A Love So Belated
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
46,688
Reviews:
358
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
46,688
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 37: Repudiated
Chapter Number/Total: 37/44
Chapter Title: Repudiated
Words: 1933 Words
Only three days had passed since that damn article had been printed in the Sunday paper and Harry was sure that he and Draco had gotten more letters than had rained in the Dursleys' house. And there were so many fucking Howlers. The tips of Harry's fingers were burnt because the Howlers kept bursting into flames. There were too many to open them fast enough. And what was even more of a pain was that Harry had to go through the letters to check for responses from his friends. He'd taken Hermione's and Draco's advice and had decided to have them all over the coming weekend. He'd already owled all of them.
He sat at the table, sorting through all the bloody mail. "Dammit!" he shouted loudly when he sliced open an envelope and gave himself yet another paper cut.
Draco shook his head, continuing to help sort the pile. He tossed another directly into the fireplace.
"Why do all these people fucking care?" Harry demanded angrily, sucking on the skin between his index and middle fingers. He was in a very foul mood. He tore out the letter from the envelope that had cut him. "I mean fucking come on," he said. "These people wasted parchment to write - and this is all there is - 'Any man that takes it up the arse isn't a man.' Yeah, well, fuck you." He balled the letter up and chucked it into the fireplace with the others.
Draco sighed and shook his head. "This really surprises you?" he asked.
"No," Harry grumbled, huffing. "It's just fucking stupid."
"The price of being a hero is that everyone thinks that what you do affects them," Draco said. "They wouldn't have been happy with you being with a man. But with me?"
Harry sighed, abandoning the letters for a moment. "I wish they would just leave me alone. Certainly seems a strange way to thank someone they consider their hero." He rolled his eyes. "Even though they shouldn't consider me anything at all."
Draco stopped opening letters and looked at him seriously. "I consider you a hero," he said softly. "I am glad you killed the Dark Lord. I was there, remember?"
Harry stared back and sighed again. "Even if I did technically do it ...." He shook his head. "There's just so much no one is ever going to understand. I did a lot, maybe even the most - and I don't even know about that - but I never would have gotten anywhere alone. Never."
"You don't have to be alone to be a hero," Draco said. "I would have thought you understood that by now."
"But that's how everyone treats it," Harry said. "Like I did it all by myself. Like I have some kind of super power or something. It's not that Harry and everyone who helped him are the heroes, it's Harry is the hero. It drives me mad. Snape was more of a hero than me and I had to fight to have his portrait hung and his name cleared." He shook his head. "I guess it just gets to be a little much when the entire wizarding world is watching you - to the point of critiquing your love interests even. I should be used to it by now, shouldn't I?" He snorted.
Draco smiled and nodded. "I would think so," he said softly, reaching a hand to cup Harry's cheek.
Harry sighed one last time. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I guess all these damn letters have got me in a mood."
Although most of the letters were addressed to Harry, there were a few that were meant for Draco. They tended to be the worst of the lot. "Oh, how original," Draco drawled as he read another one. "You will die, blood traitor," he quoted from the parchment.
Harry raised an eyebrow and looked up at that, shaking his head. "I've had just about enough of this."
"Any more replies to the party invitations?" Draco asked as he tossed the letter into the fire and picked up the next one.
"Got one from Neville, of course," said Harry. "And one from Lavender, one from Parvati and Padma, and, to my surprise, one from Seamus. He was the one I was most worried about."
Draco covered his smirk by sorting through the letters a bit. "Is that everyone?" he asked.
Harry shook his head. "I invited everyone at the pub that night, but I think I'd rather just find out at the party who shows up instead of going through the rest of this."
Draco had stopped listening, staring now instead at the letter in his hand. He hadn't opened it yet. But his finger traced the familiar script in which his name was written.
"Yeah," said Harry, unaware that there was anything wrong. "I'm just chucking the lot of these." He gathered quite a few of the letters up in his arms, prepared to toss them into the flames.
"This one is from my father," Draco said in a faraway voice.
Harry faltered a bit before he did throw the letters and then looked over his shoulder at Draco. He didn't know what to say to him, so he only stood and watched.
"I suppose I should open it," Draco said, picking up his silver letter opener and slicing open the top.
Harry walked silently back over to the table, taking his seat again and folding his hands in front of him, still staring at Draco. He hoped it wasn't going to be too terrible.
Draco slowly unfolded the letter and read.
Draco,
I know exactly where to begin. You have more than disappointed me. I cannot even dredge up a word to describe exactly what you have done. The fact that you are romantically involved with another man is terrible enough. It being Harry Potter makes it inordinately worse; perhaps even beyond that. I cannot believe I had to hear of it from the guard, Draco. I am more than embarrassed, I am ashamed. It is not how you were raised. I cannot believe I have to tell you that you should have known better. If you were going to be involved with Potter, the very least you could have done was hide it. But you made a public show of yourself and have now disgraced our name. And you say you are in love with him? You are telling me that you will not marry a witch? That you intend to let the name of Malfoy die with you? I am speechless.
Since you are so very in love with Harry Potter, and he with you, then he can take care of you. You have already moved in with him. No son of mine will shame me the way you have and expect me to enable comfortable living. If you refuse to go by my rules, and refuse to live by what you know is right, then that is fine, but you will receive no help from me. I am cutting you out of all Malfoy accounts immediately in the hopes that you will come to your senses. It is perhaps possible to salvage what little dignity you may have left if you act quickly. Until I receive word that you have left Potter, you will receive absolutely nothing. Again, I am more than disappointed with you, Draco. I am nearly repulsed.
Lucius
It wasn't even signed "Father."
Draco's hand began to shake before he was even through the first paragraph. He had to use both hands to hold it so he could finish. Once he was done, he just sat staring at the piece of parchment, still trembling.
Harry frowned, still sitting across from Draco. He waited a full minute in silence, and then, "Draco?" he tried.
Draco looked up, startled as if he had forgotten Harry was there. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again when he realised he didn't know what to say.
Harry waited, but when Draco didn't say anything, he didn't know what to say either. It was obvious that the letter was bad.
Draco held the letter out to Harry, unable to read it to him.
Harry took the parchment, surprised that Draco wanted him to read it at all. As he did read the letter, his eyes grew the slightest bit wide and his lips parted in slight shock. He looked back up when he was finished. "Draco," he whispered, lowering the parchment to the table.
Draco closed his eyes and pressed his hands over his face, trying to breathe.
Harry stood up, not knowing what else to do but to hold him. He walked around the table, going to his knees beside Draco and wrapping arms around his waist.
Draco was already shaking but Harry's touch seemed to release what little control he had. He dropped his hands to Harry, wrapping arms around his shoulders and pressing his face to the top of that thick mop of hair. He had known his father wouldn't be happy, but the reality of it was worse.
"Don't worry," Harry told him quietly. "I do love you and I will take care of you. No matter what."
Draco near-sobbed. There were no actual tears but his throat constricted and he felt hot and flushed. He wanted to say something, anything, but his voice didn't seem to be working. He rubbed his face into Harry's hair.
Harry only continued to hold him, would hold him for hours if he had to.
Draco breathed in the scent of him, feeling strong arms around his own waist and Harry pressed against his thighs. It was grounding. It made him feel real. Taking several deep breaths, he tried to speak again. "I don't care about the money," he managed.
Harry looked up at him. He hadn't thought the money was the real reason Draco was upset, he'd only wanted him to know that he would be there if needed.
Draco looked into those vivid green eyes and felt himself falling again. Harry always had that effect on him. It had disturbed him when he was younger, but now he welcomed it, smiling at his lover. He bent down and kissed him.
A little confused, but wanting to give Draco what he needed, Harry kissed him in return, gently rubbing his back with one hand.
Draco pushed aside thoughts of anyone but Harry, and his hands came up to cup his lover's face as he pulled him close.
Harry raised up as Draco pulled him, ending up standing sort of stooped over as they kissed.
Draco wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, drawing him forward so that the man was straddling his lap.
Harry let out a quiet little sound, holding the back of Draco's head, one hand on his chest.
Draco kissed and licked at Harry's lips, trembling now with the strength of his feelings for the other man. No turning back, he thought to himself. Not ever.
"I love you," Harry whispered, sliding his hand up to wrap his arm around Draco's shoulders. He kissed his chin and the side of his face, pressing closer.
"I love you, I want to be with you," Draco whispered back against Harry's ear. "Nothing and no one makes me feel like you do."
"Good," Harry replied. "I want to make you feel amazing, like no one is more important than you, because no one is to me."
In the midst of pressing repeated kisses to Harry's face, Draco managed to respond, "You do, baby, you do."
Chapter Title: Repudiated
Words: 1933 Words
Only three days had passed since that damn article had been printed in the Sunday paper and Harry was sure that he and Draco had gotten more letters than had rained in the Dursleys' house. And there were so many fucking Howlers. The tips of Harry's fingers were burnt because the Howlers kept bursting into flames. There were too many to open them fast enough. And what was even more of a pain was that Harry had to go through the letters to check for responses from his friends. He'd taken Hermione's and Draco's advice and had decided to have them all over the coming weekend. He'd already owled all of them.
He sat at the table, sorting through all the bloody mail. "Dammit!" he shouted loudly when he sliced open an envelope and gave himself yet another paper cut.
Draco shook his head, continuing to help sort the pile. He tossed another directly into the fireplace.
"Why do all these people fucking care?" Harry demanded angrily, sucking on the skin between his index and middle fingers. He was in a very foul mood. He tore out the letter from the envelope that had cut him. "I mean fucking come on," he said. "These people wasted parchment to write - and this is all there is - 'Any man that takes it up the arse isn't a man.' Yeah, well, fuck you." He balled the letter up and chucked it into the fireplace with the others.
Draco sighed and shook his head. "This really surprises you?" he asked.
"No," Harry grumbled, huffing. "It's just fucking stupid."
"The price of being a hero is that everyone thinks that what you do affects them," Draco said. "They wouldn't have been happy with you being with a man. But with me?"
Harry sighed, abandoning the letters for a moment. "I wish they would just leave me alone. Certainly seems a strange way to thank someone they consider their hero." He rolled his eyes. "Even though they shouldn't consider me anything at all."
Draco stopped opening letters and looked at him seriously. "I consider you a hero," he said softly. "I am glad you killed the Dark Lord. I was there, remember?"
Harry stared back and sighed again. "Even if I did technically do it ...." He shook his head. "There's just so much no one is ever going to understand. I did a lot, maybe even the most - and I don't even know about that - but I never would have gotten anywhere alone. Never."
"You don't have to be alone to be a hero," Draco said. "I would have thought you understood that by now."
"But that's how everyone treats it," Harry said. "Like I did it all by myself. Like I have some kind of super power or something. It's not that Harry and everyone who helped him are the heroes, it's Harry is the hero. It drives me mad. Snape was more of a hero than me and I had to fight to have his portrait hung and his name cleared." He shook his head. "I guess it just gets to be a little much when the entire wizarding world is watching you - to the point of critiquing your love interests even. I should be used to it by now, shouldn't I?" He snorted.
Draco smiled and nodded. "I would think so," he said softly, reaching a hand to cup Harry's cheek.
Harry sighed one last time. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I guess all these damn letters have got me in a mood."
Although most of the letters were addressed to Harry, there were a few that were meant for Draco. They tended to be the worst of the lot. "Oh, how original," Draco drawled as he read another one. "You will die, blood traitor," he quoted from the parchment.
Harry raised an eyebrow and looked up at that, shaking his head. "I've had just about enough of this."
"Any more replies to the party invitations?" Draco asked as he tossed the letter into the fire and picked up the next one.
"Got one from Neville, of course," said Harry. "And one from Lavender, one from Parvati and Padma, and, to my surprise, one from Seamus. He was the one I was most worried about."
Draco covered his smirk by sorting through the letters a bit. "Is that everyone?" he asked.
Harry shook his head. "I invited everyone at the pub that night, but I think I'd rather just find out at the party who shows up instead of going through the rest of this."
Draco had stopped listening, staring now instead at the letter in his hand. He hadn't opened it yet. But his finger traced the familiar script in which his name was written.
"Yeah," said Harry, unaware that there was anything wrong. "I'm just chucking the lot of these." He gathered quite a few of the letters up in his arms, prepared to toss them into the flames.
"This one is from my father," Draco said in a faraway voice.
Harry faltered a bit before he did throw the letters and then looked over his shoulder at Draco. He didn't know what to say to him, so he only stood and watched.
"I suppose I should open it," Draco said, picking up his silver letter opener and slicing open the top.
Harry walked silently back over to the table, taking his seat again and folding his hands in front of him, still staring at Draco. He hoped it wasn't going to be too terrible.
Draco slowly unfolded the letter and read.
Draco,
I know exactly where to begin. You have more than disappointed me. I cannot even dredge up a word to describe exactly what you have done. The fact that you are romantically involved with another man is terrible enough. It being Harry Potter makes it inordinately worse; perhaps even beyond that. I cannot believe I had to hear of it from the guard, Draco. I am more than embarrassed, I am ashamed. It is not how you were raised. I cannot believe I have to tell you that you should have known better. If you were going to be involved with Potter, the very least you could have done was hide it. But you made a public show of yourself and have now disgraced our name. And you say you are in love with him? You are telling me that you will not marry a witch? That you intend to let the name of Malfoy die with you? I am speechless.
Since you are so very in love with Harry Potter, and he with you, then he can take care of you. You have already moved in with him. No son of mine will shame me the way you have and expect me to enable comfortable living. If you refuse to go by my rules, and refuse to live by what you know is right, then that is fine, but you will receive no help from me. I am cutting you out of all Malfoy accounts immediately in the hopes that you will come to your senses. It is perhaps possible to salvage what little dignity you may have left if you act quickly. Until I receive word that you have left Potter, you will receive absolutely nothing. Again, I am more than disappointed with you, Draco. I am nearly repulsed.
Lucius
It wasn't even signed "Father."
Draco's hand began to shake before he was even through the first paragraph. He had to use both hands to hold it so he could finish. Once he was done, he just sat staring at the piece of parchment, still trembling.
Harry frowned, still sitting across from Draco. He waited a full minute in silence, and then, "Draco?" he tried.
Draco looked up, startled as if he had forgotten Harry was there. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again when he realised he didn't know what to say.
Harry waited, but when Draco didn't say anything, he didn't know what to say either. It was obvious that the letter was bad.
Draco held the letter out to Harry, unable to read it to him.
Harry took the parchment, surprised that Draco wanted him to read it at all. As he did read the letter, his eyes grew the slightest bit wide and his lips parted in slight shock. He looked back up when he was finished. "Draco," he whispered, lowering the parchment to the table.
Draco closed his eyes and pressed his hands over his face, trying to breathe.
Harry stood up, not knowing what else to do but to hold him. He walked around the table, going to his knees beside Draco and wrapping arms around his waist.
Draco was already shaking but Harry's touch seemed to release what little control he had. He dropped his hands to Harry, wrapping arms around his shoulders and pressing his face to the top of that thick mop of hair. He had known his father wouldn't be happy, but the reality of it was worse.
"Don't worry," Harry told him quietly. "I do love you and I will take care of you. No matter what."
Draco near-sobbed. There were no actual tears but his throat constricted and he felt hot and flushed. He wanted to say something, anything, but his voice didn't seem to be working. He rubbed his face into Harry's hair.
Harry only continued to hold him, would hold him for hours if he had to.
Draco breathed in the scent of him, feeling strong arms around his own waist and Harry pressed against his thighs. It was grounding. It made him feel real. Taking several deep breaths, he tried to speak again. "I don't care about the money," he managed.
Harry looked up at him. He hadn't thought the money was the real reason Draco was upset, he'd only wanted him to know that he would be there if needed.
Draco looked into those vivid green eyes and felt himself falling again. Harry always had that effect on him. It had disturbed him when he was younger, but now he welcomed it, smiling at his lover. He bent down and kissed him.
A little confused, but wanting to give Draco what he needed, Harry kissed him in return, gently rubbing his back with one hand.
Draco pushed aside thoughts of anyone but Harry, and his hands came up to cup his lover's face as he pulled him close.
Harry raised up as Draco pulled him, ending up standing sort of stooped over as they kissed.
Draco wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, drawing him forward so that the man was straddling his lap.
Harry let out a quiet little sound, holding the back of Draco's head, one hand on his chest.
Draco kissed and licked at Harry's lips, trembling now with the strength of his feelings for the other man. No turning back, he thought to himself. Not ever.
"I love you," Harry whispered, sliding his hand up to wrap his arm around Draco's shoulders. He kissed his chin and the side of his face, pressing closer.
"I love you, I want to be with you," Draco whispered back against Harry's ear. "Nothing and no one makes me feel like you do."
"Good," Harry replied. "I want to make you feel amazing, like no one is more important than you, because no one is to me."
In the midst of pressing repeated kisses to Harry's face, Draco managed to respond, "You do, baby, you do."