sesheta66 | Second Chance (2025 Christmas Story)

Title: Second Chance – Chapter Twenty-Two
Author:

sesheta_66 || AO3: sesheta_66
Prompts used:

slythindor100’s early bird prompt L—Two Dogs and a Wreath in the Window (picture under the cut) and

dracoharry100’s prompt 8: Cookie Exchange
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Word Count: 1.7K (this part)
Rating: R (eventually; this part PG)
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

Second Chance – Chapter 22

Things moved quickly over the next couple of days. The homeless man was found and interviewed. While he was fuzzy on details, his overall description matched the missing potioneer. They hit pay dirt when they found a lease on a flat in his name, in a Muggle neighbourhood near to where the two men had met. It seemed an almost certainty that he was their guy. Now they just had to find him. And when they did, they'd bring the homeless man – currently housed in a hotel with an auror babysitter – to positively identify him.

They didn't have enough evidence for a warrant to search the flat, but that didn't stop them putting a surveillance camera and an undetectable monitoring charm outside the building. They were able to isolate a sample of his magical signature from a neighbour in his home town in Wales – he'd apparently done some repairs on their shed and Drummond was able to isolate it. If he showed up, it would trigger the alarm and the auror team would get the signal. Alternatively, they might catch him on camera. Or, if they got a positive identification from the homeless man, they could get a warrant.

While they waited for that, they continued to pursue other leads, to be sure they didn't leave any stone unturned. Draco had gone through all but five of the patents and only one other potion looked to be of even close to a similar quality.

Mungo's had approved use of the antidote on the rest of the patients, with parental permission, and had received it from all. They'd begun administering it and hoped to revive the unconscious and halt the hallucinations. It would still be touch-and-go for some, as they weren't sure if permanent damage had been done, but the team of Healers on the case remained hopeful.

They had enough antidote for all current patients, and a small supply beyond that. If there wasn't a mass influx of new cases in the next few days, they'd be good. Mungo's had contracted Draco's team to manufacture a substantial supply, and he'd passed that along to Nigel to start working on filling the order.

Meanwhile, the Hogwarts Express would be arriving at King's Cross the next evening, so everyone with school-aged children was working as hard as they could to wrap things up, so they could start their break. Harry would meet the train to say a quick hello to his kids before Ginny whisked them away to Mallorca. He planned to work through the weekend, since he wanted to spend the week with the kids, leading up to New Year's when they'd go back to Gin's, and hoped this case wouldn't linger.

Drummond banged on his door. "We got him!"

"When? Did he try to scarper? Tell me he didn't ask for a lawyer."

"Just now. He just stood there, apparently shocked that anyone would have actually figured out who he was. And not yet. You in?"

"Definitely. Did you tell Draco?"

"Nope, you're the first one. I can go tell him now."

"No, it's alright. I'll go get him and we'll meet you there to strategise. I'd like Draco observing, so he can prompt with questions or clarify some of his answers." Harry thought about the dynamic. "I think you and Ron would be best. Tag team however you feel will play to your strengths. I'll stay out and observe with Draco. Get everything set up and let him sit alone for a while."

Harry flew down to the lab and found Draco, as always, immersed in his work. "Draco, care to meet the poisoner?"

"You got him?" He dropped what he was doing, grabbed his notes and made for the door.

"Drummond just notified me. They're bringing him to interrogation. I thought, if you're comfortable with the idea, that you might observe like you did the last time. Maybe nudge them in the right direction regarding potions details."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I'm good with that. You couldn't keep me away." He pushed past Harry and out the door, while Harry tried to keep up.

"So, have you given any thought to what we might want or need to ask this guy?"

"Me? No. Isn't that your job?" he called over his shoulder.

"Well, obviously. But as a fellow scientist or potions expert, I thought you might have an idea of how we might reach him. Maybe something that might help us seal the deal or get him to incriminate himself or better yet, confess."

He stopped and Harry almost ran into him. "Let me think about it." And he was off again.

When they got to the interrogation room, Drummond and Ron were already there working on strategy. Drummond looked at Draco. "Any suggestions?"

He'd apparently thought quickly along the way. He nodded. "Given that he'd been homeschooled, encouraged by his father, unable to accept criticism or direction, I'd say the best way to catch him off guard would be to compliment his work. Tell him you've never seen anything like it. The potions were like works of art. That he stumped a lot of really smart people."

"I can work with that."

"Homeless guy is on his way," Ron said.

"Here's hoping he IDs him so we can get a warrant," Harry said.

Ron turned to Draco. "Any details only he might know about his potion? Something that might trick him into admitting something?"

Draco held up his notes. "I can feed you that when needed. Meanwhile, I'll see if there's something specific you could work with."

In the end, a confession wasn't needed, which was good because not only was he outstanding at potions, but he was very good at keeping his mouth shut.

The homeless man came in and positively identified him. Said he'd know it was him "even without the tick." The tick was a slight twitch beneath his left eye. They got their warrant, searched the flat, and found a warded lab inside a magically enlarged cupboard. Inside there was a new batch being brewed, plus a supply of the same drug – precise chemical composition to the latest one – already packaged for distribution.

With courts being closed for the holidays, and their culprit locked up for the foreseeable future – not only had he been in possession of illicit drugs, but he'd also endangered neighbours with his unsecured laboratory setup. Risking health and well-being of the public as well as defying the Statute of Secrecy were enough to keep him under lock and key until the courts reopened in January. That meant court filings could be drafted now, and follow-up work could be completed in the new year.

Draco was currently analysing the new batch to see what further changes he'd made to the formula. Once he completed that, he'd be pretty much done his work with the Ministry. Harry didn't know how to feel about that. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd hired him on, but everyone had worked well with him. The lab folks loved him, Drummond had been impressed by his work, and even Ron managed to work well with him when push had come to shove. And they'd caught the guy. They'd worked as a team and got the job done.

More than that, Harry had grown used to having him around. And it seemed that twenty years, marriage, children, and divergent life paths hadn't dampened his feelings for the man.

So now what? There was still the party next week, but who knew how that would go, or if they'd even get a chance to talk privately. And the hearing, where Draco would be called to testify. But what then? Did they go back to living their separate lives, seeing each other in passing at King's Cross or occasionally when out shopping? He thought about the past few weeks and decided that he didn't want that. He'd felt a connection and thought – hoped – his feelings might be reciprocated, but he didn't know for sure.

And who knew what Draco wanted?

A loud knock interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, boss!" Drummond called from his door. "We're all going out to celebrate. Pub down the street. You in?"

Harry saw a crowd gathered behind him, aurors and lab techs and, in the background, a familiar blond head.

He smiled. "Definitely!"

"Draco, may I have a word?" Harry said, pulling him away from the fawning lab techs as they walked to the pub.

"C'mon, Harry, give the guy a break. He's worked enough already. We all have."

"Yeah, yeah," Harry agreed. "Just a couple of minutes."

Susan, one of the lab techs Harry had torn Draco away from, shrieked. "Oh, my god! They're soooo cute!" She was pointing at a shop window where two puppies – one black, one white – sat on the window ledge next to a wreath and watched them pass, tails wagging.

"They are cute," Draco said. Harry stared at him for a moment, then laughed. "What?"

"I was just thinking how surreal all of this is. Had you told fourteen-year-old me that I'd hear Draco Malfoy, of all people, saying the phrase, "they are cute" …

Draco shoved his shoulder into Harry. "Shut up."

Harry grinned. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know that Gin and I have finalised our schedule. The kids will be back home Monday night. We'll have the party on Tuesday – come over anytime after six – and they're with me from the 26th to the 30th, so Albus can visit sometime in that window. Does that work?"

"Sure. Have you heard from Andromeda yet?"

"Nothing yet, have you?"

"No," Draco said. "But we usually go on the 26th or 27th."

"Same. Maybe we say the 28th to 30th tentatively, and finalise once we both hear from Andromeda?"

"That works." Draco smiled. "Scorpius is really looking forward to it. Our place is always so quiet."

"So is Al. For the opposite reason."

"Okay, you two, enough work!" Drummond said as he held the pub door open and motioned them inside. "We've got tomorrow for that. Tonight, we celebrate."

Harry picked up the first round and once everyone had a drink, Drummond lifted his glass. "To Draco, for cracking the case wide open!"

Everyone, except a certain red-headed auror, could be heard replying, "To Draco!"

As conversation moved from cookie exchanges to ice skating, and the possibility of a white Christmas, Harry took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy Draco's company. He didn't notice his best friend fuming from across the table.