Harry met the kiss willingly, happy to push away the realization of just how intimately Draco already knew him. He leaned into the touch, bracing his weight against Draco, a few buttons away from pushing him onto his back, having grown desperate to shift the balance. Despite the inviting promise, Harry found himself overwhelmed with the affection and care Draco bestowed upon him, both in words and touch. It was dizzying, never quite realizing how much he had missed it until Draco offered it so easily.<br/>When the final button became undone, Harry’s hands finally found skin, making his heart flip with anticipation. Placing that point of contact at Draco’s midriff, Harry’s hands trailed upward, intending to push the fabric off Draco’s shoulders; they never wandered that far, the irregular skin beneath Harry’s palms making him break the kiss in search for a visual explanation.<br/>He stalled.<br/>In juvenile optimism or blind faith in Madam Pomfrey, Harry hadn’t thought it would scar.<br/>It had, and it was ghastly. Of course, none of them were deserving of that luck.<br/>Draco’s scars were as raised and angry as Harry’s own, making his stomach turn with the first true realization of how deep the curse had cut. It unravelled the absolution Harry had allowed himself years ago, a stark reminder of every horrible atrocity Harry had committed through out the war, and ignorantly had allowed to sink back into oblivion every time others had praised his purpose.<br/>Harry’s eyes found Draco’s, looking for damnation in his expression, needing to see if Draco hated him for it.<br/>He didn’t know how long Harry’s eyes had lingered on Draco’s chest – not long, he hoped. The gratitude he felt in the indifference Draco had just expressed still held a firm grip around Harry’s heart, forcing his expression steady, though he felt his cheeks flush with regret.<br/>Harry wanted to speak an apology but found that he couldn’t; there was simply no words that would suffice. Instead, Harry’s hands skipped the past inches of skin, wrapping them around Draco’s neck. In lieu of<span style="font-style: italic">I’m sorry</span>Harry kissed Draco gently but without reservations, willing that nightmare back into oblivion, if only just for another night.