Harry Potter and The Dragon's Treasure

– CHAPTER EIGHTEEN –

Helpful

There were only a few days left of their stay at Hogwarts, and as
N.E.W.T.s grew nearer, Hermione grew more and more frantic. She
had actually been conducting herself much more calmly than Harry
had expected so far, but that old unnecessary Hermione panic was
beginning to settle in. That morning she had snapped at anyone who
happened to disturb her reading, and then later in Herbology, she'd
nearly knocked Ron to the floor in order to get the best plant.

Harry stood with his own plant, trying to catch one of the wildly
waving tentacle-like ... things moving about. They were supposed to
be milking them or some such nonsense, but it wasn't exactly easy to
do, and he'd been squirted in the face three times already. Neville was
the only person in the class who was doing exceptionally well. Even
better than Hermione was doing. He hadn't got squirted once and
had filled his container nearly to the top.

Draco stood back with his hands on his hips, laughing at the
white sap dripping down his husband's face.

Harry stared at Draco with narrowed eyes, knowing what it
looked like he had been doing. He cast a Cleaning Charm but found
that the stickiness of the liquid seemed to stay put. He huffed. He
would have to take a shower after this.

"Argh!" Ron let out as his plant shot some of its goo at him. "I
hate these bloody things!"

Draco nearly doubled over with laughter at that.
"Oh, shut it," said Ron, pulling his wand to do a Cleaning Charm
on himself. "I hope you get squirted."
"You two just aren't doing it right," Hermione snapped at Harry
and Ron, in deep concentration as she bent over her own pot.
Draco rolled his eyes and approached the plant carefully,
explicitly following the directions given in the Herbology book, and
he managed to milk the tentacles. His hands were sticky when he

150 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

finished, but he hadn't been squirted. "You just have to have the right
touch," he drawled, waggling his eyebrows suggestively at Harry.

Harry waggled his eyebrows as well. "And you and I both know
you've got that," he said.

Ron shook his head at them.
Draco looked past them to the back of the Herbology enclosure
and saw Theo staring angrily at the plant in front of him, sap on his
shirt. He sighed, shaking his head. Theo had always been good at
stuff like this but Draco recognised the other man's mood and knew
he was part of the problem.
Harry turned his head and looked behind him to where Draco
was looking. He sighed quietly and then turned back to his husband.
Draco smiled sadly at Harry then. "Do you need help?" he asked.
"No, I can do it," Harry answered, and then he looked over to
where Valen lay asleep in his playpen, checking on him.
Draco arched an eyebrow and made sure to stay out of squirting
range of the tentacles.
Harry snorted at him. "Well, I guess you can help if you're just
going to stand there," he said.
Draco eyed him warily, fully expecting he would regret offering.
He walked up behind Harry and reached his arms around so that his
arms lay against Harry's. He took the man's hand and showed him
how to grasp the plant in a way that calmed it rather than excited it.
With Draco's help, Harry finished a lot quicker, and thankfully
didn't get squirted again, though he had come close.
Ron on the other hand got squirted two more times before
Neville finally came over to help him.
"Harry," Draco whispered in his husband's ear. "I want to help
Theo with his."
Harry frowned the smallest bit. He sighed again, but it was more
letting out a long, quiet breath. "Okay," he said with a nod, tilting his
head to the side and back a bit to kiss Draco.
Draco kissed his husband and then stepped back, making his way
to the end of the structure where Theo had apparently given up and
was just staring off in space.
Draco stood beside him for a moment. "Having trouble with it?"
he asked casually.

HELPFUL 151

Theo glanced sideways at him, frowning. "Do you actually care?"
he sneered.

"Actually, yes," Draco answered calmly, and that got him a
suspicious look. "I know you are good at this stuff, so what's the
problem?"

Theo stared at him for a moment, seeming perplexed as to how
to answer the blond. "I don't know," he answered sullenly.

"Maybe you are a bit frustrated with other things and the plant
needs a gentle touch?" Draco suggested.

Theo grimaced. "Never had any complaints before," he
whispered.

Draco smiled a bit. "No, none that I remember," he said.
Theo looked up again at him, startled then. "I didn't know about
the potion," he said.
"I know you didn't," Draco said. "It's not your style."
Theo smiled sadly. "Not that I would turn you down if you really
wanted.... "
Draco smirked. "Yeah, always did well together," he said. "Not
where I am now." After a second he added, "And for the record, I
pulled away to protect you long before I got involved with Harry."
Theo's eyes widened and he looked away quickly.
Draco gave Theo a few minutes to get his emotions under
control, then asked, "So, think you can handle the plant?"
Theo was calm again when he looked back. "Yes, I think I can
handle myself well enough."
Draco reached out and gave Theo's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Good," he said, then turned and made his way back to his husband.
Harry had watched out of the corner of his eye and looked up
when Draco was approaching. He raised an eyebrow by way of
question.
"He can handle it now," Draco said quietly.
Harry nodded. "Okay," he said simply.
Draco leant against him, whispering against his ear. "Thank you,
love," he said.
Harry smiled and nodded again. "No need," he said.
Draco looked over and saw that Theo was indeed doing fine with
the plant now.

152 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

After another few days of classes, the big morning finally arrived. The
same examiners that had been there for O.W.L.s were sitting at the
extended staff table for breakfast, and Harry thought Hermione
might die of nervousness. She'd brought all her things with her to the
meal and sat reading bits of parchment and books, her eyes flying
over the pages.

Ron was looking very nervous as well and not eating much. He
only sat looking at the 'brain food' Hermione had piled on his plate.

Harry was, of course, a little jittery, but wasn't too concerned
with the tests. He thought he would actually do pretty well. He knew
Ron and Hermione would, too, and was amused with both of them.

Draco only had one book at breakfast and it was more to calm
his nerves than to actually study. He was reading an old treatise on
Magical Theory. His son kept reaching for the parchment and he
shifted to hold it out of reach.

As breakfast finished, the students began clearing out to go and
do as they pleased, as it was a Saturday. Ginny had agreed to watch
Valen while the exams were taking place and collected him, along
with the few bottles Harry had prepared.

Everyone in their year remained in the Hall but moved from the
tables, Hermione trying to cram a few last-minute facts in. Professor
McGonagall waved her wand and the House tables rearranged
themselves against the walls. After another wave, there were suddenly
dozens of evenly spaced desks.

"Please, take your seats," she called to them all.
Harry looked to Draco standing beside him. "Kiss for good
luck?" he said with a smile.
Draco smirked, and whispered, "Always," before leaning in to
kiss his husband.
Harry grinned against Draco's lips and then moved with everyone
else to the desks. He took his seat and waited as the examination
papers were passed out. It took a very long time, or at least it felt like
it did. He had some trouble with a few of the questions, but did fly
through the Defence Against the Dark Arts test. He thought he did
rather well with Charms and Transfiguration as well, and he even
didn't think he did too badly with Potions.

HELPFUL 153

He'd looked over at his friends and husband a few times, but
couldn't gauge how they were doing from where he sat.

Draco was concentrating so hard that he had those tell-tale ink
spots on his lips again. He was so focused that he startled when time
was called.

Harry looked up and then quickly made sure he had written down
his name. He felt restless and had been tapping his quill for the past
few minutes. It was not easy to sit through so many tests at once, and
his hand hurt from the writing, but he supposed it had to be done
quickly with the special circumstances and all. He stretched as the
papers were being collected.

Slughorn was the teacher in the Hall with them, as Potions had
been their last test. "Your practical exams will start tomorrow
morning," he announced. "All of you are to report back here, same
time."

There was muffled acknowledgment before everyone began
getting to their feet. Harry stretched again before he stood.

Draco frowned at his ink-stained lips and cast a Cleaning Charm
before getting up and stretching as well. He smiled at his husband as
he walked over to him.

"So," said Harry, pulling Draco to him by the front of his robe,
"how do you think you did?"

"Pretty good," Draco answered, leaning in to kiss his lover.
Harry smiled against Draco's lips before pulling back. "Yeah, me
too," he said.
Ron approached then, looking relieved, but nervous at the same
time. "I left three blank in Potions," he said. "And one in Charms.
And one in Transfiguration. And two in Herbology. That's seven!
Seven questions I left blank." He sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes
with the heels of his hands.
"Well, I left two blank in Potions," said Harry. "And one each in
Herbology and Transfiguration. You'll be fine, Ron. Probably do
better in the practicals."
Draco didn't mention he had answered all of the questions and
spent time going over the answers before he turned in the test. Last
time, he had done better in the written than in practicals. "It should
be fine," he said. "Let's go relax for a bit.”

154 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

Harry nodded, looking over at Hermione, who seemed to be in
deep conversation with Professor Slughorn over her exam. Harry
shrugged and made his way out of the Hall with Ron and Draco.

They sat in the Gryffindor common room with everyone else.
Hermione had shown up a little later and bothered all of them with
her panic as the hours passed.

They'd gone to breakfast the following morning, and after the
meal, it was almost exactly the same as the previous morning. All of
the students cleared out and the examiners took their places at the
table Professor McGonagall set up for them. Instead of setting up
dozens of desks though, the 'eighth' year students were led into the
room usually occupied by first-years waiting to be sorted.

Harry leant back against the wall as he waited for his turn.
Draco leant his hands on the wall on either side of his husband
and smiled at him.
Harry grinned. "Yes?" he said.
"Kiss for luck?" Draco asked, lips closer to Harry's now and body
just inches away.
Harry slid his hands into Draco's robe pockets and pulled him
closer. "At this rate," he said, "we'll be the two luckiest blokes in the
world."
"I know I'm already the luckiest man alive," Draco whispered
against his lover's lips.
"Let's kiss anyway," Harry whispered back, moving forward so
that his lips were pressed fully to Draco's.
Draco tilted his head, pressing his lips and body against Harry's.
"Mmm," he hummed happily into his lover's mouth.
"Merlin, you two don't stop," Ron grumbled from next to them
as Hermione listed spells under her breath.
"Mmhmm," Draco answered, his tongue pressing into Harry's
mouth now. This was his favourite kind of stress relief. Who could
be worried about exams while kissing Harry?
Harry smiled goofily, opening his mouth for Draco. They
snogged until McGonagall stepped in to call the "E"s through the
"H"s and Hermione let out a strange noise.
"Good luck," Harry said to her over Draco's shoulder.
She either ignored him or didn't hear him, still muttering to

HELPFUL 155

herself. Ron shook his head.
Draco shrugged, knowing the only help for Hermione was the

test over and the results back. He was in no hurry himself. One of
the advantages of being wealthy was that his future did not depend
on how he did on the N.E.W.T.s. He would like to do well, but it was
a personal challenge not a public one for him.

Harry spent the rest of the time quizzing Ron on wand
movements, but then the "M"s through the "P"s were being called
and Ron sighed.

"You'll do fine," Harry assured him. Then he turned to Draco.
"That's us," he said.

Draco smiled confidently, giving his husband another quick kiss
and then striding after the examiner.

Harry followed and was then immediately led to a very old
woman for Transfiguration.

Though Draco was in the room with him, he wasn't able to pay
attention to him. Although he did think he was doing well, it didn't
mean it was easy. O.W.L.s had been difficult, but the N.E.W.T.s were
exactly what they stood for: nastily exhausting. He changed a desk
into a pig, like Professor McGonagall had in that first lesson, an
entire pile of different shirts into an entire pile of different trousers,
the point of which was to see if one could correctly duplicate the
materials and shape them differently, and the hardest of all, a chair
into a chimpanzee. And that was only Transfiguration.

Defence wasn't as bad – like he'd expected, though they were
very difficult spells, and the examiner even made him do more, just
so he could see the wandless magic. He'd had a little trouble telling
the difference between two potions, but it wasn't too bad. He
managed to not get squirted while milking his plant for Herbology
and did very well with Charms, getting extra points for the very
powerful Cleaning Charm he had displayed.

He was very tired by the time he was done and even forgot to
look behind him and see if Draco had finished too as he made his
way out of the Great Hall.

Draco was tired enough that he didn't want to lift his wand again
when he left the exam room. He suspected he did very well,
particularly in Potions and Transfiguration. His weakest area during

156 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

O.W.L.s had been the Defence. He felt he'd done better now,
especially since he could call a visible Patronus. He was relieved when
he finally made his way to his husband's side.

"You do all right?" Harry asked, yawning after.
Draco shrugged and nodded at the same time. "Sure, but very
glad it's done," he sighed.
"Me, too," Harry agreed, taking Draco's hand as he began
walking away from the doors. "Now we just have to deal with
Hermione until the results come in through the post."
Draco winced. "Maybe we could run away until they are back?"
he suggested.
Harry chuckled. "Maybe that's not a bad idea," he said.
"Let's go get Valen and go to bed early," Draco suggested,
wrapping an arm around Harry's waist.
"Mmm," Harry sighed. "Yes, lets."

– CHAPTER NINETEEN –

Truth Will Out

As Harry had predicted, Hermione was quite worried when the tests
were finished, and even though he and Draco had gone to bed early,
it hadn't meant they could escape her for the rest of the next day.

She went on and on about possible questions she might have
missed, spells that hadn't been as strong as she'd liked, and the fact
that her pig had been sporting a brown spot that she insisted had
looked like the wood of the desk from which it had been changed.

Harry was actually happier to listen to Lavender and Parvati's
chatter about the party they had been working on the entire week at
Hogwarts with Padma and her Ravenclaw friends. In fact, this party
was the only reason most of Harry's year was staying for another day,
as they didn't actually have to be there. The teachers sort of knew
about this party, and were only allowing it because Hermione was
very adamant about setting an age line at the door. They were using
the Room of Requirement for it.

Harry had been wanting to go home, but in the end, had decided
to stay. It was probably going to be the last time he would see
everyone in his year together and that had made him want to remain
at Hogwarts for one last night.

Ginny had agreed to watch Valen, yet again, with much thanks
from Harry and Draco. She seemed to like watching him, though, so
that took away some of the guilt.

Harry had showered, dressed in some clothes that he thought
made him look quite good, and had even attempted to style his hair.
He was ready to go and only waiting with Draco and Ron for
Hermione.

Draco was dressed in his best casual clothes and had used a
styling charm on the still-short hair. He grinned at Harry. "Ready?"
he asked, thinking about not only the party but how Harry dressed up
made him want to undress him again.

158 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

Harry grinned back. "Yes," he said.
"Just wait until she's down here," Ron complained. "We can all
go down there together."
Harry knew Ron just didn't want to wait for Hermione by
himself. He shrugged, but they didn't have too much longer to wait.
Hermione came down a few minutes later, looking quite nice with
her hair tamed rather than pinned up or all over the place as usual. It
certainly looked like Ron approved.
Harry snorted at him.
"Very nice," Draco said approvingly as well. "Shall we go?"
Hermione smiled at Draco, taking Ron's hand. "Yes, I'm ready,"
she said.
Harry took Draco's hand and the four of them exited through the
portrait hole, making their way down to the seventh floor. It was
strange to be going to the Room of Requirement for a reason other
than to fuck Draco Malfoy, even though he had been in the room
plenty of times before he had been there with his husband.
Draco was thinking similar thoughts but he tried to keep it off his
face. He smiled at his husband, though.
Harry smiled back, looking sideways at Draco.
They reached the room within a few minutes and didn't hear the
music until they had actually passed through the door. Someone must
have wished for the room to be soundproof. It wasn’t exactly loud,
but it wasn't quiet. There were already several people there. The
room was very large, much larger than when Harry and Draco had
used it, and there were small little tables and chairs scattered about
the place rather than a couch or bed. Harry also couldn't tell where
the music was coming from. It was like the very walls were
thrumming with the sounds.
Draco looked around approvingly and saw that most of their
class was already in the room, as well as a few of the older 7th years.
"Hey, you lot," said Parvati happily, striding up to them. "Drinks,
food and other stuff is over there." She pointed to a table against one
of the walls.
"What have you got?" Ron asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Alcohol, of course, Ronald."
Hermione made a bit of a disapproving face, but sighed and went

TRUTH WILL OUT 159

with him as Ron crossed to the indicated table.
"Drinks first?" Draco asked Harry. "Or dancing first?"
Harry smiled. "Doesn't matter to me," he said. "Though if we

combine them, don't say it's completely my fault if we fuck on the
floor."

Draco blushed and rolled his eyes. "Dancing first then," he said,
pulling his husband toward the dance floor where a few brave souls
had already begun to dance.

Harry followed happily enough, pausing when Draco did. "So,"
he said, "how are we supposed to dance to this music?" He did a
weird, goofy-looking move, and knew that it was weird and goofy-
looking, but it made him laugh, so he didn't care.

Draco laughed too but started dancing. He knew he was good at
it. Pansy once told him his hip movements on the dance floor should
probably be illegal in public.

Harry watched Draco for quite a few moments, his mouth a bit
slack. Then he realised that he should probably not just stand there.
He tried to mimic Draco, knowing he must've looked a complete
idiot, but he didn't care about that either, because the man dancing
like he was having sex with the very air was his and he felt rather
warm with the thought.

Draco was loving the way his dancing affected Harry. And once
he got into it, Harry wasn't doing too badly.

Harry could hardly stand it after a while. His hands itched to
reach for Draco and so he did reach for him, pulling his body against
himself. "You are very good at this," he said, voice low.

Groaning at his lover's touch, Draco began grinding his hips
against the other man's, holding him close.

Harry bit his lower lip, moving with Draco. His eyes slid half-
closed and were only focused on the blond before him.

Draco loved dancing but it was never as good before as it was
with Harry. He swayed and moved, using his hands and body to pull
Harry along with him. Like his husband, he was so lost in the feeling
he was oblivious to the rest of the room.

Harry didn't know when he'd started attacking Draco's neck with
his lips. He couldn't help it. At least he'd made it through a song and
a half. He was clutching Draco's arse through his trousers, and they

160 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

were grinding together, and it was just all too much.
Draco groaned and tried to think. "Harry," he gasped. "Maybe we

should slow down?"
Harry blinked several times, panting. He realised how close he

was to pushing it a little further. "Yeah," he said breathlessly.
Draco swallowed hard and pulled back, his erection causing his

trousers to feel particularly tight. He grinned at Harry. "Maybe we
should try socialising with our friends before I drag you back to our
room?" he asked in low voice.

Smiling crookedly, Harry let out a husky laugh.
Draco decided a break from dancing might be a good idea and
led them over to the refreshment table. "No getting drunk or I won't
be able to stop you," Draco warned with a smirk.
"Oh, yes, because it's all me," Harry replied teasingly.
Draco leant in again, licking his husband's ear. "Because I cannot
resist my lion when he pounces," Draco whispered.
Harry shivered. "But my dragon's the one who starts the fire," he
said.
Draco chuckled and handed Harry a glass of punch, nodding
over his husband's shoulder at Neville and Luna standing nearby.
Harry turned his head. "Hey," he said to them, gesturing for them
to come over.
"Hi, Harry, Draco," Neville said, nodding to them both.
Luna smiled and was looking up at the candles floating around
the room as if there was something interesting about them.
Harry didn't ask. "Having any fun?" he said to Neville.
"Oh, sure," Neville answered. "Not as much fun as you two
maybe," he added good naturedly.
Harry blushed a bit and almost wanted to congratulate Neville for
it.
Draco grinned and noticed how close the two seemed to be
standing. He wondered if Luna knew that Neville was attracted to
her. "To the end of wars and exams," he said, holding his glass up in
toast.
Neville grinned and raised his drink, glancing fondly at Luna
beside him. "To Dumbledore's Army," he added.
Harry grinned widely and raised his drink as well. "No better

TRUTH WILL OUT 161

place to toast it," he said.
Luna smiled again. "Yes," she said, taking a gulp out of whatever

was in her cup.
Harry and Draco chatted with other friends and with Ron and

Hermione. Ron was already buzzed and smiling pleasantly around the
room. They talked a little about Ron and Hermione's engagement,
and some about Fleur, who was not that far from delivering her baby,
and chit-chat in general. The laughter grew louder as the party
progressed and Harry was eventually buzzed himself.

He had no idea who had proposed it or how it had happened, but
he found himself sitting on the floor in a very large circle, getting
ready to play Truth or Dare again. He wasn't in the mood to protest
anything, so he didn't. Those playing, which was a good many of the
people attending the party, agreed to the rules and were magically
bound in the game.

Draco wasn't drunk. But he had had enough that he wouldn't
have considered it a good idea to fly or Apparate the moment. He sat
with one arm around the shoulder of his husband. He was curious to
see what the game would be like with all the Houses represented.

Lavender cleared her throat and Harry figured it must have been
her that had started the game. "I'll go first," she said. "Terry."

Terry Boot looked up from his fingernails and raised an eyebrow.
"Truth," he said before she could ask.

Lavender sighed, but then smirked a bit. "Were the rumours true
that it was you who wanked off on Filch's desk in fifth year?"

Terry's eyes widened and he flushed deeply. There was a long
moment before he nodded.

Ron laughed loudly.
"Ron," Terry called out in response. "Truth or Dare?"
Ron stared at him for a moment. "Dare ..." he said slowly.
"I dare you to sing the Weasley is Our King song," Terry said
with a grin.
Ron's ears reddened and he shot a narrow-eyed glance at Draco.
He, too, waited a long moment before beginning, in monotone,
"Weasley is our king, Weasley is our king. Weasley was born in a bin,
he always lets the Quaffle in, Weasley is our king."
There was laughter then and even Harry had to chuckle a bit.

162 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

Draco got quite a laugh out of it. He had written the thing and it
had been one his favourite pranks that year.

Ron, ears still red, looked at Draco again. "Draco," he said.
"Truth or Dare?"

Draco arched an eyebrow and wondered which was the safer
choice with Ron. "Truth," he said.

Ron thought for a moment and then grinned. "Were you really
terrified when you saw Harry's head floating in Hogsmeade in third-
year?"

Harry shook his head a bit in sympathy for his friend. Ron was
just not very good at this game.

"It was certainly disturbing but I think I was more angry than
frightened," Draco found himself admitting.

He looked around then and settled on Luna. "Truth or Dare,
Luna," he asked.

"I suppose I had better pick truth," said Luna in a matter-of-fact
tone.

Draco smiled, hoping to find out if his suspicions were correct.
"Who in the room are you most attracted to?" he asked.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the question and smiled a bit. It
seemed that his husband liked to play matchmaker.

"Well," said Luna without missing a beat, "I suppose it would be
Neville. He really is very nice and I'm rather impressed with his
knowledge on our world's plant life. It can be a very important thing
to know." She nodded.

Neville's eyes widened and then he blushed, looking down
quickly.

Draco smiled and snuggled a little closer to his husband. Maybe
that would push Neville to do something about it, he thought.

Luna smiled with raised eyebrows around the room. "I'll pick
you, Susan," she said. "I've always thought you had pretty hair. It
reminds me of a Racklespurt's and they're loved for their hair."

Susan simply looked at Luna for a few moments before she said,
"Dare."

And that was the way it went for quite a long while. Ernie
Macmillan had admitted to wetting the bed at fourteen, Su Li had to
run around the room as if she were a goose (another of Luna's dares),

TRUTH WILL OUT 163

Parvati had told everyone it had been her who'd clogged up the
Gryffindor girls' bathroom, and there were other weird, embarrassing
questions and dares. Finally though, someone called on Harry.

It was Zacharias Smith asking.
"Dare," Harry picked.
"I dare you to ... kiss Hermione Granger," Zacharias said,
smirking.
Harry's eyes widened and it was then that he remembered just
how much of a jerk Smith was.
Draco frowned and made a face but held his tongue.
Harry reddened slightly and rolled his eyes, turning to Hermione,
who was making a face as well.
"Why have you got to be such an arsehole?" Ron asked Smith
through his teeth, his ears red again.
"A dare's a dare," Smith replied loftily.
Harry rolled his eyes again. "Nothing against you, Hermione," he
said, "but this is like kissing my sister."
She sighed, her cheeks a bit pink. "Yes, I know," she said.
Harry leant in and kissed her quickly and it was the stupidest
thing anyone could have come up with. Smith was, indeed, just trying
to be an arsehole.
Hermione rolled her eyes in Smith's direction when it was
finished.
Harry sat back next to Draco, a tad disgruntled. "Michael," he
said. "Truth or Dare?"
Michael Corner raised an eyebrow. "Dare," he chose.
"I dare you to ... take four shots of Firewhiskey," Harry said
simply, getting a bit bored with the game.
Everyone watched as Michael took the shots with his face
screwed up. "Pansy," he said when he had come back to the circle,
and Harry thought his voice was maybe already a little slurred. "Truth
or Dare?"
Harry looked across at Pansy, watching her.
"Dare," she said, holding her chin up as if to challenge anyone
who thought she wasn't up to it.
Michael smirked a bit stupidly. "I dare you to flash everyone," he
said.

164 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

Harry made a face, rolled his eyes, and looked away.
Hermione looked very disapprovingly at Michael.
"How juvenile," Pansy drawled and lifted her shirt briefly,
showing off her breasts as they were scantily covered by a lace bra.
Then she pretended to be looking around for her victim.
Draco was not fooled by the act. The minute she dropped her
blouse, something in the set of her face told him that he was going to
be next.
"Oh, Draco darling," she cooed, "Truth or Dare?"
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly as he turned them back on Pansy.
"Truth."
"Draco, did you enjoy fucking Theo in the dungeon last week?"
she asked sweetly as she smiled.
"Fuck you," Harry let out angrily. Hermione put a hand on his
arm.
A few people eyed him warily.
Draco quickly glanced at Harry and then to Theo. Theo closed
his eyes, fingers gripping his trousers. The spell would not let Draco
answer anything but honestly. "Yess," he hissed.
Harry clenched his teeth. He honestly hadn't been expecting
anything other than Draco to say yes, but it was the fact that it was
being brought up again – by the person who had caused it no less.
And the fact that he had been letting it go when they could have
easily got Pansy unable to take N.E.W.T.s, and in trouble with the
Ministry even. "Fuck you," he said again to Pansy. "And fuck this
stupid fucking game."
He pushed himself to his feet, feeling like he needed to get out
lest he do something he might regret.
Draco scrambled to his feet as well then, following Harry amidst
gasps and whispers.

– CHAPTER TWENTY –

Sticks and Stones

Harry left the room fumingly angry, and began down the corridor.
He wasn't entirely sure where he was going, but he needed to walk.

Draco strode after his husband, not touching him but matching
his pace. He was angry at Pansy too, for hurting both Harry and
Theo. But his primary concern was his husband.

Stopping suddenly, Harry leant against the wall, closing his eyes
and taking deep breaths.

Draco was breathing hard and deep, trying to get himself calmed
down. He reached out then, cupping his husband’s cheek with his
right hand.

Harry sighed heavily with Draco's touch. "Why did she – What
was the point of -" He couldn't even get a sentence out.

Draco didn't know if Harry really needed an answer but he tried.
"Just to hurt because she feels hurt," he whispered, knowing it
because it was how he used to feel. He stepped closer to his lover.

Harry didn't say anything, just pulled Draco against him.
Draco trembled when Harry pulled him closer, the other man's
anger and magic swirling over him even as the blond responded to
his body. "Yours," he gasped.
Harry nodded firmly, letting Draco's body against his own calm
him.
Draco rubbed his face against Harry's as he pressed him to the
wall, arousal quickly climbing.
Harry grasped the back of Draco's neck with one hand and
pressed the other to the small of Draco's back. "Will you dance with
me?" he whispered against his ear. "Right here? I don't care if there's
no music."
Draco mirrored his lover's hand movements, fingers of his right
hand in Harry's hair and his left at his waist, pulling him away from
the wall and moving with him. He let the memory of music play in

166 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

his head as he did.
Harry closed his eyes, so incredibly sick of being angry and hurt

that he just didn't want to even think about feeling that way. He
moved with Draco in the silence, dancing with him in the dark,
empty corridor, their breaths and the small noises of one body
against the other echoing against the stone.

Draco began to hum the tune in his head, face pressed to the side
of his lover's so that the low sound was shared between them. Eyes
closed, he swayed and moved, losing himself in the perfection of
dancing with the man he loved. No one else mattered.

Harry moved his mouth against Draco's neck, holding him more
tightly against himself with his hand.

Draco kept his feet moving and his body swaying as he began to
lick and nibble at Harry's ear.

Kissing the skin under his lips, Harry's fingers gently tugged and
pulled at the material of Draco's shirt.

Draco's hand at Harry's neck reached into thick dark hair,
tightening as he began to nip and suck at his lover's neck just below
his ear.

Harry pushed Draco against the wall then. He didn't shove him
into it or pin him with force, only pressed completely against him. He
brought his lips to his husband's, kissing him languidly as he
continued to pull at Draco's shirt until it had come untucked.

Tilting his head, Draco returned his lover's kisses as his silver
hand slid down to cup Harry's arse.

Harry moaned quietly, pulling back for only a moment to lift the
shirt off of Draco and let it fall to the floor. He slid his hands up the
naked chest to rest upon broad shoulders and then back down as he
brought his mouth to Draco's again.

Draco felt the stone wall against his back and his lover's hot
hands on his skin, trembling with his arousal. It was exciting being
right out in the halls like this. He didn't know if Harry was aware of
what he was doing or if he should say something.

Harry sort of knew where they were, but it was as if his ability to
care had completely escaped him. He might have Apparated had they
been at home, but they were in Hogwarts and he couldn't. So he just
went with it. He reached for his own shirt hem.

STICKS AND STONES 167

Draco slid his silver hand up, helping his husband off with his
shirt. He had to release Harry's hair to help but was then rewarded by
access to more of that lovely skin.

Pressing his chest against Draco's, Harry breathed hotly into his
mouth as he reached his hands down to the fasteners on Draco's
trousers.

Draco moaned, hand reaching again for Harry's hair and his
tongue thrusting into his lover's mouth.

Harry worked quickly then, fingers flying as he worked the
trousers open and pushed them and the shorts down to Draco's
knees, which was as far as he could get them without leaving his
husband's lips.

Draco gasped, the feeling of being so exposed making him even
harder. "Oh, yes," he encouraged, sucking on his lover's tongue and
lips as much as possible.

Harry's voice was a very low hum as he quickly tugged off the
rest of his own clothes. He didn't know why he'd stripped them both
manually. He'd simply felt like it, but he removed the trousers around
both their ankles with his magic. The clothing landed next to them
on the floor and Harry was grinding into Draco, hands on the wall
beside him.

Draco moaned, his cock sliding against Harry's and his hands
roaming over the man's back and arse.

Harry hardly made a sound except to breathe and he was already
beginning to sweat, even though it wasn't particularly hot in the
corridor. "Lift you up or turn around?" he rasped against Draco's
mouth, cutting off any answer Draco might have given with a kiss,
but he forced himself to let up again.

Draco's head was spinning – the kisses, the caresses and the
words mingling. "Yes," he answered, trying to indicate that Harry
should choose.

Harry was confused for a moment, but then took the answer to
mean that Draco would like it either way. He brought hands to
Draco's legs, hoisting him up and holding him there with his body.
He remembered being fucked this way in their bathroom at home. It
wasn't particularly the most convenient position, but there was
definitely something about being pressed so tightly against a wall,

168 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

something about being supported wholly by your lover. And there
was something about being the support as well, the one doing the
holding.

Draco gasped, legs wrapping around Harry's waist and arms
around his shoulders. He moaned at the feel of cold stone against his
back and hot flesh pressing into him. "Fuck me, yes," he whispered
against his lover's lips.

Harry pressed against Draco even more tightly as he let him go
with one hand, bringing it below to prepare him. A low moan broke
his silence as he pressed slick fingers into Draco.

Draco moaned louder now as Harry's fingers pressed inside, his
own cock pressed to his lover's stomach, sliding against the sensitive
skin. "Oh, please, yes," he begged.

Harry slicked Draco's entrance and his own erection within a few
quick moments and then he was guiding his cock up, sliding into
Draco in one thrust as he panted.

"Fuck, yes!" Draco growled as his lover's flesh and magic filled
him.

Harry gasped, trying to get a hold on himself and on Draco as
sensation spread throughout his body. He gripped Draco's sides
tightly, beginning to move against him.

Draco pressed his face into Harry's neck as his lover fucked him
against the wall. The rough stone scraping against his back actually
added to his arousal and he moaned again as Harry thrust into him.

Harry made small growling noises as he thrust into Draco, using
what felt like every muscle he possessed in his body, including his
tongue as he turned his head and licked Draco's ear.

"Yes, my lion, yes," Draco gasped, loving the feeling of being
taken by his husband.

Harry groaned as his mind spun. It was exactly what he wanted –
to feel nothing except Draco in that moment. Nothing but Draco
around him, nothing but Draco's smell, nothing but Draco's voice,
and noises, and hands, and body, and everything. "Fuck," he let out
in a breath, thrusting harder.

"Yes, claim me, fill me," Draco chanted, feeling Harry's magic
rising with each thrust.

"Fuck," Harry let out again, louder as he spilled his seed inside

STICKS AND STONES 169

Draco, bracing one hand against the wall for support.
Draco cried out as he came, Harry's cock and magic bringing

him. "Harry, yes," he gasped against his husband's skin.
Harry groaned again, sliding awkwardly to the ground with

Draco. They landed in a tangled heap, panting.
Draco still clung to Harry, not wanting to let go yet. "Yes," he

said, "nothing and no one moves me like you do."
Harry hugged Draco tightly against himself, kissing his shoulders.

"No one does anything for me like you do," he whispered back. "No
one could ever be like you. We could have the most imperfect
relationship in the world and it would still be more perfect to me
than anything else could ever be."

Draco nodded, not knowing if what Harry had said actually made
sense to him but that it meant he wanted him. He hugged him tightly.

Harry remained on the floor with Draco for a few more
moments, holding him, until he jumped when a throat was cleared.
He turned his head, expecting to see a person standing in the
corridor, and was instead met with the sight of The Fat Lady's friend,
Violet, sitting in the painting of a field of flowers.

"Never in all my days have I seen behaviour like that," she said
haughtily, though there were pink blotches on her face and neck and
she certainly hadn't tried to interrupt them during the sex.

Harry made a face, Summoning his and Draco's clothes from a
few feet away.

Draco laughed, kissing Harry quickly before taking his clothes
from his husband.

"Guess we're lucky it wasn't anyone else," Harry muttered as he
got to his feet, performed Cleaning Charms on both himself and
Draco, and slid his boxers on indignantly. "You don't have to watch
us get dressed, you know," he snapped at the woman peering from
the wall.

She huffed and disappeared from the frame, off to tell The Fat
Lady, no doubt, what she had witnessed.

Draco grinned at his husband, blushing a bit. "Let's go collect our
son," he said as he pulled up his trousers.

Harry smiled and nodded, pulling on the rest of his clothes and
then holding his hand out for Draco to take.

170 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

Dressed now, Draco slipped his hand into Harry's and then
tugged him close again for another kiss. "Home tomorrow," he
reminded him happily. He had had enough nostalgia for the moment.

Harry sighed, and there was relief in it. "Home," he agreed.
They walked together up to Gryffindor tower, and Harry walked
over to take Valen off Ginny's hands.
"Back early?" she asked, handing over Valen's toys, blanket, and
nappies as well.
Harry shrugged. "Just tired, I guess."
Valen squealed as he practically leapt into Harry's arms. He was
good with others, like Ginny, but always got excited when returned
to his dads.
Draco smiled, taking the rest of the things from Ginny. "Thanks
for watching him," he added.
"No problem," Ginny answered, leaning in to kiss one of Valen's
hands before Harry and Draco took him upstairs with them.
Draco followed his husband and son, lost in thought about the
events of the night. It had been a mistake to let their guard down
around Pansy. Maybe he spent so much time around Gryffindors he
had become too trusting.
Harry sighed as he lay Valen down on the bed to change him into
pyjamas. "Going home tomorrow," he told him as the baby began
playing with his own feet. "Can't wait to get away from this mess."
Draco sat on the other side of the bed, watching them. "Yes,
home," he said softly. Then after a minute. "I didn't want to answer."
Harry frowned, focussing on getting Valen's arms out of his shirt.
"I know," he answered, quiet as well.
Draco looked away, out the dark window of the tower. "The
answer was just about the physical, not ... not that I am happy about
what happened."
"I know," Harry said again, finally finished with dressing the
baby. He sat down next to Draco with Valen in his lap. "I know you
wouldn't ever do anything like that to us, and I know you didn't."
Some of the fear he was carrying eased then, and Draco crawled
across the bed, leaning in to gently kiss his husband and then to kiss
the top of Valen's head. The little boy reached for his silver hand and,
when Draco let him, began gnawing on it.

STICKS AND STONES 171

Draco looked into Harry's eyes. "What do you want to do about
Pansy?"

"I don't know," said Harry. "I figured you wanted to handle it."
Draco nodded. "But not by reporting her. Then there would be a
hearing. That would involve public disclosure of what happened ...."
Harry made a face. "No," he sighed. "I don't want that."
"Exactly," Draco said. "I will find a way to deal with her, but not
that." He was relieved, not wanting to have to deal with the public
humiliation of recounting the experience.
Harry nodded. "You do whatever you want," he said, hoping
Draco didn't think he had to do anything on account of him.
Valen had fallen asleep in Harry's lap, clutching Draco's hand in
his fingers and drooling on it. Draco smiled down. "We make
decisions together, don't we?" he asked, looking into his husband's
eyes again.
"Yes," Harry answered. "But I know I don't want it blowing up in
public, and aside from that, what else could I do about it?"
"We handle it the Slytherin way. We let it go for now and wait
until there is a way to get the upper hand," Draco explained, smiling
at the trust his husband showed in him.
"The Slytherin way," Harry repeated, kissing Draco softly. "Deal."
"Anything else Slytherin you want?" Draco asked, voice low with
his pleasure.
Harry hummed in pleasure of his own. "Let me put Valen to
bed."

– CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE –

Tangled

Harry was glad to be home. His back-to-school experience, while it
had had its moments, had not been all that pleasant. He was happy to
be back in his own bed with Draco, and was happy to simply feel
relaxed. He found he'd been tense at Hogwarts nearly since the day
Draco had sat with people Harry didn't trust. And it had only grown
worse. Now he was home, and had been for a couple days, and he
felt tremendously better.

He was trying to feed smashed bananas to Valen, who kept
spitting it out and playing in the mess.

"Oh, paper," said Hermione from where she sat as a house-elf
appeared with it. She tried to give him a Sickle for it, but the elf
quickly disappeared. Ron looked to the ceiling, letting out a long sigh.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him as she began to read.
Draco sipped his tea and smiled at the antics of his husband and
child. Valen now had banana in his hair and had managed to get
some in Harry's as well.
Harry huffed as Valen slapped the tray of his highchair and flung
bits of yellow mush on his glasses. "You are impossible," he said to
the baby, removing the frames to clean them off. He glanced at
Hermione, who was reading the paper with a strange expression on
her face. "What's in there?" he asked.
"Oh," she said as if startled. She flipped to another page and
folded the paper in half. "Not anything really." Her voice sounded
almost too casual.
Harry raised an eyebrow.
Draco frowned, considering whether or not to challenge
Hermione when Leakey appeared beside him carrying a tray laden
with mail. He frowned when he noticed a couple of them were red.
Harry groaned when he saw the Howlers. "What now?" he asked.
Hermione eyed the tray, biting her lip.

TANGLED 173

Draco immediately began pulling out the red envelopes. "Merde,"
he complained when one opened at his touch and began screaming
that he was a "whore" who didn't deserve to be with Harry Potter.

Harry's, Ron's, and Hermione's eyes widened as the screaming
continued.

"What the hell is this?" Harry asked as Valen began to cry.
Hermione bit her lip again, handing the paper out slowly.
Harry took it from her, opening to the front page. His eyes were
immediately drawn to the photo of himself and Draco, one from
when they had given their first interview. The headline was bold
enough. "Potter's Happily Ever After: A Hoax?"
Draco strode from the dining room and into the sitting room
with the handful of red envelopes and threw them into the nearest
fireplace, incinerating them. Then leant against the mantle, shaking.
"Go," Hermione said to Harry, taking the baby spoon out of his
hands as she got to her feet.
Harry stood from his chair and followed after Draco, finding him
in only a few seconds. He hadn't even realised he'd taken the paper
with him.
Draco's eyes were closed and he was doing his best to take deep
breaths. He could feel Harry behind him but didn't respond yet.
Harry took a few more steps and then wrapped his arms tightly
around Draco's waist.
Draco sighed, his right hand coming down to rest atop Harry's.
"Someone told?" he asked in a whisper.
"Someone must have," Harry replied quietly, squeezing the paper
still clutched in his hand.
Draco groaned and buried his face in the crook of his arm.
Harry sighed this time, closing his eyes as he wondered if the
week at Hogwarts would ever leave him alone.
Draco finally pulled it together enough to turn in Harry's arms,
noticing the paper in his hands. "It's in the paper?" he asked, though
he was pretty sure he knew the answer already.
Harry sighed again, brought the paper up, and read the headline
aloud. "It has to be where the letters are coming from."
Draco winced, closing his eyes. "I swear whoever told is going to
pay," he hissed.

174 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

Harry clenched his teeth. "This is all Pansy's fault," he said.
"Whoever told the paper is a dick, but she's the one who said it aloud
to a room full of people."

Draco knew it was true. Yet, he had known Pansy for a very long
time and knew enough about her to understand how she felt. He
frowned. He was going to have to find a way to make sure she didn't
hurt Harry or him again.

Harry walked away and sat down heavily on the couch, face in his
hands. "It'll die down eventually," he said, voice muffled.

Draco sat down beside him, taking the paper from his husband's
hands to read it. It didn't give the names but said that two sources
had confirmed he had had an affair with Nott. It figured. He beat
Harry at Quidditch and there was nothing in the paper. But the thing
with Nott makes the front page.

Harry didn't know what else to say. All he knew was that he was
extremely angry with Pansy Parkinson.

Draco finished the article and then tossed it aside, turning to face
Harry again. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of
something to say to his husband. After a minute, he gave up and
reached a hand to take Harry's in his own.

Harry laced his fingers with Draco's and brought his face out of
hiding. "It doesn't matter what everyone else is saying, right?" he said.

Draco wished he believed that. He grimaced. "Well," he said, "it
doesn't hurt us directly."

Harry frowned and sat up more. "What's that supposed to
mean?" he asked.

"Could the paper hurt you when they claimed you were crazy?"
Draco asked.

"But it didn't make me crazy," Harry replied. "I don't give a damn
what everyone else thinks about me. My friends never thought I was
crazy."

Draco smiled crookedly. "Well, I suppose when you put it that
way," he said, "it doesn't much matter." But it might be a while
before it was safe to open the mail.

Harry sighed again and wearily leaned back against the couch.
"Shall we go back to our breakfast?" Draco asked.
Harry nodded, taking his glasses off to rub at his eyes for a short

TANGLED 175

moment. "Valen's probably covered the place in bananas."

That rest of the day had been something Harry hadn't wanted to deal
with in the least. Howlers weren't their only problem. By mid-
afternoon, a concerned Mrs Weasley had shown up on their doorstep
as the representative for the rest of the family. Harry had had to
reassure her that he and Draco were fine, and that they were not
thinking about splitting up as the paper had said. He'd also had to
explain what the "affair" was, and had left out as many details as he
could manage, making it sound as if it had been more of an accident
than a deliberate attempt to break him and Draco up.

He stood in their bedroom with Draco, changing Valen's nappy
and dressing the baby in his pyjamas for bed as he kicked about,
drooling on his fingers.

Draco was feeling more unhappy than he had in a while. He'd
had to give the elves the order to destroy all red envelopes. The rest
of the mail had to be sorted through. He had burned them one by
one. Most had been addressed to him and were in the same mode as
the Howlers. There were a number of owls addressed to Harry
encouraging him to divorce Draco immediately. Some even offered
to help Harry 'get even' with him. He had stayed out of the talk with
Mrs Weasley but had the gist of it from Harry. Now he managed to
get himself undressed and fall exhausted into the bed.

Harry picked Valen up and lowered him into his cot with a few
toys, knowing he would fall asleep in a short while; it was already past
his bedtime. Harry stripped with his magic and lay down on his side
of the bed, then he turned toward Draco and propped his head up in
his hand.

Draco's eyes were closed but he was awake. He finger-walked his
right hand over to touch Harry. He was still wearing his silver arm as
well, having not got around to removing it yet.

Harry smiled at Draco's hand, but then returned to staring at his
face. "Tired?" he asked needlessly.

"Mmhmm," Draco answered, but opened his eyes to look at his
husband.

Harry stared at Draco for a bit longer. "Our anniversary is only a
week and a half away," he said, quietly.

176 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

"Yes, our official wedding anniversary," Draco agreed, sliding his
hand gently up and down Harry's arm.

Harry nodded. "What do you want to do for it?" he asked.
Draco's first impulse was to say "hide," but he knew that would
only upset Harry. "Spend it with you," he said instead.
Harry snorted. "Well, I should certainly hope so," he said. "What
do you want to do about the binding?" he asked after a couple more
moments.
Draco took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. "You really
want to change it, don't you?" he asked.
Harry winced. "Honestly? Yes," he admitted.
"Well, our anniversary would probably be an appropriate time to
do that," Draco agreed. "If we are setting up a new Great Rite, it
would be a good idea to figure out ahead of time what it is we want
promised this time."
Harry nodded again. "What do we want?" he asked.
Draco grinned. "Well, I have no complaints about how you're
always able to get hard for me," he said with an eyebrow waggle.
Harry grinned as well. "I rather like that, too."
"Most of what I want is in our wedding vows or inherent in the
binding itself," Draco said, hand sliding up his lover's side now,
caressing his skin. "What would you want promised from me?"
"The same thing, I suppose," Harry answered quietly. "I don't
want another concubine ... thing."
Draco grimaced at that but moved his hand in circles on Harry's
chest. "I want to be fucking you every day until the day I die," he
said, "but I suppose I will have to trust you to make that happen."
"Is that what it is?" Harry asked, scooting closer to Draco. "You
don't think I want to fuck you until we die?"
Draco turned his head, staring up at the 'H' carved in the canopy
frame. "I wanted you for so long and you didn't want me," he
whispered. "What if you stopped?"
Harry breathed a sigh and pulled Draco against him. "I want you
for the rest of my life," he whispered. "I want to make love to you
every day, I want to raise Valen with you, and have more babies with
you, and do everything else with you. I love you. More than anything.
It's not going to just go away. It won't ever go away."

TANGLED 177

Draco gasped, close to crying. It sounded so utterly perfect to
him. He smiled, turning grey eyes to look into green. "More babies?"
he asked with a smile, his heart speeding up.

Harry leant forward and kissed Draco gently. "I already said we
could think about it, and I have thought about it, and yes. I want
more children with you."

Draco wrapped his arms around Harry, pulling him tight as he
kissed him. "Yes," he whispered against his mouth.

Harry kissed Draco in return. "Yes," he whispered back. And
then with a small amused smile, "As many as you want."

Draco laughed. "It's a very big house, Harry."
Harry snorted again. "Yes, but if we plan to fill the house with
children, I'll be pregnant until I'm eighty!" He laughed as well, feeling
warm with the obvious happiness in Draco's eyes.
Draco smirked. "Well, at least a couple more," he said, licking
Harry's lips.
"I can agree to that," Harry replied, letting his tongue meet
Draco's.
"Mmm," Draco hummed, mouth closing over Harry's as he
began to rock his body against his lover's.
"I'll promise to fuck you every day," Harry whispered between
kisses, and gasps, and moans, "if you promise to let me."
"Oh, please," Draco gasped into his mouth. "I want you now and
always."
"Always," Harry agreed, raising his hand to cast a Silencing
Charm on Valen's cot. He grasped Draco tightly and rolled with him.
"Ride me, please," he gasped.
Draco trembled, the words adding to his arousal like fuel on a
fire. "Prepare me," he whispered, sliding up Harry's body so that his
lover could reach.
Harry slicked his fingers, reaching for Draco's arse as his
breathing sped up. He pushed them inside, stretching carefully but
quickly.
Draco watched his lover's face the entire time, his legs straddling
the man's waist and his hands bracing himself on Harry's shoulders.
"Going to ride you hard, my love," he whispered.
Harry groaned, his cock twitching. "Hard," he gasped, moving his

178 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

hands to grasp at Draco's sides.
Draco reached his right hand back, grasping his lover's cock and

positioning himself against it. He didn't break eye contact at all as he
very slowly lowered himself on to the thick flesh. He loved being
filled this way and was panting by the time his balls rested against his
lover's belly.

Harry let out a very long moan, sliding his hands across every
inch of Draco's skin he could reach as looked up into his eyes.
"Fuck," he gasped. "Fuck, Draco, so good."

"Yes, you inside me," Draco agreed, then rocked forward, letting
Harry's cock slide most of the way out before slowly sinking back
down again with a delighted sigh.

Harry's eyes rolled as he let them fall shut. "Merlin, Draco, yes,"
he hissed through his teeth.

"Yes, going to ride you for a hundred years and then still want
more," Draco gasped, repeating the slide a bit faster now.

Harry moved his hands to Draco's sides again, helping to push
him down as he raised his own hips, gasping with pleasure.
"Forever," he panted.

Draco began to rock faster, his and Harry's bodies moving in
rhythm with each other as he fucked himself on his husband's cock.
"Yes, forever and always," he gasped.

"And nothing will change it," Harry growled, opening his eyes
again to watch Draco's body atop his own.

Draco's hair swayed with his body and he was beginning to sweat
as he rotated his hips as well. He loved the way Harry's body felt
under and inside him. He could feel the muscles in his lover's body
and his own responded enthusiastically. "Yes, Gods, yes," he gasped.

Harry thrust quicker himself, and Draco's movements were
driving him nearly mad with sensation. "Fuck!" he cried out,
beginning to come.

Power erupted inside Draco, flowing up his spine and down his
limbs. He threw his head back in a scream of pleasure, his own come
painting his lover's chest.

Harry watched Draco reach orgasm with his mouth slack.
"Mmm, so beautiful," he said, his voice half a groan.

Draco shuddered, his body clenching around his lover's cock still

TANGLED 179

as he slowly came down from his high. He looked down at Harry,
eyes shining with his love, and smiled.

Harry smiled back, gently sliding his hands up and down Draco's
sides. "We renew the binding on our anniversary then," he said
quietly. "And I will continue to fuck you for as long as we both shall
live." He grinned.

"Then we will have to live a very long time," Draco said, "because
there will never be enough times with you."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "We've already established that we will live a
very long time. We do have to have all those grandchildren after all."

Draco sighed happily, slipping off of his lover's cock and lying
down beside him. "Yes, lots of grandchildren," he agreed, mind filled
with images of the life he wanted.

Harry turned and kissed Draco's head, reaching to stroke his hair.
"You know, I never did grow this back," he said, tugging on a strand.
"Do you have a preference?"

"My preference is whatever is best for you to play with," Draco
answered with a smile, fingers of his right hand idly playing with the
mess on his husband's chest.

"Believe me," Harry said, smirking, "I could find a way to play
with anything. I like it both ways, honestly."

"Grow it for me tomorrow, while fucking me," Draco said with a
grin.

Harry grinned back. "Sounds promising," he said with an
eyebrow waggle.

"All right," Harry said, folding his hands in his lap as he stared at Ron
and Hermione. He glanced at Draco for a quick moment where he
was sitting next to him on the sofa.

"'All right' what?" Hermione replied, raising an eyebrow.
Harry didn't know the exact way he should ask their friends to
watch his husband and himself fucking. "Well," he said, "Draco and I
are going to take both bindings off," he began.
Hermione frowned. "Why?" she asked.
"They're connected. We can't remove one without the other, and
the first one is a bit of a ... hindrance."
Draco took a deep breath and released it with a sigh. "They are

180 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

layered magics," he added. "But we want to re-consecrate the
marriage binding immediately after removing the others."

Understanding flickered over Hermione's face and she flushed
the slightest shade of pink.

"What are you telling us for?" Ron asked, obviously confused.
Harry sighed. "Well ..." he said slowly. "We sort of need someone
to ... witness it."
Draco smirked, waiting for their friends' reactions.
Hermione flushed a little more.
"But, in a binding don't you have to ..." Ron trailed off, making a
face.
"Yes," said Harry. "And it's not like you haven't seen it before."
"Not by my own choice," Ron protested indignantly.
Harry couldn't help a small laugh. "You got to witness the
beginning of Valen's conception," he said. "Don't you want to add
another memorable moment?"
"You really are twisted, you know that?" Ron said to him.
"It only requires one witness, but we would be honoured if the
two of you would be there," Draco said more seriously.
Harry dropped the joke and went more serious as well, though
there was still a small smile on his lips. "All kidding aside," he said,
"Draco's right. We really would be honoured."
Hermione opened her mouth, letting out a small puff of breath
before she spoke. "And we would be honoured to be your
witnesses," she said.
Ron's ears went red. "Yeah, I – Yeah," he said after quite a long
moment.
Harry smiled at them both. "Thanks," he said. "I know it must be
at least a little awkward, even if you have seen it before."
Hermione shrugged it off but Ron nodded in agreement with
him.
Harry chuckled quietly.
"We want to do this for our wedding anniversary," Draco added.
Harry nodded. "Next week," he said.
"Well," said Hermione, face still flushed, "next week it is then."
Harry didn't know why he didn't feel too embarrassed. It would
probably kick in when it came time for the act. "Thank you, both," he

TANGLED 181

said again.
Hermione let out a strange sort of laugh. "You're welcome, I

suppose."
"I suppose," said Ron, still looking uncomfortable.
"Well, we trust you both," said Harry. "And we'd be happy to

stand in for you if you two decide to do anything like this for your
wedding," he said teasingly, though he figured they would if Ron and
Hermione really did ask.

Ron pulled yet another weird face and Hermione raised her
eyebrows.

Draco chuckled and then felt the shift in magic as their son woke
from his nap. He looked up at the cot just before Valen started to
cry.

Harry sighed. "And duty calls," he said, getting to his feet to
retrieve the baby.

Draco was still nervous about removing the bindings but felt
calmer now that they had a plan. He had already begun rereading up
on formal bindings. He smiled happily as his husband lifted their
child into his arms.

Harry was lying on the floor, playing with Valen on a blanket. He
glanced up at his husband sitting on the sofa, who seemed rigid and
perhaps a bit paler than usual. He'd been so nearly all week, ever
since he'd started planning out their binding. Harry was worried
about him. He knew taking the binding off made Draco very
nervous. He was nervous about it himself, but Draco seemed much
worse and Harry didn't know what to do about it. He knew the
current binding was more of a problem for them than a help, and so
he didn't want to offer to keep it. He reached up and rubbed his
husband's leg, giving him a small smile.

Draco was frowning and muttering Latin under his breath. He
had ink stains on his fingers and lips again as he took notes and
tapped his quill to his lips when he was thinking.

Harry sighed, letting his hand drop.
"Have you even found how to take the binding off, Draco?"
Hermione asked from where she sat looking through a wedding
catalogue. "Your anniversary is tomorrow."

182 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

Draco scowled but nodded. "I am just working on the
incantations now," he said, sighing.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. "You never said you knew
how to do it."

Harry frowned and raised himself up to sit next to Draco on the
couch. He leant in and gave him a small kiss on the corner of his
mouth.

Draco took a deep breath when Harry touched him. He loved the
intense magical connection they shared and he didn't want to give it
up. "No, I didn't," he said.

"So you do know how to do it then?" Hermione asked, looking
interested but also wary of Draco's touchy mood. "Bindings are such
an interesting subject. It's like making your own magic."

Draco looked up at her, considering his words. "A Great Rite
combines the magical energy of two people so that they are
intertwined. I am not even sure that kind of binding can be undone
and redone. But the Concubine form only bound me to Harry. The
problem is that we layered Great Rite on top of the other form. I
believe that we can reverse the process, remove the Binding Promises
and then re-establish the equal form. But it hasn't been done before,"
he explained.

Harry hadn't even known that. "You don't even know if it will
work?" he asked.

"It hasn't been done," he said, looking Harry in the eyes. "At
least, not written about."

"Well, that's really quite understandable," said Hermione. "Both
bindings were unconventional. I've, of course, looked things up on
bindings myself, back when it first happened. You didn't use
incantations either time."

"Then why do we need to use incantations this time?" Harry
asked. "If it works without them?"

"Because of what happened last time," Draco said. "The
incantations are a controlled form of magic. Your natural magic is
not. We could end up with another accident with unpredicted results
if we aren't careful."

"We don't want that," said Harry. "It would make the entire thing
pointless."

TANGLED 183

Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Or worse," Draco whispered.
Harry turned his head to look at Draco, as did Ron and
Hermione. "What?" Harry said, frowning.
Draco winced. "You are a lot more powerful than you were either
of the other two times, Harry," he said. "A mistake with your magic is
potentially a bigger mistake now."
Harry took a deep breath. "Then we'll do the incantations," he
said.
Draco leant over and gently kissed his lover.
"It'll be fine, Harry," said Hermione. "Just as long as it's
controlled."
Harry nodded.
Draco smiled and rubbed the ink stains off Harry's lips.

– CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO –

Unbound

When Harry awoke on October 31st, it was to a husband in an even
worse state than he had been in for the past week. And Harry still
didn't know what to do. All he could think of was to try and make
him comfortable, but he didn't know if it was working.

Bill had come and taken the baby for the day to his and Fleur's
place, so there was really nothing standing in the way of removing the
bindings. Harry and Draco were only going to wear their matching
silk dressing gowns down to the hall in which they'd had their
wedding, since they were only going to be dressed for a short while.
Harry stripped off the clothes he had been wearing and pulled the
gown on, belting it. He turned and looked at Draco.

Draco's hands shook as he used them to belt his black dressing
gown. He picked up the parchment that had the ceremony written
out and his wand, turning to face his husband. His husband. What if
it didn't work? What if they couldn't re-establish it? His stomach was
churning now as he thought again of all the things that could go
wrong.

Harry stepped up to Draco, cupping his face in both hands. "It
will be fine," he told him in a quiet voice. "Nothing's going to go
wrong."

Draco closed his eyes, taking another breath and then opening
them again. He looked into those green eyes, feeling the anchor of
their magic and love. "I need you," he whispered.

"I'm right here," Harry whispered back. "Doing this doesn't mean
I'm going anywhere. Draco, I need you, too."

"I know," the blond whispered. Knowing and believing didn't
seem to be working together today.

Harry sighed quietly and pressed a kiss to Draco's lips. "I
promise," he said gently.

Draco kissed Harry back, trembling as he did. He turned his head

UNBOUND 185

slightly, opening his mouth. He could feel Harry's magic in the kiss
and it was the sweetest thing he knew.

Harry slowly pressed his tongue inside Draco's mouth, letting his
hands trail from his face to rub small circles on his back.

"Mmm," Draco hummed happily into the kiss. Today was their
first wedding anniversary and he would have much rather spent it in
bed making love.

Harry pulled back from the kiss before it got too heated. "We go
and get this done," he whispered, still holding Draco closely, "and
then we can shag through the floor."

Draco chuckled in spite of his nerves. "Yes, my love," he
answered.

Harry nodded, holding Draco even tighter before Apparating to
the hall from their bedroom, where Ron and Hermione stood waiting
for them.

The room had been set beforehand. There was a brazier with fire
and the same small marble table. Although this time, they also had a
soft pallet set up for the consummation part of the ritual. The table
was there for tools like the small knife that lay on it now. There were
two chairs set against the back wall so that Hermione and Ron could
witness without being too intrusive. Draco set his wand and the scroll
on the table.

Ron and Hermione didn't say anything. Hermione simply
grabbed Ron's arm and led him over to the chairs.

Harry did flush, like he'd known he would, but tried to ignore the
fact that he and Draco weren't alone.

Draco took both of Harry's hands in his and looked him in the
eyes. "You are sure you want to do this?" he asked, voice shaking.

"Yes," Harry answered, gaze unwavering as he squeezed Draco's
hands.

Draco's hand shook as he reached for his wand and waited for
Harry to raise his. "I, Draco Validus Malfoy, intend to remove our
binding promises. Do you, Harry James Potter, agree?"

Harry took his wand from the table as well. "Yes," he said,
making absolutely sure none of his own nervousness was showing
through. He wanted to be strong and certain for Draco. "I, Harry
James Potter, intend to remove our binding promises," he said. "Do

186 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

you, Draco Validus Malfoy, agree?"
Draco swallowed. "Yess," he hissed. He took several deep

breaths to calm himself. "Then remove and return your ring," he said,
having to actually remove his left hand. He cast the charm and
handed Harry the silver hand.

Harry took a deep breath as well, taking the hand before he
reached to remove his own ring, which he hadn't done since it had
been placed on his finger. He put the small circle of white and yellow
gold in Draco's palm.

Draco set the ring on his side of the small table and then raised
his wand again. "Incidere adigare, Uti Magicus," he intoned, flicking
his wand toward the ring.

"Incidere adigare, Uti Magicus," Harry said as well, flicking his
own wand at Draco's silver hand.

The fire snapped and Draco shivered at the shift in magic. "Pick
up the knife and cut us both," he said, setting his wand down and
holding out his right hand to Harry.

Harry nodded, taking the small blade in his hand. He drew it
across his left palm, watching the trail of blood follow in its wake.
Then he took Draco's right hand, doing the same to it.

"Incidere Adigare, Uti Sanguis," Draco intoned, reaching his
bloody hand to take Harry's.

Harry entwined their fingers. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Sanguis," he
echoed.

Draco shivered and the fire in the brazier leapt. He looked into
his lover's eyes, fear clear in his own. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Coitas,"
he said.

Harry tried to calm Draco with his own look as he squeezed his
hand again. "Incidere Adigare, Uti Coitas," he said.

Draco released Harry's hand then, and untied the dressing gown,
letting it slide off his shoulders and to the floor. He was shaking
visibly now and he was grateful that Harry would be topping during
this part.

Harry nodded, mirroring Draco's movements, wanting to pull
him into his arms and tell him that it was going to be all right again.

Draco glanced at the pallet beside them. He didn't know if he
could just lie down or not. He waited for Harry to initiate this.

UNBOUND 187

Harry could tell that Draco needed help with this, needed him to
take control. He took Draco's hand again, holding it tightly as he
lowered him to the pallet, taking his own place above him.

Draco looked up at those green eyes as a way to ground himself.
He spread his legs and bent his knees.

"It's okay," Harry whispered, leaning down to kiss Draco as he
moved slick fingers to his entrance, pushing them slowly inside.

Draco trembled, opening himself to his lover's touch and tongue.
Harry nodded again as he kissed Draco, reaching to prepare his
own erection quickly. He took a very deep breath as he began the
gentle slide inside of his husband.
Draco gasped as Harry pressed inside, trying to relax. He was
tense and he knew it was interfering with his ability to enjoy his lover.
Harry set a slow pace, making his movements as calming and
soothing as he knew how, moving his lips to the other man's jaw and
neck. He could feel the tension in Draco's body.
Draco missed Harry's babbling, but he had warned his lover
against that during the ceremony. Words had results. He reached his
hand up to entwine in Harry's hair and wrapped his legs around the
man's waist, anchoring himself in the touch.
Harry did keep very quiet, concentrating on Draco. The only
sounds came from their breathing and the noises of their bodies
moving together.
Draco's body was responding now, his cock pressed between the
two of them and Harry's magic crackling as he drew closer to his
orgasm.
As Harry's panting turned to gasps of breath, he felt a spark of
pain up his spine instead of the usual pleasure. He gasped a little
louder, confused, but unable to stop his orgasm.
Draco's orgasm hit like a curse, pain flaring out in waves from
where he and Harry were joined. It felt like every nerve in his body
was on fire and he screamed.
Harry cried out as well, eyes wide as his body seized up with pain.
"Out," Draco tried to shout but he was screaming so badly by
this point he didn't know if he said the word or not. He used his
hand to shove at Harry, trying to separate them.
Harry quickly pulled out of Draco, backing away from him as

188 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

painful sparks continued to shoot through him. But he didn't know
why Draco was screaming like he was.

Draco curled himself into a ball, still screaming and crying now.
"Draco," Harry gasped, terrified with his reaction.
Draco rocked and cried, pain in every part of his body still.
"Draco," Harry said again, voice shaking. He reached out a hand
to touch him.
The moment Harry's hand touched him it sent a fresh wave of
pain radiating out from the contact. Draco screamed again and
scrambled away.
Harry's breathing sped up with his fear. He noticed that Ron and
Hermione had gotten concernedly to their feet and were watching
from where they stood. "Draco, what is it?" Harry asked, afraid to
move toward him.
Draco was taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. The pain
was receding now but fear was replacing it. "Pain," he gasped.
"Still?" Harry asked.
"When you touched me," Draco said, shaking now. The pain was
a dull ache in his body but he was coming to a terrible realisation.
Harry went very still. "When I ... touched you?" he echoed. "It
hurt when I touched you?"
Draco forced himself to sit up, looking at Harry with wide eyes.
"Yes," he whispered, afraid to say it. Afraid that it might be true.
"It wouldn't ... It wouldn't hurt now, would it?" Harry asked,
heart beating frantically.
"Give me a minute," Draco said, trying to calm down. "Then we
will test it."
Harry swallowed, trying to keep his breathing even.
"Hermione," Draco said, voice still raspy from screaming.
She quickly made her way across the room as soon as her name
left Draco's lips, looking fearful.
Draco reached a shaking hand up. "Touch my hand," he said to
her.
Frowning, she slid her fingers over the top of Draco's, watching
his face.
It felt like a simple touch. He could feel the woman's magical
signature but that was normal for him. He sighed, withdrawing his

UNBOUND 189

hand with a nod and turning back toward his ... toward Harry. His
hand shook violently as he held it out to him.

Harry swallowed again. His hand was shaking as well as he
reached out and touched Draco's.

Draco was ready for it this time and it still made him gasp sharply
and pull his hand back, hissing.

"Oh, no," Harry breathed. "No."
Draco began to cry again and he sank dejectedly back down on
the pallet, face in his hands.
Hermione's eyes were wide as she stared from Draco to Harry.
"No," Harry said again, voice shaking very badly. "No, there has
to be something we can do."
"Reversed polarity," Draco managed to get out between sobs
now.
Hermione's eyes widened further and Ron even came over then.
Harry's own eyes filled with tears as he began trembling.
Draco fell back onto the pallet curling into a ball again and
sobbing harder. It meant their magics had gone from being
synchronised to having a negative reaction to the other.
Harry's impulse was to go to Draco, to reach for him, to do
something, but all he could do was sit there and cry uselessly.
"That doesn't – I mean – You can fix it, can't you?" Ron asked.
Draco moaned and began rocking on the pallet.
"We can fix it, right?" Harry said in a strangled voice, multiple
tears streaming down his face. "We can fix it?"
Draco felt bereft and lost, the loss of Harry's magic and touch
making him inconsolable. He didn't have an answer to the question
and it horrified him.
Harry gripped his hands in his own hair, pulling it as he lowered
himself, crying silently, hardly breathing at all.
Ron and Hermione stood by them, looking like they didn't know
what to do. Hermione finally lowered herself to the pallet, reaching a
hand out to tentatively touch Draco's shoulder. "Shhh," she hushed,
looking at Ron and then nodding to Harry.
Ron nodded back, gripping Harry's shoulders. "Just calm down,
mate," he said quietly.
Draco was shaking. Hermione's touch startled him but then he

190 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

tried to calm down. Breathe, he told himself. He felt shattered and he
didn't know if there was a way to fix what he had done.

Hermione Summoned both Draco's and Harry's dressing gowns.
"You can both just get dressed, and cleaned up, and then we can all
find a way to work this out, okay?" she said gently.

Draco forced himself to sit up and take the robe from her. He
Summoned his wand and cast a cleaning spell on himself. He
shivered again when he realised doing so for Harry right now would
not be a good idea.

Harry was still shaking as he too sat up, unable to look at Draco.
He cast a Cleaning Charm on himself as well and then pulled his
dressed gown on, his eyes red and still brimmed with tears.

Draco glanced at Harry and saw that he wasn't even looking at
him. He dropped his gaze again, staring at his feet as he sat on the
edge of the pallet.

"Okay," said Hermione calmly. "Now, what is it about the spell
that went wrong?" she asked.

Draco shivered again and took a deep breath. "It reversed our
magical polarity," he said. "Harry's and my magic were always ... very
compatible. Now they are incompatible."

Hermione frowned, as Harry trembled and looked up. "And it's
only hurting you because ... you're a sensitive," she said.

"I think so," Draco said, voice shaking. "It doesn't hurt you?" he
asked Harry.

Harry shook his head no. "It hurt when I ... came, but not now,"
he said.

Draco's brain seemed to be recovering from the shock and he
was thinking through the implications. "So I can't touch Harry's
magical field, or have my magic interact with him, without a shock to
my own magical field," he said slowly.

"It ... seems that way," Hermione said quietly.
"But what do we do?" Harry asked, his voice almost a whisper.
"The binding won't work if our magic can't work together,"
Draco whispered, staring at the floor again.
"Then how do we make it work together again?" Harry asked,
almost frantic.
"I don't know," Draco said in a small voice.

UNBOUND 191

"There has to be a way," Harry insisted, eyes wide. "There has got
to be a way."

Draco looked pleadingly at Hermione. He didn't know a way and
knew that if there was, it was likely to take time to find it.

Hermione bit her lip. "I will do whatever I can to help find a
solution," she said, meeting Draco's eyes. "I'll go through every single
book I can think of."

More tears slipped from Harry's eyes.
Draco looked at Harry again, tears filling his eyes. "Can you two
leave us alone for a minute?" he asked.
"Of course," Hermione answered quickly, taking Ron's hand and
leaving the room with him.
"I can't touch you," Harry let out in an unintentional sob when
they were gone.
"I know," Draco whispered. "But ... but can you look at me?" he
asked, sounding lost as he looked up at Harry.
Harry squeezed his eyes shut before he lifted them to Draco's
face, letting out another sob as he did.
"I love you," Draco said, shuddering with his own heartache
again.
"I love you, too," Harry replied, wanting so badly to pull Draco
to him.
"I'm sorry," Draco said, his throat feeling like it would close up.
Not touching Harry was like not breathing.
"Please don't," Harry whispered.
"Don't?" Draco asked.
"Please don't say you're sorry," Harry told him. "It isn't your
fault."
Draco looked away, eyes landing on the scroll, the knife, his silver
hand and Harry's ring. "It was my research," he said. "I made a
mistake."
"You couldn't have known, and I wanted to do it," Harry said. "If
it's anyone's fault, it's mine."
Draco looked back, sorrow and longing in his eyes. "It was
supposed to help me, I know that," he said softly, hand clenching
with the need to reach for Harry.
Another tear slipped from Harry's eye and he angrily wiped it

192 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

away, looking down. "Did it work then?" he asked quietly.
"Is the binding removed?" Draco asked, then took in a deep

breath. "Oh, yes," he said mournfully.
Harry covered his face with his hands, rubbing them against his

eyes to keep himself from crying again. "I can't take this," he
whispered.

The urge to reach for Harry was so overwhelming that Draco had
to grip his thigh with his hand to control it. "I'll find a way," he
whispered.

Harry's breathing quickened. He had never gone a day, in a year
and a half, without making love to Draco, and now he couldn't even
touch him. He wanted to scream.

"We should get dressed and get Valen," Draco said quietly, not
knowing what else to suggest next.

They weren't supposed to get him for another few hours, but
Harry nodded, getting to his feet as he continued to rub his eyes.

Draco rose too, wiping his eyes with the half empty left sleeve of
his dressing gown.

Harry looked at the ring on the small table and then picked it up.
"I'm still your husband," he said firmly. "Whether or not there's a
binding."

Draco smiled sadly and then reached for his silver hand, touching
it gently at first to make sure he didn't react badly to it. Then he
smiled again, picking it up and reattaching it.

Harry put his ring back on. "And I love you," he said. "Just as
much as I did this morning."

"Always loved you, always will," Draco said, nodding and feeling
his heart clench again.

Harry nodded as well. "And we'll find a way to reverse this," he
said.

Draco nodded and then had to clench his hands again with the
urge to take his husband’s hand to walk from the room. Not just sex,
but how many times a day did they touch each other without even
thinking about it?

Harry groaned, thinking the exact same thing. "Let's just
Apparate to our room, get dressed, get Valen, and then...." He trailed
off. He didn't really know what they would do after Valen.

UNBOUND 193

Draco nodded, not knowing what to say. He had never felt
awkward around Harry, not like this. "In the room," he said and then
with a sigh Apparated himself to their room. Their room. How
would they sleep in the same bed now?

Harry sighed as well, following. Before, they would have gone
together. This was going to drive him mad.

Draco sat down on the bed and sighed, watching as Harry
appeared.

Harry stared at Draco for a moment, and then crossed to the
closet, not wanting to simply stand and look at him. It was like
holding sweets in front of a child who wasn't allowed to have them.

"You should go without me," Draco said. "I can tell Hermione
and Ron where you have gone, then start work in the library."

Harry picked some clothes out and then came back into the
room. "All right," he said quietly, nodding.

Draco pressed his lips together. Had they ever parted without
kissing goodbye before? Not in a very long time. He nodded to his
husband.

Harry swallowed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.
"Love you," he said, unable to leave Draco without at least
something.

"I love you, too," Draco whispered.
Harry bit his lip, nodding again as he Apparated downstairs to
use the Floo.
After Harry left, Draco threw himself onto the bed and buried his
face in the pillow.

– CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE –

Bereft

When Harry got to Bill and Fleur's new house, they were surprised by
his arrival, of course, and had even been able to detect that
something wasn't right. How bad did he look?

Valen seemed to be able to sense something as well, and seemed
confused by it. He could probably feel that the binding was gone. It
made Harry ache even worse. When he got back home,
unsurprisingly, nothing had been found yet, and they couldn't find
anything for the rest of the day, either. Harry'd been dreading having
to go to bed. He didn't know what to do about it, but the time came
far too soon, it seemed, and he and Draco were standing in their
room again, staring at each other.

"I should sleep in a guest room," Draco whispered, voice flat.
"No," Harry said quickly, making a jerky movement.
Draco winced. "Then how?" he asked in a low voice.
"I at least want you in the room with me," Harry whispered,
looking to the floor.
"I want ..." Draco swallowed hard, his emotions threatening to
overwhelm him again. "Yes," he agreed and then walked around to
the opposite side of the bed. They had sex so often, they had long
ago given up on pyjamas. Now he wondered if he should wear
something. He sighed and took off his robe, climbing into bed.
Harry raised his head, looking at Draco again. "Should I make it
into two?" he asked quietly.
Draco lay on his back, looking up at the 'H' on the underside of
the canopy. He looked toward his husband, every part of him feeling
like it ached to touch his lover. "Worried you can't keep your hands
off of me?" he tried to tease.
Harry sighed, managing at least a little smile. "Yes," he replied.
Draco turned on his side, facing Harry, and hugged the pillow. "It
hurts so much not to touch you that I almost think it would be worth

BEREFT 195

it," he whispered.
"Draco, you were screaming," Harry said in a voice of reason,

though he completely understood what he meant.
"Yes," Draco said with a sigh. "Not the kind of pain I can

handle."
Harry bit his lip, still standing by the bed. "I don't want to roll on

you," he said quietly.
Draco rolled out of bed and called for a house-elf. Leakey

showed up a minute later. "Leakey, do we still have lumber left over
from the Manor repairs?" he asked.

"Yes, Master Draco," the elf answered.
"Bring me a board, about the length of my bed and no wider than
I am," he told it.
Harry frowned, raising an eyebrow.
Draco smiled and the elf returned quickly with a piece that fit the
request. "Lay it in the centre of the mattress, on top of the covers,"
he said, and the elf did. "That's good," he said and Leakey left. Draco
looked at his husband. "Do you think it will work?"
Harry sighed. "I suppose it might," he said, taking his robe off as
well before leaning over to knock on the board.
Draco climbed back into the bed, pulling the covers up and once
again clutching the pillow. His eyes roamed over his husband's body,
making him shiver with need.
"Merlin, Draco," Harry groaned, recognising the look. He
climbed into bed as well and covered his face with a pillow. "I'm
going to go mad!" he said into it.
"Yes," Draco agreed, voice hoarse now.
Harry groaned again and kicked his feet in frustration. He
would've already had Draco pinned to the bed.
"Touch yourself," Draco whispered, already reaching for his own
cock beneath the covers.
Harry swallowed, bringing the pillow away from his face as he
looked over at Draco. He bit his lip, trailing his hand down his own
chest to lightly grasp his half-hard flesh.
Draco drew the covers down his own body so Harry could see
him as he slowly stroked himself. "I spent six years unable to touch
you, thinking about you, and touching myself," he whispered.

196 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

Harry hadn't pulled the covers up, so he simply lay there, stroking
his cock to hardness while watching Draco. He moaned softly, and
would've told Draco he could touch him as much as he wanted, but,
of course, he couldn't.

Draco watched Harry, licking his lips unconsciously. "You are so
beautiful," he whispered, "lying there wanting me. I can't believe how
lucky I have been. I have had more happiness with you in the last
year and half of my life, despite the war, than I could ever imagine."

"So have I," Harry whispered back. "Merlin, I want you so
much."

"Yes," Draco agreed, "want to feel the touch of your hand in
mine, your lips caressing mine, your body on top of me, your cock
inside."

Harry moaned again, body aching. "I can't stand it," he whispered
as he continued to stroke himself. "I can't stand that you're right
there and I can't have you."

"Yes," Draco hissed. He remembered how it had felt before and
he had the small comfort and torment of knowing, this time, Harry
wanted him, too. He sped his hand up faster. "I'm going to find a
way, I swear it," he said, gasping now.

Harry was arching into his hand, closing his eyes so that he could
imagine he was inside Draco's body. He stroked himself furiously,
coming a moment later with a deep sigh.

Draco had forgotten the flare of Harry's magic and gasped in
pain, still coming in spite of it, as Harry did.

Harry took slow breaths as he lay still. "I know you will," he
whispered.

Draco lay panting, half from the orgasm and half from pain. He
Summoned his wand, cleaning himself. "Good night, my love," he
whispered.

"Good night," Harry whispered back as he cleaned himself as
well. He closed his eyes, but didn't fall asleep for quite a while.

Draco was a wreck. He had tossed and turned all night. He lost count
of the number of times he'd rolled toward Harry and clunked into
that piece of timber. He had a splinter in his right hand now and was
sitting up in bed, watching his husband. He ached so bad with the

BEREFT 197

loss that he wanted to scream.
With a sigh, he pulled himself up, put on his silver arm and his

dressing gown. Then he stood beside the cot, watching his baby.
Valen opened his eyes and looked up at Draco, babbling a greeting.
Draco managed a smile at that and picked up his son. "Let's let
Daddy Harry sleep," he whispered and carried the child into the
adjoining sitting room to change him.

Harry hadn't slept well either. He'd actually slept hardly at all.
He'd spent most of the night awake, watching Draco toss around in
bed. He'd wanted to touch him so badly, even to just push him a bit
so that he didn't roll into the board. He didn't know what would
happen if they didn't find a way to fix what they'd done. He lay awake
in bed, having heard Draco get up and take Valen into the next room.
He pretended to be asleep. He didn't want to see the look in Draco's
eyes. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. One night
without his husband's skin on his own and he positively itched from
it. It was enough to make him fidget and bounce his knees when he
sat up. Harry sighed, getting to his feet and pulling on his own
dressing gown. He crossed the room to the door, pulling it open and
stepping through.

Draco had laid a blanket on the floor and put Valen on it. He sat
beside it, changed the baby, and sent the wet nappy to the laundry
with a flick of his wand. He whispered and talked to the child as he
did. "So, what mischief will you get up to today, my son?" he asked
the baby.

A small grey furred head butted against Draco's right hand and he
scratched behind the cat's ears. "You too, you beast," he said.

Valen squealed and started babbling again, the word "kitty"
amongst his noises. Suddenly, before Draco, or the cat, realised it,
Valen managed to lunge forward, actually sort of crawling, and
grabbed a handful of the cat's fur. Sredni hissed and Valen squealed
in triumph. Draco reached to grab the cat before it could retaliate.

Harry gasped from where he'd managed to watch. "Did you see
what he just did?" he asked Draco unnecessarily.

Draco grabbed the cat by the scruff of his neck. Sredni was
hissing. The blond then pried his son's hand out of his cat's fur and
set the cat back out of range. It ran under the couch, still hissing.

198 HARRY POTTER AND THE DRAGON’S TREASURE

"Good move, son," Draco said approvingly. He looked over at his
husband with a smile. "Good morning, Harry," he said.

"Morning," Harry replied with a small smile of his own, moving
to sit on the floor with Valen. "You're getting too big for your own
good, kid," he said to him.

Valen lifted his head to look at Harry, reaching a chubby hand,
grey cat hair on it still, toward his father. "Dada!" he yelled.

Harry laughed and his smile grew. He picked Valen up and kissed
him. "Say it again," he said. "Dada."

"Da da da da," the baby chanted, smacking Harry's face to
emphasise his point.

Draco leant back on both hands and laughed.
Harry laughed louder, kissing Valen again. "You don't do
anything half-arsed, do you?" he said. "You grow teeth, you eat, you
crawl, and you talk all at once." He put Valen back on the floor, still
smiling.
Valen seemed to be looking around for the cat. Draco chuckled.
"Did you see the move with the cat? Seeker's move," he said, pride in
his voice.
"Oh, completely," Harry agreed, watching their son.
Valen began inching toward the couch, as if the slow moves
could possibly sneak up on the quick cat. He was chanting "kitty"
again.
Draco laughed and moved the infant back onto the blanket. "I
am not sure who is more in danger in this, Valen or Sredni," he said.
"If I had to put money on it, I'd say Sredni," Harry said, looking
up at Draco.
Draco's eyes met his husband's and he nearly reached for him
then, having to fist his hands again to keep control. "I love you," he
whispered, voice full of need.
Harry's face fell. "I love you, too," he said quietly in return,
fiddling with his own fingers.
Valen scooted across the blanket to Harry, pulling on the fabric
of his robe. "Dada," he said, making the little smacking noises he
always did when he wanted to nurse.
Harry looked down and smiled again, raising his eyebrows. "Well,
all right," he said. "I guess you can eat." He pulled his arms out of the