Summary: Some odd and random scenes that lead to a final climax. Don't worry, Blaise-haters, his time has come... But he goes out with style. Oh, and Harry shows some inklings of human feelings.

Warning: Mpreg, Slash, the usual, etc, etc. Don't like, don't read, and certainly don't tell me how much you don't like it. That's why authors have these things at the beginning of each chapter.

Disclaimer: As usual, none of this is mine. I own abso-fucking-lutely nothing. Damn you all.

&--&--&--&--&

Harry was horrified at what he saw. How could it have been that the moment Harry realized he loved Draco, Draco got a boyfriend? Did the universe hate him that much?

He didn't know. All he knew was that he'd taken to cold-shouldering Draco, and Hermione disapproved. It was mid-February then, and Harry saw Blaise and Draco growing closer every day. It made him feel an impossible anger, and irrational one, but it was still there. Sometimes the universe wasn't the only one that hated his life...

Harry had watched them, almost obsessively, over the past week. Draco was dropping Diana off that day, and Harry was in a bad mood. The only good thing about the day so far had been that Blaise hadn't shown up at Draco's house yet. Except of course, if he'd stayed over, which would be even worse.

He noticed Draco walked down the sidewalk slowly, helping Diana toddle in front of him. He held her hands in his and her feet stood on his. He walked with her, cooing praise down at her. After a moment more of this, he simply swept her into his arms and kept walking faster. Harry turned away, counting the seconds until there was a knock on the door.

Thirty seven. For some reason, this number became his least favorite number instantly. He answered the door impatiently, and without a word, let Draco in. Draco immediately went to the kitchen, which was the closest to the door.

"Hello, Harry," He greeted cheerily. "Everything ready for Diana?" He asked, setting down her bag and turning his chipper expression to Harry's depressed one.

"Yeah," Harry returned, and Draco smiled.

"Good," He said. "I have to go soon, Blaise is coming over-" Harry cut him off, not sure what made him do it.

"What, he's not already there? I'm surprised; you hang all over him, it's hard to believe you can stand being apart," Harry spat, and Draco.

"What is the matter with you?" He asked, surprising Harry with just as much eagerness to fight as He had himself. "Every time I've seen you this week, you've been mad or depressed. What's wrong? Did I do something? I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm happier than I have been in quite a while and you're kind of ruining that for me-" Harry cut him off again.

"Oh, it's always about you, isn't it?" He asked, raising his voice a little.

"No, actually! It's about Diana and Blaise, but it sure as hell isn't about you! That ship has sailed, Harry, and if you're just trying to ruin my relationship, you're a bastard. Obviously you have trouble handling your hatred for me or something-" That struck a chord in Harry, and for the third time, he interrupted.

"I don't hate you!" There was silence. Draco looked genuinely surprised, and Harry tried to smother his emotions.

"What?" Draco asked.

"What would you do... if I didn't hate you," Harry asked, but Draco looked at a loss.

"I-I dunno, it wouldn't change things-" Draco said, and Harry tried again.

"No, no, wait... What if-what if I still loved you... What would you do... " Harry said, leaping and hoping to god he could fly.

Tears welled in Draco's eyes, and for a moment Harry thought he'd succeeded. Then Draco's expression twisted into anger, and he passed Diana into Harry arms, gently but firmly.

"That's low," He whispered. "That's really low of you, saying things like that. Especially in front of her. I hate you," Draco turned away, slamming the front door after him. Harry felt a little rip in his chest.

"But... I really do love you... " He whispered quietly, rejection washing over him.

&--&--&

Hermione flooed into Harry's parlor on Monday, and found Harry sitting sullenly in the kitchen.

"Hello Harry," She said, taking a seat next to him. "Is Diana down for a nap?" She asked, recalling that it was Harry's week and she wasn't in the room.

"No," Harry replied bitterly. "Draco and Mr. Perfect came and took her to Draco's parents for the day," He spat, glaring across the street at Draco's house. Hermione was a little surprised.

"Mr. Perfect?" She asked, even though she knew perfectly well who he meant.

"Draco's boyfriend, Zabini," Harry said, turning away from the window and starting a pot of tea.

"Any reason you don't like him so much?" Hermione asked, because she knew Harry'd never even spoken to Blaise in school.

"Yeah, he hates me. You can see it when he looks at me, down at me, sorry, he despises me and I don't know why. I never did anything to him at school," He said, and Hermione sighed. Men were all the same sometimes.

"Well, no, not while you were at school. But Blaise is Draco's best friend, and you hurt him a lot during school, and after," Hermione pointed out. "He probably doesn't like you because of that. Besides, I think Blaise is good for Draco," Hermione jumped when Harry slammed his fist down on the counter.

"How can he be good for him?" He asked, anger on his face. "It's not going to work with them, I can tell-" He started, and Hermione interrupted.

"How can you tell? It might work out," She shrugged, and Harry paused for a moment.

"Draco looks at him like he looked at me," He said quietly. "I know how Draco does things. Eventually, looking won't be enough. He's going to want all of Zabini, and all of his time. I don't think Zabini can give that to him," He paused again, slumping down in a kitchen chair. "I don't want him to get hurt again," He said calmly, and his words warmed Hermione greatly.

"... Do you think you'd be better for him than Blaise?" She asked, and Harry paused for a moment.

"Yes," He said thoughtfully, but he didn't elaborate.

"Why?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"Well... because of Diana, mostly. No matter how much I don't like him at any given time, I'll always appreciate him," Harry said, and Hermione gave him a quizzical look. "Well, think about it. Draco is the mother of my child. How can I not respect him, cherish him, when he gave life to my flesh and blood? To me, there isn't a greater act of adoration and affection in the world. I respect him for that," Hermione smiled, drawn to the beauty of his words.

"That's beautiful, Harry," She said, and he shrugged. "But who knows? Maybe Blaise can give him what he wants. Would it really be so bad is Draco was happy?" This threw Harry for a loop. He hadn't really thought about it. He'd seen Draco's puppy love eyes and assumed that's what it was, puppy love.

But if it was happiness in Draco's eyes... Harry didn't know what to think. He tugged at his shirt sleeves gently, pondering.

"... No. He deserves it," He stared off at a spot on the wall, looking wistful. Hermione studied his expression and sat forward.

"You seem to care a great deal more for Draco than you let on," She said, and Harry shook himself out of his reverie, flushing slightly.

"I'm not as immature as I was six months ago," He said. "Or when I was sixteen. Nothing to it," He shrugged, hoping Hermione would let him have his peace. But of course, Hermione had never been that kind of friend.

"I think there's more to it than that," Her eyes narrowed. "Harry, if you love him... " She trailed off, and when his head turned away, she knew she'd hit a sensitive spot.

"I've done a lot of stupid things," He started, and then paused, unsure how to lead that statement into a confession, or even if he wanted to. "But I think the biggest was leaving Draco. If I had just put in a little more effort, things could have... There's no point in looking back, I know, but one day it just hit me in the face and suddenly I was letting myself see him like... like I used to," He looked at his hands, clasped in his lap.

"Why now?" Hermione asked, and he chuckled, shaking his head as he did.

"When Ginny told me- when she lied to me, I went over to Draco's house. I wanted to see Diana, so I could ask myself if I was ready to handle it again. But when Draco asked what was wrong, I decided I needed to know exactly what I was getting into. I asked him to tell me everything, about the pregnancy. So we sat down in his living room and he started talking.

"He took down this photo album, and he was showing me the pictures and talking about things by date. There was this one picture... I think he was about seven months, and it was clearly early in the morning when the picture was taken. He didn't know it was being taken, didn't know he was being watched, so he was completely at ease. He was standing in what must have been his kitchen with a cup of tea, and he was rubbing his back.

"Once, he lifted the back of his shirt a little and the front rose a little, too. And this really odd thing happened... She kicked, right at the spot that was showing under his shirt, and her foot made a little foot-shaped impression. It was amazing... And Draco in the picture just chuckled and started cooing to his stomach. That's when I knew," He shrugged. "After I found out Ginny was lying about being pregnant, I went over to see him and Draco introduced me to Zabini," Hermione nodded, listening intently to his tale.

"Is that why you've been so angry the past few weeks?" Hermione asked, and Harry nodded.

"I'm mostly angry at myself, but I keep taking it out on Draco. And I know I'm doing it, but I just can't stop, and whenever I do control myself and I'm nicer he thinks I'm mocking him!" Harry exclaimed, clenching his fists. "If I'd just realized this two months ago, none of this would have happened. Two months ago, Draco loved me, and now he hates me," He crossed his arms, and Hermione thought, before she could stop herself, that he looked quite like a pouting child.

"He might com around. You said you respect him for having Diana, maybe he returns some of that gratitude," She shrugged, and Harry sighed. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Is Ron still angry with me?" He asked after a minute.

"Actually... He's furious," Hermione admitted. "At Ginny. He says he's never been so disgusted with her in his life. He won't come over yet because he doesn't want to bother you, and he's kind of ashamed that he automatically took Ginny's side," She said, but Harry shrugged.

"That's what family is for, I'm glad he did," He lied. He was starting to miss Ron's company and constant conversation. He remembered with an inward sigh that he'd never had anyone to share that kind of family bond with...

"He got a job in town. He's working in the muggle post office, and it's completely confusing him. And they pay him muggle money, so he has to apparate to Gringotts all the time to get it exchanged," Hermione noted. "I've been thinking, since Ron has a new job and everything's starting to settle down... Maybe now is the time to go find my parents," She said, and Harry's heart sank. "I think I'll wait a week or two more, but then I'll go," She said.

"Of course. It'll be great," Harry forced a smile. He'd be alone half the time, without Diana or the Weasley's company.

Hermione's watch beeped, indicating that the turn of the hour had come.

"Sorry, Harry-- I have to go, I've got a few things to sort out with the Weasleys this afternoon," Harry gave a feeble farewell, and she was gone.

&--&--&

"I don't think they like me anymore, now that I'm dating their precious little angel," Blaise teased, poking Draco in the side. Diana was wide awake and watching from Blaise's hip, sucking on her finger passively.

"My parents think you're wonderful, they're just protective," Draco chided, taking Blaise's free hand in his own.

"Ha! I know it! Do you remember, in our third year when someone threw mud at you-" He began, but Draco cut him off.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I spent at least half an hour washing that filth out of my hair, and it was ratted for the next week!" He exclaimed, staggering a little on the sidewalk.

They'd opted to walk around Diagon Alley a little, as it was dark and they were less likely to be seen. That was the trouble being from Slytherin-- no one trusted you anymore. It was a nice evening, though the cold was biting.

"I remember... You hogged the bathroom twice as long as normal, just trying to fix it," Blaise looked vaguely amused, and in hindsight, he realized it was kind of funny. He scoffed anyway.

"I did not hog the bathroom... My scalp is very sensitive," He lifted his chin, using a snarky tone. Blaise huffed and leaned in close to him.

"Oh, don't I know... What happens when I do this, I wonder... ?" Blaise pulls his hand from Draco's gently stroking the nape of his neck and smirking when he saw shivers run down his spine.

"Blaise, we're in public for Merlin's sake!" He exclaimed, then alighted on a toy shop with twinkling eyes. "Oh, look! Come on!" He grasped Blaise by the wrist and dragged his willing companion after him.

The shop was small and privately owned, and it didn't carry the silly brand name things. It was a specialty toy store, which were exactly the kind Draco loved to buy from.

"You're not going to buy anything, are you? You know she gets spoiled quite enough from her grandparents and Potter," Blaise regretted mentioning Harry when Draco's eyes lost their sparkle and his brows drew together. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-" He began, but Draco cut quickly.

"No, it's okay," Draco pasted a fake smile on his face, squelching the ache in his chest at Harry's cold words two days earlier. "You're right, though, she does have quite enough material possessions. I just like looking around... " He trailed off. He remembered during his pregnancy, he'd wanted desperately to go out and look at baby things so he could be prepared for Diana's arrival. Unfortunately, to remain unknown to the public, he was not allowed to do so. Instead, he'd had to make do with all of the old things his mother had saved from his infancy and the things used by Malfoys for centuries. He supposed he was just making up for lost time.

Blaise returned his smile, relieved that he hadn't seriously offended Draco. But after eight years of friendship, he could still read the pain in his eyes. It could wait until they were home, though.

Draco, though he loved to window shop in toy stores, found his thoughts wandering. Blaise's very presence with him was comforting, appealing in the safest sense of the word. The hand in his was warm and large, and seemed to fit almost flawlessly with his own. There had been times in his life when he wondered if he'd ever find such a hand to fit into his own.

The first time he'd seen a gay couple, he was nine years old. In that very alley, he'd watched them walk by and stared in fascination at their joined hands. It was a lesbian couple, a pair of medium sized women in their twenties. The one on the left, the brunette, was freckled and slightly shorter, but seemed to be the dominant partner by the way they walked. Her counterpart, a blonde woman, was slim and almost towering in pumps that peeked out from under her robe.

The smaller woman dragged her partner along with her, holding her hand close to her, just under her ribcage. They both laughed happily, clasping their entwined fingers closer so not to lose each other in the crowd. They ducked into the ice cream parlor, and Draco saw them share a short kiss before he was shuffled away. It was long enough that Draco knew it was more than a friendly peck, but a lover's kiss.

Upon his realization years later, reflecting on the memory, that he was gay, he wondered if he'd ever find the happiness he'd seen in that couple. Their hands had seemed to fit together so perfect, their lips had touched with such ease it was as though some higher power had made those mouths just for that purpose. At the time, he'd wondered if they were still together. Now it seemed silly to think that they were, given how easily young relationships broke and shattered. But it was possible... perhaps they loved each other enough to withstand it.

The hand in his felt right at home, and a happy sigh escaped him.

&--&--&

Draco turned his head when he heard light footsteps on the stairs, and smiled when Blaise came around the doorframe. It was past eleven at night, and Draco had let Blaise put Diana to bed when he volunteered. The other man always jumped at every chance he got to do things with Diana. Perhaps he'd always loved children, and Draco just hadn't noticed.

"Hey," He greeted, putting his place marker in his book and setting it down on the coffee table. "Is she asleep?" He asked quietly. Blaise nodded, plopping down beside him.

"Down for the night, I hope," He stretched slightly, groaning. "I'm surprised how tiring it is to sit around with your parents. I'm about to fall over," He joked, and was rewarded with a chuckle from Draco.

"Sorry about them. They're just protective," Draco said, leaning forward to accommodate the arm Blaise slid around him. He leaned onto his chest, wrapping an arm down under Blaise's waist and resting his other hand on his chest. Blaise's arms fell lazily over him, and their legs ended up in a tangled heap half on, half off the sofa.

Draco closed his eyes, listening to the rhythmic heartbeat below his head. Blaise stroked his hair, and Draco entered an almost dreamlike state. He was warm, and he was being held closely by someone he treasured deeply. What could ruin it? He wasn't sure there was anything.

"I love you," Blaise whispered into his hair, and Draco realized exactly what could ruin it. Draco stilled, and later on he would swear his heart stopped beating. He took a deep breath, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out.

Blaise's hand stilled in his hair, and he moved back a little from Draco. His concerned eyes looked into Draco's terribly confused ones, regret setting in.

"What's wrong?" He asked, and Draco pulled away slowly, sweeping a hand through his hair. "Draco?" He asked again, and Draco took a shaky breath.

"I... " Draco started. He wanted to cry. "I wish I could say it back," He paused, swallowing. "But I can't. I'm sorry," He stopped, unable to go on. The beginnings of tears were coming to his eyes, but he blinked them away. He looked away from Blaise, hating the hurt and dismayed expression he saw and hating that he put it there.

"Is... Is there a reason? Did I do something wrong?" Blaise finally asked, trying to catch Draco's eye and doing so unsuccessfully.

"No," Draco shook his head, restraining tears. "No, you're perfect. I just... " He couldn't say it, it was just so wrong to be saying it so long after it had ended.

"You what?" Blaise knew he should be upset, but he couldn't find it in him to be angry with Draco, not with his best friend, who had already suffered so much. He kept his tone calm and concerned with little effort.

"Please don't make me say it... " He said softly. Suddenly, he turned towards Blaise and took his hands. "Tell me I'm horrible. Yell at me, scream, whatever, just be angry with me," He said, but Blaise only shook his head. "Why aren't you mad? You should hate me!" And the first tear fell, falling slowly down his cheek.

"No, I don't hate you," Blaise moved closer, pulling Draco into a tight embrace. "It's okay. I just want to understand. I just want you to be happy," Blaise said softly, which only made more tears fall. Blaise really was perfect, so much that he was willing to swallow his pride and comfort him. It really was a stupid thing not to love him, when he was so perfectly lovable.

"I'm sorry," He said again, trying not to cry too much.

"It's okay... " Blaise hushed him, rubbing his back and rocking him slightly. "Is it because of Diana?" He asked, but Draco shook his head furiously.

"No! No... You're wonderful with her, she loves it when you come over," He reassured, realizing he was digging himself into a hole.

"Then what?" Blaise asked gently, and Draco took a deep breath.

"Harry. I love him," Draco glanced up just in time to see the stab of pain go over Blaise's face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, really, I wish I didn't... " Blaise hushed him again, determined to comfort him.

Blaise let Draco cry into his chest, ruining his silk shirt in the process. He ignored the painful weight that seemed to be sitting on his chest, and focused on the crying young man in front of him. He didn't find it the least bit selfish of Draco to cry, as he probably would have done the same thing himself. After a while, though, things began to come together in his head.

Several minutes later, he pulled back a little from Draco, taking him by the shoulders and looking at him straight in the eye. He leaned down and kissed him gently, softly and sweetly. There was no urgency, but heaps of emotion thrown in. He pulled back before he normally would.

"Draco," He said softly. "You need him more than you will ever need me. That much is clear. And Diana needs him, more than I could ever be needed. So I think it's best... if I disappear," Draco's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in protest. "No, listen. I want you to be happy, Draco, the both of you, and he can give you that. I can't. I won't pretend that I can. You'll be better off without me," He pushed himself farther away, standing up.

Draco scrambled up after him, tears cascading freely and near sobs escaping him.

"Blaise, wait-- " He called. "Please, don't leave-- please!" But Blaise had already cast the floo powder into the flames, and looked back one last time. He smiled sadly, and was gone.

Draco collapsed onto the sofa again, sobbing openly this time.

&--&--&--&--&

Author's Note: Well! Sorry I took so long to write this, high school is approaching fast and there's a lot to plan, even this early. But anyway, that's the end of Blaise... or is it? I'm not telling, and that's really the whole point, isn't it? Now, looking at this in the right terms, this makes Draco available. But add in my likely twists, and Draco will probably be pregnant by a hobo by noon the next day. But I wouldn't do that(as far as you know). Please note that comments are welcomed, but flames really aren't helpful and it just sucks to get them. A good attitude is appreciated!

RosalynDrusilla