Since their date last week - if you can call it that - Harry and Draco had grown much closer. There had been more kisses and more afternoons spent cuddling by the fire, but Harry could still sense that Draco was struggling to settle into the house. He had asked Draco about it, but he assured him that all he needed was time - that nothing was wrong, and that he was happy here, even if it didn't always seem like it.

Harry believed him, as they had gone on another date last night, and they had ended up spending the night together. All night he had been happy, and he had been smiling, and once they were back at the house and in Harry's bed, he hadn't held back. Like that day in the snow, he had been able to let go of his doubts, his fears and his hesitation.

But when Harry gets downstairs, he finds him sitting in the window, a large mug of hot chocolate in his hands, Albus and Scorpius' pup curled up by his feet, and he is gazing out of the window at the snow. Harry has gotten used to finding him like this, and normally he would leave him to sit there for hours, only checking in every once in a while to bring him another hot drink. But after last night he has to admit that it bothers him just that bit more to see the distant look on his face, because what if it means that he is regretting it? That he wishes it wouldn't have happened, and he is sitting there, thinking of how he is going to tell him that he wants to be just friends. After all, it wouldn't be the first time.

"Are you okay?" Harry asks, after making himself a coffee and sitting down with him.

"I don't regret last night, if that's what you think." Draco nudges their legs together, making Harry blush. "Last night was great. All of it…," he adds, now being the one to blush. "I was just thinking about… things."

He doesn't have to explain what things, because Harry knows that the baby is on his mind twenty-four seven, and that he is constantly worrying about not being good enough. That he is worrying about the living situation - even if Harry has made it clear that he can stay for as long as he wants, and that if it were up to him, this would be a permanent thing. Not that he put any pressure on Draco though, and whenever they talked about it, he made sure that Draco knew that it was his choice, and that whatever he decided - wherever he decided to live - he was going to be there for him and the baby.

"Are you having second thoughts about moving here?"

"What?" Draco asks. "No! I told you, didn't I? I'm happy here," he says, and the words make Harry's heart skip a beat. "It's just a big change, that's all."

"You would tell me, wouldn't you? If you changed your mind about…"

"About you?" Draco teases, before bringing his mug up to his mouth. "I haven't changed my mind, Harry. I promise."

"Okay." Harry nods, "But if you did… if you don't want to be with me, you know I would still be there to help with the baby, right?" Harry reassures him, even though he must have told him a dozen times before already. "Whatever happens…"

"Why?" Draco cuts him off, the teasing smile now having left his face.

"Because I care." Harry shrugs, because how else can he explain it? He cares about Draco, more than he is willing to admit, and he already cares about his daughter like she is his own. But how can he explain that, when it doesn't even make sense to himself? Because just weeks ago, they were virtually strangers, so why would he want any of this? With Malfoy, of all people?

"Well, like I said before, you're an idiot." Draco rolls his eyes, but he can't hide how happy it makes him to hear Harry say these words. He is not used to people caring, and to have people wanting him around, but as many chances he has given Harry to back out, he still wants to be with him. He still cares for him and is willing to take on the whole load of baggage he comes with.

"Maybe." Harry shrugs. "But I mean it." The 'I love you' lingers in the air, but he doesn't speak the words, because he knows that they would only scare Draco off. They need to do this one step at a time - even if their steps might be a little out of order, as they have already moved in together before they have officially gotten together.

Even though he doesn't speak the words, Draco can sense that he was about to say them.

"No, you don't," he laughs, hiding behind his now empty mug.

"What if I do?"

"You don't, Harry. It's much too soon for that."

Harry gives a nod, and maybe Draco is right. Maybe it's too soon to say the words, but he can't help it if that is how he feels, can he? He can't help it that it makes him happy to be with Draco, and that even after just this short period of time, he can already tell that this is the real deal. The 'meant to be' people talk about when they talk about love - even though he had never understood it or believed it. Not until now.

Harry hasn't seen Ron and Hermione since the wedding, and even though it's only been a few weeks, it feels like it's been much longer since so much has happened since. So much has changed, yet as soon as he had stepped into their home, it felt like he had come again.

"So… how has it been, living with Draco Malfoy?" Hermione asks, when Ron is in the kitchen to get them another piece of cake.

"It's been…" Harry searches for the words to explain it, but he fears it would feel like he would be hating on Ginny or their marriage. Because the house feels warmer somehow, it feels like a home now, and when they are in the kitchen, preparing dinner together, the kitchen doesn't feel like the cold, modern room Ginny designed it to be. It feels warm, and even when there is a mess, it doesn't matter. It finally feels like a home that can be lived in - like the forever home it was meant to be when he and Ginny had bought it, even if things hadn't exactly turned out as they thought it would.

"You seem different," Hermione says, a smile forming on her face as she gently traces her hand over his arm - clearly having noticed how his style has changed. "You look happy."

"I am." Harry nods. "I know you don't like him, but he's…"

"If he makes you happy," she quickly says, "then I like him."

"I still can't believe you fancy Malfoy, mate," Ron laughs when he re-enters the room.

"I know," Harry laughs softly. "I can't believe it myself either."

"What about the baby?" Hermione asks, as her husband joins them at the table.

Harry knew that this question was coming, but when they look at him, expecting him to have it all worked out, he catches himself picking up his cake and taking a large bite to try and avoid having to answer.

"Do you know what you're going to do when the baby is born?" Ron asks, clearly not ready to accept his silence as answer.

"I think…" Harry hesitates. "I hope we can raise her together, and be a family," he admits, and now that he hears himself tell his friends, he realises just how big it sounds. How real, and how life-changing.

"You've only just gone through a divorce. Are you sure this is what you want? That baby is not yours, and I'm sure there is a father out there somewhere…"

"Who wants nothing to do with Draco, or the baby."

"This is a big decision, Harry," Hermione says, sharing a worried look with her husband. "I know you think you love him, but you hardly know the man. I'm just worried you are getting too attached, and…"

"You think he will leave me?"

Hermione looks down at her plate, a guilty look on her face.

"I'm scared you will realise just what you have gotten yourself into, and you'll realise that it's not what you want. I just don't want you to get hurt… both of you."

"We have talked about it," Harry tells them. "A lot. We know what we're doing, and we weren't planning for any of this to happen. If Draco hadn't needed a place to stay, then maybe we would have done things differently, and maybe we could have taken things slower. And yes, we know that it's going to be hard, especially with the baby, but…" He shrugs, unable to keep the smile from forming on his face. "I love him, okay?"

"Love?" Ron asks. "Wow… mate…"

"Yes." Harry nods. "Love."