I'm so sorry that this is so overdue! My computer died and now I'm on my mother's laptop, I lost the story so I had to start again. Excuses, Excuses. I hope that you enjoy this all the same.

H.D

The fire was the only source of noise within the large room, it quiet crackling doing nothing to ease the tense atmosphere. Narcissa smoothed her skirt with the palms of her hands and offered a wan smiled to her son, who sat across from her with a glass of whiskey in hand, staring into the flames.

All attempts made at conversation had been ignored by Draco, who seemed intent on brooding silently regardless of what Narcissa said or did. In fact he had hardly spoken to Narcissa at all, the most noise she heard from him came at night, the soft sobs travelling through the walls and making her heart clench tightly.

"So, Harry isn't with you for this particular visit?" she asked, and Draco raised an eyebrow but continued to ignore her. "Perhaps he could come down on the weekend? You must miss him and I haven't seen him in a long time" She said, and this time Draco did turn to look at her, his withering expression felt like lead in her stomach.

He rose to his feet, staring at her pointedly before looking down at the glass in his hand. "Harry isn't coming down this time, Mother" Draco drained his glass and then leant down to place it firmly on the table between them before straightening his back to look down at her, ignoring the way she flinched at the sound of the glass against the wood. "This isn't fucking Christmas. Not New Year's Eve or Thanksgiving" His tone was clearly mocking, and he looked at her as someone might look at a particularly slow child before he turned to stride out of the room.

"My Father is dying" were the last words he spoke as he turned the corner and was out of sight, leaving Narcissa alone once again.

She wiped away her tears and turned her attention back to the fire.

H.D

The next day Andromeda came by to visit, and Narcissa had them installed in one of the smaller parlours, hoping for a little calm from the feelings of sadness and blame.

"No improvements to Lucius then?" her sister asked, kind enough to ask about the welfare of a brother in law that never had returned the sentiment, and Narcissa looked down and blinked back the tears that seemed to lurk nearby constantly.

"I'm afraid not. The healers have said that it's only a matter of time now, and to make him as comfortable as possible" Narcissa said softly, looking at her hands. "Draco hasn't been taking it very well. I think he feels responsible in a way"

"How so?"

"He's training as a healer, yet his father is dying. He hasn't changed much I suppose, always expecting brilliance in everything he tries, then feeling like a failure when it doesn't happen. Maybe that's my fault" she sighed, thinking of all the times she had cushioned his disappointments as he grew up.

"Hey now" Andromeda said and waited until Narcissa raised her eyes to meet her sisters, "at least you taught him to try" she told her and Narcissa managed a watery smile at her sister's kindness, something she so desperately needed in the face of Lucius' resignation and Draco's directionless anger. She reached for her sister's hand and took comfort in the warmth she found there.

"Why isn't Harry here?" Andromeda asked innocently, knowing it was a mistake from the change in her sister's demeanour.

"Andromeda please," She said with a sigh, letting go of the other woman's hand and lifting the teapot to refill their cups, "don't even get me started".

H.D

Draco had barricaded himself into his father's study in the time that he wasn't at his father's bedside, looking through his books and belongings in the hope that he would discover something that explained Lucius' mysterious illness. He had long known that his father was still dabbling in the dark arts, but had not thought it necessary to inform anyone considering he was already being monitored by the Ministry, and it seemed to be a matter of pride and habit rather than for more sinister plans.

Now he wondered if he should have said something, if that would change anything.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts and he scowled darkly, annoyed that his mother had come to disturb him after he had expressly asked her not to. In two strides he was across the room and wrenching the door open to reveal none other than Harry, standing straight backed with a hopeful expression on his face. It was all Draco could do not to slam the door on it.

He turned instead and made his way back into the room and behind the desk, hoping to create some space between the two of them. Harry paused uncomfortably before stepping in to shut the door softly behind him and turning to face Draco, not speaking but simply looking at him, and Draco found that it unnerved him.

He tried not to fidget but wasn't very successful, and eventually spoke to take the unwavering attention away from himself. "What do you want, Harry?" he asked, hoping his tone of voice would tell his partner that he wanted to be left alone for a little while.

"I wanted to see you" was Harry's response, as though the entire world was just that simple. Draco huffed and looked pointedly at the other man.

"Well I'm sorry that I haven't been there to entertain you-"

"I never said I needed to be entertained" Harry interrupted evenly, still acting calm even when faced with a neurotic Draco Malfoy, making the blonde pause on the beginning of an emotional tirade with just enough time for him to interrupt once more. "I don't need to be entertained, I was just worried about you and so I came to see how you and your family were coping, and if I could help in any way."

He stepped further into the room and took Draco's hand, raising it to his lips in order to place a kiss on the back of it before lowering it back to the desk between them, showing such tenderness that Draco was lost for words. He was saved from having to speak by Harry, who stepped back and offered a small smile. "So now that you know I'm here, I'm going to go and keep your mother company in her usual sitting room" he said, turning and reaching for the door.

"What about my father?" Draco managed to ask, his throat so dry he felt as though he was forcing the words out. Harry looked confused at the question, and Draco didn't know how to explain how he'd been feeling. He knew some of the colourful history that Harry had shared with his father and he knew that there was no love lost between the two of them, which made him feel as though he couldn't come to Harry for help dealing with this. He knew that many people, Harry included, would not be effected by the death of his father; would not miss him or honour the life that he led, which only made the idea of grieving for him even worse, made it into something almost shameful. That wasn't how he wanted this to be, but he couldn't find the words to express that, instead all of the words jumbled up in his head until he felt small and foolish.

"What about your father? He's alright for now, you'll be sent for if anything happens" Harry says evenly, and Draco frowned.

"How do you know how he is?"

"I've just been to see him" Harry replied with a shrug, as though this was just another simple thing, and Draco was envious of this outlook. When no reply was forthcoming Harry smiled again before making his way out of the room, the door clicking quietly shut behind him and leaving Draco with his thoughts.

H.D

That night Harry held him as Draco cried softly, then held him some more as he slept safely in his partners arms.

H.D

In the days that followed Draco became accustomed to Harry's presence, the other man quietly fetching food and drink, greeting their few quests and helping out wherever else he could. He didn't press Draco to talk to him about everything and while that made the blonde confused he was also extremely grateful. He couldn't figure out what Harry wanted from him, nor could he decide what he wanted from Harry, so he just silently accepted his presence and carried on much the same as he was before.

True to what he had said earlier, Harry had spoken to Draco's father, their conversations limited to the basic news of the wizarding world in order to avoid an argument that might aggravate Lucius' condition. That alone may not seem like much to most people, but to Draco it was an intense relief to have someone else willing to spend time with Lucius when he himself was not able to. Lucius himself seemed to almost enjoy Harry's company, asking for the other man on more than one occasion. Draco thought that this was perhaps due to Harry's easy demeanour when interacting with him, which was world's away from the cautious and resigned way that Draco and his mother were acting.

He thought through all of this as he sat at his father's bedside, breathing the only sound in the quiet room. Tentatively he took his father's hand in his, something Lucius wouldn't have normally allowed had he been awake but he squeezed Draco's hand as he slept, and Draco felt his eyes well up with tears.

The door opened suddenly, startling him as he quickly withdrew his hand and used it to swipe at his teary eyes, clearing his throat quietly but not turning to see who was at the door.

"Sorry Draco, darling, I didn't realise anyone else was in here" a voice said softly, causing Draco to turn around because it didn't belong to Harry or his mother, as he had expected.

"Aunt Andromeda. What brings you here?" he asked politely as the older woman made her way across the room to take the chair opposite Draco, watching her take her seat and place her bag on the floor beside her before turning to smile kindly at him.

"I just came to see how everything is going, if there was anything I could do to help. Although I think Harry might have that covered already" she said, still smiling before she turned to face Lucius with a fond look. Draco watched her for a moment before blurting out what was running through his mind.

"Why are you here?"

"I told you-"

"No, not why you're in the house. Why are you in this room, visiting my father? He was awful to you, your husband, your daughter!" here Andromeda flinched, making Draco pause before speaking more softly. "I have no illusions about the kind of man that my father is. He's done many bad things, to you and to Harry as well as others. So why do you come and speak to him as you would a friend? If the situation was reversed I can assure you he wouldn't do the same".

There was a pause before Andromeda was rising to her feet and making her way around Lucius' bed to stand beside Draco, placing a hand on his should as he looked up into her warm eyes.

"You don't know that for sure, and neither do I, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that he is important to you and your mother, and because you are important to me I care for his welfare as well. I expect it's much the same as Harry"

"Maybe it is" Draco said, more to himself than to his aunt, who simply squeezed his hand before moving back to the other side of the bed and taking her seat again, both of them sitting quietly, watching Lucius sleep.

H.D

Later that evening Draco found Harry lounging on the bed in the room they had been sharing, lying on his stomach with his nose buried in one of Draco's old quidditch books. He smiled fondly as he stood in the doorway for a few moments before he moved further into the room, only alerting Harry to his presence when he began climbing on the bed beside him.

"Oh hey" Harry began with a smile, placing the book down beside him and flipping onto his back, though he forgot what he was going to say as Draco didn't stop climbing, but continued until he was seated firmly on Harry's lap and smiling down at wide green eyes.

"What's this for?" Harry asked after a moment when it became apparent that Draco wasn't going to start the conversation himself.

"I just want to say thank you for being here for me and for my family. It means a lot to me" the blonde said, relishing in the feel other the other man's broad palms cautiously smoothing over the tops of his thighs.

"Of course" Harry said with a small, curious smile as Draco sighed happily and closed his eyes as Harry's hand made their way up to his hips. "Where else would I be, Draco?" he asked, and Draco opened his eyes to smile back at his partner.

"I don't know" he replied honestly, leaning down till his face was inches from Harry's. "I'm just glad you're here" he said, before closing the gap to kiss the other deeply.

H.D

Later that evening as they lay entwined in each other, Draco confessed his fears and discomfort to Harry in the dark, who responded by holding him tighter and confirming what Andromeda had told him, and also by telling him that Draco was his family now, as well as anyone that the blonde cared for. The blonde's tears that night were of a different kind, love and thankfulness that couldn't be contained by his body alone.

H.D

Lucius Abraxas Malfoy passed quietly away on a cool Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by a small group of friends and family. The healers said that he felt no pain in the end, and Draco took great comfort in being able to confirm that to his mother in the hopes of easing her own pain.

The funeral was arranged quickly with a minimum of fuss, the man himself had asked that a few words be said at a graveside service in the manor's private cemetery before a small wake in one of the larger rooms of the manor itself.

The people present mainly consisted of family and older friends, Pansy and Blaise both gave their condolences afterwards, and even surprisingly Arthur Weasley, who placed a hand on his shoulder and apologised for Draco's loss. Andromeda brought Teddy along after the funeral, and the young boy brought life back into the room and eased the atmosphere to one of nostalgia and acceptance.

One thing that was beginning to stop surprising Draco however was that Harry remained with him the entire afternoon, whether beside him or nearby, quietly offering the support that Draco needed in a time like this. His aunt's wise words had helped him to see that he didn't need to face all of this alone and from that evening he willingly reached out to the people around him, accepting the help and love that they had been trying to give him from the start.

H.D

"Tea, mum?" Draco asked as he entered the small parlour with a tray in his hands. At his mother's nod he placed the tray and the sideboard before preparing a cup for her and bringing it over with a plate of biscuits to share, settling down in a chair across from her with a cup of his own and enjoying the quiet between them for once.

"So where is Harry this afternoon?" Narcissa asked after sipping her tea, humming at the warmth it provided and peering over the rim at her son, enjoying the content look that was gracing his feature in the weeks after the funeral.

"He's visiting Ron and Hermione tonight, celebrating her pregnancy I believe" he replied with a smile before reaching for a biscuit.

"And why aren't you there with him?" his mother asked, nosy as ever and Draco rolled his eyes but smiled at her.

"It felt like something just for the three of them. They didn't say I wasn't invited!" he rushed to say before his mother could become indignant on his behalf. "I just wanted to give them the chance to reminisce together, I'll be there when they announce it to everyone else this weekend, I'll celebrate with them then" he said calmly before taking a bit and Narcissa smiled before taking a biscuit for herself.

"So when are Harry and yourself going to settle down, have some children?" she asked as Draco took a mouthful of tea, smirking as he choked, leaning forward to place his cup down while giving his mother a dirty look.

"I hate to tell you this mother," he rasped once he had control of himself again, sitting back and attempting to look dignified despite choking on tea moments ago. "Neither Harry or I have the organs necessary to reproduce" he said gravely, sniggering to himself when Narcissa levelled him with an unimpressed look before looking back at her drink.

They sat quietly at first until Draco spoke again.

"Maybe soon mum. Hopefully soon" he said and Narcissa smiled to herself before requesting another cup.

H.D

So there you have it! I hope it wasn't too awkward to read, I can definitely say I had a bit of trouble with writing about such a sensitive topic. Hopefully no one is offended, if they are I apologise. Let me know what you thought, thanks. 2 more to go!