Fatherhood | drarry teen adoptive parents au

twenty eight | rush

Three parcels and half a dozen letters later, Harry found that his impatience was getting the better of him.

"Come on, Hedwig," he said, picking up her cage. He'd drafted a short note for Draco - "Can't wait any longer. My patience is shot to bits. Meet me, train station, 2pm today? H x".

"I'll meet you at Malfoy Manor today," he told her happily before he sent her on the way to Draco's. "It's going to be good, you'll see, darling. You can eat the posh type of birdseed that Aquila has."

He'd packed a small bag of clothes, toiletries, books, and sentimental items, including his beloved box of letters from Draco. He picked up his owl's empty cage, glanced round the cramped room that had been his for the past several years, and felt nothing for the place. No attachment, no hatred - nothing.

There were still a few items of clothing left on the hangers, mostly Dudley's revolting hand-me-downs, and Harry had made his bed neatly behind him. It looked as if he'd be coming back that afternoon, when in reality he would never see the place again.

Everything he needed, all Harry's important belongings, were rolled up into the little case in his right hand. Anything else he'd need for the rest of his life could be bought with Draco.

It was only 6 in the morning, but Harry had had a fitful night of packing, and had booked himself onto the train two days early. It was time to leave Privet Drive.

He could hear his aunt and uncle snoring as he wandered down to the back door, and felt glad he'd never have to hear that again.

"Goodbye forever, you disgusting, vindictive bastards!" Harry called up the stairs, and took great pleasure in hearing at least one of the bastards in question jolt awake with an angry grunt. He slammed the door behind him jubilantly.

And with that, Harry Potter was on his way out of the abusive household he'd called home for all the years since his parents died, whistling as he walked to the station. He hoped James and Lily would be proud of him.

***

Draco read Harry's note in a panic. "2pm today???" he asked the air in a frantic tone. "That's only in a few hours! What is he doing? I haven't changed the sheets or had a shower, or chosen my outfit, or got him any food-"

In a flurry, Draco managed to finish feeding Casper his bottle before pacing round the room again, the baby bouncing happily on his hip.

"Your Daddy is so bloody impulsive, Cas," he groaned. "And he has no respect for other people's time! What's the point in even deciding a day to meet him? He's the Chosen One, he'll turn up whenever he likes! Bloody anarchist."

Part of Draco was obviously looking forward to seeing Harry again, but most of him was genuinely terrified. The thought of his beautiful angelic boy walking the horror-filled corridors of Draco's childhood had kept him up at night in the past, such an awful image that it gave him cold sweats.

It was the exhilarating agony of being fully known by Harry that terrified him more than anything else. The Manor was like a real life House of Horrors for Draco; how could he keep his boyfriend from seeing all the symbols of his agonising past? He'd told Harry about his childhood before, but only snippets. Seeing the place in real life, seeing his parents, even from a distance - what if he heard something dreadful?

Malfoy Manor was not a happy place at the best of times, and it was even more turbulent nowadays. Draco was beginning to really regret agreeing to the idea of Harry coming to stay. Though what choice did they have?