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The Rise of the Drackens	By : StarLightMassacre Category: Harry Potter > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 769458 -:- Recommendations : 72 -:- Currently Reading : 220
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights for the creation of the Harry Potter novels go to J. K. Rowling. I make no money from this piece of fictional writing

Chapter List
- 127
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- 129
Last Time
Max then sat and started eating. Both of his mates chose to sit as close to him as possible, and Harry didn’t think that was a coincidence. It made him equally sad and happy to know that the twenty-four hours that they’d been separated had affected them as well as himself. Now he just had to hope that Blaise and Draco were as anxious to make amends, and that they were as understanding as he, Max, and Nasta had been over the entire thing, otherwise he was looking at the almost complete destruction of his mateship, and he couldn’t even bring himself to think of what his life would be like then.

Chapter One Hundred-Twenty-Eight – Settling Tensions

Nasta was not looking forward to the coming arguments with Draco and Blaise, but he had promised Harry that he would sort this mess out, and as it was him that the two younger dominants had an issue with, he saw it as his responsibility to sit down and talk it out with them. Harry was upset enough, and still trying to recover from giving birth, it wasn’t fair to put him through this.
Nasta decided to start with Draco, who despite being the first person to voice a possibility of there being a link between the deaths in his family, he hadn’t actually voiced the wish to kill him. Nasta was hoping that that was because Draco didn’t want him dead, and not because he believed Blaise had already put voice to his thoughts and didn’t see the need in repeating them.
He had chosen to go later in the day, after the kids had had their dinner, and after he’d helped Max with nine bath times. That way the kids would be relaxed and playing with their quiet toys, and if Nasta deemed Draco able to come home then he would be able to have a cuddle with them, and maybe comb their wet, wild hair for them, as he usually did. That would go a long way to settling the kids down too, to have their routine put back to rights.

“Nasta, I hope you are well?” Lucius Malfoy asked him as he arrived at Malfoy Manor via the floo.

“Things could be much better, but we’re all still standing this time.” Nasta replied.

“Draco is in the parlour, Narcissa and I will leave you both to your business. I have already told Draco that I do not condone this foolishness. He fought against us, and our wishes, to be included in this…mateship that you’re all sharing. He made his choices very clear, and insisted to us that he was standing by his choices regardless of our thoughts or feelings on the matter. He forced us to accept it, and we have done so. For him to behave now as he is, as if that mateship means nothing to him, is of the utmost idiocy, and I will not allow his behaviour to continue in this way. I never raised a fool.”

Nasta blinked, but nodded. “Thank you. I hope that he has seen the error of his ways, but its best if we talk it all out. Harry is very angry at all of us, as he has every right to be. He’s never had much in his life, he’s never had a chance to celebrate the usual things that others get to experience, and he’s come to really enjoy Valentine’s Day. He was looking forward to it so much, and we ruined that for him, as those Muggles always ruined everything that he wanted to experience too. I feel disgusted that I can now be lumped into the same category as those people who once abused him so terribly. I won’t stand for it any longer. I am going to sort this issue, one way or another, for Harry’s sake. For all of our sakes.”

Lucius nodded, and directed him to the parlour, and Nasta found Draco sat writing in a book. He was slightly rumpled, a little unkempt, but nothing to how he’d been after that fight in May, when Nasta had found Draco curled up in a filthy ball on his bedroom floor.

“Nasta. It…it’s good to see you.” Draco greeted hesitantly.

“Is it?” He asked, sitting down opposite Draco.

“Of course it is. I…I’ve missed you. All of you.”

“That is, at the least, reassuring to hear.”

“I…Blaise was the one who said about wanting you…about…”

“About wanting me dead, it’s alright, you can say it, I’m sure.” Nasta supplied.

“I was shocked when he said it, Nasta. I was just worried for Harry, I never…I would never have gone so far as to suggest that we…that we…”

“Kill me.” Nasta finished, looking at Draco and his demeanour closely.

Draco actually flinched. “I had my fill of…of killing my own mates when…when I killed Blaise and almost killed Harry. I learnt my lesson, Nasta. I more than learnt my lesson. I would never have suggested going through any of that ever again. I know what it’s like, the crushing knowledge of knowing you’re responsible for killing someone you love, and being on the other end, when you and Max rightfully wanted me dead for what I’d done to Harry and Blaise. I never want to go through that ever again. I would never, ever suggest that we put ourselves through that again. I love all of you with everything that I am, with everything that I have to give. Please believe that I wouldn’t have put any of us through that, not again.”

Nasta actually felt tears prickle at his eyes, and his throat was tight. He opened his arms, and Draco didn’t hesitate to leap up and come around the table to sit with him. Nasta crushed him into a hug, and held him close.

“I love you, Cariad.” Nasta told Draco, pressing a kiss to that baby fine, blond hair.

“I love you too. I miss you, I miss all of you.”

“Harry is rightfully angry, and scared of what might happen if we’re all together. He’s particularly worried about bringing back Blaise after what he said.”

“It has to be his injury, Nasta.” Draco said, voicing what the rest of them hoped as well. “He was Harry’s first mate, he pretty much chose the rest of us alongside Harry, but Blaise has always been so protective of him. He’s always firmly been on the side of what Harry’s wants, what Harry needs, until now. I’ve been thinking about it nonstop, and it can’t be a coincidence that Blaise has a brain injury, issues with his memory, and suddenly he’s going against what Harry wants? It doesn’t seem right, nothing else seems to make sense, but adding in his injury, and it could be playing havoc with him, we don’t know.”

“I hope that that’s all it is.” Nasta said, wishing it with all of his heart.

“I…I went to see my anger management therapist.” Draco confided softly. “I didn’t handle the shock as well as I might have hoped, but I eased myself away from outright anger, which I’m supposed to be proud of, but I don’t feel proud at all. Not after what happened.”

“Baby steps, Draco.” Nasta soothed.

“I’ve been encouraged to write down all of my feelings.” Draco told him, indicating the book he’d been writing in it. “This is my feeling journal, I’ve had it since last year, since I started going to the anger management therapist. I was…not ashamed, but slightly embarrassed about it. I’ve never been good at expressing my feelings, but since I’ve started writing them down I have a greater understanding of them, and of other people’s feelings too. I’ve gotten better at expressing myself in the last few months than I was in the beginning, but looking back through it all, I can see how I’ve changed, and how much I’ve matured. I can go back to all of the thoughts and feelings I had after that fight in May, and I can use how I felt back then to help me figure out how I’m feeling now.”

“That’s wonderful.”

Draco went slightly pink. “It has been very useful to me.”

“I’m glad, Draco. I really am. I love you, and the thought that perhaps you didn’t love me the same…it really does upset me.”

“Of course I love you.” Draco told him, reaching out to cup his chin and guide him into a short, gentle kiss. “I’ve come to understand my feelings a lot more in the last year, and I love you all so much. I can’t be apart from any of you, I don’t…I don’t do so well on my own.”

He raised a hand to comb through his hair self-consciously. Nasta chuckled at his vanity.

“We love you no matter what you look like, Draco.” Nasta said, but he reached up to help finger comb those blond strands, getting it into some semblance of order and neatness for his mate. “Come on, Harry’s been beside himself for long enough. You know he hates trying to sleep without any of us.”

“How did he manage last night?”

“Terribly by all accounts. Taren had him up three times in the night, Leolin got him up twice, and he’s not used to doing any night feeds because we’ve been doing them all, and he’s supposed to be taking it easy.”

“He’s clearly let you back, but what about Max?”

“Max is home too. Mostly because I can’t cook and Harry made a mess of breakfast and had to deal with three meltdowns during it, so he needed Max to make lunch.” Nasta smiled to show that he was joking…well, mostly.

“Was he okay?” Draco asked worriedly.

“He was fine, but Leolin was having a bad day, Taren wanted his breakfast, and Calix didn’t want his breakfast, so all three of them really gave Harry the run around.”

Nasta stood and dragged Draco with him.

“Are you sure Harry wants me back?” Draco asked insecurely.

“Why do you think I’m here, Draco? I came to talk to you, and if I liked what I heard then Harry told me to bring you back home.”

“Has…has he missed me?”

“You’ll see when we get back, but needless to say, he’s missed us all. He loves us still, he was just angry, hurt, and disappointed.”

Nasta led Draco to the floo, and he went ahead first. Harry was waiting, and he looked worried, and stressed, and Nasta hated seeing his submissive mate in such a state.
Thankfully Draco flooed in right behind him, and Harry sort of rocked on the balls of his feet, as if he wanted to surge forward, but he stopped himself, and he looked to Nasta, almost as if for permission.

“Draco is more than sorry, Harry. He didn’t say anything yesterday because he was too shocked. He didn’t lose his temper, and he doesn’t want me dead.”

“Of course I don’t, I love you.” Draco told Nasta.

“So…so Draco can…he’s staying?” Harry asked, and he visibly brightened up.

“I’m staying.” Draco said firmly.

Harry let out a little excited squeak and ran over to throw his arms around Draco, and Nasta watched them with a smile as Draco wrapped Harry up tightly.

“Did I just see you running?” Max demanded, striding in from the other room. “Damn it, Harry, you gave birth two weeks ago, do you want to do yourself an injury.”

Harry stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry at Max.

“Don’t give me that attitude, I’m trying to look after you!” Max said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Harry blew another raspberry and buried himself back in Draco. Max walked over and threw his arms around both of them, and Nasta heard Harry squeak, and then giggle, from in between them.

“Welcome home, Draco.” Max said, his voice soft and husky, before he grabbed Draco’s head and kissed him.

Harry grinned up at them both from below, and Nasta pulled him out gently and held him tightly.

“I need to go and speak to Blaise. Max, keep them both safe.” Nasta ordered.

“Sure thing. Come on, Harry.” Max said, picking up their submissive, getting a scowl for it from their youngest mate. “Let’s get you some tea, and sit you on Draco’s lap, once he’s said hello to the kids first, of course, and I’ll look after you like you deserve.”

That made Harry smile, and Nasta stayed long enough to see him settled, saw the kids swarming Draco, giving him favourite toys, and wanting kisses and cuddles after their day and a half separation.
Max brought in tea, and Harry had taken up residence on Draco’s lap, cuddling in tight, and it made Nasta happy to see them all settling in, and getting back to what was normal. Now he just had to hope that Blaise was the same, and that he was just as easy to bring back into the house as Draco had been. Nasta got the horrible feeling that Blaise would not be that simple or easy, and he was dreading going over and having that talk with him. Blaise had been the one to voice the option of killing him off, and Nasta was still very hurt by that suggestion. He took a deep, bolstering breath and took one last look at Harry in Draco’s lap, arms around one another, and Max sitting right beside them, watching with a big grin. For better or worse he had to do this, for their family. They needed to know one way or another, and as the top dominant it was up to him to sort out this mess. He could only hope that Blaise didn’t go for his throat.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

Nasta flooed to Marianna’s home in Draguignan, where Blaise had grown up, and he had to use his sense of smell to track Blaise down in the labyrinth like mansion.
Blaise was sat, a sullen scowl on his face, with his angry mother, who looked a little exasperated to Nasta.

“Get out.” Blaise demanded of him the moment he caught the scent of him, looking up with angry eyes.

Nasta tried not to let that hurt. He’d known that Blaise would be the hardest person to win around, which is why he’d left him until last. He kept his calm, and lifted an eyebrow.

“Don’t you want an update on how Harry and the kids are?”

“Not from you.”

Nasta desperately tried not to let that hurt, but it was difficult. Instead he tried not to let the hurt show. He didn’t know if he was failing or not when Marianna sent him a sympathetic look.

“I don’t know what you think has been happening at home since yesterday morning, Blaise, but it’s clearly nothing like you believe.”

Blaise said nothing, he just sat there in sullen stubbornness, which Nasta was more used to from Harry, when he wanted to do something but wasn’t allowed to because of medical reasons. That massive fight from last May came back to mind, when Harry had been so dreadfully injured, laid up on the settee, and all Harry had wanted to do was hold his own children, but he couldn’t even sit up, let alone cuddle and hold his children how he wanted.

“Do you really want me dead that much, Blaise?” Nasta asked softly.

“Oh, for the love of Merlin, Blaise!” Marianna scolded. “Tell him how you really feel! I am done with this circus. You have been slouching around this house, crying, and when one of your mates comes to see you, you try and turn him away! It is almost like you want an end to your mateship.”

Nasta foolishly let his heart hope a little at hearing what Marianna was saying. Maybe Blaise wasn’t as cold as he was portraying. Nasta hoped a little more when Blaise’s sullen expression crumbled into something more akin to grief.

“Nasta, come, sit here.” Marianna insisted, standing and indicating her spot. “I will leave you both to it. Blaise, I am your Mère, and I love you, but so help me if you are not truthful with him, as you were with me, you will be sleeping in the chalet outside!”

Nasta didn’t point out that getting to sleep in a luxury chalet in the vast estate of this mansion was not what most people considered a punishment, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead he sat next to Blaise and tried not to show exactly how hurt he was when Blaise scooted away from him a little. It couldn’t be just the head injury like they’d all hoped. Blaise knew him, he’d looked after him in the aftermath of that injury, and Blaise had no reason to be afraid of him. It wasn’t the brain injury, which meant that Blaise really did want him dead and out of their mateship.

“It’s a punishment because I hate that chalet.” Blaise said in a bare whisper. “I used to think it was haunted when I was a child.”

“Being a wizard I didn’t think ghosts would bother you.”

“I didn’t think it was haunted by ghosts.” Blaise told him. “I thought…I thought evil people lived there, like…like my father’s family. I could hear whispers whenever I went in there, but looking back it was likely my imagination.”

They lapsed into silence again, and Nasta tried not to notice as Blaise tried to shift ever so slightly further away from him.

“Do I disgust you that much? Have you ever actually liked me, or was it all a front?” Nasta demanded, when he could take no more.

Blaise stilled, and seemed to be warring with himself. Nasta wanted to leave, quickly, before he got confirmation on it. He didn’t want to hear if Blaise had never loved him.

“It…it’s not that, Nasta.” Blaise told him, looking horrified at the thought. That eased Nasta down a little, and kept the heartbreak at bay.

“I think it’s time you took your mother’s advice, and told me the truth, Blaise. What is going on in your head?”

“Your scent is distracting me, okay?” Blaise burst out.

Nasta hadn’t expected that, but it was a good sign.

“Can I assume that means that this current stance on wanting me dead is recent, and you haven’t always hated me?”

“Damn it, Nasta, I love you. You should know that.”

“It’s hard to know anything of the sort when you’re calling so passionately for my death.” Nasta said pointedly.

Blaise opened his mouth, hesitated, and then turned away from him.

“I wasn’t thinking very clearly.” Blaise admitted.

He said nothing else, and Nasta was getting frustrated. “Blaise, please, put me out of my misery and tell me what you’re thinking. Contrary to what Harry believes, I’m not a mind reader, I need some help here.”

“All I could think about was the kids growing up without their mother…like I grew up without my father. I couldn’t stand that thought, so I…I lashed out without thinking.”

“Now that you’re calm, do you want me dead or not?”

“I…I don’t know.”

Nasta’s head snapped around to stare at Blaise, because that hadn’t been what he’d been expecting. His heart lodged itself into his throat, and he couldn’t even breathe, let alone think.

“I love you.” Blaise said, giving him a shamefaced look, before darting his gaze back to his lap. “But the thought of Harry dying…I can’t cope with it, Nasta. I can’t see my children growing up without him.”

“Yet you can stomach the thought of them growing up without me?” Nasta demanded angrily.

“I…I didn’t say…I didn’t mean it that way, that’s why I’m…” Blaise blew out a breath. “I don’t want anyone to die, despite what I said yesterday, I don’t want you dead, I was so angry I couldn’t think rationally, but I can’t see Harry dead, I just can’t.”

“There is no link between it, Blaise. It’s just tragic circumstance. My great-grandmother, Poppy, waited too long to try for a caesarean. She was too tired, and as a result she and her baby died. My…my mother ran into complications, I don’t know the exact details, no one does, but she immediately went for the C-section to save my life. She…she died for me, Blaise. She ripped herself open, and rushed to get me out, to give me the best chance to live that she could. I don’t know what went wrong, or why she died in her nest, but she knew something was wrong, and she rushed herself to save me.”

Blaise slid closer and seemed to be waiting for permission. Nasta sighed and lifted his arm, and Blaise slipped right up to him and snuggled in. It was nice to have him there.

“Harry made me see things much clearer.” Nasta said. “He asked me if I would have held it against Taren if he’d died in his nest, and…I wouldn’t, Blaise. I’d love that little boy whether Harry had died or not. Harry told me that as a submissive Dracken he would do anything and everything within his power, even if it meant sacrificing his own life, to make sure his children had a chance to live. That was what my mother had done. It is what Poppy had hoped to do. Harry would rather die to save a child than lose one and survive. Look how desperate he was after the quintuplets were born, remember how he acted when Leolin and Calix were hospitalised? We were all worried, but he took it to extremes, Blaise. That is his submissive Dracken genes, and what they do to him when one of his children are at risk. He doesn’t want to lose a child, he would rather die himself.”

“What will we do if we lose him?”

“We’d stay together.” Nasta said with certainty. “We would remain a mateship, we would love and support one another, and focus our all on raising the beautiful children he’s already given us. But don’t forget he’s had nine children now, over four pregnancies. Both Poppy, and my mother, had complications very early on. My great-grandparents only had Hywel, and Poppy died on her second pregnancy with her second child. My mother died with me, and I was only their third pregnancy, and third child. Harry has already proven that he can carry well, and though he’s had a few blips during his labours, mostly with the quintuplets, but he’s survived them all. We could even say the quintuplets were exceptional circumstances, he was too skinny to really carry them, we weren’t expecting him to have five babies at once, or to catch so soon after Braiden, he was not recovered enough from his first pregnancy to have that second one with quintuplets, and though we were expecting him to birth early, we couldn’t have known he’d go as early as they unfortunately came. But look at how strong he was with Taren, coming out of his nest the same day he birthed him, despite the serious abdominal wound he’d had.”

“I never thought of it like that.” Blaise said consideringly. “I actually feel better.”

Nasta felt comfortable enough to turn and kiss Blaise’s head.

“I love you, Blaise. The very thought of you wanting me dead chokes me.”

“I didn’t mean it, I was just lashing out. My Dracken was going berserk with the thought of Harry dying, and after Draco said about there being a link, it made you the convenient target. I should have been able to control myself, but anything to do with Harry and I lose my head.”

“You and Draco are still young.” Nasta sighed. “You’re only twenty. Harry and Draco are only nineteen. Damn, still little teenagers.”

Blaise snorted, and though Nasta had been aiming for a laugh, he’d take what he could get at this point.

“We love you, even if you are a little old man.” Blaise replied.

Nasta chuckled. “I’d gladly be your little old man for years to come.” He insisted. “Just please say we can put this behind us, Blaise.”

“I grew up without my father, and I…I’ve always missed him, his presence, and it didn’t help that his family wouldn’t acknowledge me. I wouldn’t do that willingly to my own children.”

“I grew up without my mother, Blaise. I know what it’s like.” Nasta said softly. “Losing a parent is never easy, especially when we were both too young to remember them, we were never even given a chance to get to know them, just…never forget that Harry lost both of his parents before he could know them, and subsequently spent the next fifteen years of his life being horrifically abused. At least we had one parent to love us, and care for us. Harry would rather give his life to save a child, knowing that we would be there to raise them, and love them. Harry would never be able to live afterwards if he chose himself over a child, Blaise.”

“I knew that already.” Blaise said, giving a small, humourless smile. “I told you, I wasn’t in my right mind yesterday, when I said what I did. It has taken me longer to regain control, Nasta. It’s been…difficult for me today too. I can’t seem to gather myself, and I can’t control the anger, or my Dracken side, as well as I used to be able to.”

“Do you think it’s a side effect of your injury?” Nasta asked, wondering if they had been right all along, and Blaise’s behaviour was in fact linked to his brain injury.

“It has to be.” Blaise said softly, turning away. Even now he hated the thought that he was living with such a serious issue. “One of the first things my maman taught me was how to control myself, and my Dracken, because of what she and my père went through. I’m more used to standing in the shadows, watching and observing, and then putting in my own opinion, if I even do that much. These uncontrollable bouts of emotion are something I don’t recognise, and I don’t know how to handle it, Nas. I don’t want what happened to my parents happen to my own mateship, that’s why I always put such emphasis on my own control, it’s why I always try to stand by Harry in everything. How I acted yesterday, I’m frightened of myself. I’m frightened of what I might do. I can’t live like this.”

Nasta turned to fully crush Blaise into a hug, holding him tightly.

“We will help you through this, Blaise. We’re your family, and we will always love and support you.”

“How can you still say that after what I said?”

Nasta smirked. “Because I still love you, despite that I was hurt by your words. You have a serious brain injury, Blaise. I still remember standing with Max in a hospital corridor, being told that you’d died, feeling that agony tear through my heart, dealing with the unconceivable truth that you were gone, and there was nothing I could do about it. I suppose I’ve given you more leeway because of that, I have started checking on you more often than I had before that incident. I’m the top dominant of our mateship, and I feel responsible for all of you, so when you died, I shouldered some of the blame. When Harry was so severely injured, I took some of the blame. When I realised that that fight had had such devastating consequences, I took some of the blame.”

“You weren’t even there.” Blaise said softly.

Nasta shook his head, and tried to put voice to all the feelings he held inside over that incident.

“I feel like I should have done something before it blew up during that fight. As if I should have seen Draco’s issues and gotten him help sooner. I keep thinking that if he had gone for anger management therapy before that fight, perhaps it might never have happened.”

“You can’t take the blame for that onto yourself. We all knew about Draco’s anger issues, and none of us did anything. Not even Draco himself did anything.”

“I was the top dominant…”

“That doesn’t really mean shit when we’re not feral and you know it.” Blaise cut in angrily. “Not even Draco’s parents got him help. It took that fight for us to realise the extent of it anyway. It was that fight that showed us exactly how…I don’t know the word to use, insecure doesn’t seem right, but whatever Draco was, it was that fight that let us see it, and we didn’t ignore it, we all acted in the aftermath, and we’re better, stronger, because of it.”

“Draco was insecure, and he’s been battling his own self-worth for a while, due to his infertility. His Dracken must be driving him mad harping on about that.”

“Well, it was that fight which truly showed us that Draco needed help, but more than that, it showed Draco that he needed help, and it was the fight, and what happened afterwards, that gave him the kick up the arse he needed.”

“I still would have rathered things were different.” Nasta sighed, lifting a hand and laying it gently on Blaise’s head.

“We can’t wish things different, Nasta. We’ve come through it, and we’re better people because of it. What if that fight had never happened and everything just carried on escalating in the background and then one of us ended up properly dead? What if Draco never got the help he needed when he did, and he and Max hadn’t come to blows that day, and Draco’s anger got the better of him when he was alone with Harry? Or, I don’t even want to say this, but what if he’d been alone with the kids, and Calix had a tantrum? Or Taren wouldn’t stop screaming? Or Leolin was having a Faerie meltdown?”

“I don’t think he’d ever hurt the kids, Blaise.”

Blaise gave him a look. “We said that before the fight, about Harry.” He pointed out darkly. “We would never have expected any of us to target Harry, to try to rip out his fucking guts, Nasta, but that’s exactly what happened. That’s what I’m trying to say, until it’s happened, we don’t know what could happen, so yeah, maybe Draco could have attacked one of the kids in a fit of rage, the same as he did Harry, we’ll thankfully never know now, but we have to be thankful for what did happen, Nasta, because we all survived, and if things had been different, that might not have been the case.”

“You’ve gotten smarter overnight.” Nasta teased.

“Maman might have had something to do with that.” Blaise admitted. “She’s the only parent I have, and I don’t like disappointing her. She’s not impressed with how I handled things, or how any of us handled things, but I…I can’t pull back, I can’t control myself, Nasta, not like I used to be able to.”

“I’ll make you another appointment with Healer Odell. He might have some insight into this, and he might know what will help.”

“I’ve only just had an appointment with him.” Blaise groused.

“I know, Caru, but we didn’t know about this lack of control then, and now we do. He needs to know. He might have a very simple solution that could really help you.”

Blaise nodded, and they both fell quiet. Nasta just relished holding Blaise close to him, after the hurt of hearing one of his lovers calling for his death. It would take a little more time to get over that, but Nasta was willing to work on it.
Blaise turned slightly, and tipped his head back to look at him, and there was an agonised pain in those beautiful purple eyes.

“I didn’t mean what I said earlier, I had been arguing with maman and I was already angry. I…how are the kids? Harry too? I’ve let him down massively, and I can understand if he doesn’t want to see me.”

“He does want to see you, but he…he’s sided with me on this issue, Blaise.”

“I knew that he would.” Blaise nodded.

“He wanted me to come and see you, to see if we could work out this issue, and if I felt we had, then I can take you home.”

“And can I come home?”

Nasta smiled, and dipped slightly to kiss Blaise. “You can come home.” He said softly, rubbing his face against Blaise’s.

“Am I the last?”

“Yes, because you were the one who actually voiced the wish to kill me, you were left until last. I was the first back, this morning, Max came home at lunch, and Draco a few hours after, once the kids had had their dinner and baths.”

“Is Draco okay?”

“He was shocked, but he has matured a lot since that fight, apparently he keeps a journal for his feelings, and he has found it beneficial to write his feelings down, then review them at a later date.”

Blaise smiled. “I’m glad that he’s found a way to cope that works for him.”

“Me too. Come on, the kids have been missing all of us, and they’ve been playing up for Harry. He hated doing all of the night feeds by himself, and he’s not fully recovered yet. Calix is the worst, he’s had two meltdowns today already.”

“He is definitely our most emotional baby.” Blaise nodded. “Every little thing sets him off, and he really doesn’t like hearing the word no.”

“He likes doing what he wants to do, and doesn’t like it when we stop him.” Nasta sighed. “I think he has trouble dealing with his own emotions, which is why he has a meltdown when something happens that he can’t handle. We’ll help him deal with everything and give him a safe space to have his meltdowns and then talk him through it afterwards, when he’s calmer and more able to understand.”

Blaise nodded, and stood. “I can’t wait to get home and see them all again, Harry too. I need to apologise to him, and make it up to him.”

“Oh he already has that planned out.”

“Oh, do I have a list to complete before he’ll forgive me?” Blaise laughed.

Nasta chuckled. “We ruined the Valentine’s meal he was so looking forward to, so he’s demanding that we each take him for a meal to make up for it…individually. Then once those have been done, he wants one with all five of us, how the ruined meal was supposed to be.”

“That’s all he wants? Merlin, he always asks for so little. He wanted one fucking meal from us, and I ruined it.”

“We ruined it.” Nasta insisted. “It wasn’t just you he kicked out of the house, Blaise, it was all four of us. We all have blame laid on us for this, but we’ll make it up to him.”

Nasta escorted Blaise to the floo, and Marianna was there, waiting.

“How you sorted everything out?” She asked, looking at them both critically.

“Yes, Maman.” Blaise said softly.

“Good, now you go and make it up to your mateship, Blaise.”

“I will.” He promised.

Marianna nodded and hugged her son tight, kissing his forehead before letting him go.

“Go on, Blaise, see to your family.” Marianna told him, giving him a push back towards the fireplace.

“Tell Josiah that I said hello.”

“Of course.” Marianna smiled. “Now go, say hello to Harry for me, and give my sweet grandchildren a hug from their Mamie.”

Nasta flooed through first, and Harry was once again waiting, Braiden snuggled into his neck wearing his pyjamas and a little bathrobe, tiny slippers on his feet.

“He refused to go to bed.” Harry explained. “I think he’s really missing Blaise. Is he…can he come home?” Harry asked desperately.

Before Nasta could answer, Blaise flooed in beside him. He and Harry looked at one another for a moment, and just like what had happened with Draco, Harry hurried over to Blaise to hug him tight.
Blaise held Harry, and subsequently their son, with both arms, dipping his head to rest his face in Harry’s nest of hair.

“I am so sorry, Harry. So sorry.”

“Was it…was it because of your brain injury?” Harry asked worriedly.

“I think that was a part of the problem. I was unable to control myself, or my emotions, and because of that, I blew up more than I probably would have without the injury.”

“We will find someone to help you, Blaise.” Nasta assured him, giving both him and Harry a soft touch.

“Daddy.” Braiden called out, turning in Harry’s arms and reaching out to Blaise.

“Why are you still awake, Braiden?” Blaise asked.

“Wanted to cuddle with you!” Braiden said stubbornly.

“He’s really missed you.” Harry said, stroking a hand through Braiden’s hair.

“I’ve missed him too, all of them, you too.” Blaise said.

“Oh, so you are allowed back then.” Max said, apron on, wooden spoon in hand.

Max walked up to Blaise and pulled him into a one armed hug, bending to kiss his cheek.

“Braiden, sweetie, enough now, go to bed.”

“No!” Braiden snapped at Max.

“Don’t you want to go up into your big boy bed?” Max tried.

“No!” Braiden shouted this time.

Max sighed.

“Do you want me to read you a story?” Blaise asked.

Braiden considered it, then nodded. “Yea, Daddy.”

“Come on then.”

Harry smiled as Blaise carried Braiden out of the living room. He inhaled deeply, but then turned to look at him with a frown.

“How bad is…is the injury affecting him?”

Nasta shook his head. “I know a lot of things, Harry, but I’m not a neurologist. Blaise needs to see Healer Odell. But the injury is definitely affecting him.”

“Do you want me to do that in the morning?” Max asked, looking just as worried as the rest of them.

“No, I’ll do it.” Nasta insisted. “I do know that Blaise said he’s having serious trouble controlling strong emotions, particularly anger. He couldn’t pull his Dracken back, and it’s scared him.”

“Will a healer be able to help him?” Harry asked, looking up at him with expectant eyes, as if he knew all the answers of the entire universe.

Nasta smiled, and pulled Harry into a tight hug. “I don’t know, Caru, but we’ll find out soon, and then we will help Blaise as much as possible.”

“Dinner’s almost ready.” Max told them, giving them both a touch. “Draco should be done feeding Taren too. It’ll be nice to have a meal together at the table after yesterday.”

“We will get over this, won’t we?” Harry asked in a soft, small voice. He looked up at them both, those wide, sad eyes almost begging for them to make this right.

Max was the one who squeezed Harry into a tight hug this time.

“We’ll do our absolute best, Harry.” Max told him. “We all love one another, we love you, we love all the kids, it’ll take a lot to break us apart, and I mean a lot. This is a small disagreement compared to anything that could possibly destroy our mateship. We just lost our heads a little, a bit of therapy now, some anger management lessons, and we will move on from this.”

“I’m glad.” Harry said, smiling and running his sleeve over his eyes. He hadn’t started crying, not yet, but his eyes had teared up. It made Nasta’s heart break. None of them could stand seeing Harry crying. He could literally wrangle anything he wanted from them, just by tearing up a little. They would wrest the moon from the sky for him if it would stop him from crying, and Harry didn’t even realise it. He had no idea of the power he had over them all, and that made Nasta smile to himself.

“Come on, let’s all sit in the kitchen and just enjoy being home together.” Nasta said, wrapping an arm around Harry and escorting him to the kitchen, where Draco was stood, winding Taren.

“I missed this little one while I was gone.” Draco said.

He looked up at them with a smile, then he seemed to notice that Blaise wasn’t with them, that Harry was wiping his eyes with his sleeve, and his face fell.

“Is he not…does he not want to forgive us? Does he still want you dead?”

“He’s upstairs with Braiden.” Nasta said calmingly, before Draco could work himself up. “He’s having a few issues with his self-control, because of the brain injury, which is why he took things too far yesterday.”

“We’ll sort him out, and this can be yet another blip on our mateship, hopefully forgiven, but not forgotten.” Max said, going to the cooker and using the wooden spoon he was carrying around to stir something.

“What are we having? I didn’t ask.” Nasta said.

Max gave him a grin. “Curry.”

“Are you okay with that, Harry?” Nasta asked him.

“Hey, it was his idea!” Max said, giving him a faux glare.

“I just fancied it, but this big, overprotective bear wouldn’t let us order from a takeaway.” Harry gave his own mock glare to Max.

“I can make it better!” Max insisted, stirring the curry.

Harry blew a raspberry at him.

“You’ve been doing that all day to me.” Max said “You want to be careful or I might take it as an invitation to suck on it.”

“You can suck on something.” Harry replied.

Max was surprised into laughing, and Nasta smiled, looking at this playful, flirty Harry that he loved. He was recovering well from birthing Taren, he was getting more energy, and he was feeling less pain from his caesarean. He was becoming more like his normal self, and it was wonderful to see him coming back into himself after seeing him pale with pain, and unable to do much of his usual activities.
Blaise came in, and he went right to Harry and wrapped his arms around him. They were the most similar in size and body shape, but still Harry only came up to Blaise’s shoulder. Nasta smiled when Blaise tipped his head and kissed Harry’s neck.

“Oh, you know that makes me hard, Blaise.” Harry complained, a breathy quality to his voice. “I haven’t been cleared for sex, or really anything sexy, yet.”

“Come and do that to me instead!” Max whined.

Blaise kissed Harry properly, then went over to Max.

“Are we having curry?”

“Yep, Harry fancied it.”

“Remember that we don’t like it too hot.” Blaise said, then frowned and looked over to Harry. “It is you who doesn’t like spicy food, isn’t it? Or is that you?” He said, turning to look at Draco.

“You got it right the first time.” Harry said, smiling. “It’s me. I grew up on white bread, soup, fruit, and maybe a piece of cheese if I was lucky. Strong foods and flavours are not really something I’m used to. But I’m getting better, and I’m trying more things I haven’t before.”

“Going back to the curry, I will make sure to tone down the heat with copious amounts of yoghurt for you both.” Max said, bending and kissing Blaise. “The rest of us will eat it nice and spicy.”

Taren made a small whine, and all five of them looked to him, still sat up against Draco’s shoulder.

“I think he’s feeling a bit neglected, Draco. You stopped rubbing his back. I mean, how is he supposed to sleep without your constant attention and touch?” Harry teased.

Draco chuckled and started rubbing Taren’s back again, before reaching up and running his fingers over the back of Taren’s little head, through the wispy tufts of black hair their son had growing in.
Taren whined again, and squirmed, splaying out all his limbs like a starfish.

“I love it when he does that.” Max laughed.

“I don’t!” Draco replied, his tone stressed. “I feel like I’m going to drop him every time he does this.”

“Can I?” Blaise asked, holding out his arms.

“Oh, be my guest.” Draco said, carefully and gently transferring Taren over to Blaise.

Harry went and sat at the table, in his usual spot at the top, right next to the tableside bassinet, and Nasta went and sat beside him. Nasta wrapped an arm around Harry, even as they both watched Blaise with Taren, just father and son reconnecting with one another.

“Dinner’s up, lovers.” Max said, serving Harry first, and a second plate obviously for Blaise, before going and getting the three other plates, with a curry that was much darker, and promised to be much spicier.

“Thanks, Max.” Harry said, smiling, as he loaded up his fork and started eating. It was nice too to see Harry with his appetite back. From the way Max was grinning, he liked it too.

Nasta sat and waited for the others to start eating before he did. It was just habit now, to wait until his subordinates had taken their first bite before he did. Dracken instinct was stupid sometimes, but with practice and willpower it could be controlled and even diverted. It seemed that his mateship would need to learn how to do that sooner rather than later, because they couldn’t carry on hurting Harry like they kept doing. He didn’t deserve it, especially not after what he’d suffered through as a child. He would have a talk with all four of them tomorrow, while Harry was kept busy. They had failed as dominants far too many times already, and it had to stop.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X

Harry naturally slept better when he had a bed full of mates, and despite that he had Max’s arm locked tight around him, and Draco’s leg was trapping his own to the mattress, he slept better than he had in a few days. It helped that Nasta had been on the night shift with Taren and Leolin last night, because Nasta was better than anyone at getting up quickly and hurrying the squalling newborn out of the bedroom so the rest of them could drift back off to sleep.
As a result of his good sleep, Harry woke up late the next morning. Or what he considered late, as it was almost nine in the morning, and only he and Blaise were left in the bed, snuggled together in the warm middle, arms and legs wrapped around one another.
Harry grunted, eased away from his mate and stretched, groaning happily. Blaise moaned beside him.

“Time’s it?” Blaise asked sleepily.

Harry looked at the digital clock on the bedside table.

“Twenty to nine.” Harry reported. “We’ve had a lie in.”

Blaise moaned again and threw an arm over his face. Harry rolled over and rested on Blaise’s chest, laying his ear over his heart, listening to it beat. Blaise used the one arm to tug Harry in further, the other remained over his eyes.
Harry yawned widely, and curled up a little. He wasn’t ready to go anywhere just yet, despite that his Dracken side was already missing their babies.
He drifted for a few more minutes, safe, warm, and very content staying where he was. Then his Dracken side started harping on more loudly about checking on their babies. He groaned and rolled away from Blaise, sitting up. Blaise moaned himself, and moved his arm to look at him.

“Is it time to get up?”

Harry hummed. “Yeah, I’d say so. Let’s go and pester Max for breakfast, and hug our little babies.”

Blaise hummed and stretched, then he sat up and headed for the bathroom. Harry went to the dresser and got some clean boxers on, then went to his wardrobe to get dressed. When Blaise came out of the bathroom, Harry popped in, and then the both of them headed downstairs together.

“There you are, we were going to send up a search party to excavate you both from those sheets.” Max teased.

Harry went to Max for a cuddle, and his biggest mate didn’t disappoint him, as he was swept up in massive arms and squeezed tight, but not too tight so that it didn’t hurt him. Harry smiled and laid a kiss on Max’s neck.

“Are you feeling all happy and snuggly today?” Max asked him.

Harry nodded. “Yeah, I guess I just want the time to cuddle with all of you. Blaise and me had some time in bed together, now you’re the first one I’ve seen, and then I wanna go and maul the others.”

Max laughed, putting Harry back on his feet. “Go and maul away then, love. Blaise, come here.”

Harry headed for the living room, as Max crushed poor Blaise into a hug. It made him smile to see them together, though he would be the happiest when he saw Blaise and Nasta hug.
Harry got waylaid in his mission to ‘maul’ his mates by his children, and he went to his knees to give them hugs, getting shouted at in several different languages, and he caught them all with a morning kiss.

“Ma! Ma! Ma ma!” Leolin screeched, fighting with all his might against the straps of his bouncer.

Harry went to him, and carefully undid the straps while Leolin clawed at his hands and kicked his legs.

“Hold on, Leolin. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Harry picked him up and snuggled him straight into his neck, ignoring the tiny nails that were digging in tight to his skin, and, as he’d known would happen, Leolin’s lone tooth started scraping at his neck.
Harry held Leolin as he went to Nasta who was sitting on the floor, playing with the kids, and he kissed him good morning, before going and sitting next to Draco with a happy sigh, kissing him before snuggling into him.
Draco threw an arm around him, making sure not to accidentally hit or dislodge Leolin, and Harry rested on him happily. He was even happier when Blaise came in and went to Nasta for a hug. He was then swarmed by the kids and he was knocked to the floor, and Harry had to laugh at him.

“Right, now you two are awake and out of bed, do you want breakfast?” Max asked them.

“I want toast.” Blaise said.

“I fancy bacon.” Harry said, grinning.

“I’ve changed my mind, I want toasted bacon sandwiches.” Blaise told Max.

“Oh, I want that too!” Harry insisted.

“You two are impossible. Several toasted bacon sandwiches coming up.”

“I love him so much.” Harry declared. “I’m glad at least one of my mates can cook.”

“Admit it, that’s why you mated to him, wasn’t it? So you could have a personal chef.” Draco teased.

“That body of his is nothing to sneeze at either.” Harry answered.

“Well at least I’m good looking and can cook.” Max teased. Harry looked up to see that he hadn’t gone into the kitchen at all, and he was stood behind him and Draco.

“You sure can cook.” Harry replied unrepentantly. “I love your cooking.”

“I think I remember you telling me once it was better than going to a restaurant.”

Harry laughed. “It was true then and it still is.”

“Ooo, Harry being the suck up today.” Blaise called out.

“Well I said yesterday that I wanted Max to suck something, and he never did.” Harry replied sadly, exaggerating a pout.

“Wait, you were serious?” Max asked, his eyes widening.

“Well, yeah.” Harry said. “When have you known me to joke about something like that?”

“Harry!” Max whined, coming and sitting beside him, rubbing up against him and squashing him and Leolin against Draco. “Why didn’t you be more forceful?! Why didn’t you keep on at me? I’d have loved to go down on you.”

“Max!” Harry complained, laughing. “Not in front of the kids.”

Leolin took exception to Max being so close, and he waved a little hand furiously at Max to keep him at bay.

“Hi, Leolin. Hi!” Max said, waving back, before he caught Leolin’s little hand and kissed it.

Leolin stared at his hand as if Max had cut it off, then he threw his head back and screamed.

“Oh, well he didn’t like that.” Max said.

Harry sighed and pulled Leolin to snuggle back into his neck, but he was crying too hard.

“Do you want me to take him, Harry?” Nasta asked him.

Harry shook his head. “No. I have him.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to actually upset him.” Max said softly.

“It’s okay, we all know how quirky he can be. We have to break him away from only seeing me as safe.”

Harry snuggled with Leolin until he calmed back down, before passing him over to Draco, which set him off again.

“You’re doing great.” Max told him, handing him his breakfast. “He’s due his morning nap now anyway, he’ll cry himself to sleep and wake up feeling better.”

“I hope so. I hate seeing him like this.”

Harry sat and he ate, having his first cup of tea of the morning, and Leolin did indeed cry himself to sleep fighting against Draco, calling for his ‘Ma’ and Harry felt like a monster for ignoring him, and his Dracken was making him feel worse, but Dain and Kailen had said that it was the only way, so Harry sat and did nothing, ignoring his distressed child.
Blaise came to sit beside him, wrapping both arms around him.

“It’ll get better.” Blaise promised.

“I just feel terrible that we can’t look after him properly.” Harry told him, voicing one of his darkest fears.

“We are looking after him properly.” Blaise insisted.

“We really are, Harry. Don’t let your Dracken side beat you up about this, Leolin’s a Faerie, not a Dracken, and he has different needs.” Nasta spoke up, abandoning play time and coming to comfort him. “Our Drackens aren’t going to understand his needs as well as we as humans do. We know that Leolin has different needs, but our Drackens see just another child. But we can’t treat him like the others.”

Harry took a breath, and thought about that. Nasta was right, in a way. Leolin was special. Their one and only Faerie baby, and he wasn’t the same as the others, thus he couldn’t be treated the same. He calmed down and smiled at his mates who had all gathered around him.

“I just wish he wouldn’t cry so hard for only me.”

“That’s why we’re doing this.” Max assured him, sliding his fingers into Harry’s hair and stroking. “So he gets used to all of us, and sees us all as safe to him. He needs to rely on us too, we have nine kids now, and you can’t focus so much on the one and ignore the others, you’d feel so much worse if you started doing that. And I know its rich of us to say, considering we give into our Dracken instincts at every hurdle we’ve hit thus far, but don’t let your Dracken side make you think otherwise.”

Harry snorted at that, because his mates did give into their Drackens more than they should have considering they were all intelligent men in their own right, but he understood just how difficult it was to go against your own instincts. It certainly wasn’t easy, and they had all slipped up at times. Harry remembered a rather embarrassing episode when Braiden was a newborn, of hiding up a tree with his infant son from a bunch of old women. His Dracken instincts had made him do that, and the human side of himself could see how ridiculous it was, but in that moment he hadn’t cared.

“He’s quiet now, he’s calm, and he won’t remember what happened when he wakes up.” Nasta said. “He will eventually learn that we are all safe here, that none of us would ever harm him, or allow anyone near him who would harm him. For now we will deal with it one episode at a time, and slowly Leolin will learn, we just need to stick to it, like Dain and Kailen told us to, and support one another through it.”

“We need to get him used to your scents.” Harry said. “Keep him wrapped up in one of your shirts, maybe, while he’s sleeping like this.”

“That’s a good idea, Harry.” Max praised.

Nasta took off his tee-shirt, and took Leolin from Draco, laying him gently in his bassinet, and then laying the shirt over their son as if it were his usual blanket.

“Make sure that some of it is up by his face, Nas.” Harry said. “Not too much though, we don’t want him struggling to breathe.”

Nasta nodded and tucked one short sleeve up by Leolin’s face, so their Faerie son could scent him while he slept peacefully, and unharmed.

“This should really help him.” Harry nodded, watching. “He feels most vulnerable when he’s sleeping, that’s why it’s only my scent that can soothe him at night, and after a nap. If he can scent you all out when he’s fast asleep, and he wakes up unharmed and feeling safe, it should reassure him that you’re all safe too.”

“So we take it in turns to swap our shirts in and out?” Max asked.

Harry nodded. “Do it in rotation like the night shift for feeds. Do you think it would be better to do it day by day, or after every nap he has?”

“After every nap.” Nasta said. “It’ll be more natural than him just scenting one of us for a whole day, then the next day another one of us for the day. I think you should be in this rotation too, Harry.”

“But he already knows and accepts my scent, that’s why we’re doing this.” Harry pointed out with a frown.

“It’s exactly because he knows your scent that I want to add you into the rotation, more than the rest of us. We want this to become natural, so any of us can just go and pick him up at any time to soothe him. If he can smell you, after every swap out with one of us, it will reassure him faster that he’s safe.”

“Oh. Oh!” Harry exclaimed. “I see. I hope that that works.”

“We’ll try it. He might scream the house down every time he wakes up and scents us instead of you, but he will get used to it. It’s time our little Faerie baby learnt to share.”

“So after this nap now, the next nap will be with my shirt?” Harry asked.

Nasta nodded. “Then whoever wants to go next will wrap him up for the nap after that.”

“We could do it in age order to stop quibbling.” Draco offered. “Nasta, Max, Blaise, and then me. Though it might take two days to circle around all of us.”

“That’s alright, we’ll be doing this for the foreseeable future.” Nasta said. “He will get used to all of us, and his brothers and sisters too. We just need to stick it out.”

“I…I might find it hard, so you might have to stop me from rampaging around if he doesn’t settle.” Harry said softly. “My Dracken takes it personally if a baby doesn’t settle down, and it tries to convince me that something is wrong, or that I’ve done something wrong that’s caused the meltdown.”

“We’ve always got your back.” Max assured him. “Now come and sit down, Taren’s due his ten O’clock feed soon and you haven’t had a chance to snuggle him today.”

That made Harry smile, and he happily allowed himself to be ushered into a seat and Max went to fetch Taren from his own bassinet, and he came to lay the sleeping baby in Harry’s arms. Their baby was thirteen days old, and he was an absolute dream of a baby…until he woke up and did his starfish impression that was, or when he flailed his little arms about and caught one of them in the face, or the one time he’d been kicking his little legs and he’d caught Harry in the abdomen, right over his healing caesarean scar, with a tiny heel…that had hurt.
But while he was asleep, and completely still, he was a dream, and Harry smiled down at him, using a gentle finger to brush a black tuft of hair out of Taren’s little eye.
Max brought in the tiny bottle of milk, along with a tray of tea and beakers of juice for the kids, and Harry watched them happily, proudly, as his kids all came to get a drink, except for one.

“Where is Calix?” He asked, looking around trying to spot his black eyed devil child.

His mates all swung around to try and spot him then, and Max went one way and Draco another through the hallways.

“He’s so curious and adventurous.” Blaise laughed.

Harry shook his head. “He’s opportunistic, he waits until we have a mateship crisis and we’re having a serious talk, and he slips out without any of us noticing to cause havoc without our intervention.”

Blaise and Nasta both laughed, but neither of them denied it.
They heard Calix shouting and crying before they saw him, as Max carried his son back into the living room and closed the door to the kitchen.

“He was posting our damn shoes through the letterbox!” Max exclaimed.

Harry aborted a laugh and managed a sort of strangled snort of amusement, and then hid his face so his mates couldn’t see…not that they didn’t know exactly what he was doing.

“Do his timeout, Max.” Nasta said, sending Harry an amused smirk.

Max went to the other room, where they kept a little stool for time outs, and they could hear him talking firmly to Calix about why posting their shoes outside was naughty. Harry aborted another laugh, and was thankfully distracted, and saved, by Taren waking up with a squirm and a whine.

“Oh, good morning, baby.” Harry said softly, smiling down as gummy blue eyes cracked open.

Taren whined and squirmed harder. “Oh, you’re strong today, sweetie.” Harry insisted as he rushed to support the thirteen day old baby who had suddenly decided to spread himself out like a starfish.

“Here, Harry.” Blaise said, handing over the bottle he had tested against his own forearm.

“Thank you.” Harry said, taking the bottle and then rubbing the teat over Taren’s plump cheek.

Their newborn rooted for the teat and then took it into his mouth, suckling strong and quick.

“That boy is a terror.” Draco complained, walking back into the room.

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” Harry warned.

“I won’t, but damn it, Harry, all of our shoes!” Draco said. “Our dress shoes too! They’ll have to be polished again before we can wear them out.”

“Why were our dress shoes out?” Blaise asked, a confused frown on his face.

“We were going to go for a meal on Valentine’s Day.” Harry reminded gently.

Blaise had the grace to look shamefaced. “How could I have forgotten about that?” He growled to himself, fisting his own hair. “Why did I forget that after all the stress it caused?”

Nasta hurried over to sit beside him, easing that hand from Blaise’s hair.

“You have no control over what you remember, or what you forget.” Nasta assured Blaise. “Healer Odell said as much to you, Blaise. Stop beating yourself up over it and let us help you.”

Blaise nodded, but he looked miserable. Harry knew that the brain injury was getting to him, and if they weren’t careful then Blaise could become depressed. None of them wanted that to happen, but Blaise was expecting far too much from himself.
Taren finished his bottle, leaving just a few centimetres of milk in the bottom, and Harry grabbed a muslin cloth and hefted Taren carefully over his shoulder, rubbing his back to bring up his wind.

“He took almost all four ounces, Max.” Harry reported, handing the bottle over for Max to measure properly, so that it could go into Taren’s food diary.

“He feeds so well during the day.”

“I think he’s just lazy during the night, and he just wants to eat and get back to sleep, that’s why he takes four ounces during every day feed, but only three ounces during the night feeds.”

“It helps get us back into bed quicker too.” Draco laughed.

Taren let out a little burp, and Harry turned to nuzzle his face into his new baby, kissing a milky cheek. He used the muslin to wipe Taren’s mouth, before turning him down and rocking him to sleep. He couldn’t help running his free hand over Taren’s full belly, and it made him smile.

“And just like magic he goes as still as a statue again.” Max laughed, also running a hand over Taren’s full belly.

“How’s Calix?”

“Sulky all through his two minute time out, but he’s happy again now that he’s free.” Max said. “He’s playing with Farren.”

Harry nodded and he stood up with a sleeping Taren, and he put him in the bassinet that was next to Leolin’s. He tucked the blanket over his waist, and smoothened it out, smiling.
He took a breath and turned to look out over the two rooms, and he headed into the smaller living room, to keep an eye on his twin girls, who were playing with the doll house they had in this room. They were bashing the dolls about more than anything, but Harry didn’t mind, and he left them to it. They would be having their fourth Dragon pox vaccines in just two days, and it was going to be a hellish time for them because of the distress those vaccines caused, and none of them were looking forward to it.

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A/N: I missed a week lovelies because my sister was having difficulties with her pregnancy and needed to go to the hospital for a sweep to start labour, but she has since had her baby, on the 14^th, and I am now an auntie! Little Oliver is doing well, and despite picking up an infection from his birth, he is thriving and allowed home today. I will get to see him tomorrow now, for the first time, and I can’t wait.
I only have one more chapter written out, and complete, for next week, then a small Scaled Bits chapter for the week after, and then you might not hear from me for a while, as I’ll be going back to my unposted fics for a while. But I promise I’ll be back before you know it with more chapters, but until then,

StarLight Massacre. X
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The Rise of the Drackens