Custody (REDRAFTED- NEW ONE IS POSTED)

Chapter Seventeen

Draco sat against the wall of the observatory. That’s what he liked to call it anyways. It was a tall structure, similar to the towers he loved at Hogwarts. He frowned, noticing something poking from the edge of his sleeve. Rolling his sleeve up, he noticed a bandage. Had he forgotten to take it off? Was he really that stressed out? No… Harry had… kissed his mark. How was there a bandage there? Slowly peeling the bandage off his skin, tears rushed to his eyes.

“Oh god…”

“Draco?” Harry slowly came through the door, walking slowly, trying not to scare him. Draco’s tail curled around himself protectively, causing Harry to pause.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Draco asked quietly, staring down at the scarred word that marred his skin.

Harry flinched and moved a little bit closer to him. When Draco didn’t flinch away, he lowered himself next to him. “I didn’t want to. I knew you wouldn’t react well.”

Draco blinked, stunned by his honesty. The room went silent. Harry touched his arm gently, tracing his fingertips over the word. “You were never a traitor to them.”

“What?” The blond looked at him, surprised and hurt. Did he really think he was still a Death Eater?

“You can’t be a traitor to something you didn’t agree to be in.” Harry smiled at him, how tracing his mark. “You’re not the only one that has scars.” He lifted his own hand, holding it out for Draco to see.

“I must not tell lies?” He read the words on Harry’s hand, giving him a confused look.

“Do you remember our fifth year?”

“How could I not. Umbitch and the Weasley Twins’ famous exit. And Father made me join the Inquisitorial Squad.” He made a face, tracing the words on the back of Harry’s hand the same way Harry did to his mark. He did it absentmindedly, staring out the window at the ocean.

“Well, you know how Umbridge always gave me detention?”

“Yes…..” His expression darkened as he turned to Harry. “She hurt you?”

“She had me write with something called a blood quill. I wrote this over and over until the message ‘had sunk in’.” He made a face. Draco frowned and wrapped an arm around Harry’s waist, pulling him close. Harry smiled and nuzzled closer, closing his eyes.

“I hated her. When she was going to use the cruciatus curse on you I….. I couldn’t do anything and it pissed me off. I knew that what you were doing, forming the Army, was the best thing to do. Sure, it was irresponsible and dangerous but it needed to happen. I know that even if I was allowed to join, you wouldn’t have let me.” He laughed. “I was the worst little shit, wasn’t I.”

“Yes you were. But I was a thickheaded git too.” He was still smiling as Draco ran his thumb across the knuckles of the hand the Slytherin was holding.

“Granger is clever, isn’t she.”

“Yes she is.” He opened his eyes, frowning at his glasses, They were crooked from burying his face in Draco’s shoulder so one of the lenses wasn’t even on his eye. Draco turned his head to look at him before bursting out laughing.

“Potter you adorable idiot.” He pulled away to straighten the black-haired boy’s glasses. A barely-there blush spread across Harry’s cheekbones as he smirked.

“You think I’m adorable.”

“And an idiot.”

Harry rolled his eyes and started laughing, shaking his head.

It took a little while for them to start laughing. They fell into a comfortable silence, sitting close to each other and watching the ocean.

“Are you going to have to listen to ‘Mione now?”

“No.” Draco said softly, resting his head back against the wall. “I’m going to listen to you.”

“What?”

“You’re so slow Potter. I want you to mark me. I don’t mind listening to you. I trust you. While I trust Granger, the book said that I get to choose my mate. I choose you.”

Hey everyone!
Thank you for your patience today with the trip. I should be able to keep updating but the location that I'm going might not have wifi which is incredibly disappointing.
Hopefully everything goes well.
If not, there is just going to be a huge amount of updates when I get back.

<3
-LuckyStuckyDucky