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.) 4,919
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 Six***
Scorpius, Albus, Lily, James, Teddy, Belle, Tal, Mischief, Nova, and Stella all sat in a circle on fluffy cushions up in Scorpius's room with a bowl of candy, a tray of sweets, and a pitcher of pumpkin juice. Their parents and grandparents were downstairs drinking tea and talking about boring adult things while they began to plot.
"Why are we all up here?" Teddy asked while he played with Nova as the snake slithered over his hands. "Why don't we go outside and play in the gardens?"
Scorpius glanced at Albus and shrugged. "Lily said she had something to tell us."
"Well, what is it Lily?" James asked where he was sprawled against a round embroidered cushion with Mischief curled on his belly.
Lily glanced down at Belle and the snake gave her a nudge under the chin with her nose. i"Go on, Fire Lily."/i
"Well," she began slowly, nervously. "Me and Belle were talking the other night and she said that if Daddy and Draco fell in love then they would -um- mate and Draco would be our mum and Scorpius would be our brother."
This was met with stunned silence. All the boys looked at her with varying degrees of surprise and incredulity. Finally, James spoke up.
"Draco can't be our mum. He's a boy like Dad." He said obviously caught up on that part of her explanation.
She huffed in agitation and pushed at his leg irritatedly. "I know that stupid, but Belle said that he was a -um- egg layer." She blushed, suddenly realizing that it didn't really translate from Parseltongue to English with the same meaning.
Teddy frowned and snorted in confusion. "What?"
"Belle's right, little Chameleon." Stella hissed at him from around his neck. "The Dragon tastes of warmth and comfort, like all clutch mothers."
Teddy just looked at the snake blankly while James sat up and stared at her in surprise. "What?" He hissed at the little snake.
"The Dragon, my Dog Star." Mischief hissed from her place on his stomach. "He can bear young, like any mother in the Wild Kingdom."
"Seriously?" He asked bemused.
"What are you talking about?" Scorpius asked quietly from where he sat with Albus and Tal.
Albus looked at his friend warily before answering. "The snakes are saying that your dad can have babies."
"Oh." He blushed and glanced down at the snake curled in his lap. It was watching him intently. He looked up and rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. "Um... He can."
That was met with more stunned silence and an excited squeal from Lily. "Really?" She gasped.
"Yeah." He breathed, shrugging uncomfortably. "When I turned five, Dad took me to the Healer to check if I was a -um- Matris, I think they're called. He said that they ran in the family, but that there hadn't been one for like three hundred years or something. But then my dad was one so they checked to see if I was one too."
James and Teddy just stared at him, mouths open, completely shocked.
"Are you a -uh- Matris?" Albus asked tentatively.
Scorpius gave him a small smile and shook his head. "No. Just my dad."
"So, your dad can really have babies?" Teddy asked after he'd picked his jaw up off the floor.
Scorpius shrugged. "I guess, but after he and my mother divorced he hasn't really liked anyone like that, so..." He trailed off.
"Wow." James breathed. "That's kinda cool."
Albus nodded in agreement causing Scorpius to sag in relief.
"I think we should get Draco and Daddy to fall in love." Lily announced with determination. The boys all looked at her in shock, but she continued, seeming not to notice.
"If they fall in love then Scorpius can be our brother too, and Draco can be our Mummy, or our second Daddy, and then we can have more brothers and sisters and we could all be a family!" She exclaimed, trying to explain herself and hoping fervently that the boys wanted this as much as she did.
The boys sat in silence for a time looking at one another. To James and Albus it hadn't seemed like they'd been a real family for a long time. Their mum had always been gone or bringing Angelo over when their dad wasn't there, and he was always away on a business trip. It hadn't felt like they'd had two parents since Lily was little.
And they really liked Draco. He was nice and funny and teased them and didn't mind helping when they asked.
Would it be so bad if he and their dad fell in love?
Teddy was of the same mind set. He wasn't blind to the fact that there seemed to be some sort of history between his grandma and Missus Malfoy, but that didn't keep her or Draco from being nice to him.
And he hadn't seen Harry look so happy as when he was with Draco. Before, when he was with Aunt Ginny, he smiled and laughed, but it wasn't loudly and his smiles didn't really ever reach his eyes. Harry hadn't been really happy for a long time.
Draco made him smile though, and laugh.
Scorpius looked down at the snake in his lap and felt the sharp pang of longing in his chest. He'd wanted siblings for so long and now he might just get them. But it wasn't just brothers and a sister he would be getting, it would be another father as well: Harry.
He thought about Harry. He was cool and smart and funny. He knew everything about Quidditch and catching bad guys. And he made his dad laugh.
He wasn't fool enough to believe that either of his parents had loved each other when they were married, but that just meant he could tell that his dad wasn't as happy as he should be. His dad loved him, Scorpius was in no doubt about that, but he could be happier.
"I think we should do it." He said without even realizing he'd spoken until he heard his own voice.
"What?" Albus asked a little surprised to have the silence broken.
"We should help get them together." Scorpius explained looking from one kid to the next. "Dad and Harry are happy together, right? And I like Harry and you guys like my dad." He said. "I want to be in a family with you all. I think it would be great."
Albus smiled brightly at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Me too. They make each other happy. We can all see that. And we want to stay together, so what do we have to do to make that happen?" He asked determinedly.
"We make a plan." Teddy answered grinning mischievously "We make a plan that will help them fall in love."
"How do we do that?" James asked sitting up again, brow furrowed in concentration and eyes bright with excitement.
"We have to get them to spend more time together." Lily exclaimed, bouncing on her knees eagerly.
"Yeah, but how do we do that?" Albus asked.
Scorpius frowned in thought before breaking into a smile and leaning forward. "I've got an idea. Here's what we need to do..."
And they began to plot.
Harry shook himself to attention and sipped at his tea to cover up his momentary lapse. That was the third time he'd caught himself staring at Draco. He couldn't seem to make himself stop.
The tilt of his head, the way he absently tucked a lock of silvery hair behind his ear, the smirking glint in those bottomless gray eyes. They all just kept distracting him. And it didn't seem that he minded all that much.
He frowned at that realization.
"Harry, are you alright?" Narcissa asked concernedly.
"Hm?" He glanced up and focused on her. "Oh, yes. I'm fine, just getting a little tired I suppose. I'm used to going to bed when the kids do now." He grinned at her.
Narcissa chuckled and tilted her head toward her son. "Draco is the exact same way. I'll find him nodding off at nine thirty on the settee if I don't remind him to head up to bed."
"Don't make me sound like the old man of the house, Mother." Draco drawled at her, seeming completely unconcerned that his mother had divulged something potentially embarrassing about him. "You know very well that Father is the one that really must take his afternoon nap or he'll be horribly cranky by dinner time." He finished with a mischievous smirk at his father.
"I'll thank you not to tell such lies about your own father, Draco." Lucius replied dryly as he sipped at his brandy and crossed his legs in his plushy winged back chair. "I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it." He drawled quite casually indeed.
Harry suddenly found himself afflicted with a coughing fit to cover up the surprised laughter that wanted to burst forth at Draco's satisfied grin in response.
If anyone had told him ten years ago that he'd be sitting in the Malfoys' family room listening to Lucius and Draco Malfoy tease each other, Harry would have gone ahead and put them out of their misery.
But here he was, being granted the privilege of seeing the Malfoys at ease and relaxed. It was really nice, he thought. He felt honored to witness it.
"I guess I need to get the kids back and put them to bed." He sighed rather unhappily, feeling quite reluctant to end his visit with Draco. "It's passed their bed time as it is."
Draco smiled understandingly at him, but had to tamp down the surging of disappointment. "Come along, then. I'll help you collect the little heathens."
Two floors above them, Scorpius was giving his last instructions to Shotzy the house-elf. "Now, you know what to do?" He asked.
"Yes, Master Scorpius. Shotzy knows what he is to be doing, sir." The house-elf squeaked importantly.
"Good." Scorpius grinned at Albus then glanced at the door where James and Teddy were keeping a lookout. "How are we doing?" He called to them.
James hissed something to Nova who had been stationed at the top of the stairs. After receiving an answer he looked back over his shoulder. "They're coming up the stairs to take us back home."
Lily gasped and busied herself with making it look like they'd been playing a wizarding boardgame instead of plotting their parent's down fall into love while James and Teddy retreated from the door with their snakes and flung themselves into their original spots in the circle.
"Okay, Shotzy hurry! And remember don't permanently break the floo, just make sure it doesn't work for tonight." Scorpius reminded as he and Albus scurried to their cushions and made themselves comfortable. He was fully aware of just how over ambitious house-elves could get when they were on a mission.
"Yes, Master." The elf squeaked and disappeared right as the door opened.
Immediately, the kids all made exclaiming unintelligible sounds trying to make it seem like someone was losing and someone was winning the game in front of them.
"Hey, ducklings." Draco greeted as he stepped into Scorpius's sitting room followed closely by Harry. "It's time for you to head home."
They all groaned in protest.
"But I want to stay!" Exclaimed Lily as she pouted petulantly.
Draco chuckled and bent down to lift her into his arms. "I know, Lily-flower, but it's passed your bed time."
"Nah, Dad. Can't we stay?" James whined as he looked up at his father with pleading eyes.
Harry just chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, James. It's time to go. Put up the game and let's head downstairs." He instructed. "Who was winning anyway?"
All the boys paused and stared at one another with wide eyes. "Uh... Lily." Teddy supplied when no one seemed able to think of anything to say. They hadn't even looked at what game they were supposed to be playing.
Draco frowned at the kids' odd behavior. "Really? Lily was beating all of you at Magical Trivial Pursuits Genius?"
"Yep!" Lily grinned, then lifted Belle toward Draco in explanation. "Belle was helping me." She was better at fibbing than the boys were.
"Is that so?" Draco smirked wryly then stroked a finger over Belle's head. "She must be really clever."
Lily just smiled widely and hummed. "Mhm."
Teddy, James, Albus, and Scorpius all traded meaningful looks as they put away the game without further mishap.
Downstairs in the floo room an unseen house-elf twitched one brick in the fireplace out of its slot and stashed it in a bread box in the kitchens.
"Alright." Harry sighed as he lifted Lily into his arms and prepared to floo home to Grimmauld Place. He couldn't help, but feel reluctant to leave, himself. "Say goodnight."
He stepped into the hearth with Lily on his hip and Albus at his side. He threw down a pinch of floo powder and called, "12 Grimmauld Place". A great flash of green flame went up and engulfed them. He shut his eyes out of habit, but that jolting rushing feeling never came.
Peaking his eyes open, he found himself still in the Malfoy floo.
"What happened?" He asked perplexed.
Draco scowled in confusion. "I don't know. The floo just didn't work."
Neither of them noticed the boys shooting victorious looks at one another.
Harry, Albus, and Lily stepped out of the floo. "Why didn't it work?"
"I don't know." Draco repeated. "It has always worked before." He pulled his wand out and shot a half a dozen diagnostic spells at the hearth.
Lowering his wand, he frowned. "The spells and enchantments seem to be working. I wonder what's wrong with it."
Scorpius and Albus grinned covertly at each other and James and Teddy smirked at a silently giggling Lily.
"Draco, dear, is there something the matter?" Narcissa asked, sticking her head into the floo room.
"The floo's broken." He answered bemusedly.
She jolted back in surprise. "It's what, dear?"
"Broken, Narcissa." Harry repeated sounding just as surprised. "It worked fine this morning, but just now it wouldn't send us home."
"Oh dear." She placed a hand at her mouth in shock. "Let's get your father."
Five minutes later, Lucius joined them in the floo room and cast every spell he knew at the fireplace to no avail. "This is unacceptable." He blustered coldly. "This is why we keep house-elves, so that things like this don't happen. Shotzy!" He bellowed for the house-elf who was specifically in charge of all of the Manor fireplaces.
The little elf popped into being directly in front of Lucius and shot a quick unseen glance a Scorpius. "Yes, Master Malfoy?" He squeaked, trying not to sound guilty.
"This floo is broken. Fix it." He snapped at the quivering creature. He may have mellowed in his old age, but he could still instill fear in every house-elf they owned.
"Oh! Yes, Master." Shotzy whimpered before quickly scrambled up into the fireplace and disappearing.
Scorpius shot a panicked look at Albus. He hadn't counted on his grandfather being there. It was unheard of for a house-elf to disobey him.
There was some banging, a loud rattle, an ear spilling squeal of surprise, and a small avalanche of soot before the house-elf reappeared, his once pristine pillowcase smudged with dirt.
"Shotzy is sorry, Master Malfoy." He squeaked apprehensively, flicking a quick glance at Scorpius's silently pleading face. "But the floo is being broken until the morning, sir." He cringed waiting for his punishment.
Narcissa, who'd been watching everything quietly from just behind her husband was the only one who saw the looks the elf had been giving her grandson and in turn, the looks the children had been giving each other.
If she didn't know any better, she'd think this whole thing was being engineered. She felt a small amused smile twist at her lips as she caught Scorpius flash a grateful look at Shotzy. Then again, maybe it was.
Lucius puffed up indignantly. "What do you mean it can't be fixed?" He snarled. Really, there was nothing that could try his patience as much as a house-elf; any house-elf.
Stepping forward, Narcissa placed a calming hand on her husband's arm. "Now, Lucius darling. There's really no reason to fuss. These things happen. I'm sure Shotzy will do his best to repair the floo as quickly as he can. The Manor is a very old house after all, and it's to be expected that things will need fixing every once in a while."
Shotzy almost wet himself with gratefulness while the children were busy shooting meaningful looks at each other. Harry and Draco didn't really know what to do.
"Now," Narcissa smiled mildly at everyone. "The Manor is large enough that everyone should be able to stay the night comfortably until the floo is in working order."
"Oh, that's alright." Harry stammered into action once again. "I can apparate everyone home. There's really no reason to go to all that trouble."
"Don't be dense, Harry." Draco huffed. "There are anti-apparation wards around the Manor. You can't apparate out, much less with four children attached to you."
Narcissa nodded and hummed in agreement. "Draco's quite right, dear. There are plenty of guest rooms for you and the children to stay in."
Lucius was busy studying his wife in puzzlement. He knew that look in her eyes. It meant she knew something no one else did. Life was about to become a lot more interesting, he could tell.
"You are not going to win against Narcissa and Draco together, Mister Potter." He drawled, catching a keen, pleased look from his wife. "It is better to admit defeat and suffer accordingly."
Narcissa chuckled and waved dismissively. "I hardly think there will be any suffering going on, darling."
In the end, Harry caved and agreed to spend the night at the Manor, much to the children's delight. Draco took it upon himself to lead the way out of the floo room and up to the third floor where all the sleeping quarters were located.
Neither him nor Harry saw the discreet high-fives the children exchanged, nor the handful of Chocoballs Scorpius secreted to Shotzy as he passed the elf on his way out of the room.
But Lucius and Narcissa did.
Up two stories, everyone was trying to decide where to sleep. Scorpius helpfully offered to share with Albus while Teddy and James volunteered to bunk together. Lily, of course claimed that as a young lady, like Miss Cissy says, she must be allowed her own room.
Harry rolled his eyes at that, thinking that it might not be such a good idea to let his daughter spend so much time with Narcissa after all. Draco just smirked in amusement.
"Then you shall have your own room, Miss Lily." He declared making her grin happily up at him.
They were just about to debate which room Harry should sleep in when Tipsy appeared with some rather unexpected news.
"Tipsy is sorry, Masters, Mistress," she curtsied warily, "but there is no more rooms available for Mister Harry Potter, sir."
Draco frowned in surprise. "Why ever not?"
Tipsy shifted nervously from one foot to the other, shooting a glance at Narcissa and Lucius who were looking on with varying degrees of amusement and curiosity. "Tipsy is sorry, Master, but Tipsy was not knowing that guests would be needing to sleep here, sir, and Tipsy was beginning to wax the floors."
Lucius raised an incredulous eyebrow at his wife only to be shushed discreetly and motioned to continue observing.
There was some disbelief and exclamations of frustration, but sure enough, after nearly all of the remaining guestrooms were checked, they found all the furniture covered in white drop-cloths and levitated above shiny, wet, freshly waxed floors.
"Well, Potter." Draco sighed after closing the door on yet another uninhabitable guestroom. "It seems like you're bunking with me."
"What?" Harry stuttered in surprise, feeling a sudden flip in his belly and a heating in his face.
"Don't worry about it." Draco waved him off casually. "My bed is big enough for five and I promise not to kick." Then he actually looked at Harry and raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
"Do you have a problem with sharing?" He asked, feeling rather petulant at the thought that Harry might indeed have a problem with sharing a bed with him.
"Oh! No!" Harry protested awkwardly. "It's just... It's been a while since I shared a bed with anyone." He said truthfully enough, but the real reason for his nervousness was not the prospect of sleeping next to someone after such a long while of sleeping alone, it was that he wasn't quite sure he liked how his body thrummed at the thought of sleeping next to Draco.
Draco's expression softened and he rested a reassuring hand on Harry's arm. "I understand, Harry." He murmured, then grinned. "Don't worry, I promise not to crowd you if you promise not to hog the covers."
That broke a chuckle out of him and he nodded in agreement. This wouldn't be so bad, he thought as they got the kids ready for bed. He just needed to not remember how he found Draco an inordinately beautiful, charming man and everything would be alright.
With the kids finally settled into the only two un-waxed guestrooms, Harry and Draco retreated into his room.
"Here," Draco said after he handed Harry a set of forest green silk pajamas. "You can borrow these and there should be a spare toothbrush in the bathroom."
Harry smiled in thanks and took the pajamas into the bathroom to get ready.
It was an enormously opulent bathroom, Harry had to say. All marble tile and dragon head faucets and a bathtub that could float a battle ship. The shower wasn't shabby either with water jets in the walls and a massive shower-head that hung from the ceiling to spray the water like rain. Harry wanted the whole bathroom for his own master bath.
He quickly changed into his borrowed pajamas and immediately appreciated the way the silk felt against his skin. Maybe he'd buy himself a pair next time he went shopping. Laughing quietly at that thought, he stepped up to one of the his and her sinks and unwrapped his brand new toothbrush.
As he brushed his teeth, he lectured himself on how the night was going to go. He was going to walk into the bedroom, crawl into that excessively huge bed, say goodnight and try not to think about Draco laying mere feet away from him. Sighing, he thought that was going to be harder than it sounded.
It was nothing new to him that Draco was attractive. He'd always been attractive, even as a pointy faced prat. He'd had a lean muscular body and impeccable appearance. Now, though, he'd grown into his features and filled out in a way that took him from attractive to beautiful.
Harry chuckled to himself slightly hysterically as he rinsed his mouth out. Since when had Draco Malfoy become beautiful to him?
Since you noticed how his eyes laughed when he found something funny. Since you began watching his fingers when they tucked stray locks of hair behind his ears. Since he became your friend. Since he treated your children as if they were his own.
He sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.
And it just got harder when he stepped out of the bathroom to the sight of Draco pulling his own gunmetal gray pajama pants up over his bottom, his torso still bare. His breath caught in his chest and he tried not to gasp.
Draco glanced over his shoulder and smiled absently at him, the muscles of his back shifting as he leaned over and snagged his pajama top off the bed.
"Find everything alright?" He asked, the thought of how good that shade of green looked on Harry flitting through his mind before he pushed it away and pulled on his top.
Clearing his throat, Harry stepped toward the other side of the bed. "Yeah, thanks. Your bathroom is amazing."
Draco grinned at him in satisfaction. "I know, isn't it? I had it remodeled after I kicked Astoria out. She had it fucking pink, for God's sake." He scrunched his nose in distaste and climbed under the covers.
Harry chuckled at the look on his face and climbed into bed on the other side. "Well, I wish my bathroom looked like that."
"It's too luxurious for you, Harry." Draco scoffed teasingly. "You wouldn't be able to appreciate the sheer amount of comfort it affords."
"Whatever, prat." Harry chuckled before turning on his side to face him. "Thanks for letting us stay, Draco."
Draco turned to face him as well and smiled at him in the dark. "No problem, Harry. You're all welcome to stay anytime you want. Besides," he shrugged and grinned, "I couldn't very well let the children sleep on the floor in the floo room for the night. You, though, that's debatable."
Snorting in mock indignation, Harry reached over and playfully pushed at Draco's shoulder. "Shut up, you. You're glad we stayed."
Draco chuckled and grasped Harry's hand before he pulled it away and squeezed it. "Yeah, I am." He admitted softly, a smile in his voice. "Goodnight, Harry."
Feeling his heart do a little loop in his chest, Harry squeezed Draco's hand in return before pulling away and murmuring, "Goodnight, Draco." He smiled, happy and relaxed before closing his eyes.
Down the hall, Lucius wrapped his arms around his wife as she rolled toward him in the dark and snuggled against his chest.
"Narcissa, why am I not punishing incompetent house-elves?" He asked rather blandly.
"Because, love, our grandson is plotting something." She answered, a smug smile in her voice.
"And how, my dear, have you come to this conclusion?" He inquired dryly.
"You can't tell me you didn't see the way the children were celebrating when the floo mysteriously broke, or how Scorpius bribed Shotzy." Narcissa stated incredulously.
"Yes," Lucius drawled sardonically. "My grandson, bribing house-elves to lie to me. I'm so very proud."
"Oh tosh!" She pinched his side in punishment. "The poor thing was just following along with what Scorpius told him to do. I assume Tipsy was one of the conspirators as well considering the floors aren't due to be waxed until next month."
"Mm. I noticed that as well." Lucius hummed. "And I suppose you've figured out what all this subterfuge is supposed to accomplish?" He asked, sounding reluctantly amused.
"Don't act like you haven't figured it out either." Narcissa scolded him lightly, but wrapped her arms around his chest and made herself more comfortable. "Really, I'm surprised Draco and Harry haven't picked up on it."
Lucius snorted. "Potter I can see not knowing deviousness when it's right under his nose, but Draco astonishes me. It's not like the children were being particularly subtle."
Narcissa hummed in delight and placed a light kiss to her husband's chest. "I think it's sweet."
"Sweet?" He scoffed in disgust. "It's sweet that our grandson is trying to make Draco fall in love with Potter? Yes," he sneered, "how very sweet."
Narcissa just rolled her eyes. "You know Draco hasn't been really happy for a long while, Lucius. I'd be overjoyed if a hippogriff made our son smile and laugh the way Harry does."
He just made vaguely agreeing noises in his throat and stared into the darkness.
"It is ironic," Lucius began after a time, "that they should dislike each other so ardently, fight against each other so viciously when they were children only to grow up, have children of their own and fall in love with one another."
"Hm, yes." Narcissa agreed, squeezing her husband lovingly. "It's very romantic."
Rolling his eyes, Lucius shifted until Narcissa had rolled over and he pressed against her back, one arm wrapped around her waist, spooning her closely. He nuzzled his nose into her sweet, flowery smelling hair and sighed. "You would think such a ridiculous thing was romantic, Narcissa."
She just chuckled and hugged his arm around her middle. "You think it's romantic too, my dear. Don't try to deny it."
He just grunted then kissed the side of her neck, drawling meaningfully, "Goodnight, Narcissa."
His wife just hummed contentedly and sighed. "Goodnight, my love."
Yes, Lucius decided. Life was going to become a lot more interesting.
TBC...