AN: Happy Valentine's Day everyone, but most especially to my amazing wife, Celtic Kitsune, who is the light of my life. (though I know it is a bit late, given I forgot this story was even on this site and I don't really post anything here anymore)

There is also now a podfic available for the first part of this story if anyone is interested (only available on AO3, which is where I post most things now)

The Benefits of Imagination

Draco cared little for the ridiculous catcalls of their housemates, which followed him and Blaise as they made their way, hand-in-hand, to their dormitory. There would undoubtedly be rumours, speculation over what occurred between them behind closed doors, but such concerns felt insignificant in comparison to what Blaise was offering.

He had spent a lifetime believing he would have to marry out of obligation. He had known he had to put his family first, but now he was being given a chance to honour his family in a way that suited him. He hardly dared hope that this might work out but the possibility had him un-Malfoy-ishly giddy by the time Blaise released his hand to shut the dormitory door behind them.

Blaise sealed the door with several privacy spells, all of which he recognised and approved of.

However, Draco still drew his wand and added his own additional security, a little trick his father had taught him. It was a spell their housemates would regret testing, should they be foolish enough to try. He was almost hoping someone would.

"Do you not trust me?" Blaise questioned, with an expression of mock-indignation.

"I trust you more than most," Draco told him honestly, with an unrepentant shrug of his shoulders. "I just trust myself more."

Blaise chuckled, shaking his head as he approached his bed, taking a seat on the edge. He patted the covers next to him.

"Come, sit with me," he requested.

Draco hesitated, his throat feeling dry. It was foolish, he knew. He had sat on each and every one of these beds many times, often without a hint of permission from its resident. But this was different.

He was overly aware of the long lines of Blaise's legs, one draped over the other; the way those slender fingers pressed into the bedcovers; the piercing gaze that bore into his. Maybe it was the expectation of what they might be doing in there, alone. He wasn't sure what had shifted but sitting that close to Blaise, on his bed, felt… scandalous.

"I'm not going to molest you or anything, Draco," Blaise informed him with exasperation.

"I know that," Draco snapped huffily.

Steeling himself, he strode over to the bed and flumped down next to Blaise, their legs almost touching. His heart was already hammering in his chest and his breath caught in his throat as he felt Blaise lean closer.

"I'll save all that until after you're legally mine," Blaise told him, dropping his voice to near a whisper.

Draco turned slowly to stare at the now smirking bastard, narrowing his eyes.

"I believe your solution to point four on my list was that you would be legally mine," Draco stated flatly, ignoring the flutter in his chest at the prospect.

"Quite so," Blaise agreed, looking amused. "I suppose I will have to let you take charge of molesting…"

"Blaise."

Blaise's smirk turned into more of an earnest smile then, as he shuffled over just enough for their thighs to press against one another's. Draco's breath caught, his eyes holding Blaise's dark gaze as the other boy reached up and cupped his head, tips of his fingers brushing against the hair at his nape, sending shivers down his spine.

"I meant it, Draco. Every bit of it," Blaise said earnestly. "I want to be yours. And I want to do terrible, wonderfully filthy things with, and to, you, things that will make you feel so good."

Draco swallowed, a little horrified by how much he wanted every devious promise that slipped from Blaise's lips.

"But you get to decide when any of that happens," Blaise assured him with a softness Draco had never seen him show with anyone else. "I can be patient. As long as I know I'm going to get my way eventually. And trust me, handsome, I will get my way."

Draco stared, feeling hardly able to breathe and wanting nothing more than to kiss Blaise. But he had to focus. He was dangerously aroused and could not afford to be distracted, not when Blaise had one more challenge to rise to.

"Wait," he managed to make himself say, pressing his hand against the other boy's knee.

Blaise lowered his hand and pulled back marginally, though he didn't look away, watching Draco with the most intense of expressions.

"The final item on the list," Draco insisted, hoping the slight tremble in his voice was noticeable only to him. He tore his eye's from Blaise's, taking several calming breaths before determinedly meeting his gaze once more. "I need you to tell me your solution."

For the first time that evening, Blaise seemed nervous, and Draco's heart skipped anxiously.

"I can give you an heir," Blaise said softly.

"Give me an heir," Draco echoed, with an unimpressed frown. "What, as a gift for my birthday, wrapped up with a little bow?" he queried with a huff, growing concerned that Blaise intended to fob him off with vague promises. It would never be enough.

"Well, if you wanted…"

"I need specifics here, Blaise!" Draco interrupted impatiently, pulling away from him and getting to his feet.

"How about a green bow?" Blaise suggested with a crooked, amused grin.

Draco scowled, unimpressed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Blaise sighed, his confident facade cracking as he reached out, trying to get Draco to rejoin him. Draco, however, brushed him off, remaining stubbornly where he was.

"Okay," Blaise said in a long breath. "I did a lot of research and I found a potion. It has been used successfully a few times and would allow us to conceive a child together," he explained. "Naturally… more or less."

"Really?" Draco asked sceptically.

"It isn't officially licensed for use in this country but…"

"That will not be an issue," Draco told him with a dismissive wave of his hand, his body relaxing as he moved to rejoin Blaise on the bed once more.

"I didn't think it would be," Blaise agreed as he grasped one of Draco's hands in his own. "Which is why I brought this solution to you."

"I'll need to see the research," Draco insisted.

"Of course," Blaise agreed easily. "I have a copy in my trunk."

"And you would carry the child?" Draco asked uncertainly.

He wanted this, more than he had possibly wanted anything in his life, but he wasn't sure he would be able to endure being… pregnant. It was a hard concept to even consider. The thought of a human, even his own child, growing inside him was unsettling and he felt almost cruel for expecting Blaise to bear such a burden but…

"I had assumed I would," Blaise assured him, breaking through Draco's rising panic. "Unless you would rather do so yourself."

"I think not," Draco declared pompously before coughing rather awkwardly. "I just mean, I believe it would be best if you undertook that role. Given you will, technically, be my consort."

"You don't have to keep up such pretence with me, Draco," Blaise told him with an amused smile. "It is okay to just say you don't want to, that it makes you uncomfortable, that the very idea fills you with dread."

"That's not…"

"I know you. I can see it written all over your face," Blaise informed him, cutting off Draco's argument before he could even start.

Draco's scowl deepened, not liking that he had been read so easily.

"I understand. The concept disturbed me too, initially," Blaise admitted. "I even discarded this possibility for several days. And I will not pretend that I am without my reservations. But I came to realise something."

"That you couldn't possibly live without me?" Draco suggested teasingly.

Blaise let out a surprised burst of laughter. "In a manner of speaking," he told him, still looking amused. "I realised, the prospect of failing, of losing you, was significantly more terrifying than carrying your child could ever be."

"Fuck, Blaise," Draco gasped, his fingers digging into Blaise's thigh as he leaned forward and kissed him suddenly.

There was nothing gentle in the kiss, none of the tenderness Blaise had kissed him with the day he had started writing the list. This was all passion and intent, furiously expressed.

Blaise groaned approvingly as his hand wrapped around Draco's neck. And as his fingers sunk into the silky blond strands, his nails scrapped over Draco's skin, making it prickle with need. Draco pulled at Blaise's robe with one hand, the fingers of the other digging into Blaise's thigh. His tongue pressing demandingly against Blaise's lips, and Blaise pressed back, giving as good as he got.

Draco was starting to feel light-headed by the time they pulled apart, gasping, and they stared, dazed, at each other for several long moments.

"Wow, that was unexpected," Blaise remarked breathily.

"Yeah," Draco agreed, feeling a little foolish for having acted so rashly.

"So, I take it I passed your list of requirements?" Blaise queried, unable to keep himself from sounding at least a little smug.

"If the research checks out and that potion does what you say…"

"It does."

"And you can convince my father to allow our marriage…" Draco trailed off, a smile creeping onto his face.

Blaise gave a nervous laugh. "Your parents adore me, it'll be fine," he insisted dismissively. "But if I'm being your consort and carrying the child, then I think it is only fair that you propose to me," he added, pressing a kiss to Draco's cheek as he got up from the bed.

Draco blinked at him in confusion for several moments, watching as Blaise made his way over to his trunk at the foot of the bed, crouching down to pull out a box.

"You want me to propose to you?" Draco asked with bemusement.

"Absolutely," Blaise told him enthusiastically.

Getting back to his feet he came to stand in front of Draco and pressed the box into Draco's hands.

"The research," he explained, tapping the top of the box. "Oh, and, handsome…" he went on, his voice softer as he leaned down, palms resting on each of Draco's thighs, "the proposal… make it spectacular."

Blaise pressed a kiss to Draco's lips once more, only briefly this time, before standing again.

Draco blinked up at him, his brain trying to figure out how on earth he was going to propose to the possibly insane man who he was rapidly finding himself annoying besotted with.

"I'll leave you to your reading," Blaise told him, gesturing to the box on Draco's hands. "I have a letter to write."

Draco still felt daze as Blaise headed over to one of the writing desks they had in the room. He took a moment to admire the man he hoped to spend the rest of his life with, before looking down at the box in his hands and opening it. He smiled at the sight of all the sheets of parchment inside and made himself more comfortable on Blaise's bed as he settled down to read.

-#-

Draco was reading a book on transfiguration during lunch two days later, the pages pinned with one hand as he fed himself with the other. An abrupt, pointy elbow to his ribs had him nearly spilling pumpkin soup over himself and possibly the book as well.

He turned to glare at the guilty party, dropping his spoon back into the bowl.

"What in Merlin's name, Pansy?!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Draco, look," was all she said though, gesturing toward the doors to the Great Hall.

Draco turned his eyes across the room and felt his heart jump at the sight of his father standing there. It took him a moment to realise, however, that his father was not watching him. No, Lucius Malfoy was glaring pointedly straight at Blaise, who was now getting up from his seat, a little way down the table.

Slamming his book shut, Draco shoved it quickly into his bag and hurried after Blaise. He caught up with him before he'd reached the end of the table, grabbing hold of him by the wrist, causing Blaise to turn to him in surprise.

"What's my father doing here?" he asked in an urgent whisper.

"I asked him to come," Blaise stated, glancing over to where Draco's father was watching them closely.

"You asked…" Draco started to ask, trailing off with a muffled squeak of alarm. "Why?!"

"Because I have a fairly important matter to discuss with him," Blaise pointed out calmly, pulling Draco over to the side of the hall, out of the way of other students passing them. "This isn't a conversation that should be had via letters, Draco," he pointed out.

Draco huffed and scowled at him. He knew Blaise was right, but he still wished he'd had a little warning.

"You can join us, or I can take care of this myself," Blaise offered, gesturing over Draco's shoulder toward the door.

"Fine," he conceded, "let's get this over with."

Draco turned and strode the rest of the way over to his father, holding his head held high.

"Such enthusiasm," Blaise remarked sarcastically as he followed close behind.

"Draco," his father greeted bluntly. "Blaise."

"Father," Draco said, with a barely perceptible bow of his head.

"Mr Malfoy," Blaise greeted far more warmly than either of the Malfoy men. "I appreciate you coming so promptly."

"Come, we will speak privately," Lucius instructed, sweeping from the hall without a backward glance.

Draco moved to follow him but was momentarily startled when a hand slid into his. He blinked up at Blaise next to him, who smiled encouragingly. His first instinct was to pull his hand free but, with a glance toward his father, he decided a united front might be a good idea after all.

Nodding his agreement, he allowed Blaise to lead them out into the Entrance Hall.

They followed his father down toward the Slytherin dungeons, though they didn't go far before he disappeared into one of the rarely used study rooms. He was standing just inside the door, holding it open and staring at them expectantly when they caught up to him.

"In," he instructed bluntly, his expression stern.

Blaise didn't release his hold on Draco's hand as he did as he was instructed, stepping into the room. He led him over to one of the benches, taking a seat on it with their backs to the table. The sound of the door being slammed closed behind them drew Draco's attention and he watched as his father cast the same spell he'd used several days earlier in their dormitory.

With long strides, Lucius crossed the room, transfigured himself a high-backed chair from another bench, and sat. He draped one leg over the other, resting his hands gracefully in his lap as he narrowed his eyes at the pair of them.

"Father…" Draco started but he was cut off with a raised hand.

"Blaise requested this audience," his father stated, his voice quiet and even but easily heard in the silence of the room. "I will hear what he has to say."

"Thank you, Mr Malfoy," Blaise said, squeezing Draco's hand in his own. "There is a matter of great importance I wished to discuss with you, one I felt best spoken about in person. It concerns my relationship with Draco."

"Draco is aware of his obligations to his family," Lucius informed him bluntly, his silver gaze flicking briefly to his son.

"Of course. Obligations we both take very seriously, I assure you, Sir," Blaise informed him with an earnest smile.

"Truly?" he questioned sceptically, his eyes meeting Draco's properly now.

"Absolutely, father," Draco assured him.

"Draco was kind enough to provide me with a complete list of every reason we could never be wed," Blaise added, glancing fondly at the blond sat next to him. "It was... comprehensive. However, I am a determined and imaginative Wizard, Mr Malfoy," he added, turning back to face him.

"Yes, of that I am aware," Lucius remarked dryly.

Both Draco and Blaise had to smother their amusement as they recalled some of the trouble they had caused around Malfoy Manor in their youth, certain this was what Lucius was remembering.

"Blaise found solutions to every problem on the list, father," Draco informed him, trying not to sound too hopeful. "We would not have approached you regarding this matter if we did not think this was a suitable match."

"And you believe that is your judgement to make?" Lucius asked pompously, scoffing.

"I simply asked you here to request that you consider me as a consort for your son," Blaise stated. "I know the final decision is yours to make, but I have known your family long enough to know how highly you and your wife value Draco's happiness. And I do believe I would make him... very happy indeed."

"Blaise!" Draco exclaimed, scandalised. His father, however, was chuckling softly.

"Very well," Lucius agreed, "I will hear your proposition and make a decision."

"That's all I ask," Blaise told him with a bow of his head.

-#-

Draco had been surprised how willing his father had been to hear Blaise out. He had listened for almost an hour, while Blaise assured him that he truly did wish to take the Malfoy name, that he honestly believed they were a good match, and then went through the research on the Male-pregnancy potion.

His father had been extremely sceptical at first. Though Draco suspected that was more to do with him having trouble believing that Blaise would willingly subject himself to such a situation. Draco understood that. He found it hard to believe, himself. But Blaise was adamant, promising to sign the relevant documents, which would magically bind him to the agreement.

They were late for class by the time Lucius had taken the research notes and left, promising to give the situation serious consideration.

That had been five days ago now, however, and while Draco believed his father would be true to his word, and not simply dismiss the matter out of hand, he still grew anxious.

"You need to stop worrying so much," Blaise remarked without looking up from his book.

The two of them were sitting close together on the sofa in the Slytherin common room, Blaise's hand resting discreetly in the dip of Draco's back under his top, thumb brushing gently against his skin.

"What if he says no?" Draco asked quietly, stilling his nervously twitching leg.

Blaise snorted derisively and tore his eyes from the page in front of him.

"He isn't going to say no," Blaise assured him confidently. "For Merlin's sake, he'd agree to this just for a chance to see me pregnant. He'd probably consider it fair recompense for the damage I helped you do to that Selwyn portrait in the East Wing corridor when we were six."

"I am fairly sure that even beheading you wouldn't qualify as fair recompense for that particular crime in my father's eyes," Draco remarked dryly, remembering all too well how uncomfortable it had been to sit for after the stinging spell his father had cast on him. "But admittedly you have a point."

"If we are to be married, you are going to have to, at some point, start accepting that I am always right," Blaise informed him, going back to what he was reading.

"Or I could just buy a very large house for you to keep your ego in," Draco retorted flatly, going back to his own book.

"That would work too," Blaise agreed.

-#-

Sure enough, the very next day Draco was shaken awake, far too early for a Sunday morning. Opening his eyes, to found a smugly grinning Blaise sitting on the side on his bed.

"I told you he would say yes," Blaise declared happily, leaning forward to steal a brief but instant kiss before shoving a piece of parchment into Draco's hands.

"He said yes?" Draco questioned, shuffling to sit up in bed to read the letter Blaise had given him.

Indeed, it confirmed that Lucius had been able to verify the research Blaise had uncovered, had found a suitable supplier for the potion, and, after careful consideration, had decided to accept Blaise's request to be the next Malfoy consort. The letter was verbose and pompous, but Draco was too used to extracting the pertinent details from his father's letters to be put off. Yet it still took several moments for his brain to register the significance of what it meant.

"He said yes," Blaise repeated with giddy glee.

"You want me to say it don't you," Draco said dryly.

"Of course," Blaise said with an unrepentant grin.

"You were right," Draco admitted, the corner of his mouth curling with amusement.

"Don't forget it, handsome," Blaise told him, kissing him again before getting to his feet. "I need to go write to mother, but I will see you at breakfast," he said, kissing him a third time before rushing across their dormitory toward the door.

"Remember to tell her you that you're not killing me for my money," Draco called after him, to a smattering of quiet laughter from their dorm-mates. "Right?"

Blaise paused in the doorway and grinned back at him.

"Of course. I'll just tell her how I actually like you," he assured him. "Besides, I'll point out that I have many more uses for you alive," he added with a wink before disappearing out the door.

Draco rolled his eyes, smothering a yawn as he went back to the letter still in his hands.

He read it through thoroughly this time, taking care to read every detail, but there was no question about it, his father truly had approved their betrothal. He was going to be allowed to marry Blaise.

Now he just had to officially propose, as Blaise had requested. And it had to be spectacular.

Thank you for reading. I shall endeavour to update this story again next Valentine's Day, as has become tradition. Though fair warning, I may forget to post it here again, as I really don't use this site anymore. If you would like to follow my more recent works, you can find me on AO3.