Harry Potter and Another Malfoy

Pairings: main Harry/Scorpius, mentions of Harry/Draco and Harry/Ron

Additional Warnings: mentions of mpreg, totally screwed-up canon, epilogue, kids, jobs and relationships and mean!Ron (cause someone has to be); Spoilers.

Thank you for reading and commenting. In this part there is some snuggling and lots of talking. Sorry for any mistakes!

Part 8

***

It wasn’t unusual for Harry, in the absence of anything resembling a love life, to go to bed alone and to wake up with company. It was not unusual for Albus (before) and for Allegra (now) to have an occasional nightmare or just an irresistible wish to snuggle with their dad. What was unusual, on this particular morning as Harry slowly became aware of being awake and decidedly not alone, was the fact that the snuggler’s touch in this case was none too filial. In fact, it went far beyond a simple touch and extended to include a brush of lips against the back of his neck, a caress across his shoulder blades, an arm that settled experimentally around his waist and a hand that boldly slid down to set camp on his thigh. Harry sighed into his pillow and prayed for strength against temptation. He had to be strong – he simply couldn’t let Scorpius take over his life without so much as an effort. He was not that easy and in retrospect it wouldn’t be any different from the way he’d fallen into a relationship with Malfoy.

Besides, no matter how good it felt, it was still too early to be indulging in this sort of thing. It still felt wrong, unspeakable; it still belonged in the restricted section of his life, where shadows and whispers met. Harry was in no way prepared to find himself entangled with Scorpius either in life or in bed and he was not yet ready to admit that he fell for his son’s best friend; at least not by means of letting Scorpius take full possession of his body without putting up a fight first. Scorpius, though, didn’t seem to have anything against moving forward at what Harry thought was a speed of light. His fingers, with a feather-like touch that for all its softness didn’t lack in determination, were doing a great job of shutting up what was left of the rational part of Harry’s brain that protested loudly against his ministrations in the first place. But the voice of reason was swiftly fading away and Harry knew that he had to make sure that Scorpius knew of his displeasure before it died down completely.

‘Somehow I didn’t think that even you would sneak into my bed on the first night of your stay here when I specifically warned you against doing anything of the kind.’ said Harry, mastering his best I’m-disappointed-in-you voice and managing surprisingly well despite his body melting into Scorpius’s touch.

In reply Scorpius pressed his face against Harry’s back as if fully intending to memorize his breathing pattern. Harry shook his head and wondered if he could manage a non-verbal spell just about now. A stinging hex would do a nice job he supposed: not harmful but very effective. Because no matter how great Scorpius made him feel, he was none too pleased that he violated his trust, privacy and rules put down in front of him so soon. As far as Harry was concerned it was not a very good beginning of a relationship.

‘You do realize that you are assaulting me in my own bed, don’t you?’ he asked when Scorpius’s hands, completely discounting the deliberate coldness of his voice, started feeling even more at home as they continued to explore his body.

‘I was cold.’ came Scorpius muffled reply. ‘And as you know it is customary for the host to make sure that the guest enjoys a comfortable stay in his house – even if it means to share his bed when the guest is in danger of freezing over. Perhaps I should lend you a book on how to be a good host and make sure that the guest enjoys his stay in your house?’

Harry snorted.

‘I wonder if perhaps I should lend you a book on how not to be an obnoxious guest and make sure that the host doesn’t throw you out of his house with nothing on but a pair of boxers.’

Scorpius didn’t reply but hummed against Harry’s shoulder.

‘What happened to using magic, anyway?’ asked Harry. ‘I would expect a fully-fledged wizard to be fully capable of casting a simple but effective charm to keep himself warm.’

‘For your information, there’s nothing more effective than body heat.’ argued Scorpius.

‘It’s summer.’ countered Harry.

‘It’s an old house. Very draughty.’ was Scorpius’s lofty reply before he snuggled closer to Harry as if to prove his point.

Harry sighed again. He couldn’t deny that he was enjoying it, if the way he relaxed into Scorpius’s embrace was any indication, but there was also no denying the fact that the bed was not the best place to start a relationship. Scorpius, meanwhile, was plastered along his body like a gigantic and arguably the most handsome leech, with no intentions of every moving unless it meant his hands and lips across the expanse of Harry’s exposed to the touch skin.

‘I hope you don’t think that you’ll change my mind by jumping me?’ asked Harry, making Scorpius scoff.

‘I was just reminiscing about good old times.’

It took Harry a moment to work out what Scorpius said.

‘What on Earth are you talking about?’ he asked incredulously.

‘Don’t you remember?’ asked Scorpius running his fingers lazily along Harry’s side. ‘It’s not our first time sharing a bed.’

He sounded very smug and despite the lulling effect of his touch the last bit of his speech finally unsettled Harry and he sat up, turning around to face a dislodged but smirking Scorpius.

‘What. Are. You. Talking. About?’ demanded Harry again. ‘We never shared a bed!’ he added scandalized.

Scorpius nodded as if he knew all the answers in the world.

‘We sure did. Of course,’ he said with a dreamy expression on his face, ‘you wouldn’t look at it quite in such a way – but a fifteen-year-old crushing on you would surely see it as that.’

Harry frowned.

‘I still don’t know what you mean.’ he said, raking his brain for a similar situation that could be referred to as bed-sharing experience.

‘You weren’t joking when you said that you were getting old. Your memory is definitely not as sharp as it used to be.’

Harry glared at him and Scorpius relented.

‘Fine. Remember when Al and I talked you into camping for a few days in a forest? No magic?’

Harry slowly nodded, still not understanding.

‘Well, those muggle tents were very uncomfortable and it got so freezing cold in the night that Al was on the point of giving up and asking you to perform a few spells to make it all snug and warm. But I had a better idea that would let us stay true to character and suggested getting into your and Allegra’s tent. I said that we would get warmer if we all huddled together. So we huddled all around you. By the way, I always wanted to ask you ever since my arm snaked around your waist for the very first time how you managed to remain so fit and toned after having two babies and no active lifestyle.’

Harry stared in shock at Scorpius and when he finally spoke he sounded as horrified as he looked.

‘Scorpius, please tell me that you didn’t cuddle with me back then so that you could grope me.’

Scorpius stared back with unrepentant glee.

‘I don’t believe you.’ said Harry, shaking his head. It was bad enough that they were having this conversation at all, but the fact that they were having this conversation in bed made it infinitely worse. Harry tugged the cover closer around himself and frowned at Scorpius. ‘You must realize how crazy – no, what am I saying? How seriously disturbing this sounds. It’s just so many shades of wrong I even can’t begin to count them! Scorpius, I don’t know. I just don’t. I feel like it’s all my fault somehow – that I’ve been sending the wrong signals. It’s like I was leading you astray from the very beginning and do you know how bad it makes me feel?’

‘Don’t give me that look.’ said Scorpius instead of giving an answer.

‘What look?’ asked Harry, confused and sidetracked.

‘The one you use on Al when he’s done something you don’t approve of. Don’t look so surprised, Harry. I know all your looks and expressions. I’ve spent years watching you and this one won’t work on me.’ and then before Harry could completely battle down the desire to shake him by the ear like an errant child, Scorpius changed tack and asked: ‘Do you know why I left for Paris?’

‘To take up painting full-time?’ suggested Harry.

‘I’m sure I could have done it here just fine, though maybe a bit less independently. Try again.’

‘I am out of ideas as much as out of patience, Scorpius, so don’t try me any further or you’ll find yourself on the end of one of my hexes. I’ve been itching to do it ever since I woke up.’

‘I left to give you time.’ said Scorpius as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

‘What?’

Scorpius shrugged.

‘I knew that if I made my move straight out of Hogwarts you’d freak out so I gave you time to see me in a new light – like an adult.’

‘You needn’t have bothered – I’m freaking out now.’ said Harry.

‘Does it mean that you’re not going to give it a try?’ asked Scorpius his eyes narrowed and his jaw set for a rejection.

Harry curved his mouth into a patient smile and brushed his fingers across Scorpius’s cheek. It was the first touch that he initiated ever since the change in their circumstances and that didn’t go unnoticed.

‘It means that I think that we should take things slow – and sneaking into my bed won’t quicken the pace of our relationship.’

‘See?’ said Scorpius brightening at once and looking triumphantly at Harry. ‘I knew I had to take the chance before you snatched it away from me. But I promise not to do it again without your specific invitation.’

‘Good.’ said Harry. He looked at the watch, hanging on the wall. ‘I think it’s high time we made an appearance at breakfast. You’ll need your strength today.’

‘Why? Didn’t you just tell me that you don’t want to see me anywhere near your bed?’
Harry rolled his eyes.

‘I thought you wanted me to see you as an adult not a randy teenager. You and Al are taking Allegra to a Quidditch match in a few hours – I advise you to have a nice meal.’

‘What about you?’ asked Scorpius, getting distracted as he watched Harry making his way towards the bathroom in his snug pyjama bottoms. ‘Aren’t you going with us?’

Harry stopped with his hand on the door handle and Scorpius didn’t miss the way his back tensed.

‘No. I’m having lunch…with your father.’ said Harry, wincing even before Scorpius scrambled out of bed to snarl into his ear –

‘I know the kind of lunches you have together! And you’re not going!’

Harry turned to face him, his expression cold.

‘We’re having lunch, Scorpius. Nothing more. We have to talk.’

‘I don’t want you anywhere near him.’ insisted Scorpius stubbornly.

‘Don’t you think you’re a bit too young to be ordering me around?’ asked Harry amused.

‘I’m trying to protect you.’ said Scorpius, looking him straight in the eye deadly serious.

Harry couldn’t help smiling at that. He put his hands on Scorpius’s shoulders that were too tense for comfort and said:

‘It’s really sweet and all, Scorpius, but I’ve handled your father long before you came into existence and it worked just fine.’

Scorpius sneered.

‘Yeah and the last time you handled him you ended up on his payroll.’

Harry’s arms fell to his sides like lead.

‘You know, if you keep throwing this episode in my face every time your father is mentioned, I really see no potential for the future development of our relationship.’

Scorpius winced at the coldness and hurt in Harry’s voice. He shook his head and laced their fingers together, holding on tight.

‘I’m sorry – but you have no idea how that makes me feel. Just the thought of you and him together – it makes my blood boil.’ His face contorted with the effort to hold back his rage. ‘And I just get so mad that I can’t keep it inside without saying something – anything to make it go away. I’m trying not to think about it, if I can help it, but I hate it when you talk about him.’

‘Believe me, Scorpius, it makes me feel no better.’ said Harry softly. ‘But he is your father and if you want to be a part of my life my interaction with him is unavoidable. And this is a conversation that we must have.’

He raised his head then and kissed Scorpius lightly on the lips, but before Scorpius could even begin to believe in his good fortune, Harry slipped out of his arms and into the bathroom.