How They Fell

Author's note: Arg!!! Sorry for the shocking delay *grovels.* Thanks to everyone for your wonderful, lovely, splendiferous reviews!!! : D

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Chapter Thirty Six


Harry woke up the next morning feeling warm, comfortable and happy.

The sunlight that shone through his bed hangings and the silence in his dorm told him that it was late morning, almost time for lunch.

He stretched lazily, his mind running through the events of last night, a happy smile spread slowly over his face.

Harry could hardly believed that last night had happened, that it was real, that he had stood in the middle of the forbidden forest and kissed Draco Malfoy. And it had been wonderful.

Harry’s smile widened.

He had honestly never looked at Draco like that. He hadn’t realised that he was in any way attracted to Draco. Although, looking back now he realised that he must have been, his mind ran through the hundreds of tiny moments where things Draco had said or done had seemed to fix slightly under is skin.

God! It had gone all the way back to the first term, watching him in the Leaky Caldron with Blaise! No, he thought, that was just the first time he fully acknowledged that Draco was actually human, with his own feelings and needs; it went further back than that. But he had never let himself see it, it had only been in that moment, kneeling on the forest floor, so close to Draco that he could feel the heat coming from his body, that some part of him had realised.

Draco had looked so unguarded, so open and oddly lost. Harry had never seen him look like that and it had resounded through him. He hadn’t even thought about it, and just leaned in.

Harry was shocked with his forthrightness, with the simplicity and ease with which he had leant over and kissed one of the people that he had hated most in the world. That it had felt so good, so natural, was unbelievable.

And the fact that Draco had feelings for him! It was astounding. Harry would never have thought that Draco could be attracted to men, let alone to him.

Harry realised that to an extent Hermione was right, he had secretly resigned himself to staying single until the end of school. Perhaps it might be an idea to just research a bit using ‘How to be a happy homosexual,’ especially if he and Draco were going to start going out.

Harry rolled over to look at his alarm clock and was shocked to find that it was only half an hour until lunch.

He quickly dashed out of bed, grabbed his things and headed for the shower.

That morning he took much more care with his dressing than he usually did. He picked out his favourite outfit from his summer shopping spree and desperately tried to do something with his hair.

Forty minuets later he was late for lunch but thought that he looked ok.

The first thing he noticed as he rushed into the hall was that Draco was not there. Harry felt his heart sink and simultaneously a feeling of panic well up inside him. Something must be wrong. Draco should be here! Why wasn’t he? Harry would have turned around and bolted out of the door to look for Draco if Ron and Hermione hadn’t been waving him over, as it was he made his way over to his friends.

“Morning!” called Ron.

“You mean afternoon,” corrected Hermione. Ron rolled his eyes.

“Same thing. So where were you last night?”

Harry blanched. Hermione swivelled around in interest, and Ron winked at him.

“No where!” growled Harry.

“Really?” asked Ron.

Harry had a dreadful moment when half of him almost considered telling them the truth. Before one thought of Draco over ruled it. Draco probably wouldn’t want Harry to tell anyone, especially not as it effectively outed him to the whole of the wizarding world.

“I went out for a walk,” he said with a meaningful look.

“Oh, right,” said Ron looking mildly disappointed that Harry hadn’t been doing anything interesting.

Before he sat down Harry’s eyes glanced once more over the Slytherin table. Draco still wasn’t there. But it was entirely possible that he was late.

Somehow Harry managed to sit through the whole of lunch. He completely ignored the conversation around him and his eyes continually swept from the Slytherin Table over to the door, but with no luck. Draco had not turned up. Harry was getting more and more concerned and more and more fidgety until something suddenly struck him – Draco was never late.

Within a moment he was up, out of his seat and running for the door.

“I forgot something,” he yelled behind him as an explanation.

‘Draco was avoiding him.’ The thought ran through him with absolute certainty. ‘Of course! He should have known! After all Draco said last night, of course he would be confused this morning! And he had been so selfishly wrapped up in his own happiness that he had forgotten that Draco might have a problem with the whole thing! He had to find him!’

Harry rapidly searched his brain trying to work out the most likely place for the Slytherin to be, but there were so many possibilities. Then he remembered the autumn term and his feet began racing up the stares towards the Gryffindor common room to find the map.

He sprinted up two flights of stairs and then down a corridor, but he was abruptly halted as he crashed into someone. Someone who turned out to be Draco.

Harry stood for a moment staring at the blond, a blush spreading over his face. There was an answering blush on Draco’s which Harry had never seen before. It was oddly endearing and it gave him the impetus to say something.

“I was looking for you,” he blurted, catching Draco’s eye and loosing all sense of what else to say. Draco’s blush deepened and he briefly looked down at his feet before squaring his shoulders and meeting Harry’s gaze steadily.

“I’m sorry for banging into you. I didn’t see you.”

“Even though you were looking for me?” Draco said attempting his usual sarcastic put down. It rather backfired as Harry laughed.

“Yes,” he answered smiling and then more seriously: “I was in a bit of a rush…I – I wanted to make sure that you were ok with last night.”

Draco’s grey eyes fixed on his in surprise. The look was totally disarmed, giving Harry hope and inviting him to move closer towards the other man.

He looked up at Draco when he was very close to him, almost near enough just to move his head forward and kiss him.

“So…Are you ok with it?” he asked, green eyes searching Draco’s grey ones.

There was a moment as they looked at each other. Deep emotions evident in Draco’s eyes that Harry didn’t know how to interpret. But before he could do anything Draco closed his eyes and bent and pressed his lips to Harry’s.

Harry smiled as Draco’s mouth closed around his and his arms travelled around his back to hold the other man firmly to him.

This was so much better than anything that he had done with Cho. The feeling of standing so close to another person, chest to chest with their mouths and tongues exploring each other, it was truly wonderful. It seemed to Harry that everything else disappeared and all that remained, all that was important was having Draco in his arms.

Tentatively he raised a hand to Draco’s face, brushing shining strands of hair away and feeling smooth skin under his fingertips.

Gently Harry pulled away, almost out of the need to confirm who was kissing him like this; he needed to see that it was Draco in front of him. The fact that it was, filled him with a tingling feeling.

He blinked up at Draco to find him looking steadily at him, searching for something in his face. Momentarily Harry was amazed by how different the face before him looked when it was unguarded and open, but then the look disappeared and Harry didn’t know if it had found what it wanted.

Carefully he disentangled himself from Draco and pulled away from him, but still keeping hold of one of his hands, the fingers of which twined themselves together with his.

Harry cleared his throat.

“Um, so what are you doing this afternoon?”

Draco smiled lopsidedly at him and his heartbeat sped up.

“I didn’t really have anything planed.”

“Good! Because neither do I,” Harry beamed, Draco smiled back. “If you like we could go down to the kitchens and get some food, you haven’t had lunch and I didn’t eat very much, so if you like we could do that.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Good.” They stood there grinning for a while before they realised that they must look like loons and they turned to walk in the direction of the kitchens.

* * *

They spent that afternoon in the empty corridor that they had used during the Christmas holidays, talking and laughing much as they had done before.

Harry welcomed the return of Draco’s friendship wholeheartedly, realising that some part of him had ached for it. It was just so relaxing, so open yet with an underlying fuzz of attraction which made their breaths catch in their chests if their eyes met at certain moments.

It was like nothing that Harry had ever had before.

With Cho he had always been uncertain, embarrassed and uncomfortable; that was all gone. With Draco he was himself without any reservations and he felt as though Draco became a slightly different person when he was with him. He was more relaxed, more carefree, both of them were entirely caught up in the moment and all external forces were forgotten.

As they talked it was as though the last months of uncertainty and confusion had disappeared and they were back in Christmas. Friends; but every so often an awkward pause and a stolen kiss served to remind them of the present.

Lunch was eaten languidly. It stretched on into the afternoon, unnoticed by them. It was getting dark outside before Harry even realised what the time was.

With a slight smile he turned back to Draco, reluctant to pull the haze of familiarity down and take them back into the world surrounding them.

“It’s getting late.”

“It is,” Draco replied, then with a grin. “It’s almost time for dinner.”

“And we only just finished lunch.” Harry finished for him.

They smiled at each other, then with small blushes of embarrassment, both looked down at the empty plates and bowls in front of them, both not knowing how to say what they wanted to.

They would have to talk eventually; they both knew it; there was too much between them, too much surrounding them for them to be able to continue without understanding one another. But in the warming glow of that afternoon they put it off. Both wanting just a few days of stolen innocence, of hidden escapism before the realities of what was facing them would have to be discussed.

They parted slowly, each as reluctant to leave as the other. There were many drawn out kisses, each intended to be the last, before, finally, they separated, making their way to their rooms in an after-daze of wonder.

* * *

For Harry the following weeks were wonderful.

They continued in a similar dream of unknowing, meeting up with Draco in small corners of the castle, talking of little things avoiding larger topics of conversation and whenever possible kissing and touching each other.

Publicly they continued exactly as they had done. Not a word was spoken between them and they seemed to ignore each other as pointedly as ever. But it was hard to do when Harry’s skin fizzed and his heart leapt with excitement whenever Draco came close to him, or when their eyes would accidentally catch across a room. Any shared lessons were particularly difficult; his eyes would wonder over to Draco and unconsciously drink in the figure that was so much in his thoughts. Draco proved to be very distracting, his silver blond hair catching in the light, his lithe grace immediately arresting the eye, his natural command and control seeming to demand attention.

Without realising it Harry watched the young man, wallowing in the details and nuances that he picked up. The way that he would fiddle with his quill whenever his attention wondered. The wonky way that his half smile emerged and was quickly hidden. The way he entered a room, instantly demanding leadership and getting it. Harry never failed to be impressed at the confidence and poise of his boyfriend, even if it did confirm him to be all that he should dislike. His upbringing and pride in his position had not decreased; he still walked around like everyone owed him their respect, but it no longer seemed such an unreasonable expectation. His eye had lost the gleam of arrogance and Harry found it impossible to find his boyfriends air of command objectionable as he had for so long. No matter what had happened to him in the autumn term he was now as completely the lord of Slytherin as he ever had been, but due to Harry’s greater knowledge of him this was now something that Harry realised that he liked about Malfoy. He watched it enviously, doubting that he could never exude that much controlled power.

Perhaps Draco’s ability to seemingly effortlessly command was one of the things which most interested Harry about him. Or rather the difference between him in full Malfoy control and what he was like when they were together, relaxed and laughing. It surprised him to realise that he wanted to understand the different sides of his boyfriend, wanted to know how far the mask extended, what was happening underneath.

But he kept putting off asking Draco. They mutually avoided all of the important things that they needed to talk about. Harry knew it was coming, could feel the pressure build the longer they remained in the dark, but there was some part of him that was afraid of what would happen after, and for the moment he just wanted to remain…giddy.

Yes, giddy described it well. He felt giddy when he was with Draco. Giddy with anticipation before he met up with him, giddy with happiness afterwards and, when they were together, touching him, kissing him, he had his eyes closed so tight that it felt like the world around him spun slightly and goose bumps broke out along his skin. Harry smiled to himself secretly in the middle of his lessons, eyes furtively moving over to Draco.

But he had also been cautious. He couldn’t again forget what Draco had told him in the forest, or rather the tone he had said it in. The one that warned him not to push Draco and, most definitely, not to make their relationship public in any way.

He was also completely unsure of what he was doing. Whether or not it was ok? Whether he was going too fast? Or not fast enough? After every meeting he would be happy, yes, but there would also be a small ball of worry lodged somewhere in his stomach and it made him uncomfortable. Harry cursed his inexperience; he’d only had one girlfriend ever, for god’s sake!

So far he and Draco had just kissed, yes their hands had…travelled (Harry felt horribly uncertain even thinking about it) but it had all been strictly above the waist. He wondered why that was; why hadn’t they gone further. They were teenagers after all! And both male and neither of them had said anything about taking it slowly. But at the same time it was one thing to know all these things and another when you were experiencing it. Perhaps it was the fact that their friendship was so important and was only just starting that meant that they didn’t rush. Or maybe it was the amount of history they had between them. But somehow, as wonderful and delicious as it was, neither of them pushed.

They didn’t get to see each other as often as Harry would have liked either. The secrecy and the amount of work required for the up coming NEWTS, preventing them for spending lots of time together. They met about three times a week, sometimes four depending on Quidditch practice and Draco’s duties as Head Boy. So when they did get to see each other it was wonderful, especially because of the frustration Harry felt at not being able to talk to Draco in public.

Every time they met he would kiss Draco passionately before breaking away to reassure himself that he was fine and had had a good couple of days. They would then sit down close together in whatever deserted part of the castle Harry had found on the map, and talk, occasionally touching each other and stroking hands in a half embarrassed manner.

It was this chatting about general things, reinforced by the occasional touch and kiss, and generally just being with Draco, that Harry really loved.

They covered enormous ranges of conversation; from their lessons, general things about Hogwarts, what they had done when they were younger, to Quidditch teams, tactics and brooms, their thoughts on specific subjects and discussions about their separate groups of friends.

Then they would kiss some more, delving into a place were their lips seemed to say everything that was necessary instead of their voices. But it was always stopped before it became too heated. Either one or the other would pull back before there was a risk of things going too far. Then they would separate and each would go off to do some of their many duties or a bit of their work still smiling.

Harry was surprised that Ron and Hermione hadn’t brought up his frequent disappearances, until he realised that they must be assuming that he was still going out in his animal forms. He felt odd about not telling them of such an important part of his life, but it was also nice to have Draco entirely to himself.

However, he did feel that he ought to tell them about his and Draco’s friendship at least, just as a way of sounding out their feelings and maybe as a type of preparation. But again the problem of how to bring it up stopped him. You didn’t simply plonk down next to your friends at breakfast and announce that you and someone you had hated for years were now friends, it wasn’t that easy.

There was also no telling how Ron would react to the news. Harry thought he could be fairly confident about Hermione taking it well. From what Draco said it appeared as though the two were working well together in their heads duties. Draco even admitted that they had a lot to talk about, both of them being very academic. But Ron? The Malfoy/Weasley feud had been going on for generations. It had become traditional for the two families to hate each other, and Harry wasn’t sure that even Draco’s recent changes could overcome it.

However, luckily, the problem of how to tell his friends about his and Draco’s friendship was solved for him.

It was about two weeks since the night in the forest and Harry hadn’t been alone with Draco for three days. In a fit of frustration he had determinedly strode up to the table were Draco was working in the library and sat down opposite him. If he hadn’t have been so annoyed Harry would have laughed at the look on Draco’s face as he did so and the sharp hiss of, “what the hell do you think your doing?”

“Its fine. The library’s almost empty.”

“Yes, but the people who are here are staring!”

Harry looked nonchalantly around and realised with some surprise that people were staring. He normally didn’t notice it.

“Let them. I haven’t got to talk to you for ages.”

Harry realised that Draco had gone pale and was looking furious. Cursing himself for forgetting Draco’s unspoken need for secrecy Harry quickly came up with an excuse.

“It’s fine,” he said using his wand to conjure up a few pieces of parchment, swiftly passing them to Draco. “If any one asks you I was simply giving you the prefects rota from Hermione.”

“But -?”

“And it would probably do the school good to see us as un-antagonistic towards each other, if not openly friendly.” Harry paused. “You know thinking about it; it would probably even improve your standing in Slytherin. They know that you’re anti-Voldemort.” Draco tried not to flinch. “But now they will spread rumours of some sort of pact with ‘the great Harry Potter.” He rolled his eyes mockingly. “Which of course you will have come up with in order to further the safety of Slytherin house. There see, it’s all explained”

Draco tried not to stare, but it was hard when Harry was so surprisingly Slytherin. He knew that Harry closely understood Slytherin politics, no mean feat for a Gryffindor, but to be able to engineer ideas which could potentially explain away any problems were their…situation to be discovered, was bloody impressive.

With an effort he managed to look at Harry in a normal way and even smile a bit.

“Yes, very clever P-Harry. And I’m sorry about not being able to see you.” Then with a sigh, “I’ve just been so busy.”

Harry fought back to urge to take Draco’s hand and squeeze it, instead he smiled sympathetically. “I know NEWTS are insane! I can’t wait for them to be over.” A pause, then, “when are you free?”

Draco mentally ran through all the things he had to do in his head, and then smiled.

“Give me forty five minuets and meet me in the fourth classroom along on that empty corridor on the second floor near the transfiguration classroom.”

Harry smiled brightly happy that he should get to see Draco so soon.

“Deal,” Harry said with another bright smile as he stood up. “See you soon,” he said as he turned around and walked swiftly out of the library missing both Draco’s half hidden smile and the astonished look that followed him from behind one of the bookshelves.

* * *

The next morning he was still smiling from his meeting with Draco when Hermione told him she needed to talk to him during break. Harry didn’t think twice about it, his head still thinking entirely of Draco and what those hard arms he had felt last night might actually look like.

It therefore came as quite a surprise to him when Hermione frog marched him out of the class room after charms towards an empty classroom, Ron trailing behind them looking as bemused as Harry felt.

“Hermione! What’s this all about?” Harry protested as Hermione pushed him towards a desk.

Hermione sat down opposite him on the teacher’s desk (Harry was struck by how much it suited her) and Ron sat down on a desk close to Harry’s.

“Oh, nothing much,” Hermione said sarcastically. “Just the most unbelievable sight I ever saw!”

Harry and Ron caught each other’s eye wondering what Hermione was on about.

“What is it, Herm?” Ron asked.

“Just Harry sitting down at the same desk as Malfoy and talking to him for five minuets completely normally!”

Ron’s head swung around to Harry and he gaped at him.

Harry’s stomach plummeted knowing that he was going to have to finally explain. His friends staring at him as though he was a maniac didn’t help either.

“It’s not a big deal,” he mumbled lamely.

“NOT A BIG DEAL! YOU’RE FRATERNISING WITH THE FERRET!” Ron yelled, already purple in the face.

“So Hermione ‘fraternises’ with Draco every day!” Harry snapped back immediately irritated.

“That’s different! She has to!”

“Draco?” Hermione questioned.

Harry silently cursed himself.

“Ok, I’ll explain, just give me a minute and please try not to interrupt.” He took a deep breath. “Draco was on the advanced defence course over Christmas with me to prepare him for when he joins the order after NEWTS.”

“What?” Hermione gasped.

Ron just looked like he had never heard anything so ridiculous in his life.

“Oh come on, how could you not have noticed he’s on our side?” Harry asked. “After his parents were murdered and the whole Nott thing! Dumbledore even made him head boy! Didn’t you realise what that meant? He’s on our side and will join the order after the war.”

“Yeah, as a spy!” Ron interjected.

“Dumbledore trusts him!”

“Dumbledore trusts Snape!”

“As do Tonks, and Moody!” Harry snapped back.

“Wow! Moody trusts him?” Hermione asked amazedly.

“Yeah,” said Harry more calmly turning to her. “He does, and so do I!”

Ron’s mouth opened and closed like a slapped fish.

“We worked together really well over the whole Christmas holiday. We spent weeks throwing curses and hexes at each other and never once did he try to hit me.”

Ron made to interrupt, but Harry cut him off.

“We called a truce, Ron. We’re friends now.”

Hermione looked speculative.

“He’s a good person. He’s changed. Hermione you know that, you’ve worked with him for most of a year. You must have seen it.”

“I…”

“Oh come on, Hermione,” Ron interrupted.

“Has he even once called you a mudblood?” Harry demanded, interrupting Ron.

“No,” said Hermione determinedly.

“What?!?” yelled Ron.

“Ron, Harry’s right,” Hermione stated firmly but softly. “Malfoy has been well…nice all year. He’s been really helpful and supportive not at all like I expected him to be. He’s done his fair share of work and even helped me with mine on occasion.” Hermione paused. “He does appear to have changed…But Harry, friends?”

“Yes,” Harry replied honestly. “We’ve actually got quite a lot in common.”

Ron spluttered theatrically.

“But why didn’t you tell us?”

This was the question that Harry was dreading. With another deep breath he tried his best to be honest.

“Because there was nothing to tell. I mean we would talk every so often, but it’s only recently that it’s become anything.”

“But, Harry-” Ron’s voice pleaded.

“No Ron, it’s the truth, honestly. I swear it wouldn’t have happened otherwise. As it is, don’t you think it’s better if members of the order can work together?”

“Well…yes, but…”

“You don’t have to like it; you don’t even have to like him! But please just try to give him a chance. Will you?”

“I – I-” then finally with a defeated shrug of the shoulders. “Fine, but I don’t like it!”

Harry smiled at him.

“I didn’t expect you to.” Then: “Thank you guys, this means a lot!”

“It’s ok Harry, thank you for explaining, even if it did make us late for DADA.”

Harry was tempted to roll his eyes at the typicality of Hermione’s remark.

* * *

With Hermione and Ron’s (grudging) support Harry felt as though he didn’t have to feel guilty about not telling his friends of his relationships with Draco. He also felt freer to do what he wanted.

As a result of this he bounded up to Draco the next time he saw him (which happened to be on the way back from Quidditch practice on a Saturday) and dragged him into a broom cupboard.

“Harry what?” Draco managed to squawk before he was spun around and thrust into a small dark space. Harry kissed him hungrily and Draco’s objections died on his lips, which were being so wonderfully kissed by Harry.

Eventually they managed to disentangle themselves long enough for Draco to repeat himself.

“Harry what?”

To Draco’s annoyance Harry just smiled.

“You won’t believe it, Draco!”

“What?” He asked in spite of himself.

“Hermione and Ron have agreed that you have changed sides! There going to try to be nice to you!”

Draco couldn’t help but smile. It was so like Harry to be so excited about something like this, wanting to share his happiness, even if it made very little difference to him. Although, thinking about it Draco realised that he was happy, it was good for Harry to feel that to some extent his friends supported him.

“That is good news. So I am no longer the evil prince of Slytherin?”

“No.”

Draco sighed dramatically. “Ah, well!”

“Hard luck,” said Harry nodding seriously before his mouth broke into a warm smile that made Draco have to lean forward and kiss it.

“So when do I next get to see you?” he asked excitedly, breaking away a few minuets later.

“Tomorrow?” Draco replied, half laughing with Harry’s infectious enthusiasm.

“After dinner?”

Harry smiled with satisfaction.

“Good,” he said leaning in and kissing Draco again.

It was as marvellous as ever. Their arms clung to each other, winding around hair or across backs. Their lips melded together and their mouths opened, their tongues searching, exploring. Their bodies brushed against each other, gradually moving closer and closer together until they were flush against each other, chest to chest, stomach to stomach.

Draco made a move to step back, but Harry didn’t let him. Instead he pulled him even closer to him with a force that had previously been absent from them. Draco groaned at it. The feeling of Harry’s hard body against his, with his mouth and his tongue playing with his, his hands holding the back of his neck, the tips of his fingers gently swirling in his hair, made his heart race and his groin harden. Feeling Harry’s answering hardness made him shiver with desire. He was utterly lost in the sensations.

He felt bereft when Harry slowly pulled back, panting slightly, a blush across his face.

Draco knew he was doing the same thing and for a while they just stood there and stared at each other.

Then Harry’s mouth twisted into a mischievous smile and he reached up and kissed Draco swiftly on the mouth before a quick, “See you tomorrow,” as he left.

* * *

Ron and Hermione were at a loss that evening to explain Harry's bright smile and cheerfulness.

Harry himself was oblivious to his change in behaviour. All he knew was that kissing Draco like that was better than he’s ever imagined! He’d never felt so…! When Draco moaned he actually felt like he had been turned into jelly! And when he pulled at him back with equal force he had shivered with pleasure! Harry smiled happily. And he got to see him tomorrow! And because it was Sunday they would also get to spend more time together. Harry smiled again, not a little bit hungrily.

* * *

What with all his NEWT work to do Sunday evening came quickly.

Harry waited for Draco hidden behind the tapestry in the entrance hall, eager with anticipation.

He watched as Draco cast a swift glance around the hall, before he stepped out and walked purposely up the stairs. He knew that Draco waited a bit before following him.

Cautiously he led Draco higher and higher up the castle until he reached one of the many empty corridors near where Trelawney’s tower was. He then turned and waited.

Draco came towards him looking pensive. Something about the way he walked dulled Harry’s excitement a little, but then Draco raised his head and smiled. Harry grinned back warmly.

“Hello,” he said, leaning forward to capture Draco’s lips in his.

“Hello,” Draco responded, kissing him briefly. Then looking around as though for the first time. “Why the hell have you dragged me up here Harry?”

Harry smirked. “Wanted to show you something.”

Draco instead of replying stood there looking expectant.

“Fine, then.” He sighed with a roll of his eyes. He then reached forward to take Draco’s hand, turned and lead him over to a blank piece of wall.

“Here,” He said, and poked the middle of the wall with his wand. It seemed to buckle and move with the force, until it distorted itself in to waves and folds of cloth. Eventually it looked exactly like a wall coloured curtain, at which point Harry reached up and drew them apart, opening it for Draco to walk through.

The room on the other side was small with no furniture but Draco’s eyes were immediately drawn to the opposite wall which was taken up almost entirely with an enormous window. He walked towards it as Harry carefully closed the curtains behind them.

The view was spectacular, looking out over the edge of the lake and the forbidden forest, with the hills rising away in the background. He could see the slight golden hue in the quality of the light which promised that the sun would be setting soon, and there were a few wispy clouds shuddering across the evening sky.

“It’s nice isn’t it?” asked Harry as he came to stand beside him.

“Very.”

There was silence for a while as both studied the landscape before them. Then he heard Harry sigh.

“I’m going to miss it when we leave.”

“I think we all will,” Draco replied. There was a pause before he continued, one hand rubbing and fiddling with a ring on his finger. “It’s so safe here, you can grow up protected.”

“It’s become a haven, and will become more so.”

Draco bowed his head fearing the conversation that such speculative thoughts would lead them to.

“I’ve never been to anywhere quite like Hogwarts,” Harry continued.

“Neither have I,” said Draco, turning finally.

Harry snorted. “But you say that because you hated it.”

“No I didn’t,” he said thoughtfully. “I tried to convince myself that I did and there were elements of it that I hated, but on the whole I was always too happy here to hate it successfully.”

Harry smiled at him. “I’m glad.”

Draco shrugged. “So am I.”

They stood there for a few more moments looking out onto the Hogwarts grounds together, each in their own thoughts and memories.

“You know,” Harry interrupted, “we really should go out together some time, in our animagus forms I mean.”

Draco turned to look at him, considering. “Yes, that could be interesting.”

“I wonder which of us would be faster?” Harry asked.

“Panther, obviously!”

Harry pulled a face as he turned his body round so that it was facing Draco’s. “You know, I don’t think so.”

“Really, Potter?” He asked raising a cool eyebrow.

“Yes, in fact I think I’d be happy to make a bet on that.”

“Oh?” said Draco taking a step closer. “And what would you be willing to bet.”

“Why don’t we decide that later?” Harry replied pulling Draco close to him, one eyebrow raised, before kissing him deeply.

He was both happy and excited by the fact that Draco was kissing him back with equal fever. He noted a slight pause as his hand slid slowly down Draco’s side, passed his waist to clutch at Draco’s arse, but Draco responded by pressing his chest and abdomen more firmly against Harry’s and his doubts melted.

Never before had Harry felt such heat in any of their exchanges, and the excitement of it and the feel of Draco’s body pressed against his was almost too wonderful. The fact that Draco was pressing back with equal fervour exciting him even more. Tentatively he ground their hips together eliciting a gasp from Draco and a surprised moan from himself. But Draco was pushing his hips back against his and soon they were moving together and it was like nothing Harry had imagined. They were still kissing franticly and Harry boldly reached his hand between their bodies and gently made to stroke Draco through his trousers. As his fingers brushed over the material Harry felt Draco freeze. Harry stilled momentarily but went on kissing him, his hand now resting safely on his hip, but Draco wasn’t responding. He drew back slightly, his eyes opening, searching Draco’s face. What he saw there was not encouraging. Draco had his eyes closed so tight that his forehead was scrunched up and every muscle in his body was tense.

“Draco?”

His eyes opened slowly, his steely gaze fixing Harry to the floor and filling his senses with warning.

“We should talk.”