X~~~~~X
'X' is just to mark the spot.
X~~~~~X
10 October, 2010
"Thank you, Astoria."
Draco's wife shook her head, and smiled. "I'm just glad you're home early. I was tired of the dragon with the sore tooth act." She sounded exasperated, but was smiling. "I swear he's the biggest baby when it comes to catching colds."
Theodore nodded. Yes, his lover was definitely all that - and more - whenever he so much as caught the sniffles. "I'll take it from here." He started heading up the grand staircase into the residential wing he and Draco shared, but stopped on the first landing. "Are Lucius and Narcissa back with Scorpius, yet?"
From below, Astoria's blonde, coifed head shook left to right. "They decided to stay in Milan with the Zabinis until Draco's better. You know how they are."
Theodore snorted in amusement. Yes, he did, indeed. The elder Malfoys were overprotective of their grandson in a way they had never been with Draco, as if they were afraid that the boy would somehow inherit his father's penchant for hedonism at the tender age of five. They were, however, well on their way to creating a little monster in the doing, as they overindulged Scorpius as much, if not more than, they ever had their son.
"I'll have Nippy bring up some soup in an hour," Astoria called after him as Theodore turned and jogged the flight of stairs to the top.
The woman was a goddess, giving him advanced warning like that.
Truthfully, Astoria had been completely not what Theodore had expected seven years ago when Draco and he had finally decided it was time for him to carry on with his familial duties. Having known her sister, he'd expected the younger Greengrass to be as demanding and entitled as her older sibling. To his pleasant surprise, Draco's wife had been the exact opposite. She was also tolerant, fair, and more than understanding and accommodating to her husband's relationship with Theodore. Of course, that was because she'd been carrying on a love affair with Adrian Pucey since she'd been seventeen and hadn't wanted the marriage to Draco any more than he'd wanted it.
When the two of them had decided to go ahead with the pre-arranged bonding ceremony to prevent the financial and magical penalties described in their pre-nuptial agreement, she and Draco had agreed theirs would be a marriage of convenience. The only requirement placed upon them by the contract was at least one child be born between them at some point within the first five years of their marriage. They'd taken it further in verbally agreeing that their son or daughter be raised equally by them as well, as both felt it was important to have a role in their child's life.
So, just as Theodore had predicted, he'd stood at his lover's side and watched as the man he loved with his whole heart and soul traded his bachelorhood away for duty's sake. And he'd cried in the loo in secret after the ceremony, prior to the reception, believing it was the beginning of the end for him and Draco.
What he hadn't expected was that their relationship wouldn't be ending at that altar. Draco had made that point crystal clear…
Theodore had lost another number to Draco the same night the wedding had taken place, as a consequence of attempting to step aside and do the right thing. He'd been taught a lesson in how self-sacrifice wasn't in the Slytherin code, but something only "nancy Hufflepuffs and idiotic Gryffindors" did, according to his lover. His arse had been sore for several days after that reminder… and he'd floated on clouds the entire time, relieved to know that things wouldn't change simply because of a little ceremony and some paperwork.
Scorpius arrived almost two years later, but not even his birth could sever the ties that so strongly bound Theodore to Draco. Instead, he had become, as he'd expected, "Uncle Theo", but the place reserved for him in his lover's bed had not changed. He'd even had a hand in raising the little pip, finding that fatherhood came naturally to him.
Yes, things had worked out better than Theodore had ever expected.
Well, except for whenever Draco was sick. The man was absolutely the worst patient this side of the moon.
He paused at the door to the bedroom he shared with Draco, steeling himself for the pouting, snarling, and snapping to come, knowing that once it was all over and his lover was well, he'd be able to get in a little "punishment time" with Draco on his own terms,
Theodore pushed open the door. "I'm home," he called out.
"About fucking time!" Draco growled, and let out a wet cough. "I'm dying here, Theo. Come take care of me!"
Rolling his eyes at the drama, Theodore moved to his lover's side to begin administering some home-made comfort-
-and within ten minutes, he was doing his own version of counting.
~FIN~