Albus had to tell them four times before they were able to pull together and grasp what he was trying to tell them, and even then, Harry had to stuff a finger in his ear to try and clear it so that he could repeat through his shock, "Malfoy is doing what?"
"I told you already!" Albus snorted, his face lighting up, "He and Scorpius made a deal, so he's getting a tattoo on his bum!"
So he had heard Albus correctly. Hermione's lips twitched with what almost looked like a smile, and she asked, "Why on earth would Malfoy do that?"
"He told Scorpius that if Hufflepuff scored more than 200 points he would get a badger tattooed on his bum!" Albus grinned, "You'll let us go to watch, won't you? I've never seen a tattoo done on somebody-Scorp says that his dad has a bunch of them, did you know?"
"You are not about to watch a grown man get a tattoo on his arse, Albus, that's completely inappropriate!" Ginny snorted firmly, shaking her head. "You hardly know the man!"
Harry was ready to argue that, thinking that it would be brilliant to watch Malfoy get a tattoo of a badger, but didn't get the chance to comment, as a blond head was bobbing through the crowd towards them, and Scorpius Malfoy popped into view from behind someones elbow. He was panting and sweaty, but grinning brightly, and said excitedly, "Dad said that you can come, if you want to, Al. Merlin, I'll never let him live this down!"
"Think your father would mind if we tagged along too, Scorpius?" Hermione cut in, smirking to herself, and Harry could have kissed her for wanting to see this as badly as he did. Scorpius frowned at her, confusion in his face, until she flushed and said quickly, "I'm Albus's aunt-I went to school with your father."
"She's Hermione Granger." Albus said proudly, and Harry pretended not to be jealous that Albus never talked about him with that same type of awe in his voice.
"Oh." Scorpius said in surprise, and craned his head back to get a better look at her. Hermione almost seemed to be bracing herself, but Scorpius only shrugged and said, "You were right, Al, Rose does look a lot like her. I'm sure dad won't mind if you come along too. Err, are all of you coming?"
"Oh," Ron said, rubbing his hands together and grinning like a child on Christmas morning, "There is no way I'm missing this."
Ginny didn't argue again after that, and sighed as she followed them to find Malfoy, who's face went gryffindor red at seeing them all.
"I told you to bring Albus, not the entire horde of Potters and Weasley's." He groaned, as Scorpius slid up to his side, his face still shining.
"You'll still do it, won't you dad? You did say that if I-"
"Yes, I'm doing it." Malfoy groaned in mortification as Ron sniggered, "A promise is a promise, and I lost the bet. You need to get permission from McGonagall's before we go, though."
There was a hopeful note in Draco's voice, and Harry had the vague impression that he hoped McGonagall would forbid them from going, but the exact opposite happened, however, as she met Draco's eyes following the request, smiled gently, and said, "I see no harm in a trip to Hogsmead, so long as you've brought the boys back to the school before curfew."
Draco walked like a condemned man all the way to the gates, and somehow Neville had heard about what was going on, because just as they were getting to apparate into Hogsmead, he came running from the greenhouse, dirt speckling his top and hair wild on his head. Malfoy lowered his wand at seeing his approach, and groaned, "Ugh, Longbottom. Bloody hell, did you send him an owl about it? How does word travel so fast?"
"Bet you wish Pansy was here to save you, don't you?" Scorpius grinned as Neville came to a panting stop beside them, wheezing and doubling over to catch his breath, leaving dirty hand prints on his jeans when he finally stood up.
"Sorry," He told them all breathlessly, red-faced from the exertion, "I was working with the mandrakes, and I ran as fast as I could when i found out. Malfoy's gonna tattoo a badger on his arse?"
"I'm not very good at making bets." Malfoy said primly, and stuck his nose defensively in the air, "And you smell like dirt, Longbottom."
"Dad." Scorpius groaned in horror, "He's myteacher."
"Ah, don't worry, Scorp." Neville winked at the younger blond, "Your dad's always been a grump."
"Got a stick up his arse, too." Ron muttered, "They'll probably have to move it for the tattoo."
Malfoy's head whipped towards Ron and he growled, "I don't have a-"
"You do, mate." Neville grinned, "I would know; I work with plants, after all."
"Ha bloody ha." Draco rolled his eyes, but Harry saw the edged of his mouth curling into the slightest of smiles, even if there was an anxious shine in his eyes. He figured that Malfoy was far more overwhelmed by the group than he let on, and Harry took a step back to give him space, which he was sure Malfoy noticed, as his shoulders relaxed a little. "Should we go, then?"
"You lead the way."Harry shrugged.
"Right. Grab my hand, Scorp." Malfoy nodded, and held his wand up again, dissaparating him and his son with a crack.
Harry and Ginny followed with Albus, and Ron and Hermione appeared just after them, Neville coming up last, stumbling a little when he landed on an uneven bit of sidewalk.
The tattoo artist was a slight girl with only a few tattoo's herself, but she seemed to know Draco, waving him over to the counter as they walked in, asking with a grin, "What is it this time? Thinking about taking my suggestion for the snitch?"
"He wants a badger." Scorpius said, standing beside his father at the counter with a mischievous grin. "AHufflepuff badger."
The girl dropped the quill she had been twisting in her fingers, and stared at Draco in shock, asking, "Merlin, have you lost your bloody mind? Never mind, you're the customer, do what you want. Where will you have it, then?"
"On his bum." Scorpius smirked, and crossed his arms in victory when Draco winced and the girl stifled a laugh behind her hand.
Harry couldn't help adding thoughtfully, "Tattoo like that seems a bit...cheeky...doesn't it?"
"Potter, I will finish what the dark lord started right here if you don't shut your mouth." Malfoy threatened, his face flaming as the Gryffindors and Scorpius doubled over on themselves to laugh at his expense.
"Why stop at just a badger?" The girl asked, and she flipped open a book of her tattoo designs, "Why not get the whole Hufflepuff emblem? I'll charge you the same amount."
"Oh my god, Malfoy, I dare you!"Neville snorted, laughing so hard he had tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "Can you imagine Malfoy walking around with the entire Hufflepuff emblem on his ass?"
It only took Ron a few well placed jibed to goad Malfoy into doing it, and suddenly they were all in the back room, watching Malfoy sit with the top half of his left buttocks exposed as the girl from behind the desk worked to do the tattoo. He told Hermione jokingly when Malfoy peeled down the edge of his pants, "You're not allowed to watch; the only persons butt you should be seeing is mine."
There was almost nothing exposed, though, and Harry wondered why that disappointed him, but he didn't say it out loud. The lack of skin Malfoy was showing also seemed to put Ginny at ease, and her hand on Harrys arm relaxed. Malfoy squirmed uncomfortably, the blush never leaving his face, and made a comment about the coldness of the chair he was on before he went silent.
Albus frowned midway to her finishing, and asked, "Don't you have to come back and do multiple sessions to finish it?"
"Wizard tattoo's, darling." The girl turned to smile at him, "We get them done much more efficiently. You'd look nice with a boat on your shoulder, you know. Some big ship with dark sails and and a rolling skyline."
"Would I?" Albus asked with wide, curious eyes, and Harry exchanged a worried look with Ginny at the hope sparking in them.
"Talk to me when you're seventeen, and I'll set you right up." The girl winked, and then turned to Draco, casting a quick charm and saying kindly, "You're finished, Draco. Want to take a look at it?"
"No." Malfoy said, and whipped his jeans back up over the tattoo, standing grumpily to face them, asking, "You all happy now?"
He hadn't stopped them all from getting a good look at the finished product, though, and that, along with the tortured expression on Malfoys face had them all cracking up again, Ginny going so far as to bury her head against Harry's neck to hide the sound of her snorting. Ron declared, as Malfoy looked ready to shout at them, "The fact that you've got the Hufflepuff emblem permanently emblazoned on your arse cheek, Malfoy, just about makes up for everything you've ever done to us. Come on, you're still a git, but I'll gladly treat you to a pint after this!"
Neville wasn't comfortable going back to the school after drinking, so he took Scorpius and Albus back alone while Malfoy was dragged by Harry and Ron into the nearest pub, which happened to be the Three Broomsticks. It was almost friendly, the way they chatted with Malfoy, and ribbed him over his new tattoo-which he admitted was uncomfortable to sit on, making Ron fall into a fit of giggles again-and Harry wondered why he had been so uncertain about him. He didn't exactly fit in with them, and he was still a bit uptight, but Harry could tell he loved his son, and that he had changed after the war, and was more than happy to go for a drink with the blond every now and again, if they could only continue to get on so well. Malfoy didn't tell Ron, but Harry noticed that he only sipped from his butterbeer before he pushed the rest to Ginny, who winked at him before downing it.What was going on there?
Malfoy continued to do that with all of his drinks, and Harry was sure he was mostly sober even when everyone else felt the light buzzing of alcohol in their blood, Hermione and Ginny drank far more than Harry and Ron did, though, and it wasn't long before they called it a night, Harry supporting Ginny awkwardly as they stumbled out of the pub and onto the street.
They were nearly ready to go their separate ways when Malfoy cursed to himself and said, "Left my scarf in the stands at the school. I'd best go and get it."
"Oh!" Hermione groaned against Rons neck, "I don't have my bag! We need to go back, I can't leave it there, my book is in it! Hand me my wand, I can-"
"I'll get it, 'Mione." Harry said quickly, before she got the chance to drunkenly splinch herself. "Ron can take you and Gin to the burrow, and I'll run and pick up your bag. I can bring it to work next Monday, and you can get it from me in the lift in the morning."
"Thanks Happy." Hermions said with a sticky smile, and Harry didn't have the heart to correct her, instead helping Ginny stagger closer to Ron, who nodded gratefully at Harry before apparating away. Harry and Malfoy stood silently for a moment, and then Malfoy made an uncomfortable noise in the back of his throat and apparated to outside Hogwarts without a word. Harry made it to the gate just seconds after him, but somehow the blond was already halfway to the pitch, walking like his heels were about to catch fire.
Malfoy didn't find his scarf, but Hermione's bag was tucked under a bench where she had left it. The pair met at the exit, both surprised to see McGonagall standing at the end of the stairs with her wand drawn, a look of surprise on her face as she saw them. "Oh," She said, dissapointment sliding across her face, "I had thought a pair of kids snuck out here. Your boys are in their dorms, I presume?"
"Neville brought them back for us." Harry said, then blurted, far more inebriated than he realized before, "Malfoy got the Hufflepuff crest tattooed on his bum."
"Potter!" Malfoy shouted in mortification, looking wide-eyed between his old professor and Harry.
McGonagall stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable, then lowered her wand, crossed her arms together, and coughed into her fist as her face warmed. Harry realized suddenly how horribly inappropriate that had probably been. "Sorry, I'm a little drunk and I-"
He stopped talking. It wasn't doing him any good.
McGonagall nodded sharply at him, then turned to Malfoy and said, "I was under the impression that the trip to Hogsmead was only for a bit of shopping. Oh, well, I should have known better that that when I saw you with a Weasley. Now, as Hogwarts headmistress, I think it is my duty to be sure you have an accurate representation of our prestigious house, mister Malfoy. Perhaps I should check to be certain there are no flaws in the design."
Harry couldn't believe it, and he and Malfoy exchanged horrified looks as they gauged her seriousness, and determined her words to be a joke-or at least Harry thought they had. Malfoy was slightly more drunk than he let on though, or else he was just out of his mind, because a second after Harry thought they had agreed she was joking, Malfoy had whipped around and dropped trough, gold and grey tattoo winking at McGonagall, who threw her hands up and shouted in a mixture of outrage and amusement, "MISTER MALFOY!"
Harry couldn't even find it in him to laugh, he was so stunned. It was only out for what must have been a half second, and then Malfoy had pulled his pants back up and buckled his belt with the most smug, shit-eating grin Harry had ever seen, saying, "At least you got a look at my better side, headmistress."
That time, Harry did laugh, and McGonagall turned away with a crimson face, muttering about how she had never seen a Slytherin with such clearly Gryffindor qualities. Harry laughed all the way home, and even when he tried to fall asleep, he couldn't stop looking at the ceiling, replaying his time with Malfoy in his head, a smile working its way across his face. Draco Malfoy was something else.
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Authors note: This is so cheesy oh my god, but I wanted to give a fun spin on the characters and get them to a place where they are at least somewhat comfortable with eachother, enough that they can be ridiculous and drunk and completely stupid, which is something I always find funny. Thought or questions? Please review!
