"Papa? D-Daddy?" a small voice called out. "I heard yelling, it woke me up." Lily came into the room, tears falling down her young, smooth cheeks. Draco unsuccessfully tried to smile at his daughter, falling down on his knees to put his arms around her. Harry realized he had been holding his breath and slowly exhaled. He was filled with a feeling of guilt at forcing their five year old daughter to mediate their fights. He only had to look at Draco to know that he felt the same way.

"I'm sorry Pumpkin, Daddy just lost his temper, that's all, there's no need to worry anymore Princess." Draco soothed Lily's hair and bit his lip, trying not to let out the emotions running through him.

"I love you Daddy, and you Papa." She said, glancing at Harry. "I don't want…I don't want you to lose each other, I don't think I could bear to be away from you." Harry felt his breath catch, they could not keep doing this to her, to any of their children. Harry walked over to Draco and Lily, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder as he knelt in front of his now near hysterical daughter.

"Everything's alright love, I'm sorry we woke you up. I promise you that everything is alright now, we're all going to be just fine." Harry turned his gaze to Draco, feeling his heart break at the tears forming in his beautiful grey eyes. "We're going to be just fine."

Picking up Lily in his arms, Draco carried her out of their room and started down the hall to her bedroom, pausing to glance back at Harry. "I think she needs both of us right now." He said softly, continuing down the hallway. Harry followed close behind, silently praying that this was the last night that they would have to do this, at the same time knowing, sadly, that it wouldn't be.

As Draco was carefully tucking Lily back into her bed, Harry took out his wand and murmured "Incendio" towards the fireplace, producing a brilliant flame that casted a soft glow over the room. Sitting down on the bed opposite his husband, Harry gazed lovingly at his daughter, running his fingers softly through her light brown hair. Gazing into her bright brown eyes, he cursed himself and Draco for causing her pain. Draco pulled the covers over her trembling body and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't cry my sweet. It's over now. Your Papa and I are very sorry, but I assure you everything is fine. Life is just hard at times and boys don't always have a very good way to deal with it, myself especially."

Lily stared wide-eyed at her parents and whimpered, "Is it because of me then? Do I make your lives hard?"

Draco placed both his hands over her cheeks, gazing deeply into her eyes. "Don't you ever think that you are the cause of our problems. Never, not even for a minute; do you understand me?" he replied gently, yet firmly. Draco smoothed her hair as Lily nodded and looked at Harry, almost in confirmation of what her papa had just told her. "You bring us nothing but joy Sweet Pea, we love you more than anything else in the world." She gave him and small smirk, eerily similar to that of a young Draco Malfoy, and said"Even more than Albus or Scorpius?" A smile broke out on her face as she watched Harry pause, uncertain of how to respond, and as she saw the boyish grin of her Slytherin father appear.

"We'd be nothing without any of you." Draco replied, lifting himself up from the bed. Harry chuckled as he watched the smile fade into a pout, as he got up to follow Draco out of the room. "Don't pout love," Draco called softly, "it makes you look uncannily like your Papa." Harry's eyes narrowed in a 'I-don't-pout' kind of glare but gave his husband a playful push towards the door. Lily giggled from her bed and said, "You might want to check on the boys as well, I suppose you woke them up too." Harry winked at his daughter and closed the door.

Turning to face Draco, Harry nodded towards the other two bedrooms down the hall. "Together or one on one?" he asked, making his way down the corridor.

"Together." Draco replied. "It might send the wrong message if we do it separately." Harry nodded and gave Draco's hand a quick squeeze before cracking open the door to Scorpius' room. Peeking inside to see if his son was awake or not, he entered the room to find the boy hunched over his bed, reading a very thick book by the dull light of the moon shining in from his window. "You're going to wreck your eyesight if you keep that up." Harry said, smiling as the young blonde jumped, scared out of his wits by the unnoticed intrusion. He gulped and turned his head away from Harry bashfully. "Yes Papa." He said, closing his book and placing it gently on the floor as Harry sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You also shouldn't be up at this hour, young man." Draco added, sighing as he picked up a t-shirt strewn on the floor and hung it up in the closet. "I know," Scorpius mumbled. "Tell me Dad, why don't you use magic for that?" he asked, nodding towards the closet.

"It's nice to do things for yourself every so often," Draco said, and upon noticing the doubtful look on his sons' face, added "and your father and I don't want to rub it in that we can practice magic and you can't, at least not all of the time." He winked and sat down next to Harry. Scorpius tucked himself in under the covers and looked up at his parents. Harry cleared his throat. "I'm sorry he glanced and Draco, "we're sorry rather—that you had to hear all that. We don't want you three to hear the things we erm….discuss when you have nothing to do with it."

A confused look crossed the boy's face. "Hear what?" he asked.

"You mean you didn't hear anything?" Draco asked incredulously, astonished at the fact that the whole neighbourhood hadn't heard their argument.

Harry gave his son a quizzical look. "If we didn't wake you up, then why weren't you asleep?"

Scorpius flushed and mumbled something along the lines of "Oh right, of course, yes that thing. Yup that's what woke me up all right, couldn't even get back to sleep after that, so I thought I'd read." He flashed a guilty look at Harry. Even though Harry knew he should reprimand his son for staying up way into the night, he just couldn't. He looked far too much like Draco, matching all of the Slytherin's features as a boy save for his bright blue eyes. "Scorpius Hyperion, it's not good to lie He started.

"I know but—but…Albus is awake too!"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "And just how do you know that?"

"He sent me a note with Pax asking me if I was still up."

Harry baulked. "He sent you an owl? You realize he's only in the next room over right?"

"I know that, that's why I didn't send him one back, I just told him through the wall!"

Harry sighed, turning helplessly to Draco. "I just can't do it. He looks too much like you; I can't be upset with him." Draco raised an eyebrow. "Oi, but you have no problem being upset with me!"

Harry gazed at his husband with mock-tenderness. "Yes but I can never stay upset with you Darling." He said, all traces of sarcasm leaving his face. Draco smiled back lovingly, both men getting lost in the others' gaze, forgetting the audience that was their son.

Scorpius groaned. "Um…excuse me," he said, propping himself up on one elbow. "I don't mean to sound like and eight year old boy but—"

"You are an eight year old boy." Draco and Harry told him in unison, making them to grin at one another.

"—but I'd rather not see you two all lovey-dovey together." He said, rolling his eyes.

"And why not?" Harry asked, putting on an indignant expression, causing Draco to chuckle.

"Because it's rather revolting." He explained, laying his head back down on the pillow and crossing his arms across his chest.

"And why is that?" Draco asked, patting his sons' knee over top of the covers.

"Because you're my parents, it's…icky. Definitely not something I want to see." He sighed, turning over to face the wall beside him.

"Funny, your sister doesn't seem to mind it," Harry teased, smoothing Scorpius' blonde hair.

"Yeah but she's a girl. She enjoys all that sappy stuff. Remind me to never be like that ever. It's absolutely horrid."

Draco smiled and got up, kissed his son's forehead and reached out a hand to Harry. "Come on Harry, I can tell when we're not wanted, you'll get away with it this time Scorpius. Besides, we don't want to postpone his dreams of Rose Weasley tonight now do we Harry?"

Scorpius bolted upright, colour rapidly making its way to his cheeks. "Why would you say that?" he asked incredulously, not making eye contact with either father.

Harry chuckled. "Hush now Scorpius, he's only joking. Sleep well then." Harry then allowed Draco to lead him out of the room, closing the door behind them. A voice from inside the room squeaked, "I don't like her! I don't!", causing both men to grin broadly as the made their way to their eldest sons' room.

Feeling confident that they would not be pulling Albus out of slumber, Draco knocked on the door and entered the room, finding a very startled Albus shooing Pax out of the window. "Why are you up and who are you sending an owl to at this hour? Your brother again perhaps?" Draco crossed the room and closed the window for his son. "Bed." He commanded gently, as his placed his hands on Albus' shoulders, directing him to the bed as Harry pulled back the covers. Albus slipped underneath his comforter, looking wary, his facial expression looking much older than his nine years.

"Now who was that owl to?" Draco asked gently, pushing away the hair that had fallen in from of the young boy's face.

"It was for Lily," he replied meekly, not meeting glances from either father. Harry looked to his husband, trying to read the emotion on his face. Draco gazed softly at his son. "And why is that?"

Albus squirmed under his blankets and looked away. "I heard you fighting and I knew Lily would be upset, I just wanted to make sure she was alright, but I didn't want to wake her if she wasn't awake. I owled Scorp too, but he was alright." He looked up nervously at the faces of his fathers, blue eyes bright with concern. Both Draco and Harry's mouths fell open at Albus' protectiveness over his siblings. Harry, still being at a loss for words over his sons' thoughtfulness, was slightly relieved when Draco started to speak.

"I'm so sorry," he began, voice breaking as a sob caught in his throat. Albus gave his father a confused look and instinctively reached to hug him. Harry put his arms around the two as Draco continued. "I'm sorry that we've—that I've—put you in this position. You are just a boy and you shouldn't have to worry about your family like this, especially at such a young age." Harry gave Draco a sad look and rubbed his back soothingly. He knew that Draco would never intentionally do anything to upset his children. The whole reason he was so upset was because he was such a fantastic father. He was always giving everything he had every single day in order to care for each of their kids, taking them places with him, making time for them to visit with their friends, being loving, yet firm with them when they broke the rules and overall, teaching them how to be good people. Something that never ceased to amaze Harry was how well their children had been raised. His heart swelled with pride that is was so obviously due to how well Draco supported them, being there for them whenever he was needed. Harry had realized long ago that he himself had learned how to be a good father from Draco's influence.

As if reading Harry's mind, Albus looked up at Draco and said"Dad, you are a wonderful father, both of you are. They best any of us could have ever imagined. You worry about us constantly and I just want to make sure you're not completely responsible—"

"We are completely responsible," Draco replied gently. "we're your parents."

"I know that, but…well you just shouldn't have to be censoring your arguments completely because of how it might affect us. Everybody fights and we know that, it's healthy. But if you are always worried about how we'll take it, you won't focus on fixing the problem and everything will just get worse. That's why I wanted to talk to Lily and Scorp, so that you two could focus on you." Draco looked incredulously at his son and exchanged a look with Harry. Albus gulped, thinking he had crossed a line.

"Harry, I suppose I was mistaken in thinking that we had a nine year old. Our son has obviously grown up dramatically and is wiser than we could have ever imagined."

Harry smirked at Draco, but was also utterly astonished at his sons' maturity. A true Gryffindor! He thought proudly.

Draco looked thoughtfully into his son's eyes, placing his hands once again on Albus' shoulders. "You are the finest young man that I've ever known. Your love for this family is something to be proud of and the fact that you are so understanding of something you have no experience with is truly remarkable. I have never been more proud to call you my son."

Albus smiled widely, basking in his father's praise.

"That being said," he continued. "I don't want you to have to worry yourself so much over what happens between your father and I. You deserve to be a nine year old boy, not our chaperone. So you focus on being a kid alright?"

Albus nodded slowly, finally allowing himself to lie back and try to sleep. Harry gazed fondly at his son and glanced at his tousled soft, raven hair. It was sticking up in different places and Harry smiled, knowing Albus had, unfortunately, gotten that hair from him. Draco placed a soft kiss on the top of Albus' head and walked over to the door.

Harry placed his hand affectionately over top of where Draco had kissed it and stood up to follow his husband out of the room.

"Goodnight, son." Draco called from the doorway. As he and Harry were about to step into the hallway, they were called back by a soft murmur of "Dad? Papa?"

"What is it Albus?" Harry asked, turning around.

"I love you." With that, Albus turned over and fell asleep almost immediately. It was half past midnight after all.

"We love you too, dear, dear boy." Harry whispered softly, exiting the bedroom and turning to face his husband. He was startled to find tears streaming down Draco's face.

Harry went to him immediately, taking the trembling man in his arms and exhaling as he felt Draco wrap his arms tightly around his waist. Rubbing Draco's back, Harry whispered soothing words in his ear. "What have I done?" he sobbed, his head buried in Harry's neck. "How could I have been so stupid?" Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Finally he gets it!

"Come love, let's go to bed. We can talk there." Leading his husband to their bedroom, he entered and caught Draco's lips in his in a single, sweet kiss. He placed a hand on each side of Draco's face and gazed deeply into his beautiful, grey eyes. "You are my husband, my soul mate, my friend. You are also the father of my children and you are bloody wonderful at it. Please don't ever forget that." Draco kissed Harry again, pulling him closer to him, his fingers wrapping around the belt loops of Harry's trousers. "Mmm, this family is the best thing to happen to me," he whispered between kisses.

Harry leaned back and grinned. "You must be really grateful for me then," When Draco raised his eyebrow he added"as I am to you, for giving me everything I could have only dreamed of." Draco relaxed and nodded, bringing his arms around Harry for an intimate embrace. Harry squeezed him back and drawled in his ear, "May I show you how grateful I am?" Draco sighed against him contentedly.

"Mmmhmm."

Harry smiled broadly and pushed Draco back gently onto their bed, blazing emerald never leaving molten silver. Draco let out a moan of anticipation as Harry fell gently over top of him, teasing him with a slow grind. Pressing his mouth firmly over Draco's, he caressed the other man's tongue, letting go of all his previous frustrations. As Harry leaned over Draco, one elbow propped up on the bed, he started carefully and deliberately undoing the buttons of Draco's shirt, the slowness driving the trembling man beneath him mad with want. Draco reached up wound his fingers through Harry's thick dark locks, arching his body up against Harry.

Harry pulled away and smiled. "Now now love," he teased. "No need to be hasty, we have" he leaned back down for a slow, tantalizing dance with Draco's tongue, "all night."

Draco shivered and moaned, leaning back against his pillow as Harry finished unhooking all the buttons of his shirt and pushing it off of his shoulders, kissing his neck and chest in between the pulling of fabric.

Harry smiled down at Draco, a thrill running through him as he saw the desire pooled in his lover's eyes. Draco leaned up and took Harry's lips in his own, begging the other man to sense his desperation and give him what he needed. Running his hands over Harry's chest, he grabbed the material separating himself from his husband's body and hastily pulled it up over Harry's head.

Harry chuckled as Draco reached for Harry's trousers, allowing Draco to undo the zipper but stopping him as he tried to pull them off. Draco looked up at Harry incredulously. Harry's breath caught at the beauty of what was right before his eyes. Seeing his lover laying beneath him, shaking with anticipation, a look of pure longing etched in his handsome face, Harry couldn't stop himself from grasping the blondes hands in his, lacing their fingers together.

"Harry—please…" Draco begged softly, closing his eyes. Harry let a soft growl escape from deep within him upon hearing the sensual voice of a very desperate-sounding Draco Potter-Malfoy. But the man before him would need to hold on a little longer. All good things come to those who wait after all.

Harry smirked at Draco. "Not so fast my love," he breathed, tenderly running his fingers through Draco's hair. "What's the rush?"

Draco whined, unable to mask the yearning in his voice, "And you call yourself a Gryffindor," he murmured, running his hands along Harry's bare arms. "Your intentions are purely Slytherin." Harry smiled.

"What can I say, I learned from the best."

With that, Harry wandlessly cast a Silencing Charm around the room and proceeded to satisfy his husband's every desperate, carnal desire.

Later

Harry was lying back in his bed, looking up at the ceiling; his arm snaked around the body of a very contented Draco.

"With make-ups like that, it's a wonder we don't fight daily." Draco teased, as Harry placed a kiss on his mess of blonde hair. Harry groaned softly at the touch of Draco's fingers lightly tracing patterns across his bare chest. "Git."

"Prat." Draco retorted.

"I love you."

"I loved you first."

"I love—wait, what? No you didn't." Harry looked down at his husband, confusion plastered across his face.

"Oh but I did," Draco replied, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist. "I loved you long before you did. You fell in love with me that night in the Astronomy tower, yeah? The first time we kissed?"

"Of course, I had been about to tell you that too, but you stopped me…I only assumed it was because you hadn't felt the same."

"Yes you would, wouldn't you? But you can also be rather thick at times, no? I've loved you ever since the night you brought me to the Hospital wing."

Harry baulked. That had been months before their first kiss. "You realize that was the night I almost killed you right?"

"Well obviously dear, why else would you have taken me to the Hospital wing?" Harry rolled his eyes but focussed all of his attention on the warm blonde man snuggled up against him.

Knowing Harry wanted him to continue, Draco began his story once again. "You see Harry, there was a reason that I was always such an insufferable bastard to you. I was jealous."

Harry smiled and hugged Draco. "Well I figured as much, you couldn't stand not being in the spotlight."

"You really are thick Harry. That wasn't it at all."

Harry's eyes widened. "Then what was it?"

"I was jealous of everyone around you." He said softly. When Harry stayed silent, Draco continued.

"Even from our first year, the first time we met, I knew you were special. A good person. Probably the best I would ever know. I had caught a glimpse of it in Madame Malkin's shop, and after that, I became obsessed with seeing it again, and after you turned me away for Weasley, my desperation and foolish pride caused me to fall back on everything I had ever been taught: denial and malice. I couldn't admit to anyone that all I wanted urgently was to see you look at me, the same way you came to look at everyone else. That glimmer in your eyes, the smile playing on your lips. It consumed me. I soon realized that maybe it was better that I never caught a glimpse of it, because I wouldn't be able to control how it would make me feel, how it would make me feel about you.

So, with my mind and heart constantly conflicted, I sought you out, tried to get a rise out of you, forcing myself to believe that seeing that harsh contrast when you looked at me was enough, knowing it wasn't. I just…I just needed to be around you. Hoping that one day, despite how horrible I had been to you, you would let down your walls for me, like you did everyone else, and smile; Show me that joy in your eyes like whenever you saw Ron, or Hermione or little Colin Creevey, for Merlin's sake. Anything but the anger that I drew out of you. But by sixth year it was too late.

The moment when you realized what I had done to Katie, I knew it was all over. I would never see that pleasure in your gaze that I had often witnessed from afar. That realization, aside from the weight of my previous actions, was what finally broke me down in that bathroom. And then there you were, seeing me at my most vulnerable, my weakest moment, a feat that no one had ever accomplished before. And through all that, you had given me absolutely nothing, not even a smile. Harry, you were the only person in the entire world that had ever seen me like that, reaching my breaking point and not knowing how to carry on. It was terrifying, and I reacted.

By I should have known that I was no match for you. Lying there on the floor, crying, I accepted the fact that I would never see that glorious expression, your smile, and your beautiful, joyous emerald eyes ever again. The whole world went black and it wasn't until I woke up to you at my side that I allowed myself to believe that all hope was not lost, that I would finally get what my heart most desired.

And then I saw it. That look in your eye, an expression spilling across you face that I never even dared believe I could ever see. It was wonderful; the emotion in your eyes was breathtakingly beautiful and the walls I had spent my whole life building up suddenly fell away. And my heart was yours. I'll always remember what you said to me'Draco I—I never meant…I didn't know. You may never forgive me, but. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

If only you knew then, Harry. Hearing my name on your lips, seeing that look of remorse flashing so brightly in your lovely emerald eyes, I had to forgive you. You completely forced it out of me; it was completely out of my control. I loved you Harry. Wholly and honestly, without any ulterior motive, for the first time in my entire life. It was life changing. I knew I had to get closer to you, whether that was through friendship or love, I just needed to feel you near me. For that day, and for every one after, and that hasn't changed at all in the past 14 years. I still need you just as much as I realized I did back then."

"But…in the Hospital wing, I wasn't smiling." Harry said stupidly, mouth hanging open.

Draco chuckled. "You didn't have to. When I looked at you I saw your innocence, your purity; a soul so gentle and caring that you felt sorrow at the near-destruction of your enemy. Harry, I had never seen anything like that in my life. I only saw my parents cower and submit, at the same time revelling in the demise of the people who were against us, celebrating the fall of the Light. It was despicable really. It wasn't until I got closer to you that I realized that I had never known love. My family wasn't inclined to hugs and softly whispered words of encouragement. I suppose it was through you that I felt alive, wild with emotion that I could finally express. You saved me Harry, I owe everything that I am to you. So that being said, yes, I'd say that I loved you first."

Harry's mouth continued gaping at the man in his arms. "But—but….how did this never come up before? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well if I wanted to be a snarky bastard I would say 'you never asked', but as it is I'd say it's because we're men. We're not completely soft. If I were a woman I would have told you eleven years ago."

"Well I think it's lovely. I never thought it would be possible to fall for you any harder but you've proved me quite wrong."

"Oh gods, I'm turning us both into saps, Scorpius is right, it's starting to be revolting."

Harry chuckled. "Oh I don't know about that, I rather like it. We don't have to be physical to be intimate with each other." He absently reached for Draco's hand, lacing their fingers together, stroking Draco's hand with his thumb.

Draco sighed. "I suppose you're right. It is a bit pleasant it's nice to feel fluffy inside once in a while."

"Fluffy?" Harry asked, stifling a laugh.

"Oh sod off, you know what I meant." Draco retorted affectionately, closing his eyes.

Breathing a sigh of contentment, Harry closed his own eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep.

Present

Pulling on his Auror robes, Harry grabbed his shoes from the closet and crept down the hall, as not to awaken his sleeping family members. He quietly opening the door to Lily's room and peeked inside. Panic rose in his chest as he saw her empty bed. Continuing briskly down the hall to Scorpius' room, he pushed open the door to face another empty bed. Frantically moving to the room of his eldest son he rushed into the room, eyes scanning the vacant bedroom. Where are they? They wouldn't leave the house right? His mind was running away with him and he was only vaguely aware that he was overreacting.

Reaching the stairs to kitchen he was relieved and surprised his children hard at work, pancake batter smeared across their faces, along with the better half of the kitchen. Harry watched as his children worked together, frying the batter over the stove, Albus starting the eggs in another pan, cracking the eggs carefully onto the skillet. Smiling, he made way down the rest of the stairs, catching the eyes of Lily, who screeched, attempting to hide the bowl of pancake batter, from her father's line of vision. "Papa, you weren't supposed to see yet! It was supposed to be a surprise!"

Harry smiled with amusement. "Well Pumpkin, I am surprised." Lily seemed to consider what he said and returned his smile. "Well all right then. Where's Daddy?" Harry crossed the kitchen, lifting up his small pancake-covered daughter and placing his hand on Scorpius' shoulder who was busy reading a recipe for French toast. "It seems easy in theory, rather messy though." He mumbled absently, flipping over the page. "Living like a Muggle is rather complicated, unnecessarily so…"

Harry smiled and turned to Albus, who had finished with the eggs and was moving on to thick slices of bacon. "And what is all this about?"

All three children started talking at once.

"After last night we thought—"

"We felt it would be nice to—"

"—do something nice, something we could all have together."

Harry's heart swelled at the sentiment. How he and Draco could bring something as beautiful and perfect as their family into this world was beyond him. He reached a cupboard to pull out the plates to set the table when Scorpius cut in. "Papa couldn't you use magic to do it, just this once? Dad isn't even up yet! He wouldn't even know about it!" Harry smirked. "What is it with you and magic?"

"It's brilliant! It's so fascinating but Dad is constantly on about how we have to do things for ourselves as not to take everything for granted. He can be rather mental sometimes can't he? Please can you do it? Please? It would be super wicked!" The other children nodded emphatically.

Harry smiled mischievously. "Well all right then, maybe just once, as long as you don't tell your father on me."

Scorpius' eyes widened, seriousness written all across his face. "I promise."

Harry winked and took out his wand, waving it around dramatically, causing plates, cups and cutlery to fly out of their cupboards and drawers and dance around the kitchen.

Harry grinned at the awed looks in the eyes of his children, watching animatedly. Lily squealed with delight and Albus laughed while Scorpius simply stared, mouth hanging open.

Finally, after a few minutes of harmless fun, the objects settled in their place on the table.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Scorpius exclaimed, clapping his hands together. Lily's eyes shone with wonder at the spectacle. Albus turned off the stove and started to set the food and other breakfast necessities on the table but not before a very surprised Draco came down the stairs to witness the end of the circus act taking place in his kitchen. "And what was all that about?" he scolded mockingly, winking at Harry. His children didn't notice the playfulness in his tone and all bowed their heads in shame. Realizing that they didn't know that he was joking, he smiled and opened his arms for the children to come to him for a hug. "It's quite all right. I shudder to think of how Harry would have set the table on his own anyway."

"Hey! I lived like a Muggle long before you did Draco! I wasn't the one who grew up with house elves."

Draco smirked. "Ahh, that's right. Forgive me for forgetting about your domestic talents." Harry laughed and gestured to the kitchen. "Look what our wonderful children decided to do for us this morning."

Draco beamed and pulled his family closer to him. "Yes, what a lovely scene to wake up to, how thoughtful of you three. Everything looks just wonderful! Let's tuck in, shall we?"

The three kids nodded vigorously and rushed to the table, leaving Draco free to give Harry a soft kiss on the lips. "Good morning love." He said dreamily, temporarily losing himself in the loving eyes of his husband.

"Mmm, good morning." Harry sighed, glancing appreciatively at his very elegantly dressed husband. It never ceased to amaze him how put together Draco always looked, it was all very endearing.

"Daaaad, what did I tell you about that sappy stuff! We're about to eat!" Scorpius whined, catching the exchange from his seat at the table.

"Oh don't listen to him," Lily squeaked, turning around to watch the scene thoughtfully. "I think it's rather enchanting!" Scorpius threw her a disgruntled look as Harry chucked and kissed to top of his daughter's head. Draco walked around to take his seat at one end of the table, sitting next to Scorpius and Albus. Harry sat down at the other end of the table, spelling two mugs of coffee to himself and Draco. Lily jumped up and ran to the refrigerator to bring a carton of orange juice to the table. Sitting back down, she passed the carton to Harry. "Papa, could you?"

"Sure Sweet pea." Harry took off the cap and poured some of the juice in her glass. "Anyone else?" Scorpius and Albus nodded, pushing their glasses towards him. After filling them up, he waved his wand and the carton shot back into the refrigerator, the door opening expectantly for the juice to return. Draco raised his eyebrow. "I think that's enough for one day, wouldn't you say?"

Harry ducked his head bashfully mumbling something along the lines of "I couldn't resist."

Draco chuckled and speared a pancake, placing it delicately on his plate. "Pass the eggs Albus?" Albus grinned and passed the plate over.

Soon after, when everyone was finishing up, Harry glanced at his watch. "Merlin is that the time? I'm already late!" he said, leaping up from the table, saying a hasty but heartfelt goodbye to his family. "I love you all, I'll see you tonight."

Draco smirked and winked at him. "We'll be here."

Harry smiled and disapparated, suddenly feeling proud and completely envious of his husband's ability to spend his days raising their three wonderful children.

Once Draco and the children had finished cleaning up their disaster of kitchen, the four of them walked into the living room and flopped down on various couches and chairs. "Wow," Draco sighed, "that was a lot of work!"

"Well it didn't have to be, it would have gone a lot faster if we didn't have to do it the blasted Muggle way!" Scorpius frowned and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I don't know why you complain all the time Scorpius," Lily squeaked. "I rather liked it."

"Of course you liked it! All you did was sit on Dad's shoulders and put a few bowls in the cupboard! Albus and I did all the work! We scrubbed those sticky counters and we did all those bloody dishes by hand." Scorpius scowled at his sister, who stuck her tongue out at him in response. Draco sighed and glanced to Albus who simply shrugged at his somewhat exasperated father.

Draco stood up and came to a squat in front of his Scorpius. "Son, I want you to listen to me. I'm not going to raise my voice, and I'm not angry. I just want to make myself very clear all right?" Scorpius nodded.

"It would be very much appreciated if you stopped protesting the Muggle way of life that we've adopted. We don't make you hang up your clothes or vacuum your carpets to punish you—"

"Oh sure," Scorpius grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Draco grasped Scorpius' small hands in his own. "Please Scorpius, this is important. Listen to me, only for a minute. Can you do that?"

Scorpius looked into Draco's thoughtful eyes and sighed. "Yes Father."

Draco gave his hands a quick squeeze. "Thank you. Now as I was saying, doing things for yourself is not a punishment, it's a privilege. We need to embrace other ways of doing things as to fully appreciate everything that we have, and everything that we are. It keeps us humble. You know the story of Voldemort," Scorpius' eyes grew wide at the mention of his name and Draco heard the collective gasps of his other two children, "and you know that he hated and despised everything about Muggles and Muggle-born wizards. He refused to accept any part of their culture or identity and that consumed him. He was unable to acknowledge another way of life than his own and his hated caused him to kill a lot of innocent people. People who could accept others and respect them. Mixed blood families were scorned and muggle borns were punished with death. As Purebloods, my family and I supported the idea of our superior bloodline, not realizing how atrocious the whole thing really was. By the time I had become a Death Eater, I finally grasped the absurdity of the entire notion. Some of the greatest witches and wizards were mixed blood, just look at your father." Draco cleared his throat as he felt his eyes well up with tears. "But as I was saying, I have a lot to make up for, and I want it to be clear to you three that there is absolutely nothing wrong or inferior about the Muggle way of life, that it is respectable and worthwhile. Do you understand me son?"

Scorpius nodded gravely, shame and sadness written all across his face. "I-I'm sorry father, I had no idea he started before his lip trembled and he burst into tears. "I had no idea, I'll never complain about it again I swear!" Draco wrapped his arms around his son protectively. "There there, son. Shhhhh. Don't cry, it's not your fault. You're just a boy excited about the prospect of magic. Of course you would be upset at not being able to see it everyday. I know that. Shhhhh my boy. You are a good man and we all know that okay? It's all right, everything is all right." Scorpius nodded against Draco's shoulder, whimpering softly. Lily and Albus crept onto the couch and snuggled close to their brother. "Don't worry Scorp, we know you didn't mean it that way, I like magic too!" Albus gently rubbed the blonde boys' back. Draco let go of his son and looked lovingly to his family. "Maybe I do go a little overboard though yeah? Perhaps we could do a bit more magic around the house?" Draco smiled as he watched the faces of all three children light up. "Could we really Daddy?" Lily squealed.

Draco's heart swelled at the sight of his family, huddled so close, looking up at him with such innocence and want. "I suppose we could find a happy medium. That being said, I still expect you all to do your weekly chores, not much is going to change." Scorpius groaned mockingly, a wide grin reappearing on his young face. "Whatever you say Dad."

"And don't you forget it!"

With one quick group hug, the children clambered off the couch, running upstairs to get dressed and start the day's activities.