Ooh, I'm so late with this chapter! My apologies! Happy Reading~
Harry hung up his phone and turned back to watching Teddy float around on his toy broom. Orion was growing too fast so Ryder had offered to bring him back to the reservations in Romania since Viktor's first match would be there in one week's time.
It was lunch time and Harry didn't feel like cooking. He gestured for the boy to hover over to him and when he did, Harry asked if he wanted to go to the park later.
"We can grab a quick bite to eat at that sandwich shop you like on the way to the park. Would you like that?"
Teddy hopped off the broom and beamed. "Can we go get ice cream at Fortescue's?"
Harry shrugged, murmuring a "Why not?"
After Mr. Fortescue had been killed, Diagon Alley had gone without an ice cream parlour for quite some time. It wasn't until a couple years ago that an elderly couple bought the space and opened their own ice cream shop. In his memory, the new owners had kept the name of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. They were just as kind and warming as Harry remembered Mr. Fortescue to be. Although not the same as the original shop, their ice cream was still pretty good if Harry's refined sweet tooth was anything to go buy.
Harry chuckled softly as he walked down the street with Teddy's hand in his, remembering when Lucius found just how much sugar Harry could really pack away. It still amazed Harry as to how much sugar he consumed and he still stayed healthy. Narcissa claimed it was in his genes.
The top of Harry's long dark hair was tucked neatly under a simple black cap while the length of it flew gently in the breeze. They spent about five minutes walking and chatting idly before they reached the sandwich shop. Taking their orders, the two wizards set off to eat at a bench in the park.
As soon as Teddy took the last bite of his sandwich he rushed off to the swings with Harry's cry of 'Be Careful!' floating after him.
Harry leaned back against the bench and sighed. In just a few hours, Draco would be at his door step, demanding an explanation as to why Harry pushed him away the night previous. Harry was pulled out of his thoughts when Teddy came running over.
"Ice cream?" He grinned, bouncing up and down. Teddy panted lightly after running from across the park.
Harry laughed and nodded. "Yeah, you think you can handle walking a few more blocks to the Leaky Cauldron?"
Teddy nodded enthusiastically, grabbing Harry's hand when he held it out. Continuing their trek through London, Harry half listened as Teddy rambled on about what he was doing in class. By the time they reached the Leaky Cauldron, Teddy had become quiet, taking in the surroundings of the wizarding pub. They moved to the back of the pub and Harry tapped the bricks with his wand.
The pair entered the ice cream parlour with smiles on their faces. Harry greeted the elderly couple and hoisted Teddy up so he could see what flavors there were to choose from.
Teddy gripped onto his godfather's neck, careful not to pull at the loose blouse he was wearing in his disguise. Teddy pointed to the flavors he wanted and watched with wide eyes as the lady piled blackberry ice cream on top of vanilla with bits of crushed chocolate frogs into a paper cup. Harry let Teddy down and handed the cup and a spoon to the boy, ushering him over to a table in the corner.
He turned back to the lady and asked for a cone of the strawberry flavor with fudge streaking throughout the creamy substance. Harry thanked the woman and dropped the galleons in to her palm with a bright smile.
As they ate their cool treats, Harry asked what Teddy would think if Harry stopped hiding, if he stopped looking like he did at the moment. Teddy didn't know what to think. Most of his life was spent with Harry in disguise, save for that first half year after his grandmother died but he didn't remember much of that. He surprised his godfather by simply saying if Harry was happy, then it didn't matter much to Teddy. He didn't have many friends at school, especially now that he knocked out the most popular kid in his class.
Harry smiled, thanking Teddy for his consideration. He popped the last bite of the cone into his mouth and wiped at his mouth with a napkin, waiting for Teddy to finish his dessert. Teddy finished with a smack of his lips and a large grin. They spent the rest of the day walking around Diagon Alley. Harry bought Teddy a book from Flourish & Blotts.
It was nearly time for Draco to be leaving work so Harry led Teddy to a secluded area behind one of the shops and apparated them back to 12 Grimmauld Place. He quickly changed into a t-shirt and jeans, dropping the charm. He figured it'd be best to show Draco rather than explain everything.
Draco took off his work robes and set them on the hook by his desk. He really didn't understand why the potion brewers had to wear the same color as the Healers in St. Mungo's. What if a patient wandered down to their area and mistook them for Healers? Draco sighed, brushing a hand through his hair lightly. He waved goodbye to a few of his co-workers, ignoring the ones that looked on disapprovingly.
"Hey, Malfoy. Wanna go out for drinks? That botched batch of Skele-Gro took a lot out of our team. Poor Timmy is still cleaning the gunk out of his hair." A sweet voice sounded behind him as he locked up his desk and pulled on his warm cloak.
Draco turned around and looked at his former schoolmate. Ginny had residual char smeared across her forehead from the explosion just a couple hours back. Thanks to the quick clean up, there was no lingering smell of the dreadful tasting potion.
The blond shook his head at the woman and walked with her to the exit of the wizarding hospital. "I have to meet someone right after work."
Ginny smiled. "A special someone?"
Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Aw, come on. I may not know you very well, but you've been all spacey all day! So either someone died or you're thinking about someone special," her grin widened.
The man glared at her. "Not that it's any of your business, but yeah. I'm meeting 'someone special' as you put it." He opened the door of the hospital, breathing in a rush of frigid air.
Ginny laughed and waved at him. "Alright then. Have fun on your date, Malfoy!" She turned away and continued walking down the street with three other members of their brewing team.
The Malfoy heir sighed and apparated as close to the address as he could. He looked around and found he was standing in an alley. He stepped out below a street lamp and spotted a sign that told him he was on Grimmauld Place. He crossed the street, pulling the coat tighter around himself and looked at the numbers on the houses.
Walking down the short street, Draco passed houses 10 to 17. He frowned and tried to remember the address that was given to him the night before. He couldn't keep the slip of paper because it promptly incinerated when he read the address aloud to himself. Number 12 Grimmauld Place. I should have seen it. He walked back to the beginning of the street and carefully watched the numbers as he passed by. Ten, eleven, thirteen, four-. The man stopped in his tracks, turned back and marched over to the space between house 11 and 13.
"Number 12 Grimmauld Place," he muttered to himself, thinking perhaps he remembered the address wrong but a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.
Turning back to fully face the house, molten silver eyes widened as the space between the two houses seemed to stretch, making room for another. The small stoop popped out first, closely followed by the full length of the house, complete with the dark blue door.
"A Fidelius Charm," he whispered into the wind. A pale fist knocked on the blue paint, creating a sharp thump that resounded through the house. He stepped back and waited until the door hesitantly cracked open to reveal ruffled black hair and bright silver eyes.
Harry looked at the clock shining back at him atop the Muggle stove. He was boiling water for the tea that he would take out when Draco graced his home with his presence. A knock sounded through the house just as the kettle started to whistle. He took the metal pot off the fire and poured it into the teapot. Harry called out to Teddy, asking him to answer the door as he placed two sets of cups and the teapot onto a sturdy tray. He pulled set out a saucer of sugar cubes even though he would be the only one that would need it.
Harry grasped the tray and moved into the drawing room as he heard Teddy scurry back off to his room.
Draco greeted the small boy grinning at him. The boy led him into the drawing room and left without another word. After a short moment, Draco realized that boy was Teddy. Mother mentioned something about a Metamorphmagus. Explains why he looked so different. The blond settled into a plush looking chair to his right after draping his coat over the back. He heard dishes clinking in the other room and took his time to view the few photos along the mantle. Most were wizard photos with the exception of seven the hung on the wall to his left. From what he could see, all seven were of girls.
The furthest to the left was of beautiful blonde woman that looked suspiciously like a young Narcissa. The next had short red hair with streaks of black, followed by three brunettes of varying lengths and shades. The next two following the brunettes were red headed, both with long flowing hair that cascaded over pale shoulders. One woman had narrow eyes with a sharp nose and the other looked much softer. She had large eyes and a bright smile. The last photo was of Lily Black. The long black hair and bright green eyes was unmistakable, especially the pierced right ear that was revealed as the dark mane was posed on her left shoulder.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Draco could see the pale glint of earrings in each of the photos. The blond woman had one piercing, the second had two, and so on.
The sound of a door sliding close brought his gaze to his front. He raised his head to meet the bright green eyes of Harry Potter.
Harry opened his mouth to greet the man before him but the roaring of the fireplace interrupted him.
Ryder stumbled through the floo, shooting a smile at Harry. "I'll see you in six months and bring back those chocolate you love so much. Bye, Sneak." He reached up and brushed each cheek with a kiss and dropped a pair of keys onto the tray Harry was holding. The man turned away from the brunet, finally noticing the presence of Draco.
He looked between the two wizards, eyes growing wide. "Oh. Oh. Happy snogging." He teased, ruffling Harry's already messy hair and disappearing in green flames before Harry had a chance to protest.
Harry set the tray on the coffee table and sat at the opposite end of the couch, facing the chair Draco was sitting in. He pulled his bare feet up onto the cushions, rested his chin on his knees and blew a puff of air at the bangs that fell into his face when Ryder touched him.
"I never meant to lie to you. I just wanted us to be friends. I suppose it was selfish of me to want to be your friend when you had no idea who I was," Harry began in a quiet, meek voice. He hugged his legs closer to his body."I'm not sorry, though. If I hadn't lied, I wouldn't have been able to get to know you so well and vice versa. I swear the only thing I lied about was my name," he sighed, the entire time he spoke, he was staring at the corner of the window pane just above Draco's head.
Harry finally looked up to gauge his reaction. Draco was staring blankly at him. There was no surprise or anger Harry thought he'd see. Harry stared back and after a brief moment of realization, he took in a shaky breath.
Draco kept his eyes on the wizard. He suppressed a flinch when the pain flashed across those green eyes he had come to adore.
"You knew," Harry hissed dangerously low.
Draco didn't respond, opting to stare intently at the leg of the coffee table. He was surprised at how quickly Harry could switch from explanatory to scathing so quickly.
"You kn-Whe-How?" He choked.
Draco looked up, looking into eyes that burned with anger and pain and a hint of confusion. He could deal with an angry Harry Potter, just not one that looked so hurt. If anyone, Draco should be the one that's hurt for being lied to. He brushed it aside for now, trying to figure out why the other man would feel like that.
"Mother," he breathed out. "I had a feeling that time I picked up Teddy from school so I asked her. I honestly never thought you had done that much for my family."
Harry ignored the last statement, anger and betrayal burning in his chest. "When?" His hands gripped his knees painfully, nails digging into the dark denim.
"The day I kissed you," he whispered.
The emotions seemed to cause Harry to implode. He shot up, turning away from the blond. His hands balled into tight fists at his sides, Harry whipped around, gritting his teeth.
The pure fury in his eyes seemed to take Draco by surprise. He stood up, taking a cautious step towards Harry.
"Is that why you did it? Is this some fucking ploy to humiliate me? Get me to fucking fall for you? I am never going to let that happen, Malfoy." He spat, turning on his heel and apparating out of his own house.
Oh. That's why he's so mad. Draco thought lamely. He looked at the doorway as he heard movement against the hard wood floor of the hallway.
Teddy came around the corner, fear in his eyes. He had never heard his godfather so angry before. "Uhm, Mr. Malfoy? Where did Harry go?"
Draco sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. Is there somewhere I can take you? There's no one else here and I don't want to leave you here by yourself."
The boy nodded and grabbed a photo from the bookshelf. He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to the tall blond. "For emergencies, Harry said."
Draco took the slip of paper, raising his eyebrows. It read Malfoy Manor. He nodded taking the boy's hand and pulled them to the fireplace, shouting the name of his home. The two stepped out and were greeted by the slightly muffled surprised voice of Narcissa. "You weren't expecting anyone, were you Lucius?" She stepped into the parlour and frowned. "Draco? What's going on?"
"Harry ran off. You're his emergency contact for his godson."
"Harry ra-Oh. O-oh dear." She covered her mouth with a dainty hand, eyes wide.
"Do you have any idea where he might be?"
"At this point, Draco, I'm afraid you know him better than anyone else." She sighed and turned away, leaving Draco to his own devices. She took Teddy's hand and led the frightened child out of the parlour.
Draco sighed, walking off the grounds before apparating to Ginny Weasley's flat, which was a dead end. He then remembered the man, Ryder, lived above Harry's bookstore. He knew it was a stretch but Harry might be there. Ryder had mentioned he was going to be out of town for a while.
He apparated to the apparition point before sprinting over to the bookstore he had come accustomed to. Draco tried the front door, casting an Alohamora, and slipping inside. As he had hoped, none of the workings of the shop seemed to be on since the store was not opened to customers. Luckily for him, even the entrance bell was disabled. Quickly rushing behind the counter, the blond quietly ascended the steep steps. He stepped into the plainly decorated living room, and spotted the brunet sitting on a chair facing a blank wall. Draco moved closer and saw that Harry had a hand covering his mouth, elbow resting on the leather bound arm rest.
"Go away," the defeated voice sounded, muffled slightly by the hand.
Draco said nothing, moving to kneel in front of the man. He reached up hesitantly, grabbing a hold of the trembling appendage. He held it in both hands, gently lowering it to the brunet's lap.
"Please go away."
Draco finally looked up at his face, tightening his hold on the other man's hand. Harry's lip was bleeding profusely, most likely from the man continuously biting too hard in his anger. His eyes were dark and glazed over with tears tempted to spill over at the slightest touch. Draco pulled Harry up, wrapped his arms around the thin frame. He turned on his heel, forcefully apparating them back into 12 Grimmauld Place.
By the time Draco let go of Harry, tears were flowing out of Harry's tightly shut eyes. Draco leaned down and captured the bloody lips between his. He carefully coaxed Harry's bottom lip from punishing teeth and swiped the tip of his tongue lightly across the blood, tasting the coppery liquid along side saliva that belonged entirely to the man he wrapped his arms around. A large hand splayed across Harry's lower back and the other reached up, gently tangling his long, pale fingers in the dark hair. Draco heard the wizard whimper softly as his robes were clutched tightly in Harry's grip.
Draco pulled away slightly, resting his forehead against Harry's waiting patiently for those brilliant green eyes to open once again.
"W-why?" Harry said, barely a whisper that if Draco had not been so close to feel his breath, he might not have known Harry said anything at all. His eyes were still closed, but thankfully the tears had stopped.
Draco lifted his hand from Harry's back and wiped the salty drops away. "Because I'm falling for you just as hard as you are for me." Yes. The beautiful clover green eyes had snapped open.
Harry let out a chocked gasp. He shook his head releasing Draco's robes and trying in vain to push him away.
Draco held tight, not willing to let this man escape when he had just got him back. "Potter. I can promise you that I never intended to hurt you. Could we try," he paused, taking in a deep breath. "Could we try being together? Like this? Without you trying to hide everything from everyone?"
Harry sighed, resting his head on the other man's collarbone. "If this is real, if you really want just me, then yes, I suppose we could. I told your father I'd come out of hiding if there was something worth the trouble. You had better be worth it, Draco Lucius Malfoy." He finished, whispering the last bit against lips that had caressed his just moments before.
Draco let a smile grace his lips, pressing them lightly against Harry's. "Malfoys are always worth it. You had better not run from me again, Harry James Potter."
Harry nodded, sliding his hands up firm shoulders and resting them at the nape of the blond's neck. He played idly with the soft hairs, swiping his tongue against his still bloody lips. Perhaps Draco Malfoy will be worth it after all.
