Prologue

Harry stared at the advert, unable to tear his eyes from the man in the photo who stared back at him. The snake around his neck slithered and the man's lips quirked up on one side, forming an all too familiar smirk. Harry ran a finger along the man's arm and could have sworn the movement elicited a slight shiver. His cock was hard before he'd even had a chance to think about how insane it was. He folded the paper neatly and laid it on the wood table next to his teacup. He thought maybe it was time to finally replace Hedwig. Perhaps something exotic was exactly what he needed in his life.

Part 1

Harry had just finished dressing and was bounding down the stairs to the Floo when he heard it whoosh to life. Ron stepped out, a copy of the Daily Prophet clenched tightly in one hand. He took one look at Harry and sighed. "I'm too late, aren't I? You already know."

"Know what?" Harry asked innocently.

"You know damn well what." Ron eyed Harry's attire and shook his head. "I was hoping I'd get here in time to steal your paper before you saw it. You don't want to go down that road, mate. Do you?"

Harry pretended he didn't know what Ron was talking about. So what if he'd admitted to having a bit of a crush on Draco after the war? It was a lonely time for everyone, and Draco had ... well, he'd made an effort. He'd apologised for being such an arse. He'd thanked Harry for saving his life. He'd been ... civil. Right up until he'd disappeared off the face of the earth. There had been reports that he'd gone with his family to the mainland. Other rumours had run rampant for a while – that he'd had a passionate love affair with long-time friend Blaise Zabini and they'd run off to Greece together, or that he'd been pressured into marriage to some high-ranking French official's daughter, or that he'd vanished into Muggle London and become a high-paid rentboy. Harry chuckled to himself. That was the rumour that had made Harry realise he might have, possibly, maybe, been interested in more than civility from Draco Malfoy. Of course, by then it was too late. Draco had mysteriously vanished and Harry had been left with nothing but rumours to wank to every night. But now he was back, and from the looks of the photo, that last rumour might not have been too far off the mark. Harry wasn't in the mood to speculate. He wanted answers, and there was only one person who could give them to him.

"Want me to go with you?" Ron asked, sounding defeated.

Harry patted him on the shoulder, appreciative of his support, however reluctant. "No thanks. I think I can handle Malfoy," he answered, biting his lower lip as soon as the words handle and Malfoy drifted from his mouth to his brain. He glanced through the doorway to the kitchen where he could still see the Prophet lying on the table. He wondered if he should take it with him, if only to prove to himself he wasn't imagining things. Shaking his head, he decided against it.

Part 2

It didn't take long for Harry to find the small shop just off Diagon Alley. There wasn't a lot of turnaround in storefront property and this one had been vacant for quite some time. A melodic chime sang out as he pulled the door open. Harry had expected to see plush furnishings and sparkling glass cases; instead, there were stacks upon stacks of cages with their doors hanging wide open. Old newspapers were strewn across the floor from one edge of the wall to the other, and flittering overhead were tiny rainbow coloured birds, no larger than pocket watches, and butterflies larger than Harry's hand. As Harry stepped through the threshold into the chaos, a pair of small white furballs scurried between his legs as they raced around chasing a jingling ball. Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Hello," he called out when no one appeared to greet him.

"One moment!" The voice came from behind a wooden counter that lined the back of the small shop. Harry moved forward, careful to watch where he was stepping. When he peeked over the counter, he was torn between laughing and groaning. Draco was on his hands and knees, tweed covered arse high in the air, arms reaching beneath the counter, obviously trying to retrieve something that was just out of reach. Blond hair hung forward obscuring all facial features except a sharp jaw-line and long, pale neck.

"Need some help, there?" Harry asked good-naturedly.

Draco jumped at the sound of his voice, banging his head loudly on the top of the counter. Harry expected a thorough tongue thrashing – a glare at the very least. What he got was brilliant smile.

"Potter! Just the hero I need!" Draco said happily as he pushed himself back from the counter, sitting back on his haunches. "Well, come here. You won't be of any help to me over there." Draco waved his hands wildly, motioning for Harry to walk around the counter. When Harry did, Draco simply pointed. "It's Jasmine. She likes to play hide and seek, but she hasn't yet learnt that she's supposed to come out once she's been found."

Harry stared at Draco, trying to process his words. Actually, it wasn't really the words he was having trouble with, it was more the way Draco had said them. His smile had broadened, the corners of his lips tipping up on one side to give him the innocent quality of a child on Christmas morning. His eyes were wide and excited, full of life and laughter. It wasn't at all what Harry had remembered, and perhaps the last thing he'd ever expected.

"She'll stay in there all day if we let her, and if Bowie ventures under there by accident, she'll eat him for lunch and then we'll never be able to get her out." No sooner had the words left his mouth than one of the white furballs that had almost tripped Harry earlier scurried around the corner, dashing over Draco's legs to scuttle up his chest and sit on his shoulder.

Harry stared, his mouth hanging open until his lips finally managed to form a bemused smile. "That wouldn't, by chance, be Bowie, would it?"

Draco beamed up at him and patted the tiny white ferret on the head. "Bowie, this is Harry Potter. Potter, meet Bowie."

Harry kneeled down to pet the animal's pearly white coat. "I didn't know ferrets were exotic," he said, still flabbergasted by Draco's cheery disposition.

"Oh, most aren't, but Bowie here is special. Watch." Draco turned to the small animal and blew gently into his face. The ferret bristled, then shimmered like gold before turning the exact shade of blue as the shirt he was perched on. "He's a chameleon. They're incredibly rare and very magical. There are probably only twenty in the entire world." Draco turned back to Harry, looking very pleased with himself. "I have two." He nodded toward the top of the counter where another, slightly larger ferret stared down at them. "Ziggy is Bowie's mate. She'll be having a new litter any day now. Bowie's a bit nervous about it, I think. He hasn't been eating properly and he keeps running in circles like he's not quite sure what to do with himself. He always gets that way just before she delivers."

Harry stared. It seemed to be the only thing he knew how to do.

"What?" Draco asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Harry rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "And Jasmine?" Harry pointed under the counter. "What exactly is she?"

"Oh. Jasmine is a pain in the arse, but you'll like her. If she ever comes out." Draco peeked under the counter and frowned. "She can stay hidden for weeks when she wants. Once, when we were in Brazil... or wait, it might have been Thailand, I can't remember, but anyway, the bitch hid in my mattress. I thought she'd run away until one morning, weeks later, I felt the bed moving as she slithered out. I thought I was having some potion-induced nightmare until she curled up around my leg and tried to swallow my foot."

Harry felt his eyes widen and he started to speak, but Draco cut him off. "Oh, don't worry; she's not dangerous unless she hasn't eaten. She was just hungry at the time from hiding too long. Like I said, she hasn't learnt the rules of hide and seek, yet. She's only a baby."

"A snake?"

Draco nodded.

"The snake in the advert?"

For the first time since Harry had entered the shop, Draco looked unsure of himself. His cheeks flamed a beautiful rosy pink and he gnawed the corner of his lip before he spoke. "You saw it? That one wasn't supposed to come out until next week. I should have known better than to send them both in at the same time. Never trust the papers to get anything right. This week they were supposed to run the help wanted ad. Now I'll be stuck with an influx of customers without any help." Draco raised his chin, his smile morphing into a scowl before changing again to an evil smirk, similar to the one in the ad that Harry couldn't seem to stop thinking about. "But you're here, that's a good sign. Tell me Potter, would you be interested in saving my lovely arse one more time? For old times' sake, perhaps? I could really use some help around here. Just temporarily, of course. Until I could find someone else."

Harry blinked several times. Draco was talking so quickly Harry had trouble keeping up with him. "You're offering me a job?" he finally asked, not bothering to hide his surprise.

"Fabulous idea, Potter. If you can manage to get Jasmine out from under the counter, then consider the position yours." Draco scooted back from the counter and offered his place to Harry as if he was doing Harry an enormous favour. Two tiny birds landed on top of Harry's head and chirped loudly. Butterflies flittered around his shoulders. It was as if he'd fallen into some fairy-tale version of the Forbidden Forest. He felt something strange bubble up in his stomach – something he hadn't felt in a very long time. A thirst for adventure. The need to do something ridiculously crazy and perhaps even outlandish. The desire to laugh until his gut ached. Draco was watching him, a knowing grin on thin pink lips. A challenge. A dare. One that Harry knew he'd never be able to resist.

Part 3

Harry leaned forward, peering under the counter. Two beady eyes stared back at him. "Hello," he said. "You must be Jasmine."

"That depends entirely on who wants to know," the snake hissed back.

"Er ... my name's Harry. I'm a friend of your—" Harry wasn't sure how a snake would refer to their owner, and he didn't want to irritate her. "—of Draco's," he finally finished.

The snake waggled her head and gazed through the small space under the counter. "I don't normally care for his friends. They're usually too needy and have a distasteful smell. You smell nice, though. Like ginger."

Harry blushed, making a mental note to wear less cologne. "Will you come out, then? I think you have Draco a bit worried."

Jasmine edged forward, peeking her head out as she flicked her long forked tongue. She looked at Harry before her head swayed in Draco's direction. "Silly humans," she said. "That's most definitely not worry I smell."

Harry glanced back at Draco, whose grey eyes seemed unusually wide. He was leaning back against the wall, his knees drawn tightly up in front of him. He looked ... bewildered. At Harry's questioning look, he shook his head. "I didn't know you could still do that," he said quietly.

Oh. Harry wondered if it had brought back bad memories. If Draco had ever heard Voldemort speaking to Nagini. He wanted to ask, but didn't dare. "I won't if it bothers you. If you don’t like it—"

"No!" Draco said a bit too quickly, a telltale blush creeping up his neck. "It's fine. It just surprised me, that's all. It'll come in handy, I'm sure." Draco squirmed, wrapping his arms around his legs. "By all means, continue. Tell her ... tell her if she comes out, I'll go over to Eyelops and get her a nice plump rat for dinner."

Harry translated, and Jasmine nodded, slinking out of her hiding place to slither up Draco's legs and wrap around his shoulders. Harry's mind went immediately to how the snake had looked against Draco's creamy-white skin in the advertisement and his denims felt suddenly tighter.

Genuine affection was obvious as Draco smiled softly at the snake and ran a single finger along the top of her head. Draco wasn't anything like Harry had remembered. He looked the same. Maybe not quite as pointy and sharp, but still basically the same. His hair was tousled from bending over and his shirt was slightly wrinkled – definitely not the pristine Malfoy that Harry had grown accustomed to in their Hogwarts days. But the thing Harry noticed most wasn't something he could precisely pinpoint. It was in the man's eyes. A softness that came from being happy with your life. A satisfaction that came from within – something Harry had never quite been able to capture, no matter how hard he'd tried. "Where did you go?" he blurted out before he'd had a chance to think about it. Draco looked up at him, eyebrows raised. "After the trials. You just disappeared. Where did you go?"

Draco shrugged and pushed himself off the floor. "Nowhere. Everywhere. It depends on how you look at it." He rounded the counter and busied himself with stacking the strewn cages. Draco had strong hands. Long fingers that were steady and sure. Harry had never noticed that before. "My father said I needed to expand my horizons. My mother said I should make new friends."

Harry felt as though he should do something to help, but he had no clue of where to start, so he just stood and leaned against the counter, watching. He was taller than Harry remembered, shoulders broader, but not terribly muscular. Harry imagined he was stronger than he looked, though. The hem of his shirt hung loose around his narrow hips and his sleeves were rolled up carelessly, the left resting a bit farther down on his forearm than the right. "Did you?" Harry asked when he realised he'd been staring and not talking for far too long.

Draco looked up from his work as though he'd forgotten Harry was there.

"Make new friends, that is?" Harry elaborated, feeling a bit foolish.

Draco's hand ran along the body of the snake still wrapped around his shoulders and nodded thoughtfully. "Mother told me I could be anyone I wanted, and then she bought me Jasmine and told me not to forget who I was." Harry could see Draco's shoulder muscles flex beneath his shirt as he moved one tall cage to the front of the shop and sat it on a table next to the window. He lifted his hand in the air and a large butterfly landed on his wrist. It turned a beautiful pale purple. "I found these in Fiji. They're extremely sensitive to their surroundings and change colour according to your mood."

Harry swallowed and found his throat suddenly dry. "What does purple mean?"

Draco glanced over with that same enigmatic smile he'd worn when Harry had first seen him. "This shade means content."

Harry lifted his hand and let one of the butterflies land on his forearm. It turned a blazing red, which slowly morphed into orange, and then yellow. "What does that mean?" Harry asked, not sure if he really wanted to know.

Draco laughed – a hardy, low laugh that made Harry want to smile. "Confused," Draco answered with a smirk. "Now, are you going to help me with this, or do you plan to get sacked on your first day?"

Part 4

"Er ... sure, but ... what should I do?" Harry looked around the mess, unsure of where to start. Draco reached behind him and pulled his wand from his back pocket. The motion lifted the hem of his shirt up enough for Harry to get a glimpse of skin and a look at what he decided was a very fine arse. He hadn't realised he'd been staring at said fine arse until he heard Draco clear his throat. When Harry finally looked up to meet his eyes, Draco was grinning.

Harry knew he should be horrified at being caught out, but Draco didn't appear to be offended. As a matter of fact, he looked somewhat pleased with himself. He simply shook his head and laughed as he waved his wand at the tall cage in front of him. Vines shot out and began to wind themselves through the wires of the cage, and beautiful white and red flowers began to bloom, transforming the empty cage into a lovely oval garden. As Draco backed away from the cage, dozens of the large butterflies fluttered around him on their way to the open door.

"Beautiful," Harry said softly.

Draco turned toward Harry as he replaced his wand in his pocket. "The butterflies or my arse?" he asked, smirking.

Harry tried not to blush, but could tell by the way heat spread across his face he was failing. "The flowers," he answered quickly. "I've never seen them before."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't have." Draco traced the outline of one tear-shaped petal with his finger. "The only place they grow is around Lake Tagimaucia in the rain forests of Taveuni. The butterflies have some sort of magical connection to the flower, as if the magic is woven between the relationship of the plant and the animal. It's fascinating, really." Draco picked up another one of the cages and handed it to Harry. It felt warm against the palms of his hands. "Could you put that over in the corner? And here—" he lifted Jasmine off his shoulders and wrapped her around Harry's neck. Something about the motion made Harry's heart hammer in his chest. Draco's hands brushed his shoulders as they ran along her body, and his face was so close, his eyes so vividly grey and clear. Harry was thankful for the cage in his hands, otherwise he was sure he would have reached out to touch Draco's hips and pull him closer. "I suspect she'll go in there more easily if you ask her than if I do. She seems to like you."

The weight of the snake felt comfortable as she wound herself around one of his biceps and propped her head on his shoulder. "I don't think I'm the only one," she hissed into his ear. Harry felt the edges of his lips tip up into a smug smile. Leave it to Draco to own a snake that could understand English.

"What did she say?" Draco asked, his head cocked curiously to one side.

"She's hungry. She says to remember you promised her a plump rat, not a skinny one."

Draco chuckled, and Harry could have sworn the snake did too.

"So, have you been there? To Lake Tagimaucia?" Harry asked as he set the cage on the floor in the corner. He wasn't quite ready to remove Jasmine, yet. He liked how she felt wrapped around him.

"Yes." Harry leaned against the wall and watched as Draco climbed onto a stool to hang an ornate birdcage from a large hook in the ceiling. "It's quite possibly the most beautiful place on Earth. Not at all easy to get to, mind you, but worth the effort. The entire area is filled with magic like I've never seen before. Legend has it that the flowers of the Tagimaucia were born from the tears of a princess who was forbidden to marry the man she loved."

"That's not exactly how it goes," Jasmine hissed into Harry's ear.

"Shush, you. This is Draco's story," Harry hissed back.

Draco stiffened, holding onto the birdcage as the stool tipped beneath him. Harry was there in the blink of an eye. Jasmine slithered off his shoulders just in time to avoid being crushed as Draco fell, rather gracefully, all things considered, into Harry's arms. He looked almost as surprised as Harry felt.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked as he lowered Draco to the ground, holding on to him until he was steady enough to stand. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, Harry's hands on Draco's waist and Draco's hands grasping tightly to Harry's biceps, until Draco finally started laughing.

"You really are the perfect person to have around, aren't you?" The little blue ferret scampered around their feet, finally settling on one of Draco's boots and turning a perfect leathery brown. "I might have to keep you. I seem to have a penchant for collecting rare and beautiful things."

Harry was about to say that would be fine with him, but the tinkling of the door chime interrupted his thought process. He glanced toward the door to find Blaise Zabini scowling at him.

"Blaise! How good of you to visit," Draco said excitedly as he pulled away from Harry and gave Zabini a warm hug.

Harry reprimanded himself for the ball of jealousy that swelled up in his gut. He reminded himself several times that rumours were just rumours, and just because Draco was hugging Zabini it didn't mean there was any truth to the Greece thing. At least he hoped not.

"You owled. I came. You knew I would."

"Yes, well ... I needed your help, but lucky for you Potter wandered in and I offered him the job instead."

Zabini turned toward Harry with a calculating look. "I didn't realise you were looking for a job, Potter."

"I wasn't, exactly, but—" Harry shrugged. What could he say? "The opportunity presented itself so I took it."

"And he's perfect!" Draco beamed. "Jasmine loves him. You know she doesn't like anyone but me. Oh, and I have to go to Eyelops to buy her dinner. Why don't you walk with me, Blaise? I have to stop by Gringotts first, but we can catch up on the way. Potter, you don't mind tending the shop for a few minutes, do you? If anyone comes in you can just charm them until I come back. I have to get my vault key and then we can go." And with that, Draco disappeared into the back of the shop and up a set of stairs, leaving Harry the unenviable job of making small talk with Blaise Fucking Zabini.

"So you've quit the Aurors to mind Draco's shop, have you?" Blaise asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Er ... not exactly. No." Harry was grateful when Jasmine slithered up his leg and draped herself over his shoulders again. Zabini glared at her.

"This one, he's ... how do you humans say it? A pain in the arse," she hissed quietly in Harry's ear. Harry pretended he didn't notice, but was secretly happy Jasmine didn't like him.

"Did you bother to tell Draco this little titbit of information?"

"He didn't exactly ask," Harry answered defiantly.

Zabini snorted and shook his head. "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Draco goes through boyfriends faster than Jasmine goes through mice."

Harry didn't get the chance to respond, not that he had any idea how, because at that moment Draco came bounding down the stairs like a ten-year-old on his way to the playground. He smiled at Harry when he saw Jasmine draped around his shoulders. "I told you she liked you, didn't I? I'm always right about these things." He gave her a soft pat on the head before taking Zabini's arm and dragging him toward the door. "We won't be long," he called out over his shoulder as the door closed behind them.

"Arse," Harry grumbled, glaring at Zabini's back through the window.

"Agreed," Jasmine hissed.

Part 5

They were gone much longer than Harry had expected. He glanced at the clock for what must have been the hundredth time. The thing was obviously broken, because it barely seemed to move.

Jasmine had coiled up in her cage shortly after Draco had left and appeared to be sleeping. Harry had wanted to ask her a million questions about Draco, but had decided it would be unfair and would probably irritate him if he found out. Instead, Harry had busied himself by cleaning up all the papers from the floor and arranging the remaining cages around the shop in what seemed to be an orderly fashion. Draco would probably change them, but at least it kept Harry's mind off other things, like what Draco was doing with Zabini, and why it was taking them so long to run two simple errands.

The ferrets had chosen one of the cages closest to the counter to curl up in and were watching Harry closely as he moved about. Harry had finished hanging the birdcage and several birds were perched on the various rods, singing beautifully. It was as if all the animals instinctively knew where they belonged.

Harry had considered owling to let Kingsley know he was taking a few personal days during the upcoming week, but decided it could wait until he got home. Kingsley would probably be pleased. He'd been after Harry to take a holiday ever since he'd completed Auror training, but Harry had never really had anywhere he'd wanted to go. He walked over to the cage that held the butterflies and touched the blood-red flowers gently. He thought maybe he'd like to see where they'd come from. Draco had talked so excitedly about it, and had seemed so alive with interest and knowledge. Harry wondered where he'd learnt it all. Or from whom. Harry frowned as Zabini's words echoed through his mind. He thought about the advert and wondered who had taken the photo. Had Draco hired someone to take it, or had it been a boyfriend? The thought made Harry's frown deepen. He remembered how Draco had clung to his arms after he'd fallen and insinuated that Harry was a rare and beautiful thing. Did Draco make a habit of collecting men he found to be rare and beautiful? And what did he do with them once they no longer held his interest? What did Harry want from him, anyway? He'd not thought about that when he'd seen the advert. He'd simply rushed in as he always did, hoping he could sort things out as he went.

The door chime sang out and Harry was glad to be pulled from his sombre thoughts. Draco stepped over the threshold looking windswept and sexy as hell. Harry had to admit his attraction to Draco might be a little more involved than a simple crush.

"Wow. The place looks great. I'd expected you to sit about with Jasmine and gossip the entire time." Draco smiled as he handed Harry a paper bag on his way toward the corner of the shop. "I stopped by and got you some lunch. I didn't know if you'd eaten before you came in and it's well past lunchtime. Roast beef and treacle tart. You always seemed to like that at Hogwarts." Draco sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Jasmine's cage, setting another bag just inside before closing the door. The bag wiggled for a moment before a large grey rat peered over the top. It reminded Harry eerily of Scabbers. Draco pulled his wand from his pocket and waved it. A large hollow log appeared in the corner of the cage and ferns sprouted all along the bottom. Jasmine lifted her head and waggled it at Draco before flicking her tongue in the direction of the bag. "Thank you," she hissed as she slithered over the ferns toward the bag. "You might not want to watch this while you eat. She doesn't have very good manners." Draco pushed himself up off the floor and strode confidently in Harry's direction. "You should really eat that before it gets cold," he said, pointing toward the bag in Harry's hands. "I take it no one came in while I was gone?"

"Er ... no, they didn't." Harry looked down at the bag, still trying to sort out how Draco knew he liked roast beef and treacle tart. "Thanks for lunch. You didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense. You saved me from certain death. Again. It was the least I could do." Draco sat in front of another one of the cages and pulled his wand out again. Harry waited anxiously to see what Draco would create next. The two ferrets scurried from their cage and climbed into Draco's lap. He petted them absently, looking as though he was trying to decide, himself.

"Didn't you get anything to eat?" Harry asked as he pulled the stool over to the counter and sat down. He was hoping Draco would join him.

"Blaise and I grabbed a quick bite at the Leaky while we were out."

"Oh. That's what took you so long, then," Harry mumbled as he took a bite of roast beef. It was delicious. Far better than the roast beef he usually got from the Leaky Cauldron.

Draco scooted sideways so he could look up at Harry. He leaned back casually against the cage, stretching his long legs out and crossing them at the ankles. The two ferrets played chase up one leg and down the other. "There are a few more animals upstairs. Will you help me bring them down after you finish your lunch?"

"Sure." Harry shrugged and took another bite, wondering how he could get Draco to tell him about his travels – and travelling companions – without appearing too nosey. "What other animals do you have?"

"Not many. Most of the animals I sell will be by request only and will have to come from reputable breeders. These three are the only ones I breed myself." Draco waved his hand toward the ferrets, butterflies, and birds. "I have others to give people ideas, but they're like Jasmine, more pets than anything else. Although I might sell the lemurs if I get the opportunity, they've become rather sassy over the years."

"So you've been travelling around collecting animals the whole time you've been gone?"

"Well, not the entire time, but most of it, yes." Draco cocked his head at Harry and grinned. "The rumours about me being a high-priced rentboy are highly exaggerated."

"Exaggerated?" Harry asked, almost choking on a bite of his sandwich.

Draco chuckled. "Well, I did pretend to be an escort once. There was a rumour about a creature living in a remote area of South America. It was owned by a wealthy wizard and getting permission to visit was a bit tricky. It's a long story, but it turned out to be a total waste of time. The animal, it seemed, was an extremely intelligent ocelot, but not magical in the least."

"And you pretended to be a—?" Harry stopped eating long enough to laugh.

"The man had a thing for tall, skinny blonds. What can I say? And why are you laughing?" Draco picked up one of the balls the ferrets had been playing with earlier and tossed it at Harry's head. Harry dodged it easily.

"Sorry," Harry said between bouts of laughter. "The poor man must have been devastated when he found out."

Draco crossed his arms over his chest and beamed. "Well, he wasn't exactly pleased. Thankfully, I was a continent away by the time he realised. At least I didn't take his money."

Part 6

Harry was exhausted when he finally arrived home at half past six. He and Draco had spent the afternoon setting up the remaining cages and all the specialty food, bedding, and supplies that had been delivered shortly after lunch. They had talked a lot more about Draco's travels and adventures, but he'd never mentioned a travelling companion or a boyfriend. Harry wondered if Blaise had made that up to discourage him, or if Draco was purposefully being evasive. Either way, Harry hadn't found a tactful way to work it into the conversation.

Two customers had drifted in just before closing time and Harry had hidden in the back of the shop pretending to sort through various books on exotic pet care. In reality, he just hadn't wanted to be recognised. It was Draco's shop. He had spent years learning about exotic animals and researching their habitats to learn which animals would thrive as pets and which would be better left in the wild. Harry hadn't wanted his fame to take away from that.

Draco had made him promise to come back to help with another shipment of supplies that was due in on Monday morning, and Harry had briefly considered asking him over for dinner, but had chickened out at the last minute. It was probably a good thing. He needed time to think. To process all that had occurred during the day. Harry had long since admitted his physical attraction to Draco, but this new and improved Draco had him completely stumped. Harry liked him. He was funny and passionate about what he did. He made Harry laugh like he hadn't laughed in very long time. It was unnerving, to say the least. It also made the physical attraction that much more potent.

And Merlin, was there attraction. Draco was sexy as hell. Harry had known that before he'd left, and the advert had reconfirmed it, but ... fuck. It was more than his gorgeous arse and long legs. It was the way he smiled with such ease. The way he'd touched Harry so comfortably. The way his lips puckered every time he said Potter. Harry groaned to himself. He was smart enough to know what all these things meant, he just wasn't sure if he was ready to admit it, yet. He stared at the door to the kitchen, and had almost worked up the energy to go rustle up something to eat when the Floo flared to life and Ginny stepped through. She took one look at him and smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"Guess who I ran into in Diagon Alley, today?" she asked.

Harry groaned aloud this time and covered his head with a pillow. He should have known better than to ever tell his friends that he thought Draco was hot.

"Blaise Zabini," Ginny continued as if Harry had seemed interested. "He was kind enough to inform me I should keep a tighter leash on you."

Harry lifted the pillow and scowled. It seemed Zabini was determined to become the bane of his existence. "What did you tell him?"

"That you preferred your leash to come attached to tall blonds with big cocks," she answered seriously, and then grinned. "He didn’t seem very pleased."

Harry couldn't help but laugh. If he'd had the energy, he would have swooped her up in his arms and twirled her. Instead, she plopped down on the sofa next to him, looking expectant. "Ron told me you went to see Malfoy. Don't even think about leaving out any details."

"There's nothing to tell. He needed help with his shop, so I stayed and helped."

"All day? I Flooed over twice, earlier, and you weren't here."

"There was a lot of work to be done!" Harry said defensively.

"Yes. I'm sure there was." Ginny smirked. "So where's he been? Who's he been shagging? Is he single?" she rambled.

"I ... I don't ... I didn't ask!" Harry pushed her away playfully. "You have no tact whatsoever, you know that?" Ginny snickered, but Harry knew he'd never hear the end of it unless he gave her something to sink those three-inch claws into. "He's been travelling, learning about exotic animals – the best places to find them, how to care for them, that kind of stuff. He's very ... different than he was when he left."

"Different in a good way, or—"

"Definitely a good way," Harry answered immediately with what was, in hindsight, a bit too much enthusiasm. Ginny's smile reminded Harry far too much of George. "Don't, Gin. I can handle this without any help from you, thank you very much."

"Did you ask him out?"

"No!" Harry ran his hands through his thick hair, suddenly second-guessing that decision. "I'm going to the shop to help again on Monday, though," he said quietly.

"You should owl him. Take him to dinner tomorrow. He's just come back to town; he'll be feeling nostalgic and probably a bit lost. Don't let Blaise beat you to him."

"He's not a bloody Snitch, Ginny."

"No, but he's—" She stopped midsentence to watch as a beautiful, fluorescent green owl swooped through the window and landed on the back of the sofa. His wide, yellow eyes blinked as he held out his leg. "Fuck me. That's the most gorgeous owl I've ever seen," she finished.

"She's an Emerald Pygmy from Brazil," Harry explained as he took the note. "Draco says she might be one of a kind." He opened the note, his smile widening with every word.

Jasmine's gone missing, again. I suspect she's holed up somewhere waiting for that fat rat to digest, but I was wondering if you might be available tomorrow just in case I can't find her. I could make you dinner in return for your help, if you'd like. I'm a decent cook, believe it or not. I've instructed Flossie to wait for your answer.

"He cooks?" Ginny asked, peering over Harry's shoulder at the note. Harry snatched it back and nudged her away again.

"Nosey, bint," he murmured as he grabbed the nearest quill to send his response.

Part 7

Sunday felt like the longest day of the year. Harry had tried to sleep in, thinking it would be a good idea to get extra rest just in case he was out late in the evening. He'd told himself he was being logical, and that it had nothing to do with wishful thinking. He'd shaved, showered, and wanked vigorously ... just in case. It wouldn't do to be overly enthusiastic – not that he expected anything to happen, he kept reminding himself.

Draco's owl had arrived just before lunch. The note had confirmed that Jasmine was still missing, and that Harry should drop by the shop around six. The flat over the shop served two purposes, Draco had told him the day before. There was plenty of room for storage and a place for the animals to go if the shop got too busy or stressful for them. But there was also a nice living area where Draco could be close to the animals if they needed him. The wide array of Warning Charms Draco had cast all around the shop had been impressive. Harry doubted many children were as safeguarded as Draco's animals were.

Ginny had Flooed over just after lunch to bombard him with advice about not being too reluctant to make the first move and reminding him, ad nauseam, that a confident man was a sexy man. Harry had only to think about Draco to believe it. She had also insisted he wear a button down shirt instead of a pullover. Apparently, Harry had missed the lesson outlining the easiest method for getting naked, but clearly, Ginny had not. Harry supposed that explained the queue of men she always seemed to have at her disposal.

When six o'clock finally rolled around, Harry found himself standing outside the door to Malfoy's Menagerie feeling like a sixteen-year-old on his first date. It was ridiculous, really. He was a grown man. He'd been on more dates than he could count. And this wasn't even a date. Not officially. He took a deep breath, told himself this wasn't any different than going to Ron's for dinner, and opened the door. A voice in the back of his mind laughed viciously just as he was knocked to the ground by something large and black, with glowing yellow eyes.

"Oh, shit. Chrystal get off him!" Harry couldn't seem to focus, but when he looked up Draco appeared to be dragging the huge thing back by a collar. "Are you all right, Potter? Merlin, please don't be dead. That would ruin the entire evening."

Harry shook his head to try and clear his vision, until he realised his glasses had been knocked off. He felt around for them, but before he could manage, Draco had scooped them up and was placing them gently back onto his face. "Thanks," Harry said, still feeling a bit shaken. "What was that damn thing?"

"That was Chrystal. She's a black panther, and no, she's not for sale and she's not mine. A friend brought her by last night. I'm cat-sitting until tomorrow, apparently. It was that or she'd have to go to one of those horrid zoo-like kennels, and I really detest those places." Draco held out his hand to help Harry up, which Harry took gratefully. "She really is harmless. She just doesn't know her own strength and likes to play a bit too roughly at times."

"Let me guess – she's just a baby, right?"

Draco laughed and shrugged. "Actually, yes, but ... well, fuck. She's torn your shirt. She didn't scratch you, did she? Usually she's more careful than that. You must have surprised her. Come upstairs and take your shirt off so I can have a look." Draco was tugging on his hand and part of him wanted to insist he was fine, but another part was rather looking forward to being thoroughly examined, just in case.

Harry knew the storage area was up the stairs and to the right, but he'd not been into Draco's flat, yet, so he simply followed as Draco turned left at the top of the stairs and led them down a narrow hallway into his living area. It was sparsely decorated with several cages lining one wall and books scattered haphazardly over every available surface. A butterfly cage similar to the one downstairs hung in one corner and the two little ferrets were curled up asleep underneath it.

Draco shoved the books to one side of the sofa and practically pushed Harry to sit in their place. "I'm really sorry. I thought I'd tied her securely enough, but I guess I'd underestimated how much she's grown since—" Draco paused as he knelt at Harry's knees and started unbuttoning his shirt.

Harry wasn't sure if it was the position, or the fact that Draco was undressing him, or possibly the combination of the two, but he realised it was a bad position for him to be in while his cock was deciding to sit up and take notice. He placed his hands gently over Draco's to stop his movements. "I'm fine, Draco. She didn't scratch me."

"Oh. Well, that's good." Draco looked up from Harry's buttons and stared into his eyes. It was one of those moments. Perfect for kissing. All Harry had to do was lean forward slightly and he'd be there, but for some reason, he just couldn't. Draco's eyes were unbelievably wide, as though he'd just realised what he'd been doing. He looked uncomfortable and Harry couldn't be sure if it was guilt over the incident or something else, entirely. "Okay, then," he said and stood abruptly. "I should ... I'm sure I have a shirt you can wear. I'm pants at darning spells, but I can get it repaired for you."

Harry chuckled as he stood and pulled out his wand. Merlin only knew he'd torn enough of his Auror robes over the years to know that spell in his sleep.

"Or you could do it yourself," Draco said awkwardly. "I didn't expect you to know those types of spells. You didn't—" A perfect blush tinted Draco's cheeks and he didn't need to finish his sentence. Didn't seem to know them when we were at Hogwarts. Harry was glad he'd changed since then. Glad they both had.

"I wasn't sure what you'd want for dinner, so I bought a bit of everything," Draco continued as he headed toward a door that Harry assumed led to the kitchen. "I have steaks or roast, but you just had beef for lunch yesterday, so there's fish or chicken or duck or lobster." Draco turned around when he reached the doorway and sagged against the frame. "I'm rambling, aren't I?" he asked, his lips turning up into a beautiful, self-depreciating smile.

Harry suddenly felt more at ease. Draco was nervous, which meant, in turn, that Harry's nervousness wasn't completely unfounded. It also meant this really was a date, not just payment for a search and rescue mission, or two co-workers getting together for dinner. A knot in Harry's stomach seemed to uncoil. He shoved his hands in his pockets and returned Draco's smile. "I think fish sounds delicious. Do you need some help?"

Draco waved him away as he strode into the kitchen. "Do you want a drink?" he called out. "I don't have much. Firewhisky or beer. There's a bottle of wine, but it was a gift, so I've no idea if it's any good. It all tastes like sour grapes to me."

Harry stood in the doorway and watched as Draco pulled two plump fillets from the refrigerator and sprinkled seasoning over them before transferring them to a heavy baking dish. Harry wasn't fond of cooking – an unfortunate by-product of his upbringing – but Draco made it look so effortless. Everything he did looked effortless. "Are you sure you don't need me to do anything?"

Before Draco could answer, a loud crash echoed through the room. "Bloody hell, it's those damn lemurs again. Just ... take these vegetables, spread them around the pan, and then cover it with this foil. The oven's already set, so just put it in when you're done. I'll be right back." Harry wondered why Draco had not used his wand to do any of the cooking. He was so used to the way Molly cooked it seemed odd not to see kitchen utensils that worked all on their own. He finished his task and washed his hands before heading off in the direction Draco had gone. He couldn't help but laugh at what he found.

"Oh, stop it and give me a hand, would you?"

Harry didn't stop laughing, but he did grab one of the strange monkey-like creatures that hung from Draco's neck. He tried to grab the one that dangled from his arm, but it swung up too quickly and landed on Draco's shoulder before Harry could catch it. The two that hung from Draco's legs scampered around him as if Harry had frightened them.

"Put him in the cage over there." Draco pointed to a cage that lined the entire wall. At least Harry thought it was a cage. It looked more like a miniature jungle, magically expanded to contain lifelike trees and a small, flowing stream. He shoved the animal through the door and held him inside so that Draco could do the same with the other three. "Ringo's the trouble-maker. The others just follow along. It's the damn panther. They always were afraid of her. I told Marcus when he left her here it was a bad idea, but—" One of the lemurs hung onto the bars of the cage and hissed violently. "Paul, stop making a nuisance of yourself," Draco scolded. "I know you never liked him. You've made that abundantly clear."

"Paul and Ringo?" Harry asked, his mouth forming what he knew would be a Malfoy-worthy smirk. "I suppose that's George and John?" Harry nodded toward the other two lemurs that appeared to be watching them with amusement.

"Oh, shut up." Draco shook his head and smiled. "I might have been a tad drunk when I named them. It's why I no longer keep tequila anywhere in the house." Draco turned back to the lemurs and glared. "Behave yourselves or I'll let Chrystal in here to play. And you—" Draco grabbed Harry teasingly by the front of the shirt and tugged him from the room "—have a snake to find, smartarse."

Harry followed willingly, his laughter echoing all the way down the hall.

Part 8

They'd barely entered the living room when the kitchen timer buzzed. "Saved by the bell, Potter. I suppose Jasmine will have a bit of a reprieve until after we eat." Draco waved his wand and dishes sailed from the cupboards onto a small wooden table that sat in the corner of the kitchen. "I never got you that drink, did I? Sorry. I used to have better manners, but living in jungles seems to change your priorities." He filled two glasses halfway with Firewhisky and two large tumblers with water, setting them next to each plate before he pulled on two fluffy oven mitts and took the fish out of the oven. It smelled divine. Once the foil came off, Draco placed it in the centre of the table, dishing Harry a serving of fish and a large helping of vegetables.

Harry waited until Draco sat down before taking a bite. It tasted even better than it smelled. "This is delicious. Where'd you learn to cook?"

"Like I said, living in jungles changes your priorities. I was amazed by what I could do without house-elves around to do things for me. Father hasn't been very impressed, but I think Mum is rather pleased."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Harry enjoying his dinner immensely, studiously not thinking how nice it would be to do this again tomorrow night. And the next. And the next hundred after that. "Okay, so I don't want to be nosey, but ... Marcus Flint?"

"Oh, Merlin, no. That Neanderthal? I have much better taste in men than that, Potter." Draco chuckled, and Harry was glad he'd not been offended, although his heart sank from the insinuation that this Marcus person was more than a friend.

"He's a conservationist I met in Peru, and probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life." Oh. Now that was better. "We ... travelled together for a while. He took the photo for the advert. He always hated that photo – accused me of having an unhealthy fascination with snakes."

"So, you're no longer involved?" Harry asked, hoping Draco hadn't noticed the hopefulness he detected in his own voice.

"No," Draco answered, shaking his head. "It wasn't exactly a match made in heaven. But we're still friends."

Harry wanted to ask why they hadn't worked out, but, as usual, his mouth had its own ideas. "Zabini said you've had lots of boyfriends."

Draco looked up from his food, one eyebrow arched suspiciously. "Oh did he, now?"

Harry shrugged. He probably shouldn't have let that slip, but he did want to know.

"I haven't. But I might have led him to believe otherwise." It was Harry's turn to look suspicious, and he guessed he was doing a damn fine job of it. Draco set his fork down with a huff. "Blaise is ... he's a good friend, but he's always wanted to be more than that. I'm not ... I've never been interested in him that way. He's like a brother. It'd be like you and the Weasel. Wouldn't that just be weird?"

The thought of shagging Ron ran though Harry's brain and he shuddered. "Yeah. That'd be really weird," he agreed.

"Exactly! I thought if he believed I was a bit of a manwhore, he'd give up."

Harry pushed his plate away, completely stuffed. "And how's that working out for you?" he asked, grinning.

"Oh, shut it, you." Draco tossed his napkin at Harry's head and Harry chuckled. He was unbelievably pleased with the conversation. Zabini wasn't even in the running. And, although there were obviously men in Draco's past, Harry felt confident he could deal with that. At least he didn't have to worry about being tossed out as soon as the next shiny thing came along. Assuming it went that far, that is. And Harry really hoped that it would.

"I should probably go find Jasmine, don't you think?"

"Oh. Yes, of course." Draco looked a bit disappointed as he stood to clear the plates, but it disappeared so quickly Harry couldn't be sure. "I brought her up after you'd left the shop yesterday. She likes to explore at night and there's more space up here, but she'd disappeared before I'd had a chance to get her settled properly." Harry carried the empty baking dish to the sink and leaned against the counter as Draco turned on the water and waved his wand to start the sponge to washing. "She could be anywhere. She's a master at squeezing into tight places."

Draco rinsed each dish in turn and Harry took the towel from the rack and began drying them. Draco paused for a moment and stared at him before shaking his head. Harry knew exactly what he was thinking, because he could feel it too. The simple domestication of the situation - as if they'd done this a hundred times. Harry wanted to rest his hand on the small of Draco's back or wrap his arms around his slim waist and rest his chin on Draco's shoulder. Those small things that couples did so casually, but that meant so much. Harry wanted that. Badly.

Dishes done, Draco turned to him and smiled almost shyly. "Thanks," he said quietly as he took the towel from Harry's hand, their fingers brushing together for longer than necessary. He hung the towel on the hook and touched Harry's elbow, squeezing gently. "Come on. We have a snake to find, don't we?"

Harry nodded, not wanting the moment to slip away, but aware that it would have to. "Lead the way," he answered, holding out his hand to motion Draco forward.

Draco rolled his eyes and smiled. "Always the gentleman," he said, laughing as he walked toward a large bookcase that covered a third of the back wall. "I'm guessing she's under here—" He lay down on the floor to peer underneath. "—or maybe under the bookcase in the bedroom."

Harry crossed the room and leaned down next to him. He lit his wand and slid it into the small space, but it was still too dark to see properly. Luckily, Harry had learnt how to speak in Parseltongue without necessarily having a snake to look at. "Jasmine, if you're in there, you really should come out. I think you're driving Draco round the bend." Harry heard Draco's breath hitch, probably in anticipation, but Jasmine didn't answer. "Either she's not in there, or she's not in the mood to talk to me," Harry said as he leaned back up. Draco was watching him, his lower lip grasped tightly between his teeth. "Don't worry, Draco. I'm sure she's around somewhere. Do you want me to check the bedroom?"

Draco nodded mutely and stood to lead the way. Harry wondered again if Parseltongue bothered Draco the way it bothered some people. But if it did, then Harry had to assume Draco wouldn't have asked for his help. When they entered the bedroom, Draco merely pointed to a similar bookcase situated in the corner. Harry bent down and shoved his lit wand through the space between the case and the floor. "Jasmine? Are you in there?" he asked.

"Harry. How pleasant of you to visit," the snake hissed back. Harry sighed with relief.

"You really shouldn't hide from Draco, you know. It makes him a bit barmy."

"I don't think I feel like coming out. I'm mad at him," she said snootily.

"If you don't, I'll tell him you can understand him perfectly and then you'll never get away with hiding again," Harry said firmly.

"Yes, but then he won't need you to come talk to me, now will he?"

The damn snake did have a point. Harry sighed heavily. "Please?" he asked.

"Fine," she said finally. "But tell him not to yell so much. It hurts my ears. They're very sensitive."

Harry cocked his head, not sure if he'd heard her correctly. "Was he yelling at you?"

"Oh, heavens, no. He's never yelled at me. Well, he did that one time, but I was trying to eat his foot, so that was wholly understandable."

"Who was he yelling at?"

Jasmine slithered out of her hiding place and angled her head toward the far wall where Draco was leaning against the doorframe. "That's really not for me to say, now is it?" she hissed.

Part 9

"What is she saying?" Draco asked, his concern evident.

Harry looked from Jasmine to Draco, and then back to Jasmine again, unsure of how to answer. Jasmine glided silently from under the case to slide over his legs and up his chest, resting her square head against his neck. "You should ask him." The hiss was barely a whisper.

Harry stood, lifting Jasmine with him. "She says there was yelling and it hurt her ears."

"Oh," Draco said quietly as he moved from the doorway to stand next to Harry. Too close and not close enough. He frowned as he stroked Jasmine's head gently, his fingers brushing against Harry's neck. "Tell her I'm sorry."

Harry felt his lips curl up into a half-smile. Draco genuinely was sorry. Harry could tell by the softness of his eyes and the furrow of his brow. Draco Malfoy, of all people, was remorseful over frightening his pet snake. It would have been comical if not for the twisting it caused in Harry's gut. If there had been any doubt in his mind about whether or not he cared for Draco, it was definitely gone. He lifted his hand and rested it lightly on Draco's forearm. "She knows." The sleeves of Draco's shirt were rolled up haphazardly again and Harry had the strangest urge to straighten them. "Who were you yelling at?" he asked instead.

Draco's eyes travelled from the snake to Harry's face as if in slow motion and he shrugged as he let his hand fall away. "It's a long story."

"I've got all night." Harry let his fingertips ghost along Draco's arm, lightly touching the inside of his wrist. Jasmine slid off his shoulder and wrapped herself around their arms, tucking her head against Harry's palm.

"She really likes you," Draco whispered. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed loudly.

Harry looked at the snake wound around their arms and his words came out in a hissed whisper. "Not nearly as much as I like you."

"You really should stop doing that," Draco said as he moved closer, his breath hot against Harry's cheek.

"I ... I didn't think it bothered you."

"It makes me want to do stupid things like snog you senseless."

Jasmine lifted her head and looked pointedly at Harry. "I told you it wasn't worry I smelled."

Harry rested his right hand on Draco's hip and nudged him closer. "Jasmine," he told the snake, now understanding the tiny hitch in Draco's breath. "Why don't you go hide back under the bookcase until morning?" Harry could have sworn he heard the snake chuckle as she slinked back down to the floor. He looked up at Draco and smiled. "That doesn't seem so stupid to me."

"Blaise thinks it's very stupid. By the way, when were you going to tell me you already had a job?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was considering putting in my resignation?"

Draco's eyes narrowed, but he didn't pull away. "No. I don't think that I would. Were you even planning to show up on Monday?"

Harry sighed. Fucking Zabini; he should have known. "I'm taking some time off. Indefinitely. I just wanted ... I liked spending time with you. Why didn't you ask me this, yesterday?"

"He came over last night after you'd left. He ... he doesn't like you very much."

"The feelings mutual," Harry mumbled. Then it occurred to him— "Is that who you were yelling at?" That beautiful blush spread across Draco's cheeks again and Harry wanted to trace it with his tongue. "Were you arguing about me?"

"Might have been." Draco turned his hand and linked his fingers with Harry's, the touch sending shivers up Harry's arm. "He thinks I'm being ridiculous. That I should, and I quote, stop this foolish notion of playing Tarzan and move back to the Manor where I belong."

"I think you should do whatever makes you happy. And it seems like you enjoy what you do."

"He also thinks you're trouble."

"What do you think?" Harry pulled Draco's hand closer, resting it against the side of his thigh.

Draco's other hand found its way to Harry's chest and rested lightly on his shirt pocket. "I think he might be right," he whispered

"Then what are we doing here?" Harry wanted nothing more than to kiss him. He was so close Harry could see the tiny blue specks mixed into the grey of his eyes.

"Standing in the middle of my bedroom discussing my future?"

"Perhaps we should do something else."

"Perhaps you should speak Parseltongue again so I'd be forced to snog you within an inch of your life."

Harry grinned and pulled Draco flush against him so he could lean over and hiss into his ear. "I think that's a much better idea." Draco pressed even closer, his hands snaking around Harry's waist to cling to the back of his shirt.

"Again," he whimpered.

Harry puffed out a breath of warm air against Draco's neck, eliciting a tiny shiver. "I wonder if I could make you come like this," Harry hissed again. The thought alone made Harry groan. He'd never considered himself particularly kinky, but his cock was harder than it had been in ages.

"Fuck." Draco tilted his head to give Harry better access to that long, creamy neck and Harry couldn't resist any longer. Draco's skin was warm against his lips, as soft and smooth as satin. He lapped at it with his tongue, hissing nonsensical words against pale skin. "Oh, fuck," Draco whispered again, cupping Harry's arse to pull their bodies tightly together. Harry could feel Draco's burgeoning erection against his own and oh, fuck was absolutely right.

"Draco, I want—"

"Gods, yes." Draco moaned as he shuffled backwards, dragging them both onto the bed in a haphazard heap. Harry chuckled, lifting himself up so Draco could scoot up onto the bed properly. A large butterfly came out of nowhere and landed on Draco's forehead. It turned the same fiery red it had the day before when it had landed on Harry's arm. Draco shooed it away, blushing beautifully.

"Confused?" Harry asked, his head cocked curiously.

Draco shook his head. "Aroused," he answered.

"You knew."

"I suspected. But it changed quickly, which usually does mean confused, so—"

Harry reached down and cupped Draco's cock with his hand. Draco bucked upwards with a breathy moan. Harry grinned wickedly. "Pretty damn accurate, I'd say," he hissed in Parseltongue just to see what would happen.

"Oh, fuck," Draco whispered again, tossing his head back against the bed as he wrapped his legs around Harry's thighs. The sight alone was enough to take Harry's breath away. Draco was beautiful – his face flushed, his pink lower lip clamped tightly between his teeth. "Clothes," Draco growled. "Too many fucking clothes." He reached up and tugged at Harry's shirt and buttons went scattering into a dozen directions. Hmm... for once Ginny was right, Harry thought, but then Draco pulled him down and kissed him and all thoughts disappeared. Draco's lips were rough and demanding, his hands roaming over Harry's chest, tugging the shirt off his shoulders, and Harry had to agree. Too many fucking clothes.

Harry pulled away from Draco's lips reluctantly, shrugging his shirt off the rest of the way and tossing it Merlin only knew where. Draco's hands went immediately to Harry's belt buckle, but his eyes remained fixed on Harry's, burning into them as if he were branding him. Harry's entire body shuddered. He'd never wanted anyone so much in his entire life. And by wanted, he knew he didn't mean just sexually. He wanted Draco. For keeps.

Draco's frantic fingers stilled when he got to Harry's zipper. He waited, as if he was asking for permission, and why that was such a turn-on, Harry had no idea, but holy hell, it was. Harry reached out to tangle his fingers in Draco's hair, running his hand along the nape of Draco's neck before he leaned forward again and crushed their mouths together. Draco was all tongue, teeth, and suction and it was the messiest, most glorious kiss Harry could ever remember having.

It must have been permission enough, because Draco continued with the zip, burrowing his hand into Harry's jeans, and fuck, his hand was like ice, but it felt so bloody good all Harry could do was buck into it and whimper as Draco pushed against him and rolled them both over, trapping Harry's hips between his thighs. "God, you feel so fucking good," Draco whispered against his lips. "I need—" he didn't finish the sentence, but Harry understood. He tugged at the hem of Draco's shirt, ignoring the buttons. Draco pulled away from the kiss just long enough for Harry to pull it over his head before capturing Harry's lips again. The touch of Draco's skin against his chest made him arch up and moan pathetically. Harry wanted to map every inch of skin, and only hoped there'd be time for that later, because he knew neither of them had the patience for it at the moment. He deftly moved to Draco's fly, which was made up of far too many buttons. Harry only managed the first three when Draco growled and pushed his trousers down his narrow hips enough for his cock to bounce free and brush against Harry's. Draco wrapped his hand around both, rocking forward and back in a motion that made Harry almost dizzy.

"Talk to me," Draco whispered against his lips. "Tell me you want this."

Harry wasn't at all sure how Draco was managing to even think, much less talk, because his own body had taken over his brain and just kept screaming more, more, more! He opened his eyes, unaware of when he'd closed them, to see Draco watching him carefully. "I want this," he said hoarsely. "I want you." From Draco's reaction, Harry wondered if the words hadn't come out in Parseltongue, because Draco's mouth fell open, his back arched, and he came more beautifully than any of Harry's wildest fantasies. The added slickness of Draco's hand was all Harry needed to follow suit, and fuck, fuck, fuck, Harry felt his entire body shudder with the pure pleasure of it.

Draco sagged on top of him, his face buried into Harry's neck. They stayed that way for quite some time, and Harry had begun to wonder if Draco hadn't fallen asleep when he heard a whispered, "Stay," so quietly he wasn't sure if he was supposed to have heard it.

Harry tightened his arms around Draco's waist and kissed the shell of his ear. "I said I had all night, remember?"

Draco looked up, his eyes glazed and unfocused, and smiled that beautiful, enigmatic smile that Harry was now sure he couldn't live without. "The animals are part of the package, I'm afraid. Can you live with that?"

Harry laughed, rolling Draco over onto his back to stare down at him and decide which patch of gorgeous, pale skin he wanted to kiss first. He smiled and decided Draco's swollen lips would be the best place to start. "I think I can live with that," he hissed in Parseltongue, and chuckled when Draco threaded long fingers into his hair and pulled him down for another perfect kiss.

Epilogue

 

Harry wandered into the kitchen to find Draco leaning over the counter making his morning cup of tea. The Daily Prophet lay open on the kitchen table, the anniversary ad for Malfoy's Menagerie in full view. Harry only hoped Draco's reaction to his surprise would be what he thought. He moved wordlessly forward and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist, kissing the side of his neck softly. "Morning."

Draco stirred his tea with one hand while the other reached back to tangle in Harry's hair. "You're dripping on me," Draco said as he turned his head and brushed his lips against Harry's in a soft kiss.

"I just got out of the shower. Sorry."

"Aren't you late for work?" Draco asked taking a casual sip of tea.

"I took the day off to help in the shop, remember? You said it would be busy today." Harry waited to see if Draco would mention the ad, but he only leaned back and hummed his agreement. "Did you like it?" Harry finally asked.

Draco set his tea on the counter and turned slowly in Harry's arms, resting his hands on Harry's biceps. "Mmm..." Draco answered. "Except for one thing."

"Oh?" Harry asked calmly, trying not to feel disappointed. "What was that?"

Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and pulled him closer. "That I have to be downstairs in twenty minutes, which means you won't have time to take care of this little problem the ad seems to have caused." Draco emphasised problem with a shift of his hips and Harry could feel his cock, hard as steel.

Harry grinned, sighing with relief. "Susie can handle the shop by herself for half an hour, don't you think?"

"But Kingsley's Muntjac is due to be delivered this morning. They're always a little skittish when they first arrive and I'm not sure if Susie's ready—"

"She's worked for you for almost four years now, Draco. She can handle it." Harry ran his hands down Draco's back, slipping them between him and the counter to cup his arse and grind their cocks together.

Draco whimpered, but pulled away slightly. "I'll expect a full size, colour print to hang in the bedroom next to mine."

"Of course," Harry answered. "It's being framed as we speak. It shows my face though, I hope that's okay." Harry smirked when Draco's eyes lit up. "Now," Harry leaned forward and captured Draco's earlobe between his teeth. "What do you say we go back to bed and celebrate our anniversary?"

Draco leaned back, slipping one thigh between Harry's legs, but still he protested. "I'm not sure if—"

"You know you want to," Harry whispered in Parseltongue. Draco's reaction was exactly what Harry knew it would be. Even after all these years, Draco still couldn't resist it.

"Ngh," Draco said as he bucked forward, tangling his fingers in Harry's hair as he leaned in for a proper kiss. "You are a wonderfully evil man, Potter," he mumbled.

A soft song chimed through the room, alerting them that Susie had just unlocked the doors to the shop downstairs. "Half an hour?" Draco asked, grinning.

Harry laughed. "Forty-five minutes, max," he answered as he led Draco back to their bedroom to celebrate.

~fin~