The Road Home

NEVER SAY GOODBYE

When Narcissa woke up, Madam Pomfrey needed the help of three people to hold her and reassure her at least five times that yes, she was in Hogwarts, safe and sound, and that Draco was there, too. Still, Narcissa only calmed down when she saw Sirius standing beside her bed with a huge bouquet in his hands.

"He's fine then," she said, taking a deep breath in relief. "What I don't get is why Lucius let them go so easily. Something is not right. I wonder what his game is..."

"I know what you mean. But right now I'm glad they're here. I was so worried when I let Harry stay there. I kept picturing all these nasty things that could happen to him and Draco. Thank God nothing happened."

"Of course, he has Draco eating out of his hands. If only I had done things differently. God, I'm so stupid! How could I let him catch me like that? Now he's blackmailing my son because of it and I can't do anything about it. I know Draco won't listen to me. He is stubborn. Sirius, I don't want my son to become a Death Eater." Narcissa felt Sirius hand caressing hers gently.

"I know. He's a tough fellow though. As strange as it may sound, I think he'll be ok. I'm more worried about Harry. Harry is too attached to Draco. That's not good. And there's another thing that you don't know yet. Actually, a few people know about this."

"What is it?"

He wondered for a moment if he should tell her. He didn't trust her enough. Not yet. Then again, she had been through so much in a short period of time. She had risked her life for the Order. She was the woman he loved.

"James Potter is alive," he rushed out.

Narcissa opened her eyes wide and almost fell off the bed from the astonishing news. Sirius explained to her what had happened and she still couldn't believe it. She suggested that maybe it wasn't James at all but a trap orchestrated by Lord Voldemort and his minions. It was the perfect way, she explained, to get to Harry Potter. Harry would never doubt his own father.

"It makes sense but I'm hopeful. Remus has already left to pick him up. He'll send us an owl anytime soon," Sirius said, "It will be so cruel if what you're saying is right. I can't even think about it."

"But you have to. It's your duty as his godfather to protect Harry, even from his own father. This story you told me about Vivienne... It's weird. I sense something's wrong with it. You should be careful, Sirius. I never liked Vivienne. She was a creepy girl." Narcissa shivered at the thought of the girl she'd met in the past.

Vivienne, as she remembered, had always been around Lily, like a loser sidekick. She was short, had brown hair and intense black eyes. Awfully shy, she'd never talked to anyone but Lily, who she seemed to adore dearly. But there was something about her that Narcissa couldn't quite place. Narcissa had spotted a spark of hate and jealousy in her eyes more than once. If Vivienne had been a guy, Narcissa would have thought that she was a Death Eater, although it was common knowledge that Voldemort never accepted women into his circle of evil easily. The Dark Lord didn't like women because in his opinion they were way too unstable and unreliable. But there had been some women Death Eaters in the past. Maybe Vivienne had been one of them.

Of course, Sirius would never believe that. He was a Gryffindor. Gryffindors were the kind of people that believed in Santa Claus unless someone proved them wrong. Even though Sirius had been in Azkaban for so long, and a part of him had been affected severely because of it, he still had hope in his eyes, as unbelievable as that seemed to be.

"I told Remus to stay alert," Sirius said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Good."

"Sissy, there's something else I need to tell you. It's about Draco."

"What about him?" she said with her heart in her mouth.

"I think he knows, Sissy."

She looked at him puzzled.

"Well, he surely knows about us because I went there to rescue you. He saw the way you so willingly found comfort in my arms after you escaped. He noticed the way I care about you. Last night, a little before he went to bed, he told me that I should treat you right or he'd hex me in a very, very painful way."

"He said that?" Narcissa smiled.

"Yes. So, I think he's ok with us being a... couple. Well, not that ok but he didn't kill me. I think this is a good thing, right? But that's not it. I think he knows that I may be his father."

"WHAT? How? When?" she tried to get up but he held her back in the bed.

"Calm down! I don't know yet. I think Harry told him. Don't worry, ok? I'll talk to him."

"I wanted to be the one to tell him."

"It's too late for that, mother," Draco said, appearing all of a sudden and almost giving them a heart attack. "And no, Harry didn't tell me. He's too much of a Gryffindor to do that. I heard you two talking right here, in this room."

"Jesus, Draco! Did you have to sneak out on us like that?" Sirius complained.

Draco only shrugged.

"Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry," Narcissa said. She was terribly embarrassed.

"It's all right, mother. I had plenty of time to get used to the idea. But I was serious about the hexing part." He looked at Sirius in a threatening way. "You hurt my mother and I won't be held responsible for my actions."

"Draco!" Narcissa called his attention.

"It's ok, Sissy. The kid has a point. I'm stealing his mother away."

"You're not stealing me! How vulgar!" she protested.

"Mum, are you sure you want to be with this guy? He looks like an underdog. And he has no manners! I mean, look at him! His hair, his clothes, his... filthy nails!" Draco made a face.

"Hey, kid, you don't need to insult me!" Sirius said, upset.

"Oh, Draco, don't talk like that. You remind me of...," she cut herself off.

"I remind you of Lucius," Draco said bitterly. "That's because I'm his son. He told me so."

Ignoring their flabbergasted faces, Draco explained everything that Lucius had said to him.

"See? I'm his son," he finished calmly.

Sirius looked disappointed by this, Narcissa could tell. Draco didn't notice though.

"Maybe he was lying," Sirius suggested with hope.

"I don't think so," Draco said.

Narcissa didn't know what to make of that. All that time Lucius had known and he hadn't said anything. Lucius wasn't like that. Of course, he liked to keep the appearances that they were a happy family but a betrayal of that kind wasn't the sort of thing that he would forgive and forget. And yet he had done nothing. Not once he had confronted her to know the truth about it. Why?

"How are you feeling, dear?" she asked him tenderly.

"I'm fine."

He was anything but fine and she knew it.

"Draco... You don't have to..."

"Don't!" he interrupted her abruptly. "I don't want to hear it. I've made up my mind."

"But...," Narcissa began.

"I have to do this. It's part of my fate, as much as it's Harry's destiny to fight the Dark Lord. I accept that. I hope you can understand it."

"I don't want you to suffer."

"Too late for that, mum," he muttered. "I just came here to see how you were doing and to inform Black that Professor Dumbledore wants to see me and him in his office."

"Alright." Sirius kissed Narcissa slightly on the lips. "I'll be right back."

She nodded and then she made a gesture with her hands for Draco to approach her bed. She took his hand in hers and kissed it. Draco's eyes flickered against his will. It was really rare to receive such a tender touch from his mother. She hardly had touched him at all during all those years.

"Forgive me for my sins, son," she pleaded with her eyes filled with tears. "Because of me you'll be the one to pay for them."

"It's ok. I understand," Draco said without looking at her.

He didn't see how sad his mother looked when he left.

Draco said the Slytherin password and waited for the stone to move aside before coming in. He'd talked to Dumbledore and they'd settled Draco's task from that point on. Draco had never doubted what he'd have to do, or what kind of purpose he'd have to serve. He would spy for the Order, of course. He would be the 'key' spy, because his mission was to become closer to Voldemort, so close that he'd trust Draco with all kinds of information about the Death Eaters and their goals.

This was easier said than done. Draco was terrified about what he would face. He'd have to be cool and cynical in order to succeed. That wouldn't be so difficult. The difficult part would be in pretending to be a heartless bastard all the time. He didn't know if he could do it. What if he had to kill someone? He felt chills running down his spine. And then there was Harry. His naïve and adorable Harry. Draco would have to get used to the fact that he couldn't be with Harry anymore. If Draco kept seeing Harry, his disguise would be jeopardized. He cursed under his breath and hoped that Harry understood him.

Very cautiously, he entered the girls' dorm and locked the door. He knew Pansy was there all alone because he had made sure of that. He smirked as he watched her reading a gossip witch magazine.

"Pansy, darling," he called her with a phony sweetness.

She instantly dropped the magazine and stared at him with a blank expression.

"Draco. What are you doing here? This is the girls' dorm. You shouldn't be here."

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh. What about?"

"I know who you are, Pansy. My father told me."

"Really?" she gave him a naughty look.

"Yes. He explained things to me."

"It's about time." She slowly drew near him and he had to make a huge effort to hide his disgusted face. "If only I'd known sooner that all it took to have you was a little chat with your father... I tried so hard to make you like me, Draco. And yet, you preferred that stupid Harry Potter over me! I'm mad at you, you know? I'm not sure if I want to talk to you."

Draco held his tongue. He wanted to send her to hell but he couldn't.

"I almost gave up on you," she went on. "But obsessions are hard to cure."

"You're the one who tried to kill me and Harry, aren't you? The werewolf, the zombies and the weird - what's its name? - Oh, yes, the Quintaped. You were responsible for all of them," he stated with a cold tone of voice. "Oh, and let's not forget about that Bludger!"

"Oh, no, sweetheart. I didn't want to kill you. I wanted to kill him. He was in my way. I had to get rid of him. But he's such a lucky bastard! Grandpa told me to leave Potter to him. He was really mad when he heard about the incidents. He told me women are stupid creatures that need to be commanded by strong men. Then he asked me if I liked someone. I told him all about you. He said I should seduce you. I've been trying ever since."

"He wants a man to control you?" Draco asked, surprised and a little amused.

"Well, sort of," she said with a grimace. "He seems to think that girls are not to be relied upon. Who cares anyway? As long as he keeps sending me money and giving me power I don't give a shit."

"That's awful, Pansy," Draco smirked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, Draco. You never complain when your daddy sends you money, do you? You can say all you want about how much you hate Lucius but I know better. You hate him but you accept his money. You're such a bloody hypocrite!" She ran her pink nails along his chest. "You like money, Draco, and you like power. I know you do. Don't deny it. That's what I love about you."

She had a point, he thought, disgusted with himself.

"I won't deny it," he said with his mouth close to hers. "That's what I came here to tell you. I'll be yours, my dear Pansy. But you'll have to make sure that I'll be like a son to Voldemort. That's the price you pay for getting me."

She smiled evilly. "I can do that."

"It doesn't look like you can. I mean, you just said Voldemort despises you."

"Not really. I mean, he does. A little. He's the Dark Lord, Draco. He doesn't have a heart. But he knows I'm the only one who can give him an heir, so he treats me nicely. He's old, he can't have children anymore. I don't think he's even human."

"You're the last one with Slytherin's blood?"

"Yes. I was adopted when I was just a baby. My real parents died. See, Drake? Together we can give him his bloody heir and then we'll have all the power in the world!" she laughed. "I'm so powerful. You have no idea. I've been receiving some training. Didn't you notice that almost every weekend I just disappear? A carriage comes to pick me up. It's fun and no one has ever found out. Dumbledore is an old fool. He never suspected a thing."

"You said you never wanted to kill me but you're lying. That Quintaped was in that library to kill me, not Potter."

"Hmm... that's true. But I had nothing to do with the Quintaped. It seems like you have another enemy, Drake. I didn't tamper the Bludger, either. It was funny though. It gave the game a whole new excitement."

Draco hid his confusion. "And you don't know who it is that wants to kill me?"

"No, sorry. Maybe it's that stupid Zabini." She shrugged. "I can ask around if you want. Now that you're mine, we have to talk about more important things. Like the Boy Wonder, for example. I want him out of the picture, Draco. I'm a very possessive girl. Do you love him?" she asked harshly.

Draco looked straight into her eyes and lied in a way that would sound believable, "It was only sex, Pansy. I was only fucking him. He's a nice piece of ass. Even you have to agree with that."

"He's kind of cute," she admitted.

"He was a weakness. It won't happen again. Unless...," he let the phrase hang.

He crossed his fingers, hoping that she would bite the bait.

"What?"

"Well..." Draco pulled an act of indifference. "I could shag him until the end of the term to get information for our side. He's kind of naïve, you know? He thinks I'm a good guy and that I want to jump to his side. He thinks..." Draco made a dramatic pause. "... that I'm just misunderstood!"

Pansy burst out laughing. "That is priceless! I can totally picture him looking at you with adoration and saying that you're not a bad guy, just a little misunderstood! What a dumb asshole!"

Draco clamped down on the urge to break her in two. How could she say those things about Harry? He was so much better than her in every way. It would be more difficult to put up with Pansy than he thought. She was hell on earth. At least, he thought bitterly, it would be a way to wash away all of his sins.

"What do you think, Pansy?"

"I don't know, Draco. I don't like it. But I'll let you do it. Just till the end of the term. Next school year you'll be mine and only mine. Grandpa doesn't know about you and Potter. I didn't tell him. I don't think he would like to know. He doesn't appreciate guys who are fond of other guys. Just don't slip, Draco. See, I'm merciful but only to a certain degree. I will let you play with Potter for a while but then you'll have to forget about him. He's our enemy, remember that. Eventually you'll have to kill him."

"Don't worry about it."

Thank God she was a stupid girl. Salazar Slytherin should be punching himself in his grave.

"I don't want you to spend all of your free time with him. I want you to stay with me, too. I will tell everybody that you're my boyfriend from now on. And you'll have to kiss me from time to time in front of the whole school," she demanded.

Draco almost shuddered at the thought. "Sure."

"Good. Now kiss me."

And Draco did, trying desperately to think of something else to keep himself from throwing up.

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

Erin should have seen it coming. She was a lousy seer though, which explained things a little bit. But at least this she should have predicted. Actually, that was the sort of thing that didn't need premonitions, only a good sense and attention to the signs. And the signs had been so clear that she wondered why she hadn't noticed them before.

She heard someone knocking at her classroom's door and went to open it. She found Harry staring at her with a lost expression and pulled him inside the room. He didn't look very well and she could only imagine what he was feeling. First, the person he loved was taken away from him and then he discovered his father was alive. Not only that, but he was told that James wouldn't recognize him because some crazy woman took away his memories.

"How are you, Harry?" she asked in a motherly tone of voice.

He smiled sadly. "I'm cool."

"You don't look cool. You look terrible," Erin said with her usual sincerity.

"I'm fine... just a little..."

"Lost?"

"Yeah. Sort of," he said distractedly and she wished she could pull him into a tight hug. "Dumbledore wants to see you in his office."

"Oh. You came here to tell me that?"

"Yes. He said it was important but you don't have to go there right away."

"Did he say anything else?" she asked, suspicious.

"As a matter of fact, he did. He told me you should talk to Snape and tell him the truth."

Erin mumbled something that Harry didn't catch.

"May I ask what he was talking about?" he asked politely.

"Oh, sure. It won't be a secret for too long anyway. I'm pregnant."

Harry's eyes opened wide. "What?"

"Indeed, Jones, what the hell are you talking about?" said Snape standing at the door looking paler than ever.

Harry looked at him, then at her, and decided that it was time for him to leave.

"Congratulations, Erin," he said before going away.

"Jones... Is it true?"

"Yes. You're going to be a daddy," she tried to joke, failing miserably.

"Dammit!"

Snape's world turned suddenly upside down. He would be a father. It wasn't a big surprise as he had been suspecting that about Erin ever since she'd went to the Hospital Wing. Still, to hear it out loud... it was a bit of a shock. He didn't know what to do or say. How could he let that happen? Why didn't he prevent it? He was a Potions Master. He was an experienced man. He wasn't a teenager anymore.

"Don't worry. I won't put a wand to your head and force you to marry me," Erin joked, breaking into his chains of thoughts. "I can have this baby on my own. It's not a problem."

"Don't be foolish, Jones. I'm not the kind of man that gets scared easily. I'm old enough to assume my responsibilities. Are you having this baby?" he asked coldly.

"Of course I'm having the baby! What are you thinking? I wouldn't get rid of it! We're facing difficult times, I know, but I think I can handle it. It's your baby, too. How could I get rid of something that it's part of you and me?" She had tears in her eyes and he cursed himself for being such an insensitive bastard. Sometimes he almost wished he was as sappy as Potter when he was with Draco. Almost.

"Don't cry, Erin," he said softly.

"I can't help it. It's these damn hormones!" she complained before bursting in tears.

He held her tightly, trying to pass some of his confidence on to her. He wouldn't abandon her. He couldn't abandon her. She was the light of his dark life. She had become his everything and he loved her with all his heart. Sure, he wasn't ready to be a father. He didn't have any paternal feelings inside him - one just had to watch the way he treated his students to know that.

If he had said that aloud, Erin would have disagreed with him. Even though he would never admit it, he acted like a father around Draco and Harry. He was always watching over them and making sure they wouldn't get themselves into too much trouble.

He kept rubbing her back gently until she stopped crying.

"You'll have to leave the Order," he stated.

"I know."

"No more Duelling classes for you either."

She raised an eyebrow. "Now you're crossing the line."

"Crossing the line? Those Duelling classes are dangerous. Longbottom almost hexed his schoolmate the other day! Do I have to say that Potter managed to successfully disarm you, too? He could have hurt you! I should give him detention for that!"

"You did, Sevy."

"Really?" he frowned.

"Yes."

"Well, anyway, you have to stop teaching."

"WHAT? No way! I'm pregnant, not sick!"

"You have to think about the baby's welfare!"

"I'm thinking about it! It doesn't mean I'll stop doing everything I like."

"Don't argue with me. Dumbledore will certainly agree that..."

"Oh, please..." She crossed her arms stubbornly. "Listen, I can understand about the Duelling class. It is kind of dangerous. But..."

"DADA is also dangerous."

"You're such an impossible man!"

"And you'll have to marry me," he said with an imperial voice.

"I don't like taking orders! I won't marry you just because you want me to."

"Fine, Jones! Have it your way then."

They stared at each other. He wanted to tell her that he indeed wanted to marry her not because she was pregnant but because he loved her. It was hard to let the mask slip. She, on the other hand, wanted to accept his proposal but was way too headstrong to admit it.

"All right," they said at the same time. "What?"

Silence.

"I want to...," again, they started to talk at the same time. Snape scowled and Erin laughed.

"Ok. You first," she said.

"I don't want to marry you just because of the baby," he said uncomfortably.

Her eyes glowed. "I want to marry you, too. I love you. I don't know exactly why, but I do," she teased, breaking through his solemn expression and making him smile. "I'm not exactly a big fan of weddings, either, but wizarding weddings are so fun!"

"I don't know what I'll do to you."

"I can think of one or two things."

He shook his head but kept the smile on his face. "Let's tell Dumbledore. I have the feeling that he knows all about it already. He always does. Still, I would like him to be the first to know."

She held his hand and led him to the door. "We have so much to talk about."

"I know."

"And so much to plan! I would like to throw a party for my closest friends. They'll expect me to do that and I can't let them down. I also want a dress. Not a white one, maybe this black and white gown I saw in this month's Witch Weekly. I have a friend that can make for me an extraordinary....," she went on.

"Oh, my..,." Snape sighed. It would be a long day.

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

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"I'm here."

"I know."

Draco had been waiting for Harry in the Astronomy Tower for about half-hour when Harry appeared. Draco saw the secret entrance opening and closing and he kept staring at the void because Harry was using his Invisibility cloak. For a long time, the silence reigned inside the room. Neither boy knew exactly what to say to the other, so they didn't speak. Harry was still hidden under his father's cloak and Draco, despite the fact that he was irritated about it, didn't say a thing.

Then Harry spoke and Draco's heart clutched. They started a vague conversation that would lead them nowhere and Draco had the feeling that this was what Harry wanted. He was scared, Draco could tell only by hearing him talking even though he wasn't seeing him.

"Take it off, Harry," he said tiredly. "I want to see you."

"No," it was the only answer.

"Why not?"

"Just because."

Draco sighed and closed his eyes. He alerted all of his senses in order to locate Harry. Breathing deeply, he sensed Harry's scent. He knew that smell by heart. He opened his eyes and went straight to where Harry was standing. He made the cloak slip to the floor with one hand and with the other he caressed Harry's face gently. He realized then that Harry had been crying.

"What... Why?" Draco asked, his heart beating faster inside his chest.

Harry only shook his head. It was clear that he didn't want to talk.

"Tell me what's wrong," Draco whispered, bringing the other boy closer to him and kissing his cheek delicately.

"Do you really need to ask?" Harry tried to joke, a crack in his voice that penetrated like a knife in Draco's heart.

"No, I guess not."

"You talked to her."

Draco's eyes flickered. He had warned Harry about his meeting with Pansy. Then why was his love looking so devastated? Draco hadn't even spoken about his conversation with the bitch and yet Harry seemed to know what had happened. How could that be?

"Yes, I talked to her."

"Right. Then I guess this is goodbye."

"NO! Not goodbye!" There was a bit of desperation in Draco's tone of voice but he didn't care. "Never goodbye, Harry. Never say goodbye to me, please."

Harry stared at him confused. "But I thought..."

"I convinced Pansy to let me see you till the end of the term. She thinks I'm here to steal valuable information from you. Little does she know that I want to be here only because I love you," Draco said before kissing Harry.

After a while, Harry pulled away.

"She let you?"

"Well, yes." Harry made a face. "Oh, come on, Harry. You know that I'm in her hands now. The only thing I can do is to make sure she thinks she can control me when in fact I'm the one calling all the shots," Draco explained.

"What did she ask from you in exchange?" Harry asked, suspicious.

"Nothing." He looked down.

"Don't give me that. You said it yourself that everybody wants something in return."

"Alright. I'll have to be her boyfriend."

Harry sighed. "I expected that. Can I ask you to do something?"

"Of course, Harry."

"Don't kiss her when I'm around."

Draco swallowed hard. He nodded, but he didn't know if he would be able to keep his word. He had the feeling that when the opportunity came, Pansy would do exactly that just to show Harry that she owned Draco Malfoy.

Draco embraced Harry and pulled him closer. They stayed that way for a long time, listening to each other's heart beat. The gesture was relaxing to both boys. Draco felt a soft kiss on his neck and he moaned quietly. He buried his head in Harry's hair and bit Harry's earlobe.

"Harry?"

"Hmm."

"Why were you crying? Was it because of me?"

Harry shook his head. "I've been thinking about my father."

"Oh. What about him?"

"I think he's alive."

Draco pulled away and stared at him in awe. "What?"

"He's alive." Then Harry told him about his conversation with Dumbledore on the previous day. "Today I remembered something. Last year, when I dueled with Voldemort and our wands connected, I saw some of the people he killed coming out of his wand and my father was among them. That should mean he was dead, shouldn't it? I got really confused by this and then I went to ask Dumbledore about it and he couldn't explain it to me. The only thing he said was that whatever came out of Voldemort's wand, it wasn't my father's spirit but a ghost, some sort of spectrum of what my father should have been. He said that some wands can capture a little of people's essence. The stronger the wizard the stronger his wand and therefore its ability to capture the essence of the things it hits. Sounds crazy, hmm?"

"Very."

Draco was too speechless to say something. He kept thinking about his father and what his reaction would be when he heard the astonishing news. When they had talked, Draco had the impression that his father had been in love with James Potter in the past. Maybe he still was. That would be such a mess!

"I've been confused ever since. Maybe that letter was a lie. Maybe it's Voldemort's plan to kill me."

"NO! It would be too cruel, Harry. To send your father or someone that looks like him just to kill you? It's sick."

"We're talking about Voldemort and he killed his own father. I don't really think he cares about family ties." Harry smiled bitterly. "I was thinking that maybe they brought my father back from the dead."

"You don't know what you're talking about. That's... that's very bad necromancy. It's... it's the worst kind of dark magic there is. It's extremely difficult. I don't think Voldemort has the ability do to it, and it doesn't matter how strong he is."

"Maybe you're right."

"Gosh! I can only imagine what you're feeling about all this mess."

Draco pulled Harry into another embrace.

"I'm also Gryffindor's heir," Harry muttered and Draco couldn't help but laugh.

"You're joking."

"No, I'm not."

Draco looked serious for a moment and then he smirked, "You do have super powers then. You're more of a celebrity than you thought you were."

"I so knew you were going to say that," Harry sneered.

And Draco knew Harry had been expecting a remark like that.

"I don't like it when you sneer, Harry," Draco teased him.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Just wait and see, Harry Potter."

They kissed passionately.

"Want you," Harry whispered against his mouth.

"I noticed."

In a few minutes all of their clothes were lying on the floor.

"Admit it, Draco. The fact that I'm Gryffindor's heir turns you on, doesn't it?"

Draco smiled mischievously. "Oh, yes. It's a very powerful aphrodisiac."

"And you just want me because of it."

"Of course. What else?"

"It's not because of my deep emerald eyes?"

"I think your eyes have something to do with it, yes."

"What about my mouth?"

Draco brushed Harry's lips with his own. "Maybe."

"My cleverness?"

"I wouldn't make too much of it," Draco teased. "I mean, you are kind of dense."

"You're the blond here, Malfoy."

"Ouch! That hurt, Harry!"

"Shut up. Top or bottom?"

"Why, Mr. Potter. Are you flirting with me?"

"We passed flirtation already, Malfoy. Top or bottom?"

"I don't care."

They smiled, kissed and played with each other until Draco brought Harry with him to the floor. They made love slowly, enjoying the feeling of their skin sliding against each other. For them, it was enough just to be there, lying under the stars, feeling each other's accelerated breaths and heartbeats. Draco did the possible and the impossible to make them forget for a while about their problems and he succeeded. But they couldn't forget it for too long, and when their breathing slowed down, he caught himself thinking about their current situation. He was sure that Harry, who seemed comfortably enwrapped in his arms, would soon start to question him about their future. He wasn't wrong.

"Draco? What's going to happen to us?"

Draco smiled weakly. Harry was so predictable.

"Some kids won't return next year. That's all I know. Voldemort is complaining that his army is not big enough for his purposes and he's calling all of the Death Eater's sons to join him."

"That was not what I asked. You will return, right?"

"Yes." Draco held him tightly. "I don't care about Pansy or Voldemort. I know he'll want to mark me as a Death Eater, but I won't let him. I'll try to convince him that it's for the best since I'll keep studying here. Dumbledore would never allow someone marked in the school. Thank God for that. But I'll have to pass some information about the Order just to make him trust me. I talked to Dumbledore and he told me he would think of something. I won't leave you, Harry. Maybe we won't be able to see each other like this, but at least I'll be close to you."

"We could meet here."

"No. Even though Pansy won't return to school for the sixth year, she'll have someone to keep an eye on me."

"Dammit. I hate that cow. Will you have to sleep with her?"

Draco shuddered. "Not if I can prevent it."

"If you do, don't tell me."

Draco looked deep inside Harry's eyes. "I won't sleep with her." He kissed Harry and their tongues entwined. Draco felt the desire burning him again and he growled, "Do you know what you do to me?"

"I have an idea." Harry's hand slipped down Draco's torso and caressed him intimately. "It's the same way with me. It's amazing but every day I feel like I want you more and more."

Again, they got lost in each other. Draco was on top this time. As he thrust deeper inside Harry, his mind traveled to someplace else. He felt himself flying without his broom, with Harry by his side all the way. Harry bit his neck, marking him as his own.

When the clock crept toward midnight, they put their clothes on and held each other one more time. Harry didn't want to leave and neither did Draco but they had to go. Pansy, the bitch, was waiting for Draco.

"Remember Harry, this is not goodbye. We'll see each other until the end of the term. And I'll be back for our sixth year." He gripped Harry's hand.

"Just don't make me see you with that bitch."

"I won't."

"I hate all of this," Harry said, frustrated and waiting badly to break something.

"I know. I hate it, too."