How to Save a Life

Apologies to everyone for the lateness of this chapter. First i got caught up in Christmas, then I got spyware on my pc, and then I went on holiday!! Thank you to everyone for their patience - and for reading/reviewing. Here's the next chapter, and I promise not to make you wait so long next time!!

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Harry sat quietly, slowly eating his stew. He was content to allow the others around the table to carry the flow of conversation.

He trailed his eyes around the table, resting on each of his dinner companions in turn. Harry didn’t think he had ever seen Charlie Weasley as relaxed as he was at that moment - not even in the easygoing atmosphere of the Burrow. He was the perfect, genial host. Catering to his guests’ needs, serving a welcome, hearty meal, which he proudly laid claim to having cooked himself.

Pansy sat at his side. She had been uncharacteristically shy at first, nervous to be reunited with the boyfriend she hadn’t seen since New Year, and rather disconcerted by the presence of some of Charlie’s female work colleagues. However, she had quickly bloomed under Charlie’s attentive behaviour, gentle touches, and his quite obvious delight in her company.

As unobservant as he was frequently accused of being, Harry didn’t miss the brief, adoring glances that Pansy was shooting her boyfriend when she thought no one was looking. Harry rather suspected that Draco would be dressing his friend in yellow and blue if he caught her blatantly Hufflepuffish behaviour.

Pansy felt the weight of her friend’s stare and, raising her eyes to meet his, grinned widely before turning her attention to the petite Romanian girl on her other side.

Harry hadn’t missed the slight crease of Pansy’s brow when Ileana had been introduced to them. But it quickly became apparent that her relationship with Charlie was purely platonic on both their parts. There was affection there, but it was the kind of friendship that Harry had with Hermione, and had hoped to retain with Ginny, before things had broken down irretrievably.

He gave himself a small shake; he wasn’t going to think about that, not now. He turned his thoughts, instead, to the Romanian girl, admiring her command of English, as she regaled them with stories that caused Charlie’s face to flush a similar colour to his hair.

Draco sat to Charlie’s other side, and Harry watched his boyfriend closely. To an outside observer, Draco no doubt appeared to be relaxed, and charmed by the present company. But Harry knew better.

Although Draco was engaged in conversation with Emil, another of Charlie’s colleagues, there was an expression in his grey eyes that told Harry he was preoccupied with other matters. That, and the fact that Draco resolutely refused to meet his gaze, had Harry worried.

The meal was finally over and, in the absence of house-elves, Harry assisted Charlie with clearing the table.

“You don’t have to do this, you know? You are a guest.”

Following Charlie into the kitchen, Harry set the stack of dishes onto the work surface. “’S okay. I don’t mind. Besides, I wanted a chance to talk to you without Draco around.”

Charlie paused in the act of loading the sink. “Everything’s arranged. Don’t worry about it.”

Harry relaxed visibly. “That’s a relief. I think Draco’s already pissed off with me, so I need all the help I can get.”

Charlie looked surprised. “He seemed okay at dinner. What’s up with him?”

Harry shrugged. “I’m not sure, really. I think maybe he was expecting me to take him somewhere a bit more…”

“Fancy?” Charlie suggested, and Harry felt his heart sink. That had been his first thought too, but he was making a concerted effort to believe in his boyfriend.

“Maybe. Or just somewhere private, you know?”

Charlie nodded. “I do really appreciate you coming. I doubt Pansy would have come alone, and we don’t exactly get the chance to see each other often. I’m just sorry if it’s caused problems for you.”

“Not your fault,” Harry returned. “I don’t even really know if that’s the problem.”

Charlie cast a quick look over his shoulder, out of the window. “You won’t get much privacy in here. Why don’t you go for a walk, clear the air a bit? Just make sure you wrap up warm; it’s freezing out there.”

Harry smiled gratefully, before looking despondently at the pile of dishes he had agreed to wash. Noticing this, Charlie took pity on him. “Go on. I’ll do these”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Go.” Charlie flicked the tea towel playfully at him. “You’ll be no use to me in that mooning state anyway.”

Harry dodged out of the way of another well-aimed flick. “Thanks,” he shot over his shoulder, as he fled the room.

Draco was stood by the fireplace, seemingly deep in conversation with Emil. He was a dark, good-looking Romanian, and unless Harry was much mistaken, he had taken rather a shine to Draco.

Feeling the fain rumbling of his possessive Chest Monster, Harry strode over purposefully to join them.

Draco smiled in welcome and quickly acquiesced to Harry’s request that they take a walk. Feeling some of his concern slip away, Harry helped his boyfriend into his thick winter cloak, before turning to fetch his own.

When he turned back, Harry couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face at the sight of Draco sporting his oh-so-familiar fur hat.

“What’s so amusing?” Draco demanded, slowly easing his slender fingers into his gloves.

“Your hat,” Harry admitted sheepishly. “Reminds me of our third year.”

Draco huffed at this. “Yes, throwing mud is very funny. I’ll have you know it took the house-elves absolutely ages to get it clean after that, you barbarian.”

Harry’s smile grew wider at this sight of his boyfriend’s pout and, leaning in, he stole a quick kiss.

Only the presence of several complete strangers restrained Draco from tugging his boyfriend into his arms and devouring him on the spot.

They headed outside, heeding Charlie’s warning to stick to the path, and set off into the crisp night air.

The moon was full and bright, and Harry experienced a brief pang of grief for Remus, as he did at this time every month. But as he felt Draco’s gloved hand slide into his, he brought his attention back to the present.

They walked silently for a short while, only the sound of their boots crunching the thick carpet of snow broke the silence. The moon was high in the clear night sky, its light casting a bluish aura over the snow-capped peaks that surrounded them.

“What’s wrong?” Harry blurted out finally, unable to bear the silence any longer.

Draco came to a halt, somewhat surprised at the outburst. “Nothing’s wrong. What makes you say that?”

Harry gazed at the blond, taking in the way that the moonlight played across his features, making him seem almost ethereal.

“Draco, please. Something’s been bothering you all night. Maybe the others can’t tell, but I know you too well for that. If I’ve done something to upset you, I need to know. I don’t want us to have secrets, not anymore.” Harry stepped closer as he finished speaking, and the earnest expression on his face undid Draco’s stoic resolve.

“It’s not anything you’ve done, not really.”

“Is it because we’ve come here? I know it’s not posh or fancy, but I-”

“No!” Draco cut in sharply. “Merlin, am I really that shallow?” He shook his head. “Don’t answer that,” he added ruefully. “It really isn’t you. It’s something I did, and I was stupid to think that it would go away so quickly.”

“Is this about the thing with Ginny?”

Draco nodded reluctantly. “I’m being selfish. I know that I really hurt you. The things I said and did…You have every right to hate me.”

Harry made to speak at this point, but Draco laid a finger on his lips.

“Let me finish, please.”

Harry nodded silently.

“I count myself so lucky every day that you gave me a second chance. And I know that you have every right to want to take things slow. I just thought that this weekend we could be alone, and…I just wish you would have said you weren’t ready, rather than bringing us here to simply avoid the issue.”

Draco couldn’t bring himself to meet Harry’s gaze as he finished speaking. He knew he sounded petulant but, frankly, he didn’t care.

Suddenly, he felt the soft leather of Harry’s gloves brushing against his skin, and his face was being tilted gently upwards.

Harry felt his chest tighten at the array of emotions he saw playing across his boyfriend’s face. “That’s not why, Draco. I swear. What happened in the past is over, behind us. I don’t hold it against you. I want nothing more than for us to be like we were at Christmas, but it’s just not that easy when we both share a dorm with others.”

Draco still looked a little sceptical, but he remained silent.

“I just thought it would be nice for us to get away,” Harry continued to explain. “Avoid the scrutiny, you know? Plus I wanted to help Pansy out. You know she wouldn’t have come on her own. I honestly didn’t think you would mind.”

“I don’t, not really,” Draco admitted slowly. “Not now you’ve explained it. So you still want to be with me, like that?”

“Yes, you git,” Harry teased affectionately.

The tension eased from Draco’s body. “Well, I suppose that at least we’ll get our own room here,” he said, sounding somewhat mollified.

Harry shifted guiltily. “Ah, about that. We won’t actually be getting a room. More like a sofa bed in the living room.”

Draco looked confused at this. “What the hell is a…You know what? Forget I asked. It doesn’t sound like I’ll want to know. You’ll just have to make it up to me, somehow.”

Harry stepped closer still. “Oh, I believe that can be arranged,” he said lightly, trailing a fingertip down Draco’s torso.

He leaned in and Draco parted his lips eagerly, the soft puffs of their breath visible in the crisp air. When all he received was a quick press of his boyfriend’s lips, Draco let out a distinctly un-Malfoyish whine.

“Harrrry!”

Harry just grinned at his pouting face, before grabbing his hand and dragging him off the path, into the shadows beside one of the large dragon pens.

Finding himself pressed against the fence, rather forcefully, Draco let out a gasp. “What are you doing?”

Harry gave him another grin, this time a rather wicked one. “I though I’d get a head start on making it up to you.”

Draco’s eyes widened as he read the intent in his boyfriend’s eyes.

“Harry,” he began uncertainly. “I don’t think-”

Draco’s words were lost in Harry’s mouth as he was kissed lazily, their tongues plundering each other’s mouths. Pulling back, Harry smiled. “Don’t think,” he murmured huskily. “Just enjoy.”

Before Draco could add anything further, Harry had cast a quick Waterproofing Charm on his clothes and sank to his knees. His fingers parted Draco’s cloak and began unzipping his trousers.

“Someone might find us,” Draco gasped.

“Then you’ll have to be really, really quiet, won’t you,” Harry teased, having finally wrapped his fingers around Draco’s rapidly growing erection.

Draco felt a distinct chill as the cold night air greeted his naked flesh, so he wrapped the folds of his cloak around his boyfriend’s kneeling form. He was loath to miss out on the sight of Harry’s mouth on his cock, but the sounds more than made up for it, and anyway, it was infinitely preferably to a rather indelicate case of frostbite.

As Harry sucked greedily around the head of Draco’s cock, he wrapped his still-gloved hand around the base and began stroking. Wondering, as he did, how the leather felt against his boyfriend’s skin.

Had Draco been in any fit state to speak coherently, he would have told Harry that it felt fantastic, bloody fantastic!

Draco’s own gloved hand was stuffed in his mouth, in a rather desperate attempt to stifle the whimpers and moans that were fighting to escape his lips. His other hand was gripping onto the chain link fencing behind him, in a weak effort to keep himself from collapsing in sheer pleasure.

The feel of Harry’s lips and tongue working his aching flesh, together with the heightened arousal that came from their public location, were pushing Draco towards his completion quicker than he had since his early teens.

When he felt Harry’s leather-clad hands slide round to cup the bare skin of his buttocks, alternately kneading and spreading them, Draco couldn’t help but thrust more forcefully into his boyfriend’s mouth.

Not even his own hand could muffle the erotic groan that he let out as he felt Harry swallowing hard around his shaft, desperately trying to take in all he was given. Draco knew he would last only moments longer. Harry’s fingers were flitting over the sensitive skin of his puckered entrance, and his other hand had begun to caress his boyfriend’s heavy balls.

Draco pulled the cloak back off Harry; it was more than worth the rise of frostbite to see the look on his boyfriend’s face as he swallowed his seed.

As the first spurt of come exploded into his mouth, Harry looked up and locked gazes with Draco, both their eyes burning with lust. Harry suckled at Draco’s spent cock until the last trace of come had been lovingly licked away. Then, he gently tucked him back in and slowly rose to his feet.

Leaning in, Harry captured Draco’s lips in a searing kiss, his tongue thrusting into his boyfriend’s mouth, allowing him to taste himself.

“Wow,” Draco panted, when they eventually parted. “What was that?”

“A taste of things to come,” Harry replied, a distinct leer on his face.

A lazy, sated smile spread across Draco’s face. “We’ll have to sleep on those sofa bed thingies more often if this is the compensation I get.” He leered in return and raised one leg between Harry’s thighs, bringing unbearable pressure onto his neglected erection.

“How about we see to you now?” Draco teased.

“Yes please.” Harry nodded eagerly, his eyes sparkling with desire.

Draco undid his boyfriend’s trousers with impressive speed, but no sooner had his questing hand circled Harry’s achingly hard cock, than the sound of approaching voices could be heard on the still night air.

Harry stilled and then attempted to pull away.

“Relax,” Draco murmured against his lips, before continuing with his ministrations.

Harry buried his face in the crook of Draco’s neck in an effort to stifle the needy whimpers now rising in his throat.

“Harry! Draco! Are you out here?”

Both boys froze.


“Shit! Fucking Pansy!” Harry complained.

“You still think it was such a good idea to come away with her?” Draco asked, a little smugly, as he removed his hand from Harry’s trousers.

“She’s your best friend,” Harry retaliated, before looking mournfully at his unattended erection. “That girl has the worst timing ever.”

“Come on, you two. Charlie’s going to show us the Pygmy Dragons.” Pansy’s bell-like tones sounded again, closer this time.

“We’d better go,” Draco said begrudgingly. “She won’t give up until she’s found us. She’s like a damn bloodhound, that girl.” He grabbed Harry’s hand and began tugging him in the direction of the path.


“What about this?” Harry asked plaintively, gesturing at the bulging crotch of his trousers, which he was struggling to close.

Draco paused thoughtfully for a moment, and then grinned a little evilly. “You could try stuffing some snow down there. That should kill it!”

“That’s not very nice, Draco,” Harry pouted. “I thought you loved me.”

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake. Come here.”

Harry stepped closer, pouting still. Draco reached out and deftly tucked him away, carefully fastening his zipper. He tugged Harry’s cloak firmly around him.

“There. That will hide it at least. Now come on.”

Harry followed reluctantly, mentally plotting his revenge on the Slytherin girl, who was grinning smugly at their approach.

“And where have you two been? I thought Charlie told you to stay on the path.”

“We just got a little side-tracked,” Harry muttered, a hint of resentment in his tone.

“So I see,” Pansy replied. “Is that snow on your knees, Harry? How ever did that get there?”

“I fell,” Harry replied lamely, hoping that no one noticed his flushed face.

“Of course you did,” Pansy agreed. “After all, what else would you be doing on your knees, alone in the dark with your boyfriend.”

Draco and Charlie both tried to suppress chuckles at this, and Harry glared at both of them balefully.

Deciding further denial was pointless, Harry decided to see if he couldn’t discomfort his friends a little. “Well,” he snapped finally, “It’s a little hard to give a blow job standing up.”

Harry’s desire to laugh at the stunned expressions of his companions overrode his desire to run and hide following that outburst. He hadn’t really meant to say quite that much, but he was still hard, with no relief in sight, and he was a little pissed off.

A slow grin spread over Pansy’s face and she stepped forward, linking her arm through Harry’s. “Of course it is,” she soothed. “Now, let’s go see those Dragons.”


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Harry woke up early the next morning. He felt surprisingly refreshed considering the late night they had had.

Eagerly taking advantage of the lack of curfew, and snooping professors, they had stayed up ‘till the small hours, chatting happily and becoming well acquainted with a local drink, Tuica.

Draco had indulged slightly more than Harry had, hence he was currently still sleeping like the dead. Only the sound of the occasional soft snore gave tell that he was still alive.

Not wanting to disturb his boyfriend, Harry got out of bed gingerly. The sofa bed had proved surprisingly comfortable, despite his earlier misgivings. He padded barefoot in the direction of the kitchen; the warmth of the cabin was deceptive, especially considering the deep layer of snow that covered the ground outside.

As he set some water on to boil, Harry was startled by the sound of the outside door opening. Charlie stepped into the kitchen, wrapped warmly, a fine dusting of snow on his cloak.

“Morning, Harry.” He grinned. “Didn’t expect to see any of you lot up this early.”

Harry tried, and failed to stifle a yawn before replying. “I’m used to not having much sleep,” he replied with a shrug.

“Oh, right. Draco keeping you up at night, is he?” Charlie teased.

“Something like that.” Harry didn’t want to dampen the mood by mentioning his lack of sleep was more due to nightmares than any other nocturnal activity.

“You making coffee?” Charlie asked, spying the mugs on the worktop.

Harry nodded. “It’s best to get caffeine into Draco’s system as early as possible in the day. You want one?”

“Please,” Charlie replied, as he began rooting in a nearby cupboard. “You might want to give him one of these as well,” he said, placing a Hangover Potion on the counter top. “That Tuica’s pretty strong stuff. I tried telling him and Pansy, but you know how they are.”

“Slytherins,” Harry commented, as if this explained it all. And judging from the answering grin on Charlie’s face, it did.

“How come you’re up so early, anyway? I thought you had the weekend off?”

“I had to do Emil’s early start fro him, so that he would cover my late tonight,” Charlie explained. “There’s not much to it, really. Just sorting out the feed, and so on.”

“Is Emil gay?” Harry blurted out, then flushed vividly. “Sorry, that’s none of my business. Forget I asked.”

Charlie hopped onto the counter at the side of Harry and gratefully took his drink. “That’s okay. He doesn’t make a secret of it, so I doubt he would mind me telling you. Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” Harry muttered, taking refuge in his steaming cup of coffee.

“This is because of how much he was talking to Draco last night, isn’t it?”

Harry shrugged, noncommittally.

“I really wouldn’t worry about it. You’re crazy if you think that boy has got eyes for anyone but you.”

Any further discussion on the topic was put to an end, as Draco himself ambled into the room. Still pyjama-clad, his blond hair was mussed from sleep and there were still pillow creases evident on his face.

“Feels like something died in my mouth,” he grumbled, by way of a greeting.

Charlie smiled. “That would be the Tuica. I tried telling you how strong it was.”

Draco turned to glare at his host, but the effect was rather spoilt as he winced at the winter sun streaming through the kitchen window. “No one likes a smug git,” he retorted, without any real feeling behind it.

Harry sidled up to his grumpy boyfriend and slid an arm around his narrow waist. Holding out the Hangover Potion in his free hand, he dropped a quick kiss on Draco’s flushed cheek. “Oh, I don’t know about that. After all, I like you.”

Draco glared at his boyfriend, quite successfully this time, before snatching the glass vial. “I’m starting to remember why I hated you for all those years. You better have one hell of a present lined up for me today, or you’re sleeping with the Dragons tonight.”

As Draco drank the potion greedily, Charlie made his excuses and headed back outside to see to his duties.

All traces of hangover now gone, Draco spied the mug of steaming coffee on the side.

“Is that for me?” he asked, already having snagged it.

“Yeah, I was going to bring it to you in bed.”

Already feeling better as the caffeine hit his system, Draco turned a smile on his boyfriend. Pressing a kiss to Harry’s lips, he murmured, “Happy Valentine’s day.”

“Happy Valentine’s day to you, too,” Harry replied as he leant in to capture Draco’s lips again. “It’s still early, so why don’t we head back to bed for a while? We could have a bit of a cuddle,” he finished hopefully.

Draco arched one brow. “Cuddle? You better have a lot more than that in mind, Potter. You’ve got a lot of ground to make up.”


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During the day, Charlie gave them a far more in depth tour of the reserve than he had been able to do the night before. Even allowing them to help when it came to feeding the Pygmy Dragons. Harry had been amused to note the look of avid interest on Draco’s face, especially considering how much his boyfriend had disliked Care of Magical Creatures at school.

One of the highlights of the tour, for Harry, was getting to catch a glimpse of Norbert - the Norwegian Ridgeback that Hagrid had hatched from an egg. Seeing the magnificent beast that she had become, compared to the tiny baby she had been when last he saw her, left Harry awestruck.

The tour over, the two couples had gone their separate ways. Charlie and Pansy opting for the warmth indoors, while Harry and Draco had snagged a couple of spare brooms and took to the air.

The reserve was well hidden, nestled, as it was, in the Carpathian mountain range. There were anti-Muggle Charms for quite some distance around it, and as long as they stayed within the reserves air space, the two boys were quite safe from detection.

Harry did his level best to keep Draco’s mind occupied as much as possible. They had agreed to wait until the evening to exchange their gifts, but this did not stop Draco from badgering him for hints constantly.

They spent several hours soaring over the snow-laden forests that covered the mountainsides, their cheeks flushed from cold and exertion, their eyes bright with the excitement that flying brought to them both.

By late afternoon, the sun was beginning to set, casting a pink glow over the snowy peaks, and causing the skies to darken. Harry reluctantly indicated that it was time for them to return home.

Back inside the cabin, they found a very cosy looking pair, snuggled up together on the sofa. Harry restrained himself from commenting on Charlie’s mussed up hair, or on Pansy’s kiss-swollen lips. Despite his friend’s merciless teasing of him the previous night, Harry understood how difficult it was for Pansy to be intimate with her boyfriend, and he didn’t want to embarrass her.

Once he saw Draco settled, Harry took his leave. Behaving in a mysterious fashion, that drove his boyfriend to distraction, he would not give any indication of where he was going. All he would say was that he was taking Draco out for dinner, and he should dress accordingly. Then, he pressed a small model dragon into his boyfriend’s hand, explaining that it was a Portkey, which would activate at precisely 7pm, taking him to their destination - where Harry would be waiting.

Draco pouted, sulked, wheedled, and tried every weapon in his vast armour, but Harry remained unmoved. Giving his boyfriend one last kiss, Harry raised his wand and began to turn. A crack of Apparition followed, leaving one very sulky looking blond, staring into thin air.


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Over the next couple of hours, Draco drove both Charlie and Pansy to the point of distraction. He plagued them both mercilessly with questions regarding Harry’s plans for the evening, refusing to believe that there were as ignorant of the facts as he was.

Eventually, the other couple left him to his own devices, retreating to their respective rooms to prepare for their own evening out, and to gain some much-needed peace and quiet.

Draco slumped down onto the sofa, brooding over his boyfriend’s behaviour. Harry was being sneaky, and he didn’t like it one little bit. He was the Slytherin in this relationship, it should be him plotting and sneaking about, not the other way round.

He lost track of how long he sat there, trying to work out what Harry had planned. It was only when Pansy bravely popped her head round the door and reminded him of the time, that he stirred himself into action and began to get ready.

He showered quickly, noting gratefully that Pansy had had the foresight to pack his usual products. He towelled himself roughly and then cast a quick Drying Charm on his hair. Satisfied with the way it fell in silken strands, framing his features, he slipped on his underwear and then exited the bathroom.

Draco perused the clothes that Pansy had packed for him, struggling to decide what to wear. Not knowing where he was going for the evening, made it very difficult for him to choose an appropriate outfit. And if there was one thing that Draco hated, it was being unprepared, or underdressed.

In the end, he selected a couple of options and headed in the direction of Pansy’s bedroom, seeking assistance. He knocked smartly on the door, and entered the room before his friend had even had chance to acknowledge. Heedless of Pansy’s outraged squeal, or the fact that she was still half-dressed herself; Draco flung his clothes down, and sank onto the bed next to them.

“Come in, Draco,” Pansy said, somewhat sarcastically.

Draco dismissed her irritation with a wave of his hand. “Never mind that, Pansy. I’m having a crisis here.”

Pansy couldn’t help the grin that cracked her face; Draco really could be melodramatic when he tried. Deciding that any form of protest would not only be futile, but would also prolong the agony, Pansy stepped forward and began perusing the choice of outfits.

“Definitely the dark grey trousers,” she advised. Then, sensing the disagreement on Draco’s lips, she added, “trust me. They make your arse look amazing.”

Draco snatched the trousers from her hand, needing no further persuasion. Pansy congratulated herself inwardly on her successful manipulation. She quickly discarded several of the shirts that he had selected, before finally reaching out and plucking at the blue cashmere sweater.

“Wear this,” she instructed. “It suits your colouring, and apart from that, Harry bought it for you.”

Draco looked a little sceptical. “Are you sure? It’s not too casual is it?”

Pansy sank onto the bed next to him. “Draco, I might not know where you’re going tonight, but I do know clothes. Trust me; this is perfect. Harry chose it, so obviously he loves you in this colour, and it’s so soft that he won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment, before giving a nod. “You’re right,” he agreed. “It doesn’t matter where we’re going; Harry will love that I’m wearing the jumper he got for me.”

“Exactly,” Pansy agreed, getting to her feet. “Now go, and let me get dressed.”

Draco turned a grin on his friend. “You mean that’s not what you’re wearing tonight?” he asked, indicating Pansy’s rather fancy lingerie with a wave of his hand.

Pansy just blushed lightly and Draco continued mercilessly. “Looks like someone’s planning on having more than just dinner. Weasley’s going to have a heart attack when he sees that get up.”

Pansy flushed vividly now and snatched a nearby towel, holding it in front of her body. “Just go and get dressed, Draco. Stop bothering me!”

Draco chuckled, but nonetheless complied with her request. He headed back into the living room, where he proceeded to don the selected outfit. Admiring his reflection in a nearby mirror, he had to admit that Pansy was right; the soft blue of the jumper really did compliment his skin, and made his eyes gleam brighter. Harry wouldn’t know what hit him.

He watched the clock impatiently, willing it to go faster. As the seconds ticked away, and it neared seven, Draco snatched up the model dragon that Harry had given him earlier, and clutched it tightly. Now that the wait was over, he allowed himself to feel some excitement at the anticipation of Harry’s surprise.

Draco shouted a quick goodbye to Charlie and Pansy, just as he felt the familiar feel of a hook just behind his navel.

When he landed, Draco was somewhat disorientated, but mercifully, upright. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim lighting of his new location. Then Harry was there, standing in front of him, smiling gently and holding out what looked like a glass of champagne.

“Happy Valentine’s day,” he murmured softly, leaning forward and pecking his boyfriend on the lips. “You look amazing. I love that colour on you.”

Draco couldn’t help but smile a little smugly, noting that Harry was also wearing the jumper he had been given for Christmas. “Thank you,” he replied, reaching for the proffered drink. “So do you.” And he meant it. Harry always looked stunning in green.

Turning away from his boyfriend, Draco began to scan his surroundings. “Where are we?” he asked curiously.

Harry stepped closer and placed his hand lightly on Draco’s elbow, guiding him further into the room. “We’re in a lodge on the far side of the reserve. They rent it out in the summer for people to come on holiday, but it’s empty in the winter. Charlie organised it for me.”

Draco took a sip of his champagne and examined the room further. The walls were timber clad, as was the floor, with only a scattering of rugs covering its highly polished surface. The floor they were on was open plan, comprising of a kitchen, dining and living area. The lights were burning very low, giving the room a warm, cosy feel.

An array of tempting smells assaulted Draco’s senses. He turned in the direction of the kitchen area, and was surprised to see that Harry had been in the process of making their dinner.

“You cooked?”

“Don’t sound so surprised. It’s just one of my many talents.”

“Hmm, and I’m hoping to experience more of those talents later.” Draco gave his boyfriend a lascivious look.

“Oh, you will. I can promise you that. We have this place to ourselves till morning.”

Draco’s interest was definitely piqued at this piece of news. He had to wonder if he would be able to restrain himself long enough to make it through dinner. The temptation to strip his boyfriend and take him was overwhelming, but Harry had gone to the trouble of cooking him a meal, so he would do his best to restrain himself.

Harry smirked a little as he saw the play of emotions on his boyfriend’s face. “We have to eat dinner before we get to dessert,” he teased.

“Is it ready, then?” he asked hopefully.

“In about another ten minutes, or so.”

Draco pouted; patience may be a virtue, but it was not one he had gained yet. However, Harry’s next words completely derailed his sulk.

“I thought we could exchange gifts before we eat.”

When Draco smiled it was like the sun had come out, Harry reflected. There was nothing like the mention of presents for putting that expression of childlike glee on his boyfriend’s face.

Harry led Draco over to the small table where he had placed their gifts. He felt a little nervous, like he always did, at the prospect of Draco’s reaction. The present had seemed like a wonderful gesture at the time, but now…

“Here, you go first.” Harry held out a small parcel, wrapped in silver and topped with a green bow.

Draco set down his drink and eagerly snatched the gift from his boyfriend’s outstretched hands. He ripped it open with little care for the wrappings, and found himself holding a black, velvet ring box.

Without opening it, he looked at Harry warily. “Shouldn’t you be down on one knee, or something?” he teased.

“Idiot. Just open it.”

Draco flipped the box open and stared in surprise at the contents. After several moments silence, Harry felt his heart begin to sink. “You don’t like it,” he said flatly.

Draco tore his eyes away from the box. “No! That’s not it at all. It’s just, this is…”

“The Black family signet ring,” Harry finished for him.

“I know that, Harry. But where did you get it from? Mother thought it had been lost after Great Uncle Orion died.” The awe with which Draco removed the ring, went some way to reassuring Harry that his gift was well received.

“I inherited it, I guess. Along with the rest of Sirius’ belongings. This was in his vault, so I guess it was important to him, despite the fall out with his family.”

“I can’t take this,” Draco protested. “You should keep it.”

“I want you to have it,” Harry insisted stubbornly. “It’s only right. I know technically that you’re a Malfoy, but you’re a Black, too. The last male one, as far as I can tell. Neville did try to explain the significance of these rings to me. Now I didn’t understand most of it, but I know that they’re important to pureblood families.”

Draco slid the ring on his finger almost reverently. “Mother will just die when she sees this.”

Harry grinned. “It should stay in the family, like an heirloom. Something to pass on to your kids.” He blushed faintly over the last words, and Draco spotted it. He made a note of it and stored it away for future scrutiny.

He leant in and captured Harry’s lips in a brief, intense kiss. “Thank you,” he whispered pulling away. “I love it, and I love you.”

Harry nuzzled at his neck. “Love you too,” he murmured.

“Your turn now,” Draco said brightly, ending the moment.

Harry reached for his gift, which, ironically, was wrapped in gold with a red bow atop. Like Draco, he made short work of the wrappings, and found himself presented with a square, leather case. Not unlike Draco’s potions kit.

Eagerly, he flipped the catches and peered inside. His breath caught as he reached in and extracted an ornately carved Pensieve. It was not as large as Dumbledore’s had been, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Looking further into the case, Harry noticed that there was already numerous glass tubes filled with silver, swirling memories.

“What are these?” he asked eagerly.

Draco flushed a little. “Mostly they are of your parents. I know how much you’ve missed never really knowing them, so I got people who did to give me their memories. Everyone was glad to do it; Aunt Andromeda, Mr & Mrs Weasley, Hagrid, even Professor McGonagall.”

Harry’s mouth had dropped open wide somewhere during the middle of Draco’s sentence. Seeing the blond had finished talking, Harry launched himself into his boyfriend’s arms.

“That is the most amazing thing anyone has ever given me. How do I even say thank you.”

Draco smirked a little. “I’m sure I could make a few suggestions.”

Harry gave him a light slap. “Pervert.”

Draco grinned. “Talking of perverts, I slipped a couple of memories of us in there. Something to keep you warm on those lonely nights in Gryffindor tower.”

“You didn’t?” Harry looked somewhere between shocked and incredibly aroused.

“I did.” Draco’s expression was incredibly smug and Harry found he couldn’t help but laugh.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


When they finally sat down to dinner, Draco was impressed, not only with the standard of the meal that Harry had cooked, but also with the wine he had selected; it complemented the meal perfectly.

“That was delicious,” Draco said, placing his cutlery on his empty plate. He picked up his wine glass and took a sip. “Where did you learn to do this? The food, the wine? It’s definitely not on the curriculum at Hogwarts.”

Harry chuckled at this. “The food comes courtesy of years spent at the Dursleys, and the wine, well, I had a little help with that.”

“Who from,” Draco enquired, wisely sidestepping any discussion of Harry’s relatives.

“Your mother,” Harry admitted sheepishly. “She was very helpful.”

“I hope you didn’t ask for her advice about the rest of the nights activities.”

“Why, Draco?” Harry asked innocently. “What do you have in mind?”

At this, Draco got up and made his way round to Harry’s chair with a predatory glint in his eyes. He insinuated himself onto his boyfriend’s lap, straddling him so that their groins were brought into very close contact.

“Tease,” Harry accused, shifting his chair further back from the table. He wrapped his arms around Draco’s torso, sliding his hands under the back of his jumper.

As he felt Harry’s palms skimming down his skin, Draco buried both hands in his boyfriend’s thick hair and crashed their mouths together. Their tongues duelled for dominance, even as they ground their bodies together harder.

Pulling away, slightly breathless, Draco began running his fingertips gently over his boyfriend’s face, tracing his eyes, cheekbones, nose and finally, his lips.

“Harry,” he started, sounding unusually uncertain. “I have another present for you. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to give it to you tonight, but this is perfect.”

Harry just smiled at his boyfriend lovingly. Thus encouraged, Draco dug into his trousers pockets and removed a small box. Harry withdrew his hands from Draco’s jumper and took hold of the gift. Seeing the nervous look on Draco’s face, he gave him a quick kiss.

“Don’t look so worried. I’m sure I’ll love it.”

Draco bit worriedly on his bottom lip as he watched Harry open the box. When wide green eyes looked at him in surprise, it was all Draco could do not to turn and hide.

“Draco,” Harry gasped. “Does this mean…”

Draco nodded firmly. “Yes.”

Harry looked from his boyfriend’s face down to the glass vial of lubricant in his hand. “A-A-Are you sure? I thought you said-”

Draco leant in and cut him off with a quick press of his lips. “It doesn’t matter what I said before. I want you, in every way possible. I love you, so much, and I want this. This is a part of me that I can give to you, something that I’ve never shared with anyone else.”

Harry was still looking a little stunned, so Draco decided he needed a little more motivation. He trailed his tongue up his boyfriend’s neck, kissing along his jaw line, before nipping at his earlobe. “I want you to fuck me, Harry,” he murmured softly, his breath ghosting over his boyfriend’s skin.

That certainly seemed to do the trick. Harry’s breath hitched at Draco’s words, and he ground his hips up against his boyfriend, pressing their erections together.

Draco reached round and buried one hand in Harry’s hair, tugging his head backwards slightly. He claimed Harry’s mouth in a bruising kiss, using his lips and tongue to convey that which he wanted to say, but was unsure of how to. Harry seemed to understand however, and he slid his hands round his boyfriend and cupped his arse firmly, pulling them closer together.

“Too many clothes,” Draco complained, trying to tug Harry’s jumper up over his torso.

Harry pouted slightly at the loss of contact. “Why don’t we move this somewhere more comfortable?” he suggested.

“Which way is the bedroom?” Draco asked, on his feet already.

“I’m not sure, but maybe we could go over by the fireplace?”

Draco looked over to where a bright fire blazed in the hearth. In front of it, lay a luxurious looking fur rug; it was perfect. “I bet you’ve had this planned every since you saw that, haven’t you?” he teased.

Harry blushed a little. “Maybe, although not like this,” he replied, indicating the lubricant in his hand.

“Well, come on then, lover boy,” Draco demanded, tugging Harry’s hand impatiently.

They scrambled over to the fireplace with more haste than grace. Stumbling as they fumbled desperately to remove each other’s clothing. By the time they got there, shoes and socks had been shed, as had both jumpers.

Harry pulled back and ran an appraising eye over Draco’s torso, admiring the way the firelight gave his skin a bronzed glow.

“Lie down,” he murmured huskily.

Draco did, relishing the silky feel of the fur against his bare skin.

Harry knelt down, straddling his boyfriend’s leg. Leaning forward on his arms, he drank in the sight of his boyfriend, hair spread round his head like a golden halo, eyes dark with arousal, and lips rosy and kiss-swollen.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, reaching out and brushing silken strands of hair back of Draco’s face.

Although Harry had fantasised about this moment, about taking Draco, making him his, he had never really thought it would happen. Draco had made his feelings about ‘bottoming’ quite clear early in their relationship. Harry understood what weight of trust his boyfriend was placing in his, allowing himself to be so vulnerable.

Now that he had the chance, he wasn’t going to waste it. He was going to make love to Draco, worship his body as it deserved. Even if he never got this chance again, Harry was determined to make this the most perfect night ever.


Harry lowered his head and began raining soft kisses on Draco’s lips. “Are you sure?” he asked, noticing a flash of nervousness on the blond’s face

Draco nodded. “I’m certain. Harry, please, I need this.”

The slight waver in his boyfriend’s voice caused a tightening in Harry’s chest. He ran his hands soothingly down Draco’s arms and over his torso, pausing to gently circle his nipples.

“I’ll make it feel really good, I promise.”

“I trust you,” Draco gasped, his body arching off the floor as Harry’s mouth lowered onto his pebbled nipples.

Harry’s hands trembled slightly as he began working Draco’s belt loose, sliding the undoubtedly expensive leather free, and tossing it to the side. He noted with satisfaction, just how much Draco’s erection was straining against the confines of his trousers.

Unable to help himself, Harry leant down and nuzzled his boyfriend’s cock through the fine fabric.

“Harry,” Draco whimpered, his hips thrusting desperately.

“Patience,” Harry chided, his fingers tracing along the straining fly. He finally took pity on his whimpering boyfriend, and began to pop the buttons slowly.

“Lift up,” he instructed when they were all undone.

Draco complied eagerly, raising his hips off the ground so that Harry could tug his trousers free. These, too, were swiftly cast to the side, with little care for their state.

Harry couldn’t suppress the grin that spread over his face as boyfriend’s erection sprang free. “No underwear, Draco? Someone was planning on getting lucky tonight.”

“It doesn’t hurt to be prepared,” Draco replied huskily.

Harry smiled again, before reaching out and curling his fingers around Draco’s shaft. “You’re so hard for me,” he murmured.

He lowered his head and allowed the head of Draco’s cock to rub over his lips, leaving a glistening trail of pre-come it its wake. Looking back up at his boyfriend, he licked his lips with obvious pleasure. “You taste so good,” he groaned.

“Suck me, please,” Draco begged, arching off the floor, trying desperately to bring his cock nearer to the inviting warmth of his boyfriend’s mouth.

Eager to please, Harry lowered his head and ran his tongue the length of Draco’s shaft. The resulting moan was enough to set his own erection throbbing needily.

Bring one hand up to caress his boyfriend’s sac, gently massaging the tender flesh, Harry finally wrapped his lips around Draco’s cock. He flicked his tongue against the leaking tip, teasing lightly, before taking almost the whole shaft into his mouth.

Freeing his hands, Harry struggled to open the bottle of lubricant without losing the glorious feel of Draco’s cock, heavy against his tongue. When he had finally coated his fingers in the oily substance, he trailed one down, behind Draco’s balls, until he was slowly circling his puckered opening.

Draco wriggled in pleasure as he felt Harry’s finger slid all the way inside him, slowly moving in and out of his tight channel. A second finger joined it quite quickly, and Draco fought to keep a wince of pain off his face.

Secluded in the privacy of his own bed curtains, Draco had experimented in anticipation of this moment. But Harry’s fingers were clearly much thicker than his own slender digits.

The sharp intake of breath he gave did not escape Harry’s notice. Green eyes looked down at him worriedly.

“Shit, Draco! Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Draco raised his hand and lovingly caressed his boyfriend’s cheek. “It’s okay, I know. Anyway, it’s passed now.”

“Are you sure?” Harry’s tone was clearly sceptical. “We can still switch, if you want?”

“And let you get out of all the hard work again?” Draco snorted. “Not a chance.”

Harry smiled tenderly, realising his boyfriend was still extremely nervous behind his bluffing. He ran his free hand soothingly down his flanks. “You have no idea how hot you look right now.”

Draco rolled his eyes, indicating he knew exactly how hot he was, thank you very much. “Quit stalling and get back to work, Potter.” The tender smile on his face belied the blond’s snarky words.

Harry knelt back between Draco’s invitingly spread thighs and resumed his ministrations gently. “Okay?” he asked worriedly, watching Draco’s face intently for any sign of discomfort.

Draco nodded. “I’m fine. Just make sure to really stretch me. I think I’m going to need it.”

Harry began scissoring his oiled fingers inside Draco, feeling the ring of tight muscle begin to loosen. Just before he tried for a third finger, Harry began lapping and sucking at Draco’s cock, teasing the slit mercilessly with the tip of his tongue.
Finally, when he was satisfied that his boyfriend was sufficiently prepared, Harry sat back on his heels and drank in the picture that Draco made, pale limbs splayed out on the lush, fur rug, hair mussed, skin flush with arousal, proud erection jutting forth.

He reached again for the vial of lubricant and poured a generous amount into his palm. After ensuring that his cock was well slicked, Harry looked at his friend apprehensively.

“How do you want to do this?”

“Well, I was rather hoping you would stick your cock up my arse,” Draco drawled, unable to help himself.

Harry grinned. “You know what I mean.”

This time Draco answered with actions, not words. He raised his legs and, hooking his hands in the crook of his knees, he held them back against his chest.

Harry’s mouth virtually watered at the sight of his boyfriend’s entrance, already loosened, just waiting for him to fill. He guided his cock until it was nudging against the blond’s hole.

“Just go slowly,” Draco said nervously.

Harry nodded; his heightened state of arousal had seemingly wiped his ability to form coherent words.

The tight heat of Draco’s arse was overwhelming, and it was all he could do not to slam in and pound his boyfriend hard. However, with more self-control than he realised he had, Harry slowly inched inside, his eyes fixed on Draco’s face for any sign of discomfort.

Once he was fully seated, Harry stilled his movements. He ran his hands soothingly down Draco’s thighs, and over the swell of his buttocks, while he waited for the blond to be ready.

Draco finally straightened his legs, hooking them over Harry’s shoulders, so that it raised him off the floor. He wriggled slightly, before rasping, “move.”

Needing no further words, Harry began to slowly thrust into his boyfriend, struggling to hold on as the tight muscles of Draco’s arse rippled around his shaft, threatening to push him over the edge.

He tried his best to angle his thrusts in search of Draco’s prostate, wanting his boyfriend to experience the amazing sensations that that could produce. After several attempts, Draco began mewling in pleasure, letting Harry know he had been successful.

“Stars?” Harry questioned.

Draco only nodded, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his perfect, white teeth, biting temptingly on his pouty lower lip.

Harry increased his pace, driving into his boyfriend with more force now. He watched as the darker flesh of his cock buried itself inside Draco’s pale arse. It was incredible how that tight little hole just swallowed up his erection so greedily.

Draco slid one of his hands down to his own neglected erection, circling it firmly and beginning to stroke. Harry found the sight of his boyfriend wanking incredibly arousing, but he wanted to be the one to make Draco lose control. He placed his own hand firmly over Draco’s, taking control of the strokes, timing them with his own thrusts.

“Don’t stop,” Draco whimpered. He was that far gone now that he didn’t care about begging shamelessly.

“I won’t,” Harry gasped. “Not till I fill you with my come.”

Draco’s eyes shot open at his boyfriend’s words, and Harry could see that they were clouded with lust. “Fuck, Harry,” he groaned, arching up off the floor.

As he watched his boyfriend’s orgasm begin to rip from his body, Harry let go of the tight, rigid control he had put on his own arousal. The sight of Draco's hot come splashing over their joined hands, and the feel of his arse pulsing wildly, were enough to tip Harry over the edge.

With one last deep thrust, he buried himself fully inside Draco and unleashed his own orgasm. As he felt his semen flooding into his boyfriend, Harry lifted their joined hands to his mouth and began to lick them clean of come.

“Fuck, that’s hot,” Draco groaned, watching his boyfriend’s antics through heavy-lidded eyes.

“Not as hot as you,” Harry returned, lowering his body so that he was lying fully on top of his boyfriend, their sweat coated bodies pressed together.

They lay like that, kissing languidly for several minutes, just wallowing in the afterglow of their mutual release.

“Was that good?” Harry asked, a little self-consciously.

Draco chuckled throatily. “Yes, Harry,” he said affectionately, “it was good. Bloody fantastic in fact.”

“So does that mean you’ll want to bottom more often then?”

Draco looked intently into his boyfriend’s eyes. “I don’t mind. Why, do you prefer being on top?”

Harry paused for a moment before speaking. “Well, I did enjoy it, and I think it would be nice to have a change now and again.”

“But you’d rather bottom?” Draco queried.

Harry nodded shyly; he had thoroughly enjoyed getting to fuck Draco, and he knew he would quite like to do it again in the future, but he honestly much preferred the feeling of being filled.


“Thank fuck for that,” Draco said in relief. “ Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed that. But I just love the feel of sliding inside your tight little hole.”

Harry let his head rest on Draco’s shoulders, relishing the feel of his boyfriend’s hands skimming over his naked body. He pressed light kisses along the side of Draco’s neck, flicking his tongue out lightly, tasting the saltiness of the blond’s skin.

“We’re going to be stuck together if we don’t clean up soon,” Draco said finally.

“Way to kill the mood,” Harry grumbled.

“I’m just being practical. It would be even more of a mood killer if we had to peel ourselves apart later.”

Harry began nipping at Draco’s earlobe. “Why don’t we get clean together then? There’s a big Jacuzzi in the bathroom.”

Draco grinned up at him lazily. “Are you suggesting we go in there to clean, or for round two?”

Harry sat back on his heels and leered down at his boyfriend. “I was hoping for both.”

Draco’s eyes glinted with excitement. “What are we waiting for then? Help me up?”

Harry stood up and held his hand out, pulling the naked blond to his feet, and led them in the direction of the bathroom.

Draco landed a light spank on Harry’s bare buttocks as they jiggled while he walked. “Come on, Potter, hurry up. Once I’ve got you in that bath, your arse is mine!”