Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.
Summary: Albus and Scorpius make an announcement that causes their fathers to rethink their secret relationship. Epilogue compliant. HP/DM, AP/SM
A/N: This story didn't turn out quite how I planned, but that's nothing new. Let me know what you think! I have a couple other one-shots in the works, and an idea for another longer, multi-chapter story. Stay tuned!
Like Father, Like Son
Harry Potter lay sprawled on his bed, his hands behind his head and a sheet pulled across his waist, as he watched his blond lover pull up his trousers, admiring the way the muscles in his back tensed as he moved. Draco Malfoy, Harry's childhood nemesis, turned to smirk at Harry. "Enjoying the view?" he asked playfully.
Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, sir," he replied with a wink.
Draco shook his head in amusement. "Have you seen my shirt?" he inquired, looking around the room.
"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't," Harry teased, his eyes sparkling. "But if I tell you where it is, you'll put it on and leave me here all alone."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Stop pouting, it's not as if you'll never see me again. I'm here at least 3 nights a week and have been for the past 2 months," he reminded him lightly, as he bent down to give Harry a kiss. Harry wrapped his arms around the other man's neck to deepen the kiss and prevent him from leaving. Draco smiled slightly into the kiss but didn't pull away until there was the tapping of an owl beak on the window.
"You wouldn't want to get that for me, would you?" Harry requested innocently, his eyes wide and pleading.
"Lazy tosser," Draco muttered with a smile but went to let the owl in nonetheless. "There's two of them."
Draco took the letters from both birds and gave them both a treat before sending them on their way. He looked at the notes and chuckled softly. "What's so funny?" Harry asked.
"One of them is for me," Draco answered with a smile, handing one of the letters to Harry. "Looks like I spend too much time here. Must be time to move on to the next man."
Harry looked up from his letter and cocked one eyebrow. "I'm too good in bed for you to even consider leaving me," he teased haughtily, his outward appearance not betraying his inward uncertainty.
Somehow, Draco seemed to pick up on it anyway. "I don't know about all that, but I do know I plan on sticking around as long as you'll have me," Draco informed him with a smile, sitting in bed next to Harry and throwing an arm around his shoulders.
Harry couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. He leaned in gave his boyfriend a quick kiss. "I can live with that," he responded cheerfully. "Who's the letter from?"
"Scorpius. He wants to know if I'll meet him in Hogsmeade tomorrow. There's something he wants to talk to me about," Draco answered.
"Huh," Harry replied thoughtfully. "That's exactly what Albus wrote to me too."
"Interesting, I wonder what's going on. Do you think they know about us?" Draco wondered aloud.
Harry tilted his head in thought. "I don't think so," he started slowly. "But if that's not what it's about, maybe it would be a good time to tell them…" he trailed off, his voice lifting in question.
"Yeah, I think you're right. After they tell us whatever they have to say, we can meet up and tell them together," Draco suggested. "I really should be going now though."
Harry sighed dramatically but nodded and pulled his shirt out from under the pillow where Harry had hidden it. He tossed it to Draco who pulled it over his head in one graceful motion. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Draco kissed him once more before Disapparating with a crack.
Harry flopped back onto his bed with a goofy grin. He couldn't believe how well things were going. He and Draco had been dating a little over three months at this point after having run into each other at a pub and getting into a small altercation that turned into some of the best sex of Harry's life. Draco had made a snarky comment about him finally being free of the Weasleys after his divorce from Ginny, and Harry had shot back with a quip about Draco's very public, nasty divorce from Astoria. The situation had escalated until they had come to blows which had gotten them kicked out of the pub. Had Harry been a little more sober, he would have just walked away from the situation, but he hadn't been so he had dragged Draco into the alley next the bar and pushed him against the wall of it. He had intended to threaten him, scare him a little, but somehow they had ended up snogging passionately, Harry's leg wedged between Draco's. Harry had then Apparated them into his bedroom to finish what they had started. The next morning, Draco had still been there and much to Harry's surprise apologized not only for the night before but for everything he'd done in school as well. Harry had accepted his apology and added one of his own. He had then invited Draco to stay for breakfast, and the rest was history.
Since that day, Harry and Draco had been spending a lot of time together, and had used a fair amount of it working through some of their past. They had both come to the conclusion that perhaps some of their fighting in school had been caused by unresolved sexual tension that was buried deep, deep down. After their respective divorces, however, there was no reason to keep the feelings buried any longer.
Harry smiled to himself at the memory and pulled himself out of bed to get dressed. He would pen a response to Albus after and then start his day.
The next day, Harry Apparated to Hogsmeade, somewhat apprehensive about talking to his son about his relationship with Draco. He was to meet Al in 5 minutes at the Three Broomsticks. Draco had decided it was best that they not arrive together, despite the fact that Harry had convinced him to come back the night before and stay over. He had left a half an hour earlier and went home to change. He was also meeting Scorpius at the pub, which made it easier for them to coordinate getting together after their respective sons spoke to them separately.
As Harry made his way into the establishment that he had spent many a happy weekend in in his youth, he scanned the room for his son. He paused when he finally spotted him sitting at a table with Scorpius and Draco. He hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out how he was supposed to sit through a conversation with his son and act normal with Draco sitting right next to him. He took a steadying breath and made his way over to the table. He wrapped his arm around his son in greeting. "Hey, Al."
"Be nice," Al hissed under his breath as he returned his father's hug. "Hi, Dad," he greeted louder.
Harry was confused at his son's reaction until he realized that his hesitation on the way to the table must have been interpreted as revulsion at seeing Draco. "Scorpius, Draco," he began cheerfully to put his son at ease. "I didn't realize that we'd have company." He slowly sank into the seat next to Draco's and bit back a smile as the other man squeezed his thigh briefly under the table.
"Potter, nice to see you," Draco returned coolly, a smirk on his face, his eyes twinkling.
"Sorry, I didn't tell you ahead of time. We weren't sure either of you would show up if we did," Al explained sheepishly.
Harry felt the corner of his mouth twitch in amusement. "I understand. So what is it that you wanted to talk about?" he asked curiously. He watched in amusement as both Al and Scorpius tensed in apprehension.
"Why don't we get drinks first?" Scorpius suggested a little overenthusiastically.
"Great idea, Scorp!" Al agreed with a smile. "Dad, can you get us 4 butterbeers and 2 double firewhiskys on the rocks?"
Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "You may be almost of age, but I am not buying you hard alcohol," he reprimanded.
Al rolled his eyes. "The firewhisky is for you and Mr. Malfoy. Trust me, you'll probably need it."
Harry surreptitiously glanced at Draco out of the corner of his eye, slightly worried about what it was their sons had brought them there to discuss. "I don't think that'll be necessary, but alright. I'll be back."
"Let me lend you a hand, Potter," Draco drawled as he stood up to follow Harry to the bar.
As the pair waited for their drinks, Harry whispered to his companion urgently, "What do you think they want to talk to us about?"
Draco shrugged. "I have no idea, but it can't be good if they're trying to get us drunk," he responded. "I guess we'll just have to wait for them to tell us. It might take awhile. They're both so bloody tense."
Harry chuckled in agreement just as the drinks were set down in front of them. "Cheers, gorgeous," he murmured, clinking his glass of firewhisky against Draco's and taking a sip.
Draco flashed him a smile before turning and levitating their drinks back to the table. Silence descended over the group as they settled in and began drinking their beverages. It was a slightly uncomfortable silence, but Harry didn't want to rush the boys by attempting to break it with mindless small talk. "So, Scorpius," Draco did that for him. "How is school going?"
This seemed to break the tension, and the group spent the next 20 minutes draining their drinks and chatting amicably. When a second round had been ordered and a silence developed once again, Al cleared his throat cautiously.
"So the reason we invited you both here," he muttered, staring at the table.
"Oh honestly, Albus," Harry reprimanded good-naturedly. "What could possibly be so horrible that you won't even look at me? You haven't been expelled, have you? Or arrested?"
Al's head snapped up so that he could look at his father. "No! Nothing like that!" he asserted quickly.
Harry gave him a gentle smile. "See, nothing to worry about then!" he responded, trying to be supportive while inwardly panicking slightly. He had never seen his son quite so apprehensive to tell him something before.
Al took a deep breath to steady himself before announcing bluntly, "Scorpius and I are dating, and we have been for the past year."
Silence descended on the table as the statement began to sink in. All of the blood felt as though it had left Harry's face, although not for the reason his son assumed. He glanced at Draco out of the corner of his eye and was unsurprised that the man looked even paler than usual. Harry forced what he hoped was a convincing smile. "Well I think that's great!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "No reason to be so bloody nervous."
Al gave his father a bright smile. "Thanks, Dad! I just wasn't sure how you'd react what with your history with Mr. Malfoy," he admitted sheepishly.
"Well, actually, your father and I had something we wanted to tell you as well," Draco cut in. Harry stopped him by grabbing his thigh under the table frantically and giving him a wide eyed look. Draco looked confused for a moment but recovered well. "We have taken some time to work out our differences. I agree with Potter, I think it's wonderful. It certainly explains why you've been so happy these days." The last comment was directed at his son who beamed but flushed.
Following the confession and subsequent acceptance by their fathers, Albus and Scorpius visibly relaxed and the foursome chatted amicably. Draco and Harry, however, were anything but relaxed. Harry could feel the tension rolling off Draco in waves, in addition to obvious confusion over the aborted confession earlier. Harry loved spending time with his son, but he couldn't help but be relieved when the boys announced that they were due to meet some of their friends at Honeydukes and bid goodbye to their fathers.
When their sons were out of sight, Draco turned to look at Harry, one eyebrow raised and a clear look of disdain on his face. "I think we need to talk, Potter. Your place?" he suggested through clenched teeth.
Harry felt his stomach drop. Draco hadn't called him Potter when no one else was around since the night they had reunited. He nodded in agreement, hoping Draco wasn't too angry with him once he explained what had made him back out. They made their way outside before Apparating to Harry's living room. When they arrived, Draco sat down on the couch and gave Harry an impassive look. He didn't seem to be angry anymore, but Harry wasn't sure what he was feeling. "So our sons are dating," Draco stated quietly.
Harry nodded as he sat down on the couch and regarded his boyfriend cautiously. "What are we going to do? Somehow I don't think that Albus would appreciate me dating his boyfriend's father," Harry said with a sigh.
Draco snapped his head around to look at Harry. "What do you mean what are we going to do? I don't see why we didn't just tell them. Unless you're having second thoughts about telling people," he replied cautiously.
"It's not that. It's just a little weird, isn't it? Our sons are dating," Harry repeated a little helplessly.
"So what are you saying? You want to break up?" Draco asked coldly.
Harry winced. "No...yes...I don't know. Bloody fuck, Draco, what are we supposed to do? Go on double dates with our sons? Think how bloody awkward family dinners and holidays would be," he responded desperately.
"So that's it? You're ready to give this up because our sons have decided to date. They're bloody teenagers, Harry. Who's to say this is even going to last?" Draco pointed out heatedly.
"They've been together a year," Harry reminded.
Draco threw up his hands in frustration. "Well that just changes everything, doesn't it?" he snapped. "You were married to Ginny for years, and look where that got you."
"And what if they last? Get married? Then what?" Harry asked.
"You're just going to give up your chance to be happy for the rest of your life because of a teenaged romance that may or may not last?" Draco demanded. "There's not even a guarantee that our sons would care, if we sat down and discussed it."
But Harry had stopped listening at the beginning of Draco's statement. "For the rest of my life?" he repeated in awe. He knew things had been going well, but he hadn't imagined that Draco was thinking quite so far in the future.
Draco went pale when he realized what he had implied. He clearly hadn't meant to reveal that much. Harry opened his mouth to say something, anything really, when Draco Disapparated, leaving Harry alone to replay the conversation over and over again, attempting to figure out where things had gone wrong.
About a month later, Harry was standing in front of his bathroom mirror, attempting to make his hair cooperate even a little bit. He was due to meet Al and Scorpius at the Three Broomsticks in 15 minutes, and he was hoping that Draco would also be present. He hadn't seen the man since he had Disapparated out of Harry's living room after their Hogsmeade trip. Harry had attempted to contact him multiple times, but all of his owls went unreturned and Draco had blocked his Floo to him. He had tried stopping by his flat a couple times, but there had been no answer. Harry sighed and made his way to the closet to pick out a suitable outfit for a possible reunion with his ex. His ex that he missed terribly and was more than a little miserable without.
Hopefully that would all change today. Not that Harry had any idea what he would say to Draco if he was there, or how he would convince him to talk to him alone. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had thought about this far too much over the past week, and if he started again he'd get lost in his head and end up being late for lunch. He cast a quick Tempus and saw that he was already about to be late. He glanced in the mirror one last time before Apparating to Hogsmeade. He had settled on a simple pair of jeans and a dark emerald button down long-sleeved shirt that he knew for a fact Draco loved on him.
When Harry entered the pub, he immediately spotted his son and his boyfriend and felt his heart sink slightly when he saw that they were currently alone at the table. He made his way over and greeted the boys enthusiastically, pushing his disappointment about the lack of Draco to the back of his mind. There was still a chance he could show up, after all.
After 15 minutes, it became clear that Draco would not be joining them. At this point, Harry decided he needed a drink to cope. He offered to get drinks and headed to the bar. He ordered two butterbeers and a double firewhisky on the rocks. As the bartender prepared his drinks, he turned back to look at his son. Scorpius was saying something with a smirk that was so like Draco's the familiar feeling of heartbreak reared its ugly head. Al laughed in response and leaned in to kiss his boyfriend lightly. It was a sweet moment, and it only made the feeling of heartbreak intensify. It didn't help that the boys looked so much like Draco and him. On impulse, he added a shot of firewhisky to his order and downed it quickly before returning to the table with the drinks.
As he sat down, Al narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Did you just do a shot at the bar?" he asked indignantly.
Harry thought about lying but figured there was no point. "I did," he confirmed sheepishly, feeling himself flush slightly.
"What is going on with you lately, Dad?" Albus asked in concern.
"Does this have anything to do with why my father refused to come to lunch if you were in attendance?" Scorpius chimed in.
Harry choked on his sip of firewhisky. "He's isn't here because of me?" he whispered, not even trying to mask his surprise and disappointment.
Scorpius nodded. "I thought you two had put your differences behind you, but now this."
Harry wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to honest with the pair, but he wasn't sure that Draco would appreciate it. "C'mon, Dad, you can tell us. We hate seeing you both so miserable," Al urged gently.
"Draco's miserable too?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.
Scorpius nodded once again. "He denies it, but Aunt Pansy told me all he ever does anymore is mope around the house and drink," he said, clearly upset about this news.
As much as Harry hated to hear that Draco wasn't doing well, he couldn't help but be a little optimistic that it meant he would be open to a reunion in the future. He picked up his drink and downed it quickly, making a split second decision of what to tell their sons. "Alright, I'm not sure how Draco would feel about me talking about this but screw it," he began. "The day you told us you were dating, we had plans to inform you both that he and I were also dating. When you made the announcement, I decided maybe it wasn't the best time. We got into an argument afterwards that led to a break-up that was admittedly my fault. I've been trying to get in touch with him to work things out, but he refuses all my contact."
Al and Scorpius exchanged a look. "We wondered if that was the case," Al admitted with a sigh. "Why'd you break up with him?"
Harry shook his head sadly. "I don't know. I was just so worried that it would make you uncomfortable, and unfortunately I handled it all wrong," he lamented.
Al gave his father a small smile. "Always have to be selfless, don't you?" he asked wryly.
"Do you love him?" Scorpius inquired, giving Harry a piercing stare.
It was such a familiar stare and yet so different because it was from the wrong Malfoy. It was enough to make it impossible for Harry to lie, however, even if he wanted to. "Yes," he choked out. "I think I've had feelings for him for a very long time."
Scorpius's face broke out into a huge grin. "Great! It's settled then. We're going to get this all straightened out right now," he announced enthusiastically.
Harry gave him a bemused look. "How do you plan to do that?"
"You might not be able to get my father to answer the door, Mr. Potter, but I certainly can," Scorpius replied matter-of-factly.
Harry hesitated for a moment. "You two are really not supposed to leave Hogsmeade."
Al rolled his eyes. "Like you never broke the rules while you were in school. Plus, don't you want Mr. Malfoy back?"
Harry sighed, knowing if the Headmistress found out about this, she would be quite upset. On the other hand, his son made some good points. That in addition to the liquid courage was enough to make Harry nod determinedly. "Let's find an alley to Apparate from."
A few moments later the trio was outside of Draco's flat, and Scorpius was knocking on the door while Albus and Harry stood off to the side so they weren't in the line of sight of the door when Draco came to open it. Less than 30 seconds later, the door was thrown open. "Scorpius!" he yelled, sounding alarmed. "What are you doing here? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Merlin, Dad, calm down," Scorpius reprimanded.
"Then what are you doing here?" Draco asked in bemusement. "You are not supposed to leave Hogsmeade."
"Well, I know that you've been doing a lot of moping lately so I'm here to fix it," Scorpius informed him with an innocent grin.
Draco cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "You've been talking to Pansy, I see. How do you plan on making things better?"
Scorpius glanced at Harry and nodded his head. That was Harry's cue to make himself known. Scorpius stepped forward into the doorway to prevent his father from closing the door as Harry stepped into his line of vision. "Hopefully, I can help with that," he mumbled cautiously, rubbing the back of his neck nervously and keeping his eyes on the ground.
Harry heard scuffling as Draco presumably tried to close the door with Scorpius in the way. "Dad, stop being ridiculous, let us in, and listen to what Mr. Potter has to say," Scorpius snapped.
Draco sighed in exasperation but opened the door farther and let them in. He led them to the living room and gestured for them to sit on the couch before leaning back against one wall and crossing his arms defensively. "Well? To what do I owe the honor of the Savior's company?" he sneered derisively.
Harry gulped. He should have expected the coldness, but he wasn't prepared for the force of it. Scorpius sighed and rolled his eyes. "You are both being bloody ridiculous. Dad, you're in love with Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter, you're in love with my father. Al, come on, let's go to my room while they work this out."
Silence descended on the room, and Harry silently cursed himself for not having a speech prepared. He had not expected Scorpius to drop that bombshell on them and then leave. He also wasn't fully convinced that Scorpius knew what he was talking about. "So, Potter, you're in love with me, eh?" Draco drawled from his position against the wall.
Harry winced at his words, not knowing what to say. He steeled himself for the sneer as he lifted his eyes to make eye contact with his former lover. He was surprised to see a playful smirk on his face. Harry couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as Draco made his way across the room towards Harry. "I would have liked to have told you that myself, but you know I've never been good with words" he quipped.
Draco smiled as sat down right next to Harry on the couch, taking Harry's hands in his. "No, that's my job," he agreed cheerfully before fixing Harry with an intense look that set Harry's insides on fire. "Harry Potter, you have been under my skin since I was 11 years old. I always thought it was because I couldn't stand you, but in reality it was because I couldn't have you. It may have taken several years and a drunken brawl in a pub for me to realize it, but now I know without a doubt that I love you, probably more than I have any right to at this point in our relationship."
Harry felt his heart skip a beat as he listened to Draco's words. It was more than he could have hoped for, and he couldn't find the right words to express himself. Instead he simply said, "See, always the eloquent one," before pulling Draco into a tender kiss. "I love you too," Harry whispered as he pulled away, trailing a one hand down Draco's cheek.
Draco leaned into his touch, eyes closed. "When you told me that you wanted to break up, you broke my heart," he informed Harry softly.
Harry's heart clenched. He felt horrible. "I know, I'm so sorry, Draco. I was just so surprised by the boys, and then everything spiraled out of control so quickly. The minute you said what you said I wanted to take everything back, but then you were gone. I tried to talk to you, but you made that impossible. And and and...well, bloody hell, I'm just so sorry," Harry apologized profusely, knowing that it wasn't possibly enough.
"Well, now that that's been dealt with, let's get to the shagging, shall we?" Draco asked cheerfully. Harry was so surprised that he couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped his mouth.
"Gross!" Al exclaimed from the doorway of Scorpius's room, causing their fathers to snap their heads around in alarm.
"Honestly, Dad, I may be okay with you and Mr. Potter dating, but I am most certainly not okay with hearing about your sex life," Scorpius informed him with a grimace.
This caused more laughter from Harry, and before he knew it, the three others were laughing as well. Once the group had regained their composure and Scorpius and Albus had joined their fathers in the living room, Harry snuggled into Draco's side. "So that's it? We're back together just like that?" he asked hopefully.
Draco looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, I would say so. Or were you expecting me to make you work for it?" he teased.
"Well yeah, I expected it to be a little more difficult than this. You are Draco Malfoy, after all, spoiled brat extraordinaire," Harry teased back.
Draco yelped indignantly and shoved Harry lightly. "I resent that. I am not 11 years old anymore!" he reminded his raven-haired lover. "But in all seriousness, despite your slightly less than coherent apology, I know you're sorry and you love me. That's all that really matters."
Harry grinned up at Draco and moved back to situate himself against his boyfriend's side. He was spared answering when there was a chorus of "Awww's" from their sons. Harry mock glared at them but couldn't help softening his look as he took in the sight of his son wrapped around the young man he obviously cared for very much. "So you two are sure you're okay with this?" Harry asked them cautiously.
His question was met with two twin sighs from his son and his boyfriend. "Yes, Dad," Al responded with a roll of eyes. "Do you really think we would have helped you get here if we weren't okay with it? And even if we weren't okay with it, Mr. Malfoy obviously makes you happy. You deserve to be happy, Dad."
Harry smiled fondly at his son and nodded in agreement. There was a brief silence while both couples simply enjoyed the company of their significant other. Draco smirked down at Harry before suggesting lightly, "So who's up for a double date?"
The End