Countdown Chapter 2: Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of 2

Harry awakes alone on his anniversary, but Draco did leave a note. Harry has to follow the clues to get to Draco at the end.

Mystery/Suspense Drama Angst Romance General Slash Alternate Universe Forbidden Forest 13,271 Words 2 Chapters Complete

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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Everyone knows that I wish I did. And if you didn't know that, you do now. Because I do what to own Harry Potter and everyone/thing included with his name. Oh, I want them badly...

A/N: This took a long time for me to write and post. Sorry. I'm not a hurry up and write kinda author. I have to plan. And this one took planning, let me tell you. I got the idea while I was sleeping one night. That's when my muses usually talk to me. It's a two-part one-shot. Got that? TWO CHAPTERS!!! I decided I was going to stop it right in the middle of everything. Muah ha ha ha...

Part The Second

(I decided to keep uniform)

"Give me the paper, you stupid door!"

Now, most kids were taught that the magic word was 'please'. Apparently, there were different magic words because the magic words this time were 'Give me the paper, you stupid door'. Once those words left his mouth, a note appeared on the door.

I wanted to know if you'd really insult the door just because you couldn't get the paper you knew would be here somewhere. I am amazed that you actually did. I had charmed it so that if you didn't insult it within five minutes, it would appear anyways.

Five years, my love, five years since you asked me to stay at home.

~draco~

"This is getting just plain weird, Draco," Harry groaned. "I've had to think about every clue, so let's think about this one for a minute. Five years since I asked Draco to stay at home. Where is home? Home is where we are now. Five years since I asked Draco to stay. The night I asked him to come back to my house! We were still living separately, but I wanted him to be a more permanent figure in my house since it was bigger!" And with that, he rushed down the stairs away from the flat.

As he got past the anti-Apparation wards, he froze in thought. 'There was no memory to go with this one. So maybe... maybe I have the wrong place?' he thought. He stood still, trying to think of another answer. When one wouldn't come, he read the parchment again out loud. "'Five years, my love, five years since you asked me to stay at home.' Home may be where I asked him to stay, but it's not where the conversation took place! It was as we walked away from Hogsmeade!" The memory took over then, fast and hard.

Harry and Draco had just spent the entire day walking around Hogsmeade and looking in all the shops. Draco insisted on buying anything that Harry's gaze rested on for more than five seconds. And Harry bought Draco a few things as well, sometimes because he knew he could take it from Draco later. They decided to walk to the parting point, as there was a path out of Hogsmeade that split to head to their respective homes. However, when they got there, an overwhelming feeling of loneliness came over Harry.

"Harry?" Draco asked, turning to face his boyfriend. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I just... I don't want today to end. I don't want to watch you walk away, and I don't want you to leave," was the answer.

"You know I'm not leaving you. It took this long to get to this point, and there's no way I'm giving that up now. You know that after I get off my shift tomorrow at St. Mungo's I'll be at your house."

"I know, but it's not the same." Harry went silent, staring at their feet. Then it hit him: Draco could stay the night! He could stay at his house. Surely they were ready for that. He'd already stayed at Draco's. There was no reason to not invite Draco over. In fact, it was probably long overdue.

"What if I"

"Willyoustaywithmetonight?" Harry asked in a rush.

"Do what now? If you want me to understand you, you have to speak plain British, Harry."

"Would you stay with me tonight? At my house?" Harry asked, slower this time.

Draco's reaction was Kodak: wide eyes, mouth in a small 'o', eyes blinking every few seconds. "Y-yeah," he finally got out. "Yes, of course. That would be fine. Just... just come with me to my apartment to get my things so I can leave from your place to work. That sound good?"

"Perfect." They turned to the left and headed to Draco's then. "You know, all you had to do was ask."

Harry smiled at the memory, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. Oh, he remembered that night alright. The memory began to play again, thinking perhaps Harry didn't understand where his next clue was to lead to. But he did know. And he made his way to Hogsmeade with a loud crack.

When he got there, the note was floating in midair, just waiting for him. He walked up to it, but was gently thrown backwards about a foot by a barrier. He shook his head and tried again. He couldn't get through. Trying all sides of the note, he discovered there was no way. 'Maybe there's a key to get to it, like at Draco's apartment,' he thought. "Give me the note, you moron!" he said, thinking maybe it was the same. He tried again, but still couldn't get through.

Getting frustrated, he tried spells and incantations, physical force and mind strength. But nothing was getting through the barrier. "What in the bloody hell am I supposed to do?" He read through the note that had led him here. When he was done, the memory started playing again. "You know, all you had to do was ask... all you had to do was ask... ask... ask..." "'Ask'? Ask what?" The memory began again. Harry was getting frustrated. He wanted to see Draco. If the numbers were going as he thought, this clue would be number four of ten. Only three to go once he got to this one. If he could get to it that was. "Ask. Wait a minute." He thought for a few moments. "You can't be serious?" Nothing happened. "Fine. Would you stay with me tonight? At my house?"

The barrier shifted and shimmered in front of him, finally allowing him access to the floating note.

See? Sentimentalist. You remember every little thing that's led up to this day I bet. I could ask you the colour of the tablecloth from the Weasleys' wedding, and I bet you'd remember. I'm sighing in case you want to know.

We've lived in this house for four years now.

(And yes, I know this one's easier than the rest. Bite me.)

~draco~

He didn't even get a moment to think on the note. He knew what house Draco spoke... wrote about. It was his house, their house. The memory started as soon as thought about home.

"You know I was thinking," Harry started.

"That must have hurt," Draco teased. A pillow went flying at his head. "Hey! Don't mess up the hair!"

The pair was snuggled together in bed, just relaxing after their respective days. Harry sighed and was quiet. He wasn't used to being open and honest about his emotions. And when things interrupted him, he usually clammed up and didn't say what he had wanted to. This was one of those times. Draco wasn't being deliberately mean or anything like that. He was just teasing. That was just how Draco was.

"Love? Harry? What's wrong? What is it?" He was getting worried now. Harry had closed himself off. When he did that, it meant there was something he wanted to say but was worried about getting hurt after he said it. Not physically, no. Harry had rarely been physically hurt by speaking his mind. Only emotionally and mentally. His relatives had belittled and demeaned him for years, and the scarring was too deep to completely heal. "Speak to me. I promise to listen."

"I know. I just..." He trailed off.

"You know I love you. You know I would never do what they did. I want to hear your thoughts. I want to know what you're feeling and thinking and wanting. I can't do that if you don't tell me."

"You could use Legillimency."

"You know I'd never do that without permission. Please? Tell me?"

Harry sighed. "I just... I think it's pointless for you to be going back and forth like you do." He paused, but Draco remained silent. "I mean, you stay here at nights, and you work at the hospital, and you go to your apartment. Most of your mail comes here, and work knows to call here first rather than your apartment. You've got stuff in the loo, and have changed the kitchen around so you can cook, and planted things in the gardens for your potions stock, and roped off a part of the basement for your potions lab, and"

"Harry!" Draco interrupted. "Harry, calm down. Whatever it is you're trying to say, I'm not going to hate you for it. I want you to come out and say it. Look me in the eyes, that's it. Now, what is it you want to say really?"

"I... I want you to... I want you to stay. Here. Permanently. You already do, practically."

Draco was floored. He hadn't expected this, not tonight, and definitely not from Harry. He was actually thinking of taking Harry out in the next week or two to ask him himself. Harry wasn't usually forward about things in their relationship. It was hard for him to be that open. He stared at his boyfriend with as much love as he could manage. He was proud of the younger man, proud that he could voice his wants and opinions and ask for something that would be a big step in their relationship.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said suddenly. "It's not the best idea and it's too soon. You probably don't even want to move in with me. That's why you haven't yet. You need to get away occasionally, and that's why you keep going to your apartment. I understand. I'd probably want to get away from me too." He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to comfort himself. "I'm not exactly the best boyfriend material. I understand that. It's okay. You don't have to say anything."

Draco quickly realized that Harry had taken his silence as a decline of Harry's wishes. He wrapped his own arms around Harry and kissed him to quiet him. "I didn't say no, did I? I didn't think so. I would have remembered saying that. Now then, I would love to move into your house. We can go to my apartment tomorrow and pack everything else up. What do you say?"

"I think it sounds marvelous." And that was that.

Harry realized he was crying. He loved that memory most of all. He wanted Draco to stay with him all the time, but Draco was such a private person sometimes that he didn't think that them living together would ever be possible. But for four years now they'd done it. Which reminded him, he needed to get home and find that note. He Apparated once more to the front walk and ran all the way to the house. The wards recognized his magic and opened the front door for him, which was good for him as he was in a rush to get inside.

However, he had to stop as soon as he got through the front door. He didn't know where to go. The memory started again when it realized he didn't know where exactly he was to go to find the next note. He had to watch it three more times before he finally realized he had to go to the bedroom. Then he raced up the stairs to get to said bedroom. There was no note. He looked all over, but there was no note. He tried revealing spells, insults, saying things from the last memory. Nothing. He went into the bathroom and looked there. He looked in the shower and in the medicine cabinet, in the linen closet and the dirty clothes' hamper.

Back in the bedroom, he looked in all the drawers and in the closet. He tried the bureau and under the bed. Getting frustrated, he thought perhaps it was under the sheets. With a force that nearly ripped the material in two, he threw the pillows across the room and then pulled the comforter and sheets off the bed. When there was nothing but a mattress left, he stood over the bed heaving. There was no note. On a last ditch thought, he checked between the mattress and the box springs. No note.

On the verge of bursting into tears, Harry sat down at the end of the bed and thought out loud about the last clue. "He said five years since I asked him to stay home. We were here, in this room, in this very bed. Where else could it possibly be?!" he cried out, a tear finally falling. He wanted Draco. He wanted to celebrate their anniversary by cuddling up on the couch in front of the fire, or watching a sappy movie, or snogging. Anything but this now depressing game where he had to run around looking for clues that suddenly stopped when

"What's this?" Cocking his head to the side, Harry bent down to see what a bit of cream coloured something was amidst their brown, black, and green sheet set. He grabbed hold of the foreign colour and pulled. "The note!" he cried victoriously. "It must have been among the sheets and I just didn't see it!" Quickly he opened it and read what was written there in Draco's neat scrawl.

Make the bed.

"What? That's it?" He turned the note over, looking for the rest of the clue. "Make the bed. Fine, fine. I'll play the little game. At least I have the note." Quickly, hoping it was like the note from the restaurant, Harry made the bed. First the fitted sheet, then the cover sheet, then the wool blanket, then the comforter, and then their pillows. He looked at the note again.

Put my pillow on my side of the bed. And I mean my pillow, Harry.

"Oh for the love of!" Getting irritated now, Harry flipped two of the four pillows on the bed. "Is that better, Your Highness?"

Since I'm sure you've made some smartarse comment, the answer is 'Yes.'

Now then, three years ago the worst thing that's ever happened in my life took place. But it was quickly rectified. It took thirty-two galleons, a swallowing of my pride and dignity, and a new pair of trousers, but I did it. And there's not a day that goes by that I think it wasn't worth it.

~draco~

"That's the sappiest one yet," he commented idly, reading the note once more. "Three years... worst thing... rectified... thirty-two galleons... pride and dignity... worth it..." And right on schedule, like a freight train, the memory hit. It felt like a freight train with its ferocity, too.

His heart shattered into a million pieces. Those pieces were gathered up and placed in a baggie for someone to tap dance on. Then those pieces were thrown into an incinerator. The door was closed and locked. And that was still an understatement to the pain he felt. Gods, how could he have been so stupid?! Without thinking for another second, Harry turned and ran out of the building, away from that place. He couldn't stay there another instant. To see...

No, he wouldn't even think about it. But how could he not? Where was someplace he wouldn't think? Hogwarts. No, that was his school. Nothing but thinking there. Home. No, too many reminders. Weasleys. No, they'd know in an instant that something was up. The twins! He'd go to Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes! It was perfect. In mid stride, he Apparated in front of the store. Without waiting to get his full bearings, Harry ran into the store. There were a few customers here and there, looking at things to buy. George was talking to a few younger kids about what to expect from the product they'd just purchased.

Fred, however, was just watching everyone else in the store. He saw Harry burst in and continued to watch as he ran past them and into a back room. As silent partner, Harry had a few perks when it came to the small shop. A silent chat between brothers and George took over the storefront while Fred followed the distraught brother-in-all-but-blood. He found Harry crying his eyes out over a box of Extendable Ears.

"Harry? What's wrong mate? What's got you all worked up?" he asked softly, placing on hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Just don't want to think," Harry mumbled between sniffles. "Give me paperwork or sorting or cleaning or anything to do, please? Just anything. I don't want to think for a while. No questions, no answers. And, most importantly, no thinking."

"Yeah, no problems." He led Harry to a different room a few doors down. "Here, why don't you start by alphabetizing our inventory in these two filing cabinets, yeah?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that works. Thanks, Fred." Harry wiped his nose on his sleeve and smiled pitifully.

"'S okay, Harry. I'll come check on you in a bit, 'kay?"

Harry nodded and Fred left, leaving the door open a bit. He went out to tell his brother what was going on, and then life continued as if nothing had happened. As business wound down, Harry came out of the back room and asked for something else to do. George set him to replacing the products customers had moved around during the day. When he was done with that, they had Harry cook dinner in their flat above the store. Instead of joining them for dinner, Harry started cleaning their flat.

"Harry, stop. Would you pleaseHarry!" George snapped, grabbing Harry's wrist to make him stand still for a few moments so he could talk to him. "Will you tell me what's going on please? You've been acting weird all day now, and it's starting to worry us a little much. At first, it was just the filing or sorting. And that was okay. I can understand the need for mindlessness. But cooking us dinner and not eating it, and then cleaning our house? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "There's nothing wrong." He turned to fold the towels on the loveseat.

"Bull, Harry," Fred said, coming to stand by his twin. "We know something's up"

"and we want to know what it is," George finished.

Harry put the dishtowel down, but kept his back turned to the twins. "I just don't want to think. If I keep busy and do menial things that don't take any thought, then I won't think. I won't keep seeing it. I can't see it again. Please, just let me do this?"

"What don't you want to see, Harry?" Fred asked.

"Them," he whispered. "D-draco and... I don't even know!" he cried out, starting to sob. "I just went to see if there were any pictures in storage. We kept his flat as a storage unit since it's pretty cheap as long as we don't use the water or electricity all that much. And we don't. Because we live at h-home. But I went there to get pictures and there were noises and I went to see and I saw and now I don't want to see I just want to work and not think so please just let me do this?" he asked in a rush.

"What did you see?" Fred asked.

"Them!" he shouted, turning to face the twins. "D-draco... and... I don't know! I don't know who he was! But he was there! And it wasn't me! So justjust let me not think about it, please?"

In an instant, Fred and George had enveloped Harry in a three-way hug, trying to comfort him as much as they could. It proved to be too much for Harry, who broke down sobbing. His knees buckled, slowly sending the three of them to the floor. They held the sobbing younger man until it was just sniffles and shuddering breaths. Then they tucked Harry into one of their beds, cleared their dinner mess, and flooed to the Burrow. After they explained what had happened to their mum, dad, Ron, Hermione, and Charlie, they worked out a plan to cheer Harry up and keep him busy. There was plenty around the Burrow that Harry could help with.

So the next morning, George took Harry to the Burrow. Molly kept him busy all day and Harry was just fine with that.

Back to the shop, George and Fred were nearly arrested for murder when Draco walked through the door. He had come looking for his boyfriend, or so Harry was told later that evening. George explained to the blond what had happened and told him that if he came near Harry again, he'd have the whole Weasley family to deal with. But that didn't stop Draco for an instant. He tried several times to talk to Harry via owl, floo, and in person. Any way he could get in touch with his boyfriend, he tried it. Finally, about two weeks later, an owl appeared at the Burrow with a heavy box attached to its feet. Harry took the box and nearly threw it away when he saw who it was from.

But he opened it, curious as to what was inside. A gasp had Molly running into the room to see if he was okay. She found him staring at a book in the parlour room. "Harry, dear, are you alright? Is everything okay?" She saw who the gift was from and immediately frowned. "What has he sent you now?"

"What I've been working on for months now. A photo album. Of us." He looked up at his adoptive mother with tears in his eyes. "Look. These were pictures from our childhood. We hated each other so much then... And newspaper clippings about me and a few about him. Only happy things. Here's his medical diploma and my Auror license. A picture of us in front of our h-house. I went to the flat to get some more pictures. I wanted to surprise him. Instead, he surprised me. Two times now."

Molly put an arm around his shoulders. Then she saw something else in the box. "Harry dear, what's this?"

"It's... a note." He picked it up, read it, then read it aloud for Molly. "'Meet me at the Weasley shop on Friday. Please, allow me this one last effort. ~d~' That's all it says." He looked up. "What should I do?"

"Well... He can't hurt you anymore. We'll be there for you. Write him back and tell him a time, if you want. He wants to do this in public and at the shop. He must want to apologize."

Harry continued to look through the photo album the next few days, just waiting for Friday. He went into work with the twins and did a few things here and there. His need to work so he wouldn't think had passed after a few days, so now he was just waiting. Every time the little bell above the door chimed, Harry looked up expecting to see Draco. But it wasn't until the afternoon rush picked up that the blonde appeared. He was dressed in his best trousers and shirt, no robes, and was carrying something clenched in his left fist.

Fred and George were immediately by Harry's sides while Ron ran the cash register and Ginny walked through the store seeing if anyone needed help. There were anti-theft spells and jinxes on the store and the items, and no one wanted to be pranked by Fred or George. Draco moved to the centre of the store and then stopped. For a moment, no one moved except the customers going about their business. And then Draco dropped to his knees. Everyone froze then, shocked at the display.

"I screwed up," Draco said softly. It was deathly silent in the store now, all eyes on Draco. "I screwed up bad. There's... I don't even know what to say. I've spent these last three weeks trying to figure it out. It wasn't even worth it. It wasn't even close to being worth it. I've been suspended from St. Mungo's until I am capable of working again. I found out you'd taken a few weeks off from the Auror squad because of me. I hurt you, and I know that. There's nothing I can say or do that will fix this or change anything. I know that. And if you walk away after today, I would understand completely.

"I can't explain myself, because there is no excuse. I can't say I'll make it better, because I've hurt you deeper than any other. I can't make it go away, because it will always be there now. But I can swear to never do it again. I can swear that I will work, until you relieve me, to never do anything like it again. I can swear that I will never, ever hurt you this way again. I would swear anything right now, Harry. Anything. And I swear it upon a Promise Ring, if you'll have it."

He opened his fist and presented the solid silver band to Harry. The whole shop gasped and held their breaths. Harry didn't know what to do. This obviously meant something monumental, but he couldn't guess what. The only thing he could think of was a marriage proposal, but Draco hadn't said anything about marriage. He took out his wand and cast a silencing charm around him and the twins. "What? What does this mean for me?" he asked.

"Harry," Fred began, "he's swearing something to you. On a Promise Ring. It's... unbreakable!"

"It's like he's making an Unbreakable Vow," George explained. "If he breaks his swears, he won't die. It will hurt him very much. The swears are imprinted on his magic and his soul. He can't break them unless he really, really wants to. It will warn him when he's getting close to breaking them and then continue to get worse the closer he gets to breaking his promises. If and when he finally breaks them, he may very well have to go to St. Mungo's to be healed. He's Promising to never hurt you again, Harry."

"Until you relieve him of that Promise," Fred jumped in. "When you say it's over, when you're sure he won't go back on his Promises without the aide of the ring, you can relieve him of the Promises. Do you want to accept?"

"Yes, but..."

"But...?"

"But he hurt me! I can't just forget that. I can't just forget what happened."

"He's not asking that you do," George said. "Remember? 'I can't make it go away, because it will always be there now.' He doesn't want you to forget. He doesn't want to repeat this experience. That's why he's Promising you this."

Ron stepped into the silence bubble. "What are the plans?"

"Harry's thinking about accepting the Promise Ring," Fred answered.

"Good." Harry looked at Ron in shock. "What? He can't hurt you unless he wants whatever it is more than you with the Promise Ring, Harry. This will be good for both of you. I've seen you two together. I don't like him, and this didn't help any. But you two just fit. Try it out. It's not life binding. He's not tying your souls together or anything."

Harry nodded and cancelled the silencing spell. Draco hadn't moved but to breathe and blink. 'It must be uncomfortable on his knees on the ground like that,' Harry thought. 'And I must have worried him talking to the Weasleys for so long like that. Good. He deserves to be uncomfortable after this.' "Draco... I don't even know where to begin. Just... just don't ever do that again. Don't think about it, don't imagine it, don't remember it, except to remember not to do it. That hurt more than anything the Dursleys or Voldemort ever did."

Draco flinched at being compared to the two most hated subjects in Harry's life.

"If you ever," Ron began in a steely cold voice, "ever hurt him again, I will kill you. And no one will stop me."

Harry reached forward to place his palm on Draco's cheek. "I don't know if there's anything special I'm supposed to say now. Since this was so important that the entire shop has stopped moving, there must be something I'm to say." But Draco didn't answer his question. "What do I do and say now, Draco?" Still, he said nothing.

George touched Harry's shoulder. "He can't say anything now. Once he's said his swears and presented the ring, he can only wait until you accept or decline. Just take the ring and put it on, or close his fist around the ring to decline."

Harry reached down and plucked the ring from Draco's hand. He hesitated on which finger it went on.

Fred explained, "It goes on your right ring finger. It's the second most important finger, next to your left ring. That's left open for an engagement or wedding ring should you marry someone."

The ring was placed on his right hand. Only then did Draco stand up with a small smile on his face. "May I... may I hug you, Harry?" he asked slowly. In answer, Harry dove into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, Gods," Harry choked out. He remembered that day alright. It had broken his heart to see that, then spend three weeks away from Draco, and then to go through the Promise Ceremony. He learned more about it later. He tried to relieve Draco of it several times each year since then, but Draco wouldn't accept. He wanted it to stay there. Harry would always keep the ring, but once Draco was relieved of the swears, the magic wouldn't be binding any longer. He read the note. "It has to of be at the shop," he said to himself. He ran out of the house and outside the Apparation wards.

In an instant, he was in front of the Weasley twins' shop. He tried to calm himself, but still ended up bursting into the store anyways. "The note!" he practically shouted, running toward one of the twins. He was so excited he couldn't even take a moment to see which twin he was running at. He stopped when he was only a foot away from the older man, but couldn't stand still. "Please, I know one of you has it. I must have the note. Please please please!"

"He said you had to get on your knees to ask for it," one of the twins said.

"He said you'd understand because you've had to do other things to get the other notes," the other added.

"You're joking, right?" Harry asked, suddenly serious.

"No, he said you had to ask on your knees or it wouldn't work right."

"And I want to see you ask us for a piece of parchment on your knees anyways," the second smirked. George.

"No way!"

"Okay," Fred said sadly. "Here's the note, but he said it wouldn't work."

Harry read the note, his eyes bugging out at the message.

They're telling the truth, Love.

"No. Effing. Way." Harry read it once more to verify it and then gave up with a sigh. He handed the note to George and then slipped to his knees. "May I please have the note I know Draco left with you for me?"

"Why, certainly, Harry!" George said with a big grin plastered on his face.

Harry snatched the note from George's hand and read it again.

Really, Harry...

It's been two years since I could walk among them and not fear for my life.

~draco~

"And not fear for his life? What's that about?"

"Did he really write that?!" Fred asked with a smile, looking over Harry's shoulder. "Oi, he did!"

"Well I'll be," George muttered. Suddenly, the twins went back to working, not answering any of Harry's questions. They did watch in amazement as Harry went still and his eyes glazed over. Draco had told them that this would happen, but it was still a sight to behold. The memory came just as fast and hard as all the others had.

Harry and Draco had been invited to dinner at the Weasleys' once more, this time for Ginny's promotion to Charms Professor. She'd been studying under Filius Flitwick for the last three years, as well as helping Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout when they needed it. Filius finally decided to call it quits and went into retirement.

Draco had always been uncomfortable around the Weasleys. There had been a long standing feud between the Weasleys and the Malfoys. He and Ron had been bitter rivals in school. The final straw had been the previous year when he'd cheated on Harry. The Weasleys had done their family duty in protecting Harry and watching Draco like a hawk when he was taken back by Harry. Ever since then, he'd been the proud new owner of glares, careful watchings, trailings, and more than a few tricks from the twins. Arthur Weasley had even had a talk with Draco! Harry told them to back off, but they never really did.

But this night was about celebrating Ginny's promotion to Professor, so they were all playing nice. It helped that Ginny sat on one side of Draco and Harry on the other. The twins sat on the opposite side with Ron across from Harry, and Molly and Arthur at each end of the table. They'd talked about anything and everything, even asked Draco how his new research with the Cruciatus Curse was coming.

As they were in the middle of dessert, Arthur cleared his throat. "I, uh, I have something to say on behalf of the family." Harry looked at him, excited to see what Arthur had to say about his daughter. "Harry, you and Draco have been together for quite some time. I am happy to see you taking it slowly. And after last year's fiasco, I am happy that your relationship is strong. Anyone can see that your love for each other is true and pure, especially those who live and have lived in this house."

"What he means to say," Molly butt in, "is that we think Draco is good for you, and Harry for you, Draco. The two of you are perfect for each other."

"And we just wanted to tell you that we accept Draco," Arthur finished.

Harry was floored. This wasn't about Ginny! This was about him and Draco! He looked at the twins and Ron and saw the smiles on their faces: genuine smiles. Not smirks, not knowing grins. Just... smiles.

"You mean... You mean you'll stop hazing him and questioning us and teasing us and just accept him now?"

"Well..." Ron began, "the teasing will never stop."

"That's half the fun of"

"having a brother with a boyfriend."

"We haze because"

"it's our brotherly right."

"And because it's Malfoy," Ron finished. "I mean, come on, Harry. We're not suddenly angels. We'll just be nicer now."

"The night you guys told us you accepted him!" Harry suddenly shouted, scaring the twins who'd been watching him closely. "That's why you were laughing at what the note said! And now that I think about it, that was pretty damn funny. Okay, to the Burrow. Can I use your floo?"

"Course mate."

"Go right ahead."

Harry was in a backroom and in the Burrow in a matter of seconds. "Molly? Arthur?" he called out. Since they had been the ones to say it that night, he figured one of them would have the next note. "Is someone here?" He looked around, but couldn't find anyone. That's when he noticed the note attached to the mantle he'd flooed into.

I bet you've been chasing these notes so long, you forgot to eat. Tell Molly.

"He's right. I haven't eaten. What time is it?"

"It's almost two!" a voice nearly shrieked behind him. He whirled around to see Molly standing there with her hands on her hips. "Draco mentioned you might not have eaten, but I didn't think you'd really wait this long to eat. Get in here, get in here right this instant and start eating. Anniversary or not, I'll not have you skipping meals. If I didn't know you'd had a hearty breakfast, I'd box your ears, young man. March!"

Harry high-tailed it into the kitchen to eat, taking a little of everything that had been set out for him. There was no getting around Molly when she was like this, and he was hungry anyways. Once he finished off his third piece of pie, he finally asked if he could be finished.

"Only because you ate enough for two of my Rons," Molly answered with a smile. "Now read your note again."

Now that you've eaten proper, go out to the back orchard.

"He told me to go out to the back orchard. We don't have a back orchard," Harry said, confused.

"You don't, but we do," Molly said. "Come along then." She took Harry's arm and led him to the back orchard. There he saw all the Weasleys and their respective spouses, boyfriends/girlfriends, and children. And Draco. That's what he'd been searching for all day long.

He ran to him and hugged him fiercely. "I've waited for this since I woke up alone," he whispered.

"Oh, but you're not done yet. Read the note."

"The note? I did. It told me to come here."

"Read the note, Harry," Draco stressed.

It's been a countdown.

Ten years since you started Auror training.

Nine years since I said 'I love you.'.

Eight years since I started Healer training.

Seven years of schooling together.

Six years since I asked you to stay the night.

Five years since you asked me to stay the night.

Four years of living together in the house.

Three years since I screwed up.

Two years since the Weasleys accepted me.

Now I just have one question for you:

Will you marry me?

~draco~

Harry looked up wide-eyed and mouth slightly open to see Draco kneeling before him with a ring in his hand eerily similar to three years ago. Draco must have read his mind because he started talking.

"We've been together for ten years, with seven years of schooling together before that. We know everything there is to know about each other. We live together; we love together; we belong together. Will you do me the honour, Harry Potter, of becoming my bonded husband in this life and all the next to come?"

Harry was still surprised and amazed and so very, very happy.

Ron leaned over his should and said in a stage whisper, "This is the part where you say 'Yes'."

"Yes!" Harry shouted suddenly. "Yes, yes yes yes, a thousand times yes!" He tackled Draco then, knocking them both over, and kissing his fiancé deeply and soundly. After a few moments, they broke apart. Harry sat up, thus allowing Draco to do the same. Draco placed the ring on Harry's left ring finger. "Oh, it's beautiful." It was a gold band, with Runes of love and fidelity etched into it. On the inside were their names: Draco Malfoy-Potter and Harry Malfoy-Potter. "You... You're combining our names?"

"Yes. We're both heirs. Neither of us is female. It made sense to me. Would you rather... would you rather have just one name then?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"No. This is perfect. Just like you." He kissed Draco again.

..l.. ..l.. ..l.. ..l.. ..l..

A/N: And that's it, folks! Behold the two-part one-shot. I have more fics planned. I just need to write them. Review please! -dpa06-

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Latest 25 Reviews for Countdown

5 Reviews | 7.8/10 Average

9/10

sara lady dalian

Interesting premise. I like the countdown and the various means that D went through. And heaven knows that in 17 years they definitely should know each other. Very well done. I like that you have them true to themselves, though strictly speaking OOC (since this is totally non-epilogue compliant). BTW - I tend to like EWE stories best.