... for me."
"Whatever." They walked into a large room. A long table sat in the middle and between the two Aurors on guard sat Ron running his finger over the table top in little patterns. Draco sighed, he hated this little meetings but Harry always looked at him so pleadingly and he gave in every time.
Ron looked up and smiled. "Hello, Draco." Harry may as well have been invisible but both men sat down anyway.
"Good evening, Weasley."
Ron looked like hell. His hair was unkempt, his skin sallow. Even his freckles somehow looked paler, as if his was sick. He wore a bland grey robe that didn't appeared to have been looked after very well and his fingers were dirty from something, probably the stone wall in his cell. The only thing that looked to have been taken care of was the watch around his left wrist. Ron had screamed abuse and struggled, kicking and hitting everything he could when they had tried to take it off him. In the end they just let him keep it. Draco had given him that watch for his eighteenth so he wasn't giving it up without a fight and once some basic tests had been done it showed to be nothing more than a normal watch. Even the Auror directors couldn't find much reason to try and remove it.
It was an awkward and highly uncomfortable talk for Draco. He hated sitting in the same room with the redhead these days. All Ron ever did was say how happy he was to see Draco and it's not like the blonde could return the sentiments. He wanted to strangle him most days. But Draco took deep breaths and gripped Harry's hand under the table, reminding himself that Harry was the reason he was trying to help at all.
They rounded the conversation off and as always Draco stood stock still, controlling every part of him as Ron gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, saying that one day everything would work out for them. Draco always reacted to this by smiling weakly and then practically dragging Harry out of the room. This time was no different.
They walked to the Apparation room so they could go home.
"Why do you insist that I humour him?" Draco sulked and wiped his face on his sleeve. "It makes him happy."
"Yeah, well, I'm not too thrilled with it."
"The doctors say that maybe if he's happy, it'll be easier for him to open up to them. He always talks better on the days we visit. Or at least the days you visit."
"Nutcase." Draco muttered darkly. "And don't give me that look Potter, he tried to kill you, so he's not my most favourite person right now."
"Many people have tried to kill me."
"Yeah, and I hate them all too. What's wrong with that?"
"Just try and be nice to him."
"Hey! I *did* petition for the order of execution to be waived. I did that mostly for you, you know?"
"I know and I am grateful, I just wish I could help him." Harry smacked the wall as he walked. "I feel so useless. He was my best friend and now I can't even help him." He scowled, using his sleeve to wipe Draco's face again. "And sometimes I don't even know how I feel about it! Can't decided if I even *want* to help anymore. He did so many horrible things and now he's just sitting here, rotting away in the Ward for the Criminally Insane. I can barely even look Molly in the face and it all just feels like my fault, when it's not. Why the hell did he have to be a lunatic."
Harry's outburst had helped to calm Draco down so he spoke patiently. "Harry, even in the Wizarding world, not everything can be fixed."
"Yeah, I know, but it really bites." Harry sighed and scuffed his boots across the floor. "The Dementors are making him worse."
"I *had* noticed."
They arrived at the room and went in. It was the only place in St Mungos that you could Apparate to or from so it was well guarded by Aurors and even occasionally a couple of Dementors. Harry cast his Patronus as Draco waved to the Aurors and they took their place in the middle of the room as the protection spells were carefully taken down.
"I tell you what, Potter. We won't go to the country house until tomorrow, but tonight ..." Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and pulled him closer. "How about we go home," Draco kissed his mouth gently. "Confiscate her eye and lock Hermione in her room." He kissed the left side of his throat. "And then you can remind me of a few things for a couple of hours?" Draco kissed the other side of his throat as Harry started to smile.
"Again? But I only *reminded* you last night?" He said, pretending to be confused.
"Yeah, but it's the damnedest thing. It's like my mind just can't get the memories to stick." Draco gave a wink as one of the Aurors signalled they could go.
"Then I'll just have to try again." Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's neck and smirked. "Make it more memorable for you this time."
"Yeah, but this does show a nasty trend. You'll probably have to keep refreshing my memory and who knows how many years it could take."
"I think I can manage that."
"Good." Draco kissed him and they Apparated out together.
The End.
Keep your eyes open for the sequel 'Smoke & Mirrors' that *should* be starting soon!
Warnings: Mild sex, avoidence of questions, and freaky eyes have made a come back!!!!!!
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.
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Blood & Nails.
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Epilogue. Happily Never After.
Draco opened his eyes and stretched a little.
"Well?" Came the voice from behind him. "What is the dire prediction for today, my darling?"
He smiled and rolled over on to his back and then to his side, to properly face Harry and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "It's four days until our *vacation* ends and we have to go back to work." He gently smacked Harry on the side of the head. "And don't call me darling."
Harry smiled and then yawned doing his own stretching, not want to get up just yet. "They should have given us longer than a month. I mean, well, Hermione ....." He trailed off and closed his eyes, wondering where it all went wrong.
"It will do Hermione the world of good. She's been sitting around for the last two weeks, organising and reorganising everything in our apartment simply because she has nothing better to do. Work will give her something to hold on to."
"She needs to get better." Harry muttered sullenly. "It nearly destroyed her."
"Working will help her, you know what she's like. She needs something to occupy her days so she can spend only the nights worrying and fretting. It'll be the best thing for her, you know that."
"It just seems wrong to go back so soon."
Draco gave a hum in agreement and kissed him on his neck. "It'll do us all some good to go back to work."
Harry opened his eyes and smiled. "Well, we'd better make good with all this free time, because it'll be ending shortly."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." Draco leant over and gave him a gentle kiss.
"GUYS? YOU UP?" Hermione's voice cut through the room as Harry snickered.
Draco sighed. "Yes we are! So you want to give us a few minutes?"
Harry slapped him on the arm as an odd snorting noise came from the living room. "Don't do that! I don't need the idea of her knowing what we're doing in my head."
"Oh, please. She probably watches."
Harry shut his eyes tightly. "I'm not hearing this. I can't hear a damn thing."
"You know, Potter, it's customary to put your hands over your ears when doing that, not shut your eyes. I think you're getting a little confused."
"Are you going to fuck me or not?"
"Now that I've had the chance to think about it ... or not. Come on, get up and let's have breakfast." And with that Draco rolled off the bed and stood, looking for the clothes he had laid out the night before.
"You're fucking me around, right?"
"No. We have a busy day today." Draco smirked when it wouldn't be seen.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"We can have sex later, that'll give us something to look forward to. Come on, get up, get dressed, eat."
Harry scowled and watched Draco starting to pull on his clothes. "Prick tease."
"I said later." Draco gave him a mocking look.
Harry rolled his eyes and then had to smile when Draco turned away. "And what if I don't want to go out there just yet?"
"Your choice."
"Fine, I'll just stay here and finish myself off."
Draco stopped walking to the door and looked back. Harry's hand had already slipped under the blanket and it was very clear what was going on under the covers. The blonde weighed his options, decided and walked back to the bed, pulling the blanket back completely and chucking it to the floor. "It's not fair on the other boys when you play this little game on your own, Harry."
"Try and stop me."
"Okay." Draco caught Harry's hand and stopped its movement. "That was easy." He smiled when Harry pouted. "Now, now, don't get upset. You know I'd only do that if I had something else in mind."
"Like what?"
Draco took a step back to fully appreciate the view. "Oh, I haven't quite decided just yet. But I'm sure it'll be fun." He ran his tongue across his top lip slowly, enjoying the reaction it received. "You might have to sit up for this." He waited and then sighed. "Well, come on. Sit up."
"Oh, sorry." Harry did as he was told, wondering what the hell was going on.
"No, keep your legs out straight, lean back on your hands if you have to." Harry complied and Draco moved back to kneel on the bed. "Hmmm, now what should I do with you?" He placed his fingertips on Harry's chin and slowly dragged them down his throat and torso, stopping level with Harry's hips, careful not to touch Harry's cock.
"Bastard."
"Whine, whine, whine, whine, whine. Is that all you ever do, Potter?" The fingers trailed back up. "You really should just shut the hell up sometimes." Draco pushed his fingers into Harry's mouth, cutting off whatever he had been about to say. "You've got a very pretty mouth, too bad you ruin the image by speaking." He smiled at the indignant look that was sent. He pulled his fingers out of the other's mouth and sucked the saliva off of them.
Harry smiled at the sight and reached out to bring him in for a kiss, but his hand was batted away. "Hey, come on. One kiss."
"Maybe later. First I want you to fuck me."
"What, I can't fuck *and* kiss you at the same time?"
"I want you to fuck me like you did the first time."
Harry blinked. "What?"
"Well, I thought it would be only fair. We got to relive *my* first time, so now we should do yours." Draco smiled. "Aside form the fact that we don't exactly have a Great Hall, I'm sure we can manage."
"What brought this on?"
Draco smiled, taking his shirt off. "Now I need an excuse for us to fuck the way I want?"
Harry thought about it and shrugged. "Well, not really, no."
Draco was fully naked by now and he hopped on the bed and lay down on his side. "Besides, our beginning wasn't the best. We really should make up for all the hassle and worry that we went through."
Harry pushed him onto his back and then rolled to lie on top of his lover, smiling broadly. "That could take years, you realise."
"That was rather what I was planning on." Draco smirked as he shifted his legs to wrap around Harry's waist. "Didn't you read the inscription on your engagement ring?"
"I don't want to fuck you like the first time, I want to watch your face while I do it." Harry gave a pout, hoping he looked adorable enough for his fiancee to back down.
Draco sighed, not really minding how it was by now, just as long as it ached and was beautiful. "Okay, fine, but next time we get to do it my way."
Harry gave an agreeing nod and moved forwards, pushing himself in slowly. "One day I'll talk you into letting me do it *my* way."
"Where's the fun in it if it doesn't hurt?" Draco looked almost dangerous with the smile that he sent.
"Weirdo." He smiled and shook his head, wondering why Draco liked it to hurt so much, though grateful that it probably wasn't as bad as it used to be. "You'd be surprised how nice it when there's no pain. I always enjoy it like that." Harry pulled back and then moved forward again, enjoying the reactions that this gave him. "Let me guess, you took it dry with no prep the very first time too?" Harry had only ever asked this once before, he'd never really felt the need to know about Draco sex life during the time when it didn't involve him.
"Of course I did. Had to talk him into it though."
"And did he call you a freak?" They picked up a little speed, both of them knowing when to do what by this time.
Draco smirked and shook his head before gasping. "No." He pushed back a little faster this time, wanting it to go on. "I believe 'weirdo' is the word that you've always used."
Harry stopped moving out of pure shock, making Draco grunt with annoyance. "You ... what?" His eyes widened as it all sunk in and he searched Draco's face for any signs that would say he was being played with. There were none. "Jesus, Draco! Were you completely insane? I had no idea of what I was doing, I could have hurt you!"
"You make that sound like a bad thing?" Draco flicked his eyebrows and smiled.
"But I assumed ... I mean, you seemed to know when ..."
"Despite what you must have obviously thought, Potter, I did not spend the entire of my adolescence shacking up with who ever took my fleeting fancy." The thought actually amused Draco somewhat.
Harry was still looking shocked. "But ... you never said and ... I didn't know, I just thought ..."
The blonde gave an annoyed sigh, wishing they could fuck and talk about this at the same time. "Let's see, trying to make sure I didn't fail school and arouse even more suspicion than what I already had." A quick kiss. "Trying to make sure I didn't royally screw up with Voldemort and get my entire family killed." Another kiss, this time to Harry's throat. "And trying to keep myself from screaming in frustration with all that was going on." He smiled and shifted, causing Harry to gasp softly. "When exactly did you think I had the time for anything else? Hell, I had to cut into my sleeping time, just to go and see you when we got together, as it was."
Harry finally started to move again, only much slower this time. "Why *did* you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Start it with me. You said once before that you would never have done that."
Draco gave a tight smile. "Things change." Was all he offered, hoping it would be enough.
Harry looked at him in a peculiar way before just smiling and giving him a kiss. "We'll talk later."
"Glad your finally on the right idea." Draco shifted again to give Harry a better chance to touch him.
Harry complied and firmly wrapped his fingers around Draco's erection, leaning in for another kiss as they continued.
----------
Hermione and Morgan were sitting at the table sifting through some documents. They both gave a smile as Draco sat down on the table top and Harry went to the kitchen to make coffee for everyone.
"Been well since I saw you last night?" Morgan asked, feigning innocence.
Draco tossed a serviette at him. "Shut it, boy." He lit up a cigarette and ignored the frown of displeasure from Hermione. "Everyone looking forward to going back to work?"
"Hermione's already started." Morgan reached over and pulled the cigarette out of Draco's mouth, taking a draw from it himself before handing it back. "She's nuts."
"Well excuse me, but the Mor ....." She shook herself physically before continuing. "I did have other cases that I was investigating. I have to get back to them." Her artificial eye remained trained on the documents as she turned her head to look at the clock. "Only another 99 hours, 23 minutes and 14 seconds before we get back to it."
"You're right." Draco nodded solemnly at Hermione before turning his gaze to Morgan. "She's nuts." He and Morgan shared a smirk as Hermione huffed.
"Anyway." She ignored their expressions. "We were thinking that perhaps we should go to your country house after you've ..." Again, she couldn't continue her sentence, but no one ever made fun of it. "When you've finished the stuff you have to do today."
Draco nodded as he carefully watched how much maple syrup was being poured into his coffee. "Sounds like a great idea. Be nice to get out of the city for awhile."
"Yeah, and your house has everything!" Hermione was cheering up again. "Even a pool!"
"Sure. You're all welcome to use it, but I don't swim." Draco replied smoothly.
Harry walked over to deliver the coffees. "Yes, Ko. We know you don't swim." His tone was almost mocking but Draco let it go.
"Well, if you two are quite finished having sex, we're supposed to go shopping." Hermione took her fake eye out and rubbed it with her special cloth. Morgan blanched at the action, still not comfortable with seeing that happen.
The eye was done amazingly well. Draco had insisted upon getting it custom made which meant that it matched Hermione's original eye colour perfectly, while still being effective and fully functional. Most times when both eyes were pointing in the same direction, you really had to study it hard to be able to spot which one had been replaced and which one was still real. A fact that Hermione's parents had thanked Draco for at least once a day since the incident.
Draco plucked it from her fingers and tossed it in the air a couple of times. "Actually. I was just telling Harry before how you probably use this to watch us."
"I do not! How can you even think that?"
"Oh come on! You would ignore the opportunity of watching two very beautiful boys getting off with each other?"
"I would never intrude on your privacy!" Hermione blushed rather fiercely and ducked her head. "Not on purpose."
Draco snickered as Harry made a yelping noise, spilling his coffee across the table top.
"You watched us!" Harry squeaked, his face starting to burn.
"It was only once!" Hermione tried to defend herself. "By accident. I went to shout that your silencing charm was wearing off so I automatically just turned my head in the direction of your room and well ..... I haven't quite got the hang of this thing yet." She held her hand out for her eye.
"I don't care how it happened, it's creepy." Harry gave a shudder. "I'll never have sex again."
"Bullshit." Draco finished his coffee and carefully tossed his mug to the sink. "We'll just kick her out."
Morgan dissolved into silent laughter, unable to hold it back anymore.
"Fine." Hermione stood up and shuffled her papers back into their folder. "Can we please just go shopping before your hormones over take the world again."
"Too late, but fine."
----------
Draco and Harry quietly walked down the corridor towards the door they had to go through. They had spent hours shopping, talking and occasionally stopping for food with Hermione and Morgan and now they had to do what Draco had hoped to avoid all day. "I swear, Harry, no more than five minutes."
"Fine, sure, okay. But you're still coming, you promised."
"I can't believe I still let you talk me into doing this."
"Oh, come on, Ko. Just please be nice ..... for me."
"Whatever." They walked into a large room. A long table sat in the middle and between the two Aurors on guard sat Ron running his finger over the table top in little patterns. Draco sighed, he hated this little meetings but Harry always looked at him so pleadingly and he gave in every time.
Ron looked up and smiled. "Hello, Draco." Harry may as well have been invisible but both men sat down anyway.
"Good evening, Weasley."
Ron looked like hell. His hair was unkempt, his skin sallow. Even his freckles somehow looked paler, as if his was sick. He wore a bland grey robe that didn't appeared to have been looked after very well and his fingers were dirty from something, probably the stone wall in his cell. The only thing that looked to have been taken care of was the watch around his left wrist. Ron had screamed abuse and struggled, kicking and hitting everything he could when they had tried to take it off him. In the end they just let him keep it. Draco had given him that watch for his eighteenth so he wasn't giving it up without a fight and once some basic tests had been done it showed to be nothing more than a normal watch. Even the Auror directors couldn't find much reason to try and remove it.
It was an awkward and highly uncomfortable talk for Draco. He hated sitting in the same room with the redhead these days. All Ron ever did was say how happy he was to see Draco and it's not like the blonde could return the sentiments. He wanted to strangle him most days. But Draco took deep breaths and gripped Harry's hand under the table, reminding himself that Harry was the reason he was trying to help at all.
They rounded the conversation off and as always Draco stood stock still, controlling every part of him as Ron gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, saying that one day everything would work out for them. Draco always reacted to this by smiling weakly and then practically dragging Harry out of the room. This time was no different.
They walked to the Apparation room so they could go home.
"Why do you insist that I humour him?" Draco sulked and wiped his face on his sleeve. "It makes him happy."
"Yeah, well, I'm not too thrilled with it."
"The doctors say that maybe if he's happy, it'll be easier for him to open up to them. He always talks better on the days we visit. Or at least the days you visit."
"Nutcase." Draco muttered darkly. "And don't give me that look Potter, he tried to kill you, so he's not my most favourite person right now."
"Many people have tried to kill me."
"Yeah, and I hate them all too. What's wrong with that?"
"Just try and be nice to him."
"Hey! I *did* petition for the order of execution to be waived. I did that mostly for you, you know?"
"I know and I am grateful, I just wish I could help him." Harry smacked the wall as he walked. "I feel so useless. He was my best friend and now I can't even help him." He scowled, using his sleeve to wipe Draco's face again. "And sometimes I don't even know how I feel about it! Can't decided if I even *want* to help anymore. He did so many horrible things and now he's just sitting here, rotting away in the Ward for the Criminally Insane. I can barely even look Molly in the face and it all just feels like my fault, when it's not. Why the hell did he have to be a lunatic."
Harry's outburst had helped to calm Draco down so he spoke patiently. "Harry, even in the Wizarding world, not everything can be fixed."
"Yeah, I know, but it really bites." Harry sighed and scuffed his boots across the floor. "The Dementors are making him worse."
"I *had* noticed."
They arrived at the room and went in. It was the only place in St Mungos that you could Apparate to or from so it was well guarded by Aurors and even occasionally a couple of Dementors. Harry cast his Patronus as Draco waved to the Aurors and they took their place in the middle of the room as the protection spells were carefully taken down.
"I tell you what, Potter. We won't go to the country house until tomorrow, but tonight ..." Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and pulled him closer. "How about we go home," Draco kissed his mouth gently. "Confiscate her eye and lock Hermione in her room." He kissed the left side of his throat. "And then you can remind me of a few things for a couple of hours?" Draco kissed the other side of his throat as Harry started to smile.
"Again? But I only *reminded* you last night?" He said, pretending to be confused.
"Yeah, but it's the damnedest thing. It's like my mind just can't get the memories to stick." Draco gave a wink as one of the Aurors signalled they could go.
"Then I'll just have to try again." Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's neck and smirked. "Make it more memorable for you this time."
"Yeah, but this does show a nasty trend. You'll probably have to keep refreshing my memory and who knows how many years it could take."
"I think I can manage that."
"Good." Draco kissed him and they Apparated out together.
The End.
Keep your eyes open for the sequel 'Smoke & Mirrors' that *should* be starting soon!