Author's Note: While this is the third installment in the Happy story arc, this takes you back before Happy Birthday Harry, to explain how it came about. Enjoy!

Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead against his forearm, knowing from experience that if he used his hand, he'd get dirt smeared that would take days to get off. He sighed and straightened, stretching his back. It was a temporary relief, but even that was better than nothing.

"Hello, little lion," a familiar voice drawled.

Harry shaded his eyes and grinned. "Hey," he replied brightly, smile widening as the blonde strode toward him. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you," he pouted.

The brunet laughed softly. "It's barely been a week," he pointed out. He glanced down at the bag of fertiliser at his feet. "I'll be done soon, if you don't mind waiting?"

"Of course not," he replied, leaning against the side of the house.

The front door opened and Draco gracefully slid out of sight. "You aren't slacking off, are you?" Petunia demanded.

"No Aunt Petunia," he replied dutifully as he laid out more of the fertiliser.

"Because I thought I heard voices," she continued suspiciously.

"There's only me," he replied, gesturing to the empty garden. "You don't mind if I shower after I finish, do you Aunt Petunia? I wouldn't want to accidentally track this through the house," he added, lifting a demonstrate hand.

She sniffed disdainfully. "Make it quick," she ordered.

"Of course, Aunt Petunia," he replied dutifully. Within a few minutes he had finished and stretched with a groan. He held up a hand for Draco to wait while he peered through the front door. Once he had established that the coast was clear, he stepped through, followed by the blonde, and gestured for his boyfriend to precede him up with stairs. They both flinched as the bottom step creaked.

"Is that you?" Petunia demanded from the kitchen.

Harry gestured for Draco to continue and peered around the stairs. "Yes, Aunt Petunia," he replied. "I've finished the garden," he stated. "I'm just going to shower now."

"Be quick about it, there's still jobs I need you to get done."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

He quickly climbed the stairs, finding Draco waiting for him at the top. "Wait in there for me," he said, voice barely above a whisper, gesturing to the door to his room.

Several minutes later, freshly showered and wrapped in a towel, Harry slipped into Dudley's second bedroom, closing the door behind him. Draco opened his mouth. "Not while she can hear you," he breathed, kneeling by his trunk. "I know you can keep a secret," he spoke, voice still soft, as he pulled out his Invisibility Cloak.

The blonde's eyebrows rose, and he gently touched the cloak reverently. "Beautiful," he breathed.

Harry's mouth quirked up at the corners. "Use it while you're here," he offered, "but just avoid the bottom step, if you can."

The blonde nodded and stood, deftly wrapping the cloak around himself. Harry smiled, aware of the blonde's eyes upon him as he dropped the towel and slipped into clean clothes.

He left the room, towel in his hand, and quickly gathered his sullied clothes from the bathroom. "You don't mind if I wash these, do you Aunt Petunia? I wouldn't want the dirt to become too ingrained."

"Wash them now," she ordered. "I don't want the smell to linger."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," he replied, setting up the clothes to wash with the ease of long practise.

"Once you've done that, there are two more loads of washing, iron them once dry, and get them put away. And make sure to hoover the rooms while you're at it," she continued. "I've got some errands to run," she declared, striding across the kitchen. She turned back to him at the doorway. "Make sure you do under the bed and the windowsills, you missed them last time. Also, once you've done that clean the bathroom, with special attention to the shower."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." He waited until the front door shut and locked behind her. "You can take that off now." He had barely finished before Draco dropped the cloak, carefully folding the material. "Hey," he greeted with a smile.

The blonde tugged his lion against him, wrapping possessive arms around the brunet and laying his head atop his messy hair. "She treats you like a House Elf," he breathed.

"I'm used to it," Harry replied, leaning into the embrace with a happy sigh.

"You missed me too," he spoke smugly.

"Yes," he acknowledged, rolling his eyes, "I missed my boyfriend."

Draco released him just enough to kiss him soundly, lifting his head only after he had made his lion make a happy sound. He stroked Harry's cheek gently. "That wasn't your bedroom, was it?"

"It's where I sleep," he replied. The blonde clucked at him disapprovingly. "It's Dudley's second bedroom," he admitted.

"They have a son they spoil and overfeed, while they starve you and treat you like a House Elf," he stated. "There are dozens of photos of them, most of them including their son, and yet there are none of you, and they do not give you your own bedroom, but have you sleep in their son's second bedroom," he continued, a bite in his voice.

"Dr-"

Draco laid gentle fingers over his lips, silencing him. "Please let me continue," he requested and the brunet nodded. "In his second bedroom, with his broken and unwanted possessions. They give him everything, while you are lucky if you get cast-offs that are far too big for you. Do they even mark your birthday?"

"No," he replied softly.

The blonde nodded. "You aren't going to be doing those chores," he declared.

"Draco, while it might be nice in the short-term-" The blonde kissed him, and Harry couldn't help but respond to it. "That is a dirty trick," he muttered.

"Well, you will keep insisting on interrupting me," he drawled unrepentantly.

"And the fact you enjoy kissing me has nothing to do with it?"

"That's an added bonus," he replied with a grin. "Now, let me finish. "You aren't going to be doing those chores, because, I'm taking you away from here." Harry blinked at him. "Well?"

"Can you do that?" he breathed.

"Of course," he drawled with a smirk.

"I mean, don't you need to ask your parents first?"

"No, they don't need to know."

"Draco," he scolded, "you can't just sneak me into your house and keep me there without them knowing!"

"You'll find that I can, since I have my own wing that my parents hardly ever visit, and whenever they do, they don't come into my bedroom uninvited. We have house elves that will be happy to provide you with food. Admittedly, it might be bor-"

It was Harry's turn to cover Draco's lips. "It would never be boring being with you. And whenever you have to be elsewhere, I can get homework done, or do some additional reading once that's done." His eyes gleamed wickedly. "I also have my invisibility cloak, so you could give me a tour of the Manor, and let me know which sections to stay away from, for when I want to stretch my legs."

"So you'll come with me?" he asked, voice showing a touch of vulnerability.

Harry leant up and kissed the blonde sweetly, a touch his boyfriend happily returned. "If you're sure it won't-"

"I wouldn't offer if I wasn't willing," he interrupted reassuringly. "And it wasn't possible," he added.

Harry leant up and wrapped his arms around the blonde's neck, kissing him sweetly. "Take me away," he breathed, eyes wide and lips pouting.

Draco laughed and wrapped his arms around his lion's waist. "With pleasure."

HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM

"This is yours?" Harry breathed, looking around the room, filled with antique – and yet still comfortable-looking – furniture that was easily three times the size of the Dursleys' living room.

"This is the receiving room," he replied. "The public part of my wing, if you prefer," he added with a smile as he led the brunet through the only other door. "This is the sitting room," he stated, as they entered a room half the size that had a cosier feel. "The two doors to the left are guest bedrooms, the door straight ahead is the study – which has a connecting door to the master – and the door on the right is the master bedroom," he explained.

"What about a bathroom?" Harry asked, head tilted curiously.

"Each bedroom has an attached bathroom, although the guest bathrooms have only a shower, whereas the master bathroom has a shower and bath," he replied.

"No wonder you were such a brat when we first met," Harry murmured. The blonde's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, I came to love you anyway, once I saw the person behind the persona," he added, gazing around himself admiringly.

"Not regretting your decision, are you?" Draco asked, wrapping his arms around the brunet from behind.

"No," he replied vehemently, leaning back against the blonde. "I'm with you, and will remain that way for the rest of the summer, and I certainly won't feel claustrophobic in here," he murmured. "Plenty of room, even in your sitting room."

"Even though you didn't bring Hedwig?"

"I couldn't bring Hedwig, she's too distinctive," he corrected. "Even if people just thought you were receiving letters from me – instead of thinking I was here – it would raise too many questions. Fred and George will take good care of her. If it weren't for the fact I would have been completely cut off, I would have sent her to stay with them over the summer before now," he admitted.

"They didn't treat her any better?"

"They never hurt her, but they often insisted on her staying in her cage – without providing any extra food for her. But it wasn't the entire time; summer before second and third, then summer before sixth and what I had of this one," he listed.

"What about the bit in the middle?"

"My godfather recommended mentioning him to them, without informing that he was not a murderer," he replied with a smile. "He had his devious moments too."

"Yes, I have heard," he spoke, leaning his chin atop Harry's hair. "Would you like a proper tour?"

"In a few minutes," he replied, cuddling into the blonde's embrace. "Which bedroom will I be staying in?"

"I had hoped that you would share mine," Draco replied slowly.

Harry's smile was bright. "Love to," he spoke happily. "I didn't want to presume…"

Draco rubbed his cheek against his lion's wild hair. "As if I would want it any other way." He kissed the top of his head. "I'll give you that tour, then you can settle in."

"Or, you can show me the bed we'll be sharing?" Harry countered temptingly.

Draco chuckled wickedly. "As you wish, little lion."

HPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDMHPDM

Harry blew a lock of hair out of his face with a satisfied smile. Draco stroked a hand down his back, the touch both soothing and possessive. The brunet shifted and kissed over his heart. "I'm glad you brought me here," he murmured.

Draco shifted close and tipped his lion's chin up. As the brunet's lips curved indulgently, he closed the distance between them for a kiss. "Happy summer Harry."