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Summer after Hogwarts when our paths met
We make out in your Jokeshop, stars overhead
And on my 19th birthday, we got matching tattoos
Used to steal your brother's liquor and climb to the roof
Talk about our future like we had a clue
Never planned that one day, I'd be losing you
They're living on borrowed time, that was Fred and George's motto in life. Borrowed time means your life is separated into chapters and no one stays for so long. Borrowed time is a conversation life had with death, it was a temporary peace treaty that still has an expiration date.
A year after the war, Fred and George saw Draco Malfoy during the Hog's Head party one midnight. One thing led to another and suddenly, they're kissing the blond fervently –to shut him up, prove something, they don't remember (just that Draco kissed back). It felt like fireworks exploding and they never wanted Draco out of their sight.
They never really paid attention to the blonde during Hogwarts, all they could remember was he's the git who made the demeaning song that had Ron's self-worth shattered. Never really liked him much. Harry's view of Draco after he testified on the blonde's behalf influenced their view of him and any thoughts of the snarky blonde Slytherin was filed away in the Neutral Zone.
He's eighteen now, the twins calculated as they apparated to the Weasley Wizard Wheezes, Fred doing a Side-Along to Draco. Legal, consenting and absolutely willing. Godric, help them hold back.
Once they've arrived, George wasted no time to pin the blonde on the door and kiss him senseless. They broke away for air, Draco breathless and panting until Fred pulled Draco towards him in an openmouthed kiss that had the blonde moaning sinfully.
They dragged Draco towards the stairs, George carrying him to their room impatiently and throwing him directly on their bed. It was exhilarating how the blonde just let them lead the night, how lewd his body became as he fell apart the moment Fred and George went down on him and gave their full attention to the whimpering mess Draco's turned to. Bodies flushed against each other and no silencing spells can contain the screams and noises of pleasure that resonated inside that room. Fred and George never met anyone with a body so compatible with theirs and it's fun to explore and experiment even more.
The stars shone brightly when they started, yet they didn't stop until the sun had risen and enveloped their satiated bodies in gentle rays of sunlight. When the twins woke up, Draco was gone and all that was left was a note containing a Floo Address.
It was supposed to be a one time thing but it happened again. And again. And again. They fell to temptation at the treasure they've found in the form of a fallen angel. The devious little brat had them wrapped around his fingers and they never realized it until the twins found themselves looking forward to Draco Malfoy's visits more often than not and it's been months until they realized they've made an entire series of creations from Draco's requests when he's let his guard down enough after being showered by affection and high on dopamines, endorphins and oxytocins. Those happy hormones are too powerful to fight off, the twins found that out because they've indulged Draco too much.
Staring dumbfounded at the dragon bookshelf they've made (a DIY side project) where the Weather Balls resided, they felt like lovesick fools.
They figured they'd fan the flames and confess immediately, there's nothing wrong with loving someone and even if their crossed paths felt like a hurricane, Fred and George will take what they can get. They're already in too deep; somewhere along the line, making love, after care and peaceful mornings that sometimes bleed into afternoons, Fred and George have fallen. They can't help it when Draco Malfoy seems to glow brightly in their eyes, with his rosy cheeks and sparkly eyes, Merlin, help them, they're goners. They're delusional because the twins like to think of the way Draco seems happier every time they meet, that it's because of them.
Fall came and went and now winter's settling in, they gave Draco Malfoy the finished products and bared their intentions to court him. Instead of fleeing, Draco accepted.
"I'm not opposed to being courted, I'm attracted to both of you and I care about you deeply. My standards are high but," Draco gestured at the warm room, rays of artificial sunlight warming him up. "You just basically changed the weather for me and that's exhilarating. I'll give you a chance."
Fred and George may have fallen first, but they witnessed firsthand how Draco fell even deeper. The blonde just doesn't realize it yet. It made them happy.
Summer passed and their relationship is still burning passionately, the fiery blonde matching Fred and George's lightning energy. They balanced work and life successfully, sacrifices and compromises were made as well. Date nights and weekday getaways highlighted the year, Fred and George never felt happiness so explosive like this.
Draco's birthday request were matching tattoos, and lovesick fools as they were, agreed and booked an appointment immediately. Fred and George honestly thought Draco would want a big one, it is, but his choice was a brilliant one.
A draco star constellation in the shape of small fireworks, under it was the aries constellation with the WWW Weather Balls' art as the stars.
Fred and George proudly showed off their left arm for weeks. When asked why Draco wanted their tattoo on the left arm, the blonde smirked.
"Well, I didn't have the Dark Mark to flaunt during the War, so I'm flaunting something much more meaningful and eye-catching than a snake and a skull."
Godric, they wanted to offer marriage right then and there!! Draco should be careful with his words, he'll slip with how smooth it is.
When in Shell Cottage for babysitting duties, Fred and George actually liked to sneak away some of Bill's home-brewed liquor. After successfully acquiring one, they invited Draco for a picnic under the stars on the WWW's rooftop. There was enough space for their romantic date there.
They watched the stars, tracing the constellations and sharing stories. Their laughter can be heard from the alleyways nearby, they get tipsy eventually and their topics gradually shifted to a more serious one as they whispered secrets and goals to the moon.
"I kept being asked where I see myself in five years during interviews," Draco chuckled. "At 24, I'm still going to have an existential crisis, I guess? Is that a valid answer?"
"Well, at 26, I think we'll be stable enough for a change of pace?" Fred asked George, grinning.
"Change is the only constant thing in this world, brother." George chuckled. "But yes, probably. How about changing the interior of the shop?"
"And adding some new exciting stuff!" The twins said in unison, laughing.
"I'd like a child someday." Draco whispered, honest and sincere. "I'd like to be able to teach them what freedom is all about."
Fred and George reached out and pulled each of Draco's hands closer to them, kissing the ring finger.
"If you wish it." Fred and George said, grinning.
Draco smiled genuinely at that, gripping the Twins' hands and giggling as he pulled them both towards him, causing them to fall into a pile of limbs and mischief.
Hours later, Fred and George watched Draco sleep, the stars twinkling up above the sky, moonlight enhancing his features, the evening breeze caressing the soft blonde locks. They gather him in his arms for warmth, pulled him closer and tucked themselves underneath the blankets they prepared. They lay awake with a slumbering dragon in-between them, praying to whoever is listening to let them be happy.
In the silence, the moon glowed bright and the stars shined for them, waiting for their relationship to unfold.
Perhaps blinded by happiness and love, Fred and George forgot they're living in borrowed time.
In another life
I'd be your darling
We'd keep all our promises
Be us against the world
In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say
You were the one that got away
The one that got away
A new year came and Weasley Wizard Wheezes' popularity skyrocketed. Fred and George were drowning in paperwork and production work, overseeing letters and documents of possible franchises from other countries, a tower of brochures of possible stores and land was magnificently stacked like the Big Ben beside a bunch of fan letters and propositions marvelously stacked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa that was held together by magic and determination.
The business was booming with a minimum of a hundred customers everyday, from their treats to tricks, to their self-defense series, to the Weather Ball series, to the Fireworks series, selling fast as if people were panic buying, the production couldn't keep up.
And by production, they meant themselves.
By Godric, they're tired.
Fred and George had a running hypothesis that Lee Jordan is their guardian angel. He was always there for them through the goods and the bads and beside them since they became roommates in Hogwarts. After crying their woes of no date nights or weekend getaways for weeks, they gained a day off away from the controlled chaotic mess they've created.
Confident that the store won't burn down in a day, (with Verity as their staff, it's highly likely), they set off to woo Draco and kidnap him legally because, well, boyfriends privileges!
They didn't have time to be with Draco and apparently, Saint Mungo's was draining Draco's energy as well so Draco couldn't have time for them. Seeing the amount of potions Draco needed to make had the twins balking in shock. No wonder the blonde just gets knocked out after a day of work.
Getting Draco away for fresh air, away from the potions fumes, turned out to be harder than they expected it to be. The Potions they were dealing with were all in their experimental stage and one mishap could lead to the very Saint Mungo's area they're working for.
Fred and George settled in waiting for Draco to finish up, putting up muggle fairy lights in their room and scattering rose petals for the cliché romantic evening date. The scented candle smelled of vanilla, Draco's favorite ice cream flavor. (On that note, Chocolate is much much more superior for the twins).
Once Draco arrived and saw the efforts the twins did, he called it lame and all but melted into the Twins' embrace. That night, they reconnected. It felt like Draco's a missing puzzle in their life that was missing and they didn't even know it.
Unfortunately, it was like putting a bandaid on a leaking faucet. It was just a temporary fix.
The year went on with off days that had them screaming and yelling and arguing about every little thing. Grudges and broken promises piled up like the Eiffel Tower and it got too heavy to bear.
Fred and George and Draco's relationship wasn't all sunshines and daisies and sugar, spice and everything nice. The Weasley clan never supported the Twins' decision of choosing Draco as the one they'd wanted to spend a lifetime with.
Their relationship was probably the rock that rippled through the surface of the river and sank down the riverbed.
As smooth as rock, their tongues are when teasing each other and sweeping the other off their feet, their tongues are like sharpened rock when they're angered and hurt.
Something about words that are akin to weapons was that the moment you say it, you can never take it back. Words can be forgotten, sure, but the sharpest words stay and haunt you in your mind for years to come.
…
"I'm never going to be good enough for them, is that it?!"
…
"You were the one who wanted something we couldn't possibly give!!"
…
"We're magical! Impossible becomes possible with magic and I'm just as smart as both of you but you're too dense to see it!!"
…
"You shouldn't be thinking about them in the first place!!"
…
"Work! Work! Work! Was that what was always in your minds?!"
…
"You should think about us in this relationship too!"
…
"I never wanted you anyway!"
…
"We could live without you, anyway!!"
…
"Well fuck both of you! You will never get me back!"
…
"You said you'd always be here for me? Ha! You're never going to leave me? What a joke!"
In a relationship that fights fire with fire, they burn. Like raging fire, they were bound to fizzle out.
People would never think that a door slamming shut and footsteps fading away can hurt someone, but Fred and George would like to disagree.
It felt like their world was shattering like a glass breaking from water pressure. It felt sudden because they couldn't see the cracks until it was too late.
I was Salazar and you were my Gryffindors
Never one without the other we made a pact
Sometimes when I miss you
I put those records on
Someone said you had your tattoo removed
Saw you downtown singing the blues
It's time to face the music
I'm no longer your muse
When picking up the pieces of your shattered heart, healing takes awhile because you bleed and bleed and bleed. It takes a while to fix it even though it won't ever be the same. Apparently, sometimes, magic is useless.
It's been years since Draco felt like this. Like he had everything but still felt like the one on the losing end. His work was scattered all over his desk, the potions all in stasis. He couldn't focus on them right now.
Newspaper fluttered down the floor as he threw it, hands shaking as he willed himself not to read the article that had him feeling like his heart's been ripped out of his chest. Again.
WEASLEY WIZARD WHEEZES TO DISCONTINUE BESTSELLING WEATHER BALLS PRODUCTION IN FAVOR FOR A NEW SERIES!!! (+ STORE INTERIOR MAKEOVER)
Draco's taken back to the rooftop under the stars, nostalgia flushing in, unwelcome.
It's been five years.
He has a child.
The twins were stable enough for a change of pace. And interior, apparently.
Echoes of the past haunted him every day, regretting the words he couldn't take back. Wishing desperately for some Gryffindor courage to manifest in him so he could see them again.
To see if they're okay.
To see if they've moved on.
He didn't need to go back to see them because apparently, glancing at the happy grins and eyes filled with mischief at the moving photo showcasing their new creation, they already did. The Weather Ball series they created for Draco being discontinued proves that.
He'd held on to their love selfishly for all these years and maybe it's time for him to make an effort on moving on as well.
Draco held back his tears and avoided looking at the picture, where the Weasley Twins' arms can be seen, no tattoos in sight. He gripped his left arm, shaking ever so slightly. He'll have to remove his, too.
He walked towards the music player charmed to play his favorite records, the ones the Weasley Twins loved to sing to him, the ones he loved to sing for them and bit his lip, wand at ready. Draco only ever played it during times he missed them. Of course, not everyday. The memory of the twins singing their song for the last time at the fundraising event a year ago resurfaced, heart clenching at the thought of never hearing it again. With a murmured spell, the music player broke.
Draco broke down as well. His tears fell as he screamed, ripping away the newspaper as he sobbed. He needed to let go of all the emotions he stored endlessly for years reserved for the two people he held closely to his heart.
His hand fell to a scrap of paper with the printed words, "The one that got away."
It might've been some article about some escaped mass murderer or a deranged person breaking out of prison, but Draco felt it fit Fred and George as well.
The ones that got away.
The ones he didn't get to fight for.
The ones he couldn't go back to.
The ones he wanted to stay.
–
With the groundbreaking potion Draco Malfoy invented when he was twenty, his grandchild's grandchildren are now secured for life. A successful noninvasive, safe and easy pregnancy potion that didn't need sexual intercourse but only DNA of upto three people before consumption had couples, and those polyamorous relationships from Magical countries flooding his Owl post for orders.
That's how Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was born.
And if anyone asks, the other two DNA that Draco used is from the Blood Bank. (They've given him two vials of blood for the testing process. It worked because the DNA in the vials were compatible with his DNA). Draco didn't check who the biological parents were (but once Scorpius was born, he had an inkling on who they could be).
Now, four years later, Draco deemed his son ready to see the magical world they live in with his own eyes for the first time. What better way to explain magic than witnessing it firsthand at Diagon Alley?
Draco held little Scorpius' hand, accompanying the little Malfoy for his first ever Diagon Alley trip. His son was ecstatic at the sight of the Honeydukes store but his eyes wandered somewhere else.
"Can we go somewhere, little Ion?" Draco asked gently, after their exhilarating tour inside the sweets shop.
"Papa went with me to the store I want to see, Scorpius will go with you too."
"We're not going inside, silly." Draco chuckled, his decision changing. It wouldn't end well when his son accidentally relayed it to someone else. "We're just going to pass somewhere else."
93 Diagon Alley
With Scorpius sufficiently distracted, Draco cast a longing glance at the flashy store that stood the test of time.
A lone tear slid down his left eye as the phantom feeling of two people hugging him had him stopping and having the crowd maneuver over him and Scorpius. Wiping away the tears in his eye with a shaky hand, Draco forced a smile on his face as he looked at worried eyes.
"Sorry baby, something got in my eye."
"I'll blow on it."
"It's okay now, let's go home?"
Home.
Draco never felt home anywhere else other than the safe embrace he once had years ago.
Glancing back at the store when something in the display caught his eyes, his forlorn smile turned genuine as he started walking again, engaging in a conversation about sweets with his beloved son.
If that was a sign, there's still hope left that a fizzle can turn back into a spark.
In another life
I'd be your darling
We keep all our promises
Be us against the world
–
To Mister Fred Weasley and to Mister George Weasley,
I've been a fan of your creative ideas for years and supported each and every launch of your inventions! This will be the first time I'm writing because I've thought of a nice idea to present to you. You probably had a lot of other people saying their brilliant beyond brilliant idea but here is something simple for you!
I was actually in a very good relationship with someone but we broke up because of all the broken promises that piled up. I never really fixed that broken bridge and want to do it in a fun way when I get the courage to fix things with them. For me, they're always 'The One That Got Away'. I'd like to change that, in another life or in this one, I don't particularly care.
Attached is a drawing by my son who wanted to help me explain it better.
Thank you for your time.
Yours,
Tom F.
–
In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say
You were the one that got away
The one that got away
–
Muggle or Wizard?
Wizard or Muggle?
Glow Sticks are for everyone!
Easy to activate, glows for hours, for fun and safety and a way to call out your loved one!
PROMISES GLOW STICKS AVAILABLE INSIDE!
(Different sizes of glow sticks are on display, in the center of it had "PROMISES" written out.)
The tagline that caught Draco Malfoy's eye was the very line he wrote on Scorpius' drawing.
Promises are like glow sticks, they're made to be broken.
((Along with the brilliant idea Tom F. gave them, The twins added a twist to make it more fun! People who bought it were perplexed and surprised as the words "PROMISES" disappeared after the glow started, replaced by "TRUTH" because Truth always come to light))
–
How fast do they say "I love you"?
They don't say it at all, it'll take a few more years to build up to it but they didn't.
In another life, maybe they will.