Hello everyone! I know I left you with a cliffie and I'm sorry because I hate cliffies too but sometimes the story demands that! Now, where did we leave off? Oh, right! Our boys are in the same location and Voldie has been chased out of Malfoy castle!

Will Harry get cold feet? Will Draco reject his savior? Will we find out that someone has an uncle named Bob?

LOL! Read on to see!

Lori

********** Chapter 10 **********

Harry was breathing hard when he and Severus made it to the courtyard. He looked up at the wall and saw the Malfoy crest banner which hung from the roof just left of Draco's windows. Some of the fabric was in tatters while the rest was a cascade of ashes in the breeze. Half of the crest was gone.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Severus asked loudly. "We saw fire and heard the dragon."

Charlie came over from where his twin brothers were still using water charms to keep the nearby banners from catching fire and leaned in to speak softly. "His Majesty decided to set fire to the banner in order that he and his wife could escape their captivity in the chaos. The dragon…well, he seems to be playing." He looked up at the beast flying through the air and they rest of them followed Charlie's line of sight.

"Don't call me that!" Lucius snapped as he walked up to them. "Cissa and I were brought in to help our lord raise Prince Draco because I am a distant cousin."

"He's not your cousin, Luc! He's your son!" Severus said as he shook his head. He turned to Harry and spoke softly so his old friend wouldn't hear. "I tried once to neutralize the memory spell with one of my own but it just won't work. I believe I'll have to brew the potion, Your Highness."

"Why do you insist on this ridiculous story, Severus?" Lucius frowned having snuck closer.

"If I recall correctly, the potion takes weeks to brew." Harry replied with disappointment.

Severus nodded ignoring Lucius for a moment. "My advice would be to call the others to join us here and then wake Draco. You and the others can then begin his combat training and outfit him properly as well."

"I agree… but I think I have an idea as to stop the in-laws from interfering." Harry nodded and then turned to his future father in law. "If I told you that I'm Draco's betrothed would you do as I ask?"

Lucius seemed to be taken aback at this new approach. "He was betrothed to our lord."

"No." Harry said gently. "His parents and mine came to agreement a long time ago. He's been promised to me since his first birthday. I have a copy of the contract if you'd like to see it."

"I would." Lucius glared at the prince.

"Alright. If you'll do something for me, I'll get the contract for you to look over…" Harry's eyebrow rose slightly.

Lucius gave Harry a reluctant nod.

"I'll have my people bring you to a suite of rooms. I want you and Narcissa to stay there until I come to meet you. I'll bring the contract at that time. Is that agreeable?" Harry asked as he lifted his right hand to offer it in a handshake.

Lucius sighed. "I suppose so." He took Harry's hand and they shook. He then looked over at his wife. "Come Cissa, we're being taken to comfortable quarters for the moment."

"What about Draco, Luc?" Narcissa seemed worried. "Is he alright? Can we see him?"

Harry broke in. "He's still in the tower…just as you left him, Madam. We'll be with you shortly."

"But only our lord can wake him." She lamented.

"That is not true, Narcissa." Severus told her lightly. "Draco's true love will be able to break the spell."

"But…" Narcissa gripped her husband's hand.

"Our lord did not keep us informed of every detail, Cissa." Lucius tried to calm her. "We will soon see the truth." He turned toward Severus. "We will await Draco and his possible betrothed in whichever suite you like."

Severus turned to Charlie. "Bring them to the Royal Suite. Have the elves bring food and they'll get used to it."

Once the elder Malfoy's were on their way, Harry grabbed Severus' wrist. "Would you do the honors of inviting Sirius and the others? I'd like to see to the comforts of my betrothed."

Severus nodded solemnly. "As you wish, Your Highness."

********** LTF **********

Harry hurried down the hallway, glancing out the windows when he could. He didn't see the dragon and wondered why he hadn't responded to the fire. He supposed he could always ask but he'd probably have other things on his mind when Draco awoke. The staircase looked different this time and Harry knew there was more than one reason.

The first reason was because Harry wasn't alone in his approach before as he was now. The next reason, he figured was that this time nothing would stop Harry from waking his sleeping betrothed and it would be a truly fateful moment…a turning point in both of their lives. Harry opened the door to find it just as it had been when they'd left.

Draco lay on his bed, dressed in his finery, looking like a waxen statue.

Harry walked briskly to the window instead of his beloved because the burned end of the banner was blowing in the window and making the room smell funny. To fix this, Harry took hold of the banner with one hand and his sword in the other. Cutting it smoothly across, Harry vanished the damaged remnants before glancing past the end of his wand. His breath caught in his throat.

The dragon was looking at him from his perch.

Their eyes met and Harry felt inexplicably connected to those gorgeous silver eyes. Suddenly, Harry blinked and quickly walked over to the bed where Draco's body rested. "Draco…" Harry whispered as he ran his fingers through the silky blond strands of Draco's hair. He licked his lips to moisten them as he tilted Draco's head and leaned in close. Their noses brushed as Harry pressed his lips lightly against Draco's and he felt a small tingle travel through him.

********** LTF **********

Draco had taken to the air after the green-eyed boy had been distracted from touching his snout. He was almost free of his guardian and it was a glorious feeling. This could be his last flight as a dragon and he'd never really let himself enjoy it. He'd been on a broom once or twice when he was little but it couldn't compare to the way the wind was rushing over his scales. He flew up as high as he could before going into a steep dive. If Draco would have grinned, he would have. This flight was more play than anything and it had turned into an aerial dance.

Suddenly, as he got closer to the castle, Draco smelled smoke and fire…burnt cloth. He hurriedly aimed himself for the tower opposite his bedroom, which was near the smell's origin.

As Draco landed he saw that the banner with his family crest was black and burnt. What in Merlin's name had he missed? The crest was destroyed! The stone was scorched slightly lower on the wall – his parent's rooms! He stared at his bedroom window as the banner was pulled into the shadows of the room. He heard the faint sound of cloth being cut and watched as the banner was let out into the air again. That's when he realized who had just cut the banner…the green-eyed boy…and he was in Draco's room!

Draco suddenly felt the way he always felt when he looked into those green eyes. His heart fluttered and his stomach turned to mush. He wanted to sigh. He wanted to grin. He wanted to look into those green eyes forever. Suddenly his heart fell.

The green-eyed boy had turned and walked away from the window!

But, wait! The boy hadn't gone far…just to his body's bedside… He was touching Draco's face and hair… He was leaning down and… What was the green-eyed boy doing? Draco couldn't understand it.

Oh…Oooh…

He felt a strange tingly sensation. It was strange but it was also pleasant. The heaviness on his back lightened significantly. His eyes opened and closed in rapid succession. His lungs suddenly hurt and before Draco could comprehend what was going on, he was looking into eyes as green as the jade earrings he'd given his mother for Christmas last year and pulling in clean cool air even as his green-eyed boy hovered over him.

"Draco?" The green-eyed boy whispered as he pulled away slightly.

He knows my name? Draco thought to himself. How does he know my name?

"Draco, are you alright?" The green-eyed boy asked, placing a warm hand on Draco's cheek.

Suddenly, Draco's vision blurred. "I don't think I've ever been as 'alright' as I am right now."

The green-eyed boy pulled Draco up into a sitting position and handed him a handkerchief. "Draco…I've been waiting for this moment for so long…"

"Excuse me…What's your name?" Draco asked softly, dabbing at his eyes as the boy helped him turn to put his feet on the floor. "I've wondered ever since I first dreamed of you…"

"I can't believe…" The green-eyed boy seemed shocked but he shook his head and stood up. "I'm so sorry, love…I appear to have forgotten my manners." He drew himself up to his full height and bowed as he'd always seen in movies. "My name is Harrington James Potter…but you can call me Harry."

Potter…Potter… Where had he heard that name before?

Then it occurred to him – Potter was the name of the rightful ruling family of Scotland's magical realm.

The green eyed boy blushed. "Yes. Actually…"

"Oh…" Draco bit his lip. "Did I say that out loud?"

Harry's eyes danced. "You did."

The blond chuckled and ducked his head shyly before looking back up at his true love. "You… You didn't slay the dragon…"

"That's because I'd rather tame it than kill it." Harry winked at his beautiful blond boy. "Besides, it was much too beautiful to kill."

Draco abruptly stood and threw himself into Harry's arms. Saying nothing more, Draco kissed his beloved green-eyed boy firmly on the lips.

********** LTF **********

The feeling of having Draco in his arms was more than overwhelming – it was overpowering. There were a number of things Harry knew he should do now that his beloved was awake and aware but he didn't want to share Draco's attention with any of them, much less the other people now occupying the castle.

Seeing as Draco didn't seem any more inclined to leaving Harry's embrace, Harry smiled as he pulled Draco toward the few chairs near the table. He stepped away from the blond to cast a spell which transfigured the chairs into a small sofa that his aunt would call a love seat.

Draco's breath caught at the show of power and then again as Harry turned to extend a hand toward him.

"Would you join me on the sofa, Draco?" Harry asked softly.

Looking out from under his lashes, Draco nodded giving Harry his hand. They sat side by side but when Harry didn't try moving closer, Draco huffed and lifted Harry's arm to slide beneath it. He smiled at the perfect fit.

"As much as I'd like to stay up here with you this way, we have things to do which require our attention elsewhere." Harry told Draco lightly while keeping his arm around the blond.

Draco stiffened. "Elsewhere?"

Harry nodded. "As in downstairs for the moment and the courtyard after a while and then we'll also need to take Hogwarts back from Voldemort at some point."

"D-Downstairs?" Draco's eyes darted around the room even as he cowered into Harry's embrace.

Harry's heart sank. He hadn't thought Draco would be this way. Had the curse traumatized him more than they'd guessed? "Draco … I'm going to call Dobby."

Draco relaxed. "Dobby's a good elf. How do you know Dobby?"

"I'll tell you in a while, love." Harry whispered, keeping his tone light. "Dobby, please ask Severus to join us."

Dobby did not appear but several moments later, the door to Draco's room opened to allow Severus entry.

"Draco!" Severus was overjoyed to see his godson awake and safe in Harry's arms.

Draco stood on shaky legs to hug his uncle.

Seeing the shakiness, Severus' eyes instantly sought Harry's. "Are you alright, Draco?"

"Physically, he seems fine." Harry answered for him. "But Severus…he's jumpy and nervous. I mentioned going downstairs and he was on the verge of panicking. I don't know how we'll deal with things like his parents and his meeting our friends and family or battle training and our future trip to Hogwarts."

Severus nodded slowly. "I should've expected this. He hasn't left this room in years – of course he'd be afraid to leave it. Occlumency should help but the curse being altered as it was probably tore down all the mental defenses we'd put up."

Draco pouted and withdrew from Severus' hold. "I'm right here you know! No need to speak about me as if I weren't."

"You may be here, Draco, but you aren't acting like your usual self." Severus brought his focus to the young blond's face. "You were a captive, Draco…almost since your first birthday…and you were raised in captivity."

"He was alright for that party when he was twelve." Harry objected, quietly reaching out to the other boy. "Why is this happening now?"

Draco teared up as he went back into his rescuer's arms.

Severus considered this. "At the time, Draco still had the run of the castle, but he hasn't left this room since he turned twelve."

"And having to learn occlumency means he was repressing thoughts and emotions…" Harry kept his arms gently around Draco's shoulders.

"I have an idea." The young blond said softly.

Harry shared a look with Severus and then gave Draco an encouraging smile. "Go on, love."

Draco's cheeks filled with color that they thought his words were important. "We should deal with my parents first, I suppose, but after that…" He paused. "Well, what if you brought the new people up here a couple at a time…"

Harry kept eye contact and seemed to hear what Draco hadn't said as much as what he had. "Then after you'd met them, you would feel safer going down into the rest of the castle." He finally looked at Severus. "It should work. Dobby!"

The elf appeared and bowed to Harry before hurrying over to Draco's side. "Master Draco, sir! You is being awake, sir!" Dobby hugged his master's legs. "It is just as Master Severus and Lord Black is saying! Master Harry Potter is really being the master's true love!"

Draco's expression morphed from calm to confusion to anger. He looked at his godfather. "You knew?"

Harry sighed. At this rate they'd never get to the current issues like Draco's parents memories and his meeting their friends and allies.

"Now, Draco…" Severus held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Harry was the only one who could do anything to help you and he was much too young to do so."

Harry took Dobby's shoulder and whispered that he'd better come back later. "I'll call for you. For now inform Draco's parents that Draco is awake and handling another matter. It could be a few hours before we're ready for them so they should get some sleep."

"Why?" Draco asked the older man as Dobby popped out of sight. "Why is Harry the only one who could've helped?"

"He's the only one with the magical strength as well as the right to rescue you…other than your parents who had already been hit with the memory charm." Severus confessed. The whole story came spilling out and when he'd stopped speaking, Severus felt adrift in unknown waters as he waited for Draco's reaction.

Draco stared at his godfather. "So tell me if I'm getting this right…The moment I was born, my father conceived the brilliant idea of betrothing me to Harry – who was barely a year old at the time…" His eyes flicked to his new fiancé and back to Severus.

The older man nodded. "Yes. The Potters agreed and certain facts were given by his father and godfather during the negotiations that determined each of your places in the marriage…"

"Or would have…" Harry interrupted, glaring at Severus for not telling that part of the story. "If our mothers hadn't stepped in. Narcissa and my mother insisted on giving us the ability to make the important choices. Our fathers weren't happy with that but probably figured they could convince us to do what they'd originally wanted."

"But Harry's lineage puts him as the head of your combined family." Severus surrendered this with frustration. This was supposed to be Lucius' job. Draco was to be informed of all of this as well as groomed for it during their six month engagement by his father. "Your betrothal alone gives him the right to rescue you but you being subordinate to him makes it all the more appropriate."

"The only lineage I've read of that is older than the Malfoy line is…" Draco paused as something occurred to him. He looked up into Harry's green eyes.

"There were four actually but the others were much diluted through marriage. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff lines ended in name when the last descendants were female and married into lesser magical bloodlines." Severus told them. "The Slytherin line had two last descendants – Salazar and his sister Serena. Now, Serena married a muggle, thereby spoiling the bloodline and ending the name that way. Salazar married Godric Gryffindor but due to the fact that Gryffindor was… shall we say – top…he was forced to abandon the name in favor of his partner's."

"That – of course – combined their magical strengths into one solid bloodline." Draco shook his head in frustration as he recalled his History of Magic lessons. He felt a light touch below his chin as Harry urged him to look up.

"Yes, Draco…" Harry told him. "I'm the last living descendant of Gryffindor and Slytherin."

Draco's brow furrowed. "Not true."

Harry blinked. "That's what I've been led to believe…Were you taught differently?"

Draco nodded and rushed over to his bookcase. He pulled out the book his guardian had given him for that particular course. "My guardian gave me this book when I asked to learn about the History of Magic. It's all about bloodlines and it said that when a specific potion is mixed with a wizard's blood and a drop of that mixture is applied to a sheet of parchment or some other type of medium it records that wizard's line back to the earliest known ancestor."

Harry looked up at Severus. "Is this true? I never learned such a potion."

"Because it was deemed unwise for you to know who your parents were except for their names." Severus told him, glaring at Draco. "I can't see Riddle wanting you to know about it either."

"Well, when I was forbidden from it, I asked Riddle to demonstrate for me – and he did." Draco handed over the book and a scroll that was tied with a black ribbon.

"He just voluntarily allowed this kind of information to be handed over to a child who'd refused to marry him?" Severus frowned at the boy. "I find that hard to believe, Draco."

"I hadn't turned twelve until several months later. I guess he didn't remember I had this." Draco shrugged. "I never brought it up after the day he put his blood on the scroll. He'd asked me not to and at the time I still trusted him. The point is – I read it over and one of his ancestors was Salazar Slytherin – a great uncle."

Harry's eye blazed. "So this whole thing is just a blood feud? The Malfoys were just pawns!"

"Don't be hasty, Harry, kings delegate. You take care of Draco and his family. You are needed for that more than these little details." Severus took the scroll from Draco. "Let me go over this with some of Harry's…I mean our allies and we'll bring you our findings."

"It's awfully late…" Harry looked out the window at the lightening sky. "I suppose I should say 'early' shouldn't I?"

"Shall we rest and handle the crisis with my parents in the morning?" Draco smiled shyly.

Harry nodded and stood.

"You're not leaving are you?" Draco asked becoming pale.

Harry took the blond's hands. "I will never leave you, Draco, but I had thought you'd like privacy to change into your pyjamas."

"Oh," Draco's eyes closed briefly in relief as he pointed. "That corner is screened. That's where the door to my dressing room is. Please don't leave?"

"While you change there, I'll change here." Harry kissed Draco's hair and hugged him tightly before letting his betrothed slip out of his grasp.

"Harry, before I go, you should know that Sirius and the others will arrive before noon tomorrow. Your godfather wishes to speak with you upon his arrival." Severus – having delivered his message – gave him a formal nod and left.

Harry quickly got out his trunk and set it on the floor. He cast the spell to enlarge it and pulled out his night clothes. As he undressed, Harry occasionally glanced at the corner where Draco was dressing. Once he thought he saw a flash of blond as if his betrothed had peeked but almost got caught. When he finished dressing for bed, Harry walked over to the edge of the screen.

"Draco…" Harry said softly. "I'm finished. You can come out."

Draco's cheeks were pink as he stepped out from behind the screen. The blond was dressed in silver silk pyjamas while Harry's were jade green. The brunette smiled. "I think this was planned."

Draco's blush deepened. "Hold me?" Draco asked with wide innocent eyes as his hand found purchase on Harry's arm. "Like in the dream?"

Harry nodded slowly as the blond led him to the bed. Harry got in first and let Draco find a comfortable position before allowing his arms to close around the other boy. His eyes drifted closed and he fell deeply asleep.

********** LTF **********

Several hours later, Severus met Sirius at the front doors of the castle as soon as the new wards set by Remus had alerted him to a new presence.

"Sirius!" Severus had a pleasant expression as he greeted his lover but nobody would dare to call it a smile. They embraced quickly before Severus began to speak again. "Siri, I must speak with you in private. There are issues that must be investigated."

Sirius followed Severus to his rooms. "So how did it all go? Is Draco awake and safe with Harry?"

"Harry woke him and things did not go well at all." Severus informed Sirius of the events from the past night.

"So now Harry's got to deal with Draco's insecurities as well as Voldemort?" Sirius was bordering on outrage.

Severus glared at his lover. "If Harry wants a husband who will be a partner and helpmate, he must help Draco to overcome his fears."

"That's not what I meant, Sev, and you know it! I'm not angry at Draco for needing help but Riddle for causing the need." Sirius sighed.

"We also have to figure out Voldemort's true motive." Severus handed over the scroll to Sirius. "Harry believes his move against the Malfoys to be a move against Gryffindor house. He effectively stole Harry's 'bride' and would've kept that 'bride' as far as possible from Harry as well as using said 'bride' to sire his own heirs."

"I don't think either of them will like the idea of calling Draco 'bride'…but other than that I think that's probably what's going on here." Sirius glared at the writing on the scroll.

"Details." Severus smirked. "Now, we need to wake the boys and introduce you to Draco. I told them you'd be here around noon."

"But it's not even ten…?" Sirius looked up at his lover. "How do you suggest we pass the time?"

Their eyes met and they proceeded as lovers do.

********** LTF **********

Draco woke in Harry's arms. He was warm and safe and he knew just how to wake the green-eyed boy. He'd read all sorts of books and some had fairly immodest pictures. He'd only had himself to practice on though and he couldn't learn everything on himself. Testing the waters, he whispered Harry's name. When his betrothed didn't respond, Draco used his fingers to unbutton Harry's shirt.

Harry woke when Draco's lips touched the bare skin of his chest. He rolled their bodies so he hovered over a breathless Draco. "I was unsure that you'd welcome my attentions after being isolated for so long. Now that I know I was wrong, I'll be a little freer with my affection."

Draco bit his lip with a light moan. "Feels so good." The blond whispered as Harry lowered his mouth onto Draco's.

The brunette backed off a little. "I know as little as you do about this stuff, Draco. I may not have been locked away, but I never had eyes for anyone besides you and you were so far away from me. I've read books and seen things in the muggle world – magazines and pornography."

"Then you know more than me." Draco blushed confessing to his own meager sexual education.

"It seems to me that Riddle was grooming you to be a good little spouse who never gainsaid his/her husband." Harry growled lightly. He got the blond's attention and spoke in a very stern tone of voice. "I will not do that to you, Draco. I will take control the first few times and then I will instruct you how to go about it if you wish."

"What if I'm perfectly happy to have you in control?" Draco asked as he pulled the brunette down into a kiss.

Harry smiled, truly amused. "Then I expect you to tell me so I can keep you happy."

Draco blushed again as Harry's lips touched his once more.

"For the moment, my love, we need to figure out what time it is and, if there's enough time, I promise we'll begin to explore each other." Harry smirked and called Dobby. "What time is it, Dobby? I can't find my wand."

"It is being nearly ten o'clock, Master Harry Potter, sir." The elf said. "Is the masters hungry, sirs?"

"Not yet, Dobby." Harry's smirk stretched across his face. "I'll call for breakfast in a bit."

Dobby popped away, leaving Draco to the tender mercies of his fiancé.

Harry considered for a moment what he wished to do with the cheeky blond. "We'll go slowly, love. Pyjamas will stay on."

Draco felt his face warm but nodded his agreement. Harry's mouth covered his and once again Draco surrendered to the feeling of floating in midair.

Harry's whisper almost eluded him. "Do you feel me against your leg?"

Draco moaned. "Yes."

"And I feel you, my Draco." This time Harry's whisper sounded strangled. "I want you to move your hips and rub yourself against me. Can you do that?"

Panting, Draco nodded. "Yes! Merlin, yes!"

Harry helped his love to tilt his hips and get the leverage and soon Draco had the rhythm down pat. Harry felt Draco moving against him and tried to let things progress naturally but, too quickly, Harry lost himself in the sensations and thrust back against Draco's hip. The boys kissed and clung to each other.

Still panting, Draco trembled in Harry's hold trying to gather his wits. "I never knew anything could feel that…"

"Wonderful?" Harry whispered directly into Draco's ear causing a shiver to run down the blond's spine.

Draco hid his face in Harry's shoulder suppressing an undignified giggle. "Yes."

Harry kept the blond cradled for another moment and when they'd both calmed down, he suggested they get cleaned up.

"You'll…" Draco started but then shook his head and turned away.

"Draco?" Harry kissed his love's hair because that's what he could reach. "I'll be here the whole time. I'm not going anywhere without you."

Draco spun to face Harry. "I'm sorry I keep doubting you. I-I don't want to. I don't mean to."

"I know." Harry whispered. "Come on, now. You can't be comfortable like that."

Draco blushed and hurried into his bathroom to shower.

As soon as Draco was out of sight, Harry cast cleansing spells for himself before calling Dobby. "I need you to deliver a few messages, Dobby."

Dobby summoned parchment and a quill to Draco's table.

"While I write the messages, I need you or any of the elves to tidy the room." Harry told the small creature. "Also, Draco and I should eat breakfast soon."

When Dobby heard this, he popped away. Within minutes two elves came to clean Draco's tower. One took the dirty sheets from the bed and the other put the clean ones on it. Dobby brought the food trays and took the rest of the laundry after instructing Harry to leave his dirty things on the bathroom floor when he was finished.

Harry wrote to Sirius and Severus that he was almost ready to see them. He just needed to tell Draco his plan. To Ron, Blaise, and the others he suggested they speak to Severus for a detailed explanation but he'd try to see them before dinnertime that night.

Harry heard a throat clear and looked up. "Draco, you look divine."

The blond had put on clothing similar to what Harry had worn the night before. His tunic was a mixture of tan suede and brown leather. His brown legging hugged his thighs and Harry could see the boots did the same to his calves. A glint of light brought attention to Draco's right hand where he wore a family ring. Harry grabbed his note to Sirius and added a request for his own family ring. "The cape is the perfect touch. Did you know that red is my favorite color?"

Draco shook his head. "I didn't. My uncle may have, though. He gave it to me. I saw that you wear your dagger at your hip."

"Yes." Harry nodded. "One of the things we need to do is train you a little…in combat. I'll find a dagger for you."

"No need." Draco grinned and placed his foot on Harry's thigh to show the hilt of his dagger as he pulled it from its sheath. "It was my grandfather's. It came to me on my birthday." Sliding it back into the sheath, Draco gestured at the food. "You haven't eaten."

"I was distracted and it's under charms." Harry told him. "I'll fix myself up and then eat…you are full of surprises."

"Good." Draco gave him a cheeky grin and began to eat as Harry got up and hurried to give Dobby the messages to deliver.

"Draco, I've asked my…our godfathers not to come up until I spoke to you." Harry watched his beloved's face. "I think you should meet Sirius before the meeting with your parents because he'll probably be needed to help us convince them of the truth."

Draco stopped eating and took a deep breath. He seemed to be weighing Harry's words until he nodded slowly. "You could be right…As long as you or Uncle Severus – possibly both – are there with me, I should be able to handle it."

"I'll hold your hand every step of the way, my Dragon." Harry said softly.

Draco looked up at the new endearment. "Please, no…don't call me that. He called me that."

"Then I will never use that name again, my love." Harry kissed Draco's cheek and then rushed to the shower leaving his dirty things on the floor. When he'd finished washing, he found his clothing set out. "Dobby must've seen my trunk and pulled this out." Harry said as he rejoined his fiancé.

Draco's smirk was accessorized by a twinkle in his eye. "Actually I set that out for you. I thought we'd complement each other today."

Harry looked himself over again and noticed that his outfit was the opposite of Draco's. Where Draco wore brown, Harry's clothes were tan and vice versa. "You did a wonderful job, Draco. Now, I'll have Dobby bring Sirius and Severus up. By the time I'm done eating, they should be here."

Draco nodded but Harry could see that he was tense.

"Siri is an amazing person, Draco. He's kind and caring and very loyal. He helped take care of me while I was growing up…as Severus did for you." Harry tried to remember his manners and not shovel the food into his mouth, but he was hungry and in a slight hurry. There was a knock at the door just as he finished the last bite. He stood and called for Dobby to take the dishes and then took a seat next to his beloved. "Enter…"

Severus came in first, putting Draco at ease but when he saw Sirius, the blond gripped Harry's hand tightly.

Harry lifted Draco's hand and kissed it. "Draco, love – this is my godfather. I've told you a little about him and you're protected by both me and Severus as well as being armed with your own dagger. You're safe with us…all of us…"

Draco nodded and stood. He hugged his godfather and extended a shaky hand to the newcomer. "I'm Draco Hyperion Malfoy, sir. Happy to meet you."

"I am Lord Sirius Orion Black." Siri told him, keeping his tone light and hopefully reassuring. As soon as the handshake was over, Draco took his hand back and retreated to Harry's side. "I'm your mother's first cousin."

Harry felt Draco suddenly relax. "So you're family…"

It almost brought tears to Harry's eyes as Sirius smiled with a nod.

"Will you be able to help with my parents?" Draco asked. "I want them to know me."

Sirius nodded. "I know you do, Draco. It will happen someday. I hope I can help but I'm really not sure."

Draco sighed. "I understand. Thank you for being honest."

Severus seemed relieved now that the first hurdle was over. Next they would try to convince the Malfoys of the truth but it wasn't guaranteed that the contracts would be enough to persuade them.

********** LTF **********

Longest chapter so far! Tell me what you all think - please!