Serpent Tongue

Harry landed in Gringotts. He walked quickly as he headed down towards the Medical Bay. He knew Glint might be busy, but he wanted to try to catch her if he could. He would set a time if she wasn't available. He walked in and bowed to Dwayna.

"Give me a moment and I will check for you," Dwayna said when he asked for Glint. She disappeared for a moment before returning for him. "Twenty minutes," she said.

Harry smiled at her. "Thank you, sister of my Clan," he said.

Dwayna smiled at him as he walked over to a seat out of the way. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he fell into a meditative state. He sat there calmly until he felt a hand on his knee. His green eyes opened and he smiled at Glint. "Mother, I have found something out in concerns to my hearing," he said.

Glint froze. "Tell me, child," she said.

"I can hear parseltongue," Harry said. He still hadn't spoken to Draco about the curse on Scorpius, so he wouldn't mention that yet. It wasn't important now, even if Glint probably already knew, considering he had walked Draco in there.

Glint grabbed his hand and she pulled him with her. They headed along several corridors and down lower until they reached a door; she knocked on it. The door opened and Vekk looked up at Harry. "Now there is someone I would like to have a look at," he said. "Come in, come in." He made space for Harry in his workroom and walked up to him with several instruments. "I was going to contact you. I have just been working on a whole lot of other things. I would apologize, but my work is important, no mater what I'm working on."

"We have a new development, Vekk," Glint said.

Vekk looked at Harry. "What?" he asked.

"I have someone I'm speaking parseltongue with, and I can hear them," Harry said.

"Fascinating," Vekk said. "I would love to have data on this." He started looking around. He was wondering what the best way to gather that data was. He only wanted to know when Harry did hear. He wasn't sure how to collect that. "Your companion could you bring them?" he asked.

"Preferably not," Harry said.

Glint nodded. She was standing behind Harry, so he couldn't see her. Vekk looked at her. "What?" he asked once he had turned away from Harry so he couldn't see.

"If I'm right, the one he speaks to is a child," Glint said.

Vekk nodded slowly before turning back to Harry. "Well, I guess I could come to you," he said. "I just need to figure out what I need first. I will figure that out and pay you a visit."

Harry bowed his head. "Of course. I would be glad to have you, Master Vekk," he said.

Vekk waved him off. "That is for then. Now I wish to test a few things, so please just sit still and let me know if you notice any changes," he said. He moved around Harry and tested several of his devices as he checked Harry's magic and had a deeper look at the damage done to him. The scar tissue was something he wasn't sure he could ever fix. If Harry could hear magically though they might be able to… he sighed. It would demand that he had someone who was willing to try. He would figure something out. He needed that data, though. He packed his things away. "I will figure out what I need and come see you," he said.

Harry nodded. "Thank you," he said. He rose and headed out. Glint had left them at some point. Not that it bothered him. She had other things she needed to do, and she knew they could trust Vekk.

Harry went through the wards at home and headed around back. He smiled as he saw the boys playing. He walked up to them and spoke to them, signing as he did so.

Draco moved up as Harry walked towards him. He reached out and Harry took his hands. "There is something we need to speak about," Harry said.

Draco nodded. He sat down with him and squeezed his hands. "There is more than one thing we need to talk about," he said.

Harry nodded as he glanced over at Andromeda. "Would you like me to leave?" she asked. He shook his head. "No… no, it is probably better you don't," he said. "I have a question… about Scorpius. It is related to his ability to speak to snakes." He looked straight at Draco. His expression was serious.

"Ask it," Draco said somewhat wearily. He wondered where this was going.

"The disagreement you had with his mother, did it revolve around Scorpius' health?" Harry asked.

Draco looked at him. He was a bit confused, but he didn't mind answering the question. "Yes, it did," he said.

"I'm going to make a number of statements, and it might sound strange, but please hear me out," Harry said.

Draco nodded slowly. "Okay," he said.

"You sought help for your son, but found none," Harry said. "So you finally turned to the goblins, hoping beyond hope that they would help you. Healer Glint answered your plea. She examined your son and concluded that he carried a blood curse. She told you that the only way to fix it was through a donor willing to pass his blood through themselves."

Draco shook his head. "How do you know that?" he asked. So far Harry had been pretty damn spot on and it worried him. How could he know? Did the goblins not keep confidentiality? He had been under the impression that they did. That person they had brought in had even worn a blindfold… He froze as realization hit. They had been wearing a blindfold and their hair had been black. He had to focus to keep listening to Harry.

"Normally the goblins would be able to hide something like this rather well. But as far as I know, the Malfoys and the Blacks don't have parseltongue in their ancestry. So unless Scorpius' mother's family had the ability, there is only one place he could have gained that ability from. Three years ago, Glint brought me in to help a child suffering from a blood curse. I filtered that curse. I told you, you needed to get that mark looked at." His voice was soft. He wasn't accusing Draco. He just wished for him to remember.

Draco pulled his hands away from Harry. Even before they had met like this, his lover had saved his son's life. He looked over at Scorpius as tears ran down his face. Harry was the reason his little boy was around. He had been so gentle back then. So kind and protective… it all fit.

"Draco, are you okay?" Andromeda asked softly. "Harry doesn't mean to put any pressure on you by telling you this. He just didn't want to lie to you after figuring this out."

Draco turned around and saw the worry in Harry's eyes. He moved forward and buried his face against Harry's chest. His shoulders shook as he let go. His son shared blood with Harry. In a way, that was a relief. There was a certain amount of protection for Scorpius even against Lucius if needed. He sighed softly as he slowly calmed. Harry had wrapped his arms around him. The gentle embrace was all he needed right now.

"Dad, what is wrong?" Scorpius walked up to them and touched his father's shoulder.

Harry braced as Draco pushed against him and turned around. He wrapped his arms around Draco and pulled him closer as Scorpius climbed up on his father. "Why were you crying, father?" Scorpius asked.

"Harry told me something that makes me very happy, son," Draco said. He looked down at his boy. "You remember the bad blood?" he asked softly. He knew Scorpius remembered. He had nightmares about that time sometimes.

Scorpius nodded slowly. "It made me sick, and you were really sad," he said. "But Angel fixed it. Angel made it better." He could remember that time only in bits and pieces. Angel had been a light in the darkness for him.

Draco turned around and met Harry's eyes. "Please," he said as he touched Harry's face, not quite sure what he was asking for, but Scorpius had a right to know. He looked at his son again. "As far as I know, you couldn't speak to snakes before Angel helped you," he said. "It is an ability that is carried in the blood, and you have Angel's blood running through your veins."

Harry closed his eyes. He breathed in slowly before he sang a song he hadn't considered since holding the sick boy in his arms, "Is it wrong. To put all our hopes together. And wish for somethin' better? Is it wrong? To be loved. To face the future with another. Who means more than any other. Is to be loved." He rubbed Draco's back slowly as Scorpius looked at him. "Angel?" he said. The son had helped against his nightmares. He would hum it when things were bad. Harry knew. Harry was his angel.

"I think that the reason Scorpius reached for my magic rather than anyone else's was because there was a connection there already. He instinctively knew my magic was safe," Harry said as he met Draco's eyes. He had wondered about that, but this made perfect sense. Scorpius sought him out because he was safe. Because he had helped before.

Draco nodded slowly. "Thank you," he said softly.

"I told you then that I didn't want your gratitude," Harry said softly. "That is still true. I helped because Scorpius deserved it. It is something I would have done for any child." He hugged Scorpius close before placing him down so he could run back to Teddy and keep playing, happy to know that Harry was his Angel.

Harry reached out and grabbed Draco's chin. "This," he rose up and moved closer to Draco. "This I only want with you." He kissed Draco.

Draco fell back and smiled at Harry. "Thank you," he said. He understood that Harry didn't want their relationship to hinge on things he had done in the past, but things like this even if it had been some other child than Scorpius that he saved still spoke of the kind of person Harry was, and Draco loved how big his heart was. He loved that Harry could still have that big a heart after everything he had been through.

Harry chuckled as he sat down, straddling Draco. "It is comical how I was deafened last time we met, so I couldn't hear your voice then, and now I can't hear at all," he said. He shook his head. "It makes it easier for me, you know. That I have no reference. It means there is nothing I can miss." He looked over at Andromeda.

"How did it go at Gringotts?" Andromeda asked.

"Master Vekk wants to bring equipment here so he can monitor me when Scorpius speaks to me," Harry said. "I think we can expect him in the next few days. He is a bit unorganized, so I can't tell for certain."

Andromeda nodded. "I guess we should be around then," she said. "We need to set a schedule so we can all work and take care of the boys."

Harry nodded. He looked down at Draco. "Does Scorpius attend school?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Teddy goes to school in the non-magical world. They learn basic skills like language and maths and history," Harry said. "Scorpius should do the same. It would be better for him."

"When do they start?" Draco asked.

"At five normally, but we can create a reason Scorpius isn't starting until now. It isn't that hard to fake documents if you know how to," Harry said. He moved back and helped Draco up. "I would suggest he starts at the same school Teddy is attending. It would give him a chance to socialize with his age group, even if they aren't magical. With Teddy there, you still have some protection if needed, though."

Draco closed his eyes for a moment before looking over at his son and Teddy. He wanted Scorpius to be happy. If they could help him send Scorpius to school, then why shouldn't he accept. It made sense and would mean Scorpius wasn't quite so isolated. "Okay," he said. "When do they start?" he asked.

"In September," Harry said. "So plenty of time for us to figure out how we want to do this." He tapped Draco's chest. "You need to learn how to sign," he said. "Scorpius we are teaching already. I will get you in contact with the one who tutored us. She is a goblin, so your name will be unimportant," he said.

Draco nodded. "And we need to set a schedule," he said.

"Until Scorpius is more used to me. Either you or Harry will need to be available to care for him," Andromeda said.

"I won't take any jobs for the rest of the summer," Harry said. "How we do things once school starts we can decide then," he said. "Don't both work at the same time." He looked between them.

Draco smiled at him. "Thank you," he said.

Harry waved him off. "I was planing on doing it that way before you and Scorpius became a part of the equation," he said. He kissed Draco. "I'm not changing anything for you by being home."

"I'm still grateful," Draco said.

Andromeda smiled as she watched them. They were both just as stubborn. That was probably good for them. She would give them space now that they were together again. "I'll go start on lunch," she said.

"Thank you," Harry said. He rubbed Draco's shoulders. "I understand if what we are asking of you feels a bit overwhelming," he said.

Draco shook his head. "You have good reason to suggest the things you are suggesting," he said. "I don't know enough about the non-magical world to set Scorpius up with what he needs."

"Then we'll teach you," Harry said. He took Draco's hands. He was so glad he didn't have to hold his magic, and he was happy Draco's magic could flow with his the way it was. This felt right.

Draco moved so he was laying on top of Harry. "I still feel like this is too good to be true," he said. "After everything we did to each other as teens."

"Do you hate me for the pain I inflicted?" Harry asked.

Draco shook his head. "I might have done worse," he said. "You came back for me."

"I didn't want anyone else to die, and I could tell you didn't want to be there," Harry said.

"Did you really walk to your death that night?" Draco asked. His mother had told him what happened in the glade and it sounded so unbelievable.

"I was willing to die so everyone else could live," Harry said. "I was tainted, corrupt. I would rather die than continue the way I was."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "You are so stupidly selfless, you couldn't possibly be corrupt," he said.

"He made Horcruxes, and I was one of them, Draco," Harry said, hoping that Draco already knew the magic he was speaking of. "Ever since he turned his wand on me as a baby, I carried a part of his soul within me. I walked to my death because I was told I had to die for him to die. So much of the anger I felt back then wasn't mine. It was his."

Draco was searching in Harry's eyes. "What madman just tells a person they have to die?" he asked.

"Albus," Harry said. "Snape handed me memories of conversations between them before he died." He sighed. "I was raised to be a martyr. I had too little to live for. My life didn't have enough value for me to stay alive if my death was necessary."

Draco shook his head. "I'm glad you didn't die," he said. He had noticed how Harry's statements were all in the past tense, though. "You don't feel the same now," he said.

"I would give my life for Teddy's in a heartbeat, but you tell me a parent who loves their child who wouldn't do that," Harry said. He smiled. "I'm not willing to give up, though. That has changed. No one could convince me my death is necessary now. There are always alternatives. The goblins could have helped me get rid of that parasite had they known." He ran his fingers through Draco's hair. "Everything that I did led me down the path I have walked. I wouldn't change any of it now. Not when things are looking this bright."

"Even though you have hurt so much along the way?" Draco asked.

"Would you change things now if that meant we might not end up here?" Harry asked. "A single change might have tipped the scales some other direction. Even things you might hope for, like Narcissa being a bit more of a present grandmother, might have meant we never got here."

Draco sighed. He understood Harry's point. "That doesn't mean we can't change things now," he said.

Harry smiled. "Of course not," he said. He got up. Andromeda had buzzed him. "Food is ready boys, come back here," he called as he pulled Draco up. He leaned against Draco and sighed contently as Draco wrapped his arms around him. "I'm glad we got here," he said. He laughed as Teddy and Scorpius ran into them, and he grabbed his son so he could hug him tightly before walking inside. This was good, and he knew it was good thy had mention what happened during the war. They would probably speak more of it in the future, but for now at least the subject had been breached.

…

Draco moved from one store to the next. He needed a few things for the lab at Blackbird that he just hadn't acquired before, since he didn't have a lab. He smiled as Scorpius ran up to him. Harry had brought the boys to get some new clothes. He picked his son up.

"Look, it's the ferret. Who let you out of your cage?"

Draco sighed. He had no wish to deal with people like this. He didn't need reminders of what had happened that year. He walked towards Harry, ignoring the person who had spoken to him. He felt a spell pass him by and pulled Scorpius closer to him as he turned around. Last time he had met someone like this, his magic had been sealed. He could tell that it really wanted to break free now and retaliate. A hand landed on his shoulder as Harry reached him, and Teddy moved up in front of Scorpius.

"Use your words, love," Harry said softly. "Know I'm here, and I will protect us."

Draco relaxed slightly. "You wanted to say something?" he asked the man who had dared to attack him.

"Braver now that you have your bitch with you? Trust me, no one cares about the likes of you. All you do is corrupt and defile. You shouldn't be allowed around people," he sneered. Then he looked down at the children. "And you definitely shouldn't be allowed to spawn. Disgusting."

Teddy squared his shoulders, ready to defend himself and Scorpius should he need to. He knew how to talk to people like this. He had seen Harry do it.

"I do wonder what I ever did to you to cause this kind of animosity towards me," Draco said calmly. "I can't say I know who you are, and you are certainly too old to still have been at Hogwarts during the height of the war. So why are you so angry at me?"

"I believe we are dealing with a case of transference," Harry said just as calmly as Draco. "His life isn't turning out the way he wanted it to, and you are just a convenient target for his anger, my love. He isn't worth arguing with. Let's keep going."

"You cursed my brother until he went insane."

Draco paused. He hadn't cursed students unless he was pushed to do it. The Carrows though. The Carrows had hurt a lot of students. "I'm not responsible for what all the Death Eaters did during the War," he said. "Just because I'm a convenient scapegoat for you. I was absolved of my crimes. Are you saying the Minister was incorrect?"

They had drawn a crowd by now, and Draco really just wanted his son away from there. Harry's steady presence by his side was comforting and probably the only reason he hadn't just tried to flee already. Harry was a warder. He could and would keep them safe.

"You bought your way free."

Draco's fist clenched.

"Hogwash."

Harry turned slightly as Ernest Macmillan walked up to them. He had felt his presence as he came closer. "Heir Macmillan," he said. This was one of Neville's allies through Hannah, and they had spoken on occasion.

"Lord Black," Ernie said with a nod before turning to the man who was screaming at them. "You have no idea what Heir Malfoy did during the War. How many young students he treated, how many of us who owe our lives to him. You accuse him of harming your brother, when the truth is that Draco was the one who got Jamie out of the castle before they could do permanent damage to him, Anthony."

"Lies."

Ernie sighed and shook his head. He looked at Harry. "We really should speak about these things at some point," he said.

"The anniversary is coming up," Harry said. "Maybe it is time."

Ernie nodded slowly. "I'll set things up and speak with Neville," he said. "I think that maybe you are right. Some truths were left forgotten, and it is time we let people know."

Harry turned back to Draco and bent down to pick Scorpius up. The lord families still held a lot of power. They were making sure that pureblood was no longer a requirement for that, though. It never should have been in the first place. It was such a foolish notion.

"No one else has ever stepped in before," Draco said as they headed off.

"Ernie isn't the type to let things like this pass him by. I doubt he has noticed before now," Harry said. "You are willing to stand your ground in a way you weren't before. That will make a difference. People are more likely to speak badly of you if they think they can get away with it."

"Because in the end sheep are cowards," Teddy said cynically.

Draco laughed as he grabbed Teddy's shoulders. "Thank you, Teddy," he said.

Teddy smiled up at Draco. He liked Draco. He made his dad happy, and that was all he had ever wanted for Harry.

They headed for the last store Draco needed and then they headed home. Draco had a lab to set up, and Harry sat down with the boys.

Andromeda arrived home that evening to a served dinner and happy faces. She had heard about the commotion in the Alley, but it seemed her family was doing alright, and that was all that mattered to her.

…

Harry stretched as he woke up a few days later. The bed next to him was empty, but he could feel Draco in the lab, so it didn't really bother him. He showered and dressed before heading over to the lab. It was early enough still that their sons were still asleep. He pushed the door open and walked inside. "Draco," he said.

"Give me two seconds," Draco said as he held up two fingers, since he realised Harry couldn't see his face to know what he had said.

Harry smiled as he watched Draco work. He had always enjoyed watching Andromeda work. It was even better when the person he was watching was his partner. Draco cleaned his hands off and turned towards Harry. The looked he was given had him feeling warm inside. He walked up to Harry and kissed him. "Sorry I wasn't there when you woke up, but this potion takes a while to brew," he said.

"Do you have time to make it up to me?" Harry asked as he wrapped his arms around Draco's waist.

Draco reached up and undid several of Harry's buttons as he leaned in to kiss him. He tugged at his black locks, and Harry let his head roll to the side to give him better access. He loved the way Harry sounded. He pressed their lips together and pressed his body closer to Harry's.

Harry ran his hands up slowly and rubbed over Draco's back. He was breathing heavily as they broke apart for air, and he leaned back as Draco pulled at his shirt. A sharp gasp escaped him as Draco bit down on his shoulder. "Fuck Draco, that feels good," he whined. He felt Draco rub against him and he pressed back. "You are not playing fair," he whimpered as Draco's fingers dug into his sides. "More Dray," he demanded.

"Bossy aren't we," Draco said. He turned Harry around and pulled him close. He hummed happily when Harry moaned for him as he rubbed against him. His grip tightened, and he bit down on Harry's shoulder again. Who would have thought that Harry was a masochist?

"Mark me Dray," Harry breathed. He whimpered as Draco grabbed onto his shoulders as he rubbed against his ass. He felt Draco tugging at the magic left inside him as Draco placed his hand over the bulge in his pants and bit down on him again.

Draco wished so badly that he could speak to Harry right now. There were so many things he wanted to say as Harry twisted so they could kiss. Harry's body shook as he moaned against Draco's lips. He caught himself against the worktable as Draco kept moving against him. He pulled himself around and wrapped his arms around Draco, pulling his magic tightly around them and caressing Draco with it. "You are amazing, Draco. You make me feel incredible. Please, my love, come for me. He kneaded his hands against Draco's back and smiled at the look on his face as he collapsed against him. "There you go," he said. He cleaned them off with his magic and kissed Draco gently as the alarm went off.

Draco pushed away from Harry and walked over to the potion as a knock sounded from the door. He watched Harry button his shift again as he walked up to the door. There was no hiding what they had been doing, not with the way Harry looked, but he wasn't going to regret it.

Harry walked out, forever grateful to the cleaning spells he could use to freshen up. "Hey Teddy," he said. He knew his son hadn't been up long.

"Breakfast?" Teddy asked.

"Sure," Harry said. "What do you want?" They walked into the kitchen and got started. Scorpius joined them a bit later, and Draco walked in from the lab once he was done with the next step of the potion.

The wards buzzed as they ate and Harry got up. "Master Vekk," he said happily. "Welcome to Blackbird," he let the goblin in. "Where would you like to set up?" he asked.

"Somewhere where both you and the child are comfortable," Vekk said.

Harry led him to the living room. "Will this work, Master?" he asked.

Vekk looked around. "The other source of magic here is…?" he looked at Harry.

"My partner and the father of the one I will be speaking with," Harry said.

Vekk nodded slowly as he looked around. So Harry's partner was another mage. That also made a difference. "I want to speak with your partner alone," he said.

"I'm sure he would agree to that," Harry said. "Do you want to do so now or after your tests, Master Vekk."

"Is the child ready otherwise send their father," Vekk said.

Harry nodded. He walked into the kitchen. "Master Vekk is here," he said. He looked at Scorpius, who had about half his bowl of yoghurt left. "He wants to speak with you," he told Draco. "Alone."

Draco rose from his seat. He walked into the living room. "You wished to speak with me, Master Vekk?" he said.

Vekk looked up at the human. His eyes narrowed for a moment. "Have a seat," he said. He walked up to Draco and taped an instrument against his shoulder. "If I say I could make it possible for Hydrus to hear you, would you take that opportunity?" he asked.

"Yes," Draco said.

"Even if it might mean that he will always hear you?" Vekk asked.

"I assume there would be some kind of reach," Draco said. "I wouldn't mind. Chances are, he could do something for the wards that would give privacy if we feel like we need it."

Vekk nodded. "Good, very good," he said. "The two of you are exceptionally compatible. You infuse each other's wells?"

Draco felt the blush creep up his cheeks. "Yes," he answered. Last night had been the first time Harry did it to him. He had felt overwhelmed at first, but Harry had such precise control of his magic that he had adjusted everything until Draco was comfortable with what he had left behind.

"I would like to place a magic monitor on the two of you," Vekk said. "Then I need you to act normal for a week. Just do things you would do."

"Go ahead," Draco said. "I don't mind."

"Shirt off," Vekk said. He strapped a harness to Draco. "Don't take it off," he said.

Draco nodded. "As you say, Master," he said.

Vekk activated the device and check so his monitoring worked. "There we go," he said. "I will want to talk to about this more, but this is a good start."

Draco nodded slowly. He looked up as Harry walked up to the arch leading from the hallway to the living room. "We are done," he said. "Do you need to do any tests on Scorpius, Master Vekk?"

"No, I just need him to speak to Harry," Vekk said.

Scorpius looked at his dad as they walked in and sat down. "I should speak parseltongue?" he asked.

"Correct, youngling," Vekk said. He walked up to Harry to attach monitors to him.

"It is okay, Scorpius," Harry hissed. "Master Vekk wishes to test a few things. He wants to see what is reacting when you speak to me. Did Draco tell you we want to send you to school like Teddy?"

"Yes," Scorpius hissed. "Dad told me you had talked about it. It sounds scary, but Teddy says it is a lot of fun and Teddy and his friends will be there if kids are mean to me."

"That is right," Harry hissed. "Maybe you can make some friends of your own."

Scorpius smiled. "That would be kind of cool," he hissed. "And I could bring them home or…"

"Well, you need to talk more to Andromeda because we bring non-magical friends to Ferngale and that is Andromeda's home."

Scorpius nodded slowly. "I'm just worried grandma would be sad. Andy is nice. I shouldn't like her more than grandma, should I?"

"We will figure it out, Scorpius. Don't worry about it. Draco and I will handle it," Harry hissed. He did his best to bring the conversation over to what Scorpius would like to do with the rest of their summer instead.

Vekk tapped his devices and checked the result. He could see that Harry could hear the boy in the way they interacted. He doubted he could tap into that though, but there was something else that triggered, and he might be able to use the method he had in mind. He would have to check. "That's good enough," he said. "Harry, I want to attach a monitoring device to you. Take your shirt off," he said.

Harry pulled his shirt off.

"Angel, what happened to your shoulders?" Scorpius hissed. He walked up to Harry and touched one of the angry red marks. "Dad, what's wrong with angel's shoulders?" He looked up at his father.

"I'll get you a healing salve for those," Draco told Harry. Now he had to figure out what to tell his son. He returned a moment later and rubbed salve over the bites. He hadn't realised he bit quite so hard.

"You are infusing those too," Vekk commented. "The marks will stay as long as the magic remains." That was the kind of thing he needed to know, though. He needed to know how much these two mages affected each other in order to make devices that would work for them. He strapped a harness to Harry as well. "No taking that off," he said.

"Okay," Harry said. He pulled his shirt back on and kissed Draco. "How much damage control do we need to do?" he asked.

"I don't know," Draco said. "Teddy came in and pulled him outside."

"It's the damn rope marks all over again," Harry said. "Susan was never good at making sure I healed before Teddy could see them."

Draco snorted. He kissed Harry. "We'll figure it out," he said.

"I'll add a layer to the band that keeps children from seeing anything like that," Harry said. "I should have done that ages ago." He showed Master Vekk out and smiled as he felt Draco enter his lab again. At least they were getting somewhere. He sat down outside and tied a new bracelet to replace the one he had his prep spells in. He didn't mind the marks and knowing they could heal them fully, and the magic would cause them to continue showing just made him less inclined to hide them, but children didn't need to see them. Or non-magicals for that mater. He headed out to play with the boys once he was done.

Draco watched Harry play with their sons as he walked into the garden. He smiled softly. It had still been less than a month, but he didn't want to go back. He really should get rid of that flat. If Harry kicked him out, he would rather find another place than return there.

Harry walked away from the boys and headed up to Draco. "What is wrong? Your magic is acting up," he said.

"Just bad thoughts," Draco said. "I want to empty my flat out."

Harry smiled at him. "Then we do that," he said. "We'll help you if you want our help." He held Draco close. He could guess what Draco's bad thoughts were, and he wished he could tell him it wasn't going to happen. Words were not enough in this instance, though. "Do you guys want to come with us to Japan, by the way. I'm allowed a plus one and children. The requirement was that it was a serious relationship, and I am serious, seriously falling for you."

Draco laughed. "Oh, you are so hokey sometimes," he said. "How can you be, Lord Black?"

"Do you really want me to act like Lord Black at home, Draco," Harry asked. He shifted his posture and Draco felt the shift in his magic as it ran cool around him. He doubted most people could feel the difference as obviously as he did, but he felt it quite clearly. His eyes widened as Harry leaned in to kiss him. He was breathing heavily as Harry moved back. "Your magic has changed entirely," he whispered. He watched as Harry relaxed again, and his magic returned to normal. "What did you do?"

Harry smiled. "I had to dig a little to prove that I had the right to lead this house," he said. "What you interact with and all of my well are two very different things."

Draco nodded slowly. "I want to see all of you," he whispered.

"Come watch me fight Neville next time," Harry said. He hugged Draco.

"You two duel?" Draco asked. Two mages duelling sounded like it would be rather dangerous. He would love to see it, though. "If you will have us, we would love to go with you to the wedding," he said, remembering Harry's question.