Big hugs and smiles go to:
Anakaraya Ravenclaw, Asher Knight, lilz54, pikachumomma, Kitty-kat-the-ninja, theduchesseris, Stelina Miko Kistune (I love you. xD), kitty toyko uzumkai, lady luna night, Katie-Tails123, dela1, soexasperating, hanni9297, jbuggenz1, Nameless Little Girl, LostInYourThoughts, Tempete Sanguine, Lord Rekhyt, .not, Keikokin, JeremysPrincess, darkshadowarchfiend, Evelyn201, TearfullPixie, supersnowman, peppy13, Alt3etf, Angel JJK, dudeyaoi, purrfection21.
A small playlist for the lovely fans?
Abraxas- The Right Kind of Wrong- Coyote Ugly and Everything- Michael Buble, and some John Mayer.
Syl- Uhhhh... Three's Company theme? jkjk. idek. Maybe by the end of the ch. I'll have some ideas.
Enjoy.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Harry was waking Draco much sooner than he would have liked. Only a couple of hours had passed, but Scorpius's vitals were up and he'd had absolutely no trouble with the medi-witches who periodically came in to take care of him. Beyond that first one, anyway, who'd started to say something scathing and then had nearly swallowed her tongue when she'd seen that Harry Potter was in the room, holding a former Death Eater in his lap.
She hadn't returned and Harry had told Hermione to keep her out however possible. The rest of the medi-witches had done their business, answered his questions, and been just awed enough that he knew his relationship with Draco was going to hit the Prophet's front page by morning, probably accompanying some of the pictures they'd taken of them at the park.
But at least now it seemed like Scorpius was really going to be okay. His color was up, heart beating stronger. He was asleep, the last medi-witch had said, rather than borderline comatose. That was good; that was really good. Still, Harry hated having to wake Draco when Scorpius was still out, particularly since he wouldn't be staying.
Kingsley's patronus had been snarling, which left him no choice at all, really. He never had finished that letter back to the Head Auror thanks to Draco's delightful bite fetish...
Sighing, Harry carefully jostled the sleeping man in his lap. "Draco? Draco, love, wake up."
The blonde gave an incoherent mumble, swatting at Harry's hand that rested on his shoulder. Draco rolled over, curling against the arm of the chair that Harry had magically enlarged after his legs had started to go numb with Draco's weight.
"No, Draco, c'mon. I have to..." Harry sighed, sliding a hand through Draco's hair. He shook his shoulder a little more forcefully. "Wake up?"
A silver pupil was slowly revealed, hazed with sleep as the blonde gave a yawn, hands coming up from around Harry's waist to rub at his eyes. "Is 'verything o'ay?" He yawned widely, the drawls of sleep still evident in the rasp of his voice.
"Bloody hell, you're adorable." Harry easily lifted him into a sitting position, nuzzled into his neck gently. "Everything's fine."
He gave a small nod, sitting up to try and ward off the oncoming wave of sleep. Another yawn escaped his lips, his chest rising as he rubbed at exhausted silver eyes. "You okay?" He chose to pretend he didn't hear the 'adorable' comment, feigning it on warding off sleep.
"I'm alright. I'm sorry about having to wake you, though." He gently stroked Draco's hair. "I have to go for a little while. Kingsley's called me in and I can't get out of it."
Draco nodded understandingly. "That's fine. I'll remain here though, of course." Almost on instinct, coming naturally, he leaned forward and pressed his lips firmly to the Gryffindor's. "Stay safe."
"I've managed it this long, haven't I?" Harry kissed him again, lifting a hand to his cheek. "I love you. I'll wrap this up as soon as I can, and the latest on Scorpius is that he's fine. He's just sleeping now. He'll wake up any minute. And those damned medi-witches know that if anything goes wrong, they have me to answer to."
Draco smiled warmly, arms wrapping around Harry's waist, fitting perfectly in the crook of his neck as he pressed their lips together. "Guess I'm glad to be on your good side," warm molten silver met affectionate jade and Draco mumbled against Harry's lips. "-aren't I, Potter?"
"You absolutely are."
A silvery lynx burst into the room and growled. "Potter," it snapped, "now is not the time to dawdle. Get here now." And it was gone.
Harry sighed against Draco's mouth. "Duty calls, I suppose. I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised, but decided to dawdle for one last kiss.
Draco gave a small nod of his head, standing up with a flourish and pulling Harry up by their laced hands, leaning down to press their lips together, just a small press of lips. "Love you.*"
"Love you too." Harry smiled, drawing back. "Now that thing," he gestured to the chair, "has been blasted with absolutely every cushioning charm I could think of, so it isn't half as-"
"Go Potter," Draco chuckled, giving him a shove in the middle of his sentence, towards the door. You can regale me with the story of how you bested the painful chair of doom and destruction later." He chuckled warmly, the sound carrying around the too-quiet room. "I don't need Kingsley harping on my arse, thank you very much." He waved a hand towards the door, falling back into the overly large chair gracefully, crossing a leg over the other and leaning back.
"Especially since that arse is mine."
"Not until you put a ring on it, Potter," he smirked, raising a hand and wiggling his fingers in a random pattern, eyes hooded as the air in the room seemed to spark, the candles in the room waning.
Harry threw his robes on, adjusting the sleeves. "I'll just have to get right on that, then." He gave a half-salute before leaving, fingers brushing over Scorpius's hair as they had a million times in the past few hours.
Draco's chuckles followed him out as the blonde went back to avidly watching over his son, calming the pounding in his heart. Did he just propose... a proposal? He wanted to hit his head against a wall. Stupid bloody Gryffindors.
-8-8-
It was nearly two days before Harry found himself back in England, staggering slightly from Portkey lag and the wound Ron had half-healed. It had been his own fault, though; he should've looked out better for ensnaring wards.
Kingsley gave them a break - thank Merlin - from paperwork and Harry had adamantly insisted that his vacation wasn't to be interrupted again and he expected these two days to be compensated for. Kingsley's brows had risen high enough to disappear into his hairline (if he'd had one), but he'd acquiesced.
With a tired sigh, Harry threw some powder into a Ministry floo. "Number Twelve," he snapped and the floo was attuned enough to Harry that it took him where he wanted without issue. "Kreacher!" he called, stumbling at the other end.
He was there instantly. "Master Harry, Kreacher-"
"Listen, I'm in desperate need of a bath. I need you to go and-"
There was a small little giggle that echoed through the corridor, just a mere noise but it shushed it's occupants instantly, Kreacher giving an unnoticeable wince, wringing his hands together.
Harry stared down. "Kreacher?"
"Masters Draco and Scorpius are here, Master Harry. Master Teddy is probably with them."
The auror immediately stumbled towards the source of the sound, ended up slumped against the doorway of one of the only bedrooms downstairs. Teddy was the first to notice him. "Uncle Harry!" he squealed, white blonde hair going neon yellow in his excitement. He dropped his little snitch and it began to race around the room once more, unnoticed as the boy flung himself as his godfather. Harry was more than a little embarrassed by how it nearly took him off his feet.
"Look Scorpius, look who it is," a small voice whispered in the background, almost unheard above Teddy's squeals.
"Papa!" The voice was a mere rustle of air, too quiet for the person the brunette knew it belong to, nearly impossible to be heard a moment later with another rambunctious babble from Teddy.
"Hang on, Teddy." Harry lifted him with an effort. "I missed you too. Just give me a minute. Go catch your snitch."
"Oh!" Teddy was set down again, scrambling after the golden thing and Harry carefully made his way across the room to the two blondes, hiding his limp as much as he could.
"Scorpius," he whispered, relieved beyond belief, and took the boy's hand. "It's so good to see you, kiddo."
The five year old looked worse for wears as he sat, snuggled up in his fathers lap. His face was sallow and pale, his eyes heavy with sleep that was made worse by the terrible bags of purple under his eyes, made worse by the pallor of his skin. "Papa," Scorpius's arms were held out, his eye lids drooping, wanting to be held by Harry, even if only just for a few minutes.
Draco didn't look too much better, looking as if he hadn't slept for weeks. After Harry had left, Hermione had come bustling in (for a pregnant women, she could move) and had proceeded to check Scorpius's vitals and such, all the usual tests. Just... not the usual results.
'He'll need to be isolated soon, he has no immune system.' Those words still haunted Draco when he signed the release papers with a flourish and instantly floo'ed Scorpius and himself to Number Twelve. That was two days ago.
Harry trembled a bit, sheer exhaustion pulling at him. But he picked the boy up and held him carefully, burying his face in the boy's hair. "Hey there. I'm sorry I was gone so long." He flicked his gaze to Draco, worry deep in his eyes.
"I missed you, Papa..." Scorpius's eyes drifted close, his body violently light and bony, his arms so small as they wrapped around Harry's neck for the first time in days. Harry could barely hear his voice, even so close to his ear.
Draco dropped his gaze away from the two, running a hand through tangled hair once more.
"I missed you too." Harry's heart thundered hard in his chest. He'd missed something. Scorpius hadn't been this bad when he'd left. "How you doing?" he murmured.
The blonde boy, his hair having lost some of its bright luster, gave a little mumbled response that he was doing better, the grip on the back of Harry's shirt was loosening as he began to drift off to a troubled sleep.
Teddy tugged on his pant leg, the little snitch in his hand giving a small flutter. "Scorpius keeps sleeping," he said quietly and Harry's worry spiked several levels.
"Kreacher." The elf appeared and Harry laid the child in the bed carefully. "Stay in here with Teddy and Scorpius. Come get me and Draco if anything happens."
The house-elf bowed its head. "Yes, Master Harry."
Harry held his hand out to the blonde. "Draco?"
Draco blinked his tired eyes up in confusion, reaching for the hand without a mere thought and lifting himself from the couch. Plain black button-down shirt and dull black slacks, wrinkled and slightly dust covered were draped over Malfoy's body, the father looking exhausted enough to be near the point of emaciated as he tightened his grip around the Auror's. "What is it, Harry?" His gaze drooped for a moment.
"Come on." Harry ignored the pain in his leg, tugging Draco out of the room. Fear mixed in him, worse than it had been just a few hours before when he'd been at wandpoint, pinned to a wall by a man who would've been thrilled to be able to kill Harry Potter.
"H-Harry-! What the-?" Draco stumbled behind him, hand clenched tightly within the brunette's grasp as the door to the only downstairs bedroom swung shut behind him with an ominous thud.
"They'll be okay. Just come with me." He only managed a couple of the stairs, hissing and gripping Draco's hand tightly. "Fuck," he muttered.
The blonde growled, pushing Harry down onto a step and rolling his eyes with a sneer. "You fucking idiot..." He turned, "Kreacher!"
With a pop, the small elf appeared, ears flopping down into his eyes as he straightened the shirt that Master Harry had graced him with. "Yes Master Draco?"
"Please call Hermione Granger over at once, and open the Floo from the living room specifically for her. Tell her it is an emergency and to be careful."
"Yes, Master Draco." The elf disappeared with a bow of his head and a 'pop.'
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "It's not that big of an emergency." He tugged Draco down with him, tangling his fingers in his hair. "Just a mishap with an unnoticed ward. Ron healed the worst of it."
"You're still an idiot." Draco sighed quietly, sagging against the well-worn wooden step, not even caring that the edge of the stair dug into his spine. "And I don't trust Weasley with a healing spell either - Ronald, if you must have clarification."
"I don't particularly trust him either at times." Hermione strode forward, wand already out. "You're lucky I was already headed this way, Harry. Ron told me you'd hurt yourself." A quick spell had his pant leg coming apart, revealing deep purple bruises and a long, angry-looking laceration that nearly went up to his thigh. "Idiot," she and Draco both snapped before she rounded on the blonde man himself. "And you. You haven't been sleeping at all, have you?"
"I haven't been able to," he glanced away with an indignant huff. "Scorpius doesn't sleep very long. A few minutes at a time." Draco glanced back down at his watch, the little silver circle wrapped securely in the middle of his left wrist with a patterned black band. "He will be waking in about four minutes and demand physical comfort since it seems to be the only way to keep his body temperature up." Draco ignored the glare Hermione sent his way. The 'Isolation, Draco,' went unsaid.
Harry looked between them, wincing as Hermione started to heal his wound. "What happened?" he whispered.
Hermione sighed. "He was doing fine, really. Reacting well to the drugs we were giving him... And then he just... His immune system is virtually nonexistent. He should be isolated."
Harry paled. He'd just hugged him, covered in germs and grime and Merlin knew what else. His wide eyes snapped to the man beside him. "...Draco?"
The blonde looked down, glancing at the steps below him and admiring the finely adhered cracks and the wood, that if polished would shine like new... "I couldn't do it." His arms wound around his own stomach and tightened almost painfully, silver eyes clenching shut as his head ducked down to allow his fringe to cover his exhausted and guilt-filled expression. "I was selfish and I just... I couldn't put my baby boy in isolation. H-He's only five."
"Draco," Harry whispered again, holding onto him.
"You're doing more harm than good," Hermione reminded him. "You're taking away time I could have to cure him."
"Hermione," the auror said quietly, "don't. Let me take care of this. Just... just go make sure I haven't done anything by hugging him."
"You hugged him like this?" She huffed, irritated, and leapt up as fast as she could before storming into the bedroom, leaving the lovers on the stairs.
Harry lifted a hand, touched Draco's cheek. "Look at me," he murmured.
Draco forced his head past the hand, refusing the words with a silent gesture.
"Draco, I love him too. Please look at me."
Silver eyes lifted, exhaustion heavy in his gaze, lines of red darting over stark-white pupils, the skin around his eyes irritated and red. Draco had been crying.
"Oh, Godric, Draco..." Harry rested his brow against the other's, trembling. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I haven't been here."
"It's not your fault," was the whispered reply, Draco's lower lip being gnawed at by his teeth, refusing to let it tremble with an onslaught of fast approaching tears. "You h-have a life, and i-it was time you returned to it." The Malfoy refused to acknowledge the violent rip those words left in his heart.
Harry framed Draco's face in his hands carefully, eyes going dark. "You are my life. Scorpius is my life. I love you, both of you. I've got the rest of my vacation still and these two days that I've lost with Kingsley, has promise to not call me back for any reason. We're going to use that time to fix your son. Understand?"
"In two days Harry?" The muttered words lost the edge of hope he seemed to embody not even a week ago. "He's going into isolation then. I..." Draco swallowed, muttering past the tears and the harsh lumps in his throat. His hands clung together, wringing violently, reddening the skin. "I just wanted a few days with him. Hermione doesn't know."
"Hermione does know. She has a boy Scorpius's age. You don't know her as well as I do, Draco; this is keeping her up at night. I know it is. And... and Merlin, I can't even stand the thought of leaving him on his own. But we can. We can handle a few days of isolation, so we can keep him for a lifetime." Harry captured his hands, holding them gently. "He's mine now, too. And I won't let him go."
"I meant about the isolation..." The blonde swallowed, eyes clenching shut as his hands shook, gripping back in Harry's as some sort of purchase to not completely falling off his body. "St. Mungo's rejected my application for Isolation... S-Scorpius has to go to s-some... shoddy hospital off the edge of Wales." Draco paused to drag in a few painful lung-fulls of breath. "They even made sure to grind it into my brain that even being... lovers," he tested the words on his lips."-with the Golden Boy w-wouldn't get my son in." He refused to mention the nasty hexes sent his way by more than a few nurses, doctors and even some patients as he walked past with Scorpius in his arm, blocked by a plethora of shields to protect his weak and fragile body. A nasty one had landed right on his back that had made it near impossible to sit, let alone move for a day.
Harry shook his head. "No. He'll be staying here. We've got Kreacher and Hermione and each other. He doesn't have to go anywhere. We can sterilize the room easily, keep it constantly heated. We are not sending him to bloody fucking Wales."
"Harry... It's..." He fumbled for a coherent sentence in his ever lagging brain. "It's my last option. He just..."
"Scorpius is awake." Draco jerked up at Hermione's voice, the witch standing at the end of the hallway, arms crossed over her ever-pregnant stomach. "And he is demanding your presence, Draco. I don't think he recalls Harry ever coming home."
Harry sighed, carefully getting to his feet. "Hermione, is it possible to isolate him here...? He's safe here..."
She glanced back at the door. "Yes," she said after a moment. "It's possible. If Draco cooperates," she added with a stern look.
"Just give us something to do. Books to read, anything." Harry pressed a soft kiss to Draco's lips. "I'm going to shower because I'm covered in disgusting and I need one. Go be with your son. I'll come back down in ten minutes."
The blonde jerked Harry back, pressing their lips together firmly before pulling away and walking down the hallway to the small bedroom at the end, a small renewed vigor to his walk that was as close to getting an agreement to isolating the sickly five-year old in Grimmauld Place as either of the brunette's would get. "He's your son too, now more then ever."
Harry's eyes flared with determination. "Damn right," he muttered and turned away to head up the stairs.
Neither man noticed the thoughtful look that crossed over Hermione's features or the way she nodded to herself before seeing herself out. This new idea needed researching.
-8-8-
"Hey Scor," Draco smiled softly, reaching down and coursing his fingers through his son's unkempt blonde hair. The small, lithe boy looked up from his tomb of blankets, eyes drifting open and closed as a small yawn passed his lips, followed by a few tufts of a cough.
"-'addy..."
Teddy was sitting on the bed with him, germ-free courtesy of a fresh blast of charms from Hermione. He didn't like seeing his new friend like this, had begged Aunt Hermione to let him stay. He nibbled on his thumb in a nervous habit his grandmother had been trying to break him of for a decade. "Cousin Draco, he'll be okay, right? He will."
The elder Malfoy sighed quietly, tip-toeing towards the edge of the bed and placing himself on down near Scorpius's body. "He'll be okay, Teddy. Won't you Scorpius?" There was a minuscule movement beneath his hand, the boy's head nodding minutely with a faint rustle of sheets.
"I want him to be okay." Teddy pouted, crossing his arms over his chest to try and affect the pose Harry made when he was being super serious. "You have to be okay, Scorpius. We can't have adventures if you aren't."
The boy's answering giggles had Teddy perking up instantly, Draco's smile pushing at his lips. "How would you like for Harry to spend some time with us?" He soothed his fingers through fine, soft locks, kissing his son's head. He had made sure to charm himself clean before walking into the room.
"Uncle Harry!" Teddy cheered.
"Hm? I think I heard my name." Harry leaned against the doorjamb, the need for sleep still reflected in his eyes. But he was smiling, his hair damp from his shower. When Teddy beckoned, he walked forward and paused near Draco, reaching out and brushing his hand over Scorpius's soft hair. "Hey there, kiddo."
Scorpius's head instantly peaked out from under the blankets, his silver-blue ices wide with a hazy excitement. "Papa!" His hands shot out, hands clenching and unclenching, immediately wanting to be held in Harry's warm and protective arms.
Harry sank down beside Draco on the bed, bundling Scorpius close. "Beautiful boy," he murmured.
Scorpius murmured peacefully, promptly curling up in Harry's arms, head tucked in against his chest, with a muttered 'You smell like cinnamon!' that was botched with sleep and a raspy voice.
Harry laughed quietly. It was much better than he'd smelled before. "Yeah, I probably do." He flicked his gaze up to Draco. "Hermione's decided to move in for a bit while we figure this out, which means Ron and Hugo are coming along. With the right charms in place, Teddy and Hugo can still play with Scorp when he's awake and Ron can help us research."
Draco's expression fell for a moment at the mention of the Weasley, remembering certain things over the course of their years after Hogwarts that left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Lovely." His arms snaked their way around Harry's waist, tightening possessively as he pressed a kiss to Scorpius's head, peaking out from Harry's shoulder.
Harry's grin was slight and apologetic. "I know he was a... Well, Ron was never that great at reigning in his temper. I know he was an," he covered Scorpius's ears, "arse after the war, but he has gotten better. He'd lost his brother and, well, it'd been a very, very long few months."
Draco nodded his head mutely with a contemptuous sigh. "I understand. Did you brief him at all on... our situation? Or is he coming into this blind like an old coot?"
"Our...? Oh. Ah... Hermione probably did."
"Good." He nipped lightly at Harry's neck before standing with a flourish. "I'm going to get you some soup, Scorp. Then bed," he glanced down at his watch. "It's getting late."
Harry nodded, holding a little tighter. "It's getting late for you too, Teddy."
"But Uncle Harry..." He trailed off when Harry lifted his brows, sighing heavily. "Fiiiine."
Draco chuckled, leaning against the jamb by the door. "How about a little bit of soup for you too, before bed Teddy?"
He threw his hands up, grinning. "Yes!"
Harry smiled, gently rocking Scorpius. "Yes what?" he murmured, amused at himself.
Teddy huffed. Sometimes Uncle Harry was as bad as Grandma. "Yes, please."
The elder Malfoy gave a warm, albeit tired laugh, holding out a nimble-fingered hand to the rambunctious ten year-old. "Why don't you come and help me, and give Uncle Harry and your baby cousin some time together?"
"Okay!" Teddy grinned and reached out, patting Scorpius's hair. "Uncle Harry, I like having family."
Harry glanced over, aiming a loving smile at Draco. "So do I."
The door closed behind the two quietly, Teddy's chatter slowly fading as they made their way towards the kitchen, Draco's hand clasped firmly around the Metamorphmagus's, chuckling (albeit shocked the child wanted to hold his hand) as Teddy's hair went through every shade of the rainbow and then some as they made their way to Kreacher who stood, waiting in the kitchen.
Harry continued to hold Scorpius after they'd gone, gazing down at the child with a wash of love and worry that was almost painful. He shouldn't be able to feel this much for a little boy he'd only known a little while, but... He did. He simply did and saw no fitting reason to fight it when he felt so fragile in his grasp. "I'm sorry I was gone so long," he murmured.
"S'okay, papa." Scorpius yawned, little hands coming up to tousle already tousled blonde hair. Bags sat under his eyes, seemingly more sickeningly purple then when he was in the hospital, his skin sallow and translucent. Little, near emaciated arms came around Harry's neck, the child's head coming to rest against a broad shoulder, his breathing short and weak. "You're back 'ow... 'hat's all that matte's..."
"Yeah, I'm back. And I'm not going anywhere again, okay? I'm with you." Harry rested his cheek on his soft hair, trying not to shake. So small. Too small. "I love you, Scorpius."
The blonde boy let out a few shivers, body cold against the warmth that Harry dispelled. "I love you, 'oo Papa..." He yawned widely, the movement shaking his chest, his lungs still weak from his hospital stay, from his reaction. "Papa?"
"What is it, kiddo?"
"Can I have Perry?" Scorpius's voice sounded almost breathless coupled with a yawn as he burrowed down against Harry's chest, tiny fingers gripping his shirt lightly. "I forgo' him in t'e living room..."
"Sure." Without a thought, Harry summoned the little unicorn and then carefully cleansed it with the charms Hermione had demanded be performed on everything that went near Scorpius from this point on. He'd forgotten the point where he wasn't to do magic so close to him, though, and tucked the little thing into his grasp.
Scorpius let out a few violent wheezes as he clutched Perry closer, arms wrapped tightly around the bright white unicorn. His eyes were clenched as he took in much needed breaths, Harry's magic having swept over him in an intense wave, making his skin feel as if something was stuck to it, his lungs feeling as if they were coated with slime at the sudden hike in the magic levels that danced around the room. A few inhales later and Scorpius was sagging against Harry, Perry clutched forcefully to his heaving chest, his body melting in relief to being able to breathe again, his blonde hair falling against his pasty face.
Harry winced, mentally swearing at himself for being so bloody stupid. "Sorry, sorry." He brushed Scorpius's hair back, studying him carefully for signs of any ill-effects.
"S'okay, papa..." his shaking soon subsiding as he resting in Harry's lap with a yawn. "I love you, Papa." He glanced up at the brunette, silver eyes wide and filled with childish affection. "Thank 'ou for helping me and 'addy." He clutched Perry all the more tighter, his blue-maned head bumping up against his chin.
"Oh, Scorp... There's no way I wouldn't help. I love you and your daddy."
"We both love you Scorpius, and I love Harry, so you have nothing to worry about." Draco stood in the doorway, a tray clasped firmly in his hands that held a small bowl of steaming soup and what looked to be a glass of some green-ish coloured liquid.
Teddy peaked out from behind the adult Malfoy's black-slacks clad leg. "And I love you too Scorp!"
Harry chuckled, looking up. "Teddy, is there anyone you don't love?"
The boy looked thoughtful a moment. "Um... bad guys?"
"Right, then. Come on, Scor. Let's get you fed."
The little family crowded together on the bed, Draco pressed against Harry's chest with Scorpius in his lap, a small amount of magic expelled to let the soup bowl float in front of the eagerly eating blonde boy as Teddy chattered against Harry's leg. "Slow down Scorp," Draco chuckled warmly, carting fingers through soft, limp locks, a warm sense of relief trickling through his veins at seeing Scorpius actually eating.
Harry pressed a fond kiss to Draco's temple, patting Teddy's hair. "What's in the cup?" he murmured.
Draco turned his head, letting his eyes drift from Scorpius to Harry, warm silver meeting calculating jade. "Something Hermione gave me to help 'clear Scorpius's lungs'. I'm tempted to not give it to him as I don't even know what is in it." He gestured to the small glass that sat innocently on the bedside table, a glare leaving Draco's eyes as if the object offended him somehow.
"You should trust her, Draco. She's helping; she's been helping. And she isn't asking anything in return."
"I know Harry. But it's very hard to trust when your son just became allergic to one of his favorite foods besides apples."
"Yeah... But she knows everything he's allergic to. He won't have a reaction to this." Harry made himself believe it. Any sort of reaction to the medicines could kill him. He was too weak as it was.
"I know, I know. Just..." he sighed, his full-weight sagging back against Harry who was thankfully laying against the pillows lined up against the headboard. "I need some time to adjust to this all. This is just a sudden decline and it's hard for me to figure it all out. I can't process that my son could be killed by something as mere as slicing his finger on something that hadn't been cleaned in a day."
Harry frowned, reaching up to cup his cheek. "We'll talk about it later, once the kids have been put to bed. Ron and Hugo won't be here til morning, so we'll have the night to ourselves." Though Harry fully intended to put Draco in bed and hold him there until he slept if need be.
"Which they will be going to bed soon," Draco spoke up so that the children in his lap could hear his voice. The resounding whines and pouts had Draco chuckling warmly, his world zoning into just encompass the two little boys that he reached over and pulled against his chest. "Oh? How about no desserts for a week then?" The bowl of soup floated away as Scorpius and Teddy giggled, Draco tickling them both lightly; Scorpius being tickled very gently, his laughter quiet compared to the roaring laughter coming from Teddy's lips. Draco's smile was warm, his cheeks flushing with happiness. This he could live with, the taunting of the Wizarding World, and the weight of his son's health on his shoulders could be put off for a few minutes if it meant bringing some semblance of happiness to his child's life.
"Uncle Harry!" Teddy squealed. "Stop him! Put a spell on him!"
Harry chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't. You'll have to agree to his demands."
Teddy considering mutinying, but couldn't think very well when he was being tickled. Finally, he squirmed away and threw his arms around Draco's neck. "Goodnight, cousin Draco."
Draco chuckled quietly, the sound vibrating in his chest. "Goodnight, Teddy. You can just call me Draco, if you want." he pat the ever-changing hair lightly, rubbing Scorpius's back with his other hand.
"Okay!" Delighted at that, Teddy snuggled in and gave Scorpius the tightest hug he dared. "You sleep too! And we'll play tomorrow. Okay? We'll play with Hugo too. He's fun."
Scorpius nodded excitedly, hugging back before the ten-year old jumped off the bed, and ran to the other side, arms looping Harry's waist with a quick hug before he rushed out of the room, no doubt to go jump in bed and fall asleep, excited thoughts of play swimming through his head. Draco just blinked.
"Now it's your turn, Scorpius." With a tired smile, Harry rose from the bed, lifting the child. He nodded to Draco for him to turn down the covers for the boy and nuzzled him gently. "I love you, kid. You drink your medicine and go to sleep, alright?"
Draco held the glass out to Scorpius as Harry tucked him into bed, supporting the child's back as he drank the small amount of medicine with a cringe and a crinkled nose. "E-Ew..."
He chuckled warmly, handing the glass down to Kreacher who popped in a few feet away and ambled over with outstretched hands. "Thank you Kreacher, and yes Scorpius, ew." He leaned down, pressing a kiss to his son's forehead. "Sleep well, okay? You have a busy day tomorrow." 'As do we,' went unsaid with a glance over his shoulder at the brooding brunette.
Harry nodded slightly, murmured something to Kreacher. The elf bowed, his big ears brushing the floor, before he was gone again. And the brunette bent over Scorpius to kiss the top of his head. "If you wake up, Kreacher will come to you and he'll get one of us, okay?"
With an answering nod, Scorpius nuzzled down into the sheets, sleep claiming the boy for its own almost immediately, Perry tucked tightly in his arms as he was engulfed by the copious amounts of pillows and blankets, shrinking his already small figure.
"Goodnight, Scorpius..."
Harry reached out and pulled Draco up. "Come on, love. You look like you have two days' worth of sleep to catch up on."
He sighed, following Harry out of the room. "I doubt I'll be sleeping at this rate."
"You will." Harry led him up the stairs, his leg healed and not preventing a thing anymore. "If I have to pin you to the mattress all night. But first, shower." He drew Draco into his room and began undoing the man's buttons. "Unless you'd rather a bath."
Draco gave a small exhale, allowing Harry to undo the buttons of his shirt and slid it off pale, slim shoulders. "A bath is fine." His own hands slid down to his pants, unbuttoning them mechanically as he gazed around the curiously unknown room.
"Sometimes I sleep in Sirius's room," Harry mused, guiding Draco into an attached water closet. "But this is my room, the one he said I could have when he was still alive. I have regrets," he continued quietly, turning on the water with a flick of his wand. "Things I should've done, things I should've said or asked when there was still time. I try to live my life now so that I won't accumulate any more."
Draco rested back against the simple sink, hands clasped against the linoleum as he gazed down at the floor. Clad in only a simple pair of pants, the blonde felt oddly exposed, though the two had seen each other naked more times then they should of in the past short week. "You've done pretty well, so far."
"I like to think I have. I like to think I'm teaching Teddy to live the same way, but it's hit me the past few days that I work too much. I don't see Teddy enough, take the time too. I'm so sure that I'll never have the family I always wanted that I let work replace it. I think I've stumbled onto that family." He turned and gazed at Draco, removing his shirt and letting it fall. He wasn't sure if Draco would let him bathe with him, but his fingers were trembling with cold worry as he unzipped his jeans and let them fall as well. "I love you, Draco. If there's one regret I've got now it's that I didn't try and find you sooner."
Draco moved forward, closing the gap between them with a few, quiet steps. "Hey," he lifted his hands and placed them firmly against Harry's cheeks, tilting his head up and glancing into his eyes, trying to read some form of emotion in the swimming jade colored eyes. "What's wrong? What's got the Golden Boy so shaken up? You know I love you, so we can't regret that it took us this long. But there's something else." His thumbs traced lightly back and forth against a strong jaw bone and low-set cheeks before dropping down and pulling Harry's hands away from his hips, the strong, nimble fingers shaking in his grasp. "What is it?"
"Seeing him like that... It's so wrong, Draco. I've lost... so many people. And I love that little boy so damn much." He gazed at Draco. "I stumbled across the two of you and it's been a whirlwind since. What if...? I hate the what-if game."
He gave a small huff, leaning down and pressing their lips together. "There is no 'what-if,' Harry. There is a 'what can we do next to help cure him?' and then we do. That is it. We will cure him, there is no what-if about that." There is only what-ifs of what you do after you cure him. The thought sent a violent pang through Draco's chest, just as the water in the tub magically shut off, some how having known it was close to over-flowing.
"I know, Draco. I... We have to heal him. And we will. But..." Harry sighed, closing his eyes a moment to gather his thoughts, and gave Draco's hands a careful squeeze when he re-opened them. "Will you still need me after? Will you still even want me around? I don't want to lose the pair of you, Draco Malfoy."
"You read my thoughts," he pressed their lips together again, heart skipping in his chest. "At this rate, I refuse to let you go, Harry James Potter. You're stuck with me."
"I'd better be." His grip tightened on Draco's hands. "I'm stuck with that kid, too. Package deal and all."
"Oh?" He raised a fine, pale blonde eyebrow. "You make it sound as if we are going to get married and be swept away to some foreign land there, Potter." Draco chuckled lowly, heart thundering in his ears.
"I dunno about the foreign land part, at least not past the honeymoon period. But the rest of it doesn't sound so bad," was Harry's quiet reply, trying and failing to put a teasing lilt in.
Draco froze. "W-What?"
-8-8-
*I really want someone to draw that scene. xD (Now you have to go search for that damn star again.)
-8-8-
OK WE'RE DONE. Damn that chapter was long.
Any response to the audience, Syl darling?
Um... haha, cliffhanger ….isn't she brilliant? OK.
Review, please? :D
We love them. Well.. I do. Syl hasn't told me otherwise besides the whole 'Someone mentioned Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb XD' thing. ….ohhhhh you.
(is singing the Perry the Platypus theme) ...just go reply to the RP you nut.
Ciao for now~! (Abraxas is happy again with Pottermore, by the way.)
xoxoxox!
-Abraxas and Syl.