Sakura Blossoms
Paint flowed over the white canvas as Harry slowly weaved runes and magic into it. Soft hands landed on his bare back. "Draco," he said.
The hands squeezed before moving down, so Draco could wrap his arms around Harry's chest. He watched Harry paint. The flower was beautiful and vibrant yet soft. He knew it was a gift for Susan and Taeko. Unlike the lilies in the kitchen, this painting was full of hope and well wishes.
Harry turned around as he finished. "Hey, love," he said. "Did you want something?" He reached out and tamed a wayward strand of Draco pale blond hair.
"Your company," Draco said. He looked at the painting. "It is beautiful."
Harry could almost feel the longing and jealousy in Draco's set jaw and the way his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He smiled and moved his brush, leaving behind two runes on Draco's cheek, kenaz and gebo. He charged the runes while drying them before kissing Draco. "I make these when a motive comes to me. I can't force them, Draco," he said. "I tried that in the beginning, and it never turned out the way I wanted."
Draco huffed and sighed. "You need to clean up. We are supposed to pick Scorpius and Teddy up in half an hour," he said. He stopped by the mirror and rolled his eyes at the shimmering runes. He could feel Harry's magic in them, and he realised as he waited for Harry that this was the comfort Harry found in the marks he left behind.
Harry took Draco's hand so they could head out together. Teddy came running up to them, and he raised an eyebrow as he saw the paint on Draco's face.
"Dad, why do you have runes on your face?" Scorpius asked as he made his way up to them.
"It's kenaz and gebo. Together they can mean love," Teddy said. He rolled his eyes. "Was Draco jealous about the painting? Are you done now, dad?"
"I am done, and Draco might have been just a bit jealous," Harry said.
"Teddy says you are going to Japan," Oscar said.
Harry nodded. "That is right. A friend of mine is getting married, and we have been invited to attend," he said. "So we are leaving tomorrow. I'm sure Teddy will take a lot of pictures."
"Yeah, that isn't the same as going, though," Jenna said. "I hope you have fun, Teddy. Scorpius."
The boys waved goodbye to their friends and walked alongside their fathers back to Ferngale before teleporting home. They were sent to pack the last of their things.
Harry was standing in the studio after the boys had gone to bed that evening. He was clear coating the painting with a magical paint that brought depth to his creation when Draco walked in.
Draco sat down and looked at Harry rather than the painting. He waited until Harry's attention was on him. "I get how you feel about the marks now," he said. He touched the runes. "There is something different with marks on the skin like this."
Harry walked up to him and cleaned the runes off with a wave of his hand. He could tell that Draco wanted to argue. His magic coiled around him as he reached out to touch Draco's chin gently. "Don't worry, my Prince. I'll give you something much better than that."
Draco felt his arms get pulled back and bound while his legs were moved apart, presenting his body to Harry. Warm fingers moved quickly to unbutton his shirt. Then Harry moved away from him and pulled his shirt off. He picked tubes of paint out and squeezed them onto himself, charging the colour not with neutral magic the way he usually did, but with his magic and all the love and care that came with it. He picked up a brush with soft bristles and returned to Draco, dipping the brush in the paint on his arm.
Draco's eyes trailed the brush. He felt exposed, raw. He trusted Harry, though. A soft gasp left him as the wet paint spread over his skin. All of Harry's focus and magic was on him. He strained against the ropes holding him. He was glad to be bound because he would ruin Harry's work if he wasn't.
"You see, what I need is the inspiration to make something, my prince. Turned out I had the wrong canvas. With my magic in the paint, this will hold for weeks. You will carry my art and my magic with you." He smiled as he saw the tears in Draco's eyes. "Don't hold back, love. Just let it out. It's okay." He angled Draco's head back and kissed him deeply. He had never considered this before, and it only worked because Draco wanted his magic.
It was sweet torture. Draco had never considered something that sounded so innocent to be this intimate. His body felt abuzz with each stroke across his chest. He looked up at Harry. "Please," he said. He wasn't sure what he was begging for, but he hoped Harry could figure it out. He felt his insides coil as magic filled him, moving within him. Harry knelt before him to paint lower, and he wanted to beg for release, but he didn't want this to end until Harry was done. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the sensations running through him. The soft brushed of Harry's fingers against his skin and the steadying placement of his hand to hold him in place as he kept painting. Harry kept speaking with him, but he could barely focus on his words.
Harry cleaned himself off and looked at Draco. He reached out and let his lover out of his binds before pulling him up slowly. He dried the paint and set it into Draco's skin as he turned him around. His hands ran down Draco's chest slowly so he could undo his pants. Their bodied joined and Draco cried out. If Harry hadn't been holding him tightly, he would have collapsed. Reaching out desperately, he braced against a shelf as Harry moved within him. Kisses and gentle bites ran over his back until he let go, resting his weight against Harry. He felt Harry's breath against his skin and clenched around him, feeling his breath hitch as magic swirled into him.
Harry moved back slowly and pulled Draco with him. He guided his lover to their bathroom and helped him clean himself before he brought him into the bedroom and tucked him in. Draco reached for Harry sleepily. "Want you," he whispered, even though he knew Harry couldn't hear him. It took a few minutes before Harry crawled into bed next to him, and he clung to him tightly. Harry moved and ran his hand up and down Draco's back slowly. He smiled gently as he watched Draco drift off. That was something they would need to explore more. He did wonder how Draco would react if he painted lower down. It was a shame he couldn't hear him, though. He closed his eyes slowly with his arms wrapped tightly around Draco.
…
Grey eyes opened slowly the following morning. Draco shifted. He was alone in bed. He clutched the sheets and drew a rattling breath. Then he heard them, voices streaming in through the open bedroom door. Harry was laughing at something Scorpius said, and his heart swelled. Harry had let him sleep when their sons had got up. He smiled as he pushed himself up.
Blue caught his eye in the bathroom mirror, and he turned around to face it. His eyes widened as he saw the winged serpent resting over his chest with its head over his heart. Hydrus. He chuckled. The spray of the shower washed over him, and he moved his fingers gently over the serpent. No paint came off though. It would seem Harry had fastened it to him. It was his art piece and no one else had one like it.
Harry walked into the bathroom as Draco stepped out of the shower. "Good you're up. I almost thought I would have to wake you," he said warmly. He placed his hands on Draco's shoulders and kissed him. "Happy?" he asked.
Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and pressed himself against him. "I want you so badly," he said. "I want you screaming under me. I want to show you just how much I appreciate this."
Harry laughed. "A shame we don't have time for that then. Portkey leaves in an hour, and we still have some things to pack, and you should get something to eat."
Draco swore. He had forgotten that they were leaving. That said something about how good last night had been, and he pointed it out to Harry.
"I will happily paint you again, Draco," Harry said. "I just need to figure out how to comfortably do what I want to first. I'll find a way before your serpent fades." His breath ghosted over Draco's cheek as he leaned in to kiss him again. "Get dressed." He walked out to re-join their sons and make sure they had what they needed.
Draco leaned back against the sink and snorted as he shook his head. He drew a steadying breath to calm himself down as he wrapped his arms around himself. The feel of Harry's magic was gentle. It always was to him, even when Harry was angered it didn't feel aggressive to him. He knew his magic was not the same. He could be protective, but he knew he was possessive. All he could do was hope it wasn't too much for Harry. He pulled his pants on and listen to his son speak with Harry. Over the past month, he had learnt how to sign relatively well. He hoped he would be good enough to help Harry at the wedding at least. He picked up a few things and packed them away.
Harry walked in with two boxes of items. "They are Susan's. They have stayed here since she hasn't been back, and I haven't gone there before. Now that we are going. I feel like I should bring them," he said.
"Will we have time to hand them over?" Draco asked.
"We are meeting with Susan and Taeko for dinner tonight which will feel more like lunch for us since the portkeys are rather quick, but we are moving forward nine hours, so our sleep schedule is going to be a mess," Harry said. "The wedding is rather late at night, though, so it will work out for us." He packed everything away and looked their things over. "Susan wants to dress Teddy and me traditionally. Everything is ready for that, we just need the last fitting when we get there, and then we have dinner with them."
Draco nodded slowly. He felt tense. If he didn't have Harry's magic painted over his chest, he would feel even worse. "You think she will be okay with me?" he asked. Death Eaters had killed her whole family. He wasn't responsible, but he had been on the wrong side of the War.
"Draco, I love you," Harry said. "Susan isn't impossible. She will see how you are with our sons and know that you are a good person." He pulled Draco closer. "If against all odds, something happens, I will be by your side." He took Draco's hand and walked out to the kitchen. "Are you guys done?" he asked.
"Yes, dad," Teddy said. "We can go now, right?"
"In a minute," Harry said. He looked at Draco. "You won't eat?" he asked. He sighed as Draco shook his head. He wouldn't force him. "Let's pack everything away and get our things." Harry kept track of the boys and made sure they had their things. He kissed Draco as he passed him on the way to pick their things up. "There we go," he said. "Teddy, you have your camera?" he asked.
"Yes, dad. I have it," Teddy said.
Harry brought them all to Gringotts and got them written up for travel to Japan. He grabbed the long distance portkey and made sure everyone was holding on. A voice counted down before the portkey activated and pulled them across the world.
Teddy held Harry's hand tightly as they walked with a group of other people. Harry got them stamped in and Teddy took off as he saw her. "Susan!" He threw herself at her and hugged her tightly.
Susan laughed as she hugged him close.
"So this is Teddy-kun?" Taeko asked as he placed his arm around Susan's shoulders.
Susan nodded. "This is Teddy," she said.
"I have heard a lot of good about you, young man," Taeko said. "You will carry the rings."
Teddy nodded quickly. "Yes, Taeko-sama," he said.
"Teddy, what have I said about running away from me in a crowd," Harry said calmly as the rest of them reached Susan and her fiancé.
Teddy looked back at his father and smiled sheepishly. "Not to," he said. "Sorry, dad."
"Hydrus-dono," Taeko said as he reached out to Harry.
"Taeko-sama," Harry said. He took Taeko's hand and shook it firmly. He could feel it, an opposing well. Taeko was a mage, but they were not compatible. "This is my partner Draco Malfoy," he introduced Draco. "And his son Scorpius."
Draco reached out to take the offered hand. He might have been nervous before leaving home, but he wasn't going to let any of that show now. He also felt the well and pulled his own magic tight. He was an even worse match than Harry was. That was fine, though. They didn't need to match. In a way, it would have been worrying if they did. "Taeko-sama we look forward to your union," he said. He could afford to take a stance of that sort, considering Susan and Harry's previous relationship.
Taeko offered a small smile. "Susan has asked that you and your son be dressed traditionally, Hydrus-dono. If you will, please, come with me," he said. "Women aren't allowed, and the tailor does not take kindly to extra eyes on him."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of the Malfoys, Harry," Susan said. She smiled at Draco. "I'm sure we can find something to do until dinner." She offered her hand to him, and he took it while holding on tightly to Scorpius.
Wide blue eyes looked around as they landed. It was a playground and there were other children there already. "Can I go play, dad?" Scorpius asked.
"Just stay where you can see me," Draco said. He was glad that just two weeks at school had given Scorpius this much of a confidence boost. He folded his arms over his chest so the handmade bracelets showed.
Susan waved at a gathering of people. Some were friends and others were colleagues. "So Harry still runs his bracelets?" she asked as she saw the bands. "You seem to wear as many as he does."
"We carry the same amount, yes," Draco said. "Our match and correspond. Our sons only wear some of them."
Susan sighed. "You know, I gave up on my love for him after the accident. I told him I would come home for him, and he outright told me that I would be doing it for nothing because he was not letting me in. He didn't want my help. At first that hurt to hear, but I think I needed the eye-opener. Somewhere in the depths of my heart, I hadn't given up on us," she said. "He made sure I would, because at his weakest, he didn't want me."
Draco nodded slowly. "Harry gives his all when you are with him. He is straightforward and honest. He can't afford to continue that way with someone who leaves him," he said. "I'm greedy and possessive. I want all he is willing to give, and I will not let go."
"The key there being his willingness," Susan said. "As long as you only take what he is willing to give, I doubt there will be a problem, and I doubt you give nothing in return."
Draco grinned. "You know him well enough to know I do," he said.
Susan snorted. "Well, yes. I guess so," she said while smiling at him. "Is he still as vocal?"
"I don't know what he was like before, but he doesn't know how to stay quiet, that's for certain," Draco said. It felt a bit strange to speak to someone who had been with Harry in the past.
"Doesn't he only hear himself?" Susan asked. "So…"
Draco rolled his eyes. "I asked him about that, and he mostly just filters his own voice out the same as all people do," he said. "It doesn't matter that he can only hear that. The goblins are working on an alternative of sorts. A way for him to possibly hear me. We shall see how that works out."
Susan smiled. "That would be nice," she said. "It is sad to think he will never hear again."
Draco wasn't sure sad was the way he would put it. Harry did just fine without the ability to hear. His reasons for wanting Harry to hear him were utterly selfish. He could admit that.
"Come on Susan-san what are you doing standing over there."
Susan smiled. She headed over to her friends with Draco following her.
"So is this Hydrus?"
"No, Ino-san, this is Draco, his partner," Susan said.
"Hydrus. Draco. Why are your names constellations?"
"Because I'm a member of the Black family and Hydrus is the Lord of that family. He took a constellation name when he became the Lord. Mother insisted on mine as father's family didn't have any naming conventions," Draco said.
"So it is incest, then?"
Draco's eyes narrowed. "My Lord gained his standing through choice and conquest. We are not related," he said.
"Enough," Susan said irritably. "I did not bring friends from Britain so you lot could harass them."
"Is your boy deaf, Draco-san?"
"No, he isn't," Draco said. He looked over at Scorpius. His boy was signing to one of the other children. "Scorpius!" He waited for his son to turn. 'What is going on?' he signed.
'We're just trying to decide what to do,' Scorpius signed back. 'It's okay, dad.'
Draco shook his head. "However, we are still learning for Hydrus' sake," he said.
"Hydrus is deaf? I don't recall you mentioning that, Susan," Ino said.
"I said he was hurt. I never specified more than that because it really was none of your business," Susan said. "I was hurt and angry, but that doesn't mean I go telling his life story to everyone."
Draco smiled softly. He guessed he could sort of see what Harry had seen in Susan. Except for the whole she was the wrong gender for him issue. He looked back at Scorpius and watched his son play, wondering just how Harry was doing.
In turn, Harry and Teddy had arrived with Taeko to a small shop sequestered in an old building. They were led inside and told to strip down.
"Of the Nation," the old craftsman said in Gobbledegook as he looked at Harry. "That changes the design. It is a good thing we have time to fix this." He walked up to Harry and turned him around.
'Good bones, strong,' Teddy signed as the tailor moved around Harry. 'Why are you glamoured?' He narrowed his eyes at his father. 'I'd like to know that too,' he signed.
Harry sighed and deactivated the glamour, showing several deep red bite marks and hickies. The colour keeping because of the magic infused in the marks.
Teddy's eyes narrowed. "Draco did those," he said. He walked up to his father as Harry knelt. He touched the marks. "He is hurting you?" He had thought Draco was pretty cool, but not if his dad was getting hurt.
"No, he isn't hurting me," Harry said. "He leaves these because he loves me."
"But he bites you. Getting bitten hurts," Teddy said.
"Yes, getting bitten hurts. These do not hurt. They still look like this because of our magic, but Draco only leaves them because I ask him to. Teddy, I would not let him hurt me," Harry said.
"So why do you hide them?" Teddy asked.
Harry smiled softly. "I hide them, so I don't need to answer worried questions from little boys or their grandmothers," he said.
"Like the marks around your wrists when you were dating Susan?" Teddy asked.
Harry grimaced as he stood back up. "Those I had because Susan was very bad at healing my wrists. I'm not going to answer more questions about them, Teddy," he said.
The tailor had left as Harry spoke and returned with his outfit so they could fit it to him. As he worked, his assistant helped Teddy into his clothes. Harry moved calmly as the tailor told him too. "We will be showing your shield," the tailor said. "It will infer more respect than your House Ring around here, since it is something you have earned."
Harry nodded. "I see Master Tailor," he said. He listened as the tailor told him how to handle the clothes and what he needed to consider, especially since he was a white man dressed traditionally. "Thank you, Master tailor," he said once he had redressed in his own clothes. He bowed deeply before leaving the shop and letting Taeko bring him and Teddy along once more. They landed in a park and Teddy ran off to join his cousin.
Draco turned around and smiled at Harry. "Did it go well?" he asked.
"Except for the Tailor seeing the glamour and demanding I take it off in front of Teddy, it went great," Harry mumbled before kissing Draco.
"So this is Hydrus?" Ino said. "Damn, he is hot. Susan, you know how to pick them."
Draco wrapped an arm around Harry and relaxed slowly. He felt a lot better having Harry next to him.
Susan sighed. She had given up. Ino was not going to behave. She would just have to live with that. She looked at her fiancé. "Shall we head out?" she asked.
"I do believe so," Taeko said. "Call your sons back, and we shall head for dinner."
Harry nodded. He called Teddy and Scorpius, pulling them close to him before they took off. Dinner was a pleasant affair with a lot of food they weren't used to eating, but everything seemed to be going okay with the children. After that, they headed back to the playground, but they settled down away from everyone else while Teddy and Scorpius returned to play with the other children.
"So," Taeko said. "What is this about tying people up, Susan?"
Susan blushed. "How did you?" She looked at Harry.
"Teddy," Harry said. "You should have been better at remembering the salve."
"The tailor forced him to show his bite marks and that led to rope marks," Taeko said. "I didn't know you were into that, love."
"Harry never tied me up. Don't get any ideas," Susan said. She gave him a pointed look. "Unless of course you would like me to tie you up."
Taeko shook his head. "I think we'll leave that to Harry and Draco," he said. "I'm sure they can figure it out."
Harry snorted. "Sure, you can tie me up, love. It would only be fair, after all," he said.
"Why thank you," Draco said as he ran his fingers down Harry's chest. "Sounds like fun to me."
Susan sighed. "You two are impossible. You deserve each other, you know," she said.
"Before you do anything of the sort, however, I would like to ask if you would join me in the dojo tomorrow?" Taeko said.
"I don't mind looking after the boys while you do that," Susan said.
"You wish to fight us?" Harry asked.
"It won't just be me," Taeko said.
Harry looked at Draco. "What do you say, love?" he asked.
Draco shrugged. "I don't mind," he said. "I'll just have to warn you that both Harry and I can be dangerous, and I don't mean that in a nice, cosy way. It takes a mage compatible with Harry to calm the situation when we get going."
"I just won't go all out," Harry said calmly. "It is fine." He grabbed Draco's wandering hands and squeezed them. "I can calm your magic, love," he said. "Don't worry about it." He kissed Draco's hands slowly.
"I'm not saying we can't join," Draco said. "I don't mind."
Susan sighed. "You better have protections down," she said.
Harry snorted. "Yeah, okay," he said. "That might be a bit hard. Depending on who laid the wards." He closed his eyes and sighed. "We shall see." He wasn't sure what Taeko was after, but it would be interesting to see what he had in mind. He caught Scorpius as the boy threw himself at him. "Hey sprout, how is it going?"
"We are going to play hide and seek," Scorpius hissed.
"I see. Do you need us to do anything?" Harry hissed back.
"No, I just wanted to let you know," Scorpius hissed before bolting off again.
Draco sighed as Harry looked up at him and signed what Scorpius had said. "Sometimes he doesn't pay attention to the fact that I don't understand his hissing," he said. "It is cute that he can speak with you, but it kind of pulls away from it when he misses me."
"We'll talk about it, Draco," Harry said. "I keep reminding him, but parsel being a magical language does override a lot if you know it. We'll see if Vekk can work something out. If he can let you understand, then at least you would know what is going on."
Draco chuckled. "Yeah, I guess," he said.
"It is a rare ability," Taeko said. "You don't share it with him?" He found that strange since it was usually hereditary.
"I brought Scorpius in for a blood transfusion when he was little," Draco said.
"Turns out I was the donor for that," Harry said.
"Oh, Scorpius was the child you healed?" Susan asked.
Harry nodded.
"That is an interesting turn of fate," Susan said. She looked at the boys. What was the chance that Harry would heal Draco's son, only for them to end up together? It sounded quite unbelievable. It looked right, though. With the way that Harry and Draco seemed so comfortable together despite them only having been a couple for a few months. She was glad she had okayed Harry bringing Draco and Scorpius. It had been the right thing to do.
…
Draco looked around the dojo the following day. "What do you think?" he asked.
Harry entered magesight and looked around. "They are decent. If we attack the wards directly they would probably cave, but they should be able to contain fairly well," he said.
"Sounds like you are used to better wards. Not everyone has an old Family home that adapt to their needs. I'm Takeshi. Taeko is my brother."
"Not everyone is an Enclave certified Warding Master who lays his own wards with mages in mind," Harry countered.
Takeshi bowed. "I apologise. I assumed you were criticising for the sake of it, not because it is your field of study," he said.
"No harm done, Takeshi-sama," Harry said. He walked further in, and Draco turned towards him.
'Good, you are here already. It took me a bit to rouse the rest of them, but they are on their way. I see you have met Takeshi," Draco signed as Taeko walked in.
"We have, and I do wonder what you are hoping to achieve by doing this," Harry asked.
"I just want to duel you," Taeko said. "Susan says you are powerful. It isn't often we run into people who can match us."
"Two on two," Draco asked.
"That was the idea. The rest are here more to make sure we don't accidentally kill each other," Taeko said. "And please do trust me on that. I want to marry Susan, not have her hate me for hurting you."
People streamed in slowly and sat down to watch. Wards went up around the audience.
"They are used to seeing me and my brother fight," Taeko said. "It should be fine."
"They are in tune," Draco said.
Harry smiled softly. "So are we, or I wouldn't have reacted to defend you with my eyes closed," he said.
They had dressed to fight, and they stood relaxed as the brothers moved into fighting stances.
Harry reached out for Draco and searched to connect their wells without the need to flood the room. Draco smiled at him as he accepted the connection through the marks they had left on each other.
The brothers attacked and Harry shielded the spells but nothing else. He was using as little power as possible. While Draco attacked for them. They were just getting a feeling for the brothers' magic and their pattern.
"You will have to move more than that," Taeko shouted. He disappeared and reappeared behind Harry, who dodged, caught his arm and spun him around before kicking him. He felt the ribs breaking and laid a pure support for them so Taeko wouldn't pierce a lung. He disappeared and reappeared behind Takeshi, throwing him forward into a trap Draco had laid.
"You better pick up your pace if you really want to fight us," Draco said. Fighting Harry had taught him better control of his magic. When the person you are fighting never uses more magic than what is needed for a cast, you have to step up, or you will lose. He attacked and was blocked.
The brothers focused on Draco, as they saw him as the more problematic of the two. Harry was only reactionary and that they could chip away at. Draco flew back and hit the ward with a groan. He knew Harry was choosing not to help him right now, and he was glad for it. He got up and returned fire.
"No Taeko, not that one," Takeshi called.
The spell impacted with Draco, causing a bright blue flash to blind everyone. The light faded and the blue serpentine dragon on Draco's chest glowed. He dug into his well and attacked viciously. His magic going darker and darker as he cast.
The crowd cheered as the brothers managed to bind Draco down. He tapped out and they let him back up. "Good luck," Draco said with a grin on his face as he signed that he was okay to Harry. He was aching and had used more magic than he might have thought he would, but overall he was doing okay.
The brothers turned towards Harry and flooded. The still had plenty of power combined. It confused them that the couple let them pick them off one by one like this. Harry released his magic and the bright coat moved out around him. His protective magic light against the darkness of the brothers. He caught their spells and threw them back. They were good, but he fought Draco and Neville on a regular basis. Suddenly, his magic flared so dark it blocked out all the light, and he moved and downed both brothers in one fell swoop before reigning his magic in.
The crowd was silent as Harry walked up to Draco, unconcerned by the fact that the brothers were getting up behind him. He kissed Draco as his rune arrays activated. "Never," he said loudly. "Never leave a warder time to set up runes. He showed them all. "One step in the wrong direction will kill you." He turned back towards the brothers as Draco wrapped his arms around him.
"You are so fucking sexy like this," Draco said causing a chuckle to move through the crowd. "Makes me want to bend you over and fuck you." He had been signing to Harry, who just rolled his eyes. "The feeling is mutual."
'Teleport us,' Draco signed.
Harry swept the runes away and teleported them back to their room.
"Did what I just think happened happen?" Taeko asked.
"I think we didn't even scratch the surface of what Hydrus-dono can do," Takeshi said. "We might have taken Draco-san down, but we have no idea what his partner can do. He defended until he got bored with us, and then he just struck us down."
"I thought you are all mages," Kiba, Taeko's best man, said.
"Just like wix had different sized cores, mages' wells have different depths," Takeshi said. "Hydrus-dono has a deep well, and only the top layer of his well is protective. In its depths, he carries magic that can cause great destruction. He is controlled, though. He knows the dangers of releasing all of his power. I wouldn't be surprised if he is an emotion based caster who has learnt control. His partner is a finesse caster who is learning greater restraint. They are both evolving, and they are doing so through each other."
Taeko shook his head. He wasn't doing that again. The people Susan knew and were friends with were not some meek little wix who couldn't fight. He made his way to Susan and sat down next to her. "I'm not fighting Hydrus-dono again. His well is probably bigger than mine and Takeshi's wells combined."
Susan shook her head. "I told you he is stronger than you would think," she said.
"That much is certainly true," Taeko said. He shifted as Harry and Draco reappeared. "The dragon, what is it?" he asked. "On Draco."
"Body paint infused with magic," Harry said.
"It protected him," Taeko said.
"My magic is powerful enough to guard my lover should it need to," Harry said. "I weaved it to him, wanting him safe."
Taeko shook his head. "You can weave magic in paint?" he asked.
"Yes, have you not seen the butterfly?" Harry asked. He knew Susan had been angry with him, but he hoped she hadn't destroyed the painting.
"That is something you have done? It feels nothing like you," Taeko said.
"It is woven with neutral magic. I'm a warder, I can't just go leaving my magic in places. I know how to weave neutrally," Harry said as he sat down. "Speaking of which, have you let a healer look you over?"
"No, I feel fine," Taeko said.
"You have three broken ribs. You might want to get those looked at," Harry said. "I wove around them to protect you, but that does not heal you. Please go see a healer."
Susan shook her head and sighed. "Thank you, Harry," she said. "Did you need to return to the tailor?"
"I'll be taking him," Takeshi said. "If you are ready to go?"
"Sure," Harry said as he rose. He took Takeshi's hand and the two of them left. He walked in and bowed to the tailor.
Takeshi shook his head as he saw the marks on Harry's body. Oh, he was not going to think this man could not defend himself. Not a chance that he was falling into that trap. He had never been with someone who could infuse him, so he wasn't sure how to even take into account how it felt. His eyes widened as he saw the shield on Harry's shoulder and the marks surrounding that shield. He had been in contact with the shadowcrows. They had challenged a crow and they weren't dead. He would count himself lucky. It explained the drastic change in power, though. Crows weren't supposed to blare their power. Specially not their ability to kill at will. He swallowed. The man who would walk beside Susan and give her away carried the mark of the crows. He knew there were others who would recognise the wings. It would show to people that Susan came from power and shut anyone who was still against their union up for good.
Harry bowed to the tailor. His clothes now fit perfectly. Unlike a warrior, his left sleeve was removed rather than his right, since the shield rested on the left shoulder. It would set him apart from certain other people who wore their kimonos in a similar style. He returned to his family and sent Susan and her fiancé off. They had other things they needed to do before the wedding.
…
Teddy moved back and forth slowly. He was a bit nervous. He had a pillow with two rings on it that he was guarding with his life. He looked up at his father, who stood beside him. They were awaiting the bride. When Susan got there, her kimono was a deep red with intricate embroidery. Against the deep green worn by the two of them, she looked like a flower. Since this was a mixed wedding, they were using some traditions from each. Harry knew for a fact that Susan had another dress to wear for later after the ceremony.
In a way it was quite strange that he was the one walking with her, and there were people who would argue his presence at all considering their relationship, but he had been her second choice after Hannah who was a bit too close to her due date to want to travel across the world.
Music played and Susan placed her hand on Harry's arm. They walked together with Teddy trailing behind them. Harry stepped back as they reached the altar. He could tell that the officiant was speaking, but he didn't know enough Japanese to tell what he was saying. What was important was that Susan was happy, and he could tell that she was. She and Taeko walked inside after the ceremony so she could change.
Harry looked at her as they returned. He was standing with Takeshi awaiting them while Draco had both Teddy and Scorpius, with the former holding his camera tightly now that he wasn't a part of the ceremony any more. As Susan stepped out, wings spread from her back and grew behind her.
"The butterfly breaks free to find its future now rid of the darkness clinging to her wings. Feel no regret for your road has led you here. Feel no fear from the past. Beat your wings and greet your future, stronger, more at ease, but most importantly not alone," Harry said softly so only Takeshi and the couple could hear him.
Susan smiled at Harry. "Thank you," she said. She kissed Taeko and the wings exploded in a wave of sparkling colour.
Takeshi shook his head as he looked at Harry. When Harry had said he wanted to do this for Susan, he had felt like maybe it was a bit much, but he couldn't argue the beauty of the moment.
The couple led their guests to the dining area to get seated. The sun was setting on the horizon, and Teddy moved carefully as he took pictures of the couple and guests. The good thing about having such a young photographer is that he wasn't as visible and people didn't mind him moving around for a bit before the speeches.
Harry placed his hand on Teddy's shoulder as he sat down next to him. "Good work," he said.
"We'll see when we look at the pictures later," Teddy said.
Harry smiled at him. He knew the pictures would be good. Teddy just liked seeing proof, which wasn't bad. He knew there was a scrapbook in the making. Teddy had asked for flowers to press, among other little things he could add to the book. He had been careful with it, and the friendly people working on the wedding, had been quite happy to give him what he asked for.
The younger guests were heading to the after party after dinner, but there would be alcohol, so Draco and Harry didn't feel like joining in with their sons.
"Can we unload the pictures?" Teddy asked.
Harry laughed. He brought their computer out and set everything up. "You want to make this book before we leave?" he asked.
"Can we?" Teddy asked.
Harry sighed. "Fine," he said. He plugged the camera in and set everything up for Teddy. "You have an hour," he said. "Then it is time for bed."
Teddy nodded. "Okay," he said.
"Pick the pictures you want, and I'll talk with Takeshi-sama about where we can go to get them developed," Harry said. He walked over to Scorpius.
"Can you read to me, Harry?" Scorpius asked.
"Sure," Harry said. He sat down with Scorpius as Draco walked up next to Teddy. "Those look nice," he said as he sat down.
Teddy nodded. He didn't mind Draco's help, it was easier to talk to him than Harry when he was doing something like this. "This one or this one?" he asked as he showed two pictures.
Draco looked between them. "They looked the same, but the background. That is less messy. I'd say it is better," he said.
Teddy nodded. "Thank you," he said. He moved the picture and kept looking. He could hear Harry read, and it was nice to just be them together after all the people at the wedding. They hadn't understood much, but they had been there for Susan, and she was gorgeous in both her dresses. He reached the butterfly pictures and picked two. One with the wings and one as the wings were turning into a mist of glitter.
"That is amazing. They might want that one bigger," Draco said.
"We will show them to Dean, and he will paint something along these lines for them to match the other painting Susan already has," Teddy said. "It will look amazing."
"I'm sure it will," Draco said. He wondered if Dean would be okay with making a full family portrait of them eventually. He looked over at Harry. That was probably a future endeavour, though.
"I have the pictures now," Teddy said after forty minutes of work. "There are quite a few of them, but we need enough, or the book will be kind of boring."
"I'll paint some, and we can write a few things," Harry said.
"You have taken pictures from before the wedding too, right. Did you check those as well?" Draco asked.
Teddy looked at the computer. "No, but I can check that tomorrow," he said.
"Let's get you two ready for bed and I will continue reading Eragon for you," Harry said.
Draco brought the book to their bedroom and waited for them to join him. He wrapped his arms around Harry and smiled at their sons as Harry started reading to them. His eyes fell shut as he listened to him. He was glad they had come here, but it would be nice to get back home.
Harry turned around as he closed his book. He sighed softly as he moved and floated the book over to a shelf.
"Dad fell asleep," Scorpius said.
"That's okay. I'll just carry him," Harry said.
Harry picked Draco up and walked over to their bedroom with him. He placed him down on the bed and kissed his forehead before returning to the boys so he could tuck them in. He turned the lights off and said goodnight. He turned lights off as he headed back to his and Draco's bedroom.
Once he had got ready for bed, he undressed Draco so he wouldn't sleep in his wedding attire. Gray eyes opened slowly. "Hi…" Draco moved up slowly. "I fell asleep?"
"You did. It is fine, love," Harry said as he wrapped his arms around Draco. "Our boys are sleeping. Don't worry about it."
Draco smiled at him. "Good," he said. He cuddled closer to Harry and closed his eyes again. He was too tired to do anything else. Harry wrapped his arms around him and he relaxed into the embrace happily.
…
Teddy hummed as he finished the scrapbook. They needed to get going in a few hours, so he was glad that he had finally finished. He looked through it one last time and smiled at the little paintings his father had added, as well as some of the spell work Draco had done.
Harry caught him and teleported them over. He smiled as Teddy handed the book to Susan, and she looked through it with him. "I love it, thank you so much, Teddy," she said. She hugged him tightly.
Harry reached out for his son. "There now we better go help Draco before he starts stressing," he said. "Let us know if you are ever travelling to Britain, we or the Longbottoms won't mind housing you," he said.
"Remember to give Hannah my gift," Susan said.
Harry smiled at her. "I will," he said. "Sayonara."