Not even an hour later Harry was forced into the house did he receive the very angry, extra loud Howler that he should've been dumb not to expect after the kind of scene he'd caused. He didn't care at this point but as the Howler screamed louder and louder at him and cursed his name for going to their enemies to share a bed with and how he was never welcome at their home again did he break down into his hands and lean heavily against Severus when it finally finished and shredded itself into thousands of red pieces onto the carpet.

Usually at this point he would love it when Draco coddled him and loved him, but this time he pushed him back unexpectedly hard enough to cause the blonde to stumble back and onto the plush rug with a shocked look. "Don't touch me," he shouted, wrapping his arms around himself and shaking as though he were standing in the middle of a snow storm wearing summer attire. "You knew! You knew I didn't want them to know and now you know why! Why are you doing this to me!"

Growling Draco was just about to start shouting back, reverting back into their customary old school fights when Severus held up the two different messages he'd stuffed into his pocket before he left. "We were worried," which stopped Draco effectively.

"They're just notes," Harry grumbled, rubbing his face to stop his crying.

Draco's gaze narrowed and he bit out, "Harry, this is just…it's wrong!" When green eyes connected with his he continued. "Did you think we're too stupid to connect it? So what happened to cause this," he demanded, waving his manicured fingers at the two notes. "You hate magical notes, I know that, but I was in a hurry and wasn't thinking. There's a first time for everything."

The brunette stared up at him angrily, remembering how hurt he was about how the two of them acted for the past couple weeks and wanted to throw back that it had been quite a lot of firsts then, but he bit his tongue. It would be dumb to even argue about something like that now. He kept trying to remind himself that the two of them had started out together and Harry had only been invited along for the ride. So what if they had seemed serious when they wanted him.

His eyes pricked just a bit.

So what if they told him they loved him and always wanted to be with him.

Harry's vision blurred and he lowered his gaze slowly to the floor, clenching his fists in his lap.

Or even if they made love to him so sweetly, whispering wonderful nothings into his ear and holding him tightly enough that Harry believed he might burst with emotions.

He finally let his tears fall and he didn't care who saw anymore. It was too late for a lot of things.

Did he even have to remind himself how happy he was that they asked him to live with them?

He broke down completely, hiding his face and rocking back and forth in his seat as his sobs echoed around the room.

Draco stared at the brunette, moved into a shocked silence, and even Severus was at a loss as to what to say.

B R E A K

That night Harry paused at the doorway to their bedroom, puffy-eyed and red faced. His usually bright, cheery face that was fuller with emotions than the two Slytherins put together was devoid of anything and the shine in his emerald green had been dulled severely. He shocked the both of his lovers – were they even lovers anymore he wondered – when he shuffled over to his share of drawers and fished out some fleece bottoms and a sweatshirt before backing out of the room without a word. He stopped at the guest bedroom he took over when he holed himself up in the bathroom and glanced back to where Severus and Draco were watching him silently in the doorway, begging him with their eyes to come back. He moved further, choosing instead the furthest guest bedroom instead and this time didn't care about how childish he was purposefully being.

That night nobody slept but neither of the three could find the courage to move to where the missing piece of their heart was. What would they say when standing at the edge of the bed? It seemed kind of silly to ask to sleep there when it had been like second nature to just crawl in with them before. When the sun finally began to rise Severus moved from the bed to begin breakfast, needing something that seemed normal now to keep him from fidgeting like Draco.

Breakfast was the most tense it had ever been before and usually it was the best thing about mornings since it was the brightest of their meals together. They would talk and happily exchange several kisses with each other, only wanting to keep spending time with each other. There was even one time when Draco had gotten so carried away once that he'd attacked Harry in his chair, crawling onto his lap and purposefully working himself up rubbing against him, getting off on Harry's surprised but pleased moans and heavy sighs. That night had been even better when Severus also had been pink faced from the display and was unusually passionate when Draco insisted they return to bed for a few hours.

Harry forced away the fonder memories as he tried to force the toast and eggs down his throat. After stiffly pushing only three bites into his mouth though he realized it was a useless fight when he felt the hardness between his thighs and his appetite had officially ended, pushing his plate away and standing up to put his dishes away. It was the first time he'd skipped meals with the two of them since school when he didn't have anywhere else to be (like his work as an excuse) and it thoroughly shocked both Slytherins further when he walked away. They'd become hopeful when Harry glanced briefly back at them for a flittering second, but drooped even further when he walked away. They didn't see Harry for the rest of the day either and even prolonged eating dinner by twenty minutes just to see if their favorite Gryffindor would come back.

Halfway through the meal though Harry walked in the front door and the two of them were up in time to see him fold a piece of paper and shove it into his sweatshirt pocket.

"Dinner's ready," Draco told him tensely, but he was promptly ignored. That in itself was a worrier for the both of them as they shared a glance. Just as much as Harry hated interrupting, it was ignoring someone. He'd spent the whole first half of his life being ignored and hated by his relatives so much so that he wouldn't wish it on anyway. Severus took Draco's hand and they held each other tightly while dinner went uneaten that night.

Before slipping under the covers for another restless night Severus went to the guest bedroom and glanced around, hoping to speak with Harry if the brunette refused to start the conversation that would help to fix things between the three of them. In a way, the Potions Master understood why. It was, inevitably, both of the Slytherins' fault this began so he didn't care if it had to be at least one of them to start patching things up. But Harry wasn't in the bedroom.

Curiously he glanced at a piece of paper on the dresser and as he read through it he felt his eyes widen and his real age crawled through his bones at the words. His eyes scanned the room and his eyes landed on something half hidden under the bed. Hurrying over to it he felt his heart tighten at a picture of apartment buildings with the address scrawled across the back in elegant handwriting. He dropped it as though the picture burned and he ran down the stairs and through open the door just as Harry descended the steps, looking up at the sky. There was a duffle bag across his shoulder and he was looking around as though taking everything in one last time.

"Harry," Severus whispered brokenly, clicking the door shut behind him.

Dead green eyes finally met his and it was the first words he'd spoken in nearly two days. "I'll send for my things," he said curtly in a voice Severus had never heard him speak in, even about Voldemort. It was already dead, void of anything that defined Harry so perfectly. Even when he was convinced about his death during school it had never been so bad.

"Why," the man demanded sadly, grabbing the railing to the stairs in a white-gripped hand. "Why are you doing this, Harry? We can fix this, I know it. Weren't we happy?"

Harry shook his head slowly, his dead green eyes never leaving Severus' black ones. "I know when it's time to go…"

"What are you talking about, Harry. Draco and I don't wish for you to go. We love you too much to even think it."

Green eyes sharpened and there was a stir of emotion that hadn't been there before. "Funny way of showing it," he bit out.

Severus took a quick step forward, reaching out for him desperately, and even his old snarky self that hated every disgusting student that took up his precious potions time before he got together with Draco had to admit that he was hurt when Harry shied away from him before his fingers could connect with even the fabric of his sweatshirt or the sleek material of the duffle bag.

"Harry?" Two pairs of eyes shifted to the doorway they hadn't even heard click open again. Draco stood there brokenly in his boxers with a robe, Harry's Gryffindor red robe Severus noted, wrapped tightly around him. "Please don't go," he begged. "We can work through this, whatever it is. Running away isn't always the answer."

Sighing Harry dropped his bag, glaring at the both of them. "What was last week," he demanded.

"Last…week," Draco echoed. "I don't understand."

"Monday then? Or Tuesday?" Harry's voice was livid now and his careful self control was shattering through his cool exterior, fists clenched tightly at his sides while his volume rose higher and higher. "This whole past week? What was it!" The only answers he received though were owlish blinks from both of the men. "Then we have nothing to talk about." He picked up his bag again and turned, but Severus was slightly faster.

He reasoned, "We knew you'd be upset so we didn't say anything." Harry paused, glancing over his shoulder with a slight shine of hope glittering in his eyes. "We thought you'd…behave unnecessarily but it never occurred to us that hiding it from you like this….we didn't think you'd find out the sole reason for it."

The sharp as ever Severus might not have even caught on as quickly, but Draco, watching both men's expressions and knowing how each thought as a personal and proud talent of his was slowly figuring things out and how this conversation would go. His gut was telling him something was very, very wrong with the direction of this confrontation.

Eyes narrowed and the voice that answered was so cold both men were unsure if it was really Harry talking. "You didn't think I would notice you both woke up early and started working an hour before I even woke up? That I'd come home and not see the two dishes magically washed by the sink?" Draco stiffened, watching Harry carefully. "That I would see the two of you in the bedroom – our bedroom," his voice cracked, "and didn't bother to tell me you guys wanted a personal day for each other. I would've been more than happy to disappear for the day so you guys could have your time so why did you sneak around me and not say anything!? And keeping it from me the whole time, the two past weeks it's been like this and not even an attempt to say anything to me? Is this how you want such a twisted relationship to be? Full of lies and hiding and quick whispers of 'Harry will be home soon'," he mocked, catching the stab at Draco and the blonde knew it as he paled miserably, "just so you can quickly finish the job!"

Hiding his face in the collar of the robe he shook his head, leaning against the wall from fear that his legs would give out on him. He had said exactly those words and he hated it now more than ever. "It wasn't like that…"

"It was rather sudden," Severus explained, "But it was a needed last minute personal time more for reassurance purposes."

For Draco it was like a home run only rather than the excitement of seeing the ball hit out of the park he was scared out of his mind for the second time in his life and, of all the times, he couldn't find his voice to say anything. Before he could stop it Severus was already explaining about the reference of the paper cut dripping on the table or his bloody nose from walking into the door, how it had shocked Draco to a terrible jolt through the system with the immense feelings that had bombarded him each time. There was no controlling the situation now and Draco knew it as he slid down the wall and landed on the porch wearily.

"What the hell," Harry ground out angrily, "does a paper cut or a nosebleed have anything to do with you going behind my back and lying to me!"

"The blood," Draco whispered only loud enough for the brunette to hear, hiding his face in his hands as he shook. "There was so much blood." It wasn't really an explanation, but more of a mantra the blonde must've said a few times and to Harry it sounded half familiar, but he wasn't sure why. Severus was at the blonde's side instantly, holding him and rocking him gently before his gaze drifted up to stare in worry at Harry's expression as it shifted between confusion and anger before it glazed over with an ice-white paleness and his whole body started to shake.

Harry knew exactly where he'd heart Draco's words before, though they'd been half finished when he said them the first time. The infirmary when he woke up and how upset Draco had been. He'd only told him 'there'd been so much' but so much of what the brunette only now just found out. All of his feelings before Draco and Severus had saved him from himself and how desperate he was for anything and nothing at the same time. About what Madam Pomfrey had said about his physical injuries being healed after he'd a chance to rest a bit. That's where he was stuck and he never felt so dim-witted before in his life. What hadn't it connected before? What physical injuries had she been talking about? Everything had hurt during the times he'd woke up so he couldn't recall at any point where he'd actually been hurt to the point where he'd bleed. Was that why he'd been so dizzy and weak that first time he woke up? Blood loss? That would certainly explain a lot. But then losing that much blood that would be enough to knock him out for a few days would mean that if he hadn't known it he must've, at some time, gone to a point where it was considered critical enough to even make Draco cry in front of other people. Enough that Severus would need to comfort the blonde who could easily sort himself out when he was upset enough to cry normally. That would lean to Draco and Severus both fearing for him while he was unconscious enough for Draco to have to be taken care of, even if it meant staying the strong one.

"Oh God," Harry whispered, holding a hand up to his mouth as he felt he was going to be sick. Everything suddenly made so much more sense. The dizziness and weakness, the odd behavior, Draco crying when he woke up with him there, and how coddled they were with him when he recovered, how desperate Draco had been with him. Even the blood reference even though he couldn't remember ever having been hurt when he'd killed Voldemort. Severus and Draco had been the first ones there. Draco and Severus must've seen him soaked in enough blood that even a simple paper cut or nosebleed would set off the blonde to freak out. He had done the one thing he swore he never wanted to do, why he hadn't wanted to get involved with anyone when he feared for his life at Voldemort's hand. The two that had saved his very existence and gave him the strength he needed to beat the snake-faced bastard and he even did it unknowingly. He'd hurt his two most important people.

"Harry," Draco called for him and he knew from the tone of voice that it wasn't the first time he'd been called. When Harry blinked Severus and Draco were both at his sides holding him up as he sobbed uncontrollably.

He scrambled away at their touches, not being able to bear their holding him. He hated that he'd given them each such a forbidden feeling at his near death experience. "I have to go," he mumbled, looking everywhere but at them as the panic settled into his stomach. "I have to leave. I have to leave now. I need to go!" And, without his packed duffle bag, Harry popped out of the area in a frenzied turn and apparated.

B R E A K

Severus and Draco had gone everywhere they could think of on where Harry would think to go to get away. The Potions Master had searched up and down every nook and cranny of Hogwarts even though Dumbledore told him the wards hadn't alerted him to anybody stepping through at the gate. The blonde had gone to where Godric's Hallow had once stood and looked everywhere in the area, calling out desperately. Both of them had even swallowed up some of their pride and approached Hermione while she was in Diagon Alley to ask if Harry had stopped by. All of their searches ended in failure. Severus had even searched down the apartments from the real estate picture but the apartment was completely empty and told nobody had come even though it had been bought.

Now, several days later, Draco was a complete mess. He never wanted to go to work over going out and looking for Harry again but Severus had made him promise he wouldn't neglect his duties.

Now, out in the yard gathering herbs for his work Severus felt the very obvious twinge on his back that told him someone was staring at him. Black eyes glanced up slowly, carefully, and glanced around the distant trees before a movement caught his spy-trained eyes. Something out by the tree line in the very obvious shape of a person was staring at him. It was obvious when the person knew he was caught when they backed away, disappearing into the trees. He felt himself tear open when he realized it had been Harry. Before he could even stop himself and reason that as frightened as his brunette was before he had definitely already apparated out of sight. Nonetheless when he was gasping at the line of trees he was calling out Harry's name desperately, looking around and trying to catch any sign of life other than animals.

By the time Severus gave in and walked back to the house Draco was already home, sitting at the table with a dead expression to his tired, pale face. He told him what happened and the blonde also ran out to the porch and scanned the area, calling out fruitlessly for Harry to come back. Together they popped out of their house and directly into the apartment their missing lover had bought on a whim that he might be there but it was just a lifeless as Draco's eyes and Severus' core, same as the first time they checked it.

It was the next day Draco was helping Severus water plants in the greenhouse when the Potions Master looked up at Draco's gasp. He dropped his watering can carelessly, not caring that water splashed all over his jeans or that the can fell into the plants. His blue gaze was staring out the window, open mouthed and pale. "Harry," he breathed with relief. "Harry!" And he started to run but the brunette was gone before he could even get to his feet.

That night was definitely the worst since Harry's disappearance. Draco cried all night and didn't bother going to work. All day they were receiving all sorts of mail from Dana as well as the rest of the apartment Harry worked in asking where he was and why he was refusing to write anymore of the novels he promised. They even came up with the idea of forwarding the owls and hoping to follow them but they all returned to the house undelivered. If there was one thing they had to agree on when it came to Harry, if he didn't want to be found not even the magical mail owls could find his missing person.

It continued on like that for a week. They would catch glimpses of Harry every now and then watching from the tree line, but neither tried to chase fruitlessly after him anymore. It hurt to watch each time they looked up in time to catch their brunette trip over himself just to get away again. If not chasing him kept him around for a few seconds longer than that was all they could allow themselves now. Without a chance to get close to him they had no way of convincing him to come back into their lives.

So, naturally, it was a shock to Severus nearly a week and a half later that he heard a creak of rope. He knew it couldn't be Draco since the blonde had painfully thrown himself into his work to try drowning out his hurt momentarily, even staying late and leaving early which he hated doing with a passion. He was stunned into a frozen silence that rung loudly in his ears when he saw Harry watching him with a lowered gaze, leaning against the tire swing at the end of the walkway.

"Harry," his voice said, risen to the point where he didn't recognize it himself. He took a cautious step forward, relief flooding through him even at just seeing his missing lover.

Harry's words were even quieter than normal, as though he hadn't spoken in the entire time he'd been away, that even Severus and his sharp spy hearing had to strain to catch the one word that slipped past his barely open mouth. "Hi."

"We were looking everywhere for you," he explained, continuing to inch his way forward hopefully.

"Sorry."

When he finally came to a stop Severus could've cried when he finally got to envelop the familiar and yet now stranger body in his arms once more. He felt smaller, thinner in his grip than he remembered and he had to wonder if he hadn't eaten in his disappearance as well.

"Sorry," the teen rasped out again.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty," the man tried desperately.

Harry didn't say anything but at Severus' urging on his pale hand he was happily and ecstatically led into the house and watched as he sat down at his usual place at the table, staring with a detached gaze as Severus put something warm together in a hurry.

The third member of their trio couldn't have had better timing when he tripped out of the floo network and cursed as he tripped over the rug. "You won't believe this, Severus," he shouted from the living room. Severus looked up carefully to watch the blonde enter just as Harry shifted his head just enough so he could stare from the corner of his eyes, his expression never shifting from the living dead look he was giving. "That damn bastard sent me home for a personal day because –." And he froze, open-mouthed and eyes as wide as the day he first saw himself do something magical. Stock still and nailed to his spot on the floor where he paused in the doorway of the kitchen and the living room, dropping his things on the floor as all feeling left his limbs.

Harry only turned his head away sadly, putting his fork down and shifted in the seat. True enough to recent Draco actions he was enveloped in a harsh, tight hug as Draco sobbed into his chest and said such things as, "Thank magic," and "I was so scared," into the crook of his shoulder. He even caught a curt, "I hate you, Harry Potter," but it was quickly followed up with a, "I hate loving you so much like this!"

They moved into the living room after Harry was urged to finish eating, Severus having to peel Draco away so he could pick up the fork again. As soon as they sat down though Draco promptly and as inelegantly as was un-Draco fashion, crawled in the brunette's lap and latched his grip around Harry's neck where he fell asleep faster than either had ever known.

"He hasn't been sleeping well," Severus explained, taking a seat next to him and petting the blonde hair to soothe the mutterings coming from the tired Slytherin before moving his ministrations to Harry.

"Sorry," Harry said again, the same word he'd said in the little over an hour he'd been back.

Though Severus wouldn't say anything about it yet, the one word replies were beginning to worry him. "Where did you go," he prompted eagerly, wanting to get more out of the brunette to prove they hadn't at least lost him completely yet.

Harry shrugged, careful not to dislodge the blonde and wake him. "Everywhere." Then he sighed and blinked harshly as though there were a bright light in his eyes after sitting in a dark room for hours. "Nowhere," he corrected. Severus didn't even have to urge when he saw Harry's tense frame finally relax and at last his hands weaved around Draco's trim waist and his face in his shoulder. "I tried to go somewhere, anywhere else, but I kept getting called back here. I was fine with just watching and then leaving when I was found out, but then it started to hurt more." He let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes tiredly and Severus also had to wonder if he hadn't been sleeping as well as talking or eating. "I had to get closer," he continued, "I had to hear your voices. Had to speak with you. I didn't want to leave but I hated myself so much."

Severus soothed his hair back and let Harry lean into him carefully so he wouldn't jostle the light blonde on his lap. The awkward position didn't seem to bother Draco at all though, only shifted and held him in his grasp tighter, mumbling something or other incoherently before falling deeper into his slumber.

"I'd done the one thing I had never wanted to do, especially to the two people most important to me. What I first started to avoid when I realized how much closer to death I was after I'd gotten together with you and Draco. At that time I had done it consciously and, all this time, I finally found out how close it was to happening and how scared I'd made Draco and you."

"What made you come back," Severus pressed, even seeing Harry's tears as well as the tightness in his own chest.

"I-," Harry paused, looking around as though the furniture would have an answer that made sense. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "I don't know." Then he started to cry and he looked away, holding Draco closer to him. "I kept hearing what you two said that first time I tried to distance myself and suddenly it seemed to help. The reason he freaked out so badly was because he loved me so much. You both did and I just hadn't wanted to – It just hadn't clicked the first time through even though I understood why you did the things you did. When I realized that you two had kept it from me, that one of you or both of you must've realized I would've reacted badly to something I had tried so hard to prevent it hurt and felt good at the same time."

The Potions Master nodded, threading his fingers through Harry's dirt matted hair and not caring at all that usually it would feel unpleasant. He still couldn't believe that Harry had come back to them and that he was finally close enough to touch after weeks of only catching too short of glimpses.

When it was clear that the brunette was finished for the time being Severus filled up the silence. He went on to explain that it had taken Draco a while to calm down but eventually had to admit he'd never gotten over the scare and when he saw the paper cut he came crashing back just because it was you and you're so used to getting hurt and being careless. Of course, it didn't help that he didn't want to tell you about the incident to begin with and begged Albus not to say anything and to tell the student body to do so as well. Your nosebleed as well did the same thing. Normally nobody would care very much over simple injuries but you aren't just anybody either. So he ran to me the first time it happened and through his broken vocabulary I understood what happened."

No wonder he didn't care very much that I got blood everywhere when it happened Harry told himself reasonably, leaning his head back against the cushion and staring up at the ceiling.

"I couldn't think of anything else that would help besides telling you the truth but Draco was too scared about what would happen if you knew. For good reasons I guess," he joked a little bit, offering a humored smirk at the corner of his mouth before he dropped it when it wasn't returned. "The only other thing I could do was keep up his reassurances that you weren't going to suddenly disappear and let yourself die again, but that took more trust than he was willing to offer since you've already proven you can be pretty nonchalant about your own death." He paused and when Harry finally turned his gaze on him he finished. "I promise you, Harry, we were going to tell you eventually but it was up to when Draco felt he was ready enough to talk about it and could accept that you might disappear if only to control yourself again."

There was nothing at first and Severus feared for the worst at the brunette's silence. But then Harry nodded, leaning his head back against the cushion again, sliding his fingers up and down Draco's side, slipping his hands underneath his shirt and loving the feel of the silky skin hiding there. "It was a misunderstanding of sorts," he mused, letting out a stream of air in a mock sigh.

B R E A K

When Draco finally woke up he was lying on the couch with a light blanket tucked around his form. He immediately jumped up, startled, a he took a quick look around the room. "Harry," he squeaked, moving to the kitchen and then up the stairs. "Harry!" He stumbled into the kitchen where Severus was glancing through the paper at the table.

"Impeccable timing as always, Draco. I was just about to wake you," he mused thoughtfully, a light smile playing at his lips.

"Harry," the blonde demanded. "Where's Harry?" He turned to go look again but Severus stayed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. As he watched his Slytherin lover he saw him chew on his bottom lip in such a way that he knew just as Draco's mannerisms surfaced in Harry, Harry's little actions of fretting were born in Draco.

"Relax, love," he coaxed, easing him down into his chair and rubbing his hand. "He went to go see Dana and explain what happened. He promised to come back as soon as she stopped throwing hexes his way."

The blonde stared at him in a sort of frenzied look, face contorting in a million different expressions before he settled on livid. "Are you crazy," he blurted out. "Why'd you let him go alone?"

Severus frowned and forced Draco to stay in his respective chair. "If you follow after him like a lost snake he'd think we'd never trust him again. He gave his word and Harry has always been good on his promises. You know that as well as I so put some faith in him," he scolded. Then he released Draco's hand when he was sure the blonde wasn't going to shoot up again. "He's already told me his side of view of what happened and it's no wonder a huge misunderstanding happened in the first place. If you ask I'm sure he'll explain it to you as well so stay put, twiddle your thumbs, and be amazed when he comes back just in time for the food to come out just like always!"

Draco was shocked and dumbfounded into silence all at once. It bothered him at first that Severus had actually shouted since he was usually much calmer and in control of himself because of his time spying, but then he felt like an idiot as well. Severus loved Harry just as much as he did. He'd even said it himself. Of course he'd be worried but with Draco constantly on the flip out he'd never noticed how the Potions Master had been itching to bite at his own nails. All of a sudden he felt himself loving Severus even more and he nodded, apologizing and straightening up in his chair.

Severus smiled warmly at him in return and then returned to his paper after checking on the pot boiling on the stove. Draco was certain at this point that when Harry announced he was leaving to see Dana he had probably had to stifle his own concerns to the point where even Harry saw it and felt fit to make a promise on it. He'd been counting on Severus and Draco to trust him. Just as he smiled at his own line of thoughts the floo came in and Harry stepped out wearily. The blonde smiled at him and this time kept himself in his chair, keeping himself from launching another assault on him. It was definitely time to get back to normal he decided.

At seeing him awake Harry smiled at him as well as if nothing had been different and sat down. What did change though was, oddly enough, Harry put his hand on the table palm up the same time he shifted the pile of paper Severus was done with and shifted through to the comics. Draco stared dumbly at it before slowly raising his gaze and met Harry's sweet stare and corner raised smile, feeling his heart melt at the tender expression. He gingerly took Harry's hand and squeezed back when he felt Harry give his hand a momentary hug. They didn't let go of each other's hands until dinner was placed on the table, but even then Harry wrapped an ankle around his foot and played footsies while they ate. During that time Draco definitely had to admit that there was a certain change to Harry that he couldn't place. He certainly never did things like this before, not that he was going to complain, but he did have to wonder what shifted to make him suddenly act like he just realized he was in love for the first time.

After the quiet meal Harry excused himself quietly, disentangling himself from Draco's legs and then washed his plate quickly. Before he left he kissed Severus' cheek lightly and patted the blonde's shoulder as he passed by. Upstairs they heard the bath drawn and they glanced at each other again.

"He must be feeling uncomfortable," Severus mused, standing up to wash his own plate.

Draco agreed but didn't say anything except for the slight hum in the back of his throat. Quickly he washed his own dishes and then as hesitantly as he would allow himself he walked up the stairs and stood in the bathroom door, contemplating with himself. When he finally decided he undressed quickly and cracked open the door. Severus just rolled his eyes at him and let the two of them be alone. After all, he'd already had his alone time with their returned lover, even though Draco was there if only asleep.

Harry looked from his reflection in the water and stared open-mouthed with no time to protest when Draco fluidly stepped into the water and kissed him deeply. His cock was already hardening from the sight of the blonde's beautiful marble-like body and he felt the answering length pushed against his stomach. What he wasn't ready for was when Draco shifted and pushed himself down onto Harry's erection, fingers curling tightly and his voice giving way to the pain that was there in the form of a squeak as he held himself against Harry.

The brunette wasn't sure what to say if anything. He didn't want Draco to hurt himself though and his hands had already come up to steady themselves onto the trim waist when the blonde forced himself to move up and down, water sloshing slightly against the edges of the tub. If it was Draco initiating this, the one of their trio who hated pain beyond belief and would do anything to get out of it, than he must've had a reason for it. Harry just hoped that he was wrong about the reason. As it was though, just looking into the sad gaze staring back at him as Draco continued to move, he knew he was right. Draco had never liked to punish himself because it was proving he made mistakes, but right then it was exactly what he was doing in his own way: reprimanding himself for not telling Harry the truth when it happened and for letting him think something completely out of the box.

The next time Draco lifted himself up, flinching at the sandpaper feeling that came with raw skin on skin like this Harry held him up. When blue met green Harry smiled sadly, knowing he never wanted to see this face in pain again. The blonde protested when Harry pushed him back against the other end of the tub and kissed him shyly, but before he could say anything else the brunette turned him around and propped him up on his hands and knees. It was one of his favorite things about this tub, Harry knew it. At first he'd been unsure about using the bathtub as a place to fool around but after the first time he admitted he couldn't get enough of it.

Draco continued to complain that this was something he wanted to do, but he was effectively shut up when tentative fingers circled his abused opening, shivering lightly and whimpering at the feeling so very different from Severus'. And then without any warning he jolted and shouted just about every curse word imaginable, old and suddenly made up ones, all in the string of one word when Harry moved forward and started lapping at his recently roughened hole while rolling his balls in one hand. "Fuck, Harry," he breathed, leaning over the edge of the tub to give him more room and for once not caring that water was sloshing on the floor as he lost control of his hips.

It was when Harry pushed forward just enough that the tip of his tongue slipped past the first ring of muscle that Draco must've moaned loudly enough for even their very far away neighbors might be able to hear him. The brunette just smiled and continued his erotic ministrations all the while ignoring Draco's obvious painful and weeping length that jumped every time Harry slipped his tongue back inside the loosening hole. Then Harry pulled back and waited for Draco's breathing to slow a bit before pushing his cock into him with one thrust, watching Draco push back with a loud, pleased moan. It had definitely been too long and the tightness consuming Harry's erection certainly proved that.

Harry couldn't even remember that last time he'd done this with just Draco but he knew right then it didn't really care. "Merlin, Draco, I don't think I've ever felt you this tight," Harry breathed hot air along the cool skin of the blonde's back and made his lover shiver.

"I love you, Harry," Draco whispered. He was certain he might've heard Harry say it back but he was much too out of it when Harry began thrusting into him again, fast and hard just like how he wanted it and loved it.

B R E A K

The next day Harry woke up he was shocked to see that without even setting his wand he woke up before Severus. Shaking his head he went to go make some tea, setting out three cups and already the necessary sugar and cream to each one while the water was boiling. As he was finishing up an owl floated in for him and he fed it some toast before sending it along. Just as he finished reading through it once Severus with Draco quickly behind him walked in. He didn't say anything to either of them even though he knew his face must've been pale, shoved the letter into his pocket, and excused himself without his tea.

"Harry," Draco called, stepping closer to him hesitantly.

The brunette kept walking. "I'm sorry," he told them, heading up the stairs without pausing. "Please excuse me." And he walked out of sight around the corner, skipping breakfast.

Neither knew what to say but decided to leave him alone for the time being. They found him later curled up on the loveseat in the library, clutching the letter tightly in his white-fisted hand.

"Harry, love, what's wrong," Severus questioned, taking the seat beside him while Draco knelt between his knees and laid his cheek on one of his thighs. Harry lifted his head up and both men were relieved to find he hadn't been crying so they relaxed, but only a little.

"Hermione," his voice cracked so he tried again after quickly apologizing. "Mione's pregnant….she wants me to come over," he answered shakily.

Draco lifted his head up, choosing his words carefully so as to not further upset his Gryffindor lover. "That's good, right," he asked. At Harry's nod he was about to say more, but then he remembered the redhead and his awful Howler about Harry never coming back.

"I'm scared," he admitted without prompting from either, leaning heavily against Severus as he stared at the letter in his grasp. "Ron will be there and I'm afraid he'll start yelling again."

Severus comforted him and Draco let his hands soothe up and down the tan arms silently. After several minutes he asked, "Are you going?" Harry nodded, knowing for sure he wouldn't be able to stay away even if it meant his once best mate would curse him out. Hermione wanted him there so he would go.

B R E A K

When they arrived at the house Draco and Severus waited just out of sight. True, there was no point in hiding their relationship from the two now, but they certainly weren't going to put up with a verbal attack on the male Weasley's part if it came down to that. As it was it was Hermione who opened the door, smiling brightly and pulling Harry into a tight hug. Then she pulled back and, with that same cheery smile on her face, pulled her hand back and promptly slapped Harry across the face. Severus and Draco were left standing there at a complete loss. Draco certainly knew she could do it having been on the receiving end once before back in their third year, but never did he think she'd turn it on her best friend.

"Harry James Potter, I cannot believe you kept something like this all to your scrawny little self," she yelled, smile turning upside down into a scowl that scarily reminded Harry of Molly Weasley when she's scolding Ron, or worse, the twins.

He looked away, rubbing his cheek lightly and feeling the sting pulse with blood. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

"At least you're sorry. Come in, come in, no use standing in the doorway." Then she stared at the two Slytherins standing off a ways, still staring at her with slight shock before she ushered them in as well. "Well," she demanded and, though Draco and probably Severus didn't know what she was asking, Harry did.

"There were….insinuating circumstances that Draco got involved in with last year where my welfare was concerned. He was worried which got Severus involved as well since they were already together and well…long story short they helped me a lot and I couldn't ask for more."

The bushy-haired girl glared between the three of them for a while before smiling brightly and heading off to the kitchen to pull out some freshly baked cookies and placing them on the table. "That's where you disappeared to then. Like we told you, we thought you found yourself a nice girlfriend and," glancing at the other two calculatingly she finished, "and I can see that wasn't completely untrue. Honestly, Harry, you couldn't mentioned you were into men."

Harry didn't want to mention that he hadn't really considered either preference since he thought he was going to die, but instead he just shrugged. When he met his two lovers' eyes he blushed sheepishly and turned away. "I hadn't realized it until it already happened," he explained. He'd probably be hearing about that one again when they returned home. There was no way Severus missed such a look and not have it figured out by now, even if Draco would take a little while longer.

"I see. Well, that's good and all and I can see the reason for all the secrecy but I'm just glad to know you aren't really living all alone in such a solitary place." She paused and looked at them again, frowning. "I'm right, aren't I? You are living together?" All three nodded and she smiled once again. "Wonderful, wonderful. I'm so happy for you," and she kissed Harry's cheek that she smacked. "How's your face," she wondered.

Harry nodded, rubbing it again with a small smile. Without warning he was smacked again on the other cheek and then an arm full of the redheaded Weasley lady, repeatedly telling him what an idiot he was. "Ginny?"

"You totally lied to me, Harry Potter," she accused murderously. "You said I would be the first to know. You promised!"

"I'm sorry," he told her carefully, pulling his face away lest he'd get smacked again. "It was sort of an accident…but," he waved his hand over to them. "I'm sure I don't need to introduce?"

Ginny pulled off his lap and was brave enough to get into each of the Slytherins' faces with a bright blue glare, pointing at each of them angrily. "You better not hurt him or I'll be coming after you," she finally threatened and then snatched a cookie off the plate and munched into is happily.

It was at that point that Harry remembered his real reason for visiting and his smile brightened. "So you and Ron aren't only about loud arguments," he joked, knowing she'd catch on.

Blushing prettily Hermione sat down and took a cookie for herself. "Very funny. But for some reason," she started, "the owl kept coming back with the mail." Harry's expression fell again and he fidgeted with his hands for a while. "I tried to tell you the day I found out to see if it would get you to come back, but I was terrified when the owl still had the mail. I wondered if it was that awful Howler Ronald sent you that had finally struck your last nerve. But then I was calling myself silly knowing that you hate having people ignored no matter how pissed off you might be. You would've at least read the thing for your own gain even if you didn't respond to it." Then she puffed up looking all matter-of-factly and waved at the couch Severus and Draco were sitting on. "Let me tell you, when I found out he really sent that horrible letter he was on that couch for a week. I never realized the bed was so big without him but he definitely deserved it."

It was then that a cough sounded throughout the room from the top of the stairs and Harry turned to see Ron sitting at the top no doubt listening in on the whole conversation from the beginning.

"Hey," Harry waved shyly, unsure of what would happen.

Ron glared at him for a second before groaning and rubbing his eyes. "Hi," he grumbled. His blue eyes were harsh as he glared at the two Slytherins, never leaving them as he made his way down the stairs. It wasn't until he was standing in front of Harry that he moved his gaze back to his best friend. "Blimey, Harry, I don't understand the whole gay thing so I won't try to, so I'm not sure I even want to delve further but…" he glanced back at the couch again and grimaced, turning back to Harry with a defeated face, "but Malfoy and Snape? Well, you never did things the easy way, did you?"