Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Erotes	By : Bickymonster Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 70634 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 19
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any concepts or characters associated with it. I am not making any money from this this story

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
AN: Chapter 11; apologies for this having taken so long to update (though it has only actually been 10 days it feels a lot longer) you will all be glad to know I am sure that chapters 12 and 13 are actually more or less completed too, so there will be another update before long.
Enjoy.
Warnings: Swearing, slash and Adult themes, sexual content. For full warnings see story description.
Thank you to my beta, AchillesTheGeek.

(Note: This is the updated edited version of the chapter. Updated 09/07/2015)

Draco was pacing in the corridor outside the potion master's quarters, putting off going inside. His wings were flicking in agitation with each step, ruffling his long hair that was pulled into a braid down his back.
"You don't have to do this," Harry told his boyfriend, which made Draco just turn and glare at him. They had already discussed this several times over and so Draco knew full well that Harry understood why they were there. "Okay, well you don't have to do this right now," he amended. He really did understand that Draco needed to speak with his father, and he even kind of understood the urgency of it, but he hated that this was stressing his boyfriend out this much.
"Harry, this is my best shot," Draco told him firmly, stopping pacing and moving to stand in front of his boyfriend. "This is our best shot at actually getting my father to listen," he explained, as he had done before. "We have no idea when he might return to normal and I can't miss this chance." If or when the influence of Draco’s wings wore off Lucius was going to be furious, and certainly not going to want to hear a word of what he had to say.
"I know, Draco," Harry said with a sigh, wrapping his arms loosely around the blond's shoulders, and just letting Draco lean against him. "I just don't like seeing you this... distressed; it can't be good for the baby," he added, hoping that his boyfriend might reconsider for their child's sake, if not his own.
Draco growled, his eyes narrowing in annoyance as he pushed away and looked up at his dominant mate. "It's always about the baby, isn't it, Harry," he said, unmistakably rather pissed off.
"Wait, what?" Harry asked, genuinely confused about the dramatic change in Draco's mood and the unexpected turn in the conversation. He had no idea what the blond was talking about and tried to bring Draco back into the embrace of his arms, hoping to offer him some comfort.
Draco, however, had other ideas and gave him a small shove, taking a step back. "That's all I am to you, isn't it," he said angrily, his voice full of hurt. "I'm just a means to an end," Draco said, his eyes glinting as tears formed but he refused to let them fall.
"Draco, this is crazy," Harry insisted as he once again tried to reach out, unsure why his boyfriend suddenly seemed to believe such things; there was no doubt that Harry wanted their child but Draco had become more or less the centre of his world this last month. "I love you," Harry said firmly.
"Great, now I'm crazy too am I?" Draco asked, a scowl on his face as he back away from his dominant, his wings spread out behind him.
"Right now, Love, yes, you're acting crazy," Harry told him with frustration, reaching out again and getting a firm grip on Draco's arms. They knew they loved each other so he was confused about what was going on in Draco's head. "I love you and you know that," he reminded the blond, "so what is this really about?"
"Let go," Draco yelled, trying to pull away; however, Harry held on as gently as he could, not wanting to hurt him but not about to let his submissive hide from whatever it was that was bothering him. "Please," the blond begged, a few tears starting to roll down his cheeks. "Let me go," he requested again, sounding a lot less determined.
Harry sighed at the sight of tears on his mate's face and pulled the blond against his chest, grateful when Draco barely fought him at all, and wrapped his arms around the smaller teenager. "Never, Draco," he told him firmly. "I will never let you go," he promised.
Draco cried as he leaned against Harry, slim arms clinging around Harry's waist, a shadow falling over them both as Harry pulled his wings out and curled them around the pair of them. "I'm sorry," Draco sobbed. "It's just..."
"All a bit much?" Harry asked and he felt Draco nod against him. He sighed; honestly, he had been expecting something like this from Draco for a while, so now he realised what was happening, he just wanted to help him through it. "Your whole life was completely flipped upside down, Draco," he pointed out, "and this is the first time, in a month, that you have had any kind of panic; and that is even with all those crazy pregnancy hormones."
Draco chuckled, it coming out as almost a sob, against his boyfriend's chest. "I didn't scare you away with my crazy outburst then?" he asked nervously, the feeling of Harry's arms and wings around him helping to calm the emotions swirling in his mind.
"You will have to do better than that, Malfoy," Harry teased affectionately. He had been worried and concerned about his mate, but he wasn't going to let a momentary panic get between them.
"But what if he hates me?" Draco asked, looking up at Harry with fearful eyes, continuing to lean against him.
"Your father?" Harry queried, glancing towards the door to Snape's rooms.
Draco nodded in confirmation. "What if we go in there, we tell him everything, and then he hates me?" he asked, voicing his fears. He knew that Lucius was disappointed, maybe even angry with him already, but he still wanted to believe that his father loved him.
Harry opened his mouth to assure Draco that wouldn't happen, but he didn't want to lie, so closed it again a second later, and frowned, giving it serious thought. "Then you will know where you stand with him," he answered with a sigh. "And you'll still have your friends, your mother, me and our baby," Harry promised. "He can't take us from you, Draco."
Draco sobbed a little against Harry's chest again; despite appreciating his mate's honesty, the idea of having Lucius actual hate him was painful to consider. "But he is still my father..." he said, trying to not completely breakdown; he was on the verge of telling Harry to just take them back to their rooms, but he knew he had to do this, no matter how hard it seemed.
"I know, Love," Harry said sadly, wishing there was something more he could do. "Hopefully once he understands everything and he realises that he can't separate us, then he can start to accept that this is how things are now." He held Draco by his arms and pulled him from his body just enough to look him in the eye. "Like you said, he is your father," Harry said confidently, "surely when all is said and done he, like your mother, wants you to be kept safe and happy."
Draco took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. "I hope you're right," he said softly.
"Ready?" Harry asked, willing to take as long as Draco needed, but thinking that they were getting off topic and should just go for it rather than dwelling on what might happen for too long.
"As I will ever be," Draco replied with a nod of his head.
-#-
It was about ten minutes later that Draco found himself sat on a wooden chair, his Malfoy mask firmly in place, as he faced the bars which were holding his father captive; Harry was standing a short way behind him, next to Professor Snape. They had been this way for several minutes and it didn't seem as though either of the Malfoy men were ready to speak.
"Bars, sir?" Draco heard Harry asked quietly. "Seems a bit... primitive... and muggle."
The professor snorted derisively at the comment. "It is the most effective way to ensure he doesn't leave," the potion master informed the teenager. "The Dark Lord already believes that Dumbledore is keeping him captive in a location that I am not privy to and so he will be kept here for the foreseeable future. Lucius knows too much about you and young Mr Malfoy; if he was to be given a chance to relay the information he knows..."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Harry interrupted, waving his arm dismissively. "I get that we have to keep him locked up and away from Voldemort, it was just that wasn't expecting him to be behind actual bars."
"They are magically enhanced bars, if that makes you feel any better, Mr Potter," Snape told him with a derogatory sneer, not sure why Harry was insisting on having this inane discussion.
"Oh yeah, loads," Harry responded sarcastically under his breath, far too used to Snape speaking down to him to actually let it bother him. Normally he would have just walked away, but he was there for Draco and so he stood his ground.
"Are you going to tell me what you are?" Lucius asked suddenly, drawing everyone's attention to him. He too was sat stiffly on a chair, which he had moved across the room, so that he could sit in front of the bars blocking the only doorway out of his room.
"I am considering it," Draco told him calmly, not wanting to admit that it was taking time to find the courage to do so. Despite the words of comfort Harry had given him, he still was extremely anxious. "First I want to know if you are even worth my time; do you even care for me at all?"
Lucius remained where he was sitting, his body tense and straight-backed, but he actually looked mildly horrified at the insinuation; it was not an expression that Harry had ever seen on the man's face before. "Of course I do," Lucius stated simply. "You are my heir; you are my son."
"And yet you attacked me as soon as you saw my wings," Draco snapped back, struggling to keep his mask of relaxed confidence in place. In all his years he had never had his father handle him in such a manner before, nor make threats against his safety, and he hadn't been sure just how far Lucius had been willing to go.
"I just wanted answers," Lucius said in his defence. "I was shocked and then he showed up," he explained, throwing a glare in Harry's direction, before turning his gaze back to his son before him.
"Blaming your reaction on Harry will not earn you any points with me," Draco warned, his voice was cold and bland, and Harry wondered if Lucius even knew how angry his son was with him right now. Harry couldn't help but feel a little smug at how easily he could read his boyfriend's tone of voice now.
Lucius scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "You choose him, over your own parents?" he asked sceptically. Draco had been raised as a Malfoy, taught his whole life to respect his heritage, and make choices that would be best for the family he represented; it made no sense that the boy would discard that for some half-blooded Gryffindor.
"Mother accepts him!" Draco all but yelled, drawing the strength to confront his father from the truth of his own words. "She gave me a chance to explain before she condemned me and the man I love," he added, his eyes narrowing slightly, but his body and face otherwise remaining impassive.
Lucius looked like he had been physically struck by the words. "Narcissa accepts him?" he asked, as if the idea was beyond comprehension. He had always known his wife occasionally had a soft heart, particularly regarding their son, but Potter represented everything they stood against. Though at the same time, given all that Narcissa had said during the time she had come to see him, he knew that it was the truth.
Draco nodded slowly in confirmation. "So I ask you again," the teenager said, his voice calm despite the hammering of his heart in his chest, "do you even care for me at all?"
The older Malfoy narrowed his eyes, unhappy with the situation, but he nodded curtly a second later. Draco was precious to him in a way that no other was, and he had no intention of letting Potter steal his child from him so easily.
"Will you put my needs above your loyalties to the Dark Lord?" Draco asked, needing to know if his father genuinely cared, or if Lucius just believed, or was saying, that he did. Either way they would not be able to trust him enough to free him, but as Harry had said before they had come into the room, Draco needed to know where they stood.
"It is not that simple..." Lucius tried to argue, knowing that going against Voldemort would likely mean death for them all, and he would not allow such a thing to happen; he could not disgrace his family by allowing the line to end on his watch.
"It is that simple!" Draco snapped, losing his resolve a little bit and leaning forward slightly to glare at his father as he spoke. "I am with Harry and staying with Harry," he said, a small, smug smile twitching at the corner of his mouth as he spoke quietly. "Keeping me safe and working with the Dark Lord are no longer options that are compatible with each other; you have to choose."
"It isn't like I am being given a choice either way," Lucius pointed out, waving his hands at the bars in front of him. There was nothing that he could do to serve his master or help his son from where he was being held; and Severus had already made it clear that he was not going to be released any time in the foreseeable future.
Draco did nod his head slightly in acquiescence of the truth of his father's words, but simply rephrased the question, determined to get the answers he was looking for. "If you could, would you return to him, knowing it would put me in danger?" the teenager demanded to know. "Knowing that it would put Professor Snape in danger?"
Lucius eyes got a slightly glazed over quality as he looked longingly at the potions master. "I have no wish for any harm to befall either of you," he informed them.
Draco sighed; he didn't feel like he was getting anywhere but he felt Harry's hand reach out and brush lightly against his wing feathers; the sensation was comforting and gave him strength. "You really want to know what I... what we are?" Draco asked, indicating Harry as well as himself.
Lucius nodded, hopeful that he would finally get some of the answers he was looking for, an explanation that would help him understand his son's defiance.
"Fine," Draco agreed harshly, taking a deep calming breath before he spoke. "We are Erotes," he said, and there was certainly a small degree of pleasure to be had from the wide-eyed look of surprise on his father's face in that moment.
"I thought that they were..." his father mumbled, which was totally out of character for the usually beautifully-spoken pure-blood. But this simple revelation had evidently rocked his world as he viewed them with an obviously shocked expression on his face. For his part, Draco was, as he had been with his mother, relieved that Lucius had at least heard of them; that would save having to do too much explaining.
"... Just legends?" Draco finished for him, a smug expression on his face, his confidence returning a little in the face of his father's confusion and disbelief. "That is apparently the impression that most people were under," he explained, not about to admit that he had been shocked and horrified at his own inheritance, when he had first learned of what he had become.
"However," Draco went on, "that is what we are. Harry and I bonded a little over a month ago and I am currently pregnant with our child." He paused for a moment to allow Lucius a moment to let this news sink in, but the man said nothing and so Draco continued. "It was the ability that I can channel through my wings which has made you fall in love with the Professor here," he told his father, his finger pointing over his shoulder at the potions master.
Lucius was apparently lost for words as he just stared, open-mouthed and wide-eyed at his son. He opened his mouth a few times to say something, but it seemed that words were failing because he said nothing. Harry was trying to keep his face calm, but the whole goldfish impression that the older Malfoy was doing was rather amusing and so he had to bite on his bottom lip a little to hold back a laugh.
"You see, father," Draco said firmly, a determined smile on his lips now, "I will never leave Harry. And so you have a choice; you can learn to accept this and keep your son," Draco said, pausing as he steeled himself to finish the ultimatum, "...or you will lose me."
Harry could see that Draco was shaking, the fact betraying his nerves despite the cool facade he kept on his face. This was it; this was the moment that Draco had feared, worried that Lucius would simply discard him now that it was clear he would not be separated from Harry. Unable to bear looking at the still silent form of Lucius a moment longer, Draco suddenly stood up and turned to Harry and Snape.
"I am done here," Draco told them. "I have said all I have to say. It is up to him now." He leaned up to kiss Harry, out of a need for the simple comfort it would bring him rather than anything else, but Lucius' shocked gasp behind him made Draco smile against his boyfriend's lips. Maybe his father would finally get it, that he and Harry were the real deal.
Harry couldn't resist smirking at Lucius, as he wrapped an arm around Draco's shoulders, following Snape. The potions master showed the two of them out of his rooms, into the corridor, leaving a rather stunned Lucius to his thoughts.
"He seems more like himself," Draco commented to the professor, once the three of them were in the corridor, the portrait covering the entrance to Snape's personal quarters closing behind them.
Snape nodded. "I agree," he said, his expression softening a little. "Whatever you did to him seems to be starting to wear off...," he confirmed, before adding, "slowly."
"You seem pleased about that," Draco said with a frown; he definitely had his doubts about how co-operative his father was likely to be once the Erote influence was gone. Harry also looked a little surprised by Snape's admission, having been assuming that the potions master would be glad to have Lucius' affections given the feelings that everyone seemed to think that Snape held for the blond.
"I am," Snape said with a small dip of his head. "Your father has been my friend for a long time, Draco," he explained, "I do not want him... forced into a way of thinking. I would have him choose for himself."
Draco sighed, nodded his understanding. He wouldn't want Harry to be with him anything less than completely willingly. "Just... don't wait till he disappears back behind his masks," he told the potions master a little hesitantly, knowing that Snape might not appreciate his advice on this matter.
Snape sneered but gave a barely noticeable nod. "Goodnight, Draco," he said by way of a dismissal.
"Goodnight, sir," Draco said with a smile as he slid his hand into Harry's, letting his boyfriend lead him away.
Harry looked back as they headed down the corridor; Snape was leaning against the door to his room, lost in thought. Harry smiled to himself; he thought that maybe, just maybe, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape could work it out between them.
-#-
Harry was lying on their bed, smiling fondly as Draco practically jumped into bed with a grin on his face. "That went so much better than I ever thought it would," the blond told him happily, sighing with contentment as he curled into Harry's side.
Harry chuckled, pleased to see that Draco's mood had greatly improved. "You did great," he said earnestly. "I love you, I am so proud of you."
Draco pushed himself up and pressed their lips together, pulling Harry down so that his dominant was leaning over him. "Prove it," Draco challenged quietly, a teasing smile on his lips.
Harry smirked at him and shifted them so that Draco was lying beneath him, wings spread out beneath him and their fronts pressed together. Harry kissed him passionately and Draco moaned at the feeling of Harry growing hard against him, as their tongues battled against each other's, his own desire tenting his pyjama trousers already.
His heart felt like it was beating so fast that Harry should have been able to hear it and the feeling of his mate leaning over him was making him desperate for more. His body was urging him to give in, and let Harry take whatever he wanted, but although he had wanted to have sex with Harry from the moment that he remembered the night they conceived their child, he was decidedly nervous.
Draco broke their kiss, pushing gently against Harry's chest, until his mate lifted off him very slight and looked down at him with concern. "Harry..." the blond said breathlessly, his head still a little foggy with arousal.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, looking worried; he hadn't meant to push things further than his mate was comfortable with, he wanted Draco to want this as much as he did.
"Can we not, you know...?" Draco requested, blushing as he tried to look away but Harry raised a hand to his cheek, maintaining their eye contact.
"Draco, Love, we will go exactly as far as you want and no further," Harry promised with a smile, pressing a chaste kiss to his boyfriend's temple. "That will always be true, not just for tonight." Draco might be his submissive, but Harry would never want to pressure him into anything.
Desperate to break the tension and sappiness of the embarrassing moment, and reassured by Harry's words, Draco threaded a hand into his boyfriend's hair and pulled him back down into another kiss. Harry's hands moved under his top and ran over his flat stomach and narrow waist, his fingers dipping carefully below the top of Draco's trousers.
Draco arched his back slightly, finding he could actually use his wings to push himself against Harry's body, even if only for a moment. Harry's hands slipped further under his pyjama trousers, and boldly moved to cup Draco's arse; the submissive twitched in surprise and gasped happily when Harry's nails gently ran over the smooth skin of his cheeks.
Harry took the slightly parted lips as an invitation and brought his tongue back into play, as Draco eased back against the mattress. He hesitated, moving his hand from inside his boyfriend's pyjamas, wanting to make sure that this was what Draco wanted. The blond whined, his hands tugging on Harry's hair a little, in a demand for more, not wanting to stop.
Harry chuckled deeply into their kiss and as he pressed their bodies closer together, the teasing movement of his tongue distracting the blonde from his hand which was continuing its exploration, now gliding over Draco's pale-skinned torso, underneath the top he was still wearing.
Draco wanted more, the feeling of Harry's ministrations making him almost painfully hard; the wanton moans that were falling from his lips were being swallowed by the kiss he couldn't bear to break. Summoning all his courage Draco gripped the waist of Harry's Pyjama trousers and started to push them down.
Harry gasped against Draco's mouth as his erection was unexpectedly freed; the submissive hadn't been able to move them far, and so they were still around Harry's thighs as Draco's slender fingers gripped around his already-leaking length. He couldn't help but moan, thrusting involuntarily into Draco's hand at the sensation.
Draco chuckled smugly at that reaction, loving the power that he suddenly found he had; power and control always made him feel wonderful and so he didn't know why it shocked him to realise how much of a turn-on taking control during sex would be.
"Merlin!" Harry exclaimed, as Draco's thumb brushed over the tip of his erection. "Damn it, Draco," Harry said, groaning happily, as the blond used the leaking pre-cum to start jerking him off in long smooth strokes. "Too good."
Draco stopped with a smirk. "I can stop if you would like," he told him with mock seriousness, already knowing what his mate would have to say about such a suggestion.
Harry growled leaning down to nip at Draco's jaw, his hands moving to the waistband of his boyfriend's pyjama trousers, quickly sliding them down over the submissive's hips. "The only way we are stopping is if you ask me to," Harry said, as he stroked and gently squeezed his mate's newly exposed hardness.
The most welcome sensation made Draco automatically shift, having to remind himself to move his own hand on Harry's cock when he became distracted by the pleasure flowing through his body. "So good," Draco moaned, and, as Harry pressed kisses to his jaw, the two of them quickly found a rapid pace, moving in time with one another.
"Love you," Harry whispered, before pressing their lips firmly back together in need as their mutual pleasure built, his own balls pulling up tight as he chased his orgasm. From the noises Draco was making, Harry didn't think the blond was far behind.
Harry came first, and his whole body tensed and twitched as he came hard, a delirious mumble that was something close to Draco's name falling from his lips. With some difficultly Harry managed to keep his hand moving on his mate's hard length, despite the haze of his own climax, and Draco came only a few seconds later.
Neither of them had the energy to speak and it was taking all Harry's will power to keep himself propped up just enough not to crush Draco beneath him. Draco was breathing deeply, eyes closed as he revelled in their post coital bliss, his heart beating fast in his chest, wings and blonde hair spread beneath him and Harry found that that sight affected his breathing more than the physical exertion of recent minutes ever could.
Eventually Harry managed to roll off of his smaller boyfriend and lay down next to him, feeling slightly awkward now that they were lying side by side, their bellies covered in the evidence of their mutual wanking and their trousers still round their thighs.
"I need a shower," Draco stated, his nose crinkling in distaste as he looked down their bodies at the state they were in. He had definitely enjoyed it, but he wasn't such a fan of the general resulting stickiness.
"Me too," Harry agreed, trying not to laugh at Draco's reaction, thinking that doing so probably wouldn't help the slightly tense awkwardness between them.
"I'll go first," Draco insisted as he slid out of bed; pulling up his trousers and grabbing clean pyjamas from his trunk, he headed out of the room.
Harry slid out of bed too, as Draco headed through the door; he discarded his own pyjama trousers, and gathered some clean pyjamas for himself to change into after a shower. "I really hope this gets less awkward," Harry said quietly to the empty room.
-#-
The weather was continuing to get colder as they went into the last week of term. Strong winds that chilled the residents of Hogwarts to the bone howled outside. They had not heard anything from Lucius but Draco didn't seem to be surprised or worried and their increasing confidence with each other in the bedroom seemed to be doing wonders for restoring Draco's faith in himself.
Harry, however, was feeling guilty, increasingly so as Draco showed just how much he cared and trusted him. The guilt at having spied on Draco was eating at him and his concerns about how worried his bonded had seemed that day with his friends was putting him on edge. He so desperately wanted to offer reassurances and promises to Draco, to tell him that everything would be okay, that there was no way he was getting involved in anything related to fighting Voldemort; at least not until after their child was born. That, however, would take some explaining, as Draco had yet to openly admit to him he had any such concerns.
He sighed as he watched his boyfriend across the Great Hall, loving how Draco tilted his head back as he laughed at whatever Blaise had just said.
"Something's bothering you, Harry," Hermione observed, causing Harry to look away from Draco, to look at his friend in surprise. "Are you going to talk to me about it or would you rather sulk for a few more days?" she asked, sounding quite exasperated.
"I did something stupid," he confessed, glad that Ron was busy trying to finish off a charms essay that was due in the next morning; he really didn't need to hear I-told-you-so's right now.
"Oh really," Hermione said; she didn't actually sound surprised by this and was rolling her eyes at him. "And what, might I ask, did you do exactly?" she questioned.
Harry glared at her, having hoped for a little more support than that, but knowing that he had brought it upon himself. "I was just going to surprise Draco, maybe make him jump, so I followed him, Pansy and Blaise," he explained. "They went to Blaise's dorm..."
"Harry, what were you thinking?" Hermione interrupted quietly, her tone scolding.
"I wasn't, apparently," Harry said self-deprecatingly, "because, before I really thought it through, I was stuck eavesdropping with no way out without revealing myself," he told her. Hermione gave him a disappointed look, but gestured for him to continue. "Most of what Draco told them was stuff I already knew but then he got so upset," he explained, hating that his boyfriend had been in such a state. "He was crying, Hermione; he cried, real tears and everything."
"Oh, Harry," she said sadly, definite sympathy in her voice now; she had seen how much he had come to love Draco and so knew that seeing him upset would have hurt her friend. "Look, come on," she said, grabbing Harry's sleeve as she got to her feet, "let's find somewhere more private to talk."
Harry was only just able to grab the remainder of his treacle tart, as he was pulled up from the table, before Hermione started to drag him from the hall. Harry went to start talking again, to ask where they were going, but Hermione shushed him, letting go of his hand and trusting him to continue to follow her.
"It is about minus ten degrees out," Harry complained, tucking his hands under his armpits in a hope of preserving his fingers, as they left the castle and walked out into the snow covered grounds.
"Well then other people will be less likely to be out here eavesdropping," Hermione told him sharply, pulling her scarf tightly around her neck and casting warming charms on both of them enough to stop them freezing. "So, tell me, what had Draco so upset that he cried?" she asked as they reached the edge of the lake.
"He's scared about what the war means for us," Harry told her, trusting her to keep whatever he had to say to herself. "I understand that he is worried that people will come after him, to get to me; but what he really sounded most upset about was the idea of something happening to me." Harry tried to explain.
"That surprises you, Harry?" Hermione asked with a roll of her eyes; for someone who cared so deeply about others, Harry could be very dense when it came to how others might feel about him. "He loves you, you idiot, so of course he is terrified of losing you. How do you feel when you think about losing Draco?" she asked, hoping to help him understand.
Harry looked sick at even the thought, "It scares me more than anything else ever has," he told her honestly, as the realisation hit. It certainly gave him pause for thought, made him wonder if Draco felt that same fear about him. The idea of someone else needing him to be alive... it was so alien to him.
"I have never wanted to die or anything but it never seemed important for me to survive this war..." Harry tried to explain after a few moments, thinking that Hermione deserved to really understand how much Draco had changed everything.
Hermione looked horrified that Harry would think that way. "But what about Draco and...?" she asked; not only did she not want to lose her best friend and for Draco not to lose his mate, she wanted Harry's child to get a chance to know its father; not to mention for Harry to have a chance to know his child.
"Exactly Hermione," Harry told her. "It was never important to me before; of course I had friends who cared," he added, wanting her to know that she and Ron mattered to him too, "but you would have been perfectly fine without me. But now that I have Draco and we're to be parents," he went on before Hermione could comment, "I will do everything to make sure I can be there for them. And I really want to tell Draco that but..."
"But then he will want to know what made you tell him," Hermione finished with a sigh and a nod of understanding. "Which would then mean you would have to explain how you completely betrayed his trust and..."
"Yeah..." Harry sighed sadly, not even trying to deny that that was what he had done. "After Sirius... died, I couldn't help but feel like it wasn't worth caring about anyone because they would just die anyway. I was all ready never get close to anyone ever again..."
"And then you sort of had Draco forced into your life?" Hermione prompted, a crooked smile on her face and Harry nodded. She hadn't really understood what Harry had been going through since Sirius' death but the change in him was noticeable and she was glad for it.
"And he needed me, literally," Harry said, thinking of the magical energy transfers that were keeping Draco and their child alive. " And the idea of our child... well that scared me more than anything," he confessed. "If I couldn't keep the adults around me alive, how would I protect a small defenceless child?"
Hermione nodded in understanding, waiting silently for him to go on, not wanting to interrupt this burst of honesty from her friend.
"But then I fell for Draco," Harry went on. "I never thought that would happen, but he is so charming and bloody gorgeous, not to mention at least as nervous about everything as I am which just makes him all the more endearing," he ranted softly, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I have to keep them safe, Hermione," he stated, "they are everything I am living for, they are my family."
Hermione smiled at him proudly. "You will, Harry," she assured him, feeling confident about that. "You said it yourself, you will do everything you can."
"But what if it isn't enough?" he asked, his eyes desperately pleading with his best friend to guarantee their safety, even though he knew that she could offer him no such thing.
"Harry," Hermione took his hands in hers, "no one can say for certain what will happen, but we will figure it out," she promised; it wasn't as though Harry and Draco were facing this war alone. Harry nodded, taking deep calming breaths. "It sounds like you need to work out where you stand in this war," Hermione told him, wanting to be practical about things. "Have you even told Draco about the prophecy?"
Harry shook his head. "I am still not sure how I feel about that anyway," he told her. "And I definitely don't feel like I have any answers about how I am supposed to go about killing Voldemort; he came back from the dead once already for Merlin's sake."
"Has Dumbledore not said anything about it since he told you about the prophecy?" Hermione asked, shocked that the old man could drop something like that on her friend and then not offer him any further guidance.
"He mentioned, near the start of term, that he was working on something and that he would like to share with me later, but..." Harry shrugged, indicating he knew no more than she did. He hadn't put a lot of thought into it since he had come into his inheritance, when Draco and their bond had become a priority.
"You need to talk to him, find out what he knows," Hermione instructed. "If this prophecy is for real then it is your family's lives that are on the line and you need to know as much as possible."
"Yeah, you're right," Harry said, nodding his head in agreement, definitely liking the idea of doing something proactive to protect his family. "I need some answers and Dumbledore is probably the only one who can really give them to me," he agreed.
"As for Draco," Hermione went on, wanting to get back to what they had come out here to discuss in the first place, "he will talk to you about his concerns when he is ready. Until then just be supportive and try not to do anything too reckless."
Harry chuckled, "I'll do my best," he promised her as they started slowly make their way back in the direction of the castle.
-#-
Harry was pacing nervously along the corridor near the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office; he knew he should talk to Dumbledore about the prophecy and about the war but the whole thing made him nervous and in many ways he was much happier pretending none of it was happening. Denial, however, would do nothing to keep Draco and their son or daughter safe and so he took a deep calming breath before starting to reel off a list of various magical and muggle sweets, until cockroach clusters caused the gargoyle to move, allowing him up the stairs.
"Harry, I am glad to see that you have conquered whatever was making you so nervous and decided to join me," Dumbledore said with a soft smile, as Harry entered the office. "Tea?" he offered.
Harry felt slightly flustered by the old man's knowing that he had been so hesitant and quickly declined the offer of tea with a shake of his head, as he took a seat across the desk from the headmaster.
"So, what brings you here today, Harry?" Dumbledore asked kindly, leaning forward to peer at the teenager over the top of his half-moon spectacles.
"Well, sir," Harry said, mentally bracing himself as he looked up to meet the headmaster's eyes, "I want to know what you have planned to take down Voldemort," he said firmly. "I was happy before to just trust you and go with it, but now..."
"Harry..." Dumbledore said, holding up a hand to stop him. "I understand," he added when Harry opened his mouth to protest. "It has taken me slightly longer than I had hoped to find the information I have been looking for; however, I believe I am getting close to the answers we need."
Harry nodded slowly, frowning slightly as it still sounded a lot like he was being asked to carry on waiting.
"I believe I understand how Voldemort survived the night that he killed your parents and tried to kill you," Dumbledore informed him. "I, however, would like to explain this to you by showing you several important memories, ones that will help you understand the path Tom Riddle took," the headmaster told him. "I would like to test my theories first, but I should be able to do so in the coming weeks and so I suggest we meet again in the new year."
Harry was pissed off; he knew he was being fobbed off again, to be left with little to no information and promises of future explanations. He had to consciously hold his tongue, to keep himself from yelling at the headmaster, knowing that it would not get him to what he needed to know any quicker.
"I understand your concerns for yours and Draco's safety," the headmaster told him, ignoring the glare that Harry was giving him. "I have therefore asked that Tonks be permitted to come and stay in the castle, to act as protection for you both, should you need it."
Harry rolled his eyes. 'Great' he thought to himself; he couldn't help but think that if people hadn't already worked out that Draco might make a good target, then having an Auror following him around was likely to help clue them in. "That really isn't necessary, sir," Harry tried to tell him, feeling frustrated with Dumbledore's attempts to help the situation.
"Nonsense, Harry," Dumbledore told him dismissively. "Besides, she will be teaching Defence whilst she is here; it is preferable to the various Aurors we have had so far this term," the headmaster happily informed him. "I am quite sure that this will be best for everyone; though hopefully it will be for nothing as I am sure that Draco is perfectly safe whilst he remains in the castle."
Harry nodded; resigned to this happening, realising that it was already done deal and that nothing he said was going to make the blindest bit of difference now. At least he liked Tonks; it might even be fun having her around.
"Harry, one last thing before you go," the headmaster said, as Harry went to get up from his chair. "I was wondering if you have had any visions since you bonded with Draco."
Harry's eyes went wide at the realisation. It hadn't even occurred to him, what with everything else in his life becoming so complicated, but the Dumbledore made an excellent point; he hadn't had a single vision since coming into his inheritance.
"No, sir, I haven't. Is that an Erote thing?" Harry asked curiously, still feeling a little stunned by the realisation; he was seriously hoping that it was because of his inheritance, rather than just a co-incidence, because he definitely wouldn't miss that connection with Voldemort.
"I believe that it may be," Dumbledore told him with a small nod of his head. "Though, given the unique nature of the connection between you and Voldemort, I cannot be certain. It is possible that it is merely ... diluting the connection and that, in the most extreme of circumstances, you will still have visions. Or it could simply be that Voldemort has been deliberately closing his mind. I cannot be certain."
Harry nodded again, understanding that it was a complex issue, but hoping that it really was because of what he had become. "Can I go now, sir?" he requested.
The headmaster bowed his head in consent. "I will not allow any harm to befall your new young family, Harry," he said as Harry got up from his seat. "Even if you have your doubts about everything else, please do trust me on that."
Harry actually managed to smile at those words. "I know; thank you, sir," he said honestly, before taking his leave of the office.
He headed towards Gryffindor tower, wanting to get back to his mate; he had not missed the headmaster's careful choice of words, the promises of Draco and their child's safety with no mention of the same for him. Harry would allow Dumbledore to tell him what he knew come the new year but he was not going to throw himself on the fire as he might have before Draco; he had something to live for now and he damned well intended to do so for as long as he could.

By popular demand I am going to try and create an email group, where I will send an email notifying when I update any of my stories. If you wish to receive these trial email notifications then please let me know in a review, leaving me your email address. (literally put your email in the review and I will sort the rest)
I will NOT use your email address for anything other than sending you notifications and I will NOT give your email address to anyone else.
Please do take a moment to leave me a review and let me know your thoughts.
Thank you for reading.
Review Responses:
Jan - Indeed, Draco's concerns are not unfounded and Harry knows that, as do his friends.
ChaosLady - Me too, writing the memory scene was a lot of fun, I wasn't sure I wanted to but it came out really well in my opinion.
laceyp - leave me a review with your email address written in it and I will sort adding you to the list.
Meechy - They are definitely growing as a pair and admitting their feelings was a big step in that for both of them. It wasn't so much that Harry didn't want to know what he heard, it is more that he wishes that Draco had told him so they could work through the issues, and that he feels guilty for his actions.
Hollibell - Some of the chapters have been difficult to work out what I was going to call them but it comes to me eventually. :) I couldn't call the first could something beginning with E and then not keep up the pattern. Thank you for the birthday wishes. I know what you mean about Snape and Lucius, we are working on that I promise. ;) They both have a lot to work through. Yeah, I would never make Harry and Draco's first night really traumatic for either of them, otherwise I would never have let them remember.
Diana - You won't have to wait as long next time, promise.
yngoldfogee - Thank you for the correction, I fixed that. :) I am always happy for people to point such things out to me. The closest to someone working against them really is Ginny and she isn't working against them so much as pissed that the relationship she thought she was entitled to is never going to happen.
nari-chan - mistake is fixed, thank you. I am so touched by your review, that you feel that emotionally about the story I am writing it truly the greatest compliment you could give.
VindentMeoblinn - Yes I am, you won't have to wait long now for that scene, it is already written. :)
And thank you again to those whose reviews I responded to by email when adding them to the email group. :) <3
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