Harry Potter and The Dragon’s Treasure (BP6)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
43
Views:
24,543
Reviews:
198
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
43
Views:
24,543
Reviews:
198
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.
Unbound
Chapter Number/Total: 22/42
Chapter Title: Unbound
Words: 3371 Words
When Harry awoke on October 31st, it was to a husband in an even worse state than he had been in for the past week. And Harry still didn't know what to do. All he could think of was to try and make him comfortable, but he didn't know if it was working.
Bill had come and taken the baby for the day to his and Fleur's place, so there was really nothing standing in the way of removing the bindings. Harry and Draco were only going to wear their matching silk dressing gowns down to the hall in which they'd had their wedding, since they were only going to be dressed for a short while. Harry stripped off the clothes he had been wearing and pulled the gown on, belting it. He turned and looked at Draco.
Draco's hands shook as he used them to belt his black dressing gown. He picked up the parchment that had the ceremony written out and his wand, turning to face his husband. His husband. What if it didn't work? What if they couldn't re-establish it? His stomach was churning now as he thought again of all the things that could go wrong.
Harry stepped up to Draco, cupping his face in both hands. "It will be fine," he told him in a quiet voice. "Nothing's going to go wrong."
Draco closed his eyes, taking another breath and then opening them again. He looked into those green eyes, feeling the anchor of their magic and love. "I need you," he whispered.
"I'm right here," Harry whispered back. "Doing this doesn't mean I'm going anywhere. Draco, I need you, too."
"I know," the blond whispered. Knowing and believing didn't seem to be working together today.
Harry sighed quietly and pressed a kiss to Draco's lips. "I promise," he said gently.
Draco kissed Harry back, trembling as he did. He turned his head slightly, opening his mouth. He could feel Harry's magic in the kiss and it was the sweetest thing he knew.
Harry slowly pressed his tongue inside Draco's mouth, letting his hands trail from his face to rub small circles on his back.
"Mmm," Draco hummed happily into the kiss. Today was their first wedding anniversary and he would have much rather spent it in bed making love.
Harry pulled back from the kiss before it got too heated. "We go and get this done," he whispered, still holding Draco closely, "and then we can shag through the floor."
Draco chuckled in spite of his nerves. "Yes, my love," he answered.
Harry nodded, holding Draco even tighter before Apparating to the hall from their bedroom, where Ron and Hermione stood waiting for them.
The room had been set beforehand. There was a brazier with fire and the same small marble table. Although this time, they also had a soft pallet set up for the consummation part of the ritual. The table was there for tools like the small knife that lay on it now. There were two chairs set against the back wall so that Hermione and Ron could witness without being too intrusive. Draco set his wand and the scroll on the table.
Ron and Hermione didn't say anything. Hermione simply grabbed Ron's arm and led him over to the chairs.
Harry did flush, like he'd known he would, but tried to ignore the fact that he and Draco weren't alone.
Draco took both of Harry's hands in his and looked him in the eyes. "You are sure you want to do this?" he asked, voice shaking.
"Yes," Harry answered, gaze unwavering as he squeezed Draco's hands.
Draco's hand shook as he reached for his wand and waited for Harry to raise his. "I, Draco Validus Malfoy, intend to remove our binding promises. Do you, Harry James Potter, agree?"
Harry took his wand from the table as well. "Yes," he said, making absolutely sure none of his own nervousness was showing through. He wanted to be strong and certain for Draco. "I, Harry James Potter, intend to remove our binding promises," he said. " Do you, Draco Validus Malfoy, agree?"
Draco swallowed. "Yess," he hissed. He took several deep breaths to calm himself. "Then remove and return your ring," he said, having to actually remove his left hand. He cast the charm and handed Harry the silver hand.
Harry took a deep breath as well, taking the hand before he reached to remove his own ring, which he hadn't done since it had been placed on his finger. He put the small circle of white and yellow gold in Draco's palm.
Draco set the ring on his side of the small table and then raised his wand again. "Incidere adigare, Uti Magicus," he intoned, flicking his wand toward the ring.
"Incidere adigare, Uti Magicus," Harry said as well, flicking his own wand at Draco's silver hand.
The fire snapped and Draco shivered at the shift in magic. "Pick up the knife and cut us both," he said, setting his wand down and holding out his right hand to Harry.
Harry nodded, taking the small blade in his hand. He drew it across his left palm, watching the trail of blood follow in its wake. Then he took Draco's right hand, doing the same to it.
"Incidere Adigare, Uti Sanguis," Draco intoned, reaching his bloody hand to take Harry's.
Harry entwined their fingers. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Sanguis," he echoed.
Draco shivered and the fire in the brazier leapt. He looked into his lover's eyes, fear clear in his own. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Coitas," he said.
Harry tried to calm Draco with his own look as he squeezed his hand again. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Coitas," he said.
Draco released Harry's hand then, and untied the dressing gown, letting it slide off his shoulders and to the floor. He was shaking visibly now and he was grateful that Harry would be topping during this part.
Harry nodded, mirroring Draco's movements, wanting to pull him into his arms and tell him that it was going to be all right again.
Draco glanced at the pallet beside them. He didn't know if he could just lie down or not. He waited for Harry to initiate this.
Harry could tell that Draco needed help with this, needed him to take control. He took Draco's hand again, holding it tightly as he lowered him to the pallet, taking his own place above him.
Draco looked up at those green eyes as a way to ground himself. He spread his legs and bent his knees.
"It's okay," Harry whispered, leaning down to kiss Draco as he moved slick fingers to his entrance, pushing them slowly inside.
Draco trembled, opening himself to his lover's touch and tongue.
Harry nodded again as he kissed Draco, reaching to prepare his own erection quickly. He took a very deep breath as he began the gentle slide inside of his husband.
Draco gasped as Harry pressed inside, trying to relax. He was tense and he knew it was interfering with his ability to enjoy his lover.
Harry set a slow pace, making his movements as calming and soothing as he knew how, moving his lips to the other man's jaw and neck. He could feel the tension in Draco's body.
Draco missed Harry's babbling, but he had warned his lover against that during the ceremony. Words had results. He reached his hand up to entwine in Harry's hair and wrapped his legs around the man's waist, anchoring himself in the touch.
Harry did keep very quiet, concentrating on Draco. The only sounds came from their breathing and the noises of their bodies moving together.
Draco's body was responding now, his cock pressed between the two of them and Harry's magic crackling as he drew closer to his orgasm.
As Harry's panting turned to gasps of breath, he felt a spark of pain up his spine instead of the usual pleasure. He gasped a little louder, confused, but unable to stop his orgasm.
Draco's orgasm hit like a curse, pain flaring out in waves from where he and Harry were joined. It felt like every nerve in his body was on fire and he screamed.
Harry cried out as well, eyes wide as his body seized up with pain.
"Out," Draco tried to shout but he was screaming so badly by this point he didn't know if he said the word or not. He used his hand to shove at Harry, trying to separate them.
Harry quickly pulled out of Draco, backing away from him as painful sparks continued to shoot through him. But he didn't know why Draco was screaming like he was.
Draco curled himself into a ball, still screaming and crying now.
"Draco," Harry gasped, terrified with his reaction.
Draco rocked and cried, pain in every part of his body still.
"Draco," Harry said again, voice shaking. He reached out a hand to touch him.
The moment Harry's hand touched him it sent a fresh wave of pain radiating out from the contact. Draco screamed again and scrambled away.
Harry's breathing sped up with his fear. He noticed that Ron and Hermione had gotten concernedly to their feet and were watching from where they stood. "Draco, what is it?" Harry asked, afraid to move toward him.
Draco was taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. The pain was receding now but fear was replacing it. "Pain," he gasped.
"Still?" Harry asked.
"When you touched me," Draco said, shaking now. The pain was a dull ache in his body but he was coming to a terrible realisation.
Harry went very still. "When I ... touched you?" he echoed. "It hurt when I touched you?"
Draco forced himself to sit up, looking at Harry with wide eyes. "Yes," he whispered, afraid to say it. Afraid that it might be true.
"It wouldn't ... It wouldn't hurt now, would it?" Harry asked, heart beating frantically.
"Give me a minute," Draco said, trying to calm down. "Then we will test it."
Harry swallowed, trying to keep his breathing even.
"Hermione," Draco said, voice still raspy from screaming.
She quickly made her way across the room as soon as her name left Draco's lips, looking fearful.
Draco reached a shaking hand up. "Touch my hand," he said to her.
Frowning, she slid her fingers over the top of Draco's, watching his face.
It felt like a simple touch. He could feel the woman's magical signature but that was normal for him. He sighed, withdrawing his hand with a nod and turning back toward his ... toward Harry. His hand shook violently as he held it out to him.
Harry swallowed again. His hand was shaking as well as he reached out and touched Draco's.
Draco was ready for it this time and it still made him gasp sharply and pull his hand back, hissing.
"Oh, no," Harry breathed. "No."
Draco began to cry again and he sank dejectedly back down on the pallet, face in his hands.
Hermione's eyes were wide as she stared from Draco to Harry.
"No," Harry said again, voice shaking very badly. "No, there has to be something we can do."
"Reversed polarity," Draco managed to get out between sobs now.
Hermione's eyes widened further and Ron even came over then.
Harry's own eyes filled with tears as he began trembling.
Draco fell back onto the pallet curling into a ball again and sobbing harder. It meant their magics had gone from being synchronised to having a negative reaction to the other.
Harry's impulse was to go to Draco, to reach for him, to do something, but all he could do was sit there and cry uselessly.
"That doesn't - I mean - You can fix it, can't you?" Ron asked.
Draco moaned and began rocking on the pallet.
"We can fix it, right?" Harry said in a strangled voice, multiple tears streaming down his face. "We can fix it?"
Draco felt bereft and lost, the loss of Harry's magic and touch making him inconsolable. He didn't have an answer to the question and it horrified him.
Harry gripped his hands in his own hair, pulling it as he lowered himself, crying silently, hardly breathing at all.
Ron and Hermione stood by them, looking like they didn't know what to do. Hermione finally lowered herself to the pallet, reaching a hand out to tentatively touch Draco's shoulder. "Shhh," she hushed, looking at Ron and then nodding to Harry.
Ron nodded back, gripping Harry's shoulders. "Just calm down, mate," he said quietly.
Draco was shaking. Hermione's touch startled him but then he tried to calm down. Breathe, he told himself. He felt shattered and he didn't know if there was a way to fix what he had done.
Hermione Summoned both Draco's and Harry's dressing gowns. "You can both just get dressed, and cleaned up, and then we can all find a way to work this out, okay?" she said gently.
Draco forced himself to sit up and take the robe from her. He Summoned his wand and cast a cleaning spell on himself. He shivered again when he realised doing so for Harry right now would not be a good idea.
Harry was still shaking as he too sat up, unable to look at Draco. He cast a Cleaning Charm on himself as well and then pulled his dressed gown on, his eyes red and still brimmed with tears.
Draco glanced at Harry and saw that he wasn't even looking at him. He dropped his gaze again, staring at his feet as he sat on the edge of the pallet.
"Okay," said Hermione calmly. "Now, what is it about the spell that went wrong?" she asked.
Draco shivered again and took a deep breath. "It reversed our magical polarity," he said. "Harry's and my magic were always ... very compatible. Now they are incompatible."
Hermione frowned, as Harry trembled and looked up. "And it's only hurting you because ... you're a sensitive," she said.
"I think so," Draco said, voice shaking. "It doesn't hurt you?" he asked Harry.
Harry shook his head no. "It hurt when I ... came, but not now," he said.
Draco's brain seemed to be recovering from the shock and he was thinking through the implications. "So I can't touch Harry's magical field, or have my magic interact with him, without a shock to my own magical field," he said slowly.
"It ... seems that way," Hermione said quietly.
"But what do we do?" Harry asked, his voice almost a whisper.
"The binding won't work if our magic can't work together," Draco whispered, staring at the floor again.
"Then how do we make it work together again?" Harry asked, almost frantic.
"I don't know," Draco said in a small voice.
"There has to be a way," Harry insisted, eyes wide. "There has got to be a way."
Draco looked pleadingly at Hermione. He didn't know a way and knew that if there was, it was likely to take time to find it.
Hermione bit her lip. "I will do whatever I can to help find a solution," she said, meeting Draco's eyes. "I'll go through every single book I can think of."
More tears slipped from Harry's eyes.
Draco looked at Harry again, tears filling his eyes. "Can you two leave us alone for a minute?" he asked.
"Of course," Hermione answered quickly, taking Ron's hand and leaving the room with him.
"I can't touch you," Harry let out in an unintentional sob when they were gone.
"I know," Draco whispered. "But ... but can you look at me?" he asked, sounding lost as he looked up at Harry.
Harry squeezed his eyes shut before he lifted them to Draco's face, letting out another sob as he did.
"I love you," Draco said, shuddering with his own heartache again.
"I love you, too," Harry replied, wanting so badly to pull Draco to him.
"I'm sorry," Draco said, his throat feeling like it would close up. Not touching Harry was like not breathing.
"Please don't," Harry whispered.
"Don't?" Draco asked.
"Please don't say you're sorry," Harry told him. "It isn't your fault."
Draco looked away, eyes landing on the scroll, the knife, his silver hand and Harry's ring. "It was my research," he said. "I made a mistake."
"You couldn't have known, and I wanted to do it," Harry said. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine."
Draco looked back, sorrow and longing in his eyes. "It was supposed to help me, I know that," he said softly, hand clenching with the need to reach for Harry.
Another tear slipped from Harry's eye and he angrily wiped it away, looking down. "Did it work then?" he asked quietly.
"Is the binding removed?" Draco asked, then took in a deep breath. "Oh, yes," he said mournfully.
Harry covered his face with his hands, rubbing them against his eyes to keep himself from crying again. "I can't take this," he whispered.
The urge to reach for Harry was so overwhelming that Draco had to grip his thigh with his hand to control it. "I'll find a way," he whispered.
Harry's breathing quickened. He had never gone a day, in a year and a half, without making love to Draco, and now he couldn't even touch him. He wanted to scream.
"We should get dressed and get Valen," Draco said quietly, not knowing what else to suggest next.
They weren't supposed to get him for another few hours, but Harry nodded, getting to his feet as he continued to rub his eyes.
Draco rose too, wiping his eyes with the half empty left sleeve of his dressing gown.
Harry looked at the ring on the small table and then picked it up. "I'm still your husband," he said firmly. "Whether or not there's a binding."
Draco smiled sadly and then reached for his silver hand, touching it gently at first to make sure he didn't react badly to it. Then he smiled again, picking it up and reattaching it.
Harry put his ring back on. "And I love you," he said. "Just as much as I did this morning."
"Always loved you, always will," Draco said, nodding and feeling his heart clench again.
Harry nodded as well. "And we'll find a way to reverse this," he said.
Draco nodded and then had to clench his hands again with the urge to take his husband’s hand to walk from the room. Not just sex, but how many times a day did they touch each other without even thinking about it?
Harry groaned, thinking the exact same thing. "Let's just Apparate to our room, get dressed, get Valen, and then...." He trailed off. He didn't really know what they would do after Valen.
Draco nodded, not knowing what to say. He had never felt awkward around Harry, not like this. "In the room," he said and then with a sigh Apparated himself to their room. Their room. How would they sleep in the same bed now?
Harry sighed as well, following. Before, they would have gone together. This was going to drive him mad.
Draco sat down on the bed and sighed, watching as Harry appeared.
Harry stared at Draco for a moment, and then crossed to the closet, not wanting to simply stand and look at him. It was like holding sweets in front of a child who wasn't allowed to have them.
"You should go without me," Draco said. "I can tell Hermione and Ron where you have gone, then start work in the library."
Harry picked some clothes out and then came back into the room. "All right," he said quietly, nodding.
Draco pressed his lips together. Had they ever parted without kissing goodbye before? Not in a very long time. He nodded to his husband.
Harry swallowed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Love you," he said, unable to leave Draco without at least something.
"I love you, too," Draco whispered.
Harry bit his lip, nodding again as he Apparated downstairs to use the Floo.
After Harry left, Draco threw himself onto the bed and buried his face in the pillow.
Chapter Title: Unbound
Words: 3371 Words
When Harry awoke on October 31st, it was to a husband in an even worse state than he had been in for the past week. And Harry still didn't know what to do. All he could think of was to try and make him comfortable, but he didn't know if it was working.
Bill had come and taken the baby for the day to his and Fleur's place, so there was really nothing standing in the way of removing the bindings. Harry and Draco were only going to wear their matching silk dressing gowns down to the hall in which they'd had their wedding, since they were only going to be dressed for a short while. Harry stripped off the clothes he had been wearing and pulled the gown on, belting it. He turned and looked at Draco.
Draco's hands shook as he used them to belt his black dressing gown. He picked up the parchment that had the ceremony written out and his wand, turning to face his husband. His husband. What if it didn't work? What if they couldn't re-establish it? His stomach was churning now as he thought again of all the things that could go wrong.
Harry stepped up to Draco, cupping his face in both hands. "It will be fine," he told him in a quiet voice. "Nothing's going to go wrong."
Draco closed his eyes, taking another breath and then opening them again. He looked into those green eyes, feeling the anchor of their magic and love. "I need you," he whispered.
"I'm right here," Harry whispered back. "Doing this doesn't mean I'm going anywhere. Draco, I need you, too."
"I know," the blond whispered. Knowing and believing didn't seem to be working together today.
Harry sighed quietly and pressed a kiss to Draco's lips. "I promise," he said gently.
Draco kissed Harry back, trembling as he did. He turned his head slightly, opening his mouth. He could feel Harry's magic in the kiss and it was the sweetest thing he knew.
Harry slowly pressed his tongue inside Draco's mouth, letting his hands trail from his face to rub small circles on his back.
"Mmm," Draco hummed happily into the kiss. Today was their first wedding anniversary and he would have much rather spent it in bed making love.
Harry pulled back from the kiss before it got too heated. "We go and get this done," he whispered, still holding Draco closely, "and then we can shag through the floor."
Draco chuckled in spite of his nerves. "Yes, my love," he answered.
Harry nodded, holding Draco even tighter before Apparating to the hall from their bedroom, where Ron and Hermione stood waiting for them.
The room had been set beforehand. There was a brazier with fire and the same small marble table. Although this time, they also had a soft pallet set up for the consummation part of the ritual. The table was there for tools like the small knife that lay on it now. There were two chairs set against the back wall so that Hermione and Ron could witness without being too intrusive. Draco set his wand and the scroll on the table.
Ron and Hermione didn't say anything. Hermione simply grabbed Ron's arm and led him over to the chairs.
Harry did flush, like he'd known he would, but tried to ignore the fact that he and Draco weren't alone.
Draco took both of Harry's hands in his and looked him in the eyes. "You are sure you want to do this?" he asked, voice shaking.
"Yes," Harry answered, gaze unwavering as he squeezed Draco's hands.
Draco's hand shook as he reached for his wand and waited for Harry to raise his. "I, Draco Validus Malfoy, intend to remove our binding promises. Do you, Harry James Potter, agree?"
Harry took his wand from the table as well. "Yes," he said, making absolutely sure none of his own nervousness was showing through. He wanted to be strong and certain for Draco. "I, Harry James Potter, intend to remove our binding promises," he said. " Do you, Draco Validus Malfoy, agree?"
Draco swallowed. "Yess," he hissed. He took several deep breaths to calm himself. "Then remove and return your ring," he said, having to actually remove his left hand. He cast the charm and handed Harry the silver hand.
Harry took a deep breath as well, taking the hand before he reached to remove his own ring, which he hadn't done since it had been placed on his finger. He put the small circle of white and yellow gold in Draco's palm.
Draco set the ring on his side of the small table and then raised his wand again. "Incidere adigare, Uti Magicus," he intoned, flicking his wand toward the ring.
"Incidere adigare, Uti Magicus," Harry said as well, flicking his own wand at Draco's silver hand.
The fire snapped and Draco shivered at the shift in magic. "Pick up the knife and cut us both," he said, setting his wand down and holding out his right hand to Harry.
Harry nodded, taking the small blade in his hand. He drew it across his left palm, watching the trail of blood follow in its wake. Then he took Draco's right hand, doing the same to it.
"Incidere Adigare, Uti Sanguis," Draco intoned, reaching his bloody hand to take Harry's.
Harry entwined their fingers. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Sanguis," he echoed.
Draco shivered and the fire in the brazier leapt. He looked into his lover's eyes, fear clear in his own. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Coitas," he said.
Harry tried to calm Draco with his own look as he squeezed his hand again. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Coitas," he said.
Draco released Harry's hand then, and untied the dressing gown, letting it slide off his shoulders and to the floor. He was shaking visibly now and he was grateful that Harry would be topping during this part.
Harry nodded, mirroring Draco's movements, wanting to pull him into his arms and tell him that it was going to be all right again.
Draco glanced at the pallet beside them. He didn't know if he could just lie down or not. He waited for Harry to initiate this.
Harry could tell that Draco needed help with this, needed him to take control. He took Draco's hand again, holding it tightly as he lowered him to the pallet, taking his own place above him.
Draco looked up at those green eyes as a way to ground himself. He spread his legs and bent his knees.
"It's okay," Harry whispered, leaning down to kiss Draco as he moved slick fingers to his entrance, pushing them slowly inside.
Draco trembled, opening himself to his lover's touch and tongue.
Harry nodded again as he kissed Draco, reaching to prepare his own erection quickly. He took a very deep breath as he began the gentle slide inside of his husband.
Draco gasped as Harry pressed inside, trying to relax. He was tense and he knew it was interfering with his ability to enjoy his lover.
Harry set a slow pace, making his movements as calming and soothing as he knew how, moving his lips to the other man's jaw and neck. He could feel the tension in Draco's body.
Draco missed Harry's babbling, but he had warned his lover against that during the ceremony. Words had results. He reached his hand up to entwine in Harry's hair and wrapped his legs around the man's waist, anchoring himself in the touch.
Harry did keep very quiet, concentrating on Draco. The only sounds came from their breathing and the noises of their bodies moving together.
Draco's body was responding now, his cock pressed between the two of them and Harry's magic crackling as he drew closer to his orgasm.
As Harry's panting turned to gasps of breath, he felt a spark of pain up his spine instead of the usual pleasure. He gasped a little louder, confused, but unable to stop his orgasm.
Draco's orgasm hit like a curse, pain flaring out in waves from where he and Harry were joined. It felt like every nerve in his body was on fire and he screamed.
Harry cried out as well, eyes wide as his body seized up with pain.
"Out," Draco tried to shout but he was screaming so badly by this point he didn't know if he said the word or not. He used his hand to shove at Harry, trying to separate them.
Harry quickly pulled out of Draco, backing away from him as painful sparks continued to shoot through him. But he didn't know why Draco was screaming like he was.
Draco curled himself into a ball, still screaming and crying now.
"Draco," Harry gasped, terrified with his reaction.
Draco rocked and cried, pain in every part of his body still.
"Draco," Harry said again, voice shaking. He reached out a hand to touch him.
The moment Harry's hand touched him it sent a fresh wave of pain radiating out from the contact. Draco screamed again and scrambled away.
Harry's breathing sped up with his fear. He noticed that Ron and Hermione had gotten concernedly to their feet and were watching from where they stood. "Draco, what is it?" Harry asked, afraid to move toward him.
Draco was taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. The pain was receding now but fear was replacing it. "Pain," he gasped.
"Still?" Harry asked.
"When you touched me," Draco said, shaking now. The pain was a dull ache in his body but he was coming to a terrible realisation.
Harry went very still. "When I ... touched you?" he echoed. "It hurt when I touched you?"
Draco forced himself to sit up, looking at Harry with wide eyes. "Yes," he whispered, afraid to say it. Afraid that it might be true.
"It wouldn't ... It wouldn't hurt now, would it?" Harry asked, heart beating frantically.
"Give me a minute," Draco said, trying to calm down. "Then we will test it."
Harry swallowed, trying to keep his breathing even.
"Hermione," Draco said, voice still raspy from screaming.
She quickly made her way across the room as soon as her name left Draco's lips, looking fearful.
Draco reached a shaking hand up. "Touch my hand," he said to her.
Frowning, she slid her fingers over the top of Draco's, watching his face.
It felt like a simple touch. He could feel the woman's magical signature but that was normal for him. He sighed, withdrawing his hand with a nod and turning back toward his ... toward Harry. His hand shook violently as he held it out to him.
Harry swallowed again. His hand was shaking as well as he reached out and touched Draco's.
Draco was ready for it this time and it still made him gasp sharply and pull his hand back, hissing.
"Oh, no," Harry breathed. "No."
Draco began to cry again and he sank dejectedly back down on the pallet, face in his hands.
Hermione's eyes were wide as she stared from Draco to Harry.
"No," Harry said again, voice shaking very badly. "No, there has to be something we can do."
"Reversed polarity," Draco managed to get out between sobs now.
Hermione's eyes widened further and Ron even came over then.
Harry's own eyes filled with tears as he began trembling.
Draco fell back onto the pallet curling into a ball again and sobbing harder. It meant their magics had gone from being synchronised to having a negative reaction to the other.
Harry's impulse was to go to Draco, to reach for him, to do something, but all he could do was sit there and cry uselessly.
"That doesn't - I mean - You can fix it, can't you?" Ron asked.
Draco moaned and began rocking on the pallet.
"We can fix it, right?" Harry said in a strangled voice, multiple tears streaming down his face. "We can fix it?"
Draco felt bereft and lost, the loss of Harry's magic and touch making him inconsolable. He didn't have an answer to the question and it horrified him.
Harry gripped his hands in his own hair, pulling it as he lowered himself, crying silently, hardly breathing at all.
Ron and Hermione stood by them, looking like they didn't know what to do. Hermione finally lowered herself to the pallet, reaching a hand out to tentatively touch Draco's shoulder. "Shhh," she hushed, looking at Ron and then nodding to Harry.
Ron nodded back, gripping Harry's shoulders. "Just calm down, mate," he said quietly.
Draco was shaking. Hermione's touch startled him but then he tried to calm down. Breathe, he told himself. He felt shattered and he didn't know if there was a way to fix what he had done.
Hermione Summoned both Draco's and Harry's dressing gowns. "You can both just get dressed, and cleaned up, and then we can all find a way to work this out, okay?" she said gently.
Draco forced himself to sit up and take the robe from her. He Summoned his wand and cast a cleaning spell on himself. He shivered again when he realised doing so for Harry right now would not be a good idea.
Harry was still shaking as he too sat up, unable to look at Draco. He cast a Cleaning Charm on himself as well and then pulled his dressed gown on, his eyes red and still brimmed with tears.
Draco glanced at Harry and saw that he wasn't even looking at him. He dropped his gaze again, staring at his feet as he sat on the edge of the pallet.
"Okay," said Hermione calmly. "Now, what is it about the spell that went wrong?" she asked.
Draco shivered again and took a deep breath. "It reversed our magical polarity," he said. "Harry's and my magic were always ... very compatible. Now they are incompatible."
Hermione frowned, as Harry trembled and looked up. "And it's only hurting you because ... you're a sensitive," she said.
"I think so," Draco said, voice shaking. "It doesn't hurt you?" he asked Harry.
Harry shook his head no. "It hurt when I ... came, but not now," he said.
Draco's brain seemed to be recovering from the shock and he was thinking through the implications. "So I can't touch Harry's magical field, or have my magic interact with him, without a shock to my own magical field," he said slowly.
"It ... seems that way," Hermione said quietly.
"But what do we do?" Harry asked, his voice almost a whisper.
"The binding won't work if our magic can't work together," Draco whispered, staring at the floor again.
"Then how do we make it work together again?" Harry asked, almost frantic.
"I don't know," Draco said in a small voice.
"There has to be a way," Harry insisted, eyes wide. "There has got to be a way."
Draco looked pleadingly at Hermione. He didn't know a way and knew that if there was, it was likely to take time to find it.
Hermione bit her lip. "I will do whatever I can to help find a solution," she said, meeting Draco's eyes. "I'll go through every single book I can think of."
More tears slipped from Harry's eyes.
Draco looked at Harry again, tears filling his eyes. "Can you two leave us alone for a minute?" he asked.
"Of course," Hermione answered quickly, taking Ron's hand and leaving the room with him.
"I can't touch you," Harry let out in an unintentional sob when they were gone.
"I know," Draco whispered. "But ... but can you look at me?" he asked, sounding lost as he looked up at Harry.
Harry squeezed his eyes shut before he lifted them to Draco's face, letting out another sob as he did.
"I love you," Draco said, shuddering with his own heartache again.
"I love you, too," Harry replied, wanting so badly to pull Draco to him.
"I'm sorry," Draco said, his throat feeling like it would close up. Not touching Harry was like not breathing.
"Please don't," Harry whispered.
"Don't?" Draco asked.
"Please don't say you're sorry," Harry told him. "It isn't your fault."
Draco looked away, eyes landing on the scroll, the knife, his silver hand and Harry's ring. "It was my research," he said. "I made a mistake."
"You couldn't have known, and I wanted to do it," Harry said. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine."
Draco looked back, sorrow and longing in his eyes. "It was supposed to help me, I know that," he said softly, hand clenching with the need to reach for Harry.
Another tear slipped from Harry's eye and he angrily wiped it away, looking down. "Did it work then?" he asked quietly.
"Is the binding removed?" Draco asked, then took in a deep breath. "Oh, yes," he said mournfully.
Harry covered his face with his hands, rubbing them against his eyes to keep himself from crying again. "I can't take this," he whispered.
The urge to reach for Harry was so overwhelming that Draco had to grip his thigh with his hand to control it. "I'll find a way," he whispered.
Harry's breathing quickened. He had never gone a day, in a year and a half, without making love to Draco, and now he couldn't even touch him. He wanted to scream.
"We should get dressed and get Valen," Draco said quietly, not knowing what else to suggest next.
They weren't supposed to get him for another few hours, but Harry nodded, getting to his feet as he continued to rub his eyes.
Draco rose too, wiping his eyes with the half empty left sleeve of his dressing gown.
Harry looked at the ring on the small table and then picked it up. "I'm still your husband," he said firmly. "Whether or not there's a binding."
Draco smiled sadly and then reached for his silver hand, touching it gently at first to make sure he didn't react badly to it. Then he smiled again, picking it up and reattaching it.
Harry put his ring back on. "And I love you," he said. "Just as much as I did this morning."
"Always loved you, always will," Draco said, nodding and feeling his heart clench again.
Harry nodded as well. "And we'll find a way to reverse this," he said.
Draco nodded and then had to clench his hands again with the urge to take his husband’s hand to walk from the room. Not just sex, but how many times a day did they touch each other without even thinking about it?
Harry groaned, thinking the exact same thing. "Let's just Apparate to our room, get dressed, get Valen, and then...." He trailed off. He didn't really know what they would do after Valen.
Draco nodded, not knowing what to say. He had never felt awkward around Harry, not like this. "In the room," he said and then with a sigh Apparated himself to their room. Their room. How would they sleep in the same bed now?
Harry sighed as well, following. Before, they would have gone together. This was going to drive him mad.
Draco sat down on the bed and sighed, watching as Harry appeared.
Harry stared at Draco for a moment, and then crossed to the closet, not wanting to simply stand and look at him. It was like holding sweets in front of a child who wasn't allowed to have them.
"You should go without me," Draco said. "I can tell Hermione and Ron where you have gone, then start work in the library."
Harry picked some clothes out and then came back into the room. "All right," he said quietly, nodding.
Draco pressed his lips together. Had they ever parted without kissing goodbye before? Not in a very long time. He nodded to his husband.
Harry swallowed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Love you," he said, unable to leave Draco without at least something.
"I love you, too," Draco whispered.
Harry bit his lip, nodding again as he Apparated downstairs to use the Floo.
After Harry left, Draco threw himself onto the bed and buried his face in the pillow.