NEXT PART! I'm so happy with the developments of this story! I can't believe we're at chapter 10 already. It's a nice long one, and I hope you will enjoy. Thanks yet again to those reviewing, favoriting and following. You are the ones that have made this story possible!
Enjoy ^_^
Chapter 10
Christmas Eve
Harry descended the stairs in his boxers, hardly aware of his surroundings. He walked through the living room, intending to make his way to the kitchen, but halted when he noticed Malfoy. He was decorating the Christmastree, where ten presents in different wrappings were lying.
"What are you-?" Harry asked, but then smashed himself against the forehead. "I knew I had forgotten something!" Harry shook his head and walked into the kitchen.
"You can't have Christmas without a Christmas tree, Potter. How can you forget about that?"
"I was busy picking out presents. I had no clue what to buy. And I just forgot about the tree." He scratched his back, looking around to find something to eat.
"Clearly. So, what's in my present?" Malfoy sat down on the oposite side, a smirk plastered on his face. He accioed the eggs, baking on the stove and some toast from the cupboard. Harry's mouth was already getting watery.
"Not going to tell you. Yours was the most difficult. I got Hagrid a new puppy, since Fang is getting old and I really don't want him to be alone again. I bought Molly a bag of yarn in Spindlewarp's Wool Shop, so she can start knitting her new set of Christmas Sweaters for next year. There 's wool that lights up in the dark, and even some yarn that changes colour. I picked out an old-school Muggle radio for Arthur, you know he's so obsessive about Muggle stuff. And you know what we got your mom, since we picked it out together. I really can't wait to see them all. We have dinner with your mom at noon and then we're attending the party at Hogwarts, right? And the Weasley's expect us at eight pm?"
"Yes, that's correct. And Christmas Day is just for the two of us." Harry bit his lip in reply. He could only fantasize about what they would do tomorrow. Spending it with Malfoy was very exciting. Last Christmas had been so lonely. Frankly, the day had gone by with Harry not even knowing it had been Christmas. Everything had changed now, and he couldn't help but glance to the living room, where a nicely decorated tree was sat.
"It's going to be so weird to see them all again. I'm actually nervous." Malfoy was filling their cups with tea, then threw some toast in Harry's direction.
"Don't be. Their your friends. What should you be nervous for?" Malfoy replied, while putting a pile of eggs on Harry's plate. Harry shrugged in reply. His morning brain was still too tired to take it all in and he observed the blonde, a grin around the corner of his mouth.
"What are you smiling at?" Malfoy asked. One blonde eyebrow shot up as he looked at the Gryffindor questioningly.
"Nothing. It's just,... You're beautiful." Malfoy's cheeks turned into a soft shade of pink and Harry started eating. That man was too gorgeous.
Draco grabbed the toast to go with the eggs, still looking at Potter. The man was busy with his breakfast, being the adorable, goofy idiot he always was. He brought the eggs to his mouth with his fork, halfway the eggs fell off and then Potter sat there, with his mouth wide open, looking at the fallen eggs with this surprised look on his face that nearly made Draco giggle.
He couldn't wait for Potter to open his Christmas present.
"Let's get ready. Mother wouldn't like us to be late. Besides, if we want to stay at the Weasleys for some time we shouldn't arrive too late. I don't want to spend the entire night there," Draco said, after empting his plate. Potter was still eating, and it surprised Draco that the man didn't have obesity yet. He could eat like a horse.
"Why not? It's Christmas. You can stay up late," Potter babbled with a mouthfull. There was some egg on his chin, but it was too funny to point it out.
"Late, yes. But not all night. I want us to be sprightly tomorrow," Draco looked at his boyfriend with a mysterious smile, and instantly got the wanted reaction.
"Malfoy, stop teasing me! You'll have to wait until tomorrow for your present as well, smartguy."
"Not funny," Draco pouted. He waited for the Hero to finish breakfast before cleaning up the table. He really couldn't wait to get this day started. He looked forward to being in public again, and would be proud to say Potter was his boyfriend. He just wanted to see the Weasleys' faces. They would be golden.
Draco sat back and smiled, looking around the living room satisfiedly. Potter and his mother were sitting next to each other on the sofa, a large Christmastree was standing next to the crackling fireplace, engulfing them in warmth. He would never have guessed that in only one year so much could change.
His father had died, he'd almost lost his mother, he'd been on the run for the Aurors, had gotten Potter's attention and lost it again and now - everything was finally falling in place.
"The first time I saw you, Harry Potter, I couldn't believe how tiny you were. Even though I knew you were only eleven, and even though I raised Draco who'd always been your age, I genuinely thought you would have been taller." Narcissa was having a conversation with Potter. To be honest, those two were inseparable. They kept talking and talking. Occasionally, Draco joined in on the conversation, but right now, he preferred to listen.
"You saw me when I was eleven?" Potter asked dumbfounded. Draco still remembered the way Potter had burst through the gate at Perron 9 3/4 . It was impossible not to see him. Even though he'd been very casual, with his black hair and his small figure, Draco had immediately seen there was something different about him. Part of it was because his father had pointed out that he was the Boy Who Lived, but still there was something.
"Of course I saw you. Lucius knew you would attend Hogwarts as well, and he immediately felt your presence. It must have had something to do with He Who Must Not Be Named." Narcissa carefully avoided Voldemort's name, and Draco was grateful for that. The last thing he needed was for Potter to have another attack. He looked at the raven-haired man, watching how his delicate red lips formed his reply.
"Yeah, we were connected. I didn't know that then, I only found out in my fifth year. When Voldemort tried to kill me, he actually killed the horcrux inside of me. That's how I was able to defeat him."
"Curious," Narcissa replied, a small smile appearing on her beautiful face. Draco just kept sitting there, listening to his two loved ones, feeling more comfortable than he'd ever done in years.
"Malfoy are you okay? You've been so silent," Potter noticed. He stood up and came sitting next to Draco. He immediately was welcomed by the delicious scent of Potter's fragrance.
"I'm listening," he replied, bending over to pick up his cup of tea. "Do you want some more tea, Potter?" Their knees were touching, a thrilling wave making its way up his leg.
"No, I've had enough. I'm all stuffed up. Besides, we still need to be able to eat at Hogwarts. And I have this feeling that Molly won't let us leave before we tried everything she made. The food was delicious, Narcissa. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. Don't forget to unwrap the presents. What time do you leave?"
"We'll leave at four o'clock. That'll be in time, right Potter?" Draco replied. He put his empty cup of tea down again, and sent the three cups to the kitchen with a swing of his wand.
"Yeah, I think so." Their eyes met, and instantly Draco felt captured in the moment. He automatically bent over to Potter, their lips touching. "I love you."
"I love you too, Malfoy."
"You two are just adorable," Narcissa smiled. Draco tried to glare at her because of her comment, but a large grin appeared on his face instead. She accioed the presents, placing them on two piles. There were two boxes for Potter, and one for Draco.
"Let's get started, shall we?" He took the first box and neatly opened the wrapping, while Potter was tearing the paper up. He looked at Potter as he revealed a Magical Drawing Kit. The small box contained a set of pencils, resizable erasers, potion veils and a book on 'How To Magically Devellop Your Pictures' in which the different techniques were mentioned, as well as how to add special effects. Potter's eyes were as big as saucers, and he looked from Narcissa to the present.
"It's... It's... Thank you so much!" The happiness radiated off the man. Draco caught himself smiling again, and quickly returened to his own present. It was a resizable Cauldron.
"Oh, thanks mother. It's going to be so useful. I've always wanted to buy one myself, but they're so expensive." Narcissa just smiled at the two men, who were both captivated by their presents. "You should open yours too," Draco noted. He got up form the sofa to hand over the envelop to his mother, giving her two kisses on each cheek. "Merry Christmas, mother."
"Merry Christmas, Draco." Potter got up as well, hesitating at first, but then leaned over to Narcissa, placing a kiss on her cheek.
"Merry Christmas, Narcissa." That bloody Gryffindor was too adorable for his own good.
"Merry Christmas, Harry. I'm so happy you're here today." She started reading the voucher that was inside. "Congratulations, you are the owner of a McHavelock's Wizarding Headgear voucher, valued at 15 Galleons. Visit us at either High Street, Hogsmeade or Knockturn Alley, Diagon Alley to feast your eyes on our large assortment." As Narcissa read the words out loud, a smile crossed her features. "Thank you very much, sweethearts! You really shouldn't have." She put the voucher back in the enveloppe before placing it on the coffee table. She then hugged the two men together, before sitting back down. Draco took his seat again, and Potter plopped down next to him. The git needed to stop being so damn sexy, or he would ravish him right here, right now.
"You have yet another box to open," Narcissa noted politely. Draco's eyes shot up, stopping his mind from thinking about Potter in every possible way. The second box was a lot smaller, and even though it was placed in front of Potter, Draco could read both of their names on it.
"You can open it," he gestured to the Hero sitting next to him. Potter put aside his kit, looking like a four-year-old who had just gotten a large bag of sweets. Draco figured it had been some time since Potter had last shared presents with someone. The former Gryffindor took the small box, shredding the wrapping. It was a black jewlerybox, with signs resembling Runes on top of it. Potter clapped it open, revealing two silver rings. They had the same Rune signs carved into them.
"They're magical rings," Narcissa explained, but Draco already knew that. He had once read about them. "You're supposed to give them to the one you love, and both wear them. When one of the couple is in danger, the ring on the other's finger will start to burn."
"Does it really work?" Potter asked. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Of course, you moron." What a dumb question was that? Who would buy something that doesn't work?
"Well, in the Muggle world they often rip you off. They sell a lot of fakes," Potter explained, observing the pair of rings in his hands.
"Wizards can't be ripped off, Potter! They're wizards. If they don't like it, they transfigure it or whatever. You can make those rings yourself, but there are some very difficult spells. You have to know runes as well, and only use one hundred percent silver rings."
"Really?" Sometimes, Draco was still surprised about how little Potter actually knew.
"Put them on," Narcissa urged. Draco took one of the rings between his thumb and index finger. He took Potter's right hand and slid the ring over his middle finger. The touch of Potter's fingers felt very intimate.
"There you go."
"Shouldn't it go on the ring finger?"
"No. The middle finger signifies Gay Pride. Besides, it fits on your middle one." Draco just said the last part to make Potter shut up. He could as well have modified the size with his wand, but he just wanted Potter to wear it on his middle finger. Potter took the other one and gestured to Draco to give his hand. Potter's hand felt warm on his. When the man put the ring on, Draco could feel the magic make its way through his hand, straight to his chest. They were connected now.
"Come here," Draco whispered. Green eyes locked with his, and Potter's red lips slowly came closer. At the last second, he closed his eyelids, his beautiful dark eyelashes nearly touching glasses. His mouth still tasted like the camomille tea his mother had made for them, and Draco greedily licked his tongue. Butterflies were rushing through his stomach, descending to his abdomen.
He pushed Potter over against the back of the couch, taking his position on Potter's lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around the man, nails scratching his muscular back. Potter's fingers brushed through Draco's hair, and the blonde just wanted the man to touch him everywhere. His arousal was clearly visible in the tight cream coloured pants he was wearing. They broke the kiss, both breathing heavily. Draco looked at Potter. His emerald eyes were fixated on him, not able to look anywhere else but at his lover.
When Draco glanced down, he could see Potter's erection pressing againt the fabric of his jeans, and smiled. He leaned over to the Survivor's ear, whispering:"I want you so badly, right now." The raven haired man swallowed deeply, eyes filling with lust instantly.
Neither of them had seen Narcissa get up from the couch. Nor had they seen her smile at the duo, politely leaving the room to give them their space.
"Come on, we're late, Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed, rushing through the Entrance Gate. They had apparated on Hogsmeade, but it was quite a walk to finally reach the castle. It was nearly five o'clock, and Harry really didn't want to be late. Why had Malfoy kept them so busy at the Manor? Merlin. He had no manners.
"Relax, we still have time. The party will wait. Guests of Honor always are late in a classy way.
"Classy, my ass you horny ferret. You could've waited until tonight." Harry scolded, glaring at the blonde who was trying to keep up with him.
"As a matter of fact, four eyes, I couldn't. You enjoyed it as much as I did."
"Now shush," Harry reprimaned, before opening the door to the Great Hall. The Housetables were moved aside, and one table was standing in the middle of the room. There were about ten students and a few teachers, sitting co-mingled.
"And for the record. I'm just warming up for tonight," Malfoy whispered. Harry could curse him. McGonnagal instantly stood up to welcom them.
"Oh, Harry, please take your seat. Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall greeted. She had replaced her black hat for a party hat that probably had been offered to her by one of the students. Harry couldn't help but remenice to that time he'd spent Christmas alone at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had been telling jokes all night, and McGonagall had replaced her hat as well that time. This place had always been his home. Until he lost his friends.
"Sorry for being late. We had another party to attend." McGonnagal pointed their seats
"Don't worry, Harry. We are glad you could make it." Harry sat down in a free spot, making room for Malfoy next to him. Hagrid was sitting in front of him, occupying space for three students at least.
"Hi, Harry," Hagrid greeted. He could see Hagrid already had drunk a couple of Firewhisky's as his cheeks were very red behind his dark brown beard. Grey strands were starting to spread, and Harry smiled at the man.
"Hi, Hagrid. I'm glad to see you. Did you get your present?" The half-giant heaved his glass, emptying the content in one draught.
"I did. Yeh shouldn't have done that, Harry. I decided to call him Angus." Harry shook his head, but was glad Hagrid liked the puppy.
"It's a girl, actually," Harry noted. He couldn't help but smile at Hagrid's weird choice of names. It was good to be here.
"I didn't know that. It's Angus now. Fang is already verry fond of him. Did yeh get my present yet? I included one for the young Malfoy as well." He pointed to Malfoy when he spoke, and Harry could see how Malfoy politely smiled at him. He presumable didn't know how to act around him, since he had always hated Hagrid during Hogwarts.
"No, we haven't been home all day. But we'll unpack them tomorrow." Harry slipped his hand underneath the table, to touch Malfoy's leg, squeezing it softly. He didn't want the man to feel uncomfortable and, the gesture was meant to soothe the former Slytherin. Their eyes met, and the corner of Malfoy's mouth lifted into a crooked grin.
"Thank you Hagrid. We really appreciate it," Malfoy responded.
"No probem, Malfoy," Hagrid waved. In his gesture he nearly knocked the student sitting next to him off the bench, but helped the first-year up just in time. "Yeh should stop by for tea when the classes start again, Harry. I would love to talk about this thing with Malfoy over here. Instantly, Harry turned as red as a beetroot.
"Hagrid. It's... fine..." Harry glanced over to Malfoy, unsure what to say.
"Don't talk about it here, Harry. We'll talk privately, in my hut." Hagrid talked so loud that the entire table could very well have heard it, but Harry decided not to mention it.
"I will." As if to save them from the weird conversation, food appeared on the plates. There was bacon and steak, lamb chops, pork chops, sausages, roast chicken, beef casserole, tripe and raost beef. The houseelves clearly had outdone themselves, and Harry started filling his plate with renewed energy. "Malfoy, could I have the chips please?"
"Of course, love," Malfoy replied. Harry blushed at the mention of the nickname, but took the chips nevertheless. "Could you pass me the baked potatoes, Potter?"
"Sure," Harry breathed, handing him over the potatoes. Draco's slender fingers brushed past his hand as he handed over the bowl of potatoes. Harry nearly flinched. He could feel the eyes of the neighbouring students on him, as they looked from Malfoy to their Arts teacher. Why did Malfoy have to do that? Who said he was ready for this?
"So, Harry, how are the arts classes going?" McGonnagal asked. She was sitting to seats away from Hagrid. She had this knowing look in her eyes while she observed the duo, resembling Dumbledore an awful lot.
"Really good, actually. The students are really enthusiastic. I think it's good for them to have a little break while still using their magic and skills."
"When Mr. Malfoy informed me about it, I immediately thought it was a great idea. They're all children and it's good for us to be open to changes. Oh, thank you for the chocolates, they are delicious."
"You're welcome."
"No problem, Professor McGonnagal," Malfoy replied.
"Oh, do call me Minerva. I'm not your professor anymore, Mr. Malfoy."
"Well, you can call me Draco, then," Malfoy replied. McGonnagal smiled in reply, the wrinkels near her eyes deepening. Harry felt proud as two of the people he cared about were having a civil conversation and started to get along.
"Enjoy your meals. You can stay as long as you want, but I assume the Weasleys are expecting you?"
"That's right. Thanks for having us, Minerva," Harry replied. Both men went back to their dishes.
"So, when are we going to be on first name basis?" Malfoy asked. Harry quircked an eyebrow.
"I don't know.I always called you Malfoy. It's like a habbit now." Harry brought some fries to his mouth. When finishing chewing he said: "You have a beautiful name though. It's a shame not to use it." Malfoy quircked an eyebrow, adn then smiled at him in surprise.
"Is that so? You can call me Draco if you like. It'd be an honour." The man cut off a tiny piece of a baked potatoe and put it in his delicate mouth.
"Then you can call me Harry."
"Great. Now mother won't have to come complaining that I always call you Potter. She kept asking me why over and over again until I nearly went nuts." He cut up his sausage as well, but didn't eat it just yet.
"She never mentioned it to me." Harry cut up his roast chicken while talking.
"Well, she always assumed you were the polite one, calling me by my last name because I always called you by your last name."
"She's right, I guess. You started this whole thing." Harry took garlicsauce to go with the chicken and then looked at Malfoy, who getting angry.
"Are you going to start a fight about this? Saint Potter! Look at you, trying to be the good guy. You hated me as much as I hated you. In fact, I tried being friends with you. You bluntly rejected me," Malfoy snapped, looking at him with furious grey eyes.
"You insulted my friend!" Harry retorted. Both men were talking loud, oblivious to the other people sitting around the table.
"You only just met him in the train. He couldn't possibly be your friend. Besides, his clothes were second hand and old. You can't deny that."
"That's not a reason for you to make fun of him. Besides, all you had to do was apologize for what you said. You dealt your own cards, Malfoy."
"So we're back to Malfoying me again?" Malfoy pulled a face, shoving his baked potatoes around in his plate.
"No. I - er... It's a habit. Sorry." Malfoy's hand massaged Harry's leg, and the Hero immediately looked back at his food. He felt a blush kreeping up his face, as Malfoy's hand made its way up. His fingers massaged his inner thigh, coming awfully close to his crotch.
"Stop it, Malfoy. You already had your way,"Harry whispered.
"Stop what?" the man asked, pretending to be innoscent. "I can' t get enough of you, Potter."
"You're Pottering me, Draco." Harry said. It was weird how fluently the name came off his lips, and Harry liked the sound of it. Draco.
"I'm sorry, Harry, love. I'll pay attention to it," Malfoy teased. Harry rolled his eyes.
"You're unbelievable." Harry continued eating his the roast chicken. He looked around the table satisfiedly, feeling completely at ease. It was curious, but he had never imagined himself being here. Being with Malfoy. Just as the thought settled in his head, he felt Malfoy nudge.
"Harry, look." Harry quircked an eyebrow, because the blonde had reminded to use his first name. He looked at Malfoy's hand, pointing above their heads. A beautiful mistletoe was blooming, growing larger and larger around them.
"Well," Harry swallowed. Hagrid and McGonnagal were looking at them with anticipation and one of the students exclaimed: "Look, it's a mistletoe. Kiss!"
"Can't we just ignore it?" Harry whispered to Malfoy. The blonde shook his head.
"Until you want to be trapped until New Years, I suggest you just kiss me."
"It's just superstision, Malfoy. Nobody actually believes that, right?" Harry was getting nervous because of the staring and just wished he could evaporate into thin air right now.
"It's magic, Potter. Just kiss me, you moron. What are you afraid of?" Malfoy already leaned in, but Harry backed away alarmedly.
"All those people are watching. They're my colleagues. My students."
"Let them watch. Just come here," Malfoy took a hold of Harry's shoulder firmly, the minute his lips touched Harry's, the former Gryffindor forgot about his surroundings. All that mattered was the way their lips fit together perfectly, the way Malfoy tasted in his mouth. Harry felt the need to scoot closer to the blonde, resting his hand on the man's shoulder. Malfoy's hand was on his leg, squeezing it softly before breaking their embrace.
Harry looked up. The misteltoe was flowering beautifully and then started to fade. Harry had a goofy smile on his lips, which were still tingling from the kiss. He then looked up to Hagrid, sitting in front of him. He had a smile on his face, and just kept observing the duo.
"I don't think there will be a lot to talk about over tea," Hagrid noted. Harry turned red again, but he just nodded.
"No, I don't think there will." He looked back at Malfoy, who was flashing a white row of teeth. "It speaks for itself." He returned Malfoy's smile, and shook his head. What had he been afraid of? That his friends wouldn't accept his relationship with Malfoy? They were all grown ups, and even if they didn't agree with it, Harry knew he wouldn't give up Malfoy for anyone.
He would never let the gorgeous blonde go.
When they arrived at the Burrow, Draco was already feeling tired. Perhaps he was partly scared to face the people Potter cared about, but it was getting late as well and he wanted to go home with the raven-haired man.
"Oh, come in, Harry dear, Draco, come in, come in," Mrs Weasley welcomed them with open arms.
"Sorry we're late. We just left Hogwarts," Harry explained.
"Oh, don't worry, love. You're right on time. Come in, we just started the main dish. Sit down, sit down, I'll fetch you something to drink." Mrs. Weasley spoke. Draco could see a dark blush on Potter's neck, and knew the Griffyndor must be as nervous as he was feeling right now. She pointed them two seats at a long table under a tent in the garden. Even though it was rather cold outside, the tent had the room temperature. There were eight people seated around the table. Ginny was talking to Fleur Delacour, who had lost her husband during the war. Charlie asked Angelina to give him the stew. Arthur looked up at their arrival, getting up to greet Potter.
"Harry, my boy. It's been too long since we last saw each other. How are you doing?" Mr. Weasley looked a lot older since he lost three sons, but Draco admired him for his courage. He knew Mr. Weasley must be reminded of his youngest son by seeing Potter, but you couldn't tell it from his face. His jovial gestures made you feel at home instantly.
"I'm great, Mr. Weasley. Thanks for having us." Draco sniggered at Potters comment. It was adorable how he said 'us' instead of me.
"No problem. You are always welcome here. We wanted to give you some time. It's been hard times. But we're getting there." There was a short flash of sadness in the balding man' eyes.
"It's Christmas, Arthur. There's no need to talk about that right now. Please take your seats. I'll get you some starters."
"Please, Mrs. Weasley, don't. We already had our share of food. We'll just have some main course, if that's okay," Harry quickly brought in. Draco couldn't deal with another plate of food. Seriously, Christmasses were never good for his diet.
"But I saved you two some. Oh, and Harry, pleas call me Molly. You make it all sound so formal." The chubby woman made her way inside and returned with the starters, much to Potter's and Draco's displease. The Hero was probably too polite to refuse and since they had already eaten for three days, it was practically impossible to get down the amount of food Mrs. Weasley was presenting them.
Draco looked around the table. These were people Draco had never talked to before, or people he used to call names. Since George was sitting next to Angelina, he assumed they were a couple. They were cute together, and when Draco looked closer, he noticed Johnson was pregnant.
"Hey, Potter," Draco said. Potter looked up from his smoked bacon, a questioning look on his face. He froze in his movement of cutting up the bacon, waiting for Draco to speak.
"Johnson is pregnant. Did you know that?"
"No. That's great. I'll congratulate them later." Potter looked around the table to see for himself that the woman was pregnant. Draco smiled at his lover, shaking his head. Potter then continued his efforts to try and empty his plate.
"Would you want a kid together?"
"A kid?" Potter seemed dumbfounded.
"Yes, Potter. A kid."
"I don't know. I never thought about having children."
"Would you want children with me?" Draco asked. Potter looked at him as if he'd just been asked to win another Wizarding War. "It's just a question," Draco added quietly. He didn't know why Potter's distant behavior affected him so quickly. To be honest he'd always wanted a kid. And he would love to raise one with the dark-haired man sitting in front of him.
"Well, I guess so," Potter eventually replied.
"I don't want kids now, I, ... I was just thinking out loud."
"No, no! I understand. I would... love to - er... have children with you," Potter stammered. He cut up the piece of melon on his plate, avoiding Draco's gaze.
"You're so shitty at this, Potter, you know that?"
"Look who's paid attention in class," Potter retorted. Draco just smiled, leaving his own starter for what it was. He'd had enough to eat today, and even though he didn't want to be rude to Mrs. Weasley, he couldn't get it down his throat. He'd make it disappear when no one was looking.
"Hi, Harry. Malfoy," George greeted. He'd probably seen hem watching.
"George! Congratulations on the baby. It's been too long since I last saw you."
"Thanks, Harry. It sure has. I guess we're all trampling, trying to get forward. It's good to see you. And you as well Malfoy. I never thought I'd see the two of you hooking up." Potter turned scarlet, and Draco just shrugged.
"How far is she already?" he asked. George's face lit up as Draco turned the subject back to the pregnancy again and counted on his fingers.
"I think about seven months and two weeks."
"Two weeks and three days, actually," Angelina Johnson added. She came up behind George and put an arm around him. Draco just observed them, happy love could still exist in a family that had lost so much.
"Hi Angelique." Harry got up to kiss the woman on the cheek, and Draco couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy go through his chest. Not that he needed to be jealous of her, since she was expecting from the Weasel. "It's so nice to see you. How are you doing? Does it kick yet?"
"Yes of course, it does." Draco closed his eyes in disbelief for a brief moment. How stupid was Potter? She was seven months pregnant. If it didn't kick now, it would never kick. "He's rather active, but I don't mind. I just love the pregnancy. I'll be sad to see him go at nine months. Not that I don't want to hold him, but it's just so great."
"Women," George muttered. Draco just listened, observing the green-eyed man as he watched Johnson's belly in awe.
"Can I touch it?"
"Sure." Potter carefully placed his hand on her belly, his eyes as big as saucers.
"So, it's going to be a boy?" Draco asked, rememering the woman referring to the belly as 'he'. He really wanted Potter to snap out of it and put his attention back on Draco, but the man just seemed captivated by the bump.
"Yes, it is. We're going to name him Fred Junior, in memory of his uncle Fred." Draco nodded, not sure what to reply to that. He could see the sadness appear in George's eyes, and wished he could excuse themselves. But Potter was still standing there like a moron.
"I read about your mother in the Daily Prophet. How is she doing?" George asked, while Potter and Angelique kept talking about the baby. Draco was pleasantly surprised George was actually asking about his personal life, and smiled in reply.
"She's doing great. My father's death is weighing on her, but apart from that she's happier than I've ever known her to be. We owe Potter."
"We all do. If it wasn't for him, we'd all be either dead or following the Darkest Wizard Of All Times." Draco looked at the Hero again, a fond smile crossing his face.
"I can see you really care about him, Malfoy. I appreciate that. Thank you for being there for him. He really needed someone like you." Draco looked up at George. He didn't know where that comment was coming from. How was he supposed to react to this?
"I love him," he replied softly.
"I can tell. Well, we should go back to our seats before mom starts serving desserts. You are already behind, so we'll leave you."
"It was nice talking to you, Weasley."
"Likewise, Malfoy." The Redhead left again, and Potter took his seat.
"I really would love a baby. We'll have to adopt one, won't we?" Draco felt the need to strangle the man.
"Of course. Except if you have a womb, maybe." Draco replied sarcastically. Potter could be such an idiot at times. Did he have no brains at all, or was he just too stupid to actually use them?
"Well, you never know with magic. Maybe you could take Polyjuice Potion during the pregnancy or something."
"You aren't fertile when using the potion. It's impossible to make or carry children," Draco explained. It took a while before the message sunk in.
"And if you take Polyjuice Potion of a pregnant woman. Does the baby die?"
"No, it doesn't, since you don't have a baby. You only copy the current state of the person you took the hair of. You'll have a pregnant belly, but it won't grow. If you take the potion again with new added hair, the minor changes of the body will be included again."
"I don't get it."
"If you take a Polyjuice Potion from, say a woman with dark long hair, and she cuts it and dies it to blonde straight after, your version of her hair will still be dark and long. It isn't until you make a new potion, with a new strand of hair that you'll have the blonde locks. The same counts for babies."
"Oh. That's - too bad."
"We could adopt," Draco suggested.
"Adopting sounds fine." Potter agreed, and both men fell silent. After they finished dessert - Draco had just made it all disappear - music started playing, and the table was put aside to make room for a dance floor. Potter and Draco just kept sitting in their chairs, enjoying a glass of red wine. Draco looked around the tent, realising that even though he wasn't part of this family, he had felt at home from the minute he'd arrived. He was a grown-up now, and was happy people forgave him for his immature behavior at Hogwarts. He was so caught up in his thoughts, that he hadn't seen Potter get up from his chair, holding out a hand to him.
"Wanna dance?"
"Are you kidding me? I'm pretty sure you can't dance Potter. Remember the Yule Ball? You were a disaster."
"I was young! I can do better than that now, come on. I love this song."
"Fine." Draco got up, covering the fact that he was flattered by Potter asking him to dance. Potter grabbed his hand, tugging him to a free spot on the dance floor. Draco turned to Potter, not really sure what to do at first. He then loosely wrapped his arms around the black-haired man's waist. It was a slow song. Potter raised his hands, placing them on either side of his neck. His hands were warm and felt nice against his skin.
"I had a nice time today, Draco." Potter's breath tingled against his ear as the man whispered the words.
"Me too. Merry Christmas, Harry."
"Merry Christmas." Potter laid down his head against Draco's shoulder while dancing. It felt as if Draco was alone with the Hero, as if no one else was on that dancefloor. The entire world disappeared, and all that was left was Harry Potter.
In the end, it had always been Harry Potter.
To be continued...