Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Freedom Bound in Chains	By : TaintedSensibly Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 58477 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Harry Potter characters. I did not make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 103
- 104
- 105
A/N: Happy Birthday, Babyvfan! Sorry this is late! I added the Drarry scene just for you. The original draft didn’t have it in there. :P
Becoming Family
On the way to Jess and Drey’s place, Liam pointed out the club that the girls preferred to work. The club’s name was Diesel. Apparently Ryder was big into cars and racing. If you wanted in on a street race in London, you had to go through his people. It didn’t look special from the outside: dirty brick front, one of the many old, crowded buildings on the street with only a simple neon sign to indicate what it was. This Ryder-person didn’t need to flaunt his power. That told Draco that he was actually legit and not some stupid asshole who only thought he was something.
The apartment was only one block and a grassy park down from the club. It was in easy walking distance, which was good because parking was worse than New York. Not that it mattered. Liam didn’t own a car, so they’d taken public transport. The weather was cold, but the sun was shining, turning the snow into sleet, so they decided to walk instead of calling a cab.
“This is it,” Liam said as they came up to the front stoop of Jess and Drey’s apartment building. It was a much nicer building than the one Liam was staying in.
Draco squeezed Harry’s hand. His other hand held a plastic bag of groceries. Harry carried one as well while Liam had three bags. The boys followed Liam up the front steps. A golden speaker stood by the door and Liam had to punch in the girls’ number. Drey was home and she buzzed them in.
The foyer was nice, reminding Draco of a café. It had love seats and couches strategically placed around coffee tables. A few people were reading on the couches or working on the four, bulky desktop computers that were placed on a long table against the far wall. The floor was carpeted, but it looked new. Colorful yet tasteful rugs had been placed in the high-traffic areas to preserve the carpet’s condition. The elevators, there were two, had gold-colored doors and were positioned next to a hallway that led to first floor apartments. Liam pressed the button for the fifth floor.
It was higher than Draco preferred. When they stepped off, Draco counted three other doors; the girls’ apartment was one of four units on the floor. Drey stood in the doorway of one of the middle apartments, arms crossed casually as she leaned against the doorframe. She gave them a sharp smile and disappeared inside. They followed her in, Liam shutting the door behind them.
It was instantly apparent that Jess had made the decisions when it came to decoration. The apartment had an open floor plan. The living room and kitchen filled a single large room; the kitchen took up the right side as you stepped in with grey-stone tiled walls, silver appliances, white cabinets, pale wooden countertops, and matching pale wood, doorless cabinets set high above them on the wall. White, pale green, and earthen-brown dishes could be seen on the open shelves, as well as clear jars and vials of seasonings and a few potted green plants and orchids set on the windowsill of a small square window. There was an island counter set off from the cabinets at an angle with two bar stools on the living room side. As for the floor, pearl-colored tiles transitioned to dark hardwood as the room flowed into the living room.
The living room walls were painted a soft, sage-grey but a huge red flower had been painted in simple lines to cover one half of the wall. A grey fuzzy rug sat covering the majority of the floor. There was a low coffee table. Pale green and white floor pillows had been set around it. More of them had been placed against the living room wall. The couch was also a pale green and was positioned at an angle to half-face the kitchen.
There were pale wood shelves staggered along one wall. The lowest level sat only a few inches off the floor; the tallest was only a foot below the ceiling. On them, there were small potted plants, but there were also a few pictures in wooden frames. Hanging on the final wall sat what looked like a contract written in calligraphy on parchment. It’s frame was large and ornate, made from wood as dark as the floor. Draco could make out Jess and Drey’s signatures at the bottom and had to assume the third signature was the man they had committed to.
“Take your shoes off,” Drey instructed. She herself was barefoot in soft leather pants and a dark burgundy sweater. Her long black hair fell loose around her shoulders and face.
Liam was already used to this request and had his shoes lined up neatly by the front door on the red rubber mat placed there for that reason. He gathered the bags of groceries and took them to the kitchen to set them on the counter as the boys copied his example. “Harry’s making a steak dinner with an apple pie for desert. Sound good?”
“Sounds good,” she answered easily. She crossed the room with easy grace and took a seat on the couch. Her body was loose and relaxed, hazel moss-grey eyes half-lidded, reminding Draco of a panther at rest.
“Do you like your string beans sautéed with butter and almonds or do you prefer garlic and hot peppers?” Harry asked as he joined Liam in the kitchen, organizing his ingredients. “And mashed or baked potato?”
“Spicy. Mashed,” Drey answered easily, not moving from her half-reclined position.
“If you’re tired, you can rest. We’ll let you know when it’s done,” Draco said with an amused smirk, coming to sit next to her.
“I’m fine.” She stared at him in interest before leaning forward. Her long hair fell over her shoulder as she reached for something on the low shelf under the coffee table. It was a deck of cards. Lips pulling into a mischievous smile, she asked, “Care for a game of poker? I believe the score is 56 to 55.”
Draco laughed, eyes twinkling. “Sure.” He got up and got one of the floor cushions that were set against the wall and placed it by the table. He sat on it cross-legged and tucked his hair behind his ears. “What’re we putting on the table?”
Drey sat gracefully across from him, not bothering with a cushion, and leaned back against the couch. “Fifteen minute foot massage each foot.”
Draco smirked. Grey eyes met pale hazel. “Deal the cards.”
Drey's expression became predatory as she shuffled with expert dexterity and slid seven cards across the table toward him.
Liam looked over at Harry who was marinating the steaks. “Has he kept up his skills?”
Harry nodded. “We taught our friend Tonks how to play, so we play with her a lot.”
Liam leaned closer, putting his mouth near the boy’s ear. “Does he still cheat?”
Harry giggled, pushing his glasses higher up his nose, and whispered back, “Only when he has to.”
Liam laughed.
Drey ended up winning the first hand, making the score 57-55. Draco accepted his defeat with an annoyed wrinkle of his nose, but he gave her the won foot massage without complaint. However, he made a comeback in the following two hands, tying the score 57-57. He won one of Drey’s knives (thin as a butter knife but twice as long; it was deadly sharp on both sides and came with a thin black sheath) and a secret that Liam didn’t know. Liam protested that he wasn’t playing from the kitchen on that one, but Drey leaned over and whispered in Draco’s ear for almost two minutes. The small lock that she always wore on a chain hung in the air between them. Draco’s expression didn’t even flicker, but Harry could tell that whatever she had said had amused him.
Before they could start a fourth hand, Jess and Kyle arrived. He was tall, very tall, definitely over six-feet, and lean. Dirty blond hair that was neither blond nor brown was cut short along the sides and back, but his bangs were thick and long, parted down the middle and framing his face to his chin. Large, dark brown eyes under thick brown eyebrows. Sharp angular features, sharp cheek bones, long face, sharp pointed chin. No facial hair. He wore a baggy, canvas, grungy white jacket with huge white pockets and what looked like dozens of safety pins scattered here and there across it’s surface. He wore a black turtleneck underneath and jeans that were neither tight nor baggy. Black combat boots were on his feet.
He came through the door first, Jess a half-step behind him and a little to the side. Sweeping the room with his eyes, his attention settled on Liam and Harry first, closest to him in the kitchen. Liam turned to face him, but not directly. He kept his body semi-facing the counter where he was cutting something. His shoulders dropped subconsciously, elongating his neck. Liam gave him a cheerful greeting, but made no attempt to approach him or go back to what he was doing until Kyle acknowledged him with a casual yet controlled, “Hey, Liam. Nice to see you.” A nearly invisible tension ran out from Liam then and he relaxed completely, turning back to his task. Harry meanwhile stood still. He’d turned around to look at those who had entered, but now he stood tense, staring at Draco, seeking instruction.
Jess stepped forward, gesturing to the living room area. “Let me introduce you to Draco,” she offered with a smile. She seemed calm, but if you knew her well, you could see the eager light in her eyes.
Kyle came forward, passing the kitchen and Harry, yet Harry didn’t return to his task. He kept his unblinking eyes on Draco, waiting for some cue. Liam was beginning to suspect something was wrong. He was frowning at Harry and was beginning to turn toward the group in the living room.
Draco watched Kyle approach. He walked with perfect, understated confidence. A type of strut that was completely natural. He stared Draco down and his eyebrows went up when Draco neither stood nor blinked nor dropped his shoulders that little bit. Instead, Draco stared back, evaluating, understanding, but he was also breaking out in a sweat.
Draco didn’t even realize he’d crushed the cards in his hands. Or that his breathing had quickened. Or the fact that Drey was glaring (her way of expressing worry). Or that Jess had stopped halfway to them, eyes wide in worry. She reached out and touched Kyle’s arm - not grabbing but asking - and Kyle took one more step before coming to a stop. No, Draco’s eyes had glazed over caught in a flashback he couldn’t control or postpone because of Snape's potion. This was the sacrifice he’d made to guarantee no one would be able to touch his mind again…
Draco’s heart beat hard and fast, pumping adrenaline through his veins and stealing his breath. He was in a different apartment. Smaller and naked. A coffee table at his back. Mere inches from him a pudgy, short Italian sat on the couch. Harry - vulnerable and small - cowered at the end of the table. Behind them, men - violent, hungry men - shifted and leered. Only six days from slavery, Draco had still mostly been numb and hard. Now, reliving that moment, he felt all the alarm and horror he hadn’t then.
Brendon, the man who had saved them from freezing to death on the street, sat next to the mafia man. Liam’s older brother, he had dark brown hair to Liam’s black, but the dark blue eyes were the same rare color. They were sharp and predatory, fixed on the threat, not even looking at Draco. Brendon wasn’t afraid or even concerned. He was calculating and confident that he would come out on top. Even with a gun pointed at his head. Draco - heart racing, drenched in sweat, death and agony racing toward him - kept still and empty as his chin was held by hard fingers and his face was titled this way and that.
“Bel ragazzo,” the killer exclaimed. The gun never wavered once, still held an inch from Brendon's temple. “I can see why Raymond would hold onto you, bambino, and why this feccia Gambino would steal you.”
“I did not steal him, Luongo,” Brendon denied calmly. “The boy escaped. A few days later he called me begging for shelter.” He gave a dangerous smile of his own. “Finder's keepers.”
The gun whipped down and slammed into Brendon's head, sending the man sideways with blood dripping from his hairline. Besides his arm, Luongo had hardly moved. He was still smiling, but now his eyes were on Brendon as the other man sat up.
“I've always hated you, Irish cagna. Thinking you're bigger than you are,” he said cheerfully before turning back to Draco. “It is good news to hear, that you understand begging. Let's hear it, schiavo. Let's hear some begging.”
He released Draco's face finally by giving it a shove. Draco shifted his shoulders and slid to his knees in front of the men. It trapped him between them and the coffee table. He put his wrist together and held his hands over his head as he curled over his thighs. His palms faced up, supplicating.
“Please,” he said softly, voice empty. “Please.”
“Bellissimo,” Luongo cried happily. Draco couldn't see him with his face down by his knees, but he could feel it in his core as the man's evil eyes slid to Harry. “And this one. Does he beg?”
Draco’s stomach dropped and churned with terror. Harry! Have to protect Harry! But HOW?! How would he be able to save him from these monsters? He was almost eight, weak and small from the nearly two years he’d been kept in the cargo hold of a yacht as a slave.
“He's stupid, master,” Draco offered, voice still soft to hide the hateful hiss that wanted to slip out. “Can't talk. Doesn't understand most things.”
Luongo's leg lifted and Draco braced for what he knew was coming. The man stomped down on his neck and shoulders. Draco was slammed flat, his jaw immediately throbbing from where it hit the floor. He could feel blood from where he bit his lip. He returned to the curled over position, hands together and open, without a sound as his neck and shoulders began to burn from the blow.
“Did I speak to you, schiavo? You've forgotten your place,” Luongo growled. Then toward Harry, “You! Strip! Schiavo don't wear clothes!”
Harry hadn't moved an inch from his cowering, silent position at the end of the table — fear anxiety trust – He had no idea what was coming, what faced them at the hands of these disgusting pigs. And Draco had no way to shield him. Helpless, desperate to survive, Draco knelt down at the bastard’s feet. He didn’t feel it then, this sickening surge of nausea on the edge of vomiting because back then survival was all that mattered.
Luongo laughed. “All this for defective product, O'Shae. Although the bel ragazzo is well trained.” A leather Italian shoe toed Draco's head.
“This is a matter for the Commission,” Brendon said coldly, eyes unblinking and predatory. “The Families cannot afford a street war between Gambino and Lucchese with the Feds sniffing around.”
BANG!
– TERROR –
Draco watched in horror, Harry’s terror ripping him apart, as blood splatter covered the wall - oh god! - the slump of Brendon’s now lifeless body, deformed face and head, organs and brains and everything you weren’t supposed to see in real life. Alive then dead. Bang! Fast with no take-backs. Repulsed, horrified, sick with fear for Harry, Draco was powerless, and it shook him to the core.
As he was dragged downstairs, they seemed to distort and waver. Reality warped into Hell: a room of agony and fear and degradation. Where Harry - his everything! his light! - was bent over and face-fucked on one end and raped on the other - where Draco was whipped bloody - and Brendon’s mutilated head and dead eyes watched over it all. Draco grit his teeth and growled as he endured agony of the whipping, and watched Harry raped in front of him, and stared at Brendon’s corpse. Tears soaking his face, his heart beating near out of his chest, Draco threw his head back and screamed…
Harry moved as soon as he heard Draco begin to breathe fast and shallow. He dropped to his knees next to the blond, talking to him, promising him that they were safe. Draco seemed to curl in on himself; he knelt in a slaves pose, chest curled over his thighs, arms held up, palms and wrists exposed. He was hyperventilating, blond hair plastered to his skull with sweat. Harry’s head snapped up as motion caught his eye. Voice never once wavering from the soft reassurances, he glared murder at the man who’d taken another step closer.
Kyle lifted both eyebrows, surprised at the little kid’s ferocity. He’d seemed so soft while standing in the kitchen.
Harry got to his feet and placed himself directly between Draco and Kyle. His expression and body language screamed aggression and challenge, but his voice remained soft. “I know this is your place, but please leave. I have to take care of Draco.”
Behind Harry, Draco gave a sudden scream. It was a sound full of pain, terror, and rage. They all cringed.
Liam was affected the most. Tears burning his eyes, he actually grabbed Kyle’s arm and pulled. “Just give us half-an-hour. We’ll finish dinner and the we’ll eat.”
Kyle let himself be pulled, but his eyes were narrowed and locked on Harry.
Harry didn’t look away. “Jess. Drey. You, too.”
Drey stormed past the boys and out the door, muttering something dark and dangerous under her breath. Jess followed her with Kyle at her side. Then they were all gone. It was just Harry and Liam watching Draco sob and shake.
Harry wanted to hold him and wrap him up safe, but he knew better. Any physical contact while Draco was this far gone would only enhance the flashback. Instead, he knelt beside him and held out his hands a few inches above Draco’s quivering body. He closed his eyes and a rush of - LOVE - filled him. His entire focus was caught up on one single prerogative: help Draco! He pushed all the love toward his hands, out and down.
Liam watched, breath caught in his throat, heart pounding, as pale gold light - like sunbeams - fell from Harry’s outstretched hands and bathed Draco’s head and shoulders. Liam gave a soft gasp. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Draco shuddered and then he turned his head to vomit all over the floor. The rancid smell made Liam gag, but he was more focused on the fact that Draco was quieting. The animal sounds of pain escaping Draco’s tortured throat had subsided at last.
Liam smiled and looked to Harry, but the boy looked pale, his face twisted with intense concentration. Sweat dewed on his upper lip and wet his temples. The sunbeams flickered as if a shadow passed over them and then faded. Harry toppled forward, onto Draco, and wrapped the blond in his arms.
“It’s okay, Draco. We’re safe. We’re okay,” he promised, voice warm and soft and full of unconditional love.
Draco blinked glazed eyes and turned, returning Harry’s warm hug. He sat up and the boys’ mouths came together without any effort, as naturally as two pieces sliding together. They sat there, in each other’s arms, leaning on each other equally, and kissed with a deep and quiet passion. Slowly, color returned to Harry’s face and Draco’s shaking eased. Their lips parted and the two boys rested their foreheads together, not yet ready to be separated.
Liam, feeling humbled, reached out to gently smooth Draco’s damp hair back behind his ear. “What triggered it?”
Voice quiet and subdued, Draco closed his eyes, keeping his head against Harry’s. “Maybe because it’s that time of year… Maybe because he reminded me of Brendon… I remembered the day he fucking died.”
Liam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Brendon had been murdered four years ago on January 28th. When he’d first met Kyle, he’d also been painfully reminded of his older brother. He hadn’t thought what that would do to Draco or Harry, who had witnessed his brother’s murder and had been badly tortured afterward. Guilt burned like acid; he could have prevented this if he’d only talked to Draco! But it was too late now, and Draco needed him to be strong. So, straightening his spine, Liam flashed a reassuring smile.
“Come on. Let’s get you on the couch,” he said and helped Draco lay on the couch.
Harry quickly wet a washrag from the bathroom with cool water and placed it on Draco’s forehead and eyes. He then set about cleaning up the vomit. Dinner was mostly done, so Liam went about taking things off the heat and adding garnishes as quietly as possible. By the time those tasks were done, Draco was sitting up and Harry helped him to the bathroom. The door shut behind them.
…
The bathroom was larger than they expected and odd. It was done in cream and pale brown tile. All the fixtures were brass. Near the door was a beautiful counter with a sink centered in it with a large mirror that covered the top half of that entire wall. There were bottles and soaps and hand towels arranged on top. Inside the doorless cabinets underneath were stacked a dozen fluffy white towels.
The toilet, strangely enough, sat inside a closet with its own door. Against the far wall there was a four inch lip that started from one wall and ran to the opposite wall. Half of that space was blocked by a pane of glass, enclosing the shower. A large shower head came off the wall and hung directly above, pointing down. Past the lip but on the side of the shower with no glass sat a strange tub. It was tall, as tall as Harry’s chest, and only half as long as a normal tub. Harry would have to bend his knees slightly to sit in it, but he’d barely be able to look over the lip if he did.
Not speaking, Draco turned the facet on hot in the sink and they rinsed their mouths with the mouthwash sitting on the counter. Their eyes caught each other’s in the mirror every few moments filled with a warm understanding that required no words. Fingers damp he turned and faced Draco, lovingly running his fingers through his blond hair. Draco closed his eyes on a sigh, resting his body weight against Harry.
Humming, filled with a - happy love - Harry dampened a cloth and ran it gently over Draco’s face in swipes until Draco’s arms came around his waist and he rested his head on Harry’s shoulder. Harry leaned against the counter to balance Draco’s weight and held him close, raining kisses on his hair and gently massaging the tense muscles of the blond’s neck. Tipping his head back, Harry let out a soft moan as Draco’s lips and tongue began to slowly, softly, work at his throat.
Hands snaked up the back of Harry’s sweater, and as Draco pressed his body fully into Harry’s, they slid up the boy’s warm back until he could grip Harry’s shoulders, pinning him in place. Trembling, tears beading on his lashes from so much emotion, Harry’s fingers brushed the hem of Draco’s pants, fingering that forbidden line until Draco licked a warm, wet path up his throat to hiss in his ear, “yessss”.
Bitting his lower lip almost hard enough to bleed, Harry worked his hands between their bodies and maneuvered Draco’s jeans open. Harry’s panting breath filled the steam-laden air as he worked them down Draco’s lean hips. At the feel of Draco’s silk-soft shaft pushing hard against his hips, Harry gave another gasp and scrambled to get his own pants open and down.
Finally, they were together, skin against skin, and it blew Harry’s pupils wide with - desire need love. Draco bit softly down on the rounded slope where Harry’s neck met shoulder and began to rock his hips, thrusting against Harry at an almost torturous pace. Harry trembled, gasping and moaning, in Draco’s arms. Fortunately the still running facet masked much of the noise.
“Love you, Draco, love you… love you…” Harry babbled breathlessly, cheeks flushed, eyes hazed. HIs fingers tangled in Draco’s hair searching for purchase as he was slowly overwhelmed with sensation.
Draco lifted his head and pressed his mouth hungrily to his boy’s, swallowing his words of love and praise. Their tongues writhed together, their lips glistened with spit, and Draco’s hips began to undulate harder, pushing Harry against the counter until he knew there would be bruises. He could feel Harry’s excitement and pleasure building, pulsing through the bond and filling Draco from the inside out, even as his pleasure built low and hot in his groin as he continued to thrust against Harry’s soft, willing body.
Pace slow and controlled, a hint of violence and passion slipped through with the force of Draco’s thrusts, until he freed a hand from the almost painful grip he had on Harry’s shoulders and swiped Harry’s glasses from his face. They clattered to the floor even as Draco fisted Harry’s hair and forced green eyes to meet his own.
The wave crashed down, causing Harry’s red, swollen lips to fall open in a wanton cry and Draco’s face to twist with the ecstasy of it all, but they never broke eye contact. Staring deeply into each other, Draco slammed his hips forward a few more times as cum slicked their stomachs and caught on their sweaters. Tears streaking their faces, beginning to shake, they sank to their knees on the floor, panting and gasping and twitching.
Harry was crying softly, whole body hot and shaky. Little shocks of pleasure shot along his nerves, making him shudder. As the euphoria bled away, his lower back - where his hips had hit the counter with Draco’s every thrust - and his shoulders - where Draco had gripped, holding him in place - were hot and painfully throbbing. It sent another thrill through him to know with certainty that he would be wearing Draco’s marks. Dizzy with pleasure, he grabbed the still damp cloth he’d used to wipe Draco’s face and began to clean their clothes and skin.
Draco sat sideways with his shoulder propped against the cabinet, eyes half-lidded as he watched Harry clean up the mess. Lazily, he reached forward to caress his fingers over Harry’s still blushing cheek. Harry leaned into the touch, lips curled into a peaceful smile. Love gratitude - hummed through the bond like a purring cat. Snaking his arm around Harry’s neck, Draco pulled the boy into another warm kiss.
* Love you, * he whispered softly into Harry’s mind. * Love you. *
…
Meanwhile, drying his hands on a kitchen towel, Liam went to the front door and peered out. Kyle was sitting in the hallway, knees bent casually and his forearms resting on his knees. He titled his head curiously as the door opened. An unlit cigarette hung from his lips.
“Dinner’s ready. The boys went into the bathroom to wash up,” Liam offered. He came out into the hallway so that they could see each other more easily.
“What’s the story?” Kyle asked. His dark eyes pinned Liam in place. “You guys haven’t said much of anything about these kids. It’s about time I heard that tale.”
Liam shifted nervously and forced a smile. “Where’re the girls?”
Kyle answered, but his frowning expression made it clear he wouldn’t let Liam stall for long. “Jess went to buy something and Drey went to pick a fight.” He got to his feet and crossed his arms, staring Liam down. “You going to explain?”
Liam sighed and ran his hands through his hair, pulling it loose from the tie. He didn’t want him thinking Draco was crazy or something, so he said, “They were slaves of the mafia in New York. Draco longer than Harry. It was bad for him. My brother helped ‘em get out, but not a week later he got shot in the head right in front of them. Remember when I told you that you reminded me of my brother. Well, that and the cold weather triggered the memory of his death. It don’t happen often, but sometimes that past steals Draco away.”
Kyle palmed his cigarette, his body language relaxing. “I know about flashbacks.” It was a statement of understanding, of forgiveness. “I’ll try and be more careful around him.”
Liam thanked him as he followed the man back into the apartment, but thought to add, “Draco’s really tough. I doubt you’ll trigger him again.”
Kyle gave a nod to indicate that he heard and went to the fridge to grab a beer. Pouring it into a glass, he helped Liam finish setting the table. Once everything was ready, Liam and Kyle sat waiting. Ten minutes went by and the sink continued to run in the bathroom. Liam was about to get up and knock on the door, just to check on them, when Drey and Jess returned.
Jess held a bouquet of flowers and a plastic bag with a tub of vanilla ice cream (for the apple pie Harry had made). Drey had a bruised and swollen cheek; she took a frozen bag of peas out of the freezer and held it to her face as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Jess and Kyle spoke quietly, likely about the boys, and Liam went to the bathroom to fetch them.
Just as he was about to knock, the door opened. Harry’s cheeks were pink with a blush and both boys’ lips were kiss swollen and their hair damp from being finger-combed with wet fingers, but at least their clothes were all in place. Liam sighed and told them dinner was ready.
“The flowers are pretty,” Harry complimented right away as Jess set them in a vase on the coffee table.
“Thank you.” She sat at the table with a small smile. Her eyes darted to Draco for a moment before returning to Harry. “I hope you are feeling better.”
“Yes,” Harry answered simply and smiled. “Can I serve you?” Harry remained standing so that he could dish out the spicy, sautéed green beans and the mashed potatoes. He let everyone pick their own steak. Once everyone had food and was seated, they began to eat.
“What’s this school of your like?” Liam wanted to know.
Draco and Harry took turns talking about how there were houses and a yearly competition to see which could earn the most points in the year in both classes and their sport. They left out all mention of magic and tried not to use proper names, but explained how the kids were separated by personality traits and the green house was for the “bad” kids.
“Typical,” was Drey’s only comment. She had the worst opinion of humans in general, so such a flawed system didn’t surprise her in the slightest.
“Has there been no mention of reform?” Jess wanted to know. “There has been a lot of research that supports grouping kids based on their academic ability for classes, but I doubt segregating them so openly into house teams is beneficial in the long run. There could be a very easy solution that wouldn’t require them to redo the system completely. Simply require an equal number of each house in all extracurricular activities. You mentioned this sport they play. Instead of house teams, they should be mixed.”
“That sounds like a good idea!” Harry agreed excitedly. “Then they’d get to know each other and maybe wouldn’t hate Slytherin so much.”
Liam cast Harry a smile. “That’d be good.”
“The kids really love the system, though,” Draco denied. He poked at his potatoes thoughtfully. “They get really into house pride and define each other by their colors and banners. They would resist any integration plan.”
Drey laughed. “Who cares?”
Jess gave her partner a smile and translated for the boys. “Kids should do what they’re told or there will be consequences.”
Draco lifted his eyebrow at that. “Really?”
“Traditionally speaking,” she stated and speared some green beans. Her almond-shaped eyes studied him across the table. “Of course, not all children are children. How have you been faring on that front?”
Draco gave a snort. “I do pretty well. My birth family is old money, so I’m not treated like the typical child.”
“But it makes a lot of people at school not like Draco,” Harry added mournfully. “Since it’s widely believed his dad fought on the bad guy’s side in the war and only got off because of his name. We were sorted into the school house for the heroes and warriors, so they especially bully Draco. And the bad house thinks Draco’s a traitor for going into the red house, so…”
“Jesus,” Liam spat, furious on his brother’s behalf. He practically flung his fork down.
“Can’t you switch to a more neutral house?” Kyle wanted to know. It was the first time he’d spoken during dinner.
Draco turned to face him perfectly easily and answered. “It’s tricky because each house is based on certain personality types and I refuse to be separated from Harry. Since our personalities are so different, the red house is the only one where we could both believably be placed together. Truly I should be in the green house and Harry in yellow, but…” He gave a shrug.
“I see.” Kyle handed Harry his mostly empty plate as the boy began to clear the table.
Changing the subject, Draco gestured at both Kyle and the girls with a lazy gesture. “Tell me how this came about.”
Jess and Kyle shared a thoughtful glance, but it was Drey who spoke. “We fit each other,” she said with a shrug.
Jess smiled and covered Kyle’s hand with her own. “That’s true. We know a triad is notoriously hard to maintain, but it happened naturally. It’s been no burden so far.”
Kyle gave a lopsided smile. “Once things fell into place, there was no other way to be.”
As Harry began setting out small salads to help clear their palate for desert, Draco thought about that. He still wasn’t sure how a relationship with three very dominant people would work out, but clearly it had and they felt very strongly for one another. It must have been very delicate, especially in the beginning, but time would make it easier as their boundaries were discovered.
“So are you going to finally work at Diesel?” Kyle asked Liam and ate a cherry tomato. “I know the girls would prefer it.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet,” Liam hedged, eyebrows beetled. He had hated it when Brendon tried to tell him what to do and he still hated it when the girls and Kyle butted in his business.
“We’re going to stay with Liam for awhile,” Harry cut in smoothly. He had always excelled at the lessons with Narcissa on conversational diplomacy. “It might take some time for us to settle in.”
“In that rundown place?” Kyle asked. His tone wasn’t judgmental. He was simply seeking information. “It’s a one bedroom, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Jess answered. Her expression brightened. “If we can’t work together, we can at least be neighbors. This whole floor is ours. We like our privacy, so why don’t you move into the unit at the end of the hall? There will be two empty apartments between us. That should suit all of us nicely.”
“We’re at the club a lot,” Kyle agreed. “And if it’s still too intrusive, you can find a new place. You’ll have to do that anyway if the boys are going to live with you.”
Liam wanted to turn them down. He knew full well living closer to them would get them more involved, but Draco had already said he wanted lessons from Drey and Jess and his shitty apartment really was tiny. Plus, he didn’t want to take money from Draco and Harry; it wasn’t like he had a lot put away. So he set his pride aside and gave a shrug. “Sure. If the boys want to.”
Draco gave a nod. “Sounds good.”
Harry beamed happily. “I’ll get the pie!”
Chapter end.
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Freedom Bound in Chains