Indago:3

Chapter Four

One year after Indago:Reborn

Thirteen years ago…


“Maia! Please be careful! Draco, would you watch her, please!”

Draco glared. “And what exactly do you think I’m doing? Courting an elf?”

Maia flew by again and Harry nearly reached out and snatched her off the child-size broom. “Okay, enough. This is ridiculous! How did this ever pass child-safety testing?”

“It didn’t eat anyone: it’s safe. Maia! You went too far. You are to stay within the circle I made. Did you just roll your eyes at me? Well, madam, you will just hop off that now, then, won’t you?”

“I want to go higher!”

“Not on your, mine, or anyone else’s life!” Harry growled.

The little girl flew past and was caught by a strong set of arms. “Enough now, you’re scaring your dad into an urn.”

Maia hung petulantly in her father’s arms. Her four year old mind had decided that it was entirely unfair of her parents to give her a toy that did not fly over the moon as the picture on the box clearly indicated. “I want to go higher!”

“Yes, well, we all want a lot of things, don’t we?” Draco answered as he carried her over to the gazebo where Harry was sitting cross-legged on the floor, out from under the noon sun.

“Maia, you are never to touch that broom without your father or me with you. Do you understand?” Harry demanded.

“But it’s my toy! It’s mine! Grandfather gave it to me!”

“I don’t care!” Harry snapped angrily.

“Harry,” Draco said quietly and touched his husband’s arm gently. He turned to their daughter. “Maia, if you play with that broom without permission, it will be taken away immediately and you will not see it again, understood?”

“That’s not fair!” Maia slumped onto the wooden steps and pouted.

Kneeling down, Draco looked at Harry who was trying to control his anger. “Harry, she’s fine. There was nothing to be afraid of, yeah? I was right there. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to her.”

Harry swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and nodded. “Yeah, I know. I just…” He shook his head again and smiled. “Sorry about that.”

Draco pulled him into his arms. “She’ll be a Quidditch player,” he said with a grin.

“Not until she’s old enough. No bludgers, Draco. I mean it.”

Draco chuckled, but conspicuously did not answer. Instead he held Harry in his arms and watched his daughter get over her bad mood to chase after a ball charmed to dance in time to her clapping.

“Sev wrote,” Harry said quietly. “He said he’d be here at the end of the week.”

“Ah, good. I think he’ll like British Columbia. They have different types of herbs and such that I think he’ll like. It’ll do him good to broaden his horizons a bit.”

Harry looked at him sideways. “You’re still all right with this?”

“I think you know that I am not the type to hold my tongue if I am not in agreement with something,” Draco replied dryly.

“You do if it’s me,” Harry answered quietly. “You treat me differently than you used to. I hate it.”

“Do you?”

“I’m not some stupid broken doll, you know?” Harry hissed. “I am able to function! I can even walk and talk on my own!” He shrugged off Draco’s arms angrily. “I think if it weren’t for Maia you’d have put me out with the rubbish a long time ago!”

“Harry, you’re overreacting.”

“Of course! That seems to be your patent answer to everything! You’re so fucking predictable!”

“Am I?” Draco took a deep breath and regained control of his anger. “I’ll have to work on that.”

“It sounds like you’re the doll,” Harry said with a nasty laugh. “Don’t you have any emotions anymore, or are you that bored with me?” He climbed to his feet. “You know, you might as well give me the divorce papers. I’ll sign them.”

“Why do you think I have divorce papers hidden somewhere?” Draco asked as he also stood up. “I’m not leaving you, Harry.”

“You already have.” Harry left the gazebo and began walking toward the house, kicking the broom lying in the grass. Draco followed him and grabbed his arm to try to stop him before he went through the door.

“What does that mean?” Draco demanded.

“Get your hands off me!” Harry violently pulled away and snarled. “Don’t touch me!”

“Fine, I won’t, but tell me what the hell you mean that I’ve already left?” Draco asked through his teeth.

“You’re just placating me. I know it and you know it. The only reason you haven’t thrown me out is because you’re afraid of the bad publicity after kicking out your poor stupid husband,” Harry accused with a sneer.

“Daddy?”

Harry whirled on Maia standing a few feet away. “Don’t call me that! How many times do I have to tell you?” he shouted.

“Harry! Stop it!” Draco stepped between the two of them. Harry pushed past him and slammed into the house.

“Daddy’s angry again.” Maia looked up at her father in concern. “Can I pick him some flowers to cheer him up?”

“Yes, daughter, that would be nice. I bet he’d like them in the vase next to his chair in the parlour. The one that you made him,” Draco suggested with a smile. Maia grinned and ran off to the far side of the garden.

Draco found Harry in their bedroom, sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. He knew Harry had heard him come in, but waited for him to make the first move. His wait wasn’t long.

“I didn’t mean that,” the brunet said into his hands. “Not any of it.”

Draco stepped forward and sat in the armchair across from the bed.

“I just… I just get so angry. Suddenly, with no warning,” Harry continued. His hands dragged down his face as he lifted his head and looked at Draco. “I’m sorry. I’m just really stressed at work right now. I don’t mean to bring it home with me.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have said that to her. I didn’t mean it. Sometimes being a parent, though, just kind of trips you over that edge. I’ll apologize and maybe we can go to that restaurant she likes. The one with the dancing moose?”

“Of course,” Draco answered calmly. “Perhaps we can plan another holiday, as well. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, that would be great.” Harry smiled in relief and moved to kneel at Draco’s feet, putting his head in his lap. “I have to wait until Muroch has stopped complaining about the lack of data I have submitted, but once that’s done, I’ll be free.”

“What?” Draco frowned and looked down. “Who did you say?”

Harry looked up in confusion. “Do you know him? He’s not very well known outside of the zoological realm, but he has written a few papers.”

“No, I didn’t catch his name.”

“Oh. Martin. Martin Brewster.” Harry tilted his head to the side. “Do you know him?” he asked again.

Draco took a deep breath and shook his head. “I thought you said another name. No, I don’t know him. Is he causing you problems at work?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Yes and no. He’s just really uptight and yet flies off the handle about every little thing. You just never know when he’s going to snap. I reported for a whole year on the life cycle of the Gregarious Home Snake. It was an entire year’s worth of work and observation and he is saying I don’t have enough data to support my paper or my hypothesis. It’s not a hypothesis, of course- the snake told me that it was partial to jack rabbit flesh and used its favourite colour as a means to pick out its mate. But Martin is saying that it doesn’t count. As if the snake’s own word doesn’t count in what he likes!” Harry shook his head. “He’s just being a real prat.”

Draco narrowed his eyes. “Well, perhaps if I talk to this Mr. Brewster—“

“No! No, Draco, I got it. Martin doesn’t need you to feed him his hat.” Harry rose up and kissed him. “But thank you.”

“Do not forget that you are a Malfoy and Malfoys are not talked down to by subordinates.”

“But he’s my boss.” Harry held up his hand. “Wait, wait. I forgot. Everyone is a subordinate to a Malfoy.”

“Exactly,” Draco smirked.

They wandered down a few minutes later and found Maia arranging a handful of flowers from the garden. Harry scooped her up in his arms and kissed her cheek.

“Well, your highness, those are the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen and I thank you. But it was daddy who was mean, so I want to say I’m sorry. Would you like to go out to eat for dinner?”

“Can we go to the Dancing Maple?” she asked excitedly.

“I think that is a wonderful idea. Go up stairs and get your shoes on and we’ll go, alright?” Harry smiled and set her down, watching as she took off up the stairs.

“I’ll need my ear plugs,” Draco groused. Harry laughed and waited at the door.


*_*_*

“You’re looking well, Severus, for a man just off of hounding children.”

Severus Snape raised an eyebrow and handed Draco his pelisse. Vancouver International Port-Key Port was bustling around them. “Speaking of which, where is yours?” The two began walking through the corridor and out into the evening air. The city was still busy as people raced home to settle in, or raced out to raise a racket. Draco led them down the street and to a small bookstore.

“She’s at home. She threw a fit about something or other and Harry insisted that she miss coming with me,” Draco answered as he and Severus walked through the store and then through the back exit. Once there, Draco walked up to the lone tree and tugged at a branch. The tree twisted and revealed a small opening. He allowed the older man to go before him. When they stepped through, they found themselves in a small park set inside a well-maintained neighbourhood of quaint two-story homes in a rainbow of colours.

“Still the disciplinarian, then, is he? I wouldn’t be surprised if you had caused the fit,” Severus said dryly.

Draco put his hand to his chest. “You wound me. I only wanted to fulfil my only child’s request for ice cream.”

“You sound like your father.”

“Now that is going too far!” Draco said in mock anger. They moved out of the park and down the tree-lined avenue. The air was still warm as summer was upon them. A dog barked in acknowledgement of their presence and then was silent.

Snape suddenly put a hand on Draco’s arm as they passed under a thick and drooping tree that blocked them from anyone watching from an upper story or passing on the street that did not stare hard into the murky shadow. “How is he?” he asked quietly, running the back of his hand up and down Draco’s arm.

The blond took a deep breath and the light teasing left his face. “He’s been tense for the last few months or so. ”

“Tense?”

Draco shrugged. “On edge, I suppose. He hasn’t been sleeping well and his mood can turn nasty surprisingly quickly.”

“And his eating habits?” Snape asked.

“The same. Although he seems a bit thinner. But I haven’t seen any decrease in his eating.”

“Sex?”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Do we really need to do this here, Sev? He’s been a bit tense and it turns out that he’s getting harassed at work. I’ve been asked to stay out of it,” Draco explained in a tone that showed what he thought of that idea. “But other than that, he has been fine.”

“I ask, Draco, because it has always concerned me the way he seemed to recover so quickly and easily from that nightmare,” Snape answered, his face set in stone.

“Quickly and easily?” Draco was flabbergasted. “And who were you looking after, then? Harry wouldn’t let anyone touch him for weeks. He rarely ate and wouldn’t hold his infant daughter for nearly a month. He had to be sedated during Lustrum! What exactly was easy and quick about it?”

“The way in which one day he just decided that he could, indeed, hold his daughter, be touched and would willingly lie with you in bed.” Snape frowned. “It was disturbing to see him simply… box it up.”

Draco sighed. “Harry is a hero by nature. He has suffered often in his life and while I want all of the people responsible to be dead, we have to realize that Harry was the one to kill most of them. He is able to take care of himself quite handily.”

“Are you actually listening to yourself?” Snape sneered. “You are telling me that Harry is capable and should be allowed to ‘handle’ himself? When exactly did you decide to become the Subico, Draco? Or is this your rationalized version of avoiding a painful incident?”

“We have a child to raise,” Draco bit out. “Harry and I made a pact to leave all the ugly memories behind us when we left the U.K.. There is nothing wrong with making a fresh start. Besides, you said yourself that the time in which he was in that coma was the time in which his brain healed. He’s fine, Sev. We didn’t invite you to live with us so that you could dig up things better left buried.”

Snape glared. “You did not call me here. Harry did. Without your prior knowledge, I am given to understand.”

Draco glared back. “I always support whatever desires, needs, or wishes my family makes. It would not occur to him to talk with me prior to inviting you, nor would it have crossed my mind to deny him what he wished.”

“That, I believe, is the issue we may be facing.” Snape waved away Draco’s argument. “Nevermind. This is not an auspicious beginning. Let us continue on so that I may see the rest of us.”

Draco pressed his lips together in annoyance. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly and then gave a small smile. “Of course.” He led the way as they moved further down the street until they came to a blue and white home with white lattice, and shrubs and plants carefully planted and tended.

They came up the steps to the large porch and the door burst open and a ball of energy ran full tilt at Severus.

“Sev! My Sev!”

Snape was able to snatch the girl by the arms and hold her back. “So this is the child who has grown, hmm? One who would run me down as soon as look at me? You have become a menace!” he growled.

Maia stopped and the excitement fell from her face. She pulled back and wiped at her dress. “I’m sorry, Sev.” She curtsied and then smiled happily. “I’ve missed you! I’m so happy you’re here!”

“Much better. I will not have a cretin sharing a home with me,” Snape grumbled. He patted her on her head and walked past, brushing his forearm against her shoulder as he went. She immediately turned and followed, subtly slipping her hand into his. Snape did not bother to acknowledge or repel the handholding.

The three of them entered the house and came inside a large and spacious room with two sofas and armchairs scattered around. Harry was standing there with a smile on his face.

“Sorry about that. She’s been perched in the window nearly since Draco left.” He came forward and stood nearly toe-to-toe with Snape. “I’m glad you’re here,” he murmured. He pressed his forehead against the older man’s collarbone and inhaled deeply. Snape ran his hand through Harry’s hair once and then the younger man stepped back and smiled again. “Was your trip alright?”

“Passable,” Snape answered.

“Dinner is going to be ready in a bit. I’ll show you your room.” Harry moved toward the stairs, his family and Snape following.

The room was down the hall from Maia’s and separated from Harry and Draco’s by a bathroom.

“I hope this is alright?” Harry asked as Snape moved around the bed and surveyed the writing table. He opened the empty closet and looked out the window.

“Very nice. Thank you,” Snape answered as he turned around and faced Harry. Maia had climbed up on the bed and Draco sat the pelisse down on the table.

“I want Sev to stay in my room!” Maia frowned at Draco. “I want him to stay with me!”

“Maia, we’ve been over this,” Harry answered. “Sev is going to have his own room and that’s that. This isn’t a slumber party.”

“Why would you ever think I would wish to be disturbed by your snoring anyway?” Snape asked as he went to his pelisse.

Maia blinked and her mouth dropped open. Harry stifled his laughter behind a hand.

“I don’t snore!” Maia shouted. “I’m perfect! My father says so!”

“And you are, daughter. So, we shall let you be perfect in your perfect room,” Draco jumped in, ignoring the look Harry was giving him.

“Yes, perfectly alone,” Snape added.



Dinner was a light affair and made even lighter by Maia’s constant chatter, showing her increased ability in speech since the last time Snape had seen her.

“And then my teacher said that I was quite clever and I could have whatever prize I wanted out of the bag. I gave my prize to the kid with the lowest score to make her feel better.”

“That was very nice of you,” Harry said with a warm smile.

“Yes, and now she is my friend and we play together all the time and she gets the toys I want when I don’t want to stand in line for them.”

Draco smiled proudly. “Excellent, Maia.”

Harry shook his head and sighed into his plate. “Well, I suppose as long as she is your friend and you treat her nicely.”

“Sev, I want to go to your school. Can I start there in September?” Maia looked at the dark and silent man across from her.

“No. In fact, I highly doubt I want you anywhere near me when you enter public school.” Snape placed a bit of fish in his mouth. Maia frowned.

“Why not? I’m highest in my class!”

“Maia, Hogwarts is for older children and is very far away in Britain,” Harry explained. “We’ve told you that. You’ll need to wait a few more years.”

Maia frowned at her peas and then grumpily began smashing them with her fork until a brilliant smile lit her face. She looked up at Draco. “Grandfather will let me! I’ll ask him!”

“As amazing a fact as it is, even Lucius cannot control time. You and he will need to learn to live with the deficit.” Snape took a sip of wine after his dry words. Maia frowned again and opened her mouth to argue.

“Maia, finish your dinner or you will be excused,” Harry cut in.

In a sulk, Maia finished her dinner and then immediately demanded desert. The table provided and she was happily immersed in eating her pudding.

“She needs more discipline,” Snape said as he watched her.

“She’s perfect!” Draco argued.

“Her precocious behaviour may amuse you now, Draco, but it is laying the foundation for a wilful, defiant, and uncontrollable child in the near future,” Snape replied.

“You only wish that all children were locked in a box until they have reached adulthood,” Draco said with a laugh. “I was given whatever I wished as a child and it only taught me to be assured in my status and how to search out and attain what I desire.”

“You have the memory of a child,” Snape scoffed. “Lucius spoiled you, yes, but it was at his discretion. Tell me, do you think you would have been allowed to circumvent him in a decision by going to someone else? I hardly doubt you would have survived such temerity. You were indulged, but Lucius kept tight rein on you, and your fear and respect of him proved this.”

Draco glared at Snape. “I do not appreciate my parenting skills being questioned. Nor do I feel it is appropriate to laud my father’s abilities in making a child fear him. No matter how highly you praise the talent.”

“I am not questioning your skills, but your motives.” Snape placed his napkin on the table. “Lucius indulged you out of love, as you do with Maia. But I believe you don’t wish to make her upset or angry, not out of fear of losing that love, but in compensation for something you wish to avoid. Something you are trying to hide and make up for.”

“It’s time for a bath!” Harry said overly loud and nearly jumped to his feet. “Maia, come on. It’s time for your bath.”

“I want another pudding.”

“No, not right now.”

“But I ate all my vegetables! I want another pudding!” Maia whined.

“I said no!” Harry snapped and shoved away the plate, which had appeared at the demanded request. He took her by the arm and led her out of the room, the little girl frowning and looking back at Draco expectantly.

When the sound of their feet could be heard on the ceiling, Snape turned again to look at Draco who was studiously ignoring him and working on his dinner.

“He’s afraid,” Severus said quietly.

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Draco hissed. “That is why it’s extremely important that you stop trying to rip scars open.”

“Scars are the badges of a healed wound. This isn’t healed, merely bandaged and ignored. And this one seems to be infected.”

“So to follow the tired analogy, we should lance it, yes?” Draco asked in a snide voice. “You’ve been horrendously wrong in the past, Snape. Why should I follow your advice now?”

“Because your way isn’t working!” Snape stood up and left the room.

Draco was left to finish his dinner alone.