Draco sat alone in the Griffindor common room on one of the red sofas, waiting for Hermione. It was the early hours of the morning and she had promised to set an alarm to come see him. The portrait, knowing everything, let him in willingly but with a fair warning that she knew he'd learnt his lesson. He waited, frustrated with the stubborn portrait but his annoyance had long faded before anyone reached the common room. A long time had passed and Draco was slouched, almost indented into the couch. When his eyelids fluttered boldly and he began to loose consciousness, there was a faint creaking behind him. Bolting upright Draco looked bewilderedly around to see Harry Potter staring awkwardly at him in his pyjamas.
"Draco. What are you doing here?" he asked, calmer than Draco had expected.
"I was waiting for Hermione." He replied groggily, his eyes half open and staring.
Harry glanced back to the stairs of the girl's dormitories.
"She must have forgotten to put on her alarm." Draco half mumbled, shifting uncomfortable in his seat. Harry stood uneasily at the entrance to the common room, nodding. Both boys stayed silent and still then, never making eye contact.
"So you're going to be a dad." Harry said sternly, as if reminding Draco of his duties and questioning his loyalty to the situation. Draco sighed heavily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Indeed Potter."
Deciding that perhaps Draco didn't need interrogating, Harry moved over to the sofa and sat the farthest he could from the other boy.
"It'll be fine." He muttered after a moment.
Draco looked up then, confusion imposing his face. Harry glanced up at him momentarily and then away, embarrassed. A new energy filled the gap between them and Draco felt almost magnetised to the other boy. Harry continued, staring at the plump cushions on the couch.
"From what Hermione has told me about how you're going about it. It sounds like you'll both be fine."
Another long pause and a heavy tension loaded the room and Draco cleared his throat feebly.
"I better get back to my dorms." He rose from the couch.
Harry looked up at him, his eyes wide and innocent with something Draco couldn't recognise.
"Oh, ok. Well I'll see you later then." Harry smiled weakly. Draco was glued momentarily, perplexed by Harry's oddness. The he gave a quick bob of his head and strode tiredly to the painting. Harry got to his feet as well, heading for the dormitories.
"Harry?"
He jumped; swirling around to see Draco hadn't left.
"Yes?" he replied apprehensively.
"Why did you come down tonight?"
Harry opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. His lips pursed gently and then opened and slammed closed again in a quick movement.
"I can't seem to remember." He let out a humoured huff and aiming to give Draco a smile, grimaced. The boys parted ways then without another word to echo around the laden room, bound to set off more unnecessary awkwardness.
The Next Morning.
Draco sauntered casually into the Great Hall for lunch, ignoring per usual the nattering voices of other students around him. He dropped onto the bench at the Slytherin table and scanned the array of food for something to eat.
"Draco." Interrupted Blaise as Draco tried to decide what to have.
"Yes Blaise?" he asked, impartial to Blaise's disruption.
"Why is Potter staring at you?"
Draco's head snapped up then and as he gave a quick look to the Griffindor table, Harry's gaze averted elsewhere. But Blaise's accusation was not incorrect.
"I don't know." Draco shrugged, unable to come up with an excuse.
He peered back to the rivals' table from beneath his eyelashes at an angle, wary of Blaise's suspiciousness. Harry was now slowly pushing food around his plate melancholically and Draco pondered the reasoning. He examined Harry's every movement closely, as if sitting across from him.
"Draco." Blaise snapped, transporting him back to the Slytherin table.
"Yes?" he asked innocently, a sharp edge to his tone.
"Why are you staring at Potter?"
"Because he needs to learn not to stare." He replied snidely, finding this lie easier than before.
"He looks about ready to jump from the astronomy tower." Added Pansy, rudely yet not surprisingly eavesdropping from three seats down the table. Draco felt himself jump to defend Harry but held back.
"True." He said, mimicking a contented smile.
"Wonder what's got his useless wand in a knot."
Draco shrugged absentmindedly, tearing his eyes from the neighbouring table.
Nine months later.
Draco was standing lazily in potions, leaning against a storage cupboard as his bewitched stirring rod mixed together his burning concoction. His eyes were rested on the thick bubbling, blackening liquid in the rusting cauldron and his mind on the task he had at hand. The vanishing cabinet was fixed, for now and tonight the Death Eaters would enter the castle He was paying no attention to the notes Snape's chalk scribbled onto the black board as it fluttered restlessly or to Harry, who was walking towards him anxiously.
"Draco." He whispered pointedly.
Draco's head lifted mechanically, his eyes following suit. He snapped out of his trance like boredom once he realised Harry Potter was standing expectantly before him.
"Yes – Potter." He replied startled, mentally noting that Harry had called him Draco rather than Malfoy and feeling slightly rude and disagreeable for calling him Potter. However, Harry took no notice.
"Come up to the Astronomy Tower, after this class." Harry stared at him patiently, eyes wide and gleaming. Without questioning Draco nodded and Harry couldn't help but smile dopily at him. When a Slytherin passed Harry and joined Draco at the table, Harry composed his face and continued walking. Draco watched him leave, frowning to himself.
Class was dismissed and Draco gathered up his books and vanished his potion. When he looked around to find Harry, he was already gone. Wrought with anticipation and an itching excitement Draco gripped his books tightly and rushed to the astronomy tower, ready for whatever would come his way. Thinking only of Harry, Draco climbed the long staircase to the tower, hopping two steps at a time and breaking into a sweat. When he made it to the top and his robes were tangled around him in a mess, he stepped weakly onto the last step and looked around, spotting two figures at the edge of the balcony. He strode quickly forward and was greeted by Dumbledore first.
"Ah, Draco. You came quicker than I had expected, but no matter."
Draco focused from the aging wizard to Harry who stood more sullen and focused than before.
"Harry helpfully informed you to come here as Ms. Granger has gone into labour."
Draco's eyes widened and his mind lost all coherent formations of words.
"Yes, Yes how wonderful it is. Now I will apparate you to St. Mungo's Hospital while Harry here waits for me. "
Ignoring the news and plans for the night being laid out for him, Draco considered what this would mean. The man of an odd one hundred and fifty years was meant to be murdered tonight and by Draco himself, but instead he was helpfully transporting Draco to the birth of his baby.
"If you'll take my arm." Dumbledore mused, his eyes twinkling as he held out a hooked length of robe.
Draco stepped sheepishly forward and wrapped his arm around the headmasters and with a crack they had disappeared.
Draco was sitting in St. Mungo's hospital, the maternity ward, taking slow deep breaths. It was the early hours of the morning and he could hear Hermione's screams, as they reverberated to him, from her room a small way down the corridor. He wasn't in there with her for the soul reason that her mother was there, along with Madame Pomfrey. Plus he didn't know if he could handle it. When her yells had subsided for a few minutes Draco began to worry, pacing impatiently the length of the waiting room. It was extremely awkward and uncomfortable, waiting with Hermione's father and Draco wanted it all to be over, soon. His pacing was intermitted when a beaming Mrs. Granger stepped out into the hall and walked towards him. Draco had no words, his mouth was dry and in any case what should he say? 'Well?'
Hermione's father stood and Mrs. Granger gave him an ecstatic look. She placed her hands on either of Draco's upper arms.
"You can go in now."
Draco nodded wearily and walked with her, legs like jelly, a young lamb walking for the first time. Draco rounded into the small room and stopped, admiring the sight before him. Hermione sat partly upright in the hospital bed grinning down at a small bundle of blankets in her arms. Draco swallowed and paced up to the bed slowly. Hermione looked up at him and smiled warmly, like nothing bad could ever happen again. Draco looked at the bundles face, it had big red, plump cheeks and looked more precious than anything he'd ever seen.
"It's a girl." said Hermione, glowing with pride.
Draco let out an overwhelmed breath of air as a large and uncontrollable smile grew across his face.
Harry struggled uselessly against the stiffening curse as Snape cast the killing curse and the man he had known to be a mentor drifted from the balcony.