Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality

LJ fail relief. A bit of entertainment...

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:42:03 GMT

Since it appears LJ is down for some folks, I thought I would share this here. Damn, but I do neglect this journal, don't I?

Oh, Tom! The latest video of a Q&A session in Japan is just adorable. And I had to laugh at this answer:

"It's always between the invisibility cloak and the broomstick. I say the combination of the two would be endlessly fun."

I'd say seeing what you would do with the combination of the two would be endlessly fun, Tom. Hehee... do they try to give us these things on a silver platter, or is it just a fluke?

Okay, now on to the fun stuff! Draco!muse is off shagging Harry somewhere, and since the writing was going nowhere without him, I entertained myself by surfing online. You peeps who've been on my flist for very long likely know what that means. *G*

Just assume none of these are even remotely safe for work!

First up... This is one of my favorite clichés. Harry and Draco are flatmates, and Harry has finally figured out a sure-fire way of getting Draco's attention.

"Draco? Which tie do you think works best with this outfit?"

This next one is for you epilogue compliant folks out there... Do you think this was what Harry was fantasizing about when he was waiting for Ginny to walk down the isle?

And yes, I saved the best for last! I'm sure you all remember the lovely heathen_arcade's awesome Christmas Orange Crush, right? *dies laughing* Well, I saw this and immediately thought of an AS/S sequel. *facepalm* I am so going to hell in a fruit basket for this!

Hehee... I have more. Should I continue?!?! :-D

Merlin's balls, where is everyone tonight?

Harry Potter's New Hobby

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:48:15 GMT

Title: Harry Potter's New Hobby
Author: alaana_fair
Team: Death Eaters
Word Count: 1300
Characters/Pairings: Harry/Draco
Challenge: Written for the LJ Comm dracoharry100 prompt #43 Bath
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I am not JKR. I receive no monetary gain from this story. I make no claim to any of the characters and mean no offence by any actions they take. All characters depicted in sexual situations are above the age of consent.
Beta: softly_sweetly
Summary: Life after Voldemort isn't what Harry expected it to be, but Harry makes the best of it.
Warnings: PWP, Post DH, EWE, Voyeurism, Masturbation, Sex... that about covers it. *g*
Feedback: Rocks my world!

Harry knew what he was doing was wrong. So wrong that he didn't even want to think about it, but that didn't seem to matter. He never thought he'd say it, but since Voldemort's death, his life had become ... boring. They were all back at Hogwarts to complete their education and classes were fine, but it was all so bloody boring. Until, that is, that fateful Thursday two months ago when he'd discovered a new hobby. Well, he called it a hobby, Ron called it an obsession, but then again, Ron didn't actually know what he got up to.

It had all started rather innocently one night when he had gone out for a walk after supper. He'd told Ron he needed to be alone, but in reality, what he needed was some excitement. His life was too quiet, too orderly, too managed; he was going mad. So, with invisibility cloak in hand, he'd gone off in search of adventure. What had led him to the Prefects bathroom was ... well, he preferred to think of it as fate. The way he figured it, fate owed him and it had appeared she was finally paying her dues, with interest.

That first night he'd stopped in to use the loo, but when he saw the long, slim legs propped on the side of the bath, he'd promptly forgotten everything else. His heart had stopped, not out of fear, but out of sheer, unadulterated lust. He hadn't known at the time whose legs they were, and if he had, it wouldn't have changed a damn thing because they were the nicest set of legs he'd seen in his entire life. He'd wanted to touch them, taste them, bite them, and do numerous other things that he couldn't name in polite company.

He'd watched in stunned silence as the owner of those legs lifted his body from underneath the glistening surface and squeezed water from his blonde hair, making streams trickle over flawless, ivory shoulders. Then the man had stretched, arching his back and reaching his arms into the air, tilting his head just enough so that Harry could see a wide yawn. The sight of those lips and that mouth, so wide and inviting, had sparked something inside of Harry. His entire blood flow reversed and headed straight to his cock and he'd wanked right there, staring at Draco in awe.

It hadn't taken long to figure out Draco's schedule, and every week since then he'd been drawn back, like a moth to a flame. The first couple of times he'd just witnessed the man bathing. Relaxed, wet, and soaped from head to foot, Draco looked completely different than he did when Harry passed him in the corridors. His guarded expression was gone, replaced by the face of an angel. Well, maybe not an angel, exactly, but that was as close as he could come to an accurate description. He was beautiful - all long limbs, pale skin and platinum hair.

Then the third week, as Harry watched Draco lather himself with his favourite soap, the man had moaned. Moaned and writhed and threw his head back in ecstasy. Harry knew what he was doing, but he couldn't see and holy Merlin on high, he wanted to see. He'd edged up, closer than was probably wise, but he couldn't resist. Draco's hand moved like a Cobra, slow and purposeful. It was mesmerising to watch and Harry wanted to wank so bad he thought he might die, but didn't dare. He was too close; he knew Draco would hear, so he waited.

Draco's movements became more erotic over the next few weeks. He'd gone from simply wanking, although Harry had a hard time thinking of it as simply wanking, because when Draco did it, there was nothing simple about it, to fingering himself. Pinching pink nipples and fucking his fingers so wantonly that Harry thought he'd go blind from the sheer pleasure of watching. Draco's moans turned into pleas, begging some invisible force for more, harder, faster. Harry mimicked the movements, obeying Draco's commands as if they were meant for him. It had led to the best orgasms of his entire life.

Now here he was again, almost out of breath from running. He was furious at Ron for holding him up. He'd slipped through the door to see Draco lounging lazily in the bath. He'd barely caught his breath when Draco stood, and the sight almost made Harry lose what little control he still had. Draco leaned one hand on the wall and jutted his arse out, pumping the glistening dildo in and out of his arse as he rocked his hips back and forth. Fuck, it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen and a whimper slipped out completely unguarded.

Draco stilled instantly, and Harry saw him smirk. "You're late," he whispered, looking over his shoulder.

Harry froze, unsure of whether he was imagining Draco's words or not.

"Oh, don't get shy now," Draco said as he pulled the dildo out and tossed it into the bath. Placing both hands on the wall, he jutted his arse out even farther. "Come on, Potter. You want it, you know you do."

Harry's mouth dropped open. The look Draco was casting over his shoulder was all sultry and sexy and that arse was there, waiting. It was all the invitation he needed.

He dropped the cloak, baring his naked body to Draco, whose eyebrow arched inquisitively. "You always walk around naked under that thing?"

Harry shook his head and approached Draco, stepping into the bath. "Only on Thursdays," he said as he grasped Draco's hips and rubbed his cock along the cleft of his arse. Draco moaned and pushed back against him. A fire erupted inside Harry's gut and any reservations, if he'd had any to start with, were gone. He pushed into Draco hard, as if his sanity depended on being as far inside the man as he could possibly be.

"Yesss," Draco hissed, leaning his forehead against the wall as he reached back with one had to grasp Harry's arse. His nails dug into flesh as Harry pumped with a reckless abandon that he'd never experienced before. From the moans and cries coming for Draco, he was enjoying this as much as Harry was, so he continued to ram into that tight arse until he could hardly breathe. Sweat was dripping down his face and his muscles ached from the exertion, but he wouldn't slow until he felt his orgasm rip through him and felt Draco tremble violently against him.

He rested his face against Draco's back and heaved breaths, trying to calm the spasms that were running through his body.

"Turn on the hot water, would you? The bath appears to have cooled."

Harry stepped back, turned on the water as instructed, and stood like a statue, unsure of what he should do next.

Draco took a deep breath, turned around, and smirked. "You should probably rinse before going back, don't you think?" he said as he sunk into the tub and closed his eyes. Harry sank down next to him, rinsing the sweat and come from his body.

Draco was leaning back against the tub in much the same way he did every time Harry had spied on him, but the look on his face seemed more peaceful, more satisfied, than it ever had before. The man was beautiful. All sharp angles and smooth skin, and Harry wanted to touch him, to kiss those thin pale lips, but he didn't dare for fear of being hexed to the next century. He didn't expect the warm fingers that twined with his, but he accepted them gratefully. "So," Draco said after a long stretch of silence. "See you next Thursday?"

~fin~

Twelve Years Later - Chapter 7 - Trouble in Paradise

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:39:04 GMT

Sorry this has taken so long guys! Hope you like it.

Title: Twelve Years Later – Chapter 7 – Trouble in Paradise
Author: alaana_fair
Beta: sesheta_66
Word Count: ~3350
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Genre: Flangst – heavy on the angst at first, then heavy on the fluff later. Just the way we like it, right? *g*
Summary: Sequel to Twelve Years. How long can love wait? As long as it needs to.
Warnings: DH compliant including epilogue.
Disclaimer: I am not JKR. I receive no monetary gain from this story. I make no claim to any of the characters and mean no offence by any actions they take. All characters depicted in sexual situations are above the age of consent.
Feedback: Rocks my world!

Need to start at the beginning?

Twelve Years Later – Chapter 7 – Trouble in Paradise

"Daddy, you're home!" Lily scrambled up from the floor, letting the parade of magical dancing dolls that she'd been playing with fall to the ground. She launched herself into Harry's open arms and squealed with delight when he picked her up and swung her in a circle. "I've missed you, Dad! Where have you been?"

Harry sat her down on the bed among a heap of pastel coloured stuffed animals. "Well, Princess, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." He knelt down in the floor in front of her and looked up into her confident blue eyes. They had always reminded him of Ron, and it helped now, to know that he had his friend's support in all of this. "You know how much I love you and you know that nothing could ever change that, right?"

Lily nodded, waiting expectantly.

"Well, even though we will always be a family, I won't actually be living here anymore. Your mum and I ... angel, sometimes grown-ups—"

"Dad," Lily interrupted in almost a bored tone. "I already know that you and Mum are getting a divorce."

His first thought was that Ginny must have told her, and it took all of his self-control to stay where he was. "How do you know that, angel?" he managed to ask more calmly than he would have thought.

"I overheard Mum arguing with Uncle Ron."

"You overheard?" Harry asked sternly. "There wouldn't happen to have been any Extendable Ears involved, would there?"

Lily blushed and tried to avoid her father's severe look. "Sorry, Dad. I could tell something was going on, and you know how I hate to be left out."

Harry cursed himself for not telling her right away. He should have expected this. "Yes, I do know, but that was still very wrong. What did you overhear?"

"They said you were in love with someone else."

Harry looked at his daughter closely. She had said it so matter-of-factly, like it didn't bother her at all and that worried him more than if she'd been screaming and crying.

"Lily, I know this must have come as a bit of a shock, but your mum and I both love you. Nothing that happens between us will ever change that. And it's okay to be confused or angry. I don't want you to pretend it doesn't bother you if it does."

Lily fidgeted slightly, and Harry joined her on the bed, reaching over to pull her onto his lap. "What else did you overhear? Did they say who this someone else was?"

"No, but Mum said some terrible things about him and then Uncle Ron got really angry and said it didn't matter what she thought because he would make you happy."

"Uncle Ron said that?" Harry couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.

"Yeah," his daughter answered with a giggle. "But he made this really funny face when he said it, like he'd just had to swallow a yucky potion."

Harry chuckled. "And the fact that this someone is a he doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it? You've told us loads of times that everyone is equal and should be treated with respect and dignity, whether they're like us or not."

"Yes, and that's entirely true, Lily, but—"

"And remember that time we saw those two men holding hands in Diagon Alley and James made that crude remark? You took away his broomstick for a whole month!"

"Yes, I did, but—"

"Dad," she said in soft voice that made Harry lean in to hear. "You told us that the love they shared was the same as any other couple and that no matter who I married, you'd love me just the same. So doesn't that mean it's okay for me to still love you just as much?"

Harry hugged Lily with all that he had. She'd always been a bright child, born too old for her own good. But he'd never been more proud of her, or more proud of the way he and Ginny had raised her. "Do me a favour, will you? Don't say anything to your brothers until I've had a chance to talk to them, okay?"

"Um, well, Albus kind of already knows."

"Kind of?"

"Well, I sent him an owl yesterday -- you know, just to see what he thought -- and he said it would be best if he softened James up a bit before you talked to him. You know what a hothead James can be sometimes."

"Lily, you shouldn't have—"

"Dad, you raised us to be a family, to take care of each other and love each other no matter what. Well, that's exactly what we're doing and that's exactly what we'll keep doing." She finished with a look of determination that came straight from her mother, and Harry sighed, wondering when his ten-year-old had become wiser than he was.

"I love you, Lily; nothing will ever change that. But things will change and it won't be easy for any of us."

Lily flung her arms around him and Harry could tell she was beginning to let it all sink in. "You'll still be my daddy, though, even if you don't live with us? You'll still be there when I need you, right?"

Harry had to fight back the tears that wanted to spill over. "Of course, angel, and that will never change. You'll have your own room at my place and you can come over whenever you want."

"Can I decorate it myself? Can we colour it pink and purple and orange?"

Harry pulled away and looked at his daughter with mock outrage. "Orange?"

She giggled. "Yeah, Mum said orange didn't match pink and purple so she wouldn't let me do it in my room here."

Harry laughed. "We'll see. I happen to like orange, and you know, I think it's your Uncle Ron's favourite colour. Maybe he'll come by and help us decorate."

Lily beamed at the thought of her favourite uncle helping with her room. But then her smile faded into concern. "Dad? Do you think he'll like me?"

"Who, sweetie?"

"You know, your..."

Harry smiled and hugged his daughter tightly. "His name is Draco, and yes, angel, I think he'll love you. Are you ready to meet him, or do you need some time to get used to all of this?"

"I'd like to meet him. If you love him, he must be really special." Then she grinned a decidedly sneaky grin. "And I bet I could charm him into buying me all sorts of things."

Harry finally let his relief come to the surface. "Angel, I have absolutely no doubt about that."

"Here," he said, lifting her from his lap as he smiled. "Why don't you pack a few things and you can come see your new room? I have to run a few errands, but I'd like it if you stayed with me tonight at my new house, if you want to, that is."

"Oh, goodie!" she said as she hopped off of the bed and tore through her room yanking open drawers.

"Okay, then, I guess that's a yes. I'll be back in a bit to pick you up, okay?" She nodded without even looking back, pulling out her little suitcase and filling it with a variety of toys. Harry only hoped a pair of pyjamas would make it in somewhere.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So? How'd she take it?" Ron asked, concern clear in his eyes.

"Fine, which is not surprising considering she already knew." He tried to keep the frustration out of his voice as he spoke. "She overheard you and Ginny arguing yesterday. She also owled Albus, so now he knows too."

"Well, fuck. So what are you going to do?"

"Well, if Al knows, I'm sure he's told Scorpius. I don't know if either of them will make the connection, but I need to go home and tell Draco just in case."

"Shit. So I suppose she's staying here tonight?"

"No. She really wants to come see her new room, but... look, Ron, I don't know how long this will take."

"Don't worry 'bout Lily. Ginny's gone out for a bit. I'll wait for her and then bring Lily over later, maybe around dinner time?"

Harry gave Ron a look of gratitude that couldn't come close to the newfound appreciation he had for his friend. "Thanks, mate, I owe you for this."

"Damn straight, you do. Now go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Draco?" Harry called as he exited the Floo. "Draco!"

"What?" Draco came rushing into the room and even under these stressful circumstances Harry burst out laughing. Draco had on Harry's Chudley Cannons apron that Ron had given him for Christmas one year, and he was covered almost head to toe in flour.

"Draco, what on earth?"

"I was attempting to bake biscuits, but Kreacher says I haven't the talent for it." Draco scowled, taking off the hideous apron. "Thank Merlin. I never want to see a cup of flour again."

"We might have a problem."

"What, did Lily not—"

"Lily already knew. She overheard Ron and Ginny and she owled Al. If Al knows, then—"

"Scorpius knows."

"Yeah. Do you think they'll be able to make the connection?"

"What exactly did Lily know? Just that you were asking for a divorce, or—"

"She knew about you..." At Draco's wide-eyed look of panic Harry quickly amended his sentence. "I mean, not you, by name, just that there's another man involved."

"Fuck, Harry." Draco took a deep breath and pulled out his wand, clearing the remainder of the flour from his hands and face. "Scorpius knows I'm gay, remember? If Al tells him you're in love with another man, he'll ... it won't take him long to put that together with everything else he knows and come to the right conclusion. I have to go tell him."

Harry nodded; he'd figured as much. "I'll Floo McGonagall and we can go to Hogwarts together, okay?"

"Does McGonagall know about us?" Draco's voice was just a fraction higher than normal and he was pacing back and forth in front of the fire. Even after all of this time, Harry could still read him like no one else ever could.

"No, I wanted to tell the boys first," Harry said as he gently took Draco's arm to still his pacing. "Draco, it's alright. We'll get there before they figure it out, and if we don't, we'll deal with it together."

Draco fell, almost limp, into Harry's arms. "You don't understand, Harry. He'll figure it out. It won't be that hard, I..." He pulled out of Harry's arms so abruptly that Harry almost fell forward onto him. "Fuck, I have to contact Mars." Draco tossed a bit of powder into the fire and became even more agitated when he had to leave a message with one of the house-elves. Harry tried to talk to him again before calling McGonagall, but that seemed to irritate Draco even more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The walk from Hogsmeade seemed a hundred times longer than it ever had as a child. They walked in silence, both sorting through what was about to happen in their own way. This was the first time they had been in public together in what seemed like a lifetime. Not that they'd ever been seen in public as a couple, and Harry still hated himself for that decision. He'd had a thousand good reasons why they needed to keep their relationship a secret, but he'd overlooked the one good reason why they shouldn't until it was too late. He kept telling himself that it was fate. That if he'd done things differently he wouldn't have his kids, that somehow the end justified the means, but he knew all of that was just a bunch of rubbish he told himself to stay sane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the first sight of the castle looming in the distance, Draco paused. They'd both been back here numerous times. Draco was on the Board of Governors and Harry had been a guest speaker to dozens of events that had been held here, but they'd never been back here together. Draco was assaulted by so many memories. Memories he'd tried a lifetime to forget. He clenched his fist tightly and shoved the memories deep into the pocket of his mind where he kept such things, safe and far away from the rest of his life.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked softly.

Draco nodded, gritting his teeth and promising himself he wouldn't dwell on the past. On regrets that could never be relived, mistakes that could never be corrected, words that could never be taken back. Harry had asked him recently how he could forgive his foolish mistakes so easily. Looking around him, Draco was forcefully reminded of how much Harry had forgiven him. He hoped for Harry's sake that his children had inherited that trait from their father and not their mother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

McGonagall stood behind her desk, the epitome of a Headmistress if Harry had ever seen one.

"Harry, what's this all about?"

When Draco stepped through the door right behind Harry she covered her surprise nicely. "Mr Malfoy, I didn't expect to see you until tomorrow. Gentlemen, who's going to tell me what's going on here?"

Draco was the first to speak, albeit more hurriedly than he would have done normally. "Harry and I are both getting divorces. We're together. We'd planned to tell the boys tomorrow but Harry's youngest overheard a conversation and owled Albus, and I feel quite sure that he's told Scorpius. We felt it prudent to speak with them immediately."

Harry had never seen Minerva McGonagall speechless before, and under different circumstances, it would have been comical.

"Gentlemen, sit."

"Minerva, please—"

"Harry, sit. If they already know then a few more minutes won't change anything. You both need time to collect yourselves." She turned to one of the portraits on the wall and asked very kindly, "Would you please find out what class the Potter boys and young Mr Malfoy are in at the moment?"

"Certainly, Headmistress," the man said before scurrying out of his frame.

"Now, take a moment to think about what you plan to say when you see them. Do you plan to see them together?"

Both men looked at one another. They hadn't thought that far ahead.

"That's exactly what I'd thought. I suppose I don't need to tell you Albus and Scorpius have become quite inseparable over the last couple of days."

"No," both men said in unison. "They owled saying as much," Harry explained.

"And yet you hadn't anticipated that this would happen?"

"We hadn't told anyone. Well, except for Ginny and Ron—"

"And Marsalis."

"Pardon me for saying so, Harry, but considering the stock from which these children come, I'm not at all surprised they found out."

"Excuse me, Headmistress," Draco said as he stood to his full height. "It really matters not whether you expected it, what matters is that we need to speak with our children, and sooner rather than later would be appreciated."

"Draco—"

"No, Harry. She may be the Headmistress of this school, but Scorpius is my son and I would like to speak with him." He turned his stony gaze away from Harry and toward McGonagall. "Now. If you don't mind."

McGonagall sighed heavily, "Very well, Mr Malfoy, as you wish. When—"

"Headmistress, the two younger boys are in Potions. I can't locate the older Potter boy; he appears to be in one of the Greenhouses."

"Very well. Please have Albus and Scorpius brought to my office immediately."

Just as she'd finished speaking, the door opened and a very worried looking Marsalis stepped into the room. "Draco, I got your message. What's happened?"

"Scorpius is fine, he just..." Draco stopped to take a deep breath, realising he was letting his emotions get the best of him.

"It's alright, Marsalis," Harry interjected. "Al has found out about me and Ginny and we assume he's told Scorpius. We just wanted to talk to them before they came to their own conclusions."

"Oh, dear," she said as she kissed Draco on the cheek. When she repeated the motion with Harry, McGonagall raised a curious brow, but said nothing. "Do they know about the two of you?"

"Not yet, but Harry's daughter owled that there was another man involved and Scorpius would surely suspect, given enough time. It's not like there are that many gay wizards around."

"And he'd surely remember how you always left the room whenever Harry's name was mentioned?"

Draco sat back down and pinched the rim of his nose. "Yes, that too," he said quietly.

It took Harry only a split second to realise the implications of what had just been said and he felt an overwhelming urge to take Draco into his arms and apologize again for all the pain he'd caused. He settled for placing a hand on Draco's forearm. "Draco, I—"

"Not now, Harry," Draco said sharply. "Right now I need to focus on my son." He stood abruptly, letting Harry's hand fall in the process. "I'd think it best if Marsalis and I talk to Scorpius alone. Is there somewhere private...?"

"Yes, of course," McGonagall answered, standing quickly. "There's an office just next door. You can meet him at the bottom of the stairs if you'd like."

"Thank you, Headmistress." Draco nodded and made to turn to the door but was stopped by a soft hand on his arm.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Draco?" Marsalis asked coolly.

Draco turned toward her and she nodded to where Harry sat, looking as though someone had just thrown ice water over his head. The hurt in his eyes was so reminiscent of old that Draco suddenly felt like he'd been thrown back in time. "Fuck." His whole body seemed to slump in defeat. "I'm sorry, Harry," he said quietly as he sat back down and took the other man's hand. "I just wasn't prepared to do this today. You know how I get when someone throws a broomstick into my well-laid plans."

McGonagall cleared her throat and everyone looked up at her as if they'd forgotten she was there. "Why don't I meet the boys and get them settled into separate offices. I'll have one of the portraits notify you when they're ready." She swept out of the room, not waiting for agreement.

"Harry, can we talk about this when we get home?"

Nodding slightly but still not looking at Draco, Harry stood and began pacing back and forth, trying to sort out what had just happened. They were both tense and on edge, he understood that, but he was confused by Draco's reaction and unsure of how his sons would react. He just didn't know what to worry about first. They'd both waited so long for this, but now that they had it, it seemed they were sniping at each other more than they ever had.

Draco stood and approached Harry quietly, laying a hand softly on his arm. When their eyes met, Harry saw his own confusion mirrored in soft grey. "I'm sorry," Harry whispered so quietly that Draco could hardly hear it.

Draco traced Harry's jaw line with a single finger before cupping his face gently and touching their lips together. "It'll be alright. I promise."

It was exactly what Harry needed to hear. Even if he knew it might not be true, it was enough for Draco to say it, to reassure him that no matter what happened in those rooms, they would be alright.

"Sirs, the boys are ready for you," the man in the portrait announced.

The two men looked at each other intensely and both nodded. "You ready?" Draco asked softly.

"No," Harry answered with a nervous chuckle.

Draco smiled. "Good. You're usually at your best when you're flying by the seat of your pants."

TBC

Twelve Years Later - Chapter 6 - Dinners, Baths, and Honesty

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:34:44 GMT

Title: Twelve Years Later – Chapter 6 – Dinners, Baths, and Honesty
Author: alaana_fair
Beta: sesheta_66
Britpick: georgia_hawkins
Word Count: ~3400
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Genre: Flangst – heavy on the angst at first, then heavy on the fluff later. Just the way we like it, right? *g*
Summary: Sequel to Twelve Years. How long can love wait? As long as it needs to.
Warnings: DH compliant including epilogue.
Disclaimer: I am not JKR. I receive no monetary gain from this story. I make no claim to any of the characters and mean no offence by any actions they take. All characters depicted in sexual situations are above the age of consent.
Feedback: Rocks my world!

Need to start at the beginning?

Twelve Years Later – Chapter 6 – Dinners, Baths, and Honesty

"Harry, stop pacing. You're driving me mad."

"I'm not ..." Harry stopped pacing and leaned against the wall. "I'm not pacing," he said stubbornly.

The sound of Draco's soft laughter filled the air as he left the sofa and slipped his arms around his nervous lover. "There's nothing to worry about, Harry. She's just a friend—"

"She's your wife, Draco! How many men do you know who can be calm when they're about to have dinner with their lover's wife?"

"She's my ex-wife, or at least she will be after I sign the papers tonight. She went to see our solicitor this morning."

"Regardless, she's still—"

"She's here, Master Potter," Kreacher said urgently. "Should I be letting her in?"

"No, Kreacher," Draco said calmly. "I'll get the door. Would you get Harry a drink – and add some of that special house-elf calming draught to it, would you?"

"Draco, I don't need—"

Draco cut Harry off with a quick kiss. "I was kidding about the draught, but not the drink. Go ... take deep breaths or something." As Draco headed to the door he shook his head and mumbled to no one in particular, "For Merlin's sake, the man can face down the most powerful wizard alive and buckles under the pressure of meeting my best friend."

"And you'd be less nervous if the roles were reversed?" Marsalis asked with a smirk as soon as the door opened.

"Fuck, Mars, how do you do that? You have the ears of a Hippogriff."

"Years of listening out for your son, otherwise the Manor would have been destroyed before his fourth birthday." She stepped through the door and gave Draco a warm hug. "You have to expect him to be nervous, Draco. Put yourself in his shoes. You'd be a bloody mess if he announced Ginny Weasley was coming for dinner and he really wanted the two of you to be friends."

"If Ginny Weasley so much as steps foot in this house I may hex her to hell," Draco sniffed haughtily as he led Marsalis into the living room.

"Harry, allow me to introduce—"

"Oh, Draco, don't be so formal. He knows perfectly well who I am." She held out her hand for a friendly handshake. "I've heard more about you than you probably want to know. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Harry shook her hand, trying his best to smile nonchalantly. "It's nice to meet you too. Draco speaks very highly of you."

"Oh, really?" She raised both eyebrows and looked teasingly at Draco. "So what extravagant lies has he told you?"

"Well," Harry glanced uncomfortably at Draco who simply shrugged. "He said you were everything he'd ever want in a wife if he weren't incurably gay."

She laughed and ruffled Draco's hair playfully. "Well, I guess he's been honest then, hasn't he?"

Draco brushed her hand away and scowled. "Mars, stop it. I'm not Scorpius, you know."

"No, but when you pout like that it's hard to tell the two of you apart." Marsalis winked at Harry and he couldn't help but notice what a charming smile she had. "Love, why don't you go and get us a drink," she continued. "I'd like to talk to Harry alone for a moment."

"Marsalis, I don't—"

"It's okay, Draco. I don't mind."

Draco huffed and gave his soon to be ex-wife a warning look before kissing Harry and leaving the room.

"Well, from what I can see, you're everything he said you were," Marsalis commented as she looked Harry up and down appraisingly.

"I ... Mrs ... hell, I don't even know what to call you." Harry stood nervously, feeling like he was twelve again.

She smiled and sat gracefully on the sofa, patting the spot next to her. "Call me Marsalis. Draco calls me Mars and I've always hated it. Makes me sound like a bloody planet. Trust me, no woman wants to feel like a planet."

Harry laughed, feeling some of the tension ebb away. "No, I would imagine not," he said as he sat down next to her.

"You don't have to be nervous, Harry. Draco is ... I love the man dearly, but you're the one he's always wanted. I'm not a threat to that. I never have been."

"I..." Harry had to bite his lip to keep his emotions at bay. Somehow he felt like he owed this woman a debt he would never be able to repay. "Thank you. I feel like I should say more, but I really don't know what else to say."

She took Harry's hand in hers and squeezed gently. "You don't have to say anything. My agreement with Draco was mutually beneficial. He saved me from a horrible, unhappy marriage. He has always been kind and honest, and has given me everything he possibly could. I've never begrudged him the fact that he couldn't give me his heart. That's always belonged to you, and quite honestly, I don't think I'd want the responsibility of holding such precious cargo in my hands." She cocked her head to one side and studied Harry with an intensity that made him squirm. "I don't think I need to tell you what kinds of dreadful things will befall you if you hurt him again, though."

"No, you don't. I won't hurt him again, I can promise you that."

"Well, then, now that that's settled." There was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as she nodded toward the door. "Okay, Draco you can come back in now."

Draco came through the door smiling sheepishly, tea tray in his hands. "I swear, Harry, she's frightening sometimes. It's no wonder Scorpius is terrified of her."

When Marsalis looked up at Draco with such admiration, Harry wondered for a moment if there wasn't more between them than what she was telling him, but as the evening progressed he realised there wasn't. That she was exactly what Draco had needed all this time, like the sister he'd never had, and he found himself mesmerized by the woman. Draco had said he would like her and he did.

Dinner was absolutely delightful. Marsalis was extremely entertaining, recounting dozens of stories of Draco and Scorpius over the years, making his lover blush on more than one occasion when the story put him in an unflattering light. Harry loved hearing about Draco and his son, about what a good father he was and how dedicated he was to his family. But as much as he enjoyed it, it made his heart ache that he'd not been able to share in it. He knew he had his own memories with his children and he wouldn't trade those memories for anything, but they'd lived such different lives. Harry wondered how they would be able to reconcile those lives into the one that he wanted to build together.

By the time Harry walked Marsalis to the end of the path where she could safely Apparate, he felt as though he were saying goodbye to an old friend. As odd as that would seem to the rest of the world, it no longer seemed odd to him.

"Thank you for welcoming me into your home, Harry. I can see now why Draco waited so long for you."

Harry looked down at his feet self-consciously. "I still don't, but I'm glad that he did."

Marsalis kissed Harry on the cheek. "Take care of him for me."

"Don't worry, I will." As she disappeared into the night, Harry felt an odd sense of relief. It had been a long day full of surprising revelations, but Ron didn't hate him, and Marsalis would do everything in her power to make sure things went smoothly with Scorpius. Tomorrow he would talk to Lily, and then Tuesday he would meet with the boys. The thought excited and terrified him in equal measure. He wanted to tell his children about Draco, wanted them to accept him and love him the way he did. But he knew it wouldn't be that easy.

"Hey, are you planning on spending the night out here?"

Harry turned to see Draco leaning against the doorframe watching him. How long had he been standing out here, lost in his thoughts? "I was just thinking."

"I know." Draco walked down the path to where Harry stood and took his hand. "Why don't you think in bed? I'll ask Kreacher to bring us some hot cocoa and we can talk."

Looking into Draco's eyes, Harry wondered how he'd lived without him for twelve years. He'd never needed anyone, never trusted anyone, and never loved anyone as much as he did this man before him. Yet he'd chosen his son over Draco fourteen years ago. What would happen if he was forced to make that choice again? What would he do if his kids refused to accept Draco into their lives, refused to accept Harry into their lives after what he'd done? He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't help it.

Draco tugged his hand gently and led him back into the house. "How about a warm bath before bed? It'll help you sleep."

Harry nodded, not really paying any attention to where they were going.

~~~~~~~~~~

The bath felt heavenly. The scents Draco had added smelled heavenly. Draco's warm body behind him felt more than heavenly. Yet Harry couldn't relax and just enjoy it. He had too much to worry about, and pretending that the problems didn't exist wasn't going to make them go away.

"Have you still not heard from her?"

Harry leaned his head back against Draco's chest and closed his eyes, trying to focus on the hands that were tracing tiny circles along his stomach and hips. "Nothing. I've sent three owls. I've arranged for the Floo to be hooked up in the morning, but if she doesn't want to talk to me, I doubt she'll answer if I Floo-call. "

"Are you still planning on going over tomorrow to talk to Lily?"

"I have to," Harry snapped. He was irritated beyond belief, but he was mad at Ginny, not Draco. The last thing he wanted to do was to take it out on the one person who had done nothing to deserve it. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"It's okay, I didn't take it personally. You've got a lot to deal with without worrying about hurting my feelings."

"I do, though. Worry about you."

"You don't need to, Harry. This is me, remember? If you say something that pisses me off, I'll tell you. We're going to disagree about things, we're going to argue. Hell, with our history, we'll probably throw a few hexes at each other, but what we can't do is ignore things and let them fester, or storm out to the nearest pub without acknowledging that there's a problem. And before you say anything, I'm not trying to dredge up the past; I'm trying to protect our future. I love you, Harry, and I have no doubt that this will work, but we have to be able to say what's on our minds, to be completely honest with each other. We can't afford to fall into the old habits that got us into this predicament in the first place. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Harry nodded his understanding. Draco had always been the practical one, the one who thought things through and looked at things from every imaginable angle. He always made his decisions based on facts, weighed every risk carefully and meticulously. It had always driven Harry crazy because there are some risks that can't be measured, some outcomes that can't be calculated, some times when you have to go with your instincts no matter what the facts tell you.

Draco leaned in and kissed Harry softly on the side of the neck. "I love you, Harry. We'll get through this together. Okay?"

Harry glanced back at Draco and somehow knew he was right. "Marsalis was nice. I liked her."

Draco snorted. "Of course you did. I have impeccable taste."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry scribbled a quick note to Draco before grabbing his cloak and Flooing to the Ministry. He'd thought about waking him to say goodbye, but it was still very early and they had been up rather late the night before. When Harry had awakened he was in a much more confident mood and had decided that if Ginny was intent on ignoring him, he'd take matters into his own hands.

"Harry, mate, what are you doing here?" Ron asked as the Floo in his office activated and a stone-faced Harry stepped out.

"Have you talked to Ginny?" Harry asked tetchily.

"Yeah, yesterday, after I left your place. Why? What's happened?"

"She hasn't responded to any of the owls that I've sent trying to make arrangements to talk to Lily and she won't accept my Floo-calls."

Ron propped his elbows on his desk and rubbed his eyes. "Shit, Harry, she's still pretty angry—"

"I know that, Ron, and I don't blame her. But Lily is my daughter and I haven't seen her in two days! I need to tell her what's going on before she figures it out."

"Okay, okay, don't go getting all hysterical on me. I'll get hold of Ginny and find out what's going on. Just go home and wait. I'll owl you when I know something."

Harry slumped into the chair across from Ron's desk. "I'm sorry to bother you with this. I know you're busy."

"Damn right, I'm busy. The head of the Department just quit without notice."

Harry looked up apologetically. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't—"

"I know, Harry, I don't blame you. When this bit about you and Malfoy comes out it'll be like a Pixie party around here. Resigning was the right thing to do; it's just been really crazy without you. Have you seen Kingsley yet?"

Harry chuckled. "No. I was tempted to wear my invisibility cloak today so I could hide if I ran into him. I'm sure he's pissed."

"Harry, pissed doesn't even begin to describe what he is."

"Well, if he wants to hex me he'll have to join the queue."

Ron looked at his friend sadly. "How are you doing? Really?"

"I'm okay. It's strange though, on the one hand I'm happier than I've ever been and on the other I'm terrified that my world is about to drop out from under me."

"I can only imagine. Well, the sooner you talk to the kids the better you'll feel, so let me go find Ginny and I'll owl you when I can."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Stop it, Draco, you're driving me nuts!"

When Draco crossed his arms and pouted, Harry immediately regretted raising his voice. He twined their fingers together and rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "I'm sorry. It's just ... I'm going to see my daughter, not the Pope."

"I know. I just want you to look your best."

"Dragon, she's ten. She's not going to notice if my shirt collar is straight or if my socks match."

"You're right," Draco said, laughing at himself. "I'm just nervous for you, that's all."

"I know and I appreciate the concern, but I have a feeling everything will turn out okay."

Ron's owl had arrived just as they were finishing brunch. It didn't tell Harry much, just a scrawled, "Meet me at the house at twelve-thirty. Lily will be there." He didn't know if Ginny would be there or not and he rather hoped not. Now that the time had come for action, Harry felt calmer than he had in days. He still had no idea how she would respond, but of his three children, he expected her to be the most understanding. They had always had a special relationship. Maybe it was just a father-daughter thing, but in her eyes, he could do no wrong. He had to trust in that bond and hope for the best.

"Owl me to let me know if she's coming, and if I should be here when you get home. Mars said I could stay at the Manor tonight if I need to."

Harry slipped his arms around Draco's waist, pulling him closer and kissing him softly. He hated the idea of spending even one night away from him, but if it didn't go well with Lily, they'd agreed to wait to bring Draco into the mix. "I can't tell you why, but I don't think it will come to that. If I know my daughter, she'll want to know everything and won't be able to stand not being a part of it."

"I hope you're right, Harry. The last thing on earth I want to do is spend another night in an empty bed."

~~~~~~~~

Ron was waiting for Harry when he stepped out of the Floo, the expression on his face one of worry.

"Hey, is Ginny here?"

"Yeah, in the kitchen. Harry, she doesn't want Lily to stay with you tonight."

"Why?" Harry hadn't meant for it to come out so harshly, but judging by the way Ron flinched, it obviously had.

"I'm sorry, Harry. This is hard for her and I think she's striking out any way she can. She just wants to hurt you."

"Doesn't she realise she'll be hurting Lily too?"

"Well, that's what I said, but she's not really listening to reason right now. Maybe it'd be best if you waited."

"Waited for what Ron? You know Lily. She wants to know everything that goes on. She'll want to know where I'm living and she needs to know that it's her home as much as this is. Waiting will only make her feel like she's not welcome, and I won't let that happen."

"Well you should have thought about that before you lied to us for fourteen years, Harry."

The condescending tone in which Ginny spoke was almost enough to make Harry grab for his wand. "I've never lied to them and I'm sorry I lied to you Ginny. I really thought at the time I was doing the right thing. Obviously I was wrong but there's very little to be done about it now. If you want to hate me, then fine, but leave the kids out of it. This has nothing to do with them."

"The hell it doesn't! If you'd been able to perform a simple Contraceptive Spell in the first place then none of this would have happened."

Harry took one of the deepest breaths he'd possibly ever inhaled, holding it to the point where he was close to passing out. He was going to try his best to be civil about things. "First of all, as much as I've hated being away from Draco, I'm glad that the Protection Charm didn't work, because otherwise the three people I love most in this world wouldn't exist. Second, I still can't believe I would even attempt such a charm, considering how drunk I was, not to mention the fact that I'd never done one before. It's not like I ever had to worry about Draco getting pregnant, now did I?"

With Harry's last words, Ginny's wand was in her hand and a hex on her lips. Luckily, Ron was faster and cast a Silencing Charm on both of them. "This is not the time or the place for this," he hissed angrily. "Ginny, Harry is going to go talk to Lily and if he wants her to spend one night with him at his new home then he has every right to. If you want to yell and scream and hex each other to the pits of hell then you can do it when she's not around. Is that understood?" He looked back and forth between the both of them, fire virtually shooting from his eyes. "Good, now, Finite Incantatem. Harry, go talk to Lily, Ginny, come with me, and both of you ... not another word."

On to Chapter Seven?

Twelve Years Later - Chapter 5 - To Dream a Dream

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:25:07 GMT

Title: Twelve Years Later – Part 5 – To Dream a Dream
Author: alaana_fair
Beta: sesheta_66
Britpick: georgia_hawkins
Word Count: ~4,400
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Genre: Flangst – heavy on the angst at first, then heavy on the fluff later. Just the way we like it, right? *g*
Summary: Sequel to Twelve Years. How long can love wait? As long as it needs to.
Warnings: DH compliant including epilogue.
Disclaimer: I am not JKR. I receive no monetary gain from this story. I make no claim to any of the characters and mean no offence by any actions they take. All characters depicted in sexual situations are above the age of consent.
Feedback: Rocks my world!

Thanks to melmoe1 for sharing her Ron with me to use here. *hugs*

Need to start at the beginning?

Twelve Years Later – Part 5 – To Dream a Dream

In the fog of early morning, it took Harry a few seconds to realise the arms wrapped around him and the lips trailing kisses along the back of his neck weren't unwelcomed. His heart skipped a beat when he remembered that it would be Draco, not Ginny, who would be in his bed every morning for the rest of his life. He closed his eyes again and let himself enjoy the feel of Draco's fingers as they whispered teasingly up and down his chest. It was the closest thing to perfection he could ever imagine.

"I know you're awake," Draco whispered against his neck as lips roamed ever closer to his own. "I know you were dreaming about this."

The hitch in Harry's breathing was completely involuntary. "I've always dreamt about this, but it's always disappeared when I opened my eyes."

Harry felt the bed dip and Draco's lips were on his. Soft, warm, teasing, and Harry could feel the love seeping into his skin from the touch. "Does that feel like a dream?"

Rolling onto his back Harry wrapped Draco in his arms, trying to encase them in their own little bubble so the world couldn't touch them. "Yes. It feels like the most magnificent dream ever."

Draco chuckled. "Would you rather I be a dream, Harry?"

"God, no. I'd give up dreaming for good if it meant you'd wake me up like this every morning for all eternity."

"You might change your mind. I can be awfully demanding."

The moan that escaped when Draco's hand slipped under the waist band of his pyjamas was so needy that Harry was almost embarrassed. "Demand anything you want. I'll gladly give it as long as you don't stop what you're doing."

Draco climbed gracefully between Harry's outstretched legs. "I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. You're an addiction. The more I get of you, the more I seem to want."

Harry opened his eyes and looked up at the man that he'd loved for half of his life. Visions of their future together paraded through his mind. Mornings waking up with blond hair draped across his chest, picnics in the park, birthday parties with laughing children, Christmases surrounded by friends and family, dinners spent talking about mundane things, evenings spent making love by the fire, nights spent falling asleep in his arms. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what he'd done to deserve this kind of happiness.

"Stop thinking, Harry. The time for thinking will come later. Close your eyes and just feel."

Harry did as he was told. He closed his eyes and let Draco take him to the most glorious place. A place where the only colours were the pale ivory of Draco's skin and the crystal grey of his eyes, where the only things that he could feel were the soft wisps of Draco's hair and the gentle brush of his lips. Where the strong strokes of Draco's hand took him closer to heaven than he'd ever thought he could get. Where the only sounds were softly spoken words, lulling him back to sleep with a promise that Draco would still be there when he opened his eyes again.

It was well past ten when Harry finally did open his eyes again and Draco was grinning like a cat that had just fallen into a vat of cream.

"What?" Harry asked, wiping the sleep from his eyes and draping an arm over Draco's bare chest.

"Nothing," Draco said innocently, but the grin didn't fade.

Harry buried his face into the bed and covered his head with a pillow. "You're making fun of me."

"I'm not. Honestly, Harry, I'm not." Draco leaned over to kiss Harry on the shoulder. "I've just never ... I don't think I've ever seen you as relaxed as you were earlier, so completely uninhibited. It was ... nice."

Harry uncovered his head and peeked out from his pillow. "It was nice."

Draco leaned over and kissed Harry on the top of the head. "I just said that, didn't I? Now up you get. Kreacher was just in here to say that breakfast was almost ready, and he said if you don't eat, he'll be serving us our meals in bed."

Harry laughed. "Kreacher worries about me."

"So do I, but I don't cherish the thought of waking up every morning with a house-elf staring at me."

"Okay, okay. I'll eat," Harry said as he sat up and reached for his glasses.

"Good. So what do you want to do today?"

"I suppose staying in bed all day isn't an option?" Harry asked, grinning mischievously.

Draco climbed out of bed and pulled all the covers with him. "No. It's most definitely not."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Breakfast looks lovely, Kreacher. Thank you," Draco said politely, trying hard not to laugh at the enormous amount of eggs, fried tomatoes, kippers and bacon that the little elf had piled onto Harry's plate. Harry looked at him in disbelief and merely shook his head.

Once the elf had left the room, Harry threw his napkin at Draco's head. "You could help me out a bit here instead of encouraging him."

Draco chuckled. "Well, he's quite right; you are looking a bit undernourished."

Harry glared at his boyfriend. If he didn't love him so damn much he would've hexed him. "Fine, but I hope you still find me sexy when I look like Horace Slughorn."

Draco's smile faltered. "You know I'd love you no matter what, but ... well, here; I'll take pity on you." He took out his wand and grinned, whispering something that made half of Harry's food disappear.

Harry stared at his plate in surprise and then looked up at his boyfriend curiously.

Draco simply shrugged. "It's just a Vanishing Spell. All proper purebloods use them at dinner parties. It's impolite to leave food on your plate."

Harry rolled his eyes, wondering why he'd never thought of doing it before. Draco went on to describe other useful spells that "all proper purebloods used". It explained why Draco had always looked so immaculate when Harry, try as he might, always looked so untidy. "Why, exactly, have you never shared these little bits of wisdom with me before?"

"I like you the way you are, Harry. You wouldn't be the same without your unruly hair, your glasses that are always just a bit crooked, or your slightly wrinkled shirt. And if you did anything to get rid of that annoying, scratchy stubble I'd have to pack my bags and leave."

"So all those times when you used to tease me about how uncouth I was—"

"You know how much I like to tease you. It doesn't mean I dislike any of those things."

Harry took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're incorrigible; you know that, don't you?"

Draco pushed his chair from the table and tugged Harry into the living room, pushing him gently onto the sofa and curling up next to him. "Yes, I know I am. But you love me anyway, right?"

Harry smiled at him and kissed him softly. "I couldn't love you more if you were a saint."

Draco snorted. "You'd hate it if I were a saint. I don't think they're allowed to give head."

The sound of their laughter was interrupted by a loud and incessant knocking. Harry had no idea who it could be since he hadn't given his address to anyone. He immediately thought of the kids and panic surged through him as he rushed to the door and flung it open.

"What the hell? Ron, how on earth—"

"Harry, we're Aurors. Did you honestly think that just because the Floo's not hooked up I wouldn't be able to find you?"

"Ron, please, this is not the time to—"

"Bloody hell it's not, Harry. You're my best mate and I'm not losing you over this. You're not going to send me a fucking note that says you'll understand if I never talk to you again, because damn it, Harry, you're family, all right? I can't even believe you would try explaining something like this to me in a note." Ron flexed his fingers out in front of him like he was preparing to choke someone, then sighed heavily and let them drop to his side. "Fuck, I take that back. This is just like something you would do."

"Ron, I just didn't—"

"I know, you didn't want me to lose my temper and say something I would regret. I know. Now, can I come in please?"

"I really don't think now is a good time."

"I don't care if he's here. Actually, I'm glad he is because it'll save me the trouble of saying this twice." Ron pushed past Harry into the living room.

Harry caught up with Ron and grabbed his arm, saying in a voice too low for Draco to hear, "Ron, you know I love you like a brother, but if you do, or say, anything to hurt him, you will pay dearly for it."

Ron looked down at his arm and laughed. "Harry, I'm not stupid, okay? If this thing's lasted through four kids, two marriages and well, I guess longer than fourteen years, then it's obviously the real thing, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Fine, then why are you looking at me like I've suddenly turned into a garden gnome?"

"Because I—"

"Expected me to say fuck twenty-six years of friendship just because you're in love with a git?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm not. That's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?"

Ron rubbed the back of his neck and sighed the same way he did when he talked to his kids. "Because I've been a shit friend and I needed to apologise. To both of you."

Harry's jaw dropped. "What do you mean?"

"Look, Harry, I ... shit, can I at least sit down first?"

Harry motioned for Ron to go ahead and returned to the sofa where Draco was watching the commotion with eagle eyes. To anyone else, he looked casual and confident, but Harry could tell by the tension in his jaw that he was prepared to hex first and ask questions later.

"Hermione had suspected that you and Malfoy were more than friends before you and Ginny ... you know. At the time, I think I was glad that she got pregnant. I had always thought you two belonged together, and after the shock wore off, you seemed really happy about the idea of being a dad."

"I was happy about being a dad, Ron, I just..." Harry glanced at Draco to make sure the statement didn't upset him. He didn't want to ever hurt Draco again, but he didn't regret, would never regret, having his children.

Draco smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. "It's okay, Harry. You don't ever have to be sorry for them. I'm not."

"I just didn't realise the price I would pay for it, that's all," Harry said quietly, not sure who he was saying it to - Ron, Draco, or himself. "So what does this have to do with you not being a good friend?"

"I thought you were happy, Harry, or I would have said something."

"Said something about what?"

"I don't know if this makes it easier for you or harder, but I figure it's time we started being honest with each other. Ginny has had at least two affairs since you've been married, maybe more."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wasn't upset that she had been unfaithful. He was almost relieved by that. But what hit him like a stinging hex was that he'd wasted so many years trying to do the right thing, when in fact, it had just fucked everybody up. He'd tried to raise his kids in a loving, supportive home that was turning out to be nothing but a nest of lies.

"Harry, I'm sorry. I should have told you, but she's my sister and she begged me not to. She said they were mistakes and that she loved you. And I really thought I was saving you from having your heart broken. I can honestly say I'm not thrilled that it's Malfoy, but if he's what makes you happy then—"

"Weasley," Draco said quietly, "I know this isn't what you would have ever wanted for Harry, but I will make him happy. I can promise you that."

Ron snorted. "Yeah, that's the pisser isn't it? I already know you will, because before, when ... well, obviously I didn't believe it was you, but when you were together before, Harry was happy and I think we can both agree he deserves that, yeah?"

Draco nodded and an unspoken agreement passed between the two of them. As long as Harry was content, Ron would accept Draco into their lives, but if he fucked up, there would be hell to pay. Draco didn't mind because he had no intention of letting anything fuck this up. He glanced between the two men and determined that they needed some time alone. "I'm going to go get tea and let you two talk, okay?"

Harry nodded and looked over at Ron, still completely taken aback by the turn of events. "So you're ... you and Hermione, are okay with this?"

"Merlin, Harry, it's not like you're asking us for permission or anything. You said in the letter that you love him, that you've loved him for half your life. What kind of friends would we be if we couldn't accept that?"

"But ... but Ginny's your sister."

"Yeah, and she was just as dishonest as you were. It's not like you didn't try, right? I mean, staying married for fourteen years to someone you don't love isn't exactly a walk in the park, now is it?"

"I did try, Ron. I ... God, I really didn't mean to—"

"Sleep with her in the first place, I know, Harry. You've apologised for that six ways to Sunday already. You fucked up, she fucked up, and you had a beautiful son. What I can't figure out is why you had more kids. Not that I'm not glad you did, but, why?"

"I ... do you really want to hear the whole story?"

"Yeah, I really do. And I want us to stop fucking hiding things from each other. We're supposed to be friends, remember?"

Harry nodded just as Draco entered the room with tea. "Draco, I'm sure you've been wondering about this too."

"About what?" he asked as he made Harry's tea and handed him a cup.

Ron watched as Harry took the tea and drank it without a second glance. "Harry? You never let anyone else make your tea."

Harry's cheeks pinked. "Draco's the only one who's ever been able to make it right."

Ron snorted. "Bloody hell," he said, throwing his hands in the air. "There you have it, it must be true love."

Harry and Draco both laughed.

Harry realised Ron was doing what he was so well known for at the Ministry. Defusing what could be an awkward, possibly volatile situation, with his own unique kind of humour. He'd never appreciated Ron more in his entire life.

"Merlin's balls, I had no idea you knew how to laugh, Malfoy."

Draco's smile became a smirk. He wrapped his arms around Harry and kissed him tenderly, then glanced back up at Ron with an arched brow. "Weasley, I'm afraid I do many things that you have no idea about."

"You'll have to try a lot harder than that to shock me, Malfoy," Ron said with a grin. "Harry, you really love this git?"

Harry snuggled closer into Draco's arms. It felt weird doing it with Ron around, with anyone around, really. They had hid it so well for so long it almost felt wrong to share it with anyone else. But Ron was his friend, a true friend, and if there was anyone he could share it with, it should be him. "Yeah, Ron, I really do."

"All right then, mate. I guess I'll have to put up with him then. So, you were saying ... three children?"

"I ... Draco and I didn't split up when I got married. I thought ... I don't know what I thought. I was an idiot, but that's nothing new, right?" When he looked up with pleading eyes, Draco knew exactly what he was asking and it amazed him that even after all this time, Harry still couldn't talk about the day he'd walked away.

"I ended it about a year after James was born. I couldn't handle seeing him with them, with her, with a family. As you can imagine, I've never been very good at sharing my toys."

Ron looked at Harry, understanding dawning in his eyes. "So that's why you were so bloody temperamental for all those months. Damn, I thought you were mental."

"Yeah, well, I was for a while there," Harry said, rubbing his temples as if it hurt to even think about it. "The only thing that kept me sane was James, because I knew I was doing it for him and I would've done anything for him. Ginny had been talking about having another baby. She'd really wanted a girl and I thought maybe another kid might fill the void that losing Draco had left. He took Draco's hand and looked at him apologetically. "I didn't know she was pregnant when I went to see you that day at the Manor. She told me a few days later."

Harry went on to tell Ron about the day he'd seen Draco's wedding photo in The Daily Prophet. How he had visited Draco and found out that his new wife was pregnant and about the promise he'd made.

"Lily wasn't planned. By that point we hardly ever had sex. After what you've told me, I wonder if she's actually even mine."

"I hate to say it, mate, but I've had my doubts about that too. The child looks nothing like you."

"It doesn't really matter, biologically or not, she's mine now and I don't regret for a second that she was born. But I wasn't going to break another promise. I'm sorry, Draco. I thought about going to see you to try to explain, to tell you about Lily before you found out another way, to tell you that I wouldn't back out of my promise, but quite honestly I was terrified of what you would say."

"I did wonder. I can't tell you how many letters I wrote and threw away. I thought as long as I didn't hear from you, I could hold you to our agreement. I trusted you."

Ron was shaking his head. "I'm glad you do. I don't know if I'll ever trust him again. He's a rather convincing liar."

Draco grinned. "Maybe the sorting hat had it right the first time."

At Ron's questioning look Draco smirked and looked at Harry with disbelief. "You didn't tell him that either?"

"No, Draco, I hadn't told anyone else that. Well, except for Al."

Draco laughed and kissed him on the forehead. "My poor little misunderstood Slytherin. Whatever will we do with you?"

"Hello! I'm still here. Care to let me in on yet another little secret of yours?"

"It's nothing really," Draco said, barely containing the humour that was about to spill over at the sight of Harry looking so chastised. "Just that your brave Gryffindor friend here talked his way out of being put into Slytherin when he was eleven. Oh, and by the way, your little nephew's in Slytherin. Has he told you that yet?"

"What! No way. Al?"

Draco laughed and Harry let his head fall into his hands. "I'm gonna live to regret that you two don't hate each other, aren't I?"

Ron chuckled as he stood up. "Probably, mate. Just think of it as penance. I have to go and talk some sense into my baby sister. She went to see her solicitor this morning and fancies she'll make this as hard on you as possible. I think it's time someone told her it's already been hard enough."

Harry and Draco both stood and there was an awkward moment when the three men just stared at each other.

"Bloody hell, you'd think a troll just walked into the room." Ron hugged Harry and shook Draco's hand. "Mum's not too pleased either, but give her time. She'll come around. So will everyone else, I'd imagine. Won't be easy though."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said solemnly. "Thanks, Ron. I—"

"Don't worry 'bout it. Just don't go springing anything else on us for a while, okay?"

"Nothing left to spring. My life is now an open book."

They said their goodbyes and Harry sat on the sofa, stretching his legs out and motioning for Draco to join him. How many times had they lounged like this in their little hideaway at King's Cross? They used to waste the day away just talking and laughing about silly things that had never mattered to anyone.

"He's not such a bad fellow, is he?" Draco said reluctantly, leaning his head back against Harry's chest.

"He's the best. I've always taken him for granted. I've taken a lot for granted, I guess."

"It's okay to be human, Harry. You're lucky to have friends who'll stand by you like this. It'll make things easier for everyone, especially for the kids."

Harry kissed Draco on the top of the head, still amazed at how unbelievably soft his hair was. He'd missed so many things, but he'd especially missed this. The way they'd always been able to talk about things, laugh at each other's mistakes, feel each other's pain. He still wasn't sure how he'd ever lived without it.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I talked to Marsalis this morning. I probably should have checked with you first, but ... I invited her for dinner."

Harry's silence was what Draco had always hated the most and it seemed to stretch on forever before Harry finally spoke. "She must think I'm a total arse."

Draco pulled out of Harry's arms to turn and look at him. "No, Harry. She doesn't. She thinks marrying the mother of your child was honourable. Stupid, but honourable."

Harry snorted. "Well, she's right about the stupid part."

"She's right about the other part too. It took a while for her to convince me of that, but you did what you thought was right and that, in itself, is an honourable thing, no matter how misguided."

"How can you do that? Make me feel better about ruining our lives?"

"You give yourself too much credit," Draco said, not just a little irritated at Harry's 'woe is me' attitude. "Look at us. We're together, we have beautiful, amazing children, and friends to stand by and support our decisions. If that's a ruined life, then show me a successful one."

Harry bit his lip, feeling properly reprimanded. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just..." Draco took a deep breath and pulled harry into an embrace, kissing his temple lightly. "Stop being sorry, Harry. Stop looking back and start looking forward. What's done is done. We can't relive the past. Isn't that what you always used to tell me when I would whine into my pumpkin juice about all of the poor decisions I'd made? What was it you used to say that always made me so angry?"

"You can't rewrite history, but the future's an empty slate."

Draco snorted. "Yeah, that's it. Merlin, that used to piss me off, but you were right. The future can be whatever we make of it and we have children who are depending on us to make good decisions. To give them the best future they can have."

Harry couldn't contain the smile that crossed his lips. "When did you become so preachy?"

"When did you become Moaning Myrtle?"

They both sniggered and Harry pulled Draco on top of him and kissed him fiercely. "I love you, my dragon."

Draco laid his head on the other man's chest, the sound of his breathing like a lullaby. "Does that mean Marsalis can come for dinner?"

"Of course she can come. This is your home; you can invite anyone you want."

Draco propped his chin up on Harry's chest and brushed a stray curl away from his eyes. "I want you to get to know her. I know it's odd, but she's my best friend - she's my Ron. I'd like it if the two of you could be friends."

Staring into Draco's probing eyes, Harry knew he would never be able to deny the man anything. Draco could ask him to walk through a wall of flames and he would do it with a smile on his face. To let anyone have that much power over him would be frightening if he didn't know, with absolute certainty, that Draco felt the same way.

"I suppose you've already given Kreacher the dinner menu?"

Draco snorted and buried his face into Harry's chest. "Of course."

"Yes, of course, why bother waiting until your boyfriend agrees?"

"I knew you'd agree eventually. It was just a matter of how far I had to go to convince you."

"Yeah?" Harry asked with a sly grin. "And exactly how far where you prepared to go?"

Draco propped his chin on Harry's chest again and wiggled his body between the other man's legs. "Let's just say I wish you would have put up more of a fight."

Kreacher wasn't at all pleased that they missed lunch, but Harry had decided he really did need more convincing and Draco was all too eager to oblige. After a nap and a long shower, Harry was almost ready to face the woman who had given Draco back to him. He had no idea what to say to her, but he felt quite sure "thank you" would feature prominently in the conversation.

On to chapter six?

Wrockstock, updates, and various and sundry...

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 03:35:57 GMT

Long, potentially uninteresting post and therefore under cuts. *g*

I never want to see another cornfield as long as I live! My arse is sore and my body is stiff - (from driving eight hours, gutter minds!) - but it was still well worth the trip to see friends, both old and new. Emma, Fi, Mijan, Daddybear... it was good to see you again. Ruby, Dramedy, Abovethestars... it was nice to meet you. Sorry I fell asleep last night and didn't get to say goodbye to anyone. One too many White Russians I think. *big hugs all around* Oh, and Scarlet, we missed you!

The Remus Lupins, The Whomping Willows, & Draco and the Malfoys were all entertaining, especially when melmoe1 yelled out "Weasley is our king!" during the middle of Your Family is Poor. *giggles* The woman is a trip! And sesheta_66 looks adorable with a dark mark on her arm. *g*

And apparently 80mph is not fast enough to get two slashers to the airport on time. Mel missed her flight, but somehow managed to catch another. I'm waiting for the whole story. *eyes Mel with suspicion* I only hope Sesheta made it on time. *g*

Man, I'm already counting the days to Terminus. *misses fandom friends*

I hope to have the next chapter of TYL to sesheta_66 in the next few days. I know it's been longer than usual between updates, but it is almost done. I may never write Al & Scorpius again. I've had such a hard time finding their voices without turning them into miniature versions of their fab fathers. *snuggles them* They're cute little guys.

And a few of you have asked about various sequels etc. I promise to get to them. I can't say when yet, but I will get to them. *g*

So, I did warn that I suck at birthday wishes, and alas, it's taken me only a month to fall behind. I'll catch up... eventually. *blushes*

Cross-posted to LJ
Okay, that was probably enough blah, blah, blah, for tonight. I'm off to watch a DVD with the kiddies to make up for being gone all weekend. *waves*

Twelve Years Later - Part 4 - Fathers and Friends

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 03:44:27 GMT

Hello lovely flist! I'm sorry this has taken so long. This chapter gave me fits of epic proportions – I only rewrote it three times, honest. *looks sheepish* But hopefully you'll enjoy it and I don't think the next chapter will take quite so long! *hugs flist*

Title: Twelve Years Later - Part 4 - Fathers and Friends
Author: alaana_fair
Beta: sesheta_66
Moral Support & Hand Holding: melmoe1
Word Count: ~3300
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Genre: Flangst – heavy on the angst at first, then heavy on the fluff later. Just the way we like it, right? *g*
Summary: Sequel to Twelve Years. How long can love wait? As long as it needs to.
Warnings: DH compliant including epilogue.
Disclaimer: I am not JKR. I receive no monetary gain from this story. I make no claim to any of the characters and mean no offence by any actions they take. All characters depicted in sexual situations are above the age of consent.
Feedback: Rocks my world!

Need to start at the beginning?

Twelve Years Later – Part 4 – Fathers of Friends

Draco continued to hold Harry, basking in their closeness, in how amazingly familiar Harry's body was, even after all this time. Many things had changed over the last twelve years, but this feeling, this need, this hunger to touch Harry and to hold him, had not. It was almost as though time had stood still and waited for them to catch up.

He glanced down at Harry, who was now half asleep, his face nuzzled into a pillow on Draco's lap and his naked body sprawled out on the sofa like an acrobat. The man was perfect. Not perfect in a falsely beautiful way or an 'I can do no wrong' way. He was perfect in his realness, in the way he made you want to be around him, want to make him happy.

When Harry stirred and nuzzled closer, Draco felt as though he was holding heaven in his arms. And when the large black and white owl flew in through the window and rested confidently on the back of the sofa, reminding Draco of the other love of his life, he couldn't help but smile. "Well, hello, Nipal. I didn't expect to see you until tomorrow."

The owl hooted and looked toward the window where a young snowy owl swooped down and perched next to him. Draco laughed as the owls nipped at each other. "Have you made a new friend there, boy?" he asked, leaning back to take the note from the owl's leg.

Good evening Father,

I know I shouldn't be writing so soon, but I already need your advice. Grandfather insisted I write him tomorrow to tell him all about the new students in Slytherin House and the new friends I've made. Well, I've met a boy that I really like, but I don't think Grandfather will approve of him. He's amazingly funny and clever and ever so nice to talk to, but I'm sure Grandfather would dislike him because of his parentage. I know you've always told me that, even though blood is important, it's not always the most important thing, and that I should use my brain to dictate who is worthy of my friendship. Well, Father, I think this boy is. So, is it alright if I keep it a secret from Grandfather?

Scorpius

"Is he already missing the use of his own personal house-elf?" Harry teased as he sat up and stretched, kissing Draco lightly before reaching for Albus' owl to untie the note attached to his leg.

Draco shoved him playfully. "He's not nearly as spoiled as I was, you prat. Apparently he's made a new friend that my father won't approve of." He smirked as he continued, "He's asking for my permission to lie."

Harry sniggered as he unrolled his own parchment. "I didn't know Malfoys needed permission for that," he said, ducking away from another shove.

Halfway through reading the note Harry glanced up at Draco and smirked.

"What? No, don't tell me. He's already downed his own Troll and made the Quidditch team."

Harry grinned, leaning in to steal another kiss. "No," he whispered in Draco's ear, "but I think Scorpius is probably right; Lucius definitely won't approve of his new best friend."

Draco's forehead crinkled in confusion.

Harry glanced back to the note and began to read aloud.

Dad,

The most brilliant thing ever has happened! It's just like the story you and Uncle Ron tell about the day you met on the Hogwarts Express. I met my best friend today, Dad, and I know you will love him. I had ducked into a cabin to get away from James, who was teasing me again about being in Slytherin, and Scorpius - that's his name, strange isn't it? He said it was some ancient relative of his. Anyway, Scorpius was in the compartment already and heard James teasing me. He stood up and stared James straight in the face and said, "So what if he is in Slytherin? Would it really cause you to be that jealous?" Dad, I almost wet myself from laughing at the look on James' face. He couldn't believe a first year would have the gall to stand up to him that way. It was amazing! James just looked at us oddly before turning to leave. Then Scorpius - I really don't like his name. I wonder if he would be mad if I called him Blondie. Somehow I think he probably would, but anyway, we started talking and guess what! He has the same middle name as me! Even said he was named after the same Professor that I was. Isn't that just the coolest thing? Oh and guess what else. The sorting hat did try to put me in Slytherin and I didn't argue, because, well, you said not all Slytherins are bad and Scorpius is in Slytherin so that must really be true, right? I bet we'll be friends forever, just like you and Uncle Ron. Gotta go now, Dad. Blondie's done with his letter and he said he'd show me some cool spells his dad taught him.

Love you,
Al

Both men stared at each other for a moment, the memory of a different meeting on the Hogwarts Express heavy in the air.

"So," Draco said, a little uneasy, "I guess our sons are already making better decisions than we did at their age."

Harry picked up Draco's hand and kissed it gently. "Not better, Draco, just different. Everything was different then. We both had a lot of growing up to do before we could be friends." Draco still had a sad, distant look of regret in his eyes that seemed to pierce Harry's soul. "Besides, if we'd been friends since we were eleven you would have been like a brother to me, like Ron. We never would have..."

At the sight of Harry's slight blush Draco grinned and graced Harry with a perfect Malfoy arched brow. "Are you saying you could have resisted my charms if we'd grown up as friends?"

Laughing, Harry shook his head. "No, probably not. I'm surprised it took me as long as it did to figure out what a hot little number you were."

"I am not a hot little number!" Draco sniggered. "Okay, maybe I am, but I'm not surprised it took you so long. You were a little dense back then."

Harry rolled his eyes and tried to look annoyed, but he was sure his happiness had never shown more clearly. The banter between them felt so familiar, so reassuring, that he couldn't feel troubled over this newest development. In fact, the idea of their sons becoming friends shouldn't come as such a surprise. He had suspected the Sorting Hat would try to place Albus in Slytherin, but he'd honestly thought the boy would talk his way out of it – he was just Slytherin enough to be able to do it.

"So how do you feel about your son being a Slytherin?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm actually kind of glad. I know Al will fit in there, probably more so than he would have in Gryffindor. It'll be especially good for him to be out of his brother's shadow for a change. I mean, James is a great kid, but he can be a little overbearing at times. Besides, Neville says the Slytherin reputation of being a snake pit has definitely waned over the last twenty years."

"It has, but it's still... well, it's still a bastion of pureblood aristocracy. It might be tough on him until he proves himself."

"Yeah, well, I suppose it won't hurt that his best friend is destined to be the next Prince of Slytherin, eh?" Harry teased. "Besides, maybe they can... I don't know, help each other deal with this."

"This?"

"You know, us. Their parents getting divorced, their fathers being together, the whole gay thing, all of it. It's a lot to throw at them all at once. I was an idiot to think it would be easier after they left for Hogwarts. This would have been easier if I'd done it from the very beginning."

"But then you wouldn't have Albus or Lily, and I wouldn't have Scorpius."

"Yeah, I know, I just..."

"Harry, I won't pretend those years were easy, but I wouldn't trade anything for my son. Not even that, not even you." It was difficult to admit, but it was true. As much as he'd longed to be with Harry, every time he looked at this son, a part of him was glad things had happened as they had. Scorpius hadn't made losing Harry hurt any less, but he had certainly made it easier to live with.

"What if we lose them, Draco? What if—"

"We won't. They'll be fine, Harry. I know they will. Just..." Harry looked away but Draco was having none of it. He took the man's face in his hands so he was forced to look at him. "Just trust me, Harry. Trust them. They'll be fine."

Harry stared into those steel grey eyes, wanting to believe him, needing to believe him, but he had never been as confident as Draco. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because they're a part of us, Harry. They are our sons and at the very least they'll recognise how much we love them. They'll have to adjust and they may be angry, but they'll be okay, and eventually they'll see, just like everyone else, that we belong together." Draco pulled him back into an embrace and Harry melted into him as if they could somehow become one body. "When are you going to tell them?"

"I have a meeting scheduled at Hogwarts on Tuesday. What about you? When were you planning on telling Scorpius?"

"Marsalis and I are going to tell him together, she's written a letter to McGonagall but hasn't received a response yet. I suppose under the circumstances we need to tell them all at the same time. Otherwise—"

"What do you think they'll do? I mean when they find out it's us."

"I don't know, Harry. I doubt Scorpius will be surprised that Marsalis and I are getting a divorce or, for that matter, that I'm involved with another man. We've never hidden the fact our marriage is one of convenience and he knows that I'm gay. We've had that father-son talk more times than I care to count. But I honestly don't know how he'll take the news that his father's shagging Harry Potter." Draco smirked. "If he's a good little Slytherin, he'll see it as a distinct advantage in House politics."

Draco laughed, but Harry didn't even grin. "Harry, you know your sons better than anyone. What do you think they'll do?"

Harry was more worried about James than Albus. The boy reminded him so much of Sirius that sometimes Harry wondered if he and his Godfather hadn't somehow been related. He loved James, loved his spirit and his gusto for life, but with James things were all or nothing. You either liked something or you didn't, loved someone or hated them; there was never any middle ground. He couldn't see all of the subtleties of life that Albus seemed to embrace and almost thrive on. When he really thought about it though, he knew almost exactly how they would respond. "Albus will accept the change as an unfortunate stumbling block and figure out a way around it. James will see it as boulder blocking the road and try to blast his way through."

"Well, there you go," Draco said with a chuckle. "You just summed up the differences between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor in two easy sentences."

Harry looked at Draco and smiled. "Thank you. You always knew the right things to say."

Draco snorted. "I wouldn't say always, there were definitely times..."

Laughing, Harry nodded his agreement. "Yeah, I guess I do remember a few... hundred times."

"Yeah, yeah, but you loved me anyway."

"Love you, Draco," Harry corrected seriously, tracing the contour of Draco's face with a single finger. "I love you. Don't ever use that phrase in past tense."

Draco smiled that perfect smile that had never failed to make Harry's heart do a flip-flop. "No, Harry, you're right, I won't."

"Good. Now, I think we have letters to write." As Harry leaned over to retrieve several sheets of parchment and quills he chuckled. "I can honestly say I have never written a letter to any of my children while completely nude."

"Get used to it," Draco said with a cheeky grin. "You'll be writing a lot of letters in the next few years, and I can guarantee you'll be naked an absolutely appalling amount of time in the future. They're bound to coincide."

They both chuckled as they put the pieces of parchment side by side on the coffee table and began to pen their responses to their sons.

Scorpius,

Use your own good judgement as to what to tell your Grandfather. I will not give you permission to lie. I will however, tell you that I quite agree with you. Grandfather will be very displeased when he finds out you have befriended a Potter. I, on the other hand, think you have made an excellent choice.

Your mother and I will be coming to visit with you next week. We have a few important matters to discuss. Perhaps we could meet your new friend while we're there.

With love,
Father

Albus,

I'm very proud of you for trusting your instincts and taking your own path. I've always told you that if you follow your heart, it won't lead you astray. It's advice that I'm trying especially hard to listen to myself.

Your friend sounds very nice. If you like him that much, I'm sure I will too. Another word of fatherly advice though, if I may: I definitely wouldn't call him Blondie. I can't imagine he'd like that.

I miss you son and I'll talk to you soon.

Love always,
Dad

As Harry finished his letter he noticed Draco looking over his shoulder, smirking. "Good advice about the Blondie bit. I don't think I could go out in public if my son had a nickname like that."

"Yeah, well, I figured if he was anything like my dragon—"

"Potter, if you ever call me that again—" Draco was climbing on top of Harry, holding his arms to the sofa and giving him his most menacing stare. It didn't seem to be affecting Harry in the least though, because he continued to giggle like a twelve-year-old. Draco finally let himself collapse into a heap on top of Harry and join in his laughter. "It was one night, okay. I was drunk. You got me drunk, as I recall. I cannot be held responsible for what I want to be called when I'm both drunk and in the throes of passion. Besides," Draco paused, then finished his sentence shyly, "it's fucking sexy when you say it."

"I knew it!" Harry almost shouted in triumph. "I knew you liked it and were just too damn proud to admit it."

"I wasn't too proud, I was... I was embarrassed if you must know. I'd never... no one had ever... fuck! I'd never let anyone call me a silly pet name before, not even my mother, and I was absolutely mortified the next morning when I remembered, not only did I let you call me that, but I asked you to."

Harry was still laughing when he threaded his fingers into Draco's hair. "Draco, you know I would call you God if you wanted me to, but I did like calling you my dragon."

Draco buried his face into Harry's neck and mumbled, almost incoherently, "I liked it too."

"What if I promise to never use it around anyone else?" Harry asked, brushing Draco's hair away from his ear and kissing it softly, letting his breath whisper across the dampness left behind. "Then can I call you my dragon?" he whispered. He felt Draco's breathing increase, felt more than heard the tiny whimper that escaped from his lips. He nibbled his way down from Draco's ear to the soft skin of his neck, letting his fingertips glide down Draco's back until he felt a tremor run through the warm body on top of him. It felt so good that Harry couldn't imagine ever letting go. "Stay with me, my dragon," he whispered and before he could say any more his mouth was busied by Draco's tongue, searching out all the secret places it had known in times past and it was enough to just hold Draco in his arms and kiss him. If he could only stay here and kiss Draco long enough, then perhaps tomorrow would never come.

When Draco finally pulled away Harry was surprised to see tears in his eyes. "Draco, are you—"

Draco shook his head, biting his lip as he wiped away the tears that trickled down his cheeks. "I'm not sad, Harry, I'm... I'm happy, almost too happy, it's just—"

"I'm not going to fuck it up this time, Draco. I swear to you, I won't."

"I know. It's just... too much, after so long, and I think..." Draco was trying furiously to brush away the tears, but they were falling too fast and there were too many of them. Harry pulled Draco to him and kissed him again, letting the flood of tears fall like drops of rain and form a river down his chest. They were the same tears of relief and joy that he'd shed the night before when he'd got Draco's letter and they needed to come out, to wash away some of the pain he had caused. He held Draco's trembling body, wishing he could undo the hurt, erase the last fourteen years from their memories, but he knew, in reality, neither of them would want that.

Finally Draco calmed and when he looked at Harry there was something in his eyes that Harry thought he would never see again. Faith.

"Will you move in with me?" Harry hadn't meant to just blurt it out, but he needed Draco to stay. They had never talked about it, not even before, but more than anything, Harry wanted Draco next to him every morning when he woke up.

Draco smirked and wiped the few remaining tears from his cheek. "Call Kreacher. No, wait." Draco climbed out of Harry's lap and grabbed a blanket from a nearby chair, throwing it over their nude bodies. "Now call Kreacher."

Harry looked at him curiously, but did as he was asked and the little elf scurried into the room.

"Yes, Master Harry, sir?"

Draco grinned at Harry and asked the elf, "Are my bags put away yet?"

"Oh, yes, Mr Malfoy. In Master Harry's room as you asked."

With a grinning glance at Harry, Draco dismissed the elf.

Harry pulled Draco closer under the covers and smiled. "You didn't even wait to be invited?"

Draco shrugged. "Didn't you say something earlier about how Draco Malfoy always gets what he wants? Well this is what I want."

Harry felt the jubilation from earlier bubble up in his chest. His life was about to take a drastic turn, and as difficult as these changes were going to be, there was one constant that would forever be by his side. Love.

On to Chapter five?

Bring Back the Porn!!!!!

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:08:22 GMT

Hello flist! I hope you enjoy this little bit of smut for your Saturday reading pleasure. In the brilliant words of my lovely friend ravenqueen55 who picked this for me to post. May the porn be with you.

Oh, had to pull out the willy icon for this special occasion!

Once again Mel has drawn an amazing - read GUH, look at that arse! - pic for this! Go and give her some love so she keeps up the good work! http://melmoe1.livejournal.com/21086.html

Title: Dinner Reservations
Author: alaana_fair
Word Count 820
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Challenge: originally for the LJ awdt prompt “Could this thing be any tighter?” - posted to IJ for bbtp_challenge
Disclaimer: I am not JKR. I don’t own them, I make no money from them, I just love them to pieces.
Feedback: Always appreciated, please.
Warnings: PWP - This is pure smut boys and girls. No plot to be found in a thousands of miles!
Beta: mirrorwakes

Dinner Reservations

“Could this thing be any tighter?”

“Shush. You agreed to this, so stop your whinging.”

“I agreed to dress like a girl. I didn’t agree to be poked, prodded and squished into...” Harry looked at the offending item in the mirror and wasn’t sure what to call it. “...garments three sizes too small.”

Draco looked at Harry’s reflection and smirked. The delicious lace stockings that covered Harry’s muscular legs were stretched almost to their bursting point. He tied the last knot in the green satin corset and knelt in front of Harry to attach the garter snaps. Harry winced when Draco ran his finger along the inside of the stockings and caught a tangle of hair.

“Just wait until I’m done with you. You’ll be the most beautiful woman at the restaurant.”

Draco snapped the straps onto the stockings and let his eyes wander to the beautiful bulge that was within inches of his face, wrapped in black satin panties with tiny threads of emerald green trim. He had promised himself he would wait until after dinner, but the temptation was too great. He needed to see that soft bulge swell and peek over the elastic band. Glancing up at Harry he saw he had the other man’s full attention and smiled devilishly. He turned his concentration back to the tempting morsel of flesh in front of him and placed his mouth over the smooth cloth, breathing hot air out and feeling an instant stirring beneath his lips. He flicked his tongue -- snake-like -- and heard Harry answer with a hiss before threading his fingers through Draco’s hair.

“Draco...” Harry moaned as he pressed his cock harder against Draco’s mouth, almost bruising his pale lips. Draco didn’t mind, though, because his reward was now peeking out of the panties, angry red, dripping and begging to be tasted. He swiped his tongue along the tip and had to reach up to steady Harry’s hips as his knees weakened. The smooth fabric cooled Draco’s sweaty palms and made his fingers tingle when he ran them around to cup Harry’s bottom tightly.

Harry’s hands tightened in Draco’s hair and he pushed back against Draco’s hands, wiggling his hips to try to position his cock closer to Draco’s mouth and Draco’s fingers closer to that tight, inviting treasure that lay just beneath the satin. “Draco...” Harry panted again, begging, offering himself up to the blonde fiend just as he had enumerable times.

Draco tugged the elastic waist of the panties down with his teeth and took Harry into his mouth almost fully in one swoop. He felt the tip knocking on the back of his throat and concentrated as much as possible when his head was swimming with such desire. He relaxed his throat and swallowed. “Holyfuckingmotherdraco...” Harry’s fingers clenched and were now so tangled in Draco’s hair that they might just have to cut them out, but Draco didn’t care. He sucked lightly on Harry’s cock before pulling away completely. Harry whimpered and arched forward, searching for the lost warmth of Draco’s mouth, but Draco held him firmly in place.

“Accio lube,” he whispered holding out his hand. As soon as the small tub landed he took Harry back into his mouth, causing the most glorious sounds to gurgle in Harry’s throat. He opened the tub and set it next to his knee, using both hands to pull on either side of the panties until he heard the satisfying sound of tearing fabric. Harry was now bucking frantically into his mouth and Draco knew he didn’t have much time. He dipped his fingers into the tub of lube and ghosted a slick finger between Harry’s cheeks until he felt Harry press back, urgently trying to get those fingers into him. Draco was happy to oblige and pushed easily into the waiting warmth. As soon as he’d found what he was looking for, he felt Harry tense and was forced to swallow down the bitter come that was threatening to drown him. Draco had just enough time to get to his feet before Harry collapsed, his trembling legs no longer able to support him.

Walking them to the bed, Draco laid Harry down gently, pausing to look at the beautiful sight before him. Harry gazed up at him with a crooked grin and a completely dazed look in his eyes. “I think we’ll miss our dinner reservations again.”

Draco shed his clothes and climbed in between Harry’s legs, rubbing his throbbing cock against Harry’s slick, begging anus. “Yes, we will. We’ll have to try again next week,” Draco said huskily as he pushed into Harry’s tightness with a moan.

Harry pulled him down and kissed him possessively, not letting go until he felt Draco come and slump, boneless on top of him.

Harry ran his hands through Draco’s tangled hair and grinned. “Draco? That’s what you said last week.”

Draco, still panting, lifted his head from Harry’s chest and smirked. “I know.”

~The End~

Twelve Years Later - Part 2 - King's Cross

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:07:54 GMT

This is going to be longer than I thought. Hope you guys don't mind. *g*

Title: Twelve Years Later
Author: alaana_fair
Beta: sesheta_66
Cheerleader: melmoe1
Word Count: ~2600
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Genre: Flangst – heavy on the angst at first, then heavy on the fluff later. Just the way we like it, right? *g*
Summary: Sequel to Twelve Years. How long can love wait? As long as it needs to.
Warnings: DH compliant including epilogue.
Disclaimer: I am not JKR. I don’t own them, I make no money from them, I just love them to pieces. All characters in this fic are obviously over 18, but I guess I should state it, just for the record!
Feedback: Always appreciated and concrit is always welcomed!

Need to start at the beginning?

Twelve Years Later - Part 2 - King's Cross

Platform nine and three-quarters was even more crowded than Draco had remembered as a child. The smoke from the train seemed to be trying to smother his anticipation. Marsalis held his hand, knowing him well enough to sense that his sudden sombreness was caused by fear.

He looked at her and smiled, thanking her with his eyes, because there were no words to convey his gratitude. She glanced up and nodded toward a loud group of children who were chattering away with their parents. As Draco looked up he could feel the colour drain from his cheeks. There they were: Harry's family; his friends; the people who had shared Harry's life for the last twelve years instead of him. Draco gritted his teeth and schooled his expression into one of indifference. His heart was pounding so loudly in his chest that he was sure everyone around him could hear it.

Just as he was about to turn away, Ron Weasley caught his eye, followed in a split second, by Harry. The rest of the group seemed oblivious to the drastic change of temperature in the station. Harry's eyes twinkled when they caught Draco's and it took all of his self control to simply nod and turn away. He wanted to run full force into Harry's arms, to take back what was – had always been, would always be – his.

When he glanced back over his shoulder, the chattering had continued, all except for Harry, who was still staring in his direction, lust and longing written so clearly on his face that Draco had to laugh. He couldn't believe that no one else had noticed it. He smiled, a feeling of elation welling up from an unknown source and threatening to carry him away in its wake. When Harry smiled back, Draco knew for certain that Harry would keep his promise this time. That this really was the day that began the life they thought they would always have. He couldn't help himself; he winked at Harry, then turned away to say goodbye to his son.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Harry watched the train leave the station and round the corner, he felt the tears well up, unshed, in his eyes. They weren't tears of worry or sadness as Ginny suspected, but tears of overwhelming joy. Draco's smile lingered in his mind, the cheeky wink a promise of blinding happiness.

All was indeed well, he thought as he looked at Ginny and said, "I'll meet you at home. There's something I have to do."

"But Harry, you said we needed to talk... Lily's going with Ron and Hermione—"

"I know. We will, but there's something important I have to do first. I'll meet you at home in a few hours."

"You alright, mate?" Ron asked, looking concerned.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, Ron, I'm good. Really good. Can you take Ginny home?"

"No problem. Are you... are you sure you're okay?"

Harry laughed like he hadn't done since he was fifteen. "Yes, Ron, I'm sure."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco was busy transforming the old storage room into a comfortable sitting area. From the thick layer of dust that covered every surface, it appeared no one had even entered the room since the last time he and Harry had met here. It seemed like a lifetime ago. It had been a lifetime ago.

When the door creaked open, Draco jumped in surprise.

Harry looked around and smiled at Draco's handiwork. "It looks just like I remembered except for..." Harry glanced at Draco quizzically.

Draco snickered. "I thought adding a bed might be a bit overkill."

Harry stalked slowly to where Draco stood next to the sofa, the wand that had brought them together still held up as if in mid-stroke. There was so much he wanted to say, but more than anything he wanted to kiss those perfect pink lips that looked exactly as Harry had remembered them. When Harry reached Draco he ran his hands down Draco's arms so slowly the other man moaned and leaned into the touch.

"I've missed you," Harry whispered into Draco's ear, eliciting a tiny whimper.

When Harry's hands had reached the end of their journey he clasped Draco's wrists and pulled the other man against him, wrapping Draco's arms around his waist.

"Tell me this is okay, Draco. Tell me you're still mine." Harry's voice was both forceful and pleading, just the combination that had always made Draco's head spin out of control.

"Always," Draco murmured so softly it would have been caught by the breeze and carried away if they weren't in a stale closed off storage room.

Harry released Draco's hands to cradle his face. "Only your touch, Draco, only your kisses. I promise."

Draco couldn't take his eyes off of Harry's. The green seemed to permeate him, sinking into him and making him glow. He'd waited an eternity for this and he knew if Harry asked him to, he'd wait another. But Harry wasn't asking him to. Harry was here, keeping his promise, and Draco was never again going to let him go.

"Kiss me," Draco whispered and before the words were completely formed his lips were covered by Harry's warmth, wet and soft, yet forceful and needy.

Draco felt something bang against his leg just before his wand fell to the floor. Harry's hands were everywhere, remarking territory that had always been his. Roaming over skin that begged for his touch, had been begging for twelve years. Neck, shoulders, ribs, chest, stomach, thighs, calves, ankles, toes – it all belonged to Harry, would always, no matter what.

"God, Draco, I've missed you," Harry mumbled over and over like a sweet melody or an ancient enchantment.
Draco was so lost in the taste of Harry's skin that he didn't really hear the words, but he knew what they meant, recognised the familiar vibration under his tongue. They meant this was real, not a dream from which he would eventually be forced to awaken. This wouldn't be followed by tears of regret, because Harry was back and was his once again.

He thought he might never be able to get enough of Harry, of his scent, his touch, his words, his breath. Thought perhaps he could stay here forever, naked and sweaty, wrapped around Harry, held by him like he was the most precious thing in the entire universe, being worshiped by the man who had never worshiped anyone. He didn't remember it being this good, not even before when they thought it couldn't possibly get any better. The knowledge of how close he'd come to losing this made it that much sweeter and when the fire of orgasm finally overtook him, he let his eyes close and welcomed sleep for the first time in twelve years.

~~~~~~~~~~

When Draco awoke to gentle kisses running along his neck, he almost cried out because it felt so perfect, but instead he chose to take Harry's face into his hands and guide the lips to his, feeding on them, letting them give his soul the nourishment it had been deprived of for so long. The kiss lasted much longer than either of them had planned, neither willing to pull away first. Finally Harry whimpered into the kiss. "I have to go."

Draco stilled instantly.

Harry wrapped his body around Draco to reassure him. "Just for a little while, Draco. Then we can... I've taken a flat in London. By now Kreacher should have everything set up. I thought..." Harry's heart began pounding in his throat and he took in a trembling breath. "I haven't talked to Ginny yet, I have to go do that and then... I was hoping you'd have dinner with me tonight."

Draco's eyes were still closed, but he smiled and when his eyelids finally fluttered open, Harry could have sworn there was a tiny galaxy twinkling in the grey irises. He looked around and for the first time realised what they were lying on. "Where'd the bed come from?"

Harry glanced up at him in surprise. "I thought you—"

Draco shook his head, then remembered the hard thing that had hit him in the calf just as Harry had kissed him. He still had his wand in his hand at the time. "I guess I..." He grinned. "I may have done a bit of unintentional magic."

Harry rolled over on top of him and kissed him again gently. "You wanted a bed, and what Draco Malfoy wants, Draco Malfoy gets, one way or another," Harry whispered into his ear.

"What Draco Malfoy wants is you," he whispered back, letting the connotations flow as clear as the water in a mountain spring. Draco felt Harry's breath catch. The next kiss wasn't nearly as gentle as the previous one. It was possessive, full of hunger and greed and raw animal instinct. Draco pushed into it, knowing both their lips would be puffy and bruised, but not caring in the least. This was his. Damn it to hell, Harry was his, and he wanted the red-headed vixen that had stolen twelve years from him to know it. He pushed against Harry, flipping him onto his back and startling him, never relenting from the battle of lips and tongue, just moving them down to devour Harry's neck, his chest, to bite and tease those nipples that cried out to him, to leave an unmistakable trail of proof that Harry was his now. No one else's. By the time Draco made it to Harry's cock, the man was begging, calling his name in short bursts and long drawn out wails that could have been mistaken for howls of pain if anyone had been listening. Harry was pushing his groin up forcefully and Draco knew the whimpering man needed him so badly he'd do anything, say anything, to get relief. It was extortion at the very least, but Draco needed to hear it. He ran his tongue up Harry's shaft slowly, circled the head with his tongue once, then stopped and looked up. Harry mumbled something and whimpered, threading his hands in Draco's hair trying with all his might to get his cock into the warm, inviting mouth that he remembered.

"Tell me, Harry. Say it. Say I can have what I want."

Harry opened his eyes and looked down at Draco, eyes dark and dangerous. "You already have me, Draco. You always have," he whispered hoarsely.

The shiver of pleasure that ran through Draco's body with those words was almost enough to make him come again. Never breaking eye contact with Harry, he grinned before trying to swallow Harry's cock whole.

"Ohfuckdracofeelssogood!" Harry wailed, and minutes later Draco's mouth was feeling pleasantly abused as Harry rammed into it and came so hard Draco wondered if he'd be able to talk for a week.

Harry lay there, trembling, as Draco moved up and lay down beside him. He hadn't dared to think the day would turn out like this. Hadn't allowed himself to believe they could start right up were they had left off. But apparently, neither of them had really left off anywhere. Somehow, in their minds, in their hearts, perhaps even in their souls, they'd never been apart.

"Draco?" Harry asked hesitantly once he'd remembered that he knew how to form words. "I wasn't sure what I should tell Ginny."

Propping his head in his hand, Draco looked at Harry oddly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I..." Harry took a deep breath. He'd been avoiding even thinking about this over the last twelve years, but the time had come to face the truth. "I promised you I would leave Ginny, that there would be only you, but..." Harry saw flame blaze in Draco's eyes and immediately knew Draco was jumping to the wrong conclusion. He shook his head and ran his hand along Draco's face. "Don't, Draco. Please don't always think the worst of me."

Draco bit his lip. "I don't," he said defensively, pulling away from Harry's hand and watching it fall to the bed. "But, what?"

"But you never said you would leave your wife," Harry said, looking away from Draco's stern gaze, staring at his hand as if it was the most fascinating thing ever. "I don't know if I can tell Ginny about us, or if we still have to keep this a secret."

The longer the silence stretched, the more Harry dreaded the answer.

"Harry, are you telling me that you would leave Ginny even if I didn't tell Marsalis?"

Harry's heart plummeted; it served him right. He couldn't speak so he just nodded, refusing to face Draco and let him see the pain that was forcing its way through his veins. He didn't expect the warm breath that whispered in his ear. "She already knows."

Harry's head whipped up and met Draco's gaze.

"She's always known," Draco said softly. "Always."

"But..." Harry stumbled over even that simple word.

"Yes, it is a bit ironic isn't it? That the brave, honest Gryffindor has been living a lie, while the deceitful Slytherin has been perfectly honest."

Harry winced.

Draco took Harry's hand, threaded their fingers together and squeezed reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't say that to hurt you. I didn't mean it like that."

Harry nodded, but still didn't understand.

"Her father was determined that she should marry a dreadful second cousin that she despised. She's very clever, very resourceful, the wife I would have wanted had I wanted a wife. Apparently it didn't take a lot of investigating to figure out I had secrets. She offered me a deal and I took it. I would save her from her cousin and she would save me from myself." Draco could tell by the look on Harry's face that he still didn't fully understand. That he couldn't comprehend staying married to someone, knowing they were in love with someone else. "You asked me once if I loved her. I didn't at the time, didn't think I ever would. I do now, but not the way I love you, Harry. She's my friend. She knows everything."

"But if you leave her... I still don't know how your aristocratic social circles work, but won't she be—"

"Humiliated? That her husband of twelve years has turned out to be gay and in love with the Saviour of the World?"

Harry snorted. "Yeah, I guess."

"She couldn't care less. She's a Malfoy now. She will always be a Malfoy, no matter what I do or don't do. She knows how I feel about her and we have a son that we both love. That's enough for her. It always has been."

Harry let it all sink in. This person who had been a part of Draco's life, who had loved him, looked after him, had taken care of him when Harry had not. He was suddenly immensely grateful to this woman he had never met. This woman who had treasured Draco in her own way, just as Harry treasured him, who had been better to Draco than he, himself, had. "I don't deserve you," he whispered, not really intending for Draco to hear.

Draco pulled Harry to him and snorted. "That may be true, Potter, but I'm afraid you're stuck with me now."

Harry looked up at Draco beaming. "Yes, I suppose I am."

On to Part 3?

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:21:07 GMT

So here I am, lost again, trying to figure out what in the hell I'm doing. Help!

Does anyone know how to set IJ so I get an email notification when a comment is posted? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

hd_holidays reveals!

alaana.fair@gmail.com — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:58:57 GMT

Well, boys, girls, unicorns, and house-elves - the reveals for hd_holidays are up! Master List Here

Wow, some fantastic fics and art always come out of this fest, and this time is no exception. I've yet to get through even half of them, but have not been disappointed by a single one I've read. That's saying something huge! And the art has been so beautiful.

So I suppose I can say now, for whoever cares - *g* that I wrote Shared Lives for rurounihime - hopefully you guys will enjoy it!

And thanks so much to punkimonki for writing Going Home for me. I know I've rec'd it before, but if you haven't read it, it really is a brilliant story!

This was the first fest I've participated in and it was such an amazing experience! I think much of the credit goes to jamie2109 and nqdonne for all their hard work and their saint like patience! Thank you ladies - you're both fab in my book! *hugs*

So go, enjoy if you haven't already, and don't forget to thank the ladies who made it all happen!