What's in a memory?

Chapter Twenty-Three

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"Ow!" 

"That didn't hurt!"

"Ever been thrown by you before?" Draco's voice was bitter. 

Followed by Harry's oh-so-helpful: "Move faster and it might help if you ducked."

Harry found himself in his newly-discovered home gym. One of the older, spare rooms had been magically converted into an open space, supplied with the latest workout equipment and an alarming amount of crash and tatami mats. Music was blaring from the sound system as Harry rhythmically ducked from Draco's onslaught. Harry was a better fighter; well muscled and physically at the peak of fitness even with his regressed mind's knowledge disadvantage. His body moved swiftly, cleanly sweeping around the room, as easy as breathing. Harry was amazed by his newfound movements, he moved artistically, quickly, delicately, in a way that had previously been rough, sluggish, and untalented.  Harry was transfixed by his abilities as he launched forward again; this time Draco ducked as he advanced. Draco side-stepped, hands held high to his chin as Harry swung forward with his fist. Draco's strength was his speed, he merely moved out of the way again. And as Harry rounded on Draco again, He pulled out his secret weapon.

"Jesus Draco. You're not supposed to hex!" Harry swore. 

"My rules." Draco crowed happily, adjusting his stance.

"Which one of us is in training?" Harry snapped.

"Neither. Technically."  He hummed, mercilessly. 

Harry groaned, doubled over as he buckled under Draco's next flurry of hexes, and collapsed onto the floor. 

"Ha. Move faster, Deerheart." Draco beamed straddling Harry's exhausted body.  "Where's that famous shield Malfoy-Potter?" 

"No fair. No magic." Harry protested trying to buck his fighting partner off him.

"Bad guys use both Malfoy-Potter. You went running this morning with madmen after you, may I remind you?" 

"Fucks sake Dray, that really bloody hurts."

"And your point is? Ow. Harry. get off." Draco complained as Harry used his upper body strength to flip them over and swap their positions. 

"Thought you played dirty?" Harry grinned down at him, shaking his damp, shaggy hair from his eyes.

"No pins for longer than the count of three." The slytherin spat up at him grumpily. 

"Hmm, is that so? Thought you liked being pinned by me." Harry grinned confidently in his superior position.

Leveraging them over in a complicated move, Draco now sat astride his husband, smirking "No Deerheart, you like getting pinned by me."

Harry moaned inadvertently, as Draco ghosted a kiss across his lips, pressing firmly down on his groin at the same time.

"Ready to go again?" Draco elegantly swung his legs over and away until he stood looking down at Harry. 

Harry swore at the double entendre under his breath. 

"Sneaky, Slytherin Bastard."

"Oh Absolutely you gullible Griffindor, now Get up! or I'll introduce you to a particular hex I know you'd find utterly delightful.."

"Okay! I'm up already" Harry yelled flipping himself upright in a fair imitation of his normal acrobatic maneuverability, truly alarmed at the speculative cast of his husband's eyes; aware that Dray was still holding a grudge from earlier ( for some baffling reason as far as Harry was concerned).

They continued to spar, and in Draco's case, throw some slowing charms, stinging spells, and the odd nasty hex in for good measure to reinforce his message of wariness and keep his husband on his preverbal toes.

"Godric Dray. I swear that is an illegal hex." Harry yelped, rubbing his thigh where it had broken through his shield.

"Can't prove it was me. And who did you think taught it to me?"

After a brief respite; where Harry had sat silently on the tatami mat examining the burn holes in various parts of his running clothes from some of Draco's more evil Hexes, whilst draining the water bottle that Draco (ever the healer) considerately provided for him and Draco lounged against the wall, watching on, looking effortlessly poised and unruffled until he called out time to end the rest period. 

"Shield's up Malfoy-Potter."

"This is why you took my wand away, you're a sadistic bastard, aren't you Malfoy?" Harry asked, forcing his aching body into a fighting stance once more and drawing his frenetic magic under his control to form a shield.

"Ah-Ah-Ah, Malfoy-Potter." Draco reminded, irritatingly.

"You're a git."

"And yet I have the wands. See, how that works?"

"Hate you." Harry bemoaned.

"And I love you." he chirped cheerily, "I think on that note, it's time for some suicides, don't you, Harry?" Draco added flinging a well-timed stinging hex at his husband's shields.

"Godric, you really are sadistic." Harry gritted out, dodging the hex. Swiftly dragging himself towards the suicide marks, as Draco reclined back comfortably, casting a tempus timer, with a smirk.

"Off you go!"

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Once Harry's skin had finally stopped glittering with magic and was instead glistening with sweat, and an exhausted air had taken over Harry's movements, Draco mercifully brought the 'exercise' session to a close.

"I think that's enough." Draco hummed happily, watching as Harry collapsed on the mats without enough energy to even summon up a simple Aguamenti to refill his bottle. 

"Now, it's time for that little chat."

Harry groaned in defeat, head low. "You are pure evil," he muttered into his hands.

"And don't you forget it," Draco replied loftily.

"Do we have to talk now? I need a shower. I smell worse than Trainer Guilver and I'm completely shattered, and I'm so hungry, I can't even think straight. "

Draco, negligently, cast a freshening charm over him, summoning a protein bar and an Aguamenti into his water bottle. "There, that will suffice. And I think you'll find this is the perfect time to talk. Especially as you can't apparate or run away, as would be your normal habit."

Harry groaned louder, as he heard the soft click of a locking charm echoing Draco's words."Perfect."

"Now, are you comfortable?"

Harry glared at him from his heap of limbs in the centre of the room. "What do you think?"

"Well," Draco continued on, "Following this little demonstration-" Draco waved airily around the magically enlarged room. "I think it's time we talked about this 'little problem' you have, with controlling your magic."

If possible, Harry groaned louder, "I don't have a problem."

"It took one run, and two hours of high-intensity cardio workout to regain control of your blasted magic this morning. You don't see that as a problem?"

"No." He muttered sullenly. 

"This does cast a new light on the difficulties you have had in the past-"

"What difficulties-?" Harry Interrupted, midchew of his choco-protein bar. 

"-When resting up from an injury. Or, when being punished with desk duty." Draco determinedly carried on.

"They put me on desk duty? I get punished?" Spluttered Harry.

"Yes, Harry. You're impetuous, remember? Occasionally, that puts you and others around you at risk. Sometimes, quite spectacularly. Then there's your bloody saviour complex-"

"I don't have-!"

"Don't even get me started, on your bloody saviour complex, Harry." Draco stated holding up his hand 

"If I had my wand...." Harry growled from the floor.

"And THAT is exactly why you don't. Because I'm not risking it. I know you, Harry, we've had quite enough duels already, particularly during one of your temper tantrums."

"Temper tantrums?" Shrieked Harry, "You make it sound like I'm five!"

"Hmm, no. Sometimes you're barely even that if Robard's has been particularly picky over one of your little 'antics' in the field. "

"Why did I ever marry you?" he grumbled plaintively.

"Because as we've already discussed, you're impetuous," He grinned, "And you asked. And I foolishly said yes." He added as an afterthought.

Harry huffed loudly.

"And because I love you, and you- you prat- love me too." Then added with a regal air, "Naturally."

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Once Harry regained enough energy to stand up, his magic still contained, thrumming quietly below the surface, he came over to Draco and gave him a shoulder nudge.

"you planning on keeping me locked up here all day Dray? Even if I apologise for worrying you?"

"-And for going foolishly running alone without adequate protection?" Draco enquired looking sideways at his slightly shorter husband.

Harry sighed ruefully, "And for that too. I'm sorry."

Draco tapped his long fingers against his mouth thoughtfully before turning to face him.

"So, just to clarify, you run, exercise ~ compulsively, even drag our son on five-mile daily runs because it helps control your excess magic."

"Er, yes?" Harry squirmed unable to meet his husband's eyes.

"Now the healer in me is intrigued, as to why you never mentioned this."

"You never asked." Harry pointed out slightly defensively.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Obviously, because most patients don't experience such adverse side effects to their natural ability. Nor have such quantities of magic, wherein they need to find alternative measures to control said magic."

"But during our many, lengthy consultations, first just as your healer then later as your boyfriend, you neglected to EVER mention this oddity of yours. And judging by Hermione's reaction I am not alone in this category. Hell, I bet the Weasle never knew either, which begs the question, darling," Harry winced visibly at the obviously targeted endearment, "Does anybody know about this little 'quirk' of yours, except possibly the bad guys?"

Harry's face was blush red. "Er..."

"No. No no no." He tutted, "I want you to sit for a moment with that thought, Harry."

"And whilst you do that, I also want you to remember that as a healer, I'm fascinated by this insight. But AS YOUR HUSBAND, I am horrified, nay, dumbstruck that my own life partner and co-parent, who promised 'NO SECRETS', five years ago," Using air quotes to emphasize his point as Harry flinched, "and has 'I must not tell lies' literately carved into his own hand, would keep something as monumental as this, from ME. " Harry unconsciously flexed his hand, as Draco continued in his steely tone:

"Harry. James. Malfoy-Potter. I cannot ask you why you did this, because the man who made that promise, or the decision to keep silent about it, is not in this room, right now." Holding his hand up to stop Harry's rebuttal, "But, trust me I'm going to work twice as hard to get your memory back, and when I do, he will have A LOT of explaining to do."

Harry face-planted. The mere thought of what his other self faced, upon his return, due to his inadvertent admission, made him cringe.

"Now, let's leave that unsavoury topic behind us. I forgive you for continuing that selfish git's behaviour." Draco's manner transformed in one of his mercurial changes that had Harry reeling, his voice still serious, but no longer life-threatening in his estimation,  "But I need you to promise me, that until your memory resurfaces, you will not go running outside this house. As I have shown you," splaying his hands widely and gesturing to the space, "I can provide you with an ample workout every. single. day. and I intend to do so." He finished with a wicked grin, flicking one of the scorch marks in Harry's top. 

"Like this?" Harry whimpered, softly. Thinking only of his agonized limbs and strained muscles. Maybe of his clothes too. Looking down mournfully at his running gear.

"To keep you safe." Draco's grin grew.

"I thought you said you forgave me?" Harry said plaintively. "who's keeping me safe from you?"

Heedless of the last question, Draco answered the first, "Oh, I do forgive you Deerheart. That's why I want to give you this."

From the pocket of his robes, Draco withdrew a small velvet box and knelt before Harry on one knee, proferring him the box.

"I was going to wait. But I think, after this morning, I want to give you this back."

"I wondered whether I had a ring too, " He remarked, unnecessarily. 

"I was keeping it safe. Now give me your hand." Ouch. "Nicely," He instructed sharply and this time Harry gently presented his left hand which Draco accepted in both of his, "Thank you."

"Gods, Draco, you're not proposing, are you?" Harry asked, astounded.

"No. You irritating bastard." He answered lovingly teasing, then more serious: "But I do love you and I didn't get to do it the first time around. And this will not be put on your finger, in your clumsy oafish manner. But will be returned with the love and reverence with which it was first placed."

Harry still looked wary. 

"Don't you trust me, Potter? It's as if you think I might curse you or something. It's just a ring."

Draco leaned forward and caught Harry's left hand with his gently, unfurling his dark, work-roughened fingers with his elegant pale ones. Looking up he made firm eye contact, with this younger version of his husband, emotion-filled smoky grey meeting wide-eyed emerald, "With all my love, Harry." he whispered slipping the beautiful wedding band onto Harry's finger solemnly. Unbidden, tears misted his eyes as he did so. 

"Wow." Harry whisper-gasped, reeling slightly, feeling the weight of the ring placed on his fourth finger. He stared at the inlaid smoky diamond the exact colour of his husband's eyes right now and felt overcome. He drew in a sharp breath as he felt an unexpected magic wash over him and sweep through him. Before comfortably settling deep in his bones that felt somehow familiar and safe.

Loved.

He choked down a few tears which he would deny to anyone but Draco. 

"Oh, Dray." He leaned his forehead against his husband's, as he stood, the silky hair tickling at his brow. "I've missed you."

Draco was overcome with emotion and pushed forward for a kiss. 

The return kiss startled him in that it was all Harry. Unlike the recent kisses they'd shared, where Harry had always held himself back, this time was full force. Draco moaned into the kiss, as Harry encased him in his warm embrace. His skilled tongue darted within and met with his. Draco was lost. Harry was so talented at this, knowing all his weaknesses' it was almost like-

Draco's eyes flew open. 

"You're....you," he said startled, leaning against Harry's stubbled chin. 

"Mmhmm," Harry answered, equally as articulate as he kissed along his husband's jawline delicately, "No Polyjuice, no Disillusionment, just your plain old husband I'm afraid, sorry to disappoint."

"No never," Swore Draco fervently "Missed you," he babbled, into his husband's touch, "So so much."

Harry pulled away a fraction to look at his emotional husband, not unused to Draco's sensitivity to his absences, confused at what he saw he pulled him in close, "hey, Hey - Dray I'm here; I'm sorry for whatever I did".

Harry's lips recaptured Draco's, in a fierce impassioned kiss. Tongues and lips battling for dominance and neither caring about winning, just partaking. And taking. 

Taking. 

Harry maneuvered them swiftly, lifting Draco easily off the floor and into his arms until they hit the far wall, where he braced Dray. Wrapping his long legs on either side of his waist as he held onto Harry's strong, muscular arms.

Merlin.

Harry's skilled tongue sucked bruising kisses onto his delicate throat, pausing to pay particular attention to one delicious spot that made Draco moan and buck against his stomach. 

"I've got you," Harry breathed, trailing his kisses up and down tantalizingly, traversing Draco's neck, and skimming lower. As far as his robes allowed. Draco keened desperately against his husband's lips.

"I thought you-," Draco moaned, as Harry's free hand snuck underneath his robes and began exploring the exposed flesh there, "-Needed. Oh sweet Morgana, I thought you wanted-" as Harry continued his mission in stealing all of Draco's breath. "to eat and shower."

"It can wait," Harry growled.

"Yes," Draco breathed, as Harry's seeking hands reached their intended destination beneath his clothes, "I suppose it can," he murmured in agreement.

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