Epilogue: New Year's Eve
Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year, New Year's Eve?
Song - What are you doing New Year's Eve, by Johnnyswim
31 December 2005
Draco
"Thank you," Harry said quietly, reaching his hand out.
Draco placed his in Harry's, but he raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"This. I know it's not exciting. Blaise's party sounded like something you'd have liked to go to. And I could completely see you on the rooftop of some posh restaurant, watching the fireworks. I'm sure this isn't quite what you had in mind for tonight."
Harry was right. This wasn't what Draco had envisioned.
He looked around at the quiet living room, the soft glow of the Christmas tree and the flicker of the flames in the fireplace casting the entire room in a golden hue. The muted telly was playing something Harry called a Hootenanny with some bloke named Jools, the people on the screen playing music and preparing for the countdown to midnight.
They were both sitting on the sofa, but they weren't cuddled up together, nor were they passionately making love to bring in the new year — both things that Draco would have assumed they'd do on a holiday together at home.
And yet, Draco couldn't bring himself to be disappointed. Instead of sparkling wine and loud music, there was a passed-out seven-year-old lying between them with a green lightsaber cradled in his arms, the thrill of the celebration not enough to keep him awake until midnight. The remnants of a board game — Monopoly, and why Harry thought that game would be a good idea was beyond Draco, but they'd all survived — lay on the coffee table, Cat now asleep in the middle of the board after batting off several of the pieces. Thalia, their owl, softly hooted from her perch near the window after her last-minute delivery of a New Year's package from Hermione and Ron. The Wheezes' noisemakers were sitting by Harry's feet, ready for when they decided to finally wake Teddy.
Draco squeezed Harry's hand and smirked. "Yes, well, I do feel terribly put out. After all, where's my champagne and caviar, Potter? How else does one properly greet the new year?"
"Well," Harry began, pulling his hand away and gently moving Teddy's head from his leg, "I actually had a feeling you might feel that way. Linney?"
When Linney popped in from the manor, Draco wasn't sure how Harry still managed to surprise him. The little elf was carrying a tray with two flutes of champagne, a smaller flute of what appeared to be grape juice, and three goblets of some kind of raspberry and creme parfait. It looked delightful.
"Should Linney put Teddy's in the cold box?"
Harry smiled at the little elf. "No, thank you, Linney. I'll be waking him in a few minutes to prepare for the celebration."
"Very good, Harry."
"Did you take some for yourself, as I suggested?"
The elf's eyes grew even wider than they naturally were, if that were possible. "Linney did. It was wonderful."
"Happy New Year, Linney," Harry said. "Can you stay and celebrate with us?"
She shook her head, looking nervously at Draco. "I's making sure Madame Malfoy and her sister have everything they need when they return from their party."
"Thank you, Linney," Draco interrupted. Harry would talk to the elf all evening if Draco gave him the opportunity, and she obviously was eager to return to the manor. "That'll be all."
She bobbed a little curtsey and popped away, and Draco just shook his head.
"What?" Harry asked with a grin, before looking down at his godson. "Should we wake him now?"
"Are we honestly going to wake him up and give him sweets, let him make noise, then expect him to go back to sleep?" It sounded like an unlikely plan to Draco.
"It's New Year's Eve. And he's not a baby anymore, he'll be fine." He unmuted the telly and shook Teddy's shoulder. "Teddy, it's almost midnight. Wake up."
Teddy blinked blearily at Harry before turning to Draco. "Did I miss it?"
Even half-asleep, Draco could hear the excitement in the boy's voice and knew Harry had been right. "Not at all. It's just about time."
Teddy jumped up, suddenly wide awake. "Yes! 2006! And I'm totally going to be eight this year, which is awesome. I've waited my whole life to be eight."
Harry shook with laughter, his eyes bright, making Draco's heart skip a beat.
"What?"
Shaking his head, Draco took a deep breath. How was this so perfect? How was this night, this man, this child, everything he needed? "Nothing. Just ready for my dessert."
"Dessert?" Teddy asked, jumping up.
Harry handed them each their goblets of dessert and a spoon. "So, what's your wish for the new year?"
Teddy froze. "Wish?"
"Yeah, wish. What's something that you want to make happen?"
Teddy shoved a bite of the raspberries, creme, and cake into his mouth while looking around in consideration.
Draco chuckled. "I know my wish."
Harry looked interested, and Teddy inhaled another bite, getting creme all over his lips.
Draco handed the boy a napkin. "Manners, Teddy." He wiped his own mouth, then continued. "I want to publish a paper and present it at the next PHIS Potion's Conference. It's too late to present at this year's, but if I can get the potion I'm working on figured out, I think I can get it submitted to present for next year."
"That's a great wish. What do you think, Teddy?"
"It's okay, I guess, if you like potions." His face was scrunched up like it was painful for him to try to be polite about such a thing.
"Well, it's a good thing I do. What's your wish then?"
"And remember, Jedis aren't real," Harry added. "So joining the Jedi order isn't a realistic wish."
Teddy rolled his eyes. "Fine." He put down his empty dessert and stood, turning to face them both. "My new year's wish is to learn to fly. For real, on my own broom, not on a kid's broom or with Uncle Harry."
Draco caught Harry's eye. That was going to be a challenging wish, as Andromeda didn't want Teddy learning just yet. But, perhaps, they might be able to convince her to let them teach Teddy over the summer.
"A worthy wish," Harry said boldly, placing his own empty dessert cup down by Teddy's. "Good choice."
"What's yours?" Teddy prompted. "Is it more exciting than Draco's?"
Harry cocked his head, then slowly nodded. "I think it is. Not that there's anything wrong with Draco's," he hurriedly added.
Draco just gestured for Harry to continue.
"I wish to learn more about my parents and family and heritage this year. It's something I haven't taken the time to do before, and all the things that I found out after just a couple of weeks of digging for Christmas reminded me that there are still people around who knew them. And I think it's time."
Teddy's eyes grew wide. "You don't know about your parents?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Harry shook his head. "I didn't get to grow up with my godfather and grandmother, so I didn't get to hear the stories much until I was older. I want to know more."
Teddy nodded. "That's a good wish."
Draco put his arm around the little boy with the biggest heart he'd ever seen, rubbing his shoulder. "It is."
The crowd on the telly started cheering louder, and Harry jumped up. "It's time!" He grabbed the box of noisemakers and gave them to Teddy to pick from, then handed Draco his champagne before grabbing his own.
"They're counting, Uncle Harry!"
"Count with them, then."
"Ten, nine, eight…" Teddy yelled, jumping up and down with each number.
Draco stepped close to Harry. "Seven, six, five, four…"
Harry brushed his nose along Draco's jaw. "Three, two, one."
"Happy New Year!" Teddy screamed in sync with the people on the telly, jumping up and down and making noise on his Wheezes' spoils.
"Happy New Year," Harry said quietly, capturing Draco's mouth with his own. Draco sank into the kiss, the feeling of home and love and family wrapping around him, or maybe that was just the feel of Harry's arms. They were the same, really.
"Eww, Draco!" Teddy jeered, and Draco pulled back, looking down at the little imp with the sly grin.
"You're just jealous."
"Gross! I hate kisses!"
Harry grabbed Teddy and pulled him up into his arms, laying a loud, smacking kiss on his cheek. "Noooo!" Teddy yelled, giggling.
"Happy New Year," Draco said, handing everyone their drinks and raising his glass. "To 2006."
Harry put Teddy down, the two of them dancing around the room, making noise, while Draco pushed Cat off the gameboard and began putting the pieces away. He'd never imaged a New Year's Eve quite like this, but now he couldn't imagine another one he'd like better.
Just him and his little family. He didn't need anything more.
And to think, Harry had thanked him for this, as if it'd been a hardship. Well, he was a Slytherin, so he'd just have to use that after Teddy was in bed to get Harry to do that thing with his tongue Draco loved so much.
And if he knew Harry would have done it anyway, all the better.
He drained the bottom of his champagne glass and watched Harry carry an exhausted Teddy up to bed. Happy New Year, my loves.
Finis
For real, this time.
