Almost a month after Cissa was born, the Ministry raid succeeded in seizing control of the dragon reserve from the Hrypa terrorists. With the terrorists on the run, all Aurors were called in to help round them up and subdue any remaining human threats. Not even the fact that I had a newborn daughter with an unstable father could get me out of going, especially because I was the one who knew the island.
I returned to the island mainly to act as a source of quick-fire intelligence for the other Aurors. I sat in the Ministry's command center and gave orders, directing other Aurors to known terrorist occupied caves. I advised on the location of the dragons and whether or not I knew them to be violent or corrupted by the terrorists. Then there were all the dead bodies I'd left behind before leaving, which had to be collected and the deaths investigated properly.
Finally, there were the few remaining locals to contact and to protect; we tried to steer the battles and fighting away from their caves, but that wasn't always possible and they would have to be notified once again to get out. It was hard to believe that anyone would stay on the island through all of that fighting, but some had. They were those that felt a sense of connection to the land or the dragons and a duty to protect. They got underfoot, trying to help out without being told to. Sometimes their actions did benefit us, while at other times, they interfered. And if they could be summoned and called to arms in time, they formed a militia acting beside us and swelling our numbers, giving us hope and support. Once or twice they were the grain of sand that tipped the scales in our favor, aiding our victories.
I did the bare minimum, leaving as soon as I could possibly arrange it, so that I could get back to Draco and Cissa. Iona and the twins had been with them and she insisted that Draco had been fine for the week; extremely annoyed that my friends kept stopping by to check on him, but acting appropriately towards our daughter. Hermione, Molly, and Andromeda had all done me the favor of stopping by in my absence; Dromeda was the only one of the group whose visit he wasn't mad about.
Dromeda, as the closest living relative of Narcissa's, besides Draco, was heralded as a link to his precious mother. She told me that he greeted her with fear at first, mistaking her for her sister Bellatrix, and then with open arms when he realized who she was. It also helped that she had Teddy with her, who he was familiar with, since I'd frequently had Teddy over. So, after Hermione and Molly got sick of Draco's scowls, Dromeda and Teddy took over the job of checking on Draco every day in my absence.
Upon my return, I was so worried that something would change. My worst fear was that Draco would remember, which was followed closely by my fear that he wouldn't let me back in. The second fear I thought to be very likely, given the fact that every time I'd left his cave I had a bitch of a time getting back in. But even if neither of those two things happened, there was still the possibility that he'd changed his mind about our relationship.
I'd done my best in the two weeks I had before I left to fuck his brains out every chance I got. I even got up with him to feed the baby, just to be able to pull him onto my cock afterwards. He'd told me that the key to trapping him was to get him addicted to my dick and I did my best to do so and suck him in. I definitely wasn't counting on him having fallen in love with me yet, although he did treat me well and for the most part acted the role of the typical boyfriend. And we were growing closer, sharing more of ourselves with each other. With that first open and honest conversation, we'd begun to talk about our pasts and our feelings.
But what if it wasn't enough? What if these past nine days of separation were long enough for him to clear his head and decide against allowing himself to be vulnerable to me? What if he'd found a dildo and replaced me? What if he clammed back up emotionally? What if he remembered his pureblood prejudices against me or the hatred he felt for me during school? What if he wanted me out of his life?
I was extremely nervous as I returned home, thus my shopping detour. I was still using daily gifts to lure him into having a relationship with me, relying on his shallowness. While I was gone, I'd even directed the elves to present him with the few little gifts that I hadn't had a chance to give him; there wasn't one for every day, but there were three nice things. Now my supply was exhausted and I couldn't bear the thought of showing up empty handed.
One of the problems with shopping for Draco was that he didn't like clothes off the rack; that was a general problem with the wizarding world, really, but if I'd been with someone less picky, I could buy muggle. I ended up buying him an expensive pair of leather shoes with matching leather belt, both off the rack; they were the limit of what Draco would accept that wasn't custom made. Then I prepaid for a spa day and picked up a bouquet of flowers. Luckily our florist was expecting an order from me and already had his favorite black and white flowers in the shop. I tipped said florist generously and let her know to keep Draco's flowers in stock, because I would be back again soon.
I worried that I didn't have enough for Draco, because I wanted to give him everything right away, which would leave me empty handed come tomorrow. I almost went in another few stores looking for other things he might like, but my eagerness to get back to him, to see him and our daughter again, won out. I apparated to Malfoy Manor with my gifts in hand and banged on the knocker.
Lifton answered and escorted me in. Draco was sitting in the sitting room, Cissa on his lap and cooing at the silly voices he was making. Broderick and Roadrick were clambering on his either side, each trying to get onto his lap with the baby.
"Harry! You're back!" Draco exclaimed, looking up from the children with a face that was happy to see me.
"Yeah, these are for you," I said, holding out the flowers.
"Get down for a moment, boys," Draco requested, speaking to Broderick on his right and then to Roadrick on his left.
"No, pick me up!" Roadrick cried in protest, not noticing me.
"Harry!" Broderick cried, noticing me. He ran to me instantly and flung himself upon my legs, tying me to the spot.
"I can't pick you up Roadrick, if you do not first let me up to put Cissa down," Draco said evenly.
Roadrick looked from his father to me, where I stood greeting Broderick cheerfully. Then he ran and flung himself at me, clinging to my legs right next to his brother. I greeted him just as cheerfully as I had his brother. Draco now free to rise, put Cissa in her infant seat, turning the toy bar on and setting the straps to buckle themselves with the wave of his wand. Then he greeted me, leaning over the two much shorter blond heads to kiss me, his larger hands on each of my arms next to the two pairs of hands belonging to the twins. The kiss was short, but infused with the fire and passion that burned between us.
"I missed you," Draco said, pulling back from our kiss.
"Pick me up!" Broderick cried.
"Me too!" Roadrick seconded.
"Alright, come here," Draco said, scooping the closest twin to him, Broderick, up and sitting the child on his hip.
"Here, take these and I'll get Roadrick," I said, thrusting the bouquet into Draco's free hand.
Draco took the flowers, smelled them, and then at the cry of, "Lemma smell too," lowered them for Broderick to sniff.
Meanwhile I scooped Roadrick up in my arms, listening to him prattling on too quickly for me to catch what he was saying. His little head was leaning into my chest and his little body forming to fit my arm under his bum; I didn't bother trying to rest him on my slender hips, knowing that he'd just slide down. Draco's hips were slender too, but were just enough wider to keep a child in place there and he had much more practice at it than I did.
My legs free to move, I then deposited my gift bag on the sofa.
"Lifton, put these in a vase," Draco said, holding out the black and white colored blooms.
With a snap of Lifton's boney fingers, the bouquet disappeared from Draco's grasp and reappeared in a vase on the end table.
"What else did you bring?" Draco asked, stepping closer to the sofa to peer into the bag.
"What did'ja bring me?" Roadrick asked from my arms.
"And me?" Broderick seconded from Draco's hip, head bending down to look too.
It was then that I realized my mistake: I'd brought three presents for Draco and none for the children. I had to think quickly and the solution spewed forth from my tongue automatically. It was a solution I remembered the Dursleys using to placate Dudley. I hated myself for stooping to the Dursley's level, but I now understood it. "We'll go out to the toy store and buy you each a present." And then I added a lie to explain why these presents weren't already in hand. "I didn't know which toys to buy. I need you both to show me which ones to get."
"Toy?" Roadrick asked innocently.
"Store?" Broderick asked in the same manner.
"I've never taken them to a toy store. I hope you know what you are getting yourself into," Draco stated.
"I need to go shopping tomorrow anyway. They can go with me. It'll be fun," I said jovially, pushing away the thoughts of a pair of three-year-olds out of control at a toy store. And what was worse was that they were Malfoy three-year-olds with all the spirit for mayhem Draco himself had possessed.
"Alright, if you insist. You do know that you don't have to keep buying me things every day, don't you?" Draco asked, guessing the purpose behind my planned trip.
"I don't?" I asked it automatically, taken by surprise. "You don't like my gifts?" I amended.
"I do, but they aren't necessary. It's nice, but I'm not so shallow as to up and disappear if you miss one day of giving me something. We're dating now and you're the father of my daughter."
"I don't mind being a father to your sons too, if you'd allow me."
At my statement, Draco breathed in surprise; it wasn't quite a gasp, but it was there. "You would? You aren't just being nice to them to get closer to me?"
"No, they're great kids; smart and brave and super cute. I know you said they don't have a second parent, which means I won't be stepping on anybody's toes. Every kid deserves two parents. You're already sharing Cissa with me, so you might as well share them with me too," I answered honestly. "If you'd like, I'll share my Teddy with you."
Draco ducked his head and sat down on the sofa, pulling Broderick into his lap and distracting himself with straightening the child's collar. I sat down next to him, pushing the gift bag aside, so that I could slide my thighs up against his, mirroring his position with Roadrick on my lap. The twins pushed and giggled at each other, while Draco thought silently and I waited with baited breath. And then he nodded and gave me his answer, "Alright. We can try it for now, but I don't want to force it on them. I'm not going to tell them to call you Daddy or insist Teddy calls me Father."
"That's fine. Harry is good for now," I conceded, ducking my head slightly to catch his eyes as they looked down, under his lashes. He blushed and tilted his head to look at me properly. "I got you something else." I reached for the bag, to pull it to my other side, and Roadrick leaned over and pulled with me. He got in the way more than he helped, but I thanked him enthusiastically anyway.
"What's it?" Broderick asked, leaning over and shoving his little hands into the bag without permission.
"For me?" Roadrick asked, joining his brother in reaching in.
"No, it's not for either of you. It's for me. Harry said you will get your gifts tomorrow when he takes you to the store, remember?" Draco asked the twins, before turning his head to face me, his hair swinging into his eyes momentarily. "Is it alright, Harry, if I let them open it for me? It won't break, will it?"
I chuckled and waved the twins ahead, saying, "It's fine."
"Go ahead you two. Can you take it out?" Draco asked, turning to the boys.
"We'kin do it," Roadrick said, pulling out the belt.
"Yeah," Broderick seconded, struggling with a shoe.
The boys left their items on Draco's chest and dived back into the bag, fighting over the other shoe, with shouts of, "I got it, and, "Lemme."
With a final, "Oofph," the second shoe joined the first on Draco's chest.
Draco examined the gifts with a shy smile, setting them to the side, so that they wouldn't be crushed by either boy. "These are really nice, Harry. Thank you. But you know, like I said earlier, you don't have to keep buying me things. I'm beginning to think you don't approve of my wardrobe."
"Oh no, I do," I said hastily. "Your stuff is great, brilliant even."
"It's just a tad old, I know. I didn't think you'd be one to notice the subtle changes in fashion."
"Oh no, I didn't. I was trying to match what you have and these were the closest. Your tastes are fine; I just noticed your things were worn."
"Mother would be ashamed of my wardrobe, I know. Shopping just isn't the same without her."
"You could order your things, like you do for the boys."
Draco shrugged and said, "I know, but without mother…"
"I'll do your shopping then. I don't mind." I probably ought to tell him to face his fears, but I didn't. I liked him leaning on me and needing me, because it meant it would be harder for him to pull away again.
"I'll pay you back."
"No need; you're my boyfriend. I'm allowed to spoil you and I don't need the money."
Draco looked like he was going to question me for a moment, but then nodded and took me at my word. It occurred to me then that he must trust me now.
The following day Draco proved how much he trusted me by letting me take his boys out to the store. I invited Teddy along and used the excuse of making the day of it to bring back ups in the form of Dromeda and Hermione. I would've brought Ron, but he was still busy on assignment in Scotland, rounding up terrorists who tried to flee to the mainland.
I had thought Broderick and Roadrick were out of the terrible twos, but that trip just reminded me how awful the troublesome threes could be. The sound of the shrieks they made in excitement at seeing all the toys in the store was ear splitting. The energy level with which they bounced around the store was impossible to keep up with. The whole outing in general was mind-numbing. I highly doubted that I would've survived had I not had help with me.
Given how much work the ordeal was, I didn't want any reason to have to go through it again soon. Thus I bought everything the three boys asked for as well as a stack for Cissa to grow into. When we returned to Malfoy Manor, I only gave each boy one of their presents to play with now, putting the rest up for later. The twins were so little that they'd forgotten the missing items by the time we got home. I was worried for a minute that Teddy was going to expose me, but Dromeda reminded him that it wasn't his birthday or Christmas, so he'd have to wait. Thankfully Teddy nodded and went back to playing with the one new toy I did let him have.
Author's Note: So that pretty much ties up everything with the war on the island. Draco and Harry's relationship has had time to grow. And now I think it's time Draco discovers the truth. We are quickly approaching the end of this story. I only have about four more chapters planned.
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