Severus obviously had a vested interest in getting Harry away from Draco, and so he rushed their decision. They finally decided on a tour of a few different european cities, Paris, Venice, Brussels, Amsterdam... Within a week their bags were packed, their hotels booked and they were ready to go.

Things did not improve between Severus and Draco. Severus wanted to simply stay as far away from him as possible, but that meant leaving him and Harry alone, and that was equally disagreeable to him. For the first few days, he managed it well, arriving home just a few minutes after Harry.

But on the last day before their trip, Severus was home early. And for the first time, he and Draco were home alone. They stared at each other, like cats sizing one another up before a fight.

Finally Severus said "Where is dinner?"

"Its not ready yet, Harry has to work late, he has to finish up this project before he leaves tomorrow." Draco replied. In fact, he'd had to work late every night that week, trying to get it all done.

"Well where is mine? I'm sure you can make two. It's all you have to do, after all."

Draco lifted his chin defiantly.

"I don't think Harry would want me to do that."

"Oh really?" Severus said, his voice deadly and cold. "Well why don't you owl him? Why don't you owl him and ask him and interrupt his work to see if you should make dinner, like you do every other night? Im sure he wouldn't mind being interrupted for something so incredibly important." Severus said, sarcasm leaking into each word like poison.

"Fine." Draco said, stomping off into the kitchen.

He didn't dare burn it, although he was incredibly tempted to. He threw together the simplest thing he could think of and tossed it on a plate. He knew no matter what he did, Severus was going to critique it anyway.

True to form, Severus looked at it and tutted. "I didn't know you were attempting to cook blindfolded these days. That is, after all, the only explanation for this monstrosity."

"Harry likes it." Draco shot back.

"Harry is very easy to please."

"Yeah, he certainly seems happy with anything I do. "

Severus's eyes flashed. "If that is true, it's a new development. For which you owe me thanks."

"Oh well I've learned a lot since then."

"That hardly seems likely, given your general level of intelligence. You know so little after all." Severus spat.

"Oh, I know a lot about pleasuring him"

"Pleasuring him?! How have you pleasured him?!"

"Copiously" Draco said, with a wicked smile.

"Are you involved with him?! I order you to tell me."

"That depends what you mean by 'involved'." Draco taunted. "Do you mean long, romantic picnics? Or cuddling under blankets as we watch his favorite movie? Or holding hands on walks by the river?Because we've done all that-"

Severus saw red, he wanted to hurt Draco, he wanted to kill him. He whipped out his wand and jabbed it into Draco's throat, pinning him against the wall.

"You forget your place, boy." Severus snarled. "You are pathetic, useless. You have no skills, no talents, no personal worth. You are only alive because we have had pity on you. If Harry ever did decide to touch you, he would be board in a day. But you will be long gone before that happens. I shall make sure of it."

"Harry won't get rid of me." Draco whimpered. Prayed.

"Not without some convincing. But he will, in time."

Severus exploded the vase next to them, showing off his power, letting Draco feel the wave of raw magic, before marching off. He wasn't quite confident enough to curse him, not yet. Didnt want Harry to feel like he had to protect Draco. He was always a sucker for playing the hero, after all. He didn't wait to see the expression on Draco's face, he simply left, retreating to his room. He threw himself into bed. He wasn't sure why, he wasn't tired. Somehow it seemed like the right thing to do.

He tossed and turned. He knew he had to calm down. Okay. So things were bad. The two of them were obviously extremely close. But Draco's answer revealed something else, they hadn't actually kissed. Or done anything overtly wrong… Severus still had time. He rolled over, thinking hard. Throughout their relationship, Harry had always been the pursuer. He had done everything first, he had...championed their relationship in a way Severus never had. Should he? Was this the time to try and win Harry back?

A pit of anxiety opened inside of him and something that felt very much like snakes slithered around his stomach. How was he going to do that? He had no experience at all in doing that. He cared about Harry deeply, but...romance didn't come easy. He had always been more practical. He showed affection by doing things, that was always natural for him, especially during the war. But Harry didn't need protection now. He needed romance and flowers and...whatever else people wanted these days. Chocolate?

He didn't know how long it took, but finally, Harry crawled into bed next to him. He grabbed Harry, so trightly, so suddenly, he jumped a mile.

"Oh, hi." He gasped." i thought you were asleep."

"I've been waiting for you. I can't sleep without you." Severus said.

Harry smiled, through Severus couldn't see it in the darkness.

"Can I ask you something?" Severus blurted out.

"As long as its quick, im exhausted. It's been a big day." Harry said, already yawning.

"Yes i heard…"

"I so can't wait for our vacation."

"Your still excited about that then? Even though… you won't see Draco?"

"Of course," Harry said, rolling over and nuzzling him, already half asleep. "Besides, we won't be gone that long, it's barely a week. Anyway, what did you want to ask?"

"Let's talk about it in the morning." Severus said, bringing him close.

"Great." And Harry was asleep. But Severus stared at the ceiling. He needed a plan. He sighed and looked at the muscular frame next to him, illuminated in the faint moonlight. He knew it would be worth it. If he could do it.

Unfortunately, Harry did not have the luxury of sleeping in the next day. They had to get up early to catch their port key to France. Countries still had strict immigration laws, even wizards and witches could not simply go where they please.

After only four hours of sleep, Harry stumbled down stairs, where a wide awake Draco Malfoy quickly accosted him. Severus wasn't the only one who had spent the night plotting.

"Good morning! Excited for your big trip? Have some coffee." He said, pushing a cup into Harry's hand. "Can i talk to you about something?"

Harry groaned. "Why does everyone suddenly want to talk to me?" He mumbled.

"What?"

"Oh. Nothing. Sorry. Severus said something kinda similar last night. Sorry. I don't mean to be...whatever. What was it?"

"Ah. Well i think I know what he wants to talk to you about."Draco said innocently.

"Oh?"

Draco took a deep breath. Here, he had to be careful. He wasn't capable of outright lying to his master, the magic of their bond precluded that. But he was smart enough to get around that. Or so he hoped.

"I think he's concerned about my place here." He said, lightly.

"Really? I thought we discussed that, figured it out."

"Maybe" Draco shrugged. "He's just been acting rather oddly lately. He seems very stressed to me." And that was absolutely true. "I mean, i don't want to overstep my place…"

"Just spit it out." Harry grumbled. Multiples days on low sleep were really getting to him, his nerves were wearing thin.

Draco bit his lip. It was a lot harder to evade the truth when asked directly like that. He took his time. "Well...I... think… that…. things in this household would be calmer if you made it clear to him that I'm not going anywhere."

Harry buried his head in his hands. "Well. I don't know how to express that. I've already tried, I think it will just take some time."

"But he's so stressed out...And you're a man of action, you know. Youre so…. Strong willed, he may not be convinced by words alone."

"Yeah?" Harry said, not totally sure what to make of this.

"You know, I think it would be a...a powerful statement if you insisted I came on your holiday with you."

"Wow. That's, er, a lot." Harry said, clearly not thrilled at the idea. "Look I understand that you want to go-"

"It's nothing about that." Draco snapped, already feeling the sting of rejection. "It's about Severus."

And at that moment, the man himself strode into the room. "What's this about me?" He demanded.

"Its nothing." Harry said, standing and draining his coffee. "We should get going. Draco, I'll see you soon, okay? Look after the cats. Send me an owl if there's anything you need."

Severus was smirking so openly and broadly Draco was amazed Harry didn't notice.

They grabbed their bags and headed out, arriving punctually at the ministry of magic, grabbing their appointed portkey (a childrens doll with half its face missing). Soon they were on French soil and though they still had to go through immigration, Harry was enthralled by every step. Even simple things like seeing signs in different languages made him happy. Surely it would be easy to...romance him? God Severus hoped so. He didn't know what he was doing, and he didn't particularly enjoy it. But Harry was worth it.

Soon, they were winding down the streets of Paris, the buildings historic and dignified, the people lean and stylish. Harry just wanted to get to their hotel. As they got closer and closer, Severus was getting more and more nervous. Finally, when they were checking in, he felt sick and by the time they got to their room, he was ready to run. But he swallowed it down and said.

"I actually...did something for you. Planned a surprise" Severus said. Harry had already thrown himself onto the bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes. Severus perched next to him.

"Mmmm, yeah? Why don't you cuddle me and tell me all about it?" Harry asked, pulling Severus down next to him.

"Well, we'd have to go now, if you wanted to do it…" Harry opened his eyes. Severus looked so nervous, and yet there was a clear gleam of hope and excitement in his eyes. He couldn't say no. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"We don't have too, if you don't want-"

"Of course I want to. I want to do what you want to do. Let's go."

And so they did. It took them awhile to get there, but even Harry, exhausted as he was, let out a squeal of delight when he saw where they were. They had arrived at "pegasus balloons", and were soon high above the city, suspended by a bright balloon and a wicker basket.

"I thought you might like a hot air balloon ride…" Severus said tentatively. " You like flying so much…"

"I love it. Thank you! Its amazing" Harry said, squeezing the man tight.

And it was. Far below them the buildings lazed by, the cars and buses just visible,as if the whole thing was suddenly transformed into a doll's house. The horizon stretched onwards, the river Seine meandering on for miles and miles.

He leaned into Severus, soaking up the atmosphere, the sun, the fluffy clouds.

"I'm so glad we're here." He said softly.

"Me too."

And Harry really was having an amazing time. But. He did fall asleep, much to Severus disappointment and frustration. Was he not enjoying it? It made him feel like a failure.

"No! I'm having a great time!" Harry insisted when Severus nudged him awake. "I love...clouds." He said, failing miserably in his attempt to sound upbeat.

Harry wasn't exactly sad when it was over. They headed back to the hotel and, although it was only mid afternoon, retired to their rooms. Finally, his body aching, his mind fuzzy, Harry fell into deep, blissful sleep.

Severus snuggled next to him, although he didn't sleep. He had not had a good time. He was particularly irritated that he had to sit through it while Harry slept. It was all too kitsch, too over the top, too cutesy for him. He'd have to try harder next time. For the moment he'd have to just content himself with holding a slumbering Harry.

Unfortunately, this meant that they were on almost opposite sleep schedules. They were both awake enough for dinner that night (where Severus told the waiters it was Harry's birthday and had them all sing), which was excellent. But after that, Severus was done, and it was Harry's turn to lie awake next to him.

Finally, Harry had time to think. He sighed, he should have paid more attention to what Draco had said that morning. (was it really only that morning? Harry wondered, some days felt so long…). Was Severus really still upset? He mulled things over. The man was certainly acting oddly, that was for sure.. The hot air balloon ride was amazing, but deeply out of fact, even the holiday itself was...an unusual choice, the man so hated to be away from his work. And then the singing at dinner… Severus clearly hated every moment of it, his lips pursed and his shoulders tense. One of the waiters was practically shaking in terror from the look Severus was giving him. So why had he done it? Was it really to please Harry, like Draco said? He wasn't sure.

He groaned and wrapped an arm around him. It probably was, Harry decided, in all the time they'd been together, he'd never done anything like this. But wouldn't it be weird for Draco to join them on their super romantic holiday? They'd be in much tighter quarters than when at home…

Unbidden, that image of Draco in the shower popped back into his head. He blushed deeply. He tried his best not to think about that. It had been a long time ago, after all… But his body was responding anyway, his cock hardening quickly.

He tried his usual tactic of just ignoring it, but he couldn't for very long. He slipped into the bathroom and grabbed himself, suddenly more aroused than he could ever remember. But he couldn't think of another man while severus was mere feet away! He couldn't, he wouldn't. He focused on Severus, on the many times they'd made love.

Although, they didn't seem to be doing that very much anymore…He tugged at himself, frustrated and distracted, trying to focus on Severus.

Finally, the perfect imagine came into his head, Draco and Severus wrapped around each other, perfect bodies intertwined, Dracos pale head between Severus's long, lean legs, Draco on all fours, kneeling before Severus….

And Harry came, holding back a moan, panting hard. He crawled back into bed, only feeling slightly guilty.

If he was being honest with himself, his obsession with Draco ran very, very deep. He had handled it well recently. But that didn't mean it had gone away. It was certainly easier, being able to talk to him and be with him openly. But… there was just something about Draco that Harry had a really hard time letting go of. He wondered what draco was doing at that very moment. Was he showering, was he in bed? Was he thinking about Harry?

Draco was, in fact, thinking about Harry. He was kicking himself for messing up so badly. He sighed, curling up in one of the big armchairs Harry loved so much. The house was so still and quiet. Even the cats weren't making a sound. He didn't want this. He didn't want any of this. He didn't want to hurt Severus, or stress Harry out so much, or to be a criminal...he regretted everything he'd done in his life.

But soon another day dawned, and for Harry and Severus, it was very busy. Severus had planned yet more surprises. Private tours of the Louvre (at an astronomical sum, and even then only because it was The Harry Potter), dinner at the top of the eiffel tower, street musicians bribed to play songs just for them….

It was heady and romantic and decadent. Frankly, it was a little manic. Severus looked...pained by some of it and the cliched lyrics of the love ballard made him wince repeatedly.

Harry knew he had to say something. He waited until after dessert. The thick, rich chocolate of the mouse was too distracting, even Seerus was enjoying it. But finally they were left only with wine and each other, and Harry had to dive in.

"I hope you know how much i appreciate all this." Harry said. Severus squeezed his hand in response. "But I worry about you…I, uh…feel like you've been very stressed out recently."

"I've...had a lot on my mind." He admitted.

"Yeah. I can tell. I want you to know...you don't have to do any of this. I mean I really appreciate that you have. And I've enjoyed every moment of it. But I love you. The way you are. You don't have to...do anything to make me love you."

Severus looked away. He didn't want Harry to see how emotional he was getting.

"Thank you for saying that...I just...all i want is for things to be okay between us."

"Me too." Harry said, his eyes misting behind his glasses. But he was smiling too. "And they are. I'm so happy with you! I love you! "

Severus hid a smile.

"Is this about Draco?" Harry asked.

"Well...yes." Severus said. He hadn't planned on talking about it right now. He wasn't ready. He didn't know exactly what he wanted to say.

"Look, I want you to know-"

"Can we not? I don't want to talk about him. It's...very stressful for me."

Harry nodded. So Draco really was right then.

"Okay. Can i just say one thing? I want to thank you for bringing him in, I know it was difficult and-"

"I said i don't want to talk about it." Severus snapped.

Harry nodded sadly. Worry consumed Severus and powerlessness overwhelmed Harry. Finally, he had to make a decision. In secret, he penned notes, arranged port keys, made plans. Severus immediately knew something was going on, but when he asked, Harry just said "You've done so much for me! I want to do something for you too. So just relax. Everything is going to be okay." Finally, their time in Paris came to an end, and Severus still didn't have a clue what was going on.

Only as they checked into their hotel in Venice did it all pay off. Severus smiled softly as they walked up the stairs of their little bed and breakfast. It wasn't hyper luxurious, but it was actually a nice change. Cozy and warm. He was just saying so to Harry when he walked into their room. And froze suddenly. There, on their bed, was Draco Malfoy.

"Surprise!" Harry said. "I knew you'd be pleased!"