Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. There are also discussion of child abandonment and referenced past child abuse. Feel free to back out if need be.

Author's Note: I acknowledge that JKR made an apocryphal decision to not have Harry raise Teddy, but seeing as it was a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it.

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 14); MC4A (Year 4)
Individual Challenges: Best Stories (Y); La Vie Boheme; Fix-It Felix (Y); Gryffindor MC; Slytherin MC; Magical MC (x2); Neurodivergent; Rian-Russo Inversion (x2); Ethnic & Present (x2); Small Fry; Claimed; Ship Sails; Gwen's HP Bribery (Y); Hold the Mayo; Lunar Era; Old Shoes (Y); In a Flash; Bucket Listing (Y); Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Green Ribbon; Greatest Gift
House: Slytherin
Assignment No.: Term 14 – Assignment 10
Subject (Task No.): Culinary Arts (Task#1: Write a story with the theme: Loyalty or Trust.)
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Yearly Scavenger Hunt [07](Collected Same Pairing)[x5]; 365 [296](Kissing); Fantastic Beasts [193](Anger);
Other MC4A Challenges: SpB [2E](Bracelet/Anklet); TrB [3B](Comforting Comforter); Ship (Heroic Shadow)[Sp Big](Blanket)/[Sp Big](Jewelry)/[Sp Big](Stuffed Toy)/[Sp Big](Ceramic Mug)/[Sp Med 2](Cuddling/Snuggling); Hunt [Sp Items](Stuffed Toy)/[Sp Items](Ceramic Mug)/[Sp Con](Coffee); Chim [Isopra](Royal Purple; Jewelry)
Representation(s): Desi & Autistic Harry Potter/Blaise Zabini; Emotional Intimacy; BC Use
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Spinning Plates; Unwanted Advice; Tomorrow's Shade; Second Verse (Found Family; Nontraditional); Chorus (Wabi Sabi; Machismo); Demo 1 (Most Human Bean; Bad Beans); Demo 2 (Creature Feature; Forked Path; Soul-Like; Strange Potatoes); Demo 1 [x4](Lovely Coconuts; Lyre Liar; Under the Bridge; Lettuce Hold Hands); Demo 2 [x4](Unicorn; Abandoned Ship; Sitting Hummingbird; Hot Stuff)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: T3 (Terse; Tether); SN (Rail; Negate); CM (n/a)
Word Count: 620 words

(^^)
No Matter What
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Harry cuddled close to Blaise, letting the other man wrap the royal purple blanket around him. They could just be, safe in their own living room from anything that might try to pull them apart. They didn't need to worry about the world outside their little bubble. Teddy was with Andromeda, enjoying some time with his grandmother who was allowed to actually be a grandmother instead of being forced to be a parent again.

"I can't believe that they even suggested it," Harry burst out, unable to keep the thoughts inside once they had bubbled back to the surface. Blaise sighed only a little bit and pressed a kiss to Harry's forehead as he reached over for his ceramic mug to take a sip of his cooling coffee. "I admit that I expected something of that sort from Ron, because he always hates anything that might require him to actually do anything, and maybe Ginny has a point about how young I am, but Hermione? She's usually the epitome of responsibility and doing the right thing no matter what the cost. How could she suggest that I just leave Teddy in Andromeda's care? Without even suggesting that I help her raise him? He's my godson! He's my responsibility!"

"All this is true," Blaise observed as neutrally as possible. He had learned years ago that no matter how inconsiderate and callus their behavior was, Harry would listen to anyone else talk badly about those he viewed as his friends. He did understand. Harry had been so alone before coming to Hogwarts and they were some of the few friendly people he had met his own age. It was still frustrating, especially when they didn't think of how something might come across to Harry. Spotting one of Teddy's stuffies on the couch near them, he snagged it and pressed it against Harry's chest. "Of course you wouldn't just leave him with Andromeda on a permanent basis when his father asked you to take care of him."

"I couldn't," Harry said, staring down at the stuffed dragon in his hands. The fidget bracelet that was a gift from Luna made a gentle click as the beads moved with the way he was playing with the dragon's spikes. His voice was very small and quiet.

"I loved Sirius, but he should have stayed with me. Not, not when he broke out of Azkaban, because he was right to run then, when they would have killed him or locked him back up in that horrible place—I don't blame him for leaving then." Harry was mostly speaking to the stuffy. Gently, Blaise pulled him close, rubbing Harry's back to soothe the ache he would never be able to reach. "But when I was a baby, and he had pulled me from the wreckage of my nursery—he shouldn't have given me away. He shouldn't have left me to go chasing after Wormtail. He should have stayed."

Harry looked up at Blaise's face. His emerald eyes shone vividly against the dark tan of his face. They had a shimmer to them that stabbed Blaise to the dark depths of his soul.

"Why wasn't I enough for him to stay?" Harry asked, his voice thick with tears that Blaise knew he wouldn't shed, because those damn muggles that he continued to protect. Not having any kind of answer, Blaise just cupped his face and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. Then he pressed their foreheads together as Harry's breath hitched and quivered as he teetered on the edge of finally grieving for the childhood he could have had and would now make sure that Teddy got.

And be damned whatever his so-called friends thought of it.