A/N: Well... What do you know, I'm alive. No point in apologosing. Life happened. I'm doing much much better than I have in the past. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter cause of all that happened. I hope you enjoy reading. I plan on releasing 2 more chapters. Don't know when, but one will be a proper chapter and the other will be the epilogue to wrap up this story.

Words: ~7,000 (yes you read this correctly, seven thousand words)
Warnings: a bit of smut, bit of drama

Enjoy! Read and Review please, it really helps out

Chapter 15

Harry clenched his fists to his side and took a deep breath. "You can do this Harry. You've been an ass. You need to work on fixing up your relationships with your friends."

He huffed, passing a hand through his hair as he fixed his school tie and walked out of the dorm. Draco was in one of his classes, but Harry had an hour to spare before his next class. And so did Hermione, which is why he was set on setting things straight between them.

Harry took another deep breath and stepped towards his bed, grabbing the Marauders Map from his trunk. He hadn't used it in a while, because of all the memories it brought back.

"I swear I am up to no good"

The map started forming in front of him and he started searching for Hermione's dot. He looked around her usual spots, checking the common room, the library; he couldn't find her there. Harry kept looking, and eventually found Hermione in one of the courtyards. He folded the map and started walking towards the courtyard.

"Harry!"

Hermione stood up, putting away a book that was in her hands. Harry smiled slightly and walked towards her. Before she could say anything more, he hugged her tightly, almost lifting her up from the ground.

"I'm so sorry, 'Mione," he mumbled in her hair as they hugged and he felt Hermione hugging back.

"You should be, you've been massively absent and distant, you idiot," she said, laughing softly.

They both pulled away and Harry dropped his eyes to the floor. "I'm gonna make it up to you and fix this. I promise. There's… so much that's been going on."

Hermione stroked his shoulder and made him look at her, just like Mrs Weasley would do. "Let's go sit down. We have less than an hour to catch up."

And they did exactly that. Harry kept apologizing for his behavior and explained to her that the reason he was distant was because his head wasn't right, but that he was trying to work on it and fix things. He told her about how Draco had played a huge part and how he'd grown to like him over the past few months. He admitted to her that they were dating, to which Hermione replied by laughing and saying she already knew all about it and how obvious it was to her that the two were seeing each other. Harry ended up hugging her for a long time and thanking her for forgiving him. Hermione promised to be more understanding and helpful in anything he wanted, and Harry appreciated the fact quite a lot.

When the time came for class, Hermione looked over at Harry, her brown eyes softening her expression of worry.

"Will you join class today?" she asked.

Harry took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready."

Hermione got up and extended her arm to him. "Let's go."

Harry hadn't seen Draco almost all day, since he'd been attending classes and trying to catch up with homework and notes. Hermione was a great help for that, and she made him feel okay about having a drawback. For the first time in a long time, Harry felt like himself again. No drama, no voices, no nothing. He couldn't wait to tell Draco all about it.

He got out of his last class for the day with a stack of notes in his hands, and headed towards his dorm, wanting to put everything away. He knew he'd fallen back quite a lot with studying, so he wanted to ask Draco for help with their shared classes, which were on schedule for two days later.

Upon arriving in the dorm, he saw a couple of people gathered by the fireplace that reacted by staring at him when he entered. Harry stared back, not understanding why they looked at him like that, and walked upstairs to the dorm.

Closing the door behind him, Harry found the blond curled up in bed.

"Draco?" he queried

When the blond didn't respond, Harry panicked. He dropped the notes on the floor along with his rucksack, took his shoes off and hurried into Draco's bed, a million scenarios in his mind.

"Draco?!" he said a little louder and shook the blond.

Draco turned around and looked at Harry, his eyes red. "I…"

"What happened?"

"Andromeda…" Draco whispered.

Harry's heart nearly stopped. "What's happened to her? Is Teddy okay?"

"She got attacked on the way home by some ex Death Eaters. She's in 's but they're not letting me go see her because I… Because…"

Harry pulled Draco in his arms and held him tightly against his chest. He understood completely.

"I'll sneak you in. Let's go."

"Harry no, we can't. If they find me there they'll…"

"They'll what? They can't do shit. I'll kill anyone who prevents you from seeing your only living relative that isn't in hiding," Harry stated angrily.

Draco sighed. "Alright, let's do it. Tonight, after dinner," he whispered, giving in.

They stayed in each other's arms for a while, until it was dinner time. At dinner, they sat with Hermione and Harry told her how he needed her to cover for them so they could go visit Andromeda in the hospital.

"Of course I'll cover for you. You can apparate from Hogsmeade, can't you?" she suggested. Harry hadn't thought of that.

"That's a great idea, Hermione. Thanks," he said and looked over at Draco.

Draco wasn't eating. He looked genuinely upset about everything, and he had every right to be upset. Harry looked at him, trying to get him to make eye contant. Finally Draco looked up.

"I just need to see that she's okay and find out what bastards did this to her," Draco said angrily.

Harry nodded and ate his dinner quietly. When they were all done, they got up and started heading out of the Great Hall. Draco seemed lost in thought, and when they reached the dorm again and were finally alone, Harry confronted him.

"She's gonna be okay. I promise you."

Draco looked at him and nodded. "I know. It just really hurts being treated this way by… everyone."

Harry pressed his finger against Draco's lips. "I understand, but I like you a lot and I hate seeing you sad."

Draco chuckled. "Says you, Potter," he muttered teasingly.

Draco moved closer and kissed Harry softly, pulling him in his arms. Harry melted against him and brought his hand up, passing his fingers through Draco's hair. They kissed for a few seconds, pulling away after a bit.

"When are we leaving?" Draco asked softly.

"In a few hours, why?" Harry replied.

"I want you to lock the door and follow me into the bathroom," Draco whispered against Harry's ear.

Harry obliged, hurrying to lock the door and secure it with some spells. He watched as Draco walked towards the bathroom, shedding his clothes one by one, leaving his shirt and tie on and turning his head around, looking at Harry with the most lustful look Harry had ever seen.

Harry took off his own clothes, staying in only boxers and following in a dazed state.

Everything that followed felt like a harmonious choreography of some sort. The softness of Draco's skin mesmerized Harry, making him touch every part of him that he could possibly reach, eliciting small sounds of appreciation from the other. Draco looped his fingers around the waistband of Harry's boxers, tugging at them, and Harry started unbuttoning Draco's white shirt, pushing it off the blond's slender shoulders. Their lips met again, soft but saying much more than words could ever express. Somehow they found themselves enjoying a warm, soothing shower, with copious amounts of kissing and hugging, and gentle touches that left them wanting more. Neither of them had the energy to do more, and that was okay.

When they turned off the water, Harry's hair was soaked and clean, and Draco's face had a softer, more calm expression to it. Harry smiled and pushed away a strand of hair from Draco's face, kissing him gently on the cheek. Draco's cheeks reddened, and he grabbed a towel for himself, handing one to Harry as well. When they both had dried off they headed back into bed, and sat together in their towels for a good while, in comfortable silence.

Harry's mind was focused on one thing; Draco. With the blond laying in his arms, he really couldn't feel more serene than this.

"Harry?" Draco hummed after a bit.

Harry had his eyes closed and had nearly drifted off to sleep, but Draco's voice shook him back into reality. "Mmyeah?"

"It's time."

Harry nodded and slowly lifted himself, watching Draco accio some clothes for himself. Harry did the same, not wanting to leave the warmth of the bed and the warmth of Draco's body.

Once they were dressed, Harry searched in his trunk and found his invisibility cloak, showing it to Draco.

"We'll use this to sneak you into Mungo's. I'll just walk in, there's night guards on duty, I'll convince them to let me in."

Draco nodded. "And if it fails?" he asked.

"If it fails, we wait till morning to try again."

"Sounds like a plan."

Harry hummed. "Let's go."

Harry and Draco snuck around Hogwarts, finding one of the only working secret passages to Hogsmeade. Once they were at Hogsmeade, they disaparated to central London, right outside of St. Mungo's Hospital. Draco covered himself with the cloak and made sure his feet were glamoured so nobody would notice.

Harry walked in and saw a nurse at the entrance desk. He walked up to her and asked for information on which room Andromeda was in. The nurse told him that he wasn't allowed to stay for long and that he needed to wait for a guard in order to access Andromeda's room.

"Guess I'll wait here then," Harry said, his response being the hint for Draco to go on without him.

Draco started walking slowly towards the second floor, where Andromeda was kept. He took the stairs, as to not draw any suspicion over an elevator suddenly activating. He made it to the second floor and held his breath as some nurses passed him. He searched for the numbers on the doors, turning a few corners and finally finding the room he was looking for. He made sure nobody was around before turning the handle and slowly heading in, closing the door softly behind him.

The room Andromeda was in was a single-bed room, and it felt cold and uninviting. Draco walked towards the bed, seeing Andromeda asleep and bandaged up. The attack must have been very ruthless, since usually patients don't stay too long at Mungo's.

Draco pushed the hood of the cloak slowly off of him and sat by Andromeda's bed, watching her chest rise and fall.

"I'm sorry I haven't been the best nephew," Draco whispered.

He sat there for a few minutes, watching her. There was a tab with her info on the bedside table, which listed a lot of wounds inflicted on her, along with a few curses that were cast. Whoever did this was trying to get information out of her, and not kill her.

Draco felt disgusted. He knew what scum ruled the armies of Voldemort, but he thought that when he died, the Order would've at least gathered up all remaining Death Eaters. Apparently some of them were still out there, alive and seeking revenge.

It would make sense why someone randomly cursed Harry at the Three Broomsticks a few months back. They were most definitely after Harry. What if by coming here, Harry was in danger?

With the thought in mind, Draco stood up, not putting his hood on and attempting to leave the room. Just as he reached the door, it opened and in came a guard, followed by Harry.

"What are you doing here?!" the guard growled, and Draco gasped.

"N-Nothing, I was just visiting her!" Draco tried to defend himself but the guard was already calling for security reinforcements and drawing his wand.

Draco acted fast and grabbed his wand, stunning the guard and putting his hood back on, grabbing Harry's hand and running down the corridor fast. He didn't care if they saw his feet, his face wasn't on show and that was the important part.

"Fuck, Draco, I'm sorry!" Harry said.

"Not your fault. Let's just leave this place immediately," Draco replied, still running.

They barely made it outside, apparating back to Hogsmeade just in time. They took the tunnel back to Hogwarts and eventually made it back to their dorm. Once in, Draco locked the door and took off the cloak, falling on the bed.

"They attacked her to get to you," he breathed, shoving his shoes off.

"What?" Harry said in shock.

"They did some curses on her in order to get to you. I think they were trying to make her get you out of Hogwarts somehow so they could attack you as revenge. The Order must've missed catching those Death Eaters cause there seem to be two still on the loose," Draco explained.

Harry's mind was racing. Because of me? She nearly died because of me? No, no more people have to die because of me.

"Harry?" Draco said and got up.

Harry shook his head. "It's all my fault, isn't it?" he said.

"Harry no, it isn't."

"I should've never survived. People will stop suffering because of me when I die. So why don't I just fucking die already?!" Harry exclaimed, turning towards the door and reaching for the door handle.

Draco was quicker and blocked his path with his body, locking the door and staring at Harry. "You've got every right to be here. You saved hundreds of thousands of people by ending the war. Let the Order deal with catching those assholes," Draco said, trying to reassure him.

Harry shook his head. "It's all my fucking fault!" he shouted.

Draco pushed him gently away from the door. "It's not your fault. You need to understand that it's not your fault. They attacked her, not you. They are at fault for being such scum."

Harry pulled away and ran to the bathroom, Draco following him closely.

"Harry, don't! Please!" Draco shouted.

Harry refused to listen and tried to slam the door on Draco, only to have him push the door open. "Harry!" he said again, trying to snap him out of it.

Draco grabbed Harry's arm by the wrist and pulled him, trying to shake him out of it.

"No, let me go, let me go!" Harry retaliated, tears filling his eyes.

"It's me, it's Draco, I don't mean to hurt you, please listen to me," Draco tried again.

Harry's eyes met with Draco's and he seemed to calm a bit, stopping in his tracks. Draco grabbed his wand and cast a calming spell on Harry, barely managing it just in time to help Harry relax. Harry's eyes watered more and he simply fell in Draco's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shh, it's okay, Harry… It's okay."

Harry woke up the next morning and found himself in Draco's bed, the blond curled up in the sheets and looking peaceful. Harry reached over and kissed Draco on the lips, watching him wake up.

"Morning," Draco said, yawning and covering his mouth with his hand.

"Good morning. Did I pass out last night?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded and stretched out his arms above his head, letting out another yawn. "We have a shared class today. Are you coming?"

Harry thought of it for a bit. "Yeah, I am. Otherwise I'll get an earful from Hermione."

"You guys are good again?" Draco said with a small smile.

Harry hummed in agreement. "I apologized for how I've been acting and told her that I'm getting help. I need to apologize to you too. I'm sorry for putting you through all of this."

Draco leaned over and pulled Harry in a tight embrace, kissing his collarbone softly. "Forgiven," he whispered.

Harry felt himself relaxing at the kiss and craned his neck to the side, exposing more skin. Draco smirked, littering Harry's collarbone with small kisses, before reaching his neck and biting it. Harry bit his own lip and his hands reached to Draco's waist, caressing the soft skin of the other.

"We have class."

"Five more minutes…" Harry breathed with his head tilted to the side and pressing his face to Draco's cheek.

Draco pulled slightly back until he was looking into Harry's eyes, and felt himself staring at the boy in front of him.

"What?" Harry questioned.

"I think… I'm… Nevermind," Draco said, shaking his head and kissing Harry on the lips. "Come on, we gotta go."

Harry groaned and watched as Draco got off the bed, wearing some pyjama bottoms that looked very flattering on the blond's figure. He got up after him and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist, pressing up from behind him.

"Harry."

"Mmmm?"

"You're very hot with your messy bedhead and loose pyjamas, but can you focus on something else other than sex?" Draco said jokingly.

Harry grinned. "You think I'm hot?"

Draco turned in his arms to face him, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Potter, I happen to find you to be a very attractive man. Now will you get your hands off and let me get ready for class, or do I have to hex you?"

"Alright, but tonight you're not getting away without a sore ass," Harry said, a huge grin taking place on his face.

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise."

"Here's my notes for Charms that you asked for," Hermione said cheerfully at dinner time, handing Harry a large pile of parchment paper.

Harry put his fork down and reached out for the notes, grabbing them all and putting them next to him on the table. Draco was sitting next to him, toying with a few potatoes on his plate.

"Something the matter?" Harry questioned.

Draco exhaled, looking over at Harry. "Your appointment is in a month, which was the quickest I could've managed. I'm just worried it's not soon enough, and with me using my mother's name and all."

Harry hummed, skeptical at the sound of that. A month was far away. How was he meant to handle all of that for another month?

Harry was considering the possibilities. He didn't want this inner turmoil to continue at this point and in the same intensity it's been at for the past year. He wanted to get better for Draco, as stupid as that sounded. Draco gave him something he hadn't felt before. It was confusing and he wasn't sure what exactly he felt for him, but he was sure that whatever it was, it was strong enough to make him want to get better.

"I… I can't live like this. I can't live in fear of the press forever," Harry said suddenly. "Use my name. I know you've found someone trustworthy at least, but use my name instead. Let's see how fast the first appointment can be done after you mention my name."

Draco gave Harry a long look, both of them sitting in silence for a few moments. Draco seemed to understand Harry's reasoning behind it, and he nodded positively after a bit. "Right. I'll do that."

Harry smiled, thankful of Draco's help. "I hope Andromeda is okay…" he said softly. Then as if a switch turned in his mind, he jumped in his seat, realizing something. "What about Teddy?! Where is he? Who's taking care of him?!" he said, a little louder than he meant to, grabbing the attention of nearby students.

Hermione was quick to intervene. "Mrs Weasley sent me an owl. He's with them, she's looking after him."

Harry inhaled, nodding softly. "That's great news," he said, his heart returning back in its place.

"Are you guys finished with dinner?" Hermione asked the two, putting down her utensils on her empty plate.

Draco nodded, chewing his last potato. He took hold of his cup and gulped down the last sip of his pumpkin juice. "Harry?"

"Yeah, I'm finished with dinner as well. Why?" Harry asked her.

"Well I thought we could sit at the common room, all together," she suggested.

Draco stood up. "Great idea. Let's go." He said, giving his hand to Harry to help him out, without realizing. "Oh, uh…"

Harry looked at his outstretched hand and took it, without hesitation. "It's fine, she knows and… It's fine," He said with a small smile.

Draco helped him out of his seat and looked at Harry. "Are you sure you're Harry Potter?" he asked jokingly.

Harry chuckled and held on to Draco's hand. "Pretty sure this is still me, yes."

In the Common Room, the three of them sat by the fireplace, and it reminded Harry an awful lot of when Ron was around. Only this time Harry was sitting in the center instead of the side. Draco was going through a book for a class and Hermione was reading something as well. Harry was staring at the fireplace, his mind whirring.

Using his real name to book an appointment was risky. As soon as anyone would pick up on it, they'd flock to him and find more excuses to harass him for information and an interview. But it had to be done. He had to do it for Draco. Draco's attempts at getting him better was what motivated Harry to seek help from mind healers.

What kept Harry's mind occupied was the thought of Andromeda in the hospital. He wanted to find who did it. He wanted to get revenge for the hurt they'd caused. He watched as Draco closed his book and put it on his lap.

"Any of you going to sleep soon?" Harry asked once he got their attention.

"Yeah, I'm done reading. Care to join me?" Draco replied, sitting up.

Harry nodded. "Goodnight, Hermione."

Hermione looked up from her book and smiled. "Night, guys."

Harry followed Draco up to their room, waving at Hermione as they left. The door shut behind the two boys, the noise echoing through their room and enveloping it in darkness. With a wave of his wand, Draco lit up the room, making it look cozy.

"I'm knackered. Shall we just go to bed?" Harry said, pretending to yawn.

Draco hummed in agreement and stretched his arms above his head. "I think we should hit the pillows, it's been a rough few days. Will you sleep in my bed?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at Harry.

Harry moved, his arms wrapping around Draco's waist and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "I'll sleep with you tomorrow night. You need your beauty sleep after all, and if I join you, you won't be getting any," Harry joked, receiving a stern look from Draco, before both of them broke out into laughter.

"You're right. I'll have to wait until tomorrow then."

"Till morrow," Harry said, tipping an imaginary hat.

Draco rolled his eyes, laughing as he pulled away and reached for his pyjamas from the trunk. "I'll go take a shower."

Harry huffed. "No fair, you took one yesterday too."

"Yes, Potter, people tend to take showers in order to stay clean."

Harry huffed. "Fine, I'll go sleep then and close my curtains. Don't try anything with me," Harry smirked, placing his hand on Draco's cheek and giving him a quick kiss.

Draco chuckled in his mouth. "Your wish is my command. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Draco."

"Night."

The moonlight had just made its way through the room when Draco disappeared into the bathroom. When the water was turned on, Harry changed out of his school uniform and into muggle clothing, putting his pyjamas in his bed and laying out his uniform quite obviously, in order to give the impression he had gone to bed.

He fixed his glasses and covered up his scar with a spell, changing his appearance slightly and grabbing his cloak from his trunk as silently as possible. Harry could hear Draco in the shower, taking his sweet time pampering himself. He put his wand in his pocket, checking every spell he had learnt in the past eight years. As an afterthought, he grabbed the map from his trunk and opened it, checking who was still down in their Common Room. If he played his cards right, he could slip right past them without anyone noticing.

The map revealed that Hermione was still lingering in the Common Room, but everyone else seemed to be gone. He waited a bit with baited breath, hoping that Hermione would leave. Surely enough, her dot on the map got a move on, and she walked up to the dorm she was sharing with the Ravenclaw girl she'd mentioned. Harry let out a sigh of relief and folded the map, putting it also in his pocket. He needed to make sure that even if he was invisible, he wouldn't run into Filch or anyone else on his way out to Hogsmeade.

Suddenly, the water stopped running and Harry froze in his spot. He listened as Draco ran the sink, probably fixing his hair. Harry knew he had to act quick, so he spelled his curtains closed, threw the cloak over his shoulders and cast a silencing charm around him so he could open the door without Draco hearing it. Once outside, he shut the door as quietly as humanly possible and walked down the stairs.

"I'm sorry," he whispered under his breath as he left the Common Room and headed down the main stairs.

Sometime later, and with a lot of guidance from the map, Harry made it to one of the only passages to Hogsmeade that hadn't been destroyed or blocked off. He remembered the specific passage because when he was helping fix up the school, he'd made sure he'd opened at least one passage for easy access. He slipped through, using his wand as a light, and found his way to Hogsmeade.

Harry never took off his cloak, even if his face was glamoured and even if he was certain nobody was around. He couldn't risk it.

The cold air hit Harry's face much harder than he anticipated. His cloak flapped around him and he hurried to wrap it tighter on his body, trying not reveal the fact he was invisible. It well into winter by this time of year, and the Hogwarts grounds were always way colder than any place else. His breath clouded in front of him, but he didn't care. This night had to have been the only night where he felt like himself. Ready to get revenge for the people he cared for, and ready to fight.

He apparated in an alley behind Mungo's. When a cat hissed at him from a trash bin, Harry nearly lost his balance.

"Shhh," he whispered to the cat.

The cat hopped off the trash and walked off, its tail slowly curving to one side.

Harry realized he was nervous. He hadn't been this nervous to walk around at night since the war. The cold made him shiver, and he could feel it in his bones that it was going to start snowing in the next few weeks. He knew he had every reason to want revenge on people who hurt Andromeda, because most likely, those people had hurt others too. And it wasn't right. It didn't feel right knowing they were still out there, whilst hundreds of others had been brought to justice.

He circled around the building, walking towards the entrance, his cloak still on him. After peering through a corner from the outside, he saw that a security guard was stationed in front of the entrance desk, looking towards the streets outside. Harry watched as the guard brushed hair off her face, looking behind her as some nurses walked by and into another section of the building.

He took a deep breath to calm his heart rate and made sure he was fully protected and that his feet were glamoured as well so that even if the cloak was too short, nobody would notice a pair of feet casually walking into the clinic.

When the guard was looking elsewhere he walked through the door, quickly closing it behind him so that the guard wouldn't notice it. Thankfully, she started chatting up a passerby doctor, so Harry made his way through the corridors quite easily. He had to avoid a few nurses and doctors that were on night duty, but overall he made it safely into the stairwell. He didn't want to take any of the lifts because it'd be too suspicious to have a lone lift in the middle of the night activating.

Finally, Harry reached Andromeda's room and got inside, shutting the door behind him quietly. He took off his hood, the glamour effect on his face fading with it, and walked toward her bed, making sure not to wake her up. He looked at her from the foot of the bed and sighed slightly, noticing that she was getting better from the attack. At her bedside table was a folder with her medical condition in it, detailing everything that happened. Harry accio'd it carefully and opened it, confirming what Draco had told him.

"Harry?" a croaky voice said, startling Harry and making him drop the folder he was holding.

Andromeda was looking at him, her eyes bloodshot but her expression soft and warm as always.

"You're alive," Harry said, exhaling in relief. He stepped closer and reached down to hug her.

Andromeda hugged back, patting his back and smiling. "I'd never let them get me away from my grandson, now would I?"

Harry chuckled and picked up the folder from the floor, putting it on the bedside table and grabbing a chair to sit down at. "Who did this to you, Andromeda?"

Andromeda sighed, crossing her hands over her chest. "It was two cowards. One I recognized was Yaxley, but the other I couldn't tell who he was. They found me when I was in Knockturn Alley and-"

"Andromeda, what were you doing there?" Harry asked somewhat sternly.

"I had some business to attend to, Harry. They somehow found me and tried to question me for more info on the Order and you. They didn't get what they wanted." Andromeda said, grinning slightly. Her eyes seemed tired. "Where's Teddy? Is he with you in the castle?" she asked next.

Harry shook his head. "Molly took him and they're looking after him. I'll go see him after tonight."

Andromeda looked at him. "What's tonight?" she asked, concerned the boy might want to go after the men himself.

"I have some business to attend to," Harry replied, looking at her.

"Harry, don't do something you'll regret. It's not worth it. The Aurors are out searching for them. Every other Death Eater has either been eliminated or imprisoned. Those two are the only ones left," Andromeda informed him, but Harry had already planned this beforehand. Now he knew who to look for.

"I must leave. They'll look for me if they notice I'm gone. Don't tell anyone I was here tonight, okay?"

Andromeda sighed, looking at him. "I can't make any promises."

Harry sat up, putting the chair back in its place and placing his cloak over his shoulders, pulling the hood up. "Bye," he said softly and left the room, walking out into the hallway.

Once he reached the outside he took in a big breath of the cold air, his hands shaking from the anger he held inside him. Yaxley had been the one who was at the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore was killed. Yaxley was the one that forced him, Hermione and Ron to abandon Grimmauld Place and go camping in a forest with no way of returning back.

Harry tried to focus on his surroundings, looking at the lit up Diagon Alley. Small street lanterns decorated the multiple pathways one could take to navigate through the buildings. Most shops were closed, or just closing down, so the sound of protective spells being cast was distinctively heard throughout. There was a comforting smell of the fireplaces burning, making Harry wish he was back at the Common Room and he didn't have to be out here, alone. He shook his head, noticing a few Aurors on parole just in time to stop in his tracks and wait until they passed. Once they were gone, Harry continued.

Harry clutched his wand under the cloak and walked, in no direction in particular, staying in the shadows and making as little noise as possible. His didn't notice the drizzle that began falling because he was too busy trying to remember every detaining spell he knew. He knew he'd find them lurking about in the shadows, especially at this time at night. Even if very few people could be spotted walking, Harry knew that things had been way worse in these areas during the war. It was still fresh in everyone's minds, so it was no wonder that they wouldn't stay out until late. Without war breathing down everyone's necks, the passers-by seemed a lot slower in walking back to their homes.

Harry reached Knockturn Alley, the atmosphere changing quite obviously. A chilly wind flew past him and he held tightly onto his cloak. Nobody was visibly walking around this area, and the drizzle had stayed behind. The sky was cloudy, the moon barely showing, making everything look gaunt and ghostly. It was no wonder it looked this way; after the war, most of the shops in Knockturn Alley were shut down - if they hadn't already been during the war -, making everything feel abandoned.

Harry stood by some alleys and waited. He didn't know if he was waiting for a sign or a clue to point him to the right direction, but he waited regardless. He was sure that they'd still be lurking around here, even if the Aurors were on their tails.

Suddenly, as if Harry had wished for it, a hooded figure appeared, walking fast down the alley Harry was hidden in. Harry held his breath as the hooded figure passed him and seemed to stop at the end of the alley, looking around, as if looking for someone.

"Dolohov, I told you to bloody meet me half an hour ago!" a voice said in an angry whisper and Harry froze in his spot. Yaxley was sitting there the entire time, also hidden in the shadows, and Harry hadn't noticed.

"Do you want us to be found, Yaxley? I had to create a distraction for the Aurors that were snooping around," Dolohov snapped, keeping his hood up.

"Shut your trap and let's get going. Mungo's isn't far. We'll definitely find him visiting that old hag, he wouldn't come in the day."

Harry watched as they passed by him and he held his breath, making sure every fiber of his being was silent and undercover. The two men walked away and Harry followed them silently, waiting for the right moment to strike. Through his mind were passing any and all dark spells he'd ever encountered in his life. He hadn't thought of a plan to take out two men at once, but he was certain that if he seriously injured Yaxley and then kept Dolohov in better shape to ask if any other Death Eaters were still active, he'd get his revenge.

Then, a spell came into Harry's mind. A spell he'd used only once and nearly killed someone. Sectumsempra. He'd cast it unknowing of the repercussions and ended up nearly killing Draco, the very person he was now falling in love with. He felt a horrible knot in his stomach, but he knew that it was enough to get the job done, to make Yaxley suffer for his crimes.

Harry made sure that they hadn't picked up on the fact he was following them and drew his wand, his breath hitching in his throat. He wordlessly cast the spell and it hit Yaxley on the back, making him cry out and fall to the floor. Immediately, Dolohov spun around and cast spells left and right, hoping to find the assailant.

Harry pushed his hood off swiftly and disarmed both of them, his eyes glowing with hatred.

"Crucio!" he exclaimed, hitting Dolohov squarely on the chest, causing him to writhe out in pain.

Yaxley was bleeding out on the floor, struggling to get to his feet, but Dolohov was fighting the curse.

"Didn't Bellatrix teach you anything, boy? You have to mean it in order to do real damage," Dolohov sneered at him.

Harry's wand raised as if on its own, casting another spell, this time wordlessly. "And didn't you learn not to pick fights with the Boy Who Lived?"

Dolohov was suspended with ropes and Harry kept casting more and more dark spells, watching as the man groaned and eventually shouted from the pain. His mind was blurry from the amount of spells that were passing by it, casting them without thinking. Yaxley had stopped moving and a pool of blood had been created in the ground.

"Which one of you nasty scum hurt her?!" Harry demanded.

"I did, and I wish I'd d-done more damage!" Dolohov exclaimed, his words barely coming out as the ropes restrained him more. "Y-You didn't deserve to be alive, Potter. Our Lord was far more superior than you."

Harry laughed a guttural and twisted sounding laughter, almost as if a piece of Voldemort was still in him. He shook his head and focused on the task at hand.

"Well, Azkaban already has enough people in it. I won't make it hard on the Aurors to find you two. Ava-"

"Harry!" a voice exclaimed and Harry lost his focus, dropping Dolohov on the ground and turning around to see who had called him.

A set of piercing silver eyes and messy blond hair made Harry's inner world crumble.

"What are you doing here?!" Harry shouted, snapping out of it.

"You weren't at school, and I knew you'd be with Andromeda, but she told me you left a few hours ago. I've been looking for you!" Draco shouted. "What were you about to do?!" he said, looking at the two men on the ground, realizing that one of them was already dead.

Harry looked down at Yaxley who lay unmoving, blood slipping through the cracks in the pavement. Dolohov was restrained in ropes, blood oozing out of the sides were the ropes had cut into his skin.

"I… Draco, you don't understand… I'm…" Harry said, his mind whirring. No, no, no, I didn't mean to kill him, no I only meant to make them hurt, just like they did to Andromeda.

Draco stood there in shock, looking at Harry. Suddenly, a spell was cast and Draco jumped to tackle Harry out of the range of it. Dolohov had gotten a hold of his wand and was now threatening both of them.

Harry acted quickly and cast another disarming spell, a body binding spell, and a memory erasing spell. Harry watched as Dolohov fell to the floor with a thud, and gagged when he saw for the second time the state Yaxley was in. Draco was also staring at the body of the man in shock.

"Did I… kill him?" Harry muttered, mortified with himself.

Draco was panting, trying to process everything. "Let's go back. Harry, let's go back. The Aurors are on their way," Draco said urgently, grabbing Harry's hand and running.

Harry's feet moved without his will, and somehow, they ended up back at the castle after a while, both gasping for air as they climbed the stairs to the Common Room and burst inside, heading for their dorm and locking the door behind them.

"Harry…" Draco whispered, leaning his back against the door, gasping for air.

"I'm a murderer… I'm just as horrible as him."

Draco shook his head and tried approaching Harry, only to get stopped by the other.

"Take my wand away from me."

Harry's hand was outstretched, his wand in the palm of it, ready to be given away.

"Harry, I can't. What happened tonight was out of control, but it did. Lots of people have died at war," Draco tried.

Harry shook his head. "I just killed someone. I just killed someone, Draco. This isn't war anymore."

Draco swallowed thickly, unable to process his emotions on the matter. Instead, he decided to speak his mind. "I knew you were gone because when I came out of the shower, I tried calling you and asking if you needed anything. When you didn't reply, I opened the curtains and found your bed empty. It took me a while to reach Andromeda's room, considering I didn't have your cloak, so I had to carefully make my way through with other means. When she told me you'd gone off, I knew you'd be out there somewhere. I didn't…- I couldn't have imagined this would happen, but it did. You're not a horrible person for what you did. It wasn't your place to judge them, but… You're not horrible, and you're not as horrible as him."

Harry felt as if his head was about to burst. He looked at Draco as he spoke, trying to control himself. But as soon as Draco was done talking, all Harry could think of was what he'd just done.

"Draco… I…"

Harry's voice broke and Draco reached out, wrapping his arms around Harry as his knees buckled underneath him, barely catching him in time before the boy collapsed. They held each other as Harry cried through the entire night, unable to fathom what he'd just done and what curses he'd almost used in order to gain revenge.

One thing was certain; revenge didn't feel good.

A/N: Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. It felt really amazing being able to write again, and especially writing something I'm proud of.

Don't forget to leave a Review if you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you all for staying by and following this story even if it takes ages to upload. I appreciate every one of you.