Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

You're My Home	By : Keladry1n100 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 16394 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters related to the fandom! JK Rowling owns it all. I also am not making any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
A/N: Holy goodness! Due to a random snow day (meaning no work YAY!) I was surprised when I was able to polish up this chapter enough for posting! O.o However, the drawback of this is that I'm not certain I'll be happy with the next chapter enough to post it this coming weekend. We'll see what happens.
Thank you for all the reviews that I've received so far. I appreciate the comments and I do take them seriously and try and take note. However, to one reviewer in particular, I'm very well aware of their flaws and shortcomings. Please be patient! :) As always, more reviews and comments are welcomed and appreciated!! :D
Enjoy!!
Chapter 3

~~~~~

            The first thing that Harry noticed when they walked back into his house via floo was that something was off. He put his hand out to stop Draco from moving forward once the man had entered the room behind him. They stood in silence for a minute before Harry pulled out his wand and walked around the house. When he reached the front door there was a small protective dome which covered a small beetle. Scowling, Harry found a jar and sealed it in there before it could transform.
            ”You can move now Draco.” Harry growled angrily at the beetle, “Retia Skeeter. How very unpleasant to see you. Now, what in Merlin’s name are you doing in my house? Hm? And how did you get into my house in the first place?”
            Draco walked up and gazed at the jar from behind Harry. “Who’s that?”
            ”She’s a reporter. You know her.”
            ”What is she doing here?” Draco sneered.
            ”Apparently we’ve caused enough ruckus in the wizarding world for her to attempt to get into my house.” Harry replied, “Now, to get rid of you” Harry waved his hand and the jar vanished.
            ”Harry,” Draco smirked, “What’d you do with her?” The blonde’s voice faking concern.
            ”Don’t worry,” He walked forward once again, “The jar will disappear once she gets where she’s going. Where ever that is. Anyways, it would seem that I have become lax in my protection spells.” Sighing heavily Harry began walking around the house to strengthen the wards around the property. Draco quickly started helping. When each man had gone around the house, downstairs and upstairs, they finally sat down by the fire in the living room.
            ”Thank you for this weekend Draco. It really was fantastic.” Harry leaned against the other man, sighing contently. He could feel Draco smirk as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.
            “I think my favorite part was when you gave my mother the what for.” Draco practically beamed.
            Harry flushed lightly, “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. She just pissed me off.”
            The blonde nodded his head, “I completely understand. However,” Piercing silver eyes glanced at Harry, “You do realize that there will have to be some sort of ‘Pureblood Legitimization’ as you so put it. If we are to continue this relationship that we have going, there will need to be some sort of official announcement somewhere down the line about you and me. Particularly if Ciel is to eventually inherit anything from the Malfoy line. Ciel is my legitimate son and as such he will have to be introduced as such.”
            Harry stayed silent for a while, contemplating Draco’s words. After a while he sighed in defeat, “Fine. But can we wait? I rather not rush things if you dont mind.”
            Draco’s eyes turned amused, “For now we can live in your world. But we can’t always stay here Harry. Eventually you’ll need to share my world just as much as I share yours. Besides you like my world at least a little. You said yourself you had fun this weekend!” Draco kissed Harry lightly, “That kind of weekend can happen any time you know. And I mean it when I say that you and the boys are welcome in any of my homes at any time, with or without me. Particularly Château de la Vallée du Bois since you won’t be bothered there by anyone.”
            Harry smiled, “That’s sweet. Thank you. And yes you’re right I rather enjoyed the Chateau. I know the boys would really love to see that Quidditch pitch of yours. They’ve been begging me to let them fly on a broom for a while now. Maybe in the next year I can give them a lesson or two.”
            ”That wouldn’t be fair to the other Hogwarts students when they get there and try out for the house team.”
            Frowning, Harry sat up to face Draco, “Now who ever said it needed to be fair?” A teasing smirk tugged at Harry’s lips that he desperately tried to quell. Draco on the other hand didn’t miss it and it made him laugh.
            ”You really should have been in Slytherin Harry.”
            “The sorting hat wanted to put me there but I refused.”
            Blonde eyebrows rose with interest, “And why did you choose otherwise?”
            “I’d heard that’s where bad wizards get sorted into. At that time I didn’t know any better.”
            Draco scoffed, “That’s an understatement. Not all Slytherins are bad ya know. Or least we’re not all bad in the wrong sort of way” He pulled him in for a passionate kiss as the fire roared to life. The two men settled into their previous position with Harry leaning against Draco and the blonde’s arm around his shoulders while three forms came from the fire. Two of which bolted for Harry and Draco with large smiles and words tumbling from their lips so fast that neither of the adults could understand.
            Harry held up a hand which immediately silenced the boys. Harry hugged both of them tightly before letting them go and pointing towards the hall way. “Why don’t you two go put your stuff away then you can come back down and tell us all about it?” Two heads nodded as they rushed for the stairs, thunder resonating throughout the house as they bolted up the stairs.
            Standing up, Harry went over to Andromeda and hugged her. “Welcome back. Hope you three had a good time.” Draco also came over and hugged the older woman. When they separated, Andromeda patted Draco’s shoulder affectionately. Then she sat down in a chair.
            ”It was quite entertaining this is true. We did see the unicorns and your son Teddy was able to walk right up to them without scaring them off. They even let him pet them. It was quite beautiful. Then of course Ciel got jealous and rushed over to do the same and they all ran.”
            Harry turned to Draco with a pointed look. That look made Draco flush and he glared at the man in return.
            ”It happened once ok? Once. Be thankful our son decided to pull that stunt with a unicorn.” Draco stated, still glaring daggers at the man under his arm.
            When Andromeda raised a questioning eyebrow at the two, Harry explained with a thumb pointing at Draco. “This one did something very similar when we were at school. Except he decided to try that with a Hippogriff. It didn’t end very well for him.”
            Draco growled, “You are never going to let me live that one down are you?”
            Harry smiled innocently and shook his head, “Never”
            Draco huffed, and then looked away, clearly resigned to his fate. Andromeda hid a smile behind a hand. It was nice to see her nephew this way. All the times she’d ever seen him was when he was acting spoiled and arrogant. He hadn’t seemed to care about anything or anyone other than himself and for him to be with Harry and for the two of them to learn to give a part of themselves made Andromeda happy. Thinking along those lines made her remember something. She reached a hand into her pocket and pulled out a letter, and then held it up for the two men to see.
            ”I got a letter from my sister yesterday. Thought you might be interested in that Draco.” Both men’s eyes widened a fraction. “She invited me over to tea this coming week.”
            Draco smirked, looking at Harry who still looked at the paper, “Looks like your warning is being heeded in more ways than one.”
            ”Warning?” Andromeda’s brow creased.
            Looking away, Harry addressed Andromeda, “Yeah. She came by the house we were staying at this weekend and we told her about Ciel.”
            “What did my sister have to say about that?”
            “Mother was quite excited in fact.” Draco commented, “At least until Harry here gave her the what for while we were there though. She’s not excited about the fact that Ciel hasn’t been named official heir to the Malfoy line. She has it in her head how things should be and we aren’t exactly following that plan. Harry and I agreed that we’d take things slowly. But there is no doubt that Ciel will be named the Malfoy heir.” Draco chuckled, “Harry even threatened to take the kids and leave without a trace if she threw up too much of a fuss.”
            Andromeda threw Harry a cold glare, making the other immediately flush and shift in his seat. “You would do no such thing.”
            “Of course not!” Harry exclaimed, trying to find a way out of the trouble he found himself in, “She just came in and started talking and she pissed me off.”
            “Harry, how would you feel if you learned you had a grandson and then someone threated to leave so you’d never get the chance to see them again? You’d be pretty pissed I’d bet.”
            Harry looked down at his hands, “You’re right. I’m sorry. And I’ll apologize to her. But they are still my kids.”
            “No.” Harry turned to Draco, his eyes meeting up with stern silver ones, “Ciel is rightfully mine just as he is rightfully yours. He is ours. Now Teddy is a different matter. You are the only one who took a blond adoption with him, I didn’t. So your word truly reins there but his brother is not under the same circumstance. Honestly I dont care what you threaten to my mother, but you’d better starting thinking of Ciel as ours and not just yours. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you.” Silence filled the room until Harry nodded, feeling chastised.
            Andromeda eyed Harry thoughtfully, “Well, since she is obviously making an effort I will go to this tea with her. Maybe I can help her iron out some of those obscene ideals of hers.” With a smile, she stood up and walked over to the floo. “I’ll be heading back now. Tell the boys I’ll see them soon ok?”
            ”Ok, take care. And thank you again for taking the boys.” Harry and Draco waved as Andromeda disappeared in the fire. Harry glanced over at Draco who had shut his eyes and rested his head on the back of the couch. After some time had passed Harry made a decision.
            “Ya know, even though I’m the only who went through with the blood adoption, Teddy is yours too.”
            Draco opened his eyes and gazed over at Harry. The brunette was watching the fire as if he was doing everything he could to avoid Draco’s eyes. He couldn’t help but smirk at this.
            “So you’ll stop thinking of them as yours?” His only response was a nod of the brunette’s head and that was enough for him at this point. “Good.”

~~~~~

            October melted into November before anyone knew it. Hermione had continued to come over but Ron repeatedly made excuses not to accompany her as he had a ‘huge work load’. Draco demanded room in Harry’s closet when Draco spent more and more time at the house. Though it changed the family dynamic a bit, Harry couldn’t make himself regret the fast integration since he was quickly realizing how nice it was to share parenting responsibilities with another. There was also the added bonus of allowing him to do things for himself, like what he was doing at that moment. He was taking the time to take a leisurely shower while Draco watched the boys downstairs. After Draco’s initial experience watching the boys, it didn’t take long to teach Draco the art of watching kids play nearby while the adult does something else close by. Draco had quickly picked it up and had found his own adaptation to the technique.
            Harry was lathering his hair when the shower curtain was pulled back. Sighing heavily, Harry looked down to find his youngest bouncing in front of him. He had long ago gotten over being self-conscious of his naked body while in front of the boys as these particular events happened often. So he stood in the shower waiting patiently for his son to speak.
            ”Can we go to Diagon Alley?? Please Daddy! Please?!”
            Harry quickly rinsed his hair, turned off the water and reached for his towel which he wrapped around his waist “And why would we do that? There is no need for us to go there today.”
            ”Papa said he has a shop! Can we go visit Papa’s shop? Please?”
            Drying off enough to pull on a pair of loose shorts he had sitting on the counter, Harry lead the way downstairs. He ignored his son’s attempts at convincing him and walked into the library where he found his lover sitting in one of the overstuffed library chairs.
            Stopping in front of him, Harry placed his hands on his hips, his hair still dripping with an exasperated look on his face. “I hope you realize that I will never hear the end of it” Draco looked up in time to see Harry point towards Ciel who was still trying to convince Harry to let them go. The blonde shrugged as he closed his book.
            ”Why don’t we go? They want to see it and it would be nice to get out of the house. It’s about time we have a family outing in the wizarding world anyways. We can visit the other shops as well and even get lunch at the café. The boys would enjoy it and whether you want to or not, you would enjoy it too. Invite Hermione if it would make you feel better. An extra set of eyes on those two wouldn’t be a bad idea.” A smirk tugged at Draco’s lips as he saw his proposal first mulled over in the brunette’s mind then take hold. It didn’t take long for the man’s shoulders to sag in defeat. The hand still holding the towel came up to rub against Harry’s dripping hair as he turned towards the living room.
            ”I’ll give Hermione a call.”

~~~~~

            Thirty minutes later, three adults and two children arrived in an empty alley near Draco’s shop. Due to the rumors spreading about Harry and Draco and their ‘family', Draco and Harry had decided that enough was enough and they would stop hiding behind charms, spells and private homes. That wasn’t to say that they would be talking to anyone about their personal life but they weren’t going to actively stay under the radar. Harry was nervous about this but Draco practically threw the lot of them out the door when he tried to voice his thoughts on the matter. Harry had to settle for Draco agreeing to keeping their home time private at all costs. As it was, since their date Draco and Harry had only gone out where their presence would be noticed a number of time. Harry didn’t like going back into the spot light but when Draco had pointed out on numerous occasions that it was unavoidable Harry tried to ease himself into it as best he could. That being said Harry was still unhappy with the thought of subjecting the boys to the papers more than they already had, which really wasn’t much if he were to be honest, but it was something that would happen eventually. And if it were to happen might as well make sure it was an event that was somewhat controlled by Draco and himself.
            Hermione was the first one to walk out into the main street, closely followed by Teddy and Ciel who were holding her hands. Harry grasped Draco’s hand and squeezed it before they exited the alley way together. It only took a moment before people started noticing Harry and Draco together. There were mild whispers and one or two people pointed in their direction. Harry even noticed a few sneers in their direction. However, Harry couldn’t find it in himself to be unsettled by it. He was enjoying watching his sons walk ahead of them with their Aunt and the feeling of having a tall confident man beside him. He was proud of his family and it was at that moment that he decided he wouldn’t allow anyone to ruin that feeling. His resolve to not hide his family anymore finally clicked into place. No more doubts.
            Ignoring everyone else around them, they all walked confidently towards Draco’s potion shop. When they arrived, Draco guided them all inside where the boys immediately ran off in different directions to explore. Once fully inside, a young woman came hurrying over to the group.
            ”Good afternoon Mr. Malfoy. It’s been some time since you’ve visited. How may I be of service to you??” The woman had long black hair that had been pulled up into a loose bun. She worn light colored robes and her voice and manner were that of a sweet and kind individual. When she spoke to Draco, she held a soft smile on her lips and her voice rang with great respect for the man.
            Draco smiled in return and nodded his head towards her in returned respect. “Good afternoon Miss. McNore. My family wanted to come see the shop so I thought I’d personally accompany them.” Draco turned to gesture towards Hermione, “This is Mrs. Hermione Weasley, a close friend. And this,” Draco held out his hand which Harry immediately took, “is Harry Potter. Hermione, Harry, this is Miss. Kendal McNore, a loyal employee of mine.”
            McNore smiled warmly at Draco’s guests and took the time to shake each of their hands. “Welcome. I remember seeing each of your faces around Diagon Alley before, it’s nice to meet you face to face.”
            At that moment two pairs of feet ran over to the adults. Draco pointed to each of the boys in turn, “McNore, these are my sons Teddy and Ciel.”
            Teddy tugged on Draco’s pant leg and held up a sparkling Griffin claw looking hopeful. “May I have this?”
            Draco smiled down at the boy then glancing over to Ciel he asked, “Is there anything you’d like as a souvenir?” The boy nodded and held up a Dragon Horn. “Good choice” He praised. The boys went over to Harry to show them their prizes
            Harry smiled happily, “What do you boys say for the present?”
            ”Thank you Papa!” They said in unison. Ciel walked over to McNore who smiled down at the child. The woman reached a hand out and gently ran her fingers through Ciel’s platinum blonde hair in amazement.
            ”I’d heard that you had adopted children with Mr. Potter but I hadn’t put much thought into it with them being rumors and all. I can’t believe that you two were able to find a child with the same hair as you sir.”
            Draco smiled with great pride. “We didn’t adopt Ciel, McNore. Harry carried Ciel to term.” He leaned closer to the woman and whispered, “Please send me the bill for the horn and claw. I’ll pay for their replacement myself.” When the woman nodded her understanding, Draco stood up tall and gave Hermione and Harry the tour of the shop, including the rooms that weren’t intended for the everyday buyer. After giving the group the full tour, they piled out of the shop with warm goodbyes to Miss. McNore. Hermione fell into step with Draco when Ciel and Teddy pulled Harry over to the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop window where the newest broomstick was being displayed.
            ”You have a very decent shop Draco. I’m impressed. I’ve seen that shop numerous times since it opened and I had no idea that you were the owner.” The witch’s voice was genuinely filled with subtle awe.
            Draco smirked in his trademark way, trying to hide the slight flush from the witch’s compliments, “It was intended to be that way. If one were to inquire or do any sort of research it would not be hard to find out who the owner is, but I did not want to make a big deal out it. I know what people think of me and my family so I thought it best to not display the knowledge.”
            ”I can’t say much good about what your family has done in the past, but you’re ok by me Draco. Ya know, I don’t do much brewing nor do I use many potions now-a-days but you have my loyal patronage as a customer when I find myself in need of anything.” She smiled affectionately at the blonde, internally enjoying how uncomfortable he seemed.
            Draco cleared his throat discreetly, “Thank you. I appreciate that very much”
            They continued down the street glancing into various shops on the way. When they became hungry they stopped by a café and ate lunch much to the owner’s bitter sweet delight. After lunch they came to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. When they neared the shop Draco hung back. Harry was just about to go inside after Hermione and the boys when he noticed Draco pulling back. The blonde was looking into a window of a shop next door and he seemed truly interested in what the shop had to offer. But Harry knew better. He strolled over to the tall man and slipped his arm around his waist casually. Draco’s body tensed for a moment before he relaxed into the touch and he subtly leaned against the brunette’s side.
            Harry gazed into the display window, pitching his voice so only Draco would hear. “I can’t believe that you told that woman about Ciel earlier today. I didn’t think we were telling anyone about that.”
            Draco shrugged, “McNore won’t go blabbing her mouth. She’s trustworthy. Besides, I’m not ashamed of it and nor should you.”
            Harry shook his head, “I’m not ashamed of it. I could never be ashamed of him or how he came into the world. Anyways that’s not what I meant.” Harry looked at Draco curiously, “Why won’t you come in?”
            There was silence for a moment before Draco responded, “I would just prefer to stay out here. I know very well how that family feels about my own and I am no longer arrogant enough to ignore that to a point they have a right to feel that way. My family never treated them well. So go and enjoy yourselves in there. I’ll be waiting for you out here when you are finished.” He turned to give Harry a small smile that was meant for his eyes only. Harry smiled back, knowing Draco still didn’t find it easy to admit his faults. He found it endearing how the man had opened up to him as much as he had, even if he did sometimes act like a rich snob. Harry leaned over and captured Draco’s lip with his own, kissing him firmly. Then he pulled away and followed Hermione and the boys into the shop, leaving Draco to window shop outside.
            Draco watched the brunette leave, wondering how he could have let Harry go in the first place. He could have allowed himself more happiness if he had just stayed all those years ago. But he couldn’t deny that it may have been for the best that he had left. He wouldn’t have been ready for one, let alone two babies at the time. At the time he hadn’t been sure he wanted children since he’d been convinced that he would have been a terrible father. But now, he was ready to settle if life permitted. He continued to look through the windows until small hands wrapped around his legs. Draco smiles softly as he looked down into the eyes of the two young boys he’d quickly come to love.
            Witches and wizards around them stared at the happy trio, as Draco led the two boys back to their other parent who was standing back talking with Hermione. Sighing internally, Draco kept his gaze upon the two boys as they spoke over each other in an attempt to show Draco their plunders from the joke shop.
            A couple hours later, the group meandered back towards the alleyway in which they had arrived in. The boys were visibly tired from their day out and Draco and Harry had agreed it was time for a nap for all of them. Each parent held a slouching child in their arms while Hermione held their packages. When they arrived to the apparation platform Draco looked between Harry and Hermione, “Why don’t we spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at Château de la Vallée du Bois. Hermione you’ve never been there but it is a wonderful place to relax after a long day of shopping.”
            Harry nodded as he shifted Ciel on his hip a little, “I think that’s a good idea. What do you think Hermione? Come with us. You could even stay the night with us since there are a few guest bedrooms that you’d be more than welcome to stay in.”
            Hermione worried her lip as she thought, “I don’t know, I shouldn’t leave Ron home alone after he’s had a long day at work.” Though her tone said she desperately wanted to go.
            Harry glanced at Draco in question. The blonde’s jaw tightened for only a second before he smile cordially, “Your husband would be more than welcome to join us if he so desired. Since you’re family to Harry, you and your husband are welcome there anytime we all visit the Chateau.”
            Though his tone was completely void of any disdain for the red-head, both Harry and Hermione knew that his words weren’t entirely true. It made Hermione smile and lean forward to lightly kiss Draco’s cheek, “Thank you for the valiant effort Draco but I’m sure Harry has already informed you of Ron’s behavior since you two came out as a couple. But if it’s alright with you, I’d like to try to see if he’ll take up the offer.”
            Harry smiled brilliantly, “Excellent. Hermione, side-along with me that way you’ll be able to Apparate back if you two can come.” With that last comment they all Apparated to the front gate. Normally Draco would Apparate them all to the front door but his wards were only set up to allow the members of the Malfoy family along with Harry and Teddy. Because Ciel was Draco’s legitimate son the wards automatically allowed him through. Harry pointed down the driveway which curved around a bend that hid the house. “If you two come back, just follow the drive until you see the house.”
            Hermione nodded her understanding while her eyes surveyed the area around her. She said her goodbyes before Apparating away and Draco found himself hoping that she would at least come back. He was finding that he really did enjoy her company. In comfortable silence, Draco and Harry walked up the drive and entered the house. Once there, they walked up the spiral staircase and laid the boys in their beds, neither one of them stirring from their slumber. It always amazed Draco that neither one of them was bothered by Apparating anywhere.
            After making sure the boys were tucked in properly, the two adults shut the door and walked downstairs. Draco summoned Pipsy and told her of the guests that might be arriving later that evening then went to the bar and poured himself a small glass of brandy while Harry flopped down on the couch. He kicked off his shoes so he wouldn’t be scolded once again for having shoes on the furniture before sprawling. When Draco had finished pouring his drink, he came over and made Harry lift his legs long enough for the blonde to sit before the brunette’s legs came back down on Draco’s lap.
            This was a position that Draco quickly found that he enjoyed when the two were relaxing on the couch. The first time he’d been sitting on the couch and Harry flopped on the couch, resting his feet in Draco’s lap the blonde had been mortified. Never in his upbringing did someone do something like that. Feet belonged on the floor or on a foot stool. Never in someone’s lap. But he’d let it go and he’d learned that he enjoyed the arrangement for multiple reason, for it became one of their moments that they shared that was both intimate and innocent at the same time. It was also one of the few times he ever saw Harry truly relaxed. When Draco was halfway through his drink, since Malfoys never downed their liquor, Harry shifted onto his side and reached down to pulled on Draco’s arm.
            ”Won’t you lie down with me Draco?” His voice was growing thick with sleep which made Draco smirk.
            ”We should move to the bed if you wish you sleep.”
            The brunette shook his head, “I’m comfortable here. But I’d be more comfortable if you’d lie down with me.” Harry smiled triumphantly when he felt Draco lean forward and heard the soft clink of glass on glass contact. He shifted forward a little to allow Draco more room to settle in behind him. When Draco was settled with his back against the back of the couch, he reached an arm forward and pulled Harry flush against him. Harry conjured a pillow that was big enough and soft enough for the both of them and the two finally stopped shifting. It didn’t take long for both of them to fall into the depths of sleep.

~~~~~

            The sound of voices nearby pulled Harry from his slumber and when he was awake enough to recognize the voices as the boys playing rather loudly upstairs he slowly looked around the living room without turning his head. Behind him, Harry could faintly hear and feel the deep shallow breathes that indicated Draco was deeply asleep. As gently as he could so he wouldn’t wake up the man, Harry untangled himself from Draco’s arm and legs and stood up. He walked to the kitchen and made himself a cup of tea. While he was in the kitchen, Pipsy popped into the room and smiled at Harry.
            ”Master Potter and Master Malfoy have a guest in the library.”
            Harry frowned lightly in confusion, “A guest? Who is it Pipsy? And why didn’t you wake me or Draco when they arrived?”
            ”Says name be Mrs. Hermione Weasley. She arrived an almost two hours ago and insist on Pipsy letting the Masters rest. She request visiting the library and has been there since.” Pipsy wrung her hands and looked up at Harry with worry, “Did Pipsy displease the Masters?”
            Harry smiled groggily at her, “No of course not Pipsy. I’ll go tend to our guest then. Thank you for your help.” With that Harry quickly brewed another cup of tea and walked towards the library. As expected, Hermione was sitting in the comfiest chair in the room with a pile of books by her side. Smiling lightly at his friend, he set the cup of tea on the table beside her and sat down in a chair next to her. “So Ron didn’t come.” It was more of a statement than a question.
            Hermione looked up from her book when Harry set the cup beside her and shook her head when he spoke. “No. He apparently went off on some overnight mission without telling me.” Sighing she slumped a little in her chair. “I don’t know what to do Harry. I’ve tried so hard to convince him to talk to you and come visit with me so he can get to know Draco as the man he is now but he just won’t listen to reason. He’s blinded by his hate.” She smiled sadly at her best friend, “So, since he decided to go somewhere over night without telling me, I decided to do the same. I hope you don’t mind.”
            ”Of course I don’t mind Hermione. Draco wasn’t lying when he said you were welcome here whenever. I’m sorry neither of us were awake to greet you when you arrived though.” Harry flushed a little.
            The witch shook her head, her sad smile turning soft and warm. “Don’t be sorry. Actually it was quite spectacular to see the two of you like that. I know Draco has changed but it was quite a shock to see him sleeping so peacefully. I truly am happy that you two found each other.” Her eyes shined with happiness and warmth, making Harry shift a little uncomfortably.
            ”No need to get so sappy Hermione.” Though his words brushed her words off, his smile told her how much it meant that she approved. He leaned back in his chair with a small yawn, “He is pretty cute when he’s sleeping though isn’t he?” Hermione giggled and nodded.
            ”He is rather cute”
            ”Malfoys are never cute.” A gruff sleepy voice brought their attention to Draco who was leaning against the archway leading into the foyer. His hair was slightly disheveled and he was desperately trying to hide a yawn. “Welcome to Château de la Vallée du Bois Hermione. Did the Weasel come with you?” His cheeks flushed faintly as he grimaced lightly, “Excuse me, I mean did your husband decide to come with you.”
            Hermione hid her smile in her tea cup for a moment before responding, “No. As I told Harry, he decided to take an overnight mission without informing me.”
            The blonde frowned and his jaw visibly tightened in an attempt to not say what he was truly thinking about the matter. He locked eyes with the witch and spoke seriously, “You deserve better than that Hermione.” And without waiting for a response Draco turned and walked towards the master bedroom. The two friends sat in awed silence for a minute before beginning to discuss their outing to Diagon Alley.
            The rest of the evening was filled with the boys playing in their room while the adults conversed in the library until Pipsy informed everyone that it was time for dinner. After dinner the boys convinced the three adults to go swimming as Harry had forbidden them from swimming without an adult present. Hermione was thrilled that she’d been able to spend the day with her best friend and his family and she was even more thrilled that Draco had proven to be the match that was meant for her best friend. He’d shown her kindness and she couldn’t help but hope it would never end. At the end of the evening while Draco put the boys to bed, Harry led Hermione to their largest guest room.
            While Hermione surveyed the room, Harry discreetly closed the door and sat on the bed to watched his friend with concern. It took a moment before Hermione realized the look upon his face.
            ”What is it?”
            Clearing his throat, Harry stated tentatively, “I’m sorry that my relationship with Draco has caused problems between you and Ron. I didn’t want that for you.”
            ”Oh Harry!” Hermione came and sat cross legged next to the brunette, “Don’t blame yourself. I certainly don’t. You know how Ron can be. He holds grudges and he doesn’t understand how to let go of those grudges.” After a moment Hermione’s shoulders sagged, “But if I were honest with you, I don’t know how much more of this I can take. He rarely includes me on any of the decisions he makes anymore. He seems to think I’ve betrayed him because I support your decision to date Draco Malfoy.”
            Harry pulled the witch into his arms and held her tightly. “Well I am always here for you Hermione you know that. Hopefully he just needs a little more time to come around to the idea.” He pulled away with a small sad smile. Hermione returned the smile with one of her own before lightly pushing Harry away.
            ”Go. You’ve got better things to do than comfort me.” The statement caused the brunette to chuckle.
            ”Not really, although I do have a big baby to put to bed. You wouldn’t believe how impossible he can be if he doesn’t get a full nights sleep. Good night Hermione. Sweet dreams.”
            Chuckling the witch waved her goodbye and watched Harry shut the door behind him.

~~~~~

            Harry woke up early the next morning. He looked to his side where Draco slept soundly. The blonde’s idea of early was waking up at 9 or 9:30 and as it was just after 5:30am on a weekend he knew the man wouldn’t be up for hours. Harry tried to close his eyes and fall back asleep but something wasn’t right. He sat up and looked around the room. When he determined that nothing was in the room with him and Draco, Harry slipped out of bed and pulled on his loose pajama pants and left the room. The windows revealed that it was still quite dark outside so Harry waved his hand, resulting in the lights turning on. He immediately walked up the spiral staircase and silently opened the door to Ciel’s and Teddy’s bedroom. Making sure to walk quietly, Harry walked up to each sleeping form and placed a kiss on their foreheads, checking for a fever. When each boy was deemed to be sleeping soundly with no sign of a fever Harry left the room and walked back downstairs. He did a thorough search of the downstairs area.
            When he found nothing wrong, he sat down at the kitchen counter with a large mug of tea in his hands. He wasn’t up long when he heard the soft pitter patter of feet coming up to him. He looked up with a small smile as his best friend sat down beside him.
            ”You’re up early” Stated the witch.
            Nodding, Harry wandlessly poured Hermione a cup of tea, levitated the cup over and placed it in front of her. “I have a feeling Hermione. It’s not a good feeling either.”
            The witch frowned, “I don’t understand”
            The brunette shook his head, “It’s the kind of feeling I get when something bad happens concerning the boys. But I just checked and the boys are perfectly fine.” He looked sidelong at his best friend, “Something is wrong and I don’t know what it is.”
            Hermione smiled into her cup as she took a sip. When she put it down she chuckled lightly, “You are a wonderful father Harry. I don’t think I know quite anyone who is so attuned to their children as you are. But I must say, you need to relax. I’m sure whatever it is that your worrying about will come to pass and it wont be more than a scraped knee.”
            Harry released a breathy laugh, “You’re just being kind right now. I’m sure I sound like a mother hen.” Turning in his seat, Harry gazed at Hermione steadily, “Why didn’t you have any children Hermione? You would be a wonderful mother yourself.”
            Hermione smiled ruefully at her cup as she turned its contents, “Ron doesn’t want any children. He says that he’s lived his whole life with a large family and he was perfectly content with not having any other family than what he’s got.”
            ”I find that really hard to believe Hermione,” Harry said skeptically.
            ”It’s true though. He doesn’t want children and I’ve been content enough to deal with that.” The witch traced the rim of her tea cup with her finger. “But I can’t say that I haven’t ever wanted any.” She glanced up at Harry, “If I were honest with you Harry, I am seriously considering leaving him.”
            Brown eyebrows raised in silent question before Harry uttered a word, “What has made you come to this decision?”
            A light flush colored Hermione’s cheeks, “Please don’t take this the wrong way but his prejudice against Draco has strained our relationship farther than it has ever been. He feels betrayed that you would sleep, let alone have a child with a man who has caused us such grief while we were in school. And when I try to defend you and tell him that it isn’t as bad as he wants to think it is, he turns his anger out on me and starts calling me a traitor. Apparently he’s gotten Molly and Ginny to agree with him.”
            Nodding, Harry took a sip from his mug, “That would explain why George seemed to be beating around the bush yesterday. Ron must be trying to convince him to turn against me.”
            Hermione nodded solemnly. “He hasn’t talked to me in weeks, so that is why I am thinking it might be a good choice to leave while I have some years left. Who knows,” Hermione chuckled, “I might find a nice man who would want to have children with me.”
            Her comment made Harry smirk, “As long as I get to be one of the first to greet this fine man who gives me nieces and nephews.” He laughed when Hermione softly punched him in the arm. “But seriously Hermione, I will support you in whatever you decide to do.”
            ”Thank you Harry.” The conversation quickly turned to lighter subjects. They talked for hours until the many windows began to let in the faint gray light that signaled the approach of dawn. When the clock struck 7:30am Harry got up and began to make breakfast. He knew that Draco would not wake up but it was inevitable that the boys would wake up soon.
            Once the bacon was cooking on the stove, two sets of feet padded down the stairs and two sets of sleep eyes entered the kitchen. Harry smiled down at Ciel who came up and sleepily gripped Harry’s pajama pant leg. Putting down his spatula, Harry bend down and picked up his youngest, settled the boy on his hip and then returning to his cooking. He enjoyed it when he could hold his sons such as this, since he knew it would not happen for much longer as they were growing fast.
            With the help of Hermione, who was holding Teddy on her own hip, Harry had just finished setting the table and placing the food on the table when he looked up to see Draco shuffling towards them. Harry smiled at the groggy look on Draco’s face matching that of the boys.
            ”Good morning. I thought you’d be sleeping in.” Harry commented as he sat down with Ciel still in his arms.
            ”You were gone.” Came the gruff response. Draco sat down in a seat and silently piled food onto a plate and with as much dignity that was his due, started shoving food into his mouth. Harry and Hermione looked at each other with amused smiles before putting food on their own plate. Harry made a plate for Ciel while Hermione did the same for Teddy. The small family spent the rest of breakfast in silence.

~~~~~

            Later that day found the family going about their business. Hermione had retreated to the library to continue reading some of the books she had found the night before. Harry was cleaning the kitchen and Draco was teaching Teddy and Ciel how Quidditch worked in the backyard. Over the past couple months Draco had done a bit of searching and found some heating charms that he’d currently placed on everyone and everything so they wouldn’t be bothered by the chilly fall air. He’d taken the quaffle out of the box he kept near the Quidditch pitch and left the boys to play with the ball. He walked into the house and over to Harry who was cleaning the sink.
            ”Honestly Harry. Enough with the cleaning. That is for the house elves to do.”
            ”Don’t start with me Draco.” Harry snapped, “I’ve told you time and time again that I prefer to do all the cleaning the muggle way.”
            Draco’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at Harry, for he knew that wasn’t entirely true. “What’s wrong with you today? You’ve been touchy all day. Your hip isn’t bothering you is it?” He challenged.
            Harry put down the sponge he was using to clean the sink and looked up at Draco, his eyes flashing with irritation. “I’m fine.”
            The blonde sighed and rubbed his face. “Please remember that I know you. You’ve been playing nice all day but you’ve been testy underneath it all. On top of that, you don’t clean this vigorously unless something is wrong. So what’s wrong?” For a moment, Harry watched Draco while he contemplated what he wanted to say. When Draco didn’t break eye contact, Harry caved.
            ”You’re going to think I’m out of my mind.”
            Silver eyes rolled in their sockets, “I’ve thought that since the first moment I saw you.”
            Harry glared at the man before continuing, “I had a feeling this morning. A bad one. It’s the kind I get when the boys are in trouble in some way.”
            Walking around the counter, Draco pulled the sponge out of Harry’s hand and made the brunette turn around. He gently pushed the man against the counter as his hands gripped Harry’s waist. “That would explain why I woke up without you this morning. Whatever it is that you feel, until it comes to pass there is nothing beneficial about worrying about it.” Draco’s voice was pitched low which he’d found soothed the other man when he was agitated. He leaned in and placed feather light kisses on Harry’s lips, coaxing him into kissing him back. When Harry was completely relaxed against Draco’s chest, Draco pulled back.
            ”Why don’t you come and join me and the boys. I’m sure they are playing your muggle football with the quaffle by now. Hermione is settled in the library and wont be disturbed for hours. So stop your cleaning and come enjoy the day with me and our sons.” He was glad when Harry smiled and nodded in agreement. Harry waved his hands and the cleaning supplies he’d been using vanished to be placed in their proper locations. Then Draco cast the warming spell that would keep the majority of the pain caused by the cold weather at bay. Taking hold of Harry’s hand, Draco pulled the other man out the door and out passed the hedges that framed the main backyard.
            Draco’s prediction was indeed correct as the boys ran around the small Quidditch pitch kicking the quaffle to each other. Right as Draco was about to open his mouth to scold the boys, he felt a hand on his arm. Harry smiled at Draco as he silenced him, “Don’t scold them. I’ll replace the ball if it means that much to you. Until then, why don’t we go play?” Letting go of Draco’s arm, Harry jogged over and began playing with the boys.
            It didn’t take long before Harry coaxed Draco into the game with them. The next hour was filled with laughter and swearing on Draco’s part. The blonde was not picking up the rules of the game very well and it only made Harry taunt the man that much more. The boys also made fun of their father for his inability to play the game correctly. The game came to a point where Harry and Draco ran around the pitch, desperately trying to kick the ball away from the other as they had placed themselves on opposite teams. Harry stuck his foot out to kick the ball which resulted in catching Draco’s legs. The two men tumbled to the ground with groans of pain when the hard cold ground broke their fall. After the initial shock faded they began to laugh at themselves for their folly.
            Immediately after their fall, Ciel and Teddy rushed over laughing loudly and climbed on top of their fathers who groaned in protest. The warming spell the adults used to lessen the pain Harry felt due to the cold had begun to fade a little while back but the exercise and the sudden contact with the cold ground made the ache in Harry’s hip grow exponentially. Even though this latest tumble made that ache even more prevalent he was more than happy to be at the bottom of the human pile they made at that moment. However, when a bony foot stomped on his hip he yelped in pain.
            ”Oi! Easy there Ciel!” Harry cried out as that foot came back into contact with his hip.
            For a moment, the weight on top of Harry increased as Draco shifted off of Harry’s chest while pulling Ciel off of Harry at the same time. He reached over and pulled Teddy off of the brunette as well so the man could roll onto his hands and knees.
            Looking around, Harry noticed that the quaffle had rolled into the patch of forest that butted up against one side of the Quidditch pitch. “I’m going to find the ball.”
            ”A little bit of help would be appreciated Potter!” Draco complained. Harry laughed when he saw how Ciel and Teddy had moved to crawling all over Draco with the clear intent to bring him completely to the ground.
            ”Boys boys wait a minute!” Teddy and Ciel stopped all movement and looked at Harry. Kneeling down beside Draco, Harry leaned over and kissed the man sweetly, keeping in mind the boys were right there. Then he stood back up and waved at Draco as he walked away, “Alright, resume playing boys”
            ”Harry!” Draco groaned loudly as the boys continued their efforts to bring Draco to the ground. It didn’t take long for Draco to wrestle his way out from under his captors. When he was free, the boys started running around playing tag with each other. Draco was standing off to the side watching the boys when he felt someone walk up beside him. Thinking it was Harry, he turned and smiled in the way that he reserved for Harry. However, that smile quickly faded.
            ”You thought I was him didn’t you? Funny, you never looked at me that way.”
            He was able to keep his shock from reaching his face only because he was born and raised a Malfoy. Beside him stood a man almost a head shorter than Draco with short dull brown hair. Shifty brown eyes gazed steadily up at him. Draco was truly surprised. He hadn’t seen the man in months and the fact that he was standing in his backyard in France quickly soured his mood.
            ”You dare come to my personal estate Alden. Leave now, you have no business here”
            ”I have no business here? Of course I do. I came for you.” Alden turned from watching Ciel and Teddy to face Draco fully, placing his body between Draco and the boys. His face was filled with determination. “When you left, I didn’t believe that I would miss you at all. But I was proven wrong. Please come back with me to America. I love you and I need you.” He gripped Draco’s coat sleeve, stepping closer. Pale fingers gripped Alden’s fingers and pried them off of the blonde’s coat as he stepped away from the shorter man.
            ”Mind your distance Alden. Last we met I made myself quite clear. I am no longer interested in a partnership of any kind with you so I suggest you return to America where you belong” Not in the mood to deal with Alden’s dramatics Draco kept his voice cold and closed off.
            Brown eyes seemed to flare with fire at the rejection, “I’d heard that you were seeing some good for nothing celebrity but I hadn’t anticipated that the whore would be able to brainwash you so completely.” His voice was bitter and filled with resentment. “Who knew that all it took to bend you over like a bitch was to bring some lame ass runts into the picture. You were better off with me Draco, anyone can see that. You were strong and proud and you wouldn’t be caught dead acting like a docile puppy frolicking in a field like you were just now. Now,” the man’s voice softened as if he was talking to a child, “I can forgive your lapse in judgment if you come back with me. Only I can understand you fully and you know it.”
            Draco sneered dangerously at the man, “That, I can assure you, will never happen. I would not dare lower myself to such levels again as to return with you, a lowly mud-blood with a frenzied need to climb the ladder. No. Your misguided efforts are in vain. Now get off my property.”
            ”How dare you!” Alden spat back. Draco watched the man clench and unclench his teeth as he attempted to control his anger. It was one of the reasons Draco had ended their relationship. The man had a terrible temper and it was not unlike him to get revenge on those who he felt had wronged him. He was a terrible reminder of the life Draco had desperately tried to pull away from and he would not let the man ruin what he’d gained in the last few months. “You think you can just leave me?! You have no idea who you’re messing with!” Draco’s long fingers circled around Alden’s upper arm. Pale fingers gripped so tight that the skin beneath would surly bruise.
            The blonde stepped close so that his lips were barely an inch away from Alden’s ear so only the smaller man could hear. His voice dripped with deep murderous intent, “I will not regret anything, for you will not step foot in France or England ever again. You will never come near me or those under my protection is that clear? I, unlike you, am a dangerous man as you should know. I am resourceful but I also have connections. Dark connections. Connections that allow me every possible resource to track you down wherever you are and kill you without a second thought. Consider that before you make another one of your foolish plots for revenge. Do I make myself clear?”
            ”Papa!!” Ciel wailed, “Teddy pushed me!!!” The child ran towards the two men with tears streaming down his face, causing Draco to let go of Alden and take a step back. The boy grabbed at Draco’s pant leg and wailed. For a moment Draco really wanted the boy to disappear. This really was not the ideal moment to be interrupted. Draco took another step back and picked the child up, placing him on his hip. He looked down and there was a definite spot on the child’s knee were grass had stained the boy’s pants and a patch of blood was starting to seep through the fabric.
            While Draco was looking down at the patch of blood, Teddy came running up and stood beside the brown haired man. “Did not! He fell” the boy countered. Draco opened his mouth to try to quell the wailing child in his arms when Alden burst out with laughter causing him to close his mouth and scowl angrily at Alden.
            ”Look at you!” Alden laughed, “How the mighty Malfoy has fallen. Stricken down to doing a nanny’s job.” He pointed at Ciel who continued to sob in Draco’s arm, “How in Hell’s Gate did your whore find a child to look so much like you! Hair and all.” He turned and roughly grabbed hold of Teddy by the hair and yanked the boy’s face back so the boy was looking up at him. Alden pulled out his wand and started tracing lines along Teddy’s neck, “This one however, this one doesn’t look like you at all.”
            Murderous intent flashed in Draco’s eyes, “Take your filthy hand off my son.”
            ”You? Since when did you ever want kids? And what if I say no?” Alden challenged, his harsh grip in Teddy’s hair yanked the boy’s head back and forth as if waving a rag doll around. At the same time, his wand dug painfully into the child’s neck, his eyes glistening at the sound of Teddy’s wails of pain. Malfoy reached for his back pocket to grab his wand but swore fiercely when he found it empty. However, not moments later Alden screamed in agony. He let go of Teddy, who ran to hide behind Draco, and fell to the ground. Draco covered the eyes of the boys as best he could so they wouldn’t see and looked in the direction Harry had walked off in. If Draco didn’t know any better, he would have thought Voldemort stood at the edge of the forest with how dangerous Harry looked at that moment. The man’s arm was stretched out toward Alden who continued to writhe on the ground.
            ”Harry!” Hermione’s voice echoed through the pitch but it didn’t break the man’s concentration. The witch showed up next to Draco, her eyes glued to the agonized man. Draco reached behind him and pushed Teddy towards Hermione who immediately pulled the boy against her side.
            ”Take him Hermione” Draco’s demeanor had turned to that equivalent to a Dementor as he handed Hermione Ciel who continued to cry. “Take them both inside. Get them out of here and ward the house once your inside. Tell Pipsy to not allow anyone in without her specific permission do you understand? She will protect all of you.” The witch didn’t argue, turning and ushering the boys inside. As soon as the witch and boys had disappeared inside the house, Draco jogged over to Harry who had not let up on the curse.
            When he neared the brunette, Draco slowed and cautiously walked up to Harry. He reached out to place a hand on Harry’s arm, “Harry…” There was no response from Harry so Draco tried again, “Teddy and Ciel are safe, Harry. Let the man go. You’ve tortured him enough” he pitched his voice low and kept it steady, being careful not to anger the man any further.
            Murderous intent coursed through every vein in Harry’s body. How dare some stranger point their wand at his son. It had been obvious from the moment that Harry had stepped out of the forest that the two men were having some sort of confrontation and out of respect for Draco he had wanted to stay out of it. He had made plans to ask about the conversation later. But as soon as the stranger man handled his son and brandished his wand, Harry lost control and he cast the only spell that would convey his fury. Draco’s steady voice pulled Harry out of his enraged state enough to end the curse. Harry lowered his hand and turned flaming emerald eyes towards Draco before stalking towards the stranger. He barely noticed when Draco followed closely behind him.
            Alden lie on the cold ground recovering from the Cruciatus curse placed upon him. After a moment he sat up with a groan and looked towards Harry as he approached. “How dare you use such a spell on me!” Alden screeched. On wobbly legs, the man stood and glared at Harry, “You! You whore! You tricked him, brainwashed him. Tricked him with worthless children mothered by yet another whor-“ His rant was interrupted by Harry’s fist, dropping the man back to the ground.
            Harry growled angrily, “You have no idea who I am do you? You heard of Voldemort no?” Harry asked. When Alden’s face paled lightly, Harry smirked evilly, “Yes well, pleasure to meet you. I'm the one who killed him. And I have no regrets killing those who attempt to harm my sons.”
            ”As I said Alden. Leave and never return.” Draco’s voice was steely once more and held no mercy or pity for the man.
            Alden looked at Harry, his brown eyes calculating and plotting. “How did you find a child that looked so much like him?”
            Harry’s eyes flashed at the question, but then his smirk turned from plain evil to triumphant, “I didn’t.”
            Alden stared at Harry for a moment before his eyes widened and he looked at Draco. “That can’t be possible.” The man’s voice was of accusing disbelief.
            Draco smirked in the normal arrogant Malfoy way, “Leave now Alden. Or I will kill you myself.” Without another word, Alden turned and disappeared into the forest. Not even a second after Alden disappeared, Draco found himself suddenly looking up at the sky with excruciating pain radiating from his left cheekbone. Then he found himself looking up at Harry’s once again enraged face as the man gripped Draco’s jacket.
            ”You will explain who that son of a bitch was and you will explain it to me now Malfoy.” There was no room for argument in Harry’s voice.
            ”Bloody hell Harry!” Draco complained, nursing his cheek with he left hand. “Let me up and I’ll explain.” Harry stood up and dragged Draco along with him by the front of the blonde’s jacket.
            ”Speak Malfoy” Harry ordered once the man was on his feet.
            Sighing, Draco continued to nurse his cheek, “He was a man I used to see while I was in America. He fancied himself my boyfriend but to me he was a one night stand that decided to stick around. And at the time I didn’t care. He’s greedy and feels entitled to a better life than what is his due. He’s a rat who will try his hardest to take revenge against those he felt have wronged him.”
            Harry released Draco and took a step away from him, “He believes I took you away from him.”
            ”That’s because I left him right before I came back to England. I saw no reason to continue the arrangement anyways as he is a terrible reminder of my past. Then I happened to run into you and the boys and ever since then…” Draco sighed, “I never imagined that he would follow me Harry. I certainly never told him about this estate as I never trusted Alden to begin with.” When Harry did not respond to Draco’s explanation in favor of glaring at the blonde venomously, Draco sighed once again. “I’m sorry. I truly am. I honestly didn’t know he’d come to find me... Please don’t look at me like that.”
            ”A stranger held a wand to Teddy just now Draco!! You put my boys in danger today.” Harry stated flatly. “I’ve been entrusting the most treasured beings in my life in your hands and you put them in danger.” Shaking his head, Harry looked towards the house but he did not move towards it. His fury still ran too deep, and he wasn’t sure he could control his anger quite yet as proven by the quickly rising bruise on Draco’s cheek. Harry looked back just in time to see Draco’s fist come flying at him before it made contact with his jaw, the man instantly finding himself on the ground.
            “You pompous bastard!” Draco growled, “I understand that I messed up here. But I would never place Ciel and Teddy in harm’s way on purpose and you should know that by now! I love those two boys and I’d do anything and everything I could for them. And where do you get off by calling them yours again? We decided that they were ours and we were going to treat them as such so dont you dare go changing things back to how they were just because you’re scared. I’m sorry you were scared Harry. I’m sorry they were scared and most of all I’m sorry I let you down. But that’s life, I’m not a bloody god! And I won’t apologize for my past suddenly showing up unannounced.” Draco glared angrily at Harry for a second before feeling the need to add, “And dont you dare even think about leaving me because of this.”
            Harry stayed on the ground looking up at Draco as the man unleashed his own anger. The last statement eased Harry’s anger a bit. Rubbing his cheek, the brunette stood up. “I’m furious with you Draco but I never said anything about leaving you,” Harry said quietly, “And I’m sorry I went back to calling them mine. But…” Harry started pacing right in front of Draco, “We both need to do a better job at protecting our sons as their parents.”
            Draco watched Harry pace, “First off you and I should walk around and find where the hole in the perimeter is and seal it.”
            “Then you and I need to walk around the whole of this property and reinforce all the wards and no one outside of this family and those with special permission are allowed on the property. Ok?”
            Draco nodded, his expression serious. “Lets get going. And Harry…” The blonde shifted from one foot to another, the adrenaline from it all making him a bit anxious, “If I had known Alden would go to such extremes I would have told you about him and the possible risks earlier.”
            The brunette nodded at Draco, taking in the man’s words. “I understand.” He turned and started walking towards the woods with Draco close behind him, “But you’re still sleeping on the couch tonight.” Draco scowled at the idea of sleeping on a couch but due to his immense mess up just now, he knew it better to keep his mouth shut on the matter. After Draco accioed his wand, the two men spent the next three hours walking around the whole of the perimeter of the estate finding the hole, patching it and then warding the perimeter with the strongest wards and protection spells they knew. They took their time so as to make sure the spells and wards were connected with each other and would not be penetrable. When they were finished they walked towards the back door of the house.
            When they neared the back door, Draco held Harry back. “I told Hermione to ward the house against anyone entering unless Pipsy authorized it,” Draco explained. He looked towards the back door, “Pipsy! Let us in.” They waited for a moment before a small pop proceeded Pipsy’s sudden appearance. Pipsy looked up at Harry and Draco before looking around them.
            ”Just Masters Potter and Malfoy?” Pipsy questioned guardedly.
            ”Yes it’s just us Pipsy.” Harry acknowledged. “Promise”
            The elf looked them over momentarily before waving her small hand to lower the wards around the house and allowing the men inside. The first thing Harry did when he walked inside the house was to walk to the kitchen. There, he put some ice in ywo small baggies and walked back over to Draco and handed the man one of the ice packs.
            When Draco raised the eyebrow on the uninjured side of his face, Harry shrugged while putting his own on his face, “Just because I’m angry at you doesn’t mean I can’t reward you for not complaining about your face.”
            Harry almost laughed when Draco audibly sighed as he took the ice pack from Harry and placed it over his cheek and eye. In the meantime, Harry turned towards the living room calling out to the entire house.
            ”Hermione!” Almost immediately footsteps thundered down the stairs. Hermione was the first one to come down the stairs and as soon as she saw Harry she reached her arm out in time to catch both boys as they tried to run past. She gripped both boys tightly as she looked at Harry suspiciously. Even though the boys struggled, Hermione did not release her hold on them. Draco kept to the side lines as he watched the two best friends face off, not wanting to interfere with their moment. However he did wish the witch would let go of his sons.
            It didn’t take long for the boys to stop struggling with Hermione and in turn stared up at her in confusion. Hermione was the first one to break the silence between the two.
            ”How could you?” she asked quietly.
            Harry’s gaze was steady and confident, “My son was in danger. What else needs to be said?” The witch pursed her lips as many things popped into her head but as she looked into Harry’s eyes she knew that he would do anything for the boys, even kill for them. She also knew that he would not raise his wand to another in such a fashion for anything else so without another word from her, she let go of the two boys and allowed them to go to Harry. Kneeling down, Harry took the boys into a hug before pulling back and inspecting Teddy’s head and throat. When he found no physical damage he stood up and looked at the other adults in the room.
            ”How about some ice cream?” Harry asked. He turned and walked into the kitchen, followed by Hermione. Her intentions to talk with Harry privately were quite clear. Meanwhile, Draco sat on the couch and beckoned the boys to come over. When they stood before him, Draco pulled them into a tight hug.
            ”I’m sorry that man scared and hurt you. Can you forgive your Papa?” He asked seriously. Teddy pulled back enough to look into Draco’s face before nodding his head, quickly followed by Ciel.
            Teddy gripped Draco’s shirt, his lower lip quivering, “Why was has he so mean Papa?”
            Sighing internally, Draco quickly wiped away the tear that slid down the shy boy’s face, “He isn’t a very nice person to begin with and he’s angry with me.”
            ”Why?” Ciel asked curiously.
            ”Because he’s angry that I won’t give him what he wants. If either of you two see him ever again, I want you to run and hide ok? Don’t let him find you.” Draco made sure each of them promised to run by the time Harry and Hermione came back into the room with bowls of ice cream. The two friends seemed to have worked out their issue as they smiled at each other and made jokes.
            The rest of the day and evening was quiet with Harry keeping his distance from Draco which Draco keenly noticed. Clearly he would be in the dog house for quite some time. When night fell, Hermione decided to leave the men in hopes of catching Ron and discussing their situation. She bid them goodbye and left the family to the rest of their evening. Draco and Harry put the boys to bed when they showed signs of exhaustion and then they went into their bedroom. Silence filled the space between them as they changed into their night clothes. While Harry went to the bed, Draco grabbed his pillows and found a blanket before walking over to the small sitting room off to the side of the bedroom. Once there he arranged his pillows on the couch and laid down. Harry glanced at him once before silently getting into bed and lying down, silently mulling over their situation.
            He was upset with the situation Draco had put his sons into. He was upset that Draco had not told him about their potential danger. A part of him even felt a little betrayed. Yet, the more he thought on the matter, the more he found that he wasn’t truly angry at Draco. He was merely angry at the situation. Draco couldn’t possibly have known that an old ex was going to do something crazy. It wasn't fair of Harry to treat Draco as if he'd been the one to do something wrong. When sleep continued to evade Harry, he sat up and looked over at his lover sleeping on the couch. As he watched Draco’s steady breathing, Harry suddenly felt intensively lonely in the large bed all by himself. Eyeing the couch, he realized that the couch was deep enough to fit both of them so Harry grabbed his pillow and padded over.
            When he arrived, he placed his pillow next to Draco’s and laid down next to Draco. As Draco had been lying with his back towards the bed, Harry nestled himself as close as he could to Draco’s back, finally feeling the muscles he hadn’t known were tense relax. In the back of his mind Harry recognized that he would have to verbally let Draco off the hook in the morning as sleep’s comforting oblivion swept over him.
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