(no subject)
Title: Chasing Stars
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Summary: ‘Forever and always, you and me’, he would do anything to keep it that way.
Rating: G
Word Count: 1, 859
Notes: I'm gonna brag here, this won Kay's Birthday Challange, for the oneshot catagory. : )
Chasing Stars
By Kaitlyn
“Have you ever heard the muggle fairy tale, ‘Peter Pan’?” His voice is small, quiet, curious as he asks, his emerald green eyes full of an emotion that can’t be described.
The man standing next to him shakes his head. He’s tall and lean, his soft blonde hair falls into his eyes as he leans forward, reaching for the smaller man.
Emerald eyes light up, a smile spreading on his face. “It’s a story, about this family and a boy called Peter Pan. Peter Pan never grows old, he’s always been a child, always will be a child and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s allowed to live forever as a child because he lives on this magical island called Never Never Land. The second star to the right,” he states with eyes full of a dream.
He smiles at the man before him. “One night, he goes to this family and takes them back with him to Never Never Land, but to get there they have to fly.”
“Because Never Never Land is the second star to the right?” The blonde man prods gently, urging the other man on.
He grins, “Yes, the second star to the right.” He turns away, looking through the window, his eyes wide and innocent, staring up at the second star on the right, dreams of Peter Pan and flying hidden in his eyes.
“What else happens, Harry?”
Harry bites his bottom lip slowly, not bothering to look away from the beautiful stars above him.
“They chased the stars, Dray, Peter and Wendy and John and Michael, they all chased the stars, leaving it all behind, Dray.” He turns around, his hands still gently touching the clear glass window.
“Do you ever want to fly away Dray? Fly away and leave it all behind?”
His question is asked in innocence, he has no clue how much Draco would like to do just that, leave it all behind and fly away with Harry. He wishes he could go and leave all of their problems behind, leaving just Harry and Draco.
But he didn’t ask his question with that answer in mind. He asked it in innocence and childhood happiness.
“Would you come with me?” He teases gently. That’s the answer Harry was looking for.
Harry giggles, walking to him with a walk that’s more of a bounce than a walk, his hand held out wide. Draco takes it without being prompted.
“Whatever you wanted, Dray, you and me.”
Draco bites the inside of his cheek. You and me. How many times has he heard that? How many times has he wished upon the second star to the right in hopes that it would become you and me, just you and me?
Too many times to count, to many times to still feel that leap of hope in his chest when he hears it.
But he can’t help but hope.
Harry’s arms wrap around him as he nuzzles into Draco’s neck, a soft smile on his face. “You and me,” he whispers.
Harry stops suddenly, and Draco knows he’s found it, like he almost always does.
It hurts, every time, but the pain is still less then talking it off.
Harry pulls away from him, confusion written on his face.
His fingers fumble with the necklace around Draco’s neck, a small silver chain. Harry makes a small stunned sound as he reaches the two silver rings, his eyes searching Draco’s. “What are these, Dray?”
Draco licks his lips, his mouth suddenly dry, like it always is at this point. “They were supposed to be a gift for someone special to me, a way for me to show them how much I cared for them.”
“Why didn’t you give it to them?” It hurts, how innocent he sounds.
“Some, ah, something came up, and I….I never got the chance to give it to them, tell them how much I cared.”
Harry’s smile is blinding as he looks up at him. “I’m sure they knew Dray.”
He forces a smile onto his face, but it doesn’t reach far. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Harry nods, a real smile on his face. “If they loved you too, they could tell you were saying I love you with each little thing you did for them.”
A sigh tumbles out of his mouth, a soft cry of pain following it.
Draco pulls Harry back, resting his forehead against Harry’s. “Tell me more about Peter Pan and Never Never Land,” he pleads.
Harry stays still, his hands curling around Draco’s. “In the end they leave Never Never Land, they realize that they can’t stay young forever, that they have family and friends who love them back home, on Earth where time moves freely and a person’s age isn’t set. They leave Peter and Never Never Land.” His voice is filled with sorrow, like he had to leave Never Never Land with them.
“Did they ever go back?”
“No,” Harry smiles slightly. “Wendy’s daughter did though,” Draco’s eyes lock on Harry’s, “But that’s a story for tomorrow!”
Draco laughs; Harry dances out of his arms, back to the window. He presses his face up against the window, five years old all over again.
“You’ll be back tomorrow, right?” He adds it as an afterthought, just to make sure.
Draco walks to him, towering over Harry. “Yes, I’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Good good, I have to tell you about Wendy’s daughter.” Harry’s breathe makes condensation on the window and he giggles, drawing small symbols onto the glass.
Draco can’t help but wonder if Harry will ever be able to tell him about Wendy’s daughter one day.
He smiles, the first thing he’s going to make Harry do when he gets his memories back is to tell Draco about Wendy’s daughter.
“Dray?” He looks up at me, mischief dancing behind his sparkling eyes. “Don’t go near anybody with hooked hands, okay?” He laughs softly at the inside joke. Captain Hook. Sometimes he tells me about him, other times he doesn’t.
Draco laughs softly with him, wrapping his sturdy arms around the younger man’s waist. “Okay, promise.”
Harry smiles, pressing closer against the window; his voice is a low whisper when he speaks, suddenly serious, “Good good, I don’t want thing bad to happen to you….” Harry turns suddenly, nuzzling his nose against Draco’s cheek. “You’ve been hurt before, I can tell,” he kisses Draco’s cheek softly. “I don’t want you to hurt anymore.”
And just like that his pain comes rushing back, echoing around body, his mind screaming ‘Why?’.
It replays in his mind, the two blinding streaks of magic, one green, the other blue. They didn’t connect that time, just went right by each other.
Voldemort died that day, but so did a part of Harry.
Most of his memory was gone, is gone.
“Dray,” Harry’s voice is soft, pulling him back.
Harry’s soft hands are on his face, wiping softly at the small drops of water running down his face.
“You’re hurting, Dray.” Harry’s voice is worried, quiet; he’s afraid.
Draco smiles slightly. “I’m okay, Harry, I promise.”
Harry calms at that - nobody would ever dare to break a promise.
Harry wraps his arms around Draco tightly, attempting to push all the hurt away with his body.
It works.
Draco runs a hand softly through Harry’s messy locks, “Are you tired, love?
He can feel Harry yawn against him, even as Harry makes a non-committal noise, tightening his grip. “Don’t want you to go yet,”
Draco laughs softly. “I’ll stay till you fall asleep, love, if you want me too.”
Draco wants that, even if Harry doesn’t, to be able to hold Harry like he used to.
“Don’t wanna fall asleep,” Harry’s breathe is warm on Draco’s neck.
“I’m getting tired, love; why don’t we both lay down?” He fakes a yawn even though he knows that Harry will do as he asks.
They move slowly to the bed, a thick wool blanket that Mrs. Weasley over the top.
Harry’s putty in his hands as he dresses him in his night clothes - magic still scares Harry sometimes.
Harry remembers sometimes, what they are to each other, but some days he doesn’t….and he never remembers any of the things he did the day before. Almost everything is brand new to Harry.
He pulls the covers tightly over Harry, sliding in next to him and pulling him close. He misses the feel of Harry’s body heat in bed next to him.
“Love you Dray, forever and always,”
He shuts his eyes tightly. He’s not going to let his tears fall again.
“I love you too, Harry, forever and always,”
‘Forever and always, you and me, just you and me’ the voice in his head taunts, small and loud at the same time.
Harry moves closer, his limbs entangling with Draco’s - just like they used to.
Sometimes Draco wonders why he tortures himself like this, he’s so close and yet so far away from Harry. It hurts.
Draco watches him, as Harry moves slowly, emerald eyes rushing behind closed eyelids.
He presses a small kiss to the corner of Harry’s mouth, falling back onto the bed.
“Draco,” it’s loud and clear in the quiet room, clean and crisp.
He knows that tone.
Harry’s moving against him now, pressing small kisses everywhere he can reach without moving. “Draco, look at me, please, please.”
Draco’s lips attack Harry’s, forceful and pleading, but he’s still too scared to open his eyes again.
Soft hands run the length of his body as hushed whimpers escape his mouth.
“Don’t, not now, love, don’t do this now; I have to see you, please.”
Silver eyes open, meeting with clear emerald eyes.
Harry smiles, water forming at the edges of his eyes. “Yeah, there you are,”
This, this is why Draco tortures himself like this, for these moments, the moments when Harry remembers everything, the moments when Harry’s his.
Harry kisses him slowly now, peacefully, savoring it because they don’t know when they’ll be able to this - to kiss like this - again.
“Love you Draco, forever and always, you and me,”
‘Forever and always, you and me, forever and always, you and me, forever and always, you and me’ his mind chants, repeating it over and over again.
It sounds so sweet coming from Harry’s lips.
Harry pulls away slowly, his hand caressing Draco’s smooth skin. “Can I have it? Just for now?”
Draco knows what he’s talking about without asking.
Draco smiles, slowly pulling his necklace off; his voice is low and broken, but happy, “It’s always been yours, pet.”
He slips the simple ring onto Harry’s finger with tears in his eyes.
He knows though, in the morning, or later, when he leaves, that he’ll have to take it off, slip it back onto his necklace, back onto his neck, his heart breaking as he does.
But it looks beautiful on Harry’s hand.
Harry pulls Draco to him, kissing him. “Don’t think about it love, please,”
Draco nods. He can do that; he can do what Harry asks of him.
He’ll wait too, until they don’t have to think about it.