~ Harry, Draco and Daniel's Rooms ~
Draco was sitting on the couch waiting for Harry, who was reading Daniel a story before he went to sleep. He smiled and rested his head on the back of the couch. He was tired, but happy. So very happy to have Harry back with him. Draco glanced around the room and made a face. I'll have to clean it up in the morning, he thought. What a mess Daniel has made with his blocks.
His gaze fell on Daniel's new broomstick, propped up by the fireplace and he frowned. He should have known that it was only a matter of time before Harry bought one for him. Draco understood why he'd done it. Hell, Draco had been keen for his son to learn how to fly too, but he was too young at the moment.
"He's finally asleep," Harry said as he flopped down on the couch beside Draco.
"Harry, why did you buy Daniel a broom without asking me first?" Draco asked, unable to keep silent about this issue any longer. He sat up and turned to face Harry.
Harry looked startled. "What? Why shouldn't he have a broom?"
"Because they're dangerous," Draco explained, trying valiantly to be patient.
Harry snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. That broom barely hovers two feet above the ground."
"I'm telling you, Harry. Hermione did the research and told me that the second leading cause of death for under-5's is broomstick-related accidents," Draco said.
"Oh, so all decisions regarding our child have to be run by Hermione first, do they?" Harry asked, looking annoyed that his gift was being challenged.
"Well, until two days ago, I didn't have anyone else to ask for advice," Draco said, standing up and walking over to the desk, his back to Harry. He shuffled a stack of students' homework but only so he would have something to do that didn't require him to look at Harry.
"That's a low blow," Harry said softly. Draco heard him stand up and felt him standing so close behind him, even though there was a gap between them. "You know I would have been here if I could. I thought you understood that."
"I do understand that. I just don't understand why it took you so long to get here," Draco blurted out. He bowed his head and leant forward, resting his hands on the desk. He hadn't meant for that to come out but he still felt that crushing hurt inside of him that demanded to be released somehow.
Draco felt Harry's arms encircle him and his lips press against the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry, Draco," Harry said softly in his ear. "I should have killed her at the first opportunity I got. I'm sorry that I couldn't bring myself to do that."
Lips pressed against his neck one more time before Harry let him go. Moments later, Draco heard the shower running and he collapsed onto the chair at his desk and leant against it with his head in his hands. He replayed Harry's last comments in his mind and shuddered. Did he really expect Harry to kill that bitch in order to be with Draco sooner? This was Gryffindor Harry he was talking about here. He had saved Peter Pettigrew from being killed by Sirius and Remus all those years ago even though the bastard deserved to die. Draco shook his head. Harry could never have killed that bitch and still be the same Harry that Draco loved so much.
What is wrong with me? he wondered despairingly. After all that Harry has been through, my only gripe is that he didn't escape sooner? I'm damn lucky he escaped at all, he told himself sternly. Stop being so goddamn pitiful and go in there and apologise.
Draco decided that was good advice and he walked into the bathroom. Harry was still in the shower, his wet hair hanging across his forehead. He was watching Draco warily. Silently, Draco stripped and stepped into the shower. Harry moved back to make room for his husband.
"I'm sorry Harry," Draco said earnestly. "It's just, it was two years. I know it wasn't your fault but it was just so long. Some days I felt like I couldn't even get up out of bed, because you weren't there. I'd lie on my side of the bed and sometimes, when I'd just woken up and was still sleepy, I'd roll over expecting you to be there, only to find an empty space."
Harry pulled Draco into his arms and just held him as Draco let out all the pain and torment he'd been holding in for so long in an effort to be strong. Warm water was raining down on them, soothing them.
"Daniel gave me a reason to get up each day, but then he'd do something for the first time and I'd look around and there would be no one to share it with. I was so lonely. Oh, I had plenty of company. There was usually someone around – Mum, Sirius, Hermione. But they weren't you. I needed you."
"Why didn't you look for me?" Harry asked, wretchedly. "Did you have so little faith in me that you thought I would just leave without telling you?"
Draco pulled away and backed into the glass wall of the shower, a mere foot away from his husband, who was leaning against the opposing wall. "You were acting so strangely, I didn't know what to think. I felt like I didn't know you anymore."
"It was the potion," Harry said, his jaw clenched.
"I didn't know that!" Draco replied tightly. "And we did look for you. We hired a private investigator but he couldn't find anything apart from your Firebolt in the Forbidden Forest."
"You hired an investigator?" Harry asked, his expression brightening.
"Yes," Draco said, realising that Harry felt like everyone he loved had abandoned him when he'd gone missing. "We searched everywhere we could think of for so long, but nothing ever turned up."
Draco moved closer to Harry, water from the shower cascading over him as he stepped through the circle of water but he didn't notice. His hands rested on Harry's hips as he stared intently into Harry's eyes.
"I don't blame you for not being here sooner," he said, wanting to put all these issues behind them. "If you had killed that bitch, you wouldn't be Harry. My Harry isn't like that. The only person he would ever kill is Voldemort, and he's already done that."
Harry smiled and leaned forward to kiss Draco softly.
"My Harry is a true and noble Gryffindor, no matter what," Draco said before kissing Harry again. The kiss quickly became heated. Draco moaned in Harry's mouth as he felt his husband's hands kneading his arse. He leant in closer to Harry, their erections pressed between their slick bodies.
"DAD-DAD-DAD-DAD-DAD!"
Draco groaned and pulled away from Harry when he heard their son screaming for him on the other side of the bathroom door. He reached out to squeeze Harry's hand apologetically before stepping out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist, desperately trying to think of the most unsexy thoughts he could in an attempt to will away his erection. It was something he felt his two-year-old could live without seeing.
He pulled the door open and Daniel tumbled in. Draco picked up the sobbing boy, ignoring the fact that Daniel's pyjamas were steadily getting soaked by the water still on Draco's body.
"Shhh," Draco said, rocking him gently in an effort to calm him down. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"*sob* *gasp* [hic] *sob* *gasp* Peeves *sob* [hic] *gasp*"
A dark look descended on Draco's expression as he heard his son sob out the meddlesome ghost's name.
"Would you like to have a shower with Daddy?" Draco asked Daniel gently. The little boy was still very upset. Draco kissed his head and rubbed his back soothingly. Daniel nodded jerkily and Draco undressed him quickly.
"You don't mind, do you?" he asked Harry as he opened the shower door and handed Daniel to the dark-haired man. Harry looked startled but he held Daniel against him and ducked him under the water for a second. Daniel giggled slightly and hiccuped again. Draco's expression softened as he watched Harry cradle their son against him protectively and kiss his forehead.
"What's going on?" Harry asked uncertainly.
"Peeves is in Daniel's bedroom again. I told him last time that if he did it again, he'd be thrown out of Hogwarts," Draco replied darkly. "I'll be back soon."
Draco kissed both Daniel and Harry before leaving the bathroom. He closed the door quietly and dried himself quickly. As he was throwing on some clothes, he could hear Harry singing what must be a muggle children's song to Daniel in an effort to cheer him up. He smiled as he heard his son's slightly wobbly voice raised in song.
As he strode into Daniel's room, Draco was greeted with what looked like the site of a tornado. All of Daniel's belongings had been tossed around the room. The chest of drawers was tipped on its side, his toy box had been upended and his books were strewn across the room. Peeves was nowhere to be found.
Draco was livid. It was bad enough the last time when the mischievous ghost had taunted Daniel until the child had started screaming for his father, but to actually destroy the two-year-olds belongings was going too far. It was no wonder Daniel was so distressed. Peeves would have been maniacal in here as he caused the toys, books and clothes to fly haphazardly around the room.
Draco turned and left the room. There was only one thing for it. He would have to go and see Albus about this and see about getting that ghost removed from the school. It had now become a matter of Daniel's safety.
TBC