The Manor

Laughter

'Delighted, Ted. It's been too long since you came and stayed. I want a cuddle.'

'You've got one!' the young boy said and Harry could hear the grin in his voice. He had, in fact, only stayed a few days earlier but Harry loved seeing him. Somewhat awkwardly, because he was blindfolded, Harry hoisted Teddy up into his arms and they had a strong cuddle that threatened to squeeze all the bloody air out of Harry's lungs. Amazingly, it made Harry feel better than he had in a long time.

'Round about here, I think, don't you, Teddy?' Draco said and Harry could tell Draco was smiling too.

'Sure, Draco.'

Harry liked the way the two got on whenever Teddy stayed. It was good that Draco was connecting with Andy and that side of the family. It was offering Draco something that was missing from his life.

With Teddy still in his arms, he felt Draco stand close behind him, his chest brushing Harry's back. He slipped his cool hands beneath the blindfold so they were over Harry's eyes as Teddy untied the blindfold.

Of course, he could tell they weren't alone, he could sense the unnatural quietness, and he could hear Rose gurgling softly as Hermione bounced her on her hip and he could smell Luna's perfume on the still air. But it didn't diminish his astonishment when Draco whispered, 'surprise' in his ear and stepped away and Teddy wriggled out of his arms to pull him forwards.

Luna (Harry thought it had to be Luna) had strung up lights into a huge oak tree near the water's edge and beneath it was a long oak table and mis-matched benches and chairs around it. The table had a long white runner and white crockery, wine glasses, and hundreds of jars of flowers from the gardens. It was all interspersed with balls of white flames in jars amongst plates of sandwiches and fancy pies, salads and hot potatoes, fresh fruit and cake stands. And stood around the table waiting for him was Luna, Andy, Ron and Hermione and Rose, of course. But also, Theo, Neville, Hannah, and Minerva. Bill and Fleur too, with Victoire, Dominque and Louis, George and Angelina with Fred II, Ginny and Felix, and Molly and Arthur. Percy was in New York on a secondment to MACUSA but even Charlie had come all the way from Romania, so here were his family and closest friends, all here for him.

A silent 'oh' formed on his lips as they yelled 'SURPRISE!'

'Fuck!' he muttered quietly under his breath and then he said, 'thank you.' He knew he was fighting back his tears because never, never had something meant so much to him. He fumbled behind him to find Draco's hand and give it a quick squeeze in appreciation for what he'd obviously organised at very short notice with Luna.

Ron was rushing forward with a glass of wine and an apologetic look on his face, 'mate... I'm so sorry. We never even... bloody hell, I just feel so crap...'

Harry hugged him, 'no, don't! This is bloody amazing. I'm speechless. You're all here, for me.'

He made his way around everyone, Teddy clinging to him because Teddy invariably did when they got together. And when he eventually got to sit down in the middle of the table, surrounded by his friends and family, he couldn't stop smiling. Especially when he saw Draco and Theo sitting together, clearly starting afresh so that a broken friendship was being mended. And Draco was sitting next to Andy too. He smiled to see that Rose was on Draco's knee again, despite the highchair next to Ron. She was obviously searching for his long plait and had to opt for just tugging on the longer lengths at the front. He and Draco caught eyes (because when didn't they) and Harry mouthed 'thank you' before being swept into a conversation with George and Bill and Charlie. But he kept looking to Draco, and Draco was there, meeting his gaze and he didn't fail to register how often this was the case. Nor did he fail to notice that Draco always looked slightly anxious, as if seeking reassurance for something he wasn't sure about, but Harry still couldn't work out exactly what it was yet.