Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Unstoppable	By : Thunderbird Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 14474 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated characters. I make no profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I loved seeing your opinions and speculations about Blaise and Vesper and where this is all going. More on that very soon!
For now, enjoy this sweet little snapshot of Teddy's first day at Grimmauld. A little sad (for Andromeda), but also cute (I hope!). I'm really enjoying writing Teddy. I don't usually write a lot of kids in my stories so this is a fun new challenge for me. Let me know what you think!
Chapter 9: Little Man
(Draco)

“Harry.”
Draco watched over the top of his newspaper as his boyfriend continued to stand at the kitchen window, giving no acknowledgment that he had heard Draco at all. The blond had been sitting at the table, trying to enjoy his breakfast, but Harry didn’t seem to be interested in eating, and that always distracted him. He didn’t like it when Harry didn’t eat, because it usually meant something was bothering him.
“Harry,” the blond said again.
The brunet started, just slightly, and turned his head to look at Draco. “Sorry, what?” he said, sounding distracted.
“Come finish your breakfast.”
Harry shook his head. “I’m not hungry, honestly.”
Draco sighed, returning his attention to the paper. Harry went back to staring out of the window.
Harry was nervous. They both were. In just a few short minutes, twenty, at the most, Andromeda and Teddy would be arriving. It was the day that Andromeda started her treatment at the hospital, which also made it the day that Teddy would move into Grimmauld permanently. Harry and Draco had both taken off work to be there and help him get settled in.
There was really no way to know how Teddy would handle the transition, and that had both men on edge. The boy had been quiet but receptive during their talk with him that Sunday, when they’d explained the situation to him, seeming to understand that his grandmother would not be able to take care of him for the foreseeable future, because she would be at the hospital a lot and very tired the rest of the time. He’d readily accepted the idea of living with Harry and Draco, much to their relief.
But knowing such a thing would someday come to pass was very different from the experience of that thing actually happening, and Draco wasn’t sure Teddy was entirely emotionally prepared. In fact, he had rather wished that Teddy had been more upset when he first heard the news. It would be a natural reaction, and would probably have tempered itself once Teddy had time to process everything. The fact that he had taken it so calmly had Draco convinced that there was another shoe that had yet to drop.
Teddy was a flexible child, in many respects, and was very used to being around other adults that weren’t his grandmother. He adapted to situations easily and made friends easily as well. But he was also sensitive. He picked up on others’ moods quite readily and had a tendency to become upset when other people were upset. Since this was an emotionally fraught situation, Draco figured it was only a matter of time before Teddy started to reflect some of that himself.
But we’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it, Draco thought. At least he and Harry were in it together. This would be a very hard thing to do alone.
Now if only Harry would eat his breakfast.
Normally Draco would leave it alone, but his own nerves were getting the better of him, stretched thin as they were. He found himself opening his mouth, almost like a compulsion, to nag.
“You really should try to eat something, Harry.”
Harry sighed in response and didn’t look at him.
“If you don’t now, you’ll just be hungry later. And by then Teddy will be here and you’ll want to be focused on him and-“
Harry stomped over to the table, picked up a piece of bacon off his plate, and took a big, ferocious bite. “There, happy?” he asked as he chewed, almost growling. Draco watched him for a second, and Harry threw the rest of the bacon back onto his plate and turned away without waiting for a response.
Draco folded the newspaper and set it down next to his plate, then stood, his chair squeaking along the kitchen floor. Harry flinched at the sound. Draco came around the table and right up to Harry, though he was standing there stiffly, his body language hardly inviting. Even so, Draco put his arms around Harry’s waist and held him tight, resting his face against Harry’s shoulder. After a few seconds he felt Harry’s body soften into the embrace, and he smiled. This always worked when Harry was in a mood.
“I’m sorry,” Harry said quietly.
“I know,” Draco replied, kissing him behind his ear. “Me too.”
“I just… what if…” Harry’s grip tightened on Draco’s arms. “What if he hates it here?”
“He won’t. He never has before. He likes coming here.”
“Yeah, sure, but that’s just for the occasional weekend. This is forever.” He turned to face Draco, giving Draco a glimpse of the unmistakable worry in his green eyes.
Draco pulled him closer, placing a light kiss on his soft lips. His hands drifted lower, inserting themselves into the back pockets of Harry’s jeans, and Harry’s arms went automatically around Draco’s waist in response.
“What if it’s just too different for him than what he’s used to? What if we’re too different? I can’t be… I’m not Andromeda. I can’t do all the things she does. It’s like she always knows what he needs. I don’t know how…” He shook his head.
“Harry,” Draco said, catching Harry’s eyes, finally. “Your worry is natural. It makes sense. I’m afraid of the same things, but…” He sighed. “The truth is, things will be different. We won’t parent exactly like Andromeda because we’re not her. It would be foolish to even try to be. I think we should just… you know, be ourselves, and see how it goes. And if there’s something that isn’t working, we’ll adjust. Teddy’s a good kid. He’ll help us. He’ll understand.”
Harry rested his head in the crook of Draco’s neck. “He shouldn’t have to. He should just get to be a kid. He shouldn’t have to deal with any of this stuff.”
“I know.” Harry had always been hypersensitive to anything that would make Teddy’s childhood less than wonderful. It made him both a generous, loving godfather and a bit of a pushover, at least at first. During Teddy’s toddler years, when he’d throw awful tantrums, though, Harry had learned to put his foot down. He figured out that discipline didn’t have to be mean or hurtful, it just meant not tolerating certain behavior. Draco was relieved by this, because he didn’t want to have the role of sole disciplinarian in their household any more than Harry did.
They remained entwined for a minute or two in silence, and Draco let his mind wander as he enjoyed the familiar feeling of Harry’s body pressed against his. The Gryffindor was still relatively slight, as he had been as a kid, but playing Quidditch at Hogwarts had filled him out just a little, keeping him lean but turning him toned and solid. Harry exercised plenty now, too, maintaining his surprising strength and exceptional stamina. Stamina that Draco put to the test quite frequently, in fact.
Realizing his thoughts had momentarily wandered into the realm of lecherous, he tried to rein them in, just as Harry was lifting his head again to look at him. Staring into those gorgeous green eyes he couldn’t help but smile, and he leaned forward, placing his lips on Harry’s.
Harry hummed and Draco deepened the kiss, flitting his tongue out just as his hands, still in Harry’s back pockets, squeeze that taut arse firmly. Harry chuckled, pulling away just a little.
“That’s your solution, then?” he asked, his breath ghosting across Draco’s lips. “Snog all our troubles away?”
Draco chuckled too, then kissed him again. “I’d say we should shag our troubles away instead, but we don’t have the time.”
“Mmm,” Harry replied, running his lips along Draco’s jaw and nibbling at his earlobe gently. “Don’t tempt me.”
Draco could feel himself starting to harden in his trousers, and he knew he should put a stop to this before either of them got too worked up. But Harry was rubbing against him in a very tantalizing way, and he couldn’t help a small groan, which had Harry chuckling.
“Damn you, Potter,” Draco said, as Harry nipped at his neck.
“Uh-oh,” Harry said, and Draco could hear the grin in his voice. “Out comes the surname. I guess I must really have you worked up then.”
“And your timing couldn’t be worse.”
Harry pulled back, giving him a smug look with the raise of an eyebrow. “You were the one who mentioned shagging.”
Draco just stared at him hungrily, not having a good answer for that.
Harry smiled and kissed Draco soundly, only to pull away again far too soon. “I suppose I should finish my breakfast, yeah, before they arrive?” He pulled out of Draco’s embrace, leaving the blond feeling annoyingly bereft. But, then again, Harry was going to eat, and he supposed, under the circumstances, that it was a fair trade.
Harry was just finishing the last of bacon when the doorbell rang, and both men sprang up from their seats to answer it. They exchanged a knowing look, acknowledging their mutual nerves for a moment, before Harry started towards the foyer, Draco not far behind.
When they opened the front door they found Andromeda looking haggard but genuinely happy to see them and Teddy looking stoic but not necessarily ill-tempered. They welcomed them inside, exchanged kisses with Andromeda, and greeted Teddy warmly.
A soft “Hey,” was all they received in return, and they looked at Andromeda automatically.
“He didn’t sleep all that well last night,” she informed them. “But he was ready to go this morning without much fuss, so…” She took a deep breath.
“It’s an adjustment,” Draco said. “For all of us.”
Harry crouched down to eye level with Teddy. “Is that right, Little Man?” he asked the boy, brushing the mousy brown hair off his forehead. “Are you a bit tired?”
Teddy shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“All right, well…” Harry glanced up at Draco. “I suppose we’ll take you upstairs, then.” He returned his attention to his godson. “I’m sure you want to set up your room just how you like it. There’s lots of space for all of your books and toys.”
Teddy already had a designated bedroom at Grimmauld, of course, for when he had stayed with Harry and Draco in the past. It was stocked with a few toys and games (although usually Teddy brought what he wanted from home), but hardly had any personal touches that really made it Teddy’s own. They intended to change that, telling Teddy that he could decorate and arrange the room however he wanted. That had been Harry’s idea, and Draco thought it was an excellent one.
“Sounds lovely,” Andromeda said with a brave smile. “I’ve already got all of Teddy’s things right here.” She patted her jacket pockets, where there were undoubtedly some shrunken bags and maybe a trunk or two containing Teddy’s belongings.
“It must have been a real chore packing everything,” Harry said to Andromeda as they climbed the stairs. “We would have been happy to come over and help.”
“Oh, it was nothing, Harry. I did it all by magic. Didn’t take long at all.”
“Right,” said Harry, and Draco found himself smiling. There were some things for which Harry always seemed to forget that magic could be used, left over, Draco had no doubt, from his Muggle upbringing. Still it popped up at amusing moments.
“Here you are, Teddy,” Harry said as they entered the bedroom, which was right down the hall from Harry and Draco’s master suite. “Now, I know you’ve slept here loads of times before, but if there’s anything you want to change, just say the word, and we’ll transfigure it for you, all right? We can even change the color of the walls, if you want.”
“No thanks,” said Teddy, looking around at the indigo walls. “Blue is my favorite color.”
“Perfect, then,” said Harry. He looked at the adults. “What shall we do first?”
Andromeda began taking things out of her pockets. “Well, we’ve got clothes, books, toys, photographs…”
“I’ll do clothes,” Draco said immediately, accepting one of the shrunk trunks from Andromeda and taking out his wand to unshrink it. “I know the best techniques for folding magically without wrinkling them. Harry’s never gotten the hang of it.” He grinned at his boyfriend.
Harry scoffed. “I fold them just fine myself. I don’t know what you’re complaining about.”
“I’m complaining about wrinkles, of course. I swear, some days you pull a shirt out of dresser and pull it on and it looks like you just slept in it. If you’d just let me-”
“Oh, give it a rest. You’re exaggerating. I was perfectly capable of dressing myself before you came along.”
“That depends on your definition of ‘dressing yourself,’ I would think.”
Harry rolled his eyes and Teddy giggled. He liked hearing Harry and Draco rib each other, though Draco didn’t know what it was that the boy found so funny about it. Still, he threw his cousin a surreptitious wink over Harry’s shoulder and got a big smile in response.
And just like that, the mood in the room lightened considerably. Draco went through Teddy’s clothes, organizing them by category, magically folding what belonged in the little dresser and hanging up the tyke-sized trousers in the closet. All the while he listened as Harry helped Teddy decide where to place his toy chest, which books to put within easy reach on the shelf, and which to place higher up.
“We’ll get you a stepstool, you know, Teddy,” said Harry. “That way you can get to whatever you want. You just have to be careful with it, all right?”
Andromeda had set to decorating, finding places for the photographs to sit and for Teddy’s artwork to hang on the walls. Occasionally she would ask for input from her grandson, who was surprisingly and amusingly opinionated about where his art should hang, particularly a very large drawing he’d done of a “dragon” (which was, in fact, quite abstract, but pleasing to the eye nonetheless, Draco thought) which he insisted go directly above the headboard of his small bed.
Teddy loved dragons. Even though he knew his birth father had been a werewolf and he had Griffin, the stuffed lion he’d had since infancy that he slept with every night, fire-breathing lizards had been Teddy’s favorite animal since Draco could remember. He also remembered how excited Teddy had been the day he learned that Draco’s name meant “dragon” as well. He had set about learning the word for dragon in a multitude of languages and naming his various dragon toys thusly.
Now finished with the clothes, Draco joined Harry and Teddy, who were talking about the color of the bookshelf.
“Blue,” Teddy was saying.
“Are you sure, Teddy?” Harry asked. “Blue is a good color, but it’s nice to have some variety sometimes. You don’t want too much of the same thing. What about white, or green?”
Draco grinned, entertained listening to his partner discussing interior décor with a five-year-old.
Teddy shook his head. “I don’t like those.”
“You don’t like the color green?” Harry asked skeptically.
Teddy heaved a dramatic sigh. “Shelves aren’t supposed to be green,” he said, as if this was obvious.
Draco quickly turned his laugh into a cough and saw that Harry was suppressing a smile.
“Well, is there something you like besides blue?”
Teddy thought. “Orange!”
Harry sighed, his eyes catching Draco’s for a moment. “I’m not sure orange…” He waved his wand, and the bookshelf turned a vibrant tangerine. “It’s a little glaring on the eyes, don’t you think?”
Teddy simply stared at it as though it didn’t bother him at all.
Draco had a sudden idea. “What about this, Ted?” He waved his wand as Harry had done, and the shelves turned white. Then he waved it again and suddenly little painted dragons appeared, dotting all the surfaces of the shelves in different poses, some crouched, some stretching their necks, some breathing fire.
Teddy stared in awe. “That’s amazing,” he said.
Draco smiled, warmth flooding through him, as Harry caught his eyes again. “You’re a genius, you are,” he said. “Isn’t that right, Ted?” he asked, scooping up the boy and giving him a tickle. Teddy giggled. “Isn’t Draco a genius?”
“Yes,” said Teddy with a smile.
“Those are perfect, Draco,” Andromeda chimed in. “The perfect addition.” She looked down at Teddy. “What do you think, little one? Is your room finished? Is there anything else to do?”
Teddy extricated himself from Harry’s lap and stood, looking around with a discerning expression. He glanced at his chest of toys next to his bookshelf, his collection of books, his drawings on the walls, and the various photographs featuring him with Andromeda, Harry and Draco, the Weasleys, and even Tonks and Remus, when he was first born. His eyes landed on the dresser where most of his clothes now resided. He pointed to it.
“Can you do it again to the dresser, Draco?” he asked.
“The dragons?” Draco asked. Teddy nodded. “Sure, but we could also do something different, if you want. What about hippogriffs?”
Teddy considered that, then nodded enthusiastically. “And centaurs!” he cried. “And unicorns!”
Chuckling at Teddy’s enthusiasm, Draco cast a series of spells, transforming the dresser into a depiction of a whole magical menagerie while Teddy clapped his hands in delight.
Now the room was finished, and Teddy climbed up onto his bed and took Griffin in his arms, holding him close. “Now what do we do?” he asked.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave soon,” Andromeda said.
“Already?” Teddy asked, clutching Griffin tighter.
“Yes, my love,” she said, coming to sit next to him on the bed. “I don’t want to be late for my appointment. And your Aunt Cissy is going to be waiting for me at the hospital.” Aunt Cissy was what Teddy called Narcissa, since she was, in actuality, his great aunt. Teddy had an aversion to calling adults Aunt and Uncle if they weren’t actually his aunt or uncle, so he had taken to simply calling Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ron, and the rest by their first names. He liked to be precise. He did call Draco “Cousin Draco” sometimes, but that was rare.
Teddy sighed but didn’t say anything. Andromeda turned to Harry and Draco.
“Would it be all right if Teddy and I had a few minutes alone?” she asked them.
“Of course,” they both answered, nearly in unison, scrambling to stand.
“Take all the time you need,” Draco added, glancing between them. “We’ll be right downstairs if you need us.”
Andromeda gave them both a grateful smile as they left the room. As they descended the stairs, Draco felt Harry take his hand and give it a squeeze. Whether he was giving comfort or seeking it, Draco didn’t know. Perhaps a bit of both. He squeezed back.
“He likes the room, I think,” Harry said quietly.
“Yes, I daresay he does,” Draco replied with a soft smile.
Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, Harry glanced back up the way they had come. “What do you think she’s saying to him?”
“I’m sure she’s just telling him how much she loves him, reassuring him everything will be all right, that sort of thing.”
“But everything isn’t going to be all right,” said Harry. “Andromeda can’t be cured.”
Draco sighed. “No, not with current treatment options. But Teddy doesn’t need to know that, not yet. He’s too young. The important thing right now is that he feels safe and loved.”
Harry nodded, but his expression was oddly blank. And that’s when Draco realized that Harry might not fully understand what Draco was talking about. He might get it intellectually, he might get it enough to do the same for Teddy, but he didn’t know it, from his own experience. He didn’t know what it was like to be small and scared and suddenly wrapped in the warmth of an adult who loved you, who wanted to protect you, who made you feel secure. Harry understood the small and scared part all too well, but not the rest. Never the rest.
Draco felt a surge of anger towards Harry’s aunt and uncle, miserable excuses for human beings that they were, followed by a pang of sadness for the little boy that Harry had been. The image of Harry, young and scrawny, with broken glasses, stuck in his cupboard all alone, still haunted Draco sometimes. It made him feel guilty for not realizing sooner, for not being kinder to Harry during their youth.
“Draco? What is it?”
Draco shook himself, meeting his boyfriend’s eyes, which were watching him curiously. “Nothing,” he said. Harry hated anything that resembled pity. He thought the realities of his past made him seem weak. Draco didn’t know how to convince him that it was just the opposite. “Just thinking about Teddy.” He gave Harry a peck on the lips. “What do you say we get ahead on preparing lunch? Teddy might get hungry in a bit.”
“Sure,” said Harry, the curious expression lingering for a moment longer.
Draco gave him another kiss and made for the kitchen.
They decided to make Teddy’s favorite: chicken nuggets. Harry had picked up some boxes at a Muggle grocery store in preparation. Draco preheated the oven and set about arranging the little frozen pieces on a baking sheet while Harry set some left over chicken stew to heat on the range for him and Draco.
“I was thinking I’d make a fruit salad as a side,” Harry told Draco, once the nuggets were in the oven. “Give me a hand?”
They worked mostly in silence, peeling oranges, coring apples, slicing grapes (this sort of “cooking” was the kind that Draco could actually handle, as he had extensive experience preparing potion ingredients), and only a few minutes later they heard footsteps in the hallway and both looked up to see Andromeda enter the kitchen.
Harry immediately put down the knife he was using and approached her, and Draco followed suit.
“Teddy still upstairs?” Harry asked.
Andromeda nodded. “He’s just coloring. It relaxes him, you know. I told him you’d come and get him in a few minutes.”
“How is he?” Draco asked.
“He’s a little sad, I think, but he seems to have accepted things. I told him that he would need to be patient but that he would see me again, and to be extra good for both of you.”
“Thanks for that,” said Harry with a smile. “Not that he’s not usually good anyway.”
“You’re certainly right about that,” Andromeda agreed. “But do watch for if he’s getting over-stimulated. It makes him crabby and quick to tears. He’s a child who needs his down time.”
Harry and Draco both nodded.
“And I do let him watch telly on occasion, but not every day. It’s better to encourage him to read, or use his imagination. He’s very good at that.”
“We know, Aunt, don’t worry,” said Draco.
“And not too many sweets,” she said. “Normally I only let him have some on weekends and special occasions, like the holidays.”
Harry and Draco both chuckled.
“All right, all right, I know,” Andromeda said with a sheepish smile. “You know all of this already.”
“It’s fine, ‘Dromeda,” Harry reassured her. “We’ll do all the things you suggested. And if you think of anything else, just send us an owl.”
Her smile turned grateful, if not a bit teary. “There’s one more thing,” she said, pulling something out of her pocket. She unshrunk it with a wave of her wand, and Draco could see that it was a photo album. “I started a bit of a scrapbook for him not long after the end of the war,” she explained. “It’s mostly photographs, but it’s other things too: little drawings he or his friends did, ticket stubs from when we went to the zoo together, things like that.” She handed the book to Harry. “I’d appreciate if you’d continue it, take photographs of him regularly, save little keepsakes and things to put in there…” She took a shaky breath. “Maybe it’s a lot to ask, but…”
“No,” Harry said quickly, opening the book and turning the pages. “I think it’s a great idea.”
“This way he’ll have something to look back on when he’s older, in case he doesn’t remember… you know… some things.”
Draco watched Harry as he flipped through the book, looking at the photographs, running his fingers over the little pieces of artwork. “You know, ‘Dromeda,” the blond said, “maybe you should keep this for now. We’ll take pictures and save things for you and you and Teddy can add them to the scrapbook together, whenever he comes for a visit. I bet Teddy would like that.”
Andromeda looked at him, her eyes glistening. She understood, of course, what he was really offering, which was the chance to have photos and memories of Teddy at her fingertips as she underwent treatment. Draco wasn’t about to say it aloud, but he knew that she would need it right now, without her actual grandson near her all the time.
“That’s… a rather nice idea,” she managed, after a minute.
Draco glanced at Harry to find him staring at him, warmth in his eyes. “I think it’s perfect,” the brunet said, handing Andromeda back the scrapbook. “We’ll tell Teddy to keep an eye out for things he wants to put in there. I bet he’ll have a lot of fun coming up with things.”
“I’m sure he will,” Andromeda agreed. She sighed heavily and wiped her eyes. “All right, I do really have to go now. I’m sure Narcissa has already beaten me there. You know she’s always early.”
Tight hugs and whispered words of gratitude were exchanged at the door as Harry and Draco bid Andromeda goodbye. When she was gone, Harry turned to Draco.
“Would you like to go fetch Teddy while I finish up lunch?”
“Sure,” Draco said. He leaned in and kissed Harry soundly. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” replied Harry, looking both pleased and confused.
“Just thought I’d remind you.”
Harry smiled and kissed him in return. “I never forget, as you well know.”
Draco found Teddy just as Andromeda had described, sitting on the floor with a coloring book in front of him, using his special crayons and talking quietly to himself. Draco watched him for a moment, then knocked lightly on the open door to get Teddy’s attention. Teddy looked up at Draco, his expression a little glum.
“How about some lunch, Little Man? We made chicken nuggets.”
Teddy immediately brightened at that, and jumped up, taking Draco’s hand. Draco chuckled as he was led down the hall to the stairs.
“Someone’s hungry,” he joked, and Teddy giggled.
Harry and Draco teamed up to keep Teddy occupied, so his thoughts weren’t lingering on Andromeda all day. During lunch they asked him all about school: his teachers, his friends, his favorite activities, and afterward they went to the park, where Teddy climbed on the jungle gym, swung on the swings, and made friends with a little Muggle boy who was there with his mum. Draco was nervous at first that Teddy would accidentally show off some of his Metamorphmagus abilities to his new friend, but luckily Teddy had good control over his powers by that point and understood that he had to keep them in check when he was with non-magic people. Still, both he and Harry kept a close eye on the boys as they played together, since Teddy’s control wasn’t perfect and his hair did have a tendency to turn unnatural colors to match his mood when he was particularly upset.
Luckily the afternoon passed without incident, and Teddy was well worn out by the time they returned to Grimmauld, ready for his “quiet time.” He didn’t really take naps anymore, but he did enjoy time in his room to himself after school every day, Andromeda had informed them. Usually he drew, read (or, at least, looked at the pictures in his books, since he was only just starting to learn the basics of reading), played with his toys, or just lay in his bed, thinking about things. It was perfect, because while Teddy took his quiet time it gave Draco a chance to catch up on some reading he had to do. There was a new issue of Healer’s Weekly that he had yet to peruse, and he always tried to stay on top of that sort of thing. Harry had some letters to send, he said, so they all went their separate ways for a couple of hours, Teddy to his room and Draco and Harry to their respective studies. Draco found it quite relaxing after a busy and emotionally charged day.
Teddy found Draco in his study at half past five. Draco looked up and smiled at the little person lingering in the doorway, holding a big puzzle box in his arms.
“Hey, Teddy. What do you have there?”
“A puzzle,” replied the boy.
Draco smiled. “I can see that. Did you bring it because you want me to help you with it?”
“Harry’s started cooking dinner,” the boy informed him. “And he said that he didn’t need any help and that I should find you and that you would do the puzzle with me.”
The blond chuckled. “He did, did he? Well all right then. Meet me in the sitting room. Do you remember where that is?”
“Of course,” said Teddy.
The puzzle, it turned out, was a map of Europe, with each country being a different piece. Draco would have been surprised that Teddy found it interesting, except that the pieces spoke to you when you touched them, giving you a greeting in the native language of each country. Teddy didn’t really understand how to put the puzzle together and needed a lot of help from Draco with where all the countries belonged, but he already had all the greetings memorized.
“Hola! Bienvenidos a España!” He repeated, as he placed the Spain piece next to Portugal, as Draco had indicated. He then picked up Germany. “Hallo, willlkommen in Deutschland!”
“That’s pretty impressive, Teddy,” Draco told him, though he didn’t know why he was surprised. Teddy’s first favorite thing in the world was magical creatures, but foreign languages were a close second.
Harry soon informed them that dinner was ready, and they sat down together for a meal of spaghetti with sausage and fresh vegetables. Not the most elaborate of fare, but Draco knew this was mainly for Teddy’s benefit, since a five-year-old’s palate was a simple one. Draco could readily guess that there wouldn’t be much more of thyme-glazed chicken and pork chops with cherry sauce in his immediate future. Of course, he’d had Harry as a personal chef for the past four years, so he was a bit spoiled.
After dinner the three of them took a few more minutes for Teddy to finish his puzzle, then Draco was charged with giving Teddy his bath while Harry cleaned up from dinner. Then it was bedtime for Teddy, who seemed a bit reluctant except for the prospect of getting to read a story. Unsurprisingly, he chose one of his very favorites, Shu Fang the Gentle Dragon, about a Chinese Fireball who just wants everyone to get along.
He is such a Hufflepuff, Draco thought ruefully as he read aloud, Teddy hanging on his every word. In truth, though, he didn’t really mind. Teddy was smart, with a good heart and a kind nature, and how could he really ask for more?
Harry joined them just as the story was wrapping up, and they both gave Teddy goodnight kisses and tucked him in. By the time they made their way downstairs and into the lounge for some time to themselves, they were practically collapsing onto the sofa.
“Well, that went well, I thought, overall,” said Harry, sighing as he relaxed his neck against the back of the sofa.
“Surprisingly well,” Draco agreed. “Though entertaining a child who’s as laid back as Teddy still requires a lot of energy, for some reason.”
“I know. Thank Merlin he’s not one of those hyperactive-type kids, eh? Can you imagine?”
“I don’t think we’d survive the next six years. We’d have to ship him off to Hogwarts early.”
Harry chuckled, closing his eyes. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the reprieve.
“Do you want me to rub your feet?” Harry offered.
“Hmm, tempting. But then I’d have to move, and I’m not sure I’m up for it at the moment.”
Harry chuckled again. “Lazy bastard, won’t even exert a bit of energy to get pampered by his boyfriend.”
Draco grinned. “Ironic, that.”
After a few minutes, though, Draco decided that a foot rub did sound quite nice, and well worth shifting his position for, and he and Harry settled in, watching a bit of telly with the volume low and chatting softly. Draco soaked it all in, appreciating that even though many things were going to change with Teddy now permanently living in their home, they would always have this.
“Is it wrong that I’m happy?” Harry asked him after a while.
Draco turned his head to see that Harry had a rather guilty look on his face. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Harry sighed. “I mean, I’m glad that Teddy is here. I’m glad that we’re going to raise him. But it’s at Andromeda’s expense. Obviously I’m upset that she’s sick, but I’m also… happy. And I feel like that’s wrong.”
Draco considered that. “You think it would be better if you were unhappy that Teddy was here, if you were sitting here resenting him, wishing you didn’t have to take care of him?”
“Well, no, but…”
“I’m happy too,” Draco confessed. “Not about Andromeda, but about the fact that we’re together and we have this wonderful little boy in our lives and that we’ve taken this next big step. I wish it didn’t have to happen this way, but better for us to feel ready and happy about it then simply sad or angry, don’t you think?”
Harry thought that over. “I suppose,” he said.
“It’s no use feeling guilty over something you can’t and wouldn’t change.”
Harry snorted. “A truly Slytherin thing to say.”
Draco shrugged. “Slytherins are pragmatic, and that has its upsides in a lot of cases. You should try it sometime.”
“Hmm, maybe, but I think for now I’ll just stick to doing a Slytherin, rather than being one.”
Draco laughed. “Cheeky prat,” he said.
“Yeah, but you love me.”
“That I do,” said Draco, watching Harry’s face in the soft glow of the television. For always.
Up Next: Vesper continues her Auror training... and her secret trysts with Blaise.
LadyShire: Thank you!! Interesting Blaise/Vesper predictions. I guess we’ll just have to see. As for Draco and Ron, they have a tentative friendship at this point. They’re connected more by mutual friends than their own common interests, but they still get along all right.
And sorry for the wait! I wish I could crank these out faster, but I just can’t! Just got too much else going on IRL right now. Thanks for hanging in there!
Dedicated_Reader: Thanks! And I know where you’re coming from. I have many friends who have made similar mistakes.
The history between Vesper and Blaise will slowly unfold, so sorry to be keeping you dangling at this point. But it’s all mapped out to the end, so what happens, happens! And you will get the full story eventually, I promise :)
RequiredReading: I’m similar to you in a lot of ways. I started out reading primarily Dramione, but as I got more and more into Drarry I also found myself wishing for someone to portray Ron and Hermione’s relationship positively in those stories. It’s annoyingly rare. It’s either a bad relationship that ends (always Ron’s fault) or isn’t really explored at all. I thought it would be a nice challenge to show how they could actually work well as a couple. So glad you’re enjoying it! And yes, Hermione’s secret will certainly have an effect, but it may not be in the way you think. Stay tuned!
SickPuppy: Astute observations! Yes, you were reading it correctly that Blaise did leave Vesper, although (surprise, surprise), it’s actually a bit more complicated than that. And yes, Blaise’s use of the past tense is interesting, and telling, but you’ll just have to get more on that later. *evil grin*
BookDragon: I’m assuming you can’t tell me simply because you don’t remember, and not just to be cruel :) Oh well! I’d love to hear your thoughts about this sequel!
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