Draco spent the night at the manor. Though he envisioned Harry worrying about him if he stayed gone a couple of days, Draco knew he'd think nothing of it. It was still nice to picture him pacing in front of their fireplace. So the very last thing Draco expected to see when he came down to breakfast was Harry sitting with his mother over coffee, chatting as if he'd been expected and no harm had been done from his absence the night before.

'Morning, Draco,' his mother said, smiling. 'Why don't you join us?'

It took a moment for Draco to recover from his shock, but then he came to sit next to his mother at the breakfast table.

'Harry was just telling me about the politics of Auror training.'

Draco tried not to let that hurt. 'Oh?' Harry never talked to him about his days. 'Sounds interesting.'

'Not really,' Harry said.

In Draco's peripheral vision, he could see Harry trying to catch his eye, but he ignored it. Draco's mother finished the last few bites of her breakfast and then excused herself. She left them in silence behind her. As Draco picked at his food, it seemed as though Harry's chewing got louder with every bite. Draco's stomach was tied in knots, and he was unable to eat. It irritated him that Harry had no such problem.

Of course, Draco rolled his eyes at himself; Harry's wouldn't be tied in knots because he couldn't care less.

'Could you stop that?' Draco hadn't meant to yell.

Harry swallowed. 'Stop what?'

'You're excessively loud chewing.'

He put down his fork and Draco didn't like the way that he was studying him.

'I'm sorry,' Harry said, and when Draco said nothing, he continued, 'about last night—'

'There is no excuse for last night.'

'I know.' Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead. 'I know. But I'm here now, and I want to make it up to you. I just need you to tell me how.'

'I don't know,' Draco said. 'I don't know how.'

'Draco—'

'Don't.' Draco rubbed his forehead. 'I hadn't expected to see you here this morning. I'm not prepared for this conversation.'

'Is it that hard to have a conversation without preparing for it?'

'Some conversations are important enough you need to think them through,' Draco said. 'Though I'm not surprised you've never taken the time—'

'You can't divorce me. That's the rule isn't it?'

Draco bit the inside of his cheek. It was the rule. The thought hadn't crossed Draco's mind until Harry said that, but it hung there uncomfortably in the silence between them.

Harry was the first to break it again. 'I don't want a divorce.'

#

Draco's house was full of ghosts.

At first, this was not surprising to Harry. Hogwarts was also filled with ghosts, and Harry thought that most old buildings would be. Since Malfoy Manor had been in the family for generations, even the sight of children hadn't disturbed him when they glided into the room. Many children died of illnesses in the past, and Harry told himself that's who they were. Children from long, long ago. Their deaths still sad but not shocking.

Then Mrs Malfoy introduced them as Draco's older sisters. Draco wouldn't look at him through the introduction, and Harry felt like a fool gaping like a fish.

Harry knew so little about Draco.

Growing up around magic and even ghosts Harry envied Draco for, but growing up with your dead siblings was something entirely different. Harry never wondered if Draco had wanted siblings before. In Harry's mind, Draco was spoiled and selfish, and would never want to share anything; therefore, of course, he'd never want siblings.

But it didn't take long to see that Draco and his oldest sister—Ara—were close.

Since he missed the night before, they opened the presents to and from him that morning. Mrs Malfoy was warm and accommodating, but Draco was cold and distant. Ara stayed by Draco's side the whole morning.

For a moment, Harry thought Draco wouldn't accept his gift, but after staring at the package for a minute his eyes briefly met Harry's, and he took it.

'A broom cleaning set,' Draco said, and a brief smile came out.

Harry forced a smile of his own. 'Does that mean you like it?'

'It would have been perfect.' Draco swallowed. 'Last night, it would have been perfect.'

Not too long after that, Draco excused himself, and Harry was left with Mrs Malfoy and Draco's sisters. The younger sisters were both easier and more difficult for Harry to deal with. They were at that age where they were just happy for any adult's attention and played with him. The older of the two babbling about their new toy train and having Harry set it up and narrating everything it was doing.

The baby just cooed, watched, and crawled around the room. The biggest problem with her was, of course, that she wanted to be held. He couldn't pick her up. Harry thought that ghosts didn't get tired, but as a baby, she only knew so many things. And being tired was one of them. So when she got too upset at no one holding her, Ara picked her up and took her out of the room, and presumably put her to bed because she was back moments later. The toddler also yawned often, but she eventually fell asleep on the floor watching her train.

'I must apologise for Draco,' Mrs Malfoy said. 'He wasn't pleased that I let you meet his sisters.'

'Oh,' Harry said. 'I thought he was just mad at me.'

'I'm sure there is still a bit of that as well, but I think he is angrier with himself. He's never shared his whole life with someone, and he wanted to keep them a secret forever.'

Harry looked at Ara who was staring at the floor, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat unsure if they should be having this conversation in front of her.

'She knows,' Mrs Malfoy said. 'I'm not sure about the others, but she knows she's dead, and she understands—well, most everything.' She smiled fondly at her daughter, and Ara looked up to her and gave her a small smile.

It was the first time Harry had seen Mrs Malfoy interact with her any of her daughters. Which was odd as it seemed she was the one who wanted them there, seeing as Draco hadn't.

'Ara can show you to his room if you'd like to speak with him.' She said it in a way that suggested it wasn't a request on either his nor Ara's part. Ara glided over to him and waited for him to stand. On their way out of the sitting room, Harry saw Mrs Malfoy approach her sleeping daughter on the floor.

Ara lead him to the main staircase, and he followed her, but their movement was slow. He'd noticed that about the ghosts at Hogwarts as well. They could move very fast when needed, but mostly they moved as if a slight breeze was pushing them forward.

'How'd you die?'

Ara stopped.

'Sorry.' Harry could feel his cheeks grow warm. 'It's probably rude to ask that.'

'We don't talk about it.' She began floating up the stairs again, but then continued a moment later with, 'Mother had a miscarriage before me, so I'm not even really the oldest.'

Harry didn't know what to say to that.

They had come to a long hallway, and before they started down it, she pointed to the first door on the right; Harry thought she meant that was Draco's room and opened the door without thinking, stepping into the room. It was obviously not his room. It was empty of people but full of things.

Both a crib and a large bed. Everything dressed in reds. A dress hung up on a stand as though preparing it for a party; yet next to it a toy broom lay on the floor.

'Cassiopeia,' Ara said. 'Miscarriage.'

Harry saw then, a jar on the mantle of the fireplace, and backed out of the doorway, shutting the door quietly behind him.

She pointed to the door on the left. 'This one's mine.' Then back to the right and back and forth as she named them, 'Carina and then Orion: another miscarriage.' She floated forward, and Harry kept two steps behind her. 'Lyra and, of course, Draco.' She stopped outside his door but then pointed to one more door beyond it. 'Caelum: stillbirth. Draco saw that one, and then mother stopped trying.'

Then she floated through Draco's door, leaving Harry in the hallway alone.

He took a breath, and then knocked on the door. No sound came, so Harry knocked again. A moment later, Draco opened the door and was staring at him. Without a word he went back into the room, leaving the door open. Harry figured it was the only invitation he'd get.

'I—I'm—'

'I don't want your sympathy,' Draco said before turning to Ara and adding, 'Ara, leave us.'

She shook her head at Draco but did as he asked.

Harry shut the door behind her. 'That's not what I was going to be apologising for.'

Draco crossed his arms and waited.

'I'm sorry for last night; I wasn't thinking.'

'About anyone other than yourself?' Draco smirked as Harry took in the familiar words. 'It takes some getting used to, doesn't it?'

At the almost smile on Draco's face, Harry let himself chuckle. 'Yes, it does.' After a beat, Harry continued, 'I didn't mean to hurt you. We've never talked about our plans for Christmas, so I just assumed we'd do what we always did. Your family and my friends all know about the bet.'

Draco nodded, but still had a sullen look about him.

'If it makes you feel any better, it was horrible; it would have been a lot better had you been there with me. Or, had I never gone at all. I'd have had much more fun here, meeting your family.' At Draco's confused look, Harry explained, 'Mark asked Ginny to marry him.'

'Ah,' Draco said, 'and I take it she said yes.'

Harry nodded, and after a moment of silence Draco asked, 'Are you okay?'

'Um.' Harry had been so busy trying to fix what he'd messed up with Draco that he hadn't thought too much about his feelings over the Mark thing. He was embarrassed the night before. Completely out of place and felt he no longer belonged to the only family he'd ever known. Of course, that was always meant to happen, wasn't it? Once everyone got married and had families of their own, he'd have a new family that would take importance over his friends. Only Harry wasn't ready to let go of them as his family yet.

Draco came to stand near Harry and leaned against the foot of his bed. 'I take that as a "no" then.'

'No, I'm fine,' Harry said. 'I just—I'm just not ready to lose them all, yet.'

'You're not losing them.' Draco took Harry's hands and wrapped his arms around himself. 'You don't give up your family for someone else's when you get married, Harry; they join.'

They hadn't worked too hard on that part. Everyone had gone their separate ways after the wedding.

Harry sunk into Draco and let him hold him. Draco always smelled so good. Although, they were rarely close enough for Harry to let himself enjoy it. Harry's lips brushed against Draco's neck, and he felt Draco shiver before trying to pull away.

'Don't,' Harry said, and after Draco had stilled, he kissed his neck purposefully.

'Harry—' Draco's voice was shaky, and Harry's name turned into a gasp when Harry continued his exploration of Draco's neck. 'We're—re at my parent's house.'

'And?' Harry chuckled. 'Does your mother check on you much?'

'No . . .' Draco moaned as Harry pressed against him and then tugged at Draco's shirt freeing it from his trousers so he could run his hands up Draco's bare back.

'Haven't you ever wanted to—' Harry pressed harder against Draco, bringing their erections together. 'In your bed?'

'Fuck,' Draco breathed out.

Harry smirked and then moved his mouth to just behind Draco's ear.

'You want to do this now?'

'Yes.' Suddenly, Harry felt they'd waited far too long. He pushed Draco up onto the bed, and Draco shifted backwards until they'd moved to the head of it. He relaxed against the pillows and then into Harry's next kiss.

Knowing that if he stopped, this time, he'd ruin everything, Harry took his time before undressing Draco. Getting used to the feeling of their erections moving together through fabric, so he wouldn't feel as shocked when they came in contact again after they'd finished removing their clothes.

When Harry undid Draco's trousers and slowly pulled them down his thighs, Draco asked, 'Are you sure?'

Draco's breath on Harry's lips as he asked the question took Harry's breath away. They only way his mind could think to respond was to kiss Draco again. He pushed his tongue into Draco's mouth, refusing to let him ask any more questions or reveal any more doubts. Then because the only way to continue removed clothing by hand meant to stop kissing Draco, Harry vanished the lot of it.

Their nakedness surprised Draco, and he pulled back to look at Harry's face, causing Harry to tense in nervousness.

It took a moment for Harry's breathing to calm down and his thoughts to catch up. Draco had never been naked in the same room with someone else before, let alone this close to them.

Harry relaxed, pulling Draco closer.

'This is the first time for you.'

'You, too,' Draco reminded him.

Harry whispered, 'I don't think we're going to last very long,' causing Draco to laugh and his neck arc toward's Harry's mouth. Unable to resist, Harry brought his lips to it.

Draco groaned and pushed at Harry's hip to make room for his hand between them. Once there, he began stroking their erections together.

'Oh, fuck,' Harry breathed into Draco's ear as Draco chanted Harry's name, which caused Harry to shiver despite how hot he was at the moment. Interested in the effect it would have, Harry stopped cursing in favour of moaning Draco's name.

'I'm going to-' but Draco didn't get to finish his thought as his come spilled between them, pushing Harry over the edge along with him.

Moments passed as they lay catching their breath, and Draco poked Harry's side.

'You can't fall asleep,' Draco said.

Harry snuggled closer to Draco and mumbled, 'Why not?'

'Because it's near ten in the morning.' Draco laughed but didn't push Harry away or moved to get off the bed himself.

#

Draco's mum keep sending them sly smiles as they gathered their things and said their goodbyes later that afternoon. Every time Harry would blush. He couldn't help it. It's like she could tell what they'd done just by looking at them.

'Are you quite all right?' Draco asked once they'd entered their home through the Floo.

Harry tried to shrug it off because he didn't want to explain it and have it come out all wrong.

'You weren't thinking about the mechanics of men having babies, were you?' Draco was joking, and Harry knew that, but it just made his blush worse because then he was just because Draco mentioned it.

'Well, now I am,' Harry said. 'Why would you bring that up?'

'I just thought, being around my sisters might have made you think about having children.'

'Does it make you think about it?'

'Sometimes.'

Harry took a step toward Draco and reached for his hand. It only brushed the back of Draco's before he'd moved away and sat on their sofa, arms across his chest.

'Do you want to have children?' Harry asked, taking the seat beside him. 'I mean: someday.'

'Don't you?'

'Honestly? Desperately.' Harry laughed at himself. 'Is that weird?'

'I think it's pretty common desire. To have a tiny little person who looks like you and looks up to you, wanting to be just like you.'

Harry couldn't stop himself from laughing then. Draco would look at having children in the vainest way possible, but Harry couldn't deny it was true. He'd never thought of the looking like him part before, but the looking up to him, loving him. Someone he could love in return without fearing that he shouldn't love them or that they didn't love him back.

Looking away from Harry, Draco's arms tightened around himself. Harry rubbed his back, afraid that too intimate of a touch would push Draco farther away.

'Are you all right?'

Draco ran his fingers through his hair and then leaned aginst his left hand as he looked over to Harry. His expression was pensive for a moment, and then he started to say something but changed it to:

'What would you name?' His tone was casual, conversational.

A bit startled, Harry said, 'I, um, I don't know.'

'My family has a tradition of naming people after stars and constellations; I'm sure you've noticed.'

'Yes,' Harry agreed, wondering how safe it was to try and get back to what Draco had just been thinking of. It obviously wasn't pleasant. But Draco leaned in and kissed him, and Harry decided he could leave the conversation to another day.

#

'Can men have babies?'

Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry and looked him up and down as though Harry might be hiding an infant in his cloak.

'Why?'

'Just something Draco had said a while ago, and I wasn't sure if he was taking the piss.'

Then Ron smiled, and Harry wasn't sure he liked that smile.

'What?'

'Are you contemplating having a child with Malfoy?'

'No!' Harry's shout gathered the attention of a few of the Aurors eating their lunches around them, and Harry lowered his voice. 'No, why would you think that? We're too young to have a kid even if this were a real marriage and not a bet.'

'Hmmm.' Ron shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich instead of answering the question.

'Well?'

'I don't see why it matters unless you want to do it.'

'Ron,' Harry hissed.

Chuckling, Ron said, 'There are ways, but I don't know the particulars. It's never come up, but yes. It is possible with potions.'

'What potions? How difficult is it to do this? Do you have to take them daily the whole pregnancy? Or like just once and it deals with everything? How do they give birth? Is this far more dangerous or just about the same?'

Ron's eyes grew wider with each question until Harry shut up realising that he sounded a bit too interested in this subject. He was, interested. Being with Malfoy showed Harry that he might be interested in spending the rest of his life with a man at some point. Having children was something he wanted. In Harry's mind, that meant either no children or adoption.

'You're in love with him,' Ron said.

Harry choked on his sandwich and had to drink half his glass of water before he could speak again, but Ron was still going on mumbling half to himself and half to Harry.

'Bloody Hell, Harry, he's already got you, and it hasn't even been a year. He's going to destroy you. Rip your heart out worst than Ginny, and I didn't even think that was possible.'

'Calm down.' Harry cast a spell to muffle their talking. 'I'm not in love with him.'

'You're thinking about having his child. That's a pretty big sign that you are.'

Harry threw his hands in the air in defeat. 'Fine, you got me. Now, how does this potion work?'

Ron shook his head at Harry. 'You're mental.'

'I could just look it up,' Harry pointed out and then went back to eating his sandwich.'

'It won't work for you, because if you get pregnant, you'd be given a desk job for the year. You can't stand being at a desk for two hours a day. There's no way you'd last the whole year.' Satisfied, Ron dug back into his sandwich and then finally answered Harry's question, 'The way I've heard of it is that they just use a gender changing potion with some fertile potions.'

'What?' Ron asked as Harry's eyes widened. It sounded so simple.

'You mean like what Draco took to go to that function with me?'

Ron choked on his sandwich that time.