It took a few days, and a few matches, for Potter to be wiped from memory. He saw Teddy a few times in between that, Andromeda bringing him over for a few more babysitting nights. He was actually gearing himself up for another one of those nights when the door went a few hours earlier than usual.
He lifted his head up from his mother's bed, watching as she frowned. She wasn't expecting anyone then.
Grabbing his wand, he told her to "Stay here," as he ventured slowly down the stairs.
Naturally she didn't listen, and was almost right behind him as he opened the door to see none other than Andromeda on the other side. Andromeda, Teddy and three guests that had certainly not been on the invite list.
Mother pushed past him after the silence that should have been filled with pleasantries remained empty. "Well," she said, plastering on that smile Draco had hated growing up, "no use standing out here now is it. Come in, come in, darling put the kettle on won't you."
She nudged him when he still didn't move, Draco hesitating a moment long before stalking to the kitchen. It would be fine. Potter wouldn't hurt his mother. Granger maybe, but Weasley was just as spineless as Potter. His mother would be fine. They had Teddy too, they wouldn't hurt her in front of a child.
Still, he'd never made tea faster in his life, near running along the halls as he searched for where his mother might have taken their guests. Sometimes it sucked living in a house this big.
He found them eventually, his mother and Andromeda standing to the side while the other four lounged on the floor, Teddy showing them all his favourite spots. "Tea?" Draco offered out, setting the tray down. He sort of wished he hadn't when he straightened again, his hands feeling awkward without anything to do. He couldn't just snatch Teddy either since he was monopolising everyone else's attention.
Or he had been. "Thanks," Potter said, stretching himself along to grab a cup. Idiot didn't even wait to see if it were poisoned before taking a sip. How on earth he'd defeated the Dark Lord would continue to baffle Draco.
He stuffed his hands behind his back, digging his nails in as he wondered what now. What was Potter even doing here? What were any of them?
"Draco for Merlin's sake will you sit down, you look like you're about to faint," Andromeda told him.
He did after a moment, on the chair as far away from anyone he could get. Teddy seemed to notice him then, rolling onto his front and stumbling towards him with a big grin on his face, "Dwake," he held his hands up.
"Yes, yes, hello," he plopped Teddy next to him, "We saw each other last week remember. You threw up all over my dinner." That had been a trying moment in his life. Especially because he'd been put off the rest of his dinner when the waiter had brought him a replacement. He was never one to pass up good food, not these days, so stuffing it down without being reminded of the former was definitely not his favourite experience..
Yet Teddy didn't seem to think so, or even remember it as he shook his head with a long, "Noooo."
"Yeees," Draco parrotted back. He wasn't going to lose an argument with a two year old.
Teddy laughed, his hair turning white as he started on everything Draco had missed in the week since they'd last seen each other. There was quite a lot there. Enough to fill the time between whatever conversation his mother and Andromeda were having was over.
His mother disappeared, Andromeda next, this time taking Draco as she handed Teddy over to Potter. "I know this is a bit of a shock Draco."
He snorted. A bit?
"Harry is Teddy's godfather," she reminded him, "And he's just finished school. I honestly hadn't thought about him turning up until he did, and when I said I was bringing him around here…"
He understood. Really. "You could have let him babysit," Draco mumbled. "I don't mind." There was still time for Andromeda to hand Teddy over to Potter.
This time Andromeda snorted, "No offence to him but I wouldn't trust that boy alone with Teddy for a minute."
He wasn't exactly alone, Draco wanted to point out, but Andromeda's raised brow told him not to argue.
"It's just for tonight. They promised to behave as well. Don't worry, I had a long talk with them before bringing them over."
He shook his head, "You shouldn't have." Why they were here at all he didn't understand. Why anyone would willingly come here he didn't understand.
"It's just for tonight," Andromeda repeated.
He wouldn't fight her. It was her prerogative to bring whoever she wanted to look after Teddy around. So he didn't say anything, and let himself be led back into a room with Potter, Granger and Weasley.
Everything was alright for a while. Andromeda was one of those people who could just make other people want to talk, so after a few moments the parlour was filled with talk of Hogwarts and classes and everything Draco had missed out on. "There's still houses but the common rooms don't have passwords anymore so everyone was just going everywhere." "I camped out in the Hufflepuff common room for ten days. I tell you they have it good there." "The classes were a little monotonous but I suppose that's what I signed up for."
Then Draco's mother came down in her nice clothes and off Andromeda went. Meaning Draco was on his own with these people. Teddy too, but he refused to lump his cousin in with those three. Blessed Teddy who thought adults were fun for all of half an hour before playing with his toy dragon.
He looked up exactly once and that was it. That was all it took for them to think they could ask him questions. Stupid ones too like, "Didn't there used to be birds in your gardens?"
He stuffed his hands underneath his legs, "Listen Weasley, let's not make this evening any harder than it has to be. I won't talk to you, you don't talk to me and we just look after Teddy. Okay?"
"I was just asking-"
"Well don't."
Weasley shared a look with the other two, "Alright then," he agreed, then quietly, "Prick."
Fine. He didn't mind name calling. Didn't mind it at all. It was better than conversation. Still, "Could you also watch your language?" he nodded to where Teddy was watching them with careful eyes.
"You're the one who's coming off all aggressive," Weasley snapped.
"Ron," Granger hissed, whacking him in the chest lightly, she, at least, reading the room right.
Potter cleared his throat, shuffling towards Teddy, "Why don't you show me what you're doing then?"
It became pretty clear why Andromeda didn't want Potter, or any of them really, looking after Teddy on their own. Distantly Draco remembered Andromeda telling him Potter wasn't very good with the whole nappies and feedings thing. Truthfully Potter wasn't good with anything relating to Teddy.
It was pretty humbling watching all three of them try and navigate looking after a child. Even Weasley looked out of his depth, and he had more than enough infants running around his own house if word was to be believed.
He knew it wasn't wholly their fault. Draco wasn't exactly any good with kids either before Andromeda just thrust Teddy on him all of a sudden. Going off to Hogwarts wouldn't have helped their case either. They just weren't used to looking after a tiny inquisitive child.
Still, Draco let them take the lead here. He wasn't up for listening to them tell him off all night, which he was sure one of them was dying to do if he so much as tried to make any decisions concerning Teddy. He could see it in the way Weasley pointedly blocked him from reaching Teddy. Or Granger suggested everything in the book so they wouldn't have to ask Draco.
It didn't help that Teddy could smell weakness like a bacon sarnie. He was walking all over every single one of them before the night was through, conning Potter out of more than his usual share of sweets for one sitting. He made Granger believe his bedtime was at least an hour later than it usually was, and Weasley that he'd already had a bath that morning.
It was rather impressive. Until it was just plain tiring and Draco really just wanted to go to bed. Only then did he hop up, taking Teddy out of Granger's arms. "Right, bathtime then bed. No arguments."
Teddy turned betrayed eyes on him, "But-"
"No buts," Draco was holding firm on this. "You know as well as I do your nighttime routine now march mister."
Teddy pouted up at him, as if testing to see if Draco would crack before stomping off towards the stairs, Draco right behind him.
Teddy complained the entire time Draco got him ready for bed, and quite frankly Draco was regretting his decision to let the other three take the lead when he heard, "But Herma, let me," in that weird way all two year olds did with a break every two words.
"I don't care what Herma said, I'm in charge and you know that," hopefully. Otherwise this was going to be harder than it always was.
The bath was drawn quickly, Draco never liking to extend this part of the routine longer than it needed to be. Really if Andromeda knew just how short bathtime was Draco was sure she would actually start bathing Teddy on a morning. Still, he couldn't help his dislike of this place. Of the drips he could hear from the tap, of the way he could hear people coming, his spine tensing until it was near painful as his brian immediately told him there was someone dangerous there not, "Hawwy! Hawwy tell Dwaco I stay up."
"Don't tell him anything," Draco warned, wrestling one chubby arm into a nightshirt. The other followed after a moment, Draco hoisting Teddy up and never looking back as he walked them into his room. "You can have one story. One. And Herma can read it to you," Since he certainly wasn't taking that luxury away from them. "After that you go to sleep."
"Two," Teddy negotiated.
"One."
"But," he pushed his sheets down, Draco dragging them back up, "But I'm two. So two stories."
"Two short ones or one long one," Draco decided.
Teddy thought about it for a moment before nodding.
"He's all yours," Draco told them, shuffling onto his own bed to try and pretend there weren't three complete strangers in his house. It should have been easy, he spent most of his time sharing a room with strangers at school, then again a few years ago. But maybe it was because he knew who these people were, what they brought wherever they went, that Draco just simply couldn't relax.
He ended up staying completely rigid all through Granger's story of goats and bridges, all through Potter finally bucking up and telling Teddy it was bedtime.
It was probably a good thing. If he'd been too relaxed he wouldn't have remembered that the other three hadn't been shown their rooms. Which reminded Draco, once Teddy had finally nodded off, Potter's awkward quiet question of what now echoing in the room, that he hadn't made any beds. Or had the keys to open those rooms.
Urgh.
He dragged himself up, scrubbing a hand through his hair, "Wait there and I'll sort some rooms out." Where did the house elves used to put the extra bedding? Draco knew where his own sheets were, he was the one washing them, but the others had to be around here somewhere. Right?
"Actually," Potter said, "I'll just stay in here if it's alright with you." Quite frankly he was the only one not glaring at him right now. Daring him to say something different. To drag them away from Teddy.
He suffered through a deep breath. This was his room. He wasn't seriously going to let them kick him out of his own room. This was the only place he actually managed to sleep, save his mother's nursery. He couldn't just-
But he was going to, he realised, because Potter was Teddy's Godfather. Potter was the one who could persuade Andromeda not to bring Teddy around anymore. That Potter was always available now that he was out of school. It was also three against one, and while Draco knew this was his house, he didn't think that mattered all that much to them. . He was the interloper here. They were the ones who had made the effort to be here, he best not make it harder for them. So, "Fine." It wasn't like he had work tomorrow, he could catch up on sleep as soon as they left. "Do you want another blanket brought in at least?"
"Sure," Potter said. Which meant Draco had to go find the keys.
By the time he climbed back up, broke into one of the other rooms and walked back to his own, a good hour had passed. The door was shut, Draco considering it a moment before dropping the blanket down and knocking.
He left them to it, holing himself up in his mother's rooms for a few hours. It got too much after a while however, the candles flickering down until the shadows grew larger and the creaks he knew were harmless in his own room more threatening. He ran as soon as something clattered against the window, searching for somewhere, anywhere, he could wait out the night.
Everywhere was dark however. Unfamiliar. When it was familiar it raised the hairs on the back of his neck, his body telling him to run again, that something bad was coming. His chest constricted, his stomach heaving so much he scrambled for door after door until he came outside.
It didn't help, everything was too dark. Far too dark and he could hear- he could hear things he knew weren't there but with his heart in his throat he thought maybe. Maybe it was possible. Maybe they were there. Waiting for him in the dark. A traitor. He was a traitor to them. He should be in Azkaban with them, maybe if he was they wouldn't have come for him.
He heaved, his legs giving way and back hitting the front of the house. He slid down, forcing himself to just stop thinking. He just had to stop thinking. If he did it didn't matter. It was going to happen anyway, may as well just…
It was a long night put it that way.
He was still sitting on his porch when his mother and Andromeda came back, his nails bitten down and knees indented from clutching them all night. "Draco?" his mother called before hurrying those last few steps to him. "Are you alright? Has something happened?"
He shook his head, his heart having calmed itself around five minutes after the sun rose. He was just out here now because he didn't want to go in and do nothing for a few hours. Not in there anyway. "Everything's fine. How was your night?"
She gave him a look, both of them knowing she didn't believe for a second everything was fine, but told him anyway about her and Andromeda trolling the muggle pubs until all hours of this morning. "You should get yourself out there sometime. Go have fun while you're young."
He shook his head. He wasn't really feeling in the drinking mood these days. Worse, he feared if he started he might never stop. "Do you want some breakfast Andromeda before you go?"
Andromeda, looking far worse for wear than his mother said no. "I think it's best I get Teddy home early. You know what happens when he stays the mornings." He did, but Draco hardly thought Teddy running rampant around the halls because he didn't want to go home was the reason she really wanted to go home early. Most likely it had something to do with the three interlopers sharing a bed in his room.
Or, he thought they were sharing a bed.
He suspected they were. After all, if rumour were to be true they'd been living out of a tent for the year they were off school. Muggle or wizard hadn't been stated, and Draco would bet anything Weasley could come up with wouldn't have enough space for the three of them to stretch out.
Urgh, he wondered if they were like together . Maybe he shouldn't have left them with Teddy if that were the case.
Regardless, Andromeda went in and fetched her four, Draco hiding himself away in the kitchen until his mother came down to tell him they'd gone.
Good.
He managed to catch up on his sleep enough that he was bright eyed for the next match he had. The Wasps had steadily matched their victories, meaning their bright colours were flashing wildly in front of his eyes as he tried to keep watch of the snitch. Wood had already been brought into play halfway through, catching whatever came his way and yelling less than nice things at at both his own and the other team.
Then it happened. One of the chasers was struck down, pushed off her broom by a Wasp. Draco heard Peters swearing left right and centre as they all watched the mediwitch take her off. "Right!" He stormed up, the game halted momentarily above them. "They aren't playing fair so we won't either. Malfoy, get in there and intimidate the fuck out of them would you."
He- "But-"
"Now."
Draco grabbed his broom, throwing himself onto the pitch. He felt more than heard the silence when it came. Just like that first time he played he could see the shock on people's faces that the rumours were true and he wasn't there just for show. Quite frankly Draco was shocked too, more because he was playing chaser than seeker. But, like Wood said, they had made sure he stayed versatile in training, so after the whistle blew, he put all thoughts of the snitch out of his mind and concentrated on the quaffle.
It was much harder playing chaser than seeker in an actual game. Mainly because while the Wasp's chasers didn't want to get near them, that didn't stop them from telling the beaters to knock him off his broom. He dodged more bludgers than people as his own team took the advantage they had and sent him blocking key players.
He never scored a goal, but being a chaser definitely felt more involved than a seeker. Especially since he was the one who was usually sent to steal the quaffle from the other team. They were up by forty points when the game finally ended, everyone racing to Peters. "Just let them try and take our win this time," Roberts cheered.
"Did you see their faces!"
Peters looked as happy as the rest of him. Even when he was called over by the ref and the Wasp's manager he was beaming, the rest of them waiting with baited breath as Peters secured their victory.
"They can't take it off us," Scott muttered.
"They're gonna try anyway," Jones huffed, he, at least, a little worried about just how long Peters had been gone.
Yet it was a win. After all that, and the Wasps did try their hardest to claim some sort of foul, Puddlemere won. Which meant a huge afterparty for more than just their victory.
"You know what this means," Wood told him when Draco asked just why he was a cause for celebration.
"Not really."
"It means we can use you now in actual games. If one ref lets you slide the others have to as well." Wood clapped him on the shoulder.
The insinuation of that sunk in. It sort of explained a few things too. Namely why he'd been confined to the reserves box for nigh on almost a year when he was a versatile player and they really could have been using him before now.
He didn't let it get to his head however. Just because he could be used now didn't mean he would be.
Still, Draco had just participated in a winning game and he, for one, was feeling rather good about it.
So was his mother when he finally caught up to her. It was the first game she'd actually managed to see him play, and showed him, afterwards, a photo she'd taken of him in action. "Have you just been carrying a camera with you this entire time?" he asked as he looked it over. It wasn't a bad photo. It was sort of nice having actual proof in his hands too that he'd played. Still, how long had his mother been carrying a camera?
She waved him off, making him stand next to the stadium with his broom held up. "Smile and mean it sweetheart, this one's for Andromeda."
He rolled his eyes before doing as she asked, promising, again, now that the matches were getting more serious he'd get her some extra tickets for Andromeda again.
He was forced to witness the photo being handed over in person. She didn't even warn him, just, next time Andromeda was visiting, thrust the photo out with, "Doesn't he look so handsome in his little uniform."
"Mother!"
That was that. The rest of the evening passed in his mother telling Andromeda just how well he played. Then showing her the action shot she had of him. Then getting the baby photos out, then showing Teddy the baby photos and grabbing the camera so they could get some of Draco and Teddy together. For Teddy's part he adored the camera. He was a needy two year old so Draco saw the appeal of having attention constantly on him. Still, Draco himself would have liked some warning.
"At least let me put something more decent on," he whined as she insisted on getting one of the four of them.
"Oh you look fine Draco," she waved off, pushing him closer to Andromeda, "Now smile, I want this one framed if it comes out nice." Which it would on her part anyway. She'd certainly dressed up for the occasion. Andromeda too now that he thought about it.
Had they been planning this?
The evening passed a lot simpler after that. Talk of Quidditch died down to move onto other things. Like Potter. "He's been coming around a lot more lately. Teddy's rather pleased."
Draco just bet he was. Potter was a pushover.
"He keeps asking after you Draco."
"Me?" Surely not.
Andromeda nodded, "I think he's a little jealous. Teddy's always showing him his Quidditch strip." Which was Puddlemere blue as it rightfully should be.
Draco couldn't help let his curiosity get the better of him. "What's he been asking?"
She shook her head, "Nothing too invasive. Just how you are. How your job's going. How you are Cissy too. I think he's a little lonely," she tacked on.
"Lonely?" Mother asked.
Andromeda took Teddy's dragon away before he could stuff it in his mouth. "You remember how it is after school Cissy. Everyone's always busy. They're moving, they're dating, they're getting new jobs. I don't think many people have time for him anymore."
His mother hummed, the room lapsing into silence.
Then, "Maybe you could invite him around here sometime Draco."
"Here?" Me, he should have been asking, yet here was the word that slipped out.
"Well you could always come to mine if you like," Andromeda suggested. "It might be nice for the two of you to spend some time together."
How to word this nicely, "Just because he's nice to a lot of people doesn't mean he's nice to everyone." he fell back to his slouch on the floor, "Besides, I'm one of the last people he'd ever want to see." Or vice versa.
"He keeps asking after you," Andromeda reminded him. Draco had to force himself not to point out it was more likely Potter was checking up on him than asking after him. Once a death eater after all.
Talk turned to other things after that. Like Lucius's recent attempt to get himself out of Azkaban.