Chapter 1
Draco heard mud squelch under the tyres of the Land Rover as the tank of a car crested the hill. All around him were green fields dotted with sheep and horses and cows and the occasional barn. In the shallow valley below him was the heart of a farm.
A large majestic farm house with stone walls and wooden shutters, that was clearly past its prime and looked a little dilapidated sat at the centre. Around it, garages and tractors and barns and hay bales and animal pens stretched into the green expanse, growing larger as the car made its way down the winding path bringing him ever close to his life for the next few months.
The driver of the car, a tall broad man who had picked him up from the station had said not more than three words to him for the whole journey. His phone had lost service five minutes into the drive so Draco had been left to stare out of the window, lamenting what his life had become; reduced to a lowly farm hand in the middle of nowhere surrounded by people with accents so thick he could barely understand them.
The man who had picked him up-Remus, he had said his name was- had looked disdainfully at his outfit of casual slacks and a white polo shirt, and Draco fidgeted in his clothes as he sensed the drive, and his last bit of freedom for the summer, was coming to a close. The car parked outside of the house and Remus swung the door open and hopped out, his boots splashing in a muddy puddle. Draco shuddered and gently eased his door open, staring dejectedly at the muddy ground below him and the knowledge that he was about to ruin his Alexander McQueens.
“Come on, then” came Remus’ deep, gruff voice and Draco closed his eyes against the pain as he slid out of the car. Remus looked at him, bemused, before turning on his heel and marching off to the front door of the house.
“He’s here my love” Remus called up the stairs as he held the door open for Draco, motioning for him to take his trainers off and doing the same with his work boots.
Draco expected a typical farm housewife to come bustling down the stairs; skirts and a blouse with an apron on top, a tray of scones in hand and victory rolls secured atop her head. Instead, a man slowly made his way down, gripping the banister. He was wearing black cargo trousers, socks with holes in the toe and a ripped t-shirt. He smirked at Draco, eyes glinting.
“Hello, cousin” the man said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He had a posh accent, a stark contrast to Remus’ Yorkshire broad. He gave Remus a chaste kiss on the cheek before leading them all into a large spacious kitchen with a long bench-like table stretched down the middle that could probably comfortably sit around fifteen people.
“You’re my cousin?” Draco asked, eyebrows raising in disbelief. His mother had simply told him that it had been arranged for him to spend the summer and autumn with his cousin on a farm. He had assumed the cousin was his age, and the son of an elusive aunt and uncle. Instead, he was faced with a gay couple and a much older man claiming to be his relation.
“Ah. Let me explain. I am Sirius Black, your mother’s cousin. This is Potter Hall Farm, your home until mid-November, that being said there is a permanent position here should you choose to take it,” Here, Sirius smirked as if he knew the idea of life on a farm was Draco’s absolute worst nightmare.
He took a deep breath, and reminded himself that from now until November he was at these people’s mercy. Summoning all the good manners beaten into him as a child he nodded and said
“It is lovely to meet you, Sirius. I know little of my mother’s family, so it will be a pleasure to stay with you and get to know you more.”
Remus snorted and muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like ‘no it won’t’ and Sirius elbowed him playfully.
“They taught you good manners then,” Sirius said, standing. “Tea?”
“Please” said Draco, and Remus said “for me, love” and Draco was struck by the easy love between these two men. He wondered if his father knew the family he had sent his son to. Surely if Lucius knew the two men were together he would have never allowed Draco to stay with them.
“Oh, and Harry should be coming back soon. There’s a few ewes left t’lamb, so he’ll be back with them tonight too.” Remus said as Sirius put the kettle on. Draco wondered who Harry was. Probably another summer worker like he was to be. He hoped Harry would do the lion's share of the work. Remus’ biceps were about 5 times the size of Draco’s, to say nothing of the comparable leg strength. Draco would barely be able to lift a newborn lamb, let alone do meaningful farm work.
He was given his cup of tea in a slightly chopped William Morris mug that he couldn’t help appreciate. As he sipped he looked at the men in front of him, conversing earnestly in front of him about something to do with farming and he thought that maybe, just maybe the company could be bearable, even if the rest of it wouldn’t be. At the very least, he was unlikely to be hatecrimed.
He was telling Remus about how he was on his gap year before uni when the front door slammed.
“In here, love!” Sirius yelled and for a few seconds Draco was desperately worried he was about to be living and working alongside a throuple, when a man who couldn’t have been more than two years older than him walked into the kitchen. He wasn’t massively tall, maybe about 5’10 to Draco’s 6’ but he was well built. Rich dark skin strained over arm muscles that flexed as he ran a hand through his jet black hair. roundish-squarish glasses with black frames perched on the end of his nose, magnifying his green eyes in a thoroughly distracting manner.
“Y’alreet?” The man asked, nodding at Draco, before wrapping an arm around Sirius and then Remus in a half-hug.
“Y’alreet Harry?” Remus asked as the boy sat heavily down at the table .
“I am at that. Only five left to lamb now, hopefully not before morning. Ron’s coming in a bit to go up with me”
Sirius pushed his half-drunk mug towards Harry, who accepted it gratefully and drank all of what was left at once, setting the cup down with a gentleness that seemed at odds with the strength he clearly possessed, before he swiped a hand across his mouth in an action that shouldn’t have been as attractive as it was.
“Right, Harry this is Draco. You’ll show him where he’s staying before Ron comes, and I’ll pack youse some sandwiches for t'night” Remus said, and Harry nodded, getting up and hefting Draco’s duffle bag into his shoulder before gesturing at Draco to leave the kitchen.
Draco stood and followed, turning to go up the stairs.
“There’s nowt up there for you” came a deep voice from behind him. Draco turned, bewildered because if he wasn’t in the house where was he to sleep? His confusion must have shown on his face because Harry let out a huff of laughter and opened the front door.
Draco hadn’t noticed that darkness had fallen during his sojourn in the kitchen, and Harry was swallowed by blackness. Draco was too used to the light pollution of London and was startled by the impenetrable blackness of the air around him.
He heard a click somewhere ahead and then a torch was being shone in his face.
“I’ve not got time to be waiting around, let’s go” said Harry, but though the words were harsh his voice wasn’t.
Draco stumbled to catch up with him, and squinted ahead to see where they might be going, but was fruitless in his endeavours. They tramped across damp grass for about five minutes until the torch alighted upon a tiny cottage that looked to be about two rooms big.
“This is t’guest house. S’not much, a bedroom, a bathroom and a sitting room. You’ll take meals with us up at the house, aye?” Harry said, fumbling for a key and opening the door.
He switched a light on and the room flooded with soft yellow lamplight. It was a very cozy sitting room, with a tiny sofa and an armchair, as well as a little bookcase full of worn books. On either side of the room was a door, and Harry moved towards the one Draco assumed was the bedroom.
The bedroom was even smaller than the living room, but at least it had a double bed. Only issue was that the bed left almost no space for anything else. There was a window with a little sit-able sill at the foot of the bed, and a little bedside table with one drawer and and a lamp on top. It was a lot nicer than Draco had expected, and though it was mid-may it conjured images of autumn evenings spent in bed with a warm drink and a good book.
Harry jolted Draco out of his reverie by setting down the duffle bag on the bed with a thwump.
“Bathroom’s easy t’understand. It’s only a shower though so if you’re ever wanting a bath you come up to the house alright? It’s usually just us, but people drop in and out all t’time. Alright?”
He explained as he walked the short distance back to the front door before turning to double check Draco was okay.
“I’ll leave this key with you, but I’ll be using my own to get you up in the morning” he said before closing the door softly behind him.
His mention of the morning reminded Draco that he was likely to be expected awake and functional at about four. He groaned and set about brushing his teeth to get ready for bed. He considered sleeping in pants only like he did at home, especially considering the balmy late-spring heat but decided against it. He didn’t need Harry seeing him so close to naked so early on in their acquaintanceship.