Chapter 8: When your wrong your really wrong
A week later and Harry walked into the room they had come from the funeral pretty much straight away, he had stayed behind to speak to the family on behalf of president. Harry watched his husband interacting with the first lady from a distance and couldn't help but smile proudly, that had been an hour ago and Draco was now standing in his office.
"Draco." Harry said pointing at his door.
"The first lady would like an amendment to the health care aid amendment bill." Draco said.
"You just want to give me a hard day, shut the door." Harry said politely.
"Harry its wrong that people can be refused based on age and weight." Draco said Harry slammed his fist on the table in front of them both.
"Do you think I don't know that Draco." Harry roared at the man.
"Then we should do something about it." Draco roared.
"Your remember who's office your standing in and who is about twenty feet from my door, I will not add an amendment to this on behalf of the first lady its been six bloody months of negotiations to get the damn thing through. This what we have, we don't like it, but we have an hostile congress and we have to live with it as it is. When we have the midterms we can take back the house until we have to make do, the next time someone wants to put an amendment on a bill call me first." Harry snarled at him.
"She said you'd say that and told me to speak to the president himself." Draco said.
"The man is busy, and I am not putting this on his desk not today was that all." Harry said to him.
"Harry what is your problem?" Draco demanded the door to his office opened the president was standing in the doorway.
"Is there a problem?" Jed asked Harry.
"No sir Draco was just leaving." Harry said to him Jed looked at him and the flushed anger in both of their eyes.
"What is going on?" Jed asked Draco.
"Sir, the first lady wants to change the bill." Draco said.
"No." Jed said. "You told him that already?" he asked Harry.
"Yes sir, I told him that we wouldn't throw six months work out of the window on the day of the vote." Harry said to the president. "I care that you're my husband Draco, but in this office and in the oval and on the floor I am your fucking boss. If you think for one minute that you can use our relationship to push the first ladies agenda on then you don't know me to well." Harry snarled at Draco. "Leave the agenda of my table, take it to Sam next time and if he thinks it prudent he'll bring it to me." Harry added Draco stared the president disappeared from the room.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't shout me down in front of the president." Draco said hurt.
"I can't have you in here trying to affect his judgement Draco, not on something like this." Harry said to him.
"You don't think this bill is a good thing any more I do." Draco snapped.
"No I don't believe it's the right move he does, he like me believes it's the best we are going to get, you can question my judgement all you like but when he makes a decision you full in line with it. You make your argument to me and then I take it to him or one of my staff brings it to me, Draco you're my mate and my husband and I love you but you are new to this I'm not and I will not be played." Harry said to him with a smile on his lips.
"I was trying to do a good thing for the first lady." Draco said.
"I know, and she knows what my answer would be and she knew what the president would say, you should never have brought this to my office, sound it of with Sam then bring it to me." Harry said to him with a smile.
"I will." Draco said as he sat down on the table. "So how's your day been?" Draco asked.
"What time is it?" Harry asked.
"A little after ten." Draco said Harry groaned.
"I will probably be here to midnight." Harry said to him. "At this rate anyway, its going to be a long day, we are preparing for the Las Vegas trip to open some such crap." Harry said to him Draco laughed. "I have half my team working on something to do with the bill and the rest on the trip." Harry said to him Draco stared as his other door opened the first lady stepped into the room.
"Abby, just when I thought my day was going to be fun." Harry said rising from his chair. "How can I help and why do I think that I need ibuprofen?" Harry asked her.
"The Bill." she said.
"Yeah I need the tablets Donna." Harry cried out to her she popped her head round his door. "Get the headache pills." Harry said to her she laughed. "Its ten in the morning this couldn't wait until after the bill went through at eleven." Harry asked her she snorted.
"He needs to veto it Harry." Abby said.
"But he wont." Harry said to him.
"Santos is wrong about this you and I both know it." Abby said.
"We have work six months to get this thing to the table, its as good as it is going to get and will help the majority of the people." Harry said to her his temper reigned in the woman and Draco were impressed.
"Harry he has to veto this isn't good we don't want our names on it." Abby said to him.
"You mean you don't want your husbands name on it, because it will reflect badly on you as a doctor." Harry said she stared at him. "I don't shout at the first lady I'd get fired but don't think for a second I won't get dirty with you politely, the president will not veto the bill not now not ever and he will not offer an amendment to it." Harry said.
"Your seriously out of line." Draco said.
"No I'm not, I have to run this white house not pick out the wall colour schemes and furniture." Harry said to Draco who stared at him. "Was that all Draco." Harry asked he nodded and left the room. "Abby please do not use my husband to play me the way you play Jed it won't work." Harry said when the door closed.
"Your being particularly harsh to him Harry." Abby said to him. "You need to apologise to him." Abby added.
"I will later, by which time the bond that we have will be killing me painfully." Harry said to her.
"The bond will hurt you?" Abby asked.
"Yes, you sent him in here prepared for a fight and I had to get nasty to make my point, by the time he'll talk to me again because of his Veela stubbornness I'll have a headache the size of the white house literally probably." Harry said to her. "If he was pregnant I could have killed him and the baby by doing that, so don't play the card again because you know what is worse than a pissed of Veela mate, a pissed of mourning elf mate." Harry said to her she laughed.
"I'll remember that next time." Abby said.
"He'll talk to Sam before me in future." Harry said to him as his pager went of Harry picked the thing up. "I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries, but I was angry my Elf side was angry that you chose to play my emotions against my politics." Harry said to him. "I very nearly lost my cool with you and the president needs me in the situation room something about an invasion." Harry said to the woman who nodded.
"Go…" Abby said as she left the room before him.
"Donna could you order twelve red roses and have this message put in with them." Harry said scribbling it down. "Then go order the biggest box of chocolates you can find at Daniels down on fifth and have them sent to Draco's office don't worry about money." Harry said to her she nodded leaving the room to order what he had asked for.
Harry walked down the hall to the stair case.
"Harry." Draco said.
"Draco I am sorry about what happened in my office but I am really needed by the president I can't talk right now, as soon as I have a spare minute I will come and find you." Harry said to him Draco nodded. "Sorry." Harry said kissing him softly he felt his mate cave to the touch before departing down the stair case.
Harry walked into the situation room the president was sitting at the head of the table.
"I was having a meeting with your wife, apparently we have a bill problem again." Harry said to him the president looked bemused. "So what did I miss who wants to fire some guns today Fitz." Harry asked.
"300,000 troops from India are currently on their way to Pakistan." Fitz said.
"We missed 300,000 troops how?" Harry asked the president looked like he had already gone through the motions. "The CIA missed it how?" he asked.
"We didn't miss it we just weren't quick on the up take." the CIA director said to him.
"Sir could I possibly borrow your side arm I feel the sudden urge to kill someone." Harry said to the major by the door. "We missed 300,000 troops." Harry said sighing sitting back in his chair staring at the CIA director who looked like he was worried he might carry out his threat.
"Do you have the power to fire him or do I have the ability to ask him over and over how he managed to miss 300,00 troops. A real crappy day just became a whole lot worse." Harry said to the president.
"I couldn't agree more, we'll need to get both ambassadors in here." Jed said to him.
"I'll make the calls then I will brief the staff." Harry said to Jed who nodded and rose. "Time to stop world war III, and they say we don't do good work here, my kids brought me some devil horns last Christmas." Harry said to them all causing them to laugh. "I think my children will think my parents are there parents by the time our stay here is over." Harry said to the president as they walked down the hall.
"I think your probably right, you shouldn't be to hard on Draco his doing his job." Jed said to him.
"I have the headache to prove that." Harry said. "Sir I pretty much shot him and your wife down this morning for that I really do apologise, but you push an elf to fight with his mate its going to be explosive, will you tell your wife that I will be by later when the headache is over to apologise some more and you should probably mention that Draco is going to get a gift from me in a little while." Harry added.
"Go make the calls." Jed said slapping the back of his head as he walked past Harry chuckled.
Hsmhsmhsm
Harry walked by his husbands office later in the day with a smile, "You get the presents?" he asked.
"I did your forgiven." Draco said to him. "You had Donna go get them didn't you?" he asked.
"You think with everything going on in here today I've had time to go five blocks?" Harry asked him Draco laughed. "I haven't even had lunch yet, I was hoping you'd like to join me in the mess, you can meet with Sam and Toby properly for the first time, your going to be doing a lot of shouting with them in the coming years and Will though I doubt that he'll shout much his silent and deadly most of the time." Harry said to him Draco chuckled.
"Love to." Draco said to him Harry grabbed a chocolate from the box. "Hey their mine hands of." Draco growled at him Harry laughed before plopping it in his mouth.
"I pay a couple of hundred for them I think I am entitled to a chocolate." Harry said Draco giggled. "Don't dangle chocolate in front of someone who is addicted to it he'll take it every time." Harry said to the man who chuckled.
They walked into the mess Toby Sam Will Leo and CJ were already seated.
"Just a salad." Draco said to him. "Tuna." he added.
Harry came back with something hot for himself and the salad for Draco who watched him tuck into his meal.
"The press have the fact that we missed 300,000 troops in India and Pakistan." CJ said to him.
"Yeah I guessed they would have at this point." Troy said to him.
"Its true then, I flatly denied it in there Harry." CJ snarled.
"The only people who knew about this are people I deemed necessary to know, you weren't one of them and I am sorry for that but I am a pretty pissy day as it is so get of my back CJ." Harry snapped at her. "Your recover the reputation of your job, sometimes I need you to have no information because I need to keep the press of my back for a few hours." Harry said to her with a smile she stared. "Your job is not defending the president every step of the way, that's my job your job is to make sure I can do that without the press on my back about it." Harry added Leo stared at him.
"That's not how I see it." CJ said to him.
"I had you go into that room I knew that Mike had the information CJ, I sent you in there to tell them that nothing was going on, I sent you in their as the sacrificial lamb to buy us some time today it didn't work today but I do it all the time and it does work." Harry said to her she stared miffed at him. "Your to close to Danny, you trust him I don't its as simple as that, I don't know what kind of hold that man has on you and I don't want to know what kind of hold he has on you." Harry said to her.
"Well your in a good mood." Sam said.
"I have a headache thanks to me pissing of my mate this morning I have Pakistan and India about to go to war, I think I have the right to be in a bad mood Sam." Harry snapped at the man standing it was at that moment that Harry collapsed to the floor screaming in pain.
"We have the whiz down and in need of medical attention." a secret service agent said into the radio as Harry clutched at his stomach.
Hsmhsmhsm
They got him to a magical medical centre with in half hour, the fact that the chief of staff was whizzed away to a half and half hospital was about to be front line news, the president and first lady were with Draco and both sets of twins and the grandparents. It was nine in the evening when a doctor came out of a set of doors to talk to Draco.
"Draco may we talk alone." the man said to him.
"Of course." Draco said following the doctor out of the room and into a more private room. "How is he?" Draco asked.
"His stable, the reason he collapsed Draco is that Harry is five months in to a six month pregnancy, your husband's body rejected the baby. The baby died inside him, the operation was to deliver him." the doctor said Draco moaned in pain as he lent against the door tears streaming down his face as he struggled to understand that he and Harry were the reason why they had lost a baby today. "Harry is sleeping and will be till tomorrow morning." the doctor said to him Draco nodded.
The doctor left him alone after saying that he would take him when he was ready to see his husband and son, Draco walked into the waiting room still crying Jed could see something is wrong and approached him.
"Draco is Harry okay?" Jed asked.
"He was fives months pregnant, the argument today we think it caused his body to reject the baby, the baby died which is why he collapsed in pain." Draco said numbly James and Lily let out a moan. "We didn't know about this, if we did what happened this morning would never have happened." Draco said sobbing into his father in laws chest.
"I am so sorry for your loss." Jed said to him. "Take all the time you need." Jed said to him.
"The baby was a boy, dad could you bring the kids home." Draco asked James nodded. "Thank you Mr. President." Draco said.
"Tonight I am just Jed, and I am a father just like you, your both be in our prays." Jed said to him Draco nodded as the president hugged him. "Call if you need anything, or if you just need to talk." the man said to him Draco nodded. "Tell Harry when he wakes up that we'll be buy tomorrow evening." Jed said to him Draco nodded as the man left with his wife he sat down.
Hsmhsmhsm
Harry woke up the following morning with CJ and Leo in the room with Draco and the boys, Harry smiled weakly at them as he hugged his sons tightly, "How are you feeling?" Leo asked.
"Pretty good all things considering," Harry said to him. "Thanks for coming, the doctor's told me before they put me under what was happening." Harry said to him numbly.
"A little boy." Draco said Harry nodded numbly.
"Harry the president is coming by later to see you." CJ said.
"Tell him not to, he shouldn't close this hospital to visit one person I'll be home tomorrow or the next day I'll come to see him then, I need some time and I would prefer if you weren't around during that." Harry said to them the people looked at him. "My baby died because of my job and right now, your serving as a reminder of that loss please go." Harry said to them CJ left the room without a word to him she just shook her head sadly.
"Harry I have a daughter and…" Leo started.
"I need time Leo just go please." Harry said to the man who nodded leaving the room without another word or a fight.
"We can go see him anytime." Draco said Harry swung his legs out from under the covers of the bed. "You need a chair?" he asked Harry shook his head standing up unsteadily at first but his parents were their to walk them to the door that the doctor had said that they could go through at any time.
"We'll be out here." James said to them both.
Harry opened the door he slid into the room quietly without looking at his father, "His beautiful." Harry said to him.
"Yeah he is, I'm not sure I want the boys to see him." Draco said to him.
"I think they should be allowed to make that decision." Harry said to him. "What do you want to name him?" he added.
"Josiah." Harry said to him. "The man has an amazing impact on my life now and before we entered the white house, his my adopted father." Harry added.
"Josiah Jackson." Draco said to him Harry laughed.
"I think its beautiful." Harry said to him as he picked up his son in his arms. "We would have loved having you in our lives little man, your never going to know that but I want you to know that your named after one of the most honourable men I have ever known." Harry whispered kissing his sons forehead. "You didn't even exist to us but your going to be well loved and well remembered I promise you, your never going to be forgotten." Harry said to him as if the baby could hear him. "Your beautiful son and your never be forgotten." Harry said as the door creaked open Troy and Kaden came in crying Harry handed Draco Jed jr before bending down to meet his sons in a hug.
"Dad why did it happen?" Kaden asked.
"I don't know baby, sometimes bad things happen to good people." Harry said to him. "You want to meet your little brother." he asked the twins.
"Please." Troy said Kaden nodded his head as they sat down on the couch around Harry as Draco sat down next to them Troy moved so he could sit on Harry's lap. "What's his name?" Troy asked.
"Josiah after the president and Jackson no idea who that is after but it fits." Harry said to him Troy giggled. "How you doing baby?" Troy asked him as he sifted his hand through his son's hair the boy leaned into the touch.
"Why?" he asked.
"Sometimes being at work is stressful yesterday was, your dad and I argued like adults do sometimes. We didn't know I was pregnant so their were complications because we were both mad at each other." Harry said Draco took his hand with his free hand. "Something's aren't meant to be son." Harry said his tears rolling into Troy's hair as he held his son quietly he could feel the sobs racking his sons body. "We couldn't do anything to prevent this son." Harry said Kaden was being comforted by Draco their families came into the room.
"The president and his wife are out side sir." the secret service agent said to Harry.
"Let them in would you." Harry said the man nodded.
Jed and Abby came into find the two of them surrounded by the family, "Sir." Harry said softly.
"Harry I'm glad to see your awake, how are you all?" Abby said as Harry stood up and hugged her.
"We are doing well all considering." Draco said to her as Troy stood up and leaned into his dads body Harry wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"I'm truly sorry for your loss boys." Abby said. "We all are." she added.
"Thank you Abby, sir we are going to take a couple of weeks at least before we return to work." Harry said to the man who nodded.
"Of course, your on leave for however long either of you need, I brought Leo back in as acting deputy chief of staff and Sam as acting chief until you come back." Jed said to him. "You should use Will as the first ladies chief of staff his a good man and if I didn't have Sam in my office he would be my choice to replace him. The next democratic president should have him as chief of staff." Harry said Jed laughed Harry managed a small smile.
"What did you name him?" Jed asked.
"Josiah Jackson Potter-Malfoy." Harry said the man stared at him. "I thought it right that he be named after the most honourable man I have had the pleasure to know and Draco agreed, we plan on having a small service sir which for obvious reasons you cannot attend but we know your be with us in our hearts and in spirit." Harry said to him Jed smiled nodding.
"You know if we could we would be there for you both, I do know that the rest of the staff will be there." Abby said.
"Its in England ma'am, his being laid to rest in the family plot." Harry said to him. "We will be going the day after tomorrow." Harry said to him. "Thank you sir." Harry said.
Hsmhsmhsm
A week later and the six of them stood and lay at the front of the church their friends and family around them, Leo and CJ had made the trip to England for the service they sat at the back listening to the service. They were both reminded that the two men who had suffered the very personal loss were incredibly strong, Leo could see as clear as day why the president had hired Harry. He couldn't believe that he would ever be that strong if something happened to one of his own children.
When the service was over Harry walked over to the pair of them at the burial site.
"Harry." CJ said with a smile.
"Thanks for coming guys, I know that its been an important week." Harry said to them.
"We wouldn't have missed it, the others would have come as well but its busy." Leo said to him.
"Draco and I will be back next week, Draco is chomping at the bit to be busy, and I'm just bored sitting at home." Harry said. "And an empty house is not something I am looking to experience." Harry said to him. "Mum and dad are taking the twins away for a couple of weeks to take our minds of things." he added.
"So your coming back to work." CJ said.
"Yeah we are… Draco an I can't sit down and do nothing its not who we are, we are seeing a councillor together and your going to get asked about that so we'll come up with something if we have to but I would prefer my personal life to be that for a few more days." Harry said to them CJ nodded. "If this gets out CJ I'm going to remove privliges permanently from the press responsible.
"If it comes my way they will be warned." CJ said.
"Can you stay for the wake?" Harry asked.
"I have everything covered so yes." CJ said Leo nodded.
"Good, you should see the Potter family home before you leave or die." Harry said to them they laughed and he smiled a little. "A week ago I wasn't ready to talk to you guys, we've been in a bad place and we still are but we can't hide forever." Harry said to them they nodded their heads and followed him back to Draco who was waiting by the car with the twins.
"Hey." Harry said kissing Draco as he smiled at the twins. "You ready to go back to the castle?" Harry asked the boys nodded. "Leo CJ ride with us, you won't be able to find the place otherwise." Harry said the two of them climbed in the limo with them.
Hsmhsmhsm
Harry stood on the balcony of the main dance floor watching the sun set when Leo found him, "You have a castle." Leo said to him.
"We have three this is the second biggest." Harry said to him the man stared. "The school I went to when I was a kid we own, my family's ancestor helped set it up and is a founder of the school." Harry said to the woman. "The castle in question is the biggest castle in the wizarding world and is among the biggest in the world full stop fifth I think." Harry said to him with a grin on his face.
"Its gorgeous." Leo said.
"I love the sunset in this area of the castle its beautiful." Harry said to him.
"How you fairing?" Leo asked.
"You asked me already Leo." Harry said to him he stared at Harry who sighed. "I'm getting there, we didn't even know he existed and the world of grief that comes with him. We didn't get the chance to know him, we didn't get the chance to do the things we will with the others and you know what neither of us blame the president or the people we work with or the job but its all three of those things rolled into one." Harry said to him.
"Meaning what?" Leo asked him.
"I love my job Leo, I was terrified when you quit to save your marriage but I love it, I feel like I've done some good in the world and I think I picked the next president after Jed goes in seven years. We are both kidding ourselves if we think that the stress of what I do what we both have done didn't contribute to what happened with Josiah." Harry said to him Leo looked on sadly. "I have never quit in anything I have attempted in my life, I've met every challenge head on, I think that when this is all over we are going to be able to say we did a great job Leo. I think we are going to be able to tell our grandkids with pride we did the best we could with what we had." Harry said to him with a smile on his face.
"They sure will be." Leo said.
"His worried about me isn't he?" Harry asked.
"We have all thought about the possibility you wouldn't come back." Leo said to him.
"We thought about it, but Draco had it down right… this is the most important job I will ever do, I can't walk away from this anymore than Jed can. I promised him I would be there to turn the lights out on this presidency and I intend to do that." Harry said to him Leo laughed.
"Your not going to go with your man?" Leo asked him.
"Not for the job I want." Harry said.
"The VP?" Leo asked he nodded. "Yeah that sucks, you'd make a great president some day." Leo added.
"I made a deal with someone that I intend to keep here." Harry said to him.
"I bet you did." Leo said to him with a smile.
"Leo you know that I crave your advise old man, it's the reason I keep you around that and your hotel does an excellent breakfast." Harry said to him. "I lost my way we both did, when I come back we are back on message and we are going to get back to running the country. And who the hell invited Mowbray to my white house, are you trying to send me to the other side of life." Harry said Leo laughed at this. "Albus told me they had sent him to help out, a message you can pass to the president is the magical world is behind finding a fast response to this and peaceful response to the India Pakistan problem." Harry added the man nodded his head.
