Draco groaned quietly against the pillow, digging his head further into it. He really didn't want to get up, he opened his eyes blearily for a moment, before deciding it wasn't worth it and closing them again. He was just about to drift again when..
Shink
His eyes snapped open and he rolled quickly as the guillotine blade fell down onto the bed, cutting a few hairs on his head. His heart beat out of his chest and a soft chuckle made him whip his head around. Harry was softly snickering to himself as he held a breakfast tray.
"I hate this bed guillotine Wednesday got you for your birthday. I'm starting to think she gave it to you out of sheer hope it would decapitate me." Draco said sourly, momentarily soothed by the thoughtfulness of breakfast in bed, the silver tray placed in front of him. It had crepes with a fruit sauce and some juice. Dracos stomach rumbled as he took his fork, he hesitated. "Is this poisoned, Harry?" His eyes drifted up to him.
Harry just smiled, "Why? Afraid I would try?" He tilted his head, eyes piercing him.
Draco snorted, "not afraid, just want to be informed of when I am poisoned, you have a habit of slipping it into my food as a surprise." He cut the crepe anyway, sticking it into his mouth and softly exhaling at the delicious flavor, the tart undertone confirmed his suspicion of it being laced.
"I just like keeping you on your toes." Harry kissed his hair and chuckled to himself. He pulled a rope and started to reset the guillotine. "Wednesday loves you by the way."
No, she didn't, but Draco wasn't going to burst his partners bubble. He picked at his food, he should bring it up.
"Harry, I really think this dinner is going to be a bad idea." Draco said, suddenly all he could taste was the tart in the crepe. He shivered as tan hands took his shoulders, sliding down his bare arms, he swallowed.
"You've said that before, Snapdragon, but I am insisting that it is required if you are to be an Addams." Harry purred, his finger tracing the snake around his ring finger. It was pure silver, shaped to look like the coils were hugging him, emeralds studded the eyes. It was on Draco's index finger, to prevent anyone from having suspicions.
"We can just tell your parents and have an Addams only wedding." Draco said, trying to not be distracted by Harry right by his ear. He shoved more crepe into his mouth.
"Draco, I understand your hesitation, but I believe this is the right step. My mother and father would be displeased if they continue to think you are ashamed of me." Harry pulled away, shrugging breezily as he opened his closet.
Draco stopped midbite. "Your parents think I am ashamed to be seen with you..?" He asked, he was bewildered, they've known about Draco and Harry for years now.
"You do have a tendency to refuse any affection that is not in the safety of your flat or the Addams home." Harry said, pulling out a black pinstripe suit, reminiscent of his father and then pulled out a scarlet ribbon tie, studying them to see if they would pair well.
"Not everyone can be your parents Harry, some of us don't want to be all over each other in public." Draco snipped before he could really think about it.
"You get defensive when you feel backed into a corner." Harry said, still infuriatingly calm, why couldn't he see this had stakes for Draco?
Draco tried not to lash out at that, it would only prove Harry's point. "Harry, I want to stress how much I don't care if my parents are there for our wedding, w-we can tell them after." He stuttered.
"Sundew." Harry started, "We will be joining families, the Malfoy's will be joining the Addams family tree, which is very important to my family. Whenever someone joins there is an uproariously gruesome celebration of love! It's a special night and it's important for us to have your family there to witness you becoming an Addams." Harry watched Draco's lip twitch and studied how he held his arms, closing in on himself. "Draco, you are becoming an Addams aren't you?"
"Well, I was thinking about..staying..a Malfoy." He cleared his throat, putting the breakfast tray aside and standing up, fishing his pants out from the folded pile he put them in last night. "I figured it wouldn't matter..modern times and all." He said, hurried as he pulled on his slacks. He stiffened as Harry's hands took his hips, he could smell Harry's cologne, something spiced with a tinge of books and blood.
"Something tells me you are keeping something from me." Harry whispered by his ear, drawing an involuntary shiver from Draco.
"You know I would never lie, Harry." Draco hurried to put on his dress shirt.
"Hm. That is a lie in itself." Harry pointed out, amused. "Tell me what is truly troubling you, Mon Corazon."
"What's truly troubling me is that I'm going to be late for tea with Astoria." Draco swiftly kissed Harry's cheek, sliding away from him and out the door, like the swift little snake he was.
Harry wasn't detered though, he liked the chase.
*
"a-and he wants me to just..tell them over dinner as a surprise!" Draco vented, holding a tea cup in Astoria's lavish parlor. She raised a dainty eyebrow. She had truly grown into a gorgeous woman, her lithe form covered in a silk green dress with a silver scarf that had golden bracelet connectors. If Draco wasn't hopelessly devoted to a certain pair of green eyes, he could see himself finding Astoria attractive.
"I would pay to see that." Blaise snickered, Astoria whacked him on the arm.
"Draco, honey, relationships are a two way street." Astoria sipped her tea. "And..well.."
"You are kinda rubbish at giving." Blaise interrupted, Blaise wore black and silver dress robes, one elegant leg crossed over the other, Draco almost thought about staining his robes with his tea.
"I give to Harry all the time!" Draco said, feeling the need to defend himself. "Harry is happy in our relationship, we go on dates, we shag, we have deep and meaningful conversations.."
"Yeah, but, Harry is all about family Dray" Astoria said lightly. "And his family is very open and honest about their love and it probably makes him feel a bit..unwanted that you continue to hide as friends in public" she said.
"You should just tell him the truth on why you are afraid of this dinner." Blaise said, sipping his tea.
"I'm not afraid." Draco said stubbornly. "I just think it's a bad idea to put them all in a room together."
"You are afraid of putting them in a room with your father." Astoria clarified, leaning back in her chair, her silk dress draping delicately on the floor.
Draco couldn't deny it, not when Astoria had hit it on the head. "I know my mother would play nice, she hides all her opinions behind a kind and gentle smile, she's never been one to.." Draco pursed his lips.
"Openly tell you that you are disgusting and shouldn't exist?" Astoria raised an eyebrow, remembering Lucius Malfoy quite clearly, but she also remembered when she had..unsavory views.
"Yes." Draco said awkwardly. "Even though Harry comes from an ancient and noble bloodline, I'm afraid my father will..turn his nose up at the way his family is, his parents are so outwardly affectionate."
"You aren't worried about your dad being disappointed you can't have a heir because you are engaged to a man?" Blaise asked, tilting his head.
Draco hadnt even thought about that. "Oh.."
"Blaise." Astoria hissed quietly, elbowing him harshly in the abdomen.
Blaise wheezed, "what? It's true! Draco isn't even- they don't even know about them!" He coughed.
"Fuck." Draco muttered. "I can't have this dinner, I can't. My father will ruin everything."
"Draco, you are an adult and even if he does disown you, you have Harry, be a sugar baby." Blaise winced as he was smacked upside the head. "For Salazar's sake, Astoria!" He cursed, narrowing his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Blaise is right. Kind of." Astoria said awkwardly, sipping her tea. "You have a support net if your father abandons you Draco." She gestured to her lavish home.
"I'm not..worried about being abandoned." Even though deep down, he was. "I'm worried about Harry leaving me- or worse." He said. "Their family is so intertwined with one another, I've seen Harry communicate with his sister just through eye movements- eye movements!" He expressed. "What will his family think when my father is insulting Harry on his looks, personality- I dunno, general attraction to blokes? Mortica is going to burn the whole house clean to the ground and then tell Harry that he can do so much better then me! Like dating a serial killer or..I dunno, a creature of the night." Draco flung his arms dramatically.
"A valid fear, I think? I've only met her a handful of times." Astoria said. "why haven't you spoken about this with Harry?" She set her cup and saucer down on her marble tea table. "His opinion matters more then anyone and Harry is obsessed with you darling, I'm sure if you were honest you could come to a compromise."
"Harry is stubborn as a hippogriff and he always sees the macabre as something beautiful, even if it is a bloated corpse, like my family, and even if Harry agreed to cancel this dinner- to never let my father know, he'd want to be seen with me in public, worshipping me." Draco blushed, skin tinted red as he sipped his tea to cover it, however by Astoria's and Blaise's smirk, he could tell it didn't cover it. "My father would find out either way and any way it happens..my stomach twists." Draco frowned, staring at his reflection in the tea.
Blaise hummed, "It's kind of shite Harry's family insists on making you uncomfortable." He pointed out. "If you don't want to be all out there, that is a valid boundary."
"It is, but hiding an entire husband isn't." Astoria countered, Draco perked when Astoria placed her hand on his knee, he looked up at her to find her staring intensely.
"Draco, the question you should be asking yourself is, do you love Harry enough to risk everything?"
*
"I fear I have pushed him away somehow, he has become so skittish." Harry said, feeding some raw meat to his mother's carnivorous plants.
Mortica hummed, ethereal in her beauty as she flawlessly cut raw meat, uncaring of the blood staining the cuffs of her dress. "Why would a simple dinner scare him so? We are only meeting his parents."
Harry's eyes dropped to his ring, his was a silver spider, it's legs curled to mimic hugging his finger, four rubies studding it to be it's eyes. he wanted it to be a surprise. It's why he always moved the ring to his thumb, or else his mother would know right away. She always had a habit of knowing what is hidden from her. "I think he's afraid we will be scared of his parents."
"I hope we are positively frightened." Mortica smiled to herself as she wiped off her knife.
"Do you still have..reservations about him?" Harry asked slowly, unsure if he should approach this conversation.
Mortica was quiet for a moment. "It's not that we dislike your snapdragon, darling, it's simply the matter of we don't think he is worthy of being an Addams yet." She said. "His fear keeps him chained." She lovingly handfed her plants.
"I try so hard to convince him to shed his fear, and yet he only insists upon it." Harry sighed, picking up his watering can.
"Perhaps we should cut his head open and peek into his brain." Wednesday appeared in the entryway of the greenhouse, she wore a loose black dress with a white collar and sleeves. Her hair was tied into noose braids. She had grown into quite the lovely young woman and Harry was proud of her.
"No cutting open Draco's head, he wouldn't enjoy it." Harry chuckled to himself. "I already know what makes Draco tic." He smirked to himself as he watered a Venus Flytrap.
Wednesday scrunched her nose, a rare expression of emotion. "Ew, Harry."
"Oh, Wednesday, don't knock young love, someday you will feel it to darling." Morticia huffed out a small laugh, allowing one of her flytraps to lick the blood from her hands.
"If I ever do, you have permission to dissect me, because clearly all is lost." Wednesday droned, looking at Harry.
"I'll make sure to keep your brain as a wet specimen." Harry said lovingly, grinning at her as he brushed off his hands.
"Perhaps Draco is hiding something from you." Wednesday said vacantly, walking past him as she picked up the pruning sheers and started to clip the rosebuds off the bushes.
Harry stopped his movements, quiet. Only the sounds of rustling leaves could be heard. "My snapdragon has never hid things that have bothered him before."
"One can always share scratches, but it is much harder to share wounds." His mother said cryptically as she lovingly stroked her carnivorous plants.
Harry thought about it, "I need to show him that I can handle any wound, no matter how grotesque." He said firmly, looking up.
"Speaking of grotesque wounds..I think I shall check on the trap I set for Pugsly." Wednesday mused, walking out of the greenhouse.
Harry tensed for a moment when a hand met his shoulder and then relaxed as his mother glided next to him. "Harry, Did you know there was once a time I was unsure of your father?" She asked.
That surprised Harry thoroughly, he always assumed his parents fell in love at first sight.
"I've had my fair share of Suitors over the years, love, with my prowess, my looks and my stunning capabilities, it wasn't hard to have men bending for me." Morticia cooed, fixing Harry's hair, only to have it stubbornly stick up. A product of James Potter that never quite went away. "He seemed like them, at first, his love was all encompassing, thick and suffocating. I was convinced, for sure, that it was ruse to get to what I had to offer. Only for him to rebuff it, he didn't want my money, nor did he want me for my looks or my capabilities, he cared not for my baggage or eccentrics, in fact, those only made him fall harder and that is what spoke to me. I knew I was his, though I made him sweat it out for a bit, just for fun." She smirked to herself, holding Harry's shoulders.
"That's..all well and good, but how will that help me with Draco?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"Draco is probably afraid, Harry, that you won't see him, but what comes with him." Morticia said, like it was blantantly obvious and Harry was thick. "You are wickedly smart Harry, though a bit oblivious when it comes to romance, which is a surprise considering you've grown up with your father and I as examples."
"I've never seen you two go through relationship strife, how would I know how to handle my own when I have no examples?" Harry asked stubbornly, feeling the need to defend his emotional intelligence.
"Would you prefer there be examples?" Morticia asked simply and she didn't need to have a sharp tone for Harry to feel chastised, even as a young adult.
"No." Harry said, rolling his shoulders awkwardly, his ring heavy on his finger.
"I thought so." She said softly, rolling up the gardening sharps.
"So I just need to show Draco that I love him for him, not because of his blood status, his never-ending wealth or ministry connections." Harry said, feeling confident and optimistic that this was what had Draco nervous. Of course, it all made sense, Draco was probably afraid that Harry would only be marrying him because he comes from a powerful family. That made Harry a bit upset, they've been together for so long, how could Draco feel such a way?
"Now, Harry, I never said that was the issue." Morticia said, aware her son could jump to conclusions sometimes.
"Thank you mother, this has been enlightening!" Harry grinned, kissing her cheek and running out of the greenhouse. Morticia sighed, sometimes, she saw more Potter then Addams in that boy.
*
Draco's hands shook as he buttoned up his vest, all he could think about was how bad of an idea this was. His breath hitched when tan hands slid around his waist, his back meeting a broad chest. "How did you get in so silently?" He murmured.
"Floo." Harry pressed soft kisses to the back of his neck, making him shutter.
"That's not really that silent." His cheeks burned, he had his head tipped but by Harry's soft chuckle, he knew his ears were bright red.
"You must've been studying the buttons on your vest very intently." Harry joked, pulling away from him and sitting on the plush armchair he usually sat in when he came over to Draco's.
"Yes, well, they are very interesting.." Draco said, the conversation trailing awkwardly. Draco took this moment to survey Harry, who looked very handsome in his pinstripe suit and crimson bolo tie. His ring glinted gently in the light and he wore contacts for the evening, making his eyes shine brilliantly.
Draco suddenly felt underdressed in his slacks and green vest. He cleared his throat a bit. "Any chance I can convince you how bad of an idea this is?"
The frown that tipped at the edges of Harry's smile made Draco's gut curl. "Draco, I keep insisting, this is a joyous day, we are announcing our engagement!"
Draco felt like he was going to hurl.
"I feel like you aren't really listening to me Harry." He spoke, fidgeting with his vest buttons.
"I spoke to my mother, I know what you are nervous about my Dragon." Harry purred, leaning in to kiss him but Draco ducked back.
"Draco..what is going on?" Harry frowned, pulling his hands off and crossed his arms
"Harry I don't want this!" He blurted. "I-I don't want this dinner! I don't want you to meet my family because they are ugly! My father is a coward and a traitor, my mother tries her best but she'll never leave and if you meet them you'll leave me because you'll realize you can do so much better!" He shook, teary eyed as he let it all out in the open.
Harry looked stunned, "oh..I was way off.." he said quietly.
"You can be real thick sometimes Harry." He wiped under his eyes. He crossed his arms and shuttering.
"So I've heard." He said, unable to keep the dry tone out of his voice. "Draco, why didn't you just tell me?" He asked, taking a step toward him.
He backed up a step instinctively to keep his space. "Your family is all about, well, family Harry! I don't know if you can understand the fact that my family isn't like yours." He rasped.
"Nobody's family is like mine Draco, I'm not stupid!" He snapped, before inhaling. "Apologies, I shouldn't have snapped at you." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dray. I understand how hard it can be to assimilate into my family, it can be overwhelming." He exhaled. "If you don't want to have this dinner..that's okay." He gingerly put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Just..we would need to make some compromises." He murmured.
"Like what?" He whispered, relaxing a little into his touch and looking down at him slightly.
"Well, for one, I want our relationship to be public. You don't have to yell from the rooftops and I won't either, but it won't kill you to hold my hand out on the street." He said, moving his hand down to his boyfriend's and lacing them together. He pulled them to sit on Draco's couch.
"Okay..well, I want our outside PDA limited to chaste kisses, hand holding and hugs." Draco was not one for PDA in the slightest.
"I can do that." Harry said softly.
"I don't want my family at our wedding." Draco said curtly. "My mother..maybe, but for now..I don't want this big reveal. I'll tell my mother privately and take it from there." He squeezed his hand gently. "I need family boundaries Harry. I'm willing to risk it all..if you understand how I need things to be in the future."
"I understand." He murmured, pulling up his hand and kissing his knuckles. "You mean everything to me Snapdragon. If..boundaries between you and my parents or me with yours is what works for now. I can accommodate." He pursed his lips. "Hey..want to..ditch dinner and get some Indian?" He whispered.
"Harry- your parents will kill me. My parents will kill me." Draco said, laughing a bit at the absurd idea.
Harry stood up and pulled him up quickly, causing him to stumble a bit. He let go of Harry's hand to steady himself while the smaller man sped walk to the fireplace.
"Then I'll just have to resurrect you." He scooped some floo powder and then held out his hand.
Draco walked over, hesitating for a moment. They would hold hands, the prophet would see, take a picture. His dad would surely owl before dessert. He looked up at Harry, who was giving him a soft and reassuring smile. One of his own pulled onto his face as he grabbed his hand. They still had things to talk about, but for now, they were getting dinner.
Together.