Chapter 38
The weeks passed in bliss. Harry found his rhythm with the chores and the work of the farm. Draco had gotten the plants trimmed up and Harry had mowed the overgrown garden back into a beautiful lawn before it snowed. They found that Odette loved the snow and came in covered in lumps of ice across her belly.
Harry walked across the lawn after letting the sheep out. The snow had mostly melted and they could forage amongst the dead grass. Odette burst out the door followed by Draco.
“You’re leaving early.” Harry said, strolling over to him.
“Yes, well, I have a lunch engagement and then I plan to come home early.” Draco answered with a shiver.
“I like the way that sounds when you say it.” Harry took off his scarf and wrapped it around him.
“I know you do.” Draco leaned in and kissed him.
“So back early tonight?”
“One at the latest.” Draco snapped into the air.
One at the latest, Harry thought, Well I’m screwed.
Harry broke into a run, sliding in the mud as he made his way to the workshop. He grabbed the two nightstands and made his way back to the house. Upstairs in the primary bedroom he set one on either side of the new built bed frame. The tables were made from the same poplar as the bed and had three shelves for books or whatnot. He had planned to finish the room while Draco was at work but now he had considerably less time than expected. While Harry liked the full bed they were currently sharing in the guest room, Draco did not. He had built a king frame and gotten the mattresses but hadn’t bought any linens.
He looked around the room and made a quick list in his head: Bed sheets, pillows. Lamps, curtains, and….. Damn I don’t know I’ll just buy it all.
He grabbed his keys and ran back downstairs. There wouldn’t be time to drive or take the train. Outside he aparated quickly and looked around when he reappeared to make sure no one had seen him. He walked swiftly down the road and took a deep steadying breath before he entered the chaos of Dunelm. Harry hated shopping, especially for decor things. He grabbed a trolley and tried to stay focused. It didn’t take long for a display of candles to get him off track.
“We have another selection in the back.” A friendly sales associate interrupted his sampling. Harry looked down at the three candles in the cart and mentally chastised himself.
“Could you point me towards bedding actually?” Harry watched as she pointed and explained a sale. He thanked her and headed off. He looked up and down the aisle overwhelmed. How could there be so many colors? His biggest problem in a store like this had always been wanting to buy too many. He wished suddenly now that he was at the hardware store where he still felt somewhat out of his depths.
Finally he decided on a dark olive green duvet with matching sheets. He found thick woven wheat colored drapes and a thin muted apricot drape to go between them on the windows. Two polished black lamps shaped like lanterns rounded out his list and he headed to check out. Harry waited in line for the till and tried to look only at the ceiling. There were heaps of plants marked down to dangerously low prices all around him.
You do not need a plant, You do not need a plant,You do not need a plant, He repeated.
Outside He gathered his bags along with a giant potted rubber tree from the trolley and began the walk back to his hidden aparating spot. Back at home he set the plant in the corner of the room opposite the built-in wardrobe. He checked the room's layout in his head for the millionth time.
Bed across from the door, table, table, Harry motioned to each piece of furniture as he went. Closets to the right, plant to the left… Yeah that’s good.
He wanted everything to be perfect for Draco. It was his house sure but in the past month Draco had filled up the space more and more. Harry hoped soon it might be a permanent arrangement. He made the bed and hung the curtains.
Downstairs he turned the knob on the formal reception room, it was still locked. Luckily they only really used the snug and Draco hadn’t wondered why that door had never opened. He grabbed a wooden crate from the kitchen floor and once again headed back out.
“Come on.” He whistled to Odette as he went down the driveway. She followed him happily all the way into town. Harry’s first stop was to Mary’s house. She was also an ex-londoner and now made her living as a part time dog trainer/groomer. Odette went reluctantly inside and Harry felt guilty as he headed off to his other errands.
He gathered his usual fare from the community shop but since it was Friday there was also fresh milk and meat to be had from a local butcher. The bakery already had his order waiting and the woman in the post office shook her head ‘no’ before Harry even opened the door. In the village everyone knew him by name and yet he had never enjoyed such anonymity. He collected a pristine Odette from the groomer and headed home.
With her face and belly neatened she looked more like the Newfoundland she was then the shaggy bear she sometimes acted as. Harry herded her around puddles and out of snow. At home he barricaded her inside, attempting to make the cleanliness last as long as possible. He put the groceries away and the chicken in a big pot to marinate. Harry checked his watch. He had just enough time to bring the sheep in and shower.
Nanny was confused when Harry opened the barn doors and called to her. She considered ignoring him until he called again. With a huff she rounded up the sheep and brought them inside.
“I’m sorry girl, I don’t want to smell like sheep later.” He patted her side and gave her a butcher’s bone as a further apology. Harry ran back into the house and jumped in the shower after trimming his beard. He made the water as hot as possible and used the soap that Draco had insisted was the only thing that took the farm smell away. Harry never would have bought it but the earthy ginger and turmeric scent had grown to be his favorite.
His shaggy hair wouldn’t do anything but lay in thick waves around his head. He gave up on it and went to get dressed. He pulled on his treasured Weasley knit sweater and his good jeans. It was one o'clock now and Harry felt the pressure. He hurried downstairs and sat on the couch in the snug, trying to look as if he’d done nothing all day.
And then he waited…
And waited…
And waited…and fell asleep
And woke up…
And waited some more.
Soon he could sit still no longer. He got up and began making dinner, it would take an hour to roast and it was nearly five already. He seared the meat and garlic in the heavy pan and added the vegetables. Any minute now, He told himself, Draco will walk through the door. But that minute stretched on and the oven timer dinged without the door opening at all. Harry was starting to get concerned. He picked up his phone to call Grimmauld when at last the door swung open.
“Please don’t be mad,” Draco begged instantly.
“I’m not mad… a little worried I wont lie.” Harry smiled to set him at ease.
“The lunch thing, it turned into this whole…” Draco gestured with his hand abstractly. Harry had never really seen him this worked up about something.
“Is that good or bad?” Harry asked, pouring wine.
“The best!” Draco exclaimed and hung his robe up. Odette came to see what all the fuss was about and instantly began her happy dance at the sight of Draco.
“Well hello lovely, look who got a beautiful haircut today.” Draco cooed and petted her.
“Sit,” Harry nodded to the table. “I want to hear all about your day.”
Draco sat and waited for Harry to finish plating dinner before he began.
“A while ago I got an invitation from Luna for lunch, I said no at first but she can be…”
“Tenacious?” Harry offered with a laugh.
“Well put. So Today I finally gave in and I went to lunch and Neville was there and did you know they were married?” Draco paused as if this should be news.
“I think everyone but you must’ve known that.”
“I was in France and apparently I wasn’t invited.”
“They eloped… no one was invited.” Harry assured him.
“Anyway, we were eating and Neville says they have a position open at Hogwarts and he wants to know if he should recommend me… ME!” Draco smiled and picked up his wine glass.
“And?” Harry encouraged him to continue.
“Well of course I said yes but then Luna suggested that he just take me in after lunch to talk to McGonagall about it and he did and we did and…” Draco paused and looked at his surroundings. “Harry is this Châteauneuf-du-Pape?”
“Yes… did you get the job or is this a terrible story?”
“And Coq au Von?” Draco looked down at the plate in front of him.
“Draco! The Job!” Harry tried to remind him.
“Yes, of course I got the job… Did you make all my favorite things for dinner?”
“Congratulations, I’m so proud of you.” Harry stood and went around the table to kiss him.
“Wait,” Draco stood and moved away. “Did you know about this? Did you ask McGonagall to hire me?”
“What?”
“Harry, I really thought I earned this on my own.” Draco looked defeated.
“Draco, I promise I had absolutely nothing to do with it.” Harry smiled. “You got the job.”
“I got the job.” Draco repeated and bit his lip. “You swear?”
“I’ll take veritaserum if you don’t believe me.” Harry laughed and Draco did too. They sat back down to dinner and Draco told him all about his new position. He would be the head healer at Hogwarts and would teach advanced classes in healing to the more senior students. They finished dinner and Harry brought out dessert. It was a large and beautiful pumpkin tart with tiny little pie crust words across it.
“Move in with me.” Draco read the tiny words out loud. He looked up at Harry. “Is this the reason for all the fuss tonight?”
“I just thought… I mean, I just wanted to ask again now that you’ve had a little time to think about it.” Harry didn’t know what to say, he just knew what he wanted to hear.
“And if the answer is still no?”
“Then I guess you get another big night filled with all your favorite foods in another month or so.” Harry tried to joke so Draco couldn’t see his heart sinking.
“Well see that changes things because I was going to say yes but now I kind of want another special night.” Draco tried not to smile and Harry felt an imaginary weight lift off him.
“So are you saying yes then?”
“You’re such a sappy romantic Potter, I have basically lived here for weeks now.” Draco rolled his eyes.
“Say it or I won't give you the next surprise.” Harry smiled and waited.
“Yes, alright, I will live with you.” Draco said mockingly.
“Great.” Harry grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the kitchen towards the front of the house. He closed his eyes and released the charms from the formal reception room lock. Draco looked at him curiously and Harry motioned for him to go in. Draco opened the door and gasped.
Inside Harry had renovated the room into a large study. Each side of the fireplace boasted floor to ceiling bookcases already filled with Draco’s books with lots of room for more. In front of the front window were the two chairs from Harry’s old office. The small table between the chairs held the feverfew plant. The far end of the room held a large desk and a glass cabinet full of potion Supplies.
“And here, I hung some pegs for your robes.” Harry pointed next to the door. “And that painting is of the Rhone Valley, I don’t know if you’ve been there but it’s France so, oh and over here this-” Harry’s thoughts were cut off by Draco in a sweeping kiss.
“When did you do all this?” Draco said when he found the will to part from Harry.
“I started pretty much the first week.”
“Why?”
“If you build it, They will come.”
“I don’t know what that means.” Draco was confused at Harry’s reference.
“It means, I knew you would be here.” Harry kissed Draco again.
“It really is something Harry, and you did all this yourself?”
“Well Hermione helped me with the flugh.” Harry pointed to the fireplace. “I know apparating all the time makes your stomach hurt.”
Draco looked at Harry with his odd expression, as if he couldn't fathom the reality he was in. It only took a moment for the look to fade away into admiration.
“The dream job, the dream guy, the dream house… I’m going to wake up any moment.” Draco tried to laugh.
“You haven’t even seen it all.” Harry took his hand and continued the tour upstairs. He led Draco into the bedroom.
“A king bed?” Draco swooned and stretched out across it. “You really do love me.”
“Yes.” Harry laughed and climbed over on top of him. Draco kissed him again and Harry gave himself over to the warmth of the feeling. The time for jokes and house tours was over. The familiarity made losing their clothes quick, but the intensity was stirred by the excitement and emotions from the evening. Draco’s body felt like a road map to Harry, he knew all the twists and turns, the valleys and plains, his favorite stops. He wanted to take the journey again and again, forever.
To Draco, Harry felt like an immense warm quilt. He wanted to wrap himself up in it so tightly he could feel nothing else. Harry raised an eyebrow as he raised Draco’s leg onto his shoulder, Draco nodded a reply of his readiness. Maybe he had been wrong, maybe Harry wasn’t just a quilt to be pulled around him but something else. Something deeper that required him to be around, on top, and inside all at once.
When they had finished Harry pulled Draco off the bed to the bathroom. In the shower the water fell over them in quiet streams. Harry pulled Draco in for another kiss and then began washing his hair.
“Harry…” Draco started.
“Hmmm?” Harry answered but Draco paused.
“How did you get your tattoo?” Draco said at last. Harry felt that was not his original thought.
“If you are pounding shots on the beach in Amalfi and you get invited into a stag do for a Knightbridge banker, you say no thank you… or you wake up on a boat in Capri with a magpie on your ass.”
“I suppose it could be worse.” Draco decided.
“I mean Alistair had to get laser surgery before his wedding, and if there is anything worse than getting a butterfly tattoo put on your inner thigh it has to be having it taken off.” Harry recalled the event.
“Wait, they invited you to the wedding?”
“You would’ve loved it, they had like eighteen forks on the tables.” Harry laughed and Draco elbowed him. They showered in silence and then headed back to the bedroom. Underneath the new covers Draco curled into Harry’s side. Harry ran his thumb lazily up and down his spine as he drifted in and out of sleep.
“Harry?” Draco whispered.
“Hmmm?”
“I love you.” Draco's voice was almost too small to be heard by his own ears.
“Hmmm?” Harry repeated, not moving.
“I love you.” Draco said a little louder and looked up to see if Harry had heard.
“Hmmm?” Harry repeated but this time he couldn’t hold in his smile. Draco shoved him for teasing. “I’m sorry, just say it again.”
“I love you.” Draco said once more. Harry opened his eyes and looked at Draco. His face was lit partially by the moonlight through the curtains.
“I love you too.”
Draco snuggled back down into Harry’s chest and fell asleep. Harry could only look at the ceiling and smile.