Title: Yours, Mine, and Ours
Author: AlexJanna
Pairing: H/D, past H/G and D/A mentioned
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Genre: Au, Romance, Post-Hogwarts/War
Warnings: SS(PS)-DH compliant, EWE, future m-preg, reference and discussion of difficult topics
Word Count: (For this Ch.) 6,090
Disclaimer: HP is not mine. Plot and OCs for this fic are though.
Status: WIP
Summary: After his wife leaves him and abandons their children abruptly, Harry doesn't think he or his kids will ever be able to heal. But a chance meeting with an old nemesis and his son in Diagon, various childish schemes, and a little bit of quick upheaval make Harry realize that just maybe everything isn't as irreparable or dire as he thought.
A/N: Inspired by the classic movies Houseboat (1958) and Yours, Mine, and Ours (1968). I love fics with their kids in them and have never really written one before for this fandom. This idea just came to me while I was watching Houseboat and started flowing like water. I hope you all enjoy this one!
***Chapter Two***
Days later and James still wasn't speaking to him. Harry sighed tiredly and resisted the urge to bang his head against the kitchen table after another awkward silent breakfast.
Lily seemed to be on better terms with him at least. Since he had assured her numerous times that he had no intention of packing up and leaving like their mother had, Lily had began to warm up to him again.
Albus on the other hand was hot and cold. One moment he would seem to almost come around, then something would happen or Harry would say something and he'd fly off the handle and stomp away sullenly.
Things didn't seem to be getting better in the near future, despite all the help, wanted and unwanted he had pouring in from all different directions.
Ron and Hermione had been over several times with Rose and Hugo, but could only give him sympathetic glances and try not to mention Ginny.
He'd let the kids floo to the Burrow several times as well, hoping maybe a visit with their grandparents would help, but had been disappointed. Even their loony Aunt Luna had shown up in their backyard one evening and had the kids on a hunt for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.
Needless to say that didn't do much good either.
Harry was getting a distinct dark cloud of depression hanging over his head and he could practically see the ones hanging over his children. It broke his heart all over again.
Finally, one evening after a silent dinner of Molly's Shepard's pie and quiet morose children he became desperate enough to owl Malfoy in hopes that maybe a change of scenery would do everyone some good.
The next morning he had the kids dressed and ready to go before breakfast. He stepped into the floo with Lily on his hip and instructions for Albus and James to floo together right after him.
He threw a handful of floo powder down and yelled, "Malfoy Manor!" before he was whisked away in a flare of bright green flames.
Stumbling out of the fireplace and into an elegant welcoming parlour, Harry set Lily on her feet then turned just as the floo flared again to help James and Albus out of the grate.
"Good morning, Potter Family." A familiar voice drawled from the doorway. The whole family turned to find Draco and Scorpius watching their entry with an amused smirk and an excited smile on their faces.
"Albus!" Scorpius exclaimed unable to contain himself any longer and threw himself across the room landing in Albus' equally ecstatic arms for a tight hug.
Harry tore his eyes away from his son's unusual behavior and gave Malfoy a nod. "Good morning, Malfoy. I'm sorry for the short notice."
He got a dismissive wave for his troubles as Draco strode into the room. "It's nothing, Potter. Scorpius has been pouting for days now because he hasn't been able to see his Albus." He grinned down at his blushing son before turning back to Potter's incredulously raised eyebrow. "We're happy to have you."
Turning his attention on the oldest Potter child he stared down at him appraisingly, letting the boy do the same to him. "You, young man, must be the wizened big brother. Am I correct?" He questioned with a knowing smirk.
James scowled at him arrogantly for a moment then grudgingly raised his hand to be shaken. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Malfoy." He sneered.
"My, aren't you a bushel of daisies." Draco smirked in amusement. "It's nice to meet too, James Sirius Potter named for your grandfather, James Potter, and your father's godfather, Sirius Black. Two powerful, mischievous wizards. You must be as grown up as they were, seeing as you're nearly ten already." He drawled mockingly making the boy grow red at the ears and his scowl deepen.
Harry watched not sure whether he should take exception with the way Malfoy was speaking to his son, or be grateful he was calling James on his horrid behavior.
Draco stood staring down at the boy for moment longer, his little hand going unshaken until his arrogant scowl began to melt into the insecurity underneath it and his hand began to withdraw. Snatching the smaller hand out the air before it could retreat fully, Draco gave it one firm shake.
"I look forward to getting to know you, James Sirius." He said formally, blatantly asserting his dominance in his household over this child that could so easily take a mile when given an inch.
James blushed feeling thoroughly scolded and not even realizing when it had happened. He lowered his head and murmured, "Yes, sir," before taking his hand back and scooting closer to his father.
Watching the exchange, Harry could barely believe it himself. He could have been watching Lucius Malfoy at that very moment, Draco exuded so much cold aloofness, dominance, and confidence. He couldn't even be mad at Malfoy for taking his son's discipline upon himself. Harry wouldn't have been able to do that, and he knew it.
Suddenly, Draco's whole demeanor changed. He once again became the easy charming man he'd been in Harry's front entrance those nights ago.
Leaning down he grinning cheekily at a smiling Lily. "Well, Lily dear. It is a pleasure to see you again. You are looking extra lovely this morning."
She giggled at him and ducked her head pulling Harry's hand she'd been holding forward a bit to hide her reddening face. "Hello, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco almost couldn't contain himself. Potter had the absolute cutest daughter on the face of the earth. He had to hand it to him, despite how much he'd wanted to punch his face in during school, Harry Potter made gorgeous kids.
"Lily, honey. Your face is just too pretty to hide." He declared slipping his hands underneath her arms and lifting her into the air and away from the relative safety of her father to set her on his hip, a modest arm tucked underneath her bottom to keep her flowery dress from riding up.
A surprised squeal pulled away from her, but she subsided and let Draco hold her, curling her small arms around his neck for balance. "Come with me, darling. How would our Lily-flower like to sit next our Narcissus for breakfast?" He asked with a charming smile on his face.
She nodded shyly and twirled a tiny finger in her auburn hair.
Harry watched in awe. How did Malfoy become such an expert at his children? Then again, he was an expert at his own child from what Harry'd seen. It just amazed him how Draco had all the Potter children eating out of his hands when Harry couldn't even get through a meal with them without feeling like the worst father ever.
"Well, come along, my ugly ducklings." Draco called from the door way, Lily still perched primly in his hip. "Breakfast is on the table and we wouldn't want it to get cold."
Scorpius and Albus rushed after him, but Harry and James hung back.
His oldest son kicked at the expensive Persian rug on the floor while Harry watched silently. Finally after moments of nothing, James lifted his head. "Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm... I'm sorry, about what I said, you know." He mumbled, face turning red, not being able to meet his father's eyes. "I know Mum leaving wasn't really your fault. And I know that you- that you do want us." He said sounding less than sure.
Sighing, Harry crouched down to a more comfortable level and looked up into his son's sullen face. "Do you, James? Because I understand that you would think otherwise. I haven't been the best dad for a while now and that is completely my fault, but I would never leave you or your brother and sister for any reason." He said praying that his son believed him, because it broke his heart to think that his kids would believe he'd be able to abandon them for any reason.
James finally lifted his eyes and stared into his dad's face. "It's just that Mum, you know. Every time you left for work she would just- it was like-..." He trailed off his throat tightening with the remembered feelings of responsibility and loneliness, tears coming to his sad hazel eyes. Boys weren't supposed to cry!
"Oh, James." Harry reached forward and pulled his son into his arms wrapping him up tightly when the boy clutched at his shirt and buried his face into his chest. "I'm sorry, James. You shouldn't have had to go through that. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry your mother left. I'm- I'm just sorry for everything." He finished at a complete loss while his stubborn, independent son was crying brokenly into his chest.
"I won't ever leave you like she did." He finally said burying his own face in the top of James's auburn hair. "I couldn't ever do that to you guys. I promise."
James's tears continued for a few moments before they subsided and he began to pull away. Harry let him, lifting a hand to wipe the remaining wetness away. "Do you believe me, James?" He asked feeling desperate for an answer. "I love you. You and your brother and sister. You're all three of you my life, alright?"
The little boy nodded feeling the conviction in his father's word through his anger and his hurt. "I love you too, Dad." He mumbled feeling slightly embarrassed by the display of emotion from them both.
Harry smiled at him feeling a great weight lifted from his chest. Standing he carded a hand through James's hair soothingly. "Shall we go eat breakfast, then?" He asked lightening the mood, much to his son's relief. "I'm starving."
They made their way into the Breakfast Room following a helpful house-elf that had been stationed at the floo parlour's entrance to guide them when they were ready. Stepping into the sunny room was somewhat surreal for Harry.
There was Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy with his youngest children eating breakfast as if they did this all the time. Lucius was listening, somewhat avidly, to a tale Scorpius was telling while Albus giggled along and Narcissa was chatting with an uncharacteristically talkative Lily. Draco was watching it all munching on what looked like chocolate-chip pancakes contentedly.
At their entrance Draco looked up from dabbing at the corner of his mouth with an expensive antique looking napkin. "Ah! Finally, I thought you boys had gotten lost." He grinned at them then gestured to the only two empty seats at the table. "Grab a seat and dig in." He instructed imperiously.
Harry thought dazedly that if this had been ten years ago he would have jumped at the chance to hex Malfoy for daring to order him around. Now, it seemed comfortable for this blond, smirking, drawling man to usher him and his kids around like ducklings in a pond.
Ron and Hermione would never believe this, he thought amusedly. Draco Malfoy was being nice and charming and funny to Potters of all sizes. Well, people change. Harry certainly had. Why couldn't Draco?
"Potter, let me reintroduce my parents." Draco said and nodded toward the head of the table where Lucius sat with Narcissa at his left.
Harry gave them both a wary, but formal nod of the head. "Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for allowing my children and I to join you."
A warm smile creased at Narcissa Malfoy's perfect face. "It is quite our pleasure, Mr. Potter. You have charming children." She informed him elegantly. Lucius didn't say anything, just nodded. Harry hadn't been expecting that much.
"Thank you." He replied somewhat surprised at her compliment. "They're great kids. This is my oldest, James."
James blushed under Narcissa's blue eyed gaze and mumbled, "Good morning, ma'am."
The woman just chuckled delightedly. "You certainly are a handsome young man." She said seemingly more pleased when his blush kicked up a notch or two. "And so well mannered too."
The boy ducked his head, eyes darting to meet Draco's from across the table before moving back to Mrs. Malfoy. "Thank you."
"Well, start eating." Lucius broke in with a cool tone as he eyed the two new arrivals. "I believe Scorpius has volunteered to give us a tour of the Manor. There is much to see."
Almost as if compelled James and Harry both began to pile food on, feeling suddenly ravenous. Draco watching with amusement.
He'd been surprised when Potter had opened his door those nights ago with a little girl seemingly sucking the life out of him. The man had matured handsomely. His raven black hair still wild, his eyes still bright green and near to glowing, but he'd gotten rid of those monstrous glasses and put on much needed height and muscle. Then again, Draco had never seen an out-of-shape Auror and that had been Potter's job for eight years before his promotion.
The sight of him so different, but very much the same had brought back long ago buried feelings that Draco hadn't even remembered having. Along with the realization that he still found Harry Potter as attractive as ever, came his knowledge of just what had added those tired smudges under his eyes, that lost confusion in his eyes, and that pale unhappiness to his face.
His dislike for the Weaslette had skyrocketed in those few speechless seconds on Potter's front steps. Then he made a decision and practically shoved his way into the man's home. It had been a good idea, Draco knew that now. Potter needed a bit of pushing around and Draco, if he knew anything, it was how to ride herd on those around him. Of course he learned everything he knew from his father, consummate politician that he was.
Glancing around the table he saw that everyone was finished with their breakfast. Narcissa was wiping down Lily's syrupy hands with a moist cloth a house-elf had fetch for her and Scorpius and Albus had melted chocolate at the corners of their mouths.
Rolling his eyes as his father gave him meaningful look Draco grabbed a napkin and took hold of the nearest child's face to begin his clean up. His father had never deigned to wipe his face when he was a child he didn't know why he'd expected him to wipe anybody else's.
After cleaning up Albus, Draco caught his own son's chin in hand and scrubbed him down ignoring his yowls of protest with an amused smirk on his lips.
"Come along, ducklings." He called standing up from his place at the table and nudging the two little boys chairs out for them. "I believe a tour of the stables is the best place to start."
"Stables?"
He glanced over to see James staring at him with a tiny frown on his face. "Yes, James. There is a rather large stable on Malfoy property where we house our own horses." The boy's face suddenly lit up with reluctant interest, and Draco knew he had him.
Potter was being surprisingly easy going about letting his children hang around Draco's parents. The surprise on his face when he had first stepped into the breakfast room had been visible, but he quickly adapted and Draco was rather glad for it.
Despite all of their bad history, Draco knew his parents, his father especially, had mellowed. After his stint of trying to kill Potter off, Lucius had lost his taste the death of children. Of course having a much beloved grandson still a child helped to enforce his distaste quite a bit.
They wandered toward the stables, Draco in the lead keeping an eye on Scorpius and Albus as they rushed ahead examining little nooks and crannies and hedges and bushes. Narcissa was still enthralled in little Lily and strolled along at a comfortable pace for a five year old, the older woman pointing out various flora to an eager learner. James however had stayed rather close to his father at the back of the group; still rather withdrawn, but looking around curiously just the same as they trekked through the gardens and toward the stables.
"Draco, are you quite sure those children are Potter's? They seem much too agreeable to have been spawned from him." Lucius drawled sardonically from his place next to his son.
He snorted and glanced at his father from the corner of his eye. "Can't you tell, Father? Albus is Potter's spitting image and where would James and Lily acquire that hair if not from Lily Evans, their paternal grandmother? I do not remember little Ginevra ever having that particular shade of red back in Hogwarts."
"Yes, well, I suppose there is that." The older gentleman conceded with a wry smirk. "All three of them do have rather striking resemblances to the Potter line."
Draco hummed in agreement thinking about just how little they had gotten from their mother. "Except the freckles." He commented without thinking. "Potter never had any freckles."
Lucius studied his son with knowing eyes. "A tragedy that they should inherit anything from the woman at all."
"Not particularly." Draco shrugged. "I think they lend a certain -Scorpius! Watch those cursed roses!- charm to the children. Thankfully their freckles aren't nearly as pronounced as the rest of the Weasleys'."
"Quite." He agreed. "Tell me, Draco. What possessed you to seek an acquaintance with Potter after all these years? If I'm remembering correctly, neither of you got on during school regardless of political disagreements." Lucius asked with a suspiciously neutral voice.
A scowl wrinkled at Draco's brow and he glared at his father out of the corner of his eye. "You read what the Weaslette did to him and his children."
Lucius snorted rather ungentlemanly. "Yes, I read what she did. Threw away three children and perhaps the most powerful wizard, magically and politically, in a couple of centuries for a gigolo and a beach side hut on some God forsaken island. That girl never did use an ounce of the sense God gave her." He sneered quietly keeping his voice level and low so they were not overheard.
"Well, I figured Potter could use a little help." Draco replied nonchalantly ignoring his father's rather vehemently disgusted comments. "I do know some of what he's going through." He added softly.
Lucius felt that old guilt well up in him. "If I had known Astoria was going to-"
"It's alright, Father." Draco interrupted sharply with a dismissive wave of the hand. "She came from a good family, good blood, and we got on well. You couldn't have known, just like I couldn't have known. We survived, me and Scorpius. Everything worked out fine." He quickened his pace, striding away from his unappeased father and toward the stables now in view.
"Here we are!" He called plastering a smile on his face as three of the four children turned their whole and undivided attention toward him. "This is the Malfoy stables, ducklings. Let's go meet the horses, shall we?"
Scorpius, Albus, and Lily rushed after him as he strode in through the open air door and called to a stable manager. Narcissa stepped up to walk with Lucius, while Harry and James came up slowly.
Ever since breakfast, James had been plastered to his side and Harry had been puzzled as to the reason for it. The boy went from shunning him to his own personal barnacle. Not that he minded. He somewhat missed the days when James had been his starfish before Albus and Lily were born and he'd gotten the ambassadorial job, but James had always been so independent. It was disconcerting to see him do a one-eighty in the time span of a couple of hours.
They entered the stables to see the stable manager and Draco telling the other children about the horses and their care. The manager had pulled a mild mannered mare out of her stall and was letting Albus and Lily tentatively pet her while Scorpius was off on another story about something or other pertaining to that particular horse.
"James, why don't you go up and pet her?" Harry asked when his son had still hung back.
The boy just shook his head a little and shifted so he was pressed closer to Harry's side. He sighed. It seemed that when Draco stripped him of his right to be an arrogant, obnoxious, pain in the ass, he'd released all of James's well hidden insecurity and fear.
God. Ginny had really done a number on his kids and he had been too stupid to even see it.
"Perhaps young Mr. Potter would like to be introduced to Lightning." A drawling voice drew the two Potters' attention. Lucius stood with his snake head cane in one hand, his other neatly behind his lower back.
"Lightning?" Harry raised an incredulous eyebrow, his own lightning bolt scar twitched at the movement.
Lucius just smirked wryly. "Yes. He was a gift for Draco before he started Hogwarts. I believe he changed the beast's name from Ginger Snap to Lightning."
"Oh." Harry had to work to keep his lips from curling in amusement. "Would you like to see him, James?" He asked the strangely shy boy staring up at Mr. Malfoy from nearly behind him.
Peeking out from behind his father, James stared at the oldest Malfoy for moment before he nodded slowly. "Yes, sir."
"Splendid." He drawled blandly. "Right this way, young Mr. Potter." An absent gesture with his cane led them to the other side of the stables.
Harry placed a comforting hand on James's shoulder and propelled him forward, following close behind. The three of them walked to one of the last stalls and Harry lifted James up and set him on the gate so he could see into the stall.
Inside was a large muscled horse. His coat was a warm brown that shined with perfect grooming, but the most interesting part of the horse was the jagged stripe of white that ran from the top of the creature's head down his neck and over his left front leg, staining a stark white stripe through his mane on the way. It was shocking really, but upon closer inspection a multitude of tiny white bolts could be found peppering the horse's coat making him look very much like he'd been struck by lightning.
"Wow." Harry breathed, unconsciously echoing his son. "He's beautiful."
"Hm, yes. I thought so." Lucius nodded studying the horse with a bland eye as if he were reading business documents instead of looking at the strangest colored horse ever seen. "Narcissa had a fit when I brought him home. Claimed he was too unruly or some such nonsense. Draco was delighted of course."
Harry snorted, he could see an eleven year-old Draco bouncing up and down with the excitement of a horse for a present.
"Of course, I nearly had to put the beast down." Lucius continued casually, like they were talking of the weather.
"Why?" Gasped James, sounding completely horrified as he stared at the older man with wide eyes, some of his old fiery spirit peaking through.
"He threw Draco three times." Lucius answered seemingly unconcerned with James's outraged yelp. "The beast was a danger to my son."
"Yes dear, and when Draco had an appalling fit of hysterics and insisted on protesting that decision by spending the night in the horse's stall, you decided to let the poor thing live." Narcissa supplied as she stepped up to them with an endearing smile on her perfectly painted mouth. "He is a beautiful animal, though."
Her husband huffed and tapped his cane on the stall gate in irritation. "Yes, quite lovely and quite unpredictable."
"Oh, tosh." Narcissa chuckled. "He's very lovely now. At least as long as Draco is the only one riding him." She added with a smirk.
James returned her smirk with a small smile and turned back to look at the horse who seemed completely comfortable with being stared at.
"Would you like to pet him, James dear?" Narcissa offered kindly.
Harry took one look at his son's hopeful look and tried to fight down the panic. "I don't know, Mrs. Malfoy. Didn't you say he was dangerous?"
"Oh, only if you're trying to ride him." She waved at him dismissively. "He's really quite sweet if you just want to pet him." Leaning over the gate in her elegant robes, she made some kissing noises with her perfect lips to get the horse's attention.
Lightning's head rose from his feeding sack and he turned to look at his observers with great intelligent brown eyes.
"Whoa." Harry breathed. It seemed to him that the horse was actually measuring them up.
The huge animal apparently found them satisfactory and slowly ambled toward them nudging at Narcissa's outstretched hand first, but his eyes never left James. That in and of itself made Harry distinctly nervous.
"He is a magical animal, Mr. Potter." Lucius drawled informatively from next to him as they watched Narcissa instruct James on how the horse liked to be petted. "Uncanny intelligence, greater lifespan, and often times annoying personality quirks are all par for the course with magical animals."
"So, the difference between Lightning and the other horses is like the difference between a mail owl and a regular owl." Harry surmised rather simply his eyes never leaving his son and the monster of a horse.
"You could say that." Another aristocratic voice said from over his other shoulder. Turning Harry found Draco watching the scene in front of them with smiling eyes. "It would seem that Lightning has found another favorite human to amuse himself with."
"He likes James? You can tell?" Harry asked.
"Oh yes. He never looks at anyone else, but me like that. It would appear our James Sirius has found himself a friend." Draco grinned at him and strode forward to lavish his own attention on the horse.
Harry glanced back toward where the other children had once been to find all three of them enthralled by the stable manager's spur of the moment equine lesson. The man was crouched down with one of the mare's front legs lifting into his lap and he seemed to be showing them her hoof. Scorpius, Albus, and Lily were listening avidly.
"You do realize, Mr. Potter, that my son had seen fit to adopt you and your children." Lucius said bringing Harry's attention back around.
"What?" He frowned in confusion.
"Draco and Scorpius's mother did not separate amicably. I believe that despite your past animosity he sees a kindred spirit in you." He clarified blandly. "Of course it helps that he is quite taken with your children. He and Scorpius, both, were quite impressed when they came home the other night." Lucius finished with a wry smirk.
Harry felt a rush of surprise and puzzlement tempered by a little spike of pleasure. He was starting to find Draco Malfoy to be an interesting, dynamic man, a good father, and a little bit of a flirt. None of these things he was able to see during school, but he felt somewhat privileged to see them now. Perhaps the timing could have been better, but better late than never, eh?
Of course that didn't even touch the surreality of him standing there having a civil conversation with Lucius Malfoy. The man had actively tried to kill him numerous times in his youth, but here they were. He was letting him near his children and in turn Lucius was suffering his presence in his home.
"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked the other man after a time.
Lucius just turned to study him intently, thinking over his words before he answered. "I will warn you, Mr. Potter, that what my son claims, what he takes under his protection, he keeps." And with those cryptic words the older man strode off to speak to the stable manager leaving Harry reeling and perhaps even more confused.
They spent an hour more in the stables petting eager horses and feeding the children's curiosity. Then they moved to a lake sized pond where Narcissa called a house-elf to supply them with old bread to throw to the ducks.
Harry was happy to see that James had come out of his impromptu shell and was giggling and laughing along with the others while the ducks waddled and splashed them close to the shore.
Lucius had strolled off on his own, snake-head cane swinging idly, his gray eyes watching the children carefully ready to pull his wand should one of the geese take exception to their rambunctiousness. Harry had to shake his head at the sight.
"I'm glad you brought your kids this morning." Draco murmured next to him from their place a ways up the hill watching the playing below.
Turning to regard the other father, Harry ran a hand through his messy hair. "I am too. This has been really good for them. I can't tell you how bad it was getting with them just sitting around the house." He chuckled rather mirthlessly.
"I can imagine." Draco nodded solemnly. "I could tell they are taking Ginevra's absence hard."
"Yeah." He agreed staring down at the grass, toeing at it with his boot. "I don't think I'll ever forgive her for what she did. I know I'm not a saint in all of this by any means, but I couldn't ever imagine deserting my kids like that."
"Astoria, my ex-wife," Draco began after a moment, "didn't exactly abandon Scorpius. She just refused to have anything to do with him."
Harry's head snapped up, his face a picture in disbelief.
"Yes." He answered the unspoken question, gray eyes following his son up and down the shore as if mesmerized. "She had done her duty as my wife and fully expected to be kept in the 'lifestyle to which she had become accustomed' without ever having to come in contact with him passed birthdays and Christmas after giving birth."
"That's-..." Harry didn't know what that was. It was shallow, cruel, unfeeling.
"It was my fault really." Draco continued when it became apparent that Harry wasn't going to be able to finish his sentence. "I didn't make it absolutely clear to her what was expected of her as my wife before she signed the marriage contract. Father had worked out a deal with her family, and we had all assumed it went without saying that I expected a mother for my son not just a brood mare." He snorted scathingly. "My fault."
They stood in silence for a time. Harry thinking about what Draco had divulged. Even Ginny had loved their kids at one point in the not very distant past. Maybe still loved them despite her abandonment, but Astoria sounded... like she hadn't cared for anything passed her baubles and finery.
"She didn't even want to be around Scorpius at all?" He stated more than asked rather untactfully, but Draco didn't seem to mind.
"No, it became apparent that she didn't." He agreed flatly. "The entirety of his care fell to me and what little Mother and Father helped with. Around Scorpius' second birthday I changed the wards, locked down the vaults, and filed for divorce."
Harry marveled at how level his voice was when he said this. It was old news to Draco, he guessed. Harry, himself, couldn't be that uncaring about it even though he had done the exact same thing.
"Scorpius doesn't really remember her." Draco sighed crossing his arms over his chest suddenly uncomfortable. The sound of the children's laughter floated up to them on the wind. "I have complete custody and neither of us has ever really looked back." He shrugged and tucked an errant strand of silver blond hair behind his ear.
"So you see, Potter. You're really not alone. There is life on the other side." He grinned at the stunned man next to him before laughing lightly shedding the maudlin atmosphere like an offending coat and striding down the hill to join in the children's games.
Harry was left staring after him feeling stunned and somewhat bereft of his presence. Draco had known exactly what to say to him to reassure his wordless fears. He hadn't even know he'd been afraid that they would never pull through this. Now, just a few comforting words from an old school rival had made a huge hole in that doubt and fear that had been lurking in his chest.
He'd loved Ginny when he'd married her, when she'd given birth to their children, but that had faded without him even realizing it. Her betrayal, he felt keenly, but not for himself -for his children. Forgiving her for cheating on him when he had been faithful, for leaving him for another man was easy. Forgiving her for abandoning his children, for bringing her lover into his home, into contact with his children, for forcing his children to shoulder responsibilities before their time, he will never be able to.
They weren't even partly her children to him any more. She had given birth to them, but they were his now. Wholly and irreversibly his. The right to them had been lost to her the moment she ceased to take their welfare into consideration.
"It was good seeing you today, Potter." Draco said with a small smile while he walked the exhausted, but happy Potter family toward the floo that evening after they had all shared a light dinner.
"Yeah, you too. Thanks again for letting us come." Harry returned with a smile of his own over Lily's shoulder. She'd starfished herself to him again and had summarily fallen asleep nearly before he had her settled on his hip.
"It was our pleasure." He waved it off. "I think Mother and Father enjoyed it almost as much as the children did."
Harry chuckled with him and looked around to make sure he had all of his kids where they should be. Albus was being chattered at by Scorpius and James was giggling along with them. All three boys were standing in the middle of the room.
"Time to go, James, Albus." Harry called then was bombarded with a volley of protests from Malfoys and Potters alike. He just grinned happily for the first time in a long time. "That's enough boys. Say thank you to Scorpius and Mr. Malfoy then we have to floo home, come on."
"You can call me, Draco, now." The man said with an amused smirk. "It gets confusing with my Father around as well."
"Thank you, Draco." Albus blushed then impulsively rushed forward and wrapped Draco's legs up in a quick hug before he darted away again, head ducked and face flaming red. Scorpius couldn't have looked prouder.
Draco just laughed and smiled kindly at the shy boy. "You're very welcome, Albus Severus."
James stepped forward and scuffed his shoe at the rug for a few moments before he peaked up at Draco from under his auburn bangs and stuck his hand out shyly. "Thank you, Mr.- Draco." He corrected, face hopeful and apprehensive.
"You're welcome, James." Draco grasped his small hand in his larger one and shook it firmly. "You must come again and visit Lightning. He took quite the liking to you." He told the little boy with a reassuring smile watching him smile back and release his hand to go stand with his father.
Turning back to Harry, Draco chuckled and moved up to stroke a hand through Lily's wind blown, tangled hair. "She must have been exhausted." He commented showing a familiarity with tired children. "But that just means she had fun."
Harry snorted. "Yeah, we all had fun today." He agreed shifting his hold on his sleeping daughter, his two sons nodded their heads in agreement.
Grinning at that, Draco leaned forward and placed a kiss on Lily's forehead. The scent of sunshine and herbal shampoo floated up to Harry's nose at the action and he had to shake his head to clear it.
"Come back, again." Draco invited with an absent hand stroking through Scorpius' messy hair. "We enjoyed your visit."
Harry felt a smile quirk at his lips as he nodded and ushered his boys toward the floo. "We'll do that, Draco. Good night."
"Good night, Harry."
The image of Draco smiling at him and waving through green flames would stay with him until he fell into bed later that night.
TBC...