So we meet again, Harry Potter

Draco poured himself a stiff drink when he arrived back at his flat. Meeting Harry had been...well. It had been a surprise, but a pleasant one. Flirting with Harry had been delicious, even though he hadn't planned on doing it. When he saw Harry looking so handsome and so surprised to see him, he knew he had to have him again.

There had been so many questions that he had pushed to the back of his head. The 'what ifs.' But he had played that game too long. He wanted to get some answers now that everything was over; the war and their differences and the arguments about it. He wanted to know if there was a chance for Harry and himself. They were, after all, older and wiser now.

Him and Harry...who would have thought it? They had argued and fought throughout their time at Hogwarts. Well, almost. During their last year at school, he had noticed Harry's change in attitude towards him. He had been going through shit, and had completely stopped picking on Harry and his little friends. That was when he started noticing the stares. Those amazing green eyes looking straight at him, full of questions and promises. He had tried to ignore it, he really had. After all, it wasn't as if he was gay! Okay, so he had experimented a bit, but he definitely liked girls. But Harry kept at it. The 'accidental' brushes. The longing looks. The sighs. Harry never made an obvious move but he was seducing Draco from afar.

Draco had been confused by his own reaction to it. He could see Harry's desire in those startling eyes, and he felt himself being sucked in. He lived for those moments with Harry, when it was just the two of them. He noticed how Harry blushed every time their hands accidentally touched, and he was overwhelmed with longing at Harry's reaction.

Then there was that night at the lake. Draco had just received a letter from his mother. Ever since Lucius had died, Narcissa had been imploring Draco not to become a Death Eater. Lucius had always wanted Draco to follow in his footsteps, but neither Draco nor his mother were very keen on it. After Lucius' death, Draco had been even more convinced that he would never follow Voldemort. He had seen enough and heard enough from his father to get an idea of what being a Death Eater was about. And he was damned if he was ever going to become one.

Sitting by the lake that day, Draco had just finished reading his mother's letter. She sounded depressed and scared. He felt helpless and frustrated, hoping and praying that she would be safe. His mind had been tormented by dark, painful thoughts. That was when Harry turned up. Harry. Sweet, sensitive Harry, who had wanted him from a distance for such a long time. Harry, who had never made a move until now. Harry, who had enveloped Draco in his strong, comforting arms, and had spoken soothing words to him. Draco had looked into Harry's eyes as they broke apart, and that was when he knew he was in over his head. He drew Harry to himself and kissed him with everything he had.

Harry was surprised at first, but he responded with a fierceness Draco would never have guessed that he was capable of. They shared fiery, passionate kisses for what could have been minutes, or could have been hours. Finally they pulled apart and lay down on the grass, breathless and panting. Draco didn't want to talk about it; he didn't want to analyse it. It just felt so right, so good, and he did not want to ruin things by thinking too much.

So their relationship blossomed; their encounters getting more amorous every time they met. It wasn't long before they had shed all their inhibitions and become one with each other, but they still hadn't talked about what exactly was going on between them. When they finally did have 'The Conversation,' both Draco and Harry had admitted to being in love with the other. They remained a couple after Hogwarts and eventually moved in together.

Living with Harry had been Heaven. But it had been Hell too. Their views were such polar opposites that they argued about almost everything. And then there was the issue of Harry's jealousy. Harry had always suffered from low self-esteem and in the earlier stages of their relationship; he sulked every time a girl paid too much attention to Draco. Harry was convinced that he was not good enough for Draco, and that Draco would realise this at some point and leave him. Draco argued that Harry had many more fan-girls throwing themselves at him, but since Harry was not interested in girls anyway, he said it didn't count. He was always afraid that Draco would eventually abandon him for one of those "floozies" as he called them. Draco suspected that Harry wasn't quite comfortable with the fact that he was bisexual. To Harry, it probably seemed as if anybody was fair game to Draco.

Draco sighed. What Harry hadn't realised then was that Draco had eyes only for him. Nobody lit a fire in Draco like Harry did. And nobody had ignited so much as a spark in him since Harry.

He thought back to their last argument. Draco and a few other wizards had been trapped and surrounded by Death Eaters. They had not been captured yet, but it was just a matter of time. News of their predicament had reached Harry, and being Harry, he had rushed out to save Draco. He could have died because of his foolish haste, but he did it anyway. Draco and his comrades were finally rescued, but Harry had been hit by a couple of Unforgivable Curses, and was comatose for a month. Draco had spent that month convincing himself that if Harry ever woke up, the best thing for them to do would be to split up.

When Harry finally recovered and went home, there had been an emotional reunion. They had spent the night in each other's arms, soothing and caressing each other. Draco did everything to show Harry how much he loved him, even though his heart broke every time the thought about what he had to do the following day.

Draco would never forget the conversation they had the next morning, after waking up content in each other's arms. He had gently brushed Harry's messy hair out of his eyes, and placed a gentle kiss on those soft lips that he would never taste again.

"Harry, we need to talk."

Harry sighed. "I know."

"You do realise we have to end this, don't you? I love you, but we can't afford to let you run around trying to save me. Face it Harry, I'm dispensable, you're not. You are vitally important in this war. They need you. You have a responsibility to them, Harry."

"Fuck responsibility. I never asked for it and I don't care about it." A resigned sigh. "But you're right. This can't go on. A lot of people know about us, and they could target you. If anything ever happened to you because of me, I'd never forgive myself."

"Harry, I...you do know that I love you, don't you? I always will. But we have to do this. This is this is the right thing to do, isn't it?"

A hollow laugh. "Yes, it's the right thing. And Harry Potter always does the right thing." Harry closed his eyes tightly for a moment, and then gently cupped Draco's face within his hands. "Draco, my love, it kills me to do this, but I'd rather see you alive without me than with me and dead."

Draco continued bravely, trying to keep his voice steady. "I've already spoken to Dumbledore, and I'm scheduled to leave for Paris tomorrow. I'll join the movement there."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, I...I thought it would be best to make a clean break of it."

"Draco...I..."

A breath-stopping hug. Unshed tears. Two men holding on as tight as they could. Wishing that they would never have to face tomorrow.

"Harry, I love you, but I'm setting you free so that you can fight unencumbered. The war is going to be difficult. Find love where you can. You owe me nothing, you understand? No commitment, no strings. Maybe we can meet as friends some day."

"No commitment, no strings. Wow, how fucking noble."

"I'm sorry, Harry, you know that's the way it has to be."

"I know, I'm sorry. I love you too. Maybe we will meet as friends...some day."

That night, they made desperate, passionate love. They were trying to cling on to what would be gone the next day, trying to make that night never end. But end it did, and Draco left in the morning. He couldn't bear to actually say goodbye, so he placed a gentle kiss on Harry's lips while he slept, and Disapparated.

~~~~~~~

Draco pulled himself out of his memories. That was all in the past, and there was nothing stopping him from pursuing Harry now. Heaven knows he had thought about it more than once. When the war ended, he had decided to talk to Harry, and had gone to find him. He had seen Harry, hounded by photographers and cameramen, fielding questions and trying to hide from the spotlight. He had also seen a young, brown-haired man with Harry, gently holding his arm and leading him away from the reporters. Draco noticed the man putting an arm around Harry's shoulders and whispering something to him...and he noticed Harry's blush. No commitment...no strings. Of course, Harry was free to love. Had he really thought that Harry would wait for him? Draco felt suffocated, nauseous. He left without speaking to Harry, and never contacted him again.

A few months later, he was recruited to play professional Quidditch. He had thrown himself into his career, and had done well for himself. But a part of him always wondered...what if...?

Draco sank back in his favourite armchair and put his drink down. He would be seeing Harry at the Quidditch game next weekend. Hopefully they would have a chance to talk.

~~~~~~~

The week crawled by for Draco. He dreamed of Harry every night, and woke up sweaty and panting. What was it that Harry had done except look adorably innocent and vulnerable? Draco knew better than most that after the war, Harry was no longer innocent. Harry had seen more darkness in those few years than most people see in a lifetime. But Harry was strong. So fragile, yet strong. Delicate, yet tough. Harry was a tangled mess of contradictions, just like their relationship had been. But Draco had to talk to him. He had to find out. Harry was unattached now. What was to stop them from exploring the possibilities? They had given up enough; there was no reason for them to give up on each other.

Sunday morning arrived, and Draco was at the Quidditch pitch, bright and early. He was chatting with some of the other players when he caught sight of Harry. The green-eyed wizard looked ravishing in a tight fitting white T-shirt and blue jeans. Draco could not take his eyes off him. And what was even better was that Harry seemed equally taken with Draco. Harry stared at Draco, with a silly grin on his face, before someone called out to him and brought him back to reality.

The game had been...very interesting. Harry and Draco played Chasers for opposite teams. Cho was one of the Seekers, and had asked Draco to be the other Seeker, but he chose to play Chaser because that was what Harry was playing. It was thrilling to fly with Harry again, although it did feel odd to play a position he wasn't used to.

Neither he nor Harry played very well that day; they flew very close to each other and both were aware of the heat between them. Draco let his eyes roam all over Harry as he flew, and he felt Harry's gaze upon him in return. He remembered that gaze on him all through their last year at Hogwarts, when Harry had started his 'Seduce Draco with My Eyes' campaign. It had worked pretty well too - Draco had to admit. He felt himself burning up under that gaze, just as he had all those years ago.

They finally finished the game, Draco's team won, but it was no thanks to Draco. Cho had got to the Snitch before Martin, the other Seeker. As they descended, Draco watched Harry; his hair windswept, his face flushed from flying. Draco knew that this time, it would have to be him doing the seducing.

As they landed, he turned to Harry and said, "Harry, we're having a small get together in a couple of weeks, at the Manor. It would be really nice if you could join us. A lot of our old schoolmates will be there."

"That's a great idea," Cho chimed in. "Why don't you come along?"

Harry gulped, and looked from Cho to Draco. "At the Manor?" he asked Draco. "Malfoy Manor?"

"Yeah, you remember where it is, don't you? I could jog your memory if you like," said Draco, a small smile curling on his lips. He had many happy and steamy memories from Harry's visit to the Manor. Looking at the blush on Harry's face just then, it seemed Harry remembered too.

"I'll let you know," Harry told Draco.

When they were about to part ways, Harry grabbed hold of Draco's elbow, and whispered, "I want to talk to you. Now."

Harry and Draco stayed behind after everyone left.

"What the heck is this all about, Draco?" Harry asked, as soon as the others were out of earshot.

"What are you talking about, Harry?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You're...you're flirting with me."

Draco couldn't stop a grin escaping.

"You noticed?"

"Draco, we've been through this before. We had our chance, and it's gone now. I think it's best if we both accept it and move on."

"Are you sure that's what you want, Harry?" Draco asked, still smiling. Harry's face had always been an open book, and he could see Harry's confusion reflected in those wide emerald-green eyes.

"What about what you want?" Harry shouted. "If you want us to get together, why didn't you ever contact me before? After the war ended, I tried to get in touch with you for months. Nobody would tell me where you were; only that you were safe, and that you didn't want to see anyone. All the owls I sent came back with my letters unopened. You obviously didn't care then, why do you care now?"

"I had my reasons. Besides, you seemed pretty happy, with your little brown-haired friend. Your photographs were all over the papers, always together. You didn't need me."

"Brown-haired friend? Surely you don't mean Jonathan. We fought together for the Order towards the end of the war. He's a very powerful wizard, and the papers...you know how they are. But...is that why you didn't contact me? There was nothing going on between us, Draco. At least, not then. He told me that he liked me a few months later, and we went out a few times. But that was it."

Harry paused as his face froze with sudden comprehension.

"It was you, wasn't it? At the press conference just after the war? I thought I saw you, but you left before I could speak with you. Please don't say you left because you thought I was with him."

"I...you weren't with him? But I saw the way he looked at you and touched you, Harry."

"Shit, Draco - you are such a bloody fool. That's why you stayed away, isn't it? No commitment, no strings. Yeah, I remembered. But I still waited for you. I wanted to be with you. Until I realised that you probably had a reason why you didn't want to be found, and I left you alone."

Harry threw his head back and let out a frustrated sigh.

"That's just great! You're such a fucking moron. The next time you make these half-witted attempts at theories, just remember that you have the brain capacity of a fucking two-year-old, alright? I can't believe that you stayed away from me just because of some ridiculous assumption that I was with someone else. Do you have any idea how much I needed you then?"

Draco had squeezed his eyes shut, and was running his hands through his hair now.

"Fuck, Harry, I thought I was doing the right thing okay? That's what you always do, isn't it? The right thing? The one fucking time I thought I made the right decision and let you be, and it turns around to bite me in the arse. Fuck you, Harry! You don't know how hard it was for me to do it, and it was all for you, but you don't fucking care, do you? Everything always has to be about you, doesn't it? I -"

Draco was interrupted by Harry's lips pressing firmly against his. He forgot what he had wanted to say. All he could think of was the familiar feeling of Harry's soft lips on his, after so long. He pulled Harry closer and furiously returned the kiss. His hands were soon running up and down Harry's back, while Harry raked his fingers through Draco's wind-tousled hair. They kissed each other hungrily, lips meeting lips, nipping, biting, sucking...

Harry moaned deep in his throat as Draco planted wet kisses down from his lips onto his neck. Draco could feel the heat rising in his body from hearing Harry, feeling Harry, tasting Harry. He felt an overwhelming desire to tear off Harry's clothes and make him his right there. With that thought he started pulling Harry's T-shirt out of his jeans.

"Draco..."

"Shhh...don't say anything, Harry."

The kiss continued for a while longer before Harry pushed Draco away, both of them breathing raggedly.

"No Draco, we can't do this. This is the problem with us. This chemistry or whatever it is that we have with each other. If there is to be hope for us, we have to actually talk. And I mean talk, without kissing or touching. I know my body needs you, Draco, I'm just not sure my mind is ready for that crazy roller-coaster ride again. Can we start off as friends? That's what you said back then, isn't it? 'Maybe we can meet as friends some day?' Do you still want to be friends?"

Draco's breathing was getting more normal now. "Harry, you know I want a lot more than that, but you're right, we do have to talk about it. Do you want to go out for coffee some time? As friends? We can talk. And please, come to the party. I promise I won't trap you in any of our fun rooms." Draco smiled mischievously. "Unless you want me to, of course."

Harry grinned. "All right. Let's do it then. How about coffee, say Wednesday, six o'clock? Let's go to the Three Broomsticks. I haven't been there in a while."

"You're on, Harry. See you then."

Draco leaned forward and kissed Harry gently on the lips, and then on the cheek. Before Harry could say anything, he had started walking away.

~~~~~~~

They met that Wednesday at the Three Broomsticks, and talked for hours. Draco found it amazing that they seemed to pick up exactly where they had left off, as if they had never been apart. They exchanged stories about the war, though Draco knew that Harry was holding back a lot. He didn't want to press Harry to talk about those times any more than he was comfortable with. Draco told him how he had come to play Quidditch for the Cannons, and about some of his relationships. Harry winced whenever he mentioned any of his past lovers, and Draco couldn't help smiling at that. It seemed like Harry hadn't quite got over his jealousy.

"Harry, you don't have to worry. Nobody ever compared to you. You're still number one on my list of lovers. And to be number one on Draco Malfoy's list is no easy feat, I assure you," he teased Harry.

Harry blushed. "Well, you're in the top twenty-five percent of my list, if it makes you feel any better."

"Hmmm...twenty-five percent, you say? Do I take it you've only been with three others then? In eight years?" Draco looked surprised.

"I'm picky, alright? And it seems my standards were too high," Harry replied, blushing.

Draco took Harry's hand in his, and gently kissed Harry's knuckles.

"Oh, Harry, I've missed this so much. Just to be able to talk to you. I can't believe what a fool I was, to have jumped to conclusions like I did, all those years ago. I know I said we'd be friends, but I didn't know then what the future would bring. I know what I want Harry; I know what I need, and it's you. It's always been you. Always."

Harry leaned over and kissed him, gently. He suddenly seemed to realise what he was doing, and sat back on his seat, nervously pulling a strand of hair behind his ears.

They continued talking for a while, and by the time they were ready to leave, Draco knew that he had fallen in love with Harry again. He wasn't sure if he had ever fallen out of love with him, no matter how much he had tried to convince himself that he had. As they left the pub and got ready to Apparate back to their respective homes, Draco suddenly grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him close. Harry's eyes fluttered shut as Draco captured his mouth in a hot searing kiss. He planted kisses all over Harry's neck, licked the sensitive part that he knew drove Harry wild, and without really knowing what he was doing, started to unbutton Harry's shirt. Harry made a throaty sound when Draco showered soft kisses all over his chest, gently running his fingers all over his overheated skin. As his tongue became more insistent, Harry pulled away suddenly, realising where they were.

Draco looked slightly dazed. He drew back as well.

"Shit! I'm sorry, Harry, I got a little carried away," said Draco, collapsing against a wall and breathing heavily. Harry leaned against him, shaking his head. He quickly buttoned up his shirt, straightened it out, and left without a word.

Draco watched Harry Disapparate and sank onto the ground, holding his head in his hands. "What have I done, Harry? God, I hope I haven't scared you away."