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
- 18
- 19
- 20
AN: Chapter 19: thank you for your patience, but my exams are all done now so I can focus on writing. Hopefully this means that we won't have to wait this long for the next chapter.
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)

Harry and Draco swiftly made their way through the castle at ten minutes to seven that evening, navigating their way in the direction of the Potions Master's quarters, along the familiar dim corridors that made up the Hogwarts dungeons.
"I really don't think I feel well," Harry whined quietly, staying half a pace behind his mate as he dragged his feet a little. "Maybe it would be best if I just had an early night," he suggested hopefully.
Draco didn't even dignify him with a response, simply turning his head to glare at Harry for a second. He grabbed Harry's hand and picked up his pace, practically dragging his reluctant and sulking boyfriend along the corridor. He really did understand that Harry didn't want to go to this potentially awkward dinner, but they needed to; this was Draco's family and Harry was going to have to come to terms with that.
"Okay, fine, I might be exaggerating," Harry admitted with a grumpy huff, "but I do have a headache," he insisted. However, he allowed Draco to keeping pulling him along, almost stumbling over his own feet as the blond picked up the pace, not wanting them to be late.
"It is probably just anxiety," Draco said dismissively. "I know how scared of Professor Snape and my father you are," he added, keeping his eyes straight ahead so that his mate wouldn't see the smirk on his face.
Harry looked shocked, and tugged on Draco's hand, but the blond didn't even slow his pace. "I am so not scared of them," Harry insisted indignantly, looking even more sulky than before.
Draco chuckled. "Sure you aren't, Love," he teased. "I guess you don't have a good excuse to not to go to this dinner then." Harry groaned and picked up his pace to match his mate's, before he actually ended up getting pulled over. "And remember, you promised to be nice," the blond reminded him with smile over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I know," Harry said sounding slightly defeated; he really did understand how important both men were to Draco and so he would try to make this as easy as possible for all of them. "Let's hope they decide to play by the same rule book," he added.
"I'll be having strong words with them if they don't," Draco promised seriously. "Just remember I am here for you first, and then them."
Harry stopped and pulled on Draco's hand to get the submissive to stop too. Draco turned and gave him a confused look, but Harry smiled down at his mate as he wrapped his arms around Draco and pulled the blond against his chest. "I know. Thank you," he whispered earnestly, placing a chaste kiss on Draco's lips.
"Okay, stop distracting me," Draco said with mock annoyance, pushing somewhat half-heartedly against Harry's chest, actually enjoying the mild tingling sensation of the magical energy transfer that he got from his mate's affection. "We are still going to this dinner and I would rather not turn up late," he added sternly, to keep himself, as much as Harry, from suggesting they just go back to their rooms.
"Yeah, okay, fine," Harry agreed with an overly-dramatic sigh, knowing that Draco had a point; surely the one thing worse than a dinner with Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy would be turning up late to said dinner with Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy. Releasing the blond from his arms, Harry held out a hand to Draco and the submissive chuckled softly as he took it, and they headed off down the last few corridors to Snape's rooms.
Draco raised his free hand and knocked several times once they had reached the door to the Potions Master's quarters. The blond was surprised by how apprehensive he was feeling about this dinner now that they were there and he wasn't sure if the nausea he was feeling was morning sickness or nerves; in all likelihood he suspected it to be a combination of them both.
"You okay?" Harry asked, his voice laced with mild concern, not having missed Draco's momentary hesitation; after his mate's determination that they would be attending this dinner, he wasn't sure why he would be wavering now.
Draco turned to Harry, surprised and a little touched that his boyfriend had so easily noticed that something was off. "Yes, I'll be fine," he promised, squeezing his mate's hand, and nodded his head. "It's just a little nausea," he explained, forcing a smile.
"Hmmm, well as long as you are sure," Harry said, clearly sceptical. "Though," he added with a small smirk on forming on his lips, "I would be happy to accompany you to the medical..."
"One more suggestion about skipping this dinner..." Draco interrupted, bordering on angry and jabbing a finger into Harry's chest, "... and I will go to the medical wing by myself and leave you to have this dinner with them alone," he threatened.
Harry swallowed hard; Draco really knew what to say to get his co-operation. "Sorry," he mumbled under his breath, just as the door swung open and the two teenagers turned to face their Potions professor.
"Ah, good evening," Snape greeted curtly, clearly using all his willpower not to sneer at Harry. "I am glad to see that Draco has at least had a positive effect on your time keeping abilities, Mr Potter."
Harry had already opened his mouth and was ready to point out that actually he was pretty good at time keeping when Draco squeezed his hand lightly to get his attention. He turned to the blond curiously; it was the look in Draco's eyes that made him snap his mouth shut and drop the matter, despite every instinct in his body telling him not to.
Snape watched the pair of them with a blank expression, and took a step to the side and allowed them entry. Harry waved Draco in ahead of him, and the blond stepped through the doorway past Snape but as Harry went to follow his mate into the room Draco suddenly came to a stop, blocking his way.
The blond appeared to be frozen to the spot, and didn't even seem to notice when Harry stepped up behind him, resting a hand on the submissive's waist. Following Draco's line of sight, Harry too seemed to lose the ability to move or speak. Lucius was standing in the middle of the room, close to the dining table, as though he belonged there, as though he was entitled to be standing there, free as a bird.
"Isn't he...?" Draco tried to ask Professor Snape, his voice quiet and an expression of confusion on his face. However, he didn't get to finish his question before Harry interrupted.
"What the HELL!?" Harry asked angrily, forcing a rather baffled Draco behind him as he pulled out his own wings and spread them in a furious display of dominance, which came naturally in the face of such a potential threat to his submissive. "Why is he out of that room?" he demanded to know, glaring at Snape, as the man shut the door behind them and moved past the mass of green feathers and towards Lucius. "We can't trust him not to run back to his old master," Harry snarled.
"Severus has gone to great lengths to ensure I am neither able to leave this room nor perform any magic, I assure you," Lucius said before taking a sip from the glass of deep red wine in his hand. The man's voice was as snobbishly self-assured as it always had been.
Harry snorted in disbelief, not about to take Lucius' word on anything, and so he focused on Snape instead, narrowing his eyes at the Potions Master. "And we are supposed to just take your word for this?" he demanded, holding back Draco, who was trying to move back around him. He was suddenly rather concerned that leaving Lucius in Snape's care wasn't such a great idea, given the developing relationship between them.
Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration for a moment before looking back at Harry once more. "The Headmaster has possession of Lucius' wand and we have bound his magic such that he is unable to use it at present," he explained, sounding honestly quite bored by the whole thing. "On top of this we have put the same spells that held him in that room on both the castle and my quarters. He has also taken an Unbreakable Vow, swearing his loyalty to both me and Draco, and against the Dark Lord."
Harry frowned in annoyance, both at the Snape’s tone and the additional freedoms that had been granted to Lucius. He was glad that they were putting measures in place, but it rankled that they just expected him to trust Draco and their child's lives to a few spells that he hadn't even seen cast. He wasn't sure how they expected him to just take Snape's word for it, the word of a man who had heretofore shown nothing but distaste for him.
"Are these measures enough to satisfy the great Harry Potter?" Snape asked impatiently with a sneer on his face when no one had said anything after a few seconds.
Harry gritted his teeth in annoyance but managed to hold his tongue despite the numerous things that he wanted to say to the man. Instead he folded up his wings and turned to face Draco, who he had managed to still keep behind him. "I don't like this," he admitted quietly, as he wrapped his arms loosely around Draco's waist. "I know he is your father and everything but..."
"I know," Draco interrupted, pressing his hand over Harry's heart as he hung his head for a moment in thought before looking back up to meet Harry's eyes. "I understand what you're saying, I really do, it's not what I was expecting either, but please..." he requested in little more than a whisper.
Harry's scowl deepened at that, not actually surprised that his mate still wanted to stay, but his own instincts were screaming at him to get Draco out of there, to get them safely away from these men.
"I know that you don't trust either of them," Draco went on, as Harry's wings curled gently around them, "but I need this. Besides, you are here to keep us safe," the blond added, taking Harry's hand in his own and pressing it against his still flat belly, and giving the dominant a pleading look. "I don't think they would try anything right under Dumbledore's nose anyway," he pointed out.
Harry continued to frown at him, the reminder that their child was right there with them too making him even more inclined to get out of there, but truthfully he already knew they would stay; he knew he couldn't really deny Draco anything when he looked at him like that.
"Harry, you aren't getting out of this dinner," Draco told him sternly, trying to keep is voice as quiet as possible. The blond crossed his arms over his chest and his grey eyes narrowed in annoyance.
It only took a moment longer before Harry caved with a sigh. "Okay, fine," he agreed huffily, wrapping his arms back around the blond's waist once more, as he retracted his wings. "BUT...," he went on before Draco could say anything, "one wrong move and we leave," he compromised, glancing over his shoulder at Lucius, who gave a single nod to show his understanding.
"Thank you," Draco told him earnestly, placing a hand over Harry's heart again.
"Yes, well, you owe me one," Harry grumbled quietly before leaning down the small distance to press a kiss to Draco's temple. "I am sure you will think of a way to make it up to me," he added with a wink and half a smile.
Draco exaggeratedly rolled his eyes, causing Harry to chuckle softly. He was far too aware, though, that Snape and his father were still in the room with them, and so he pulled Harry's hands from his waist, before stepping around his mate.
There was a tense silence in the room as Draco approached the two other men, stopping when he was standing a few feet from his father. Harry clenched his fists at his sides, barely managing to resist the urge to charge after his pregnant submissive and snatch him back into his arms, to keep him safe.
"Draco," Lucius greeted emotionlessly, with a dip of his head and he raised his glass in a wordless toast. Harry scowled; he knew how much this dinner meant to Draco, how much his mate wanted to figure things out with Lucius and so the cold greeting did nothing to endear the senior Malfoy to him.
"Father," Draco responded stiffly. His voice was as steady and blunt as his father's but Harry didn't miss the way that his mate's wings shifted and fingers twitched; he was sure that it was taking Draco a lot to fight the instinct to cross his arms over his belly and shield himself with his wings.
The tension in the room felt ready to snap, and for a moment Harry wondered if Draco was going to lose his battle with his submissive urges, but his mate didn't move from his spot, didn't show any signs of backing down, despite the significant and intimidating height advantage his father had over him.
"Let's sit," Professor Snape suggested after a few moments, when no one else showed any inclination to move or speak, gesturing towards the moderately sized dark wood table that had already been set for four.
Harry took that as his cue and quickly moved to stand next to Draco, looping an arm around his waist and leading him away from Lucius towards their seats. His mate went with him easily and without protest, and had even seemed to relax a little with the dominant's touch. Harry hated that Lucius was obviously making Draco so on edge, and threw a look of obvious distrust at the older Malfoy; however, the man did nothing but smile somewhat mockingly in return, before casually making his way towards the other side of the table.
Draco glared at Harry when he pulled out a chair for him. "I can manage to sit down without your assistance," he grumbled quietly, but it was obviously that Harry was barely listening, too busy watching the other two men with narrowed eyes as he took his seat next to Draco.
Lucius took the seat across from his son, Severus taking the one next to him, across from Harry, and their food appeared in front of them almost instantly, presumably thanks to the Hogwarts house elves. Harry was relieved that the food arrived so promptly; it meant that they could focus on their starter, bowls of a simple vegetable soup and a large loaf of fresh bread that had been thickly sliced and lightly buttered, rather than actually having to make conversation.
Harry had been concerned that Draco's morning sickness would put the submissive off the meal but, despite the nausea Draco had been feeling just before they arrived, he tucked in, eating the soup more elegantly than Harry would have believed possible. His mate even seemed to be relaxing a little bit now and so, with a smile, Harry turned his attention to his own food.
Draco had definitely not been in the mood to eat but had done so as it was preferable to making conversation with his father, and as soon as he had started on the soup it helped to settle his stomach. Now he was eating something, he was suddenly aware of how hungry he actually was; it was probably due to having emptied his stomach earlier and not having had enough at lunch time to replace it. He was feeling mildly annoyed at Harry for having ignored him in favour of glaring at Lucius and Snape but was appeased somewhat by the unsubtle glances he could see his mate giving him; at least Harry was remembering who in this room was important.
It was somewhat fortunate that they had been invited for dinner rather than just to talk because it seemed that none of them had much to say; though Harry was mentally sulking, thinking that they could have achieved as much in the Great Hall, and without the uncomfortable, tense environment.
He had agreed to this dinner mostly so that Draco and his father could spend some time together and, as such, the fact that neither of them seemed to have anything to say was annoying him somewhat. There was part of him that couldn't help but feel vindictively glad, knowing in his heart that Lucius Malfoy didn't deserve the right to even speak to Draco, but he could see, and hated, how on edge it was putting his mate.
Draco really was nervous, more than he thought he should be, and he was sure that Harry could tell and just hoped that neither his father nor Snape had noticed; he didn't hold out much hope of that though, and just took comfort in the fact that Lucius seemed to be just as on edge as well. He had believed that his father had been the one to request this dinner but now he couldn't help but wonder if it had been Professor Snape's idea to try and restore some form of relationship between the two Malfoys.
He was trying hard to convince himself that he didn't care either way but he wasn't doing a particularly good job of it. There was a tightness in his chest that he felt when he thought about it too much that said otherwise; apparently he still longed for his father's approval despite everything and so he decided to focus on the food in front of him instead of dwelling on that realisation.
-#-
The four of them finished their soup in silence, punctuated only by occasional glances they would throw at each other, and Harry was pleased to note that Draco had managed not only all his soup but several slices of bread as well, before the now empty bowls vanished.
"Professor Flitwick mentioned that you ran from his class earlier today," the Snape told them in an obvious attempt to break the heavy tension in the room.
Draco looked up in surprise to meet the Potions Master’s eyes. The man seemed to be trying to pry the answers from him with just a look and it was almost instinctive when Draco threw his Occlumency shields into place. He was far from an expert at it, having only had a few lessons from his father one summer and, in truth, he doubted that he could have actually have kept the professor from his mind and was relieved when he felt no evidence of the man trying anything.
It took the blond a moment to realise that the other three were all watching him expectantly, Professor Snape with narrowed eyes, his father with a slightly curious expression and Harry with uncensored concern.
"It was nothing serious," Draco told them dismissively, and he could practically feel Harry frowning next to him, knew how much Harry hated it when he was dismissive of being unwell but he already felt weak enough in his father's eyes, without adding the ever growing list of pregnancy symptoms. "I'm fine," he insisted, feeling that he could probably handle his boyfriend's disapproval far more easily than his father's.
Harry didn't like Draco hiding what had happened earlier from his father, and potential new step-father, but he had promised he would play nice and, when it came down to it, he was here for Draco and, as such, he would respect his mate's choice. They would, however, be talking about it later and he tried to tell the blond as much with his eyes, but the submissive's attention was on the other two men.
Lucius was making a slightly odd attempt at a smile in his son's direction, but Snape was obviously suspicious, even though he made no comment on it. Draco held onto his calm facade but was still happy for the distraction when their main course arrived; that was until the smell of the baked chicken hit him full force and his stomach clenched and rebelled, one hand flying to cover his mouth, the other pushing the plate across the table away from him.
"Draco, Love?" Harry asked, sounding rather alarmed at the sudden change in his mate, but quickly realised what was wrong. "Dobby," he called, summoning the elf. "Please get rid of the dishes," he ordered sternly, before the little creature even had a chance to speak; Dobby didn't seem put out by the instruction though, and quickly obeyed without question.
"What is going on?" Lucius demanded to know, an indignant expression on his face as his own meal was vanished, care of his former elf. However, no one was in any hurry to explain anything, their attention fully on Draco now.
The blond turned sideways on his chair, one hand reaching out for his dominant mate and clenching on Harry's thigh, the other still over his mouth as he took slow breaths in an attempt to persuade his stomach to not reject its contents. Snape was up from his chair and had hurried across the room, and was now digging through his cabinet, looking for a potion that would help with the nausea that had obviously hit the young man.
"Shh, it's okay, Love," Harry said gently, rubbing his hand over his boyfriend's upper back when Draco rested his forehead on his shoulder. "I am right here, it will pass. Just take deep breaths," he suggested, wishing there was something more that he could do for his mate.
"Someone needs to tell me what is wrong with my son right this instant," Lucius demanded again, getting to his feet. He was concerned for Draco and it bothered him that both Severus and Potter apparently knew what was going on, and were able to help his son when he could not; and certainly wasn't used to being ignored.
Harry looked over at the older Malfoy and glared at him for a second before turning his attention back where it was needed, to his suffering boyfriend. As far as he was concerned, if Lucius truly cared about Draco then he would have shown it before now, and right now he didn't have any time for the man at all.
"Draco appears to be suffering from morning sickness," Snape explained as he came to kneel down next to the submissive. "This will help," he told Draco quietly, raising a small phial in front of him, to try and encourage him to drink the potion. The young blond looked reluctant but did trust the Potions Master, and so parted his lips and tilted his head back, allowing Snape feed him the potion.
"The baby is doing this to him?" Lucius asked, sounding almost angry about that, as Draco grimaced at the taste of the thick liquid. The teenager had a few things he wanted to say in response to his father's words but his stomach was still churning dangerously and so he just rested his head back on Harry's shoulder.
"It is a normal, though granted pretty awful, part of pregnancy," Harry snarled at Lucius, his hand moving in circles on Draco's back again. He didn't like the man's attitude at all; he knew that Draco was already going to hate having his father seeing him like this and if ever there was a time that they needed Lucius to be supportive, it was now. However the years since he had first encountered the man had destroyed any tiny bit of faith Harry might have ever had in Lucius' fatherly instincts and so he wasn't expecting much.
-#-
Draco was feeling both irritated and embarrassed when, nearly ten minutes later, the nausea had passed enough that he was finally able to sit up properly without it making him feeling worse; he was, however, still holding onto Harry and avoiding looking at his father.
"Thank you," he said to the professor, still sounding quite out of it. He truly was grateful for the potion and thankful that it seemed to be helping, because usually the sickness would have taken far longer to pass.
"Are you well again now?" Lucius asked, clearly not at all sure what he was supposed to say. That, however, was more than any of the room's other three occupants had expected and they had all turned to stare at the man in surprise.
Draco blinked a few times slowly, giving his father an unsure nod that made Harry wonder just how rarely Lucius had expressed any true concern for his son. Harry had never seen any evidence of it really, apart from the times that he ranted and raved about people who he blamed for problems in Draco's life, if he could even count those occasions.
"Should that be happening?" Lucius asked with a frown as he took his seat again, Severus returning to the seat next to him. "Shouldn't he see a healer?" he suggested.
"He's seen one," Harry told him bluntly, not appreciating the implication that he would let his mate go on suffering if there was any chance a healer could help him. "And this is normal. Morning sickness doesn't occur in every pregnancy, but is particularly common in male pregnancies," he explained, rather annoyed at the ignorance of the man who was more or less his father-in-law.
"I'm fine," Draco told him firmly, though he was looking slightly faint and so Harry shuffled his chair over closer to the blond, encouraging the submissive to lean against his side, knowing that physical contact between them would make Draco feel better more quickly. "I'm fine," the blond grumbled again, under his breath, attempt to shrug Harry off. Draco was trying his hardest to throw back up the Malfoy masks and prove his strength, but Harry was having none of it and the dominant wrapped an arm around Draco's waist insistently.
The two older men were watching the interaction between the pair of them with curiosity; while Snape had been around the young couple a fair bit over the months since Draco had pulled out Harry's inheritance, and grown somewhat accustomed to the two of them together, it was relatively new to Malfoy senior.
"Can we just eat?" Draco asked with exasperation, feeling unsettled by the calculating look in his father's eyes, which he had long ago learned to fear. He had just wanted one night where he could show his father that his relationship with Harry hadn't weakened him, but apparently he couldn't even get that, and he certainly didn't want to talk about it.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked anxiously, looking quite surprised at the suggestion. Usually the morning sickness put Draco off of his food for at least an hour or two.
Draco gave him a genuine smile, knowing that whatever else happened that evening, Harry was there for him. "I'm sure," he assured his mate. "Though, let's avoid chicken," he suggested with an amused smirk.
Harry chuckled at that and nodded his head in agreement. "Dobby," he called out again, summoning the house elf once more, and the little creature appeared almost instantly next to where Harry was sitting.
"How can I be helping, Mr Harry Potter, Sir?" Dobby asked joyfully, giving a bow before looking up at Harry with his large green eyes.
"Would it be too much trouble to fetch something for us to eat?" Harry asked, already knowing full well that the house elf would be more than happy to help. "Not the chicken though, it was making Draco feel unwell," he explained.
"Is the young Master Malfoy in need of the nurse?" the elf asked with concern, peering around Harry to where Draco was leaning again him.
"Did he ask for a nurse? No!" Lucius barked out quite aggressively, slamming his fist down on the table, and making Harry, Draco and Dobby all jump a little in surprise. "You will do as you were ordered, elf!"
"Dobby is a free elf, Mr Malfoy," Dobby told him, recovering from being startled and puffing out his chest with pride. "I do not be taking orders from you no more," he said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff, and barely a second later there was a popping sound and the elf vanished.
"Was that really necessary?" Harry demanded through clenched teeth, holding onto his temper by a thread. "Dobby was trying to be helpful. Couldn't you see that he was just worried about Draco?"
"It is not a house elf's place to..." Lucius snarled back, an expression of barely concealed fury on his face.
"SHUT UP!" Draco bellowed, slamming his palms down on the table top. "I have a headache, I am hungry, I still feel kind of sick and I have had more than enough of... of... of this," he yelled, gesturing to their odd little group in general. Getting to his feet, he forcefully removed Harry's grip on his waist and moved away from the table.
Draco had taken only about four paces before he rounded on his father, anger flashing in his eyes. "You just had to be all superior because a house elf was being NICE!" he exclaimed angrily, a finger pointed at his father in accusation. "Feel like a big man now?" he asked rhetorically. "You offended a house elf, left your pregnant son to go without food and threw your future son-in-law's attempts to be civil back in his face."
Harry was stunned by Draco's outburst, but not half as much as Lucius was; it was obvious that Draco had never spoken to his father in such a way before and apparently it was enough to have shocked the elder Malfoy into silence.
Snape, however, was looking honestly disappointed in the turn of events, though he was clearly trying to hide it behind a dispassionate and stoic expression. Draco couldn't help but feel a little bad for the Potions Master; the man was so close to getting the family he had wanted for so long and was now having to watch it falling apart before it ever really had a chance.
Draco could relate to Snape in that moment, he wanted that family too after all. He had known his father would find a way to ruin it all though and was angry at the vague hope he had had that they might be able to make it work, that Lucius might be able to accept them; and he was angry at Snape too for having made that hope burn brighter because the betrayal only hurt more now in its light.
Harry was at Draco's side with a comforting hand on his arm but Draco didn't want comfort, he didn't want to be saved and he really didn't want his knight with giant green wings to swoop in and tell him it was going to be okay. It wasn't okay, not even close, because his own father couldn't get past his own need to be the powerful arrogant head of the Malfoy family long enough to show his son that he loved him.
"Don't, Harry," Draco snapped as he pulled his arm free from Harry's gentle hold more violently than he had intended. Harry stared at him, a heartbroken look on his face, wordlessly asking Draco what he had done wrong, and Draco felt a pang of guilt rush through him.
The blond sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment before forcing himself to look Harry in the eye. "I'm not mad at you, Love, not really," the blond promised, reaching up to place a gentle hand on Harry's cheek, followed by a chaste kiss on his lips. "I just need to... just be for a bit. And I need you to not treat me like I'm fragile and about to break," Draco tried to explain.
Harry still looked hurt and confused by the whole turn of events. Draco didn't know how else to explain it, so he simply gave Harry another chaste kiss and squeezed his mate's hand as he stepped passed him on the way to the door and, without another word, left the room.
"Good job!" Harry snapped angrily, once Draco was gone, leaving him alone with Lucius and Snape. "I am sure Draco trusts you completely now," he told Lucius sarcastically with a snarl.
"I didn't..." Lucius started to explain defiantly, but he seemed to still be in shock from having been shouted at by his son and he let his words trail off into nothing.
"Didn't what?" Snape asked him coldly, before Harry had a chance, the professor’s nonchalant expression narrowing into one of anger. "Think...? care...?" he suggested, "or did you just completely forget that your son is a pretty damn scared, pregnant, sixteen year old boy who really wants his father to accept him?"
Harry stared in shock and completely lost for words. He was still reeling from Draco's rant and now found himself completely blown away by the Potions Master's defence of his boyfriend. When his mate had left he had assumed that he would be facing the two men alone but it seemed that Lucius had managed to infuriate them all that evening.
"Severus..." Lucius pleaded, looking every bit as stunned as Harry felt.
"No, forget it," Snape sneered, with a dismissive wave of his arm. "I tried; Merlin, even I can see that Potter tried; and Draco was ready to give you a chance, despite all you have done," he pointed out, shaking his head minutely in exasperation. "Just get back in your room; I can't even stand the sight of you right now," he said quietly, his voice full of sadness.
Lucius' brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to speak, but words apparently failed him and he snapped his jaw shut, his eyes fixed on the Potions Master, who couldn't even bear to look at him. Harry half expected the elder Malfoy to break into a rant, to rage about the unfairness of it all but was profoundly relieved when the blond simply turned and strode wordlessly back to his small room.
Harry watched on silently as Lucius moodily passed through the bars, which offered him no resistance, and sat on the edge of the bed. The elder Malfoy stared at the wall and didn't even glance their way when Snape approached, touching his wand against the bars and presumably sealed the doorway closed behind the man. Harry jumped a little in surprise when the Snape then slammed the heavy wooden door to the room closed too.
"I'm sorry this didn't go so well," Harry said softly, as the professor simply stood next to Lucius' door with his palm against it; he could see how much this was hurting him too and he had never felt quite so sorry for the man as he did in that moment.
The older man scoffed, turning from the room and heading over to one of his cabinets. "I should have known something would go wrong," he told Harry as he poured himself a large glass of thick amber-coloured liquid, which Harry could only assume was stronger than anything he had ever tasted.
"Maybe," Harry agreed hesitantly. He wasn't surprised that Lucius had ended up causing problems but that didn't mean he thought that Draco and Snape had been wrong to try and make this work.
Snape took a large swig of his drink and Harry was just about to offer to leave, given it was kind of awkward with just the two of them there now, when the Potions Master rounded on him. "Did you have to summon that particular elf?" Snape demanded, suddenly sounding angry. "Did you have to rub it in Lucius' face, everything that he has lost, that you have taken from him?"
Harry gaped at the man he had been feeling sorry for just second earlier; he could barely believe it, Snape was really going to try and pin this on him, make him out to be the bad guy? "It is hardly my fault that Malfoy Senior has no respect for anyone and that he was stupid enough to lose a house elf to a twelve year old kid," Harry snapped back; he knew that Snape was likely just lashing out in his hurt but Harry wasn't going to stand there and not fight back, not defend himself.
Snape sneered at him, taking another gulp if his drink. "You," he yelled, "you could have summoned any elf." He paused, draining the last of his drink and slamming the glass down on the nearby table. "This castle has hundreds, but no, you summon that one!"
"I wasn't thinking about Lucius at all when I called Dobby," Harry yelled back before he could stop himself. " I was thinking only of Draco and wanting to help him. My boyfriend and child are my priority, not Lucius' precious feelings. I didn't even think about Dobby having anything to do with Lucius."
"Of course you didn't think," Snape snarled, taking a few steps closer to Harry and looking down his nose at him, "you never think. Just like your father... selfish... arrogant..."
"Selfish!?" Harry asked incredulous anger, his wings bursting from his back and shadowing over them both. "I just said I was only thinking about Draco. How the hell is that selfish?" he asked, his hands clenched into fists at his sides as he resisted the urge to attack. He was furious, his cheeks red as he shook with the tension that had gripped his whole body. "If you could pull your head out of your arse for five seconds..."
"POTTER!" Snape bellowed in outrage before Harry could finish his sentence, a look of fury on his face as he seemed to be resisting the urge to strike out at the boy who was still his student and Harry belatedly realised that he had gone too far.
"This was not my doing, Snape," Harry insisted, the man's name a sneer upon his tongue as he turned, folding his wings in close to his back as he headed for the door, knowing he had to leave before things got any further out of hand and one of them did or said something that could not be taken back. "Good night, sir," Harry drawled as he yanked open the door and stepped through, slamming it shut behind himself.
The professor quickly followed, pulling the door open again quickly, but by the time he had stepped through, Harry was down the corridor and disappearing around the corner. At least the boy had the sense to know when to run, even if he didn't know when to hold his tongue, Snape thought bitterly.
He grit his teeth as he stepped back into his quarters, trying to calm his temper. He knew full well that despite taking his anger out on the Potter boy it was truly his lover that he was furious; Potter might not have acted wisely that evening but it was Lucius that had driven Draco away, had broken the tenuous peace that was forming.
He leaned back against the door and sighed heavily. He was not looking forward to a night alone in his bed; he had grown accustomed to the company far more quickly than he wanted to admit and realised this was to be far more difficult than he had hoped. As he pushed himself away from the door, he decided he really needed a second drink.
-#-
Harry didn't run far, only a few corridors before he stopped, willed his wings away and leant against a wall, the cold stone refreshing him as he took a few deep breaths; he was relieved that it didn't sound as though Snape had followed him. In truth it seemed unlikely that the older man would actually do him any harm, at least while they were still professor and student, but that was not something he was going to bet his life on and certainly not while Snape was in such an understandably foul mood.
He leant his head back, letting his eyes fall shut as he tried to calm himself; that greasy bat of a man sure did know how to push his buttons, he thought to himself somewhat vindictively. He was just so tired of Snape blaming him for things that were not his fault and even more fed up with his father's name being brought into it, when he had never even really known the man.
He supposed he did understand why seeing Dobby would have bothered the older Malfoy but he thought that Lucius had greatly overreacted; and besides, he had been telling the truth when he said it hadn't even occurred to him about the connection. Calling Dobby was bordering on instinctive because he knew he could trust the elf, even with something as important as Draco's health.
Not really quite sure what to do with himself, he pushing off the wall and began the long trek up the many flights of stairs as he headed back towards the common room. He wished, not for the first time, that he had the password to the Slytherin common room so he could get to their rooms that way.
He needed to make sure that Draco had returned to their rooms safely and then would either stay with his mate or else spend some time with the Gryffindors if Draco still wanted some time alone.
-#-
"Hi, Harry," Neville said with a warm smile, putting down his book as Harry walked past the couch in the Gryffindor common room where he had been sitting reading.
Harry turned and blinked at Neville, looking a little surprised to see him there. "Oh... hi," Harry greeted, smiling in return; he had been so focused on getting to his room to check on Draco that he had completely failed to even notice his friend. "How are you?" he asked.
"I'm okay," Neville told him with a shrug of his shoulders, as he discarded his book onto the table next to him and gave his friend his full attention, "but from that look on your face it should be me asking you that question."
"Right, yeah," Harry said wearily, running his hand through his hair and glancing over towards the portrait that hid the entrance to his and Draco's room. "It has just be a hell of a day," he told Neville truthfully.
"Want to talk about it?" Neville asked, gesturing to the empty seat on the sofa next to him. He had finished with his homework some time ago and had just been reading a book that Professor Sprout had recommended, and so would be glad for the company.
"Oh no, you don't have to..." Harry assured him quickly with a shake of his head; the last thing he wanted to do was worry his fellow Gryffindor.
"Harry," Neville interrupted sternly, reaching out and lightly gripping Harry's wrist. "That was not a pity offer," he informed him with a kind smile. "We are friends right?"
"Of course!" Harry agreed without hesitation, looking a little alarmed that Neville had even had to ask such a thing.
"Well in that case, come and talk to me about it all sometime," Neville insisted. "I understand that you and Draco have your bond and love each other, that Hermione can answer more or less any question you might be able to think of, and that Ron is your best friend, but sometimes we all just need someone to talk to, someone who will just listen," he told him. "And you have a lot more going on than most."
Harry smiled wryly at the truth of Neville's words. "Thank you," he said earnestly after a few seconds of thought, catching Neville's hand in his own when his fellow Gryffindor released his wrist. "I just might take you up on that."
"Do," Neville said firmly, looking pleased. "Well don't let me hold you up, you look like you are itching to be somewhere and I am betting it is to check on Draco," he added with a wink, as he let go of Harry's hand and gestured towards the portrait of Sir Selwyn.
A little nervous and almost embarrassed laugh escaped Harry's lips and he shrugged. "I can't help worrying about him," he admitted, but Neville just gave him an understanding nod and Harry wondered, not for the first time, if he had greatly underestimated what a good friend Neville was to him. "Night and thank you, I mean it," he said, resting a hand on Neville's shoulder, as he headed past his friend and over to the portrait.
-#-
"Draco?" Harry called out hesitantly once he was in their rooms and the door was shut behind him. His instincts were telling him to find his mate quickly, ensure that both he and their child were safe, but he kept his voice quiet enough that if the blond had fallen asleep he wouldn't wake him.
However, it seemed that he needn't have worried, because Draco's voice sounded from the direction of their bedroom just a moment later. "In here, Harry," the blond called, and Harry headed quickly across the living room.
"Is it safe to come in?" Harry asked in a teasing tone as he poked his head around the barely open door to their bedroom.
"It might have been wise to wait for my answer to that question before presenting your head as a target," Draco pointed out dryly from where he was sat on their bed, his back and wings up against the headboard. "But I already told you, I'm not mad at you."
"Snape is," Harry told his mate simply as he moved into the room properly, closing the door behind him, shrugging his robed off his shoulders and discarding them over a chair. Even in the dim light of the room Harry could see that Draco had been crying but wisely chose to pretend he hadn't noticed, feeling pretty sure that pointing out something that Draco would see as weakness was not the way to stay in his good books.
"Let him be," Draco said with a shrug of his shoulders, watching Harry as the Gryffindor removed his shoes. "He is probably just sulking that us all being a family isn't going to be as easy as he hoped and taking it out on you," the blond suggested as Harry climbed onto the bed next to him.
"Can I have a hug?" Harry asked bluntly, not really wanting to talk about Snape or their disastrous evening any further; he just wanted to be close to his mate but felt it wise to make sure that wouldn't cost him a limb before he tried anything.
Draco scowled. "I don't need your Gryffindor pampering, Harry," he told him firmly, watching his dominant with a wary expression.
"I wasn't offering for your sake, I was asking for mine," Harry said with a smirk. "This Gryffindor needs a bit of Gryffindor pampering; I told Snape to pull his head out of his arse and then ran away scared."
Draco laughed, a full out belly laugh that made Harry smile widely. "Oh I should have stuck around just to see that," his said and shifted over to give Harry his requested hug, cuddling close to his mate's side.
"I love you," Harry whispered into Draco's ear, wrapping his arms around his submissive and holding him close, letting his Erote instincts relax in the knowledge that Draco was safe.
"I love you too," Draco said back, "so if you could not get yourself murdered by our Potions professor, baby and I would be very grateful," he added with a wink as he pulled back from the hug to look up at his mate.
"Well if you insist," Harry agreed with a goofy smile, glad that Draco seemed, at least on the surface, to not be taking the evening too badly.
The moment was broken however, by a couple of popping noises and when they turned towards them, they found a large tray of chopped fresh fruit, small squares of chocolate and two glasses of milk, on Harry's bedside table, which definitely hadn't been there only seconds earlier.
Harry grinned broadly. "Thanks, Dobby," he whispered under his breath, hoping the elf would hear him.
"Oooh... Melon," Draco said excitedly, as he gently pushed Harry out of his way and clambered over his mate's lap to help himself to the food.
"Hungry?" Harry asked with a laugh, not at all complaining at suddenly finding himself with the blond basically on top of him now.
"I hadn't realised but yes, ravenous," Draco told him with a grin, his wings spread out behind him as he sat himself in Harry's lap and practically force fed the dominant an apple segment before reaching for more melon for himself.

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:
tony h - Glad you enjoyed it, all done with exams now so can focus on writing. :)
Diana - Enjoy
Nari-chan - I just reply in order, no special treatment ;) High blood pressure is completely normal in pregnancy, so I am sure he will be fine :D
Meechypoo64 - Hope you enjoyed the dinner ^_^ and indeed, Luna knows all.
Jan - Hermione's expectation is that Draco is going to be horrible to her, so it still kind of catches her off guard when he is just joking around; she will get used to him. I love Luna too.
LeaniaSTL - Thanks, glad to have gotten you hooked.
ChaosLady - I love their banter too.
Twisted_lullaby - Thank you
Kristy - Thank you, hope you enjoyed the new chapter. (did you want to be added to the update email list?)
- 18
- 19
- 20
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Erotes