Title: Eleven Years Later
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Summary: This is a remake of sorts of the epilogue in the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. One-shot fic. Set eleven years after the war, Harry brings his godson, Teddy Lupin, to Platform 9 ¾.
Disclaimer: Characters were borrowed from JKRowling's great epic, Harry Potter.
Harry Potter stood at the threshold of his late godfather's bedroom, admiring the Gryffindor-related décor. From here, he could clearly make out Sirius' young, handsome, carefree face smiling and waving back at him from atop the bureau. He managed a small smile.
"Master Harry?"
Kreacher's bullfrog voice shook Harry out of his reverie. The house-elf was holding a steaming cup of tea out to Harry. Harry took the cup into his hands, thanking the house-elf, who bowed low before making his way to his quarters.
Harry sipped the tea quietly, entering Sirius' bedroom. He never occupied this room and left it as is, as a shrine to his father's best friend. He sat quietly on the edge of the bed and sighed.
It had been eleven years after the war, twelve since Sirius' passing and Harry's inheritance of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. It had been his own godson's, Teddy Lupin, eleventh birthday about four months ago, and the next day would see Teddy entering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"So there you are," came a familiar drawl. Harry looked over his shoulder and saw Draco Malfoy standing by the doorway. "I thought you'd left me."
"Why would I do such a thing?" replied Harry as Draco made his way into the bedroom and sat beside him on the bed. Harry's lips met Draco's immediately.
"Thinking about Teddy's first day, are you?" asked Draco as soon as they broke apart. Harry merely nodded.
"He'll be fine," reassured Draco. He noticed Harry's cup of tea.
"Tea?" he asked, an eyebrow arched. "Merlin, you really are gay, aren't you?"
Harry punched Draco's shoulder. The latter pretended to have been seriously hurt.
"Let's get a real drink, shall we?" said Draco. He took his wand out of his robe and said, "AccioFirewhisky!"
The bottle of liquor zoomed quickly into Sirius' bedroom. Draco pried the cup of tea out of Harry's protesting hands and made it zoom out of the room. Draco opened the bottle of Firewhisky and gulped down a mouthful of the wine. He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and said, "Now that'sa drink." Harry laughed.
Draco dragged Harry up off the bed. "Come on, this is no time to be sulking! This is a time for celebration! Our little Teddy's finally going to Hogwarts!"
It was Harry's eyebrow that arched this time. "Our Teddy?" he echoed.
"Well, it was the two of us who raised the little guy, wasn't it?" said Draco. "He's like a son to me, too, you know."
"Thank you," was all Harry could say. He was still finding it difficult to believe that he was living with Draco Malfoy for the past ten years. Ten years, Harry repeated to himself. Seems a lot shorter. Who was he kidding? Draco was irresistible – always had been – especially when clad in nothing but his bathrobe, just like he was at the moment. The blonde was obviously up to something, and despite the thoughts he was having about Teddy's first day of school, he allowed Draco to drag him into their bedroom.
"Harry! Harry, wake up!"
Harry slowly opened his eyes, his godson's big, brown ones meeting his. Teddy Lupin's eyes were wider than usual, a sure indication of the eleven-year-old's excitement.
"Good morning, Teddy," Harry greeted with a smile.
"Good morning!" said Teddy cheerfully. "Get up, come on! We're going to be late!"
"Late for what?" asked Harry.
Teddy's face fell suddenly. The spark in the little boy's eyes was gone. It never ceased to amaze Harry how Teddy could look a lot like Tonks when he was happy and Lupin when he was sad.
"You don't remember what today is, Harry?" asked Teddy, his head hung low.
"Uh –" Harry paused to take a look at the calendar, " – September 1st?"
Teddy looked up expectantly. It took quite a while for Harry to comprehend.
"Oh! It's your first day in Hogwarts!" Harry got up quickly. "Come on, we've got to get ready!" He jumped out of bed, and Teddy began laughing.
"What?" asked Harry.
Teddy pointed to Harry's lower body. The latter looked down and saw that he was, quite glaringly, naked. He quickly grabbed the sheets and covered himself with them. Teddy laughed even harder.
"Haha, very funny," said Harry. "You go get dressed, or you'll be late."
"At least I'm dressed now," said Teddy in between fits of laughter. Harry put on a stern face, but Teddy was not buying. The boy made his way out of his godfather's bedroom, still laughing.
"Oh, and tell Draco to put on at least a pair of underwear if he plans on coming with us to King's Cross!" Teddy called over his shoulder, still laughing.
Harry felt his face getting hotter by the second. He quickly closed and locked his bedroom door – why hadn't Draco locked it last night? He shook the blonde awake.
"What the bloody hell's going on?" demanded a groggy Draco. Harry knew Draco was not a morning person, but he had no choice but to wake him or else Teddy'd miss the train.
"Teddy's going to be late," Harry said simply. "Time to get up."
"You can bring him to the station yourself," said Draco, pulling the covers over his head.
"Oh no!" Harry pulled the covers back. "You promised Teddy you'd bring him to King's Cross!"
Draco considered for a few moments before finally getting up. "Fine," he sighed. "Merlin, kids are a pain in the ass."
"And yet you can't wait to have one with me," Harry replied as he was getting dressed.
"Shut the bloody hell up, Potter," replied Draco.
"I'm going to go check on Teddy," said Harry. "You'd better be ready when I get back."
Harry entered Teddy's bedroom and began looking for the boy's school things when he saw Teddy's open trunk, everything he needed for Hogwarts neatly folded and packed. Harry smiled at his godson's enthusiasm.
"I've packed ages ago," said Teddy from the behind Harry. He walked across the room and closed the trunk. The two smiled at each other.
"Let's get your trunk, shall we?" offered Draco, who appeared in Teddy's doorway suddenly. With a nod of approval from the boy, Draco levitated the heavy trunk and made it float all the way into the car.
"There, all set," said Draco. "Shall we go?"
"Yeah," beamed Harry. He called for Teddy, and the trio got inside the car – Teddy in the backseat, Draco in the passenger side and Harry behind the wheel.
The trip to King's Cross Station was unusually quiet. Harry had been focused on driving. Draco had merely sat there, looking at the Muggle commuters they passed by. Teddy had been staring off into space the whole time, not quite himself.
Harry parked the car, and Draco pulled Teddy's trunk out and placed it on a trolley. He joined the other two – Harry was holding a pale Teddy's hand – and they made their way to Platform 9 ¾, casually leaning on the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10.
Platform 9 ¾ was abuzz with activity. Harry looked at the clock – it was ten minutes to eleven. The three made their way through the throng of people, unable to escape staring eyes and pointing fingers.
"They're all pointing at you," Teddy told Harry quietly. "You were really famous in Hogwarts. I know."
"I made a name for myself, too, back in the day," Draco chimed in. "I was quite famous then, maybe even more famous than your godfather, Teddy."
"Yes, love," replied Harry. "You were quite famous for being a bully, for being Snape's golden child, and for messing around with Harry Potter." Harry and Draco both laughed.
The three found a peaceful spot on the platform and decided to stay there until the train leaves. Teddy's eyes were fixed upon the grayish-white smoke coming out of the Hogwarts Express.
Harry knelt down in front of Teddy. "What's wrong?" he asked his godchild. "You've been quiet since we left the house. I thought you'd be bouncing around the place, like this morning."
It took a while before Teddy replied.
"What if I don't belong there? In Hogwarts?"
Harry's brow furrowed at the question. He looked up at Draco, his eyes asking for some sort of explanation, but the blonde could offer none.
"What if I don't make any friends?" Teddy went on. "What if the teachers refuse to teach me? What if people don't like me because I'm a – " he seemed to be suddenly aware where he was, and he paused, " – because I'm different?" It took Teddy a huge amount of courage to finish his question.
"Then that's their problem, not yours." It was Draco who answered. He too knelt in front of the boy and looked straight into his eyes. "You are a very intelligent, very gifted boy, Teddy, just like your father and mother. And your godfather," he added after a pause. Harry smiled.
"It's not what you are that matters, Teddy. It's who you are. Never forget that," said Harry. Teddy managed a smile in reply.
The train blew its whistle. More smoke was coming from it, and the chugging was beginning. Harry and Draco got to their feet and kissed the top of Teddy's head. The boy scrambled onto the Hogwarts Express and quickly found himself a compartment. He stuck his head out the window and waved at the pair, who were waving back.
"Harry!" Teddy called out above the racket the moving train was making. "What if I'm not in Gryffindor? What if I'm in Slytherin?"
Harry and Draco looked at each other and laughed. "Don't worry, I won't disown you if you're in Slytherin!" Harry called back.
"Yeah, but I will if you're in Gryffindor!" shouted Draco.
Teddy stuck his tongue out at Draco. "Take care of Harry while I'm away!" he said.
"I will, don't worry," said Draco softly, unable to be heard by Teddy, and with a quick salute. Harry smiled. He and Teddy waved goodbye to each other until the scarlet, metal snake slithered into the mountains and out of sight.
Harry and Draco remained on the platform as the other parents and well-wishers made their way through the barrier back to Muggle London. Draco put an arm around Harry's waist. "He'll be fine, love, don't worry about him," he whispered.
"I know," Harry breathed. Draco kissed him lightly on the forehead, right on the lightning-shaped scar. Harry smiled and kissed Draco on the lips.
The scar had not pained Harry for eleven years. All was well.