Chapter Text
The few questions had turned into an interrogation. Harry was sure that if they had been in better health, they would've been dragged down to the Ministry to sit before an entire court in person. He shuddered to think of returning to that chair bolted to the floor in the circular room with all those eyes on him.
Their story, however extraordinary, seemed to pacify them. They were no longer considered criminals and all charges against Draco had been dropped, mostly due to Harry's word.
They left the hospital as soon as they were able. Draco couldn't give him a clear answer on when he'd be leaving, so Harry decided to stay with him until he did. Returning to Malfoy Manor was surreal. Wizards and elves were hard at work restoring the foyer floor, but Harry could still see straight down, past a few floors, into the dungeons. Other than the obvious work that needed doing, the rest of the manor house was looking better every day. The heavy curtains were replaced to let the light in. Old tapestries and rugs were restored to their former glory. It made Harry wonder what the manor was like when it was first built. Or did dark wizards only flourish in the dark?
Likewise, Draco was getting the hang of his prosthetic hand. The wandless magic helped, he had said. Draco only had to envision his hand as a working entity, feeding his magic slowly into it until the wooden-made fingers started to bend and move. Draco liked to joke that he had five wands now, instead of one. Harry was proud of his boyfriend's endurance and progress. Harry helped him buckle it on every morning and undo it every night. Every time he did he felt a harsh pang in his chest. It was that way because of what he did, because of the spell he carelessly threw his way. He waited for the blame to lessen; Draco only ever absolved him, but it didn't seem to help Harry's guilt.
A funeral was held for Lucius Malfoy shortly after their hospital release. Only Harry, Draco, and Narcissa had been in attendance. It took place on the manor grounds as, Draco had said, all Malfoy funerals did. It rained heavily, as if the sky itself had to make up for the dry eyes that day. Harry shuddered to think of Draco someday being laid to rest here, with all of these dark wizards that were nothing like him. But then again, he supposed it wasn't all so simple as that.
It had felt like no time at all had passed when Draco told him that they were leaving. Ever since Harry had come to the manor, it had started to feel better and better. It wasn't just the general state of the house either, it was spending every day with Draco by his side. Walking in the gardens as the weather turned cold, joking around, watching Draco play the violin, playing wizard chess, even sparing a bit in a magical duel or two, and of course, the intimacy. They had started slow, like they agreed, but it didn't take long at all to fall back into their old habits. It felt like the restful vacation he had needed after the incident with Professor Quirrel his first year at school. It felt like a gift. The last gift that Draco could give him.
"I will be back, Harry."
"I know." They were in the library. Sun was shining through the tall windows and reflecting on a thin sheen of snow on the grounds so brightly Harry almost couldn't bear to look. "You don't know when."
Draco's hands gripped Harry's; one soft and cool, the other wooden and firm. A small smirk played on his handsome face, not quite reaching his grey eyes. "You're sure you won't come with me?"
Harry exhaled a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "I'm sure."
"I know." Draco swept his hair away from his forehead. "You'd better ace those N.E.W.T.S., Harry Potter."
"I don't know about-" Harry was cut short by Draco's mouth on his. It had happened many times during his vacation, or his recovery period, or whatever it was, but instead of feeling the intense flame of the warmth, each kiss felt different. Each one was a microcosm of the two of them. Each one was a conversation with no words. Draco's kiss told Harry that he needed him, that he was sorry to be leaving. Harry opened himself up, draping his arms around Draco's tall shoulders, savoring the feeling. He hoped his kiss was also communicating what he needed it to; that he would miss him and be waiting for him.
"I'm serious, Potter. Top marks only," Draco whispered when they finally broke away from each other.
"You're the one who's good in school, babe," he murmured.
"Apply yourself." Draco said, his manner suddenly serious, despite the smirk on his face. He tugged at the cuffs of his shirtsleeves. "Don't let Granger do your work. There's no dark lord this time, so you're out of excuses not to study."
"I do my own work," Harry frowned. "Most of the time."
Draco's smirk grew wider, more knowing. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a loud cracking noise. They both looked towards the huge double doors that led out of the room. "Snape is early."
Harry could only nod. He felt his eyes start to burn and he blinked rapidly. He had known this goodbye was coming but it didn't make it any easier.
"I do love you, Harry." Draco's long fingers curled around his ear, touching his neck.
"Then why don't you stay?" Harry played absently with Draco's shirt collar, knowing the answer would be the same as it always was when he asked this dreaded question.
"You deserve better, Harry."
Harry started. That answer wasn't the one he had been expecting. He had been expecting the one about taking care of the Malfoy family demons, making sure their entanglements with dark lords, past, present, and future were over for good. Starting with a clean slate, or at least, as clean as he could get it.
"You deserve better than me," Draco continued. "Your fight is over now, but it seems mine is just beginning. There's no place in this world for me right now."
"Of course there is. With me. No one will question it."
Draco shook his head, a rueful smile on his face. "I would love for that to be true, for things to be that simple. I'm a traitor to my people, Harry. Your people will see me as the enemy, even if I'm with you. You know it's true. Just look at your friends. After all of the things I've done.."
"But the things we just accomplished, Draco, there has to be some way. We'll meet with Dumbledore and-"
"Harry," Draco said softly. "We've talked about this. It's something I feel I need to do."
"I know," Harry replied. He hadn't really tried to change Draco's mind, they had talked in circles about this for weeks. He took a deep breath and knew he had to trust him. There was one more question, burning in his chest, one he'd been too afraid to ask. It was now or never. "Are we breaking up?"
Draco looked as though his words had physically slapped him across the face. "It never crossed my mind, Potter." Harry watched him recover, the emotional wall being built up again, just in case. He marveled for a second, at just how far Draco had come in showing his emotions. There was a time when he considered it impossible. When he spoke again his voice betrayed his face, it was thready, afraid. "Do you want that?"
"I've thought about it," Harry said, noticing that Draco had his ring on his left finger. He hadn't worn it since they got to the manor.
"And?"
There came a knock at the library door. Hardly a pause had passed and Severus Snape slid into the room. "Mister Potter."
"I'll uh, I'll be right there."
"We are on a schedule."
"Yes, sir."
Snape seemed taken aback by Harry's sudden respect, covered it as best he could, and swept from the room, closing the door behind him. He turned back to Draco who had an eyebrow raised in question. "Sir?" He mimicked.
Harry grinned. "Shut up. You call him sir all the time."
"He was my head of house, Potter. And an old family friend. You've probably never called a professor 'sir' in your entire life."
"I have so."
"Name one." Draco smirked. "And not Dumbledore. Everyone calls the Headmaster of the school sir."
Harry cast about but only landed on one name, one professor who had shown him the same amount of respect. "Professor Lupin."
"Thank Merlin for Professor Lupin, then," Draco said softly. Harry felt the gravity of Draco's words. Without Professor Lupin, Harry would not have learned the patronus charm. He wouldn't have been able to teach Draco the patronus charm.
"Have you tried to cast a patronus since?"
"No, why would I?"
"I dunno, just to see what form it would take."
Draco scoffed. "Probably not a dragon, Harry."
"I know," Harry said defensively. "It was a dream."
Draco smirked at him, stormy eyes dancing. Harry grinned back.
"Expecto Patronum!" They yelled in unison.
White smoke erupted from Draco's wooden hand, likewise from Harry's own hand. The familiar sounds greeted them as the smoke and light coalesced into a wolf and a phoenix; the unearthly howl, the ear-piercing shriek. But-
"They're switched," Harry whispered. The phoenix flew around Draco's head while the wolf padded to Harry, glowing eyes expectant.
"Take care of him," Draco murmured.
"I will."
"I was talking to the wolf," Draco smirked.
Harry felt heat creep into his face. They locked eyes and the mischief still sparkled in Draco's stormy ones. Without missing a beat, they performed the unifying spell Draco had wrote. Harry fully expected nothing to happen. It was just a dream. Shared magic wasn't real.
The two patronuses let loose their calls once more, an invisible wind swirling around them. The windows rattled in their panes, loose parchments and quills took to the air, books were flying off the shelves. The two boys looked at each other, no fear this time, only awe. The patronuses combined, just like they had in the dream. Their glowing dragon stood before them and roared. Harry and Draco laughed. The dragon beat its great wings and took the air, the wind heaving more books from the shelves, whipping their hair around, knocking over furniture.
"What the bloody hell-?" Snape had opened the door, apparently ready to admonish them, but was cut short by the vision that greeted him. The dragon turned towards him and roared. Harry and Draco waved their hands and the dragon exploded into a white-gold light and was gone. "If you're quite finished.. schedule.." Snape mumbled and returned the way he had come.
They turned to each other once more, smiles on their faces, their breath coming fast and short. "I think we're bound together by something greater than boyfriend and boyfriend," Harry said.
"I'd have to agree with you, Potter."
Harry felt better. Like a weight was somehow lifted with a simple spell. Or a not so simple one. He felt ready. "What will you do?"
Draco shrugged. "Visit family. Cut some ties. Create new ones. Practice my spellwriting, I suppose."
"Light instead of dark," Harry reminded him.
"Yes, Harry Potter." Draco's voice had dropped lower, his cool fingers on his face. He shivered in response. Their lips met again, and again. The tingling reached from Harry's lips, down his spine, gathering somewhere below the pit of his stomach in a pleasant way. He was almost relieved when Draco broke the kiss.
"You'll write me?"
"Yes, Harry Potter," Draco said again, running his fingers through his hair. He gave him a sad smile, but there was a light in his grey eyes, a light that Harry knew was there for him alone. "Thank you," he whispered.
"For what?"
"For saving me." He gave Harry a meaningful look, then turned and opened the library doors. His mother stood in the foyer, talking with Snape, packed bags stacked neatly nearby.
"Ready, Mister Potter?" Snape growled at him.
He looked to Draco one more time, standing coolly by his mother, hands in his pockets, a small smirk on his face. He nodded to Harry.
"Yes, sir." Snape came next to him and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Goodbye Harry," Draco said.
"Bye babe," Harry said. He had only a second to register the scowl on his handsome boyfriend's face before a whip-crack sounded in his ears and his world turned upside down once more.
The End