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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
- 8
- 9
- 10
Last Time
Lucius had checked his chest as he changed from his dress robes into pyjamas and he had been right, just a bruise that was going to come out in a wonderful starburst of colour soon, but nothing more serious than that. Harry had swallowed a pain reliever and currently he was feeling very, very good as he cuddled with Rabastan, though he knew that very soon, likely as soon as tomorrow, they’d have to sit down and seriously sort out their thoughts and feelings. He wanted this to work, he needed this relationship to work because he wanted it so very badly, because he loved Rabastan so much. They needed to talk to one another and they needed to sort out their damn feelings before they had any hope of progressing, but as he looked up at Rabastan, who was gazing softly at him with his fingers still massaging his scalp, Harry was very, very hopeful.
Chapter Nine – Signs of Acceptance
Harry didn’t remember how he’d gotten to bed last night. He must have fallen asleep on Rabastan and been floated up to his bed as he just didn’t remember, but he’d woken up tucked up in his bed, well rested and cosy, though his chest was aching a bit.
He made it down to breakfast with a grimace of pain only to find a pain reliever already waiting for him, which he shot back immediately in one large swallow. He groaned happily as it worked within a minute to ease away the aching pain in his chest.
“Do you hurt terribly?” Rabastan asked him, looking unhappy at the thought.
“No, it wasn’t really painful, it’s a horrible ache more than anything, but it was more painful when I breathed in. This helps a lot to ease my breathing.”
“You made an utter fool out of yourself.” Rhadamanthus informed him scathingly. “You assaulted a prominent, powerful Pureblood and threw yourself at another like a Mudblood whore. You’re disgusting.”
It was, of course, too much to ask for that Rhadamanthus had gotten drunk at the winter gala and fallen into one of those damn ice sculptures and killed himself, or even just fucking stayed at the Parkinson’s, but of course he was here being his easily loathable self for breakfast.
“You’re just upset because you missed everything.” Harry told him tonelessly, not even looking at him as he poured Rabastan another glass of water before filling his own glass and plate up so that he could have breakfast.
Rhadamanthus flushed horribly, as he had missed the drama last night. He had been meeting with a few of his associates, but he had been well informed of what had happened when they’d returned to the gala. Healers had been called to escort Rowle to the hospital and it had been all anyone could talk about for the rest of the night. Though most of them had been gossiping easily about how the young and handsome Lord Potter-Black had put Lord Rowle in his place after the older man had insulted and then physically attacked him.
Harry spoke softly to Rabastan as he ate his breakfast and he was very happy that he and Rabastan were back to how they were before they’d had their fight. Their disagreement had lasted for a day. If all of their fights would last that long and be resolved so quickly then Harry was certain that they’d have a wonderful future together, because he wasn’t so utterly naïve as to believe that they’d never have another fight or argument in the future.
“Merry Christmas.” Rabastan whispered to him softly.
Harry smiled widely as he realised that yes, today was actually Christmas Day.
“Merry Christmas, Rabastan.”
Draco had told him how today would progress and breakfast was always first. After that they’d reconvene to the family drawing room and exchange gifts. Then they’d have Christmas lunch and then there would be wine and cheeses set up in the drawing room where they’d stay and talk until they’d eventually leave and they’d retire to bed.
It all seemed very formal to Harry, but then he had never really had a normal Christmas before. He’d been locked in a cupboard for Christmas during most of his childhood and on others, mostly when he was at Hogwarts, it had been spent lounging around the castle or encroaching on the Weasley’s Christmas.
This…being here with the Malfoys and with Rabastan, who would one day become his Husband, it felt like he had his own family, like he was accepted and a part of everything and not just there because he had nowhere else to go. It felt amazing.
His excitement grew as he thought of the gifts he’d bought for everyone. He’d been told by Draco that only one gift per person was acceptable etiquette, so Harry had stuck to that, though he couldn’t see himself sticking to such formal rules when he had his own home and his own children.
He finished his breakfast and sat talking to Rabastan on his one side and Draco, who was sat opposite him. They were waiting for Lucius, as their host, to finish his morning tea. Thankfully he didn’t have his usual morning paper today or they’d be waiting for another hour for him to finish reading it.
“Come along, boys.” Narcissa stood gracefully and came to their area of the table.
Draco stood and offered his arm to his Mother, Harry walked around the table and did the same, so that Narcissa had a son on either side of her.
Lucius stood and gestured for his guests to go before him as Draco and Harry escorted Narcissa up the stairs, down the corridor and into the family drawing room.
Their Christmas tree was real pine and decorated in real, solid silver ornaments that had been polished to a high sheen and had been in the Malfoy family for generations. There were several plain white candles in silver holders on every other branch. It looked beautiful to Harry as he went and touched one of the branches, leaving the scent of pine on his fingers. He’d never been allowed to touch the Dursleys ridiculously expensive plastic tree that was decorated in gaudy lights, tacky coloured glass baubles and ratty tinsel.
There were several wrapped gifts under the tree, all decorated in coloured paper with a ribbon wrapped around it, their tags poking out and Harry’s excitement grew as Narcissa smoothed down her gown and sat on one of the settees facing the tree. Draco sat next to her, but Harry chose to walk over to the other settee, where he sat next to Rabastan, squeezing in tight as the Lestrange men were not small by any means.
“How are you this morning, Harry?” Xerxes asked him. “How are your ribs?”
“I’m alright, thank you. My ribs were aching earlier this morning, but that pain reliever took the edge right off.”
Rabastan’s arm slipped around his back and his hand slipped up to rub at his bruised ribs and Harry smiled.
Once again Rhadamanthus was sat on his own, excluded from the rest of them by his own choice. Harry really didn’t understand why he’d even bothered to come, but he took an educated guess that it was because he wanted to ruin the day for Rabastan as much as he could. Well…Harry wasn’t going to let him.
“Ladies first, I believe.” Lucius said with a smile towards his Wife.
Lucius used his wand to summon the first gift toward him and he handed it over to Narcissa with a kiss to the cheek. She made a show of checking the tag and reading it slowly before sending her Husband a smile. Meticulously untying the ribbon and unfolding every corner of the paper from the large present, Narcissa uncovered a beautiful square box, which she opened with care.
“Oh Lucius, thank you.” She exclaimed happily as she stood up and pulled out the most beautiful dress that Harry had ever seen with a matching shawl that was draped around the shoulders of the folded dress, held together with a brooch made of gleaming silver and black iron, engraved with the Malfoy crest made out of emerald and onyx.
Narcissa pulled out three smaller boxes from the bigger box and opened them each in turn to reveal a matching set of a necklace, bracelet and earrings. All of the jewellery would complement her new dress magnificently.
Harry grinned at how happy Narcissa was and he waited patiently as Lucius distributed more gifts out, watching as his gift to Draco was happily received and his own from Draco made him laugh.
Then Rabastan summoned a small wrapped box and he handed it over with a smile, Harry delicately pulled the ribbon, even though he wanted to tear into it like an overexcited child.
Inside the box was a pendant necklace in an odd, spiky shield shape made of an unfamiliar, highly polished black gem. It was surrounded and etched with symbols in real gold and when he turned the pendant over, the back was made of gold too and it was inscribed with the Latin words mihi parta tueri. He run his fingers over it before turning it back around to face him and he swallowed as he made out that the symbols on the front were actually letters. They spelt out ‘Lestrange’ in an odd, mixed up order, but Harry knew what this was. It was the Lestrange family crest. He was being given the Lestrange family crest to wear as his own.
“I had this made for you.” Rabastan told him as he remained silent. “Black sapphire and gold. The inscription on the back is the Lestrange family motto. I will fight for what is mine. It’s a promise to you, that I will not let you go now that I have you. There will be no more pushing you away or any mentions of other men. You are mine and I will fight for you.”
Harry’s mouth was so dry that he couldn’t even swallow as he played the pendant, on a short, stout masculine chain of gold, around his fingers. It was lovely, beautiful even, and the symbolism of him receiving it as a gift were undeniable. He was not only being welcomed into the Lestrange family and being given permission to wear their crest, but Rabastan was also staking a claim on him, a warning to other Purebloods who might have any designs on him that he was taken, that he was a member of the Lestrange family and he wore their crest. I will fight for what is mine. Harry stared at those words and he ran his thumb over them, he was going to hold Rabastan to those words for the rest of their lives.
“Do you not like it?” Rabastan asked him insecurely.
“Harry, you give thanks for gifts you have received.” Lucius told him sharply.
Harry looked up from the pendant and at Lucius with wide eyes before looking to Rabastan, sat beside him looking nervous again. He tried to swallow to dampen his mouth, but he couldn’t. Instead he reached forward and hugged Rabastan tightly, ducking his head into his thick neck and holding him, trying to tell him without the words that he couldn’t get past his tongue that he loved his gift.
Rabastan’s shaky arms wrapped around his back and squeezed him tight before he pulled back and kissed his forehead.
“I love it.” Harry managed to get out at last. “Thank you.”
Rabastan took it from him and fought with the clasp to get it open. Harry didn’t offer to help and he waited patiently with a smile as Rabastan finally opened the chain and placed it around his neck before struggling to redo it. Harry waited happily as he rubbed his fingers over his new pendant.
“I know you can’t wear it in public, it would be too suspicious.” Rabastan told him after he’d gotten the necklace done up, his voice quiet and strained from embarrassment. “But I wanted you to have it.”
Harry cuddled back up to Rabastan and held him tightly, uncaring of the odd jut of bones under his hands as he tilted his head back for a kiss to the mouth. Lucius cleared his throat and Harry grinned as he pulled his mouth away from Rabastan’s.
“He doesn’t deserve a crest of our family.” Rhadamanthus declared. Harry had been wondering when he was going to butt in and try to ruin everything. “They are not even engaged! He is not a member of our family.”
“Yet.” Harry said loudly and sharply to Rhadamanthus before turning back to Rabastan. “I love it, Rabastan. I’m not going to take it off.”
Rabastan grinned at him and they laced their fingers together before turning back to the room at large as Lucius gave out more presents. For Harry, nothing beat the pendant he’d been given, especially not the atrocious gift that Rhadamanthus had given him, being forced to give him a gift merely because social etiquette demanded it.
He’d thanked Rhadamanthus for the female lingerie set and turned the man’s face almost purple by promising to wear it for Rabastan on their wedding night as he took it from the box to show everyone what he’d been given. Xerxes had roared with laughter and Rodolphus had been forced to thump Rabastan on the back after the poor man had almost choked on an inhaled sip of water.
Harry had shared a grin with Draco and winked at his brother before snuggling into a calmed Rabastan and enjoying his Christmas morning with his family. Of course things would have been better and much nicer without Rhadamanthus there sneering and making snide comments, but he knew that he couldn’t have everything his own way.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X
Christmas lunch had been tense with Rhadamanthus dining with them, but Harry ignored him as best as he could, as much as polite socialism allowed at least. He filled up on goose, pheasant, vegetables and potatoes and then retired back to the family drawing room.
He and Draco started a game of chess and Harry’s good mood steadily evaporated. He’d gotten better at chess since he’d spent time playing against Ron, but he was still no match for Draco.
“I win again.” Draco said smugly.
“I don’t want to play anymore.” Harry huffed.
“Why not?” Draco demanded as he set the board back up. “You’re getting better. Slowly.”
Rabastan shifted over to sit next to him and he picked up the first white pawn and moved it. Harry grinned and settled back against his betrothed and watched Draco make his move.
Harry made the next move after looking to Rabastan for direction and he was much happier as he and Rabastan played together against Draco.
They still lost, much to Draco’s smug satisfaction, but Harry couldn’t bring himself to care about that as he and Rabastan had had so much fun laughing and strategising together.
The pendant around his neck was a warm weight that he couldn’t stop playing with and every couple of minutes he would lift his hand to touch it, to play with it as he rubbed it with his thumb, feeling the contrast between the very precious black sapphire and the equally precious solid gold. He would have loved it all the same if it had been made from aluminium and glass. It was the thought behind the gift that made it so precious, so sentimental to him. It was a symbol of the love that Rabastan couldn’t voice and it was a symbol of their coming engagement, the Lestranges were welcoming him into their family and it was a promise, mihi parta tueri, Rabastan would fight for him. Rabastan was telling him without words that he wanted to marry him and he would have had to ask Xerxes for permission to give him anything with the Lestrange crest on it as the current Head of the House Lestrange. Xerxes was welcoming him into the family too by giving his permission for the pendant to carry the Lestrange crest and Harry loved the feeling of acceptance he was getting from having the pendant around his neck. He raised his hand to touch it again and he couldn’t hold back the grin.
Rabastan saw him and his arm wrapped around his hips and squeezed. He didn’t trust himself to hold around his chest because of his bruised ribs, so he’d started holding around his hips instead. Harry loved the thought behind the action and he sneaked a look around subtly before darting in to peck Rabastan’s lips.
His betrothed laughed so happily that it drew everyone else’s attention as Harry sat right beside him, grinning so happily and holding Rabastan’s hands.
“I love you.” Harry whispered to him as he stared at Rabastan’s face and into those dark blue eyes that he loved so very much, but were the reason that Rhadamanthus loathed his own son.
“I hope our baby has your eyes.” Rabastan told him and it was Harry’s turn to laugh.
“I was just thinking that your eyes were so very beautiful.” He told his betrothed. “I want our children to have your eyes.”
“We’ll compromise. Half of them will take your breath taking eyes and half will take mine.” Rabastan said with a grin, as if they had any sort of control over those sorts of things, but Harry still chuckled.
“Deal.” He agreed, pausing for a moment before thinking of something. “They’re all going to have brown eyes now.” He laughed. “All of your family have brown eyes and my Dad had brown eyes too.”
Rabastan pulled gently on his hair. “You’ve gone and cursed it now.” He told him and Harry laughed yet again.
“What are you two giggling so hysterically about?” Draco demanded.
“Our future children’s eye colour.” Harry told his adoptive brother. “Rabastan wants all our children to have my eyes, but I want our children to have his blue…we compromised and then realised we’d cursed all our future children to have brown eyes, like Rodolphus.”
“And just what is wrong with my eye colour?” Rodolphus demanded.
“Nothing.” Harry insisted. “If you like tree bark and mud.” He mumbled under his breath to Rabastan, who laughed in surprise.
“What was that?” Rodolphus narrowed his eyes.
“Nothing! Nothing!” Harry placated as he shifted closer to Rabastan and buried his face in his betrothed’s chest so he could hide his grin and muffle his laughter.
Rabastan petted at his back and head and smiled down at him as Harry laughed into him. Harry enjoyed the attention and the way that Rabastan was looking at him with that smile on his thin, chapped lips. His betrothed needed a drink and Harry pecked at those too dry lips before standing up and going to pick up both of their glasses, topping them up with water and handing Rabastan’s glass to him.
“At least you know the baby will have dark hair.” Draco told him.
“Not exactly.” Harry said with a smile. “Dark hair is more dominant, but my Mother and grandmother were red heads and my Aunt and Grandfather were actually blonde. My cousin was blond too, despite his Father also having red hair.”
“My mother was blonde too.” Rabastan told him with a soft smile.
That was when their Christmas went wrong as a glass smashed and Rhadamanthus was on his feet looking furious.
“You have no right to talk of her!” He exploded, his face going a horrible shade of red that Harry had become familiar with due to Vernon Dursley. “You killed her! You are the reason that she is dead, you have no right to even think of her!”
“She loved him.” Harry said firmly when everyone else remained silent in the ensuing minutes after Rhadamanthus’ violent outburst. “She loved her son and that’s what you don’t like. You didn’t like the new baby and you couldn’t stand that your Wife loved him when you didn’t even want him. Well she did want him and she did love him and there is nothing that you can do to change that! Rabastan didn’t kill her, you did when you broke her heart by hating her beloved son.”
“You have no clue what you’re talking about!” Rhadamanthus told him furiously, that dangerous glint back in his pale eyes. “You weren’t even born when my Wife died.”
“I don’t need to have been.” Harry said, glaring back just as hard. “I know one thing though. In the end, before she died, it was you that she hated. She hated you for hating the son that she loved and adored. It’s you who have no right to talk or think of her, not Rabastan, because she loved him, not you.”
Rhadamanthus let out a ferocious scream and lunged at him, but it was Lucius who shot off a body binding spell that had Rhadamanthus falling flat on his face before he even came close to reaching him.
“I would advise you against lunging at one of my sons like some sort of wild beast in a menagerie.” Lucius said mildly, but with a bite of steel to his tone and in those grey eyes.
“You are a fool of the biggest kind.” Xerxes spat at his son. “You will go back to Lestrange Manor and you’ll stay there!”
Xerxes lifted his son with a spell and they left the room, Harry assumed so that Xerxes could Apparate Rhadamanthus back to Lestrange Manor to give him a real dressing down without anyone watching or hearing his private business.
Harry turned to Rabastan and cupped his face, smiling at him.
“Are you okay?” He asked quietly.
“You…you stood up to him for me, when I couldn’t even do it myself.” Rabastan said in a strange bemusement.
“Of course I did.” Harry replied with a soft smile. “I love you and I’m not going to let that poisonous, petty bastard fill your head with lies. Your Mother loved you, Rabastan, it was him who never has, not your Mother. Love her and remember her fondly, as she did you. Never let Rhadamanthus poison you against her, as he’s trying to do. I know that you know deep in your heart that she loved you, hold on to that.”
Rodolphus sat at Rabastan’s back and slipped both of his arms around his brother in a way that would have looked too close, too intimate if it had been anyone other than these two…the two who had survived through so much between them, Harry knew, he understood and he didn’t hold it against either of them.
“She did love you.” Rodolphus told his younger brother. “That old fool knows it too, it’s why he reacted as he did. As Harry said, she loved you, you and me, not him.”
Harry patted Rabastan’s hand and left him and Rodolphus to have some time to themselves. He went over to Draco and asked if he wanted to play one-on-one Quidditch, which really wasn’t anything more than releasing Draco’s snitch and the both of them chasing it down.
“Sure.” Draco agreed easily as he stood up and stretched.
“The both of you put a jumper on.” Narcissa told them. “Lucius, go with them.” She ordered her Husband. “I don’t want either of them to get hurt.”
Lucius sighed, but he stood up as well as Harry and Draco rushed to get their jumpers and broomsticks from their bedrooms before they made their way to the back reception room, where Narcissa was waiting for them.
“I’m going to make up for my losses in chess.” Harry swore to Draco with a grin.
He allowed Narcissa to fuss around him, making sure that his jumper collar and hem were covering him fully before she cast a warming charm on him before moving to do the same to Draco.
Lucius joined them wearing a very expensive, calf length winter coat and he had his ever present cane with him in one hand.
Harry darted outside and rushed across the back decking and down the porch steps with Draco. He flat out run over the lawn towards the Quidditch pitch then, they weren’t allowed to run inside the house, but outside of it was another matter entirely.
Lucius joined them, having walked at a more dignified, sedate pace, just as Draco was unlocking his own box of Quidditch balls. He only took out the snitch before closing the lid again.
“If I see either one of you cheating, you will be placed in a corner for an hour. I don’t care if it’s Christmas, you’ll still be punished.”
Harry hugged Draco and got a slap to the back for his trouble.
“There’s not going to be any cheating on my part.” He said with a grin. “I don’t need to cheat to win.”
Draco scoffed but let the snitch go after Lucius had tapped it with his wand to activate it, its tiny silver wings beating against his hand.
Harry climbed onto his Firebolt and he and Draco watched Lucius intently as he smiled cruelly at them as he waited, and waited, and waited to send them both into the air.
“Father!” Draco whined impatiently as he’d finally had enough of waiting.
Lucius chuckled. “Begin.” He commanded and the both of them shot off like corks from a bottle of shaken butterbeer.
Harry whooped like a maniac as he weaved around the private Quidditch pitch, it was smaller than a professional pitch, but it was still a decent size, more for use by a five-on-five team (one keeper, one beater, one seeker and two chasers per team) instead of seven-on-seven.
It was very freeing and Harry didn’t focus too much on finding the snitch, he just wanted to practice his dives and moves and Draco was doing the same. It felt amazing to fly during the holidays, he didn’t care that it was bitterly cold, windy and that there was a couple of inches of snow covering everything. He just loved the freeing experience of being able to fly around something that wasn’t actually the Hogwarts grounds for once, though flying around the Weasley’s orchard, catching apples, was alright, but it was nothing like this. This was an actual Quidditch pitch, with actual hoops and real balls. Catching thrown apples was so easy for him, he’d been catching golf balls thrown by Oliver Wood in his first year, apples were bigger and slower and he could see them easier. But this, practicing with an actual, real snitch on a good sized pitch was incredible.
The both of them were red cheeked from the wind and cold after just twenty minutes, but they were both laughing and funnily, neither of them were actually looking for the snitch, they were having a good time just flying around and trying to outdo one another’s stunts.
Harry didn’t notice precisely when Rabastan had come out to watch him, but on his next turn around the south side goal hoops, he noticed that Lucius was no longer standing alone. Rabastan and Xerxes had come out to watch them too and he grinned and he started showing off a bit more. After his most hair raising dive yet, where he pulled up, away from the ground, with less than a fraction of a second to spare, his shins sunk in the few inches of snow that had fallen, Lucius shouted at him, actually shouted at him, and told him that if he didn’t stop doing such ridiculous, reckless stunts then he’d have his broom confiscated from him for the rest of the holidays.
Harry cut back on the stunts then and he went looking for the snitch instead, his grin hurting his frozen cheeks and he ignored his bright red, cold fingers that gripped his broom handle numbly. He was having too much fun and he went up to a hundred and forty feet and looked down. A dive from here would be spectacular, but he knew that Lucius would keep good on his promise and he didn’t want to push him into doling out a punishment.
He caught a glint of gold and he grinned, already moving before he’d fully turned his head to sight the snitch properly and that was what made him a brilliant seeker, he moved on automatic, his body was one with his broom as he went after the snitch with single minded determination. He loved flying, he loved this freedom, he loved everything about it as he chased down the snitch, following it, weaving, swaying, diving and climbing. He reached eighty feet and then the snitch dived and he followed, his body low on the handle of the broom, making himself as streamlined as possible, he only outstretched his hand at the last possible moment to reduce air drag and just three feet from the ground, he caught the snitch, pulled out of the dive and added a half spin to the side to bring himself to a complete stop in the air.
He laughed so happily as he clutched the snitch and he flew a little lower and slid off of his broom, landing on his feet in the snow. He made his way over to the adults, watching as Draco landed too, shaking himself with the chill in the air.
He handed the snitch back to Draco, who locked it into his trunk and Harry went to wrap his arms around Rabastan.
“You flew superbly.” Rabastan told him, hugging him tightly and letting go before he could have an ‘episode’ and crush him too tightly. “You could play professionally.”
Harry grinned at the praise. “I’ve never wanted to fly professionally.” He said. “I like just flying more than actually playing Quidditch and I don’t think I’d enjoy it as much if I made the hobby I love into an actual career.”
“What do you want to do?” Rabastan asked curiously.
Harry frowned. “I was talking to Draco about this at school. I was thinking I’d like to be a teacher. Maybe for Care of Magical Creatures or Defence Against the Dark Arts. I’m not too sure. I might change my mind this year, next year or even once I’ve graduated, but at the moment I want to be a teacher.”
“That is an admirable career choice.” Lucius told him approvingly as they started off back towards the manor.
Harry smiled shyly and ducked his head. He wasn’t used to sharing his thoughts with other people and sharing his career choices and having them praised was something he was very unused to as it had never really happened before. He was very pleased and he hoped that, even if he didn’t go on to be a teacher, that Lucius still approved of whatever career he did choose later in life.
They made it back to the manor and they slipped back into the drawing room, where Narcissa was taking advantage of the peace to read a novel with a dust jacket that was moving, lightning flashing over the tops of trees while a bear suddenly appeared, prowling around the tiny stone cottage in the middle of the supposed forest.
She immediately slid in a bookmark and put the book down, standing to come and check them over, putting a pale hand on both his and Draco’s cheeks. She tutted in disapproval.
“You are both too cold. Pimsey!”
A house elf immediately appeared in the room and curtseyed low.
“What can Pimsey be doing for Mistress?” It squeaked out.
“Hot chocolate for the young masters, now.” Narcissa ordered curtly.
The house elf was gone in the space of a blink and Harry sat down with Rabastan on the same settee that they’d been sat on that morning. His hand rose again to the pendant around his neck and he played with it. Pimsey was back not two minutes later and she handed a large mug of hot chocolate to Draco and then gave one to him.
“Thank you.” He said automatically and the house elf looked like she’d burst into tears while the Malfoy’s and the Lestranges just stared at him as Pimsey left.
Harry took a big gulp and sighed happily as it warmed him.
“What?” He demanded when he realised that he was being stared at.
“You did that thing with the house elves again.” Draco sneered at him.
“He’s done that before?” Rodolphus asked in absolute disgust.
“He does it all the time at school.” Draco ratted him out.
“What does it cost me to thank someone for doing something for me?” Harry demanded. “Nothing!”
“It’s a house elf!” Xerxes said aghast.
“They’re still living! They still have emotions!”
“Granger got to you.”
“I am a founding member of S.P.E.W.”
“Excuse me?” Lucius demanded. “A founding member of what?!”
“S.P.E.W. The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. I was the Secretary.”
Draco snorted with laughter and almost choked on his hot chocolate.
“You make a good secretary.” Draco told him.
Harry grinned. “I never actually did anything and there was no way that I was going around wearing a badge that said Secretary for SPEW on it. It was a good idea in theory, but Hermione went about it in completely the wrong way.”
“How was it a good idea?” Xerxes demanded. “Those creatures are happy to be servants.”
“Exactly, servants, not slaves and they’re treated as slaves by most people. It doesn’t cost me anything to say thank you for a service they’ve given me and it makes them feel better, why is that so difficult?”
“You’ve been doing wonderfully well, but it is times like these that remind me that you were raised by foul Muggles.” Xerxes commented and Harry glared at him until Lucius checked him with a hex to the back of the head.
Harry took a deep breath and looked away, letting the conversation drop and letting the room be plunged into a stiff, cold silence where the tension just grew and grew the longer the silence stretched on.
Lucius was the one to break it after realising that no one else was going to do so and that neither Harry nor Xerxes were going to apologise. He broke it by telling Pimsey to serve wine and cheeses, he didn’t thank her, but neither was he quite so venomous with his order. Harry acknowledged and accepted that Lucius was trying to keep the peace, so he didn’t kick up a fuss.
Rabastan distracted him anyway, by feeding him bites of cheeses on lightly salted crackers after finding out that not only had Harry never tried any of the cheeses on offer, but that he’d never seen or heard of most of them.
“This one is brie.” Rabastan told him, holding out the cracker with the aforementioned brie on it for Harry to take a bite out of.
Harry chewed and then pulled a face and Rabastan laughed and held out a napkin so Harry could spit it out.
“That’s disgusting.” Draco told him.
“No, that cheese is disgusting! It tastes like it’s gone past its use-by date.” Harry corrected him, washing away the taste of the brie stuck in his mouth with water.
“This one is Crawford stilton.” Rabastan told him, having far too much fun at his expense in Harry’s opinion.
“That one even looks disgusting! I’m not trying it.”
“How will you know if you like it or not if you don’t try it?” Rabastan told him.
“Taste is only one sense, sight and smell are two and they’re both telling me that I’m not going to like that smelly, mouldy hunk of cheese.”
Rabastan burst out laughing and so did everyone else, all at his expense and Harry bristled.
“Just try it.” Rabastan encouraged once he’d stopped laughing and regained some control. “Look, it’s good.” Rabastan took a bite out of the cracker then held out the rest for Harry to try and he scowled, but he opened his mouth and allowed Rabastan to feed him the half cracker and bite of cheese.
The flavour was overpowering, as his nose had told him it would be, and he dived for the napkin to spit it out, getting more laughter at his expense. He gulped his water and glared at Rabastan.
“No more.” He insisted.
“You need to try new things.” Rabastan told him, smiling at him so happily that Harry relented almost immediately. He’d do anything to make Rabastan smile like that more often.
He grudgingly took a bite out of another cheese presented to him, a little hesitantly as this cheese was filled with holes, but as he chewed, he found that he actually liked this one and he swallowed it and took the other half of the cracker and cheese into his mouth.
“I like that one.” He said once he’d finished.
“See.” Rabastan said with a soft grin. “If you don’t try them, then you won’t know if you like them or not. That was Emmental.”
“How have you never tried any of these before?” Lucius asked him. “I assume that the Muggles have cheeses.”
Harry automatically thought back to the Dursleys, who always had a bog-standard cheeseboard on offer at Christmas, he knew as he’d taken it from its supermarket packaging often enough, but he’d never been allowed to so much as nibble them. He was to prepare the food while Dudley was opening his thirty odd presents, then he was to go back to his cupboard and stay there.
“Of course they did.” Harry said softly. “They just never let me have any.” He said, not looking at anyone as he took the cracker from Rabastan and bit into it. He neither liked nor disliked the double Gloucester with chives.
All at once the room was reminded forcibly that he had been mistreated in his childhood by Muggles and Harry watched as Rabastan bared his teeth and clenched both fists.
Lucius sighed and pushed the platter of cheeses more towards Harry, calling Pimsey back and ordering her to get even more cheeses.
“I want you to try all of them. Every single one.” Lucius instructed him and Harry grimaced.
“Some of them look gross.”
“Try them.” Lucius insisted and Harry relented and took a slice of a cheese with red bits in it from between a garnish of fresh melon and red grapes.
He nibbled it without a cracker and he pulled a face and handed it to Rabastan, whose smile was a little forced.
“It has fruit in it! Who put’s fruit in cheese?!” Harry demanded.
“You uncultured swine.” Draco teased him.
Harry huffed and picked up another piece of cheese from the platter that Pimsey had just served, which was more white than the creamy yellow of some of the others. Nibbling on it carefully gave him nothing except that it was mild and very fresh tasting. He put more into his mouth and chewed it consideringly.
“Do you like that one?” Rabastan asked him gently and Harry nodded. “That was goats’ cheese.”
Harry picked up a little cube next, of what he thought was more goat cheese, but was very crumbly and salty on his tongue. He grimaced as he hadn’t expected it, before actually realising that he did like it a little bit.
“That was actually feta.” Rabastan told him with a laugh.
“Isn’t that a salad cheese?” Harry asked.
“It is a salad cheese.”
“Not very traditional.” Harry said with a grin.
“I think your Father is just making sure you try every cheese in existence.” Rabastan told him with a small, forced grin.
“I don’t like this game.” Harry frowned as he eyed another ordinary seeming piece of cheese. “I like cheddar, can’t we just leave it at that?”
“No.” Draco told him simply as he ate his own cheeses, sipping on a glass of red wine. Harry had declined the wine to support Rabastan, who was strictly not allowed any alcohol on his recovery diet.
Harry grimaced and tried another piece of cheese. It wasn’t too bad, if a bit rubbery for his tastes.
“That was edam.”
“Not too bad.” Harry sighed and he tucked himself into Rabastan.
He took some melon and a handful of grapes and he tried them, finding them at their perfect ripeness, naturally. He then turned to Rabastan and repaid the favour, feeding him bits of fruit, knowing that Rabastan was allowed to eat a bit of fruit from his written diet sheet that he had studied extensively so that he knew what his betrothed could have at what time.
Harry wiped Rabastan’s chin for him from the juice that dribbled down it from the melon pieces and he did so willingly and lovingly. He didn’t care and now that Rhadamanthus was gone, no one else cared either, in fact Xerxes was watching them with a satisfied smile on his face and Rodolphus looked over every now and then approvingly.
Harry ignored them both and Rabastan’s back was to them so he couldn’t see. Rabastan let him know he’d had enough when he touched Harry’s hands and held onto them. Harry finished off the last bit of melon and the few grapes himself before settling into Rabastan and just enjoying the peace with him. He didn’t know why he’d ever been afraid of spending time with Rabastan, or why he thought it would be awkward. He laughed now at his previous thoughts on the matter, being with Rabastan was just…it just was. It was easy, it made him happy and the thought of a real future, a future he actually wanted, it was the best feeling in the world and he wanted it with all of his heart. He wanted Rabastan and he wanted children with him. It was as simple as that.
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The Christmas period flew past, too quickly for Harry’s liking as he tried to spend even more time with Rabastan. It wasn’t fair that they would be split up again in just a week’s time. He didn’t want to say goodbye to him.
“Don’t say goodbye while we still have time left together.” Rabastan told him as he caught Harry glowering at the date on the corner of the newspaper that Lucius was reading.
“I can’t help it. I don’t want to go back.” Harry said sullenly as he fingered his Lestrange pendant hanging around his neck. He’d kept his promise, he hadn’t once taken it off, not even when he slept, showered or had a bath.
Rabastan smiled and cupped his hands, stilling them. He bent forward and pecked his lips while a suspicious Narcissa watched them closely, anything more than a full, second long kiss on the lips would be repaid with a hex to the back of the head, or whatever particular body part she could aim clearly at.
“You have to go back, it’ll only be until Easter, then you will be back again for a week.”
“It’s not enough.” Harry sighed. “It’s not nearly long enough.”
“It’ll only be for a little while.” Rabastan insisted. “You’ll be out of Hogwarts sooner than you know, then we’ll start our family.”
Harry smiled as he heard that, deliriously happy that Rabastan wanted the same future that he did. It made him fall a little deeper in love with the man sat next to him.
“I finished off the last of your homework last night, Harry.” Lucius said as he folded up the offending newspaper as he finished with it. “It’s perfectly acceptable and even exemplary in some cases, well done, I’m very proud of you.”
Harry grinned and sat up a little straighter, ignoring Rabastan’s small laugh at his actions. He’d never get enough of having praise, especially from one who rarely gave it and barely had a nice word to say to, or about, anyone.
“If you keep up that level of concentration throughout your school work, you should be looking at Exceeds Expectations throughout your examinations, except for your Defence examinations of course, I would be highly disappointed if your standards slipped now and you got anything less than Outstanding.”
“I find the Defence work too easy.” Harry admitted. “Though we are moving onto non-verbal spells, which are more difficult as I find that my magic works better when I channel my emotions through it in the form of shouting, but I can still pick up the spells easily.”
“Seeing Granger’s face when you scored a hundred and forty percent on that test made my day.” Draco smirked.
“You scored a hundred and forty?” Xerxes asked, his eyebrows touching his hairline. “I’m very impressed.”
“Yeah, I scored perfectly on the theory exam and when it came to the practical, I outdid what was asked of me, the Professor had no choice but to mark me based on the skill I’d shown and I ended up with a hundred and forty percent of the mark.”
“What did you have to do?” Rabastan asked interestedly.
“We had to disarm and immobilise a charmed dummy.” Draco answered. “Harry had to go one further.”
“I disarmed and immobilised it.” Harry told his brother with a grin.
“You disarmed and demolished it.” Draco argued. “There was nothing left! Not even a pile of ash or dust!”
“What spells did you use?” Rodolphus asked interestedly.
“Expelliarmus and Reducto.” Harry said. “They’re my favourites.”
“Your Reductor curse was so powerful that nothing was left after your spell hit?” Rodolphus demanded.
“It’s not that impressive, it’s not supposed to leave anything behind, is it?”
“Yes! It’s supposed to leave behind particles of the object it hits, whether a pile of ash, dust or mist, something. It’s not supposed to just disappear.”
“Oh…well I haven’t left behind mist or ash for the last year. I just assumed I was doing it wrong or not putting enough focus behind the spell before.”
“He got bonus points for only using two spells.” Draco told the table. “Most of the class had to use nine spells to disarm and immobilise the dummy, it kept breaking free of the weaker spells or deflecting the disarming charm.”
“I hope you weren’t one of the ones who took nine spells to combat a simple training dummy.” Lucius drawled.
“Of course not! I took three. My freezing charm wasn’t strong enough.”
“I can help you with that.” Harry insisted. “It was the last wand movement that let you down, you jerked your wand too hard, it’s a softer flick.”
“You really would suit at being a teacher.” Lucius told him.
Harry blushed. “I taught twenty-seven people in secret last year while Umbridge was failing at Defence. Every single one of my students got top marks in their exams that year.”
“That was the secret club you were running!” Draco burst out. “It was a defence club?”
“Yes, you have to agree that Umbridge was an inept teacher, so I took matters into my own hands and I taught others how to defend themselves, no thanks to you and your Inquisitorial Squad.” Harry sneered at him. “I was trying to help them fight, trying to teach them how to defend themselves as Umbridge was a tyrannical fool who taught us nothing because the Minister Fudge is more afraid of losing his office than the education of young witches and wizards.”
Rabastan’s hand touched his right hand, where the scars that Umbridge had left lay. Any mention of what that woman had done to him sparked fury within Rabastan and Harry could see that rage in those beautiful blue eyes.
“Her trial is coming up soon, isn’t it?” Narcissa asked calmly.
“Yes, dear.” Lucius answered. “She will be getting her comeuppance soon.”
“Good, I don’t want her to get away with harming my child.”
Harry’s gut squirmed pleasantly at that and he felt a warm sensation of acceptance and love wash over him. He’d never get tired of that feeling, never.
“She won’t, dear.” Lucius insisted. “With the evidence stacked up against her, she will be going to Azkaban. If our Harry doesn’t have it shut down before then.”
Harry bristled with fury at the dig and he struggled to hold his tongue and his temper. He took a deep breath and thought of how to civilly word all of the slurs and the rage fuelled torrent running through his mind that he wanted to spit out all at once to defend himself.
He breathed and calmed himself as much as he could manage and he used his most civil tone of voice to answer, trying to imagine that this was a Wizengamot meeting and not a discussion around a private table.
“I do not want Azkaban shut down. I understand the need for a secure prison and a justice system. I am objecting to the presence of the Dementors only.” Harry said calmly, if a bit shakily due to his suppressed anger.
“Good. You’re gaining a greater control over yourself and that terrible temper of yours. Well done.”
Harry blinked and frowned in confusion and then he blew out a breath as he realised that Lucius hadn’t been picking pieces out of him, but had been testing his control over his anger issues. His shoulders slumped and he blew out another controlled breath before letting his feelings on the matter of being tested in such a way be known to all of them by turning to Rabastan and engaging him in a conversation.
Unfortunately, the Malfoy New Year party was drawing closer, it was tomorrow evening, and Harry was definitely not looking forward to it, especially as Lucius had told him that he couldn’t exclude an invitation to Rowle, who had unfortunately sent his invitation back replying that he would be attending, but Lucius had assured him that he’d warned the man to stay well away from him during the party.
Harry hoped that Rowle listened to Lucius, because if he didn’t then he would be very happy to curse him…if Rodolphus didn’t cave in his face again. Now that could turn out to be very amusing, maybe the Malfoy New Year’s Ball wouldn’t be quite as bad as he’d been imagining after all. Maybe it could even be fun, after all, he and Rabastan weren’t fighting this time around, so he’d have Rabastan right there next to him all night. He smiled and his hand gripped at Rabastan’s under the table, as they still weren’t allowed to touch while sitting next to one another. He was actually looking forward to this now, though he definitely wasn’t looking forward to Draco poking and pulling on him for half of the afternoon to get him ready. He wasn’t fond of feeling like a human doll.
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A/N: Here you are, lovelies. The next chapter of The Black Heir, I hope you’ve all enjoyed it. It did take me a while to get out, but as I’ve said repeatedly, this is not my priority fic, so updates for this will not be regular or quick, but hopefully they’ll all be at a length that’s acceptable as I refuse to post anything that’s under 6,000 words at a minimum and this fic so far has definitely smashed that at an average chapter length of 15,000. This chapter is actually the shortest to date, but then I’ve been inundated by demands for an update and complaints of how long it’s taking me to post and that naturally makes me want to update it less, not more and it’s all too easy for me to ignore this fic in favour of my others, seeing as I have so many of them, so please just be patient. I’m doing my best and updates will come when they come and not a moment sooner.
Tat5934: Xerxes Lestrange actually came before Xerxes Maddison, I reused the name when making Myron’s family, but yes, I do have a thing for the name Xerxes. I can’t help it. Nasta is also a reused name plucked out from an older fic that I never posted, as is Sanex, Calix and Regan, though the old Regan was a girl that time.
I hope you lovelies have enjoyed this, even if it is considerably shorter than all the previous chapters, I’ll try and do better with the next one,
StarLight Massacre. X
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The Guile and Devotion of a Black Heir