Last Time
Harry fell asleep, exhausted but so very happy. They would likely be woken up too early because of the festivities and they would pay for their very late night, but for Harry, he didn't care. He would have stayed awake all night just talking to Draco and reconnecting with his brother if that was what it took to put the events of last night behind them. He felt lighter than air as he finally managed to settle enough in their awkward position to get some much-needed sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Nine – Christmas Election
Harry was woken by a flash of light and he groaned from the intrusion, throwing a hand over his eyes, then falling to the mattress as his pillow shifted and moved away from him.
His brain was tired and slow and for a moment he wondered if he was actually in bed with Rabastan, but the blurry flash of platinum hair disproved that.
"I was wondering where Draco had gone so early in the morning." Narcissa's voice came from the bottom of Harry's bed. "Not even I thought that you would be in bed together, boys."
Her voice sounded amused and Harry finally found his glasses, pressing them onto his face and trying to make sense of what was happening.
Draco was beside him, just as startled as he was, and Narcissa was at the foot of the bed, smiling at them.
"Would you care to explain yourselves?" She teased.
"Merlin, what time is it?" Harry complained before yawning widely. He felt like he hadn't slept at all.
"It's eight thirty-five." Narcissa told them pointedly. "Your father and I expected you boys to wake up early with excitement, now I'm wondering just how early you woke up to have fallen back to sleep together."
"I don't think we fell asleep until four." Draco complained.
"Oh no, I fell asleep straight away!" Harry refuted. "You woke me back up!"
"I couldn't sleep and wanted to talk to you." Draco told him.
"You woke your brother up in the night and then stayed awake until four in the morning?" Narcissa asked them, a smile playing about her lips.
They both looked at her a little shame-faced, but they nodded begrudgingly.
"Oh, you boys are going to be tired today." She laughed. "Now, come along, get yourselves washed and dressed, breakfast has been waiting for almost two hours. We have guests."
"Rhadamanthus doesn't count as a guest." Harry grumbled.
"He is to be your father-in-law, sweetheart." Narcissa told him warningly.
Harry scoffed. "Rabastan doesn't even see him as a father, he says that title goes to Xerxes. I refuse to recognise him as my father-in-law when my husband doesn't even see him as a father."
Narcissa sighed, but she actually let it go as Harry crawled out of bed, so very tired, but excited for his second 'real' Christmas with his family. It would only ever be topped when he had his own children, he was sure, which would, hopefully, be the year after next.
He washed quickly and his bedroom was abandoned when he came back out of the bathroom. Draco had gone to his own rooms and Narcissa had likely gone back downstairs to regale the others with the news of where Harry and Draco had been and just what had taken them so long to get up.
Harry rushed through dressing, though. He was excited and he wanted to see Rabastan, even if it meant seeing Rhadamanthus too. He would endure this supposed tradition of having all of his in-laws around for Christmas only while he was engaged to Rabastan. The moment they were married, and had their own home, Harry would put a stop to it. Rhadamanthus was not welcome in his home, where he would be raising his children. Xerxes and Rodolphus could come over whenever they pleased, they didn't need to wait for an invitation, but if Harry had his way then Rhadamanthus would never step foot into his home.
"Merry Christmas, Harry." Rabastan greeted him with a soft smile as he sat down, a cup of tea held ready. It was made just how Harry liked it and he took a sip with a happy sigh, before pressing a kiss to Rabastan's mouth.
"I love you." Harry answered. "Merry Christmas."
"I love you as well." Rabastan replied. "I hear that you and Draco had a moment."
Harry chuckled. "Yes, we had a bit of a heart-to-heart last night. It was needed, but we are tired."
"Would you prefer a coffee instead?"
"Mother wouldn't like it." Harry said, shaking his head. "I will stick with tea for now."
Harry completely ignored Rhadamanthus at the table. He was sitting next to Xerxes, which was likely done to keep him 'contained' and out of Harry's way. Not that it would stop the comments.
"You embarrassed the Lestrange family last night." Was how Rhadamanthus greeted him.
Harry looked up slowly, lowering his teacup to its saucer on the table. "I would rather be an embarrassment than stay silent and not stand up for the things I believe in. What a terrible, cowardly way to behave, to endure such things in silence and say nothing for fear of causing something so trivial as embarrassment."
"Your strange views are well known." Rodolphus said into the lingering silence.
"Merry Christmas, Dolphus." Harry said, smiling. "I do hope you're looking forward to my gift this year."
"I am terrified of what you've thought of now." Rodolphus told him and Harry gave him a smile.
"Good morning, Xerxes. Merry Christmas."
Xerxes gave him a smirk from over the top of his teacup. "Morning, Harry. What have you got planned for today?"
"Nothing that can be said in present company."
"Do you mean me?" Xerxes teased him.
"My parents are also present." Harry replied, matching Xerxes' teasing tone.
"That is highly inappropriate, Harry darling." Narcissa chastised.
"I know, Mother. I'm sorry." He said, but his devilish grin negated any apology he'd made and Narcissa gave him a fond glare.
Draco joined them not long after, looking absolutely pristine with not a hair out of place. He smiled at their mother before taking his seat and pouring himself some tea.
"Well, now that you boys are finally out of the one bed…" Lucius said, teasing them. Draco went pink, but Harry just grinned cheekily. "…perhaps we could start Christmas Day and get breakfast out of the way."
Harry was grateful that Rhadamanthus seemed content to ignore him, as Harry was able to eat in peace. He did wonder what the man had gotten him as a present this year…it was bound to be something offensive that would rile up Rabastan. But Harry found that he didn't really care. He was used to getting terrible gifts from the Dursleys and as for the threatening undertone to Rhadamanthus' gifts, well, he was getting threats from all sides now, so he was actually getting used to that too.
After breakfast, they reconvened in the front parlour and Harry sat next to Rabastan, who had Rodolphus on his other side. They had stopped leaning on one another in the last few months, Harry had noticed. Rodolphus no longer looked for Rabastan if he lost sight of his brother and Rabastan didn't need Rodolphus constantly at his side to feel secure. It was a truly amazing transformation to see them become the strong, capable, confident men they had once been. For Harry though, he was seeing them like this for the first time. He'd only ever truly known them in the aftermath of Azkaban.
"Ladies first, of course." Lucius announced, smiling at his wife as he summoned a wrapped gift from beneath the Christmas tree.
It was a beautiful, tasteful jewellery set, one that Harry knew Narcissa had had her eye on. She gave a satisfied smile as she saw the set and gave Lucius a soft kiss.
"Thank you, darling. I love it."
Harry wasn't fond of this part of Christmas. The gift exchange where one person held sole focus as they opened the gift given to them. He still felt uncomfortable with getting presents and he didn't like being on the spot, but he dealt with it as best as he could.
He received plenty of books and he was pleased with the contents, all things that would help him with his law proposals and beyond. Lucius had given him a book on the history of every Minister for Magic and their policies. That book in particular was going to help him for making his own bid to be Minister…even if it was a guide on what not to do.
Rabastan had gotten him a large tin of biscuits and fudge and Harry had grinned to see it, even as he tried one of each and found that they were definitely the expensive kind. Biscuits weren't that melt-in-the-mouth if they didn't cost a pile of Galleons.
"I'm also going to be taking you to dinner." Rabastan assured him. "Tradition dictates that I can only give you one gift, but that's not enough for me. If you're agreeable, we'll be going tomorrow night and again on the second of January."
"Of course I'm agreeable." Harry teased. "Oh, wait, do we have to take chaperones?"
"We're going to be trusted to be alone." Rabastan told him and he laughed at the evil smirk that took over Harry's face. "Behave, Harry." His fiancé whispered.
"I am behaving." Harry whispered back. "But I might not when we go to dinner."
Rabastan shifted and gave Harry a kiss and, naturally, Narcissa cleared her throat sharpish. Harry broke the kiss with a sigh.
"We're hardly going to conceive a baby in the front parlour, Mother!" Harry insisted. "I'm not fond of the idea of having an audience either."
Xerxes choked on a laugh and Lucius hid a smile behind a hastily taken sip of tea.
Narcissa gave him a smile and a chuckle. "I should hope not, sweetheart. I would like to think that my first grandchild was conceived properly…after you are married."
"They will be, Mother." He assured her, but he gave Rabastan's hand a covert squeeze. His first child, at least, would be conceived in the marital bed, but that didn't mean he didn't want a little fun in the meantime…he could stop before conceiving a baby, their time in Fiji had proven that. He smiled to himself and then directed that to Rabastan, whose eyes widened a little before he laughed and pulled Harry in close.
"Here, a distraction from this sickening display." Rodolphus cut in, thrusting a haphazardly wrapped gift at Harry.
"Is this the best wrapping charm you can manage, Dolphus?" Harry teased. "Your wand skills are a little rusty."
Rodolphus ignored him and he was instead eating a mince pie, so that he wouldn't have to see Harry's reaction to his gift.
Harry opened the present and squealed happily as he saw that it was another Honeydukes creation. The chosen organ was a brain this time. A perfect, very realistic, human brain. Harry could pick out individual veins and ridges. He lifted it up and took a big bite, humming happily at the satisfying crack of the thick chocolate shell. It was filled, not with mousse, but some sort of sauce. It was firm like a jelly, but also juicy like jam and it tasted of the sweetest, ripest strawberries. Harry loved it immediately.
"You're enjoying that too much." Draco told him, scowling in disgust as he watched Harry eating the replica brain, slurping out the insides. "Merlin, please put it away, Harry."
Harry licked his sticky lips. "It's delicious."
"I enjoy watching you eat human organs." Rodolphus said.
"I enjoy eating them." Harry assured him, taking another bite of it before putting it back in the box. He didn't want to spoil Christmas lunch, after all. The hypocalcaemia debacle had well and truly switched his mindset from snacking on sweets and chocolate to eating proper meals. He was finally getting used to eating three full meals a day.
"Do you not want the gift I got for you?" Rhadamanthus demanded.
"Not particularly." Harry said coldly.
Rhadamanthus had gotten Rodolphus a cuff bracelet with the Lestrange crest engraved on it…it was too big for him which made Dolphus angry, but he'd gotten Rabastan a cheap bottle of wine knowing that Rabastan couldn't drink it.
"Harry, remember your courtesies, please." Narcissa said warningly.
Harry summoned his gift for Rhadamanthus…the ugliest, itchiest pair of socks he could find. He'd purposefully bought a pair that would be too small.
"Disgusting." Rhadamanthus declared as he pulled out the pair of yellowish, olive green socks. They were woollen and hairy and promised to be itchy as fuck, which was the point.
"You should learn to be grateful for gifts, seeing as there are very few people in your life willing to give you any." Harry told him, accepting the unwrapped box from Rhadamanthus.
Rabastan snorted a laugh and Harry grinned to have made his fiancé laugh.
Harry opened the box…and it was the smell that hit him first. The smell of decay…of death.
Rabastan recognised the smell immediately and he snatched the box away from him before he could see what was inside it.
"That is Harry's gift, not yours." Rhadamanthus snapped angrily. He'd been looking forward to seeing his reaction to whatever was in the box, clearly. That made Harry not want to see it.
Rodolphus took the box from Rabastan and pulled out the tissue paper, which made the smell coming from the box worse. Harry watched Dolphus as he rolled his eyes and shoved the paper back into the box before using his wand to vanish it.
"What sort of cursed object did you bring into my home?" Narcissa demanded.
"If you say one word…" Rodolphus threatened his father.
"Give Harry his gift." Rhadamanthus growled.
"Rhadamanthus…" Xerxes said, his tone hard and chilling. Harry's spine pulled straight at that tone and a wave of goosebumps broke out over his arms. "…leave, now. Whatever you got for Harry, keep it to yourself."
Rhadamanthus scoffed and stood, leaving the front parlour. The fact that he didn't say anything though only proved that he was still afraid of his father.
"Do I want to know what that was?" Harry asked.
"No." Rabastan told him quickly.
Harry nodded. "I trust your judgement. If you think I don't need to know…"
"You don't." Rodolphus said, cutting him off.
Harry nodded. "Well, now that the gift exchange is over, would anyone like some tea?"
"I would love a cup, darling." Narcissa said.
Harry went to the tea set on the coffee table and he poured his mother a cup, handing it over. He'd be damned if he let Rhadamanthus ruin Christmas for him. He poured himself a cup, after checking that Rabastan didn't want anything, and he sat back and relaxed, putting whatever revolting thing was in that box out of his mind. He really, really didn't want to know what had been causing that smell if it had made even Rodolphus baulk.
Lunch was delicious and Harry ate as much as he possibly could. It was nice to be at this point in his life, where he could sit and eat as much as he wanted, without the fear of being punished or having his food taken away from him and healthy enough to handle a full plate, selected seconds, and a dessert.
Everyone was quiet and relaxed after they'd eaten, Harry had one of his new books opened, as he rested himself on Rabastan who was talking softly to Rodolphus.
"Harry, come play chess with me." Draco demanded.
Harry looked over to his brother and lifted an eyebrow.
"I'm reading." Harry pointed out.
"You can read after I've beaten you a few times."
Harry sighed, but he did close his book and he sat up. The least he could do was play a few games with Draco at Christmas.
He gave Rabastan a kiss before sitting in the armchair facing Draco, who set the board up with a grin.
"As you are losing, I'll let you go first." Draco told him snootily as he gave Harry the white pieces.
"Oh, thank you, my liege." Harry said snarkily.
He heard Rabastan chuckling behind him and he smiled, before directing his pawn forward to make the first move.
Half an hour later and Harry finally admitted defeat with a sigh as Draco checkmated his king.
"You lasted longer that time." Draco assured him. "It must be all of those political books you're reading."
"It's a game of chess, Draco, not a chapter on how to crush your enemy underfoot."
"It's the same tactics, Harry. Come on, let's have another game, only this time, imagine that it's a political opponent."
"I can't use my deadly wit in a chess match. I usually cut to the bone in a Wizengamot meeting and I can't do that."
"Apply the same energy and tactics." Draco encouraged him.
"I'd rather not insult and degrade you with every move, it is Christmas, after all."
Draco gave him a smile and Harry made the first move…again.
He lasted forty-three minutes this time, but he still lost and he shook his head.
"I wasn't made for chess, I was made for Quidditch."
"Then let's go and play Quidditch." Draco shrugged.
"Boys, it's cold outside." Narcissa cut in worriedly.
"Cissa, love, they'll be fine. They can have something warm to drink when they come back in. No dives, no rolls, no showboating." Lucius told them seriously.
"That rules out half of Harry's Quidditch prowess, Father." Draco teased.
"Pfft, I can still bury you." Harry boasted.
He and Draco rushed to their bedrooms and wrapped up warm. Harry shouldered his Firebolt and went back to the front parlour to give Rabastan a kiss.
"Make sure that you beat him, Harry." Rabastan told him. "It's bad enough that he can beat you at chess when you're an intelligent young man."
Harry blew a raspberry at his fiancé. "He's been playing chess since he was a child. I've only been playing for a few years, of course he beats me, but I'm a natural at flying!"
"Don't injure yourself in a garden game." Rabastan told him.
Harry rolled his eyes, but he gave Rabastan a last kiss and he went to fly around in the cold for a while. It was snowing in Wiltshire, but Harry had wrapped up warm and he would be sweating soon enough as Draco had brought out his golden snitch. It was going to be very fun. Harry could always use a little more fun in his life.
Harry had had a nice little break of only a few days, but there was no rest for him as he was forced to do wedding planning on the twenty-seventh of December.
He was incredibly surprised by the stacks and stacks of notes that Rabastan handed him, that he had made, in relation to their wedding.
"You've been very busy." Harry said, looking through the top sheets and finding all different designs for the seating arrangements.
"I truly wish to marry you as soon as possible." Rabastan told him.
"Afraid that I'll change my mind?" Harry teased.
Rabastan gave him a look…a very lecherous look, telling Harry exactly why he wanted to marry him sooner rather than later and Harry grinned.
"Of course. It has to be done quickly once you graduate, I don't want to lose you to your career, after all." Rabastan answered, for the sake of Narcissa, who was sitting with a handsome dragonhide portfolio case, opened to a page where she was writing down all of the finalised wedding plans.
"I like this." Harry said, looking over the seating arrangement. "I like the decoration on the chairs too. Not fluffy or floral, but not plain either."
"You wouldn't want to move anyone?" Rabastan asked, looking surprised.
"No, you did this perfectly, love." Harry said, passing it to Narcissa.
She looked over the design critically, but she never said anything, she just tucked the plan into the portfolio and smiled at them. Harry's heart missed a beat as he realised that they'd all decided something about the wedding without an argument.
Harry quickly went to the next page, found more seating designs and put them aside. He liked the top one.
"I loved your design for the cake, Harry." Rabastan told him, pulling out the design that Harry had owled him a week ago, for a five-tiered cake that was covered in dark blue icing with beautiful silvery-white pearls that looked like the diamonds of his ring cascading over it from the top.
"I did also. I took the theme you wanted and I have applied it throughout the designs." Narcissa told him, showing him her own design this time, of a rough sketch of a room with chairs and an area at the front where Harry and Rabastan would stand.
Harry saw the rough colours of blue and white, and it made him automatically kiss his engagement ring. He saw the inclusion of his design for the wedding cake and he smiled at how well Narcissa had pulled it together just from the rough doodle he'd drawn of a cake.
"I love it."
"You're not just saying that to be done with the wedding planning?" Narcissa asked him.
Harry shook his head. "I wouldn't. I want my wedding to be for me and Rabastan, so no matter how long it drags on I won't back down from what I want, Mother. I truly love this. Basti, what do you think?"
"I helped to bring the design together. I am not quite up for drawing or colouring just yet, which is why I wasn't the one to do it, but it was my input." Rabastan said with a self-deprecating smile.
Harry kissed that humourless smile away and took Rabastan's hand into his own.
"I love it."
"There is nothing that you want to change?" Narcissa asked, surprised.
"Only whatever the hell that is." Harry said, pointing to an arch that the label over it said was made of tulle and was tied in a bow over where he and Rabastan would stand. "I don't like this."
"You didn't want flowers, darling, this is a compromise."
"That's worse than flowers, Mother. I don't like it. If we got rid of that, everything else is perfect."
"Harry, you need to give me something to work with, sweetheart, please." Narcissa all but begged him.
"Harry, do you remember the decoration in The Garnet Swan last night?" Rabastan asked him.
Harry nodded. "Yes, it's all flowers."
"It's not all flowers, do you remember the table decorations?"
"Green stuff." Harry said with a frown, trying to remember, but unless he'd been eating then his eyes, all of his attention, had been on Rabastan.
"It was small branches of a pine tree woven together to form a wreath. We could use a different tree, one not associated with this time of year, but that way we could still have decoration, without it being flowers, bows, or ribbons."
Harry mulled that over. "I'd have to see the final design, but I'm not against trees." He said.
Narcissa started writing in her elegant, loopy cursive and Harry took a moment to have some tea. His hand found Rabastan's under the table and his fiancé gave it a squeeze. Harry smiled happily. He was never, ever, planning another wedding in his life. This was the only time in his life he was ever going to get married, he swore it.
"So, are you agreeable to having trees as decoration, Harry?" Narcissa asked him.
"Yeah, I have no argument against trees."
Narcissa lit up and started writing quicker as she found something that she could use.
"I can work with this, Harry." She told him happily.
Harry smiled at her excitement and he was pleased that they'd found something that they could both accept.
"I'll start designing a new layout for the wedding area, incorporating these ideas." She said, almost to herself.
"You did really well to get these ideas, Rabastan." Harry praised.
"I do not want you to feel so stressed over this, my love." Rabastan told him. "I would do it all if that helps to take one pressure away from you."
Harry was so touched to hear that and he moved forward to give Rabastan a soft, gentle kiss, which was about all they could get away with when Narcissa was sat at the same table as them.
"Rabastan, you have your wedding outfit planned, is that right?" Narcissa asked.
"Yes. I would like to have it made just a week before the wedding, however, just to ensure that it'll fit on the day and doesn't have to be altered with every fitting."
Narcissa nodded. She likely didn't like that it was going to be made so close to the day, just in case something went wrong, but both Rabastan and Rodolphus were changing every time Harry came back from Hogwarts and saw them. They were going from strength to strength and they were healing and as they were, their bodies were changing too. It made sense to hold off on making the robes until it was closer to the wedding day, when Rabastan was healthier.
"Harry, do you have your outfit sorted?" Narcissa asked, making it a point to keep her voice light.
"Astoria has agreed to make my outfit and she is going to be measuring and fitting me on a few weekends when we're back at Hogwarts. She's very excited."
Narcissa nodded, saying nothing, but she wrote more notes in her book.
Harry was happy with the progress made on the wedding plans. It was all coming together. He and Rabastan had their outfits in the works, Harry's idea for the cake had been readily accepted, their seating arrangement was perfect and the decoration was underway. Narcissa was handling the smaller details, such as food and refreshment and she and Lucius were handling the invite list for those coming, after Harry and Rabastan had gone through the list on Harry's insistence. He had struck Rhadamanthus off immediately and no amount of cajoling from Narcissa about him being his father-in-law had Harry changing his mind. Rhadamanthus was not welcome at his wedding or the after-party.
"That was everything that we needed to cover today, boys." Narcissa said, checking her list.
"Really?"
"Yes, I believe we're finally getting somewhere with this wedding. It'll certainly be one to remember, I'll ensure it."
"As long as Rabastan still wishes to marry me, I don't care." Harry said, teasing.
"Why wouldn't I?" Rabastan asked, wrapping his arms around him possessively.
"I don't know, you seem to be getting a lot of propositions lately, love." Harry laughed.
"I would never leave you for anyone else." Rabastan said firmly, tugging Harry closer to himself. "You loved me and cared for me when I was at my worst, I would only ever trust my love to you after that. Those who only want me now that I am healthy and whole will never take my attention from you, my love."
Harry grinned, inexplicitly pleased to hear that, and he bent to kiss Rabastan.
"I have always cared more about who a person is inside their body than what they look like outside of it. I have always cared more for those who care for me. As long as you keep caring for me, and loving me, my head will never be turned."
"It helps that you are very easy to love and care for." Rabastan told him. "If we are done here, perhaps we could take a walk in the garden?"
"Too cold." Harry said. "Let's go to the library, in front of the nice, big fire, and I'll read to you."
"The arithmancy book?"
Harry nodded. "It is still my worst subject, so I would like your help to bring my grades from an EE to an O before my exams."
Rabastan stood and Harry said goodbye to Narcissa and then headed up to the library. He was glad to have gotten so much done for the wedding planning, even if it was merely picking out what he liked best from what Rabastan had come up with, with the help of Narcissa. Just thinking about his wedding day was making him excited and Rabastan still hadn't told him their honeymoon destination. He had gotten cold feet and he had changed the subject. Harry was planning to ask again when they went back to The Garnet Swan for another dinner on the second of January.
Harry was dressed impeccably on the twenty-ninth of December, as Lucius refused to allow Harry to leave the house in anything other than pristine robes to go to the Ministry to vote.
Harry had held all of his cards close to his chest and he hadn't indicated either way which candidate he would be voting for, which kept his family safe from Voldemort's wrath, at least. He was still pissed about having his political wings clipped in such a way, but he would endure it for the sake of his family. They meant more to him than anything, even his budding political career.
They flooed to the Ministry as a family, all four of them looking pristine and perfect. Lucius, aware of Dumbledore's previous plot to snatch Harry from the train platform in London, kept a hand on Harry's shoulder, the other on Draco's. He didn't like not having a hand on Narcissa, but she had looped her arm through Draco's as they presented a strong, united front.
They separated a little as they joined one of the queues, Lucius staying with him just in case of any trouble and Narcissa staying with Draco, her arm still wrapped around his.
The Ministry Atrium was packed to bursting and it was noisy, even as everyone was standing in neat, orderly queues, waiting for their turn to cast their votes.
"Draco, you have finished the last of your homework?" Lucius asked.
"Yes, Father. I finished it last night." Draco nodded. "The amount given was nowhere near the amount we usually get, so I was able to enjoy my time away from the castle and get my homework done to a high standard as well."
"That is partly in thanks to our Harry here, for actually telling me the state of the schoolwork these days." Lucius said, his hand squeezing Harry's shoulder, he hadn't removed it once since they had arrived.
"I am glad that the governors agreed that it was too much work to do." Harry said, nodding. "When one professor alone sets ten hours of homework for one subject, we have absolutely no chance of keeping up."
"We thought the same." Lucius said, meaning him and the other school governors. "Which is why we insisted on reducing the amount of homework set immediately. The prestige of the school comes second to the welfare of its students."
"I very much appreciated it. It meant I was able to do several other things that needed to be done." Harry said happily. "I did so much of my law reform for the first time in weeks, and I've been able to just switch off and enjoy Christmas. I've loved it."
Narcissa reached over to pat his cheek, smiling at him.
"Your law reform is really coming on now, Harry." Lucius praised. "I could see nothing wrong with it when I looked it over."
"We are very proud of your progress, darling." Narcissa told him. "It won't be long now until you're ready to present it to the Wizengamot."
Harry got a nervous flutter in his belly at hearing that. He wasn't ready to present it. His failure at the last Wizengamot debate still held him prisoner and the doubts filled his head. He had to consciously push all of those thoughts away and take a deep breath. He could do it. He just had to keep reminding himself that if he didn't do this, then no one would. If he didn't try to change things for magical creatures, then they would always remain the same and he couldn't let that happen. If he failed, at least he could say that he'd tried and failed. If his law reform wasn't voted through then he wanted it to be because of the Wizengamot and not for a lack of trying on his part.
"I want to focus on my exams for now, but I will work on it in any spare time I have. Perhaps I will be ready to present it in the Spring. If not, I will wait until after the wedding."
"You'll do great." Draco assured him.
Harry smiled and looked at how close they were to the voting booths now. This election had been another weight, another pressure removed from his shoulders, as he had been told who to vote for, but it had been a blessing in disguise given how hectic the last few months had been. Of course, he didn't like being told what to do, he never had, but he could endure this for the sake of his family and it had given him some more free time to do other things, so it wasn't so bad in the end.
Lucius went first into the booth, so that he would be done first and waiting on the other side for him. Narcissa took hold of Harry's arm as Draco took the next free booth. Then it was Harry's turn as he was called forward by a Ministry worker and he went behind the wooden partition and saw two boxes, one for Amelia Bones and the other for Pius Thicknesse. Harry took out his wand and he efficiently tapped his wand on the box for Thicknesse, watched as the box vibrated and made a gentle tinkling noise to indicate his vote had been properly registered, and he exited the partition towards Lucius, who took his shoulder once more in a protective grip.
"We will go for a light lunch now." Lucius told him and Draco. "Is there anything that you boys need from Diagon Alley while we are there?"
"I could use more parchment, Father." Harry said.
"You bought some on the last Hogsmeade visit!" Draco said, horrified. "You have not gone through all those bundles of parchment yet! You can't have!"
"I'm on the last bundle." Harry admitted. "I did say when I bought them that it was an optimistic estimate and that I would likely need more in January, and I do."
"We will go for lunch first and then we will do some shopping." Lucius assured him.
Narcissa exited the partitioned voting area and joined them, fussing over both Harry and Draco as if they had been separated for several days, and not mere minutes.
"We should go and get you boys fed." She told them, still running her hands over Harry's shoulders, before turning to do the same to Draco's.
"Our Harry wishes to buy more parchment, dear." Lucius told her. "We should make time for that after we've eaten."
"Of course. We need to encourage our Harry in his endeavours." She agreed.
They moved off, back towards the floo access point, but it was not quite as simple as it had been flooing into the Ministry…there were reporters there, waiting to pounce on prominent witches and wizards hoping to quiz them on their voting habits.
Harry saw immediately when he'd been spotted, as the reporter's beady eyes lit up.
"Lord Potter-Black! Do you have a quote for The Daily Prophet?"
Of course it was The Daily Prophet who were hanging around the Ministry Atrium and pestering those eligible to vote.
"No, I do not." Harry said clearly.
"Will you not tell our readers how you voted today? This is your very first election, a very big deal."
"My voting habits are my own and I will be keeping all of my voting decisions private." Harry said firmly. "My thoughts and my decisions are not for public consumption, thank you."
Lucius' hand was still on his shoulder and when he moved, Harry moved with him, leaving behind a gobsmacked reporter who couldn't use anything that Harry had said in an article, though Harry had no doubts that something about him would be wormed in.
"That was smoothly handled, Harry." Lucius told him.
"It's none of their business who I vote for or why."
"They can't twist your answer either. It might have reflected badly on you if you'd voted for the one who ended up losing the election." Draco told him. "Saying nothing is always the best policy."
"It is." Lucius agreed with a pleased nod in Draco's direction.
They made it to the floo banks and Lucius flooed with Harry, as despite him knowing how to do it by himself, it was much safer with Dumbledore's abduction plot still fresh in their minds, for Harry to travel with Lucius.
They went for lunch and allowed themselves to be seen out and about as a family. As a strong, united front. Lucius sat right beside him, his shoulders tensed as if to move the moment anyone approached Harry, but Harry was relaxed and calm. He knew that Dumbledore had a new plan, one to use Remus to lure him to Grimmauld Place before the start of term. He might still try to abduct him while he was in public, which is why Lucius was so on guard and stressed, but Harry didn't really expect Dumbledore to do that when he had, what he thought, was a much better way to lure Harry in.
After they had eaten a light lunch, they headed out into Diagon Alley and straight to Scribbulus' Writing Implements. Harry went straight for the largest bundles of parchment that the store offered, all bound up in twine and pressed as flat as possible, as if they were books.
"Harry, that's close to a thousand pages." Draco told him in horror, as he helped Harry to carry them to the shopkeeper.
"I'm almost done with that law reform, Draco." Harry said softly. "I'll want to write it out in full, in my best handwriting, with no mistakes and I need to make more than one copy. That's going to take a lot of parchment."
Draco sighed, but nodded, as he placed his armful down on the counter. Harry paid for the parchment and accepted the bag they came in happily.
"Is Astoria working today?"
"I'm not sure." Draco replied, his cheeks pinking just slightly at the thought of his betrothed.
"Do you want to go and see?" Harry pressed.
"No, she gets embarrassed when I see her in her work clothing."
"She shouldn't. I think it fits her to become a seamstress, and her own designer."
"She's so excited that you asked her to make your wedding outfit." Draco confided.
"I don't trust anyone else, Draco. Not many people like me being in the pureblood circles and all it takes is an 'accident' at the last fitting, or even on the day of the wedding and it would spoil my entire day. I saw that revenge outfit debacle."
"The one where the tailor charmed the groom's robes to flash yellow and orange during the wedding ceremony because he'd been the childhood sweetheart of the bride?" Draco asked.
Harry nodded. "It wouldn't be unrequited love that did me in, it would be my presumption of running in the pureblood circles when I'm a halfblood. I'm marrying into the sacred twenty-eight, after all."
"You're technically a member of the sacred twenty-eight in your own right. You hold the title of Lord Black." Draco pointed out.
Harry hummed his agreement. "I am, but I wasn't born into the Black family and everyone knows that, I just…I can't leave it to chance that someone, somewhere along the line, would charm my robes, or even put a curse on them, just to teach me a lesson and ruin my big day. I trust Astoria, Draco, and I don't really trust very many people in this world."
Draco gave him a rather soft smile and wrapped his arm around Harry's back.
"Well, as I said, she is excited and more than happy to launch her fashion career on the back of your wedding. She's already designing robes ready for her first showing. She's sixteen." Draco shook his head. "She is very talented."
"She is." Harry agreed easily. "But let me survive the fittings first."
"Boys, are you ready?" Narcissa asked them as they joined her and Lucius by the door.
"Yes, Mother." Harry answered.
"Did you buy enough?" Lucius asked him.
"I hope so, but there is another Hogsmeade weekend coming up early in the next term so I can buy more if needed then."
"Let us head home, I don't like to linger." Lucius said, once again taking Harry's arm.
They went to a Disapparation circle and Harry went with Lucius and they both relaxed when they safely arrived back at Malfoy Manor. Harry removed his scarf and hung it on what had become 'his' coat peg, followed by his thick, winter coat. He slipped off his dragonhide boots and then he padded in his socks to the parlour, where the Lestranges were waiting.
Xerxes had gone to register his vote at the crack of dawn. Rodolphus and Rabastan had registered their votes by secret ballot that was usually reserved for those who would spend the day of the voting in St Mungo's or otherwise incapacitated. No one in Azkaban on the day of the election had a right to vote. Those who didn't carry wands, which was used as identification, or had had their wands snapped, like those sentenced to life in Azkaban, weren't allowed to vote, which also excluded nearly all magical creatures. Rodolphus and Rabastan had new wands after they'd been freed from the prison, which is how they'd gotten around that little clause.
"Harry, were there any issues?" Rabastan asked worriedly. He'd been pacing the parlour, waiting and worried about him. It made Harry smile.
"Only a Daily Prophet reporter harassing me for who I voted for."
"What did you tell them?" Rodolphus asked him.
"Nothing. It was none of his business who I voted for or why." Harry said stubbornly.
Harry set his bag of parchment down and he pulled Rabastan onto the settee and he snuggled in. He let out a big breath and settled down on his fiancé.
"I'm pleased that nothing happened to you. It frustrates me that I cannot be there to protect you." Rabastan told him.
Harry hummed. "That's a sweet notion, my love, but I don't need protecting. Don't forget that it's me that your lord marked as his equal. You wouldn't go around trying to protect him, would you?"
Rabastan chuckled, but Rodolphus gave Harry a disgusted sneer and reached over to tug, gently, on Harry's hair.
"He has no equal!" Rodolphus told him.
"I wasn't born when that prophecy was made, Dolphus. I wasn't the one who used the word 'equal' nor did I mark myself." Here Harry reached up to touch the lightning bolt scar and then he flattened his hair over it. "Ask your lord yourself if you don't believe me, but he was his own downfall and there's a reason why he wishes to protect me."
"You're…special." Dolphus said, with a quick flitting glace to Narcissa and Draco, neither of whom knew that Harry was a Horcrux, but they were distracted as they settled themselves in the parlour.
"I'm not the only one." Harry whispered quietly. "That isn't what makes me…special."
"Will you work a little on your reform, darling?" Narcissa asked him, unaware of the hushed conversation she had missed. "Would you like some tea?"
"Yes to both, Mother." Harry said with a smile and he moved to get out a fresh bundle of parchment, removed the twine and snapped the bundle on the coffee table. Nothing was better to him now than the smell and feel of fresh parchment.
He pulled his law reform towards him, from where it had been neatly stacked in the centre of the table. It looked like the Lestranges had gone through it yet again. His reform was a hot topic these days, now that he was getting closer to making it public. Everyone had an opinion on it and Harry listened to them all.
Harry thanked Narcissa when she placed a cup by his hand and he allowed her to fuss with his hair a little, then his collar and shoulders, as he worked on his notes for the reform. He was still going through Ancient Laws and Customs, a particularly tedious book that had first been written in fourteen-forty-two and Harry needed a translation dictionary to read it as it was only available in Middle English. But, it was the only public record of all legal, enforceable laws in Great Britain, with a side of all the traditions that were still followed, mostly by the pureblood circles. Harry was finding more and more laws that he wanted to tweak, those that desperately needed to be updated for the sake of modern society, and those that needed to be removed entirely. He'd thought he'd translated something wrong when he'd read a law that stipulated that a witch or wizard could only hit their pet snidget with a racket on weekends, and only if it was sunny outside. The Golden Snidget was now an extremely endangered animal, but if anyone was lucky enough to have one, then they were free to just bat it around with a racket as it was still legal.
Most would think the law was redundant as snidgets were so endangered that many adult witches and wizards had never even seen a real snidget outside of a drawing, but they were endangered, not extinct, not yet, which meant that there were still snidgets out there to protect, which meant that the ridiculously old law, likely drawn up while snidget-hunting was still the most popular sport in Europe, needed to be removed, and sooner rather than later.
Harry had his large, dragonhide workbook open, it was where he was translating Ancient Laws and Customs into modern English and he truly was learning so much. The only issue he had was that when he got going, he could sink into it for hours and he couldn't afford to do that when he was still in school. It was all very, very frustrating.
He could block out the light conversation going on over his head as he worked diligently, translating another page of law into his workbook, and then making a separate page of notes for himself, but it was past time that these laws were updated and brought into this century. Harry couldn't believe that no one else had done this yet, in all the years, the decades, the centuries since this book had been in use. What a disgrace for the wizarding world, truly.
"Is it still usable custom to gift a betrothed an apple a day, and then a pomegranate on the third Sunday of every month?" Harry asked.
"Is that a thing?" Draco asked in confusion.
"I can't be sure, but I believe my great-grandparents did as such." Xerxes said, though his brow was furrowed as if he wasn't entirely sure. "There is a portrait of them in their younger years at Lestrange Manor and my great-grandfather, Radolphus, is handing a pomegranate to his betrothed, my great-grandmother, Myrina. I just assumed that it was a show of wealth, as a pomegranate was a rather exotic, expensive fruit back in the seventeen hundreds."
"So, this custom is not used and is barely known?" Harry asked, making more notes for himself. "I mean, Rabastan certainly hasn't been giving me daily fruit. The only one who has given me any food as a gift has been Dolphus! I'm not betrothed to you." Harry said, directing it at the elder brother.
"You wouldn't get away with any of your behaviour if you were." Rodolphus told him, his tone dark, foreboding, and a touch threatening.
Harry snorted a laugh. "Oh, I would! You would not be the one to change me or my behaviour, no one can." He said surely. "Don't think you're special, Dolphus."
"There is a reason you were betrothed to Rabastan and not to Rodolphus." Xerxes told him.
"You should have betrothed me to them both." Harry teased. "I could have tamed what little is left of Rodolphus' heart."
Draco choked out a laugh and Harry chuckled, even as Narcissa looked completely scandalised.
"Do not start on that again, Harry." Rabastan told him.
"He has said this before?" Narcissa demanded shrilly.
Harry laughed harder. Rodolphus reached over and tugged hard on Harry's hair.
"You could not handle me, Harry, and I certainly could not handle you."
Harry shook his head, still amused, but he went back to his notes.
"So, the gifting of fruit has definitely fallen out of fashion?" He asked, still grinning.
"I certainly never did as such." Xerxes told him.
"Neither did I, nor my parents." Lucius added.
Narcissa shook her head. "I have never heard of this custom, darling."
"Another one to be removed, then." Harry sighed. "How has no one done this before?" He said in aggravation, throwing a hand through his hair with frustration.
"Perhaps you should take a small break?" Narcissa said worriedly.
Harry sighed again, heavier this time, and he picked up his teacup and he sat back, drinking and not working, but his mind was entirely on the book and his thoughts on how to present the law changes in a way that wouldn't have the traditional purebloods rejecting it on principle. It would likely help to use the apple and pomegranate betrothal gifts as an example. If the Lestranges, as staunch, rigid traditionalists, didn't know about that custom, then it was very unlikely that anyone else did.
Harry circled the custom with a quill he'd dipped in a livid yellow ink and then he made his own observations on it, and that not even the Lestranges had heard of it, before he carried on translating and working, his creature reform forgotten for the moment as he did his translation work on Ancient Laws and Customs. It was tedious, he couldn't deny it, but someone had to do it, and no one else was, so it had to be him and he was certainly determined enough to change laws, update the customs, and propose his own reforms if needed, and it was. He could do this. He would do this.
Harry was awake early the next morning as he took his lordship portfolios to the intimate dining room table to look over them with a refreshing, revitalising cup of tea. He was the first one awake, but that didn't bother him. It was very early, it was not even six in the morning yet, but he had gone to bed earlier than usual.
It was the thirtieth of December and tomorrow night would be the New Year's Ball, this year the honour was granted to the Carrows, hosted by Lord Sarpedon. Harry liked Sarpedon Carrow, who was not a supporter of Corban Yaxley or Rhadamanthus. He was Xerxes' friend, he was straight-laced and level-headed, but Harry had had little interaction with him. He would remedy that at the party, with Sarpedon at least, but Harry wasn't fond of other, more distant relatives, namely Amycus and Alecto. It helped that Sarpedon pretended that his distant cousins didn't exist.
There was nothing in his portfolios that needed his attention and Harry happily put the two of them aside in favour of breakfast.
"Pimsey." He called out.
The house-elf arrived not even a second later, curtseying and smiling.
"Young Master calls for Pimsey?" She asked.
"I did, can I please have some more tea and some toast, Pimsey?"
Pimsey squealed a little in happiness and she nodded her head so hard her bat-like ears flapped. She cracked away, only to reappear a moment later with a fresh teapot and a plate of buttered toast with a side of blackcurrant jam, Harry's favourite.
"Thank you so much, Pimsey." He said, smiling at how happy a little bit of praise made her.
It cost him nothing to be nice to Pimsey, or house elves in general. He didn't like the enslavement of magical creatures, but to then abuse those enslaved creatures on top of it…Harry breathed deeply and pushed his thoughts away. He couldn't change everything in one day, but at least his family had started being nicer to Pimsey, even Rabastan was less caustic to house elves, at least when Harry was in the room. Harry really did appreciate it and he made sure to tell Rabastan so.
He poured himself more tea and he spread the jam over his toast, taking a bite and thinking about what he would do that day. He wanted to do more of his translation work for Ancient Laws and Customs, and he wanted to work on his creature law reform too. He also wanted to go and spend some time with his charities, but that would likely have to wait until the New Year.
He'd also received a letter, just before Christmas, from Sebastian Vasey, the mind healer he had been forced to go and see when the Law Enforcers had raided the manor. His therapy sessions were going to start in the New Year and Harry was rightfully nervous about it. His first proper session was going to be on the tenth of January.
"You are up very early, Harry." Lucius said worriedly, as he came to stand by him and one hand cupped Harry's forehead, feeling for a fever.
"I'm not sick, I just went to bed too early. I had planned to read for an hour, but I fell straight to sleep instead."
Lucius hummed thoughtfully, cupping his cheeks and then his neck, and once assured that Harry was a normal temperature, he went to take his own seat.
Pimsey popped in with a fresh teapot without being asked and she didn't say anything, and neither did Lucius, and she left very quickly after serving Lucius, but at least there had been no cruelty, abuse, or snapped comments.
"Have you looked over your family portfolios?" Lucius asked, spying the two, thick cases on the table.
"I did. There's nothing of interest and none of the companies I have shares in are showing any decline or anomalies."
"I am pleased that you have taken up such responsibilities. It is not easy being a lord, and you have double the duties as the lord of two houses. You have risen to the task as if you were born to it, Harry. I am very proud of you."
Harry grinned happily to hear that, to be praised and to hear that someone, his father figure no less, was proud of him.
"To be fair, I've had the best teacher." Harry said, watching with a smirk as Lucius paused in taking a sip of tea, hovered for a moment doing nothing, and then he soldiered on, drinking his tea and then purposefully going back to his breakfast. It was just like Lucius not to say or do anything after receiving such an unexpected compliment.
Mornings always started early in a pureblood household. Draco was the last to join them, closer to seven in the morning, but Narcissa had been just behind Lucius and Rabastan had been the first down of the Lestranges, followed by Xerxes and then Rodolphus.
They were all tense, enough so that it made the air very heavy, but of course they were, this morning was when they would find out who had won the election, and as their lord had backed Thicknesse, if Amelia Bones won then they would all soon know about it.
The post owl arrived promptly and as usual, it swerved to Harry and landed on the back of his chair. Harry fussed him and dug a finger into soft feathers to scratch gently at skin.
"You did a very good job." He told the owl, as he usually did. "You were very prompt and professional, here you go."
Harry took the Knut from the centre of the table and showed it to the owl before Harry slid it into his leg pouch and then took the paper.
He untied it and looked at the front page and he let out a sigh, relaxing. In big, bold letters was the very simple, to-the-point headline 'Thicknesse wins election' and there was a photo of him, in the Ministry, surrounded by people as it was announced that he'd won.
"Who won, Harry?" Rodolphus demanded to know.
"Thicknesse." Harry said simply, ignoring that everyone else at the table relaxed and the air cleared of the heavy tension that had been building all morning.
Harry read more into the article, picking out key phrases and anything else of interest.
"It wasn't a landslide, it was exceptionally close." Harry told them. "He only secured fifty-four per cent of the votes."
"It was enough." Xerxes said with a sigh. "Close call or landslide, he's won and he is now the Minister, which is what we wanted."
Harry dreaded to think of what Voldemort's next move would be now that he had the Ministry. His plans were coming together…and very smoothly at that now that Harry wasn't interfering in anything.
"Oh." Harry said in surprise, reaching the end of the article. Of course The Daily Prophet would have had to slip him in somewhere. There was even a small, thumbnail picture of him in the Ministry yesterday. He was glad that Narcissa had insisted on dressing him up and making sure that he was presentable just to go and vote.
"Oh? What have you found?" Rabastan asked worriedly.
"It was foolish to think that the Prophet wouldn't sneak me into the article." Harry said, shaking his head. "A little picture of me from yesterday and a mention that I refused to comment on who I'd voted for."
"That's actually a good thing." Rabastan told him. "It is a confirmation that you refused to use your position to influence anyone else's vote, or, at least, that is how you can spin it if asked."
Harry smiled at Rabastan. "That, my love, is a good idea, especially with the New Year's Ball tomorrow night."
Harry read the paper quickly and efficiently, taking in key words and all relevant information and filtering out the usual Prophet biases. He was well abreast of the current news and once he was done he handed the paper to Lucius and settled back in his chair, drinking the last of his tea.
He was already thinking ahead to tomorrow night now, when he would have to pull up his 'lord' persona and schmooze with all the other purebloods. They looked to him more critically because he was a halfblood and he hadn't been born into these elite circles, he had only been forced on them two years ago and he was only a 'pureblood' by a technicality. He had been legitimised by his parents, who had named an appropriate pureblooded godfather to him. It meant that Harry was able to run in these selective circles and he could claim his lordships and every advantage that went with them. Whether it had been planned and a well-thought-out decision to name Sirius as his godfather so that Harry had the option to claim his birthright later in life, or whether it had just merely been because James and Sirius had been inseparable friends, Harry was grateful that he'd been given this opportunity to shine.
His future was so bright and full of dreams that he couldn't even stomach to think about what his life had been like before all of this had happened. He'd been going nowhere, he'd had no true dreams, no real future. He realised now that that had been by Dumbledore's design, a way to make Harry into a child soldier. Unthinking, uncaring, unwilling to question Dumbledore's path for him. No more.
Harry was now his own man. He had planned his own future, he was making his own family that didn't include the Dursleys, and given the opportunity to live and thrive, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. He knew what career path he wanted now, he knew that he wanted to change the world and he was determined that he would.
With that thought in mind, Harry excused himself, smiling as Rabastan did the same and escorted him to the parlour, where that creature reform was lying on the table, waiting for him to work on it again. He wanted to change the wizarding world for the better, and it would start with the magical creatures who had long been oppressed and discriminated against.