I own nothing.

A/N: Enjoy xxx

Chapter 16 - letting go.

And so it all finally made sense. Draco finally made sense. Every tiny detail, every mystery surrounding the blonde that Harry had noticed and stored away in his mind, finally added up.

He had always hoped that Draco would open up to him, would uncover all the little mysterious details that had kept him awake on countless nights. He had hoped and wished and, though he wasn't a religious man, had prayed that Draco would find something within him that would be worthy enough to share his life's secrets with him. Now that his hopes and wishes and prayers had been answered…he felt as though he'd been slapped for his greed.

His stomach rolled uncomfortably, stabbing at him from the inside. The knowledge he now held about the man before him made him feel physically sick. It made him want to wash his brain with bleach, rid himself of the disturbing, agonising images his mind kept presenting him with. He wanted to forget, but knew that he never would. Not ever.

He stared at Draco's pallid face as the blonde stared off into space. His expression was strained, his eyes and mouth so tight at the edges it looked as though he might break. As Harry attempted to digest the information he had just received, he wondered if maybe Draco had already been broken beyond repair.

"Surely you can see now why I had to leave, Harry - why I needed to be away from you." Draco murmured, his head turned away from Harry's, his eyes still focused on the white lab coat that'd had his undivided attention for the entirety of his speech. He couldn't bring himself to look at Harry, to make eye contact with him. He was sure he would never recover from the torment it would cause to see such disgust in those beautiful emerald eyes.

Harry, however, couldn't tear his gaze away from Draco's face - he catalogued every tear that fell from his eyes with heartbreaking precision, every sob he had tried to unsuccessfully swallow…every ounce of blame he had heaped on top of himself, burying himself further and further in hopeless despair, "No." he whispered softly.

"We are opposite ends of the spectrum!" Draco choked, his eyes sliding closed as yet more tears cascaded over his lashes, "You are honest and good and pure, and you don't deserve to have your life tainted by me, Harry. You are perfect, in every single way, and it kills me…that I will never, ever be good enough for you."

Harry's eyes blurred as they filled with agonised tears, and for the first time since he had entered Draco's closet, he had to look away from the blonde man. Had to look away because, if he didn't, his heart would break.

How very much he wanted to envelope Draco in his arms, but he knew that the other man would never allow it. If one thing was absolutely clear and completely evident from the things Draco had told him, it was that the blonde man held very little faith in his ability to trust, not only other peoples intentions, but in his own judgement.

"I'm sorry I kissed you, Harry. I'm sorry that I have disrupted your life and if I have caused you a moments pain. And I am sorry, because if I had a chance to change one second of time since the moment I met you...I wouldn't change a thing."

"Please don't do this, Draco - please don't say this is over." Harry begged, his heart thumping so violently in his chest that he feared it might explode. "I wouldn't change anything, either - and you are good enough for me - you're far too good for me!" he added, raising his hand to wipe away Draco's tears.

Draco flinched, his hands slamming into Harry's chest and pushing him back before he could even think about what he was doing. Harry yelped with surprise as he stumbled over the pile of clothes and shoes in the middle of the closet. He managed to find his footing just before he fell, and straightened up, an alarmed expression crossing his face.

Draco stared at him with wide eyes, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe, "I'm sorry," he gasped, fear saturating his tone. He looked at his shaking hands as more salty tears streamed over his cheeks, and he crumpled to the ground, his back thumping against the shelving system behind him, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I'm sorry." Harry gasped, feeling entirely stupid for his move. Draco had just explained how he had been the subject of domestic violence and Harry idiotically raised his hand to his face! He picked his way back across the room and sank down in front of the blonde, careful to keep his hands to himself, "That was my fault, I'm sorry."

"Harry, stop. Stop being nice to me, please - I don't deserve it!" Draco begged, his face falling into his hands.

Frustration and sadness washed over Harry like a tidal wave, "Draco, you know that's not true!" he argued, wanting with every fibre of his being to reach out and touch the other man. He settled with placing his hands on his lap instead.

"It is true - I don't deserve to breathe the same air as you!" Draco snarled, his hands wrenching at the roots of his hair. He felt more hot, salty tears uncontrollably spill over his eyes, cascading down his cheeks - burning his skin like acid. What was the point? What was the point in hiding it any longer - his agony, his heartbreak?

Annoyance surged through Harry as he watched the blonde sink further into despair and he couldn't help the admission that burst out of him, "Your perception of me is bloody ridiculous!"

He stood and began to pace the small room to prevent him from touching Draco in any way. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the other man.

Draco merely shook his head in response, disbelief evident in the action.

Harry decided it was about time Draco heard a few truths, himself. He needed to realise that Harry was far from the God he seemed to think he was, "I hired you because I thought you were attractive." He blurted, shame riddling his tone. He watched as Draco's head snapped up, his eyes red and his hair sticking up in different directions, and the shame morphed into downright disgust. "I didn't care that you had no experience. I didn't care that you kept crashing your computer or kept sugaring my tea, I just wanted to hire you because I liked how you looked. I was unprofessional and dishonest." he explained, his tone begging Draco to listen.

"Harry…" Draco whispered, disbelieving what he was hearing - did Harry really think that this was what he wanted to hear?

However, Harry continued as though he hadn't heard, "I paid someone to steal Tom Riddle's file. I fraudulently entered a criminal facility…if that were to come out, I'd be disbarred." He added, his face totally serious as he tried to drill the point home to Draco. "I spend my life defending scum who commit wretched crimes against innocent people - I become more tarnished everyday, tainted by the knowledge that I am allowing criminals to walk free because of me…for money. I am not honest, I'm not good, and I am certainly not pure, Draco." he concluded. "I'm far from perfect."

Draco gazed at him, his expression blank, "Harry, that is such bollocks - and you know it! You had every right to confront Riddle, no one would blame you for that! And you practice family law - the only time you have to deal with criminals is when you're glancing at one of Hermione's cases…or when you're with me." he argued, shaking his head at Harry's attempt to level the playing field.

"You are not a criminal - you were desperate, you were trying to help!" Harry countered, continuing to pace, his heart thudding so hard in his chest it hurt. He saw out of the corner of his eye Draco pulling himself to his feet.

The blonde turned his back on him, and he watched as Draco fingered the only garment still hanging from the rails - a crisp white lab coat. His steel grey eyes had closed as a wave of pain evidently washed over him, and it was hard for Harry to witness, though, the blonde had done it on numerous occasions since Harry had arrived.

"I never thought I'd say this…" Draco whispered, agony saturating his tone, "because losing my licence was the worst thing that has ever happened to me - even with the overdose and the beatings and…! Losing my licence, seeing the disappointment on my father's face…it was the worst pain I have ever experienced!-"

He took the coat from the hanger and dropped it to the floor where it laid on top of the rest of the closet's discarded apparel, "-Until now." he added, his gaze finally sweeping over Harry's face.

His eyes were startling in their grief, their complete and utter bleakness, and it stunned Harry to see them. Stunned him to believe that a person could hold that much despair inside without withering away to nothing.

"Goodbye, Harry." Draco choked, cringing at the sight of the tears falling from behind Harry's skewed glasses. He abruptly turned and walked towards the door, eager to get as far from Harry as possible. He didn't want to continue this, didn't want to have to suffer any more of this…this torment, this knowledge that he could not have the things he wanted most in the world.

"I love you." Harry pleaded, his voice breaking as he watched Draco walk away, "I've loved you since the moment you came into my life - and I can't lose you now, not because of this - not because of him!"

Draco stopped, his eyes clamping shut as Harry's words sank in. It wasn't fair, none of this was fair. "Harry, if that's true - if you really mean that…then, please, let me go." He murmured, before he left the closet and walked away from Harry for good.

3 years later.

Harry stared at the headrest in front of him, the film playing on the small screen appearing nothing more than a visual disturbance. If asked, he wouldn't have been able to tell if it was a cartoon or a horror film - it was merely a blur of colour.

He hadn't removed his seat belt, even when the light indicating it safe to do so had blinked to life. He didn't want to move, had no reason to, so he kept it fastened. Extra tight.

The steward hovering along the aisle had asked on more than one occasion if he was feeling ok, and he took this to mean his face was probably green. He nodded in answer, afraid that if he opened his mouth he might vomit, and the steward wandered off - after discreetly leaving several sick bags on the fold out table with a knowing smile.

He breathed a small chuckle at her kindness and how thoroughly misplaced it was. True, Harry had never been on a plane before and was slightly terrified - especially as he had chosen to take such a long journey…alone - but that wasn't the reason for his discord. It was one of them, but not the most prominent.

He glanced at the letter in his hand again. The italic cursive was familiar and comforting, and he smiled sadly as he took it in, wishing that the words were intended for him. However, much to his disappointment, they weren't. Each detail, each snarky comment or declaration of love was written, not with Harry in mind, but Pansy.

He had read the letter so often that he now knew it by heart. He knew the parts that made him smile fondly "…Don't forget that I would like to see my goddaughter sometime before she turns 18! I mean, come on, Pans', how hard is it to drag that no good husband of yours and a one year old on to a plane?…" the author had written. He imagined the small smirk that would have pulled at his lips as his pen danced across the paper.

"…the weather is as glorious as ever - I don't know why you always ask, I'm in Australia, not Alaska! You'd love Victoria though, I don't know why you don't just up sticks and come here too- Pandora could use a bit of sunshine in her life. You can all come and live with me…I miss you…" , "…Well, I finally did it - I am now a fully fledged Cardiologist. I know - I can hardly believe it myself! Peninsula Private Hospital is beautiful - a far cry from St Mungos. It's nice being able to be Draco, rather then that guy who royally fucked up. I guess I'm finally rebuilding my life…".

The captain announced their impending arrival at Melbourne Airport and Harry was struck by nausea again. He'd waited 3 long years for information on Draco, anything to tell him where he might be or how he was doing. He'd known from Pansy that the blonde was well and had left Britain, but that was all she'd ever been inclined to disclose. For 3 long years he had enquired about Draco, and for 3 long years Pansy had held her tongue.

She had said that she knew how it felt to be cut off by the blonde man, and the only way Harry made it through each day was the knowledge that she and Draco had made amends in the end. It was the only reprieve from his monotonous, empty life without the blonde.

The plane touched down with a jerk onto the asphalt, and Harry clutched at the armrest so tightly his knuckles turned white. The heat penetrating the cabin was stifling and beads of perspiration caused his shirt to stick to his body and his hair felt plastered to his forehead, and he thanked anyone listening that he'd soon have a chance to shower, though he reasoned that he'd most likely end up just as sweaty soon after anyway.

The journey from plane to taxi, and taxi to hotel, passed in blur of sunshine and Australian accent. He handed the fare to the taxi driver with the knowledge that he had probably tipped far too much, but he couldn't have cared any less - he was here, as close to Draco as he had been in 3 years.

As he found his room and, more importantly, the shower, he allowed himself a chance to speculate on what he might find when he eventually came face to face with Draco. He wondered if the blonde would be tanned, whether he might have a slight Australian lilt to his voice, whether he drove a sexy sports car with the top down, enjoying the beautiful weather. He wondered if he'd met someone, and felt a small stab of pain in his stomach at the likely possibility.

A smile spread across Harry's face as he thought of the location of where Draco would be - a hospital. It was always the most favourite part of the letter - that Draco had finally acquired his dream, he was finally a doctor. Harry wondered what his motivation had been, to have the ruling of his revoked medical licence overturned, but he was thrilled that the blonde had finally realised he wasn't the monster he believed he was.

He climbed out of the shower, taking a minute to calm his breathing before reattaching his insulin pump, and began to pull on some more weather appropriate clothing when his mobile phone burst to life.

I've been roaming around always looking down at all I see…

He raced into the bedroom area, searching out his carry-on bag from the plane to locate his phone, grumbling a stream of profanities as it stopped ringing only to start again straight away. He finally found it hiding in a shoe and hit the send button, frowning when he read Pansy's name on the ID.

"Hi, Pansy?" he answered, evident confusion in his tone. "What's up?" he asked as he fell onto the bed.

"Harry, I just spoke to Draco-" she replied sounding harassed. A high pitched wailing could be heard in the background which Harry took to be Pandora - the girl certainly had a set of lungs on her.

Pansy's comment caused a red flag to pop up in his mind, "Wait, you didn't tell him I was here, did you?" he asked, dread washing through him. The last thing he needed right now was for Draco to be in the loop - the element of surprise was something Harry was counting on.

"Of course I didn't, sweetie," she replied, and Harry heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for that, he hadn't come all this way to be pipped at the final post. He wasn't sure if he could endure another 3 years of misery. "I was just calling to let you know that he's at the hospital all day today, he'll be in surgery from 3pm though." Pansy informed, practically yelling over her daughter's cries. Harry winced knowing how late it was in Britain and that Blaise, who would have to leave pretty early in the morning for work, was going to be wide awake with little chance of getting any sleep.

"That's great, thank you for the heads up," Harry smiled, glancing at the clock beside the bed and blanching slightly as he took in the time, "Speaking of which, it's 2:30pm here, so I should probably get a move on." he said, excitement and fear smashing into him, he was sure Pansy heard it in his voice.

"Ok, sweetie - send him all of our love…try and get him to come home." She asked softly, tenderness saturating her tone. The absolute warmth and longing in her voice caused Harry to pause - it was sometimes easy to forget that he wasn't the only person who was suffering from Draco's absence.

"I'll do my best." He promised, "And, Pansy…thank you, for everything. Thank you for letting me find him." he added, sincerely.

"Good luck sweetie."

The hospital was located nearby, something Harry had made sure of when he had booked the hotel room. He wanted to be as close as possible to the blonde, a demand he was now regretting as he made his way towards it. His heart thumped uncomfortably in his chest, smashing against his ribs and stealing his breath. He couldn't help wondering if he were doing the right thing - after all, Draco had moved thousands of miles across the globe to avoid him. He had made it quite clear that he wanted nothing to do with him. Perhaps he should've left things how they were. But he couldn't do that, he couldn't spend the rest of his life wondering what if.

The hospital wasn't large, but Draco certainly had been right about its beauty - it appeared more like a leisure centre rather than a medical facility - and Harry was momentarily stunned as he gazed at it. It was fitting that Draco, who Harry knew was the epitome of beauty, should belong in a place like this, and he couldn't help but smile as he pictured the blonde wandering the halls.

He made his way through the entrance and miraculously, especially due to his poor sense of direction, he managed to find the Cardio suite. He knew from Pansy that Draco hung around a nurses station just inside the suite because he had been adopted by a group of older female nurses who adored his British accent and found him adorably cheeky.

Feeling utterly ridiculous, Harry peered around the double doors leading into Cardiology and quickly whipped back again, flattening against the wall in the outer corridor. A passing nurse looked at him as though he had just escaped from the nearest mental facility, and he tried to smile and look sane at the same time.

He peered around the corner once again, making sure he looked a little more normal this time, and caught sight of the same figure he had spotted before hand, the only person in the world who could make Harry feel so foolish and happy and terrified simultaneously.

Draco stood hunched over a computer half way down the hall, his hair falling slightly into his eyes as he gazed at the screen in front of him, pointing at unseen details with the tip of a pen to a colleague stood beside him.

It was amazing to Harry that Draco looked identical and completely different all at the same time. Yes, he was still svelte, tall, and, amusingly, pale, but he was smiling, not just with his mouth but his eyes - smiling in a way that depicted true happiness. Draco was happy.

Harry stood there, on the thresh hold of the Cardiology unit - on the thresh hold of the turning of his life - and he couldn't move. Could he really barge his way back into Draco's life? Could he really be the one that made that smile disappear? He glanced down at the white jacket in his hand, the one he had stolen all those years ago from Draco's closet, and closed his eyes. He was being selfish, he could see that now.

"Enough is enough, Potter." Harry muttered to himself, "Time to let go."

The nurse who had passed him before walked passed again, this time heading towards Draco. On impulse, Harry made a decision, "Excuse me, miss?" he called out. The nurse turned, her expression suspicious, which Harry reasoned was understandable - after all, he was hanging around in a hospital looking crazy!

"Can I help you, sir?" She asked, back tracking a little. Her red curly hair tumbled around her face and over her shoulders, and Harry couldn't help but smile a little. It was kind of like fate, that this woman who he never met before, who looked startling like his mother, would be the one whom he would asked for assistance.

"Erm, yes, please - Do you know Dr Draco Malfoy?" he asked, grinning at the title. Dr Draco. He liked that a lot. The nurse nodded, a spark of recognition lighting her eyes.

"Yes, he's just through those doors - Are you a friend of his from England?" She asked, smiling now she had made a connection, "Let me guess, you're Blaine, right?" she added, her eyes un-mistakenly travelling down the length of his body and he squirmed slightly .

"No, I'm not Blaise," he smirked, "But we were friends…once. I just came to return something to him, I was hoping you would be able to pass it on for me," he said softly, holding the white lab coat out in front of him. Instinctively, the nurse reached out and took it from him, a confused expression forming on her face. "I'm kind of in a hurry." he explained.

"Oh, Ok. Sure. Who shall I say delivered it?"

Harry glanced down at the coat for the last time, his last connection to the man he loved, and looked back up to the nurse, a small, sad smile pulling at his lips, "Just tell him…best regards from Aurors." he murmured, before turning and walking out. It was time to let go.

"I'm telling you, there's simply no way a by-pass is going to fix anything - he needs to lose weight and get some exercise!" Draco said, rolling his eyes at the simplistic diagnosis. He sometimes wondered if he was the only person who used common sense in the entire department.

"Oh, right, Ok - I'll let them know." His colleague dithered, glancing once more at the screen to see if Draco was right. The blonde shook his head, a small smirk pulling at his mouth as the other doctor walked away.

"Dr Malfoy, there's been a delivery for you," Draco turned and found Tonks, a cute young nurse who had made it quite clear she had a thing for him, striding towards him, a lab coat hanging over her forearms.

"I'm just heading up to theatre, Tonks - can you put whatever it is in my locker please?" he asked, walking backwards away from her, hoping that his attempt to avoid her wasn't too obvious. As sweet as she was, she could be intensely irritating at times - especially her need to know every tiny detail of his life. He didn't know how else to tell her to mind her own business without being rude. Well, ruder than normal.

"Oh, sure, no problem!" She called as he disappeared around the corner. He shook his head at her eagerness, wondering how far she'd make it to the staff quarters without tripping or breaking whatever it was that had been sent to him. His amusement was echoed as another colleague fell into step beside him.

"Oooh, Draco, can I kindly kiss your ass too?" Marcus Flint quipped, nudging Draco in the ribs as he did so. "It looks like such fun!"

"Very funny, Flint! You know how I adore being mocked." Draco replied, rolling his eyes as he adjusted his hair. He glanced over his shoulder without really knowing why, feeling as though there was something or someone around that shouldn't be. When he found nothing, he turned back to find Flint smirking again.

"Paranoid she's following you?" The rugged doctor laughed as they stood waiting for an elevator, his head turning to watch as a pretty woman crossed their path. Draco ignored him as he commented on the unsuspecting woman's vital stats, shaking his head at his friend's crude manner.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to look interested - anyone would think you were a freakin' monk!" Flint advised, boarding the elevator with a bemused expression. Draco's sex life had been a hot topic for the nymphomanic doctor since they had met - or lack of sex life would be more apt - and was something that came up in almost every conversation they'd had. And Draco always gave the same answer.

"I'm not interested." he murmured, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. It was true after all.

"You're never interested!"

"Then why do you continue to ask?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raising in question. Unwilling to continue the conversation, Draco changed tact, "So, how was your date with Angelina?"

Flint's eyes lit up and Draco prepared himself for an entire afternoon filled with smutty, crass details about a girl he'd never met, and, for her sake more than his, hoped he never would meet.

"I'm serious, Pansy, it was for the best - you should have seen how content he looks, I don't want to be the one to wreck that. I need to let go," Harry explained as the cab took him back towards the hotel. He had no idea where he was and cared even less. Pansy, oddly enough, had been the first person he had thought to call.

"But Harry," Pansy began, only to be cut off.

"No. He asked me to let go…and I'm finally going to listen to him. I want him to be happy - if that's without me, then so be it." He whispered, his throat closing at the trueness of his statement. He had thought he couldn't feel anymore pain…how wrong he had been.

"What are you going to do?" Pansy asked softly. He could hear in her tone that she strongly disapproved of what he was doing. But then she had been there in the beginning, when Harry had been crushed - she had endured the last 3 years with him, and she knew that he was close to breaking. She knew, even though she would never admit it, that he was right.

"I don't know. I don't think I'm going to hang around - I don't want to chance bumping into him…or changing my mind." he chuckled. They both knew it was forced. "I'll probably sort out a flight for tonight."

"You really travelled all the way just to hand over his jacket?" Pansy asked, her tone heavy with disbelief. "Well, as soon as you get home I want you to come over - Pandora is missing her Uncle Harry," she laughed. Harry smiled at her attempt to lighten the mood. Pandora had never called him Uncle Harry, and he knew she probably never would, but he appreciated her kindness.

"I'll try and find her a nice gift then, to make up for it," he allowed, playing along. "Kids like asbestos and lead paint, right?" he quipped as the cab drew up in front of the hotel. "Look, I have to go - I'll call you when I get back."

"Ok sweetie, take care." Pansy urged before they disconnected.

Draco walked towards the staff room, his feet feeling heavier with each and every step. He had endured 3 hours of surgery with Flint, which would have been simple had it not been for the other man's incessant chatting. He felt ever so slightly dirty after hearing about the other man's escapades, and thanked every deity that he had managed to escape it for a while.

He pushed the door open and cursed as he came face to face with Tonks. "Hi, Draco! Wow, you look real tired." she informed, kicking a chair away from the communal table in the middle of the room for Draco to sit at, "Here," she smiled.

"Oh, I'm just passing through," he lied, considering whether to just go chill out at the nurses station instead. He crossed the room to his locker with the pretence of grabbing his mobile phone, and pretended to listen as Tonks began chatting about a new patient. He opened the door, shielding him from Tonk's view, and fished his phone out of his bag. He pretended to press a few buttons, even though it was switched off, and heaved a theatrical sigh. "No calls for me, so unpopular." he laughed for her benefit.

"Well, if I had your number I'd call you…" She hinted, her tone appearing innocent. Draco rolled his eyes, slipping the phone into his pocket along with his wallet.

His reply was ready on his tongue when he paused. His eyes fell on a white jacket hanging inside his locker and he frowned knowing that it hadn't been there earlier. He pulled it out, turning it over in his hands when the sleeve slipped back revealing navy blue stitching.

"Oh," Tonks said around a mouthful of bagel, "you found it."

Draco continued to stare at it, incredulously. It was impossible! There was no way that it could be there - where the hell had it come from?

"Draco, are you alright?" Tonks asked, moving to stand beside him. She invaded his personal space as usual, though for the moment Draco didn't have enough wits about him to notice or care. He was marvelling and freaking out at the same moment and he couldn't seem to regroup himself.

"Where did this come from?" He mumbled, his voice quivering. He noticed that his hands were shaking, the jacket trembling as a result. He turned to the redhead, sure his face was green, "Tonks, where the hell did this come from?" he choked.

Tonks gazed at him uncertainly, her eyes searching his expression for an explanation, "A guy brought it here earlier - I did tell you." she informed sounding as though she were afraid she would get reprimanded.

Draco couldn't care less how she was feeling at the very point in time. His voice whipped out like a red hot lasso, "Who was it? What was his name?" he demanded, an impossible image of Harry springing to his mind. He shuddered away from it, scolding himself for even allowing himself to think his name. Of course it wasn't Harry.

Tonks seemed even less inclined to part with information than she was before. Her face had gone an odd pallid colour, "He didn't tell me his name," she said apologetically, "He just said that you guys used to be friends and 'Regards from Oreos.'" she added.

Draco blanched. The coat slipped from his shaking hands and fell fluttering to the ground. "Aurors?" he asked frantically, "Do you mean Aurors?" he repeated, grabbing Tonks by her arms and pulling her round to face him, "Tonks, this is important - what did he look like?" he asked trying to control his voice. His hands were a lost cause they trembled so badly.

She gasped with surprise as he manhandled her, but she didn't look afraid, "Er, I don't know…kinda tall, messy hair, dorky glasses." she described, shrugging her shoulders.

Draco's eyes widened, so much so that he looked slightly mad. His grip on Tonks' arms tightened before he released her. He bent down and retrieved the jacket, searching the pockets to see if there was a note, anything, explaining the crazy situation. When he found nothing but the slight scent of a forgotten memory, he turned back to Tonks, "Did he leave a number?"

Tonks shook her head, obviously regretting her answer before she even gave it, "No, he said he was in a hurry," she informed, glancing from the jacket to Draco, "Who was he?"

Draco had stopped listening. He turned and bolted for the door, racing down the hall beyond towards the exit. He had no idea where he was going, knowing deep down that if it had been Harry he'd be long gone by now, but he couldn't stop himself from hoping that he'd still be around.

"Hey, Draco!" Tonks called after him, running out into the street where he stood at the entrance.

He looked up and down, searching out Harry's distinct figure and came up empty. He fumbled in his pockets for his phone, hastily switching it on and dialling Pansy's number in the same instant. It rang a few times before she answered with her usual 'Hi sweetie!'

"Where is he? Where is he staying?" He demanded, not even bothering to greet her, "Pansy, where is staying!"

"He's at The Long Beach Hotel in Frankston." She answered, not even bothering to deny her knowledge of the situation, "But Draco…only go there if you're sure - it took at lot for him to walk away today."

He hung up, not wanting to hear her explanations at that point- his hand was already out hailing a cab. Tonks was watching him with obvious confusion as a cab drew up in front of them, "Draco, where are you going?" she asked, frowning.

He shouted the address at the cab driver, before throwing open the door, "Tonks, I need you to cover for me - tell them I had a family emergency or something?" he asked, turning to her with an imploring expression.

Tonks nodded, "Of course I will. But Draco - what's going on - who was that guy?"

Draco climbed into the cab pulling the door closed behind him. He glanced at her face, swallowing a lump that had set up camp inside his throat. "Harry." he choked simply, before telling the driver to step on it.

Harry spent the next hour on the phone to the airlines trying to rearrange his flight. So far he been put on hold a dozen different times and he was slowly losing the will to live. In the back of his mind he was actually relieved that he had a chance to think of something other than Draco, but he knew - as it had happened constantly over the previous 3 years - thoughts of the blonde man would emerge soon enough.

At first, the weeks and months after Draco had disappeared had been unbearable. Being in the office had been pure torture and it wasn't long until he had ordered a switch around. He just couldn't deal with having to walk passed Draco's desk and not seeing him there. His office had been relocated to the other end of the building, and though it felt slightly easier to deal with, made little difference in the long run. Paperwork with Draco's handwriting appeared in front of him for weeks after he had left. Clients asked after his well being, as did the staff, but they soon learned not to mention the blonde's name near Harry.

And his relationship with Hermione had never fully recovered. He blamed her for driving Draco away. And so did she.

He had gotten to the point where everything seemed so worthless. His life, his priorities, his friendships, his business. The day Pansy had handed him the letter that had brought him to Australia had been the day that he had signed Aurors over to Hermione.

Pansy knew, as well as he had, that he needed a fresh start. She gave him the letter and told him to follow his heart…he had booked a flight before he'd left her house.

After finally rearranging his flight, Harry began gathering his things together, a small part of him thankful that he hadn't had time to unpack, when a sharp knock rapped at his door. He zipped his case closed and made his way towards it when it wrapped again. Frowning, he opened it to find a small, irritated looking woman standing on the other side. "Housekeeping!" she declared in a thick accent.

"Oh, right, of course," Harry sighed, opening the door wider, "I was just going to check out," he explained as he went to grab his cases. He slung a hold-all over his chest and dragged his suitcase behind him, sweeping the room to make sure he hadn't left anything behind. "I'll leave you to it." he smiled at the maid, before heading to the lobby.

It wasn't long before he was heading back to the airport, and he was sure that if he lived to be a hundred years old he'd never live another day as long as this one. He tried not to think about what he was going to do when he got back to Britain because every time he did he felt vomit travel up his throat. He contemplated just booking a flight to the first country he looked at on a map - after all, nothing was holding him back anymore. He had nothing to stick around for.

The cab had hardly stopped before Draco launched himself out of it, running full pelt into the lobby of The Long Beach Hotel, narrowly avoiding smashing into an elderly couple who were exiting it. He threw himself at the receptionist desk, aware that he looked beyond crazy and completely uncaring of the fact, "Harry Potter!" he wheezed, clutching a stitch in his side, "Which room is he in?"

The receptionist eyed him wearily, one drawn-on eyebrow raised mockingly, "I'm sorry, sir, I can't disclose that information." she informed.

"Look, I know he's staying here, and I really need to see him - right now!" Draco demanded, slamming his hand against the counter. The woman behind it jumped, some of her hair becoming dislodged from its ugly clips.

"Well, I'm not at liberty to disclose-"

Draco was struck with the most craziest idea he was sure it wouldn't work, but however unethical it was, he was willing to give anything a try by that point, "Look, I'm a surgeon from Peninsula and I really need to speak with Mr Potter - it's life or death, Lady!" he lied, his face so serious she'd never be able to tell the difference.

The receptionist glanced down at his hospital ID and his name tag and deemed him to be telling the truth, "You're too late - he checked out an hour ago, he was headed to the airport-" she said, her expression unconcerned.

"He's gone? No! No, please, no!" Draco begged, his hands flying into his hair and yanking at the roots. This couldn't be happening again, he couldn't lose Harry again!

He ran back out into the street and found that his cab hadn't moved from where he'd left it, so without thinking, he threw himself back into the backseat and yelled at the driver to take him to the airport. He knew it was ridiculous, knew that he would be wasting his time, but he had to try. Knowing Harry had been so close and had walked away felt as though his heart had been ripped from his chest. His eyes were now finally open - well and truly - and he could see the huge mistakes he had been making. And he could see how important Harry was to him.

The cabbie, to his credit, floored it to the airport - though Draco reasoned it was probably due to the fact he had offered a vast amount of money if he got him there as soon as possible. The journey passed by in a blur with Draco unable to make sense of anything. He couldn't understand why Harry had come looking for him now - after 3 years! He had spent every second he'd been away wondering what Harry was doing and whether he thought of him - in the early days he'd hope he'd come and find him, but after 2 years he'd given up.

He wanted to call Pansy, to find out what she knew, but he knew that if he spoke to her now he'd lose his temper. After all, he had spoken to her earlier that day - she would have known Harry was in the country - and she had said nothing. What if Harry boarded a plane? Would he be able to forgive Pansy for not sharing her knowledge that Harry had only been minutes away from him if Harry was to disappear forever?

Harry hunched over the table in the airport coffee shop, the letter that had brought him to Australia laid out flat on the surface. His eyes swept frequently across Draco's parting words, his throat constricting at the knowledge that he'd never be on the receiving end of such sentiments.

I miss you every day, can't wait to see you again. Yours always, Draco xxx

The sandwich he had been eating lay discarded on the other side of the table, and as much as he needed to eat, he simply couldn't stomach it, knowing that he would vomit as soon as anything touched his tongue. He let his head fall against his forearms, an exhausted sigh rattling through his dry lips. He was so tired - tired of hoping, tired of wishing, tired of praying - he just wanted it all to be over, to be rid of the pain. He didn't want to die or anything dramatic like that. No, he just wanted to be happy - was that really so much to ask for?

His mobile phone buzzed against his right leg for the umpteenth time and he growled into the crook of his arm. Pulling himself erect with a sigh, he pulled his phone out and read Pansy's name. He really couldn't be doing with getting into a conversation with Pansy. As much as he was fond of her - and as well as she meant to be - she could sometimes be…forceful in her views. He was certain that, in his current state, he wouldn't fair well if she demanded he turn back and speak to Draco.

He couldn't sit still any longer, couldn't continue to wallow in self-pity. He gathered the letter carefully in his hands, folding it gently before storing it in his pocket. He wandered towards the departure lounge, his luggage already checked in, and watched all the happy smiling faces milling around. He smiled sadly as people ran towards their loved ones, as couples were reunited, as children laughed and shrieked as they were given gifts. It was a beautiful sight.

Well, it was a beautiful sight until, out of nowhere, he was barged so hard from behind he went sprawling across the waxed flooring, crashing into a luggage trolley in the process. He felt liquid spread across his hip and cringed as he thought of his smash insulin pump. His day seriously couldn't have gotten any worse, he was sure of it.

A group of people converged on him, asking if he was ok and helping him to his feet. He winced as he straitened up, his knee and hip bone throbbing in protest, and he scowled with humiliation. Whoever had knocked him down had managed to find his feet and was protesting in a low voice - apparently they were being coerced into seeking medical attention.

Once he had thanked those who had come to his aid, Harry attempted to limp away, wanting nothing more than to get away anyone who had just witnessed his latest embarrassment.

"Wait, look I'm sorry for crashing into you-"

Harry spun around so quickly he almost made another rotation - his hair whipped around his face, his glasses very nearly falling off the end of his nose, and he was sure his expression was one of absolute dumb-struck disbelief. Because there was no way on earth that he could be face to face with Draco Malfoy. His life didn't work like that.

Draco stared at Harry with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open ever so slightly. He couldn't believe his eyes, "Harry?" he breathed, an almost hysterical laugh bursting from his lips. He was aware that his hair was probably sticking up in a number of different direction, and he was wearing scrubs that may or may not have blood on them, but he really didn't care.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked slowly, his eyes sweeping Draco's face, taking in every beautiful detail. "Did Pansy…?"

"I found the lab coat," Draco replied, struggling to catch his breath. His hand reached up and travelled through his hair, flattening the tangled locks, "Tonks said a tall guy with dorky glasses delivered it," he smiled, his eyes glazing over.

Harry laughed, feeling beyond light-hearted. His heart danced inside his chest as he listened to the sound of Draco's laughter. He had been so sure he'd never hear it again.

"You're really here?" Draco whispered, gazing into Harry's eyes.

"Yeah." Harry croaked, nodding his head, "For now, at least - My flight leaves at 10pm" he added, his stomach clenching uncomfortably.

Draco tried, unsuccessfully, to swallow against the lump in his throat as Harry admitted that he'd soon be leaving.

Harry tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace, his eyes, once again, sweeping over Draco's face, "Are you happy, Draco?" he asked, dropping any pretences. "I mean really and truly happy?"

Draco thought of the years he'd spent in Australia, rebuilding his life and his self-worth and smiled, "Yes." he replied simply. As Happy as I could be.

Harry couldn't help but smile sadly in response, even though his heart fell apart inside his chest, "That's all I ever wanted." he replied earnestly, hoping his tone was as sincere as it sounded in his head, "I'm so proud of you, Dr Draco." he added, with a chuckle, "I always knew you were brilliant"

Draco's lips formed a hard line, and he found himself unable to reply. He simply nodded instead.

Heaving a shaky breath, Harry glanced towards the departure lounge. He was sure that if he didn't leave soon he'd begin to cry, and he had promised himself that he wouldn't do any of that on this trip. He had shed enough tears in front of Draco to last a life time. "Anyway, I should go." he whispered, "I'm letting go." he added with an urging nod. He wanted Draco to believe him, that he was finally letting go.

He took a step towards the blonde, slightly disappointed when he wasn't overcome by the scent of Draco's aftershave, but then he reasoned it was probably a good thing. He took a deep breath before holding out his hand. Draco looked at it for a fraction of a second before clasping it in his own. Harry was momentarily thrown back to the first time they met, when they shook hands for the very first time, it physically hurt to know that this would be the last,

"Goodbye, Draco. I'll never forget you." Harry whispered around the burning in his throat. His eyes filled with salty tears and he knew he had to leave.

He slipped his hand out of Draco's smooth grip and nodded before walking passed him towards the departure lounge. He bit his bottom lip as tears filled his eyes in earnest, and he promised himself that once he found an empty restroom he could breakdown. Just not yet.

He had walked a mere 10 steps before Draco's voice called out behind him, stopping him in his tracks.

"I love you," he admitted, his voice trembling. Harry turned, his eyes so wide the tears made their escape, falling triumphantly over his cheeks. "I know it's too late," Draco continued, "and I wish I had said it to you years ago, Harry…but I do, I love you - I always have."

Harry closed his eyes, desperately trying to convince himself that he was dreaming, and that soon he would wake up. But when he re-opened his them, Draco was still there, watching him anxiously.

He couldn't help it, he crossed the space between them in 3 sprinted strides and caught Draco's face between his hands. His lips crashed against the blonde's with desperation, his frantic need to be close to the other man rendering the kiss completely clumsy. He pulled away several times, placing light butterfly kisses against the other man's lips, sighing and sobbing in equal measures.

Draco's hands reached up to cup Harry's face, pulling him closer, but knowing deep down that he'd never be close enough. 3 years worth of regret and lust and love exploded within him and he gripped Harry's face tighter - afraid that if he let go, if he loosened his grip even a fraction, Harry would disappear in a puff of smoke. He whimpered against Harry's mouth, aware that tears cascaded over his pale lashes but completely uncaring.

"I love you, too" Harry whispered against Draco's lips, desperately trying not to think about the last time he'd uttered those words to the blonde - how his heart had melted to nothing as Draco had walked away and disappeared from his life. He didn't want to ruin this moment - he didn't know how long it was going to last.

He pulled back slightly, though not enough to break contact. Draco's eyes widened, fear flickering in their steely depths, "Don't leave," he murmured, "please."

Harry's heart danced inside his chest as Draco's words sunk in. He reached up and ran his hand through Draco's hair, marvelling at the feel of it - marvelling at the fact that he was able to do it, "I'm not going anywhere" He breathed, leaning forward so his forehead rested against the blonde's, "I'm never walking away from you again."

"What about Aurors?" Draco choked, his eyes falling closed as he processed what Harry was saying. Could he dare to believe it - could he still have Harry after all this time, after everything he'd done?

Harry breathed a low chuckle, sniffing as he did so, "Aurors is Hermione's now. I'm unemployed for the first time in my life" He laughed. It was strange that he wasn't afraid of that statement - after needing stability for his entire life, it was refreshing that he was letting go, letting life take him where it wanted.

Draco gazed at Harry, a smile pulling at his lips, his eyes twinkling with hope, "Australian's need solicitors too," he grinned, smoothing a tear away from Harry's cheek with his thumb, "I need you." He admitted, cupping his face.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, "I should stay, then?" he whispered, his breath washing over Draco's face.

The blonde closed his eyes, "Yeah" he whispered, smiling as yet more tears fell from his eyes. He leaned forward and caught Harry lips in a soft lingering kiss full of promise, "Australia and I? We could really use somebody like you."

The End.

A/N: Hi! Well, there you go! Lol, I was actually sat in a Bingo Hall with my mother when I wrote 'The End' - I squealed and punched the air and looked completely mad lol. But I'm so happy that after a year and a half - and a lot of waiting around on your part - I have finally completed this story. It may not have gone how many of you wanted it too, and it may seem rushed and flawed, but I really wanted to give them the ending they deserved - I think I made them suffer long enough lol. Plus, how could I not have them move to Victoria, Australia - I whooped when I realised there was a part of the world named after me! (Ego alert!)

As I close this story, I also close a huge chapter in my life - but as we all know, when one chapter closes another begins. I found love - just like Harry and Draco did - midway through this fic, and I'm overwhelmingly happy. (We're actually moving in together this weekend, excited!) If there is one thing I've learned over the past 18 months, it is the beauty of letting go. True, I have never had a drug addiction and have never been a victim of domestic violence, but I have lived a lot of my life in the shadow of a past relationship. Just like Draco, I learned that not every guy is the same as the last, and that letting go can lead to the beginning of something beautiful.

Thank you, as ever, to my beautiful readers. You have stuck with me to the very end and I love you unconditionally for it. I would never have continued had it not been for all of you, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Yours most sincerely, Victoria xxx