Title: Guardians

Pairings: Harry/Draco

Blurb: Almost three years after the war, Harry feels the world may never stop suffering. After Andromeda's tragic death Harry finds himself as Teddy's legal guardian, although he soon finds out it's not a role he's expected to undertake alone…

Rating: T for all the reasons fanfiction suggests – some strong language and, in later chapters, some suggestion of sexual content although (unlike some of my other fics) nothing too explicit…

Author's note: After enjoying myself so much writing "Grey Eyes" my first multi-chapter story for a long time, I've had another go with this one! I've already planned where this story will go and I think it will likely be around 5 chapters in total... But we will see as I continue to write! I always find it better not to promise a word limit on a story I haven't finished as... well, I never know where my writing will lead! It's not the longest opening chapter, but it's needed to set the scene... enjoy!


Chapter One

Legal Guardians

It had been just under three years since the end of the war, yet Harry seemed to feel the world would never stop suffering.

When the last spell had been cast, the world pushed forward with an undeniable force. Harry found himself swept away by it all; first, rounding up all the death eaters who remained after the battle, then working through the grief and loss of loved ones, attending funeral after funeral until they all blurred into one. Then had come the trials; Harry, Ron and Hermione had spoken of what had happened to them, captivating a silent Wizengamot with their tales. Their testimonies helped put away some of the darkest wizards the court had ever seen; except, that was, for three members of one certain family.

The Malfoy trials had been the clearest event in Harry's memory. He watched, stony faced, as Lucius Malfoy managed to charm and twist his way, with eloquent words and elaborate sentences, out of a prison sentence. The Manor was seized by the Ministry as part of his reparations and he disappeared as soon as his trial came to an end; no time was wasted on his wife or son and their fate.

Harry, however, had. He spoke at Narcissa's trial, recounting the events of the Forbidden Forrest, of how she had saved his life. Then had come Draco's trial; Harry had found that the hardest. Sometimes, when he thought of Malfoy, he could only think of Ron's face as he swallowed the poison mead, of the sick crunch of his own nose under Malfoy's boot. But then he saw him, pale, fearful and defeated. Looking as lost and as desperate he had in the room of requirement, as scared as he had when he had lowered his wand before Dumbledore, when he refused to identify Harry at the Manor. Harry had recounted all of these events to a silent Wizengamot and he had saved Malfoy.

With no home to return to and, despite Harry's support, their name and reputation in tatters, Malfoy and his mother had fled to France.

After the final trial was held, the world began to return to normal. Celebrations began, the world thrived in the summer sunshine and people began to smile once again.

Except for Harry, there was no such thing as normal.

He had tried, honestly tried, to rebuild his relationship with Ginny but they'd both been through too much, both slipped too far, for anything to be the same again. In the months that followed Harry threw himself into Auror training and managed to forget his relationship with Ginny. A year after that, when Harry discovered he preferred the company of other men, he felt comforted in the knowledge that he and Ginny would never have worked anyway.

Just as the dust had begun to settle on Harry's new life his world was tipped upside down once again.

Andromeda had died, just two days ago. It had been a shock to everyone who had known her, the healers who had examined her body after the said she probably been unwell for some time. They said that the pressure of losing her husband, then daughter, then being left to raise her grandson had taken its toll on her magical core, although there were no direct illnesses they could point to.

"I think it would be most probable to suggest that she died, quite literally, of a broken heart." The healer had told Harry as he openly sobbed in the small, too white, too clean office in St Mungo's.

Three years later and the war was still claiming lives.

That was why Harry was here at the Ministry, following the corridor down to an unfamiliar department. Gathering his thoughts Harry raised his fist and knocked solemnly on the door before him.

"Come in" called a voice from inside as the door magically opened itself.

He was greeted with the sight of an office so messy it looked like a bomb had hit it. When Harry said the muggle phrase, even in his head, he fought the urge to scold himself - no wizards ever knew what he was talking about when he said things like that. Finally his gaze settled on an elderly wizard, dressed as haphazardly as his bookcases were stacked, sporting a lime green hat and periwinkle robes with an orange trim. The combination made Harry's eyes hurt and he fought the urge to rub his eyes.

"Ah, Mr Potter, welcome!" The wizard greeted, smiling brightly in an overly familiar welcome which Harry was now accustomed to receiving from wizards and witches he had never met. "Do take a seat; we've been waiting for you."

We? Harry's mind processed the wizard's words and his eyes spun across the room, noting the presence of two chairs in front of the man's desk; one of which was definitely occupied.

Blonde hair, slicked back. A tall, straight body sitting upright against the chair back. Angular, sharp features framing stone grey eyes.

Even after almost three years, there was no mistaking Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" Harry breathed in surprise, although he had no doubt who the wizard before him was.

Looking up to meet Harry's gaze Malfoy gave him a curt nod, "Potter" he replied, his tone indifferent. It was no longer laced with the cockiness or arrogance of his youth, but neither did it shake and stammer with the horror of his teenage years.

Harry found himself numbly taking a seat, his mind whirling with questions as to why Malfoy, of all people, was there.

"I'm sure you'll be wondering, Mr Potter, why we have an additional member at this meeting." The wizard began, although Harry didn't need to worry if he was an accomplished occlumens, the surprise was no doubt clearly plastered across his face.

"I thought I was... I thought this was about Teddy." Harry replied, looking carefully between the wizard who had addressed him and Malfoy, sitting so pale and still that if he didn't know any better, Harry might have believed he was made of stone.

"It is, it is." The wizard confirmed, nodding his head happily, causing his hat to wobble on his head in a most undignified way. "There may be some... Details you need to be brought up to speed with. Please, first, let's move forward with the pleasantries before we begin."

Harry found himself shaking hands with the wizard who had introduced himself as Andrew Cairn, a legal advisor specialising in wizarding family law, still none the wiser as to why Malfoy was here.

"Now, considering the recent loss of Mrs Andromeda Tonks, we're here to discuss the custody of Mister Edward Lupin, whom you known better as Teddy, of course." The way the wizard smiled through his speech, as if Harry was perfectly at ease with why his former school rival was sitting beside him in a discussion about his godson, made Harry swell with frustration. He had had enough of pleasantries - he wanted answers.

"Why is he here?" Harry asked, cutting off Cairn in mid-sentence. He curled his fingers inward, balling them into fists at his side; he had enough to deal with, helping organise Andromeda's funeral and moving Teddy's belongings over to Grimmuald Place without dealing with... Whatever this was.

"Well, Mr Potter. As Teddy's godfather, you are of course well within rights to become a legal guardian. However, Mr Malfoy here is also - as Teddy's cousin and only remaining bloody relative - equally entitled by law. As Andromeda gave no direction I am here to tell you both that, from this point forward, are Teddy's legal guardians."

Silence covered the room and Harry felt as if the bottom of his stomach had disappeared. As shock subsided, anger resurfaced.

"But why - he's nothing to do with Teddy!" Harry burst out angrily, to which Cairn slowly shook his head.

"You do see, Mr Potter, I did attempt to warn you that there were details you needed to be filled in on." At this point Harry chanced a glance over at Malfoy - he didn't appear at all surprised by Cairns revelation. He turned to Harry as he sensed him looking, shifting a little in his seat.

"My mother, when she divorced father, returned to her maiden name of Black." Malfoy began, explaining nothing Harry didn't already know although he listened avidly. "In turn, she began to seek out contact with her sister, build bridges, so to speak." Malfoy paused, his tongue flicking out over his lips as his eyes clouded with thought. Harry found himself mesmerised by this - for so many years he had watched Malfoy, cool and impassive. When Harry had seen him with his guard down during the war, the only sight he'd seen in those eyes was fear. Now the emotion within them was different... Malfoy was hurting. "She had begun writing and then visiting Andromeda and Teddy, before she..." Malfoy broke off, swallowing thickly. Harry didn't need Malfoy to say the words - although it was not the high status news it may once have been, Narcissa's death last year, caused by addiction to calming draughts, had been covered in a small section of The Prophet.

Once again, the war was over, yet still taking lives.

"Well, I picked up where she stopped. I began writing and visiting in her place. I've met Teddy several times now, actually. I came straight over from France as soon as I heard."

Malfoy's words hung in silence as he finished, thankfully turning his gaze away so Harry was no longer faced with the raw emotions there. Even without the eye contact, Harry's kind was spinning. Malfoy and Narcissa had been seeing Andromeda and Teddy? Why hadn't she said anything? Surely, after Harry speaking at their trials, she would have known that he wouldn't have a problem with it? The words, however, felt flat even in Harry's thoughts. Yes, he may have spoken to defend Malfoy, testify that he wasn't evil, wasn't a murderer; but that didn't mean he would be willing to accept him as part of Teddy's life.

Except that now, of course, he didn't appear to have a choice.

Harry found the anger he had held subsiding, replaced by a new emotion as his cheeks began to burn.

Shame.

What must Andromeda of thought of him, not to tell him about speaking to her sister and nephew? To not tell him Teddy was meeting more of his own flesh and blood? And what had he done just now - nothing but prove that whatever fears Andromeda had held were well placed by the scene he had just caused? His shoulders slumped as he sank back into his chair, a petulant scowl on his face.

Cairns cleared his throat awkwardly, bringing himself back into the exchange. "So, as I was explaining, you are now both legal guardians for Teddy, formally recognised by ancient wizarding law. The details of such guardianship are a little more lenient, we can work out the finer details of those together. First, Mr Malfoy, I assume your living arrangements..?"

"I came straight from France, I'm staying at the Leaky at the minute." Malfoy explained and Harry almost found himself smirking at the thought of Malfoy staying in the bare, basic rooms the Leaky Cauldron offered. Surely he was much more accustomed to silk throws and polished, hard oak floors?

"I'll have to go back, in time, to close my shop and sell the house, so I can find some place more permanent here. Until then, I suppose..." Malfoy trailed off with a slight frown, as if he hadn't considered the time in between selling his home in France and finding a new one in England. Harry found the sight a little unnerving; Malfoy had always been calculated, organised, ready with a plan. Maybe he really had been affected by Andromeda's loss...

At the thought, shame gnawed deeper into guilt, bubbling at the pit of Harry's stomach. He knew he had to do something, a peace offering of some kind at least, if they were both to care for Teddy. "Number 12 has plenty of bedrooms I don't use. You could stay with me, until you find somewhere." He offered, feeling uncomfortable as Malfoy shot him a look of unhidden surprise. "I mean, I suppose it will be easier if we're both looking after Teddy, until you find somewhere and we sorting something out..." Harry trailed off and shrugged, wishing the conversation would hurry up and end.

"That's very generous Potter, thank you." Malfoy replied, giving Harry yet another nod. Harry, however, failed to notice the gesture as he was frozen once again in shock - had Malfoy actually just thanked him?

"Very well, gentleman, that sounds like a plan!" Cairn cut in cheerfully, clearly very relieved he didn't have to sort out the situation himself. "When Mr Malfoy finds himself a permanent residence we shall meet again to discuss finer details of how you will share your newfound guardianship. Until then, if you sign these, indicating you're willing and able to take on the role of Teddy's legal guardian until he becomes of age..." Cairns trailed off as he rattled through desk drawers, eventually producing two rolls of parchment and quills with a flourish.

Harry simply took his parchment, unrolled it and - ignoring the long lines of neatly written ink - signed his name. He was certain he heard a huff of annoyance and definitely saw Malfoy rolling his eyes as he unrolled his own parchment, reading the script word for word before he signed his name.

"Excellent, excellent." Cairns said as he rolled and sealed the parchments with a flick of his wand. "Now you may use our departments Floo, we have a direct link with St Mungo's children's ward -"

Noticing the way Harry's face paled, Cairns shook his head so avidly Harry was certain the hat would fall of his head. "Of course, Teddy is perfectly healthy, we find in these cases using St Mungo's crèche to take care of children until guardians are placed is much preferable to our offices." He explained as he rose to his feet, signalling in the direction of his door. "If you leave my office and turn to your left, past the third door down you will see a small hall filled with grates. The one you need will be clearly marked. Good day, gentleman."

Harry rose to his feet, only half aware that Malfoy was following him as he led the way down the corridor. Sure enough they soon found themselves in a small, open square lined with fireplaces. It took Harry no time at all to locate the grate they needed "St Mungo's, children's ward" was engraved in ornate silver script above the green tiles that seemed to be a staple of floo grates across the ministry.

He stepped up to the grate, taking a fistful of powder before turning to Malfoy awkwardly.

"See you there then.." He said, once again finding a nod in response before he stepped forward into the flames and cast his powder down.