[Harry]

"Where's Draco?" Harry asked as he returned with Ron and Ginny with hot mugs.

"Bathroom, I think," Bill shrugged.

He was really starting to get worried when he hadn't shown up for another ten minutes. He thought he looked a little pale after lunch. Harry slipped quietly back into the house while the others were all bent over laughing at the gnome that was shrunk to the size of a thumb.

He dashed upstairs to the occupied loo and knocked.

"Draco? You in there?"

He heard a faint grunt.

"You okay?"

For a moment he heard nothing. Then he heard a sniffle.

"Draco?"

No reply.

"Can I come in?"

Still no reply.

"I- er, I'm coming in," he said to the door.

He opened it and found Draco fully dressed, sitting on the lavatory seat with his head in his hands, his hair disheveled, his green Weasley jumper tossed to the side.

Harry closed the door quickly, casting silencio and muffliato at the door. He knelt beside him.

"Draco? What's wrong?"

Draco didn't reply but lowered his fingers just a little. Harry saw that his eyes were bloodshot and swollen. He wasn't crying at the moment, but it certainly seemed like he did.

"What- what happened?"

Draco let his hands fall to his sides, dangling limply. He let out a shaky chuckle.

"Ron's right."

"What?"

"He's right. The day of the war, right after you saved me... he's right. I am a two-faced bastard."

"You're not!" Harry enveloped him into a tight hug. Draco tried to struggle out of it but was too weak at the moment.

"Yes, I am. And a crappy one. I'm no Severus Snape, I didn't save anybody, I wasn't secretly protecting anyone all along."

"You were sixteen!"

"Well, age's not an excuse, is it? Look what you did when you were eleven. I couldn't even wiggle my way out of stupid family decisions."

"Draco," Harry said firmly, gripping his shoulders. "Look at me. You were trying to save your family. You were protecting them, you, a sixteen-year-old, keeping your parents safe. That's the most incredible thing any sixteen-year-old has ever done."

"But it was wrong, Harry. It was wrong. I didn't stand up to my family as your godfather did. I went on with the stupid plan. I tried to save my own life by claiming to be on either side. If I had just done something, Harry. Fred might still be here. Bill probably wouldn't have all these scars. I'm a coward, Harry. I'm a two-faced coward."

"Draco," Harry pleaded. He was starting to get desperate. "Please listen to me. You did what you had to do. We both know you're innocent, and no man died on your hands."

"It's my fault," he said as if he hadn't heard him. "They shouldn't be nice to me. This- this," he picked up the Weasley jumper. "This shouldn't exist in my hands. Not after what I've done."

"Voldemort would have killed you-"

"Then I should've been killed!" he roared, standing up abruptly. "I should've died defending the good!"

"Draco," Harry said shakily, "Please... please don't say that."

"It's the truth. It should've been me. Not Fred, not your godfather, not Lupin, not my cousin. Me."

"No." Harry gripped the front of his shirt. "You're just as every bit worthy and kind as them, Draco. You deserve it, and you know it. We went through war, Draco. You can't compare that to everyday life." Harry planted a wet kiss on his chin. "You're one of the kindest-" another kiss. "Strongest-" another. "Beautiful person," Harry drew a trembling breath. "That- that I love."

His voice finally cracked at the last word and tears began streaming down his cheeks.

Draco's eyes widened and he stilled. "Harry- you- you-"

Harry closed his shaking arms around his waist and sniffled, looking up at him. His face was blurry even with glasses. "I love you, Draco."

Draco swallowed and streams of tears seeped out from his eyes. "I love you too, Harry," he whispered.

Their trembling lips met and they were kissing. This was Draco, the man he loved, and he was back, Draco was back...

There were limbs and fingers everywhere, it was messy and sloppy and wet but Harry didn't care, as long as Draco was in his arms...

They broke apart, both of them with tears still leaking steadily. Draco let out a watery laugh and dried off Harry's tears with the sleeve of his shirt.

"I love you so much."

There was a loud pounding from the door.

"Guys? Is everything all right?" Ron yelled, still pounding hard on the door.

"You've been in there for half an hour!" Ginny's voice shouted.

"We know you cast muffliato, Harry! I can hear the buzz in my ears!" came Hermione's voice.

"You better not be doing anything in there!" Ron roared. "I swear to Merlin, I'll throw up on both of you!"

Harry and Draco laughed shakily, still clutching each other. Harry undid the charms and yelled, "Everything's fine! We're not doing anything, Ron!"

"I wish I could believe you!" Ron yelled back.

"Stop interrupting couples, Ron!" Ginny hollered.

"Er- anyway, dinner's ready," came Hermione's sheepish voice. "You two can come down... sorry about that, I couldn't possibly hold back Ronald..."

They heard footsteps leave the bathroom door and it was silent again.

"Wanna go down to dinner?"

"In a minute," Draco replied, eyeing his own wrinkled shirt. "We need to clean up, our current states of appearances might just prove their points..."