Three parcels and half a dozen letters later, Harry found that his impatience was getting the better of him.

"Come on, Hedwig," he said, picking up her cage. He'd drafted a short note for Draco - "Can't wait any longer. My patience is shot to bits. Meet me, train station, 2pm today? H x".

"I'll meet you at Malfoy Manor today," he told her happily before he sent her on the way to Draco's. "It's going to be good, you'll see, darling. You can eat the posh type of birdseed that Aquila has."

He'd packed a small bag of clothes, toiletries, books, and sentimental items, including his beloved box of letters from Draco. He picked up his owl's empty cage, glanced round the cramped room that had been his for the past several years, and felt nothing for the place. No attachment, no hatred - nothing.

There were still a few items of clothing left on the hangers, mostly Dudley's revolting hand-me-downs, and Harry had made his bed neatly behind him. It looked as if he'd be coming back that afternoon, when in reality he would never see the place again.

Everything he needed, all Harry's important belongings, were rolled up into the little case in his right hand. Anything else he'd need for the rest of his life could be bought with Draco.

It was only 6 in the morning, but Harry had had a fitful night of packing, and had booked himself onto the train two days early. It was time to leave Privet Drive.

He could hear his aunt and uncle snoring as he wandered down to the back door, and felt glad he'd never have to hear that again.

"Goodbye forever, you disgusting, vindictive bastards!" Harry called up the stairs, and took great pleasure in hearing at least one of the bastards in question jolt awake with an angry grunt. He slammed the door behind him jubilantly.

And with that, Harry Potter was on his way out of the abusive household he'd called home for all the years since his parents died, whistling as he walked to the station. He hoped James and Lily would be proud of him.

***

Draco read Harry's note in a panic. "2pm today???" he asked the air in a frantic tone. "That's only in a few hours! What is he doing? I haven't changed the sheets or had a shower, or chosen my outfit, or got him any food-"

In a flurry, Draco managed to finish feeding Casper his bottle before pacing round the room again, the baby bouncing happily on his hip.

"Your Daddy is so bloody impulsive, Cas," he groaned. "And he has no respect for other people's time! What's the point in even deciding a day to meet him? He's the Chosen One, he'll turn up whenever he likes! Bloody anarchist."

Part of Draco was obviously looking forward to seeing Harry again, but most of him was genuinely terrified. The thought of his beautiful angelic boy walking the horror-filled corridors of Draco's childhood had kept him up at night in the past, such an awful image that it gave him cold sweats.

It was the exhilarating agony of being fully known by Harry that terrified him more than anything else. The Manor was like a real life House of Horrors for Draco; how could he keep his boyfriend from seeing all the symbols of his agonising past? He'd told Harry about his childhood before, but only snippets. Seeing the place in real life, seeing his parents, even from a distance - what if he heard something dreadful?

Malfoy Manor was not a happy place at the best of times, and it was even more turbulent nowadays. Draco was beginning to really regret agreeing to the idea of Harry coming to stay. Though what choice did they have?

A sudden memory leapt into his mind, stopping Draco's breath in his throat.

A few years ago... his thirteen-year-old self lying on the cold marble floor and shaking uncontrollably; his mother, comforting him for once, begging his father to leave him alone-

"Lucius, you're going to break him!" Narcissa wept as her husband forced himself into their son's mind for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

"He needs to learn to resist these revolting urges, he's an animal, Narcissa!" Lucius bellowed back, and Draco screamed in fear and pain.

"Please!" his mother wailed, "Please, don't hurt him any more, he isn't strong enough!"

"He's a Malfoy," Lucius snarled, letting Draco's limp body fall back for a second of relief. "He must learn to be strong enough. Now, Draco, try again... resist ..."

After the next two attempts, Draco was barely conscious, but aware enough of his surroundings to know that his mother had left the room.

Presumably she found the interaction too distressing to watch, but regardless of her reasoning, Draco despised her more in that moment for her weakness than he'd ever hated his father in his life. If she couldn't intervene, the least she could do was witness the torture her son was going through at the hands of the man she loved.

"How could you let this happen to me, Mother?" he whispered, before his world went black.

The fear had dissipated slightly by the time 1 o'clock rolled around and it was time for Draco to leave for the station, but not entirely gone. He hoped Harry wouldn't pick up on it; he knew how excited the boy was to come and stay at the Manor and didn't want to ruin it for him.

His parents were busy as usual so wouldn't notice his disappearance as long as he was back for dinner, so Draco made sure Casper was changed and fed before sliding him into the little baby-carrier on his chest and slipping out of the house under Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

"Let's go get your Daddy, Caspie," he whispered affectionately, and the baby gurgled happily in response to his father's voice.

He'd not had time to check his appearance in the mirror, but assumed he looked good under the cloak - he was wearing a black pinstripe linen trousers, a white shirt and a black cord jacket, thick-soled black army boots, and of course his signature Rolex and chunky rings. His hair, which had grown much longer over the year, was flicked back and still slightly damp from his shower, but there was no time to dry it - he had a boyfriend to pick up.

Draco slipped off the Invisibility Cloak behind a tree the second he was out of view of the Manor, and was as amazed as usual at how little attention he got from the Muggles when carrying Casper with him. He knew teen parenthood was more common in the Muggle world because contraception wasn't as reliable without magic, so he supposed it wasn't surprising but still it was a relief to blend in.

It was a beautiful sunny morning in early July, and Casper was clearly loving the sun soaking his skin as his father walked with him towards the station. He'd been dressed in one of Draco's favourite outfits for him, the white Baby Dior sleepsuit, and Draco smiled as he remembered Harry's outrage at the extravagance of such an item.

"He's ten weeks old, you pretentious git," Harry had protested when Draco had opened the delivery in the Common Room late one night. "It's cute, but he can't even read the logo! What's the point in Baby Dior?"

Draco had only smirked, and ruffled Harry's hair affectionately. "I can read it, though," he'd replied. "And so can everyone else. And that's what matters."

It had been too big for the baby at the time, but Draco was glad that now, at three months, Casper had finally grown into it. He looked angelic.

Harry seemed to agree too, based on his reaction the second he leapt off the train, scooping the baby out of the carrier on Draco's front and showering him in kisses. Then he turned to his boyfriend, and collapsed into his arms, careful not to squish their squirmy baby.

"I missed you," he said earnestly, before pressing his lips hard against Draco's for a deep tongue kiss.

Draco faltered backwards, delighted but also permanently embarrassed by public displays of affection. "Easy, tiger," he grinned, blushing as he wiped a gentle hand over his lips.

"I am taking it easy," Harry protested, stealing another kiss before linking Draco's hand with his free one. "Not my fault you're frigid."

"Harry!" gasped Draco, but he was stifling a laugh. "Don't be such a fucking predator!"

"Prude," Harry grinned back. He looked down at the baby in his arms, who hadn't taken his big, Bambi-lashed eyes off him the entire time.

"Your Daddy's a prude, Casper," he informed him. "He doesn't fancy me any more. It's probably your fault - before you arrived, he used to snog me all day lo-"

"Think he's heard enough of that!" Draco interrupted swiftly. "And besides, Harry, I don't think that my not wanting you to practically lick my tonsils in public counts as prudish. Come on, let's get you home before you get us arrested."

"Sounds good," Harry nodded, and together the pair wound their way towards Malfoy Manor, laughing and joking all the way. Draco willed the moments to stretch out as long as they possibly could: he knew there would be much less laughter to be found at their destination.

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a/n: thank you for reading! hope everyone is enjoying so far and that it doesn't feel rushed!

please vote and comment if you enjoyed this, i read all of them and they make me so happy!!

~ paradisedraco