Harry Potter and The Dragon’s Treasure (BP6)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
43
Views:
24,546
Reviews:
198
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
43
Views:
24,546
Reviews:
198
Recommended:
0
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.
Cold
Chapter Number/Total: 25/42
Chapter Title: Cold
Words: 3347 Words
After another week of no touching, Harry was sure he had crossed the line between going mad, and being mad, because he was pretty sure he was mad now. He paced even more, and couldn't sit still, and the fact that Draco was always in the same room with him made everything so much worse. But he couldn't bear to have the blond out of his sight, so there really was no in between.
If he wasn't reading with Draco, he was chasing Valen around, who, after the first night of crawling just a little, had astoundingly gained speed and ability faster than Harry would have thought possible. Harry had taken to putting magical barriers on the doorways when Valen was in the room. Which, of course, hurt Draco when he accidentally walked into them since they were invisible. Harry wondered if he would be bald by the next weekend with all the hair-pulling stress.
Ron and Hermione were really trying to help Harry and Draco tremendously as well, but it was hard for them, as they wanted their wedding in the summer and had a lot of planning to do. Plus, Ron insisted on paying for it himself and was trying to find work, which was stress enough for him. Hermione had already been talking with some people she'd met in the Ministry while she'd been helping Scrimgeour with the Muggles during war-time, so they were swamped with their own problems.
Harry sat at the dining room table for dinner that night, once again trying to feed Valen his baby food while not getting the gooey, sloppy food on himself.
"Let me feed him," Draco said with a huff. "I'm done, anyway." He sent his plate back to the kitchen.
Harry turned his head and frowned at Draco. "We just got in here," he said. "How can you be done already?"
Draco rolled his eyes and held his hand out for the baby spoon - silver, of course. "Just let me feed him," he insisted.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "You didn't eat any of it, did you?" he asked.
"I ate, now give me the fucking spoon," Draco snapped and Valen's eyes widened, looking like he was about to cry.
"No," Harry said, trying to keep from snapping himself. "I'll feed the baby and you're going to feed yourself. I know how you get, and I know you didn't eat anything just now, and I know you didn't eat lunch or breakfast today because you were in the library. I know you haven't been eating well all this week, but I didn't say anything. You are going to eat now, though."
Draco stood up, his chair falling back with a slam and he stormed out of the room.
Harry growled in frustration. He didn't know where Ron and Hermione were at that moment, so he picked Valen up and followed after Draco with the baby. "Draco, stop!" he called. "I'm not going to start a fight with you over something so bloody stupid!"
"Good," Draco snapped as he headed back to the study.
Harry followed him there too and placed Valen on the floor once he'd reached the room. "Why are you being like this?" he asked.
"He will get into the books again," Draco said, watching the infant head straight for the nearest bookcase.
"You're avoiding my question," Harry said, walking over to Valen and redirecting him anyway.
"I ... I don't know what you want from me," Draco stammered. "I'm doing the best I can. I just can't ...." His voice broke and he turned away.
Harry covered his face for a moment. "I know you are," he said quietly. "But I don't - I don't want you to - God, this feels like the fucking serpent all over again, Draco. I don't want to go back to that."
"At least I could still touch you then," Draco said, back still turned.
Harry groaned, dropping into a chair. "I love you," he whispered. "And I don't want you to hurt yourself."
"I know," Draco whispered and then looked down to where his son was pulling on his trousers. The baby still had food on his face and in his hair. Draco bent down and picked up the little boy. "Sorry, Valen," he said softly and winced when the boy patted him with sticky fingers.
Harry looked up at his husband and child, wishing he could wrap his arms around them both. He got to his feet. "Will you eat better then, love?" he asked quietly.
"I will try harder," Draco said, taking his wand and casting a Cleaning Charm on Valen.
Harry sighed, figuring that was as good as it was going to get. He nodded, knowing it would hurt to tell Draco he would kiss him if he could.
Draco led the way back to the dining room, Valen seeming happier. He put the child back in his high chair and sat down beside him, picking up the spoon and starting to feed his son.
Harry sat in his chair again, having lost his own appetite. He picked his fork up and began to eat anyway, though, simply because he couldn't not after what had just happened. He didn't know what he would do if Draco got worse. There was no binding anymore. Harry couldn't make him do anything.
"Dada," Valen said and threw spinach at Draco's face. Draco huffed, reaching for a napkin to wipe himself. "I said I would eat, don't you start too," he complained.
Harry couldn't help a small smile and a light chuckle at that. "We can't help it," he said to Draco. "We love you."
Draco smiled at him then, too. It wasn't a full smile, but it was still real.
***
As days and weeks went by, there still came no answers from any books. Draco had cleared half the library already and hardly did anything but read. Harry couldn't believe it had been forty-two days since he'd truly touched his husband. He hadn't thought it possible.
They'd been eating breakfast with Ron and Hermione when Leakey had appeared with an "urgent message" from Bill. Fleur's water had broken and she was already at St Mungo's. And so they had all hurried to get showered and dressed and had arrived at the hospital. Their hurry wasn't needed though, since they'd now been sitting there for an hour already. The waiting room was filled with nervous and excited Weasleys and Delacours. Fleur's parents and sister had arrived a short while ago by Portkey. Harry sat in one of the slightly uncomfortable chairs, having hidden three magazines in his robe from Draco. They featured articles on their supposed falling out, and he really didn't want his husband in any sort of mood. Harry was feeling rather down himself. He was very happy for Bill and Fleur, but couldn't help thinking about his and Draco's own inability to have children while in their current predicament.
Draco had gone over to pay his respects to Fleur's family and was speaking with them in French. He gestured toward Harry and Valen, telling them who they were. Apparently either Fleur had talked about them, the news coverage had reached them, or both, because they were excited and wanted to talk to Harry. He led them over.
Harry smiled and looked up when Draco moved toward him. Fleur's mother was very, very beautiful, and sported the same long, blonde locks as both her daughters, and her age was barely detectable, not that she could be very old anyway. Her father was a handsome man, but more average-looking with light brown hair and a clean-shaven face. Harry had seen them both at Bill and Fleur's wedding, but hadn't actually ever really talked to them.
Draco interpreted for Harry, though Fleur's family did speak some English. They ooh'd and ahh'd over Valen, saying how beautiful he was. Valen started pulling on Harry's shirt, saying "dada" and making his little sucking noises.
Harry stared down at his son and shook his head at him. "Always while I'm in the middle of something, eh?" he said. He got to his feet, holding Valen to his chest so that the magazines inside wouldn't fall out. "I suppose I'll go find somewhere to feed him," he said to Draco. And to Fleur's family he gave a smile and shook their hands. "Pleasure to meet you again," he said.
Draco looked longingly after his husband and then caught himself. He noticed sympathetic looks from some people in the room and frowned. No one outside of Hermione and Ron really knew what the problem was. Then he noticed a magazine on the floor of the room - with a picture of the three of them and a big lightning bolt striking them and sizzling before repeating again. He frowned, picking it up. The headline screamed "Potter-Malfoy Break-up!" Then he made the mistake of opening the magazine and reading the article. Within minutes, he was ripping it to shreds while others in the room stared at him.
"Guess he doesn't like the writing ...?" said Fred.
Mrs Weasley glared at her son.
Hermione quickly moved forward and began picking the pieces of the magazine up as the woman at a desk not far away gave Draco a very dirty look, as if she might say something to him.
George opened his mouth to say something next but Ron shook his head seriously enough to shut him up.
Draco looked at Hermione, opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. "I'm going for a walk," he whispered to her.
She sighed quietly and nodded. "Okay," she whispered back, touching his arm briefly.
Everyone was still staring at him.
"Thank you," he said and then strode out of the room, heading for the front door of the building.
Harry came back into the waiting room after a few minutes, holding a happily squirming Valen. Then he noticed the staring. He raised his eyebrows.
Hermione got to her feet, crossing to him quickly and taking Valen out of his arms. "Draco said he was taking a walk," she said quietly.
Harry frowned.
She held out a badly crinkled up magazine then, one that had obviously had a Reparo done to it. He read the headline and groaned. He'd thought he'd got them all. "Where did he go?" he asked.
"He left the building," she said, biting her lip.
Harry groaned again. "Will you-"
"Yes, I'll watch him," she said before he could ask.
Harry nodded, turning to head out as well.
Draco had just begun walking. He was several blocks away when he realised things looked familiar. He snorted in unpleasant humour when he remembered this was where he had gone that night so long ago when he had walked out of St Mungo's with a construct hand and ended up being beat by several Muggle men. He walked further and came to the park where Harry had made love to him, trying to save him. Did save him. He stood looking at the spot in the snow, feeling sad that even that rough touch was something he now longed for. He sunk to his knees then, fingers digging into the snow as he began to cry.
Harry quickly strode out the door and began making his way down streets, wondering at the strange looks people were giving him. Then he realised it was probably because of the billowing robe he was wearing over his clothes. He ignored it though. It was too bloody cold to take it off. He wrapped his arms around himself as he continued to search for his husband, wondering if Draco had anything on over his clothes.
And then he too began to recognise his surroundings. Thinking he might know where Draco was, he made his way to that same park and could make out a familiar blond sitting in the snow on the opposite side.
Draco was shivering, fingers red as he dug through the snow to the dead grass underneath. He was sobbing now and anyone who saw him would probably think him mentally unbalanced. He snorted at the thought. He knew he was losing it but didn't know what to do about it.
Harry crossed to his husband, feeling his own eyes tear up when he could see him clearly. "Draco," he said in a voice hardly above a whisper.
Draco didn't respond at first but then looked up in confusion, before he realised Harry was standing there.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked, and his voice cracked as he said it. A few tears got out but he quickly wiped them away. He knew they were standing in the exact spot where they'd had sex.
Draco blinked. His face was pale except for red splotches on his cheeks and nose. He was shivering. "I ... I went for a walk," he said softly.
Harry took his robe off and held it out. He would've wrapped it around Draco himself, but didn't want to hurt him. The thought only made another few tears fall. "I see that," he said shakily.
"I couldn't see the grass," Draco said, knowing he wasn't making any sense, unsure if he was even capable of it.
Harry sniffed, both from crying and the cold. He shook the offered robe to try and get Draco to take it. His husband's words scared him and he didn't know what to say.
Draco lifted his hands, which were red and wet, and dropped the snow. He blinked at them and then looked at the robe. "That's yours," he said. "You need it or you will get cold."
Harry frowned. "Just - just take it," he said, sniffling again. "And ... we should get back. Fleur could deliver any minute."
Draco nodded, reaching shaking hands for the robe. He had the powerful urge to grab Harry's hand as he did. Maybe if he just hung on until it killed him or fixed the problem? He paused, trying to think through the idea but then shook his head, grasping the fabric and getting slowly to his feet. His legs felt numb and cold. It reminded him of what it was like when they forgot ... before... when they were still bound.
"Let's go back," Harry said, still frowning worriedly at Draco.
Draco was still holding the robe but hadn't put it on yet. He nodded slowly and then draped it over his shoulders.
Harry's frown grew and he was almost tempted to make Draco walk ahead of him, but he settled for standing beside him. "Come on," he said, feeling like he was coaxing him.
Draco nodded and began to walk, looking around confused. "Where?" he asked.
Harry's eyes widened. "What do you mean where?" he said, his fear growing. "St Mungo's. Where we just came from."
Draco hadn't been paying attention either time he'd walked from the hospital and couldn't remember which way it was. "You lead," he whispered.
Harry nodded, his eyebrows furrowed, and began to walk ahead. He stayed close enough so that Draco was in his line of vision.
They walked that way until they had reached the disguised entry of St Mungo's. Everyone was still sitting in the waiting room when they got there, and they all turned their heads to stare at Harry and Draco. Harry threw a look to Ron and Hermione, but didn't say anything to anyone in the room.
Draco sat down in one of the chairs, staring unseeingly at the floor.
Mrs Weasley, who was in the chair next to the one Draco had sat in, laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right, dear?" she asked quietly.
Draco startled at the touch. Practically no one besides his son had touched him in the last month. He was so used to being touched and held by Harry, he hadn't ever realised how few other people ever touched him. He blinked, looking at her with a confused expression.
She looked confused as well and then looked to Harry, frowning.
Harry frowned back at her, still not knowing what to say. He wondered if he should just get Draco home.
Draco blinked again, looking at the hand on his shoulder with a small smile.
Mrs Weasley patted him a bit, returning the smile, but still obviously worried.
Ron sidled up to Harry. "What's up?" he whispered.
"I don't know," Harry whispered back fearfully. "He's just acting ...." He didn't even know what.
Draco went back to staring at the tile floor.
As everyone continued to stare at Draco and Harry, a distraction was given in the form of Bill, walking into the room with a huge smile on his face.
Mrs Weasley patted Draco again and then simply couldn't contain herself. She and Mr Weasley, and pretty much everyone else as well, jumped to their feet.
"Boy," Bill declared, beaming.
The room erupted in cooing and aww'ing and lots of hugging, but Harry only stood staring at Draco.
Draco startled at the noise, but didn't really register what had just been said. He looked up and found Harry staring at him. He looked into those green eyes and felt such longing that physical pain seemed pale in comparison.
Harry made his way over and took Mrs Weasley's vacated seat as everyone crowded around Bill, babbling with excitement, Mr Weasley brandishing a blue teddy bear around. "Are you okay, love?" he asked Draco. He seemed to be asking so much of the same question.
Draco didn't take his eyes off Harry, watching him as he sat down. He cocked his head at the question. "No," he whispered.
And Draco hadn't once given him any other answer. Harry's hands began shaking then, because he didn't know what to do. He really did not know what to do. And his husband was falling apart before his very eyes. Never in a million years would he have thought this would happen to them. Not after everything they'd been through already. "This isn't fucking fair," he whispered, closing his eyes as he felt yet more tears coming to them. He felt like kicking the table in front of him and very nearly did.
"No, not fair," Draco agreed, thinking that he would have rather died, going cold like before, than have to live with this aching emptiness inside.
Harry wiped his face, the happy chatter in the room not something he felt like dealing with at that moment. "Do you want to just go home?" he asked, his voice choked.
Draco looked around for their son, and spotted him in the arms of Hermione. "Valen," he whispered.
Harry nodded, getting to his feet. He walked over to Hermione and reached for the baby.
She frowned at him as she handed Valen over. "Harry?" she said softly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just- Draco and I - We're just going to go home," he managed, trying to keep himself from crying again.
"Go home? But - but Fleur just-"
"I know," Harry interrupted. "Just tell her and Bill we said congratulations. I - we just need to get out of here or something. I don't know what's wrong, and I don't know what to do, and -" He couldn't help it. He was crying. "We-we're just going to go h-home. See you la-later." He turned, heading back over to Draco and leaving Hermione standing there with tears in her own eyes.
"L-let's go," Harry said, wiping his face yet again.
Draco stood up. Valen seemed confused, looking between the excited people in the room and his very somber parents. "Dada?" he asked.
Harry kissed Valen's forehead, trying to give him a smile. "It's okay," he whispered to him, making his way over to the Floo.
Draco walked numbly beside his husband and child.
Harry took some Floo powder and threw it into the flames. He held Valen's head securely to his shoulder as he stepped inside, calling Malfoy Manor, before he was speeding home.
Chapter Title: Cold
Words: 3347 Words
After another week of no touching, Harry was sure he had crossed the line between going mad, and being mad, because he was pretty sure he was mad now. He paced even more, and couldn't sit still, and the fact that Draco was always in the same room with him made everything so much worse. But he couldn't bear to have the blond out of his sight, so there really was no in between.
If he wasn't reading with Draco, he was chasing Valen around, who, after the first night of crawling just a little, had astoundingly gained speed and ability faster than Harry would have thought possible. Harry had taken to putting magical barriers on the doorways when Valen was in the room. Which, of course, hurt Draco when he accidentally walked into them since they were invisible. Harry wondered if he would be bald by the next weekend with all the hair-pulling stress.
Ron and Hermione were really trying to help Harry and Draco tremendously as well, but it was hard for them, as they wanted their wedding in the summer and had a lot of planning to do. Plus, Ron insisted on paying for it himself and was trying to find work, which was stress enough for him. Hermione had already been talking with some people she'd met in the Ministry while she'd been helping Scrimgeour with the Muggles during war-time, so they were swamped with their own problems.
Harry sat at the dining room table for dinner that night, once again trying to feed Valen his baby food while not getting the gooey, sloppy food on himself.
"Let me feed him," Draco said with a huff. "I'm done, anyway." He sent his plate back to the kitchen.
Harry turned his head and frowned at Draco. "We just got in here," he said. "How can you be done already?"
Draco rolled his eyes and held his hand out for the baby spoon - silver, of course. "Just let me feed him," he insisted.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "You didn't eat any of it, did you?" he asked.
"I ate, now give me the fucking spoon," Draco snapped and Valen's eyes widened, looking like he was about to cry.
"No," Harry said, trying to keep from snapping himself. "I'll feed the baby and you're going to feed yourself. I know how you get, and I know you didn't eat anything just now, and I know you didn't eat lunch or breakfast today because you were in the library. I know you haven't been eating well all this week, but I didn't say anything. You are going to eat now, though."
Draco stood up, his chair falling back with a slam and he stormed out of the room.
Harry growled in frustration. He didn't know where Ron and Hermione were at that moment, so he picked Valen up and followed after Draco with the baby. "Draco, stop!" he called. "I'm not going to start a fight with you over something so bloody stupid!"
"Good," Draco snapped as he headed back to the study.
Harry followed him there too and placed Valen on the floor once he'd reached the room. "Why are you being like this?" he asked.
"He will get into the books again," Draco said, watching the infant head straight for the nearest bookcase.
"You're avoiding my question," Harry said, walking over to Valen and redirecting him anyway.
"I ... I don't know what you want from me," Draco stammered. "I'm doing the best I can. I just can't ...." His voice broke and he turned away.
Harry covered his face for a moment. "I know you are," he said quietly. "But I don't - I don't want you to - God, this feels like the fucking serpent all over again, Draco. I don't want to go back to that."
"At least I could still touch you then," Draco said, back still turned.
Harry groaned, dropping into a chair. "I love you," he whispered. "And I don't want you to hurt yourself."
"I know," Draco whispered and then looked down to where his son was pulling on his trousers. The baby still had food on his face and in his hair. Draco bent down and picked up the little boy. "Sorry, Valen," he said softly and winced when the boy patted him with sticky fingers.
Harry looked up at his husband and child, wishing he could wrap his arms around them both. He got to his feet. "Will you eat better then, love?" he asked quietly.
"I will try harder," Draco said, taking his wand and casting a Cleaning Charm on Valen.
Harry sighed, figuring that was as good as it was going to get. He nodded, knowing it would hurt to tell Draco he would kiss him if he could.
Draco led the way back to the dining room, Valen seeming happier. He put the child back in his high chair and sat down beside him, picking up the spoon and starting to feed his son.
Harry sat in his chair again, having lost his own appetite. He picked his fork up and began to eat anyway, though, simply because he couldn't not after what had just happened. He didn't know what he would do if Draco got worse. There was no binding anymore. Harry couldn't make him do anything.
"Dada," Valen said and threw spinach at Draco's face. Draco huffed, reaching for a napkin to wipe himself. "I said I would eat, don't you start too," he complained.
Harry couldn't help a small smile and a light chuckle at that. "We can't help it," he said to Draco. "We love you."
Draco smiled at him then, too. It wasn't a full smile, but it was still real.
***
As days and weeks went by, there still came no answers from any books. Draco had cleared half the library already and hardly did anything but read. Harry couldn't believe it had been forty-two days since he'd truly touched his husband. He hadn't thought it possible.
They'd been eating breakfast with Ron and Hermione when Leakey had appeared with an "urgent message" from Bill. Fleur's water had broken and she was already at St Mungo's. And so they had all hurried to get showered and dressed and had arrived at the hospital. Their hurry wasn't needed though, since they'd now been sitting there for an hour already. The waiting room was filled with nervous and excited Weasleys and Delacours. Fleur's parents and sister had arrived a short while ago by Portkey. Harry sat in one of the slightly uncomfortable chairs, having hidden three magazines in his robe from Draco. They featured articles on their supposed falling out, and he really didn't want his husband in any sort of mood. Harry was feeling rather down himself. He was very happy for Bill and Fleur, but couldn't help thinking about his and Draco's own inability to have children while in their current predicament.
Draco had gone over to pay his respects to Fleur's family and was speaking with them in French. He gestured toward Harry and Valen, telling them who they were. Apparently either Fleur had talked about them, the news coverage had reached them, or both, because they were excited and wanted to talk to Harry. He led them over.
Harry smiled and looked up when Draco moved toward him. Fleur's mother was very, very beautiful, and sported the same long, blonde locks as both her daughters, and her age was barely detectable, not that she could be very old anyway. Her father was a handsome man, but more average-looking with light brown hair and a clean-shaven face. Harry had seen them both at Bill and Fleur's wedding, but hadn't actually ever really talked to them.
Draco interpreted for Harry, though Fleur's family did speak some English. They ooh'd and ahh'd over Valen, saying how beautiful he was. Valen started pulling on Harry's shirt, saying "dada" and making his little sucking noises.
Harry stared down at his son and shook his head at him. "Always while I'm in the middle of something, eh?" he said. He got to his feet, holding Valen to his chest so that the magazines inside wouldn't fall out. "I suppose I'll go find somewhere to feed him," he said to Draco. And to Fleur's family he gave a smile and shook their hands. "Pleasure to meet you again," he said.
Draco looked longingly after his husband and then caught himself. He noticed sympathetic looks from some people in the room and frowned. No one outside of Hermione and Ron really knew what the problem was. Then he noticed a magazine on the floor of the room - with a picture of the three of them and a big lightning bolt striking them and sizzling before repeating again. He frowned, picking it up. The headline screamed "Potter-Malfoy Break-up!" Then he made the mistake of opening the magazine and reading the article. Within minutes, he was ripping it to shreds while others in the room stared at him.
"Guess he doesn't like the writing ...?" said Fred.
Mrs Weasley glared at her son.
Hermione quickly moved forward and began picking the pieces of the magazine up as the woman at a desk not far away gave Draco a very dirty look, as if she might say something to him.
George opened his mouth to say something next but Ron shook his head seriously enough to shut him up.
Draco looked at Hermione, opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. "I'm going for a walk," he whispered to her.
She sighed quietly and nodded. "Okay," she whispered back, touching his arm briefly.
Everyone was still staring at him.
"Thank you," he said and then strode out of the room, heading for the front door of the building.
Harry came back into the waiting room after a few minutes, holding a happily squirming Valen. Then he noticed the staring. He raised his eyebrows.
Hermione got to her feet, crossing to him quickly and taking Valen out of his arms. "Draco said he was taking a walk," she said quietly.
Harry frowned.
She held out a badly crinkled up magazine then, one that had obviously had a Reparo done to it. He read the headline and groaned. He'd thought he'd got them all. "Where did he go?" he asked.
"He left the building," she said, biting her lip.
Harry groaned again. "Will you-"
"Yes, I'll watch him," she said before he could ask.
Harry nodded, turning to head out as well.
Draco had just begun walking. He was several blocks away when he realised things looked familiar. He snorted in unpleasant humour when he remembered this was where he had gone that night so long ago when he had walked out of St Mungo's with a construct hand and ended up being beat by several Muggle men. He walked further and came to the park where Harry had made love to him, trying to save him. Did save him. He stood looking at the spot in the snow, feeling sad that even that rough touch was something he now longed for. He sunk to his knees then, fingers digging into the snow as he began to cry.
Harry quickly strode out the door and began making his way down streets, wondering at the strange looks people were giving him. Then he realised it was probably because of the billowing robe he was wearing over his clothes. He ignored it though. It was too bloody cold to take it off. He wrapped his arms around himself as he continued to search for his husband, wondering if Draco had anything on over his clothes.
And then he too began to recognise his surroundings. Thinking he might know where Draco was, he made his way to that same park and could make out a familiar blond sitting in the snow on the opposite side.
Draco was shivering, fingers red as he dug through the snow to the dead grass underneath. He was sobbing now and anyone who saw him would probably think him mentally unbalanced. He snorted at the thought. He knew he was losing it but didn't know what to do about it.
Harry crossed to his husband, feeling his own eyes tear up when he could see him clearly. "Draco," he said in a voice hardly above a whisper.
Draco didn't respond at first but then looked up in confusion, before he realised Harry was standing there.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked, and his voice cracked as he said it. A few tears got out but he quickly wiped them away. He knew they were standing in the exact spot where they'd had sex.
Draco blinked. His face was pale except for red splotches on his cheeks and nose. He was shivering. "I ... I went for a walk," he said softly.
Harry took his robe off and held it out. He would've wrapped it around Draco himself, but didn't want to hurt him. The thought only made another few tears fall. "I see that," he said shakily.
"I couldn't see the grass," Draco said, knowing he wasn't making any sense, unsure if he was even capable of it.
Harry sniffed, both from crying and the cold. He shook the offered robe to try and get Draco to take it. His husband's words scared him and he didn't know what to say.
Draco lifted his hands, which were red and wet, and dropped the snow. He blinked at them and then looked at the robe. "That's yours," he said. "You need it or you will get cold."
Harry frowned. "Just - just take it," he said, sniffling again. "And ... we should get back. Fleur could deliver any minute."
Draco nodded, reaching shaking hands for the robe. He had the powerful urge to grab Harry's hand as he did. Maybe if he just hung on until it killed him or fixed the problem? He paused, trying to think through the idea but then shook his head, grasping the fabric and getting slowly to his feet. His legs felt numb and cold. It reminded him of what it was like when they forgot ... before... when they were still bound.
"Let's go back," Harry said, still frowning worriedly at Draco.
Draco was still holding the robe but hadn't put it on yet. He nodded slowly and then draped it over his shoulders.
Harry's frown grew and he was almost tempted to make Draco walk ahead of him, but he settled for standing beside him. "Come on," he said, feeling like he was coaxing him.
Draco nodded and began to walk, looking around confused. "Where?" he asked.
Harry's eyes widened. "What do you mean where?" he said, his fear growing. "St Mungo's. Where we just came from."
Draco hadn't been paying attention either time he'd walked from the hospital and couldn't remember which way it was. "You lead," he whispered.
Harry nodded, his eyebrows furrowed, and began to walk ahead. He stayed close enough so that Draco was in his line of vision.
They walked that way until they had reached the disguised entry of St Mungo's. Everyone was still sitting in the waiting room when they got there, and they all turned their heads to stare at Harry and Draco. Harry threw a look to Ron and Hermione, but didn't say anything to anyone in the room.
Draco sat down in one of the chairs, staring unseeingly at the floor.
Mrs Weasley, who was in the chair next to the one Draco had sat in, laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right, dear?" she asked quietly.
Draco startled at the touch. Practically no one besides his son had touched him in the last month. He was so used to being touched and held by Harry, he hadn't ever realised how few other people ever touched him. He blinked, looking at her with a confused expression.
She looked confused as well and then looked to Harry, frowning.
Harry frowned back at her, still not knowing what to say. He wondered if he should just get Draco home.
Draco blinked again, looking at the hand on his shoulder with a small smile.
Mrs Weasley patted him a bit, returning the smile, but still obviously worried.
Ron sidled up to Harry. "What's up?" he whispered.
"I don't know," Harry whispered back fearfully. "He's just acting ...." He didn't even know what.
Draco went back to staring at the tile floor.
As everyone continued to stare at Draco and Harry, a distraction was given in the form of Bill, walking into the room with a huge smile on his face.
Mrs Weasley patted Draco again and then simply couldn't contain herself. She and Mr Weasley, and pretty much everyone else as well, jumped to their feet.
"Boy," Bill declared, beaming.
The room erupted in cooing and aww'ing and lots of hugging, but Harry only stood staring at Draco.
Draco startled at the noise, but didn't really register what had just been said. He looked up and found Harry staring at him. He looked into those green eyes and felt such longing that physical pain seemed pale in comparison.
Harry made his way over and took Mrs Weasley's vacated seat as everyone crowded around Bill, babbling with excitement, Mr Weasley brandishing a blue teddy bear around. "Are you okay, love?" he asked Draco. He seemed to be asking so much of the same question.
Draco didn't take his eyes off Harry, watching him as he sat down. He cocked his head at the question. "No," he whispered.
And Draco hadn't once given him any other answer. Harry's hands began shaking then, because he didn't know what to do. He really did not know what to do. And his husband was falling apart before his very eyes. Never in a million years would he have thought this would happen to them. Not after everything they'd been through already. "This isn't fucking fair," he whispered, closing his eyes as he felt yet more tears coming to them. He felt like kicking the table in front of him and very nearly did.
"No, not fair," Draco agreed, thinking that he would have rather died, going cold like before, than have to live with this aching emptiness inside.
Harry wiped his face, the happy chatter in the room not something he felt like dealing with at that moment. "Do you want to just go home?" he asked, his voice choked.
Draco looked around for their son, and spotted him in the arms of Hermione. "Valen," he whispered.
Harry nodded, getting to his feet. He walked over to Hermione and reached for the baby.
She frowned at him as she handed Valen over. "Harry?" she said softly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just- Draco and I - We're just going to go home," he managed, trying to keep himself from crying again.
"Go home? But - but Fleur just-"
"I know," Harry interrupted. "Just tell her and Bill we said congratulations. I - we just need to get out of here or something. I don't know what's wrong, and I don't know what to do, and -" He couldn't help it. He was crying. "We-we're just going to go h-home. See you la-later." He turned, heading back over to Draco and leaving Hermione standing there with tears in her own eyes.
"L-let's go," Harry said, wiping his face yet again.
Draco stood up. Valen seemed confused, looking between the excited people in the room and his very somber parents. "Dada?" he asked.
Harry kissed Valen's forehead, trying to give him a smile. "It's okay," he whispered to him, making his way over to the Floo.
Draco walked numbly beside his husband and child.
Harry took some Floo powder and threw it into the flames. He held Valen's head securely to his shoulder as he stepped inside, calling Malfoy Manor, before he was speeding home.