We're down to the final count. We have now reached that last two, maybe even three, chapters of Wingardium Leviosa.
We can not thank you all enough for the tremendous responses we get to the chapters on a daily basis, and even within the hour of posting a chapter. 40 reviews in a day? Wow, guys.
Thank you.
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We have a surprise this chapter, which I have a feeling more than a few of you were curious about, and maybe even a few- coughAnakarayacough- had some ideas about.
So may I present to you now, one of the final, and longest, installments in Wingardium Leviosa,
Zuccalmaglio's Reinette.
Enjoy.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
"-pa, Papa!" A voice giggled quietly, something jostling Harry's shoulder, slowly pulling him, begrudgingly, out of sleep.
Harry sighed, trying to go back to sleep. "Scorp, what're...?" He trailed off, opening an eye. Scorpius. Scorpius! With a wide grin, Harry reached out and dragged the boy close, clinging. "Morning, kiddo."
The little boy giggled, his cheeks red with life and happiness, eyes wide and bright. Warm silver mixed with flecks of green and gold, tanned skin flush and soft to the touch. Leaning happily against Harry's chest, the five year old grinned, placing a big, sloppy kiss against Harry's cheek. "G'morning Papa!"
Harry laughed, lifting him up to get a good look at him. His boy. His. And he was okay. He was really okay. What had Hermione said? Perfect. He was perfect. "I love you."
Scorpius glanced down, giggling. Sun-touched skin was warm to the touch, Scorpius reaching down with a curious gaze to run his fingers over Harry's cheeks. "S'da same." His skin was a few shades lighter than Harry's.
"Almost is, yeah. You'll understand why when you're older." Harry laid his hand over Scorp's.
Scorpius smiled as Harry laid him down back against his chest, the boy's giggles following him. "I love you, papa."
"I love you too. C'mon." Harry ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "Let's wake your daddy up too."
The reply was almost instant, Draco grumbling from where he was curled up at the edge of the bed, exhaustion in his tone. "Scorp'us Hype'ion Potter... go to sleep." To say Draco was exhausted would of been the worse understatement of someones life; he felt as if he had been hit with a broom, ran over by some centaurs and then given forty shots of Fire Whiskey laced with Sleeping Draught. His magic, cleansing itself and his magical core, the influx of the powerful filter that his love gave him with his blood left Draco tired, exhausted, and so thoroughly fucking happy. If he didn't know that he would collapse to the ground the minute his feet laid on the cold linoleum tile, he would be spinning around and laughing like a fool.
Harry blinked. "P-Potter...?"
Draco was drifting back to sleep almost instantly, Scorpius giggling and leaning the few inches over to pat his father's cheek. Leaning back, Scorpius blinked, poking Harry's nose. "You is Potter." And then he proceeded to poke his own button nose, eyes crossing to try and find his finger. "Me is Potter too." His grin was goofy and twisted as he tilted his head to find his finger. "Family." Scorpius dropped his hand, blinking to clear the blurriness from his eyes and glance down at Harry with loving silver eyes, little hands placed right over Harry's heart. "Silly papa."
"Silly son," Harry murmured, echoing himself. He rolled onto his side, depositing Scorpius on the bed between the two adults. "Stay here and keep guard, okay? I'm gonna go find Hermione."
The little boy blinked, tilting head head, hand reaching down to search for Perry's plush body. "Her-my-ninny?"
"Yeah. I want her to make sure we're all okay." Harry sat up and stretched before reaching out to ruffle Scorpius's hair.
Scorpius clung to the hand in his hair, a little hand wrapping tightly around the appendage as the other wrapped tightly around Perry's hoof. "Go with papa?"
Harry thought a moment, quickly deciding that he really didn't want to leave the boy behind. "Okay. Come on, kiddo."
Scorpius squealed with glee, arms looping around Harry's neck, Perry thumping against his shoulder. "Up! Up!"
"Shush now. You don't want to wake your daddy up. He's exhausted." And healed. Both his Malfoys were healed. Harry hugged Scorpius tightly, getting to his feet and bringing the boy along.
Scorpius giggled happily, glancing over Harry's shoulder. "Sorry, daddy!" He whispered what he thought was quietly.
Harry only grinned, carting the boy out. He looked around, walking up to a medi-witch who sat shuffling papers behind a large desk. "Hi. Could you tell me where I can find Healer Granger?"
"Second Floor. Magical Bugs and Diseases." She waved a hand dismissively, glancing up out of mild curiosity only to have her eyes widen. She stared for a long moment before clearing her throat. "Is that a lost child, Mr. Potter?" It looked similar to the ill boy he'd been taking care of, but... He was much too healthy.
Harry rolled his eyes. "No, this is my son. Thanks for the information." He carried Scorpius down the hall.
The blonde boy waved over his papa's shoulder, giggling as he re-wrapped his arm tightly around Harry's neck and rested his head on his shoulder. "People are silly, papa. Like you and daddy! 'xcepts you and daddy love each other."
"Yeah, we do. We love you too." And he thought it was pretty amusing that the medi-witch had forgotten that they were on the second floor. He looked around, smiling when he caught sight of bushy brown hair, but she was surrounded by two other healers so he hung back and let them talk.
"Well, what about the older boy?" Hermione asked.
The redheaded healer shook her head. "He won't tell us anything and the younger boy's incredibly sick. Dragon pox, isn't it?"
Hermione nodded, glancing down at the clipboard in her hands, flipping a few pages. "Yes. Older brother we're assuming is still with him. He refuses to leave the room. When were they brought in?"
"Two days ago. They were moved up here after Healers found nothing wrong but a case of Dragon pox." The other Healer replied, readjusting her bright red bangs out of her eyes.
"Okay. Thank you, Majel." Hermione sighed quietly, shifting from foot to foot, her hand resting on her belly. "So are we assuming death of the parents?"
"It's possible," the other healer put in. "We haven't been able to get anyone from the Ministry here yet to find out for sure, but we can't get the older boy away from his brother. He didn't seem to understand that dragon pox is contagious. And judging from how unkempt they were when they arrived..." He shrugged.
"That's why we were wanting your help, Hermione. We were hoping that you could separate them long enough for us to be able to treat the younger boy. The older one won't even let us touch him."
She nodded with a small sigh, running a hand through her bangs, her hair tied at a knot at the nape of her neck. "Thank you, Ma- Harry!"
"You're having trouble with a couple of boys?"
Hermione sighed, lifting a finger in warning. "None of that, Harry James Potter. You've already played hero, which we still have to discuss. I'm mad at you."
Which only meant she was trying to be, but she was really just wanting to scold him for being brash. "But Hermione-"
"No, Harry, just leave it for now. Hello, Scorpius."
The little boy giggled, wiggling violently out of Harry's arms and dropping to the floor, rushing over and clinging to Hermione's leg, Perry still clutched tightly in his little grasp. "Aunt Her-my-ninny! I is all better!" He giggled gleefully. "Tha'k you! Thank you- Fank yew!" Scorpius's eyes were wide with unshed tears and his cheeks were blushing with happiness. He truly looked like a healthy little five year old. No bones could be seen, no vacant expressions of exhaustion, no limp hair and weak limbs... This was how the boy was supposed to be. Beautiful. With two extraordinary parents.
Hermione looked down. "Oh..." Harry smiled, lifting Scorpius up. Hermione reached out and framed his little face in her hands, studying him carefully. "You're just a beautiful little boy, aren't you?" She looked over him carefully, lifted her wand to scan him. "And your eyes..." She smiled up at Harry. "Alright, maybe I'm not mad at you."
He grinned. "So he's alright still?"
"Yes."
A training-healer ran up. "Healers Arturio and Roderich! Are you available? We need you in 212."
The other two healers paled and ran off, Hermione checking her clipboard. "Oh. It's the boys..." She went after them, only sighing when Harry followed.
"-Let me go!"
"Calm down! Please- We are just trying to-"
"NO!" Hermione vanished her clipboard, as quickly as she could, rushing into the fray.
A boy, no older than ten was wrestling with two well built healers, his limbs tugging and jerking, his yells echoing down the hallway. "No! No! Let me go! I need to be with my brother!"
Harry dropped Scorpius down. "Stay," he ordered. "If you don't, you'll get... grounded or something. But stay." He went after Hermione, eyes on the dark-haired boy. He could understand the need to protect the boy, but making him hate healers at the same time didn't seem to be the way to go.
Hermione managed to get into the hospital room before it slammed and locked and Harry went to the healers. "Oi! Stop it. Stop dragging him like that."
Though before he could stop it, one snapped out his wand and froze the boy in place with a quick body-bind. "There. Bloody hell. Little git."
"He's not a git," Harry snapped. "He's worried about his brother."
"His brother's extremely contagious and if he isn't cured, he'll die."
"And did someone tell the boy that?"
"He wouldn't have listened."
Harry's blood boiled. They didn't have any right to make that call or take a boy from his only family - if the healers had been right and they really were orphans. Judging from the tattered state of his clothes and his holey shoes, he was at least homeless. His heart stirred. It wasn't right to treat them like this. "Leave him be. I'll take it from here. Healer Granger's orders." And that last bit was stretching it a little, but she hadn't sent him off.
The two exchanged looks and dispersed, one of the Healer's holding the boy, refusing to relinquish the body-bind till he was in capable hands, and preferably not his own. "Whatever you say, Auror Potter."
The boy, frozen against the Healer's body was fairly tall, broad shoulders and a lean waist. His hair was the color of the trunk of a tree, and just as tangled and messy, as if he continually ran his hands through the locks. His eyes, wide open in fear, anger- desperation, were a sharp grey. Dressed in a dull red shirt, torn and frayed, and torn denims, he looked like he had just come off the street, except for the fact that his tanned skin was clean, his teeth- from what people could see from his frozen scream- were white and he looked rather fit.
Harry took the boy from the Healer. "I've got it from here."
Scorpius stayed put, glancing on in confusion, Perry being picked nervously by his fingers. Who was that boy?
The Healer gave a nod, turning and walking away, grumbling in irritation.
Harry swept the boy away into an empty waiting room. "Come on, Scorpius."
The little boy scuttled in behind his father, the door shutting quietly behind them with a click. "P-Papa? Who's 'hat?" He rushed up as Harry set the other boy down, peeking from behind his leg. "S'he okay?"
"It's hard to explain, Scorpius. We'll take care of him, though." He shut the door and settled the boy down. "Finite," he murmured.
"-et me go!-" The boy shot up instantly, mouth wide with a scream, brow furrowed in frustration. He paused, glancing around cautiously. "Who're you?" He sneered, hands clenching at his sides.
The man dropped down to the boy's level. "I'm Harry Potter and this is my son," and the words gave him a little thrill, "Scorpius. I heard that your brother's very sick."
The boy tilted his head, glancing over the tip of his nose at the boy, his face adopting a haughty expression of indifference. "So? What's it matter to you?"
"It matters that they were dragging you from him without telling you why. I've got a friend with him now who's making sure he'll be alright. And then you'll be able to see him again."
He froze. "Really?" His voice sounded as if he might just believe them. "And... Are you..." He fidgeted, eyes darting around as Scorpius shuffled closer. "You really Harry Potter?"
Harry smiled, lifting a hand to brush his bangs back. "Yeah. And I think I can help you and your brother, but only if you answer a few questions."
Scorpius grumbled something, tugging on Harry's pant leg and pointing up to the bed with the same hand, Perry clutched to his chest. "Up papa, up."
"Papa?" The boy questioned. Father, sure. Dad, sure. Papa?
Harry glanced up, still smiling. "It's what he calls me. He calls his other father 'daddy.'" Harry lifted Scorpius up. "Do you mind if he sits with you?"
He shook his head, brow furrowing in cautious. "Other... father? Like... You... are...um..." The boy ducked his head, a blushing pushing across his cheeks in irritation. "Yeah. Sure." He moved over to press himself against the pillows, knees curling against his chest. "Do I get to see my brother yet?"
"When my friend comes in here, you can." He settled Scorpius down, brushing a hand through his hair fondly. "And, yeah, I'm gay."
The boy nodded, rubbing his cheeks furiously to hide his blush as he glanced at the other boy. "O-Okay..."
"Hi!" Scorpius waved happily and held Perry out. "S'Perry and I'm Scorp'us! Who'e you?"
"J..." He tilted his head, blinking curiously, the anger slipping away from his expression, the cautious tension leaving his shoulders. "M'James." He paused at a sharp inhale of breath, blinking, before turning back to the blonde boy before him, jerking back at the plushie shoved in his face as he gazed at it with open curiosity. "S'that a unicorn?"
"Yup!" Scorpius giggled and proceeded to recall the tale to the older boy about how Perry came to be and what they did for the whole week; feeding him pancakes, swimming with him, saving Perry from a very- he stressed the word, nodding his head to affirm his own thoughts- vicious Horklump and a gnome.
Harry leaned back, watching them with a fond smile even while his mind raced. The boy's name was James. He wondered what his younger brother's name was, where there parents were, if they even had parents.
"-My papa and daddy loves me lots! Where is you parents?" Scorpius tilted his head curiously.
"You parents? You mean 'your'?"
The child blushed as James corrected him with a fond smile, patting the blonde locks patiently, actually seemingly interested in what the child had to say.
"My parents... Ah... well..." James lifted a hand, rubbing the back of his neck with a sad expression. "They're gone."
Harry looked over. "I'm sorry, James. So it's just you and your brother?"
He nodded carefully. "Yes... Mother and father..." The boy gave a small shrug, his hands dropping to fiddle with the hem of his shirt.
"How long have you been on your own?"
He shrugged once more, eyes darting to the windows that lined the wall, taking in the leaves and the clear sky. "F'w weeks..."
Harry blew out a breath. "And no one else could take care of you boys?"
James shook his head, fidgeting nervously as Scorpius laid a tiny hand against his arm. "S'ok! You... You..." Scorpius glanced around, biting his lip. There had to be something! He clutched Perry tighter in his... Scorpius glanced down. That was it! Leaning forward, he placed Perry in James's lap. "You has Perry to protect you!"
Harry lifted his brows, surprised, but a small smile broke across his face. "Good choice, Scorp. Perry's a great protector."
The little blonde boy chuckled, clapping his hands. "He can protects you from lots of things!"
James nodded, gently picking up the unicorn and staring into its eyes. "My brother will like this."
"What's your brother's name, James?"
"Well," James grumbled something, head ducking lower as if he wanted a hole to appear in the bed and swallow him up. "He uh..." The boy mumbled his words quickly.
Harry reached out and gently touched the boy's hand. "What do you call him?"
"Al."
Well, that was... absolutely amazing. "Okay. Do you have any questions you want to ask me, by the way? I'd rather have a conversation. Interrogation's really aren't that fun."
"Um..." James bit his lips, glancing around with a nervous sort of lilt. "Are you really in'a relationship with D-Draco Malfoy? I-I saw it in the Prophet once and-" His hands fumbled with Perry.
"Was it in the Prophet?" Great. He'd have to actually get a copy of the bloody paper. "Yeah, I'm in a relationship with him. Aren't I, Scorp?"
Scorpius giggled, nodding his head vigorously. "Yes! Yes! Papa and daddy love each others lots! They is getting married!"
James's eyes widened. "I'm sorry- I didn't know you didn't know abo-about the artic-" Great. He was such an idiot, flubbing in front of Harry Potter. He... he had Al to worry about.
"Don't worry about it. I don't pay much attention to the Prophet on the best of days." Harry grinned, hoping to put the kid at ease. "You know my godson's about your age. His name's Teddy."
James perked up. Another kid? How many did Harry Potter know? "R-Really?"
"Yup. D'you know what a metamorphmagus is?"
James perked up, Perry falling to the way-side, Scorpius scrambling to grab him with glee. "Perry!"
"Really! What can he change?"
"Right now just a few things. He's still learning to control it all the way. But he's always changing his hair and he can do things with his face. It was a couple of months ago-" back before his world had been turned upside-down- "that he first started doing that. He sprouted whiskers out of nowhere one day."
Scorpius giggled as Jame's face split into an uneven grin. "That is- So cool!"
There was a quiet knock against the room's door. "Harry?" Hermione knocked once more.
The wizard rose. "I'll be right back, kids." He went to the door and slipped out, only smiling before receiving one of Hermione's stern looks.
"Harry," she began warningly.
"How's his brother?"
She paused for a moment, light brown eyes searching for something in Harry's wide emerald eyes. "...He's fine. Stable. His skin is clearing up and the pock-marks are gone." Crossing her arms over her chest, Hermione gave a small sigh. "He is asleep right now, but he will be waking in less then an hour and will be demanding to see his brother. ...What are you doing with him Harry? What are you planning in that saving-everyone head of yours?"
"Well... Nothing, really. I'd have to ask Draco about it all. Right now, Scorpius and I are just talking to him. His name's James," he added, knowing Hermione would understand the significance. "And his brother is Al."
A small glimpse of shock passed over her face. "James and... Oh Harry, you can't-You just got Scorpius back and..." With a small sigh, Hermione tilted her head, as if looking at Harry from that angle would make it easier for her to understand him. "Just... I hope you know what you're doing. Ron is going to have a fit."
"I know he is. So's Draco for that matter." Harry scrubbed a hand through his hair, smile sheepish. "But c'mon, Hermione, what're the odds of me coming across two boys with those names? And James says that his parents are dead, and... Well, if there's no one else to take care of them, I don't want them to end up in foster care when Draco and I are perfectly capable of taking care of kids."
"Harry, you don't know that. I know Andromeda aways said you could have Teddy when you settled down with someone. You'll have four boys to take care of, and you've just rescued Scorpius..." She sighed. "Draco might not even want to deal with more than one child, let alone four."
The wizard sighed, leaning back against the door. "I know... I told you I'd have to talk to him. Bloody hell, I haven't even had a chance to tell him we'd be taking on Teddy..."
"Papa?" Scorpius peaked out from behind the door, hands gripping the edge tightly. "James is 'sking for Al."
"Okay, kiddo."
Hermione sighed. "If he'll let me put a protective spell on him, he can go in. The dragon pox is still contagious, but it isn't as bad thankfully."
Scorpius giggled happily, rushing back inside with a childish 'woosh!' and went to tell James the news.
Harry tucked his hands in his pockets, sighing. "I guess I'll just make sure James gets in to Al and then I'll go see if Draco's up."
Hermione nodded lightly, reaching forward to rest a hand against his arm. "Just be careful, okay, Harry?"
"I will," he assured her, laying his hand over hers. "Come on and meet James."
She chuckled, giving a nod of her head. "Okay, okay, fine. Go on, your son is waiting." The thought gave Hermione a moment to just pause. Harry seemed truly happy for the first time since... Well... awhile. Since Ginny. Since before all the things with Theodore Nott started. Hermione moved her hand out from below Harry's, stepped forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders in a firm but quick hug. "I'm so proud of you, Harry."
"Hermione..." He hugged her back, squeezing as tightly as he dared. "What in the world are you proud of me for?"
She pulled away with a small smile, dabbing at her eyes. "Blame the pregnancy hormones." She leaned forward for another quick squeeze before pulling away once again. "You're just... You're finally happy. Ignoring the fact that it's Malfoy and his son who have you wrapped around their fingers," she glanced down at his ring. "You're finally happy. So we're happy too."
"Well, worse people have had me wrapped around their fingers." Harry smiled, following her gaze. His smile warmed. "But you're right. I am happy. I'm so glad I have them."
Hermione chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, the Weasleys will definitely want a talk with them, but that is neither here nor there. Now, your son is waiting for you, and I need to check on my patient, so lets not keep them waiting," she gestured to the door, the hand returning to her round stomach instantly. "Shall we?"
"Yeah." Grinning, Harry went back into the room. "Hey, James? My friend Hermione'd like to meet you."
The little boy glanced up from his curious interrogation of the plush unicorn in his lap, Scorpius chattering happily from the wide, cushioned chair in the corner of the room, having been unable to get himself atop the bed once more.
"Um... Okay."
"She's going to tell you what's going on with Al, alright? I'll stick around if you want me to."
James nodded, picking up Perry and placing him next to him, crawling towards the edge of the bed and swinging his legs over, to sit facing the Healer. Scorpius rushed off the chair, feet touching the ground and practically gliding on air over to Harry, gliding over with a happy cry of "Papa!" and his arms out stretched.
Harry swept him up. "We'll go back to daddy after we get James and Al situated, okay?" he murmured, fondly nuzzling the boy.
Scorpius giggled happily, James watching on with a small pang, rubbing his chest irritatedly.
Scorpius gasped. "Aunt Her-my-ninny! Sit! Baby in your belly!" He wistfully commanded, giggling, amused at her answering expression as she walked over to James at the edge of the bed.
Harry settled in the chair Scorpius had vacated, son settled comfortably in his lap, while Hermione smiled at the boy. "Hello. James, was it? Do you have a last name?"
The boy gave a small shake of his head, brown locks falling to wisp against his nose. "No." He fidgeted nervously under her analytical gaze.
"Okay, that's alright. Harry told me your little brother's name is Al. Is that right?"
James nodded, eyes glancing around the room slowly. Would they separate him from Al? What would happen to him? Would they be given over to the Ministry? He fidgeted again, fingers picking at the shabby fabric of his trousers.
Scorpius rested his head against Harry's shoulder, arms tight around his neck as he watched the scene with silent curiosity, body warm and strong against his papa's.
"Alright, then. Well, Al had a very contagious disease called dragon pox. I'm very sorry that you were dragged out how you were, but we needed to get in and cure him. Right now, he's asleep, but he's doing much better. And he'll be alright by morning tomorrow."
James nodded slowly. "Okay... Can I..." His soft grey eyes darted up to Harry's face and to Scorpius's, his own twisting in a mixed confusion of emotions. "C-Can I see him?"
"Yes, but he's still contagious. We don't want you getting sick, too. If you'll let me do a spell on you that'll keep you protected from the germs."
Harry gave him an encouraging grin. "She won't hurt you."
A slow nod, becoming more firm after a few seconds. "O-Okay." He coughed. "Okay, that's fine. When can I see him?" An eager feeling began bubbling in James's chest. He missed Al. He wanted his family. ...Like what Scorpius and Mr. Potter- Harry had.
"Just as soon as I perform this spell, I'll take you to his room. And no one will ask you to leave again unless it's very important, alright?" Hermione lifted her wand, but waited for his response.
The boy gave a small nod, hands clenching imperceptibly against his trouser leg.
Hermione offered a gentle smile before casting the bubble spell. It surrounded him, clinging to his body like a second skin. "Alright, there we go."
Scorpius giggled, amused, pointing a small finger at James who glanced around his body, confused, hands held out to his sides. "I has that once!"
James, silver eyes cautious, curious, glanced up. "You what? You speak just like Al..."
"They seem to be about the same age," Hermione agreed. "My son Hugo is their age, too. Which reminds me, Harry, Ron says that whenever Scorpius is ready to see them, Teddy and Hugo are both very eager to see him up and about."
Scorpius gasped, head shooting up, almost clocking Harry in the jaw with his bright blonde head. "Te'y! 'ugo!" His eyes, wide and ecstatic glanced up at Harry. "Papa!"
Harry chuckled, ruffling his hair. "You can see them soon. Let's just make sure James gets to Al and then Hermione'll floo Ron."
Scorpius leaned forward, hugging Harry around the neck tightly. "Yay! Papa! Play! Thank you!"
James watched on with a tortured gaze.
Harry caught sight of the look, his heart going out to the boy. He really needed to talk to Draco. Rising, keeping Scorpius in his arms, he offered a smile. "Well, spell's done. Let's get him in with Al, yeah?"
Hermione rose from the bed with Harry's help. "Yes. We should."
A few minutes later, James bounding out of the door at rapid speed, found the small group in front of a plain white door. "...Is he really that sick?" James paused, tanned hand halfway up to the door to give it a small push.
"He's doing much better than he was," Hermione assured him. "So it's a very, very good thing that you and he ended up here."
James's gaze glanced back up at Harry, Scorpius secured firmly in his arms, for a split second before the boy gave a small nod, took a deep breath, and pushed the door opening, slowly walking in.
Harry looked in on his younger brother, sighing quietly. He'd had a boy that little in a hospital bed just the day before and, again, his heart went out to them. Little Al was still faintly green, the ugly pock marks minimal. He was fast asleep, though, his chest caught in a steady rise and fall rhythm.
James slowly clambered onto the bed, lifting Al's body gently and sliding in under his brother, pulling him tightly against his chest. The rocking started almost instantly, James murmuring soft, pleading words to Al, 'wake up, Al,' 'I'm sorry... I-I should of protected you,' 'I love you... I'm sorry...'
Harry looked over at Hermione, who just sighed. "Do what you think is best, Harry. But don't make any decisions before you speak to Draco."
He glanced down at Scorpius then. "Hey," he murmured, "why don't you stay here and keep them company?"
The child blinked. "Okay, Papa." Wiggling out of Harry's arms, he dropped to the floor, shuffling to the door with Perry clutched to his chest.
Hermione rolled her eyes and touched Scorpius's shoulder. "One second." She cast the bubble charm around him as she had with James. "I don't want you getting sick after you just got better."
Harry smiled sheepishly at her before looking at the two brothers. "James? Scorp's gonna stick around here for a little bit. Okay?"
The boy jerked his head up, shocked at the fingers that stayed near the door, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Lifting a hand, and sniffling, he wiped a few stray tears away from his cheeks, clutching Al's small body to his chest. Pale brown hair, sallow skin, looking untouched by the sun, Al was smaller than his brother, weaker looking, slightly green. "O...Okay."
Harry went in, sweeping Scorpius up and settling him on the bed. "Don't worry," he murmured. "Everything's going to be okay, James."
Scorpius crawled over to sit next to Al's side, glancing down at the other boy with a curiously... quiet expression. "S'your brother?"
James glanced over at Scorpius with a slow nod. "Yes."
"He looks like my daddy. S'all pale."
Harry smiled at them, bending to press a kiss to his son's cheek. "I'll be back soon," he promised.
Scorpius nodded quietly, pressing himself against Harry's chest for a quick hug. "Okay. Loves you papa." The boy mumbled, dropping his arms and turning back to the two brothers, watching silently with unabashed eyes of silver.
"Love you too, kiddo." Harry gave his hair a final ruffle, not really wanting to leave at all. But he did want to see Draco. He laid a hand over the apple-ish mark on his arm. He really wanted to see Draco. "Be back soon," he assured them all again and made himself walk out, ignoring the look Hermione gave him.
-8-8-
A soft weight settled against Draco's back and shoulders, the warmth slowly lolling him out of the drawls of sleep, his mind breaking through the haze of unconsciousness. "-aco." A voice whispered softly, quietly to his sleep sensitive ears.
"Draco, love, wake up." Warm lips were brushed over the back of his neck. "I need to talk to you."
Sleep-fogged silver eyes slowly opened, Draco's face slowly warming into a soft, morning grin. "Why 'ello 'here." Draco gazed at Harry tiredly, the Boy Who Lived wrapped firmly around the Slytherin, arms and legs entangled, hair tickling against his chin and neck.
Harry smiled, nuzzling into his neck gently. "Hello back," he murmured. "How do you feel, love?"
Draco rolled over to press himself against Harry and curl up against his chest, eyes drooping in content exhaustion. "Tired." His thoughts slowly broke through the haze of sleep.
Harry chuckled quietly, stroking Draco's hair. "Just tired? Not hurting or anything like that?"
Leaning into the touch, an arm snaked its way around Harry's waist. "Jus' 'ired... Arm kind' 'urts..." Draco's lips parted in a waking yawn, deep in his chest. Bloody hell, why was he so tired? What did he do yesterday that made him feel like he got ran over by a drago-... Draco jerked up immediately, eyes going wide. "S-Scorpius! Harry!" He glanced down, silver eyes wide with recognition as his gaze darted around the room, heart sinking, a foreboding feeling his chest. "Scorpius- Harry-"
"He's fine, really. I took him to Hermione when we woke up and she made sure." Harry grinned widely. "Scorpius is perfect."
There was a moment's pause, Draco's shoulders sagging in relief before he smacked Harry near violently upside the head. "You bloody idiot! What the fuck was that yesterday?" He sat up, glaring daggers at the stupid, stupid Gryffindor as memories of the bonding, Scorpius's heart restarting, the small, tense moment... His eyes opening for the first time. "You could of gotten yourself killed! Or me! There was a chance it couldn't have worked! Yet you s-stupid Gryffindor- You went through with it anyway! What the bloody fucking Merlin were you thinking, Harry?" Another rough hit to the head, his hand shaking. "I could have lost you! I could have lost both of you! And to what? Your stupid Gryffindor brashness?"
Harry rubbed his head where he'd been struck, rolling his eyes. "It did work, though. Instead of losing Scorpius, he's alive. More importantly, he's healed."
"Don't roll your eyes at me Harry James Potter, especially me. What kind of idiot goes and does a Blood Adoption bond on a dead body, expecting it to work none-the-less?" He glared down at the brunette, hands clenching against the hospital sheets tightly.
"The desperate kind?" Harry ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Draco, the shock is usually deadly, right? That's what the books kept saying. Well... who's to say it wouldn't bring him back if he were already gone?"
The blonde ran a hand through his hair, his heart twisting in his chest. "Harry, love, I get that... But I could have lost you. Look at this from my perspective. Dead son, love of my life trying to save my dead son using deadly means. I think I warrant the right to hit you for the next few years of our marriage."
"Seeing how it did work, you're welcome. You didn't lose me or Scorpius. And this," he turned Draco's arm over, "has been replaced by something a lot better. We all survived, Draco."
Draco sighed, rolling mercury hued eyes, emotions deflating to a content, peaceful lull in his chest. "You stupid Gryffindors and your... your... stupidness."
"At least my stupidness worked out in the end."
Draco grumbled something about shutting up Potter, and being a twit, and leaned down, sealing their lips in a searing kiss, hand coming up to tangle in dark brown locks.
Harry poured himself into the kiss, fingers curling into Draco's shirt tightly. Relief and love and sheer need flooded from him.
Draco leaned down, pressing himself chest to chest with his lover, fingers threading tightly in his hair. "The minute we're married Potter," Draco pulled away, tugging Harry's head lightly to the side and kissing down his stubbled jaw, "will be the happiest fucking day of my life." He gave a harsh nip to Harry's smooth neck. "Some of the nurses have been giving you too many looks." Draco kissed over the harsh nip softly.
"They can look all they want. I have no interest in looking back. Besides, an actual marriage is just a formality now." He pressed a kiss just below Draco's ear. "We're bonded."
A shudder ripped through Draco's body, his heart pounding earnestly in his chest. "D-Damn. There go all my life plans. Tempted to travel the world with my son and see the sights, but now," he leaned down, pressing open-mouthed kisses against Harry's neck, fingers tracing patterns against his scalp. "Here I am. Bonded to a Gryffindor."
"Mm. Such a shame. Maybe if you use some of that Slytherin cunning on him, you'll convince him to take you and your son around the world to see the sights. He's probably accumulated a couple of months worth of vacation time, at the very least."
Draco pressed his lips over Harry's with a tempting hum of pleasure. "I think I just might be able to sum up some old Slytherin cunning and convince him to take his son and his husband somewhere around the world for his sixth birthday."
"That is coming up soon, isn't it?" Harry nibbled softly on Draco's lips. "I'll put in the time for it. But, ah, it probably won't be just us. If you want, I suppose. It depends." He couldn't imagine Andromeda turning down continuing to raise Teddy, no matter their agreement. Explaining about their potential family growth - James and his little brother included - seemed a lot more daunting, suddenly, than performing a blood bond.
Draco gazed into Harry's eyes, his own swimming with confusion as the motions of his fingers against Harry's scalp ceased. "What do you mean? Do you mean Teddy? Or Hugo? Or even Luna? Scorpius seems to enjoy her company, after she continually kept calling him 'clone.' I don't think he would mind if any of them tagged along."
"I did mean Teddy, actually." He toyed with Draco's shirt, sighing. "I haven't exactly had time to explain this to you, but... Well, I'm Teddy's godfather. You knew that already, but... What happened was that after the war, Andromeda and I agreed that I would get my life together and she would take on Teddy. I was seventeen and nowhere near ready to take care of a baby. And, what with marrying you and all, my life is... together."
"And?" Draco's brow furrowed, a small feeling creeping into his chest. He had an inkling he knew exactly where this was going. "Now that your life is 'together?'"
"She and I agreed that I would take Teddy. I want to take him. I want to do what Remus and Tonks entrusted me with." Harry looked up, meeting Draco's gaze. "But that's up to you."
"Take him? As in..." Draco swallowed, heart stuttering in his chest. "Adoption?"
"Basically, yeah."
Draco's hands fiddled with a few pieces of Harry's hair, his face contorting in confusion as he seemed to absorb himself in his thoughts. "Blood Adoption or just... Regular?" Regular? Bloody Merlin, was he going stupid?
"No, love, of course not Blood Adoption. It's a bloody miracle it worked the first time." Harry averted his gaze. "If you don't want him, I'll tell Andromeda."
"N-No!"
Harry winced. That was more of a forceful rejection than he'd been expecting. "Oh."
Draco winced as well. "N-No- What I mean is... That came out completely wrong." He sighed quietly. "What I mean is, is that I would love to consider Teddy as a son, Potter. ...If he'll have me as a father, of course."
The brunette looked up. "Really?"
He cuffed Harry upside the head. "No. Because my charming personality just reaks Slytherin-type traits of lying and smuggling, Potter." He shook his head with a small grin, fingers tracing lightly down Harry's cheek. "Yes, I'm serious you great buffoon."
"You really should stop hitting me. You'll cause brain damage of some sort." Relieved, Harry dragged Draco's lips to his own again.
Draco's kissed back warmly, lips moving softly against Harry's. "You'll be fine. You've survived all these years through our legendary fights, I don't think a few hits with the back of my hand are going to cause more damage then what was already there."
"I suppose. I do have... one more thing, though." Harry leaned back, bit his lip. "Actually, maybe I should show you first."
"Harry," Draco sighed, exasperated. "You really should just be more upfront. I can't keep up all this elusiveness you have going on. I might start getting grey hairs."
"Your hair's more likely to go white," he mused and sighed at Draco's pointed stare. "Alright, alright. There's these two boys... and... their parents are dead. The one's Scorp's age, the other Teddy's. Their names are... James and Al."
Draco froze, mouth closing. "James and..." He gave a small sigh. Shite. He already knew Harry would most likely adopt the boys, his opinion be damned. It was like a sign from someone, somewhere, that these two boys were orphaned, and no less named the two names Harry specifically wanted. "You've already met with them, haven't you?"
"I came across them by accident... searching for Hermione with Scorp. And then these two idiots were forcing James from his brother and I couldn't just let that happen, Draco. So we talked to James while Hermione and the other Healers went about curing Al's dragon pox."
"...You left Scorpius with them. Didn't you?"
"He... Well... I couldn't leave them alone." Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Bloody hell, this was insane, asking his husband to adopt three young boys. "That wouldn't've been right."
"And asking me to adopt children after we just saved one of our own- Your first son- is?" Draco raised a light blonde eyebrow, silver eyes, looking ice blue in the dull hospital lighting gazed at Harry, guarded. No point in letting the Gryffindor Golden Boy know his thought process just yet.
"I know, Draco. It's... it's a hell of a lot to dump on you, but if they get thrown into the system... Godric, they could get split up! It's hard to find someone who'll take on two boys, especially since James is already ten. They might take Al since he's younger, but..."
"But what, Harry? Can you even handle three kids? Let alone four? At such young ages too? How do you know if James and Al will react very well to Teddy and Scorpius? How do you know that any of them will react well if Scorpius were to fall sick again? Or that he was Blood Adopted? Or that James and Al were orphaned, and Teddy is a Metamorphagus?"
"Well... James and Scorpius were getting along fine, and I did tell him about Teddy. And Scorpius's Blood Adoption... That's not something any of them would understand, and if he were to get sick again... Honestly, I don't even know how I'd react, let alone them." He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the already wild locks. "I know it's asking a lot, Draco, but James and Teddy are both ten. They'll be at Hogwarts next year."
The blonde wondered what he meant by that, wanting to ask how Harry would react if Scorpius fell sick again. Heart pounding achingly in his chest, Draco traced light patterns against Harry's scalp, still laying contently against his chest. He sat for a few minutes, allowing Harry to fidget nervously as he collected his own thoughts, images sweeping in and out of his mind. Four healthy boys, him and Harry married...
"I'd never leave," he murmured. "If he got sick again, I mean. I would still do everything I could to make him better again. The same with any of those boys." Harry sighed, closing his eyes. "I know what it's like to be an orphan, Draco, to end up in a house where you're more of a burden than anything. I don't want James and Al to suffer that, not if I can help them."
He continued to stay silent, gently tracing the curve of Harry's lips, his chin, the rounded bridge of his nose, with the soft pad of his fingertip.
"And then James has grey eyes like yours and he was so worried about his brother... They just can't be split up, Draco. I know it's a lot to ask, especially since you haven't met either of them. But I just... They need someone."
Leaning down, Draco nipped lightly at Harry's lips. "We'll need to go to Diagon Alley immediately, as well as have Kreacher clean out three rooms as we'll move Scorpius up their since I assume James and Al will want to stay in the same room and Scorpius will want to be closer to them, and Teddy can be up there as well, or take Scorpius's old isolation room." The words sent a small shudder through his spine, his fingers pausing for a mere moment before they continued their course through unkempt brown locks.
"We'll need to talk to Granger to see what Al will need to be moved to Grimmauld," his fingers slowly combed through Harry's hair as he nicked off the small list in his head, his expression one of complete seriousness, humor dancing in his eyes. Harry was just too adorable, if you let him squirm long enough. "And we will need to contact the Ministry and get papers, I assume that Weasley can accomplish that, and find out if there is any background on the boys that we will need to know; allergies, schooling, living situations, et cetera."
Harry stared, eyes going wide. He gripped Draco's shirt. "You... You're really okay with this...?"
Draco traced a finger against Harry's cheek. "I never said I wasn't, did I?" A small smile curved at the end of his lips.
"No, but... Godric, you irritating Slytherin." He pressed his lips to the blonde's, pressing as close to him as was possible.
Leaning down, Harry's head framed by Draco's lithely muscled arms, Draco smirked quietly. "You married me, so you're stuck." Their eyes met, and Draco leaned down to press their lips together in a small seal of approval at their choices, or at his own personal choices. Four sons. Bloody hell.
"We should... You should probably meet them. Hopefully, Al'll be up."
"I think I'm allowed to spend a few minutes kissing my husband, actually. I did just agree to adopt three children, did I not?" Draco's eyebrows raised, his eyes dancing with contented pleasure.
"That you did. And for the record, you're allowed to kiss your husband whenever you like." Harry smiled, fingers sliding into Draco's hair. "I love you."
A small smile slowly slid across Draco's lips, widening to the point of hilarity as laughter bubbled in Draco's chest. "I love you too, Harry."
"You'd better." Harry grinned, a hand sliding down, fingers brushing the mark their bond had left. "This one's permanent."
Rolling his eyes, Draco gave a small laugh. "The last one was supposed to be too," his eyes drifted down to his arm, glancing at the brown coloured mark with a small sense of joy. "But I kind of like this one, to be honest."
"It fits better than the last one." Harry nuzzled into Draco's neck, pressing warm, open-mouthed kisses to the skin. "It fits our family."
"Well Potters normally do have a certain amount of flair, I'll give them that." Draco leaned down, sealing their lips together, tongue coming out to trace lightly against Harry's lips as his eyes fell closed.
Harry met Draco's tongue with his own, hands sliding into the soft blonde locks, love pounding in his heart. He had a family, a big bloody family if everything worked out, but still. He had a family.
Finally feeling as if life might suddenly have a chance to be stable; no more crazy now-ex wives, no more psychotic ex-boyfriends, no wayward spells and poisoned owls, no more shitty Healers and sick kids... Just him, his husband Harry, and their sons, Scorpius, Al, James and Teddy.
Mumbling against his lips, Draco gave a loving, contented sigh. "I just want you to know. I refuse to let my kids turn out like the Weasley's."
"What, ginger?" His lips twitched. "I think we've already dodged that."
Draco shook his head, leaning down and pressing his lips to Harry's once more, body pressing perfectly against the others, the Slytherin content to spend the rest of the day kissing the stupid, albeit humorous, Gryffindor replies out of his husband.
"And thank Merlin for that. I think I've handled enough Weasley drama to last me a lifetime."
-8-8-
Oh Draco, just wait till- XD
I really want apple strudel... Damn Disney. So Syl, what did you think of this chapter? Wanna break the news to the fans about the next one?
What? You mean how the next chapter's the epilogue and how Scorp is gonna die again? I can do that.
/facepalm I love you Syl.
You see what I have to work with people? XD Don't worry! Scorp is NOT going to die again! I think I might of converted Syl to angst though. Oi ve.
But yes, loves, the next chapter is what you've been anxiously anticipating. We have now approached the final chapter of Wingardium Leviosa!
Ready for the sequel soon? After the Epilogue? XD
Hope to see you guys soon!
Leave a review?
Sincerely,
-Syl and Abraxas.
da da da da da himaa daaaaa.