A BIG thank you to those who are reading the story. For further clarification:
Prologue through Chapter 3 (or 4 according to ff.net) was two years after Hogwarts and Cherish was 6 months old. In Chapter 4 (or 5 according to ff.net) when Harry comes in the picture, it is ten years after Hogwarts and Cherish is eight years old.
Also, Samantha and Joel were not together in the first four parts of the story. They got together over the eight year time span that passed between chapters. Before that, they were best friends from High School.
Another thanks to the reviewers. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at my email, which is listed at the bottom of this chapter.
Not JK Rowling. I don't own Harry Potter or the entire world within. Anything you recognize would belong to her. Anything you don't would belong to me, including the crack!plot of this trifle of a story. I am (obviously) making no money off this though if you really want to sue me, I've got $10.00. Good day.
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"This is the place," said Joel, turning his key in the lock and opening up the door to apartment 1513. He turned on the lights and draped his leather jacket over the back of the chair as Ron, Hermione, Harry, and the kids walked in. Samantha shut the door behind them all and set her purse on the counter, torn between thanking Joel and wanting to strangle him for not even having a clue.
After finishing their desserts, Joel had led the crew away from the diner leaving behind a very stressed Draco Malfoy who just wanted to go home and be left alone. Part of Joel felt bad for this as he had left this fragile Draco with an irritated but relieved Francois and he figured they'd be lucky if both men lived past five o'clock. On the walk, Samantha had informed Joel that Draco was not going to be coming over and Joel was now trying to concoct a clever scheme.
"So you said Draco lived right across the hall from you," said Ron, sitting on the couch and accepting the beer offered to him.
"Yeah. I used to live over there, too, but when Sam and I got together, I moved in with her. She needed a roommate anyway after hers bailed. Draco and Cherish live across the hall now."
"I can't believe he has a daughter. How old is she?"
"Eight," said Samantha. "He absolutely adores her. All they've really got is each other."
"If you don't mind me asking," said Harry, "what happened?"
Samantha and Joel exchanged glances, looking at Harry and still having a hard time believing that Draco's mysterious ex was sitting right in their living room. Dropping his head, Harry avoided their gazes as he ran a hand through his disheveled black hair.
"I take it you know about my history with Draco."
Clearing her throat, Samantha said, "We know that you were together but that's really it. Draco doesn't tell us really much of anything. All we know is that there was a matter in a difference of opinion between his father and you, leaving him in the middle to choose sides. We know he broke up with you, but disagreed with his father on some matter, and was disinherited. He doesn't tell us any more than that and we don't really ask questions. It's understood that his past remains in the past."
"We all know that he wanted to start over and then this life didn't treat him much better," said Joel. "We've been friends with him for about ten years now. Anything there is to know about his life in New York we know like the back of our own hands but there is very little we know about him from before."
"Indeed," said Harry. "Well than I won't tell you anything because it's Draco's decision if he wants to tell you anything or not. I suppose the same thing goes for what happened with his daughter."
"We tried to get him to come over here after work but he won't come," said Samantha. "Hey, Joel, can you entertain Ron and Hermione? Gwen should be by with Devin and Andrea soon and the kids can play together. I want to speak to Harry privately."
"Sure. Go out on the balcony. We'll stay here and behave. I'll tell them all about the wonders of cooking in bathtubs."
"You do that." Turning to Harry, she gave him a gentle smile and said, "Follow me."
Walking to the back of the apartment, Harry and Samantha reached a glass door and turned to open up a balcony. Stepping out onto it, Samantha leaned against the railing and looked down at the pavement below where people were walking in the middle afternoon. Checking her watch, she sighed.
"It's just after five. He should be home soon."
"What did you want to talk to me about?" asked Harry, walking up next to her.
"Draco, of course. It's just that - well - he's been going through a rough time for the past eight years. Ten years, really, and from what I understand, he was going through a rough time before he even moved to New York. I asked him to come over here and talk to you after work but he won't because he's scared. He's been hurt and I know he's hurt you. He just doesn't know what to do and I think that you two need to talk."
Harry sighed. "I do want to talk to him. I just don't know what I would say."
"'I don't hate you' would be a nice start," she said, laughing. "'Hello' is always a nice, simple option."
"What are you suggesting?"
"I think you should go over to his apartment and talk to him. I don't know the circumstances of your relationship with him, what happened during it or how it ended because he won't tell us, but I see him everyday, Harry. He still loves you more than you can imagine."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Harry, one of the main reasons he's raising that little girl of his alone is because of the way he still feels about you. Joel and I have heard nothing for the past eight years but that he wasn't ready to date again because it's not fair to date when his heart is still far too attached to you."
"He chose his father over me," Harry said. "When it came down to me or his father, he chose his father."
"Actually, he ended up choosing a new life all together. All I can tell you is that he showed up at Joel's apartment with one bag and a bank account full of money. We knew that he had just graduated a few months ago, been disinherited by his father, and was still madly in love with his ex. It was two years until we knew your name, much less your gender, and we still hardly know anything. When it came down to you or his father, he tried to choose his father and he ended up choosing neither."
"That was his fault."
"Oh come on, Harry. I admit I don't know you or what happened between you and Draco, but it's been ten years. The least you could do is see what he has to say directly from him. See for yourself if he still loves you. He lives right across the hall and I know he's got to be home by now. . .You still love him. I know you do. I can see the pain in your eyes for him when I tell you about him."
Holding his head, Harry was leaning against the railing with his elbows propped up against the metal. There was a strong, relentless pounding in his head as he tried to make rational sense of any of his thoughts but nothing was coherent. He released a short cough, closed his eyes, and sighed as he felt the warm spring breeze sweep across the planes of his face.
"I do still love him. You don't ever forget someone like Draco."
"So go talk to him. You know you want to."
"But he doesn't."
"Yes he does. He's just scared. He knows he's hurt you and he's afraid that you're going to hurt him back. He's been burned badly over the course of ten years. I can promise you that it hasn't been easy on him raising Cherish alone. He loves her to death but she can be quite a handful."
"Kids are a handful all together."
"I know. You should go see him."
Nodding, Harry said, "I will. Right across the hall?"
"Right across the hall. Number 1512."
"Okay." Taking a deep breath, Harry went back through the balcony door.
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Draco threw his keys on the counter and sat down with a glass of water as Cherish slammed the door behind her. Dropping her bookbag next to one of the chairs at the kitchen table, she disappeared into her bedroom only to reemerge ten minutes later in jean shorts and a red t-shirt after changing out of her blue plaid uniform.
"I think maybe we should move," said Draco as Cherish sat down at the table to begin her homework.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because your Uncle Joel is starting to drive me crazy."
"Daddy, he is not. You've been saying that for years. I don't want to move. I like it here."
"Fine, but remember that if he drives me crazy and I can no longer take care of you, you're going to be sent to live with Joel and Samantha."
"I like Uncle Joel and Aunt Samantha. You just don't like them because they think you need to do more and I have to admit, I agree."
"Cherish, you're supposed to be on my side. You're my daughter."
"Yes, but Daddy, I'm sick of going to sleepovers and having you call me because you're worried that I'll get hurt. All the girls at school think you're really strange. I don't like how you aren't happy. You don't need to go get married or anything but you could at least go out with Uncle Joel sometime. I'd be okay."
"I don't know what makes you think I'm unhappy. We don't need anyone else, babe. We've got each other."
"I know, Daddy, and I do love you, but you're missing something. What was wrong with you in at the diner today?"
"Nothing was wrong. First Joel and now you? What is it going to take to convince you that there wasn't anything wrong?"
"Daddy, there was something wrong. Usually when I come in you give me a hug and a kiss on my forehead and you ask me how school was. Today you started talking to Uncle Joel right away. You didn't even want to see my spelling test. Something was wrong."
"I'm sorry, babe. Let me see your spelling test now." She looked at him with uncertainty but began to search through her folders. Draco climbed off the stool at the counter and walked over to the table to sit at the chair next to her.
"Here it is. I got all my words right." Cherish handed him the paper with the big, red 'A+' and '100%' on it. "Only me and two other girls got perfect scores on it."
"Good job. I'm very proud of you." Putting down her test after looking over it, Draco wrapped his arms around Cherish and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, babe. I'm sorry about earlier today. I was having a bad day. I didn't mean to upset you."
"I love you, too. You didn't upset me, I just didn't want you to be sad."
"As long as I have you, I won't be, okay?"
She nodded. "Okay, Daddy. Can you help me with my homework today?"
"Sure, babe. You haven't needed help in a while. What do you need to do?"
"I have to write a report about something in my heritage." Draco's breath caught in his throat. "I figured since you moved here from England you could tell me something about there."
He forced a smile. "Yeah, I can do that. Just let me go to the bathroom first and then we can work on this."
"Okay." Cherish smiled as Draco disappeared into the bathroom. Opening a notebook, she dated the page and started thinking up things to write her report about. She was on her third one when there was a knock at the door. Setting her pencil down, Cherish walked to the door and tugged it open. "Can I help you?"
"Is Draco here?" said Harry, looking down at the little girl with a sense of unease.
"He's in the bathroom but you can come in and wait for him." Cherish stepped aside and opened the door further so that Harry could enter over the threshold. She slammed the door behind him and sat back down at the table. He was shifting uncomfotably in their kitchen and she narrowed her eyes as she watched him. "You were at the diner today, weren't you?"
"Yeah."
"How do you know my daddy?"
"We used to be friends."
"In England?" she asked, noticing his accent.
"Yeah."
"What's your name?"
"Harry."
"Harry Potter?"
Harry could feel his eyelids slowly drifting shut as he realized she knew. She had to know. Her eyes were huge, mouth agape, and waiting for an answer. He nodded. "Yeah. That's me."
"Oh that's it." Slamming down her pencil, Cherish left Harry in the kitchen and rounded the corner to the bathroom door. "Daddy! You better almost be done in there, you liar!"
The door opened and Draco stared down at his daughter. "What are you talking about, babe?"
"You said that nothing happened at the diner today and you lied."
"What do you mean I lied? I didn't lie."
"You did too. You said nothing happened but Harry was at the diner today. Your Harry. He was at the diner today."
"What are you talking about, babe?"
"Don't lie to me again, Daddy. He was. He told me so. He's in the kitchen right now."
"Our kitchen? Right now?"
"Yes and you're going to go talk to him." Grabbing Draco's arm, Cherish pulled him into view and Draco's eyes locked with Harry's. "Now you two sit down and talk like rational, mature adults. I'm going to go over to Uncle Joel's and play with Devin. Behave yourselves."
Staring at the now shut door, Draco muttered, "Tricky, tricky, tricky. That little girl is too smart for her own good."
"She's adorable," said Harry, also watching the door. "Looks like her father."
"I know. So. Harry."
"Draco."
"You want something to drink?"
"Yeah. Drinks. A drink would be good."
"Do you want apple juice, grape juice, or water?"
Harry laughed. "You do have an eight year old in the apartment. Grape."
Removing the grape juice from the refrigerator, Draco filled two glasses and handed one to Harry. They both sat down opposite each other at the counter.
"We need to talk," Harry croaked out. "I know I may have found you completely by accident but I still found you and I don't think we should waste this opportunity."
"Getting straight to the point, are you?"
"Well, yeah. What are you doing in New York?"
"I could ask you that very same question. I live here. What's your excuse?"
"Ron and Hermione thought I was overworking myself so they brought me here for a holiday. In fact, they said that Albus suggested it and was pushing it quite strongly. Something about living like muggles for the children's benefit."
"That crackpot old fool. I bet he knows I'm here."
Harry gave a short, forced laugh. "Maybe. Why do you live here?"
"What do you care?" Draco began swirling his straw around the grape juice.
"I do care, Draco. What happened between us happened a long time ago. I got over the anger I felt for you then when I found out you weren't a Death Eater."
"How did you know I wasn't a Death Eater?"
"Your father said so when he was questioned before going off to Azkaban."
"My father is in Azkaban?"
Harry almost fell off his stool. "Yeah. . .didn't you know?"
"No. When did that happen?"
"After I defeated Voldemort."
Draco snorted. "So you finally did it, eh? Finally defeated the Dark Lord?"
"Yeah. About eight years ago. Then the Death Eaters started to get sent to Azkaban and your father was one of them. I've been worried about you."
"What for? I was a coward. You should have hated me."
"I loved you, Draco. I loved you back in school and I never wanted to break up. In fact, I still do love you. Nothing is ever going to change the way I feel for you."
"It would change if you knew everything that's happened to me."
"Test me."
"What?"
"You said it would change if I knew everything that's happened to you. Test me."
"No, Harry."
"Yes, Draco. Tell me what happened. I want to know everything. I'm fairly confident that I'll still love you regardless. My love for you was never conditional. I loved you even when I thought you were a Death Eater. I loved you even when you were standing across from me and telling me that you thought we should see other people. I didn't come to New York to see you but since I have, and you're conveniently right down the street from the hotel Albus recommended to us, I'm making the best out of this. Test me, Draco. If I decide that I don't want to love you anymore, I'll walk out that door, but if I decide that I still love you, then I'm going to kiss you and you have to work with me on rebuilding our friendship and relationship."
"What makes you think I still love you?"
"I know you do. Just admit it."
"Gotten a little arrogant over the years, have you, Potter?"
"Only when it comes to you, Malfoy. Admit it."
"I will admit no such thing."
"Still stubborn as ever but your eyes still betray you. Admit it."
"Fine, Potter. I'm still in love with you. Are you happy?"
"Ecstatic. Now tell me what's happened to you. I want to know."
Draco sighed. "Fine."
"Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, we have a deal."
"Good, now explain why you're living as a muggle in New York."
"When I broke up with you, I really did think I was going to become a Death Eater. I hated breaking up with you and it practically killed me that you weren't there for me anymore. When my father confronted me about my initiation - I don't know. I just couldn't do it. I left the house with my wand and my Gringotts key. After exchanging my money for muggle money and getting my affairs in order, I decided that I wanted to get out of England and away from my father forever."
"Why didn't you come see me? You could have come to me."
"I was scared, Harry. I just broke up with you and I was embarrassed. I thought that you hated me and that it was too late to go back to you. The only option I really saw in front of me was to start over so I decided to go to New York. When I got here, I got a place to stay with Joel and I got a job. I decided not to use magic again because that was part of my old life so I wrapped up my wand and I hide it in a loose floorboard under my closet. I couldn't bear to snap it in half but I never use it."
"So you just figured that by leaving magic behind, you were starting this new life without it where things could be better and you wouldn't have all that baggage of being a Malfoy to carry around."
"Exactly. No one here knew who I was or knew my father. No one heard the name 'Malfoy' and immediately cowered. Well, Joel talked me into going out with this girl Melody that lived across the hall. I got her pregnant, hence Cherish, but it was too soon for me. Mel wanted to get married but I was still too much in love with you. I didn't love Mel and after a rather intense fight, I told her that I wasn't ever going to marry her. A few weeks later, she left me with Cherish to go to work. She's expected back any minute now."
Draco sighed, closing his eyes, but they were only shut momentarily because they popped right open again as he felt a pair of soft lips press against his.
"I said I'd kiss you if I still loved you," explained Harry.
"But -"
"Your daughter's name is Cherish. That's so sweet."
"Yeah. I - I picked it. She wanted something stupid like 'Kiara'."
"I'm sorry, Draco."
"You don't need to be. Cherish and I are fine on our own."
"How old was Cherish when Melody left?"
"Six months."
Harry's jaw dropped. "So you've been raising her alone for almost eight years now?"
"Yes, I have. We're perfectly fine. We don't need pity."
"I'm not pitying you, but I still do love you."
"You never give up, Harry, do you?"
"Nope."
"Look, I have an eight year old daughter. I love her so much. I don't know how Mel could have ever turned her back on Cherish. I can't even comprehend how much I love my little girl. She's wonderful but I'm a mess. I've made nothing out of my life. I don't know what you think you're going to find by coming back into my life, Harry, but I think we're beyond repair."
"No we aren't. So you've had a bad eight years. I've been miserable without you and if what I hear is true, you've been miserable without me. Give us another chance. Don't you want to?"
"I - do want to. Let me talk to Cherish about it first. I don't - I haven't been dating in a really long time. I'm not doing anything without checking to see how she feels about it first."
"That's fair, but I want you to know that I'm not going to give up on us again. It's been ten years and I still can't get you out of my head. That means something to me."
"I know what you mean. I love you, Harry."
"I love you, Draco."
With an open exchange of love, they sealed the promise of rebuilding, if only a friendship, with a kiss.
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