A/N: I don't know about you, but I'm feeling some serious frustration with Draco right about now... He is being rather childish. (A couple A Very Potter Musical quotes spring to mind. If any of you know what I mean... xP) I thoroughly do not blame you if you really dislike Duality's Draco. It's about time someone slaps him to his senses. ;) I'm prepping him for redemption at some point. And thank you guys, for all the hits. :):):) Now if only those reviews weren't so elusive?

Unsurprisingly, Malfoy was still miffed the following morning. Honestly, when he'd enthusiastically suggested they have sex last night, he hadn't expected him to revert back to the ever- agitated, easily insulted, quick tempered Malfoy he knew from Hogwarts. He thought they'd gotten past that. That things were different now. They had taken such a huge step forward in their relationship and now it was as if they'd taken ten steps back with a single word.

Why did Malfoy have to be so difficult? He thought he wanted this! He thought he wanted to be with him! So why in Merlin's name had he retracted into the mind of that moody sixteen year old boy? Quite frankly, Harry didn't know why Malfoy was still pissed at him for such a petty thing. Harry had apologized- to the best of his abilities when he had to do so to Draco's face; which was no easy feat.

He was shocked to find that Draco took pride in his condition. He liked the power he derived from the wolf inside him. He liked the mindless destruction that came with running through the woods and attacking innocent people. Clearly, Harry hadn't considered many of the potential variables of any of this when he'd decided to take Malfoy in. He'd anticipated he was to be taking care of a victim, not some power hungry demon.

Maybe some things didn't change.

Draco refused to share a bed with him and had the gall to kick Harry out of his own room. Here Harry was, being selfless, offering Draco sanctuary, giving and giving and giving and what did he get in return? Snide remarks, fiery rows and not a lot whole lot else. Besides the sex. And Harry wasn't even sure that was worth it any more as he lay there on his second hand futon in his living room. He didn't know how the ferret had managed to convince him out of his own bed. But he didn't like it. Not one bit.

It had been two days. But the weight of the tension between them felt like two hundred. He rolled over with a huff, trying to find a comfortable position without the bedsprings digging into his side.

At least he was doing something. Gathering information. Spying. He intended on joining this so called rebellion. Harry thought it too dangerous. And he voiced this opinion. And Malfoy shot it down so fast, it made Harry wonder why he bothered.

He wasn't planning on doing anything, per say. Harry didn't believe that for a second. If Malfoy was so set on going his own way, then that was what he was going to get. And if Harry wanted to give his advice, he could go right ahead. But it was unlikely to go heeded.

Fucking Slytherin.

~.~.~.~.~

He didn't know why he had to be so stupid. He really didn't. In Draco's own defense, he was afraid of letting Potter know how he truly felt. If he were to know… if he knew… It would leave Draco vulnerable. And that was something he wasn't ready to let Potter see yet. That day in the bathroom in sixth year was bad enough. Never again. Never again would he let Potter see him cry. Or lower his wand. Or give in.

When he'd plotted seducing Potter, he hadn't anticipated the intimacy. The seduction itself was a distant dream he'd toyed with at the latest nights when Astoria insisted on sleeping in his bed and he just couldn't do with those feminine hands or those wide feminine hips or those plump feminine breasts. So when he found Harry Potter caught in his snare so quickly, he panicked. And went right back to his school days when all he knew at first sight of Potter was to sneer and throw biting comments at him or tease.

He'd thought perhaps they'd grown past that. That now the snide comments and the sneers were empty. That they were good natured. But Potter was still irked like he was ten years ago. Couldn't he understand for a single second that Draco meant nothing by it?

It was chronic, whatever was making him act this way. It was like the wolf inside him, crawling beneath his skin, fighting to be unleashed at the least opportune moments. Werewolves were known to be impulsive. He thought he'd learned to control that aspect. But Potter brought out the worst in him.

Damn him.

He preferred not to talk about it when Potter asked the following morning. He'd apologized in his gentlemanly way. And that was Draco's cue to accept it and move on. Forgive and forget. They shared a home and they shared a bed, after all. Draco wished he could get a grip. But it was just the way that Potter looked at him- with that unconditional admiration as if it had been this way the whole time. As if this was love. And all those words. Potter had spoken more words to him in the past two days than he had in the six years they'd spent in Hogwarts together.

It was enough to drive Draco over the edge. No one looked at him like that. No one said those things to him. And he didn't know how to act. Being with Pansy… This was nothing like being with Pansy. Pansy admired and petted and fussed with him in such a way a little girl might tend to a favourite doll. And then Astoria… Astoria had the passion that rivaled Potter's- that fierce protectiveness about her, but her eyes didn't smolder like Potter's did in such a way that made him feel utterly naked. As if he could see right through him and into him and oh god! What had he gotten himself into?

Why couldn't he use those words that Potter was so fond of using? Why couldn't he just express how he felt? If he wanted mistaken, he had gone into this wanting Potter to touch him. Wanting Potter to kiss him. Wanting Potter to come gasping his name over and over again, night after night. He had gone into this wanting everything that Potter had offered him. And he couldn't even manage a simple thank you when it mattered.

He vowed to do better. He would show Potter. He would prove to him that he was a worthy lover, partner and companion. He would prove to him that he wasn't wasting his time.

In the meanwhile, he had to go back to the Manor. For various things. Like announcing to Astoria that he no longer needed her assistance. And seeing his son for possibly the last time in a long while. There was no knowing how obliging Astoria was going to be in this new arrangement of his. Their relationship was complicated at best. The lack of chemistry between them was palpable from the very beginning of their marriage. They weren't compatible in the slightest. Draco always liked to test the waters before diving into a relationship as a rule of thumb. Sex before above all else had to be worth all the other trite character flaws. He would have liked to have tested their dynamic before their wedding day, but given strict pure blood traditions, there was to be no physical relations until the consummation of their marriage. Of course.

Their parents were clearly uninterested in chemistry when finding the perfect pureblood match. They were solely interested in appearances and the money and property that went with it. Never mind the fact that Draco couldn't even make love to his own wife without thinking of Potter. Their marriage was a lie. As soon as Scorpius was conceived and Draco and Astoria had been assured that he would be brought to full term (there had been concerns about Draco's condition affecting to baby), they were unified only by their son and the roof over their head, and nothing more. They no longer slept in the same bed- although Astoria had an awful habit of sneaking in to comfort Draco on the worst nights leading up to and following the full moon.

Astoria had flat out refused to liquidate their marriage so long as they continued to live together. Bloody keeping up appearances. After all, they were still regularly seen together in public with their son. And until now, Astoria had taken care of him. There was a part of Astoria that seemed to have an insipid idea that there was still a chance for them, despite his blatant lack of interest. He was merely grateful for her looking after him when he was at his most vulnerable. That was all.

But Draco had his heir and Potter had offered him protection and a roof over his head. And if he could reign in his bloody mood swings, maybe he'd be able to keep both Potter and his promises. Salazar knew Potter was a far better option than Astoria ever was. If only she would let him go without a fight. He had a feeling that wasn't going to be the case.

Besides, he had potions ingredients he needed to drag back to Potter's. Or at least to his lab at the Ministry. He had to find an antidote for the rogue Wolfsbane potions (which was actually something he was being paid for…) The effects were likely to wear off and those who knew for a fact that they had unknowingly ingested the potions should be smart enough to dump the rest of it and be done with it. But with his investigations, he wouldn't be too surprised if werewolves were taking it willingly and keeping it for future batches. Some of them liked the idea of stirring up trouble without actually mutilating innocent bystanders to death. No doubt they'd try to sell their batches on the black market. Those were the types of wolves Potter was after. And that was what the technicians were looking for in the potion he had taken himself not three nights ago. They wouldn't find anything too sinister in it though. It was completely innocent. It was mostly why he had lost in that fight. Had he refrained from taking the potion, he would have sunk his teeth deep into the animal. But he had been too busy trying to impress Potter with his self control. Which he couldn't say was much of a bad thing.

After all, it had landed him in Potter's bed, had it not?

"Where in Salazar Slytherin's name have you been?" Astoria rounded on him as soon as he arrived inside the Manor via the floo network. She had been organizing some sort of social gathering by the fire when he'd made his presence known. "You know I've been worried sick about you- wandering off during a full moon in the wake of this… Wolfsbane crisis! Merlin, Draco, don't you know they're rounding people up?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Storia. For the last time, I'm on the case. I unfortunately work with these catchers. And yeah, before you start harping on about it, yeah, I did get caught. But look, I'm fine. Alright? All in one piece. Ta bloody da. They took my name and a blood sample. That was all."

Astoria crossed her arms over baby blue silk robes, raising a regal brow. "And they let you go? Just like that?" she inquired skeptically.

Draco shook his head, refusing to be caught off guard by his wife's habitual nagging. "Not exactly. Made a rather valiant escape. Turns out, I have close ties with one of the Aurors on the case. He was able to cut me loose."

"Oh really? And you just waltzed right out of there a free man, did you?" she replied spitefully, drumming her fingers against her arm. Some days, he swore his father hadn't found him a wife- but a substitute mother.

"Yeah. As a matter of fact, I did," Draco stated smugly. "I told you I'm working with Harry Potter, did I not?"

Astoria rolled her eyes right back at him. "Oh, the Wonder Boy again. Is this another one of your silly little fantasies? Because really, Draco. You're as bad as Scorpius.

Draco figured he must have really pissed Astoria off if she was being snippy with him like this. "He knows what I am. He's seen me. And he's willing to protect me. He could have handed me right over to the Ministry as a lab rat. But he didn't. He got me out. And believe it or not, he's taking me in."

"And you'll be one of his most recent charity cases, will you not?" Astoria inquired flatly, still not fully believing her husband's unlikely words. If what you say is true and he really is offering you sanctuary, it's not going to last, Draco. I can look after you far better than he could. He will use you, Draco. Don't you see? It's time to let this silly fantasy of yours drop. Harry Potter will never be yours the way you've always wanted him to be." Her comments could have been laden with poison spite but Draco could hear the warning caution in her voice that merely worried for his safety. She was well aware of his infatuation and had no fear of vocally addressing her opinion on the absurdity of it all.

It may have only been two days into their civilized relationship under one roof, but Draco was bound and determined to keep Potter for as long as he possibly could. And so long as Potter was willing, he'd take him.

"Storia," he sighed gently, stepping forward to running an affectionate crooked finger along the silky sleeve of her robe. Time for a change in tactic. "You know what we have is dying out. You knew this. You knew this from the beginning. You know how I've wanted Potter. For how long. And now I have him. I deserve this happiness. Storia, you have to let me go."

Astoria fought the need to give in. She shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze. "Scorpius," she muttered, more of a statement than a question.

Draco nodded in understanding. "I had hoped we could come to some sort of compromise in regards to our son. A boy needs his father in his life. And there is no denying that I have been nothing but good to our Scorpius."

Astoria softened at this. "You have."

"Then if I file the divorce papers this week, you will consent to joint custody for our son?" he tried, hoping that perhaps it would be that simple and he could say hello to Scorpius, pick up his things and leave.

Apparently, it wasn't so. It never was with Astoria. She let out a long, drawn out sigh. "You're making a rash decision, Draco. You always do this. You jump to conclusions and come up with these silly elaborate plans and they all end the same. Whatever this is, it isn't real. You're going to end up hurt. And if it isn't by me, it'll be someone else. Stay. If not for me, then for your son."