Chapter 20

                                        

                                              
"It is done, master," Draco said, dropping to his knees at Harry's feet.
Harry didn't know how to turn off Draco's obedience mode. "Excellent. Please stand up."
Draco didn't. He was shaking with tears coming down. "Please, master, it was a lot of commands."
Harry knelt down and hugged him. "I'm sorry... I thought you needed it."
"I did, but the puppet strings chaffed. Please, master...."
Harry didn't know how to help him. He just rocked him back and forth in his arms, hoping that his presence would help. "It's okay, Draco. You're safe. I will protect you. I will end this pain, and we can be free," he whispered and kept up, giving Draco reassurance. 
Slowly, the tension faded, and he relaxed in his arms. Harry conjured the soft bed and pulled him into bed. He held him tightly until Draco fell asleep. Harry watched him sleep. He brushed the tears away and couldn't believe how much their roles had changed. It wasn't that long ago, Harry was the one breaking, but Draco... Draco's world just flipped upside down. He took Harry's pain and gave him ultimate command over him, astronomically solidifying the life debt bond. 
Harry felt unbelievable power from it, and that power snapped Draco's mental stability. He didn't know what the spell completely did. He could only see the effects. Harry also had accepted his fate a long time ago. He wanted this to end. He wasn't sure that he would come back, but he didn't want to leave Draco alone. He knew he needed sleep, and eventually, fell asleep gripping Draco.
When they woke, Draco had turned around to face him. He still looked hurt and broken.
"How are you doing?"
"Better, thanks."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Harry asked. Draco normally felt better explaining things. He was hesitant at first and then gave a summary of what happened with the wolves, Yaxley and his parents. Harry hugged him when he told him about his mother's words and his father's apology.
"Thank Merlin, they agreed to leave. I want to stay mad at them... both of them! But...."
"They are your parents?"
Draco nodded. "As much as I want to cast my father out of my life, I can't. He's still my father."
"I can relate somewhat. My father and my godfather bullied Snape all through school. I mean bad, humiliating stuff. It shattered my view of them."
"I remember," Draco said and Harry chuckled. 
"I guess you do. Before I came to Hogwarts... Dudley and the other kids... they hurt me a lot. I can't overlook what they did, but I have to accept it. Of course, what your father did was way worse."
"He hurt you too," Draco growled. Harry was glad to see his protective side come out.
"Only when he was drunk. It was actually embarrassing sometimes. He blamed me."
Draco had not wanted to examine those memories. "Fuck him. Hopefully, I won't see him again."
"I'm proud of you, Draco. For talking to him, at him, and taking control of the situation. You were so... brave."
"You ordered me to."
"I ordered you to go there and offer it to them and lock them in if they didn't. You didn't have to accept Lucius's oath."
"He called me my lord."
"Huh," Harry commented. "It annoyed me when you did it."
"You ordered me not to. You didn't order me to not call you master."
"Do you want to? I hadn't meant to order you like that for the lord-thing."
"No... please. It's confusing enough right now."
"Okay," Harry murmured. "Do you want to go over the game plan, again?"
Draco nodded, and they reviewed each step and what they would do and say. They hadn't discussed what happens after the horcrux dies. Harry did not want to kill anyone, but this was the end they needed to get to.
"Should I... order anything?" Harry asked.
Draco winced. "No... well... maybe to not admit I'm Draco until after the Polyjuice wears off or the Horcrux dies."
Harry ordered it, and Draco shuddered. Harry looked at him, sadly. "What about... not jumping in to protect me?"
Draco paled. "No... please no."
Harry only wanted to do it more for safety, but he didn't want to force the order. "Draco, if you try, he might not risk an Avada Kedavra."
Draco lowered his head. "I can't let you die."
"We are letting him kill me. We have to have him do this."
"I know! I know!"
"I could make it conditional, too? Like once the Horcrux is gone?" he offered.
Draco sniffled and wiped his tears away. "Fine."
Harry worded the order carefully, and Draco hissed from the pain. "Sorry."
Draco nodded and tears came out. "Please, master... don't... don't send me away."
"I won't. We're in this together... I promise."
Draco clung to him for a long time and then pulled back to look at him. "Harry? Will you... one last time?" he murmured, not meeting his eyes.
"Draco...."
"Please... just in case, this is it... the end... please, Harry...."
Draco, after all these months, never liked to initiate sex and absolutely refused to top. Harry couldn't wait until he did, but Harry would take care of him, now. Harry kissed him and slowly moved down his neck. He peeled his clothes off one item at a time as he maintained direct eye contact with Draco. He could see Draco's arousal. It was important that they constantly checked that the other was okay. They had been hurt so much.
The lines were so blurry. Harry was a prisoner, but Draco was his slave. What right did either of them have to ask for this? Harry had easily accepted Draco's request to not top, but that was before Draco swore absolute loyalty to him. Harry had to be careful with his words since it happened. He couldn't take away Draco's free will as that would be rape. This had to be done on Draco's terms, not Harry's. As Harry looked down at Draco's naked body, he couldn't refuse. His Draco was so beautiful.
"Are you sure?" he asked gently. "I have to make sure."
"Yes... please... m-Harry," he said, but Harry heard the slip.
He looked at Draco. "Love... are you sure?"
"Please, Harry. I'm sorry. My mind calls, you are that, especially after today. I'm good. I'm here. You are Harry. I am Draco. I love you. I trust you. I'm only scared about tomorrow."
Harry slowly prepped him, spreading his legs wider. Draco moaned throughout it, and Harry was careful not to speak words that might hurt Draco. Harry carefully bent and penetrated his ready hole. He could tell that Draco liked it face-to-face, after everything that had happened with the others. Draco wanted to see that it was him. They went slow, taking their time to enjoy it-savor it. It may be the last time. Their world was going to implode tomorrow. Voldemort would die or they would.