A Love So Belated
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
46,668
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
46,668
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 18: Family Pride
Chapter Number/Total: 18/44
Chapter Title: Family Pride
Words: 2273 Words
Azkaban prison was not exactly visitor-friendly. It was very cold, drafty and wet. The waves of the icy sea crashed upon the shore of the rocky island, blocking out the two cracks of Apparition. Draco and Narcissa were immediately taken by one of the guards, a large, important-looking man.
"Malfoys?" he asked, but the blonde hair on both of them and their richly clothed bodies was enough of an answer.
"Yes, we are," Narcissa replied anyway.
The man gave a stiff nod, gesturing for the two to walk ahead of him, into the prison. It was dark and the sparse candlelight flickered feebly. It was nearly as cold inside as it was out, and it smelled a bit worse. The Dementors were gone at least, and the smell of despair and madness was not helped along by the creatures – nor the cold.
The trio passed several other guards on their way through a stone corridor and the man they were with nodded to them. Narcissa fell back into step with their guard as they neared their destination. "You know our deal," she said out of the corner of her mouth, though her face remained impassible.
The man stopped then, looking around to make sure no one else was near. "Do you have it?"
Narcissa gave him a look of slight incredulousness and put her hand inside her cloak and robes, taking out a velvet drawstring bag, loaded with Galleons. "Of course," she said, an eyebrow arched.
The man took the bag quickly, looking around again before stuffing it away. "I'll lose more than my job if anyone finds out about this," he muttered.
"Yes, well then you had better keep your mouth shut, hadn't you?" Narcissa replied. "Come along, Draco." She looped her arm through his as they began to walk again.
The man led them to a large steel door and unlocked it with several complicated charms and a few manual locks as well. "Inside," he said, opening the door for them.
Draco and Narcissa entered the room beyond. Lucius Malfoy sat in a chair, his hands bound with invisible ropes, his short hair in disarray, and his prison uniform slightly dirty, though it was nothing to how he had looked when he'd returned home after the first stay in Azkaban.
"Oh, Lucius," Narcissa said tearfully, standing by as the guard entered and swiftly released Lucius from his bindings. He left after that and the locks and charms on the door were recast rather quickly.
Narcissa ran to her husband, taking his face in her hands and rubbing some of the dirt away.
Lucius raised hands that shook slightly to embrace his wife, managing to smile as he looked up at her. "Don't worry so much, Narcissa," he admonished.
Draco stood by the door, hands clenched and breath in little pants. The place terrified him. And it was difficult to see his father in it. He stood quietly, waiting until his parents turned their attention back to him.
Narcissa fussed with Lucius' hair, trying to smooth it down. She kissed his forehead and then his lips, hugging him very tightly.
Lucius hugged her tightly in return, and they remained that way for several long moments, but finally broke away. Lucius sighed before turning his gaze upon his son. "No greeting, Draco?"
Draco startled and met his father's eyes. "Hello, Father," he obliged, worried his voice would crack.
Lucius held out a hand toward him and Draco stepped forward, taking it. Both their hands were cold but Draco felt reassured by the strength in his father's grip.
Narcissa took a handkerchief out of her cloak and dabbed at her face. "Are you okay, Lucius?" she asked, still staring at him. "Have they been treating you all right?"
"The place has improved somewhat," he answered. "Tell me about you and Draco. What have you been doing?"
"Well, you know me," she said, trying to give a laugh. "Though most of my ... friends ... the Parkinsons ...." She sniffed. "It's been very lonely," she continued cautiously, "without you there." She smoothed his hair again, glancing at Draco but then back to Lucius.
Draco didn't know what to say. "I have made a lot of progress on my potions experiments. I have one that I hope will be a breakthrough."
Lucius rubbed Narcissa's hand, but turned his attention to Draco. "Potions?" he asked. "I would like to hear what you are doing to get yourself out into wizarding society."
Narcissa moved to stand behind Lucius, rubbing his shoulders but looking at Draco. "He's been speaking with Harry Potter, love," she said, voice careful again.
"Potter?" Lucius asked in surprise. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, that's promising," he continued slowly. "He is still very popular at the moment. How does he respond?"
Draco nearly blushed but controlled his face. "He is surprisingly easy to get along with," he replied.
Narcissa continued to stare at her son. "Yes, he seems to be all right," she concurred. "I've spoken to him several times. He comes over to the Manor. I thought it was rather good, though there hasn't been anything on it in the paper yet. I'm quite surprised actually, with the house still being watched and all."
"It would be good for us if people knew you associated with him," Lucius said. "Is he seen in public with you?"
Draco frowned but nodded. "He goes to Quidditch matches with me."
"So it's only a matter of time before the Prophet prints something," said Narcissa, still rubbing Lucius' shoulders. "It's all been about the war, of course."
Now Draco was worried. What would happen if the Prophet did catch on to his relationship with Harry? The thought was unsettling.
"Of course," said Lucius, patting his wife's hand. "Potter's not the only person you've been with though, is he?" he asked his son, raising an eyebrow.
Narcissa rubbed a little harder.
Draco frowned. He didn't want to disappoint his father but the truth was that he had barely spoken to anyone besides his mother or Harry in months. He shrugged.
Lucius made a huffing noise. "Son," he said in 'the tone'. "You're eighteen years old."
"Lucius," Narcissa interjected quickly. "You know the circumstances. Pansy Parkinson would not be suitable anymore."
"Even so," said Lucius, "he should be looking. You are looking, aren't you?"
Draco winced. He was supposed to find a pure-blood witch and make Malfoy heirs. He knew that, and he had absolutely no interest in doing so. It didn't even matter that there weren't that many pure-blood witches left. He looked away.
Lucius continued to stare. "Draco," he said, "you know this. You know it."
"He does," Narcissa affirmed. "So there's no need to lecture him on it."
"Narcissa, please," frowned Lucius. "I'm not ripping the boy's head off. Draco, you should have a wife within, at the very most, the next five to seven years. And you cannot only be seen with Harry Potter. The families, Draco."
"The families are all in here with you, love," Narcissa reminded. "So they really can't say too much."
Lucius narrowed his eyes slightly at that. "You mother him too much for his own good."
She rolled her eyes but patted his shoulders.
Draco shifted from one foot to the other. "I know, Father," he answered obediently.
Lucius huffed some more. "Good," he said seriously. "Now, what else have you got to tell me?"
Narcissa went into financials then, and gave Draco a tiny nod.
***
Narcissa was being rather quiet. It was clear that she missed her husband terribly; she hadn't even wanted to leave when their hour was up, but she and Draco had gone when the guard had returned to let them out.
They stepped into their house, out of the horribly cold wind, and handed their cloaks to the old house-elf. Narcissa moved slowly, clearly thinking to herself. Her brows were pulled together slightly and a small frown graced her lips.
Draco didn’t break the silence on the journey home. He had been so happy in his relationship with Harry that he had allowed himself to forget what a disappointment his life must be to his parents. He wanted them to approve of him. It saddened him greatly to think that he had let them down.
Narcissa looked up at Draco distractedly. "Is he coming tonight?" she asked.
"I don't know," Draco answered, looking up at her. He wanted to say something, anything to help her feel better. Nothing came to mind.
There was a long moment of silence between them. "Your father's right, Draco," she said quietly, clasping her hands together. "I want you to be happy, and I know that you have been, but ...." She sighed, looking away from him.
Draco looked down at the floor, waiting for her to continue.
"He's still involved with that Weasley girl," she said. "That's enough for me to worry about. He's ... well, everything about him is uncertain and he is, by no means, a good match. He's male for one thing." She paused for a moment. "He's male and that won't produce children, Draco. And he's a ... half-blood." Her nose wrinkled a bit. "Now, I know I told you that I wouldn't say a word against him. I know how you feel, but I-" She paused again. "I don't think it will last with him. And if your father were to find out-" She didn't finish her sentence. She didn't need to.
"I know," Draco whispered, shoulders slumped. Could he tell his mother he loved Harry Potter? Would she understand or be horrified? He took a deep breath. "Mother, even if that is true, all of it, there isn't likely to be a match for me."
She frowned and crossed the short distance between them. "There are plenty, Draco," she said. "Even if she's not British. Now, your father and I will not force you to marry. I want you to marry someone that you love, someone with whom you can be happy. I've seen far too many friends forced into loveless marriages, and I know that it doesn't work terribly well. We don't want that for you, but we do want you to make good choices. Perhaps in France you would find someone. You know your father has family there."
He looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "I know you want what is best for me. And I want to make you proud. But, Mother ..." He paused. "I love him."
Her face went blank and she stared at Draco. "You love him?" she asked after another long moment.
Draco trembled, eyes pleading with his mother's to understand. "Yes, very much," he whispered.
Narcissa took a very deep breath and closed her eyes. "Does he love you?" she asked.
Draco looked down. "I ... I don't know," he admitted.
"Would he be with you, Draco?" she continued. "Would he be willing to be seen with another man in public? Willing to break it off with that girl? Willing to give up a family? Children? Are you willing to do that for Harry Potter?"
Draco frowned. He knew Harry was still seeing Ginny. "I can't speak for him," he said. "But I can't imagine being with anyone else. I think about him all the time."
She brought a hand up to cover her eyes now. "Oh, Draco," she sighed. "No one else? No one?"
"I have never felt this way before," he replied, looking again into his mother's face, letting her see it.
"It hasn't even been that long," she said, sounding as if she were trying to convince herself that this couldn't be true. "What will you tell your father?"
Draco blushed, looking down. It had been a lot longer than he wanted to admit. "I can't tell Father, I know that," he whispered.
"What are you going to do, then?" she asked, looking slightly incredulous. "Get a wife? Have a child? And keep Potter on the side? You won't be able to hide this from Father forever. He will pressure you until you marry, or until you tell him the truth. Whichever comes first."
"I understand," Draco said. He wanted to please his father. He wanted to make both his parents proud. But he wanted Harry more than he wanted anything else.
"Do you?" she asked, but then sighed, cupping his face with both her hands. "I want you to be happy," she said again. "That is what I want above everything." She kissed his forehead and both his cheeks. "Consider my words, Draco," she whispered. "It may sound like rubbish to you now, but later, when it isn't so new ..." She shook her head. "Just consider them."
"I promise to think about it, Mother," Draco said, bringing a hand up to lie over one of hers and giving it a squeeze. "I know you want what is best for me."
She nodded. "More than anything." She released him slowly, smoothing the front of his robe and giving him a small smile.
"Mother," Draco said when she started to turn away. "I love you, and I want you to be happy, too."
She smiled again. "I suppose my mood is daunting when your father isn't here." She turned fully to him again. "That's why I will let you decide," she whispered. "I know what love can be like."
He smiled at her, a sad smile, but one full of love. "Thank you."
She kissed his cheek again. "I love you too, Draco. And you're welcome." She gave him a look that was a combination of fondness and exasperation before turning again.
Chapter Title: Family Pride
Words: 2273 Words
Azkaban prison was not exactly visitor-friendly. It was very cold, drafty and wet. The waves of the icy sea crashed upon the shore of the rocky island, blocking out the two cracks of Apparition. Draco and Narcissa were immediately taken by one of the guards, a large, important-looking man.
"Malfoys?" he asked, but the blonde hair on both of them and their richly clothed bodies was enough of an answer.
"Yes, we are," Narcissa replied anyway.
The man gave a stiff nod, gesturing for the two to walk ahead of him, into the prison. It was dark and the sparse candlelight flickered feebly. It was nearly as cold inside as it was out, and it smelled a bit worse. The Dementors were gone at least, and the smell of despair and madness was not helped along by the creatures – nor the cold.
The trio passed several other guards on their way through a stone corridor and the man they were with nodded to them. Narcissa fell back into step with their guard as they neared their destination. "You know our deal," she said out of the corner of her mouth, though her face remained impassible.
The man stopped then, looking around to make sure no one else was near. "Do you have it?"
Narcissa gave him a look of slight incredulousness and put her hand inside her cloak and robes, taking out a velvet drawstring bag, loaded with Galleons. "Of course," she said, an eyebrow arched.
The man took the bag quickly, looking around again before stuffing it away. "I'll lose more than my job if anyone finds out about this," he muttered.
"Yes, well then you had better keep your mouth shut, hadn't you?" Narcissa replied. "Come along, Draco." She looped her arm through his as they began to walk again.
The man led them to a large steel door and unlocked it with several complicated charms and a few manual locks as well. "Inside," he said, opening the door for them.
Draco and Narcissa entered the room beyond. Lucius Malfoy sat in a chair, his hands bound with invisible ropes, his short hair in disarray, and his prison uniform slightly dirty, though it was nothing to how he had looked when he'd returned home after the first stay in Azkaban.
"Oh, Lucius," Narcissa said tearfully, standing by as the guard entered and swiftly released Lucius from his bindings. He left after that and the locks and charms on the door were recast rather quickly.
Narcissa ran to her husband, taking his face in her hands and rubbing some of the dirt away.
Lucius raised hands that shook slightly to embrace his wife, managing to smile as he looked up at her. "Don't worry so much, Narcissa," he admonished.
Draco stood by the door, hands clenched and breath in little pants. The place terrified him. And it was difficult to see his father in it. He stood quietly, waiting until his parents turned their attention back to him.
Narcissa fussed with Lucius' hair, trying to smooth it down. She kissed his forehead and then his lips, hugging him very tightly.
Lucius hugged her tightly in return, and they remained that way for several long moments, but finally broke away. Lucius sighed before turning his gaze upon his son. "No greeting, Draco?"
Draco startled and met his father's eyes. "Hello, Father," he obliged, worried his voice would crack.
Lucius held out a hand toward him and Draco stepped forward, taking it. Both their hands were cold but Draco felt reassured by the strength in his father's grip.
Narcissa took a handkerchief out of her cloak and dabbed at her face. "Are you okay, Lucius?" she asked, still staring at him. "Have they been treating you all right?"
"The place has improved somewhat," he answered. "Tell me about you and Draco. What have you been doing?"
"Well, you know me," she said, trying to give a laugh. "Though most of my ... friends ... the Parkinsons ...." She sniffed. "It's been very lonely," she continued cautiously, "without you there." She smoothed his hair again, glancing at Draco but then back to Lucius.
Draco didn't know what to say. "I have made a lot of progress on my potions experiments. I have one that I hope will be a breakthrough."
Lucius rubbed Narcissa's hand, but turned his attention to Draco. "Potions?" he asked. "I would like to hear what you are doing to get yourself out into wizarding society."
Narcissa moved to stand behind Lucius, rubbing his shoulders but looking at Draco. "He's been speaking with Harry Potter, love," she said, voice careful again.
"Potter?" Lucius asked in surprise. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, that's promising," he continued slowly. "He is still very popular at the moment. How does he respond?"
Draco nearly blushed but controlled his face. "He is surprisingly easy to get along with," he replied.
Narcissa continued to stare at her son. "Yes, he seems to be all right," she concurred. "I've spoken to him several times. He comes over to the Manor. I thought it was rather good, though there hasn't been anything on it in the paper yet. I'm quite surprised actually, with the house still being watched and all."
"It would be good for us if people knew you associated with him," Lucius said. "Is he seen in public with you?"
Draco frowned but nodded. "He goes to Quidditch matches with me."
"So it's only a matter of time before the Prophet prints something," said Narcissa, still rubbing Lucius' shoulders. "It's all been about the war, of course."
Now Draco was worried. What would happen if the Prophet did catch on to his relationship with Harry? The thought was unsettling.
"Of course," said Lucius, patting his wife's hand. "Potter's not the only person you've been with though, is he?" he asked his son, raising an eyebrow.
Narcissa rubbed a little harder.
Draco frowned. He didn't want to disappoint his father but the truth was that he had barely spoken to anyone besides his mother or Harry in months. He shrugged.
Lucius made a huffing noise. "Son," he said in 'the tone'. "You're eighteen years old."
"Lucius," Narcissa interjected quickly. "You know the circumstances. Pansy Parkinson would not be suitable anymore."
"Even so," said Lucius, "he should be looking. You are looking, aren't you?"
Draco winced. He was supposed to find a pure-blood witch and make Malfoy heirs. He knew that, and he had absolutely no interest in doing so. It didn't even matter that there weren't that many pure-blood witches left. He looked away.
Lucius continued to stare. "Draco," he said, "you know this. You know it."
"He does," Narcissa affirmed. "So there's no need to lecture him on it."
"Narcissa, please," frowned Lucius. "I'm not ripping the boy's head off. Draco, you should have a wife within, at the very most, the next five to seven years. And you cannot only be seen with Harry Potter. The families, Draco."
"The families are all in here with you, love," Narcissa reminded. "So they really can't say too much."
Lucius narrowed his eyes slightly at that. "You mother him too much for his own good."
She rolled her eyes but patted his shoulders.
Draco shifted from one foot to the other. "I know, Father," he answered obediently.
Lucius huffed some more. "Good," he said seriously. "Now, what else have you got to tell me?"
Narcissa went into financials then, and gave Draco a tiny nod.
***
Narcissa was being rather quiet. It was clear that she missed her husband terribly; she hadn't even wanted to leave when their hour was up, but she and Draco had gone when the guard had returned to let them out.
They stepped into their house, out of the horribly cold wind, and handed their cloaks to the old house-elf. Narcissa moved slowly, clearly thinking to herself. Her brows were pulled together slightly and a small frown graced her lips.
Draco didn’t break the silence on the journey home. He had been so happy in his relationship with Harry that he had allowed himself to forget what a disappointment his life must be to his parents. He wanted them to approve of him. It saddened him greatly to think that he had let them down.
Narcissa looked up at Draco distractedly. "Is he coming tonight?" she asked.
"I don't know," Draco answered, looking up at her. He wanted to say something, anything to help her feel better. Nothing came to mind.
There was a long moment of silence between them. "Your father's right, Draco," she said quietly, clasping her hands together. "I want you to be happy, and I know that you have been, but ...." She sighed, looking away from him.
Draco looked down at the floor, waiting for her to continue.
"He's still involved with that Weasley girl," she said. "That's enough for me to worry about. He's ... well, everything about him is uncertain and he is, by no means, a good match. He's male for one thing." She paused for a moment. "He's male and that won't produce children, Draco. And he's a ... half-blood." Her nose wrinkled a bit. "Now, I know I told you that I wouldn't say a word against him. I know how you feel, but I-" She paused again. "I don't think it will last with him. And if your father were to find out-" She didn't finish her sentence. She didn't need to.
"I know," Draco whispered, shoulders slumped. Could he tell his mother he loved Harry Potter? Would she understand or be horrified? He took a deep breath. "Mother, even if that is true, all of it, there isn't likely to be a match for me."
She frowned and crossed the short distance between them. "There are plenty, Draco," she said. "Even if she's not British. Now, your father and I will not force you to marry. I want you to marry someone that you love, someone with whom you can be happy. I've seen far too many friends forced into loveless marriages, and I know that it doesn't work terribly well. We don't want that for you, but we do want you to make good choices. Perhaps in France you would find someone. You know your father has family there."
He looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "I know you want what is best for me. And I want to make you proud. But, Mother ..." He paused. "I love him."
Her face went blank and she stared at Draco. "You love him?" she asked after another long moment.
Draco trembled, eyes pleading with his mother's to understand. "Yes, very much," he whispered.
Narcissa took a very deep breath and closed her eyes. "Does he love you?" she asked.
Draco looked down. "I ... I don't know," he admitted.
"Would he be with you, Draco?" she continued. "Would he be willing to be seen with another man in public? Willing to break it off with that girl? Willing to give up a family? Children? Are you willing to do that for Harry Potter?"
Draco frowned. He knew Harry was still seeing Ginny. "I can't speak for him," he said. "But I can't imagine being with anyone else. I think about him all the time."
She brought a hand up to cover her eyes now. "Oh, Draco," she sighed. "No one else? No one?"
"I have never felt this way before," he replied, looking again into his mother's face, letting her see it.
"It hasn't even been that long," she said, sounding as if she were trying to convince herself that this couldn't be true. "What will you tell your father?"
Draco blushed, looking down. It had been a lot longer than he wanted to admit. "I can't tell Father, I know that," he whispered.
"What are you going to do, then?" she asked, looking slightly incredulous. "Get a wife? Have a child? And keep Potter on the side? You won't be able to hide this from Father forever. He will pressure you until you marry, or until you tell him the truth. Whichever comes first."
"I understand," Draco said. He wanted to please his father. He wanted to make both his parents proud. But he wanted Harry more than he wanted anything else.
"Do you?" she asked, but then sighed, cupping his face with both her hands. "I want you to be happy," she said again. "That is what I want above everything." She kissed his forehead and both his cheeks. "Consider my words, Draco," she whispered. "It may sound like rubbish to you now, but later, when it isn't so new ..." She shook her head. "Just consider them."
"I promise to think about it, Mother," Draco said, bringing a hand up to lie over one of hers and giving it a squeeze. "I know you want what is best for me."
She nodded. "More than anything." She released him slowly, smoothing the front of his robe and giving him a small smile.
"Mother," Draco said when she started to turn away. "I love you, and I want you to be happy, too."
She smiled again. "I suppose my mood is daunting when your father isn't here." She turned fully to him again. "That's why I will let you decide," she whispered. "I know what love can be like."
He smiled at her, a sad smile, but one full of love. "Thank you."
She kissed his cheek again. "I love you too, Draco. And you're welcome." She gave him a look that was a combination of fondness and exasperation before turning again.