ooOoo
Teddy, Snow-Wizards, and Tomorrow
ooOoo
"'arry!" The high-pitched screech hit Harry before the little body did, knocking the wind out of the older man's chest. Harry just laughed, a little breathlessly, and scooped the four-year-old up in his arms.
"Teddy!" Harry nuzzled the spiky, neon-yellow hair, breathing in the combination of dirt, apple juice, and oranges that made Teddy's scent unique. "I missed you," Harry said while squeezing the squishy body until it giggled for release.
"Harry! We weren't expecting you this afternoon," Andy said as she walked out of the kitchen, wiping her bony hands on her apron. Harry grinned a little guiltily at her, smelling the freshly-baked gingerbread and the smoky scent of the roaring fire in the grate.
"Sorry, it's just that I finished early at Mungo's today and figured I should come visit my favourite little man," Harry ruffled Teddy's hair, which was bleeding pink at the roots.
"You're all c-cold, Harry!" Teddy babbled, patting at the melting snowflakes clashing with the black of Harry's untamed hair.
"I bet he is," Andy said warmly. "Teddy, honey, why don't you go pour Harry some cider?" Teddy nodded, scrambling out of Harry's arms and pelting off to the kitchen. Andy looked at Harry a bit regretfully. "Harry, I'm sorry to say that Teddy's actually busy this afternoon. He's being picked up by his cousin in a few minutes and they won't be back until tomorrow."
Harry blinked. "Oh. I wasn't aware Teddy had any cousins. Did Remus have a brother or sister I never knew about?"
"Oh, well, actually it's Teddy's first cousin once-removed, but we just call him his cousin so as to not to get confusing. Teddy's great-grandparents are his grandparents. It's all a befuddling mess, really."
"Oh, I see. Well, I guess I'll get going then. Sorry to bother you so suddenly, Andy." Harry's interest was piqued by this sudden relative of Teddy, but didn't want to intrude where he was a third wheel.
"But, Harry, you really should at least stay for din-" Andy was interrupted by the sudden pitter-patter of rushing, clumsy feet.
"'arry! I brought you your cider!" Teddy ran up to his godfather, spilling tepid cider all over the floor, but beaming proudly all the while. Andy and Harry just sighed and smiled bemusedly. Harry ruffled Teddy's hair again, taking his obligatory sip of the small amount of cooling cider still left in the mug. He passed the cup back to his godson, adjusting the popped collar of his coat.
"Thanks, Teddy, and you, Andy. But I will be going now, I guess. You have fun with your cousin, okay, Teddy?" Teddy nodded, looking upset that Harry was suddenly leaving.
Harry shucked up his shoulders, preparing for the frigid wall of cold that would attack him when he opened that door. He reached out to turn the doorknob, but there was suddenly the dull thunk, thunk, thunk of a knock on the other side of the entrance.
Harry looked over his shoulder to ask Andy if he should open the door, when Teddy was suddenly in front of him, pulling the cold metal of the handle and letting in the wintery air.
"'raco!" Teddy squealed.
"Malfoy?" Harry's jaw dropped open a little.
"Potter?" Malfoy's eyes widened as they stared into Harry's deep green ones.
Harry's mouth dried a little, the sharp air stealing all the moisture out of the open orifice. Malfoy looked… good. It'd been four years since the Trials, since Harry had returned Malfoy's wand and had barely accepted his sullen 'thank you' for helping his family stay out of Azkaban. Malfoy's hair was shorter now than Harry had ever seen it, but still too long to ever be seen as a buzz-cut. Silver shined off of Malfoy's left ear, and Harry counted three earrings, one on the lobe and two hoops on the upper part of the pinna. Malfoy had apparently stopped growing back in Hogwarts, while Harry had continued to shoot up, so he now had a good few centimetres over the once-towering young man. The green of the Slytherin scarf wrapped around the lithe figure's neck brought out the flushed, chilled pink of his cheeks, and the black of his eyelashes framed the shimmering grey of his irises.
Harry shut his mouth, swallowing. Yeah, good.
"'raco, this is H-Harry! My godfat'er!" Teddy babbled, still having trouble with his 'H's, like always. He pulled the still-stunned Malfoy in by his mittened hand, dragging him so that the once-enemies were a mere meter apart, Teddy warbling madly between them. "Well, say 'hi', Draco!" Teddy demanded, frowning up at his cousin.
Draco's flush seemed to deepen, but he met Harry's eyes resiliently. "Hi, Harry, Teddy's godfather." Harry blushed too for some reason, the syllables of his name seeming to drip rather… sensually off of Malfoy's pink lips.
Teddy nodded approvingly up at Draco. "Now your turn, 'arry! This is Draco, my 'ousin! Say 'hi'!"
Harry cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks getting warmer as he looked back at Malfoy's amused gaze. "Hi, Draco, Teddy's cousin." The two men shared an odd, understanding smile. For now, they were merely two men who both took care of Teddy, nothing more complicated than that. Teddy smiled, pulling on the leg of both of the men's' trousers.
"Good! Now, Draco, you said that you were go-gonna take me to the park today, right? 'Cause I wanna make a snow-wizard like you were t-talking 'bout!" Draco smiled softly, reaching down and heaving Teddy up in his arms, propping him on his hip.
"Yup, we're going to the park. As long as Aunt Andy says that okay." Harry startled, having forgotten that Andy had been there they whole time. The aging woman was merely watching the three boys, smiling serenely, holding Teddy's coat and bag in her hands.
"Of course that's alright, Draco. Just be sure to have him back by noon tomorrow. And make sure to be safe!" She added at the last minute as she forced the released Teddy into his thick winter coat.
Draco chuckled kindly, causing the hairs on the back of Harry's neck to shiver lightly. "Of course. Well, Teddy, you all set to go play in the snow?" Teddy nodded frantically, running over to take Draco's proffered hand.
Harry smiled weakly, feeling a small pang of jealousy at the look of admiration Teddy was sending Draco. "Well, Andy, I'm just gonna slip out," Harry muttered to the woman as Teddy blathered on. Andromeda nodded a tad sadly, but didn't protest.
Harry was subtly opening the door to slink out when a small hand was suddenly gripping on to his trousers rather forcefully. "Wait, 'arry, don't go!" Teddy demanded woefully, looking up at him with reddening eyes, as the tears threatened to arrive.
"Uh, Teddy, I have to go. You're going to go play in the snow with Draco, remember?"
"B-but I wanna play with Harry too! Please come with us, Harry! Please!" Teddy's lower lip wobbled, and Harry looked up at Draco and Andy for help of some sort. Draco was just watching him, considering.
"Yeah, why don't you come with us, Po–Harry? It'll be fun." Harry blinked, surprised to his core at the words that had flowed out of Draco's mouth.
Teddy gasped in delight. "Yeah, Harry! Please! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?"
"Uh, if Draco's sure." Draco just nodded, smiling again. Harry felt his chest throb oddly. "Alright, then. Let's go make snow-wizards and witches!"
"Yaaaaay!" Teddy yelled, running out of the front door, with Draco and Harry running after him, yelling warnings and pleas.
Andy just watched from the terrace, chuckling.
ooOoo
Harry fell on his back, panting up at the grey mass of the sky. Draco plopped down next to him, his face red from exertion.
"We're too old to be running after a four-year-old like that," Harry gasped for breath. Draco nodded, lifting his head to watch as Teddy threw himself into another bank of snow under a tree. The two men just grinned wryly in amusement at the child's antics.
"He's really not gonna get tired of that for a few more hours, huh? Oh, the bliss of childhood." Draco pondered aloud, and Harry laughed in agreement.
Draco fell back onto the snow, opening his mouth and sticking out his tongue, catching melting snowflakes. Harry watched on with amusement, idly threading his gloved fingers through the billowy, crumbling snow beneath his body. Teddy yelled with joy somewhere off in the distance, muffled by the silencing blanket of frozen crystals.
"So, Malfoy, what ya been up to for these past few years?"
"I'm surprised you want to hear about it, Potter."
"Come on, Malfoy, play along. It's just some small-talk."
"Fine. I'm actually working with a private researching company that studies the theories behind new spell-work, and I'm actually leading a team that is working on some new Transfiguration incantations. It's fun," Draco finished a little lamely, turning his head away from Harry to stare at the rest of the empty park. "…What have you been up to?" He eventually muttered to the quiet.
"Oh, I work as a Healer at St. Mungo's. I specialize in paediatrics."
"Truly? I was sure you would go down the Auror route."
"Nah, I've had my fill of Dark wizards. And I thought you would've studied Potions."
"Well, it was somehow tainted with all of the memories of Severus, so I just moved on to my next best subject, Charms."
"Look, look, Draco! I'm making a snow-wizard!" Teddy yelled from a ways away, the beginning mounds of the torso of the 'wizard' being rolled.
"Good job, Teddy! Keep working on it!" Draco yelled back, sitting up and brushing snow off his sleeves and wringing the sodden end of his scarf between his fingers. Harry propped himself up on his elbows, cringing at the feeling of freezing dampness seeping through his trousers.
It was quiet for a while, with Teddy focusing furiously on his growing mass of lopsided snow. "…So, last I heard from Pansy, you had given her and Ginny your blessing. That true?" Draco didn't meet Harry's eyes, the question coming out cautious and quiet.
Harry blinked, watching Draco's back. "Well, yeah. Figured it'd be a little hypocritical to be angry at my ex for being bent when I am as well." Harry shrugged, blowing some hair out of his eyes, and fogging up his glasses slightly in the process.
Draco's mouth dropped open a little, turning around to stare at Harry with dumbfounded intensity. "What, seriously? Harry Potter, the man the Prophet claim has slept with all the women in the Ministry, is into men?" Harry just nodded, chuckling a little at Draco's continuing look of shock.
"I mean, yeah, but not just men. Women are fine, too. If someone is actually into 'Harry', not the fame and glory that comes with shagging 'Harry Potter', I couldn't care less about what sex they are." Draco still stared at Harry with a scalding fire in his grey eyes, but didn't say anything. After a moment, the ex-Slytherin simply nodding, gracefully getting to his feet, grimacing as he brushed melting snow off the growing wet spot on his trousers.
"Well, I think we better go help Teddy with his snow-wizard. Looks like he's having a bit of trouble," Draco nodded to where Teddy was pouting at his tipping mound of ice and snow, his hair a dull, boulder-like colour. Harry chuckled sympathetically before standing as well, following Draco over to the young boy.
As the two men and the small child gradually fashioned a passing human-like model (maybe with a touch of magic here and there), Harry couldn't help but study his interactions with Draco a little more closely, to see if there was any additional uneasiness or stiffness – a few of Harry's co-workers had gotten strange when he'd told his team, as though he'd infect them somehow – but, if anything, Draco seemed to be a bit softer around the edges, a tad looser with the smiles and laughter.
Warmth licked at Harry's insides, even as his extremities continued to freeze.
ooOoo
"H-Harry! I'm c-c-cold!" Teddy whined, forcing his teeth to chatter in a childish attempt for sympathy. It still worked.
"I know, big guy. What do you say to me and Draco taking you to go get some hot chocolate before you head back with Draco to his house?" Teddy nodded furiously as he grasped Harry's hand with his mitten. The young orphan flailed the other one in Draco's direction, clearly indicating he wanted to hold on to his hand too. Draco smiled at the blue-haired child, before sharing an entertained glance with Harry.
"I could do with some hot chocolate myself," Draco said with a grin as the three began their trek to the park gates, leaving their four snow-wizards beaming behind them. The odd trio had just reached the quiet, dying bustle of the street when Draco turned to Harry, a questioning wrinkle between his eyebrows. "Do you know somewhere around here we could stop? I'm not really familiar with this neighbourhood."
Harry nodded calmly. "Yeah, one of my colleague's brothers owns a café a bit of ways down. Should take six or so minutes, tops, to get there if we walk steadily." Draco nodded in complacency, the two men barely giving half a mind to the continuous awed chatter of Teddy as he commented on the life and lives around them.
The small party meandered through the weak, weaving crowd of pink-faced citizens, eventually reaching the small cranny on the street where the shop had squeezing itself in between an abrasive boutique and a snobbish bookstore. The three sighed in relief at the hug of warm air that greeted them as they stepped into the sweet-smelling café, Teddy squealing with glee as he ran up to the clear case where they displayed the pastries and other delights.
After ordering three hot chocolates (low fat for Draco) and a pastry for Teddy, they found a small booth in the corner of the richly, cosily decorated coffee shop to nestle into. Teddy nibbled happily at the sugary abomination of snowflake-shaped bread as Draco and Harry watched the passer-by in the café.
"So, Harry," Draco said over the lid of his cup, "you seeing anyone now?"
Harry smiled, toying with a stray toothpick. "Nope, I'm single."
"Whaddoes 'single' mean, 'arry?" Teddy asked around a mouthful of icing. The two men shared an amused glance as Harry reached over and popped Teddy's mouth shut.
"Chew with your mouth closed, bud. And being 'single' means that I don't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend right now."
"''irlfriend or boyfriend'? What's that?"
Draco smirked, cutting into the conversation. "Well, Teddy, why don't you go home and ask your grandmother that? She can probably explain it much better than we can." Teddy pouted, but quieted, continuing to mouth at his cookie.
"What about you, Draco?" Harry rolled the name in his mouth, still not used to the strange feel of familiarity and nonchalance on his tongue.
Draco shrugged as he looked at Harry over the rim of his mug. "Not exactly. Nothing serious, anyways."
"Really? Didn't I read something in the Prophet about you getting engaged to the Greengrass girl?"
"You read articles about me, Potter?" Harry felt heat rush into his face. "But, no. Astoria and I are acquaintances at best. That whole engagement was just a ploy by my parents to get me to produce an heir." Draco's mouth twitched up at the corners. "Astoria's lacking some important bits, anyways."
"Huh?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm gay, Potter, I was just trying to be subtle about it. Merlin, how dense can you get?" Harry choked on his sip of coffee, attractively dribbling brown liquid down his chin, much to his own chagrin and Draco and Teddy's amusement.
"Your elegance continues to amaze me, Harry." Draco leaned over, ruffling Teddy's purple-tipped locks. "I think it's time to head back to my flat, you little Kneazle."
"'m 'ot a 'at!" Teddy proclaimed around his last bite of cookie, outraged at Draco insinuation that he was a feline. Draco laughed, a rich, lilting laugh that made the hairs on the back of Harry's neck shiver. Harry just stared at the blond, the man who was so different from the boy he'd been four years ago. This man was mysterious but…open in a way that intoxicated Harry, that drew him in like a moth to a pale flame.
Harry shuffled out of the booth, helping Teddy to his feet. "Well, I guess it's time for me to get goin', then." Harry ignored the small spark of disappointment that arose in his chest at the idea that he and Malfoy might not run into each other for another four years or more. Teddy looked up at his godfather, tears in his eyes.
"No!" He wailed as he grabbed on to Harry's jeans. Teddy turned the eyes on Draco, who still sat at the table, watching the pair with an unreadable expression. "'raco! Make Harry stay!"
"Teddy, come on. I need to go home and you need to go with Draco; I'll see you really soon, okay?" Harry tried to remove Teddy's firm grasp on his leg, feeling embarrassed at the tantrum Teddy was throwing over him right in front of Draco.
"Nonononononono!" Fat, shiny tears rolled down Teddy's red cheeks, while other patrons in the café began to turn peeved expressions on the small group, annoyed by the small child's shrieks. Harry sighed, scooping up Teddy in his arms and gesturing for Draco to follow him out of the building.
The winter air grated against Harry's face, the temperature continuing to drop as the sun dipped below the skyline. Teddy whimpered against Harry's neck, his hot tears dampening the collar of the black jacket, and the skin underneath. Harry reached up, rubbing Teddy's back as he walked to a nearby bus stop, plopping down on the bench. Draco softly sat down next to him.
"You alright, bud?" Harry whispered against Teddy's flaxen hair. Teddy nodded, drifting off against the warmth of his godfather's chest, his energy drained from the exercise and excitement of the day, along with his exhausting fit. "Well, I say he's done for the day," Harry turned to Draco, an apologetic smile on his lips. "Do you wanna –?" Harry moved his arms minutely, as if to pass the sleeping Teddy to Draco, but the ex-Slytherin shook his head.
"No, Potter, you hold on to him. I don't want to risk him awakening; I know how cranky he gets when he doesn't sleep properly." Harry nodded, a little puzzled, but remained quiet. Draco leaned back against the decrepit bench, puffing out a burst of visible air. Cars rattled by on the street, and coarse laughter could be heard from behind them.
Draco stood, stowing his hands in his pockets as he looked down at Harry with cloudy eyes. "Come on, Potter. Let's get going." The blond turned and began walking down the street with Harry stumbling along behind him, careful not to wake the sleeping toddler in his arms.
"Wait, what are we doing?"
"We're going back to my flat, of course." Harry gaped at Draco's back.
ooOoo
Draco's home was it a tall, clean structure with charming, arching windows studded across its white brick surface. Fuzzy, golden light spilled out of many of the windows, dim shadows indicating various lives in action inside.
Harry noted how startlingly Muggle-like it felt to take the elevator up to Draco's floor, the normality of it all a little bemusing. "You know, I expected you to live somewhere a bit more..."
"Extravagant? Excessive? Populated-by-peacocks?"
"Magical, actually."
Draco's smile turned self-deprecating as they walked down the silent hallway, carpet dulling their footsteps. "Oh, well, after the Ministry confiscated all the Malfoy money, not to mention the Manor, I had to go enter the Muggle world to find a place to live; it wasn't surprising that no one in the British magical community wanted to rent a place to an ex-Death Eater." Draco shrugged as he stopped in front of a white door, a large '5A' embossed above the handle. "The Muggles leave me be when I need them to, and they tend to stay to themselves. It's simpler here."
Draco unlocked his door with a quick, wandless alohomora, stepping aside to let Harry and Teddy pass into Draco's cream-and-navy coloured living room. Harry slowly lowered Teddy to the plush cushions of the couch, smiling when Teddy grabbed a nearby pillow and hugged it to his chest.
Harry turned around, finding Draco leaning in the archway, those grey irises fixed firmly on Harry's green ones. Harry suddenly felt very aware of the fact that Draco had taken off his coat – that slim, nimble frame was covered only in a thin white button-down with rolled-up sleeves and a pair of modest black slacks: even Draco's feet were bare, the little pink digits curled against the cherry-colored wooden floors. "Thank you for all the help, Potter," Draco said softly. Harry squirmed slightly under Draco's stare, reaching up to run a hand through his wind-swept hair.
"Um, no problem, Malfoy. So, I guess I'll be heading off now…?" Draco made no movement from the archway, blocking Harry's path.
"I don't think so, Potter." Draco took a forceful step forward, an animalistic smile on his lips. Harry swallowed, his throat suddenly tight.
"M-Malfoy?"
"Come on, Potter," Draco purred as stepped into Harry's space, reaching up to fiddle with the zipper at the top of Harry's jumper. "Don't tell me you are simply going to walk out that door..." Harry's heart stopped as Draco leaned up, his hot breath ghosting against Harry's lips, "…without even a proper goodbye?"
Draco was close enough that Harry could count the dark eyelashes against that pale skin, could see the slightest pink blush on Draco's cheeks, could feel Draco's fingers tightening around his collar. "Potter," Draco breathed.
Harry could actually feel it when his self-control snapped.
"Dammit, Draco," Harry growled as he closed the few millimetres between the two men's mouths, forcefully pressing Draco back against the wall. Draco huffed a laugh against Harry's lips, the kiss sloppy from their smiles. Draco's fingers tangled in Harry's messy locks, the dark-haired man's hands reaching down to grasp onto the blond's sharp hips.
"I was wondering if 'the Chosen Gryffindor' would muster up the courage to actually snog me, since you've clearly been dying to all day," Draco laughed as Harry mouthed at the soft skin below his jaw.
"Sod off, Malfoy," Harry muttered against Draco's collarbone, feeling the vibrations in Draco's throat when he chuckled. The ex-Slytherin touched Harry's cheeks, drawing the man's lips back to his own for a rough kiss.
Harry was starting to feel that raw, twitchy energy in the pit of his stomach, his hands cupping Draco's arse through his trousers, when he felt something pulling at the back of his jeans. "Wha –?"
"'arry?" Teddy yawned before sticking his thumb in his mouth, his eyes cloudy with sleep.
Harry blinked at the little boy. Teddy blinked back.
Harry glanced at the man he had pressed up against the wall, noting the gradual coloration of Draco's cheeks. Harry suddenly starting laughing, the absurdity of the situation hitting him all at once: he had been caught by his four-year-old godson snogging Draco bloody Malfoy, who he'd only reacquainted with a few hours ago.
Harry pulled away from a bemused-looking Draco, turning and bending down to ruffle Teddy's hair. "You ready for bed, bud?" The metamorphmagus nodded, popping his thumb out of his mouth to reach out his arms in the universal gesture of needing to be picked up.
"Alright, let's get you changed," Harry said as he cradled the little boy, turning to look at Draco. "Um, where does Teddy sleep?"
Draco cleared his throat, straightening his shirt. "Just down this hallway," he gestured to the adjacent corridor, leading the way to Teddy's room. The bedroom was cosy if small, the soft green walls casting a calming mood on its inhabitants. Teddy whined as Harry gently laid him down on his bed, an adjusted Shield Charm popping up to keep the small boy from falling off either side. Harry kissed Teddy's forehead before shuffling back, standing awkwardly at the door as Draco nuzzled his cousin for a moment before pulling the blanket up to Teddy's chin. "G'night, my little Kneazle," Draco whispered as he turned off the lights with a quick flick of his wrist.
Harry backed out of the room, Draco following close behind after lightly closing the door behind him. "So…" Harry muttered with a sheepish smile, toying with the hair on the back of his neck.
Draco sighed, rolling his eyes as he reached out to pull Harry's hand away and into his own palm. Harry unconsciously noted how warm it was. "Potter, don't go all bashful-Hufflepuff on me now, alright? We snogged," Draco stated very slowly, treating Harry as though he was hard-of-hearing. "And tomorrow you are going to owl me and take me to the most expensive, non-magical restaurant you know. We'll talk and flirt and insult each other, and then you'll be the perfect little Gryffindor you are and give me a very gentlemanly kiss goodnight in front of my building." Harry huffed in amusement, squeezing Draco's fingers.
Draco began walking towards the front door of his flat, pulling Harry along with him. They were silhouetted in the entranceway, still clasping each other's hand, when Draco leaned into Harry's space. "But, of course, I'll be the perfect little Slytherin I am and make it impossible for you to leave without shagging me senseless." Harry swallowed loudly as Draco smirked.
"But, unfortunately," Draco whispered as he leaned in further, his lips almost brushing Harry's, "that's all for tomorrow."
And before Harry could really understand what had happened, he was standing outside of Draco's flat, staring at the plain white door, his ears just barely hearing muffled laughter inside the apartment.
"Tomorrow, then," Harry grinned, wondering just how long he'd have to wait to send that owl.
ooOoo
Fin
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