The Snake Among Lions

Chapter XX-It Was Time to Start a New Adventure

"Damn it, Harry!" Draco was very upset as he walked into his husband's hospital room. "This is the third time you've been here with work-related injuries! You promised me you'd be more careful! And you requested I not be your healer this time?"

"I didn't want to worry you, Draco." Harry looked like a scolded child. "I'm ok."

"You are most definitely not ok. Lavender Brown, of all the healers here, had to tell me what happened! You're lucky I don't curse you myself." Suddenly Draco's demeanor changed. "I can't keep doing this." It came out as a whisper.

"What does that mean, Draco?" Harry began to imagine the worst.

"I can't sit here every day wondering whether or not you'll come home. Every time you leave, I'm terrified that it'll be the last time I see you. I age a decade every time I hear you've been brought here. I can't bear the thought of losing you." Draco was near tears.

"What do you want from me? I'm head Auror. This is part of my job. I'm careful enough not to risk my life. I would never leave you like that, Draco. Never. You are the world to me. You are the reason I push through all this SHIT. So I can come home to our life together."

"Leave." Harry gasped, misunderstanding the healer. "Quit the Aurors. Take some boring desk job, go back to Hogwarts, be one of those people who make up excuses to muggles about magic, I don't care. But I need to know I'll see you again, and not while you are crippled in a hospital bed."

"Draco, I don't need to quit. They want to let me go." Harry's voice was low. Draco's head snapped up in surprise. "Lavender didn't tell how bad today was, did she?" Draco shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. "The didn't just use the Cruciatus curse on me. They threw in a few other dark curses, including one that snapped my leg clean off. I didn't know how to tell you, that's why I requested someone different. I broke my promise about being careful, and there's nothing they can do to fix me since it was blasted off." Harry had also begun to feel tears streaming down his face.

"What do you mean, other curses? What else did they do, Harry?" Draco was scared of the answer. All Harry did in response was to lift his shirt, revealing the new scars beneath, knowing Draco would understand.

"No more raids. No more hospital visits. No more worrying you're dead. No more Aurors. Please, Harry, please. I'm begging you. Begging for the second time ever in my whole life. I don't want to see you die." The tears streaming down his face grew.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I'm not leaving you. I could never lose you. We will figure something out. I promise you'll have what you deserve." Harry and Draco held on desperately to each other.

Later on, Sirius and Remus joined the boys at St. Mungo's.

"Merlin, Harry. Remus and I aren't ready to lose a son. You should have been more careful."

"I know, Padfoot. But I'm done. I told Draco he wouldn't have to worry about me on the job anymore. I owled in my letter of resignation to Kingsley. I just don't know what to do now. I've been fighting since I was 11. It's all I know." Harry sighed.

"Well, you know, your favorite co-DADA teacher are retiring. They'll need our replacement. And I'm sure Headmistress will have a position for him too if he wanted it." Remus grinned at Harry.

"I'll ask her right away."
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"Draco, guess what?"

"You've learned how not to be a reckless Gryffindor?" Draco shot back.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. No, I was going to say I found a solution to the no Auror thing. Hogwarts needs a new Defence teacher. I'm more than qualified. I've already been accepted to the position." Harry was beaming.

"So, if you leave, when will I be able to see you?" Draco tried not to let the disappointment show in his voice.

"That's the best part. You can see me anytime you want. Pomfrey is finally retiring. Hogwarts needs a new healer. And now you'll be the first to know if I'm hurt." Harry was practically bouncing at the prospect.

"Really? Then yes I'll do it."

September first saw Draco and Harry boarding the train once again but as husbands. It was time to start a new adventure.