December 25 - Merry Christmas
"Dad, Dad, Daddy, Draco, Dad, Draco, Harry, it's Christmas! There are presents under the tree and stuff in our stockings. Can we open them please, please, please?"
Harry and Draco met in the hallway bleary-eyed but smiling.
"What time is it?" the blond asked.
"I think it's seven, maybe I'm not sure. I could barely read the clock. All I know is it's too bloody early. Except it's Christmas, so it's not," Harry replied.
"It's Christmas. We should have gone to bed earlier last night."
"Are we really going to do this?" Draco asked after they'd settled onto the sofa together. Draco sat at one end, with Harry's head in his lap as the other man stretched out across the length with his feet up on the arm at the other end.
"Yes, we're really going to get married, and you're really going to adopt the kids."
"I don't need any other Christmas presents, ever. Nothing will ever top this."
Harry chuckled. "There are more presents and there will be more every year. Get used to it."
"Are you sure your family will be okay with this?"
"Draco, stop worrying. Everyone is fine with you coming to dinner right?"
"There is a huge difference between coming to Sunday dinner with you and marrying you, you know," he pointed out, running his hand over and through Harry's hair.
"Yes, but they like you. Molly and Arthur may be surprised, but they'll accept it with no problem. Hermione and Ginny will be thrilled. Ron may be shocked; he can be surprisingly obtuse and unobservant when it doesn't have to do with work. Your mother will be thrilled."
"My mother? You talked to my mother? You didn't really go and tell her you were going to ask me to marry you?"
"I did," Harry grinned up at him. "I needed advice, plus there's that whole asking for the parent's blessing."
"And you asked Mother."
"Well, I thought about a trip to Azkaban…"
"You did not."
"No, I didn't. I didn't actually ask her permission. I didn't need to, she gave it without my asking. Will that ring be okay? I have others if you'd prefer or I can buy you one just for you, not a family ring."
"Harry, I'd be honored to wear a Potter family ring. I'll have to get you a ring. I'm not giving you a Malfoy one, and we're not hyphenating with that name, or at least you're not."
"Are you sure? I'll do it if you want."
"No, I'd like to be done with it myself but…"
"But what?" Harry sat up, turned, and took Draco's hand.
"Someone has to inherit the Manor and family holdings."
"And you can't do that if you change your name?"
"I honestly don't know. I don't plan on ever living in the Manor again. I won't sell it as long as Mother is living there, however."
"So what name would you take? Would you be Draco Potter? Or Draco Potter-something else?"
"Perhaps Potter-Black, or Black-Potter, I don't know. I'm not sure the best way to hyphenate names."
"Why Black?"
"Because it's Mother's family name and while most of the family were into the Dark Arts and the 'Purebloods are best' mentality, not all of them were."
"I'll support whatever you choose. You should consider keeping the Malfoy name though, and continue working on rehabilitating it."
"I'm not sure I have the energy to do that. It really doesn't matter. We'll figure that out later."
"Yeah, you don't have to change your name or hyphenate it at all. We'll be married no matter what our names are. What if some of the children want your name?"
Draco's eyes bugged momentarily, then he closed them, and shook his head. "I nearly said none of them would do that, but Conor and Caela absolutely would, wouldn't they?"
"Yes, they would, if we gave them the option."
"I'm going to have to think about that."
"You do that then. In the meantime, if you'd like I have all of the Black family rings from the vault."
"I want the Potter ring," Draco remarked. "Oh you meant for you."
"Yes, for me."
"If you'd like. I will buy you one though."
"If you'd rather."
"Well, aren't we an indecisive pair."
"It is getting late. We're going to have to talk about guardians."
"I don't want to think about that, but you're right. Would anyone we know take on ten kids if something happened to us?"
"Maybe, I have some ideas."
"Care to share?"
"Charlie or George."
An eyebrow raised over a grey eye. "Not Ron and Hermione, or Addie and Elaine?"
"No, and I can't even explain why. They'd do it if we asked, but I don't know."
"I could see George taking them on, though Angelina should have a say. They're pretty serious. I think he's planning on proposing soon. Charlie though? Wouldn't he have to move the kids to Romania or move home?"
"Good point that. We'll talk about it more and set it up with a barrister. It really is getting late."
"Yes, it is," Draco replied leaning down and again kissing the man who lay gazing up at him.
Harry waggled his head back and forth. "Maybe, but I wouldn't trade that time for anything."
"Even being less tired right now?"
"Even that."
"Good, me either. Shall we?" Draco gestured to the stairs.
"Let's. I'll have Kreacher make coffee and tea, fully caffienated."
"And hot cocoa for the kids."
"Yes."
The drawing room nearly vibrated with excitement as the children sat staring at the tree and presents. A few even sat on their hands as if afraid they might lose control and grab something.
"Start with your stockings," Draco said as Harry went to talk to the house elves.
The room was soon a chaos of gifts, wrapping paper, and children running to hug one man or the other, or both. They didn't even touch their gifts to each other, too busy watching the joy on the little ones' faces. Hours later as the children sat, or lay around the room with various toys Draco stood and grabbed a box that he passed to Harry. Harry did the same.
"Magnum P.I.?" Harry exclaimed. "How did you find this? How did you figure it out? I couldn't even remember."
Draco shrugged. "Hermione, of course."
"Of course, I should have known. It's your turn."
"Harry, you didn't," Draco said, opening the box and seeing a wide array of potions ingredients.
"Didn't what?"
"This is too much."
"That's not even all of it."
"What do you mean?"
"The rest is in the cellar room I set up as a lab for you."
Draco set the box carefully on the floor and pulled the other man into his arms and laid a loud smacking kiss on his lips.
"Daddy, are you and Draco more than friends now?" Fiona asked.
Freya eyeballed the two. "Are you gonna get married like Aunt Addie and Aunt Elaine?"
"Yes, we are," Harry answered.
"Does that mean Draco will be our dad too?" Conor wanted to know.
At just that moment the Floo flared to life and the Minister stepped through. "Hope you don't mind. I don't wish to intrude on your holiday, but I hear there is something you need my assistance with."
"Harry? When did you message the Minister?"
"Last night."
"Minister, I must apologize for my fiance's rudeness to send an owl so late," Draco said.
"Not a problem, and congratulations to you both. Now, if those papers are complete."
"Just a second," Harry said, grabbing the papers, and a quill then passing them off to Draco. "Here, sign them."
The blond signed page after page and passed them to Kingsley who looked them over.
"Everything seems to be in order." He waved his wand over the stack adding his own signature and the seal of the Ministry. "You are now the proud parent of ten children, and you children now officially have two fathers."
A cheer arose and Draco was soon on the floor under a pile of kids hugging him while Harry looked on smiling.
"So if you're our dad now too what do we call you?" Michael said. "We can't call both of you Dad, that would be confusing."
"Poppa," Teddy suggested.
Caela bit her lip.
"Maybe we need another idea," Draco said.
"No, I want you to be my Poppa. You're a better Poppa," Caela told him. "You love all of us."
"So we have Poppa and Daddy," Fiona grinned.
"Or Pop and Dad," Marcus said.
"Either works just fine," Draco answered. "I'm just glad you're mine now, mine and Harry's. This is the best Christmas ever."
Harry beamed. "Merry Christmas, my loves."