Second Chance (2025 Christmas Story)
Dec. 1st, 2025 06:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sesheta66Title: Second Chance – Chapter One
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sesheta_66 || AO3: sesheta_66
Prompts used:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
slythindor100’s early bird prompt D: Red Berries on Frosted Shrub (picture under the cut) and dracoharry100’s prompt 16: Christmas Market
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco
Word Count: 1.6K (this part)
Rating: R (eventually; this part G)
Warning: none
Summary: This is the second Christmas for Draco without Astoria and Harry's first since Ginny remarried. Will best friends Scorpius and Albus be just what they need to rekindle something they'd thought fleeting and lost forever?
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Written for theslythindor100 Early Bird 25 Days of Draco and Harry and the dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge.
On LJ: Part 1
OR on AO3
Second Chance – Part 1
Harry took a mouthful of chicken parm, his go-to meal when having people over for dinner, Ron and Hermione across the table. He'd considered trying something different tonight, in honour of his last round of hosting their monthly dinners, but work had been particularly busy this week, and he knew everyone loved comfort food. Besides, Hermione could always be counted on to bring a nice bottle of wine, no matter what he made. Might as well make it a pasta dish.
Hermione lifted her glass of wine. "To the last quiet meal we three will have for a while."
Harry and Ron lifted their glasses to that. "Not long now, eh?" Ron said. "Kids'll be home wreaking havoc before we know it."
Harry smiled. "Can't wait!" In his opinion, the house was entirely too quiet when the kids were away at school. Sure, at the end of summer, he was pleased to see them off on the train, get some down time, but with their absence, he felt the openness of the house like a weight. Since he and Gin had split up two years earlier, he'd been alone at Grimmauld Place, and for someone who'd grown up in a cupboard and then shared a dorm room and spent most days surrounded by others at school, the big, empty house was a bit overwhelming.
"That's 'cause you're mad, mate." Of course Ron would feel this way, since he grew up in a crowded home, mayhem all around, and rarely a moment to himself, with even then the ghoul to disturb his peace on the rare occasion he got a spare moment to himself. Basically the opposite of Harry's lonely upbringing.
"I like when the children are home," Hermione said. "Gives the house some life."
Ron feigned outrage. "Oi! What am I, the invisible man?" Hermione chuckled.
It was true. They, at least, had each other, companionship. Something Harry no longer had. Not that he and Gin had been much company for each other for a long time, but he missed having someone else around. Someone to contemplate life with, talk to. Someone to just be with. He didn't want Gin there, per se. More often than not, they'd felt like strangers in the same house, or had been at each other's throats. No, he didn't want that life back. But he did long for something more than his current life.
Of course he couldn't say anything. Merlin forbid. Hermione would take that as a personal challenge, throwing every single witch she knew at him, and possibly a few Muggles too. He'd never have a moment's peace. He shuddered inwardly at the thought of going on blind dates. How did people even do that? He'd been blessed not to have ever had to think about things like that much growing up. Not with Voldemort looming over him. There had been the disaster of Cho, and then the wonder of being with Gin. And after the war … well, he wouldn't dwell on that. Then there was Gin again. They'd taken their time apart, he'd given her time to heal after Fred's death, and then they'd picked up basically where they'd left off.
There hadn't been much thought to it at all. Gin just started appearing – probably at Hermione's invitation – whenever he got together with Ron and Hermione, and before he knew it, he'd proposed, they'd got married and had three kids. And they'd had a good life together, had raised three great kids, and had been pretty happy most of the time.
He supposed there'd been signs along the way. They'd both been focused on their respective careers, then the kids. When Lily had finally gone to Hogwarts, it had been, what, just a few months of trying to figure out who they would be as an empty nest couple (at least during the school year) before Gin had proposed a separation. Just some time to establish themselves as people. Not as parents to three children. Not as husband to the Quidditch player or wife to the war hero and Head of the MLA, but as Ginny and as Harry. She'd pointed out – quite rationally, he'd thought at the time – that they'd never really done that. They'd gone from school to war to post-war to this life. What exactly was wrong with this life, he'd asked. And then they'd fought. By the end of that row, he'd had to admit that this life maybe wasn't so great. And that after all their years together, they didn't really know each other at all.
So he'd agreed. And in short order, the separation had turned from temporary to permanent, the children had been told at the end of the school year, and now they lived separate lives. Drastically different lives.
A tapping at the window interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, isn't that Gin's owl?" Ron asked.
Sure enough, it was. Harry got up from the table and let Holly in. "Hello, girl. What do you have for me?" He removed the letter from her leg and she took flight upstairs, off to find her cage and the treats inside.
He handed the letter to Ron, who didn't mince words. "Bloody hell, that girl's got some nerve!"
Harry wasn't sure what to think. His own childhood swam into focus: never going anywhere, never leaving Privet Drive before Hogwarts, certainly never seeing any place beyond Surrey. He wanted more for his kids. Wanted them to get out there, experience life, see the world.
"And who the hell goes to Mallorca for Christmas?" Ron sputtered.
"They aren't going for Christmas," Hermione pointed out. "Just for a few days over the break. It might be nice. Besides, I hear they have some lovely Christmas markets."
The anticipation of having the kids home for the holidays now evaporated. His kids. Pedro spending days away with them. Not Harry. Pedro. Some stupid Quidditch player – okay, a decent Quidditch player, but still. Not their dad. Harry was their dad.
Harry took a few deep breaths and thought about why he was bothered by the idea. It wasn't really Pedro; he was a good sort. Ron had looked him up, naturally, when Gin had started dating him, had done a thorough investigation of his past, and had come up empty. Not that he'd done it just for Harry, but because Gin was his little sister. And he'd told Harry that he'd checked out, so Harry wouldn't worry when the kids were around him.
No, his problem was that someone – anyone other than him – would be taking his children to experience a part of the world they'd never seen before. Sure, he and Gin had taken them on holiday to a number of places – cooler places than Mallorca, to be sure – but Harry hadn't actually considered taking them anywhere on his own. And now here Gin was, doing just that. Not unlike how she'd moved on after their split, something Harry wasn't sure he was ready to do, even now.
No matter how much it irked him that someone else would get to experience that time with his children, he couldn't let the pettiness of his feelings prevent his kids from having that experience.
"Harry, mate. You're not going to let her take them, are you?"
He looked up at Ron, his indignation on Harry's behalf warming him. He shrugged. "Yeah, mate. I think I am." Ron's jaw dropped. "If the kids want to go, I'm not going to stand in their way."
"But –"
Hermione scowled at her husband. "Ronald."
"If the kids don't want to go, I won't force them, but if they do, I'm not stopping Gin and Pedro from taking them. Like Hermione said, it's only for a few days and it's not for Christmas. They're home for two weeks. I'll have plenty of time with them. Besides, it's not like they wouldn't be spending half the time with Gin anyway. Why make things difficult?"
Hermione smiled at him. "That's a very mature attitude, Harry."
Harry laughed. "Thanks, Mum."
That decision made, Harry scribbled his response.
He called Holly down, attached his response, and sent her on her way. He spent a few moments breathing in the crisp December air, watching her take flight, trying to accept that this was his new life. The frosted red berries on the shrub outside the window, once comforting, now taunted him with the promise of Christmas.
When he sat back down to finish dinner, he noticed his glass of wine had been topped up. Throwing Ron a grateful smile, he took a healthy swig and got back to his dinner.
Author:
sesheta_66 || AO3: sesheta_66Prompts used:
slythindor100’s early bird prompt D: Red Berries on Frosted Shrub (picture under the cut) and dracoharry100’s prompt 16: Christmas MarketPairing(s): Harry/Draco
Word Count: 1.6K (this part)
Rating: R (eventually; this part G)
Warning: none
Summary: This is the second Christmas for Draco without Astoria and Harry's first since Ginny remarried. Will best friends Scorpius and Albus be just what they need to rekindle something they'd thought fleeting and lost forever?
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Written for the
slythindor100 Early Bird 25 Days of Draco and Harry and the dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge. On LJ: Part 1
OR on AO3
Harry took a mouthful of chicken parm, his go-to meal when having people over for dinner, Ron and Hermione across the table. He'd considered trying something different tonight, in honour of his last round of hosting their monthly dinners, but work had been particularly busy this week, and he knew everyone loved comfort food. Besides, Hermione could always be counted on to bring a nice bottle of wine, no matter what he made. Might as well make it a pasta dish.
Hermione lifted her glass of wine. "To the last quiet meal we three will have for a while."
Harry and Ron lifted their glasses to that. "Not long now, eh?" Ron said. "Kids'll be home wreaking havoc before we know it."
Harry smiled. "Can't wait!" In his opinion, the house was entirely too quiet when the kids were away at school. Sure, at the end of summer, he was pleased to see them off on the train, get some down time, but with their absence, he felt the openness of the house like a weight. Since he and Gin had split up two years earlier, he'd been alone at Grimmauld Place, and for someone who'd grown up in a cupboard and then shared a dorm room and spent most days surrounded by others at school, the big, empty house was a bit overwhelming.
"That's 'cause you're mad, mate." Of course Ron would feel this way, since he grew up in a crowded home, mayhem all around, and rarely a moment to himself, with even then the ghoul to disturb his peace on the rare occasion he got a spare moment to himself. Basically the opposite of Harry's lonely upbringing.
"I like when the children are home," Hermione said. "Gives the house some life."
Ron feigned outrage. "Oi! What am I, the invisible man?" Hermione chuckled.
It was true. They, at least, had each other, companionship. Something Harry no longer had. Not that he and Gin had been much company for each other for a long time, but he missed having someone else around. Someone to contemplate life with, talk to. Someone to just be with. He didn't want Gin there, per se. More often than not, they'd felt like strangers in the same house, or had been at each other's throats. No, he didn't want that life back. But he did long for something more than his current life.
Of course he couldn't say anything. Merlin forbid. Hermione would take that as a personal challenge, throwing every single witch she knew at him, and possibly a few Muggles too. He'd never have a moment's peace. He shuddered inwardly at the thought of going on blind dates. How did people even do that? He'd been blessed not to have ever had to think about things like that much growing up. Not with Voldemort looming over him. There had been the disaster of Cho, and then the wonder of being with Gin. And after the war … well, he wouldn't dwell on that. Then there was Gin again. They'd taken their time apart, he'd given her time to heal after Fred's death, and then they'd picked up basically where they'd left off.
There hadn't been much thought to it at all. Gin just started appearing – probably at Hermione's invitation – whenever he got together with Ron and Hermione, and before he knew it, he'd proposed, they'd got married and had three kids. And they'd had a good life together, had raised three great kids, and had been pretty happy most of the time.
He supposed there'd been signs along the way. They'd both been focused on their respective careers, then the kids. When Lily had finally gone to Hogwarts, it had been, what, just a few months of trying to figure out who they would be as an empty nest couple (at least during the school year) before Gin had proposed a separation. Just some time to establish themselves as people. Not as parents to three children. Not as husband to the Quidditch player or wife to the war hero and Head of the MLA, but as Ginny and as Harry. She'd pointed out – quite rationally, he'd thought at the time – that they'd never really done that. They'd gone from school to war to post-war to this life. What exactly was wrong with this life, he'd asked. And then they'd fought. By the end of that row, he'd had to admit that this life maybe wasn't so great. And that after all their years together, they didn't really know each other at all.
So he'd agreed. And in short order, the separation had turned from temporary to permanent, the children had been told at the end of the school year, and now they lived separate lives. Drastically different lives.
A tapping at the window interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, isn't that Gin's owl?" Ron asked.
Sure enough, it was. Harry got up from the table and let Holly in. "Hello, girl. What do you have for me?" He removed the letter from her leg and she took flight upstairs, off to find her cage and the treats inside.
Hi, Harry.
The holidays are coming up quickly, and I wanted to let you know that Pedro and I have decided to take a trip to Mallorca over the break, and we were going to ask the kids to come along.
Trust you're okay with that. It'd only be for three or four days, the first weekend they're home.
Send your reply with Holly and I'll let the kids know.
Thanks,
Ginny
He handed the letter to Ron, who didn't mince words. "Bloody hell, that girl's got some nerve!"
Harry wasn't sure what to think. His own childhood swam into focus: never going anywhere, never leaving Privet Drive before Hogwarts, certainly never seeing any place beyond Surrey. He wanted more for his kids. Wanted them to get out there, experience life, see the world.
"And who the hell goes to Mallorca for Christmas?" Ron sputtered.
"They aren't going for Christmas," Hermione pointed out. "Just for a few days over the break. It might be nice. Besides, I hear they have some lovely Christmas markets."
The anticipation of having the kids home for the holidays now evaporated. His kids. Pedro spending days away with them. Not Harry. Pedro. Some stupid Quidditch player – okay, a decent Quidditch player, but still. Not their dad. Harry was their dad.
Harry took a few deep breaths and thought about why he was bothered by the idea. It wasn't really Pedro; he was a good sort. Ron had looked him up, naturally, when Gin had started dating him, had done a thorough investigation of his past, and had come up empty. Not that he'd done it just for Harry, but because Gin was his little sister. And he'd told Harry that he'd checked out, so Harry wouldn't worry when the kids were around him.
No, his problem was that someone – anyone other than him – would be taking his children to experience a part of the world they'd never seen before. Sure, he and Gin had taken them on holiday to a number of places – cooler places than Mallorca, to be sure – but Harry hadn't actually considered taking them anywhere on his own. And now here Gin was, doing just that. Not unlike how she'd moved on after their split, something Harry wasn't sure he was ready to do, even now.
No matter how much it irked him that someone else would get to experience that time with his children, he couldn't let the pettiness of his feelings prevent his kids from having that experience.
"Harry, mate. You're not going to let her take them, are you?"
He looked up at Ron, his indignation on Harry's behalf warming him. He shrugged. "Yeah, mate. I think I am." Ron's jaw dropped. "If the kids want to go, I'm not going to stand in their way."
"But –"
Hermione scowled at her husband. "Ronald."
"If the kids don't want to go, I won't force them, but if they do, I'm not stopping Gin and Pedro from taking them. Like Hermione said, it's only for a few days and it's not for Christmas. They're home for two weeks. I'll have plenty of time with them. Besides, it's not like they wouldn't be spending half the time with Gin anyway. Why make things difficult?"
Hermione smiled at him. "That's a very mature attitude, Harry."
Harry laughed. "Thanks, Mum."
That decision made, Harry scribbled his response.
Hello, Gin.
Sounds like Mallorca could be something the kids might like. If they're up for it, I have no problem.
I would still like to meet them at the train when they return, though. Let me know the details once you've spoken with them and worked out your arrangements.
Harry
He called Holly down, attached his response, and sent her on her way. He spent a few moments breathing in the crisp December air, watching her take flight, trying to accept that this was his new life. The frosted red berries on the shrub outside the window, once comforting, now taunted him with the promise of Christmas.
When he sat back down to finish dinner, he noticed his glass of wine had been topped up. Throwing Ron a grateful smile, he took a healthy swig and got back to his dinner.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2025-12-02 04:19 am (UTC)And, hello, you!
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Date: 2025-12-02 05:49 am (UTC)And hello to you, too! It's been a while. Hope all is well.
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Date: 2025-12-02 03:42 pm (UTC)Oooh, so excited for this! Hope you are well!
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Date: 2025-12-22 03:50 am (UTC)