A Moment in Time
DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter (and associated characters, likenesses, concepts, etc.) belongs to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic, Inc. AOL/Time Warner, Inc., among others. I make no claim, written or implied, upon Harry Potter. No money is being made and no infringement or disrespect to the creators / copyright holders is intended.
Warning: This story will contain slash (ie. male/male relationships) and mpreg, although neither will be graphic.
A/N: This story was inspired by the many wonderful stories that I have read and enjoyed here at fan fiction and any similarities to existing stories is not intended. This story is AU, meaning that the events that occurred in the OOTP have not been taken into account and am I in no means suggesting the material described in this story should be considered as a direct interpretation of cannon. Also, I am American so I apologize in advance for any Americanisms.
Chapter Fourteen – The Beach
Not giving his companion a chance to recover and press him for a more definitive answer, Harry knew that there was one thing that he had pondered for years that he needed to have answered before this conversation went any further. "Did you mean it?"
The puzzled look on Draco's face did nothing to diminish the warmth in his eyes. "Mean what, Harry?"
Suddenly feeling insecure, Harry tried to move away from the hand that was softly caressing his cheek. "All the things that you wrote in that letter. Did you truly feel that way back then?"
Dark gray eyes sparkled with understanding. Draco had forgotten all about that letter he had left for Harry in his cowardice when he had returned to England all those years ago. That night after they had made love, as he lay beside the only person he would ever love, most likely for the last time ever, he knew that he needed to leave before Harry woke up, or he wouldn't be able to go. Writing that letter seemed to be the only way that he would be able to properly say good bye to this person who had become the center of his small world. It had been so cleansing, purging his soul to Harry, even if he couldn't be there when his love read it. "Every single word."
Pure unadulterated joy burst from every pore of Harry's body with Draco's confirmation. The letter was one of Harry's most precious possessions, but it had always bothered him that he never heard Draco say those three words to him out loud. He also regretted not having the courage himself to say the same back to Draco either.
Harry's gut started to twist; it felt like it had when he had inadvertently swallowed the golden snitch back in his first year. Not sure if he was going to laugh or throw up, the dark haired man took a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves. "I felt the same way too," he finally admitted.
Draco's whole face lit up on hearing Harry's whispered confession. It nearly took Harry's breath away. All the masks were off; there were no more barriers or no walls to hide behind any longer. The silver haired man's smile was genuine and so radiant that it almost hurt your eyes just to look at it. But Harry couldn't seem to be able to look anywhere else but at his former lover.
The need to do no more than to just gaze at Draco hit Harry abruptly. His eyes feasted on the perfect curve of his strong jaw line, on his full pink lips that were just begging to be kissed, on the pale cheeks that were slightly flushed, and on the thick blond lashes that framed those expressive eyes. He had forgotten just how beautiful Draco Malfoy was to look at. Harry shook himself out of his innermost pondering and saw that Draco was studying his face too. There was no way that Draco could find him as attractive as he found the Slytherin. "So, see anything you like?" He couldn't help teasing the blonde.
Even in the moonlight, Harry could see that Draco's blush had deepened considerably. Recovering quickly, the Slytherin still managed a comeback, "I can't tell from here, I'll have to let you know in the morning."
Now it was Harry's turn to blush, as he felt the heat rising in his own face.
Before he knew what was happening, he found himself pulled up against a hard chest; two strong arms surrounded him, holding him. Raking one of his hands through the silky pale stands of hair at the nape of Draco's neck, while the other gently stroked up and down his back, Harry placed a soft kiss on the sensitive skin behind the blonde's ear. He had forgotten just how soft and wonderful Draco's hair felt under his fingertips.
It felt so right, like a part of him that he had been looking for and unable to find for so long was finally returned. It felt like he had finally come home. Feeling Draco's heart beat faster and hearing his quickening breathing in his ear, Harry knew that his partner was as affected as he was by their closeness. The raven-haired man was barely able to gasp "Oh God, I've missed you so much," before Draco changed their position and his lips were captured.
The feeling of having the same two lips that he had so often dreamed about pressed tightly up against his own was indescribable. Soon the mouth on his became more insistent and demanding. Harry opened his mouth, welcoming Draco. The soft kisses became more urgent, and Draco was soon tasting, plundering, and claiming. Having been denied for so long, he just couldn't get enough.
When they finally broke apart, Harry realized that they were no longer sitting, but at some point, Harry had been pressed down into the cool damp sand and Draco was on top of him. Harry was unable to give it another thought as his kiss-swollen lips were claimed once more. There was nothing that existed for him at this moment, outside of the feeling that he would sooner die than stop kissing the blonde.
A tingle of pleasure originating from where Draco was gently tweaking his nipple flowed downwards to his groin area. The fingers caressing his nipples were quickly replaced by the same lips that had so ravaged his mouth. Realizing that Draco had divested him of his shirt, Harry quickly did the same to the blonde. His hands were soon stroking the smooth bare skin on Draco's back. Soon, that wasn't enough and Harry needed more. One hand dipped beneath the waistband of Draco's shorts to touch his firm toned buttocks. Harry squeezed.
The need to fully possess Harry was stronger than ever as Draco moved back up over the finely muscled chest to kiss Harry again, this time deeply and completely. Harry could feel Draco's arousal pressed firmly up against his own. He thrust upwards rubbing their two erections together. Someone moaned, but neither man knew for sure who it was.
Draco was in heaven. Harry was like life-giving water to a man who had been lost in the desert for a week. Something that Draco could no sooner do without than his own two hands. The first time they had made love, it was a mutual giving of each other, and it was gentle and filled with love and caring. It was nothing like what was happening now.
Suddenly, Harry's words came back to him. How he had hated Draco for making love to him and then leaving him. It was hard to think about anything else but the warm willing body of the man he loved beneath him. Draco knew that if he waited a little longer that there would be no going back, that he and Harry would make love here on the beach. Unexpectedly, that didn't seem as appealing as it had been just a few moments ago. Who knew what tomorrow was going to bring? There was a good chance that Harry would decide to remain here in California and then what? Draco didn't even want to think about the ramifications of making love to Harry for a second time and then being forced to leave again. Maybe Harry could forgive him once, but twice? He loved Harry too much to do that to him, to cause him that horrendous pain.
With a determined resolve, Draco pushed himself up off of Harry, untangling their limbs in the process. With a sinking feeling, Draco watched as the sparkling emeralds became wet with unshed tears and confusion. "What…what's going on Dray? Why did you stop?"
Gray eyes full of regret pieced deep into Harry's soul, filling him with dread.
"Harry, you have got to believe me that this is one of the hardest things that I have ever done. But I can't let this continue; we have to stop now before we go any further."
Harry sat up angrily and turned away from the arms that had just recently given him so much pleasure and comfort. "Why, Dray? Is there someone else?"
Draco frowned, not once considering that Harry would thing that he had anyone else in his life. "No Harry, it's nothing like that. There could never be anyone else." The sound of the waves almost drowned out the softly spoken words.
Not knowing why Draco had teased him like this, making him believe that they could be together once more Harry angrily picked up a seashell and whipped it into the ocean. The splash as the shell sank beneath the waves did nothing to appease the Gryffindor. "What is it, then?" he demanded, needing to hear the truth.
"If we make love again Harry, I want it to be forever."
Harry looked up in disbelief into eyes that looked like a summer storm about to break. "If?"
Physically stronger of the two, Draco pulled Harry back into his embrace even though the raven-haired man struggled to escape. "Not if, Harry; when."
But the damage had already been done, even as he held him Draco could feel Harry mentally pulling back away from him.
"Oh Merlin, Harry, do you have any idea how much I love you? How much I have always loved you?" With a shaking hand, Draco pushed the inky black bangs out of Harry's beloved face. "We don't know what is going to happen tomorrow and I couldn't bear it if we were to make love again and then I had to walk away from you in the morning. The first time, it nearly killed me; I don't think that I could survive it a second time."
Harry lost all will to struggle when he heard the words fall from Draco's lips that he had been longing to hear. It took him a moment to realize why Draco had stopped their love making when he did. A feeling of love so powerful he thought his heart would burst enveloped him. Harry realized what the problem was, but saw a simple solution. "Then don't go."
"Merlin, Harry, if it was only that easy."
"It could be if you wanted it to," came the simple reply.
Draco knew that there was no sense in arguing this point now, not when neither of them was thinking particularly straight. As a typical Slytherin, Draco tried to make it a habit not to make decisions when emotions were running high.
Needing time to distance themselves from what had just happened, and to give their bodies time to cool down, they sat once more side by side staring out over the vastness of the ocean. The bright light from the nearly full moon danced over the rolling waves, casting eerie shadows on the water. "You know if the full moon wasn't coming up soon, I'm sure Remus would have insisted on coming." Draco knew that it was a lame attempt to change the subject, but he felt like he had to say something; the silence was killing him.
Harry snorted. "Well, I'm glad he didn't. He was one of the people that I thought would support me. I'll never forget the look in his eyes in that Court Room that day."
Not wanting to rehash all this again, Draco thought quickly on how to change the subject once more. But before he could come up with something appropriate, Harry continued.
"Besides it was hard enough walking into that conference room after the concert and seeing the three of you there. I don't know how I would have reacted had Remus been there as well. As it was, as soon as I left that room, I promptly went into my dressing room and threw up."
"If you ask me, you had us all pretty fooled back there. You've gotten much better at lying in your old age, Potter."
"Had to. And who do you think you're calling old? If I remember correctly your birthday is ten months before mine."
"Don't remind me. I just feel so much older than twenty three."
"I feel the same way, but at least you weren't a single parent at the age of twenty. Hell, they were born shortly after my twentieth birthday. Most kids that age are out partying and being with their friends. We never had time for any of that."
Hearing the truth in Harry's words, Draco nodded in agreement.
"You know, it's still hard for me to believe that I actually have two sons." Draco thought for a moment, then corrected himself. "No, we have two sons. There are these two perfect little boys with Malfoy smirks and Potter hair…" Draco was too overwhelmed to continue. "And for Slytherin's sake, I don't even know the first thing about them. When is their birthday? Who was born first? What are their real full names? I'm assuming that their birth certificates list their last name as Potter. What do they like to do? Have you taught them about quidditch yet?"
Harry started to giggle at the near panicked expression on Draco's face. The reality of being a father was finally setting in. As the nonstop questions continued without even a momentary pause for breath, Harry's giggles evolved into a full belly laugh.
Insulted that Harry wasn't taking him seriously, Draco stopped his interrogation.
As his laughter died down to an occasional chuckle, Harry reached over and grabbed the Slytherin's hand. Raising their clasped hands to his lips, he pressed a light kiss to the back of Draco's knuckles before returning their hands to their sides. "Well Dray, lets me start at the beginning. Matthew Harrison Malfoy Potter was born at 12:09 am on August 9, 2000. He was shortly joined in the nursery by his nearly identical twin bother Evan Michael Malfoy Potter, who was born at 12:26 am."
Draco felt tears come to his eyes when he realized how much he had missed by not being there for their birth. "Matthew means God's gift and Evan means either Little Warrior or God is good," he said reverently.
"Yeah, I know. I was feeling pretty low right before they were born, but afterwards, when I held them for the first time and looked down into their little wrinkled faces, I knew that my life had purpose. I truly believed that they were gifts from God, my own little miracles." Harry seemed to have an inner glow when he talked about his children.
Draco couldn't help but wonder what Harry had been like while he had been pregnant. "It's a wonder that you were able to conceive and carry them safely. You know that this means that we are soul mates, right?"
"That's what Nikki told me after I had regained consciousness."
Harry smirked when he saw the concerned look on Draco's face. "I sort of fainted when she told me that I was pregnant." Harry ignored Draco's laughter as he continued with his explanation. "Remember Dray—I was raised by magic-hating Muggles. I had never even heard of the possibility existing where a man could get pregnant. It was a bit of a shock to the system."
"I get the feeling that that is an understatement." Draco commented as he pulled Harry back against his chest.
Harry sighed, feeling content to just stay there in his partner's arms, their earlier discord temporarily forgotten. "Anyway, she said that only soul mates could conceive that way, but to be honest with you, I'm not sure what being a soul mate means."
"Well Potter, it once more looks like you are lacking a proper wizarding education so it again falls upon me to enlighten you. Let's make a trade, you tell me more stories about our children and I will answer any questions you have about what it means to be a soul mate."
"Deal."
The next couple of hours flew by spent amongst much laughter and some tears as two and a half years of memories where shared from one parent who was fortunate enough to experience seeing his children grow first hand with another parent, who was not.
So caught up in their conversation, neither man noticed when the tide had come in until it was literally licking at their toes. Deciding that their companions were probably worried enough, they knew that they had best be heading home. Standing up, Draco tried to brush most of the sand off of them, bemoaning the fact that he had left his wand back at the house. "You know a simple cleansing spell would take care of all this and in a second."
"It could but it's better to do it the Muggle way here, Dray. There are spies everywhere and I don't think you want to be explaining why you were here on this beach performing a cleansing charm at 10:30 at night, do you?"
"I guess not. But how do you live like that with no magic?" He asked as he reached over and firmly took Harry's hand in his own.
"There are wards on my property making any magic performed there undetectable, but those wards do not extend out here on the public beach. Besides wandless magic is much harder to trace, even so I only use it sparingly."
With a pang of regret regarding the need for secrecy that Harry and his family had been living under for so long, Draco just started off back down the beach towards the house.
His thoughts were focused on the meeting that they still had ahead of them. The one where Harry would tell him whether or not he decided to come back to Hogwarts with them. Part of him longed for Harry to say that he would go back, he didn't want to be separated from his love again. But the more selfless side almost wanted Harry to refuse. Harry and his children had a good life here in the United States. They could live here for many more years before the war touched these shores. Part of him wanted that dream for his family even if it meant that no one in England would have the opportunity to protect their families.
"You know that you weren't fair?" were the words that broke his silent contemplation.
He pulled back on their joined hands to slow Harry down. "What wasn't fair?" he questioned worriedly.
"You never did get around to telling me what exactly soul mates are."
"Well my love, I guess we'll just have to save that conversation for another day."
"You know, I could get used to that."
"Used to what?" Draco asked, puzzled by the impish grin on Harry's face.
"Used to you calling me 'my love'. I like that, you dolt."
"Well it certainly has a nicer ring to it than 'you dolt'," Draco pouted.
"I guess we'd better work on a better endearment later then." Harry quirked one eyebrow before he turned suddenly, kicking sand all over Draco's legs. Seeing what he had inadvertently done, the raven-haired man made a break for it and started running through the dunes.
Only pausing for a moment to bemoan his sand covered condition, the silver haired man quickly gave chase.
* * *
It had been many hours since dinner had passed. Sirius had taken up refuge once more in the lounge chair beside the pool, leaving Severus arguing with Harry's housekeeper in the kitchen. Never once in all the time that they had been searching for Harry had Sirius let himself believe that his Godson could have had a life like this one. He had always envisioned him alone, cold and starving out on the street somewhere.
Sirius was extremely proud of the way that Harry had pulled himself together after escaping from prison. Sirius, unfortunately, had a unique perspective when it came to recovering from Azkaban and knew how difficult it was to rebuild your life after suffering through something as traumatic as that was.
Things were not the same between Harry and himself, not like they once could have been. But when you've had a life like the one Sirius Black has led, you couldn't afford to question the 'what ifs'. It was a dangerous trap from which there was no escaping. Sirius was hopeful that, given time, that he and Harry would be able to forge a new relationship. Now, if only Harry would agree to come back with them. If only…
A large smile crossed Sirius' face as the sounds of laughter could be heard well before his Godson and Malfoy came into view. Although he was initially shocked at thought that the two of them had fathered children together, he wasn't as surprised as he should have been. Harry had never confided in him about any of his crushes and he knew that he hadn't dated anyone seriously, so it only stood to reason that there had been some one that Harry was involved with, and that he felt the need to keep the relationship private.
The wizarding world accepted homosexuality much more readily than the Muggle community, especially in the case of soul mates. Sirius himself had experimented with a variety of relationships before he had been sent to prison. Hell, if he was perfectly honest with himself, he knew of two other men who were attracted to each other but had been long denying themselves out of both a fear of rejection and other obligations related to the war.
Harry stopped running abruptly when he saw Sirius waiting for them on the patio. Without a warning that Harry was going to stop, Draco had no time to get himself under control and plowed right into the hard body in front of him. "Ow!"
"Well, it serves you right for stopping like that. Why did you stop suddenly anyway?"
Grinning, Harry tilted his head in the direction where Sirius was standing watching the exchange in amusement. "Having a good time, boys?"
"Wouldn't you like to know, Black?" the blonde Slytherin sneered. However, the sneer on his face was significantly diminished by the happiness in his smile.
Clasping his Godson on the back, Black chuckled. "No, not really, in fact, I've learned more about Harry's love life in the last two days then I had ever known before. Now, why don't we go into the house? I believe that your housekeeper will need to be rescued."
"Why, what happened to Nola?"
"Let's just say that after dinner, Snape decided to procure her kitchen. They were having quite the battle over territory when I decided to retreat."
Harry laughed, relieved that it was nothing serious. "I should have warned Snape about how possessive Nola can get about her kitchen. She even gets annoyed with me sometimes if all I do is make a sandwich. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that it will be our Potions Master that will need rescued."
Feeling more at peace than they could remember in a long while, the three men turned and walked into the kitchen.
To Be Continued…..