Favoring The Strong {Drarry}

- f -

"When exactly are you allowed out of here?" Lucius says as he fiddles with Draco's blanket.

The boys have gone to the vending machine with Narcissa and Harry refuses to leave Draco alone with his father.

"When they feel like I'm well enough." He snatches the blanket away. "Will you stop that!"

"It doesn't feel soft enough," Lucius argues, a weary hand reaching to rub the sheets between his fingers again. "You have very sensitive—"

"Yes, Father, I know, but it's a hospital. They don't offer 1000 count silk sheets, for Merlin's sake. I'm not here on holiday."

"Certainly you wouldn't mind if your mother—"

"No."

"Or Potter—"

"No one is transfiguring the sodding sheets. I'm fine. And even if I'm not, I assure you the bed dressings are the least of my problems."

Harry wonders if this is really what Lucius is like, pathetically doting without his wand. Or if it's the trauma of being trapped in Azkaban for so long only to come out and see your wand snapped in two and your son's run off to another country. He wants to ask, but Draco is giving his father a look so stern that Harry wants to laugh in both of their faces. He's been on the receiving end of that glare but he's also met Lucius, so he isn't quite sure who's winning. He thinks that maybe he should have went with Narcissa and the boys, but he promised not to leave Draco alone with his father again.

"Harry," Draco calls still looking at his father, "would you please transfigure my pillow."

Harry snorts a laugh out of his nose, because this is what they call a compromise and he never thought he'd have seen either man come to one. He stands and makes his way closer anyway. Draco hands him the pillow and he pulls out his wand, transfiguring it to be more similar to the goose down ones they have on the bed at his house. He tosses it to Lucius for approval, and though the man sticks his nose up at it, he hands it to Draco which means he deems it passable.

"Oh look," says Draco teasingly, "You've pleased him."

"Never thought I'd see the day," Harry says off-handedly and he means it as a joke. Mostly. He is surprised however when Lucius agrees with Draco.

"You've taken care of my son and my grandson. For years." He looks up into Harry's eyes which makes the darker man a lot more nervous than he can admit he should be, considering who he is. "You named him after me."

"JL is my son, of course I'm going to take care of him. And his name..." Harry shrugs. "I named him after my dad too. It was only fair."

"You kept Draco from going into Azkaban with me; you allowed him to live his dreams. Even I couldn't do that."

"Draco's a grown man," Harry says finally making eye contact with Lucius for the first time probably since he'd tried to murder him. "I'm not going to make his decisions for him."

"And I dont expect you to, but you made it possible for him to do so."

"Yes, yes, we get it," Draco cuts in, "I have a great fiancé, was there a purpose to all of this, Father."

Lucius stands up and clears his throat before bowing his head in Harry's direction. He stays there for a few moments before sucking in a breath and finally forcing the words from his mouth.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter, for always keeping Draco safe."

"I didn't...I can't...I haven't—" Harry shakes his head and looks over towards where Draco is looking up at his father aghast as if he is both astonished and afraid of what he's said.