A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, you guys are awesome. : )

Their lips touch for a second before Harry shot away.

"No Narls."

"But Harry-"

"No. We've discussed this before, please don't make this hard on me."

"Hard on you? How would this be hard on you? You were the one who played with my heart over the summer? You always refused to commit but I continued with our so called 'games' only because I hoped you would change your mind. And then after all the bollocks you spun about commitment, I find out your dating Malfoy! No Harry, this isn't hard on you."

Harry paled, looking over at his friend with regret. He had never meant to hurt Narls, but he hadn't really considered the consequences of his actions over the summer, both with Narls and other people.

"Narls, I am so-"

"Ahem."

Both boys looked to the door to find Nia standing there, watching them with a raised eyebrow. She entered and closed the door behind her. Harry quickly placed a locking and silencing charm on the room.

"How long have you been there."

"Perhaps a little too long." Nia replied, sitting down on a chair across from the boys.

"Nia, please don't tell-"

"Don't tell Draco? Don't you think its that thinking that got you in this position in the first place?" Nia snapped, her anger now directed at both boys.

"And I can't believe you played my brother like that, Harry! If I had known, I would have long hexed you into an early death!"

Narls seemed to brighten with the support of his sister but she swiveled her glare onto her brother at the change in expression.

"Don't think you're in the clear, Narlson Michael De Luca!"

Narlson flinched at the use of his full name but cheekily replied,

"What did I do?"

"You bloody told Draco, cazzo! Tu sie fottuto! Did you honestly think that was a solution?"

"Fottiti." Narls replied, more hurt than anger in his voice.

"You what!" Harry growled, rounding on Narls.

"Shut the bloody hell up and sit your arse down! You are in no bloody way innocent, bastardo." Nia shouted at Harry, who instantly flinched away from the witch and did as she said.

"I can't believe you, either of you." Nia spat out in disgust, "Narls, I never thought you could be so petty, I would have never imagined you would stoop to such a level. What has gotten into you?"

"I-I don't know." Narls said, hanging his head in shame.

"And you Harry, I don't care who you are, you have no right to treat people the way you have. I know you're finally embracing the Slytherin in you but you also need to understand that you can't just use people whenever you want. Now, you know I never approved your actions over the summer but I got over it, if only because I know that when it comes down to it, you really are a good person, that's why you survived in Gryffindor so long."

"Nia-"

"Listen, just listen. You need to go talk to Draco. You need to tell him everything and maybe he'll eventually get over it but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. He was out of line by saying what he said but his anger is not misplaced. Now go." Nia finished, sighing with frustration.

Harry stood up, heart stinging from the brunette's words but he knew she was right. He wasn't proud of his behavior over the summer, it was the reason he had wanted to hide it so much. Harry looked back before leaving the room, knowing that Nia would continue to scold Narls when he had left but left without a single sound.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Pansy sighed as she healed Draco's nose, somewhat reluctant to help him out.

"Why are you on his side?" Draco asked bitterly.

"I'm not saying I approve of what Harry did or that he hid it from us, from you especially, but you were out of line. You let your anger get the best of you and you said some horrific things. Harry was so distraught when I went up with Nia, I was ready to come kick your arse before I even heard the story."

"He deserved it." Draco mumbled, but Pansy could already hear some regret in his tone.

"Maybe. Personally I don't think he deserved to be called those names by the boyfriend he obviously loves."

"Apparently he doesn't love me enough, or else he would have told me."

Pansy laughed, causing Blaise and Draco to look at her as if she had gone mad.

"Its quite the opposite. Its obvious he didn't tell you because he was scared you would react like this. He wanted to keep you, not drive you away."

"But-"

"Draco, this all happened before you two started dating, you really don't have much of a say in it."

Draco sighed, "I know. That's the worse part. I.. I just can't stand the idea of anyone else touching Harry, my Harry. And to hear from Narls, and the way he said it as if it was something everyone other than me knew, that Harry had more than his share of sexual encounters over the summer without a care… It made me wonder…"

"If you were just another encounter?"

"Yeah. I didn't want to just be another fuck. I really to lo-like Harry and I want to be with him but…"

Pansy turned Draco's face to look into her eyes and she smiled sadly.

"If you want to be with him, then that's all there is to it. If you honestly like him then his past won't matter. Its what he does now that he's with you that makes the difference." Draco looked away as Pansy teasingly used the word like, knowing that she meant a different word but looked back in surprise at her words.

"You know, Pansy. Maybe you're not so bad at this matchmaking stuff."

Pansy laughed as Blaise looked on in horror at the comment. They all looked at the entrance to find Harry standing there awkwardly.

"Um, can we talk.. In private?" Harry asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Draco hesitated, part of him still wanted to hang on to the anger. Pansy gave Draco a little nudge in Harry's direction and Draco nodded, unsure.

Draco followed Harry out of the room, looking back at his friends he noticed that Pansy had moved to sit with Blaise and was filling him in on everything that had happened so far in the day.

Draco followed Harry down the hall into a room and closed the door behind them. Neither boy put up a silencing spell, afraid that doing so would jinx what would hopefully be a peaceful conversation.

"Look, Dray… I am so sorry. I know I should have told you."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was afraid you would react…..like you did. And that you would leave me. I just couldn't stand the thought of not being with you."

Harry moved closer to Draco and put his hand on his shoulder hesitantly. Draco gently shrugged off the hand and looked away at the pain in Harry's eyes.

Harry got down on one knee and offered up his hand with his family crest ring gleaming. Draco looked at Harry in confusion before realization dawned. Harry was going to officially ask for forgiveness in an old tradition of the purebloods.

"I, Harry James Potter, request the forgiveness of Draconis Cygnus Malfoy. I offer anything in my possession as a sign of my repentance."

Draco looked at Harry, considering the words before reaching forward and lightly touching the ring.

"I, Draconis Cygnus Malfoy, grant the forgiveness of Harry James Potter in exchange for….the truth over the incidents of this past summer."

Harry looked up, relieved but also confused at the unusual request.

"I accept this exchange." A yellow light swirled out of the ring and around the two, binding them, before fading away.

Harry stood up and looked at Draco with weary eyes as Draco stared back with his steely eyes. Harry sat down with a sigh and waited as Draco also down across from him.

"Where do I start."

"The beginning. I want to know everything."

"Well, lets see. Once I left the traitors, I took up lodging in a dodgy inn over in Knockturn Alley. I mostly preoccupied myself with learning as much about magic and pureblood life as possible…. But I did think that I should meet fellow purebloods and make friendships and connections as the real Harry. I didn't think that going by my real name would help in making friends or keeping out of Dumbledore's clutches so to many I was known as Smeraldo. Once I became friends with Nia and Narls, they encouraged me to embrace my sexuality and get some experience, so to say. I had more than my share of offers from men and women alike… so eventually I began to do stuff with some of the men…"

"Did you go all the way with any of them?"

Harry bowed his head in shame and whispered a barely heard, "Yes."

"With how many guys?"

Harry didn't look up.

"Harry?"

"Five."

Draco hissed in a breath, clearly not pleased with the answer.

"Did you do things with Narls?"

Harry's muscles tensed and he nodded his reply.

"Is he one of the five?"

"No." Harry replied strongly, finally looking up at the blonde.

There was a silence and for awhile, Harry thought it was over, no more questions.

"Why did people refer to you as being infamously 'no-strings attached'?"

Harry winced but responded with a determined voice.

"Because no matter what I did with a guy or how much I liked them, I refused to get into a relationship with any of them."

"Why?"

Harry looked straight into Draco's eyes, green burning into grey with emotion that had them both shocked.

"Because, there was this boy back at school that I liked. I had liked him since my third year in Hogwarts but it wouldn't have been allowed. And he had just offered me his friendship once again after everything we put each other through. No other person could replace him. He was the only one I wanted."

Draco stared at Harry, almost as if for the first time. This gorgeous man had chosen him from early on and while he had done regrettable things in the meantime, he had waited for the chance to be with him.

Draco looked away, regretting the way he had treated Harry earlier, now knowing how much it must have hurt him and feeling so incredibly happy and loved at Harry's confession.

"Harry… I am so sorry about the things I said when we-"

"No Draco. You had the right to be mad. I kept all this information from you that you deserved to know."

"Harry, I'm not saying that everything is going to be fine from now on or that I am over what you did but I want us to try and get past this…But for now I think we need to take a break. I need time to cool down and get used to all this information."

Harry nodded, disappointed but also relieved that he was at least forgiven.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning found the quartet eating in the kitchen, the atmosphere almost the same as in the past. When Nia and Narls walked in, Draco visibly tensed and his Slytherin mask was quickly in place. Harry placed a comforting hand on Draco's as he looked at his friends.

Narls was sporting several injuries. He had a black eye, a split lip, and several bruises over his body. He sat down with a pained look on his face. Nia sat down next to him, looking rather proud.

Harry saw Draco's lips quirk into a smile quickly before going back to his stony expression when he sighted Narls's injuries.

"Nia did you…?" asked Blaise. Nia nodded in response, mouth full with food at the moment.

"Are you going to heal him?" asked Pansy, looking at the boy with some pity.

"Not till right before we leave for school. I want him to enjoy his punishment till then." She replied before once again focusing on her food. No one other than Harry caught the smile she sent at him, obviously having noticed that the two were back together.

The group was about to continue eating in a somewhat comfortable silence when one of Nia and Narls's friends walked in, having stayed the weekend in the manor as well.

"The whole incident over this weekend was not exactly Narls's fault. I have a confession to make."

A/N: I tried to not make this chapter corny. :p A tad bit hard with the whole couple fight. R&R!:)