To Love Again

That's it. That's where the little ingrate is hiding! The madman watched the door of the classroom like a hawk, just waiting for Draco to emerge so that he could strike again; this time, hopefully killing the little brat once and for all. Underneath his Invisibility Cloak, the madman's icy grey eyes darted frantically between his wand and the dagger at his hip as he debated which weapon to use. He drew the steel blade from its holster, admiring the way it gleamed threateningly in the morning light. A demented smirk of satisfaction creased his deathly pale, sallow face as he visualized cutting into that perfect fair skin, the rush of crimson staining Draco's flesh and robes the way the blood traitor had stained the Malfoy name.

The classroom door opened, and the madman snarled maliciously as Draco emerged. Why the hell hadn't the blasted Killing Curse worked the previous night? The pompous little twit should be dead right now--but no, he was alive and looking much happier than he had on the night of his brush with death. Why was Draco so bloody happy? He should be cowering in a corner somewhere, fearing for his life. In fact, now that the madman thought of it, scaring and torturing the piss out of Draco would be a lot more fun than just finishing him off right away! A menacing cackle left the madman's lips as he prepared to Crucio the boy.

Before the madman could make his move, Harry Potter appeared, and it looked as if he had come from the same direction as Draco. For a brief moment, he thought that maybe the ingrate had muddied his family name even further by befriending Potter...then he laughed crazily at the notion; even Draco wouldn't stoop that low. Potter was not someone any self-respecting Slytherin would be seen with.

"Potter," the madman growled vindictively, hatred boiling under the surface of his skin at the sight of the Boy Who Lived. The madman had tried to kill Draco--and make it look like an accident--at Hogwarts' last Quidditch match. But after the bewitched Bludger knocked the blood traitor off his broom, Potter just had to play the hero and save Draco, thus ruining his ingenious plan. "You always were a meddlesome fool, Potter," the madman hissed under his breath. "And you'll be sorry you ever crossed my path."
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As Draco walked up to the seventh floor alone that evening, paranoia swirled like nausea in the pit of his stomach, his suspicious, frightened eyes looking all around him for signs of his attacker. He kept his wand gripped tightly in his hand, which had become common practice for him. He tried his best to stay around groups whenever he could, but when being alone was absolutely unavoidable, he was always on guard.

Now standing across from the dancing troll tapestry, Draco quickly conjured the Room of Requirement door and rushed inside, relieved that he made it there safe. Draco anxiously paced the floor until Harry arrived, the Gryffindor's infectious grin fading into concern at the sight of his panicky boyfriend.

Draco's brow creased as he nervously wrung his hands. "Um, Harry, I need to talk to you about something."

Harry placed a gentle arm about Draco's broad shoulders and steered him towards the couch, where he placed a comforting hand on the Slytherin's knee. He leaned toward Draco, his soft green eyes searching his beloved's face. "What's going on?"

Draco hesitated to say what was on his mind. He knew that Harry wouldn't laugh or dismiss his plight, yet he'd always been taught that men who showed fear were weak. He looked up into those loving eyes and reminded himself that he was being silly, then took a deep breath. "Harry, several nights ago, someone tried to kill me."

Harry's stomach lurched at his Slytherin's words, fear and anger showing on his face. "Who tried to kill you?"

The handsome blond shook his head and frowned at the floor. "I couldn't see who it was, I think they were wearing an Invisibility Cloak."

"What happened, love? Please, tell me everything you can remember about that night." Harry placed a supportive hand on his beloved's arm as the Slytherin began to speak.

"Well, it was almost time for curfew, and I was walking alone in one of the corridors. Suddenly, this bright green beam of light came seemingly out of nowhere."

"The Killing Curse," Harry whispered to himself, eyes wide with terror. He'd already lost so many people he loved; why the hell was somebody trying to take Draco from him as well? And who had attempted to murder the Slytherin?

Draco nodded and continued shakily, "The curse was aimed at my chest, right here," he put a hand on his chest, where the amulet was underneath his shirt. "But instead of killing me, it hit my dragon."

The Gryffindor looked confused. "Your dragon?"

The blond boy pulled his treasured amulet out from under his shirt and showed Harry. The corners of his mouth turned up softly as he looked down at Harry's gift to him. "I never take it off, Harry. And it's a good thing I was wearing it, because I believe it saved my life."

Harry was relieved to know that the amulet really worked! "So what happened when the curse hit the amulet?"

Draco's face grew serious again as he recounted his attack. "Well, some sort of protective red barrier formed around me, like a big ball, until the green light was gone."

"Then what?"

"I cast a protective shield around myself and hightailed it out of there as fast as I could."

Harry caressed Draco's fair cheek, and placed a light kiss on those sweet lips. "Please promise me that you'll avoid walking around the castle alone from now on, especially at night."

"I promise," Draco murmured contentedly. He couldn't help smiling; it felt good to be loved and protected by the Boy Who Lived. He lifted his pretty blond head and looked again into those kind sage orbs. "Can I ask you something?"

Harry nodded.

The Slytherin turned the dragon over in his hand, once again studying the Latin words on the back of the amulet. "I've never heard of anything that could protect you from the Killing Curse. You said you used old magic to make this...what is this old magic you spoke of?"

"It's love, Draco. Love."

The blond boy marveled at the little silver dragon hanging around his neck. Harry's love had saved his life that night? As a Malfoy, he'd grown up with the belief that dark magic was the most powerful magic of all. His parents never taught him about the strength and power of love before--nobody had. He looked up at the handsome Gryffindor again, hoping to Merlin that his attacker would leave Harry alone.

Harry's strong arms wrapped around the Slytherin, pulling him close. A slightly calloused hand stroked Draco's hair as Harry's voice said, "Don't worry, my love. I won't let anybody hurt you...they'll have to go through me first."

As Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder, a tear streamed down his cheek, forming a little wet puddle on the shoulder of the Gryffindor's robes. The blond wizard whispered back, "That's what I'm afraid of."
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The next morning, Harry was walking to the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione as they discussed their plans to spend the Easter holiday with the Grangers. They asked Harry if he wanted to join them, but he was too busy thinking about what Draco had told him the previous night. He found it quite disturbing that somebody was trying to kill his boyfriend. Why would anybody want to do such a thing, especially now that Draco had changed for the better? The Gryffindor swore to himself that if he ever discovered the attacker's identity, he would Crucio the bastard.

"You're not going to make me do homework, are you?" The dread in Ron's voice broke Harry free of his dark train of thought.

Hermione laughed. "Ron, relax. I promise I won't make you do homework during our trip." She looked over at Harry, who had been unusually pensive this morning, and nudged him with her elbow. "Are you sure you don't want to spend the holiday with us, Harry? We're going skiing."

Imagining Ron trying to ski was enough to evoke a chuckle from Harry's lips. It was just a couple of years ago that Ron poked fun at the Muggle sport. He didn't seem to understand why Muggles got a thrill from going downhill with two long sticks attached to their feet. Then Harry laughed even harder as a mental image of Arthur Weasley skiing formed in his mind.

"What's so funny, mate?" Ron looked as if he didn't know whether Harry was laughing with him or at him.

Harry smirked at the red-haired boy and bit back another fit of laughter. "Oh, I was just imagining what your father would look like on skis."

Ron breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, well if that's all..." Then he froze, his eyes widening with panic as Harry's comment hit him like a ton of Hagrid's rock cakes. He turned to Hermione, "My father isn't coming, is he?"

Hermione's face lit up. "Great idea, Ron! I'm sure your father would love to try a Muggle sport. In fact, I'll go send him an owl right now! I'll be back in a bit." The bushy-haired girl placed an excited kiss on Ron's cheek before running off to the owlry, leaving the two boys alone.

"I can't believe she's inviting my father. Again!" Ron groaned and shook his head as Harry patted him on the shoulder.

"There there, Ron," Harry snickered, "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Ron gaped at Harry, "You have no idea, Harry. When he spent the night for Christmas, he was like a child in a candy store! He was constantly picking up the Grangers' things, asking them to show him how their Muggle devices worked...Blimey, he had a ball with Mrs. Granger's vacuum cleaner. He even made me try using it!"

At this point, Harry was shaking with silent fits of laughter.

"I knew you wouldn't understand," Ron grumbled as they entered the Great Hall together.

As they passed the Slytherin table, Harry instinctively glanced over to see Draco tucking into a Belgian waffle. Those beautiful grey eyes looked up into his, a blob of whipped cream on the Slytherin's nose as he tried to give Harry his sexiest stare.

The Gryffindor discreetly mimicked wiping the tip of his own nose, then laughed to himself when Draco reached up and realized that he had the cream on his nose.

"You can stop laughing now, Harry," Ron muttered, taking his seat at the Gryffindor table.

Harry was oblivious to all of the other Gryffindors, who were excitedly chattering to each other about their plans for the holiday as he happily bit into a treacle danish. I know what I'm doing for the Easter holiday, Harry mused with a devilish grin. That grin remained plastered to his face all day long. Today was the last day of classes before being dismissed for the break, then he could spend as much time with Draco as he wanted to without having to deal with curfews or nosy classmates.

"Are you positive that you don't want to go skiing with us, Harry?" Hermione was paused in front of the common room couch that evening, where Harry was casually lounging with a book in his lap.

"Oh, no," Harry dismissed her with the wave of his hand. "As entertaining as it would be to watch Ron and his father attempt to ski, I think I'll just stay here and study for the N.E.W.T.s."

Fortunately, Hermione seemed satisfied with Harry's answer. She nodded her approval and turned to the stairs as Ron came down with a bulging piece of luggage and a sickened look on his face. "Ready, Ron?"

Ron grunted at his girlfriend and waved to Harry before disappearing through the portrait hole.

Harry waited until he was sure all the Gryffindors were gone, then sprung up off the couch to grab his Invisibility Cloak. Normally he wouldn't need the cloak when the school was pretty much empty, but tonight he was meeting Draco in the Slytherin living quarters, and he couldn't risk being seen in or around the other house's common room.

After giving the Slytherin password, Harry entered the Slytherin Common Room, where Draco waited patiently on a green and silver couch. The blond boy looked up expectantly at the sound of Harry's footsteps.

"Is the coast clear?," the Gryffindor whispered.

The Slytherin nodded, "You can take it off now, Harry." As soon as those words left Draco's lips, his face flushed. "Uh, I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"Are you sure?," Harry laughed as he let the thin, silvery fabric slide down his body and form a silky puddle around his feet. He jokingly began to swivel his hips like a stripper as he mimicked unbuttoning his shirt. "You don't want me to take it off?"

Draco smirked at the sexy brunette. "How about a butterbeer first. Then a lap dance?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Harry chuckled as he took the bottle Draco held out to him and sat down, snuggling up to the blond boy as he took his first sip. Rain started beating against the window, softly at first, filling the Gryffindor with a cozy sense of tranquility.

They sat in a companionable silence for a long moment, just listening to the rain and enjoying each other's company. As the Slytherin quietly drank his butterbeer, he couldn't stop thinking about the way Harry looked when he moved his hips and acted like he was about to remove his shirt. The man had no idea how incredibly hot he was. With the thoughts currently running through Draco's mind, it was a good thing Harry couldn't practice Legilimency on him.

Then, as if Harry was thinking along the same lines, he set down his butterbeer and turned to Draco with a wicked gleam in his jade bedroom eyes. He sensually let his finger run down the blond boy's arm, giving the Slytherin goose bumps in unmentionable places, then leaned over to gnaw gently on his ear.

"Mmmm...Harry," Draco softly moaned as his trousers felt like they were shrinking.

"We're all alone, Draco. Let's take advantage of it." Harry's voice was husky, his breath hot on Draco's ear.

The Slytherin wasted no time pouncing on Harry, knocking the Gryffindor onto his back on the couch as his moist, hungry lips pressed up against his. Suddenly, Draco heard the sound of footsteps descending from the girls' bedchambers.

"Oh shit! I thought they all left," Draco hissed as he jumped off of Harry and scrambled to help his boyfriend on with his Invisibility Cloak. As soon as Harry disappeared under the cloak, Draco plopped back down onto the couch, grabbed a pillow to cover up his noticeable excitement, and tried to act natural as Head Girl Millicent Bulstrode treaded into the common room.

Millicent didn't speak to Draco, but she gave him a funny look, like she was wondering why the hell he was blushing and clutching a pillow in his lap. Then she turned and walked over to the fireplace, shaking her head as she seated herself with her back to the blond boy.

Harry could hardly contain his laughter as he stood perfectly still beneath his cloak, inadvertently causing Draco to laugh in the process. When Millicent turned and glared at Draco, the two boys found it even harder to contain themselves.

"What do we do now?," Harry's voice asked in a barely audible whisper.

The Slytherin, who couldn't see Harry, walked half way to the stairs that led to the boys' dormitories, then turned and motioned for Harry to follow him. When he did this, Millicent saw him out of the corner of her eye and turned to glare at him suspiciously.

Draco froze for a brief moment, eyes wide as he tried to figure out how to cover up what he was really doing. Then, he had an idea; he faked a yawn and pretended to be stretching before he darted up the stairs to his bedchamber. He could hear Harry right behind him and hoped to Merlin that Millicent wouldn't notice the second set of footsteps that echoed on the hard stone stairs.

Draco's heart hammered in his chest as he opened his bedchamber door and allowed the still invisible Gryffindor to enter first.

As soon as the door shut behind them, the two young men laughed hysterically for a moment, giddy from nearly getting into trouble. Once they caught their breath and calmed down enough to speak, Draco smirked, "I can't believe we almost got caught."

"What a rush," Harry chuckled as he pulled off his cloak and cast it aside. Then he turned to the Slytherin, his demanding sage orbs burning with hunger and desire. "I must say, Draco," Harry grinned at the Slytherin, "That was oddly...exciting."

Draco wordlessly pinned Harry to the bedroom door, engulfing the Gryffindor's luscious mouth in a hot kiss that spoke of all the desires he'd kept inside for so long. He loved the way Harry's taut, uniform-clad body felt pressed up against his...the dark-haired wizard's long, limber fingers entangled in his silky blond hair...the way Harry moaned as the Slytherin's tongue seduced his... Draco's lips strayed to that sensitive spot on Harry's neck, causing the Gryffindor's knees to become weak. Had Draco not been holding on to the Gryffindor, Harry would've melted onto the floor like an ice cube in August.

The rain outside poured even heavier now, pounding against the window panes as if demanding entrance into Draco's dormitory. The strength and force of the storm matched the intensity of the sexual tension that popped and sizzled between Harry and Draco as they tumbled onto Draco's bed.

Draco feverishly worked to remove his own tie as Harry laid back and watched him with longing, the lightning sporadically illuminating his beautiful face. The Slytherin's neck finally free of its restraint, he began to free Harry of the restraints of his uniform. The blond boy eagerly removed the Gryffindor's robes and sweater, then indulged in Harry's lips as he discarded the red and gold tie and untucked the brunette's dress shirt.

"Yes, Draco," Harry sighed with sheer pleasure as Draco gently nibbled his lower lip, the sexy blond's soft hands exploring his chest and abs beneath his shirt. Soon Draco's sensuous lips replaced his hands on Harry's exposed stomach, causing the dark-haired wizard to tremble with ecstasy and clutch those blond tresses as Draco kissed his way up to Harry's chest.

Right then, a very loud--and very sudden--crack of thunder startled the two boys apart. Still out of breath, Draco paused to gaze upon his lover. Harry looked so sexy as he lay there with his rumpled clothes, his white dress shirt hiked up to reveal his flat stomach and part of his chest. The Gryffindor's hair was even more disheveled than usual, his lips dark and swollen from being sucked and nibbled. Draco felt an ardent desire to have Harry--right here, right now. Everything was so perfect; they were alone on his bed, no curfews or roommates to worry about...and yet, his better judgment told him not to go any further.

"Why did you stop?," Harry asked, looking hurt and confused.

Oh Merlin, he wanted Harry so bad...and the handsome brunette was urging him on, practically begging for more. Yet at the same time, Draco wanted to be sure that their first time would be special. He wanted it to be more than just two teenage boys acting on their raging hormones. It took all the self-control Draco could muster to restrain from giving in to his passion.

Harry sat up and pulled his shirt back down before placing his hand on Draco's. "Is something wrong, love?"

Draco gave the Gryffindor's hand a gentle squeeze. "Uh, this is going to sound really odd coming from me, but...well...I think we should wait a while before we go any further."

The dark-haired boy's brow furrowed. "But don't you want to...?"

"Oh yeah, more than you know." Draco tenderly caressed Harry's cheek as he continued, "But when we finally do make love, I don't want it to be the result of hormones run amok. I want it to be more meaningful."

Harry thought for a moment about his boyfriend's words. He was a bit disappointed, but couldn't help smiling. It meant a lot to him that Draco wished to take things slow, that he wanted their first time to be romantic. "Well then, can we just lay together?"

"Of course," Draco whispered as he lay down next to Harry and wrapped his arms around the Gryffindor. The Slytherin once again found himself marveling at how Harry's body just seemed to fit perfectly with his. It was as if the gods intentionally made the two boys to complete each other. He hugged the Gryffindor close and sighed blissfully. Even if they never made love, he would still be content snogging and sharing quiet, candid moments just like this one. As long as he had Harry, he could truly be happy.

Little did the Slytherin realize that he was making Harry the happiest man alive. Forget flying, Harry mused, laying here in Draco's arms is by far the best feeling in the world. He felt so close to Draco; not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. As he lay there basking in the handsome blond's affections, he felt the impulse to engage in a little pillow talk.

"Um, Draco?"

"Yes, Harry?," the Slytherin's voice was as soft and silky as the blond strands that brushed Harry's forehead.

Draco let go of Harry so that the Gryffindor could prop himself up on one arm. Then Harry looked into Draco's shadowed face and smiled as he composed a question in his mind. "I was wondering, Draco...what is your dream?"

Draco jokingly replied, "Well, last night I dreamt that I was naked in Potions class."

"No, I'm not talking about that kind of dream," Harry laughed. "I mean is there anything you dream of seeing or doing, that you've never done before?"

The Slytherin was silent for a long moment as he contemplated the brunette's question. He placed a hand on Harry's slender waist and was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Should I tell him? "Um, I don't know..."

Harry smiled down at the blond wizard, thinking how adorable Draco was when he couldn't make up his mind. With a contented sigh, he rested his head on the pillow, level with Draco's. "All right then, let me rephrase the question. What is the one thing you'd like to do in this lifetime?"

After another moment of hesitation, the Slytherin laughed softly. There was one thing he'd always wanted to do, but he was so embarrassed to talk about it, that nobody--not even Pansy or Blaise--knew of his secret. "It's stupid. You'll probably laugh..."

"No, I won't."

"Promise?"

Harry nodded, his sweet face serious in the dim light. "I won't laugh. I swear."

Draco took a deep breath. "This is going to sound incredibly foolish, but...well...I would like to go to a Muggle carnival."

Harry bit his lip to keep from howling with laughter. The Draco Malfoy wanted to go to a public place? Surrounded by Muggles? Somehow, he just couldn't picture Draco munching on corndogs or cotton candy, much less riding a Ferris wheel. After taking a few deep breaths, he was finally able to speak without cracking up. "A Muggle carnival? How long have you wanted to visit one?"

The Slytherin noticed a hint of amusement in his beloved's voice, but was relieved that Harry kept his word and didn't laugh at him. The blond boy smiled sheepishly as he looked down, fumbling with the green and silver bedspread as he muttered, "All my life, actually. For as long as I can remember."

"But how did you, a pureblood, hear of Muggle carnivals?"

Draco looked up at Harry, who gazed intently at him. "It's a long story..."

"That's all right, Draco," Harry chuckled. "It's not like we have to worry about curfews, or your roommates walking in on us. We literally have all night. Hell, we have all bloody week!"

Draco chortled, then his face grew serious as he thought back to his childhood. "I always secretly envied Muggle children. They got to play and just be kids; not have a care in the world. They didn't know the restricted existence that was my life."

"Restricted existence?," the Gryffindor inquired, confused. In the darkness of Draco's room, he could barely make out the pained expression on the blond boy's delicate features.

The Slytherin took a deep, shaky breath, then explained, "As a Malfoy, I was expected to act a certain way; be a certain way. I was never allowed to run, or play, or get my clothes dirty. I could never cry or show fear. When I did, my father would rough me up; tell me to 'be a man'. Sometimes the pressure got to be too much, so I would take Mum's Invisibility Cloak and sneak out into the Muggle world. I'd watch as Muggle children went to carnivals and other fun places with their mums and dads, and I wanted to be a Muggle child--just for one day--so that I could do all of those fun Muggle things...and that, Harry, is why I always hated Muggles and Muggleborns. They were able to do all those fun things that I...couldn't."

By the time Draco was finished, Harry was dumbfounded. He'd always assumed that Draco's life was perfect just because he was from a wealthy Wizarding family; a family that once gave him whatever his heart desired. It was shocking to hear the Slytherin talk about the dark side of his aristocratic life, not to mention the truth behind his animosity toward Muggles and Muggleborns.

The Gryffindor was deep in thought for a moment before asking, "But I thought you hated Muggleborns because of your upbringing. As a pureblood."

"Well, yes, I was brought up to believe that purebloods were superior to...well, everybody else," Draco admitted with a small laugh. "But now you know the other reason why I feel the way I do."

Harry smiled to himself. It was truly an honor that Draco trusted the Gryffindor enough to share his deepest, darkest secrets with him. Now Harry not only understood the blond Slytherin on a whole new level, but he felt closer than ever to him.

The Gryffindor was brought out of his train of thought by the warm sensation of Draco's hand gently clasping his, soft fingers tenderly interlacing with calloused ones. The Slytherin was so close, Harry could feel his breath on his face as the blond whispered, "How about you, love? What is your dream?"

Blushing in the peaceful darkness, Harry gave Draco's hand a gentle squeeze as the other hand reached out to caress the Slytherin's soft cheek. "My dream is lying beside me on this bed, holding my hand, looking at me...loving me...and making me happier than I ever thought humanly possible."

Draco leaned forward and gave Harry a long, sweet kiss before asking, "What did I ever do to deserve someone like you?"

The dark-haired boy chuckled and jokingly replied, "Good question, love. I have no freakin' idea."

The two boys laughed, then proceeded to snog each other senseless until they finally fell asleep in one another's arms.