Author's Notes: I meant to update this sooner, but that darn Real Life got in the way. It's a long chapter so I hope it's satisfying for everyone still reading. Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you Peegchica and Lady K. Malfoy for the reviews of Chapter 8, I'm so glad you liked the chapter!

Chapter 9 A New Addition

Once they were back inside their cottage, Corbin let out the breath he'd been holding. He looked at the small boy held in his arms.

Harry blinked up at him for only a moment, before turning to gaze at Cassius in awe, "Scay Unc' Venn."

"He deserved it." Cassius shrugged, unrepentant.

"Harry, in our hurry, we didn't properly introduce ourselves. I'm Corbin Hill and this is Cassius Malfoy, he and your mother were cousins. This is going to be your home now."

Harry stared at him and Corbin wondered just how much the little boy understood.

"Get him cleaned up."

Corbin nodded, he'd noticed the smell clinging to Harry when he'd picked him up. He headed towards the stairs, "Let's go upstairs. You can have a bath and get changed. Then we'll have some tea, I made cookies." He felt like he was talking too much in the face of Harry's silent scrutiny.

He set Harry down in the bathroom with the recently enlarged bathtub. One of the faucets was set with green minty bubbles and he turned it on as Cassius leaned against the doorway. Corbin noticed with dismay how dirty the little boy was as he helped Harry pull off his oversized shirt. There were also distressing bruises on his arms and back.

Corbin sat down on the stool and helped Harry strip off the rest of his clothing, including a dirty diaper, and get into the tub. Before Corbin could decide what they were going to do with the old clothes, Cassius cast a spell and they went up in flames.

"Fie?" Harry gasped, bubbles now surrounding him.

"It was a magic spell. We're wizards." Corbin grabbed a flannel and started to gently wash Harry's back, wincing as he noticed he could count every bump of his spine. "Just like you, Harry, just like your mum and dad."

"'foe cash?" Harry's voice was muffled by the flannel which was now being wiped over his face.

Corbin was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what Harry had said before shrugging to himself. He poured some shampoo into his hand and started washing Harry's greasy hair.

At that moment, an owl flew to the window and tapped on it. A letter was attached to its leg. Cassius opened the window and took the letter, opening it.

"We've got a hearing tomorrow about doing magic in front of muggles. A hundred galleons will take care of it."

"Well, that's fine then," Corbin muttered, as he reached for the handheld attachment to rinse Harry off as the dirty water drained away. "All right, up we go." Harry stood up and Corbin made sure that all the soap and dirt was completely rinsed off.

Corbin wrapped him in a thick towel. Harry smelled like mint now and Corbin couldn't resist hugging him quickly before letting go.

"Now, you've got new clothes in your room." Corbin led Harry through the connecting door. The bedroom was painted a sunny yellow color (Corbin's back twinged at the memory of painting it – after Stevens and Cassius had attempted a painting charm with disastrous results). It had a bed against the window with a large toy cupboard on one wall opposite a chest of drawers. There was an over-stuffed rocking chair near the bed, and a bookshelf.

"My oom?" Harry looked up in amazement, as Corbin helped him get dressed in a clean diaper (Corbin was thankful he had gotten them just in case), shirt and shorts.

"Yes. It's all yours."

Harry looked all around. "Mine? Amine? Stay hee?"

"Yes, you're staying here from now on. I bought you some books," Corbin pointed to the half-filled shelf, "And some toys. I only bought a few things, I didn't know what you'd like." Corbin opened the toy cupboard. He almost laughed as Harry's eyes seemed to be ready to pop out of his head.

Cassius sat down cross-legged on the floor and pulled out one of the toy dragons. "I had one of these when I was young."

Harry bent down, peering closely at the figurine only to scramble back in alarm as the dragon swung its tail and snorted. "It move!"

"It's an animation spell to make it move just like the real ones." Cassius held his hand out, "But it won't hurt you."

"No dagon." Harry settled himself on the floor next to Cassius.

"Of course there are dragons. This is a Hungarian Horntail. There's a dragon reserve in Wales we can go visit, if you want. Then you can see them in person," Cassius said as he reached into the toy cupboard again. "This is a Welsh Green."

"What eat?"

"Oh, lots of things. Sheep mostly, sometimes goats or deer. Depends on the species and where they live."

"Speaking of eating, I'll fix tea."

"Hep." Harry said quickly, standing up.

"Oh, no, Harry, you stay and play with Cassie." Corbin smiled and as he went down the stairs he could hear Harry asking Cassius how long dragons lived.

Corbin fixed tea, putting the cookies on a plate. He called up the stairs and in a moment, Cassius and Harry came into the kitchen. Corbin helped Harry up onto the bench at the table.

"We'll have to get Harry a book on dragons." Cassius said as he sat down.

"I'm sure we could find one, with lots of pictures." Corbin agreed as Harry looked around he table with wide eyes. Corbin set two cookies on Harry's plate next to his teacup and watched the little boy quickly take bites from both.

"Dicaws," Harry said, after swallowing a mouthful of cookie, he was holding one tightly in each hand.

"You want a book about Diricawls too?" Corbin asked, noticing the stuffed diricawl standing on the bench next to Harry as he nodded. "We can get one tomorrow at Diagon Alley." Corbin answered, "And what is his name?"

"Gawain." Cassius answered for Harry whose mouth was full. "That's what he told me it was."

After tea, Corbin showed Harry around the house and then Cassius read him a book until it was time for dinner.

Harry had the same reaction at dinner as he had at tea. Corbin gritted his teeth at the thought of how the Dursleys must have treated him.

Soon after dinner, Harry was fighting off sleep, his eyes drooping as he and Cassius built a tower of blocks on the sitting room floor.

"It's been a big day, time for bed," Corbin said gently, leading Harry upstairs to get ready for bed. Harry didn't know what to do with the toothbrush, so Corbin brushed his teeth for him before tucking him into bed.

"So, we're going to tell Harry about us tomorrow?" Corbin asked, walking back into the sitting room.

"He knows."

"What? How?"

"I told him before dinner."

"What…what did you tell him?" Corbin asked nervously as he sat down on the sofa.

"I told him you and I were really excited that he was going to be staying with us, and we hoped he'd start to think of us like part of his family now. I said sometimes families don't have a mum and a dad, sometimes there are two dads or two mums. And that I loved you just like his dad loved his mum. Which is to say, a lot."

"And what'd he say?"

"Just nodded and asked me when we could go see the dragons."

"Oh."

"I told him we'd go this weekend if I can get tickets."

"Right." Corbin said, knowing for a Malfoy tickets wouldn't be a problem.

"We don't already have plans, do we?"

"No. No. He really was all right with it?"

"Yes, he was fine." Cassius kissed him. "If he's asleep, could we fool around?"

"No, he might wake up and need something. He could walk in-"

"The stairs squeak."

"They don't."

"They do now, along with the boards in the hallway." Cassius slid a hand under his shirt. "Early warning system."

Corbin laughed softly, turning in Cassius's embrace to kiss him better. Soon, he had moved to straddle Cassius's lap, leaning in to kiss his mouth while Cassius pulled his hips closer.

"Owen and Stevens want to meet Harry." Cassius said, after Corbin had broken the kiss to try to get his breath back.

"Everyone does, Christ, we should just have a viewing party." Corbin started to push himself away from Cassius but strong arms encircled him. "We could charge admission."

"They're going to be his uncles," Cassius rubbed his back soothingly, "Near enough to, and they're completely prepared to spoil him rotten. Harry deserves that. Too bad he won't have grandparents," Cassius trailed off.

"Yes, it is too bad your father's a murdering psychopath."

"Alleged." Cassius murmured as he licked a path up Corbin's neck.

"Alleged," Corbin echoed, tilting his head to allow more access, "And it's too bad my parents want nothing to do with me."

"Well, I want everything to do with you." Cassius pulled him in so tightly Corbin felt like his ribs would break. "They're mad to not want you."

"I can't breathe," Corbin wheezed. Cassius's arms loosened but Corbin's chest still felt tight as the memory of the howler that had ended his relationship with his parents flooded back to him. It still stung although it had been almost three years.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up. I'm a git."

"Yes, you are."

"D'you want to talk about it?" Cassius murmured.

"Nothing to talk about, is there?"

"So…sex? I'll let you choose the position."

Corbin laughed in spite of himself, "You've got a one track mind."

"I'm trying to cheer you up."

"Is that so?"

"Sex with you always cheers me up, I just thought, maybe it worked the other way round too."

"I stay?" Harry asked tentatively as Corbin set his breakfast in front of him the next morning. Cassius had had to go in to the Ministry early to meet with Moody before his final class.

"Yes, you are going to stay here," Corbin answered with a smile, "My answer's not going to change no matter how many times you ask."

Harry started eating quickly, holding on to his plate tightly. Corbin sat down and ate his own breakfast leisurely, refilling Harry's milk glass once and giving him more eggs and toast.

"Now, I thought I'd show you around the garden and we could do some weeding. I could use the help." Corbin said, walking upstairs to get Harry's shoes after they'd both finished eating.

He sat the little boy down and put the trainers on him.

"I no have aces." Harry plucked at the shoelaces with a frown.

"You don't have laces? Why not?" Corbin asked.

"An 'Tunia mad theys oose."

Corbin squashed an expletive quickly before he could say it. "Well, I think you need laces. Your shoes might fall off without them."

"Oose?" Harry asked in a small worried voice.

"I'll retie them if they come loose," he answered as he stood up. He laid his hand gently on Harry's head before adding, "And I won't get mad."

They spent the morning quietly, Harry staying near Corbin's side. He seemed surprised when Corbin would check his diaper or ask if he was hungry for lunch. In the garden, Corbin was careful to work with Harry instead of leaving him to do the work on his own. After lunch, they went to the bookstore in Diagon Alley to get some picture books on Diricawls and Dragons.

Corbin put Harry down for a nap, opening one of the books he'd bought on child-rearing. Realizing Harry needed to be checked by a doctor, he quickly owled to make an appointment. The healer owled back almost immediately, he had been the Potters' healer and he had an opening for the next day.

Corbin shared the news with Cassius when he returned home, before waking Harry to have tea.

"I must say," Healer Prewitt tisked under his breath, "Merlin's beard," he muttered while his wand did a complicated twist over Harry's back. Corbin felt his stomach start to turn and he noticed Cassius's knuckles were white. Harry was looking unhappy and too small as he sat on the exam table. Corbin gave him a reassuring smile, reaching out to touch his foot gently.

"Well," Healer Prewitt set down his wand, "He's certainly not the chubby baby I saw when James and Lily brought him in, rest their souls, and I'm none too happy about these results. But, there's nothing here that can't be undone."

Corbin let out the breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding.

"I'll give you a salve for these bruises. And I'll write up a diet to help him gain weight. He shouldn't have to go on any supplementary potions at this time, we'll revisit that the next visit." Healer Prewitt looked at Harry a moment and then pulled a large lollypop from his pocket. "Here you go Harry, for being such a good boy." Harry looked for a moment then took the lollypop quickly as if ready to have it snatched from him. He looked over at Corbin. Corbin lifted Harry up and held him tightly.

"If you'd like to take him out front to wait," Healer Prewitt said kindly. Corbin nodded.

"Mr. Malfoy, if I could just speak to you a moment. Little cauldrons have big ears," the healer looked at Harry meaningfully.

Cassius came out after a few more minutes and then Healer Prewitt went over Harry's diet with Corbin and they scheduled another appointment.

"What's TLC?" Cassius asked, when they were waiting for the lift.

"Tender Loving Care," Corbin answered.

"Healer Prewitt says Harry needs a lot of it."

"What else did he say?"

"Tell you later," Cassius answered.

"What else did Healer Prewitt say?" Corbin asked softly, anxious to find out before Cassius could forget. Harry was playing with his dragons under the kitchen table, while Corbin fixed sandwiches.

"I wrote it all down," Cassius said calmly, pulling out his scroll that Moody insisted all aurors carry, training or not. "He said, Harry has trouble articulating all the sounds, but he expected that would get better the more he's around us and hears us talking. Nothing to worry about right now. He's not verbally where he should be in terms of speaking sentences, but again," Cassius gestured, "And he said Harry needs lots of TLC. And he recommended a couple books." He handed Corbin the scroll.

"I'll look for the books next time I go to Diagon Alley." Corbin nodded, reading back over the scroll, Cassius had written more details on the scroll than he had said.

"Could you…"

"Could I what?" Corbin asked, wondering if he could just owl the bookstore and order the books right away.

"Could you…could you write me a list of things…that would be things…that would show TLC?

Corbin looked up to see Cassius staring out the window, chewing his fingers.

"Of course I can. I'll do it right now." Corbin answered, crossing the room to give Cassius a kiss on the cheek.

Cassius came home the next day with a new toy dragon, a Chinese Red, for Harry. Harry's eyes widened in delight and Cassius ruffled Harry's hair with a shy smile.

Corbin quickly hid his grin as he turned to stir the salad. Ruffling hair was #12 on the TLC list.

Additional Note: Information about Diricawls and Dragons can be found on the HP Lexicon or in JK Rowling's books about Magical Creatures. Diricawls are Dodoes only with magical powers and aren't actually extinct. I liked the idea of Harry having a plush one, similar to how muggle children would have a teddy bear. The Dragon figurines are like the ones in the movie of Goblet of Fire.

Coming Up in Chapter 10…Going to the Dragon Reserve in Wales