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Teddy giggled as he scampered off, the swiftness of his little legs eluding Harry’s arms yet again. Harry cursed, stopping to put his hands on his knees and catch his breath. Teddy was fast in all of his 3-year-old glory. Harry would think that he’d be fitter, spending all his childhood years first running from bullies and then chasing and fighting bad guys. But the three years since the war had allowed Harry some peace and he’d spent that time blissfully being lazy, only working out here and there to maintain his shape. It was doing him no favours now, though, as Teddy escaped him.
Teddy stood a little ways off, watching Harry feel like an old and out of shape man. And then Harry saw it—something diverting Teddy’s attention. He turned his head to see where Teddy was looking and saw a rabbit hopping across the field.
“Oh no,” Harry muttered to himself. “Teddy, no! ” He tried to stop it, but knew it was inevitable.
Teddy took off after the rabbit shouting, “Bunny!” in his little voice.
Harry cursed again and gave chase once more, feeling much older than his 20 years. The rabbit crossed the tree line and Teddy followed suit. Harry put more power in his legs calling after Teddy all the while, afraid to lose sight of him in the busy park.
When Harry crossed the tree line, too, gaze frantically looking this way and that for Teddy, he finally spotted him about 10 metres off talking to a stranger and petting the stranger’s crup. Harry breathed a sigh of belief at finding Teddy at the same time that his heart seized finding him with a stranger .
Until Harry actually took in the features of the man beside Teddy. Slim build. Aristocratic face. Blond, flowing hair that reached his mid back. Harry would know that man anywhere. Draco Malfoy.
First Harry’s heart eased as he recognised Draco, and then pounded for a different reason as he made his way over to them at a slower pace, allowing himself to breathe in a way he’d put off while he gave chase. As he approached, he heard Draco gently scolding Teddy while Teddy nodded his head and continued to pet the crup.
“And you mustn’t run off like that again, Edward. It is unseemly.”
“Yes, Dwaco.”
“We come from Blacks. We must behave with decorum at all times, but especially in public.”
“Yes, Dwaco.” Teddy was smiling at the pet, barely seeming to pay attention to Draco’s little lecture.
“And another thing,” Draco began before spotting Harry. “Oh, there you are, Harry. You seem to have lost something.”
Harry smiled at him, enjoying the light teasing.
After the war, Draco had spent a year on magical probation and house arrest, but rather than embitter him, the restrictions seemed to do Draco good. He’d taken the time to not only examine himself and his prejudices, but to reach out to those he’d been prejudiced against, like Andromeda, like Harry. He’d grown closer to his aunt and cousin and actually got to know Harry, rather than buy into all the hype and rumours surrounding him.
And while he and Harry were more friendly with each other than they were outright friends now, there was also an undeniable attraction between them that they’ve never acted on. Adolescent Draco had been a pointy git, too long and gangly. Adult Draco could certainly still be a git, but he’d grown into his body and was a ridiculously fit git now.
“Harry, look!” Teddy drew his attention again. “Dwaco brought Barty!”
“Bartholomew,” Draco corrected. “Bar-tho-lo-mew.”
“That’s what I said. Barty!” Teddy exclaimed.
Draco rolled his eyes, but smiled down at Teddy indulgently before turning his attention back to Harry.
“And how are you, Harry?” Draco’s eyes scanned his body, assessing, admiring. “I see that Edward’s been giving you a workout.”
Harry slightly coloured at Draco’s heated gaze and looked down at himself. His T-shirt was clinging to his body from all the running, emphasizing his pecs. The sweat made his warm brown skin glisten in the sun, putting his arm muscles on display.
“He was, yeah,” Harry responded. “Though chasing Teddy has shown me just how out of shape I am.”
“Oh,” Draco said, eyes zeroing back in on Harry’s chest. “I’d say chasing after Edward has been doing you wonders. Though I can think of more pleasant ways to get out of breath.”
Harry’s eyebrows arched and he smiled, slow and sultry. “I can’t say I’d mind some more exercise.”
Draco’s lips curved, matching Harry’s smile. “I suppose I could show you a few tricks.”
“Tricks?” Teddy interrupted. “Do you know some, Dwaco? Can Barty do any?”
Harry and Draco blushed, caught out in their flirting. But Draco recovered quickly enough to answer Teddy’s question.
“Of course, Edward. Bartholomew knows plenty of tricks. Watch.”
Draco directed his gaze down to the excitable pup standing at his heel, tongue lolling and tail wagging a kilometre a minute.
“Bartholomew, sit.”
The crup planted his butt on the ground, tongue still out and tail still wagging.
“Stand up.”
The crup got back to its feet, waiting on the next command.
“Shake.”
Bartholomew lifted his front paw, shaking Draco’s hand and placing it back on the ground when Draco released him.
“Roll over.”
Bartholomew rolled over and came back to his feet, tail wagging faster, excited to put on a show.
Draco picked up a stick and tossed it a distance away.
“Bartholomew, fetch.”
The pup took off running, grabbing the stick and trotting back to Draco with his prize.
Teddy was ecstatic, praising the crup and ruffling his fur. Bartholomew rolled onto his back again, exposing his belly for Teddy to rub, too.
Harry brought his eyes back to Draco, who was watching Teddy and Bartholomew fondly.
“He’s very well trained,” Harry complimented.
Draco brought his smile back up to Harry. “Well I am an exceptional trainer,” he boasted before his eyes darkened again. “But crups aren’t the only thing I can train.”
Harry met Draco’s gaze with a hot look of his own. “Are you sure you can manage? I’m more of a handful than Teddy.”
“I like having my hands filled. And I think you’ll like following my orders.”
Harry almost felt like Draco was touching him already, the way his eyes were caressing him.
“As you command.”