Indago:Reborn

Thanks again to my beta deathangelgw!

Chapter Twenty-five

Draco held his husband close as he softened inside of him while Harry laid panting and shivering in his arms. They had both woken that morning ready to continue from the night before and Draco had never been more grateful for their heightened abilities then he was at that moment. Harry’s ability to keep going with no pain or soreness was a wonderful gift to them both. The blond smiled and kissed Harry’s shoulder before reluctantly pulling away from their spooning position. Harry rolled onto his belly and watched Draco move about the room from the pillow of his folded arms.

“I wish it were the weekend,” the brunet mumbled.

Draco winked over his shoulder as he pulled his suit from the armoire. “Soon, pet. Then you can have me all to yourself.”

Harry groaned. “Except that you invited Snape over.” Harry’s eyes narrowed. “And no, I’m not going to fulfil your adolescent fantasies. Although, honestly, why you would tempt fate again like that is a mystery.”

“Anything is worth seeing you naked in many different positions, my love,” Draco drawled. He rifled through his box of cufflinks for the ones that would complement his attire for the day.

“Yeah, well, that scared me. I thought he was going to kill you and then me,” Harry grumbled. “It wasn’t funny at all.”

Draco chuckled and walked back to the bed. “You sure you’ll be alright?” he asked as he ran his hand over Harry’s cheek. “I really wouldn’t mind having you and Maia spend the day with me. For lunch we could have a nice meal at the Indian restaurant you like near my office and then we could treat Maia to some ice cream in Diagon Alley.”

Harry kissed Draco’s palm and smiled. “I’ll be okay, I promise. I feel really calm and relaxed and not at all stir crazy. Besides,” he replied before rolling onto his back, putting his hands behind his head, and smiling as Draco’s hand slid down his chest. “I really don’t think I could handle Diagon Alley. Even with the glamours we wear.”

The fingers swirled around an enticing nipple and then pulled away. “Right, well then if you need anything, call me. I’ll have them patch you through right away,” Draco stated, his silver eyes serious.

“I will. Promise.”

“Now…come have a shower with me,” Draco commanded with a decisive leer. Harry laughed and happily followed his husband into the bathroom.

Hermione Granger smiled politely at the two photographers that were lurking at the main gate of Harry and Draco’s home. They asked her if she’d be kind enough to bring the baby out to them so that they could get a couple of good shots. She politely declined and pushed the gate open as the wards allowed her through. For a moment she had held her breath, not trusting Draco at all. But apparently Harry had made sure that she could get through the wards. But, as she had found out earlier, he had not been successful in the Apparition barrier. Instead of appearing at Harry’s front door, she had been deposited across the street. Oh well, marriage was made of compromises.

She walked up the front garden path and mentally went over in her head what she would ask Harry. She couldn’t get over her worry that something was wrong. The incident the previous day had just been so odd. Harry had been very cavalier about the baby and then the incident with Neville. That had been… unsettling. There had been such an air of ill intent coming from Harry, but when asked, Neville nervously laughed it off and changed the subject. Hermione was determined to find out what was going on. She hoped that it was just a hormone issue and would settle itself down. But if what she had walked in on in the sunroom was what she thought it had been, she was worried about Harry’s mental state… or even his emotional state.

Hermione was just walking up the front steps when the door opened. The smile on her face died when she saw who it was.

“Oi! I can’t believe it! He’s a real goer, that one!”

Hermione stood stock still as the garishly dressed and heavily made up woman closed the door and sauntered down the stairs to stand in front of Hermione. “There was a boy leavin’ just as I was coming up.” The woman put a hand on her hip and looked Hermione up and down. “You look like a new one. Well, word to the wise, dearie, he’s a rough player, but he pays well. But a real clean freak. Once he showers, don’t come near him. He’ll like as bite your head off!” The woman winked and began rooting around in her bag. “Oh, and you didn’t forget your Discreet Portkey, did you? High profile clients like him don’t want their names in the paper and all that. You don’t want his family comin’ after you because you got caught by the cameras.” Pulling a cloth wrapped item from her purse. It was revealed to be a silver tube of lipstick. “Have fun, dearie.” The woman touched the lipstick and was gone.

Hermione stood there for a full minute staring at where the woman had been, her mind blank. Finally, with a loud clang, her brain started working again at full speed. Had that been what she thought it had been? Had Harry…? No. No, this was a mistake. Perhaps she had merely been a housekeeper who had a strange way of speaking and … Hermione pursed her lips and stomped up the stairs. She had to get to the bottom of this. For the first time, Hermione hoped she had gotten the wrong information.

After getting past a flustered Ably, Hermione stood pacing in the sitting room, waiting for Harry to show himself.

“What?”

Hermione spun at the bored tone. Harry stood in only his trousers, hair damp, feet bare, arms crossed over his chest. “H-hello, Harry,” she said politely. “How have you been?”

“I was fabulous until someone barged into my home and ruined my high.” The words were spoken with an arrogant drawl and almost a tinge of malice. “But, maybe you’ve come to make up for scaring away my piece of tail the other day.”

“Harry.” Hermione straightened her shoulders and her voice was firm and strong. She looked him right in the eye, determined to help him as best she could. “What is wrong? You are acting strangely. Is it hormones or pheromones? Does Draco know about this?”

Harry’s eyes narrowed and his arms dropped to his side. “Why do you think you have the right to question me?”

“I’m your friend. I care about you,” Hermione moved closer. “Has something happened between you and Draco? I know babies can strain a marriage but to resort to… to…”

Harry’s eyebrow rose. “To what?” he asked dangerously.

“To… prostitutes!” Hermione burst out. Her indignation and embarrassment on her friend’s behalf was making her flustered and angry. “Honestly Harry! Rent boys and whores! Just tell me that it is a prank. Or perhaps you were learning techniques for Draco’s birthday?”

Harry chuckled darkly. “I don’t need to learn anything. I paid for my pleasure because it was the easiest way of getting it. Of course, when I think about it, what are friend’s for if not to help each other out in a time of need? If you shut your trap long enough, you might be doable.”

Hermione’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. “Harry! What has gotten into you!”

“I am really tired of that question!” Harry growled and began to advance on her. “The question should be, what am I going to get myself into. And you look pretty good right now.”

Hermione stepped back and then her anger came back to the fore. “How dare you talk to me like that! If you are having problems chemically or matrimonially I will help you. But I am not going to scratch your itch!”

Harry’s eyes seemed to glow with malice as he kept coming closer to Hermione. “You’ll do what I want,” he hissed. “Or I’ll rip your throat out.”

“Harry! Listen to yourself!” Hermione pulled wand and was amazed that Harry actually paused and stood up straight again.

“Harry?”

Draco appeared in the doorway and seemed to be in a good mood. He rolled his eyes when he saw Granger. “Ah, company. Wonderful,” he deadpanned. Then he narrowed his eyes at the wand in Hermione’s hand. “Showing off a new wand, Granger?”

“No, I am attempting to ward off your husband!” she hissed. She kept her eyes trained on Harry who had his back to Draco. Green eyes stared right back at her, intense and calculating.

“Ward him off?” Draco came into the room. “What, is he trying to give you a hug and you, in your brittleness, are afraid you may break?”

“Draco! He is-”

“Why don’t you go home,” Harry suggested quietly. “You’re being a bad guest and neither of us wants you here.”

Hermione saw the shock open Draco’s eyes. He stopped frozen in the move of sitting down in an armchair and turned to look closely at Harry. “Are you two actually fighting?” he asked disbelievingly.

“Draco, something is really wrong,” Hermione said urgently. She tipped her wand a bit higher as Harry obviously did not want her to speak. “Are you two having problems in your marriage?”

“What the..?” Draco turned to look at Hermione. “What the hell are you going on about? In fact, I want to know exactly what is happening here!”

“I came here and saw a prostitute--” Hermione was knocked to the ground before she could finish her sentence. Her wand had gone flying when Harry had charged her so fast she hadn’t seen him coming. His hands were on her throat, squeezing.

“Harry!” Hermione could see Draco over Harry’s shoulder as he rushed to them. He called Harry’s name again as he wrapped his arms around the brunet’s chest, pulling him away. The hands were tight about her throat and were not going to stop squeezing. Hermione desperately kicked and clawed.

“Harry! Release her!” Draco shouted and Hermione saw the silver eyes slit and the slashes appear on his cheek. Harry’s reaction was a bit too slow for her liking, but she could see the change come over him. His eyes blinked back into focus and his hands slowly let her go. But only for a second did Harry, her friend, appear before the fiend showed once again. His eyes sharpened and Hermione barely gasped out a warning.

“Draco… look out!”

Harry spun and launched himself at Draco, sending them both to the floor. A side table crashed to the floor. Hermione pulled herself up to her knees and desperately searched for her wand. There was snarling and growling and she kept a close eye on the two men as they thrashed about. She finally found her wand under the armchair and reached for it just as she heard a shout of pain. She spun, ready to Stupefy Harry, when she saw Draco push him face down to the floor and hold him down, his hand in his hair. Draco was quite terrifying to see. The silver slashes were no longer on just his cheekbones, but were now slicing up to his temples, outlining the frighteningly molten silver of his eyes. His muscles seemed to be bulging, which looked quite odd on the normally graceful and lithe man. He was panting and very, very angry.

“How dare you!” he growled, his voice nearly unrecognisable. He picked Harry’s head up by the hair and slammed it into the ground. Harry whimpered and it brought Hermione’s senses back.

“Draco,” she called and cautiously knee walked towards them. “Don’t… Don’t hurt him.”

Draco snarled at her. “You’d be dead by now!”

“I know. But something is really wrong!” she defended.

“We know what is wrong,” Draco said as he slammed Harry’s head down again. “And we are dealing with it!”

“You know?” Hermione looked up in surprise and tried to harden her heart to Harry’s whimpers. She had to deal with Draco first. “Then what is it?”

“He is trying to provoke me into being more dominant to protect him and the baby.” The blond’s voice seemed to have started to level out from the growl sound until he mentioned the baby. He spun back and hissed at Harry’s face down form. “You had better not have hurt her!”

“No, Draco,” Harry whispered. “I’m sorry, Draco.”

Hermione’s heart bled at the heartache and fear in her friend’s voice. “Draco, please let him up.”

“No.”

Hermione tried to think. “Wait, you said he is trying to make you more dominant. But why would he be buying prostitutes and rent boys behind your back? Or were you aware of this?” The sheer fury in Draco’s eyes frightened Hermione. Obviously, Draco had not known about it.

“I was not aware I had a faithless spouse,” he hissed. He stood up and dragged Harry to the fireplace. Hermione scrambled out of the way until she saw what Draco was doing.

“No! Don’t! How can you!” Hermione shouted and ran toward the blond. She grabbed the hand that had put the iron handle of the fireplace poker in the flames, which had been crafted into the Malfoy crest. Draco shrugged her off.

“I am going to make sure that he knows exactly who he belongs to!” Draco rasped.

“Draco! This isn’t a matter of faithfulness!” Hermione reasoned desperately. She avoided looking down at Harry as he hung by the hair in Draco’s grasp. He had to know what Draco was intending, and Hermione did not want to see his reaction. She had to think clearly. “It isn’t just strangers. He went after Neville. Neville! His friend! One he has always tried to take care of and is always gentle with! Draco!” Hermione shouted when she got no response from the blond. “It would be as odd as if he had attempted to rape Ron! And that was what it was! Harry was trying to force himself on Neville! Merlin! He was trying to go after me just as you came home!” She grabbed at Draco’s arm again. “Draco, please. He needs help. This has got to be more complicated than you think! If you go through with this, you will hate yourself forever!”

“Alright, you stupid bint!” Draco pushed her away again roughly. But he also released his hold on the poker. He turned and Hermione could finally see that Harry wasn’t the only one afraid and in pain. “Fine! I will contact Snape again. We were not aware of his aggression towards others.” Draco began to drag Harry away from the fire but this time grabbed his arm as well. It was still a rough way to move, but Hermione let it go. “Get out.”

Hermione looked at Draco. “Don’t you think I should stay here? I could look after the baby while you and-”

“Get out!” Draco spun on her and growled. “This is not your concern. I am perfectly capable of handling my husband and child. You and I are not friends and Harry tried to kill you. I suggest you get out before I throw you out!”

Hermione stared tight-lipped at Draco and then nodded. “Fine. I’ll leave. But I swear, Malfoy. If you hurt him, I will haunt you forever. You will learn to fear this Mudblood bint!” She pulled herself up and stomped to the doorway.

“I hope I don’t have to tell you to keep your mouth shut about what happened here,” Draco called out, his voice finally having returned to normal.

“Here’s a newsflash, Malfoy. The world can think on its own without you to direct it! I have been dealing with Harry’s media longer than you have been civil to him…if you ever are!” The door slammed shut behind her.

"Severus,

We need you to come as soon as you can. Harry has gotten worse. Or he has always been worse and was able to hide it from us. He attacked Granger who reported that Harry has been buying whores and attempting to harm his other friends. Harry barely responded to the pheromones when I attempted to pull him off Granger. We fought. I was honestly afraid I would have to kill him. Then, as if he were waking from a dream, he became submissive to me again. I’ve had him on the leash since then. Maia appears to be well, if a bit neglected. Harry has been docile and fearful since returning to his senses. He knows I know about everything now. I have refrained from speaking to him. I am afraid of what I might do or say.

Severus, I need your help. I fear for him.
-D.”

“Draco,

I will be there as soon as I can tomorrow after classes. Keep him on the ‘leash’, as you call it. I will stay until we figure this out. I will bring the bottled pheromone to keep him under control at all times. But I also will begin clearing the inhibiting potion from my system. He may need us both at our peak.

We will fix this.
-Prof. Snape”

Draco read the letter one more time and then folded it again. Shooing the sparrow that had flown the secret missives back and forth, Draco watched it flutter out of the room. He placed the letter on the table and looked up. Harry sat with his head down, his plate of food untouched. Draco schooled his features into a blank mask and cleared his throat. Harry jumped at the sudden noise, but kept his head down. “You need to eat,” Draco said calmly.

A trembling hand came up and reached for the fork sitting there. Slowly, he speared a slice of ham and brought it to his mouth. Draco watched him and couldn’t help but think of where those lips had been. Who had he kissed? Had he enjoyed it? Draco’s hand fisted on his knife and he had to work to keep the anger off his face. Harry’s hand trembled again and he quickly stopped eating and his forehead nearly hit the plate. Draco wanted to control his anger, but at the same time, he wanted Harry to feel every slice of it. He wanted to rage and accuse. He wanted to find the people who had dared to touch his Harry! Only Snape and he could touch Harry! No one else!

The muffled whimper and sob brought some semblance of control back to Draco. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his grip on his knife and began cutting again. He looked up at Harry to see a tear glisten just as it fell off the tip of his nose and onto his sautéed mushrooms. Draco wanted to be glad at the sub’s pain. But he really just wanted to hold him, comfort him, and pretend that none of this had happened. Draco wished he had never left that morning.

“Eat,” he ordered. A wet drawn-in breath was his answer, but Harry did reach again for his fork and began eating. Draco watched him for a moment longer but was distracted by the house-elf appearing in the doorway to the kitchen.

“I have some of Master Harry’s favourite tea,” the elf spoke quietly into the oppressive atmosphere. Draco waved him over to Harry and watched as the creature filled a cup. “Ably hopes that you will enjoy it, Master Harry.” The elf’s hands trembled, probably afraid to be in the same room with them at the moment.

“Master Harry will drink all of it,” Draco declared firmly to the room, silently hoping that the tea would be a calming influence. Ably quickly nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen. Harry fumbled for the cup, his hands trembling as he did as ordered. The still steaming liquid must have burned, but he drank the entire cup. Perhaps, Draco thought, Harry was striving to punish himself for what he had done.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence. Draco worked to keep his anger under control but felt no need to try to restore the peace between them. He let the tension stay thick in the room, hoping that Harry felt everything and that he understood exactly what he had done, the damage he had caused.

The pain he had caused.

Draco glowered and quickly stood up after smashing that last thought. He looked across the table for the first time since Ably’s disappearance and was surprised to see Harry’s plate almost completely empty. Draco pursed his lips and realized that he had been hoping that Harry would be too distraught to eat. Apparently he wasn’t. “I want you to go upstairs and take a shower. Then we are going to bed. I think it is time to end this nightmarish day.”

Harry slowly rose from his seat and walked ahead of Draco as they left the room. The brunet seemed to have calmed down and his crying had ceased, but Draco wasn’t sure if he liked that or not. He grimaced as he followed Harry up the stairs, hating the feeling of conflicting emotions. He wanted to rage and howl at what Harry had done, to stomp about and beat the wayward sub. But another part of him was scared at what was happening, scared at being rejected. And it was the feelings of fear that Draco hated the most. In fact, it was those feelings that made him want Harry to hurt badly.

They walked into the bedroom and Draco headed for his armoire. When he didn’t hear the bathroom door open he turned around to find Harry standing in the middle of their room. “Did you forget what I told you to do?” Draco asked icily.

“No,” Harry answered calmly. “But I want to talk to you.”

“Not now. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say and I don’t want to say what is on my mind.”

“But we are mated and that means we have to at least attempt to hear each other out, right?”

Draco narrowed his eyes at the almost… flippant response. “Not right now. Go take a shower.” He followed the words with a rush of pheromones. Harry seemed to cave in on himself, but then raised his head again.

“I want to go back to work,” he said calmly.

Draco actually blinked in shock. “What did you say?”

“I want to go back to work. You’re always yammering on about money. So, I’ll go earn some. I’m tired of this house.”

“We’ll just put aside your infidelity at the moment, shall we?” Draco rasped. “So that I may remind you that one of your arguments in having a child was that you would be more than happy to stay home and raise it. That puts an end to this asinine conversation. Now go take a shower!”

“The baby will be fine with the elf,” Harry retorted, unperturbed by Draco’s rising voice and anger.

“Are you daft or just insane?” Draco hissed. “How dare you request anything right now! If I had my wish, you’d be imprisoned in this house for years!”

“That has always been your wish!” Harry suddenly shouted in anger. “That’s all you’ve ever wanted for me to do. I am to follow you about and do as you say and follow implicitly the edicts of the Malfoy family! I am not going to obey blindly anymore. To think I ever have makes me want to vomit!”

“Oh really?” Draco said dangerously while crossing his arms over his chest. “Well let me remind you of something, husband dear. You were the one that said yes at the altar. You agreed to be bound by those Malfoy edicts. I didn’t have to marry you to keep you as mine.”

“Yes, and I wonder everyday what possessed me to ever want to be with you. I should have stayed with Snape. He was a better lover anyways!”

Draco saw red. “I suppose you would know, wouldn’t you, having the vast experience you do! My father was right. You are nothing but a whore. You threw away your own money and had to grab onto something, didn’t you?”

“Not really,” Harry said with a smirk. “Snape could have done in a pinch. But he’s older and already had quite too many in his bed. Of course, now all I have to do is get rid of Logan and he would be all mine. He takes better instructions anyway. He always listens to me in bed!”

Draco sucked in a breath. “Did you sleep with him while he was under our roof?”

“How do you think Maia got his eyes? I can’t believe you swallowed that fish tale we made up!” Harry laughed. Draco began stalking towards him, but Harry backed out of range. “Oh, don’t be that way, Malfoy. I’ll bed you occasionally. I’ll even stay here with you once I get my job back and have my own money.”

“You are not going anywhere,” Draco growled as he advanced on Harry. “You are staying here with me and your child where you belong!”

“No, I am not.” Harry spun and took off out of the room in a sick parody of their playful games of the day before. Draco got to the door a second after it slammed in his face. He felt the magic before he actually grabbed the door handle. It wouldn’t turn with the magic locking it. He cursed and growled and tried breaking the charm, but in his anger he couldn’t concentrate. Finally, Draco ripped the handle out of the wood and kicked the door out. He ran toward the stairs, his heart nearly stopping at the sight he found when he got there.

“Harry, don’t!” he cried in nearly a whisper. Harry stood at the banister, his hands over the still air that hung between him and the marble floor below. Maia wiggled in his fists.

“You seem to think this thing is what is binding me to the house. So, I’ll just get rid of it and then I can go out and have fun again, yeah?” Harry replied in a completely calm voice.

“Harry, put her down. Do not drop her.” Draco filled the air with his scent, every ounce of his being intent on making Harry submit and do as ordered. The heart in his chest was beating loud enough that he was sure it was going to deafen him.

“Malfoy, it isn’t even that old. You couldn’t have grown that attached to it.” With that calm statement… Harry let go.