A/n: No beta. ~

Warnings: N/a.

Harry James Potter/Draco the last time, I don't own anything in or related to Harry Potter or his world. The characters aren't mine, nor are their attitudes. The only thing I can call mine is the way I wrote their interactions and their odd little AU I created for them, for you, for us.

"I wanna run
Chase the morning sun when I'm with you
Give it all away
Catching fire as the wind blows..."

Harry stared down at the letter in his hand, it was sent via Ministry service, he didn't want to open it because he knew behind that scarlet red seal was going to be the decision whether he was going to be allowed back to work or asked to resign. He knew it was within reading distance and that decision was going to shape his whole life.

He gave up a lot of free time to become who he had, he had followed the right path. He had become Head Auror Potter just like he was supposed to. There was no other expectation for him, he was supposed to be this person and he fucked it up too. He messed it all up. He was given the opportunity, he was given the choice and this is what he had become.

Head Auror Harry Potter, no other choice was to be made. And, he met Michael, and he bought the house in Godric's Hollow, and he cared for Teddy and he stayed on the right path. He fought down the constant nagging that he was living on borrowed time, he fought down the feeling that he had made this choice because he was supposed to and he became that person.

Until he stumbled upon Draco Malfoy because he fucked up. He killed someone, and he wasn't supposed to do that. Especially the person he bought the house for, especially the person he was supposed to marry. It was expected, wasn't it? He had spent the majority of five years with him. That was the next step - to take the next step. He had reached all of their expectations, but just like Draco said those expectations were going to continue to change and they had. He had missed it because he was living his life the way he wanted. He missed the cues and then he pushed too far.

It was only expected, he figured, that he be treated and reprimanded like anyone else would have been... especially with his best mate as the Minister, even though he is Harry Potter. He wasn't any better than anyone else, he chose to act like he was for whatever his reason was.

Harry tore the envelope open, and there in that familiar dark, perfect, loopy writing laid the results. He was either'the-boy-who-lived' or he was 'just Harry', he couldn't remember when he lost sight of that but something told him it was years ago. It was sometime when he started building his life with a person that wasn't right for him, it was back when he made those choices to live up to any and all expectations set for him - he had given his life for them, after all, he was there's, right?

Draco shot up suddenly awake. He jerked this wand off the table and with a quick and silent, lumos a bright light filled the room. He instinctively reached for Harry, belatedly remembering he wasn't there after the sting of the coldness met his hand.

Another shuffle met Draco's ears and he pushed the throb of his heart away, getting to his feet silently. He crept to the door, running a list of defensive spells through his mind suddenly wishing he had checked the wards before he went to bed.

If the Ministry had to break them to come in...

Draco sucked in a deep breath and opened the bedroom door, nox-ing his wand before he stepped out into the dark hallway. He heard the large couch shift, being drug across the ground by a dark figure.

"Potter?!"

The man jumped and jerked around, "oh, I didn't know you were home?"

Home? "Didn't kno-..? What?"

"Neville told me you up and left Monday?"

Draco dropped his wand in shock, "I... I- I up and left!" He demanded in anger.

Harry stared back quietly, "I came back, I missed you." He whispered, before lifting his shoulder, "I just needed time."

"Time?" Draco snorted, "are you bloody kidding me? You're such a prat!"

"I am," Harry agreed, catching Draco's slap with his hand, "I'm the worst."

"You bloody well are, Potter!"

Harry pulled him close when Draco shoved at his chest, "I'm inconsiderate? Unstable?" Draco growled, sneering down at the man as he jerked away, "miserable? Intolerant? Irresponsible?"

"Stop!" Draco demanded, finally breaking free of his hold to fix him with a glare.

"Grotesque?"

"Potter, stop it!"

"...Pathetic?" Harry whispered, dropping his arms and looking at Draco head on, "Pathetic Potter?"

"Harry," Draco answered in the same tone, shaking his head. "You're not pathetic, just stop."

"I ran away."

"You always do."

"I tortured a man."

"Y-yes?"

"I didn't even say good-bye."

Draco stared in silence, taking a deep breath.

"Something inside of me wasn't right... I wanted to be the hero so bad, I forgot how." Harry looked away, taking a step back, "they needed me, they always will. This darkness will never leave our world." He shook his head, "but, I don't care."

"Harry," Draco started, reaching out timidly.

Potter eyed his hand before reaching up to take it, "the only thing I care about is... you, Draco. Just you."

"I'm a big boy, Potter, I think I'll manage."

Harry gave him a soft, forced smile, "are you making me leave?"

Draco looked around his flat, before his eyes fell back to Harry, "I think it would be for the best." He answered, squeezing his hand as he watched Harry start to pull back from his grasp, "if we both did."

"What?"

"This place is too small for us to have a future in."

Harry laughed, short and sudden, "now whose the prat?"

"I believe I deserved that one." Draco lifted a shoulder, pulling Harry towards him and wrapping him in a tight hug, "you scared me, half-to-death Potter."

"Who knew you'd care so much about an ornament?"

"Who else will look as good as you do taking up all my bloody space?"

Harry smirked, "I am a high commodity, Malfoy."

Draco met his smile, facing him head-on. Then he leaned forward giving Harry a slow, long kiss.

Harry laid curled around Draco in the middle of the living room, his bare arm clutched hard to Draco's bare torso.

"What time is it?"

"I dunno," Harry whispered against his shoulder, his eyes shut as he held him. He could feel Draco shift, a tingle of the blonde's magic brushed over his body when he heard Draco cast a time charm.

"Past two in the afternoon," Draco said, shifting to lay his wand back down.

"Merlin," Harry muttered, "we slept a long time."

"You slept like a bloody baby, I didn't realize how much time had passed," Draco answered softly, running his fingertips over Harry's forearm.

Harry chuckled, "that's a first, huh?"

"Close to it."

"I think I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," Draco answered, blowing out a rough breath. Their kiss had ended in a rather passionate, disheveled fuck that left them naked and sprawled on the den floor with half a shared blanket. "Where did you go?"

Harry rolled back, laying flat on his back, "you're quite predictable."

Draco turned to face him, taking all of the covers as he rolled over. In the morning light, he could see the scar that covered most of Potter's left cheek, a nasty burn that had been hastily healed. He could also see the way it extended down to his left shoulder and half of his left arm. If only he had gone to the hospital, it wouldn't be this bad.

His thoughts headed towards Panacea, again, he was sure he had figured out just how to alter the ingredients so it wouldn't an everlasting elixir, he needed those notes. Not to mention the Sal Ammonic he needed.

"Potter, will you do me a favor?"

Harry glanced over, feeling the number of nerves coming from Draco. He nervously studied him, waiting.

"I need you to go somewhere with me, please."

"Where is that?"

Draco didn't even want to say the word, he didn't even want to think it. Harry reached out slowly taking his hand to give him a confident, firm squeeze. Draco's eyes fluttered shut and he pulled Harry's hand up to his face, placing a kiss on his knuckles, "home."

"Home?"

"My childhood home."

That stopped Harry short, it was not what he was expecting - at all. Draco hadn't ever talked about his past, he most surely didn't talk about his parents and his home. Every now and then if things slipped it out they were quickly brushed over and thrown by the wayside, it wasn't something they did all too often. Where Harry was an open book, Draco was a locked trunk on those matters.

"I can't do it alone."

"Of course I will," Harry breathed out the promise, before scooting closer to Malfoy to wrap his arms around him tightly. "Just tell me when." Draco laid still and quiet, shuddering slightly at the very thought of walking up to those tall, dark doors.

Harry rolled so he was pressed against Draco, "You didn't leave me in my time of need, I won't leave you."

"I won't leave you," Draco echoed with his eyes still shut, a sinking feeling making its way down his stomach.

Harry kissed him on the forehead, "how'd I get so lucky to have you?"

"Fortune favors the good, right?"

"Good?" Harry snorted, "I think you mean brave."

"Fitting for a Slytherin and a Gryfindor."

Harry grinned down at Draco, wrapping his hand around his hip, "mm."

"I created a monster with you, Potter." Though, it didn't take long at all for Draco to catch up.

Two orgasms and a nap later Draco was finally off the living room floor and in a shower, while Harry lingered around the dining room table talking with Spot. Sprawled across the surface laid Draco's briefcase, it was opened and what drew Harry's attention was his name.

Therein Draco's ever perfect handwriting was Potter's Face.

He reached up timidly, touching his cheek. It hadn't hurt after they had hastily healed it that night, it was ugly. He knew, he was surprised Draco still just made love to him with the burn like that. He scowled at the thought, dropping his hand, and reading the rest of the page.

Sal Ammonic - home
Altered potion - home

"Potter?"

"Draco," Harry stood up straight, the paper in his hand and turning around to face him, "what is this?"

"What?" Draco glanced over, standing next to Harry as he finished buttoning his shirt, "a list."

"I can see that," Harry rolled his eyes, "why is it labeled Potter's Face?"

"Oh," Draco tucked his shirt into his pants, buttoning the top button as he studied Harry head on. "I have an altered potion for Panacea, which means I'll be able to heal you."

"...is this why you want to go home?"

"They have plenty of Sal Ammonic in the reserves, Father usually sells it at a very steep price and I have a book of Severus' somewhere tucked away that has the altered potion. He and I had worked on it briefly my 7th Year, after he passed I snuck it out of his belongings."

"Draco," Harry frowned, "let's table this."

"What part? Do you not want to go with me now?"

"It's not that?" Harry's frown deepened and he reached out, laying his arm around Draco's waist pulling him in closer. "You know we don't have to do this for me, baby, unless it bothers you too much... It can wait."

Draco furrowed his eyebrow, glancing down at Potter. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure I don't want you putting yourself in that situation with your parents for something that isn't important."

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Feed me dinner, I'm still hungry."

Draco laughed softly, "fine, but when we get back you have to move all your shit somewhere else."

Harry grinned, "we're going to need a storage facility."

"Are we?" Draco asked, grabbing his jacket and slipping it on, "my stuff is better than yours, we'll just have a sale."

"Malfoy," Harry snorted, "what kind of place are you picking out for us?"

"A house, more than likely. I'm not sure... I hadn't thought of owning a house just yet. I was planning on waiting until I was 26 or 27."

"That's another 5 years," Harry asked, catching the door when Draco started pulling it shut.

"Well," Draco lifted a shoulder, "I wanted to travel."

Harry stopped short, taking Draco's hand, "where are we going, then? I don't have anything better today."

"I started a business, Potter."

Harry lifted a shoulder, "Neville's got it, please we'll take small vacations a few here and there so you'll be able to stop in whenever you need to and you won't be gone."

"Are you asking me on a 'bro-trip', Potter?"

"I know I'm no Blaise, but I think I am." He laughed, his eyes bright with happiness when Draco leaned forward to kiss him. "I always knew you were the one that called it bro-trip," he whispered just before their lips met.

"Do you know how much shit you have, Malfoy?" Harry hissed as he carried yet another stack of boxes that were far too heavy.

"It's not shit!" Draco huffed, directing Harry through the storage unit they had just purchased, "it is a lot of valuable collections."

"Baby," Harry looked over, wiping the sweat from his brow, "I think you might have a hoarding problem."

"Oh, piss," Draco rolled his eyes, using his wand to place the boxes on top of one another. "Anyway, it was your idea too, 'just put it in storage'."

"I didn't realize you had so much shit," Harry snapped, clearly sizing up his few boxes compared to Draco's mountain. "You're like a dragon sitting on gold."

"Ha, ha." Draco sneered, crossing his arms, "anyway are you ready, or not?"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Malfoy."

"You'd like that," Draco spat back, setting wards of protection and alarms around the inside and outside perimeter of the building. Harry waited patiently, he knew it was pointless to even try to help because he wouldn't do good enough, and Draco would do it over anyway. Finally, when the Slytherin seemed placated with his wards of protection, he closed, locked and warded the door as well.

Harry met his eyes with an eye roll, "are you ready now?"

"I am," Draco grinned, offering his hand to Harry, "the shop is in good hands with Neville and Hannah for our get-a-way, Pansy and Blaise said they would pop in from time to time..."

"Hermione too," Harry added with a laugh.

"Of course she will."

Harry stopped on the passenger side of the vehicle, pulling the door open and ushering Draco in, then he hurried in on his side. It took a lot of convincing to get Draco to agree to the vehicle, but when Harry showed him a few of the top-dollar 'death traps' and that they could customize them... well, Draco was sold. They were doing an international road trip, driving to the ferry. Someplace Draco knew of, that would be able to transport their car across the ocean in less than two days time, while they apparated across and got situated in America.

"Ready to go be a tourist with me, Harry?"

"I know that I'm rich enough for pride
I see a billion dollars in your eyes
Even if we're strangers till we die.

You and I, I, I, I, I."
- Galantis, Runaway (U&I)

A/n Extended: Guys and gals and everyone in between. Welcome, welcome! It's been the trip of a life time, quite literally one of the biggest and best things I have ever accomplished myself was writing this story. I wrote my way through a lot of demons during this piece, I wrote myself to a darkness I didn't know how to step away from, and then a lightness I don't know how to think in.

I want to thank you all who have stood by my side through this long, drawn out story that was just supposed to be a few chapters about a quick f**k but here we are... 18 Chapters later, finally about to the put the fin seal on. Thanks for the PM's, DM's, Reviews, Likes and even those of you who did none of the four and just read. Thank you, you're all very dear to me and I appreciate that I could take up a small space of your mind.

It's funny when I reread this story after I got back home, I saw myself in it in a way I hadn't planned. I'm a Draco, it's true. I'm the Draco who sneers and rolls his eyes, and I'm the Draco who likes things a certain way or you'll know... I'm the Draco that silently worries and tries to save the day. I'm a Draco, plain and simple. But there are characteristics of this Draco I am not... I am not put together, or okay. I am not healing someone else. I am not there for other people.

I'm this Harry. Which is weird, because everything about Harry isn't... me, but I sure projected a lot of myself and my demons and my thoughts into this Harry. When I reread the story a few weeks ago it hit me just where I was in my life, and that was an eyeopener.

You have no idea how much this ending means to me, thank you all so much for everything. I hope you're all well. ~kiz

Fin.