Chapter 20- Politics

The immediate feeling of what the hell are we going to do now? soon settled down into routine. It was that, more than anything else, which helped Harry to prevent his falling apart.

Not to say that their routine didn't change, though. It did. And drastically.

An 'elite force' of Aurors were put on the case for Bear's protection. Although they understood the need for the precautions, the constant trampling of a team of people through their house caused considerable disruption to what had become a very open relationship between Bear's two carers.

The issue of 'outing' themselves became a very present one, one that caused no end of arguments. Harry was for it. Draco was against it. There was no middle ground.

The only thing that Harry could take solace in was the fact that the main body of the investigation was being lead by Martin Stonestreet who had guessed at the nature of their relationship and promised complete discretion. The others involved; Ron, Neville, Ruth, the witch who had been at Yaxley Manor, Jamieson and another wizard that Stonestreet had called on particularly for his sensitivity in the matter, Craig Morningside. Morningside was in his thirties and a classic Auror type; tall, clean shaven, features that blended in to the crowd. Gay. Had two children with his partner of eight years.

It was the first opportunity they'd had to speak to someone who had faced all of the prejudices they were anticipating, who knew exactly what they were going to go through in the fight to keep their child. His presence was often a calming one as the ferocity and temper of the investigation picked up, his involvement, although minimal in terms of activity, was priceless in holding their family together.

Between the three of them; Craig, Harry and Draco, they worked out a list of people who absolutely needed to know the current situation. The inclusion of some and exclusion of others was cause for heated debate and the final list was startlingly short: Andromeda (who knew anyway, of course), Arthur and Molly, George and Angelina, Hermione and Minerva McGonagall who, in addition to her position as Headmistress was also heading the Order of the Phoenix. The seven were pulled together for an emergency meeting at Grimmauld Place, the Headmistress and Head Girl of Hogwarts arriving together, clearly unaware of why they had been summoned.

Bear was fussing; it was early evening and he was tired, Draco paced with the baby in the far end of the living room, bouncing and shushing him softly. Harry sat in what was now their chair while the team of Aurors strategized around a large desk that had been set up. Andromeda, Madame O'Connell, Ruth and the other wizard from their hearings, Howsham, were sat together, discussing progress.

Ron looked up as Hermione appeared in the fireplace, his smile widening then breaking into a laugh as she threw herself forward and into his arms. Feeling like a voyeur at their tender reunion, but unable to look away, Harry watched as his best friend gently ran his hand down his girlfriend's back, pulling her in closer and kissing her head.

McGonagall headed straight for Stonestreet after nodding her greeting to Harry, sensing a fellow authority figure and attaching herself to him. Molly and Arthur appeared next, looking frankly out of their minds with worry, then George and a slightly dishevelled looking Angelina. George winked as he collapsed into a sofa and helped himself to a biscuit.

"Lets get started, shall we?" said Stonestreet, silencing the chatter and hum of anticipation in the room. With the Auror team plus invited friends and family the assembled crowd topped seventeen people – eighteen if you included Bear. And Harry did - include Bear, that is.

They had pulled in extra chairs from around the house and set them up in a sort of semi circle, the peak of this was where Stonestreet now stood. While the others found a seat Harry felt restless and climbed over the back of the chair to go and pace with Draco.

"How's he doing?" Harry said in a low voice, resting his hand on Draco's lower back as Stonestreet began his introduction to the case.

"Not bad," Draco said. "I think he's a bit intimidated by all the people but I don't want to put him down just yet."

Harry nodded and brushed his lips across Draco's briefly.

"Don't you want to listen to that?" Draco asked, nodding to the assembled people.

"Not really. They're not going to say anything I don't know already."

They stood in silence for a while, watching the evening creep into night and the fussy child slowly start to fall asleep on Draco's shoulder. He was getting bigger, and much heavier; Harry gently removed the infant from Draco's arms and took the weight himself.

At the sound of their names both men looked up to find the assembled group watching them with varying expressions of shock. Harry took a deep breath for courage, slipped his hand into Draco's and walked back to the fold.

"He's nearly asleep," Harry said in way of greeting or apology, he wasn't quite sure.

Both Molly and Andromeda started to rise to relieve him of his ward but Harry shook his head. "It's okay. I've got him."

"We've gone over most of the background for the case," Stonestreet said. "We just need to talk about how we're going to move forward."

Harry nodded. Draco sat, although Harry remained standing, rocking from foot to foot to reassure him and Bear both.

"If the individual or individuals concerned with orchestrating this attack are to continue following their established pattern, we are expecting some sort of push towards the department of child protective services. The Auror department will, of course, be on hand for any incidences which may arise. The Minister for Magic is aware of the situation and we have his full backing for what must continue to be a covert operation. I am hoping to increase Auror Morningside's protective duties over the child and his guardians," Stonestreet looked to Craig, who granted his assent with a nod. "Good. This situation is also unique in that at this stage, we are very concerned for the safety of magical children with exceptional levels of power or a pureblood pedigree, rather than Muggle- borns, which has been our main concern for the past few years.

"Miss Granger," Stonestreet said, causing Hermione to jump in alarm and blot ink from where she was furiously taking notes.

"Yes?" she squeaked. Ron laid his hand on her knee in reassurance.

"This is where we are hoping you may be able to help. As Head Girl of Hogwarts, Miss Granger holds a position of power and respect among students. We have compiled a list of children we believe may be under threat and we would like for you to be our eyes and ears within the school."

Hermione nodded and straightened perceptibly. "Do you think they need extra protection?"

Stonestreet considered her question. "Not yet," he said. "Maybe in the future. More than anything we need your observations. You have been a student at the school for a long time, we want to know any whispers among the students, anyone who might have heard something at home, any children who look or are acting strangely."

"Good luck with that," Neville said, making her smile.

Hermione chewed her lip and started scrawling hastily again.

"We'll get that list to you," Stonestreet said. "Headmistress, clearly, your impressions will too be vital in ensuring that the safety of the children in your care is not compromised."

"I am sure you are aware, Auror Stonestreet, that we take considerable steps to protect the students at my school."

To his credit, Stonestreet did not wither under McGonagall's impressive disdain. "Yes, Headmistress, I know. However, there are times when the children leave the school during the school year. There are some, I would suggest, who should not roam Hogsmeade alone."

She cocked her head in acquiescence. "I'll see that it happens."

"We are hoping, with your consent, to increase the protection around the residences of Mr and Mrs Weasley, and Mr Weasley and Miss Johnson," Stonestreet continued. "It is not practical to keep Harry and Draco imprisoned here, they need to be seen to be acting normally otherwise this too may raise suspicions."

"That's fine," George said immediately. "I mean, I'm happy to babysit as well, if you need me to?" He looked to Angelina who nodded her assent.

"We'll keep that in mind. Mr and Mrs Weasley?"

"Yes, fine, of course," Arthur said. "May I ask, Auror Stonestreet… what is the risk here? Not to say that it isn't a risk we are not prepared to take. But…"

"Considerable," Stonestreet said frankly. "Mrs Tonks was in a coma for over eight months. We now have strong suspicions that the traitor's curse that Draco was hit with was also linked with this case. Both should, according to their attacker, be dead. The only other relative that Teddy has is-"

He didn't need to say it. All eyes turned to Harry Potter, Teddy Lupin's godfather. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about me," he said. Smiling grimly, he tapped his forehead. "Indestructible, remember?"

Molly let out something that was half sob, half wail but to her credit, refrained from flinging herself across the room to sweep Harry up in a hug.

"You're not indestructible, Harry," Stonestreet said, rolling his eyes. "You need as much protection as the rest of them."

"With all due respect, no I don't," Harry said. "I'm not going to hide. Never again."

Andromeda took Bear up to bed, changed him and gave him his bottle before rejoining the group who had started to go over their plans for moving forward.

"I really think we should tell people," Harry insisted. "If we do it ourselves then it can't be some big press scandal."

"It'll be a press scandal any way it happens," Jamieson insisted.

Certain people had left after the bulk of the meeting was over; those who were left were battling through the finer details of what would happen over the coming weeks.

"I'm fed up of arguing," Draco groaned. "Just do it." He slumped with his head in his arms, curled up in one corner of the sofa. Harry leaned in and kissed his shoulder. McGonagall stared.

"Well, I say it more than I'll ever admit, but Dumbledore was right," she murmured.

"About what?" Harry asked, frowning.

"About you and Mr Malfoy," she said. "He was convinced that animosity was not the root of your little rivalry."

Harry laughed and shook his head. "Did anything get past him?"

"Not a lot," McGonagall admitted. She stood, unfolding herself to her impressive height. "If you will excuse me, gentlemen, but I must return to the school. Miss Granger?" Hermione looked up from where she was entangled with Ron and blushed. "Breakfast is served in the Great Hall from eight in the morning. Make sure you are there."

The Headmistress left with an arched eyebrow and a swoosh of her dark cloak. Hermione buried her head in Ron's neck and groaned.

"What?"

"She knows."

"Well yeah. Anyone with eyes knows, sweetheart. Come on," he stood and pulled her to her feet. "Lets go home."

"Be good," Harry called after them as they headed for the fireplace.

"And if you can't be good, be safe," Draco added.

Both laughed at Hermione's emphatic middle fingered salute.

"Bed?" Harry asked.

"Mm. Shower then bed."

"Bath then bed?"

"Even better."

They bid goodnight to the Auror team who were still working, their round- the- clock presence a familiar one now. Not that they had quite gotten used to the fact that first thing in the morning there could be up to five people sat in their kitchen, drinking coffee (although the Aurors brought in the good stuff, Columbian beans, and they shared). Wandering about the house with no clothes on was a high risk activity.

The others knew about their relationship, of course, and their temporary office was a security measure as much as it was for convenience. As had been proven, Harry's house had some of the best magical protection possible. And the sad fact was, even in Auror HQ, the team was safer operating out of private quarters than the teeming offices at the Ministry.

Even so, they'd made a few simple house rules: no one was to go to the third floor or basement unless invited. Do not engage in conversation with the portrait of Mrs Black. And share the good coffee.

In all, it was working out fine.

However much Stonestreet wanted to keep sensitive information away from Harry and Draco, things still filtered through. They knew now that this went beyond their relationship, beyond Bear, even; there was possibly the lives of many orphaned, abandoned or missing magical children at stake. The numbers no longer added up, the disappearances were more than suspicious and the likelihood was that this had been happening for years.

Under the cover of Voldemort's reign of terror, another, just as dark witch or wizard had been operating. No one knew whether or not Voldemort had any hand in the disappearances, the general consensus was that it was probable. All they knew was that these children, for whatever reason, had been selected as special, or talented, or immensely powerful.

While Draco ran the water for the bath, Harry surveyed the list of 'at risk' children that Hermione had been given and copied for them to look through. The name Luna Lovegood stuck in his throat.

"Luna," he said to Draco. "They've got Luna on here."

Draco laughed and shook his head. "To borrow a phrase – mental. But then again, when you consider her family…"

"Her dad's just as mental as she is," Harry said. "Trust me."

"I do," Draco said. "But these old pureblood families prefer 'eccentric' to mental."

"She's pureblood?"

"Pure as they come," Draco confirmed. "We're related by my dad's family, way back along somewhere. And her mother was immensely talented, from what I can remember. Also a pureblood, of course. Scandinavian."

Shirts, jeans, boxers, socks were piled into the laundry basket. Wands remained within grabbing distance. The newly revived conspectus charm bopped around the room, chasing Harry's snitch, who seemed to be chasing the swirls of steam. Harry had long since given up on pretending that Dumbledore's gift hadn't taken on certain anthropomorphist qualities. It was clearly sentient on some level and, just as Draco had once commented, much more fond of Harry than of his companion. And much more fond of the conspectus charm and Draco's origami cranes than either of its humans. Harry just let it be. It didn't hurt anyone.

He, as usual, got to sit with his back against the hard porcelain with Draco's back pressed to his chest. A cushioning charm made it slightly more comfortable but not by much. Draco turned his head and pressed a soft kiss to the underside of Harry's jaw.

"Went well today, considering."

"Yeah."

"I thought McGonagall's eyes were going to bug out of her head at one point," Draco said, giggling. Then he sobered. "She never liked me much."

"I imagine she was frustrated with you. You had so much to give and you were just giving it to the wrong people." Draco hummed in discontent. Harry splayed his fingers over the other man's wet chest and kissed his lover's head. "You've changed, Draco."

"I know."

Harry took a deep breath and relaxed further into the warm water, his fingertips trailing absently over Draco's chest. It was a very nice chest.

"I've been put in charge of the summer fundraiser for the orphanage," Draco said.

"Yeah? What are you going to do?"

"No idea. I want to make it big, make sure absolutely everyone knows about it. Get lots of money coming in. But that's as far as I've got right now."

"How about…" Harry sat up a little straighter in excitement. "A Quidditch tournament?"

Draco was silent for a moment, during which Harry was pretty sure he rolled his eyes.

"No, wait," Harry continued. "It can be for ex- Hogwarts students. An inter- house deal. We can play six games, then the top two teams with the most points play each other to determine the overall winner. If we round up people who used to play for the school teams then I'm sure we can get enough people for a team from each house."

"Forgive me for seeing more problems than solutions right now," Draco said drily. "Who's going to organise this, Harry? Where will they train? Where will the matches be played? Who's going to fund it? Where will we get the uniforms from? How will we actually make money from it?"

"Okay, well, we charge for tickets, obviously," Harry said. "And we can drum up support in the Prophet. Sort of, I don't know, resurrect old rivalries. If we sweet talk enough people into it then they'll donate their time for free. And their pitches."

"We're relying an awful lot on the goodness of people's hearts."

"There are people with good hearts out there," Harry teased. "And deep pockets. I know mostly the first lot…"

"I know, I know, and I've got the handle on the second, right?"

"You've got the idea," Harry said, smiling, leaning in to steal a kiss.

"Okay, what about professional players?"

"That doesn't sound fair..."

"But they'll bring in publicity," Draco argued. "How about one pro on each team?"

"Could work," Harry acquiesced. "We need some big names, then."

"You want to play?"

"Of course. I want you to, as well."

Draco smiled. "There are far better ex- Slytherin Seekers out there than me."

"You're actually considering it."

"Yeah… It could work." Draco's smile grew wider. "This could really work, Harry."

"I know. I'm a genius."

"Shut up. I'm going to owl Gwenog Jones first thing in the morning."

"Gwenog Jones was not a Slytherin," Harry laughed.

"Yes she bloody well was."

"No she wasn't! She was a Hufflepuff!"

"No way."

"Trust me," Harry said. "She was Ginny's idol. Hufflepuff."

"Fine. We're going to need team captains for each team," Draco said, tapping his fingers absently against Harry's.

"Someone to drum up support?"

"And recruit," Draco said, agreeing. "I can't help but think that someone from our year for each team would be good. To sort of, I don't know, show some sort of solidarity. Then they could recruit from wherever they want."

"Sounds good," Harry agreed. "I expect Cho would be happy to take the Ravenclaw side?"

"Your ex," Draco said sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up. You're my now, who gives a fuck about my exes."

Draco huffed. "If you ask Chang then I suppose we have to ask Smith to captain the Hufflepuffs."

"Ugh. I never liked Zacharias Smith."

"Did anyone?"

"Fine. I suppose it would be rude if we didn't."

Their skin was starting to wrinkle in the warm water so they got up, leaving the water to drain as they brushed their teeth, wrapped from the waist down in fluffy towels. Harry bumped Draco with his shoulder. Draco smiled around his toothbrush and returned the affectionate gesture.

Harry managed to round up the conspectus charm and his snitch, making the two follow them back to the bedroom. They changed silently into boxers and slid into turned back sheets, finding solace and comfort in each other's arms.

There wasn't time, tonight, for more intimate activities; not beyond the gentle slide of warm hands on barely damp skin, soft kisses against smiling mouths, the turning of bodies to fit snugly against each other.

"Tired?" Harry murmured.

"A little," Draco admitted. "Long day. I hate politics."

Harry gently ran his fingers through Draco's hair, pushing it back from his face.

"Me too. Good night, baby."

"Good night."

xXx

"You need to leave him sat in front of a mirror for a while," Andromeda said, bouncing Bear on her hip as his hair turned from blonde to lilac.

"Really? Don't you think Draco's narcissistic tendencies have rubbed off enough yet?" Harry said, looking over his shoulder then sticking his tongue out at the subject of his teasing.

"Fuck you," Draco sang, not looking up from the pile of parchment on the kitchen table. With the Dreamless Sleep variation finished, and the attention it had been getting in the medical community, Draco had taken the more than slightly nerve-wracking decision to submit his findings to the Magical Medical Council of England for them to run further tests on the potion. If it passed, Draco could be granted a licence to sell what promised to be a highly profitable brew.

"Draco!" Andromeda scolded. "Language. And yes, along with all of the other developmental things you get to worry about, Bear needs to learn the limits of his Metamorphmagus abilities."

"Okay," Harry said and levitated three mugs of tea to the kitchen table. "And he does that by looking in a mirror?"

"Mhmm," Andromeda hummed around her mug. "No, sweetie. It's hot. He changes his eye colour and hair colour and some of his features but he probably isn't doing it consciously. That's not exactly right. It's... instinctive, rather than controlled. If he can watch in the mirror what happens when he changes something then he'll learn how to control it."

"It's fascinating," Harry murmured.

"Well, we went through all of this with 'Dora, so..."

Harry knew that it was painful for Andromeda; he himself could see the resemblance between Bear and his mother, even at the young age he was, so he could only imagine how difficult it was for her. Andromeda shrugged and smiled.

"Is he walking yet?" she asked.

"Trying to," Draco muttered. "I spend more time levitating stuff out of his way than anything else at the moment."

"He likes to play Mr Grabby and Mr Pulley a lot these days, too," Harry said, poking Bear in the cheeks then lifting the squealing baby into his lap. "And you're especially fond of Harry's glasses, aren't you?"

"Any words?"

"A few," Harry said.

"'Wow'," Draco offered. "'No'. He likes saying 'no', actually. Ummm..."

"'Duck'," Harry said. "I have no idea where he got that from, by the way."

Andromeda laughed. "That, Mr Malfoy, is why you need to watch your language. He'll pick up all sorts at his age."

"He won't let us feed him any more, either," Harry said.

"Except his bedtime bottle."

"Right. It's a nightmare, we have to try and find food he can feed himself otherwise he just screams and screams."

Bear was clearly getting tired with being passed from one person to another, so Harry transfigured an empty cereal box into a makeshift playpen and Summoned a few toys for him.

"Are you two doing okay?" Andromeda said seriously.

It had been nearly three weeks since the Aurors had invaded their home and life was hectic. If they didn't have enough to worry about with all of the comings and goings and developments in the investigation, Harry had been given the date for his Quidditch tryouts and only had a week left to prepare. They were having to balance babysitters for whenever they both wanted to go out at the same time - which was more than they had anticipated.

"We're fine," Draco said. "Busy, but fine."

"When all of this dies down, I hope that we can come to an arrangement," Harry said gently.

Andromeda nodded and tucked her dark hair back behind her ear. "I was expecting you to say that."

"And?" Draco asked.

"I've been doing some research," she said slowly. "Making some enquiries at the Ministry. It would be very difficult for you both to petition for parental status. I know you didn't want to hear that, but it's the truth. In nearly all cases adoption is granted to a married couple. A man and a woman," she added at Draco's frown.

"But that's not fair," Draco protested.

"I know it's not," she said. "But unfortunately, that's the law. Sometimes, in extenuating circumstances, they may grant adoption to a single man or a single woman. The good news is last year a lesbian woman was allowed to adopt her female lover's child, so that they could share parental rights. It's a long way off what you're trying to do but it's a start."

"Is our being together going to be a benefit or a hindrance, do you think?" Harry asked.

Andromeda shook her head. "I have no idea. I think more than your relationship, your age is going to work against you."

"But we've had him for months! He's been with us for longer than anyone else. He's grown up with us."

"I know, sweetheart," Andromeda said, patting Draco's hand. "And we'll use all of this when we go to the Wizengamot. But you need to realise that there are a lot of influential members who hold seats who were born in the last century. They are old, and miserable, and more than anything else, conservative. In their world a male lover is something you take on the side without your wife knowing, not someone you settle down and make a family with."

Draco sighed heavily. "Did you speak to Madame O'Connell yet?"

"Lenore is behind us, yes."

"Well that's something," Harry said.

"She's one woman, though. An influential woman, of course, but we're going to need a lot more than just one to get this through the Wizengamot."

"He's worth it," Draco said as he peered over the edge of the playpen. Bear was playing with a stack of brightly coloured blocks; he turned to smile widely at Draco before returning to his game.

Later that afternoon Harry found a spare half an hour to sit with Bear in front of a mirror, as Andromeda had suggested. Draco was in his lab, working on something, and for once none of the Aurors needed anything from him.

The mirror in Draco's room was perfect. They could sit on the floor, Harry cross legged, leaning against the bed, Bear sat on his lap boosting him to just the right height.

"Go on then, look at yourself," Harry muttered. Bear seemed much more interested in the pattern in the carpet, or the walls, or the bloody duvet than his reflection. "Look!"

It took a few minutes, but finally Bear seemed to recognise Harry in the mirror before he realised that he was looking at himself. He gave a startled cry, pointing at the reflection and turning back to look at Harry, then looking back to the mirror again.

"Yeah, it's you," Harry said, laughing. He tickled Bear's ribs gently, something that always got a reaction out of the baby and sure enough, his hair turned magenta.

Bear watched, fascinated.

"Do it again," Harry whispered his encouragement.

By the time Draco appeared in the doorway half an hour later, Bear seemed to be getting the hang of his talents.

"He can do pink and blue and back to his normal colour," Harry said excitedly. "No progress on eye colour or changing his features yet though."

"That's amazing," Draco said. "Aren't you a clever boy?"

Draco slumped down on the floor, propping himself up on an elbow. Running his fingertips over Harry's jeans from scuffed knee to worn out pocket, he chewed his lip, then ran a gentle finger down Bear's chubby arm and looked up to meet Harry's eyes.

"Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person alive, do you know what I mean?" he said softly.

Harry leaned down and kissed the top of Bear's head, and reached for Draco's hand.

"I do."

A/N: I'm sorry for unpredictable nature of my updates at the moment, I've just got so much going on, my head is all over the place!
However committed to this story I am, and I am very committed to it, the pace of my writing has been forced to slow down due to my job changing. I'm no longer writing whole chapters in a day and my evenings have been spent working in the theatre. I know I say it a lot, but I really can't guarantee weekly updates any more, this is the last chapter of EDF I've finished - I've got nothing written/ beta'd beyond this point!
Just before you start panicking, IT WILL GET FINISHED. I've never abandoned a story yet and I have no intention of starting now.
At the moment I'm reading Turn by Sara's Girl, my favourite Drarry author ever, and it's just unbelievably amazing. If you can't wait for updates, both Reparations and its sequel Foundations are well worth a read. Check my favourites list for links. - HFS xx