Chapter Text
December 20th, 2010.
The fire crackled loudly, filling the comforting silence which had spread through the living room as well as the warm glow of flames. It was almost Christmas, and as a gift to themselves, Harry and Draco bought a nice bungalow, which was now filled with many tipsy, but blissful individuals. They had both mutually agreed that as soon as it was possible, everyone would be invited. ‘What's the point in a new house, Harry, if you don’t show it off!’ Draco had said proudly, about a billion times. New beginnings and all that jazz.
“Oh, just wow! I can’t believe how lovely it is Draco and Harry. I’ll have to come back and help you both unpack.” Luna had said, sounding awestruck. Neville nodded from beside her, their house was quite nice.
“Thanks, Luna. That would be really appreciated.” Harry said.
“Yeah, congrats. but you could have at least taken a swifter duster or something.” Pansy teased, pointing at the thick layer of dust on the mantelpiece. She wasn’t completely wrong, they both couldn’t be arsed to do much since moving in, Harry only just went to the supermarket.
“Cut them some slack, Pansy.” Hermione shook her head before plopping down next to Ron on the love seat.
“Or just used a spell, it’s like you’ve both forgotten your wizards. You guys went to bloody Canada this summer! What even the fuck is that.” Pansy continued, saying whatever thought came to her mind before Blaise pulled her onto the floor with him. She was clearly the most intoxicated out of them all, besides Dean and Seamus who also had taken a spot on the dusty wooden floor.
“Oh, yeah, haha. Sorry I guess it is sort of a mess at the moment,” Draco yawned, now lounging against Harry on their new leather settee, not sounding sincere at all. “We just moved in of course.” Saying something like that so casually was unreal, and felt so weird because nothing felt completely real to him anymore.
Their childhood rivalry never went away, really. They still argued over everything now and then, but somehow, it worked. The bickering, the banter, it was just how they were meant to be and they balanced each other out in all the ways that mattered. Harry was the most loving, passionate and caring person Draco had ever met. Harry was an Auror, keyword was. A great one at that, but after years of chasing darkness, he was done. With making a huge scene, saying ‘Fuck you!’ to the ministry and taking off, he now worked at Draco’s coffee shop.
“Draco’s” was what he called the shop. The locals loved it, tourists made detours to visit, and the place had racked up enough five star reviews over the years to make even the snobbiest food critics shut up and sip their coffee quietly. If you asked pretty much anyone nearby where to get the best coffee or the only cheese croissants worth your galleons, they’d point you straight to Draco’s, then warn you to get there early because the line started at sunrise.
It had taken him plenty of time to get to a good spot in life though. His father had died from a horrific magical beast on a ministry trip after his seventh year. Apparently, the beast had gone completely feral, Luna thinks that the creature may have seen something evil in him and struck. No one knows.
Once the funeral had ended, his mother had taken his hands, still trembling, and told him, “Follow your dreams. I’ll be proud of you no matter what.” He never forgot that.
His path twisted and turned, far from what his father would have wanted, his son to grow up to be the perfect Pure blood heir, who married a witch from a respectable, influential family. The joke was on him, because Draco was in love. And maybe, in the most sappiest way possible, that was exactly what he was meant for.
“Don’t worry about it mate, it doesn’t even compare to the way our kids destroy the burrow when my parents take them for the night." Ron prompted, putting the bottle of liquor in his hands to his lips. “Fucking bonkers what a four year old and two year old could do.”
“Ohh, they aren’t that bad.” Hermione nudged him. “Rose has gotten a bit taller since everyone’s seen her, and Hugo has gotten into his terrible two stage.. he loves trying to be independent but it’s not going so well. Just last week he-“
Draco lazily lifted up his glass, still against Harry. “Hey, watch it. Those are my sweet angel's, niece and nephew you’re talking about.”
There was a beat.
Harry snorted behind him. “They’re their kids, Draco.”
Draco blinked slowly, squinting at Hermione and Ron like the idea had just landed. “…Right. Yes. Obviously. I knew that. Of course.”
Pansy rolled onto her stomach. “This is why I love it when Draco gets drunk, he turns into such a fucking dumbass. It’s so beautiful.”
Draco pointed at her with mock offense, nearly tipping his glass. “Even though that was incredibly rude… I’m still glad you’re here. All of you for a fact.” Everyone held up their cups as a little ‘cheers!’
Pansy stuck her tongue out at him. “I know your glad. I’m delighted.”
Hermione rolled her eyes fondly. “I appreciate the sudden defensive streak, Draco. But you are far too sloshed to be claiming them right now.”
Draco shrugged, unbothered. “I’m cool.”
“No you're not.” Neville shook his head amusedly, Seamus and Dean laughed.
“You’re something,” Blaise muttered, then looked around. “Wait, if you lot are all here, who’s watching the little beasts?”
Ron waved him off. “Ginny took them. Her and my mum decided to walk them around the pond. Tire them out.”
“Right,” said Draco, already losing interest.
“This isn’t everyone who was supposed to come, right? I thought Theo and Daphne were coming, and Cho and Cedric, Fred and Angelina, George? I'm sure we had a lot more coming?” Harry frowned, rubbing his chin.
“Chill out, you don’t want more guests over trust me. You don’t even have food here!” Ron called out unhelpfully.
Draco rolled his eyes. Maybe because he wasn’t close with exactly everyone until Hogwarts ended, he had to learn what everyone enjoyed, what they hated, what they were like in general. And what Ron Weasley was, was a food feen. He learned this rather quickly once Hermione was going through her first pregnancy, she wasn’t the only one who ate pregnancy cravings. Merlin, it was bad.
“Yes, because you need more food to fill your gut. We ordered pizza an hour ago, Ron.”
“Blimey, for one of the first times ever, I’m agreeing with Draco. You’ve become a full Middle Aged wizard!” Seamus spoke up, Hermione was quick to come to her husband’s defense whereas Ron just shrugged and replied “A bloke has to eat.”
“Even if that means eating through me and Harry’s survival food? We just moved and you raided our cupboards. We JUST got around to shopping.”
“Er, I was the one who went to the shops. Is anyone going to answer me?” Harry spoke up helplessly.
“Ahem, to answer your question, Harry,” Neville said. “Theo and Daphne went to Wales for the winter, don’t ask why I’m not sure I think it’s work related. Or something, who knows. Didn’t you get their card?”
“Uh, no?”
“Oh?”
Luna spoke up, airily, “Cho is visiting her parents, and Cedric is watching their boys, they have the flu she said. But both send their love and congrats on the new house!”
“That’s nice of them, I’ll have to tell them thank you.” Harry smiled..
Dean coughed. “Padma just had a baby, I heard somewhere. Parvati is helping her out.”
Draco felt Harry shift a bit,” I didn’t know Padma had the baby, what’s the name?”
“I think she had a girl, the name was something unique, I can’t remember, hold on.” Dean snapped his fingers, looking up at the roof for a moment.
Ron blinked. “Wait, huh? what? She had the baby?”
Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. “I told you that already, Ronald! Honestly, you never listen.”
Neville looked up, surprised. “I didn’t know either.”
Draco tilted his head. “Nor did I. That feels like information we should’ve received.”
Luna, who had been quietly swirling the drink in her glass, smiled. “She’s very cute. Her name’s… Harmoneigh.”
There was another beat of silence. Then—
Pansy burst out laughing, practically choking on her wine. “Oh my god. It’s such a tragedy. I love Padma dearly, I do, but what the hell? Burdening your child with a name like that is so cruel.”
Blaise covered her mouth with his hand. “Sorry. She’s speaking her sober thoughts, we knew the name already. It’s really fucking bad.”
Luna blinked at them both, frowning. “I think it’s really lovely.”
Draco started laughing too, before clearing his throat once he noticed the side eye he received from Luna and the figure he was still pressed against. “Nice to see you haven’t changed since Hogwarts, Pans. Still a bully are you?”
Neville grinned. “Yeah, honestly, you’re out here making fun of a literal baby, your name is Pansy.”
Pansy replied dramatically, putting a hand to her chest. “And? What about it? Shlongbottom.”
“Oh, that is too far.” Everyone burst into laughter. Except for Luna, who gave a quiet hum and looked down into her drink. Harry winced, realizing quickly that she took Neville’s last name when they got eloped last year. Oops.
Once drinks were refilled again, Hermione, now sitting on the ground next to Neville and Luna, spoke softly, “This is really, really nice. When’s the last time we all hung out and got to enjoy ourselves.”
“Er, since we didn’t have to worry about responsibilities?” Blaise raised his eyebrow.
“Amen to that, brother.” Draco held up his glass again, shaking his head,“I wish Vincent and Greg could of showed, they’d probably demolish the rest of our survival food though. If Ron didn’t inhale it already of course.”
“Oh- what! Are you serious? I only took a cheeky peek in there!” What Ron was referring to, was the pantry.
The others, minus Harry who still hadn’t returned from the loo, were lletting out childish laughter at their antics. “Well you were taking a ‘cheeky’ peek for a fucking while, weren’t you!?”
Harry returned from the loo with a bag of crisps, which he chucked at Ron’s head. Who was currently in the middle of an argument with Draco still.
“It’s not even survival food, you have a corner shop down the street?”
“Uh, so? You’re a grown man, Ron. A fucking father now, you can bring your own snacks for once!”
“If you send an invite out to your friends, and say you want us to make ourselves at home when you opened the door. Why can’t I look at what’s in your pantr- oh!” Ron held up the bag of crisps that landed next to him. “Harryy, my best friend. You know me so well.”
“Haha, s’ok. Draco hid them in our room just from you. But help yourself, or share.” Harry laughed, taking his seat next to Draco on the settee.
Who rolled his eyes again. All he knows is, Ron wouldn’t be sharing those damn crisps.
“You really make me question myself, hun.” Hermione laughed before kissing Ron’s forehead.
“Hmm, you know, I wasn’t going to bring this up but I feel like we have to talk about it.” Pansy sat up from where she was laying next to Blaise. The way her demeanour and attitude changed instantly made Draco think she was going to share something interesting and he got flashbacks from their gossipy teenage days.
“Is it about how Lavender Brown chopped her hair and dyed it black?” Said Seamus.
There was a beat of stunned silence and ‘huh?’ before Pansy let out a loud, delighted cackle. “Oh, oh!! That’s last week's news, but it’s still so hilarious. She has the most ghastly little fringe. I heard she’s dating a muggle, and he loves a band called ‘My Chemical Romance’ or something weird. Anyway, she’s willing to do whatever it takes so he stays with her.”
Luna lit up, “I’ve heard of that band!”
“She looks like fucking Snape. It gives me the creeps.” Dean snorted, before pointing out that Ron had a fling with her once. He was still busy with the crisps.
Neville still looked vaguely disturbed. “Wait, but why would she dye it black? That’s such a choice.”
“She’s obviously desperate, Neville.” Hermione said.
“Lavender has always been desperate.” Harry shrugged. “What was the other thing you were going to tell us, Pansy?”
“Oh, right. Well, I heard from a friend of a friend, that Justin Finch Fletchley and Ernie Macmillan, from Hogwarts. If you remember them or course,” she waited one more moment for suspense.”They are engaged! Who saw that coming, I know I didn’t.”
“Woah, what? I thought Ernie and Hannah were together?” Harry questioned, perhaps being an Auror made him miss out on everything.
Hermione shook her head. “They were.”
Draco made a face, it took a second but it finally clicked who the conversation was about. “Eugh, the Hufflepuffs? One of those fuckers hexed me in sixth year for dating a bloke.” He gestured to Harry.
Hermione, sweet smart Hermione, simply answered, “Well, at least now you know why.” Everyone stared at her. She just sipped her drink, completely calm. “Hm?”
“Hermione Granger,” Draco jabbed a finger in her direction. “You know I love you dearly. But I hate whatever you just insinuated, never speak again..”
She blushed, brushing a bit of hair behind her ear. “I just meant, it’s common for people to have internalized homophobia. It’s when someone hates something in theirselves so much, they try to destroy it in someone else. I’m not saying everyone who is homophobic is secretly gay, but that kind of cruelty can come from fear, shame and projection.
Draco didn’t know how to feel about that, he kind of wished he didn’t saying anything at all but nodded along. “Okay, that makes sense I guess.”
There was another beat of silence
Then Luna softly said, “I just hope he’s happy now.”
Ron nodded once, as Seamus said “Yeah. Me too.”
Across the room, Pansy, drunk and swaying slightly with her glass, pointed at Hermione and slurred, “You’re such a nerd for knowing stuff like that. Like, who just knows that kind of thing?”
Hermione didn’t even blink. “People who read and learn? Not just after school.”
“Mmm. Nerd,” Pansy said again, proudly, before taking a huge swig and nearly dropping her glass.
“Okay, that’s enough for you pans.” Blaise took the glass out of her hands and set it on the dusty mantelpiece.
Neville raised his hand awkwardly. “Actually… I saw Ernie, like, a few weeks ago. In this café near St. Mungo’s.”
Draco’s stomach flipped.
Café? What café?He hadn’t heard Neville mention going anywhere. Not his own cafe, clearly. Traitor! But he said nothing and let Neville go on.
“He seemed… really good. Like, calm. Happier than I remember him being at school.” Neville smiled faintly. “It looked like he found himself.”
“That’s nice!” Luna smiled. Everyone nodded in agreement.
The others carried on in conversation afterwards with laughter and bonding. Draco had zoned out, making a mental checklist of what he and Harry had to start doing. Decorating for Christmas wasn’t a priority, but it would be a bad look for their own home as it was the only one without Christmas lights on the street. He may have stayed adrift in his thoughts, but the voices around him pulled him sharply back.
“Yeah! I thought about that on the way here,” Neville laughed.
“Oh great, I thought I was the only one.” Ron chuckled, swinging an arm around Hermione.
She was also grinning, “How could anyone forget that party!”
Pansy and Blaise were laughing too, Seamus looked embarrassed. “I thought Professor McGonagall was going to murder me, she never looked so pissed. I almost boked on her shoes!” This cause everyone, besides Luna, Harry and Draco to laugh harder
“Um, I’m confused?” Harry asked, starting to laugh along a bit but still obviously out of the loop. Draco felt the exact same way.
“What party exactly are we talking about..” Draco asked, furrowing his brow.
The laughing stopped at once.
Dean looked amused “You don’t remember the absolute disaster of a party we had in Hogwarts!?”
Harry shrugged, seemingly confused. “Not really, no. Maybe bits and pieces? I think you have to fill us in still.” He gestured to his husband.
Dean sat up straighter. “Well, okay. So in the fifth year, Professor Mcgonagall hosted a Christmas party. Correct me if I’m wrong,” he looked towards the others. “And our party was just the Slytherins and Gryffindors.” He once again looked at the others for validation.
Pansy groaned and dragged a hand over her face. “Oh, for Merlin’s sake. You’re missing all the important parts.”
Dean squinted. “Important parts? What else is there to say? It was a party. With Slytherins, and Gryffindors. End of—oh.” His eyes widened in sudden memory. “Oh, wait. Seamus!” He threw an arm around Seamus’ shoulders, grinning. “This little Irish menace spiked the punch and got half the year plastered.”
Seamus barked a laugh, almost spilling his drink.
Everyone burst out laughing. Everyone except Luna, Draco and Harry, who both sat back with matching frowns of concentration.
“I still don’t remember” Draco’s brow furrowed again.
“Hang on,” Hermione cut in, tapping her glass thoughtfully. “That was the same year McGonagall made us do Secret Santa, remember?”
Ron perked up. “Yeah! I got Goyle. Bloody impossible to shop for, by the way.” He took a swig of his drink.
Something shifted in Draco’s expression, like a window being cracked open. “I… think I’m starting to remember.”
Blaise, lounging across two cushions, smirked. “Course you do. That was the night we played Seven Minutes in Heaven.”
Draco sat bolt upright. “Oh my god.” He buried his face in his hands, groaning. “I remember now.”
Harry’s eyes widened in slow realization. “Wait! ” He pointed at Draco. “That’s when we got together!?”
The room went silent.
“Seriously?” Dean said at last. “Because of Seven Minutes in Heaven?”
Draco let out a helpless laugh. “Apparently. Don’t look at me, I was drunker than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Neville piped up, grinning at Draco. “I remember people couldn’t believe the son of Lucius Malfoy turned out to be such a lightweight. You puked on the snack table, mate.”
The circle dissolved into laughter again, voices overlapping as everyone chimed in with scraps of memories they had from that night.
Hermione’s voice cut through. “But hang on. That doesn’t explain how you two went from that party to… well, being together. It couldn’t have been that quick.”
Draco smirked into his glass. “It’s a long story.”
“It’s not,” Harry said at the same time. “It happened fast.”
The group leaned in, intrigued.
Pansy crossed her arms, triumphant. “Well, then tell it. Tell us how it actually happened.”
Harry shook his head, flushed and grinning. “Not tonight. I’m way too drunk to get through it without embarrassing myself.”
Draco chuckled, raising a brow. “Are you serious, love? I’m sure they’d love to hear the story of when you first-”
“Yes! I’m sure,” Harry said firmly, but he was laughing hard too.
“Come on,” Pansy urged. “We want the story!” The others joined in.
With a theatrical sigh, Draco pushed himself up, swaying slightly as the room tipped around him. He held up his glass like a toast. “Alright, fine. My dear, annoying children—” he paused, smirking as laughter rippled through the group. “This is how it all began.