Archive of Our Own

Eight in the morning and  Harry already regretted getting out of bed that day. Not only was his back aching from sleeping wrong, but the fridge had decided to stop working during the night. That was the only explanation for why the inside was warm and the food mostly spoiled. He had packed the kids’ lunches the night before for once, but they wouldn’t do any good now.

“Dad?”

Harry looked up and smiled at his eldest son, James. He looked just like Harry had at eleven, right down to the unkempt hair and bright green eyes. “Hey, I didn’t realize you were up already.”

“Lily ended up in my bed again, so I didn’t sleep that much anyway.” James sat down at the small kitchen table. “This is the third time this week, you know.”

“I know, Jamie.” Harry shut the fridge. “I’ll talk to her tonight. Maybe we can just start her off in my room.”

“Dad--”

“I’ll talk to her, I promise.” Harry ruffled James’ hair. “Come on, you guys need to get ready for school. Go get Albus, I’ll get Lily.”

James sighed but shuffled off to his shared bedroom, Harry following behind. The two boys bunked together while his baby girl got her own room -- that was probably a big reason for her hiding in James’ bed. Lily Luna Potter was a surprise for Harry and Ginny as they hadn’t planned on having a third child. Now Harry was glad she came -- she looked so much like Ginny, even in the way she was sleeping with the covers all over her 

Lily, now seven, would only know her mother through stories and pictures, just as Harry would never know his parents any other way. He vowed to make sure his children would never question how much Ginny loved them no matter what it took. Especially James, who was born a squib. When they realized, Ginny had been desperate and swore that James would never feel lesser than his siblings, which Harry obviously agreed with. Magic or not, their children were perfect just the way they were.

Harry sat down on the bed and ran his hand through the auburn hair poking out from the comforter. “Lily, sweetheart, it’s time to get up.” There was shifting under the covers and Harry smiled. “Lily, come on. If you don’t get up, I’ll have to convince you.”

Lily poked her head out, one eye open. “Daddy...”

Harry lifted a hand, fingers spread. “I’ll do it...”

When Lily didn’t move, Harry inched his hand closer until it was near her stomach. Lily’s mouth twitched and then Harry tickled her, causing her to let out a small screech. Harry laughed along with her until she kicked the covers off and rolled away from him.

“Are you going to get up?” he asked, leaning back. “Today’s a special day.”

“Is it?” Lily sat up on her knees. “Why?”

“Because today you and your brothers are going to eat both breakfast and lunch at school.” Harry stood before reaching over to pick Lily up in his arms. “I’ve decided that I’ve made you guys eat enough of my cooking for once.”

“Yay!” She wiggled her way out of his arms and ran to her room.

Harry shook his head and looked to Albus’ side of the room, watching as James pulled out some clean clothes for the nine-year-old. “Get ready quickly. Breakfast is at school today,” he told them.

Albus immediately sat up, a child that was a perfect combination of both Harry and Ginny. He looked a lot like Ginny, but with Harry’s inky black hair and emerald green eyes  “Really?”

“Yes, really. Come on, hurry up.”

James tossed the clothes at Albus before running to his own dresser. Harry just smiled and headed back toward the kitchen. He had just enough cash in his pocket to let the kids eat at school, but it would be tight in replacing what he lost in the fridge. He would make it work, though, that’s what he did.

 He made things work.

-----

Before moving out to Elk Cove, Harry and Ginny had put most of Harry’s vaults towards repairs for Hogwarts and other charities -- it was his compromise for not actually helping with the work himself. Harry had never needed much to live on and Ginny always insisted that money didn’t  matter -- she had continued to prove that until the day she died and it was one of Harry’s favorite things about her. That did mean that they had moved with the bare minimum; having three children on top of that hadn’t helped and both ended up having to work to cover the bills.

Still, life had been happy. Molly Weasley sent them gifts constantly while Hermione made sure they kept up to date with how their donations were helping. And when Ginny died, there had been more than enough people offering to stay behind in Elk Cove until Harry got back on his feet again. In all honesty, he didn’t think he would ever be quite ready to completely get back on his feet, so he had sent them away..

Three years and it hadn’t really gotten easier.

“Morning, Howard,” Harry said as he entered the small hardware store. Once the kids had gone to school, he had emptied out the fridge and found the broken piece -- easily repaired and thankfully not something that would cost a lot of money.

From his spot behind the counter, the local newspaper in hand, Howard gave Harry his usual wide smile. The older man lowered the paper and plucked the glasses off his nose to give Harry his full attention. “Nice to see you, Mr. Potter. Can I help you find something?”

Harry had become quite the handyman since moving out here, so he laughed a bit and shook his head. “Now, you know I don’t need help in this store, Howard. In fact, if you remember, I helped you stock it just last week!”

“I still have my manners, boy, so don’t you forget.”

“Of course, of course.” Harry gave him a small wave before disappearing back to where the part he needed was.

The bell above the door rang out as another customer stepped in. Harry tuned out Howard’s welcome, though he did notice that it was longer than normal. He hummed to himself, looking over the different parts. In the end, he grabbed one he had bought last time and went to the front counter.

“Hey Howard, I know you said I could just grab whatever to cover me helping, so I...”

Harry trailed off as he noticed just who Howard had been chatting to and wondered for a brief moment just how he could have forgotten what Draco bloody Malfoy sounded like -- never mind the fact that this was the last place he expected to meet  the blond wizard. The two men stared at each other for a long moment before Draco just burst out into laughter, holding his side as if it hurt.

“I’m just grabbing this,” Harry told Howard, quickly heading for the door.

“Not a problem, Mr. Potter. Tell the children I said hello!”

“Will do, thanks!”

Harry quickly left, walking faster as soon as the door shut behind him. Out of all the people in the world to meet in the middle of some small town while he was looking like a dirty, drowned rat, it had to be Malfoy.

“Oi, Potter!”

Harry wanted to run, he really did, but instead he gathered his courage, squared his shoulders, and turned to face Malfoy. “Is there something you needed?”

Malfoy walked slowly up to him, making sure it was obvious he was looking over Harry’s state of being. “Merlin, how the mighty have fallen...”

“Oh, fuck off.” Harry turned to continue walking, but a hand on his arm stopped him. “Remove your hand, Malfoy.”

“I just want to talk, Potter.” He frowned at his hand after removing it from Harry’s arm. “What did you roll in?”

“What are you even doing here?”

Malfoy’s smug smile returned. “Don’t you know? I’m an expert cartographer and was sent on assignment to further our knowledge of the American Northwest. This... charming town just happened to be my next stop.”

“I didn’t realize you wanted to run away from England that bad,” Harry snapped out before he could stop himself.

Draco’s eyes widened slightly before he got control over himself, but it was too late. Fear had been in those grey depths and Harry felt like an asshole for even suggesting Draco had been running. After all, he and Ginny had run themselves.

Anger soon spread over Draco’s face. “I am not--”

“Don’t they have Americans to do this?” Harry interrupted, hoping to hold off the anger. “Why send you?”

“As if we would trust them.” Malfoy looked around the street, nose wrinkling.

Harry tried to see it through his eyes, but all he really saw was Ginny’s favorite diner next to his favorite bookstore. Sure, the signs were a bit faded and not all of the street parking was marked correctly, but it was home. Howard’s Hardware didn’t even have a sign, but everyone in town knew where to find it. And if they didn’t, all they had to do was look confused and at least four people would step forward in an offer to help.

It had been the friendliest place Harry had ever been to and that made him love it more than anything. Sure, the school was in the next town over and if he needed anything specific he had to drive nearly an hour out of his way, but he didn’t care.

“I thought Hogwarts was behind the times,” Malfoy said, drawing Harry out of his thoughts. “Has this place changed at all since it was built hundreds of years ago?”

Harry let out a sigh. “No, so there’s no need to update your precious maps. Excuse me, I have things to take care of.”

“Surely it can’t be rebuilding our society, even if you were in a repair shop,” Malfoy drawled. Harry tensed as the other wizard continued. “They always claimed you were one of the bravest Gryffindors. Nobody believed me when I said you were just a coward, but I suppose I have proof now.”

After the war, the Weasley family had been the ones to convince Harry he didn’t need to stick around and rebuild a society that all but ignored him until they needed something from him. He owed them nothing -- he had already given them his life after all. The urge to pick a fight with Malfoy was high, but Ginny’s voice in his mind stopped him.

It isn’t worth it, Harry. They don’t deserve anything from you.

So, ignoring anything further Malfoy had to say, Harry took out his keys and slipped into the truck they had purchased when first coming to town. The now rusted-red paint gave away its age, but Harry’s neighbor made sure to keep it in top condition for him. He didn’t dare look up to see Malfoy’s expression as he left.

-----

By the time the next day rolled around, Harry had mostly succeeded in pushing away the fact  that Malfoy was around. Between fixing the fridge, and then making sure his kids had their homework done and their rooms clean, his mind had luckily been too focused on his own life to worry much about anything else. He kissed the kids goodbye at their school before making his way to the local bar where he helped out whenever he could and didn’t have any other work to do.

His neighbor Drew owned the place and invited Harry to work there when he saw a slight lull in Harry’s handyman job. It started with Harry simply fixing up things around the bar and then extended to covering for any sick or personal leave of the rest of the staff. As it was during school hours, there wasn’t all that much for Harry to do that day besides help make baked goods that could last the week or fix any loose screws in the chairs.

There were only two people at the bar already, watching the television as they ate the locally-famous eggs and bacon breakfast Drew’s wife Ashley made. The smell of the lightly-peppered bacon made Harry hungry; he still had to replace more things in the fridge.

“Morning,” he told the two at the counter, recognizing them as Jules and Peter Hedge who ran the craft store. “Ashley make it good today?”

“As she does every day,” Peter said before holding up his mug. “Could do with some more joe.”

“Does it look like I work here?” Harry teased before grabbing the warming coffee pot. “I come in here for my own breakfast and I’m put to work...”

Peter chuckled as Jules rolled her eyes. “Just last week you served us yourself,” she said before holding out her own mug. “The attitude on these young kids...”

“Young?” Harry snorted and put the coffee back once he had poured both refills. “I’m about to start coloring my grey hairs. I’m not that young.”

Jules blew Harry a kiss before taking a sip of her coffee. Harry just laughed before heading to the back where he was sure to find either Drew or his wife. The easy banter he had with the townsfolk was nice and made everything more comfortable for him and his family. He wasn’t sure how he would explain Albus and Lily going off to a boarding school while James didn’t, but that wouldn’t be for another few years.

Harry found Ashley plating a round of bacon and eggs. Before he could even greet her a hello, she turned and pushed the plate toward him. “Eat,” she said, “you look like a twig.”

“Yes, mum,” Harry said, gratefully taking the plate from her. “I figured I would work on that second stove today. You said it doesn’t heat as it should?”

“I’m used to her by now, but tinker away if you want to.” Ashley poured a glass of juice and set it down at a spot at the bar. “But after you eat.”

“I’m going, I’m going.” Harry took a seat by the glass and dug into the eggs.

He knew how to cook due to his childhood history, but there was something about Ashley’s breakfast that was just extra comforting. He had attempted to remake it several times for his kids but it always fell just short of the taste.

Drew came in just as Harry finished his plate. The stockier man gave him a wide smile before sliding into the stool next to him. “Good morning, you.”

“Where have you been?” Harry asked after setting down his juice.

“Got some more fish for today. Richard called to say he got lucky this morning,” Drew replied.

Richard, an old man that liked to go fishing during the night, sold the freshest fish to anyone who wanted it in the morning. Drew was one of the few who actually woke up early enough to take advantage of it, though Harry had done so a few times himself. When Ginny had been pregnant with Lily, all she wanted was sushi.

“Sounds good.” Harry got up to put his plate and silverware near the kitchen window. “I might give him a call later. My fridge broke yesterday morning.”

“Why didn’t you say something earlier? You know Ash would have brought something by.” Drew frowned before taking out his phone. “I’ll drop off some of our extras tonight. Just gotta make a note of it.”

Harry waved him off, leaning against the bar. “You know you don’t have to.”

“Sorry, can’t hear your bullshit,” Drew said with a smile. “Come on, Harry. I’ve been telling you for years that we help each other in this town and you’re family here.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Harry ran a hand through his hair, trying not to feel as if he was being a burden just because his fridge had decided to flake out on him. Ginny would know what to say if she were here, that much he knew. “Thank you.”

Drew just smiled wider as the television behind them started in on the news. They both looked over as the anchor, a stuck-up ponce who thought he was an actual Hollywood celebrity, stared seriously into the camera as he went on about the breaking news.

“Jimmy likes to forget he grew up on old Don’s cow farm,” Peter said before tossing some money on the counter. “You tell Ashley thanks, Drew. It was delicious as always.”

Jules took one last sip of her coffee before standing. “Think if we leak that video of him covered in shit he might change?”

Peter grinned. “My dear wife, just when I thought I couldn’t love you more.”

“I’ll upload it for you,” Drew said, giving them a wave. “Drive home safe. I’ll pass along your thanks to Ash, Pete.”

Harry watched the couple leave before turning back to the television just as a story about an amnesiac came up. It took him a moment to realize that the person they were showing on the screen was Malfoy, but he swore as it finally clicked. Curious, he found the remote and turned the volume up.

“...found early this morning wandering the streets downtown. The man seemed hostile, but allowed authorities to escort him to the hospital once he realized he couldn’t answer their questions. They’re asking anyone with information to step forward...”

“Harry?” Drew asked, resting his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “You okay?”

“It’s just... I know him. We went to school together.”

 “Is that the guy who followed you out of Howard’s?” At Harry’s look, Drew held up his hands. “Word travels fast.”

“Yeah,” Harry said with a sigh. “That’s him. We didn’t exactly get along, though.”

Drew rubbed at his chin. “If he went to school with you, he probably doesn’t have family around here, right? Or is that why he’s here?”

Harry shook his head. “His family is in England, same as mine. He said he was here for work.”

“Load of bull,” Drew said with a snort. “What kind of work happens here besides local shit? Maybe he was running from something.”

“Maybe.“ Harry shrugged, trying not to recall the hidden fear he witnessed in Draco’s eyes.

“Hm.” Drew rested his chin on his hand, a slow smirk coming to his face. “You ever want to get back at him?”

“Of course, he was a right ass.” Harry grabbed a beer and handed it to Drew before taking one for himself. “All but stalked me through school, blaming me for this and that. Serves him right for getting in this situation.”

“You could use it to your advantage.” Drew pointed the unopened bottle at Harry. “Take him to task, or whatever they say.”

Harry snorted, popping the top off his beer before taking a swig. He missed firewhiskey. “What kind of advantage could come out of lost memories?”

Drew popped his own top with a grin. “Well, there’s this myth surrounding Elk Cove that has a lot to do with asshole amnesiacs...”

-----

The so-called myth of Elk Cove had been more popular than Harry had anticipated. Once he walked into the hospital that held Draco and said who he was and that he was there for his wayward husband, the nurses immediately grinned and whispered among themselves. All but the one nurse who he had spoken to, at least. Annie, a middle-aged woman with a bright smile and laugh lines around her eyes, barked at the nurses behind her to hush before re-focusing on Harry.

“Your husband’s name?” she asked, fingers hovering over the telephone beside her.

“You wouldn’t know it, sorry. He came in last night not knowing who he was.” Harry tried to look upset, fingers tapping on the counter as he hid his nerves. Would they know he was lying? Should he be lying? This had been Drew’s dumbest idea so far and standing here now, Harry wondered why he decided to go through with it.

Nurse Annie’s lips quirked. “Do you have proof? We’ve had quite a few people in here already claiming to know the poor man. I’m sure you know of our rumors.”

Of course he did -- Drew explained it not even an hour ago. The story went that a traveling woman hired a local carpenter for a job on her yacht. When the job went south, she fired him with no pay and sent the angry man home. Later that night, she had fallen off the yacht and lost her memory. The angry carpenter took advantage of the situation and claimed she was his wife, taking her home to take care of his kids and clean his house.

The story always ended in two ways, depending on who you talked to. The romantics claimed that the rich woman fell in love with the angry carpenter and they stayed together even after she regained her memories. The realists’ story ended with the angry carpenter in jail and the woman returned to her true husband. Drew was, of course, a romantic so he had winked at Harry and told him not to fall in love.

“I can assure you that he is my husband.” Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the only picture of himself and Draco. The Prophet had taken it shortly after the war and Harry froze it in place at the moment they smiled at another. “This is from the paper when we got married years ago. We were seventeen and more than a little stupid, but...”

Nurse Annie took the paper and nodded at the picture. “That sure looks like him. I’ll have the doctor take you back, but he might have more questions. Could I get his name for our records?”

Harry took the picture back and stuffed it in his pocket. “Draco. His name is Draco Malfoy.” When she arched an eyebrow, Harry realized his mistake. “He wanted to keep his name since he’s the only son.”

She handed him a clipboard. “Of course. And we’ll need you to fill these out as well...”

“Thank you.” Harry was just glad that this wasn’t the same hospital Ginny had given birth in or they would definitely question the records. Especially since Harry had to lie on most of Malfoy’s.

Not long after he finished the paperwork, a doctor approached with a hand out and an easy smile. “Mister Potter, thank you for coming.”

Harry took the hand as he stood. “I’m just glad you found my husband. I didn’t want to worry the kids, so I planned on heading out to the station today and it was luck that I saw the news when I did.”

“Without sounding rude, we’re glad you came. He hasn’t been easy to deal with, though none of us blame him.” The doctor motioned Harry to follow him. “If I lost my memory and woke up in the middle of a muddy field, I would be upset as well.”

Harry had to hold back the bit of laughter at the mental image of Draco realizing he got dirt on his clothes. “Sorry about him. That’s how he was when we met, but he changed over the years. Otherwise, we’d probably be in the city instead of here.”

The doctor chuckled before opening a door. “Good news,” he said to the room, easily dodging what looked like an empty cup thrown from the bed. “Your husband has arrived to take you home.”

“Husband? Husband?” Harry held back a shiver at the acid dripping from Malfoy’s voice. “I think I would remember if I had a husband!”

The doctor ignored him and went to poke at some of the machines. Harry wasn’t sure what he was doing, so he just hovered in the doorway, watching Malfoy on the bed. His arms were crossed over his chest and despite being in a plain hospital gown, he still looked regal and intimidating. The slight twitch in his eye, though, told Harry that the blond was only crossing his arms to hide the shake in his hands. It had become a tick during the war that Malfoy never could seem to get rid of whenever he was truly scared.

Maybe the lie wasn’t a terrible idea. It would get Malfoy out of the hospital and Harry would have an easier time contacting somebody about the wizard. Putting on a soft smile, Harry approached the bed and rested his hands on the bar, letting the coolness of it ground him.

“Hey, Dray,” he said, voice soft. “What did I tell you about wandering around at night?”

Malfoy -- no, Draco’s eyes widened just slightly. If they were ‘married,’ then Harry needed to stop thinking of him as Malfoy. The doctor mentioned something about getting the release paperwork before leaving them alone in the room with a nurse. Harry tried not to show how awkward he felt.

“Who are you?” Draco asked, leaning away.

“Right, they said you didn’t remember anything.” Harry sighed before moving to sit in the chair next to the wall. He did slide it closer to the bed, though. “I’m Harry. We’ve been married for some time now and have three beautiful children.”

What looked like panic flashed through Draco’s eyes, though he held it in. “I don’t believe you.”

“That’s okay, I know it’s a lot to take in.”

“I want you to leave.”

Harry shook his head. “Darling, I won’t leave without you. I told you when we got married that I was here to stay and I meant it.”

“I should remember you.” He looked toward the nurse, eyes wide. “Should I remember him?”

The nurse shrugged. “It’s hard to say, sir. Some people remember things easily, and others don’t. Your husband here has all the proper paperwork...”

Draco scoffed and crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving here with him.”

“Babe, the kids are missing you like crazy. Don’t you want to see them again?”

One of Draco’s eyebrows twitched and Harry couldn’t help but find it somewhat adorable. “I would know if I had kids.”

Harry glanced toward the nurse, who simply shrugged. He turned back to Draco and held out a hand toward him. “Just give us a chance, honey.  Come home.“

Draco eyed Harry’s hand for a long moment before letting out a long sigh. “Am I allowed to leave here without this so-called husband?” he asked the nurse. When the woman shook his head, Draco wrinkled his nose and reached out to take Harry’s hand. “But you don’t touch me. Understand?”

Harry could never see himself touching Draco Malfoy, so it wasn’t that hard to agree to that one. “Not until you remember.” He squeezed Draco’s hand softly before standing. “I’ll go fill out the release paperwork and then we can go home.”

“Hm.” Draco pulled his hand back and turned to look out the window. “Just get me out of here.”

Even without his memories, Draco was still a prick. Harry gave the nurse a small smile before leaving the room to fill out the necessary paperwork to take his new “husband” home. He was sure it would be fine, maybe. Hopefully.

Eventually.

-----

The longer Harry was next to Draco, the more he was convinced that this really was a terrible idea. Drew could be convincing at times and now, pulling into the dirt driveway of the house, Harry regretted ever listening to his crazy suggestion. Sure, he always wanted to get a little revenge on Draco for everything that happened at school, but was this maybe taking it too far? 

“You have to be kidding,” Draco whispered beside him, scowling at the house. “There must be a mistake. I can’t possibly live somewhere as dirty as this.”

On the other hand, Draco deserved to get knocked down a few pegs. Harry put the truck in park before looking up at the two-story home he and Ginny had cherished. The paint was peeling in places and the roof needed a bit of a cleaning -- too many leaves had fallen on it and it would soon clog the gutters. A few of the curtains needed to be replaced and the windows definitely needed a good scrub. If Draco still had his memory, Harry would have definitely spruced it up before the other man’s arrival.

But Draco didn’t remember a thing, so Harry let out a wistful sigh and leaned against the steering wheel. “You’re the one who picked it out, love. Told me it had a certain rustic charm.”

“I picked it out?”

“Mmhm.” Harry unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. “Come on, might as well head on in. I have to pick up the kids from school later, but I want to make sure you’re settled in first. We can also do some of our own diagnostics to see what went wrong.” Harry had briefly explained on their way to the house about being wizards -- Draco had taken it surprisingly well.

Draco wrinkled his nose before following Harry out of the truck and toward the wrap-around porch that squeaked as they walked on it. “I don’t remember ever seeing this place.”

“That’s because you have amnesia.” Harry opened the door, the wards recognizing him. He’d need to key Draco into them. “It’s okay. The doctor said familiar things should help and you can’t get more familiar than home.”

A disgusted snort came from the blond before he stepped into the house. He kept his arms wrapped firmly around himself as he looked around, eyes darting from the pile of mail Harry had yet to read to the trash that James had ignored that morning. Seeing it from fresh eyes, Harry knew it looked a little worse for wear, but he pushed down the nerves.

“So this is the living room,” he said instead, motioning to the room they stepped into. 

Harry’s favorite couch, red and stained in places from the kids and cushions no longer soft, sat against the far windows while a television hung on the wall across from it. The purple rug Lily insisted they had to have needed a good vacuuming, but on it sat the oak coffee table Harry put together as a gift to Ginny. It was more a project to see how well he did with power tools, but it worked out well enough. The uneven legs were hardly noticeable.

Harry continued the tour into the small dining room. Toys and old school projects were piled on one side, leaving just barely enough room for the three chairs on the other side. He made sure to keep that clear so the kids could have a place to eat dinner. The kids’ artwork scattered across the pale walls -- not all of it on paper and some on the paint itself.

Unimpressed, Draco pushed the tour along and into the kitchen. Because the fridge had been out, it was the cleanest room in the house. Since he already cleaned the fridge as well as any counters the old food touched, Harry had gone ahead and just did the whole room. The cabinets weren’t perfect, a few doors hung crooked, but at least the counters were clear of dishes and food.

A door led from the kitchen to the backyard and Draco looked through the dirty pane, face still disgusted. The yard had been Ginny’s specialty and Harry couldn’t bring himself to do too much to it, especially after he had spent so much time in his Aunt’s garden as a kid. It was the one aspect of his adult life that he really didn’t enjoy and it showed.

“I’m almost afraid to see the bedrooms,” Draco said, voice icy. “How long have I been away?”

“We’ve been busy,” Harry said, crossing his arms. “Weekends are our big cleaning days, so don’t worry too much.”

“Busy.”

“Three kids isn’t a walk in the park, even if they’re as perfect as ours.” Harry motioned for Draco to follow him. “Come on, I’ll show you upstairs.”

“Just show me where I can take a nap. I want to hopefully wake up in a place I actually belong.”

Harry held back the sigh that threatened to escape, wondering if he should just Owl Narcissa Malfoy and wash his hands of the mess. “I see your attitude has regressed back to when you were eleven,” he muttered instead.

“Are you calling me a child?”

“Do you want a nap or not, dear?”

Draco scowled at Harry before pushing past him and going for the stairs near the entrance. Harry rolled his eyes and followed; nobody but himself had to know just how attractive Draco’s ass was as they went up the stairs.

“The first room on the right is our daughter’s and the second is the boys’ room. The left is the kids’ bathroom and then my... our room.”

Draco Malfoy was going to sleep in his bed. His wife’s bed. Harry was no longer sure he was okay with the situation, but he also didn’t have an excuse as to why Draco wouldn’t be sleeping there. Draco’s hand was already on the knob, turning it to push the door open.

“Wait.”

Draco stopped and turned to give Harry a very unimpressed look. “What?”

He needed an excuse, any excuse. “You can’t sleep in there.”

“If it’s our bedroom, my dear husband, then why not?”

A thousand excuses flew through Harry’s mind and none of them were a good idea. “The, ah... the doctor...”

“Familiar places, yes? What could be more familiar than my dreams?”

“Your back!” Harry all but screamed as Draco took a step into the room. “You hurt your back a while ago and you’ve been sleeping on the couch until it got better. Something about the way it helps you stretch.”

Draco slowly stepped back out of the room, eyes narrowed. “That is the biggest load of trash I’ve heard since you came to tell me we were married.”

“It’s true,” Harry insisted. “You haven’t been in my... in our bed in weeks. Who's to say that it’ll be familiar to you?”

“I’ll chance it.”

“Draco.” Harry reached out to take his wrist. “Come on, you love the couch.”

The only thought in Harry’s mind was get him away from there. He half dragged Draco back down the stairs and into the living room. Once they were there, he smiled at Draco and pulled the quilt from the back of the couch. A gift from Molly, but it would work for now.

Draco frowned at the couch. “If I sleep here, where is my pillow?”

“What? Oh! The kids must have hidden it again...” Harry spun in a circle before figuring that Albus and his pile of pillows could miss one for now. “I’ll just grab another one, hold on.”

Harry left Draco in the living room and took the stairs two at a time. Sure enough, Albus had at least a dozen pillows scattered across his bed. Harry grabbed the thickest one before heading back downstairs where Draco was slowly moving around, staring at the picture frames.

Shit.

“Found one. I’ll talk to the kids, make sure they don’t steal the pillow again.” Harry dropped the pillow on the couch. “All set.”

Draco turned away from the pictures. “How long have we been married?”

“A while. Why?”

“I’m not in any of the pictures.”

Harry looked to the wall, racing to find yet another excuse. “Oh, well. You hate how your pictures come out and don’t like me to display them.”

“That doesn’t seem like me.” Draco sat, then bounced a bit to get a feel for the old couch. “This seems extremely uncomfortable.”

“I agree, but you seem to like it.” Harry busied himself with closing the curtains. “You should get your rest. I don’t have to pick up the kids for another hour or so, but don’t worry about waking up. I’ll grab them.” And explain everything.

Draco didn’t say anything in return. He tried to fluff the pillow a bit before settling down, pulling the quilt completely over himself to hide. Harry watched the lump that was his school rival for a moment before heading back upstairs to hide as well.

Well, to hide and to make plans. Draco would need a lot more than Harry’s word to believe him, so that meant an ID and even a marriage certificate. Feeling just a bit dirty, Harry reached into his dresser to pull out his wand and get to work.

What the hell was he doing?

-----

“...and that’s why we have to work hard to pretend Draco is your papa,” Harry said, hands gripping the steering wheel tight. The silence in the backseat grew uncomfortable to the point where Harry had to turn to make sure he didn’t forget to pick up his youngest two. Sure enough, Albus and Lily stared at him with wide eyes and open mouths.

Next to him, James burst out into laughter. Harry groaned and let his head fall onto the steering wheel, cursing himself through this lifetime and the next. Maybe he could just drop Draco back off at the hospital, admit what he did, and then disappear with the kids? It’s not like the muggle authorities could find him if Harry tried hard enough to hide.

“This is awesome,” James said, pulling Harry out of his plans. “So he really doesn’t remember anything?”

“No, he doesn’t.” Harry sat up, letting out a sigh. “I even checked him for spells someone could have cast on him and came up with nothing, so who knows how long this will last.” He finally lifted his head. “This was a bad idea...”

“Oh come on, dad, you just want to help him.” James shrugged before turning around a bit to look at his siblings. “We’ll call him papa, right? And no telling, Lily.”

Lily closed her mouth finally before making the motion of zipping her lips closed. “I always wanted another daddy.”

Harry arched an eyebrow. “Not a mommy?”

She shook her head. “Uncle Drew is nicer than Aunt Ashley. She makes me eat my peas. Uncle Drew lets me color on him.”

Harry filed away the new information before looking to Albus, his youngest son scowling with his arms crossed. “What about you?”

“You said it’s bad to lie.”

“I did, and I’m proud of you for standing up to that. Lying is definitely bad, but this is a very special circumstance. This is to specifically help someone through a hard part of their life.” Harry smiled at Albus, reaching out to pat his knee. “He needs us to do this to get better.”

It sounded like a large piece of bullshit, but Harry was too far to back out now. Ginny would be laughing at him, he was sure of it. Albus knew it was a load of crap, too, but he nodded and looked out the window, essentially ending the conversation. Harry held back a sigh as he started the truck.

“It’s temporary,” he promised the kids, “and he’s going to be very grumpy. Just be nice.”

“I’m not calling him Papa,” Albus mumbled and Harry gave in.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Harry pulled out of the parking lot he had stopped in to explain what was going on. “Let’s just get through this and then we can go back to normal. I promise.”

“You said he was a wizard?” James asked. “Will he be upset that I’m...”

Harry reached over to squeeze James’ hand. “I won’t let him be upset. There’s nothing to be upset about.”

James just nodded and silence reigned for the rest of the ride home.

-----

Draco’s first introduction to the children could have gone better, but Harry was just glad it hadn’t gone worse. After arriving home, the four Potters found Draco standing in front of the stove, confusion covering his face. Lily jumped into the part Harry asked them to play and ran to the blond, wrapping her arms around his waist with a loud, “Papa!” Draco stared down at her before looking back up at Harry, confusion now mixed with fear. Albus had frowned at the scene before stomping upstairs, the bedroom door slamming soon after.

“I’ll get dinner started,” Harry said, squeezing James’ shoulder before brushing past Draco. “Remember what I told you two, okay? Papa just needs to be reminded.”

Lily looked up, arms tightening. “Hi Papa, it’s me!”

“Er...”

James shook his head and gently pulled Lily off of Draco. “Sorry, Pa. She means that she’s Lily, and I’m James. The dark cloud stomping upstairs is Albus.”

Draco’s eyes darted between the two children before turning to Harry. “These aren’t my kids.”

Harry settled the leftovers Ashley had given him on the stove before putting his hands on Draco’s shoulders. “Hey, come on. I know you don’t remember them, but that was uncalled for.”

“They don’t look like me,” Draco hissed, glancing back to Lily’s tear-filled eyes. “They...”

“We had a surrogate, Draco. You saw their pictures earlier.”

Draco shook his head, stepping away from both Harry and the two kids. “I don’t...”

“It’s okay, Pa.” James pulled Lily closer. “We have homework to do.”

Harry went around Draco to press a kiss to each of their foreheads. “Make sure your brother starts his, please.”

“I will, dad.” James gave them a smile before pulling Lily upstairs.

“They don’t look like me,” Draco said as soon as the kids were out of earshot. “How can they be my kids?”

“Lost memory or not, you’re being rude. They’re children and you’re being a complete dick.” Harry went back to the food, a frown on his face.

“They don’t--”

“You’re sterile,” Harry lied, not wanting to give any further reasoning as to why his and Ginny’s kids didn’t look like Draco Bloody Malfoy. “We found out after James.”

Draco leaned against the counter, quiet after Harry’s declaration. It was only after Harry put in the roast to warm that he looked over at the other man and realized what he had said. Continuing the Malfoy line had been something Draco bragged about for years in school. And even as out of the loop to Pureblood traditions as Harry was, even he knew how important carrying on your lineage was.

He felt like the asshole, now.

“Hey,” Harry said, resting his hands on Draco’s forearms. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just come out and said it like that.”

Draco shrugged, though he didn’t try to pull away as Harry thought he might. “It’s been a long day.”

“It has,” Harry agreed. “We’ll get through this, okay? I promise.”

Draco’s nose wrinkled -- Harry would never admit how adorable it actually was. “The younger boy... Allen?”

“Albus,” Harry corrected.

“Albus,” Draco repeated with a nod. “He doesn’t like me? Why?”

Because you aren’t Ginny. “You two had a fight yesterday. You went out for your walk before I could ask you about it, and he isn’t telling me either.”

Draco blinked at Harry, startled. “I had a fight with my own child?”

“It happens, I promise. We’re all stubborn here.” Harry rubbed Draco’s arms softly until he realized what he had been doing. Blushing, he went back to the fridge and grabbed a few vegetables. “It’s going to be a rough few days, but things will get back to normal.”

Draco just hummed in response, and they spent the rest of the time making dinner in silence.

-----

By the third day, Harry wasn’t sure why he hadn’t Owled anyone in England about Draco. He had no reason not to, but every time he thought to do so, something held him back. Draco kept to the house while Harry went to work, though he didn’t seem to do much there. But then Harry noticed little things -- the laundry had been folded on the beds, or the living room tidied and organized. And on that third day, once the kids ran into the house after school and went upstairs to do their homework, Harry found Draco in the backyard.

The blond’s hair had dirt streaks and his clothes not nearly as clean as Harry came to expect. Draco’s hands, deep within the dirt in the flowerbeds, were no longer pristine and pale. Seeing him there, weeding and what looked to be replanting, Harry felt something in his heart constrict. The stray thought that he could get used to coming home to this view scared him.

“How long have you been out here?” he asked, catching Draco’s attention. “Your neck is red.”

Draco’s dirty hand flew up to press against the back of his neck where the afternoon sun beat on it. “I’m not sure? Is it bad?”

“Nothing a little aloe won’t fix. And a hat next time.”

Draco rolled his eyes and went back to his work. “Which one of us is in charge of the gardens?”

“Gi-... Ah, we switch sometimes. I think it was my turn.”

“You’re not allowed again,” Draco insisted before standing. “Honestly, how could I have let it go on so long?”

“You nagged instead,” Harry said, unable to help the smile on his face. “You’re absolutely disgusting. Go take a shower.”

“Will you be joining me?” Draco asked with a leer.

That had been new just yesterday, the odd flirtation from Draco. Harry hadn’t been sure how to handle it, but he couldn’t deny that Draco’s words made him blush every time. He never thought he could be gay or even bisexual, but something about the way Draco smiled as he teased did something to Harry’s heart.

He was sure Ginny would have laughed and told him to “Just go for it, Harry.”

Harry ignored his inner voice and shook his head, holding the door for Draco. “I need to get dinner started.”

“Maybe next time, then.” Draco paused in the open doorway before looking back at Harry, determination on his features. “We’re married, yes?”

“Yes, Draco, we’re married.”

“Why haven’t you kissed me?”

Harry hesitated, looking down at his shoes. How could he answer that without giving anything away? Because a real husband probably would have been kissing Draco every day. A real husband would be touching him and making sure he was loved.

“I didn’t want to push you,” he said, hoping the explanation would be enough.

Draco tilted his head. “Push me? Harry, if I married you, I think I would have wanted you to push me.”

“You don’t remember me,” Harry insisted. “You really want to kiss a complete stranger?”

“I want to kiss my husband. Maybe it’ll spark something in me. You do remember telling me that familiar things will help, yes? So kiss me already, you coward.”

Ginny was laughing at him, Harry was sure of it. He licked his lips before stepping closer, all but pinning Draco against the door frame. Draco’s eyes widened just slightly before fluttering closed as Harry leaned in. Their breath mingled for a moment while Harry debated just backing away, but Draco took that choice from him and surged forward.

Draco’s lips were chapped from being outside, but they were still softer than Harry expected. His hands came up to rest on Draco’s hips as he held the kiss, not sure why he didn’t just pull away as soon as it happened. He shouldn’t be kissing Draco Malfoy, and he shouldn’t be enjoying it, but here he was. Draco’s back against the doorframe and his hands gripping in Harry’s shirt, they were kissing. Harry liked kissing him.

That was the thought that finally pulled him away. Harry kept his hands on Draco’s hips but stepped back so there would be space between them. Space so he wouldn’t press forward and kiss the blond again and again and...

“Huh,” Draco said, derailing Harry’s traitorous thoughts. “You owe me a ring.”

Harry couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Draco’s missing wedding band had been brought up the second day and the only excuse Harry had was that Draco must have dropped it during whatever made him lose his memory. Affording the ring that Draco figured he deserved wasn’t going to happen easily -- part of Harry wondered why he even considered getting one in the first place.

“Maybe they’ll find it,” he said before pulling completely away. “Now go take a shower. You smell.”

The easy smile on Draco’s face made Harry want to kiss him again. “My husband, the sweet-talker.”

“Go,” Harry said again, waving him off before washing his hands in the sink. “Make sure the kids are doing their homework while you’re up there.”

“If I had my wand, I could just send them a hex if they aren’t,” Draco sing-songed before disappearing up the stairs.

Harry had explained that James was a squib and so they didn’t use magic around the house. Draco had understood, but small comments like that had popped out still. Thankfully never around James, but it reminded Harry’s dirty mind that Draco wasn’t someone he wanted around in the long term, no matter how much his heart skipped at his smile.

-----

Time passed faster than Harry wanted it to. Every day he came home, the house became a little tidier. A week and a half into the arrangement, Harry brought the kids home to dinner waiting on the table. While some of the food was bland, Harry had never expected Draco to actually cook them anything. Standing there, looking over the roast and vegetables, Harry couldn’t help but lean in and place a gentle kiss to Draco’s cheek. Dinner waiting for them became normal on weekdays after that.

There were the nights that Harry would come down from his evening shower to find Draco reading to Lily on the couch. His little girl, curled up on Draco’s lap with her favorite stuffed animal, looked happy while Draco made different voices for the characters. It took two nights of this before Albus joined them, not quite leaning against Draco’s side, but close enough. James took a picture of the three of them, hanging it on the wall next to Harry’s room.

Watching his children and Draco made Harry fall in love with the blond a little more every day. It scared him, and he knew it wasn’t right. He had to tell Draco the truth and before anybody else got hurt. Before he got hurt. Because every time Draco looked at him with his soft smile, Harry came one step closer to never letting him go.

Draco seemed to be relaxing into this life with every moment that passed, too. They rarely brought up his lack of memory anymore but when they did, Draco was confident that he would remember soon. The thought terrified Harry and while he knew he should just tell someone, he could never bring himself to. So he waited, biting his tongue more often than not, and desperately wished Draco would never remember.

-----

“I need the keys so I can go to the store.”

Harry looked up from James’ latest homework, staring at Draco. It took him a moment to realize what he had asked, so by the time he leaned back in the chair, Draco’s arms were crossed and his foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

“The keys?” he asked again.

“I’m not sure that’s a smart idea,” Harry admitted. “Do you even remember how to drive?”

“I’m sure I’ll pick it up once I get in the truck.” He held out his hand. “Keys.”

“How about I drive us? There’s some things I need to grab.”

Draco scoffed and came over to pat down Harry’s pockets. “Just--”

“What are you doing?”

“I can--”

“Draco, you--”

“I won’t be a burden!”

They both stopped. Draco’s hands dropped to his sides and he refused to look at Harry, worrying at his lower lip. Harry stood, chair scraping against the floor, and tried to move closer to the other man. When Draco took a small step back, Harry stopped and let out a sigh.

“You aren’t a burden,” he said, leaning his hip against the table. “What you do for this family is amazing, so whatever made you think that...”

Draco closed his eyes. “I have to ask you for everything. I just want to drive to the store, pick up the milk for Lily’s breakfast in the morning, and come home. By myself.”

“Oh, sweetheart...” Harry reached out, glad Draco didn’t step away again, and pulled him into a hug. “I understand, I really do.”

“You worry too much,” he said, voice muffled against Harry’s shoulder.

“Maybe,” Harry agreed, rubbing Draco’s back. “How about this. Albus is at a friend’s, so James can keep an eye on Lily. We’ll go to the store together this time just so I can be there in case anything goes wrong. Please?”

Draco relaxed against him, hands sliding into Harry’s back pockets. “Fine. But while we’re at the store, I want a cake.”

“A cake?”

“Shut up, don’t judge me.” Draco leaned his head back. “I want a lemon cake and we’re going to get one.”

Harry couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. “Okay, Draco, we’ll get a lemon cake.”

“Mmhm. The best husband.” Draco leaned in, giving Harry a soft kiss. The bit of affection had been happening more often lately, but it still gave Harry the feeling of butterflies every time. “Keys?”

“Go tell James what’s going on, and I’ll get the keys.”

Draco gave him a mock salute before heading up the stairs. Harry let himself stare a bit at Draco’s ass on the way before shaking his head and grabbing his jacket, truck keys jingling in the pocket. He still had Ginny’s copy of the key somewhere -- giving it to Draco if the blond could drive would be a smart idea.

Harry froze. He hadn’t thought about Ginny in a while and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of that.

Draco’s quick footsteps as he came down the stairs jerked Harry from his thoughts. He turned to smile at the man, pulling the keys out of the pocket. Draco returned the smile and took them from Harry’s hand, dropping a quick kiss on his cheek as he went out the door.  Harry shook his head, following behind.

Already in the driver’s side, seat belt tightly across his chest, Draco sat with his hands gripping the wheel until his knuckles turned white. Harry debated just asking him to move over, but didn’t want to start a fight; he got in the passenger side and leaned over to turn the key.

“I got it,” Draco said, voice sharp. “I was... I just...”

“It’s okay.” Harry put a hand over Draco’s own. “Just take a breath for me?”

Draco did, letting it out slowly. “I don’t know why this is so...”

“Scary? I know. It was for me, too.” Harry eased Draco’s hand off of the wheel and put it on the shifter. “Thankfully, this is an automatic. That means you don’t have to manually shift between the gears. It’s harder to do that.”

“Yes, I’ve seen you drive.” Draco cleared his throat, fingers curling around the shifter. “So I just...”

“Foot on the brake pedal. No- use your right foot for everything.” Harry moved his hand to rest on Draco’s thigh, squeezing it once. “Brake is on the left, that’s good. So press that and then move the gear to drive. We can do a wide turn to get out of the yard.”

Draco scoffed, though he did as he was told. “We should get an actual driveway.”

“Our next project,” Harry promised. “Now ease off the brake and then move your foot to the gas.”

“This would be better with two feet,” Draco complained. “Are you sure?”

“Positive, now just relax. Rest your foot on the gas and then ease it down while turning the wheel. There you go, you got it!”

Draco didn’t really have it, but the jerking of the truck was better than a quick run into the house. Harry was glad their house was some distance away from most others as that would give Draco a chance to really get a hold of the truck before they met too many other cars. Surprisingly, it didn’t take him that long to get the hang of how much pressure to put on the gas pedal. He had been one of the smartest in their year, Harry recalled.

“This isn’t that hard,” Draco said as he slowed the truck down at the end of their yard. “I should have done this sooner.”

“You’ve gone five miles an hour in the yard.”

“Shut up, Harry.” Draco looked both ways down the road before pulling out, the truck only jerking a few times as he got up to speed. “Forty-five, right?”

Harry leaned over to check the speedometer; it barely read twenty. “You’re doing fine. There’s nobody out here to give us trouble anyway.”

Draco nodded, hands easing on the wheel the further they drove. “How do you do the... the clicky-thing?”

“The turn signal is on the left.” Harry took off his belt so he could shift a bit closer and point to it. “You push it up to indicate right, and down to indicate left.”

“Same direction of the wheel.”

“That’s right, same direction.” Harry rubbed his hand on Draco’s leg. He was sure he should pull it away, but it seemed to be helping Draco’s nerves, so he kept it there. “We’ll talk about the wipers when it actually rains.”

Draco looked down at his feet before moving his foot to the brake pedal. “I can’t believe I was worried about this.”

“Eyes on the road.” Harry couldn’t help but lean in and press a gentle kiss to Draco’s cheek. “Soon you’ll be good enough to teach the kids when they’re of age.”

Draco’s cheek flushed as they came to a stop at the sign. “We’ll see. Maybe we can afford to get another car by then.”

Harry wasn’t sure he wanted to -- that would just mean the kids were that much closer to leaving the house, and him, behind. “Yeah, maybe. Town’s to the left.”

Draco made sure to turn on the signal before looking both ways down the road. “We’ll start saving now. Another truck, maybe?”

Watching Draco turn the wheel as if he had been doing it all his life, and Harry could see it. He could see Draco sliding into the passenger seat to teach James how to drive. He could see them putting aside money every month in a special fund until the day they brought one of the kids to the used car place in town. Hell, he could see Draco years from now, hairline receding, as they waved to Lily when she left to finally start her life.

He could see it all and it scared him because there couldn’t possibly be a way he would be lucky enough to have that. So he just squeezed Draco’s leg and gave the man a smile, saying nothing as they continued to town.

-----

Drew rubbed at the back of his neck as he watched Ashley help Draco knead dough for the first time. The two of them laughed about something Harry couldn’t hear from their spot on in the living room, but as long as Draco kept smiling, he wasn’t going to worry too much about it. The look on his friend’s face, however, he was definitely going to worry about.

“What?” he asked, hoping to just get it over with.

“I thought you were lost over Gin, but Harry... you got it bad.” Drew laughed, nudging Harry with his foot. “I thought you were supposed to be getting back at him?”

“It started like that...” Harry shrugged. “Then I don’t know...”

“Ash and I would never judge you or who you choose, Harry.” Drew leaned over, resting a hand on Harry’s knee. “We aren’t like that.”

“Oh, I know, I just--”

“I had my own run in with men in my younger years.”

It wasn’t until Harry saw Drew’s wink that he burst into laughter. At roughly the same age, Drew didn’t have all that much “younger years” behind him. At least Harry hoped not -- he didn’t want to be older as it was. 

“You are ridiculous.” Harry patted Drew’s hand before standing. “Thanks, though. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime, Harry. You’re my best friend.”

It wasn’t often that Harry felt the pang of missing Ron and while he felt it now, he was also glad that it was Drew sitting there and not his brother-in-law. Ron would never understand what happened here, especially not since the other person was Draco. Harry shook the thought away and reached out to clasp Drew’s hand.

“Thanks, mate. Draco and I should get the kids home, though. School tomorrow.”

“We’ll drop off Draco’s bread in the morning, then.”

“I appreciate it.” Harry gave Drew one last smile before heading into the kitchen and coming up behind Draco. He gently rested his hands on the blond’s hips and leaned over, resting his chin on Draco’s shoulder. “Can I eat it now?”

Draco jerked to the side so he could give Harry a disgusting look. “You want to eat raw bread? And I willingly married you? I want a divorce.”

Harry laughed as Ashley packed the bread into a pan. “Sorry, no can do. Ready to go home?”

“But--”

Ashley waved him silent before opening the oven. “I’ll keep an eye on this, love. It’s getting late.”

“Oh... Sorry, I didn’t even notice the time. The kids still outside?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, figured we’d grab them on the way to the truck. Thank you for dinner, Ash, it was lovely.”

“Yes,” Draco agreed, “we should really do this more often. Maybe next time you can come to ours?”

Ashley looked between them before giving Draco a soft smile. “That sounds great. We can discuss it next time Harry’s at the bar.”

“Sounds good. Come on, babe, let’s go home.” Draco pressed a gentle kiss to Harry’s cheek before taking his hand and pulling him out the door. 

Harry caught both Ashely and Drew’s grins as he left and he couldn’t help the flush that stole across his cheeks. The next time he was in the bar, there was going to be more than just talking about their next dinner date. The couple would definitely have questions about the fact that Harry was so obviously gone on his pretend husband

He had to tell Draco the truth.

Eventually.

The kids were easy to wrangle into the truck. James and Albus wanted to ride in the bed -- it was something Harry normally didn’t allow, but the ride would barely be five minutes back to the house, so he had relented. Draco placed strict instructions for them to stay seated and hold on and the two immediately agreed before climbing into the back.

Lily was already asleep by the time they reached the house, so Harry carried her upstairs and put her to bed while Draco took the boys. The entire thing felt way too easy -- the two of them working together as parents. With Lily tucked away with her stuffed elephant, and the boys drifting off in their own beds, Harry didn’t want it to end. This domestic bliss he found. And that terrified him.

“Today was a good day,” Draco said as soon as he shut the boys’ bedroom door. “Why don’t we visit them more often?”

“You know how it is with schedules.” Harry tucked a stray bit of hair behind Draco’s ear. “We should get some sleep, too.”

“As much as I’d like to pretend we’re still teenagers, I suppose you’re right.” Draco rested a hand on Harry’s chest. “Harry?”

He wondered if Draco could feel how fast his heart beat, strong and steady under his hand. “Yes, Draco?”

“Take me to bed.”

Images of Harry doing exactly that came to mind. Slowly stripping Draco’s clothes from his body, pressing him down on the sheets. Biting down on his shoulder.

Draco’s laugh pulled him from his fantasy and he stepped closer. “Not like that, Harry, though don’t think I haven’t thought about it. I’m too tired to try and seduce my own husband tonight.”

“Draco...”

“No, I get it. When we do finally get back to that, it should be special.” Draco slid his hand up and into Harry’s hair. “I don’t know if you were my first before, but if you’re going to be my first this time...”

Harry shivered, unable to help but lean forward and give Draco a kiss. He forced himself to keep it short or he would drag Draco off into the bedroom and damn the consequences. “Merlin, Draco...”

“Let’s just get some sleep,” Draco said with a soft smile. He laced his fingers with Harry’s before tugging him down the hallway.

Halfway through the door of the bedroom and Harry remembered, finally, that Draco wasn’t supposed to be sleeping here. He tugged on Draco’s hand, arching an eyebrow at him. “Your... your back?”

Draco laughed before pulling off his shirt. “That was always the lamest excuse, Harry. My back, really?”

“I mean--”

“I get it, you didn’t want to make me uncomfortable. But Harry, I’ve been taking naps up here while you’ve been at work ever since we got back from the hospital.” Draco tugged back the covers. “So, let’s just go to bed.”

Draco had pulled the covers back on Ginny’s side of the bed. The side that hadn’t smelled like her for weeks now, actually. It had smelled like something, though, and now Harry knew what it was. The new scent was recent, and now he knew it was definitely Draco’s. A musk that was park woods and part potions.

He had been smelling it since Draco got here and hadn’t even noticed until now. Harry would slide in bed and bury his face in that scent, letting it relax him into sleep. And it was Draco’s.

“Are you coming?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Harry sat on his side of the bed.

“I promise I won’t bite,” Draco teased as he lay down.

“At least not now,” Harry said and got under the covers as well. “Good night, Draco.”

Draco leaned over to kiss him. “Good night, Harry.”

Harry let himself indulge as Draco curled up next to him, head pillowed on Harry’s chest. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could have this, so he would take what he could get.

-----

“Mail’s here!” James called, jumping on the couch to reach the owl perch just out of his reach. “Dad, you got a letter!”

“Dad’s right here,” Harry muttered before closing his book and watching his eldest try to coax the owl closer. “Do you have the treats?”

“Albus is getting them.” James stretched further. “Come on, it’s okay... I’m nice.”

“I got ‘em!” Albus burst into the room, spooking the owl into flying about the room. “Oh, come on...”

“Enough,” Harry told them, standing and holding out his arm. “You can’t demand things from the owls, okay? I thought we went over this before.”

Both his sons bowed their heads, muttering apologies as the barn owl finally landed on Harry’s outstretched arm. He cooed at the bird, settling it before taking the letters. He then knelt down to let Albus slowly approach, treats in the palm of his hand.

“See? Gentle.” Harry smiled, stroking the bird’s chest. “They’re smarter than you think.”

The bird leaned a bit away from James but didn’t fly off when his eldest ran his own fingers across the feathers. Once it finished all the treats Albus brought, he let out a screech and took off; Harry ignored the scratches left behind. They would heal.

“Don’t you two have homework or something?” Harry asked as he sat back down.

The boys looked at each other before racing outside, leaving Harry alone in the living room. Having space to himself with no interruptions was rare, so Harry closed his eyes and let himself relax for a moment. Draco and Lily were in town looking for some kind of doll she wanted, and he could hear the boys calling to each other outside, so there was nothing to worry about.

His moment of quiet finished, Harry flipped through the letters that had arrived. Molly Weasley’s monthly letter felt thicker than usual; he put that off to the side to read later. She tended to write novels about her grandchildren. Next was a note from Gringotts regarding his finances and other various affairs the goblins looked over for him. Harry hadn’t opened one of those in years and today was no different -- he tossed it straight to the fire.

The third letter came from Hermione and he smiled as he opened it. Straight and to the point as always, she told him about any major events in England. George had opened another shop and officially bought out Zonko’s. Charlie finally got married and had twins on the way. Bill and Fleur were planning on taking a year to travel (they would love to visit, Harry, so let me know). Teddy had taken it upon himself to try to imitate those around him perfectly. 

As with all of her letters, she asked if he planned on moving back to England before Albus started his schooling. His fame had lessened some, but Harry already knew his answer to that. His children deserved to grow up without expectations of their names. And while he probably could have done better on their first names, their last name alone would have made it difficult. He refused to put them through what he had gone through.

The end of the letter caught his attention more so than the rest. Draco’s disappearance finally came to the light as his boss hadn’t heard from him since he had arrived in America. They weren’t sure where he started since he was apparently allowed to map out the region as he saw fit, so they weren’t sure where to begin. The Ministry had contacted American authorities, though, so it would only be a matter of time before they found out what happened to him.

Harry gripped the letter tightly, trying to remember how to breathe. They were looking for Draco. They were looking and by this point, the town knew about him and where he lived. The false sense of home Harry built over the past few weeks was going to stop, it was going to explode in his face.

The sound of his truck coming up the drive and the kids’ welcoming voices pulled Harry from his half panic. Draco and Lily’s voices soon joined in and he stood, folding the letter and stuffing it back into the envelope. He had to tell Draco, but how? He had... he couldn’t...

“Babe, we’re home!”

The door opened and Lily ran inside, a new doll clutched in her hands. Harry barely heard her hello as she raced upstairs. He was too busy staring at Draco, his wind-swept hair almost messier than Harry’s own. Before Harry could attempt to explain anything, Draco turned toward him and gave Harry a wide smile. The kiss that came next filled his heart with warmth and, if anything, that made Harry panic more.

Draco pulled back with a small frown. “Harry?”

“I’m fine,” Harry said quickly, looking away. “I just... nap. You and Lily scared me.” Coward.

“I’m sorry, babe.” Draco kissed his cheek. “Why don’t you take a bath and relax. I got dinner.”

Draco didn’t wait for an answer before walking to the kitchen, humming under his breath as he went. Harry could only stare after him, one thought racing through his mind.

He was so screwed.

-----

It took Harry two days to answer Hermione’s letter, yet he still hadn’t been able to relax. Draco seemed to notice because he had been taking the kids more often and distracting them from bothering Harry too much. While Harry appreciated it, he knew he had to get over himself and get back to life. 

He would have to tell Draco the truth, too. Maybe tonight once the kids had gone to bed. But for now, he could still enjoy the false family he set up. Letting out a breath, he finished cleaning up the kitchen before stepping outside to join his family in the backyard. Draco, Albus, and Lily were sitting together at the rickety picnic table, papers between them.

Harry leaned over Draco’s shoulders, squeezing them gently. “What are you three up to?” he asked before pressing a kiss to Draco’s head.

“We’re making a treasure map!” Lily leaned forward, pointing at the paper in front of Draco. “This is our house!”

“And our treasure is in the forest,” Albus added. “Papa said he hid something out there!”

Harry laughed and took a seat next to Draco, sliding the map closer. “A treasure hunt, hm? That sounds like a good way to spend our afternoon.”

“We just started, so you can join,” Lily said, passing Harry a crayon. “You can color in the trees. I have the house and Al has the ground.”

“What does Papa get to do?”

“I’m drawing everything, of course.” Draco smiled and sketched out a few more trees. “I think I have the knack for it. Though this area has plenty of benchmarks to start from. I had Albus do a boundary survey earlier.”

“A what?”

“Boundary survey,” Draco repeated before giving Harry a wide grin. “I had him establish a boundary line around the property so we don’t stray too far.”

“I see. Sounds like fun.”

Draco nodded. “Oh, for sure. My first map was too detailed.”

“Too many lines,” Lily said before grabbing another crayon. “Papa said they were hat-sures--”

“Hachure,” Draco corrected.

“They were confusing,” Lily continued, ignoring him. “Papa said they were to tell us how steep things were, but we already know it because we live here.”

Draco shrugged. “Hachures don’t belong on treasure maps, apparently. If I had my tools, I could probably make a harder one when they’re older.”

Harry hesitated. “Your ... tools?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a great alidade in my bag. I tried to look for it this morning, but I wasn’t sure where I left it. Probably with my theodolite, though I left that...”

Harry watched as Draco trailed off, eyes staring at something in the distance. “Left it?” When Draco didn’t answer, Harry grew worried. “Draco...?”

Draco blinked and looked between the kids before turning his attention on Harry. “Potter?”

It was barely a whisper, but the way Draco said his name made Harry’s heart break. It wasn’t the teasing way he had been saying it around the house, but the low, disgusted way he said it during school. Harry leaned back as Draco’s eyes narrowed.

“Perhaps we should speak in the house,” he said, lowering the pencil. “The kids will be fine for a moment.”

Harry wanted to argue, wanted to stay where they were and pretend nothing bad was happening. But he knew better than to argue in front of his children. “I’ll have James come out just in case.”

“You do that.”

He tripped as he stood. Draco eyed him for a moment before turning back to the map in front of him -- Harry did appreciate that he was polite enough not to make a scene and just leave them sitting there. He quickly went upstairs to open the door to James’ room, getting his attention away from his book.

“Need something, Dad?”

Harry shook his head. “He’s remembered. Can you distract Albus and Lily?”

James’ face fell and he stood. “Dad, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just... I’m glad he’s not making a scene. Just watch them please?”

“Sure, of course.” James closed his book and quickly ran down the stairs.

Harry stayed in the doorway, listening for any sounds downstairs after James left the house. He could hear muffled voices outside, but didn’t bother trying to figure out who was saying what -- did it even matter anymore? Yet again, his life was crumbling beneath his feet. Losing Ginny hurt, but at least they had time to prepare for that. The muggle disease that took her was slow and gave them time to say their goodbyes. Losing Draco -- because what else would be happening right now -- cut him deeper than anything else had before. Harry wasn’t even sure how to begin convincing the blond to stay here with them. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

The front door opened again. Harry almost wished it had slammed instead of the soft click when Draco closed it. He felt his heart beat faster in his chest as he turned to look down the stairs. He hoped that he would see something other than the ugly disappointment that now sat upon Draco’s face. Harry couldn’t move and it seemed as though Draco knew that because he started up toward him instead.

“Did you really think this would work?” he asked, his movements slow. Harry’s heart cracked every time Draco’s foot reached another step. “When you decided to take me into your home, introduce me to your children? When was the point where you really thought I would want to be here with you?”

“I didn’t--”

“No, you listen while I talk right now.” Draco finally made it to the top, standing in front of him. “The Golden Boy isn’t so golden after all. Is that why you came here to hide? Is that why you disappeared?”

Harry looked down at his feet, hand gripping tight to the handrail beside him. “I--”

“I really don’t care about your excuse, Potter.” He wrinkled his nose. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m not going to report you. Your kids need you and I won’t screw up their lives because you’re a major asshole. But if you ever try to contact me again, I will make your life a living hell. Are we understood?”

All he could do was nod, not sure if Draco would even let him speak.

“Good. Now I’m going to grab my wand and leave here. I don’t care what you tell your children because this is no longer my problem. And just so you know, I won’t be returning these rags you dare to call clothes. I’ll be burning them.”

Draco pushed past Harry, shoving him with his shoulder as he did so. Harry turned, throat dry and feeling as if someone were choking him. He wanted to tell Draco not to leave, to stay and figure this out together. But what right did he have? No matter how much he actually cared for Draco, he had still faked a life that didn’t belong to either of them.

Harry found himself in the doorway of their -- no, his -- bedroom. Draco looked up from the dresser, wand in hand. “Are you really going to try to stop me?” he asked, fingers tightening around the wood.

The same wand that Harry had taken from him years ago. The same wand used to defeat Voldemort. Harry shook his head, tired of taking from Draco. “No, but I really want to.”

Drao’s fingers tightened around the wand. “You have no right to try.”

“I know,” Harry agreed, defeated. “You can curse me. If it’ll make you feel better.”

“Self-sacrificing git.” Draco then flicked his wand with a flourish and disappeared, leaving Harry alone in the bedroom, his guilt the only thing keeping him company.

-----

“Daddy?”

Harry didn’t look up from the pasta boiling away on the stove. “Yes, Lily?”

“When is Papa coming back?”

He was already tired of the question even though she had only asked it twice now. Once when she came in from the treasure hunt to find Draco gone, and now -- two days after Draco left. Harry could practically feel James staring at his back as he tried to think of a good answer to his daughter’s question. James and Albus might be old enough to really understand what had happened, but Lily was different. She still believed everything would always work out and Harry wanted her to have that magic for as long as possible.

He turned off the stove so the pasta didn’t over-boil before turning to kneel next in front of her. Harry tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and tried to give her a smile. “Papa... Lily, Papa had to leave. He isn’t coming back, baby.”

She frowned, fingers twisting in her dress. “Did he not like us?”

“Nothing like that, I promise.” Harry pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Daddy just made a mistake, so Papa left. You did nothing wrong, love.”

“Can you fix it?”

Harry expected a question like that from Lily, but not from Albus. He looked over at his youngest son, not sure how to answer. He wanted more than anything to go after Draco, to apologize, but he also didn’t want to put his children in danger. He doubted Draco would actually do anything to hurt them, but he might hurt Harry.

For the first time in days, Harry wondered what Ginny would have thought about the situation. She definitely would have called him an asshole, first of all, but after that, he wasn’t so sure. Harry stood, escorting Lily to the table to sit with her brothers. They had to get on with their lives.  Wishing Draco was back here wasn’t going to help.

“I can’t fix it,” Harry told his children after Lily settled into her chair. “He didn’t belong here and he didn’t really want to be here, either. We’ll get through this together, though. Okay?”

Albus tapped his pencil on the desk, frowning. “You said you could fix anything...”

Harry shook his head. “No, I--”

“Mom said that,” James cut in, “but she isn’t wrong.”

“That’s what you do, right?” Lily looked to her brothers. “He fixes things every day, right?”

“If he wants to,” Albus agreed. “I don’t think he wants to fix this, Lily.”

“Albus--”

“You let him go really easy, Dad.” Albus closed his notebook and stood from the table. “You don’t want to fix it,” he said with a shrug.

Harry could do nothing but watch as Albus led his very upset daughter out of the room and up the stairs. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging on it before finally focusing back on his eldest. James, leaned back in his chair, saying nothing until Harry arched an eyebrow at him.

“It’s obvious you really like him. We do, too.”

“You’re eleven,” Harry said, exasperated. “You don’t understand everything that’s going on.”

“Maybe,” James agreed before standing, “but I still think you can get him back.”

Harry let the last of his children leave the room while he continued to stare at an old stain on the table. Was James right? Could he possibly get Draco back? Harry glanced behind him to a picture of Draco surrounded by the kids in the living room. He had taken the picture late one night after Draco attempted to watch a movie with them -- they had all passed out halfway through. Draco’s face was peaceful, a slight smile on his face as Lily curled up on his chest. Albus and James were on either side of Draco, their heads on his shoulders.

He wanted that, he wanted to keep that so much. The only question was would Draco even let him try?

-----

Molly had been surprised when Harry showed up on her doorstep with the three kids, but thankfully she had  asked no questions. She simply pressed a kiss to Harry’s temple and told him to go do whatever it was he had to do -- the kids would be safe. He had no question about that as it was, but he appreciated the promise all the same. She may have only met his children a few times, but she was Grandma Molly and they would feel comfortable staying with her while Harry tried to get his life back.

“Go get him, Dad,” James had said before Harry spun on his heel and apparated out of the Burrow.

Go get him. Harry wasn’t sure just how he was going to get Draco, but the first place he thought to look was the old Malfoy Manor. While they still had wards to keep people from just showing up on their doorstep, Harry recalled where the one spot was located to which he could Apparate safely. The Ministry had forced all magical residences to have an apparition point available for their officials; Hermione had talked about it enough in her letters. Ron had even complained that the Malfoys made theirs near some overgrown rose bushes so anyone coming in uninvited would eventually get pricked.

So Harry abused the fact that they had let it slip just where that location was and found himself appearing just inside the wards of the grounds. He stared at the intimidating manor, not sure whether or not he actually wanted Draco to be inside or not.

It might be easier to just return to Elk Cove and pretend Draco had never been around. It wasn’t as if his life would be more miserable than it had been before; he would just be grieving for two instead of one. Ginny would be ashamed of him.

Before Harry could decide whether or not he was actually going to walk up to the front door, it opened to reveal the regal Narcissa Malfoy. The last time Harry had really seen her, she had been lying to the Dark Lord to save Draco’s life. Harry swallowed his fear and forced himself to walk forward. The bushes did prick him on his way past.

“Mister Potter,” she said once he got close enough. There wasn’t a scowl on her face, but neither was her expression welcoming. “Come in, I’ll get some tea ready.”

“That shouldn’t be nec--”

“Earl grey sounds perfect for an afternoon tea today,” she continued, ignoring Harry’s words. “I do believe I have some scones, too.”

“...Of course, right.” Harry nodded and followed her through the front door, feeling like a teenager being scolded. “Thank you.”

Narcissa led Harry into a parlor room, motioning him to a couch before taking a seat herself. The room, decorated in what Harry remembered the Slytherin common room looking like, was oddly welcoming. A fireplace crackled next to them, though it wasn’t overly warm either. A house-elf popped in to put the tea and scones on the table between them; Harry’s manners kicked in enough that he leaned forward to pour them each a cup. Narcissa may be hosting, but she was his elder and a regal-like woman. Besides that, Harry had deeply wronged her son and he wasn’t about to dig himself further down by having her serve him.

“My son recently returned to England,” she said as she reached forward to take her cup. “He spun an interesting story for someone who was supposed to be updating maps.”

The blush on Harry’s face was probably a deep scarlet, but there was no way he could stop it. “I am more than embarrassed about what happened, Mrs. Malfoy. I’m not sure what came over me during his stay in Oregon.”

“The two of you have been fighting since you were eleven and it hasn’t always been simply school-boy rivalry.” Her look turned soft and she tilted her head. “What do you feel for my son, Mister Potter?”

That was the crux of the matter: what did Harry feel? “I’m not sure how to answer if I am  honest. I don’t dislike him, and I think there’s been something more than friendship. But...”

“You fear that what you’ve done has ruined things.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Harry hesitated before reaching for his own cup. “I came to apologize and to... to tell him that not everything was a fantasy created by the situation.”

“You wish to court my son?”

Harry looked down at the wedding band he had been spinning around his finger. The band Ginny had put there the day they married. The band Draco had thought he put on Harry’s finger. No. No, he didn’t want to court Draco, he wanted to marry him. He wanted the band to be something Draco spent hours looking at before deciding it was perfect. He wanted...

“I think I love him,” he said softly, clenching his fist. “I came to get him back. May I please speak to him?”

Narcissa put her cup down before reaching across the table and taking Harry’s hand. “My deepest apologies,” she said, voice barely a whisper in the room. “Draco left shortly before you arrived and I’m not sure when he will choose to return.”

Harry’s heart tightened in his chest. “I... I see.”

“I will, of course, let him know that you came by.” She squeezed his hand gently. “And despite the situation, I do thank you for taking care of him until his memories returned.”

“I don’t deserve your thanks for that. Not after what I did.”

“As far as I see things, you saved him, Mister Potter.” She smiled and looked down at his wedding band. “I saved your life once, so long ago now, and I consider this your repayment. Your life debt to me has been fulfilled.”

Harry sucked in a breath and pulled back; his ring stayed in Narcissa’s hand. She curled her fingers around it before leaning back. He looked down at his hand, feeling more naked now than he had ever been before in his life. The place where the band had been was pale compared to the rest of his hand and he flexed his fingers against the absence of the gold. Confused, he looked back up at Narcissa.

“I don’t understand.”

Before she could answer, the fireplace burned bright green, signaling the arrival of someone. Draco stumbled out of the fireplace, hair in disarray and robes lopsided on his shoulders. Harry’s eyes widened and he could do nothing but stare as Draco brushed himself off, the blond not even realizing they were in the room as he called a house elf.

“Bippy is here, sir,” the elf said as soon as it came in.

“Where is my mother?”

“Draco.” Narcissa stood, moving forward as her son’s head snapped up. She ran her fingers through his hair. “You didn’t tell me where you were going. I was worried.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Draco said, shoulders slumping. “He already left.”

“Mister Potter?” At Draco’s nod, Narcissa turned and stepped aside. “Has he?”

Harry stood as Draco finally realized he was in the room. They stared at each other in silence and Harry barely noticed when Narcissa slipped out of the room, leaving them alone.

Harry wanted to kiss him.

“I’m sorry,” he said instead, nervous as Draco’s expression didn’t change from the muted disappointment he had been showing when he arrived. “I came here to apologize for what happened since you left before I could.” He hesitated. “Well, you left without letting me, I guess.”

A frown crossed the delicate features. “Apologize?”

“I manipulated you,” Harry continued. “I used the fact that you didn’t have any memories for my own personal gain. I wish I had been better than that and I am truly sorry for the hurt I caused you. And if it affected your job, let me know and I’ll speak to your supervisor. I’ll explain that I’m the reason you’re behind. If you are, I mean...”

Harry looked down at his hands, focusing on the empty space on his left. Since Draco was still silent, he took a deep breath before deciding to just keep on going. What could it hurt at this point?

“As much as I’m sorry about what happened, I’m also really happy. Not because I hurt you, but because I got to be with you. I got to see you for who you are, and not just a face that bullied me through school.”

“We bullied each other,” Draco said softly, getting Harry’s attention.

“We did,” Harry agreed, eyes locked with the blond’s own. “Having you with me in Elk Cove showed me what could have happened if I took your hand in first year. Maybe... maybe I would have fallen for you instead of Ginny.” Harry took a chance and stepped closer. “Maybe you and I would have adopted some children to raise. To care for.”

Draco wrinkled his nose before shaking his head. “Don’t be daft, Potter. I don’t need to adopt children with you.”

Harry flinched, unable to help himself. “Well, yeah, but--”

“Let me finish.” Draco crossed his arms, but not before Harry noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. “I don’t need to adopt because we already have children.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Draco...”

“Children that I don’t see here so I’m hoping you didn’t leave them with Drew. I know you like the man, but he teaches James the worst sort of things and I won’t have my-- mmph-”

Harry cut off Draco’s words by dragging him into a kiss. Fingers gripped tight in Draco’s robes, Harry poured as much feeling as he could into kissing Draco Malfoy. Draco’s own hands came to wrap around Harry’s neck as the kiss softened. It wasn’t until Harry needed air that he broke away, leaning their foreheads together.

“Draco...”

“Hush, Harry.” Draco trailed his fingers down Harry’s cheek. “Coming back to England, ranting about your stupidity to my mother, it made me realize something. I liked Elk Cove. I liked waking up next to your ridiculous bed head. I liked watching you fix things around the house and teach James things that he could still do despite being a squib. I liked how you wouldn’t let Albus or Lily make him uncomfortable, yet you still let them grow and be joyful with their own magic. I liked being married to you.”

“Enough to do it for real?” Harry pulled back enough to look at Draco, heart beating loudly in his chest. “Draco Malfoy, will you marry me?”

“You utter sap.” Draco smiled and held out a hand. A house-elf popped in to place something there before popping back out. Before Harry could question what it was, Draco stepped back and got down on one knee, opening the ring box between them. “I’ll say yes if you do.”

And really, there was no other way to answer that except for, “Yes!” In the ornate box was a simple engagement ring with small emeralds on the band and a garnet in the center. Harry felt tears well in his eyes as he realized the reason Narcissa took off Ginny’s ring -- Draco already had this waiting for him. As the band slipped onto his finger and fit itself there, Harry felt nothing but absolute happiness. He didn’t think he could after losing Ginny, but here was Draco proving him wrong once more.

Harry pulled the blond up to kiss him, more than ready to start their new life together. This time, without the lies and manipulations.