Author: HatefulRodeo

Story: A Photo of Past Ghosts

Notes: Okay this is the end for me. Hope you all enjoyed the ride with me. Thanks to all who fav'd and followed this story. Enjoy Lovelies!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I will make no money from the posting of this story.

Previously:

With a bittersweet smile the older raven removed his dirtied hand from his pants, turned away from the cherished memory taking place in front of him and walked out of the classroom and the memory itself. Once he was sitting in the chair in his study at Grimmauld Place and free of the cum coating his hand and underwear Harry leaned back and let himself cry.

This was why he rarely visited these memories; at the beginning of them Harry was always so excited to see their younger selves and how in love they'd been but at the end after he'd cum in his own hand alone he became saddened because he began to think of all he'd lost and most likely would never have again.

It was double edged sword this viewing of his most sacred and treasured memories and while his heart hurt now he was still grateful that he could still watch his younger self enjoy the moments he'd shared with Draco. It made him feel better to watch how much they'd loved each other even if it hurt him to do it. With another sad smile and now slightly burning eyes he put his Pensieve away in the warded drawer and left his study to go to bed alone.

~*~*~*Chapter 4~*~*~*

Harry watched the petite blonde longingly while he said goodbye to his son; today would be the day Harry and his little contingent left for America. The older raven stayed to the back and smiled sadly when Albus rushed forward and embraced his boyfriend. The younger Potter then began dragging the small blonde up to his room so they could have some time alone before they left for America.

Draco just sighed while watching their young sons longingly before he snapped out of his daze. The elder blonde nodded politely to Harry before he turned to leave through the floo in the parlor. The emerald eyed man had to bite his tongue to stop himself from speaking.

He wanted so badly to stop the man he loved from leaving so he could have just a few more precious moments with the beautiful grey eyed wizard. Hermione elbowing him in the side broke him away from his staring match with Draco's back. Harry glared at his friend and rubbed his abused ribs gingerly. When did Hermione get so damn strong?!

Her words however hit him harder than any of her physical strikes could have; "It was Draco; wasn't it? The one you wrote me about, the one you still love after all this time?" Harry nodded and sighed; "It is, always will be too but there's nothing I can do, Mione. I fucked it up and..." He stopped his diatrive when he saw the brightest witch of their age rolling her eyes at him.

Harry scowled in annoyance when she spoke again; "You truly are an idiot aren't you Harry James Potter-Black?" The emerald eyed man cocked his head in confusion, not understanding what she was talking about. Hermione sighed loudly in exasperation; "You really are oblivious sometimes. While you've been mooning over him Draco has been practically screwing you with his eyes the whole time he's been here."

"So why don't you just go for it? The both of you obviously have some things to sort out and it is painful watching you pine like a smitten sixteen year old. Go get your man, Harry. Or at the very least settle things between you so you both can move on because from where I'm standing it is so blatantly obvious that you both care for each other that even Ronald could see it."

Harry gulped and mentally freaked out when he heard the telltale whoosh of the floo activating. Hastily he reached out with his magic for the Wards surrounding the house and locked them down so Draco couldn't leave just yet.

Satisfied that his blonde was still in residence the raven haired Lord hustled to the parlor and smiled when he saw an annoyed Draco still standing in the floo. "I'm sorry but I couldn't let you leave, not again." The irritated Malfoy Lord stepped out of the fireplace, a look of blankness settling over his face; "I have no idea what you're talking about, Potter. Now please release the Wards so I may leave; my wife is expecting me home."

Harry flinched at the cold words but he was the most Gryffindorish Gryffindor he knew and pressed on nobly, if a bit clumsily blunt; "No, I won't let you leave...not until I've said my peace. I love you, Draco. My god do I love you. I haven't stopped in all these years and I regret the day I decided to leave you and get back with Ginny."

"It was the biggest mistake of my life and even though you've married and moved on, had a child I have never, not for one moment, stopped desiring for it to be me in Astoria's place by your side. I was young and stupid and foolish and a coward and...well you get the idea and I understand if you hate me because I hate myself for hurting you all those years ago."

"And I know it is selfish of me to do this to you now but I can't help myself. So please if you still care for me, even a little bit, please tell me so and maybe we can get back what we once had. Or we can at least have a functional friendship for our sons."

"Albus adores Scorpius and I have a feeling that one day they'll give us little Malfoy-Potter babies to spoil so being on good terms would be good and well yeah...Please Draco say something." The blonde just stared at him in confused shock for a few moments.

Harry knew the man was trying to make out what was just essentially verbally vomited at him; the raven let the smaller man have all the time he needed. He doubted he would be so calm after being bludgeoned with words like that.

The confused shock didn't last long and within a second Harry was yelping and holding his head; the little blonde bastard just hexed him and by the looks of it Draco was gearing up to cast more no doubt very painful hexes at him.

Tapping into his well honed Auror reflexes Harry dodged and ducked every spell flung at him, letting the grey eyed wizard vent his anger and hurt. Pained words were interspersed with the screaming of painful jinxes and Harry hoped Hermione thought to spell the room so no one could hear what was going on and interfere.

After five minutes of moving about the upset blonde stilled and collapsed on his knees, tears streaming down his beautiful face in the middle of Harry's now destroyed parlor; "Why did you leave me?! Why did you leave without a word?!"

"I was all alone and waiting for you to come back but you didn't. Then I see the article in The Prophet detailing your marriage to the Weasely chit. I was crushed Harry James Potter and I would have killed myself if not for my mother begging me not to. She knew of us and to this day she despises you for what you did to me."

"Your crass acts and insensitive treatment caused me to lose so much but most of all I lost our CHILD! I lost my baby because of the strain your behavior inflicted on me." Harry felt like someone punched his heart out; a baby, they would of had a baby and it was his fault Draco lost it.

Tears crept into his emerald eyes and he began to babble his apologies while moving toward the still collapsed blonde. When he was close enough he fell onto to his knees and pulled Draco into his chest so he could try to comfort him as best he could while the other man cried out his pain.

The blonde was not happy with this arrangement and began to punch, bite and all-out fight to get away from Harry, screaming that he was a murderer, a bastard, and every other horrible word in the dictionary. Harry couldn't dispute the words; they were all true after all.

It was his fault; all of it was his fault and he'd not only ruined his love but he'd inadvertently killed their unborn child with his selfish, cowardly actions.

Eventually, the smaller man stilled in Harry's strong arms and began to cry brokenly into his shoulder. Harry held him tightly as deep soul wracking sobs escaped Draco. All the raven haired man could do was hold his love close to his body and murmur soft shushing noises and coo's while gently rubbing soothing circles in his love's lithe back; he knew any other words would be unwelcomed by the weeping Malfoy at the moment.

Once Draco cried himself out he leaned back and with bloodshot puffy eyes spoke in a cracked voice; "I hate you, Harry Potter. I hate you for being a coward, for leaving me and destroying me so much that I lost our child; that precious babe was a little piece of me and you. After I lost them I never wanted to see you again."

"For a long time I didn't think of you hardly at all, maybe a fleeting thought here or there when I heard something about you or your family. It wasn't until Scorpius started Hogwarts and I saw you on Platform Nine and Three Quarters that the thoughts of you wouldn't leave me alone. Seeing you brought it all back to the forefront of my mind; the love, the passion and the pain. I thought I'd dealt with it long ago but I was wrong."

"Poor Astoria, bless her knew of our history and supported me though the inevitable breakdown your presence caused. She is of the mind that I needed to confront you, scream at you, and by doing so I could move on and find someone else to give me what I need. Things I need that Astoria knows she cannot give me."

Harry choked on his spit; Astoria knew of Draco's preferences and was alright with them? That was good news! Well not really since the vibe Harry was picking up form the blonde pretty much shut down any and all hopes he had for reconciling with the man he adored.

The petite man shifting in his lap made him look into those pretty large grey eyes and he almost wept when he saw the love shining back at him; "But as much as I hate you, Harry I also adore you. Astoria was right though; I did need this. I needed to explode and tell you everything, tell you how much your abandonment hurt me. How much losing our child killed me inside."

"However, for all the pain your leaving caused me it did cause good things to come of it. I married a wonderful woman who understands me and supports me. That wonderful woman gave me a son whom I adore more and more every day. Scorpius is everything I would have been if not for my father's meddling."

"So in the end your cruel actions while hurting me gave me something I wouldn't have had otherwise and I wouldn't give those things up for all the galleons in the world. I'm sure you feel the same about your kids as I do about Scorp. But I don't know what to do now; I don't know where to go from here..."

Harry gently grasped that still slightly pointed chin in his hand and tilted Draco's head back. Without a moment's hesitation he pressed his chapped lips to the blonde's plump petal soft ones. The two men remained kissing chastely until Draco pulled away. In the midst of their shared breaths he spoke softly; "I need time to think this through Harry. While I do still love you, and while I think I always will, I don't know if I can do this again."

"I don't know if I can trust you again with my entire heart and soul. Please open the floo so I can have the time to think and sort myself out." Harry merely nodded and stood, lifting the lithe blonde onto his feet. Once they were both upright the raven pressed a kiss to his love's forehead; "Whatever you decide, Draco, just know I am truly sorry for all of it and if I could go back I would."

"But I will always love you. If you need anything you have the address to the house in America; feel free to call or come by anytime." The proud Malfoy Lord just nodded and once the Wards were open he stepped into the floo and quickly collected another handful of powder so he could escape Harry's suffocating presence.

With a flash of acid green flames his angel was gone and the Man-Who-Lived felt empty inside. They'd finally hashed it out but the things he'd heard were earth shattering, life changing, things. Draco was so much more amazing than Harry ever knew; to lose a child and still be able to raise a child as well behaved and kind as Scorpius was amazing.

Most people would have turned into bitter husks and lived hateful lives, spreading their discord around so no one would ever get close to them again but his Draco didn't. No, his Malfoy was stronger than that, stronger than anyone Harry ever knew.

Draco always persevered through it all, maybe not gracefully but nonetheless he always managed to survive. But losing a baby! And if Harry wasn't such a cowardly arse back then he and Draco would have had a baby together. He wondered what would the child would have looked like? Would it have been a boy or a girl?

These were little things that pained Harry to think on but he knew he needed to. Even if he was finding out over seventeen years later he needed to mourn for the child that never got the chance to take a breath or have a birthday. Merlin he was a selfish bastard and even if Draco never wanted to rekindle what they had he would still be there for the blonde to quietly support him always.

It was the least he could do after everything he'd put the other through. Hermione opening the door made him look to his longtime friend, a broken and sad expression on his face. Without a moment's hesitation the bushy haired woman was on the floor holding him as he explained what exactly happened while he and Draco were in the room.

Like always Hermione listened and then began to dissect the information given; "He said he still adored you. Well the way I see it is he still has deep feelings for you but he is hurt, very very hurt, and he is afraid to open himself up to you again. But I gather you've worked this out on your own." Harry huffed; "I know I can be dense, Mione, but I'm not a complete emotional idiot so yes I gathered that so far."

"What I need to know is what do I do now to get Draco to be with me again? Should I send gifts or flowers or I don't know! Mione, I don't know what to do!" She smiled at her always impatient friend; "Harry, there is nothing you can do to sway him. Draco told you he needed time and that is what you will give him."

"Tomorrow morning we leave for America and will enjoy a wonderful vacation. Draco knows where you are and if he decides to he will contact you. You have to understand Harry that while you have had a long time to come to terms with the way things are Draco is just starting to deal with all of it."

"Not to mention I think you need some time to adjust to some of this as well. Harry, you need to deal with your feelings in regards to the baby that was lost and I know you. You'll say you're fine with while it eats at you until you do something stupid."

The raven at least had the decency to look chagrinned. Harry knew his friend was right; he did need to come to terms a bit more with the news and feelings he stirred up today. He vaguely wondered why Draco never tried to tell him about their lost child. He felt anger bubbling up in him then; anger at himself and at the blonde man who just left.

Then another thought hit him; Hermione was right. Harry did need to let this bombshell settle into his mind. The vacation would do him well. There he could think and reflect on times gone by and assimilate this new information without any outside interference. Hermione would see to it that he got the time to think.

With a smile at his best friend Harry acquiesced; "Alright, Mione. I'll leave him to his thoughts and give him time but if I haven't heard from him by the time we get back from New York I'm going to him; no arguments." The witch just shook her head in exasperation but agreed, knowing it was the best she was going to get out of the stubborn man.

"Well now that that's done I think there is some last minute packing to be done before we are to leave." Hermione laughed at her friend's groan; "Can't I just let you do it Hermione? You know what I like to wear..." She snorted; "I could yes but I have no desire to spend my first vacation in years packing your underwear."

"Now get packing while I go and fix this room before the kids notice it." With a very dramatic sigh the revered emerald eyed man trudged out of the room and up towards his bedroom; the dreaded act of packing called. On the bright side at least he could use magic to aid him. Thank Merlin or it would take him until tomorrow to get himself sorted out.

~*~*~*Time Skip~*~*~*

Two weeks had gone by when the floo flared in the study of their vacation house in the States. Harry, who was reading a business missive at the desk, was jolted out of his concentration by a slender blonde man stepping out of the fireplace. Hesitantly, the taller man stood and rounded the desk; "Draco, is everything all right?"

Harry could tell the Malfoy Lord was nervous but he wore a look of stubborn determination as he strode forward and pulled Harry into a backbreaking hug. The eldest Potter could do nothing but respond to the embrace, pressing light kisses to the crown of Draco's blonde head while he held him tightly.

Harry was smiling like madman and for the first time in many years he felt whole and complete. He knew he was ready to take the steps forward into the future with the man in his arms by his side. And while he didn't completely know what the smaller man decided to do in regards to them as a couple Harry knew they'd make it work.

And Harry took the little kisses Draco was pressing to his neck as a good sign that the smaller man was perfectly alright with restarting their romantic relationship.

Both of them had taken the long way around to get there but, eventually, like all things that are meant to be together they'd found each other once again. Only this time Harry had no intention of letting his little lover out of his life, or his arms; hell even their bed ever again!

Wellllll That's All Folks! I know it is open ended and I am okay with it; it was how I wanted to leave it. You guys can use your imagination and take these two wherever you want to. I felt like of I went further I would be spoon feeding you some cheesy nickel romance novel ending.

Plus, this fic felt done to me and since I'm writing it's my opinion that matters.

Oh and I may post a chapter chock full of slash in a little while so be on the look out. I feel like this story didn'ty have enough smut in it. Just a heads up for you my dear readers.

As Always All Mistakes Are My Own!