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Chapter Text

Chapter 1

In Harry Potter's opinion, the years after the war found Draco Malfoy acting rather...odd.

From the pompous prat of first year to the withdrawn, sickly young man Harry had stalked during sixth year to the quietly confident man standing before the Wizengamot today, Draco Malfoy had certainly changed.

He stood tall and straight, easily a couple of inches taller than Harry's own not-quite-six-foot frame. His hair looked a little shorter than it had in school. At least it seemed that way in its artful untidiness. But that was the only part of him that appeared to be out of place. His black business robes and matching dress shirt were immaculate.

"Probably had the house elves do it," Harry snarkily muttered under his breath. "No way the new Lord Malfoy would deign to touch something as common as an iron."

It was his turn to stand before the Wizengamot next, and he may have been a little more nervous than he was willing to admit to himself. He felt a little better after making fun of Malfoy, though, even if no one else was around to hear it.

A flash of colour in the corner of his eye drew his attention, and he turned to look in Teddy's direction. The toddler was sitting at his own table, not far from where Harry was seated. An escort from the Department of Wizarding Children's Services sat behind the boy, making sure he stayed out of trouble for the duration of the hearing.

Though Teddy was being quiet, Harry could tell his mind was racing a mile a minute. His hair was normally turquoise, but it was flashing from the black of Harry's own unruly mop to the white-blond of Draco's then through the rainbow of colours that showed his mixed emotions - fear, excitement, sadness, boredom, and much more - before repeating the cycle yet again. Occasionally the toddler's hair would take on the shape and colour of whoever was speaking within the ranks of the Wizengamot before returning to its ever-changing whirlwind of colours.

Harry grimaced, suddenly remembering to feel concerned for the boy and all the stress he had been under the past few months. Andromeda's health had taken a turn for the worse during the previous winter, and she had only lasted a couple months before she passed on to join her husband and daughter. Teddy had been passed back and forth between the Malfoys, Teddy's only close living relatives, and Harry, his godfather. Both parties had known that the setup was only temporary since DWCS had come to inform them of the upcoming custody hearing that would determine who was to be granted permanent physical custody.

"Mr Potter!" The call of his name startled Harry from his thoughts, and he turned back towards Kingsley and the Wizengamot. "We're ready for you!"

Malfoy smirked as he came to sit next to the seat that Harry had just vacated. Swallowing his nerves, he climbed the steps to the appointed seat and readied himself for the line of inquiry that would determine whether Teddy would be placed in his custody or Malfoy's.

The thought of sending the little boy home to Malfoy Manor turned Harry's stomach, and he vowed, Over my dead body.

He kept an eye on his godson as he answered the litany of questions. "Yes, Teddy already has a bedroom of his own"..."No, there are no other family members or friends currently living with me"..."Yes, I am fully aware of Teddy's Metamorphmagus capabilities and how to help him manage them in the company of Muggles"..."Yes, I have gone through the DWCS home study and passed all required background checks."

And finally, "Yes, I hope to maintain full legal custody of my godson. I love him. He's the closest thing to family that I have, and I would do anything for him." Harry smiled at Teddy as he was thanked by the Chief Warlock and released from the witness chair.

The courtroom buzzed with the murmuring voices of the Wizengamot as they came to their decision. It only took them a few minutes to decide Teddy's fate, but the seconds slid by slower than Harry could bear.

Finally, Kingsley retook his seat and motioned for the two men, so opposite in so many ways - black hair, emerald eyes, and broad strength versus fair hair, silver eyes, and slender height - to stand and hear the Wizengamot's decision.

"It has hereby been decided that full legal custody of Edward Remus Lupin has been given to Draco Lucius Malfoy," Harry's heart fell, "and Harry James Potter. He shall reside at Mr Potter's residence, one of the homes of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black since that is the home he is most familiar with out of the two available. Mr Potter and Lord Malfoy," Harry choked back a scoff, "will both reside at Mr Potter's residence with their young charge. Any alterations to this decree will go through the Department of Wizarding Children's Services and, if necessary, this court. Court adjourned."

And with a final smack of his gavel, Kingsley dismissed the matter. Harry couldn't believe the turn of events and was frankly shocked by how little Kingsley seemed bothered by the ruling. Yes, Draco had helped the Order in the end and avoided the lifetime in Azkaban his father was currently serving, but Harry didn't wish to live with the git!

He mulled the matter over for a bit before finally deciding to give it a shot for Teddy's sake. The boy deserved to have the people who cared about him close by. Harry would have wanted all his favourite people around him if he'd had the opportunity to be raised by people who might not have been his parents but still loved him. He couldn't begrudge Teddy that opportunity.

Harry turned to the silent man beside him.. "Sounds like we're going to be housemates, for the time being, Malfoy."

Silver eyes stared down at him, and he felt off-kilter when he saw the intensity of Malfoy's gaze. Snape would have been proud of the sneer Malfoy offered as he said, "Indeed."

Harry expected more, perhaps a taunt about Harry's blood status, blood traitor and mudblood friends, the shabby shape of his dress robes - something. Instead, Malfoy simply stretched out his hand for Harry to shake.

Hoping that accepting this peace offering was in Teddy's best interest, Harry took Malfoy's hand and shook it. He was surprised by the softness of Malfoy's skin and the strength of his long, slender fingers, but he didn't dwell on it. Pulling his wand from his pocket, he conjured a scrap of parchment, an inkwell, and a quill. Traipsing over to the table where Teddy sat, Harry bent to write on the parchment. Draco followed him, patting Teddy on the shoulder as he waited to see what Harry was up to.

Finally, Harry handed Draco the parchment with the address for his home. "I will have to apparate you there, but it's been under the Fidelius Charm for ages. You can't get in unless the secret keeper has told you where it is." He smiled, feeling a bit proud of the old, shabby home that Sirius had bequeathed to him and the layers of magic that protected it.

Draco simply nodded and read the address. Harry scooped Teddy up from his chair. He held the boy as they silently made their way to the lifts and out into the atrium. When they reached the apparition point, he crooked his elbow for the other man to take. "Ready when you are."

Harry tried not to cringe when Draco took his arm, feeling just a little too close to his childhood nemesis for comfort, and took them all home.

XxxX

Hermione Granger hated being alone. She lasted about an hour before she started flicking her wand in all directions, shrinking every little thing in her apartment to a size that would fit in her old beaded bag. I knew I held onto it for a reason, she thought. Plates, bowls, and wine glasses gently separated before wrapping themselves in spare towels and linens, soaring through the air as odd-shaped packages that gently came to rest in a transfigured wooden chest with all the other breakables, ready to be shrunk down and added to the seemingly infinite depths of the little bag. Clothing flew into her old Hogwarts trunk. Toiletries and other small items floated into the bag with a sense of graceful chaos.

Turning in a circle, Hermione realised that she was already finished packing. Well, except for the fridge. She figured she'd leave whatever was left in there for Ron to deal with since he seemed to love food more than talking to her these days.

Suddenly feeling as empty as their little flat looked, she plopped down in the middle of the front room and pulled her knees towards her to rest her forehead on them. Crookshanks crept up to rub against her back, offering comfort the only way he knew how. Hermione picked him up and cuddled him close, finally letting the tears fall.

They'd had their differences, but she'd never expected things with Ron to end like this. He'd cheated. Cheated. And then he'd had the gall to leave her over the ensuing row. Somehow he'd managed to turn his own infidelities and issues back on her, claiming that he wouldn't have strayed if she'd spent less time at school and work, cooked more, and been more fun in bed.

She snorted through the tears, thinking of just how boring Ron himself was in that department. Not that she'd ever told him. She'd thought that part of loving a person was being okay with their faults and shortcomings. It hadn't mattered all that much to her. Ron had made her laugh, helped her not feel so alone when she hadn't been able to give her parents' memories back, and respected her drive and desire to do more than just be a little housewife. Or, at least, that's what she'd thought. She wasn't really sure about anything anymore.

She let herself cry quietly for a good long while before she stood up, grabbed her little bag with every item she possessed inside, and turned to leave.

As she put her hand on the doorknob, the glint of her engagement ring caught her eye. Letting out a shaky breath, she slid the ring off her finger and retreated back into the kitchen. She transfigured an extra hair tie into a piece of string and tied it around the ring before sticking it under a magnet, hanging as a sad excuse for a last goodbye. She scooped up her beloved pet and left without a backward glance.

XxxX

When Harry took Draco and Teddy side-along to Grimmauld Place, they landed in a heap. Confused as to what went wrong, Harry glanced around, looking for a reason for the way he now sat in a tangle of arms, legs, claws, and a bushy mane of… Ah. Hermione.

They slowly disentangled themselves, Crookshanks the first to break free and make his escape, and Harry was relieved to see that no one seemed to have been splinched in the midst of their awkward arrival. He'd never tried to Apparate to the same place as another person at the same time before. He was about to greet Hermione, but she spoke first.

Yelled might be a more accurate description

"MALFOY?! What the bloody hell are you doing here with Malfoy, Harry?"

"Bloody hell!" Teddy mimicked.

"Language!" Hermione scolded on reflex before she whipped around to see the toddler standing behind her. "Teddy! I didn't realise you were here." Momentarily distracted from her Malfoy-related rampage, she gave the little boy a hug. "Your hearing was today, right? How did it go?" She glanced from him to Harry, eyebrows raised in question.

Harry rubbed at the back of his neck, unsure of how to answer the question. "We didn't get quite the result we expected -"

"I get to live here now with Uncle Harry!" Teddy interrupted. "That big man with the funny skin and the cool earring said so!"

"Kingsley," Harry mouthed when Hermione turned to him with confusion written across her features.

She nodded and turned back to talk to Teddy. "Well, that's brilliant! Though it still doesn't explain -"

Teddy interrupted her this time. "Uncle Draco gets to live here now, too!"

The man in question was standing as far as he could from the other three without tumbling off the front step to land outside the reach of the Muggle-repelling charm and other wards. His pristine clothing somehow hadn't been rumpled when he fell, and he stood with his hands locked behind his back, head cocked to the side as he watched the spectacle in front of him unfold. Finally, he broke his pose and inclined his head. "Granger," he muttered.

Feeling full of emotions and empty of words, Hermione simply returned the gesture and said, "Malfoy."

Seeing the animosity brewing in Hermione's gaze, Harry decided to nip the impending catastrophe in the bud. "Who's hungry? It's been quite a day. What should we have for dinner?" he asked, turning to Teddy when the other adults crammed onto the narrow front step looked at him as if he'd grown a third eye.

"Pancakes!" the little boy exclaimed. It was what he always picked when he stayed at Harry's, whether it was for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The boy could put away chocolate chip pancakes like nobody's business. His hair turned brilliant turquoise with the prospect of his favourite food on the horizon, and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Pancakes it is," he agreed, ushering all three of them through the door and heading towards the kitchen.

It only took a few minutes to whip up his usual pancake recipe, and he lifted Teddy up onto the counter to help sprinkle the chocolate chips onto the pancakes as they cooked.

Feeling like the only one who seemed to realise how long and awkward the silence was becoming, aside from Teddy's excited chatter about moving in permanently and how much he loved pancakes, Harry decided to try to get his best friend and new housemate speaking again.

A growling sound came from Hermione's stomach, and he took that as fate's way of giving him the perfect conversation starter. "Did you forget to eat again, 'Mione?" He slid a plate of food in front of her, looking over her head to explain to Draco, "She forgets to eat when she's too wrapped up with work."

Draco scoffed. "Well, isn't that adorable. Congratulations, Granger. You've moved up in the world. You are now Potter's pet Mudblood."

The tip of Hermione's wand was pressed against his stomach before he even realised what was happening. "What the bloody -" he began.

Hermione cut him off. "If you value your ability to have children, Malfoy…" her wand dragged slowly down until it rested on his important bits… "you'd best learn to behave. I have a rather hefty arsenal of defensive spells under my belt after my little love affair with wizarding university, and I would be all too happy to use them. Wouldn't want to remove your ability to carry on the high and mighty Malfoy line, now, would we?"

Draco swallowed. He honestly couldn't decide if he was scared shitless or turned on, and that terrified him even more. Deep breaths, Draco, he thought. Don't do anything to embarrass yourself or further infuriate Medusa over there.

Coming to his senses, he carefully said, "My apologies. That joke was in bad taste." His tactics must have been working because her wand was slowly lowering back to her side. "You are as much a guest here as I am and should be treated as such." He bowed gracefully, surprising even himself as he caught her hand and kissed the back of it. What the bloody hell was that about?

Feeling a bit defensive after his show of stupidity...and misplaced affection...he cleared his throat and went back to business. "Potter! Would you mind showing me to the room I'll be staying in while we figure out the custody arrangement?"

Harry shook his head a bit and ran a hand through his hair, dispelling the odd daze that had overtaken him as he watched Draco acting so strangely. "Kreacher!" he called.

The elf appeared a moment later and wasted no time in bowing low to the scion of the House of Malfoy. "Kreacher lives to serve young Master Malfoy."

Draco smirked at the elf's words, realising that Kreacher was dismissing Harry as his favourite master by ignoring the Black heir's presence in favour of Draco's. Potter is probably oblivious to the ways of house elves and their masters, just like he is about everything else, Malfoy mused. Aloud, he said, "Excellent. I would like to see my quarters." Hermione gave him an elbow to the ribs, and he uttered, "Please."

Hermione nodded, looking smugly pleased with herself. Draco decided to ignore her and instead followed the elf up the stairs to his new accommodations.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

After Draco headed up the staircase, Harry turned to Hermione.

"What happened?" he asked, brow creased with concern.

She averted her eyes, not yet ready to deal with the worry and affection in his gaze. After a pause, she admitted, "We have split up."

Harry's breath left him in a rush as if he'd had the wind knocked out of him. He had no idea of the appropriate thing to say in this situation, so he checked to make sure Teddy was distracted by his mountain of pancakes at the other end of the table and said, "Do I need to punch Ron?"

She snorted a watery laugh, trying to ignore the tears already stinging her eyes. "That might be a good place to start. He's been a right git lately."

His concerned look turned dark, and he rested both his hands on his thighs as he took a few deep breaths and attempted to calm down. He and Ron hadn't been on the best of terms after the first time Ron had strayed, but the redhead had justified his actions by saying he was so drunk that he hadn't realised who he had snogged at the bar that night months earlier. Hermione had always been quick to forgive Ron's shortcomings - and Harry's, for that matter - and she had laughed off the encounter, saying that she would have to cut him off sooner in the future.

Harry had seen the whole ordeal as a major red flag, and he'd told Hermione as much, but she hadn't been ready to hear it. Apparently, Ron's mistakes had reached a whole new level of stupidity if he had done something horrible enough that his fiancee had left him.

When Harry's breathing returned to normal he asked, "What did he do, 'Mione?"

Sighing, she said, "What he always does. Something stupid. Yet he somehow always manages to turn the blame back on me. I wasn't having it this time, though. By the end of things, he was yelling and red in the face. It was the biggest row we've ever had - which is saying a lot considering how we have always had problems with arguing. Long story short, he cheated - for absolute real this time - and I called him out on it. He wouldn't accept even a speck of the guilt, saying that it was my fault he'd needed to go looking for attention elsewhere due to how busy I've been."

Her voice was rising as she shared the story, and she finally exploded. "After claiming that I've been neglecting him, he literally said, 'If you'd put out more or make things a little more exciting in that department I might not be shagging other birds.'" She finished the story with a frustrated yell and plopped her face down into her hands before she continued, "Yet I was still the one trying to get him to change. He ended up calling me crazy and leaving. I imagine he thinks I will still be at our flat to welcome him back when he cools off, but that won't be happening."

She took a shaky breath before lowering her hands from her face so she could look over at Harry. Teddy's worried little face was also turned towards her, and she felt bad when she saw his hair change to the light, faded blue of sadness and concern. "Uncle Ron was mean to you?" he asked, puffing up his little chest as if he would do something about it if she confirmed his suspicions.

Hermione sighed. "Uncle Ron made some bad choices, Teddy. I think he's still a good person, but he hasn't been very nice to me lately. We probably won't be seeing him for a while."

The little boy stood up and came over to give her a tight hug. "People should always be nice to you, Mia!" She smiled at the nickname only he had ever used for her. "You're the smartest, bravest, bestest witch ever! Gran said so!"

The adults in the room exchanged a glance, concerned that the mention of Andromeda might make Teddy even more upset, but he seemed content to cling to Hermione and offer her kind words and encouragement.

Hermione smiled at Teddy, running her fingers through his wild, colourful hair. As she played with it, Teddy grinned back and scrunched up his face before his whole head was suddenly covered in curls that looked just like a shorter version of Hermione's own.

They all laughed, and Hermione scooped the toddler up onto her lap for an even bigger hug before she summoned his plate with a flick of her wand. She took comfort from the sweet presence of her little, adopted nephew, and she happily dug into her first meal of the day while he sat perched on her lap.

Harry smiled at the sight of his two favourite people helping and loving each other amidst their grief. He knew Hermione's sadness wasn't going to go away after a small venting session and a few toddler cuddles, but he also knew that those things would help. He cared more about Hermione than he let himself admit, and he would do everything in his power to help her get back to the happy, confident Hermione he'd fallen in love with years before.

Finally pulling himself from his thoughts, Harry suggested, "Why don't you move in with us?"

Hermione tipped her head in consideration. "Wouldn't that be a bit much now that you have Teddy and Malfoy here?"

Shaking his head, Harry replied, "Not at all. If it makes you happier, we can trade room and board for help with parenting duties. You wouldn't want me to mess up my godson, would you?" He winked, and she laughed at his hinting request for help.

"We wouldn't want that, now, would we?" she asked with a small smile.

"So you'll stay?" Harry asked. "Your old room is still just the same way you left it."

"Only because you're using this little guy as a bargaining tool," she teased, tickling Teddy's sides.

Harry grinned. "Brilliant."

XxxX

Upstairs, Draco turned on the spot, surveying his new living space with a look of distaste that didn't escape Kreacher's notice.

"Master Malfoy is not pleased with his rooms in the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black? Kreacher will fix it. What can Kreacher do to please young Master Malfoy?"

Draco started to feel a twinge of guilt as he watched the old elf spiral into misery. Unsure of the best way to fix the state of his rooms without offending Kreacher, and thus Granger and Potter, further, he finally called, "Penny!"

A tiny elf with wide brown eyes and a tea towel dress embroidered with the silver "M" of Malfoy Manor popped into the room. "Master Malfoy asked for Penny?"

The young house elf had been hired after the war. The elves who had stayed at the Manor through the Dark Lord's time there became so terrified of the Malfoys and their cohorts that they had cowered in their little cupboards until Draco had finally taken pity on them and given them clothes before he owled the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures and asked for some new house elves who were looking for work to be sent to the Manor. It still felt a bit ridiculous to pay creatures for work they had done for free for hundreds of years, but Draco figured that paying a pittance to their house elves in order to keep them happy was a small price to pay for a good meal, an immaculate home, and freshly pressed clothes hanging in his closet every morning.

"Penny, would you mind moving over some of my things from the Manor? Please also bring some spare bedding, my pillow, and the books and paperwork from my study. I'll be moving in here, at least for the time being, and I need to get settled in." Draco gestured to the room around him, hoping the elf would take his hint that his surroundings were unacceptable and that the situation needed to be fixed immediately. "Kreacher is the Black family elf, Penny. You can work together to help prepare my rooms."

"Penny be helping young Master right away, sir!" She wasted no time at all before reaching over to grab Kreacher's hand, taking both of them back to the Manor with a crack.

Realising that he couldn't do much more, for the time being, Draco wearily sat in one of the ancient, black velvet armchairs - Surprisingly comfortable, he thought - and sighed. "I'm moving in with bloody Harry Potter," he said under his breath. "How in the seven hells did that happen?"

It was only lunch time, but the day had already exhausted him. Between the stress of the custody hearing itself and the odd behaviour of both the Boy Who Lived and his Muggle-born sidekick, the day had been too much. He regretted calling Granger a Mudblood, though. Honestly, he hadn't said that word since before the war, but his old habits kicked in along with the fight-or-flight instincts brought on by being in the presence of old enemies. He looked longingly over at the bed and wondered how long it would be before Penny and Kreacher had it fixed up and ready for him. "Probably should have asked them to do that first," he muttered.

Since he knew he wouldn't be able to bring himself to sleep in a foreign bed - at least not without the familiarity of his pillow and Acromantula silk sheets - he decided to go back downstairs and see if he could help Teddy settle in.

The stairs creaked with age, and he found himself wondering how Potter had allowed the home to remain in this state when he had all the contents of the Black and Potter family vaults at his disposal. Things would need to change and be repaired and updated now that a child would be living in the house, that much was certain.

As he entered the kitchen, Granger turned to give a red-eyed and slightly apologetic look. "Sorry for snapping at you earlier. It's been a rotten day."

He nodded once, shocked to hear them coming from the witch. "Apology accepted." In the past, he would have attempted to rub salt in whatever wound was hurting her, but he just didn't have it in him. Especially with her earlier threat to castrate him hanging between them.

She looked relieved and even went on to tease him. "So, how is life as the new Lord Malfoy?"

Draco snorted. "Essentially much the same as always. I wake up, get ready, spend an entire day at work earning more money than I could possibly ever need, and go home. Bit of a drag, really."

Harry and Hermione sported twin looks of shock when Draco dared to tease Hermione back. She asked, "Have you been able to take your seat on the Wizengamot yet?"

Surprised by her frank interest, especially in light of her hostility toward him before lunch, he explained, "Not yet. They asked that I wait to take my seat until after Teddy's case had been decided so that I would not have any unjust influence on the outcome."

Hermione nodded, aware of many of the other strict protocols followed in the wizarding courtroom. She wasn't surprised that Malfoy had been forced to wait to claim his rightful seat until all active cases concerning him had been closed. She decided to continue the conversation further. "I was surprised when they let you take the family seat and title with your father still alive."

Draco stiffened at the mention of his father. "Father will be spending the rest of his days behind bars. It is unfortunate that he did not see fit to switch sides when Mother and I did, but that cannot be helped now. We haven't been close since he offered me up to the Dark Lord as repayment for Father's mistakes in our fifth year. I was frankly shocked when he owled to let me know I had the option to take over the family holdings and such if I so desired. As it turns out, I do."

Hermione smiled politely at his answer but was inwardly surprised by how much he had just revealed about himself and his family. Is this the same snarky bastard we grew up with, or is it some Polyjuiced imposter? Deciding that no one else could possibly sit in a kitchen chair and make it look like he was seated on a throne as successfully as Draco was currently doing, Hermione knew it must be him.

It was odd to see him after a few years of little to no news about the once-prestigious Malfoys. She imagined he had worked hard to stay out of the papers since she knew firsthand just how difficult it was to remain out of the press when a certain witch wanted to get her hands on a story. The Malfoys were still ridiculously wealthy, and it was common knowledge that Narcissa and Draco had turned and helped the Order in the midst of the final battle, and they had been pardoned of all previous crimes. Lucius, however, had stuck by his actions and values, even after the death of his almost-immortal master. The dark magic and ever-present belief that Muggles and Muggle-borns were lesser beings had tainted the Malfoy patriarchs' soul and mind. While he still loved Draco, he hadn't been the same person after Voldemort's return.

Hermione wasn't really sure where to take the conversation next, so she just said, "Make sure you use the power wisely."

Draco nodded, "I plan to. Now, Granger, what has Weaselbee done that has you running over here to seek comfort from Potter?"

Hermione stiffened, and Draco felt a little bit bad for pushing her buttons. Only a little bit, though. "We've split up. Harry kindly offered to let me stay here for a little while."

The blond's silver eyes flashed to Harry's green ones for a moment, and Draco almost asked a rude question. After the urge passed, he said, "Congratulations. Now you can start looking for a real man."

Exploding into laughter, Hermione choked out, "That may just be the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Malfoy."

Smirking, and feeling confused about how much he'd already shared with the two Gryffindors, Draco retorted, "Don't get used to it."

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

As the adults finished their conversation, they turned to find Teddy half asleep over his last few bites of lunch. His mouth was surrounded by little smudges of chocolate, and he had a fleck of whipped cream on the tip of his nose. Harry and Hermione shared a warm smile at the sight of the drowsy toddler, and Harry moved to pick him up. Teddy laid his head on his godfather's shoulder, and Draco tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy the action caused.

Harry had picked the boy up and toted him around twice now, in as many hours, and Draco's instincts, grown from seven long years of antagonism at school, screamed that Potter was trying to show him up. Draco turned to see Granger's reaction, and the look of unveiled adoration she was sending Potter's (and Teddy's) way somehow made Draco feel even worse. What was wrong with him? He didn't care about the bloody Golden Trio and their stupid Gryffindor feelings.

Deciding that helping put Teddy down for his nap would help him feel better quicker than sitting alone in the kitchen would, he followed the Gryffindors and their sleepy cargo up the stairs.

Despite the frequent back-and-forth Teddy had endured between Malfoy Manor and Grimmauld Place over the past few months, Draco had never seen Teddy's bedroom at Potter's home. His mother had helped him rejuvenate the old nursery suite at the Manor when they had taken partial custody of Teddy. It was beautiful - they had spared no expense - but Draco suddenly realised why Teddy was sure to feel more at home here in Potter's house.

The room was quintessentially Teddy. The walls were a happy yellow colour, filled with framed photographs of his deceased parents and grandparents, along with photos of The Golden Trio and Teddy's other friends and loved ones. A toy broom stood in the corner, more than a few twigs bent out of place from frequent use - and crashing.

Draco instantly determined to have Teddy's new broom at the Manor brought over as soon as possible.

It was the least he could do, really. It had nothing to do with trying to feel like he had something to offer in this house where he was so very clearly not needed.

Continuing his analysis of the bedroom, he noticed the bedspread, with an assortment of magical creatures - hypogriffs, merpeople, and (he noted with a rather large twinge of satisfaction) various dragons - and the scruffy blanket thrown haphazardly on top of it. The blanket was Teddy's best friend at bedtime, and it went everywhere with him. When Draco had first seen the ratty thing, he had offered to buy Teddy a new one - actually, he'd offered to buy several new ones, so that Teddy could leave one at each of his temporary homes - but that offer had been met with tears and a very distraught little boy begging for Draco not to get rid of his favorite blankie.

The whole ordeal had nearly brought Narcissa to tears, she'd laughed so hard. Draco had been a bit offended until she'd explained that he had been similarly attached to a little dragon stuffed animal as a boy. She and his father had offered to replace the toy after a particularly rough playing session had torn one of the beast's wings off, but young Draco wouldn't hear of it. Luckily, a house elf had been able to stitch the wing back on, and the dragon lived to play another day.

Draco smiled at the memory and let his gaze wander away from the bed toward the large, low bookcase that ran along the wall near the window. It was filled with children's books, and Draco couldn't help wondering if those had been gifts from Potter or Granger. His bet was on Granger.

Teddy was already half asleep, but he was still conscious enough to beg for a bedtime story. Hermione laughed and pulled a book from one of the shelves, obviously happy to oblige the little boy's penchant for books. Harry tucked the toddler in, making sure the cherished blankie was in his grasp. Teddy smiled sleepily and snuggled into his pillows, ready to enjoy his story.

Draco stood in the doorway of the bedroom, watching the blissfully domestic scene play out. He felt like an outsider. He and his mother usually handled Teddy's bedtime routine together at the Manor, so he felt very out of place with the Gryffindors already seeing to all the necessary tasks.

Realising, yet again, how unneeded he was, he left the room and decided to get to know his new home a little better. After poking his head into various bedrooms, bathrooms, sitting rooms, storage closets, and more (this house was much bigger on the inside than it appeared, he mused), he finally stumbled onto the library. A sigh of relief escaped him, and he turned to the nearest bookshelf to run his fingers along the spines of the dusty tomes.

"Granger must not have visited recently. There is no way in the seven hells that she'd let books get this dirty," he muttered to himself.

Or, at least, he thought it was to himself.

"No, Hermione visits all the time. She just doesn't dare touch those particular shelves. For good reason."

Draco jerked around, startled by Potter's rather loud explanation. He was standing in the doorway, wearing a fresh outfit of worn jeans and a charcoal grey t-shirt, cleaning his glasses with the hem of his shirt. He glanced up briefly before putting them back on, and Draco was startled by the intensity of the bottle-green eyes as they met his own without the barrier of thick glass between them for the first time.

With his spectacles back in place, Harry strode over and placed one hand in his pocket before pointing to the books in question with the other, naming off titles as he went. "The Mudblood Dilemma, Stolen Magic, Purebloods and Prophecies, The Art of Ancestry…" he trailed off, hoping the books made his point for him.

Feeling chagrined, Draco sighed. It seemed an apology was in order. He grit his teeth and managed to say, "Sorry."

Potter, seeming to feel torn between his desire to set aside old issues and have it out with Malfoy, eyed the taller man with a slight frown furrowing his brow. "You know that there is more to life than seeing the worst in everyone, right, Malfoy?"

Draco wasn't sure whether he should answer seriously or respond with a joke. He decided on the latter, laced with a dash of truth. "Well, we can't all be the perfect Golden Trio. Someone has to keep your heads from getting too big and exploding," he said, eyes on his shoes.

A snort came from Potter's direction. "Can't have that, can we?" he mumbled under his breath.

Granger picked that opportune moment to join them. She eyed them with trepidation, and Draco wondered exactly how much of their conversation she'd overheard and how she would react to their teasing.

A feeling of foreboding overtook him as she announced, "There are some things I think we need to discuss if we're all going to be living together. Let's have a seat." She steered Potter over to the fluffy couches gathered in front of the library fireplace and sent a look over her shoulder at Draco that showed that she insisted he follow.

He did, reluctantly.

Granger seemed to be gathering her thoughts for a brief moment before she started in on them.

She cleared her throat. "If we're all going to be living here together with Teddy, we're going to have to learn to get along. I think we should set up some ground rules."

Draco barely managed to keep his snide thoughts to himself. No one is forcing you to stay, Granger.

Outwardly, he nodded politely.

She started listing potential rules. "No fighting in front of Teddy. If we need to hash something out, we'll do it behind closed doors and use a silencing charm."

Draco choked on a snort at the possible implication of that particular rule, but he pretended it was a cough and nodded his head. Harry followed suit.

Harry threw out an idea next. "When we have to deal with the press, we do it together."

Draco wholeheartedly agreed with that. "Presenting a united front for the press and friends and family is a good idea," he said, running a hand through his hair to hide how uncomfortable agreeing with the Gryffindors still made him feel.

He glanced up and noticed both of them were looking at him expectantly. Apparently, it was his turn to invent a rule for their hodge-podge little family. Suddenly he remembered Granger's slip of the tongue when they'd all apparated on top of each other. "No swearing," he announced with a smirk.

Apparently remembering her mistake from earlier in the day, she blushed and nodded her head a bit jerkily. "Good idea," she agreed.

Feeling like he'd had enough of this particular team-building exercise, Draco stood and stretched his lean frame. He caught Potter and Granger watching him from the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but be pleased that they seemed to like what they were seeing.

"No name calling," Hermione added, just as the boys thought the conversation was coming to a close.

Draco mocked a pout. "Not even Weasel?"

Hermione smirked. "I'll allow that one. For now."

The smile he gave her in response was positively Slytherin. He made his way to the doorway before Hermione half-yelled, "We're going to be seeing an awful lot of each other. We might as well just use first names...Draco."

No more Potter. No more Granger.

Harry.

Hermione.

Not feeling it necessary to answer, he smirked as he made his way back to his bedroom to enjoy some quiet time before dinner. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

Dinner was a quiet affair. After his nap Teddy enjoyed a round of "race around the drawing room" on his broom, only crashing a few times. Everyone had laughed and enjoyed his antics, but the game had worn them all out.

No one had really been in the mood to cook after that, and Kreacher was busy with the renovations to Draco's room, so Hermione had decided to bring back takeaway for all of them to share. The Gryffindors and their young charge dug in without a second thought, but the food was strange and new to Draco.

He picked up a breaded piece of…something…and dropped it when he felt how greasy it was. Wiping his hand on his napkin, he asked, "What is this, exactly?" trying to keep the disgust and hint of hysteria from his voice and mostly failing.

Harry snickered while Hermione rolled her eyes and answered. "Fish and chips. You have lived a truly deprived existence if you've never tried them before. And based on the look on your face, I'm pretty sure you haven't."

Draco didn't know how to ask his next question nicely. "Is it supposed to be this… greasy?"

Harry nodded and answered around a mouthful. "Tastes better that way."

Teddy piped up. "Auntie Cissa says not to talk with your mouth full." He flashed Draco a grin, proud of himself for remembering the rule.

Harry choked on his bite but forced it to go down. "Right. Sorry, Teddy."

Hermione joined Draco in laughing at Harry's expense, but then she turned her teasing smile back on the Slytherin. "Well if I'd known your delicate constitution couldn't handle a bit of oil I'd have ordered you a salad."

He spluttered. "You think a body like this," he waved a hand from his chest down, "came from wandering through the Manor gardens and eating salad? 'Delicate constitution,' my a-ahem." Hermione kicked him with her stocking foot just in time to stop the curse from coming out. His face heated, but he concluded, "This will be fine."

And it was. Even though the feeling of being an awkward addition to an already-formed, cosy, little family remained, there was a certain ease about eating dinner with his ex-nemesis, the swot who'd punched him in third year, and his little cousin. They bantered back and forth in a way that he hadn't been a part of since before the war. The Manor was always so quiet, even when Teddy was there, and it felt good to have laughter echoing off the walls instead of silence and the clink of cutlery.

There just hadn't been that much to say after Lucius had gone to Azkaban.

XxxX

Hermione surprised herself by having a great time over dinner. Laughing with Harry and Teddy had always been easy, but she found that she also enjoyed Draco's wit and dry sense of humour. This softer side of him surprised her. She'd seen him here and there, usually at Ministry functions, but they'd never had much of a reason to do more than exchange pleasantries in passing.

He was still a git. He probably always will be, she thought to herself, smirking. A pointy, rich, ferret-faced git. She tilted her head in thought. Not sure when ferret-faced became a good thing. Merlin, Malfoy is fit…

The man in question must have felt her stare because he turned to look at her. Seeing her thoughtful face, he quirked a quizzical brow. Her cheeks pinked, and he snorted a quiet laugh before going back to his food. He paused, chip almost to his lips, to mutter, "It's okay to stare, Granger. Most women do."

She sent another kick his way, but he dodged it and laughed again, sending a wicked grin her way before finishing his chips, grey eyes sparkling with mirth. She couldn't help smiling back. "It's Hermione."

"Right, sorry. Hermione." But he didn't sound sorry. He sounded extremely amused.

Hermione was distracted from their conversation by a buzzing in her pocket. She pulled out the charmed galleon that she occasionally used to communicate with Ron, not unlike the texting that was becoming more popular in Muggle circles.

Can we talk? -R

Harry was watching her with a hard look in his eyes, so she tossed him the coin. He glanced at it before standing up and declaring, "Absolutely not," and clearing the table.

Hermione scowled at him. While she agreed with his sentiment, she really didn't appreciate anyone telling her what to do. But it was Harry, and he and Ron had been on the outs for a while, and Hermione hadn't expected him to react any differently.

Draco's brow was screwed up in confusion. "Did I miss something?"

Harry picked up the coin and slapped it down in front of Draco. He didn't comment on the message at first. "Protean Charm?" After Hermione's nod, he went on, "Nice work. On the other matter, I - as much as it pains me to say it - have to agree with Potter. I'm sure I don't know the half of what's happened between you two, nor do I want to, but it seems to me that Weaselbee deserves to sweat for a while."

Harry clenched his jaw. "He deserves a lot more than that."

"Little ears!" Hermione reminded him, turning to find Teddy falling asleep at the table for the second time that day. His hands and face were greasy, and Hermione smiled at his drooping eyelids and slumped posture.

Picking up the galleon, she tapped it with her wand, sending off the message, Not now. Busy helping with Teddy, to Ron before pocketing it. She turned her attention back to picking up her favourite toddler, carefully avoiding his messy hands and face, and carrying him upstairs.

XxxX

While Hermione helped Teddy get cleaned up and ready for bed, Draco got his first opportunity to attempt to calm down a furious Harry Potter.

It wasn't easy.

Honestly, he thought, Granger deserves a medal for keeping this hothead in line all these years.

He wanted to ask Harry if he was this irate every time someone hurt his friends, but he thought he probably knew the answer to that, considering how often he had hurt them in their school days.

Harry was pacing across the kitchen in a frenzy of sharp steps, raking a hand through his hair occasionally and muttering something like, "Wanker didn't realize what he had," and "Can't believe he treated her that way."

Draco was sorely tempted to add fuel to the fire, but he opted to stay on the side of caution this time.

It was probably for the best because there was suddenly a knock on the front door.

Draco opened his mouth to tell Harry to let one of the elves get it, but the Gryffindor was already storming from the room. Draco followed, grumbling, "How many children am I really going to be raising here?"

By the time he got to the entryway, Harry had dragged Ron through the front door and slammed him against the nearest wall, his hands fisted in Ron's worn plaid shirt.

Draco thought he looked about ready to explode.

He wasn't wrong.

"How dare you treat her that way! After everything we've been through together, the very least you could have done was bloody split up with her before going after other girls. She is the best thing that has ever happened to either of us - not to mention the only reason we are actually still alive - and I just...can't believe that you would treat her that way."

Ron's eyes were wide with fear by the time Harry paused his ranting to breathe. He took a shaky breath. "You can't place all the blame on me, mate. It takes two to make a relationship work, and she was never around to even try!"

Harry rolled his eyes but loosened his hold on the redhead's shirt. "She's around at least as much as Ginny was when we were dating, and that was enough to let us know that we weren't a good match and go our separate ways. Just because you'd rather hang out with your fan club than your girlfriend doesn't mean that she wasn't around all those nights. She'd come here with an excuse about why you weren't with her and sit and watch telly while we both pretended it didn't hurt that you weren't around. It's okay to grow apart, Ron, but at least be honest with yourself about it."

Ron's face was approaching purple by the time he got his turn to speak. "I love her, but she was just so...boring! Always going on and on about her bloody books and uni and work and the buggering good of all mankind! She never stopped ranting about her latest cause to just be Hermione, the girl I fell in love with. It was like being in a relationship with a nun or something!"

Draco choked on a laugh. Was this really happening?

Harry released his friend, shoving him back against the wall and throwing a punch directly at his face.

Ron went down, out cold after a single blow.

Harry turned blazing eyes to Draco. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

Draco opened his mouth to answer, but his words caught in his throat when he heard the sob behind him. He whipped around, staring into Hermione's suspiciously wet, amber eyes.

She looked on the edge of shattering, but she just whispered, "Get him out of here. Draco, will you take a turn with Teddy? I think I need a minute." She turned silently and went down to the kitchen, presumably for ice cream, tea, or some other source of comfort.

Harry levitated his friend over to the floo, not wanting to draw attention by taking him outside, unconscious, to Apparate him away.

Draco watched him go and started up the stairs, spotting Teddy at the top of the next flight. He was sopping wet, hair plastered to his head, and wrapped in a fluffy, white towel.

"Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron said bad words." His grave face betrayed the severity of this offence.

Draco hesitated. Then he had a brilliant idea.

When he was young, Narcissa wanted him to grow up as slowly as possible - and teaching him to recognize swear words and that they're naughty was one way. She made Lucius a swear jar and had Draco keep it. Why not pass on the tradition?

"I think we might need to start a swear jar."

Teddy's face screwed up in confusion. "Swear jar? What's that?"

"Well," Draco explained, "a swear jar is for grownups who use naughty words. Every time they say something they shouldn't, they put a coin in the swear jar. Then you get to use the money to buy toys and sweets."

Teddy nodded, seeming to like the idea. He glanced down to where his hands were clutching the towel, sticking up fingers every so often. "I think they said four. That's how old I almost am. Do they have to put four monies in the jar?"

Draco nodded. "You can be the jar keeper. Every time someone curses, you get to remind them to watch their mouth and pay the swear jar. Sound good?"

Teddy nodded enthusiastically before yawning hugely and swaying on his feet. Draco chided himself for forgetting how tired the boy was. Wrapping the towel closer around him, Draco picked Teddy up with both arms and carried him to his room.

Once Teddy had donned soft flannel pyjama bottoms and a cotton t-shirt, Draco carefully tucked him in. It felt odd to be doing the familiar nighttime routine in a bedroom away from the Manor.

Teddy wrapped his blanket around his fist before tucking it under his cheek. His eyes were already closing when he asked, "Will you sing me a sleepy time song?"

Draco smiled and checked the doorway for eavesdropping Gryffindors. Seeing none, he replied, "Sure, mate. It will be our little secret."

XxxX

It took a few minutes for Harry to calm down. He was still seeing red when he unceremoniously dropped Ron's limp form onto the floor of the apartment he and Hermione had shared. Harry felt a little better after seeing how empty the space was.

In that moment, Harry still thought it was more than the git deserved.

But he forced himself to go back home and help comfort Hermione. Or, if she wanted space, he could help with Teddy.

The stairs that led to Teddy's room were miraculously silent on his way up, and he wondered if Hermione had charmed them somehow. Sure enough, she stood near the top of the stairs, staring in the direction of Teddy's room and looking absolutely absorbed in whatever scene was playing out there. Harry made his way to her, looping an arm around her waist and welcoming the closeness as she returned the gesture, melting into his side and resting her head against his chest.

It only took an instant for Harry to notice the quiet singing coming from inside Teddy's room.

"Little dragon, shining bright,

Breathe your fire to light the night.

If you wake before the dawn,

You can sing your dragon song.

Little dragon, shining bright,

Breathe your fire to light the night."

Hermione let out a sigh of contentment. "Who would have thought a voice like that was hiding under all that sarcasm and snark?" Draco clear tenor ran through the song one more time, slowing down near the end and giving the Gryffindors a chance to escape to the drawing room unseen.

Harry felt bewildered.

Who would have thought, indeed?

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

The decimation of Draco's strict morning regimen happened rather quickly. One day, he was rising early on his first morning in his new home, getting completely ready before leaving his rooms as he always did. Then, before he could baulk at the change, he realised he was walking around his ex-nemesis' home in his pyjama pants, shirtless, with wild bed head every morning.

He wouldn't have been caught dead looking like that by anyone at school, but his housemates didn't have room to judge.

Draco's second night in Harry's home had been interrupted by the two men stumbling into each other in the hall, both bleary-eyed and panicked, as they rushed to comfort a crying Teddy, who had suffered fairly frequent nightmares since Andromeda first fell ill. Draco was uncomfortably aware of the other man's state of undress and took a moment after Teddy had been coaxed back to sleep to mutter, "Holyhead Harpies boxers, Potter? Really?"

Harry had merely grinned sleepily, squinting since he hadn't bothered to put on his glasses, and murmured back, "I might not date their star chaser anymore, but she's still one of my best friends." He wiggled his eyebrows as he added, "They all have a little crush on the beloved Boy Who Lived, and the Weasleys and I share a box. Don't deny you enjoy watching a fit witch who knows what she's doing on the Quidditch pitch every now and again."

Draco had laughed, shaking his head at the unexpected quip from Potter as he made his way back to bed.

But where Harry merely slept in his boxers, Hermione seemed to have made it her life's mission to wear as much oversized clothing to bed as she could. Draco wandered into the kitchen early one morning to find her perched on a kitchen chair, legs tucked beneath her, wearing oversized flannel pyjama pants, an old Gryffindor Quidditch jersey—bearing the name Potter instead of Weasley now that she and Ron had gone their separate ways—and a large, lumpy cardigan. She was sipping tea and taking an occasional bite of a croissant as she went over a file from work.

It had only taken a few instances like those to make Draco realise that Gryffindors did not care about their appearance during the sleepy hours of the morning and decided he could relax enough to let go of that too. He'd always done as he wished around his own rooms at the Manor, but his mother wouldn't allow him to wander the house without proper attire. It was freeing to have the world of the large townhome as his oyster in only his boxers and pyjama pants. The others laughed less when he wore that than when he was dressed to the nines before breakfast anyway. They never got ready before they ate, so he didn't see why he should.

He wondered what his mother would have to say about the development.

XxxX

He didn't have to wonder long.

Narcissa's first visit came a little less than a month after Draco moved into Grimmauld Place. She gracefully swept from the floo, early one morning, and made her way toward the kitchen.

The scene that greeted her made her jaw drop open in a most unladylike fashion, her lips forming a perfect 'O.' Draco couldn't remember a time when his mother had looked so shocked and couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped his throat. He knew he and his merry band of Gryffindors looked quite the sight, as they always did in the morning. Teddy was perched on Hermione's lap in one of the kitchen chairs, munching a piece of toast and ignoring the eggs his Uncle Harry said, were good for growing future Quidditch stars. The toddler probably looked the most presentable of the group, since he was wearing his usual short-sleeved shirt and pyjama pants. Granger was wrapped in a blanket, which hid her baggy shirt (probably Harry's or an old one of Mr Granger's), flannel bottoms, and most of Teddy's lower half. Harry had at least had the decency to throw on a pair of joggers before he came down for breakfast, and Draco took a moment to thank all the deities he knew of, Muggle and magical alike, that he had not had to deal with the fallout that surely would have come from having a nearly naked Boy Who Lived face off with his painfully proper mother.

Draco himself stood at the stove, clad in only his emerald silk pyjama pants, making a fresh batch of tea. Granger had a habit of drinking more than her fair share by the time the sun came up, leaving either Kreacher or one of the boys to make a second batch most mornings. When the Malfoy heir noticed his mother in the doorway, his laugh at her shocked face faded into a silent, stark awareness, suddenly uncomfortable with how very bare his chest was.

For the first time in years, if not the first time ever, Draco stuttered. "M-mother? What are you doing here so early?"

Narcissa carefully closed her mouth, lifting a perfectly groomed eyebrow as she said, "You haven't called or brought my favourite nephew to visit in weeks. That is so very unlike the son I raised that I thought perhaps something more sinister than a case of laziness might have befallen you. Apparently, I was wrong." The tilt to her perfect pout let Draco know she was teasing while also getting her point across: You don't just get to ignore your mother, Draco. Ever. I birthed, fed, and raised you; the least you can do is come 'round and visit me once in awhile.

Draco had the decency to look chagrined but quickly came up with a plan of action for getting back in his mother's good graces. It wasn't usually hard, smitten as Narcissa was, with her only child, but it couldn't hurt to throw a rather adorable young metamorphmagus into the mix.

"Teddy's just figured out a new trick on his broom, Mother."

The pale blue ice of Narcissa's eyes lit up with happiness. She went over to Teddy, still ensconced in his throne atop Hermione's lap, snug in the cosy blanket they shared. His bedhead changed to a shock of white blonde hair, sticking up in all directions—rather like Draco's own hair did in the mornings.

Narcissa bit her lip, but a snicker still slipped out. She covered it as best she could by clearing her throat and crouched down to speak to the boy. "I would very much like to see your new trick, darling."

Teddy's eyes flicked to each of the other adults in the room, making sure he had each of their approval. Harry firmly said, "Five bites of eggs first," which was followed by a painful-to-watch rendition of Teddy attempting to suffocate himself by shovelling eggs in as quickly as he could swallow them. Narcissa stood and stepped out of the line of fire, knowing her favourite house elf would have a fit if she came home with eggs and grease stains on her robes. When Harry's need to give Teddy a moderately well-rounded breakfast had been appeased, Teddy leapt from Hermione's lap, racing out the door to grab his broom.

This time no one in the kitchen managed to hold back their laughter, but Narcissa's sharp gaze flicked to her son as they all enjoyed a moment of amusement at Teddy's antics. She was pleasantly surprised to see him so comfortable here, and the way Teddy looked to each of them for an answer before leaving the table made it seem as though the Gryffindors and her son were doing a fair job of splitting the task of parenting their young charge, even if they were each working and taking turns watching Teddy as their schedules allowed.

Raising a child—especially one from the Black family line—could be a daunting task under normal circumstances. On top of that, Teddy was an orphan who had experienced the deaths of his three closest family members in less than five years. Narcissa didn't envy Draco and the others the task of dealing with the emotional baggage one bit, though she was grateful the boy had all of them—and herself—to help him along the way.

Her gaze turned to Harry, and she wondered at the similarities of their circumstances, both orphaned before they were even old enough to remember their parents. Yet, Harry, if the Prophet was to be believed, was raised by Muggles who despised and mistreated him. Teddy had a whole slew of people who adored him, starting with his godfather and blood relatives, lapping over into the extensive ranks of the Order. The Weasley family and the Granger girl, especially, had a soft spot in their hearts for Narcissa's grandnephew.

Speaking of Miss Granger, Narcissa finally turned to study her as the younger witch moved to clear the table and start the process of spelling the dishes to wash and dry themselves. It was wandwork Narcissa had never bothered to learn since the house elves always saw to the chores in the kitchen and elsewhere around the Manor. There had never been a need to get her immaculately manicured hands dirty. But it was good to see someone here had a penchant for running a household since it appeared both of the young men in the home weren't even awake enough to locate and don a shirt at this hour of the morning. If the hefty stack of parchment near Hermione's place at the table was any indication, she rose early to get a head start on the day before anyone else came downstairs.

All of this was observed in a few short moments as the residents of Grimmauld Place cleaned up all evidence of breakfast and ushered Narcissa into the drawing room, which was the main area Teddy was allowed to fly, despite its rather diminutive size. All the other rooms in the house had too many breakables or were not the right size for the circles and twirls Teddy enjoyed executing when he was allowed to bring his broom out to play.

Though he wouldn't say it aloud, Draco didn't really think Grimmauld Place was the best place to raise a child. His thoughts must have been echoed in Narcissa's mind, for her lips pulled tight into the barest hint of a grimace as she watched Teddy do his latest trick - a complete loop that almost had his feet touching the ceiling at the top.

The Manor had more places to play. Draco would have pointed that out if he had the courage—or stupidity—to take it up with his co-parents.

Teddy proudly showed off his tricks, zooming up and down and all around the room. He attempted one more loop, a little lower to the ground than usual, and snagged the back end of his broom on the back of one of the chairs. All four of the adults felt like time had slowed, but none of them were close enough to catch Teddy as he tumbled from the broom and rolled onto the rug, narrowly avoiding the hearthstones and immediately bursting into tears.

Hermione stood in shock, hand over her mouth, but Harry was used to dealing with this kind of thing from years of Quidditch and Auror training. His hands shook a little more than they regularly would have in such circumstances, as he checked Teddy, but he was pretty sure that was a normal parental response. Scooping Teddy up, he brought the crying boy over to one of the settees and was about to sit when Draco appeared at his side, arms outstretched.

"I'll hold him. My healing and diagnostic charms are mediocre at best, but I'll do what I can to comfort him."

Harry nodded, realising that Draco may be in his own little wave of shock if he thought of that kind of thing, and gently handed Teddy over to Draco's outstretched arms. The taller man cradled his little cousin to his chest, making shushing noises while stroking his hair, which was the bright, neon green he saved for when he was in pain.

Harry's wand whirled, and it was only a moment before Hermione knelt beside him on the floor, adding her own healing charms to the mix. Teddy only had a few good-sized bruises and a mild concussion, but they did what they could to make him comfortable.

Narcissa suddenly broke the silence. "Where might I find a pain potion?"

Harry's eyes flicked to her briefly, full of gratitude, before he jerked his chin in the direction of the stairs. "There should be some in the bathroom cupboard below the sink."

She nodded and made her way from the room, sweeping up the stairs and digging through the rather well-stocked potions cupboard before pulling out a mild pain potion—the same brew she gave Draco as a child—and carrying it downstairs. When she arrived, Hermione was telling the story of the time Harry had broken the bones in one of his arms during a Quidditch match and asked that Teddy fly with care from now on. None of them wanted to see a repeat performance. Teddy nodded solemnly and took the pain potion with little fuss, much to Narcissa's surprise. Draco had complained until he was nearly blue in the face each time anyone had attempted to give him a potion. She was honestly surprised he took any as an adult, given the outrageous contempt he had for them as a child.

Once Teddy was calm again, Draco took him upstairs to get ready for the day. Narcissa smiled fondly at her two favourite boys and did her best to ignore the way her heart cracked and bled just a bit at the thought that Lucius wasn't around to enjoy it with her—and that he probably wouldn't have been willing to love Teddy even if he was. Squaring her shoulders to allow the heavy thoughts to roll off of them, she turned to face her son's housemates, who were now standing awkwardly in front of her, not quite sure whether it would be more appropriate to leave the room to get dressed or continue to entertain their guest in their sleep clothes...or lack thereof.

Narcissa daintily cleared her throat to speak. "I know Muggles live too close to make flying outside a possibility here in the city, but Teddy would be welcome to come visit the Manor and fly anytime." She gestured to Harry and upstairs where she knew Draco was. "All three of you."

Hermione still looked shaken by the incident, which Narcissa thought probably boded well for her cause. The curly-haired witch spoke up. "She's probably right, Harry. He's getting too big—and too good at flying—for this to be a safe place for him to fly anymore. He could have been seriously hurt today." She curled a fist into her oversized shirt as if doing so would help hold her together until she could properly process the trauma of this incident later.

Harry thought it over for only a moment, giving Hermione a questioning glance that Narcissa thought she understood before nodding his agreement. "You're probably right. He's nearly outgrown that toddler practice broom he has, anyway. He'll be moving up to a child size model any day now." He chuckled. "Good thing, too. That thing has taken quite a beating."

The women laughed softly with him. Narcissa spoke up. "Actually, Draco has a broom or two already picked out for him at the Manor. Flying together was one of Teddy's favourite things to do there. I'm a little surprised Draco never mentioned it before, but then I suppose the memories you both have of our home are not exactly happy ones. I can't blame him for not inviting you over sooner now that I think of it."

Harry grimaced, and Hermione tugged the sleeve of her oversized jumper down from where it had been pushed up to her elbow, covering the slur that had been carved there by Narcissa's sister. The older woman didn't miss the action, and she turned away from the Gryffindors, clearly upset. When she glanced back up to meet Hermione's eyes, her own grey-blue eyes bore a sheen of tears.

"I'm sorry."

Harry and Hermione didn't know how to respond. It was one of the last things they had ever expected to hear from Draco's mother. She had happily ignored the past during all of their previous interactions, and Hermione had assumed she would continue to do so forever. Seeing the raw pain and regret in Narcissa's eyes was something neither member of the Golden Trio had anticipated, though Hermione felt several of the larger cracks that remained in her heart as evidence of her hardships amidst the whirlwind of war fill with warmth and start to heal. Her own eyes were damp as she tried to offer Narcissa a shaky smile.

Draco and Teddy popped their heads back into the room at the same time, making Narcissa laugh. Teddy grinned. "Uncle Draco said I could look like a real wizard today. What do you think?" He strutted forward in a miniature dark blue set of semi-formal robes. Harry hadn't known he'd owned anything like them, but then he also had no idea that Teddy had an assortment of brooms waiting for him at Malfoy Manor. Apparently, Draco had a penchant for spoiling his young cousin. It wasn't as if he'd miss the money, but Harry still found himself applauding Draco for his thoughtfulness in trying to include Teddy in his world and brighten the boy's day in any way possible.

Hermione returned Teddy's grin. "Well, aren't you dashing? What's the special occasion?"

It was Draco's turn to smile. "Mother and I have been thinking of taking him out to do some shopping for his birthday next week. She may have surprised me with her early arrival—" he shot Narcissa a look "—but we were planning on taking him today while you two are at work."

Harry nodded and turned to look at Hermione, who was deep in thought, lip caught between her teeth and brow furrowed. Narcissa must have noticed the younger woman's face, for she said, "Draco, why don't you and Teddy go ahead and floo to Diagon Alley and start looking around? I just wanted to finish our conversation from earlier, then I'll join you."

Draco looked like he wanted to argue but nodded and led Teddy back out of the room.

Hermione only waited for the flare of the sound of floo travel before she voiced her concerns. "I just realised that we haven't made any plans for Teddy's birthday yet. It's a Wednesday, so we'll be doing our usual juggling of schedules. I'd rather have all of us home for the day, but I have a big case that I don't think I can postpone." She huffed in frustration, unused to forgetting much of anything, much less her favourite toddler's birthday. "I can't believe it slipped my mind. I've just been so busy with work and things…" she trailed off, and Harry knew she was thinking about Ron. The strain between them was taking its toll on Hermione, and she was avoiding the Weasleys and several of their mutual friends out of fear of confrontation.

Harry cleared his throat. "What if we threw a party for him on the weekend. Saturday is usually free for all of us. Should we have the party here?" he asked, directing the question at Hermione.

She tilted her head in consideration, but Narcissa spoke first. "I'd be honoured to host it at the Manor if you need a bigger space. My elves haven't hosted a children's birthday party in years! They'd be beside themselves with excitement."

The new twinkle in Narcissa's eye kept Hermione from stepping up onto her soapbox concerning house elves and their rights. Anyway, spending so much time with Kreacher had taught her that there was at least a little truth to the saying that a working elf was a happy elf. And it seemed that house elves who were kept busy running after children were the happiest of all. Kreacher had never looked as young or happy as he did when chasing after "Young Master Black-Lupin." Hermione had worried about how he would respond to having Teddy around all the time, but she needn't have feared. The amount of Black blood in Teddy's veins, in addition to the way Harry ordered the elf to treat his friends and family with respect, must have been enough to garner the old elf's favor, for he had taken to the little boy instantly and never thrown around any of the slurs he'd previously used on the Lupins and other members of the Order.

Throwing the party at the Manor would save Draco, Harry, and herself the stress over the course of the work week, and Narcissa was a legendary party planner. It was sure to be the event of the year if she was in charge. Though Hermione wasn't sure how Teddy would feel about such a big to-do, she didn't have the heart to say no.

"That sounds perfect."

Narcissa was beautiful on the darkest of days, but now she fairly glowed with happiness. "I'll send an owl with the particulars. It was lovely to see you both."

With that, the Malfoy matriarch swept from the room and followed her son through the floo.