Off Kilter

"Draco...please...Draco...I said...DRACO!" James Potter rushed across the large living room, grabbing the small seven year old just before Narcissa's beloved glass figurines exploded all over the spot the child had been standing in. Red-faced, James gripped Draco's bony little shoulders. "Why don't you listen? You could have been hurt! And now look at your mum's things!" Exasperated, James shook the boy, his eyes flashing. It was times like these that James second-guessed his belief that a marriage between himself and Narcissa Black could work. It had been three months since the couple exchanged those vows to love, honor, and cherish each other for all eternity, but Draco still treated James like nothing more than a pesky moth that could be swatted away.

"You can just fix it!" Draco wiggled, trying to rid himself of James' iron grasp. "Let go! James! I SAID LET GO!" He glared up at the man who stole his mummy and took his daddy's place. Sure, Lucius Malfoy had barely been a presence in the young boy's life and Draco had only been four when the Death Eater was slain, but the Malfoy heir despised James Potter all the same. The fact that James had a son just Draco's age added insult to injury. Stupid Harry seemed perfectly content stealing Narcissa's affection! It wasn't fair and Draco made a point to yell that very truth at the top of his lungs at least once a day. Who cared if Harry's mother was dead just like Lucius? He couldn't have Draco's mummy for Salazar's sake!

"You do not give orders." James easily kept his grip on the boy with one hand, using his free one to push Draco's head toward the mess. "Your mother loves those. How many times have you been told to keep away from here?"

Grey eyes flashing furiously, Draco slapped the hand holding him captive. "You are NOT my father! Get off NOWWWW!"

Oy, James wanted nothing more than to flip Draco over his knee and deliver a smacking the boy's backside wouldn't soon forget. However, knowing he couldn't possibly administer such a punishment without actually caring about the brat, James held back. Draco was correct; James was not his father. Frankly, James was grateful. Harry could be a handful, but he was still sweet and caring at the end of the day. Draco? Was a spoiled hellion. Oh, James felt guilty thinking such a thing about his wife's little one, but Draco had rebuked James' friendship for well over a year. James thought he'd come around after the marriage, but so far his attitude and behavior had grown worse. "You do not smack me!" Without further ado, James picked up the diminutive body and carried it, flailing legs and all, to a corner. "Face it and don't move until I say differently, young man."

As expected, Draco immediately spun to face his step-father again. "No! I won't! You can't make me!" His pale face had turned the color of a very ripe tomato and James almost laughed as he pictured it bursting. His own son could throw a tantrum, but Draco definitely took top honors. "Oh no?" James crossed his muscled arms over his chest. "Then I suppose you'd rather I go up to your room and banish all your toys for a week?"

Draco glared up at the man. He knew James wasn't kidding. The last time Draco had called that bluff he had wound up with no toys save his favorite stuffed dragon. Even Narcissa hadn't interfered, claiming Draco was lucky his step-father had even left the dragon. "Please, don't!"

"Then turn around! You are in a time-out for ten minutes." To Draco's incredulous expression, James added, "You have the seven minutes for your age and then three more for disrespecting me." Eyebrows raised, James regarded the child coolly for a few seconds. "Another word and we can add time."

Hating the horrid bloke, Draco wordlessly turned to face the corner.

"Right then. Not a word until I say so. And don't dare more." With that, James returned to the mess, flicking his wand over it watching the beautiful objects returned to normal. He glanced behind him, ascertaining that his naughty step-son was still obeying. Finding that Draco was quiet and still, James shook his head. He wanted to have a good relationship with the boy. Hell, he wasn't heartless; James understood the boy was adapting. Still, he didn't comprehend how any seven year old could muster up such fury. Harry was far from perfect, but he reacted well to affection and reasoning. Perhaps James would have felt more pity for the blonde heir if Harry hadn't also lost a parent.

Pushing the dour thoughts aside, James glanced at the watch he always wore around his wrist. "Alright, Draco. Come." James beckoned him over to the couch.

Begrudgingly, Draco shuffled over, but failed to meet James' eyes as he stood before him. James sighed, reaching out to take the child's chin in hand. "I do not enjoy punishing you whatever you might think, but you know better, Draco. You will learn to respect me, do you understand?"

Draco blinked quickly, his lower lip trembling. "Fine."

James might have wanted to strangle the kid at times, but that didn't mean he liked seeing him hurting either. "Kiddo, I know you are mad at me and...and I wish you weren't. I think we can be brilliant mates, you know."

Draco shrugged. "Whatever. Am I still punished?"

"No. Go on if you want. Behave." James patted Draco's arm, wishing, once again, that the child would at least attempt to get along.

As expected, Draco quickly recoiled from the touch, shooting another dirty look before escaping to the playroom.

"Your father's a git," Draco announced as he noticed Harry playing near the window seat of the playroom. He snatched up his Quidditch set, placing it on the opposite side of the room from where his step-brother sat.

"Is not!" Harry threw his parchment and colored quills aside to frown at Draco. "Daddy's brill!" Harry didn't know why Draco had to be so mean to James all the time. He loved having another mummy and couldn't understand why Draco wouldn't adore the Gryffindor alum. "What did you do THIS time?"

"Nothing! It was an accident!" Draco ignored Harry then, choosing to fly his players.

Not liking being overlooked, Harry joined Draco. "Can I play?"

Draco's head snapped up, but the 'no' died on his lips. He actually liked playing with Harry sometimes. "Okay, but don't break anything." He pushed a few more pieces toward his step-brother.

"So what happened?" Harry asked after a few moments of silent playing. "Did he yell?" Harry hated when James scolded him. He always felt guilty for upsetting his dad.

"He was mean and he made me stay in the corner for a whole ten minutes!" Draco grimaced, thinking about how boring the time-out had been "Bet he wouldn't do that to you!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You musta been real naughty then. Daddy never gives time-out that long."

"To you!" Draco exclaimed. "Cause you're his real son and he likes you!"

Harry shook his head, his messy dark hair falling into his eyes. "That's stupid. Daddy's real nice. 'Sides, I get spankings some and you don't and that hurts. If he liked me best, he'd not do that and just smack you loads. Cause you're mean to him and all." It made perfect sense to the tiny Potter. James had explained all about the new family when he was dating Mummy Cissa and said Draco had to adjust and that sometimes he'd be mean because of that.

"I'm not mean!" Draco protested though, deep down, he knew he was. It wasn't even that he didn't like James. Not exactly. James was always bringing him and Harry pressies and taking them to places like the zoo so it was hard to actually hate the man. Draco didn't even know why he was always testing James and it made him uncomfortable when James wanted to discuss feelings and hold him and junk like that. Lucius hadn't been affectionate so it was odd.

"Whatever." Harry shrugged, not wanting to fight. "But he's nice to you so just 'member that sometimes 'cause I bet it makes him sad. Oh! Score!" Harry threw his hands up in the air. "We got the snitch!"

"I don't know what to do anymore." James actually pouted as he related the afternoon's events to his wife. "Maybe I should just bow out."

Gasping, Narcissa lifted her head from where it had been resting on James' chest. "You don't mean..."

"No!" James interjected the moment he realized what Narcissa feared. "Love, you are the only woman I ever cared about besides Lily. And Harry accepts you as another mum." Frustrated, he exhaled a deep breath as he hugged her close. "But I clearly upset Draco. We've been together for well over a year, married for three months...and he still loathes me." The pain James felt was clearly etched across his handsome face. "I'm usually smashing with kids and my own step-son wants my head on a platter. Just brilliant."

Feeling terrible for both her son and husband, Narcissa leaned back against James. "Darling, he's just not used to men of your sort. You know how Lucius..." She trailed off, not wishing to betray her dead spouse.

"I know, I know. He was much more standoffish and not terribly forthcoming with love and praise and all that junk." James shook his head. "I feel like I've tried everything, Cis. Acting like a mate, acting like a father...bribing, yelling, hugging..."

"Listen to me, James." Narcissa took her husband's face in her hands. "Draco is my son. That means he's bound to realize how wonderful you are." She stroked James' dark locks soothingly. "Please don't give up on him, love. On our family."

James couldn't deny his beautiful wife anything. "I won't. I'm not...I just...what happens now, sweetheart? I don't want to punish him into liking me. He'll just be pretending if we're too hard on him."

Narcissa wasn't a disciplinarian by nature, but even she had issued Draco a stern reprimand and the odd swat on the bum for his attitude toward James. She hated it and had to admit it didn't matter who the chastisement came from...Draco still didn't seem to react well to his step-father. "His healer says we just need to give it time. You are so vastly different from Lucius, love." Eyes glistening with tears, Narcissa snuggled into James' arms. "It's confusing to him is all. He's not a bad boy. He's not."

James held her close, berating himself for thinking ill of Draco only a measly hour prior. Of course he wasn't bad. He was part of Narcissa who James adored. That in mind, he cooed softly, "Of course he's not, my love. And we'll figure it out." Pulling her away only far enough to lock gazes, he attempted to add some levity to the dark conversation. "I mean who can resist this smile?"