Fatherhood | drarry teen adoptive parents au

twenty six | the most loveless homes in the world

To say Draco's parents greeted him awkwardly on Platform 9 3/4 that June afternoon would have been an understatement.

The Malfoys always made an impression, in their designer black suits and their eye-catching light hair, but more noticeable to Draco that day was the sheer frostiness between his parents, and the haphazard application of his mother's makeup to a dark shadow on her face. Could it be a bruise? Another was visible on her neck when she tilted her head, and Draco repressed a shudder.

"Good afternoon, Draco," said his father crisply, clapping a tight hand on his son's shoulder by way of a greeting.

"Draco," his mother nodded stiffly; he noticed she couldn't meet his eye. Her mascara was slightly smudged, like she'd been crying and had only managed a rough job of touching it up.

This wasn't like Narcissa. She was always immaculately dressed, immaculately made up. Certainly not ... bruised. Fuck. Maybe she hadn't exaggerated a single thing in her letters.

What the fuck have you done to her? Draco wanted to ask his father, rage boiling up in him, but he forced himself to stay silent. He knew his father would have no qualms in punishing him if he caused a scene - above all else, Lucius Malfoy feared embarrassment.

"Allow me to take one of your cases, Draco," said Lucius icily, reaching for the bag in Draco's left hand. He froze, knowing that was the Transfigured one with Casper in it.

"I'll be alright, Father," Draco said, more abruptly than was necessary. "Really. I can manage."

"Strong boy," Lucius nodded with light approval. He had been irritated by Draco's tone, of course, but it was good that he was willing to be self sufficient. The Dark Lord valued strength.

Draco followed his parents to the end of the platform, then closed his eyes tightly to Apparate with his parents to the Manor. Of course, being newly sixteen, he still wasn't of legal age to Apparate but Lucius had pulled some strings in the Ministry and acquired a falsified license for Draco some years ago.

Draco couldn't actually be entirely certain that Apparition was safe for someone as small as Casper, but he knew it would be even less safe to attempt to make an excuse to his parents as to why he couldn't come with them.

Instead, he gathered his non-Transfigured bags in one hand, reached subtly inside the other with his free hand for his son's chubby little arm, took a deep breath, and left.

***

Harry's afternoon wasn't much less uncomfortable over in Little Whinging. Dudley had instantly pounced on Harry the second he emerged through the front door, knocking all the wind painfully out of him and claiming an accident.

"He was only playing, you little swine," Petunia had hissed venomously when Harry complained. "If you don't watch your bloody tone, we'll send you straight back to that disgusting, creepy place you call a school."

"You're threatening to send me back to the happiest place in the world?" Harry had snapped back scornfully. "I wish you could, you evil bitch."

He knew the last statement had been a risk, and sure enough he earned himself a hard back-handed slap across the back of his head.

You're not going to come here again, this is the last time she'll do that, Harry reminded himself silently as he tried not to physically retaliate.

He had grown a lot over the past school year, and was now head and shoulders taller than his aunt, so knew that if the need arose, he could easily overpower her. But hopefully it wouldn't come to that.