Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. No money is made from this.
A/N: This chapter is not DH-Epilogue compliant, but I do hope it's not too Out of Character.
Furthermore I read that Harry became Head Auror in 2007, well for my story we're pushing that slightly back since he isn't promoted yet.
And finally a big Thank you to PenMagic, who is now beta reading the story.
Chapter 11 - Unexpected revelations
Harry had apparated to the front gates of a vast mansion. With a flick of his wand the gates opened and he walked towards the main door. This place still gave him the chills, although he knew it was stupid, yet some things are hard to forget.
Knocking on the heavy black polished door, he waited for a response, which came only moments later in the form of a surprised man of Harry's age.
"Potter?"
"Draco." Harry smiled and gave a short nod.
"Harry. I'm sorry. Old habits die hard, especially when you startle me. Please, come in."
He let the other men in before closing the door and leading the way.
Harry shuddered as they entered the grand reception area. He really hated this room, hated that every time he came here, he had to go through it again, because it was the damn entrance and led to everywhere else.
Despite Draco's and Astoria's attempt to redecorate, redo the room, it still created horrible flashbacks in his head. He knew the same was true for Draco. That was the main reason, why the room was practically empty with only some furniture scattered around to make it look less abandoned.
He had no idea how Draco managed to live in this house, a constant reminder of the hell his life had been. His former school rival had once explained to him that he tried to hold on to the few happy memories he had left within the house and worked to create happier ones. Still Harry didn't think he would have the courage to do that. It would be like raising his family at Number 4 Privet Drive and torturing himself every time he would walk past the cupboard.
Then again, Privet Drive had no emotional meaning to him anymore. This however was Draco's family home. To abandon it would have broken his mother's heart. So, for her and for the sake of tradition he had forced himself to come to terms with living at Malfoy Manor, rather than the apartment he had occupied right after the war.
As they entered the bright room that was Draco's study and library overlooking the garden, Harry spoke up.
"I'm sorry I stumble in here unannounced, but I hoped you'd have a moment for me."
Gesturing for Harry to sit, Draco placed himself on one of the armchairs by the window.
"To what do I owe the pleasure? You don't come here too often. I assume it's not work related or you would have contacted me at the ministry."
Harry nodded. True he avoided the Manor, meeting Draco at work, their home or random other places if possible. It was only when Ginny had forced him to, that he had started accepting dinner invitations at Malfoy Manor and only because he knew Astoria would have been offended if he had declined further and thus would have stopped accepting their occasional invitations too.
"No this is personal. It's about Teddy."
"Ted? What's wrong with him? Is everything okay?" a gentle women's voice interrupted and Astoria, who leaned in the door frame spoke again.
"Hallo Harry, I didn't know you were coming. I heard voices and came to check."
"Good morning Astoria. Teddy is fine. I just need to discuss something with Draco and came by unannounced. I'm sorry to disturb your morning."
He smiled at her while she studied both men. Harry Potter visiting their house unannounced was highly suspicious. They had the occasional formal dinner invitation and shared certain family events because of Teddy, but they didn't just pop into each other's house and Astoria clearly didn't approve of such behaviour. However Draco seemed to be content enough and so she decided to leave them to it. She would find out what the visit was about from Draco soon enough.
"Not at all Harry. Should I get the house elves to get you something to drink?"
Draco answered her. "Tea I think. That would be lovely. Thanks Dear."
Astoria left both men to themselves, who sat in silence until a house elf popped in with the tea tray.
"So, what is this visit really about if it isn't Ted?"
Harry sighed:"It is about Teddy, in a way at least. I need your advice."
Eying him suspiciously Draco asked: "My advice? The last time you needed advice, I spent three agonising weeks trying to teach you proper wizard customs and traditions. Please don't tell me this is going to be like that again?"
A pained expression came over Harry's face.
"No luckily not. I still think Kingsley did that to be cruel on purpose. Said it was vital before making me Head Auror, which apparently he plans once Robards retires next year. And now he sents me to all these excruciating official ministry events. But I'm getting side-tracked here. You see Ted is having a bit of trouble lately. He skives classes, talks back to teachers and bents rules a little too far."
Draco sneered: "You wonder where he gets that from."
Harry decided to ignore the comment and went on.
"While I agree I may have been a bit lenient with him, he was never someone who easily got in trouble and now I have him resiting exams to continue his education and against my orders not to leave the house, he flew to London yesterday and then ended up with friends in Brighton drinking."
Draco let out a low whistle.
"Seems like you have some teenage trouble. My question is, what do you need me for?"
Harry twisted uncomfortably in the chair. He didn't really know what he wanted from Draco either, but talking to him had seemed a good idea.
"You are family after all." He finally said.
"True, and while I appreciate that you let me be part of his life, he is much closer to you and the Weasleys."
Draco really was at loss here. He had never been good at reading the younger man opposite him and was completely oblivious as to what had made Harry come to him today.
Harry took another sip of his tea and placed the cup back on the table.
"Look, I came because I believe you can help me. I'm at loss at what to do with Ted."
Draco interrupted.
"And you ask me? Might have slipped your notice, but I can hardly draw from experience when it comes to parenting and my own son hasn't quite hit puberty yet. Thank god."
Harry shook his head.
"But that's exactly what I mean."
Draco gave him a look that said: So you've finally gone barmy.
Harry sighed once again.
"Listen, I talked to Ron, Hermione, Ginny, the Weasleys and all they ever tell me is that I'm doing fine and that I should just trust my instincts. What they don't understand is that I can't draw from experience. Gin subconsciously mimics her mum with the children and I'm sure Ron & Hermione do similarly. There is nothing in my childhood I can reference too. Sure I got into trouble, but nobody ever hold me accountable for it. They didn't care enough or pitied me. How should I know how to raise a teenager, if I've never really been allowed to be one."
Draco looked uncomfortable starring at the black-haired man in the other chair holding his head in his hands.
"Look, if you're searching for someone to pity you, I'm really not..."
"I don't need pity Draco. I came to you for advice, because I reckoned you would understand my dilemma. You know, share the pain. I understand that it's different. You had parents, but after what you told me I guessed you wouldn't rely on experience for your own parenting either."
Harry let out a groan. This was harder than he had thought. Maybe coming here had been a mistake.
Draco however now understood what the issue was. Slowly, as if contemplating every word, he said:
"You're wrong, you know."
Harry's head shot up to look at Draco.
"I do draw from my father's parenting. When Scorpius was born I vowed to be better than he was. In most cases I do the exact opposite of what he would have done, but of course it's harder than simply imitating a good example. You know what you don't want to do, but that doesn't necessarily lead to the right things to do. I've had doubts, still do actually, if I am a good father to Scorpius. I'm well aware that he will have to suffer for mistakes I made."
He hesitated at this, fighting a clump in his throat, took a breath and continued.
"You're raising four wonderful children, who adore you. Ted loves you like a father and although I know you probably feel guilty about that too, you really shouldn't. So please do me a favour and tell me what this is really about?"
Harry felt guilty that he had forced the self-controlled men to such a display of emotion, yet he was desperate and desperate times called for desperate measures.
"I told you. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like my lectures don't really get to him and even if they do, it changes his behaviour only short-term, very short-term. Plus he is moody and cheeky, throwing a temper tantrum at every opportunity he gets. It can't continue like this. He'll do something stupid and I would never forgive myself if that happened."
Draco stopped his rant by holding up both hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright. I understand. You have a rebellious teenager on the loose. What have you tried so far to get him back on track?"
Harry looked at him surprised. Was Draco really trying to find a solution with him? That was more than he had expected. He knew Draco cared for Ted, but he played hardly anything other than the distant spoiling uncle.
"Well, I've had more talks and lectures with him than I can count. I've flooed into Hogwarts nearly every month for the last year. When the result came through that he would have to do the resits, I made him study for the last 4 weeks. Grounded him to his room for a night last week, because he shouted at me at the dinner table. Oh and I took the broom after last night. Didn't seem save to let him keep it in his room."
Harry watched Draco who looked slightly irritated. Damn he knew he'd been too strict about the broom, or maybe it was the grounding Draco disapproved of. Although it seemed to have worked at least temporarily, Harry thought but was taken back to reality by Draco's voice.
"So let me get this straight. Ted has been continuously in trouble at Hogwarts, skipping classes, bad grades, disrespect and the like and you did nothing?"
"Of course not, as I said I talked to him again and again about it." Harry interrupted outraged.
"Right, let me rephrase that. You didn't punish him for his behaviour."
"He got detention at school though."
Unaffected by the response Draco continued.
"He comes home with failing grades, again no consequences."
Harry didn't like where this was going.
"Hold on, I did make him study for the resits."
Draco had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. He wasn't a disciplinarian himself, not after his adolescence, but this was downright ridiculous. Potter couldn't be that dim.
"He's continuously at your throat and out of line, yet you only ground him, and barely I might add, after the situation totally explodes. He disobeys you and takes off with his broom, which you rightly confiscated, yet your body language tells me you feel bad for taking it from him. I hope you're able to hide that feeling from Ted." Draco said disapprovingly.
Harry glared at him. "Your point being what?"
Draco gave a small understanding smile and chuckled.
"You're doing the same thing to Ted that people did to you. Unconsciously, I'm sure and to lesser extent, but you fail to provide him with consequences for his actions. I guess it's partly because he was always a happy and well-behaved boy with little need for disciplining and partly because you feel guilty for his parents. Pity – the word you used earlier, right?
Look, Ted is a good kid, I understand it might be hard to discipline him, but he's a teenager not an angel. You need to lay down the law, make him aware of the rules and provide clear consequences if he steps out of line."
At the pained expression on Harry's face, he hastened to add:
"I'm not telling you to be cruel or harsh to him. In contrary, be understanding, guiding but also be firm and god dammit be consistent. At the moment Ted doesn't know what to expect from you, so he keeps pushing to find out. You're doing it perfectly for your younger children and although I might agree that it's easier when they still believe your every word, Ted isn't that much older. He still respects your authority and he needs your guidance. He won't love you less for providing him a rope to move along hand over hand. In contrary at the moment you're hurting both of you by neglecting the elephant in the room."
Harry looked a bit like a deer stuck in headlights by the idea of punishing his godson.
Draco fought hard to suppress a laugh. So even the Saviour of the Wizarding World could be terrified by something as ordinary as parenting.
He stood up and opened a drawer in his desk. Pouring a glass of clear liquid, he handed it over to Harry, who gratefully took it emptying the glass in one go. He let out a groan. Understanding dawned on him, he really had been blind.
"When did you get so wise?" He choked out feeling the after taste of the burning liquid.
Draco snickered: "Ah, you would have figured it out eventually. What's that muggle saying – can't see the forest for all the trees? Although you can be really thick sometimes."
Harry gave a smile.
"Hermione once said the Daily Prophet should call me the Dim One."
Laughing Draco replied: "Now that would be an issue to frame for old time's sake."
"Honestly though, what now?" Harry asked getting up from the chair.
"You're going to go home, talk to Teddy and discipline the boy before he gets thrown out of Hogwarts. And if you don't, I come over and will. He's family after all and I won't be a softie like you." He said with a laugh in his eyes and shoved Harry towards the door.
"Now I'd appreciate if you'd spare me the trouble and man up to the task yourself. I'm a busy guy after all. Ask him to morph into James if you must, but do something."
Harry shot him a pointed look. They have been on friendly terms for years and the fact that the two of them could have had this talk today proved that, but he knew that Draco's ego needed a few clever side remarks to be happy, so he let it go and turned at the door to thank him instead.
"Thanks for everything. I just needed someone to put things back into perspective."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure I'll find a way for you to make it up to me. Now get lost before I have the peacocks chasing you."
Walking to the outside of the gates Harry felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders, yet a little dread remained of what he would be facing at home.