All I Ever Wanted

DISCLAIMER: Warning! I make no claim to any property of J.K. Rowling's, and am in no way profiting by this. I do offer her my sincerest thanks for allowing us this garden of the mind in which we play. Further Warning! This story...and likely any I ever write...are dominated by gay themes and characters. That's how it is, if this in any way makes you uncomfortable...do not read further.

"All I Ever Wanted" ...chap. 13 'Confrontation'


It took a while to actually say goodbye to their 'honeymoon suite', as they had come to think of it. After all, it had been a wonderful oasis of peace and self indulgence before they had to return to the sometimes ugly world that waited for them.

When they'd claimed their belongings and kissed for a few last precious minutes, they threw on the Cloak and left, sad to know that the special, wonderful place that helped mark the birth of their consummated love was suddenly a featureless room, just waiting to be shaped by another's need.

They made their way quietly to the sixth floor room that had become their own 'Room of Requirement' of sorts, hoping the student traffic would stay thin. Luckily, only a couple of students passed them the entire way and both hadn't a clue that invisible passers-by were in the hall. Locked safely behind the door of their warded and silenced sanctum, they peeled away the Cloak and took a deep breath of relief.

It was stressful, keeping mum about their activities...leaving at different times, patently ignoring each other in the halls while others were about. The problem was that they'd moved their relationship forward by a huge leap. Neither would be comfortable with a sexless relationship now, it had gone much too far for that.

They'd agreed that future meetings would have to be scheduled with an eye to both secrecy...AND a comfortable place for both snogging and shagging. Not that they had to part just yet. A hasty house-elf call from Harry brought a light lunch and some juices while they talked about the future.

"Harry..." Draco looked across the bed expectantly.

"Yes?"

"What do you want to do after school? I know you want to be an Auror and all, I remember that, but have you ever thought about where you'd live, if you'd travel, things like that?" Draco, despite all his talents in the arts of faked nonchalance, was no match for the man who loved him and carefully read his every move and word out of adoration. As innocent as it sounded, there was a faint little hint of serious concern in Draco's eyes.

"I'm not even sure I still want to be an Auror...it might be good, or not. I did kind of recently think about us maybe getting a place of our own...a place with no history, just you and me to make our own history. I'd love to travel, though! I've hardly been anywhere so almost anywhere we go would be 'travel'. Why? Do you have some ideas? Because I'm open to anything."

Draco already looked relieved, if a little pensive. "Well, I have Malfoy Manor...you have the Black estate, we both have more money than we could rightly spend in a life. We could do anything, right?"

"Sure! No reason we couldn't. Once we've graduated we'll have the credentials to do almost anything. We're already adults...the only reason we even have to be quiet about us for now is to keep the rest of the class from going completely round the bend."

Draco finally moved to his endgame point. "What do you think of taking off for a year after school is over and just touring the world...Muggle and wizarding alike. Museums, ancient history, architecture, sculpture and art, everything in the world. We could just travel and see what's out there together. It would be heaven wouldn't it?"

Harry looked at his lover with those piercing green eyes that bored through Draco's soul like twin diamond drills. "I'd love it," he stated flatly, "and as soon as Voldemort is worm food, that's just what we'll do. I know what you're trying to get at, and Merlin do I love you for it, but I can't leave until it's done, and I promise you...I swear to you with my heart and soul that I will kill him, and I will come home to you."

Draco seemed sad, but resigned. "It was just a thought. You do understand that I'm not used to caring enough about anyone to feel uncomfortable about them being in danger, so I know you aren't upset, but I do worry...a little. I believe in you, I think you'll clean the floor with the wicked bastard and I hope I get to watch. I also hope it's soon. I have plans for you and he'd better not delay them!" He'd worked up a little of the classic Malfoy arrogance and dander. "That cowled freak show may be worried about the 'The Boy Who Lived', but he hasn't even seen the wrath of 'The Boyfriend Who Was Rightly Pissed Off'!

Harry promptly collapsed in laughter and slid off the bed, turning colors and guffawing as he tried to right himself. When he had a shred of control, he kissed Draco and took his hand. "Draco...love, when the war is over, I think the job for me might be just spending my life making you happy. We already know I have some talent there, and it's full of guaranteed job satisfaction. Granted there's no pay and the hours are long, but the fringe benefits are incredible!"

Draco took this teasing surprisingly well. Actually, these days, he took almost everything well. Harry just seemed to make him that way. Like a soothing balm over the jagged shards of a battered soul, Harry just made everything in the world brighter, better and easier to cope with.

Draco tackled his boyfriend and pinned him to the bed beneath them, mock wickedness in his eyes. "Just for that you're not getting out of here with some very thorough snogging!"

"Merlin, with those stakes why would I want to leave?! Mmmmph!" Harry's rejoinder was silenced by the lips that suddenly stole away his train of thought and suddenly left him as tranquil as could be.

They kissed and cuddled in silence just a bit longer, then reluctantly got up and pulled on their school robes. They needed to make some appearances in common places soon, else their respective houses would wonder where they were. They could vanish for hours, but not days.

They'd meet again Monday night, just after class, and have time then, but it seemed farther away than ever though. They cleaned the room, broke down for just a few more final kisses, then offered each other a last heartfelt 'I love you' before they went their seperate ways.

Draco left first...and as was now customary, Harry would wait ten full minutes and then check his Map just before he left. Draco stepped out into an empty hall, still glowing, almost radiant after the wondrous night and morning he'd had. In his pocket was a possession he treasured above gold, above power, above status or safety.

He thought to himself, "Father, all the influence and fear and gold in the world couldn't have bought me this! Maybe I'm scared and maybe I'm weak, but at least I have one thing you'll never know...I have Harry's love, and nothing is taking that away from me."

When he reached a safe distance in an empty hall he took out his jewel. For a few minutes he just gazed into its winking depths, enraptured by the sight of that first miracle kiss, then by the sight of the boyfriend he adored sincerely offering his love. He sighed and slipped the stone back into his pocket. Too long staring and he'd get misty eyed, and no one in Slytherin could be allowed to see that. Draco marched on to Slytherin territory to make his presence known and keep his cover once again.

What he hadn't seen in his state of bliss was the heavily charmed figure trailing him at a distance, guarded by Notice Me Not and Silence spells, and deeply curious as to why Draco would look so mooning and wet-eyed over a petty jewel.

Harry checked his Map...no one coming or going near Harry, and Draco was already three floors down and dropping, back in halls with students drifting in and out of them.

Harry slipped out into the hall and headed for Gryffindor's tower. He might have some explaining to do, but it was worth it for this, this crazy, sexy mess he was in up to his eyeballs. He was almost skipping on the way, but why shouldn't he?

He was in love, and it didn't even seem strange that he was in love with Draco Malfoy anymore. The Draco he knew was a brilliant, thoughtful, sensitive, beautiful and sexy blessing straight from the heavens. Harry had every right to be happy, and if a few more months of secrecy were all it cost to be happy forever...well so be it!

He it made to the entrance with a smile still on his face and gave the Fat Lady the password along with a sassy salute. As soon he entered, Hermione waved to him from across the room, motioning for him to join her.

"Hey, Harry. Got good news and bad. Which would you like first?" Hermione opened cheerfully enough.

"I'm feeling pretty good...I'll take the bad first...then you can cheer me up with the good." Harry felt at ease but privately hoped it wasn't too serious. This weekend really needed to not be marred by any tragedies. Still, Hermione didn't look too concerned, so it couldn't be all THAT bad.

"The bad news is we need to dock some spell practice time for the Order. They came up with a new set of counterspells that might be useful and everyone's got to learn them. Ron's already in one of the study rooms practicing. I'm supposed to take you there and teach them to you next. The good news is that they're possibly strong enough to thwart Unforgivables by the score and a lot more besides. You've got to learn these, they're great."

Hermione had that glow she always got when she was learning something new. Every new spell was like a shiny toy to her. Harry may not have shared her enthusiasm for learning, but he had to respect her skills.

"Alright then, take me there! Anything that spoils Lord Prat's plans is a win in my books."

Harry had to admit things were looking up. As they walked to the private study rooms he felt confident and happy. Topping off a perfect day with his lover with some quality time among his best friends made him smile even more. This year really was turning out to be the best one yet.

They came to the door of the the room evidently reserved for them and Harry stepped in, Ron gave a distracted wave while reading from one of the many books on the table in the center of the room. Nothing could possibly have surprised him more than the sound of Hermione's voice saying, "Petrificus Totalus" from behind him. The spell hit him square in the back and he was frozen solid in an instant.

Hermione rattled off Spells of Locking and Silence on the door, all the while with Ron just looking at him worriedly, but saying nothing. What if they'd been compromised? Had Death Eaters finally gotten one of them under an Imperius? This was a disaster and Harry couldn't as much as budge!

Hermione stepped into view, pointed her wand at his chest, then rattled off spell after spell! Most of them he didn't recognize, but a few he knew from his studies...and they were all spell divinations, detections and identifiers. As spell after spell showed no magic on him, she became troubled. She tried a few very slow, carefully timed spells of more ancient aspect than Harry had thought she'd known, then she sat down almost in tears.

"Nothing! There isn't any kind of spell on him at all! This is insane!" Ron looked flabbergasted, but was still silent.

Hermione finally looked Harry in the eyes again. "I'm taking the spell off of you. Just please understand that we thought you might be under magical control of some kind. We didn't want to scare you, but there was no other way to be absolutely sure without risking a fight with you or making you try to run away. Please don't be mad at us Harry." With that she waved her wand one last time and uttered a "Finite Incantatum" and the Petrificus was gone.

Harry immediately felt his face turning red. He counted for a few seconds before even speaking. "What.. In.. The.. Name.. Of.. Flaming.. Fuck.. All.. Was.. That.. For!"

There, he'd got the question out without reaching for his wand. How could they scare him like that?! He'd thought they were about to take a one way trip to the Dark Lord in a few minutes! If the answer wasn't damn good, he might just reach for his wand anyway.

Hermione gulped, and Ron just turned red and put his face in his hand. They were rattled by the sight of an angry Harry, but some things had to be said.

Hermione finally rallied her nerve. "Harry, we know you've been seeing Draco Malfoy. We thought you were under a spell. Honestly, we'd never have done this unless we thought you were in danger. I hope you believe us, but we had to know."

Harry opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, then closed it yet again. At the last all he could say was, "Oh, fucking bugger all!", and seat himself at the table.

Quality time. Hmmph. Things looking up. Hmmph. The risks to his boyfriend just magnified and it was all his fault. Some days it would have paid better to just stay in bed.