Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor - 19. Chapter 19

Draco's pale, milky skin was so soft that as Harry lightly ran his hand down the leg he wondered if his lover was some form of ephemeral creature that would disappear. Still asleep, Draco let out a soft sigh and curled up into Harry's embrace. Harry let out his own sigh as his lover shifted in his arms, and the soft, sensual contact woke up Harry's desire once more.

Draco had been asleep when had Harry returned the night before, but that didn't mean he didn't wake up a few hours later, and his careful touching of Harry had awoken him as well. They might pay for it later, when they attended classes, but neither would have preferred to stay asleep. These gentle, loving moments were so precious that Harry wondered whether it would be better to sneak away and live on an island somewhere, alone.

Draco raised his head from Harry's chest, and kissing him softly announced that he had finally woken. The kiss was long, gentle, and ignited a passion in Harry that was equally ardent as the kiss itself. It wasn't the passionate lust that often passed between the two; instead, it was the slow burning fire of love that Harry realized would stay with him for the rest of his life. When the kiss ended, and Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder, Harry felt a moment of total peace and contentment fall over him.

Moments such as these were few in the days since Draco had rescued him, but that only made them even more precious.

A knock at the door to their front room ended the moment. Both of them groaned as Harry got out of bed and put on a crimson night robe, a present from Lucius and Narcissa, and walked out of the room on his bare feet. Behind him he heard Draco get out of bed and let out a disgusted snort when he saw Harry's designer robe still lying on the floor. That's why Harry was smiling as he opened the portrait door.

He forced the smile to stay on his face when he saw Remus Lupin standing in the doorway. He invited the older man inside, letting his features remain in that smiling, friendly expression as the older man moved past him and sat in one of the armchairs with a casual greeting. Harry moved to sit on a couch facing the man, and gently pushed down the unease that Remus Lupin always caused in him.

He really did like the werewolf. The man had been a friend to his parents, and to his godfather from the time they were Harry's age. He'd been a friend to Harry as well for the past few years, and Harry really did return that friendship. The only problem was that the man reminded him of the all the things he'd lost over the years, from his parents to Sirius Black, and the sense of loss his presence evoked was something that Harry found difficult to deal with. That was the reason Harry tried to reduce any contact with the man, and also tried to extend the contact they had when it occurred. It was a paradox that Harry believed he would be dealing with for the rest of his life.

"Well, my boy, it's good to see you whole and well." Remus said with a smile as Harry sat on the couch.

"Thanks, Remus." Harry replied, his smile becoming more real as he spoke. "I'm glad you weren't hurt in the attack."

"Thanks, Harry." Remus said with a smile. "So, you ready for classes to start this morning?"

"Yeah, Potions with Snape first, then the DADA classes I teach." Harry said with a smile. "By the way, did you get those essays finished?"

"Sure did." Remus said with a laugh. "You really should think about being a teacher. Your marks were right on, as were your comments, although the essay you wrote back to Freward was a tad harsh. He's prime Marauder material, though it pains me to think of a Slytherin being considered one of us."

"Funny." Harry said with a gentle chuckle. He heard the sounds of Draco in the shower and silently wished he could join him before breakfast.

"Well, I might as well get to why I'm bothering you this morning." Remus said, letting out a sigh of his own. "Well, it's family business. I know I'm not really related to you, nor a godfather like Sirius, but I've been close to your family since before you wore born."

"I know, Remus." Harry said, suppressing the heavy feeling in his chest. "I'm sorry I've been so distant, but it hurts every time I see you, I get reminded of…"

"I know, Harry, I know." Remus said softly, interrupting Harry and running a hand through hair that was now almost all gray. "I feel the same thing and should apologize for minimizing contact with you as well. I look at you and I see James, and I miss him and Lily so much. Then I remember Sirius and the pain just grows."

"Does it ever end?" Harry asked softly.

"No, it doesn't." Remus said with a grunt. "I wish it did, but it never does. Frankly, Harry, I don't think either of us will ever be able to overcome the pain of those memories, but I love you like a son and always will. You can always count on me to be there if you ask it, and well, we may both avoid each other to keep from hurting, but if you ever need to talk about Sirius, or your parents, or just spend time with someone who has lost them as well, I'll always be here."

"Thanks, Remus." Harry said simply, barely keeping the tears from falling. He knew at that instant that his contact with Remus would be limited in the future by the losses that came between them, but he also knew that the man would always be there for him if he needed something. It was a bittersweet feeling, but one he treasured.

"Now, as to why I came here." Remus said after a moment, his own eyes watery. "You told me about the change your Aunt showed over the summer, and I must say that it was good to hear that Petunia might finally be waking up."

"You knew her?" Harry asked in surprise.

"You might say that." Remus said with a smile. "If she hadn't already been besotted with that Vernon character when Lily introduced us, I might well have asked her out.

"Thanks for that most horrible mental image, Remus." Harry said sharply. That was a horrifying thought, Remus with Aunt Petunia. Or was it? Uncle Remus? How different his life would have been…

"Well, that's neither here nor there." Remus chuckled. "What's important is that she's been writing. She started sending letters to Dumbledore, and I guess you've sent her a note or two over the year, but when Dumbledore mentioned me in one of his letters, she started sending me a few notes. She remembered me from a few meetings with Lily, and since she's never had someone to talk about her sister with we've been corresponding quite a bit."

Harry was floored. Aunt Petunia had been corresponding with Dumbledore and Remus? She'd been talking about his mother? Wait; there was only one way to send letters between Hogwarts and Little Whinging.

"How'd she get the letters here?" Harry asked sharply. "I told her I'd send a few notes and have the owl drop them in the garden, but there's no way for her to write back."

"She went to Diagon Alley." Remus said with a laugh. "Remind me to show you the letter where she talked about how scary it was. She remembered how to get to the Leaky Cauldron, but didn't know how to get past that. She talked to old Tom, mentioned she was your Aunt and had twenty people offering to guide her all over the place. None of them would let her pay for anything. They bought her parchment, quills, and everything. They pestered her with questions about you growing up and all the details of your life. She didn't say anything except that you were always a quiet boy and were actually very well behaved, but I think she was scared they'd find out just how badly you'd been treated by her and her husband. She was shocked at how famous you really were, and even more shocked to hear some of the stories about you. She got some parchment, quills, ink, and even managed to get a subscription to the Daily Prophet without them knowing her relation to you. That's when she started to write Dumbledore, and later to me. Her last letter said she was going to send one to you today and she wanted to make sure that I had let you know about these things before you received it. She's hinted that some things have been changing at home, and she wanted to tell you about them. She's quite afraid that you'll be angry with her and not read it, so she asked me to talk to you and try to convince you to read what she wrote."

"I don't know what to say." Harry said softly, his eyes expressing his incredulity at the whole idea of Aunt Petunia having any contact with the wizarding world.

"Harry, she's sorry about all of the things that she did…and that she let happen." Remus said softly. "She really did love Lily, but was so jealous of her that she rejected anything to do with magic. She wanted to be able to do the things Lily could do, and the fact that she couldn't drove her to hate Lily and anything to do with magic. Vernon always felt…threatened…by the magical world, and that only grew worse after Sirius and I played a few jokes on him. I think that's one of the reasons why he was so mean to you, and I have to take some of the blame for that."

"Don't blame yourself for anything Vernon did." Harry said sharply. "He would have been the same no matter what. I just have a hard time thinking of Aunt Petunia though. I mean after some of the things that happened, I felt like I could hex her into the next century, but she really did try this summer and it felt kind of…good."

"Deep down she loved her sister." Remus said softly. "She just let her jealousy get in the way. Harry, I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could give her a chance?"

"For you, I'll try." Harry said with another sigh. "I won't make any promises though."

"I understand." Remus said with a smile. "Well, breakfast is going to start soon. I'll see you in the hall."

"Later." Harry gave the man a hug before he left the room. Then Draco stormed out of the bedroom and proceeded to chew him out for leaving an expensive robe on the floor. Didn't he know it would wrinkle? As Draco followed him into the bathroom and continued the lecture while Harry showered, shaved, and brushed his teeth, Harry couldn't help but smile.

Draco could be so…Malfoy when it came to clothes and appearances.

They entered the great hall not long after breakfast had started; the blond heading to the Slytherin table while Harry took his place at the Gryffindor table. Neither Ron or Hermione were down yet, but he was kept busy by questions from the first years on whether their essays were graded yet and whether he was going to expect the homework that he'd assigned before the attack to be completed.

He understood why the teachers sat apart from the students. They'd never get any food eaten if they sat near enough to be asked questions. The older Gryffindors just chuckled when a particularly avid first year asked Harry if he'd show the spells he'd used defending Hogwarts and escaping from Hearly Manor. Harry's sharp response ended conversation until Angelica managed to sneak one of the Weasley toffees onto the plate of the student who'd asked the question. The boy's three foot tongue a few minutes later had everyone laughing until Harry took out his wand and returned it to its normal size.

That was when Ron and Hermione appeared at the entrance, together. Ron had his arm protectively held across Hermione's shoulder, and she looked as if she had been crying all night. Moving together, they sat next to Harry and the table was quiet until Ron stopped filling his plate and casually asked Harry if he'd seen the results for the last Chudley Cannons' game. The resulting Quidditch talk drained any tension out of the room as Harry debated with Ron about the chances Ron's favorite team would have this year.

Then the owls came swooping into the hall. As usual, quite a few stopped at Harry's spot and soon he was sorting through them. Twelve invitations to various parties and charity events, three invitations to speak at grammar schools, six missives from Ministry officials asking for his opinions on various issues, eighteen personal letters from people he'd never met but who were convinced he could answer their needs, and fourteen cards from people thanking him for his continued fight against You-Know-Who.

"Blimey, Harry." Ron muttered, his mouth full of eggs. "You need to hire yourself a bloody secretary!"

"Ron." Harry growled.

"He's right you know." Hermione said suddenly, her face no longer showing any grief, and it was suddenly like old times for the trio. "You can't just ignore all those like you used to if you're really serious about the things you're doing."

"You're starting to sound like Draco." Harry muttered.

"Well, he's right." Hermione said with her typical sniff. "If you thought about it, you'd know we're both right."

"Yes, yes, but how the hell do I hire a secretary when I'm here at school?" Harry asked.

"Hire another student, maybe a seventh year Ravenclaw." Hermione said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm sure whoever you hire could work for you during the summer. Then, when school started again you could have them handle all of your non-personal mail by setting up a mail drop at Black Manor and having them work from there. They could summarize what mail you receive, forward you the business stuff and you could pick what you wanted to see from the summary they sent."

"Who'd want a job like that?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Oh, let's see." Hermione said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. She really did know a lot of Ravenclaws. "Terry Boot might, but he doesn't really need the money. Jeremy Meyers was talking about trying to get a job as a personal assistant for a couple of prominent wizard companies, but so far he hadn't found anything. His father was killed last month. He was an Auror. His family is like Ron's, an old pureblood family but not with a lot of money. He was talking about his mom worrying about losing their house if he didn't get a job soon. He even considered leaving school but Terry Boot talked him into finishing since he'd need the diploma for a decent job. Even if he gets one of those jobs, he'd be able to help you while you're at school at least."

"Let me talk about it with Draco." Harry said after thinking for a moment.

"I'm sure he'll agree." Hermione looked at her still empty plate with surprise, and filled it with food before starting to eat hungrily. Harry finished sorting through his mail, going through three more invitations before coming to a rather plain envelope with a very familiar return address.

"Blwody helf!" Ron said, this time his mouth full of sausage. "Is that from your Aunt!"

"Yes, it is." Harry said simply, his hand shaking a little as he opened this letter. Ron took the hint when Harry gave him a look and returned to his rapidly emptying plate. Harry read the letter and found himself quite surprised at what it contained.

Dear Harry, (Aunt Petunia called him Dear!)

I hope that Remus was able to talk to you before you got this letter. If he hasn't, maybe you will talk to him before continuing? I want to thank you for the notes that you sent, and for giving me the chance you did this summer.

There are so many things that I want to say, but I can only think of these words: I'm sorry. I know that they aren't much for the things that I let happen, and the things that I did to you when you were little. I was blinded by my jealousy of my sister and every time I saw her eyes in your face it felt like there was a knife twisting in my belly. I know that doesn't excuse the way you were treated by the people who should have been protecting and loving you as you grew up, but right now it's all I can think to say.

The last few months have really opened my eyes on how poor of a mother I have been, not only to you but to my Dudley-kins. Vernon has done nothing but grow worse and I really wonder why I ever put up with the man, except that in my jealousy of Lily he seemed so much safer than…others.

If you've talked to Remus, you've heard about my trips to Diagon Alley. I was quite surprised that when I went into that dirty little tavern and asked how I could get into Diagon Alley, those people didn't hex me right then and there. I think they were about to until I mentioned that I wanted to get some stuff so I could write to my nephew at Hogwarts. The proprietor then asked me who my nephew was, and when I told him Harry Potter, they were suddenly surrounding me treating me like I was the Queen herself! I must say I had some idea you were somewhat important in your world, but I had no idea just how important, or popular, you are!

Your Headmaster helped me get a secret subscription to the Daily Prophet so that I could become more familiar with the world you live in. I must say I'm very surprised at the things you have done, and I feel proud, even though I have no right to, of being your Aunt. Well, after reading the news of your latest troubles I knew I couldn't keep from writing to you. The thought of losing you before I had a chance to make amends was quite disturbing.

The Headmaster has informed me of your decision to not return here for the summer, even for a short visit, and I must admit that I do not blame you one bit. In your shoes, I would not come back here when I had a comfortable home of my own and someone to love (No, I'm not offended by your relationship to another boy. I had some friends from school who were a couple and I loved them very much. Vernon made me stop contacting them when we got married, and it shames me that I did. I found their address last week and was so pleased to learn they are still together after all these years!). I asked your Headmaster if it was required that you live in this house for your protection to last and he told me that so long as you lived with a blood relative for at least a few weeks out of the year at the place you called home, it would work.

Harry, I don't want you to lose the protection that Lily gave her life to give you. Since you plan to reside in a place you own in London, I was wondering if you would be willing to allow me to visit for a week or two this summer? I would want to bring two people with me, but NOT Vernon. I promise to try not to cause you any inconveniences while I am there, but according to your Headmaster it will renew the magic Lily did, and I owe you this much.

Before you decide, I must tell you of some…changes that have happened on Privet Drive over the last few weeks. These changes are why I would ask that you allow your cousin Dudley and his girlfriend to visit for at least a few days while I stay with you (if you allow me to!). I know my little Dudley has been mean to you before and I can't make excuses for it, but he's gotten himself into a bit of trouble and I no longer cosset him like I did before. He's having to grow up and change, and I'm determined that he will not be like his father. It's a little late to start, but I think there's a chance we can make him into a better man than Vernon.

You see, over Christmas, Dudley met himself a pretty bird and they hit it off! Vernon let them stay together in Dudley's room even though I wanted to forbid it, and as you might expect, my little Dudley managed to get her pregnant! She was visiting from France with her family and spoke excellent English, and she was constantly writing to Dudley. She's a very nice girl, Deidre is, but I had the nagging feeling that she was hiding something while she was here.

In March she showed up at our door with a bag and announced she was pregnant! She wouldn't tell us why, but her family threw her out when she told us and she came to us for help. Poor Dudley was shocked when she told us, he even fainted! For some reason he didn't think she could get pregnant and was quite taken back with the whole idea of being a father. I can't say I was happy either, Dudley is just too young and irresponsible to be a father, but the idea of being a grandmother is quite nice.

Naturally Vernon threw a fit, somehow trying to blame you for the whole mess. We let Deidre move in with us, after all she is carrying Dudley's child, and I found her to be quite a nice little girl over all. She started to help me with all of the chores without complaining. Well, two weeks ago something happened that caused quite a row at the house.

One morning while my Dudley (he was home on Easter Break) and Vernon were eating breakfast, Deidre was changing all of our bedsheets. I forgot that I had hidden my copies of the Prophet in the closet and she found them. She came into the kitchen clutching the paper, a bright smile on her face and happily announced that she didn't know we knew about the wizarding world.

Vernon blew up, blaming you (He called you 'That BOY') and wondered how you would leave such trash in the house. Dudley had to be leaving back to school that day, so Vernon ordered him to grab his stuff and left without saying anything else. The poor girl was crying at some of the things Vernon had said, so once I calmed her down I got her to tell me what had upset her so.

It seems that she is a witch and her family kicked her out because she was bearing the child of a muggle. Vernon returned just as I was saying that our nephew was also a wizard and that we'd raised you ever since your parents were killed by an evil wizard. He got quite angry with me for telling her that and tried to hit me again. Deidre pulled her wand out and froze him in place. When she unfroze him, I had his bags packed and told him he could stay somewhere else for a while. Deidre is bearing my Dudley's child and I am not going to let that man hurt her!

After much discussion with Dudley, we agreed that he could return home at the end of the year. He's taken the news that Deidre is a witch very well and has asked her to marry him. I have told Dudley a little of how important you are in the wizarding world and although he's quite frightened you'll turn him into a frog, he's hoping to get the chance to become more of your friend than he has been in the past.

He's lost over fifty pounds since all of this began. He says that he wants to be in better shape if he's going to be a father and I must say that I quite agree with him. It's a good thing for him and he'll live longer without all of that weight. We agreed that we wouldn't tell Deidre exactly who you are yet. I know that you have many enemies and to be honest we don't know if Deidre's family would be your friend or enemy. That's why I want her and Dudley to come, so that you can decide for yourself. I also want Dudley to see what your world is like so he can be a little more comfortable with it. I've written about this with Remus and he said since my family is what are called "squibs" then Dudley's child with a witch might very well have magic. If the baby does, Dudley needs to understand what the wizarding world is really like, not the lies Vernon and I have been feeding him since he was a baby.

I know that having me and Dudley in your home might not be your fondest wish, but I hope that you will consider the idea. Please let me know what you decide.

Love,

Aunt Petunia

"The world is coming to an end." Harry muttered, setting the letter down on his empty plate and staring at it. Ron picked it up and started reading through it, with constant remarks. Harry just stared at the empty plate until he felt soft hands touch his shoulder. He looked up into Draco's concerned eyes and couldn't help but feel safer. Ron just handed him the letter, still shaking his head and agreeing that the world really was ending. Draco read the letter and Harry saw his expressions change several times.

"I suppose we can stand having a muggle around for a few weeks." He finally said with contempt in his voice. Harry looked up surprised at the words and the tone, only to see a twinkle in those eyes. Draco kept that up for a few minutes before chuckling. It was time to get to class, so Harry just took the letter back, putting it, and all the others, into his bag and he promised Draco they'd talk about it later.

The next morning he sent Petunia a letter expressing his congratulations on her impending Grandmother status, letting her know that he was coming to terms with this past and held no ill will towards her or Dudley since there was such an obvious effort from them to overcome the past, and then he invited Aunt Petunia, Dudley, and Deidre to spend two weeks with them towards the beginning of summer. Draco had made constant comments about having muggles living with them, but he shut up when Harry kissed him.

The last few months of school fell into a hectic pattern. Harry felt split in two as he missed several classes to attend meetings at the Ministry. When he realized that with his extra lessons he would have mastered most of the seventh year materials by the end of sixth year, he went to Dumbledore with an idea of not attending Hogwarts for his seventh year.

Dumbledore had patiently explained his reasons for wanting Harry to finish his seventh year, and Harry reluctantly agreed.

Plans were made to conduct another Blood Oath Ceremony towards the end of the summer. Most of the Slytherins who were now fifth years had been cautiously approached and it was felt that most of them would be valuable additions to their group. Blaise informed Harry that his father as well as the parents of several other students had expressed a desire to be a part of the group, but after much discussion it was decided to not include them for the time being.

Most of them bore the dark mark and were under constant surveillance by the Ministry. While Voldemort had fled England with most of his Death Eaters, the Ministry was still hyper-vigilant. The destruction of the mark on these men and women would raise many questions if it was ever discovered. For now they were being closely monitored by the Ministry which had accepted their explanations for their switch of loyalty.

Dumbledore remained suspicious as the seventh year students began their N.E.W.T. exams, the fifth year students began their O.W.L. exams, and sixth years like Harry struggled with end of the year exams of their own. While he still talked with Harry several times a week, he was less forthcoming than he had been in the past. He also kept reminding Harry that he needed to choose a secret keeper, and that only made Harry more upset. He was reticent to trust anyone, the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew still fresh and strong in his mind. He had finally decided to ask Hermione, who had slowly been pulling out of her grief as time passed.

Meanwhile Draco began having almost daily discussions with the Headmaster. Harry was shocked at some the things that Draco shared with him about these discussions. While his own relationship with Dumbledore seemed to be drifting, Draco was becoming even closer with the old man. It was surprising, but at least one of them was able to stay on the Headmaster's good side.

It was in Potions class the week following the N.E.W.T. exams that he learned something that made his choice of secret keeper, who he really saw as only being Hermione or Ron, moot. They were brewing a particularly noxious poison antidote when Hermione, who was working with Pansy next to Harry and Draco, vomited into her smoking cauldron. Naturally that caused an even more noxious reaction until Draco froze their ruined potion. Hermione had collapsed as Harry went to comfort her, and Snape's response was particularly surprising.

"Draco, Harry, get her down to Madame Pomfrey immediately." Snape said with concern in his voice. Harry complied, picking up the unconscious form of his friend and carrying her down the hallways. Ron was not in their Advanced Potions course or he'd have been adamant at carrying her himself. Madame Pomfrey rushed over to them, directing them to a bed where Harry set her down gently. Immediately the medi-witch demanded to know what had happened and then started muttering about foolish young girls who should know better.

"Is she going to be alright?" Harry asked nervously as the witch used her wand to find out how Hermione was doing.

"Yes, both her and the baby should be fine." Pomfrey said irritably as she finished, taking a small vial of smelling salts and running them under Hermione's nose.

"Baby!" Harry squeaked as Hermione coughed, regaining consciousness.

"Oh dear." Pomfrey said quietly. "I thought you knew since her and that red-headed walking typhoon are such close friends."

"Harry?" Hermione said in a weak voice. "How'd I get down here."

"You passed out in Potions." Draco said, and then added with a smirk. "Of course that was after you ruined your potion by puking into it."

"Be nice." Pomfrey told Draco in a stern voice, and then turned with a softer tone to Hermione. "We warned you that a young lady in your condition might have adverse reactions to certain fumes from potions."

"Please!" Hermione gasped with a frightened look towards Harry and Draco.

"She already let the cat out of the bag." Harry said, looking sharply at his old friend. "What I want to know is why you and Ron couldn't tell me that there was going to be a new Weasley running around!"

"There's not." Hermione said, looking at her feet. "It's a new Longbottom."

"Oh." Harry said, stunned. Draco looked shocked too, but then he smiled.

"Congratulations, Hermione." He said, causing her to smile.

"How did Ron react?" Harry asked when he'd regained some control.

"He wants to raise it as his own." Hermione whispered.

"What do you want?" Draco asked.

"I don't know." Hermione said.

"Well, if there's anything we can do, all you have to do is ask us." Draco said, placing his hand on her shoulders. "I speak for both of us when I say that we'll do anything we can. I know that Hogwarts doesn't let students with kids bring them here, but there's no reason why you can't have the child stay at our flat in Hogsmeade with a governess."

"What?" Hermione said, surprise clearly showing on her face. "I just thought I'd drop out for next year."

"No way." Harry said firmly. "There's no way I'd pass my N.E.W.T. exams without you being here. I know Dumbledore may not let you stay in Hogsmeade all next year, but we can let your child stay in our flat there and you can visit every weekend."

"I don't know." Hermione said softly. "I don't know how I'll afford a governess all year."

"That's easy." Draco said firmly. "Harry and I will need a governess when we have kids after we get married. If we find one that does a good job with your child, it'll be worth the money to know that we found someone to hire when our own children are born."

That discussion lasted for another hour until they were forced out of the infirmary to let Hermione rest. She'd agreed to at least consider their proposal, and that made Harry feel better. As they left to head to their next class, they discussed having Mr. Weasley find a flat for them in Hogsmeade since they had already told her they owned one there.

A week later, she reluctantly agreed. During that time, Harry had also met with the Ravenclaw, Jeremy Meyers, and had hired him as his personal assistant. The first few days were hilarious for Draco as Harry attempted to get used to having someone work for them. Jeremy tried several times to draw up schedules for Harry to follow and a test of wills ensued. Jeremy won when Draco played dirty by refusing sex until Harry agreed.

Draco proved again that he still played dirty that night.

The next morning Harry had been surprised when Jeremy showed up before breakfast with his schedule for the day. He wasn't surprised that Jeremy had shown up, he was surprised at the first meeting he had for the day. The morning potions class had been cancelled in order for the students to prepare for an upcoming exam later in the week. Snape had been quite pleased about the whole affair, certain that some of his students would use the free time to goof off instead of prepare, and would thus mess up on the exam, thereby disqualifying themselves for N.E.W.T. Potions in their seventh year. Harry had told Jeremy the night before to leave the time free so he could study with Draco and Hermione.

Instead, the Ravenclaw had scheduled a meeting with Professor Snape himself.

Breakfast was over far too soon as far as Harry was concerned. The owl delivery had come, and Jeremy had walked over to where Harry was sitting with the Hufflepuffs and handed him several pieces of mail, including a delightful letter from Aunt Petunia. The rest of the mail would be opened, sorted, and summarized later. If he wanted to see any of it, he'd put a check next to the summary and Jeremy would bring the piece to him at dinner.

Aunt Petunia's letters were growing frightfully funny, and more frequent. From the correspondence Harry actually found himself liking his gaunt, often frowning Aunt. Her sensibilities were being challenged by her future daughter-in-law, and if he'd thought Dudley had been spoiled, this grandbaby was going to prove just how much she really could spoil a child. The latest missive described Vernon's pathetic attempt at getting back together with her. The attempt ended with the muggle authorities hauling him off to a cell to sleep the night away. Ron even enjoyed reading and laughing at the letter's quite graphic description of the jinxes Deidre had used. She was two years older than Dudley and had graduated from Beauxbatons with honors in transfigurations.

Still, when minutes later found Harry sitting in Professor Snape's office the memory helped him keep a smile on his face. His relationship with the greasy-haired Professor fluctuated on a daily basis. Some days they would actually get along, others Snape would be ready to tear out Harry's throat. From the look on Snape's face, today would not be the happy kind.

"Potter." Snape snarled, and Harry knew he was upset. Snape only used his last name when he was upset or in class. "Do you still love Draco?"

"What?" Harry exclaimed, the question totally throwing him for a loop. "Of COURSE I still love him!"

"Then why don't you show it more often?" Snape asked him in a much calmer voice.

"Malfoy's don't show affections in public." Harry quoted quietly.

"Yes they do." Snape countered with a smile that made Harry squirm. "They just don't do it in the common ways."

"How do they do it then?" Harry snapped, but at the same time intrigued. He'd gotten a letter from both Lucius and Narcissa, as well as a lecture from Draco, on the need for public decorum and he'd been trying to follow it, but it was hard not throw Draco into a lip lock every morning before class when they left the great hall.

"They do it in ways you obviously aren't familiar with." Snape said, still with that grin on his face. "I haven't seen the two of you publicly exchanging gifts in a while. That is a most acceptable way to show public affection between Malfoys. I remember Lucius sending Narcissa the most delectable raven miniature one time. It was about a hand span in length, a most beautiful obsidian, and had two diamonds as eyes. It fluttered over her head for weeks and she still keeps it in her rooms.

"How the hell do I get out and buy a gift like that while I'm at school?" Harry demanded, desperately wanting to do something like that for Draco now.

"Lucius didn't buy it, he made it." Snape said with a smile.

"He made it?" Harry whispered in shock.

"Malfoys, and now Potters, have enough money to buy anything they want." Snape said with a snort. "Anyone can go shopping for exquisite gifts, but we are wizards are we not?"

"Yes, we are." Harry said with a gleam in his eyes, his thoughts flying fast. Yes, he knew the charms to make his own dragon. Snape just smiled at him.

"I see you are thinking of something, Harry." Snape said with another, kinder smile.

"Is this why you called this meeting?" Harry asked, still a little befuddled. "Just to talk about me romancing Draco?"

"Of course," Snape said with another snort. "I stood for you at your wedding. Right now, making sure you and Draco don't forget that there is more to your relationship than war, political maneuvering, Blood Oaths, and sex, is a top priority."

"Blood Oaths?" Harry asked in a shocked whisper.

"I'm not stupid, Harry." Snape said in a quiet voice. "After I helped rescue you, some of my former comrades assumed I already knew about what you and Draco were doing and asked me why I hadn't told them earlier. They were quite…enthusiastic at the potential you are showing to further their own ambitions."

"Have you told Albus yet?" Harry asked in a quiet voice, his stomach tied in a knot.

"No, Harry, I haven't." Snape said with a shake of his head. "He wouldn't understand, and I for one do agree with what I'm hearing. In many ways I wish you had been around when I was younger and maybe I wouldn't have made the same…mistakes that I did then."

"I don't know what to say, Severus." Harry whispered, shocked being too poor of a word for how he felt.

"Just don't forget Draco and your love in the midst of all this…stuff." Severus Snape said gently, waving his hand slightly. "Remember the romance between the two of you, and not just the comfort and the passion - treasure every moment, Harry, every last moment with the ones you love. I didn't and I pay for it every day of my life."

"I will, Severus, I will." Harry promised softly, his face transforming with a smile. "Do you know where I might get my hands on a bar of silver and two small rubies?"

"Why, I might have a few ideas, Mr. Potter." Snape said, his facing going from sad to smiling in a flash. "I think I have some things like that in my supply cabinet. Care to check with me?"

Harry was late to his DADA class, but found Draco already giving the final review before their tests later in the week. He took over smoothly from his love, smiling secretly, and anxiously waiting to see the blond's face when the gift he was making was presented. Lunch passed just as quickly, as did the afternoon classes. His lessons after dinner were with Severus (that name was now how he thought of the greasy-haired potions Professor, and they both felt a shift in their relationship, a shift bringing them ever closer), and instead of working on a potion related to the defense against the dark arts, they were working on an animation potion that would help the silver dragon Harry was transfiguring actually fly. The charm would be renewed every time the dragon was fed some of this potion, and it was something that Harry could brew with relative ease, although it used a lot of expensive ingredients and took a lot of magic to get right.

As he finished the potion, and cleaned up the supplies he was using, he heard the distinctive chime indicating that Jeremy had made a change to his schedule for the day. With a sigh, he pulled out the parchment that had been charmed as a day planner, and would change as Jeremy made changes to his own version. It now showed a meeting with the Headmaster that started in ten minutes. With a sigh, he finished putting away the potion supplies and rushed towards the Headmaster's office.

Draco was waiting for him outside and gave Harry a little smirk as he stumbled to a halt next to the Gargoyle. Harry let Draco smoothen his robes, flicking several potion ingredients off of it gently, and didn't react to the softly spoken jibes about his slovenly nature not really changing. Instead he focused on getting his breathing back under control, and stealing a quick kiss before telling the gargoyle the password and heading upstairs behind the blond Slytherin.

"Harry, Draco, please have a seat!" Dumbledore said, his face a mixture of friendliness and soft admonishment. Harry wondered what they had done, until he remembered that today had been the first meeting of the Hogwarts Board of Governors since two of the members had been arrested for conspiring with Voldemort.

"I must say I have come from the most interesting meeting of the Board of Governors in many years. You two wouldn't happen to know what made it so interesting would you?"

"You had new members to induct?" Draco asked with a sly smile.

"Yes, yes, and I must say their hair did liven up the air a bit." Dumbledore said with a smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were absolutely stunning in their new dress robes and had many interesting things to say."

"It's good to think that the Board of Governors will benefit from their membership." Harry said with a smile of his own.

"Yes, too bad it's only temporary, wouldn't you say Harry?" Albus Dumbledore responded, continuing the verbal fencing.

"It is always possible that in a few years they will be able to buy themselves their own seat." Draco said with a smile. "The Weasley fortunes are changing for the better."

"Yes, yes, I must admit I was not only quite surprised to see them sitting on the Board, but to find out they were merely proxies until the owners of the two seats had finished attending the school itself!"

"Well it is not seemly for students to make decisions affecting the school while they are attending." Draco said with a smile.

"Indeed." Albus Dumbledore said with a wise nod of his head. "So you two will take up your seats as soon as you are completed with school?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Harry said noncommittally. "We'll probably have Molly and Arthur keep them for a while. I mean, we're going to have other things to think about for quite a while."

"Yes, yes," Dumbledore said with a nod. "Still, it'll be interesting to see a Malfoy back on the Board again."

"Why thank you, sir." Draco said with a smile. "It's nice to know that the galleons we'll be spending each year on those seats are so well appreciated!"

"Okay, off with you two." Dumbledore said, shooing them out. "I know you both have things to do before bed time.

That night was filled with studying and preparing the exams for the first year DADA classes until well after midnight. By the time they climbed into bed, both of them were too exhausted to do more than snuggle together before sleep claimed them.