Moments

45. The Land from which we Normans Sprang

(999 words)

Draco was, without a doubt, surprised.

Once Harry had accepted that he was in love with Draco, he committed to their relationship with his heart, body, and soul. Though Draco supposed that was Harry through and through; that he didn't do anything by halves. He had thought that their relationship would move gradually as Harry became comfortable with the idea that he loved a man, that he could kiss a man, explore another man's body, have sex with a man.

Turned out Draco was sorely mistaken.

Harry insisted Draco move into his room immediately. 'There's no point in pretending otherwise,' he said. 'We're going to spend every night in either your bed or mine, and as I have the bigger room with the bigger bed, just move in.'

'But...'

'...But we've already lived together forever, we know we get on, that part of our relationship isn't going to change...'

'That wasn't what I was going to say. I was going to ask if you've ever had a relationship with another man before?'

'No, but why is it any different?'

'Do I need to explain the facts of life, Potter?'

'No. But how different can it really be? If I want to go down on you, then I want to go down on you because I desire you, not because I desire your gender. And let's be clear about this... I do desire you.'

'But...' spluttered Draco, partly because of the mental image of Harry on his knees before him.

'But what?'

'You realise it's not like that for everyone?'

'Sure, I know your desires are limited to your gender preference. Mine are not. The idea of giving you pleasure excites me...' And he took hold of Draco's hand and pulled him upstairs.

Draco groaned but didn't resist. How could he?

And he moved into Harry's room.

Harry was a committed and quick learner and gave himself to Draco passionately and whole-heartedly. He was, after all, a Seeker and an Auror, and both required traits of pursuit, drive, and a lack of reserve.

Sometimes they would lie in bed together facing each other and Draco could see the wonder so openly in Harry's eyes that it took his breath away. Harry would trail his fingers softly, almost reverently, over the dips and plains of Draco's collarbone and chest. Then his fingers would follow the scars he'd given Draco in the sixth year, studying them closely, silent but with his lips pursed; only because Draco had threatened to hex him if he apologised again.

'I should tell Maman,' Draco said one Saturday afternoon as they lay in a tangle of bedsheets after they'd taken advantage of everyone being out.

Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder as the sun streaked through the window, warming their bodies.

'I want to tell her, introduce you as my boyfriend...' he faltered. They hadn't actually talked about their relationship status.

'Sure,' Harry'd said. 'I'll talk to Kingsley about permission to come to Bayeux with you.'

'I've only just come back.'

'Well, we can go for a long weekend. It's only Northern France.' Harry idly played with Draco's hair, winding it around his finger and making a knot. It was a habit that he'd fallen into very quickly, much to the amusement of the others in the house. Draco regularly walked around late at night with a twisted clump of hair sticking out at an odd angle.

Valpus took a letter to Normandy.

Draco found he was actually rather nervous about the prospect of introducing Harry as his boyfriend to his mother. Although she knew he was gay, there was a distinct difference between accepting something that is essentially theoretical and the actual reality of your son in a true relationship with another man.

'It'll be fine,' Harry cupped his face reassuringly, rubbing a thumb over his cheekbone. 'It's not like she hates me. She saved my life, for Merlin's sake.'

'That's different,' Draco heaved, his chest feeling horribly tight with nerves. 'That was about me.'

He placed a slightly shaky hand on the Portkey Harry was holding and they were whisked away.

When they landed in the narrow alley, the awed look on Harry's face offered a temporary reprieve; the Malfoy house was in the centre medieval part of the town. The house itself was a four-storey half-timbered ochre house, each floor overhanging the one below in higgled fashion.

'Welcome to the familial seat,' Draco said.

Narcissa greeted them at the door. 'Boys!' she said with a happy smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes. She gave them both a welcoming hug and kiss and Draco immediately surmised that, somehow, she knew.

Later, over dinner, Draco asked, 'how did you guess?'

'I had my suspicions long ago, but it's just so readable on both your faces, love is a powerful emotion. Plus, Harry kissed you outside the house.'

She insisted they went out to try the local Calvados. Draco linked arms with his mother with Harry on the other side as they walked along the old, cobbled streets between ancient stone houses to a wizarding bar. Bayeux had a welcome mix of muggles living alongside the wizards. They'd not come to France too often when Draco was older for Lucius was into the full swing of his pureblood and wizarding superiority rhetoric and had disapproved.

As they sipped the apple brandy, Narcissa plagued them with questions.

'And why did it take you both so long to realise?' she asked.

They looked at her in astonishment.

'Well, there has always been something between you both since you first met but I saw it for definite when I came for Christmas. And all your friends know; Minerva says they've been patiently waiting for you both to realise since year eight.'

Draco felt his jaw drop and, when he glanced at Harry, he knew his feelings were duplicated.

'Well, I feel like an oblivious idiot,' muttered Harry.

Draco smiled. 'But adorable with it, he said.

*****