Raising Men
Chapter Two: A Happy? Medium

Pacing around his bedroom, Harry sighed. Once again he and Draco had reached an impasse. This time, it was over what pet they should buy. With their completely different personalities, they each wanted different things from it. Draco wanted something refined, something that wasn't a complete bundle of energy, and which had good grooming habits. Harry wanted something that was lovable and cuddly and would romp around and play with abandon.

Read: Harry wanted a dog and Draco wanted a cat.

Having bad memories of the cats mauling him at Mrs. Figg's house, he was adamantly against bringing one into his house where it could shed to it's hearts content and claw up the furniture. Worse, it could possibly make the house smell like cabbage. He wasn't having it.

But neither was Draco having something that slobbered, smelled bad when it got wet, would chew his favourite shoes, and would never learn what the word 'no' meant.

After his best friends had left after the dinner, they had cleaned up and went to bed in a good mood. Sleeping together was always something Harry enjoyed. The intimacy it brought about was something he'd never had before. It was much more then the sharing they did while they were cooking, which was done with little communicating and more sensing. They knew what the other needed, and were always there to reach for it.

The next day, though, the arguments had started again. Fighting over which animal to get had taken a long time to get to, as first they'd had to narrow the list down. All sorts of magical creatures had come up, as well as muggle ones. Granted, Draco hadn't been to keen on them in any capacity, but he hadn't shot them down the moment they were broached. He'd thought about them–probably in distaste–and eventually they had decided that they weren't right for them.

Magical pets had been dejected too.

In the end they had settled for a short pile of names that were available in both the magical and muggle worlds. And as that one was shortened to two, the trouble had started. They couldn't seem to agree. That was nothing new. They never agreed on anything much, always reached some point in the middle. The only time they ever got on well was in the kitchen, or in . . . bed.

They hadn't gone to bed mad at each other that night. Learning early on that walking away and cooling down helped them with their relationship, they'd done it then. When they'd met back up at supper time they'd decided it was better to sleep on it.

Yet the next day, today, they'd gone right back to fighting. They'd even screamed so loud the neighbours had threatened to call in a case of domestic disturbance. Harry had barely gotten Draco inside and the door closed before he issued a threat and the Ramsey's reported the threat instead.

Why oh why was Draco so hotheaded? Why couldn't he just give in every once in a while and let Harry have his way? Did it break his pride that much to give in to needs that weren't his own? This whole problem could have been avoided if he'd just agreed to adopt a child. They'd both be so much happier with a little boy or girl, much more full.

No, that might not be fair. In all honesty he could understand the concern's. Thinking them all through a week ago, he'd decided they could handle them. Draco just couldn't see that they'd be great parents. And Harry just didn't want to wait until he was an old man before they brought someone else into their lives.

Though, what exactly was old when it came to wizards?

Sighing, he marched into his closet and threw off his clothes. Left in only a pair of boxers, he headed for bed.

Pausing by the slightly ajar door, he stared at it pensively. Draco was out there, somewhere, without him. He wasn't sure where he was, beyond in the house. That bothered him as much as going to sleep alone did. Shaking his head, the thought crossed his mind that maybe he should be the one to give in. After all, what he had to loose was more then he had to gain.

He pulled back the black comforter and light blue sheets covering his big bed and crawled in. He didn't pull the blankets over him, didn't lay down, just sat there, staring into the dim room. This just didn't feel right.

Getting back up he walked into Draco's closet. Yes, the man did need his own closet. He had to hang everything up; shirts, pants, underwear, sweaters, ties, robes, jackets, socks. The only thing that wasn't hanging from a rack or a hook was his shoes, and they all had their own specialized shelves. Slanted with a little lift at the end so they wouldn't fall off.

Shucking his own boxers, Harry grabbed a pair of Draco's. The soft mango-coloured fabric fit him well, but never tell anyone he owned a pair of orange anything. It was too bright a colour for him, he said. Harry personally thought they looked great on him.

Closing the door he flung himself back into bed, burrowing under the covers. He rolled to face Draco's side, the one closest to the door, and reached a hand out to caress his blue pillow. It came away with a strand of blond hair and Harry grinned. Wouldn't he love to know that he was leaving hairs behind him? That would just set him off in a tizzy. Merlin forbid he even loose one strand of precious hair. In Malfoy reasoning, if he loses one strand, he's losing them all.

Putting his hand back on the pillow he allowed his eyes to close and his mind to picture Draco there next to him.

In the hidden workroom just behind the kitchen, Draco sat in a chair, staring at a desk laden with parchment. Each parchment was being gone through, angry red slashes being made through some equations, and glaring purple writing sudden ideas. Those added measurements and ingredients would probably be total crap in the morning. But what did it matter? It was all Harry's fault and Harry could be the one to have fun labouriously removing each ink stain.

Growling in frustration, he threw his quill, watching it over throw and fall to the floor. He growled again and slumped back in his seat.

Why the bloody hell couldn't Harry just give in on this one? He got his way in almost everything else, always had. Draco had moved to a muggle/wizarding world. He'd become friends with the Weasley's and Hermione Granger, who was incidentally now a Weasley. He rarely invited his old school mates over. Granted, that was partially because most of those old school mates would try and kill Harry and even Draco given half a good chance. Some of them were even in a newly modified Azkaban. An amazing number of those who hadn't been captured had fled the country.

Essentially cut off from his old life–besides his parents–Draco had capitulated to all Harry's requests after they'd gotten together. The initial proposal, Draco was proud to claim, Had come from his own mouth. And he did get to make the majority of the decorating decisions. Still . . .

A dog?

He couldn't believe Harry even tried to deny him the cat. He was doing this so they could get closer to the baby Harry wanted so desperately. He would end up getting his own way, and Draco couldn't say he'd really mind in the end. If they could prove they were ready. Yet Harry still had to put up a fight over what stupid pet to choose.

This was all so overrated!

Was it possible for them to go back to a week ago when Harry had apparently gotten the idea in the first place? Were they able to go back to when Harry had first brought the subject up? If they could, he'd darn well like to. He wanted to fix this. He'd do anything to make it better. Except give in one the baby and cat. If Harry wanted one he had to have the other. With the new rules anyway.

Perhaps asking Hermione hadn't been quite a good idea. It had been the only way he'd seen at the time though.

Two days ago was all he needed to return to. He'd make a deal with Harry. If Harry waited one more year they could get all the kids he wanted. Just one more year alone. One more year alone for Draco to bring up his proposition. The one that would make their lives so much more full.

Harry had never considered it. He knew he hadn't. That brain was too caught up in what new concoctions they could find, what new mixture would taste great and what would taste horrible. The man cared too much about what they were doing and not what they could be doing. Or how good they could be when they took this to a whole new step.

As it was he just wasn't ready to bring it up. He hadn't planned it all out yet. He needed all the corresponding pieces to be lined up before he even attempted to talk to Harry about it. If he did it any time soon, the git would likely try and bargain. A baby for his agreement. How ludicrous did that sound?

Ah, but Harry's mind was a wonder. No one quite understood it. Draco was as close as they came to getting inside it. Sometimes he didn't want to be. Because he could see Harry's every motivation, it wasn't always in him to be as ruthless as he wanted to be.

That was all right. Harry meant a lot to him. In the end , they'd end up with everything they both wanted. A baby, a bigger house, a new business . . . the world was open to them. It all just took time. A concept Harry Potter didn't comprehend much about.

Standing up, Draco lazily waved his wand and sent his papers into a folder and then into a cabinet where they kept all their important papers. Stretching his muscles out, he left the room, blowing the candles out as he went.

Methodically he went from room to room, making sure any candle that was lit was cooled off. He took one from the living room and used it to light his way down the hallway. It was eery. There were no noises and he wondered what Harry was up to. He was never this quiet unless he was up to something.

The flame glared on the glass of a picture frame and drew Draco up short. It was a picture of Harry and Draco at a picnic the Weasley's had held a year or so ago. With a background of a pond, trees, green, green grass and blue sky, Harry and Draco stood in each other's arms, occasionally teasing one another. They looked so in love. Draco smiled softly. As loathe as he was to admit it to Harry, he really could picture a little child running around their feet, tempting them into a game of tag. Maybe he'd even run into the pond with the myriad of red-headed Weasley children, chase a duck or two.

His smile increased. He rather liked the idea.

He left the frame, and paused at the bedroom door. It wasn't closed like he thought it would be. Half open, it invited him in, showing him Harry cared despite the latest upset. He'd never really doubted he did, but he rarely stopped himself from thinking that Harry would leave his high maintenance boyfriend in the dust one of these days.

When he saw the black-haired boy laying in the bed, sheets thrown of his upper body and tangled around his long legs, he had to give himself a mental shake for even entertaining such thoughts. Harry, sleeping curled against Draco's pillow, on Draco's bright boxers, was the warmest thing he'd ever seen.

Taking of his clothes quietly so as not to disturb him, he left himself on only red briefs. Approaching the bed, he lightly pushed Harry over until he could crawl in bed with him. Blowing out the candle he threw it to the floor. He removed the pillow from Harry's arms, replaced it with himself.

In the back of his mind he could see two other beings joining the family picture his mind had developed. Staring into his closed eyes, Draco whispered, "What have you done to me, Harry?" He was amused with himself. Usually it was Harry catering to him, not the other way around.

"Draco . . ." Harry muttered, face scrunching in annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm being quite." he yawned.

"Are not," Harry snuggled closer, already drifting back into sleep.

AN: This . . . is not the best. I'd originally had them arguing madly again, but this happened instead. Oh, well. It's not that bad. This was supposed to be posted tomorrow night or the night after that. but I'm going to my aunt's cabin for a couple days. So, here it is.

Reviewers:
Alhena-Antares-Alya: Thank's for thinking i'm great. Let's hope this chapter doesn't diminish your opinion of me.
xoxintense: While that's a good idea, this story is based around Harry and Draco dealing with the responsibility of a pet . . . at lest for now that's all it's about.
Rika'sGrayWolf: Hopefully I will have a new chapter out within a week of posting the last one. This one is way early because I felt like writing it.

:)
MaraHeart.