CHAPTER NINE

Draco had never been so glad to be home. He felt as though weeks had passed; so much had changed in such a short time. With a jolt of surprise, he realized that Grimmauld Place was more of a home to him now than the Manor.

And all because of Harry.

Harry had retrieved his wand from the box and was casting random spells.

"How does it feel?" Draco asked tentatively.

"Odd. It's sluggish, like I'm using someone else's wand. Yours works better for me now, which makes sense, I suppose, since I have more of your magic than mine."

He sounded slightly regretful and Draco frowned. "I'm sorry."

Harry turned to him quickly and then walked over to wrap his arms around Draco. His eyes were soft. "Don't be. You saved me."

"I should have told you what I was planning. Hermione's plan might have worked. If only I had—"

Harry's fingers pressed against his lips, halting the words. "Don't. I was going mad. You did what you thought best and chances are I would not have listened to you. I was turning into someone I hated. God, Draco, how could you stand it? I was horrible to you."

Draco pushed his hands into Harry's hair and kissed the fingertips that touched his lips. "Because you were still you, despite everything, beneath the excessive power and the influence of Avery's magic. You were still you."

Harry's eyes went dark and then a familiar expression crossed his features, one that made Draco's heart leap. Harry cupped his jaw and then his lips pressed into Draco's, gently, almost achingly sweet.

"I love you," Harry whispered.

Draco swallowed hard, knowing the three simple words could not begin to express what they felt for each other, but acknowledging that it was enough. The rest would be shown. Their kiss was tender at first, but quickly changed to a frenzy of need as Draco recalled how close they had been to making love that morning, after finding Harry restored through Draco's magic.

"Blimey!" The sound made them pull apart, although not hurriedly. Draco smiled at Harry, revelling in the glazed look in his eyes. They both turned to see Tonks in the doorway, smirking at them. She held Lyra on one hip and the toddler babbled and reached her chubby arms out to them. "Nice to see you two getting along, but could you maybe do it in a less public place?"

Draco chuckled and released Harry only to take one of his hands and lead him toward the door. They both paused to kiss Lyra and coo at her. "I'll take her to the park a bit later," Draco promised.

"We will take her," Harry corrected. "I've been very neglectful of things around here recently. I mean to change that."

Draco snorted, remembering that Harry had been absent mainly due to his attempt to battle the insane possessiveness that had overtaken him. He swallowed hard for a moment, hoping those days were gone. If Harry continued to demand to know his whereabouts at all times…

"But not in a psychotic, ultra-possessive way," Harry promised and touched Draco's cheek lightly.

Draco cleared his throat. "We'll be going upstairs now," he announced.

Tonks took her burden and headed toward the kitchen. "Yes, I rather thought you might."

"Silencing Charms," Harry muttered. "We must remember Silencing Charms."

Draco took the steps two at a time and Harry matched him. They tumbled into the bedroom and slammed the door, already tearing at each other's clothing. Draco muttered a Silencing Charm as Harry quickly divested him of his garments. Draco lamented the lack of buttons for only a moment, suddenly filled with gratitude at the knowledge that they were home and alive and there would be plenty of buttons in their future.

"I love you, Harry," he admitted and the Gryffindor cocked a feral grin at him.

"Now who's the Hufflepuff?" he asked and pushed Draco onto the bed before climbing over him with a growl.

Draco's laugh was cut off when a bang echoed through the room and he was suddenly entangled in a ridiculous number of red ribbons. They wrapped around his wrists and ankles, pulling him tightly against the bed. He opened his mouth to berate Harry for the foul trick, but Harry's eyes were wide and green—he was similarly bound, tied equally to the bed and to Draco.

"What the hell?" Harry asked in a surprised tone.

Draco was not alarmed, yet. The ribbons were made of silk and did not seem particularly sinister. They were tight enough that he could barely move, but not tight enough to cause pain.

A pair of loud voices rang in the room and Draco closed his eyes with a groan as he recognized them. The Weasley twins. Of course.

"Congratulations, Harry and Draco!"

"You are the lucky recipients of the newly patented Weasley Love Bond!"

"Or Lust Bond. We haven't quite decided."

"Made especially for quarrelling lovers—"

"Such as yourselves." The twins' voices were maddening, but at least they were subjected only to the voices. The ginger prats were not present, thankfully.

"After some time in the Weasley Love Bonds, you will either forgive your grievances and make up, or…"

"Or what?" one whispered. "Is there an alternative?"

"I suppose they could stay angry and just lie there for hours, trapped together."

"Do we really want to risk pissing those two off?"

"How long since they've been really mad at us?"

"Weeks?"

"It's time."

Harry groaned and dropped his head onto Draco's chest. "I'm going to kill them."

Draco smiled, more willing to forgive the twins now that he knew the enforced bondage was not deadly, or even dangerous. "I don't know, we might be able to work with this," he said.

Harry raised his head and he snickered. "Hours, they said. I hope you have some ideas, or this could be a long afternoon."

"Well, what can you reach?" Draco asked.

In the end, they discovered the bonds were rather flexible as long as they were only attempting to reach one another and not trying to escape the bed. When they linked hands, the ribbons wrapped around their wrists, tying them together. After Harry Summoned the lime salve from the drawer, the cords loosened enough to allow him to slick Draco's cock with the flavoured concoction (although all forms of Finite Incantatum had no effect). When Harry climbed on top of Draco and then lowered himself carefully onto his prepared erection, the ribbons coiled around their thighs, tying them together more symbolically than actually.

Harry braced himself with his palms on Draco's chest as he began to move, keeping his eyes locked with Draco's the entire time. Draco had to remind himself to breathe now and again, gasping with every downward thrust of Harry's body. The look on his face was a far cry from the grim intensity Harry had displayed of late. This was the expression Draco had missed, the way Harry looked at him as if his entire world shone from Draco's eyes.

Harry's lips were half parted and his hair was a tousled mess, clinging to his forehead where beads of sweat gathered. Red ribbons coiled from his wrists to his biceps, making him look like a Christmas gift. Draco had never seen anything quite so fetching, but it suddenly became even better when their Bond lines lit up, gleaming on Harry's skin in iridescent gold.

Harry's delighted smile made Draco laugh aloud as his lover's appreciative eyes slid over Draco, who knew his own markings glowed, as well. Draco's wrists were still tied to the bed—apparently the ribbons were only so forgiving—so he could not reach Harry's lovely, leaking cock. It did not seem to matter. Draco used his legs instead, thrusting upward with each downstroke of Harry's. They both knew exactly where to find the sensitive places deep inside of each other and Harry's cries reached a crescendo even as Draco's orgasm began to rush through him, curling his fingers and toes and making him arch his back.

"Draco!" Harry cried and then he tightened impossibly around Draco's cock before spilling pale fluid onto the glowing lines over Draco's abdomen. The timing was perfection and a guttural keening sound tore from Draco's throat as he came, shuddering in unison with Harry while staring straight into his eyes. Draco briefly noted that if he and Harry lived to be two hundred, the sight of him like that would never get old.

Harry sprawled atop him, panting. Draco wished he could hold him, but he was relatively helpless and the bonds showed no sign of loosening. Bloody Weasley twins.

"How long do you think we'll be stuck here?" Harry asked after a moment. His breath felt delicious on Draco's neck, alternately heating and cooling the skin there.

"Did the prats say the word 'hours'?"

Harry chuckled. "We might have to hurt them, if we survive."

"Oh ho, is that a challenge? You think you can kill me with lust, Potter?"

Harry sighed. "No more talk of death, please." He raised his head and frowned at Draco. "Can you ever forgive me for… your father?"

Draco cursed the bonds as he tugged at them, but they suddenly loosened, perhaps sensing his need, and allowed him to enfold Harry in a tight embrace. "There is nothing to forgive, Harry. He would have killed us all. The person he was at Snape's house… that was not my father. And he never would have let us rest. Even in Azkaban, he would have been plotting. Eventually he would have gotten out, somehow." He leaned up to place a kiss on Harry's lips, knowing the words were true, but unable to suppress a pang at the memories—old childhood memories when his father had loved him. It would take time for him to heal newly opened wounds, but at the moment it was Harry that needed comfort.

"You are too good for me, Draco," Harry said when the kiss ended.

Draco smirked. "I know, but I like you, and so I shall have to make do."

Harry nipped at his lower lip in mock irritation. "Prat."

"But, you love me," Draco said as Harry's nibbles turned more amorous.

"I love you," he agreed breathlessly and kissed him in earnest.

xxXxx

Several hours later, the ribbons showed no sign of allowing them to leave the bed. Draco pulled at them in frustration. "This is really getting annoying. I'm starved. And as much as I adore you, I don't really need to spend eternity with you at quite such close quarters."

Harry had to agree. For a moment, he truly missed the near-limitless power Snape had stripped from him. It was going to take him a while to adjust to becoming just another wizard.

"I'll send the twins a Patronus," he said and cast. As an afterthought, he used another spell to drag a blanket over them both.

After a short wait, during which Draco had thought up several fascinating torments to inflict upon the ginger twins, a knock sounded on the door. "Are you decent?" George called and then laughed.

Harry had already cancelled the Silencing Charm. He yelled out, "Shut up and get in here."

George Weasley entered the room and did not bother to suppress a smirk when he saw them.

Harry glared. "This stopped being interesting a while ago. Now get us out of these."

"And if you ever do anything like this again—" Draco started, but Harry silenced him with a quick kiss, since he hands wouldn't reach Draco's mouth to quiet him. It would not do to provoke the prankster before he released them.

"Are you sure?" George asked. "I can come back later…"

"Get us free, George!" Harry snapped.

"All right," George said, somewhat petulantly. "I'm fairly certain the spell would have worn off, eventually. Luckily, we did come up with a way to deactivate the bonds." He pulled out his wand and approached the bed, but then he looked at Draco warily. "Um… promise you won't kill me. Or extract some horrible revenge. We only did it because you two seemed to be having… issues."

"Yes, well we stopped having issues before you tied us up, so next time we will thank you to mind your own business," Draco growled.

Harry sighed and tried to diffuse Draco's irritated words, lest George decide to leave them there. "Thank you, George. We will not seek revenge. Please let us up; we haven't eaten since yesterday."

George blanched at the mention of eating, most likely realizing that Draco's revenge might consist of never cooking for them again. He quickly muttered a series of arcane words and the ribbons loosened and fell away. "Bye!" George called and fled.

"Coward!" Draco yelled after him.

Harry laughed and planted one more searing kiss on Draco's reddened lips before pushing away from his lover. "Come on; let's have something to eat and then a hot bath. And remember to look for more Weasley traps in the bathroom. I don't quite trust them."

"'Don't quite trust them,' he says," Draco muttered behind him. Harry rooted in the wardrobe and tossed a green silk dressing gown to Draco before donning another. He vaguely wondered how they had ended up with six identical dressing gowns, but bit his tongue on the question. Draco's shopping practices were always beyond his comprehension.

The kitchen was pandemonium. Every pot and pan in the house seemed to be in the centre of the kitchen floor and Lyra was happily banging away at them while Tonks hovered over a cauldron on the counter. She threw them a harried glance and added a powdered ingredient.

"Did she wake you?" Tonks asked loudly.

Harry shook his head and smiled. Draco scooped up the toddler and she started to wail as one of the pots slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor.

Harry laughed. "Bloody hell, it's good to be home."

"I need a vacation," Draco said dryly.

Author's Note: I know it took me FOREVER to just write the simple closure chapter on this. *grovels* But on the plus side, I've already got a bunny for Part Seven. LOL! It won't be written for a bit, but these boys are my fav and they never me alone for long. *huggles* to everyone who read this series and commented and demanded more! I love you guys!!!