Harry was down in the Library's Secret Room with Draco trying to catch up on all his homework and Extracurricular activities. He tries to get some done every night, which he succeeds on, but the other homework just gets in the way. So, he and Draco had decided to have study sessions together after they had lunch and during their spare periods.

Being with Draco while studying does help him a lot to get work done. It's incredible how Draco's the solution to a lot of things. One: his depression – whenever he feels depressed, he can just go to Draco for a snuggling session and to just talk. Two: Homework – he finds he can concentrate easily when doing his homework and activities when with Draco. Three... No, concentrate Harry.

The only thing worrying Harry was Draco's state. All week, since the start of term, Draco's been looking so down. He knows it is because of Ivy's death. Even he has been missing Ivy a lot and Lavender. He knows that Draco is dealing with his grief by having sex with him at least twice a day, four times a week. He doesn't mind at all; he just doesn't want his boyfriend or himself to become obsessed with it.

Four pieces of homework and Extracurricular activities done, and two more to go. He rested his elbow on the table, his chin leaning on his hand as he stared at Draco lovingly, who was concentrating quite hard on his homework.

"What?" Draco asked numbly, not even looking up at Harry as he continued to write his 12-inch essay on Bezoar. At least doing something like schoolwork and making love with Harry makes him focus easily instead of thinking of Ivy and her death.

Harry smiled lovingly and reached up to play with Draco's neat hair. He wants to make Draco somehow feel better, other than having sex with him. "Oh, nothing," he says slowly. "Just admiring how handsome you are."

Draco finally looked up at him from his schoolwork, a slight blush rising to his face, and he leaned over to give Harry a short peck on the lips before continuing writing. "Very sweet, Harry," he says in a low voice, slightly glancing to the side at Harry, and dipping his Eagle Owl quill back into his inkpot. "But how much of your work do you still need to do?"

"Only two long essays," mumbles Harry and stretches his arms over the table.

"If you finish your work then you can have as much free time with me as you want," Draco tells him with a sigh, staring somewhere over Harry's right shoulder and dazed off. "So, do your work, Harry Potter."

Harry sighs slowly because all he wants is attention from his boyfriend. With a grin, he stood up from his seat only to slide his leg over Draco's thigh and sit on his boyfriend's lap, staring into his silver eyes with his hands around his neck. "Or..." He winked, and Draco bit his bottom lip as Harry starts to slowly rut on his crotch. "We could have a little bit of fun right now."

Draco playfully rolled his eyes at him. That sounds like a wonderful idea, but he wants to get everything done. "After you and I both finish our work, then we can have 'a little bit of fun'," he says lightly, trying to ignore the urge to just drop his quill and feel Harry's skin under his fingertips. Harry's hands travelled to Draco's collar bone, and as he continued rubbing himself over Draco's crotch with a smirk, one of his hands dropped down to the waistband of Draco's black trousers and slipped in. When Draco let out a low groan, Harry leaned forward and kissed him.

Draco gave into the kiss for a couple of seconds, before pulling away and forcing a smile. "Now, get off me, please?" he asks kindly and thrusts his hips up to try and get Harry off him, but it just makes Harry think that he's getting what he wants. Harry starts kissing Draco's neck deeply and continued his slow rutting on him. Draco growls at the need to give love to Harry, and Harry just makes it worse by biting his neck right under his earlobe where he is more sensitive, giving him a raw hickey. "I still have five inches of my essay to complete," he makes out roughly.

Harry gave him one last kiss over the hickey he gave Draco and got off the blonde Slytherin with a sigh. At least he knows he'll get what he wants after completing his own work, which he realised he had to. So, without further ado, he got back to work.

A few fifteen minutes later, Harry finished the writing part of his homework, but now he had to do the actual spell casting. But what was worse, having to non-verbally say the spell. He kept asking himself how he was supposed to do this? Remus said he needs to think of the spell and say it in his head, but he does that, and nothing happens!

He flicked his wand at the silver goblet and said, "Aguamenti!" He knows he should be doing it non-verbal, but he just wants to be able to cast the charm before saying it non-verbally. The silver goblet filled up with water. Harry smiled and drank from it. Free water was great, especially when the LSB had no water taps in it. He tried it non-verbally this time. "Aguamenti!"

Nothing happened. He sighed deeply and tried again. And next to him, Draco was casting the same spell, but trying to do it non-verbally. After a few tries non-verbally, the Slytherin managed to fill up his goblet with water.

"How did you do that?" asked Harry quickly, leaning forward to examine the water, and he slid his chair closer.

"What Professor Lupin told us to do," Draco drawled, a gleam in his silver eyes as he raises his goblet filled with water with a "Wingardium Leviosa" and tipped it over Harry's head. Harry shrieks as what feels like an entire bowl of water pour onto his head and drip down like a runny egg over his hair, down his neck and glasses and onto his robes. Draco laughs mirthfully at him, entirely proud of his work of art. His work of art is a wet half-soaked Harry Potter. "Think and say the spell in your mind," he says casually like nothing ever happened that involved soaking his boyfriend.

"You little cocksucker!" Harry's voice rises quickly. Draco snorts, and Harry lunges towards him, shakes his head quickly like a dog shaking itself dry and rubs his head all over Draco's neck and face until Draco's laughing hysterically, trying to lean away from Harry but he just cannot and ends up falling backwards off his chair, Harry falling on top of him, his glasses sliding down his nose an inch. He knows he deserves all this though.

Harry wished he was close to a pool so he can just push Draco in and drench him with water to get him back. He shivers a little and gets back up onto his seat, looking down at the flushed Draco staring back at him with a slow smile appearing on his face. "I've been trying to cast the spell by thinking of it in my mind, but I just can't," he mumbles as he helps Draco back up. "How do you do it?!"

Draco moved his body around, so he faced Harry in his seat. "Close your eyes," he says, reaching over to Harry's glasses which he pushes further up his nose by the middle piece.

Harry raised an eyebrow at him but did what he was told, closing his eyes and focusing on Draco's voice.

"Clear your head of all thoughts, like you're meditating," said Draco in a soft, calming tone that Harry really could fall asleep to. "Think of the incantation, picture the words in your head and cast the spell."

Harry didn't understand why Draco was making him do this with his eyes closed, but he kept his wand pointed at the goblet, pictured the words in his head and tried casting the spell. "Aguamenti" He opened an eye but didn't see any water in his goblet. He tried again. After ten other tries, he managed to successfully cast a non-verbal Aguamenti.

Draco grinned and rubbed his hand up and down Harry's thigh, but he kept moving his hand higher. "So, is that all your homework done?" he asks slowly, leaning forward and pressed a deep kiss to Harry's neck.

Harry sighed and shook his head. Only one more thing to do.

*****

Harry jumped into the maroon armchair next to Hermione and grinned. There wasn't anybody else in the common room except him and Hermione. He had an idea for something big, but he needed as many people as he could. It was Halloween soon. So, he needed to act fast. "Hermione..."

Hermione looked at him curiously, wondering by the look on her best friend's face what he was up to. "Yes, Harry?" she asked at once, suddenly feeling a little alarmed at what Harry could be up to. "Is there something you need?"

Harry nodded, his grin widening in excitement. "I was thinking since Halloween's coming up..." he trailed off, thinking of many different ways he can prank others with muggle ways. "Do you want to play a few Halloween scare pranks on the wizards and witches who know nothing of muggles?" he asks her.

"Harry, what kind of pranks do you mean?" Hermione had asked, her eyebrows drawn together in curiosity. She hopes these Pranks Harry wants to play are really good ones and not cheap ones from an Op-shop or Target that you'll find in the kid's section.

"Muggle, of course," said Harry quickly and crosses his legs over the armrest of the armchair he sat on. "You know...Ouija board, Headless Horseman pranks, blood on the walls, killer clowns, scare pranks, Bloody Mary pranks, etc."

"Gosh, Harry," Hermione mutters, a little concerned about her friend. "You literally want to scare Draco, Ron, Blaise, and every other Pure-blood and possible Half-Bloods who don't know a thing about muggle pranks?"

"Precisely!" said Harry, nodding. That is exactly what he wants to do. "So, are you in?"

Hermione thought for a moment until she actually gave him an impish smile. "Alright, I'm in," she says at last. "But if it's going to be a big prank to scare a lot of people, then shouldn't we be recruiting others?"

Harry nodded. "I was thinking... since Dean's been living with muggles all his life, that he could help out," he says, bringing his knees to his chest and he looks thoughtfully at the dancing fire in the fireplace. "If you know any muggle-borns from different houses that would like to join, or half-bloods that know of muggle pranks, then we need all the help that we can get."

"I know a few who might like to help," Hermione mutters to her book in her lap. "So, what kind of pranks are you thinking of?" She turns a page in her book and looks at him.

"Remember in our second year with the blood on the wall?" Harry asks flatly, and when Hermione nodded, he continued with a grimace at the memory. "I was thinking we could do the same, but with fake blood. Write something scary on the walls. We can do a Bloody Mary prank in a bathroom too."

"Or ask the Room of Requirement to do something similar, like create a..." Hermione paused for a minute, looking down at her book for an answer. Then she came up with the perfect theme. "Create a Funhouse!" she said quickly. "We can dress a few students up as creepy clowns to scare everyone who won't work with us, and we can dress up too! This is exciting!"

They both smiled at the idea.

"Do you think the professors will join in the pranking?" Harry just had to ask. He was thinking that it would be hilarious if they did join in to scare their students. He wondered if Severus and Remus would join in.

Hermione shrugged with a little laugh. "I don't know, Harry," she says softly. "All our teachers are either Pure-blooded or half-blood though, so I'm sure they won't even know what we'll be talking about half the time."

Harry sighed. Hermione was right, the teachers wouldn't even know what he would be talking about. But he could explain it to them, even if he knows it'll take quite a few minutes to do so. "Right..." he mumbles and slides off the chair. "So, when shall we go around and gather whoever we can?"

"How about now?" Hermione suggests.

Harry nodded in agreement, his excitement rushing through his veins like blood. While Hermione went to wherever she went, Harry's first stop was the boy's dormitory to find Dean. "Dean?" Harry looked into the boy's dormitory and smirked seeing Dean and Seamus snogging on Seamus' bed. "Dean!" He was a little louder this time.

Dean sighed and looked at Harry, clearly irritated that he was disturbed. "What?!" he asked flatly.

"Sorry for disturbing you," said Harry abruptly, his gaze going from the floor and slowly up to the boys with regret. "Can I borrow you for a minute, mate?" he asks his fellow dorm mate.

"Umm..., sure," Dean said slowly, but as he got off the bed, Seamus joined him. Dean looked beside him at Seamus and chuckled as he knows wherever he goes Seamus goes. He reached for his Irish boyfriend's hand, held it in one and placed his other hand over Seamus'. "Shay, it's alright. Whatever Harry wants to talk to me about must be important." He looked over at Harry, narrowing his eyes a little. "It is important, right?"

Harry nodded quickly.

"Important enough that I'm not allowed to know?" Seamus muttered, raising an eyebrow and squeezing Dean's hand.

Harry nodded again, giving him an apologetic smile. He wanted to tell Seamus but knew he wouldn't think Seamus would know of muggle pranks or even horror movies. What he and Hermione needed were muggle-borns and half-bloods that know of scary muggle pranks so more ideas will come forth. "Sorry, it's a talk from muggle-born to muggle-born."

"But Harry, you're not a muggle-born," said Dean blankly, blinking at him. "And I don't think I am either."

"I've lived with muggles for most of my life so I might as well be," Harry replied with a light shrug. "Can I talk with you now, Dean?"

Seamus sighed. "Fine, ye can borrow Dean for a few minutes," he drawled, gave Dean's cheek a little kiss and stepped back towards his bed. "Just don't be too long," he added quickly.

"We won't," Harry tells him firmly with a little smile. "I promise." Seamus gave a nod, and Harry took this as a chance to lead Dean out of the dormitory.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Harry?" asked Dean at once, curiously staring at Harry when being led down to the common room when they could have just talked outside of the dorm room.

Harry looked behind himself and Dean, hoping Seamus wasn't following them. When his instincts told him was Seamus was still up in the dorm room, he whispered, "So, for Halloween, Hermione and I have decided to play a few pranks on all the wizards and witches who know nothing about muggles."

"What kind of pranks are you talking about?" Dean asked quietly because Harry was whispering, and he had no idea why they were being quiet about this when nobody was around.

"Halloween pranks," Harry says simply as they enter the common room. "You know... Bloody Mary, Ouija Board games, haunted doll pranks, et cetera."

"Oh!" Dean's face brightened at the intriguing thought of actually doing these pranks. He was definitely looking forward to this. "What can I do to help, mate?"

"Firstly, you have to keep this a secret from Seamus unless he knows a lot about muggles like we do," Harry says, his hands slipping into his pockets as he leans against the back of one of the maroon couches by the fireplace. "Hermione and I are thinking of asking the Room of Requirement to produce a Funhouse, like at those muggle fairs and festivals. And we're thinking of doing a blood-message-on-the-walls just like back in our second year. Last, but definitely not least, a Bloody Mary Prank."

"Merlin," Dean breathes, already thinking of every prank in the book he could give Harry as an idea. He needs to find a costume too. "These sound like amazing ideas, Harry." He was surprised at his dorm mate for coming up with such a great idea. "And if you wish for Seamus to not know about this, then I promise I won't tell him. Seamus does know a lot about muggles, considering his parents go to muggle church, but this would be fun, pranking Seamus."

"Thanks, Dean," Harry said lightly, a gentle smile on his face. He paused for a brief moment as he thought about the fake words in blood. "What should we write on the walls, though? It's got to be scary."

Dean let out a "Hmm" in thought of the question. But before they could speak of it, Hermione and a bunch of students from the first to seventh years came downstairs from the dormitories and entered the common room.

Harry's mouth opened just a little. There were at least seventeen people in the room now, including himself, Hermione, and Dean. "Hello everyone," he says, calm and polite. "Are you all aware that you mustn't tell a soul about this?"

Everyone in the room nodded at him, but a young girl with chestnut brown hair and an oval face spoke up, "How are we going to inform the other house muggle-borns in the other houses about this prank?"

"I've already written an owl to the muggle-borns of every other house about where to meet us tomorrow to explain what we're going to do on Halloween," Hermione tells her, sitting down on the chair Harry's leaning on. "I have charmed the letter so only muggle-borns can see. I've included in the letter that if they know any half-bloods that know of muggles and their movies, TV shows, et cetera, then they can bring them along too."

"Are there any other questions about this?" Harry asked, glancing around the room at everyone in sight.

A tall boy with ash blonde hair rose his hand up into the air. "What about all the costumes and makeup? He asks quickly. "Where will you get all that?"

"Costumes you can buy from muggle shops, but the makeup and special effects will be by magic," Harry tells them with a smile. "Hermione is especially good with makeup." Hermione nods. After all, she did do all her makeup herself on the night of the Yule Ball. "Anybody else?"

"Where are we going to host the Bloody Mary thing?" asked a witch with ash-blonde hair who sat next to the blonde-haired male who was a little taller than her. Harry could only guess they were siblings by the same-coloured hair.

"It will probably be somewhere inside the Funhouse, like in a room people could walk in," Hermione says, glancing at the fireplace for a minute to gather her thoughts about what else the Funhouse can have in it. "Someone will be Bloody Mary, and we'll charm the lights to flicker on and off at a certain time so when it goes dark, Bloody Mary will appear for a second, then the lights will come on, people would scream when they see her then when the lights go off, she will disappear. Unless we have someone turning the lights on and off whenever they want." She looks back at the crowd of Gryffindors, "Will anybody volunteer to be Bloody Mary?"

Most of the people in the room raised their hands. Harry smiled at them. "Do you all know the hair changing charm?" he asks them. A few younger witches and wizards lowered their hands. That just left two older witches. Hermione and a girl with straight black hair. "Brilliant! Do you all know where the room of requirement is?" The students in the middle of the room shook their heads. It wasn't a surprise to Harry. Only the DA members and Draco knew of the RoR.

"The Room of Requirement is a secret room in Hogwarts that can change into any room you desire," Hermione explained it to them easily. "And yes, I mean any room you desire. A Lavatory, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, duelling room."

Someone gasped, it was the chestnut-haired girl. "Any kind of room I want?" She whipped out her phone from the pocket of her jeans. "Does that mean the internet works in the room? Does Hogwarts have WIFI? Can I watch Netflix there?"

Hermione and Harry looked at each other with a knowing smile, and Dean chuckled quietly, his hand over his mouth.

"I'm sorry...err," Harry trailed off as he just didn't know the girl's name.

"Emilie," said the chestnut-haired girl.

"I'm sorry, Emilie, but I don't know of the Wi-Fi password to the Room of Requirement," Harry says lightly, though is a little unsure if the room even has WIFI and good internet connection. He never thought about it anyway.

"I didn't even know there was a Wi-Fi password in Hogwarts," said Hermione, voice soft and filled with wonder. She remembers a distant memory of Ivy stating how if she does try connecting her phone to the internet, the magic surrounding Hogwarts disables it. "I ponder if Dumbledore actually made a Wi-Fi network for Hogwarts."

Emilie began to sigh disappointingly, and with her, the other muggle-borns and a few of the half-bloods who thought they got lucky.

"Why don't we go to the Room of Requirement and try to see if Wi-Fi works there," Hermione offered to the sad students around her. That made the students smile and immediately rush to the entrance of the common room.

Harry smiled but wanted to go see Draco right now. He knows he saw him only an hour ago, but it feels like it's been forever like always when he's not with the blonde Slytherin wizard.

Hermione knows that thinking face from anywhere. She clearly knows her best friend was thinking about a certain Slytherin. "Go to him, Harry," she says, giving him a slight push out the common room and to the stairs. "I've got it from here."

"You sure?" Harry asked her softly. He was uncertain that Hermione could take care of all these students by herself.

Hermione nodded and gestured for him to leave. "Go, Harry," She smiled at Harry's leaving figure and turned back to her fellow Gryffindors. "Let's go. Everyone out, and follow me!"

Dean made his choice to quickly leave back up to Seamus in the dormitory. Phones didn't matter to him at Hogwarts. His phone was back at home, inside a drawer of his desk, safe and sound from his sisters' touch.

Hermione led the students who were going to help her, Dean, and Harry with the Halloween prank to the Room of Requirement. She couldn't believe it. When she opened the door and entered the room which looked like a lounge room with muggle Electrical Powerpoints and a TV, the muggle-borns immediately whipped out their phones and sank onto the couches and colourful beanbags with big smiles on their faces.

"Merlin's Beard..." Hermione mumbles in total amazement. This was just a muggle living room. There were even light switches! She pondered if she could ask the room to be a library, filled with really ancient books, or just a muggle library. Imagine the possibilities...

"But what's the Wi-Fi password?" a girl with sandy blonde hair with a heart-shaped face asked. She had introduced herself as Charlie.

Just like that, as she asked, a piece of paper dropped into her lap from out of nowhere and read, "I am often following you and copying your every move. Yet you can never touch me or catch me. What am I?"

Everyone crowded around the piece of parchment, looking at it over and over again. "A shadow!" said Hermione at once, smiling at how well she can answer riddles. Everyone besides Hermione typed the password into their devices, but it didn't work. The students groaned.

"Maybe it means something else?" asked the tall blonde male whose name is Cody, sitting next to his younger sister on the green beanbag.

"Another word for shadow will be..." Hermione trailed off and thought for a moment, then she looked at them all. "Of course! A ghost!"

There wasn't any moment of hesitation before the students, except Hermione, were all texting away at their phones and putting in the Wi-Fi password. Hermione just sighed at them, occasionally looking down at their phones and seeing what they were up to. Mostly YouTube and Instagram she was seeing from these kids' phones.

-

Harry smiled when laying with Draco on Draco's bed in the Slytherin dormitory. He was just watching the windows, looking for signs of life. He's seen little fishes swimming by, and a couple of Merfolk which was exciting. They always swam by, but some had enough courage to look inside. He didn't mind if they looked inside, he and Draco weren't naked anyway. They were just having a cuddling session in bed, under the blankets where it was nice and warm.

Harry waved at a few Merfolk, and sometimes they would wave back but others would snarl and swim away. Weirdoes... Harry thought. He was hoping to see the Giant Squid up close but guessed he was somewhere in the deep depths of the Black Lake. Did the Giant Squid actually eat students or whatever it comes across though?

The bell for the end of lunch rang and Draco woke up with a groan, not wanting to go anywhere but stay in bed with Harry. He wrapped his arms tightly around Harry, making sure his boyfriend can't escape. Can time just sleep for a few extra seconds...or minutes...or hours. Hours sounds better to Draco. He sighed a little happily when Harry kissed him softly, so he kissed back but knew it was one of Harry's many ways to get him off his bottom.

*****

Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast on Saturday morning. Ever since Hermione showed the students that will be helping with the Halloween prank the Room of Requirement, they have all been disappearing at random times of the day and going to their classes just on time. Even a few Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Muggle-borns had been disappearing but came into view with the Gryffindor muggle-borns when entering the Great Hall.

"We should visit Hagrid sometime," said Hermione suddenly. "We need to talk to him about why we didn't choose Magical Creatures this year."

"Yeah, because it's boring," Ron said snidely, but he regretted saying that as Hermione glared his way. She's rather scary at times.

"Harry!"

Harry turned around and smiled brightly at the sight of his boyfriend strutting up to him with a charming smile and hair perfect as ever – besides one singular strand that was bouncing up and down on every move which he thought was just so cute.

When Draco was close enough, he embraced Harry in a light hug. He needs attention from his boyfriend. He's not feeling so happy today. He forced a smile and tried to sound happy, "Gosh, it's been hours since I've seen you."

Ron snorted at what Draco said. "Yeah, hours," he says abruptly. "Such a very long time." The blonde Slytherin glared at him, and Ron raised his hands in surrender. He glanced at Harry, lowering his arms and says, "Mate, just be down at the Quidditch pitch this morning for Quidditch Trials."

"I will be there," mumbles Harry with a nod, and he Accioed a piece of toast to him from the Great Hall just a corridor away. He looked back at Draco, smiling as he catches the toast, just a nice piece of toast that was pasted in honey and took a small bite out of it. So sweet, just like Draco. "So, where are we spending the rest of the morning until my Quidditch practice?"

Draco gave Harry's chin a little affectionate little kiss and led Harry, their arms linked together, down to the Dungeons and into the Slytherin common room, where they found Pansy Parkinson laughing loudly on the black leather couch while clutching the Daily Prophet in her hands.

"Look who's laughing," Draco said, slowly smiling at his best friend as he and Harry joined her on the other black leather couch facing her. He was curious about what was in the Daily Prophet that would crack up his best friend.

"You have got to see this!" Pansy said promptly, shoving the Daily Prophet into Draco's arms. She giggles, even at the heading.

Draco looked down at the Heading of the page, and Harry placed his chin on Draco's shoulder to see The Daily Prophet and what made Pansy laugh.

In large black bold letters read 'The chosen one's love interest' "Harry Potter, the Chosen One, has a love interest who he's been with more than a year. Could Harry's Hogwarts sweetheart, aka Draco Malfoy, be the one he'll be with forever? I sure hope so! A source had said Harry's boyfriend had even fought with Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the war, which we, unfortunately, don't have the information to where the war was located. Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and the boyfriend of Harry Potter have fought against the Death Eaters, even his own father, because of his deep affection for Harry Potter. How beautiful is that!

With that said, how many years do you think these two lovebirds will stay together? I reckon for eternity! Owl us your answers right away for a chance to meet Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in person!

"WHAT?!" shouted both Harry and Draco together, and Pansy just couldn't stop laughing.

"I don't know about you but I'm certainly not meeting strangers just to be questioned," muttered Harry with a look of immediate doubt on his shocked face. He doesn't want people questioning him with personal questions about his romantic life, or even sex life.

"Who even wrote this bloody article anyway?" asked Draco at once, scanning the article with a scowl while looking for the author. It better not be Rita Skeeter. It would be terrible if another Rita was running loose.

"That's not even the best part," said Pansy with a sudden sob, wiping back a tear of joy. "Read what's underneath."

To add to that, have you heard about Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy's wedding? Who do you think will wear the dress? Or do you think they'll both be wearing suits? What would their official marital name be? The Potter's or Malfoy's? Harry Malfoy or Draco Potter? Owl us your answers for an invitation to their wedding!

"The sodding hell do these people think they are!" Draco asked loudly, not caring if people in the common room were staring. They better be staring for all he cares. "A wedding?!"

Harry went pink in the face as he remembered the dream of Draco proposing to him at Malfoy Manor. The silver crown, the rose maze, the dark red velvet ring box, the silver ring. It all came back to him.

"I think it's Ivy coming back from the dead to tell you something," said Pansy at last with a giggle. She misses her non-blooded sister dearly, but she likes making up jokes as she knows that wherever Ivy was, she'll be laughing at her jokes too.

Harry looked her way with a glare, not finding this funny at all. Draco's feelings are his main priority and he'll protect him as much as he can. "That's not funny, Pansy," he mutters darkly.

"It's fine, Harry," Draco tells him gently, even if it did hurt. "Really." He crossed his arms with narrowed eyes when looking at Pansy, hoping the new article didn't get to her brain. "She's just messing with us like normal."

Pansy rolled her eyes at her best friend. Can't he take a damn joke?

"As long as you're sure," said Harry in a soft tone, who snaked his arms around Draco's stomach to make sure his boyfriend was fine with where the conversation resulted.

Draco smiled and turned his head so he could kiss Harry, telling him it was all right even if it was not. "By the way," he said when viewing the whole Slytherin common room minutes after the kiss. "Where's Blaise? He's hardly in the common room whenever I come down here."

Pansy gave a shrug. "Probably with Longbottom down at the greenhouses," she answers flatly. "They're always together these days, and I'm a little jealous of them." She frowns. "I miss my best friend, Blaise Zabini."

Harry smiled at the knowledge of Blaise's feelings for Neville, and he hoped Neville shared the same feelings for Blaise.

Draco chucked the Daily Prophet on the couch, not wanting to have anything to do with it. Marriage? Now that's just adult stuff. "So, shall we head down to breakfast then, my darling?" he asked in a low immediate voice and held out his hand for Harry.

Harry smiled down at the hand and placed his own hand down on Draco's. He leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "I'd love that, even if I did eat moments ago," he says lightly, and Draco nods with a raw blush on his face that rose from his neck. "I went jogging with Hermione this morning so I'm kind of low on energy, which I need to stock up on."

Pansy scrambled off the couch. "Take me with you!" she says quickly and joins by their side. "I'm starving!" She linked arms with the both of them, even if she knew the two boys would rather hold hands and walk together than with her.

Draco frowned; missing Harry's touch that helps him deal with the grief. Nor Pansy nor Blaise can help him. Only Harry.

Harry led Draco to the Gryffindor table, and he frowned when seeing the unfamiliar but common frown on Draco's handsome face. But thankfully, Pansy decided to excuse herself when seeing Hermione and Ron snogging at the table, so she went to the Slytherin's table by herself.

Harry grinned as he now had Draco all to himself, but as he and Draco sat down, he noticed people were staring at him and Draco. More specifically, they were looking at their hands. He realised nearly everyone was holding the new Daily Prophet while eating breakfast. He began to flush, and he could tell by the adorable little pink tinge to his boyfriend's cheeks that Draco felt a little embarrassed too but tried hiding it by eating warm porridge.

"So, Harry," Seamus whispered, knowing this was a hot topic in the Wizarding society now and that everyone who is a little curious would be listening in to their conversation. "What's it going to be? Harry Malfoy or Draco Pott-"

"Come off it, Finnegan!" Draco hissed, glaring at the Irish Gryffindor. He didn't want to deal with anything right now.

"Alright," Seamus mutters, slightly leaning away from them. "I'll...back away..."

Harry ignored the Irish boy and sprinkled some half-strawberries into his warm porridge. He had better things to worry about than...picking a last name for marriage...with Draco...which will not happen for the next couple of years. Why did this even come out into the Daily Prophet at all? He and Draco aren't getting married...yet.

Draco smiled when Harry squeezed his hand from under the table which spread warmth all through his body, so he squeezed back. He felt a little better from that overwhelming warmth. The talk about marriage with Harry isn't something he thinks about often. Yes, he has thought about it, but it has only been a thought, not something he'd like to do anytime soon.

When Harry and Draco left the Gryffindor table five minutes later to head down to the Quidditch Pitch, Hermione and Ron followed them a few meters from behind.

Harry smiled at Hermione, who kissed Ron on the cheek and wished him good luck. Those two were quite the adorable couple. Besides Percy and Oliver, now those two were on his top rank list. Dean and Seamus too. His smile only grew wider as Draco spun him around in a dance position, grabbed his hips and leaned closer, making him blush.

"Unfortunately, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain must head down to the pitch and leave his Slytherin boyfriend behind," mumbled Draco, placing his hand on Harry's chin and rubbing his thumb up and down his cheek.

"Well, unfortunately, my Slytherin boyfriend can't come with me," Harry said, voice low, and his hands around Draco's back and he tilted his head to the side for a quick kiss, but he didn't get the kiss he wanted as the Slytherin leaned away.

"You should get going, Harry," Draco says flatly even if he does want that kiss, but knows he'll get it in a different way.

Harry gave a small pout, whispering, "Do I at least get a kiss?"

Draco shook his head and moved out of the embrace. "Good luck with the trials, Harry Potter," he says, his finger coming up and he pressed it over Harry's lips. Harry pushed his tongue out and licked Draco's finger, and Draco chuckled and pulls his finger back and walks away with a smile.

Harry frowned at Draco's leaving figure. He sighed at himself and decided to just head-on into the pitch. But he wants that kiss. He turned around, ran up to Draco as fast as he could and pinned him to the back of the Slytherin Quidditch Stand. Draco stared at him, his eyes shimmering in the winter sun with an apparent blush on his face. Harry intertwined their hands and pressed them up against the wall, staring directly into Draco's silver eyes.

Draco smirked, squeezing their intertwined hands a little and felt himself harden a little. "Well, well, well...," he mutters, "if it isn't Harry James Potter wanting-"

Then Harry kissed him, pressing their chests together, kissing him for long moments, not even caring if he has trials to attend to because he wants this kiss with his marvellous, handsome boyfriend more than anything. Especially with how weak his legs are feeling now, the intense fluttering feeling in his stomach and his beating heart thumping against his chest. He hoped Draco can feel his racing heart. He fought for entrance to Draco's mouth, the blonde Slytherin fighting against him, it was a battle of tongues to which one gains access to the other's mouth. Finally, Draco gave in and parted his mouth and Harry took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside the blonde Slytherin's warm mouth. But he only gave in for one thing: the feeling of heaven that Harry will give him. He doesn't just give in without a good reason to.

And as Harry's tongue entered Draco's mouth, he bit down on Harry's tongue, causing Harry to groan inside his mouth and Draco chuckled lowly. Harry removed his tongue from Draco's teeth and pressed his lips back to Draco's, making him part them again so he could successfully enter his tongue into his mouth and begin exploring. Warmth pulsed as his tongue conquered the depths of Draco's mouth, hungry, consuming, pulling him into the warmth of him as if he mastered the balance of gravity. He tasted so much like vanilla, as always, and Harry just wanted more of his Slytherin boyfriend. He didn't even realise he pressed his whole body against Draco's until he felt the Slytherin's cock rubbing against his own and he moaned in Draco's mouth at the friction that spread warmth through his groin.

"H-Harry," Draco moaned, tilting his head back at the pleasure that overwhelmed him. He even began rubbing himself on Harry, just loving the pleasure, the feel of Harry's tongue in his mouth and the taste of him.

And Harry began rubbing faster against Draco, his hands on the Slytherin's hips, moaning as he began sucking on the Slytherin's neck, giving him hickeys underneath his collar where people won't be able to spot them, but gave a big noticeable one on his neck above his collar.

And then after a few minutes, they both came in unison with protracted moans, spurting their spunk inside their boxers. It was uncomfortably squishy. They knew what to do now though.

"Merlin," whispered Draco, feeling the stickiness inside his pants. "Thanks, Harry. Now I need to go back up to the castle and change into some new pants."

Harry laughed and bent down, lifting the flap of the Slytherin Quidditch stand up where there's a large enough hole for him and Draco to both hide in. "Not if I can help it," he nodded his head to the flap.

Draco raised a blonde eyebrow at him, looking at the flap that indeed has a hole large enough for him and Harry to sneak under. Without hesitation, he entered into the darkness, and after a second, he heard Harry cast a Lumos. He was able to stand up straight underneath the Quidditch stand. There were wooden bars that held the whole Quidditch pitch together, but they were a few feet up.

Draco turned around and stared at Harry, smirking as Harry bent down in front of him and began unzipping his fly. "You dirty little lion," he cooed, and Harry grinned up at him. The next thing he knew was the cool air hitting his cock, but then Harry's hot mouth and lips descended down his shaft and he gripped Harry's hair and moaned.

"Fuck!" he moaned again, but all Harry did was lick the spunk off Draco's boxers and the top of his prick. Perhaps they both forgot times existed when Harry licked the rest of Draco's spunk off his boxers and placed the Slytherin's cock back in his pants and zipped him back off.

Harry looked up at him, licking his lips. "You taste amazing, Draco," he says smoothly as he stood up. "But don't worry, we're not finished yet."

Draco smirked and kissed him, not caring if he could taste himself on Harry, but after a couple of seconds, he bit down on Harry's bottom lip and pulled at it. He pushed Harry against one of the wooden stilts under the stand, then sank to his knees and unzipped Harry, pulling his dick out and rubbed at the shaft. He licked off all the spunk from Harry's black boxers but gave Harry's groin little kisses here and there which made Harry gasp.

And then he began on Harry's dick, licking the head and all the spunk that covered it and savouring it in his mouth like a sweet he just doesn't want to get rid of. He moved his mouth down Harry's shaft, hearing beautiful loud deep moans coming from above him and that just turned him on, and he started to give Harry a proper intense blowjob since Harry never gave him one. But he'll make sure he gets one in a couple of hours, probably after the trials.

After a few minutes, Harry cursed loudly while spurting long ribbons of come into Draco's mouth and Draco licked, swallowed, and savoured every drip, treating Harry like a delicious sweet he wants to taste forever. He knows that's supposed to sound utterly disgusting, but it isn't to him. He would fuck Harry every night if he could, just to hear those moans, the slap against skin, the smell of him, the taste and everything that is naked and pure about Harry. When swallowing the last of Harry's delicious spunk, he licked access spunk from Harry's cock, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"That was beautiful," Draco said quietly with a big grin, the taste of Harry still in his mouth, and Harry couldn't have agreed more at how beautiful that was and how beautiful Draco looks when flushed. "Now I really do think you better get to the trials, my delicious lion."

Harry sighed with a blush on his face and made sure he was fully zipped up, not wanting to get humiliated in case his dick was still out of his boxers or if his fly was undone. Merlin, the humiliation. "You'll still be watching from the stands?"

Draco smiled as he stood up and nodded. "Of course, I'll be there to watch you and your other little lions," he says at once, grabbing Harry's hands and lifting them to his mouth. He kissed Harry's knuckles and didn't look away from the sparkling emerald green eyes. "And I'll be there to watch your little lions humiliate themselves." He laughed as Harry rolled his eyes.

"Let's just go then," said Harry, pulling Draco by the hand and opening the flap back up so they could exit.

Draco gave him one last deep kiss before retreating up to the Gryffindor stands since there are only Gryffindors here. "Pansy?"

Pansy turned around with a smile. "Glad you know my name, Draco, and yes, I'm here on official Prefect duty to watch the trials and make sure banned objects aren't here to disturb the Gryffindor's trialling for the team," she says loudly just as a few of the Gryffindor's below them on the pitch start yelling about who the best Doctor from Doctor Who is. What is Doctor Who though? She doesn't care and wants them to shut up about it.

Draco stared at her in disbelief but sighed and looked towards where Harry was. Harry was seated on his broom, floating a few feet in the air and flying slowly into the pitch.

"Oh, and where have you been for the past fifteen minutes?" Pansy then snaps at him, her hands on her waist.

Draco just laughed and whispered to her, "I had sex with Harry not too long ago."

Pansy blinked at him, her face paled and her lip curled in disgust. "Draco, I do not need to hear about your sexual life with Harry," she mutters darkly with a scowl. "So, please if you do...do that with Harry, don't tell me."

"But you enjoyed listening to me ranting about me and Harry's sexual life, Pans," Draco said calmly, chin up high, and smirking at the memory of what Harry and himself did under the Quidditch stands. He looks back down at Harry and Weasel talking with each other on their brooms.

"That was in our fourth year," spat Pansy irritably, her nose wrinkled as she can tell he is thinking about something that's probably very gross and uncomfortable about Harry that literally nobody wants to know. "This is now. I don't want to hear about what you and Harry get up to alone."

Draco laughed again. His day couldn't get any better.

-

"Oi mate!" said Ron to Harry who just entered the Quidditch pitch with a big grin. "Where have you been? It's been at least fifteen minutes!"

Harry smiled contritely, but he really wasn't sorry because of what he had just come back from. "Sorry, Ron," he says, warily looking around at their surroundings and sliding off his broom until his feet touched the floor. "I was just...having sex with Draco," he says quietly when knowing they were away from curious ears.

Ron's face coloured a dark shade of red. "Harry!" he hissed with a grimace. "I don't need to know that!" He looks away from him and to the group of Gryffindors waiting to be trained. "I don't want to know that! Please keep that to yourself."

Harry laughed and gave a quick nod at him. "Alright, fine," he drawls. He smiles and rests his elbow on Ron's shoulder. "I just don't like lying to you, Ron."

"You could have at least given me fewer details than what you had said, mate," said Ron, looking back at him and shaking his head with disgust. "Just a simple 'I've been with Draco' would have been fine. And you have a little..." His face only reddened more when pointing to the right side of his mouth. "You have...um..."

Harry wiped at his upper mouth. "Did I get it?" he asks, looking down at his sleeve but didn't see any stains. When Ron shook his head, Harry wiped at his lower mouth. "Now?"

Ron shook his head again. "I'm not touching your face to get it off, Harry," he says flatly. "It's on the corner of your mouth."

Harry wiped at the corner of his mouth and looked at his hand, seeing a little white stain. He flushed at the recognition that it was Draco's cum and licked it off quickly. He did the same with the other corner of his mouth.

Ron gagged at what his best mate had done, muttering to himself, "Gross!"

"Let's just start the trials, Ron," said Harry quickly, his tone bubbly with eagerness to get on the pitch so after he can woo Draco. He felt revitalised by Draco's sperm swimming around in his stomach which he felt gave him a little boost of energy.

The trials took most of the morning and half of Gryffindor house had turned up including first years with their tatty old brooms to seventh years who towered over the rest looking highly intimidating.

A large wiry-haired boy came up to Harry and held out his hand. "Cormac McLaggen, Keeper."

"Nice to meet you, Cormac," said Harry but he didn't shake his hand as he knows where his hand had been. "If you would join the others over there..."

Harry was proud of the new Gryffindor chasers, Katie Bell, Demelza Robins and Ginny Weasley. They all did quite well since all the other people who tried out either couldn't fly a broom or they were just Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuffs annoying the heck out of him. He was pleased with his new beaters, even if Fred and George were the best Gryffindor Beaters Hogwarts has ever had in this century. He'll miss the two ratbags at school.

Harry glanced over at Ron, who was green in the face and obviously nervous. He hoped last year's match would have cured his nerves but apparently not. And after Cormac left to the stands after saving four penalties out of five, it was Ron's turn.

"Good luck!" cried a voice from the stands. Harry looked up and beamed at Hermione who cheered Ron on.

Harry watched Ron do his trial and was proud to see Ron saving not one but five penalties in a row. Harry was about to turn to Cormac to tell him that he didn't make it on the team, but Cormac was already facing him with a red face. Swallowing down the fear vibes from this man, he turned away, knowing Cormac knew about his score and walked towards his new team who beamed at him.

"Well done, guys," Harry croaked, his voice a little rough from shouting so much. "You all did so well –"

"Ron, you were brilliant!" Hermione came running towards them from the stands; Harry saw Draco and Pansy walking toward them with happy expressions on their faces. But he mostly just stared at Draco and how the sun shone down on him, giving his pale skin and white-blonde hair a golden glow. He could have fallen over in adoration.

Hermione jumped into Ron's arms, nearly knocking him over but he managed to steady himself and spin Hermione around in a hug.

"Thanks, 'Mione," said Ron, beaming as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Harry, my love!" Draco enveloped Harry in a hug, making him blush and laugh with a giant smile on his face.

Pansy just stood there in silence with a sigh.

Draco loosened the hug so he could stare into Harry's bright green eyes and give him a peck on the lips. "I noticed you have a few new members on the team, my darling," he says casually, his hands on Harry's waist, pressing their lower regions together.

Harry smiled brightly and nodded. "A couple of new members, yes," he says slowly, head tilting and trying to ignore the tightening in his pants. God, how Draco makes him feel. "But I'm kinda glad Cormac didn't get into the team. He scares me a little..." He didn't say why. The boy just reminds him of Uncle Vernon too much, but muscular instead of overweight.

"You tell me if he tries to do anything to you, Harry," Draco scowled in Cormac's direction, but looked back at Harry calmly. "Please, babe?"

Harry nods again. He will always tell his Slytherin if something is up. "I will, promise."

"Why don't we go see Hagrid?" Hermione suddenly asked, looking at Harry, Draco, and Pansy with a wide smile, her arms still around Ron. "It's been a long time."

Pansy rubbed at her hand. "I'm going back to the dorms to... do homework," she said quickly, smiling awkwardly at them all. "Goodbye!" And then she turned and left before anybody could reply. Draco frowns at her.

"Let's head off then," Harry said after a beat, now looking back into his boyfriend's silver eyes. He felt sad for Pansy since seeing Hermione with Ron must be tough. "I'd like you to formally meet Hagrid."

Draco smiled. He and Hagrid never got along, but he will try for Harry. He will try to befriend the professor. "Alright."

On the way to Hagrid's hut, Ron was just explaining how good he was and how much better he is than Cormac and the only person who replied to him was Hermione who was pink-faced after hearing Ron say 'Confundus'.

Draco just rolled his eyes with annoyance at the ranting and kept Harry close as they walked to Hagrid's Hut.

The grey Hippogriff, Buckbeak, was tethered in front of Hagrid's cabin. He clicked his razor-sharp beak at their approach and turned his huge head towards them. He smelt a Ferret.

Draco swallowed in fear and took a step back, moving behind Harry and peeking over Harry's shoulder at the Hippogriff. The memories of that day back in the third year came back to him.

Harry smiled at Buckbeak and turned around to face Draco. "It's okay," he tells Draco softly, remembering just how Draco got injured by Buckbeak. "He won't hurt you as long as you don't do what you did back in our third year. That includes insulting him. You know Buckbeak hates insults. He has feelings too."

Buckbeak tilted his head to the side at the familiar blonde-haired boy, but he didn't show fear or anger towards him.

Draco smirked at the memory, but Harry kissed the smirk from his lips and transformed it into a charming smile.

Harry turned around, stepped forward and bowed low to Buckbeak. Draco just stared at Harry and that tight muscly arse in those Quidditch slacks. He starts to feel a raging boner in his pants at the arousing sight of Harry's arse, and he remembers doing the same and feeling aroused in his third year when Harry first bowed down to the Hippogriff. That time in his third year wasn't the first time he had gotten a boner from Harry.

After a few seconds, Buckbeak sank into a bow too. Harry rose and nodded at Draco to step forward. Draco swallowed again and stepped forward, bowing low to the Hippogriff.

Harry admired how elegant and royal Draco's bow was, like a prince bowing down to greet someone. Why was he thinking of this now?

Buckbeak nodded his head at the blond-haired boy and bowed down low, knowing he wasn't a threat anymore as he saw him and Harry lock lips with each other minutes ago. He also knew that gesture means that they love each other, which excited Buckbeak.

Draco widened his eyes when maintaining eye contact with Buckbeak, but it wasn't out of fear. He rose and the Hippogriff rose with him. He smirked at Buckbeak, and Buckbeak tried to smirk back but only looked like a Hippogriff with a mangled beak. Draco began to laugh with joy.

Harry moved towards Buckbeak, his hand in front of the Hippogriff's beak. "How are you?" he asked him in a low voice, and Buckbeak made a soft noise that sounded like a cat's purr. "I'm glad to know you met my boyfriend, Draco Malfoy."

Draco was about to step forward and place his arms around Harry's stomach but was interrupted with a loud "Oi!" Hagrid had come striding around the corner of his cabin wearing a large flowery apron. Fang was at his heels. "Get away from him! He'll have yer fingers – oh. It's yeh lot and Draco..."

Draco smiled at the professor, hoping he won't mess this up. "Draco Malfoy," he said and held out his hand for the large man. "Let this be our renewed greeting."

Harry could have laughed at the memory of Mr Malfoy saying the same thing to himself a year and a half ago, but his smile only grew.

Hagrid smiled back and shook the younger wizard's hand a little too quickly, Draco feeling like the older man could nearly dislocate his arm at the force of the handshake. "Nice ter meet yeh again, Draco."

Draco dropped his hand away after a second. "Look, Hagrid, I'd like to apologise for all those times in class that I'd made fun of you and your animals," he said, confidently smiling at the man and his odd choice of apron patterns. Harry smiles proudly at Draco and kisses his cheek loudly. 

Hagrid waved a hand in dismissal, not wanting the younger boy to apologise. "It's alrigh', Draco. I'm just thankful for the apology."

"Hagrid, do you think Buckbeak's capable to go for a fly with me on his back?" Harry then asks Hagrid as he slides his hand down Buckbeak's feathery neck. He wants to experience the entire thing again like in his third year when first flying on Buckbeak's back.

Hagrid blinked at him, then looked at Buckbeak who was sniffing the ground just like how fang was. "I don' see why not." He helped Harry up on the Hippogriff's back before looking at the Slytherin, "Draco, would yeh like ter go too?"

Harry beamed at Draco, liking the sound of flying on Buckbeak with Draco. It sounds highly romantic too.

Draco took a step back, shaking his head slowly. "I don't think I-"

"Please?" Harry asked him gently, talking over him. He wants to make as many interesting memories as possible he can with Draco. "For me? And for our future children too?" he added, patting his abdomen with a little smile. Ron snorts at the odd thought and Hermione giggles.

Draco smiles at Harry, glancing down at his stomach where Harry's hand was. The thought of making children with Harry was a little hilarious if it even was possible though he knew it was. He sighed and puffed his cheeks out at the Hippogriff, who did the same. "Oh, alright," he said after a while. "How do I get on?"

"C'mere then," said Hagrid, waving over to himself.

Draco hesitantly took the last steps towards Buckbeak and Hagrid. Hagrid hauled Draco up onto Buckbeak, but behind Harry. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's stomach tightly and pressed a kiss to his lover's cheek.

"Oh, wait!" Hagrid ran back around his cabin only to come back with a large bridle which fitted Buckbeak perfectly when Hagrid tacked him up. He just didn't have a saddle but that was okay. "Yer ready?"

Harry nodded. He's never ridden a horse before, so he has no idea about tacking up or even saddles and bridals. But he's seen how professionals do it on TV. He gave the bridal a little tug, letting Buckbeak know he wants to go.

Buckbeak gave a little growling noise, turned slowly around and began trotting off towards the green hills leading over to the Quidditch pitch.

Draco held onto Harry tightly, his heartbeat racing and he was gritting his teeth as Buckbeak took off into the air, his massive wings flapping slowly but somehow managing to lift his entire body into the air. Draco felt the force of gravity pull him down, it wasn't very pleasant.

They flew up towards the castle, birds sped past them like little rockets and flew in different directions. Some towards the castle and others towards the Forbidden Forest.

They circled the castle, Harry 'Woo-hooing' and Draco smiling widely with his chin on Harry's shoulder when viewing the stunning castle at this angle and time of day but also the view of Harry's excited face which he loves to see.

They soured over the Quidditch pitch and towards the Black Lake, where Buckbeak dived down until his hooves were only just inches away from touching the water.

Draco stared down at his reflection in the water, but what frightened him was seeing something else underneath the surface move at a rapid speed under them. The sodding hell was that? He began to hold onto Harry tighter, knowing of the monsters that could live inside the Black Lake besides Merfolk. He's heard of the Legend of the Loch Ness Monster, but it couldn't be in this lake, right? It is just a lake, so it doesn't connect to any Scotland Ocean waters.

Harry was enjoying this so much. Not only was he riding Buckbeak again, but he was riding him with Draco, and it was incredible. It's honestly so romantic to him. He leaned back, so his back was on Draco's chest and looked into his shimmering silver irises which shimmered beautifully from the morning sunlight.

Draco stared lovingly into Harry's green irises which sparkled like emeralds in the sunshine of the late morning. He really couldn't help himself but lean closer and kiss him, with a gentle and soft brush of lips, his hands cupping his cheek. It was a perfect moment for him, to have Harry with him on this beautiful day, no matter how cold it was.

And then Buckbeak began to lift back up into the air, causing Harry to break out of the kiss swiftly just to grab hold of the bridals again for balance. But Draco continued to hold on and give Harry's cheek little kisses whenever it was safe to do so.

Buckbeak decided to take these two males to one of her favourite drinking holes, which is pretty much a small freshwater lake with a little waterfall, a few minutes Northwest of the castle. So, he flew there and landed softly on the grass a meter away from the actual lake.

Harry and Draco gasped at the new sight they never knew existed until now. A small but deep bluish-green fresh-water lake the size of four house swimming pools lay in front of them with a small waterfall at the back of the lake by a wall of ferns, grass, moss and other little green plants dispersed around it. They smelt the freshness of nature and clean water and listened to the distant calls of birds, the running water and the sound of the waterfall hitting the lake. It was so peaceful. Dragonflies were skimming across the water's surface. Over the top of the small waterfall, they could just see green bushy trees and more ferns, which also surrounded them. They realised they were deep in the forest.

Harry sat down by the lake and stared into it, trying to decipher how deep it goes. When Draco joined him, he leaned his head on his shoulder and sighed happily. "Draco?" He looked into the Slytherin's silver eyes, which were transfixed on the lake in front of them, then Harry looked down at Draco's light pink lips and he smiled when looking back up at his eyes.

"Yes, Harry?" asked Draco softly, who was distracted by the waterfall as he's never seen one before.

"I love you," Harry said, reaching up to caress the Slytherin's pale but warm and flushed cheeks with his palm, and Draco hesitantly turned his head to look at him with a smile.

"I love you too, Harry," Draco whispered, leaned forward and kissed him again, and again, again and again until his lips began to ache from too much snogging, but he just couldn't help it. After a few more little kisses, he looks back at the lake and sighs. "What are you thinking of?"

"Marrying you," Harry mumbles to Draco's bicep as he pulls him into a hug. Draco feels his heart skip a beat and his stomach do flips at what he heard Harry say. Harry knows what he said, and he isn't lying. That dream just cannot escape from his mind and he doesn't mind it at all, but it does get annoying at times.

"What?" Draco splutters, looking at Harry's face with a mixture of happiness because he knows he didn't hear Harry say anything else and he's just so happy and confused at this, and concerned because what? And why is he thinking of marriage? But then he realised it must have been from the Daily Prophet article.

Harry looks at him and forces himself to look confused. "What do you mean?" he asks quietly, leaning his head on Draco's shoulder. He smiles awkwardly when his face is out of sight of Draco's view.

"You said-"

"I didn't say anything, Draco," Harry talks over him quickly, his hands moving down Draco's sides to his waist, and he leans out. Draco's looking a little stunned, and Harry gives him one last kiss before crouching down to grab a pebble and skipped it across the lake.

Draco was still thinking of what Harry said when watching him skip pebbles across the lake's surface. He just knows Harry said 'Marrying you' to him earlier. He just knows it. He doesn't know why Harry's just pretending he never said it.

Eventually, they decided to head back because they knew Hagrid would start worrying about where their whereabouts are. More like where Buckbeak was. Buckbeak got down on her legs so Harry and Draco could get on him, and he flew off back to the castle. But he took a pit stop by the Black Lake which wasn't that far away from Hagrid's Hut. Harry decided to just walk Buckbeak back to Hagrid with Draco by his side by walking through the trees.

They entered the grassy patch of land where they both first met Buckbeak, and Harry couldn't help but grin as he pulls the hood of his Gryffindor Seeker Robe over his head. "The Dementors send their love, Draco," he mocks with a wink, and Draco laughs softly and tries to pull him closer, but Harry moves away.

Harry wriggles his finger towards him as he moves back, and Draco struts up to Harry, smirking. Harry licks his lips, watching Draco strut up to him, his hips swaying as he moves, and Draco pins him to a tree behind him, all of the Slytherin's body pressed against his. Draco tilts his head as he lowers his mouth over Harry's neck, and he drags his teeth gently over the skin. Harry groans and bucks his hips forward into Draco's groin. Draco sighs and bites down into Harry's neck.

Buckbeak looked over at the two boys and walked over, curiously walking sideways when he nears them. He sniffs Draco's hair and Draco shrieks and backs away from Harry and Buckbeak. Buckbeak just dug his hooves into the ground and pressed his beak into Harry's hand.

"I think Buckbeak wants to go back to Hagrid," Harry says, rubbing the Hippogriff's smooth beak with a smile. He looks at Draco who still appears a little scared from being interrupted and still quite aroused from the snogging. He grabs Draco's hand and brings him back to the Hippogriff slowly. Buckbeak crouches down onto his legs ready to be ridden.

Harry sees Draco's hesitancy when moving toward Buckbeak and smiled fondly. He reaches behind Draco's ears, his fingers lightly moving across Draco's neck, tickling him but the Slytherin held his laughter in. Harry pulled Draco's hood of his Slytherin Robe over his head, his smile widening at how darn cute he looks with a hood on. He places his arms around Draco's neck. "My cute little Slytherin Dementor," he coos.

Draco pouts just to look cuter for Harry and it definitely worked as Harry felt his heart melt entirely and butterflies in his stomach. Harry couldn't help himself but lean forward and kiss Draco deeply with all the love in his heart, and suddenly all the butterflies in his gut just intensify as Draco kisses him back.

Buckbeak screeched at the two, and the boys broke away from the kiss quickly and got onto his back. He made a sound that sounded like a chuckle and walked the two back to Hagrid's cabin.

They hopped off Buckbeak at Hagrid's hut, thanked him for the ride, and looked inside the window to his hut. Hermione and Ron weren't there. They decided to walk back up to the castle and head to lunch.

When they got inside the castle, they saw Ron and Hermione snogging in a corridor. Harry smiled happily at the couple in front of them and Draco pretty much ignored the two.

Harry tapped Ron on the shoulder and when his best mate broke out of the kiss with Hermione and turned his head to look at him, Harry smiled a little guiltily for disturbing them and said, "You guys coming to lunch?"

"Will do in a minute," drawls Ron, lips pressed together tightly in irritation at being interrupted.

Draco pulled Harry gently towards the Great Hall, smirking as he knows just how irritating it is to be interrupted by someone while he was kissing Harry. At least the Weasel knows what it's like.

"Oh, and Hermione," Harry said quickly, "I know what you did back at the Quidditch Trials."

Hermione blushed and gave a little nod, making sure Ron couldn't see it. She did after all use the Confundus Charm to stop Cormac from getting five goals in a row at the trials. It's cheating, yes, but the boy just gives odd vibes.

Harry smiled at her and let Draco pull him into the Great Hall. "Whose dorm are we spending the night in tonight?" he asks the Slytherin beside him, sliding his arm around Draco's when walking towards the Slytherin table.

Draco looked at him, smiled and kissed him on his cheek. "Mine, for sure," he whispers, and Harry smirked, suddenly not hungry for food anymore but will eat to keep his energy levels up.

*****

Draco woke up, frowning. It's just been so hard for him. He misses Ivy, his sister. He doesn't feel like he's getting any better. He knows the only way to make him feel better is by being with Harry. But Harry wasn't here with him, in bed.

Draco rolled over onto his side on the bed, blinking and feeling how wet his eyes were. They were also a little sore. He's been crying himself to sleep lately unless he is with Harry. He doesn't like doing so, but he just can't help it. He didn't want to get up at all. He was glad it was the weekend. He could finally get more sleep. He hasn't been sleeping well either.

This continuous pain he's been feeling is just...he hates it. He wants the pain to go away. He knows the best way to deal with this is to talk to Harry and Severus about it, but they already know why he's so down and he just doesn't want to bother them about how he's feeling. Was this how Harry's been feeling for the past years? Now he understands a little. The poor soul.

Draco sighs and rolled over again, really wanting to get more sleep. He just can't and he hates it. Why can't he just get some fucking sleep? It's all he is asking for right now. He wants Harry, and sleep. He just can't be bothered getting up.

Draco keeps repeating what Severus told him and Harry during the holidays, that life is like a train journey and people get on and off at different times. Ivy didn't deserve to die so young, nor did Lavender or Fred. Why were those three taken away from everyone at such a young age? They didn't deserve the type of deaths they got. Nobody should have died.

Draco sniffed, then he suddenly started quietly crying and curled up into a ball under his sheets.

Blaise, on his own bed with the curtains open, hears quiet sobs and grew worried. He looked over at Draco's bed, which the drapes hung around the bed. "Draco?" he asks flatly. The sobbing quietened down a little. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes," Draco chokes out, his voice broken. He sat up with his back to the bedhead, the Slytherin green sheets covering his legs.

Blaise shook his head in disbelief and got off his bed, only to go to Draco's. "Are you decent?" he asks instantly, his hand gripping the drape on Draco's bed closest to him.

Draco didn't reply, not wanting his best friend to see him in this state. He doesn't want to worry Blaise at all.

Blaise sighed and opened the side drapes to Draco's bed, seeing his best friend with wet, red eyes. He frowned and immediately sat next to him and placed his arms around him in a loose hug. He knew exactly who Draco needed. Harry. But he's scared to leave Draco alone. "Draco, please talk to me."

Draco's eyes filled with tears once again and he cried into his best friends' arms. "You know exactly who I'm grieving about," he says weakly, his arms slowly wrapping around Blaise. "She d-didn't deserve to go like that."

"I know, Draco," said Blaise, his voice soothing and low. "Nobody should have died during the war. Or even tortured." He sighed at his painful memories of the holidays. He's been keeping what happened to him during the holidays a secret. He just wanted to forget those terrible memories. He's even told Neville about what he went through.

"Draco, someone very close to you was abused by their own stepfather, and his mother did nothing about it," Blaise leaned away from the hug but remained close to Draco. "That boy, even if he did nothing terrible, was hit with the Cruciatus curse as a punishment." Draco nodded slowly and brought his legs up to his chest. "And one day, his stepfather made him go to one of Voldemort's meetings at Malfoy Manor. That boy had to listen to the Death Eaters about the best way to kill Harry Potter, and when he was questioned by Voldemort, he had to lie to his face about being very close to Ron Weasley." Draco looks up at the mention of his boyfriend's name. Harry? "Somehow, Voldemort didn't believe the boy, and the boy felt like Voldemort was looking right through him. Then Voldemort cast the Cruciatus Curse on the boy, torturing him until he told the truth."

"Blaise, why are you telling me this?" Draco asked quietly, wiping his eyes on his sleeve with a sniff. He didn't understand this.

"Because Draco, that boy was me," drawled Blaise, his own tears leaking out from his eyes at the very recent memories.

Draco looked at him, mouth agape. He was shocked about this news. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone, Blaise," he said flatly, staring down at his hands, blinking slowly. He couldn't believe he never knew this.

Blaise shook his head, knowing too well that he didn't deserve the punishments. Non-verbally, he cast the Patronus Charm which he had learnt from Ron a year ago and a stingray glided out of his wand in a swirl of silver magic, then it disappeared into the wall. Draco didn't see it. "It's all right, Draco," he says, voice soft and he forced a smile. "I'm fine-ish now. I've told Neville about it. He's the only one who knows now besides you."

Draco feels worse now. He never knew of this abuse Blaise suffered from. "I never knew..." he drawled.

"Draco, I never told you because I just wanted to forget it all," said Blaise, placing a hand on Draco's knee and squeezing it. "I didn't want anybody worrying about me, either. When my stepdad died, my mother changed back to her old self that I once knew when she never had a man in her life. She took care of me; we spent the rest of the holidays together as mother and son."

Draco gave the tiniest smile, thankful that Mrs Zabini has changed back to her normal state that he knows of. But his smile faltered as he remembered a memory of Ivy, down in Hogsmeade, stalking Lavender Brown. It was a good memory, a very funny one too.

Just then, the door burst open, and Harry came in quickly. He scanned the room, and when seeing his broken boyfriend, he frowned and joined Blaise next to Draco. "Oh, my beautiful Draco," he said softly and threw his arms around his Slytherin boyfriend's neck. "Draco, we're all here for you. You are not the only one suffering a loss."

Draco sniffled, feeling a lot better now that Harry's here. The warmth spread through him at Harry's touch, but then he began to cry again. He tightly wrapped his arms around Harry and sobbed into the Gryffindor's black hoodie. He just wants this pain to go away.

Harry felt his own tears form in his eyes when hearing how broken Draco sounds. He knows what Draco needs: either sex or a therapy appointment. But right now, he is leaning towards a therapy session. "Blaise, please get professor Snape," Harry ordered but didn't look away from Draco's silver teary eyes that are filled with sadness.

Blaise gave a nod and hurriedly left the room.

Harry rubbed circles over Draco's back, trying to calm the blonde Slytherin down. "I love you, Draco," he whispers into his ear, and he dips his chin down to place a soothing kiss on Draco's neck. "Please remember that."

"I know you love me, Harry," Draco says quietly and leans away from the hug, staring deeply into breathtaking emerald green eyes. "I love you too." Before Harry knew it, Draco was leaning in and kissing him, so gently and slowly. He kissed back, of course, and placed his hands on the Slytherin's neck.

Draco could feel the love Harry was giving him, even if he were the one who leaned in and kissed him, coursing through his veins like wildfire. It was spreading, making him feel better about himself and giving him the hope that he could get better. It's all he needs, as well as a therapy appointment. He wants to get better for Harry, his mother, father, Severus, Remus, Ivy, and all his other friends.

They broke out of the kiss when the door opened again, and Severus walked in. Draco looked down at his hands, which were placed on Harry's sides. He didn't want to look up at his godfather knowing he was dealing with his own problems.

"Draco..." Severus sat on his godson's bed, next to Harry. His eyebrows furrowed at how depressed his godson looked. "You are not on your own in this." He knew exactly what his godson was so sad about. Ms Ivy Lestrange. "You didn't only lose a sister. I lost a student. Harry lost a best friend. Lavender Brown, even if she's not with us anymore, lost a girlfriend. Pansy lost a good friend too."

"I lost a good friend too, Draco," Blaise tells his friend softly. "Even if she and I didn't spend as much time together, she was still a friend. A good friend."

"See?" said Severus, patting his godson on the shoulder lightly. "You're not the only one, Draco. Remember what I told you and Harry during the holidays? It will take time to get around this grief, but it will eventually fade. To take your mind off the pain, talk to us all. We're all happy to talk to you about anything. Spend your time with Harry the most if you know he helps you more than anybody else. Read a book, go for a walk. It's okay to grieve. You are allowed to."

Draco just nodded, knowing he could do all of those options to take his mind off his sorrow. But really, he couldn't be bothered with doing anything fun. All he wants is Harry to snuggle with.

Harry frowned at Draco and wrapped his arms tightly around him; he pressed their cheeks together and felt how wet Draco's were. He wants to know how to make his Draco feel better, besides having sex with him. Draco can borrow his stress ball any day if it will help him. "Group hug!" He just wanted Draco to feel better.

Blaise grinned and joined Harry in hugging Draco. Severus didn't join in the hug. He wanted to, but he would rather it just be a one-person hug with Draco or Harry. Or both Harry and Draco.

Draco slowly smiled at his friend's presence and his boyfriend who was giving him love and attention. It's what he needs right now. Harry and his best friend to be there with him. He placed his chin on Harry's shoulder and hugged him back, even if he wanted to hug everyone else to. But he mainly wanted Harry's hugs, but he was grateful for his best friend. So grateful. He does wish Pansy was here too.

Harry smiled in the hug and placed a kiss on Draco's neck. The scent of Vanilla flooded his senses, he breathed in his boyfriends' scent like when smelling a rose. So captivating.

Draco sighed quietly in the hug. With the scent of Pine filling his nostrils, suddenly he felt the need to shoo everyone out of the room, so he had Harry to himself. He leaned a little away from the hug, tilted his head to the side while looking into emerald green eyes which sparkled from the lighting of the dormitory and leaned forward for a kiss. He captured Harry's lips with his own, loving how perfect, soft, and warm they were to the touch. These lips of Harry's sent pleasured tingles down his spine, and he wanted what comes next.

Harry could tell by just a sense what Draco wanted. He wanted the same but didn't want to somehow become obsessed with it just to cure grief. Sex is pretty addicting when he's depressed because it takes the pain away for a while and replaces it with beautiful pleasure. He's sure it'll become addicting to Draco if they have sex too much.

Draco, thinking he'll get what he wants, placed his hands around Harry's waist and slowly pulled him down on top of him as he lay backwards until his head touched the pillows.

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes at the couple. He rose from the bed and walked out of the room, muttering to himself, "Teenagers and their disgusting craving for sexual activity..."

Blaise heard his professor and covered his mouth while snorting. He rushed out of the room with his professor to go and find Pansy.

Draco moaned in the kiss, wanting to feel something other than this internal pain. Harry leaned away from the kiss, staring into silver needy eyes.

"Harry..." Draco whispered, really wanting this. "Can we, please?"

Harry just smiled, and then he shook his head. "Sorry, my love. Maybe another night." He leaned down to kiss him, but Draco tried gaining entrance to Harry's mouth. Harry didn't let him. He pulled away again and moved off Draco, lying next to him. "Draco, I'm going to spend as many nights I can with you just so you can sleep and feel better. I will always put your matters first before mine."

Draco reached his hand up and ran the side of his hand down Harry's face from forehead to chin. "I can't thank you enough, Harry," he replies softly. Harry smiled and he opened an arm up, waiting for the Slytherin to slither into his arms. And when Draco snuggled up to Harry, Harry placed an arm around him tightly and they slowly fell asleep together in each other's arms, even if it was still early in the morning.

*****

Harry woke the morning of the Hogsmeade trip, which turned out to be proven a stormy day. He dressed quickly and hurried out of the portrait, but he was stopped by a frowning Draco and he immediately became worried. "Draco, babe, what's wrong?" he asked softly, and Draco took the last steps towards Harry and hugged him tightly.

"I just miss her, Harry," Draco mutters, and Harry could hear how broken his tone of voice was. "During the night I relived memories of her, like when we met and when we thought we were cousins."

"Oh, Draco," Harry squeezed him in the hug. Why must Ivy torture Draco from the grave? "I miss her too and those memories you should hold dear because that's when you two met. You both shared secrets about one another, and those secrets would probably stay hidden deep in your mind for the rest of your life and not come out."

Draco shook his head, that frown still on his face. "I'll tell you all of our secrets in the near future, Harry," he says, voice low and flat with no emotion. "But right now, I just want to spend the whole day with you to hug, snuggle, kiss, make out."

Harry loosened the hug just so he can stare into his boyfriend's silver eyes. "We can do all those things together," he said, smiling truly at him and feeling a little excited to hear what Draco and Ivy have been keeping from the world. "Are you still willing to go to Hogsmeade?"

"Of course, I am, Harry," Draco tells him, forcing a smile at him. "I'm going to Hogsmeade with you for a date no matter what comes our way. I want that date with you, Harry Potter." Harry blushed as Draco reached for his hand and kissed it and Harry gave him an adoring smile, tilts his head and bites his lip. He leans forward, kisses the blonde Slytherin's cheek and Draco closed his eyes with a smile and a blush.

After a quick breakfast, they walked down the path towards Hogsmeade, hand in hand, and passed other students from Hogwarts until they got to the gates. It sure was a chilly day, the winds were nearly knocking everyone off course, and it felt like knives were hitting their skin.

But instead of going to any of the shops, Harry led Draco behind the Hogs Head to the secret entrance Ivy once showed them. Harry tapped on the stones he remembers Ivy tapping on, and slowly the secret entrance was revealed.

"Harry," Draco drawled, sounding unsure if they should be here. "Why are we here?"

"We've only been past this barrier once, so I wanted to do it again as this is our final year in school," Harry said, pocketing his wand. "But after a little visit, we can get a Butterbeer together."

Draco was still unsure and didn't want this trip to somehow trigger him when remembering Ivy. They walked through the tunnel to the other side, which shone daylight down on them and they appeared under the Willow tree in the familiar large park in London.

Harry smiled, remembering his and Draco's official second date in London alone. They pushed the Willow's elongated branches away from them and walked down the little hill to the large lake with a few black swans swimming around gracefully.

They sat by the lake, watching an elderly man feed the ducks with bread by a little wooden deck, a few children running around in the distance, but Draco stared ahead at the park bench which he and Harry once sat on. It's also the park bench that Ivy and Lavender once came up to them after their trip to Australia. Someday, he wants to take Harry to Australia. He's been a few times, to Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. But he wants to take Harry everywhere.

Draco leaned his head on Harry's shoulder, breathing in his scent and watching the swans dance around the lake. He blushed when Harry kissed his forehead, so he closed his eyes and concentrated hard on Harry's kiss that sank into his skin, purifying him of his sadness and grief.

Harry turns his head, distracted by Draco, and he raises his hand to cup the Slytherin's chin. Draco tilts his head as Harry leans towards him, and for a moment, Harry kisses his eyebrows, Draco sighs rather dreamily, and then Harry gradually brings their mouths together in a slow kiss. Harry "Mmms" in the kiss and Draco places an arm around Harry's waist, bringing him closer until he's being lowered down onto the ground with Harry on top of him.

Harry lowers his body down onto Draco's, his hands raising to Draco's hair, and he threads his fingers through the sides of his hair. Draco sighs again, deepening the kiss with a smile, and Harry's tongue suddenly darts out of his mouth into Draco's, lashing together with the Slytherin's, their teeth clacking. And then Harry pulls away, panting as he stares down at Draco's handsome face, silver eyes slowly opening to look back up at him.

With a final snogging session, they decided to head back to Hogsmeade to get a hot Butterbeer To-Go and then went back to Hogwarts. It seems like Harry was the one taking Draco to places today because they ended up someplace they haven't once been to in a long time. The portrait of a fake corridor but they both knew what was behind it.

They entered through the darkened tunnel, seeing those familiar vines snaking up the walls and covering the door. With one click, the door opened, and they walked inside the sunny Garden of Amare.

They admired the greenery when making their way to a large oak tree, which they sat under and gazed out into the trees that led to the maze which thankfully, to Harry, he couldn't see. That sodding maze is just so triggering.

Harry laid down on the soft grass, his Butterbeer beside him, and stared up into the tree's branches, remembering doing the same at the Burrow but two twin faces stared back down at him with mischievous smiles. Ah, Fred and George. "Remember at the Burrow, we were just relaxing under the tree and spotted Fred and George up in the branches?"

Draco laid on his elbows and stared down at Harry with a grin, admiring how the greenery around them was making Harry's green eyes unnaturally brighter. He was so naturally beautiful. "Actually..." he said as he moved his hand down Harry's stomach and into his pants. "It was more on the lines of them scolding me for doing this." He squeezed Harry's cock from inside his boxers, and Harry let out a small gasp, grabbed Draco by his grey silky scarf and pulled him down for a heated kiss. Draco's hand was still inside Harry's boxers, slowly rubbing the Gryffindor's prick up and down the shaft which made Harry moan softy in the kiss and buck up into Draco's hand.

Draco leaned up, his legs on either side of Harry's waist and he stripped off his winter coat, jumper, and shirt. It was fairly warm in the gardens, even if it was around 13°C outside. The Gryffindor immediately placed his hands on Draco's chest, to feel him, to feel the warmth of his boyfriend, feeling giddy at what they were about to do. Draco started with Harry's tracksuit pants, pulling them down until he could see Harry's prick swelling in his black boxers. He licked his lips, feeling the wave of lust flood through him.

Harry sat up and threw his jumper over his head and his long-sleeved top, throwing them behind him but he didn't care where they landed, all he cared about was having his Slytherin boyfriend inside him giving him love and pleasure.

Draco then worked on his pants, pulling them down and throwing them over his shoulder, then he pulled off his boxers, also throwing them away. He pulled down Harry's boxers, licking his lips again and feeling a warmth spread to his groin at the sight of his boyfriend's cock leaking precome. He leaned back down and took Harry's cock in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the shaft and over the slit where precome leaked out. Harry was delicious and he wanted so much more.

Draco slid his saliva-filled mouth off Harry's flushed cock, leaned forward, directly on top of Harry and stared down into his needy but excited green eyes, and he leaned down to Harry's neck, his cock touching Harry's and sending pulses of warmth through him, so he started kissing Harry's neck, and the Gryffindor let out a few gasps. His kisses on the Gryffindor's neck were slow and loving at first but then turned into sloppy, hard, and intense until he was marking Harry with hickeys.

He and Harry has never had sex in a garden, so this was their official first time and they were both excited. It was something new, something to try and it all was so natural. Having sex in nature just felt so...natural. Was it the birds and the butterflies flying around everywhere, the small buzz of bees, the scent of flowers? Or was it just the Garden of Amare...

Draco leaned back so he was facing Harry's arse and tapping the insides of the Gryffindor's thighs, telling Harry to spread them, and when Harry did, Draco gave his cock a kiss for approval which Harry lightly panted from. The Slytherin sunk down low, his face just inches away from Harry's groin and he took a good sniff of him, scenting how musky his boyfriend smells. Draco wet one of his fingers in his mouth, and then when Harry was looking down at the grass, he slowly pushed his finger in past all resistance into Harry's warm, slick entrance.

"Draco- Fuck!" Harry's back arched and he gasped, pushing himself towards Draco to send his finger deeper inside his entrance.

Draco wriggled his finger inside Harry, swirling it around and pressing deep inside until his knuckles touched Harry's arse. He moved his finger against Harry's prostate, smirking as Harry let out a throaty moan and sank his back down on the grass. This just gave Draco the opportunity to add in a second finger, slowly moving it inside Harry's arse to widen his boyfriend on the inside.

"How are you feeling, my darling?" Draco asked him, thrusting his two fingers in and out of Harry painfully slow.

"I-I... I would be feeling much better if you'd fuck me faster," said Harry in a low tone, clearly wanting Draco to pick up the pace.

"Impatient little lion, aren't you?" Draco added a third finger into his boyfriend's arse, and Harry moaned, trying to spread his legs as wide as he could. "And..." He pulled his fingers a little out of Harry's entrance only to thrust back inside him. "You've got a dirty little mouth."

Harry only grinned at him. "What are you waiting for, my beautiful, hot, sexy snake?" urged Harry with what Draco calls a sexy deep voice that always takes him over the edge. "Fuck me like you mean it."

Draco growled deeply at him, but it was a sexual growl. He pulled his fingers out of Harry, lined his own swelling prick up to Harry's entrance, feeling how excited it was as well as himself and slowly pushed himself inside Harry. Such a warm heaven for his cock that's finally home where it belongs.

They both groaned together, Draco's dick seated inside of Harry, but not fully. Harry tried wriggling his arse a little so the Slytherin can sink inside him further. Merlin, he loves Draco's slender long cock up his arse.

And then Draco started moving, pushing in a little before pulling back out and diving back inside all in elegant movements that Harry still couldn't understand how he could do. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was having Draco make love with him in the Garden of Amare.

Harry groaned and grabbed onto Draco's arms as the Slytherin pulled out of him but then pushed in a little deeper. He couldn't think properly at all, all he could feel was the amazing pleasure he felt rushing through him as Draco's cock pressed and rubbed against his prostate. He moved one of Draco's hands towards his prick and wrapped that hand around it, telling Draco he wants to feel more and the Slytherin began stroking Harry's shaft, and curling his fingers over the slit where drops of pre-come leaked out.

Draco pushed himself deep inside Harry, the deepest he could go and grunted as Harry's muscles tightened around his prick and his hand on Harry's prick fastened the pace which drew Harry over the edge. But something strange caught the blonde Slytherin's eyes. Something colourful. He looked to the side of himself and Harry and noticed that the grass was growing longer, and little colourful flowers came out of the ground and started blooming continuously all around them. It was a magnificent sight, besides Harry's naked body but this was still odd. He didn't understand this.

Just as he thrust back inside of Harry, he noted that the blooming flowers were all around him and Harry. Where the grass used to be, there were now flowers. "Um... H-Harry." He stopped thrusting but kept his cock deep inside his boyfriend, where it was warm, moist, and still being massaged by Harry's ring of muscles.

"Y-Yeah?" stuttered Harry, who continuously squeezed his arse tight around Draco's dick. But as Draco's hand continued to stroke him, he came with a grunt and spilled his warm cum over his own belly and Draco's hand.

"Look around us," mumbled Draco, smearing his fingers in Harry's semen only to place them in his mouth to suck them clean. Harry's sweet, but sour spunk was his favourite meal. He groaned as he rolled Harry's delicious taste over his tongue.

Harry used his elbows to lift his back up a little but found it a little hard to from his orgasm which almost drained him of his energy. He was stunned at the sight of colourful flowers around himself and Draco. He doesn't remember flowers at all when he and Draco first came here. It was just grass. "Those weren't there..." he said lowly. "Did we do something?"

Draco laughed softly at the thought of producing flowers by having sex with Harry. He loves that thought though. "I think they call this place the Garden of Love for a reason, Harry." He smiled down at his boyfriend. "Not only it is romantic for beautiful dates but it also...err...is perfect for sex."

Harry made an "mmm" sound in his throat and his rubbed his hands up and down Draco's arms. "Why don't you pick up where you left off and see what happens after?" he asks smoothly. Draco smirked and leaned down for a kiss while picking up his thrusting pace.

"Oh, Yes!" Harry moaned after long minutes of being fucked into oblivion by Draco. "Fuck-, Oh... Draco-... so beautiful. Harder!" And then Draco came, spurting his sticky warm cum inside Harry and Harry shuddered with pleasure. He could feel Draco's release coat his insides, making him feel full and so amazing!

Draco collapsed on top of Harry, breathing heavily and smiled when seeing the flowers around himself and Harry at their full bloom. He leans down to Harry's chest and licks one of Harry's nipples, and Harry screeches. Draco closes his mouth around the vivid pink, pebbled nipple right away, not bothering with slow teases, and sucks, and Harry nearly sends Draco toppling right off him with a cry. More and more flowers kept popping out of the ground the longer Draco was still inside Harry, but neither bloke minded.

"Perchance if you keep yourself inside me, we could grow a whole forest or meadow of flowers together," Harry says shakily, knowing too well what's to follow, and his playful smile wide and reaching his eyes.

Draco snorted, imagining hours of sex with Harry in this garden only to make an actual meadow of flowers. He doesn't mind doing this again one bit. There was a meadow of flowers a few 15 meters away from them on the other side of the gazebo which could mean someone else was in this garden but ages ago.

The only people who know of this meadow are himself, Harry, and Ivy. Unless Ivy showed Lavender this place, but the meadow was there when he and Harry first found this place so it must have been someone from years ago. Merlin, he wondered who else would have found this place.

"We could do that...," said Draco, rubbing his thumb over Harry's nipple that he had sucked on. "Or..." He slowly pulled himself out of Harry, smiling at the pout Harry was giving him. He lay down next to Harry, on a patch of grass that didn't have any flowers on it and looked up at the sun for a moment but then looked to his side at Harry who stared back at him. "We could just lay here, naked, together, soaking up the sun."

Harry smiled brightly and rolled onto his side so he could lean over and kiss Draco, his hand fanning Draco's pale chest when deepening the kiss. Draco brought his hand up to cup Harry's chin, his thumb rubbing against Harry's jawbone.

"Harry..."

"Yeah?" Harry ignored all the flowers around them as the only view he loves to see and finds beautiful is his naked boyfriend.

"Remember that flower meadow a couple of meters away from the gazebo?" asked Draco, opening his eyes to stare deeply and livingly into emerald green ones. Harry nodded. "If you think of what we just did now, and what's growing around us this very minute and compare that to the other flower meadow...what do you get?"

Harry's mouth fell open, understanding what Draco meant. He pondered who the couple could have been. "You mean...someone could have been here before we found this place and they shagged in that very spot?"

Draco gave a nod. He sat up and kissed Harry before getting up on his knees and having a look around them. He smirked at the flower meadow he and Harry made, which went on for about seven meters on either side of them. "It seems we've made a lot of love together," he states gleefully. "This meadow is large."

Harry sat up and glanced all around himself and Draco. "Merlin's Beard..." He whispered in surprise but grinned. "Maybe we should do this again sometime to expand the meadow," he says quickly. "Or create new ones."

"How about our Second-Year Anniversary of being a couple or perhaps Valentine's Day?" Draco requested him and stood up, dusting himself off but there wasn't any dirt on him. It's the joys of making love in the Garden of Amare.

"That sounds truly delightful, Draco," Harry says, standing up and gathering his clothes from around them on the grass. "I feel like a nap in Gryffindor Tower." He took a quick sip of his leftover Butterbeer. "Want to come?"

"Can this napping session be less napping and more shagging?" Draco asked him gently with a pleading smile, walking over to wrap an arm around him and press his slightly wet cock to Harry's, but Harry shook his head and leans away. He rolls his eyes with a mutter of, "Fine."

Once they were dressed, they headed up to Gryffindor Tower, finishing off their Butterbeers. They collapsed down onto Harry's bed once inside the dorm, exhausted from the walk up to Gryffindor Tower but also the shagging.

Harry pressed his cheek against Draco's warm one, snaking his arm around his blonde Slytherin boyfriend's waist for a snuggling session. He recalls how chilly the corridors were when he and Draco walked out of the secret tunnel out of the Garden of Amare. He's glad they're up in the tower, by the warm fireplace, snuggled up to each other. He could fall asleep in this position with Draco.

Harry smiled when looking up at the blonde Slytherin. It seems Draco's already fallen asleep, and it only took him a few minutes. His boyfriend is all adorable like that, so tired like a sleepy blonde kitten.

Slowly, Harry was also starting to fall asleep from the exhaustion of being fucked. But loud footsteps were then heard, causing him to open his eyes and stare at the person who entered the dormitory. It was Seamus.

Seamus had walked in but stopped when noticing the two other males in the dormitory. The Slytherin was asleep, but his dorm mate wasn't. He gave him a smile and said in a quietened tone, "Good afternoon, Harry."

"Afternoon, Seamus," said Harry just as quietly, sitting hesitantly up and returning the smile at the other bloke. "What are you doing here without Dean?"

"Oh, Dean's coming," Seamus mumbles, and as he said that Dean walked through the door of the dormitory. He smiled at Dean, walked up to him and smacked his lips wetly onto his.

Harry looked away from the snogging boys and at Draco who was still sound asleep. He reached out and just gently touched his Slytherin boyfriend's soft blonde hair but pushed it back a little. He smiled and pressed his lips to the sleeping Slytherin's warm ones. When he leaned away, he noticed a smirk on Draco's lips. That just made him chuckle softly, realising that he woke the Slytherin up. "Sorry for waking you up, my love," he whispered while running his fingers through Draco's hair.

Draco opened his eyes slowly, mystifying silver staring into bright emerald green. He smiled and reached his hand up to caress Harry's cheek. "I love you, Harry, my gorgeous Gryffindor," he replies smoothly.

There was a gag on the other side of the room. Harry didn't care who gagged, he was focused on Draco. But Draco sat up and glared at the Irish Gryffindor.

"What is it, Finnegan?" muttered Draco, but was loud enough for Seamus and Dean to hear. If they didn't want to hear him and Harry flirt, can't they just leave? "Don't you and Thomas sweet-talk and complement each other?"

"We have our moments," said Dean, who was now lying down on his bed, distractedly flipping the page over of his Transfiguration textbook.

"Draco," Harry said at once, cutting his boyfriend off as he knew he would say something rudely smart to his dorm mates. "Remember that magical garden we found?"

Draco looked at him, just for a minute, but then nodded as he knew Harry wanted a few questions answered by these dorm mates of his. "Yes, I remember it," he says. "Had a Gazebo, a little clearing of trees." He smiled at the memory of one of his birthdays planned there, all by his Harry. "A flower meadow...oh, and a maze."

Seamus and Dean looked at each other from their own beds, curiosity present on their faces.

"Yeah...," muttered Harry, nodding his head slowly. "The maze even had a statue. I think it was of a woman."

"Tell us a bit more of this...magical garden?" asked Seamus a little desperately. He looked like he knew something they didn't.

Harry just shrugged. "It's just a muggle garden we found on the outskirts of Hogwarts," he tells him blankly. Then he raised an eyebrow at his dorm mates. "Why? Do you know of some magical garden that we don't?"

Seamus still looked as if he knew something, whereas Dean was hiding his emotions by reading his textbook.

"Wait..." said Harry tardily, sitting up a little straighter and crossing his legs to stare at them curiously. "Do you?"

Seamus swallowed; he was never too good at keeping things when the topic emerged. It just has never surfaced before. He looked at Dean, who lowered his book from his face to look back at him and nodded. He fidgeted with the hem of his jumper sleeve, clearly a little nervous about this topic. "Um, actually... there's this garden inside Hogwarts-."

Harry nodded, already knowing where and what Seamus meant. "The garden of Amare."

"Is that what that place is called?" Dean suddenly asked, finding the conversation about a certain garden a little interesting.

Draco nodded at the Gryffindor still reading, but Harry continued. "If you haven't figured it out already, the name 'Amare' in Latin means love," he says, smiling at Draco and placing his hand over Draco's knee. "It literally is called 'The garden of love' or 'The garden to love'." He looks back at Dean and Seamus, "Dobby, my late house elf, said that only true lovers find that place."

Seamus and Dean both blushed when hearing that and stared at each other with loving smiles. Draco intertwined his hand with Harry's, smiling widely at the memory of finding the garden on such a...sad but romantic day. It was the day Ivy tried to... But now she is. He can't bring her back. Only remember her by his memories.

Harry smiled at Draco, leaned over and gave him a short but gentle kiss. "You know, Seamus and Dean," he said as he stared into pools of silver with a hint of blue. "We found a garden meadow right next to the gazebo." He looked away from those breathtaking silver eyes of his boyfriend to glance at his dorm mates on the other side of the dorm room. "You don't have anything to do with it do you?"

Seamus' face reddened, and Dean hid his face with his book again. Seamus recalled what happened on that day. "It was an accident!" Seamus blurted out. Dean raised an eyebrow slowly. "Well, not an actual accident... but it just happened when Dean and I..."

Draco smirked at the Irish Gryffindor, finding it funny how he can't even say sex. "Had sex?" he asks loudly. Seamus nodded. "I won't give you the entire details, but when Harry and I did it, flowers started blooming all around us. It was odd, yet spectacular."

"When I and Shay did it and started seeing flowers grow around us, we were pretty scared and thought that we were getting cursed," said Dean, grimacing at the odd memory of watching flowers grow around them. Though he definitely enjoyed the sex. "In normal gardens, that doesn't happen."

"Oh," said Harry, sounding highly amused and delighted. "So, you've been shagging in numerous gardens then?"

Draco started laughing, clutching his hand over his stomach. Seamus couldn't help but give a little sheepish smile, with a darkened blush shown on his face.

"No," said Dean hoarsely, but the blush on his face told Harry and Draco otherwise.

"Dean, it's okay," Harry says softly. "Even if you left a mark, we did also, and it'll probably stay there for a long time." Draco smiled, liking the idea of his and Harry's sexual mark being a small field of flowers. "If we somehow managed to get cursed in that garden, I am pretty sure we would have noticed the effects by now."

"Maybe it takes 24 hours to reach an effect?" opposed Dean with a quick shrug. His fingers were loosely clasped in his lap after putting his book down on his pillow.

"Dean, if that were the case, then we would have suffered from whatever curse that deluged itself over us," Seamus explained flatly, joining Dean on his bed and placing an arm around him, wanting some attention all of a sudden.

Dean smiled at Seamus, knowing what his boyfriend wants just by a sense. So, he placed his arms around Seamus, giving him what he wants and a kiss on the forehead. And when doing so, he looked up at Harry's bed and beamed at the sight of Harry and Draco lightly snogging each other, innocently but slowly. He loves seeing two people in love. However, he loves the look in Seamus' shiny blue eyes when he stares up at him. It's purely beautiful.

*****

"Harry, what's that?" Draco asked loudly, catching up to Harry in the corridors and it seemed Harry was heading outside. He stared at the large circular object in Harry's hands with black and white dots. Dots with edges on them. Intriguing...

"What, this?" Harry threw the football up into the air and caught it as it came back down. "It's a football. It's Dean's. I was going to join them down at the Quidditch Pitch for a round of Football or two. Did you want to come?"

"Yeah...," Draco nodded, though he did not know what Football is. All he knows is that it must be a muggle sport. "Um... sure," he said hesitantly, and he poked one of the octagon black squares on the ball with his slender finger. "But what's Football?"

Harry smiled and linked arms with his Blonde Slytherin, holding the ball to his waist with his other hand. "It's sort of like Quidditch, but with only one ball," he explains simply. "The rules are simple. You're not allowed to touch the ball with your hands or it's a penalty. You can only kick the ball and try to score a goal through the other team's goal."

"Kick?" Draco says, confused.

Harry smiled at the Pure-blooded wizard's knowledge of Muggle sports, dropped the ball down on the floor, and kicked it with the side of his foot. The ball flew through the air, bouncing off one of the corridor walls and nearly hit Sir Headless Nick, but it would have gone through him anyway.

"Whoa," said Draco, surprised at how bouncy the black and white muggle object is. None of the Quidditch balls is bouncy, besides the Bludgers but they have a mind of their own.

Harry ran after the football, and when he retrieved it, he jogged back to Draco and linked arms with him again and started walking down to the Quidditch pitch with him. "Football has two teams, like Quidditch, but it is on the ground," he says, kicking the ball gently as they move forward. "You try kicking the ball away from the other team."

"I still don't understand," Draco mutters, watching Harry kick the ball for every two steps he takes. A game, on the ground, with only one ball, and no brooms...

Harry smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "You will see what I mean when we get down there," he says, nearly tripping over the ball when he gets distracted by the charming smile Draco gives him. "I-If you want, you can just watch from the stands." He runs a hand through his hair and grins at him. He just knows he'll become distracted by Draco during the little Soccer game with Dean and Seamus "Football is a little dangerous, to be honest. The ball doesn't hurt as bad as a bludger when it hits you, but it does hurt if you don't catch it in time."

Draco didn't want anything to do with a hurtful ball, that could somehow come at him. The thought of becoming injured by a muggle ball made him grimace.

"HEADS!" Harry shouted, before kicking the ball over the side of the Quidditch Pitch. He grinned at how high the ball went. About six meters above the ground.

Draco was astounded. Never once in his lifetime has, he ever seen a ball being kicked up into the sky. Thrown and hit by bludgers, yes, but never kicked. Harry just made it look so easy.

"OI!" someone shouted. Harry laughed and walked with Draco onto the Pitch where he then saw Seamus rubbing his forehead head like he's been hit on the head and Dean was bouncing the ball up on one leg and then to the other easily.

"Hey, guys!" said Harry cheerfully, keeping Draco close to him with an arm around his waist. "Ready for that round?"

"Sure are," said Dean, continuing to bounce the football on his knees repeatedly. "We didn't think Draco would come, though."

"You don't mind, do you?" asked Draco softly to them. He didn't want to get hit in the head by this ball. He just wanted to watch how the game was played. Well, to mostly watch Harry play.

"Not at all," mumbles Seamus, feeling around his forehead for a bump. When satisfied knowing there wasn't any bump on his head, he placed his hands on his waist. "Are ye playing or just watching?"

"I think I'll just watch," said Draco, stepping away from the three Gryffindors. "I don't want to...err...get kicked in the face or hit by the ball."

Dean sent the ball rocketing high up in the air with just a bump of his knee and caught it when it came back down. "Why would you think you'll injure yourself?" he asks the Slytherin flatly. "It rarely happens on the field."

Draco looked down at the muggle ball and shrugged. It just looked dangerous if he'd get hit by it. "It reminds me too much of a bludger," he drawls, "besides the odd colours."

Seamus laughed, ignoring the glare his way from the Slytherin. "Let's get into the game then," he said at last and placed an arm around Dean's shoulder.

Harry and Dean nodded. Before they started, Harry placed his arms around his Slytherin boyfriend's waist and kissed him. It was only a quick smooch, though. Then he leaned away, but he bit down on Draco's bottom lip and dragged it towards him.

Draco then chuckled; Harry was now sucking on his bottom lip. "Go play your game, Harry," he said, mishearing himself say 'play' to 'pway' and 'game' to 'gwame'.

Harry smiled with teeth, still nibbling on the Slytherin's bottom lip. He let the Slytherin's lip go but placed a kiss on his lip with a loud "Mwah!" He leaned away, slowly removing his hands from the warm Slytherin's waist and walked backwards to Seamus and Dean.

Draco smiled at his green-eyed Gryffindor and went up the Slytherin stands to find a place to sit. He just watched the three Gryffindors below him kick the ball around and try to kick it through the Quidditch hoop poles. He didn't get it. Were they trying to kick the ball up into the ring? If they were, they're not doing a very good job at it. They were missing by about fifty meters.

Then he saw Harry just standing by the hoop poles, his hand pushing back his sweaty messy black hair and smiling as bright as the sun. Draco could have drooled and fallen off his seat. He was too mesmerised by Harry's appearance that he couldn't think properly. And then Harry uses the corners of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead, and Draco leans to the side of his seat to view Harry's tight chest and light nipples. Now he was drooling.

Harry caught Draco staring at him and winked, but unfortunately, the blonde Slytherin was a little too far away for him to see any adorable redness in his boyfriend's cheeks.

Draco was blushing. He could see that wink easily from Harry. He smiled and looked down at his fingers, feeling like the luckiest person alive to have Harry as a boyfriend, whom he loves so much. He doesn't care about Harry's fame but admits it can be a little annoying like the Daily Prophet articles.

Harry then ran after Dean, who had the football at his feet. Seamus was beside Dean, trying to take the ball away from him but knowing Dean and his muggle football skills that he's had for years could easily trick Harry and Seamus into thinking he was going to kick a ball one way when really, he kicked it the other.

Harry grunted and sped past Dean, even if the other bloke was taller than him and tried stopping him by running in his way, but the taller bloke just tricked him and ran to the left. Dean is so bloody good at this! Harry never really played football that much, except during primary school years and years ago. He remembers he never got picked up first when doing sport. He was always the last because nobody liked him. Such a dark memory from the past. He pushed that dark thought aside, not wanting to think back then, and looked up at Draco who was checking out his nails. That put a smile on Harry's face. He finds it adorable how his Slytherin boyfriend likes to check out his nails. Posh little git. But Draco is his posh, adorable little git.

When Draco looked down at him, wriggled his fingers and winked, Harry blushed and bit his lip as he got back to chasing Dean, but it seemed like Dean had already scored a goal. It was hard playing a sport when Draco was there to distract him. How the hell do Seamus and Dean do it?

Dean chucked his shift off, exposing his brown skin. Harry sniggered at Seamus who just stared at Dean like he was mesmerised. Harry knew Seamus was mesmerised by Dean. He's the same whenever Draco takes off his shirt or when he sees Draco naked, showing his pure raw beauty. Now he was looking up at Draco, becoming distracted. Harry blushed as Draco winked at him again. Merlin... He bit his lip, looked away and searched for the ball. Just behind Dean, was the ball, so Harry ran over it.

Running past Dean and an entranced Seamus, Harry kicked the ball away from Dean and chased it. He heard a "GO HARRY!" and grinned, but to Harry's annoyance, he heard a thundering of footsteps and knew Seamus and Dean were after him. So, he continued after the football, running as fast as he could, feeling beads of sweat drip down his forehead.

Dean and Seamus ran after Harry until they were by Harry's side. Seamus tripped Harry over, which made it easier for Dean to kick the ball away.

Harry fell to the floor, but his arms helped him from injuring himself. He sighed, a little irritated. What happened to not cheating in games? He stood up and dusted himself off, narrowing his eyes at the two blokes who were grinning in front of him. "Now that wasn't very fair, was it?" he mutters, crossing his arms.

Seamus shrugged. "We never stated any rules, and I did what I had to do," he said, grinning mischievously.

Harry rolled his eyes, muttering, "Of course, you did, Seamus."

Seamus still grinned, then turned to Dean and placed his arms around his sweaty body. "Head back up to Gryffindor Tower?" He ran his hand down Dean's sweaty torso which shone in the sunlight to him. "Just ye and me?"

Dean smiled at him and nodded when turning around and picking the football up. "Let's go," he says at once, placing his free arm around Seamus. "See you, Harry!"

Harry was already heading up the Slytherin stands when Dean and Seamus were walking away. When he neared Draco, he sat next to him and felt Déjà vu. This reminded him of when he and Draco first became friends, and Draco was watching him from the stands while he was flying on his broom. It was their first actual decent conversation together as acquaintances.

"You're all sweaty," Draco says but it doesn't look like he minded at all. He looks quite amused, maybe even a little aroused. He smiled when seeing how shiny his boyfriend's skin was due to the sweat. He ran the palm of his hand around Harry's neck, not caring how sweaty it was.

"Yes, it's what happens to the human body when it works out," said Harry, sarcasm clear in his voice. Draco rolled his eyes playfully. "Not that Malfoy's sweat because I don't think I've ever seen you sweat."

"You're right, Harry," Draco mumbles. "Malfoys don't sweat." He was close enough that he can feel the warmth of Harry's bare chest through the warm cashmere of his sweater; close enough that he can smell the rich, earthy scent of Harry's skin. "But a young Draco Malfoy wouldn't mind if he had a shower with his Gryffindor boyfriend, even if it means getting dirty under the water." He winked at that.

Harry smiled, his heart flipping excitingly, and he was blushing at that idea Draco gave him. "Let's not waste time then." 

********************************************

FACT: STEPHEN KING THOUGHT DOLORES UMBRIDGE WAS A GREAT VILLAIN.

In his review of Order of the Phoenix for Entertainment Weekly, King said, "The gently smiling Dolores Umbridge, with her girlish voice, toadlike face, and clutching, stubby fingers, is the greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter."