The game and love

63

Harry packed his suitcase lazily. He fought sleep. It was five in the morning and he and his husband had to catch a flight back home to fresno. Harry fought another yawn and zipped his suitcase closed. He looked around and felt as though he'd definitely forgotten something. Draco came from the bathroom back into the bedroom and hugged Harry from behind.

"Don't worry, It's only for five days." Draco said, Kissing Harry's neck. "Besides that, we'll be staying at your dad's. You won't need much, promise." Draco kissed his temple and held him for a few seconds before moving to his own luggage, which Harry had insisted that he pack for Draco.

They both picked up their suitcases and headed out toward the door, where their son Lucius waited for them. He was half slumped over and forcing his eyes to stay open. He yawned hard and that made Harry yawn again too.

"Lucius, be good, we'll be back in 5 days." Draco said in a stern tone. Lucius got up, he was fifteen now, nearly as tall as his dad with the same features, but a little less muscle. He hugged Harry.

"Bye Papa." He groaned and then pulled away when Harry placed a kiss on his cheek. "Gah! That's gross Pop, why do you do that?" Harry smiled evily.

"Because you hate it." Harry chuckled and pulled him in for another hug. "If you need anything, Eric's mom will be staying with him. You have both our numbers if it's an emergency." Lucius nodded and then slid from Harry's grasp over to his father.

"I'll see you soon son." Draco said directly. He always hated awkward emotional sitiuations. He assumed part of that was how his dad had raised him, Lucius went in for a light hug and was not disappointed by the return. Draco didn't normally do hugs much either with Lucius, but Draco knew that Harry had always done enough of that for them both.

Before anymore awkward moments could be shared, a knock came at the door. Harry answered it. He nodded to the man in the doorway to come in. Ron looked just as tired as they all did, he also had an overstuffed suitcase in toe. He nodded a good morning to Lucius, who nodded a good morning back before yawning again.

"Are we ready?" Ron said after a few moments of silence. Both men nodded. Ron looked at Harry's suitcase. "Can I help you with that mate? Looks pretty heavy." Harry nodded, not realizing how heavy the case was until Ron had said something. Ron imeadiately took the case and all three men began to walk out to his SUV.

"No parties." Draco hissed to his son before closing the door part way, then adding, "I love you son." Closing the door the rest of the way not looking for a response.

The trio of men rode in relative silence to the airport. Ron was driving, so both Harry and Draco took the time to catch up on sleep. Ron however, made sure to jerk the car just as he thought they might fall asleep, delighting himself in their agonized groans.

"It's the traffic." He smiled devilishly into the rearview mirror and Draco sneered at him.

"I'll repay this act weasel." Draco's eyes were playful. He heard Harry laugh against his shoulder.

"He called you weasel." Harry chuckled again. Draco smiled and somewhat blushed.

"Is that a turn on?" Draco asked, raising his eyebrows and catching Ron's eyes in the mirror.

"It can be." Harry teased.

"Alright, alright, not in my truck you homos, gawd." Ron snapped, shaking his head. He laughed when he heard their laughs from the back seat. They soon parked and were loaded directly onto Draco's private jet with the engine running and a pilot already onboard ready for takeoff. This was one of the massively disgusting uses for his money, but Draco didn't like flying commercial. Harry sat in a window seat where Draco liked to sit in the middle of the plane. Ron then took the seat directly across from theirs next to the aisle.

"So who do you think will all be there?" Ron asked Draco once they were seated.

"Don't know, really didn't know enough about Snape to tell who was important to him." Draco confessed as he sat back in his seat. "Come to think of it, do you think he has any family?" Draco was just asking the silence, but Ron answered anyway.

"Don't know." He said, confusion in his eyes. Draco nodded. "I hope some of the old gang turns out though." Ron added cheerfuly. "It'd be great to see Crabbe and Goyle again." Draco laughed.

"Yeah, those guys were great." Draco went through all the things he could remember of their time together. The three spent the rest of the flight sleeping or thinking about the old times. Harry had his journal in his lap. It's pages were old and torn in places, it's green cover still glowed with emerald fierocity. Harry held it, he was coming full circle. He would have to finish his story, connect the path that had started all those years ago when he had originally wrote in it. He drifted off to the hum of the plane engine, a gentle smile on his lips.

Draco couldn't believe everyone that was here as they entered the church sanctuary. He never knew how many people must have cared about coach Snape. He had gotten the news from his mother about Snape's death in his office, he wasn't surprised in the least when he heard that, in fact, he had nearly laughed. He saw all of the people who were talking to eachother and sharing stories, he felt warm. He always wanted to come back and thank Snape for always being there when he needed advice, for teaching him how to be a good person, most of all, he wanted to thank him for his football career.

Draco felt a bitter guilt about not ever coming to see him, even when he had come back to live with his mom for two months back when Harry and he had broken up. He held up one of his superbowl rings, it was a replica, not an actual ring, he had planned to give it to the man in person. He clinched it in his fist as Harry pulled him by the hand so they could be seated. Draco was entirely numb. He seemed unable to focus on the service as the pastor spoke, he found himself unable to stop the memories that he had lived with Snape. Tears fell down his face as he sat. He felt Harry take his hand, but he couldn't hear his voice.

Harry comforted Draco, he knew how much the man who's casket laid in front of them meant to him. They hadn't talked about him at all since college really, but Harry could tell from the way Draco was breaking that the man had left a mark deep on his heart. Some people behind them seemed to whisper, Harry figured it was because they recognized him or Draco. They were famous after all, he just hoped no one bothered them once this was over.

It was about a half-hour before the pastor stopped his service and asked if anyone would like to speak. Harry watched Draco rise from his seat as if drawn to the podium. Harry watched as Draco walked solemnly up and ran his hand along the casket before stepping up and speaking.

"You'll have to forgive me, I didn't prepare a speech." Draco sniffed and wiped his eyes with a kleenex. "Coach would be disappointed in that." Draco gave a nervous laugh and a few chuckles ran through the crowd. Even Harry smiled. "I guess, I really wanted to say how much he meant to me. As a man, not a coach, or a teacher." Draco sniffed again. Harry fidgeted. "My sophmore year, he said, kid, you have talent, more than you know. I can bring it out of you if you trust me." Draco wiped his eyes. "I never regreted it for a single minute, not once. Trusting you was the best thing I ever did, wether it was about life, my dad getting sick with cancer, my relationships. You were always the one I could count on. You were the one I called at three in the morning when my dad had almost driven me to want to die." Draco's fist clinched painfully onto the ring. "I can't have been easy to understand that night, but you were so patient, you probably saved my life and never knew." Draco looked at the casket, it was closed, but he visualized Snape. "I loved you like a father and you never knew it, I'm sorry."

Draco walked from the podium back to Harry. He was holding everything in until Harry's arms reached around him and hugged him tightly. He let his tears go, his body shook, his face was dark red as it rested against his husband's shoulder. He wheezed, but was otherwise quiet. Harry soothed him gently.

Harry and Draco caught up with Ron after the funeral when food was served. Ron, mouth stuffed, attempted to direct them to a small group of people. Draco smiled a big toothy grin. Harry clinged closely to Draco's side as they approached the group of people. Draco's free arm shot around Oliver Wood's shoulders. "Wood, Weasely, Crabbe, Goyle." He nodded to each man curtly. Crabbe had Pansy on his arm, Harry tried to avoid her eyes, he had never understood, or been particularly friendly with her. He sort of felt guilty, considering that she had given them a son. He still couldn't look at her comfortably.

"Anyway, we have some fun planned at the old football field Drake." Goyle said, "You should come along." He nodded to Harry and then turned and started to walk away to another part of the room. Draco looked at Harry and they both shrugged. Harry stayed a Draco's side, silent and not comfortable, he hated large gatherings, but he would suffer for Draco. Draco was chating with a former teacher of his when a young woman approached him and tapped his shoulder. He turned a smiled at her. Harry cautiously looked her over.

"Hi, you must be Draco, I am Maggie Snape, coach snape was my dad." She was short a bit fat, but not unpleasant looking, she definitely carried his nose and eyes. Draco took her hand.

"I didn't know he had a daughter, it's nice to meet you." Draco said softly, squeezing Harry's hand.

"I wanted to thank you for your speech, it was nice to hear about him. He never knew I existed." Maggie said, "I just wanted this service so I could learn about him. I guess my mother and him didn't get along very well." She looked like she wanted to stop talking. Draco dug into his pocket.

"Listen Maggie, I wanted to give your dad this ring, but I never got the chance to. I want you to have it." Draco smiled at her and she took the ring.

"Thank you." She said, giving him a one armed hug. "I'm sure he knew how you felt about him. He kept a picture of you and him on his coffee table." She searched her feet for a moment. "I could make a copy of it for you." She looked up into his eyes. "As a thank you." She said finally.

"That would be nice, thank you." Said Draco gently, seeking to avoid tears.

Eventually things died down and Ron, Harry and Draco, decided it was time to go check out this thing that Goyle had boasted about. Ron drove Draco's old car. It was horribly dirty and the engine sputtered violently as they drove the 3 miles to the field. Ron got out first after shutting the car off and Draco caught Harry in the back seat. He kissed Harry deepily.

"What was that for?" Harry asked a little surprised.

"For being here with me." Draco said softly, running his hand along Harry's cheek. Draco snapped himself out of the moment and got out of the car first, then turned to help Harry out.

"Wait a second," Harry suddenly hissed as he leaned down into the car and picked up his green journal. Draco rolled his eyes.

"You've been carrying that thing all over the place since we landed two days ago. Why's it so important?" Draco complained as he resumed helping Harry from the car. They walked to the field from the parking lot, Harry was amazed at how familiar this all felt to him as they approached the entrance to the bleachers.

"Listen, I have to finish the last page Drake, this is it." Harry said excited.

"What is it?" Draco said, more annoyed.

"Where I finish my story with you, it's gone full circle. Listen, I'll explain later." Harry said as he took his journal and left Draco standing, watching his husband as if he were seventeen again. He smiled and shook his head. He jogged toward the whoops and hollars of his former teamates. He felt young again.

Harry sat and wrote, he always wrote in pencil and then traced in pen, he was a journalist, he had documented his amazing life with Draco, every major event. He wrote and erased and wrote again.

'If people knew the circumstances that I came to know Draco Malfoy, they may not believe it, because I don't believe it myself. I write this now, watching him as a did then, with endearment. My eyes may have worsened over the years, but Draco has never stopped setting my soul on fire. I don't think he ever will.'

Harry never felt completely comfortable with anything he had written, but mostly always decided that he could do no better than the words currently written. When he snapped the book shut, he jogged out onto the field where his friends were playing a friendly scrimmage.

"Mind if I join you guys?" Harry asked as the offensed huddled up. Ron looked up and grinned.

"Get your ass in here Potter." George Weasely said. He did as instructed and listened to Draco's calls in the huddle. He wanted to remember this time, so much had passed between them all, but this, on the field, it would always be a part of them. Harry smiled as he lined up.

A few hours after the game, Harry had managed to pull Draco away from the boys to go home. He was handsomely drunk and slumped against Harry's shoulder as they walked up the steps to his dad's house. Harry knocked lightly and Sirus had answered the door.

"Sorry to be so late uncle Sirius." Harry said in a whisper. "We need to get to bed." His eyes motioned to Draco. Sirius, despite his age of 67 didn't look frail or old, he still seemed pretty rugged. Sirius instantly swung Draco's arm around his shoulders and relieved Harry of the man's weight as they walked to his room.

"Come on, Draco, you woman." Sirius groaned as he laid the man on the bed. "Have a good night sleep Harry." Sirius nodded and closed the bedroom door as he left. Harry got undressed with everything except his boxers. He slumped into bed and felt Draco roll on top of him.

"I love you." Draco slurred.

"You're drunk." Harry said smiling and pinching the man's hair through his fingers.

"That doesn't mean I don't love you." Draco said, obviously hurt by the rejection of his words.

"I know sweetie." Harry said, kissing Draco's temple as the man's head rested against his shoulder.

Harry thought they would fall asleep, but after a few minutes of complete quiet he was shocked when Draco moved.

"You know what we haven't done?" Draco looked in Harry's eyes as he pushed himself up to prop up on one arm.

Harry looked over at him. "What?" Harry was truly curious.

"We've never fucked in your room Harry, this whole time we've been together." Draco smiled mischieviously. He drew Harry's bangs out of his eyes and kissed him, deep and passionately. Harry returned the kiss, then realizing what Draco meant to do, he stopped.

"But, my dad is here, he'll hear us." Harry said blushing a deep shade of red.

"That's what makes it so hot." Draco whispered in his husband's ear and then started to bite his ear lightly. Harry moaned. Draco stopped and put his finger to Harry's lips.

"Shhhh, I'm just trying to have sex with you." Draco smiled and then returned to what he was doing. Harry got lost, it had felt as if this were their first time, He let out his breath and then let his soul burn up and light up the night sky.

The End.
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A/N: So our story ends here. Or does it? You see, a happy reviewer told me that it would be a good idea to post the journal's contents in a one-shot story, so though this one is over, I still have a little more to give it. I would like to thank you my faithful readers over these last two years. So many things happened to me, sometimes not so good, it was nice to have people enjoy my work as much as they did. I would love to hear more so please review and tell me if I left you satisfied.

Look forward to 'The journal' coming soon.