~ Harry and Draco's bedroom ~
Draco turned over in bed, trying in vain to get comfortable. He couldn't get his father out of his mind. It was eating away at him and he hated it. Draco longed for the carefree days when he'd…..actually he'd never had carefree days. Well, kind of when he and Harry were at school and they'd strutted around as if they'd owned the place. He'd been really good at pushing away all the crap his father had thrown at him, so why now, when his father was dead, and had been for nearly six years, was he unable to forget the things his father had done?
Draco turned over again, facing the wall. Suddenly he felt Harry's body pressing against his back and Harry's arms around him, holding him close.
"What's wrong?" Harry whispered in his ear.
"Nothing," Draco replied softly, almost desperately, wanting it to be the truth.
"You've been tossing and turning for hours. Something's bothering you. Tell me," Harry commanded gently, trying to keep the worry out of his voice and sound reassuring at the same time.
"I just….I can't talk about it," Draco said unhappily.
"You know you can tell me anything," Harry replied, pushing the hurt he felt at Draco's insistence that he couldn't tell Harry aside.
"I know, but this is different," Draco said as he pushed Harry's arms away and got out of bed. He pulled on his bathrobe and stepped into the bathroom, firmly closing the door.
Harry lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling. He bit his lip as he tried to figure out what had Draco so worked up. They'd never had any secrets before….that you know of, a little voice in the back of his head added nastily. And what about you not telling Draco that it was Eve Williams who hit on you, isn't that a secret? He still doesn't know about that, does he? The voice continued tormenting Harry.
Draco opened the door to the bathroom and sighed as he saw that Harry was still awake.
"I'm sorry Harry, but I just can't deal with it right now. Will you please trust me to tell you when I'm ready?" Draco pleaded as he walked over and knelt on the bed.
Harry stared up at his husband and nodded, "Okay. Just remember I'm here whenever you need me."
Draco smiled, threw off his bathrobe and lay down next to his husband. He snuggled into Harry's side, "I love you Harry."
Harry kissed the top of Draco's head and pulled him closer, "I love you too, Draco."
~ The Great Hall ~
The next morning at breakfast, Draco seemed to be his usual, vivacious self. Ron left early to prepare for the Ravenclaw Quidditch trials that being held that morning and Harry, Draco and Hermione used his absence to their advantage to plan a surprise birthday party for him.
"Albus is letting us use the Great Hall for the party. He said the students can eat in their common rooms that night," Hermione informed them.
"I call decorations," Draco said excitedly.
"Okay, you can be in charge of decorations," Hermione said grudgingly, "but nothing as elaborate as your fifth wedding anniversary party last summer at Godric's Hollow."
"That wasn't elaborate," Draco said indignantly as Hermione and Harry snorted, "it was simple and elegant."
"Draco, you had a massive ice sculpture of the two of us kissing in the middle of the garden!" Harry said with a laugh.
"And fairy lights everywhere," chimed in Hermione.
"They seemed appropriate," Draco said defensively.
"Anyway, if that is your idea of simple, then I think maybe I'd better handle the decorations," Hermione said.
"No, please Mione. Look, I swear it will be plain and boring, I mean, tasteful," Draco stared pleadingly at Hermione.
"Okay, fine. You're in charge of decorations. Harry, you're in charge of food and drink, since you're such good friends with the house elves," Hermione instructed as Harry grimaced.
"Do I have to?" he whined.
"Yes," Hermione snapped. "You know Ron had the muggle flu last year when it was his 21st birthday, so we're going to make sure his 22nd makes up for it."
"Hey, what's Eve Williams doing?" Draco asked angrily, staring daggers at the young Gryffindor girl as she walked towards the staff table. He sagged with relief as he realised she wasn't heading for Harry.
Harry was squirming uncomfortably in his seat. It was obvious from Draco's behaviour that he knew that she was the one who had hit on him. What he didn't know (at least Harry thought he didn't know) was that she wasn't the only one, she was just the most blatant.
Harry, Draco and Hermione stared in morbid fascination as Eve sauntered up to the other end of the teacher's table and walked around the back next to Snape. She sat down on the table right next to him and crossed her legs. Just as it had when she tried to seduce Harry, her robe fell open to reveal her tanned legs. They watched Snape's eyes widen as they travelled up her legs to her face. Eve smiled at him and leaned closer to whisper something to him.
Harry, Draco and Hermione stared in disbelief as Snape laughed at her comment and allowed her to take his hand and lead him from the room. Harry glanced over at Dumbledore. The headmaster looked amused by this display.
"So anyway, what are you in charge of then, Hermione?" Draco asked, directing the conversation back to Ron's party.
"The guest list of course," she replied.
"Who are you going to invite?" Harry asked.
"All the old crowd from Gryffindor, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ron's family of course, my family, you two, the staff here at Hogwart's, and some of Ron's friend's from the ministry," Hermione ticked them all off on her fingers.
"God, no wonder you want plain and boring decorations!" Draco exclaimed, "that group is just dull. Better stock up on the alcohol, Harry."
"Hey!" Hermione said indignantly.
"Fred and George will be there, they'll liven things up if it gets boring," Harry said with a grin.
"It is not going to be boring!" Hermione insisted angrily, "It is going to be tasteful and stylish and-"
"Boring!" Draco cut in. "You should invite some of the guys from Slytherin. Now they know how to party!"
"Draco, they're Death Eaters," Harry chided him gently.
"Oh yeah, I always forget that part. But it's not like they're hurting anyone," he argued.
"Only because they don't have a leader," countered Harry.
"Whatever," Draco dismissed the entire conversation with the wave of a hand. "I have to get ready for my first class. See you later."
"Bye," Harry and Hermione said.
"There's something going on with him," Harry said pensively as he watched his beloved husband leave the room.
"Oh for god's sake Harry!" Hermione snapped, "You've been married to him for five years and your only now figuring it out?"
Harry turned naïve eyes to Hermione and she was annoyed to realise that Harry truly had no idea of what was eating away at his husband.
~TBC~
A.N. Sorry it's taking so long to get chapters out. I'm in England now, teaching, which is hard work. I hardly have any time to myself anymore. England is pretty cool. Hey, I saw Lord of the Rings last weekend and that guy Aragon or however you spell it, he would make a great Sirius Black. Yeah, sure he's American but god he's hot and he looks just like Sirius!