Disclaimer: I do not own HP.
Note: Sorry it took so long. Its really emotional and cute though.
Chapter 4 – Night at the Leaky Cauldron
The pair made their way to the Leaky Cauldron and just as they were getting closer, Harry stopped. Draco gave him a concerned looked as he was handed Alyssa's carrier. "Harry," Draco started, but Harry raised a hand to quiet him and pulled his invisibility cloak out and slipped underneath of it. "Just get a room so we can talk, neither of us need any rumors to appear in the paper tomorrow." Draco nodded picking Alyssa's carrier up and opening the door to the pub, pausing for a second to allow Harry the chance to slip by. Draco walked up to the counter and asked for a large private room for him and Alyssa, then placed the child back into the carrier while he waited for the key to the room.
This way, "Mister Malfoy, follow me. You'll be staying in our best room, room 20. I hope it is to your liking." Draco followed behind the man that was leading him; he could feel Harry's presence just behind him. The group stopped at the door and the man opened room 20 for Draco before handing him the key. "Is there anything else I can do for you Mister Malfoy?" Draco was about to dismiss the man when he remembered Harry was there and spoke up, "no one is to enter this room and no one is to disturb me and my daughter. We have had along day, and I will make sure you pay dearly if we are disturbed." The manned paled slightly; no one ever took a threat from a Malfoy lightly. The man quickly turned and left, mumbling something about not renting out the room on either side of room 20.
Draco walked into the room in no particular hurry, making his way over to the bed, before sitting down, putting the carrier on the floor and lifting Alyssa once again into his arms. He watched as the door seemingly closed itself and Potter pulled his cloak of making himself visible once again. Harry crossed the rather spacious room to the king size bed in the center of the room. He took a seat next to Malfoy, who was now busy changing Alyssa's wet diaper and blatantly ignoring Harry. Even after Draco finished the pair sat in silence, for a while the only sound to be heard was soft breaths and the occasional popping of a spit bubble produced by Alyssa. After about 15 minutes however Draco had just about enough. Without even looking at Harry he stated, "Harry James Potter, you wanted to come here to talk and you have a lot more explaining to do than I do, like for instance why you left me in the first place. So I'd suggest you start talking, but I did not come here to waste anymore of my precious time on you."
Harry had turned to Draco the minute he began to utter words, however Draco was not even looking at him and that was the only thing that stopped him from lashing out the bitter words thrown at him, while he spoke. 'Why was he not even looking at him?' Anger and hurt took over his mouth and before Harry knew it he was speaking, "Isn't it obvious Malfoy, I'm not stupid, I knew it would never work."
This caused Draco, despite not wanting to look at Harry, to turn to him. "What do you mean obvious, like hell its obvious. And what all this nonsense about not working? What are you getting at Potter?" Draco voice was dripping with venom, even still his shock leaked through and he fought to keep his voice at an appropriate level, for Alyssa's sake.
Now it was Harry's turned to be confused, "What do you means it's not obvious? I knew you didn't love me, how could you truly love me, we were enemies for 7 years! I could see it in you eyes, at some point in time you would leave me and I be so utterly alone! I could let that happen Malfoy, I wasn't going to let you Draco Malfoy make a fool out of me!"
Draco gently, but quickly put Alyssa down, who was now whimpering due to Harry's shouting. Draco was fighting hard to control his temper, but his temper was winning and as he began to speak his voice quickly rose to shouting level. "Harry, how dare you? Do you really think so little of me? I've given up a lot to be with you, I thought my mother would never speak to me again and my father he nearly disinherited me. I could have lost everything, just to be with you Harry. The man I loved, the man whom I thought knew I loved him, and the man I thought loved me back. The past is the past Harry. You need to grow up and except it. The world does not revolve around you, just because you wish it so, doesn't mean it will be. If you really think so little of me Potter, then I don't need to be here." With that Draco quickly span around and gathered the crying Alyssa in his arms and headed for the door not even worried about the carrier.
Harry reached out a hand and grabbed Draco stopping him from leaving. "Get your hands off of me Potter," he snarled. Harry continued to keep a firm hold on Draco's arm and Draco wasn't making any effort to get away. Harry's mind was reeling; he was franticly thinking of how to keep Draco there. He knew that if he let go, Draco would walk out and probably never look back. Harry's heart took over for his mind and he started to speak more calmly. "Dragon, please, please, do not leave me. I'm sorry; I didn't mean what I said." Harry had let go of Draco but Harry's use of Draco's pet name kept him firmly rooted in the spot in which he was standing. "Dragon, please look at me. I need you to look at me. Dragon, please turn around." Harry's voice was quivering and tears flowed freely down his face, he was looking at Draco, whom still did not turn around.
Harry felt his heart sinking as Draco stood with his back to him, refusing to look at him. Harry had enough, "You want the truth Dragon? Well here it is." Draco turned to face Draco cradling Alyssa in his arms. Finally, thought Harry as Draco turned to face him. "Dragon, I love you more that I could ever say and quite frankly it terrifies me. This isn't the same as when I had a crush on Cho, it was so much more. I was so confused, I loved being with you, but since it was so different from what I felt for her, I thought maybe its just lust, maybe I don't love him. My mind refused to accept what my heart knew was right. That is that I love you. I was terrified that if I might be just lusting after you, maybe you were just lusting after me. I was afraid that you didn't love me, afraid that you'd walk out on me. Afraid, afraid that our whole relationship was a joke." Harry blurted out everything to Draco and Draco took it in silence, but inside he felt like just dying.
"But I was wrong Dragon, I love you with all my heart and soul. More than a year has passed and I still think about you everyday, and it hurts so much to know we aren't together. I stopped seeing you, you turned away my letters, and then you disappeared. I worried about what would or had happened to you. Then I see you again, sitting in the café, with a what looked like a wife, a son and a daughter." Harry stopped for a minute trying to regain is composure and wiping the tears from him face, although they still fell freely. "The only thought that came to mind when I saw that little girls silvery gray eyes was I've lost him and so I got up and stormed out. Then you went and followed me and I just wanted to get away, I couldn't bare coming face to face with you after the café. Now we are here. After you said you're not married, I was ecstatic. Ecstatic that I still had a chance, but now you're threatening to leave me again." Harry took a few steps toward Draco who just stood still, "Dragon please don't leave, please lets talk." Harry dropped his voice to barely a whisper, " I need you Dragon. I love you more than life itself."
Draco had tears falling down him face now, "why didn't you just ask, we could have avoided this mess." Draco voice was barely above a whisper and it cracked as he spoke. Harry place his hand gently on Draco's shoulder, "I was afraid, to afraid that the truth would be an ugly one, but I can see I was wrong and I am truly sorry." Draco looked into Harry's eyes, they shone with love more so than a year ago and it melted his heart, but Draco looked away. "What do you want me to do Harry, do you want me to take you back now? How can I do that now Harry, what about Alyssa? I have her to think about now. How can I even be sure you trust me Harry, how do I know your doubts are gone. How …" Draco didn't get to finish the last question as Harry gently but swiftly pulled him into a kiss.
Their lips met, landing softly against one another's, a small spark jumping between them. Harry poured everything into the kiss baring his soul to Draco, deepening the kiss, lips crushing against Draco's with urgency, expressing the desire, the need, and the love he felt for Draco. Draco melted into the kiss, returning the emotion Harry poured into the kiss with his own. Draco parted him lips slightly as Harry's tongue begged for entrance. Harry ran his fingers gently through Draco's hair, slipping is tongue into Draco's mouth, tasting him. Their tongues met and gently glided about on another, dancing, Harry leading Draco.
A small hand reached up and twined little fingers into Harry's, now long locks, which as always looked wind swept. The little finger played with the strands for a minutes as the two me on either side on the baby kissed. Then unintentionally, the small hand pulls hard on the long dark locks, and the kiss is broken. "Ow," mumbled Harry and Draco quickly snapped back to reality and went about detangling Alyssa's fingers from Harry hair. Harry smiled at Alyssa, then his gaze drifts back to Draco, his hand reaching up to caress his Dragon's cheek. Draco touched his forehead to Harry's, "I accept you back my Phoenix, but I won't be so accepting a second time." Harry smiled and gave his love a quick kiss, "trust me there won't be a next time, your stuck with me." Draco smiled, "good I wouldn't have it any other way."
Harry stepped back from Draco and looked at Alyssa, "Dragon, I think this would be the perfect time for you explanation." Draco looked at Alyssa as well, "I suppose your right, now would be the best time I suppose." Draco took Harry's hand and walked over to the bed, "Sit down Phoenix, it's a long story." Harry took a seat next to Draco and Draco jumped into his story. He told Harry of his hurt, going to America, the Allenbay hotel, little Emmy, the orphanage, how he got Alyssa, coming home and the time he spent at home so far. Harry listened intently to the story, smiling widely at Draco's interaction with Emmy and Alyssa. "Wow, that quite a tale. I'm happy your mom excepted Alyssa, but why are you so sure she is muggle born?"
Draco smiled, " a wizard would never leave their child in the care of muggle who them did not know, nor would they leave the child with a someone who did not know the child had magic." Harry frowned. "Well, that's the case usually and when I do magic it usually startles her." Harry nodded in understanding, "Well any case, at least her grandmothers seem to adore her." Now it was Draco's turn to frown. "Not, if she knew that truth," he said wearily. Harry cocked an eyebrow, "what do you mean by the truth, what truth?" Draco blushed slight and turned away from Harry, "the truth about her name." Harry was thoroughly confused now and gave Draco a concerned look. "Dragon, look at me." Draco slowly turned to Harry, his slight blush apparent. "Dragon?" Draco's blush deepened. "What is her name," asked Harry slowly. Draco couldn't hold Harry's gaze and looked down, " I told my mother it was Alyssa Fiona Malfoy," Draco started. Harry waited for him to continue and when he did he questioned him again, "but?" Draco turned increasingly redder. "But, her actual, given, legal name is Alyssa Fiona Potter-Malfoy." Harry's jaw dropped and Draco continued to stare at the floor, but also waited for Harry to say something.
"Potter-Malfoy?" Harry couldn't hide the shock from his voice. "Yes, I just … I just … I missed you, I wanted to be with you and her name was one way to have a piece of you always." Harry felt his heart melt at the words his love spoke. He gazed at the girl and found himself asking, "Can I hold her?" Draco sent him a bright smiled and handed him Alyssa. Harry gently took the girl and held her close to him. He looked down into her silvery gray eyes and felt himself falling in love with the little baby. He looked back to Draco, "She is beautiful. How old is she?" Draco smiled, "Three months old." Alyssa reached up and touched Harry's nose. "I think she likes you Phoenix." Harry gave the child a kiss on the forehead, before handing her back to Draco, "good because she is stuck with me too." The two stare into each other eyes for a minute, wordlessly telling each they loved the other. Finally their gaze was broken as they were drawn back to reality by light snoring. The two looked to Alyssa to see her sleeping in Draco's arms.
Harry gave a small chuckle, as Draco yawned, "I think she has the right idea Dragon. We should go to bed, it's been a very long day and an even longer evening." Draco nodded, placing Alyssa in the center of the bed and before quickly getting ready for bed and climbing in beside Alyssa. Harry quickly got ready as well and climbed in on the other side of Alyssa, turning toward Draco and Alyssa and gazing at the two sleeping forms. This is definitely right he thought. He draped an arm over Draco and Alyssa before drifting off to sleep himself.
Harry was awoken a couple hours later to a whimpering in his ear. He cracked a eye open to see Alyssa whimpering and tears running down her face, he was going to wake Draco, but his love looked like he needed the sleep, so he scooped the little one up into his arms and reached for his wand on the nightstand. Harry cast Muffliato around him and Alyssa and searched for her bag, whilst her cry's got louder. He finally found it after a minute and quickly pulled a bottle out. Harry transfigured a footstool into a rocking chair and sat with Alyssa, calming her before giving her the bottle. Alyssa sucked at it gratefully and snuggle into Harry arms, as he rocked gently in the rocking chair. Twenty minutes later Harry continued to rock in the chair with Alyssa, she was finished eating and now slept peacefully in Harry's arms. If this is what life will be like from now on, I wouldn't trade for anything in the world, thought Harry as he got up and went back over to the bed. Harry sat down on the bed and lay down with Alyssa asleep on his chest, his hand lying gently on her back and her snoring ever so slightly. He was about to put her back on the bed, but Draco rolled over, latching onto his arm and snuggling up to him and that was all it took, he was asleep almost instantly.
Draco woke an hour later worried about feeding Alyssa. He felt Harry warmth next to him and saw Alyssa asleep on his chest. His eyes roamed the room and he noticed the rocking chair with the bottle on the seat. He smiled knowing Harry had let him sleep and fed Alyssa when she woke. He snuggled back up to his love and drifted back to sleep.
NextChapter: CH 5 – Making it Official