Chapter three

In the dark Draco rolled over, his white blond hair falling in his eyes. It tickled his nose, and he half woke to push it away. As he did, he realized that Harry was wide awake beside him.

"Harry," he whispered, rolling all the way over to face Harry's back. He ran a gentle hand over his partner's shoulder. Harry tensed immediately.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked, caressing Harry's back. Harry mumbled something unintelligible. Draco continued rubbing his back, placing small kisses on his shoulder.

"Not now, Draco. Please." Harry told him, his voice cold. "I'm just not feeling it tonight."

Draco sat up. Harry lay in a small ball, rolled up, away from Draco. Every line in his posture told Draco that Harry was miserable. But Draco was tired of it all. Every gesture he made, everything he tried, nothing seemed to work. Harry was a bundle of sadness and anger.

"You haven't felt it in a long time," Draco spat. "I don't know what I'm doing here anymore. You don't want me around, you've made that plain enough." He stood up and pulled the blanket from the bed wrapping it around himself. "If you remember why we're together in the first place, I'll be down the hall."

"Fine!" Harry snapped back. "Just don't wake up the baby on the way out."

Draco stopped on his way to the bedroom door. "Out," he said. "If that's what you want, you've got it." He made his way back to the bed in the dark and began pulling on his clothes.

Harry rolled over to look at him. "What are you doing?" he asked. Draco could hear Harry's ragged breathing.

"Oh, don't start again, Harry. I don't care. I'm sick of trying to hold everything together. You don't want me here, you don't want me gone. Nothing I do is good enough." Draco was angry. His pride was hurt. It was bad enough that Harry's moods changed like the weather, but to be rejected in his own bed was more than he could bear.

"I don't know why I ever took up with you! I gave up everything I had for you, and now it's 'go away, Draco' or 'I'm sad,' or 'I'm tired'. Well, I'm tired too. Tired of trying to figure out what you want."

"Draco..." Harry began, but the sound of tears in his voice sent Draco over the edge.

"Go ahead, cry! I'm sick of it all, do you hear me! Get yourself together. Look at yourself, you cry at the drop of a hat, you whine that you're tired, you won't do anything! When was the last time you shaved? I'll tell you, it was four days ago, and that's only because you were too rough to cuddle Sevy."

"You don't understand..." Harry tried again, but Draco was too far gone in his rage to hear him.

"And that's another thing, what don't I understand? You're always falling back on that. Shit, Harry, you had a baby. What the hell did it do to you? Lots of people have babies every day, and you don't see them going to pieces like this." Draco was now pacing back and forth.

"It's not easy on me, either. But you don't hear me going on about it. Nothing I do is right. I just keep on trying. But that doesn't seem to be good enough for you! No, you have to go on about how hard it is!"

Harry was getting angry at Draco's attack. He sat up and faced his lover. "Oh, it's easy, is it? Why do I have to be the one to stay home? Why don't you do it? You get to go out every day, you get to talk to adults, you have a life. I have nothing! Nothing!" he screamed. "You took my life when you got me pregnant! This is your fault, Draco Malfoy." His screams woke the baby, and he pulled himself out of the bed, wrapping his robe around him. He went down the hall to the nursery, Draco following him. He went to the crib and picked Severus up. Then he turned and faced Draco, who's face was livid with anger.

"My life got put on hold, not yours! And if you can't deal with it, then get the hell out. There are times I hate you, Malfoy, and this is one of them! Go on, get out! We don't need you!" Harry swept past Draco, his son in his arms.

Draco stood, stunned. What had just happened? Harry had turned on him? He slowly sat down on the rocking chair by the crib and put his hands on his knees. He took deep breaths and tried to figure out what to do next. Should he go? That would teach Harry a lesson. Should he try to make it up to him? Unconsciously he began to bang his fist into his palm. What the hell had happened to his life?

In the kitchen Harry was banging doors while getting Severus a bottle. How dare that jumped up pureblood make this out to be his fault! Draco was the one who started all the fights! And made Harry's life miserable in between. He just didn't get it. Harry had explained till he was exhausted, but it didn't matter. Draco kept piling demands on him. And if Draco thought sex would fix everything, well, he'd just find out that he wouldn't be getting any this side of Christmas.

Harry's thoughts were in turmoil as he settled down with Severus. That remark about him always crying had really hurt. If Draco only knew how many nights he'd lain there, chest heaving, trying not to cry, afraid to wake him!

He heard Draco coming out of the bedroom and downstairs. He shifted position, to hold Sevy more comfortably when the baby began to choke. He swiftly sat the baby up, holding his tiny arms over his head. Draco rushed into the room, furious, and snatched the child away from him.

"Shit, Harry, what are you doing?" he yelled. He put his son over his shoulder and began to pat his back. Harry jumped up out of his chair.

"Give him back to me, Draco!" he hissed.

"He was choking, and you were just sitting there!" Draco spat back.

"Don't you tell me how to look after my own child!" Harry said, his voice low and furious. "I'm the one who's with him all the time."

"I know." Draco said, "I hear it all the time. Go to bed, Harry. I'll look after the baby. Go on. You're always so tired, you should enjoy the rest." Harry heard the sneer in Draco's voice, the same sneer from their first year at Hogwarts. He looked at his partner and turned and ran into the bedroom.

Draco held his son close. "That's it, little man," he told him gently. "In the morning, I'm sending for your godfather."