Coming Full Circle

Coming Full Circle

The long shapely hand extended itself into Harry's field of vision. "So," he heard the other man say, "will you take it?"

Harry looked up into Draco's pale gray eyes. It's finally come back to this, he thought.

Denial

***Flashback***

Draco held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.

***End Flashback***

The light in Draco's eyes had dimmed momentarily, and he seemed surprised that anyone could turn down such an offer from him. Harry realized latter that Draco just couldn't understand his denial and the blonde's hurtful words that followed had been his way of trying to stay on his feet, keep his head above water. After all, he'd never been refused something he'd really wanted before.

Anger

That refusal had lead to years of bitter hurt and anger. Rejection was not something Draco was ever prepared to accept, especially not in such a humiliating form. The next four years were horrible. Every time they saw each other they would launch into torrents of verbal abuse, sometimes degenerating into magical or even physical battles.

And Draco had always known the worst things to say, no matter what the situation. Right down to taunting him about his godfather in third year and that horrible thing he'd said on the train after the TriWizard tournament.

Harry could still hear that ringing in his ears when he was upset.

***Flashback***

"Trying not to think about it, are we?" said Malfoy softly, looking around at all three of them. "Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?"

"Get out," said Harry.

"You've picked the losing side, Potter! I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riff-raff like this!" He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione. "Too late now, Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well - second - Diggory was the f-"

***End Flashback***

He hadn't gotten any farther than that, but the blonde's words had haunted Harry for years and it had taken so much work to get past them.

But he had. He finally had, and in the end Draco had helped Harry more than he'd hurt him.

Bargaining

***Flashback***

"That's all I'm asking of you, Potter," Draco stared into Harry's eyes with such intensity that the black haired boy thought he might melt from the heat he saw there. "Just love me, want me, worship me. Let me own you and I will be your slave. I will give you the world on a silver platter and feast from the crumbs you drop to the floor."

Draco pressed forward then, pulling the other boy into a kiss of such passion and fire that Harry's knees almost gave out and he couldn't have stepped away from Draco even if Voldemort himself had shown up at the end of the corridor.

But eventually Draco had needed breath. He'd opened his eyes and stepped back, seeking his answer, and now Harry had no trouble with what he needed to say.

"I don't want the world, Malfoy. Not as a gift, not on a platter," and green eyes met gray with equal intensity, "and not from you at all."

***End Flashback***

Harry had not even waited for a response, had turned away and walked down the corridor. He did it, not because he didn't want to see the look in Draco's eyes, but because he already had. Rejection always looked the same.

Depression

The next two years had been torture for Draco, Harry could tell. He'd seen the blonde walking down the hall between classes, watching the ground, the ceiling, the walls. Anything but the people.

In class he'd become quiet, withdrawn. He'd answer questions when directly asked, and his work was always correct, but there was no joy in learning, no desire to show anyone else up. He acted as if he'd lost himself, and Harry suspected that, by going out on that branch and having it fall from under him again, he had.

Harry had known the blonde hadn't stopped eating, but he never saw him in the Great Hall during sixth year except for the grand feasts.

Acceptance

And finally, a year and a half after their last confrontation, Draco had come to him again. Not to ask, request, or beg anything. Harry had thought then that he wouldn't have it in him to ask ever again. And at the time he certainly hadn't, so instead he had come to offer and receive forgiveness.

***Flashback***

"I've been horrible in my life Harry." Draco's use of his given name hadn't really surprised Harry, he'd given up thinking of the other boy as Malfoy after that kiss which had burned on his tongue for a week and in his mind forever. "Horrible to you and to Granger and Weasley and countless others. But I wanted to tell you, I'm sorry. I had no right to ask that of you in fifth year, not after the way I'd behaved, after the way I'd been. But things have changed."

"Oh?" Harry's response had been non-committal, but somehow welcoming. He had wanted desperately to know what the other would say.

"My father and I have come to an agreement." Draco's smile was sardonic now. "He doesn't disown me and I don't come home."

Harry was surprised by this news. Surely he would have heard something, surely people would have known, would have talked . . .

"But it doesn't matter," Draco had charged ahead. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I know now, you're not mine to take and I shouldn't have tried."

"No," Harry had agreed. "I'm no one's to take." And now he stepped forward, bridging the space between them. "I'm only mine to give." This time the kiss was soft, sweet. It didn't have the urgency of their previous encounter but it had all of the passion and heat.

***End Flashback***

And that kiss had lead to others, had lead to secret trysts and open acknowledgement. That single kiss had, in the end, brought them to this moment, to the look in Draco's eyes as he once again reached out his hand to his enemy, friend, love, life and prayed it would not be once more refused.

Hope

"So, will you take my hand this time?" Draco asked, and the light in his eyes dimmed momentarily as he watched his lover considering him.

"Yes," Harry finally said, brining their confrontation to its proper conclusion at last. "Yes Draco, I will. I do, Draco Malfoy." And the passion in this kiss held the promise of the future and the joy of the present without denying the pain of the past. After all, it was the past which had brought them to this moment, and this moment was perfect.

Finally the circle was complete.