A/N: Well, it's that time of year again where I pack up my boring desk job and head to Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival.
This year I'll be there for almost four weeks but fear not, loyal reader, I've finished writing this story. I still need to do some editing but I'll keep posting while I'm away. If there are any EDF readers who are going to be there this year give me a shout! We can go for coffee at the Elephant House.

Chapter 28- The Malfoys

He knew that Draco didn't really want him there. Well, that was a lie. Draco had expressly forbidden him from being there. But there were times when Harry willingly ignored everything Draco said because he was talking crap. This, he told himself, was one of those times.

In all his time hearing about the wizard prison, Harry had never had the chance, or any desire to go there. This was the place where Sirius had been wrongly imprisoned for twelve years, where Hagrid had been sent… where Draco's mother had spent the past year.

The tall column of stone came into view through swirling fog and mist as he took one of the two man boats out to the island. The gatekeeper on the mainland hadn't asked any questions, just raised one very hairy eyebrow and hobbled towards the suspiciously rickety boat.

Harry nodded his head in thanks to the man and slipped his invisibility cloak around his shoulders. There was no one to take him any further. The Dementors were long gone; banished, moved far away, although their presence lingered, thick and heavy in the air. Human staff was kept at a minimum. No one wanted to work here. The shifts were short. Charms, spells and walls kept inmates enclosed these days.

It didn't take long for him to spot a blond head bobbing through the mist in the near distance. He followed, his footsteps muffled by the thick dirt that covered the ground. At the gate Draco was met by a Ministry witch in dark blue robes who thrust a clipboard at Draco, demanding his signature before disappearing back inside the fortress. Moments later, Harry got his first glimpse of Narcissa Malfoy in over a year.

To her credit, Mrs Malfoy looked surprisingly well, although barely recognisable from her former self. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a neat ponytail and she wore soft, loose trousers and a long sleeved blouse. No robes. She silently nodded to the Ministry witch as she passed through the cast iron gate and took both of Draco's outstretched hands in hers. In a scene stunning in its lack of emotion, Draco kissed his mother lightly on each cheek, then pulled her into a brief embrace.

"Shall we go?" Draco asked and Narcissa nodded.

"Home," she said softly.

Draco took her arm and at her nod, Disapparated away. Harry waited a few moments before heading back down to the dock, and the boat.

"Dunno what's worse," the boat's captain said as the headed back to the mainland. "They used to make all sorts of noises when those Dementors were here. Not any more though."

"No?" Harry enquired, to be polite.

"No. Now it's mostly silent. Spooky, if you ask me. At least before… you knew that they were alive."

xXx

Once back on the mainland Harry took the jump down to Devon to collect Bear in two shorter Apparitions. He was slightly shaken from what he'd watched; it seemed inherently wrong to him somehow, that calm, detached absence of emotion.

Any lingering doubts about where he had developed the connection between family and affection were cleared up when he arrived in Molly's kitchen and was enveloped in a warm hug.

"I still can't believe you went to that horrible place," she murmured into his shoulder. "Here. I made hot chocolate the proper way."

The 'proper way' involved melting chocolate in a pan then whisking in warm milk to create one of the richest, sweetest things Harry had ever tasted. The drink was accompanied by a plate of chocolate digestives, which he happily munched on while Molly fussed.

"Where's Bear?" he asked.

"In with Charlie," Molly said. "He's home for a few days." She sat down in the seat next to him and turned with a rare, gossipy expression of glee. "He broke up with his girlfriend," she whispered.

"Oh," Harry said. "Is that a good thing?"

"I didn't like her," Molly admitted guiltily.

"Oh," Harry said again. "I suppose I'm going to have to meet Mrs Malfoy. Well, you know what I mean, I've already met her, but not as Draco's boyfriend."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a shuffle and a thump coming from the direction of the living room, then the unmistakable sound of little hands and feet crawling at speed. And a muttered curse from Charlie. Bear hurtled around the corner and looked up at Harry, his little face painted with joy at the sight of his daddy. He squealed in excitement and Harry scooped him up, laughing.

"I missed you too," he said. Bear planted his feet on Harry's thighs as Harry held him tight and chattered away as his hair turned from yellow to blue and back again. Impulsively, Harry kissed him on the head and held him tight. It was a wonder that Draco was so loving, so warm towards the baby considering the cool detachment of his own family.

Charlie walked through with Titan in his arms.

"Heh," Harry laughed. "Since when did you get stuck with babysitting duties?"

"Since all my siblings seem to be taking in waifs and strays and abandoned children," he groused. "I'm too old for this. Or too young. Take your pick."

"You should settle down," Harry said, deliberately baiting Molly. "Get married. Have a couple of your own."

"Oh Charlie," Molly sighed. "That would be lovely."

"No chance, mother," he said, bouncing Titan to his other hip. "And while I have the chance to change the subject, I have been informed by this young man that he would like some juice."

"Are they making friends?" Harry asked as Molly prepared two sippy- cups.

"Yeah, I think so," Charlie said. "Titan's a watcher. You can just tell he's taking everything in."

George appeared in the Floo shortly after and Titan immediately made a bee-line for his new surrogate Dad. It was fascinating, watching the interaction between the two after such a short time together. George had a way of holding the child that was at once protective but giving him room to breathe.

With his own son in his arms, Harry took the chance to head home.

The house was silent. Draco hadn't made it back yet, then.

Still, things needed to be done; Harry headed down to the kitchen to start dinner. Bear was content to sit in his high chair to watch, and drum at the wooden top with several toys. Harry hummed along to the radio as he cooked – lasagne, simple but nice – and waited for Draco to come home.

He was reading the paper and keeping half an eye on Bear when the kitchen Floo signalled Draco's arrival.

"Was starting to worry about you," Harry said without looking up.

At the lack of response, Harry jerked his head up. Draco was standing just inside the grate, wearing dark, well tailored robes. Without him saying a word, Harry understood.

"Oh," he said softly.

"I'm sorry," Draco immediately apologised. "I didn't realise... she was just expecting me to be back at home, and I can't leave her there by herself… it's worse than I thought and she needs me, Harry. She's my mum…"

"It's okay," Harry said, quickly moving over to take Draco's clenched fists in his hands and loosen his fingers. "I understand."

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered again.

"Shh." Harry caught Draco's face between his palms and leaned in to brush slow, sweet kisses over his lips. "Can you stay for dinner?"

Draco shook his head. "She's summoned the elves back. Dinner will be ready in a minute. I don't have long, she doesn't know I'm here. I will tell her though," he added quickly. "Tonight."

"It's okay," Harry promised. "Go. Do what you need to do. I'll still be here when you get back."

"I don't know when I'll be back."

"It doesn't matter. I'll still be here."

Draco shook his head. "I don't deserve you."

Kissing him again, more heat this time, more love, more promises, Harry made his point. "I love you."

Their foreheads made a soft thud as they came to rest together.

"I love you, too," Draco murmured. "I'll come over tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I can't say goodbye to Bear. I'll see him tomorrow anyway."

Harry nodded, understanding. He couldn't say goodbye either. Draco's hands had balled into fists again as he turned and left.

Suddenly, Harry didn't feel much like eating at all.

xXx

It was strange, putting Bear to bed by himself but he resisted bringing the baby into his bedroom, fearing a dependence on such a small person for comfort. Still, there was undoubtedly reassurance in routine; Bear knew the bottle, bath, bed system and it worked to calm them both.

Harry sat in the rocking chair in the nursery, the lights dim as the early spring sunset filled the room with a warm orange glow. Bear was snoozing in his arms, ready to be put into his crib but Harry wasn't quite ready to let go yet. His wand was across the room, on the changing table, but the door to the bedroom was open.

"Accio music box," he murmured, strangely pleased when the small wooden box flew obediently through both open doors from his bedside table and landed in his hand with a satisfying smack.

He lifted Bear's hand and ran it over the seam in the wood.

Instead of Tonks singing something wholly inappropriate, Draco's soft, husky singing voice rang out.

Harry nearly dropped the box in shock. Bear slept on.

"Well, Mr Malfoy, it seems you were wrong," Harry muttered as he set the box down on the dresser next to the crib. He lifted Bear and set him down on the cool sheets, covering the baby with his blanket and moving the stuffed hippogriff (a gift, from Ron) to easy cuddling distance.

The conspectus charm hovered, a reassuring presence as Harry pulled the door nearly shut and took himself off for a shower.

xXx

As promised, Draco returned the next morning, although after the fiasco of breakfast. White blond hair and dark gray eyes was Bear's nonverbal, but all too clear way of showing which parent he wanted, and it was not Harry.

"How is she?" Harry asked as they settled in the living room with mugs of tea and biscuits.

"She's… I don't know," Draco admitted. "She's not the same person she was a year ago. But neither am I."

"Did you tell her about me?"

Harry swung his legs over onto Draco's lap.

"I did. She wants to meet you."

Groaning, Harry dropped his head back until he was lying flat on the sofa, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah. Alright. Now?"

"You have been invited to dinner at Malfoy Manor this evening. Seven. Wear robes."

Harry propped himself up on his elbows and pouted. "I don't want to."

"I've already called Angelina," Draco continued, ignoring Harry's strop. "She's happy to watch Bear for a couple of hours on the condition that we take Titan on the weekend."

"Draco-"

"The elves are ecstatic to be back. They had already started cooking when I left this morning and,"

"Draco-"

"Sage said he'd make a raspberry tart since he knows it's my favourite and mmmph!"

Harry had cut off Draco's rambling with a firm kiss. "Draco," he said as he pulled away. "Help."

"What's wrong?"

"You have less than eight hours to teach me all I need to know about pure-blood etiquette and formal dinners and meeting one's potential in-laws."

"Oh god."

"Is it that impossible?"

"No. You just referred to my mother as a potential in-law."

Harry fell back on the sofa, laughing breathlessly. "What about your potions?"

"All my work has been handed in," Draco said, reaching over Harry's slumped form to take his mug from the coffee table. "Whatever's left down there can wait now."

"Do I need to do anything?"

Draco grunted as he sipped the hot tea. "Please don't."

"Oh!" Harry exclaimed, hitting Draco on the arm to get his attention. "I found out something last night. The music box."

"Oh?"

"It doesn't just play your mother's voice."

"No?"

"Last night, Bear opened it, and it played yours. I didn't know you sang Hushabye Mountain to him."

"What? That's impossible. It's only ever played a female voice."

"To your knowledge it has," Harry argued. "Or maybe the box thinks you're his mum."

"Shut up."

Harry snickered. "You never know."

Draco sulked for a few minutes, then helped himself to another biscuit. "Do you think Hermione wants a baby?"

Harry snorted with laughter. "No."

"Really? She loves Bear."

"Everyone loves Bear."

"That's true."

They rolled over on the sofa, tea abandoned, snuggling in a new position. Draco wrapped his arms tightly around Harry's waist and put his chin on Harry's shoulder.

"Mrs Weasley told me to call her 'Molly'. The other night. At the dinner."

Harry smiled. "You're really part of the family now."

"I thought she would hate me."

Harry leaned back and kissed his boyfriend quickly. "She's a very loving woman. She loves you in the same way she loves Hermione and Fleur and Angelina. As far as Molly's concerned, I'm one of her kids, and you're mine. So you're hers too."

"I'm not saying that I understand that logic, but I like it nonetheless."

Their kisses started slowly and soon morphed into something more intense. Harry rolled on to his back and tugged Draco on top of him. With their hands linked, fingers twined, Draco stretched his arms up above his head, pinning Harry to the sofa with his forearms.

"I missed you," Draco murmured, peppering kisses down Harry's neck.

Harry laughed breathlessly and arched into the sensation. "I haven't been anywhere."

"You've not been inside me for days," Draco groaned. "I can't handle it. I need you too much."

"I... oh... I sucked you in the shower," Harry said in a low, rough voice that he barely recognised as his own.

"I still need you," Draco said. He licked back up the other side of Harry's neck. "I always need you."

"Need me?"

"Just you, Harry," Draco murmured, nudging Harry's nose with his own to get him to open his eyes and leaning back to the point where he knew Harry's awful eyesight could focus on his face. "I only want you."

"I only want you too, you daft bugger," Harry said. He pulled one of his hands out of Draco's grasp and curled it around the back of Draco's neck, pulling him down into another kiss.

"Do we have time..." Draco said, looking up to the clock on the wall.

Bear had reluctantly gone down for a nap (he had been awake since five in the morning and grouchy with it) but could possibly wake up at any time.

"I can be quick," Harry said with a wink.

Draco laughed, then groaned. "God. Me too. Bedroom?"

There was a moment when Harry was going to say no, to stay here, but the bed would undoubtedly be more comfortable and plus, their lube was upstairs. He grabbed Draco's wrist and Disapparated them both, landing in almost the same position on the bed.

They pulled at each other's clothes, stealing kisses on bare skin until they were both naked and laughing and casting spells at the door to keep the noise contained therein. It was strange, taking clothes off again after so short a time since they put them on. Skin was still soft from the shower, not worn in with a day's worth of activity yet.

Harry let himself taste his favourite parts of Draco's body: his neck, his collarbone... sweet pink nipples and the spot just above his bellybutton... the sweeter head of his cock as it filled to fullness. Draco laughed, gasped, and flipped him over, following the same path of kisses down Harry's body. He sucked the end of Harry's cock, just the head, flicking his tongue out to taste and making Harry groan before sitting up and straddling Harry's waist.

"Don't worry," Draco said, looking down and smiling.

"I'm not worried," Harry said defiantly.

Draco licked his lips slowly and smiled, looking like he was trying to contain his laughter. "No. I'm not going to fuck you. I'm going to ride you."

Wandlessly summoning the tin of lube, Draco kept eye contact as he reached behind and prepped himself, only letting his eyes flutter closed for a moment before smearing the thick liquid down Harry's shaft, then shifting his weight forward.

"Okay?" he asked.

Harry nodded, his eyes slightly unfocussed behind his glasses. Draco smiled again and reached back for Harry's cock, holding it steady as he pressed it against himself and sat back onto Harry's length. They groaned together at the contact, at the steady feeling of taking and being taken, neither quite sure who fell into which category when they were positioned like this.

Even when Harry was all the way inside him, Draco left his fingertips at the place where they were joined, equally as aroused and curious about the way it felt on the outside. He rocked his hips experimentally and rubbed his fingers over his stretched asshole... down to Harry's balls and back again.

"Move, for fuck's sake," Harry said in a tight voice.

"Sorry," Draco said. "It feels nice."

"It feels fucking incredible," Harry said. "That's the problem."

Draco huffed a laugh and rebalanced his weight on his legs, then leaned forward slightly, bracing his fingertips on Harry's chest. It was enough to give him the strength and angle to raise himself up, then drop back down again, the feeling of Harry pushing up into him enough to elicit a low, deep moan.

This was one of the few times that Harry actually looked graceful... when they were fucking, it was something that they both knew so there were rarely moments of jarring discordance between them. Draco rolled his hips sensuously as he rose up and down, the movement enough to make his cock slap wetly between his own belly and Harry's.

Harry reached for Draco's cock but Draco shook his head. "No."

"Why not?" Harry asked. Then he arched his back into the next thrust, biting down on his lip hard.

"Because I want to come from just this. From just your cock in my ass."

"Shit, Draco," Harry laughed breathlessly. "I know I said I was going to be quick, but..."

"Don't worry. Me too."

Harry grabbed at Draco's hips, giving them both new leverage as they thrust together. Harry's thumbs stroked over Draco's hipbones as they moved, the caress tickling and arousing over the fine skin and adding another layer to Draco's breathless arousal.

"Hurry up," Draco whimpered and Harry increased his pace, viciously snapping his hips up now and Draco raked his fingernails over Harry's nipples.

Harry ground his teeth together but it was no use and he was coming, the white heat curling in his belly then snapping as he shot hard up inside Draco's ass, pulsing against the other man's prostate. Draco was coming too, hands free, like he'd promised, the thick ribbons of come painting Harry's chest.

When he collapsed forward he knocked the breath from Harry's lungs and snuggled into his neck, panting heavily and kissing salty, sweaty skin. Harry reached down and gently touched the place where they were still joined, echoing Draco's earlier exploration before he pulled out.

"Sore?" Harry murmured.

"Mm," Draco agreed. "Don't fix it though. I like it."

"I don't want you to wince when you sit down to dinner with your mother," Harry said.

Draco laughed, then groaned. "Oh god. There's an image for you."

"Come on," Harry said, slapping Draco's ass. "Get up."

"I can't. I'm dead."

"You're not dead. You're well fucked."

Draco smiled against Harry's neck. "Yeah. I am."

xXx

"Are you ready?" Draco called.

"Almost," Harry replied.

Draco appeared in the doorway to their bedroom, and rolled his eyes.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"She's a rather scary woman," Harry said, pulling at his collar.

Draco swatted his hand away. "Of course she is. She practically built a career on being a professional non- Death Eater. But she doesn't hate you. She just hates everything you represent."

"Oh thanks. That makes me feel so much better."

"I was joking."

"I'm not sure that you were."

They walked down to the living room, waiting for the clock to tick over to seven precisely (to be early was embarrassing, to be late, inconceivable). Draco took Harry's hands in his own and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"She probably will try and intimidate you, but if you stand up for yourself she'll respect you a lot more."

"Okay."

"Cutlery goes from the outside in."

"I know that."

"Then you'll be just fine," Draco said soothingly. He ran his hands briskly up and down Harry's forearms a few times, then the clock in the hall chimed. "Let's do this."

They arrived in the entrance hall to the Manor, a soft pop signalling their appearance. The house elf that greeted them, true to Draco's earlier pronouncement, looked thrilled to be there to the point that he was practically humming with excitement.

"If Master Draco and Mister Potter would kindly follow Sage, he will be showing you the way," the small house elf said, bowing low.

To Harry's surprise, rather than shying away from any sign of affection, Draco slipped his hand into Harry's as they followed Sage through the winding hallways, filled with large paintings of Malfoy ancestors, all of whom seemed to take his presence as something of great interest. On more than occasion he saw the occupant of one portrait slip sideways into the one next to it and lean in to murmur in that occupants ear.

The house was large but set out in a way similar to many other manor houses with two distinct wings, an entrance hall that joined them and a grand staircase that bisected them. The kitchens were to the rear, entertaining rooms to the front and long, narrow corridors to impose guests.

They were shown into a long dining room with beautiful architectural detail at one end, underneath which the tall, head of the table chair was placed. That seat was set, and the one to its right and left and the eighteen or so other places were bare.

Draco squeezed Harry's hand in reassurance as they walked down the room. Nervous, Harry waited to take his cues from Draco (who was taking the seat at the head of the table), then Narcissa walked in.

It was almost impossible to tell that Draco's mother had just spent a year in Azkaban. Even in the few days that had passed since Harry had secretly watched Draco meet her at the prison's gates, Narcissa seemed to have regained some of the colour in her cheeks and the greyness had gone from her skin.

She was wearing dark blue robes; a variation on the black she had worn during the war, but still formal, and her hair was swept up and away from her face. She wore no makeup, but was the sort of woman who didn't need to.

Draco leaned in and kissed his mother lightly on the cheek then, following Draco's earlier instruction, Harry took her hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles. Both gentlemen were to wait for the lady to sit first, which they did, and a different house elf promptly appeared to serve soup.

Conversation through the first course was limited to painfully polite enquires as to each other's health and to the wellbeing of the baby. Narcissa seemed bemused at Draco's explanation of the origins of Bear's nickname and seemed on the verge of revealing her own motherly term for her son in his childhood before Draco's imposing glare stopped her from doing so.

"I understand you have a large Quidditch tournament approaching, Mr Potter."

"Yes. Draco and I organised it."

"So I hear." Narcissa was silent for a few moments while Harry waited for her to elaborate. "They do permit us newspapers in Azkaban, Mr Potter."

"Oh, do they?" Harry said weakly, trying, and failing, to keep the groan from his voice.

"They do," she repeated. In studying the blonde woman's expression Harry was sure, for a brief moment, that a smile tugged at the edge of her mouth, but she dipped her head to return her attention to her broccoli, and the moment passed.

"Harry has been accepted to play for a professional Quidditch team this coming autumn," Draco offered.

"How nice for him."

"Mother," Draco warned.

She simply looked at him. "I've never taken an interest in professional sports before, Draco, what makes you think that I will now?"

"Because Harry is my partner," Draco said hotly.

"Oh darling, do calm down," Narcissa sighed. "It is not a slight to your… relationship. Just a simple statement of fact that regrettably, Quidditch does not interest me."

"May I ask you something, Mrs Malfoy?" Harry asked before things between Draco and his mother could get any worse

"I daresay you can. And will."

"Did you know that Draco is gay?"

Draco groaned and covered his face with his hands. Narcissa shot him a stern look, then turned back to Harry, her sharp, disapproving frown melting into amusement. Harry was shocked, for a moment, at how well she could turn her emotions on and off. Then he realised that Voldemort had been living here, right here in this very house for however long at the end of the war, and this woman had probably had to learn very quickly how to control her emotions.

"Yes, Mr Potter. I probably knew before he did."

"So..." he wasn't sure how to phrase his question without sound accusatory, or blunt as all hell, so decided to just come out with it. "Is the problem that he's with me, or with a man at all?"

"Mr Potter-"

"Harry, please."

"Harry. The cat is well and truly out of the bag, as they say, so my opinion counts for very little."

"I disagree. You're Draco's mother. Your opinion is important to us both."

"I want..." Narcissa faltered, as if these words rarely passed her lips. "I want my son to be happy. More than anything else. But we are all under a great deal of pressure to conform to what is expected of us. Now more than ever."

"I mean no disrespect, but again, Mrs Malfoy, I disagree," Harry said softly. "The Wizarding world is changing, rapidly, and we're all struggling to find our place in it. Things are happening that would have been unthinkable only a year or two ago.

"Mrs Malfoy, I fall asleep every night with Draco in my arms, and I wake up every morning being held in his. He's my boyfriend, yes, there's no point in trying to deny it. But our relationship is more than that. We're both Bear's parents. Neither of us could do this on our own...

"I'm sorry I'm not what I wanted for your son," Harry said. "But I love him. Very much. And I hope that eventually, that can be good enough for you."

Her gaze fixed him to the spot as she stared him down, but Harry refused to give in. In the silence that followed Harry's monologue the elves appeared again and changed the courses; the plates refilled with a delicious looking toffee sponge pudding and Harry ducked his head, embarrassed, and turned his attention to his food.

For a few moments the only sounds echoing in the dining room were those of cutlery on crockery, and the occasional anxious lifting of water goblets.

"Have you thought this through, Draco?" Narcissa implored of her son when she finally broke the tension. "Really though about it? Because you're not going to be able to get married now. You cannot have children together. Any of your offspring will be born of a union out of wedlock. These things might not matter to you, but…" she shook her head. "All is not yet lost, darling. There is still time, we may still find you a nice young woman, one who possibly has… same sex inclinations, too. I'm not saying you should give up your current relationship. Just... present a respectable front, Draco, that's all I ask of you."

For one, heartbreaking moment, Draco considered his hands, and Harry thought that maybe he was going to tell his mother yes.

Then he raised his head."Up until a year ago I had accepted that as my life. But I've had something else, now, and I'm in love. Really in love, and I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't do what you want me to do any more."

"I don't want it for me," Narcissa said, her hesitation enough to convince Harry that she was speaking, now, right from her heart. "All I am trying to do is to safeguard your future. I have no control over the Malfoy estate, and Mr Potter here controls all that is left of the Black family fortune. I have nothing to offer you any more. Your father... well. He won't be released for many more years yet, but he can still ensure that any claim you may have to the Malfoy estate is tied up in your marriage to a woman."

"That doesn't matter to me," Draco said stubbornly.

"Really?" she asked. "You're used to a certain type of lifestyle, Draco..."

"Harry has money. I'll become a kept man."

"Oh, Draco."

"The Ministry are sponsoring Draco's studies, Mrs Malfoy," Harry said, forcing calm into his voice. "Your son is an exceptionally talented Potions maker, and already in his NEWTs he has demonstrated this. They're interested in what he might come up with next."

"By all means, study," Narcissa said, throwing her hands up. "But how do you intend to have a career and be a father? Draco, darling, how on earth do you know the first thing about raising a child? Do you even have a nanny?"

"We've been doing it for almost a year already," Draco said. "Without a nanny. Without anyone's help."

It wasn't strictly true, but Harry wasn't about to bring Molly Weasley into the conversation. He had a feeling that neither Malfoy would appreciate him doing so. And besides, Draco was pretty much right anyway. They had done it on their own.

Narcissa shook her head. "I don't understand."

"When he wakes up crying, I'm the one who goes to him," Draco said, and Harry could feel how much effort it was taking for Draco to remain calm. "I feed him, and change his shitty nappies, and tell him bedtime stories. I play with him, and we're teaching him how to talk, and how to control his Metamorphmagus abilities and how to walk and...

"He's ours, Mum, and they're going to try and take him away from us."

Narcissa regarded her son for long moments. Eventually, she sighed and placed her napkin on her plate.

"If you gentlemen would excuse me, for just one moment," she said.

Draco stood as his mother did and Harry hastened to do so as well. Narcissa left with long strides and only when she left the room did Draco slump. He rubbed his eyes with his fists and Harry crossed to him quickly, grabbing his wrists and leaning in to kiss a pouting bottom lip.

They sank into the kiss, the silent communication enough, right then, enough to say what needed to be said with gentle lips and broad sweeps of tongue against tongue. It was the little whimper in the back of Harry's throat, then reality jumped in and told him this was not the time to get aroused from the smell of Draco's neck, and he couldn't just lay his partner down right here and make love to him, however much he might want to.

A small cough interrupted their kiss and Harry pulled away. Not far, Draco's hand was still clutching his hip, but far enough.

In defiance to his mother, possibly, Draco pressed his lips to Harry's temple before they sat down again.

Narcissa snapped her fingers and Sage appeared by her chair.

"Coffee, please," she said to him. The elf bowed low and silently disappeared. "I think," Narcissa said slowly, folding her hands on the table, "that I would like to meet my grandson."