Granger's Café

Pairing: Draco/Harry.

Disclaimer: Hermione decides that the drama in the wizarding world is growing too much. She decides to open up a café in the muggle world, so as to enjoy simplicity during the day. Little does she know that one of the applicants for a job there, will cause a whole new circle of drama for her. And how exactly will her little café benefit Harry and Draco's lives, and how will it banish the drama from both worlds they live in? You know what they say, about Granger's café; her food is like magic, that's what they say, because it keeps all your problems and troubles at bay.

~000~

Chapter Thirty-Three:

Conferrance

The owl was sent to various parts of the school as it delivered the same message to five people.

All of the recievers of said messages were tucked up in their beds, or could not sleep and were reading my candlelight.

Teddy had been reading my candlelight in his toasty cabin. Being on his own was such a rarety recently as James had to go to school and needed sleep, whereas Teddy could technically wake-up whenever he felt like it. Not that he ever slept in past twelve, just to be safe. He had finally caught up on the reading he had promised himself to do, when a sharp tapping resounded from his bedroom window. It made him jump slightly as he pulled the covers back and walked over to the window, reluctant to open it as the wind was still bittered outside.

The owl continued its irritating tapping.

"Alright you damned duck" Teddy hissed, wrenching the window open and snatching the note from the owls leg. It hooted in displeasure before turning on the ledge and taking-off into the sky. Teddy scowled as a cold breeze swept into his room as he closed the window back up, the letter clutched tightly in his shivering fingers. "I hate birds" he scowled, unrolling the parchment and walking over to his candle to read it better.

Hi Ted,

I have some news that may ... displease you, but before you rip this note up read the letter and think rationally, okay?

Teddy snorted. He hated it when Harry asked him to act rational. It was always a bad sign.

Since I have been working over your Aunt Hermione's cafe, someone else has been working their whom I have become enamoured with. It's Draco Malfoy. He came to us broken and disowned. His child is Scorpius Malfoy.

Teddy chuckled. If only Harry had known who Eli was.

Anyway, his estranged wife, Astoria, was raped by his Father and begged Draco to take the child as his own, via blood-adoption. However, as Draco and I were in a relationship by this point, she asked us both to blood adopt the baby. As a family.

Teddy felt his stomach knot. He always felt insecure when there was a new baby to welcome. He had loathed James with a passion when he was born into the family, but as soon as he got to help take care of him, the loathing and insecurity had melted away. The feelings had reappearred, not only in Teddy, but in James, when Albus and Lily were born. He wondered how they would all react to another baby coming into the family? And not only that, but a new potential parent?

I know you do not particularly like new babies but Astoria has suspected Cancer. She is getting everything confirmed shortly. Either way she is given us full custody of the child. Both Draco and I would like to met with everyone this weekend to discuss it further, but until then ... be rational, son. I love you no matter what.

Love Dad.

Teddy ran his forefinger over the words 'love Dad' and was reminded of the day when he had gone to stay with Uncle Harry over one of the holidays. Ginny had been feeling sick, and disliked Teddy even more when he came to stay this particular weekend. And she made no move to hide it from Harry, either.

June 2002

"So little man are you going to help me bake some cookies for Nana Molly's dessert this evening?" Harry asked as he set out everything on the large wooden ktichen table. The truth was he needed to get away from Ginny's moaning. He never knew a woman could complain so much over nothing.

"Yes, Harry! Nana Molly loves our cookies!"

"Oh I bet she loves snot and chocolate chip" growled Ginny as she stumbled into the kitchen, looking weak and pale and sweaty while holding onto her stomach.

Teddy sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve and getting down from the stool he was standing on so as to look over the table. He wondered carefully out of the room, his hair a dull brown as he steadily climbed the stairs to the spare room.

Harry looked over at his wife, "what the Hell is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem" she snapped back.

"Well clearly you do and I would advise you not to take it out on Teddy!"

"Who cares? He's not even your son" she sneered spitefully.

Harry leaned across the table, a dangerous glint in his eyes, his lips pursed into a tight line, "he is as good as my son, Ginerva, and nothing -not even your foul little mouth -is going to change that. Got it?"

She nodded carefully, eyeing his with narrowed eyes as he stalked out of the kitchen and bolted up the staircase to the first floor landing. He walked down the hallway until he stopped in front of Teddy's bedroom. He knocked lightly and waited for an answer. When he recieved none, he knocked agains, "Teddy-bear will you let me in?"

"No! Go away!" came the snifflign sobs of a broken child.

Harry's heart was breaking as he opened the door and tiptoed inside, closing the door behind him. He carefully eased himself onto the end of Teddy's bed and placed a warm hand on the child's shoulder, "Teddy, come here" Teddy wasted no time in crawling over the mattress and into Harry's lap. He clutched a handful of Harry's shirt in his fist and rubbed his tear-stained cheeks over the soft fabric. Harry threaded his fingers through Teddy's hair, "I'm sorry she's being mean to you I don't know why she is being like this"

"She's a mean woman" Teddy sobbed out.

Harry looked down at him firmly, "now Teddy, that's not nice. What have I told you about saying things about people?"

"If I haven't got anything nice to say then I shouldn't say it" he mumbled automatically. "But she said mean things too!" he whimpered, pointing at the door.

"I know she did, love, and I have told her off for it"

"Promise?" Teddy asked with wide, watery eyes.

Harry nodded, and poked Teddy's small nose, "I promise"

Teddy curled his arms around Harry's waist, as far as he could reach, and buried his head against Harry's stomach, "I love you Daddy"

Harry was startled by the words but could not bring himself to admonish Teddy further. Instead he pressed a kiss to his soft head of hair and whispered, "I love you too, son" and laid down on the small bed, hugging Teddy to his chest until they both fell asleep.

Without a second thought, Teddy grabbed his winter clothes from the end of the bed where he had tossed them, and marched out of the front door and into the cold.

~0~

James was walking stealthily from the Gryffindor tower all the while trying not to get caught by Peeves or the caretaker that prowled the corridors at all hours of the day and night. He was making his way to the fifth floor where he remembered there was a secret room his parents had spoken of frequantly.

He needed to think about the letter he had recieved.

He didn't know what to feel about the situation.

It was only when he turned the corner to see two students walking along the wall towards said secret room that he stopped short. He recognised that shock of blonde hair. "Albus? Scorpius? What the hell are you two doing up here?" he hissed through the silent hallway.

Both young boys jumped slightly, their backs pressed up against the wall. "James? Why are you awake?" Albus' voice trembled as he spoke, his wide green eyes blinking brightly in the torchlight. James felt a ball of protectiveness swell within his stomach for his baby brother. Albus looked either way of the corridor and then darted away from the young blond Slytherin to envelop his brother around the waist.

James smiled wryly and threaded his fingers through his brothers hair, "hey, what's got you all glum?"

Albus shrugged heavily, "I got a letter from Dad, and Scorpius' dad. It's urgent!"

James nodded in understanding, "I know, kid, I know. I just got one too"

Scorpius fidgeted slightly and then 'eeped' as a door etched its way out through the stonework and clanked into life. James frowned, "what did you ask for?"

"Just somewhere we can talk privately" Albus shrugged as he hurried back over towards the door and, grabbing Scorpius' arm, hurried into the room, turning and beckoning for James to follow. James walked across the corridor and into the room, grateful for the warmth that radiated from the large fireplace off to one side of the room. A few dark armchairs were dotted close to the fire.

James sat down in an armchair adjacent to the fireplace, propped his chin on his hand, elbow on the arm of the chair, and gaze off into the distance.

They literally sat in silence, each brooding over the news for a while, until the door creaked open. They had forgotten to lock it.

James whirled around in his armchair, wand at the ready to defend his little brother and Scorpius. Teddy's eyes were wide in alarm, his hands held up in surrender, "chill guys it's only me" he smiled reassuringly as James lowered his wand with relieved eyes and reclined back in to his chair. Teddy closed the door and cast a strong locking charm on it before turning to them with his hands on his hips, in a perfect imitation of Harry. "So, what's bothering you lot?" at their silence he continued, "Is it about the same letter I got from Da-Harry and Mr. Malfoy?"

James looked up as Teddy came over to his armchair and propped himself on the arm, hands resting on his knee. "Yes" James managed with a tight throat, "another baby in the family. Just what we all need" he grumbled running a hand through his hair.

Teddy quirked an eyebrow at the boy sitting beside him, "don't get grumpy. You know full well that you'll love the baby"

James rolled his eyes, "but it's not just that. This is so messed up ... it's not even a baby from dad and mum it's a baby from Mr. Malfoy's bitch wife"

"My mother may be a bitch but she is giving our fathers the gift of a baby together" Scorpius sneered. "That is not a gift people do often"

James threw a glare over at Scorpius, "whatever. It's laziness on her part. She has no right to do this, no one does, until they've spoken with us!"

"That's why he is meeting with us this weekend" Teddy stated as calmly as he could, though James' attitude was riling his temper up.

James pinched the bridge of his nose, "all I am saying is that one minute mum is kicked out for being a basic bitch, then our father's get together, and now a baby? It's a little too fast I think. They have not thought any of this through"

"Jamie, they are adults" Teddy stated, leaning closer to the younger boy, his arm draped over the back of the armchair, "and they have a history-"

"A shit history"

"A history nonetheless. If they can get past it and think of raising all of us together as a family, then I am sure that they know what they are doing," James glared up at Teddy, feeling childish and imbecilic at having his be right. Again. As he always was. He slumped back in the armchair and glared over at the fire. Teddy shook his head in dismay before turning towards the other two boys in the room. Their reaction was more important -they were younger and more impressionable. "Well, what about you two? What do you think about this?"

Albus fiddled with the hem of his pyjama shirt before looking over at Scorpius, "well I am happy that daddy is happy. And Mr. Malfoy is really nice to us all. It would be nice to have another member of the family"

Teddy smile and then looked over at Scorpius, "and you, Scorpius? What do you think about having a little brother or sister?"

"I like the idea ... I have never had another Malfoy to play with before, and maybe this baby will make Daddy smile again"

Teddy felt his stomach knot. He could understand where Scorpius was coming from. There had been a time when he had feared Harry would never smile again. "Well I am sure that it will. Besides, I had to grow up with this ones mum popping out an extra three children" he grinned, jerking his thumb in James' direction. James drew his knee up and nudged Teddy's backside in a playful manner, smiling up at the man as he frowned over his shoulder.

Teddy returned the smile lovingly.

Peace was restored.

Teddy sighed and then clapped his hands, "alright kiddies, it's late and considering none of you have hall passes and I am the only adult here -I think we should all head back to my cabin and have some hot chocolate before bed"

"Really?" Albus squeaked, looking chirpier by the second.

Teddy nodded with a grin.

Smiling the little group departed from the Room of Requirement, the doors melting back into the stonewall surrounding it, and followed Teddy down to the small cabin on the brink of the Forbidden Forest. As they drew nearer to the deadly pointed trees, Scorpius stepped a little closer to Albus, their arms tightly wound together as they walked behind James and Teddy. Albus smiled and gripped Scorpius reassuringly. He didn't like the trees too much either, but with Teddy there he knew that they would be safe.

Once inside the cabin, Teddy instructed them on where to put their cloaks and charmed their boots and socks dry from any chill. Scorpius relaxed visibly as he and Albus crouched beside the huge fireplace, warming their cool skin, whilst James went into the adjoining kitchen to help Teddy with the hot chocolate.

"So will you be coming with us to see Dad and Mister Malfoy this weekend?" James asked as he leaned casually against the smooth counter-top, arms folded across his chest, his eyes downcast.

Teddy shrugged as he reached for the mugs in his overhead cabinet, "I can be there if you want me to. I see no harm in doing so"

James looked up at Teddy, "Ted, why do you sometimes call my dad 'dad' when your own dad is still alive and well with Uncle Sirius?"

Teddy shrugged, "your father is like my adopted father. Well I see him as that. I love my father and Sirius too and I talk to them almost as much as I do your father ... I just feel as though I have all these people who love me and ... yet I still feel like a nomad"

James pursed his lips in thoughts, his eyes glancing over at the photo of Teddy's mother and father on their wedding day. "Your mother was pretty. Insane, but pretty"

Teddy gave a weak smile, "thanks, love" he breathed through his nose and rubbed at his eyes. "I might go and see my dad this weekend, after the Hogsmeade visit. I miss him"

James smiled and hugged his boyfriend, leaning his hand against the blue-haired mans shoulders, "you should spend more time with him, you know. He only lives in London"

"I know I know it's just ... he always looks guilty when he sees me. Like he wants to apologise for doing something horrible to me"

"He's a werewolf, Ted, he'll feel guilty if he were to bite you or somehow pass the curse on to you or his future grandchildren"

Teddy chuckled, drawing the stunned gazes of Albus and Scorpius in their direction, "I suppose you're right about that" he ruffled James' hair, "and it's nice to know that you're officially the future mother of my children" he winked and poured out the hot chocolate into mugs whilst James spluttered.

"I will not!" he hissed sharply, "besides those news potions are purely experimental. No proof that they work without consequence yet"

"Yet" Teddy emphasised before pecking James' lips quickly, "come and get it!" he called over his shoulder as he dropped the marshmallows into the warm, light brown liquid.

Albus took his mug as did Scorpius, both muttering thanks before removing themselves to the fireplace once again. Teddy turned back to James and frowned at the dark circles beneath his eyes, "you have not been sleeping" he observed, brushing a small lock of dark hair from James' dark eyes, as the younger boy sipped his drink.

James shrugged, "it's hard without you there"

Teddy smiled sweetly, "why don't you go to my bed and sleep? I'll be in as soon as I've gotten those two off to bed"

James smiled and down the last of his drink, placing the mug on the side with a gentle 'click'. "You'd make a great father one day, Ted"

Teddy smiled, glanced over James's shoulder to make sure the other two boys were not looking, before bending his head down and kissing his boyfriend, "so will you, love. We both will"

A/N: I am sorry for the insanely late update but I hope you liked this chapter. Review if you liked it!