A/N: Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter. They were brilliant. I'm working most of this week and then I'm on holiday next week so you might not get an update for a while after this. Though I will be writing the next chapter(s) whilst on a sun bed.

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all. Yet! #evil laugh#

Dedication: For Bianca. Who I guess proposed to me in her last review. Oh, and the idea you left in your review? It's gonna sorta be something like that.

Word count: 1423

Chapter Four

"You know," Draco said as he and Potter settled down into the squishy sofa's, clutching cups of coffee "you should probably let Weaslette know that you're staying here. Don't want wifey worrying that I've murdered you or anything."

Draco was amused by the flick of something that looked lick fear which passed across Potter's face.

"You're right, Malfoy," he said, frowning slightly, then said almost to himself "she never reads letters… Can I use your Floo?"

Draco nodded and gestured to the fireplace.

"Powder's in the black jar on the left. I'll go check on the kids," on a small whim he decided to wind Potter up a little "last time Scorpius was on his trampoline he managed to fall off and break his leg."

Potter looked momentarily terrified before he caught the grin that Draco was trying to disguise.

"You're twisted, Malfoy," Harry said, though he appeared to be smiling a little too.

"Thank you," Draco said as seriously as he could manage, rising elegantly from his sofa as Potter did the same, with slightly less grace, and left the room.

He left Potter in the lounge and went to find the children. From the kitchen window he could see they were indeed on the trampoline, but instead of bouncing they were sat cross-legged in the middle, knees touching, staring intently at each other. He could only see Scorpius' back from where he was stood but Mini-Potter looked deadly serious. Then he grinned brightly and leant forward till his face was obscured by Scorpius' own head. He couldn't tell what the boys were doing but it looked like Al Potter was whispering to Scorpius.

He was half tempted to go out into the garden and check on them properly when they pulled away from each other, both of them clearly laughing. It was an odd feeling to see two people who were the spitting image of himself and Potter together, enjoying each other's company. Maybe that's what they themselves could have been like if Potter had accepted his hand.

With a shake of his head, Draco dismissed this thought and went to join the boys in the garden. In the short time it had taken for him to move from the window to the back door, the boys had gotten to their feet and were bouncing round, both trying to bounce higher than the other.

"How you two doing?" he asked, perching himself on the edge of the trampoline.

"Tell, Rus that I'm bouncing higher."

"No. I'm higher," Al said, pouting at Scorpius' back "he's your dad. It's not fair to ask him."

Scorpius stuck his tongue out in reply and timed his bounce just after Al's so he went higher.

"Cheat!" Al cried, and leapt at Scorpius.

For a second Draco was worried that the two boys had already followed in his and Potter's footsteps and were going to start brawling. Instead they started tickling. The rolled around, both trying to get the upper hand and make the other give in. Draco was loath to admit how cute it actually was. He watched the two of them for a few moments more before heading back inside to see if Potter had finished his Floo call.

He glanced in through the living room doorway and was met with the sight of Potter's backside stuck in the air as he talked through the fireplace. He allowed himself a moment to contemplate the view before mentally slapping himself and backing out of the room. He stopped mid step at the sound of his own name.

"Yes, Ginny. I know you don't trust Malfoy… No! That's not why I'm staying. I do trust him with Al. It's because I've never left him with anyone other than family before and you know how anxious Al and I can get when we're apart… No, Ginny you're being unreasonable. I'm staying and that the end of it."

Harry pulled back from the fireplace with a pop and pushed himself back up onto his feet. When he saw Draco stood, frowning, in the doorway his face flushed with embarrassment.

"You heard that, huh?"

Draco nodded.

"I'm sorry about, Ginny. Sometimes she just says stuff that she doesn't really mean."

Draco shrugged in an attempt to show he didn't care. Which he didn't. The frown was caused, not by the Weaslette, but by the way Potter had actually defended him. Sort of. He pulled himself out of his thoughts and gestured to cup that Potter had just picked up.

"Would you like another cup of coffee? I'm sure that one's cold."

Potter nodded and Draco took the cup from him. To his surprise, Potter followed him into the kitchen. As Draco refilled the kettle, Potter started peering in cupboards. After a few moments he gave up.

"Mugs?"

"Cupboard above the teapot."

Potter nodded his thanks, took out a couple of mugs and added the coffee he had found earlier in his search. As they waited for the kettle to boil Potter seemed to come to the conclusion that small talk was needed to fill the silence.

"So, Malfoy? What exactly is it that you do? I know you must work in the ministry for Scorpius to have been at the day care scheme."

"Well," Draco began "technically I don't work at the ministry. I'm a freelance potions maker. The department of mysteries sometimes needs potions inventing that do specific things. They come to me and I create them. I normally do my work at home so there's someone here for Scorpius but there are times when I need to have access to tings that aren't allowed out of the department."

Draco had given this speech so many times that he didn't really need to think about what he was saying. He waited for the usual response of a bored 'oh' and then the swift change of topic. Potter's reply genuinely surprised him.

"Really? That must be a great job. And the chance to spend so much time with your son. That must be a huge bonus."

Draco barely had time to nod before Potter was asking more questions.

"So what sort of things do they ask you to do? Is it challenging? Or is it really easy?"

They spent a good half hour like this, Potter bombarding Draco with questions about work and Draco delighting in having someone who was genuinely interested to talk to about it. At some point they had moved to the kitchen table and were both leaning over it towards each other, talking earnestly. The talk shifted from Draco's job to Harry's and Draco was surprised to find that Harry hadn't become an Auror and was, in fact, a healer.

"I'm basically the ministry's Madam Pomfrey," Harry said as though it were nothing impressive "It's so that they don't have to constantly send people to St Mungo's. I mainly work with the Auror department but every department has accidents."

Harry paused to take a sip of his now cold coffee and grimaced in disgust at the taste.

"Three members of the department for international games and sports came to me a couple of weeks ago because they'd broken their legs trying out the new cleansweap. In their office!"

Draco laughed something that was half snigger, half snort

"Exactly. What did they expect would happen? Oh, and paper cuts. I get a lot of paper cuts coming my way. They all whinge like babies about them. It's pathetic."

They spent another half hour of Harry telling stories about all the stupid injuries he'd had to work on. And some of the horrific ones. He got slightly annoyed with Draco when he learnt that the multiple burns and rashes that he'd had to deal with on about half a dozen unspeakables were because of one of Draco's slightly malfunctioning potions.

They were just about to start discussing their new minister's incompetence when giggling from the open back door was heard. Draco turned in his seat to see Al and Scorpius stood in the doorway, giggling at them.

Draco raised an eyebrow at the pair of them but they just grinned in reply.

"See, I told you Cor. I told you my Daddy and your Daddy would be best friends too. Just like us."

And that's when it hit Draco. He'd been getting along with Potter! He glanced at Harry and saw that he looked as shocked as Draco felt. There was an uncomfortable silence which the boys decided to fill with:

"Daddy! Can we go to the zoo?"

OOOOOO

A/N: Right, I'm leaving it there. I've got housework to do and I have to be at work not very far in the future. I hope you liked this chapter and I would love to hear your opinions in reviews.