A Heart So Ravenous (Sequel to A Love So Belated)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
36,885
Reviews:
326
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
36,885
Reviews:
326
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 42: A Parent's Desperation
Chapter Number/Total: 42/44
Chapter Title: A Parent's Desperation
Words: 1848 Words
Harry held very tight to Draco as they spun through emerald green flames, and he continued to hold him tightly, supporting most of his weight as they landed in the kitchen fireplace of Number Twelve.
One hand gripped Harry's arm and the other the head of his cane, as Draco nearly stumbled out of the fireplace with his lover.
Narcissa was waiting for them, having Flooed home from the hospital first. She gasped like the worried mother she was, hands fluttering over Draco before she gripped the arm with the cane.
Harry slid his own arm around Draco's waist, stepping carefully out into the kitchen.
Draco gritted his teeth. He hated being treated like he was helpless. More than that, he hated being so weak. He could walk now, but he was still unsteady on his feet and his legs had a tendency to buckle at odd times. They had even given him a cane to walk with. It was an uncomfortable reminder of his father.
"Are you all right?" Narcissa asked, dusting Draco off with quick hands.
"I think he's fine," said Harry with a small smile, kissing Draco on the cheek.
"Look, there's your daddies," said Hermione from where she stood a few feet away with Ron and the twins. She stepped forward, smiling. "Welcome home, Draco," she told him.
Draco felt overwhelmed but nodded, smiling at the sight of his children. "Home," he said, swaying slightly.
Harry gripped a little tighter. "Here, let's sit down," he said, helping Draco to a chair.
Draco allowed the assistance, and once he was seated, he sighed with relief. He accidentally dropped the cane and it clattered on the floor.
Harry bent to grab it and leaned it against the table before he sat down himself.
Narcissa sat too, still fussing over Draco and brushing soot out of his hair.
Draco suffered the attention, grimacing. He could smell something good cooking and figured that Kreacher would want them all to eat dinner at the dining table soon. He didn't know what to say to Ron and Hermione. He had heard how they had been helping. He settled for, "How are the boys?"
"Loud," said Ron, and Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"They've been very good today," she said.
"He spit up on me," said Ron, indicating Caelum. "Twice."
Hermione rolled her eyes again.
Harry snorted at them both.
Draco laughed softly and held out his hands for the 'messy' infant.
Ron shook his head at the baby as he handed him off to Draco. Harry could see the spot on Ron's shoulder where it had happened.
"How long do you have to have that cane for?" Ron asked.
Draco held the baby, momentarily lost in the feeling, but then realised what Ron had asked. He scowled. "I don't know," he said.
"Ow," Ron said suddenly, turning his head to look at Hermione where she stood close next to him.
She shook her head, closing her eyes.
Harry wanted to tell Ron he had a big mouth, but thought it would probably be better to ignore it. He reached for Corvus, taking him from Hermione and kissing his forehead.
"They could probably eat before our dinner is finished," said Hermione. "It's been awhile."
Draco smiled again. "Somebody pass me a bottle," he said cheerfully. He had been able to feed the infants a few times when Harry had brought them in during the day. This was something he was getting good at and enjoyed.
Harry smiled at him.
Hermione took two bottles out of one of the cabinets along with some formula, and sat down at the table.
Narcissa reached to make one of the bottles, handing it to Draco when she was finished.
Draco cast the Warming Charm on the bottle and then tested it on his own wrist. Caelum began squeaking and reaching for the bottle the minute he saw it.
Corvus set eyes on the bottle his brother was getting and immediately began wailing.
"Goodness," said Hermione, hurriedly screwing the cap on and casting the Warming Charm before handing the second bottle to Harry.
He quickly stuck the nipple in his son's mouth, relieved when the cries ceased.
Draco smiled, watching Caelum suckle the bottle greedily. "Impatient, aren't they?" he said, eyes moving onto Harry with a smirk.
"Very," Harry agreed. He looked up at the sound of someone entering the kitchen by the stairs and saw Kreacher standing there.
Kreacher's eyes went wide when he set them on Draco and he shuffled his old feet as quickly as he could. He hugged Draco's knee. "You is home, Master," he wheezed.
Draco felt awkward being touched by a house-elf. "Yes I am, Kreacher," he said. Then sighed. "You did well, you know."
Kreacher squeezed a little tighter then pulled back, but still clutched at Draco's trouser-leg and patted his shin. "I is honoured to have helped Master," he said.
Draco glanced up at Harry. He had wondered how Harry felt about what he had done. They hadn't talked about it yet. He had expected anger, and the continuing silence around the issue made him nervous. "What's for dinner, Kreacher?" he asked the elf, hoping to get him to let go then.
"Oh, Kreacher is getting it," he said, as if remembering he was cooking. He shuffled over to the cooker.
"Shall we go up to the dining room?" said Narcissa. She was always the one to suggest the dining room. She hated eating in the kitchen. It was 'common'.
Draco nodded. Caelum had sucked down the bottle so quickly he was now sucking air. Draco snorted and pulled it away from him.
Corvus was mostly finished, too.
"Kreacher," said Narcissa, standing. "Get cloths to burp the babies."
Hermione frowned at that and Harry could tell she was biting her tongue. Had he said that, she would have told him he could get the cloths himself.
Kreacher opened a drawer and took out two Snitch-decorated cloths, handing one each to Harry and Draco.
Harry smiled at Draco. "I picked them out," he said.
Draco laughed and laid one over his shoulder, carefully placing the infant against it and patting his back. He unconsciously hummed as he did.
Harry smiled, feeling his heart seem to grow bigger. This was how it was supposed to be. They were feeding and burping their babies at home, where they belonged, and it felt very, very good.
He situated Corvus to be burped as well and his eyes widened when he let out a huge belch. "That's my boy," he said, laughing.
Draco rolled his eyes, kissing the side of Caelum's head when the infant burped.
***
The day finally came that Harry had been partly dreading. He had to go back to work. He didn't want to spend a moment away from Draco and the twins, but he'd already taken so much time off he probably wouldn't be able to take another day for the rest of ... forever. He could only imagine how much he was going to have to catch up on. At least Narcissa was staying with Draco in the daytime again, like she had been doing. Harry didn't think he would've been able to leave Draco all alone with Caelum and Corvus both. Ron and Hermione had work as well, and they were moving back into their own houses anyway. He got up in the morning for his first day back, and helped Draco feed the babies before he had to leave the house to Apparate. Narcissa arrived just as he was leaving, and he felt better for it.
She and Draco sat in the sitting room a few hours later with the children. She rubbed Corvus' back as he slept against her shoulder.
Draco was lying on the sofa reading, Caelum asleep on his chest. He would occasionally look down in wonder, touching the blond strands of hair on his son's head or inspecting tiny fingers. He still found the babies to be a wonder to him.
Narcissa smiled at Draco. "I adore you with them," she said fondly.
Draco smiled over at her. "They are beautiful. And both so different," he said.
"Yes, they are," she said in agreement. "And I've never seen children that are such a mix of both parents."
Draco touched the pad of one fingertip to the small rounded nose of the boy on his chest. Hair like his own, face like Harry's. "Except for the eyes," Draco said, clearly pleased.
Narcissa smiled again. "And you like that, do you?" she said.
Draco smiled crookedly and rolled his eyes. "I always did like Harry's eyes," he admitted.
She made a small hum of amusement. "They are lovely on them."
After another minute of studying Caelum's features, Draco looked over at his mother, meeting her eyes. "So he knows all of it now?"
Narcissa looked up at Draco again and sighed. "Yes," she said quietly. "I was wondering when you were going to bring it up."
Draco arched an eyebrow and waited.
"I had to tell him, Draco," she said. "You know that."
"Yes, I expected you to tell him about the pregnancy ... after," he said, hesitating. He frowned again. "How did he react to ... to, well, what the other reporter's article said about me?"
"He was surprised," she answered. "Angry that he hadn't been told. Honestly, I suppose he wasn't that shocked, though. You are living with the leader of the other side."
Draco snorted at that. "Will he acknowledge them?" he asked, finally getting to the question that worried him the most. He wanted Lucius to acknowledge the boys as his grandchildren, as Malfoys.
"He saw a picture of them," Narcissa said. "He's ... a bit resentful right now. They're Harry's children, they're a half-blood's children, and he can't understand why you would want to give birth instead of finding a witch to do it for you." She sighed again. "But, I do believe he will come around. He was very angry at Harry when we saw him and, of course, wasn't about to show that he could possibly like the twins at all with Harry standing in the room."
Draco frowned. "I wish he could see them," he said softly. "But I can't imagine taking them into that awful place would be safe."
Narcissa made a face at the very suggestion. "It's filthy there," she said.
"Maybe when they are older," Draco mused, watching Caelum blow bubbles on his lips. Then he looked up at his mother. "I am sorry, Mother," he said, "for what I have put you through."
She stared at him for a moment. "I would be angrier," she said quietly, "if I didn't know a parent's desperation for myself."
He half smiled, half grimaced at that. "I understand it now," he agreed.
"It is a very powerful thing," she said. "Very possibly a magic of its own."
Draco met his mother's eyes, feeling like he understood her now in a way he never had before. "Yes, magic," he whispered.
Chapter Title: A Parent's Desperation
Words: 1848 Words
Harry held very tight to Draco as they spun through emerald green flames, and he continued to hold him tightly, supporting most of his weight as they landed in the kitchen fireplace of Number Twelve.
One hand gripped Harry's arm and the other the head of his cane, as Draco nearly stumbled out of the fireplace with his lover.
Narcissa was waiting for them, having Flooed home from the hospital first. She gasped like the worried mother she was, hands fluttering over Draco before she gripped the arm with the cane.
Harry slid his own arm around Draco's waist, stepping carefully out into the kitchen.
Draco gritted his teeth. He hated being treated like he was helpless. More than that, he hated being so weak. He could walk now, but he was still unsteady on his feet and his legs had a tendency to buckle at odd times. They had even given him a cane to walk with. It was an uncomfortable reminder of his father.
"Are you all right?" Narcissa asked, dusting Draco off with quick hands.
"I think he's fine," said Harry with a small smile, kissing Draco on the cheek.
"Look, there's your daddies," said Hermione from where she stood a few feet away with Ron and the twins. She stepped forward, smiling. "Welcome home, Draco," she told him.
Draco felt overwhelmed but nodded, smiling at the sight of his children. "Home," he said, swaying slightly.
Harry gripped a little tighter. "Here, let's sit down," he said, helping Draco to a chair.
Draco allowed the assistance, and once he was seated, he sighed with relief. He accidentally dropped the cane and it clattered on the floor.
Harry bent to grab it and leaned it against the table before he sat down himself.
Narcissa sat too, still fussing over Draco and brushing soot out of his hair.
Draco suffered the attention, grimacing. He could smell something good cooking and figured that Kreacher would want them all to eat dinner at the dining table soon. He didn't know what to say to Ron and Hermione. He had heard how they had been helping. He settled for, "How are the boys?"
"Loud," said Ron, and Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"They've been very good today," she said.
"He spit up on me," said Ron, indicating Caelum. "Twice."
Hermione rolled her eyes again.
Harry snorted at them both.
Draco laughed softly and held out his hands for the 'messy' infant.
Ron shook his head at the baby as he handed him off to Draco. Harry could see the spot on Ron's shoulder where it had happened.
"How long do you have to have that cane for?" Ron asked.
Draco held the baby, momentarily lost in the feeling, but then realised what Ron had asked. He scowled. "I don't know," he said.
"Ow," Ron said suddenly, turning his head to look at Hermione where she stood close next to him.
She shook her head, closing her eyes.
Harry wanted to tell Ron he had a big mouth, but thought it would probably be better to ignore it. He reached for Corvus, taking him from Hermione and kissing his forehead.
"They could probably eat before our dinner is finished," said Hermione. "It's been awhile."
Draco smiled again. "Somebody pass me a bottle," he said cheerfully. He had been able to feed the infants a few times when Harry had brought them in during the day. This was something he was getting good at and enjoyed.
Harry smiled at him.
Hermione took two bottles out of one of the cabinets along with some formula, and sat down at the table.
Narcissa reached to make one of the bottles, handing it to Draco when she was finished.
Draco cast the Warming Charm on the bottle and then tested it on his own wrist. Caelum began squeaking and reaching for the bottle the minute he saw it.
Corvus set eyes on the bottle his brother was getting and immediately began wailing.
"Goodness," said Hermione, hurriedly screwing the cap on and casting the Warming Charm before handing the second bottle to Harry.
He quickly stuck the nipple in his son's mouth, relieved when the cries ceased.
Draco smiled, watching Caelum suckle the bottle greedily. "Impatient, aren't they?" he said, eyes moving onto Harry with a smirk.
"Very," Harry agreed. He looked up at the sound of someone entering the kitchen by the stairs and saw Kreacher standing there.
Kreacher's eyes went wide when he set them on Draco and he shuffled his old feet as quickly as he could. He hugged Draco's knee. "You is home, Master," he wheezed.
Draco felt awkward being touched by a house-elf. "Yes I am, Kreacher," he said. Then sighed. "You did well, you know."
Kreacher squeezed a little tighter then pulled back, but still clutched at Draco's trouser-leg and patted his shin. "I is honoured to have helped Master," he said.
Draco glanced up at Harry. He had wondered how Harry felt about what he had done. They hadn't talked about it yet. He had expected anger, and the continuing silence around the issue made him nervous. "What's for dinner, Kreacher?" he asked the elf, hoping to get him to let go then.
"Oh, Kreacher is getting it," he said, as if remembering he was cooking. He shuffled over to the cooker.
"Shall we go up to the dining room?" said Narcissa. She was always the one to suggest the dining room. She hated eating in the kitchen. It was 'common'.
Draco nodded. Caelum had sucked down the bottle so quickly he was now sucking air. Draco snorted and pulled it away from him.
Corvus was mostly finished, too.
"Kreacher," said Narcissa, standing. "Get cloths to burp the babies."
Hermione frowned at that and Harry could tell she was biting her tongue. Had he said that, she would have told him he could get the cloths himself.
Kreacher opened a drawer and took out two Snitch-decorated cloths, handing one each to Harry and Draco.
Harry smiled at Draco. "I picked them out," he said.
Draco laughed and laid one over his shoulder, carefully placing the infant against it and patting his back. He unconsciously hummed as he did.
Harry smiled, feeling his heart seem to grow bigger. This was how it was supposed to be. They were feeding and burping their babies at home, where they belonged, and it felt very, very good.
He situated Corvus to be burped as well and his eyes widened when he let out a huge belch. "That's my boy," he said, laughing.
Draco rolled his eyes, kissing the side of Caelum's head when the infant burped.
***
The day finally came that Harry had been partly dreading. He had to go back to work. He didn't want to spend a moment away from Draco and the twins, but he'd already taken so much time off he probably wouldn't be able to take another day for the rest of ... forever. He could only imagine how much he was going to have to catch up on. At least Narcissa was staying with Draco in the daytime again, like she had been doing. Harry didn't think he would've been able to leave Draco all alone with Caelum and Corvus both. Ron and Hermione had work as well, and they were moving back into their own houses anyway. He got up in the morning for his first day back, and helped Draco feed the babies before he had to leave the house to Apparate. Narcissa arrived just as he was leaving, and he felt better for it.
She and Draco sat in the sitting room a few hours later with the children. She rubbed Corvus' back as he slept against her shoulder.
Draco was lying on the sofa reading, Caelum asleep on his chest. He would occasionally look down in wonder, touching the blond strands of hair on his son's head or inspecting tiny fingers. He still found the babies to be a wonder to him.
Narcissa smiled at Draco. "I adore you with them," she said fondly.
Draco smiled over at her. "They are beautiful. And both so different," he said.
"Yes, they are," she said in agreement. "And I've never seen children that are such a mix of both parents."
Draco touched the pad of one fingertip to the small rounded nose of the boy on his chest. Hair like his own, face like Harry's. "Except for the eyes," Draco said, clearly pleased.
Narcissa smiled again. "And you like that, do you?" she said.
Draco smiled crookedly and rolled his eyes. "I always did like Harry's eyes," he admitted.
She made a small hum of amusement. "They are lovely on them."
After another minute of studying Caelum's features, Draco looked over at his mother, meeting her eyes. "So he knows all of it now?"
Narcissa looked up at Draco again and sighed. "Yes," she said quietly. "I was wondering when you were going to bring it up."
Draco arched an eyebrow and waited.
"I had to tell him, Draco," she said. "You know that."
"Yes, I expected you to tell him about the pregnancy ... after," he said, hesitating. He frowned again. "How did he react to ... to, well, what the other reporter's article said about me?"
"He was surprised," she answered. "Angry that he hadn't been told. Honestly, I suppose he wasn't that shocked, though. You are living with the leader of the other side."
Draco snorted at that. "Will he acknowledge them?" he asked, finally getting to the question that worried him the most. He wanted Lucius to acknowledge the boys as his grandchildren, as Malfoys.
"He saw a picture of them," Narcissa said. "He's ... a bit resentful right now. They're Harry's children, they're a half-blood's children, and he can't understand why you would want to give birth instead of finding a witch to do it for you." She sighed again. "But, I do believe he will come around. He was very angry at Harry when we saw him and, of course, wasn't about to show that he could possibly like the twins at all with Harry standing in the room."
Draco frowned. "I wish he could see them," he said softly. "But I can't imagine taking them into that awful place would be safe."
Narcissa made a face at the very suggestion. "It's filthy there," she said.
"Maybe when they are older," Draco mused, watching Caelum blow bubbles on his lips. Then he looked up at his mother. "I am sorry, Mother," he said, "for what I have put you through."
She stared at him for a moment. "I would be angrier," she said quietly, "if I didn't know a parent's desperation for myself."
He half smiled, half grimaced at that. "I understand it now," he agreed.
"It is a very powerful thing," she said. "Very possibly a magic of its own."
Draco met his mother's eyes, feeling like he understood her now in a way he never had before. "Yes, magic," he whispered.