Lions, Tigers and Griffins, Oh My!

Word Count: 2,544
Rating: PG
Warning: Just family fun & fluff. (Implied mpreg)
Summary: Harry and Draco take their boys to the zoo, Grandpa Lucius comes along for what is sure to be an adventure. Dedicated to DraconisPotter who wanted to see the boys go to the zoo. Thanks, for keeping my creative juices flowing !

"Wake up, Harry." He felt the soft caress of silky hair brushing against his face.

"Hmmm." He reached out blindly to capture his husband and pull him back into bed but Draco resisted, pressing a hand against his chest. Harry shivered from the cold emanating from his hand and opened his eyes to see Draco already dressed in jeans and a sleek leather jacket.

"You're wearing that to the zoo?" Harry rubbed some of the grit from his eyes. He accepted the pair of glasses that Draco held out, dropping a kiss on his outstretched palm.

"I'm not wearing that so called safari ensemble," Draco scoffed. "And neither is my father, Harry, regardless of what Ronald suggested."

Harry shrugged innocently. "Ron's never been to a Muggle zoo either; he really thought they dressed that way. Besides, you would have looked cute in that, Explorer Draco." He smiled at the thought.

"I don't do cute, Potter. I excel at ravishing and sexy," he corrected.

Harry looked up at him from beneath his lashes, his eyes travelling from the tight fit of the denims to the black leather jacket that really made the paleness of his hair and skin pop. One of the Muggle commodities that Draco had learned to enjoy was the clothing, and Harry had developed his own healthy appreciation of seeing him in close fitting material instead of baggy robes.

"Come back to bed," Harry cajoled, beckoning him closer with two curled fingers.

Draco bent to give him a quick kiss that turned deeper when Harry slipped his tongue between his lips. He curled his arms around the trim waist and was pulling him down when his husband pulled away.

"My father is downstairs, and I know you don't care about making him wait, but there are two little wizards that are bouncing with excitement," Draco informed him. "So go get them ready."

Harry nodded, throwing back the sheets and enjoying the admiring look sent his way before Draco left their room and he stumbled towards the shower. Sage had recently gone with his nursery to the ZSL London Zoo and was eager to show his brother the things he'd seen.

Once he was showered and dressed he made his way to the nursery, where he could hear his eldest son's voice. He stuck his head in and watched as his youngest, who was clad in just a nappy, making his way to his brother holding out a t-shirt.

"This one? Okay, Griff. Arms up," Sage said and Harry watched them struggle to work together until the shirt was on and his arms were in the appropriate holes. It seemed they had decided to get a head start on dressing themselves.

"Are you 'cited? I am. There's going to be tigers and snakes, monkeys, all kinds of aminals," the brunet boy informed the blond, who had returned with a pair of pants.

"Oooh," Griffin cooed appropriately.

"'Ants," he stated, holding them out. Sage kneeled down to help and Griffin wobbled as he balanced on one leg. Harry figured it was time to intervene before they took a spill.

"I got this, Sport. Thank you." He swooped in, grabbing the small blond and slipping the pants on him from a sitting position on his bended knee.

"Daddy! Can we go now?" Sage threw himself at his father and rested his head on his chest.

"Yeah, let's just finish dressing your brother and we can go." Harry smiled, ruffling his already messy hair.

"I'll help." Sage went off looking for the socks and shoes.

"And how are you?" he asked, kissing a soft cheek.

"Da," Griffin greeted leaning back against his chest.

"Here you go, Daddy. His favourites." Harry took the socks from him with the green dinosaurs. "Thanks, Sport. You're a great big brother."

"'Anks," Griffin echoed, sticking out his feet.

"You're welcome," Sage replied with a large smile that made his silver eyes almost sparkle.

X x x X x x X

When they came downstairs the kids ran to greet their grandfather. Well, Sage ran to greet him; Griffin toddled behind at his own pace. Lucius, unfortunately, had not taken the suggestion in zoo attire and was dressed in dark slacks and a three quarter sleeve light blue jumper.

Harry watched him lift Sage into an embrace and smothered a laugh when Griffin waved from below, moving back slightly in case the man tried to lift him. Harry had always been amused that Sage was the type of kid who met no strangers; there was something about him that drew others to him. Griffin, on the other hand, was wary of people and only attached himself to his parents. His grandmothers came close because they spoiled him with affection, but he always seemed to be suspicious of Lucius's more reserved attitude with him. When he'd mentioned it to Draco, his husband had replied that it was probably because Sage had just barged in past his barriers and Griffin was content to watch from afar and make Lucius make the first step.

Draco and Harry helped the kids slip into their coats and Draco lifted Griffin in his arms before explaining their plans to his father.

"Harry's going to activate the Portkey near Camden Town Station and it's about a fifteen minute walk to the zoo."

Lucius nodded, reaching out to touch the grey scarf Harry pulled from his pocket while balancing Sage on his hip.

With a familiar pull behind their navels they were on their way.

X x x X x x X

Draco was glaring at him, but Harry could not stop the laugh from forming. His father-in-law was clearly out of his element and it wasn't often he saw the man so frazzled. He looked at the animals curiously like he was waiting for them do something in particular and watching the other zoogoers as if they would attack him.

When they had brought Sage to the zoo about four years ago, Lucius had not joined them because he was not allowed to venture so far from his home under the restrictions from the Ministry. Now that his case priority had dropped, he was able to accept Sage's eager invitation.

Harry and Draco didn't bother for themselves but paid extra for the audio tour for Lucius and the kids. Draco handed the machine to his father and pointed out how it worked until Sage took over and told him, "Here, Grandpa. I can show you."

They trailed behind the trio, watching Griffin take in all the different animals for the first time. Harry remembered when the Dursleys had been forced to bring him along to the zoo and was glad that he was able to experience this in a much more pleasant way with his children.

When they passed the reptile cages, Lucius had been taken aback when he heard from the portable tour guide they were coming up on the Komodo dragon.

"They have dragons?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They're not like the ones Uncle Charlie plays with," Sage clarified, holding onto his brother's hand. He pointed to the glass enclosure where you could see the large reptile. "Look!"

"Why do they call it a dragon? Does it breathe fire?" Harry could hear Lucius mutter.

"You press the number here and it tells you," Sage patiently explained.

"Up! Up!" Griffin cried and Harry lifted him up so he could see better.

"The snake is next!" Sage announced before leading the way to the next exhibit. So far his son was in his element, happily telling his family members what he remembered from the tour and pointing out his favourite animals.

"Daddy, this is the snake I told you about."

Harry saw from the sign that he was looking at a snouted cobra and he could remember the boa constrictor he had once spoken to in his youth.

Harry looked at the undulating snake. "It's very nice, Sport." His son looked pleased with his assessment.

"Grandpa, did you know that Daddy can talk to snakes?" Sage asked, his face close to the glass but not touching.

"I did," he answered; the grown-ups did not look at each other as Harry and Draco thought of the duel where Draco had summoned one and Lucius thought of Nagini.

"I want to talk to aminals," Sage said, tugging on a tassel hanging from his coat.

"Animals," Lucius corrected softly.

"Wouldn't that be nice? Daddy says he talked to a snake in this zoo a long time ago and that his magics helped him escape."

Lucius raised an eyebrow toward Harry. "Daddy, do you think this snake wants to leave too?" Sage asked innocently, tilting his head.

"We're not going to ask," Draco intervened, drawing him away from the glass. "Didn't you want to show your brother and grandfather the tigers?" he reminded him.

"Oh, yeah! Come on."

Harry obliged the call of "'own 'ease'" and set Griffin on the ground, where he ran to grab his brother's hand.

"Wait until you see, Grandpa! They are so nice. I asked Daddy and Papa for one but they said no 'cause it's too big. You don't think they're too big, do you, Grandfather?" Sage asked, pulling Lucius along by the hand.

"Let's get them some drinks while your son informs my father of all the reasons he should be allowed a tiger."

"You heard the 'grandfather' bit too, didn't you?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded. "He only calls him that when he's busy plotting something."

X x x X x x X

When they left the zoo café they were immediately greeted with an announcement blaring on the speakers.

"Our African Serval is missing. She looks a bit like a cheetah and weighs about two stone. She's quite friendly, so she's not dangerous, but, please, if you see someone with her advise a zoo administrator immediately."

Draco closed his eyes for a moment. This didn't necessarily have anything to do with their charges. The small denial was promptly ripped away when he caught sight of his father strolling around the bend. He could see Sage and Griffin were leading around a beast that matched the description they'd just heard.

"Something got loose and the Muggles are all running about so I cast a notice-me-not on the children and I. I thought you would appreciate that over an Immobulus," his father offered at their disbelieving looks.

"They're running around because you let that loose!" Harry pointed out with a hiss. Draco noticed that Griffin had caught on that something was amiss and he looked toward his brother, who was suddenly averting his eyes, with a frown.

"I didn't let anything loose, Potter," Lucius replied, smoothing the sleeves of his jumper, "but I am in the process of purchasing this beast for my grandchildren."

"These aren't window displays. You can't just take out the animals and buy them," Harry sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

Draco looked from his father to his children.

"Sage, did you or your brother free this animal?" he inquired softly, getting down to their height.

"He wanted to come out," Sage pouted, petting the wildcat that made an odd chirp-like sound before weaving in between both boys and making them giggle.

"And how do you know that?" Draco asked, smoothing back his rumpled hair, but, just like his father's, it sprung back up again.

"I asked if he wanted to come out and he jumped. Papa, he can jump so high!" Sage enthused and Draco got to see it for himself when the serval manoeuvred between them again and jumped as high as Sage's chest.

"High!" Griffin agreed, eyes on the serval.

"So I opened the door and he started following me and Griff. I think he 'members when I came last time, and he wanted to come with us. " Sage looked up at him from beneath his lashes. "Are you cross?" he whispered.

"No." He brought his son into a hug and playfully rolled his eyes at his husband.

"I'm sorry, guys, but he has to go back into his home, okay?" Harry explained, patting the boys on the head and gathering the collar to gently lead the serval back.

Draco lifted the notice-me-not spell as soon as it was prudent and was content to let Harry handle the zoo worker who had been busy yelling at another.

"I did lock the pen!" the second worker protested.

"Obviously you didn't because she still got out!" the woman chastised the younger man, but she stopped when she caught sight of them.

"Damisi!" she cried, moving forward and hugging the suddenly excited serval.

"We found her wandering around the food court," Harry supplied when she looked at him in question.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" She stood up, balancing the large cat in her arms.

"Oi!" Griffin cried. "Mine!" He was looking back up at the lady with his arms outstretched.

"How much for the cat?" Draco was not all surprised to hear his father offer.

"Erm…I'm sorry, sir, she's not for sale," she answered, obviously taken aback.

"Madam, does it or does it not say 'adopt' on the advertisement on the wall over there?" Lucius pointed toward the poster.

"Well, yes, sir, but it doesn't quite work that way. When you adopt them, you help give the zoo donations that will fund projects that benefit the species in general," she explained.

Draco sighed, watching Griffin begin to pout and knew that those green eyes of his were misting over. His son knew better than to have tantrums; instead, he adopted a pose of extreme sadness that worked a lot better. It seemed that only he and Harry had formed a resistance to it.

"Oh, none of that," Lucius murmured, uncomfortably reaching out for him and Draco watched as his youngest son let himself be carried.

"I will get you one of your own," Lucius told him, patting his back awkwardly.

"Really?" Sage hugged his grandfather's legs. "Thank you!"

Griffin smiled, looking at his brother and patted Lucius on the chest before resting his head on it.

"I like how your father promises that without talking to us," Harry groused, leaning into Draco.

"Don't worry. If my father buys them one, he's going to live at Malfoy Manor," Draco assured him.

Harry turned to look at him, aghast. "Draco, are we that bad with them?"

He shook his head, patting him on the shoulder. "Of course not, Harry," he denied and then asked, "Do you think we can make a go of the shop before we go home?" He cuddled close and rested his head on Harry's shoulder.

He could feel Harry melt and smiled. "Whatever you want," Harry murmured, wrapping an arm around him.

He looked toward Griffin and smiled. They were lucky that both of them could handle their children's wiles, but he felt sorry for their future Hogwarts professors.

Because even when they exercised their Slytherin-like cunning they always looked out for each other, and Draco knew Griffin would be more accessible to Lucius now that he had defended Sage and promised to get them their own wildcat.

I swear I want one of these for my very own :D