Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!
Draco sat in his customary place at the small round table in the tea room. A luke- warm cup of white tea grasped loosely in one hand, while the other supported his head. His legs were crossed at the knees, his grey eyes tracking the slow, hypnotic swaying of the hanging branches of the willow tree out of one of the massive windows that lined the wall of the room.
The streaks of morning light that made their way through the window fell on the young man. They caressed his face and body, casting shadows on the floor beside him. Accentuating the strong features of his face and causing his pale hair to glow.
Draco's cheeks were flushed from the warmth of the sun-rays that had kept him company for his morning tea. It was rare that this part of England had such great weather, normally the sky preferred to grace the land with rain and clouds.
Despite the look of concentration set on his face, Draco wasn't deep in thought. Instead, his mind was occupied with keeping track of the birds flying around the willow. But since ornithology wasn't one of Draco's many skills, he'd had little success in his endeavors.
One bird caught Draco's attention. It was a small thing with red breast feathers that faded out into a grey-brown color. The bird perched on a branch until a sudden gust of wind prompted it into flight.
Merlin, he was bored. He averted his eyes, so that the living room was now within his line of sight just past the large, open wooden doors.
From there he could see the five children, all in varying positions around the room. Isabelle and Max sat on the rug with their favorite toys scattered in the space between them. Jasmine was once more reading out of a thick, hardcover novel. Gold lines wove together creating a complex pattern on the cover. Her back rested against one arm of the couch and her legs stretched out in front of her; lounging on the couch.
Macy sat beside Jasmine's feet, her legs crossed beneath her body. She hunched over a parchment that was covered in lines and notes. Occasionally, she would straighten, eyes focused in thought, and a quill tapping her bottom lip leaving ink smears.
The scene could be mistaken for one of the Manor's moving pictures for all it had changed in the past few days. Although today, Thomas had decided to grace them with his presence; a rare phenomenon to be sure.
He laid on the floor, sketch pad in hand with one of Max's dragons placed to model for his drawing. Draco was surprised when Thomas had joined them that morning after breakfast. The teenager preferred listening to the radio as it spewed the Quidditch scores for the week in the solitude of his room.
Setting his now cooled drink aside, Draco stood and strolled into the adjacent room. "That's it! I can't take it anymore. We haven't left the Manor for days. You all barely even go outside. It's not healthy and I am going stir crazy. We are doing something today, anything! Are there any ideas?" Draco demanded, as he stopped in front of the lot.
"Oh I know, last year a Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop opened up in Diagon Alley. I heard that she now serves these little pink cakes that will bloom as different types of chocolate flowers depending on the customer's mood." Macy was quick to answer, looking at each person expectantly. No doubt waiting for their agreement.
"No, if I'm forced to go out, it's going to be to someplace interesting not lame," Thomas directed that last bit at Macy.
"Madam Puddifoot's isn't lame." She frowned at her brother.
"Last time I was in that shop there were paper hearts and lips enchanted to float around the room," Thomas said to Draco, straight faced. "One of the lips wouldn't stop following me around, and it kept waxing poetics about my nose."
"It was romantic," Macy haughtily said, "but I wouldn't expect you to know anything about romance. I bet all you want to do today is go see a Quidditch match."
"I wish. But there aren't any matches happening today, besides the only team I'm supporting this season is the Falmouth Falcons. I have a good feeling this year." He said, almost like a prayer disregarding the fact they hadn't made it to the final match in the last ten years.
"We could go play at a park and climb trees," Isabelle supplied, blinking up at Draco a stuffed owl wrapped in her arms.
"Or we could go to the Sanctuary here in England," Jasmine spoke up, her book tossed aside. "It's one of the largest zoos in Europe. The place is famous for their many biomes spelled to mimic environments from across the world."
Draco's nose wrinkled at the suggestion, he's track record with animals isn't the greatest, but seeing everyone's interest he had to relent. Sighing, the blonde gave the group a nod. They all dashed out the room to prepare for their journey.
What's the worst that could happen. After all, a Hippogriff had already mauled him nothing else could top that disaster.
Thankfully, the journey to the zoo was a simple one, it was only a Floo trip away. Thomas was the first to go through the fireplace.
As the oldest of the five kids, he was charged to watch the rest of them until Draco walked through. The tall boy grabbed a fistful of green powder from the obsidian vase that rested atop the fireplace mantel. He walked into the fireplace and with a confidant voice said, "The Sanctuary of Helvellyn." At the declaration, Thomas threw the Floo powder at his feet producing green flames which consumed him.
Max was next, followed soon by Jasmine, Isabelle, and finally Macy. Draco made sure that each child could correctly pronounce the name of their destination before allowing any of them to go. He heard stories of wizards ending up in the strangest of places if even one syllable was off.
Draco stepped out of the unfamiliar fireplace, noticing that most surfaces of the large room was covered in dark marble. A single pane of glass made up the entire wall across from him, the only place free of the dark decor. This allowed visitors to look out and admire the beautiful view.
That's where Draco found the group of kids, all gathered around the crowded windows to stare out.
Isabelle pressed her face and hands against the glass, leaving smudges on the otherwise spotless surface. Jasmine pointed into the distance, describing the masterful work of the spells to Thomas and Max who listened attentively to her.
Macy was too focused on brushing off soot that had fallen on her clothes to look out the window in amazement.
The room was set into the side of a mountain showing off a perfect view of the Sanctuary below. Large domes could be seen caused by spells that preserve the biomes within. Keeping the climate as close to the creature's natural environment would be. From where they stood, the people below were nothing but tiny specs moving throughout the zoo.
The ride down into the park was surprisingly bumpy. Draco leaned against the side of the swaying vehicle, eyes squeezed shut and his breath released heavily from his nose. Merlin, they had magic at their fingertips was it so hard to make the ride smoother. Even the thestral carts weren't this bad.
Of course, Isabelle had the time of her life as they traveled down the mountainside. She pretended that they were in the middle of an earthquake. Max was soon roped into the game, he was the citizen-in-distress that Isabelle was to save.
Draco's stomach felt as if it were trying to leave his body through his throat every time he looked out to the moving landscape. He didn't know how the others could handle it.
The cart came to a stop at the bottom of the mountain and a disembodied voice warned of the slight step to the ground. Draco gratefully set foot back on solid land.
Obnoxiously happy music accosted the group as they walked away from the transit line. The music would be overpowered, every now and then, by the screams of excited children. Draco took a second to recover to ensure that his lunch wasn't going to reappear. Isabelle tugged at his shirt signaling the end of his break.
"Let's go in there!" She was pointing at a building that had all kinds of fish magicked to swim around the front. Every now and then, a shark would appear and try to swallow the door leading within.
"Wow! That's pretty cool." Thomas commented, giving Draco a narrowed eyed look at the older man's astonishment at his remark. "What?"
"Nothing." Draco said, starting to walk to the building. Thomas acts so mature sometimes that Draco has a hard time remembering that he's only fifteen.
He studies the three teenagers as they walked ahead of him, they all acted older than their age would dictate. All Draco worried about at that age was if his mother's package of baked goods would arrive that day or his next step to annoy Potter.
Jasmine was the first to reach the door and held it open for everyone to enter. Draco began the lecture he'd prepared, "Remember don't talk to strangers, keep in pairs, and if you get lost find someone with a blue shirt with a large whale on it."
Draco had to yell the last part to the group as they scattered around to observe the different tanks. Draco followed them, making sure to locate each one of his charges as he went.
Macy knelt beside Isabelle pointing at the fishes swimming by. Draco saw Thomas and Max heading toward the entryway with a sign above that read, Shark Tank.
A bright light coming from Draco's left distracted him from locating Jasmine. The room was completely dark room except for a cylindrical tank full of glowing jellyfish, floating lazily around.
He stood there mesmerized by the gelatin- like creatures, until the sound of a camera distributed his concentration. The blonde's head jerked to look at the intruder, who turned out to be Jasmine. She held an old camera in hand and was inspecting the picture she had just taken.
"Draco." Jasmine says in greeting, not looking at the other and continued to take photos of the jellyfish.
"Jasmine, w- you," Draco started, trying to collect his words. When his eyes fell to the instrument in her hands he wound up saying, "Where'd you get that?"
Jasmine's attention left the tank and focused on Draco. "It was in the library, so I grabbed it on the way out."
"And you didn't think to ask the owner if that was OK?" Draco asked, gesturing to himself when he said owner.
"It was all dusty. I didn't think anyone was using it." She clarified, blinking up at Draco.
"That's not the point. It's about manners, if you want to use something that's not yours you need to ask for permission."
"Oh," she looked down at the camera for a second before returning her gaze to Draco, "Sorry?"
Silence stretched between the two until Jasmine said, "uh, so can I use it?"
"I would have appreciated a please somewhere in there, but yes you can use the camera," Draco huffed.
"Thank you," Jasmine said, walking to the other kids. Macy was waving them over, pointing excitedly to a poster that pictured dolphins jumping into the sea. The next show was starting soon.
"Man, I wish we were in the slash row!" Thomas said as they left the aquarium. There was a collective disappointed agreement from the others.
Draco on the other hand was glad that the only sits left were in the back because they'd barely got tickets in time. He was not about to let a stray wave ruin his hair and outfit.
Draco's path was suddenly blocked by Max, Jasmine's camera raised and pointed at the older man. He had just enough time to smile before Max pressed down the button.
During the show, Jasmine pulled out a small notebook to take notes on the aquatic mammal. But, soon realized that she couldn't take notes and take pictures at the same time.
Jasmine attempted to get Macy to help with the photography but was rejected on the basis that the brunette girl was 'nobody's assistant'. Thomas refused when the bespectacled girl turned to him before Jasmine could even get a word out. It was Max that told her he'd be her assistant if she needed one. Jasmine preceded to teach him how to operate the device and he'd taken a liking to the act.
They continued about the zoo, roaming from one exhibit to the next. Seeing the different creatures such as the jobber knolls who, according to Jasmine, were silent until they died and grizzly bears. The last of which prompted a debate between Thomas and Macy about who would win in a fight; a bear or a shark.
Now, Draco was struggling to pull Isabelle away from the penguin exhibit. They were making their way to the rainforest habitat where the others were already waiting.
The humidity hit Draco first when they entered the habitat. It like a wall that caused his clothing to stick uncomfortably to his body. He was wearing long sleeved shirt and trousers, an outfit appropriate for England's weather, but was sorely overdressed for this heat. Thomas was the only one as affected by the drastic change in temperature as Draco. The boy was trying to discreetly fan himself, while the others kept up the same energy as before.
"Wait." Max called, causing the group to stop at an intersection. He stepped to the foliage that lined the path to take pictures of the large, colorful flowers. They moved out of the way of the path.
"Isn't that Auror Potter?" Macy questioned, after they'd been standing to the side for a few minutes. She pointing to someone that was walking past them. At her exclamation, a messy, dark head of hair turned in their direction and sure enough there was Potter.
The brunette man looked at them with wide eyes. He was pushing along a stroller with a young child within. The child tried their hardest to inspect every aspect of the surroundings, leaning forward as far as the straps would allow.
"Malfoy?" Harry said, stunned.
"What the- Potter are you stalking me now?" At Draco's exclamation, Harry snapped out of his state of shock and back into his natural state of sarcasm that always seems to come out around Draco.
"Yes Malfoy, because that's what I want to do on my weekends. To stalk a pompous assss-" Harry glanced down at Max and Isabelle as they made faces at Teddy, causing high pitched giggles to erupt from the youngest mouth, "-with my godson."
"Godson? You mean that's my cousin's child?" Draco inquired, leaning down to get a glimpse at one of his few living relatives.
"I don't believe I have another one." Was Harry's guarded answer.
Straightening, Draco said, "Well in any case, we'll be leaving. Wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you, but it wasn't, so goodbye!"
Draco turned his back on Harry to herd the kids back onto the path. When Harry casually said, "Are you sure you don't want me to come with, you know just in case you run into a stray hippogriff?"
The brunette's forearms rested on the strollers handles, a teasing glint in his green eyes.
"We are not talking about that." Draco commanded, facing the boy-who-lived once more.
"You've met a hippogriff?" Jasmine asked, awed.
"Yep, Draco and I were in the same Care of Magical Creatures class and the professor, Hagrid, brought one in for us to see. I even got to ride it." Potter proudly said.
Jasmine started asking all sorts of questions about the experience. Thomas even looked impressed. He was not about to let Potter tell them this story.
"No, don't listen to him, he's telling it all wrong. It wasn't like some type of fairy tale, we didn't 'meet' a hippogriff. I was attacked by one." This statement was successful in catching the others attention, and curious eyes fell on the somber blonde.
Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's dramatics, "That was your own fault. You should have just bowed to Buckbeak, before you approached him."
Jasmine let out a gasp and whispered scandalized, "You didn't bow to a hippogriff?"
"It shouldn't even have been around teenagers if it is that easy to provoke." Draco threw out, face flushed.
"Are you sure it wasn't because you were jealous of me getting to ride it?" Draco felt anger rise in him, Potter didn't know when to stop poking the snake. Isabelle interrupted him before he had time to start in on the other man, which would have included an impressive array of curses.
"Can we go see the monkeys now?"
Taking in a deep breath, Draco agreed (anything to get away from the other man) and told everyone it was time to go. Completely ignoring Harry.
"Draco, they have to come with us! I promised Teddy that I would show him the monkeys, I can't break a promise." Isabelle whined.
"Isabelle, he's young enough that he won't care who takes him to see the monkeys. I'm sure Potter is more than capable for that simple task."
It almost worked, she was about to agree with Draco until Teddy let out a shout of "Monkeys." Causing her bottom lip to jut out in a pout.
He looked to the rest of the group for their help on this, but Jasmine looked indifferent, Macy shrugged. She wanted to see them anyway, and Thomas smiled so Draco knew the answer without the boy uttering a word. The boy likes to torture Draco.
Outnumbered, Draco resignedly said, "Fine, let's go to the monkeys. But then we part ways, Potter." A finger pointing at said person's chest.
Much to Draco's misery and to everyone else's amusement, the group didn't split after the primate exhibit. Draco was ready to part ways after they traveled through the jungle habitat, but Potter bribed the children with ice cream, the prick. Although, Draco hadn't put up much of a fuss; it was free, and it would help to cool them down after the sweltering jungle.
After that, Potter and Teddy tagged along with the group with little argument from Draco. He had to pay off the ice cream debt someway.
At the reptile enclosure, Isabelle was once more brimming with excitement for the snakes. Max stayed close to Draco or Harry, uncomfortable with the thought of slithering creatures surrounding them. Macy, Thomas, and Draco didn't mind so much it was their house animal.
Jasmine, on the other hand, was only interested in knowing one thing, "Auror Potter."
"Call me Harry. I'm not on the job right now."
"Potter, then." Draco snickered at that. Harry jabbed an elbow to the blonde's side, only for him to dodge the appendage as he had anticipated the move. "Are you really able speak Parseltongue?"
Of course, with this prompting, Potter just had to show off. Harsh, hissing sounds emanated from his mouth.
"Wow, I want to try talking to the snakes!" Isabelle said, running off to a glass panel to 'talk' to the snake within.
"Can you talk to other animals too?" Max wondered.
"No, buddy it's only snakes." Harry said patting the boy's ginger head.
Max made a face, "I wouldn't want to talk to snakes. They're scary!"
"I suppose they are, but they all can't be scary." Harry said, giving Draco a meaningful glance. But the other man didn't want to decode the symbolize in his words, so the sentiment went ignored.
"Is that even useful?" Thomas interjected coldly, his hands in pockets. "I mean most animals have small brains, so snakes can't be good conversationalist."
"Thomas, don't be rude!" Macy admonished.
"I guess it depends on which snake you decide to talk with." Harry said, amused.
"Besides, it's not about what the snake says rather about how rare the magic is to get that skill. It could be an amazing tool to understand the nature of magic that is largely unknown.
Back when blood purity was important, everyone thought that magic was hereditary. But then, muggle descendants showed signs of magic, so the hereditary link was debunked.
If that's true many questions arise. Like, what about skills like Parseltongue that are pasted down, obviously there's a magical link. And how about squibs, why don't they have magic-" The rest of them stood there stunned as Jasmine continued to rant. Her words accelerating the more excited she became.
"I'm going to be honest," Thomas began, "everything she just said went completely over my head."
Jasmine was too caught up in reciting the recent studies done at St. Mungo's about a connection between mutations and magic to notice Thomas and Macy slip away. Draco drifted off, preoccupied by the reptiles, letting the girl's words to fly over his head.
Harry was the only one still trying to keep up with the girl, like the Gryffindor he was. His head bobbed in agreement even with the look of bewilderment painted on his face.
Harry leaned in close to Draco, the sharp scent of his after shave invading the blonde's space. Their arms brushing, Draco didn't know if he wanted the other man to lean closer or to step far, far away.
"She'd get along famously with Hermione." Harry whispered, into Draco's ear.
It was only when they reached the end of the exhibit, that she finished. Everyone had kept up with the group except for Isabelle, she stood in front of one of the glass panes a few yards back.
Her arms were gesturing wildly, and her lips moved. Eyes trained on a large green snake coiled on a branch. It blinked lazily at the child, tongue flicked as it tastes the air.
"Isabelle, we're leaving." Draco called out. The little girl ran up to him and complained that she wasn't done talking to the snake.
"I'm sure you weren't but we can't spend all day here." Draco said.
"But I was having fun!" Isabelle pouted, but took Draco's hand and followed him out. "She said she liked it here, and that she was very happy to meet me."
Draco nodded along, cursing Potter for putting such thoughts into the girl's head. Now, she may go find a snake to 'talk' to just to get injured. Not only that, few people would be kind if she pretended to be a parselmouth.
He still remembered the reaction everyone had when it came out that Potter was one, and he was their Golden Boy.
To get her mind off talking snakes, he mentioned the petting zoo that was close by.
It was a little area marked with a rickety, wooden fence. Enclosed inside were small animals such as goats, rabbits, sheep, and kneazles. Parents followed their children as they roamed the area. Making sure they didn't harm the animals and remained injury free.
When Teddy was lifted out of the stroller, Isabelle took his hand and led him to a goat chomping on a clump of grass. Max was right beside them the whole way, a determined to look after the two and keep them out of trouble.
"You have to be gentle, Teddy. If you want to be friends with them, you have to be careful." Isabelle explained to him as she demonstrated the correct petting technique.
Macy and Jasmine walked directly to the kneazles that lounged in the sun. The animals were so used to people's presence that they didn't react as the two girls approached. Draco leaned against the fence as he watched them with the animals, Thomas by his side.
"Don't you guys want to see the animals?" Harry asked. Then laughed at the identical looks of disgust he received from the two Slytherins.
"I can see them perfectly from here thank you." Draco said, grimacing at the thought of getting close to the animals.
"I'm not touching them. Do you know what kinds of diseases they can carry?" Thomas said, shuttering at the thought. Draco crossed his arms across his chest, nodding along with what Thomas was saying.
"You two really have matching personalities. Oh boy, I don't think the world can handle two Draco Malfoy's." Harry said, faking horror at the thought. Thomas' nose wrinkled at the comparison.
Just to prove Harry wrong, Thomas marched up to a group of rabbits hopping happily around and picked one up. He held the floppy eared creature away from his body, already regretting his rash decision as the rabbit squirmed in his hands.
"That look doesn't do much to change my mind about you two." Harry laughed at Thomas' grossed out face and walked over to Teddy, shaking his head at the other's actions.
Thomas quickly placed the animal back on the ground when Harry turned his back. He reached for the hand cleaning station beside the gate and furiously scrubbed off the germs now on his hands. Sighing in relief once his hands were disinfected.
"You were so brave." Draco solemnly said, placing a sympathetic hand on Thomas' shoulder. Shrugging the offending hand from his person, Thomas gave Draco a dirty look. The young man's facade broke at the look and he began to laugh.
"Oh, ha ha ha, like you would do any better with an animal." Thomas snapped, leaning back against the fence.
"The difference between me and you, Thomas, is that I know my limits, and I know for a fact I'm not good with animals. Not even crups like me." Draco said matter-of-fact, once his laughter was back under control.
"Why does it sound like you're proud of that?" Thomas muttered, kicking at a rock that rested beside his shoe.
"Of course I am. They don't like me because they recognize me as a superior being to them." Draco sniffed.
"So, they hate you because they're jealous?" Thomas asked in disbelief.
Draco's nod of confirmation had Thomas blurting, "That has got to be the most ridiculous and pompous thing I have ever heard."
Before Draco could defend himself, he felt a tug on his sleeve. A goat had started to chew on his expensive, silk shirt.
And thus, began an epic tug-of-war battle between Draco and the goat. One trying to avoid ripping the cloth; the other looking for a snack.
Man won the battle this time, the shirt was released. Although, covered in saliva and with a little nibbled off. Unfortunately, the war was just beginning.
The goat refused to leave Draco alone. It kept butting its head against his thigh looking for another bite to eat. No amount of shoving or edging away from the animal would deter this mammal from its goal.
And Thomas wasn't helping the situation at all. Instead, he started to cheer for the goat and even gave it a name, Jasper.
The vocal encouragements from the boy grabbed the attention of another goat and the animal began to loudly bleat at Thomas.
"It serves you right!" Draco said, head jerking toward Thomas. The teenager was inching behind Draco to use him to block the goat that was encroaching on the boy's space.
Thomas successfully diverted the goat's attention to the silk feast before it by using Draco as a human shield. With the blonde distracted by the appearance of a second head, 'Jasper' snatched a mouth full of sleeve.
"You coward!" Draco taunted at Thomas, trying to fend off both goats and failing.
The goats suddenly stopped their advance as a sharp whistle broke through the air. They about faced and trotted over to a crouched Harry Potter with animal feed cupped in both his hands. The two animals that practically attacked Draco and Thomas a second ago, were now nosing peacefully at Potter's hands.
"Well they're not hippogriffs but saving you from a pair of evil goats must get me some points, right?" Harry said, looks up at Draco a crooked smile plastered on his face. A smile that did funny things to Draco's stomach.
Draco couldn't stop a huff of amusement from leaving his lips or the small smile from forming, even if he wanted too. Seeing the movement of Draco's face muscles, Harry beamed even more. For Harry, Draco's smile was a rare sight, let alone one that he had caused.
"I guess it can count as your act of heroism for the day, as I'm sure you're compelled to do at least one each day." Draco said, trying to school his face into a neutral expression but couldn't mask the mirth in his eyes.
"Why does everyone think I have a hero complex? I'm just at the right place at the right time." Harry said aspirated. Draco was about to argue the point when a shout interrupted him.
"Draco! Look at me, look at me."
Following the sound of the voice, Draco saw Isabelle jumping up and down in a puddle of mud. Clumps of the brown substance grasped in her hands, and mud streaked across her face.
"Draco, I'm like the pigs!" She then proceeded to oink in proof.
Max stood off to the side, mud splattered, a victim to Isabelle's movements. He used a hand to keep Teddy behind him to prevent any random flecks of mud from getting on the younger child.
"Good lord," Draco gasped and marched over to them, "Isabelle you'd better get out of that puddle immediately."
Delighted at gaining the blondes attention, Isabelle ran full sprint at him. Before Draco could stop her, the small body slammed into his legs and dirty fingers tangled in his shirt.
He was about to give her a harsh scolding, but her smile smothered his anger for the time being. Draco lifted her up, morning his clothes that were beyond repair. Isabelle reached up to smear mud across the man's cheeks.
"Now we match," was the delighted explanation.
Draco reprimanded her on cleanliness and how the petting zoo was not the place to play in the mud. Isabelle nodded in understanding not looking abashed in the slightest. Harry then comes sauntering up, holding Teddy in one arm and in the other hand was his wand.
"Malfoy let me. I've gotten pretty good with the Scourgify charm. I had to cast it plenty of times with Teddy when he goes outside to play." The sight of Potter approaching them a wand drawn had Draco shaking from memories. The blonde shrunk in on himself clutching Isabelle against his chest, using his body to protect her.
"Like I'd trust you to point a wand at me again, Potter." Draco snapped, the words draining Harry's face of all color.
He regretted the words that left his mouth when he saw the horror other man's face. The words had honestly been a knee jerk reaction. But, the thought of Potter casting a spell on him caused his breath to catch and his heart to quicken.
The two of them were beginning to get along, and of course, Draco had to go mess it all up again.
Potter fumbled with his wand to return it to his pocket, "Malfoy, I'm-"
"Don't Potter, not here." Draco scanned the crowd as they began to take notice of the commotion. Harry sensing Draco's discomfort stepped closer to whisper more effectively.
"No, Malfoy this is important." His green-eyed stare and serious tone made Draco swallow.
"Fine. What is it Potter?" Draco said, avoiding the hard stare.
"I'm sorry, Mal-Wait, I mean, I'm sorry, Draco. I should not have used that spell on you, it was stupid and reckless. If I knew what that spell did, I would never have cast it."
"Those are some pretty words." Draco said around the lump forming in his throat.
Potter let out a bitter laugh. "If it is any consolation it is one of the most terrifying moments of my life, the only topped by Voldemort himself."
Draco's eyes glanced back up to meet Harry's trying to detect any lies in them.
"It was at that time that it really hit me about the kind of destruction I was capable of. And I am so sorry that you had to be at the receiving end of it." Harry finished, retaining eye contact with the other.
What was Draco supposed to say to that, it's okay, because no it wasn't. I forgive you, because Draco had forgiven Potter the moment, he saved him from the fire, but Draco wasn't sure if he was ready to say it out loud. And maybe that meant he hadn't forgiven the other man at all.
Did Draco even deserve this apology after everything he had done? A whirlwind of confusing and contradictory feels erupted, threatening to drown him.
"Out of the two of us I don't think you are the one who needs to apologize." Draco choked out.
"Yes, I do." Harry said looking sad, "We may have had a rocky past, but I've never hated you enough to want you dead or hurt. And nothing excuses my actions."
"Draco, he hurt you?" Isabelle asked, breaking the strange atmosphere between Draco and Harry. Her arms tightening around Draco's neck attempting to give him some comfort.
"Yes, Kiki. When we were younger, Potter and I fought quite a lot. And one time we both took it a little too far and I was injured, but the important thing is that he apologized right?"
Satisfied with Isabelle's agreement to the question, Draco called out to the others that it was time to head out. Max looked hesitantly at Draco's offered hand with mud coating it.
"Oh right, sorry," Draco said, retracting the hand but Max's shot out to grasp the retreating appendage.
"I don't mind," he claimed. The three walked toward the exit where Thomas, Jasmine, and Macy gathered.
"Also, Potter, I don't believe I gave you permission to call me by my first name," Draco casually threw over his shoulder.
"I've known you for almost nine years, I don't think I have to ask permission, Draco. You can even call me Harry if you want." Potter said, following behind Draco.
"In your dreams, Potter." Draco sneered.
"That's not the only thing I'll be dreaming about."
And that sentence might have had the most innocent of intentions, if it wasn't for how Potter had said it. Draco almost tripped at the tone and a red flush rose on his cheeks. Not for the first time, Draco cursed his pale complexion.
"Oh! Gross!" Macy said, her face seemed to cave in on itself, her hands used to cover her ears, "I don't want to hear that."
Potter's face was now turning an impressive shade of red, his earlier bravo gone. Draco had spent years studying Potter, but still couldn't understand the way Potter could change from a confident, capable man to a red, stuttering bundle of nerves in an instant. It wasn't an enduring trait, no really it wasn't.
"Stop following me, Potter!" Draco hissed, when he saw that Harry had also exited the petting zoo, Teddy nestled in his arms.
"I'm not following you. Teddy and I have been here long enough and if I don't get him back home before dinner Andromeda will kill me." Harry said with something resembling a pout.
Draco rolled his eyes at the obvious lie but didn't call the man out on it; arguing with Potter was just a waste of energy. It's not like he might actually enjoy the other's company. That's just ridiculous.
On the trek back to the lift, Isabelle managed to fall asleep on Draco's chest despite his movements jostling her body. It wasn't long after, that Draco noticed Max was lagging. Draco's arm reaching farther and farther back due to their connected hands.
Max rubbed his eyes when Draco asked if he was tired. Stubbornly, Max denied it through a yawn.
The others were getting farther away from them, so Draco scooped the boy up using his unoccupied arm. He picked up the pace to catch up as Max's head sleepily drifted onto Draco's shoulder.
Draco continued like this for a good distance, thankful that Max wasn't too much bigger than Isabelle. Regardless of how light the two felt when he first lifted them, his arms were beginning to burn with the strain. He swore then that he'd start workout his arms more and invest in a stroller after this trip.
Potter seeing his struggle offered to carry Isabelle, if someone would push Teddy for him. A job Jasmine volunteered for. The brunette approached Draco hands raised expectantly.
"I'm not going to drop her." Harry assured, reading reluctance in Draco's body language.
"I know that, you prat." Draco said sharply, his voice becoming gentler when Max shifted at his tone, "I just don't want them to wake up."
Potter's face softened, "She looks pretty dead to the world to me."
Which was true. Isabelle was boneless against Draco's shoulder, little snores coming out of her mouth.
"Come on, Malfoy. I swear I won't bite."
Letting out a breath, Draco handed Isabelle to Harry, "Well, you are good with kids. I'll give you that." He said glancing over at Teddy.
"Why, Malfoy I do believe that was a compliment." Harry smiled as he settled a softly complaining Isabelle by rubbing her back.
Adjusting Max so he fit more comfortable in his arms, Draco returned the smile.
"Just don't go running to the press. They may think I'm trying to corrupt you."
"Do you think I'm that easy to corrupt, Draco Malfoy?"
"If the shoes fits, Potter?"
"Not again!" Macy bemoaned, covering her eyes, "My poor virgin eyes."
That and the sound of Thomas fake gagging got Draco's attention. He gave Thomas a small shove as he passed by the group to stop the disturbing noises coming from his throat.
"You two should just kiss already." Jasmine remarked, chin in one hand using the stroller for support. Despite her earlier words, Macy threw them a thumbs up and even winked at Harry. Both men just ignored them as they continued the trip to the lift.
They had a hard time waking up Isabelle and Max for them to walk through the Floo, but by some miracle it was done. Thomas, Jasmine, and Macy soon followed.
Draco delivered a swift goodbye to Harry and Teddy, not wanting to invoke more teasing for taking too long. He pretended he not to notice Potter watching him until he disappeared in green flames.
Mittsy already had dinner cooking when they stepped out of the fireplace. But first, Draco had to make sure that Isabelle and Max were scrubbed clean of all dirt.
He took a shower of his own and left methodical instructions on how to wash the mud splattered clothes for Mittsy. Although, he suspects that his clothes won't be salvageable.
Finally sitting down for their meal, Draco looked at the tables occupants and thought back to his meals before they'd all met. Meals spent alone and feeling sorry for himself. He didn't know why his life had made this complete one-eighty, but he was thankful to know this group of amazing children. And with a smile on his face, Draco began to eat.