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sesheta66Title: Second Chance – Chapter Twenty-Four
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 H—Two Stockings on a White Mantlepiece (picture under the cut) and dracoharry100’s prompt 1: Mistletoe
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Word Count: 3.1K (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 theslythindor100 Early Bird 25 Days of Draco and Harry and the dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge.
On LJ: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24
OR on AO3
Second Chance – Chapter 24
Draco spent that evening reliving the kiss with Potter. He’d felt so good, so right in the other man’s arms. It was only one kiss, he kept telling himself, but it felt like so much more than that. It was like the past twenty years hadn’t happened at all. No, that wasn’t right. It was like the past twenty years had simply been the path they’d needed to take in their journey back to each other. They were older, wiser and less concerned about what others thought. Or at least he hoped that was the case.
He kept cautioning himself that he was reading too much into it. Way too much. It was one kiss, under mistletoe, at the end of an evening of drink and festive cheer. Surely that was all there was to it. He hadn’t had the chance to gauge Potter’s reaction when a bumbling Weasley had tumbled out of the Floo, loudly announcing that he’d been charged with the task of bringing an overnight bag for his children. Draco and Potter had pulled apart abruptly, and Draco had fled the scene as calmly as he could.
He really needed to get his emotions – or rather his imagination – under control before he went back to Potter’s place to pick up Scorpius. He’d had some interesting dreams last night, reliving a mix of last night’s kiss and their time together two decades ago. And it had all felt so real. And Draco wanted that. Wanted this new, improved Potter like he’d had him for that fleeting moment so long ago. But this time he wanted to hang onto him.
Potter Floo-called around noon to let Draco know that the other kids had been picked up and he could come by any time. Long after Potter's head had disappeared from the grate, Draco sat staring at his fireplace, decorated in Slytherin colours, stockings and garland hanging from the mantle, thinking about a kiss that had happened not far from a similar one, decorated in Gryffindor colours, at the other end. Shaking off the lingering dreams and thoughts that sprung from them, he went to Grimmauld Place.
Harry smiled as he came through, shaking his head after noting that he once again had no ash residue on his clothes. “Kids are outside building a snowman.”
Draco nodded and abruptly said, “About last night.” He hadn’t meant to say that, didn’t think he’d get the opportunity, to be fair, but there it was. Out there. No turning back.
Potter closed the distance between them, practically pinning Draco against the wall, and Draco’s heart started racing. Potter reached up and brushed a strand of Draco’s hair behind his ear and leaned down. He breathed into his ear and whispered, “I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks, since the first time you stepped into my office.” Then he ran his tongue along the lobe of Draco’s ear and nibbled on it. “God you smell good.”
Draco’s breath caught, his head tipped back, and Potter groaned, tracing a line with his tongue from ear to throat. Draco was instantly hard. “Fuck.”
“Mm. I’d love to. But not with the kids here.”
Draco grabbed Potter’s hair, pulled his head back and stared into that gorgeous face. His green eyes were nearly black, the pupils blown out, and the look of longing he gave Draco left no doubt in his mind. He dove in, devouring Potter’s mouth, pulling their bodies together so there was no hiding how much they both wanted this. Their tongues explored, just like last night, only fiercer, like they’d never again get the chance, like their lives depended on it. Potter let out a moan that Draco thought might be the end of him.
With great effort, they broke apart. “The kids,” Draco said.
Potter cleared his throat. “Right.” He straightened Draco’s shirt – when had that got dishevelled? – and then his own. “We should probably ...”
Draco rested a hand on Potter’s chest, felt his heart thumping. “Continue this later.”
Potter’s smile lit up his entire face. “Definitely.”
Draco spent the rest of the day with Scorpius, doing all the last-minute things: shopping, decorating and wrapping presents, in preparation for the next few days of family visits.
Christmas Eve found them at the Manor with Narcissa. Her face lit up when she saw Scorpius – he always evoked the best in her. Everyone opened one gift, as was tradition, then they sat down to afternoon tea, following which they dove in to the rest of the presents, which were significant. Every year, the adults said the same thing: ”Next year we won’t go overboard” and every year they still did.
After all the gift opening was done – Narcissa’s crystal globe was a particular favourite – she turned to Draco. “Am I to understand correctly that our usual Christmas dinner with my sister will include the Potters?”
Scorpius said, “Yup! So you finally get to meet Al.”
“And Al is your best friend, correct?” She knew this. Draco had told her as much the day he’d learned about it himself.
“Yup. Since first year. And I stayed over at their place on Tuesday, and Al is coming to stay with us for a couple of days next week.”
She grinned, her eyes sparkling at Draco. “Well, well. It seems like a Malfoy-Potter Christmas all around, then.”
“Mm hmm.” Scorpius sounded delighted.
Draco rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far, Mother.”
“Oh, I’m not so sure. You know, I had a lovely visit from Ms Parkinson the other day.”
“Zabini,” Draco corrected. Narcissa waved him off.
“Aunt Pansy?”
She smiled indulgently at her grandson. “That’s right. And she told me something very interesting.”
Draco cringed inside. “Did she now?” He hadn’t told his mother that he’d been working with Potter.
“Indeed. She tells me that you are working for Mr Potter.”
Scorpius looked at his dad. “What? You work for Al’s dad?”
She chuckled. “Seems I’m not the only one that didn’t know.”
That’s because it’s none of your business. Fucking Pansy. “I was not working for Potter. I was working with Potter, as I already explained to Pansy.”
“Semantics.”
“Are you an auror now too, Dad?”
“No, son, I’m not an auror.”
“But you catch bad guys?”
Narcissa grinned at her grandson, but Draco knew it was all for him. “If you must know, Al’s father asked me to assist on a case. It involved drugs and some children were getting hurt, some dying. They needed expertise from someone who knows potions very well, so they asked me to help just this once.”
“Did you solve the case?” Scorpius asked.
“Yes, we did.”
“Is the guy going to prison for a long time?”
“We certainly hope so.”
Scorpius thought about this for some time before his face fell. “So you don’t work for Al’s dad any more?”
“With him. And no, I don’t. It was just this one time, for this case. Now that it’s done, I am back working at my lab.”
“Are you sure?” his mother asked.
Draco scowled. “Of course I’m sure. It was one time. They found themselves without a potions master on staff – he’d recently retired and they haven’t yet found a replacement – so they reached out to me. That’s it. End of story.”
“They’re short-staffed you say?” Narcissa asked. He rolled his eyes, knowing where she was going with this.
“Why don’t you take the job, Dad? You and Mr Potter could work together all the time.” Narcissa laughed, clearly enjoying the direction the conversation had taken.
“First of all, Scorpius, I have my own job, and I enjoy it very much. And, as your grandmother already knows, I don’t much like the Ministry, so I don’t want to work there.”
Scorpius frowned. “You don’t like Mr Potter?”
“That’s not what I said. I like him just fine. What I don’t like is where he works.”
“Oh.”
“And Al’s Uncle Ron works there too.”
“And he doesn’t like you,” Scorpius grumbled. Narcissa scoffed at that, but held her tongue.
“That’s correct, and just between you and me, the feeling is mutual. So there’s no reason whatsoever for me to go work there. I’m happy where I am. I have responsibilities of my own. I have lots of people that depend on me for a job. And after I testify in this one case, I’ll be done with the Ministry for good.”
“Okay.” He didn’t look happy, but nor did he look particularly upset.
“Right, so now that’s over, let’s get ready for dinner."
Christmas dinner was delicious, as always. Mass was solemn, as always. And Narcissa continued to grill Draco after Scorpius went to bed, as always. After a morning cup of tea, they left for brunch at the Greengrasses.
Astoria’s absence was most notable when they visited her family. And without anyone his own age to interact with, Scorpius stayed by Draco’s side much of the time. More of an observance than a celebration, now that Astoria was gone, the afternoon crept by.
The next day, Scorpius was excited again, knowing that he’d be seeing Al. Draco couldn’t deny that he was feeling similarly about seeing Al’s dad. Unfortunately, he doubted he’d have much opportunity to continue what they’d started with their children present, never mind his mother, aunt and cousin.
He was correct, as it turned out. Narcissa capitalised on the opportunity to ask Potter what he’d been up to since the war. Andromeda seemed amused but Draco was not. He had no idea what Pansy had said to his mother, but he suspected it was more than details about his working for the Ministry. This was sounding more and more like a grilling. But Potter took it all in stride.
Draco hadn't had much opportunity to observe the man, despite their working together over the past few weeks, but what he had seen reflected two very different people. When in the office – his office – he was all seriousness. He worked hard, led well, and commanded attention and respect. When at home, as he was here, he smiled often, laughed heartily, and had a twinkle in those green eyes Draco hadn't recalled seeing at school. He supposed that when Harry was around him back at Hogwarts, he hadn’t been inclined to be happy or carefree.
“Did you know,” Narcissa asked Andromeda, “that Draco and Harry have been working together?”
“But I thought you’d said you’d never in a million years work for the Ministry,” his aunt said.
“Yes, well, Potter here asked as a personal favour.” He turned to Potter. “And paid me rather handsomely for my troubles.”
Harry grinned. “Worth every penny.”
Narcissa’s curious gaze went unnoticed.
Later, as they sat down to dinner, Andromeda said, "I'm just so pleased you’re all here, and that I can finally have a proper family Christmas dinner, instead of the two separate ones. It is the season for family, after all, isn't it?”
A month ago, Draco could not have imagined the path his life would take this year. Here he sat, at a Christmas dinner with family that somehow included Harry Potter. He knew, obviously, that Potter was Teddy’s godfather, but he supposed he’d never really thought of him as family, extended or otherwise. But as they sat around the table, it felt right. He wondered what Potter thought about it all.
When the meal was done and presents opened, the children were off playing with their gifts, and Narcissa and Andromeda started chatting in the corner, finally Draco had a moment to chat with Potter.
“How was your Christmas?”
“Same as usual. Total mayhem, great food, good company. Time with my kids is always welcome. You?”
“Same, minus the mayhem.”
“Speaking of mayhem, I think Al is going to invite Scorpius to celebrate New Year’s with him. Thought you might want a head’s up.”
“They’re with Ginevra, right?”
He nodded. “Al says that Ginny’s good with that, so ...”
“What do you think?”
“I think Gin isn’t her brother, and if she says he’s welcome, he's welcome.”
Draco agreed. “Well, if he wants to go, then, I guess that will be fine.”
Harry smiled and scooted a bit closer. Not so close for outside eyes to notice, but close enough for Draco to feel the warmth of his body. “So, does that mean you’re free for New Year’s?”
Draco smirked. “Why, what did you have in mind?”
“Use your imagination." He waggled his eyebrows. "Interested?”
Draco couldn’t help but laugh. “Definitely.”
***
The next day, Narcissa had invited Scorpius to join her for afternoon tea, just the two of them, so Draco had a few hours to himself. He’d just curled up in his favourite chair with a new book he’d received for Christmas, when a loud banging came at the door.
“Malfoy, open up!” What the hell? “Malfoy, it’s Weasley. Open up. I want to talk to you.”
Draco weighed his options: open the door to who-knew-what or ignore him, have him blast the door open – he was no fool; he knew the Head Auror could do it – and still deal with who-knew-what. He liked his door, so he opted for the former, while sure to keep his wand handy.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Weasley? And how did you know where I live?”
“I'm an auror. I'll let you work that out." Cocky bastard. "So what do you think you’re playing at, Malfoy? What are you trying to accomplish?”
The man was demented, Draco was convinced. “I’m quite sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I’m talking about Harry.” When Draco – not sure what the lunatic was getting at – didn’t answer, he said, "So which is it, ferret? Is Harry a target because of perceived weakness or because he's an opportunity for you to gain from associating with him?"
Recognising his own words being thrown in his face, Draco still didn’t understand. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you insinuating yourself into Harry's life. First at work, then at home." Draco stared, dumbfounded, at the weasel. What the fuck the idiot was going on about, he had no idea. "I saw you." At Draco's non-response, he said, "I. Saw. You. At the party. After everyone had left and you came back. I saw you and Harry. I came back to bring an overnight bag for the kids. I stepped out of the Floo and what do you think I saw?"
Well fuck. Obviously he’d come through, saw them, then made all that noise so they wouldn’t know. "There was mistletoe," Draco said lamely.
"Mistletoe?" The weasel laughed. "Do you honestly think that an auror of Harry's skill could be held captive by a spell cast by children? Or by something from a joke shop? The man who could fight off the Imperius curse in fourth year? Come on now, even you aren't that stupid."
No, he wasn't that stupid. He just hadn't really given it any thought. He'd just gone along with it, let himself have a little innocent fun. And what did Weasley care about it anyway? Draco squared his shoulders, doing his level best not to give the head auror a reason to hex him or throw him in prison. "What business is it of yours?"
Weasley closed in on him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "I'll tell you what business it is of mine. Harry is my friend, and I'll be damned if you are going to sink your filthy claws into him."
Draco shoved his hand away. He'd known Weasley wouldn't accept Harry and him together. That was a big part of why they'd parted ways twenty years ago. Because everyone around them – friends, family, Ministry officials, the media, the public – would have been against it, and there's no way they could have overcome that. But he remembered Harry's comment the other night: I don't give a damn what anyone thinks. Draco believed him. They were no longer teenagers fighting against the world's opinions, doing what everyone else thought they ought to. They'd been down that road before. They were grown men now, accomplished, confident men, able to stand up to the naysayers and do what they thought was best for themselves.
"For your information, I haven't sunk my claws into Harry, as you so eloquently put it. As you said, he's a skilled auror. He's not going to be duped into doing anything he doesn't want to do. And I doubt anything you have to say on the matter is going to change his mind." He wasn't entirely sure that was true, but he hoped it was.
"That may be true, but let me assure you, I will make sure he does what's right."
Draco laughed. Now who was being stupid? "You can't make Harry do anything. You can't protect him from his own decisions. Who do you think you are?"
Weasley's ears and neck turned a startling shade of red. "I may not be able to protect him from his bad decisions, but I sure as hell can protect my niece and nephews."
"What?" Wow, power clearly had gone to Weasley's head. And what the hell did Harry's kids have to do with this? "They aren't your children."
"No, but they're my sister's children." He grinned maniacally. "And there's no way in hell she'll stand for you being around them, influencing them." Draco's stomach fell and he thought he was going to throw up. Was he serious? "See, Gin and Harry get along pretty well, all things considered. No problems with custody of the kids and all that. But with you in the picture, do you really think my sister will continue that way? I wouldn't count on it."
Draco didn't know what to say. He'd always imagined that the weasel would use his power to punish Draco, given the slightest opportunity, which is why he'd kept a healthy distance from him for all these years. But to punish Harry because of him? That was seriously fucked up.
"Given the choice between you and his kids, who do you think Harry will choose?" He pulled out his wand and it was all Draco could do not to flinch. He might not have succeeded. "Do yourself a favour and walk away before Harry pushes you away. Because if you don't, I will go to my sister and she will do what's right for her kids, no matter what Harry might want."
He gave Draco a parting shove, sneered at him, and with a swish of his wand and a loud crack, disappeared into the night.
Author:
sesheta_66 || AO3: sesheta_66Prompts used:
slythindor100’s early bird prompt H—Two Stockings on a White Mantlepiece (picture under the cut) and dracoharry100’s prompt 1: MistletoePairing: Harry/Draco
Word Count: 3.1K (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 dracoharry100 Christmas Challenge. On LJ: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24
OR on AO3
Draco spent that evening reliving the kiss with Potter. He’d felt so good, so right in the other man’s arms. It was only one kiss, he kept telling himself, but it felt like so much more than that. It was like the past twenty years hadn’t happened at all. No, that wasn’t right. It was like the past twenty years had simply been the path they’d needed to take in their journey back to each other. They were older, wiser and less concerned about what others thought. Or at least he hoped that was the case.
He kept cautioning himself that he was reading too much into it. Way too much. It was one kiss, under mistletoe, at the end of an evening of drink and festive cheer. Surely that was all there was to it. He hadn’t had the chance to gauge Potter’s reaction when a bumbling Weasley had tumbled out of the Floo, loudly announcing that he’d been charged with the task of bringing an overnight bag for his children. Draco and Potter had pulled apart abruptly, and Draco had fled the scene as calmly as he could.
He really needed to get his emotions – or rather his imagination – under control before he went back to Potter’s place to pick up Scorpius. He’d had some interesting dreams last night, reliving a mix of last night’s kiss and their time together two decades ago. And it had all felt so real. And Draco wanted that. Wanted this new, improved Potter like he’d had him for that fleeting moment so long ago. But this time he wanted to hang onto him.
Potter Floo-called around noon to let Draco know that the other kids had been picked up and he could come by any time. Long after Potter's head had disappeared from the grate, Draco sat staring at his fireplace, decorated in Slytherin colours, stockings and garland hanging from the mantle, thinking about a kiss that had happened not far from a similar one, decorated in Gryffindor colours, at the other end. Shaking off the lingering dreams and thoughts that sprung from them, he went to Grimmauld Place.
Harry smiled as he came through, shaking his head after noting that he once again had no ash residue on his clothes. “Kids are outside building a snowman.”
Draco nodded and abruptly said, “About last night.” He hadn’t meant to say that, didn’t think he’d get the opportunity, to be fair, but there it was. Out there. No turning back.
Potter closed the distance between them, practically pinning Draco against the wall, and Draco’s heart started racing. Potter reached up and brushed a strand of Draco’s hair behind his ear and leaned down. He breathed into his ear and whispered, “I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks, since the first time you stepped into my office.” Then he ran his tongue along the lobe of Draco’s ear and nibbled on it. “God you smell good.”
Draco’s breath caught, his head tipped back, and Potter groaned, tracing a line with his tongue from ear to throat. Draco was instantly hard. “Fuck.”
“Mm. I’d love to. But not with the kids here.”
Draco grabbed Potter’s hair, pulled his head back and stared into that gorgeous face. His green eyes were nearly black, the pupils blown out, and the look of longing he gave Draco left no doubt in his mind. He dove in, devouring Potter’s mouth, pulling their bodies together so there was no hiding how much they both wanted this. Their tongues explored, just like last night, only fiercer, like they’d never again get the chance, like their lives depended on it. Potter let out a moan that Draco thought might be the end of him.
With great effort, they broke apart. “The kids,” Draco said.
Potter cleared his throat. “Right.” He straightened Draco’s shirt – when had that got dishevelled? – and then his own. “We should probably ...”
Draco rested a hand on Potter’s chest, felt his heart thumping. “Continue this later.”
Potter’s smile lit up his entire face. “Definitely.”
Draco spent the rest of the day with Scorpius, doing all the last-minute things: shopping, decorating and wrapping presents, in preparation for the next few days of family visits.
Christmas Eve found them at the Manor with Narcissa. Her face lit up when she saw Scorpius – he always evoked the best in her. Everyone opened one gift, as was tradition, then they sat down to afternoon tea, following which they dove in to the rest of the presents, which were significant. Every year, the adults said the same thing: ”Next year we won’t go overboard” and every year they still did.
After all the gift opening was done – Narcissa’s crystal globe was a particular favourite – she turned to Draco. “Am I to understand correctly that our usual Christmas dinner with my sister will include the Potters?”
Scorpius said, “Yup! So you finally get to meet Al.”
“And Al is your best friend, correct?” She knew this. Draco had told her as much the day he’d learned about it himself.
“Yup. Since first year. And I stayed over at their place on Tuesday, and Al is coming to stay with us for a couple of days next week.”
She grinned, her eyes sparkling at Draco. “Well, well. It seems like a Malfoy-Potter Christmas all around, then.”
“Mm hmm.” Scorpius sounded delighted.
Draco rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far, Mother.”
“Oh, I’m not so sure. You know, I had a lovely visit from Ms Parkinson the other day.”
“Zabini,” Draco corrected. Narcissa waved him off.
“Aunt Pansy?”
She smiled indulgently at her grandson. “That’s right. And she told me something very interesting.”
Draco cringed inside. “Did she now?” He hadn’t told his mother that he’d been working with Potter.
“Indeed. She tells me that you are working for Mr Potter.”
Scorpius looked at his dad. “What? You work for Al’s dad?”
She chuckled. “Seems I’m not the only one that didn’t know.”
That’s because it’s none of your business. Fucking Pansy. “I was not working for Potter. I was working with Potter, as I already explained to Pansy.”
“Semantics.”
“Are you an auror now too, Dad?”
“No, son, I’m not an auror.”
“But you catch bad guys?”
Narcissa grinned at her grandson, but Draco knew it was all for him. “If you must know, Al’s father asked me to assist on a case. It involved drugs and some children were getting hurt, some dying. They needed expertise from someone who knows potions very well, so they asked me to help just this once.”
“Did you solve the case?” Scorpius asked.
“Yes, we did.”
“Is the guy going to prison for a long time?”
“We certainly hope so.”
Scorpius thought about this for some time before his face fell. “So you don’t work for Al’s dad any more?”
“With him. And no, I don’t. It was just this one time, for this case. Now that it’s done, I am back working at my lab.”
“Are you sure?” his mother asked.
Draco scowled. “Of course I’m sure. It was one time. They found themselves without a potions master on staff – he’d recently retired and they haven’t yet found a replacement – so they reached out to me. That’s it. End of story.”
“They’re short-staffed you say?” Narcissa asked. He rolled his eyes, knowing where she was going with this.
“Why don’t you take the job, Dad? You and Mr Potter could work together all the time.” Narcissa laughed, clearly enjoying the direction the conversation had taken.
“First of all, Scorpius, I have my own job, and I enjoy it very much. And, as your grandmother already knows, I don’t much like the Ministry, so I don’t want to work there.”
Scorpius frowned. “You don’t like Mr Potter?”
“That’s not what I said. I like him just fine. What I don’t like is where he works.”
“Oh.”
“And Al’s Uncle Ron works there too.”
“And he doesn’t like you,” Scorpius grumbled. Narcissa scoffed at that, but held her tongue.
“That’s correct, and just between you and me, the feeling is mutual. So there’s no reason whatsoever for me to go work there. I’m happy where I am. I have responsibilities of my own. I have lots of people that depend on me for a job. And after I testify in this one case, I’ll be done with the Ministry for good.”
“Okay.” He didn’t look happy, but nor did he look particularly upset.
“Right, so now that’s over, let’s get ready for dinner."
Christmas dinner was delicious, as always. Mass was solemn, as always. And Narcissa continued to grill Draco after Scorpius went to bed, as always. After a morning cup of tea, they left for brunch at the Greengrasses.
Astoria’s absence was most notable when they visited her family. And without anyone his own age to interact with, Scorpius stayed by Draco’s side much of the time. More of an observance than a celebration, now that Astoria was gone, the afternoon crept by.
The next day, Scorpius was excited again, knowing that he’d be seeing Al. Draco couldn’t deny that he was feeling similarly about seeing Al’s dad. Unfortunately, he doubted he’d have much opportunity to continue what they’d started with their children present, never mind his mother, aunt and cousin.
He was correct, as it turned out. Narcissa capitalised on the opportunity to ask Potter what he’d been up to since the war. Andromeda seemed amused but Draco was not. He had no idea what Pansy had said to his mother, but he suspected it was more than details about his working for the Ministry. This was sounding more and more like a grilling. But Potter took it all in stride.
Draco hadn't had much opportunity to observe the man, despite their working together over the past few weeks, but what he had seen reflected two very different people. When in the office – his office – he was all seriousness. He worked hard, led well, and commanded attention and respect. When at home, as he was here, he smiled often, laughed heartily, and had a twinkle in those green eyes Draco hadn't recalled seeing at school. He supposed that when Harry was around him back at Hogwarts, he hadn’t been inclined to be happy or carefree.
“Did you know,” Narcissa asked Andromeda, “that Draco and Harry have been working together?”
“But I thought you’d said you’d never in a million years work for the Ministry,” his aunt said.
“Yes, well, Potter here asked as a personal favour.” He turned to Potter. “And paid me rather handsomely for my troubles.”
Harry grinned. “Worth every penny.”
Narcissa’s curious gaze went unnoticed.
Later, as they sat down to dinner, Andromeda said, "I'm just so pleased you’re all here, and that I can finally have a proper family Christmas dinner, instead of the two separate ones. It is the season for family, after all, isn't it?”
A month ago, Draco could not have imagined the path his life would take this year. Here he sat, at a Christmas dinner with family that somehow included Harry Potter. He knew, obviously, that Potter was Teddy’s godfather, but he supposed he’d never really thought of him as family, extended or otherwise. But as they sat around the table, it felt right. He wondered what Potter thought about it all.
When the meal was done and presents opened, the children were off playing with their gifts, and Narcissa and Andromeda started chatting in the corner, finally Draco had a moment to chat with Potter.
“How was your Christmas?”
“Same as usual. Total mayhem, great food, good company. Time with my kids is always welcome. You?”
“Same, minus the mayhem.”
“Speaking of mayhem, I think Al is going to invite Scorpius to celebrate New Year’s with him. Thought you might want a head’s up.”
“They’re with Ginevra, right?”
He nodded. “Al says that Ginny’s good with that, so ...”
“What do you think?”
“I think Gin isn’t her brother, and if she says he’s welcome, he's welcome.”
Draco agreed. “Well, if he wants to go, then, I guess that will be fine.”
Harry smiled and scooted a bit closer. Not so close for outside eyes to notice, but close enough for Draco to feel the warmth of his body. “So, does that mean you’re free for New Year’s?”
Draco smirked. “Why, what did you have in mind?”
“Use your imagination." He waggled his eyebrows. "Interested?”
Draco couldn’t help but laugh. “Definitely.”
***
The next day, Narcissa had invited Scorpius to join her for afternoon tea, just the two of them, so Draco had a few hours to himself. He’d just curled up in his favourite chair with a new book he’d received for Christmas, when a loud banging came at the door.
“Malfoy, open up!” What the hell? “Malfoy, it’s Weasley. Open up. I want to talk to you.”
Draco weighed his options: open the door to who-knew-what or ignore him, have him blast the door open – he was no fool; he knew the Head Auror could do it – and still deal with who-knew-what. He liked his door, so he opted for the former, while sure to keep his wand handy.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Weasley? And how did you know where I live?”
“I'm an auror. I'll let you work that out." Cocky bastard. "So what do you think you’re playing at, Malfoy? What are you trying to accomplish?”
The man was demented, Draco was convinced. “I’m quite sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I’m talking about Harry.” When Draco – not sure what the lunatic was getting at – didn’t answer, he said, "So which is it, ferret? Is Harry a target because of perceived weakness or because he's an opportunity for you to gain from associating with him?"
Recognising his own words being thrown in his face, Draco still didn’t understand. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you insinuating yourself into Harry's life. First at work, then at home." Draco stared, dumbfounded, at the weasel. What the fuck the idiot was going on about, he had no idea. "I saw you." At Draco's non-response, he said, "I. Saw. You. At the party. After everyone had left and you came back. I saw you and Harry. I came back to bring an overnight bag for the kids. I stepped out of the Floo and what do you think I saw?"
Well fuck. Obviously he’d come through, saw them, then made all that noise so they wouldn’t know. "There was mistletoe," Draco said lamely.
"Mistletoe?" The weasel laughed. "Do you honestly think that an auror of Harry's skill could be held captive by a spell cast by children? Or by something from a joke shop? The man who could fight off the Imperius curse in fourth year? Come on now, even you aren't that stupid."
No, he wasn't that stupid. He just hadn't really given it any thought. He'd just gone along with it, let himself have a little innocent fun. And what did Weasley care about it anyway? Draco squared his shoulders, doing his level best not to give the head auror a reason to hex him or throw him in prison. "What business is it of yours?"
Weasley closed in on him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "I'll tell you what business it is of mine. Harry is my friend, and I'll be damned if you are going to sink your filthy claws into him."
Draco shoved his hand away. He'd known Weasley wouldn't accept Harry and him together. That was a big part of why they'd parted ways twenty years ago. Because everyone around them – friends, family, Ministry officials, the media, the public – would have been against it, and there's no way they could have overcome that. But he remembered Harry's comment the other night: I don't give a damn what anyone thinks. Draco believed him. They were no longer teenagers fighting against the world's opinions, doing what everyone else thought they ought to. They'd been down that road before. They were grown men now, accomplished, confident men, able to stand up to the naysayers and do what they thought was best for themselves.
"For your information, I haven't sunk my claws into Harry, as you so eloquently put it. As you said, he's a skilled auror. He's not going to be duped into doing anything he doesn't want to do. And I doubt anything you have to say on the matter is going to change his mind." He wasn't entirely sure that was true, but he hoped it was.
"That may be true, but let me assure you, I will make sure he does what's right."
Draco laughed. Now who was being stupid? "You can't make Harry do anything. You can't protect him from his own decisions. Who do you think you are?"
Weasley's ears and neck turned a startling shade of red. "I may not be able to protect him from his bad decisions, but I sure as hell can protect my niece and nephews."
"What?" Wow, power clearly had gone to Weasley's head. And what the hell did Harry's kids have to do with this? "They aren't your children."
"No, but they're my sister's children." He grinned maniacally. "And there's no way in hell she'll stand for you being around them, influencing them." Draco's stomach fell and he thought he was going to throw up. Was he serious? "See, Gin and Harry get along pretty well, all things considered. No problems with custody of the kids and all that. But with you in the picture, do you really think my sister will continue that way? I wouldn't count on it."
Draco didn't know what to say. He'd always imagined that the weasel would use his power to punish Draco, given the slightest opportunity, which is why he'd kept a healthy distance from him for all these years. But to punish Harry because of him? That was seriously fucked up.
"Given the choice between you and his kids, who do you think Harry will choose?" He pulled out his wand and it was all Draco could do not to flinch. He might not have succeeded. "Do yourself a favour and walk away before Harry pushes you away. Because if you don't, I will go to my sister and she will do what's right for her kids, no matter what Harry might want."
He gave Draco a parting shove, sneered at him, and with a swish of his wand and a loud crack, disappeared into the night.