Chapter 5: Some to Misery are Born

Draco Malfoy ran a thin elegant hand through long silver blond hair. With a sigh he forced himself to focus on the documents in front of him. It was business as usual at Malfoy Manor. With disgust Draco flung the papers aside and sank his head onto the top of his sturdy oak desk. He couldn't stop thinking. Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts. Draco didn't know how he felt about that at all. On the one hand he was ecstatic that Harry was back. He had never stopped loving him. Unfortunately, there were many events beyond his control and at present he was stuck in his marriage to Pansy. And on the other hand, what could he possible say to Harry? He had betrayed him. As much as he hadn't wanted to, he had betrayed him all the same. First, with his marriage to Pansy and lastly with his involvement with Voldemort.

Frustrated Draco got up from his desk and walked over to his private bar. His bar was one of his prized possessions. It was made of the finest wood and was stocked with every alcohol imaginable. Including muggle alcohols. It infuriated his dear wife Pansy to no end, which made it all the sweeter. As he swirled amber colored whiskey in his glass Draco began to reminisce about the past he had tried so hard to forget.

Flashback

A seventeen year old Draco stood impatiently in the forgotten classroom, staring with disdain at the layers of dust covering everything in the room. Whipping out a plain parchment he tapped it with his wand quietly saying, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." Lines and pictures suddenly appeared detailing Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Searching briefly for one name he found it. Puzzled he wondered what he was doing outside when he should have been in the classroom that Draco was in! With a longsuffering sigh Draco gathered his belongings and headed out to the fountain in front of Hogwarts.

When he got there he stood mesmerized at the stars that shone brightly in the dark night sky. He looked around quickly and seeing no one realized that he must be under his invisibility cloak. "Harry, where are you?" he whispered into the cool night air. After a few seconds he saw a ripple in the air over to the left of the fountain and quickly strode towards it. Harry turned towards him his black hair standing on end, and his brilliant green eyes masked with tears and worry. Draco gasped and enveloped the boy in his arms, feeling his warmth through his layers of clothing.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Draco asked frantically. Harry shrugged and swiftly pulled out of his embrace. As Harry turned his back on him Draco began to get angry.

"Really, Potter. What is going on? You don't meet me in the classroom tonight and now when I try to hold you, you pull away. What is it?" Draco practically screamed. Harry turned towards him slowly his eyes cold and dead.

"You want to know what's going on? What are we doing Draco? Really, why are we here together right now? I'm not sure I can take this anymore. You act like you care, and you know how I feel about you. But I can't help thinking that you don't feel the same. You never tell me, and you treat me like shit when we're around other people. I don't know what to think!" Harry was breathing hard by the end of this and finally in disgust threw his hands up and started to walk away. During his speech Draco had paled and was now as pale as a vampire. He felt his heart jump up as Harry turned to walk away. What was he doing? He couldn't let Harry just walk away from him. He loved him. Draco gasped. He loved Harry. Standing there with his mouth hanging open Draco thought furiously. Draco Malfoy was in love with Harry Potter. How could he not have even have known? He had known that Harry was in love with him but hadn't really taken it seriously. Draco hadn't known how to love anyway and had told Harry this several times.

As he came back to the present, Draco noticed that Harry had gotten quite far away from him. Without a thought Draco sprinted after him as fast as he could. When he reached him, slightly out of breath he blurted out, "Harry, wait!" Standing bent over with his head between his knees for a while, Draco slowly got his breath and straightened up. He studied Harry's face which was impassive as if made from stone. Mentally he sighed; this wasn't going to be easy. He lifted a shaking hand to Harry's cheek, saddened when he got no reaction. Taking Harry's hand with his free hand he raised it to his lips and kissed it.

"Harry, I love you." Harry's eyes widened and his mouth fell slightly open at those words. Suddenly a shiny layer of tears filled his eyes and he threw his arms around Draco's neck, pressing his face in the crook. Draco could feel the wetness of Harry's tears and an anguished look passed over his face. He had meant to make Harry, happy, not sad. But, he couldn't be too unhappy as he was now in Draco's arms. Harry lifted his head from Draco's neck and looked him in the eye.

"I love you, too. So very much." With that Harry closed the distance between them and fused his mouth onto Draco's. Draco gasped as Harry's tongue speared into his mouth wrapping passionately around his own. His body was pressed into Draco's and he could feel every inch, including his hardness. Grabbing Harry tightly Draco began rubbing their pelvis's together. Harry moaned and threw his head back. Draco attacked his throat biting and nibbling between small kisses. Harry quickly grabbed him by the neck and feverishly attached his lips to Draco's again. After a few minutes their breathing calmed down and they remained in their embrace. As they stood there in front of Hogwarts neither noticed the light sprinkling of snow which had settled on them, and misted through the winter air.

End Flashback

Gulping down the whiskey Draco welcomed the sting as the alcohol made its way down his throat. The past hurt, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had chosen his path long ago and had made his choices. Looking back on it he wasn't sure if he would have made the same choices. One's destiny is a twisted, gnarled path and he couldn't deny that some good had come from his. And much good had come from Harry's. Thanks to Harry, the Dark Lord had been defeated. Draco had never been so relieved in his life though he was not allowed to show it. But he was thankful for that banishment of the evil from their world, it meant that his son and daughter would be safe. Yes, his children. His son Ian was strong and so very different from himself.

Pansy had practically planned his future for him already. In fact she was already talking about marriage contracts in order to insure the Malfoy name. Draco shook his head at that, that crazy bint wasn't even a true Malfoy. His son, however, was. He would be the first to stand up for what he wanted, what he believed in. Draco smiled slightly as he thought about his son. He had a feeling that Pansy had quite a nasty surprise coming to her. Draco vowed that he would help his son in any way that he could, although he knew he couldn't do much, Pansy had seen to that. Lastly, he thought of his daughter. The child he never knew he had until a few years ago. Briona Gallagher was the heir to the Gallagher name and fortune, so she was well cared for. He was not allowed to publicly acknowledge her due to stipulations in his marriage contract. This included monetary support so Draco was very glad that she was not destitute. He saw her frequently, but never at the Manor. His son was aware that Briona was his sister and they got along famously as she was only a year younger than him.

Draco was startled out of his reverie by a sharp knocking at his study door. Inwardly groaning, he opened the door with a wave of his wand. His wife Pansy Parkinson Malfoy walked through the door and calmly situated herself on one of the soft leather chairs strewn around the study. As she sat Pansy stared shrewdly at her husband. There was no love lost between the two of them. In truth she had merely wanted him. He was a trophy, a symbol of what she wanted to be. She sighed. Of course things did not turn out quite as she had hoped. In the end that damn Harry Potter had killed the Dark Lord. In fact she had only been married to Draco for a year before Voldemort was destroyed.

Draco stared at his wife impassively waiting for whatever horrible thing she had to say as her presence had never been anything other than awful. Pansy smiled ferally at him as she whispered accio and a small parchment flew into the room.

"Do you know what this is?" Pansy asked as she unrolled the paper. "It's a marriage contract drawn up by the Bagnolds for our son. I'm sure you'll find everything is satisfactory and in order." Pansy smirked as she tossed the small parchment to her husband. "All that's needed is your signature. You know I've always wanted this for Ian. Besides not signing this might make me a bit…upset. And I know you don't want me to be upset." Pansy smirk straightened into a sickly sweet smile that could only be described as evil. Draco stiffened as he absently stroked the Dark Mark on his left forearm. He knew what an…upset Pansy could do. However he would take the risk for his son.

"Very well, I will have the contract signed at my earliest convenience." Draco answered diplomatically. Pansy's face reddened and contorted into an angry sneer.

"I thought you might say that dear husband. I have placed a spell on the parchment that will allow you days from the second you touched it in which to sign the contract. After that will who really knows what may happen."

Draco narrowed his eyes into slits. Standing up he grabbed Pansy's arm and dragged her to the door ignoring her squalls of protest.

"Well since you have practically insured that I will sign the contract in three days I suggest you get the hell out of my office." And with that Draco roughly threw her out of his study and slammed the door. Leaning against the door Draco ran through his options. Striding over to the scroll he checked the spell Pansy had talked about. Shoulder slumping he sighed. Her spell did exactly as she said it would and from the feel of the spell the outcome of not signing it in the allotted time would not be pretty, not at all. It seemed he didn't have much choice.

Draco sat morosely in his study chair and read the contract from top to bottom. Horrified he sat it down and simply stared at it. The contract would totally destroy Ian. The wording made him unable to do anything. In essence it would cause Ian to obey practically every whim of that vapid Bagnold bitch. Sighing Draco put his head in his hands. He felt so sorry for Ian. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. Jumping up he glanced around wildly. He had an idea; he could get Ian out of this. Draco quickly gathered some supplies that he needed in his study and got ready to go out. It seemed that he would be returning to Hogwarts. But first he had to make a little stop at Gringotts.