healing | drarry

seven

was talking ab how i miss my florida boy and he started talking to me again?

for like five minutes bro i still miss my florida boy 

~no pov

"Father?"

"Yes, Scorp?"

"I made a friend." He began. "And he wants to have a playdate. I want to have a playdate with him."

Draco tensed, not that his son noticed. He didn't want to interact with a witch or wizard. They'd recognise him, and they'd tell Scorpius who he was and what he did and everyone would hate him, including his son.

"Ah, I see."

"Can I?"

"Sure, but maybe-" Scorpius had already run away. "Maybe not today.."

Draco sighed and held his head in his hands. He needed some time to prepare himself for this, and clearly he was not getting it. He was planning to buy a phone or an owl, whichever required the least human interaction, and talk to the parent that way.

Only verbally interact with the parent if he really had to.

Before Draco had any time to prepare himself, or at least get rid of the unwanted thoughts in his head, his son and another boy came running towards him. 

Bloody hell, he looks like Potter.

"Father!" Scorpius exclaimed. "This is Teddy. His real name is Edward, but he hates that name, so he goes by Teddy." 

Draco went down to his son's height, brushing the hair out of his face. "It's lovely to meet you, Teddy. Scorpius, what'd I say about running? You're going to get hurt."

"I'm fine, father." Scorpius rolled his eyes.

Draco wondered when he son learnt sass. He sighed in response. "Say, Teddy, you don't suppose your parents are here to see if you're allowed to have a playdate?"

He knew it was a stupid question, but he had to ask. Sometimes kids did things without checking; he should know, he did a lot of stupid things as a child. He knew Scorpius was smart and had common sense, but he wasn't sure if Teddy did.

Especially since he looked like Harry Potter. Everyone knew that boy had no common sense and attracted trouble like pretty flowers attracted bees. Sometimes, Draco wondered how the Boy Who Lived survived Hogwarts.

"Of course. My father is coming over, I think." He exaggerated the word father to mock Scorpius in a playful way. "I kinda ran away with Scorpius. I'm sure he'll follow me."

Draco was both shocked and humoured. He shook his head, laughing slightly, and stood up. "Right, let's go find Teddy's dad, shall we? Don't want him to panic."

"I haven't got my stuff." Scorpius whined.

Taking a deep breath for dramatic purposes, Draco picked up Scorpius' coat and bag, and dropped down once more to dress him. He made sure Scorpius held onto his sleeves so they wouldn't roll up when he put his coat on, and then messed around with the hood. 

"Father, you can stop now-"

Draco continued to perfect his child. There was another parent coming over to see him and he'd be damned if he looked like a bad parent. He had a bad reputation already, and he didn't want to make it worse.

"No effing way."

Why was that voice familiar?

Draco stood up and turned to see Teddy standing next to Harry fucking Potter, resisting the urge to drop his jaw in shock. The similarities were uncanny, and he wondered how he hadn't heard of the Saviour of the Wizarding World having a child.

"he's yours?"

"he's adorable, isn't he?"

"not as adorable as draco malfoy being a father."

Draco blushed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I didn't hear anything about you having a kid."

Harry wondered whether or not he should explain the situation to his former-enemy, or, well, he could still be his enemy, but the past is the past. He looked down at his son and mentally shrugged; Teddy knew his background already.

"He's not my real dad." Teddy explained for him. "I love him like he is, but he's not really. My parents died. I'm a Metamorphy thing, so I changed my looks to be like dad's. I could make myself look like you."

Teddy closed his eyes and his hair turned a familiar white-blond, his eyes a mercury colour. His tanned skin paled and he grew a little. He was almost identical to Scorpius. 

Draco was unsure on how to react. "And I'm assuming this is a private subject?"

Harry nodded.

"It'll stay private." He smiled. "You have my word."

Harry opted to take the kids to a local muggle park. Despite hearing absolutely nothing about Draco Malfoy for the past seven years since his trial, he didn't trust the man. Even though Harry saved him, he still didn't trust him. It would take a while for that to happen. 

He didn't really want it at all, but his kid had become close with Malfoy's, and for the sake of Teddy, he chose to remain civil. Civil didn't mean letting his guard down, though.

He tried to hide the way his wand was protectively held under his sleeve, but Draco noticed. Not that Harry noticed the blond noticing.

The park was a safe option; out in the open, not his own home and not Malfoy's potentially-corrupt home. With muggles around, there was no way anything could happen. Harry forgot Malfoy was incapable of using magic, which meant nothing could happen, but was alert regardless.

Hopefully.

"So."

"So."

"You had a kid?" Harry began as a conversation starter.

"No I had a horse." He couldn't help but reply sarcastically. 

Harry rolled his eyes and looked at the former Death Eater curiously. "You've been radio silent for seven years. I thought you died."

I wish.

"Just figured I wasn't welcome in the Wizarding World." The blond shrugged. "I'm not, if you weren't sure."

"The war was years ago; you're a free man." Harry raised a brow. "I should know; I'm the reason why."

Draco couldn't help but feel angry at that. It was true, Potter was the sole reason he escaped Azkaban, but it was like it was a looming debt hanging over him. Potter saved him, saved the world, and Draco was some incompetent fuck-up who owed half the world an apology and more.

Sometimes, he wished Potter never saved him. He wished he was in Azkaban, suffering like deserved, until he could ultimately end his life and rid himself and every other person he hurt of the burden that was his existence.

"You got me out of there, but even you're on guard around me." Draco sighed. "Potter, you've never been good at blending in, hiding. I can see your wand tucked under your sleeve. You took me to a local, muggle park. You don't trust me. How would anyone else trust me if the Saviour doesn't?"

"Can you blame me?"

Harry realised this Malfoy was nothing like the one he used to know. He wasn't a harsh, blood-purist Death Eater with a superiority complex. This Malfoy was the result of life dealing him a bad hand, and a part of Harry wanted to sympathise, but the other only held his wand tighter.

"No. No I don't."