"Scorpius! Albus! Get over here right now!" Draco's voice thundered through the house, but he didn't care. Someone had gotten paint all over the rug upstairs. The expensive carpet that his mother had bought him and Harry for their wedding
The floorboards shook as the twins ran up the stairs at lightning speed, not willing to anger their father more by taking their time. Draco and Harry had adopted them a year after they married. The boys looked extremely similar, but not identical. Albus's hair was a shade darker than Scorpius's, and he was about an inch taller. They were Draco's pride and joy, and only a year from going to Hogwarts.
"Would one of you like to explain why, when I came upstairs, I found paint smeared all over my favorite rug?" Silence. Utterly frustrating silence. "Which one of you did it? It had to be one of you," It took all his self-control not to curse or raise his voice to a complete yell. Again, he was met with silence and two guilty looks. "Fine, then you can go to your rooms until you are willing to talk."
Both boys slunk away to their respective rooms, not daring to speak. Draco ran a rough hand through his hair, and let out a sigh. It was nothing a quick Scourgify couldn't fix, and he mumbled the spell under his breath with a quick flick of his wand. What angered him was that the boys hadn't said anything about it and that they didn't own up to it.
It was days like these when Draco missed Harry the most. With his promotion in the Auror Department, he was hardly home anymore during the week. Not that Draco minded staying at home with the kids. He loved Albus and Scorpius, and he loved spending time with them and getting the chance to watch them grow. But he loved doing that with Harry by his side, not by himself.
Draco ate dinner alone that night, too stubborn to take back what he had said to the boys. They had to be taught their lesson, and if he gave into them, they would never learn to own up to their mistakes. They could have breakfast in the morning.
Harry didn't come home until late around midnight. Large bags hung underneath his eyes, his hair was a mess, and his normally crazy hair stuck to his head from sweat. This was how he came home many nights, but Draco was still not used to the air of exhaustion that hung around Harry.
Draco met Harry at the door, waiting until he dropped his bag and took off his cloak to give him a hug and peck on the cheek.
"I missed you," Draco whispered, not caring about the dirt and sweat that was transferring onto his robes.
"I missed you too," Harry said. Draco stepped back and cast a quick scourgify and freshening charm on Harry. It couldn't replace a shower, but it would be good enough for the moment.
"Want any dinner?" Harry nodded and followed him towards the kitchen. Draco cast a heating charm on the leftovers from his lonely dinner and set them in front of Harry. He made tea in an attempt to keep his hands busy. All he wanted to do was take Harry right there and then, but he knew he couldn't do that. Harry was too tired to do anything but eat, shower, and sleep. Just like always.
"You're amazing, Draco. Thank you." The words ease the tension in his chest a bit. Draco set the teacups down on the table and kissed Harry's cheek, grimacing at the roughness of his stubble.
"Of course, love." He took a sip of his tea, contemplating what he wanted to say next. Should he mention Albus and Scorpius's punishment? Harry wouldn't find out if he didn't tell him, and he was stressed enough as it was. There was no need to bother him with the misbehaving of their kids. Besides, he had dealt with it, hadn't he? "You look exhausted. When was the last time you got a decent nights sleep?" Harry shook his head.
"Since before I got promoted. Everything is going into chaos; half the department is at St. Mungo's since our last case, which means our resources are extremely limited. It'll be better in a few months once everything settles down."
Draco nodded in understanding, even though he wanted to scream in frustration. That's what Harry said every time he brought up his promotion. That it would get better. But it never did. It only got worse. Harry just got more tired and more frustrated.
"You need to quit," Draco blurted out. Harry looked up sharply.
"Draco, we've talked about this. I can't just-"
"No, you listen. You're working yourself to the bone. You haven't spent time with the kids since you got promoted. There are others who need you. When was the last time you talked to Ron? Hermione? When was the last time you slept for more than 4 hours or had a decent shower?" He shook his head, "You're trying to play hero again. You don't have to be the hero for everyone all the time. Sometimes its enough to be the hero for your friends, for yourself. "
"The kids are sleeping. I don't want to fight with you right now Draco."
"When are we going to talk about this then? You don't get home until midnight half the time, and the other half you're too tired to say more than a few words." Harry sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm going to shower. Thank you for dinner." Draco shook his head.
"The kids asked for you to say goodnight to them. At least visit them, please?"
With a nod, Harry left him alone and went upstairs. Rubbing his temples in frustration, Draco summoned the firewhiskey and poured himself a glass. Why did Harry have to be so damn stubborn? Why couldn't he see that Draco needed him?
The familiar warmth of firewhiskey spread through his body. Draco's head buzzed slightly, and he savored the slight numbness the drink brought.
Footsteps thundered down the stairs, making him spin around in shock. Harry stalked towards Draco, a piercing glare pointed right at him.
"That was a quick shower," Draco commented, not sure what had angered Harry.
Not deigning to respond, Harry walked past him and pulled two plates out of the cupboard and without a word, made two PB&J sandwiches.
"Who are those for?" Draco asked. Harry looked up and glared at him.
"Our children, who you, apparently, left starving in their rooms for half the night." His voice was sharp and cold, not leaving room for contradiction.
Draco scoffed. "I didn't starve them. They went to bed without dinner because they wouldn't own up to spilling paint on the rug. I was going to give them breakfast."
"So starving them was your first resort? The rug is fine, Malfoy." When they had married, they both took the surname Malfoy-Potter since Malfoy had proposed. They only went back to their individual last names when they were really mad at each other.
"They wouldn't own up to it! We can't let them get away with everything in life. Otherwise, they'll never learn."
"This isn't up for discussion," Harry said, voice filled with venom. "Now I'm going to go bring our kids these sandwiches, and try and convince them that you're not going to make them stay in their rooms forever and let them die."
"What-"
"Whats next, huh? Are you going to beat them? Stick them in cupboards as my aunt and uncle did me?"
Shocked speechless, Draco sat there and stared at Harry, who had angry tears running down his face.
"When I agreed to raise Albus and Scorpius with you, I thought I could trust you to take care of them when I couldn't." Harry picked up the plates and started walking to the stairs. "I guess I was wrong." The words were like a sharp blade thrusted into Draco's heart.
It wasn't until the clock chimed three that Draco stood from his seat and went to lay down on the couch. It wasn't until four that he fell asleep
He woke up the next morning to the sound of the stairs creaking. Groaning, he sat up and stretched out his back while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"We should talk," Harry said. His voice was softer then it was last night, but it still didn't hold the same warmth it typically did.
Draco nodded, ignoring the pain in his head. He patted the spot next to him on the couch, hoping Harry would still sit next to him even if he were in a bad mood. The sofa dipped as Harry tentatively sat down.
"I don't know what to ask you." Draco whispered, "I have so many questions, and I don't know the right ones to ask." Harry nodded. "Are the boys alright?"
"They're fine. They didn't fall asleep last night until 1, so they'll probably sleep in for a few more hours." Draco nodded. "I owe you an explanation for last night."
"And I owe you an apology." Draco had gotten better at apologies through the years. They were still hard for him, but he knew when one was needed. And this was one of those times.
"Me first."
"No," Draco paused. "I was a dick and unfair to you and the boys. I shouldn't have done that. I was just angry, angry at you, and at them, and at myself. It's a shitty excuse, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I yelled at you. You're doing a fucking fantastic job at the ministry, and I couldn't be prouder of you. I just worry about you. I worry if you still care about the kids if you still care about me and the life we've created together. I'm sorry I was so terrible yesterday, you didn't deserve that after coming back from work." He glanced down at Harry's pajamas. "Are you not going today?"
Harry smiled. "Not for a long time."
"You quit?"
"With the Malfoy and Potter fortunes combines, I think we can handle a few years without either of us working. I sent my resignation letter last night."
Draco grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Thank you," he whispered. Harry nodded.
"I'm sorry too. I completely overreacted last night. You were just trying to look out for me. You've been doing so much around here, and I haven't shown an ounce of gratitude. You're a great parent, Draco, and I wouldn't want to raise our children with anyone else."
Draco's lips curved into a small smile. "You mentioned something about your aunt and uncle?" Harry froze, and Draco quickly backtracked. "I'm sorry, nevermind. We don't have to talk about that. You had said some things, and I wasn't sure if I had-"
"No, Draco. I need to tell you. I've been meaning to. I didn't want you to find out like that, though."
"Find out what?"
"My aunt and uncle weren't the nicest of people" Harry started, grimacing. "Well, they were. Only to my cousin though."
"You've never talked about them before. Are they the muggles you stayed with every summer?"
"Yeah," Harry's voice was quiet. Not the mad quiet that it had been last night. Scared quiet. "I'm never told anyone this before, not even Ron or Hermione. So bare with me, ok?"
"Of course." Draco drew soothing circles on Harry's hand and scooched closer so that he could hold Harry in a comforting embrace. "Take as much time you need."
Harry was silent for a few moments. "My aunt and uncle hated anything that wasn't normal, so you can imagine their disgust when I appeared on their doorstep." Harry scoffed, "Dumbledore left me there the night my parents died with a letter. He didn't even stay to see if they brought me inside or not. "
"He just left you outside and left?" Draco asked, frustration bubbling in his stomach. "What if someone had taken you? What if you froze?"
"Would've made their lives a lot easier, I reckon. They hated me from the second they found me, and tried their best for the next ten years to squash the magic out of me."
Confused, Draco wrapped his arms around Harry tighter. "What do you mean?"
Harry swallowed thickly. "My aunt raised my cousin to hate me, pretty much. So when she and my uncle couldn't deal with me, he was constantly watching for me to do something wrong or 'freakish.' And when I learned what to do and what not to do, he ended up just making up stuff to get me in trouble."
"He and his friends made a game called 'Harry-hunting" where they basically chased me down and beat me to a pulp."
"Did he ever get in trouble for it?" Draco already knew the answer, but maybe-
"No, he would always get away with it by telling my aunt he caught me doing something freakish. She would give him a prize or something for it and send me to my cupboard until my uncle came home."
Draco's mind was reeling. A prize? For beating up someone? And wait-a cupboard? "Cu-cupboard?" He seriously didn't mean he slept in a bloody cupboard, of all places.
"Yeah." Harry's voice was becoming softer, more hesitant. "They didn't want to give me Dudley's second bedroom, so I had the cupboard. It was my room 'till I got my first Hogwarts letter." Draco's face grew angrier, and he had to make a conscious effort not to squeeze Harry's hand too hard. "I mean, it wasn't that big of a deal. It fit me fine until I was 9 or so. I was always a small kid, so it wasn't ever too cramped."
"You slept in a bloody cupboard for ten years, and you don't consider it a big deal?" Harry flinched, and Draco immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry, I'll be quiet. You can keep going if you want."
"No, no, you're ok. Just give me a second." Harry took a deep breath. Draco mindlessly drew patterns on his back with his fingers. "My aunt made me do all the chores around the house since I was 6. I had a list every day, and if I didn't finish all of them perfectly, she would tell my uncle and lock me in the cupboard. I cooked all their meals ever since I was tall enough to reach the stove. Everything had to be perfect. Normal."
"They made you work like a fucking house elf," Draco muttered. "And then punished you for not doing everything? You were 6!" When he got his hands on them, he would make them regret ever setting a hand on Harry.
"I was a fast learner." Harry said defensively, "I kind of had to be, you learn quickly when you don't get to eat for not washing the windows." He flinched.
"I'm sorry, Harry." Draco whispered, "They had no right to do that to you."
"That didn't stop them, did it?" Harry asked bitterly. "My uncle, he-he" his voice cracked, and Harry went silent for a moment. "He was the worst."
Draco couldn't imagine what could have been worse than his cousin and aunt, but let Harry continue uninterrupted.
"He worked for most of the day, so I only saw him at nights and on the weekends," Harry winced again, making Draco's heartache for his pain. "Weekends were the worst because I was left alone with him all day."
"What did he do to you?" Draco whispered, nervous at the hollow sound of Harry's voice.
"It was routine for him to come home and listen to Dudley and Aunt Petunia take turns blaming me for whatever I did and didn't do that day. I would cook dinner for them, he would deal with me, and I would sleep in my cupboard for the rest of the night."
"Deal with you?"
"Yeah," Harry's voice shook. Draco hadn't heard him sound that afraid in years. "He-he thought that he could beat the magic out of me if he did it hard enough and often enough."
"He beat you?" Draco whispered, shocked. He had heard a rumor here and there, but they were just rumors from untrustworthy sources. Pure speculation. Yet…
"Yeah." Harry took a deep breath. "He would throw me around a bit, throw a few punches and kicks here and there. He liked to hit me with his belt a lot. My magic helped a lot of scars go away but…" He looked up at Draco. His green eyes sparkled with a vulnerability that left Draco speechless. "Well, you've seen them. Ron and Hermione have too when we were hunting Horcruxes. I just let you all believe they were from the tournament and the war."
"That bastard," Draco hissed, "hit you enough to leave scars that have lasted for more than ten years?"
"I told you, he hoped that if he did it enough, he would beat the magic out of me." Harry shook his head, "I had always been confused when I was younger. I had never been allowed to say 'magic' or anything like that. I just knew I was a freak that did freakish things."
"You aren't a freak," Draco mumbled into Harry's exposed shoulder. "They were wrong."
Harry shrugged. "He gave me the harshest punishments. My aunt normally only made me go a day or two without food. If he was mad, he would throw me in the cupboard after a beating and leave me in there for a week without food. My aunt would sometimes slip me scraps, and I could sometimes sneak out to get something from the pantry, but if I was caught, it was another week in the cupboard."
Draco felt his heart drop. No wonder Harry had been so mad the night before. He had seen Draco as his uncle. As his sick, abusive uncle. His stomach flopped with guilt.
"I'm sorry, Harry." Draco looked straight into Harry's eyes, showing him that he was serious. "I'm not like him. I promise. I would never do that to our kids. I'm sorry that I did yesterday, I was angry, and I had no right, and I won't do it ever again. I promise."
Harry shook his head and brought his hand to cup Draco's cheek. "No, don't apologize. I overreacted. Maybe it wasn't right, but I know you aren't abusive. You've been such a kind, loving dad to those boys. I know you aren't like him."
Draco still felt guilty but didn't say anything. He merely pecked Harry on the lips, savoring the moment. He would avenge the Dursley's treatment of Harry, but that could wait for another day.
"I was always afraid of being like him," Harry said in a timid voice. "He was all I knew growing up. I never had a loving father to look up to, not until I met Mr. Weasley. And by then it was almost too late. Those ideals and punishments had already been driven into my head."
"Is that why you were so hesitant adopting Albus and Scorpius?" Harry nodded.
"Yeah, but then I decided that if you of all people would be able to keep me in check. You wanted them too much to let me, or anyone for that matter, hurt them."
"That may be the smartest idea you have ever had." Draco shook his head. "I love you, Harry. You know that, right? You didn't deserve anything they did to you, and I swear I'm going to make them pay."
"No, Draco, please. Don't risk it. They're not worth it." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Avenging what they did to you is worth it. Maybe in a few years though, catch them by surprise."
"I don't want to risk you going to Azkaban for killing muggles, Draco. We have kids, remember?"
"Fine." With a resigned sigh, Draco leaned back into Harry's arms that had wrapped around him. "Can I visit them though? Rub your success in their faces? Make them feel guilty?"
"I don't want you to get hurt," Harry said gently, "and I doubt anything you say will make them feel guilty." Draco raised his eyebrow. "Ok, fine. Just don't torture them or anything."
"Whatever pleases you, dear." Draco kissed Harry again. "The kids will be up soon."
Harry sat up straighter to stretch out his back. "I'll make us all some breakfast."
Draco shook his head, pushing Harry back on the couch. "You had an exhausting day yesterday and little to no sleep. You rest, I'll make breakfast."
"You did too, Draco. I haven't made breakfast in weeks-"
"I haven't made you breakfast in weeks." Draco retorted. Harry sighed, before brightening up with an idea.
"Why don't we cook together?" Harry asked, hope seeping through his words. "We haven't done that in months." Draco's lips spread into a broad smile.
"I like the sound of that."