Lucius reared back as if he'd been slapped. Harry blushed and hunched himself over.
"I mean…I'm not really interested in anyone, but girls seem to be more annoying to me, so I thought that maybe boys would be better, but I'm really not sure what I am or what I like, I've never…I've never actually been with anyone in that way, so I don't know."
"There is no need for such a tirade, I am merely surprised. I didn't take you for the open-minded type, perhaps I should have. I will have you tested to see if you are able to carry children, I was going to do so regardless, but with this development, I will do so a little more urgently and I will write up a new list of appropriate candidates that are suitable for you. There happen to be more pureblooded wizards than witches, so there are quite a few of them leftover in Britain without a current betrothal match who I would deem suitable for a lord of your status."
"What do you mean 'to see if I can carry children'?" Harry asked dumbfounded.
Lucius sighed heavily. "Your ignorance truly knows no bounds. I will find that book for you as well, but certain wizards are able to carry children, others are not. Draco was tested before his betrothal and was found not to carry the gene that enables wizards to carry children, I will have you tested in due course, but thirty per cent of all wizards are actually able to carry children. Most never find out, as they are heterosexual and never let another man penetrate them in such a way and are never tested, but if you feel that you are more naturally drawn to men, then it might be because you need to be matched with one." "So…so I would be betrothed to another man and that would be okay?" Harry asked uncertainly.
"Perfectly okay." Lucius clarified. "Now, run along, read your books. I want you to report to me tomorrow that you have made headway on the stack that you still have left. I will have the potion you need to take ready for tomorrow afternoon."
Harry nodded and he stood, taking the book he was currently struggling with and bumbling through with him. He ran into Draco on his way to his bed suite.
"Having fun, Potter?" He spat.
"Save it, Draco, I have absolutely nothing to say to you." Harry replied to the taller boy.
"You will stop referring to me so personally!" Draco hissed. "I've been told to call you Draco, so I will. I have absolutely no wish to be punished again and I would have thought that you wouldn't want that again either, unless you actually like being turned over your father's knee and spanked like a toddler."
Draco went pink and shut his mouth. Being spanked by Lucius Malfoy hurt and badly. He and Draco had both been uncomfortable with the whole situation and then the next day they had had to suffer through the humiliation of not being able to sit down properly and as squirming would get them a hex from one or both of the elder Malfoys, they'd had to endure the pain while sitting completely still on an unpadded, wooden chair. Neither of them wanted to repeat the experience.
"I don't like you being here." Draco told him churlishly.
"I actually like being here." Harry said with a smile. "It's so surprising and I never would have thought that I'd enjoy being here, but I'm learning a lot and it won't be for long, at any rate, we'll be back in Hogwarts soon enough. Then it'll just be one more summer, then I'll be free of all guardians when I graduate and being the lord of the Potter and Black houses, I'll be free to do as I please."
"Not entirely, you're still expected to act as a lord." Draco told him. "You are linked to the Malfoy name now; I won't let you disgrace us!"
"Believe it or not I have no intention of disgracing the Malfoy name; I have a lot to be thankful to your father for, including setting up my betrothal for me so that I can't be taken advantage of by anyone else and giving me a respectable match in the process."
That took the wind out of Draco's sails. "Who is it?"
Harry just winked and left for his bed suite. "Don't you walk away from me in my own home! Tell me who you're betrothed to!"
"It's none of your business! Though I was surprised to hear that your betrothal was to Astoria Greengrass, especially as you were…practising with her older sister."
"That has nothing to do with you! How did you even know about Daphne?"
"Oh please, everyone knows about that, Draco, and about Pansy's pregnancy scare too."
Draco went pale at the remembered fury of his father finding out that little bit of information. He sighed.
"That was my own fault." He allowed. "I wasn't careful enough."
"I got the impression that you weren't supposed to be doing that with them, careful or not."
Draco sneered. "How is it my fault if they slid into bed with me? They're the ones who should be retaining their purity; it's not for me to do it for them."
Harry conceded to that, the girls should have had more restraint, but still, it took two people to agree to sex and Draco could have refused them.
"Why should I have?" He asked when Harry pointed that out. "If they're offering me something that I want, I'm going to take it." He said simply.
Harry sighed. He didn't think he'd ever be able to accept such a selfish point of view, he hadn't been raised that way, being kicked and beat upon by his own family members, being forced into near servitude to them…he didn't have it in him to be a selfish person, at least not to the extent of Draco and the other purebloods.