Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

You're My Home	By : Keladry1n100 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 16394 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters related to the fandom! JK Rowling owns it all. I also am not making any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
A/N: Hey ya'll! Thank you Thank you SOO much for the reviews! They are truly encouraging. I really hope this next chapter will make you all just as happy. I'll admit I have struggled with thsi latest chapter. I've started and scraped most or all it's contents at one point or another as I've been writing it. Now I feel like I've finally been able to create this chapter just right.
Reviews are much appreciated. Constructive Crits and just Happy thoughts are always appreciated too.
Enjoy you guys!
Chapter 9

~~~~~

            It came as no surprise when the papers where plastered with news of Harry and Draco’s ‘elopement’. Harry had no doubt that the wizarding populace had an enormous amount to say about it as they always did when it came to his life but he was thankful that Kingsley had contacted him and they’d been able to discuss ways to deter fan mail, or hate mail in Draco’s case from reaching the family. Harry hated the thought of being bombarded with other people’s opinions of his life. The little family had split their Easter Holiday off between Malfoy Manor and Harry’s house. Partly because Narcissa wanted to go over details for the party and partly because Harry felt that the boys needed some time in the home that they grew up in so they could unwind a bit. Harry’s coma had made them a bit emotional and clingy towards the man and he needed them to reset themselves. Being in their real home made that possible.
            The Friday before they were to return to school, Draco decided to have some one on one time with Teddy. He’d discussed it with Harry and Harry gave him the perfect opportunity by taking Ciel to get his hair cut, which the boy was not at all excited about. Having those two gone, Draco suggested the he and Teddy go to the park near by. Teddy was excited to spend time alone with Draco. They’d spent the afternoon playing at the park and feeding the birds which fascinated Teddy to no end. Draco had brought a small bag of seed with them and the two took turns throwing the seed onto the ground. After some time, Draco leaned back in his seat and looked at the boy.
            “Teddy, I have something that I’d like to talk to you about.”
            “What is it Papa?” Teddy asked, tossing a small handful of seed onto the ground.
            “Well,” The man took a deep breath, “With your dad and I being properly married and all, I thought it might be about time for all of us to be a proper family.” He kept his face calm and steady as he watched Teddy turn to lock eyes with him.
            “I dont understand Papa. I thought we were a proper family. Me and Ciel have both Daddy and you now.”
            “That’s not quite true. Your Dad told you that you were born with a different mother and father did he not?”
            Teddy nodded with a small frown, “Yes. He said that they were amazing people and they died for an important reason.”
            Nodding his head, Draco continued, “That’s correct. And after that, Harry decided to adopt you so that you would rightfully belong to a family. I was wondering if you would consider, rightfully belonging to my family as well and allow me to adopt you as my own.” The sound of birds chirping hung in the air and the 5 year old contemplated Draco’s words.
            “Does Ciel belong to your family?” The boy asked.
            “Yes he does,” Draco shifted to look at Teddy better, “That’s because he lived inside Harry’s tummy for a while.”
            “But I didn’t live in Daddy’s tummy. So I dont belong to your family.” Teddy was smart but this particular subject seemed to stump him a bit.
            Resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder, Draco smiled warmly, “You could belong to my family. I would love to truly claim you as my own son if you’d be willing.” This statement brought a faint blush to the boy’s face as he contemplated Draco’s words once again. Even though the boy knew this to be true, once Draco had come into their lives it hadn’t really occurred to him that he didn’t belong to Draco just as much as Ciel did. And he desperately wanted to belong to Draco. He saw the man as his other father and he didn’t want to let him go. His tiny hand came up and fisted itself in Draco’s sleeve.
            Draco couldn’t help but smile happily when big hopeful eyes turned up at him. The boy nodded his head shyly. “How can I be in your family Papa?”
            “There is a spell that will bring you into my family once and for all. Would you be willing to partake in the spell?”
            “What does partake mean?” The question made Draco chuckle. Sighing softly, Draco looked around them to see if there was anybody around. At first he thought that they might as well do it here but after a second he decided otherwise.
            “Partake means that you join in on something. So what do you think. Would you like me to cast the spell that’ll make you part of my family?” The boy nodded enthusiastically. He held out a hand to the boy, which Teddy immediately took. “Ok. Lets go home. It would be better to do this where we can both be comfortable.” Together the two walked home where Harry was waiting for them. Harry greeted each of them as they entered the house.
            “So?” Harry asked softly, looking between the two.
            Draco shrugged his shoulders, “He agreed. So I thought it would be good to do this here in his home.” Harry smiled at the statement.
            “Ok. I’m here if you need it. I dropped Ciel off at daycare so he wouldn’t be in the way.” He cast a knowing glance at the two, “This wont be the easiest process ever. You dont want him underfoot.” Harry knelt down so he could look Teddy in the eyes. “Teddy, this isn’t going to be easiest thing you’ve experienced ok? It’s going to hurt a little. But it wont hurt for long.”
            The boy became very concerned at the mention of pain, “It’s going to hurt? Why does it hurt?” He looked between Draco and Harry, searching for answers.
            Harry ran a hand through the boy’s hair, “It won’t hurt for long. It hurts because the magic has to go through your whole body and place the Malfoy mark into your very being. This allows the Malfoy family line to recognize you are their own. You and I did this once before but you were too young to remember. Are you still willing to do this? It will only last a few moments and that’s it.”
            It took a few moments before Teddy nodded in head. His eyes were still wide with a hint of fear, but it was quickly replaced by a look that had been displayed on Harry’s face on more than one occasion. Determination grew stronger and stronger in the boy until he looked completely certain that this is what he wanted. “What do I have to do?” The question made both of the adults smile brightly. Draco led the whole family into the living room where he sat down and made himself comfortable.
            “Come sit down Teddy.” The boy quickly came over and sat down next to Draco. “That’s a good boy,” He looked at Harry who sat in a chair opposite the two. He was there for support and that was it. Draco would have to facilitate this adoption process, otherwise it wouldn’t work. Harry watched as Draco took out his wand and made a small cut on the palm of his hand. Draco looked at Teddy with encouragement. “Teddy I have to make a small cut on your hand,” He held out his hand for the other boy, “It wont hurt much.” When Teddy placed his hand in Draco’s palm side up, Draco made the small cut. Once that was done, Draco placed the cut he made on himself on top of the one he made on Teddy’s hand. He took a deep breath and made sure that Teddy was looking him straight in the eye. “This is where the hard part comes in Teddy. If you dont want this, then this wont work. Are you sure you are willing to become a part of my family by blood?”
            “Yes.” Came the definitive answer, “I really want this Papa.”
            Seeing the look in the boy’s eye gave the man the courage to go on. He honestly wasn’t very fond of pain himself. Plainly put he was a coward when it came to pain. But this is something that he wanted and he really wanted to make their little family as legitimate as possible. Closing his eyes he gripped Teddy’s hand tightly and muttered the spell that would forever claim Teddy as his own.
               “Sánguinis mei pater medetur percutit tecum recipiam vos et domus mea in sempiternum” Light shown from their hands as their blood mixed and reentered each other’s body. Magic continued to mix their blood and violently coursed through each and every vein to bind their blood together. Their blood wasn’t the only thing that mixed however. Their pained cry also mingled in the room but neither of them could let go of the other’s hand. Draco ground his teeth as he tried to relax through it all, having found a long time ago that if one fought the pain it would inevitably be worse. Sweat beaded and dropped from their faces as the magic did it’s work. When it seemed like their bodies were burning alive and that it would never stop, it all ended. It left the two panting heavily and completely soaked in sweat. Draco opened the eyes he’d forgotten he’d closed. Teddy was slouched against the back of the couch.
            “Harry…” Draco reached for the man who immediately took his hand. Harry ran a hand through the blonde’s hair and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. Then Harry turned his attention to Teddy who seemed to have passed out. He sat behind him and pulled Teddy back so that he was resting against his chest. Slowly, Harry began to rock with the boy in his arms. He started muttering how brave he thought Teddy was and how much he loved the boy. It was quite some time before any of them could really move, except for Harry rocking the boy. When Draco found the strength to move, he pulled Teddy from Harry’s lap and into his own. From there he hugged the boy tightly.
            Teddy moaned lightly and lightly pushed Draco away, “You’re hurting me Papa.” His voice was soft and clearly exhausted. Draco chuckled and loosened his grasp on the boy.
            “That’s right.” Draco mused aloud, “I’m your Papa now.” His eyes flickered up to where Harry sat. The man was curled up on his side of the couch with an incredibly wide smile on his face. It was enough to make Draco roll his eyes. “I could use some tea please.” Draco stated with fake annoyance. His only reaction from the man was a laugh before he got up to do as Draco asked.

~~~~~

            Upon the blood adoption ceremony, they were promptly informed by Narcissa that the boy had officially be added to the Malfoy family records. Though Teddy continued to stay his adorable quiet self, there were subtle changes in the boy over the weeks that followed the adoption. His eyes became a little more vibrant, his smile became a bit more freely given and every chance he got he made sure he stuck close to Draco. It was as if he was excited to call the man his own yet scared he would leave all at the same time.
            As the month ended, Draco took it upon himself to plan and execute Teddy’s birthday party. The boy’s birthday was on the 25th of April which happened to be a Saturday so Draco planned to host the party on that day. He received a list of friends from Harry, though the list was rather small. The majority of Teddy’s friends were muggle so Harry convinced Draco to keep magic out of the party and they would have a more magical party with family only. Since the boy seemed to be interested in animals of different kinds, Draco made contacts with the nearest zoo and rented out the whole park for Teddy and his friends.
            They had long since decided that the boy’s werewolf father had given the boy the unique ability to connect with animals in such a way that most wizards, witches and muggles weren’t capable of. So while at school Harry had convinced the elves to take the boys for a ‘field trip’ every now and then and take them down to Hagrid’s where he introduced the boys to various harmless magical creatures. And when Teddy’s birthday party rolled around, Hermione, Draco and Harry took the boys along with 7 of Teddy’s muggle friends to the zoo where they spent the whole day exploring. Draco paid for the zoo attendants to allow the boys to have a ‘meet-and-greet’ with some of the harmless animals that they kept there. Many of which were babies that had not quite gotten the idea that they could be dangerous as of yet. Needless to say, the zoo party was a huge hit with the kids. Teddy had a fantastic time and he thoroughly enjoyed meeting different animals.
            The following day, they had a more intimate party at Malfoy Manor. Narcissa invited all of Teddy’s family to the Manor so they could through another birthday celebration for him there. The party was a bit awkward at first, for George and Andromeda had been invited. But Narcissa was able to be a courteous and gracious hostess to all who were invited. She made an honest effort to get to know those with whom she’s had bad dealings with in the past. She’d understood upon inviting all of her guests that these were the ones that Draco considered part of his family, whether that be intimate or extended family. And she wanted to be a part of that. The night went smoothly despite the moments of awkwardness and she was even able to convince Draco and his family to stay the night and head back to Hogwarts the following morning.

~~~~~

            After Teddy’s birthday parties, Narcissa went to work on planning the party that they would use to introduce Harry and the children as Malfoys to their social circle. She decided it would be a Spring Gala, that way the men and herself could decide on how best to broach the subject on how to present themselves. The men had already decided that this would be an event where they come clean about their situation, about the nature of Ciel’s birth and the marriage that they hadn’t realized resulted from his conception. They figured it would be the best time to clear up all the rumors that were running around thanks to the Daily Prophet. It would also be used to formally introduce Harry and the boys as Malfoys. They had thought about announcing that they were going to hold a vow renewal but then they decided that they just wanted close family and friends to attend. So they would leave that announcement for another time. It was also decided that Draco and Harry would not release the news of their current pregnancy until Harry was no longer teaching at Hogwarts.
            Narcissa decided that they would invite not only those of their social standing, but also those that were important to Harry. It was decided that the party would start early enough that the boys could attend but after a time they would be taken away so they would not have to put up with too much for one evening. Harry had asked and was given permission to ask the elves at Hogwarts if they would be willing to take the boys a short time away from the party and keep them occupied while Draco and Harry attend the party. Of course the elves agreed whole heartedly. Narcissa was insistent that the whole family get new outfits for the occasion so Harry and Draco made sure that they made time to visit a highly recommended wizarding tailor with whom Narcissa recommended. Both men decided to go with designs that were fitted. The tailor that they worked with was sworn to secrecy as with each week that passed, Harry’s baby bump had become large enough that he couldn’t pass it off as having eaten a large lunch. It looked as if someone had a put a small-medium melon inside of his stomach.
            Harry be been curious as to why he was so large so soon but Jagra had only said that it most likely because Harry had been pregnant before. Most of his thoughts on the matter were completely based on female pregnancies, as Jagra had yet to find any records of a male pair becoming pregnant twice. And it wasn’t uncommon for the bump to seem bigger upon a female’s second pregnancy. When Jagra had performed an exam, all he could tell was that the baby was healthy. Jagra couldn’t tell much else due to the large amount of magical energy coursing through Harry’s body.
            Upon signing a contract that the tailor would stay quiet about the pregnancy until it was announced, he was able to spell the garment he made for Harry to adjust with the growth of his baby bump. It would still be fitted but it would expand to stay fitted without being too tight. And when Harry placed his glamour spells on himself the garment looked as if he had never become pregnant. Harry was extremely thankful to the man and made sure they gave him a generous tip for his hard work. The tailor even made two sets of muggle tuxedos for the boys. The tailor made them so that there would be room to let them out a bit as these would be worn by the boys twice within a few months. Harry convinced Draco to go with the muggle style of tuxedo for the boys because it was not only cheaper but they would be able to wear it to any function that their muggle friends might invite them to if there was a formal occasion for it.
            When Narcissa was sending out the invitations, Draco made sure that she sent out an invitation to a specific person and their family. She inquired as to why this particular family needed an invitation but Draco only shrugged his shoulders and requested that an invitation be sent. Other than the invitations and getting their new wardrobe settled, Harry and Draco left all the details to Narcissa. She determined all the food choices, the music, the decorations and the logistics of the whole thing. For the two weekend prior to the party, she made Harry and Hermione come to the Manor where she put them through proper high society manners and etiquette. Hermione had been a person Harry had insisted be there at both the lessons and the party. Partially because he felt he needed a backup in case he was ostracized by the highbrow people. And since Harry had to do these lessons he insisted that Hermione had to as well. But of course, by the second weekend he had decided that having Hermione partake in these lessons was a bad idea. She’d gotten everything learned and memorized by the end of the first weekend. At this point she was only taking the second weekend of lessons to humor him and to help Narcissa out.
            Surprisingly enough, Narcissa and Hermione seemed to form an interesting friendship. They argued and debated over customs and rights but in the end they learned about each other’s backgrounds and tried to see from the other’s point of view. The more time they spent together, the more they talked and the more Narcissa asked Hermione about her opinion of various aspects of the party. Harry and Draco were surprised by the friendship to say the least but they didn’t say anything to dissuade it either, finding that the two were able to open each other up to a more diverse influence. Narcissa also seemed to sympathize to the woman after hearing of her relationship and recent divorce with the youngest Weasley son. With the help of Hermione, Narcissa was able to pull a party together that she was going to be very proud of.

~~~~~

            It was decided that the party would be held at 7pm on a Friday in late May. It was a bit late for a Spring Gala but it was as early as Narcissa could make the party and plan appropriately. The weather seemed to have gotten an invite, for the day was a beautiful spring day with the temperature being a happy medium between warm and cool, and there was a light breeze that teased the leaves on the trees. White fluffy clouds lazily traversed over a rich blue backdrop. Elves were bustling around the Manor placing the appropriate decorations here and there. Narcissa had decided to go with a color scheme that included light blues, pinks, greens and silvers. Tables had been set up throughout the Manor but the majority of them were placed around the edges of the Ballroom and on the terrace. Narcissa decided to use the Innocence Opal Blue dinning set for all the dinnerware during the party. Since there were quite a few people, Narcissa had also decided that dinner would be held in the ballroom which would make socializing a bit easier as people could walk around and talk more than in the dinning room. The tables used in the Ballroom were round with white tablecloths, light blue napkins, and a full dinner setting. And each table had a somewhat extravagant centerpiece. They had a 4 foot high heavily branched tree that was speckled with light pink flowers and floating candles. Even now and then a pink flower would come loose and float onto the table where it sat for a minute before disappearing and reappearing back on the tree branch. The base of each tree was surrounded by smaller centerpieces of white roses and blue hydrangeas. A live band and orchestra were set up towards the front where large bay windows that looked out upon the back gardens.
            The tables on the terrace were tall bistro style tables with light blue table clothes. These were set with small appetizer plates and were decorated with a small centerpiece. The centerpiece was a square glass dish that tapered a bit towards the base and inside were placed enough pink Juliette Roses to fill the square container. Above it floated small tea candles. It was a simple and intimate display. On one side of the terrace there was a table that sported the same decorations as the bistro tables but this table held food and drinks for the guests who wished to spend time outside. There was a door off to the side of the terrace that allowed guests to go in and out of the Ballroom.
            At the start of the party, Harry and Draco were in Draco’s old bedroom doing the last minute touches on their outfits. Harry was dressed in black slacks, a white dress shirt mostly covered by a black and blue brocade vest with large lapels and it had two rows of buttons down the center. It was topped off but a long black brocade coat that had coattails that nearly reached the floor. There were silver buttons on the cuffs and a few decorative silver buttons on the lapels. Draco on the other hand was wearing black slacks with an almost matte black over robe. There was a difference in the design where there were large segments of the same fabric bordered by two smaller pieces that angled from the point of the shoulders down into the armpits. Another piece of bordering was laid into the midsection of the over robe. It gave the over robe a fained sense that there was a vest involved, even though that wasn’t the case. At the center, the over robe tapered out to reveal the pants whenever Draco moved. Each side tapered down to a point. The sleeves came down to almost where it would begin to cover his thumb. It was a simple yet breath taking design and when worn by Draco it gave the air of intimidation, particularly with his long hair straightened and gelled into order.
            Harry was looking at himself in the mirror to make sure that his baby bump was completely hidden by glamours. He by no means want their pregnancy to be found out tonight even though they were going to come clean about their situation in general. As he was fidgeting with his vest, Draco came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his husband.
            “Harry stop worry about it. You can’t even tell you’re pregnant. Rather disappointing if you ask me.” He smiled warmly at the man. Harry had been constantly bombarded with morning sickness over the last couple weeks and he’d gained a bunch of weight that made him feel incredibly self conscious. He was good about not letting his uncertainty or how tired he had become show but Draco could tell. The man’s eyes became slightly dim when he had become too exhausted. He made sure to plant a kiss on Harry’s lips every time they had to separate as well as every time they came around each other again. Also he would constantly tell Harry how gorgeous he was and coaxed the man into having sex whenever he could. Every chance he got, Draco wooed Harry. And when that exhaustion became too much for the man, Draco did whatever he could to allow Harry the rest he needed.
            The man smiled and rolled his eyes, “You know it’s for the best. It will be enough of a shock when we tell them that we are Ciel’s biological parents. Let’s not completely blow their brains by showing them how pregnant I am right now.” He stopped fidgeting with his vest and leaned back against Draco’s chest, “Do we have to do this?” his voice was practically a whine.
            It made the blonde chuckle, “Suck it up. We are doing this and you are going to smile and have a good time. We are going to eat dinner, socialize, announce our official marriage and introduce you all as official members of the Malfoy family, then we will socialize some more and then I’m going to pull you out onto the dance floor and I will dance with you. When the night is over, I’m going to drag you up to this bedroom,” Draco pulled down the collar of Harry’s vest and lightly kissed the man’s neck, “And I will undress you and make love to you in our bed.” Draco opened his mouth and gently bit down on Harry’s neck. He bit and suckled the skin until a bruise was sure to appear. Leaning back, he admired his work before fixing Harry’s collar so the bruise wouldn’t show. When he looked up, Harry was watching him through the mirror. Draco smiled his most winning smile.
            “Why must you do that?” Harry asked with a defeated sigh.
            “Do what?” Draco asked innocently.
            “You know what. You take too much pride in putting hickeys on my neck.”
            “Of course I do,” Draco laughed, “I like placing a claim on a spot where people can see it.”
            “My students like to tease me about it you know.” Harry complained.
            “They are just jealous that they aren’t you.”
            Harry rolled his eyes, “So you’re saying they are jealous that they dont have you as a partner?”
            Silver eyes glistened, “Who wouldn’t want to be pinned down with my cock between their legs?”
            The statement nearly made Harry choke on air, his face flushing furiously, “Merlin Draco!!! Did you HAVE to say it like that?” Yet, despite Harry’s embarrassment, he couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up inside of him. Draco felt Harry’s body relax in his arms which made him smile happily.
            “What’s wrong? I’ve said much worse to you.” The words were practically a purr.
            The brunette squirmed a bit in Draco’s arms. “Yes I know but it’s different when you really are between my legs.”
            Silver eyes rolled, “Since when have you become such a prude? Come one,” Draco kissed Harry’s ear, “You know it’s true.” He turned Harry around and coaxed the man into a playful kiss. It wasn’t long until that playful kiss turned into a deeper one, tongues dances and explored. Harry’s arms came up to wrap around Draco’s neck while Draco’s arms wrapped around Harry’s waist. The perk of Harry’s glamours were not only that they made it appear that Harry wasn’t pregnant at all but it also allowed Draco the ability to pull the brunette in closer than he’d been able to in weeks. It was passionate without going overboard and it wasn’t long until they got completely lost in the other.
            “Don’t bother them!” came a suddenly loud whisper, shattering the little world they’d drifted off into, “I like seeing them this way.”
            “So do I.” Came another loud whisper, “Seeing Papa love Daddy is fun. Daddy gets happier.”
            “Shh! You’re going to bother them Ciel!”
            Harry and Draco stopped kissing and rested their foreheads together as they listened to their children try to converse discreetly. Locking eyes, they couldn’t help but smile. Obviously they didn’t do a good job at keeping their semi-major displays of affection away from prying eyes. Sighing, Harry pulled away and both men looked over towards their bedroom door. In the doorway stood Narcissa holding the hands of Ciel and Teddy. Both boys were covering their mouths and giggling upon their fathers looking at them. Narcissa smiled with one skillfully shaped eyebrow raised expectantly. Draco sighed heavily, letting go of Harry with one hand so he could turn and face their audience but keeping his other arm possessively wrapped around Harry’s waist.
            “Can we help you?” He asked, slightly annoyed that they’d been interrupted.
            “Yes you can in fact,” Narcissa stated with amusement, “You both are required downstairs to attend your guests which have started to arrive. That is, if you two could be convinced to step away from each other long enough to do so.” She nearly laughed aloud when Harry’s face reddened.
            “Of course Narcissa. Thank you. We will come with you.” Harry stepped away from Draco but didn’t proceed until he had grasped Draco’s hand. The man looked over towards the blonde and upon seeing the encouragement in those silver eyes, he smiled and lead the way out into the hall. When they joined the trio at their door, all of them made their way downstairs. To Harry’s immense excitement, the first person they ran into was Hermione. One look at her and Harry knew that if he was at all interested in women he would have seriously considered dating her. She looked absolutely gorgeous. The dress she wore was an rich deep blue with somewhat thin straps and decorative loose straps that hung off the shoulders. The neck line was low with a significant plunge at the cleavage. Then there was a provocatively teasing slit in the gown that went nearly all the way up her left thigh though it was covered by a blue sheer fabric that also had a slit in it. Her curly hair had been expertly wrangled into an up-do that allowed her curls to cascade down in an elegant and beautiful way. Harry let go of Draco’s hand and walked up to the witch.
            “Hermione!” The two hugged, “You look absolutely beautiful! Turn for me.” Blushing profusely, Hermione turned and allowed her best friend to get a good look at her.
            “Does it look ok? Narcissa insisted that she dress me for the evening.” The witch looked nervous and bit uncomfortable with the whole outfit.
            Harry nodded enthusiastically, “Hermione, of course it looks ok!” he looked over at Narcissa, “You have fantastic taste.”
            The older woman beamed, “Thank you Harry. I thought it would be beneficial to spruce her up a bit for the evening.” She gazed at Hermione approvingly, “Now you two,” Her attention turned to the other adults, “I know I told you to come greet your guests but I will greet the guests at the door as I am hostess. Behave yourselves. Enjoy yourselves. Walk around and socialize.” She gave each man the hand of one of their sons and instead took Hermione’s hand and tugged her towards the front door, “Come Hermione. We will start training you on proper hostess etiquette. First we must greet our guests and in your case introduce you to them.” The two of them walked away from Harry and Draco without a second glance.
            Emerald eyes narrowed a fraction as Harry watched them disappear around a corner before turning to Draco, “What is she playing at?” The question was filled with curiosity and suspicion.
            Draco smirked mischievously, “Mother is playing match maker if I’m not mistaken. She has told me before that she’s taken a liking to Hermione. Mother likes her mind, her mannerisms, and her overall personality so she has apparently decided to forget the witch’s lineage and start finding her what my mother will deem a proper husband.”
            Harry chuckled, tossing a sympathetic glance towards the direction the two women had gone off in, “I feel a little bad for Hermione. She doesn’t stand a chance.”
            “Not in the slightest,” Draco opened his mouth to say more when there was a tug on his hand. He looked down into golden brown eyes. “Whats the matter Teddy?”
            “Can we go outside?? It’s hot.” And it really did look like the little boy was cooking in his tux.
            “Sure. I dont see why we can’t do that.” He squeezed the boy’s hand and all four of them made their way outside. As soon as the two stepped out into the early evening air, the boys audibly sighed as the cooler air and light breeze tugged their lapels. Harry came up beside Draco and the two shared a look before they let go of their children’s hands.
            “Why dont you two go run around a bit out in the lawn?” Draco suggested.
            Two sets of eyes looked excitedly at their papa before bolting out down the terrace stairs and into the open lawn that buffered the house from the gardens. They tore off their tux jackets and left them piled on the ground as they began a game of tag. While the two young ones played, Draco and Harry stood watching while holding each other’s hand. As they watched, some of the evening’s guests came out onto the terrace.       When the guests started coming out onto the terrace, Draco and Harry called in their small brood of children and helped them put on their coats once again. When the first two guests approached them, Draco smiled pleasantly and held out his hand.
            “Good evening Mr and Mrs. Emsworth. Thank you for coming” He shook hands with the older gentleman and then took the hand of the woman and placed a small kiss on her hand.
            “Good evening Draco. Thank you for inviting us.”
            “You’re mother did a truly wonderful job decorating the Manor for this evening.” The woman had warm eyes and a light honey voice. She turned her eyes towards Harry and offered him her hand, which the man immediately took and kissed. “You must be the man everyone is talking about.”
            “Yes ma’am. My name is Harry Potter.”
            “Is it true Draco?” Mr. Emsworth asked curiously, “Have you two eloped?”
            “We plan on giving a large announcement to everyone but just between us,” Draco leaned in towards the couple, “We were married over 5 years ago.” His statement shocked the couple. They were so shocked that they couldn’t speak for moments on end. That is until Mrs. Emsworth coughed lightly and turned her eyes towards Harry.
            “Well then, if this is true then please Mr. Potter, call me Cassie. This old man over here is Artem.” She tapped Artem’s shoulder.
            “Thank you Cassie. It would please me if you’d call me Harry in return.” Harry’s face glowed at the surprisingly warm exchange between him and these people who clearly wore money as if it were a daisy plucked from the sidewalk.
            “Artem and Cassie live not too far from here,” Draco chimed in, “they use to come over to the Manor all the time.”
            “My wife used to like making clothes for Draco here when he was young.” Artem commented with a smile.
            “I do adore dressing up children. I used to be a seamstress. Making children’s clothing was my favorite thing to do, though I did many other things as well.” Cassie chuckled. The woman’s eyes sparkled, “If the paper is anything to go by, you have two children Harry. Is that true?”
            Nodding, Harry turned and around to find his boys looking longingly at the table set up with various treats. “Boys!” Harry called. Teddy and Ciel reluctantly turned away from the table and came over to stand beside Harry. “Cassie, Artem, these are our sons Ciel and Teddy. Boys say hello.”
            Two shy ‘Hello’s’ came from the boys as they looked up at the unfamiliar adults. Cassie covered her mouth with one of her hands in surprise. Ciel’s hair was often a sight for surprise. Particularly with those who knew Draco.
            “Draco! This one looks just like you.” The awe in her voice made Draco smile.
            “Yes. Ciel is our youngest. Teddy here is our eldest.”
            Artem gazed at the boys with a slight puzzled look in his eyes. Cassie pulled out her wand and conjured up some butterflies that came and landed on top of their heads. The boys smiled and giggled and when each raised hands to touch the butterflies, the butterflies lifted themselves into the air and flew around until the boys were too focused on chasing after the butterflies rather than on their nervousness upon standing for inspection. Harry smiled after the boys.
            “How did you two come by a child like that? It must have been extremely difficult finding a child with hair like that.” Artem asked.
            Harry internally sighed, he had to get used to this question. It seemed to come up wherever he went.
            “We didn’t Artem.” Draco chimed in. He extended an arm and wrapped it around Harry’s waist, “Harry and I are Ciel’s biological parents.”
            Artem’s hazel eyes and Cassie’s light green eyes lit up and sparkled upon this confession.
            “Blimey!” Artem exclaimed excitedly, “Congratulations Draco! Harry! I’m happy for you”
            “What about the other boy?” Cassie asked, “Is he not biologically yours?”
            Harry shook his head, “His biological parents were close friends on mine. Unfortunately they died in the war so we both decided to adopt him as our own.” As he said this, he noticed the woman’s eyes become thoughtful and calculating.
            “Mmm.”
            Artem glanced over at the woman, “Uh oh Harry. She’s scheming. Just wait. She’ll be coming over with cookies and clothes for your boys if you’re not careful.” His words were serious but his tone was teasing. It pulled a blush out of the woman.
            “It’s true.” She confessed. It brought a chuckle out of all the men.
            “I’m sure they both would like more friends.” Harry said.
            “Draco!” the voice brought Draco’s head around. With a barely audible sigh, Draco turned back to the group.
            “Duty calls. We’ll talk more later Artem, Cassie” Draco held out his hand to Harry, “Harry?” Smiling softly, Harry took his hand and the two of them turned to greet the newcomer. For the next hour, Draco and Harry made the rounds, introducing Harry as Draco’s husband and the boys as official Malfoy children. They’d honestly discussed making a large announcement but before they knew it, they ended up telling each guest their story every single time since none of them were willing to wait until the announcement. They got mixed reactions from everyone, some were thrilled while others turned up their noses at Harry’s offered hand. Harry decided to push those who disagreed with their family dynamic from his mind. He wouldn’t let their tight panties ruin his happiness. Besides, the party was no more than a formality than asking the group of witches and wizards for permission.
            It only took an hour before the boys began to get grumpy. When that time came around, Harry summoned one of the elves and requested that they take the boys up to the nursery and keep them company. When bedtime would come around, Draco and Harry would take some time away from the party and make sure the boys were put to bed. Harry had insisted on it. When dinner was being served, everyone converged in the ballroom. Draco took it upon himself to thank all the guests for coming and to enjoy their time at the party. Draco and Harry sat with Narcissa and Artem and Cassie along with a few other couples at their table. That included Hermione and a gentlemen that she’d been talking with for most of the evening. He was dressed in a black suite with a red tie and red vest.
            Draco couldn’t help but chuckle when the two sat down at their table. He held out a hand towards the man.
            “Travis. I didn’t see you come in.”
            “Good to see you Draco. As soon as I walked in the door, your mother whisked me off and introduced me to this fine young woman here.” Stunning blue eyes turned to gaze at Hermione. It made the woman blush.
            Upon Harry’s curious raise of an eyebrow, Draco explained, “Travis here was a childhood friend of mine. However, instead of going to Hogwarts his parents decided to send him to Durmstrang. He’s two years ahead of us. He’s been working with his family in the publishing business. And if I remember correctly, you just became the chief editor.”
            “That’s correct. I did.”
            The men continued to talk about Travis’ accomplishments while Harry leaned over to Hermione who sat next to him and whispered.
            “Narcissa seems to have found you a good match.” He teased.
            “She’s definitely been trying to match me up with someone since this party started.” She whispered back, “But…” Sparkling eyes glanced at Travis, “I would like to get to know him a little more. What do you think?”
            “My opinion is that Draco smiled and greeted the man happily. So if nothing else he’s got to be a good guy right?”
            “You two! Stop whispering over there. If you’ve got something to say let the rest of us in on the dirt!” Artem teased, his comment immediately pulling to the two friends apart.
            “Oh Artem. Leave them be!” Cassie chided. From that point on the group talked and teased all throughout dinner. Harry learned that Travis read books as a hobby which is why he had decided to go to work for his family and that his parents had been invited but they had already planned a trip overseas at the time the invite had been received. Travis was quite passionate about traveling to various ruins and historical landmarks, both wizarding and muggle. And he happily admitted that his work gave him the opportunity to do just that on a regular basis. Numerous times him and Hermione got into either a very rounded discussion or a friendly debate over one topic or another and when this happened the rest of the table ignored them and continued with conversations of their own. It wasn’t until dinner was finished that an elf popped into the room right next to Harry and Draco.
            “Excuse me Mister Potter, Mister Malfoy,” Manky bowed deeply, “But the young ones be ready for bed and wish they say goodnight.”
            Harry picked up the napkin on his lap and folded it neatly before placing it on the table. “Thank you Manky. We will be right up.” With another bow, Manky disappeared.
            “That’s right. I heard that you had gone and adopted some boys Draco. Good for you!” Travis seemed genuinely pleased.
            “Draco only adopted one of them,” Hermione said with a smile, she turned and looked at her best friend, “Go. I’ll explain.” The subtle relieved sigh Harry gave at not having to explain their situation yet again did not go unnoticed by the woman.
            “Thank you Hermione.” Draco chimed in, and stood up, “If you all will excuse us, we will only be a moment.” He held his hand out to Harry, which the man instantly took. Together they left the Ballroom and headed up the main staircase towards the children’s bedroom. When they entered, the boys were already snuggled in their bed with Maka curled up on the end of Teddy’s bed. While Harry sat on the edge of Teddy’s bed, Draco went and sat on Ciel’s.
            “Papa is the party almost over?” Ciel asked sleepily. Draco ran a head through the blonde’s hair and placed a kiss on the boy’s forehead.
            “Not yet. But it’ll be over by the time you wake up.”
            “What about all those people? Some of them didn’t like us.” Teddy commented, warm brown eyes shadowed with concern.
            Harry couldn’t help but smile, “Dont you worry about that Teddy. It’s not you that they dislike. It’s me. They have certain ideals and in their minds, I dont fit those ideals.” That explanation seemed to worry the boy even more.
            “How can they not like us? I dont understand.”
            “It’s not important that you do.” Harry kissed Teddy’s forehead, “All that you need to understand is that your parents, your friends and your family love you very much. The rest we can discuss at another time if you really want to.” Harry tucked the boy under the covers and placed one more kiss on his forehead. He then switched places with Draco and kissed his youngest goodnight.
            “Ok Daddy.” Teddy resigned.
            “Goodnight Papa, Daddy” Ciel and Teddy said at the same time.
            “Goodnight boys” Draco said.
            “Goodnight” Harry said.
            Draco and Harry took a moment to stand next to each other and watch their children drift off to sleep. Harry leaned into the man standing beside him and wrapped an arm around the man’s waist. In response, Draco’s arm came up and wrapped around Harry’s shoulders. The only sounds in the room were the soft snores of the children, otherwise a comfortable silence fell between them.
            “We should probably go back to the party.” Draco commented after a time. He looked over at Harry, his forehead knitted together. “Or maybe we shouldn’t” Draco realized that he’d been spending so much time greeting and socializing with everyone that he hadn’t quite realized how big of a toll this party might have on his husband. Harry’s face looked a little tight his mouth and his eyes had dimmed with the tell tale sign that he was getting tired and to add to all of that the man’s shoulders were sagged a bit.
            “What do you mean?” Harry asked, turned to gaze up at Draco.
            “Meaning,” He broke free of Harry’s grasp and cradled Harry’s face in his hands to get a better look at the man, “Maybe I should be putting you to bed.”
            “Nonsense!” Harry laughed, waving Draco’s hands off, “I’m fine. I’ve got more juice left in me for a little bit more. Besides, you said that you were going to push me around the dance floor did you not?” Emerald eyes danced at the thought.
            “You shouldn’t over work yourself Harry. Your eggs need you to stay rested.” Maka hissed from her spot on Teddy’s bed. Harry rolled his eyes at the snake and turned towards her.
            “We’ve discussed this Maka, I am only carrying one child. And I’m glad Draco can’t understand you. He doesn’t need to know that you two are teaming up against me.”
            “It would be helpful if your mate understood. You dont like to listen.”
            Harry chuckled, feeling Draco’s hand take hold of his robe. “What is she saying?”
            “You dont need to know.” Harry said with another wave his hand. “Come on. I wanted to dance with my husband in front of everyone. Will you deny me my dance?” He grabbed Draco’s hand and pulled the man downstairs. When they entered the Ballroom, most everyone was already on the dance floor, including Hermione and Travis. The band was playing a song that people could do a slowish swing to and those on the dance floor seemed to be having a great time. Harry stopped a second to watch his best friend. He knew one thing was for certain and that Hermione was not that skilled on the dance floor. Whether that was for lack of trying or otherwise, Harry didn’t know. But upon watching her partner, Harry deemed that Travis knew his way around the dance floor. And he was skilled enough to nearly seamlessly guide Hermione through various steps in the dances. It warmed his heart a little when she stumbled and he was patient and stopped their dancing to show her how to do a step or two before trying the move again. She wouldn’t be the witch Harry grew up knowing if her brow wasn’t furrowed slightly in concentration as she tried her best to learn the steps. But when she seemed to get it, her face lit up and she looked breathtaking as Travis lead her around the dance floor.
            For a moment, Harry found himself hoping and wishing that Travis was a good sort and that given his high breeding he wouldn’t turn up his nose at Hermione’s lineage. He knew that things like that shouldn’t matter but one thing he’d learned long ago was that with many people born to these kinds of privileges, their way of thinking and their priorities seemed to be a bit skewed. Harry made a mental note to ask Draco about it later. Hermione’s happiness was definitely something that Harry would protect if at all possible even if that meant keeping bad guys away from her, if that’s what he turned out to be. Harry got so caught up in watching Hermione and Travis that he jumped a little when Draco placed a light kiss on his cheek.
            “Easy now,” Draco cooed, “Do you wanna dance to this song or to a slower song? I’m not dancing with you to anything faster though. I dont want to tire you out too much before bed time.” There was a smile in Draco’s voice.
            “Slower one. My feet hurt a bit,” Harry confessed, completely ignoring Draco’s comment about their bedtime activities, “But I definitely want to dance with you.”
            “Dont worry. We’ll get out there and dance. For now, why dont you sit down and rest your feet.”
            “You need to stop worrying about me.” Laughed Harry, even then he allowed Draco to guide him over to a chair where he sat down.
            “I dont think so. You need to worry about yourself a little more. But you are too bloody stubborn to do that so it’s left up to me.” Draco sat down in the chair next to Harry, turning his gaze towards those on the dance floor. He completely missed the eye roll he received from his statement. The two fell into comfortable silence as they watched the couples. The dance floor was in constant motion and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Conversations went on all around them from those that had decided to sit out on the side lines. Not that they were trying to eavesdrop but they couldn’t help but overhear some of those conversations. Some were conversing about menial things, while others talked about business. However, there were a few conversations that were completely focused on tearing their relationship apart whether that was by criticizing Draco’s taste in partners or targeting Harry’s bloodlines.
            Harry watched Draco as they listened to these conversations. Draco had never once shown any interest or reaction to people speaking their negative opinions on their relationship. If anything, he’d been the main one brushing them off with a laugh and a shrug. Even when they were making the rounds and talking with their guests, Draco hadn’t batted an eyelash at those who were quite clear that they didn’t approve of Harry and the children. But now, those same comments pulled a tightened jaw out of the blonde. The fact that the man was starting to be effected by other’s comments made Harry smile a little. In an odd way, it was a bit endearing. Finally the song changed and Draco immediately stood up and took Harry’s hand.
            “Care to dance?” The blonde’s only response was a smile and Harry allowed Draco to lead him to the dance floor. Together they went out onto the dance floor until they found a spot. Draco pulled Harry close as they start swaying back and forth to the slow beat of the song. Every few beats Draco would twirl Harry around or move them around the dance floor. At one point they found themselves dancing next to Travis and Hermione. Best friends made eye contact and smiled happily at each other. Harry pulled a blush from the woman after winking at her when Travis pulled her close, in a respectful yet intimate way. Once again Harry found himself hoping that Travis was a good guy. Hermione needed someone to woo her and make her feel special and important. He felt Draco’s hand tighten around his waist which made him look away from Hermione and her partner. The blonde was looking at him with a small pout.
            “Hey. Pay attention to me. I’m the one you’re dancing with. Not her.”
            Harry couldn’t help but laugh, “Jealous are we?”
            Draco turned up his nose at the question, “Malfoy’s dont get jealous.”
            “That’s a load of bullocks!” The brunette scoffed.
            “Excuse you! I would know better than you. Unlike you I’ve been one longer”

~~

            Hermione looked over towards her friends and laughed when she saw the two bickering. There was a sparkle in their eyes so she knew it was a friendly debate but they were starting to get into it. She’s witnessed these kinds of bickering matches before and they were always funny to those who were lucky enough to hear them. But her attention was turned away from her friends when Travis pulled her hand up and maneuvered her into a turn. Giggling happily, Hermione’s eyes locked with what she considered to be beautiful sky blue eyes. They were piercing and she felt her normally rational mind go fuzzy in the most pleasant way. The man talked about so many books and his head was filled with the most interesting ideas and trivia that she just wanted to pick his brain about everything.
            One of the most interesting things that Travis mentioned was his interest in traveling. She’d always wanted to travel but Ron refused to go anywhere. He’d said that with all of their traveling about during their school days and during the war, he’d had enough to last him a life time. So when Travis told her about his travels to Egypt, China, Antarctica, Bolivia and other places she was all ears. It also helped that he was intelligent. It was refreshing to have a conversation with someone about other things than Quidditch or Auror training or something completely shallow. In fact they’d already had a few debates over ideas or beliefs and the few debates where they didn’t agree, they were able to come to a civil agreement that they wouldn’t agree on the matter and they were able to move on with their conversations with a smile.
            When the song came to a close, Travis guided Hermione off the dance floor and over their table. As soon as they sat down, an elf appeared in front of them and offered them a drink. Travis picked two up and offered one of them to Hermione which she gladly accepted. For once, they fell into comfortable silence as they re-hydrated themselves. As they drank their drinks, Hermione’s eyes returned to the dance floor where she found Harry and Draco still dancing and, surprise surprise, still bickering. It brought another giggle out of her.
            “What’s so funny?” Travis asked curiously, turning his eyes in the direction sh was looking at.
            Turning towards her companion, Hermione pointed a finger at the men still on the dance floor. “Harry and Draco are bickering again. They’ve been bickering since they stepped out onto the dance floor.”
            “Do you watch them often?” Travis teased. Hermione’s cheeks flushing a nice rosie color.
            “You make it sound terrible. But I’ve watched Harry for a long time. He may not seem like it but he always needs someone watching out for him. He’ll get himself into trouble otherwise.”
            “How long have you known Harry? And Draco for that matter.” Travis seemed to settle himself into a more comfortable position and all of his attention seemed to easily focus on her.
            Hermione shrugged her shoulders, “I’ve known Harry since we were eleven. I’ve known Draco just as long but him and I were only ever enemies. Harry and Draco never got along in school and since Harry is my best friend, all I’d ever seen of Draco was bad. Since they started their relationship, I’ve gotten the chance to see Draco in a new light and honestly I’m very happy with what I’ve seen.”
            Travis nodded, his features thoughtful, “Draco was always a conflicted kid when we were young. He was nice one minute and then when he thought people were watching it was like a switch was flipped and someone else would take his place inside of his body. It just got worse as we got older. But I’ve been hearing for quite some time that he’s made a turn around with his behavior.”
            “He really has. I’ve grown to consider him part of my family.”
            “What about your family? We’ve only been talking about me this whole night. I’d like to hear a little bit more about you and those in your life.” Travis’ smile was infectious but it made Hermione’s body tense. She was enjoying the night with this man and she felt like she’d just scare him away talking about her family, or lack thereof. Ever since she’d met this man, she’d made sure the steer the conversation away from her history and personal story for this very reason. But her efforts were for nothing as there was no easy way of getting around this topic without making it sound like she was intentionally avoiding the subject. For the first time that night, she wanted to get away from this man.
            “Hermione!” The couple looked over their shoulder to see Harry and Draco coming towards them. Hermione stood up to face her friends completely, there was a slight dent in Harry’s brow which alerted the witch.
            “What’s the matter?” Hermione asked.
            Harry grabbed Hermione’s hand, “I need your help” and pulled her behind him until they disappeared into the hallway. The men left behind looked at each other and shrugged, completely baffled. Draco gestured toward another door.
            “Would you care to join me? Might as well enjoy ourselves while our partners scurry off.” The offer earned Draco a smile from the other and the two of them exited the ballroom and entered a different hallway from where Harry and Hermione had gone and walked down into a small parlor that was designed for the ‘men of the household’ to retreat with his guests. Draco nearly chuckled aloud when he walked into the room. His father used to use this room all the time. He walked over to the mini bar and poured Travis and himself a glass. Handing Travis his drink, the two found seats in large chairs where they toasted each other before taking a sip.
            “Where do you think they went??” Travis asked, taking another sip of his drink.
            Draco shrugged his shoulder, “I have no idea. Harry must have felt something was wrong. All he told me was that there was something he needed to do and darted off.” Sharp eyes flicked over to the man with dark sweeping brown hair, “Did you say something to Hermione? I’ve learned that when Harry has a feeling that something is wrong, it usually means there is something wrong.” Travis frowned in thought.
            “I didn’t think so. We’d been having such a lovely evening and I thoroughly enjoy her company. We’d just sat down and were talking and I asked her about herself and what her family was like. We’d been talking about me all evening that I wanted to learn more about her. That’s when you two came over.”
            “Hm,” Draco began contemplating, “Did my mother say anything to you about her when she introduced the two of you?”
            “All she said was that there was a brilliant witch that I needed to meet. She said that the witch was creative and intuitive and someone I would get along with well. And as far as I’m concerned, your mother was right. Hermione is fantastic. I’m only sad that I didn’t meet her sooner.” Travis’ face was filled with awe as he thought about the woman he’d gotten to spend his evening with.
            The look made Draco smile but then he frowned, “Travis, you’re a good man and you come from a good family. You’re family is about as pureblood as my family is.” That statement made Travis laugh. Everyone knew that the Malfoy family wasn’t so diluted into thinking that only Purebloods could marry each other. The Malfoys knew that they needed to bring in new blood every now and then in order to keep the bloodlines healthy, even if that meant marrying someone of mixed blood. But Draco forged on, “She will absolutely murder me when she finds out we’ve had this discussion but my guess is that she felt uncomfortable when you asked her about herself. You see Travis, by everyone else’ standards, she was completely out of place at this party full of mostly purebloods. Her parents are muggles. She is the first of her line to have magic running through her blood. My guess is that she is a bit intimidated,” He paused then shook his head, “No. That’s the wrong word. Hermione has never been one to be intimidated by anything. You two come from completely different backgrounds. She is most likely just being cautious because of that. I know that she’d a bit uncomfortable with family in general because from what Harry has told me, she no longer speaks with her parents. She was forced to obliviate them during the war in order to keep them from harm. And she recently lost a large chunk of her family, as she just recently divorced her husband, leaving Harry and the boys as her only family. I’d even go as far as to consider her part of my family as well.”
            “Her husband?” Travis’ eyes widened in surprised. “But she is so young to have already been married and divorced.”
            Draco scoffed, “That is why I give you warning. Harry was furious about the situation. And he will be protective of her because of it. Her ex husband hit her. As far as I know it was only the one time but I can’t say for sure. So if you would like to continue getting to know her, I would make sure to make friends with Harry.”
            Travis scowled, “Why are you telling me all of this? Shouldn’t this information be coming from her? If my first impression of her is at all correct, she doesn’t seem to be the type that likes her personal details broad casted by somebody else.” This brought a genuine smile to Draco’s lips.
            “You’re right. That is why there is a large chance that she’ll murder me when she finds out. But I don’t feel bad and I endure her wrath if it means I’ve either deterred an unsuitable companion for her or encouraged him. And for the right one, I hope to instill in him the need learn all that he can and make him understand that he should cherish the woman he’s getting to know. She’s tough and she’s endured a lot. I have to look out for her the best I can. What say you to that?” His eyes challenged the man across from him to say something.
            However, Travis took some time to sip his drink and contemplate the information he’d been given. Draco had been right about his family’s perspective on bloodlines. Blood wasn’t so much of a concern but rather more the personality of the partner. So the fact that she was muggle-born wasn’t a problem for him in the least. Having spent so much time traveling it also curbed many of the highbrow notions that he’d grown up learning from his family and those around them. Travis understood that he’d just met the witch tonight but here Draco was sitting in front of him talking as if he was wanting to marry her. On the other hand, dating in their circle was a rather serious thing. If you did pursue a relationship with someone, then it was with the intent to marry that person. The fact that her last relationship had literally turned violent worried Travis. Quite frankly he was disgusted to learn about her previous situation. It wasn’t a disgust towards her but he was deeply appalled that someone would be delusional enough to want to strike such a warm person. It didn’t take very long for anyone with half a brain to realize that the woman had a heart for life. If anything it made him want to get to know the woman even more. He was fascinated and wanted to know what kind of woman could obliviate her own family for their protection and who could still smile so brightly after a relationship had soured so drastically as hers had done.
            When he lifted his eyes to Draco, the blonde expression was that of mild amusement. Draco knew exactly what Travis would do after his little speech and it made Travis laugh lightly. “You haven’t lost all of your shitty tendencies have you Draco?”
            Draco shook his head, laughing along with his friend, “Not really. I’ve just learned to channel it in better directions.” Draco lifted his glass towards Travis in another toast, “It may be a bit premature, but welcome to the group Travis.” They toasted and took another sip of their drinks.
            “That’s assuming I can convince her to a proper date.” Travis commented. Draco shook his head.
            “Don’t worry. If you ask her for a date she will most likely say yes. You’ve had her wetting her knickers all evening judging by her behavior.” Silver and blue eyes turned mischievous.
            “You don’t say.” Travis grinned, pride making his eyes sparkle a bit.
            “Just dont force the issue. My bet is that she hasn’t experienced anyone other than that bastard she’d been married to. Let her make the first move. I’d also bet she’ll be a firecracker if allowed.” The two men dove into conversations that were truly best left in private.

~~

            About an hour later, Draco and Travis were still sitting in his parlor talking as if they were school boys once again when an elf popped into the room. Their chatter came to a halt as they both looked at the elf.
            “Excuse me masters, but Master Harry Potter and Miss Hermione Granger request their escorts return to them in the ballroom.” The elf bowed before leaving the gentlemen on their own. They exchanged a smile before getting up and placing their glasses on the coffee table. They straightened their outfits and left the room. When they returned to the ballroom, Harry and Hermione were smiling and laughing near the table where they all sat during dinner. When Hermione noticed the men coming towards them, she smiling brightly at Travis and nudged Harry, which made the man turn around. He also smiled brightly but his was only for Draco. The two men separated and went to stand beside their partner.
            “Where have you two been? We’ve been waiting for you.” Harry chided, though his smile was firmly planted on his face.
            Draco rolled his eyes, his hand resting on the small of Harry’s back protectively, “You were the one who dragged Hermione off to the restroom like some school girl.”
            “I am not a school girl. I am all male. Of anyone here you should know that very well.” Harry scowled, rather offended at being called a girl.
            “Now you’re just complaining. In any case, while you two decided to have a private party, we decided to have a private party of our own with scotch and friendly conversations.” Draco leaned close to whisper in Harry’s ear, “Jealous?” his voice seductive and teasing.
            Harry chuckled and lightly pushed Draco away. “You wish.”
            Travis leaned over to Hermione, though not as close while Draco and Harry began another one of their bickering matches. “Is Harry ok? He seemed pretty adamant about needing your help earlier.”
            Hermione’s eyes sparkled, “He is just fine.”
            “Are we ok? I seemed to have crossed some sort of line right before he took you away.” His eyes were clouded with concern.
            The look in his eyes made Hermione sigh deeply, she’d have some very choice words to say to Draco after this event was over. Obviously he’d spoken to Travis about her, but what all he told him she still wasn’t sure. She rested a hand on the man’s arm with a knowing smile.
            “It wasn’t your fault. You caught me off guard and I just dont have the best of family experiences. As you know by now.” Her eyes flashed with amusement and warning.
            Travis’ cheeks flushed with embarrassment, “I’m sorry. I didn’t ask for-”
            Hermione laughed and interrupted, “I know. You’re alright. Now, make it up to me by dancing with me again?” The song had just turned to a slow dance and Hermione’s soft smile became contagious as Travis smirked and took her hand.
            “Of course, my dear.” The pet name made her giggle happily while he led her onto the dance floor. As soon as they reached a place he was happy with, Travis spun Hermione around before bringing her in close where they began to sway back and forth. Harry and Draco were too enthralled with their bickering to notice that they were standing by their own and their two friends had retreated to the dance floor.
            “What are you two doing over here!?” Narcissa came over chiding her son and his husband. Her appearance stopped their bickering and their eyes turned to Draco’s mother. “You two should be out there dancing. I have no idea where you both went off too but no more hiding. Get out there!”
            Draco looked like he was going to say something but he closed his mouth and thought better than to say whatever it was that he was thinking. Instead, he smiled at Harry as he held out his hand.
            “Care for a dance?”
            Harry’s eyes were still sparkling from bickering with the blonde but he took Draco’s hand anyways. He took a deep breath and then smiled as Draco pulled him close and they began to sway back and forth. Feeling the warmth of his husband against him made all the defensiveness he still felt after bickering with Draco leave. He blamed his emotions on the pregnancy hormones for that warmth made him feel safe and protected. Part of him was always bothered by the more feminine associated feelings he felt while pregnant but he figured most of his unease is due to his upbringing. Men didn’t get pregnant. That was something only woman did. At least that is what he grew up knowing. Even though he’s already been through one pregnancy, this one was different is more ways than one and Draco made all the difference. And his presence made all of his uncomfortable feelings seem so small and he could focus on the man Harry wanted to be with forever. Like now. Draco was holding him firmly with warm and gentle hands. The combination was incredibly relaxing.
            “What are you thinking about?” Draco asked curiously. Harry’s face had flushed.
            Harry shook his head, “Nothing really. I’m just thinking that this feels really nice. Ya know, dancing with you.” Emerald eyes avoided that of other man’s. Draco smirked and leaned in close, he waited until Harry looked at him, before capturing the brunette’s lips with his own. They danced and kissed in such a way sweet way that everyone who noticed only smiled and drew closer to their own partners. When Draco pulled away, he gazed into eyes that would forever entice, arouse and relax him.
            “I agree. It’s amazing that I am given the chance to dance with the most handsome man in the room. We should dance together more often.” The blonde mused.
            “Isn’t that a bit cliche?” Harry asked, chuckling when Draco spun him around. The blonde shrugged, pulling the Harry in close.
            “So? Wouldn’t it be fun to randomly have me pull you close and dance around with you in our living room? Or bedroom? Or where we want?”
            “I suppose that wouldn’t be too bad.”
            Draco watched Harry’s eyes avoid his own and smirked happily. Harry thought it would be incredibly fun but he was too shy to admit it. He was tempted to goad the man on a bit but then he decided otherwise when he figured his chances of convincing the man to dance with him later on would be snuffed out if he did tease the man. So instead of being mean, he kept his mouth shut and focused on spinning Harry around and holding him tight. Everyone on the dance floor continued to dance through the next few songs until the very last beat. When the dancing was over, the guests started to make their way towards the door. Draco and Harry were still standing in the middle of the ballroom floor when Cassie and Artem came up next to them.
            “Well you gorgeous boys. We old people have to make it home. Thank you so much for a wonderful evening. And you,” Cassie made sure Harry was looking at her, “Dont you go getting upset about what some of these ninnies think or say. You are a beautiful addition to our part of the world and I want you to be looking for my owl! We will have to get together soon.”
            Her husband rolled his eyes as he shook hands with both of them. “Cassandra give it a rest. These two have more important things to do then be bothered by you.”
            Harry genuinely laughed, resting a hand on the woman’s shoulders, “I would be happy to owl you whenever possible.” He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the woman’s cheek, “I am very grateful to have met the both of you tonight.”
            Draco smiled as a faint blush tinted Cassie’s cheeks. “Dont worry Artem. I have some business proposals that I’d like to discuss with you if you’d be willing.”
            The man’s eyes sparkled a bit, peaked with interest, “Of course Draco. Just owl and we will set up some time to go over what you have in mind.” Once again the blonde and the older gentleman shook hands before looking at their partners. Cassie and Harry were talking about colors for the clothes Cassie admitted she was already planning on making for the boys. Another couple came up to them in which Draco and Artem turned to greet them as their partners were too focused on their own conversation. Everyone was talking and not paying attention when there was a slight commotion in the hallway outside of the ballroom.
            Harry had just barely turned his head towards the noise to see what was going on when he was caught by surprise when something hard barreled into his side. The suddenness caught him by surprised and to his dismay completely pushing him off balance. He didn’t even have time to throw out his arms to soften the fall as the force of the object made him hit the floor hard with a sickening crack as his head his the floor. Being taken out so quickly really surprised him and the hit to the head was incredibly disorienting. He barely registered that he was looking up at the ceiling when suddenly the object that took him out in the first place became two and he had two forms crying openly into his chest.
            That’s when all the gasps and outraged comments started registering and that’s when Draco’s voice came into focus.
            “Harry!” Draco couldn’t hide the fear and panic he felt as Harry hit the floor. His stomach rolled at the sound his head made when it hit the floor. The boys had run into Harry with full speed and at the same time. Everyone was gathered around looking down at Harry who continued to lay on the floor. Hermione had been only a few feet away talking with Travis and was at Harry’s side in an instant, Travis close behind her. Her and Draco pulled the boys off of Harry frantically. The both shared a panicked look as Harry rolled onto his back and one hand rested on his stomach while the other went to his head. Draco handed Ciel off to Narcissa, the boy immediately wrapping one of his arms around his grandmother’s neck and burying his head into the woman’s neck. The other arm was cradled in the space between him and her. Hermione picked up Teddy who did the same thing, though his tears were silent and his body shook with terror.
            Draco knew he should take a moment to see what had upset the boys to such a degree but his first thoughts were filled with Harry. Taking a fall at any stage of pregnancy wasn’t good but the risk of complications were greatly increased the further along the mother was. So that, coupled with the harsh cracking sound that resonated throughout the ballroom made his heart race uncomfortably. How those two were able to hit Harry to so and at the right place to push him over to harshly was a mystery to him. He knelt down beside Harry and helped the man sit up, his eyes looking all over the man to see if there was any visible damage. Then he shifted to see the spot where Harry had hit the floor with his head. It didn’t take long for Harry to start swatting at the man, his face flushing at all the attention he was getting from Draco and all those gathered around.
            “Draco I’m fine. Stop fussing.”
            Draco’s voice dropped only low enough that those close could hear, but he was too panicked to lower it any further, “Drop them Harry.”
            Harry’s eyes widened slightly and he shook his head. “No. Not here.” His eyes looked away from Draco and his eyes caught sight of his children. Both were incredibly upset and everything in him needed to attend to their needs. He reached for Draco, “Help me up please. We need to move this to another room.” Draco helped him up only to move in closer as Harry swayed. The blonde reached up to gently cup the place where he’d hit the floor but he’d barely brushed his hand against it and Harry winced and jerked away. Frowning, Draco silently bet that the brunette had a concussion.
            Narcissa looked around at the crowd and smiled pleasantly, “Thank you all for your concern. It’s nothing more than a nightmare that frightened the children. We’ll deal with the matter and be back presently.” Draco helped Harry retreat into the hallway and walk down to the parlor that Draco and Travis had been in before. They were followed by Narcissa and Hermione. Even Travis tagged along looking worried. Each woman still held a child in their arms as they found a comfortable place to stand with their charges. Once safely away from prying eyes, Draco made sure the door was shut tight and Harry was settled on the couch with a pillow to support his back. Then he went to the fireplace and opened the floo and stuck his head through.
            Harry rolled his eyes, though it made his feel a little dizzy. “Draco stop it. I’m fine.”
            “No. We’re calling Jagra.” There was iron will in his voice that didn’t leave any room for arguing.
            Hermione sat next to Harry, her eyes furrowed, “He’s right Harry. You can’t afford to think that everything is just fine.”
            “That was quite the tumble you took Harry. You’ve probably got a concussion that will need to be looked at.” Travis interjected. All eyes turned to him as if they were surprised he’d followed. Silence filled the room, before Hermione stood up and faced Travis with a very serious look.
            “Travis… There’s more to this than just a bump on the head. If you stay then you can not tell a single soul that you know about it. Draco and Harry have explicitly expressed that they dont want anyone to know until they wish it.” Everyone waited as confusion filled the man’s face. He looked at Harry and then back at Hermione before sitting down in a chair.
            “Ok. I dont know what’s got you all so concerned but I promise to keep my mouth shut if that makes you feel better.” At that moment, Draco came back followed closely by Dr. Jagra. The Indian doctor knelt in front of Harry and nearly jumped when he looked down at Harry’s stomach. It always unnerved him when Harry placed glamours on himself to hide his baby bump. He turned grumpy eyes up to Harry’s face and immediately started working on the man’s head when he noticed how unfocused Harry’s eyes were. Draco told him what had happened when his head was in his fireplace and he didn’t like it.
            “Yep. You’ve got a concussion alright. Hold still while I fix that.” Dr. Jagra flicked his wand and cast a spell that would reduce the swelling and speed up the man’s recovery. Harry smiled lightly as his vision began to clear. But the doctor wasn’t smiling. He pinned the man with a pointed look as he gestured towards Harry’s stomach. “Drop the glamours Harry. I can’t do anything with them up.”
            A small twinge of irritation grated Harry’s insides at the order but he began to lowering the glamours anyways. As he did so, Hermione kept her eyes on Travis and nearly laughed when the man’s eyes widened comically. She moved over to sit on the arm of Travis’ chair, still holding Teddy in her arms. She leaned over and spoke with the man.
            “You’ve never seen a pregnant wizard have you.” It was more of a statement then a question. Travis shook his head, his eyes glued to the two on the couch. But his eyes sparkled.
            “No. But I’ve read about it.” His eyes darted over to Narcissa who held Ciel’s quivering form, then he looked back at Hermione, “So it really is true that Ciel was carried by Harry.”
            The woman nearly sniffed her nose, “Of course it’s true. I told you about it earlier.”
            Travis gave her a smile that instantly cooled her irritation, “Yes I know you did. But being told and then having this,” He gestured towards Harry and the doctor, “It just makes it all the more real.” His eyes danced as he looked back at Hermione, “You guys truly live a very interesting life dont you?”
            The question pulled a blush from the woman, making her avert her gaze from those intoxicating eyes. Instead she looked down at Teddy who was still trembling.
            “Teddy, Ciel, come here.” Draco’s tone was patient but it was also laced with darkness. The women exchanged a look at the dark tone but placed their charges on the floor anyways. The two boys shuffled over to stand in front of their father. Draco’s whole posture was ridged and he couldn’t seem to decide whether he wanted to shout at them or comfort them. He didn’t even try to lie to himself about his anger towards them. Without their antics none of them would be worrying about Harry at this moment. But he acknowledged that they wouldn’t have done so without a reason. So he continued to stand there and look at the two with a guarded look. “You both could have caused serious harm to your Dad and your brother or sister. What have you to say?”
            Teddy looked up from where he’d been staring a hole into the ground, his honey brown eyes glistened with tears but the most prominent things Draco saw in those eyes was fear.
            “Papa we’re sorry! But…” his voice faltered as his body began to shake again. For a moment everyone in the room was silent. Those who knew the boy knew that something was wrong. The boy was clearly terrified and that alone alarmed every adult in that room. Except for Travis. He just sat there waiting for the events to be explained to him for he obviously was not privy to whatever was going on before hand. Draco silently cursed himself for being as angry with the child as he was. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to push away his anger before kneeling in front of the boy. He made sure the look his eyes was serious but calm with no trace of anger in them.
            “What happened Teddy. Tell us everything.”
            Ciel sniffled loudly next to his brother, his hand holding on the other boy’s sleeve with one hand while his other arm hung at his side, “He came back.”
            Upon hearing this, Harry looked around Jagra as the man performed countless tests. “Who came back?”
            “The mean one!” Ciel cried. Both hands hung down to his sides and he wailed openly. A cold chill ran down Draco and Harry’s spine. There is only one person that they could think of that would instill this much fear in their children. And if what their children said was true then they had a massive problem on their hands. Draco pulled the boy close to him and hugged him tightly, his eyes still holding Teddy’s.
            “The mean one,” Draco paused, keeping his voice level, “Tell us more.”
            “I woke up with him sitting on the edge of my bed. He’d frozen Maka so she couldn’t do anything.” Teddy’s eyes fell to the floor, his fists clenched, “He said that it wouldn’t be long and then patted my head. Ciel tried to reach the key on the night table but he made him cry. I tried to hit him for making him cry but he grabbed my hair,” The boy absent mindedly rubbed the back of his head, “And he threw me back against the post. He stopped in front of me and told me to give this to you. But I had to wait until the party was over before coming to tell you. Otherwise he’d make us hurt again.” The boy’s lip quivered as large tear drops swelled and cascaded down his cheeks.
            There was a sudden swell of power that made almost everyone in the room gasp. Draco’s gaze snapped over to Harry who was looking positively murderous . Emerald eyes blazed and every muscle in Harry’s body was tight. The power the man was letting off wasn’t enough to feel crushing. This was more of an extremely uncomfortable tingling or zapping feeling. Draco had experienced such crushing power before when the man’s anger got the best of him but he bet they only felt this much power because Harry was too exhausted to have much power in the first place. Harry’s fists where balled up tightly as he stood up with a little bit of effort.
            “Sit down Harry. I’m not done with you. And getting this worked up isn’t good for you.” Jagra stated with a great amount of frustration in his voice.
            “No. I’m not going to just sit here and do nothing while that son of a bitch-”
            “I said sit down!” Jagra yelled. “Sit down and calm yourself before you hurt the baby! Exuding power at all like you’re doing could very well kill the child. And that’s to say that your fall you took earlier didn’t already do the job. Now sit down and stay there until I tell you otherwise. Let me do my job.” The two stared challengingly at each other for a few tense moments before Harry sat back down on the couch and closed his eyes. It took a few moments but the power everyone was feeling slowly dissipated. It wasn’t until all traces of power was alleviated that Jagra started running more diagnostic tests.
            “Papa, I’m so sorry!” Teddy croaked. The boy’s voice tight with the effort to not wail like his brother. Silver eyes nearly teared up themselves at the look of complete devastation in the boy’s face.
            The blonde shook his head, “You’ve done nothing wrong. Now, do you have the letter?”
            Teddy nodded his head and dug a hand into his pajama pants pocket, pulling out a letter and holding it out for Draco. Draco went to take the envelope but he did so he snapped his hand back as if he’d been burned, silver eyes staring cautiously at the letter. “Teddy I want you to drop that on the floor and then back away.” Draco’s voice was cold and anger simmered under the surface. The boy did exactly Draco told him to and ran to hide behind Hermione who wrapped the boy in her arms protectively. Her face had drained of all color, leaving her skin a mix of white and green. Though her arms held the boy protectively, but her body shook with fear.
            Harry and Draco stared at the envelope for a long time, their minds seeming to be thinking along the same lines. There was no way that envelope would be free of some sort of nasty curse or hex. Draco was absolutely seething as he cast spell after spell with the hand he wasn’t holding Ciel with. It wasn’t long before he found what he was looking for. There was a hex on the envelope that seemed to be triggered when touched by the intended target. How the hell did Alden get into the party without them knowing?
            The room had was completely silent, minus Jagra who was muttering to himself unhappily.
            “Who’s it from?” Narcissa asked, her face seeming to have aged a decade.
            “Alden.” Harry stated coldly. Hermione’s arms tightened around the boy. “The son of a bitch was in the house.” Murderous emerald eyes gazed down at Jagra, “Are you finished yet Hendrics?”
            The man sat back on his heels with a heavy sigh. “I can’t seem to find any damage done to the child. But there is still too much magic in there to really get a good reading. I’ve never read of this happening before Harry. Not being able to see or know what’s going on in there is incredibly frustrating.”
            “That’s me. A walking, talking anomaly” Harry sneered, getting up and walking over to Draco and Ciel.
            “Who’s Alden?” Travis asked, feeling a bit unsettled by the hostility and fear he felt in the room. The situation he found himself in seemed to have a lot more going on then he knew.
            “He’s my ex partner from America. He seems to have this delusion that I belong to him.” Draco growled, “I told him to leave the country and I put some people I know on to watch his every move. It would seem that he’s given them the slip. He won’t get away with this.” His anger radiated into every cell in his body. When he heard a soft squeak he looked down at Ciel and realized that he’d been crushing the boy in his arm. He relaxed his hold on the boy and placed a soft kiss on the boy’s head, “Sorry Ciel.” When the boy didn’t say anything but bury himself closer to the man, he looked up at Harry who was standing in the middle of the room looking down at the envelope on the floor.
            Jagra had moved to the couch and watched Harry as the man stood there. He was worried what kind of effect this whole event would have on the child inside of the man. The brunette was far too worked up to be healthy for either one of them and he made a mental note to keep a close watch on Harry and monitor the man more often than he was already doing to make sure the both of them survive the pregnancy. He eventually turned his attention to the boys and noticed a small spot of blood on Teddy’s head while beads a sweat collected on Ciel’s forehead.
            “Teddy, Ciel. Come here.” Jagra looked at both boys and nodded approvingly when the two left their protection and walked over to him. He looked over Teddy’s head and found a small wound on the boy’s scalp, most likely from the boy being thrown backwards. It was easy enough to heal. Then he turned his attention to Ciel and when he found nothing visibly wrong with the boy, he did another diagnostic spell and noticed that there was a fracture in the boy’s arm. It would explain why the boy was coddling the arm as much as he was. He cast the spell that would heal the break but the soft cry made the adults in the room flinch. He forced a warm smile and kissed the now healed arm. “There we go. That should feel much better.”
            “The bastard will pay.” Harry’s voice was level and void of any emotion. Draco’s stood and went to Harry’s side, a hand resting on the small of Harry’s back.
            “Yes he will. We will contact the Aurors in the morning. Until then we need to gather ourselves. There is no possible way that Alden is still here and he will have made himself scarce at least for the night. He is a monstrous son of a bitch but he isn’t stupid enough to hurt our children and stay around to watch.” Draco sat on the couch and pulled both of the boys close to himself.
            “I’m staying with you guys tonight” Hermione stated, looking over at Narcissa, “If you dont mind that is.”
            The older woman shook her head, “Of course not dear.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, she nearly smiled when she saw the lost look Travis was sporting. He looked like he wanted to offer to stay as well but he clearly felt uncertain since he really had no business injecting himself into the problem at hand. She also figured he just wanted to stay with Hermione just a little bit longer judging by the sideways glances he was tossing her way without her noticing. Clearly she had done well with pairing the two together. She approached Travis with a stern look on her face. “Travis you are pretty fair at protection spells aren’t you?”
            Her question made the man huff lightly, “Fair? I would say I’m a great deal more than fair.”
            “Good. You and I are going to go out there and reassure the guests that’ve remained and guide them out the door. Then you and I are going to go ahead and cast protection spells all around the property. For the time being, Malfoy Manor is no longer available to guests without specific permission from Draco, Harry or myself. Then all of you here will be given a bed tonight if you choose to stay here.”
            Hermione stood up, “I would like to assist you with that Narcissa.”
            Narcissa nodded, “The more help the faster this will go. Come. Let’s get started.”
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