The Christmas I Loaned My Sons
By: Ellipsis the Great
DISCLAIMER: The idea is from 'Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul.' Harry Potter and all things affiliated with him belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. I own the Potter twins, and all of the plot outside what I garnered from CSFTCS.
Summary: After losing his wife and son to a magical disease, Draco Malfoy puts an ad in an editorial to borrow a son for Christmas. Harry Potter answers.
Rated: T just in case. May change later on.
Spoilers: Five years post-Hogwarts. Compliant with all books, sans the epilogue in DH.
Warnings: CONTAINS SLASH! There WILL be shounen-ai in this story! Maybe actual yaoi later on, but definitely shounen-ai!
CHAPTER FOUR: Guests
"Dessert now, Daddy?" Nix asked hopefully after we had finished our dinner.
"Actually, dear, you'll have to wait a little longer." Narcissa said. "Some of Draco's friends will be coming for dessert and to open presents in a few moments."
"Aww…" Nix pouted, casting a forlorn glance at the desserts.
"They should be here soon, don't worry." Malfoy said.
"Don't encourage him." I said with a frown. "You know better than to whine, Nix."
"You shouldn't be so strict, Mr. Potter." Narcissa said. "It's Christmas, after all."
I arched an eyebrow at her. "So you'll take full responsibility for him?"
"Until you leave, yes. And I'm sure he'll be very good for Grandmother 'Cissa." She said, ruffling Nix's hair. "Won't you, dear?"
"Very, very good!" Nix chirruped, giving her a grin that I knew from past experience meant he knew he'd found a sucker. Byrne giggled, recognizing the grin as well.
Much as I loved him, Nix was pure Slytherin at times like those.
"Alright, then." I said. Some people had to learn Nix's vices the hard way.
"Master Draco, sir, they is people here to see you." A house elf appeared beside Malfoy's chair with a bow.
"My other guests?" He asked.
"Yes, sir." The elf said, head bobbing up at down agreeably.
"Then show them in." He said.
The elf nodded and bowed again before disappearing.
"Mr. and Mrs. Blaise Zabini." Another elf said as it appeared in the doorway. "Mr. Theodore Nott."
Everyone stood (the twins with some confusion) as Blaise entered the room with Luna (née Lovegood), and Theodore Nott entered alone.
"Harry!" Luna said, pulling away from her husband and running to me as best she could with her bulging stomach. "How wonderful to see you!"
"Hello, Luna." I smiled at her as I hugged her as much as I could. "How's the baby?"
"He's fine." She said, putting a hand on her stomach and smiling as dreamily as ever. "Though I suspect he's upset by the Nargles hiding in Draco's mistletoe."
"As we all should be." Blaise said gravely.
"Hi, Auntie Lu!" Nix piped up, standing on his tiptoes to see her over the table and waving ardently.
"Hi, Nix." She said. "I didn't see you." She looked down at my feet. "And where's Byrne?"
"Here, Auntie Lu." Byrne said softly from where he stood beside Malfoy, looking torn between staying where he was and running to me.
Luna's eyebrows rose, her husband's expression mirroring hers.
"And what are you doing so far away from your dad, eh?" Blaise asked, crouching near Byrne so as to be at eye-level with him.
Byrne shrugged, scooting a little closer to Malfoy in search for comfort in the face of so many newcomers.
"Come here, Byrne." I said, holding my arms out to him. He glanced from me to Malfoy, then scrambled into my arms, burying his face in my shoulder as soon as I picked him up.
"Poor thing." Theodore said. "Not quite up to staying away from you for too long, yet, is he?"
"Not just yet, but we're making progress." I replied, shifting Byrne to one arm so I could offer Theodore a hand. "Good to see you again, Theodore."
"You as well, Harry." He shook my hand. "Have you figured out that code, yet?"
I shook my head. "But I'm very close." I said. "If I'd known you were going to be here, I'd have brought my notes."
"It's Christmas, Harry." He said, voice almost scolding. "No work."
I laughed. "True enough, but you're the one who brought it up."
"Granted." He smiled a little, then looked down as Nix tugged on his maroon dress robes (Ron would've cringed at the color). "Hello, Phoenix."
"Hello, Uncle Teddy." Nix said, grinning brightly at him. "Did you bring me any presents?"
Theodore glanced at me, looking surprised that I hadn't intervened. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did."
"It is not polite to ask people such questions, Phoenix." Narcissa said, giving Nix a stern look.
He turned his widest, most innocent eyes on her. "But Grandmother 'Cissa, I was only asking out of curiosity. Uncle Teddy doesn't mind."
Blaise snorted as he realized what was going on, and both Luna and Theodore looked amused as the same realization hit them.
"That doesn't make it polite to ask." Narcissa said, though her face and tone had softened. "In any case, don't you want dessert first before presents?"
I hadn't realized Narcissa would be such a pushover, though I probably should have guessed after knowing how spoiled Malfoy was back at Hogwarts. I also realized that I probably should have warned her that you never, under any circumstances, use sweets to get Nix to behave.
"Yes, please!" Nix said, beaming at her.
"Alright, you may choose one thing." So she did have some semblance of a backbone. "But you may not eat it until the Goyles arrive."
Nix had started toward the desserts before her first sentence was finished, but paused. "Who?"
"The Goyles." She said. "Gregory, Millicent, and their daughter. They should be here soon."
Nix perked up again. "Daughter?"
"Valerie." Narcissa nodded.
I sighed, hoping that Valerie hadn't inherited her father's brains.
Nix smiled winningly. "Okay!" He burbled, then continued toward the desserts, humming to himself as he surveyed all of the sweets.
"Definitely a Slytherin in the making." Luna sighed.
"Definitely." I agreed with a sigh of my own.
"Your son?" Malfoy asked incredulously. "A Slytherin?"
"It's not terribly surprising, actually." I said. "Ginny's related to the Black family on both sides, you know. And…if you must know…the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. I practically had to beg to be put into Gryffindor."
ENDCHAPTERFOUR