Author's Notes:

Okay, so I lied to you guys. Twice. This one does not have Hogwarts or Suzy. I know! I'm sorry! It's just that when I actually got to writing this, neither of those things had a spot in this one. I can easily add in Suzy to the next installment but I am not so sure about Hogwarts. I can probably get it to the train ride, depending on what exactly happens on the next one.

There aren't any warnings except for smut!

Enjoy!

Draco took a deep breath as he looked to his hands, hoping they weren't as shaky as they looked. Merlin. This was not a conversation he ever thought he would be having. Nor was it one he ever wanted to have.

The atmosphere was tense but that was probably coming more from him than it was Granger. Part of him wished he had done this with Harry but this wasn't his boyfriend's battle, it was his. It was Draco's personal struggle with himself and this needed to be said without help or interference.

Hermione peered at Malfoy curiously. She had never seen him look quite like this. It was obvious that he was nervous or upset. Which was intriguing on its own. If things were different, she might even be amused.

"Admitting when you are wrong is far harder than it should be." Draco whispered, still not meeting her eyes. "No one wants to be wrong. It's easy to be right, easy to let your own ego get bigger with each vindicated situation."

"And when you are wrong?" Hermione wondered in interest, tilting her head to the side.

"Then you get knocked off a perceived pedestal and nothing makes sense anymore." Draco looked up and noticed that she didn't look upset or even angry. Which in a way made it worse. She should be angry. If things were reversed, he would've hexed her before allowing her to speak. He would never understand the mindset of nice people. They just didn't make sense.

"My whole life I have been raised to think one way. There was only one set path and punishments were harsh if I strayed from the beliefs being taught to me." Draco admitted, finding the strength to look her in the eyes.

"That sounds like an excuse and I suppose in the beginning it could be used as one. You can only blame your parents for so long. There's only so much fault that can be cast at others before you are the only one standing left. I can blame them for their lessons, I can criticize them for their absences, I can accuse them for teaching me everything I shouldn't be. I can condemn them for telling me who I should be and even for their punishments. But what I can't blame them for, is my choice to go with it." Draco shook his head as his own mind wanted to argue and defend himself but sometimes, vulnerability speaks louder.

"As a small child, I always felt as if something was off with some of their logic. If I had been born a muggle or a muggleborn, then people like my parents would have written me off. Even if nothing else but my status had been changed, I still would have been looked down at. That's a privilege that shouldn't exist. Someone shouldn't be sneered at for something that is out of their control." He looked into Granger's narrowed eyes and sighed heavily.

"Granger, there is nothing wrong with being brought up in the muggle world. There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn all you can about the wizarding world. There is nothing wrong with being a muggleborn. There is nothing wrong with who you are." Draco paused as he looked away. "And I'm sorry that I ever made you feel otherwise."

Hermione took in a shaky breath as she looked to the ceiling. An apology. That wasn't entirely what she thought this conversation would be like. She had assumed that if she had ever received one from Malfoy, that it would be at Harry's insistence and it wouldn't be meaningful. But this? This was different. This felt real, and that scared her. Because if this was real, then she would have to let go of all this anger towards Malfoy and that, that is hard.

"Did you know that in the muggle world, there are people who look down on me because of my skin color?"

Draco furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why would they do that? That's silly."

"I agree." Hermione shook her head at the prejudices in both worlds that she can't seem to run away from. "It isn't as if I can control what I look like." She could see the moment it clicked and made sense. Hermione watched Malfoy's face fall slightly.

"And to think that wizards seem to assume that they are better than muggles." Draco shook his head as he tried to understand what Granger was feeling. Because that would be hard to bear.

"It's not all muggles that look at me like that. Just as it's not all wizards that treat me bad." Hermione began, folding her hands to her stomach. "But it's enough to make self-doubt creep up and hateful whispers to make me wish that I was normal." Her voice cracked.

"It took a long time to realize that I am normal. That it doesn't matter what I look like on the outside or what status I was born into. I am proud of who I am. I proud of this." She raised one of her hands, gesturing to her skin.

"Proud of the color that others use to define my worth. Proud of being a muggleborn. I am proud of my parents and proud that they are muggles. I wouldn't change a single thing. And that's with the knowledge of the prejudice I face." Hermione looked towards Malfoy and was thankful not to see any pity.

"I thought that the wizarding world would be different. I noticed as I read my books, that there didn't seem to be the same prejudice of the muggle world. I saw equal opportunities with those of different skin colors and I was happy. But then, I was fucking blindsided by the prejudice against my blood status. Once again, I was treated as a second-class citizen. Someone who wasn't worth giving a shot to. Someone who was seen as beneath others." She clenched her fists tightly and closed her eyes, fighting the bitter sting of tears.

"It's not fair. Why can't I just be looked at on my own merits? Why can't someone dislike me for something I have done and not the things I can't change? Why? Why is the world like this? The prejudice of both worlds led to a horrible feeling of not belonging anywhere. I just want to be Hermione Granger. A witch and a human. I want that to be what they notice when they see me. I want to be judged properly and not with a closed mind. I just want to be treated like everyone else. Is that so wrong?"

Draco breathed out a little shakily, not liking her tears. He didn't know how to comfort anyone very well. He had only ever comforted Harry before. This was out of his element.

"Can I just ask why?" Hermione asked, opening her eyes and blinking through the tears. "What is it that makes purebloods dislike muggleborns? Is it just because my parents are muggles?"

That had Draco wincing. "There's a few things that lead to their opinions but none of it excuses making someone else feel inferior." He began, not noticing the slight smile she released as he looked to his hands, wondering if explaining this would be a good idea.

"Purebloods realize that the more internal marriages occur, the less progress can happen magically. There's only so much inner family relations that can happen before there's no one left to marry, no one left who isn't somehow related to someone else. It's gross and makes me cringe." He paused to shiver slightly. "Muggleborns and even muggles will offset this. It allows growth in the community and even spreads out options."

Hermione hummed curiously, she had always wondered if purebloods just ignored logic when it came to continuing their line.

"Muggles aren't very accepting to what they don't understand. This has been proven countless times throughout history. Witch hunts were popular in several countries. Also, muggles like to vilify things that aren't perceived as normal and are quick to want what they can't have. It is dangerous trying to branch out and find spouses that are muggles. Combining the two worlds with muggles who will never be able to do the things we can with magic, can be bad. Love can't make jealousy disappear. A muggle will never be able to truly understand the things we do." Draco tried to see if this was making any sense, but Granger was hard to read.

"Muggleborns though, are different. They see our world and try to understand it on a surface level but that's it. They think that just because they read the assigned books and participate in the lessons, that that means they understand us. There is so much to the wizarding world and most muggleborns never try to see it. They consider magic as this wonderful thing but never bother learning more about it. Never consider the deeper levels to our world. They consider our beliefs archaic and outdated but never bother to learn why we do them." Draco shook his head in frustration.

"Muggle beliefs are implemented in yearly. More and more of the muggle ideals are entering our world because muggleborns want their world represented but they were the ones that never learned the world they are so desperately wanting to change. Purebloods dislike muggleborns because they enter the wizarding world with the mentality that they know this world without ever bothering to try. There are reasons behind all of our traditions and why we like them. We realize that muggleborns have their own traditions and their own things they like but most refuse to even experience ours."

Hermione nodded a few times, understanding where Malfoy was going with this.

"Most muggleborns don't stay in the wizarding world. They leave our society but keep their magic and their wands. They refuse to actively improve the community but keep the teachings that got them their knowledge. They take away seven years of schooling and throw it in our faces on the way out. We are opening up our entire world for them and they don't give anything back. The ones that do stay, keep implementing changes and more parts of the muggle world. The wizarding world is changing so much for muggleborns but that isn't something that goes both ways. Our world is slowly slipping away by the very people who want to change it. They want the wizarding world done their way. Why should we have to change ourselves if they aren't willing to do the same?"

"More muggleborns might stay, if they were treated with kindness." Hermione pointed out, keeping the rest of what he said in her mind. Malfoy raised good arguments and they had her pausing to think.

"I know." Draco whispered, nodding sagely. "The whole thing is a mess and has been so for quite some time. It's a cycle that is going to take cooperation to fix." He paused as he realized that would take several years and with the mess of the Dark Lord, it wouldn't be any time soon.

"Despite all of this, despite the way the world is changing and the things that are perceived as wrongdoings by muggleborns; there is no excuse I can give you. There is nothing I can offer to make up for my own behavior. Because it is one thing to dislike the things muggleborns stand for, but it is an entirely different thing to make you feel inferior. Because you aren't. You belong in the wizarding world just as much as I do. You are entitled to be treated as the brilliant witch that you are. There is nothing wrong with who you are. Blood purity shouldn't dictate who gets better opportunities in life. We're equals and one day, I hope the world sees that."

Hermione closed her eyes briefly as she let his words wash a little bit of her walls away. It was nice to hear this. Nice to witness Malfoy go through some kind of self-growth. She had always known that there wasn't a single thing wrong with her, but it was refreshing to actually hear it.

"Maybe it will take a pureblood and a muggleborn to change the world." Hermione told him with a pointed look.

Draco's head jerked back in surprise. He hadn't expected that. "You would work with me?"

"To change the world?" Hermione kind of liked being able to surprise the Slytherin. "Absolutely."

This wasn't something Draco really knew what to do with. It was odd. It was different. "I know I already said this, but I feel as if I need to repeat myself." He warned, locking eyes with Granger. "I am sorry for the way I treated you. I could have handled myself better or chose to see things differently. I knew what I was saying was wrong and did it anyways. I will never ask you to forgive me nor would I want you to."

Hermione narrowed her eyes in thought. "You don't want my forgiveness?" She watched him shake his head but no words came forth. It was curious. "You don't think you deserve forgiveness."

It was said as if she knew the answer. Draco didn't reply but he did look away, which he supposed was answer enough.

"You know, I have hated you for a long time." Hermione whispered, watching the way Malfoy tried not to flinch. "I let myself become so angry at the mistreatment that I let the hate consume me. I never bothered to wonder why you were the way you were. I just cared about the end result. There are reasons for everything, but I just didn't care about yours." She wasn't exactly sorry for that but it was eye opening.

"You aren't the evil that I thought you were. Not quite the bully I thought too. You still bullied me, still made me question myself and made me wonder if things were worth it. But you also came to me to make it right." She sighed heavily, wishing things weren't so complicated.

"Admitting when you are wrong, is hard." She repeated his words. "Knowing of your personality, I am surprised that you even did it. I know some part of this has to do with Harry."

Draco raised his hand, cutting her off. "No. None of this has to do with Harry." He argued, shaking his head. "I might not be in this position without dating him. I don't think I ever would've came up to you if I was still on bad terms with Harry. But this? Me wanting to speak to you? That has nothing to do with him. Harry never asked me to do this, nor would I have resorted to making him do so. I want to be someone I can look in the mirror and love. Not just tolerate, I want to love who I am. I can't do that if I am to be who I used to be. I can't do that if I am going to make others feel bad about themselves. I don't want to be the ugly things I spew outwards. To change the negative things people see when they look at me, I have to change myself first."

Hermione smiled softly, the smile grew when Malfoy blinked rapidly, clearly not sure what to do with that.

"That's what makes it easier to forgive you. Perhaps not entirely easy but definitely easier." A guarded look crossed his features and she had to wonder just what had happened to the blonde to make him this self-deprecating.

"You know, forgiveness sometimes isn't something that is earned. It's just given. Whether you think you deserve it or not, will not change the outcome. If you feel as if my forgiveness isn't earned, then do something about it. But don't demean it by not believing in it." She ordered firmly, hands on her hips. "I didn't go through all this angst and reliving all of my bad memories for you to think that my forgiveness isn't what it is."

Draco took a deep breath as he tried to listen to Granger. Tried to allow the thought of forgiveness into his mind. It had taken him quite some time to accept that Harry had forgiven him. This would most likely take just as long. "Alright." He breathed out, looking at Granger's calm face. "I'll try and accept it." He paused when she nodded firmly, as if her way had been the only thing she would have accepted.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are bossy?"

It took a moment for Hermione to realize that Malfoy was teasing her. She let out a surprised chuckle. "All the time."

Her tone had been pleased and it had Draco shaking his head as a small smile formed on his face. They might not become best friends but this was a start. Whatever this was, it could potentially become some kind of friendship.

Draco looked behind him for a moment to check on Harry and smiled softly at the way his lover was gesturing wildly with his hands. It would seem that he was in the middle of telling some kind of story.

"He loves you." Granger's voice had Draco's attention snapping back towards her.

"I know." He couldn't stop the grin form forming. "I love him too."

Hermione hummed a little as she watched the way the smile transformed his face. This was definitely a version of Malfoy that she had never witnessed. "That much is quite obvious."

That had Draco wincing a little bit. "Reputation ruined?"

Hermione laughed loudly. "Most definitely. I think people will have a hard time believing you will hex them when they see the hearts in your eyes as you gaze at Harry."

"Salazar, I didn't think it was that bad." The horrified expression on his face had Hermione succumbing to more laughter.

"You are taking the mickey out of me." Draco accused, folding his arms across his chest.

"Little bit." The admittance wasn't met with anger and that had Hermione smiling a little as she straightened up and gestured for him to release the silencing charm.

Draco paused for a moment as he pulled the wand back out. "Should we tell them we decided to duel to the death to settle our differences?"

That had Hermione snorting as she shook her head. "No, they won't buy that."

"Worth a shot." Draco mumbled as he canceled the charm and headed towards the rest of them.

"And then Remus opened the door and I honestly think he thought he was seeing an illusion." Harry finished, smiling when Ginny and Ron broke out into guffaws of laughter.

Draco stepped over Weaslette to get to Harry. He ignored the dirty stair in favor of sitting on his boyfriend's lap.

"What are you telling them?" Draco wondered, nuzzling Harry's neck.

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco and held on tightly. "I was telling them the story of how you came to be on Privet Drive."

"Oh, I would have liked to have heard that!" Hermione spoke up, looking between them all.

"Did you really tell you-know-who to fuck off? Right to his face?" Ron asked, ignoring Hermione for a moment. His face was of pure wonder. "Or was Harry lying?"

"I'm insulted you think I would lie." Harry grumbled with a weak glare.

"Essentially, yes. I did say that."

When he was on the receiving end of three suspicious looks, Draco sighed heavily. "I have the memory to prove it. Sirius watched it himself."

That had them all raising their brows in surprise before sharing wide grins.

"I've got to see this!" Ron exclaimed in delight as Ginny nodded rapidly.

"What do I get out of it?"

Draco leaned his head back when the three of them crossed their arms and glared at him in unison. Did they practice things like that?

"You owe us." Ron informed him hotly. "I think that this should be free, especially after putting up with your shite all these years."

Draco sighed in resignation. "Why do I feel like this will be used against me for the rest of my life?" He pointedly ignored their smug smiles as he looked to Harry. "Watch, even after we get married, they will still be bringing this up just to ensure I do whatever they want."

"Married?" Ginny and Hermione said together while Ron spluttered incoherently.

Harry couldn't help the pleased hum that filled him at Draco's easy belief that they would one day get married.

"I think they will still be saying it even after we have kids."

"Kids?" Ron choked out, losing face color rapidly.

The statement had Draco's heart beating quickly as he tilted his head till he could see Harry's face completely. The open honesty had him sighing happily. "You utter sap."

"Says you, you're the one who proposed."

They ignored the sound of someone choking.

"I did not." Draco denied. "It wasn't a proposal per se. I was just… throwing it out there that we will get married eventually."

"I haven't said yes, you know."

Draco shrugged. "Insignificant detail."

That had Harry shaking his head incredulously. "I think you need an affirmative before you can plan a wedding."

"One, Sirius is planning the wedding, remember?" Draco prompted, gesturing towards the kitchen door where the man was. "And two, are you implying that you don't want to marry me?" He adopted an utterly crushed face that had Ginny gasping.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "That isn't going to work on me." He smirked when Draco gave it up with a shrug.

"Arse." Ginny muttered, realizing that she had fallen for it completely.

"I'll marry you when the time is right." Harry promised, cupping Draco's cheek.

"I know." Which was true. Draco didn't need the reassurance. Some might find it conceited or even presumptuous. But he knew that they had a strong relationship. They would be together for a while. This wasn't teenage puppy love.

"We have missed a lot." Ron whispered in a way that carried to everyone.

Harry looked to his friends a little apologetically. "Things have definitely changed."

"Yeah." Ron agreed, looking between them. "For the better."

The easy way it was said had Draco's stomach twisting. He wasn't sure what to make of the redhead. The boy had been supportive of their relationship despite not understanding it. The Gryffindor had even advocated for them to Granger and had even listened to Harry talk about him for months. Draco knew that Weasley deserved an apology but he wasn't quite sure how to say it.

"Weasley." Draco began in a hesitant tone. He had already apologized to Granger, this wouldn't be anything worse.

Ron shook his head and held up a hand. "I don't need an apology, Malfoy." His tone wasn't soft but it definitely wasn't hard. "I'm not quite ready to just forgive you instantly but there isn't much I am bitter over." He scrunched up his face, trying to figure out how to explain himself.

"You have clearly changed and anyone can see that. I see the way you treat Harry. Not to mention you apologized to Hermione. That is all could have wanted." He smiled when Hermione laced their fingers together and squeezed once. "I don't want an apology because I can tell that you are not only sorry but you are also actively making amends."

The surprise on Malfoy's face was definitely worth it. Ron found amusement in being able to surprise the Slytherin.

"I—thank you." Draco whispered, meeting Weasley's eyes. "Not just for this but for everything. You could have been bitter and angry and even raised a stink with our relationship. But you didn't. You allowed us to figure out our relationship without any added drama." He held on tightly to Harry's hands that were still wrapped around him, on his stomach. "And I thank you for that. Because Harry is everything to me."

Harry wasn't sure which he loved more, the new maturity to Ron or the fact that Draco wasn't just adapting, he was learning too. "I love you." He didn't whisper, or keep his voice low. His friends had to know by now that Draco meant this much to him.

Draco looked down at their entwined hands and smiled, knowing that Harry couldn't see him. "I love you too, you big softy."

That had Harry rolling his eyes fondly.

"Eugh." Ron shook his head. "I don't how if I can stand so much sap. Makes me ill." Despite his words, he couldn't help but love the easy happiness from Harry. He had never seen his friend like this and that made accepting Malfoy that much easier.

"I think it's sweet." Ginny argued, with a grin. "Makes me really want to say yes to Dean."

"Thomas?" Draco asked with his nose scrunched up, not noticing the way Hermione and Ginny had narrowed their eyes. "I suppose if you want tall and handsome, then yeah, but I always thought he had a thing for Finnigan."

Harry didn't begrudge them for their suspicion, it would take time for them to realize that Draco wasn't like what they assumed. He was just glad that the Slytherin hadn't noticed.

"Excuse you." Harry objected. "Tall and handsome?"

Draco smirked wickedly as he leaned back till he could see Harry's face. There was a teasing glint to his eyes that let him know his boyfriend wasn't upset. "You aren't tall, love." He adored the way Harry's eyes softened and a slight flush stained his cheeks. He was beginning to think his lover had a kink for pet names.

"But you are handsome." Draco continued. "Thomas has nothing on you."

"I know." Harry lifted his nose in the air and adopted his inner Draco, dismissing the conversation with a haughty snub.

"Woah." Ron whispered. "Don't do that again."

Ginny held up a hand. "What makes you think that?" She was clearly worried. "He asked me out, that's got to mean that he likes me, right?"

Draco looked around, hoping to find some kind of help but Weasley was shaking his head rapidly and Granger was looking elsewhere. Cowards, the lot of them.

"The evidence would say so." Harry spoke up, making Draco love him even more. "I kind of see what Draco means. They are rather close. But they could just be best friends. If it bothers you, ask him about it before you agree to go out with him."

"You know who does like you?" Draco continued, deciding to finally point out all of the obvious things he has noticed over the years. "Longbottom."

While Ginny seemed taken aback, Harry and Hermione shared a knowing look. Neville had always seemed to care about her.

"I thought he had a thing for Luna." Ron piped up, glaring at the floor, hoping this would all make sense.

"That too." Draco conceded with a sigh.

"This is all sounding like a soap opera." Hermione pointed out sharing a laugh with Harry.

"A what?" The three purebloods said in unison, not understanding at all.

"Nothing." Harry told them, fighting a smile. "It's a dramatic program that muggles watch. Relationship issues like this are in there a lot."

"So, let me get this straight." Ginny began in slight frustration. "Dean asked me out, but he might also like Seamus. Neville however, likes me but also has feelings for Luna. Am I missing anything?"

"Lovegood might like you too." Draco chimed in thoughtfully.

"Ooo. Good point." Hermione added, nodding her head once, as if it made sense.

Ginny threw her hands in the air. "I quit. I literally quit."

"I thought quitting wasn't in the vocabulary of a Gryffindor."

Draco snorted when he was on the receiving end of four glares. Probably wasn't wise to say that around them.

"You're too young for love." Ron interrupted firmly, ignoring the way Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Harry cleared his throat before an argument could heat up between the two siblings. "Can we move on?"

"Actually." Ron began with a look towards Malfoy. "We need to backtrack to where we get to see the memory without owing him anything."

Draco sighed heavily as he pulled the memory out with Remus' wand and summoned the pensive.

After depositing the memory, he gestured for them to go into it near the table in the study. Draco pointedly ignored the triumphant grins the three of them shared as they entered the pensive.

It wasn't until after they were gone, that Harry turned Draco around until his boyfriend was straddling him. "How did it go?"

Draco didn't need Harry to elaborate for him to realize that he meant the conversation with Granger. "About as bad and good as to be expected."

The vague statement was typical of Draco, but it had Harry curious. "How are you feeling?" His hands were rubbing the Slytherin's back in a soothing manner.

"Confused." Draco admitted with a frown. He smiled widely when Harry tried to kiss the frown away. "She's too nice."

It was said as if that was a horrible thing to be and it caused Harry to roll his eyes. "She forgave you then?"

"I think so." Whispered Draco. "I told her I didn't want forgiveness, but she was adamant that I had no say in the matter."

"Sounds like her." Harry grinned, thankful that Hermione was who she was.

"Harry."

There was a broken quality to Draco's tone, which had Harry straightening the best he could with the blonde on top of him.

Draco peered up and didn't bother hiding the inner struggle he was going through. "I don't like being vulnerable. But to maintain some kind of rapport with the light side, I know I am going to need to. Apologizing was hard. Harder than I want to admit."

"Why?" There was no censure or disappointment to Harry's tone, which was the only reason Draco was able to continue.

"I didn't want to be wrong, but I was. So wrong."

Harry held on a little tighter as he waited for Draco to collect his thoughts.

"It's hard associating the differences between my father and myself. The things that I hate about him are the very things that other's hate about me."

"No." Harry argued firmly. "Draco that's not true. You aren't your father. There is so much to you that isn't him."

"I want to believe that." The admittance was whispered. "I apologized to Granger for my actions and I needed to. But as I did it, I couldn't help but realize that all the parts of myself that are bad, are all from him. I took so much of his personality and ideals that I don't know what's mine anymore."

Harry sighed heavily as he bit his lip. "I wish I could show you all the reasons that make you who you are. All the things that I see. The beautiful parts of yourself that you ignore, the good that is inside of you."

"I think you see what you want to see."

"Maybe." Harry conceded, cupping Draco's cheek. "But that doesn't make it any less true."

Draco nuzzled into Harry's palm, biting his lip. "One day. I will see what you see, one day."

That was the best that Harry was going to get out his boyfriend and he knew it.

They sat in silence, enjoying each other's company. The feel of Harry beneath him was grounding for Draco.

Gryffindors aren't very quiet and as the three returned, they were no exception. Draco turned his head when a loud thud signified Weasley's landing. He withheld the snort he wanted to release as Granger helped him up. The comradery was a little too new to be laughing just yet.

"I don't believe it!" Ron nearly shouted as he made his way back towards the stairs. "You really said it! Right to his face!"

Draco snorted, not offended that he hadn't been believed. It was something that would need to be seen. "Of course I did." His voice came out muffled as his head was laying on Harry's shoulder with his lips pressed against tanned skin.

"Is your father always like that?" Ginny wondered curiously, clamming up when Harry shot her a look.

Harry sighed when Draco tensed, the previous calm pose was now filled with tension. "Look—" Whatever he had been about to say was interrupted by the kitchen door being opened.

"You can come back in." Sirius told them, sticking his head out before sighing fondly at the two boys who were entwined together.

As everyone stood up to prepare to go in, Draco held back a little. He noticed that Granger was gazing at him curiously. He shot her a look as he raised his hand slightly before it slammed against the wall, right near Walburga's covered painting.

"Filth! Scum!" The portrait screeched loudly. "Half-bloods, monsters and freaks! How dare—"

A loud bang had the teenagers ducking out of the way, avoiding Sirius' outstretched hand and wand.

"Draco." The man began in a barely contained voice. "How many times do I have to tell you to cease riling her up?"

"It wasn't me." Draco denied, with his face blank and an innocent expression on his face. One that he knew Sirius wouldn't believe.

"Right." Sirius replied sarcastically. "Because I completely buy that."

"Malfoy's right." Hermione spoke up, surprising those who hadn't been looking. "I'm sorry, Sirius. It was me."

Sirius gaped for a moment before he collected himself and stood up straight, looking at Hermione in confusion.

"My foot slipped and before I could collect myself, my hand smacked the wall."

"Oh." Sirius' shoulders slumped slightly before turning to Draco. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

"That's alright." Draco patted him on the shoulders. "Mistakes happen. Not to me, but hey, you are doing your best." He had to bite his cheek to stop from smirking at the murderous glare being directed at him.

When Sirius turned around without a word and strode into the kitchen, Draco turned to Granger with a smirk.

"This will be fun." Hermione whispered back.

Harry narrowed his eyes when Draco entwined their fingers. He knew when the blonde was lying and for some reason, Hermione had covered for him.

Remus arched his brows when Draco stopped in front of him, in the doorway.

"You see right through me, don't you?" Draco asked with a sigh, handing over the man's wand.

"Do you even have to ask?" Remus retorted with a shake of his head. "I don't know how I manage to put up with either of you."

"Because you love us." Harry quipped with a cheeky grin, pulling Draco into the room and standing to the side, so that the rest of his friends could enter comfortably.

"Unfortunately for me, I do." Remus mumbled under his breath.

Even to Draco, he could detect a certain level of fondness in the werewolf's tone of voice. He looked around the room and noticed that the majority of the occupants were staring at him. Which could be either good, or really bad.

When Dumbledore cleared his throat, Draco tightened his hold on Harry's hand and straightened up. He disliked being in the room after giving so much of himself away.

"We have come to a decision. It wasn't unanimous, but the majority has spoken." A slight pause had Draco scoffing internally. Was the man trying to be dramatic?

"We would like to ask for the both of you to join the Order."

The wording wasn't lost on Harry. It showed him that they had taken what he said seriously. They should have been asked in the beginning anyways. He looked over to Draco. "What do you think?"

Someone scoffed but Harry didn't give a damn what they thought. Draco and he were a team. What happened going forward would be discussed by the both of them.

Draco held up a finger towards the observers. "Excuse us while we think this over." He held in his snort when he caught sight of a few outraged expressions. There was amusement in Harry's eyes as he pulled him to a corner and put their heads together, as if they were in a huddle.

"Well, what do you think?" Harry asked with his back towards the onlookers and a smirk firmly in place. By the look on the Slytherin's face, it was clear that they both knew what they would do. This was just for show.

"I think we should have that muggle dish that Remus made last week for dinner."

Remus covered his face with his hand and sighed heavily, wishing for the millionth time that his enhanced hearing was nonexistent when it came to those two. He really didn't understand why he put up with them. Love be damned.

"Are they taking it seriously?" Sirius whispered, keeping an eye on the both of them.

"Oh, yeah." Remus said slowly and painfully. Aware that others were listening to his conversation.

"I was kind of in the mood for Chinese." Harry countered, just to see the challenging gleam to his boyfriend's eyes.

Remus turned to Sirius with barely concealed exasperation. "If I was to just keel over, right now, would you miss me?"

Sirius bit his lip to contain his laughter, but his shoulders were shaking. "That bad, huh?" He glanced towards Harry and Draco with a shake of his head. "Merlin, I love them."

"Sorry." Draco apologized to the room, lifting his head up. "We are at an impasse, just another moment."

When his head was once again lowered, "Chinese? Really? That means Remus will end up going to pick it up."

"Mhm." Harry agreed. "Which means Sirius will follow along in his animagus form."

Draco tilted his head to the side, trying to understand why that would make Harry happy.

"We will be all alone." He waggled his brows unnecessarily, moving his hand to Draco's chest.

"Mm." Draco half moaned, half whispered.

"We are not having Chinese for dinner." Remus whispered to Sirius. "I don't care what kind of begging they do."

Sirius hummed in thought. "Chinese doesn't sound half bad. I can't eat another thing Kreacher makes. It tastes like death and dying dreams."

"Fred was right. This is hell." Remus admitted in defeat. He smiled despite himself when Sirius threw his head back and let out a barking laughter. They both ignored the disapproving looks from the rest of the Order.

"Chinese it is." Draco agreed quickly, not caring that Harry had a smug aura to him. They had been interrupted earlier, before they could really enjoy themselves, so this seemed like a perfect plan.

They both straightened up. Harry wrapped his arm around Draco's waist before clearing his throat. "We have decided to accept. We will join the Order."

"Excellent." Dumbledore smiled as his eyes twinkled. "This will be the last order of business. Our next meeting will be the night before your return to Hogwarts."

Draco and Harry exchanged a look before nodding in unison.

When Dumbledore stood up, that seemed to be some kind of signal, because everyone else stood as well. Some already leaving the room.

Despite the now available seats, Harry decided to stay where he was until the numbers dwindled further.

It came as no surprise that the Weasley family, Tonks, Kingsley, Snape and Moody stayed behind with Dumbledore.

When the last of the other Order members left, Harry pulled Draco with him towards the nearest chairs.

Harry paused when Draco yanked on his hand. He arched a brow curiously until Draco sat down and gestured towards himself. With a grin on his face, Harry settled comfortably on Draco's lap.

They both looked up and noticed that the rest of the room was staring at them. "So?" Harry began, folding his hands over Draco's. "How are you guys?"

Fred and George snorted before they leaned forward in their own chairs. "Order meetings are going to be enjoyable now that you both are included."

"They aren't supposed to be enjoyable." Molly chastised firmly. She peered at Harry intently.

"I'm alright." Harry urged, hoping she could take his answer at face value, knowing that she was worried about him.

Molly turned her gaze towards Draco. "And you? Are you alright?"

Draco blinked rapidly, unsure of what to say at all. Was she really wanting to know about him?

The near panic in Malfoy's eyes had Ron snickering. "He's alright mum."

"Interesting." Charlie and Bill mumbled together, looking between Harry, Ron and Draco.

"It's like a mystery." Tonks spoke up, looking at everyone rapidly. "Or a conspiracy theory, I can't tell which."

That had Kingsley rolling his eyes. "We have actual mysteries to solve, Tonks." He reminded before looking at Sirius apologetically. "We must be getting back to the Ministry, so unfortunately we won't be able to stay for dinner."

Sirius waved away the apology. "It's fine. Perhaps next time."

Moody followed behind the other two Aurors but cast a suspicious look towards Draco, causing the blonde to roll his eyes.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "I am afraid I have business to attend to elsewhere." His tone was apologetic. "I will see you all shortly."

Harry watched the professor leave with a little resentment. There was so much that he wanted to talk to him about. So much that he wished could be voiced.

"Draco, can I talk to you?" Snape's tone booked no argument and it startled Harry a little bit.

"Harry comes with me."

It was obvious that the man didn't agree with this at all. His eyes had narrowed on Harry, as if he had been the one to suggest it.

Harry turned his head, till he could whisper in Draco's ear. "It's alright. He's probably just worried about you. I'll be here when you get back."

Draco still marveled at how kind Harry could be. Yes, his godfather probably was worried, but the man was being unreasonable to his boyfriend and the brunette just shoves it off. He locked eyes with Severus and nodded once.

When Harry got up and made to sit back down after the chair had been vacated, he was surprised by strong arms wrapping around him.

"What are—" He was cut off by Draco's lips against his own. Well, this was far better than making small talk. Harry tilted his head slightly and deepened the kiss, ignoring Ron's noise of objection.

Before either one of them could entangle their tongues, several pointed coughs drew them apart.

Draco smirked at the dazed expression on Harry's face as he made his way towards the kitchen door, knowing his godfather would quickly follow.

Remus and Sirius exchanged a long look before Remus stepped away enough that he would be able to hear any conversation that was right outside of the door. He trusted Severus as much as he could, but Draco was a part of his pack now and he wasn't taking any chances.

As the door swung shut, Draco sat on the stairs and ignored the look of disapproval by Severus. It would seem that he had picked up on bad habits from Harry.

"How did this come about?"

It was more of a demand than a question, but Draco was used to this. "That's a long story." He sighed heavily. "Harry and I began a relationship last year towards the beginning of the last semester. When the Dark Lord issued his command, I knew I had to go to him."

"You think it wise to be with Potter? You want to be safe but saddle yourself with someone far from safety."

Draco snapped his head up and glared. "Don't pass judgement on him. You know nothing of who he is or what he is like." The nearly patronizing expression and arching of a brow had Draco clenching his fists.

"You know, when I was younger, I used to admire you." The past tense had to hurt but Draco didn't pause to care. "It wasn't as if my father ever bothered to care about me, but you were always there in the shadows. Always there offering silent comfort. I didn't receive kind words from you or even a warm shoulder to cry on, but you were at least there for me. Which is a hell of a lot better than the absence of parents." He looked down to his hands briefly before squaring his shoulders.

"But silence can only be comforting for so long. The quiet can be louder than a room full of screams, if all you have is yourself. I had to raise myself and unfortunately, I lost who I am in the process. I didn't have a role model, I only had the examples of everyone around me and the pressures of bad decisions. Merlin knows that you are busy, and I clearly could have come to you at some point, but it wasn't as if you would have comforted me. It wasn't as if you would have been able to give me what I was looking for." Draco pointed towards the closed door.

"But Harry, he gave me everything. He was there for me when no one else was. He not only listened to my fears but he soothed them at the same time. What a concept, to have someone care. I have never had someone love me like he does. It's not superficial or shallow. He loves me for me. He knows who I am, what I have done and what I am capable of doing, and loves me anyways. To go from nothing, to having something of merit was a godsend." Draco looked away from Snape's eyes, not getting any clarity from them anyways.

"Harry makes me want to be a better person, he makes me strive to be somebody. But in the end, if I chose to do nothing, he would love me anyways. Because he accepts my decisions and listens to what I want." He stopped when he realized he was going off topic a little bit.

"You have never given Harry a chance. Not really. Never once stopped to look past the resemblance to his father. You see what you want to see, not what is actually there. Yes, he is a little wild and has a tendency to break the rules but it's always with good intentions. He doesn't seek the attention that is thrown at him. Harry despises injustice and hates when others suffer. I didn't know James Potter, nor do I know what he did to you. But in all actuality, I don't care either. Because whatever James did to you, that has nothing to do with Harry. He has never once deserved to be the outlet for your anger."

It wasn't every day that someone lectured Severus Snape and Draco knew that it wasn't wise and normally, he wouldn't even bother. But he couldn't let his godfather continue to think horribly of Harry. Not when it was uncalled for.

"If you want to air your grievances to the correct person, I hear that James is buried in Godric's Hollow. I'm sure he would appreciate the chat."

Draco stood his ground and surprisingly didn't flinch when Severus took a step forward. It appeared that the man was struggling with something to say but Draco wasn't going to be the one to supply an answer.

"I didn't come out here to talk about Potter."

That had Draco rolling his eyes. It would seem the Severus was going to push it all to the side for now.

"I wanted to talk about your father."

"Oh." Draco stood up. "Why didn't you say so? I wouldn't have bothered coming out here."

"Draco." The exasperated sigh had Draco pausing with his hand on the door.

He didn't say anything but his stance was the silent go ahead for his godfather to continue.

"The Dark Lord punished him harshly for your departure." This wasn't news to Draco. He had known all along that would happen.

"Is he still alive?" Draco was surprised to find that he wasn't particularly ashamed at the thought of his father's death.

"Yes, but he was captured last night in an attempt to break into the Ministry."

"What?" Draco spun around incredulously. "Why would he do something as stupid as that?"

Severus seemed uneasy at explaining things and Draco knew that he probably wasn't allowed to voice it.

"I cannot say." Draco rolled his eyes at the typical answer. "I do not believe it will be in the papers, he may get released from Azkaban if they find him innocent."

Draco's mind was whirling in many different directions. Something was inside the Ministry. Something the Dark Lord wanted. That coupled with the attempts to get Harry there with the Sirius debacle, had Draco seriously doubting a lot of things. He was tempted to ask Dumbledore outright but he knew that would result in vague answers. Perhaps he needed to ask Sirius and Remus instead.

"My mother? Is she alive?" Again, he wasn't too upset at the thought of a potential death.

"Unharmed."

Draco nodded his head. "I received the Gringotts papers of my disownment." It stung but it wasn't as if he hadn't expected it all along.

There was a sigh from Severus but Draco didn't bother looking into his eyes. Didn't want to see any kind of emotion in them.

"If you had stayed I could have—"

"Helped?" Draco laughed derisively. "There was no helping me. I would have killed myself trying to kill Dumbledore. Perhaps not physically but definitely emotionally and spiritually. We both know that I would have never succeeded in what he wanted me to do. I would have gotten caught, or died from failure. Nothing good would have come from staying. I am not you, I am not cut out to be a spy or a Death Eater." He glanced up and sighed at the intent in narrowed eyes.

"Severus, I am happy and free. This is where I should be. Even knowing that I would get disowned, I would do it all over again. Not even just because of Harry. But for me. I am worth the chance at life. I am worth getting my own choice in life. I am worth a second chance and I am worth finding my own way. Don't feel bad for me or feel the need to worry. I am right where I want to be."

Draco smiled when his godfather raised his hand and rested it on his shoulder. It was a silent comforting gesture and terribly familiar. He knew that they wouldn't talk about this again and that was something he was rather grateful for.

A curt nod, a billowing of robes, a flash of the fireplace and Severus was gone.

Harry didn't like being the center of attention from his friends and family any more than he did when it was strangers. A silence seemed to settle around everyone for several minutes. Harry was beginning to think that it would stay like this until Draco returned.

"So, where were you before you came down?" George asked curiously, breaking the silence. "Besides the obvious." His brows waggled.

"Draco was teaching me Occlumency." Harry supplied, smirking in a way that he knew the twins would realize something more happened. They had witnessed the brash conversations between Draco and him when they stopped by.

"Now that is a lesson I would have loved to have been there for." Fred whispered fanning himself.

Harry shook his head, rolling his eyes. The redhead was way too interested in his sex life.

"Me too." Hermione added, causing Harry and Ron to blink rapidly.

"What?" Ron wheezed, staring incredulously.

Hermione furrowed her brows. "What? It's not like they teach that in Hogwarts."

"With good reason." George grumbled, eyeing her curiously.

Hermione knew that she had missed something here. "Occlumency would be a good skill to learn."

"Oh." The four boys said in unison. Harry straightened up in his chair, adopting an innocent expression, as if he had known all along that was what she was talking about. "Well, you wouldn't like his way of teaching, so, you'll have to learn from someone else."

"Why? Is it a different method than the typical?" Arthur asked in interest, no doubt wondering the mechanics behind Draco's technique.

Harry wasn't sure exactly how to answer that without lying or being too blunt.

"Well, it involved sex, so yes." Draco answered, breezing back into the room. Not bothering to admit that the sex had technically happened before the lesson. He looked around and smirked at a few uneasy expressions before he settled into Harry's lap.

"Did you even learn anything?" Sirius wondered in exasperation.

"Actually, yes." Replied Harry, with a thoughtful hum. "I was able to produce a mental shield for a little while and Draco allowed me to use Legilimency on him."

"Why?" Bill wondered, sounding slightly aghast. "One doesn't need to learn Legilimency to be able to protect the mind."

Draco didn't really like the surprise on their faces, it was seen as if they were shocked that he would have allowed Harry entrance. As if he wouldn't have opened himself up for his boyfriend.

"How can I teach him the proper way of protecting himself if I don't show him what it looks like when it's successful?" His tone suggested that they weren't being the brightest. "It's hard to teach without an example. I wanted Harry to understand what I was saying."

"Isn't that a bit… intrusive?" Ron asked a little pale. He wouldn't want anyone inside his head.

"Definitely." Draco conceded with a tilt of his head. "But I trust Harry and we don't have secrets between the two of us. There isn't anything in my head that I wouldn't want him seeing."

"Except when you get all sappy." Harry whispered, low in his ear, making sure no one else heard him.

Draco slapped Harry's arm playfully. "Shush." He looked back to the rest of them and shook his head at their still surprised looks. "It isn't as if I would teach anyone else that way. But Occlumency requires a certain level of trust when teaching. So, if you wouldn't want the person to see into your mind, then find a new teacher."

"Who taught you?" Charlie asked with his head tilted to the side.

"That is a story for another day." Draco told him, not meeting anyone's eyes. "One that won't be anytime soon." Or ever.

Harry rubbed Draco's stomach, soothingly and reassuringly.

There was a slightly awkward silence as everyone realized that it was probably his father who had taught him.

"Erm." Hermione began, trying to change the subject. "What's for dinner?"

"Chinese." Harry, Draco, Remus and Sirius said as one before all exchanging curious looks.

"Come on Sirius." Remus gestured towards the door. "You are coming with me." He ignored the worried looks that Molly and Arthur shared. He knew that it was dangerous for Sirius to go outside, even in his animagus form. But they were going to a muggle restaurant for the food and his lover needed to be able to leave every once in a while. It isn't healthy to force someone into confinement in a place that brings horrible memories back and not allow them to leave. Dumbledore wasn't going to dictate what Sirius was allowed to do.

"Really?" Sirius perked up, loving Remus even more. "I could stay behind." He offered a little regretfully. Leaving sounded like a godsend but he also knew that his boyfriend would feel better if he stayed behind.

"You can stay but Draco and Harry plan on having sex in our absence and I would hate to deprive them of that." Remus offered sarcastically, smirking at the way both boys flushed.

"I tend to forget about his hearing." Harry admitted, looking at the surprised stares head on. He wasn't ashamed, far from it. Everyone already knew they were sexually active, he wasn't going to withhold just because they had been found out.

Sirius shook his head rapidly, not bothering with words as he quickly transformed into his animagus form. Staying behind was not going to happen.

Draco smirked as he watched Sirius run after Remus, his tail wagging happily. He stood up, ignoring the way the others were staring at them. "We shall see you soon."

Despite the embarrassment that had already happened, Harry couldn't help but blush when he heard Fred and George release loud catcalls.

"Does this make us bad hosts?" Harry wondered as Draco shoved him down on the bed and began taking off his clothes.

"Not our house." Draco whispered as he admired his lover's naked form. He licked his lips before leaning forward and sucking a mark into Harry's neck. "They aren't our guests to please."

A hand held Draco's head in place but he loved it. Loved knowing that Harry enjoyed being marked by him. It sent possessive shivers running through him.

"Still." Harry stuttered out as he tried to keep still. The feel of Draco's mouth on him would always be one of his favorite things.

"Would you like me to stop? So that we can go back down there and be the epitome of respectful hosts?"

The question was accompanied by a sinful tongue traveling up his neck.

"If you so much as think about stopping, then I will hex you." Harry growled as he wrapped his arms around Draco, wondering why his boyfriend was still clothed.

Draco crawled up on the bed fully before he straddled Harry's waist, reaching up to take off his clothes.

"God, you're beautiful." Harry whispered, running a hand down Draco's chest reverently.

The compliment had Draco smiling softly. "I choose to see you as the more aesthetically pleasing one out of the two of us."

"Then you are blind." Harry firmly replied, grabbing hold of Draco's neck until he could feel plump lips against his own.

"Perhaps." The whisper was swallowed up by Harry's mouth but Draco didn't bother to repeat himself. He pressed down firmly, until he was laying on top of the other boy.

Harry broke the kiss to let out a moan when their hard cocks rubbed against each other. "Did you want me to open you up?" He whispered, running his hands down Draco's back. "That was what you said you wanted earlier."

"Yes." Draco moaned out. The thought of Harry inside him was making his mind blank a little. "I want you."

The declaration had Harry shuddering slightly before he reached over and picked up the lube on the nightstand.

It wasn't exactly easy to prepare Draco with the boy still on top of him, but it was nice being able to kiss him during the process.

Draco moaned when a slick finger breached him. He tried thrusting down but one of Harry's arms was holding him still.

Harry moved his free hand until he could teasingly run his fingers up and Draco's hard prick. The moan the blonde released was having his own impatience increase. He wanted to be inside his boyfriend badly.

Before Draco could demand another finger, he felt the stretch of another digit and spread his legs wider, welcoming more.

Their eyes locked and it caused them both to become a little breathless. Draco bit his lip when Harry curled his fingers.

Harry tightened his hold on the leaking shaft in his hand, causing Draco to drop open his mouth and let out a shuddering gasp.

"Don't do that. I want to hear you."

"Harry." Draco moaned, watching the way green eyes darkened. "Another finger. Please."

It wasn't often Draco said please but Harry was too far gone to stop and admire this. He quickly did as was asked and relished in the slight panting that was released.

"I'm ready." Draco told Harry firmly. "I need you."

That was all Harry needed before he quickly removed his fingers, smiling at Draco's whine and reached for the lube again.

"Wish I was the one slicking you up." Draco whispered, watching every minute movement of Harry's face, loving the lust he could see.

"Next time." Harry whispered as he guided himself into Draco, loving the thought of Draco's hands on him.

Draco closed his eyes, leaning forward a little as he willed his body to relax. The burning stretch was always one of his favorite feelings. He rocked a little side to side to allow the length to bottom out.

The pause in movement was something that Harry was rather grateful for. The tightness of Draco's arse was almost too much for him.

When Draco felt ready, he sat up enough to give himself leverage before lifting up and slowly sinking back down.

Harry closed his eyes as the pleasure had him arching his back. He moved his hands down Draco's back until he was cupping firm arse cheeks.

"Yes." Draco whispered, gyrating his hips. He loved the feel of Harry's hands on him. He looked down at his boyfriend and loved the way his mouth was dropped open, sweet moans and pants drifting outward. "You look beautiful."

Harry felt his face flush as he opened his eyes. He was of the opinion that Draco was beautiful as well. Blonde hair was in disarray, grey eyes were lust blown, tongue peeking out of pink lips.

"I like this position." Draco continued, placing his hands on Harry's chest to allow himself to push onto the throbbing prick inside him.

"Yeah?" Harry asked as he thrusted up on one of Draco's downward motions. "What's your favorite?"

Thinking was rather difficult, but Draco tried to force his mind to work. Each drag of Harry's cock was making this resolve that much harder. "I like any position with you." He whispered, pausing to whimper in pleasure as his prostate was hit harshly. "If we are talking-Mmm just like that- about with you inside me, then I also like when I am on my back and you push my knees to my chest and… and..." He let out a surprised noise when he was suddenly flipped over.

Draco peered up at Harry as his lover did exactly that. His knees were roughly shoved to his chest and there was a wicked gleam to vibrant verdant eyes. "You like when I take you?"

The words were punctuated by a hard thrust. Draco threw his head back as Harry set a punishing pace and let out a keening cry. "Yes!"

Seeing Draco lose himself in the moment was always something Harry strived to witness.

Draco wrapped his arms around his knees and held on tightly, only able to turn his head left and right when he wanted to express his enjoyment. The feel of being held down and not able to move properly was something that he rather liked.

Harry quickened his pace, loving the sound that was made each time their bodies met. He shuddered every time a small slap of his balls hit Draco's arse.

When Harry looked down and watched a small bead of moisture smear across Draco's stomach from his cock, he couldn't help the harsh thrusts as his hips stuttered. He lifted a shaky hand to wrap around the leaking member and welcomed the loud moan the blonde released in response.

"Oh!" Draco cried out when Harry began rapidly moving his hand up and down. "Harry… I'm not going to last—ungh, harder!"

It was hard to concentrate on anything but brining the both of them to completion, but Harry did his best to listen to what Draco was saying. He was already going near his limit, but he lowered himself slightly and used his other hand to center himself before using the momentum to allow his thrusts to be more powerful. He could feel his muscles straining but the feel of Draco around him was too good.

"I want you to finish, Draco." Harry told him thickly, watching the way the head disappeared and reappeared in his hand, along with precome periodically. "I want to watch you come apart before I do."

Draco would have taken this as a challenge another time, but he was so close to the edge already that he ignored the urge to make Harry finish first.

When Harry tightened his hold, Draco's body tensed as his pleasure mounted and his climax hit him full force. He may have screamed Harry's name as he came over the hand wrapped around him and his own stomach.

It was a combination of Draco's arse tightening and the way his own name had been screamed that pushed Harry over the edge as well. His hips continued to thrust weakly as he shoved as hard as he could and released into Draco.

Their harsh pants and labored breathing was the only sound that could be heard as Harry gently pulled out of Draco and laid on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I love you." Draco whispered as he reached out and entwined their fingers. Without magic, he wasn't looking forward to cleaning himself but that could wait for a minute. He wanted to enjoy being with Harry at the moment.

"I love you too." Harry grinned at the lazy smile on Draco's face before he pressed a kiss to their entangled hands.

"Your dog is so cute!" Remus looked towards two older ladies sitting on a bench outside of the restaurant where they were waiting for their food to be prepared. He looked back towards where Sirius was running after pigeons and yipping excitedly.

"Thank you." He supplied in gratitude. "He can be a handful, but I wouldn't want him any other way."

Remus grinned when Sirius' ears twitched before the dog came bounding forward, tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.

"With a face like that, I imagine he never gets in trouble." The woman continued, peering at Sirius with a warm smile. "I have a dog myself, sweet little thing but she just gets into all kinds of trouble."

Sirius' tail wagged faster at her words and it had Remus rolling his eyes fondly. "You'd be surprised." He whispered, fingers scratching behind the dog's ears, loving the way Sirius' head nudged his hand.

"But it's my job to keep him out of trouble." Remus continued, looking back up to them. "Something I take seriously."

He could tell that they weren't understanding him but that was okay. They didn't need to. Remus would do anything to protect Sirius.

"What did Snape want to talk about?" Harry asked as he rolled over and placed his head on Draco's chest.

"You, my father and me mostly."

Harry frowned, which was something Draco felt into his skin. He lifted a hand to run his fingers through messy black hair. "I defended your honor."

That had Harry lifting his head to smile teasingly. "A regular knight in shining armor." He bit his lip, not sure how to voice his proper thanks. "I know that he's your godfather and I would hate for our relationship to be an issue with him."

"Harry." Draco began in a mixture of exasperation and extreme fondness. "I wouldn't care if he gave me an ultimatum. Nothing would come between us. Whether he approves or not. He's been nothing but rotten to you for years and yet, you are still being kind." He would never be able to understand that. Being nice was just too much work.

"You are important to me." Harry explained gently, laying his head back down. "Snape being someone important to you, will always mean that I will do anything to ensure your happiness. If that means getting along with him, then so be it." He shrugged, letting Draco know that he really didn't mind. It wasn't as if he had to become the man's best friend. Harry already had to show him respect in school. Doing so on the outside wouldn't be hard. It wasn't as if much was changing.

"He will not have the same opinion." Draco warned. He would attempt to do this Harry's way but he wouldn't stand for the same treatment being handled when it came to his boyfriend. If he had to make a stand, then he would. His godfather may be important to him, but nothing close to what Harry meant to him.

"I know." Harry quirked up one corner of his lips. That was something he already anticipated. Snape being nice was out of the realm of possibilities. "What else did he want?"

"My father was caught breaking into the Ministry."

Harry moved until he was resting his head on his hand at an angle, elbow on the bed. "What?"

"That was my reaction as well." Draco admitted with a shake of his head. He still couldn't fathom what had been going on in his father's head.

This wasn't adding up. Harry furrowed his brows as his eyes narrowed in thought. With his old dreams about the place, the attempt to get him to the Ministry with the false dream and now this?

"Can you enter my mind? I want to show you a few of the dreams I have had about the Ministry."

Draco searched Harry's eyes, making sure his boyfriend was serious. "I can use my wand but we run the risk of it being detected."

"Yes, but Sirius said that it would be minimal due to the wards that his ancestors placed."

"True." Draco conceded. He knew that the same wards were around the Manor as well, it was just a precautionary method. If it did become detected, it would be just a warning, since it would be his first time performing outside of school. Well, technically.

They both sat across from each other, knees touching. Neither one of them cared that they were still naked from their earlier activities.

Draco leaned forward until their foreheads were pressed against each other. He wasn't going to ask if Harry was sure, he knew that his lover had made up his mind. But he did peer into those green eyes that he loved so much, searching them, hoping that his worry was palpable.

A hand cupped Draco's cheek and he leaned into it before pressing a gentle kiss to warm skin.

"I trust you." Harry replied to the worry he knew Draco was feeling. "There isn't anything in my mind that I wouldn't want you to see."

"Alright." Draco whispered before he nodded firmly, giving Harry enough time to change his mind.

When no words were spoken, Draco took the silence as a go ahead. "Legilimens!"

Harry's mind was welcoming and open. Something that he never thought he would experience when using Legilimency. Draco hoped that without him trying to actively look for anything, that Harry would be able to call the memories forward.

Flashes of memories began happening but that was to be expected. Draco knew that the Gryffindor was trying to cycle through his thoughts in an attempt at bringing the dreams forward. He chose to ignore the flashes for now. Getting distracted would be a mistake.

When everything came to a halt, Draco focused intently on where he was being led. It wasn't exactly straightforward but it was a good start. If they were going to do this more often, then he would have to teach Harry better ways of going about this but it was a great first attempt.

The memory of the dreams were hazy at best but that can happen with a dream. Especially if it has been a long time. Details in dreams are the subconscious trying to tell the mind things. Only, with this being thoughts or false dreams from the Dark Lord, that didn't make sense. Harry should be able to recall those with better clarity than one would normally with a dream. Something wasn't quite right with that but he would have to figure that out later.

The flashes of the dreams were on repeat and it took a few cycles before Draco was confident that he saw everything there was. Before Draco could give Harry a signal that he was prepared to leave, he was being pulled into flashes of real memories.

He watched his father talk to Fudge outside of the area for the courtrooms. That wasn't entirely unusual. The man liked to charm those in power. Draco startled when he was thrown into a memory that didn't seem real. It took him far longer than it should have, to realize that this wasn't technically Harry at all. This was Nagini. Why did Harry have this memory at all? Was this another dream? Or perhaps something the Dark Lord had never intended to slip through in the connection?

With his mind going off in different directions, Draco gently left his lover's mind, not wanting to overstay his welcome or force Harry to have to push him out.

Draco stared off into the distance as he tried to piece the dreams together. He recalled the path that was being shown to him. Recalled the direction that Harry had been shown to go. Even where Mister Weasley had been attacked was in the general area. Things were being centered in on one spot.

"The Department of Mysteries." Draco saw Harry open his mouth but he hurried on. "Before you ask, I have no idea all of the things that go on in there. Thousands of different projects, ideas, theories and things happen down there."

"But what about the area that Sirius had been 'kept'? Do you have a thought as to what that could be?"

"A few things. Actually." Draco mused thoughtfully. "Before, in one of the earlier dreams, there was a sphere like object. That could have been a number of things. But it wasn't until the false dream with Sirius that it made more sense. There were rows and rows of them. Which would have to be the Hall of Prophecies."

"What's that?" Harry already didn't like where this was going. A bad feeling was pitting in the bottom of his stomach.

"There are seerers—not quite like Trelawney—that see prophecies. They usually regard one person or sometimes multiple."

"Prophecy as in some future order that must happen?"

"No." Draco shook his head slowly. "The thing with Divination is that so much is left up to interpretation. What was once true five minutes ago will not be true now. The skill level into Divination is immense and requires the seerer to take account of hundreds of variables for just one instance. It is impossible to know everything about a simple situation. Take tonight's choice of dinner for example. If a seerer was to predict what I wanted to eat, it might not be hard. But you are a variable that had to be taken into account. You wanted Chinese. So, a good seerer would've had to have the foresight and the skill to not just see me, but also see you."

"What about Sirius and Remus? They also had a hand in deciding dinner." Harry pointed out. If Remus had refused to go, then they would've had something else entirely.

"Exactly." Draco grinned smugly. "They are variables that a shotty seerer could either overlook or not plan accordingly. But not just that. Say we all settled on Chinese and a seerer foresaw this and wrote down their prediction as a fact. What if at the last minute, you changed your mind? Or even if by the time the food arrived, say I lost my appetite? Just because it is written down by an outside source, does not mean that it will come to pass. Predicting the future isn't reliable because not only do things change constantly but so do the people themselves. Which is why Divination is a hard skill. The science to it is just too tricky." He paused to watch Harry take it all in with interest. Draco liked when Harry absorbed in knowledge that wasn't given to him in school.

"Trelawney isn't exactly a bad teacher, it's just that Divination itself is so complicated that she herself can't properly fathom all the variables to it. Which is why prophecies aren't set in stone. Or at least they shouldn't be considered as if they are."

Harry was fascinated by this. He wondered if this meant that Trelawney wasn't as much of a fraud as she seemed to be. Maybe it really was just because predicting the future would be too complicated.

"Who decides if a prophecy is real or not? Trelawney may or may not be a fraud but I am sure there are real frauds out there. How does a prophecy make its way to the Hall of Prophecies anyways?"

"That is an excellent question." Draco answered with pride. "Unspeakables at the Ministry do. Which is another reason not to readily believe a prophecy. My father swears that a prophecy was made about his mother but I know for a fact that money exchanged hands at some point. I can't say if it is real but I have doubts."

That wasn't at all surprising. It would seem that all Lucius could do was bribe people with money.

"Alright. So a prophecy may or may not be real, depending on whether someone did their job right or even if variables of Divination are accounted correctly." Harry ticked off a few fingers. "The future itself can't really be predetermined because it could all change anyways."

"Mhm." Draco nodded along to the recap.

"Does this all suggest that I have a prophecy made about me?" Again, something that Harry didn't like to hear at all.

Draco looked away briefly before he locked eyes with Harry. "If we are going off logic and sound reasoning, I would say yes. Prophecies themselves are placed in the Department of Mysteries because the security there is higher than anywhere else. Not to mention that only those the prophecies are determined to be about can actually touch them. Strict magic is placed on the orbs."

"So only I can touch it?"

"Not necessarily." Draco hedged. "If a prophecy had been made about dinner, all four of us could touch it. If the prophecy is made about you regarding someone else, then they too can touch it."

Harry closed his eyes, finally understanding. "You think that Voldemort is also in the prophecy."

"I do." Draco admitted. "Makes sense in a way. He tried luring you there because he wanted you to be the one to get it. Which also fits into my father's failed raid when you didn't show up that night."

Harry hummed curiously. "But if it was made about either of us, then shouldn't he be able to take it too?"

"Yes, but do you honestly see the Dark Lord just waltzing into the Ministry while everyone is too stupid to realize that he has returned?"

"If he was smart, yes. I am sure he could have found many ways to get in without anyone noticing." What kind of Dark Lord would he be otherwise?

Draco sat up suddenly, eyes wild. "What if he did try? What if he tried getting in without actually being there?"

The question seemed redundant at first but then Harry groaned pitifully. "The snake. He tried to possess Nagini."

"Not a bad plan." Draco admitted. "He could have used more insight though."

"You know." Harry began, trying to recall old memories. "At the beginning of last summer, Sirius said that they were trying to protect something that Voldemort wanted. Something that could only be obtained by stealth. He compared it to a weapon."

Draco tilted his head to the side. "Just more evidence that we are right. There's a prophecy about you and the Dark Lord. It could potentially involve other people, but it definitely involves the two of you."

"But if prophecies aren't reliable due to life itself changing and the people involved, why would he go to such lengths to retrieve it?" Harry couldn't understand the importance that was placed on the prophecy. Could whatever had been predicted really be worth it?

"I don't know." Draco admitted regretfully. He didn't like that the logic wasn't making sense. A prophecy shouldn't have been taken so seriously. "Unless, he knows that it's important. Perhaps he already knows what's inside it?"

"That doesn't make sense though." Harry argued. "If he knew what was inside it, why would he be so interested in it?"

"To stop you from knowing?" Even to his own ears, Draco knew that wasn't quite it either.

Harry frowned when a thought came to him. "If only he and I can get the prophecy, why would your father try and retrieve it? He wouldn't be able to."

"Good point." The thought had crossed Draco's mind but he couldn't come up with a logical explanation.

"Would he try possession again? Like he did with the snake?"

Draco bit his lip as he shrugged. "I would say no but with him? Who knows. Possessing people is not like possessing an animal. One has to willingly give up so much of their mind to allow a possession. You cannot possess someone without permission. Oh, at first it might seem as though you can but the body will reject the foreign substance after a while. If the Dark Lord really was possessing a part of my father to get inside the Ministry, then it would've had to have been with his permission. Which is dangerous. That's dark magic that shouldn't exist. The side effects will leave both parties with lasting consequences."

"What kind of consequences?"

The question had Draco sighing as he shrugged again. "All kinds of things. A shortened life is definitely up there. I can't say if that would affect the Dark Lord but it would affect my father. The body is meant to only hold one person, one essence and one soul. If the possession goes on for an extended period of time, it puts too much strain on the host's body. It will accelerate their life exponentially."

The callous disregard for his own Death Eaters shouldn't have surprised Harry but it did. He couldn't imagine why anyone would want to be of service for the man. He also didn't envy Lucius at all. He wouldn't want any part of Voldemort inside of him.

"How do we find out if there really is a prophecy about me?"

"We could ask Sirius and Remus." Draco prompted with a slight grimace. "I would suggest asking Dumbledore, but he never answers us with direct responses."

Harry bit his lip in indecision. He agreed with Draco regarding Dumbledore. The headmaster had said that he would provide more information to him but that had yet to actually happen. "The real question is if Sirius and Remus would even know." He pointed out. "Would they only know partial information given to them? If Dumbledore said that something was in there that needed protection, I imagine a lot of the Order would guard it without any extra information."

"That's a good point." Draco conceded with a tilt of his head. "I think they would know something though."

"What if… what if we went there and just took it?"

Draco sat back on his heels and regarded Harry with surprise. "That is horribly Gryffindor and completely reckless."

"I'm not saying steal it." Harry rolled his eyes. "If it's got my name on it and I am allowed to retrieve it, then why not do it? Go through the proper channels and during the day time. Voldemort seems to be going about it the hard way and with stealth. Why not just be obvious? It's not like I would be doing anything wrong. I am entitled to it."

It wasn't a horrible plan. That much Draco had to admit. "Would this be something we tell Dumbledore? Or…"

That was the question. They had just been inducted into the Order. If they went after it without telling the man, things could be put into question. But it wasn't as if things had been forthcoming with details so far.

"What if we talk to Remus and Sirius first?" Harry offered firmly. "See what they have to say and go from there."

"Alright." Draco whispered, mind already trying to formulate a good argument for them. "We'll see what they say before we go."

"Either way, we will be finding ourselves a prophecy."

By the time they made it back downstairs, everyone seemed to have gone home. "Where's the Weasleys?" Draco wondered as he walked over to the cartons of food.

Sirius leveled him with a very unimpressed glare. "They left over an hour ago. We had to place a heating charm on your food."

"We were busy." Harry's tone suggested that this was an apology without actually offering one.

"The marks on your neck would agree with that statement." Remus mumbled behind the evening edition of the Prophet.

"You weren't even looking." Draco pointed out, pointing an accusing chopstick at him.

"If it involves you two, I don't have to look. I just know."

Harry rolled his eyes but grinned unrepentantly. Their sex life was pretty open and neither one of them were afraid to talk about it.

As they ate in somewhat silence, Draco could tell that Sirius and Remus knew that something was going on. A few searching looks were being directed at them but they both pretended not to notice.

"Alright." Sirius began leaning forward in his chair. "What's going on with you two? I usually can't get either of you to shut up and yet, we have sat without talking for ten minutes." He looked between them before frowning. "Have you had a fight?"

"No." They answered in unison.

"I'm suspicious." Remus told them, finally putting away the paper. "You want something, don't you?"

"I am offended." Harry covered his heart with his hand. "Do you hear that, Draco? The accusations cut right through the heart." He managed to keep a straight face despite the way Draco's lips twitched.

"Mhm." Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Out with it. What do you want?"

Draco shared a look with Harry before he nodded towards the other two. The prophecy was about Harry, so it was up to his boyfriend to decide what to do.

"We would like to go to the Ministry and retrieve the prophecy that was made about me."

Well, Draco couldn't say that his lover wasn't direct. He watched in amusement as Sirius gaped openly.

"Harry." Remus' tone was serious, causing them to sit up straighter. "Why do you think there is a prophecy about you?"

"Please." Draco rolled his eyes. "The details were all there. Severus said my father was arrested for breaking into the Ministry. Somewhere he has access to begin with. Harry asked me to use Legilimency on him to see the dreams the Dark Lord had sent him. It all added up to the Hall of Prophecies."

"You both are too smart for your own good." Sirius grumbled, ignoring the warning look Remus was sending him.

"Why would the Order waste time and energy protecting it when I could have easily gone and gotten it? With permission from the Ministry, no one would have even known until it was gone. That way, Voldemort wouldn't know where we place it or if we broke it after hearing it." Harry watched them share a telling look, which had him narrowing his eyes in response.

"It was what Dumbledore wanted."

Draco and Harry traded smug looks. They had guessed that much.

"He never explained anything in more detail? Never said why I shouldn't know it existed?" Harry was beginning to become upset.

"No but—" Harry's angry expression stopped whatever Sirius was going to say.

"The prophecy is about me not him. It has my name on it and it is up to me and Voldemort regarding what happens to it. I should have been told of its existence and definitely should have been involved on the specifics of the decisions." He paused when Draco entwined their fingers and rested his head on his shoulder. His boyfriend was trying to get him to calm down. Harry couldn't help but smile slightly as he rolled his eyes.

When he looked up, Harry ignored the looks being sent Draco's way. "We want to go to the Ministry tomorrow and retrieve it. Legally and through the proper channels with the Ministry. I'm not waiting for other people to decide my fate. If that prophecy can shed some light on any of this, then I won't allow other opinions to sway me. It clearly is important to Voldemort and if we wait around for Dumbledore to fill us in, then we will be waiting until a war breaks out and possibly not even then."

"We could ask him." Sirius offered doubtfully and it seemed to be a last ditch effort to change their minds.

"Have you asked him about it before now?" Draco countered seriously. When neither one of them answered, he shook his head sadly. "So, you asked but got nowhere? He didn't answer your questions."

Their silence was telling enough.

"You can't go alone." Remus told them firmly, ignoring Sirius' look of surprise. "If you are intent on seeing this through, then I am going with you."

They had expected this much. Before they could say anything, Sirius held up his hand. "I'm going too."

The three of them shared a look, none of them wanting to be the one to tell the man no.

"Look." Sirius sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Voldemort tried to use me as bait to lure Harry to the Department of Mysteries. Sure, it was false but it was my image. If you think that you won't need more backup than one person and two teenagers, then we have a problem here."

"You can't go because you are a wanted man." Draco pointed out what Harry and Remus hadn't wanted to say.

"I can easily disguise myself." He paused for a moment, a sudden thought occurring to him. "Actually, Tonks owes me a favor, I believe I can work something out."

Remus looked to Sirius with obvious worry. He knew that his lover was stubborn and reckless but he really didn't want the man to come along. Not like this. Not when it was dangerous. But… the determined gleam in his Sirius' eyes let him know that this would be a hard battle.

"Give us a few days." Remus told them, not looking away from Sirius. "Let us figure out how we can do this." He looked away briefly.

"Remus—" Sirius was cut off by Remus shaking his head.

"If it's not safe for you, then I can't do it. I won't. You can't expect me to just watch you get carted off to Azkaban if you are found out. I can't watch that again. I won't." His voice cracked and it was enough to have Sirius pull him into his arms.

Sirius closed his eyes tightly before he looked to Harry and Draco. "Give us a few days and we will form a plan."

"Alright." Harry and Draco whispered, not wanting to get involved in what would probably be a fight.

Harry wrapped his arm around Draco's waist and pulled him closer. Despite everything happening around them, he was beginning to feel like he was taking life into his own hands. He was making decisions and for once it was his own path.

Author's Notes:

So, I have never written a story where Draco apologizes to Hermione before. Hopefully that worked out as I intended. It was a little emotional but when you take in account for what it would have felt like for her, I think it needed to be emotional. Merlin knows that I suck at saying sorry to others. I agree with Draco, admitting when you are wrong can be hard.

I still have yet to read a wolfstar. Yes, I know. I need to. Lol. So, hopefully I am doing their relationship justice. I think they are just adorable together.

Draco defending Harry to Snape is something I live for. I wish that happened more often in stories. Maybe that's just me. I don't know. *shrugs*

Now, for the prophecy. Keep in mind that things have changed drastically from the original books. Due to Draco's tip off about Kreacher, that night at the Ministry never happened. Which means that the public still isn't aware of Voldemort's return.

Also, I believe the only reason that Dumbledore even told Harry about the prophecy is because of Sirius' death and the fight that happened in the Ministry with them trying to keep it away from the Death Eaters. I believe that he would have waited until he deemed Harry ready to talk about the prophecy.

Yes, I am completely aware that it is silly to have Sirius go to the Ministry. It's crazy. It's insane. It's reckless. It's stupid. It's dangerous. But... I may just do it anyways.

What are your thoughts on the recon/retrieval mission. That sounds far more dramatic than it really is. Lol maybe that's what Sirius will call it. :p

Now, I know I hinted at some things in this. You may or may not have picked up on them. Either way, I won't be explaining anything until later. Much later.

I really will get Suzy into the next one!

That's all for now! See you next time.

-XxTheDarkLordxX