Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy - Growing Harry - PG-13 - Part Seven
Title: Growing Harry (part seven) unbetad
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: PG-13 for the moment
Summary: Harry has some terrible news and his entire way of life is thrown off balance as he is forced to take responsibility of not just himself. Post-Hogwarts, post-war.
Warnings: Character death but not Harry or Draco, however very integral to the plot
A/N: My beta seems to have gone AWOL and I'm going away tomorrow and wanted this posted because I feel like I haven't updated in FOREVER. Which is probably true.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six
Part Seven
It was over a week later before the issue of Draco going back to work came up. They had taken the kids to school and come home to find an owl waiting for them at the kitchen window; Harry let the bird in and was surprised to find the small scroll attached to his leg addressed to Draco.
Draco read the small piece of parchment which was a request from the ministry to head to the head quarters for a job they needed his help with; it would take three days at the least to decipher the text they needed help with.
“I’m afraid I’ve finally been summoned to work,” Draco looked up hesitantly at Harry would had remained suspiciously silent since giving Draco the letter.
“Oh alright, that’s fine,” Harry smiled but it wasn’t the genuine one Draco had gotten used to over the last few weeks.
“I’m sorry I really would rather stay but I’ve been a bit absent recently I should really show my face,” Draco didn’t know why he was apologising he wasn’t living here, he’d been popping back to his flat every other day to check on his mail and get clean clothes, he and Harry had made no promises to one another, he adored being around the children and he loved spending time with Harry but they weren’t in a relationship. They had said nothing beyond wanting to get to know one another that first night he stayed over and had since had some great sex throughout the house while the kids were at school but there had been no declarations of love or commitment.
Harry was gentle and loving but sometimes he was distant and cold towards him, he would leave Draco in the living room for sometimes up to an hour while he sat alone in the garden or in his bedroom, once he’d even caught him sitting in Ron and Hermione’s bedroom just staring into space. He’d tried to unconditionally understand but he sometimes felt himself being irrationally jealous of these people, who he had cared about, but who were constantly stealing Harry from him. He knew his new found lover was still grieving but Draco himself had always been taught to live in the present, think about the future and let the past be where it’s supposed to be, in the past. And let’s face it Draco was selfish, he wanted Harry for himself, he had always been selfish, and he wasn’t about the change now.
“Don’t be sorry, I understand, it’s pretty dull around here anyway,” Harry tried to make light of the situation but turned towards the sink and began washing the dishes from breakfast just so he wouldn’t have to make eye contact with Draco. He had come to rely on the fact that Draco was there, he didn’t quite know what he would do being alone with the children. Draco always managed to make things fun for them, to take their mind off of the grief, even if he didn’t always manage to do it for Harry. He’s been spending more time alone recently, an hour or so a day just thinking about the past and how much he missed them, he couldn’t help it one moment he was fine and the next this heart wrenching reminder would flow over him like a tidal wave, reminding him that they were gone; forever. When it happened he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t be around Draco, he had to be alone, he thought with Draco around he would be fine, that he wouldn’t have to think about it any more but he couldn’t help it.
“It has nothing to do with it being dull or anything else here Harry and you know it,” Draco replied frostily, he didn’t like what Harry was implying, he wasn’t the one who disappeared everyday making Draco feel as if he was completely unwanted, unneeded.
“Yeah well I understand why you’d want to leave,” Harry said as he clunked the dishes onto the draining board loudly. Draco grabbed his arm and turned him around so they were facing each other.
“I don’t want to leave Harry why are you being all off with me?” Draco frowned.
“I’m not,” Harry snatched his arm back and continued washing dishes.
“Well I’m not the one who has been disappearing every day, I’m not the one who’s acting like you being here doesn’t matter,” Draco seethed in obvious frustration.
“What did you say?” Harry turned away from the dishes flicking excess water on to the floor and wiping his hands off onto his jeans.
“You heard me Harry,” Draco snapped and strode from the kitchen.
“How can you say that? I need you here! I don’t know what I’d do without you, how can you even think that?” Harry was hot on his heels, he did not want Draco leaving in the middle of a fight.
“I don’t feel like I’m enough for you,”
“You know where I go, what I do, why I go away, this is so hard for me,” Draco turned back to him and Harry winced at the anguished look on his face.
“No Harry you just disappear and assume I know why you’ve gone, I want you to talk to me, you don’t have to be so brave!”
“This isn’t easy for me!” Harry cried.
“Do you think it’s easy for me? I used to hate you, I mean really truly hate you, more than I’ve hated anyone and now here I am and I think I’m in love with you, and I’m caring for Weasley’s children and…” Draco seemed lost for words as he slumped into a chair and ran both his hands through his hair; Harry stood in the doorway and stared at him.
“What did you say?” Harry whispered, his voice broken and choked.
“I said I love you Potter, want me to say it again just to humiliate myself completely?”
“Humiliate yourself? Draco why would you say that?”
“Malfoy’s don’t love, they don’t care about anyone but themselves and despite it all I care about you, I care about those children and I care that you’re hurting so I hate it that you shut me out. That why I feel humiliated because I love you and you…”
“I love you too you idiot. I’m sorry that I’ve been disappearing, I really am. I’m sorry Draco I just I miss them so much and I thought that having you here would make it go away and it has helped so much but oh god Draco I don’t know what I was thinking when I said I could do this,” Draco looked up sharply at Harry who stood in the doorway, he looked about ready to crumble, his face was pale and he was shaking and in an instant Draco was on his feet once more, he took the few strides it took to get across the room and seized Harry by his elbows and pulled him into his body. Harry sagged into him and clutched at Draco desperately as his whole body shook.
“Harry its going to be alright, you’re not alone, I’m here even when I’m away I’m just going to be a fire call away I promise and you are strong you can do this. You can get help from Ginny as well and the Weasley’s they’re all here for you Harry. You’re not alone. And if you want to, why don’t you go and talk to someone about them, a councillor, I did it after everything that happened with my parents, there is nothing shameful,” Draco whispered soothing into Harry’s neck as they stood there precariously leaning against the door frame between kitchen and living room and he listened to Harry breathing deeply into his shoulder. The dark haired wizard pulled back and smiled a watery smile at the blonde who ran a hand through Harry’s hair.
“When do you have to leave?”
“This afternoon,” Draco whispered and he felt Harry wince.
“Oh god,” Harry clutched at him tightly; he knew it was only for a few days but he was going to miss him desperately. “Can’t you just floo back here after work?”
“I’ll be working until really late, it’ll just be easier for me to crash at my flat in London,” Draco whispered apologetically.
“Okay,” Harry pulled back once more and pressed a soft kiss to Draco’s lips. “I do love you,” Draco blushed and returned the kiss before they disappeared up stairs to pack what little things Draco had bought with him.
I NEED A NEW BETA!!!
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: PG-13 for the moment
Summary: Harry has some terrible news and his entire way of life is thrown off balance as he is forced to take responsibility of not just himself. Post-Hogwarts, post-war.
Warnings: Character death but not Harry or Draco, however very integral to the plot
A/N: My beta seems to have gone AWOL and I'm going away tomorrow and wanted this posted because I feel like I haven't updated in FOREVER. Which is probably true.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six
Part Seven
It was over a week later before the issue of Draco going back to work came up. They had taken the kids to school and come home to find an owl waiting for them at the kitchen window; Harry let the bird in and was surprised to find the small scroll attached to his leg addressed to Draco.
Draco read the small piece of parchment which was a request from the ministry to head to the head quarters for a job they needed his help with; it would take three days at the least to decipher the text they needed help with.
“I’m afraid I’ve finally been summoned to work,” Draco looked up hesitantly at Harry would had remained suspiciously silent since giving Draco the letter.
“Oh alright, that’s fine,” Harry smiled but it wasn’t the genuine one Draco had gotten used to over the last few weeks.
“I’m sorry I really would rather stay but I’ve been a bit absent recently I should really show my face,” Draco didn’t know why he was apologising he wasn’t living here, he’d been popping back to his flat every other day to check on his mail and get clean clothes, he and Harry had made no promises to one another, he adored being around the children and he loved spending time with Harry but they weren’t in a relationship. They had said nothing beyond wanting to get to know one another that first night he stayed over and had since had some great sex throughout the house while the kids were at school but there had been no declarations of love or commitment.
Harry was gentle and loving but sometimes he was distant and cold towards him, he would leave Draco in the living room for sometimes up to an hour while he sat alone in the garden or in his bedroom, once he’d even caught him sitting in Ron and Hermione’s bedroom just staring into space. He’d tried to unconditionally understand but he sometimes felt himself being irrationally jealous of these people, who he had cared about, but who were constantly stealing Harry from him. He knew his new found lover was still grieving but Draco himself had always been taught to live in the present, think about the future and let the past be where it’s supposed to be, in the past. And let’s face it Draco was selfish, he wanted Harry for himself, he had always been selfish, and he wasn’t about the change now.
“Don’t be sorry, I understand, it’s pretty dull around here anyway,” Harry tried to make light of the situation but turned towards the sink and began washing the dishes from breakfast just so he wouldn’t have to make eye contact with Draco. He had come to rely on the fact that Draco was there, he didn’t quite know what he would do being alone with the children. Draco always managed to make things fun for them, to take their mind off of the grief, even if he didn’t always manage to do it for Harry. He’s been spending more time alone recently, an hour or so a day just thinking about the past and how much he missed them, he couldn’t help it one moment he was fine and the next this heart wrenching reminder would flow over him like a tidal wave, reminding him that they were gone; forever. When it happened he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t be around Draco, he had to be alone, he thought with Draco around he would be fine, that he wouldn’t have to think about it any more but he couldn’t help it.
“It has nothing to do with it being dull or anything else here Harry and you know it,” Draco replied frostily, he didn’t like what Harry was implying, he wasn’t the one who disappeared everyday making Draco feel as if he was completely unwanted, unneeded.
“Yeah well I understand why you’d want to leave,” Harry said as he clunked the dishes onto the draining board loudly. Draco grabbed his arm and turned him around so they were facing each other.
“I don’t want to leave Harry why are you being all off with me?” Draco frowned.
“I’m not,” Harry snatched his arm back and continued washing dishes.
“Well I’m not the one who has been disappearing every day, I’m not the one who’s acting like you being here doesn’t matter,” Draco seethed in obvious frustration.
“What did you say?” Harry turned away from the dishes flicking excess water on to the floor and wiping his hands off onto his jeans.
“You heard me Harry,” Draco snapped and strode from the kitchen.
“How can you say that? I need you here! I don’t know what I’d do without you, how can you even think that?” Harry was hot on his heels, he did not want Draco leaving in the middle of a fight.
“I don’t feel like I’m enough for you,”
“You know where I go, what I do, why I go away, this is so hard for me,” Draco turned back to him and Harry winced at the anguished look on his face.
“No Harry you just disappear and assume I know why you’ve gone, I want you to talk to me, you don’t have to be so brave!”
“This isn’t easy for me!” Harry cried.
“Do you think it’s easy for me? I used to hate you, I mean really truly hate you, more than I’ve hated anyone and now here I am and I think I’m in love with you, and I’m caring for Weasley’s children and…” Draco seemed lost for words as he slumped into a chair and ran both his hands through his hair; Harry stood in the doorway and stared at him.
“What did you say?” Harry whispered, his voice broken and choked.
“I said I love you Potter, want me to say it again just to humiliate myself completely?”
“Humiliate yourself? Draco why would you say that?”
“Malfoy’s don’t love, they don’t care about anyone but themselves and despite it all I care about you, I care about those children and I care that you’re hurting so I hate it that you shut me out. That why I feel humiliated because I love you and you…”
“I love you too you idiot. I’m sorry that I’ve been disappearing, I really am. I’m sorry Draco I just I miss them so much and I thought that having you here would make it go away and it has helped so much but oh god Draco I don’t know what I was thinking when I said I could do this,” Draco looked up sharply at Harry who stood in the doorway, he looked about ready to crumble, his face was pale and he was shaking and in an instant Draco was on his feet once more, he took the few strides it took to get across the room and seized Harry by his elbows and pulled him into his body. Harry sagged into him and clutched at Draco desperately as his whole body shook.
“Harry its going to be alright, you’re not alone, I’m here even when I’m away I’m just going to be a fire call away I promise and you are strong you can do this. You can get help from Ginny as well and the Weasley’s they’re all here for you Harry. You’re not alone. And if you want to, why don’t you go and talk to someone about them, a councillor, I did it after everything that happened with my parents, there is nothing shameful,” Draco whispered soothing into Harry’s neck as they stood there precariously leaning against the door frame between kitchen and living room and he listened to Harry breathing deeply into his shoulder. The dark haired wizard pulled back and smiled a watery smile at the blonde who ran a hand through Harry’s hair.
“When do you have to leave?”
“This afternoon,” Draco whispered and he felt Harry wince.
“Oh god,” Harry clutched at him tightly; he knew it was only for a few days but he was going to miss him desperately. “Can’t you just floo back here after work?”
“I’ll be working until really late, it’ll just be easier for me to crash at my flat in London,” Draco whispered apologetically.
“Okay,” Harry pulled back once more and pressed a soft kiss to Draco’s lips. “I do love you,” Draco blushed and returned the kiss before they disappeared up stairs to pack what little things Draco had bought with him.
I NEED A NEW BETA!!!