Redemption

Chapter Twenty Four:

"Harry?" Hesitantly, Wufei approached the shocked boy.

"'Fei?" Harry rasped with a distinctly dry throat. "What just happened?"

"I think you were kicked out of Potions," Wufei replied with a wince, knowing that this was his fault.

"I thought so." Harry sagged, bereft of the tension that had kept him on his feet throughout the morning so far since breakfast.

Immediately, Wufei was at his side, embracing him, holding him upright. "Can, can he do that?"

"He's the Potions Master. Short of defying orders from Dumbledore, he can do what he wants," Harry answered.

He sounded so tired, so defeated. "Is it really so bad?" Wufei tried to joke. "At least you won't be stuck in a class with that bastard."

"Without Advanced Potions I'm not eligible to become an auror." Harry's arms came up to circle Wufei's waist and he laid his head against his boyfriend's chest. "It was the only thing I really contemplated as a career."

"I'm sorry, Harry. This is entirely my fault. You were late because of me. If I hadn't-"

"Shhh, don't be silly. I was late because I was too stupid to trust you immediately, and I was on thin ice anyway. Snape's been dying to get rid of me since year one. The only reason I got this far is because Dumbledore has always stood up for me. But, I don't think there's anything he can do this time. Oh well, I guess that's it, then. Well, come on. There's still a while before my next class and I want to relax for a bit, first." Pulling away, Harry began to walk back down the corridor and Wufei followed him.

"Harry, are you okay?" The Boy Who Lived was very pale, and for all his flippant nature, it seemed as though he was about to shatter. "You're taking this surprisingly well."

"Sure, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all. My headache didn't go away for a while last night," he replied a little too brightly.

They went up to Wufei's room and Harry went and sat down on the bed, obviously trying not to look too eager to lay down.

Wufei made it easier for him and laid himself down, patting the mattress beside him. Gratefully, Harry obliged. His eyes closed a moment after hitting the mattress but he wasn't asleep.

"You needed to talk to me, 'Fei?" he asked.

Suddenly, Wufei was reminded of the reason he had run down to the dungeons in the first place. "It can wait," he whispered. He couldn't bring himself to make Harry's morning any worse than it had gotten so far.

"No, you were upset about something," Harry persisted, opening his eyes. "You're not telling me something."

"Not now. You're tired and still healing. It can wait." He ran a hand through Harry's hair and then brought it down to rest on his love's back.

"Wufei, I'm fine. If anything, I'm frustrated. I want to know what's going on, who those guys are, and what you aren't telling me," Harry told him.

Sitting up, Wufei averted his face. He couldn't bear to look into Harry's honest eyes and see the hurt there. "I... I can't. Harry, if I told you... I-" He broke off, terrified of the truth, and trembling as Harry's arms encircled his body.

"I knew it the first time I saw you," Harry whispered into Wufei's ear, his arms resting comfortably around a slender waist. "You're just like me. Aged before your time. Forced to fight battles that one so young should never so much as hear of. You can tell me anything, 'Fei, I love you and it would take so much more than an ugly past to scare me away, if anything could at all."

Despite himself, a tear rolled down Wufei's cheek. He made no effort to brush it away, but rather, turned to face Harry. More tears fell to see the complete openness in his boyfriend's face and Wufei buried his face against Harry's shoulder.

"You don't know what I've done," he said quietly, drawing back against his better judgment to assess the emerald gaze which held him.

"No, I don't. Even so, I know that it won't matter. Whatever you've done, you're still the same 'Fei that I love." Harry smiled sweetly, running a thumb over Wufei's lower lip. "I thought that after Sirius I would never love anyone again. I was wrong. Very wrong."

"Harry," Wufei took Harry's hand in his own and pressed them against his cheek, finally understanding just how serious his love really was. "I'm sorry I never told you sooner. I was afraid you'd never love someone like me; like I was, and like I will be."

"Tell me?" Harry pleaded softly.

For the next hour, the boys sat in each other's embrace as Wufei explained his life as an agent of G.U.N.D.A.M. He went on to tell of the other operatives: Duo, Heero, Quatre and Trowa; then, his own apparent escape from the underground organization, which had failed that morning in the Great Hall. After that, he repeated what Heero had told him earlier.

Harry listened quietly, never interrupting or asking too many questions. Ashamed as he was, Wufei took that as a bad sign and tried to shrink away several times, only to be thwarted by Harry's still loving arms around his body.

When he finished, Wufei found himself snuggled comfortably against his love's neck. He could feel the light pulse beating against his eyelashes. "Still love me?" he asked a little apprehensively, even though he knew he should have more faith.

"More than ever," Harry told him, brushing away a lock of hair that had fallen over Wufei's eye. "I'm proud of you for so many things."

"And the others?" Wufei prompted. "The killing, the hate... what of them?"

"I don't care." After saying this, Harry turned his gaze to stare fixedly at the floor. "Perhaps I'm the one who should make a confession... I'm not as innocent and noble as everyone seems to think. I don't care that you've killed people. In fact, if I had it my way, I would have killed every one of those Death Eaters that have crossed my path. And I want to. I hate them so much more than anyone can understand. It's no justified anger in search of righteous revenge. I hate them so much that it hurts. Even Snape and his stupid grin. What I wouldn't give to wipe it off of his face." Harry laughed bitterly and a teardrop splashed onto Wufei's cheek. "Wouldn't that be a lark? Gryffindor's Golden Boy, Harry Potter, locked away in Azkaban Prison for mass murder."

Wufei knew he should be disturbed. He knew that he had always seen Harry as that pure being that the wizarding world idolized, but he like this Harry even better. This Harry understood him. This Harry would never judge him for his crimes. This Harry was human.

.................................................................................................................................

Harry felt cold, the hatred filled him once more. Not burning as people always described, but cold and icy, almost to the point of numbing. Lucius Malfoy's face sneered down at him, Snape's twisted grin laughed darkly, Voldemort's evil hiss of a chuckle grated against the sheet of ice that frosted around him.

Then, all of a sudden, warmth exploded on his neck, causing Harry to moan as the feeling spread, bringing him back to his senses. Automatically, his hand came up to grasp Wufei's silky hair as the Muggle sucked gently on Harry's pulse point.

"'Fei, wha-?"

Harry's question was smothered in a kiss. The warmth grew deeper as Wufei's tongue pressed into his mouth to tangle with his own. The heat seemed to be searching for his very core.

He groaned as his love pressed him back onto the bed, not releasing the kiss, even as they both lowered to the mattress. Hands ran up his arms, sending tingles through the over sensitized skin.

"Has anyone ever told you that your perfect, Harry?" Wufei asked him, before he'd even registered the loss of those sweet lips.

"No, but I could get used to it." Leaning up to reclaim the kiss, Harry twisted to the side, tipping them both over and landing him on top.

Wufei's stunned look amused him for a moment, but the expression soon shifted into one of passion. Harry placed several neat kisses along a wellformed jaw line even as he stripped off the cloth that separated him from Wufei's gorgeous chest.

Once that was out of the way, Harry bent over a dark brown nipple, flicking his tongue over it lightly. He was encouraged by Wufei's gasp as he arched up for more. What a sight that made. Taking the nipple into his mouth, Harry sucked on it, alternating the pressure as he felt it harden to his ministrations.

Long fingers had tangled into his messy hair, and Harry felt so in control at that moment. Yet, even as he licked a trail over to the nub that he'd neglected, he felt lost. This was more contact than he'd ever had with another human being. He felt exposed and more vulnerable than he'd ever been. This was new territory, terrifying and, yet, enticing all at once.

In spite of his fears, Harry's continued to lick and suck at the second dusky nipple. He knew the effect he was having on Wufei, and, even as he doubted himself, that gave him confidence. Soon, his own shirt was gone, and Wufei's hands roamed over his flesh, just as his own tongue skimmed over golden-brown skin.

"H--arr--y," Wufei ground out through a groan. His hands applied subtle pressure at the base of Harry's neck, urging him to halt his task and rejoin his lover's side.

"What is it, 'Fei?" Harry asked, drawing one small earlobe between his teeth.

"You should really stop doing that, you know," gasped Wufei, forcing his eyes open.

"Am I hurting you?" Harry asked contritely, sitting up with a guilty look.

"No, of course not." Wufei laughed. "Not at all. I just, well..." He trailed off, the sentence fading into a blush.

This caused Harry to blush in sympathy, and he suddenly felt the cold air around him, causing him to shiver. "I was moving too fast?"

"No! I mean, I'm more worried about you. Like I said before, you're tired, and injured, and-"

"And head over heels in love with you," Harry added softly.

There was a long pause as they both watched each other, then Wufei pulled his love close. "I don't want to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

"I want to be with you, 'Fei. I'm ready and willing; it's just that I've never been so intimate with anyone." This caused Harry's blush to resurface, burning brighter than before.

Leaning his forehead against Harry's, Wufei closed his eyes and took a steady breath. When he reopened them, he smiled and brushed their lips together in imitation of a kiss. "Make love to me, Harry?"

Harry gasped at the unexpected question. He'd never imagined that Wufei would want to be taken. "I - I can't. I don't know what to do, I've never-"

"Shhh, it's okay. I'll guide you," Wufei whispered.

Biting his lip, Harry nodded slowly. He knew he was ready for this, but he was still scared. He trusted that Wufei knew what he was doing and was sure of what he wanted, but- "Are you sure? I don't mind..."

Wufei shook his head, looking directly into Harry's eyes. "I don't want to hurt you. I want you to enjoy your first time, in every way," he added.

Smiling in understanding, Harry initiated a deep kiss as he leant over Wufei, pushing them both down onto the bed.