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Ms. Bell was displaced, everyone in the room could see and it was justified. Her son, Simon Bell, was sitting next to her with a mean face and a bandage arm. Lily didn’t have to look to her side to know the disapproving face her dad was giving her. Her eyes were set at Headmistress McGonagall sitting in front of them, she had warned her about this meeting and it was going exactly as Lily knew it was going to go. You might’ve as well mistaken her for Professor Trelawney.
“This behavior is to be expected when the child was raised by- by someone like him.” Ms. Bell says in a nasty voice. Lily feels the chair next to her stir. Comments like these weren’t the first to be heard by her or Draco Malfoy, but something about specifically this person saying it had bother her dad and she didn’t know why.
“Ms. Bell, I’m sure we can act civil and reserve unnecessary comments not related to this meeting, correct?” Headmistresses McGonagall said with a disapproving gaze, Ms. Bell seem embarrassed and whisper a small agreement. “Now that we have discussed what had happened, I will like to inform that this seems to keep happening. No matter how many detentions or harsh punishments they are given they continue to be hostile with each other. Specially young Ms. Malfoy, she seems to not only be aggressive with young Mr. Bell but with other students and professors as well.”
”No surprise there, the child is a Slytherin and the daughter of Draco Malfoy.” Ms. Bell doesn’t hold back.
“And Harry Malfoy. It takes two to make children, I’ll have you know.” Draco stands from his chair and faces Ms. Bell, Lily follows him. “I’m beginning to feel sick with your unprofessional and targeting behavior towards my child. It is extremely disrespectful and my husband will be hearing about this!” He turns to Headmistresses McGonagall “I understand my child’s behavior is unacceptable and I will get to the bottom of this tantrum. I would like to take Lily home for the weekend so her father and I can have a proper discussion about this. If it works with you, Professor McGonagall.”
“There’s no problem with me, if it helps Ms. Lily’s behavior at Hogwarts I will allow it. I would hate to see Ms. Malfoy having to leave Hogwarts.” McGonagall nods in approval and Draco jesters the same. Ms. Bell’s face shows a satisfied look at the posible expulsion of Hogwarts. “And as of you, Ms. Bell I also suggest a talk with your son, after all, Lily hasn’t been the only one getting into trouble here.”
”Of course, Professor.” She quickly says.
“You may both leave, I hope to see some improvements by next week.” Draco takes his daughters hand and walks out of the Headmistresses office.
They walk hand in hand through Hogwarts, Lily knows she should be some what embarrassed by being pulled around like a toddler. Is a friday evening and everyone is outside getting a breath of fresh air after suffocating classes. Everyone seems to be looking at them, but Lily didn’t dare pull her hand away from her dad. Not because of some scary consequence for doing so, but rather how she would react.
She didn’t regret anything or felt the need to apologize for her behavior, if the people around her would simply act with decency she wouldn’t have to act this way. Even tho Lily feels this way about her actions she also felt embarrassed, angry and… hurt. She hates to disappoint her parents, she hates to disappoint him . It’s true that her parents don’t demand things from her but they do believe that they have raise their children to make good choices. They expect so little from her and yet she felt like she at least could pull herself together and behave properly. Maybe the things that made her some what regret her actions was that she didn’t want to worry them. Her parents had so many things in their plate and she didn’t want to also be a worry.
“Dad, I-“ Draco stops walking. They have already reached the courtyard, it really was a beautiful day and Lily was not the only one to thinks so by how many students where walking around.
”We’ll talk home, Lily. With Harry, I’ve already sent him an owl, he should be on his way.” Draco says and finally lets go of Lily’s hand and starts walking again. Lily looks at her empty hand, her face covered by her beautiful blond hair fills with tears. The breaking point.
”Wasn’t father at a very important Auror meeting in York?” She finally said in a quiet sob.
Draco turns with a soft face and he kneels in front of her. He knows how she feels, he himself was once there when he was younger, happy to follow Lucius expectations. Draco’s father in this situations had just kept walking with the confidences that Draco would follow and hide his tears but, unlike his father, Draco couldn’t just ignore his children in times of distress. One thing he had learned from all the years he had been with Harry is that emotions are beautiful and with reason, if Draco had thought any different he wouldn’t have had children.
“He was, but you’re more important than that.” He quickly wipes his daughters tears. It was true both her parents made their children a priority and they made sure that everyone around them understood that.
”But, I don’t want him to do that because of what I did.” Lily cried some more. She could feel the embarrassment catching up to her, what did her father had to say; ‘Sorry, I have to leave, my daughter is a trouble maker’ and leave important work?
“Then you should’ve of thought about that before you had hex the Bell boy.” Draco stands, and offers his hand again, Lily takes a hold of it and this time she squeeze harder but he doesn’t seem to care. “You are the most important thing to Harry and I, for you this may be a silly drama but for us the silly thing is the ‘important’ work.” He pulls again and continue walking. “I know you, Harry knows you, and we know you wouldn’t be behaving this way for no reason.” Lily stops walking and he turns again.
“You think father will be mad at me?” It was stupid to think this way, Harry never got mad. He didn’t get mad when Teddy left in the middle of the night to a party he wasn’t allowed to go and he had to leave in the middle of his night shift at the office to find Teddy and drop him off at home to a very mad and vocal Draco. He also didn’t get mad when Scorpius took Harry’s Auror robes and threw them in the fire because he didn’t want him to leave on his ten day work trip, which Harry simply decided to go for only three days and come back with a two week vacation to spend time with family. Her father just wasn’t like that.
“When has Harry ever gotten mad at you, or anyone?” Draco answered, he also knows all of this and more things that Harry has done for his children, things that their children didn’t even know or remember themselves.
Draco leans down and gives Lily a hug. This display of affection is common in the comfort of privacy but rare to the public eye. Draco nor their children liked public displays, not because it was embarrassing but because feelings where personal and special not a scene to be watched as entertainment. Especially considering that the Malfoy family was constantly in the public eye. Articles of their family where posted daily, detailing every fact about them: Draco and Harry’s wedding, Harry’s choice to take the Malfoy name, Teddy’s adoption, Lily’s birth, Scorpius’s first steps. Every big or small thing about the Malfoy’s was known to the public, so simple displays of affection or significant moments meant so much more when it was just the five of them.
The crying finally stops, wiping away her tears and with a smile from Draco they leave the grounds of Hogwarts with a loud pop in the air.
“Welcome back, Lord Malfoy and young Ms. Malfoy.” Kreatcher greet them with a raspy voice.
“Has Harry arrived?” Draco asks while undressing his coat that protected him from the fall breeze.
“He has not.” He answers and takes a hold of Draco’s coat.
“Would you please prepare the drawing room? Harry, Lily and I will be having a small family meeting. Chamomile tea will be fine, and please make sure no interruptions happen.” He leans and takes Lily’s coat off as well to hand to Kreatcher and softly brushes her blond hair back in place with a loving face. Lily knew that look, her dad used and still does the same to Teddy and Harry when they came home, softly tidying their hair, immediately wiping their faces of any crumbs or stains, or brushing away invisible wrinkles on their clothes. It was his way of saying ’I had miss you so much and it feels like I haven’t seen you in a millennia’ so he takes every opportunity to get close and share touches.
“Dad! You’re back! Look at what I drew.” Scorpius hands him a pice of sketching paper. It was a beautiful pencil sketch of a bed of pansies in the garden that were enchanted to grow all seasons.
“Scorpius, this is amazing!” Draco scruffs his black straight hair into a mess. “Are you thinking of coloring it?”
“I don’t know, what do you think?” He shows Lily the drawing properly.
“Are you sure you drew this, looks like a 3 year old did it.” She laughed, Scorpius huffs and Draco just smiles in amusement.
“At least I don’t laugh like a pig.” Scorpius says holding his nose up mockingly.
“Play nice.” Draco says addressing both of them and leaves to find Harry’s where about.
“What are you doing here?” Scorpius ask with suspicion. “Did you get kicked out of Hogwarts?” He grinds.
“You wish I was.” Lily rolled her eyes.
“Actually, I don’t. It’s so much fun not having you here. I have dad all to myself.” He says with a smog look.
Dad all to himself? Lily would never say out loud that she was jealous of him because of it. Having Draco around was nice, he was always so attentive. He always encouraged them to explore, find their interests and he even tried to learn them and participate himself. They never felt discouraged or prohibited to do things. Lily still could remember one core memory of her that shaped and molded her to be just that, herself. She was about six years old and she wanted to climb one of the trees in the garden. Even tho it was dangerous Draco let her climb, with his wand ready for a fall, face of concern and a mouthful of multiples ‘Do you feel safe?’ but he let her. He trusted that his Lily could do it and if she didn’t he trusted that she would tell him. At the end she did climb the tree, and once at the top got scared and quickly asked him to put her in the safety of the ground again. Draco did just that with a smile on his face and a long string of many ‘you’re so brave’ and ‘I knew you could do it’ as he held her.
“I’m still his favorite, after all I’m his only child, you where found in an ally.” Lily laughed once more.
“You must be confusing me with yourself, weren’t you the one raised by dragons in Romania?”
“You know that’s wicked, right?” She laughed again.
“You’re right..” Scorpius says a little disappointed by his attempt on an insult.
“Kids, Harry’s here.” Draco says walking towards them with a joyful Harry following behind.
“Father’s home!?” Scorpius runs pass Draco to find Harry.
“Scorpius, be safe.” And just as Draco says that Scorpius runs straight into a vase placed in the hallway. Scorpius drops to the floor same as the vase, ending with a loud crash and a little pained moan.
“You’re ok, Scorps?” Harry gets to him quickly. From the floor Scorpius looks up at his father and immediately stands and jumps in Harry’s arms like nothing had happened.
“Father! What— a— do—“ He says pressing his face in Harry’s chest not being able to understand pass muffled sounds. Draco quickly fixed the vase and call’s a house elf to find a new home for the item.
“Scorpius, are you ok? Show me your face.” Draco pulls a white handkerchief from his pocket and examines his son’s face carefully rubbing and messing with it to see.
“Does it hurt anywhere?” Harry asks and pulls Scorpius away from his body so Draco could have a better look.
“He’s fine, he drops and falls all the time.” Lily says rolling her eyes.
“I could be dying and in your eyes I would look fine.” Scorpius answers. Draco kisses his cheeks as a sign that he was in fact ok and Harry set him on the floor.
”Scorps, your dad said to be safe” Harry gets his attention.
“I know, I’m sorry.” He apologizes.
“Be safer next time, ok.” Draco tells him and brushed his hair neatly. “Now, your sister, Harry and I have a very important discussion. Can you find something to pass the time while we finish?” Draco asks him.
“Only if you help me make natural paint for my drawing.” Scorpius answers with a smile and his pinky finger up.
“Deal.” Draco takes his pinky on his and Scorpius leaves pleased.
Together they walk to the drawing room. Nervous, that’s how she felt. The thought of having to open up to her parents about this situation was… scary. It wasn’t because Harry and Draco were hard to talk with, it was actually relaxing not having to keep things to one’s self. But this thing, this specific thing she had to now talk about was difficult.
Why has she been missed behaving at Hogwarts? Hexing students, talking back a her professors, and not doing her schoolwork. What was going on? Not to mention it was Lily’s first year at Hogwarts and not only has she managed to live both her parents reputation at Hogwarts she had managed it in only four months.
“Cissy?” Harry calls her. Draco from his chair pours some chamomile tea for Harry, adding a spoon of sugar and a dash of milk, just as Harry likes it. “How are you doing in Hogwarts? Are you liking it?”
“I guess so.” She answers not being interested in elaborating any further. Harry sighs and Draco takes a sip from his own cup of tea.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t go to the parent meeting today” He apologizes to her. Him apologizing to her makes her heart squeeze in a away that only hurt. How was he the one apologizing for a simple thing as a parent meeting addressing the behavior of his troubled kid. It was so unfair and only made her mad.
“It’s fine father, it’s not like you really care, with you being so busy all the time.” She didn’t really meant it. Feelings were hard and she is just a child. Hurt, mad, that’s how she felt and she wanted him-, no, she wanted them to feel the same.
“Lily, don’t speak to you father tha-“ Draco stops at the light touch Harry gives him. It’s upsetting, and all Harry can do is reason and remind himself that his daughter doesn’t really mean her words and that there’s something more to it.
It’s still hurts. Harry has always been busy working and even tho he makes time to be with his family he still can’t get rid of the feeling that it is not enough. It’s not enough compared to Draco, Draco takes care of the kids. Draco was the one that stayed up late to feed their baby’s, keep them entertained, and do most, if not all, of the raising of their children. Draco would just remind him that it was not true, that yes Harry had his job and bought in money that they didn’t really need but he always put his children first, when they would get sick Harry was the one taking days off work to stay with his kids until they got better. Harry was also the one that woke up every morning and cooked breakfast for everyone because it was the only time of day he was definitely home in comparison of waiting for him at dinner time when he almost couldn’t make it every single night at a reasonable time. It was also Harry the one that spoiled, bragged and kissed good night to his kids at one in the morning when he finally got home. Just as Draco had his roll in their children’s lives Harry also had his and he couldn’t forget that.
“What was the meeting about?” Harry simply asks not address her previous answer. Lily looks at them and takes a sip of her own cup of tea that Draco poured for her. She didn’t answer, she didn’t really know how to explain what was actually wrong. She didn’t really want to hurt them, and she new that the things that she was thinking and the things that where happening at Hogwarts will make them upset, truly upset in comparison of her saying a few rude comments.
“Our Lily has not been making good decisions at Hogwarts.” Draco answers knowing that otherwise they would be sitting in silence.
“How so?” Harry asks.
“Today’s decision was to hex another student, Katie Bell’s kid.” Draco answered him. Harry turns and looks at him with slight worry.
“Are you ok?” Harry asked, sharing a light touch with Draco.
Katis Bell, Harry had almost forgotten her. Just the mention of her name brought up so many memories. Unwanted memories, memories that neither Draco nor Harry wanted to be reminded of. And that’s just it, no matter how much they have changed or how much they had contributed to the community they can’t simply forget or change the past. They are memories now but at some point it was very real and happening without a knowledge of what was to happen with the decisions they had made. They where young and scared, now they are older but scared all the same.
“I am…” Draco simply just nods and takes a hold of Harry’s hand. Draco turn to Lily and takes a deep breath. Just like Harry, Draco is completely confused. Lily has never acted this certain way, and maybe she was acting this way simply because it was a big change. Like most magical children, Lily has always been in the company of her parents since birth. Moving to Hogwarts after living with your parents for eleven years was a serious thing, especially considering that she would only visit and stay with them during Yule and summer breaks for the next seven years. “What is really going on? You know you can tell us.” Draco says holding his breath, tightening his hold on Harry not daring to let go.
”You know, I was also a troublemaker at Hogwarts too.” Harry tried to find something to relate to the situation.
“Yeah, Harry and I used to scuffle and throw some hexes at each other.” Draco contributed.
“Now look at us! Eleven year old me would of never believe I married this guy.” Harry said jokingly but Lily didn’t seem to budge.
Draco was nervous, concerned and also a touch scared. Something was wrong and he couldn’t think of what it could be. Draco’s and Harry’s years at Hogwarts were… unique. Just the thought that perhaps one of his children were experiencing a similar ‘adventure’ at Hogwarts as Harry had in his time there was most definitely concerning. The wizarding school was much safer now, and headmistress McGonagall had and still did improvements to the school’s curriculum, students activities, and safety. It wasn’t like it was before, like many things, just like Harry and Draco, they had change and evolved.
Lily herself takes a deep breath. There’s no point in stalling, even if she didn’t want to, she had to tell them.
“You didn’t tell me.” She says, eyes glued to her cup of tea in the table as if she was waiting for it to cause a reaction and explode.
“What is it that we haven’t told you?” Harry asked carefully.
“How dare both of you not tell me anything before going there.” The thought of it made her mad. Didn’t they trust her? “I know wizards don’t like us, specially dad and I also know that father is seen differently than us. I know this and I’m not implying that you both didn’t address it before I went to Hogwarts but if I’m being honest, the stories that I was told were a very, very dumb down version of what actually happened.” Saying this out loud seemed more real, it was a big deal and it made her so much more mad. “How dare both of you feed me this vague story! Did you think I was going to go my whole life without knowing? I’m not a kid anymore. And it hurts so much that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me! I’m your kid, you’ve known me my whole life but I don’t know you the same way you do me.” They had to admit that the tension in the room was intense. The room had become so suffocating that Harry and Draco couldn’t seem to be able to breathe. “I don’t think you both understand that you’re part of history. Both of your life’s are written down in history books! You both were a big part it one of the most important wars in wizarding history! Everything is there, everything.” She finally gets the courage to look at them. Both of their looks of concern couldn’t help but make Lily madder. Are they really surprised with this, didn’t they go through this with Teddy? It’s almost as if they really didn’t think about this at all. Impossible, they where her parents and they should of known. “Since my arrival at Hogwarts I’ve been harassed with questions that I don’t know the answers to and crazy assignments like ‘If you where a persecutor after the Second Wizarding War would you think it’s morally and ethically correct to pardon Death Eaters under the age of consent?’, you know how unbearably uncomfortable it feels to use your dad as an example to defend your statement?! At this point they’re just targeting me! Trying to get me to talk about some secret that’s not in their books!”
Snap, the anger that Lily felt was no longer contained inside. A loud crash took over the room, every single pice of glass or ceramic had broke and scatter the floor with colorful pieces of glass. Lily didn’t seem to notice any of it, to distracted by emotions and the discussion she was having. Draco and Harry didn’t react, apart from being shocked with such a strong display of accidental magic, and in another way they also didn’t want to interrupt their daughter with something that she didn’t have control over and was reparable.
“And it’s not only professors that are bothering me about it, it’s also the others. Everyone approaches me, either trying to get something out of me or to make sure im not evil. I don’t trust anyone’s intentions.” Starting to calm down she tries to find her cup of tea but she’s only meet with a round coffee table spilled with tea, sugar and milk. A tear falls from her face. “I was so excited to go to Hogwarts, make friends, learn and do magic. Instead all I’ve done is avoid question like ‘Those your dad torture you?’ or ‘Is it true Harry Potter is possessed by a the dark wizard?’ It’s annoying, infuriating.” She finally takes a breath and looks back at her parents.
Draco is no longer showing a look of concern, it is just blank with no emotions showing through, like a mask. Harry takes a deep breath and let’s go of Draco’s hand. Draco doesn’t seem to notice, it was like he was having his own internal battle and nothing outside his head could take him out of there. Harry sits next to Lily making her turn to fully face him.
“Cissy, my love, can you do me a favor?” Harry asked her softly, she nodded. “Draco and I will need some time alone to discuss… these things you’ve said. Can we do that? We would like to have a clear mind with this subject and to be honest neither of us knows what to really say. You think you could give us an hour to process this?” Lily nodded once again and stood from her chair to leave.
“I’m sorry, father.” She says and more tears fall down her face.
“There’s nothing you have to be sorry about.” Harry stands and gives her a hug. “I love you so much, you know that, right?” He says while kissing her forehead.
“I know.” She lets go of Harry and leaves the drawing room.
Harry turns and sees Draco repairing the broken glass figurines that were displayed in the bookshelf’s one by one. Harry doesn’t say anything, he just gets close. Draco stops moving and Harry holds Draco’s waist and rest his forehead on his back. Draco ignores him and kneels in front of a broken vase to pick up it’s broken pieces, causing Harry to let go of him.
“Draco.” Harry call’s to him but no reaction. Draco keep picking and fixing shards of broken glass one by one like his life depended on it. Harry would be lying if he said that he didn’t know what was going on in Draco’s mind. After all, he had been married to the man for thirteen years, he knew him inside and out. It wasn’t the first time that Draco had gone all Malfoy-ish in front of him. When Harry and Draco first began dating he had noticed that Draco had a difficult time opening up and processing his feelings, he had only known how to hide them, bury them deep inside him. It was one of the Malfoy pureblood costumes that stuck with Draco after years of mind healers, trying to unlearn the costumes and ideology that was thought to him form a young age. Emotions were a weakness, it was the Malfoy way to drown them and keep them at bay and Harry worked hard to help Draco to not see it that way. Draco and Harry had worked so hard to come over their trauma together, they needed to know they where mentally healthy to not only take care of Teddy but to also have the confidence to have their own children together.
Harry takes Draco’s hand causing him to once again stop all movements. Before Draco could become distracted again Harry wandlessly repairs and cleans the drawing room in an instant. Draco turns to face him and looks around.
“Show off.” He says, still trying to hide his emotions.
“Draco, love? What’s on you mind?” Harry asks while guiding Draco to one of the chairs. Still no reaction. “ I can recognize you by touch alone, by smell. ” Harry says holding Draco’s face tenderly and waits for Draco to answer to there little ritual but he still doesn’t react. “ I would know you in death, at the end of the world. ” Harry keeps going. Draco stirrers under Harry’s hands and finally stared at him.
“Harry how is it that we ever thought we could do this?” Draco says, the pain in his voice was so strong that Harry couldn’t help but try to make him feel better. Leaving kisses in all the places he could because if he didn’t he was also going to brake. Draco let Harry do as he pleased and kept talking. “We are not normal, we should have never had children. Look at them, no matter how much I love them and take care of them it’s not enough, I still hurt them.” Draco eyes water and Harry’s eyes do the same because Harry love’s him and Draco being upset and doubting himself was something Harry couldn’t take. “I just love them so much, I can’t help but think that I will never be the father that they deserve. What if, unknowingly, I am becoming like Lucius?” Not being able to keep his tears in, Draco breaks.
Harry felt like a thousand knives where staving right through his heart. Being tortured by the cruciatus cursed once again. It hurt, Draco’s been working hard to not follow a single step in his father’s path. He wanted to be better, be the complete opposite of him. These desire was so strong that Draco actively avoided frases, books and even items that reminded him of his father. Sometimes he didn’t had the courage to see his mother, the only interaction that he care to maintain was writing her letters exclusively about her grandchildren. Narcissa was Draco’s everything but seeing her face was hard for him, he couldn’t help but be reminded of his teenage years and everything he had gone through. Even so, Draco still showed her his love in different ways. His daughter was named after her and Harry’s mother, Lily Narcissa Malfoy, Draco also regularly made Harry go with the children to the manor for afternoon tea, and Draco would also send her things he’d baked or handmade. It wasn’t the best relationship but it was something and he wasn’t letting go of it. But Narcissa wasn’t the same as Lucius, and that was exactly why she got such privileges. Draco tried to not think about it but sometimes he couldn’t help but think if his father even knew he was gay, that he was married to Harry Potter of all people, that he had beautiful grandchildren he would never get to see or if he even knew that Draco was ok and living a happy life. Draco didn’t know, he didn’t want to know and Harry knew this.
Harry also knew that if Draco were to find out about Harry’s business with Lucius he would be rightfully displeased. Ever since Harry started working as an Auror he had been visiting Lucius Malfoy in Askaban. Harry didn’t like Lucius but he also understood how he felt when Lucius asked him about Draco. He had heard a comment from one other Auror that was passing by with his partner to interview a potion’s smuggler. Lucius had overheard them talking about Harry’s and Draco’s relationship that had made the papers the very same day. Harry at first didn’t felt comfortable with sharing his and Draco’s personal life and left. Days later Harry came back and decided that Lucius was in Askaban and there wasn’t any harm in talking about his significant other to his own father. Yes, Lucius wasn’t the best father and would never get the chance to redeem himself and Lucius was going to forever live in his regret. Harry at the time didn’t know how it felt to be a father but he had imagen at the time that he most of felt bad. Not even knowing if his son was alive and when he found out he did, after two years, he also had found out that Draco had thrown way everything his father had given him. Harry now understood, he was now a father himself and he was glad to give Lucius a ‘chance’. Harry would visit Lucius every couple of months and share news. Lucius would never speak more then a few words but Harry didn’t mind, he wasn’t there to make friends or care about his opinion, he would just share ‘updates’. Harry knowing that he was the only one allowed to speak with Lucius gave the privilege to Lucius to be the first to know things. Lucius have been the first one to know about Draco moving in with Harry, Harry’s plans to propose marriage to Draco, their plans to adopt Teddy, their search for a new home, their plans to conceive children, and every achievement their children have made. Lucius never said anything, some times Harry would notice a displeased face or a small smile but other then that Lucius kept his mask closed and secured. Its was safe to say that neither Harry nor Lucius thought that Draco would ever become like his father, never.
“I’ve never have had a father figure that hasn’t gotten murder. And I don’t fully know what it means to be a father and most of the time I don’t know what I’m doing. You know this Draco, and I till remember what you said to me when I told you about it. You said that no one knows how to be a father, that we were strong enough to learn and become good parents together. That together we could do everything. As time goes and we keep learning, I can say that you are nothing, absolutely nothing like Lucius. Understand?” Harry wipers away some of Draco’s tears while he nods. This wasn’t a new topic to talk about between them and it definitely wasn’t going to be the last time. “Some times I feel that perhaps I should stop being and Auror. That it would be better to be home, with you and the kids.”
“Harry, you love being Head Auror. It keeps you entertained.” Draco answers, how could he have made Harry feel upset. Harry should be happy, specially after everything he has gone through. “You should be able to do what you love.”
“I know, but I also love you and our children. Their’s nothing more important to me then my family” Harry quickly replies.
“And you do show it Harry, I promise you do. I could never compare to you, you are perfect.” Draco cries, because it was true, Harry was perfect. No one but Harry could stand up for him like he did. No one but Harry could help him find himself like he did. No one but Harry could forgive him like he did. No one but Harry could heal him like he did. No one but Harry could love him the way he does.
“I think it’s the opposite. You are kind, compassionate, attentive, patient, understanding, caring, thoughtful, tolera-“ Draco cuts him off with a kiss.
“I get it, lover boy.” he laughs through tears and Harry smiles. “I’m perfect.” He dramatically says while trying to hold his laughter.
“You really are.” Harry answers taking a hold of both of Draco’s hands and kissing them. He looks back a Draco, he has red eyes, cheeks and nose complementing his light complexion, but Harry only cared for his beautiful smile. “ I can recognize you by touch alone, by smell. ”
” I would know you blind, by the way your breaths comes and your feet struck the earth. ” Draco answer.
“ I would know you in death, at the end of the world. ” Harry finishes and can’t help his heart from shrinking. He loves Draco, he loves him so much he thought himself strong enough to kill for him, dying for him wouldn’t feel enough.
Harry would destroy the same Wizarding Wold he had saved, had died for, if it meant the eternal happiness for Draco. He would steal the moon and the sun so he would never wonder in darkness. He would swim to bottom of the ocean to find all the lost treasures in his name. He would mine through volcanos to choose only the most precious of diamonds he deserved. He would rewrite every love song and book to his name. Harry would do it and more if Draco just asked.
He only cared about Draco and his children. Children that were evidence that their love was real, living and thriving.
***
It was a Hogsmead weekend and the Malfoy family had decided to make an aparece. Teddy had owled Harry and Draco about needing some additional books for classes. While only third year students and up were allowed to go to Hogsmead with permission from their guardian it was still a public place that everyone could access. Draco would always send an owl to Teddy to asks if he could go see him in one of his trips. Teddy’s answers was always a yes, he liked to catch up with Draco face to face instead of the usual letters. Occasionally, Harry would accompany Draco and Scorpius to Hogsmead to also see Teddy. It was refreshing, seeing Teddy could feel like a luxury after not being able to see him in months at a time. It specially affected Draco more than it should. Draco has taken care of Teddy since he was four years old and to Draco, Teddy was his son. Draco could miss Harry but it was never the same, unlike Teddy, Harry slept in his bed under his roof and Teddy would stay under Hogwarts roof. Draco loved his children so much he often asked himself if we was strong enough to let go and let them grow up, let them be so far away from him, to explore new things, to find themselves all without him. It was hard to think about it, his children growing up and not needing him. In this particular Hogmead trip all the members of the Malfoy family had the opportunity to go and Draco cherish it.
”Teddy!” Harry greats Teddy and gives him a hug. Teddy smiles awkwardly and tries to push Harry away. Harry was used to this, so he just holds him tighter before letting go. Harry knew none of his children like public displays of affection, and he also knew it was because people were always watching or taking photographs. Harry didn’t cared, he loved them and no one was going to stop him from showing it. Harry loved to show affection and it was also a message to everyone around them that this was Harry’s family, that he was a Malfoy and that whoever was planning to mess with them knew that they had to face the war hero The Savior, Harry Potter.
“I’ve missed you all so much.” Teddy whispers and smiles at them. Draco gives him a smile and tidies his blue hair into place. When Draco lets go of him, Teddy shakes his head like a wild dog and gives Draco a mischievous smirk. Draco chuckled and softly shakes his head in disapproval.
“Let’s hurry, I want some chocolate!” Scorpius says and pulls Harry towards the crowded streets of Hogsmead while Draco follows begin them.
“I hear you got called to see the Headmistress.” Teddy leans to ask Lily. “What happened?”. Lily’s first reaction was to change the topic and hope for Teddy to drop it, but the thought of yesterdays conversation with Harry and Draco after their brake came to mind.
“What happened your first year in Hogwarts?” She asked. Teddy stoped and stared at her deep in thought, then he seemed to realize.
”Oh.” He simply said.
“Oh, indeed.” She said. Teddy hurried to Draco’s side.
“Draco, Lily and I saw these new collection of quidditch gear in Spintwitches and we need to go and have a look.” Teddy said.
”What about the books?” Draco answered. “You two can look at the gear later, there’s no rush”.
”We can’t, they will be gone by then” Teddy begged. Draco sights and holds his hand out. Teddy passes a piece of parchment with the textbooks he needed.
”You need some galleons, Teddy?” Harry asked while Scorpius was trying to pull him away, Harry didn’t even move a centimeter.
“We are fine, thanks” Teddy took a hold of Lily’s hand and walked to the opposite direction.
“We’ll be in Tomes and Scrolls if you need to find us, ok?” Harry answers loud enough for them to hear.
Teddy and Lily skip Spintwitches and head directly to the Three Broomsticks. They walk together in silence enjoying each others company. Lily and Teddy didn’t see each other much, the only time they did was at the Great Hall for meals. Lily was to busy avoiding uncomfortable conversations while Teddy was worried about how many detention it will take for Draco to send an embarrassing howler to him. Teddy was starting his sixth year at Hogwarts, he had his friends and being a teenage Hufflepuff he was in the quest for fun, new pranks and love. In Lily’s mind Teddy didn’t have time for his little sister. In Teddy’s mind Lily was to busy adapting and making friends, and having her big brother around would be embarrassing. Right now Teddy thought that maybe if he was around, perhaps Lily wouldn’t have had to deal with the annoyance of curious wizards.
Now at the Three Broomsticks Teddy and Lily take seat and order a butterbeer for each other. They sat beside each other in a corner away from everyone else’s visiting Hogsmead. Teddy bumps her shoulder lightly encouraging her to start the conversation.
“So, how was it?” Lily asks taking a sip of her foamy butterbeer.
”It was interesting. I wish I could say that I know how you feel but it was different. My first year at Hogwarts I was meet with a lot of ‘sorry’s’, they wouldn’t stop talking about my parents. Every day I heard a lot of comparisons to my parents, and I just felt so overwhelmed.” Lily quickly picked up on the difference, Teddy was struggling with the comparison of his parents in a lamenting way while hers was more in a vigilant way. “I could only imagen that since a have the name Lupin they don’t see me the same way they do the rest of us. I get more of the pity reactions and comments. Sometimes is a big headache but I can handle it, the more time passes the less it happens. Want to know why?”
“Why?” She indulge him.
“Because in their mind I’m becoming my own person, they are realizing that I’m nothing like the idea they had of me. I’m my own person.” Teddy says while slowly spinning his mug with a concentrating look in his face, like he was getting the courage to talk about something personal and reviling. “Even tho my parents are dead they have this idea that I will be just like them or the idea of how they would of raised me, everyone forgets that I was raised by two young adult’s that had no idea what to do.” Teddy took a breath and looked at Lily with a slight smile. “At the end of the day I was raised by Harry and Draco Malfoy, I see them as my parents. I may call them by their names but they are my parents, the ones that made me who I am today.” It was true, Harry and Draco raised Teddy with all of their love and care.
Teddy didn’t know the feeling of missing family love, because he never lost it, he had it and still did. Remus and Tonks had a place in Teddy’s heart and sometimes he would wonder how it would have been having them with him. He would miss them but in Teddy’s mind he understood that what he really mourn was the idea of them. Teddy mourned the images that people had place in his mind of who his parents were and he also knew that if he were to meet then now, to him they would just be strangers. He loved them, he really did but at the end he didn’t know them and his own parents, where ever they were, would have not known who Teddy was neither. It was upsetting but in the end it was all true.
“What do you think I should do?” Lily simply asks, defending herself and taking a stand was not working. This was making her get in trouble and her message was not getting across. Teddy smirks and hold in a laugh.
“Is a Slytherin asking a Hufflepuff for advice?” He says jokingly, Lily shoved him and smiles in amusement.
”I ask you as your little sister not as a Slytherin” She frowns and laughs without being able to hold it in.
“I see, then. Be a Slytherin, be prideful in who you are and be clever and get ahead of them. No one can hurt you more than yourself. Remember they don’t know you, they have an idea of you, of how you are but they still have no idea. Use that to your advantage.” Teddy answers honestly. “It feels like you’re trying to be something that you aren’t, it’s like you’re trying to be the exact opposite to what they think you are instead of just being you.”
“But I am being myself.” Lily answers in confusion.
”Are you? Because I do remember a time when you had convinced Scorpius that you could talk to owls, and he believed it for five months. I also remember when you made Rose believe that aunt Hermione was a veela. You are good with words, Lily. Why aren’t you using them?” Teddy takes a sip from his butterbeer and waits for her to answer.
“You’re right. I think I’ve been more physical because that’s how father is. My struggle is that when people see me they see only dad, they conveniently forget I’m also Harry’s daughter not only Draco’s.” Lily did look a lot like her dad, she had perfectly straight blonde hair and had pale porcelain skin, but she had taken Harry’s beautiful green eyes. Lily was prideful and good with words just like Draco but she also had strong determination, just like Harry, she would never think of changing or giving up her challenges.
“You know? It’s outstanding to me that students still want to pick fights with you. It’s entertaining.” Teddy drowns his butterbeer and stands from his seat.
”I also don’t understand. You would think that having the Head Auror of the Mistry of Magic living in my house would be a warning. It is clear that that I would know how to defend myself.” She laughs and follows Teddy out the Three Broomsticks after paying for their drinks.
“Let them keep trying, I want to see what hex you use. Maybe give you some pointers.” Just outside the doors Teddy bumps hard into someone making him stop his laugh completely. Just as Lily was about to apologize in behalf of her brother she stops at the look of Harry with worried.
”Teddy are you ok? Did I hurt you?” He asked quickly while Draco tidies Teddy’s robes.
“I’m fine” Teddy answers and just like Draco he tidies his robes again.
“Teddy, I don’t think you should encourage your sister to misbehave.” Draco says while giving Teddy his signature dad face. “You are her big brother, you should be and example to her.”
“Are you sure you want me to influence her decisions?” Teddy asks with mischief.
“Mmm, I think I’ve changed my mind. Lily don’t listen to a word he says, my love.” Draco quickly replies and they all start walking towards Honeydukes.
“Father, just how much sweets am I allowed to get?” Scorpius asks with big eyes directed at Harry.
“The whole store if you want, Scorps.” Harry happily answers.
“Only three, Scorpius. You will upset your stomach if you eat too much.” Draco takes a stand.
“But dad! Father said I could get more.” Scorpius protest.
“Your father would buy and own the store if you asked. You know he likes to spoil you.” Draco was right Harry might just do it to please any of their kids. “Scorps, I do this for you. I don’t want you to be sick.” Scorpius dramatically sighs in frustration and heads inside of Honeyduke’s doors.
“How many can I get?” It was Lily’s turn to ask.
“You, as many as you want, you don’t like sweets.” Draco answers with a smirk decorating his face. Lily smiles and follows Scorpius inside. “And you Teddy, don’t waste your allowance.” He says as Teddy goes inside the store. Harry takes a hold of Draco’s hand and to Harry’s surprise Draco doesn’t let go. “You only get one, Harry.” And as he said so Draco tighten his grip on Harry. Harry pretended to try and let go with a gasp and an offended look.
“I am not a kid, I can eat what I want.” Harry protest while Draco smirks and is pulled by Harry inside the store.
“No you’re not. I said no.” Harry gasps once again.
“Why?!” Harry played along, Harry didn’t need any convincing. If Draco asked he would do anything and Draco knew this but both of them couldn’t help but play along their little game of pretend.
”Because I said so.” Draco smiled at the unreasonable response. This answers wasn’t even given to their children as an explanation, they thought it was so unnecessary and it was more effective and easier to just simply explain things so they understood. Unfortunately, this was Harry and Harry didn’t need any explanations.