Chapter Text
There had never been a reason for Draco to give much thought to birthdays beyond his own, but in the spring of 1989, that all changed.
Theodore Nott. Wispy little boy that he was, had come into Draco’s life suddenly one afternoon in the guise of a new playmate. At first Draco was reluctant on accepting Theodore as anything other than an annoyance, although reluctant might not be the proper word. Truth be told, he was hell bent on giving the other boy as many reasons as he could to not return to Malfoy Manor. Draco didn’t need any friends, especially annoying morose ones who spoke ill of him and made him feel terribly inadequate. Of course, being eight years old at the hands of parents who were determined to have him forge a friendship with the Nott boy made it much harder to execute. Every time Draco thought he had sufficiently pushed Theodore far enough that he would never return, the following week there he was. As annoying and frail looking as ever.
Eventually Draco came to terms with the fact that Theodore Nott was not going anywhere. Their fathers’ were business associates of sorts and it didn’t seem to matter how many tantrums he threw, Theodore would always return like clockwork, much to his dismay. Over time, abhorrence shifted to indifference until it finally began to melt away into something else entirely. Once Draco got used to the idea of having his shortcomings on display every time Theodore was around, he began to liken to the idea. Never in his eight years had he met anyone that made him question himself like Theodore Nott did, and although he would never openly admit it, he liked it.
For his part Theodore seemed to soften to the idea of Draco’s presence as well, or at least Draco thought he did. Once the silence and the insults and the tantrums faded, they both began to realize that they could not only tolerate one another, but they actually enjoyed each other’s company. No longer did Theodore beg his father to leave him behind when he visited Malfoy Manor, instead he found himself looking forward to the visits, despite all of the stupid things that Draco dragged him into. He still thought the other boy was spoiled and far too privileged, but he eventually decided that he didn’t mind so much. If Theodore was being honest, Draco was the first real friend that he had found, and he liked to think that it was their differences that made them understand one another.
It was spring when Theodore decided he would casually bring up his approaching birthday; not because he expected Draco to care, simply because he figured the other boy should know this private fact about him; for whatever reason. “When is your birthday?” Theodore thought he was being terribly smart turning the subject around on Draco. Draco loved talking about himself and surely the conversation would eventually turn to Theodore’s own birthday and save him the trouble of simply blurting it out.
Draco was intently studying a chess board that was set between them, and Theodore couldn’t help but grin as he watched Draco’s fair brows draw together in frustration. Draco played every game to win and it annoyed him every time Theodore bested him in chess. It was a boring grown-ups game, but it didn’t stop him from repeatedly collecting Draco’s chess pieces every time. He figured it was good for Draco to lose once in a while and besides, his tantrums were fun to watch.
“Stop trying to distract me.” Draco didn’t even look up when he issued the warning and continued to stare down at the board, bottom lip caught between his teeth.
Theodore shook his head and rolled his eyes at the other boy, who had finally decided which piece to move. He remained silent as he reached forward without much thought and quickly captured Draco’s pawn and set it aside, which earned him a sour scowl from the other boy. “I told you, chess is all about simple strategy. No amount of planning is going to help you win.” Theodore smiled brightly at Draco, who rolled his eyes in response before glancing back down to the game board. After a couple of minutes he shifted one of his white chess pieces in front of Theodore’s and scooped it up proudly. “How’s that for simple strategy?” Draco waved the black pawn proudly at the other boy, who raised an amused brow. “Very good Draco, you’re learning.” When Draco responded with a scoff and a rude hand gesture, Theodore couldn’t help but laugh because watching the other boy work himself into a frustrated fit never got old.
It was a while later when Draco finally answered Theodore’s previous question about his birthday, during an attempted siege on his king. “June fifth.” He said casually without lifting his gaze from the board. Theodore took this new information and stored it away in his memory like he did with everything real that he learned from the other boy. Draco was sort of like an onion in the way that he had layers, and even at a young age Theodore took pride in being privy to these rare tidbits that were not puffed up for show.
“Summer birthday, that’s brilliant.” Theodore smiled more to himself than Draco as he considered all of the possibilities for Draco’s birthday that would fall in a few short months. Maybe he could finally coax the other boy into the lake for a swim, it would certainly be warm enough by then.
“I suppose.” Draco replied airily as he stretched out on the carpet and propped himself up on an elbow. “So when is your birthday, Theodore?” Draco was looking directly at the other boy as he spoke, and although Theo had no real way of knowing it, he somehow knew that Draco had seen through his attempt at stealthy conversation steering. He felt his cheeks heat up with a flush that gave him away and although he desperately tried, there was nowhere else to look except right back at Draco.
“March fifteenth.” Theodore managed the response pretty smoothly, at least he thought so, but then Draco smirked knowingly at him and he was internally questioning everything he thought he knew.
“You know, if you wanted me to know your birthday was coming up, you could have just said so. Simple strategy, Theodore.” Draco echoed Theodore’s own words from earlier back at him with a smugness that made his skin burn. It was generally Theodore who had the pleasure of riling Draco up, not the other way around.
“Fair point.” Theodore muttered finally, and when the attention was turned back to the half-finished game between them he heaved a quiet sigh of relief.
“Besides, I already knew. Mother told me last week.” Draco spoke plainly as he moved his chess piece on the game board, not bothering to glance up at Theodore, who blinked incredulously at him.
This was one of the very first times Theodore would be on the receiving end of Draco’s uncanny ability to hide behind a mask of sorts, and it would be a lesson that he would learn and relearn over the years until Draco finally trusted himself enough not to wear one at all.
∞
March 15, 1989 was a Wednesday. Theodore was not scheduled to visit until the coming weekend, but that did not stop Draco from insisting that his mother allow him a visit to Luckington Manor. Although Narcissa was reluctant to allow her son to arrive unannounced at the home of one of Lucius’ associates, in the end she agreed. Partly because she simply could not say no to Draco, and partly because she was relieved to see that he had finally appeared to form a real friendship with someone his own age.
Draco arrived on Theodore’s doorstep precisely at ten with the assistance of his mother. He made her apparate back home before he announced his presence, which he did by banging the large brass knocker on the door obnoxiously loud.
After what seemed like an eternity Theodore himself answered the door, peering at Draco curiously. “What are you doing here?” He asked, forgetting his manners entirely.
Draco rolled his eyes dramatically as if the answer should have been obvious. “You didn’t think I’d let you spend your birthday alone, did you?” He raised his brows up high and ignored the bewildered expression that Theodore wore, huffing impatiently instead. “Are you going to let me in, or am I going to spend the day on this stoop?” Draco smirked as Theodore sprung to action and opened the door up wide enough for him to enter.
Luckington Manor was much like Malfoy Manor, although Draco could certainly see the subtle differences. His parents kept his family home shining and dripping with purchases that boldly displayed their wealth, which wasn’t really the case in Theodore’s home. The structure was impressive, if not a little dusty. “So this is where you live.” Draco said as he followed Theodore up the stairs towards his room, silver gaze darting this way and that, taking everything silently in. Theodore was still confused by Draco’s visit because never once in the time they had known one another had Draco ever visited, and although he was secretly pleased for the attention, he somehow felt inadequate. “If I’d have known you were coming…” Theo glanced over his shoulder at Draco as they entered his modestly decorated room and offered him a nervous smile. “And spoil the surprise?” Draco grinned as he plopped right down on Theodore’s unmade bed, which Theodore found oddly amusing somehow.
“You brought me a surprise?” He asked as he shut the door and crossed the room towards Draco, taking up his own spot near the end of the bed.
“Aren’t I surprise enough?” Draco raised a brow and stared at Theo as if he were dead serious and the weight of his stare made Theodore’s insides squirm.
It was one thing to visit Draco at Malfoy Manor, where Theodore could best Draco at all of his own games and cut him down on his own turf, but it was quite another to have the blond invade his own space that he’d never shared with anyone before.
“Sure, I mean. I didn’t expect anything, thanks for coming to visit me, you didn’t have to.” Theodore picked absently at the corner of his duvet and avoided Draco’s harsh gaze and for just a minute he knew what it felt like to feel small.
Draco rolled his eyes and waved a hand, head shaking dramatically as he spoke. “I hope you aren’t going to be this exciting the entire day. Don’t make me regret coming all the way over here.” He reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a rectangular box tied neatly with a green bow, which he handed to Theodore. “This is for you, mother insisted on wrapping it up proper for you, but I picked it out.” Draco leaned back against the headboard and watched the other boy, who stared down at the small package in his hand curiously. “You brought me a present.” Theodore murmured so quietly that it could have been a whisper, and although Draco would never admit it, it made him genuinely happy in a way that he was not accustomed to.
“Everyone should have at least one present on their birthday, especially a brilliant one from someone like me.” Draco said this plainly and then they shared a laugh before Theodore carefully untied the ribbon and opened his present.
When Draco had asked Narcissa to take him shopping she had not been expecting that he would request a day trip to France. She knew her son enjoyed the finer things in life, but he had never shown much interest in the actual act of shopping before now. Of course she jumped at the chance to indulge him and as she followed him from shop to shop along Avenue des Ternes she couldn’t help but swell with quiet pride at how much her little boy had grown in the blink of an eye.
Draco had had a specific gift in mind when he asked his mother to accompany him to France, and although it had taken him longer to locate something he deemed suitable than he had originally thought, he was pleased with his choice. The box that was now in Theodore’s hand was lined with black velvet, which gently encased a hand crafted feather quill. To the average person this might just look like any old goose feather quill, but Draco was anything but the average person and this was anything but the average gift.
“It’s a swan feather. They’re very rare, but I’m told that with a delicate enough hand, they can last many years.” Draco watched Theodore carefully as he spoke, intent on gleaning his true feelings regarding the gift, whatever they were. He didn’t ever go to these lengths for anyone, and although he could not explain it, he felt compelled to give Theodore a gift that would mean something.
Theodore stared down at the quill for a long time, unsure of what to say. He hadn’t been aware that Draco was even capable of such a thoughtful gesture, although Draco had been known to surprise him on occasion. He reached for the quill and carefully removed it, twirling it gently between his fingers and when he glanced back up at Draco, his smile was so genuine that Draco’s ears flushed lightly. “Thank you Draco, this is a perfect gift.” Theodore was not nearly as skilled at emotion control as Draco was and as such, his voice shook slightly, although Draco politely pretended not to notice.
“You’re welcome.” He said quietly, unable to help but smile proudly. Draco had seen the well-worn journal that Theodore kept hidden in his pocket whenever he visited and although he was mildly curious as to what Theodore scribbled in it, he would never ask. It had been a natural choice to gift Theodore with a beautiful quill to write with, and although the symbolism of the worn journal and the expensive quill would be lost on both boys, it was the first of many that would span over the years of their lives together.
The rest of the day was spent like their time together was always spent; they played a board game that Theodore won, they played hide and find in the tall, weedy grass behind the Manor, and when the sun set, they lie down side by side on a blanket and shared a pair of omniocculars. At seven pm Dobby turned up with a vanilla cupcake bearing a candle, just as Draco had instructed him to, and when he held it out and instructed Theodore to make a wish, he had no idea that Theodore’s wish had already come true.
Happy Birthday, Theodore.