The Labyrinth

Warnings: Angst,Crossover,Crying,H/C,Language,M/M (later is now HERE! Well, not THIS exact chapter), OOC-ness only to the extent that it fits the movie and plot (except now that the "movie" is over, hopefully there won't be any more OOC-ness)

Author's note--Ha! for more cheesiness. It's not the beginning of the end (yet) but hopefully this will begin to explain things a little better...and dinner will reveal more! Thanks for sticking with me, you guys! Enjoy!

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The Labyrinth

Remembering

Harry tried to imitate Draco’s effortless eyebrow, to no avail. Somehow Draco’s arch always made Harry feel younger again, and he wanted to have the same effect on Draco. That, however, was not it. He laughed along with the blonde, watching him with interest as he meticulously groomed himself, shaking his head as Draco fussed over his perfect hair. He acted on impulse and stepped over to the taller boy, wrapping his arms around Draco’s waist and rested his chin on Draco’s shoulder. Wait a minute! They were standing side by side for the first time since Harry woke up, and he looked at Draco in the mirror, in shock that they were now the same height! He saw confusion in the grey eyes that he could now look into without looking up, and the answer suddenly hit him. When he was dodging Snape, he had been hit with a Stretching Jinx just before the Jelly-Legs Jinx took him down! He hadn’t realized what the first spell was at the time, but it had to have been a Stretching Jinx! There was no other explanation!

Just as Harry was coming to THAT realization, it also hit him that that meant his time in the labyrinth had been real…right? That thought sobered him, and he let go of Draco, his mind whirling.

“Harry?” He heard Draco’s concern, but he was too lost in thought to respond until Draco put his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Harry? Love?” Harry looked up at him with fearful green eyes.

“Snape…Stretching Jinx…AK-ed…oh god! Hermione!” Harry wasn’t able to put a coherent sentence together, and Draco had no idea what he was talking about.

“Whoa, hold on a minute. Slow down. Who got AK-ed?” Draco took Harry by the shoulders and shook him gently to get his attention, and then decided that it would be up to him to lead Harry through simple questions to figure out what had his favorite rival all riled up.

“Snape.”

“By who?”

“Hermione.”

“When?” Draco’s brow creased with confusion. Maybe Harry was delusional. That would certainly explain why he was willing to experiment sexually with his worst enemy.

“In front of the Manor! He was trying to hex Ron and me. We didn’t have wands. ‘Mione was the only one with a wand!” Harry’s voice had gotten louder and more hysterical, and Draco pulled him into a hug, his heart speeding up. Unless Harry had had an out-of-body-experience, he was hallucinating. They had only been out of class for a couple of hours at the most, and Snape was most certainly NOT AK-ed the last time Draco saw him.

“Harry, Harry, it’s okay. Snape is fine. I think it was all a dream, love,” Draco pushed Harry back and took hold of Harry’s chin, forcing eye contact. He saw hope flare in those green eyes that he loved, and Harry smiled at the pet name.

“A-a dream?” He parroted. Draco nodded soothingly. “Snape’s not…dead?”

“I don’t think so,” Draco said truthfully. “He could have had a heart attack during class from dealing with the two of us, but I doubt it. You hit your head, Harry. You were passed out for a long time. How does your head feel? How many fingers am I holding up?” Draco held up three fingers, peering at Harry worriedly. Maybe he should’ve taken him to Pomfrey after all.

“I…hit my head? I was unconscious? No, that’s not right! I was in the…saving you…” Harry trailed off, figuring out that he remembered the labyrinth while Draco was apparently under the impression that he had passed out or something. He couldn’t believe that Draco didn’t remember being kidnapped, but maybe it was so traumatizing that the blonde made himself forget and invented a delusion of Harry being unconscious to avoid having to deal with it. Harry looked at him with love and concern, wondering if maybe Pomfrey could help him. “How many fingers am I holding up, love?” Harry flipped him off, smirking as Draco glared at him.

“Not funny, Potter, you git,” Draco took a shaky breath. At least Harry’s sense of humor wasn’t affected. “Seriously, Harry, I think we should take you to go see Madam Pomfrey. You must have hit your head harder than I thought.”

“What are you talking about?” Harry looked at him in exasperation. Both of Draco’s eyebrows shot up.

“You mean, you don’t remember? We argued, and you told me to ‘get the fuck out of the dark’. And then you proceeded to extinguish your wand and knock yourself out on the doorframe as you tried to leave. I couldn’t wake you up there for a while,” Draco shuddered a little at the memory, remembering how scared he was that Harry wouldn’t wake up. Harry was staring at him with a comical mixture of confusion and understanding.

“Do you—” he began hesitantly. “Do you not remember being kidnapped by Death Eaters…love?”

“What?” Draco began to laugh incredulously, and then stopped when Harry took his hand. The Gryffindor was serious!

“I’m not kidding, Draco. I remember telling you to ‘get the fuck out of the dark’ but then I said that I wished the Dea—uh, they would get you, and they did,” Harry caught himself before he said the words again. He definitely didn’t want to have to go through all of that again! He looked all around the bathroom, slightly afraid. “Do you hear that? I don’t mean it! I will never mean it again!” He hollered, hoping that they could hear him. Draco, meanwhile, was pretty sure that Harry had lost his mind.

“Harry, the Death Eaters didn’t get me. I’m right here, see?” He waved his hand in front of Harry’s face to get his attention, an amused smile gracing his own lips. “Let’s get you to the Hosp—”

“No!” Draco was startled when Harry yanked away from him, protesting loudly. “I’m not hallucinating, and I’m not delusional! I know what happened! I caused it! You were taken by Death Eaters, and I had to go through the labyrinth to save you! We fought our way to the Manor beyond the Death Eaters’ camps, and then I had to face Voldemort and win to get you back!” Harry crossed his arms, his face angry. Draco wasn’t expecting Harry to suddenly turn sullen, and he switched tactics, deciding to placate him before he walked away or got any more worked up. If Harry got upset, while possibly having a head injury, and a blood vessel in his brain burst, Draco knew there would be hell to pay!

“Okay, Harry, okay,” he said calmly, holding his hands up, palms out, carefully reaching for the Gryffindor. Harry allowed himself to be pulled back into Draco’s embrace, but he didn’t uncross his arms or hug Draco back. “I was taken by Death Eaters, held captive by You-Know-Who, and you had to come and save me.”

“So you remember, then?” Harry pulled back, searching the pale face for any signs of recognition.

“I do now,” Draco said smoothly, pulling Harry to him again. He was about to feel bad for lying to the one he loved, and then he had a couple of flashes of being bound, sitting beside the Dark Lord’s throne while his hair was being stroked, praying for Harry to rescue him. Draco blinked and swore softly. “What the fuck?” He hadn’t hit HIS head, had he? He didn’t remember passing out! Harry must have been very convincing in his delusion to project images into Draco’s mind unconsciously because Draco was sure that Harry wouldn’t invade his mind willingly. Then he remembered the vow he made.

Harry, if you get me out of here, I swear that I will be nicer to you! You won’t even recognize me! I…I’ll also be nicer to your friends. I can’t promise that I’ll be friends with Granger and Weasley, but no more insults. Just come and save me, and you won’t regret it, I promise!

“In nine hours and twenty-three minutes, you’ll be mine!”

Harry, please, please hurry!

Harry heard Draco curse, and then the blonde stiffened. Harry pulled back, realizing that Draco was lost in thought, and he watched the pale face curiously. He thought that Draco was just patronizing him when he said he remembered, but now he was acting weird. Maybe he was remembering the trauma because Harry forced him to. Harry began to feel guilty, and then Draco’s eyes focused on Harry’s sharply.

“I was kidnapped by Voldemort?” Harry nodded. “And you saved me?” Harry nodded again. “You had to go through the labyrinth in thirteen hours in order to bring me back.” Harry nodded again, even though it wasn’t a question. “Why? We were still enemies then; I was still being a complete snot to you. Why would you come to rescue me?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. Harry leaned forward to press his lips to Draco’s. “It worked out to both of our benefits, though.” Draco allowed himself to be kissed, but he wouldn’t let Harry change the subject that easily.

“No, you have to do better than that,” he said. “I was a jerk to you, and you could’ve just let me stay there and walked away. No one would have said anything to you at all for it. Don’t you dare give me any of that ‘it was the right thing to do’ bullshit. No one is THAT good and noble and selfless, not even you, you Gryffindor.” He leaned forward and kissed Harry’s nose to take the sting out of his words.

“Alright, honestly?” Harry said slowly, considering. “I felt bad for making you cry. And then I thought about all of the times when you were alone, and I hated it. You looked like you just wanted to be with someone, and I didn’t ever want to see you alone again. Even if you still hated me after it was all said and done, I still would’ve come to rescue you.”

“Oh, brother,” Draco groaned, closing his eyes. Harry looked up at him, confused. “You’re telling me that you came to rescue me out of a Gryffindorish sense of guilt? Voldemort, please come and get me now!”

“No!” Harry’s eyes went wide with fear, and he grabbed Draco ferociously, glancing around in a most paranoid fashion. “He’s mine, and you can’t have him!” He screamed to no one in particular.

“Harry, it’s okay, I’m still here,” Draco said after a few minutes went by, and Harry’s death grip didn’t loosen. The black-haired boy was breathing heavily in panic, and Draco wiggled, trying to stand up straight. Harry shook his head as if to clear it and let go.

“Sorry,” he said shamefully. “Okay, well, if you want to be technical about it, I guess, yeah, it was guilt that motivated me AT FIRST. But then it was love that kept me going! Well, I guess it was the possibility or the potential for love, since I was pretty sure that you were going to be pissed at me for putting you in that situation in the first place…and since up until then, I was under the impression that you hated me, just like you…always…had…?” Harry was doing good until the end, and then he faltered as he thought about what Draco said about wanting his attention, and then he wasn’t too sure. Draco must have taken his uncertainty as a question, though, because he answered.

“Even when I thought I hated you, I still wanted you to notice me,” Draco admitted, flushing when he realized that Harry had seen his weakness. “I didn’t know that you saw me watching you…all those times…I thought I hid it pretty well. And yeah, I WAS pretty angry with you when he explained to me what happened and why I was there. Then I realized that you were the only one who knew where I was, and I was so afraid that you were just going to leave me there. No one would’ve known, and you would’ve gotten away with it. Even if anyone had found out, who could’ve blamed you? I certainly wouldn’t have.

“And honestly…if our situations had been reversed then, I’m ashamed to say that I probably wouldn’t have expended the effort to come after you. I would’ve just left you to your fate.” Draco looked down at the ground, and then back up at his lover, taking Harry’s face into his hands for emphasis. “But please believe me when I say that that’s all different now! From now on, if anything happens to you, I’ll find you! Merlin, I’d-I’d tear the world apart looking for you! You know that, right? I’ll be there for you as the world falls down, if it comes to that.”

“I knew you wouldn’t have done the same thing for me,” Harry said quietly, covering Draco’s hands with his own. “But that didn’t bother me. I didn’t care about that. I only cared about finding you. It makes me glad to hear you say that, love. That means a lot to me, but—but Draco, you have to know what you’re getting into here. I still have to face him, and so far, everyone who has ever loved me has, basically, died. I end up killing off everyone around me, even though I don’t mean to. I won’t hold it against you for walking away now.” Harry’s eyes squeezed shut, but not before Draco glimpsed the enormous burden of guilt that he just now realized Harry carried around with him everywhere. Harry thought…that he was at fault for the deaths of his parents? His godfather? Dumbledore?

“Harry James Potter, I am not walking away from anything, and ESPECIALLY not from you! I don’t believe it for a second that you’re at fault IN ANY WAY for what’s happened to the people around you. I’m going to prove that to you by being around you and loving you and NOT dying. I know you, Harry; I’ve spent seven years watching you. I’m just sorry it took us that long to figure this out. I love you, and all that that entails!”

Draco ended his speech by leaning forward and kissing Harry soundly on the mouth as if sealing a promise, which, in effect, he was. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Harry melted into his arms, holding onto him for dear life, and Draco hugged him back just as fiercely, backing up his words with deeds. Harry was the only person in the world who had, apparently, repeatedly seen Draco’s weaknesses and protected them, not striking him or hurting him while he was down, but instead, holding him and caring for him until he was no longer vulnerable. It was, to Draco, a miracle, especially considering the world he grew up in. He would be damned if he wasn’t going to give Harry that same treatment back!

“So…you do have a memory of being kidnapped, then?” Harry asked, shyly, feeling stupid, but he wanted to hear Draco say it and know that his lover was telling the truth.

“Yes, I do,” the blonde said kindly, and his sparkling grey eyes turned mischievous. “Get that through your thick Gryffindor head, love.”

“So do you still think that I was unconscious this whole time?” Draco paused to consider that question, and then he answered truthfully.

“I…I have memories from both,” he said. “They don’t feel like they conflict, but it was like that was all a weird, elaborate dream that involved both of us.” Harry nodded in understanding.

“We should probably head out,” he said reluctantly. “My friends are probably worried about me.” And then the beginning of his day, up until Potions class, flooded into his memory, and it seemed like such a long time ago! So much had happened that he nearly forgot that Ron and Hermione were probably still angry at him, and then he kicked himself for mentioning them in front of Draco. “Well, actually, they’re probably still mad at me, but I’m sure they’d get worried eventually.”

“I could tell that something was off today,” Draco said, chuckling. Harry was relieved that he wasn’t upset for mentioning them. “No worries, though, love. They’ve stuck with you for seven years, so I’m sure that a few little fights can’t shake them. I know they can’t shake me!”

“My friends or the fights?” Harry joked back as Draco kissed him one last time.

“Mmmm, both,” Draco brushed his nose with Harry’s several times in an ‘Eskimo kiss’. “Wait, what do we do now? I mean, how do we act in public now?” Harry paused.

“Would you be against telling people?” The Gryffindor asked honestly. “I’d much rather be able to shout it to the world how much I love you, but I understand if you want to keep quiet about it.” Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair, and then he paused, fixing it.

“I don’t want to hide it,” he said, running his hand through Harry’s hair. “I love that your hair is already messy, by the way, so now if I need to think, I can rake through yours instead of messing up my own.” Harry’s eyes were half closed, and he merely stuck his tongue out at his lover. Draco’s fingers on his scalp felt too good to argue about. “Hmph. Some savior you make. A couple of well-timed strokes, and you’re incoherent.” Harry’s cock twitched at the innuendo, and Draco pulled Harry’s head back, exposing his throat, and began nibbling.

“Augh! Hey, not fair! We just said we have to leave, you prat!” Harry protested, but he didn’t push Draco away. Draco chuckled again, reluctantly removing his mouth from Harry’s neck.

“I’m getting mixed signals here,” he joked. “Okay, okay, have it your way.” He let go of Harry completely, grinning like the Chestershire cat when Harry whined. “Incredibly mixed signals…”

“Meet me after dinner?” Harry said suggestively, trying to reach under his robes and discreetly adjust himself. “Please?” Draco’s eyes took on a wicked gleam as he realized what was going on.

“Alright, Potter, you’ve got yourself a date,” he winked back, matching Harry for suggestiveness.

“Damn, I was hoping you’d say to hell with leaving now,” Harry groaned, and Draco giggled. It totally ruined the ‘tough guy’ image he was going for, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Potter, you need to learn patience,” he said, arching his eyebrow. Harry turned away.

“That’s it! I can’t look at you anymore or else I’ll pounce on you and take advantage of you!”

“Who says that’s not what I want, Potter?” Draco’s seductive purr was right in his ear, and Harry was SO CLOSE to losing control. “But you said after dinner, so I’ll see you in the Room of Requirement to be taken advantage of.” With that, Draco placed a quick kiss on the side of Harry’s neck, just below his ear, walked around him, and out the door!

Harry just stood there, stunned, and watched him leave. How dare that little brat wind him up and then just leave him hanging like this! Harry’s eyes narrowed. Draco was going to pay for this. But first, Harry willed his hard-on away and went to go put his Map back in Gryffindor, and then headed to the Great Hall for dinner.
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Author's note--Okay, NOW we get to know the contents of the "silent vow" Draco made back in Chapter 5. And yes, I know, uber cheesy with Draco asserting how he would be there for Harry "as the world falls down"...

thrnbrooke--Thanks! I'm working on making sure everything is all neatly wrapped up and all, so there are a few more chapters yet...

mystiedaze--Thank you! Second assertion to keep writing, so I guess I'll...keep writing! haha

WeasleyWench--I think we should form a "I'm a Huge Harry/Draco Sap" fan club...also a "Hot Gay Teen Sex" fan club..."Harry and Draco are THE Hottest Couple EVER" fan club...along with about a billion others that include the words "Harry" "Draco" and "sex" MWA HAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, you'll get a kick out of this! So I went to a boys' choir concert tonight, and guess who was there. Harry Potter! No, not the real one...but this kid looked an AWFUL lot like him. It was uncanny! Well, this kid had brown hair, not black (so I know what Daniel Radcliffe/Harry Potter would look like as a brunette now), and he looked about 13 or 14. That's not all...there was ALSO this kid...with a pale complexion...and pale, white blonde hair....I KID YOU NOT! He was shorter than the other boy, and his hair was cut really short. It reminded me of Tom Felton at age 11 in the first movie, with his blonde hair slicked back, y'know?

But they were up there singing with the rest of the boys, and I'm quietly (and internally) freaking out in my seat that "Harry Potter" and "Draco Malfoy" are before me! Of course, I told them both who they looked like (I conveniently left out the part about the slash, obviously...I mean, I know what's appropriate and what's not) and "Harry" had heard that before, and apparently some of the other boys in the choir were pushing his shaggy bangs back, looking for the scar! But the other boy hadn't ever been told that he looked like Draco from the first movie, so he was rather flattered. I'm glad I made his night. (hehehehe) Isn't that cool/creepy/weird/freaked out?

Yami Bakura--HEY YOU'RE BACK!!!!!! WELCOME BACK! Thank you, thank you. I look forward to reading In Between, (and thank you...you definitely don't have to) Okay, about the ball scene...it WAS Draco. It IS Draco. (Hence his cheesy "I'll be there for you as the world falls down" line from this chapter! HA! Ulterior motive!) It was Draco and Harry kissing...but they were in the labyrinth, so it sort of doesn't count as their first kiss.

Confused? Okay, Harry thought it wasn't Draco, since his mission was to save Draco...but it was Draco. The entire scene just wasn't exactly "for real". Remember when Draco brushed his lips to Harry's while Harry was unconscious on the floor? Think of it like that in reverse; Harry kissed Draco in the labyrinth, but Draco doesn't remember it (or does he?) because their first kiss in the bathroom (after Harry woke up) was the first time they kissed IN REALITY (meaning that their kiss in the ballroom scene "doesn't count") and WHILE THEY WERE BOTH CONSCIOUS (meaning that when Draco kissed Harry, it "didn't count" because Harry was unconscious).

Does that make more sense now? (And hopefully alleviate some fears about Harry kissing someone other than Draco...)

I'm so glad you liked it! I like hearing about your fav parts of the chapters! *giggle* I'm glad you're back, too!

Ellie Prowers--haha Nice. I figured Draco would be trying to break the snarky habit...but he's still witty and sarcastic, even if he's not deliberately being mean to Harry anymore. That's what I like best about Draco; I'd imagine he's hilarious with insults as long as he doesn't MEAN them, y'know? Thanks!