I had hoped to have this up by Wed. but some things came up… It's up now though :D read and enjoy.
Thank you to all my reviewers and a special thank you to those of you who left your opinion of Lucius I will keep them in the forefront of my mind when I next write of him.
~I Blame the Letter for It All~
-Chapter Eleven-
A Visitor
"I'll go see about dinner." Harry smiled leaving the children alone with their grandfather and Draco.
Draco woke rubbing away the sleep in his eyes and reached out blindly for the warm body that was supposed to be lying beside him, but found a small indent in the pillow was the only proof that someone had been there originally. Draco forced his eyes open to glance about the room, but there was no one in sight.
Sighing Draco made his way to the bathroom to do his usual morning ritual. Today Draco could tell was going to be a little hectic, and he wanted to feel prepared for it.
Harry heard the shower turn on and smiled down at his charge tickling the little tummy in front of him. Harry hadn't meant to let his anger get the better of him, but had been greatly pleased by the support he felt coming from Draco.
Yesterday had been full of surprises. Lucius had shown up for dinner at apparently Draco's invitation and had offered his apologies and his support in their family. Harry couldn't help smiling at the memory of it all…
Harry was pulled from his thoughts by a light kiss on his neck. "How long have you been up love?" Harry glanced slightly over his shoulder.
"Not long, the little ones started fussing and I didn't want them to wake you so I came up to the nursery." Draco tightened his hold on Harry and let go, a silent thank you for the few extra minutes of rest.
"There is a package in the living room containing all our school things," Harry mentioned. "Dobby informed me of it when I woke, and Winky is making breakfast this morning and will watch the children after. I intend to set up that office room that I told you I wanted in one of the spare rooms today. I know you wanted to mess around in that potions lab… I figured today would be a good day for all that." Harry glanced over at Draco almost shyly.
Draco took all this in stride. The fact that he wasn't in a huff about the newest article in the paper was a huge relief, especially as the title read World Saviour ignores Wizardry World's concerns. Not exactly the truth, but close enough.
"Sounds lovely, dear. Shall we go take part in that breakfast then?" Draco gave Harry a smile as he tucked Rosa's necklace under her top.
Draco might have decided to have them forget about breakfast if he had, had the foresight to see the disruption that would come moments after they sat down.
Draco had just taken a large bite of French toast covered in syrup when loud knocking came at the door, muffled slightly by the door in-between them and the portrait. Draco waved Harry back into his seat taking a swallow of milk to wash the sticky task out of his mouth a bit.
"I'll get it," Draco insisted. "You stay and finish eating. I'm sure it's Severus about something or other he's annoyed with." Harry gave a half smile at this and nodded his head taking another bite of his own breakfast.
Opening the portrait, Draco took a quick step back as he took notice of the infuriated man standing at his door… to be honest Draco would have much preferred the sight of an annoyed and irritated Professor Severus Snape then the furious wild-eyed werewolf Remus Lumpin at his door.
"Good morning, Professor Lumpin," Draco greeted the man. Despite the fact that Remus was no longer taught at Hogwarts, he had at one time had been Draco's professor, thus earning him the title. Draco did his best to quell his shaking nerves as he opened the door a bit wider to admit the enraged man into the room.
"Draco?" Harry's voice carried easily into the room where an uncomfortable silence had settled. Draco was slightly surprised to see the other man's eyes soften at the sound and the furious gleam dim a bit.
"… Draco?" There was a slightly alarmed note in Harry's voice at the repeat of Draco's name.
Draco quickly pushed aside the feeling of unease in order to ease Harry's fears. "It seems we have a guest for breakfast." Draco barely caught himself from putting a dear at the end of his sentence, not sure how that would go over with the other man.
Draco led the way into the dining room, not missing the still worried expression on the occupant's face and the tightly gripped wand under the table. Apparently Harry wasn't quite as at ease as he had seemed earlier. "Who was it?" Harry had barely spoken the sentence when Remus entered the room.
"Remus…" Harry sounded like he was torn between worry, happiness, and unease.
Remus gave his pup a half smile before giving the other boy a dark scowl. He had been a little distracted yesterday and had only just gotten a glimpse of yesterday's article along with today's. "What is going on? Am I to believe those ridiculous articles about the two of you? If not, this isn't the best picture to prove your point."
Harry sighed pushing his plate away and standing up. "It's true," he said and walked out of the room.
Draco sent a glare to the man. "You could have a little more tact, you know. How about a hi, or hello? How have you been?" Draco shook his head with a roll of his eyes.
Remus growled, "Why do I have a feeling this is entirely your fault?"
"Because you need someone to blame, and I'm an easy target."
Remus had the sudden urge to hit the boy across the side of his head. "So… you're married to my best friends' son and Godson?"
Draco nodded his head watching the man carefully for a negative reaction.
Remus ran his hands through his stringy brown hair, and his eyes seemed a little sad. "Why did he feel he couldn't tell me? That he couldn't let me know?"
Draco placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "Don't feel as though you were left out. We didn't tell anyone."
Remus felt a little less hurt at that comment, and a little guiltier at accusing Harry of being the cause of his hurt.
"I suppose I should go talk to him." Remus heaved a long sigh, as if preparing to meet his fatal end.
"Go ahead I'm pretty sure he's in the first room on the left down the hall. He said he wanted to get that room set up today." Draco watched the man nod and make his way out of the room. He would let Harry decide if he wanted to introduce their children to the man or not. After all it was no secret that the Lupin was practically his unofficial godfather.
… … …
Remus held his breath after knocking on the door that Draco had singled out as being the one most likely for Harry to be behind.
"Come in," the voice sounded more tired than angry, which brought a little of the weight off of the older man.
Remus could still recall very easily the summer and year after the tri-wizard tournament, and how Harry had spent most of it in a deep anger. He opened the door and stood silently just inside of the room observing Harry as he transfigured two blocks into two comfortable looking sitting chairs.
"You have no idea of the trouble I had to go through to come here alone. I thought I was going to have to tie all the Weasleys up before I would be able to leave." Remus had no idea made say that, or at least what made him say it at that moment.
"I guess they're upset with me as well," Harry sighed, his face blank but his voice holding a little sadness in it.
"No, Harry. No one is upset or even mad, for that matter. We're just worried, that's all. You know the only thing we ever could wish for you is happiness. If you are happy, then so are we." Remus saw some of the light sparkle in the younger man's eyes.
"Remus, I am happy… So very happy. I know I don't have the right to feel so happy, but I do." Harry let a smile escape along with a single tear.
… … …
Draco had finished his breakfast and checked on the little ones, giving his ex-professor and Harry some much needed time alone.
It had been close to two hours since the two had disappeared into the spare room Harry had chosen to set his office in. Deciding to check on the two Draco put aside his book and made his way to the room.
Opening the door Draco found the two leaning over some papers and open books on the desk set in the middle of the room. "What are you two up to?"
"Oh Draco, Remus was just helping me set up the lesson plans for the DA and giving me some ideas for later on." Draco couldn't miss the gleam in Harry's eyes no more then he could the bright smile that was on Harry's lips.
"That sounds wonderful Harry. Would you care for a thirds opinion?"
… … …
It was well after lunch before Remus left the two. Harry and Draco had decided that it was best to not tell Remus about the little ones just yet. If they told Remus, they would have to either tell Mrs. Weasley or make her feel as though they deliberately snubbed her.
Harry also felt it was very important no one knew outside of those who already did. The less who knew the less likely anyone they didn't want to know would find out.
"School starts back tomorrow… are you ready?"
Harry made a face. "Do I really have much choice?"
Draco laughed. "About as much as I do, but thought I'd ask anyway."
Harry glared at Draco's unusually cheery attitude. "Okay, what's with you?"
Draco smirked, "I was just thinking about the look that will be on everyone's faces when we walk in together… can you picture it?
"I mean everyone knows that the paper hasn't always been exactly accurate, and there are bound to be some like Lupin who don't think it's true. So can you picture it, if we walked in hand in hand and took a seat together? "
The thing was, Harry could see it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or groan at the mental picture. Harry was frankly, quite tired of those looks, especially the ones of betrayal, hate, and disgust.
… … …
"Are you certain about this?" Albus waved his hand, indicating the letter placed before him on his desk to the two men sitting in the comfortable arm chairs a few feet away.
"Unfortunately yes, I went and looked over the documents myself as soon as I had heard. Legally those documents shouldn't even have formulated, they aren't legally binding." Kingsley Shacklebolt shook his head sadly. "Someone will have to inform the two of them."
"Thank you Kingsley, we appreciate you getting this news to us so swiftly." Dumbledore waited till the former order member and dear friend had left before turning to Severus for his opinion on the information they had just received.
"Is the second witness really that important? After all, the rings are real enough, how else does anyone explain the smooth transition into their marriage?" Snape swore he would never inform anyone how much pain it cost him to admit that the two seemed genuinely happy being with each other.
"Unfortunately, rings or not, the paper work says they aren't married and that is the main issue here." Dumbledore paused running through his thoughts. "Well at least they now have a choice, of whether this is what they really want or not…"
Severus gave Albus a cold glare. "You still blame me don't you? Well for the last time, old man, it wasn't my fault. In fact now, I didn't do anything at all but cause a slight misunderstanding. That is if I had caused it, which I hadn't."
Dumbledore blinked several times. "Severus, how do you not become tongue tied each time you do that?"
Severus's glare darkened at the look of apparently genuine curiosity.
"I don't suppose you would be interesting in informing the pair?" Dumbledore gave a defeated sigh as Snape stood and swiftly left the room with out a backward look. "No of course not."
… … …
Draco and Harry stared uncertainly at each other as they heard the door shutting behind Dumbledore. "Now what?" It was the same question on both their minds but it was Draco who voiced it.
I think my chapters are getting shorter… sorry if they are… I'll try to work on that.
Hope you enjoyed, please let me know your thoughts… and what you think will happen between Draco and Harry now?
