A Change Of Seasons

Harry and Draco didn't say two words to each other on the very long walk home. It wasn't so much that they didn't want to say anything to each other, they just didn't know what to say was all. Somehow silence seemed best at the moment, but by the time the got back to the bungalow, the silence was almost deafening. Feeling more like a deathday then a Sunday afternoon, they headed into the house, both of them still wondring what they were going to say to each other later.

"Boys? Is that you?" Sirius called out from the kitchen upon hearing the front door slam shut.

"It's us dad. Sorry if we're a bit late." Harry said as they both walked into the kitchen, then stopped short as they saw someone else in there besides Sirius.

"Hello Daniel, Tomas. Funny, we didn't hear a car pull up." Sirius said with a smile.

"Walked back from James's that's why. Afternoon Ms. Argent." Draco said as he saw her sitting at the dinette and gave her a forced smile.

"Afternoon boys." she said smiling at them both, noticing how subdued they were but decided not to comment on it at the moment.

"Walked? I thought you'd be dropped off. Everything allright with the Altons?" Sirius said frowning.

Harry nodded, "Yes dad, Mrs. Alton had to go out, so um we decided to walk back that's all."

"Well, that's allright then, some fresh air do you boys good. Did you eat supper yet?" Sirius said halfway getting up out of his chair to make them something but Draco stopped him.

"We had a late breakfast dad, we're fine. We'll just head off to our room now if that's okay." Draco said and turned round and headed out of the room quietly leaving Harry to face Sirius on his own.

"Dan, you sure everything is allright? You both look a bit odd. Did something happen?" Sirius said studying Harry's expressionless face.

"No really, everything's fine..dad. Just a long night is all, we were up late last night. Is..are you staying long Ms. Argent?" he said turning to face her now.

Taryn nodded. "You're father has invited me for dinner. I hear he's a wondrful cook." she said smiling again.

"Right, he is. Umm, I think I'll go to my room now dad, let us know when dinner's ready okay?" Harry said turning to go out the door.

Sirius jumped up suddenly as if he'd just remembered something and with a look at Taryn, followed Harry out He caught up with them both just as Harry had gotten to the room. "Boys, while Ms. Argent's here, err, that is...would you please use my room instead of your own? We dont want to give her the wrong idea now do we." Sirius said with a forced smile of his own. Besides the fact that he had actually used the boys room last night with Taryn, he hadn't changed the sheets yet, and obviously he couldn't tell the boys that she knew the truth, so he acted like she was still just the normal muggle, who wouldn't understand why two brothers would have one bed, even if they were twins.

They looked at Sirius a bit oddly, but nodded showing they understood, and without saying anything, headed off towards Sirius's room instead, closing the door behind them. Sirius then headed back into the kitchen, a concerned look in his eyes, and saw Taryn had an equally concerned look in hers.

"Something happened at James's house Tar, I know it." he said sinking down slowly into the chair again.

"I agree. The look on their faces was definitely not of two boys in love anyway. It's not for us to figure it out though Siri, let them work it out, they're grown ups now, not little boys. If they cant work it out, then you intervene. Councillors training you know." she said with a small chuckle.

Sirius smiled at her then, "You know, I think my dear woman, you're going to be a ruddy good influence on me."

"And that's a bad thing?" she said teasingly.

"It is when you're a marauder, sworn to be unpractical and unpredictable!" he said laughing and leaned over to give her a kiss on the lips. "Just goes to show, you can teach an old dog new tricks." he chuckled leaning back.

Taryn leaned back, a questioning look bout that last comment in her eyes, but Sirius only waved it off and said, "I'll explain that another time. But it's most appropo, trust me." he grinned.

Back in the bedroom however, both boys were sitting on different beds, the silence back between them. A range of emotions was flickering through them both, playing havoc with their minds, and hearts. The guilt gave way to depression, which in turn led to resentment, then anger. And it was the anger that finally got them talking again.

"Tom, what on earth were you thinking with Peter?" Harry said turning to Draco, anger flashing in his eyes.

"I can bloody well say the same thing to you you know. As if you and James weren't doing the exact same thing downstairs!" Draco retorted back, his eyes flashing with equal anger.

"You went off with Peter first you know, while we were playing chess. You didn't have to do that."

"If you and James weren't so bloody interested in that damned game we wouldn't have gotten bored in the first place! Dont know why you bother to even play it, even Weasley could beat you solid at muggle chess!" Draco muttered.

"Dont you dare bring Ron into this, he's got twice the talent you've got!" Harry said raising his voice.

"Chess is the only talent he's got, other then being you're shadow!" Draco spat back.

"I dont know what Peter would see in you anyway, even Ron's better looking." Harry said scathingly.

"Why dont you run back home and marry Weasley then eh? Save us all alot of trouble." Draco said coldly.

Harry suddenly did a double take when Draco said that simple word. Home. Not this home, but home as in Hogwarts. As in the wizarding world. With a soft groan, the anger drained out of him, he sat down on the bed, tears threatening to spill forth.

"Oh gods, what are we doing? What have we become? Are we...are we really forgetting who we were...are?" Harry asked Draco suddenly in a very pained voice.

Draco just stared at Harry, as if he'd never seen him afore now. His anger had died as well, upon seeing the tears that now filled Harry's eyes, and the torment in Harry's voice. He sank down on the bed next to Harry, concern now in his eyes, along with regrets.

"I dont know...I dont know anymore. I never wanted to come here, but what choice did I...did we...have? I thought as long as you were with me, it would be allright, that nothing could hurt me. I was wrong though, so very wrong." Draco said softly sighing. "I'm sorry...so very very sorry Dan...Harry. Harry. My Harry. My love. Can you forgive me?" he turned to look into Harry's eyes, pleading with him.

"Oh Tom...Draco, I love you, I love you so much it pains me sometimes when I cant be near you. I forgive you, I'll always forgive you...can you forgive me?" Harry said in a catched voice.

"Of course, gods of course! Just promise me Harry, no matter what happens, no matter where or how we end up...wizard or muggle...that's you'll always love me?" Draco nearly whispered.

"Forever m'love, forever. I'll never leave you, I"ll die for you if I have to. I'd rather die as a common muggle then to even live one day as the Golden Boy of the wizarding world if you weren't with me." Harry said, his eyes shining bright with the still fresh tears.

Draco leaned in and snuggled up against Harry, so very glad to once again be back in his lovers arms that were tightly circling round his body now. It dawned on him then though what Harry had said, and he looked back up at Harry, a strange look now in his eyes.

"What?" Harry said noticing Draco's odd expression.

"You hate it dont you. You...you dont really want to go back do you." he said quietly.

Harry didn't need to ask what Draco was talking bout, he knew. Sighing he barely nodded. "I do hate it, honestly. I"m tired, so tired of being what everyone expects me to be. 'The Boy Who Lived', 'The Golden Boy Of Hogwarts', 'The Gryffindor Heir', and the worst...'The Saviour of the Wizarding World'. Ever since I'm 11, they expect me to be someone I'm not, even Mr. Ollivander told me that 'we can expect great things from you Harry Potter'. When will it all end? When will I ever just be me...Harry. Just Harry." he said sighing with a longing.

"I suppose I only made that worse all these years we fought. I'm sorry bout that, really I am. That's why you like it as a muggle so much then, here you're just 'you', just Harry..or rather, just Daniel." Draco said softly, finally understanding what Harry had always felt.

Harry nodded, "Exactly. Here I can stand in a queue, and I'm just 'there'. I"m not picked off, singled out for nothing more then a stupid scar and an even more stupid reputation. I suppose that's why I like James, Peter and Michael so much. They accept me as I am, not as the wonder boy, but just as me."

"Do...do you really fancy James...like that I mean?" Draco asked hoping that what had happened had been nothing more then what had happened between him and Peter.

"No more then you fancy Peter that way." he said chuckling and wrapping his arms round Draco tighter. "Of course not you silly git, I love you, only you." he said kissing the top of Draco's head.

Draco smiled. If he were to die right now, he'd die the happiest person in the world, muggle and wizarding ones both. "And trust me, I fancy Peter as a friend, but he's definitely not my type. I prefer the black haired, green eyed Gryffindor heirs." he grinned, and leaned up to give Harry a kiss in the nape of his neck, which to his immense relief, elicited a shiver down Harry's spine. He didn't let up either, trailing his kisses now down Harry's neck to the hollow there, and Harry responded with a small moan.

"I dont care what you look like on the outside, you're still mine inside Harry James Potter. I fell in love with you, and you'll always be my 'Golden Boy', only mine..." Draco said, and then they had no more need of words.

They never even heard the slight knock on the door made by Sirius, nor would they have answered it if they had. Sirius knew better by now then to disturb them, apparently they had made up and he wasn't going to attempt to interfere in whatever had got them so upset in the first place. He walked back into the kitchen to join Taryn, who was standing over the stove stirring some gravy for dinner, and he stopped to watch her for a moment.

He could hardly believe this was the same girl he knew back at Hogwarts, he tried to picture again what she had looked like back then, remembering a tiny black haired, black eyed Slytherin whom he hadn't bothered with for alot of reasons. He probably had known bout her relationship to Severus, which is most likely the reason he'd stayed away from her. Besides, there were more then enough willing Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and of course Gryffindors to take to his bed back then. How ironic this all was he thought wryly that like his godson, he too should end up with a Slytherin, and that she could make him happy.

"Have I got something on me face that you're staring at me like that?" she said grinning over at him interrupting his thoughts.

He shook his head, "No, just looking, that's all."

"Like what you're seeing Mr. Brandon?" she said, remembering to call him that since the boys were now home.

Sirius nodded his head and smiled. "Very much so Ms. Argent, very much so. I told you that you were using that sly Slytherin corruption on me...and personally, I think I like it." he grinned broadly now.

Taryn laughed. "Just goes to show we Slytherin's are good for something then!" she said coyly and winked at him, then turned back to the gravy to stir it. "The boys allright now?"

"More then allright you could say. I do believe we shant have any more troubles from them again, tonight at anyrate." he said chuckling and sat back down at the dinette. "You do know how sexy you look in that apron dont you?" he said smugly.

She turned back round to him then, a glint in her eyes. "Well, you must look positively ravishing in it then Mr. Brandon, and here I thought I was the guest tonight!" she laughed.

"Oh go on, I said I'll cook dinner, and I will, have faith Ms. Argent! Here now, let me help you stir that gravy..." he said and got up and went over to where she was at the stove. He put his hand on the one of hers that was still on the gravy spoon, his other hand round her waist, pulling her back towards his chest. "I think I could get too use to this Taryn Silver...." he said whispering into her ear causing her to shiver a bit.

Somehow the gravy suddenly became forgotten as Sirius drew Taryn out of the room to his, or rather, the boys room. As the door closed behind them he knew they'd be undisturbed for a while, judging by the fact the boys themselves were more then a bit occupied. He felt no guilt at being able to enjoy this woman's company this time, atleast he was in full control of himself, and he planned on making sure that this time..he was going to remember every single detail, even if it took the rest of the afternoon to do so.

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2002-03-05 8:48:32 AM