Sorry! Sorry! I forgot yesterday was Monday *looks sheepish*.

46 (half of it anyway)

The next morning, Harry portkeyed into Malfoy Manor. He looked around happily. In the month he'd lived there, the mansion had become as much a home as Hogwarts, and he'd missed it while he was gone. He settled into the dragonhide chair in which he'd spent so much time, even though it was usually on his husband's lap. He took off his cloak and laid it over the back of the chair even as he summoned a book he'd been reading before school started. Ten minutes later, he was interrupted.

"Enjoying yourself?" Lucius' voice swept over him unexpectedly. That, perhaps more than anything else, proved how much at home Harry felt. Nowhere else, except perhaps his father's rooms, did he let his normal paranoia down so much that he could be snuck up on. He smiled brightly up at his lover.

"Yes, I am," he admitted. He stood up, noticing that Lucius was dressed to go out. "Where are we going?"

"Have you ever heard of Mytholious Garden?" Lucius asked.

Harry thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No," he admitted. "What is it?"

"You'll see," Lucius smirked. He picked up Harry's cloak and held it out to his husband. Harry allowed him to settle it across his shoulders, and they headed out.

Lucius held out a portkey for Harry to touch. He had stopped by the Garden the night before to pick it up. They could have reached it by flooing, but he did not think Harry would appreciate starting the day out by getting sick, and the effects of flooing was still one of the things that the house elf's tea could not counteract.

Once they reached their destination, Harry looked around, wondering where they were. There didn't seem to be anything there. They were standing in front of a large hedge that reached several feet above even Lucius' head. Suddenly the hedge opened, and a wizard walked out to greet them, dressed in brown robes that seemed to be a cross between formal and functional.

"Minister Malfoy!" he greeted jovially. "How nice to see you! And you as well, Mister Snape. Welcome to Mytholious Garden."

"What is this place?" Harry asked, confused.

"You've never heard of us?" the wizard asked, looking back and forth between the two.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Lucius told him, his voice holding a warning.

The wizard immediately smiled once more. "Of course, of course. Please, enter. Everything is ready."

They stepped inside the towering hedge, and Harry looked around expectantly. All he saw was a rolling plain. The only thing he could say for sure about the seemingly endless sea of green and brown was that he didn't believe there was land like that anywhere in England or Scotland. Perhaps they were in Ireland?

"Do you wish to walk or take the float?" the greeting wizard asked.

Lucius looked at his husband, considering. "We will begin by walking, I think. However, have the float nearby, in case we change our mind."

"Of course, Minister," the man said graciously. "Please keep within the designated area. We cannot assure your safety if you tread off of the enchanted path. We also ask that you refrain from feeding the animals... either purposefully or inadvertently."

"Feed the..." Harry gasped. His eyes went wide with delight. "Is this a zoo?"

"We prefer the term 'mythological animal park'" the wizard offered.

"A wizard's zoo," Harry realized.

"As you say, Mr. Snape," the wizard was not going to argue with such an important personage.

"There are rest stops along the way, as well as places to eat, if you become hungry," the wizard decided to get through the rest of his spiel. "The float can be called by simply pressing this button." He handed the device to Lucius, who placed it in a pocket on his cloak. "An alarm will sound if you step off of the path. This is for your own safety; some of the creatures here do not like humans. The path itself is hidden from them, as is anything on it, so you don't have to worry about scaring them off... as long as you stay on the path. There are certain habitats where the creatures are friendly and enjoy being petted. In those cases, you will be informed as you enter the habitat..." His voice trailed off.

Lucius had been paying more attention to his husband than the spiel; he had, after all, heard it before. He noticed the guide had stopped his instruction, and looked over at him. The wizard was standing there with his eyes wide and focused on Harry. Lucius was about to reprimand him…severely… when he realized that it wasn't his husband the guide was staring at, but the snake whose head had poked out of Harry's collar.

"Is that..." the wizard gasped, unbelieving.

"What?" Harry asked, confused. He looked down to see Flick's head sticking out of his collar. "Oh, Flick? She's mine." Flick slithered out all the way and wrapped around Harry's upper arm and neck.

"That's ... an Alaspinian minidrag!" the wizard finally blurted out.

"Yes, I know," Harry agreed. "Why? Do you have more of her kind here?"

"No." the wizard admitted. "They're almost impossible to capture, and completely impossible to keep."

"You must not have become friends with yours, then," Harry shrugged. "Is that it? Is there anything else we need to know, or can we go now?"

"Um..." the wizard had to take a minute to remember where he'd been. "Stay on the path... don't feed the animals... yes, that's pretty much it."

"Brilliant!" Harry shouted, using one of Ron's favorite expressions. "Let's go." He grabbed Lucius' hand and almost dragged him over to the start of the path.

Part 47/?

Five hours later, as Lucius watched Harry gently petting a baby gryphonette, he was delighted with how successful his surprise had been. The Mytholious Garden was nothing like a muggle zoo, as Harry had described them. No animals here would ever be kept in cages. Instead, they were in acre or larger, many times, much much larger, sized habitats made entirely of plants and animals from a specific region. Thanks to magic, they were able to recreate those habitats exactly, even down to temperature and soil composition. And there were no animals just sleeping the day away. In those habitats where most of the inhabitants were nocturnal, night and day had been switched, so it was the middle of their nights during the busiest times of the day for the Garden.

The path was enchanted, not only to be invisible to and safe from the animals they passed, but also to be impervious to the surrounding conditions. They'd been pleasantly cool as they walked through the desert and gawked at a sphinx and manticore battling playfully, and thankfully, dry as they'd stood deep under water to watch a kraken go by, and by, and by.

There was also a minor attraction spell just outside of the path that automatically turned itself on when the path was in use. As a result, any creatures nearby would come closer, allowing them to be better observed.

Every several habitats, there was a rest stop. There could be found eateries, souvenir shops and enclosures where some of the tamer and cuter animals could be petted and fed. Harry, of course, had demanded they stop at every one.

Normally, the gryphonette would never be one of those that could be petted. The adult gryphons were at the rest stop as a sideshow sort of exhibit. People found it fun to try to tell lies within their vicinity. They also peered, from what the mother considered a safe distance, at the cute, fluffy babies. The gryphons had taken one look at Harry and seemingly decided he was part of their pride. The mother had come over and chivied Harry over to her nest. He'd laughingly settled down to play with the kits as the mother ran her beak through his hair. Lucius had, reluctantly, been allowed closer than the other patrons, so he had a good seat to watch them play.

He frowned when he saw one of the little gryphons getting a little too rough, but before he could do more than take one step closer, the mother gryphon had already broken them up and was seemingly scolding the little one for playing too rough with their newest family member. Harry just laughed.

"Can you understand her?" Lucius asked.

Harry shrugged, but smiled. "I can't tell exactly what she's saying, but she's getting her point across well."

Lucius had to concede that was true. "We need to leave soon if you want to see the rest of the Garden before our dinner reservations."

Harry looked up, wide-eyed. "There's more? How big is this place? We've already been walking for miles!"

Lucius shook his head with a smile. "Space is subjective, you should know that. Of course, whether they compress space in a way most wizards have no way of copying, or if the junctions between habitats are actually portals and we *are* actually in those other places, hasn't been revealed to the public. But, yes, there are several more habitats, including one in which I think you'll be particularly interested."

Harry sighed at leaving his new friends, but couldn't keep the excitement from glinting in his eyes. They hadn't really *walked* very far, moving to the floats soon after the first rest stop. Still, the things they'd seen had been beyond amazing, and he really couldn't wait to see what else was around. After all, if Lucius said he'd enjoy it, he was sure he would.

Carefully, he extracted himself from the nest, giving the baby gryphons one last hug and fur rub and feather ruffle. He'd also hugged both the mother and the father, and then carefully moved to his husband's side. The last thing either of them wanted was for the large animals to think Lucius was taking him away. Those animals were big, and Harry knew first-hand how much damage those beaks and claws could do, especially when backed by about two hundred pounds of pure muscle.

They made it away without incident, and both breathed sighs of relief, sighs copied by the half a hundred people currently watching them.

Although they had started out the day alone, that had quickly changed. Now, there were sightseers practically everywhere on the paths and in the rest stops. Harry hadn't let go of Lucius' hand through the first two habitats, but upon seeing others at the first rest stop, he'd tried to let go. Lucius wasn't having any of it. Yes, the main reason they were here was to enjoy themselves, but the second purpose was to be seen as a couple. Besides, he *liked* the warm pressure of Harry's hand in his, the way his young husband would tug him forward in excitement as he saw another new animal or plant species.

Regardless of what the muggleborn had told him, he had no intention of indulging in 'public displays of affection' Kissing and the like were for more private venues. However, he told himself, keeping one hand on his husband at all times, was simply prudent, considering the young man's propensity for getting into trouble. He might even have believed himself.

Luckily, not many had dared go against his lethal glare when he saw anyone getting too close. They'd managed to spend most of the day relatively undisturbed. Watched, always, but mostly unbothered.

They walked and floated through several more venues before they came to the one Lucius had been anticipating. It was one of the most breathtaking scenes in the zoo, and considering the wonders they had already seen, this would be nothing short of impressive.

Harry hissed in a breath, as it suddenly seemed as if they were standing on air. He looked down quickly to find they were standing on the very tip of a tall mountain. And in the air all around them were almost every type of flying creature imaginable.

They watched what seemed to be a wonderfully choreographed aerial ballet. Feathered, scaled and furred, bat-winged, butterfly-winged and bird-winged; the number of different species was mindboggling. Harry leaned back against Lucius' chest and wrapped the older man's arms around him. He felt as if his husband's arms were the only things keeping him grounded, as his soul soared into the air to join in the dance. His eyes drank in the beautiful sight as he yearned for the ability to change and let his own wings take him up into the pure, clear air.

Harry had no idea how long they stood there watching, but finally, Lucius gently drew him away. Harry never even noticed, as they walked on seemingly nothing but air from mountaintop to mountaintop, until finally they reached yet another rest stop. This time, Lucius led him to an isolated cabana and settled down into the lounge chair stationed there, pulling Harry down after him and settling him on his lap.

He looked down, surprised to find tears welling in his lover's eyes, and gently rolling down his cheeks. "Is everything alright?" Lucius asked softly, tenderly brushing away a new fallen tear.

"It was so beautiful," Harry murmured. "So free. I wanted to be up there, dancing with them... Why do they do that?"

"No one knows," Lucius admitted. "I wasn't sure they were going to today, but I was told that chances were good. It's one of the reasons I brought you here."

Harry suddenly, almost violently, twisted around. "Thank you!" he said, throwing his arms around Lucius' neck. "Thank you so much! This has been one of the most wonderful days of my life. And that... that was just ... just... so beyond brilliant, I don't have the words to describe it. I saw things flying there I never dreamed existed. And they were all together, all united, caring about nothing except the wind and their wings, and the dance, the flight and the freedom."

"Did you want to be up there, with them?" Lucius asked, trying to ignore the heaviness in his own heart. He was glad he'd given his lover such an experience, but it was leading places he didn't want to go. If Harry loved freedom that much, how long would it be until he flew away, feeling the need to spread his own wings and take off into the air on his own?

"More than almost anything," Harry sighed. He smiled softly, his hand reaching up to rest against Lucius' cheek. "There's only one place in the entire world where I feel freer than in the air."

"Where's that?" Lucius asked carefully.

"Right here," Harry snuggled down, making sure he was touching his lover with as much of himself as he could. "In your arms, is the best place in the world for me."

Part 48/?

There were still several more habitats to go, but they decided to forgo them this time. Lucius promised they would be back but he knew that after that last experience, the others would seem bland by comparison and lose most of their wonder for Harry. They didn't deserve that, for they truly were wonderful in their own way. He would bring Harry back when the memory had faded a bit.

They headed home and ... rested... for a bit, before Harry went back to Salazar's rooms to change. All he'd been told about dinner was to dress in formal clothes that he could dance in. He finally decided on black slacks with a shiny, silver silk shirt and an overrobe that was more like a long vest. It was sleeveless and buttoned down to his trousers, leaving the rest free to his shoes. The back of the vest was embroidered with a silver and white phoenix rising from hot blue flames that seemed to flicker.

The Golden Lyre was yet another unbelievable experience for one who hadn't grown up in the wizarding world. Of course, even for those who had grown up there, it was a delight. Living up to its name, the Golden Lyre was a place of music. The stones on the floor of the foyer were enchanted to chime with each step. The charm was an advanced one, so Harry's, Lucius' and the maitre d's steps always seemed to harmonize, never to clash.

Once inside, you were able to choose your table by the instrument. Lucius chose the harp, and they were led to a small, intimate booth with a small harp playing itself gently in one corner. As the dinner progressed, Harry noticed the music shifting. It seemed to depend on a number of factors, such as the course of the meal being served, the tone of conversation, and even the mood. Harry played with it for a while, trying out different tones of voice and seeing how the music changed. He soon got tired of that and turned back to his husband.

"Have I told you yet how much I've enjoyed today?" he asked with a smile.

"Just once or twice," Lucius answered back in the same tone.

Harry looked up as something caught the corner of his eye. It took him a few moments to realize what he was seeing. It was a small... baby? with a three-stringed instrument and feathery white wings.

"Um?" Harry nodded his head towards it, wordlessly asking what it was.

Lucius frowned. "You've never seen a cherub before? I thought muggles new something about them."

Harry blinked. "Oh, is that what it is?" He nodded. "Yes, I remember seeing them now, on Valentine's cards and the like." He sighed.

"What's the matter?" Lucius asked.

Harry shrugged. "It just seems as if every time I think I've learned a lot about the wizarding world, I just find out how much more I don't know, and still have to learn. Am I ever going to figure it all out?"

"Does it matter?" Lucius asked softly. "You know everything you really need to know, and anything else, your friends and family will readily explain to you. Or, knowing you, you will search until you find whatever answers you're seeking."

"Don't you get tired of having to explain everything?" Harry asked.

Lucius actually laughed out loud. "Everything?" He shook his head and nodded towards the cherub still flying around. "That was perhaps the second such question you've asked me today. I don't think *everything* is quite the correct word."

"It seems like it, sometimes," Harry admitted.

"You always are harder on yourself than any one else," Lucius said softly. "Don't you think perhaps Ms. Granger or Ehlana feel the same way?"

"Oh, come on, 'Mione always knows everything anyway, and Ehlana grew up with magic."

"Ms. Granger knows everything because she's scared of coming across something she doesn't know, so she has studied everything she can get her hands on," Lucius offered. "And Ehlana might have grown up with magic, but it was a magic much different from what she's living with now." He could tell Harry wasn't completely convinced, but the subject was dropped for the moment.

The rest of the dinner was simply pleasant conversation, and once their meal had settled enough, they got up to dance. The dance floor was much like the rest of the restaurant, a myriad of music. It soon became impossible to tell if they were moving to the music, or the music was following their movements. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

By the time Harry'd had enough of dancing, they were more than ready to go home. And it was not necessarily because they were tired. However, their wonderful night was about to be disrupted.

"Minister Malfoy! Minister Malfoy!" a voice called from behind them.

They turned to find Thistlewaite standing there.

Lucius frowned in a way that would make Death Eaters quail in fear.

The reporter paled, but stood his ground. "I'm sorry sir, but this is important. It's about what Dumbledore is up to. You *really* need to hear this, right now."

Lucius matched gazes with his husband, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Thistlewaite's arm; simultaneously Disapparating them from the restaurant. Harry followed immediately after.

"Explain," Lucius ordered, as soon as they were all safe in the Manor.

"I've felt there was something wrong with the way Marnier has been acting," Thistlewaite began to explain.

Lucius nodded his understanding. "I would not have chosen him to become one of the reporters allowed to follow me, if he had acted then as he has been acting since. His writing also has not met his typical standard."

The reporter nodded. "I agree. We might not work for the same paper, but most reporters know how their rivals think and write, and Marnier has not been living up to that. Tonight I decided to find out why."

"You used Veritaserum on him?" Harry wondered.

"Something almost as good," he explained. "I got him drunk."

"And you found out about Dumbledore's plans that way?" Lucius growled.

Thistlewaite nodded. "It surprised me as well. According to Marnier, tomorrow morning, several newspapers will put out that your marriage is illegal because it wasn't signed by your guardian."

"But Severus did sign it," Harry said, confused.

"That's just it, they're saying your adoption is illegal too. Marnier said that according to your parents will, Dumbledore is actually your legal guardian, and therefore, he had to agree to your adoption," he explained.

"That makes no sense," Harry disagreed vehemently. "Not only did the Dursleys *raise* me, if you want to put it that way, but Dumbledore himself said that Uncle Vernon had to sign my Hogsmeade letter, and that no one else could do it, because it had to be signed by my guardian."

"All I'm telling you is what Marnier said," Thistlewaite explained. "The weird thing is that Marnier seems convinced that, if it's true, Dumbledore might actually be able to get custody of you."

"What?" Harry screamed.