A Heart So Ravenous (Sequel to A Love So Belated)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
36,852
Reviews:
326
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
44
Views:
36,852
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 9: Impossible Perfection
Chapter Number/Total: 9/44
Chapter Title: Impossible Perfection
Words: 2728 Words
Draco stood in clothes he knew his mother would approve, making sure his hair was in place. He frowned into the mirror. He needed a haircut. He knew he shouldn't have been afraid of visiting his mother, but his stomach seemed to have other ideas.
Harry was only Apparating with Draco, so he hadn't needed to dress with any particular care, nor did it bother him how much time Draco was taking. Draco could take all day if he wanted to. It would suit Harry just fine. He looked into the bathroom at Draco and stood in the doorway, leaning against it.
Draco frowned, picking up the comb again before realising he was just stalling. He caught sight of Harry in the mirror and shook his head. "I guess I'm ready," he said.
Harry pushed off from the wall and stood behind Draco, slipping arms about his waist and looking into the mirror as well. "You look good," he said appreciatively. "But I think you missed a spot in your perfection."
Draco arched an eyebrow, hands sliding up Harry's arms and then to the back of his neck. "Really?”
"Yeah," Harry answered, voice dropping a little lower. "Let me get it for you." Instead of reaching to pick lint or fix a hair, Harry pressed his lips to the corner of Draco's jaw and brushed over it with his tongue. He was rewarded with that little gasp Draco had.
"Trying to distract me?" the blond asked.
Harry smirked a little. "Maybe," he replied, but Draco had hit the nail on the head. It didn't mean Harry pulled back, though. He continued to kiss and lick, gently making his way across Draco's skin.
Draco moaned softly, hands at the back of Harry's neck moving up into his hair. "I don't want to have an erection when I see my mother," he managed to say, but arched his neck to Harry anyway.
"Then perhaps I should take care of it here," Harry retorted, sliding his hands lower and inward.
"I can't resist you," Draco half complained, trembling. He turned and rested his forehead against Harry's.
Those words definitely thrilled Harry and he smiled, but he also realised that Draco was probably very much telling the truth. "I'm being a prat, aren't I?" he asked, kissing the corner of Draco's mouth.
"Oh, yes, but you had better not stop now," Draco warned, his trousers now uncomfortably tight.
Harry's smile broadened. "Shall I sink to my knees for you, Mr. Malfoy?" he asked huskily.
Draco nodded, slowly letting go of Harry's hair with one hand and reaching back with the other to brace himself on the sink. "Yes, Potter," he answered in the same throaty rasp.
"Mmm," Harry hummed, indeed sinking to his knees in front of Draco. He reached to undo Draco's trousers and slid them down his slim hips.
Draco shivered as Harry knelt, his heart speeding up. His cock was already straining the silk of his boxers.
Harry tugged on Draco's shorts, looking up at him with darkened eyes as he slid those down as well. His heart thumped a little harder, as it always seem to do when Draco's hard cock was in his line of vision, and he smirked. "I love sucking your cock, Draco," he told him, voice nearly a purr as he wasted no time in taking Draco's flesh in his hand and swirling his tongue around the shiny head.
Draco couldn't believe the look of Harry when he did this, not to mention how amazingly good it felt. He felt guilty that he still hadn't felt comfortable completely returning the favour since... but pushed the thought away and tried to focus on the feel of Harry's tongue on his sensitive flesh.
Harry hadn't wasted time, but did take his time now, using his tongue and mouth to thoroughly lick and suck every inch of Draco's cock. He used his left hand to unfasten his own trousers, tightly stroking himself as he flicked his tongue over Draco.
"Oh, baby, yes, suck me," Draco gasped, fingers tightening in his lover's hair, his other hand firm on the porcelain of the sink behind him. Harry was going all out, so he surrendered to him, letting his orgasm erupt fast and hard. He threw his head back, crying out as he filled Harry's mouth.
Harry groaned loudly around Draco's cock, speeding his hand up on his own cock until he was coming too, helped along by the sounds of Draco's panting and the taste of him in his mouth. He pulled back, panting himself.
Draco dropped his chin to his chest, shivering with pleasure and still breathing quickly. He finally got control enough to grin at his lover. "I am not explaining to my mother why I'm late," he said.
Harry grinned back. "Probably a good idea."
They got re-dressed and Draco did comb his hair again. Finally, they stepped outside into the fresh April air. Draco held out his arm to his lover. "Ready?" he asked.
Harry wasn't sure if he would actually be able to voice the lie, so he simply nodded it, taking Draco's arm with only slight hesitation.
Draco laid his hand over his lover's, patting it before taking him on a Side-Along Apparation to the doorstep of the Manor.
Harry knew he was being irrationally stupid. If there was anywhere Draco could go by himself and be safe, it was the Manor, but he still didn't like that Draco was going to be away from him for a few hours. Why did hours suddenly seem equivalent to decades? He stared at the door in front of them and then turned his head to Draco.
Draco smiled at Harry. He was nervous, but probably not for the reasons Harry was. "You going to be okay?"
"Probably," Harry said quietly. Maybe he could just wait outside the Manor. It wasn't like Draco would know.
Draco shook his head. Sometimes he swore he could see Harry's brain working. "You want to wait in my old room?" he asked.
Harry frowned a little. Yes, he wanted to, but he didn't know if he wanted to admit it. "That would probably make you feel like you need to finish quicker," he said.
"I don't think so," Draco said honestly. "I think we would both be more comfortable knowing you are relaxing safely inside."
Harry continued to frown, thinking about it. "It would make you feel more comfortable?" he asked finally.
Draco lifted his hand, cupping his lover's chin. "Do you think I am any more comfortable being away from you than you are from me?"
"I just -" Harry said quietly. "I just thought you wanted to do this alone."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I need to talk to my mother alone," he said. "The rest we can work through over time. That fine with you?"
"All right," Harry agreed after a moment, still feeling a little embarrassed, but much, much better if he was honest with himself.
Draco nodded and opened the door, leading Harry, still on his arm, into the house. Rusty was waiting for them.
"Mistress be expecting you," he told Draco, and eyed Harry. "She be in the-"
"I'm right here," came Narcissa's voice from a short way down the corridor. She stood in the doorway of the parlour before stepping out and making her way to her son and Harry. "I didn't know you were both coming," she said lightly, kissing Draco's cheek.
"Harry needed to get out of the house for a while," Draco said. "I thought he could rest in my old room while we talk."
One of her eyebrows lifted barely. "Oh," she said. "All right."
"Yeah, I'll just -" Harry gestured behind him, to the hallway beyond. "See you," he said to Draco with a polite nod to Narcissa, turning to leave the two alone.
Draco leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek first and then released him, nodding.
Harry smiled a little at the kiss, and Narcissa didn't show any bother at it, only standing patiently.
"Don't take your cloak off," she said when Harry had gone, holding her own. "I thought we could go for a walk."
Draco nodded, though his stomach lurched a bit. It was still uncomfortable for him to go outside, but he didn't say anything. He held his arm for her to take instead.
She did, and they both passed through the front doors to step out onto the grounds. "You've been well?" she asked when they had begun to walk.
Draco nodded. "I am getting better."
"I can see that." She nodded too. "You're here."
"And you?" he asked politely.
"I'm fine," she answered, "and truthfully, better now that I know you're doing better."
They walked for a bit and Draco commented on the new blooms in the rose garden. He gestured to a bench and asked her if she wanted to sit.
She nodded, taking a seat and waiting for Draco to sit as well before she said, "I visited your father a few days ago."
Draco turned on the bench to face her. He shivered, face falling a bit. "How is Father?" he asked neutrally.
She held Draco's gaze. "Worried," she said softly. "He didn't say so, but he is."
Draco looked out over the garden, having trouble meeting those blue eyes. "He read it?"
"Yes, he did." She turned her gaze as well when it became obvious that Draco didn't want to look. "And he didn't believe... what it said. Like I told you he wouldn't."
"But he blames me? For being with Harry?" Draco asked.
"No," she said, her head turning back to Draco almost sharply. "He does not blame you for what happened."
Draco looked back then, needing to see her face to see how much she believed that. "Is he still ... angry ... about Harry and I?"
"He's ..." She trailed off. "I don't know if I would say angry."
"His last letter was ..." Draco also trailed off, watching her face now.
She took a long breath through her nose. "I know," she said. "But there has been quite a significant incident since that letter was sent. I think it made him ... realise some things."
Draco shivered again, despite the fact that he wasn't very cold. He raised both eyebrows. "He did?"
She nodded again. "I know Father can be very stubborn," she said. She was probably twice as stubborn. "But I think he would -" She paused for a very long time, like she wasn't going to finish at all, but then continued, "prefer a son alive and involved with another man, than one ..." She clasped her hands in her lap, unable to say the words.
Draco nodded, reaching a slightly shaky hand to take one of his mother's. He smiled at her. "You two do love me no matter what," he said, wonder in his voice.
"Oh, Draco, of course we do," she said, holding his hand tightly. "Did you think that we didn't?"
"Sometimes I do wonder about Father," he admitted.
She frowned very sadly at that. "He would be ashamed of himself to hear you talk that way."
Draco felt guilty about that but didn't say it. "I want to be a good son," he said, voice shaking. "I do. I just don't know if I can be the man he wants me to be."
Narcissa moved her hand to lay it gently on Draco's back. "I know he's put a lot of pressure on you," she said. "Too much. Sometimes I wonder if I'm even pushing too much." She stared over Draco's shoulder for a moment. "Father's always ... had ... an idea of you in his head. His only son, his only child. You should've seen him when he found out you were a boy – from right then that picture of you was formed. I suppose he didn't take into account that he cannot mould a little boy into exactly what he wants."
Draco nodded again. He felt like his father always saw who he wanted him to be, not who he really was. It was always like there was so much he thought and felt that he had to keep from his father, and yes, sometimes his mother. "Do you think he will ever accept Harry as my choice?"
Narcissa looked sad again. "Not completely," she answered. "I don't know if he would be able to. Not only does he not understand why you want him in the first place, he doesn't understand why you're willing to give up so much for something so little in his eyes. He sees it as foolish. And his dislike of Harry doesn't help matters. I also think he's forgotten what it's like to be your age and ... well, in love."
Draco wanted to ask then if his parents still loved each other. But it seemed like a rude question. He frowned. "Your parents disowned your sister Andromeda for her choice, for choosing Ted Tonks," he said. "Will it be like that?"
"No," she said quite firmly. "Because your father is not disowning you."
He looked at her then, meeting her eyes. "Did he kill him?"
She looked back for a long moment. "I believe so," she said finally.
He nodded, not surprised. "Don't you find it ironic, though? The man your parents approved of did ... that ... to their grandson. But the man that your parents didn't approve of died protecting his family."
She frowned at Draco and then looked away from him. "I ... suppose it is ironic," she said.
"Maybe they were wrong," Draco said, watching her.
Narcissa stared at the trees. "It isn't that easy," she said quietly. "Andromeda and I ... Things have been said to one another ... It's ... all very complicated."
"Yes, complicated," he said, shaking his head. "Did you love her? Before?"
"She's my sister," Narcissa answered. "I loved her, of course."
He pondered that, staring out at the roses again as he thought. Had his mother loved Bellatrix too? Had Bellatrix loved her? If so, Bellatrix's devotion to Voldemort had certainly been stronger than her care for her family. He wondered too, as he had before, why he was an only child.
"You know how it can get," she said after a moment of silence had passed. "Among the pure-bloods, family is often what matters most ... but then it gets corrupted along the way, and it's the perfection of one's family that comes to mean more. Back when I was a child, even though it wasn't that terribly long ago, tainted blood was even less accepted, and in my parents' days even less so."
Draco looked at her when she began to speak, watching her carefully. "Is that the way we want it now? I mean, even if I weren't with a man, would it still matter more that a wife be pure-blood than I love her?"
She sighed. "It makes it easier, but I wouldn't want you to marry someone you don't love. I've told you that dozens of times."
Draco pursed his lips, holding back his question and wondering if she could read it in his face.
"What is it?" she said, raising her eyebrows knowingly.
Draco glanced down, blushing. Then he took a breath and looked up again. "Did you marry for love?"
She smiled, but looked slightly confused with the question. Her smile turned softer when it seemed she could tell Draco was serious. "I was lucky to have met a tall, blond, handsome member of a respected pure-blood family while in Hogwarts, and lucky enough to have fallen in love with him," she said.
Draco smiled, happier with that answer than he thought he should be.
She smiled too. "I love your father, and I know he loves me," she said. "We don't always agree on everything, but who does?"
Draco laughed and shook his head. "Sometimes I think Harry and I don't speak the same language," he said. "Until he looks at me and everything makes sense."
"And you can read exactly what he's thinking," said Narcissa, staring at Draco.
Draco nodded, blushing. He found Harry hard to understand sometimes, but never hard to read.
She smiled a little. "Yes, I know the exact feeling."
Chapter Title: Impossible Perfection
Words: 2728 Words
Draco stood in clothes he knew his mother would approve, making sure his hair was in place. He frowned into the mirror. He needed a haircut. He knew he shouldn't have been afraid of visiting his mother, but his stomach seemed to have other ideas.
Harry was only Apparating with Draco, so he hadn't needed to dress with any particular care, nor did it bother him how much time Draco was taking. Draco could take all day if he wanted to. It would suit Harry just fine. He looked into the bathroom at Draco and stood in the doorway, leaning against it.
Draco frowned, picking up the comb again before realising he was just stalling. He caught sight of Harry in the mirror and shook his head. "I guess I'm ready," he said.
Harry pushed off from the wall and stood behind Draco, slipping arms about his waist and looking into the mirror as well. "You look good," he said appreciatively. "But I think you missed a spot in your perfection."
Draco arched an eyebrow, hands sliding up Harry's arms and then to the back of his neck. "Really?”
"Yeah," Harry answered, voice dropping a little lower. "Let me get it for you." Instead of reaching to pick lint or fix a hair, Harry pressed his lips to the corner of Draco's jaw and brushed over it with his tongue. He was rewarded with that little gasp Draco had.
"Trying to distract me?" the blond asked.
Harry smirked a little. "Maybe," he replied, but Draco had hit the nail on the head. It didn't mean Harry pulled back, though. He continued to kiss and lick, gently making his way across Draco's skin.
Draco moaned softly, hands at the back of Harry's neck moving up into his hair. "I don't want to have an erection when I see my mother," he managed to say, but arched his neck to Harry anyway.
"Then perhaps I should take care of it here," Harry retorted, sliding his hands lower and inward.
"I can't resist you," Draco half complained, trembling. He turned and rested his forehead against Harry's.
Those words definitely thrilled Harry and he smiled, but he also realised that Draco was probably very much telling the truth. "I'm being a prat, aren't I?" he asked, kissing the corner of Draco's mouth.
"Oh, yes, but you had better not stop now," Draco warned, his trousers now uncomfortably tight.
Harry's smile broadened. "Shall I sink to my knees for you, Mr. Malfoy?" he asked huskily.
Draco nodded, slowly letting go of Harry's hair with one hand and reaching back with the other to brace himself on the sink. "Yes, Potter," he answered in the same throaty rasp.
"Mmm," Harry hummed, indeed sinking to his knees in front of Draco. He reached to undo Draco's trousers and slid them down his slim hips.
Draco shivered as Harry knelt, his heart speeding up. His cock was already straining the silk of his boxers.
Harry tugged on Draco's shorts, looking up at him with darkened eyes as he slid those down as well. His heart thumped a little harder, as it always seem to do when Draco's hard cock was in his line of vision, and he smirked. "I love sucking your cock, Draco," he told him, voice nearly a purr as he wasted no time in taking Draco's flesh in his hand and swirling his tongue around the shiny head.
Draco couldn't believe the look of Harry when he did this, not to mention how amazingly good it felt. He felt guilty that he still hadn't felt comfortable completely returning the favour since... but pushed the thought away and tried to focus on the feel of Harry's tongue on his sensitive flesh.
Harry hadn't wasted time, but did take his time now, using his tongue and mouth to thoroughly lick and suck every inch of Draco's cock. He used his left hand to unfasten his own trousers, tightly stroking himself as he flicked his tongue over Draco.
"Oh, baby, yes, suck me," Draco gasped, fingers tightening in his lover's hair, his other hand firm on the porcelain of the sink behind him. Harry was going all out, so he surrendered to him, letting his orgasm erupt fast and hard. He threw his head back, crying out as he filled Harry's mouth.
Harry groaned loudly around Draco's cock, speeding his hand up on his own cock until he was coming too, helped along by the sounds of Draco's panting and the taste of him in his mouth. He pulled back, panting himself.
Draco dropped his chin to his chest, shivering with pleasure and still breathing quickly. He finally got control enough to grin at his lover. "I am not explaining to my mother why I'm late," he said.
Harry grinned back. "Probably a good idea."
They got re-dressed and Draco did comb his hair again. Finally, they stepped outside into the fresh April air. Draco held out his arm to his lover. "Ready?" he asked.
Harry wasn't sure if he would actually be able to voice the lie, so he simply nodded it, taking Draco's arm with only slight hesitation.
Draco laid his hand over his lover's, patting it before taking him on a Side-Along Apparation to the doorstep of the Manor.
Harry knew he was being irrationally stupid. If there was anywhere Draco could go by himself and be safe, it was the Manor, but he still didn't like that Draco was going to be away from him for a few hours. Why did hours suddenly seem equivalent to decades? He stared at the door in front of them and then turned his head to Draco.
Draco smiled at Harry. He was nervous, but probably not for the reasons Harry was. "You going to be okay?"
"Probably," Harry said quietly. Maybe he could just wait outside the Manor. It wasn't like Draco would know.
Draco shook his head. Sometimes he swore he could see Harry's brain working. "You want to wait in my old room?" he asked.
Harry frowned a little. Yes, he wanted to, but he didn't know if he wanted to admit it. "That would probably make you feel like you need to finish quicker," he said.
"I don't think so," Draco said honestly. "I think we would both be more comfortable knowing you are relaxing safely inside."
Harry continued to frown, thinking about it. "It would make you feel more comfortable?" he asked finally.
Draco lifted his hand, cupping his lover's chin. "Do you think I am any more comfortable being away from you than you are from me?"
"I just -" Harry said quietly. "I just thought you wanted to do this alone."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I need to talk to my mother alone," he said. "The rest we can work through over time. That fine with you?"
"All right," Harry agreed after a moment, still feeling a little embarrassed, but much, much better if he was honest with himself.
Draco nodded and opened the door, leading Harry, still on his arm, into the house. Rusty was waiting for them.
"Mistress be expecting you," he told Draco, and eyed Harry. "She be in the-"
"I'm right here," came Narcissa's voice from a short way down the corridor. She stood in the doorway of the parlour before stepping out and making her way to her son and Harry. "I didn't know you were both coming," she said lightly, kissing Draco's cheek.
"Harry needed to get out of the house for a while," Draco said. "I thought he could rest in my old room while we talk."
One of her eyebrows lifted barely. "Oh," she said. "All right."
"Yeah, I'll just -" Harry gestured behind him, to the hallway beyond. "See you," he said to Draco with a polite nod to Narcissa, turning to leave the two alone.
Draco leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek first and then released him, nodding.
Harry smiled a little at the kiss, and Narcissa didn't show any bother at it, only standing patiently.
"Don't take your cloak off," she said when Harry had gone, holding her own. "I thought we could go for a walk."
Draco nodded, though his stomach lurched a bit. It was still uncomfortable for him to go outside, but he didn't say anything. He held his arm for her to take instead.
She did, and they both passed through the front doors to step out onto the grounds. "You've been well?" she asked when they had begun to walk.
Draco nodded. "I am getting better."
"I can see that." She nodded too. "You're here."
"And you?" he asked politely.
"I'm fine," she answered, "and truthfully, better now that I know you're doing better."
They walked for a bit and Draco commented on the new blooms in the rose garden. He gestured to a bench and asked her if she wanted to sit.
She nodded, taking a seat and waiting for Draco to sit as well before she said, "I visited your father a few days ago."
Draco turned on the bench to face her. He shivered, face falling a bit. "How is Father?" he asked neutrally.
She held Draco's gaze. "Worried," she said softly. "He didn't say so, but he is."
Draco looked out over the garden, having trouble meeting those blue eyes. "He read it?"
"Yes, he did." She turned her gaze as well when it became obvious that Draco didn't want to look. "And he didn't believe... what it said. Like I told you he wouldn't."
"But he blames me? For being with Harry?" Draco asked.
"No," she said, her head turning back to Draco almost sharply. "He does not blame you for what happened."
Draco looked back then, needing to see her face to see how much she believed that. "Is he still ... angry ... about Harry and I?"
"He's ..." She trailed off. "I don't know if I would say angry."
"His last letter was ..." Draco also trailed off, watching her face now.
She took a long breath through her nose. "I know," she said. "But there has been quite a significant incident since that letter was sent. I think it made him ... realise some things."
Draco shivered again, despite the fact that he wasn't very cold. He raised both eyebrows. "He did?"
She nodded again. "I know Father can be very stubborn," she said. She was probably twice as stubborn. "But I think he would -" She paused for a very long time, like she wasn't going to finish at all, but then continued, "prefer a son alive and involved with another man, than one ..." She clasped her hands in her lap, unable to say the words.
Draco nodded, reaching a slightly shaky hand to take one of his mother's. He smiled at her. "You two do love me no matter what," he said, wonder in his voice.
"Oh, Draco, of course we do," she said, holding his hand tightly. "Did you think that we didn't?"
"Sometimes I do wonder about Father," he admitted.
She frowned very sadly at that. "He would be ashamed of himself to hear you talk that way."
Draco felt guilty about that but didn't say it. "I want to be a good son," he said, voice shaking. "I do. I just don't know if I can be the man he wants me to be."
Narcissa moved her hand to lay it gently on Draco's back. "I know he's put a lot of pressure on you," she said. "Too much. Sometimes I wonder if I'm even pushing too much." She stared over Draco's shoulder for a moment. "Father's always ... had ... an idea of you in his head. His only son, his only child. You should've seen him when he found out you were a boy – from right then that picture of you was formed. I suppose he didn't take into account that he cannot mould a little boy into exactly what he wants."
Draco nodded again. He felt like his father always saw who he wanted him to be, not who he really was. It was always like there was so much he thought and felt that he had to keep from his father, and yes, sometimes his mother. "Do you think he will ever accept Harry as my choice?"
Narcissa looked sad again. "Not completely," she answered. "I don't know if he would be able to. Not only does he not understand why you want him in the first place, he doesn't understand why you're willing to give up so much for something so little in his eyes. He sees it as foolish. And his dislike of Harry doesn't help matters. I also think he's forgotten what it's like to be your age and ... well, in love."
Draco wanted to ask then if his parents still loved each other. But it seemed like a rude question. He frowned. "Your parents disowned your sister Andromeda for her choice, for choosing Ted Tonks," he said. "Will it be like that?"
"No," she said quite firmly. "Because your father is not disowning you."
He looked at her then, meeting her eyes. "Did he kill him?"
She looked back for a long moment. "I believe so," she said finally.
He nodded, not surprised. "Don't you find it ironic, though? The man your parents approved of did ... that ... to their grandson. But the man that your parents didn't approve of died protecting his family."
She frowned at Draco and then looked away from him. "I ... suppose it is ironic," she said.
"Maybe they were wrong," Draco said, watching her.
Narcissa stared at the trees. "It isn't that easy," she said quietly. "Andromeda and I ... Things have been said to one another ... It's ... all very complicated."
"Yes, complicated," he said, shaking his head. "Did you love her? Before?"
"She's my sister," Narcissa answered. "I loved her, of course."
He pondered that, staring out at the roses again as he thought. Had his mother loved Bellatrix too? Had Bellatrix loved her? If so, Bellatrix's devotion to Voldemort had certainly been stronger than her care for her family. He wondered too, as he had before, why he was an only child.
"You know how it can get," she said after a moment of silence had passed. "Among the pure-bloods, family is often what matters most ... but then it gets corrupted along the way, and it's the perfection of one's family that comes to mean more. Back when I was a child, even though it wasn't that terribly long ago, tainted blood was even less accepted, and in my parents' days even less so."
Draco looked at her when she began to speak, watching her carefully. "Is that the way we want it now? I mean, even if I weren't with a man, would it still matter more that a wife be pure-blood than I love her?"
She sighed. "It makes it easier, but I wouldn't want you to marry someone you don't love. I've told you that dozens of times."
Draco pursed his lips, holding back his question and wondering if she could read it in his face.
"What is it?" she said, raising her eyebrows knowingly.
Draco glanced down, blushing. Then he took a breath and looked up again. "Did you marry for love?"
She smiled, but looked slightly confused with the question. Her smile turned softer when it seemed she could tell Draco was serious. "I was lucky to have met a tall, blond, handsome member of a respected pure-blood family while in Hogwarts, and lucky enough to have fallen in love with him," she said.
Draco smiled, happier with that answer than he thought he should be.
She smiled too. "I love your father, and I know he loves me," she said. "We don't always agree on everything, but who does?"
Draco laughed and shook his head. "Sometimes I think Harry and I don't speak the same language," he said. "Until he looks at me and everything makes sense."
"And you can read exactly what he's thinking," said Narcissa, staring at Draco.
Draco nodded, blushing. He found Harry hard to understand sometimes, but never hard to read.
She smiled a little. "Yes, I know the exact feeling."