Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own anyone/thing/place in the Harry Potter universe. Sniff though this fact makes me sad I console myself by writing these fics, the plot of which is mine:)
Warning: This story contains a homosexual relationship, which you should have noticed by now really:)
Author's Note: This is it. Last Chapter folks! Sorry it's taken me so long to post but it just wasn't finishing correctly so I've re-written it several times and then several more times! Hopefully this version will complete the story to everyone's satisfaction:) as always please comment and tell me what you think! Especially as this is the last chapter! (Also some shameless self-promotion, go read my other story, please! currently only one chapter in length but no one has reviewed yet :( ) Thanks for sticking with the story and me! Love to all reviewers and to the betas who are now living so far away from me!
Chapter 8
Harry pushed his food around his plate despondently. He could feel Hermione glancing worriedly at Ron over his head but he couldn't really bring himself to care. Unlike previous years the welcome feast held no interest for him and the fact that he had somehow managed to position himself so he could see straight across to the space left at the Slytherin table just made matters worse. So he stared down at his plate and pushed his food around. McGonagall had become Headmistress after Dumbledore's death, the official explanation of which was that Bellatrix had somehow snuck into the castle and hit the old man over the head, and so Professor Flitwick had read out the names of the new students in a sombre manner befitting a school still in mourning for it's headmaster.
The only people who knew the truth of what had happened during the summer were McGonagall, the Minister of Magic and of course Harry himself. The minister had decided, in view of the circumstances, that Harry had acted in self-defence, which was why he was currently not sitting in a cell in Askaban. Unfortunately, he thought, he was sitting in the great hall trying to avoid the questions from his friends. He could sense more than hear the furiously silent conversation going on over his head as Hermione tried to persuade Ron to talk to Harry. As far as they were aware, Harry was so dejected because of the death of the headmaster.
Hermione finally gave up trying to convince Ron to talk and touched Harry's arm lightly. "Harry?" He turned to look in her direction but she noted his eyes didn't quite focus on her. "Harry, do you want to go back to the common room? Ron and I are finished anyway. Aren't we Ron?" The redhead hurriedly swallowed the food he already had in his mouth and placed his full fork back on the plate before replying, "Yep, sure. Finished." Something caught Ron's eye and he frowned at something across the hall. Harry registered the look but his brain was too sluggish to think of something to distract his friend. "Hey, where's the blond git?" Harry sat very carefully still as he looked at the empty space. Hermione turned to look, she frowned. "That is strange. I can't imagine why Malfoy would miss the welcome feast. He's doesn't usually miss a chance to pick on the first years."
Ron gave a snort of derision and picked up his fork again, "He probably went to join his dad as a death eater. I bet he's out torturing muggle borns as we speak." Hermione was watching Harry as Ron was speaking. Harry's previously dead eyes were burning with the first emotion she had seen so far, though she couldn't tell exactly what it was she knew it wasn't friendly. "Er…Ron." Unfortunately the redhead continued oblivious, " C'mon Hermione! It's the most likely explanation isn't it? He not going to be sunning himself on holiday now is he?" Ron paused to consider this idea, "Well he might be I suppose, the git's always talking about some sort of expensive holiday in exotic places. But, nah, I reckon he's joined the death eaters. Like I said, it's the most likely explanation, right, Harry?"
"No." the one word, spoken in such a quiet, emotion filled voice caused Ron to pause. He looked at Harry in surprise. "What, mate?" Harry's eyes were certainly focused now, he was glaring at the other boy with something close to hatred, but lying behind it was a sadness. "No." Harry said again, "that's not what's happened." Hermione looked at him curiously, "You know why he isn't here?" The fire drained out of the dark haired boy's face leaving it pale and drawn. "He was here over the summer too." Ron choked on his food and Hermione let out a small whisper of a gasp. Hermione put a consoling hand on his shoulder, "Oh, Harry. What did he do to you?" Suddenly her face hardened, "Was it him who let his Aunt into the castle?" Harry shook his head vehemently, "No. You have to understand…" Harry trailed off; he wasn't sure how to tell his friends he had fallen for Draco Malfoy only to watch him die in front of him like so many others he had loved.
Both of his friends were looking at him with a mixture of concern and confusion. Harry took a deep breath and began to talk, "The first thing you have to understand is that Draco," Ron stiffened at the first name of the Slytherin falling easily from Harry's lips, but Harry continued regardless, "he wasn't, isn't a bad person. He came to Hogwarts for the summer because he was joining us. I think Voldemort was going to kill he and his mother and his mother sent him here." Harry looked distant for a moment "I don't know what happened to her after he left but we didn't hear anything from her. Anyway," he shook his head to try to organise his thoughts back to where they should be. "Anyway, while he was here we actually got on. We became friends." Ron was looking very unhappy whereas Hermione was very carefully blank. Harry took a deep breath; this was going to be the bombshell, the thing that might break his friendship with Ron.
Hermione he was sure would at least try to understand, Ron however… well only one way to find out. Harry looked up, refusing to duck his head in shame and he noticed a few of the closer Gryffindors had begun to listen in as well. He didn't care really; it was better to say it to as many people now so he didn't have to keep repeating himself. "Actually we were more than friends, a lot more." All the colour had drained from Ron's face. "But Dumbledore killed him in front of me." If possible Ron got paler, Hermione's mouth was hanging slightly open but she didn't seem to have noticed. There was a moment of silence before whispers broke out. They spread outwards from Harry like a ripple and soon the whole of the Gryffindor table was discreetly, or not so in some cases, staring at Harry. The other house tables soon followed suit, even the teachers were looking at him, McGonagall's expression was unreadable.
Harry stood and turned towards the doors, not looking at anyone, intending to leave. He had taken one step towards the doors before he stopped dead in his tracks. The whispered conversations faded into the background, Hermione's worried voice was an insignificant buzz. Harry's world narrowed down to one figure standing just inside the doors to the great hall. A figure that was staring right back at him with eyes like grey pearls. Harry managed to organise his body enough that he took another step forward, then another. Then suddenly he was standing directly in front of his target. He reached out a hand, which was caught in slender pale fingers and pressed against a milk white cheek with a desperate ferocity. Harry's voice was barely a whisper "You died. I watched you die." A beautiful blond head shook slowly then turned to the teacher's table. Harry didn't want to loose the sight of those eyes. Those eyes that had been so empty and lifeless the last time he had seen them. He used the hand on that perfect cheek to turn those stormy eyes back to him. His hand was gripped and pulled from the face but it was ok because he could still see those eyes and anyway his hand was encased in that gorgeous slender one and he was being led through the doors of the hall, leaving the teachers to control the riot that appeared to have broken out behind them.
The doors to the great hall closed with a dull thud and the sudden silence was deafening. Harry jerked his hand out of the grip it was in. Startled grey eyes turned to him questioningly. "You can't be real," Harry's voice was harsh, "Who are you really? Do you think this is funny?" The silken voice that answered caused Harry's breath to catch in his throat, "Harry, it's really me. McGonagall found something in one of his old books." Harry just stared wide-eyed at the vision in front of him, "Draco? Really? Truly?" The blond Slytherin nodded and gave a strangely shy smile, "The one and only." The Gryffindor was a blur of black robes and even blacker hair as he launched himself at his one and only. Kissing him again felt as natural as breathing and Harry felt like he had been suffocating for so long. The lithe body that pressed against him was as familiar as his own and it just felt like everything was again right with the world. The two young men only just managed to make it to Harry's room before both clothes and any lingering inhibitions were stripped away.
Harry was lying with his head pillowed on Draco's firm chest while the blonde twirled a lock of his raven hair between his fingers and Harry lazily traced patterns on Draco's torso. They had been silent for almost ten minutes before Draco broke the silence, "I'm sorry I left you." Harry stilled his fingers and tilted his head to look up at his Slytherin, "Just don't do it again." Harry lowered his head back to where it had been and held onto Draco tightly. He closed his eyes with a small smile when Draco wrapped his own pale arms around Harry and held on just as tightly.
Draco wasn't sure why he woke up to begin with but gradually as his eyes adjusted he could make out a figure in black robes standing next to the door to the dormitory. He tensed, very aware of his precious Harry still asleep next to him and of both their wands scattered somewhere between the entrance hall and the dorm. The figure stepped forward into the light from the window, revealing itself to be McGonagall. Draco relaxed somewhat but the tension didn't completely leave him. She knelt near next to the bed so she could speak quietly to Draco without risking Harry waking. "I don't know whether it was right for me to have used that spell to bring you back Mr Malfoy, life and death is not a matter for mortals to trifle with. I don't know if it will bring misfortune to me, or even to you. I don't even know what sacrifice has been made for you to re-enter this world," Her eyes flashed with emotions too complex for Draco to decipher, "and trust me Draco, a great sacrifice has been made. What I do know is that the Wizarding community will have need of Mr Potter, Harry, as a figurehead in the darkness to come. That is why I have risked all to return you to him. Do not cause me to regret my decision."
Draco nodded silently and after a moment in which McGonagall searched his face for some sign of something only she knew about, she too nodded and left. Draco didn't sleep for the rest of the night he just lay staring at the canopy over the bed.
Harry woke early the next morning and snuggled in closer to the warm body next to him. Luxuriating in the return of the blond god he had the fortune to call his boyfriend. Said god tapped him gently on the head and whispered into his ear, "Granger and Weasley are here." Harry refused to open his eyes and snuggled closer, slinging a leg across both of Draco's and pressing himself against the whole length of the blond, "Don't care. They can wait until we've finished." There was a slight clearing of throat form the other side of the room and Harry's eyes snapped open. Draco laughed that rich almost fattening laugh that Harry loved to hear but also meant that Harry was probably suffering just a little. The Slytherin leant in and stage whispered "No, I mean they're here. Now. In this room." Harry turned slowly to see Hermione looking studiously at the ceiling about 6 feet to the right of Harry's bed and Ron…well Ron just looked ill.
20 minutes later, blushes quenched and clothes retrieved, Harry sat with Ron and Hermione of one of the sofas in the common room. Draco had wanted to leave the three friends to talk things out but Harry didn't want the blond to leave his sight, so they had compromised and Draco was reading in the window seat. Ron kept running his hand through his hair nervously, "It's not that he's a bloke Harry, it's just…well it's Malfoy!" Hermione glared at him, "What I mean is it'll take some getting used to, is all." Ron finished off grumpily and sat back on the sofa to show he had said his piece. Hermione gave him an exasperated expression and turned to Harry. She smiled and placed a hand on his arm "Do you really like him that much?" Harry nodded. Hermione stood up, "Well that's that then." Both Ron and Harry watched with startled expressions as she walked across the room towards the window. Draco felt someone next to him and looked up from his book expecting to see Harry but confronted with Hermione instead. She was looking at him and as he followed the line of her arm downward, he realised she held her hand out to him. He set his book aside and reached out to take it slightly bemused. She shook his hand and even Draco had to admit it was a good strong handshake, "Malfoy, I mean Draco, I'd just like to say that I hope you and Harry are very happy together." She smiled and Draco just sat looking shell-shocked. Hermione released his hand and turned as if to walk back towards Harry, then she paused and turned back. "Two small points I'd like to make though." Draco nodded mutely. "I'd prefer it if you would call me Hermione and not Granger, or anything else." She added sternly and Draco had the good grace to blush slightly. He cleared his throat before speaking, "Alright, Hermione. And the other thing?" She opened her mouth to answer but Ron got there before her "If you screw Harry over, we'll hex you into oblivion." Ron walked across the room and held his hand out to Draco like Hermione had done. Draco took it and shook it, still slightly shocked, "Fair enough." was all he managed to organise his mouth to say.
Six weeks had passed and spring was beginning to poke it's head above ground in Hogwarts. The havoc caused within the school by Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy's relationship had lasted longer than anticipated, possibly because of the claims of murder and betrayal that laced through the romance like veins in marble, but finally it was dieing down to it's embers. Only a select few students occasionally caused a scene in a corridor or during dinner, but these were swiftly dealt with by the Headmistress. If the student in question was lucky. If they were unlucky they found themselves plagued with unfortunate mishaps whenever a sixth year Slytherin or Gryffindor was near by. One particular student in Slytherin, who scrawled exceptionally nasty anti-Potter slogans across the walls in the common room, rounded a corner on his way to potions to find Draco Malfoy standing there with an unpleasant smile on his face and flanked by the ever-faithful Crabbe and Goyle. No other graffiti of that nature has been found since.
Harry and Draco were sitting under a tree by the lake enjoying the first truly warm day of the year so far. Draco was twisting his fingers in Harry's hair, an action that had become habit now, Harry tilted his head back to look at Draco. "I still can't believe you're here with me." Draco glanced down at Harry then back out across the lake, "Believe it, Scarhead." The blond smirked when Harry slapped his arm. Harry looked back up and Draco, "No really, I still can't believe it." Draco stopped looking at the lake now and turned to catch Harry's gaze with his own, "Do you want me to be here with you?" Harry sat up and swivelled so he was looking directly at the blond, "Of course I do! You know that!" Draco smiled his perfect smile and clasped Harry's face between his hands, he looked into emerald eyes as he spoke, "Well then. Shut up and stop thinking so much." Then, not for the first and certainly not for the last time, the Slytherin Prince leaned in to kiss the Boy-Who-Lived gently on the mouth.