A Nightmare in Heaven

Chapter 11

Draco's contract was rather intense, in Harry's opinion. Narcissa had taken the stack of parchment and started crossing out entire pages.

"Oh don't worry dear. This is all about children and how to treat them, which ones will be heir to which fortunes, how many and when. Since you don't want to be controlled over that, I'm taking the liberty of crossing it all out."

"Wait!" She paused. "I want it in there somewhere that under no circumstances are any possible children to be punished physically, by food or water being withheld or by being stowed away in small spaces for misbehaving." She gave him an odd look but nonetheless wrote it in with the word 'nonnegotiable' next to it to drive the point home. She'd done that with the fidelity clause as well.

Only an hour later and they had a compromised contract drawn up and given back to the boys on the other side of the manor. Draco had agreed to it before dinner, much to Lucius's displeasure.

The four ate in the dining room, although it was eerily a quiet affair. Only the sound of silverware clinking on china or the occasional sound of glasses being refilled could be heard. Harry could practically taste the icy atmosphere coming off of Lucius in waves. Apparently Narcissa could as well.

She placed her wine glass down incredibly softly, giving her husband a sweet smile as she did so. In a dangerously sweet and soft voice, she asked "May I ask what's bothering you so that you're ruining dinner?" Draco swallowed his mouthful of food, all colour gone from his face.

"Nothing dearest," Lucius spat.

"Oh but I insist you tell me. It must be bothering you something terrible for you to be grinding your teeth at the table."

"I'm merely disappointed in how easily our son caves to negotiations. I would have thought the Malfoy name was better than that." Narcissa didn't even have a chance to reply before Draco had stood.

"For the final time Father, negotiations are to bring two sides to a compromise of which both can live with. I have no problems negotiating. I'm much happier with the contract I agreed to than the one I sent this morning. Now if you don't mind, I have some things to attend to. Goodnight." Draco got up to leave and Harry was quick to follow suit. He hadn't even left the dining room before Narcissa was lashing into Lucius about always needing to have more control than necessary.

He didn't stick around to find out more.

The two avoided talking about the contracts, determined to simply enjoy each other's company. Draco took pleasure in spoiling Harry rotten with surprise packages of sweets and small trinkets while Harry learned to accept them.

While the two were sorely tempted to do more than just kiss each other, they didn't particularly enjoy their classes. It was NEWT year and that meant their teachers were piling on more work than ever before. By the time their NEWT tests were over, all the seventh years were exhausted and simply spent the day after their last final sleeping in and lounging about. Harry and Draco spent that day lying in the grass by the lake, simply enjoying the sun and each other's company.

It wasn't until later that afternoon that the contracts had been brought up again.

"Draco, about the contracts..."

"What about them?" Harry's head lay in Draco's lap with Draco's fingers carding through his hair.

"What happens if we don't want to go the full amount of time allotted? I know ours said two years but what happens if we decide we don't need the full two years?" Harry had to admit, he knew Draco was surprised by what he said, but the hand in his hair never faltered.