Life with Harry and Draco: Into Every Life...

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Harry Potter universe. They have only been borrowed for a short while. No harm intended.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Susan who betaed this for me. Thank you so very much! I couldn’t have done it without you.

Author’s Note: Third instalment and companion piece for “The Start of Something Beautiful” and “Our First Noël”. Henceforth, any fics in this universe will start out with “Life with Harry and Draco:” in the title. As always, this is not a WIP – I never post until it’s finished. Feedback is welcome and most appreciated.

Chapter 1 – “…a Little Rain Must Fall”

Harry sat at his kitchen table, nibbling a piece of toast, a large steaming mug of coffee by his side. Draco’s place was set across from Harry but was as yet unoccupied; Draco was in the shower getting ready to face another day. It was to be a busy one according to what he had told Harry. He had meeting after meeting on his schedule – Dragon Crest Industries didn’t run itself. Draco Malfoy kept a tight rein on his business matters and no one would ever doubt that he was in complete control of all aspects of his company – right down to the smallest details. The name ‘Dragon Crest’ had come about out of necessity. After the fall of Voldemort and the subsequent arrest and conviction of Draco’s father, the name of Malfoy was less than desirable. There were very few who were willing to do business with a company with Death Eater ties. So, on the day that Draco Malfoy was officially instated as CEO and owner of all Malfoy holdings, the many smaller companies ceased to exist. Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, Dragon Crest Industries was born and quickly became the largest wizarding company in Great Britain. There was also speculation, by those in the know, that it would soon become the largest in Europe as well. It seems that the younger Malfoy had a keen business sense.

Draco despised his father for many reasons, not the least of which was the disgrace he had brought to the Malfoy name. Draco had always been so proud of his heritage. He had been brought up to believe that a Malfoy was superior to just about anyone. Draco had learned many years ago that this attitude was wrong, but the foundation of pride that it was built on still remained. It had been a terribly difficult thing for him to do – dropping the Malfoy name – but he was no fool. It had to be done. Of course, everyone in the business world knew that it was still a Malfoy at the helm, but somehow things just seemed easier.

Harry read the Daily Prophet while waiting for his lover to join him for breakfast. Not much was happening of late, there seemed to be more gossip than hard news in the paper. This suited Harry just fine – he had had enough news to last him a lifetime. Reading about which witch was supposedly sleeping with which wizard required very little mental effort on his part and caused him no consternation – mindless tittle-tattle fit the bill nicely.

Today, an article on page three made him exclaim aloud, “Well I’ll be damned! Would you look at that!” He arose, taking the Prophet with him, and rushed to show Draco his discovery.

Harry could still hear the water running; Draco was still in the shower. Harry chuckled, “Why am I not surprised?” Draco was known for his penchant for long, hot showers. Harry often teased him by saying that he must have been a fish in a previous life. Draco always replied with mock offence, “I can’t help it if I like to be clean!”

Harry entered the bathroom saying, “Aren’t you done yet? Come out and see this article in today’s Prophet. It seems that dear Severus has won himself an award for one of his potions.” Draco showed no sign of himself. “Draco?” called Harry a little louder. There was still no response. “Draco, that’s enough now,” said Harry pulling aside the shower curtain. “Dra –oh my!”

Harry had the reason why Draco hadn’t answered him – there he was, standing under a torrent of steaming hot water, pumping his hard cock furiously.

“Bloody hell, Harry! Get out!” cried the surprised Draco.

Harry didn’t move and a grin spread across his handsome face. He was just about to ask his lover if he needed a hand, when Draco yelled at him, “I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT!”

Harry realized that Draco was serious and his grin quickly disappeared. “S-sorry,” he stammered and left the bathroom immediately. Harry stopped and leaned back on the closed door. “What the hell was that all about?” he said aloud. Draco had freaked out. “Must be the shock of me peeping in on him like that; he didn’t hear me come in. Yeah, that’s gotta be it.” Harry headed back to the kitchen to wait for Draco to emerge.

A short while later, Harry heard Draco leave the bathroom. Harry waited for the blonde to saunter into the kitchen as he usually did after his shower, but there was no sign of him. Harry found Draco in the bedroom getting dressed.

“Look, Draco, I’m really sorry about what happened,” said Harry contritely.

“I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind.” Draco continued dressing, all the while avoiding eye contact with Harry. His demeanour made Harry realise that this was a bigger deal than he had thought.

Harry pressed on. “No need to be embarrassed, love. Everyone wanks from time to time. I have been known to do it myself on occasion.”

Harry saw a bright pink creep up Draco’s cheeks. “I SAID I don’t want to discuss it,” barked Draco. “Now, please, I have to get ready.”

“Oh, okay. I, um, just wanted to say I was sorry, that’s all. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Draco made no reply and Harry left him alone. He returned to his seat in the kitchen and took a swig of coffee. Ugh! It was stone cold. He arose to fetch himself a fresh cup when he heard Draco call out.

“I’m late for my first meeting. See you later.”

The crack of his Disapparation told Harry that Draco was gone. Harry sunk to his seat, empty cup in hand. Draco had left without kissing him goodbye. It was the first time – ever. They always, always kissed each other goodbye; they never parted one another’s company without saying ‘I love you’, that is, until now. The knot in Harry’s stomach twisted tighter. He sat for a while, stunned and perplexed, at a complete loss to understand what had really happened.

He analysed the morning’s events carefully. After an otherwise normal start to their day, Harry caught Draco masturbating in the shower. Draco had reacted (overreacted as far as Harry was concerned) very badly. When Harry had tried to apologise for his inadvertent intrusion, Draco had refused to discuss the matter and he had raised his voice in anger. The last straw – Draco left sans a farewell snog. Harry tried to find a reason why Draco had acted as he did. They were lovers, for Merlin’s sake! The things that they routinely did to each other were far more erotic and exotic than just a simple wank. Their sexual habits made that act seem as ordinary and tame as a peck on the cheek. Draco had no qualms about being naked in front of Harry. He enjoyed it. Heaven knew he was proud of his body! Draco had never refused any sexual act that Harry had suggested; he had always been game for anything and everything, Harry having a couple of new scars to prove it. So why was Draco mortified? Draco Malfoy, sex personified, Draco Malfoy of the insatiable appetite, Draco Malfoy – ready, willing and able any time of day or night was completely embarrassed and totally freaked out for no reason that Harry could find. Harry sighed and looked at the clock – he had to get a move on. He had promised to spend the day with Hermione and the children. He banished the dishes to the sink and set them to clean themselves. He walked to the bathroom, stripped off his clothes and climbed in under the hot water, letting the strong jets massage the tension from his neck and shoulders. He had the vague feeling of returning to the scene of a crime. He shrugged off the uncomfortable sensation as best he could; he would bring up the subject again later when Draco came home. Hopefully, he would have calmed down by then and would be willing to discuss the incident and make him understand. Harry wanted everything back to normal as quickly as possible. It wasn’t their first fight, but it was, it was…Harry didn’t know what to call it. All he knew was that he hated it.

&&&&&&

Harry spent the day with Hermione as he promised. The first thing she asked him was, “What’s wrong, Harry? Did you and Draco have a quarrel?” Hermione had always been perceptive, especially when it came to her best friend. She saw right away that something wasn’t right. Harry lied and said he had a wee bit of a headache, nothing more than that. He would have dearly loved to discuss the problem with Hermione, but he was sure that Draco would be livid if he found out that he had dared to talk about his personal habits with her. Harry swallowed the headache potion Hermione brought him and painted on his best happy face. Spending time with the children made him feel infinitely better. The baby had gotten so much bigger since Christmas! It was amazing how fast little Jeffrey was growing. It was hard to believe that he would be a year old in a short while. Jasmine greeted her Uncle Harry with great enthusiasm, climbing up into his lap and showering him with many hugs and kisses. Hermione tried to shoo her off, saying that her uncle had a headache, but Harry said it was okay, the potion had done its job.

“Where’s my Uncle Draco?” asked Jasmine, quite perturbed that her other uncle had not come.

Harry smiled; he remembered how taken Jasmine had been with Draco at Christmas. “He had to go to meetings all day, my darling. He is so sorry he couldn’t be here.” Harry gave the little girl a big, wet kiss on the cheek that made her giggle. “Uncle Draco asked me to give you that and to tell you he’ll come to see you real soon. Is that okay with you, Jasmine?”

“ S’okay, Uncle Harry,” said Jasmine as she hopped down from Harry’s lap to play with her dollies and her little sister.

Handing Harry a cup of tea, Hermione said, “Draco was the only thing she could talk about after Christmas. I think my daughter is in love with your boyfriend, Harry!”

Harry laughed, “It’s a good thing he’s gay and she’s too young because I think he’s in love with her, too. He really did promise to come see her.”

“He’s welcome anytime, tell him that. It will certainly please her to see him. Me too, I might add. I like Draco a lot, you know; so does Ron.”

“I know you do. It means a lot to both of us.”

Hermione shook her head. “I still can’t get my head around it sometimes. You and Draco have been together for almost a year now. You and Draco Malfoy! If you’d told me that a few years ago, I would have said you were barmy and I would have hustled you off to St. Mungo’s.”

“I would have checked myself in voluntarily because I wouldn’t have believed it either. He’s changed so much, Hermione. It’s incredible. My Draco is not the same git we all hated back in school. He’s a good man, he really is.”

“He must be, if you love him so much.”

Harry nodded. He suddenly found himself a little choked up. Clearing his throat, he asked, “What’s for lunch? I’m famished!” He needed a change of topic; he was going to lose it if they continued talking about Draco.

Harry followed Hermione into the kitchen and happily fed the baby while she prepared lunch, all the while chatting away amicably. Afterward, he gave Jeffrey his bath, with Jasmine’s help. As ‘Mummy’s big girl’ it was her job to bring the clean nappies and jammies and to put the dirty clothes and towels in the hamper. Harry tucked all three little Weasleys in for their afternoon nap, kissing each one in turn on the forehead and wishing them sweet dreams. Harry returned to Hermione in the living room, a peaceful smile on his lips.

“You’ll make a great dad one day, Harry. Have you and Draco discussed having children?” inquired Hermione.

Her question took him by surprise. “To be honest with you, ‘Mione, we haven’t. The subject has never even come up. I would love to have kids. It must be pretty obvious to you that I would. Draco is another matter. He has never expressed any interest in children. After what happened at Christmas, I would guess that he doesn’t want any. I suppose I shouldn’t assume that though, should I?”

“No, you shouldn’t. You could end up with no kids, each of you waiting for the other to broach the subject. You’ll have to discuss it one day. You’ll know when the time is right. Draco might just surprise you.”

“Draco is always full of surprises, I’ll give him that,” said Harry, his mind drifting back to earlier that morning. “Perhaps I could borrow yours for the day, just so he could get used to being around little ones. Let him see how great it is.”

“You want to take all three of my children for the day?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind.”

“You’d take them for the whole day? All three of them at once?”

Harry laughed, “Yes, Hermione.”

“Just name the day! They’re yours!” said Hermione with great enthusiasm. “Oh, just think of it…a day to myself – to do what I want, when I want, with no one to answer to but myself. Harry, I love you!” Looking up at the ceiling she added, “I love you too, Draco, wherever you are!”

“I guess it would be nice for you to have a little break, Hermione.”

“Yes, it certainly would. I know I can ask my mum or Molly to have the children and they’d happily take them. I just hate to bother them, especially now that we have three. When it was just Jasmine, it seemed easier to ask. They’re quite the handful at times.”

“Maybe I should re-think my offer,” said Harry seriously.

“No, no that’s not what I meant at all! They’re good children; really they are.”

Harry could no longer keep a straight face. “I was just winding you up. My offer still stands.” Harry grinned as he saw Hermione breathe a sigh of relief. “My goodness, is that the time? I should be going. I want to be home when Draco gets there.”

“Have something naughty planned for lover boy’s arrival?”

Harry blushed and replied, “Um, something like that. Thanks for everything, Hermione. I had a lovely day. Give the kids a kiss for me when they wake up. While you’re at it, you might as well give Ron one too.”

“I think I can manage that, Harry. Thanks for coming. It was nice to have you here. Don’t forget that day you promised me!” She gave Harry a peck on the cheek.

“I always keep my promises, you know that.” Returning her kiss he said, “Love you, ‘Mione.” As his lips left hers, he was gone.

&&&&&&

Harry appeared in the foyer of the flat and called out, “Draco, are you home?” Harry’s question was met with silence. ‘Good,’ thought Harry. ‘It’ll give me a chance to get things ready.’

By way of making amends for whatever it was he had done that morning, Harry planned a nice meal with some of Draco’s favourites. Yes, he had it all worked out – Harry would apologise, Draco would accept, they’d have a good shag and then eat. Everything would soon be back to normal. Harry went off to the kitchen with a lilt in his step.

An hour later, Harry’s meal was ready. He cast a warming spell on the food to keep it at just the proper temperature so that it could be consumed whenever they were ready.

“After we make love,” said Harry quietly to himself. He felt a twitch in his groin. It had only been one day but it felt like forever since he had tasted Draco. His need was growing stronger. He glanced up at the clock; when was he going to arrive? The hour grew late. Draco was usually home by now. Harry glanced down at his table for two and decided that candles were in order. He summoned the candlesticks from the sideboard and placed them strategically between the two place settings. Draco always looked particularly fetching in candlelight. There was something about how his eyes shone in the flickering glow. Where the bloody hell was he? Harry could barely stand it. There came a tapping sound from the kitchen. Harry ran quickly and found an owl sitting on the window ledge. He opened the window and took the piece of parchment. The bird flew off into the darkness as Harry unfolded the paper and read:
Harry,
My meetings are taking much longer than I expected. Don’t know what time I’ll be home. Don’t wait up. Sorry.
Draco

Harry shivered and closed the window with a bang. Bollocks! He looked over at the food he had so lovingly prepared and with a sigh said, “Finite Incantatum”. There was no point to keep it all warm. Harry took out a plate and served himself from the many dishes. He ate standing up over the kitchen counter, not really hungry at all but forcing himself to eat just because he knew he should. Draco would give him hell if he found out that he hadn’t eaten, that is, if he still cared.

Harry berated himself for that last thought; why would he think such a thing? Of course Draco loved him and it was foolish of him to think that he would stop over such a silly incident! However, Harry’s mind was racing, filling up with one nagging thought after the other: he didn’t kiss me goodbye; he didn’t say ‘I love you’ as he always did; he didn’t sign his note ‘love, Draco’, just ‘Draco’; his meetings have been over for a long time now, he is avoiding me by staying out late; don’t wait up for me – he hopes I’ll be asleep when he comes home so he won’t have to face me; he was wanking because I don’t satisfy his needs. The fork stopped halfway between the plate and Harry’s mouth. The thought of one more bite made him gag. The plate fell into the sink with a loud clatter. Harry padded into the living room and threw himself down in a chair. Could it be possible that he wasn’t enough for Draco? They made love almost every day, often more than once. Harry could count on both hands the number of days that they hadn’t had sex since they’d been together. Today was one of those days. How could it not be enough? Was it possible that Draco’s sex drive was much stronger than Harry realised? If he needed more, why didn’t he just ASK for it?

Harry’s head was swimming and he felt as if he might drown in those damnable questions. He was letting his imagination run wild. Harry tried to tell himself that it was just a coincidence that Draco was late, that it was just because Draco had been in a hurry that he hadn’t kissed him or said he loved him, that it was because he was in the middle of an important business deal so that was why his note had been curt. The last bit, the bit about the sex, Harry couldn’t explain or reason his fears away. Only Draco himself could do that. Harry leapt from his chair in frustration. He needed a drink. He poured himself a rather large quantity of Firewhisky and downed it quickly. It burned his throat and warmed his belly. It was false warmth, however. His heart was still chilled, frozen with the fear that his perfect life with Draco was over. Harry poured himself another drink and took it to his chair. He lit a roaring fire and sipped, more slowly this time. He watched the dancing flames and tried once again to reason with himself. He really was being ridiculous, wasn’t he?

He raised his glass in a toast, “Here’s to you, Harry, you drama queen! Only you could blow this up into such gigantic proportions!”

An image formed in Harry’s mind; a little sphere about the size of a walnut that grew and grew until it filled the entire room, squishing him into his chair so that he couldn’t breathe. He pictured his wand in his hand and the sphere popped, deflating rapidly with a rude noise until it sputtered and disappeared under a table.

Looking down at the almost empty glass in his hand, Harry said, “You’ve had enough for tonight, I think.”

Harry waited and waited until he could no longer keep his eyes open. He shuffled wearily to the bedroom, undressed and climbed under the duvet, falling asleep almost at once.

It was quite late when Draco finally came home. It had been a very long, difficult day. The flat was silent; Harry must be asleep. Draco didn’t blame him, he had, after all, told him not to wait up. He walked softly into the kitchen for a cold drink to quench his parched throat. He had eaten dinner with his client who had insisted that they have a Chinese take-away, saying that Chinese food was his one Muggle vice. The food had been horrible and way too salty, hence the reason for Draco’s thirst. Ice-cold pumpkin juice right from the bottle hit the spot perfectly. Draco drank to the last drop and then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. He burped loudly and tossed the empty bottle into the bin. Draco sighed; it was good to be home and he couldn’t wait to get into bed. As he turned around, his eye caught a glimpse of the dining room table. It was nicely set out with the good dishes. There were even candles! Harry had obviously planned a romantic dinner for two and he had spoiled it. Draco felt a wave of guilt wash over him and it made him feel rotten. He hadn’t known of Harry’s plan and he had been tied up with that blasted man until not so long ago. Insufferable prick! He had been such a hard sell but Draco’s persistence had paid off in the end. Draco promised himself to make it up to Harry tomorrow.

He went to the loo and then tiptoed quietly into his room. Harry was fast asleep, burrowed deep down under the covers. Draco could only see a tuft of black hair peeking out at him. He shucked his clothes and slid into bed beside Harry, trying to be as gentle as possible, not wanting to waken the sleeping beauty.

He had just found his spot and had closed his eyes when he heard a very sleepy voice say, “You’re finally home.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. I was trying to be careful.”

Harry yawned and replied, “S’okay. I know you were.” He reached out and planted a kiss on Draco’s back near his shoulder and slipped his arm around his waist.

“Um, Harry, I’m really exhausted. Not tonight, okay?”

Draco’s words were like a knife in his heart. He hadn’t been trying to start anything.

Hurt, Harry said, “It was just a kiss, Draco. I know you’re tired. You’ve had a long day.”

Draco heard the tone in Harry’s voice and realised he had spoken prematurely. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Come here.” He turned around and took Harry into his arms.

Fully awake now, Harry asked quietly, “Do…do you still love me, Dray?”

“What kind of a damn fool question is that, Harry? Of course I love you! What makes you ask? Better yet, what would make you think I don’t?”

Harry clung tightly to Draco. “I spent the night letting my imagination run away with me. Sorry I doubted you.”

Draco kissed Harry deeply and when they broke he said, “Don’t ever do that again, Harry. I love you. Never, ever forget it. Feel better now?”

“Much,” he said contentedly. He snuggled down as Draco ran his hand slowly up and down his back. “So, you had a rough day?”

“Horrible. One meeting after another; I barely had time to catch a breather. The last one was the worst.”

“Oh, how so?”

“It went on forever. I didn’t think I was going to get what I wanted but in the end I did. I guess the ghastly Chinese food was worth it after all.”

“Why on earth did you have that?”

“That old codger insisted we have it. I have never had to negotiate with anyone like him before. We kept going round and round in circles. He kept straying onto other subjects and I had to keep bringing him back. I think he’s a bit off, if you ask me.”

“If he’s old, he might very well be. Age does that to you sometimes.”

“Harry, promise me something? If I ever get like that, put me out of my misery, okay?”

Harry laughed, “I promise, if you promise me the same thing.”

“I promise,” vowed Draco solemnly. “The worst, the absolute worst part of the day was when that old wizard started comparing me to my father.”

“Why would he do that?”

“He used to have dealings with him. If they were more than just business, I don’t know and I don’t want to know either. Once he started, he wouldn’t stop. He kept saying over and over – you’re just like Lucius, you’re just like Lucius.” Harry felt Draco growing tense beneath him. “How could he say something like that, Harry? I am not the same man my father was. I’m not like him at all! Not at all!”

By the time he had finished speaking, Draco was trembling, shaking like a leaf. Was it with rage or fear? Harry wasn’t sure.

“Draco, calm down, love. You’re so upset.”

“How could he compare me to him?” The word ‘him’ was said with pure venom.

“Can’t he see that I’m not like the man in the least?”

“Shhh, love, of course you’re not. Hush now.” Draco had discussed his father on many occasions. He had always been cold, rather dispassionate towards the man. Harry had never seen him react like this. He sat up, looked Draco squarely in the eye and took his face in his hands. “Draco, you’ve got to calm down now. This isn’t worth getting so upset over. Anybody who matters to you knows that you’re not at all like your father and you never will be.”

Draco took some deep breaths and tried to do as Harry said. “You know I’m not like my father, don’t you Harry?”

“I know that better than anyone, my love.” Harry kissed him gently on the forehead.

“I’m so tired Harry. Can’t think straight anymore.”

Harry lied down and pulled Draco into his arms. Holding him very tightly, he whispered soft words to soothe him and it wasn’t very long at all before the blonde fell fast asleep. Harry lay for a short time, listening to Draco’s breathing become deeper and deeper. There was something going on with him; Harry was more positive of this than ever. Would he be able to get Draco to confide in him? Harry wasn’t sure, but he fell asleep with the thought ‘I hope so, for both our sakes’ running through his mind.

Harry awoke the next morning and stretched. He really wasn’t ready to face another day, not just yet anyway. It was way too early. He reached over to Draco’s side of the bed with the aim of snuggling up and going back to sleep, all cozy and warm next to his lover. Harry sat up; he was alone in the big bed. He listened intently but heard no sound. He scrambled out of bed and into the hall.

“Are you there, Draco?” he called out.

“In here,” came Draco’s quick reply. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Upon finding himself alone, he had immediately begun to worry that Draco had left the flat.

Harry went to the loo and then joined Draco in the kitchen.

“Good morning, love,” said Draco brightly. He kissed Harry and handed him a mug of coffee. “Sleep well?”

“Hmm, thanks. Yes I did. How ‘bout you?”

“Like a baby, Harry, like a baby. I feel like a new man this morning.”

“That’s good. You were exhausted last night.”

“I had an absolutely horrid day. I just want to forget it,” said Draco quietly. Quickly changing the subject he asked, “You hungry?”

“Starved. Why? You’re not thinking of making breakfast, are you?”

“I most certainly am. I realise that you had planned something special last night, Harry. I just want to make it up to you.”

Harry had a bemused grin. “And you want to do this by cooking? For me?”

Draco took hold of Harry by the shoulders and pushed him towards the dining room. “No use letting your lovely table go to waste. Sit. Drink this.” He held out a wine glass, which Harry took warily. Draco was known for many things; unfortunately, his culinary skill was not one of them.

Taking a sip, Harry exclaimed, “This is delicious! What is it?”

“Champagne and orange juice. I believe the correct Muggle name is a Mimosa.” He took a sip from his own glass and then clinked it against Harry’s, “To us, love.”

“To us, Dray.”

“Don’t call me that, Harry, or we’ll never eat.” Draco bent down and gave Harry a quick snog. “You just relax and I’ll be back soon.”

Harry sat back and watched Draco disappear into the kitchen. He sipped on his drink and listened to the rattle and clank of dishes and pans and the unusual sound of Draco humming.

This was not like Draco at all. “You need any help in there?” called Harry.

“No, everything is under control. Almost done.”

“All right, then.” Draco was almost too chipper, if that was possible. Something wasn’t quite right. Harry had the sneaking suspicion he was still covering up from yesterday. Harry sat quietly, rubbing his finger over the rim of his glass absentmindedly.

“Tada! Eggs à la Draco.” Harry watched as Draco set down two plates filled with scrambled eggs and toast. “Go on, dig in,” said Draco, “if you’re not afraid, that is.”

Harry picked up his fork and took a bite. He said with great surprise, “These are good! I don’t understand. I thought you couldn’t cook.”

“I can’t but I’ve been practicing when you’re not at home. Are you surprised?”

“Very!”

“I went through a lot of eggs to get this right, Harry. The things I do for you, my darling!” said Draco with a grin.

Harry leaned forward and kissed Draco. “It is very much appreciated, too. You never cease to amaze me, Draco Malfoy.” Harry shovelled in more eggs and took a bite of toast. “Really good,” he mumbled with a full mouth. “What’s in this anyway?”

“Secret recipe, love. Sorry.”

“What else have you been hiding from me?” asked Harry. His question was met with raised eyebrows. Harry had to bite his tongue to keep from asking the question he really wanted to ask. “What else can you cook?”

Draco grinned. “You see on the table before us, the sum total of my culinary expertise.” He then added as an afterthought. “There are two more things – I can brew a good cuppa and make fairly decent coffee.”

“So you’re not going to be tossing me out of the kitchen anytime soon then?”

“Uh, no. I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about that, Harry. You are the master in the kitchen.” Draco made a little bow of respect.

“You know what’s funny? I only learned that I liked to cook after I was out on my own. I hated it for years. I guess the fact that I was forced into it had a lot to do with it. Summer after summer, standing in front of that hot cooker in my aunt’s kitchen – horrible!”

“Horrible,” replied Draco quietly. He suddenly seemed far away.

“Draco?”

“Hmm?” answered Draco distractedly.

“Are you okay? You seem to be…elsewhere.”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing. You done?” Draco arose and took the empty plates into the kitchen. “Did you have enough to eat, Harry?” he called out.

“Yes, thanks. Can I help?”

“No, I’ve got it. Go read the paper.”

Harry picked up the Prophet and his coffee mug – it was empty. He went to the kitchen for a refill. “Is there any more…” Draco was standing, staring out the window over the sink, very much lost in thought.

Harry came up behind Draco, slipped his arms about his waist and rested his chin on the blonde’s shoulder. “Where are you, love? Won’t you tell me?” he asked gently.

Draco leaned back into Harry’s embrace. “There’s nothing to tell. I’m right here. Just admiring the lovely day.”

Harry sighed. “You know you can tell me anything, don’t you, Dray?”

“I know, Harry,” replied Draco as he turned around to face his love. He kissed him on the forehead and said, “Stop worrying over nothing. You wanted more coffee?” He moved to the counter and filled Harry’s mug. “Here you are. Go on, I’ll be along shortly.”

Harry did as he was told and it wasn’t long at all before Draco joined him in the living room, just as he had promised. They each sat in their favourite spot on the couch – Draco on the left side and Harry on the right, their legs intertwined in the middle. Harry handed Draco the parts of the Prophet he had already finished with and the blonde settled in for a little quiet time while Harry’s toe rubbed up against his thigh.

Harry found he couldn’t concentrate on his reading. It all seemed so unimportant, such drivel. There was something not right with Draco and he had to find out what it was so he could make things right again.

Taking a deep breath he said, “Draco?”

“Yes, love?” replied Draco, not looking up from his reading.

“We need to talk.”

Draco’s grey eyes peered at Harry over the top of the paper. “We do? What about?”

“About what happened yesterday morning.” Harry saw Draco tense.

“Harry, I said I didn’t want to discuss it yesterday. What makes you think I’ve changed my mind today?”

“I thought perhaps you’d be a bit calmer now than you were then.”

“Look, I appreciate the offer to talk, but there is nothing to talk about. Can we just drop the whole blasted thing?”

Harry ignored Draco’s request. “I caught you masturbating in the shower and you freaked out. I…”
Draco cut him off. “I did not freak out.”

“Yes, you did. You shouted at me. Please let me finish. I need to know why that was, Draco. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“What doesn’t make sense?”

“That you would be embarrassed because I caught you wanking.”

Draco had drawn his legs up close to his chest and was hugging them. His body language said it all. “You can’t see why I’d feel that way?”

“To be honest with you, no I can’t.”

“Well, I was! There, I’ve admitted it! Are you happy now?”

“Listen, I’m not getting any pleasure out of this discussion, you know. I’m doing this because I can see how upset you are Draco. I want to help you.”

“I don’t need any help. I was embarrassed, Harry; it’s not that big of a deal.”

“If it’s not that big of a deal, why are you upset now?”

“Because you’re making me even more embarrassed!”

“How can that be? You and I are lovers.”

“Wow, thanks for the news flash.”

“Draco, don’t be sarcastic. I’ll ask you again, please let me finish. Since you and I are lovers, we do a lot of things to each other…a lot of, um, interesting things. True?”

“True. We’re good lovers. So? ”

“I’ve asked you to try different things and you’ve never refused me. Also true?”

“Yes, Harry.”

“Even when those things were kinky?”

“Especially then.”

“So you like that sort of thing?”

“You know I bloody well do! What’s your point?”

“I’m getting there. Have you ever felt embarrassed at any time while we’re making love, even for just a brief second?”

“No…never.”

“You’re certainly not shy to parade around naked in front of me. If you were, you would never have done that amazing striptease for me on Christmas Eve.”

“I’m proud of my body, Harry. You know that.”

“Yes, Draco I do know that you are and well you should be. So, after all I’ve just said, why are you embarrassed that I caught you masturbating?”

Draco squirmed. “I don’t know. It’s… it’s different.”

“How? Make me understand.”

“It’s just not the same. When you and I are together, well, anything goes. That – well, it’s something I do by myself.”

“But you’ve touched yourself in front of me before. You do it all the time when we’re making love.”

“I know I do. It’s not in the same context.”

“I still don’t see the difference.”

“You mean to tell me that if I caught you doing it, you wouldn’t react the same way I did?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“It wouldn’t bother you? Not in the least?”

“No, it wouldn’t, Draco. You’re my lover. I have no secrets from you. Now you know why I’m trying so very hard to understand you and the way you reacted.”

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. Harry couldn’t see his point of view. The discussion was going nowhere and he was more than a little frustrated. “What is there to understand? So I like to wank everyday! Big deal! Has it become a crime? Do I have to ask your permission first? Bloody hell, can’t a man have something private around here?”

Harry’s face fell. His attempt to help had failed miserably. “I’m really sorry, Draco. The last thing I wanted to do was to upset you again. It’s just that, well, I felt that this was coming between us.”

“Don’t be absurd. How could something like this come between us?”

“Because you were upset with me and you didn’t know how to tell me.”

“I wasn’t upset with you. As I told you, I was just plain embarrassed.”

“I didn’t know that, Draco. I really did think you were angry and I was imagining all kinds of things. I thought…no, I won’t say it. I realise now how ridiculous I was being.”

“Yes, you certainly were. The first little rough patch we hit and you’ve got us splitting up. Harry, you think too much! Merlin, the day we have that big fight you’re going to go completely to pieces. I can see it happening. Have a little faith in us, will you?”

“I do have faith in us and in you, Dray. It’s me I’m not so sure about sometimes. Look what I did here. I wanted to help and all I did was make a right cock-up of the whole thing. I can be such a wanker!”

Draco couldn’t help but grin. “Bad choice of words, Harry, my love.”

Harry blushed. “You see what I mean!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Come here.” Harry crawled down to Draco’s end of the couch and into his open arms. “Harry, I love you so much, you know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, just as I love you.”

“Good, don’t forget it.”

“I won’t, love. I promise never to walk in on you like that again. I’ll respect your privacy and if there are things you need to do, just for yourself, I’ll try to understand. I’m sorry this ever happened.”

“I’m sorry, too. I suppose I did react a little strongly. Thanks for seeing my point of view, though. Can we not speak of this anymore?”

“Not a problem. Consider the subject closed, love.”

“Good.” Draco sighed and held Harry close, more than happy this whole mess was finally put to rest.

TBC