Chapter 4:

By the time they had collected Rose, Teddy was positively buzzing with excitement. It's not like Harry is easily jealous. He really isn't but Ted had not shut up about his cousin Draco all morning and it just made him so inexplicably irritated. And there was the way Teddy had beamed at him when he had told him they would be going to visit Malfoy. It made something uncomfortable twist in his gut although he couldn't quite place it

Rose looked up at him with a confused frown and Harry realized he had tightened his grip on her hand. Giving her an apologetic smile, he let go and ushered the two towards the fireplace.

They flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and from there made their way down Diagon Alley. The line snaking out through the door wasn't as long as it had been on Friday. Harry let himself smirk just a little bit because apparently the novelty of the whole affair had died down.

"Where's Draco?" Teddy asked, eyeing the mass of people by the door.

"He's doing signings till 12," Harry told him, reading the sign taped to one of the windows. "He'll be free in half an hour. Maybe we should look for books till then."

Rose let out a cry of delight and all but dragged them into the store, darting past the line of grumbling witches and wizards waiting with their copies of 'Forget me not'.

"Here, Uncle Harry!" she cried pointing towards the back where there was a small shelf for kids. Teddy scowled at her but knew better than to say anything. They usually got along well, with Teddy being the big brother Rose didn't have but he was eleven now and being associated in public with a screeching six year-old was quite possibly a nightmare for him.

"I thought you were past reading picture books, Rose," Harry said, reaching for the book she was jabbing at. He froze when he saw the cover. "Potty Periwinkle? I thought he stopped writing these."

Behind him he saw Teddy perk up at the name and rush around to snatch the book from Harry. "Draco wrote another one!" he cried, face lighting up again.

"Shh!" Harry tried not to sound too annoyed as he gave the boy a look. "Not so loud, remember."

"Right, sorry!" he didn't look any less excited. "We should get it. For Rose I mean. I've been meaning to read to her, you know."

"I can read it myself!" Rose protested. Harry saw the moment the pieces fell into place in the six year old's head. "Wait, your cousin, Draco wrote these?"

Harry sighed, dropping down so he was eye-level with her. "It's a secret, Rose and a very important one. Can you keep it for me?"

Rose nodded solemnly. "Can I meet him?"

"As soon as this lot clears out," Teddy sniffed in the direction of the people who were still crowding through the door. "I can introduce you Rosie. You're going to love him, he's the best!" He paused, looking sheepishly up at Harry. "Well not the best, but he's pretty great and he's-"

Harry let the two of them chatter on. He had absolutely no interest in listening to Teddy wax lyrical about his cousin while Rose hung onto every word. Draco had written the Pirate Potty Periwinkle books for Teddy and the boy had adored them. They had been published anonymously of course because who was going to let their child read books written by an ex-Death Eater?

Harry had sat with Hermione when she was tucking Rose into bed one night when the girl had asked for him to read her a story. Hermione had protested, telling her daughter that Uncle Harry was very busy and had work in the morning but Harry had insisted. "I'm sorry," Hermione whispered gently as she handed him a book with a wild haired pirate on the front, green eyes glinting up at him from the cover. If his voice was a little bit shaky and his hand trembled as he turned the pages, neither Hermione nor Rose said anything about it.

They had wandered over to the line leading to the signing table and Teddy was practically bouncing up and down as he tried to catch a glimpse of Draco. Harry barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

"There's only another ten minutes Teddy," he told the boy, ruffling his hair absent-mindedly. It was platinum blonde today but not quite the right colour.

Teddy grumbled, struggling to fix his hair even as he ducked away. Harry would have made more of an effort except at that moment the crowd moved forward just a little and he finally caught sight of the table they were all heading towards.

Draco was seated right in the middle, surrounded by copies of his book and what looked to be posters. He smiled up at a young woman who had placed her copy on the table and seemed to be talking a mile-a-minute. Harry watched the long line of his neck like it was some kind of lifeline and conveniently forgot how to breathe.

"Harry?" Teddy asked cautiously, elbowing him slightly. His eyes were wide as he followed Harry's gaze. The line moved again and Draco disappeared with it.

Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all, he thought, looking down at the matching faces of concern on Teddy and Rose.

"Harry if you don't-Aunt Cissy says we're having lunch with Draco tomorrow," Ted told him and Rose squeezed his hand comfortingly. "We can go home now." Harry knew him well enough to know that he was trying not to let his disappointment show.

"No it's okay, Teddy I-" he glanced up again and the words died on his tongue. When he met Draco's gaze he felt his skin prickle. "I'm fine," he whispered more to reassure himself than the two kids beside him. He resolutely ignored the fluttering in his gut when Draco gave him a weak smile.

They lost him again as the last of his adoring fans stepped up to the table, accosting him with books and questions and congratulations and Harry took the opportunity to breathe. Maybe if he stored enough oxygen he would actually get through this without asphyxiating.

"Well if it isn't my favourite little cousin," a familiar voice drawled and Harry's head jerked up.

"I am your only little cousin!" Teddy cried, hurling himself at Draco. Harry swallowed as the other man opened his arms to the boy. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. In. Oh, fuck.

Draco was holding Teddy back at arms length and studying the boy. "You've grown," he commented and Harry really didn't care what he had to say. He watched Teddy practically preen under Draco's fond gaze.

He knew Draco and Teddy were close. There had been months where Ted had been to France to visit his cousin and Harry had missed him terribly. His godson had always looked so delighted to go that Harry couldn't bring himself to be bitter about it. He had always listened intently as Teddy gushed about Draco for weeks afterwards. He had laughed and agreed that yes Draco was the greatest cousin ever even as he ignored how much it hurt just to think about him.

The man in front of him isn't the one who left seven years ago if that book he had written was anything to go by. He was smiling fondly down at Teddy in a way that had always left Harry slightly off balance but now it seemed to come easier. He was still dressed like he had jumped out of the pages of the latest fashion magazine but now there was stubble along his jaw that the Draco of old would never leave the house sporting.

It made him look older but less severe and if the graceful yet casual way he held himself was anything to go by he had obviously found his place in the world. Too bad it wasn't with Harry.

"Well, hello," Draco said, looking over Teddy's head. For a second Harry thought the man was addressing him but his grey eyes grazed past Harry and fell on Rose who was still clutching his hand. "I don't believe we've met."

Harry felt Rose stiffen beside him so he nudged her gently. She looked up at him like she was asking permission and Harry gave her a small nod. "I'm Rose," she said, straightening up and giving Draco her best smile.

She held out her hand and Draco clasped it with a grin. "I'd recognize that hair anywhere. You must be a Weasley."

"She's Ron and Hermione's daughter," Harry found himself saying. He didn't know who was more surprised to hear his voice, Draco or himself but he did know that Draco was the first to recover.

The blonde man straightened up from where he had been crouching by Rose and turned that stupid (brilliant) smile on him. "Harry," he said with a nod. "I trust you received my owl."

Harry nodded. He wanted to say something else but it seemed the long, drawn out pause was inevitable. Draco seemed to stiffen as the seconds passed and the easy casualness he had before seemed to edge away.

When Rose interrupted, it took all of the self-restraint he has not to sigh with relief. That is until she shoves a book into Harry's arms and smiles up at him sweetly.

"Potty Periwinkle," Draco crows. "Big fan, are you?" Harry doesn't have to look up to see the infuriating smirk on the other man's face. He looks up anyway and wishes he hadn't because somewhere along the way instead of being infuriating it had just become endearing.

Beside him, Rose lit up immediately. "I've read all of them," she told Draco proudly. "Mom and Dad and Uncle Harry had to read them to me at first but I can read chapter books now so I can read this one all by myself!"

Harry's thoughts of the floor opening up to swallow him whole were interrupted by the twinkle in Draco's eyes. "Did Uncle Harry mention he was actually the inspiration for Potty Periwinkle?" he asked, glancing down at Rose.

Rose snatched the book from Harry's hands, staring down at the wild, raven-haired pirate with the twinkling green eyes on the cover and then back up at Harry. She just stood there gaping, running her hands over the flying ship on the cover whose sails seemed to be waving in the wind. Potty Periwinkle winked up at her from under his thick-framed glasses and she gasped. "You're Potty Periwinkle!" she demanded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Harry crouched down, struck by the betrayal on her face. "It wasn't my secret to tell, Rose, remember?" he said softly. He felt Teddy come up behind him and place a hand on his shoulder. It was reassuring and Harry felt a sudden rush of affection for the boy.

"I knew too, Rosie," Teddy said in that voice he used when he was trying to play at being grown up. "It isn't Harry's fault."

"Well," said Rose finally looked determinedly at Draco. "I do have more questions and if Uncle Harry cannot answer them you need to come have ice cream with us."

"Well if I must," said Draco. "It would be my pleasure, actually."

"Draco you really don't have to," Harry said, straightening up.

Draco rolled his fucking eyes. "It's not everyday I get to speak to adoring fans now is it?"

"Cocky bastard," Harry muttered under his breath. Luckily Rose didn't hear but Teddy smirked up at him. "I said, if your head gets any bigger you might not be able to fit through the door," Harry explained when Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Jealous, Potter?"

"You wish," Harry snapped back without really thinking it through. If had thought it through he would most certainly have realized how dangerous it was to fall back into old patterns. He might even have been terrified by the soft smile Draco gave him rather than letting it sweep away any other protests he may have had.

Harry paid for the book, leaving Draco with Teddy and Rose who was chattering away at a mile a minute rather like Hermione had done when she was lecturing Harry and Ron back in Hogwarts (and even now, more often than Harry would like to admit). When he returned she rounded on him. "Draco said Potty Periwinkle was going to be a girl but then you threw a tantrum!" She giggled. "Teddy said you were worse than Hugo!"

Harry scowled, first at his traitorous ex-boyfriend and then down at his traitorous godson. "Teddy was too young to remember anything of the sort," Harry informed Rose frostily. "And I did not throw a tantrum, I protested. Like an adult."

"It was more like a hissy fit actually. In the middle of the cereal aisle at Tesco's," Draco supplied. "The manager almost kicked us out." He tried to hide his laughter with a cough when Harry narrowed his eyes at him.

"Draco, tell Rosie about that time Harry tried to hex your hair red and green for Christmas and ended up turning himself into a Christmas elf!" Teddy said excitedly.

"Whose side are you on Edward Remus Lupin?" Harry demanded, ruffling his godson's hair in the way he detested. Served him right. Scowling, the boy tried to frantically fix it again.

"You have to tell me!" Rose cried, looking up at Draco all too eagerly. Draco had the gall to wink across at Harry before letting the six year old take his hand. If Harry hurried their pace just a little it was probably because he wanted as few embarrassing stories as possible to resurface before they reached the shop. It was most definitely not because of the way Draco's face lit up as he talked animatedly to Rose or the way this made his stomach do backflips.

In that moment he realized why it had never worked out with anyone else. He had never really let go of Draco. No one else had ever really stood a chance. But if Draco thought he could just waltz in after abandoning him for seven years and expect Harry to just cave he had another thing coming for him.

When Teddy bumped up next to him and whispered, "I'll always be on your side," under his breath, Harry smiled down at the boy, pulling him into a one armed hug as they walked into Fortescue's.

"I want the boat one!" Rose cried immediately, pointing to a picture of a banana boat that looked like an actual ship. She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her face up against the glass as she tried to peer in at all the flavours. Harry knew better than to try to help her. She would just fuss and inform him that she was old enough to choose her own flavours.

He was so busy watching the kids argue over which ones were better that he almost jumped when Draco came up beside him. "Rose seems like a lovely girl."

"She is."

"And they seem close," he said, gesturing to where Teddy was explaining the merits of pop rocks in ice cream.

Harry shrugged. "They grew up together. Teddy looks out for her."

"You did a good job with him, you know" Draco told him softly. "He used to be so shy when he was younger but now-"

"Andromeda raised him, I just did what I could to help."

Draco nodded and then paused, Harry could feel the grey eyes studying him carefully. "Have dinner with me."

That caught him off-guard. "You can't be serious," he said at last when he had finished gaping like a fish.

"We need to talk, Harry."

"We needed to talk seven years ago!" Harry hissed, trying to keep his voice low and his face blank.

"Hey," Teddy interrupted, walking over to them before Draco could answer. Harry could see the way he was trying to gage the situation and immediately felt awful. The last thing he needed was to put Teddy right in the middle of this. The boy feigned nonchalance though, humming as he licked his dragon-shaped ice cream. "Are you guys getting anything?"

"I think I'll pass today, Ted. We don't want 'Mione going on about how I shouldn't be eating so much sugar," Harry told him, taking a conscious step away from Draco.

"I won't tell Mom," Rose offered, happily picking off the gumdrops from her ice cream.

"That's alright kiddo," Harry assured her. "You know your Mom, she'll find out one way or another."

"Draco?" she asked, turning to him with a wide smile. "You know I got the ship because it looks like Captain Periwinkle's one."

"I think I'll pass as well," Draco laughed, "its hard work maintaining a figure like this you know."

Harry didn't miss the way his grey eyes flicked in Harry's direction. So he was playing dirty. Fine. Rose was nodding solemnly up at him like she also shared these hardships as well.

"I don't know Draco, I think all that working out, all that jogging, has really paid off." He let his eyes pointedly travel down the other man's chest to where his shirt was neatly tucked in and then back up to his biceps. He smiled when Draco stiffened and looked a little thrown but to his credit the man recovered fast.

"Actually, I think it might be the yoga," Draco drawled, smirking in that annoyingly self-assured way. "I'm rather good at it if I do say so myself. Plus, it's done wonders for my flexibility."

Harry swallowed, forcing himself to look unfazed. "Wow, and I thought I was the one that had issues with subtlety."

"We've both changed, Harry." There was clearly a weight to those words and Harry knew that was the real point of this whole exercise. Draco wanted to take Harry to dinner to show him how much he had changed. Well Harry would go. But it wouldn't be to continue this banter they had easily settled into. He would go for closure and to hear the words Draco had never spoken when he'd walked out.

It had been so abrupt after that last fight and then Pansy had turned up at his doorstep to collect the other man's stuff. She had nattered on about how Harry had driven him out of the country, listing all the clever and elaborate ways Pansy wanted to kill him even though it had been Harry left with his heart broken.

"I'll go to dinner with you," he said under his breath so Teddy and Rose who were chattering up ahead would not hear. "Just this once." He watched Draco's lips twitch, knowing that he was trying to hide a smile. "And you're paying," he added because yeah, he could be petty too, sometimes.

9 years ago

Harry had not seen Malfoy since after the Death Eater trials.

He had spoken up on behalf of him of course because, well, he had had a lot of time to think while he was lying in the hospital bed, pretending to be asleep so everyone would just leave him alone. Malfoy's path, much like Harry's had been carved out for him long before he had been old enough to understand where it would lead. He had watched his family name that had once given him so much power and pride and protection become the one thing that trapped him. He had lived with bloody Voldemort for months for Merlin's sake! Oh yeah, and then there was that little issue of Draco protecting him when he had so clearly recognized Harry in the manor. He made sure to play that angle up to the Wizengamot.

So Harry had spoken in his favour and Malfoy had gotten off with house arrest for several months and some of his wealth seized for some legal bullshit the Ministry probably made up. Harry didn't really care, as long as the boy-well, man now- stayed away from Azkaban.

After the trial, Malfoy and his mother had hurried away without another word (well, Narcissa had given him a small nod, her eyes filled with tears that she adamantly refused to let loose but the look on her face was enough to express her gratitude). Later that night it occurred to him that perhaps Malfoy was just mad Harry hadn't spoken up in favour of Lucius staying out of Azkaban as well. There was no way that was going to happen of course. He only had to close his eyes to see Ginny's limp body in the Chamber of Secrets.

Either way, the Malfoys had kept to themselves for the most part and well Harry tried his best not to pay attention to them - at least until the one-year anniversary of the war ending.

Harry had slipped out of the grand theatre in the Ministry that Kingsley had set up. He was sick of way people seemed to flock to him, thanking him or even worse congratulating him. They didn't seem to understand that today was to remember all those who had been lost during the war! It was a day for those who weren't able to be in this absurdly posh theatre today because they had given up literally everything to defeat Voldemort.

He ducked out of a side door and almost crashed face first into someone who had apparently also been making a hasty exit.

"Potter!" Malfoy said, pausing to catch his breath. "Hiding, are we?"

Harry waited for the teasing lilt in his voice or even for a hint of snark so that he could go off at Malfoy and hopefully let off some steam. It wasn't there though. The man actually seemed genuine.

"It was-" Harry began. "The people in there, they mean well but-"

"People grieve in their own way, Potter," Malfoy told him, grey eyes unwavering. "Some of them prefer to forget, others need to relive it every day so they can grow to accept."

"They keep congratulating me!" Harry said before he could stop himself. "Today was supposed to be about honouring those who lost their lives. It-it made me kind of sick to watch so-" he gestured to the door he had just used to escape.

Draco shrugged like this whole confessing to your childhood rival thing was perfectly normal. "They look to you because you were their hero once- they think that perhaps you can help them through the aftermath as well."

Harry scoffed. "I'm barely dealing with the aftermath myself, what the hell am I supposed to do for them." He paused, watching as Malfoy looked down at his feet uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, you don't need to listen to this-"

"No, wait, Potter-" Malfoy jerked his head up, his chin held high. He still looked like a wisp of the arrogant young man he had been back in their school years but there was still that familiar fire in his eyes. It made Harry inexplicably happy to see that the war had left at least one thing untarnished. "Would you like to have lunch with me, now. If you are not planning on going back in there."

Harry opened his mouth to speak but promptly shut it again when he realized he didn't actually know what to say.

"My therapist said it would be a good idea," Malfoy added as though that was supposed to be comforting or convincing.

"You're seeing a therapist?" Harry asked. It was something Hermione had suggested for him as well. He had turned down the offer when he had discovered wizarding therapy often involved mind healers and occulemency. It was far too soon for anyone to be digging through his mind thank you very much.

Malfoy nodded.

Harry looked back over at the door leading back into the anniversary ceremony. "Alright," he said at last. "You've been easier company than they have been so far."

When Draco let his mask slip and his face melted into a small smile, Harry knew he had made the right choice. Without really thinking it through he held his hand out.

Malfoy inhaled sharply, staring at Harry's offered hand like it was going to pounce on him. In fact Harry thought he might ignore it and simply walk away but then slowly, like he was trying to reach out to a particularly flighty animal, Malfoy had taken his hand into a firm shake.

"Guess we've come full circle now, haven't we?" he commented with a small laugh, memorizing for future reference the sight of Draco beaming down at him.

A/N: Hope you liked! xx