Harry Potter and The Serpent King (BP5)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
52
Views:
20,415
Reviews:
85
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
52
Views:
20,415
Reviews:
85
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
On the Nature of Love
Chapter Number/Total: 21/52
Chapter Title: On the Nature of Love
Words: 2952 Words
"Harry?" Draco asked after a few minutes of quietly lying in his husband’s arms.
"Hmm?" Harry hummed.
"You want to know what my dorm looked like?" he asked.
Harry smiled and nodded. "It would be nice to hear about it while you're a little more coherent."
"Coherent?" Draco snorted, wondering how having had his brains fucked out counted. "You should use Legilimency and see it in my mind," he said.
"Hmm, good idea," Harry said. "But perhaps I should get off of you first?" He smiled.
Draco smirked, knowing it would probably be uncomfortable to stay this way too long, but always loving being held close like this by his husband. He nodded and shrugged.
Harry kissed Draco's cheek and then gently pulled away from him. He flopped onto his back beside Draco and then turned to prop his head up on his hand.
Draco lay spread on the bed, feeling tired and sated. He turned his head to the side, looking sleepily at his husband.
"Are you thinking about it?" Harry asked, staring into Draco's eyes.
Draco concentrated on the image of himself lying in his bed in his old dorm. He smirked, making sure that not only did he have a clear picture of the room, but also a clear picture of pleasuring himself on his bed.
Harry raised an eyebrow at Draco's expression. "I'll take that as a yes," he said before pushing into Draco's mind with his own. Like always, he had a little bit of trouble focusing, but he was getting better at it. He gasped at the image, having not expected it, and nearly broke the connection.
Draco smirked but held the image, seeing himself using both his hands -- one on his cock and the other in his own arse as he moaned Harry's name.
Harry couldn't focus on taking in the details of the room. He wanted to pounce on the Draco in Draco's mind and his eyes were glued to the place where his hands were moving.
"Am I not picturing it clearly enough?" Draco teased when he saw the look on Harry's face.
Harry nearly moaned. "I can't concentrate on the bloody room," he breathed, thinking this gave new meaning to the phrase, "mind fuck".
"Do you want me to change something?" Draco asked sweetly, making sure his "memory" was pumping his cock and his hand in his arse faster.
"No, I think it's quite fine," Harry said quickly, licking his lips and making sure not to blink his eyes.
Draco stared into those deep green eyes and continued the memory. He'd done it enough times in real life. He fucked himself with his hands, panting and sweating until he came loudly, gasping, "Harry!"
Harry swallowed and let out a shaky breath as he watched Draco finish himself off. His eyes were watering from keeping them open but he didn't care.
"Did you get what you needed?" Draco asked in a mock-innocent voice.
"Prat," Harry said, finally blinking.
"Git," Draco answered automatically but with a grin and a quick kiss on his lover's lips.
Harry smiled goofily. "That was hot," he said. "My own personal porn." He laughed.
Draco glanced down and smirked. "I can see that you enjoyed it." He rolled his eyes. "Didn't know my dorm would have such an effect on you." He reached and gently stroked Harry's cock. It never ceased to delight him how fast his husband could get hard.
Harry gasped, thrusting into Draco's hand. "Not your dorm I enjoyed," he panted.
"Did you even see the dorm?" Draco asked, chuckling and wrapping long fingers around Harry's cock.
"Not really," Harry replied, grinning. "Can you blame me?"
"I guess I will have to show it to you again sometime," Draco said, smirking. Harry's cock was still slick with lube from fucking him before and Draco was getting pretty hot just playing with him.
"You should exclude the wanking if you actually expect me to take anything in," Harry quipped, getting closer as Draco stroked him and closing his eyes.
"But then I wouldn't have the opportunity to do this," Draco said, laughing and watching Harry's face. He could feel his husband's magic humming as he got closer to coming.
Harry snorted, slightly breathless. "Oh, you can do this whenever you like," he said.
"I can stroke this gorgeous, thick cock any time I like?" Draco teased.
Harry moaned. "Yeah," he gasped, his eyes rolling back.
Draco leaned over, looking into his lover's face as he twisted his hand, wanking him in just the way his husband liked.
"Shit," Harry gasped, and then he was coming again, throwing his head back and shooting over Draco's hand.
"Gods, yes," Draco gasped, magic tingling over his own body as Harry came. He drank in the look on his husband's face. "I love you," he said as Harry trembled, "with all of myself."
Harry opened his eyes again and stared at Draco, smiling gently. "I love you," he said. "And I love it when you say that."
Draco kissed him gently, hand unmoving now, but still holding his cock. "Always," he agreed. He jumped then when there was a high-pitched squeal from the direction of their son's cot. He rolled his eyes, laughing.
Harry laughed too, shaking his head. "We forgot, yet again," he said.
"Apparently," Draco said, wincing when Valen's volume rose. He reached for a wand to clean himself.
Harry looked at Draco expectantly when the blond did a Cleaning Charm, and waited for his.
Draco rolled his eyes, cleaning his husband as well. He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
"Oh, don't act like it's hard to do," Harry said. "Besides, you know I would do it myself if you weren't so amazingly good at them." He chuckled.
Draco huffed. "You can do nonverbal, wandless magic, and you can't do a decent Cleaning Charm?" he drawled. "I think you just like making me serve you like that." The blond played offended but secretly liked doing the spell for his husband. It was an intimate thing and it always reminded him of their first weekend.
Harry grinned and shrugged. "I like you doing anything for me," he said suggestively, teasing.
Draco nodded, smiling and then wincing as Valen reached ear-splitting volume. "You going to get him or shall I?" he asked.
Harry moved across the bed to get Valen from the cot. "What are you making all that noise for?" he said, voice mock-stern. "You already have us at your beck and call." He kissed his nose and moved with the baby back over to Draco.
"You are obsessed with the nose thing, you know," the blond said, reaching for the baby.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Nose thing?" he asked, giving Valen to Draco.
"You are always kissing his nose, and mine for that matter." Draco smiled and waggled his eyebrows at a now cooing infant.
Harry grinned. "They're pointy," he said. "They're fun to kiss."
Draco looked into his son's eyes. "You'll have to forgive your Daddy Harry," he said. "He has a nose fetish."
Harry rolled his eyes. "I have not," he said, leaning over to look at Valen as well. "And let's not even get into Daddy Draco's fetishes." He snorted.
Draco chuckled and blushed. He kissed Valen's forehead and then lay down with the baby on his chest.
Harry lay down on his side so that he could watch Draco and Valen. He sighed and smiled softly. "My two wonderful men," he said, laying a hand on Valen's back and a kiss on Draco's cheek.
"Let's not have him grow up too fast," Draco said, smiling softly and patting the baby's back.
Harry chuckled quietly. "Okay, well, my wonderful man and my wonderful boy," he said, twining his and Draco's fingers together on Valen's back.
"Yes, yours," Draco whispered, sighing happily.
Harry moved closer, kissing Draco again and laying his head right next to his husband's.
***
"He sure wriggles a lot," said Ron, who was smiling and holding the baby. He'd always seemed to like Valen, but had taken to him even more as of late.
Harry snorted and nodded. "That he does," he said from his place on the sofa next to Draco. "He gets excited."
"He was pulling at my shirt a bit ago," said Ron. "Doesn't he do that when he's hungry?"
"He shouldn't be," said Harry. "I just fed him. Sometimes he just likes to pull on things."
"Speaking of," said Hermione. "Don't you need to fill bottles?"
"Hm?" said Harry.
"Well, you're leaving tomorrow. You need to fill bottles, right?"
She was, of course, referring to Harry and Draco leaving for the Ministry the next evening. "Oh. Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, I'll do that tomorrow, before we leave, though."
Draco had been reading, listening to them while he studied a book on Love Spells. He didn't need the spells, of course, but he was researching different views on what love actually was, magically at least. He had his own theories on the topic and had read nearly everything they had brought back from the Potters' house.
Hermione nodded and simply watched Ron with Valen for a few moments. "What happened there?" she said, looking back over at Harry again.
"Where?" said Harry.
"The Ministry. The last time you went."
Harry flushed the smallest bit. "It was kind of strange," he said.
Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. He waited to see what Harry would say about it.
"There were ... ribbons," Harry said.
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Ribbons?"
"Well - I don't know what they were. Draco said ... feelings or something like that. They were red and ... wiggly."
"In that closed room?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. Floating around in there. We didn't go into the room that they were floating around in, though."
"They were magical fragments of the feeling we call love," Draco tried to clarify, not sure whether it helped or not.
"So it is love then," said Harry, realising he hadn't asked.
Draco frowned. "Depends on the definition," he said. "It is the feeling we get when we are in love. Not necessarily love itself. Or the power of love if you think of it as a magical energy."
"Did it feel like my power?" Harry asked.
"Your power is more than that," Draco said. "But certainly one aspect of your power is like what they have there."
"And Voldemort can't feel that. He can't stand it," said Harry. "Literally."
"Well, what are you supposed to do with it?" asked Ron.
"Absorb it ... I guess," said Harry with a small shrug.
Draco blushed, turning his eyes back to the book.
"How are you supposed to absorb it?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know, Hermione," Harry said slowly. "We didn't go inside it."
Draco was doing his best to pretend to be reading the book. Somehow he knew they were going to ask him to explain it.
Hermione rolled her eyes slightly. "Oh, Harry," she said with a sigh.
Harry frowned, slightly disgruntled.
"Draco, can you answer a question using a response besides, 'I don't know'?" Hermione asked.
Draco sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "The magic in that room seems to be attracted to people who express the same type of energy," he began, trying to focus on a technical description. "And then it magnifies it, so that the energy they are feeling is made stronger."
"Interesting," Hermione mused. "So, you felt ... stronger love for Harry in that room?"
Draco blushed to his ears, not looking up, but nodding. "Yes," he answered quietly.
Harry blushed too and swallowed.
Hermione raised her eyebrows and exchanged a knowing glance with Ron.
"The point is," said Harry, "it looks to be what we need at any rate."
Draco swallowed thickly and tried to think of how to word his next statement. "I have my ... concerns about this plan," he said.
Harry raised an eyebrow and turned his head quickly. "What concerns?" he said, having not heard anything about concerns before this.
"Even without entering the chamber," Draco continued, "the power seemed to control us - not the other way around."
"We don't really know that," said Harry, and then in an undertone, "It's not like it takes much to get us to have sex."
"Have you ever wondered about that?" Draco asked him.
"About having sex?" Harry asked quietly. "What do you mean?"
Draco sighed, putting a bit of parchment in between the pages of his book and then closing it. "The feelings of love and desire," he said. "What makes them? What makes people who have them behave differently from those who don't?"
There was a short silence and then, "Well, one thing is that you usually care more about that person than yourself," said Hermione.
"That is certainly one component of it," Draco said with a nod, thinking about the number of times Harry and he had been willing to sacrifice themselves for the other, and now Valen.
"As for where it comes from ...." said Harry. "How can anyone know such a thing? It just ... happens."
"Then how can they make a room of it?" Draco asked. "And what about Love Spells? Is that love or just infatuation? How can we tell the difference?"
"There is no Love Spell or Potion that could come even close to what I feel for you," said Harry.
"Yeah," said Ron. "I took a Love Potion on accident sixth year, but that feeling was gone the moment I had the antidote."
"Yes," Draco said. "Most potions or spells only mimic love. They aren't love. I believe that love is much more complex than one emotion."
"Maybe that's why there are so many ribbons,'" said Harry with a shrug. "Voldemort's mother had his dad under a Love Potion. Did I ever tell you that?"
Draco frowned and looked at him curiously. "No," he said, "you didn't."
Harry shrugged again. "I guess it's not that big a deal, but that's what happened," he said. "So Voldemort wasn't even made with love. It was only fake - well, I guess his mum loved his dad, but he didn't love her."
Draco was quiet, guessing he understood how she had felt, but not her actions.
"That's a long time to keep someone under a spell," said Ron.
"They were even married," said Harry.
"Even fake love is powerful," said Hermione. "It can take over your entire life."
"So, is that energy in the room the same stuff as the spells or something else?" Draco asked.
"Perhaps ...." said Hermione. "Although I'm guessing it's far more powerful than that."
"I don't know what it is," said Harry with a sigh.
"I think the room is useful for teaching us more about the power of love," Draco said. "And I mean that literally. Power. But I don't think a room can contain real love."
"Because love is only an emotion," said Hermione. "One that brings about powerful responses."
"I'd venture to say the most powerful," said Harry. "At least in my case."
"Love, in your case, is more than desire and affection," Draco said to Harry. "It is also anger, drive, and protectiveness - to name a few."
Hermione nodded. "You've always been driven by that, Harry."
"I suppose," said Harry in agreement.
Draco nodded. "That room may boost your power," he said. "But it can't create it in the first place. It will still be your feelings that matter."
Harry nodded as well. "I don't think those are going anywhere," he said, kissing Draco softly.
"So, what is your plan tomorrow?" Draco asked.
"Well, we'll have to go there and find out, won't we?" Harry said.
Draco huffed at that. "Harry," he sighed, "what do you think will happen if we go in there?"
"To be honest, I have no idea," Harry replied. "If it's anything like last time ...."
"Exactly," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, you're the one who felt it, obviously," said Harry. "I mean, I felt a little something - I don't think anyone could be in there and not, but I was able to keep my head. I knew what we were doing, and I even waited for Lee to leave."
Draco flushed again, shutting his eyes. "Fine," he said in a tense voice. "But I can't say I will be able to act any differently."
"You couldn't even go in there long enough for us to do that, could you?" said Harry. "Remember what my mother said in her journal? She said that the sensitive they worked with could only go inside about ten minutes at a time."
"Now we know why," Draco drawled.
Harry gave a small shrug. "I guess," he said quietly.
"So, let's suppose for a minute that you go in there and absorb the power in that room," Draco said. "What then?"
"Well, then ... I have it," said Harry, looking uncertain. "Voldemort possessed me and couldn't stand to be inside me. But if I pushed the power he can't stand on him, then it will kill him, or at the very least weaken him so that I can finish the job. I can't give him my true power."
Draco gulped, imagining what it would be like to be near Harry if he radiated more power than he already did. It was both exciting and terrifying to think about.
Hermione sighed. "No, you can't give him your true power," she said. "Without exaggeration, Voldemort is the most powerful wizard in the world. Harry, I sincerely think you could beat him if you had to fight, but I much prefer having a plan before you head in there, so keep with the Legilimency and whatever this power is in the Ministry."
Harry nodded slowly. "We'll see what happens," he said quietly.
Chapter Title: On the Nature of Love
Words: 2952 Words
"Harry?" Draco asked after a few minutes of quietly lying in his husband’s arms.
"Hmm?" Harry hummed.
"You want to know what my dorm looked like?" he asked.
Harry smiled and nodded. "It would be nice to hear about it while you're a little more coherent."
"Coherent?" Draco snorted, wondering how having had his brains fucked out counted. "You should use Legilimency and see it in my mind," he said.
"Hmm, good idea," Harry said. "But perhaps I should get off of you first?" He smiled.
Draco smirked, knowing it would probably be uncomfortable to stay this way too long, but always loving being held close like this by his husband. He nodded and shrugged.
Harry kissed Draco's cheek and then gently pulled away from him. He flopped onto his back beside Draco and then turned to prop his head up on his hand.
Draco lay spread on the bed, feeling tired and sated. He turned his head to the side, looking sleepily at his husband.
"Are you thinking about it?" Harry asked, staring into Draco's eyes.
Draco concentrated on the image of himself lying in his bed in his old dorm. He smirked, making sure that not only did he have a clear picture of the room, but also a clear picture of pleasuring himself on his bed.
Harry raised an eyebrow at Draco's expression. "I'll take that as a yes," he said before pushing into Draco's mind with his own. Like always, he had a little bit of trouble focusing, but he was getting better at it. He gasped at the image, having not expected it, and nearly broke the connection.
Draco smirked but held the image, seeing himself using both his hands -- one on his cock and the other in his own arse as he moaned Harry's name.
Harry couldn't focus on taking in the details of the room. He wanted to pounce on the Draco in Draco's mind and his eyes were glued to the place where his hands were moving.
"Am I not picturing it clearly enough?" Draco teased when he saw the look on Harry's face.
Harry nearly moaned. "I can't concentrate on the bloody room," he breathed, thinking this gave new meaning to the phrase, "mind fuck".
"Do you want me to change something?" Draco asked sweetly, making sure his "memory" was pumping his cock and his hand in his arse faster.
"No, I think it's quite fine," Harry said quickly, licking his lips and making sure not to blink his eyes.
Draco stared into those deep green eyes and continued the memory. He'd done it enough times in real life. He fucked himself with his hands, panting and sweating until he came loudly, gasping, "Harry!"
Harry swallowed and let out a shaky breath as he watched Draco finish himself off. His eyes were watering from keeping them open but he didn't care.
"Did you get what you needed?" Draco asked in a mock-innocent voice.
"Prat," Harry said, finally blinking.
"Git," Draco answered automatically but with a grin and a quick kiss on his lover's lips.
Harry smiled goofily. "That was hot," he said. "My own personal porn." He laughed.
Draco glanced down and smirked. "I can see that you enjoyed it." He rolled his eyes. "Didn't know my dorm would have such an effect on you." He reached and gently stroked Harry's cock. It never ceased to delight him how fast his husband could get hard.
Harry gasped, thrusting into Draco's hand. "Not your dorm I enjoyed," he panted.
"Did you even see the dorm?" Draco asked, chuckling and wrapping long fingers around Harry's cock.
"Not really," Harry replied, grinning. "Can you blame me?"
"I guess I will have to show it to you again sometime," Draco said, smirking. Harry's cock was still slick with lube from fucking him before and Draco was getting pretty hot just playing with him.
"You should exclude the wanking if you actually expect me to take anything in," Harry quipped, getting closer as Draco stroked him and closing his eyes.
"But then I wouldn't have the opportunity to do this," Draco said, laughing and watching Harry's face. He could feel his husband's magic humming as he got closer to coming.
Harry snorted, slightly breathless. "Oh, you can do this whenever you like," he said.
"I can stroke this gorgeous, thick cock any time I like?" Draco teased.
Harry moaned. "Yeah," he gasped, his eyes rolling back.
Draco leaned over, looking into his lover's face as he twisted his hand, wanking him in just the way his husband liked.
"Shit," Harry gasped, and then he was coming again, throwing his head back and shooting over Draco's hand.
"Gods, yes," Draco gasped, magic tingling over his own body as Harry came. He drank in the look on his husband's face. "I love you," he said as Harry trembled, "with all of myself."
Harry opened his eyes again and stared at Draco, smiling gently. "I love you," he said. "And I love it when you say that."
Draco kissed him gently, hand unmoving now, but still holding his cock. "Always," he agreed. He jumped then when there was a high-pitched squeal from the direction of their son's cot. He rolled his eyes, laughing.
Harry laughed too, shaking his head. "We forgot, yet again," he said.
"Apparently," Draco said, wincing when Valen's volume rose. He reached for a wand to clean himself.
Harry looked at Draco expectantly when the blond did a Cleaning Charm, and waited for his.
Draco rolled his eyes, cleaning his husband as well. He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
"Oh, don't act like it's hard to do," Harry said. "Besides, you know I would do it myself if you weren't so amazingly good at them." He chuckled.
Draco huffed. "You can do nonverbal, wandless magic, and you can't do a decent Cleaning Charm?" he drawled. "I think you just like making me serve you like that." The blond played offended but secretly liked doing the spell for his husband. It was an intimate thing and it always reminded him of their first weekend.
Harry grinned and shrugged. "I like you doing anything for me," he said suggestively, teasing.
Draco nodded, smiling and then wincing as Valen reached ear-splitting volume. "You going to get him or shall I?" he asked.
Harry moved across the bed to get Valen from the cot. "What are you making all that noise for?" he said, voice mock-stern. "You already have us at your beck and call." He kissed his nose and moved with the baby back over to Draco.
"You are obsessed with the nose thing, you know," the blond said, reaching for the baby.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Nose thing?" he asked, giving Valen to Draco.
"You are always kissing his nose, and mine for that matter." Draco smiled and waggled his eyebrows at a now cooing infant.
Harry grinned. "They're pointy," he said. "They're fun to kiss."
Draco looked into his son's eyes. "You'll have to forgive your Daddy Harry," he said. "He has a nose fetish."
Harry rolled his eyes. "I have not," he said, leaning over to look at Valen as well. "And let's not even get into Daddy Draco's fetishes." He snorted.
Draco chuckled and blushed. He kissed Valen's forehead and then lay down with the baby on his chest.
Harry lay down on his side so that he could watch Draco and Valen. He sighed and smiled softly. "My two wonderful men," he said, laying a hand on Valen's back and a kiss on Draco's cheek.
"Let's not have him grow up too fast," Draco said, smiling softly and patting the baby's back.
Harry chuckled quietly. "Okay, well, my wonderful man and my wonderful boy," he said, twining his and Draco's fingers together on Valen's back.
"Yes, yours," Draco whispered, sighing happily.
Harry moved closer, kissing Draco again and laying his head right next to his husband's.
***
"He sure wriggles a lot," said Ron, who was smiling and holding the baby. He'd always seemed to like Valen, but had taken to him even more as of late.
Harry snorted and nodded. "That he does," he said from his place on the sofa next to Draco. "He gets excited."
"He was pulling at my shirt a bit ago," said Ron. "Doesn't he do that when he's hungry?"
"He shouldn't be," said Harry. "I just fed him. Sometimes he just likes to pull on things."
"Speaking of," said Hermione. "Don't you need to fill bottles?"
"Hm?" said Harry.
"Well, you're leaving tomorrow. You need to fill bottles, right?"
She was, of course, referring to Harry and Draco leaving for the Ministry the next evening. "Oh. Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah, I'll do that tomorrow, before we leave, though."
Draco had been reading, listening to them while he studied a book on Love Spells. He didn't need the spells, of course, but he was researching different views on what love actually was, magically at least. He had his own theories on the topic and had read nearly everything they had brought back from the Potters' house.
Hermione nodded and simply watched Ron with Valen for a few moments. "What happened there?" she said, looking back over at Harry again.
"Where?" said Harry.
"The Ministry. The last time you went."
Harry flushed the smallest bit. "It was kind of strange," he said.
Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. He waited to see what Harry would say about it.
"There were ... ribbons," Harry said.
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Ribbons?"
"Well - I don't know what they were. Draco said ... feelings or something like that. They were red and ... wiggly."
"In that closed room?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. Floating around in there. We didn't go into the room that they were floating around in, though."
"They were magical fragments of the feeling we call love," Draco tried to clarify, not sure whether it helped or not.
"So it is love then," said Harry, realising he hadn't asked.
Draco frowned. "Depends on the definition," he said. "It is the feeling we get when we are in love. Not necessarily love itself. Or the power of love if you think of it as a magical energy."
"Did it feel like my power?" Harry asked.
"Your power is more than that," Draco said. "But certainly one aspect of your power is like what they have there."
"And Voldemort can't feel that. He can't stand it," said Harry. "Literally."
"Well, what are you supposed to do with it?" asked Ron.
"Absorb it ... I guess," said Harry with a small shrug.
Draco blushed, turning his eyes back to the book.
"How are you supposed to absorb it?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know, Hermione," Harry said slowly. "We didn't go inside it."
Draco was doing his best to pretend to be reading the book. Somehow he knew they were going to ask him to explain it.
Hermione rolled her eyes slightly. "Oh, Harry," she said with a sigh.
Harry frowned, slightly disgruntled.
"Draco, can you answer a question using a response besides, 'I don't know'?" Hermione asked.
Draco sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "The magic in that room seems to be attracted to people who express the same type of energy," he began, trying to focus on a technical description. "And then it magnifies it, so that the energy they are feeling is made stronger."
"Interesting," Hermione mused. "So, you felt ... stronger love for Harry in that room?"
Draco blushed to his ears, not looking up, but nodding. "Yes," he answered quietly.
Harry blushed too and swallowed.
Hermione raised her eyebrows and exchanged a knowing glance with Ron.
"The point is," said Harry, "it looks to be what we need at any rate."
Draco swallowed thickly and tried to think of how to word his next statement. "I have my ... concerns about this plan," he said.
Harry raised an eyebrow and turned his head quickly. "What concerns?" he said, having not heard anything about concerns before this.
"Even without entering the chamber," Draco continued, "the power seemed to control us - not the other way around."
"We don't really know that," said Harry, and then in an undertone, "It's not like it takes much to get us to have sex."
"Have you ever wondered about that?" Draco asked him.
"About having sex?" Harry asked quietly. "What do you mean?"
Draco sighed, putting a bit of parchment in between the pages of his book and then closing it. "The feelings of love and desire," he said. "What makes them? What makes people who have them behave differently from those who don't?"
There was a short silence and then, "Well, one thing is that you usually care more about that person than yourself," said Hermione.
"That is certainly one component of it," Draco said with a nod, thinking about the number of times Harry and he had been willing to sacrifice themselves for the other, and now Valen.
"As for where it comes from ...." said Harry. "How can anyone know such a thing? It just ... happens."
"Then how can they make a room of it?" Draco asked. "And what about Love Spells? Is that love or just infatuation? How can we tell the difference?"
"There is no Love Spell or Potion that could come even close to what I feel for you," said Harry.
"Yeah," said Ron. "I took a Love Potion on accident sixth year, but that feeling was gone the moment I had the antidote."
"Yes," Draco said. "Most potions or spells only mimic love. They aren't love. I believe that love is much more complex than one emotion."
"Maybe that's why there are so many ribbons,'" said Harry with a shrug. "Voldemort's mother had his dad under a Love Potion. Did I ever tell you that?"
Draco frowned and looked at him curiously. "No," he said, "you didn't."
Harry shrugged again. "I guess it's not that big a deal, but that's what happened," he said. "So Voldemort wasn't even made with love. It was only fake - well, I guess his mum loved his dad, but he didn't love her."
Draco was quiet, guessing he understood how she had felt, but not her actions.
"That's a long time to keep someone under a spell," said Ron.
"They were even married," said Harry.
"Even fake love is powerful," said Hermione. "It can take over your entire life."
"So, is that energy in the room the same stuff as the spells or something else?" Draco asked.
"Perhaps ...." said Hermione. "Although I'm guessing it's far more powerful than that."
"I don't know what it is," said Harry with a sigh.
"I think the room is useful for teaching us more about the power of love," Draco said. "And I mean that literally. Power. But I don't think a room can contain real love."
"Because love is only an emotion," said Hermione. "One that brings about powerful responses."
"I'd venture to say the most powerful," said Harry. "At least in my case."
"Love, in your case, is more than desire and affection," Draco said to Harry. "It is also anger, drive, and protectiveness - to name a few."
Hermione nodded. "You've always been driven by that, Harry."
"I suppose," said Harry in agreement.
Draco nodded. "That room may boost your power," he said. "But it can't create it in the first place. It will still be your feelings that matter."
Harry nodded as well. "I don't think those are going anywhere," he said, kissing Draco softly.
"So, what is your plan tomorrow?" Draco asked.
"Well, we'll have to go there and find out, won't we?" Harry said.
Draco huffed at that. "Harry," he sighed, "what do you think will happen if we go in there?"
"To be honest, I have no idea," Harry replied. "If it's anything like last time ...."
"Exactly," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, you're the one who felt it, obviously," said Harry. "I mean, I felt a little something - I don't think anyone could be in there and not, but I was able to keep my head. I knew what we were doing, and I even waited for Lee to leave."
Draco flushed again, shutting his eyes. "Fine," he said in a tense voice. "But I can't say I will be able to act any differently."
"You couldn't even go in there long enough for us to do that, could you?" said Harry. "Remember what my mother said in her journal? She said that the sensitive they worked with could only go inside about ten minutes at a time."
"Now we know why," Draco drawled.
Harry gave a small shrug. "I guess," he said quietly.
"So, let's suppose for a minute that you go in there and absorb the power in that room," Draco said. "What then?"
"Well, then ... I have it," said Harry, looking uncertain. "Voldemort possessed me and couldn't stand to be inside me. But if I pushed the power he can't stand on him, then it will kill him, or at the very least weaken him so that I can finish the job. I can't give him my true power."
Draco gulped, imagining what it would be like to be near Harry if he radiated more power than he already did. It was both exciting and terrifying to think about.
Hermione sighed. "No, you can't give him your true power," she said. "Without exaggeration, Voldemort is the most powerful wizard in the world. Harry, I sincerely think you could beat him if you had to fight, but I much prefer having a plan before you head in there, so keep with the Legilimency and whatever this power is in the Ministry."
Harry nodded slowly. "We'll see what happens," he said quietly.