Yeah, I wrote a sequel
No, there's no sex
Yes, Scorpius is in this one
Yes, Scorpius wouldn't actually be born, but Teddy wasn't raised by Harry and Harry married Ginny so canon's already damned
Yes, I may be getting into this pairing a little teeny bit XD
Butterbeer and Cherries
It was two weeks after the New Year had come and gone that Harry saw Draco again. He was sitting behind his desk, tapping his quill on a stack of papers when he heard a soft voice. "Father, why do you work here? Grandfather doesn't like it…"
Father? Harry looked up, was startled to see Draco wandering down the hall with a small boy who couldn't be older than Teddy. And Teddy had been born when they were only seventeen…
"Don't listen to everything your grandfather says, Scorpius." There was a tiredness in the blonde's voice that Harry had never heard before.
"Draco?"
When the young man looked over, Harry realized with a start that he'd spoken aloud. "Harry," the former Slytherin greeted and Harry knew Draco was exhausted. No snappy retort? A boy calling him fath… Holy Merlin, the boy looked just like Draco. Same silvery eyes, same platinum hair… The only difference was that the child's soft blonde locks curled at the ends. He even looked fairly bored, another trait Harry attributed with Draco.
The look he sent Draco had the young man sighing. "Scorpius, I'm going to take you to my office. Mr. Potter and I have some things to discuss."
"Potter?" The young boy – what the hell kind of a name was Scorpius? – hid himself behind Draco's legs. "You're Harry Potter?"
Harry couldn't help but let his lips curve. After so many years with Teddy, he had grown to adore kids. "Sure am. And who're you?"
"Scorpius… Malfoy."
The hesitation over his last name had Harry lifting a brow and, once again, the tired Draco sighed. "Here, Scorpius. Follow the light." He flicked his wand and a shimmery green fizzled out and shot out the door. With a careful nod, the young child ran off.
Draco, after a moment, sank into the chair in front of Harry's desk. It was odd to see him slouch as he was. "Curious, Potter?"
"Very," he admitted. "Kingsley told me that you were on an extended holiday."
Draco's lips curved ever so slightly. "Asking about me, were you?"
"No," he said quickly, realizing his mistake. "It was said in passing."
"Ah."
A silence followed that lasted until Harry could no longer tolerate it. "How do you have a child that age?"
"The summer I turned seventeen, I learned that I was betrothed to this girl I had never met. Apparently her elder sister was in our year, but…" Draco shrugged. "I never dealt with younger students."
"Did you get a wild hair and rebel, then? Knocked a girl up?"
Now he looked offended, gaze no longer tired, but alert and annoyed and sharp enough that Harry nearly apologized. "If you recall, the year I turned seventeen is also the bloody year you killed…"
"Voldemort," Harry said, relishing it when Draco winced slightly.
"Yes." He sighed. "That entire year was a bit… hectic. And my father was insistent that I… Well, long story short, the girl and I decided that a pregnancy was in order. After the year ended as it did, she and I both realized that we'd made a mistake."
"You could've ended the pregnancy."
This didn't get a look, but Harry watched in fascination as Draco's grip on the chair tightened considerably. "We could have. Obviously, we didn't. But when Scorpius was born my father very quickly named him as I was away and made certain that the girl and the child would be well taken care of. And sent them away."
"Sent them away?" Harry murmured.
"Yes. It was New Year's Eve that I was finally able to slip a bit of Veritaserum into Father's glass and find out just where he'd sent them. Apparently, he'd kept in contact… The perfect grandfather, of course." It was obvious that he tried to hide the bitterness, but Harry caught it.
"And you went and got him."
"Yes. Now if I've satisfied your curiosity–"
"You have, but why?"
"Because I got a message from Teddy a bit ago asking why I hadn't asked him over as I said I would." He slid a piece of paper across the desk. "I would rather you told Teddy that he'll have someone to play with than have it be a surprise. And I knew you would pester me with annoying questions, so I got the explanation out of the way."
"Why do you look so tired?"
"Determined to ask me pesky questions anyway?" He shook his head. "Because custody battles are difficult, particularly when you're fighting your own father."
"What? How could it have gone by so fast?"
Draco's usual smirk slid back into place as he rose and went to the door. "It's a shame," he said as he reached the doorway, "that there isn't any mistletoe about after the Christmas season. Wouldn't you agree, Potter?"
He watched the way Harry colored before laughing and slipping out. When he was gone, Harry turned over the sheet of parchment and scanned it, eyes going wide as he did.
Mr. Teddy Lupin~
You are, of course, correct. I've been incredibly rude and I apologize. I invited you over and have yet to set a date. Again, I apologize. Things have been fairly difficult this past month, though I must say with delight that I now have someone living with me who is your age. Perhaps you and he shall become friends when I see you next. The date at which you visit is entirely up to your godfather and know that I fully support whichever date he decides is suitable. Perhaps you can convince him to select a day that is within this next week. I would very much like to continue our discussion on the pros and cons of digesting worms and other insects.
Best wishes,
~Draco Malfoy
Harry never would have expected such a note from Draco. So proper and perfect and… It didn't read as though it was directed towards a child, so much as an adult that Draco admired. Teddy would love it. As for a date to go and visit Draco's apartment… Why would Malfoy have left it to Harry to decide?
As Harry rose to leave for the day, he noticed another sheet of parchment drop down. He frowned at it and held it up, looking at it curiously. It appeared blank…
"Aparecium," he murmured, tapping his wand against the page. It immediately filled with a small paragraph in Draco's handwriting.
Harry~
If you're reading this, congratulations. It's nice to know that you know how to use that wand of yours for something useful. As I am fairly certain that Teddy cannot read as of yet, I feel it is safe to assume that you have read the message intended for him. I look forward to yours and Teddy's next visit. It has most certainly been a furiously busy few weeks. I've missed pestering you at wok a great deal and I am certain that you missed being pestered. We'll have to remedy this once I get Scorpius settled in. I do not believe that I can come into your office to flirt – my apologies, pester – with him with me. Alas, the thought of leaving him at home or with a nanny appalls me after I've spent so many years apart from him. He knew me only from pictures and, quite honestly, it caused me pains. You'll be seeing quite a bit of him over the next few days. I suggest you bring Teddy along to work with you. I am sure he would adore watching you ignore paperwork. And I have little doubt that you would enjoy actually having a reason to ignore it.
~Draco
p.s. Your mouth tastes of butterbeer and cherries. A fascinating combination I intend to explore further. I sincerely hope this doesn't cause you to keep Teddy from me. I enjoy his company.
Harry swallowed, heard a startled sound from a child and then a squeal of laughter. And then Scorpius was streaking past the door of his office. "Scorpius!" Draco called, going after his son.
"Draco!"
The wizard stopped, looked back into Harry's room. "Yes?"
"Teddy and I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright. I shall see the two of you 'round seven?"
"How about right after work? After all, I plan on bringing Teddy 'round in order to ignore paperwork more effectively."
Draco's smile was slow. "You may have to clear it with Shacklebolt first."
"Scorpius needs someone to keep him entertained and Kingsley adores Teddy."
The blonde nodded. "Tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Potter."
"Fire whiskey," he said as the other wizard left.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Harry murmured, shuffling his papers.
Draco lifted single brow, but his son was calling, so he walked off with a shrug.
The next day, Teddy could hardly contain himself. It'd been weeks since he'd last seen or heard from Draco and the letter Harry had read him had been absolutely thrilling. It had made him feel all grown up to receive such a letter and when Harry had said they'd go the next day…
He didn't wait for Harry to knock, doing so himself with quite a bit of verve. The door was answered amidst the tirade by a young boy who looked enough like Draco that Teddy blinked. "Who are you?"
"Scorpius," he returned, studying the orange-haired boy. There was a curiosity in his eyes Harry could see he was trying to hide. Obviously the boy was as much a prat as his father had been. "I… I like your hair."
That had Harry blinking. What was that…?
Teddy grinned. "Thank you! Do you live here with Draco?" When the boy nodded, Teddy's grin widened. "Can I see your room?"
"…Sure." And the two were running down the hall.
Harry stepped in, closing the door behind him as he watched his godson scamper away. He looked over when he heard someone clear his throat and saw Draco in the doorway to the kitchen, an amused look in his eye.
"Malfoy."
"Potter." His eyes traveled to the small bag Harry had. "What's that?" His eyes changed, darkened as he saw Harry with draw a tankard of butterbeer and a container of cherries. When the fire whiskey was taken out, Draco's brow winged up. "And what's that for?"
"You have your tastes. I have mine."
"Well, Potter, I never figured you for a drinker."
"Neither did I."
Their eyes locked again and Draco took a step forward, curled a finger in the top of Harry's shirt. "I taste of fire whiskey?" he asked quietly. Harry's response was a curt nod. "And here I thought the great Harry Potter would be homophobic."
"I thought the two-face, prat Malfoy would be."
That seemed to sting a bit as Draco dropped his hand and stepped back. "I see." He walked off, leaving Harry to watch and wonder. He took up a chair in the kitchen, watched Draco fuss about. Every now and again, his house elf would do something without prompting. A minor assistance here and there that Draco usually took with a grateful pat or a smile.
"What happened to you, Draco?" Harry suddenly said. "From the first day I met you, you were a prat. When you first joined the ministry you were a prat. And now you're cooking meals and talking to my godson about worms."
"Yes."
He waited a beat. "Yes?"
"Yes." He cut a slice of bread, buttered it, and wordlessly sent it to Harry. "Eat up."
"Not until you explain to me what's changed in you. You're not supposed to be good with children. You're supposed to hate them. You're not supposed to live in this charming little flat. You're supposed to live in a big, depressing mansion. And you're not supposed to have a son who seems pleased to be able to play with someone his own age. You should have a prat who's just like you – a prat."
"Prat seems to be your word of the day," Draco mused. "And I'm thrilled to hear the high opinion you have of me."
"In our first year, you landed us all detention and left me behind when we saw Quirell drinking the blood of a unicorn! And that was after you stole Neville's Remembrall and chucked it as far as you could. You gleefully attacked me in a duel in our second year, you hounded me the third and got yourself smacked by Hermione, joined the Inquisitorial Squad our fifth and helped Umbridge make our lives miserable, you nearly killed Albus Dumbledore when he was weak and defenseless and let the Death Eaters take over our school! Your bloody family held me and my friends in a dungeon while your dear aunt tortured Hermione! My friends died that day at Hogwarts and I saved your arse twice! We even saved Goyle, the big oaf, and you were all just trying to kill us!"
He was furious now, standing with his wand pointed at the blonde. "And since you graduated and joined the Ministry, you've come into my office every single Wednesday at five on the dot just to annoy me, and then you added Mondays, and then Fridays, and the Tuesdays and Thursdays! I could set my bloody watch by you! And then you suddenly invite me to your home – the last place I wanted to be on Christmas Eve – and bloody kiss me! What sort of bloody opinion should I have of you, Draco? You've a bloody Dark Mark burned onto your skin."
There was a long moment of silence before Draco sank heavily into a chair. "Dipsy, kindly finish dinner for me, will you?"
"Yes, Master Draco!" The house elf cheerily went about her work while Draco sat silently, contemplating what the other wizard had said.
"As I recall," he said quietly, "I was friendly to you when we first met. In Madame Malkins's shop while we were being fitted for robes. I wasn't very friendly to anyone else, of course, as I had a low opinion of those who lived outside of the wizarding world."
"Had a–"
"Please, Potter, don't be rude. I let you finish, didn't I? Now, then… Where was I?" He looked up, hands on his knees. "And then I discovered who you were as Professor McGonagall went off to get the Sorting Hat. I said hello to you, then. Offered my hand in friendship. I'm fairly certain that you were better off not taking it. Though… Perhaps I would have been better if you had. It's uncertain now and, well, after the Battle of Hogwarts, I knew where my loyalties were."
"Did you?" Now Harry was sitting, frowning deeply.
"Yes. And they did not lie where I had always thought they had. I realized fairly quickly that what had just occurred was unnecessary. I considered Crabbe to be my friend. I considered Goyle to be my friend. Neither of them were; neither of them thought of me as such. You lost friends that day? Well, so did I. Pansy would no longer look at me, Blaise insulted my family, Crabbe was dead, Goyle was heading to prison… You lost some of your friends, Potter. I lost every single one of mine."
He shrugged. "And that's when I realized that I'd never even had a friend. What I had was a pregnant teenager I didn't actually know and people who followed my orders for reasons I still don't entirely understand. So Father and I… had a row. I decided that I didn't actually have any prospects or any sort of future and I realized that Father's money wasn't going to last forever. So I joined the Ministry and I used every resource at my disposal to track down my child."
Draco's smile was slight. "And I find it fascinating that you would recall the order in which I visited your office."
"I…" Harry leaned back, frowning. "So it was the Battle that changed you."
"It was watching you fight. It was listening to your speech on love and on friendship. You defeated him. The man who'd been terrorizing my family for the past years and a half was gone after you delivered this queer little speech." At Harry's expression, Draco laughed. "It was queer. Love protected you. It was going to protect all of us. It was impressive and suited the situation, but looking back, it was queer."
"So me being queer helped you see the light?"
"No, you being queer made my Christmas fascinating." He rose, went over to Dipsy to help her get the ham out of the oven.
Harry sighed. "It took you a while to find Scorpius. How did you manage it?"
"With a lot of difficulty," he replied, sighing. "I was honestly stuck until I got a letter from his mother one day… She'd grown tired of him, grown tired of my father coming into visit whenever he felt like it. She just needed one more payment and she'd tell me where my son was. More importantly, she'd give him to me for two. And with my strings in the Ministry, I was able to stop my father from trying to get custody for himself. I was given the memory in which Father asked her to take my child and leave. He's been paying her to keep him away from me."
When he turned back to Harry, his silver eyes were like ice and Harry was suddenly reminded of the young Malfoy he'd always detested. He instead felt the stirrings of admiration. "You've grown up, Draco."
"A bit." He walked over to Harry and laid his hands on the wizard's shoulders, preventing him from moving. He lowered his mouth to Harry's, but didn't touch them together just yet. "You think I taste of fire whiskey?"
"Honestly, no. You taste like nothing I've ever had before." Harry's green eyes searched Draco's for any signs that this was a joke. "You made me feel the way fire whiskey does."
"And what way is that?"
"Heated," he admitted quietly, had no idea how his hands had found their way into Draco's soft hair. "Sluggish." He tilted his mouth to press it against Draco's, but he leaned too far out of the way.
"Is that so?" Draco teased.
"Damn it, Malfoy…"
"What's the matter, Potter?"
"I'll show you what the matter is," he snapped and dragged the other wizard's mouth to his own. It was like the previous kiss in that the taste was familiar and that everything else seemed to melt away.
But this time it was Harry who took over. Draco may have been leaning over him, but Harry was possessing the blonde, his tongue diving and flicking about as it pleased, one hand fisted in Draco's hair to keep him in place while the other roamed freely. Draco's seemed frozen to the brunette's shoulders, his eyes unable to stay open. Where had this come from? When had Harry Potter become such a commanding kisser…?
It was over long after he couldn't breathe, but still much too soon. "Harry," he breathed.
The wizard smiled, getting to his feet and nudging a stunned Draco into the chair. "I'll go check on the boys."
"Of course. I… Of course." Amused, Harry walked out and left Draco behind to sit and wonder… When had that green-eyed queer bastard become so wonderful?
