The next day, Draco awoke to not a warm body but a torn piece of parchment. Hastily scrawled on it was a quick apology and a promise to seek him out later. He left the bedroom, toes curling at the cold floor; the note made a startling cry as the fire beside him devoured its prey.

The blonde sighed, snapping his fingers at the house elf who had beckoned to his call, retrieving tea a few moments later. It wasn't warm enough. Draco ignored it.

The rising sun seeped into the room like liquid, gushing forward and drowning him whole, creating dark spots in his vision. The letter was still on the floor, forgotten from the night before.

He took in the first line: I must say that before I mention anything else that I do love you, very much. With a derisive snort, the fire fed again, crackling gleefully.

A loud whine stopped the self-pitying that was sure to come after that moment, and Harry, looking more ragged than usual stepped over the threshold, his green stare somehow much more striking as the liquid sunlight caught the emeralds and making them glitter.

"Hello."

It seemed nonchalant, far too simple of a greeting for the tension in the room. Draco looked at him, the gunmetal stare pensive and slightly intimidating.

"Were you ever angry with them?"

Harry looked befuddled at the question, dropping into the space beside the boy with a scrunched up expression of confusion.

"For sacrificing themselves." Explained Draco further, with a tinge of impatience.

The brunette was momentarily gobsmacked, and then answered, "Well…once or twice, perhaps. I was more angry at the fact that I'd ever survived, really."

The thinner boy nodded silently, taking in the answer, rolling it around in his head for a moment. "Do you think I should go after her?"

The Gryffindor shrugged. "I'm not sure. I don't know anything about the longterm effects of the Obliviate spell."

There was a long pause.

"You could travel, like you'd wanted. Try to find her along the way."

"If I did…" Draco paused, staring at the creases in his fingers, "If I did, I'd want you to come with me, I think."

"Are you sure you wouldn't end up wanting to throttle me a week into the trip?" teased Harry gently, bumping into the shoulder beside him.

"A week? You give yourself far too much credit, Potter. I'd want to throttle you after two days."

"And be stuck with your hand forever after?"

"Touche, Potter. So I suppose we'd have a quite a bit of planning to do, then. If we agreed on it."

Harry looked at him, his eyes already warning the blonde of disappointment before he ever spoke of it. "You know I couldn't. With the war looming…"

"Ever think about yourself? There's plenty of others itching to fight."

Harry sighed, rubbing his face wearily. "They need me."

So do I, thought Draco, but quickly banished the thought from his head.

"So what's your grand plan, Saviour boy? Waltzing out with a wand, marching straight to the Lord himself, challenging him to a duel?" The words were hard, bitter.

"If I can find the Horcruxes in time, I might be able to prevent the deaths of many others. You can't ask me to sacrifice all of them so I can just go traipsing about with—"

"With what? A Death Eater?"

"Damn it, Draco, stop trying to make me feel worse. I already feel like an arse, all right? If there was some way to make it…make it work, believe me, I'd take it in a heartbeat. But there is no other way."

"So what, you're leaving at some point to face imminent danger for…for these Horcruxes? And when exactly were you going to tell me of this charming little plan?"

"Stop it," snarled Harry, reddening, "I went over it with Hermione and Ron this morning, they'd refused to stay behind and—"

The pale boy's fists clenched, his fingernails digging into the skin, creating sharp daggers of sensation. "So what am I supposed to do? Sit around and knit?"

"You can't expect me to tell you what to do now that you have the chance of a lifetime, you can get away from this place and start all over—"

"Stop with the meek excuses, Potter. If you want to end this, just say so."

"I don't want to!" Harry exploded, jumping to his feet and snarling in frustration, "I love you, you bastard, and while the charming little fairytale ending would be wonderful, this isn't a fucking fairytale!"

"How romantic, Potter, you've set my heart aflutter."

The face looming closer to his own contorted with a scowl.

"If you won't come with me," Draco started with a lazy wave of his hand, tilting an eyebrow snottily, "then I suppose I will just have to accompany you, won't I?"

"No," was the quick and stubborn answer, "It's too dangerous."

"I'm not a sodding girl, Potter. I can look after myself, and it's not like I'm abysmal with a wand, unlike a particular male redhead I could mention."

"He's not abysmal!" defended the other, "and you can't go. There's no way you can change my mind."

Draco raised his chin defiantly, dodging Harry's attempt to keep him from escaping. It didn't work, and the boy sighed, chasing after the running blonde before he made some disastrous mess.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Granger," barked Draco, making the girl jump behind the thick text she had been reading, "You need to explain to your thickheaded friend that I am going with you three, whether he likes it or not."

The book landed on the table with a thud. "If Harry said no, then why do you think I'm not inclined to agree with his decision?"

"Because it's hypocritical to take his two best friends he cares for deeply and yet refuse the aid of his boyfriend."

Hermione sighed. He had a point. "Fine, I'll talk to him. But if he still says no, don't you dare make any more complaints about it."

"You know I will anyway," answered the boy snarkily, dropping into the chair beside her, reading the title of the book on its spine. It was in Latin.

The girl groaned inwardly, knowing she was in for a difficult battle. Before she could even think up a quick plan, Harry showed up, panting, pointing a wavery index finger at his boyfriend.

"Whatever he told you, don't listen to it."

"Come on, Harry," muttered the female Gryffindor, "It's not like we won't need the help, and he's not half bad with a wand."

"Just because he's a stubborn, spoilt git doesn't mean I'm going to cater to his every whim," snapped the dark-haired boy, "and you know he's going to whine about being dirty all the time."

"Harry!" growled Hermione, "He's not a child. Let him make his own decisions. If he wants to help us, let him help us."

Draco smiled triumphantly.

"No!" muttered Harry, "and you know Ron's going to side with me on this. So it's a draw. Therefore, he's going to stay here, and knit, if he so chooses."

"I thought I heard my name," said Ron behind them, dumping a pile of books on the table, "thanks for rescuing me, mate."

"Ron," asked Hermione impatiently, "Draco wants to come with us. What do you think? And before you answer, think about the consequences."

The ginger-haired boy opened his mouth to respond, and was cut off. "Consequences, Ronald," hissed the girl, raising an eyebrow. The boy immediately looked forlorn, shrugging apologetically at his friend, "Sorry, mate. I think 'Mione's right."

The blonde guffawed with a smirk, "I'm glad sex is more important," he said, his eyes glittering knowingly.

Harry groaned. "You two are no help," he whinged.

Draco stood up, taking the olive-skinned hand in his own. "C'mon, Harry, it's been two days since I've been laid and that's far too long. Toodles, you two."

"Too much information," groaned the freckled boy.

"Why?" grumbled Harry, as he allowed the boy to tug him down the hallway, "Why won't you just listen to me?"

"Because I love you. And I also love sex."

Knowing there was no way he could win, Harry gave up.

Besides, sex was known to be a great destresser, reasoned the boy, so it couldn't be all bad. "Fine, but I'm making you practice in healing spells and shields and everything else. Don't you think you can lounge around. I'm going to make you work your arse off."

"I'm sure you will," said the blonde with a waggle of his eyebrows.

I love him. I love him, I love him, I love him, Harry chanted, reminding himself.

Of course, when they finally reached the room, coherent thought soon ceased altogether.

-o-o-o-

08/13/14

I do plan to create a series of one-shots or a sequel for this, but I honestly have too many WIPs as it is, so I won't be starting anything new with this storyline just yet, but keep an eye out! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

-Remi