Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Say It with Flowers	By : Sasunarufan13 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 8403 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor make profit of it. J.K. Rowling owns it.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Author's note: I'm pleasantly surprised by the response this story received. I'm definitely not complaining about it LOL The meanings of the flowers will be given at the end of the story, though you're free to guess them already of course :) Some will probably be clearer than others.
Thanks to the following reviewers: SP777 (Glad I could end your wait!) and ANON (the meaning of the flowers will be given at the end of the story and I'm working on the related stories to Self-fulfilling Prophecy)
Warnings: Nothing special as far as I'm concerned; just a time skip
I hope you'll like it!
Chapter 2 Snowdrop
"Almost done here, Teddy," Harry sighed and soothingly brushed a hand over Teddy's head.
"Bah," Teddy muttered disgruntled, but his fussing didn't grow out into crying, which in Harry's book counted as a win.
He was carrying around his nearly five month old godson in a sling; the baby's head resting against his chest. Carrying Teddy around in a sling was easier than toting him around in a pram, especially in a busy street like Diagon Alley. Going to Diagon Alley on a Tuesday after Hogwarts had officially started its new schoolyear ensured that the streets weren't that busy, but Harry had discovered that he liked having Teddy close to him. Using a sling also made it less likely for people to start crowding around him, like they were wont to do whenever he came out in public with Teddy lying in a pram. They still stared at him, still whispered about him when they thought he couldn't hear them, but the whole baby in a sling seemed to make them more hesitant to approach him, which he didn't complain about. Teddy also appreciated the distance they kept between him and them.
Ginny had jokingly remarked he would be one of those fussy, overprotective dads later.
"Just a couple more books and then we'll go home, hm?" Harry murmured, bypassing the aisle containing books about Herbology and Astronomy and entering one that held mostly books about Transfiguration.
"Buh," Teddy acquiesced; his right hand gripping Harry's shirt tightly, creasing it.
Harry hadn't yet figured out what exactly he wanted to do with the rest of his life. When McGonagall had asked him about his future job in his fifth year – which felt like a lifetime ago even if it had only been a couple of years – he had just blurted out the first thing that had come up in his mind and that had been Auror.
The war had made him weary of battling dark wizards, though, and he discovered he couldn't muster up the same enthusiasm for becoming an Auror anymore. He couldn't envision himself going after criminals day after day for years on end. He also had Teddy to think about – he didn't want to leave the boy behind without his godfather. Sure, he would still have his grandmother and even the Weasleys would be happy to take him in – but Remus had entrusted the care of his son to Harry and he was determined not to disappoint the man. Teddy already had to grow up without his parents, Harry would see to it that he wouldn't have to grow up without his godfather either. Sirius hadn't got that chance, but Harry did and he wasn't going to throw it away.
So with Auror dismissed as a potential job, Harry was lost as to what he could do now. After the initial idea of becoming an Auror, he hadn't thought of any other jobs he could possibly do. Truth be told, he hadn't expected to survive the war, so there had been no point in trying to decide which other jobs would be best suited for him.
He had survived the war, though, so now he had to figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life.
He figured that studying the subjects that appeared the most interesting would be a good start. So far he had a couple of textbooks dealing with curses and hexes and how to recognise them; duelling; and even a book about charms. He had been relatively well at Transfiguration and decided that pursuing it further would be a good idea. If he encountered any trouble with it, he was certain that either Hermione or even McGonagall would be willing to help him out.
"Potter?"
The quiet, oddly subdued voice made Harry look up and when he glanced right, he saw Malfoy standing at the end of the aisle, a pile of four books clutched into his own hands.
"Malfoy," Harry greeted him surprised and grey eyes flickered towards Teddy for a brief moment before they latched back onto green ones.
"I thought you would have gone back to Hogwarts," Malfoy mentioned and there was not even a hint of a sneer in his voice. His cheeks didn't look sunken in anymore, like they had been during the trial, but there were light bags underneath his eyes, betraying his lack of decent rest.
Harry shrugged. "Didn't feel right," he replied lightly. "You?"
After he had received the bouquet a couple of weeks ago, he had sent a reply to thank the blond for the flowers, but there hadn't been any answer of the other man since.
"It seemed … prudent not to go back," Malfoy answered stiffly.
"Are they – is anyone giving you trouble?" Harry asked hesitatingly, not wanting to shatter the strange truce they had going on now. He hadn't heard of anyone targeting the Malfoys, but he hadn't paid much attention to the newspapers either.
A bitter smile graced Malfoy's lips. "Nothing we can't handle," he said dismissively. "The wards around the manor are impenetrable."
"That's good," Harry said slowly. Feeling a tad lost, he nodded to the books Malfoy was holding. "Are you going to study on your own?"
Malfoy looked at the books as if he hadn't realised he was holding them. "Yes, I've been thinking of becoming a Potions Master like Sev – I mean, I've always been good at potions, so that seemed like a good decision." He cleared his throat; a light flush dusting his cheekbones.
Harry ignored the slip – he still had trouble saying Sirius' name at times – and nodded. "I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do, so I just picked up books of different subjects."
"I thought you were planning on being an Auror?" Malfoy furrowed his eyebrows, ignoring a witch grumbling darkly as she passed him.
The dark haired man grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not – I found out that chasing dark wizards just isn't for me. One dark wizard was enough for me."
At that moment Teddy started fussing, his little fist smacking Harry's chest, and he wiggled around, face steadily reddening. His cue that he wanted to be fed or else he would start screaming like a banshee.
Immediately Harry started rubbing his small back, making shushing noises. "I know, I know, Teddy, you want to eat, but I still need to pay for these books. Then we can go home and I'll make you something, hm? Maybe some mashed potatoes and carrots?"
Teddy muttered something incomprehensible and looked torn between being mollified and frustrated.
"I can – if you want, I can ask the house elves to prepare something," Malfoy suddenly blurted out and Harry gaped at him, not sure whether he had heard him correctly.
"What?"
The flush on Malfoy's cheeks darkened and he looked away uncomfortably. "The house elves at the manor – they know what a baby eats and I figured that it would be a bit quicker than if you had to prepare something on your own."
"You want me and Teddy to come over to the manor?" Harry said slowly, mulling over the proposition.
After he and his friends had escaped the manor, he hadn't returned to the place; it wasn't like he had had any reason to. He knew that Andromeda had started getting into contact with Mrs. Malfoy after years of not speaking to each other, but as far as he knew the sisters hadn't met up at the manor yet.
"It's just … an offer. You don't have to come if you don't want; I'd understand," Malfoy muttered and looked extremely fascinated by a book about Animagi.
Harry looked down at Teddy and watery, blue eyes stared back before the baby rubbed his cheek against his chest. Having house elves prepare something would be quicker … Even with magic, it would take a bit before Teddy's meal was finished.
"Sure, why not?" Harry muttered and smiled. "If you or your parents don't mind."
"If I would have minded it, I wouldn't have offered, now would I?" Malfoy sniffed and Harry had to grin at the brief return of the haughtiness. The withdrawn posture of the blond had unsettled him, so it was great to see that there was still something of the old Malfoy in him.
"And my parents won't mind," Malfoy added almost absentmindedly. "I know Aunt Andromeda has been talking to mother about Teddy. I'll send a Patronus now, so the house elves will be ready by the time we're at the manor, okay?"
"Sounds good to me." Harry nodded and patted Teddy's back soothingly. "I'm going to pay for these books and then you can lead the way, all right?"
Malfoy nodded and withdrew his wand from his pocket.
Teddy started to whimper and Harry hurried to the counter, still bemused at the turn of events that had just taken place. Never in a million years had he thought he would willingly go to Malfoy Manor to have lunch of all things, but here he was now.
Guess this goes with him wanting to start a clean slate, Harry mused and handed over the money at the blushing girl behind the counter, who was putting his books into a bag.
If Malfoy was making an effort to be civil to him, Harry could hardly remain behind, right? Besides, he was tired of having enemies; one person less wanting to curse him was something he could very much appreciate.
Malfoy looked uncharacteristically nervous when Harry met up with him at the entrance of the store.
"I already sent a Patronus," he told Harry; his left hand clenched around a bag of his own.
"Lead the way," Harry smiled and followed the blond out of the store, ignoring the stunned looks they received. Him leaving together with Malfoy would probably end up in the newspapers tomorrow – because nowadays everything he did seemed worthy of being spread out in the papers – but he couldn't find it in him to care. It was his business and his alone what he did after all.
But who would have thought going to the bookstore would end up in going to Malfoy Manor with Malfoy?
Teddy gurgled seemingly in agreement with Harry's thoughts.
The first time seeing Malfoy's parents again after the trial was kind of awkward. Lucius had completely ignored him, not even glancing at him, but Harry hadn't been too bothered by that. He didn't think he and the older Malfoy would ever get along, considering the history between them.
Mrs. Malfoy had been friendlier; still somewhat cool and standoffish, but noticeably warmer than her husband. She had inquired after his plans and after lunch was finished, she had suggested that he'd stay, so that Teddy could take a nap. Taken off guard by the unexpected invitation, he had blurted out an agreement before he fully realised what was going on. The brief surprised, but pleased look on Mrs. Malfoy's face had told him he had given the right answer.
All in all, the day had passed by rather pleasantly, even if it had been awkward at times, and Harry had left Malfoy Manor that evening with an invitation to return.
It had been odd to interact amicably with Malfoy instead of cursing and sneering at each other like they had done at school, but Harry couldn't say he missed the animosity. He and Malfoy were still treading carefully around each other, testing the waters, but the first afternoon in each other's company had gone by surprisingly well.
It had gone so well actually that Harry found himself going back to Malfoy Manor two days later, this time sans Teddy as he was staying with his grandmother. Somehow they started studying together, Harry ploughing through the heavy lecture of curses and their defences while Malfoy diligently studied potions from tomes so old, Harry was surprised the pages didn't disintegrate into dust the moment Malfoy laid eyes on them.
"Hermione thinks I'm crazy because I'm hanging out with you," Harry mentioned casually one afternoon at the end of September. He had been a regular visitor at Malfoy Manor for four weeks now and last night during their weekly Floo call, Hermione had forced him to admit where he was during the days when they couldn't reach him through the Floo. Her face when he told her had been hilarious, even if he had spent more than an hour reassuring both her and Ron that no, of course he wasn't cursed. They still hadn't been entirely convinced when they said their goodbyes and he probably could expect another conversation about it next time they Floo called.
"Not like it's the first time you've been declared insane," Malfoy said dryly, turning the page in his book. He was surrounded by three thick books, a pile of parchment and an inkwell, while his quill hovered above the parchment. There was a speck of ink right next to his nose, from where he had been a bit too enthusiastically writing his notes down.
"Yeah, but usually that was the press, not my friends," Harry pointed out and clucked his tongue.
It was silent for a bit until Harry became aware of eyes on him and when he glanced up, he saw Malfoy gazing at him with a weird look on his face. "What?"
"Does it bother you?" Malfoy asked; a frown creasing his forehead.
"What? Oh, you mean, Hermione's reaction?" Harry snorted and shook his head. "She'll get used to it. Ron as well," he added, though he suspected it would take the ginger haired man longer, considering the history between the Weasleys and the Malfoys.
Malfoy tapped his quill on his parchment. "Do you want her to get used to it?"
"You really have an odd way of asking questions, you know," Harry complained and sighed when Malfoy just regarded him with piercing, but unreadable eyes. "Look, if I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be. I thought you'd know that by now."
"So, are we … friends?" Malfoy asked slowly, appearing quite conflicted.
Harry lowered the quill on the table and leant back in his chair, studying the blond man across from him intently. They hadn't talked about what they did now. Malfoy had extended the invitation to come over whenever he wanted and Harry had accepted it, falling into an easy routine with the grey eyed wizard. Hanging out with Malfoy wasn't something he had envisioned doing after the war, but the other man was surprisingly good company once you got past the snark and the standoffish nature. Sure, they argued – it was practically imbedded in their nature to argue with each other – but the arguments this time around didn't turn into full-fledged fights and they parted amiably each time.
He actually found himself having fun bantering with Malfoy.
It made Harry wonder more than once whether this was what it would have been like if he had accepted Malfoy's hand of friendship all those years ago.
"Forget what I said," Malfoy muttered abruptly, looking cross.
"No wait, I was just thinking - "
"Don't hurt yourself, Potter."
Harry serenely ignored him and continued, "That I enjoy hanging out with you more than I thought I would."
"I – thanks, I guess?" Malfoy looked confused, but his cheeks coloured a light rose and he rubbed the back of his neck. "You're not so bad yourself."
Harry grinned and in an impulse he leant over the table and offered his hand. "Let's start over," he said determined while the confusion on the blond's face grew. "Hello, my name is Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you."
Shock crossed Malfoy's face and wonder flashed by quickly before a smirk settled around his lips and he reached out to accept Harry's hand. "Draco Malfoy. It's nice to meet you too."
"Well, Draco, think you're up for some Quidditch?" Harry grinned impishly, stretching out his arms until his back popped. Calling the other man by his first name felt a bit weird, but he figured he would get used to it. "The letters are starting to dance in front of my eyes and I need a break."
Mal – Draco snorted. "Sometimes I wonder whose attention span is better: yours or Teddy's." In spite of that, he closed his books and stood up, nodding at a house elf when the elf started clearing the table. He strode towards the door of the library and looked back with an eyebrow cocked. "Ready to get your arse handed to you, Harry?" he smirked.
"As if," Harry retorted and hurried after the blond.
Say what you want of the Malfoys, but they had an amazing Quidditch pitch and Harry would be a fool not to take advantage of that.
Besides, he thought amused as he caught grey eyes when they both raced after the elusive Snitch, Draco needs to let loose sometimes and who better to remind him of that than his friend?
"Maybe you can come visit us during the Halloween weekend?" Ginny suggested; her fiery hair practically blending in between the red flames. Tonight was one of the few nights she had enough time to Floo call with Harry. "You can take Teddy with you."
Harry hummed, his thoughts going towards the baby peacefully asleep upstairs. "I'll ask Andromeda. Maybe she has plans."
She laughed. "Plans with a baby who's barely seven months old by then? I don't think so, but – "
Whatever she wanted to say next was cut off by the sound of clatter at the window. A familiar rusty brown owl stared back at Harry solemnly through the window before he spread out his wings and tapped the window impatiently with his beak.
"Give me a minute," he muttered and crossed the room; something akin to butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he thought he knew what the owl was delivering.
He was right.
As soon as the window was open, the owl swooped inside and landed on the coffee table, hooting softly as he offered his leg. Around it a small, white box was tied and Harry couldn't supress a grin when he freed the owl from his burden. Another soft hoot and the owl flew silently back out of the window.
A quick Enlargement Charm brought the box to its original height again and just like the previous time – Merlin, had it already been two months since then? – the lid popped open and the sides of the box fell down, revealing a small bouquet of snowdrops tied together with a dark blue string.
Where had Draco managed to get snowdrops at this time of the year?
Shaking his head in wonder, Harry gently removed the card from between the flowers and opened it. The card only contained a single sentence: 'Thank you for giving me a second chance.'
"Harry, who gave you those flowers?" Ginny asked perplexed, staring wide eyed at the beautiful snowdrops, which seemed to shimmer in the light of the fire.
Harry smiled, trailing a finger down a petal. "I made a new friend two days ago," he simply answered.
He would need to thank Draco for the flowers next time he saw him. Even if the flowers were unnecessary and unconventional, Harry appreciated the thought behind them.
He went to bed that night with a smile on his face.
AN2: It feels so weird to write without angst :O And to write a chill Harry ...
Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me!
I hope to see you all in the next chapter: Purple Lilac and Peony.
Cuddles
Melissa
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Say It with Flowers