Title: Never Let Go

Rating: R (for language)

Beta: simeysgirl

A/N: Inspired by the song "Never Let Go" by Always Outnumbered. A link to the song and lyrics can be found in my profile.

It was almost 12:00 am as Draco made his was down the stone steps of Hogwarts castle and into the grounds. The note he had received earlier that day had simply told him to be at the end of Hagrid's garden at midnight. Draco knew exactly who the note was from, and had no qualms complying with its instructions.

As he walked he let his coat fall open; it was surprisingly warm for an early spring night. Draco glanced up at the cloudless, star-filled sky and breathed in the clean air. He suddenly wondered why he didn't take more midnight strolls. It was wonderful.

He reached his destination and carefully looked around for the tell-tale shimmer of an invisibility cloak. Before he could spot anything, Harry suddenly appeared a few steps to his right and Draco jumped.

"Don't do that," he cried as he put a hand over his now racing heart.

"Sorry, I would've thought you'd be used to it by now," said Harry as he tossed the cloak over his arm.

"As much as I enjoy your unannounced visits, I wish you could give me a little warning before you appear out of thin air."

"But this wasn't unannounced," Harry pointed out.

"Okay, shut up. What are we doing out here?"

Harry took Draco's hand in his own and smiled.

"Let me show you," he said as he lead the way towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Please tell me we're not going in there. You know I don't like it in there." Draco pulled back a little on Harry's hand.

"Don't worry," Harry soothed, "we're not going far. There's a small clearing a short way in over here that I want to show you."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Draco's heart was still racing, but now for a completely different reason. As they crossed passed the first trees into the forest, Draco's grip on Harry's hand tightened. Harry responded by stroking his thumb over the back of Draco's hand.

A hundred metres or so into the forest Harry stopped, and Draco paused directly behind him. Their next steps brought them out into a round grassy clearing about the size of a small room. On the ground there was a blue blanket and a small basket.

Draco turned to look at Harry.

"What's this?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "We're always sneaking around inside the castle; I thought it might be nice to spend some time outdoors."

"What's in the basket?" Draco queried as Harry moved and sat himself on the blanket.

"Pumpkin juice," said Harry as he opened the basket, "and chocolate."

"Oooh, chocolate!" Draco rushed to join Harry on the blanket.

Draco took the chocolate offered to him and began munching on it as Harry laughed.

When Draco had finished eating he looked at his hand; the ends of his fingers were covered in melted chocolate. Without speaking Harry took his hand and brought the chocolatey fingers to his lips. One at a time he took Draco's fingers into his mouth and slowly sucked off the chocolate. After cleaning each finger he looked up at Draco and placed a kiss on each fingertip.

Sighing, Draco felt like melted chocolate himself at the action.

"You know we could transfigure this into a bed," said Draco, pointing with his free hand to the blanket they were sitting on.

"Yeah, but where's the romance in that?" Harry smiled as he relinquished Draco's hand.

"You brought me out here to romance me, Harry?" Draco fluttered his eyelashes and Harry blushed.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you," said Harry as he laid back on the blanket and bent his arms under his head.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Draco frowned.

"I know you don't want to, but Draco, I'm sick of hiding. I'm sick of sneaking around and kissing in stuffy, unused classrooms." Harry cast a wary look towards Draco.

"It's not my ideal situation for a rendezvous, either. We've been over this, Harry. We can't reveal our relationship. No one would accept it." Draco knew Harry's temper would be quick to show when talking about this, but he had to be honest about the situation.

"I don't give a flying fuck if anyone accepts us being together or not, we're the only two people in this relationship. We're the only two people who need to accept it."

"It's not that easy, Harry."

Suddenly Harry was up on his feet, pacing across the small clearing.

"We need to make it that easy, Draco. I can't do it any more; I can't pretend to hate you. I can't listen to Ron say nasty, horrible things about you and not defend you, not tell him how wrong he really is. I want everyone to know how much you mean to me. I want Hermione to stop trying to set me up with girls! I want to able to hold your hand in the corridors, hell I'd settle for being able to smile at you in the corridors. I want to be able to sit next to you in classes and at lunch and during study breaks. I want... I want you, Draco. All the time, not just in secret." Harry stopped pacing and stood facing Draco.

Draco looked up at Harry, who was slightly out of breath from speaking his long list of exclamations. He knew exactly how Harry felt, but he wasn't a Gryffindor. He couldn't just go trampling after his heart regardless of where it led and what collateral damage it accumulated on the way.

He held his hands up to Harry and motioned for him to come back down to the blanket.

They lay back together on the forest floor, Draco holding Harry and stroking his back to soothe and calm him. When Harry's breathing eased, Draco spoke.

"I would love to tell the whole school- shove it, the whole world -about us, Harry. It's just not sensible. The whole of my house hates you and would all but exile me from Slytherin if they knew I was dating you. Pansy knows some very nasty hexes I would rather not be on the receiving end of."

Harry choked out a small laugh as he looked up from Draco's shoulder.

"I wouldn't let her hex you," he stated firmly.

"You don't share a common room with her," Draco pointed out.

Harry's pursed his lips and returned his head to Draco's shoulder.

"And then there are your friends," continued Draco, "who probably wouldn't turn on you, but would happily accuse me of slipping you a love potion or using Imperius."

"Which-" Harry tried to interrupt.

"Which is ridiculous, completely untrue and easy to refute, but it won't stop them thinking it. It won't stop them wanting to believe it, because they'd rather believe you were under Imperius than dating me out of your own free will."

Draco sighed and kissed Harry on the forehead, feeling the heat of the skin flood his lips.

"I know you would rather ignore these things and pretend that they don't matter," Draco continued, "but they do. Would you rather have to keep us a secret and meet in old dusty classrooms, or spend our time fighting with our own friends to spend any time together at all?"

Harry looked up and Draco could see the moonlight reflecting off of Harry's glasses.

"I'd rather fight. I would rather fight everyone else than pretend I don't-" Harry stopped abruptly, then quickly carried on. "Than pretend I don't care about you."

Shocked at what he thought Harry might have stopped himself from saying, Draco reached out and held on tightly to Harry. This obviously meant a great deal to Harry; Draco obviously meant a great deal to Harry. He would face the wrath of the entire school, hell, he was The Boy Who Lived, he would have to face the wrath of the entire wizarding world, rather than deny his feelings for Draco.

"Please Draco, at least think about it," Harry begged.

Looking down at Harry, who was quickly becoming the most important piece of his life, Draco only nodded.

"Thank you," whispered Harry.

"I want to stay, but I guess it's time for me to go."

As Draco sat up to leave, Harry held onto his wrist.

"I wish this could last forever. This night. But please let it last until morning."

Draco couldn't refuse that request. He lay back down and Harry snuggled himself against Draco.

The lay there quietly for a time and Draco took Harry's hand and began stroking across his palm and tracing up and down his fingers slowly. Soon Harry's breathing evened and his hand slipped slightly from Draco's.

As Harry fell asleep in his arms, Draco rested his head back on the blanket and looked up at the sky for the second time that night. There were so many stars; he thought he'd never seen them shining so brightly.

He thought about all the things Harry had said. He wished it could be better for them. He wished they could be like other couples; holding hands under the desk, snatching stolen kisses in the corridor, visiting each other's common rooms. But it could never be like that.

It didn't have to be like it was currently, either. Sending each other anonymous notes, pretending to sneer at each other in class, just missing each other most of the time.

'Fuck it,' thought Draco. This could be the start of something so perfect, and unless they didn't have to hide their relationship, Harry would never know how much he meant to Draco and that Draco was never going to let him go.

He'd decided. This would be their last night of secrecy. Until tomorrow Draco would dream of the stars shining down on them; just the two of them and the sky.

When Draco woke in the morning he noticed a distinct lack of Harry in his arms. Sitting up he saw Harry once again pacing across the clearing.

He stood and walked over to Harry, who seemed very deeply engrossed in his own thoughts.

"Morning," said Draco, followed by a chaste kiss on Harry's lips.

"I've been thinking," started Harry without preamble.

"I can tell." Draco stroked a hand across Harry's cheek. "So have I."

"Well, I don't care what you think." Harry dismissed Draco's comment with a vague wave of his hand. "I want to tell everyone about us. Today. This morning. At breakfast."

"At breakfast?" Draco asked. "What are you doing to do, make an announcement?"

"No. I'm going to make a statement- by walking hand-in-hand with you into the Great Hall."

Draco had to smile at Harry's determination and brazenness.

"You're smiling," Harry commented. "Why are you smiling? I thought you didn't want to tell everyone?"

"I changed my mind," Draco replied simply, as he wrapped his arms around Harry's waist.

"You changed your- When!"

"Last night, after you fell asleep."

"Oh, well let's go then." Harry attempted to remove himself from Draco's arms.

"Hang on." Draco appreciated that Harry didn't want to beat around the bush. "I have a better idea."

"You do?" Harry raised an eyebrow at him. A move he had only learnt since dating Draco.

"I do," Draco explained, "I rather like it here." He gestured to the area around them. "And I would like to stay a little longer. I also think that neither of us attending breakfast, or this morning's classes, will make a similar statement to showing up in the Great Hall together. Don't you think?"

Draco almost swooned at the smile that appeared on Harry's face as he nodded in agreement.

"My idea also means we won't be present for the initial shock and gossip that will undoubtedly begin long before we show up for Defence Against the Dark Arts this afternoon and sit together."

If it was possible, Draco thought Harry's smile grew even bigger. Then Harry grabbed Draco's face and drew him in for a long and languid kiss.

When they finally broke apart it was Draco's turn to smile.

"I think I'm in love with you," Harry whispered against his boyfriend's lips.

"You know this isn't going to be easy, don't you?" Draco asked, still smiling.

"You know this is going to be worth it, don't you?" Harry replied.

-End-