Chapter 12: Giddy Malfoy

He had faced a Basilisk, faced a dragon, faced Voldemort himself (several times), and yet Harry had never felt so terrified at the prospect that the next time he saw Draco Malfoy, he knew exactly what he felt about him and that he would, finally, tell him yes to the going out together question.

He was now standing by his back door in the kitchen staring out into the garden, which, he mentally noted, really needed to have the grass cut. Picking up a cup of coffee in one hand and his wand in the other, he turned around towards the kitchen table, absently flicking his wand towards the over grown lawn, which immediately exploded with blades of grass, disappearing into thin air, leaving a nice shortly cut lawn behind.

He sat down at the table and stared into his cup of coffee, not the first time he'd done this since Draco reappeared. He had been pacing up and down his bedroom floor for nearly an hour after his conversation with Seamus, with nothing but his heart fluttering and his mind racing with childish excitement. He had wanted to go and tell Draco now, right this instant that he'd finally realised he wanted to be with him, but unfortunately had also realised he had stupidly never asked what hotel Draco was staying in, so had no choice but to wait until he returned.

"What are you doing moping around down here for? Shouldn't you be looking for Malfoy?" Seamus asked, walking into the kitchen and placing a dirty glass in the sink.

"He said he had some shopping to do, and that he'd come back." Harry said quietly, stirring his coffee with a small teaspoon.

Seamus stared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes, "Alright, well as you're down here, these came for you in the post this morning."

Harry blinked when two envelopes suddenly dropped onto the table in front of him, one square and cream coloured, the other rectangular and white.

The white one was obviously Hermione's handwriting, so throwing a quick thank you to Seamus as he walked into the Lounge, Harry opened up Hermione's first.

Harry,

First, make sure Seamus isn't reading this over your shoulder.

Second, I know for a fact that Ginny has invited you and Ron to her Graduation on Saturday. I don't know if you're planning on taking anyone, I know Ron isn't, but one of you needs to invite Seamus as your guest. I've already invited Dean, and we need to get these two together and sort them out once and for all. This will be the perfect opportunity to get them in the same place at the same time with neither of them knowing.

Write me back with what you think, we don't want Seamus over hearing.

Hermione xxx

Harry read through the short letter one more time. Hermione must have written this yesterday, not expecting to have an unscheduled visit here today. He smiled warmly at her sentiment, typical Hermione to take things into her own hands. He needed to update her with what happened between Seamus and Dean today. He didn't know if getting them together again would be a good idea or not, but regardless of what Seamus was saying, he still thought he was a prat to turn Dean down. He understood why, Seamus didn't want to be hurt again, but he should take some of his own advice too, and take these opportunities when they happen. He may not want to be hurt, but he had obviously had a hard time saying no to Dean, which meant he was still going to be pinning after him whether he realised it or not, so in the end, nothing will have changed.

Hermione was right, this did need to be sorted out once and for all. If Seamus had decided to try and play match maker between Harry and Draco, then Harry was going to play matcher for him and Dean, with Hermione's help of course.

Reaching behind him and grabbing a piece of paper from a draw, Harry began to write back a reply, telling Hermione everything that had happened, although conveniently leaving out any response as to whether he was taking anyone else with him to the party or not.

When he'd finished and handed the letter to Hedwig, who flew out the window with a satisfied hoot having been put to work, Harry turned his attention to the second envelope. Turning it over, he found the Ministry of Magic's seal on the back, and his heart leapt to his throat.

Had they finally decided an answer to his Auror training? After a year of waiting? Suddenly Harry didn't want to open the envelope. He stared the seal, the red wax that held his future tightly inside this one, small little envelope. They had to give him the training right? They couldn't refuse him, that was one thing he was sure of, he got all the qualifications needed for it, but if it said they had finally accepted him, finally found a window in their side battles against the death eaters, then Harry's quiet little life in his little white house in this little village of Langley Vale would be over.

Biting his bottom lip in thought, he finally decided to get up from the kitchen table and head through the lounge to the front door.

"I'm just going for a walk Seamus." He said quietly to the Irish boy sprawled out on the sofa.

"'kay." Seamus said distractingly, not looking up from his magazine he was reading.

Harry did a double take at the "PlayWitch Weekly" written on the front, with a photo of a very un-clothed man winking at him, before smiling to himself about his housemate, and heading out the front door.

---

It was dark now, and Harry still hadn't returned home. He'd walked for miles around the countryside, stood for a good hour just watching the horse he and Draco had ridden that one night, and still hadn't opened the envelope.

Opening the envelope meant he'd have to face the prospect of facing Voldemort again. Don't get him wrong, it's not that he didn't want to, he wanted this war to end, he wanted to face Voldemort, just to be able to end everyone's pain and worry. Every now and then he'd see a report in the Daily Prophet, just one small column near the back, whispering words of battles between Death Eaters and Aurors, but it was never put as front page material, the Prophet never did. The wizarding world didn't want to know what was just round the corner, they liked living in their ignorant little world, but Harry didn't. He may have been doing nothing for the past year, he may have appeared to be happily playing Seeker for the Basingstoke Beaters, until they were knocked out the league of course, but none of them knew how he practised everyday at home, spells, potions, no one but Seamus, Ron and Hermione knew he still kept his focus in top form, just waiting for the letter of acceptance for Auror Training from the Ministry, waiting to get out there and fight, end the suffering, even if the world didn't always want to see what was right in front of their eyes.

And here was the letter, in his hands, just waiting to be read, and he still hadn't opened it.

Harry had found his feet had taken him to a favourite spot of his. Over the Downs and across the road, heading out past the forest that was behind the fair, was the edge of the Downs. The countryside started to head downwards into a valley here, and it was the perfect location to look out over South West London.

Harry found his usual spot of grass, trees both sides of him and behind him, and sat down, resting his arms on his knees. He stared out across the glittering little lights of night time London, for once the sky clear of the usual smog and pollution, and could see right to the horizon. He watched as the tiny looking planes landed at Heathrow Airport, and to his right in the far distance, could even make out the London Eye, Big Ben close by.

He'd found this spot not long after moving in to his house. He'd been so frustrated with the Ministry for telling him they were too busy to train him that he'd gone off on a long walk to calm his nerves. He'd found this spot and sat down in a huff, and on looking out over London found he calmed almost instantly. It was quiet, far enough away from the road to hear nothing but the wind in the trees.

With his hair ruffling in the soft night breeze, he looked down at the envelope in his hands, turning it over, and over again. It was too dark to read it now, so quickly looking around for any muggles, brought his wand from his pocket, and cast Lumos.

Immediately his little patch of grass and trees was illuminated with a soft light, and placing his wand on the grass, took a deep breath to calm himself, and slowly ripped open the envelope. Discarding the ripped envelope, Harry found himself sighing again, and pausing briefly, opened the folded parchment.

Dear Mr H. J. Potter,

We apologise for the wait in your Auror Training, but as you can well surmise, the constant attacks from Death Eaters makes it difficult for us to spare our professional Auror's.

However recently the attacks have become less and less frequent, therefore we are taking this opportunity in this apparent quieter time, to train the wizards and witches who have requested Auror training. This means I can confirm we now have an opening for you. We would like you to attend an informal meeting at the Ministry this following Monday at 9am. We will be discussing your current knowledge, what training you will be given, and of course any questions you may have.

Thank you for your patience with this matter, I hope you will accept our continued support in your choice of profession.

So, it had happened. After a year of waiting, it had finally arrived. Harry didn't really know what to feel now. A mix of emotions ran through him. Happiness, that they had finally accepted him, yet worry, that this was the beginning of the end. He wasn't stupid, he knew that it was possible he wouldn't survive when that end finally did come. Ron, Hermione, even Seamus knew that, but there was no point in sitting around waiting for the worst to happen. That's why he had joined the Basingstoke Beaters when he found out the Ministry couldn't train him straight away, he had a life to live, how ever long, or short, it may be.

He was glad the letter had come, but his heart still felt heavy, apprehension gnawing away at it. On Saturday would be Ginny's Graduation, and it might end up being the last time he'd see all his friends, be back at Hogwarts.

He closed his eyes and mentally shook his head. Stop it, he thought to himself. He'd been waiting for this letter since he left Hogwarts, there was no point in getting nervous and worrying about what might happen now it had finally arrived. With any luck he'd do what the world expected of him, kill Voldemort, then hopefully his fame would slowly drift into time now his deed was done, and he could live a normal life, find a good job, and find someone to share his now continuing life with.

"What the—oh for goodness sake, POTTER! Are you out here?"

Harry blinked in surprise and turned around, listening to the rustling of someone in the trees, "Draco?" he asked unexpectedly, into the large shrubbery behind him.

"Shine that bloody light over here will you I can't see a thing!" the familiar voice shouted, before there was a resounding crack, a small yelp of surprise, and one Draco Malfoy coming tumbling out of the bushes face first on to the grass beside Harry.

Harry raised one eyebrow and looked down at him, an amused look in his eyes.

"Enjoy your trip?" he asked smirking, and Draco lifted his head, spitting out a mouthful of grass he had acquired as he hit the ground,

"I refuse to believe you just said that."

"Why weren't you using your wand?" Harry inquired as Draco stood up, and the blond paused, before reaching into his pocket and taking out his wand.

He stared at it for a moment, as if only just realizing it had been there, "I guess I haven't used it for so long I didn't even think of it." He said, staring at it for a moment longer before placing it back in his pocket.

Harry watched as Draco dusted the grass off of, what Harry noticed, a very expensive looking dark grey suit, and sat back down on the grass. He couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth rise slightly in a small smile. The old Draco would never have sat down so indifferently on the grass in anything that was expensive, grass stains and mud would have been the main concern, but now Draco just sat there, with apparently no concern over the suit that had in fact got two large grass stains on the knees where he'd fallen.

"What are you doing out here?" Harry asked, as Draco kept his eyes on the view over London.

"Looking for you. I did say I'd come back."

"Oh." Harry said quietly, before adding, "How did you know I was here?"

"Finnegan told me, after fighting Weasley to the door. Guess his mum has let him stay and he came back. But it's Finnegan who told me you like to come out here sometimes. I can see why, it's nice." he said softly, his eyes seeming to shine almost as much as the half moon sitting in the corner of the sky above them.

Harry watched him for a moment, just sitting there staring in silence, when he turned away feeling rather embarrassed. He looked down at the grass, and idly picked a bit from underneath his shoe. He'd realised of course what he had wanted to tell him, about how he felt about him, but now he was here, found his mouth had gone dry. Clearing his throat, he tried to find something else to say.

"So er…get the err, the shopping you wanted?"

"I'm wearing it." Draco replied, now staring down at the grass stains on his knees. "I err…was going to take you out to dinner." He said sheepishly.

At that Harry looked up from picking at random pieces of grass and looked over at him. Draco had turned his head slightly, away from Harry, now too apparently finding blades of grass very interesting. "But as I didn't have anything nice to wear, I went out and bought this," he indicated by pulling the fabric on his left leg, "But I guess I'm still not used to having to be careful with how I spend money, and it was only when I got to your house did I realise that I hadn't actually kept enough money back to take you anywhere any more interesting than a McDonalds, which is hardly a place I'd want to take anyone, especially as I've been practically living on the stuff."

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You eat at McDonalds?"

"I've been practically broke for a year Harry remember? I eat a lot of takeaways, although at least I try and have the healthiest things, they do do Salads now you know."

Harry was silent for a moment, before a small chortle escaped his lips, "I'm sorry," he apoligised quickly, though still smiling as Draco turned and half glared at him, "It's just I can't picture you in McDonalds. You keep on surprising me, everything you've said in the last few days has been something I thought I'd never hear from you. It's amazing how much you've actually changed."

Draco smiled as he looked back out over London, "I suppose I have."

There was a comfortable silence that filled the air then, and Harry smiled to himself, matching Draco and turning to look at the view.

"You know a part of me almost misses out little spats back at school." Harry continued.

"Hmph," Draco grinned, "Well, I have to say it was rather fun to get under your skin so much."

You get under it in a far different way now though, Harry thought to himself, before he edged slightly closer to Draco, not that the blond appeared to have noticed, "Y-yeah," Harry said, looking at Draco through the corner of his eye, "You were rather infuriating."

"Well, as long as you like me now." Draco said, turning to him.

The sudden change to a subject Harry had been trying to avoid stunned him for a moment, and suddenly found everything around him far too quiet, unable to look away from the surprisingly honest grey eyes staring back at him. He found his eyes shifting down to Draco's lips, and swallowed hard, the impulse to just lean over and kiss him bubbling dangerously in his chest. He could feel his heart beating a mile a minute, his breathing becoming shallow, and he leaned forward just an inch before his brain decided to kick in and he quickly moved back, smiling down at the grass awkwardly.

"Yeah, I did say that I did didn't I?" he said quietly.

"Harry?" Harry looked up at Draco's voice, and saw him looking down at his shoes uncomfortably, "Look, I know you said I could stay with you earlier, live in your house, but…" he sighed, "I really want to know now, what you think of us. If…there's going to be an us."

And there it was. Draco had come straight out and asked. Immediately Harry thought to what Seamus had told him earlier, about no matter how much you love someone, if they ignore you for long enough the hint will get across that you're not interested, and Harry could tell Draco was starting to worry. He could tell in the tone of his voice that he wanted to stay, but if Harry didn't make up his mind, he'd leave. Harry now knew of course that he wanted Draco to stay, wanted to be with him, but when it came to saying it out loud, why was it so difficult?

Harry folded his arms across his knees and stared down at the small houses in the valley below them. The beginning was always a good place to start, so he took a deep breath.

"Draco, when you kissed me back at Hogwarts, everything with me changed. I didn't notice it till recently, but Seamus was right. Ever since then all I've been doing is thinking about you, day dreaming and things. I caught myself once or twice thinking what would have happened if I'd chased after you that night, but I'd dismiss it immediately." Harry smiled to himself, "It seems even when you weren't around you were still getting under my skin, so when you showed up out of the blue like that, I guess, like you I just…panicked." Draco watched him quietly, letting him speak, "Living with Seamus I'd got perfectly used to seeing guys around with him, it didn't bother me, but I wasn't always like that. When Seamus told me he was gay of course I was supportive, but that didn't stop the niggling feeling in the back of my mind that, hey, he really does like guys, but after you kissed me that feeling disappeared. Thinking of being gay didn't make that awkward feeling arise anymore, I was happy living with Seamus, I didn't have to question myself, until you came back again saying you wanted to be with me. When you disappeared after graduation, I didn't have to deal with the fact that you'd just kissed me, cause you were just gone, there was nothing more, no follow up, but now you come back saying you want to be with me, it just made that feeling come back that. The feeling that, yeah, I've got no problem with anyone being gay, but does that really mean that I have to be?" Harry finally paused in his speech, but found he just couldn't look at Draco yet, both embarrassment and fear of rejection over being so stupid, "I guess that's what I've been so confused about, I didn't know if I could do this. I don't think it really had anything to do with the fact that it was you, it was just the fact it was the first time a guy had said they were interested in me and I didn't really know how to take it, especially as you'd already kissed me before."

"Harry," Harry could hear the smile in Draco's voice, "Remember what I told you earlier, about the reason that I kissed you that day, that I was panicking because I didn't think I'd ever see you again?" Harry nodded, but still didn't look at him, "Well I didn't just suddenly wake up one morning and think, 'Ah, I like cock,'", Draco smirked at Harry's suddenly chortle, his dark hair falling in his eyes, and noticed him glance at him, grinning, "For ages I'd been wondering about myself, and funnily enough it was that day that the rumor went around school that Finnegan had come out as being gay that I started to feel it more. If he could admit that he liked guys, then why can't I? If I did, of course. The question consumed me, and the closer it got to Graduation, the more attention I seemed to be paying to you. That whole thing I said about you being the only one to make me feel anything, whether it was good or bad. So I kissed you, and even though I still tried to deny afterwards, it was all I needed." He paused, watching Harry's profile, which seemed to have become thoughtful as he looked down at the ground. "It's okay to be confused Harry. I was for quite a while. The death of my parents may have given me the excuse to go and look for you, but it was before that that I knew I wanted you." He paused again, watching Harry, before taking a small breath and edging slightly closer, his left shoulder touching Harry's, "I don't want to stop kissing you Harry." He said quietly.

Harry stilled at the contact, before turning to look up at Draco's close face. For the first time, he didn't feel nervous being this close. Draco had said it was alright to be confused. Seamus had said it was alright to like Draco. Everything he was feeling, was okay to feel.

As he stared into those grey eyes, a look of apprehension about them, Harry could feel that bubbling sensation start to rise in his chest again, and he smiled knowingly. He knew now, knew what he wanted. That confusion had finally melted away during his talk with Seamus, and it wasn't coming back. He was here, Draco was here, and he didn't want that to change. Once again, Seamus was right. Why push away the one person who has ever said they loved him? He really was an idiot, but he was about to be a very lucky idiot.

"You know," Harry said, that strange calm smile still on his lips, "it's funny living with Seamus. No matter what question I had over my sexuality, he always seemed to have the answer. I'm going to have to thank him when we get back home." and with that he closed the small distance between them, and pressed his lips to Draco's.

Now it was Draco's turn to still. His eyes wide open as Harry, green eyes closed, ran his tongue so slowly along Draco's bottom lip, before seeking entrance in-between. Draco didn't stay stilled in shock for long, because as soon as he felt that hot tongue pressing at his lips, he closed his eyes and welcomed it all too willingly. Harry wrapped one arm around Draco's waist, the other across his shoulder blades, and for the first time kissed him with no confusion at the back of his mind, no questions of whether or not he should be doing this, and it felt absolutely wonderful.

He felt fingers threading through his hair, and couldn't help the small shiver run through him at the thought that this wouldn't be the last time they ran through his hair either. It felt as if a world of possibilities had just opened up in front of him, and he felt so light in his chest he felt like he could laugh. But his lips weren't going anywhere. Draco was kissing him back so thoroughly, his tongue sweeping through his mouth making that lightness in his chest move up to his head, and Harry clung to him tightly.

He never wanted this kiss to end, and apparently neither did Draco, because Harry suddenly found himself being pushed down on the grass as Draco lay beside him, never once removing his lips from Harry's. Their legs became intertwined as they lay there, hungry for each other, and the only thought that Harry could process while his mouth was being ravished, was that what on earth had he been on to not want this?

He felt Draco's hand run smoothly down the side of his body, and again Harry couldn't stop the shiver than ran through him, feeling himself getting hard as that hand found the hem of his shirt, and worked it's way underneath it, skimming across hot skin. He thought his heart might beat itself out of his chest at this rate, and was sure Draco would be able to feel it as he ran his hand across his chest, pausing to rub over one nipple as Harry moaned into Draco's mouth. He really wanted Draco now. Really really wanted him. Wanted to feel that pale skin moving against his own, wanted to hear him moan his name, wanted to see the look of lust and happiness in his eyes, just to believe that it really was him that was making Draco grind against him, his obvious hardness sticking into his hip.

In a moment of almost boyish glee, Harry placed his hands on Draco's chest and pushed upwards, breaking their heavy kiss but flipping them over so Draco was the one on his back. He lay practically on top of him, for once loving the smirk on Draco's lips, and dipped down again for one long, slow loving kiss, before gently nipping at Draco's bottom lip and sucking it gently.

"In case you couldn't tell," Harry finally said against his lips, "That was a yes."

Draco practically grinned, and couldn't hold back the small chuckle that escaped him, "Really? I would never have guessed." He said, his still longer hair splayed out a little on the grass.

Harry grinned back and leant down for another kiss, a sweet, gentle kiss that left him knowing for sure this was real, that this too would happen again.

"Think we should…take this back to the bedroom?" Harry smirked between kisses, his turn to grind himself against Draco, causing that first little moan to escape the blonds lips.

"N-no, actually I think we should stay here." Draco said, brushing a bit of stray hair away from Harry's eyes, only to have it fall back again. "There'll only be Finnegan and Weasley back there. We can just stay here, it's nice here."

Harry smiled at him, thinking he could certainly get used to this, "Can I ask you something?"

Draco nodded.

"Have you been with anyone else?"

Draco smiled at him coolly, "I told you, I've been looking for you, I didn't want anyone else."

"What about at school?"

"Again, I've told you, I was still sorting myself out back then, I didn't know what I wanted."

Harry thought about this for a moment, before he seemed to realize something, "Wait a minute, have you never had sex then?"

Draco smirked, knowing exactly what Harry was about to say, and answered honestly, "No I haven't."

Harry stared at him wide eyed, his mouth opening and closing in shock, "But you were picking on me for being a virgin! And now I find that you are as well?" he yelled in mock annoyance, and Draco laughed before grabbing him around the shoulders and flipping them over again.

Harry's momentary shock at the sudden movement quickly disappeared however, as Draco promptly slipped his tongue between his lips, slowly running through his mouth once before pulling away and leering at him, licking his own bottom lip, "Well let's fix that shall we?"

Harry stared at him for a moment, before laughing at him warmly, leaning up and kissing him quickly, never feeling so childishly happy. He loved it.

He loved Draco.

"You've got grass stains all over your nice new suit now you know?" Harry grinned, batting at Draco's collar.

"Oh please, what's a few grass stains between friends?" he smirked at him.

"Will you come to Ginny's graduation with me?" Harry asked, the question escaping him before he'd really thought of it, Draco's eyebrows rising in question. Harry couldn't believe he'd just blurted that out, but smiled shyly anyway, peering up at him through his dark eyelashes, "On Saturday, I mean. I've been invited to the graduation party and need someone to bring with me, thought…thought maybe you'd like…to come..."

Harry trailed off at the stare in Draco's eyes. He seemed to be studying him carefully, thinking hard. "You'd really want me to come with you?" he eventually asked, and Harry nodded earnestly.

Draco continued to study him, before a small smile reached his lips, and he leant down and brushed them over Harry's, "Alright, why not? Should be interesting." Draco smirked, "But are you sure want everyone to know about us so quickly?" he added sincerely, his face now lost the smirk and looked far too serious for Harry's liking, "You've only just said yes to me."

Harry simply smiled up at him, the stars twinkling behind Draco's head, his blond hair framing his face against the black sky.

"I love you." He said honestly, and continued to gaze up at the stunned look in Draco's eyes, "It's just taken me a year to realize it."

As that surprised looked in Draco's eyes slowly faded, it was replaced by something else, something that Harry could only describe as adoration. With a small smile, Draco lowered his head, and whispered softly against Harry's neck,

"Thank you."

The birds in the trees suddenly flew up with a resounding squawk of protest when a loud explosion filled the air, echoing around the valley below, startling Harry and Draco so much they jumped straight off each other and stood up, eyes wide.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Draco exclaimed, looking around himself anxiously, but paused when he saw Harry holding a hand to his scar, his teeth clenched in pain, staring frightfully into the sky behind them.

As Draco turned, staring through the tree tops back towards Harry's house, he felt his blood run cold. There, flickering through the branches in the sky, was the prominent shape of a vibrant green skull, a fanged snake weaving its way out of its mouth.

Draco immediately snapped his head back to Harry, fear in his eyes, and saw a lost, terrified look on Harry's face,

"Seamus….Ron…." Harry muttered horrified, and before Draco could say a word, Harry grabbed his wand from the ground and disappeared, the familiar cracking sound of apperating left behind.

24 hours later…

Harry clutched his aching arm, resting bandaged in a sling, and turned to glare at the door to the hospital room, flashing lights coming through the small opaque window. He had to admit, Ron and Remus were doing a good job of keeping the Daily Prophet reporters at bay and stopping them from trampling through the door, but that didn't mean that the constant muffled sound of hundreds of questions and the clicking of flashing cameras weren't starting to get annoying.

"Draco?"

Harry turned at Hermione's voice, who was sitting the other side of Draco's hospital bed to Harry, her Healers uniform on and her hair tied back out of the way. Harry smiled happily as Draco began to stir awake, and leaned forward, taking his hand. Harry didn't miss the small smirk Hermione threw him at the gesture, but only smiled and ignored her.

"Could somebody please tell me…" Draco croaked, his throat horribly dry and uncomfortable, "…why I feel like I've been bombarded with several thousand bludgers?"

He strained to open his eyes, and eventually peered up at the two smiling faces looking down at him, "Wha-" he started when he saw Harry, but was stopped immediately by a heavy coughing fit.

"Here," Harry said quickly, letting go of Draco's hand and grabbing a glass of water from the bedside table, Hermione raising the bed so he was sitting up a little, "Drink this, you've breathed in a lot of dust." He pressed the glass gently to Draco's lips, and Draco drank it heartily. He felt like his throat hadn't felt the coolness of water in days, and the glass was empty in a matter of seconds.

"What happened?" Draco finally managed to ask, Harry placing the glass back on the table.

"How are you feeling first?" Hermione asked, "Does anything hurt?"

Draco coughed slightly, "No. My body aches a bit, but nothing drastic. I've got a bit of a headache." He said, rubbing his eyes, before looking back up at Hermione, "How long have I been here?"

"Just a day." Hermione answered, as she took a clipboard and started scribbling something down on it, "You had quite a nasty case of concussion, but it's healed up nicely while you've been asleep, as has everything else. Considering what happened to you, you were lucky not to have any other serious injuries."

"Concussion?" Draco asked, as Harry started to fluff his pillows gently, "How did I get concuss-?" but he paused, wide eyed, when the memories suddenly came flooding back to him.

A flash of a green skull flittered across his mind, him running as fast as he could back to Harry's house, cursing Harry for having a 'no apperation' field around his house. Explosions, Ron and Seamus battling Death Eaters, and then….Draco's eyes went wide.

"Voldemort…" he whispered, "He was pressing his wand right to your neck!" Draco exclaimed, staring up at Harry with fearful eyes as if to suddenly find he wasn't there.

But to his surprise, Harry just smiled, "He was yeah, but do you remember what you did?" he asked softly, taking his hand again.

Draco stared at him for a moment, feeling the warmth in Harry's hand, "Yes. I tried to throw the Avada curse at him, but…" he frowned, raising his other hand and rubbing his head, realizing for the first time it was wrapped in bandages, "…I think it missed. I don't remember anything else."

"The house collapsed at that point," Hermione said, now motherly tucking in the sheets around him, "Voldemort deflected your attacked into the wall, and it collapsed on top of you. But you throwing the curse distracted him. He'd become so obsessed with killing Harry he'd lost his mind to everything else around him. He saw your attack, but only at the last minute."

"And as you said, he had his wand pressed into my neck, backed me into a corner," Harry continued, "He was about to use the Avada curse on me when you threw yours. When he turned to deflect your attack, it gave me the chance. I threw the Avada curse straight into back, point black."

Draco's eyes went wide, a wave of hope rising swiftly within him. He stared at Harry, waiting for him to continue, but when he didn't he pressed for answers, "So he's…?" he asked with a waving voice.

Harry smiled that warm smile again. Draco was about to find out one piece of information that was going to make his day. For the memory of his mother, to whom Voldemort has caused so much pain, and in turn, leaving Draco exposed to the harshness of the world.

"He's dead." Harry stated, finding saying that out loud made him feel strange, in a good sort of way, "Gone for good."

It took a moment for it to really sink in, but then Draco smiled, smiled as if he'd never smiled before. It was kind of infectious, having never seen Draco really smile before, and Hermione found herself smiling too as Harry leant towards him, their lips touching in a gentle kiss. It was their first kiss in a free world, and she just watched them silently from her seat. She hadn't said anything to Harry yet, but Harry looked as though such a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, that he actually looked even younger. All the stress, all the worry, everything bad was gone from his features, and for the first time in many years, his smiles looked like they actually belonged on his lips.

He'd told her what had happened as they had sat here, waiting for the healing potions to work their magic on Draco. He told her how he had apperated to his home, the only one to be able to get passed the field around his house, and found Ron and Seamus battling for their lives, the place swarming with Death Eaters and half the houses around them destroyed. Immediately the training he'd been giving himself at home came into action, and he dived into the mass of bodies and flying spells.

Unfortunately though, he'd been caught off guard with a random Cruciatuscurse, and when he'd finally regained his senses, found himself backed into a corner, with the glaring red eyes of Voldemort towering above him, his wand placed firmly into the side of his neck. Harry had only vaguely registered the "Avada Ke-" coming from Voldemorts mouth, before he had spun around to deflect the same green curse flying at him from behind. Harry had seen for that split second Draco standing there, out of breath from running all the way back, before his deflected curse crashed into the wall beside him, and Draco disappeared beneath a piles of bricks, cement, and the ceiling above. In that moment though Harry had grabbed hold of his wand, and uttered the final spell he'd cast against Voldmort straight into his back.

When Voldmort hit the floor, Aurors had suddenly started pouring in, fighting off the remaining Death Eaters. It didn't take long for them to finish up, for the servants to the once Lord Voldmort had seemed to be in shock at seeing their Lord fall to the floor, Harry standing there looking down at him, gripping his wand so tightly his knuckles had gone white.

By the time everything had got cleared, the bodies of the unfortunate muggles around the area taken away, and the memories of those muggles who witnessed it all corrected (a bomb was a good cover up), Harry had already flooed to St Mungo's with the unconscious Draco in his arms, his own left arm broken when another part of the ceiling collapsed when he had tried to dig Draco out. Ron, who he himself had been covered in various cuts, but nothing serious, had helped a struggling Seamus into the fireplace to follow after them. He had what looked like a nastily broken leg, which had then obviously been hit afterwards with some sort of spell, because it had started seeping something purple out of the wound by the time they had got to St Mungo's.

Hermione herself was back on duty, and had been the first one on the scene for tending to Draco, while other Healers dealt with Seamus and Harry. Harry however had been very un-co-operative, and had refused to leave Draco when the Healers tried to look at his arm. Eventually they gave in, and instead of giving Harry his own bed, let him sit next to Draco while they tended to his arm, making him drink the disgusting potion that was to re-grow and attached his broken arm.

And now, as Hermione watched her best friend tell Draco exactly what had happened in every detail, both of them wearing cheerful smiles, she felt an overwhelming swell of love for him. He'd been through so much, suffered more than anyone should be allowed to, and now the one person who had caused all that pain was gone. Harry had been freed from the burden placed on him all those years ago, and the smile on his lips was one that knew it was all finally over. He'd done what the world had wanted him to do, freed the world from the shadow consuming it, and now had his life to live. With Draco it would seem, and couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape her as the ecstatically happy Harry was cut short in his ramblings, as Draco leant upwards and kissed him firmly, shutting him up quite nicely.

"I err, take it you're definitely gay then Harry?" Hermione asked casually, but she didn't get much of an answer as Harry was far too gone kissing Draco back, leaning over him so much he was almost half laying on the bed with him.

Hermione smirked to herself and got up from her chair, "I'll just go and check on Seamus." She said to the oblivious couple, as she walked through an adjourning door, closing it gently behind her.

Harry was so happy he was almost worried it was all a dream. Voldemort was gone, and he'd finally told Draco he loved him. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this, feeling that he now, for sure, was going to live, that he'd never again have any more worries over the war, that he had someone who loved him.

Harry had found out when Remus had arrived that the war had already been going on silently behind closed doors. Aurors had been lost in the battles with Death Eaters that the Daily Prophet had failed to print. They'd had confirmations recently that something big was being planned, but they didn't know what, until it had happened. It had been Voldmorts final attempt at killing Harry, to get him out the way, having no worries over that incompetent 18 year old foiling his plans again. But once again, it had back fired, and here Harry was, still alive, still breathing, and happier than he had ever been.

"I suppose that lots here to see you then?" Draco said, as he slowly broke the kiss, nodding over to the mass of reporters still outside the door, before brushing his lips softly against Harry's again.

Harry smiled again and kissed those lips being offered, "Well, yes, but not just me."

Draco looked at him curiously.

"I'd always been expected to kill Voldemort," Harry explained, "No one knew how or when, but everyone had looked to me to be the one to destroy him, so now I have, it's not that bigger news. I mean of course everyone's grateful he's gone, but it was nothing surprising to everyone. I've done what everyone wanted. What they hadn't expected though, is for a certain Death Eater's son to help in the downfall." Harry smiled at him.

Draco frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Remember earlier when you told me you wished you were famous, so people would approach you and find out about the real you? Well I think you've got it." Harry grinned happily, before leaning down and kissing the confused expression off of Draco's face.

"But I didn't kill him." Draco pointed out as Harry pulled away, beginning to feel slightly shocked.

"If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead and Voldmort would still be alive." Harry said truthfully, "You saved my life Draco, and saved everyone elses in the process, so those reporters outside that door? Yeah they want to see me, but it's you they really want to talk to. According to them, by saving me, you saved the world."

Draco stared at him incredulously, "You've got to be joking?"

This really was surreal! Surely the Daily Prophet wasn't that stupid that they'd say he saved the world? What about everything they've ever printed about Harry? What about all the build up and the stories, was Harry's existence just a game to them? He wanted to be angry, but as he watched Harry shake his head, seemingly unable to get rid of the smile on his face, Draco could do nothing but smile back, feeling strangely overwhelmed and giddy, and giddy was not a word that had ever been used to describe a Malfoy!

Although maybe it was just the concussion.

"Nope, so you better be prepared to answer a lot of questions, oh savior of wizarding kind." Harry winked at him, and suddenly Draco too had never felt happier in his life.

To be continued….(into the last chapter!)