Trust
"Harry, why don't you move your stuff to the Head Boy's room? We plan on keeping you here anyway, might as well move in." Draco sounded reasonable when he made the suggestion, and Harry blushed. He wanted to move in with Draco and Blaise, but he was still unsure about the status of their relationship. He knew that the Slytherins had been in a long-term affair, and he wasn't sure exactly where he would fit in.
"Um I'd love to, but I'm not ready for anything really physical right now. I don't want to move in if it will cause too much stress or tension."
"Harry," Blaise said, "we know that. We're not going to push for that. We just love cuddling up next to you at night, and would miss your warmth if you weren't here." Harry grinned widely, then called out a name, summoning one of the many Hogwarts house elves.
"Could you please go to my dorm in Slytherin house and get all my things? Please bring them down here if you would." The elf nodded happily and popped away. Moments later, he was back with all of Harry's things, and the boys set to work, unpacking and making room for the emerald-eyed boy. Harry grinned a silly grin the whole time he unpacked, and Blaise and Draco teased him mercilessly, so the boy was in constant blush mode.
Once finished, the trio sat on the couch in the common room, discussing the engagement.
"So, when do you want to get married, Harry?" Draco asked. He wanted to do it right away, to keep anyone else from trying to claim the boy.
"Erm, I think we should wait until after we graduate. It will give you all year to decide whether or not you want to toss me out." Harry said it jokingly, but the look on his face read anxious and fearful. Draco and Blaise saw the expression, and heard the fear behind the voice, but were unsure how to address it.
"Oookaaay. I guess we can wait to claim you properly. Just don't let anyone else take you. You belong to us." Harry smiled, but his eyes still reflected insecurity. I'm going to have to find out where that comes from, Draco thought.
"I, um, I think we should glamour our engagement rings. I don't need all the unwanted attention right now, all the touching and hugging." The bitterness in Harry's voice was unexpected, and both boys were stunned.
"Why don't you want an engagement party, Harry?" Blaise asked softly, concerned at the bitterness in the other teen's voice. Harry heaved a heavy sigh, staring at his hands.
"They...they wouldn't be happy for Harry. They'd be happy for the bloody Boy Who Lived. Most of them would come to the party just to touch Dumbledore's Golden Boy and the Savior of the Wizarding World. There'll be pictures, and invasive questions, and accusations of betrayal."
"Betrayal?" Draco echoed, eyebrows dancing in his hairline.
"Yeah. Most of the wizarding world expects me to marry the proper pureblood lady and pop out dozens of little Saviors. They'll see it as a betrayal if I decide to wed men." Draco hummed softly in agreement, seeing Harry's point quite clearly.
"What about the courtship cuffs, Harry?" Blaise asked. "Do you want to hide them as well?"
"No. I want to flaunt those. I want people to know that I'm off limits, without all that congratulatory hugging and slobbering. I know I seem a little contradictory, but courting is different from the engagement. With courting, everyone knows I'm taken and won't bother me. I just want to spend time with you two, touch only you two, be manhandled by only you two. Do you understand?" Harry looked pleadingly at Draco, then at Blaise. They both nodded their understanding, but exchanged a look when Harry turned away to stare at the fire. Suddenly, he got up, excusing himself and going into the study, where the painting of Hogwarts hung. He was there for a time, before he came out.
"Um, Draco? Professor Snape says he wants to speak to you and Blaise privately. I'm going to the Slytherin common room, see if Mione is around. I'll see you later." He kissed both men as he left. Looking at each other in surprise, both Draco and Blaise got up from the couch and walked to the study. They stopped in front of the painting, where a mellow Severus Snape stood, waiting.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Please have a seat; this will be quite a long conversation." Eyebrows raised, the boys pulled up comfortable chairs and sat expectantly, looking at the no longer dour man in the painting.
"What's this about, Uncle Sev?" Draco questioned.
"Mr. Potter has informed me that the three of you are engaged to be married. He informed me after receiving this painting that the two of you were actively courting him. He seemed excited and pleased that someone out there was more interested in him than in his name. Congratulations on the engagement, and may I say that you two could not have picked a more deserving or honorable young man." The speech left both boys surprised; Snape was never a fan of Harry's and had never praised the boy. They considered the man in the painting, figures moving around in the distance behind him. Severus was smiling, and the smile held a world of contentment.
"Thank you, Severus. Your approval means the world to me," Draco said with a small catch in his voice. His eyes held unshed tears; he missed his godfather horribly and was grateful that the man approved of him and his choices.
"I need to discuss Harry with you." Again, eyebrows raised. The man had never used Harry's first name, as he was never fond of the boy. "There are some things that you should know about him. When he first came to Hogwarts, I saw a world of pain in his eyes. I didn't want to believe it; he was the spitting image of James Potter, and my hatred for his father had carried over to the child. However, I couldn't mistake the anguish in those eyes. Albus hadn't checked on him in those intervening nine years, hoping that he was safe enough where he was. The pain and obvious malnutrition alerted the headmaster, and he requested that I perform Legilimency on the boy, to monitor his life. These memories were put into a pensieve, which allowed Albus and I the opportunity to adjust our treatment of the child as needed. I hated him, but I could not bear to see a child suffer so. I did that for each of the six years he attended Hogwarts. Those memories, along with the pensieve, are in my secret office off of the Potions classroom. You gentlemen should view the information at your leisure; it is very important if you wish to ensure Harry's happiness.
"The secret office can be accessed from these very rooms; it was a safeguard should I need a place to hide someone. The entrance is behind that painting of the basilisk in battle in your common room. The password is dreamless sleep. I urge you to make good use of the time. I have grown very fond of Harry, and I regret never giving him the chance when I was alive. Had I not been so hell-bent on hating James through him, I would have been honored by his friendship and regard." Here Snape stopped, regret radiating from the man and affecting the boys. "I had made the mistake of not understanding the boy before it was too late; I pray that the two of you do not make that same mistake." The conversation finished, Severus slowly walked back toward Hogwarts, Lily Potter joining him half way there. His face lit up at the sight of her, and they walked the rest of the way toward the castle arm in arm, chatting as if they had not lost their friendship. Draco smiled; he was happy that Sev could express his fondness for the woman, and not be spurned for it. Hopefully, the dour man's afterlife will be better for him.
Rising, both boys went back out into the common room. Harry had returned briefly and left a note.
My Lovely Fiances
Mione and I have gone to the library. She has some information for me on bonding ceremonies and courting rituals that I really need to see. I will be back by dinner. I love you both.
Harry
"Well, we now have the time. Let's go look at some of those memories." Walking to the painting, they said the password, and the covering opened up to a long hallway. They walked the hallway and came out into Severus' hidden office. There, on the desk, was the pensieve, and behind it were rows of vials, filled with silvery memory. Each one was labeled with date, time and subject. The top two rows were nothing but Potter, and the rest of the shelves contained vials labeled Dark Lord, and Dumbledore, and some even labeled Lucius and Draco. Feeling slightly violated, I never gave that man permission to invade my privacy like that, Draco nevertheless grabbed the first vial labeled Potter and dumped it in. The boys stood looking at each other from across the pensieve, apprehension on their faces. Then, as one, they touched a finger to the fluid, feeling themselves sucked into the memory.
Harry is four years old. He has just burned the eggs he was making for the family for breakfast. Suddenly, a scream rends the air, and Harry's hands are red and blistering, as he tries to pull them away from the hot skillet.
"That will teach you to waste valuable food, freak!" the fat man screams in the child's face, uncaring at the damage caused to little Harry's hands. The child is then dragged to the cupboard under the stairs, where he's tossed in like yesterday's trash. He hits the back wall hard, his head making contact with an exposed beam. He lays there, dazed, as his uncle continues the rant. "Don't expect that those little burns on your hands will prevent you from completing your chores, boy. They will be done before I get home from work." The fat man storms away, and the child hears the front door slam. He lays there for many minutes, trying to control the pain in his hands. He finally marshals enough energy to rise from the floor and crawl out of the cupboard. His hands are afire, and he searches the kitchen for clean rags to wrap his hands. He finally finds them, and some burn salve in a first aid kit under the sink. He clumsily bandages his hands-this isn't the first time he's had to do this-and prepares everything he will need to complete his chores. Though his hands will give him trouble all day, he manages to complete his assignments, and crawls into his cupboard, collapsing from exhaustion, pain, and hunger. As he drifts off to sleep, he can hear the laughter of the family as they sit in the living room, enjoying some comedy on the telly, and each other. He softly cries from the loneliness as he closes his eyes.
The boys pulled back to the present, tears coursing down their cheeks. They looked at each other, horrified at the treatment that beautiful little child had to endure. Glancing back at the shelves, they were stunned at the amount of memory stored there, and knew that this particular one was no isolated incident.
"I don't think I can watch any more," Draco said, his voice shaking with unshed tears. Blaise could only nod, too choked up to speak. "All these memories. All this abuse and isolation and loneliness. It is no wonder Harry doesn't like a lot of contact. He rarely got it, and what contact he did get was invariably painful and punishing. Only his teachers were able to reach out to him, but they weren't there long enough to really help. He must have been really good to have hidden the abuse like that. And then the Weasleys opened their hearts and arms to him, but turned on him as soon as his usefulness was ended. He's been betrayed by everyone that matters for so long, I'm surprised he actually trusts us. I need to see him." The boys left the office, vowing never to come back. The memories stored in that little room were too painful to bear, but went a long way in letting both Draco and Blaise know what kind of person Harry really was; what molded him into the kind of person who would go out of his way for just about anyone, with very little expectation.
They left the common room, rushing to the library. There, they found Hermione, but she was alone.
"Hermione, have you seen Harry? He told us he was supposed to be with you." Blaise seemed a little tense. She smiled uncertainly at the boys.
"He said he had to do something, but he wouldn't tell me what it was. He wanted me to meet him at his favorite tree by the lake," she glanced at her watch, "now, actually, if you want to come along." At their agreement, the three left the library, exiting the castle shortly after. They walked slowly to the tree, Draco and Blaise calming themselves. They saw the brunette sitting and leaning against the tree and they quickened their pace, anxious to see him. He looked up and smiled at the three, his eyes zeroing in on the faces of his loves. He saw anxiety and tension in those beautiful faces, and he frowned, concerned. He didn't have an opportunity to say anything, though, because an owl was winging its way toward the group. Harry stood up and brushed off the back of his pants. He grinned widely as the owl swooped down and landed on Draco, holding a leg out. Hermione looked at the boy, eyes narrowed, before looking back at the other two. They had removed the parcel from the owl, and it enlarged as they opened it.
Inside was a wizarding boudoir photo of Harry, in all his naked glory. There was a Slytherin silver and green silk fabric strategically placed across his lap, and he lounged, looking lazily at the camera. He smiled, licked his lips, and looked with burning desire at the boys. The fabric was impressively tented, showing them exactly where and on who Harry's mind was. Their eyes widened comically as they stared at the sexy photo, then they looked up at the boy in person. Carefully shrinking the photo and putting it away, they started to advance on him, a wicked gleam in their eyes. Harry backed away, smiling, before turning and pelting for the front doors of the castle, Blaise and Draco in close pursuit. The silver courting cuffs sparked in the sunshine, blinding some as the boys flew past. Harry was up the stairs and through the doors in no time, vaulting up the main staircase two and three at a time. The stairs were stationary, it being the weekend, and guaranteed the boys safe passage as Harry ran through halls and up more stairs. Finally, he found an alcove to duck into, waiting for the other two to pass. It gave him a moment to catch his breath as he heard the footsteps running by. They soon faded, and Harry poked his head out of the alcove. The hallway was empty, so he exited his hiding spot, walking quietly in the opposite direction the footsteps went. Which is why he didn't see the boys come up behind him.
"Gotcha!" Blaise trumpeted as he grabbed Harry around the waist. The ebony-haired boy jumped and almost screamed like a girl. "You didn't really think you could get away after showing us something like that, did you?" Draco questioned as he circled the pair. He stopped in front of Harry and stared intently at him, making the boy blush. The blond leaned in and brushed his lips against Harry's, while Blaise ran his tongue from the base of Harry's neck to the bottom of his ear, to that secret soft spot that made the boy melt in Blaise's arms. He moaned, then whimpered as the boys pulled away.
"We need to talk, Harry," Blaise said as he stepped away. The apprehension in those emerald eyes hurt the other two to their very souls, and they tried to smile reassuringly. Harry wasn't buying it. Here it comes, he thought. Here's where they kick me out, or tell me they don't really want me. His head low, he walked between the two boys, completely missing the worried glances they shared over his bent head. It was a quiet walk back to the dungeons and the Head Boy's room. Draco quietly said the password, and the three silently entered the rooms. As Blaise and Draco sat on the sofa, Harry stood by the door, painful resolve on his face. Draco rose from the couch and went to the standing boy, smiling gently at him. He grabbed both of Harry's hands and insistently tugged him toward the couch, pushing him down beside Blaise. He then sat on the other side of Harry, and both boys scooched in closer to him, sandwiching him between them. They each grabbed a hand and stroked it reassuringly before Draco started the conversation.
"Please don't think we want to get rid of you. We love you. We love you more now than ever." Harry's eyebrows rose at the declaration, and he visibly relaxed. Blaise picked up the conversation.
"Snape told us some things. And he was able to show us some things." At this, Harry's eyebrows came together in a frown. Blaise continued, his voice starting to shake with suppressed emotion. "He told us that Dumbledore wanted him to do Legilimency on you almost from the moment you walked into Hogwarts. They saw pain and neglect in you, and were concerned about your treatment. They watched the memories Snape pulled from you, and decided on your treatment here based on the information they observed." Harry sighed heavily; he knew where this was going. "The professor suggested we watch the pensieve memories, to get a better idea of who you are. We did." Here, Blaise's voice started to quiver alarmingly, and unshed tears gleamed in his eyes. Harry's surprise ratcheted up a notch when he saw the same emotion reflected in Draco's silver orbs. It's not pity, he thought in wonder. It's sadness and compassion on my behalf. For me. Draco picked up the conversation.
"We understand your reluctance to be touched or handled. We understand your desire to avoid people. What we don't understand is how you could put so much trust in us, especially after all I'd done to you throughout the years." Harry pondered his answer; he knew he had to say this just right for them to understand.
"You were the unwavering constants in my life. I was never the Boy Who Lived for you. I was a rival, pure and simple. I never had to second-guess you. I never had to wonder at your motives. And I never had to pretend to be anything but who I was. You understood me better than anyone. You accepted me, warts and all. How could I not trust you?"
"So, me being mean to you and Blaise practically ignoring you is why you trust us? That makes no sense." Harry sighed in frustration before continuing.
"You were predictable. Never changing. Always the same. It was the comfort of routine that I relied on. And you had always proven your loyalty time and again. You are the most fiercely loyal men I've ever met. You never turned your backs on friends, or ideals, or family. Despite the danger of the choices you made, you made them, and stuck to them, and remained loyal throughout. No matter what, no matter how much you disliked me, you remained loyal to the idea of my humiliation, my defeat. You even remained loyal to my success. You remained loyal to me, as twisted as that loyalty was. And I cherish that. I trust that."
"Wow, Harry. You're really fucked up, you know that?" Draco's voice had laughter in it, and Harry grinned cheekily at him.