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I'm sorry for this chapter and what lies down below. Truly! ;-;

But it will get better. Trust me.

:)

Again, I'm sorry.

I hope You all will forgive me.

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 Blaise woke up quickly as something loud had crashed... or banged. He didn't know which it was. The next thing he knew his stepfather had stormed into his bedroom looking much like he is in pain, and his brown hair, which is usually slicked back, stood up on all ends as if he walked into a tornado. That was new to see. And his father was clutching his arm, it disturbed him, especially what he has under his sleeves.

"Blaise," Mr Zabini scrunched his face and hissed. "C-Come with me, quick!"

Blaise shook his head at his stepfather. He's not going anywhere with this man. He grimaced at how much pain his stepfather looks like he's in. "No, father," he replies quietly. "I'm good right here."

"Now!" Mr Zabini spat hotly. He stalked over to his stepson's bed, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out.

Blaise felt tears well up in his eyes as he struggled to get out of his stepfather's grasp. "I'm not going anywhere!" It was too late, his stepfather had apparated him out of their Manor and to where he knows, by the look of the darkened dining room and Mrs and Mr Malfoy sitting down looking stunned, Malfoy Manor.

His heart started thumping against his chest painfully as he saw the Dark Lord sitting at the end of the large dining table. Luckily, he didn't see Draco anywhere so that was a good thing. Maybe that's why Narcissa sent Draco to the Burrow... to protect him... He wished he had parents like that.

He kept his eyes down when he walked over to a seat next to his mother. When did she get here? He could feel Mrs Malfoy's eyes searching him and probably wondering why he was here in the first place. And then the Dark Lord Spoke and it send shivers down his spine from how old and evil he sounded.

"Ah, Blaise Zabini, is it?"

Bellatrix's eyebrow raised at the name she's heard before and she looked at her sister, who was staring at the young wizard.

Blaise nodded at the man, whose eyes were as red as blood and as cold as the deep arctic sea. He also had no nose, which was even more disturbing. He then realised, as he bravely looked around the dining table, that he was amongst many Death Eaters who should be in Azkaban right now. Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback, some weird rat-looking guy, Barty Couch Jr, Antonin Dolohov, Alecto and Amycus Carrow.

The last person who he thought would be here, who helped him and Harry through their depression was Severus Snape. How dare the man be on this side! How dare he! How dare he, Harry's new father, betrays him! He could have been telling everyone's secrets to this Death Eater crew and Voldemort! He could have told everything Harry and himself go through to Voldemort.

Blaise glared at the man, but Severus only kept a straight face and looked away. Blaise could only see the mask the professor puts on every day in Potion's class. The mask that scares all the First, second and third-year students of Hogwarts. The mask that always scares the sweetly innocent Neville Longbottom.

"Welcome all my fellow associates," started Voldemort with his bone-chilling smile. "So glad to see all of your faces again."

More like sad, depressive, and frightened faces, Blaise thought as he looked back down at the black wooden dining table that once used to hold food. What does it hold now? Nothing but the smell of death.

"As I still don't know what happened to my dear Nagini-" said Voldemort coldly and Lucius winced at the name as he knew what exactly happened to the snake that belonged to the Dark Lord. "-I'll be flying solo. Tell me," he says when looking around the table at his many friends, "what is the latest news in the UK?"

"Firstly, my Lord," Bellatrix started softly with a pout, giving him a pained look for the loss of his deadly but beautiful snake, "I'm sorry for your loss. Nagini was a beautiful and great Snake."

"Yes, yes she was," responded Voldemort sadly with a little nod. He sighs and replayed all the good memories he had with Nagini. "Best snake friend I ever had."

Everyone nodded in agreement, but really, they had to.

Alecto raised his wand to speak. "I killed a couple of muggles," he said proudly, his chin high and he rubbed the tip of his wand under his neck. It tickled to his disliking. "Pathetic, they are," he says and scoffs at the memory of the muggles trying to escape him. "Can't even protect themselves."

"Ah, good job, Alecto," Voldemort said in that cold tone but he sounds like he was hissing the words instead of saying them. The hissing grew louder as he says, "A job well done." Alecto smirked. "Anyone else?"

There was then silence. Blaise was glad nobody else killed anyone. Can't the Aurors just get here already and send these Death Eaters to Azkaban? Except for Mr and Mrs Malfoy, of course. They're nice people, and he knows how upset Draco would be if both his parents were sent to Azkaban.

He looked up and locked eyes with his Potion's professor. He still couldn't believe this man would betray him, Draco and Harry. Or even the Weasley's! He didn't know who this man was anymore. The man who smiled at Harry's birthday, the one who signed his signature to take Harry in as a son, the man who helped Harry and himself with dealing with his depression. How dare he even show up for Harry's birthday at all!

Blaise sat uncomfortably on his seat and looked back down at the table. Why did his parents have to bring him here anyway? He's not doing anything except listen to stupid conversations about killing muggles and a few wizards in Scotland and East England.

"Blaise, my good child," said Voldemort suddenly. He looked right through the younger Zabini. Right through him and grinned. Blaise swallowed and looked up at the man. "Tell us, do you know Harry Potter? What classes in Hogwarts do you share?"

Blaise just wanted to groan and storm out of the room. He had to lie to this man, of course. He couldn't exactly say he's the boyfriend to Harry's best mate. That'd just make things worse. And the glare Severus was giving him, told him to obviously lie. Why wouldn't he lie to protect his friends and boyfriend?

"Potter and I have Potion's together and a few other classes," he responded as calmly as he could, which wasn't how calm he thought he sounded and he added bitterness to mentioning Harry's name. "We hardly speak, though," he drawls with a sneer. "He's always on the other side of the room with all the other Gryffindor's. Gryffindorks, to be honest."

The Death Eaters and Voldemort laughed hysterically.

"Potions, ah," mutters Voldemort and he looked to his left at the man which he knows is excellent in Potions. "And Severus?" he asks flatly. "Don't you teach Potion's at Hogwarts?"

"Unfortunately, I do," Severus deadpanned. What he wanted to know was what Blaise Zabini, Draco's best friend and Ron Weasley's lover, is doing here in Malfoy Manor with a bunch of adult Death Eaters who kill for a living. He knew that Blaise would never join the Dark Lord's side because of his relationship with Ronald Weasley. He hoped the young male knew how to block out certain memories, so the Dark Lord doesn't see them. Merlin, save him if the Dark Lord sees Harry's birthday through Blaise's mind.

"Mr Potter is terrible in Potions," Severus told them, sneering at the grade he knew Harry got on his O.W.L.S. which was an E and he is very proud of Harry. "His best friend, Mr Ronald Weasley, even got a better grade than him," he added with a smirk. That was, of course, a lie.

Blaise looked up at his professor at the mention of his boyfriend. How dare he even say Ron's name!

"Is that so?" asked Voldemort, intrigued. He twirled his wand around with his fingers. "It would be a shame if something happened to Mr Weasley wouldn't it-" He looked at the young wizard with a cold grin. "Blaise?"

Blaise felt the sudden anger boil through his veins. He just felt like crawling over the table and strangling this man, shouting at him to never touch his boyfriend and to never say anything like that ever again. But he knows he'll most likely get killed if he even tried doing such a thing.

Blaise straightened his posture up and looked at the Dark Lord with as much confidence as he could muster. "I honestly wouldn't care if something were to happen to the Weasel," he said tightly, lip curling. He felt tears well up in the back of his eyes again at the terrible words he's using but he blinked them away. "He's annoying as well. It would be better if he was off the face of this damn Earth!"

Everyone stared at Blaise. Some in shock, others in amusement and nodding their heads.

Voldemort just felt this conversation got even better. "Really?" he asks a little in disbelief as he has seen plenty in the young Slytherin's mind. "Well, would you like to tell us the truth about your relationship with Mr Weasley then?"

Blaise looked down at the table wide eyes in horror. Does the man know something about his actual relationship with Ron? Surely, he can't of... He looked at his parents for help, but they just looked away, so Blaise was unable to know what to do now. He looked over at Severus for help, begging him to help him.

Severus looked the other way. Why the hell did the Zabini's let their kid come to this darn meeting? It was too dangerous for a teenage boy to know what Death Eaters are up to. He does want to help the boy but doesn't want to lose trust with the Dark Lord. After all, he is a spy for both Dumbledore and Voldemort.

"Blaise, I'm not patient with these things," said Voldemort airily, his cold red eyes drilling into Blaise's brown ones. "Tell me about your true relationship with Ronald Weasley."

Everyone now looked at Blaise. Narcissa swallowed, but she calmed down as Lucius squeezed her hand from under the table. This was just too much. Too much for a young teenager to bear. She had to do something was but too afraid.

"I- Um... I-" stuttered Blaise and fiddled with his fingers under the table. "I... He's my rival," he finally says without any embarrassing stutters.

"Oh, how... disgustingly adorable," said Voldemort blithely. "Little Blaise Zabini is sticking up for his boyfriend," he adds in a mock-baby tone, and Bellatrix, Peter, and the Carrows cackled. Lucius, Severus, and Narcissa just forced a laugh.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Blaise barks quickly at the Dark Lord. Even the words he said to Voldemort hurt him deep inside.

"You dare lie to me!" Voldemort spat at him and his eyes narrowed into slits. He pointed his wand at the boy, smirking as those teenagers' brown eyes widened in horror and he shouted, "CRUCIO!"

Blaise screamed out in pain and fell off his chair. This felt as if this would be worse than one thousand hot knives boring into his skin. He tried his best to crawl to the back wall, but every move he made just made the pain increase in his body ten times. He hated this. He wanted to die. Why can't Voldemort just kill him and get it over with? His eyes watered and he clenched his teeth. This was just too much to bear. Just kill me, he wanted to shout.

Voldemort stood up and walked over to the screaming boy lying on the floor with a wicked smile. He's never hurt a child before besides Harry Potter, so this was something new and incredibly amusing.

Bellatrix laughed riotously as this is the best thing she has ever seen besides the Longbottom's she Crucio'd years ago.

Severus, Lucius and Narcissa couldn't believe their eyes. They knew the dark lord was bad, but hurting a child? Yes, they knew the Dark Lord tried to kill Harry when he was a baby, but Cruciating a child? It was horrifying.

Narcissa just wanted this to stop. This was her sons' best friend the Dark Lord had hurt. She'd do anything to save the boy. Watching Blaise twitch on the floor angered her so much she'd duel the Dark Lord herself but knew she couldn't do that. She doesn't want to risk hurting her only family.

Mrs Zabini let a teardrop from her eyes, and she let it fall onto her lap, while her husband paid no attention to his son or wife.

Narcissa felt like hexing Blaise's parents for not acting up when they should be. Their poor son is in a lot of pain! She just wanted to leave this place and take her husband and Blaise with her. She doesn't care where they go if they could. She even tried getting up, but Lucius had kept her down, knowing it was a bad idea.

This was killing Narcissa. She refused to think what it would be like if her own son had the Cruciatus curse thrown at him. Just seeing her son's body lay on the floor, twitching and turning and her son screams of pain. It was dreadful to think about, and even worse when seeing it happen to Blaise.

Blaise squeezed his eyes shut; he didn't want to look up at anybody. He felt weak. Weak and Pathetic. The more he tried to calm himself, the more the pain seemed to come to him. he felt his body begin to go into shock and slowly shut off. He tried letting it, but he could only stay awake and suffer through more of this. "J-Just kill me, please," he begged while expelling a grunt of pain. "I don't deserve t-to live."

There was silence throughout the room from what Blaise had admitted. A lot of the Death Eaters were curious why a young boy would say such a dark thing.

Narcissa let out a small gasp from what she heard but quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She made it sound like a hiccup.

"No," drawled Voldemort with a deep sigh. He ran the tip of his wand along his long pale fingers. "I won't kill you as long as you tell me where Harry Potter is. And I promise you, your boyfriend will not be hurt if you succeed in telling me where Harry Potter's location is."

All those tears Blaise held in started running down his face, drenching his cheeks in wetness. He doesn't know what options they are apart from these. He'd rather die than tell this evil wizard where his boyfriend's best mate is. But he doesn't want anything happening to Ron, or anyone else. If he dies, then he could risk everyone he loves dying, and if he tells this wizard, then of course everyone he does love will get hurt or worse.

He doesn't believe the Dark Lord will keep his promise. Even though he just met this man today, he can tell by looking into those blood-red eyes that this man cannot be trusted with promises at all. "No," he breathed out and looked up at the man. He suddenly felt walls go up in his mind. "I won't tell you where Harry's location is! I'll never tell you or anyone here!"

Voldemort stared right through him again with a cold glare and said coldly, "That just leaves me no choice then." He raised his wand directly at the boy's chest. "AvADA Ked-"

"WAIT!" Yelled Mr Zabini as he knows his wife truly did love this young boy. His mouth fell open, and his lip curled back.

Voldemort turned around and assessed his Death Eaters, trying to find who disturbed him. He saw the only person with their mouth open. "Raffaele Zabini," he hissed. "You dare interrupt me!"

"I know where the Potter boy is!" Mr Zabini informed Voldemort quickly. "I overheard my stepson a couple of days ago as he stepped into the Floo and Floo'd to a place called The Berrow," he says grimly. "That's what I think he said anyway."

Blaise glared at his step-father and his big mouth. He knew he shouldn't have gone to the Burrow to celebrate Harry's birthday. Now the Death Eaters have found out where Harry, Ron, and Draco is, sort of.

"The Berrow?" repeated Voldemort in a low voice and he had a slack expression on his face. "Pettigrew!" he shouts and looked immediately at the rat-man next to Amycus Carrow.

Peter Pettigrew grimaced at how loud the Dark Lord has said his name. "Y-Yes my L-Lord?" he stuttered, his clammy hands shaking over the table.

"I want you to go to the Berrow, spy on the place and inform me of the going-ons there," Voldemort instructed. "Use your animagi form too."

"O-Of course, m-my lord!" said Peter with a low nod. Peter hurriedly rushed out of the room, knowing exactly where to go as he was Ron and Percy Weasley's pet rat for a couple of years.

"The place is actually called 'The Burrow'," Severus spoke up, even if every bit of him hated him for saying the truth. His own son is at the Burrow and he doesn't want anything to happen to him either.

"Thank you, Severus," said Voldemort with very little gratitude. When Severus nodded, Voldemort's eyes travelled back to the young boy on the floor. "Now what should I do with you?" he asks slowly, though is uninterested in what could happen with this boy.

Blaise gulped and moved backwards an inch. He just wanted to escape because all thanks to him, Voldemort knows where Harry and Draco are now. What would happen to Mr and Mrs Malfoy when Voldemort finds their son at the Burrow? He could picture it already. Voldemort killing Draco's parents, Draco running up to his only family, now dead, crying his heart out and wishing they could come back. He couldn't think that, though.

"I say leave him be," sneered Mr Zabini down at his stepson.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" shouted the Dark Lord, and Mr Zabini watched everything around him turn into darkness. Mr Zabini's body fell off the chair, landing motionless and sprawled out on the floor.

A few Death Eater's gasped at the death of one of their members, others frowned, and the rest all smiled evilly.

Mrs Zabini didn't even shed a tear. She just smiled grievously. All she wanted was the man's riches and now she has it. She can thank the Dark Lord for that.

Blaise frowned. He was able to at least sit up. But the sight of his stepfather dead on the floor will be in his nightmares for a very long time. It'll be hard to forget. Those cold dark eyes staring right back at him.

Lucius rubbed his hand over his face. Why is this even happening, he kept asking himself. Why must Blaise be in the middle of this all? And yet again, another dead body he has to get rid of somehow.

"My lord," Mrs Zabini spoke up shakily with a frown, "may I please take my son home? I think he's seen enough for today."

"Very well, Theresa," Voldemort sneered, his cold red eyes drawing close together. "However, I would like to see young Mr Zabini at our next meeting."

"Of course, my Lord," Mrs Zabini said quickly, stood up from her seat and strut over to her son. Placing a hand on her son's shoulders and ignoring the flinch her son gave her, she apparated them both back to Zabini manor.

Once Blaise could see the light brown wooden floorboards of Zabini manor underneath him, he fell down but luckily enough caught himself on his hands. He just felt exhausted. Especially when Voldemort used the Cruciatus Curse on him.

"Blaise... my darling boy," Mrs Zabini said softly, got down on her knees in front of her son and cradled him in her arms. Everything she saw this morning was devastating. Seeing her teenage son screaming out in pain from that unforgivable curse really made her stop and think about her life right now and what she's doing with it. "I'm so sorry you were forced into attending the meetings. It wasn't my intention to bring you there, it was your fathers."

"Stepfather," Blaise corrected her. He vacantly stared at his mother's golden wedding ring and knew there were six others in her jewellery box somewhere as well as other trinkets every man she married was up in her room.

Mrs Zabini didn't scold her son like always when he'd interrupt her. She just hugged him tightly. "And I apologise for how your stepfather treated you," she mutters sadly and raised her hand to her son's hair, stroking his head of hair gently and recalls having not done this in a long time. "I should have never married that man," she frowns, "It was ruthless of me. And I'm terribly sorry for how I treated you. It broke my heart to see the Dark Lord do something so vile to my only child. The child I love."

"If you loved me, you would put my happiness before yours," Blaise deadpans, looking down at the floor. Nothing his mother will apologise for will make up for what she did and what he suffered with. His stepfather was the one to abuse him, not his mother, but still... his mother never stopped his stepfather from hurting him or even helped him with anything at all.

"How can I do that, Blaise?" Mrs Zabini asked him quietly and pressed a kiss to his temple. "How can I prove, after everything I've done, that I really do love you?"

"You can start by stop continuously marrying men, mother," Blaise replies at once, scowling a little from the kiss he hasn't had in months. He avoided eye contact; he just couldn't look at his mother. "I'm getting tired of seeing men come and go. It's like repeating a day millions of times. It's tiring. If you want a man in your life, just pick one and stick with that man for the rest of your life."

Mrs Zabini doesn't think she'll be able to do that, but she'll try for her son. "I promise I'll try." Then she realised something. Maybe all she ever needed was her son, not some bloke with power and money. She understood she doesn't need any more of it, all she needs is her son.

Mrs Zabini just flooded her son with apologies when realising how bad of a mother she was, but Blaise just won't forget about everything he was screamed at for, even the little things, and how much his stepfather and mother had hurt him.

*****

Severus, Lucius and Narcissa all sat down in the lounge room of Malfoy Manor once they knew all the Death Eaters, Voldemort and Bellatrix had left. They were shocked out of their right minds when seeing Draco's best friend go down with the Cruciatus Curse.

Narcissa's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to understand everything that happened. She felt so lightheaded, and also very dizzy at the recent memories of earlier this morning. "Why would they—his own parents—let Blaise attend such a meeting?" she asks with a low voice in shock and Lucius just rubs at his eyes while thinking the same.

"Don't you both know what Blaise is suffering from?" Severus asked them flatly, his lips pressed tightly together. "What Theresa and Raffaele do to the young teenager?"

"Please, it can't be that bad compared to what we saw the Dark Lord do to him," Narcissa barked darkly. She swallowed hard. "Didn't you see him and what he had to feel? Pain, Severus. Pain!"

"I, unfortunately, saw it," Severus muttered under his breath. "I saw everything," he sneered. "I'm his therapist! It pains me to see him suffer right before my eyes."

Lucius felt sore in his chest and lungs. Never ever will he forget the screams of his son's best friend echoing through these walls. It would probably stay as a reminder of what went through this Manor.

"And," added Severus with a scowl, remembering the man who died today. "That man who perished, Raffaele Zabini, spouse of Theresa Zabini, is the one who broke Blaise. That man used the Cruciatus Curse on Blaise and tortured him for the little things he did."

Narcissa gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. And she thought Harry's abuse was the worst thing possible, which it still is, but this was worse. "Did Theresa never once try to stop that man from hurting her son at all?!" she asked heatedly. "Couldn't she see what Raffaele was doing to him?"

Severus shook his head. "Frankly, I don't distinguish it."

"Should someone head to their Manor and check on Blaise, if it's fretting having him all alone with Theresa?" Lucius suddenly asked, repeatedly crossing arms with unease at the conversation. He just wants to get the body of Raffaele out of his Manor so he doesn't haunt it.

"I believe that's a good idea," Narcissa responded quickly with a small nod. She wanted to see for herself how Theresa treats Blaise and to tell Blaise that he may come over to Malfoy Manor whenever he wants to for a talk and a stroll through the gardens. "In fact, I'll do it."

Lucius looked at her with raised brows, surprised she'd even risk getting hexed by Theresa for entering the Manor without notice. "Are you sure, Cissy?" he asks softly, his eyes glinting. "Can I at least come with you?"

"If you wish," replied Narcissa quietly with a little smile. She needed the extra willpower anyway and someone to keep her calm if she sees anything terrible in Zabini Manor. She got up and headed over to the Floo. Lucius gave Severus a nod goodbye and followed his wife into the Floo network.

When they entered the Zabini Manor's lounge room, they both froze and felt a feeling of breathlessness and heat radiating through their chests.

Narcissa placed her hand over her smiling mouth and Lucius pressed his lips tightly together to keep from smiling, but truly, he couldn't contain it. They both couldn't contain their smiles as they watched Theresa and Blaise slowly dancing together in the middle of the room as mother and son.

It brought happy tears to Narcissa's eyes, but what she didn't understand was why Theresa Zabini wasn't sobbing with grief from her dead husband. She quietly nudged Lucius in the ribs, to let him know it's time to go and leave this family alone for now.

Severus Snape was nowhere to be seen in Malfoy Manor, so Narcissa and Lucius took no hesitation in removing the body from their dining room, apparating it to a known forest far away from the Manor with a clearing of grass in the centre. They buried the body deep underground and then set the body on fire with an Ignis for cremation.

Narcissa looked down into the grave, seeing the dead body of Raffaele Zabini six feet under the ground covered in hot orange flames that were burning his skin off. It was purely disgusting. She honestly doesn't know what she wants when she dies. Does she want to be buried, trapped underneath dirt six feet below the surface or burnt into ashes? It was sad to think about, so she ignored that thought.

And then the grave began to fill up with dirt, Narcissa sighed and helped her husband bury this man. Slowly, the man disappeared, only to be covered in brown dirt from head to toe. Once the grave was filled in, they apparated back to the Manor with stooped postures and feeling miserable from what happened today that they witnessed. The thing that scared Narcissa the most, was that the Dark Lord now knew where her son and Harry was located and she hoped to Merlin, that the Peter guy wouldn't try anything or she'll go to the Burrow and hex that rat-man into a toad.

*****

Draco rolled over onto his side and sighed happily, feeling sated, and he had a smile on his face. He feels incredibly amazing because of last night's wonderful love-making he had with Harry and how Harry's magnificent thick cock fucked him deep in the arse. When green eyes fluttered open, he smiled and kissed his boyfriend, not caring if he could taste himself on Harry's lips.

Harry's lips curved into a smile from the morning kiss and the memory of last night. This time, he could remember the fun with Draco instead of waking up with a gigantic headache and not remembering a thing from the past five hours or so. When he leaned away from the kiss, he opened his eyes again and stared into glimmering silver orbs. He pushed back the blonde Slytherin's fringe with a small smile. "Good morning, my Draco," he said quietly, remembering they're not the only ones in the room.

"Morning, Harry," Draco whispered and snuggled up closer to his boyfriend. He breathed in the heavenly scent of him and sighed. "Thank you for last night," he mumbles, stuffing his nose into Harry's neck. "It was heavenly!"

Harry gave a soft laugh and leaned in for another kiss. He couldn't agree more. He loves Draco's round arse, and the way it moves and begs to be fucked by him. "It sure was."

There was a groan coming from the other side of the room. Distinctively, from Ron's bed.

Draco smirked, knowing who was in the room and caressed Harry's cheek with his thumb. Harry looked at him and smiled. He eventually turned over, so he faced Ron's bed and made sure to keep the blanket high above his chest. Draco gave a kiss to Harry's neck and snaked his arm around his waist, wanting Harry to make love with him again.

"You know..." said Ron tiredly, looking directly at the two boys in Harry's bed who are thankfully covered up to their shoulders with a couple of blankets, "next time you want to shag, please tell me beforehand. Nobody wants to hear," he grimaced at the memories of last night as he was trying to get some sleep, "moans and giggles and grunts. I'm surprised mom didn't come in here when..." He paused and cringed. "Draco, was it you who squirmed?"

Draco's cheeks reddened, not even remembering squirming last night but he knew he must have. He can't exactly admit it as he does get carried away with Harry's deliciously thick eight-inch long cock up his arse. He cannot help it. Harry's cock is heavenly and it keeps growing—unless it's him that thinks that. Last year he swore it was seven and a half inches long. If Harry's cock grows to even ten or twelve inches long... Merlin. Being top wouldn't exist for him anymore.

Ron smirked when seeing the slight pink tinge on Harry's boyfriend's cheeks. "Right..." he mutters, thinking how feminine Draco can be. Not to mention how he always takes care of his hair like he's some supermodel in the spotlight 24/7. "Of course, it was Draco. I should have known."

"What's that supposed to mean...?" Draco asks a little nastily, narrowing his eyes at him. Harry's just rubbing Draco's thigh fondly with a grin on his face and plants kisses behind Draco's ear.

"Never mind," said Ron with an eye roll, knowing if he told the Slytherin what he was thinking, he'd more than likely regret it. "Anyway, mom is already up, and I guarantee she's making breakfast so... I'm going to go..."

"Alright," said Harry, smiling at Draco's upper neck which the hickey he gave him last night is still there and exposed to anyone who could see it if Draco wears a shirt with a low collar. He licks the hickey and gives it a kiss while listening to the little moan Draco lets out. "See you in a bit, Ron."

Ron nodded, completely ignoring the smirking blonde Slytherin and his best mate who he has no idea what he's doing to Draco's neck, and quickly headed down to the lounge room after he got dressed and closed the door.

Draco watched the door of Ron's room for a few minutes, and when the Gryffindor didn't come back in he then said, "I'm going to go have a shower." Harry nods and Draco sat up, removed the blanket covering himself and quickly rushes around the bed naked to pull on some pyjamas. He gathered some clothes to wear today, his shampoo and conditioner and a towel. He gave Harry a quick kiss, "Don't go anywhere."

"I won't," Harry assured him with a slow smile at how the Slytherin wants to wash his hair now rather than last night. It was cute though.

Draco gave him one last kiss before heading out of the room. Harry sighed and lay back down on the bed, smelling Citrus from on the other side of the pillow. It gave him a boost of energy, so he dressed for the day and brushed his teeth.

"WEASEL!" was shouted several minutes later.

Harry gave a laugh. He knows that voice from anywhere, he practically fucked the owner to the voice last night. And Merlin, that voice, when moaning and grunting is the second most beautiful thing in the whole universe, apart from Draco. So, what had Ron done now? He followed the voice downstairs but all he saw was a bunch of redheads in the lounge room. But one red-headed boy stood out the most as his hair looked fiery red, almost as red as the stupefy spell.

Ginny and Ron snickered at the red-haired Draco, who threw them both nasty looks. Harry just noticed Draco was holding a yellow-lidded container of what he believes is shampoo.

"Tell me, Weasel," Draco snarled, and tried to keep his tone down so the adults in this house, who thankfully aren't around, can hear him. "Did you or did you not put that bloody mood-changing thing in my shampoo!"

Ron had forgotten about Draco's shampoo he filled with Fred and George's mood changing cream. He gave a guilty, yet, apologetic smile and shrug to the Slytherin. "Sorry, mate," he says calmly and dips his chin into his chest. "I forgot about it."

"You forgot!" Draco snaps irritably, his nostrils flaring. "How can you forget!"

Bill had walked into the lounge room from the kitchen and the first person he sees is Draco with red hair. "Okay, what is going-" He blinked at Draco's red hair from the kitchen. "Um..." He pointed to his hair, "Draco..."

"I know!" Draco spits, darting him an irritated look. He took a deep calming breath and held back his temper. "Your little brother here-" he pointed to Ron, "-played a prank on me a little while back and filled my hair products with mood changing cream! He's lucky my hair hasn't fallen out, or he would – I don't know what I would do to him but it wouldn't be pleasant."

Ron smiled sheepishly and swallowed. "Again, I'm sorry," he tells him. He was glad he had forgotten about it. But he knows Draco will somehow get him back. But just like Mad-eye Moody says: constant vigilance! Always look out for yourself and don't get caught.

Draco glared at Ron. He knows he'll forgive the Weasel, but right now he's pissed and doesn't want his hair the colour of a cherry. It was humiliating! He doesn't want to look anything like a fruit or a vegetable!

"I'm sorry, Draco!" Ron repeated again with a slow sigh. "I won't do it again, promise." When Draco didn't answer back but glare daggers at him, he shook his head and entered the kitchen looking for food.

"It's not that bad, love," Harry said softly and raised his hand to run his hand through the red hair, which then turned a light purple. He smiled; he knew purple meant he had calmed down his boyfriend. "It looks hot on you."

"You really believe so?" Draco asked lightly, a blush rising from below his neck which continued to his ears and he gave Harry a flattering smile. "I don't look like a... cherry at all?" The twins on the couch behind the boys watched them carefully with delight and sniggered together but Harry and Draco didn't pay them any attention.

Harry laughed at what Draco thought he looked like. He shook his head, "No, not at all," he says lowly, his green eyes glimmering amusedly. "But even if you did somehow look like a cherry, you'd be quite an adorable and hot cherry."

Draco smiled gratefully at him, his face a deep red, and he rubbed at the back of his neck. "I disagree with you there, darling," he says gently, a little – no, very distracted by those vibrant green eyes of Harry's. "You're the adorable one... and very hot, very sexy."

Harry shook his head again, suddenly blushing from the compliments given to him by Draco. He stepped forward and placed his arms around Draco's neck, wanting to just shower Draco's blushing face with kisses. "Say that you're beautiful, Draco Malfoy because it's undeniably true."

"You're beautiful, Harry Potter," Draco responded quietly so they weren't overheard even though he'd love to yell out to the world that Harry Potter is his one and his only. He didn't want to compliment himself though, because no matter the number of hours he spends looking his best for himself and Harry, Harry will always remain the most beautiful being in the world to him.

Harry sighed, wishing it went how he wanted it to. Instead of asking again, he closed the distance between him and Draco in a gentle kiss filled with morning tiredness and love.

"Come on, let's have some breakfast," Draco eventually said as he pulled out of the kiss, only to look deeply into emerald green, and Harry nodded.

When seated with the whole Weasley family at the dining table, they began to dish up their plates with scrambled eggs.

Fleur made a noise of appreciation when eating her scrambled eggs. "Zis iz amazing, Mrs Weezley," she says politely with a delighted smile. "But I prefer ze French scrambled eggz better az zey are fluffier."

Mrs Weasley huffed and ignored the French woman's rude comments.

"Phelgm," muttered Ginny with an eye roll.

Hermione couldn't believe this French woman. She is so full of herself! Unless it's because she's now staying at the Burrow instead of with Pansy. She knew it was best to leave Parkinson manor, even Pansy thought so because of how all Death Eaters kill muggle-borns. It is just too dangerous.

"My dear family," said Percy with a smile, digging his fork in the scrambled eggs and tried to figure out how he was going to say this. "I have some news to share."

Draco raised an eyebrow at the smart-Weasel. That's what he called Percy anyway since he is the smartest kid in the family. Or so he thinks. Was this man finally going to come out to the family about who he likes? Even if Draco likes secrets, he doesn't like keeping secrets from Harry.

Everyone looked at Percy. He wasn't the one who usually would spill information out to his family or anyone for that matter. Unless it had something to do with the Ministry. "Does everyone remember Oliver wood?" Percy then asked them, smiling at nothing as he remembered Oliver's pretty pecan brown eyes, much like the colour of a brown binder of a book. But in the sunlight, those brown eyes look the colour of caramel, his favourite sweet.

"Of course, we know who he is, sweetheart," said Mrs Weasley in her usual bubbly voice, and she was smiling at her third eldest son from next to Arthur. "He is your best friend from Hogwarts, isn't he?"

"Yes," said Percy with a nod down at his scrambled eggs. He began pushing his breakfast around his plate, currently losing his appetite as he thinks about Oliver and his pecan brown eyes and that gorgeous bright smile that has always filled him with warmth from the very beginning when he first met that smile. "Best friend, dorm mate..."

"So, big brother," said Fred curiously, tilting his head to the side.

"What exactly is the big news?" George finished his twin's sentence with a pause to examine his big brother's expression and he noticed something new but familiar. He's seen the look on Percy before and it has always had something to do with Oliver Wood.

Percy smiled timidly. He's never talked about this before, so it is nerve-wracking. "Well umm..." He started nervously and could tell everyone was now listening in. "So... I've noticed something... every time I'm with Oliver, a certain feeling... It's more than..." He swallowed and sighed. "I've been wanting to be more than best friends with Oliver."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, and Percy regretted admitting what he had said. But that was until someone loudly said, "Well, finally!" Percy looked at Fred, who he knew spoke first. What did he mean?

Both the twins looked at Ron, Bill, and Charlie with grins. "Two galleons please!" they said in unison and held out their hands to their brothers.

Charlie rolls his eyes and dug into his pocket, Bill immediately handed over two galleons to the twins, and Ron sat there with a sigh as he didn't have any Galleons on him right now. Why must he always have to bet with his brothers?

Mrs Weasley ignored her twin sons and looked back at her third oldest son. "I'm so proud you admitted to liking him, Percy," she says softly and elbows her husband in the arm which Arthur nods and smiles proudly at Percy as he had a full mouth of food.

"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that," said Bill at once, sighing through his nose. "Charlie, Fred, George, and I all knew about your thing on Oliver," he added with a grin at Percy's reddening face. "He's such a nice guy if I remember him enough." He paused and gave him a wink, "He sure is a keeper."

Percy's blush darkened without him knowing how red his face is. He was too busy remembering his last encounter with Oliver. Oh, Oliver is definitely a keeper.

"I'm so happy for you, Percy," Ginny said softly with a gentle smile. She never got any Quidditch tips from Oliver Wood. He would be quite resourceful, and an excellent member of the family whenever that does happen.

Draco snorted, and Harry and Ron began to laugh at the twins.

"I-" Percy didn't know what to say. What the hell was happening right now? He didn't understand why people were starting to laugh at him. What did he do? "What?"

Once George was handed a Galleon from Charlie, he grinned and looked at Percy, "Percy, we already knew you had a thing for Wood as you're always by his side, blushing when he hugs you and so on," he states simply and places the galleon in his pocket. "Freddie and I just wanted to shout 'get a room you two' at you and Wood. Even Angelina and Katie agreed with us."

Fred nodded at his twin's words and easily steals some of Ron's scrambled eggs while he was distracted by talking to Harry. 

Percy just blushed from hearing all of that. Was it really that obvious that he liked Oliver?

"By the way, older brother of ours," Fred suddenly said, raising his eyebrows curiously. "What was with the Penelope thing? You didn't love her if you had feelings for Oliver all along, did you?"

"Fred!" snapped Mrs Weasley in a warning tone, knowing about Penelope's troubles. "Enough!"

"No, it's fine," Percy said, reassuring them that he is fine to talk about this. What Fred was right about, was not truly having feelings for Penelope. He thinks that's why he feels so guilty when thinking about Penelope. "It's true... I don't think I ever liked her in that way," he admits it easily. "She's the one who asked me out, and I wanted a relationship, so I accepted her offer. But the relationship with her I didn't want. It was Oliver I wanted to be in a relationship with all along. Don't get me wrong, she was a nice girl," he added quickly, just so he doesn't seem a little rude. "It's just... I never liked her in that way." He placed his hands on his temples and ran his hands through his hair, "I can't believe I ignored my feelings for him all this time. Why now? Why did I finally figure out that I liked him when I last saw him at the Ministry? Why couldn't I have seen it earlier, like when we were back at Hogwarts?"

Mrs Weasley smiled softly at her son. She loved seeing her sons or daughter falling in love. It always warms a mother's heart. "Love takes time, my dear Percy," she tells him sweetly. "You can't rush it. Love comes to you when you least expect it to."

Percy thought about that. It was true, he didn't expect to see Oliver at the Ministry at all, but he saw him and felt those emotions he ignored back at Hogwarts roam free.

Harry and Draco smiled at each other while interlacing hands from underneath the dining table. They too remembered how their relationship progressed when they least expected it too. First, it was with the truce, then their first kiss together, then Christmas and Draco asking Harry out, the Yule Ball, and then, to Harry's utter amusement, ferret Draco which he had to kiss to change back. He didn't mind it, as he remembers because he locked lips with this beautiful blonde Slytherin once upon a time. It was quite the memory.

"Yeah, so-" There was a loud corruption sound coming from outside which interrupted Percy. Mrs Weasley, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and Percy all knew it had something to do with the wards outside.

Arthur immediately rose to his feet and walked to the nearest window, looking outside for anything peculiar.

Draco's hair coloured orange as he felt a little worried about the noise that just erupted outside, and Ron and Ginny almost laughed at their new non-blooded ginger-haired brother.

The loud noise happened again. It was like a crack, but it was nothing like an apparition crack.

Hermione jumped a little from the noise, and Ginny just stared outside at the grey storm clouds coming in, not exactly knowing what that was.

"The bloody hell was that?" asked Ron in a shrill voice, who now seemed a little frightened. All he wants is a nice filling breakfast filled with laughter and nothing scary.

Mrs Weasley would have scolded her son for using such language, but she had to make sure her family home was safe and secure.

"It was obviously the wards, Ronald," Hermione said rather quickly, sharing the same worried look with Ginny. "But I'm sure there is nothing to worry about," she added in a soothingly firm voice and got back to finishing her breakfast.

Ron looked at her, and Hermione looked back at him. They stared at each other for a few seconds, until Fred interrupted everyone's thoughts on what was happening with the wards. "Perhaps it was just a bird?" Fred solicited with a shrug. "Doesn't it always happen? You know... with snakes, lizards, rodents, birds...-"

Mrs Weasley knew for a fact that it was no bird. No bird large enough that lives around this area could create that noise. The biggest bird that lives in these parts of the United Kingdom is a Blue Ren. "Charlie, Bill, Arthur, you're with me and the rest of you, stay inside."

Percy was going to ask if he could come with him but decided it was best to protect his brothers, sister, Hermione, Harry, and Draco.

Mrs and Mr Weasley, Bill and Charlie searched the perimeter of the Burrow, making sure nobody unfamiliar came inside the wards. Bill, so far, only saw a snake slithering around. The others didn't see any uninvited guests stalking around the Burrow.

"So, does this mean someone had tempered with the wards surrounding the Burrow?" Ginny suddenly asked, pursing her lips. She wanted to join her older brothers, mom, and dad out in searching the Burrow.

Percy didn't want to scare his little sister because it was true, that noise was the sound of someone tampering with the wards. He ended up telling her anyway in case they were under attack. "Yes, Ginny, it means someone is trying to get into the wards," he tells her flatly. "But do not fret, mom, dad, Bill and Charlie are investigating."

Ginny gave a nod and continued back to her scrambled eggs but kept gazing out the window every few minutes.

"Why can't we go outside and help them search?" Harry had asked, raising a brow at him. He wouldn't mind going out there, even if it was raining, and searching the Burrow for intruders. He knew some defence spells, and a few others thanks to Severus.

"Because it would be ruthless to let kids search the Burrow by foot," Percy declared with a broad smile. Then that smile faded at the thought of ever seeing a family member injured badly. "What if one of you got hurt?"

"We know how to defend ourselves, Perce," Ron retorts potently with a strong nod of his head. He gave Harry a sideways glance, "Believe it or not, we had a really good Defence teacher."

Percy smiled and steeples his fingers. He knows how great Dolores Umbridge is, but that's who he thinks Ron is talking about. His chin was high with pride as he said, "I knew Dolores Umbridge was the best Defence teacher."

Ron and Harry grimaced at the mention of her, and how bad she was. All Harry remembered from that toad-of-a-woman was the detentions from her and that damn demonic blood quill. It was a little shit of a quill, that one.

Draco's hair turned into the same black colour Harry's was. He was annoyed at Percy for even mentioning that evil woman's name. Didn't Percy even realise what Umbridge did to Harry in all those detentions she gave him?

Everyone stared at Draco's now black hair, Harry chuckled and reached up to stroke it with a fond look on his face.

Ron managed to speak up, not liking how his older brother thought that Umbridge was a nice person. "Umbridge wasn't a good professor at all," he tells his older brother with a scowl. He ignored the raised eyebrows and the challenging look Percy gave him. "Show Percy your hand, Harry!" he quickly says, pointing his finger to Harry's right hand which held onto the fork Harry was holding. What he didn't know – forgot – is the letters the blood quill had inscribed on Harry's skin was his left hand. "He's got to see how evil she is."

Percy's eyebrows raised even more if that was possible, and he looked at his youngest brother's best friend. "Show me what, Harry?" he asks flatly, but too was a little curious.

Harry sighed and unlinked his left hand from Draco's. He wanted to forget about all of it, everything that happened last year. Since Percy sat next to him, he pulled up his grey hoodie sleeve only past his Ulna so nobody saw anything too concerning and showed Percy the faint letters on his skin that he knew would scar for life.

Percy stared wide eyes, at the letters carved into the back of Harry's hand. He just would not believe Umbridge would even do such a thing to a student. "H-How?" he asks loudly, not believing this at all though the truth is literally beside him.

Harry shrugged. "Some demonic blood quill that makes you write with your own blood," he easily described it without wincing at the awful memories. He believes Umbitch is a spawn from hell with her pinkness and her blood quills and her kittens. "All I can say is that it was a pain in the arse."

"I'll say," muttered George while moving the scrambled eggs from his plate onto a single piece of toast he had grabbed from the plate of piled toast in front of him.

"Lee Jordan dealt with the same thing too," Fred suddenly growls through grit teeth, glaring hotly down at his breakfast like it's Umbridge's face and looks could kill. Everyone was a little shocked to see Fred lose his temper a little, and George calmed him down easily with a quick squeeze of his pressure point on his wrist. Fred yelped a little but had indeed calmed down. "He kept it hidden from us for a couple of days until we saw the letters on his hand when he took of his jumper," he says a little calmly. "It disturbed us."

Percy just shook his head. How could this be true? But the evidence was right there, etched into Harry's skin. He just couldn't believe that Umbridge would do something so evil, so cruel. Wizarding school haven't used those evil quills since the '20s and he knows this because he's read all about it back in Hogwarts.

Then the front door opened, and Mr and Mrs Weasley came through, with Charlie and Bill following them inside. Harry quickly pulled down his sleeve and Draco placed his hand over Harry's. The touch of Draco and the light squeeze the blonde Slytherin gave his hand calmed him down from his sudden depression that tried gaining control of his emotions. It was a struggle not trying to feel depressed.

Mrs Weasley gave a nod to Percy and her twin sons, letting them know that the Burrow is secure with no intruders lurking around.

"What was that-" Ron was going to ask what his mother had meant by the nod but was cut off.

"It's safe," Percy firmly tells his brothers, sister, Harry and Draco. "The Burrow is safe," he says again so it sinks into the teenager's minds. "It was just a false alarm and was probably a bird or reptile which got through the wards."

Everyone gave a nod, except Harry. The only reptile he has ever seen and met was Serpentine. He hopes Mrs Weasley or even one of the older brothers of Ron hadn't hurt Serpentine. He was a nice green snake, good company, and friend. He hadn't even talked to the snake in a couple of weeks.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows from the distant look Harry had when staring at the fruit bowl in the middle of the table. His hair coloured orange again, which earned him a couple of stares from the adults.

"I didn't know we had another kid in this family..." Mr Weasley said softly, staring at the orange-haired Draco sitting next to Harry.

The twins snorted, Harry smiled along with Ron, and Draco couldn't help but smirk.

"Oh, Arthur!" Mrs Weasley scolded and placed her hands on her hips. "We only have seven kids," she reminds him gently but then goes back to the dining table to collect a few of the breakfast plates. "And that's Draco you're talking to."

"Oh," said Mr Weasley a little dumbly. He looked at Draco, really looked at him and his hair which was the same colour as his family's. He was slightly confused.

"By the way dear, what happened to your hair colour if you don't mind me asking?" Mrs Weasley asked Draco softly while staring at the orange hair on Draco's head. "I can't remember if I've asked this question before, so I'm sorry if you do have to repeat it to me."

"It's fine," Draco murmurs, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. "Let's just say I stumbled onto one of Fred and George's inventions which turned out to be a mood-changing cream substance and I thought it was hair gel so I tried it." Draco didn't want to get the twins in trouble, even if it was their fault, but mostly Ron's as he was the one who pranked him in the first place. He still needs to figure out how to get Ron back.

Ron's jaw dropped in shock, but also disbelief. Draco had taken the blame for something he did. HE did! He knew he should be getting the blame, not Draco.

Fred and George looked at Draco curiously. Not once were they ever not blamed for doing something that was their fault. They gave Ron the mood changing lotion, so they should be the ones to blame. They were used to being on blame, it was their life to be blamed for stuff they did do. They enjoyed it.

"Oh, that's all right, Draco," Mrs Weasley said to the Slytherin politely while glaring at her twin sons to the right of her. "My sons should know better than to leave their inventions lying around."

Fred and George smiled at their mother. They finally managed to get told off, sort of. It's their life goal. "We'll make sure to keep all of our possessions locked up in our room, or the shop," George tells his mother firmly with a nod.

"Good," said Mrs Weasley, giving her two sons a serious look.

Draco's hair turned yellow, showing everyone that he was surprised, but a little afraid that Mrs Weasley would ground the twins. He didn't want the twins grounded.

When breakfast was over, Draco led Harry to the lounge room where they both collapsed on the couch and laughed. Draco smiled and leaned down with a thumping heart to kiss Harry. Too busy melting in the kiss, neither boy knew that Draco's hair was slightly changing colour again until he leaned out.

Harry's smile widened as he reached up to run his hands through Draco's dark bluish-purple hair. His hand then travelled down to Draco's cheek where it stayed there just to feel how soft and warm it was, and his other hand stayed in the Slytherin's dark bluish-purple hair.

And then Draco leaned down again with a loving smile, pressing his lips to Harry's in a slow but loving motion. As always, their lips synced together. And when they both were enjoying the breathtaking kisses from one another, they just had to be disturbed with a clearing of someone's throat. They leaned out of the kiss, Draco moving to Harry's side so he could see the person better, and they both looked up at the Weasley brother with smiles.

"Sorry for...um...disturbing you," said Percy slowly, giving them a quick smile. "I was just thinking..."

"About Oliver?" Draco finished his sentence for him. His hair went from orange, letting them know he is annoyed that he and Harry were disturbed, to purple, telling Harry and Percy that he's calm. He could just tell the older brother of Ron was thinking deeply. He was starting to see a lot when staying at the Burrow.

"No..." Percy drawled though he couldn't keep a smile and a blush from appearing on his face at the mention of his best friend. "Apart from that, yes, I just..." Percy lowered his gaze to the ground, "I want to go see him."

"Just go and talk to him, Percy," Harry says simply and a little irritably as he wants to get back to snogging Draco. He may have underestimated himself there when telling Percy to just go and talk to Oliver. Even talking to Draco before dating him was hard. He remembers all the stuttering whenever he'd talk to the blonde Slytherin.

"That's the best advice we can give you," Draco tells him with a knowing grin. He agreed with Harry. Even if he knew talking was also a little hard to do with your crush. "And here's an idea: ask him out."

Percy's face reddened. He couldn't do it now, not yet, at least. He remembers how Oliver used to sleep in on the weekends back at Hogwarts. The bloke could even sleep until lunch, it was ... cute. He would use to stay in the dorm all morning, reading any book he borrowed from the Library while watching over his best friend. At times, he wondered how it would be like if he joined Oliver in bed and slept with him all morning. He knew it would be nice and cosy, especially in those muscular arms of Oliver's.

Percy was snapped out of his thoughts about Oliver when Draco said, rather impatiently, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Percy gave them both a small smile. "I'll go see him tomorrow," he tells them firmly, floorboards creaking under his feet as he shifts his weight to the other leg. "I know he likes having Sunday's off to relax."

Draco groaned at this bloke and his laziness and nudged his nose in the crook of Harry's neck. He smiled as he smelt Pine. But he understands what it's like having a day off everything. Everything besides Harry that is. Sometimes he just doesn't want to speak to anyone during the weekend. The only exception is Harry so he doesn't feel alone.

"Stalker much?" Harry prodded, giving Percy a satisfied smile.

Percy rolled his eyes and left the couple be, muttering about how he's no stalker and that he knows Oliver Wood more than anyone else and what editors put in the Quidditch magazines. Right now, he had to go to his room and think of all the possibilities he could 'accidentally' bump into Oliver somehow.

Draco smiled when Percy left and sat back on top of Harry to continue what he started which was snogging Harry with everything he could give his stunning boyfriend.

*****

Harry and Draco were outside the Burrow lying down underneath one of the trees in the yard. The wind was blowing through the leaves, and the sunlight shone down on them through the thick branches. Harry had just gotten back from Hogwarts and the mission with Dumbledore. He was exhausted mentally and physically and just needed to relax outside with Draco. He didn't want to discuss what happened and where he went with Dumbledore to anyone, but he ended up telling Draco anyway so it's over and done with.

"I cannot believe he'd risk your life just to find some locket," Draco muttered, frowning at the thought of zombie-looking things, as Harry had described them, coming out of the water and drowning Harry in the water. "And it wasn't even the real one when you destroyed it!"

"I know," Harry says, sighing deeply and he swears he sees something orange moving in the tree branches above them. He just thinks it's the sunlight tricking him. "It turns out the locket is elsewhere, it could be anywhere."

"What was the note that was inside the locket?" Draco then asks., his tone curious. "It said something about taking the real locket and replaced it with the fake one?"

"Yeah, it was signed by Regulus Articus Black," Harry replies. "Sirius' younger brother. It said that he has stolen the locket and has planned on destroying it. I don't think he successfully destroyed it, but that means...that the locket must still be in his possessions."

"We should go find it then," Draco said, looking to his side at Harry. He wouldn't mind the little adventure. Harry looked a little unsure. "Oh, come on, Harry! It's not like we'll be risking our lives. My first guess would be the Noble House of Black to search for it since it was his place of residency."

"I guess we can go look for it," Harry said slowly, though he knew it'd be hard as it was the last place Sirius lived at. The memories are still fresh in his mind. "Dumbledore did say he'd look into it though, but if that's where the locket is, we can get there first. Maybe in the afternoon?" Draco nods at the suggestion. "I'll ask Ron to come as well."

Harry couldn't stop staring up at the evening sky, the way the sun illuminates' clouds, so they appear back-lit, with one side glowing brightly while the other is in shadow. When the sun shines through gaps in a cloud mass, rays appear to shoot towards the ground, and to Harry, it creates a beautiful effect.

"Do you think Sirius is up there looking down on us?" Harry suddenly asked, breaking the peaceful silence between him and Draco. The sun's rays to him always looked like the gateway or stairway to heaven on the other side of the clouds.

"I would hope so," Draco replied, now opening his eyes, and looking next to him at Harry. His boyfriend who he loves so much. He smirked as he muttered, "As long as he doesn't see our in-bed experiences."

Harry laughed, Draco rolled over and towered over Harry's laying figure. He leaned down for a kiss while one of his hands cupped Harry's cheek and the other slowly moved down Harry's stomach and into his pants, giving Harry's stomach and groin a hot tingly feeling from the touch.

Someone snorted and Draco broke out of the kiss. He looked warily around his surroundings, his hand withdrawing from Harry's pants quickly in case someone appears around the side of the tree. He would feel like Mrs Weasley would murder him in cold blood if she saw his hand down Harry's pants.

"What was that?" Harry asked quickly, and Draco thought the same. He missed Draco's travelling hand, he longed for it again to give him pleasure.

"I don't know..." Draco responded quietly and looked back down at Harry. "Perhaps, it's the pigs?" he suggests, tilting his head slowly with a shrug and Harry smiled with a nod. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes..." He leaned back down for a heated kiss, his hand moving back inside Harry's pants and rubbing slowly at Harry's straining erection, making Harry give little moans during the kiss.

Draco kept rubbing painfully slow, and Harry wanted fast and friction. Draco's beautiful hands on his prick and groin, slowly rubbing, was enough to make him want to come already. Draco rubbed and massaged at Harry's groin, feeling the little black curls on Harry's groin he adores under his fingertips.

Plonk!

Draco grunted and looked down at the big brown circular nail-size seedpod that landed on his head and had rolled off.

Plonk! Another bloody seedpod.

Draco grunted again, hand still deep inside Harry's pants and he looked up, his eyes narrowing, and hoping he wasn't going to get hit in the face.

George smiled down at him from crouched on top of a large branch. But when he saw where the Slytherin's hand was in, he curled his lip in disgust. "Get your hands out of Harry's pants, young man!" he snaps at Draco, his cheeks slightly tinged with pink at what he caught them doing.

Fred jumped down from a higher branch onto a branch just above his twin brother's head. His face blanched at the sight. "Hands off our non-blooded little brother, Draco Malfoy," he hisses, feeling his cheeks heat a little. "You can... touch him in your own time like in Ron's room while he's somewhere else. Not here when we can literally watch you."

Draco, flushed, removed his hand from Harry's pants with burning cheeks. That was the first-ever time he's been caught by someone when touching Harry. And he hoped it will be the last time he will ever be caught.

"Thank you," George said with a nod of approval. He doesn't want to see anything of the sort again, and by the disgusted look on his twin's face, neither does he.

"By the way, you two are the ones who disturbed our own time," mutters Draco, his chin high and his eyes gleaming. Honestly, he would figuratively fake fucking Harry just to get these twins to go away somewhere else.

"Let me repeat what I said earlier," said Fred sourly and sounded a little serious. "Your own time means somewhere where curious eyes can't see, like a bedroom or whatever you call a bedroom in your fancy luxurious language." Draco rolled his eyes, his jaw clenched. "Just push Ron out of his room and use it for err...your fun times."

Harry snorted. He and Draco do that anyway. It's easy to scare Ron out of his room, just with a few moans and sexual noises. It always does the trick.

George grabbed the rainbow-coloured container from inside the pocket of his jacket pocket and grinned mischievously. When the Slytherin was distracted by Harry, which he admits is sweet to see, he opened up the container and sprinkled some pink dust over Draco's head. Fred looked curiously beside him but knew what that powder was.

Draco didn't know what came over him, but he felt overly excited. Too excited. Too excited that it scared him. "Harry, my darling," he giggles. "I want you so bad," he said a little too loudly. "I want you up my-"

A flush crept across Harry's cheeks and he quickly places a hand over Draco's mouth to silence him from saying anything else that will humiliate him. He hoped Draco wasn't loud enough for everyone in the Burrow to be able to hear.

The twins sniggered at Draco and the successful exhilaration dust they made. George gave Harry a wink and suggested, "Why don't you take your Slytherin prince inside and give him what he wants and in Ron's bedroom, of course."

Fred smirked and got into a comfortable resting position on the branch he lay on. "You better go now too, before the stuff runs out," he adds lightly.

Harry gave the twins nods as Draco's hands found their way back into his pants where the twins couldn't see it. He slapped Draco's hands away but gave the blonde Slytherin's chin a kiss to say this will be continued.

George sighed deeply at the two young males as he watched them head back inside the Burrow. "Those two..."

"They're practically Incubus's just without the demonic powers," Fred responded, lying down on the branch, and staring up at the sky through the leaves of the trees.

"Yeah..." said George, and he half-closed his eyes.

Back in the Burrow, Harry led Draco over to Ron who was leaning against the kitchen bench, eating a few strawberries and looked deep in thought as he stared across the room. "Ron, we're going to 12 Grimmauld Place to look for the locket," he tells him. "And yes, I mean the real Horcrux locket. I'll tell you everything when we get there."

"Alright," Ron said casually with a sigh and grabbed another strawberry from the wooden bowl on the benchtop behind him. "I got nothing to do anyway. Blaise Owled me to say he'll be spending some time with his mother for a few days. Let me just go tell mom where I am going." He noticed Draco grinning and looking around the room as if he's never seen The Burrow's kitchen before, and he pointed it out to Harry. "What's up with Draco?"

"Oh," said Harry and looked beside him at his boyfriend. "The twins drugged him with some kind of pink glitter. He's acting more... excited now."

Ron laughed, nodded, and walked out of the kitchen in search of his mother. Harry and Draco just waited by the Floo, and when Ron returned, Harry began to tell him everything he told Draco to the locket and how the one that he and Dumbledore retrieved was fake, and that the real one must be somewhere that RAB, Regulus Articus Black must have it somewhere in the House of Black.

Harry had to quickly rush up to his room to get the fake locket out of his trunk so he could show Ron and Draco what the real locket would look like. Dumbledore said he can keep the locket just as a little trinket, and if he fixes it, it can be a nice necklace to wear. Though he doesn't know why he would wear such an odd thing.

"Whoa," Draco says, his finger travelling along the broken 'S' on the locket that's cracked and is in large pieces. "It's quite pretty. I just can't believe the real one is Salazar Slytherin's actual locket, the one that he owned. It shouldn't be a Horcrux. It should be somewhere in the Slytherin Common Room on display as a piece of Slytherin's history."

"Yeah," said Harry, and he agreed with Draco that the locket should be somewhere on Display. The real Locket, that is. As should the other Founder's items. "The real one survived through all these years."

"So if the locket gets destroyed, that would be 4 Horcruxes destroyed out of six?" Ron says. It wasn't a question. He's going to have a long letter to write to Hermione, though he doesn't mind. "That leaves two more. Some cup and... err, Harry, what is it?"

"I dunno," Harry says with a shrug. He wished he knew more about the Horcruxes and what the last two are. "I still have a few more memories of Dumbledore's, and some other people's to view in Dumbledore's Pensieve with him. It'll probably be in a few days so then I will know more about the two other Horcruxes Tom Riddle created. But let's go and search for the locket. The faster we find it and destroy it, the weaker Tom will become."

Pocketing the fake locket in his jeans, he then Floo's to 12 Grimmauld Place and steps out into the lounge room. Ron and Draco come in behind him. They quickly went in to search for the locket, starting from the first floor, and going up. The first floor and basement were all clear.

Harry opened the door to Regulus' room and walked in. He sighed at all the possible places a locket could be hidden in and began looking for it. Where was it?! "Kreacher?" he called out as he was looking through the dark wood dresser. He discovered a few clothes Draco might like that belonged to Regulus as they were dark and quite glamorous. He saw a dark green travelling cloak too and something silver.

With a pop, Kreacher was in the room and was behind Harry. "What is it?" he asked in his bullfrog-sounding voice.

Harry turned around and looked down at the house-elf. "Hello, Kreacher," he says with a quick smile, trying to forget the last time they talked. "I was wondering if you know of a locket that Regulus used to own. A note of his that I found said he wanted to destroy it."

Kreacher looked surprised. "Master Regulus told Kreacher to destroy locket years ago, but Kreacher couldn't destroy it," he tells Harry a little sadly. "It is impossible for Kreacher to do. Kreacher tried everything."

"Okay," Harry said lightly and took a moment to think about that. "Do you still have it? Because there is a reason why Regulus wanted it to be destroyed as it all comes down to He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, and I believe I know how to destroy the locket."

"Kreacher does have the locket," Kreacher says, nodding his large head. "Kreacher will get it for Harry Potter. Stay here." Harry nodded his head, and Kreacher disappeared with a pop. In a few seconds, he popped back into the room, holding the real large, oval gold locket. The mood in the room immediately became dreary.

The house-elf gave Harry the locket, and Harry studied the locket, seeing the 'S' in green jewels. "Thank you," Harry says. "Am I allowed to take it from you?"

Kreacher looked hesitant. "Ever since Master Regulus died, Kreacher has kept locket safe," the elf drawls. "But Kreacher will give Harry Potter locket if he needs it. Kreacher would like something in return."

"Of course," Harry says, nodding. He felt curious as to what the elf would like. "What is it that you want?"

"Kreacher wants the pieces of the locket or whatever remains of locket when it is destroyed," Kreacher says. "That is all Kreacher wants. Kreacher gives his thanks to Mr Potter."

"Oh?" Harry says at what Kreacher wants in return. Broken pieces of the locket? Really? How boring. "Alright. I can do that." He just hopes that no dark magic will remain with the locket when he gives it back to Kreacher. "Thank you, Kreacher. I'll return as soon as possible when I can."

And in that second, Draco walked into the room, grinned as he saw Harry, and jumped into his arms. "Harry!" he says excitingly, wrapping his legs around Harry's back and started kissing Harry all over his face. Although, he felt his mood decrease and become a little weary as he had entered the room as if there was a dark presence with them draining the happiness from the room. But he tried to pay no attention to it.

Harry nearly let go of the locket as he held Draco up by the thighs, and he laughed softly at Draco's loving gesture, his face becoming a dark shade of red. He didn't want to drop the locket exactly, or Draco. "God, Draco," he says. "Be careful. I don't want to drop you or the real locket."

"Je t'aime tellement, Harry," Draco says in his rich British-French accent, and he kisses Harry's nose. "Je vous aime." He kisses Harry again. "Je vous aime." He gives Harry another kiss on the cheek. "Je vous aime." He hesitates as he realises what Harry had said. "Wait..." He looks Harry in the eye. "Real locket? As in the actual Salazar locket?"

"Yes, my love," Harry says lightly. "I have it right here in my hand which is trying to hold both you and the locket." Draco sighs and unwraps his legs from around Harry until they're back on the floor. He takes a step back so he can see the real locket for himself, but when touching it, he suddenly feels these negative emotions arise again.

Draco brings his hand away from the locket and grimaces at it. The negative emotions disappeared from within him. "That is one dark bloody locket," he deadpans. "We're getting rid of that today, Harry."

"Did you find it already?" Ron walked into the room looking at the two who were alone in the room. But then he stopped and surveyed the room, these sudden negative emotions arising in him out of nowhere. Kreacher had popped out earlier when Harry became distracted by Draco when he entered the room.

Harry looked over Draco's shoulder at Ron. "Yeah, turned out Kreacher had it all along," he says. "Before Regulus died, he asked Kreacher to try to destroy the locket. Kreacher couldn't find out how to do just that, and so he's kept it with him as a reminder of Regulus. And here it is." He showed Ron the real locket. "I think it's hexed to weaken one's emotions, making them feel negative emotions like anger and sadness."

"Anger, definitely," Draco mutters, glaring at the locket. "It was because of the sparkly dust the twins sprinkled on me. I'm definitely going to get payback on them. Don't know how, but I will." He glanced from Harry to Ron. "Anyway, we have a locket to destroy somehow."

"The sword of Gryffindor – Dumbledore told me – should do the trick," Harry had said. "I just need to get it, which is located in Dumbledore's office as he used it to destroy a Horcrux a few weeks ago. I'm sure I can fire-call him about it."

"Alright," said Draco with a nod, and he linked arms with Harry. "Let's go then. The sooner that thing is destroyed, the better."

Harry smiled at him, then looked to Ron who was looking around the top of the dresser and then picked up a small round vase of different kinds of quills. "If you both want something from this room or in any room that you'd like, you can have it. This entire place is mine now anyway, so what's mine is yours."

"Nah," said Ron, who was looking down at the perfect circle on the dresser which was where the vase was before. Around the circle was the remains of dust. He then put the vase of quills back down where he found them. "I wouldn't know if anything's cursed or not. Don't want anything dark in my bedroom."

"Oh, so you think my manor's filled with, as you say dark items then too?" Draco snaps furiously at Ron at once, and he rolls his eyes. He didn't even realise how angry he sounded. "How original. How about Blaise then, huh? Is his Manor filled with Dark things too? It's always us old Pureblood families who get the crap."

"No," Ron drawls and opens what looks like a dark wooden girl's jewellery box, and there was jewellery inside including rings, bracelets, and necklaces. They weren't woman's jewellery though as the size of the rings would be too large to fit on a woman's finger. "But that could be possible. Who knows what's hidden in that giant house of yours. You could have statues that come to life in the night."

Draco laughed hysterically, but when he saw Ron pick up a grey ring with a black diamond encrusted in the centre, he became intrigued about what lies in the Jewellery Box and walked over. "Oh, wow," he says quietly at the amount of jewelled rings and bracelets he sees. He even sees a black laced choker with a red ruby hanging from it by a small metal ring. "If you don't want that ring, I'll have it," he says to Ron.

Ron rolls his eyes and gives him the ring, and Draco grins and puts it on his index finger. Perfect fit. The ring was too dark and goth for Ron anyway, and he isn't interested in jewellery. Anything Quidditch related, then yeah, he'd like it.

"I think I might just take this entire box," Draco said with a cheeky grin, and he shuts the lid of the jewellery box shut and hugs it to his chest. "Mine now."

Harry laughs joyously at Draco, and he puts on the locket. Of course, Draco would take expensive and gorgeous Jewellery from Regulus Black who probably has more items elsewhere in the room. "There are some clothes in the drawer that you might like too," he says. "But we can come back later. Let's get going."

Ron nods and headed towards the door. Draco sighs at the drawer he pulled open and got a glimpse of a few clothing items in it before Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

They Floo'd back to the Burrow, and the first person they see is Percy reading the Daily Prophet in the Lounge room on the red sofa. They leave him be, and Draco, still vibrantly excited, rushes up to Ron's room to put his new items away in his Trunk. Ron just stood by Harry, having nothing else to do.

Harry reached into the pot plant above the mantle and chucked some Floo Powder into the fireplace. He crouched down and called out to Dumbledore, and in some seconds, Dumbledore's face appeared in the fireplace. "Hello, professor," he says kindly. "Any chance I can come by and grab the sword for a minute or two?" He took off the locket from around his neck and showed the professor the locket. "I believe I have the real one here. Kreacher had it with him the entire time. Before his death, Regulus asked Kreacher to destroy it, but Kreacher wasn't able to."

"Ah, the real locket," Dumbledore said, staring at the locket that Harry's holding with curious eyes. "And yes, you may Floo to my office." He nodded, and he then looked at him seriously. "Now... as we don't know what will happen when the Horcrux is destroyed, I would prefer you to destroy it someplace away from home."

"Yep, of course," Harry replies, nodding his head in perceptive. He understands the danger. What if something happens and the Horcrux explodes? "And Kreacher wants the broken pieces of the real locket back. Would that be okay?"

"I believe that would be all right," Dumbledore informs him. "Once the Horcrux is destroyed, all dark magic should be gone as well."

"Great," Harry says lightly, and he then felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looks to his side and sees Draco. He smiles at him then looks back at the Headmaster. "Thank you, professor. I'll be over in a jiffy."

Dumbledore nods, and his face disappears from the fire. Harry stands back up, and he gets pulled into a sudden side hug by Draco. He chuckles, kisses the blonde Slytherin and while he distracts Draco with kisses, he slips out of the hug. Draco forces a frown, and Harry grins and moves back to the Floo.

"Oh," said Harry and he reaches into his pocket and grabs out the fake locket that's in pieces. He gives Ron the fake locket and says, "Ask Percy to fix it while I'm gone, please? It'd be a nice little trinket to keep. I wouldn't wear it, but maybe we can donate it like Draco said earlier."

"Sure," said Ron with a nod, and he turns around and heads across the room over to Percy.

"Are you coming with me or staying here?" Harry then asks Draco. "I wouldn't mind either option, just to let you know."

"I'll stay and wait for you," Draco says. "I love you, Harry."

Harry smiles at him. "I love you too," he replies, and he winks, grabs more Floo powder from the Flower Pot on the mantle and Floo's to Dumbledore's office. He feels like buying the Weasley's a bunch of Floo Powder for all the times he's used their Floo Powder in the past. He walks into Dumbledore's office and sees him busily seated and writing at his desk. He doesn't disturb him from his writing and looks around for the sword until it's literally levitated over to him.

"Can I see the locket before you go, Harry?" Dumbledore asks, looking up at him from his writing. Horcruxes were fascinating to him, as were what Tom chose to have as Horcruxes.

Harry nods and walks over to the Headmaster's desk, the Sword of Gryffindor following him from behind in the air. He stared curiously at it. "How are you doing that, sir?" he asks the Professor, though his eyes never left the sword. "It's following me..."

Dumbledore just smiles. "Just some wandless magic," he replies casually, his blue eyes twinkling at the sight of the locket in Harry's hands. "It's possible but only the most powerful of Wizards and Witches can do Wandless Magic, Harry. I could teach you if you want."

"But sir, I'm only a kid," Harry reminds him as he hands him the Locket. He didn't think he, Harry, was powerful. Not like Dumbledore. He didn't even think he would be at the same level as his friends and everyone in his year. He's still learning after all.

"Young adult, Harry," Dumbledore corrects him and study's the locket in his hands. "Salazar's locket, the one and only... such a marvellous creation."

"I was thinking, sir," Harry suddenly said. "Well, it was Draco's idea first, of donating the false locket to Hogwarts and keep it down in the Slytherin Common Room as something to look at. How does that sound?"

"How very thoughtful," Dumbledore says delightfully, glancing up at the younger wizard from the locket. "You can do that if you would like. A lot of heavy and powerful charms would be put in place so nobody can steal it, of course."

"I want to do that then, sir," said Harry, looking quite earnest. Dumbledore gave him back the locket. "Although it's the fake one, it deserves to be looked after in the Slytherin Common Room with the Slytherins where you should be. Wouldn't you think so?"

"Why yes, I would assume so," Dumbledore replies. "Oh, and in the case of wandless magic, you must focus on your intent and the spell, and either saying it verbally or non-verbally in your mind, you cast it. Think, focus, and believe."

"Err, thanks," Harry says quickly as he grabs the levitating sword from behind him and walks back to the Floo. What Dumbledore said didn't really help, and sounded confusing. "Thank you, professor. I'll be back with the sword and fake locket later. Have a good rest of your day!"

Dumbledore smiles, "You too, Harry."

Harry nods and Floo's back to The Burrow where he steps out into the Lounge Room and sees Ron and Draco talking with Percy. A red-faced Percy Weasley actually.

"Draco, leave Percy alone," Ron says with a laugh. "I bet his mind is filled with Oliver Wood 90 per cent of the time every day. He doesn't need an extra 5 per cent."

"There better be an extra 5 per cent!" Draco said at once, grinning wildly at the two. "Harry's on my mind 97 per cent of the time. The remaining 3 per cent is schoolwork, my family and friends."

"Funny, because you're on my mind 24/7," Harry says just to make his presence known by the others, the sword over his shoulder and locket dangling from his hand. "Are you two ready?"

Draco immediately rushes over to Harry with a skip, and he puts his arm around Harry. He stares at the familiar sword with the ruby diamonds encrusted in the metal.

"Um," said Percy when he saw the sword over Harry's shoulder that looks entirely sharp and worrying. But it couldn't be a real one, right? "What are you doing with a sword, Harry? And what are you three misfits ready to do with that sword?"

"Nothing," Harry says slowly with forced innocence. "I'm just sacrificing Ron and Draco to Satan, of course. Come on, Ron and Draco. We've got a long walk to do."

"I'm going to be sacrificed?" asked Draco excitedly. "Yay!" He grinned, glancing at Ron. "Let's go, Ron. Our blood will be spilt for our lord and saviour Satan."

"Wonderful," said Ron lightly with a tight smile. "And yes, let's go sacrificing ourselves." He removes himself from the couch and gives his older brother a pat on the head, to Percy's utter disliking by the frown he gave Ron. "Bye Percy! It was nice knowing you."

They walked out of the Burrow, leaving a confused Percy behind in the lounge room. "Ron, is there any forests around here that we can destroy this Horcrux in?" Harry asks Ron as they start walking to the right of the Burrow. "Dumbledore suggested that it should be destroyed away from home."

"Err, no," said Ron. He was leading them towards the large orchard behind the Burrow and the tall trees behind the orchard. "Unless you want to head closer to the Muggle Village and do it there, but I'm sure three boys, one holding a large sword and the others surrounding a locket on the ground is a little suspicious. Wouldn't you think so?"

Harry laughed. He wanted to see what the Muggles would do. "Let them come see us," he says amusedly. "We aren't doing any magic so we won't get told off by the Ministry. We're only killing a Horcrux."

"If you insist, Harry," Ron said, shaking his head with a smile. "I'll take you behind the orchard where a few trees surround it. Maybe we can destroy it there, or we can continue walking until we're in the middle of some fields. Oh, and here's the fake locket. Percy fixed it." He pulled the locket out from underneath his shirt, and the little green jewels glimmered in the sunlight.

"Oh," said Harry gently. "Alright. Cool. Lead the way then." He wanted this to be quick, though a little adventure excited him. He wished Hermione were here to join them.

"So who wants to do the honours?" Harry asks. They were standing in a little valley between small hills, the locket was on the grass at their feet, and Harry lay the sword down beside the locket. "Ron...? Draco...?"

Ron and Draco both looked indecisive until Draco sighed and picked up the sword from the ground. "Here goes nothing," he says.

"Wait," said Harry quickly. He knows they have to do one last thing. "We have to open it, like how Dumbledore opened the fake one before getting me to destroy it." He crouches down, grabs the locket and tries opening it, but it just wouldn't open. Then he got an idea. "Open", he spoke in Parseltongue.

The locket flung open, and Harry fell backwards as if a force had pushed him down but really, he was just a little surprised.

Draco stumbled back, suddenly feeling a wave of fear rush over him as two blood-red eyes appeared over the locket and were looking directly at him.

"Ah, yes," spoke the blood-red eyes to Draco, and it began to morph into Draco's deepest darkest fears as it speaks of them. "I have seen your heart and fears, Draco Malfoy, as well as your dreams. All you desire is possible, and what you dread is also quite possible. An only son, liked by others but judged for his choices. Wanting to be the best you can to prove to your parents that you aren't worthless and a bad son... The Death of your parents, making you all alone, an orphan. The death of your boyfriend from possible suicide... he'll be gone forever and so will your will to love again."

"Bloody Hell," Ron says in shock, and he can't help but feel a little sad for Draco as he sees his fears.

"Draco," Harry tries to speak over the voice in the locket and tries to ignore the monstrous versions of Narcissa and Lucius dead, Lucius by the Dementors Kiss and Narcissa by the Ministry. And he can't help but try and forget the triggering image of a monstrous version of himself hanging by a noose from a tree. "It's not real! None of that is real!"

Draco couldn't hear him. His ears were ringing, and his eyes were filling up with tears. But he knows this isn't real, what the voice is telling him. His mother and father are alive, Harry's alive, and he knows he's a good son and makes his parents proud. After taking a deep breath, Draco raises the sword above his head but makes sure Harry and Ron aren't in his space, and he slices the sword down right in the centre of the locket.

The sword flashed and plunged, causing Ron and Harry to leap out of the way, a metal clang, and a loud, drawn-out scream. Draco stood there with the sword slackly in his hand, looking down at the shattered fragments of the locket on the grassy ground, the monster versions of Narcissa, Lucius, and Harry had vanished.

"Draco," Harry says softly as he notices the tears in Draco's eyes that are falling down his cheeks. "Are you okay?"

Draco drops the sword, he feels numb; the sword hits the ground and clanks against the shattered locket, and he walks into Harry for a hug. Harry smiles and wraps his arms tightly around Draco. He knows that whatever the twins sprinkled over Draco, has worn off. "We'll talk when we get home," he tells Draco quietly and kisses his cheek.

Draco nodded his head and buried his face in Harry's shoulder. He was willing to take the sudden pain away but didn't know-how. But he knows just being with Harry can help him as it has helped him before.

Ron picked up the broken locket pieces and the sword from the ground and put the sword over his shoulder. "I'll leave if you want to talk to each other now," he tells them over the silence of the rolling hills, and the slight chirp from the birds that flew by up above them in the sky.

"No, we'll save that conversation for later," Harry says, looking at his best mate from over Draco's shoulder during the hug. "First, I have to give Kreacher back his locket, and then give Dumbledore the sword back and the fake locket. And so after, I can then have a chat with my lovely Draco here as I'll have the afternoon free."

"Alright," Ron says with a nod and starts heading back to the Burrow, and after a minute of quick, 'I love you's' to each other, Harry and Draco follow him back.

Once back at the Burrow, Ron gave Harry the real locket, and Harry quickly Floo'd back to 12 Grimmauld Place to give Kreacher back the locket. Kreacher, even when seeing the locket in pieces, looked quite happy.

"Thank you, Mr Potter," Kreacher says mirthfully, a real smile on his face that Harry hasn't seen ever. "How can Kreacher repay Mr Potter?"

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Harry says with a smile and shook his head. "But I'm sure if you would like, you can work in the Hogwarts kitchens with the other house-elves. They get paid too by Dumbledore himself."

"Kreacher will think about that," the house-elf says, looking as if he was thinking deeply about the offer that was given to him. "Kreacher doesn't exactly want to leave Grimmauld Place untidy. It is Kreacher's only home."

"You'd be allowed to come back to Grimmauld place, I'm sure of it," Harry assures the elf. "Now I better be off. I have a sword to give back to someone. Goodbye."

He Floo'd back to the burrow, and Ron gave him the sword back. Draco was seated on the couch with a bowl of strawberries on his lap, and he was just staring down at a random spot on the floor while eating a strawberry slowly. Harry thought that was cute and smiled at him. He then turns and grabs some Floo powder from the flower pot, and then Floo's to Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore wasn't in his office, so Harry set the sword and the fake locket down on Dumbledore' desk. He left a little note for Dumbledore that said ' Thank you for the sword, and here's the locket. Maybe the sword should be kept somewhere in the Gryffindor Common Room and heavily warded too like Salazar's Locket should be? Oh, and I put a little note inside the fake locket if someone so happens to somehow break the wards around it. From Harry. :)'

The smiley face automatically reminds him of Narcissa, and he wonders what she's up to now. The question still lingers on his tongue as to why she sent Draco and him to the Burrow for the holidays instead of, like she wrote in her letter to them, letting them stay at the Manor. With that question on his mind, he then Floo'd back to the Burrow and sat down next to Draco on the couch and stole a strawberry for himself.

"Hey," Draco says with a prolonged 'e', annoyed at his boyfriend for stealing from him. "That was my strawberry!"

"Too bad, too sad," Harry replies with a grin and chucked it in his mouth. "Mine now unless you want to reach down my throat and get it yourself."

"Fine, I will," said Draco, and he grabbed Harry's shirt and pulled him into a kiss and immediately pushed his tongue into Harry's mouth. Harry groans at the surprise attack, and Draco puts his bowl of strawberry's to the side and flings his legs over Harry's legs until he's seated on Harry's lap. Draco begins to rock back and forth on Harry and he puts his arms around Harry's neck, and Harry slides his arms around Draco's back and moved them down towards his butt.

"Oi!" snaps Fred as he and George enter the lounge room. They saw their younger brother, Draco, and Harry walking out of the Burrow's wards with a large sword and what looked like a large necklace which made them curious and wants to follow them but decided against it. "Get off our non-blooded brother!"

"Yeah, no snogging that intensely in the lounge room!" George says at once, though he was grinning at the sight of Draco's tongue dancing inside Harry's mouth. Ah, such young love.

Draco and Harry didn't acknowledge their existence. George sighed and seated on an armchair to the side of the lounge room was Ron who was laughing quietly. "They're not going anywhere when they're in their saliva and tongue filled heaven," he tells his brothers.

"We'll see about that," mutters Fred and immediately pulls out his wand and points it at Draco. "Immobulus!"

Draco froze in his position, his tongue still deep inside Harry's mouth, and he snapped his eyes open as he realized he couldn't move.

Harry, realising Draco had stopped moving his body and tongue, moved his mouth and head away to see what was going on. Draco, it seems, was frozen to the spot. He looked over Draco's shoulder at the twins who were snickering at him, and he rolls his eyes. "Alright," he says. "We get it. We'll stop."

"Good," says George proudly. "Now be a dear and take your frozen boyfriend up to Ron's room if you want privacy with him." Ron grimaced as he realized what would happen in his room if Harry and Draco are left alone up there.

"But he's still-"

"No buts, Harry," Fred says, waving a finger at him. "Go and take him to Ron's room. It's a simple task." He knows what Harry's asking of him and George. To remove the charm from Draco, but that won't be happening.

"Honestly," George drawls. He walks over, grabs Draco by the arms which are around Harry's neck, and lifts him off of Harry. "Merlin, Draco. You're so light. What the bloody hell do you eat? Just lettuce?"

Draco wanted to reply so badly, but he couldn't. He couldn't even show his anger. And his tongue felt like it was becoming dry. He wanted to hex whichever Weasley twin Immobilised him to get them back. And he hated being carried like this. It was so unnatural.

"Freddie, some help please?" George asks nicely to his twin with a grin on his lips. "Eh. Never mind. Wingardium Leviosa!" Draco was lifted in the air by George's spell as if he was lighter than a feather. George sent the floating Draco towards the stairs and up to Ron's room, still in the odd position that he was in when making out with Harry. Even to Harry, it was hilarious seeing Draco floating through the air.

Ginny then entered the lounge room from the stairs and she snorts at Draco floating in the air in an odd position with his tongue out. She had to walk around him so she doesn't collide with the blonde. "What the bloody hell?" she says to her 3 older brothers and Harry.

"He was making out with Harry too much," Ron tells her. "Not my idea though. Ask them." He points his finger at his older twin brothers who looked forcefully innocent.

"Riiiight," Ginny says with a laugh at her brothers. She shakes her head at them and leaves them be as she heads to the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

"Well, I'm off to make sure Draco's not stuck anywhere upstairs," Harry says with a long sigh, and quickly makes his way upstairs in search for his boyfriend as Draco had given him a raging hard boner and he didn't want the twins or Ron noticing it. George waves bye-bye to him, and Fred goes over to Ron to annoy him with questions about Blaise.

"How's Loony poo doing?" George asks Ginny as she enters the lounge room with a cup of water in her hands. Ginny glares at him and takes a sip of her water.

"Luna is doing just fine," she tells them calmly with a hard smile. "And... she-is-currently-up-in-my-room-right-now-so-yeah-we'll-be-having-a-lot-of-fun-in-there. Toodaloo!"

"Alright," said George. But then he realised what she said. "Wait... what!" Ginny grins and rushes upstairs. "Women these days!"

"I know right," said Ron loudly to shut Fred up from teasing him about Blaise. His face was already as red as a tomato. He didn't want it to continue.

*****

Bellatrix Lestrange was starting to get on Narcissa's nerves. Dark Lord this and Dark Lord that... It's driving her crazy! There's no end to this ranting!

Narcissa sat down on the end of her cherry-red chaise, crossed one leg over the other and rubbed at her forehead. It wasn't getting any easier either. It's like her older sister was going through some childhood crush thing where she'd non-stop talk about their crush. Then she grimaced at the realisation. Her big sis had a thing for... Then again Bellatrix was pregnant with the Dark Lord's baby. She felt like she was going to be sick. How could one like such a beast? A kid-torturing, muggle, and muggle-born killing beast. It disgusted her.

She had to do something. She couldn't take listening to how 'great' the Dark Lord is. "You seem to talk a lot about the Dark Lord, Bella," she mutters, curling her lip. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"What do you mean, sissy?" Bellatrix blinked her confusion and tilted her head to the side while fiddling with her large black knife in her hands. It is her favourite knife. It calms her down at times.

Narcissa sighed and shook her head. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "What I mean is..." She blurted it out, "Do you have a little crush on the Dark Lord?" She noticed her older sister's pale cheeks becoming tinged with pink. Strange. Was her sister blushing?

"Well, I-"

A loud pop was heard, and it scared the living daylights out of Bellatrix so much that she threw her knife down at what scared her.

Narcissa's face paled at the sight before her. Her mouth fell open and her upper lip curled back. Oh, how will Harry think of this? The poor thing.

"YOU STUPID ELF!" Bellatrix shouts at the house-elf with her blade right through its small body. Now it had elf grime all over it.

Dobby looked up at Narcissa while watching the world around him start to fade away. He felt like he was falling asleep, but he had to stay awake. But when he started feeling the pain in his chest, he looked down and frowned. This was it, he knew, that his time would be up soon.

Narcissa shed a tear but quickly wiped it from her face. Doesn't Dobby know about Bellatrix's fear hurting reaction? And she learnt about it the hard way back in her childhood days. She used to have a fluffy white Kneazle with little black spots dispersed out on her body. She was called Orion. It happened one day, as Bellatrix was getting ready to go out for the day with her sisters and mother. Nobody noticed Orion walking into Bellatrix's bedroom and jumping in Bellatrix's lap when she was brushing her hair. It all just happened so fast. One minute Orion was alive, breathing and such a lovely cat. The next minute a loud pitchy scream was heard and just like that, she was gone. Bella had killed her by hitting her hard in the head with her brush.

Narcissa remembered how angry and mourned she was back then, how she never once talked to Bella at all for days, weeks and months even if her older sister had apologised to her multiple times. It just hurt to have a killer sister and a dead cat. It hurt so much. She wanted to get revenge on her older sister, but then again, she doesn't.

"D-Dobby is s-sorry," the little house elf stuttered. He was shocked to know his life was so close to being over. "Dobby never m-meant to s-scare Bellatrix."

"Well, you did!" spat Bellatrix hotly, her fists balling up. She didn't even feel sorry for the elf. It got in her way. That's what happened.

Narcissa sat frozen to her chaise. She wanted to help the elf, but her malevolent big sister was in the way and probably wanted to kick Dobby. "Dobby," she says quietly, a little shaken by what she's seen. "G-Go to you know where before it's too late for you."

Dobby nodded, and with all the strength he had, he popped out of the lounge room, the blade still in his stomach.

"What did you do that for!" Bellatrix snapped, her gaze bouncing from her younger sister to the small puddle of blood on the wooden floor and back again. "And where the sodding hell did you send it to!?"

Narcissa just shrugged. She obviously sent Dobby to the Burrow. Where else would she send him? To Hogwarts? "Australia," she tells Bellatrix simply and thinks how easy it is to lie to her own sister. But what she's not lying about is what she'll say next. "There's a house-elf doctor there. A very good one too. One of my best friends."

"A house-elf doctor?" Bellatrix asked slowly in disbelief, she shook her head. "I never knew they existed."

"It's because you were in Azkaban, my dear sister," Narcissa tells her softly, and she rests her arm on the armrest of the chaise. "The house-elf healing organisation started a few years after you were in Azkaban."

"What a stupid thing to do!" Bellatrix bellows with a scowl, her arms crossing over her chest quickly. "They're all wasting their time fixing house-elves. So, what if one died?" she asks nastily. "It's life."

"I find the organisation amusing," Narcissa admitted calmly and smiled at all the house elves she met there. They were so kind, knew how to speak properly and say people's names. Australia is a very well-developed country in terms of the Wizarding World and house-elves. The house-elves even wore clothes.

"Don't tell me you've grown fond of these ugly beasts," Bellatrix muttered darkly to her sister. She wouldn't be caught dead friending a sodding house elf. They're slaves for a reason and not for anything else.

Narcissa rolled her eyes at her older sister. Of course, she grew to like them. She's lived with Draco's boyfriend, Harry, for a whole two months of holidays, minus that one week he was with his relatives, and a Christmas week together.

"You have, haven't you?" Bellatrix grits out and gave her younger sister an evil glare before turning and leaving the room with a huff.

Narcissa sighed. Her sister still has that dramatic side of her. How did she ever grow up with this other woman without getting herself killed? How is she even her sister at all?

****

As instructed by Narcissa, Dobby popped into the living room of the Burrow. He can feel himself slowly slipping away. He clutched the knife in his stomach and looked up at the three in the lounge room. He slowly took out the knife from his body, not knowing he just made it worse.

Draco, Ron, and Harry looked up at the elf in horror from playing Wizards Chess.

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He was too shocked and terrified because of what happened to Dobby the house-elf. But that was it, what exactly happened to the elf? Who did that to him?

Draco's lips trembled at the horrific sight, and Harry shouted, "NO!" and rushed over to the elf.

"D-Dobby is hurt," was all Dobby said before falling to the floor, and he blacked out.

Ron was finally able to speak. "MOM!" he shouted out loudly but in a trembling voice.

"Dobby!" Harry shouts as he tries to shake the elf to keep it awake while warm tears flooded his eyes and fell down his cheeks.

Dobby lay on the floor, unmoving, his blank eyes stared up at the ceiling.

Harry looked down at the bloody knife on that floor that was in Dobby's body and frowned as the tears just kept falling from his eyes. He didn't even notice Draco kneeling beside him until the Slytherin's warm hand intertwined with his own and he felt lips kiss his temple. It calmed him down a little.

Draco kept a tight grip on Harry's hand, making sure his boyfriend knew he wasn't alone in this. He even felt extremely sad for what just happened. Never in his life has he seen a house-elf die, or even cared for one this much. When he was younger, they were just slaves to him. Slaves that made his bed, slaves that cooked for him. But through the years of getting to know Harry and this house-elf, he's come to accept the fact that these little creatures are living, breathing, souls who're like any other wizard or witch. Just without a wand.

With his other hand, Draco closed the elf's eyes. He was about to tell Harry that they should bury the body somewhere but was interrupted as a rumbling of footsteps finally came running down the stairs.

Bill stood there, his mouth falling open in shock at the puddle of blood on the floor and the house-elf unmoving in Harry's arms. "Oh, Merlin..." he says in a low voice.

Percy frowned. He's never known any house-elf except for this one, but he hardly sees him at all and he knows this elf is a happy cheerful one.

Hermione began to cry at the sight, and Fred, who came down the stairs after her, embraced her in a little side hug, his line of sight on the house-elf. George appeared a second later and stood in front of Fred and Hermione in shock at the sight he was seeing of the bleeding house-elf. Ginny wasn't there as she was at Luna's for a few days, and Hermione was over for the day as Pansy and her mom was in Paris, and her own parents were working so she had her house to herself but didn't want to be all alone.

Ron looked at Hermione and Fred and felt a pang of something. It took a while for him to figure out what it was. It was jealousy he felt. But why was he feeling jealous? He was so confused.

"Can someone please get me a blanket?" Bill suddenly asked quickly, making his way over to the lifeless house-elf and Harry. He had to dispose of the horrific scene before it gets stuck in everyone's minds and he had to find out where Harry wants to bury the body.

Ron gave a nod once he regained his stability and rushed out of the room. Deep down, he was glad he ran out of the room because it hurt to see the elf dead and his best mate and Hermione looking so upset.

"Harry," said Bill with a quiet voice. "If you could bury him anywhere, where would you choose?" he asks and forces his voice to sound soft instead of horrified. "Or where would Dobby choose?"

Harry didn't know where to bury Dobby as all he could feel was how much he hurt inside. This house-elf has saved him so many times in the past years since his second year. How he wished this wasn't real and that he will wake up in his bed from this nightmare.

"How about a forest?" Percy spoke at last after a few beats of silent thinking. "That way his magic can leak out into nature and help everything in that forest to live and bloom. He can be a free elf spiritually."

"Or a beach," Bill added and at the sight of the blade, he threw it across the room, making droplets of elf blood hit the floor. "If you choose a beach, he will always hear the waves of the ocean either crashing upon rocks or the surface. Just someplace where it's calming and peaceful."

To Harry, those were fairly good options for the burial of Dobby. The forest sounds like a nice place to bury Dobby since it was peaceful, except for the noisy but beautiful birds. He agreed upon the beach to bury Dobby, and Bill gave a small but sad smile.

"I think I know a place," Bill said softly, hearing the muffled cries of Hermione behind him. This day started out with fun and games and now it's just sad and depressing. "I just need to ask mom if I'm allowed to take you there. I'll be back."

Harry nodded slowly, and Bill left the room in a hurry. His hands were covered in Dobby's dry blood, and he turned his head and stuffed his nose in Draco's grey turtleneck sweater. He hoped Draco wouldn't mind if he wet his sweater with his tears.

Draco had a hand in Harry's hair, his arm around Harry, and he rests his head on the side of Harry's forehead when looking down at the house-elf. He was thinking of all the times he had ordered Dobby around when he was younger and had even got him to transfigure a pillow into a toy Pegasus. It was fun to ride through the manor on and Dobby even made it fly.

A second later, Ron appeared back downstairs with a yellow blanket. He gave it to Percy as he just couldn't do the honours of wrapping the elf up. The sight of Fred and Hermione hugging made him queasy. What the hell is wrong with his emotions?

Percy understood what he had to do with the blanket and tried his best to wrap the elf up quickly but gently, unfortunately getting blood on his hands as he did so. He laid the blanket covered elf on the couch, hoping this will be the only time he'll do such a thing.

Harry sobbed in Draco's arms. The pain in his chest wasn't helping his breathing at all. He never even got to ask how Dobby became hurt. Who had hurt Dobby? He wanted to find out but how?

Draco rubbed soothing circles over Harry's back. It's all he really could do. He couldn't revive Dobby or make the sadness disappear, but he can be there for his boyfriend and that's what he'll damn well do. He gave little kisses to Harry's forehead. He doesn't know if it helps Harry, but he continued with it anyway.

And then Bill came back downstairs with an even bigger smile. It was a success, everyone in the room could tell. But when entered, the vibe of the room deformed his smile and he frowned at the yellow blanket which he knew what was under. He had to hurry and get the elf out of here soon, so death doesn't stench up the room. "Fleur's already there," he tells them quickly. He walked over to the couch and lifted the blanketed house-elf into his arms. "Whoever is coming, hold onto my arms tightly."

Harry and Draco held onto Bill. But Harry regretted separating himself from Draco as tears began to spill again. And then, they were out of the Burrow and what looked like a cottage by the ocean. It was such a unique and pretty place. Hold on... was the cottage made out of literal shells?

Harry looked behind him as another apparition crack was heard. Percy, accustomed with Hermione and Ron holding onto him had appeared. He frowned at them, went back to Draco and hugged him tightly. He melted in Draco's embrace as he could be in his arms again.

Bill gave a sigh and headed up towards the house with Dobby still in his arms. It was time for the burial. After a few minutes, the others had joined him up on a sandy hill a few kilometres away from the cottage.

Harry and Draco stood in each other's arms, staring at the carved headstone with the engraving 'Dobby. A Free Elf' on it that Bill had made with a few carving spells. A pile of daisies and poppies lay in front of the headstone on the sand. Harry couldn't cry anymore, he cried enough back at the Burrow since school. He had no tears left to cry. It seemed that Draco cried for him.

Harry wiped away the warm tears from his boyfriend's pale cheeks and gave his wet cheeks a kiss. A small smile. Harry continued kissing his Slytherin boyfriend's cheek, which only made Draco's smile grow but he still cried. He loves how even the smallest affection towards Draco when he's sad can make him smile, even if it doesn't work on him.

On the other side of them stood Hermione and Ron. Hermione couldn't help the tears from spilling, so she pulled Ron into a hug, and when Ron adjusted to what was happening, he hugged her back. They both could feel their hearts speed up from being so close to one another. It reminded them of the third year and when they hugged. Back then, their hearts beat exactly the same as they did now. As one.

When they both finished grieving, they headed to the cottage for some lunch. That left Draco and Harry alone. Harry looked up at the sky, wondering if it was possible that Dobby was looking down on him and Draco already.

Like Draco could read Harry's mind, which he couldn't as he just saw the obscure look on his boyfriend's face when looking up at the sky, he said quietly, "I believe he's watching us." He paused and gave Harry a little squeeze in the hug. He remembers, from the last funeral he went to, which was one of Blaise's many stepfather's who somehow winds up dead, people would speak about the deceased person in their own opinion. So, he thought why not do that with Dobby.

"He was a great house-elf," Draco says in a low voice and watches a thin cloud float by, "the most decent one I've ever met. He was a wonderful house-elf to me when I was younger, he let me rant about you after the first year when I came back to the Manor." Harry gave a sad little chuckle to that. Draco smiled and continued, "He was a very kind, enthusiastic, and very excited little house elf. He was always there when you need him."

Harry squeezed Draco back in the hug a little, just to tell his boyfriend that he's okay for now.

Draco placed a kiss on Harry's forehead then looked back down at the headstone. "Repose en paix, Dobby," he mumbles with a sad sigh. How's Harry going to get through this? He's lost his parents, Sirius and now Dobby. "Que votre âme soit bénie par les cieux."

"Rest in peace, Dobby," Harry repeated Draco's words but in English. He doesn't know what else Draco had said in French though.

"Let's head back," Draco says after a beat of a second. Just standing in front of a grave feels odd to him and even if he feels he lost his appetite he still wants to eat. "I do smell a nice lunch coming from the cottage and we need to wash our hands."

"I guess we should," Harry replied sadly when looking down at his bloodied hands. But really, he doesn't feel hungry at all. He lost his appetite when Dobby pulled the knife from his little stomach and blood poured out of him.

Draco gave Harry's forehead a kiss and began picking white wildflowers from around them. Once he had a good handful, he placed them below the headstone with the daisies and poppies. He linked arms with Harry and when Harry had one last look at the headstone, they started walking to the cottage to clean their hands of blood.

They liked Bill and Fleur's seaside cottage. It was small, cute, and had very good views all around it. Draco liked the wind chimes hanging around the cottage, their unique music with the waves crashing up to shore was lovely and so peaceful. No wonder Bill chose this place to bury Dobby.

Lunch was nice. A simple cheese and ham sandwich was enough to fulfil him and Harry. But when looking down at Harry's plate, Draco just saw a sandwich with a few nibbles on them. At least Harry was trying to eat, even if Draco himself also struggled to eat from what happened earlier today. It was still a mystery. Who killed Dobby the house-elf?

That familiar frown on Harry's face made him frown himself. Everything this beautiful teenage boy next to him has gone through is just too much for a teenager. It's just too much! What his boyfriend needs is Severus, his father but also a therapist.

But right now, even if Harry's state isn't the best, he wanted to go back down to the beach. He's been to a beach only twice, the first to go for a swim when he was younger at around five with his mom and dad, and the next at the Malfoy family Manor in Australia located near the beach just for a trip. "Excuse us for a few minutes," he said politely, pushing his empty plate away from him.

Bill nodded at him. He felt worried for Harry and how much he was eating, which wasn't a lot. "Where are you two heading off to?" he asked the Slytherin quickly, quirking an eyebrow. "It's just so we know in case something happens."

"Just down to the beach," Draco replies instantly, smiling at the man and his fiancee. He could smell the salty beach air from the kitchen and the seaweed.

Harry looked up at him. Especially with the word 'beach'. The Dursleys, of course, would never take him on holiday. But he has been to a beach before and the only thing he did there was search for crabs.

"Just don't go too far," Percy added a little seriously, knowing his mother will kill him and Bill if they somehow manage to lose Harry and Draco.

"We won't," Draco told them gently with an assuring smile. When he managed to get Harry out of the kitchen, he and Harry walked down the beach to the shore.

Harry stared out to sea when down on the shore with Draco, streamers of seaweed were rolling into the surf, the sound of the waves crashing into rocks far away in the distance, the slide of grasses and cattails in the breeze, and the sound of the waves rolling into shore to dissolve into foam on the beach was so serene. He wished Dobby could have seen this or even Sirius. It was beautiful!

Draco moved Harry's chin towards him so green eyes stared into his silver irises. He smiled at the handsome bloke before him. Specifically, how the sunlight reflects off Harry's black hair and makes his green eyes sparkle. "Harry... just remember you can talk to me about anything no matter how hard it is," he tells him softly, "Anything at all. I'll always be an ear to listen to, and a shoulder to cry on. I love you, Harry Potter." Harry blushes and looks down at the white fluffy sand at his feet. "And not just the boy who lives. I love the boy who I fell in love with, the boy who didn't accept my hand in friendship back in our first year." Harry gave a sad little chuckle to that and Draco smiled at that stunning laugh. "I love the boy who I got to know. Not the Wizarding World's Saviour, although, he's pretty brave and I just can't love him even more from that." he pauses and glances down at Harry's lips. "Now, where's that beautiful smile I love seeing?"

Harry gave him a smile, but he couldn't help his cheeks from reddening more from the compliment.

"There it is," Draco said lightly, raising his hand up to rub his thumb over Harry's heated pink cheek with a fond smile. "There's that beautiful smile." He paused and really admired his boyfriend in the evening sunlight. He was a masterpiece. The beach, no matter how stunning it is, he knows isn't as beautiful as the boy standing in front of him. Nothing is more beautiful than the boy he loves.

Harry placed his arms around Draco's waist and pulled him closer into a nice tight embrace. He calmed down and felt a little less depressed with the blonde Slytherin so close to him. "I love you too, Draco Lucius Malfoy," Harry replies with a little flattering smile, and he looks back down at the sand, watching a little orange crab scurry along the sand. "So much. I don't care about your family's wealth or the manors as I only care and love you."

Draco's smile widened. He leaned out of the embrace only just enough so he can lean in, with a hammering heart, for a kiss. The kiss was just a soft and slow press of lips, but it was everything he ever needed.

Harry just held Draco tighter in the kiss, not wanting to let go as he pours his whole heart into it. Just this moment, it was unique. He and Draco were kissing on a beach, something he has dreamed of but never thought would have come true. Turns out it did but on a sad day. He shivered as something flooded his shoes.

Draco shrieked and broke out of the kiss, only to look down at his feet at the seawater flooding his expensive boots. "This bloody ocean is cold!" he hisses with a shaky voice and hurriedly steps back a few feet from the rolling waves.

Harry laughed at him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out of the water. With an 'oomph' he fell on the sand and a heavyweight pinned him down. He opened his green eyes, which met with silver orbs and smiled. What was that term called again? Ah, yes... "Déjà vu."

Draco shook his head with a smile, knowing about a memory Harry's thinking about. "It's not Déjà vu," he says quietly, got a grip of Harry's waist and rolled over onto his back, taking Harry with him until his boyfriend was on top of him. "This is Déjà vu."

Harry moved an inch closer to Draco's face and placed his hand on the blonde Slytherin's stomach. Draco brought his hand up and trailed a finger down from Harry's forehead to his cheek, admiring every little detail of his boyfriend's appearance. "How did I manage to come across such a beautiful and magnificent bloke like you in my life?" the Slytherin asks.

Harry blushed, feeling that fluttering in his belly from those words. He keeps asking himself the same questions about Draco every single day though. Draco smiled and moved his face closer to Harry's. He was only inches away from kissing those pink lips he finds so soft and lovable. He was about to until he was interrupted.

"Ready to go back to the Burrow?" It was Percy who disturbed them. He smiled down at the two as they looked his way.

Draco scowled with annoyance at him, only making Harry laugh beside him and Percy grin even more. "Fine," he muttered, but then he looked back at Harry and kissed him quickly.

Percy sighed and rolled his eyes at the two. But he remembered he still had to go see Oliver sometimes. Just thinking of the other man gave him a flutter in his stomach. It was exciting to see him again, whenever that will be.

When Draco and Harry had finally stopped snogging on the shore, they stood up and linked arms with Percy. In seconds, they were back at the Burrow in the lounge room and to Harry's surprise, Severus was already in the lounge room sitting with Fred and George. They were deep in conversation until they saw Harry, Draco, and Percy.

Draco gave each twin a nod, thanking them for Fire-calling Severus about a therapy session. He didn't think anybody would do something like this, he was thankful for the twins.

"Sev!" said Harry loudly with an upturned happy look on his face. He hasn't seen his father since... He remembers clearly what he could have seen that day, which only made him grin.

Severus smiled at his son and gestured him to the couch. The twins gave Harry sad looks before returning to the kitchen, totally not to eavesdrop on the conversation. But being Fred and George, of course, they would eavesdrop.

When Harry and Draco sat down on the couch, Severus began. "First of all, I'm dreadfully sorry for your loss, Harry," he says in a low careful voice. "I've come across that modest house elf a few times and all I can say is that he's undoubtedly the best elf in the world." He hesitated and let that information sink into his son's head. "I've uncovered information about the elves assassin."

Harry's green eyes flared with anger and vengeance. He wanted to know who killed Dobby. He had to find out.

"When you left, Fred and George Fire-called me instantaneously and handed me the knife," Severus says, and he pulled out the knife from his pocket that was free from blood. "I knew, from the family crest that it was a Black family knife and by scanning the last magical signature on the knife I found out the last person who used it was B-"

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Harry cut him off with a scowl and bared his teeth at the knife. Why does it always have to be Bellatrix?!

"Yes, she's the one who assassinated Dobby," said Severus, nodding at him and warded the knife with a few spells. He has seen the knife move on its own, fly around the room and he doesn't trust it enough to leave it alone somewhere since it was Bellatrix's. "Now remember you're not the only one going through the loss of someone you cared about. So many people out there have lost their mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings and pets."

Harry nodded. He understood that he's not the only one. He knows Draco will feel a little sad from Dobby's death, as well as Ron and Hermione.

"Let the fundamental carry you, Harry," Severus says, "Read, write, do exercise, grieve, talk to the people you care about. But don't let the addictions destroy you," he adds seriously. "Cutting, drinking, or even sex. Those are the things that numb you, and probably make you feel better. But it just doesn't help at all."

Draco smirked at the word 'sex'. It is, after all, a very true fact. Sex can help boost his mood; it just can't take away the depression that Harry must fight with every day. He can tell after sex with Harry that Harry seems a little happier, especially when during the day.

Severus continued, "A still mind is a peaceful mind. Go for a walk, it always helps even if you don't feel like it," he suggests simply. "Remember that time heals the heart. But also, the warmth and love around you." Harry smiles with a quick glance at Draco, and he looks down at Draco's hands which he twines his hands with.

"Go where the joy is, and surround yourself with warmth, love, and positivity," Severus says, giving the two boys a quick smile. "Death teaches us that we're human. This is a part of life that we have to endure. Life is like a train journey; people get on and people get off at different times. But what we have to do is carry on. It's all we really can do."

Harry felt motivated by what his father had told him. It all sank deep into his mind. But if time really does heal the heart... then why isn't he over Cedric's death? Why isn't he over Sirius' death? Or even the abuse from the Dursleys? "Thank you, dad," he said softly, his head falling to Draco's shoulders. He still wasn't used to calling his Potion's professor dad. Merlin... What will he do when he goes back to Hogwarts? Will it still be Professor to him? Or will he be able to call him dad or father?

"Thanks, Sev," Draco said with a thankful smile at how his godfather can help Harry out with anything that's concerning. Speaking about his godfather and his life... "So, Severus..." He grinned and his godfather who raised an eyebrow at him. "How are you and Remus Lupin doing?"

Severus' heart started hammering against his chest at the mention of Remus Lupin. "Remus and my personal life have nothing to do with this conversation, Draco," he spat, finding it irritable how the young Slytherin wants to change an important topic to something daft. "We're talking about Harry here, nothing else."

Draco rolled his eyes, his grin only widening. "Have you kissed Remus yet?" he asked his godfather quickly, and Harry giggled at the thought.

"Shall I say it again?" Severus muttered slowly with an obvious slight blush to his cheeks. "I'm here to discuss Harry and his mental state, not anything else. We have better matters to deal with you know."

Draco gave a long defeated sigh. All he wants is to know how his godfather and Remus are going. Is it too much to ask?

Harry smiled at Draco and kissed his cheek while squeezing his intertwined hand. He loves how curious his boyfriend can get at times. It's even funny when he interrogates people for information. It's more like manipulates people for information actually.

This was getting out of Severus' hands. He had to change the topic, even if it sounds quite... lovely. "What helped me when my mother passed away?" he starts with that little question. "People ask me: does that void ever get filled? Maybe not," he answers flatly. "Your spirit isn't like a pot, where it can just break and smash into little pieces. It's like a plant, like a biological creation, not mechanical." Draco's eyes widen a little at how Severus describes the human soul. "With a plant, you can rip the leaves of its stems, you take off the fruit of a tree, it can grow again. You cut one of its roots, it will grow again. You cut it in half, it can grow again. So, when you lose someone, you have lost a piece of yourself, yes."

Harry was stunned. He never knew this at all, any of what Severus was telling him. Especially with the whole plant-is-our-spirit thing. That was quite interesting. "Yeah... Sev, you're turning into Professor Dumbledore," Harry said slowly but only meant it as a joke. He just hoped his father doesn't have any Lemon Drops on him.

Draco started laughing.

"I'm being serious, boys," Severus muttered, rolling his eyes at them. Arrogant little bastards. How does he put up with them?

"Sorry," Harry said in a low voice, not at all sounding apologetic, and he was moving closer to Draco so he can rest his head on Draco's shoulder. He smiled when his boyfriend's soft lips pressed on his forehead.

Severus smiled. Even if Harry's not his actual birth son, he definitely reminds him of himself back in his teenage-hood when dealing with his depression but managing to fight through it. He can tell Harry's a warrior and he's got the battle scars to prove it.

*****

Percy Weasley was nervous. He just Floo'd back to the ministry in hope to find Oliver. Fred's voice ringing in his ear from before he entered: "Go find your loverboy!", and then George's: "Per-ci-ver!" those two can just be so bloody annoying. He swore one of them spiked his porridge with some Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes thing so he can hear their voices on repeat.

He knows Fudge told him to stay home for the holidays, but this was important. He had to try to find Oliver. But then a thought hit him. What if Oliver's on training? Or perhaps on the field? Where do the Puddlemere United train at? What if he's wrong? What if Oliver's at home? Does he even remember where Oliver lives? So many goddamn questions.

Percy headed to the only place he knew where Oliver would go. The Department of Magical Games and Sports. Down the Ministry of Magic lift he goes, only to end up on the seventh floor which he exited into the Department he's never once been in.

He entered into a bright white hallway lined with portraits of the Quidditch Teams through the ages. They were all smiling, of course, wearing all the Quidditch Uniforms. But one portrait caught his eye. 'Puddlemere United Quidditch Team' was read in white letters on a golden plate just underneath the portrait.

He smiled as he found Oliver in amongst the seven other players smiling victoriously back at him. His heart pounded in his chest and there was a fluttery feeling in his stomach at the smiling portrait Oliver was giving him. it was such a pretty smile. He shook his head fondly at the portrait and headed down the hallway until he came to an opening into a large room.

This Department, which Percy thought would be crowded with people, was pretty quiet. Almost like it was a holiday to everyone who would work here. Of course, it is a holiday, but people in the other Departments are still working.

He saw a few people walking around the Department, but there weren't hundreds like he would see in the other Departments he's been in. He finally spotted a sign that says 'Sports Department' and another hallway leading down somewhere while on the other side of the room had 'Games department'.

Walking into the Sports Department hallway, his heart dropped in his chest and he just wanted to walk away and head back to the Burrow. Oliver was snogging some guy, who pinned him to the wall. And it looked like he was enjoying it a lot.

Percy wasn't enjoying this one bit. He came all this way to talk to Oliver, to see him, to possibly ask him out. All that's now ruined. The world seems to be slowing down a little for him as he stared at the two and his heart ached in his chest.

He withdrew from the room, only to stop as someone said his name. "Percy!" He grimaced at that familiar voice saying his name. The voice that belongs to those lips that were kissing someone else. Kissing another guy.

"Percy, wait!" It was Oliver, and Percy could hear him jogging up to him from behind.

Percy eventually, but hesitantly turned around. He looked deep into those soft brown eyes he really, really likes. Those brown eyes belonged to the boy he first met in his first year at Hogwarts. The boy who invited himself into the compartment while Percy just read his book. The boy who sat on the other side of him and asked who he is. The boy who sat next to him and lifted his chin away from the book so he could stare into brown eyes.

He remembers something the first time they touched. Which was an innocent little gesture as Oliver just wanted to know what Percy was reading. He could remember the spark that ignited inside him as Oliver's hands touched his own. He fell in love with this man at the start of his third year and had his first kiss. He remembers quite well how it happened. It was just a shame he ignored those feelings for his best friend through all these years.

Flashback

Percy was just walking into the common room reading a book about the History of Hogwarts and he didn't see where he was going and crashed into the only other person in the common room. His best friend, Oliver wood. A thundering of books dropped on the floor. He crouched down to collect his book and sighed because he lost the page he was on.

"Sorry," Oliver said and crouched down to collect his own books. It always warmed Percy's heart knowing Oliver didn't just focus on Quidditch all the time. He was actually a smart bloke who does do his homework on time and doesn't just wait until the last minute. It's one of the many reasons why he likes Oliver.

Their hands met for a second and Percy looked up into Oliver's Pecan Brown eyes. He saw a spark of some kind of emotion flash in those eyes but couldn't pick up what it was. Seeing these brown eyes is like looking into a mug of hot coffee on a nice cold rainy morning at the Burrow.

His heart started beating rapidly in his chest as he continued staring into his eyes, and then some kind of fluttery feeling in his gut started. He didn't know what was happening. Was he about to have a heart attack? Or was he about to be sick? He didn't know, but these feelings were...nice. And then Oliver looked down at our books. He doesn't know why, but he missed when Oliver's eyes looked deeply into his. It was almost...like he and Oliver were having a connection of some sort.

Percy's hand started moving, he couldn't stop it. His hand kept rising until it cupped Oliver's chin and made Oliver look back into his eyes. There was that flash of emotion again. Percy doesn't know why, but he felt like leaning in and pressing my lips to his. But was that okay? Could guys like each other? All he has seen are boys and girls snogging, not two men snogging or two girls. It was unnatural, wasn't it?

Percy watched Oliver's Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. "Percy," he muttered, his pupils dilating. "I-I need to go..."

"Oh," Percy said in a low voice, blinking as he realised he had been staring at his best friend for who knows how long. He didn't want Oliver to go alone though for some reason. "Can I come with you?"

Oliver gave a small smile and nodded, a tinge of pink appearing on his face. "I'm only going to the Library to put these books back," he tells him lamely, though he knew Percy didn't mind as it's the damn library. It's Percy's favourite place to go to. "You may come with since you're a bibliophile."

Percy scoffed as they walked through the tunnel exiting the Gryffindor common room leading out to the staircase. "Am not!" he had tried to sound snappish but it came out sounding more consoling and rather wearily fond.

Oliver laughed and elbowed Oliver in the shoulders in a playful manner. "Are too!" he says back. You're a funny, smart, sweet..." his voice lowered a little as he looked to the ground and whispered, "cute."

Percy thought he heard wrong. There's that fluttery feeling in his stomach and chest again. "What was that?" He spluttered, thinking about why does his face feel warm like it's on fire? He hoped he wasn't on fire.

"N-Nothing..." Oliver said quickly, his face red and he looked away with a little smile.

Percy couldn't stop his racing heart, especially when their hands touched every so often when walking to the Library. What was with that? 'What's happening to me?' He thought. 'Am I going insane? Having a panic attack?' He has had panic attacks before examinations when he thought that he forgot his quill and ink, but Oliver always told him it was in his pocket. He was always right. This didn't feel like a panic attack. This was...nice. Really nice.

Finally, Oliver and Percy were at the Library. They walked through the large wooden doors, but Percy followed Oliver down the 'S' isle of bookshelves. He watched him put one of the books he held back on the shelf. The evening sunlight that shone through the window beside Oliver reflected off his brown hair, almost making it look golden. So pretty...

Wait... no, thought Percy. Why did I think that? What's wrong with me? Is there something wrong? I hope there isn't. Maybe I should just go see Madam Pomfrey about this. Perhaps, I should.

Percy kept following Oliver down the aisles, watching him put the books back nearly mesmerisingly. Then Oliver climbed up a ladder. It was a bit wonky and Percy had his doubts but Oliver, being the brave soul he is, decided to climb that thing. Percy, of course, told him not to. He loves Oliver, as a best friend, obviously. Not anything more.

A sudden shout broke Percy out of his thoughts, and he looked up. Oliver was falling. The world started slowing down. Oliver was going to fall on top of Percy so Percy held out his arms for him even if he knew he wouldn't be able to catch him.

Then Percy fell to the ground, a heavyweight pinning him down. He had to close his eyes for the impact because he didn't want to feel too dizzy. Something soft touched Percy's mouth. His lips, actually. He felt fireworks. He opened his eyes and felt his face heat up once again. A pounding heart and fluttering in his stomach. He couldn't believe it. Oliver and he were... Oliver's lips were on his, so warm and soft, making Percy's knees feel weak. But then it ended, his lips were removed from his. Why did Percy want them back? Connected to his lips again? This was just so confusing.

"S-sorry," Oliver stuttered, his face a shade of red from embarrassment.

Percy looked down at Oliver's lips which were a light shade of pink. The lips that had just touched his own. He blinked and looked back up into his pecan brown eyes. The brown eyes are just so... pretty. No, he thought. What's wrong with me?

Percy didn't know how to reply. Should he be angry that Oliver stole his first kiss or relieved? "It's okay," Percy managed to stay after a few beats. He could still feel the warmness on his lips from where Oliver's lips touched him. Well, it was more like an accidental kiss as Oliver did fall on him.

They just stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. Percy cleared his throat. Why can't his heart stop rapidly beating?

Oliver blinked down at Percy, then he removed himself from on top of his best friend, leaving Percy wanting him back on top of him. This is just too confusing for Percy.

Finally, Percy was able to get back up on his feet. His face still felt warm, and Oliver's cheeks still had a red tinge to it though Percy knew his own cheeks too would be tinged with pink. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Oliver nodded at him. Percy quickly headed out of the Library to the Hospital Ward. He needed a check-up. He is sure he's coming down with something. "Madam Pomfrey!" he called as he entered the Hospital Ward. Finally, the weird feelings were gone, but he was puffed a little from the long walk.

"Yes?" Madam Pomfrey said and quickly made eye contact with Percy in a jiffy. She had been treating a sick student. "Oh, Percy Weasley. How can I help you?"

Percy made his way toward a bed and sat down. He wanted to know what was wrong with him. "I think I'm coming down with something," he tells her firmly as he just knows something is happening to him. "I don't know how I got it."

Madam Pomfrey came over and checked Percy's forehead with her hand. It was just like what his mom did when one of Percy's older brothers or Ron got the flu. "Nothing seems unnatural, Percy," she said soothingly. "Tell me why you think you have the flu or what do you think you've come down with?"

"That's just it... I don't know," Percy mumbles with a shrug, staring down at the white flooring. "One minute I was fine, and then when I bumped into Oliver and our hands touched... my heart began thumping in my chest, there was this fluttery feeling in my stomach... What's wrong with me, Madam Pomfrey?"

Madam Pomfrey just smiled sweetly at him and Percy doesn't know why she's smiling when there's something wrong with him. "Nothing is wrong with you, Percy," she states firmly. Percy didn't believe her. "You just love him, that's all. You really love him. There's nothing wrong with that."

Percy took that information in. Love him? Of course, he loves Oliver. But just as a best friend. That's all. There's just nothing else to say. "I better be off then," Percy sighs slowly. He wanted to go read again, to get his mind off things. "Thank you."

"Good luck, Percy!" Madam Pomfrey said with a wave. Percy didn't understand what she meant. Good luck with what? Percy thought maybe it had something to do with examinations. Yes, that has to be what she means.

End of Flashback

"Percy?!" Oliver waved his hand over Percy's face, trying to get him out of the gaze he was in. He had to admit that Percy was rather cute with the distant look on his face.

Percy looked back up at him. When was he looking down? "Yes?" he says quickly. "Oh... I-" There was a tightness in his chest again as he remembered what he saw. "It looked like you were having a little bit of fun there with that other bloke..."

"Him?" Oliver said tightly, his thumb pointing behind him at Mathew, one of the Puddlemere United's coach. He looked back behind him at the bloke who snogged him but didn't see him anywhere. Looking back at Percy, he said in a low voice, "I didn't kiss him, he kissed me. It was a surprise attack."

"Oh, so you accept kisses from all your work colleagues?" Percy asked him slowly, giving a little sheepish smile even if his cheeks were burning up. If only he were a work colleague of Oliver's...

Oliver laughed gently. "Not really," he says softly and rubbed the back of his neck. "He just surprised me with a kiss," he answered his best friend's question. "So, what are you doing here? Last I remember you saying you were off to visit your family for the rest of the holiday."

Percy didn't want to answer that question just yet. This is going to be hard, but he'll get to the point soon. "Oliver... do you remember when we first met?" Oliver nodded, and Percy smiles. "You invited yourself into the compartment I was in."

Oliver raised his hands in surrender and grinned at that memory. "Hey, I don't regret it at all." He indeed invited himself into the compartment Percy was in but that day he just didn't want to sit in a crowded place with people he doesn't know. He wanted to make friends his own way.

Percy rolled his eyes. He doesn't regret it either otherwise he probably wouldn't have become Oliver's friend. But what he's been remembering for a very long day was the day he fell in love with his best friend but completely ignored the feelings. "Remember when I bumped into you in our third year?" he then asks Oliver, getting closer to his point in this conversation. "I helped you pick up your books and you did the same for me. We went to the library, you put your books away, but then you fell on me and... Do you know how I felt?"

"Percy..." Oliver said. "I-"

"Let me get this off my chest, Oliver," Percy said a little quickly. He bit his lip, the fluttery feeling coming back to his stomach. "Do you know how I felt? I ignored it for so long, but I can't anymore... Remember our accidental first kiss?"

"Percy..." Oliver tried again.

Percy shook his head. He had to say this, no matter if he does start having a heart attack if that somehow occurs. "Every time I'm near you... I feel so... protected and my heart begins beating so fast that I believe I'm about to have a heart attack," he tells him hesitantly. Oliver chuckled at that and shook his head. "My stomach... it feels like butterflies are fluttering around madly. This is what I feel whenever I'm near you. This is what I'm feeling now."

Oliver smiled and moved a little closer to his best friend, who makes him feel the exact same. He couldn't believe his best friend, after all this time, shares the same feelings.

"Oliver..." Percy said, heart picking up speed, fluttering feeling in his gut intensifying and his palms began to feel sweaty. He took a deep breath. "Oliver Wood, my best friend... I've been ignoring my feelings for you for so long, too long. I-..." He took another breath. This was so nerving. He looked right into those brown eyes he really, really likes and said in such a quick voice he believes Oliver didn't capture what he said, "I love you, Oliver Wood, and have felt this way for a while now. A really long time."

Oliver blinked, his smile widening. He raised his hands to his best friend's shoulder and around his neck. He cupped the back of his best friend's neck and pulled him in slowly for a kiss because it's all he has been wanting to do since after that one kiss in their third year.

Percy felt fireworks again, for the second time. Heat rose from Percy's stomach to his chest and his heart definitely skipped a beat as Oliver's lips were closing in. The smell filled Percy's nostrils to the point of near-brain death. Oliver was so close. That was it – at that very moment Oliver's lips brushed over his like a wave of warmth and all his body reacted to him instinctively. His toes curled, his eyes zeroed in on Oliver's, his smell even more hypnotic. The taste of him... it silenced his thoughts and made Percy want more.

Oliver leaned out and pressed his forehead against Percy's, smiling the widest he's ever possibly have in years. "I love you too, Percy Weasley, and have done for many years. Even back at Hogwarts."

That just made Percy's heart skip a beat again. Nobody has ever told him that they love him. Not even Penelope. That relationship was just... practise. Practise for the real relationships. The relationship he wants to share with Oliver.

"I'm sorry for ignoring my feelings for you," Percy whispered to him, his arms slowly wrapping around Oliver's back. He's been hugged by Oliver before but now he feels like he's at home in the Burrow but with Oliver. "When I first noticed my feelings towards you... I thought I was just confused." He smiled as that was partly true. "I was confused about my sexuality. I thought it wasn't... natural to like men. But as I grew older and saw people, lesbians, gay men looking so happy and snogging in the corridors of Hogwarts, I grew to accept it. I accept my bisexual sister, my bisexual brother and pansexual twin siblings. Oh, and did you know that Harry was into guys too? And he's dating Draco Malfoy."

Oliver smiled at the memory of the best seeker Gryffindor has ever had. He hasn't seen that little lion in a long time. "Ah, Harry Potter," he says with a thoughtful look on his face at the times Harry had always successfully caught the snitch. "I knew there was something about him, especially his sexuality and that odd rival with Draco Malfoy. And you don't have to apologise, Perce," he adds softly. "It's just a part of growing up and accepting yourself."

"I... um," Percy paused, not losing eye contact from those brown eyes as he still had something to ask. He reached a hand up and brushed back the other man's fringe from his forehead. "I wanted to ask you something else," he says nervously, fiddling with a few strands of the other man's hair. "I've told you my feelings, but I haven't asked you...umm... so err... will you-"

"Go out-" Oliver says shortly, knowing what he'll be asked.

"With me," Percy finished slowly.

"Yes," they both said in unison and smiled at each other.

"I'd love to go out with you," said Oliver, who slid his hand back to Percy's freckly pale cheeks and caressed them.

"That settles it then," Percy said, his cheeks glowed from the touch and his heart pounded in his chest. Then he wonders who will plan the date? What should he wear? "Owl me a day and time, Oliver Wood."

"I will as soon as I can, Percy," Oliver tells him quickly whilst already thinking of a date he can take Percy on.

"Great!" Percy thinks that this day just couldn't get any better for him. One: he kissed his best friend who he has had feelings for all these years and two: he's going out with the love of his life. Well, will go out. He's excited about the first date though. He knows his family are waiting for him home for lunch. He didn't want to leave Oliver again. He wants to spend more time with him. "How would you feel about having lunch with my family, Ollie?"

Oliver nodded, admiring Percy's blue eyes that sparkled and gleamed with excitement. "I would love to see the family again," he says lightly, though can't help from feeling nervous since he hasn't seen the Weasley family in so long. "Good Merlin, I haven't seen your family in years!"

Percy's smile widened until he could feel his cheeks hurt, which he tried to ignore. He nervously leaned in and kissed him again. It was just a gentle caress of lips, and a quick one before leaning out, grabbing a firm hold of his now-boyfriend and apparating to the Burrow.

They were outside the wards of the Burrow, and Percy took Oliver's hand with a smile and led him right through. Oliver's nervousness began to show, but he quickly hid it with a smile and took a deep breath when Percy opened the front door to the Burrow. Warmth and cosiness filled him as he enters The Burrow into the lounge room with Percy.

A mob of redheads, a dark-haired and blonde-haired boy looked their way with a mixture of surprise, happiness, and adoration. "Percy!" most of them, mainly Ron, Ginny, and the twins, yelled and everyone scrambled up to the two standing in the middle of the lounge room.

Draco held out his hand for the ex-Gryffindor captain and keeper but the keeper for the Puddlemere united. "Names Draco Malfoy," he says firmly, wanting to make a good first impression on the bloke even though Oliver was going to do the same.

Oliver smiled at him. He remembers this little prick, the Slytherin seeker, from his sixth and seventh year. Such a pain in the butt, this one is. Was. "Ah, Harry's boyfriend," he says at last and shakes his hand. "It's a delight to meet you, Draco, and not just on the field."

Draco smirked at that comment, their hands dropping as Harry walks over to them. "Likewise, Oliver."

"Hey, Oliver, how's Quidditch?" Harry asks immediately when Oliver looks his way. He smiles kindly at the man who used to be the Gryffindor Quidditch captain and puts an arm around Draco's waist.

"Hello, Harry. Quidditch is good. Lots of practice, but it's been fun and tough," Oliver tells him quickly, adding a little head tilt here and there. "How's Quidditch with you?" Then he realised what happened last year, thanks to a source inside the school. He crossed his arms. "Right... Dolores Umbridge. She banned you for life."

"Dumbridge actually," Harry says lamely, making Oliver snort in amusement and Percy chuckle.

Mrs Weasley rushed into the lounge room as she heard an apparition crack and some yells. She had to make sure no death eaters popped in, just in case. She sighed in relief, but also happiness at the sight of her third born with a man she knows as Oliver Wood, a Quidditch player. "And Oliver Wood," she said kindly with a warm tone of voice. "It's been quite some time since I've seen you last. I've heard so much about you from my dear Percy."

"Mom!" Percy muttered and shook his head firmly, not wanting Oliver to know that he had been talking about him with his family. He could tell Oliver was grinning from the news. Just great...

"Has he now?" Oliver asked lightly with pink-tinged cheeks and gave Percy a light elbow in the arm. Percy grimaces at his mother and leaned his forehead down against Oliver's shoulder. He was now regretting taking Oliver home for lunch. At least that date is still planned.

Draco grinned at Percy. He was glad Percy finally got Oliver Wood, the freckled man's crush since...whenever. He didn't know that exact detail. Even back in his first year, he could see those two stealing glances at each other – not that he was staring or anything. His main focus was on Harry, though it was Potter then. It's what intrigued him back then, wondering what it would be like to have someone in your life who's your best friend, who you really love. And now, as he looks at Harry and gives Harry's grinning cheek a kiss, he knows exactly what it's like.

*****

Draco and Harry were in the Lounge room one night at around 10, just sitting together, Harry writing to Hermione and Draco reading a book on Victorian Romance that he found in the little bookcase to the side of the couch. It was quite silent in the Burrow at this hour besides the sound of the crickets chirping outside, the hoot of an owl here and there, and the crackling of the fire in the fireplace.

During the nice peaceful hour they spent alone, Draco thought the fireplace was moving every now and then when he looked up from his book. Not literally moving, but as if it was looking at him. Like it was blinking at him. But thinking it was probably the ash of the burnt wood in it moving or falling off the log, he just continued reading his book.

"Alright, I think I'm going to go give this letter to Hedwig and get some good sleep," Harry said after some minutes, and he got up from the couch and grabbed his inkpot from the armpiece of the couch. "Are you coming to bed?"

"Oh, alright," Draco says, and his finger moving towards the top end of the page, ready to turn it over though he was halfway through reading the page he was on. "And no," he looks up at Harry, "I'm going to finish reading this chapter and then I'll join you in bed."

"Okay," Harry replies, and he bends down and kisses Draco goodnight. Leaning back after a few seconds, he smiles and says, "I love you, Draco."

Draco smiles back at him, "I love you too Harry." Watching Harry leave to Ron's room, he feels suddenly lonely but distracts himself from that feeling by continuing to read the chapter he was on.

"Psst."

Draco didn't hear the noise. He pretended to not hear it as he didn't want to become distracted from his reading. He just thought it was a frog.

"Oi, psst!" The noise, it turned out was a whisper. Draco looked up, thinking it was Harry but nobody was in the room or by the stairs.

"The fireplace, dear," said the voice again, and Draco looked up over at the fireplace to see eyes, a nose and a mouth, someone's face looking at him. He shuddered a little, having no idea who and why someone would be fire-calling the Burrow at this hour. But when he looked closer at the face he recognized it. Her. It was Teresa Zabini, Blaise's mother.

"Teresa?" Draco says quietly, and he lays his book page-down on the sofa cushion beside him gets off the chair and walks over to the fireplace. "Um... how are you?" He kneels in front of the fireplace, and what bothers him is why Teresa would fire-call the Burrow at this hour? Unless she wanted to speak with Ron, or Blaise wanted to speak with him or Ron.

"You too, dear," Teresa tells him quietly, and she nervously smiles and puts a lock of hair behind her ear. "Oh and Draco, Blaise wants to see you."

"But can't he come here if he wants to speak with me as he's done so before?" Draco asks her, suddenly becoming a little suspicious of Blaise's mother. If Blaise wants to speak with him, he would have fire-called on his own or Floo'd over.

"No," Teresa says, shaking her head, and she blinks her eyes a couple of times, as if in a certain way – a pattern – but Draco didn't seem to understand her. She became more nervous and wary. "H-He's up in bed, sick."

Draco noticed the gesture and frowned. He was sure that she just lied to him. He knows that if Blaise were sick, he'd still get up out of bed and use the Fireplace in his bedroom to Fire-call him. "I can't, sorry."

"Please," Teresa says quietly with a cry, and behind her, a figure appeared, their wand pointed at Teresa's head. Draco's eyes widened in fear and his face paled. It was Voldemort who had his wand pointed directly at Teresa's head.

"Bellatrix," the Dark Lord hisses. "Bring in Blaise."

Bellatrix walked into Draco's sight with a wicked smile on her face, and she had Blaise in a headlock, her other hand pointing her wand at Blaise's throat. "Why, hello my lovely nephew," she says to Draco and jabs her wand further into Blaise's neck.

Draco's lip trembled at the sight of his best friend clearly in mortal danger. How did this happen? It all was happening under his nose while he was happily reading. "B-Blaise?" he said to his best friend, his voice shrill. "A-Are you alright?"

"Blaise is fine," Voldemort says in his cold bone-chilling voice, clearly a little impatient as he walks around Teresa. Though he seemed to calm down a little as he glared at Draco. "Now, Draco, be a good boy and tell us exactly where you are."

"N-no!" Draco shouts, shaking his head quickly out of fear. He didn't want this to be true. He would never tell his location as Harry and the Weasley's was with him. "I will not tell you my location!"

"Oh, that's too bad," Voldemort says, and he pushes his wand into the side of Teresa's neck. It was noticeable that it hurt Teresa by the wince she gave. "Clearly, your hiding something from me. Or, in fact, someone..."

"Well, I'm not!" Draco says loudly at once. "I'm alone! I'm just studying for next year's examinations in...our manor in Tokyo."

"LIES!" Voldemort yells. "Why didn't you return home? Harry Potter's there with you, isn't he? Bring him to me and your friend here and his mother will be set free and you will be rewarded with glory and fame." Too impatient when Draco didn't reply and only frown, he forces Teresa to bow down on her knees. "I'm afraid you leave me no choice then. AvAdA keDAvRA!"

With a green flash of blinding light, Teresa Zabini falls to the floor, motionless. A scared and worried frown of what will happen to her only family remained on her face.

"Mother, no!" Blaise shouts and tries to get out of Bellatrix's grasp, but the witch just tightens her grip and tells him to shut up nastily. Blaise's eyes begin to fill with tears, and in quick seconds he begins to sob from the loss of his only family member, dead.

"Oh, shut it!" Bellatrix snapped. "Or do you want to end up like your pathetic weak mother?"

"She's not pathetic or weak," Blaise shouts and tries once more to get out of her grip. "Let go of me, you bitch!"

"Oh really," Bellatrix sneers and knees him in the leg from behind, causing Blaise to yelp and fall to his knees. "Then why is she dead? She ended up this way because of love, which is a pathetic excuse of life."

"She died a hero," Draco tells Blaise loudly as he could see his best friend falling for Bellatrix's manipulative trap. "Remember that! Don't give up on yourself, don't give up on love. Remember that Pansy and I love you."

"ENOUGH!" Voldemort yells and walks around Blaise and Bellatrix. "Draco, tell us where you are or your lovely friend over here will be next," he scowls down at Blaise and points his wand at Blaise's forehead but stands to the side so Draco could see."I'm sure his beloved Ronald Weasley wouldn't want to find out his lover is dead now, would he?"

"How the bloody hell-" Draco rasps out, about to ask how Voldemort knows that Blaise and Ron are dating, but then pauses and looks at Blaise in disbelief. "You told them about... you and Ron?"

"I didn't, I swear!" Blaise shouts through all the tears he's shed and the pain he feels. "He somehow found out!" He glares up at Voldemort who grinned evilly down at him. "GO, DRACO! TURN OFF THE FLOO-!"

Bellatrix shuts him up by pushing him to the ground and then stood on his back so he couldn't move. She laughs maniacally, and when Blaise tries to look up, she presses her foot down on his head hard until it slams against the floor.

"Oww!" Blaise hisses.

Bellatrix grins, and when she quickly steps off him, she grabbed his collar and forced him up. "GET UP!" she shouts. Blaise quickly gets to his knees, his breathing heavy and bursting in and out.

"Yes," Voldemort said and looked very pleased as he returns the top of his wand to Blaise's forehead. "Blaise here is very good with information. He hasn't told us where you are exactly, but I've seen in his mind and thoughts... The Burrow, isn't it?"

Draco lets his tears fall from his eyes. This was torture seeing his best friend get practically tormented in front of him. "No," he shakes his head a little slower now. He couldn't believe this is happening. He feels as if he's there with them in the Zabini Manor's lounge room.

Voldemort then sighed, unimpressed and agitated. "Alecto, Amycus, bring them in," he snaps. "Oh, and bring in the other one."

Draco's heart falls when he sees his parents being walked in by the two Death Eater siblings, and then Fenrir Greyback walks in with a dark-haired girl with curly hair who was crying her eyes out. Ivy Black. "No," Draco says weakly, and he presses his hands to his eyes. "No..." They were torturing him.

"I'll ask this one more time, Draco," Voldemort says coldly. "Where is your location? We know you're not at Parkinson Manor as he checked there. Oh, and your Parkinson friend and her family weren't anywhere in their manor. Luckily for them, as they weren't there, they would have been brought here as bait too."

"No, I won't tell you!" Draco shouts at the Dark Lord. He won't let the Burrow become a Death Eater target. "I won't!"

"Draco don't tell them!" Ivy shouts at her cousin as she tries getting out of Fenrir's grasp. "He killed Lavender and chucked her fucking body aside for lunch-"

"Shut it," growled Fenrir and threw her to the floor. He stomped on her waist, pinning her to the floor. "My Lord, let me kill her in front of him. He'll surely come out to you."

"No," said Voldemort. But after a minute of thinking, he then agreed. "Fine, you may but just wait until I say so." Fenrir grinned down at Ivy, but Ivy grabbed his foot and using her vampire strength that the Death Eaters didn't know she had, pushed Fenrir's foot off her and then kicked Fenrir in the balls.

Fenrir whined like a dog and put his hands between his legs, and Ivy took her chance as she quickly got up and kneed him in the nose as he was leaned over in pain. She then made a run for it. Draco saw Blaise grin a little, clearly proud of Ivy and what she had done until Voldemort raised his wand and killed her with the Killing Curse.

"AvADA KeDAVra!"

Draco watched, horrified, as his best friend and also cousin dropped dead as she was trying to escape. "NO!" he shouted, eyes filling with tears once again. He just wanted to Floo over there, but that would be a terrible idea, he knew.

"Draco," Narcissa suddenly says in a gentle voice, a sad smile on her face. "My beautiful son... It's okay. Turn off the Floo and go join Harry in bed. You don't need us. You only need Harry in your life."

"Narcissa, dear," Lucius says weakly to her with a frown, and he tries, even if he has a wand pointed at his throat from behind, to grab at her hand one last time before time runs out. He knows his life is over, and so is his wife's. He just wished it'll happen differently. "Don't say that. He needs his friends and us."

"Your mother's right, Draco," Blaise said with a sob. He's given up in fighting to get out of Bellatrix's hold. "Go now! You have Harry, the Weasley's, and Pansy. They're all you need." Draco sobs with him and shakes his head.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shouts, and she laughs wickedly as she lets go of Blaise and he drops to the floor, dead.

"Nooo!" Draco shouts at the inactive figure of his best friend's body on the ground. Blaise's death repeats itself in Draco's mind, like a never-ending movie that's hard to watch. What's really painful is that his face itches from all the tears he has shed but he's in too much pain to deal with the itch. "Please!"

"It's too late now," Voldemort says bleakly, and he grins evilly at the Carrow siblings. "Alecto, Amycus, do it."

"We love you, Draco," Narcissa says softly yet quickly, wet tears were running down her face. "So much. Don't you forget it."

"I love you, my son," Lucius says quickly, frowning at how he and Narcissa's life story will end. At least it's with his wife, side by side just like the altar. "Take care of Harry and yourself. You'll need each other! And Narcissa, I love you so much."

Narcissa smiled sadly and sniffled. "I love you too, Lucius," she replies, and she grabs at Lucius' hand one last time.

"Enough with your pathetic confessions!" Bellatrix snapped and stepped over Blaise's dead body and moved towards her sister and Lucius.

Alecto Carrow forced Lucius down on his knees, and Lucius grunted as his knees hit the floor. Narcissa flinched at him.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"AvAdA kEdAvRa!"

"NO!" Draco shouted as the green light that came out of the Carrows' wands hit his mother and father, and the last thing he saw was his mother and father's eyes looking directly at him, and then they fell to the floor, motionless.

Draco sat up quickly, his eyes damp and shiny. He sobbed in relief that he was in bed, cosy and warm, and on the bed next to him was Harry. "Fuck," he whispered loudly and rubbed at his eyes, but he just broke down into tears. It hurt too much, he hurts on the inside. It just felt too real, the nightmare.

He couldn't sleep alone, he didn't want to, so he removed himself from bed and got into Harry's bed. He put an arm around Harry's back and stuffed his face in Harry's neck. His tears kept coming, and he let them. He couldn't help but let them out.

"Draco?" said a tired Harry, trying to put an arm around his boyfriend as he couldn't see anything. "What time is it?"

"I love you so much," Draco sobs and tries to be as close as he can to his lover by pushing himself into Harry. "Please, stay with me to the very end. I don't want to lose you. You mean so much to me!"

Harry opens his eyes and looked at his boyfriend, who he notices is crying by the quiet sobs he was letting out, though he couldn't see it. "Oh, Draco," he whispers sadly and leans up on his elbow. "What's wrong? And of course, I will stay with you till the very end. Your my lover, my muse, and I love you so much."

"I just had a really terrible nightmare," Draco tells him, and tries his best to hold the tears for some time to tell his lover about it. "I was talking to Blaise's mom through Fire-call, and Voldemort stepped out of the shadows and pointed his wand at her head. He asked me to tell him where I am, and when I told him I wouldn't tell, Bellatrix then stepped into view with Blaise at wand-point, and then those two Death Eater siblings Amycus and Alecto Carrow brought in my parents... and Fenrir Greyback brought in Ivy... They killed them, Harry. And then I woke up. It felt so real..."

"It's okay, it wasn't real," Harry assures him softly and rubs circles over Draco's waist to try and calm him down. "They're all alive, Ivy, Blaise, your mother and father, and Blaise's mother. There's nothing to worry about, Draco."

Draco frowns at the dark silhouette of Harry. He nestles his nose in Harry's neck and sighs sadly. "I love you," he deadpans.

"I love you too, Draco," Harry replies with a small smile, placed a kiss on Draco's forehead and reached up to pet his blonde hair as a known way to calm him down a little. "Do you want to stay awake and do something together? Maybe go for a walk to clear your mind? Or do you want to stay here and try to get some more sleep?"

"I think I'll try to sleep again," Draco tells him quietly, his eyes feeling sore and tired from the tears he let out during the dream and after. He didn't want to cry anymore. He felt too mentally tired. "It's too cold outside anyway."

Harry nodded and kissed him again. "Close your eyes and think of happy thoughts," he whispers. "Of childhood memories that you loved, of your friends and me. Think these thoughts and you will have happy dreams."

"I'll try," Draco replies as he closes his eyes. He feels Harry kiss his nose which put a small smile on his face. However, he couldn't fall back asleep, but after a few minutes, he tells Harry.

"Alright," Harry says with a sigh as he sits up and grabs his glasses that are beside his pillow. "Let's go downstairs."

They dressed in their dressing gowns and put on some shoes and then headed downstairs together quietly so they didn't wake anybody. When downstairs in the lounge room, Draco stared at the Fireplace, his face ashen, and he grabbed at Harry's hand.

"Hey, are you alright?" Harry asks softly, noticing the fear on his boyfriend's face which saddened him. He rubs at Draco's arm with his free hand to try and distract the Slytherin. When Draco looked at him, he sighs and leads him towards the door. "Come on. Some fresh air will do you good."

They walked outside into the chilly air and put their arms around each other to keep each other warm. Harry looked into Draco's eyes and he smiles as Draco locks eyes with him. "I love you, remember that," he tells him quietly.

"I'll always remember your love for me, Harry," Draco whispers back, a little smile appearing on his lips, and his heart beats loudly in his chest. "It's hard to forget, you know."

"I know," Harry says, and he leans forward and kisses Draco gently. Draco sighs and kisses him back, and he cups Harry's cheek with his hand and tilts his head to deepen the kiss. After a few seconds, they lean away from the kiss but press their foreheads together.

"Thank you, Harry," Draco says to Harry's green eyes as it was the only thing he could see at the moment, but he didn't even mind. He loves Harry's eyes and the way light reflects in them. "I don't know why I had such a horrific dream."

"I think I know why," Harry said after a moment, and he frowns at the realisation. "It was because of the locket and destroying it." He looks away, feeling ashamed and guilty. "I knew I should have done it alone."

"That might be the reason, but we're in this together," Draco replies gently and lifts Harry's chin so the Gryffindor's looking back at him. "Whatever you'll do, I'll be there with you and to support you."

"I know, and I understand," Harry tells him quietly. "And I'll always be here to support you too and help if you need it." He gives him a hug and sighs deeply. "Let's go back inside, it's getting too cold to stay out here. I'd rather be in bed with you."

Draco smiles and nodded his head. "Alright, let's go." They've spent a few minutes outside already, and he thinks he's ready to try and sleep again. He tried forgetting about the nightmare as they entered back into the warmth and cosiness of the Burrow and made their way upstairs into Ron's room and past the sleeping figure of Ron. They got into bed together and ended up falling asleep in each other's arms.