Chapter 13

Draco always got a little nervous when he and Harry went to stay at the Manor for their usual weekend before Christmas. His mother was insistent on it and his father never protested, but Draco was usually exasperated by the second hour of their visit. By then, Harry had usually done something thoughtless or said something that wasn't generally accepted by his parents, and Draco would give him the silent treatment for another hour until he apologised profusely and offered fantastic make-up sex.

That was another problem about staying at your parents', though. How did you have sex? It was just awkward and difficult, even with Silencing Charms. The few times he and Harry had snuck in a bit of time for more intimate activities, Draco felt as though his mother's scanning eyes had spotted the evidence on him the second they stepped out of their room.

"Relax, Draco," Harry soothed him as they heaved their trunks off the floor and prepared to Apparate to the Malfoy Manor. "I'm the one who should be on edge, not you. Your mother always looks like she wants to murder me."

Draco rolled his eyes. "My mother loves you in her own odd way," he replied. "The only problem she has with you is that I'm engaged to you."

"Fantastic," Harry said. When he saw Draco still stiff, he sighed and leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. "It'll be alright. I promise not to act like an idiot."

"I don't think that's something you can help," Draco responded.

Harry punched him in the arm playfully. Draco made himself lighten up. It was only for a few days, after all. They'd make it, somehow.

About ten minutes later, they arrived at the grand gates of the Manor. Draco's mother was waiting for them in the garden.

"Dragon," she said gravely as they approached. "You look well since I've last seen you. Your job is going well?"

"Mother," Draco replied. "It is, thank you." Draco's mother had a very difficult time adjusting to Draco's choice of occupation, especially since he possessed high degrees in other more respectable professions. "Good morning, Harry," she said kindly.

"Good morning, Narcissa," Harry responded. Narcissa had given him permission to use her first name before, and Harry was clearly more comfortable using it.

"Your father cannot wait to see you," Narcissa added to Draco.

"How is he?" Draco asked. He tried to hide the sad, worried tone in his voice, but Harry must have picked up on it, because he was suddenly holding Draco's hand.

Narcissa's eyes flicked once to their joined hands before she returned her gaze to Draco. "He's well enough to insist that you wait for him below the stairs for him to greet you."

Draco tried to smile. "That's good, I suppose."

Narcissa led the way into the house. Draco noted the resounding silence echoing around the halls as they entered and wondered why the quiet which had once soothed him now felt foreign and empty.

"Woah," Harry exclaimed suddenly, causing Draco to look up. His sight was greeted by a large Christmas tree in front of the grand golden staircase. It was huge and nearly touched the high ceiling, and was adorned with gold lights and red ribbons and other beautiful things.

Narcissa had gone up the staircase, probably to get Lucius, while Draco and Harry were staring at the tree, enraptured. Now that they were alone, Harry spoke more freely. "It's beautiful," he noted. "Slightly intimidating, too."

"The house elves did a lovely job," Draco conceded.

"I don't think this was set up by house elves," Harry stated.

"What do you mean?" Draco questioned.

Harry smiled, pointing to a branch about halfway up the tree which had two ornaments fitted haphazardly onto it - one an angel, the other a snake in a Christmas hat. "They argued over the ornaments, too," he chuckled.

Draco couldn't help his lips twitching upwards slightly, although he had half a mind to say that Harry was just being a romantic idiot. Draco's father could barely walk, after all. How would they put an entire tree together?

There was the sound of footsteps, heavy and uneven, descending the staircase. Draco and Harry looked up in unison, and Draco felt as though something was wrenching his heart right out of his chest when he saw his father coming down the stairs, half-supported by Narcissa. He was using his cane, and Draco found it ironic that Lucius had once used the cane as a symbol of his power and now it only showed how unwell he was.

"Draco," Lucius murmured as he reached the foot of the stairs.

"Father," Draco responded. It took everything in him not to run forward and throw his arms around Lucius, but he had to stop himself. It wasn't proper for him to let his emotions run away with him.

"Harry," Lucius added, his gaze fixing itself on Harry.

"Good morning, sir," Harry said. Draco smiled a little when he heard the almost inaudible tremor in Harry's voice. While Harry had never been frightened of Lucius when he was younger, he was now extremely nervous around him, especially since Lucius had taken longer than Narcissa to adjust to their relationship, going as far as to outright disapprove of it in the beginning. He'd eventually accepted it after that one time Harry spoke to him in private for about two hours. He'd never told Draco what they talked about, but it must have been pretty impressive if Lucius allowed Harry to date Draco, with his blessing, after that.

Draco glanced over at his mother. Narcissa's eyes were fixed on Lucius, and there was a soft tenderness in them that Draco almost never saw there, but was familiar all the same. He tried to figure out why for a second, and then he understood. The way she looked at her husband was the same way Harry looked at Draco.

"Get settled in," Narcissa ordered. "We'll have tea ready in the kitchen when you feel like it."

"Thanks, Mother," Draco smiled. Harry nodded courteously, and the pair of them lifted their trunks and started walking up the golden staircase.

"You know what, Harry?" Draco asked once they were out of earshot.

"What?"

"I reckon you're right."

Harry gaped at him. "Draco Malfoy just admitted that I'm right about something?" he gasped. "I should record that and sell the tape for a million Galleons!"

"Shut up," Draco snapped.

"Fine," Harry grinned. "What am I right about?"

"The tree," Draco said. "I think they did argue over the ornaments."

Harry smiled, taking Draco's hand again, and they fell into comfortable silence.

To be continued...

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