Chapter Text
"The old argument," he said softly. "But nothing I have seen in the world has supported your pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic, Dumbledore."
"Perhaps you have been looking in the wrong places," suggested Dumbledore.
— Tom Riddle Jr., Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
He hurt all over and something heavy covered him. He had died again and he could only wonder what afterlife he had been whisked to. After the last one this time he was going to just disappear and live a hermit life somewhere well away from people until the memories began to dull with time. Yet, based on the pain in his chest where his heart was supposed to be until Harry had taken it and ripped it apart when he sacrificed his self, it would be awhile. Deciding he at least needed to start figuring things out he slowly blinked his eyes open.
It was bright and looking around from his position on a bed, he recognized it as a private room in St. Mungos. The heavy weight turned out to be Prags curled on his chest sleeping and he felt a quick pang of sadness that the snake had died as well. Shifting slightly a status spell hovering above him started to flash in alarm, the door swooshed open a few seconds later waking up Prags. Healer DeHart was striding towards him and Prags camouflaged quickly laying along his side. She glared at him before he could start asking questions, so he snapped his mouth closed and waited while she started to fling diagnostic spells around him like a professional dueler.
“For now I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that snake, some people were worried about you waking up alone after I kicked the blasted lot of them out of here.”
Frowning he looked at her face which was reading the results of her spells in the air, brow creased in concentration.
“Wait…..so I’m not dead?”
Scoffing she finished her diagnostics before swishing her wand, cancelling the spells before meeting his eyes.
“No you’re not dead, though not for a lack of trying. I thought I specifically told you boys not to go after anymore dark wizards!”
Huffing she crossed her arms over her chest leveling him with an accusing stare.
“I’m sorry?......Do you know how I’m alive? I got hit with an Avada Kedavra, and my name isn’t Harry Potter therefore I should be dead.”
“Yes I am very aware of the dark curse that tore through your body thank you. You can save those philosophical questions for your barmy Headmaster and his mumblings about Harry’s sacrifice and the protections of love or what not. All I was focused on was trying to stabilize your vitals; you are so lucky that I am amazing at my job.”
“Right, thank you.”
Gaze softening she told him to try and get some more rest before leaving the room muttering something about an impending circus but all he could think at that moment was that he would have rather she let him die. Harry was gone and if Harry wasn’t around then it was no longer a life he wanted any part of. Rubbing his thumb between Prags eyes he talked to his faithful pet.
“How am I going to sneak out of here without running into anyone? I need to disappear Prags; I don’t want to be in this blasted country anymore.”
“Tough luck cause you’re not going anywhere you prat.”
Jerking his head up he watched in startled disbelief as Harry emerged from underneath his invisibility cloak to the side of the room where he must have gone when Mindy came into the room. Words stuck in his throat as Harry moved forward before crawling onto his bed and moving to where he was braced above him.
“You are the most beautiful and frustrating person I have ever known,” Harry whispered before dipping his head and claiming Draco’s mouth with his own.
Pulling him down he let Harry rest his weight on him while eagerly engaging in a battle of tongues and teeth. After an eternity Harry pulled back, gasping for breath Draco let his eyes race across his face absently noticing the missing glasses that probably rested in the room somewhere.
“How are you here? How are you alive?”
While he waited for Harry to answer he let his hands run over as much of him as he could reach, needing the confirmation that he was here and alive.
“I used the resurrection stone before I left Hogwarts. Apparently I was then the master of all of the hallows, therefore the master of death. I was given a choice and I chose to return, I didn’t want to be without you.”
Looking into Harry’s eyes so full of emotion he couldn’t believe it; he had seen the truth, Draco’s sordid past, why would he still want to be with him?
“Why? I saw the pensive, I know you know the entire truth now, and I know you saw my past. How can you kiss me? How can you look at me like that?”
A crease appeared between Harry’s brows and a frown pulled at his lips. A frustrated huff left his mouth and Prags hissed in agreement from the bed beside them.
“It’s easy really. You are not the person you used to be, you are better. I am happy knowing about your past because I now know the pain you went through and how you came to be the amazing person that I fell in love with.”
A Draco’s shocked intake of breath Harry smiled.
“Oh yes Draco, I still love you, I have since first year and I will continue to love you always. Nothing you can say or do will change that so I would appreciate if you would cease trying to die and disappear on me.”
“But I don’t deserve you.”
Smiling wide Harry leaned his head down once again and right before their lips met he muttered.
“No my blind little badger, it is I that don’t deserve you.”
Desperately their mouths met once more, since neither could believe the other was alive, needing the physical reassurance touch provided. Vaguely he heard the door open once more and he heard Mindy DeHart’s voice.
“Why is your heartbeat so elevat…..Oh Merlin’s saggy bollocks! Harry this is the seventh time! Get off my patient!”
~HPHPHPHP~
After being released from the hospital to Mindy’s scathing warnings and incessant nagging, he and Harry had decided to spend a few weeks at Grimmauld Place before returning to Hogwarts. The news of The Dark Lord’s demise and their part in it had been released to the public. Except for the horcruxes, really all the public knew was that The Dark Lord was dead and Harry and Draco were responsible. Draco had been upset insisting that Ron and Hermione be recognized, but they had refused saying they would prefer the true extent of Voldemort's immortality to remain in the dark.
Harry was used to it but the new found fame had Draco spinning. He had always wanted what Potter had and now that it was a reality he just wanted to give it all back. Honestly if he got even one more pair of knickers in the post he was burning down another manor. Yet, the hardest thing so far though had been his confrontation with Leaf. She had kept to her order preventing Ron and Hermione from leaving the room but when Harry had come back to life she had been distraught because Draco had ordered her not to return to Riddle Manor.
Harry had summoned Dobby who had been more than happy to take Harry back to assist the aurors in breaking Draco’s shield. While Ron and Hermione had been left behind with an inconsolable Leaf who had punished herself severely believing she had taken her master to his death. When he had seen her still covered in bandages, to the shock of Sirius beside him, he had fallen to his knees and begged for her forgiveness. Crying the elf had fallen next to Draco just happy that he was alive.
“Oh Master Draco, Trickle is so sorry, she thought you would like that she punished herself.”
“No, no I don’t, and I order you to never punish yourself again.”
Sirius spoke up from above them.
“I tried to tell her that but even though she is bound to the house of Black she only listens to you kid.”
“Trickle only listens to Master Draco because he is the only one who calls for her.”
“I call you all the time, you never answer!....wait….who’s trickle?”
Not meeting Sirius’s eyes Draco looks away cheeks flaming, at that moment he was so glad that Harry was out getting their lunch.
“I is Trickle.” The house elf helpfully provided.
Looking at Draco, Sirius just raised one eyebrow in question so much like Draco himself. Still blushing he decided to answer the unspoken question.
“Trickle is her real name, when I was young and learning to talk, to my parents confusion I always called her Leaf so my father ordered her to answer me when I called Leaf. Later they realized I was trying to say Little Elf but Leaf just stuck, it’s weird to call her Trickle.”
“That explains why she never answers any other summons.”
Nodding Draco brought his attention back to Leaf when she handed him a letter with familiar messy handwriting scrawling ‘Draco’ on the front.
“Master left this behind in the room, Trickle brought it for him.”
“Thank you Leaf.”
“I is glad you is back Master Draco.”
Pop
Looking at the envelope in his hand he ignored Sirius’s questioning gaze when he let Harry’s goodbye letter fall to the floor. Casting a non-verbal and wandless incendio he watched it burn, he had no desire to read something that wouldn’t come to pass. No Regrets.
~HPHPHPHP~
His first Saturday back at Hogwarts he was woken by his boyfriend who poked and prodded him before he reluctantly rolled out of bed. Harry followed him to breakfast and he didn’t even bother questioning how he had gotten into The Hufflepuff Dorms. After breakfast Harry tugged him along until they were stopped in front of the forest mural he had painted years ago, silver stag still brilliant against the dark landscape. Raising his eyebrows in question, he was confused when Harry suddenly pulled his invisibility cloak off of Draco’s paint trunk that was hovering beside them. Harry just pointed to the stag on the wall.
“You painted mine, now add yours.”
Smiling indulgently he did; it only took about thirty minutes and when he was done Harry raised his wand and animated the new stag his self. They stood back and watched as the second stag ran up to the first one and they touched noses before prancing around each other excitingly. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there watching them run through the forest; painted immortality the stags would be bound together; always.
When they turned to walk away hand in hand with Prags slithering along behind them he realized that for the first time in his life his future stretched out openly in front of him. He didn’t have to worry about disappointing his father, he could do anything without consequences; this was his new life after all. He could even do something as mad and as thrilling as marry Harry Potter and gripping Harry’s hand tightly Draco Black smiled.