Draco grabbed the Aevumiter book, and sat down to read it while he waited for Harry and Sirius to finish talking. It was difficult to read with his thoughts so disorganized. He could hear Hermione and the Weasley boys complaining to Lupin and Mrs. Weasley about Umbridge.

Draco had chosen Harry. Harry's magic had chosen him. But what about Harry himself? What if Harry would be... Upset? Disappointed?

Draco had thought that his memories were simply due to his proximity to Harry. He wouldn't have ever thought that it was because Harry's magic had tied them together. Draco didn't know if he believed in soulmates. Did Harry?

Draco set the book down and walked over to a mirror. It was just a handheld size, the frame fancy and covered in dust. He blew it off, and looked into it. His eyes still looked the same. His face still looked like his own. His hair was a mess.

He combed his fingers through, trying to work out the tangles. He should take a shower soon. It might wash away the grime and sweat, but... It wouldn't ever wash away the scent of werewolf that marked what he was to others of his kind. His kind. It left a bad taste in his mouth just thinking it.

It was more than just a signal to other werewolves that he was one of them. Harry was his partner- and they would smell that too. Draco shuddered at the thought of Harry being harmed because of it.

What would his parents think? Would his father disown him? Would he try to hide his son's condition from the rest of the world? Would his mother still hold him? Would she look away in disgust?

Why did he still care what they thought?

No, he didn't care about what they thought. He didn't give a damn about his father. His father was an evil, greedy bastard to his core. But his mother was just trying to hold the 'family' together. In the end, she had chosen good. Even if it was only for him.

Would she choose the same again? Or would he lose both parents?

Was Harry even okay with Draco being a werewolf? So far it looked like Harry wasn't concerned, but... Maybe the truth hadn't sunk in yet. Maybe things would change. Maybe...

Draco pulled his shirt off and undid the bandages. The tooth mark wounds were closing, the new skin pale pink. The area felt like it was bruised when he touched it, but it didn't look it. It was foolish to think it wouldn't scar. Werewolf bites always scarred.

This time around it wasn't the Dark Mark branded on his forearm, but a werewolf bite on his shoulder. He would always be an outcast, no matter what time turning- travelling nonsense happened. He would always be pushed to darkness.

Harry was a light among all that darkness. Draco was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. He always had been. At first he tried to reach for it. He used to be angry about it. The brightness had hurt him, it had threatened the perfect world he knew. Harry had thrown his light around, illuminating all the untruths and wrongs, and it had hurt Draco. It left him confused. He panicked, and he retaliated in the only way he knew.

And then the hat had sent Harry to Slytherin. And Harry had been angry, but it wasn't at him. He hadn't been angry at Draco, he hadn't wanted to fight. He was just shining. It wasn't throwing it in Draco's face, he wasn't trying to use it against him.

When his hand was injured, he had let Draco tend to it without protest, without complaint, without wariness. He had let someone who had recently been his enemy tend to him with complete trust. Draco had been beyond baffled. He couldn't understand how he felt then, having that trust placed in him.

Harry was good for Draco. And Draco was terrified that he- and his darkness- would smother that beautiful light.

Draco redressed his wound on his own, and pulled the borrowed shirt back on. He picked up the Aevumiter book, and tried to read.

~~~

"Sirius-"

"When were you gonna tell me you snagged a boyfriend?" Sirius grinned as he shut the door behind them.

"I don't- I- I- I don't even know how you know-" Harry stumbled over the words. "Why are you grinning?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know- There are so many reasons! There are so many reasons, and I- He's a Malfoy, he's a he,"

Sirius snorted. "Only awful pureblood families and a few others really care about that." He said. "Remus and I were snogging back in sixth year."

"What?"

"Remus and I are together." Sirius said.

Harry's brain short circuited. Sirius laughed.

"You two-?"

"Yes." Sirius said. "Your boyfriend noticed this morning."

"This morning? How'd he notice?" Harry asked.

"Well, when a werewolf has a lover," Sirius started to explain, and Harry's face grew pinker at the word- "They leave their scent on them. It's the werewolf way, so that other werewolves know to stay away from them."

"So, Draco noticed that you smelled like Remus?" Harry asked.

"Yup." Sirius said.

"Then, Remus noticed that I smelled like Draco." Harry said.

"Hole in one." Sirius grinned.

"I don't know what's more embarrassing. Getting found out like that or being caught snogging." Harry said. "I'll have to ask Draco what he thinks."

"I'm sorry, caught snogging?"

"Yeah. Ron and Hermione walked in on us snogging, and the twins were right behind them." Harry said. "That's why the twins were laughing, in case you heard."

"Wow. That is..." Sirius was trying not to smile. "That's pretty embarrassing, yeah. I mean, I wouldn't be, but..."

"Draco was shirtless and we hadn't told anybody we were together." Harry said.

Sirius tried really hard not to laugh. And he failed. "That is very incriminating."

"Yeah, there was no convincing anyone they'd seen wrong."

"So you weren't trying to hide it from me?" Sirius asked, his tone light.

"No... We just... We haven't really talked about telling anyone yet." Harry said. "It was just us, and that was fine. We didn't really need everyone sticking their nose in our business any more than they already were."

"Yeah, that is fair. Remus and I didn't advertise, we still don't. Most of the Order just knows we're friends. Some of them might suspect, but..." Sirius trailed off.

"Who does know?" Harry asked.

"McGonagall, Dumbledore. A few people we don't talk to anymore." Sirius said. "We're rather proud that Snape has no idea about us. Even back in school."

"I wonder when he started learning ligilimency."

"He what?" Sirius asked. "Wait, is that what he tried to do while Alastor was-?"

"Yes. He was." Harry said. "I've been practicing occlumency for a while now, and I think my new magic just reinforced it. He didn't see anything."

"When you said 'throw it back' did you mean-"

"I looked to his memories, yes." Harry said. "It was a memory I saw before, when he was trying to teach me in original fifth year. I didn't want to see a second memory."

"What did you see?" Sirius asked curiously.

"The Marauders bullying him." Harry said. Sirius' face fell.

"Harry, I..."

"Sirius, I've had four years to think about that. It's okay, you don't need to explain." Harry said.

Sirius sighed. "I need to say something about it, though. We were wrong. I still don't like the man, but... We weren't right."

Harry nodded.

"Your boyfriend, right. That's what we came here to talk about." Sirius said. "So. Why him?"

Harry walked over to the sofa, and plopped down. Sirius sat next to him.

"In the original timeline, we ended up saving each others lives. We were on opposite sides- but we did it anyway. We weren't even friends then. After the war, we just... We didn't want to fight. We had more in common than we thought. With our studies for eighth year, we ended up spending more time with each other than we had before...

"And we got along fine. I... I actually liked spending time with him. Around him. He never expected me to be a certain way. I was just... Myself. It.. We..." Harry struggled to find the words. "We could just be ourselves, and we didn't... We just... Fit together? It was comfortable, the... Friendship that we had.

"And then when I traveled, it was like so many people had changed. But Draco... He hadn't changed as much? It was a bit different, but... The further into the year, the more he was acting like the eighth year Draco I had known. He was just... He accepted me for exactly who I was. He's made me feel comfortable, and I've... I've felt peaceful around him. Safe.

"It's always been hard for me to feel that. Comfortable, peaceful, safe... Happy." Harry said. "I'm a bit of an idiot when it comes to my feelings, but... Looking back, I think I might've been starting to fall in love with him in eighth year. This year... I have. I know I have."

Harry turned, and saw Sirius smiling.

"So, you're going to invite him over for Christmas, aren't you?" Sirius asked.

Harry laughed. The suddenness of it was so unexpected.

"Oh, and Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Does him being a werewolf bother you?" Sirius asked.

"No." Harry frowned. "Why would-?"

"Pro tip from a wizard who's lovers with a werewolf: Make sure he knows." Sirius said. "He's going to have doubts. You'll have to remind him now and again, when the fears start trying to grow."

~~~

Harry walked into the room he and Draco had been sharing with a smile on his face. Draco looked up from the book he was reading, and set it aside.

"I take it your talk with your godfather went well?" Draco asked.

"It did. He also gave me a bit of advice." Harry said, and walked over to Draco. He took each of Draco's hands into his own, and pulled them towards him so Draco would stand.

Draco raised a brow in a silent question.

"Draco... I'm not afraid or upset that you're a werewolf. It changes nothing about how I feel about you. For you." Harry said.

Draco let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He set his head on Harry's shoulder. "Not even a little bit?"

"No. I'm a little worried about what could happen, since a lot of people don't like werewolves. But I'm not scared of you. I still love you." Harry said.

It was the first time either of them had said the words. Draco's eyes started to water, just a bit.

"I love you too." Draco whispered.

Harry smiled. "Sirius wanted me to extend an invitation for Christmas."

"He wants me to come back?" Draco asked quietly.

"Yeah. I told you, you could, remember? What do you think?"

Draco nodded, standing straight. Harry took one hand and gently wiped away the moisture at the corner of Draco's eye.

"I'd like that." Draco said.

"So. I guess we have our Christmas plans figured out then." Harry said.

"Not quite." Draco said. "I have to decide if I'm going to return to school. It might not be a good idea, what with my new condition, but... Going to Malfoy Manor doesn't seem a viable option either."

"You can stay here. Early Christmas vacation." Harry said. "You don't have to, of course, it's up to you. But that is another option that you have."

"If I stayed here, what would you do?" Draco asked.

"I'd get our things from the dorm and come back too." Harry said. "It's not like I need to be there. Besides, I should be hunting the-"

"The horcruxes." Draco said.

Harry blinked.

"Harry, I need to tell you something." Draco said. "I remember."

"What?" Harry asked, his voice quiet.

"I've been getting my memories back. Or, you've been giving them to me, maybe. Your magic." Draco said. "Not all of the memories. Just ones we shared. I've been piecing together the middle bits."

Harry stared, his jaw gaping. His brows scrunched together.

"I remember Sectum Sempra. I remember breaking your nose. I remember when the snatchers caught you, and they wanted me to say it was you... When you saved me from the fire. I remember flying around on our broomsticks, just because we could. Hanging out in the Professor's lounge. I couldn't decide if I wanted to teach potions or replace Madam Pomfrey when she retired. I remember convincing you to go shopping with me. And-"

Harry wrapped him a suffocatingly tight embrace. Draco remembered. He remembered.

And he was still here.