AN UNLIKELY PLACE
by FIRESWORD
FINAL CHAPTER
It had been thirteen days since he had last seen his lover, and Harry could scarcely believe that he was missing Draco this much. He had been feeling restless since Wednesday and now that the weekend was finally here, he had to discipline himself not to be too joyous about it. His cast had been removed three days ago, and Healer Nerva had told him that he was good and healed.
"Just be sure you don't try any stunts on a broom yet," the wizard had said.
Harry was not certain if that was an advice, or a pun, and thinking about it was making him blush with embarrassment. Several feet away, Lach shook his head and when their eyes met, the vampire rolled his eyes in sarcasm.
"Just thirteen days ... and you're pining?" Lach teased before pushing him out of the store.
"I'm not done yet!" Harry protested.
"Get going, laddie. That expression on your face is quite disturbing. You're making me want to see my mate."
Given the go-ahead, Harry did not linger around any further. He made his way to the bakery and chose some treats for Draco. He was so preoccupied with what he was doing that he did not hear one of the Weasley twins yelling out for him, and he had Apparated home before Fred could catch him.
He showered quickly and got into a fresh set of robes. Then he hurriedly brushed his hair and absently noted that it had grown quite long. Should I try to tie it back? He decided not to in the end, fearing that it would take up too much time.
"Hedwig, I'm off to see Draco!" he yelled out the window, and waited for a responding shriek before leaving the house a second time.
He had to concentrate doubly hard on Apparating to Azkaban - Draco's face kept on intruding. The two guards stationed outside Azkaban admitted him in wordlessly, but Harry caught them exchanging a look before he moved on to find Lovat. They must be wondering why the change in routine again...
Lovat, for some reason, was grinning from ear to ear when Harry found him, but he did not explain why. And Harry did not ask.
He went up the stairs, but mindful of the healer's advice, he did not try to run. Crow, as usual, was on duty, and both of his eyebrows went up when Harry appeared.
"It has been a while since you have made an appearance," Crow rumbled. "The dragon's been simmering," he continued in an undertone.
That put a halt in Harry's eagerness to see his lover. "Er ... why?"
"His father or the Potions master had said something that had gotten on his nerves, I believe." Crow opened the door without announcing to Draco that he had a visitor, and Harry stepped in cautiously.
Draco was standing by the window, looking out with an unreadable expression. He turned at the sound of the door closing. Grey eyes widened, and his lips moved, unmistakably mouthing Harry's name. Then his eyes hardened into color so close to agate. Draco moved quickly to stand before him and without any warning at all, he swung his foot at Harry's recently healed ankle.
"Owwww!" Harry yelped and jumped back. "What was that for?"
His lover tilted his head to one side and regarded him with blank eyes. "It's really you," Draco whispered.
"Who else can I be, you git?" Harry said with a slight scowl. "Is there someone else besides me who'd visiting you?"
"Harry." Draco threw himself at him.
He rolled his eyes upward but returned the embrace. "I'd expected you to come and give me a flying hug, not a go at my ankle," he muttered. "Don't you miss me?"
"Hmphf. Sorry," Draco said sheepishly and gave him a kiss. "I thought you're someone trying to trick me."
"Why would anyone try that?" he asked in exasperation.
"It's April Fool's day, isn't it? I can't help but expect something like that..." Draco's arms tightened around him. "But it's you."
"And how do you know it's really me?"
"I just know." Draco stopped him from talking with a hot kiss, which threatened to melt his bones. He could not quite focus on Draco's face after they had broken off the kiss. "You're all right now, right?"
"I think I will have a bit of a bruise, but yeah, I'm fine." They hugged again.
"Be more careful while you're at work."
"Why?" Harry asked impishly.
"Because I can't stand not being able to see your face," Draco said with a slight pout. "How do you do it, Potter? You're the first person, who isn't family, and I'm already so incredibly fond of you."
"I know you're going to smack me if I say I'm beautiful," Harry answered with a crooked grin. "Well, I'm not going to be shameless and hazard a guess." He cupped Draco's face then. "I love you."
Draco's cheeks turned red for some reason. "Come. Tell me what you've been doing for the past two weeks." He led Harry to the bed.
-oOooOo-
6 June 2000.
Although it was quite late in the afternoon, the area around the stone table was quite sunny. Harry looked at the spread nervously and glanced around. The keepers were taking quite a long time to get his lover out. He restrained the urge to pace, but his fingers would not obey him. They kept going back to his hair.
It was actually Monday, and it had taken him a lot of effort and pleas with the Board to allow him to see Draco on this day.
Finally, he heard the soft thumps of feet on the ground, and a silver-haired wizard flanked by two solemn guards appeared. They stopped several feet away from the bench, and then the guards turned back, leaving Draco.
Draco's eyes were so round that Harry could not help but grin. His lover looked so adorable and Harry reached out for his hand.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't see you during the weekend," he said softly, his smile toning down to a loving one. He planted a kiss on a pale cheek before tugging gently at his lover toward the round table.
"Harry, what is ... this?" Draco asked in a hushed tone. His eyes were staring incredulously at the cake shaped quite closely to a dragon. Most of it was white, but the scales around the edges were delicately sliced cherries, and its wings had veins of some sort of amber syrup.
"Just a small birthday celebration, Draco."
Draco stared at him. "I've never ... you didn't - how did-?"
"Er ... I sort of forced your father to tell me your date of birth." He waited to see how Draco would react to that, but the stunned expression did not so much as waver.
"I don't ... I've never really celebrated birthdays." Draco's voice sounded distant. "Harry, how do you celebrate birthdays? I've always thought ... to receive presents..." He mumbled somewhat guiltily.
"I'm not sure either." Harry smiled gently.
"It's just ... This day ... I've always felt lonely..." Draco looked at him, his eyes clear but sparkling with conviction. "Presents didn't really mean anything ... the presents I had received back then were nothing more than to get into my family's good book."
"I don't know," Harry said truthfully. "But let's try and throw a whole new meaning to birthdays, shall we?" He lifted one of Draco's hands and placed it over his which was holding a plastic knife. "One thing I'm sure of - birthdays shouldn't be spent alone." He leaned closer. "Make a wish and blow the candles," he whispered into Draco's ear.
The vacant look returned in Draco's eyes, but they cleared a second later. He stooped down a little and blew the candles before straightening his back.
"Happy birthday, Draco," he congratulated before guiding his lover's hand to cut the cake.
Draco's lips curved into a bright smile and they looked so inviting that he was leaning forward to kiss them before he knew it.
"That cake would not be edible if it lands on your faces now, would it?" Snape's sarcastic voice reached his ears.
With a soft sigh, Harry reluctantly pulled back. Draco, who had closed his eyes earlier in reflex to the promise of a kiss, was now glaring at Snape. Without so much of an invitation, Snape sat down on one of the chairs. Lucius followed his example several seconds later, but with more grace.
"Harry, love, what are they doing here?" Draco's voice was silky. Both Lucius and Snape raised their eyebrows.
In a low tone, he answered, "Well, they're family." When Draco merely blinked, he quickly corrected himself. "Your family that is."
"I would think you'd want to celebrate this with just the two of us." Draco had said that with such honesty that Harry had to chuckle and shake his head.
"It is not really my place to not invite them..." Harry did not look at the older wizards.
"Hmmmm." Draco cast a superior look at his father but surprisingly, he did not say anything. "The cake is really nice, by the way."
"Thank you."
They finally cut the cake, and Draco served all of them as though it was already in his nature. Sitting down beside him, Harry found himself staring at Draco more often than savoring the cake.
Unexpectedly, Draco tugged at him and kissed him soundly on the cheek. "I wonder what they'll do if I'm going to ask them to leave?" he mumbled into Harry's ear.
He was so embarrassed that he could not do any more than stare at Draco.
"Then again, I think I'll have much more fun shocking them when they're around." Draco laughed evilly as he drew away.
"It seems that I have yet to teach him the manners of ... discretion," Lucius said sardonically. Peculiarly, Snape snorted in derision.
It was unusual and ironic for Harry to feel so much at peace in a place like this. It was stranger still, that he could have opened his heart to Draco. It was more unsettling, however, that he was willing to forgive Lucius and Snape. A small part of him reprimanded him for wanting to give in, but his optimistic side told him that he could not keep holding on to the past. And it was within this state of indecisiveness that he had unwittingly spoke to Lucius.
"I do love your son."
"Yes, yes, I know," Lucius said, waving his hand as though it was trivial. "I have a question, however. Do you love him enough and take on his clan name?"
"Does it matter?" Harry asked solemnly. "Both of our clans will end with us, I think."
"It is not impossible for either of you to bear an heir. It is difficult, but not impossible." Lucius set his fork down. "So, tell me, Potter. Do you love him enough to marry him?"
"Father!" Draco squeaked.
"If he consents to it." Harry gazed at his lover. "I'd like us to be mates one day."
"Good." Lucius leaned back, appearing quite thoughtful.
"You are out of your mind, Lucius."
"Perhaps. But as his father, Severus, I do have to think about his future."
That set off an argument between the two, but it was harmless bickering. Harry stopped paying attention to them - they were speaking in another language anyway.
"Harry," Draco started tentatively, "are you serious?"
"Aren't you serious about us?" He brushed Draco's cheek lovingly with his thumb.
"I am ... but..."
"But?" Harry snaked his hand to the back of Draco's head and threaded his fingers into fine, silver hair.
"You are too good for me..."
"I can't help but try." He smiled crookedly at the look of confusion on his lover's face. "I am your lover after all. I have to be the best for you. You deserve nothing less."
"You're making me blush," Draco mumbled. Just as Harry was about to kiss him, they were interrupted yet another time.
"Do not start proposing until you have attained proper rings, Potter," Lucius said warningly. The man exchanged a mysterious look with the Potions master. "And like you say, my son deserves only the best."
-oOooOo-
The End
-oOooOo-
I wonder if that "ending" sucked, but it somehow felt right ... for me at least. I am not sure why I'm laughing at Lucius' dialogue. Anyway, thanks for reading this ficlet. It's not exactly over - I have a couple of bonus chapters coming up! They're ... ah ... the missing 'future' scenes.
FYI: I had started writing this on 20.05.06, and I had intended to post this on Draco's birthday. However, due to work, my distraction with lovely, yaoi mangas, I was a bit slow in writing. I know, I know – it was bad of me to be so slow at producing stuff.
I'll see you again, with the first BONUS chapter! Hehehe….