Disclamer: Everything you can recognize is J. K. Rowling's work.
This is a translation of my original story for a challenge on "La Noble y Ancestral Casa de los Black", a HP forum.
Sorry for any and all possible mistakes, english is not my first language...
Cover: Upthehillart (DeviantArt)
Harry would see him open the shower tap three times before going in to bathe; also when he decided to wash dishes the muggle way. He didn't understand where the tics came from most of the time but he supported and helped Draco whenever he could.
Sometimes Draco was able to resist the urge on his own but it wasn't easy at all. "It hurts me that he has to go through this." Then they discovered that it was best for him to not go near the kitchen whenever that tic returned. Yes, they come back, because it wasn't always the same and that led them to repeat the learning cycle from time to time.
The good thing was that their relationship had strengthened by living getting used to a new action every now and then, although it also hurt them because Draco was very nervous and sensitive the first few days; they ended up fighting constantly.
In the last year they had gone from things as simple as scratching the back of his neck or shaking one or both hands, to hitting the walls and into including vocal tics. The worst thing was when he called out the name of his old house elf for no apparent reason, because it's so rare to hear him say Dobby so sadly.
During the night they slept holding each other in a tight hug so that Draco would feel as calm as possible, even if it meant that Harry got kicked or woke up because his partner was shaking.
They just got up that morning to discover a new tic:
"I love you!"
It was ten in the morning when Harry heard Draco for the fourteenth time and they had woken up just few minutes after nine. "It doesn't bother me, but it's still something we have to learn to handle."
Although Harry could be by his side most of the time to squeeze his hand and help push the urge out of his mind, it wasn't always possible; his husband rarely just succumbed to the need.
They went in to bathe and Harry saw him turn the faucet back on three times before letting the water run but, at that moment, he let it pass. He didn't feel like saying something to him. "He is not hurting anyone." He thought, convincing himself that he was doing nothing wrong.
"I love you," Draco whispered, stepping under the water.
Harry had already learned the best way to deal with Draco's vocal tics; they had been at it for a little over five years. Sometimes his husband's actions increased his own anxiety, but usually he cleared up by seeking new techniques or exercises to control the impulses.
They wrote a book about the condition, a huge factor when the wizarding world found out what was going on between them. Draco supported Harry so he didn't need to pay attention to everything the media said and Harry stayed by Draco's side to better manage the tics between them.
"No, it was not always the same but, in this case, we are open to these changes. In this case, we are happy like this and that is the only important thing here."
And this is one of my takes about Drarry after the war...
I hope you enjoyed and didn't get too sad, sorry!
Note: Oral tics usually don't happen as often as I've put it in the story, they only happen a few times a day but I exaggerated it to emphasize the fact that Harry really didn't mind Draco's condition after the war; he was pretty messed up too.
Thank you A LOT for reading this idea!
I will be reading your crucios and opinions in the comment section down below.