Part Two
Adaption
It was spring when Harry and Ron returned to London.
After visiting relatives and friends, the two promised to stop by the twins' shop the next day and go to lunch.
The next day found them wandering around Diagon Alley, taking in the old sights they hadn't seen for five years.
"It hasn't changed much." Harry remarked. Ron shrugged.
"It hasn't changed since my dad was young, why should it change now?"
Harry smiled. "It's the Muggle in me. Progress and all that."
Ron smirked, taking his hand. "I like the Muggle in you." He said softly.
Turning the corner, they found the twins joke shop had grown into somewhat of a novelty store.
They entered, Harry smiling at the bell announcing their arrival. The twins were at the counter speaking with a customer and his young son. Fred glanced up, and then did a double take. A slow grin appeared on his face and he slightly nudged his brother. George glanced up, not interrupting the conversation with the client, smiling briefly, then returning his attention to the man in front of him.
Fred waved.
"You know," Ron remarked. "Even after all these years, those two still give me the jeebies when they do that."
Harry laughed. Suddenly the young child broke the semi-silence in the store.
"Daddy, I want one of these." The small child exclaimed. The man at the counter glanced to his left then shook his head.
"Your mother would kill me." He stated.
The looks on the twin's faces confirmed his statement. But the boy didn't give up. He walked around the store looking for something he could beg his father for.
"Alexi, touch nothing."
"Okay." The boy said, fingering a snapdragon. He wandered around, stopping suddenly in front of Harry and Ron.
"Hi!"
Harry smiled down at the boy. The child couldn't have been over three; with golden blond hair and eyes so blue they were almost gray. The toddler glanced over at Ron, then his eyes widening, glanced back at the twins, then back at Ron.
"You a Weasley!" He announced happily. Ron smirked.
"I might be."
"Don't let him fool you, Alexi." Fred announced. "No matter how much he wants to deny it, he's a Weasley. A Weasley who takes off for parts unknown for years at a time, but still a Weasley."
"We were traveling." Ron defended, glaring at his grinning older brother.
Harry watched as George said something to the man at the counter, who suddenly stiffened. His eyes narrowed as he took in the man's appearance. Long white blond hair, expensive looking clothing. With the exception of the toddler running around calling his Daddy, he would think it was...
The man turned slowly, and Harry's face registered shock.
"Malfoy?"
Draco nodded his head slightly. "Potter, Weasley. Come back to London, I see."
Harry nodded back. "Just got in yesterday."
Draco smirked. "Funny, I didn't hear about it."
Ron took that opportunity to jump into the conversation. "Why would you hear about it?"
Draco smirk grew wider as did the twins. "Oh yes, you wouldn't know, would you."
He turned, gathering up his package from George.
"Same time next week." He said. George grinned.
"One day she's going to ban you from coming in here."
Draco smiled. "She wouldn't. She knows it's Alexi's favorite place."
He nodded to the twins, and then glanced around for the toddler. "Alexi, lunch."
The small child came rushing over to him. "We get mommy and Anna now?"
He nodded at his son then walked towards the door, glancing briefly at the two men still giving him a confused stare.
"Gentlemen. I assume I'll see you around?"
Then the two walked out the door. Harry and Ron looked back over at the twins who were both wearing expectant looks.
"What?" Ron asked.
"You really don't know, do you?" Fred asked.
"Know what?" Ron asked.
"Draco got married about four years ago. A year after you two took off for parts unknown."
Ron shrugged. "And this would interest us why?"
The door opened again and Ginny walked in with a young blond girl about the same age and look of the child who'd just left with Draco.
"Hi guys." He said, smiling at Harry and Ron before turning her attention back to the twins.
"I take it Draco and Alexi have already left?"
"I'm surprised you didn't run into them." Fred said.
"Different way. Flourish and Blotts is the opposite way from the Leaky Cauldron." She said.
"Oh, it's McDouglas today, isn't it?" George said, a maniacal gleam in his eye. Ginny nodded, grinning.
"That's why I'm here. Someone has to watch the two in the play place."
Ron's frown grew. "What is going on? When did the Weasleys become so bloody chummy with the Malfoys?
Ginny looked at him perturbed. "When he married your best friend, you dolt. I know you got the wedding invitation. I sent them myself."
Harry was suddenly nervous. "We didn't receive the invitation until the day after the wedding. I meant to write a letter, but we got too busy and..."
"We only received one wedding invitation." Ron stated. "Hermione got married, and..." He trailed off as three red haired siblings looked at him expectantly. Harry paled.
"Oh bloody hell."
"I sent Anastasia with Ginny. She was getting restless."
"After three hours in a book store. I can't understand why."
Hermione glared playfully at her husband, then glanced around the street.
"Here she comes now. With...oh."
Draco grimaced. "I neglected to tell you. Potter and Weasley are back in town. Sorry."
Hermione braced herself. "Not much one can do about it now."
"Sorry we're late." Ginny called out as she approached. "We got tied up in the twins' store."
She nodded absently, watching the two men walking behind her. She smiled, feeling her husband's hand on her back.
"When did you two get back?" She asked.
"Yesterday. I'm so sorry 'Mione." Harry said, reaching over to give her a hug. She tried not to flinch at the nickname she hadn't been called in years. She hugged Ron next, then stepped back.
"We were going to owl you last night, but some people came over and before we knew it..." Ron said. She nodded.
I understand completely." She said.
The young girl frowned over at the two men, then grabbed her mother's hand with her free one.
"Wanna go..." she whined. Her brother joined in.
"Me too. Wanna go play."
Ginny leaned towards Hermione slightly. "Draco and I can take them if you want to catch up." She suggested. Hermione shook her head.
"No. This is a family outing." She stated. Turning her attention at the two men, she smiled pleasantly.
"The natives are getting restless. I promised them McDouglas today and they're quite anxious. Owl me when you get settled in and we'll meet for lunch or something." She said. Leaning over, she gave them both a quick peck on the cheek. "It was wonderful to see you again."
Smiling at them, she turned her attention to the toddler pulling at her hand.
"Yes Anna, let's go."
Ginny threw her brother and his partner a sympathic glance, and Draco nodded silently before picking up the small boy and walking towards the entrance to the pub and the Muggle world.
Ron frowned, watching the five walk off. "You think she's mad?"
Harry shook his head, suddenly feeling a little melancholy. "No. She's adapted."
Adaption
It was spring when Harry and Ron returned to London.
After visiting relatives and friends, the two promised to stop by the twins' shop the next day and go to lunch.
The next day found them wandering around Diagon Alley, taking in the old sights they hadn't seen for five years.
"It hasn't changed much." Harry remarked. Ron shrugged.
"It hasn't changed since my dad was young, why should it change now?"
Harry smiled. "It's the Muggle in me. Progress and all that."
Ron smirked, taking his hand. "I like the Muggle in you." He said softly.
Turning the corner, they found the twins joke shop had grown into somewhat of a novelty store.
They entered, Harry smiling at the bell announcing their arrival. The twins were at the counter speaking with a customer and his young son. Fred glanced up, and then did a double take. A slow grin appeared on his face and he slightly nudged his brother. George glanced up, not interrupting the conversation with the client, smiling briefly, then returning his attention to the man in front of him.
Fred waved.
"You know," Ron remarked. "Even after all these years, those two still give me the jeebies when they do that."
Harry laughed. Suddenly the young child broke the semi-silence in the store.
"Daddy, I want one of these." The small child exclaimed. The man at the counter glanced to his left then shook his head.
"Your mother would kill me." He stated.
The looks on the twin's faces confirmed his statement. But the boy didn't give up. He walked around the store looking for something he could beg his father for.
"Alexi, touch nothing."
"Okay." The boy said, fingering a snapdragon. He wandered around, stopping suddenly in front of Harry and Ron.
"Hi!"
Harry smiled down at the boy. The child couldn't have been over three; with golden blond hair and eyes so blue they were almost gray. The toddler glanced over at Ron, then his eyes widening, glanced back at the twins, then back at Ron.
"You a Weasley!" He announced happily. Ron smirked.
"I might be."
"Don't let him fool you, Alexi." Fred announced. "No matter how much he wants to deny it, he's a Weasley. A Weasley who takes off for parts unknown for years at a time, but still a Weasley."
"We were traveling." Ron defended, glaring at his grinning older brother.
Harry watched as George said something to the man at the counter, who suddenly stiffened. His eyes narrowed as he took in the man's appearance. Long white blond hair, expensive looking clothing. With the exception of the toddler running around calling his Daddy, he would think it was...
The man turned slowly, and Harry's face registered shock.
"Malfoy?"
Draco nodded his head slightly. "Potter, Weasley. Come back to London, I see."
Harry nodded back. "Just got in yesterday."
Draco smirked. "Funny, I didn't hear about it."
Ron took that opportunity to jump into the conversation. "Why would you hear about it?"
Draco smirk grew wider as did the twins. "Oh yes, you wouldn't know, would you."
He turned, gathering up his package from George.
"Same time next week." He said. George grinned.
"One day she's going to ban you from coming in here."
Draco smiled. "She wouldn't. She knows it's Alexi's favorite place."
He nodded to the twins, and then glanced around for the toddler. "Alexi, lunch."
The small child came rushing over to him. "We get mommy and Anna now?"
He nodded at his son then walked towards the door, glancing briefly at the two men still giving him a confused stare.
"Gentlemen. I assume I'll see you around?"
Then the two walked out the door. Harry and Ron looked back over at the twins who were both wearing expectant looks.
"What?" Ron asked.
"You really don't know, do you?" Fred asked.
"Know what?" Ron asked.
"Draco got married about four years ago. A year after you two took off for parts unknown."
Ron shrugged. "And this would interest us why?"
The door opened again and Ginny walked in with a young blond girl about the same age and look of the child who'd just left with Draco.
"Hi guys." He said, smiling at Harry and Ron before turning her attention back to the twins.
"I take it Draco and Alexi have already left?"
"I'm surprised you didn't run into them." Fred said.
"Different way. Flourish and Blotts is the opposite way from the Leaky Cauldron." She said.
"Oh, it's McDouglas today, isn't it?" George said, a maniacal gleam in his eye. Ginny nodded, grinning.
"That's why I'm here. Someone has to watch the two in the play place."
Ron's frown grew. "What is going on? When did the Weasleys become so bloody chummy with the Malfoys?
Ginny looked at him perturbed. "When he married your best friend, you dolt. I know you got the wedding invitation. I sent them myself."
Harry was suddenly nervous. "We didn't receive the invitation until the day after the wedding. I meant to write a letter, but we got too busy and..."
"We only received one wedding invitation." Ron stated. "Hermione got married, and..." He trailed off as three red haired siblings looked at him expectantly. Harry paled.
"Oh bloody hell."
"I sent Anastasia with Ginny. She was getting restless."
"After three hours in a book store. I can't understand why."
Hermione glared playfully at her husband, then glanced around the street.
"Here she comes now. With...oh."
Draco grimaced. "I neglected to tell you. Potter and Weasley are back in town. Sorry."
Hermione braced herself. "Not much one can do about it now."
"Sorry we're late." Ginny called out as she approached. "We got tied up in the twins' store."
She nodded absently, watching the two men walking behind her. She smiled, feeling her husband's hand on her back.
"When did you two get back?" She asked.
"Yesterday. I'm so sorry 'Mione." Harry said, reaching over to give her a hug. She tried not to flinch at the nickname she hadn't been called in years. She hugged Ron next, then stepped back.
"We were going to owl you last night, but some people came over and before we knew it..." Ron said. She nodded.
I understand completely." She said.
The young girl frowned over at the two men, then grabbed her mother's hand with her free one.
"Wanna go..." she whined. Her brother joined in.
"Me too. Wanna go play."
Ginny leaned towards Hermione slightly. "Draco and I can take them if you want to catch up." She suggested. Hermione shook her head.
"No. This is a family outing." She stated. Turning her attention at the two men, she smiled pleasantly.
"The natives are getting restless. I promised them McDouglas today and they're quite anxious. Owl me when you get settled in and we'll meet for lunch or something." She said. Leaning over, she gave them both a quick peck on the cheek. "It was wonderful to see you again."
Smiling at them, she turned her attention to the toddler pulling at her hand.
"Yes Anna, let's go."
Ginny threw her brother and his partner a sympathic glance, and Draco nodded silently before picking up the small boy and walking towards the entrance to the pub and the Muggle world.
Ron frowned, watching the five walk off. "You think she's mad?"
Harry shook his head, suddenly feeling a little melancholy. "No. She's adapted."