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Draco sighed as he dropped into one of the chairs around the kitchen table. Narcissa looked up at him from where she was preparing some sandwiches.
"What's up?" she asked. Draco sighed again.
"Is this about Harry again?" she asked. Draco sighed dramatically again. Narcissa shook her head and smiled at him.
"When's Neville going to be home?" he asked.
"Alice has gone to pick him up, they'll be back soon," Narcissa said.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked.
"It was Alice's idea," she said. "A picnic, the four of us, out in the woods."
"Mum always has the best ideas," he mumbled. Narcissa just shook her head and sighed.
"Have you done all your homework yet?" Narcissa asked.
"Mama!" he complained. "It's the summer I don't want to think about school."
"So you haven't," she said. Draco groaned. "You'll have to start on it soon." Draco groaned again.
"I'm meant to be going to father's this weekend aren't I?" he asked instead.
"Yes, and you can do some of your homework there," Narcissa said. "How about instead of moping at the table you come help me pack up the picnic?"
Draco sighed again, he'd gotten very good at that recently. Sighs and groans where common from the thirteen year old. Still he did get up and help. The pair fell into an almost familiar routine of making.
Once everything was neatly packed into the basket, Narcissa turned to the back door to place the basket down. Draco turned too, hopping up to sit on the side. Heavy pelts of rain started hitting the glass.
"Ah," Narcissa said.
"Ah," Draco echoed.
"What would Alice do?" she asked, staring at it.
"Something clever probably," he said, grinning at her. Narcissa shook her head at him, but she was smiling too. Narcissa put the basket down on the floor and hopped up onto the side next to her son.
"How long until mum and Neville are back?" Draco asked, leaning into her slightly. Narcissa looked to the clock hanging above the fridge.
"Five minuets I'd guess," Narcissa said. Draco hummed and jumped down.
"What would mum do in this situation?" he asked, echoing Narcissa's earlier question.
"Indoor picnic," she answered instantly. They grinned at each other.
"Could we have it in a blanket fort?" Draco asked. Narcissa nodded.
"When they get home we'll tell them the new plan," Narcissa promised. Draco ran off to the living room, and Narcissa returned to looking out of the door.
The familiar sound of apparation sounded from the hallway. Narcissa grabbed her wand from the holster she kept on her thigh and stepped into the hall. Alice was already using her wand to dry off Neville, so she dried Alice off.
"It's raining," Alice informed her with a smile.
"Is it? I thought you'd gone swimming," Narcissa said, laughing slightly.
"We could have gone swimming, the high-street was flooding!" Neville complained.
"The heavy rain has flooded the local pond, it's starting to back up into the street," Alice explained. "What are we doing with the picnic?" Draco skidded into the hallway with a grin. Alice reached over and ruffled his hair. Draco scrunched up his face and glared at her.
"Mum," he complained. Alice laughed at him. "But we're going to have the picnic in a blanket fort in the living room and watch old movies!" Neville lit up and the pair ran off to the living room to set it up. Alice sighed and leant into Narcissa, who wrapped her arm around her waist.
"How was brunch ice-cream?" Narcissa asked. Alice sighed again.
"Awkward, like usual, but it's been getting better. We all used to be friends, and now me and Frank are so stunted with each other," Alice said.
"You two hooked up three times, ended up pregnant, and tried to form a relationship from it. You spent five years on that, and sure it's what eight nine years later? But it still takes time," Narcissa said. Alice hummed and nodded against her.
"We should check on the boys before they destroy the living room," Alice said, stepping away.
"Like they did last week with the potions?" Narcissa asked. Alice shuddered and dragged her to the living room.
Draco and Neville convinced them to help with the blanket fort. It was hard to deny either them separately when they pulled out the puppy dog eyes, but when they did that together it was impossible. Especially with family things.
"I thought these days were over when they started Hogwarts," Alice whispered to her as the boys started a small cushion fight.
"They're our boys, they're never going to grow out of this," Narcissa whispered back as she draped a third blanket over the back of the sofa and onto the sofa cushions. Alice helped her straighten it out and the boys stopped their fight to duck into the fort.
"I think it's done," Draco called.
"Yup, just need the picnic," Neville added.
"Well," Alice said, "you boys can go get it while we set up a movie." Both boys groaned.
"But we're comfy," Draco complained.
"Shift it, I wanna be comfy too," Narcissa said. Draco pouted as she slipped into the fort.
"Do we need to put the tv on the floor?" Alice asked. Narcissa called out conformation as she pushed her kids out to get the food. "Black Cauldron, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, or the Labyrinth?"
"What one did we watch last?" she asked, relaxing back against the sofa. It slipped back slightly.
"Hang on, I'll stick it in place," Alice said, muttering a spell. "We watched the Labyrinth a couple nights ago, but as a family we watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks last."
"So Black Cauldron then," Narcissa said. Alice hummed as the boys came back in.
"I got us some cola too," Neville said slipping into the fort. Narcissa shuffled to the corner and Neville sat directly next to her, putting the jug of cola and the four cups onto the tray Narcissa had put near the entrance.
The Black Cauldron started up as Draco sat next to Neville with the plates in his hands. Alice joined them, and squeezed in at the other corner of the fort. Draco handed everyone a plate and they piled food from the basket onto them. Narcissa and Alice knew that one day they wouldn't have this with their kids anymore, but they cherished the moments they did. It wasn't the first time they'd had a picnic inside, and it probably wouldn't be the last. It still felt special though.
"Mama?" Neville asked quietly. Narcissa hummed and looked at him. "Can you help me with my potions homework after this?"
"Course I can," Narcissa whispered back. Alice smiled at the pair and felt her heart flutter a little. There was something so wonderful about seeing the love of her life so clearly caring for her kid, and her kid trusting her in turn.