Ebony and Ivory

Author's Notes Beta'd by Livejournal user fcm-wtr-do

One-shot ficlet. All feedback appreciated!

Ebony and Ivory

It had been nearly two weeks since the second war had ended, since the Death Eaters and Voldemort had been found dead. They had been killed with raw magic, so strong that even as Ministry officials had arrived at the scene some hours after their demise, the air was still charged with its radiating force. This magic, they had traced back to the unconscious form of the 'Boy Who Lived Twice'. It had been nearly two weeks since he had been rushed to Hogwart's infirmary. For almost two weeks everyone had postponed their celebrations, waited and hoped.

All over the world wizards and witches waited for news of Harry Potter's recovery but, in Hogwarts itself, you could cut the tension with a knife. The Hufflepuffs could be seen regularly crying with worry and the Ravenclaws read ancient books about raw magic, trying to discover what ailed their saviour and friend. As for the Gryffindors, they were putting on a brave face to hide their emotional turmoil. Even the Slytherins were, surprisingly on Malfoy's orders, keeping quiet and out of the way. They had all slipped into a daily routine despite the fact it was now their half term holiday. They woke, they ate in the hall, they congregated en masse in the grounds, talked in subdued tones despite the fact they were no where near the infirmary, the skipped lunch though worry, the talked some more, they ate, they slept restlessly. This worry-induced monotony ended one Friday evening as the students ate their evening meal.

The door to the Great Hall swung open to reveal a tall young man with Quidditch-toned muscles, a dark tan, shoulder-length and more unruly than ever , raven-black hair and intense emerald eyes. His eyes were shadowed with the pain and fatigue he still felt but their glistening gaze was full of life and swimming with some unknown emotion. They penetrated into the souls of everyone sitting in the hall before resting on the Slytherin table with a slight smirk. The euphoria everyone felt at the sight of Harry was subdued slightly by burning curiosity; Harry never smirked.

Hundreds of pairs of eyes tore their eyes off Harry's and followed his gaze. A collective gasp ran through the hall as they all saw Draco Malfoy, his eyes pouring with tears of relief. He stood up shakily, lacking his usual aristocratic elegance and ran over to Harry, who enveloped him into a caress every bit as loving as it was possessive.

Harry brushed Draco's soft hair away from his silver eyes and gently wiped away his tears. The blond gripped Harry all the tighter in response and he edged closer to the slightly taller boy's face. Rose pink lips greeted the deep red lips of the Griffindor in a gentle touch that seemed to wipe away all the worry and pain the last few weeks had etched onto the faces of both boys.

One gasped, the other moaned softly as the kiss deepened. Their mouths danced together with a flurry of gentle kisses, playful nips and teasing strokes of warm tongues against each other. The Hall was in a silent shock as, forgetting or perhaps not caring about their surroundings, the two boys fought for dominance of the kiss. Draco smirked against Harry's lips as he won, as always, and was rewarded with a moan as he cupped a hand around Harry's face, soothingly stroking Harry's jawline with his thumb. Draco probed his tongue further into the welcoming mouth before him, reacquainting himself with every millimetre of his lover's mouth. Claiming it--claiming him-- in front of the whole school. No more Death Eaters to endanger Draco's life if they knew that he and Harry were close. No more need for Harry's stubborn Gryffindor streak to hide his love for Draco in order to protect him. No more need to be scared. It was a kiss of promise, of a future and of a love so strong it practically beamed off the faces of both boys. As Harry pulled Draco closer, his hand intertwining in the blond's silky locks, everyone in the room began to understand. The two opposites in front of them completed each other. The tanned, the pale; the athletic, the lithe; the emerald eyes of emotion, the shielded eyes of stone; the raven haired and the blond. The enemies turned lovers.

The thunderous applause, held back in shock, began at last, all the stronger for their new-found understanding. Amidst the cheers, wolf whistles and clapping the two boys rested their heads on each other's shoulders. "Don't ever think of leaving me again, you bastard," Draco drawled quietly.

"I love you too, you git," Harry replied with a roll of his eyes.

They stood together a while longer, savouring every touch, every breath, every heart beat. They were two opposites, complimenting each other perfectly; like ebony and ivory.