Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, I'd be writing more books and Deathly Hallows would have ended differently and Fred wouldn't have died. Yeah, I could go on, but I think you guys get the point.
Chapter 13
Draco couldn't believe it. Completely supported by the doorframe, bleeding, bruised, and barely conscious, Harry tilted his head upward. "Harry!" he cried and then rushed through the crowd to get to him.
"I-I came back," he rasped and Draco could feel that he had no strength to hold himself up.
Draco took all of Harry's weight upon himself as he held his love close to him. He couldn't believe it. Because everyone had continued saying that Harry would die, he'd come to believe it subconsciously. Now, holding Harry, feeling his ragged breathing, the uncomfortable knot that had taken up residence in his stomach vanished. He couldn't believe it.
Harry could barely see under his swollen eyes, but he could see enough of Draco to know that he was crying. "Don't cry," he forced. His voice was scratchy and rough.
"Tears of joy, love. You came back. You came back to me," Draco whispered. "I love you so much."
Before Harry could respond, desperate lips were crushing his own and if he'd had any more energy, Harry would have reciprocated the force. This is why his had fought with himself the entire way home. He'd wanted desperately to fall asleep and let one of the other Order members to take him back to Grimmauld place, but he'd wanted to see Draco's face when he returned. He had to know that Draco was okay. He had to know that Draco hadn't tried to follow him. He conjured strength, he didn't know from where, to kiss his love back. As Draco pulled away, Harry finally gave in to his body and let the darkness consume him.
Draco buckled under his love's weight and panic clutched his heart. "Harry?" he cried. "Harry?! Someone help!"
Immediately three other hands were there, gently taking Harry from Draco. "No!" he yelled. No, Harry had survived, he couldn't die now! "Don't take him from me!"
A hand on my shoulder gently but firmly pulled me away as my fingers slipped on the blood that was coating Harry's arm. "He's going to be fine, Draco, he's just passed out."
I turned to look at Hermione and saw the calm truth in her eyes. She gave me a smile and gripped my hand in hers. "He came back, Draco. He lived."
After they had settled Harry on the couch, the same couch this had all started on, and Lupin had treated Harry's wounds, Draco took up his post in the plush chair at Harry's head. As the others moved to the kitchen to have their wounds treated, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione sat in the living room.
"That was absolutely disgusting," Ron spat.
"What?"
Draco studied Harry's face, carefully watching his chest rise and fall. Running his fingers through that black, unruly hair, he waited for Ron to attack his relationship unwilling to defend it without Harry there to help him. If Ron was a good friend, he surely wouldn't be attacking it.
"I can't believe you corrupted him, Malfoy. What did you have to do? Drug him? Imperius him?"
"Shut up, Ron."
Surprised, Draco looked up at Ginny. She was glaring at her brother. Then she looked at Draco and smiled sadly. "Just make him happy."
"What?" Ron exploded. "What do you mean? You and Harry were supposed to be together! That's how it was supposed to be!"
"Who are you to tell anyone else how to live their life?" she demanded.
Before Ron could respond, I held up a hand. "Harry needs his rest and if people are fighting, it won't help his recover. Please, I'm not asking for me, I'm asking for Harry," I added as Ron started to respond.
"Besides, Ron, you have Draco to thank for Harry's survival. Without him, I think he might have died in that fight with Voldemort," Hermione added, givng him a look I couldn't quite understand.
Without saying anything else, I watched Ron leave in a huff and I returned to watching Harry. His even breathing was calming, or maybe it was just the fact that I knew he was going to be okay. Sighing, Hermione got up. "I guess I'll go up and try to calm him down. Don't take it personally, Draco, he just—he needs time to come around. He will."
Draco tried to give a confident smile and she returned it. "You really did save his life. Thank you."
He watched her leave and Ginny left with her. Draco laid a kiss on his love's forehead and ran his hands over Harry's face. He couldn't believe it. He was really okay.
A few hours later, Draco was sitting on the floor, staring in awe at the Boy-Who-Lived-Again. "Are they gone?" Harry whispered.
"Harry?"
His beautiful green eyes flickered open and he smiled at Draco. "I see you're wearing my necklace."
Draco nodded, briefly touching it. "Of course."
"I bewitched it before I gave it to you." Harry reached out to touch it with a shaky hand and smiled. "That way, I can hear you when we're apart. I heard you asking me to come back."
Draco laughed and hugged Harry so tightly Harry rasped, "Can't breathe."
"Oh, sorry."
When Draco made to move off of Harry, he felt tan arms tighten around his waist. "I fight for my life, I fight not to die, and all I get is a hug?"
Before Harry knew what was happening, he found Draco straddling him on the couch, kissing him until his lungs burned from lack of air. His body was heating up, blood rushing to a certain area and he could feel Draco on top of him going through the same. "Merlin, I can't believe you're here."
Harry felt a pang of guilt plague his heart. A pang that was quickly forgotten as Draco's hands slipped under his shirt. This was why he'd fought to stay alive. This is why he'd refused to die under Voldemort.
"Well, it's certainly nice to see you've recovered so quickly," Ginny said.
Draco immediately jumped off Harry, a cute blush covering his cheeks. "Sorry."
Harry forced himself to sit up and looked directly into Ginny's eyes. "I'm sorry as well."
Yes, he was apologizing for that little display, but also for not telling Ginny that he was gay and she understood that. "I understand. Friends?"
"Friends," he smiled, but it faltered when he thought about her brother. "What about Ron?"
"What about him?"
Harry looked over to see Ron standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen. They spoke silently for a moment and Harry smiled when Ron gave a slight nod. Draco didn't know what to make of it, but since he wasn't yelling or attacking them, Draco considered that to be an improvement.
Mrs. Weasley came in, flanked by the other Order members and immediately started to force food down Harry's throat. "Y'know, Mrs. Weasley, I'm still really tired. Could I maybe sleep a little more?"
"Oh, of course, sweetie. You just let me know when you're hungry, okay?" she patted him on the head and leaned down to give Harry a hug. "I already know about you and Draco," she whispered, "I just want you to be happy."
When she pulled back, Harry smiled at her and made to roll over to go back to sleep. Quietly, Ron and Ginny left as well. "Goodnight, love," Draco whispered, kissing Harry's forehead and also making to leave.
"And how am I supposed to sleep without my favorite pillow?"
Draco turned around to see Harry fully awake and pressed against the back of the couch to make room for Draco, smiling. Without a second thought, Draco slipped under him and held Harry close to him. Harry immediately snuggled into him, burying his face into the crook of Draco's neck.
Draco loved to be so close to him. "Harry, I love you."
"Draco, I love you, too."
"Really?" he asked.
Harry placed a soft kiss on Draco's lips. "Yep. Now, show me why I fought so hard to return to you."
Draco readily complied and no one else entered the room for quite a long time.
A/N: This is the last chapter! Wahoo! I hope you like the last chapter. I'm happy with it. Anyway, I'll be writing more so if you like my writing, check back every so often for more. Please R&R! Thanks for staying with my story till the end! See ya!