~O-O~

"Malfoy, this doesn't make sense," Harry groaned as a cloud of purple smoke enveloped him, "I swear I did it right."

Draco had changed since their days at Hogwarts so instead of sniggering at Harry's mistakes, he simply channeled their old professor, "Merlin, Potter! Can't you read?"

After clearing the room of the pungent odor, Draco informed him of his mistake, "Looks like you added too much armadillo bile."

Disheartened, Harry slumped on his stool. He grabbed the instructions, "I put in three ml as it says here."

"Three ml is for the newt spleens, the line below." Draco stared incredulously at Harry, "You bloody idiot! When was the last time you had your prescription checked? Those look like the same glasses you had all throughout school."

Whipping his glasses off his face, Harry rubbed his eyes, "Oh man, I am an idiot."

Grumbling under his breath about wasting his time, Draco packed up the potions equipment, "Get new glasses; you'll pass the test if you can read the ingredient list clearly."

Harry was never so happy to leave; freaking Malfoy and his freaking attitude. He decided he needed to cool off before heading home to Teddy. The little boy seemed to be mirroring emotions as much as hairstyles these days.

Stopping in at an optometrist's office, he was pleased they could squeeze him in later in the afternoon. The receptionist recommended he stop at the bookstore next door while waiting for his appointment, "they have a wonderful cafe inside, try the chai. It's amazing."

Browsing through the children's books, Harry sipped his spicy tea, enjoying its warmth. He felt a bit better but he was still so mad. Not at Malfoy but himself. How could he not realize that his vision was worse?

Returning home with a bag full of books, Harry spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening reading just one book with Teddy.

"I do it, Dada!"

Rolling his eyes, Harry handed over the book for Teddy to narrate.

"Woof!" Teddy slapped the page with the large dog, then turned a bunch of pages, "Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!"

"Can we read another book? Look, this one has trucks. Fishies? You love fishies."

Ignoring his father, Teddy turned back to a page at the front of the book, "yap, yap!"

"This kid is more stubborn than Hermione," Harry muttered to himself.

"Mione?" Teddy gestured to the floo.

"Ted, you are a genius!" Harry rushed to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of powder from the ornate box on the mantle, "You can read to Hermione."

Teddy entertained Hermione, reading her the book about dogs and then switching it up to a book touchy-feely book about farm animals. Making "Baba" sounds, Teddy wandered away to grab his stuffed sheep. Distracted by his toys, he forgot about Hermione and started playing.

"So, Harry, your test is Friday?"

"Yes," He groaned, "you won't believe what happened today." Harry filled her in on Draco noticing that Harry's troubles may be with his vision, "that wanker called me a bloody idiot. I mean I am an idiot but I hate him."

Hermione simply raised her eyebrow at him.

"Fine, it's not his fault that I didn't know my prescription changed."

"It probably changed so slowly over time you didn't notice," she reassured him, "did you get new glasses? They look the same."

Removing his glasses, Harry rubbed his eyes, "Nah, I placed a rush order. They should be here tomorrow. I ordered black frames, they are more squarish. The optician said they suited me. I can't believe how far behind the wizarding world is on vision. Anyway, how are you? How are your classes?"

Hermione filled him in on her favorite courses and complained about the professors who didn't challenge their students. Reminding her that not all students wanted a stressful course load, Harry smiled smugly, "Are they teaching? Are the students learning? Simon says the professors take it easy on the undergraduates who may not be majoring in that subject."

Shrugging, Hermione mumbled under her breath about her comparative politics professor before changing the topic, "How is Simon? Did he choose a major yet? Ron told me that he took the news about magic really well."

"He is great. He likes most of his professors but he's not sure if he wants to declare until he takes a few more courses," Harry paused to check on Teddy on the other side of the room. Pleased that Teddy was still occupied, Harry continued, "His cousin is a witch. He confirmed with his aunt and uncle. I've invited him to come over after the NEWTs so he could meet Ted."

"That's wonderful, Harry."

"Mione! Mione!" Teddy rushed towards the floo with another book, "look!"

Harry smiled fondly as he watched Hermione and Teddy read together; his crappy day and poor mood forgotten.

~O-O~

"Just go! Teddy and I will have a great time at the zoo," Andi reassured Harry as she guided him towards the floo, "we are going to see lions!"

Teddy roared at Harry as he held up his stuff lion toy. Quickly dropping it, he grabbed his elephant and tried to make trumpeting sounds at his father, "Dada, gonna see elly-phant!"

"He has to wear his beanie hat to cover all his hair, it's a muggle zoo."

Andi cupped her cold hands around Harry's face, "Love, you are forgetting that Nymphadora was a metamorphmagus. I know how to handle a special child in the muggle world and I am quite adept at concealing charms. It will be fine."

"It fine, Dada," Teddy parroted as he hugged Harry's legs.

"All right, all right!" Harry scooped up the toddler and peppered his face with kisses, "I'll miss you. Have fun at the zoo."

Master Blackthorne had given the NEWT students Thursday and Friday off to they could prepare and take the test. Hannah had organized an all day / all night study session for Thursday for the five students taking the potions' NEWT. Harry knew he would miss Teddy's bedtime tonight and he wouldn't be home until the next night so he was fretting more than usual.

Grabbing his overnight bag and his backpack, Harry waved goodbye as he dropped floo powder, "Leaky Cauldron."

"Oi, Harry," Hannah shouted over the din in the dingy bar, "we got rooms upstairs."

For the remainder of the day, the students worked through a study guide that Draco had put together for them. They broke into two factions, three people to prepare ingredients and the other two brewing, they only stopped long enough to drain cups of tea. Once the potions were completed, they switched sides and started the next potion.

The night fell, Neville arrived with dinner for the group and a kiss on the cheek for Hannah.

When the students ignored him in favor of completing a practice test, he stood before them, clearing his throat loudly, "You have to eat." House elves set trays for the students as Neville collected their wands, "if you eat, you can have your wands back."

Feeling a bit punch drunk, Harry accioed his practice test wandlessly while applying a light tickle charm to Neville.

Not intimidated by his long time friend, Neville shot back a stinging hex.

"Ow!" Harry complained, "I'd have put up a shield if I knew you were going to be sadistic."

"Dinner, Harry. Or I'll tell Andi not to accept a firecall from you to say good night to Teddy."

At midnight, the group retired to dorm-style room next door to their study room. Most didn't bother with washing their faces or changing into pajamas, falling straight into the narrow beds.

Getting ready in the bathroom, Harry looked at himself in the mirror. He bit his lip thinking about the importance of tomorrow for his future then grinned at himself, "I've got this."

Climbing into bed, he felt uncomfortable as he heard the others tossing and turning. Someone was snoring quietly. Slowly, he relaxed as he heard the others fall asleep. Listening to steady sounds of breathing and snoring, he closed his eyes, allowing sleep to take him.

At six in the morning, the stressed and exhausted students fought over the bathroom and pots of tea. One house elf directed them to another bathroom while the others brought up more tea and breakfast.

Forty-five minutes later, the five students were lined up at the floo downstairs, ready to face the next step in their schooling.

~O-O~

A/N: Teddy is obsessed with the book Doggies by Sandra Boyton.