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Chapter Text

Harry didn’t sleep at all that night. He sat by the fire until the small hours of the morning, his eyes glued to the Marauder’s Map, watching the small dot that said, “Draco Malfoy.” Draco stayed in the Room of Requirement until almost five in the morning. Harry didn’t know if this was a good sign or a bad sign. Harry would have stayed staring at the map all day if Hermione hadn’t come and nagged him into going down for breakfast.

“Whatever his decision is, Harry, you’re not going to change anything by sitting here, starving yourself,” she said in an exasperated tone.

Draco was not at breakfast, nor was he in Potions. He did appear at lunch though. Harry’s stomach dropped as soon as he caught sight of the Slytherin. Draco caught his eye and gave him a long, thoughtful look. Then he turned to his meal and didn’t look at Harry again. Harry had no idea what it meant. It wasn’t the hateful sneer he had feared but it wasn’t exactly rushing to him with open arms either. Harry went back to his dorm, skipping the remainder of his classes and dinner. He couldn’t handle seeing Draco like that and not knowing how he felt.

Unfortunately for Harry, Draco seemed to be taking his time with things and, after another day of skipping classes and sneaking off to the kitchens for food, Harry still hadn’t heard from him. So he returned to his routine and his studies and tried not to think about it. Not that he was very successful, but he tried nonetheless.

Several days later, Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione in the library, the table covered with textbooks and revision notes. With NEWTs just around the corner, Hermione was in full panic-mode, babbling incessantly about all the things she didn’t know, damning the inadequate resources of the Hogwarts library, and nervously cramming quills into her hair. Ron, who had decided to join George in running Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, was taking a more laid-back approach to the situation, and was asleep in his chair. Harry stared dully at the book in front of him and hoped that defeating Voldemort was enough to get him into Auror training. There was no way he was going to pass his Potions exam.

His miserable musings were interrupted when Calliope appeared at his elbow, looking vaguely anxious.

“Hi, Harry,” she said softly, earning her a glare from Hermione.

He pulled her into a one-armed hug. “Hey, Calli. What’s up?”

She looked nervously at Hermione and then whispered as quietly as she could, “Draco asked me to give you this.”

She produced a note from her pocket. Harry took it, his heart in his throat.

“I hope you two make up soon,” she said. “I really miss you. Slytherin isn’t the same without you around. And Draco’s grumpy all the time.”

“I miss you too,” Harry said, squeezing her again. “I’ll tell you what, no matter what happens with me and Draco, this Saturday, let’s you and me have a picnic out by the lake.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Harry said with a smile. “You come out to the big oak tree at one o’clock and I’ll have lunch for us.”

He watched as she scampered happily off and then eagerly opened the note.

H.

Meet me tonight. 9:00. The usual spot.

D.

Hmmm. Not much to go on, though the use of H. and D. was better than P. and M., he supposed. He looked at his watch. Seven-thirty. Still an hour and a half to go.

He tried to get back to studying but he felt like he was going to crawl out of his skin, he was so anxious. By eight o’clock, he couldn’t take it anymore. He excused himself, Hermione’s dire predictions regarding the consequences of inadequate exam preparation ringing in his ears as he left the library. Stopping to get a cloak, Harry went out to the lake. The night was clear and cold. He cast a warming charm as he settled onto the grass, stretching his legs out in front of him and propping himself up on his elbows. Tilting his head back, he watched the stars gleaming in the night sky.

Some time later, a figure stood over him, blotting out the view.

Draco.

Draco watched impassively as Harry scrambled to his feet. He looked nervous, like an accused man waiting for the verdict to be read. Draco frowned and Harry’s face fell.

“You know you’re a total arse,” Draco said after a minute.

“Yeah, I know,” Harry mumbled, his eyes on his shoes.

“You know I’m a total arse, too, right?”

Harry’s head snapped up, hope flitting briefly across his face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I won’t change my opinions just to please you and your friends. I may not be so much about Pureblood supremacy these days but that doesn’t mean I’m joining Granger’s bloody crusade to free house-elves and I’ll always believe there should be a law against Weasleys breeding. I’ll say things that make you cringe and embarrass you in front of your friends and I won’t apologise for them. My parents will probably always hate you and your friends will certainly always hate me and, frankly, I couldn’t give a shit about any of them, so don’t be expecting me to try to build bridges.

“I’m very demanding. I’ll need your full attention at all times; I’m used to people hanging on my every word. I’ll not have you staring off into the distance, thinking Quidditch strategy while I’m talking. You’re going to have to start dressing better because no boyfriend of mine is going around looking like he pulled his clothes out of a giant’s arse. I require daily compliments and presents on a regular basis. And not shitty presents, thoughtful presents. Or at least expensive presents. And there’ll have to be a lot of sex. Real sex, not ‘only at night, under the covers, with the lights off’ Gryffindor sex. Do you think you can handle all that?”

There was a brief pause where Harry looked like he’d been hit by a Bludger. Then he broke into a smile so wide it threatened to split his face. Seeing it, Draco felt just a bit dizzy. Harry really was so fucking beautiful.

“Yeah, I think I can handle all that.”

“Good,” Draco said with a firm nod. “Now kiss me. I’ve been going fucking crazy without you.”

The words had no sooner left his lips than Harry was on him, crushing Draco tight against his body. Harry’s mouth was hot and wet and he was kissing him with that searing kiss that Draco had come to need like he needed air to breathe. It had all been worth it. All the pain and the anger, all the years of maddening frustration over the fact that someone could get under his skin like that, could make him rant and scream and want so badly he ached with it even though he couldn’t do anything about it … It had all been worth it to get to this moment when Harry Potter was kissing him and it was for keeps.

Then Harry’s hands were moving on his body and all thought fled from his mind. There was only the need to get his hands on Harry right now, to get under the layers of clothes and touch skin. He pulled roughly at Harry’s clothes and Harry was doing the same to him and Draco began to fear he that he was going to come in his pants long before Harry went anywhere near his cock. And now Harry’s hand was under Draco’s shirt, sliding up over his chest, dragging across nipples, back down across his stomach, trailing towards the waistband of his trousers.

“Oh and Draco?” Harry said, his fingers edging under the fabric. “I don’t know where you’re getting your information about Gryffindor sex, but I fear you’ve been seriously misinformed.”

“Really?” he replied, a bit breathless. “Well, you’ll just have to set me straight then, won’t you?”

Harry’s first thought was to head to the Room of Requirement but by the time they reached the castle, he had changed his mind. When it became obvious they were heading towards the dungeons, Draco gave him a curious look but he said nothing, letting Harry lead the way. They stopped outside the entrance to Slytherin House and Harry turned to face Draco. He knew how he wanted this to happen, but only if Draco wanted it to be that way too.

“Do you want to keep this a secret?” he asked. “I’ll go along with whatever you want.”

“No,” Draco said quickly. “After what you showed me in the Pensieve – No, I’m not going to pretend where you’re concerned. I’m done keeping secrets.”

Harry felt a goofy grin break out over his face.

Draco gave the password. As the door opened, Harry grabbed his hand and fairly dragged him through the common room. He saw the startled expressions of Draco’s housemates. Several looked happy to see Harry, were about to say hello when something about the look on his face stopped them.

Then they were in Draco’s dorm, the door closing behind them with a soft click. There was a quiet moment where they both just looked at each other. Draco’s eyes were dark and wide, his lips parted slightly, his hair falling forward into his eyes. Harry felt something rushing through him, a wild tangle of emotion that he couldn’t begin to understand but threatened to undo him just the same.

There was so much he wanted to say but none of it seemed as important as kissing Draco immediately, feeling that hot, wet mouth move against his own. Draco responded with fierce hunger, his lips tearing Harry’s kisses from him, leaving him breathless and aching. He heard the soft, needy noises coming from his own throat, heard Draco growl slightly in response, felt hands digging painfully into his hips.

Draco was guiding them back towards the bed and they fell against the mattress. The smell of Draco was everywhere, that familiar mix of wildflower shampoo, cologne, and something that was all his own, sensual and immediate, sinking into Harry’s skin, marking him as owned in a way that no words could deny.

“God, Draco,” he breathed. “Never wanted anything so much in my life.”

Draco stretched an arm out, waving his wand lazily as he cast a locking spell. He had just started incanting a silencing spell when Harry stopped him.

“No. No Silencing Charms. I want everyone to know exactly what’s going on in here.”

Draco raised his eyebrows at that, but let his wand fall from his hand without objection. “Guess I do have quite a bit to learn about Gryffindor sex.”

Harry grinned and rolled against Draco, loving the way the he groaned in response, the way his hands curled around Harry’s forearms in a death grip. And then Draco’s hips were pressing into him, his cock brushing against Harry’s through layers of fabric and Harry was lost in the sensations sparking through him.

It was only when Draco started to pull on the hem of Harry’s jumper that the reality of what was about to happen hit him. Nerves made a sudden appearance and he stiffened under Draco’s touch, breaking the mood. The Slytherin paused and gave him a questioning look.

He could feel his face heating, a deep blush stealing over his cheeks as he struggled to sitting. “Draco, you should know I’ve never…”

“With a man?” Draco asked easily; he didn’t seem all that surprised by Harry’s confession.

Harry looked away, embarrassed. “With anyone.”

“So this is your first time?”

“Yeah.”

He felt like an idiot. He shouldn’t have said anything, should have just fumbled his way through and hoped for the best. Even if he had totally fucked it up, it couldn’t have been any more embarrassing than this. Draco was going to think he was a freak, blushing and stuttering on about his virginity like a girl.

He dared a quick glance up. Draco was smiling.

When he saw Harry look at him, his smile grew. Then his hand was on the centre of Harry’s chest, pushing him gently but insistently back down onto the bed. Draco stretched sensuously for a moment before leaning over Harry, a predatory smile on his face.

“You’re telling me,” Draco whispered, his voice a heated rasp, “that I get to be the first person to see your naked body spread out on the bed, the first person to brush my fingers over every inch of your skin? I get to be the first person to run my tongue up the inside of your quivering thighs, wrap my mouth around your gorgeous cock and suck you hard until you’re begging for mercy?”

Harry’s closed his eyes, his blood surging at Draco’s words.

“You’re telling me,” Draco continued, his breath ghosting across Harry’s skin, “that I get to be the first person to ever make your eyes roll back in your head as you feel the perfect tight heat of my arse clenched around your cock? The first person to make you feel so much pleasure you can’t help but moan and shout and slam into me so hard you think we’ll both break? The first person to rip an orgasm out of you so intense you’ll swear you’ve gone blind?”

Harry shifted against the mattress in heated agitation and moaned softly as he nodded.

Draco leaned closer and ran his tongue over Harry’s lips, soft and wet. “I think that is the fucking hottest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

And then he was kissing Harry once more, long and slow and deep, pulling them back into the moment. Just when Harry was reaching the point where everything got thick and hazy, Draco drew back.

“So,” he said, giving Harry a wicked grin. “Silencing Charm, then?”

“Oh no,” Harry responded, letting a smirk come to his face. “No Silencing Charms. That part wasn’t me trying to seem experienced. That part was me being a possessive bastard. I want everyone to know you’re mine. I want everyone to hear what I do to you, what you do to me.”

Harry was pretty sure Draco understood that by “everyone” he actually meant Blaise but neither of them said anything about that. Instead, Draco pulled Harry to him, their mouths crashing together, the kiss hard and bruising.

At last Draco broke away, panting. “Well then, let’s get to the part where you make me scream your name.”

Four years Draco had been waiting for this, waiting for Harry Potter to touch him like this, kiss him like this, moan out his name in a needy whine. To think how close he had almost come to letting this go…

Draco felt like he couldn’t get Harry naked fast enough. The Gryffindor’s possessive streak was unexpected and insanely hot and Draco wanted nothing more than to have Harry’s cock in him now. He pushed roughly at Harry’s clothes, yanking his jumper off unceremoniously. He ran his hands over Harry’s chest, the smooth tawny skin, the pink nipples, the small red scar in the centre of his chest. He felt Harry shiver under his touch. He was so marvelously responsive. Draco couldn’t wait to see him twist and writhe.

Now Harry was pulling at Draco’s clothes, clumsily undoing buttons, tugging his shirt off. Impatient, Draco shook free of the garment, tossing it on the floor.

“Oh.”

Harry’s voice was soft and startled, different from the low, urgent noises he had been making just a moment ago. Draco felt his stomach drop.

Fuck.

He didn’t have to see Harry’s face to know what he was looking at. Draco knew his body was on perfect display, the long, white scar that crossed his torso and the fading Dark Mark on his arm both clearly visible.

Harry would have known they were there of course. As Bunny, he’d seen Draco naked before, many times. But this was the first time they stood in front of each other as themselves and suddenly Draco was horribly conscious of what those marks meant. His right hand flew automatically to the Dark Mark, fingers stretching out wide in an unconscious attempt to block it from view.

Fuck.

Harry’s face had paled and he was chewing his lip nervously. A shaky hand reached out to trace the fine white line that ran from Draco’s heart to his left hip. Draco closed his eyes at the touch, memories of the girls’ bathroom rushing up, threatening to overwhelm him.

“Draco, I –”

Draco’s eyes snapped open. He knew they needed to deal with it, all of it, but he was damned if they were going to do it right then. He had waited too long for this moment to let old ghosts take it from them.

He let his hand fall away from the Mark and fixed Harry with a determined look. “Later, Harry.”

“But I want –“

Draco cut him off. “We can talk about all of it, as much as you need to, I promise. Just later, okay?”

Harry nodded, but his fingers continued tracing Draco’s scar.

Draco took Harry’s hand and moved it from his chest to his cock, squeezing Harry’s fingers around his erection.

“Later,” he said firmly.

For a moment, Draco thought they wouldn’t recover from the abrupt intrusion of the past, but then Harry was pulling him down, his lips finding Draco’s, and everything else was swept away by the rising tide of heat and lust and dizzying pleasure.

The first orgasms came quickly; they were barely out of their clothes, hips grinding against each other, hands grasping and desperate. They paused only long enough for Draco to cast a cleaning spell before falling into each other again.

Draco’s feverish daydreams didn’t even come close the reality of being with Harry. It was everything he had imagined and nothing like what he expected. Despite his initial shyness and a bit of awkwardness due to inexperience, Harry was completely uninhibited, seemingly guided solely by instinct and feeling. He moved easily within contradictions, now aggressive, now tender, now yielding to Draco, now taking control. Harry shifted between moods and roles as naturally as waves shifting between ebb and flow. Unlike Draco’s past lovers, there was no concern for showmanship, no battle for dominance. With Harry, there was only sensation and emotion, washing over them, pulling them deeper into each other with each moment.

“Oh Draco, never knew, never knew, ah, yes, oh fuck, Dracodracodraco…”

“Fuck, Harry, so perfect, ah, just like that, Harry, so good…”

When Draco felt his second orgasm building, he slowed them down, determined to make this first time unforgettable for Harry. He had Harry turn over onto on his stomach. Draco took a minute to just look at him, even though it made Harry blush.

Harry was beautiful. Draco knew he would be but the sight of Harry’s naked form made Draco’s chest ache and his cock twitch nonetheless. Slowly, teasingly, he ran his fingers over Harry’s arms, legs, back, and neck, touching every inch of him. Draco massaged Harry’s strong shoulders, scratched along Harry’s scalp, traced Harry’s spine with his fingertips. He ghosted his hands over Harry’s arse, the insides of his thighs, the backs of his knees. Draco took in every jump, every shudder, every soft intake of breath, mapping Harry’s sensitive points, committing them to memory. Then he did it all again with his lips and tongue, lapping at the golden skin, nipping and mouthing at the curves and planes of Harry’s body.

Harry tensed slightly when Draco’s lips dragged up the back of his thigh to the curve of his arse.

“Draco, what are you –”

“Just trust me Harry. You’ll like it.”

With gentle hands, he spread Harry open.

“You are so gorgeous.”

Draco licked and sucked at Harry’s small, pink entrance, taking his time and enjoying every gasp and tremor he got in response. Gently, he added fingers, gauging Harry’s response carefully, wanting to bring only pleasure. Harry writhed beneath his touch, hands fisting in the sheets, breath coming in sharp pants. Draco smiled to himself and kept going, his tongue and fingers working together to drive Harry into a frenzy. It was only when Harry was swearing and moaning and thrusting back against his hand that Draco stopped.

“Turn over, Harry.”

Harry did. Draco drank in the sight of him, face flushed, green eyes clouded with desire, his hard cock jutting up towards his stomach. He knew Harry was close to the edge, knew that he shouldn’t push him but he couldn’t resist putting his mouth on that cock. Harry’s back arched and his hands flew up to grasp the headboard when Draco’s lips closed around him.

“Fuck, Draco, fuck, fuck, oh, so good…”

Draco felt Harry trembling, felt his hips pushing forward slightly. It was time to stop. He pulled back and Harry moaned his disappointment. Draco gave him a small grin before reaching under his bed to find the tube of lubricant.

He stretched out beside Harry. “Help me?”

“What do you want?” Harry whispered, his breathing ragged.

Everything. Everything.

“Just touch me.”

Harry did, running his hand across Draco’s chest, fingernails scratching lightly over his nipples until Draco moaned and twisted beneath the touch. Then Harry’s fingers were trailing over Draco’s stomach, circling his hipbones before finally wrapping around his cock. Draco gave himself a moment to revel in the feeling of Harry’s hand on him, the delicious tension in his groin building with each movement of those calloused fingers. Then Draco coated his own fingers in the sweet-smelling oil and reached around behind himself.

Harry sat up abruptly, hand falling still, eyes widening as he watched Draco’s fingers disappearing into his body.

“Can I do that?” he whispered after a moment.

Draco groaned at the thought. “Oh fuck yes.”

And then Harry’s fingers were inside him, thrusting and twisting and brushing against that spot that turned Draco’s bones molten and made stars explode behind his eyes. And oh fuck, but it felt good, so fucking good…

“Oh, Harry, fuck, just like that, Harry. Merlin, fuck, need more, more” he murmured, pushing back hard against Harry’s fingers.

“Draco, I need to, need you. Can I?”

Draco nodded, too breathless to speak, and Harry was rolling them over, pressing open-mouthed kisses along Draco’s throat, his teeth scraping across Draco’s collarbone. Draco had his hands on Harry’s cock, slicking him up, guiding him in place. And then Harry was pressing forward, slowly, carefully, his whole body shaking. Draco felt that familiar burn and hissed greedily, pulling Harry closer, taking him in.

The world seemed to fall away as Harry moved inside him, his mouth pressed against Draco’s neck, his breath hot and wet against Draco’s skin. One of Harry’s hands snaked in between their bodies, closing around Draco’s cock, moving in a clumsy rhythm that felt perfect anyway. Then Harry’s hips began to move faster, thrusting harder and Draco’s every nerve was set to blazing. His legs tightened around Harry, his hands roaming all over Harry’s body, now on his shoulders, now on his waist, now in his hair, needing to touch, to feel, to have Harry, all of Harry. And Harry’s head was lifting, his lips grazing across Draco’s cheek and closing over his mouth and he was making soft noises that were swallowed by their kisses but Draco heard them just the same.

Harry came first, his eyes closed tight, his head thrown back with a strangled cry. Draco followed moments later, shouting as his orgasm tore through him, his vision fading almost to black before coming back again. Then Harry collapsed against him, chest heaving, body trembling. He pressed mushy, uncoordinated kisses to Draco’s face, neck and shoulders before rolling off him to lay together, sweaty and exhausted.

They stayed like that for a long while, limbs tangled together, their breathing calming until it was slow and even once more. A sated sleepiness crept over Draco and he drifted on the edge of awareness, not wanting to fall asleep but not wanting to lose this soft, peaceful feeling either. After a moment, he felt Harry shift beside him, felt fingers running through his hair gently, obvious tenderness in the touch.

Draco looked over and saw Harry watching him, his eyes full of soft wonder and something else, something shining and hopeful and too new to put into words. But Draco didn’t need the words because he felt it too, a warmth flowing through him, winding around his heart, sinking into his very being.

It had been a long week, filled with many angry and confused people. The news of their relationship had hit the papers far sooner than either Harry or Draco had expected. Draco’s parents had descended on Hogwarts in a fury. Harry, at Draco’s request, had waited outside the Headmistress’s office while Draco met with them. After two hours of screaming, several threats about stripping Draco of his inheritance and a solid half-hour of tears from Narcissa, Draco stormed out. As far as Harry knew, they hadn’t been in touch since. Most of Draco’s friends were also surprised; he had hidden his orientation quite well. Blaise, of course, hadn’t been surprised but was furious. Pansy, on the other hand, was quite pleased. At least that was how Draco had interpreted her note, which read, “It’s about damn time. P.”

Of course, most of Gryffindor was in complete shock. The common room seemed to fall strangely silent every time Harry entered and eyes followed him everywhere. Much as Charlie had predicted, Ron took the news that Harry was gay in stride but had considerably more trouble accepting that Harry was dating Draco. Ginny still wouldn’t look him in the eye, apparently having decided that he had lied to her about his sexual orientation throughout their entire relationship. Between studying for NEWTs and trying to smooth things over all round, Hermione was too stressed and snappish to actually talk to Harry much about what was going on. Only Neville seemed truly happy for him.

“Whatever it is that makes you happy, Harry, you deserve to have it,” he’d said, clapping a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

The thing that surprised Harry the most about the whole situation was how little he cared what other people thought about it. He was done letting others have a say in his life. He had put in his time for the greater good. From here on out, his life was just that: his. And so, while he did his best to hear his friends out and assure them that he did, in fact, know what he was doing, Harry spent most of his free time with Draco, naked and sweaty and happier than he’d ever been in his whole life.

Except of course, for Saturday afternoon, when he had a very important date. When Draco found out about it, he insisted on tagging along. Needless to say, Calliope was ecstatic to find her two favourite people waiting for her by the lake with a picnic basket full of goodies. It hadn’t taken long though for her bright smiles to give way to that pout Harry knew far too well.

He sighed. “What is it now, Calli?”

She threw up her hands dramatically. “I can’t believe you’re both leaving me here like this!”

Harry watched her flailing and felt a familiar mix of guilt, amusement and affection. “Sweetheart, you knew this was going to happen. You knew we’d have to part ways at the end of this year.”

“But it’s not fair!”

“I know but it’s how things are. After NEWTs, Draco and I are done with school. You still have six more years. Six more wonderful, fun years. You’re going to love them.”

“Yeah, right.” Calliope looked away, her face the perfect picture of pre-teen angst.

Harry gave a small sigh. Did Slytherins have special classes in melodrama? “It’ll be okay, Calli.”

“How do you know that? Maybe once you leave, everyone will start hating Slytherin again. It’ll be just like it was at the start of this year, when no one would even look at us except to pick on us and call us names.”

“It won’t be like that, I promise.”

Calliope muttered a sulky “sure” and looked away.

“How about this. If someone’s giving you a hard time, you write to me and I’ll show up and take care of them for you.”

“Harry,” Draco broke in. “She’s a Slytherin. She doesn’t need some Gryffindor swooping in to save the day.” He turned a winning smile on the girl. “You write to me, Calli, I’ll help you come up with a plan to destroy them.”

Harry frowned. “Nice, Draco.”

“What? It’s how we do things in my house. You ought to know that by now.”

He gave Harry a withering look. Harry gave him one back.

“You know, you can kiss if you want,” Calliope said.

Harry choked.

The girl rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows you two are together now. And it’s not like I’m a baby. You can kiss in front of me. I won’t freak out or anything.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” Harry said dryly.

“Jane Carmichael says she’s going to sneak into your dorm room and get a picture to sell to the Prophet.”

Draco raised his eyebrows. “Oh, does she now?”

“Mmm, figures she’ll be able to get at least a hundred galleons for it; maybe more if you can see Harry’s arse.”

“What? What about my arse?” Draco asked, indignant.

And well he should be, Harry thought. Draco had the nicest arse he’d ever seen.

Calliope shrugged and shot him a cheeky grin. “I don’t know. I guess Malfoy arse isn’t worth as much. Harry’s the one who’s famous after all.” She tapped her forehead meaningfully.

“Yeah, well, it’s not like his arse has the scar on it,” Draco grumbled.

Harry bent his head, his mouth brushing Draco’s ear as he whispered, “I don’t know. It might after last night. Definitely has some teeth marks at least.”

He was thrilled when Draco actually blushed.

Calli watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. “What did you say?”

“Never you mind,” Draco replied brusquely and gave Harry a shove.

Later, after the picnic was done and Calliope had left, Harry and Draco remained stretched out under the tree. Harry had his head in Draco’s lap and was enjoying the feeling of Draco’s fingers running through his hair. The petting paused briefly as Draco’s fingers traced up the line of Harry’s nose and trailed over his forehead in the affectionate gesture that Harry knew so well but had never felt before on his own face.

He sighed contentedly. “This feels so much better this way.”

“Hmmm?”

“Than as Bunny. It feels so much better when you touch me like this.”

“Really? You always seemed to enjoy it when I pet bunny-you.”

“Oh, I did. But I like it even better when you pet me now.”

Draco smirked. “You don’t say?”

They fell into a comfortable silence as Draco continued to stroke Harry’s hair. Harry’s eyes drifted closed and he let Draco’s fingers soothe him into a drowsy state of total relaxation.

A few moments later, Draco heaved a dramatic sigh.

Reluctantly, Harry squinted up at him.

“You know the whole downside to this situation though, of course,” Draco said.

Harry wasn’t sure exactly what situation he meant but he assumed Draco was talking about them. “Romilda Vane trying to poison your food?”

“No, though that was annoying. Honestly, though, what was she thinking? Snape taught me how to sniff out poison when I was twelve. Gryffindors. Absolutely no flair for intrigue.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “So not Romilda Vane, then. How about your parents threatening to disown you?

“No.”

“The press?”

“No. That part I rather like. Unlike you, I have no problem with the spotlight. And it’s not as though I can blame the masses for clamouring to know every little thing about the glory that is me. No, the downside is that I have lost my one true confidant. Bunny was the only one who listened without judgment, the only one who I could tell anything to.”

“Draco, I am Bunny. You can tell me anything that you told your rabbit.”

“No, I can’t.”

“Of course, you can!” Harry said, mildly insulted.

“No, I can’t,” Draco insisted. “You know full well that much of my time with Bunny was spent ranting about you. I can hardly rant about you to you.”

“I don’t know, you’ve always managed pretty well in the past.”

Draco huffed, apparently annoyed at Harry’s accurate assessment of his behaviour. “Yes, well, that was before. Obviously.”

“Besides,” Harry went on with a grin, “seems to me that a lot of that ranting was to cover up some unrequited lusting on your part. Maybe now that we’re together, you won’t need to rant about me so much.”

“Harry, please, you may be my boyfriend but you are still Harry Potter. You still annoy me on a regular basis with your Gryffindorish tendencies and need to do good in the world. And your hair is still atrocious. I can guarantee daily ranting will be necessary for a long time to come. Hence the need for a new pet.”

Harry ignored the assault on his character and hair. “Well, you seemed to really like Bunny. How about another rabbit?”

“No, you’ve ruined them for me. I’ll never trust another bunny again.”

“Dog?”

“Sirius Black.”

“What’s he got to do with it?”

“Can’t trust a dog not to be an Animagus. No dogs, no cats, no bunnies, no rats.”

“Bird?”

“Too creepy. I’m afraid they’re going to peck my eyes out with their pointy little beaks. Besides, I’m still traumatized from watching that owl nearly gut you.” Harry gave him a sheepish look and Draco kissed him lightly in response. “It’s okay. I’ll get over it. One day.”

“How about a toad?”

Draco was clearly horrified at the suggestion. “Please. Who am I? Longbottom? Honestly.”

“Fine, no toads. How about a snake?”

“So I can watch you two have conversations that I can’t understand? I don’t think so.”

Harry grinned. “How about a fer –”

“Say it and you won’t get another blowjob for a month.” Draco fixed him with a fierce glare. “Maybe more. Maybe a lot more.”

“Fish.”

“Fish are so not pets. No, I need something really exotic. Something on one else has. Like a unicorn or something.”

“Yeah, except that you have to be a virgin to get near one and well, didn’t that ship sail sometime back in fourth year?”

“Just because you’ve been bizarrely celibate most of your life…”

Harry smacked him and Draco laughed.

“Oh, it’s no use,” he said, brushing blond hair back from his eyes. “No one will ever be as good as Bunny.”

“You can still have Bunny, Draco. I don’t mind getting some cuddles in rabbit form every now and again.”

“No, there’s no point. It won’t be the same.”

“True. But you know, Draco, sometimes change is a good thing.”

“Hmmmmm.” Draco gave him a long, slow look. Then a small grin curved his lips, a glint coming into his eye. Harry knew that glint. It usually meant trouble. “Yes, well, speaking of change, when is it my turn to top?”

Harry startled at the words and tried to cover it by pretending he was aiming to brush errant blades of grass off his jumper. “Smooth segue, Draco.”

“Yes, yes, you’re very witty. And you needn’t bother with the little charade. I saw you jump.”

Harry sat up and attempted to look offended. “I did not!”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Oh, you so did. What’s the matter? The thought of taking it up the arse a little too much for you? Thought you Gryffindors were supposed to be all brave and adventurous.”

“It’s not and we are! I just thought you liked, um … you know…”

“I do like ‘um … you know’,” Draco said. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the other once in a while as well.”

“Oh, well…”

Draco leaned forward now, his hand creeping up Harry’s thigh. When Harry looked up, Draco’s face was very close to his, grey eyes shining with amusement and a hint of challenge. “You never know, Harry, you might like it. You’ve liked everything else we’ve done. And you know I’d make it good for you.”

“I’m sure you would.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Draco asked.

Yes, those eyes definitely held a challenge.

“There isn’t a problem,” Harry tossed back.

Draco smirked. “Scared, Potter?”

Ah. A different kind of challenge now. But Harry hadn’t forgotten. He remembered well that fateful duel in second-year. He knew his line.

He grinned at Draco. “You wish.”

A smile broke over Draco’s face at his words, wide and open. Seeing it, Harry felt his stomach swoop. When Draco smiled, he was the most beautiful thing Harry had ever seen in his life.

Draco’s hands were moving up Harry’s body, sliding under the hem of his jumper. “Well then, let’s head back to the castle and you can show me your Gryffindor courage.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Harry said as he glanced around to make sure he was well-hidden from the view of any passing students. “I’ll come back to your room and let you do whatever nasty thing your heart desires. If.”

“If?”

“If you can catch me.”

In a flash, Harry transformed into his rabbit form. With one mad leap in the air, he bolted towards the Quidditch pitch.

He heard Draco laugh and call out after him, “That’s right. You run, Bunny. ‘Cause you better believe you’re going to get it once I get my hands on you.”

Harry laughed to himself as he zig-zagged across the lawn. He was going to make Draco work for it, to be sure, but he had every intention of getting caught.