When Harry awoke in the morning it was with a sense of contentment. Draco was buried into the crook of his arm, his head resting on the dip in Harry's shoulder and his arm wrapped around Harry's chest. Harry turned his head, inhaling deeply in satisfaction, and then buried his lips into Draco's soft hair.
He smiled to himself. It was all a bit blurry without his glasses on but Draco must have been restless during the night because his hair was all knotted and scrunched up to one side.
He felt the other man stir so he kissed him. Capturing his lips and waking him slowly. Their hands lingered over naked flesh and Draco's thumb teased briefly across one of Harry's nipples, making him shudder.
'Morning,' Draco whispered sleepily.
'Merlin, you're gorgeous,' he murmured. He rolled them both over with ease so he was on top.
'Don't worship me, Potter, it doesn't do my ego any favours.'
'I shall worship you all day long if it means I get to wake up like this every morning.'
'Hmmm, how's your errant magic doing?'
'Shall we find out?'
'I like this room. Don't trash it again.'
Harry kissed him again, ignoring the slight tinkle of crystals from the chandelier above them.
'Do you need to take a calming potion?' Draco asked, pushing against his chest.
'Not in the slightest,' Harry said.
'Hmmm, are you going to cast those very specific spells?' Draco muttered, a slight pink tinge brushing his cheeks.
'What? These ones?'
Draco shuddered lightly at the sensation of a cleaning and lubricating spell.
'We can find alternatives, if you don't like it,' Harry said softly, kissing along his jawline as he ran a hand down Draco's side and down to his buttock.
'I do. It's just a bit...' he never finished because Harry had pushed Draco's leg up and was doing outrageously fabulous things with his fingers. 'Oh Merlin...' he whispered.
A bit later, Draco muttered, 'I hope that Ron or Teddy couldn't hear us...'
'I cast a permanent one-way Silencing Charm the first morning,' Harry said, lying on his back, an arm behind his head, and feeling utterly satiated. Draco was pressed up against him into the crook of his arm again. He was beginning to think this was his favourite thing in the whole world.
He felt relaxed in his home and he liked being surrounded by his friends and family.
The room had held up too, they'd only lost a few door handles. But, in general, everything was intact and that had to be a good sign.
He summoned their pyjama bottoms when he heard Teddy's bedroom door open and by the time he bounced through, they were semi-respectable and the shutters were back and the window thrown open so that the summer morning sunlight shone through with a light breeze caressing his bare chest.
'Can we have pancakes for breakfast, in bed, Da?' said Teddy, squidging in between them.
'We'll have to ask Letty nicely.'
It was then that Kreacher appeared with a loud 'crack!', causing all three of them to jump.
'Oh, Kreacher, you're here.'
'Yes, Master Harry, I is here.' He said dourly without a hint of irony. 'Miss Ruby and I is bringing all your things from Grimmauld Place. The wardrobe room is already being filled.'
'And are you finding your place here, Kreacher. Is it okay for you?'
'Yes, Master Harry. It is being most grand and proper. I is being most proud to be serving Lord Potter in a big castle.' He didn't sound it.
'And you know there will always be a place for you here.'
'Thank you, sir. Is there anything you is liking me to prepare for you and Master Draco today? Miss Ruby is upstairs, looking at the rooms for Master Draco's potion's lab and study, sir. So today, I is looking after you both.'
'It's fine for the moment, Kreacher but could you ask Letty if she could do us pancakes for breakfast. Teddy has demanded breakfast in bed.'
'Of course, Master Harry.' He disappeared with another loud 'crack!'
'Ossy's not going to like that,' Harry said.
'What?' said Draco, a smile of amusement on his face.
'Kreacher's very specific Apparition style.'
'Are we really going to play Quidditch today?' asked Teddy.
'You're not,' Harry said. 'I imagine that with Uncle Ron, Uncle George, Aunty Ange, and Aunty Gin playing its going to be a bit fast and furious and a bit high for you. We'll have a separate low-level flying session for you. I think Uncle Bill is coming over today with Victoire so the two of you can have a mess around.'
'Aw, Da, that's not the same.'
'Then I'll put height and speed restrictions on everyone's brooms and we'll all have a low-level game.'
'Cool. Aunty Ginny too?'
'I'm sure she'll comply, if you beg nicely.'
'Are there any Weasley's not invading our home today?' Draco whinged.
'Charlie's in Romania and Percy and I aren't on the easiest of speaking terms after the Triwizard Tournament-whole Ministry denial thing. He's always a bit embarrassed around me. I really don't care, it's all a long time ago, but it's how things are. Don't worry, we'll invite them all for Christmas.'
'Are we going to have Christmas here, Da?' Teddy said.
'We live here now, Champ. If that's okay with you.'
'I didn't know if it was just for the holidays. With Draco too?'
'If that's okay too?' Draco said.
'I think it's brilliant. What will happen to our old house?'
'We haven't decided yet. Maybe I'll rent it out for the moment.'
'Will I go to a different school?'
'We could probably find one a bit closer, maybe in Godric's Hollow.'
'So, I don't have to do my drawing for Mrs Stockton?'
'Maybe do it anyway,' Harry smiled fondly at Teddy. 'Then you can get even better than your dad.'
'I don't think anyone can draw better than dad. Apart from Blaise, he's really good. Are you and Draco going to get married?' Teddy said.
'We haven't talked about it. Maybe it's a bit soon to think about those sorts of things,' Harry said, feeling a bit flustered.
Draco was smirking at him over Teddy's head. He'd raised an eyebrow. 'Well, Potter, are your intentions honourable?'
'I have your mother's blessing,' Harry grinned back.
'What? You do? When?'
'You should,' said Teddy. 'Then we'll be a proper family and I'll have two dads.'
'Would you mind having two dads?' asked Draco.
'Never. Anyway, I would have had two dads with dad and Sirius, with mum too, so I'm supposed to have two dads,' said Teddy, snuggling in a bit closer to Harry. 'I think you should get married on Christmas Day in the orange place.'
'The orange place?' said Draco.
'Where?' asked Harry.
'The orange place. Where Blaise is doing his pictures.'
'Oh, the Orangery.'
'Yep. The orange place. With fairy lights in grape tree in the ceiling.'
'I'll show you after breakfast,' Harry said to Draco, clearly imagining Teddy's vision.
'Will Blaise be there?' asked Teddy.
'Not immediately.'
'Oh...' Teddy said with overt disappointment.
'He said he might come for breakfast.'
'Can I eat my breakfast downstairs?' He was scrambling out of bed and opening the door before Harry or Draco could stop him.
'I think someone's got a bit of a crush,' said Draco.
'Besotted,' said Harry.
'Don't know where he gets all that soppiness from...' Draco teased.
'He'll be gutted when he finds out its unrequited and that Blaise is only coming today because a little bird told him Ginny's visiting.'
'I wonder who told him that,' said Draco innocently.
After Draco and Harry had their pancakes in bed, Harry took him off to show him the Orangery.
Harry, Tilly, Blaise, and Teddy had explored the Orangery the previous afternoon. It was after they'd taken Hercules for a walk together. The mass expedition was partly because Blaise wanted to take some photos and do some more sketches and partly because Harry wanted to talk to Tilly some more and partly because Teddy was definitely worshiping the ground Blaise walked on. They'd been over to Euphemia Cottage because Luna and Pansy were seeing what needed doing to the cottage. When they got back to the Hall, they'd gone into the stableyard to explore properly. Harry was surprised to find the Orangery was one space that wasn't filled with boxes and junk. Instead, they found the long, bright room with large arched windows along two walls and shuttered doors into the main house along the far wall. The space was artfully filled with tropical plants and mature vines that had grown up into the ceiling rafters around the glass ceiling atriums. They pushed open one of the doors, surprised by the beauty and calmness of the room as well as its tidiness.
'The light in here is amazing,' said Blaise.
'For what you need?'
'Perfect.'
'Will it get too hot?'
'Not if I open up all the doors or work under the shade of the vines.'
Harry had called Carls, who immediately set to with moving some of his plants to create a better workspace for Blaise.
'We should have a root around the rooms to see if there's any furniture you'd like. You could have Fleamont's old potions lab bench, it would make a good workbench. There's so much stuff everywhere, I'm sure we can find you something.'
They pushed open the doors into the main house only to find it was a separate annex, currently set up as a games room, with an open-plan living-kitchen area and open stairs up to a bedroom that looked across the Orangery roof as well as across the lake. Surprisingly, it was all sparsely furnished and very neat and tidy.
'Master James and Master Sirius is turning it into the games room, sometimes Master Remus is sleeping here...' said Carls, eyeing Teddy warily.
'But why's this area separated from the main house?' Harry asked.
'Oh, Master Digby Potter liked it for a retreat. He is liking his herbology very much and he was once trying to be making elf-wine from the vines. They is a very rare and special variety of grape, very good for fortified wines. The room was being his wine-making room but when he is succeeding in making his wine, well, he is sometimes sleeping out here...'
'Ah!' said Harry, knowingly as he caught eyes with Blaise and they both suppressed their smiles.
'What, Da?' said Teddy, who was busy exploring every corner.
'Carls has been telling me about one of my ancestors who was a bit fond of the old elf-wine.'
'I is very proud to keep looking after the Orangery and the plants. I is also making the elf-wine, properly. And I is not letting anyone dump their things in here and damaging my vines. I is always threatening to vanish it all so no Potter is doing that,' said Carls with a definite finality in his voice. Harry was surprised he hadn't stamped his foot too.
'There's a posh bathroom upstairs,' said Teddy.
'Yes, Master Digby is ending up living here. I is hearing that Mistress Victoria is not liking the magic mushrooms.'
'The magic mushrooms?' Harry said weakly.
'Yes, Master Digby is growing them and trying to make gin. He is making his guests most happy but Mistress Victoria is not amused...'
'I see.'
'Hear that, Potter, no misbehaving or Mistress Draco will be making you live in the Orangery.'
'I'll tell him you said that.'
'What, Da?' asked Teddy again.
'Nothing,' said Blaise with a smirk.
'Though I think we should try the wine tonight, if you've got any spare, Carls.'
'Of course, Master Harry. I is having enough to sell it at the market. The 1985 is being a particularly good year.'
'Right, let's go and find you what you need,' said Harry, trying to give Blaise a stern look but failing because he was trying not to laugh.
They'd rooted out Fleamont's potions bench and found a tall bookshelf and even discovered a plan-chest stuffed with artists drawings. They spent a happy half-hour sorting through them.
'They're really good,' Blaise said, looking at a series of six pen and ink life drawings of a naked man that they'd laid out. The drawings were mostly of his torso and hips. Front and back.
'Quite risqué,' Harry said. 'I hope that's not my grandad.'
'He's got a very nice arse.'
'Runs in the family!'
Blaise laughed and Harry realised he liked hearing Blaise laugh because it meant he was relaxing; it was deep and came from his chest and his brown eyes twinkled with mischief. 'You should frame them and hang them in one of the guest bathrooms, just for the shock factor.'
Harry liked that idea, knowing the perfect wall in Mione's bathroom.
They eventually found a signature: Wellington Potter.
Harry went in search of it on the tapestry and found the name Clinton Longbottom next to it. He wondered how directly related to Nev the naked man was. He didn't want to think about it too much. Clinton and Wellington hadn't married, perhaps it wasn't done in the seventeenth century. What was more comforting was the fact that Wellington and Clifton had three children. He must ask Narcissa more about how surrogacy worked in the Ancient Houses. Or perhaps Minnie, that would be less embarrassing.
After their leisurely breakfast, as he and Draco lounged on a cream sofa that had been moved into the Orangery, Harry sighed in happiness to be able to relax with Draco. It had been nice that they'd managed to escape the house before anyone spotted either of them and started asking questions or wanting directions. It felt nice to be able to just hold his hand or play with his hair and cuddle up together.
'What do you think to rescuing Blaise?' Draco said as he leant against Harry's chest and idly played with Harry's fingers.
'What do you mean?' said Harry.
'He's in a bit of situation. Utterly penniless.'
'I thought his mother was loaded.'
'She is. But she's a complete miser. Since he turned eighteen, she keeps a book of how much he borrows and takes it out of his trust fund. He won't get a penny until he's twenty-five and he's too proud to go crawling to her. They had a big falling out because she wanted him to go into modelling, like her. Got him all sorts of openings but he didn't want it. Anyway, he's got himself through art college by working nights but now, as a new artist without any commissions until you, well, he's barely scraping together his rent.'
'I've already offered him board and rent while he works on the portraits. Did he tell you?'
'No, he wouldn't ever tell me about his financial situation. I heard him talking to Pans about a job at the Ministry and asking how much they pay. She wheedled it out of him and then she told me.'
'Are you both plotting?'
'No. I wouldn't Harry, it's not my place to.'
'He hasn't even told me a price on the portraits yet.'
'He won't, he's embarrassed. He'll probably try to get away without charging you at all.'
'Can you find out the going rate for a portrait and I'll tell him what I'll pay? I'll whack a bit of commission on top.'
'Not too much because he'll turn it down. Mum and Aunt Dromeda might be able to help there, I'm sure mum will have a contact somewhere after getting my portrait done.'
'Brilliant! And instead of a commission, how about we offer him The Orangery as a permanent studio, rent free for as long as he needs to get on his feet. He can use it to promote his art and get clients in. Or there's always Grimmauld Place for rent.'
'We'll have to move the games room out but it's a highly impractical place to have it anyway,' said Draco.
'That can be arranged easily enough, maybe in the east-wing turret room.'
'So, you don't mind?'
'Of course not. Besides, then I get a full house.'
'What do you mean?'
'You, Pans, and him. Next collection to complete is Luna, Gin, and Nev. I've got Luna and Nev, just Gin to go...'
'I'm not sure I want you collecting Ginevra.'
'Not even for Blaise? Even though you told him she was coming here today? I can really see them together.'
'You're mad!'
'Mhem,' Harry sighed, really feeling very content. 'Didn't he admit to liking her at the beginning of sixth year, you know, on the Hogwarts Express when...' He didn't like to visit that particular incident. It was a bit awkward for both of them. So far, there'd been certain topics of conversation they'd avoided, that was one of them.
'Oh my god, yes! I remember now. Pansy was trying to get a rise out of me because Slughorn had invited Blaise and not me to his little luncheon thing on the train. Ginevra had been invited too...' Draco paused. 'Harry...'
'...don't. You don't need to say anything... It was a shit time and a lot's happened since then... We don't need to go there on this one...'
'Sixth year was the worst.'
Harry interlinked his fingers with Draco's and tightened his grip reassuringly. 'I know. I'm glad we've been able to move on from then. Us, I mean. This...' and he hugged Draco at bit more firmly. 'This means everything to me and all that shit between us back then means nothing now. You make me feel complete.'
Draco whispered, 'Me too. I guess that was the part of the problem between us, we were working against each other rather than working together. The last few days sleeping apart have been surprisingly frustrating and lonely.'
'I know. Mum said I needed to question whether it was better or worse for me. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was worse.' He leant his head back on the back of the sofa, looking up at the glass atrium and the vine wending its way along training wires. 'Teddy's right about the fairy lights. It really would look very romantic.'
'I hope that wasn't a proposal, Potter.'
'Nah, you'd know if it was a proposal. Besides, we're a bit young to be getting married.'
'What are you talking about?'
'We're only twenty-two.'
'And...?'
'Most Muggles get married in their... I dunno... mid-thirties. Statistically, it's later for gay men.'
'We don't have to conform to stupid statistics just... Anyway, we're wizards and we're soulmates. We're not stupid Muggles with their stupid having to wait because it's sensible and getting a career under their belt first and saving up and everything,' Draco huffed, crossing his arms.
'You want to get married now.'
'Yes,' he said, slightly sulkily.
'And you don't think we're too young?' Harry asked, his brow furrowing. He was still looking at the ceiling.
'Mother married father when she was twenty and he was twenty-two.'
'I believe I've already expressed my sentiments about having your father for a role-model regarding any aspect of my life. Anyway, you said your parents weren't soulmates.'
'Okay, but your parents were nineteen, they had you when they were twenty.'
'That's because there was a war on.'
'And because they were soulmates. What about Remus and Sirius, when did they get together?'
'Remus said he was sixteen and Sirius was seventeen. But they never married.' Harry pursed his lips, not sure about it all. 'We've only been together a few days and re-acquainted for a few months...'
'...five, to be exact. And we've known each other for eleven years. Anyway, my parents had only met twice before they married.'
'Again, your father...'
'...I know. I bet if you check your tapestry, you'll find most of your ancestors were in their early twenties when they got married.'
They fell silent.
'Is this our first tiff?' said Harry quietly.
'It's not a tiff. Unless you're adamant and don't do what I say.' Draco elbowed him in the ribs to show he was teasing.
'It's really important to you, isn't it?'
Draco shrugged awkwardly against Harry's chest. 'I guess,' he mumbled.
'Well, I suppose we've both got careers and more money than we can wave a magic stick at so those aren't really relevant. It's just whether it's sensible.'
'We're soulmates. Are you really doubting whether we should be together?'
'No. You know I'm not.' He wrapped his arms around Draco's chest tightly. 'I told you before, I'm not letting you go now. It's just... a bit sudden.'
'You've already put my name on the family tapestry. Anyway, I'm not asking that it happens tomorrow.'
'I know. Just give me a bit of time. I'm still getting used to all this as it is.'
'I know.' Draco twisted in Harry's arms and pulled Harry towards him to kiss him on the lips. 'Don't be in a sulk with me.'
'I'm not, honest. I know it will happen. Merlin, we've already joked about it but...'
'So, we don't talk about it again for the moment. Shall we go and see who's invaded the Hall today and is eating us out of house and home.'
'It'll be costing us a fortune.'
'All these Weasleys are on you and your vault.' He smirked against Harry's lips.
'They'll all have to bugger off back to work tomorrow.'
There was a lot of wolf-whistling and cheering when Harry and Draco walked into the dining room together.
'What?' said Harry, confused.
'Congratulations!' Mione flung her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him and then did the same to Draco. 'Christmas, oh, this is so much fun! Will I still be best-woman? I've already started on the speech...'
'What?' he tried again. Ron was shaking his hand and George was slapping him heartily on the back.
Minnie looked like she was crying, so did Molly. Even Narcissa looked emotional.
'Teddy told us all, about the wedding in the Orangery at Christmas...' said Angelina, beaming widely. 'Congrats, boss.'
Teddy was looking exceptionally pleased with himself as he sat next to Blaise.
'Did he now?' said Harry, putting his arm around Draco's waist and pulling Draco close against him. 'Well, we weren't going to quite announce it yet but it seems the cat is out of the bag.' Funnily enough, he felt his magic calm just a little bit more.
'Is that a proposal, Potter?' Draco whispered in Harry's ear as the room erupted into more celebratory noise.
'Do you want me to drop to one knee here, in front of everyone?' he whispered back.
'Fuck, no!'
'Then I guess I'll propose later, when you're not expecting it and when I've got a ring. Meanwhile, it appears we have a Christmas wedding to plan in the Orange Place. Unless you fancy telling this lot it's not happening.'
'You're bonkers. Ah! So, we're having champagne for breakfast and I think my mother wants a word with you. Along you go, Potter, chip-chop, as she would say,' Draco shoved Harry in her direction and he went to talk to Minerva McGonagall. She was, after all, about to become his second mother.
Harry was waylaid by Luna on the way to talk to Narcissa.
'Harry, I want you to talk with Draco,' she said softly. 'Pansy and I have talked about it and I'd like to be a surrogate for you both. You don't need to answer now, talk to Draco about it.' She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. 'I know you're going to be very happy together, Harry, for a very long time.' And she kissed him on the other cheek before flitting away.
It was almost as if the magic in his body took another huge sigh of relief.
He raised an eyebrow at himself and went straight to Narcissa with a sheepish smile on his face.
***