Potter

Chapter 86

I had been about to go to bed when Draco arrived home, coming in through the floo so quietly I hadn't realized he had come in at all until his arms wrapped around my shoulders from behind. He pressed a quick kiss to my cheek in greeting.

"It's late, Potter. What're you still doing up?" He murmured. I frowned a little, glancing up at the clock- hell, was it really midnight already? It had felt more like ten- and shrugged, leaning back into him.

"I was waiting for someone," I teased, tilting my head back to look up at him. Draco appeared to be in encouragingly good spirits, and his eyes were fond on me as he looked down.

"What a very fortunate wizard." He said then, letting go of my shoulders so he could easily move over the back of the couch and sit down next to me. I rolled my eyes, closing my book as I did so and setting it down on the coffee table. It was good timing on my part- no sooner had I set it down, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pull me close. I had no problem with this, and found myself content wedged between the couch arm and Draco, my head moving to rest on his shoulder.

"So, I'm guessing things went well, then?" I asked, laughing as he pressed his lips to my cheek.

"Thank you," he said with a soft sigh, "for telling me to go. I- it went quite well. Extraordinarily, in fact."

"I'm glad," I said happily. He shook his head though.

"No, Potter, I mean it- it went very, very well," he said his voice lowering to a whisper, "Potter, she gave me the Manor."

"The Manor?" I asked, eyebrows raising a little. "Like- the entire house?"

He nodded once, still looking a little surprised."It's mine now. Of course, it was always going to be mine, but– I wasn't even sure I wanted it, what with its history. It's never been a good home, but I thought- she convinced me-"

"She convinced you what, Draco?" I prompted, adjusting myself so I was facing him, and managed to sit myself comfortably in his lap in the process. Sirius would probably kill us- or  at least passionately scowl - if he came in, but I knew for a fact he had gone to bed an hour ago, and I was more concerned with the desperate openness of Draco's expression.

"I had refused, and she said– she said maybe I'd want it, one day. When the time comes. When," he started gently, and I could see the softness in the look he gave, the hesitance, "when I have a family." 

"Oh," I said lowly, letting the words settle in my chest. He nodded,  grimacing a little as he watched me process the information. I wondered what was going on his head. I wasn't sure what was going on in mine. Thankfully, he seemed content to let me think it through, and lent back against the couch.

"Of course, it'll take years for it to be habitable again– Merlin only knows the amount of dark magic that must be in that house– and it doesn't even have to be kept, I mean, I could just tear it down and sell the wood for spare–"

"Don't." I said it quickly, eyes snapping to him in surprise. "Don't you dare. And I mean, I know it's your house. But-"

"Yours, too." Draco said it so quietly, I almost wouldn't have caught it had my heart not fluttered at the words. He watched me, hand lifting up to brush my hair back gently as he let out a deep breath. "It would be our house. If you wanted it. If you wanted– that."

"Of course I do," I said, perhaps a little too quickly. His look was amused, and he shrugged. Pale pink had spread over his cheekbones.

"I didn't want to assume."

"Draco Malfoy," I said with a fond sigh, letting one of my hands come up to rest against his cheek, and I smiled when he leant into the touch, though his eyes never left mine. I leaned down, aligning my eyes with his, "I want everything with you."