Chapter 13

The room was fuzzy although Harry couldn't tell if that was because he wasn't wearing his glasses or from the potential concussion. Either way the first thing he became acutely aware of was his throbbing head.

He reached out absent-mindedly for his glasses. They were always on his bedside table. Always. But he wasn't home. That much he was certain of. The walls were plain and white and the air carried with it the smell of sterilisation spells. That accompanied by the numbness of what seemed to be his entire body told him he was in a hospital.

It wasn't too bad being unable to feel any of his limbs. At least his arm didn't feel like it was on fire.

He tried to sit up and take in the rest of his surroundings.

"Harry!" Hermione's worried voice seemed to call from a distance. Suddenly warm hands were pushing him gently back down into the bed. He just managed to make out her face and the small room they were in.

It was definitely a hospital. There were a bunch of flowers and his glasses on a small table to his right. An armchair sat on the far end of the room and Harry could see the outline of a figure slumped in it. The rest of the place was bare. It was the complete opposite of some of the muggle hospitals Harry had been to and to be honest at this point Harry wished it wasn't. The beeping and the whirring of machines and the various screens made the place seem busy. Without them the room looked even more foreboding rather than peaceful.

He tried to sit up again but Hermione wouldn't let him. "You need to rest, Harry," she said and the pressure holding his shoulders down was gentle but firm. "Lie down, you need to sleep this off."

Harry wanted to open his mouth to protest but then he found that he had forgotten just what he wanted to say. Sleep sounded very welcoming actually. His eyes were still heavy and fighting to stay open. It was a relief to just give in and let himself drift off again.

The second time Harry woke up he was ready. Before he opened his eyes he listened.

"What the hell is he doing here?" came Ron's unmistakeable voice. He must have been far away though because his yelling sounded muffled. "He set this whole thing up! He almost killed Harry!"

"Keep him out," came Robards' authoritative voice. "I don't want him further upsetting Harry when he does wake."

"With all due respect, Auror Robards," he heard Hermione say in that tone she used when she was trying hard to be polite but wanted nothing more than to shred you to pieces. "Perhaps it would be better for Harry to have no visitors at all."

"As his employer, it is my duty to ensure Harry has been properly debriefed," said Robards.

"He doesn't even want your bloody-" That was definitely Draco. He must have been incredibly pissed off to lose his composure with Robards like that. Harry felt a surge of affection for his friends.

He sat himself up and did a mental inventory of what hurt. His arm was throbbing but it was a dull pain rather than the incapacitating kind he had felt when the spell hit. He could feel odd scrapes and potential bruises scattered over the rest of his limbs. They seemed to have taken him off the pain medication and for that he was the most glad. A clear head would help.

"Harry, you're awake," said Robards as he stepped in. "How are you feeling?"

"You set me up," Harry told him. Somehow that revelation didn't surprise him. It did surprise Robards however.

"You must have heard Ron outside-"

"I could have died."

"It is not what it looks like, Harry. I assure you that your life was never in jeopardy."

"I'm in a bloody hospital!" Harry hissed because he was not going to give Robards the satisfaction of a proper yelling match.

"Think of it as a training exercise, to ensure you were still capable of working effectively in the field." Robards gestured to his bed. "You have passed as well. I must commend you on the body bind you threw before you went down. It took the medi-wizards hours to release him."

"You brought in a dementor from Merlin knows where in order to test me?" Robards nodded. "I'm not going to stay silent about this Auror Robards." The older man raised an eyebrow questioningly. As he said the words the beginnings of an idea began to form, Harry smiled, and sat back. "I'm going to the press."

"Now, now Harry-" The chastising tone just made Harry even angrier and a whole lot more determined.

"The Prophet will just eat it up," Harry informed him, keeping his voice mild. "A dementor, Robards, how could you be so stupid."

"You signed a contract!" Robards looked visibly shaken.

"What contract? You mean the one that states I cannot expose privileged information about the force gained during my employment? I sent you my resignation two weeks ago! As far as I am aware I do not work for you any more!"

"I never accepted your resignation."

"That's bullshit and you and I both know it."

"What do you want, Potter?" Robards was losing colour fast.

"I do not want to hear from you or the Auror force ever again," Harry told him, making sure his voice was even. "I want you to leave me alone from here on out and in exchange I will not take this story to the press."

He watched Robards' face change from ghostly pale to a red that would rival even a drunk Ronald Weasley. In fact he could almost see the wheels turning in his ex-employer's mind as he sorted through all the potential outcomes and possibilities of this deal. "Very well then," he said at last, nodding tightly, very obviously trying to maintain a professional mask. "All the very best for the future Harry Potter." As Robards turned to leave, Harry could not hold back his smile.

The hospital wasn't the worst place he could be, Harry decided. A nurse brought him a copy of the day's paper not long after Hermione and Ron left to pick the kids up from the Burrow where they had been staying. The food wasn't half bad and the mediwizard overseeing his treatment was hot.

All in all Harry was rather enjoying himself. He was just nearing the last page of the Prophet when there was a knock on the door. "Harry?"

"Come in," Harry called.

He had been prepared for Draco, but he had not been prepared for a chest full of Draco which is what he received when the blonde man rushed across the room to hug him. Harry held on for as long as he could before his arm started stinging again. "Ow, ow, mind the arm."

"Sorry!" said Draco, backing off immediately. "Wow, sorry I just got a bit carried away. When they brought you in here-" he shook his head like he was trying to rid himself of a particularly painful mental image. "It was bad, Harry. Really bad. I thought- there was so much blood and you wouldn't wake up-"

"I'm fine now," said Harry. He didn't mention the hand Draco was still holding, lest the other man remove it. "I should have known something was off."

"There was no way you could have guessed Robards would have pulled something like this."

Harry nodded. "Well I am sorry about-" he gestured towards a charred pile on the floor that had been the sweater Draco had given him. Hermione had thrown it there when she had opened his bag of personal effects only to find that mess. "I told you green wasn't my colour."

Draco laughed. "That's debatable, although Merlin, Harry, if you hated it that much you should have just said something. You didn't have to go get yourself blasted by some dark wizard."

"No dark wizard," Harry laughed drily. "Just Robards and his mind games."

"Some mind game," scowled Draco, face darkening instantly, "He could have killed you. If I get my hands on that man-"

"I took care of it," Harry told him quickly. "He won't be bothering me anymore."

"So I can't hex him into the next millenium?"

Harry laughed. "That would be traced right back to you, I thought that wasn't how Slytherins handled things."

Draco gave him a once over, frowning and narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "You look awfully pleased with yourself, Potter," he said, crossing his arms. "Go on then, how did you do it?"

"That obvious?"

"You have that smirk you always wear when you've done something particularly intelligent."

Harry shrugged. "I just threatened to share his less-than-appropriate practices with my good friends at the Prophet."

Draco looked confused. "You signed an agreement-you must have when you joined the force. So you can't go blabbing their secrets to the press. Honestly, I knew they were stupid but the aurors couldn't have overlooked something that obvious."

"This incident occurred outside the scope of my employment, Draco," Harry informed him, not even bothering to fight back his shit-eating grin. "I sent my resignation in over two weeks ago. I haven't been into the office for a week."

"So you think we can use that as a defence?"

"It's debatable, we can fight it in court," Harry smiled. "But the last thing Robards wants is to have the ethics of the Aurors questioned. Who knows what other dirty little secrets he's been hiding. To him it's not worth it. He's letting me go."

Draco let out a delighted whoop and threw his arms around Harry. "Mind the arm," Harry managed to get out but he held on tight when Draco immediately tried to pull away in between apologies. "No, no, allow me to bask in my incredible ingenuity for a little while longer c'mon."

Draco huffed against his neck. "Ever the modest do-gooder, Potter." When he pulled back he left his fingers entangled with Harry's once again.

"I've been rather clever, I'm allowed to gloat."

Draco rolled his eyes but the slight twitch of his lips betrayed him and soon he was beaming down at Harry again. He looked, fond and maybe just a little bit proud. Either way, Harry decided he didn't want that look to fade.

"So, it's really over then?" asked Draco, sounding like he didn't quite believe it.

Harry couldn't blame him. He was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea himself. The aurors had been such a major force in his life. In fact he had to admit, for years he'd let the job take over his life.

He nodded.

The silence that stretched then was hardly uncomfortable, though it really should have been. Harry let his thumb move in gentle circles over the pale hand he clutched. Draco couldn't seem to take his eyes off them, staring at their entwined hands in what seemed to be disbelief.

"Hermione told me you stayed," Harry said, quietly.

Draco started. "Um, yeah, she and I, both. Ron would have too but he had to work and- Hermione would be here now but the kids-" His eyes widened like he'd just remembered something. "Merlin, I need to tell her you're awake. She'll probably skin me alive if she knew how long we've been here without informing her."

Harry laughed, trying not to look too disappointed when Draco pulling his hand away to reach for his wand. "That would probably be wise. I prefer you with all your limbs intact."

Draco didn't seem to have heard, instead too busy staring down at his wand, brow furrowed. Finally the other man just sighed and muttered something under his breath. A flash of silver escaped from his wand and Harry just had time to make out the brilliant antlers of a silver stag as it bounded out through the window on the far end of the room.

Harry stared after it. "Was that-?" he couldn't string more than that together as he gaped, first at Draco and then back to where his patronus had just disappeared.

"Yeah, it- when I moved-" Draco looked down at his feet.

"It changed after you left?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Draco was worrying at his bottom lip, shifting from foot to foot like he was debating whether to say something or simply run. Finally he met Harry's eyes and shrugged. "All my memories, the ones strong enough to use were with you I guess. I mean I did some reading and-look, no one really knows why they change. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable."

Harry tried to smile reassuringly although he knew it probably looked quite strained. "It's not… uncomfortable."

It was just really confusing, Harry decided. Also a little bit overwhelming given he was already in a hospital bed after a near-death experience. He sighed, shifting a little to try and get comfortable. Apparently that was enough to get Draco to start fussing again.

He helped Harry adjust his pillow, insisting on fluffing it up for him. "Can I get you anything?" Draco asked, looking him over worriedly. "Water? Juice? Food?"

Harry couldn't help smiling just a little at the rapid change in the other man. "Just some water, please. I thought I was better but I think I need some more sleep."

Draco nodded, "The mediwizards said your wand arm took the brunt of the spell and the damage the magic did ran deep. Rest is the only thing you can do right now to get better. I should go get you some water…" he gestured towards the door, looking uncertain.

It took Harry a second to figure out why he was hesitating. This was the guy who apparently had not left his bedside until Hermione had all but dragged him out, insisting he needed sleep. "Yes, you can leave the room, Draco, I'm not going to collapse just because you have your back turned," Harry snorted.

"That's not what I-" Draco began, but they both knew he wasn't convincing anybody. With one last sheepish smile he left, closing the door softly behind him.

It was weird being in the room alone. It took Harry all of ten seconds to decide that he didn't like it. In an effort to not think about whatever new revelations Draco seemed to be bringing about, Harry's thoughts turned to Hermione. He silently willed her to bring the kids over for a visit. Perhaps he could even convince her to bring Teddy. After he had a nap though. Definitely nap first. He needed energy to keep up with the kids and his eyes were already starting to droop, heavy lids weighing them down.

By the time Draco came back with his drink, Harry had all but drifted off. He remembered clutching at the glass and downing it in three gulps before grabbing at Draco's shirt.

"Stay," he mumbled.

"I'm not going anywhere, Harry," Draco assured him. Harry noticed his gaze lingering on the armchair by the window.

"No, here," Harry told him, gesturing to the spot on the bed beside him. He tried to wriggle to the side to give Draco some more room, except that didn't end well because his still throbbing arm was in the way. He winced as fresh pain shot up to his shoulder.

"Don't move," Draco grumbled. "Why do you always insist on doing things the hard way." He muttered a quick spell and all of a sudden there was more than enough room for them both. In Harry's defense, they'd probably given him some kind of sleeping draught that kept him from thinking straight. He was about to inform Draco that had he been of sound mind he would have easily been able to solve their problem too. But then Draco was fitting himself into bed and Harry couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

He leaned his head against the other man's shoulder, smiling contently when Draco moved closer and put his arm around him.

"Here, let me just-" he watched Draco carefully take first the cup of water Harry still held in his good hand and then Harry's glasses from him, placing them on the bedside table. Finally he seemed to notice that Harry was staring and paused with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think I can sleep anymore," Harry informed him.

"What do you mean? I thought-"

"You know what would help?"

Draco looked worried now. "I'm not singing you a lullaby or anything."

Harry laughed. "I think I might still have that recording." Draco looked absolutely horrified. Harry nudged him. "Tell me a story," he said. "About France." He wriggled a little before finally finding a position that was comfortable and looked up, expectantly.

Draco was watching him like he was unsure what to do with himself, fingers tapping a nervous beat into the bed beside him. When Harry raised his eyebrows, the blonde just looked away, gaze shifting to his socks. "Are you sure?"

Harry rolled his eyes, although the effect was lost because Draco was still persistently avoiding his gaze. "Stop being dramatic and tell me a story."

There was a reason Draco Malfoy had most of the wizarding world singing his praises. He had a gift for weaving tales and the way he weaved this one left Harry on the verge of tears one minute and then laughing the next, till he was sure he would fall off the bed, his sides aching as he wheezed. He didn't protest when Harry insisted on another and then one more. He just kept going and Harry couldn't care less if he was making it all up at this point because he was engrossed.

Soon Draco's voice grew deeper and slowly softer till Harry had to squirm closer to hear him. He fought to stay awake but the gentle way Draco's stories wore on soon lulled his heavy eyes shut. Draco kept talking, just as smoothly as before until Harry finally drifted off.

The day arrived before any of them were fully aware of it.

September 1st. For the past 10 years the date had meant little to Harry. Sure, he'd look at the calendar with a brief fondness, a memory or two resurfacing occasionally but it wasn't until this particular September 1st that he felt the weight of it.

It wasn't until he arrived at Andromeda's and took in the sight of his godson, trunk by his side, owl cage in hand and a ball of feathers which could only be his new owl, Moony, sitting on his shoulder.

The bird chirped at Harry upon his arrival, making a rush at his hair before circling and settling back on Teddy's shoulder where he nibbled happily at the boy's ear.

Andromeda was still getting ready and Draco was yet to arrive. He had just purchased a new car and had insisted on driving Harry to Diagon Alley for the sake of convenience. Harry had checked no less than three times if the car had working airbags until Draco had scowled and turned off their floo connection.

"Ready?" Harry asked his godson, grinning as he moved forward to ruffle the boy's hair.

Teddy dodged and scowled. "You can't do that Hogwarts!" he pouted. "We need to set some rules."

"Well, I should probably get it out of my system now then," Harry informed him. "Or else I may not be able to keep myself from embarrassing you in class."

"You can't pick on me because I'm the only one you know, either," Teddy continued, apparently having given up the fight to side step Harry's hand.

Harry nodded seriously. "Maybe I should write all of these down. We could make it a contract."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "You can't check up on me with that map of yours."

"Planning on sneaking out, are we?" Harry asked, making a mental note to lock that parchment away lest he be tempted to use it.

Teddy shrugged. "You've basically taught me every single secret passageway in the castle. Maybe I'll find one that I can share with you."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. Apparently McGonagall was right to be worried. The son of a Marauder was not to be trifled with after all. "Alright, maybe I should set some terms of my own," he said instead. "I want a meal with you, once a week, at least."

Teddy nodded. "Sounds fair."

"What's fair?" called Draco, stepping up beside Harry and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Harry almost jumped and when he turned to glare the blonde man had the gall to wink.

"We're just setting some ground rules for Hogwarts," Harry gritted out.

"Ah, a wise idea," said Draco innocently. "By the way Harry, I have a signed document here from my mechanic that states my car is perfectly capable of reaching Diagon Alley without spontaneously combusting."

"Well it's not the car I'm worried about."

"Wait," said Teddy looking between them. "Diagon Alley?"

"You didn't tell him?" Draco asked.

Harry sighed. "I was getting to it!" He looked to his very confused godson. "Ted, I just thought it would be better for you to ride the Hogwarts Express alone. So you can have a chance to make some friends." He couldn't quite read Teddy's expression so he went on. "I've told you how I met some of my closest friends on the train to Hogwarts my first year and if I were there with you now I'd just get in the way."

Teddy finally broke into a smile. "That's okay," he said brightly. "I'll see you at the feast."

"Yes you will, kiddo."

"This will have to be goodbye from me, though Teddy," Draco said, stepping forward and crouching till they were seeing eye to eye. "I promised Harry here that I'd drive him despite how ungrateful he seems to be."

Harry rolled his eyes, not bothering to mention that Draco insisted on driving him even though Harry was perfectly capable of simply apparating there. He quickly busied himself with the edges of his sleeves as he saw Draco open his arms and Teddy rush in for a hug. Despite his burning curiosity he tried to give them the semblance of privacy, as the exchanged soft words Harry couldn't quite make out. At one point Teddy looked up at him before quickly looking away but Harry didn't miss the way there seemed to be tears in his eyes.

"You'll write to me?" asked Draco, pulling away.

Teddy nodded, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. Moony chirped at his shoulder and pushed in closer, till Teddy reached up to stroke him.

"Don't worry about the sorting," Draco told him, moving back to stand by Harry again. "We'll be proud of you no matter where that old hat places you. Although I must say, the Slytherin common room is quite spectacular and the view-"

"Alright, alright, we promised we wouldn't sway him," Harry said, nudging him for good measure.

Draco shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Andromeda bustled in just then, looking rather tired. She handed Teddy what looked to be his school robes. "I altered them and tried one of those new spells that lets them grow with you," she told him. Noticing the two boys she smiled. "He grew out of his robes already, can you believe it? By the time he gets home from the holidays he might not fit through the door."

Teddy rolled his eyes but smiled fondly at his grandmother. They were almost the same height already. Once again Harry couldn't help but marvel at how speedily the years had flown by. Here they were again, September 1st and off to Hogwarts once more.

He had thought of taking the Hogwarts Express over for nostalgia's sake, even considering hiding himself from Teddy and the rest of the students so the boy could still have his chance to make new friends. The thought of riding that train alone though without the company of his best friends didn't hold much appeal. No, it was better this way.

"You two should get going," Andromeda told them, pushing a bag of what looked like sandwiches into Harry's hand. She turned back to Teddy. "And so should we, it's almost eleven!" She started bustling around with renewed vigor as Harry patted Teddy on the shoulder and he and Draco said their goodbyes to Andromeda.

They were just about to leave when Harry felt a tug on his shirt. Teddy engulfed them both in a tight hug. "I'm going to Hogwarts!" he whispered and the pure joy in his voice was not only contagious but it made everything worthwhile. Every single battle they had fought to ensure that Teddy and Rose and Hugo and every other young witch and wizard could still be just as delighted to attend Hogwarts.

If Harry and Draco left with teary eyes, they didn't talk about it. They didn't need to. Harry was sure they were both on the same page.

Harry spent the first fifteen minutes of the journey sitting up straight, eyes glued to the road. He didn't notice his hands were in fists until Draco reached one hand over and unclenched them.

"Keep your hands on the wheel!" he yelped, looked around in terror for potential collisions.

"You can relax, Harry," Draco sighed, thankfully keeping his eyes on the road. "I did pass a test, you know and it wasn't entirely through charm alone."

"You charmed your way through a driving test?" Harry was pretty sure his voice came out as a squeak. "Is that even legal? Aren't they supposed to put safety first!"

"Well, Harry," Draco drawled. "Don't you think the fact that I managed to charm a rather pretty young lady while safely maneuvering the streets of London demonstrates that I am an excellent driver?"

"Draco!" Harry cried, clutching at his seat when they took a rather sharp turn.

Draco just gave him a mock-innocent smile.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Harry grumbled, crossing his arms and glaring at the road ahead.

Soon he found himself managing to relax though. The bumper to bumper traffic they hit near the city meant that Draco wasn't able to go much faster than a crawl. He even started conversation and managed to refrain from yelping when someone honked loudly outside (not at Draco, thankfully).

They talked about Teddy, who Draco had grown rather close to since his return. Of all the ways being a teacher at Hogwarts would be different to being a pupil.

"You won't have to worry about getting caught when you skulk around the castle in the middle of the night," Draco teased.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I do not skulk, that was more your thing," he huffed.

"Maybe you can start a dueling club, to replace that Army of yours."

"Dumbledore's Army," murmured Harry thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea. It might even be less of a disaster than the one Lockhart and Snape ran."

"Speaking of Snape…" said Draco, pausing as he watched the road an waited to turn at a busy intersection. "Tell his portrait I say hello, won't you? I've been meaning to visit since I got back but…"

"But you were busy?" Harry prompted when it sounded like Draco wasn't going to finish that thought.

"Not exactly," Draco chuckled, leaving Harry slightly puzzled. "I just wasn't looking forward to hearing him yell at me for leaving. He can be rather creative with curse words when he wants to be."

"Ah," said Harry, not all that surprised about this particular talent his old professor apparently possessed. "Although, he wasn't exactly the biggest fan of our relationship, if I recall."

Draco laughed. "He was just putting on a front. He was secretly quite pleased. Said you were the best thing to happen to me."

"So you think he'll be nicer to me? Now that I'm a professor like he was rather than a student?"

"Not likely."

Harry leaned back and sighed. "That's alright, I wasn't getting my hopes up." He watched Draco concentrating intently on the road and smiled. It really was strange how far they had come. Neither of them seemed to be the same person they had been back in Hogwarts, nor were they the same broken souls they had been after the war. They weren't the same and yet here they were, still somehow managing to find each other in their new lives.

"Look at us," he said out loud, gestured between them with a little laugh.

"Look at us, indeed," Draco murmured, smiling across at him before turning back to the road again.

"I never saw this coming, you know," Harry told him. Draco raised his eyebrows, still watching the road. Harry had to admit, his driving was actually kind of impressive. Harry himself hadn't made much of an effort to practice, especially not after the Whomping Willow incident. Somehow a giant murderous tree was enough to diminish one's enthusiasm. "You're staying here in London in your flat now and I'm going to Hogwarts. It's like we're finally starting a new chapter. Starting from scratch. Like we've always wanted to."

"Not a new chapter, a new book," said Draco softly.

"Hmm."

Draco sighed. "Honestly, I can't believe it's happening either." There was something about his voice that made Harry look up. He was staring intently at the road but Harry could still make out the edges of a frown there.

"I will get the holidays off, you know," he said. "This new book stuff doesn't mean the end."

"I know," Draco hummed. He looked over at Harry. "I'll be waiting here for you."

Harry smiled, "we just need some time to find our footing first."

"I hope you know you can talk to me, if the little brats become too much to handle."

Harry laughed. "You know you wouldn't make a half bad Professor yourself," Harry told him. "Professor Malfoy." Somehow he liked the way the words rolled off his tongue. It had a ring to it.

"Oh, of course and I can even add 'managed to let in a large number of serial killers who eventually terrorised and almost completely destroyed the castle' to my resume. I'm sure McGonagall will be impressed."

"Well it was a rather impressive feat..."

Draco scowled at that. "She would put me in charge of the Gryffindor just to spite me."

"She wouldn't be so cruel."

"Oh, she would."

Harry laughed. "You're right. She definitely would."

It wasn't long before Draco joined in too and then they were both laughing. Except then Draco slammed the brakes when they almost collided with the car in front of them. Harry spent the rest of the ride with his arms crossed, glaring stubbornly out the window.

A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update. This was going to be the last chapter but then I realised I couldn't end it here so one more chapter to go! Thank you for leaving reviews guys they kept me going through my writer's block. Much love, xx