December 9 - Draco goes shopping
"Draco," Molly said as he stepped out of the Floo.
"I'm sorry to intrude, Mrs. Weasley."
"Molly, please. We've talked about this. Call me Molly."
Draco nodded but didn't use her name. "I hope this isn't a bad time, but I was seeking some advice."
"I think it must be your turn to shop for the children."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Well, Harry stopped by yesterday before he went shopping to also ask for advice."
Draco pursed his lips. "He didn't happen to mention that I was home alone with the children did he?"
Molly pretended that she hadn't heard him as she went about getting a cup of tea that she promptly handed to him.
"I had a feeling," Draco said, taking her avoidance as an answer and shaking his head. "He just couldn't resist. Thank you."
"There's always tea here," she replied.
"Not what I was thanking you for."
"Then for what dear?" She looked at him innocently.
"For trusting me to take care of the children alone and not coming over to check on us, or popping by pretending you were just there for who knows what reason."
"You've more than proven that you can handle them. You and Harry are both more than capable. He trusts you as well, you know."
"Yes, I think he was actually more worried that the children would be too much, not that I can't handle them, but that they would wear me out if he was gone for too long. I'm not sure that made any sense because it still sounds like he thinks I can't handle them when I say that."
"It does make sense, and I can understand," she replied. "Children can be tiresome. So what are you going to go shopping for, or is that what you're here to discuss?"
"It is. Harry and I talked about it and we agreed that the children needed both Muggle and wizarding presents. We want them to be well-rounded and understanding. We'd like them to be able to function adequately in both worlds," he told her. "Harry's job this year was to buy all of the Muggle presents and mine the magical ones. Next year we'll switch, which allows me a year to get used to Muggle money and Muggle shopping."
"I'm not sure even I could do that and you must promise not to take Arthur with you, even if he begs."
"I promise I won't take him, but I can't promise to tell him 'no' if he follows me," Draco responded with a smile.
"Smart man," she quipped. "You're right. I couldn't ask that of you. Arthur can be sneaky when he wants. I'm honestly quite surprised he hasn't managed to get Hermione's father to take him somewhere yet. I know he's broached the idea. I imagine it will happen someday so long as Ron and Hermione are together. Are you concerned as Harry was about whether or not to buy the children the same toys?"
"No. They have so many toys and I know he bought more and they'll get others from friends and family. It's not that I won't buy them any toys, but I'm thinking of other things. Specifically, I'm wondering what things to buy them to begin their magical education. I obviously know what we learned at Hogwarts, but I had other lessons before I got there as did several of the people I know. I also know you instructed your children. I'm sure they weren't casting spells or charms, but perhaps they were learning about magical creatures or potion ingredients, receiving a basis in the history of magic."
"Yes to all," she said, "and I think it would be wonderful for the children to start to learn those things. It will make the first year easier. You could also begin teaching them the names of the tools that they will use in potion-making. I'm not saying hand them a knife but show it to them. Eventually, they will need to learn to handle it, the oldest ones within the next few years."
"So it would also be a good idea to teach them some herbology."
"Yes, especially those things that you might use around the house. You could build a small greenhouse and plant some things you can use for small at-home potions."
"Do you have a recommendation on books that I might purchase for them?"
She smiled. "Just a moment, I'll go get a piece of parchment and make a list for you.
"Thank you."
Twenty minutes later Draco was strolling down Diagon Alley attempting to look confident though he felt anything but. He bypassed the entrance to Knocturn with a small cringe and looked down Whimsic towards Blaise's office, but he kept walking.
Flourish and Botts took him nearly an hour to pick up books that Molly had recommended and peruse the stacks for other options. He cast a quick spell on the bag over his arm to lighten it before heading back out into the street.
He looked at greenhouses before deciding he needed to wait and discuss such a purchase with Harry first. It was his house after all. Draco knew the back garden was filled with playthings now, but perhaps they could use the garden at number eleven. A greenhouse would work there as it would keep their Muggle neighbors from seeing the crazy plants. A gate would need to be built between the two as well. They'd have to talk to Longbottom for advice on the plants as neither he nor Harry had been as good at Herbology as Neville was.
Quality Quidditch Supplies attracted his attention. They had a selection of the newest brooms in the window and looking in he saw a display of child-sized training brooms. The kids needed to learn to fly before Hogwarts. The brooms there were a joke. There was plenty of room at the Manor or the Burrow to teach them. He had paid for the brooms before he realized he had no way to safely get them home. You didn't shrink a broom, it would mess with the charms that allowed them to fly. While he was at it he bought the newest brooms for himself and Harry and a few training Snitches. Maybe they could find time to get out and fly just the two of them. The clerk let him know the total. He sighed, paid, and filled out a delivery slip for them to be sent to the Manor. He could pick them up from there and take them home, or he could wrap them there and have the children open them when they visited his Mother on Christmas afternoon before they went to the Burrow.
This is going to be an exhausting Christmas with all the presents and moving about, but it will be worth it. I can't wait to see the children's smiles.
Feeling the need to sit for a bit he ducked into Weasleys, looked to Geoge who nodded, and stepped back into the office.
"Shopping?" George asked the man who had dropped his bags on the floor by the desk and settled into the desk chair with his head back on the top of the chair, eyes closed, when he stepped back into his office.
"Aren't you observant?" replied Draco without opening his eyes.
"Harry's right," George observed. "You are a smart arse."
"Just one reason I fit in so well at your house."
"This is true. Everyone but Mum and Percy are absolute smart arses. It's all Dad's influence. Are you just taking a break before going back out there or are you taking a break before you head back home?"
"I'm not quite done shopping," Draco said. "I'm done with the kids for now. Harry and I are going to finish shopping for them together at some point later in the month, just to make sure we have everything we want to give them."
"So you have other people to shop for. Well, it turns out I could use a new broom," George said with a wink.
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Draco deadpanned. "Honestly though if you have any ideas-"
"George," Ginny called as she came tumbling into his office from the Floo. "Oh, hey Draco."
She dusted herself off. "This is perfect. You're a much better choice than George," she said to which her brother protested and the blond chuckled. "Come on, let's go. Leave your stuff here. George will make sure it's safe. I need your help."
Draco shook his head. "Not after last time."
"Oh don't be ridiculous. Everyone knows better now. We'll be fine."
"What do you need me for? Take your brother. I have my own shopping to do."
"He can't help me."
"That's the second time you've insulted me since you stepped into my office," George griped loudly. "Don't expect a discount next time you come by. Take him. I don't want to help you anyway."
"Whatever," Ginny said breezily. "We can help each other shop. Let's go." She grabbed Draco by the arm and pulled him to his feet.
"Ginevra, I'm already exhausted, and I highly doubt you can help me." He pulled away from her grasp.
"You know better," she scowled and wiggled her wand in his face.
"Ah, but I'm ready for you today."
She laughed and put her wand away. "Come on already. You know you want to get done so you can go home. If you go with me at least you can shop. If you sit here George will simply rope you into helping somehow."
The man in question shrugged. Drago sighed and nodded.
When they had left the shop and were back out in the street Draco turned to her. "So, you need help shopping for Harry again."
"Naturally."
"I can't help you this time. I'm out of ideas myself. That's what I was going to ask George about."
"Oh, he's useless when it comes to shopping. I had to go with him last week to pick out things for Angelina. The only one worse in the family is Ron."
Draco laughed. "That actually comes as no surprise to me and it's rather comforting. So if you don't know what you're looking for and I don't know what to get Harry, where are we going?"
"We're going to pop into the Leaky first. Luna is meeting me for lunch. You're welcome to join us. She might have some ideas."
"Lovegood? We're going to take shopping advice for Harry from Lovegood and he'll still speak to us afterward?"
"Oh, he'll know they were Luna's ideas and he'll laugh," she assured him. "He loves Luna."
"Are you sure about that?" He'd caught the look in Harry's eyes and the occasional eye roll from the other man when Luna spoke.
"We each love Luna in our own way. She's just the kind of crazy, silly, unique person we all need in our lives."
Draco nodded. "I can't really argue with you there. She was a bright spot in my days when she was being held captive in the manor dungeon, and the fact that I just said that is absolutely horrifying."
"And absolutely understandable because if anyone could make being stuck in a dungeon not completely miserable it would be Luna. Plus living with that thing in your house would be enough to make anyone look for positives anywhere they could."
"You ought to know better than anyone."
She nodded and said, "Come on."
Ginny led the way through the wall and into the Leaky Cauldron where they found a booth at the back of the pub and slid in. A waitress delivered menus to them just as Luna came through the door.
"Oh Draco, it's so good to see you," she cooed then began to wave her hand around his head. "All the time with those children you must not have time to clear the wrackspurts. They seem to be taking over."
Draco bit his tongue but smiled. "Thank you, Luna. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Luna, we need your help," Ginny told the other woman after their order had been taken.
"Absolutely anything I can do for you, you know that. Father says December is the best time to give advice though it's not always the best to take it so perhaps you should take any advice I give you and disregard it."
"Whatever you say," Ginny smiled.
"We need ideas on what to buy Harry for Christmas," Draco told the woman.
"Well Ginny, that's easy for you. You should give Harry season passes to a box for your team if he doesn't already have them."
"I don't think he does, but I don't know that he'll want to come to the games with all of the children."
"He doesn't have to take all of them. I can always watch some or all of them while he goes. It would be a great chance for him to get some time alone and just enjoy it," Draco put in. "I think he'd love it as a gift."
"But then you don't get to go," Ginny protested, "and you love Quidditch just as much as he does."
"I'll catch a game now and then and I can always listen to the play-by-play on the wireless."
"Well, I suppose if I can get tickets for the whole box and it's one that's connected to the Floo network, because we have a few of those for VIPs, and Harry certainly qualifies as one. You all can come and go as needed to take care of the children. Okay, that takes care of me. Now Luna, what do you think Draco should get for Harry?"
"Well I should think whatever engagement ring you decide to buy would be enough," Luna replied airily. "I don't think you really need any gifts beyond that.
"Engagement ring?" Draco's eyes went wide. "I am not buying him an engagement ring."
"I don't understand. That is a normal gift for someone you love and wish to spend your life with."
Draco began to splutter and stumble over his words trying to deny his feelings turning redder and redder every second.
Luna patted him on the hand. "If you're concerned about Harry, don't worry it's quite clear to everyone that he feels exactly the same."
"She's not wrong," Ginny said.
"You have both utterly lost your minds. There is no way on this Earth that Harry loves me."
"Ah, I see you have finally stopped denying that you love him," Luna observed.
"What good would that do you won't believe me anyway?" he grumbled.
"You do realize that just because you're lying to yourself doesn't mean you can lie to us and get away with it."
Draco sighed and dropped his head into his hands. "Am I really that obvious?"
Ginny patted his shoulder. "Just to those of us looking closely, those of us who have seen you together. Harry's obvious too, I don't know how you haven't seen it, other than you refuse to believe what's right before your eyes."
"Now might be a good time for me to go. I'll come up with something on my own. I just need to go spend time looking," Draco said. Before leaving he tracked down the waitress and paid her for all three lunches. Then he headed back out into Diagon Alley. He resumed his earlier wandering up and down the street looking in shop windows for inspiration. Finding none, he began looking down other streets avoiding Nocturn and Whimsic. He knew if he went to talk to Blaise the man would give him the same answer or similar to the one he had just received from Ginny and Luna. He'd been nagging Draco to say something for ages now, he and Theo both.
He didn't understand why none of them could see that he and Harry as a couple would be an incredibly bad idea, even if there were any possibility of Harry feeling the same way that he did. They must all be crazy thinking Harry felt the same way. They were friends now. That was enough for Draco. It had to be enough.
Besides what would happen if they did try to be a couple and it didn't work out? He wouldn't do that to the children. It was going to be hard enough someday when Harry did find a partner because he'd have to step back, move out, and not spend the same amount of time with the kids. Fortunately, Harry didn't seem to have any interest in dating right now. With all those letters from random witches and wizards, he wasn't surprised. That would be enough to scare off the bravest of souls.
Giving up on shopping for the moment he returned to Weasley's, grabbed his things, and used the Floo. He popped through the secret doorway and dropped his things off in the appropriate room. Who else could he ask about a present for Harry? Hermione was an option but he really did not want to go to the Ministry. His mother, he supposed she might have a suggestion. He couldn't ask Molly, that just didn't feel right. With a sigh, he slipped back into number twelve and slid the cabinet in place. Perhaps he needed to look around the house for inspiration. He'd do that tonight after the children went to sleep.
"Not ready to sleep?" Harry asked as Draco headed back down the stairs.
"Not just yet. I have some things I want to do."
"Need any help?"
Could I engage him in conversation and find out what he wants or needs? No, I want to be more subtle than that. "Thanks, but I'm good. You go to bed. Your day was longer than mine."
"It was not."
"Potter, don't argue, just go to bed."
"Fine, Malfoy," Harry snarked.
Draco went down the stairs chuckling. He spent an hour looking through the books left in the library, then he moved on to the kitchen quickly casting a silencing charm on Kreacher's cabinet. Finding no ideas there he made his way to the drawing room. He collapsed into one of the armchairs feeling melancholy. The whiskey bottle across the room seemed to call out to him. He rose and took a glass and filled it. Placing the bottle back on the sideboard the burn mark on the wall caught his eye. He set the glass down next to the bottle and slid the sideboard out from the wall.
The family tapestry covered the wall with several more burn marks. He found his own name and ran a finger over it. Surprisingly he felt nothing seeing it there when years before it would have made him feel incredibly proud. Harry had covered as much of the wall as he could with various pieces of furniture. Perhaps he could repair it. Would Harry appreciate seeing his own name and that of the children on the wall? He didn't know but at least it was something he could ask others about. He'd owl Hermione tomorrow. It was time for bed.