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The Guile and Devotion of a Black Heir	By : StarLightMassacre Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 104307 -:- Recommendations : 9 -:- Currently Reading : 26
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter; all rights go to J. K. Rowling. I make no money for this piece of fictional writing and never will.

Chapter List
- 24
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Last Time

Harry nodded. He understood, thoughts like that could drive a person mad. He snuggled back into Rabastan and tried not to think, he tried not to linger on what might have been, what could have been. He decided to focus on the here and now, and the fact that his plan had worked perfectly. He had managed to bribe Voldemort to protect his family. It had costed him the sword of Gryffindor and Slytherin’s locket, but he considered them gifts well spent as it meant he could safeguard his family, and that was the most important thing in the world to him. His family.

Chapter Twenty-Five – Birthday

Harry’s birthday came closer and closer, but he barely noticed as he was kept so busy, between writing his own laws, having general Wizengamot meetings which were more like meet and greets to catch up on how everyone and their families were, having lessons for his Apparation license, then there was the actual wedding planning too, he was kept so busy that he barely noticed August creeping ever closer. At least he was no longer holding onto the sword, or the locket Horcrux, and he could let go of those schemes now, as he had already seen them to fruition. It felt good to successfully see something that he’d planned come to a well-deserved end.
As for the wedding planning, well, he was barely any closer to getting the wedding of his dreams than he’d been at the beginning of summer. At the rate he and Rabastan were going they wouldn’t be ready for a wedding in ten years’ time, let alone next year.
The entire planning was just frustrating, if he liked something, then no one else did, as for all Rabastan’s agreements, Harry could see the hesitancy in his blue eyes. Rabastan didn’t like what he did, but he was agreeing to it just to make him happy, which did make him happy, but it also frustrated the hell out of him. If he’d wanted a wedding completely his own way, then he wouldn’t have insisted that Rabastan be involved in the planning in the first place. He didn’t want to be happy…well, no that had come out wrong, he didn’t want to be placated and pacified, he wanted Rabastan to look forward to this wedding, to being a part of it for more than just the end result. He wanted this wedding to incorporate the both of them, but in the rare event that they did truly agree on something, it was Narcissa who didn’t like it and she called a veto and told them to find something more suitable.

“You look like someone told you that you have to go back to those Muggles.” Rodolphus told him at dinner that day.

“Dolphus!” Rabastan chastised harshly.

“No, I’m serious.” Rodolphus said, jabbing his clean fork at Harry. “Look at him.”

“I’m fine.” Harry insisted. “I’m just…well, I’m just glad that I’m only ever getting married once.”

“What if you and Rabastan don’t work out?” Draco asked.

“Why wouldn’t we?” Harry demanded.

“What if he dies?”

“Don’t say that!” Harry said, a shrill note to his voice.

“No, I mean it, will you only ever marry once if he dies?”

“I suppose that depends on if they have children or not.” Narcissa tried to placate.

“No it doesn’t!” Harry said furiously. “If Rabastan…if he…I wouldn’t want to marry anyone else.”

“Not at the moment.”

“Shut up, Draco!” Harry said, getting upset.

“Let us draw a line under this conversation.” Lucius said sternly. “Let us move on.”

Harry took a breath and he let it go. It wasn’t something he wanted to think about, after all, no one ever got married with the thought of divorce, or getting married to someone else, already in their heads. Or at least they shouldn’t.
He was already feeling stressed because of what he’d learnt the other week. He was still a Horcrux, and he was always going to be a Horcrux…unless he was killed in such a way that he couldn’t be brought back, of course.
He’d done little else other than think of it since that day, the fifteenth of July, when Dumbledore had dragged him to his own home, which he’d also found was filled with squatters for the summer, and had told him that he was a Horcrux, and that he’d known for definite for over a year. Harry’s hand clenched hard under the table.
The betrayal of it was too much for him to process. He didn’t know what Dumbledore had been hoping for, if maybe he’d been expecting Harry to do absolutely anything, even lay down his own life, just to rid the world of Voldemort. He considered if perhaps none of this would have happened, if he’d still been as blindly loyal to such a callous, false man as he’d been before his adoption and enlightenment, if he might not have done anything Dumbledore had asked of him, even offering himself up to die because he was a Horcrux. Would he have ended up sacrificing himself in his teens if he hadn’t been adopted and realised that he did have some self-worth after all.
That’s truly what it came down to. He’d been abused throughout his life, and he’d had little confidence and even less self-worth. Harry frowned as he thought that, had that actually been what Dumbledore had been counting on? Was there more to Dumbledore leaving him at the Dursleys, more than just not caring because he was supposed to die in a sacrifice? If he ever, EVER, found out that he had been left in an abusive home to make it easier to force him to sacrifice his life in the end then he would do more than just ignore the man…he’d kill him.

“As you’re all being very quiet…” Lucius spoke up, breaking the tension that Harry hadn’t even realised had descended on the table. “Draco, how is your betrothal going? Are you still meeting the terms?”

“Yes, Father.” Draco answered. “I was hoping to perhaps invite Astoria over for lunch one day?”

“Of course, your betrothed has an open invitation in our home, Draco.” Narcissa insisted.

“Speaking of betrothals, I heard a rumour from Marcus that Cassius Warrington is thinking of breaking his betrothal with Flora Carrow.” Harry said, trying to distract his mind from his torturous thoughts on being a mere sacrifice by immersing himself in the conversation.

“What? Why?” Draco demanded, much more interested in this topic of conversation than his own betrothal, which was going wonderfully well. Draco was a real gossip when it came to his peers. “She broke her own betrothal to be with him, she well and truly burnt that bridge, she can’t go back, she has no other options. I thought they’d be fine together, what went wrong?”

“Well, Marcus is still friends with Warrington, they meet up every now and then for a catch up, and apparently when he goes to see her to fulfil the terms of the betrothal contact all the conversation is one sided, and all Flora does is stare at him or fawn over him. He liked it at first, it stoked his ego, but now he’s starting to get annoyed with it. He wants a wife, not someone who, as Marcus put it ‘follows him around like a dog on a leash’. So yes, I think they’re going to be breaking up soon, if it carries on.”

“I wonder who Cassius will pick next.” Draco said consideringly. “He’d never go back to Pansy, so unless he has his eye on a foreign witch, sticking with Flora is his only option.”

“You never know, maybe he is looking at a foreign witch.” Harry said.

“Do you know who it is?” Draco asked eagerly.

Harry shook his head. “You know that gossip isn’t my cup of tea, so I never asked. Though if Marcus knew, he never said a name. He never even said if Cassius had his eye on anyone else, he just said that he’s thinking of breaking his betrothal.”

“You’re terrible at getting details.” Draco complained.

Harry laughed. “At least with things I have no interest in. Why would I care what that sloth, Warrington was doing?”

“Sloth?” Rabastan asked in bemusement.

Harry nodded. “Big, ugly, arms that were so long his hands were almost touching the floor. He looked like a sloth.”

Rabastan started laughing and Harry rolled his eyes, but Rabastan’s laughter made him smile. He liked making Rabastan laugh.

“You are highly critical of other’s appearances, especially for someone who never even combs his hair.” Rodolphus pointed out.

Harry cocked his head in thought. “I don’t think so. I just compare people to animals that they resemble. You can’t tell me that Warrington doesn’t look like a sloth when he’s that big and slow.”

“What animal do you resemble then?” Rodolphus asked him.

Harry shrugged. “I couldn’t say. I’ve never looked at myself objectively, it’s always been critically, focusing usually on one spot at a time, so I never really look at myself as a whole.”

No one said anything and Harry went back to his after dinner tea. A few more minutes and Draco excused himself from the table, he was going to do homework in the drawing room, and Harry decided to join him. He had no summer homework himself, thanks to his illness during the last school year, but that didn’t mean that he was slacking. He was doing odd bits, practising and doing some worksheets for Marcus, who was still giving him tutoring in Ancient Runes. He’d started on graduate level work and saying that it was difficult was a serious understatement. Unlike his previous tutoring sessions, with the graduate level work he was getting more questions wrong than he was getting right, and it was frustrating to no end. He knew the basics by now, he could even do easy equations and translations, but if the runes were put into any sort of complex sequence, that was it, he got lost in the middle, as sometimes certain runes cancelled out others and those needed to be taken into account too, as well as any dangerous pair combinations, or even two or more runes that couldn’t go in the same sequence together, let alone paired next to one another. In short, it was difficult, headache inducing, and left him feeling exhausted and evil tempered.
Then there was the Arithmancy help that Rabastan was giving him, which was just as difficult, but as it often left off with a cheeky snog and some heavy petting, he didn’t mind that so much.

“Do you want Transfiguration or Potions?” Draco asked him.

“Potions I think. If I don’t start doing better then I’ll either kill myself, or someone else, or Snape will kill me.” Harry complained, accepting the sheet of questions handed to him. Draco had already finished this piece of homework, so at least Harry would have help if he got stuck.

Harry sat up on the settee, Rabastan beside him, and he read through the indicated chapter in his Potions book, which was long and tedious, and then he finally moved onto the question sheet.

“Draco, what’s NCD mean?” He asked in confusion.

Draco looked up at him and from the look on his face, Harry had said something that was probably learnt in the first year of Potions.

“Neutral cutting distance.” Rodolphus answered. “It is a default term used in Potions. Ingredients that are labelled as NCDs are always cut at a half inch length. There is usually a number right after it, which indicates how many half inch pieces are needed.”

“Ohh, I see.” Harry said. “It’s a good thing I’m not brewing this potion right now then, without an actual measurement I’d have thrown it in whole, and with the number after it, I’d have thrown in that many whole ingredients.”

“Numbers for whole ingredients always come first, Harry, not after.” Draco told him.

“How did you get into the NEWT level class?” Rodolphus asked him.

“Father bullied Snape into letting me in. I’ve survived this far by always being paired with Draco. Everything else was just sheer dumb luck.”

“You’re actually lucky to be alive, and it will be a miracle if you actually pass your exam.” Draco told him.

“The potion I had to brew was the right colour and consistency.” Harry defended.

“Without knowing such basic terms and abbreviations I have no idea how.” Rodolphus put in.

“You’re being very catty today, Rodolphus. Put your claws away and go and find someone who’s willing to have sex with you and get rid of all that poisonous tension. There must be someone willing to jump into bed with you, I mean, you’re not Rabastan, but you’re sort of good-looking enough that maybe a one-toothed, hunched hag would have you. You can have a nice romantic meal of raw liver with a side of human heart, you’ll like that.”

Harry could see Draco covering his grin with his book, and Xerxes behind Rodolphus covering his mouth with his hand, but, used to his antics by now, Rodolphus just shook his head and turned away from him, saying nothing.
Harry chuckled and went back to lounging on Rabastan, who was playing with his hair as Harry read through the question sheet. He had to admit though, it made a hell of a lot more sense now that he understood what NCD meant as he hadn’t understood why one potion needed eight Valerian roots. Now he knew that it needed eight, half inch long pieces, it made a lot more sense to him.
He rubbed his head back against Rabastan’s lap and sighed. He smiled when the hand that had stopped for a moment went back to scratching at his scalp. He could almost feel the smile being sent to him, but he kept his eyes on the sheet in front of him. He really loved it when Rabastan played with his hair.
It took him an hour to finish the set of twenty questions and he rolled over onto his side, his head still in Rabastan’s lap, and he flicked the parchment at Draco.

“Have you finished all of them?” Draco asked him, sitting back from his own homework to look at Harry’s, flexing his fingers and relaxing as he took a break.

“Yes. It was much easier once I understood what NCD was.” Harry chuckled, going over onto his back again and looking up at Rabastan.

Rabastan started playing with his hair and he brushed it back from hanging in Harry’s eyes. He bent over to kiss that scarred forehead. Harry turned to look at him and he grinned up at him with those sparkling eyes.
Harry sat bolt upright in the next moment and cursed, looking much more lively.

“What? What is it?” Rabastan asked worriedly.

“Wizengamot.” Harry said hastily, running from the room and going to his bedroom to change himself. For anything to have been called this late at night, it had to be an emergency, or a criminal debate. Whatever it was, Harry was no longer feeling pleasantly lethargic, instead he was wired and buzzing.

He stripped and changed, straightened the collar of his robe and then he ran back down to the drawing room.

“There you are, let me look at you.” Lucius said, giving him a once over, straightening Harry’s tie. “Very presentable.”

Harry quickly went over to Rabastan and he gave him a quick kiss.

“I’ll see you in a while, love, but if it gets on too late, just go to bed.” Harry told him.

“I’m not a child, Harry.” Rabastan frowned.

“I know that, but I don’t want this impacting on your recovery. So if it’s getting late, go to bed.” Harry replied firmly.

“Harry, have your lover’s tiff later.” Lucius chided.

Harry nodded, but he kissed Rabastan again and then he touched his ring and he found himself suddenly in the Atrium of the Ministry.
He started walking slowly forward, he didn’t want to be seen loitering about by himself. He only started walking more quickly when Xerxes and Lucius flanked him from either side. They went straight to the Wizengamot meeting room and they took three seats next to one another at the ‘D’ shaped table. Harry was, as always, in between the two men.

“Lord Potter-Black.” Lord Dawson greeted him happily, sitting on Lucius’ other side. “I hope that you are well?”

“I am, thank you.” Harry replied. “Yourself?”

“I’m as tough as treated dragonhide, don’t you fret about me.” Lord Dawson smiled at him.

Harry smiled back and he greeted several others who walked behind him to reach seats of their own. He did take note that Bill had actually managed to get here on time for this meeting, but he didn’t let his gaze linger. He didn’t want anyone to think that he had any interest in Bill at all and he didn’t want to be accused of being bitter about him being involved in the Wizengamot, despite the fact that Harry knew that Bill was here under false pretences. There was no way that Bill had renounced his family, nor disowned his parents or the blood traitor Septimus Weasley as he insisted that he had. Harry knew, but he said nothing. He didn’t want anyone to think that he was bothered by it, though as their families were at a stalemate feud, more so now since his relationship with them had deteriorated, it was very difficult not to allow it to bother him.
It took several minutes before Runcorn came striding in, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it…if anyone was late this time then they were not getting in the room. They would have to suffer the indignity of missing out on this meeting and then they would need to be debriefed so they could vote. It would be highly embarrassing, though looking around it seemed that everyone was here.

“We have an international situation.” Runcorn said, speaking even before he’d sat down, which only proved how serious that this was…and how embarrassing it likely was for them as a country.

Harry thought back to the international laws he’d read about, but he was rather lacking in this area and he fretted about it. He couldn’t successfully debate something that he didn’t know. He’d been focusing a lot of his time and energy on the laws and regulations of this country and that was difficult enough to memorise and get right.

“Don’t panic.” Lucius whispered to him. “We can’t be expected to know the laws of every country, we will be debriefed.”

Harry exhaled silently and slumped a little in his seat in relief before he settled himself and straightened his back, giving Runcorn his full attention.

“Whom has done what and in which country?” Lord Parkinson asked primly.

“Some idiot decided to try and pick up a priceless artefact that was on display from one of the newly excavated tombs in Egypt. The artefact was cursed, so if he had picked it up it probably would have killed him, but he was stunned and then arrested by the Egyptian guards. He is trying to press charges for the injuries he received when he was stunned and he’s claimed that he had been harshly treated since his arrest.”

Harry resisted the urge to smile as it wouldn’t be appropriate, but he did find it amusing that this man was complaining about injuries caused by someone, a guard, who had likely saved his life by stunning him. It was rather ironic.

“I see you.” Xerxes muttered, sending him a small smile.

Harry coughed gently to hide a laugh and Lucius gave him a stern look, a warning for him to improve his decorum and Harry took in a deep breath and regained control of himself.

“What are the charges against him?” A woman asked.

“Attempted theft, naturally.” Runcorn said as he perused the parchment report. “There is talk of charging him for attempted suicide too, as he was trying to touch a known cursed object, though no one knows what the curse does yet, so no one knows if it causes death or injury or insanity.”

“This item was on display to the public?” Lord Nott demanded.

“It was guarded and cordoned off in a ten foot area by itself. The man rushed the barrier and the guards reacted immediately to stun him before he touched the artefact.”

“What was the artefact?” Harry asked then. “Why was it out in the open and not in a display case, for example, if it was known to be cursed and that the curse has unknown effects?”

“It is a very small artefact, but it emits a noise at a frequency that shatters everything placed around it.”

“If the artefact has unknown effects, could it have entranced this man or forced him to attempt to pick it up?” Harry asked carefully. “If it emits a frequency wave high enough to shatter anything that is used to encase it, it seems that it was intended to be kept out in the open, and if it does have a compulsion charm on it, to attract someone to touch it so that they’ll be cursed or even killed, perhaps as a protective measure for other, more valuable, treasures in the tomb, then it could be a case of diminished responsibility.”

“Lord Potter-Black raises a genuine concern.” Lord Dawson Shacklebolt said. “Is there any way to have this artefact tested for such things?”

“We can request as such, if you all believe it to be necessary.” Runcorn insisted.

“Is the artefact still on display?” Harry asked worriedly.

“It has been taken from the public display.” Runcorn said, after looking through his pile of parchments to find the required information. “It is currently residing in a back room.”

“Lord Weasley.” Harry called out, the words tasting like ash in his mouth, but he kept things civil. “I am aware that you were a curse breaker for Gringotts in Egypt, what is your take on the possible curses this object might hold? Is it at all possible that this artefact could have compelled this man to try and pick it up?”

Bill couldn’t quite conceal the glare that he gave to Harry, but Harry ignored it and instead looked at him patiently, waiting for Bill to answer now that Harry had put him on the spot.

“The Egyptians were very jealous with the treasures in their tombs.” Bill said. “They would have used any spell or curse at their disposal. I have come across numerous curses, including flesh eating, eyeball melting and one which deafened everyone around it permanently. It isn’t outside of the norm if this artefact has in fact tried to force someone to pick it up to protect other treasures.”

“Then it needs to be tested, carefully.” Harry said. “We need to know what it does in order to properly charge the man accused. Though I think it safe to say that his counter charge against the guards should be thrown out, as they have, in effect, saved his life.”

“I will ask those in charge of the artefact to work with cursebreakers to test this object.” Runcorn nodded and made a notation on a piece of parchment in front of him. “We will adjourn until it has been thoroughly tested.”

“Will this man be remaining in Egyptian custody?” Someone asked.

“We have already petitioned to bring him over into British custody.” Runcorn said without looking up. “If found guilty of his crimes, however, he will be imprisoned in Egypt, as per our laws that relinquish all rights of our citizens if they commit crimes in other countries.”

Runcorn sat back, took out a stick of white wax and started melting it over the parchment. He selected one of a dozen brass stamps and carefully eased it into the wax.

“I will keep you all informed of how this case progresses, but it might be several weeks before we see the conclusion of this, depending on how easy the testing of the artefact goes. Goodnight Lords and Ladies. Gentlemen and Madams.”

Just like that, as quickly as they had arrived, they were dismissed and Harry stood leisurely and took some time to catch up with Lord Dawson Shacklebolt, then Lord Mark Flint, Marcus’ Father.
Several minutes of catch up and Harry said his goodbyes and he walked off with Xerxes and Lucius, going back down to the atrium to floo home.

“It’s going to take me ages to get all sleepy again.” Harry told the two men with a grin.

“An hour or so of relaxation, perhaps some hot chocolate instead of tea and you’ll be snoring your head off.” Xerxes told him, laying a hand on his lower back.

Harry chuckled. “Oh I hope so. That sounds blissful.”

The three of them flooed home, Harry going first, and then they made their way back to the drawing room. They had been gone barely an hour, Draco was still doing his homework even. Harry kicked off both shoes, while simultaneously removing his tie, and he climbed onto the settee and snuggled into Rabastan happily.

“You were incredibly quick, is everything alright?”

Harry nodded against Rabastan’s chest.

“The case has been postponed until we have more information, so it truly was just going in to be debriefed of the situation.”

“What is it?” Draco asked interestedly, sitting back to give all three of them his attention.

“An international situation, which was why it was called so late.” Harry explained, even as his hand drew happy patterns on Rabastan’s chest.

“It happened in Egypt.” Lucius elaborated. “A British wizard tried to touch a cursed artefact from a newly excavated tomb.”

“What an idiot.” Draco scoffed.

“Our Harry rightly pointed out that perhaps the artefact had a compulsion charm upon it, to entice certain people to touch it and thus curse them.” Xerxes said.

“I insisted that the artefact should be tested, just in case. Though everyone agreed with me that his counter claim of damages be thrown out, those guards likely saved his life. I won’t have them punished for it.”

“Would you like some tea, darling?” Narcissa asked him.

“No thank you, Mother. Some hot chocolate might be better, as this excitement has ruined my previous sleepy attitude. Anything with caffeine now and I’m likely to be awake all night.”

Narcissa nodded and called out for Pimsey. She ordered drinks for everyone and Harry turned back to Rabastan, his head still resting on his Fiancé’s chest.

“Are you alright? You’re rather quiet.” Rabastan whispered.

Harry hummed gently. “I’m fine. I’m just trying to reclaim my sleepiness. That sudden meeting ruined it.” Harry said. “A hot chocolate might help.”

Rabastan kissed him and then put a hand on Harry’s head and shoved him down into his lap. Harry made a startled noise and flailed his one arm a little.
Rabastan chuckled, but once Harry had settled in his new position, his head in Rabastan’s lap, Rabastan started running his fingers through Harry’s hair, scratching at his scalp, making Harry moan softly in pleasure. He settled more comfortably on Rabastan’s leg and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of those fingers in his hair. He could barely bring himself to sit up a little, to drink his hot chocolate when it came, but several large gulps and it was gone and he could happily lay back on Rabastan and then those fingers were back in his hair, rubbing and scratching and gently pulling.
Harry didn’t remember falling asleep. He woke with a groan, but he was shushed by Rabastan’s voice, swaying gently as he was carried. He was placed in his bed, and the duvet was pulled up over him. He twisted and rolled and slitted open his eyes.

“Shh, Harry. It’s alright, I’ve just put you to bed, it’s late.”

“Stay.” Harry croaked out.

Rabastan chuckled. “I would love nothing more, but I think your Mother would string me up by my bollocks after the last time. It’s alright, just go to sleep.”

Harry, very tired, sleepy and a little confused as to whether this was real or a dream, just nodded and snuggled into his pillow. It helped when strong fingers started scratching at his scalp. He was sleeping again within minutes and he didn’t remember the next morning that he’d even woken up in the first place.

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

Harry woke up early on the thirty-first of July. He was seventeen today, a legal adult. He kicked off his duvet with a grin and stood up. He went into his bathroom and he started running the bath before doing his business. He shut off the tap and stripped, climbing into the bath and he set to washing himself methodically.
He was excited for today, because it was the first birthday he would be having with his new family. With Rabastan. His sixteenth birthday didn’t really count, as it hadn’t been celebrated as such. Everything around him had been new, he hadn’t been settled, he hadn’t even known the manor layout at that time, he hadn’t really known the Malfoys for all that long either, and he and Draco had still been sniping and biting at one another. He’d only been adopted a mere two weeks beforehand, on the thirteenth of July, and he had been in no mood to celebrate anything. His friends had all been much too worried about his adoption and new living arrangements to wish him a happy birthday and Xerxes hadn’t accepted the betrothal contract until the first of August, and Harry had yet to even meet Rabastan. So his sixteenth birthday had been a bit of a write off, though it was still better than any birthday he’d spent at the Dursleys. But this year was so much different, everything had changed in just a single year. He had a family now, a real family, and he had a Fiancé now too, and he was going to get to celebrate his coming of age properly, though he didn’t much care for the party he had been told was being thrown for him later that afternoon, though he would be happy to see Theo, Blaise and Astoria again.

“Where are you?” Draco’s voice whined from his bedroom.

“I’m having a bath, Draco.” Harry called out. “Stop being so impatient.”

“You’re seventeen today! And we can actually have a party, do you know how rare that is?” Draco demanded.

Harry sighed, but he had to smile. “I know, my birthday actually falls in the summer holidays. Are you going to hijack my own party?” He laughed.

“No. Today is still going to be all about you, but having a party during the summer will be good for us.”

“For you more like, you big gossip.” Harry chuckled.

“I like keeping up to date with what’s going on around me, unlike you. You just like living in your little selective bubble.”

“It’s very cosy.” Harry quipped immediately. He could almost see Draco rolling his eyes.

“Are you not done yet?” Draco complained again.

“You take three hours in the bath and two in the shower, don’t you even dare try to rush me.” Harry said as he rinsed himself off.

“I’m excited.” Draco insisted.

“You’d think it was your birthday.” Harry laughed.

“I still get to celebrate with you and share your party, so hurry up.”

Harry chuckled, but he climbed out of the bath and dried himself off with a warmed towel. He dressed casually for the moment, his party wasn’t until later, though a smart robe would suffice for that, he wouldn’t need dress robes.
Draco slung an arm around him the moment he appeared and used it to steer Harry out into his living room and then out into the corridor.

“Excuse me, I might not be finished yet.” Harry teased.

“You never take any care with yourself.” Draco replied. “I’ll sort your hair for you after breakfast, once it’s dried a little. That’s all you have left to do, and you wouldn’t do that if it wasn’t for me.”

“But you enjoy playing with my hair so much, Draco, why deny you the pleasure of it?”

“Of what?” Rodolphus asked from behind them, striding forwards with his longer legs and catching the end of their conversation.

“Sorting out my hair, of course.” Harry grinned. “Morning, Rodolphus.”

Rodolphus grunted. “Happy birthday. You’ve finally come of age.”

Harry bobbed his head in agreement. “A legal adult.”

“Merlin save us.” Draco added.

“Especially with us both now being legal adults.” Harry laughed.

“When are you going in for your Apparation licence?” Rodolphus asked.

“Next week.” Harry said. “I hope I do well.”

“You’ll do fine, I’m sure.”

“Is Rabastan up?” Harry asked as they made it down the stairs.

“He’s been up, making sure everything is perfect for you, for at least two hours now.” Rodolphus rolled his eyes to show just what he thought of such behaviour.

Harry sped up a little and Draco snorted, but let his arm slip from his shoulders and let him go.
Harry hurried into the dining room, spotted Rabastan and he grinned happily, hurrying his steps again to reach his Fiancé.

“Rabastan!” He called out happily.

Rabastan turned and smiled. “Harry. Happy birthday.” He greeted, wrapping his arms around Harry and bending to kiss him.

Harry turned their kiss of greeting into something more and he broke away from it breathless and grinning.

“Dolphus says that you’ve been up for hours, what have you been doing?”

“Rodolphus should learn to shut his mouth.” Rabastan said with a sharp look to his older brother. “I’ve just been making sure that everything is prepared for us.”

“Prepared?” Harry questioned.

“You’ve turned seventeen, Harry. Did you truly think I wasn’t going to take the time to wine and dine you?”

“Without the wine, of course.” Lucius cut in smoothly. “He is of age now, but he is still in school.”

“We’re going out to dinner?” Harry asked with an excited grin.

“Of course.” Rabastan told him.

“Did you manage to get reservations?” Harry asked.

Rabastan chuckled and pulled him back into a tighter hug. “The good thing about having friends in high places is using that friendship to avoid such nonsense. We will be in a private room once more, is that alright?”

Harry smiled happily. “As long as I’m with you I don’t care if it’s on the moon.”

Harry heard someone making gagging noises behind him and he rolled his eyes. It could only be Draco or Rodolphus…though his money was on Draco.
Harry had to have his breakfast first, before he was allowed any cards or gifts. He didn’t mind, he had gone so long without getting anything from anyone that it was still a bit of a novelty to have presents for his birthday. In the end he’d always told his friends to send him food, even if it was just sweets and cake.
So he took his time, he ate slowly and with the manners that Narcissa had taught him, which pleased his Mother greatly as she nodded approvingly.

“Hurry up.” Draco demanded, just sitting and watching him.

“Draco, do not rush him.” Narcissa said immediately.

“I’m only just getting into the parameters of being normal.” Harry said. “Normal weight, normal diet, normal appetite. It feels good to eat as much as my body needs for once, without getting full too soon or being denied what I need. I like taking my time with food.”

“Take all the time you need.” Rabastan assured him. “We like seeing you eating too. I mean…we like seeing you healthy.”

“I knew what you meant.” Harry smiled, leaning over to peck a kiss to Rabastan’s lips.

He did eat a little faster though, and he finished up a few minutes later. He drained the last of the tea in his cup and stretched, sending a smile to Draco.

“Okay, I’m ready now for the next part of today, what have you got planned, Draco? Seeing as you are the one fussing the most.” He giggled.

“I want you to open my gift first.” Draco insisted.

“Come on then.” Harry smiled, standing. He automatically turned to Rabastan, holding out his hands and pulling his Fiancé to his feet.

Rabastan chuckled, and wrapped a strong arm around Harry’s waist, walking beside him to the drawing room, where Lucius had set up all of Harry’s birthday things.
Rabastan was right there, he saw Harry’s reaction with his own eyes, and he swore that he would take the time to spoil Harry more, as he watched those eyes widen and Harry gasped in shock as he looked at all of his presents. He looked poleaxed, and Rabastan felt his heart twinge painfully. He had never loved anyone as much as Harry, and seeing him so visibly shocked just from receiving a dozen gifts was… it was heart breaking.

“Here’s mine.” Draco said, sitting down and holding out a wrapped gift.

“Aw, you even wrapped it in red for me. Thank you.” Harry chuckled, as he took the gift and sat beside his brother. Rabastan quickly sat beside him, wrapping his arm back around him. “I’m almost afraid to open it.” Harry said. “You’re too excited for my reaction.”

“I’d never hurt you through gifts.” Draco said firmly.

Harry shoved at Draco and once everyone was settled around him, he started opening the gift from his brother.

“Oh, you dick.” Harry laughed.

“Harry!” Narcissa chastised sternly.

Harry made a go of looking apologetic, but as he pulled out a mass of Slytherin apparel, smirking at Draco all the while, Rabastan was sure that he didn’t feel the slightest bit apologetic as he stood and held a Slytherin jumper up and against his body, checking the fit. It would be snug, but there was room for growing too. By the winter, Harry might be filling the jumper rather well.

“You’re already an honorary Slytherin.” Draco told him. “Now, when we go around together it won’t look so odd having you wearing your Gryffindor scarves and jumpers.”

“You do know I’m still going to wear my Gryffindor colours, don’t you?” Harry grinned.

Draco nodded. “But with a selection to choose from now, you can alternate a little better.”

“Thank you. I do like jumpers.” Harry grinned.

“This one is from me.” Xerxes said, handing over a neatly wrapped gift.

It was really the first time Rabastan had seen Harry falter, and looking at him he seemed discomforted, shy almost, as he said thank you and all but curled up to try and hide himself. He was worse than he’d been at Christmas, because others had been opening gifts then too. Now, on his own, with all the focus on him, he’d turned back into the insecure little boy he’d once been. Rabastan reached out, wrapping his arm around his shoulders and pulled him into himself, so that he could lay a kiss to his temple.
Harry gave him a smile, even as he continued opening Xerxes’ gift. He lifted the lid of the box off and he gasped. He ran his finger down the spines of the books inside, before sending a grin to Xerxes.

“Did you think that I don’t have enough to read already?” He giggled. “Thank you, these are wonderful. They’re going to be so helpful and informative. Especially this one.” He said, plucking one book out and sliding it from between the others, holding it out to show that it was a book on how to write laws.

“I knew you’d like that one the most.” Xerxes said. “When I saw it, I just had to get it for you.”

Harry was already thumbing through it, looking at the contents under the index page. Rabastan smiled to see him. All shyness seemed to be lost as he looked through the book.

“Look at that later, here, this is from us.” Narcissa told him.

Harry closed the book and put it to the side of himself. He was shy once more as he reached out for the small wrapped box. Rabastan knew what it was. It was what every wizard got upon his seventeenth birthday, his own pocket watch. It was a traditional gift that marked his coming of age, but Harry didn’t have any clue about this tradition, or at least Rabastan was rather certain that Harry didn’t know, as he was curious and when he pulled out the very elaborate, expensive pocket watch, he was very surprised, as if he hadn’t actually expected it.

“It’s beautiful.” He said reverently as he turned it around in his hands, looking at the carefully carved designs upon the casing.

It was gold, with swirling intricate carvings that ended with traditional English oak leaves. There were no flowers, for which Harry seemed grateful. Then Rabastan knew how much Harry hated flowers. He wasn’t fond of them himself, but he would have to ask Harry why he felt so…venomous towards flowers, especially to the degree he exhibited. There had to be a reason, and Rabastan had a sinking feeling that it was to do with those Muggle monsters he’d been housed with as a child. The ones that had abused him. All of Harry’s quirks stemmed from those Muggles.
Harry popped it open and he smiled automatically…a sad, almost pained smile. Rabastan moved so that he could see the inner casing, where a picture of Lily and James Potter had been inserted side by side with a picture of Lucius and Narcissa. It was a very touching gesture, one that Rabastan knew that Harry would love and appreciate. He was never going to forget his biological parents, to think otherwise was foolish and ridiculous, but he also had adopted parents now too, and this pocket watch, that he would likely wear on his person at all times for the rest of his life, showed both sets of parents equally.
The watch face was also nothing to sneer at, it was of course not simple. It was a time piece of extraordinary elegance. The numbers were all in Roman numerals, as was traditional, but the face was black and all the numbers glowed gold, a hint at the Lestrange family colours. Harry understood that himself, as his hand rose to the Lestrange pendant he’d received at Christmas, holding it for a moment before letting it go.

“Thank you, it’s beautiful.” He repeated softly.

“You’re a man now.” Narcissa told him. “It’s usually more traditional that you get a family member’s watch handed down…”

“I understood why Draco was the one to receive it.” Harry said immediately.

Narcissa and Lucius both shared exasperated looks while sighing in tandem.

“There is more than one Malfoy pocket watch in this house, let alone the vault, Harry.” Lucius told him. “It is not for that reason that we commissioned a brand new watch for you.”

Harry remained silent, watching them, waiting for the explanation he knew was coming.

“You’re a brand new addition to our family.” Narcissa told him proudly. “A new member, and very much loved. We decided that to honour your adoption, that we would have a brand new watch made for you, instead of giving you a Malfoy watch, and because we couldn’t find a Potter watch for you. This way, it is one all your own, a Potter, a Malfoy and a Lestrange watch made just for you, to honour all the families you have been in, and will be in in the future.”

Rabastan was close enough to see that Harry’s eyes had gone liquid, and that he was just a hair’s breadth away from tears. Harry swallowed thickly, and sniffed hard.

“Thank you.” He said, his voice a little more gruff than usual, but no one commented on it as Harry tucked the watch into his top pocket, in place of the special pocket it would have in all of his robes.

“This one’s from me.” Rodolphus cut in, looking very uncomfortable with all the emotion in the room, and wanting to move Harry on before he did actually start crying. If it was one thing Rodolphus would not be able to handle it would be Harry crying in front of him. He usually dealt with such displays of emotion from those he cared about with anger, but this time he wouldn’t have anyone to focus that anger on, so he was moving Harry on and away from the emotional gifts.

“Aw, have you actually gotten me something, Dolphus?” Harry asked, rubbing his face and reaching out to accept the gift. “It’s not a human organ is it? I’m pretty sure only you would enjoy that.”

“That’s why I gift them to others. I enjoy it, why shouldn’t everyone else?”

Harry gasped. “You made a joke, Rodolphus! I never thought I’d see the day.”

Rabastan snorted, but he smiled too. He liked seeing Rodolphus and Harry get on well with one another.

“Who is to say that I was joking?” Rodolphus said back, and his face was completely stoic and deadpan. If Rabastan didn’t know his brother so well, he would have missed the twinkle of mischief in those dark eyes and would have perhaps thought that he was serious.

“If this is any sort of organ, you can have it back.” Harry said, playing his bluff. “I’ll get the house elves to cook it for dinner for you.”

“When do you have to cook a meal for us?” Rodolphus asked.

“What?” Harry frowned.

“It’s tradition that you cook your in-laws a meal.”

“Why? It’s not like anyone in the Pureblooded society actually cooks anything, you all use house-elves.” Harry pointed out.

“It is still traditional that Pureblooded Ladies know how to cook.”

“It’s gone past that phase of the relationship.” Draco pointed out. “It should have been in the betrothal stage. I thought, considering that Harry’s a man, that that tradition wasn’t going to be upheld.”

“It only wasn’t because Harry was in school. Then Rabastan proposed rather quickly. But all traditions will be seen to.”

Harry narrowed his eyes at Rodolphus, and Rabastan wanted to curse his older brother, he even started fingering his wand to do just that.

“We will not ask him to cook on his own birthday, today is for him.” Narcissa cut in, knowing Harry as well as she did by now, she could see the imminent explosion and she was trying to head it off before it happened.

“Why wasn’t I informed of this?” Harry asked, his tone polite and calm, but his stormy eyes showed the true emotions behind them, the rage that was just waiting to pour out.

“We didn’t want to put too much on you all at once.” Lucius said quickly. “We wanted to wait and ease you into Pureblooded culture as much as we could. Xerxes and I agreed that as long as all traditions were meted out before the actual wedding, that we wouldn’t fuss over the timing, given that you have been betrothed for less than a year when most betrothals last for a decade or more, as Draco’s has.”

Harry took in a huge, deep breath in an effort to calm himself, and Rabastan reached out to him, to aide him. He felt much better, and less tense, when Harry gave him a loving smile.

“Shall we tick it off the list then?” He asked. “I’ll do it this summer, before the holiday if possible.”

“Perhaps after it would be better.” Rabastan suggested.

“If you think so, love.” Harry nodded to him.

“I just don’t want to expose you to Rhadamanthus just before we go on holiday. Truthfully I’d rather not expose you to him at all, but…”

“He has to be there…for tradition.” Harry scoffed before he blinked and then frowned consideringly. “He doesn’t happen to have a potentially fatal allergy to shellfish or peanuts or something?”

Rodolphus snorted, and Rabastan felt his lips curve upwards.

“No, my love, I’m sorry.”

Harry snorted. “Probably too much to ask that he had. Maybe I could poison him with too much salt…or cyanide.”

“You will end up in Azkaban for murder.” Lucius reminded forcibly.

“I was joking.” Harry insisted. “I’m not quite that stupid.”

“Enough of this talk now, open your remaining gifts.” Narcissa encouraged him.

Harry looked at his hands, to Rodolphus’ gift, and he almost looked shocked to see it there, as if he had forgotten about it.
He unwrapped the gift, and rather wary, Rabastan watched as Harry opened the box to reveal a human heart.

“Dolphus!” He chastised, ready to leap up and curse his brother after all as Draco, who had been watching also, quickly recoiled in horror.

Harry, however, laughed. “Oh, you think you’re so funny.”

Harry lifted out the heart, and took a bite, and then Rabastan saw the card tucked into the corner of the box…Honeydukes. It was made of chocolate. He sat back in relief and shook his head. Of course only his idiot brother would have commissioned a chocolate heart for Harry’s gift.

“The way you talk of organs and human hearts so often, I thought that you must be hinting at me to get you one.” Rodolphus smirked.

“Thank you, I see why you enjoy them so much, it’s delicious.”

“I swear I’m the only sane one here.” Draco said, still looking a pale grey colour as he watched his brother eating the very realistic, faux heart.

“Being sane is overrated.” Harry teased, taking another bite from the chocolate heart. He made a surprised sound and came away with something all around his lips and mouth. He looked at the part he’d just bitten and then laughed, loudly and happily.

“Harry, dear, please wipe your mouth…and not with your sleeves this time.” Narcissa told him exasperatedly.

Harry who was still laughing, and had automatically lifted his arm to use his sleeve, made no other attempt to clean himself, so Rabastan reached into his robe pocket and took out his own handkerchief and tenderly wiped Harry’s mouth for him.

“You had it filled with chocolate mousse.” Harry accused Rodolphus with a grin.

“I knew you’d like it.” Rodolphus nodded, smirking very smugly that his gift was so well received.

“Thank you, love.” Harry said to him, leaning over to kiss him once he made sure that all chocolate smears were cleaned from Harry’s face. He tasted of the chocolate now too. “And thank you, Rodolphus, for a very delicious gift.”

“Open your other gifts, I want to see what you got.” Draco prodded.

“Please tell me that one isn’t from who I think it is.” Harry sighed as he placed the chocolate back into its box, reaching out for the haphazardly wrapped one, of course the tag read that it was from Rhadamanthus.

“It’s traditional, he has to get you a gift.” Xerxes said, though he looked faintly worried about what it might contain. Rhadamanthus’ mood had been more erratic lately, ever since Rabastan had finally stood up for himself and fought back, and he and Rodolphus had verbally disowned him as a Father.

“I wonder if he’s gotten me more women’s lingerie. He’s gotten me quite the collection now.”

Harry opened the box and frowned at the canvas board. He lifted it and then turned it to face himself and he actually laughed.

“What is it?” Rabastan asked, rather worried and anxious to see what it was.

“I think it’s a visual representation of all his fantasies about me.”

“What do you mean?” Narcissa asked furiously.

“I wonder if this could be taken as a direct threat.” Harry said consideringly, flipping the canvas to show them that it was a painting of Harry. Harry who was strung up to a tree by his own intestines that had been ripped out of a gaping hole in his belly, a large pool of blood underneath him, covered in various injuries, including a broken arm, a twisted leg and he was missing half of his head.

“Should I be offended that he’s pictured me naked, or was it supposed to be more humiliating?” Harry frowned again, popping his head over the top and looking back at it. “Maybe it just shows the injuries better to have painted me naked, though I am very offended that he hasn’t given me pubic hair, though I understand that he’s done that to compare me to a child.”

Rabastan snatched the painting from him and threw it across the room, he stood in the next instant, his wand out, and he set fire to the canvas. Only it didn’t burn…Rhadamanthus had expected them to try to burn it, and he had put a fire-proof spell over it.

“Hey! That’s my gift, Rabastan. Don’t damage it.” Harry demanded, standing up and going to collect it. “Besides, if he kills me I fully expect you to show this to the court as evidence.”

“He isn’t going to touch you!” Rabastan hissed.

Harry rolled his eyes and kissed his Fiancé. “Calm down, he wants a reaction, that’s why he spent so much time on this.” He said, waving the canvas.

“I don’t want you to keep it.” Rabastan growled out, his voice straining with tension, which made Harry look up and truly take notice.

“Alright, if it upsets you so much I’ll get rid of it.”

“It is a picture of you dead, of course it upsets me!”

Harry nodded. “Kreacher.” He called out, even as he placed the canvas back in the box and put the lid on it.

“What can poor, old Kreacher do for his master?” Kreacher wheezed.

“Take this box for me, Kreacher. I never want to see it again, I never want to find it anywhere. Get rid of it and no matter what anyone says, you never bring it back to me or anyone else. Put it somewhere where no one will find it, and leave it there. Do you understand?”

“Yes, master.” Kreacher nodded, bowing deeply, the Black ring tied around his neck swinging forward.

Harry handed him the box, and then Kreacher was gone with it and Harry curled up next to Rabastan, his hand touching, soothing his Fiancé.

“There, it’s gone. Do you feel better?” Harry asked seriously.

Rabastan nodded, but he didn’t really feel any better. He couldn’t get that picture from his head. He kept seeing Harry dead and he couldn’t handle the rage that brought out in him. He looked to Rodolphus and those dark brown eyes were staring at him. They caught one another’s gaze and Rodolphus nodded, just once, more a dipping of the chin than anything, but Rabastan understood its meaning as plainly as if Rodolphus had spoken. They would speak of this later, Rhadamanthus would not get away with the wordless threat to Harry’s life, neither of them would let him.

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

At five in the afternoon Harry was groomed and dressed in a robe, cufflinks from Rabastan gleaming at his wrists, his brand new pocket watch was in its special pocket in his robes and he grinned as Blaise came into view and he threw his arms around the other boy.

“How are you feeling? The last I heard you were at death’s door.” Blaise said by way of greeting, squeezing him tight for a moment before pulling back to get a better look at him.

“I’m perfectly fine.” Harry smiled. “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss your birthday party. We don’t have much of a chance to celebrate anyone else’s birthday as they always fall during term time, this is a very special occasion and it needs to be celebrated properly.”

“That’s what Draco said, but I have my suspicions that he just wants to use it as an excuse to catch-up on gossip.”

“You know your brother.” Blaise chuckled. “Where is he anyway?”

“He’s here somewhere, entertaining Astoria. Let’s see if we can’t hunt him down.”

Draco wasn’t that difficult to find, his platinum hair was like a homing beacon, Astoria standing small and pretty beside him, looking wonderful in a pastel pink dress.

“There you are, you’re late!” Draco accused Blaise.

“I’m not late, I’ve been greeting Harry.” Blaise insisted.

“You were supposed to come first, before everyone else, so that we could catch up!” Draco said.

Harry and Blaise shared a look and Harry laughed, patting Blaise’s back and moving to go and find Rabastan. His Fiancé kept disappearing on him. He found Xerxes first.

“Where is Rabastan, do you know?” Harry asked curiously.

“He’s just making sure that the restaurant are keeping to his high standards.” Xerxes said with a grin. “He keeps floo calling the owner to make sure everything is going according to plan.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “He keeps doing that and they’re more likely to spit in the food.” He joked.

Xerxes looked aghast at the very suggestion. “They are a famous, world-class, gourmet restaurant, Harry. They host celebrities and important dignitaries from all over the world! They would never sully their reputation by doing something so barbaric and disgusting, I assure you.”

Harry chuckled. “I was joking, Xerxes.” He said soothingly.

“Joke about things that are less disgusting, and disturbing.” Xerxes told him, patting his shoulder. “I’m an old man, I don’t want those sorts of images in my head.”

That made Harry laugh outright. He shook his head and wandered away with a grin. Leave it to Xerxes to be disturbed by the thought of someone spitting in his food when the ‘missions’ he went on included torture and murder.
He mingled a little more, but as most of the guests were his and Draco’s friends, very few of them who were accompanied by their parents, it was a more pleasant experience than when he had to mingle in the Wizengamot or Ministry circles.
Whispers, giggling and a flash of intense, luminous orange caught Harry’s attention and he was overjoyed to see that Luna had decided to come to his birthday, but he was also angry that his so-called friends were laughing at her unusual dress and pointing at her. He strode right over and greeted her happily, pulling her into a hug.

“Luna, thank you so much for coming.” He said.

“Thank you for inviting me, Harry. Happy birthday.” She smiled at him. The radishes were back in her ears, Harry noticed. He was so glad that she hadn’t changed a thing about herself to come to this party. Luna would always be Luna, no matter where she went, and he adored that about her.

“How have you been? The end of the last term was so hectic I never got a chance to speak to you. How did your Defence exam go?”

“Oh, it went much better than it would have if you hadn’t tutored me.” Luna said dreamily.

“I will of course help you, and Astoria, next year too. If you still want to, that is.” Harry said with a grin.

“I like being with you, it’s almost like having friends.”

Harry blinked. “Luna, we are friends.” He stressed. “Like it or not, but you’re stuck with me now, probably forever.” He grinned.

She smiled back at him. “That doesn’t sound too terrible.”

Harry laughed and linked his arm through Luna’s and took her to the drinks table. He picked up a champagne flute of sparkling grape juice and chinked his glass against Luna’s.

“Don’t worry, it’s just grape juice, all non-alcoholic. Despite being of age now, I’ve been reminded that I’m still in school, and still living under my Father’s roof. His house, his rules.” Harry whispered conspiratorially.

Luna giggled and took a sip from the flute.

“I suppose this is all to make me feel like a man, without actually putting me at threat of making a bumbling fool of myself by getting rip roaring drunk.” Harry mused. “But, you can’t beat a glass of simple grape juice.”

Luna laughed then and Harry joined her. It was too much for Draco, who sidled over with Astoria still on his arm.

“Luna, it’s lovely to see you.” Astoria said, all polite manners. Of course the two had been taking Defence tutoring from him all year, so they were at least on a first name basis and Harry had warned Astoria that the moment she was uncivil to Luna, he would stop tutoring her immediately.

Luna nodded. “I was happy to have been invited.”

“Of course you were.” Harry told her. “You’re probably the only person here who is actually my friend. All these others are Draco’s friends.” Harry whispered the last with a grin. “I don’t even like half of them either.” He added.

“Theo’s arrived and he was looking for you.” Draco told him. “He is more your friend than mine.”

“Oh, two friends at my own party, I’m being spoilt.” Harry laughed.

“You’re impossible to deal with sometimes.” Draco sighed.

“Only sometimes?” Harry’s grin widened.

“Yes, but please be aware that you have invited your friend to be around your Fiancé.” Draco stressed to him and Harry’s stomach dropped and his blood turned to ice. He swallowed hard…he’d overlooked that. How fucking ridiculously stupid of him to have invited Luna when he’d known that Rabastan, and Rodolphus, were going to be here tonight. He was usually the one who was so stringent on Rabastan’s security, he’d invented a fake Fiancé just to help keep Rabastan just that slightest bit safer, and here he was, inviting Luna to his party, when he’d known that the Lestrange brothers would be here.

“I’m looking forward to meeting Aceline.” Luna said in that spacey, dreamy way of hers.

Harry inhaled deeply and he forced a smile. Would it be too dangerous to expose Luna to the truth? If it went badly he…he could always Obliviate her of seeing Rabastan. He pressed his lips together for a moment before taking a drink.

“Aceline isn’t real, Luna.” He said softly.

Astoria gasped and Draco looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had.

“I know.” Luna said easily. “I knew you were lying about her, but I knew that you’d have a reason to do so. Aceline might not be real, but you do have a Fiancée, because you weren’t faking any of the love you felt, or the loving actions you showed, but I knew there was more to Aceline than you were saying.”

“I’m sure you’re the most perceptive person I’ve ever met.” Harry smiled, letting his heart calm down. “Do you have any thoughts on why I made up Aceline?”

“I’m not one to speculate on such things.” Luna told him in a rare moment of seriousness. “But that you invented a female Fiancée makes me think that your Fiancé is actually male, and you did it to protect the knowledge that you are a male barer.”

“Bloody hell, Luna.” Harry laughed. “That’s spot on. You should enter the Ministry as a human lie detector or something, that’s incredible.”

“I would never reveal your secret to anyone.” Luna told him. “You’re my only friend, Harry, and you’ve shown me kindness where others do not. I knew the moment you told me about Aceline that she wasn’t real, and I told no one of my thoughts.”

Harry smiled. “Thank you, Luna. You really are the bestest friend ever.”

“I thought I was your best friend!” Draco demanded.

“You’re my brother, you don’t count.” Harry grinned. “You have to be my best friend, but outside of you, Luna is my best friend, like Blaise is yours.”

“I hate Blaise.” Draco sniffed.

“Oh, don’t give me that. If you weren’t completely straight I’d question if the two of you weren’t carrying on some secret affair together.”

Draco looked outraged at the thought, but Astoria giggled, her cheeks a little pink.

“See, even your betrothed agrees with me! You can claim to hate Blaise as much as you want, but we…” He pointed to himself and Astoria. “…know you far too well to believe such declarations. You adore Blaise, and he adores you, regardless of the things you say to each other, or about each other to other people. If you lost Blaise you’d be devastated and vice versa.”

“So will I meet your Fiancé at all tonight?” Luna asked him into the silence that followed Harry’s passionate statement to Draco. Harry blinked and looked at Luna, breaking eye contact with Draco to look at her instead.

“I suppose that depends on how well you deal with shocks, and if you can keep another, bigger secret.” He said seriously.

Luna looked at him, through large, protuberant blue eyes and she smiled. “You are my only friend, Harry.” She said simply. “I don’t want to lose you. If you of all people can love this man, I can give him a chance.”

Harry hugged her tight and swallowed hard. He knew that words were easy compared to actions, but that Luna was willing to give Rabastan a chance, just because he loved him, that meant the world to him.

“He’s taking me out to dinner later, that’s why the party is so early.” Harry explained excitedly. “He’s taking me to the same restaurant that he proposed to me at. It’s going to be so romantic.”

“Harry, you’re gushing.” Draco pointed out.

“Well unlike you I don’t hide my feelings or think that there is anything shameful in showing my love.” Harry said. “I love him with all of my heart and I love that he’s taking me out to dinner to the same place that he proposed. It’s romantic and coming from him, it’s even more wonderful.”

“He doesn’t show romance all that often?” Luna questioned.

“No.” Harry sighed. “All this stuck-up, snobbish, pureblood etiquette bullshit.” Harry declared. “I’m going to have to prod him to be more romantic, like tonight.”

“If anyone can get him to be more romantic, it’s you.” Astoria giggled. “You have this way of making everyone around you behave exactly as you want them to. Everyone just wants to see you happy, Harry.”

That made Harry smile. “I’ve spent a lot of my life being unhappy and alone, I suppose that just comes across subconsciously. I do tend to go overboard when it comes to happiness and friendship, because when I was younger, I had never experienced either.”

“And now you’re making everyone else miserable.” Draco declared. “You’re no longer in the same situation, now cheer up before I go and get Blaise.”

Harry grinned. “How would that help?”

“Blaise always makes you smile, even when you don’t want to.”

“I think you’re talking about yourself there.” Harry pointed out.

Draco sniffed. “If he can do it for me, he can do it for others.”

Harry laughed and only then did Draco seem to realise the double meaning of his words and he went pink himself.

“Shut up.” He declared. “Your mind is filthy.”

“Looks like you have a bit of competition, Astoria. Keep Draco close.” Harry teased.

“If he wishes for an affair with Blaise, as long as he is discreet…”

“I’m not having an affair with Blaise!” Draco interrupted.

“What?”

Harry turned and his grin widened as he saw Blaise and Theo had made their way over to them.

“Draco, you said you wouldn’t tell anyone about our affair.” Blaise said. “You wanted to keep it a secret.”

Harry laughed, loudly and uninhibitedly. He had to let go of Luna just to hold his own stomach as his laughter pulled a muscle.

“Blaise! This isn’t funny!” Draco insisted.

Blaise couldn’t keep the joke running, as he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“It sort of is funny.” Blaise grinned.

“Tell them that we aren’t having an affair!” Draco growled.

“I was raised not to tell lies.” Blaise said solemnly.

“You’re lying now!” Draco shouted, his pink flush going a darker red.

Harry lost it and he started laughing all over again.

“What have I missed?”

Harry turned automatically and wrapped his arms around Rabastan, grinning up at him.

“Draco and Blaise are confused over whether or not they’re actually having an affair together.” Harry explained, before letting out a rather unmanly giggle.

“We are not having an affair!” Draco raged.

“You hurt me with your wounding words.” Blaise said, holding a hand to his heart. “I thought that you loved me. Or at least that is what you say when we are naked in bed together after…”

“Stop! Just stop!” Draco demanded as Harry laughed so hard he needed Rabastan to keep him upright. “This has gone beyond a joke now, stop it.”

“I still love you, Blaise.” Harry declared.

Blaise’s purple eyes lit up and he took one step forward, before Rabastan pulled Harry further into his arms and glared at him.

“If you take another step I will curse you out of existence.” Rabastan promised.

“Basti. Don’t be cruel to my loving friends.” Harry scowled, before he grinned. “Have you suitably shouted at the chefs about our meal tonight?”

“Who told you…? Dolphus.” He sighed. “I’ll kill him too.”

“No, Xerxes told me.” Harry grinned. “I punished him enough by making him feel sick when I told him the chefs would spit in our food.”

Harry witnessed the shudder that went through every Pureblood except Luna, almost like a Mexican wave, and he laughed happily.

“That is repulsive.” Theo told him, his face pinched, making him look more like a rabbit than usual.

“Is that what Muggles do in restaurants?” Astoria asked, in perhaps the same way one might ask after a myth or a ghost story.

Harry laughed again. “No, Astoria. It’s a common fear that if you piss off the chefs or the wait-staff that they’ll spit in your food, but it doesn’t happen. As pointed out, these establishments, both Muggle and magical, have a reputation to uphold and wouldn’t dare tarnish their good names with such petty revenge as tainting food for their own customers.”

“Good.” Astoria said, laying a dainty hand over her heart. “The very thought of it is awful, without it being real.”

Harry smiled at her, before turning back to Luna.

“Luna, I’m trusting you with this knowledge because you’re my best friend…”

“Hey!” Blaise cut in.

Harry grinned at him. “You’re Draco’s best friend, Blaise…and perhaps more than that.” He waggled his eyebrows, and Blaise started laughing.

“That joke is getting old very quickly.” Draco snarled at him.

“That joke will never be old now.” Harry giggled. “But, Luna, this is my Fiancé, Rabastan Lestrange. Basti, this is my best friend, Luna Lovegood.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Rabastan greeted, his scowl evaporating as soon as he heard that Luna was from a Pureblooded family, even if the Lovegoods weren’t all that reputable thanks in part to their eccentricity.

“This is why you won’t make peace with Neville, isn’t it?” Luna asked him.

Harry nodded. “I don’t make any excuses for Rabastan’s past behaviour and I won’t condone it, but I fully believe that a person’s past shouldn’t define their future. Rabastan and his brother Rodolphus more than paid their due by spending fifteen years of their lives in Azkaban, a fate that many others wouldn’t have even survived. I don’t want to rub this in Neville’s face, however, so I won’t ever be friends with him again, because as soon as he finds out about this, and I know that one day he will, that’ll be it, and he’ll feel worse for the friendship he made with me. It’s better this way. I will be civil, of course, but I can’t be friends with him knowing that he’ll never accept the love I have for Rabastan, that he’ll never accept the man I’ve chosen as my husband.”

“I understand.” Was all Luna said.

“You…you do?” Harry asked, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing.

“We don’t choose who we fall in love with.” She said simply. “But I know that out of everyone here, that you’re the one who deserves love the most, regardless of who you have finally fallen in love with.”

Harry let out a strangled sound, which was almost a sob, as he turned and pulled Luna into a tight, bone-crushing hug, pressing his face into her neck.

“Thank you, Luna. Thank you.” He said, clutching her tightly.

“I’m sure that you’re keeping him in line, too.” She whispered into his ear.

“He listens to every word I say and I’m in no danger. He loves me too.” Harry told her back. They squeezed one another tight for a moment, before stepping back. Harry brushed his damp eyes and turned to Rabastan, burying his face in his robes.

“I’m sure I deserve love the most.” Blaise said. “Seeing as Draco is denying our affair ever existed and I now find myself without a beautiful lover.”

That got Harry laughing again, as was likely the point, as Draco just glared at Blaise, but said nothing about the mentioned affair this time.

“Don’t look at me.” Theo insisted when Blaise sent him a look. “I’m heterosexual.”

“I’m sure if you gave men a go that you’d enjoy it.” Blaise insisted. “You never know, you might prefer it.”

“No.” Theo insisted.

“Harry…” Blaise started.

“Spoken for!” Harry interrupted quickly, grabbing Rabastan’s arms and wrapping them around himself.

“Damn it, you’re the only openly gay friend I have!”

“Then you need to broaden your friend criteria.” Harry said. “Just leave me out of it, I’m very happy with Rabastan.”

Harry got a gentle squeeze for that and it made him smile.

“Are you sure? You’d enjoy it.” Blaise dared to press.

“I’m sure I would enjoy it, but the only one I ever want to be with is my husband.”

“Monogamy is boring.”

Harry laughed at that. “Maybe Astoria would allow you to enter a polyamorous relationship with her and Draco.”

Blaise turned the full blown pleading eyes onto Astoria, who giggled, her cheeks flushing pink again.

“Absolutely not.” Draco said. “No more talk on this matter, now.”

Even Luna giggled at Draco’s almost desperate pleading and Harry tipped his head back to grin at Rabastan. His Fiancé bent his knees so that he could kiss Harry’s forehead, and that made him smile.

“What time is our reservation?” He asked. “I want to change before we leave.”

“You have plenty of time, it’ll be a late dinner, as our reservations are for eight.”

Harry nodded. “Good, I can have cake first.”

“You’ve been eating chocolate all day, how can you want cake as well, all before your dinner?” Draco demanded.

“Don’t underestimate my ability to eat cake, Draco.” Harry grinned. “I’ll have at least two pieces before I leave for dinner.”

“I couldn’t possibly eat sweet things before my main meal.” Astoria said.

Harry smiled sadly. “Unfortunately I never really had much of a choice until recently. I ate anything and everything I could and sometimes cake or chocolate was the only thing that I did have to eat. So eating sweet things, then eating a main meal, it doesn’t really bother me.”

Rabastan’s arms hugged him tighter, almost crushingly so, but Harry didn’t mind. He patted the hands around him, then rested his own over Rabastan’s, as silent permission to carry on hugging him.

“You’ve almost eaten that chocolate heart too.” Draco pointed out. “It hasn’t even lasted a day.”

“It’s delicious, that’s why. I can’t leave it alone.” Harry laughed.

“Did your Fiancé get you a chocolate heart?” Astoria asked.

“No. Rodolphus got it for me, and he had it shaped like a real human heart. I think that he might have been trying to disturb me with it or something, but it’s just too delicious to not eat it. Plus it makes him laugh every time he sees me walking around with it cradled in my hands, biting chunks from it. He’s a very special kind of lunatic.”

Rabastan snorted above him and it made Harry grin.

“It is disturbing.” Draco said, looking unnerved. “It looks real.”

“That’s the point of it, Draco.” Harry insisted. “Besides that mousse in the middle is the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. I’ll be sad when I finally finish it off.”

“Tomorrow then.” Draco smirked.

Harry grinned back and nodded. “Probably.”

“I will buy you more.” Rabastan insisted. “Though perhaps in a more appetising form.”

Harry turned and grinned at Rabastan, the naughty glint in his eyes as he thought of a more ‘appetising’ body part that he would like in his mouth and Rabastan must have caught onto his train of thought, because he suddenly swallowed heavily.

“We’ll be alone in a villa soon.” Rabastan bent to whisper to him, stroking a hand through Harry’s hair.

Harry’s grin widened. “I can’t wait.”

“Theo, you didn’t come to collect me!” An angry voice broke through the happy moment.

Harry turned back and sneered as Daphne confronted Theo.

“Daphne…” Harry greeted, waiting for her to turn around to look at him. “Who invited you?” He demanded.

“What?” She said, her face pulling into a confused frown as everyone else laughed.

“This is my birthday party…who invited you to be here?”

“Astoria got an invitation…”

“Astoria’s invitation was for Astoria.” Harry pointed out. “You didn’t get an invitation because you were not invited.”

“I have to be invited!” Daphne said through clenched teeth.

“Well, you weren’t, because I can’t stand you and I didn’t want you here.” Harry said simply.

“That isn’t how these parties work!” Daphne insisted to him.

“I don’t care how they work, it’s my party and you were not invited.”

Perhaps sensing trouble, a rising argument, or a complete repeat of Harry cursing Thorfinn Rowle, Narcissa sprouted up out of nowhere to take control of the situation.

“What is the fuss, darling?” She asked him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“I didn’t invite Daphne to my party, but she has turned up anyway.” Harry told his Mother. “I didn’t invite her because I didn’t want her here.”

“It was rude not to invite her, darling, and she is here now, so perhaps…”

“No.” Harry said. “That isn’t a good message to send out.” He said stubbornly.

“What message is that?” Narcissa asked, trying to be patient, recalling all of the wedding planning she’d been through with this boy for the last month. If she could be patient through that, she could be here too.

“That if you aren’t invited somewhere you can just show up anyway. What would be the point of sending out invitations if people just show up regardless of receiving one? No, I don’t want her here.”

“He makes a good point.” Rabastan said, when Narcissa looked to him to help her out. Of course he would steadfastly stand behind his Fiancé, regardless of any social faux pas, or downright rudeness.

Narcissa sighed, looked once more to Harry’s set, determined and very stubborn face, before putting her shoulders back and looking to Daphne.

“I’m afraid that I’m going to have to ask you to leave, Daphne. As Harry has pointed out, this is his party and he sent out the invitations himself. You were not invited and thus it was very presumptuous of you to turn up today. If you have brought a gift you may take it back with you when you leave.”

“She didn’t buy him a gift.” Astoria piped up. “She doesn’t even like Harry.”

Daphne glared at her sister, but Narcissa deescalated the issue by laying a hand on Daphne’s lower back and pushing her towards the floo.

“Theo!” She called out. “Come with me.”

“He’s staying here. Unlike you he was actually invited.” Harry called out, reaching out to grip at Theo’s wrist, just in case he did decide to follow Daphne.

Theo smiled at him. “There’s no need for that. I wasn’t going to leave anyway. Not with her.”

“You need to stand up to her, Theo.” Astoria insisted. “You can’t let her walk all over you like this.”

“I’m starting to, Astoria.” Theo said, looking back over his shoulder. “Daphne won’t know what has hit her when I’m through.”

“It’s about damn time.” Blaise said firmly.

Harry sighed and smiled, turning the conversation away from Daphne, and the revenge that Theo had planned for her, and back onto happier things. He didn’t want to ruin Theo’s revenge, and he didn’t want to ruin his own party by focusing on Daphne of all people. He wanted to enjoy tonight, and enjoy it he damn well would.

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

Harry had opened his mountain of presents and cut his huge cake and at half seven he’d said goodbye to all of his guests except Blaise, who it seemed was staying here for a sleepover with Draco. Harry’s grin had been so wicked that he hadn’t needed to say a single word to make Draco’s face pink up and even Blaise had looked a little discomforted.

“We always have these sleepovers.” Blaise had tried to explain, but that had just made Harry cackle madly.

“It’s not like that, Harry!” Draco had insisted.

“Oh, sure. No, you have these little sleepovers together at seventeen, no it’s perfectly legitimate.” He’d teased.

“We sleep in separate bedrooms!” Draco blustered.

“What do you do together in your room before you retire for the night?” Harry asked, waggling his eyebrows.

“Enough of that talk, darling.” Narcissa chastised. “Go and get ready so that you aren’t late for your reservations.”

Harry had nodded, sent another purely wicked look to Draco and Blaise, before going to get changed into something incredibly fancy and ostentatious for the restaurant. He had to be seen entering the restaurant, this time completely alone, as was expected now that he was a legal adult, and he would be meeting Rabastan in one of the private rooms, so that no one saw his Fiancé.
It was expected that his arrival at the restaurant would cause a stir and that there would be news articles on it in the morning, especially with how he was being viewed at the moment, what with him cashing in shares worth several hundred thousand Galleons very recently. His outfit would be ripped to pieces, any jewellery or accessories he chose to wear would be dissected and valued, and of course just who he was meeting in one of the private rooms would be up for hot debate. He sighed and reminded himself that he needed this sort of favourable exposure for when he tried to pass his own laws. It would go much easier if he was well liked and not outright despised. Perhaps he should look into donating some time or money to charitable events, that would certainly put him in good stead with the public. He’d think on it later.

“Let me look at you.” Narcissa insisted as he came down at five to eight.

She fussed with his collar, his tie, his cufflinks (a gift from Rabastan for tonight), his hair and even the chain to his pocket watch, before smoothing down the front of his robes and checking the shine on his shoes.

“Perfect, well done, darling.”

“I’m learning.” Harry grinned as he tugged on his left cuff to settle it more comfortably.

“Remember your manners.” Narcissa told him. “And for Merlin’s sake behave yourself.”

Harry smiled. “I’m always polite and well behaved…biting Draco aside.”

“Biting? When did you bite him?” Blaise asked, grinning.

“Jealous?” Harry grinned back.

“The Maître d’ will know exactly who you are if he isn’t completely blind and he will take you straight to your private room.” Narcissa carried on fussing.

“Cissa, dear, let him go.” Lucius insisted. “He will be fine and I am sure that he will conduct himself perfectly without anyone there with him to hold his hand.”

“Be careful with him, Lucius.”

“I am only going to Apparate him to the doors, Cissa, he will be fine.” Lucius reiterated. “Harry.”

Harry took Lucius arm and this time, instead of being Apparated directly into the restaurant, Lucius dropped him off right outside the front doors. His Father took a moment to make sure that everything was in place, and that the Apparation hadn’t mussed up Harry’s outfit or hair, before briefly touching his shoulder and then he was gone again.
Harry smiled and he took a deep breath before turning to the doors. He strode forward and, as he’d known would happen, the doors opened by themselves.

“Thank you.” He whispered politely to the two invisible house-elves he knew would be there.

The Garnet Swan was no less lavish than the first time he’d been here. All dark red carpeting, dark wooden banisters that held an array of floral decorations and dim, intimate lighting. He kept walking forward confidently, coolly, with a nice smile. He passed the circular area for guests Apparating directly into the restaurant and he went to the wooden podium just beyond it, where a man wearing beautifully cut black robes was stood primly. He was a different man to the one he’d first encountered, but he was no less professional as he immediately hurried from behind the podium to greet him.

“Lord Potter-Black.” He greeted calmly, in a rather sophisticated voice that seemed wasted on a Maître d’. “Please, right this way.”

Harry once again followed the man through the sumptuous restaurant, still with its dark red carpets and tablecloths, still with its small, circular intimate tables with red pillar candles, though all of the flowers had changed. It being the summer there was colour and flowery perfume everywhere from the blooming displays. Red and dark purple seemed to be the most abundant, but there were also pinks, whites and green everywhere. It was very beautiful.
He was once again led up the stairs to the balcony with no wall (only a bannister) that looked out over the restaurant, and it seemed that Rabastan was being very romantically inclined tonight, as Harry was led to the door on the far end…Rabastan had gotten them the very same room that he had proposed in.
The maître d’ bowed to him, then turned right around and left him to it. Harry loved the efficiency of the staff in this restaurant, they were respectful, professional and they knew exactly how to do their jobs, and Harry very much appreciated that.
He knocked on the door, just so he wouldn’t startle Rabastan, before opening the door and he was already smiling as he shut it behind himself and his gaze found Rabastan.

“Happy birthday, love.” His Fiancé greeted.

Harry smiled. “Thank you. It’s been a great day, and it’s about to get even better.”

Rabastan led him over to the table and seated him himself, bending to kiss him, before going around to the other side of the table and sitting down himself.

“Did you arrive without any difficulties?”

Harry nodded. “Everything was fine, though I’ll be happier when I have my own Apparation licence.”

“Not long now, a few more days.” Rabastan soothed.

“If I pass.” Harry fretted.

“Of course you’ll pass. You’re Apparating fine at home, you know how to use coordinates to arrive in the desired destination and Draco is helping you with the theory. You’re going to pass and it’ll all be fine.”

Harry smiled. “I hope so.” He said, before he sighed. “I’ve been so focused on myself and fretting about my licence. I’m sorry, how are you today? I don’t think I’ve asked once and I’m sorry for that.”

Rabastan smiled at him and took his hand, pulling it to his mouth so that he could kiss it.

“Harry, love, I’m perfectly fine. Today is your birthday, it should be all about you.”

“I just love you so much, I don’t want you feeling neglected at any time.”

That just made Rabastan laugh. “Neglected? Oh, Harry…wait until I tell Dolphus that.”

“I’m being serious.” Harry said.

“I know, and that just makes it all the more amusing to me. I don’t feel neglected by you. Not once could I possibly use that word to describe our relationship. I love you.”

That made Harry smile, and he inhaled deeply, before he actually looked at Rabastan, who was in beautiful blue robes, with all matching accessories.

“I didn’t realise that you were on the menu tonight, love. You look good enough to eat.” He said, appraising his Fiancé with an approving eye. He noticed immediately that the robe and the shirt underneath fit Rabastan’s body better, and that he’d gone for a cut that accentuated his body, instead of trying to hide it. He looked wonderful.

“I…” Rabastan blinked, looking rather uncomfortable, but he was visibly pleased. “I’m glad that you approve.”

“Approve? Damn, Basti, I think we should have asked for a chaperone after all, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself tonight.”

“Who says that you have too?” Rabastan demanded. “I fully expect a bit of kissing after dinner, before we have to go back.”

Harry grinned, looking over to the group of chairs at the other end of the room, where they would take after dinner coffees. He would definitely have a bit of Rabastan for dessert too. That thought made him chuckle and he turned back to look at his Fiancé.

“You’re looking good tonight too.” Rabastan told him, giving Harry the once over. “Green really is your colour, no matter the shade.”

“I prefer the darker greens. I would utterly refuse to wear lime.” He grinned.

Rabastan laughed. “The darker greens really bring out your eyes. I adore your eyes and I know you disagree, but I hope our children have your eyes.”

“Well, at last conversation on this topic we’d settled on five, was it?” Harry grinned.

Rabastan nodded. “Yes.”

“I say we could go for six.” Harry grinned at him. “If we spread them out a little over the years, we won’t be completely overrun. I’m young enough that it won’t adversely affect me, so…six, yes?”

Rabastan recalled the conversation he’d had with his brother and Grandfather, back before he and Harry were even engaged, about Harry’s love for children and his desire for more and more of them. Every time they brought up the topic, Harry added another child. He needed to sort this once and for all.

“Harry, I’ve told you before, and I will tell you again, you can have as many children as you want from me. I am certainly not going to deny you anything and as a member of an almost extinct house, the more the better for the Lestranges. Five children, six, or seventeen, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just say we keep trying and however many we end up with, that’ll be the perfect amount.”

Harry grinned at him and Rabastan knew then that he’d said just the right thing. He was getting better at doing that where Harry was concerned.
A house elf interrupted them with a silver tray with their starters upon it, and they were both silent as the elf laid the table with plates and drinks.

“Thank you.” Harry said with a genuine smile, and Rabastan sighed silently, but kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to ruin tonight, and he already knew that Harry wouldn’t stop thanking the elves just because he was told to. In fact he was likely to do it all the more because he’d been told to stop. So he said nothing and plastered a smile on his face when Harry looked at him.

“I again took the liberty of ordering for you, I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, you got it right the last time, and you know me better now, so I have complete faith that you’ve terrorised the chefs into preparing something I’ll like.” He grinned.

“I have not terrorised the chefs.” Rabastan insisted with a smile. “I just had to make sure everything was perfect for tonight.”

“It is perfect, thank you.”

They fell silent for a while, eating their crisp salads. Harry was very pleased to see olives on his plate as he’d grown very fond of them. As a starter, it was rather small, and Harry judged himself to be hungrier now that he’d finished eating it than he’d been before he’d started eating.
Thankfully the moment their plates were cleared away, their mains were brought out. It was fish this time, instead of steak, but Harry didn’t mind fish as long as it was filleted, and he couldn’t see a visible head or tail.
Naturally the fish was cooked to utter, flaky perfection and Harry enjoyed it, but he mostly just enjoyed spending time with Rabastan, even when the both of them were silent and just eating in one another’s company.

“Just one year left now.” Harry said, laying his knife and fork down after he’d finished eating. “We’ll be neck deep in wedding preparations this time next year.” He grinned.

“All this work, a year in advance, for just one day.” Rabastan shook his head. “Not that I think you don’t deserve the best wedding of your dreams, only that I never expected myself to be neck deep in everything.”

Harry grinned. “My little revenge, love. If I have to be forced through it, so do you.”

“That evilness is why Rodolphus loves you so much, and so quickly, you know.”

Harry laughed. “Oh I know. He’s great though, especially if he keeps giving me those chocolate hearts, with that mousse inside. Damn that thing is tasty.”

Rabastan chuckled, but he bent forward and picked up Harry’s hand, just holding it in his own. Harry remembered a time when Rabastan had been too afraid to even do that, just in case he had a body spasm and crushed him.

“We really have come a long way, and it hasn’t even been a full year yet.” Harry mused quietly.

Rabastan hummed his agreement. “We have both had health issues to overcome, and we truly have come a long way from where we started. Hopefully, by the next New Year, I will be just as healthy and ready to take on our married life, and our children.”

Harry smiled automatically at the mention of their wedding and children. He was seventeen today, a legal adult. Just one more year and he’d be graduated from Hogwarts and he’d be just weeks away from his wedding and the ensuing honeymoon. The same honeymoon that he hoped to come home from pregnant with his first child. The very thought of that honeymoon, and the activities that would make him pregnant, had his gut clenching in excited arousal.
The house elf interrupted them again to collect their used plates, before vanishing quickly and silently. Another house elf brought them dessert and Harry smirked up at Rabastan when he saw the chocolate mousse.

“Thank you.” He said to the teary elf before picking up his dessert spoon. “Don’t you think I’ve had enough chocolate mousse for one day?” He grinned.

“As you were planning to go home to eat more of that heart, no.” Rabastan told him.

“Touché, my love.” He laughed, sinking his spoon through the dessert and bringing it to his mouth. “Well, I’m going to be very controversial and say that Honeydukes’ mousse is better.” He declared after swallowing.

“You’ll break my friend’s heart saying that.” Rabastan said, taking his own spoonful.

“He should make a better mousse.” Harry teased.

“I’ll eat it if you don’t want it.” Rabastan threatened and Harry laughed.

“You’d have to try and get it away from me first. It’s not as good, but it’s still nice and I will eat it.”

“I would never take food from your mouth. Not unless it was offered.”

Harry’s smile fell for a moment at the serious note in Rabastan’s tone, before he smiled, loaded up his spoon, and held it out to his Fiancé.

“Offered like this?”

“I was thinking of it being offered to me with your body as a plate, but this will do.”

Harry laughed happily as Rabastan took the mousse from his spoon.

“We’ll be married soon, if you bring the mousse on the honeymoon, you can lick it from whatever body part you want to.” Harry winked.

“Must we wait so long?” Rabastan teased with a naughty smirk. “We are going on holiday in two weeks, what if I bring the mousse to the villa with us?”

Harry’s grin widened impossibly more, and he laughed. “Oh, love, I do like the way you think sometimes. This will be the best holiday ever.”

Neither of them said aloud that it would be his first holiday ever, they both knew that already and they didn’t want to bring down the mood of the evening by mentioning it.

“We’ll just have to control ourselves enough to stop short of penetrative sex.”

Harry chuckled. “Oh, that is going to be difficult. How much trouble do you think we’d be in if I came back off our holiday no longer a virgin?”

“I would probably be skinned alive, and that’s only if my Grandfather got to me before your Mother.”

Harry snorted and almost choked on his laughter.

“Your Mother is a scary woman.” Rabastan insisted.

“Oh, I’m not arguing with that, she is.” Harry chuckled, grinning up at Rabastan. “I just love that you’re afraid of her.”

“Afraid is a bit too strong an emotion, I merely have a healthy respect for her when it comes to her protecting her two sons.”

That softened Harry’s grin to a more loving smile. “Yeah, she’s great.” He said.

“You’re going to be just as wonderful a Mother, between the two examples you’ve had, you can’t be anything else. Both of your Mothers are fiercely protective, very scary women. There is nothing they wouldn’t do for their children. You are going to be the same, I know it.”

Harry thought of his Mother, who had willingly died for him. Both she and his Father had willingly given up their lives to protect him, their son. He took a deep breath and he gave a small smile to Rabastan.

“I’m going to be exactly the same, and do exactly the same as they did if the need arises.” He swore. “If it comes down to my baby or me…there’s not even a moment of hesitation in my body, Rabastan, and that feeling is only going to get stronger when I actually have a baby.”

Rabastan sighed. “I thought that perhaps you’d feel that way. I’m just going to have to protect you, as it seems you won’t protect yourself.”

Harry snorted. “You knew that about me before you met me, love. I’m all about the crazy, recklessness of a Gryffindor.”

“You should have been a Slytherin.” He said remembering Harry’s answer when he was performing Rodolphus’ little Veritaserum test.

“I should have been, if the hat hadn’t taken into account my own wishes, but I wasn’t. I was put into Gryffindor and I adsorbed all that bravery, courage and reckless abandon and now I’m a diehard Gryffindor and you’ll have to learn to live with that.”

Rabastan snorted. “You being a Gryffindor doesn’t bother me. It’s just a school house, and when you graduate, it will no longer matter.”

Harry chuckled and he stood, holding his hand out to his Fiancé. Rabastan took it and allowed Harry to pull him to his feet. They migrated over to the collection of comfortable chairs around the coffee table and they sat next to one another.
Before they’d had a chance to sit down a house elf had removed their dessert dishes, and a moment after they’d sat and made themselves comfortable, shifting their weight and settling themselves down, another house elf was serving them tea and coffee, and a plate of little hand crafted chocolates.

“Thank you.” Harry said politely, reaching for a cup of tea and a chocolate. He handed the first cup over to Rabastan, before taking a second for himself. “This restaurant truly is world-class. The service is amazing.”

“I’m glad you like it here.” Rabastan told him.

They both sipped on their respective teas for a short time, sitting silently and just enjoying one another’s company.

“What are your plans now for the rest of the summer? Besides the holiday, your Apparation testing, and of course your Wizengamot duties?” Rabastan asked him.

“Spending as much time as possible with you?” Harry grinned. “Well I have that Ministry party coming up soon, that’s going to be utterly torturous, but at least Mother and Father will be there for that. I’m going to work a little more on my law reforms, though I fully expect your assistance with that.” Harry grinned, making Rabastan chuckle. “And I was actually thinking of getting involved with a charity now that I’m a legal adult.”

“Why?” Rabastan asked. “Just donate some money and make a speech about how it’s close to your heart like everyone else does.”

“You see, that’s the thing. I don’t want to be like everyone else, and I don’t want people thinking that it’s all for show.”

“Is it not going to be?” Rabastan asked.

Harry bit his lip. “It sort of is, I need to be seen more favourably if I’m going to have any chance of passing these law reforms. After putting that Jute in Azkaban, I’m coming across as cruel and barbaric, and I can’t have that. He deserved to go to prison for what he did, but the public backlash was a little more intense when it was reported in the papers because they didn’t really understand the laws that were broken or the danger it had exposed us to. So I thought maybe getting involved in a charity would help…I don’t know, make me seem more human, like a person. If I just donate money, it won’t really be a big thing, as you’ve said, every Pureblood does it at some point in time and it’ll just be brushed off as me throwing about my gold to show off how rich I am. But if I actually dedicate some time to that charity, it’ll be different. It’ll show that I actually care.”

“But you wouldn’t care, it would be a lie.”

Harry shook his head. “Not if I chose the right charity, Rabastan. If I chose one that I really could feel passionate about, that I could throw myself into, it wouldn’t even need to be a lie.”

“Something with children would be best.” Rabastan told him, caving to Harry’s idea. It was a good one, and of course Harry would feel passionate about those lesser off than himself, that was an intrinsic part of Harry’s nature.

Harry nodded. “I thought perhaps either children, magical creatures, which would set me right up for my law reforms, or even helping Saint Mungos as a whole.”

Rabastan shook his head and swallowed his mouthful of tea.

“Everyone always donates to Saint Mungos. It is the biggest receiver of all donations, funding and volunteers in magical Britain.” He explained.

“Oh. Oh!” Harry said. “If I help a lesser known charity, I can help bring it into the spotlight and campaign for more funds.”

Rabastan nodded. “Exactly that. If you went with a lesser known charity then you’ll be seen more favourably than just jumping on the band wagon with Saint Mungos. If you’re serious about this idea then we need to scope out the perfect charity for you to help and it needs to be carefully researched so it doesn’t look like you’ve picked at random.”

Harry nodded and sighed. “I’ll see if Father won’t help research it for me while I’m on holiday, so that I can jump right in when we get back. Or perhaps Mother.”

“They should help, they want to build you up as well, and this will help your public profile.”

Harry sighed, drained the last of his tea, before smiling at Rabastan.

“The things I do to become a better politician.”

“You’ll rule the world one day, love. I’m sure of it.” Rabastan grinned.

Harry stood and he moved quickly to slip into Rabastan’s lap. “Now, enough politics talk, what was it that I heard earlier about some after dinner kissing?” He purred.

Rabastan’s dark blue eyes went almost navy as Harry straddled his lap and he wrapped his arms tightly around Harry’s back, pulling him closer to himself with a groan as it rubbed Harry right over his own groin.
Harry shifted himself further forward and angled his head to capture his lips in a deep kiss, it took just a single moment of lip touching lip before their mouths opened to introduce their tongues. Rabastan’s arms clutched at Harry tightly, pressing them even tighter together, and Harry’s arms slipped around Rabastan’s neck, locking them into their passionate kisses.
It took a rather short amount of time for Harry to start rocking desperately in Rabastan’s lap, but then he was a teenager, a virgin at that, and he needed in a way that he’d never needed before and he just wanted what was forbidden. He wanted to have sex with Rabastan right here, right now, in this damned chair…or on the table they’d eaten off, he’d even take the floor, he didn’t care where, as long as he got Rabastan now.

“Stop.” Rabastan said desperately, his hand coming to cover Harry’s own. Harry hadn’t even realised that he was going for Rabastan’s trouser fastenings. “You know that we can’t, love. I want to, Merlin I really want to, but we can’t. Not yet.”

Harry breathed out deeply, trying to calm himself back down. He nodded. He understood. He hated it, he hated it so fucking much, but he understood.

“I think we need to call it a night.” He said, attempting some humour, but as he stood up from his Fiancé’s lap and had to press a hand to himself through his trousers, his erection clearly outlined, he knew that they couldn’t leave immediately.

The only thing that made Harry feel the slightest bit better was that Rabastan was clearly in the same boat, as he stood too and his erection was also clearly visible pressing against his trousers.

“I wonder if Rodolphus is waiting with the Veritaserum again.” Harry grinned. “I hope one of his questions isn’t ‘Did you rub yourself to hardness against Rabastan’s stomach’ or we’re screwed.”

That made Rabastan laugh. “I truly don’t think they’ll have expected us to do so much in a restaurant, Harry.”

“We’re in a private room with no people about, do they not know me at all?” He joked.

Rabastan chuckled and held out his hand. Harry took it and cuddled into Rabastan’s chest, just breathing and calming down. The close proximity wasn’t helping, neither was Rabastan’s hands stroking over his back, but he refused to be parted from Rabastan and he could actually be credited with a small amount of control. He’d been getting better and better in the Wizengamot meetings, and focusing that control on calming down and willing away his erection, it slowly started working.

“Are you ready to go home?” Rabastan asked him.

“You have more control than I do and you’re not a horny little teenaged virgin, give me a few more minutes.” Harry chuckled.

Rabastan snorted, but fell silent again, stroking his hands over Harry’s back and then up into his hair, like he did when he was trying to make Harry sleepy.

“Oh, that’s working.” Harry declared happily, resting his head on Rabastan’s chest more fully.

“We’ll go home now and side track them all with your brilliant idea of gaining public support by choosing to do volunteer work for a chosen charity. They’ll be too busy focusing and debating on that to ask if we were a little handsy with one another.”

“I think we were a little more than handsy, love.” Harry giggled. “That was full on snogging and heavy petting.”

“They don’t need to know that.”

Harry laughed before taking in a deep breath and stepping back. He slipped his arm around Rabastan’s and squeezed.

“Let’s go then. And thank you, Rabastan. Tonight was wonderful, made all the more so by being in the very same room that you proposed to me in. It was very romantic and enjoyable and I loved it.”

Rabastan couldn’t help but bend to kiss Harry at hearing that, and he enjoyed feeling Harry’s small hand stroke through his hair at the back of his head. He broke the kiss rather quickly, so they weren’t tempted to return to their former conditions, and he smiled.
He pulled Harry close and Apparated them right back to Malfoy manor. They walked hand in hand to the front parlour and they shared a quick kiss before they entered.

“There you are, we were getting worried.” Narcissa told him, slotting a bookmark into her novel and placing it to the side.

“Why?” Harry asked curiously.

“It’s almost eleven.” Draco grinned at them.

Shocked, Harry pulled out his brand new pocket watch and opened it. It was twenty to eleven and he laughed, looking up at Rabastan.

“I suppose losing track of time to such a degree is the biggest compliment you could have given me.” Rabastan smirked.

“You already knew that I enjoy being in your company.”

“So much so that you don’t realise that two and a half hours have passed?”

“Well, clearly, as that’s exactly what happened.” Harry grinned.

“Were you well behaved?” Narcissa asked him, looking him over as if she could see through his robes and spot every single place Rabastan’s hands had touched his skin.

“Of course, Mother.” Harry insisted. “We were in a restaurant! We did actually spend most of our time talking.”

“Harry has come up with a brilliant way to curry himself more favour with the public.” Rabastan announced. “Tell them, love.”

“I was thinking of maybe championing a charity.” He said with a bashful shrug. “Sort of showing everyone I’m a person, and not a barbaric monster that the papers portrayed me as when I sentenced that Jute to Azkaban.”

“The timing could be called into question.” Rodolphus pointed out.

Harry shook his head. “I only became a legal adult today. I know underaged wizards can help out in charity work a little, maybe fundraise and help out, but they’re limited in what they can actually do. They couldn’t champion a charity like an adult could, or get completely behind something and really help them out. I can do that now. I might still be in school, but if I start now, this summer, it’ll look better than if I only start doing it next summer, when I’m graduated. I could of course use school as an excuse, but if I do it now, as soon as I’ve become a legal adult, showing everyone that I’m not making any excuses for not helping, I really think it’ll help my public profile and put me in a better position when it comes time to publish my law reforms.”

“I have no idea where you’ve been hiding that brilliant mind for so long.” Draco told him.

“Oh, shut up.” Harry grinned. “Where’s your boyfriend? Kicked him out already?”

“No, Blaise was tired of waiting for you so he’s gone to bed.” Draco growled.

“Wow, wore him out so soon? I always thought Blaise was at the peak of his stamina. It’s disappointing to be proven wrong.”

Draco went pink but Harry chuckled and changed the subject to get back on track.

“So, what do you think?” He asked, though he was mostly directing the question to Lucius.

“It’s a wonderful idea, if you have the determination to see it through.” Lucius told him.

“I’m going to pick a charity I feel strongly about, it’s not all going to be a public show, I want to help and do what I can, so I will definitely have the drive to see it through and I actually hope to champion my chosen charity for the rest of my life.”

“People go mad for children’s charities.” Rodolphus pointed out. “You’d be better off picking one that involves protecting kids in some way.”

“Rabastan said the same, and I agreed.” Harry nodded. “I would have chosen a children’s charity, or a magical creature charity, to build up to my proposed law reform.”

“Why not do both?” Draco told him. “If you’re going to convince people that you’re charitable, the more of them that you involve yourself with the more they’re likely to believe it.”

Harry blinked. “That’s genius! I can just help out with both charities and that will be more convincing.”

“It’s going to be a big dedication, Harry, and it might take up quite a chunk of your free time.” Narcissa warned him.

Harry sighed. “If this is about the wedding planning, I’ll sort it. I can juggle it all.”

“It’s a lot to juggle.” Rabastan fretted.

“I’m having a wonderful holiday with you, I’ll get to unwind and destress for a little while, and then I’ll be ready to jump in head first. I’m fully healthy once more, I’ve gotten a clean bill of health from all of my hospital follow-ups, and truly, if I could juggle homework, classwork, exams, all those Wizengamot debates and a trial too, successfully while I was on three different potions with all of their vile, severe side-effects, then I can handle this. If I do all the groundwork now, in August, then I won’t really need to do much during the school year. Everyone will know I’m still in school, but it needs to be now, not next year.”

Narcissa sighed. “I will look up suitable charities for you to spend time on. Do you have any requests?”

“Please, not just Pureblood charities or ones that have a criteria for the people they’ll help. I’m trying to come across more favourably, not look like I’m prejudiced.” Harry said seriously.

“Then we will set up portfolios for you to look over once you are back from your holiday.” Lucius told him. “That way you can choose it yourself from a selection that we’ve laid out for you.”

Harry smiled. “Thank you.”

Harry finally sat himself down and turned to snuggle into Rabastan. He sighed happily and ducked his head under his Fiancé’s chin and he drew lazy patterns on his chest. His aspirations were only growing the more time he spent immersed in politics and in these social circles. He never would have thought to volunteer or donate to a charity before, not because he was unkind or didn’t want to help people, but purely because it just hadn’t crossed his mind to do so, and he hadn’t had the means before now either. It would have been impossible to help out any charity or even to just volunteer some of his time while he’d been locked up at the Dursleys. He hadn’t even realised that he’d had so much money until Lucius had explained the difference between family vaults and trust vaults to him.
He sighed silently and tucked his head more against Rabastan’s chest, hearing the steady, soothing thud-thud of his Fiancé’s heart under his ear.
He pushed aside all of his thoughts and just rested. He’d had a damn good birthday, the best one he’d ever celebrated before, which wasn’t saying much when he’d usually always spent his birthdays with the Dursleys, but today had been special. Very special to him and he was never going to forget it. He was so grateful that he’d listened to that grumpy old man in the little café. He was glad that Lucius had seen his true need and had adopted him as his own son to help him onto the right path. He considered then if perhaps he wasn’t Lucius’ charity case to make him seem better in the public eye and it made him smile to himself. He was sure that he could one-up Lucius on the charity front, after all taking in a war orphan as your own son was perhaps at the height of charitable actions, but Harry was thinking bigger, much bigger, and with the amount of gold he had at his disposal now, he could make dreams come true, and he would be sure to have reporters there when he did so, not to diminish his actions, but merely to highlight them. He was a legal adult now, and it was time to build up his public profile ahead of his law reforms. This was his time to shine, and he swore that he would shine the brightest out of everyone else. He would do his all, and work his absolute hardest to ensure it.

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A/N: Happy Valentine’s Day, lovelies. This has been a very long time coming, just a few weeks off a full year since our last update, and for that I can only apologise. It was never this chapter that was the problem, its chapter 26 that has blocked any and all progress on this fic. I’m trying to rectify the issue, and I have been trying for the last year, but it has brought me to a complete and utter standstill. I just cannot get over the block, so I’ve decided to power through regardless, which might mean our next chapter might not be up to the usual standard I give you but I’ve run out of ideas for solutions now and forcing my way through the chapter is the only thing I can think of left to do. Not even re-writing it helped, I’m still hopeless stuck in the same place.
So I’m giving you all this chapter, I’m going to force my way through the next, and get onto the things I find much easier and pleasing, and hope that you can all forgive me the lapse. I have no idea what the problem is, only that the smut is causing some serious problems. It might even be because I’m not allowed to go full circle with the sex scenes, because Harry and Rabastan aren’t allowed to have sex yet, so forcing myself to stop short could be the problem. I just hope that I can get through it.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this chapter, and fingers crossed that I can get back on track with chapter 26, because it’s given me a year of frustration and I want it to end. I’m going to spend the rest of the day trying to break the smut block now and hopefully get back to updating this fic.

StarLight Massacre. X
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The Guile and Devotion of a Black Heir