Harry awoke slowly, peripherally aware that it was still early and the sun was only just peeking above the horizon. His senses returned one by one, and it dawned on him that he had fallen asleep with Draco Malfoy. As that thought occurred to him,. he realized he had rolled over in the night.

He lay enveloped in Draco's arms, fully wrapped around him and holding him close. His head lay nestled on Draco's shoulder, tucked neatly under his chin. His nose was resting lightly on Draco's collarbone, and that spicy, smoky scent he'd picked up the day before filled his nostrils. His right arm was draped over Draco's waist, his hand tucked up behind his back. Their legs were tangled together in knots, bare feet creating two concentrated points of skin-on-skin contact.

Harry lamented the gray turtleneck that separated his cheek from Draco's shoulder. He felt an overwhelming urge to kiss the chest that now served as a pillow. He wanted to draw his knee up and rub his foot down the length of Draco's leg. He wanted to slip his hand beneath Draco's shirt and feel the line of his back muscles beneath his fingertips. He did none of those things.

He listened to Draco's heartbeat, the slow, steady thump and the soft whisper of his breath as his chest rose and fell. Harry nuzzled the soft fabric with his lips, imagining the taste of the skin beneath.

Draco inhaled deeply and let out a tiny sleepy moan. Goosebumps raised along Harry's arms at the throaty sound. He'd never slept with another man, never woken up in a man's arms. It was everything he hoped it would be. He didn't want to read too much into it. Draco was more experienced in dating, and this might not be a big deal to him. He didn't want to presume.

Draco inhaled deeply again and his head rolled on the pillow. His arms tightened around Harry and he drew one foot up to rub down Harry's leg. And then he dropped a gentle kiss onto the top of Harry's head. Harry's brain exploded. His heart raced as he tightened his embrace and pressed closer to Draco's body. Draco's hands kneaded Harry's back, slowly and comfortingly, more massage than foreplay.

"Dada!"

They both froze simultaneously.

"Dada!"

They both sagged and rolled apart. Draco rubbed his face with his palm and groaned in frustration.

"Dada! Dada! Dada!"

"I take back what I said about wanting a large family," Draco grunted as he rose to his feet and trudged down the stairs.

Harry sat on the edge of the bed to catch his breath. Had that really happened? Had he just woken up in the arms of Draco Malfoy? He smiled, unable to squash down the flutter in his stomach.

When he arrived downstairs Draco was settling Ron in his highchair and mixing up cereal. He was holding the magic eight ball and directing Bean to make buttered toast for Ron to gnaw on.

"Say Draco," he said firmly as he tested the temperature of the cereal.

"Daco!" Ron shouted, slapping his hands on the tray.

"Say Harry," Draco pointed at Harry as he pulled out a chair at the table.

"Aree!"

"Excellent," Draco looked up at Harry with a silly grin. "Now tell Aree to go have a shower while Bean makes breakfast." Ron blew raspberries and laughed uproariously.

"At least he's chipper in the morning," Harry wiped the spittle from his arm.

He showered quickly and returned to the kitchen, then sent Draco upstairs to get cleaned up. He wiped Ron's face and hands and took him back into the living room to play. As soon as he set Ron down, he pushed himself to his feet and toddled over to Harry's knees. Harry gaped at him.

"You walked!" he laughed. "I mean, I knew you would, but there you are!" He scooped Ron up and swung him around, then took the stairs by two and burst into the bathroom.

"Draco, he walked!" Harry shouted over the spray of the water.

Draco yelped and pulled the shower curtain around him. "What are you doing?" he cried.

"Ron walked! Show him, Ron," Harry set him down and grinned as Ron toddled over to the bathtub.

"Look at you," Draco said wonderingly. He tightened the shower curtain around himself and his eyes darted around uncomfortably. "Okay, now get out. I'll see him walk when I'm done."

"Come on, mate," Harry scooped Ron up and trundled him back downstairs.

He realized that they would need to think about baby-proofing now. Ron was into everything. He bonked his head and stumbled on any little thing in his path. He was a disaster on two legs.

"Aree, Aree, Aree," Ron sang as he bumbled about the living room, knocking over picture frames and tossing throw pillows to the floor.

"No, no, no," Harry followed him, prying his hands off of pointy knick-knacks and antique spell books.

Draco thudded down the stairs in yesterday's turtleneck and went to the Floo. "I need to pop home for a change of clothes," he called. "Back in a few."

"Daco!" Ron called as the Floo whooshed green and Draco stepped through. His face crumpled and his lip bobbled. "Daco!" he called as great big tears spilled down his face.

"Hush, he's coming right back," Harry scooped Ron up and patted his back as he cried. "You don't even like him, remember?" It occurred to him that Ron had truly reverted to his childhood, with none of the memories he had acquired over the years. He didn't know Harry or Draco, although yesterday he seemed to recognize his parents in the photo on the mantle. Harry walked him over to the picture again and let him hold it.

"Who's this?" he pointed at Molly.

"Mama!" Ron's tears disappeared and an ebullient smile spread across his face.

"And who's that?" Harry pointed at Arthur.

"Dada!"

"And that?"

"Pasee!"

"Percy, that's right," Harry pointed again.

"Bill!"

"And those two guys?"

"Jog! Fed!"

"Close enough." He pointed again.

"Kalee!"

"Charlie, right. And what about her?"

Ron's brow furrowed. He patted the waving image of Ginny but didn't name her. Finally he said, "Mama?"

"That's Ginny," Harry said. "I guess when you were this age she wasn't born yet. Or maybe just born, I guess."

Ron carefully lowered his mouth to the picture and kissed the smiling image of his mother. Harry's heart squeezed. Poor bugger was growing up without his mum.

The Floo whooshed again and Draco stepped through, this time in a dark green button-down shirt with long sleeves. He was fastening his cuffs as he emerged.

"Daco!" Ron let go of the picture frame and lunged for Draco. Harry had to scramble to keep his hold on him and catch the photo.

"He cried when you left," Harry said.

"Did you, now?" Draco scooped him up and twirled him around. "Imagine that, the Weasel actually missed me." He sat on the sofa with Ron in his lap and bounced him on his knee. "Do you want to hear a story about the Weasel? Uncle Draco could tell you a good one."

"Be nice about it," Harry said mildly. He went to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

"Once upon a time there was a Dragon," Draco said in a sing-song voice. "He was a very lonely Dragon, never had other Dragons to play with. He had lots of jewels and riches, as Dragons always do, but not many playmates."

Harry's hands went still. He went to the living room doorway and listened as Draco continued.

"One day the Dragon was sent away for school. He was excited, he knew he would meet other animals there. Maybe some who would want to be his friend," Draco went on. Ron stared at him with wide eyes, enraptured by his tone. "Sure enough, he met many animals on the train. Some of them were nice, some were not. Most of them wanted to know about his jewels and riches. He learned that some of the animals would be his friend right away if he offered to share his jewels and riches." He paused for a moment. "But there was one animal who he really wanted to meet. The Owl. Everyone knew about the Owl. He was special, the most special Owl anyone could imagine, and everyone wanted to meet him. The Dragon was no exception. When he heard the Owl was really there, he was so excited. Maybe the Owl would want to be his friend. He looked and looked and finally found him. But when he found him, he saw the Owl already had a friend, the Weasel. The Owl and the Weasel became friends instantly, from the moment they met. And once they became friends, there was no room for anyone else. Certainly no room for the Dragon. The Dragon tried, he introduced himself and offered to shake the Owl's hand. But the Weasel laughed at him. And the Owl refused to take the Dragon's hand. So the Dragon and the Owl were never friends, not at all, not since that day. And the Dragon was always a little bit sad about that, and most of the time mad about it. And he never forgave the Weasel for turning the Owl against him. The end."

"You told it wrong," Harry said quietly.

"It's my story," Draco looked up, his face drawn.

Harry could tell that it had taken a lot for him to say what he had said. He knew Draco's perspective was skewed, with no accountability for his own part in the escalating hostilities. But he understood now how much that first meeting had hurt him. He sat next to Draco on the sofa and tickled Ron's chin.

"Do you want to hear my version of the story?" he asked.

"I guess," Draco looked away.

"Once upon a time there was an Owl," Harry said. "He was an ordinary Owl but one day he found out that he was supposed to be a special Owl. He tried to tell people he was an ordinary Owl, but no one believed him. Even though he knew he really was an ordinary Owl, he was sent away to school to become the most special Owl he could be. On his way to school he met the Weasel, who didn't really care whether he was special or not. He treated him like an ordinary Owl. The Weasel didn't ask the Owl for anything, he was nice and helpful and the kind of friend the Owl needed." He sat back and chose his next words carefully. "Then along came the Dragon." Draco sat up stiffly and kept his eyes pointed at the floor. "The Dragon wanted to be the Owl's friend. But he wanted to be a special Owl's friend, not an ordinary Owl's friend. He thought being friends with a special Owl would make him special, too. He didn't care about the Owl, not really. And when the Owl realized that and decided not to shake his hand, the Dragon decided they should be enemies for life."

Draco didn't say anything. Harry leaned forward and took his hand. "The Owl didn't mean to hurt the Dragon's feelings. And the Owl never wanted to be enemies. But the Owl wasn't good at being the bigger person and probably didn't think much at all about the Dragon's feelings, not until it was too late to fix things." He squeezed Draco's hand. "The Owl wants to be friends now, if that means anything. If the Dragon wants to."

"Enough with the animals, Potter," Draco's voice was rough. Ron was watching Draco with long, slow blinks, his whole body sagging into his arms.

"I think naptime is taking over," Harry lifted Ron from Draco's hands and rested him on his shoulder. "Looking pretty sleepy there, mate." He laid Ron down in the crib and yawned. "I could use a nap, too, I think."

Draco looked up, finally, his expression neutral and his hands still.

"How about you?" Harry asked softly. Draco nodded and followed him up the stairs.

Harry pulled up the quilt and laid on top of it. He scooted over to give Draco room without even checking to make sure he wanted to share. Draco looked down at him for a moment, a small smile flickering across his lips, then he laid down, too. They both shifted around each other until they were back in the position they had woken up in. Harry's head was nestled into Draco's shoulder, his arm around Draco's waist. Draco rested his chin on Harry's head and curled both arms around him. Their legs tangled and twisted together as close as they could be.

Harry closed his eyes and told himself that he really did want a nap, this time really would be best put towards resting while Ron was still. But his hands disagreed. He stroked his fingers up and down Draco's back, catching his pinkie on the hem of his shirt and wondering if it would be okay to slide underneath. He so wanted to touch bare skin, to feel it the way he'd never been allowed to feel it before.

Draco's hands moved slowly, drawing Harry in close and massaging in slow circles. He pressed his nose into Harry's hair and inhaled deeply. Harry was certain he was picking up the gardenias and honeysuckle of Ginny's soap. He wondered what he thought of it, not having the same sexual association with the scent that Harry had developed.

Harry slid his hand up to Draco's chest and clenched his shirt in his fist. He took a deep breath and remembered Draco had bathed with the same floral soap. The erotic center of his brain unfurled as the combination of scent memory and real life intimacy collided.

Draco pressed his lips to the top of Harry's head and kissed a line down to his forehead. Harry tilted his head back slightly, hoping he would continue the journey. Draco nuzzled his forehead and he could distinctly feel the shape of a smile on his lips. Harry tilted back further, drawing away just enough to look up into Draco's eyes. He gazed back half-lidded, soft and gray and still. His hand raised slowly and he touched Harry's ear, then brushed his hair back from his face. Harry brought his hand up to rest on Draco's shoulder. Draco traced his finger down Harry's jaw to his chin, then gently, without insistence, tipped Harry's face up to meet his own.

His lips were feather soft, barely there, only a whisper of a touch. Harry's heart swelled in his chest until it felt like it would burst. He pressed forward, desperate for more contact, something he could definitely say without debate was a real and authentic kiss. Draco threaded his fingers through Harry's hair and drew him closer, granting him the full kiss he wanted. Harry's head whirled with giddy revelation.

Draco held his lips for a long moment, then released him with a tiny, wet smack. Before Harry could protest he pressed in and kissed harder, holding him again for an eternity as their lips moved in unison. Harry's hand continued its journey from Draco's shoulder to his head and drew his thumb down Draco's earlobe. Draco released his lips again and tilted his head to the side. He pressed in again, this time more deeply, parting his lips just slightly and drawing Harry's lower lip into his mouth. His hands moved sensually, savoring the curve of Harry's neck and back. Harry fluttered his fingers through the fine threads of Draco's hair and traced the curve of his shirt collar.

Draco released him once again and withdrew far enough to look Harry in the eye. Harry's cheeks flushed and he tried to duck his head.

"No you don't," Draco murmured and tipped Harry's chin up again. He caught his mouth up in his own and kissed him again, this time flicking the tip of his tongue across Harry's lips. An electric shock crawled up Harry's spine like a Jacob's ladder. He parted his lips and flicked back, shuddering in delight as their tongues slipped across each other.

Without breaking contact Draco shifted his body, rolling Harry onto his back and laying nearly on top of him. His left leg rested between Harry's legs, his thigh making delicious contact with his groin. He braced himself on one elbow and stroked his hand down Harry's chest to his belt. Harry wrapped both hands around Draco's head and pulled him in deeper, his tongue exploring and yearning for more. He swept his right hand down to the hem of Draco's shirt and indulged in his need for skin, pushing the shirt up and tracing his fingertips up the warm expanse.

Draco moaned and pushed Harry's shirt up, slipping his left hand beneath and working his way up Harry's ribs. He paused on Harry's nipple and tickled his fingertips across it, eliciting a groan from deep in his throat. No one had ever played with his nipples before. He'd had no idea what he was missing out on.

Draco pulled back and smiled. "You like that?" he asked, his lips just barely brushing Harry's.

"Yes," Harry breathed, arching his back and pressing into Draco's hand.

Draco kissed him again and traced a circle around Harry's nipple, teasing and tempting with near-misses and glancing touches. Harry thought he might explode. His right hand reversed direction and headed down, pushing beneath the waistband of Draco's trousers, beneath his pants, and kneading a handful of his buttocks. Draco grunted and Harry felt the hard outline of his cock press against his hip. He salivated involuntarily, tracing his fingers up and down the curve of Draco's arse.

"Harry," Draco murmured. "I-"

"Daco!"

"Fuck," Draco dropped his head to Harry's shoulder.

"Daco! Up! Up!"

"He's big enough to climb over that crib rail now," Harry said, stuffing down an agonized whimper.

Draco dove in for a hard kiss, pressing Harry into the lumpy mattress. He reached down and squeezed Harry's cock through his jeans and rolled to his feet. "To be continued," he jabbed his finger at Harry before heading downstairs.

"Merlin," Harry laid back and allowed the whimper to escape. He was painfully hard, and desperate for release. But what could they do with a toddler in the house?

When he went downstairs he found Ron standing at the long window to the side of the front door. He patted the glass and said, "Out?"

"You want to go for a walk?" Harry asked. "We can do that, mate."

Draco was just putting the kettle on the stove, and clearly had no intention of leaving without a cup of tea.

"Let's have some lunch first, yeah?" Harry picked Ron up with a groan. "You're getting big fast, aren't you."

"Aree," Ron patted his cheeks with his hands. "Daco," he reached with grabby fingers at Draco as Harry seated him in his chair.

"I'm kind of insulted that he seems to prefer you over me," Harry said.

"Maybe I keep a secret stash of weasel treats in my pocket," Draco said in a silly voice as he sat down in front of Ron and offered a bowl of fruit nibblets.

"After this do you want to take a walk?" Harry pulled the kettle off of the stove as it began to whistle. He poured two cups and set one down in front of Draco.

"Sure," Draco popped a banana slice into his mouth. "I need a new wand holster, we could take him to Hogsmeade."

Harry paused with a biscuit halfway to his mouth. "You want to take him out in public? Both of us?"

"Sure," Draco shrugged casually. "Are you afraid people will see you with me?"

"No," Harry scowled. "Of course not. But what if they recognize him?"

"No one is going to look at us and think, Oi, is that Ronald Weasley, hexed to the gills on baby juice?" Draco plucked the biscuit out of Harry's hand and took a bite.

"What do we say when people see the two of us with a ginger child?" Harry stole the biscuit back and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth.

"We'll say we're babysitting," Draco sneered. "It's not hard to come up with a lie. Honestly, you could do with a dose of Slytherin in you."

"Well-" Harry broke off with a grin, stopping the rather filthy thought before it could be voiced.

Draco stared at him as though stunned, then threw his head back and laughed in a way Harry had never seen before. He put his head down on the table and pounded it with his fist.

"My mouth is going to get me into trouble," Harry said.

Draco looked up with an expectant grin until Harry realized what he had said and groaned. Draco howled with laughter again and waved his hands for mercy.

"No one ever told me you're funny, Pot- Harry," he gasped between gales of laughter.

"Aree!" Ron threw his arms up into the air and laughed, too. He slapped his hands onto the tray and knocked the bowl of fruit over. Harry buried his face in his arms.