Indago:Reborn

Happy Yule everyone!

Chapter Twenty-One

Harry woke up to an empty bed the next morning. Draco had never returned and Harry was actually kind of appreciative of that. He had known how close to the edge Draco had been last night and had not wanted anything to happen that they would both regret. They had had many happy years since Draco had last hit him and Harry didn’t want that to end.

He padded down the hall, after quickly getting dress, to Maia’s room as he thought about last night. He could honestly say that Draco had every right to be angry with him. They had planned everything out for that visit. They had anticipated Lucius’s reaction to Snape’s involvement in Maia’s development. They had planned for Draco to do all the talking and for Harry to just sit there and be the docile and polite spouse that Lucius would want to see. They had even laughed at Harry’s joke about getting a pearl necklace and heels to go with his façade of the perfect housewife.

Harry quietly turned the doorknob and walked into the nursery. Maia was awake and staring at the painted birds that were charmed to flit about her ceiling.

“Hello, my love,” Harry said quietly with a smile. Black eyes immediately trained on him and her arms and legs began to flap in excitement. Harry smiled wider and scooped her up into his arms. Her morning nappy change could wait just a minute more while he found solace in the weight of her in his arms.

“You did so well in your room all by yourself,” Harry crooned. “Such a big girl already.” He held her squirming warmth close as he rocked back and forth. “But you know I would have wanted you with me, don’t you? It’s only that Daddy had something to say to me that was a bit too grown up.”

Maia huffed and nuzzled closer to his neck.

“Ah, you’re right. He wants to be called “Father”, doesn’t he? Well, still, it smacks just a bit too much like that man that is unfortunately related to you.” Harry lowered her back down into the crib and reached for a nappy. “I think you should call us whatever you want, love. And you can call that man anything you want, too. Even if it’s a bad name.” Harry quickly changed her and pulled her back up to his chest. “Come, poppet, I bet your hungry, yeah?”

Ten minutes later and Harry and Maia were seated at the dining room table.

“I’m sorry we missed Daddy, but he had to go to work today,” Harry explained as he pulled off a bit of toast. He fed it to her as it was and it went down without a hitch. “Such a big girl, eating it all by yourself,” he praised. Maia breathed rapidly in excitement and Harry laughed. He fed her some fruit and eggs and some ham that he helped her with, of course. Harry knew that pre-chewing the food for her was probably gross, but he really couldn’t dredge up any abhorrence to it. He was feeding his daughter, what could be gross about that? Still, he would make sure that he’d refrain from doing it in company. Well, maybe he’d do it in front of Ron just to get a rise out of him.

After breakfast, he and Maia moved out into the sunroom so they could look at the plants and trees through the windows. It was a beautiful day outside.

“Ably?”

A pop and the house-elf appeared, his eyes down.

“What’s wrong, Ably? A bit under the weather?” Harry asked in concern.

“Yes, Master Harry. But Ably will still do all that he can for Master Harry and Mistress Maia.”

“You hear that, love? You’re a mistress,” Harry chuckled. “Ably, will you bring my and Maia’s coat? Oh, and a small lunch. The mistress and I have decided to take a walk.”

Ably began to wring his hands and tug on his ears. “Forgive me, Master Harry, but Master Draco said that you and the small mistress could not leave the house today. Master Draco said that you were to wait for him to come home,” the elf said in a trembling voice.

Harry was silent for a moment. “I see,” he said calmly. “Thank you, Ably. That’ll be fine, then.” Ably tugged on his ear one more time and disappeared. Harry stared out the large windows at the tree just across the stone path. “Well, Maia, we have to go call your father, it seems,” he said in a low voice.

Harry stalked to the sitting room and laid Maia down in her cradle. He then moved quickly to the fireplace and threw a handful of Floo powder into the glowing embers. A flash and green flames sprung up in earnest. Harry stuck his head in and was made even angrier when he could feel the push on his shoulders. Apparently, Draco had locked down the fireplace so that he couldn’t Floo out of the house. Which meant that he had also locked the doors and probably the windows, the slimy Slytherin!

Gritting his teeth, Harry shouted, “Ministry of Magic, fifth level, Department of International Magical Cooperation, International Magical Office of Law, Draco Malfoy.”

Another flash and a woman with greying brown hair and small bifocals appeared. “Hello, may I ask who is calling please.”

“Harry Potter-Malfoy. I’d like to speak to Draco Malfoy.”

“Ah. Yes.” The woman appeared to be looking at something. “I’m sorry. Mr. Malfoy is away at the moment, if you care to leave--”

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Harry bit out. “But do you really want me to come down there? I want to speak to Draco Malfoy now, please.”

“I understand your request,” the lady said officiously, “but you must understand that Mr. Malfoy is a very busy man and--” The woman looked away from a moment and seemed to be listening to someone else. Her eyes widened and she turned back to Harry with a nervous smile. “Oh, Mr. Potter. I mean, Mr. Potter-Malfoy. I am so sorry. You definitely do not need to come down here, I’m sure. I was mistaken. Mr. Malfoy will, of course, be right with you. Hold, please.”

Harry watched the head disappear and really hoped that this wasn’t a snow job and he’d be left waiting forever. But no, in the next minute, Draco appeared.

“Harry, I hope you have a good reason to be calling me and threatening my staff.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed. “And I hope you have an excellent reason as to why you’ve left orders for my house arrest!”

Draco stared at Harry for a moment. “So you really did try to leave,” he said.

“I don’t think I could possibly get in any trouble or annoy your father if I take our daughter for a bloody walk!”

“A walk? That was all?”

“Of course! What did you think I was going to do? Run away and try to murder your father?”

Draco watched him quietly.

“Merlin! You did think I was going to do that!” Harry was aghast and his mouth dropped open in shock.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d go after my father,” Draco said.

Harry’s eyes narrowed again. “But you did think I’d run away?”

Silver eyes skitted away for a moment and then back. “Well, I figured I gave you enough reason to, yeah?”

Harry heaved a sigh. “I never even thought of leaving you, Draco. I’m not a coward, you know.”

“I know. But I also know that there has been a lot of strife right now and I would not have been surprised to come home and find you gone.”

Harry desperately wanted to touch Draco at that moment. He put his hand out but was blocked by the lock. Draco saw and held out his own hand and Harry grasped it, bringing it to his face. “Stupid twit,” he said affectionately. “I don’t want to leave you. There’s a lot going on and we have been fighting, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“Alright,” Draco said in a low voice. “I’m sorry I locked the house and Floo. I just wanted to talk to you before you ran off. I’ll unlock everything when I get home, right?”

“Or I will,” Harry said with a teasing smile.

“You could try,” Draco said with a raised eyebrow and pulled his hand away back through the flames after a final caress. “How is Maia? Was she all right by herself? I checked on her this morning and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.”

Harry nodded and glanced over his shoulder at the quiet cradle. “Yeah, she’s fine. I guess she’ll be okay on her own now.”

“Good.” Draco smirked. “Then shall I have something extravagant sent over for dinner? Maybe I’ll be nice to my stay-at-home spouse and bring him a pretty little bauble?”

Harry laughed. “You could try,” he mimicked Draco’s words. “If you wanted to risk having it shoved somewhere it shouldn’t be.”

“Oh, kinky, then, are we? I wasn’t thinking of any new toys, but maybe I’ll stop by and see what new items they might have.”

“Draco, don’t. I really don’t want that kind of information in the papers,” Harry said with a pleading tone in his voice. Draco laughed.

“It would just show that even after a baby, we are still a happy and sexually active couple,” he drawled.

“Draco…”

“Alright, alright, pet. I’ll stick with the owl order catalogues,” Draco chuckled. “I had better be off. I have a meeting with Garding I don’t want to be late for and I have a backlog of requests and fraud claims that have been piling up while I was on leave. But I’ll be home a bit before dinner.”

“Alright,” Harry said with a smile. “I’ll see you then. Bye.”

The Floo went back to embers and Harry went to pick Maia up again.

“You see, love. There was nothing to worry about,” he reassured the oblivious baby. “Now, let’s go see about breaking Daddy’s locks, hmm?”

Harry had to work on it for nearly half an hour, but eventually un-spelled the locks on the doors and made his and Maia’s lunch to take with them on their walk. Ably rung his hands but stayed still.

“Got the doors open, did you?”

Harry looked up from where he was on the floor with the baby. “Hey, I didn’t hear you come in.” He watched Draco put his case down on the armchair and squat down beside him. Harry rose up off his belly and happily kissed his husband. He pulled back with a grin. “Did you really think I wouldn’t get them open?”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “I purposely made it easy for you, you know.”

“Mmm hmm, sure you did,” Harry patronised. Draco pursed his lips and then looked down at the baby who had been trying to get her father’s attention by waving her arms and kicking her legs excitedly.

“And how are you, my dear?” he asked, scooping her up. He used one hand behind him to balance as he sat down on the floor properly. Harry came up and put his chin on Draco’s shoulder to look at Maia.

“She almost rolled over onto her back today,” he said excitedly. “Only three weeks old and rolling over. Well, almost rolling over.”

“Well, of course. Malfoys always succeed and excel, isn’t that right, love?” Maia made a cooing sound and waved some more.

“Draco, don’t. You sound like him.”

The blond head turned to look at Harry. “I sound like me. You’re not trying to change me, are you?”

Harry grimaced and moved back a bit. “No,” he grumbled. “It’s just that he leaves a horrendous taste in my mouth.”

“I hope not. Or I shall have to seriously reconsider my father’s claims of infidelity.”

“Ugh, that was just disgusting!” Harry said with his face screwed up in disgust. “Don’t ever say anything like that again!”

Draco laughed. “Well, since there will only be the two of us in bed tonight, I suppose I will put my own taste in your mouth, hmm?”

Harry looked at him through his lashes. “Oh? That sounds promising.”

“Dinner is served,” Ably announced from the doorway. Harry jumped up with a faint blush on his cheeks at being caught by the house-elf in the middle of flirting and took the baby from Draco.

“She already ate, so I’ll go put her to bed. Say good night to Daddy, Maia.” He held the baby up and Maia obligingly kicked out at her father. Draco waved and watched as they disappeared into the hall. He got to his feet and went to wait for Harry in the dining room. Ably was just setting out Harry’s plate when he got there. A moment later and Harry was heard bounding down the stairs and soon came rushing into the room. He stopped for a moment and smiled shyly.

“What?” Draco asked, his hand on his chair ready to pull it out to sit down.

“I just want to apologize for last night,” Harry said and came forward until he stood right in front of the blond. He kissed Draco’s chin and then slid down his body. Draco put his hand on Harry’s shoulder, but Harry didn’t stop. He rubbed his cheek on Draco’s thigh. “I want to apologize for the way I acted and for messing things up. He makes me angry, but you were right. That isn’t anything new and I should have thought about you and Maia before I did something so stupid and selfish.” His cheek still pressed against Draco’s thigh, he looked up. “I’ll be the epitome of everything your father expects. I won’t let him provoke a reaction out of me again.”

“Good. He says most of what he does just get you to lose it, you know.” Draco ran his fingers through Harry’s hair in acceptance of the apology and show of submissiveness. It always amazed him when Harry did this. Pleased him inordinately, of course, but surprised him all the same. Harry never spoke of it and Draco never brought it up, but he suspected that Harry allowed things to be a bit more natural when they were alone to make up for the times when they both fought for control over their instincts. Draco, especially, had to work daily to control his natural impulses. Just today he dearly wanted to rip a man’s lungs out during a hearing. And not in the figurative sense, but in the literal, having the bloody pulp in his hand, sense. It was a fortunate thing that he had gone into law and could use his sharp tongue in lieu of his blood lust.

Draco gave a gentle tug to Harry’s hair. “Dinner is getting cold.” Harry smiled up at him and kissed his thigh before rising. They both found their seats and ate their dinner while discussing their day.

“Is everything ready for you to transfer?” Harry asked as he set his water goblet down.

Draco nodded and swallowed. “Yes, nearly. The current bloke in the position is moving up. Not directly up, but is moving to the head of a different department. Therefore he is in training right now. Once that is complete and all final paperwork, including our immigration papers, is in place we should be ready to go. Round July or so, I figure.”

“Oh.” Harry took a large bite out of his steak. His second steak actually.

“Veggies not to your liking?” Draco asked with a raised brow and a nodded to Harry’s untouched steamed broccoli.

“Just don’t feel like eating them,” Harry answered nonchalantly. “Hermione wrote and said she was going to give us a going away party.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Fun,” he grumbled.

“And Remus wrote and said he’d like to come visit in about a week.”

“No.”

“Draco, he’s my friend. He wants to see the baby, his best friend’s granddaughter.”

“I am not letting a werewolf near my child or you,” Draco said with finality. “No.”

“Draco, he’s coming to visit. Either he does so in our house, on our turf, or I go someplace like a park or something. Maybe a hotel.”

Draco set his cutlery down and looked hard, directly into Harry’s eyes. “What part of no did you not quite understand, Potter?”

Harry stared right back. “I don’t understand the part where you think you have the right to tell me not to see my friends.”

“I never said you couldn’t see your friends. I just don’t count that mongrel as one of them.”

“You don’t have the right to decide who my friends are!” Harry seethed and slapped his hand on the table. The silverware rattled and a drop of water splashed out of Harry’s glass.

Draco fisted his hands hard and fought for control. “I have a right to protect my family,” he said carefully. “I don’t think that a werewolf, a member of a race that attacked you and would see us dead, is a safe person to be around.”

Harry stood up and leaned toward Draco, looking down at him. “And I believe that I have the ability to befriend who I wish and have that friend come visit me if I so desire.” The words were harsh and clipped. Harry never broke eye contact with Draco.

Draco’s control slipped and he rose up to meet Harry head on. “Are you challenging me, Potter?” he hissed. He saw the effect almost immediately as Harry finally lowered his eyes and then fought to stay standing. He lost the battle against his instincts and his knees buckled, sending him back down into his chair. Draco reined himself in and also sat down. He picked his napkin up off the floor and smoothed it over his thigh. When he felt calmer he looked over at Harry who had yet to raise his head again. Draco sighed.

“Harry, this is ridiculous. Obviously our dander is still up. Fine. The werewolf can come, but only when I am here. He can see the baby, but I warn you now that I will strongly object to him holding her or touching her in any way. And when I say object, I mean that I will rip his bloody head off.”

Harry still didn’t look up but gave a stiff nod in acknowledgment. Draco watched him for a moment and then picked his fork back up. “Don’t sulk, Harry. I have a nice evening planned for us. I apologize for the use of the pheromones. In restitution, I will grant you one special request tonight.”

Harry looked up then and eyed Draco for a moment. “Any request at all?” he asked suspiciously.

“Well, within reason, of course. I won’t allow you to make a fool of me,” Draco qualified.

Harry stared down at the damp spot on the tablecloth under his water goblet. “Do I have to make it now or will you allow me time to think about it?”

“Take all the time you need. Now, shall I bring in afters?” Harry nodded and Draco called for Ably and instructed him to bring in their dessert. A plate of strawberry shortcake appeared before each of them. They ate in silence and Draco regretted their fight. He had been warned by a few of his co-workers about the stress a new baby put on a relationship. Not that he told his woes to those he worked with, but for some reason people felt it imperative to give advice the moment they heard you were expecting a child. So he had expected the stress, but he had not known that they would fight so much. He would have to speak to Severus to see if it was normal and what he could do to alleviate some of it. No doubt he’d get a dissertation on it, so maybe he would forego that and just wait and see if this all cleared up.

When they were finished they silently made their way to the bedroom. Draco began to get undressed, but Harry merely stood in the middle of the room and stared at the bed. Finally, he turned his head and watched Draco.

“Have you thought of your request?” Draco asked in hopes of breaking their stalemate.

“Yes.” Harry smiled. “But I’d rather show, than tell.”

In relief, Draco smiled back. “That’s fine with me.” He pulled his trousers off and then his underpants. “Are you going to get undressed, or do I have the pleasure of unwrapping you?”

“In a moment. I’m not ready yet,” Harry said quietly as he watched Draco unbutton his shirt. When that was finally off and Draco was completely nude, Harry spoke again. “Get on the bed.”

Draco bristled, but did as he was told. He was trying to make up for their fight. Telling Harry to say please was not the way to do it. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Harry expectantly.

“On your back,” Harry said, moving to stand in front of Draco. Again, Draco had to bite his tongue. He argued with himself over whether or not allowing Harry to exert some power was a good thing. He fought to not take that power away and punish his sub for daring to be so audacious.

Draco laid back. “And what will you show me, hmm?”

“I want to be on top,” Harry announced. Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. Harry never wanted to be on top. It wasn’t exactly a position that Draco favoured, but Harry liked it even less. It made him feel vulnerable and unsure of himself, he had explained to Draco. Chair sex they had had before, of course. Yesterday’s performance was a noteworthy example. But even that was rare and usually they did it back to front anyways.

“Well then,” Draco said with forced casualness. “Climb aboard.” Harry smirked at the joke and did indeed climb up onto the bed. He straddled Draco’s thighs and began running his hands up and down the chest before him. He leaned forward and placed kisses all over and then sucked a nipple between his lips. Draco acknowledged that it felt good, but very odd to have it done to him without his instruction or encouragement. It was a bit disconcerting to not be in control and hoped that it would be a bonding experience between them. Then he almost snorted aloud at that thought. Bonding. He’d been hanging around the ex-Hufflepuffs in the lunchroom too often.

A bite to his nipple had Draco’s thoughts brought forcefully to the present. He gasped at the crisp pain and then moaned as Harry’s tongue laved the abused nub. Harry moved onto his neck and he began licking and nibbling and again Draco had to fight with himself to not knock Harry away. He couldn’t bring himself to move his head and present his throat to his lover, but he forced himself to stay still and allow Harry to do as he would. He marvelled at the differences between them as he forced himself to step into Harry’s shoes for a moment. He would never show his throat to anyone but Snape. And even then he had a feeling that it would require quite a bit for him to do that anymore. Harry, on the other hand, easily allowed access to his throat, often dropping his head back to expose all of its tender flesh for Draco’s pleasure. Even Snape’s pleasure, if Snape asked it of him. Draco did not think about the American upstart.

“Harry, this is going to fumble to a stop unless you at least remove your trousers,” Draco murmured, his hands running up Harry’s arms and down his body to the thighs astride him.

“Draco,” Harry whispered into the blond’s ear. “Draco, I want to be inside you…”

Draco’s entire body froze. “No,” he said firmly.

Harry rose up and peered into his eyes. “No? But don’t you think that it is only fair that we reverse roles sometimes? Healthier to our relationship, even?” Harry’s eyes glowed in the light coming from the nightstand. His voice was low and steady, not one ounce of trepidation invaded it.

“No,” Draco repeated a bit louder. “No, I don’t think any of that. We are not some normal couple out of a magazine. Being ‘reversible’ does not work for us. It is not who or what we are.”

“But aren’t you even curious to find out what it feels like?” Harry’s voice now crooned, cajoling Draco to see his point. “I would be deep inside you, you would hold me tight and I could claim you--”

“Hold it right there!” Draco rose up on his elbows. “This conversation goes no further, Potter. That is not the way we do it. Ever. End of fucking story.” Draco’s hands fisted as he fought for control. His Supero-side wanted nothing so badly as to strike the sub across the face, shove him down and show him who would be claimed by whom. But Draco held onto his control until he knew that he wouldn’t do something like that to his Harry. “Look, pet, just shuck your pants and you can ride me as much as you like, yeah?” he said calmly.

Harry watched him for a moment and then began pulling his clothes off, when he was straddling Draco again, he leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. “It was just a thought.”

“Yes, well, let’s not let our mind wander in places like that again, right?” Draco laid back and helped Harry position himself. But before Draco could start preparing him, Harry stuck his fingers in the blond’s mouth.

“Suck them for me,” he instructed softly. Draco narrowed his eyes, but did as requested. When Harry seemed to deem them wet enough, he reached behind himself and pressed two fingers inside his own hole.

“What in Merlin’s name has gotten into you?” Draco breathed as he watched his husband plunge fingers in and out of himself.

Harry merely smiled and then grabbed hold of Draco before sinking down. Draco groaned and Harry hissed.

“It’s tight, Harry,” Draco muttered. He looked up at Harry. The green eyes were closed and the hands were clenched on his chest.

“Yeah, it is,” Harry agreed through his teeth. His hands slid off Draco’s chest and rested on either side of the blond hair. A second later, Harry started to move. He lifted himself up and then slammed back down faster than Draco had expected. After that, Draco could only watch as Harry thrust back on him harder and faster. It was over quickly, with Draco coming first and Harry fisting himself until he came soon after.

Harry flung himself off of Draco and lay on his back next to him. Laying there, in the not-so-hazy glow after orgasm, Draco couldn’t help but feel… dissatisfied.