Chapter Text
When Draco looked back on his life, he often wondered how it could possibly have ended up like this. He never would have dreamt he could come to look upon a red-headed half Weasley with as much pride as he did his own son, but when James stepped up to the podium and shook the Minister's hand, there was no doubt in his mind that he did.
"Thank you, Minister," James began, his face the portrait of strength and confidence. All signs of the insecure boy Draco had met that first day in his office were erased forever.
"It's my greatest pleasure to have been asked to speak this evening. I still can't quite understand why, of all the brilliant wizards in this room, you would choose me for the coveted title of Wizard of the Year, but I feel deeply honoured."
Draco listened with only half an ear to James' speech about his career and his hopes for the wizarding world. He'd heard it a dozen times by now, as James had been rehearsing it for anyone who would listen over the last two weeks. Draco took the opportunity to look round the large hall filled with the best and brightest witches and wizards in Europe. He turned to his right to see Harry beaming like the proud father that he was. The years had been good to him. Even the slight greying at his temples looked good on him; it made him look regal and wise instead of old.
The young woman who sat next to him looked as much like Harry now as she did her mother. Her long, flowing red hair was all Weasley, as much as Harry liked to think it came from his mother. The eyes though, even though they were the deep brown of her mother's, were constantly twinkling with laughter, just like Harry's. Her expressions, and her eternal youthfulness and optimism, were all Harry. It had been fun watching her grow up. Watching her change from the skinny tomboy she was at twelve to the graceful, beautiful woman she was now.
Draco felt a quick jab to his ribs and turned to his left to see both his own son and Albus grinning like two-year-olds, their prospective spouses rolling their eyes at their childishness. "You haven't heard this part of the speech, Dad. He wanted it to be a surprise," Scorpius whispered, his smile widening.
Draco still found it hard to believe his son had grown into a man, although he sometimes wondered if it was simply his body that had matured, as his personality seemed to have digressed over the years. He was quite sure he had Harry's sons to thank for that. They had become quite the trio over the years. It hadn't really surprised Draco when Scorpius had announced that he would be apprenticing with Professor Winklestick after completing Hogwarts. He'd always enjoyed telling people what to do, so teaching came as naturally to him as breathing. However, when Albus made a similar announcement that he would be apprenticing to take over Charms, Draco and Harry both feared for future generations of Hogwarts students. It turned out that it was the rest of the staff for whom they should have feared, as both men seemed to behave more like their students than their peers. Their current sniggering over Merlin only knew what was evidence enough of that.
"Shh," Lily hissed from next to Harry. "We're supposed to be listening!"
Harry chuckled as he casually draped an arm around the back of Draco's chair, resting a hand softly on his shoulder. Draco felt a grin slide across his face, and he glanced across the large, round table to where his mother was sniffling most un-aristocratically. It had surprised Draco when he'd found out James had sent her a personal invitation, but what had surprised him even more was her jubilant reply. When Draco had questioned her about it she'd simply shrugged and offered an explanation that made Draco love her more than he ever thought he could. "He's family, Draco. What did you expect?"
Draco looked up at the podium just in time to see James' cheerful, open expression become suddenly grave.
"Over the last week I've been overwhelmed with reporters asking me questions that I'd not thought about in a very long time. I've had to give a lot of thought to how I could possibly have come to earn so great an honour, and many of the answers were exactly what one would expect." James looked out at the table where his mother and most of the Weasley crowd sat, looking as proud as a family could be. "My mother, grandparents, aunts, and uncles have all been a constant source of support and inspiration. We haven't always seen eye to eye, but they've always been there for me. Much of the credit for any successes I've had belongs to them."
He glanced in Harry's direction, giving a slight nod of respect to his father. "No doubt you all know my dad." There were a few chuckles throughout the room, and James grinned mischievously. "Having such a legendary man for a father hasn't always been easy, but I can't think of a better man in whose footsteps to follow."
The next words were enough to make even Albus and Scorpius blush. "I have to admit, some of the credit must go to my siblings as well. To my sister, who has always been a bright light regardless of how dark or stormy the day was, and to my brothers, yes, that would be plural, who've always set the competitive bar as high as it could possibly get."
James paused to take a drink of water; he suddenly seemed younger and surprisingly nervous.
"However, there is someone else that I would like to thank publicly. A man who had very few reasons to help me at the beginning of my journey, but who was there for me at a pivotal time in my life, when it seemed I needed him the most. As my childhood tutor, he taught me how to brew a perfect potion, but he also taught me so much more. He taught me about life and the importance of understanding the things around you, about trusting your instincts and believing in yourself, about overcoming challenges and never giving up on your dreams. I never would have made it into the Auror program without his help, and I certainly wouldn't be standing before you all today accepting such a prestigious award."
James paused, looking round the room to meet the eyes of almost every person in the hall. "Over the years he's continued to teach me many things, but he's become more than a tutor or even a friend; he's become family." James looked out into the audience and directly into Draco's eyes. "Thank you, Draco. For everything."
There were murmurs and whispers all around him, then clapping as James left the podium, but Draco didn't really hear any of it. All he heard was Harry's voice as he leant over and whispered, "He's right, you know."
"He does know that I'm not above using Crucio doesn't he?"
Harry laughed. "Draco, he's the most talented Auror in a hundred years. I doubt you'd get the chance."
Draco was just about to make a clever rebuttal when Harry placed a hand on his jaw and tilted his face for a gentle kiss. No, Draco never would have dreamt in a thousand years that his life would have turned out quite like this. But for once, he wasn't complaining.
~fin~