Rematch

CHAPTER SEVEN

Draco fingered the silver mask, hands smoothing its elegant planes, polishing motes of dust from its surface. The dawn light outside was almost precisely the same colour as it slanted between the emerald velvet curtains, falling across the bed. Draco had watched its slow progress across the rumpled covers of his bed since he had shaken from his brief doze. It had only been exhaustion that had allowed him to fall over the edge, and it soon passed.

The steely grey light moved across Draco's bare torso, alighting upon Harry's raven hair and setting it to glowing like an ebony halo. Harry stirred restfully, nuzzling against Draco's chest.

Smiling, Draco set the mask down on the covers and looked down at Harry.

"Harry," he said quietly, his usually chilly eyes melting to liquid warmth. "Harry, are you awake?"

"No," Harry murmured, curling tighter into the covers before opening an eye to look up at Draco. "Hello."

Draco stroked Harry's hair softly, closing his eyes and leaning back against the elaborate headboard of the bed.

"Good morning," he drawled.

Harry smiled, resting his head on Draco's chest and closing his eyes again. "Love you," he said sleepily, holding back a yawn.

"Love you too," Draco smiled, pulling the covers up higher.

"Have we got lessons today?" Harry asked, throwing an arm over the covers as Draco pulled them up.

"It was the last day of term yesterday," Draco reminded him, picking up his mask again.

"Trust you to come back only to have a holiday anyway."

"I plan my hysterical interludes brilliantly," Draco deadpanned.

"Mmm," Harry nodded sleepily, moving higher so he was nuzzling Draco's neck. "You stayed with Alexei all that time then?"

"Yeah," Draco said, rolling his shoulders happily. "He's a good guy. The brother I'm glad I never had."

Harry snickered. "I'm glad he's D.A.D.A teacher and not that woman from last year."

"Yeah," Draco frowned. "I don't know what to make of that yet."

"Eh, look on the bright side for once," Harry replied, rolling to the end of the bed and sitting up with his feet on the floor.

Draco admired the view of Harry's bare back; the planes of his shoulder blades, the curve of his spine, flowing downwards into two dimples at the small of his back, which formed a triangle with the top of his buttocks.

"I am," he said indulgently.

Harry looked over his shoulder at Draco and grinned, sticking his tongue out. "At least now we can go around school and don't have to pretend," he yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

Draco's eyes followed the muscles of Harry's back. He rolled onto his knees, kneeling behind him and kissing his back, where his neck came down between his shoulder blades. His fingers, cool from the metal of the mask, stroked Harry's shoulders.

"I don't want to go around school," he murmured. "I want to stay right here."

Harry chuckled, leaning against Draco while searching for his trousers. "So do I, but Ron's going to wonder where I went to."

"Don't give a shit about Ron," Draco said, muffled by kissing Harry's neck.

"You never have," Harry agreed, spotting his trousers on the sofa by the fire. "But he'll send out the whole of Gryffindor House to find me, shouting that it's a plot from Voldemort."

"They won't find you here," Draco said, releasing Harry sulkily and drawing his knees up to his chest, wrapped in the covers. "You don't have to go."

"Accio trousers," Harry called after retrieving his wand from the bedside table.

"I know I don't have to go," he said to Draco, standing up and pulling on his trousers, preferring to go commando for now. "But this way, I can tell them all to bugger off and I won't be back till... does next year work for you?" he asked Draco, turning back around.

Draco shook his hair back. "Harry, I want to go back to Alexei's for the holiday. Will you come with me?"

Harry crawled back onto the bed, placing his arms on either side of Draco and leaning over him to kiss him swiftly. "Love to, but won't I need permission from the Dursleys?"

Draco frowned. "Whatever for?" he demanded incredulously.

"Aren't you supposed to have permission to go 'home' for the holidays?" Harry asked, blinking childishly.

"They'll think you're staying at school, and school thinks you're staying at home. I don't see the problem."

Harry grinned, falling backwards to lie on the bed. "Will he have Mari-whatsits?" he asked Draco.

"He always does," Draco smiled. He decided he had won, and therefore could now afford to be gracious about it.

"How can I say no to that?" Harry asked, lifting his head to grin at Draco. "You should come meet the Gryffindor Seventh Years with me," he informed Draco.

"I... should?" Draco looked reluctant, a sneer forming before he'd even realised. He quickly restrained it. "Would they want to meet me?"

"I think they'd like to meet the Draco I know." Harry rolled off the bed onto all fours and pushed himself into a standing position, Summoning his shirt. "Dean and Seamus are bound to be hyper, and Ron'll be wary, but he'll get used to you. So long as we don't bump into the girls we'll be fine."

Harry scratched his nose in thought, pulling on the black shirt from the party and belting his slacks.

"I don't know these people," Draco said, rolling onto his stomach and kicking the pillow coyly with his feet. "You tell me what to wear."

"It's not like they'll judge you over your clothes, but OK," Harry replied, walking over to Draco's wardrobe and pulling it open.

"Personally," he stated, whilst rummaging around. "I'd prefer you in a kilt, but then you'd be attacked by various girls. Hmm, what do you say to a grey shirt and black pants?"

"Trousers," he corrected idly. "It might alarm McGonagall if I turn up in a shirt and boxers, but whatever you say," Draco drawled. "The Draco you know seems to spend more time half undressed or worse - or better, depending on your viewpoint - but I'm not sure I should go and meet your crowd in that state."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, throwing a shirt across to Draco followed by the trousers. "Do you have anything not grey, black or green?"

"I have a few blue things, some white, one or two red..." Draco trailed off. "Other than that, no. Oh wait; I have a black cloak with gold lining."

"Blue?" Harry asked, rooting in the wardrobe again before pulling out a dark blue jumper that looked like velvet under the light, but was almost as soft as silk. He threw it to Draco.

"I remember last Christmas," he said thoughtfully, crossing his arms and leaning against the now-closed wardrobe. "That's when you first saw my Invisibility Cloak."

"You're right," Draco said, pulling the jumper on and combing his hair with his fingers. "I liked that thing."

"And I got the watch," Harry added, checking the time on it absently. Twelve noon. "Ron and Dean thought it was off you, actually. And Seamus started shouting at us all to enjoy Christmas, while Ginny just laughed." He smiled slightly. "Oh, yeah, remind me to show you something later," he grinned, flicking hair out of his eyes.

"From me, not off me. Oh, and show me something later," Draco deadpanned, blinking. He stood up. "Do you want to go?"

"Sure." Harry pushed away from the wardrobe, studying Draco for a while. "You'll pass," he decided, leaning forward to kiss his nose. "Now come on, they'll either be at the Lake or Quidditch Pitch."

"A little vague," Draco commented, locking the door behind them. "I'll have you know that I only appear calm because I've trained myself to hide shameful emotions. I'm not at all happy about this."

"Well you're going to have to get to know them some time," Harry replied, falling into step with Draco as they walked. "No point avoiding it all year."

"I've avoided it all the time I've been here," Draco disagreed.

"Yes, but all the other time we weren't together," Harry reminded him.

"Yes, but..." Draco scowled. "I don't want to. They all have formed opinions about me, and vice versa. We're happy that way."

"Yes, well up until around this time last year, I'd made up an opinion about you and look how that changed." Harry stepped aside to allow some Seventh Year Ravenclaws past who were desperately trying to look like they weren't watching them.

Draco's nostrils flared, though the rest of his face was expressionless - a sure sign that he was not very happy.

"Your decision," he said flatly.

Harry sighed. "You can stay here if you really don't want to go, and I'll meet you in a while."

"I'm coming now," Draco said, quickening his pace. "Let's get this through with."

Harry smiled victoriously, wrapping an arm around Draco's waist as they walked out of the school and onto the lawn. "Can you see Ron anywhere?" he asked, glancing around. "He's normally the most obvious to see."

"Yes, he's over by the lake," Draco said tonelessly, muttering something that was almost certainly uncomplimentary.

Harry glanced up at Draco, holding him tighter. "Last chance to run away."

"You're holding on to me too tightly," Draco pointed out, though his expression softened slightly. "Let's go."

Harry grinned, steering them in the direction of Dean, Seamus and Ron at the Lakefront. As they neared the group, he began to feel more than slightly nervous.

"Well look who it is," Ron pointed out, grinning. "I do wonder where our Harry went."

"Harry!" Seamus yelled, waving energetically from his place next to Dean.

Harry smiled, turning his head slightly to the side. "Hey, guys," he greeted.

Draco trailed his eyes over them all, fluttered them closed briefly as he took a deep breath through his nose. He opened them again and smiled slightly, waiting for Harry to introduce them.

"Have a good ball, Harry?" Dean winked, glancing at Malfoy.

Harry grinned. "Obviously."

"Seems like you're attached to something," Seamus said, standing up and peering at where Harry's arm went around Draco. "Going to introduce us?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, but did so anyway. "Draco, Seamus, Dean and Ron. Ron, Dean, Seamus, Draco."

"I suppose that's the formal part out of the way, considering we already know each other's names," Draco said dryly. "Hello, everyone." He had the expression of one who has trodden in some gum and is trying to pick it off their shoe without losing dignity.

"I liked your mask, last night," Dean said when no conversation was forthcoming.

"Thanks," Draco nodded. "It was quite expensive, but I fell in love with it."

"How did things turn out with Morgana?" Harry asked Dean with a smirk.

"She's walking a little bandy this morning," Dean grinned, stretching. "I'm meeting her later. What about you? Walking straight?" He glanced at Draco, who winked. Dean experienced a small inner shock, but hid it with a cough. Malfoy, a normal human being?

Draco, seeing that look on Dean's face, had a sudden vision of Blaise. It came like a punch to the stomach, and he had to fix his eyes on a cloud passing over them to keep himself from doubling up with the pain. Where was Blaise? Draco missed him incredibly.

Harry, amazingly, managed not to blush. "I'm getting used to you being with Slytherins now," he said thoughtfully. "Though most are extremely sexy." He glanced at Draco with a grin.

"I got sloshed like I predicted." Seamus beamed. "Padma slapped me, right before Parvati kissed me. Or it could have been after. Can't remember."

"More likely to be after," Draco said thoughtfully. "The number of times I've proposed a get-together with both of them and been turned down... Sibling rivalry is very strong with those two. Can't bear to be beaten or even equal."

"I heard Parvati was shagging Lavender anyway," Harry laughed before taking his arm from Draco's waist and striding over to Ron.

"What I don't get is why the hell you went out with Parkinson," Seamus said suddenly, looking at Draco.

"I'm gay." Draco shrugged. "No taste in women."

Ron smiled weakly to Harry. He was struggling, faced with Draco but with absolutely no animosity coming his way from the Slytherin. It was all well and good talking about him, but actually seeing him and not spitting blood was a bit more confusing.

"You OK?" Harry asked with concern, trying to decide whether to hug Ron or something.

"Doesn't stop half of them fancying you though," Seamus muttered. "Or your friend whatsisname... Alex?"

"Ee," Draco added. "Alexei." He made no move to deny Seamus' other words.

"I'm fine. It's just going to take some getting used to. We've hated each other for so long," Ron said quietly. "I'm sure he's as nice as you say, but..."

"But...?" Harry prompted.

"Well, Weasleys and Malfoys don't get along," Ron finished. He shrugged helplessly. "We just never have. I'll do my best for you, but... Well, that's just how it is."

"So you're all-out gay, Malfoy?" Dean asked.

"I sometimes go for girls too, but generally yes." He smiled slightly. "I bet you'd have loved to know that back when calling each other 'gay' was the height of insult fashion."

Dean shrugged and laughed. "Never had anything personal against you, Malfoy, but you're probably right." He looked around them conspiratorially, leaning closer. "How long have you known Morgana?"

Draco frowned. "A long time, why?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could... talk to her for me," Dean rambled, blushing. "Just... see how she feels about me and stuff. Y'know."

Draco grinned. "Yeah, I do. I'll see what I can do."

Dean beamed, relieved. "Mal... Draco, I think you and I might just get along fine." He extended his hand, which Draco shook.

"I think we might, Tomdean."

Seamus stared at their hands for a while, wondering whether pointing at Dean and screaming 'traitor!' was a little too extreme.

"Anything for a girl, eh, Dean?" he asked finally.

"Isn't it always the way?" Dean replied, but he saw Seamus' betrayed expression and rolled his eyes. As Draco drifted off to make peace with Ron, Dean stepped closer to Seamus. "I thought you were better than that," he hissed. "We can afford to be civil to him for Harry's sake, can't we? What's it going to cost us?"

Seamus shrugged. "Absolutely nothing. Sorry," he apologised, looking over his shoulder at the other three. "Just by being back at the school he's made a big effect on Harry."

"For the better," Dean clarified. "I'm willing to set our past disagreements aside if it's going to help Harry this much."

Harry looked up as Draco walked over and smiled before turning back to Ron. "Thanks. I really appreciate it." Before he could ask about Hermione, Draco had reached them.

"Uh, Weasley," Draco began, fixing his eyes on a point left of Ron's shoulder. "I know that we've had... differences in the past, but for Harry's sake, I'd like to put those aside, if you will." He cleared his throat, squinting up at the sky over the Quidditch stadium.

Harry smiled, stepping closer to Draco to take his hand and squeeze it. He bit his lip and looked at Ron.

Ron stared uncomfortably at his feet, ears reddening. He glanced at Harry for support, and then held his hand out to Draco.

"Yeah, back to square one?" he said eventually with a great exhalation.

Draco smiled in relief, grasping Weasley's hand briefly.

"Square one," he agreed. "Acquaintances again."

"So miracles do happen," Harry commented, glancing at Ron first, and then Draco.

"Don't fucking count on it," Draco muttered, turning and walking away, unable to remain smiley and dignified any longer. He had actually dropped his guard in front of Gryffindors - who weren't Harry. He was ashamed, embarrassed, didn't want to be there anymore, didn't want Harry thinking he was happy about it, because he wasn't. Oh far from it. He didn't want Harry thinking he was right about it. It was most certainly not better for Draco to be on speaking terms with them. He was perfectly happy to remain a tiny, cut-off part of Harry's life. Special, exclusive. He didn't want to go out into the real world. His pace quickened, and he watched his feet move across the damp grass, onto the stone, up into the hallway, stairs, hallway, carpet, marble floor, stone floor...

Harry sighed, rolling his eyes. He'd obviously been asking too much of Draco, but he didn't think he could have handled them all not liking him and vice versa.

He looked at the floor, then at the sky, suddenly unable to look Ron in the eyes.

"Did I say something?" Ron asked, looking at the castle doors, through which Draco had vanished.

Harry shook his head. "It's hard for him to be out here being all smiley and nice with Gryffindors. Don't worry, it's not you." It's me for dragging him here.

***

Draco looked up. This was the DADA classroom, right enough. He knocked.

"Lex?"

"Draco!" Alexei exclaimed, throwing the door wide open and stepping back to allow Draco in. His sleeves were rolled up and his hair was damp with sweat. "I vas starting to think you'd abandoned me to this classroom by myself."

"I was busy," Draco mumbled, walking past him to sit on a desk. "Harry decided he wanted me to make amends with his chums."

"You're kidding me," Alexei said dryly, noticing Draco's serious expression. "Ah vell. All go vell ven you left ze party?"

He moved to his desk which not only held two bottles of alcohol and three glasses but, strangely enough, a stack of books which he picked up.

"Oh yes," Draco said expressionlessly, swinging his legs. "That was great. I'm just not really up to being part of his social circle. He can be part of mine, but I don't fit in his."

"At least you tried," Alexei reasoned, stacking the books on some shelves behind Draco. "Some of ze girls in your year are hot."

"Oh yes, and I know that all of them feel the same way about you."

Alexei shrugged in an unconcerned manner, running his hands through his hair and causing it to stand up.

"You've got Harry," he reminded Draco, dancing around the table to be in front of him. "Smile for vonce."

Draco smiled an oily, mirthless smile, eyes sarcastic. "Yes, Sir," he drawled.

Alexei rolled his eyes, dancing unthinkingly back over to his desk and taking a swig from one of the bottles. "Vat's on your mind?"

"Sex," Draco admitted, laying back across the desk and linking his hands behind his head.

Alexei raised an eyebrow at Draco, a slow smirk spreading across his features as he pushed himself up onto a desk facing Draco.

"Now you're starting to sound like me."

"You must be rubbing off on me," Draco said, absently doing sit-ups. "Can Harry and I come back and stay with you for the holiday, once you're all sorted here?"

"Ja, I'm going to have to throw von hell of a party ven ve do. I feel ze need to get extremely pissed like I haven't done in a vile and lose myself," Alexei admitted. He turned to look at the door only to see three heads pressed up against it, peering in and giggling.

"Remind me to make it law somevere zat no one at my parties giggles like zem."

"You could invite them along, teach them the rules," Draco suggested, glancing through the window. Kyla, Lydia and Kitty. Ravenclaws, bimbos, sluts. Draco did not hold any of them in particularly high regard. It had been too easy to get all of them. Even at once. He only had to make a comment and they'd all jumped on him. Draco preferred to work for his sex, if not anything else.

"I vould get fired." Alexei paused. "I'll do it ven you graduate."

"Fine," Draco grunted. "I'll find Harry later, get him to pack. When are you leaving?"

"As soon as possible." Alexei pushed himself up off the table and danced over to his desk, taking another swig of the bottle before putting it down. "Ja, tomorrow vill do."

Draco held his hand out for the bottle.

"Tomorrow it is."

Alexei handed it to him wordlessly, running his hand through his hair again. "I need a shower," he decided. "So I'll haff to srow you out now."

Draco drank deeply.

"Alright, I'm off. See you tomorrow."

***

"Oh come on, you know I'm sorry," Harry apologised again, looking at the dark material he was pulling through his hands as he spoke.

Draco sat in silence, smirking at the door. He sat on the floor, back leaning against the foot of his bed, knees half drawn up and wide apart. He rested his elbows on them, holding his arms almost straight to link his hands together. He did not realise that Harry sat in almost precisely the same position, only outside his room.

Harry was paying no attention to the few people who were walking past the entrance to Draco's room on their way to the Library or the Ravenclaw Common Room.

"Aren't you at least going to answer me?" Harry asked, leaning his head back against the wall. He was terribly afraid that Draco was really mad at him.

"No," Draco replied cheerfully, grinning.

Harry sighed, continuing to run his fingers through the fabric of his mask. "But I'm sorry!" he explained. "I'm sorry, OK? I shouldn't have forced you to talk to them."

"No, you shouldn't," Draco said, still grinning to himself. He lifted his hands to comb his fingers through his hair, shaking it back and leaning on his knees again.

"I shouldn't," Harry agreed, nodding to Terry Boot who was walking past with three books under each arm. "I was asking too much."

"You certainly were," Draco agreed, examining his fingernails.

"Look, are you going to give me answers that don't involve one word, or just repeating something I said?" Harry asked finally, absently knotting the bandana around his fist.

"I think you should make it up to me," Draco continued relentlessly, enjoying himself.

"And how can I do that?" Harry asked, finally feeling like he was getting somewhere.

"Oh I don't know," Draco said in a tone that made it perfectly clear that he did know. "I'm sure you can think of something."

"I'm cold," Harry whined, pouting. "Can't you let me in so we can continue this conversation?"

"What's in it for me?"

"Otherwise, I'll walk off right now and won't go to Alexei's," Harry finished.

Draco opened the door.

Harry grinned, using the wall as a support to push himself to his feet before walking into Draco's room. He dropped down to sit next to Draco at the foot of the bed and stared at the door also.

"When are we going to Alexei's?" he asked once comfy, sat in the same position as outside the door.

"Tomorrow morning," Draco answered, going back to examining his nails.

Harry had a thought. "Does Alexei have a Muggle TV by any chance?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, loads of Muggle stuff," Draco said, sniffing. "He works with Muggles fairly often for his father's everyday work, so he has to have a Muggle-friendly house for dinner parties."

"Fun," Harry grinned. "We should be able to find something to watch."

"Should we?" Draco sounded faintly ill at the thought.

"Well what else are we going to do?"

Draco grinned. "Harry, you've known me too long to bait me like that, surely."

Harry rolled his head back to stare at the ceiling with an innocent smile. "Bait you like what, Draco?"

"Like that: 'What else are we going to do?'" he mimicked Harry unflatteringly. "Whips, chains, handcuffs, chocolate body paint!" he blurted, seemingly unable to contain himself. "Lube, PVC..." He coughed delicately. "You get the point."

Harry laughed, glancing at Draco out of the corner of his eyes. "Sometimes I think that's all you want me for," he replied with a smirk.

"Sometimes I think you get me wrong," Draco said, hurt.

"So prove me wrong," Harry dared, swiveling his eyes to look at the ceiling again.

"Oh what do you fucking want, a bunch of fucking flowers? Why do you think I went off girls?" Draco demanded.

Harry sighed, standing up. "I should just go."

Draco grabbed Harry's waistband desperately.

"Harry!" he whined. "I was kidding, pulling your leg." He demonstrated this by literally pulling on Harry's leg. "Don't go."

Harry yelped, collapsing next to Draco.

"I wasn't going to," he smiled, nuzzling Draco's neck.

Draco put his leg over Harry's, pinning him down. "I wouldn't have let you, you manipulative little git. Stop teasing me." He slid his hand into Harry's shirt and down under his belt.

"Hey!" Harry grinned. "You were teasing me too." He nipped lightly at Draco's neck. "And don't call me little."

"You are," Draco purred, taking Harry's earlobe between his teeth. "I've wanted to call you little for so long."

Harry pouted, sliding his hands up Draco's shirt to rest on his chest. "You were little too."

"I was, but now I'm taller than you. Maybe you shrank in that coma."

"I did not!" Harry protested, mock-glaring at Draco. "I was being led around by your eight-year-old self actually."

"Oh yeah, that. I saw you watching me at all these really weird times. I was living them again, then sometimes I could see you just standing there watching me. It was really strange. I thought I was just hallucinating."

Harry returned to nuzzling Draco's neck contentedly. "For some reason, the magic-induced coma locked me away until I could sort out my thoughts and learn what I needed to know."

"What, that I have a tattoo on my arse saying 'sex is evil'?" Draco laughed. "Was that in the dream, or was that just me?"

Harry looked up at Draco with a confused expression. "You have a tattoo?" he asked with interest, allowing one of his hands to slide lower.

Draco coughed. "Yes." He detached Harry's hands, stood up and, to Harry's surprise, unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped his flies, turned and pulled them down slightly to reveal the tattoo. In fairly small script, it read:

Sex is evil

Evil is sin

Sin's forgiven

So get stuck in.

Draco grinned over his shoulder at Harry, pulling his jeans up again and zipping them back up.

Harry blinked before laughing loudly and pulling Draco down onto his lap. "I like," he approved.

Draco grinned. "Thank Blaise and someone else," he said, realising with a pang that Harry probably would never talk to Blaise again. That he, Draco, never would either.

Draco blinked, composing himself.

"What about you? Anything I don't know about yet?"

Harry turned his head to the side in thought, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of Draco's pants.

"I don't think so..." he said slowly.

"Shame," Draco said lightly. "Go and pack. I want you to stay here again tonight."

"Can't I just pack tomorrow morning?" Harry asked, grinning up at Draco through his fringe. "I'm happy where I am right now, thanks."

"Fair enough," Draco said, settling himself in Harry's lap. "I'm tired."

"Really?" Harry asked, surprised. "Why not sleep then?"

Draco glanced at him. "Because I can't."

"So you can be tired without sleeping?" Harry blinked.

"Can't everyone?" Draco shrugged, rubbing his left eye cutely.

Harry paused. "Yes."

"Well then," Draco said. He curled up, snuggling against Harry.

Harry smiled, wrapping his arms around Draco and Summoning a blanket to drape over him. He shifted slightly with his back on the floor so he wasn't carrying all Draco's weight.

"I never would have believed you could be so cute," he teased lightly, closing his eyes.

"Piss off," Draco murmured, his head in Harry's lap. "I'm happy with my cuteness."

"I'm happy with it too," Harry grinned, stroking Draco's back.

"I'll even agree to attempt to watch Muggle telly-whatsit with you," Draco decided.

"Good," Harry smiled, yawning. "But talking to my friends again is a no-go?"

"Until I've built up sufficient resilience and cheery bravery," Draco added, "definitely a no-go."

"All right."

Draco sighed, feeling Harry falling asleep. Though he did not hate it, he far from enjoyed it. The novelty had worn off, and now he just got bored witless waiting for Harry to wake up again. Draco traced designs on Harry's stomach, bare where his shirt had rumpled up. This could be a long wait.

Harry opened an eye to look at Draco and smirked. "What are you drawing?" he asked curiously.

"Writing," Draco corrected. "A tattoo I think you should get."

Harry pushed himself up on his elbows and yawned. "Saying what?" he asked, looking at his stomach as if he could perhaps see the words.

"You belong to me, wherever I may be, in dreams, in hopes, in fantasies, you belong to me," Draco said, writing the words with his finger as he spoke.

"Possessive are we?" Harry smirked, lifting Draco's hands and kissing his knuckles.

"Didn't you know that already?" Draco smiled. "Or you could get 'fuck off' tattooed on your knuckles. That would be funny."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "No thanks. The Daily Prophet would have a field day."

"Would they? Maybe you should get 'I read the Daily Prophet' plastered across your arse, then have it photographed as a publicity stunt," Draco suggested.

Harry gave Draco a flat look. "How about no."

"Then they'd pay absolutely no attention to any kind of tattoos labeling you as my property," Draco smiled.

"I'll think on it," Harry sighed in defeat, dropping his head back onto the floor.

"Go to sleep, Harry," Draco sighed. "Gather your energy for later," he added in a whisper, smirking lasciviously to himself.

"I don't want to sleep, we've not even had Dinner yet," Harry pouted, blowing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes.

"You want food?" Draco sounded surprised.

Harry nodded happily. "I've not ate all day," he explained.

"Eaten," Draco corrected absently. "I'm not hungry."

Harry stuck his tongue out at Draco, standing up and pulling Draco to his feet with him, the blanket falling to the floor. "So, you never seem to be hungry, and you never sleep. What do you do?" He paused, "besides that."

"Wish I was asleep or hungry, or drink," Draco answered. He shrugged. "It's a living."

"Drink?" Harry asked, blinking. He pulled Draco to him, kissed him swiftly on the lips and turned to walk to the door.

"Drink alcohol, and get tattoos on my arse done by my best friends who promptly hit the dark side, and I don't mean Tia Maria, and try to kill me before suddenly letting me go whilst talking merrily to thin air."

Draco sank onto his bed, holding his face in his hands.

"Why did they have to take him away from me?" he demanded hoarsely. "They took everything: you, my father, my home, my freedom, Blaise... Then suddenly they throw it all back at me, all but Blaise. They let me have it all again, but I know that they're trying to trick me into taking it so that they can steal it all again. I won't take it. The only thing I know that I have to have is you." Draco looked up at Harry. "But I won't have you. You have to have me. Take my freedom, so that it's another thing they can't take. Lock me away, keep my father away from me, don't let me go home, just make them stop hurting me."

Shaking, he buried his face in his hands again. "Why me? Why me? I know why me. To get to you. That's what hurts the most; the one thing that completes me makes me a weapon against that very thing - you. That you care about me means that I am a danger to you, but I can't live without you, and you can't live without me because of that fucking, fucking curse."

Harry bit his lip, striding over and sitting on the bed, pulling Draco softly into his arms. "I can't live without you because I love you, fuck the curse," he smiled, dotting his fingertips on Draco's cheeks. "I'm sorry for all this you have to go through, for everything just for me. It's not fair on you, or anyone around me. Essentially, it's my curse, but I can't seem to help getting other people sucked into the misery."

He brushed Draco's fringe away and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "It hurts, doesn't it, losing a loved one."

"You'd know," Draco said simply, eyes fixed on the floor. They seemed to have darkened, almost blue around the edges, pure silver around the pupils. "You lose just about every loved one you have."

"I know, because each time they slip out of my grasp. It's like trying to keep water cupped in your hands; eventually it'll slip through and be gone, forever." He rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "Which is why I can't lose you," he explained.

"I'm a bit too icy to slip between your fingers," Draco smiled faintly. "It'll take a lot to get me away again."

"Good," Harry smiled back, standing up and pulling Draco with him. "Am I allowed to go and eat now?"

"You were allowed to go and eat anyway," Draco told him flatly. "Are you expecting me to come with you?"

"I don't want to leave you by yourself if you're going to be upset," Harry explained simply, moving his fingers in and out of Draco's grasp idly.

"I'm usually upset regardless of company," Draco droned. "I'm inconsiderate like that."

Harry gave him a flat look. "Smile," he ordered.

Draco gave a simpering smile that did not reach his eyes. His face settled promptly afterwards into a look even more deadpan than the one with which he had started out.

Harry frowned. Untangling himself from Draco, he turned to walk for the door. "Are you going to come or stay here?" he called over his shoulder.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to be happy," Harry said finally, putting his hand on the doorknob but making no move to open the door.

"You might want to reassess that," Draco drawled. "Me when I'm happy is often not a pretty sight." He walked after Harry. "I'll come, but I want you to know that I'm not happy about it."

"How can it not be a pretty sight?" Harry asked, opening the door. "Your smile is amazing."

"When you're trying to strip wallpaper," Draco complained. He followed Harry into the corridor and locked the door behind them. "Let me wallow in my misery. If you plan never to let me go, you'll have to get used to it."

"Fine," Harry sighed, before adding 'misery guts' under his breath.

"You will also learn that I have extraordinarily sharp hearing," Draco continued loftily, brushing past Harry and walking to the Great Hall with his nose in the air.

Harry rolled his eyes and followed him in.