Warnings:

Guide: "Speech", Thoughts, ~letters and other written things

Beta: Destiny1195. All remaining errors are my own.

AN: Thank you for your continued support.

-~-~- Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black -~-~-

-~-~-by Stillwatersaredeep-~-~-

-~-~- Chapter 8-~-~-

Without a word, both boys walked up the stairs towards the master bedroom. Draco sat down cross-legged on the bed, while Harry moved the chair that Lucius Malfoy had occupied last night a bit further away from the bed, and turned it around so that he could sit on it backwards, with his arms resting on the backrest.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Potter?" Draco asked.

"Harry," the Gryffindor corrected.

"Harry," Draco repeated with a dismissive wave of his hand. Draco noticed that calling Harry by his first name outside of the privacy of his own head felt strange. If it was a good or bad kind of strange, he did not know yet.

"Ehm," the brunet began very articulately. "You know, since you arrived here, we did not have the chance to talk about what we expect from this," Harry finally said.

"We talked about it when we swore the vows," Draco replied, knowing that what he wished for would forever stay just that. A wish.

"No," Harry disagreed. "We talked about the things surrounding the marriage, like loyalties but not what you and I expect from the marriage and maybe also the wedding," he clarified. "I know that if it was our choice, we would never want to marry each other."

Speak for yourself, Draco thought, but said nothing.

"But as it is, I do not see a way around the marriage," Harry continued, unaware of the blond's thoughts. "Neither of us is a girl who dreamed of a wedding with the one dress, a particular colour scheme and the likes. With Ron and Hermione I'll have the people most important to me next to me and you'll have your parents. But maybe there is a Malfoy tradition or something else you would like to have?"

"Only your love," Draco would have liked to answer, but he knew that it was something he would never have. "There are some traditions," he instead replied hesitantly. "But under the given circumstances, I'll have to do without." It seems like in this marriage I'll have to do without many things, he thought and let out a sigh. This certainly was very frustrating for Draco.

"What are the traditions?" Harry asked encouragingly. Maybe wecan somehow manage to fulfil them? he wondered. Hopefully, it would also help them to get to know each other better.

"Usually a new tree is planted in a special part of the manor's backyard," Draco began, not needing to say how impossible realizing that tradition was. "Then there are the family wedding rings. They are only used for the ceremony and later replaced by personal rings," he told Harry.

Now that the blond was mentioning wedding rings, Harry realised that they did not have them. The marriage of the New Moon did not require rings, but in his head a marriage should always include wedding bands. "Would it be possible to get the rings?" he asked.

"They are in our Gringotts vault," Draco replied.

"Hmm," the brunet began, unsure if Draco would even want to use the family rings for this forced marriage, but he still wanted to at least make the offer. "If you want, we could send Kreacher to Gringotts to collect the rings."

"That's not possible," Draco answered. "The rings are in a box that only a Malfoy by blood can touch."

"Pure bloods and their bloody obsession with blood," Harry muttered angrily under his breath. Sending Draco to Gringotts was too risky and even with the Unbreakable Vow, he did not like the idea of Lucius leaving the house.

Deciding that it was a lost case for now, Harry continued with the next topic on his earlier compiled mental list. "When I made the Unbreakable vow, why did you especially ask to keep your independence? Aren't we equals?" the Gryffindor asked.

"No, at least not in the traditional sense," Draco answered, happy that this topic did not specifically refer to them, but to pure blood traditions in general. "Disregarding our gender, we're in a situation where one of us is the Lord of a family," he pointed at Harry, "while the other is just the heir to a Lordship." Here Draco pointed at himself. "And since the marriage will make you my Lord, or me 'Lady Black' as Kreacher has so nicely pointed out, I will be under your rule for the foreseeable future. Only when I become Lord Malfoy will we be of equal power again. And I hope that this will not happen anytime soon," he explained.

"But this does not take away your free will. You've never had a problem defying me in the past," Harry said, not understanding what Malfoy was getting at, even if he could understand that politically a Lord has a higher ranking than an heir.

"No, it does not," Draco conceded. "However, there are spells and other things that a Lord of a family can cast to take away his family member's freedom."

"And you think I know them?" Harry asked.

"No, Pot-Harry," the blond corrected. "But what will stop you from asking Granger to research these spells when you do not like how I behave?"

"I would have to know of their existence first," Harry countered.

"Weasley," was all Draco needed to say. After a pause he added, "And he would certainly suggest the most restrictive ones, where I would end up as your mindless and obedient slave.

Harry was silent, thinking about what Malfoy had told him. He could imagine Ron suggesting such a spell in the heat of the moment, but he could not imagine himself or Hermione agreeing to go through with it. Not even to win the war? To save the lives of your loved ones? A traitorous voice asked.

Harry shook his head to get rid of the thought. "Thanks for the explanation," he said distracted by where his own thoughts had led him.

There were other things he did not want to talk about, but he knew that it would be better for both of them to talk about them now and have it out of the way. "It may not be the most appropriate thing of me to ask, but is there a girlfriend of yours we have to worry about?"

Good to know that he does not even consider a boyfriend, the Slytherin thought bitterly. "No, before this happened I had neither a girlfriend nor a boyfriend," he stressed.

"Me neither, I broke up with Ginny at Dumbledore's funeral," he trailed off, his voice getting softer. He still did not like to talk about these topics. Both Dumbledore's death and the break-up with Ginny.

A pause.

"I'll brew the contraception potion for us," Draco finally broke the silence. "I'll need Kreacher to get some ingredients for me."

"Sure, just give me the list and I'll send him on his way. And thanks, I did not even think about it," Harry admitted. And even if I still had the Halfblood Prince's book, I would not have been a great help. The contraception potion had been taught in their fourth year where he had been too occupied with staying alive during the Tri-wizard Tournament to worry about contraception potions. "Does it even work for wizards?" he wondered, not noticing that he was talking out loud.

"Yes," the blond replied. "Do you have any allergies?" He did not think so. If Potter had been allergic to something he would have know, either to use it against him when they were younger or out of protectiveness later on.

"No," Harry replied with a shake of his head.

"Good."

Silence once more.

"Ehm… do you.. ehm..." Harry began to stammer after a minute.

"What?" Draco asked, stretching out his legs as he leaned back on his elbows, his shirt riding up, exposing a small area of his skin.

"I'm not gay," Harry suddenly blurted out, his defence mechanism triggered by seeing how Draco was, in his eyes, posing on the bed. The bed they would probably use to consummate their marriage

"I'm aware," Draco answered dryly. Painfully aware actually.

"You're not making it any easier," Harry said.

"Why?" Malfoy asked as he sat up again and leaned forward towards the Gryffindor. He knew that their situation was far from perfect, but since it was Harry who was not interested in him at all, he would say that the problem lay with the Gryffindor and not with him.

"Isn't it obvious?" Harry asked. "We're not the best of friends."

"An understatement," Draco commented, interrupting the other boy.

"I've never gone too far with a girl, and nowhere with a guy," Harry continued.

"It would have made the front-page of the Daily Prophet otherwise," Draco answered, letting himself fall back on the bed, his shirt riding further up his stomach. "Thank god the rest of us were left alone by the press."

"Pansy," Harry said, remembering how they'd acted in the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of last year. At least one of us will know a bit of what to do, he thought.

"If you haven't noticed, she's a girl," Draco replied, but regretted his words seconds later. He had not wanted Harry to know this. So much for trying to keep him from knowing about my past relationships.

"Wait, what?" Harry asked, perplexed.

"Are you seriously saying that in six years you haven't known that Pansy is a girl?" Draco asked, hoping to rile the other boy up in order to move away from the topic of his past boyfriends.

"I know that she's a girl," Harry answered. "I was referring to..." but he did not get to finish his sentence because Draco interrupted him.

"Good. Otherwise I would fear that you sometimes mixed up Weasel with Weaslette," Draco provoked him on purpose because his previous comment had not yielded the desired effect of changing the topic.

"Malfoy!" Harry yelled in anger, intending to hit his face. But soon it was followed by an exclamation of surprise. In his haste to reach Draco, the chair he was sitting backwards on tipped over, the backrest just missing the edge of the bed. While his good reflexes saved Harry from breaking any bones, he landed in a rather dodgy position on top of Draco.

"Ouch," Draco yelled in pain, when Harry's fist hit the side of his stomach.

"Argh," Harry let out. It took him a moment to realise that his head was currently resting on Malfoy's left thigh, his head facing the right leg, bring his nose and lips dangerously close to the Slytherin's groin. Blushing bright red, Harry hastily moved away from Draco, scrambling towards the foot of the bed, while Draco sat up to better defend himself if Harry decided to attack again.

How did we end up here? Harry asked himself, when he calmed down again. Ah yes, Pansy being a girl. Wait! Harry thought, the other meaning of 'pansy' gave him an idea about what had started Draco's sudden collision course.Is Malfoy afraid that I'm homophobic or something?

"You know, I don't mind that you had a boyfriend. I'm happy, actually," Harry said with a soft smile.

Not what I want to hear, Draco thought despondently, but laid back down again, feeling that no more attacks would be coming from the other boy anytime soon. Out loud he asked, "Really?"

"Yes," the Gryffindor replied. "I'm relieved to know that at least one of us will know what to do."

Draco hesitated. Yes, he had been sexually involved with Mikhail from Durmstrang and a year later with the seventh year Ravenclaw Eleius, but they never had intercourse. But should I tell Harry this? It's obvious that Harry is afraid of having sex, especially with a man. So letting him believe that I'm experienced might calm him, he reasoned. However, there was a part of him that did want Harry to know that he was still untouched where it counted most.

"It was mostly for stress relief; OWLs and all that," he finally said. The upcoming OWLs and NEWTs had been the main reason why Eleius and he had fooled around with each other. But they never went farther than frottage and hand jobs.

The year before had been motivated by Harry. Mikhail had been available, open and, only being there for the year, also radiated a feeling of safety, and thus seemed like the best way to try and get Harry out of his system through a substitution. That Mikhail was also patient enough to let Draco explore his new found sexual orientation at his own pace, was an added bonus.

"You don't have to defend yourself," Harry interrupted, before Draco had time to say more.

"Gryffindors, always so honorable," Malfoy replied with an annoyed sigh. Shaking his head, he continued. "I don't want there to be misunderstandings between us. And besides, honesty is the best foundation for any...," Draco paused, thinking about what word he should use next. Marriage? Relationship? "Partnership," he finally decided.

"I agree," Harry said. "With everything that's happened between us, honesty will be of the uttermost importance for building a joint future."

Draco nodded his agreement to Harry's statement, before he continued with what he had originally wanted to say. "Yes, I have some experience but I never went all the way," he admitted.

Harry was surprised how relieved he felt at Malfoy's words. Was he just happy that he was not the only virgin? It must be it, he told himself, completely ignoring other possible reasons, like jealousy or possessiveness. It's not like I want to marry Draco. If it wasn't for the curse and the damned marks, I would still have a future with Ginny.

"Can I see your mark?" Harry asked seemingly out of the blue. Thinking about the curse made him want to see the symbol that had marked Draco as his unwanted life-partner.

"Which one?" Draco asked, unaware of the other's train of thought. Does Potter mean the Dark Mark or the marks that the Black curse left behind?

Harry looked bewilderedly at the blond. "The mark on your back," Harry clarified.

"Why? he asked.

Harry had a feeling that "Because I want to" would not be a good enough explanation for the Slytherin. So instead he said, "The situation still feels somehow surreal to me," he began and leaned his head back against one of the bedposts. "Last night was the first time that I even felt the mark appear. And even with the pain, it is still hard to believe that if we do not fulfil the demands of the curse, we will die. I think that I just, somehow, want to see for myself that it is you that the curse has chosen," he said truthfully.

"I already experienced the pain when the first mark appeared," Draco informed him. "And it got a lot worse last night. So I really hope that the marriage ritual next month will work out for us."

"Me too," Harry agreed. "So, can I see your mark?" he asked cautiously when Malfoy still had not made any move to take off his shirt.

"You know the rule: Show me yours and I'll show you mine," Draco said, obviously stalling.

Harry hesitated. Should he continue to persuade Draco to take of his shirt or not? He may be dense sometimes but even he noticed that the blond didn't want him to see him naked. But on the other hand, they would see each other in a state of undress soon enough. So maybe it would be better to get it out of the way now? The brunet wondered. Coming to a decision Harry pulled off his shirt. Provocatively, he threw it on the bed between them.

Draco did not know if he should cry or celebrate over having a half-naked Harry on his bed. He could look, but not touch. He had to be cautious to not stare or otherwise make it obvious that he found Harry's body very attractive.

"Your turn," Potter said.

After taking one deep breath through his nose, Draco slowly began to unbutton his shirt, very aware of Harry's eyes on him.

By the time the fourth button was opened Harry finally had an idea why the other boy had been so hesitant. The blond's nearly hairless chest was scarred. Scars that were his doing.

Unnerved by the brunet's stare, Draco turned around as soon as his shirt was completely unbuttoned, his head lowered. "Happy?" he asked, when his back was turned, the two stars from the Black curse now facing Harry.

As if he was in a trance, Harry moved to sit directly behind Draco. He only shortly took notice of the two black stars that were a direct copy of his own marks. Without asking for permission first, he hugged Draco from behind, his chest pressed against the other's back, his head resting on Draco's right shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said as he traced one of the scars down the blond's abdomen.

Draco did not have the courage to turn around. What would he see on Harry's face? Regret and remorse? Probably. Disgust on how he looked? He did not want to know.

He had a strange enough relationship with the scars as it was. While he had been lucky enough that the part of the scars that would have been visible on his neck and collarbone had been treated just in time with Dittany, it had been too late for the deeper scars on his chest. When he'd first thought about it, he had, in his bitter mood, decided that his scar-free face resembled his mask that was still intact, his scarred chest in turn resembled his scarred heart.

He could still clearly remember the moment where he lay on the cold and wet bathroom floor. His emotions all mixed up. He was under shock and felt strangely relived that if he had to die, he would die at Harry's hands. Though, he never expected that Harry hated him so much that he would try to kill him. A sense of happiness washed over him that the last thing he would see would be Harry's face, which made him smile softly. But then fear took over; if he died here, then his mother's life would be at death's door too.

While Draco was lost in his memories, Harry's finger reached the hem of the Slytherin's trousers, where the scar he'd followed vanished. It certainly gave a new meaning to 'happy trail,' and it is my own doing, Harry thought, and then, shocked by his own act and thoughts, he suddenly moved away as if hit by lightning.

What have I been thinking? Touching Malfoy like that, the Gryffindor chided himself.

The lack of Harry's body warmth brought Draco out of his thoughts. Slowly he turned around. "Ugly, aren't I?" he asked sarcastically, trying to protect himself.

"No," Harry said determinedly, shaking his head. "You are NOT ugly," he stressed. "If anyone is ugly then it is me for doing this to you. I am really sorry for casting that spell," he apologized once more. "I should never have used it without knowing what it did. Please believe me that if I'd know, I would never ever have cast that spell," Harry said, taking Draco's hands in his owns and gently pressing them.

"It's in the past," Draco said, looking away.

"This is in the past too," Harry said as his hand hovered above the Dark Mark.

"I wanted to live, Potter," Draco tried to explain why he had the ugly symbol on his arm as he hastily put his shirt back on.

"I know," Harry replied, remembering the scene on the Astronomy Tower. It positively screamed, 'I do not want to be part of it. Get me out!' "With him it is always about staying alive, isn't it?" he asked in an attempt to lighten the mood. And then followed Malfoy's example and put his t-shirt back on.

"And it seems you're more successful than I, when it comes to being mainly unharmed," Draco answered.

"I would say that psychically we both suffered equally under him," Harry said.

"Who hasn't suffered under him?" he asked rhetorically. "Except aunt Bella, that's it."

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you, Draco," Harry offered, stressing the other's given name.

"The same goes for you," Draco replied, but both knew that while they would listen to the other, right now, neither of them was comfortable enough with the other boy to open up to them. They'd rather talk with their best friends or their parents, respectively.

It was silent for some minutes, neither knowing what they could talk about next.

"Is there anything else you would like to talk about right now?" Harry asked finally. He was not in the mood to talk about Legilimency right now. It could wait for another day.

"No," Draco replied. After their talk he needed some time to digest everything that happened in the last forty minutes.

-~-~- Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black -~-~-

Draco was on his way down to the kitchen, in dire need for some chocolate after the mark burned once again. The Dark Lord probably disliked Skeeter's article or the article stealing the spotlight from his well-wishes, he'd reasoned. Or why else would he call another meeting just a day after the last? When he was about to take the first stair of the landing, he saw Harry entering the room he shared with Weasley. Before Potter had time to shut the door, Draco could heard Weasley's voice from the bedroom below. Curiosity piqued, he hurriedly walked down the stairs as silent as possible and pressed his ear against the now closed door.

"Call me Harry, we're getting married after all," Ron mockingly said when Harry entered their shared room after his visit to the library. "I can understand that you have to marry him. The second star appearing this morning made it all too clear for all of us, but must you suddenly become all chummy with the ferret? What about Ginny? Have you forgotten all about her?" the red-head accused.

"We broke up," Harry stated. Why did Ron have to make the situation even harder for him than it already was?

"Didn't look like you broke up during your birthday," Ron replied.

"What does it matter to you anyway?" Harry asked. He could not deny Ron's accusation. The 'happy birthday' kiss he'd received from Ginny could not be called platonic at all. But he'd hoped that no one had seen them making out behind the shed in the garden.

"Why I care?" Ron asked. "Maybe because the heart you're breaking belongs to my little sister who loves you more than anyone else!"

"Don't you think I love her too?" Harry asked.

"Must be a very deep love you have for her when you can so easily forget about her and replace her with Malfoy," Ron accused.

"Think clearly, Ron," Harry said. "Do you really believe that if it were not for the curse and the Dark Lord, that I would be down on my knee, asking for Ginny's hand right now?"

"Then why are you getting all chummy with Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"Because he is the only chance of a family I have," Harry replied, letting himself fall down on his bed, a hand tousling his hair. "Do you think it would be fair to Ginny if I divorced Draco to marry her, but would still be bound to him? Can only have children with him? You know how much Ginny and I both desire a family of our own, but with the curse, she'll never be able to have my children. Believe me, Ron, if it would be at all possible I would love nothing more than to get back together with Ginny, marry her and have children with her in the future. But this is not possible anymore. I have to be realistic. The only person with whom I'll ever be able to have children with is Malfoy. And while I certainly will not fall in love with him, I'll try my best to get along with him. For the children's sake if nothing more."

Draco'd heard enough, he really needed his comfort chocolate now. So close and so far away. These words seem to become his new mantra when it concerned Harry and followed him all the way down the stairs towards the kitchen.

-~-~- Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black -~-~-

AN: So what do you think? It didn't end in an all out fist-fight, but it wasn't totally peacefully either.