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The Optimal Balance	By : TheMightyFlynn Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 17124 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and characters belong to JK Rowling and associates. This was written for fun. I make no money from it.

Chapter List
- 1-The Optimal Balance
- 2-Ch. 2
- 3-Ch. 3
- 4-Ch. 4
- 5-Ch. 5
- 6-Ch. 6
- 7-Ch. 7
- 8-Ch. 8
- 9-Ch. 9
- 10-Ch. 10
- 11-Ch. 11
- 12-Ch. 12
- 13-Ch. 13
- 14-Ch. 14
- 15-Ch. 15
- 16-Ch. 16
- 17-Ch. 17
- 18-Ch. 18
- 19-Ch. 19
- 20-Ch. 20
- 21-Ch. 21
- 22-Ch. 22
- 23-Ch. 23
- 24-Ch. 24
- 25-Ch. 25
- 26-Ch. 26
- 27-Ch. 27
- 28-Ch. 28
- 29-Ch. 29
- 30-Ch. 30
- 31-Ch. 31
- 32-Ch. 32
- 33-Ch. 33
- 34-Ch. 34
- 35-Ch. 35
- 36-Ch. 36
- 37-Ch. 37
- 38-Ch. 38
- 39-Ch. 39
- 40-Ch. 40: Epilogue
- 17
- 18
- 19
‘…so I was thinking that we could maybe just go to the small field near Luna and Rolf’s house in the Lake District. They won’t be there because they and the boys are off searching for something Luna heard a rumour of the other month.”

Harry nodded numbly, hoping that Hermione would just keep talking. He had been standing there for the past few minutes on the platform almost frozen with the shock that had hit him the second Draco's fingers had laced through his. Of course, Draco had made no indication that what he was doing was incredibly strange. No, in fact, the bloody man appeared to be almost bored, his eyes drifting over the people in front of him, never settling on one person for more than a few seconds.

“Harry?”

He jumped, startled out of his thoughts by Hermione’s voice. “Yeah, that sounds good. Do you know exactly where Luna and Rolf are?” He could have sworn he caught the ghost of a smile tilt the edges of Draco's lips up, but he pushed the thought aside and refocussed on Hermione. “It’s unusual for them to leave for so long these days.”

“No, I don’t and yes it is. They’ll have to be back by the time school starts up again, though, because of the boys. I’m sure they won’t mind us using the field, though; they never have before, after all.”

Harry nodded. His right leg was starting to ache from standing in the same position for so long, but he didn’t want to move and cause Draco to remove his hand. It was pathetic, he knew, but it also seemed like such a big step for Draco to have taken in public that he didn’t want to ruin it. It seemed, however, that Al had no such reservations.

“Dad!”

Draco's fingers loosened in Harry’s hand and he stepped away as Al came rushing up to them from where he had been standing with a group of his cousins. Harry bit back a sigh before turning a tight smile on his son.

“What’s up, Al?”

“We’re going to the Burrow with the others tomorrow night, right?”

Harry blinked. He had completely forgotten about the tradition of stopping by the Burrow for dinner the first weekend that everyone was home. Of course, the first day they were all home was counted out if it was a Saturday – as it was that year – because everyone was too busy getting re-settled at home, but come Sunday, everyone who was even remotely a Weasley would be invited over for a large family dinner. At least, that was what would normally happen. Harry automatically glanced to where Draco stood watching the interaction.

“I’d like to, Al.” He turned back to Albus when Draco gave no indication that he was opposed to the idea. “I’ll get in touch with your Grandmother as soon as we get back home.”

“Is ‘home’ Grimmauld?”

A small sound almost like a snort of laughter from Draco distracted Harry for a few seconds, but when he could see nothing other than mild amusement in Draco's expression, he turned back to Al again. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to the Manor first off, at least. We might get back to Grimmauld sometime during the holidays, I don’t know. We haven’t really planned anything like that. Why?”

“Oh, I, er…” Al grinned when Harry raised an eyebrow at his hesitation. “No reason. It’s just, I told Scorp about some of the things there and he said he wants to take a look at some of the family crested stuff that’s there. He’s related to the Black family. Did you know?”

“Yes,” Harry replied slowly as suspicion chased down his spine. “His Grandmother is a Black, just the same as Aunt Andromeda.”

“Oh, right…” Al shot Harry another grin before turning to glance over his shoulder to where Harry could see Astoria and Scorpius speaking with Blaise and his daughter. “I, er, I kind of forgot that. Oh well. I’ll let him know, alright?”

With that, Al took off, weaving his way through the crowd towards Scorpius. Having to tell himself that it was a good thing that Al and Scorpius apparently got along so well, Harry tried to push the suspicion growing in him to the back of his mind. He watched as Al greeted Scorpius and, along with Blaise’s daughter – Carmel? – the three of them put their heads together and began a whispered discussion. Harry sighed as he turned back to where both Hermine and Draco were watching him.

“Well, that doesn’t look suspicious at all,” he muttered, causing Hermione to grin.

“Didn’t you want them to get along?”

“Well, yes, but…” Harry trailed off with a sound that was very like a growl. “What I don’t want to be dealing with is two almost-teenage boys who are constantly getting into trouble.”

“Because you never got into trouble when you were that age.”

Harry was just about to point out that Hermione had been right there, getting into trouble by his side, just as Ron had been by the end of their first year when Draco interrupted.

“She has a point, you know.”

Harry found he could only stare with his mouth slightly open as Draco smirked at him. First the public hand-holding and now Draco was siding with Hermione against him? All within the space of a couple of minutes? His eyes narrowed as suspicion flooded through him again.

“You’re supposed to be on my side here!”

Draco's smirk widened into a proper grin for a few seconds before he got himself under control again. “Oh, I am, believe me. I wouldn’t trust those two alone in Grimmauld for one single second. In fact, Scorp tried the same thing on Astoria and I a few minutes ago as well. What I am agreeing with Granger here on is that you were much worse than either of those two could ever hope to be.”

The challenging look Draco shot him had Harry shaking his head in response. He had absolutely no idea what was going on with this sudden change in attitude Draco was suffering from, but he found that he liked it. Perhaps Draco had finally decided to loosen his strict public standards? That would certainly explain his willingness to stake his claim on Harry when he had been being checked out in King’s Cross. Perhaps the boys coming home and the upcoming wedding could be a new beginning for them all? Perhaps–

“Weasley.”

“Malfoy.”

Harry sighed at the sound of the hostility in both Draco and Ron’s voices. So much for that idea. He turned to face Ron, who appeared to have just stepped away from the middle of the group of Weasleys to wrap his arm around Hermione’s waist. There was a definite tension in the air, causing the hair on Harry’s arms to stand on end. He cleared his throat.

“Are, er, are we all meeting at the Burrow for dinner tomorrow then?”

It was a slightly desperate attempt at diffusing the situation before it could spark and the look Draco shot him told Harry that he had seen straight through it. It seemed that Draco was at least a little willing to try for civil, though, as he let out a breath and turned a polite look in Ron and Hermione’s direction.

“There’s no need to worry about securing an invitation for Scorpius and I. I’m sure he will be more than happy at the Manor for a few hours.”

Indignation caused Harry to stand up straighter at the suggestion that he would be willing to abandon Draco and Scorpius just because the Weasleys had invited him somewhere. He took a deep breath and was about to start objecting when Hermione beat him to it.

“Don’t be silly; of course the two of you would be invited.”

She waved her hand through the air as though to dismiss the notion as being as silly as she had claimed it to be before changing the subject again. Harry chanced a glance over to Draco, who was watching the interaction with an unreadable expression. He would have given anything for the ability to read that expression at that moment, but because that was impossible, Harry simply tried to put the worries it caused to spring to mind away.

Joining in the conversation after a few minutes, Harry lost track of the time as the platform emptied around them. Of course, he kept a close eye on each of the children and, when it appeared that none of them were going to start causing any kind of scene, he began to relax. It always felt so good to just be able to stand around and chat with his best friends – his family – and now that it looked like Draco was going to be able to fit into that equation somewhere, Harry was unable to prevent a huge smile from spreading across his face. The bubble of happiness that had been floating through him the entire morning now felt as though it was expanding, causing him to bounce a little as he debated the merits of supporting Puddlemere with Bill and George. The fact that Draco stood just a little way away, speaking in low tones to Astoria, Audrey and Percy and shooting Harry warm glances every now and then only intensified that happiness. They had come a long way over the past ten months and Harry discovered that he was quite proud of that fact.

*~*

“Draco?”

Draco couldn’t help smiling at the hesitancy in Harry’s voice. He had had the feeling that Harry was working up to ask him something during the course of the day and, now that they were finally alone in their bedroom, the time had apparently come.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering… Er, I mean…” Harry sighed, causing Draco's smile to widen. “Can I ask you something?”

Instead of answering straightaway, Draco continued getting undressed and ready for bed. Standing in front of his wardrobe, he slipped the last of the buttons of his black shirt through their loops and hung it up, ready to be the next morning’s work shirt.

“Of course.”

He listened carefully, waiting for the sigh of relief Harry always gave when he had made him wait for an answer to a question that he was obviously cautious about asking. It only took a second or two before he heard it. Knowing that Harry was so predictable made Draco's life so much easier; it meant that he didn’t have to work too hard to know how to react to him.

“Why… No, wait… How come you’re so okay with the Weasleys? Why aren’t you fighting me wanting to keep contact with them? And why are you also okay with Scorp having contact with them? Especially Ron, considering how hostile the two of you still are.”

Grabbing one of Harry’s old t-shirts from where he had hidden it at the bottom of his wardrobe – the annoying git had the tendency to take them away from him if he found them – he pulled it on, then folded his trousers and placed them neatly beside the hamper before turning to face the bed. Harry was lying propped against the pillows, watching him intently.

“I’ve been looking for that shirt, you know.”

One corner of Draco's mouth tilted upwards as he made his way over to his side of the bed. “I know.”

This time, the sigh Harry let out was more resigned than anything else. “Fine, keep it.”

“I intend to.”

Draco grinned when Harry rolled his eyes. Sliding into the bed, he propped his own pillows against the headboard and wriggled until he was comfortable, giving himself a few extra seconds of thinking time before he had to answer Harry’s question.

“Comfortable?”

“As much as possible, I suppose.”

“Well?”

Sagging down against the soft pillows, Draco closed his eyes for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts. “I don’t believe I am all that ‘okay’ with any of the Weasleys. Except possibly Percy; he’s different to the others.”

“Yeah, he is.” Harry let out a small huff of breath that Draco took as being amusement before continuing. “Then why would you continue to put up with them without complaining? You technically have every right to not want anything to do with them after everything that’s happened since we got together, so I don’t see why you’re putting up with them.”

“Only technically?” Draco raised his hands in a placating gesture when Harry’s eyes narrowed in a glare. “Alright, alright.” Shoving himself up into a sitting position, he ran a hand through his hair. “I have always known that the Weasleys mean a lot to you. Even back in school, that was plainly obvious. Considering how much our Fathers despised each other all their lives, it’s really no wonder that I never got along with any of them; I always did pay too much attention to what my Father did and said back then. And I think…” He sighed as his chest constricted; this was something that he had never thought he would have to admit, especially to Harry. “I think that that closeness to you was the reason why I was always so antagonistic towards Ronald and his siblings. But it’s also why I know I have to at least make an attempt at being civil towards them now. You care for them and I won’t get in the way of that, just as you haven’t caused an issue with Astoria or my parents.”

The only sound in the room when Draco fell silent was their breathing, Draco's a little faster than Harry’s. Draco had been aware of his jealous streak since he was a teenager, but he had hoped that he would never have to admit to having one. Because that was exactly what this was: he had been jealous of Ronald Weasley and his friendship with Harry. It was pitiful. Taking a deep breath, he held it for a few seconds before letting it out in an attempt to calm his racing heart.

“You put up with them for me?”

There was so much confusion in Harry’s voice that Draco had to roll his eyes. “Of course I do, moron! It’s not like I would have had any contact with them otherwise, is it?” He huffed out an exasperated breath before looking up to meet Harry’s eyes. “Look, I’m aware that it sometimes seems like I would prefer you to have no contact with them at all, but they are your family, Harry. You wouldn’t ask me to cut contact with my parents, so I won’t do that to you.”

“But…” The bed rocked as Harry shifted position, moving so he was facing Draco directly. “You never once got along with any of them during school.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“And they never got along with you.”

“No, they didn’t.”

“And the same goes for after school.”

“It does.”

“But you sleeping with me changed that.”

Draco sighed. “No, twit. Me falling for you changed that. If you were just a random fuck like the rest of the them were, then nothing would have changed, but you aren’t.” A twist in his stomach told Draco that Harry had really never been ‘just’ anything for him, but he ignored it. “I love you. That means I will try to get along with any family members you have, no matter how insane they may be.”

Harry was silent for quite a while after Draco stopped, merely watching him with a thoughtful expression. Draco found himself thankful for the reprieve, as it gave him the chance to try to get his emotions back under control. He hadn’t expected to be assaulted with something like this that day and, considering how off-guard he had been when Harry had asked, he figured that he had handled it quite well. Even if his heart was racing and he was feeling the urge to clench his hands while he waited for Harry to respond. Eventually, after what seemed like hours but could have only been minutes at best, Harry began to smile.

“Harry?” When Harry didn’t respond, Draco reached out to place a hand on his shoulder and shake gently. “Harry?”

Draco let out a loud gasp when Harry shook his hand off and moved to straddle him. Scrambling to uncross his legs before Harry managed to crush him, Draco batted at Harry’s shoulders, trying to push him away.

“Harry!”

Sagging against Draco's chest the second he was settled in his lap, Harry let out a strange sound. “So this is what comes from me always being startled enough by Pansy’s arrival at the Manor that I’m automatically polite to her?”

Realising that the strange sound had been Harry’s attempt at holding a laugh in, Draco thumped a hand between Harry’s shoulders. “So you’re joking about this now? I admit to something that I have never told anyone else in the entire world and you’re laughing at me?”

Harry took a deep breath, the movement of the air ruffling Draco's hair a little. “No.”

“‘No’? That’s it? No explanation, I just have to take your word for it?”

It was a few seconds before Harry pulled back, but when he did, the serious look in his eyes almost cut off Draco's ability to breathe properly. The light from the candle on the bedside reflected off Harry’s glasses, obscuring Draco's view of his eyes for a few seconds, so he pulled them off and threw them onto the bedside with a clatter. The warmth and adoration that Draco clearly remembered from earlier in the day were shining through on Harry’s face.

“Ginny never made this kind of effort with me. We have the same friends and her family is the closest to a real family I have ever known, so there was no need for her to adjust to anything like this.” He shifted his position in Draco's lap so that it was easier for him to rest their foreheads together. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you over the past months. I’m not sure there’s that many other people out there who could take in me and the kids and put up with everything that comes along with us. You have no idea how much it means to me that you haven’t simply up and left, especially after it became clear that you weren’t going to be easily accepted by the Weasleys.”

Running his hands up and down Harry’s back, Draco put a little pressure on his lower back, pressing them closer together. “You could show me, you know.”

The smile that spread across Harry’s face bordered on a leer, causing Draco's blood to start pumping a little faster through his veins. Settling back against the pillows as Harry slid down his body, Draco sighed with contentment. Despite the fact that he hadn’t said it in words, he knew that Harry felt the same about him and knowing it was more than enough.

A/N: So, I'll admit to hickening out when it comes to the children n this chapter. But the rst of the chapters will have them in them. (May the Gods have mercy on me!) Please just keep in mind that besides this and 19 Years, I have never written the next gen kids as actual children before!
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The Optimal Balance