It was the moment when Draco received an owl from Harry explaining that he would be home late, when Draco realized he was simply and utterly screwed.
My Dearest Draco,
I regret to inform you that your husband will not be able to make it home for dinner tonight because of the shitty meeting he had to attend. His heart goes out to you.
P.S. Please leave me some dinner for when I get home. My stomach already sounds like a hippogriff during mating season. Oh wait sorry, touchy subject for you x
Well, I'm off like your trousers after the kids go to sleep,
Harry
And even though he still executed his infamous eye roll, he couldn't help but grin down at the ink painted parchment placed in the palms of his hands. It all just screamed Harry. Harry. His Harry.
'The one that left me with the kids tonight.' He recalled.
After a moment of regrouping himself, he sauntered across the tiled floor of the kitchen and carried himself out through the doorframe with ease.
The darkness of the hallway filled his senses and he sought out for the light switch stationed on the wall to his left. One stride forward and he was nearly toppling over Albus' stuffed pygmy puff that was carelessly abandoned on the floor. This action seemed to trigger a reaction from the end of the hallway.
"PAPA!" Draco registered the cry as Albus, who was now charging towards his father as fast as his little legs could take him. With quick thinking, Draco's hand settled on the wallpaper and searched the area for the light switch.
"Is Iggy ok?" Albus was already towering over Iggy by the time the light permeated the room.
'I'm alright too, brat.' Draco wanted to call out, but instead he held his tongue between his teeth and surveyed Albus as he tumbled to his knees to cradle the plush toy in his arms.
He heeded the soft stomps of Scorpius in tow, desperately trying to catch up with his brother. "Albus! Albus!" He tittered through heavy breaths. He was already worn out after ten minutes of chasing Albus around their country home.
"Look! 'Corpus! I found Iggy! See?" He beamed, shoving the pink ball of fluff in Scorpius' face causing the poor boy to go cross eyed.
Draco couldn't help but stifle a laugh at his sons pronunciation of 'Scorpius'. He knew they had to work on it, but Harry and Draco couldn't bring themselves to fix it quite yet.
'As long as he doesn't put levi in front of it, we'll be fine.' He remembered Harry joking the first time they heard Albus speak his 'name'.
"Iggy, Iggy! Fluffy, Fluffy, Iggy!" Scorpius sang out while bouncing on his feet in an attempt to dance. It was his go to dance move currently, but Draco wasn't sure if you could even call it a dance move.
"Papa almost hurted her! He going to squish her with his fat feet!" Albus exclaimed whilst dramatically laying down on his back and holding Iggy up above his face. "I save Iggy from fat Papa feet!"
"My feet are not fat!" Draco breathed out an over exaggerated gasp in attempt to sound offended. This only caused Scorpius to burst out into a fit of giggles. "You know what happens when little boys are around fat feet?" Draco asked with a devious smile growing on his face.
"What Papa?" Albus replied with curious eyes and gazed up at him from the floor.
"They get stepped on!" Draco's voice roared and bounced off the walls. He shifted his weight to his left leg and hovered the other one over Albus' stomach as if he was about to squash him.
Scorpius let out a frightened shriek and dashed down the hallway to safety. He wanted to get as far away from his Papa as possible.
"Papa no!" Albus screeched, squirming and laughing underneath him. He relinquished Iggy from his grip and as soon as she hit the ground, she rolled off towards the wall. Draco's foot was soon enveloped in his sons tiny hands, and he used every ounce of strength he had in his four year old body to push his Papa away. "'Corpus! 'Corpus, help me!"
"No! 'Corpus help me!" Draco mimicked with a wide grin plastered on his face directed towards Scorpius.
"Albus! I save you, okay?" Scorpius hesitated for a moment and then he began to shift back and forth on his feet, thinking about his best plan of attack.
"Hurry 'Corpus!" He chortled out, letting his guard down for a beat. Draco took this temporary moment to remove his foot from Albus' grip without hurting the little boy.
"There's no saving you now!" He bent down and scooped him up, attacking his round cheeks with a plethora of kisses. Albus' screams crescendoed into a thunderous roar and Draco began to hear faint ringing resulting from it.
Moving his ears away from the source of the god awful sound, he lifted the soft fabric of Albus' hippogriff t-shirt (a joke Harry came home with one day. I mean really, it's been years since the incident and he still found it funny?) and blew raspberries on the soft skin just above his belly button.
"Papa! Stop!" Albus' hands flailed through the air, coming into contact with Draco's skin. Scorpius began to inch closer, his nerves were present on his round face. He was preparing himself for a battle with the beast. He had to save his brother. He just had to.
"Papa, you stop that right now!" Scorpius demanded and hurled himself at the feet of his father, latching his arms and legs around Draco's firm calf.
"Alright, alright! I surrender!" Draco gave in, placing a giggling Albus back down on the floor, which seemed to be a bad idea. Albus' interest instantly diverted to what his brother was doing. With a soft plonk on the floor, Draco soon felt the weight of another child mirrored onto his opposite leg.
"Up you get!" Draco's ears caught on to the soft laughter lingering below. Albus wriggled his bottom closer to Draco's leg in order to latch on tighter. He wasn't going anywhere.
"Come on." The impatience in his voice was salient now. He needed to write back to Harry to let him know that he got his message.
Maybe he didn't need to, but he wanted to.
"Walk Papa! You have to walk, okay?" Scorpius instructed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like Draco should've known that's what he was supposed to do.
"I have to write to Dad, Scorpius. How will he know how much fun we're having if I can't tell him?" He hoped the mention of Harry would reroute the boys focus entirely. It usually always did when Harry had to go the Ministry for day. They were so used to having both parents in the house.
"Daddy!" Their collective cheers echoed throughout the hall, and Draco finally felt the two boys scurry off of his feet. Before he could process his next move, he found himself staring back at two boys who were tripping over air in attempt to be the first one to the office.
Draco's eyes flitted down to the floor before he made his way after his children, and he spotted the pink fluff of Iggy once again abandoned on the floor.
"I know how it feels, Iggy." He breathed out and stepped over her, making sure he didn't stumble over her again.
•——————•——————•
To the pain in my arse,
I will set aside some leftover lasagna for you tonight, but it is up to you to make sure it is not poisoned, which is a great possibility considering the circumstances you left me in.
I just don't understand how you can say no to them. I just gave them chocolate bars (the ones you left out on the desk, so somehow it always comes back to you) before DINNER! Al looked at me with those eyes and how could I say no to that? I don't know how you do it. Anyways, enjoy saving the world from evil or whatever you do.
May I always live to serve you and your crown,
Draco x
P.S. Those brown marks on the parchment are NOT shit stains. Those are from your offspring and their grubby hands.
P.P.S. Albus wanted me to add this for him and I quote: "Hi Daddy. Hi. I eated your choco bar. It yummy. Daddy you're a funny man." I have no idea why he thinks you're funny. I mean really, how could he say that when a comedic genius like me is standing right next to him? That boys thought process is truly beyond me. Scorpius wanted to add a message as well, again, I quote: "Daddy, I having fun today. I like to dance, Daddy. Want to see? (He then proceeded to dance. Let me enlighten you on the wondrous moves of Scorpius Malfoy-Potter, because it truly is a sight to behold, and really, you're missing out (another reason why you need to get home NOW!): His hands are on the floor with his bum high up in the air. He's continuously bending his knees, bouncing up and down to wriggle his arse in the air. Where the hell is he learning these moves?!?!? I know it's not from you, he's got too much grace for that). Anyways, I digress. Here is the rest of 'An Inside Look on the Fabulous Life of Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy-Potter': I eat choccy too, just like Albus. I can't wait for LASAGNA (all upper case because he screamed it so loud my ears are still ringing). Cheese cheese sauce. Ok Daddy love you." Again, yes I am aware it was long, but am I able to say no to the little guy? Spoiler alert: no, I am not.
P.P.P.S. If you could not tell already by my excessively long letter, I miss you (Insane, right? Normally it will take me at LEAST 5 shots to admit so, but fuck, I'm not used to you not being here, and frankly, hanging out in your office is not improving the situation at all, so really, what the hell am I still doing in here?) PLEASE COME HOME IT IS AN ORDER AT THIS POINT DON'T YOU SEE HOW INCREDIBLY DESPERATE I AM TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR SAVIOR? Fuck the Ministry meeting, tell whomever the fuck the disrespectful bastard may be to go fuck themselves because Draco wants his husband home ASAP !
"Do you think Daddy will like my dance I did for him?" Scorpius asked, his hands gripping the sides of the dark oak desk. Draco made sure the ink pot was set aside and out of reach. That was a disaster just waiting to happen and frankly, he did not have time for that this evening.
He didn't have the heart to tell Scorpius that Harry wouldn't actually see his dance. He prayed to Merlin and anyone else listening that Harry would go along with it. He could be quite dense sometimes.
"Yes, he'll love it sweetheart." Draco reassured, ruffling his curls up. "Now I think we have some 'cheesy cheese sauce' to get to if I'm not mistaken."
•——————•——————•
"I think Daddy would want some carrots on his plate, Papa." Scorpius giggled. It was only fifteen minutes ago when the dynamic in the household shifted drastically. The sugar from their 'desert before dinner' was rushing through their veins and Draco was finding it very difficult to keep them still at the table.
Right now, the two boys were head first inside the fridge, their faces flushed and tingling from the cool air.
They already finished devouring their meal (with a fourth of it still on their faces), and Draco decided to get a start on creating Harry's plate for when he arrived home. A simple task, really. At least that's what Draco thought it would be. 'Not with two sugar induced four year olds running around.'
"Yes, carrots Papa! Daddy's just like Santa's reindeer!" Albus' spoke through laughter. "Just like his paronus!" Draco set his knife down on the counter with a long breath. God he wished Harry was here.
He shifted his weight on his feet and spun around to face his troublemakers. He didn't know whether to laugh at the sight folding out in front of him, or have a heart attack.
"Albus Severus, get off of the refrigerator door right now!" Draco ordered, scrambling towards them in panic. Albus was hanging off of the door handle, lifting his feet up in the air and swinging back and fourth, completely oblivious to the dangers that could unfold. Scorpius was now sitting inside of the refrigerator, his teeth clattering as he went through the vegetable drawer to find carrots for his Dad.
The scene of the fridge toppling over and trapping Scorpius inside was on replay in his mind. He knew Albus' weight was probably not enough to send the appliance tumbling toward the floor, but he wasn't going to wait to find out.
Albus dropped himself on the floor, landing on his bum with a small "oof". Scorpius stared back at his Papa with wide eyes that were glazed over with fear. They aren't used to Draco raising his voice with them.
Draco didn't like yelling at his boys, it reminded him too much of his own Father. Staring back at a frightened Scorpius made him feel like he was looking back at his own four year old self. He had to remind himself: 'The boys don't know any better. They are learning. I can't get mad at them for learning.' So instead, he preferred to talk them through the wrongs and the rights of their actions.
"His patronus isn't a reindeer either, you cheeky monkey. It's a stag." He smiled in attempt to calm down his beating heart and the small boy who was sat at his feet. He slowly dropped down onto his knees, feeling them crack as they bent beneath him. 'Old age is not doing me justice that's for sure.' He thought to himself.
"Come here, Scorp." He gestured towards the red cheeked boy who was still perched inside the refrigerator in silence. He was hesitant with his movement, but soon enough he scrambled out of the cold air and stood next to Albus with wobbly knees.
"I'm sorry I yelled." Draco started, closing the heavy door behind Scorpius who was shifting on his feet in discomfort. Draco let himself examine him for a moment. His whole face was contorted in thought. Rosy lips were puckered in concentration, eyebrows furrowed and twitching about. He was contemplating something and Draco knew it. "What's on your mind, little one."
His silver eyes locked with Draco's, but he remained muted. After a few moments, he dropped onto his hands and knees, the only sound in the room was from Scorpius' skin coming into contact with the porcelain tiles. The eye contact was broken now, but Draco's eyes were still burning onto the blonde curls bouncing atop his head.
Scorpius' cold hand reached out to grab Draco's gray trousers and shivers shot up through his knee. Soon the rest of Scorpius' body followed suit and he plopped himself right into the lap of his Papa.
Draco's body instantly grew frigid and he couldn't imagine how chilly Scorpius must be feeling. He instinctually wrapped him in a tight bear hug and pulled him closer to his heart.
The scene that just played out was what made everything Draco did in his life worth it. The amount of times he cried himself to sleep at the age of 17 in his four poster bed at the Manor. The way he could hear the monster of a man from two floors below speaking thoughts of how he planned on torturing Harry Potter in graphic detail. The sounds of laughter coming from the death eaters as if the Dark Lord was the most humorous man alive. As if he wasn't taking about murdering innocent lives.
The way he could discern his father's laughter amongst the group.
The way he knew his mother was seated right next to him.
She is the strongest person Draco has ever encountered in his lifetime. She did everything to protect Draco. She wasn't just hearing the muffled sounds of a meeting from two floors down and occasionally picking up on real words. She was living in it. And it was all for him.
It was something they never brought up. Never during the war, never after the war. They recognized that they were both severely damaged, but they would never dare initiate a conversation about it. It was vital for their relationship to be strong for one another. They were only living for each other.
They were both Captains on a ship that had no end destination. If one of them fell out of line for even a second, the ship would crumble beneath their feet and sink to the bottom of the sea, never to return again. Somehow their ship was still sailing and they've gained new crew members along the way that made it easier to for them to stay afloat.
So in the end, he would do it all again if it meant he was to be blessed with two wonderful boys and one handsome husband.
The feeling of tiny fingers gripping tighter to his shirt brought him back to reality. "I'm sorry I yelled." He repeated, this time making sure he continued before he was lost in this thoughts again. "I'm not mad at you both. I was just scared, that's all."
"It's ok, Papa, I protect you." Albus puffed his chest out, looking all small and mighty. The gesture tugged at the corner of Draco's lips and pulled his mouth into a smile.
"It's not good to hang from things like that, Albus. It's not safe. You could've gotten hurt, or your brother could've gotten hurt." Draco's voice was soft as he calmly tried to explain the situation to his boys. He could see the cogs turning inside of Albus' brain. As he desperately tried to process the information, Draco remained silent in order for him to put the pieces into place for himself.
"I only swing from Daddy's arm for now, okay?" Albus peered up at Draco, staring at him with wide, innocent eyes.
He felt a chuckle rumble in the depths of his chest and escape through the smile on his face. He closed his eyes, shaking his head in amusement. "Yes, only from Daddy's arms from now on."
He didn't register that his eyes were still closed until he felt two arms slither around his neck, followed by a small body molding to the curve of his spine.
"I love you, Papa." The words were whispered into his ear and they were instantly trapped inside his mind, echoing off the walls of his skull.
"Can we still put carrots on Daddy's plate?" Scorpius' voice chimed in, holding onto his Papa tighter.
"Yes, of course we can my little one. Of course we can."
Like he said, it was all worth it in the end.
•——————•——————•
The clock in the sitting room was nearing 6:30 p.m. as the boys played with their legos on the plush carpet. The steady rhythm of the second hand and the sound of light giggles floating around the room seemed to calm Draco's nerves.
He was sprawled out on the loveseat, reading some book he found hidden away in the side table drawer. He toyed with the edge of the page, a bad habit he picked up on when he was old enough to enjoy the wonders of reading. Although tonight, he barely payed any mind to those said wonders.
Draco was exhausted. He missed Harry. He was so accustomed to the presence of Harry's magic emanating from his home office everyday, that it made his absence feel insanely off putting.
These days it was incredibly rare to stumble across the famous Harry Potter roaming the long corridors in the ministry and Draco preferred to keep it that way, although he had a feeling they would be seeing him more frequently in the future.
Even though Draco would refuse to agree to it out loud, it terrified him that Harry was in that building. He had no cogitation of what they assigned him to. He obviously wasn't filling out paper work because that's what Harry did here. At home. Where Draco had the opportunity to bother him every hour with obscenities.
Draco was aware that Harry's attendance at the Ministry today was strictly for a meeting, but those scared him as well. Meetings could eventually lead to fieldwork, which can lead to injuries, which can lead to St. Mungos, which can—
Draco shook his head and he forced himself to stop thinking about the what if's.
The clock sounded more deafening than it was just moments ago and the room appeared to be shrinking in on itself. The laughter of his children sounded like it was coming from down the street, getting caught in the wind and streaming into Draco's ears. He felt like he was trapped inside a distant memory. His mind seemed to be disconnected from his body, but at the same time he felt so aware of his surroundings.
His fingering on the page was more harsh than the previous soft flicks of the parchment between his fingers. He didn't even realize his change in movement until he felt the paper rip beneath his grip.
'Fuck, get it together.' He scolded himself. 'Harry's okay. He's probably still sitting at the long meeting table, staring at the clock and dreaming about lasagna. He would've told you if he was participating in the dreaded fieldwork that came along with it.' And with that, Draco drew in a deep breath and sat up on the couch, placing the book beside him.
"Papa, look what I made!" Scorpius held up his new invention with a proud smile painted upon his face. Draco blinked back at his son with a blank expression, confused as to what he was being presented with. He stared at the abstract sculpture for a few moments in hope that an understanding would dawn on him, but it never came.
The base of the creation was built with all different colored legos, not having any real pattern to it. 'He gets that from his Dad.' Draco couldn't help, but think. Coming up from the base were two tower like structures, made of blue and purple legos.
Draco tilted his head in order to see it from another angle, but doing so still didn't seem to help him figure it out, so he gave up on trying to solve the mystery.
"It looks incredible, Scorp." Draco smiled, rubbing his hands back and fourth on his thighs. He focused on the rough material of his trousers underneath his palm. He continued this action until he felt himself coming back to the ground, further away from the episode he just experienced.
"It's you and Daddy, see?" It took everything in Draco not to burst out laughing. 'I would've never guessed that.' Draco's inner self spoke and Scorpius clambered towards the couch, carefully holding his masterpiece in his hands.
"You're on a rainbow road! See Papa?" He held his legos out in front of him, giving Draco a good view of it.
"I love it." Draco made sure he looked interested enough for Scorpius' liking. He had an intense focus on keeping his laughter at bay. He blurred his vision in attempt to hide the image from his mind. He was so close to accidentally letting out a cackle right in his sons face and he wasn't trying to break any hearts tonight.
"No, you hold it, ok?" He pushed the creation closer to Draco with a huff and Draco's eyes began to strain, forcing him to refocus the world around him again.
"Well alright, you little brat." Draco teased and wrapped his hands around the base of the toy, releasing it from his sons grip. Scorpius let go instantly, which almost sent it spiraling towards the floor. "Careful, Scorp."
"Look, that ones Daddy. I even put his belly!" Scorpius pointed out with excitement. He dug his head face first into the couch and kicked his leg over onto the cushion, crawling up next to his Father. Draco always thought it was a peculiar way to get onto the sofa, but to each their own, right?
His little hand found it's way to Draco's knee and he rested it there. His chubby fingers twitched gently against the fabric of his trousers and it soon became the only thing Draco's senses could focus on.
"I can see that." Draco stifled a laugh and glanced down at the few legos sticking out of the middle of the tower. Or should he say Harry. It wasn't like he had a big stomach, although that wouldn't matter to Draco if he did. What he did have was a small beer belly growing in and to Draco, it was all the more for him to love and cuddle with.
"Yeah! And look I gave Papa fat feet!" Scorpius pointed towards the base of the second tower, or Draco, and sure enough there they were. 'Not this again.'
"Does someone not remember what happens when little boys are around fat feet?" Draco asked, lifting his eyebrow in question.
"No Papa! It okay, please! Papa don't have fat feet! See? All gone." He frantically took apart the long pieces of legos attached to the base and hid them in his palm, fingers curling around the colorful plastic.
"Now Papa has no feet." Draco pointed out and Scorpius began to giggle at the thought of his Papa without feet.
"You can grow them back. You are wizard Papa, did you forget?" Scorpius gazed up at him with the brightest smile across his face. Draco couldn't help but lean over and plant a wet kiss on his rosy cheek.
"I'm wizard too, 'Corpus!" Albus added to the conversation. For a second it startled Draco. He completely forgot he was present in the room. The next second he reprimanded himself for forgetting about his own child.
"You both are. You're gonna be the greatest wizards of all time." Draco replied, not holding back the growing smile on his face.
"Just like Daddy is?" Scorpius asked, gaining interest in the new turn of the conversation they were previously having. Draco should've taken offense to the lack of his name being mentioned, but he couldn't find it in himself to be hurt. There was no ounce in his body that felt jealous or bothered. He was right, of course. Harry is the greatest wizard of all time.
"Just like Daddy is." Draco confirmed.
•——————•——————•
"Papa, but you have to!" Albus whined, stomping around on the bathroom floor. This was the ultimate test and Draco knew it. If he couldn't say no to this, then who the hell knows what he will be putting himself through in the future. The thought made him shudder with fear.
"We can't play Merpeople with two people! We just can't." Scorpius caught on to the game Albus was playing. 'Think Draco. Think. What would Harry do?'
"I will be right here next to the tub to play, okay? See I can still see you guys when I'm sitting here." He demonstrated by sitting on the damp rug that was placed at the foot of the bath.
He couldn't succumb to this as well, especially since he just consented to the idea of letting his children wear their swim trunks into the bath. They convinced him by declaring: "Papa, this is playtime, okay? Not bath time. We bring water toys, too."
He could identify the fact that they were still holding onto their sugar high from the chocolate he let them have hours before. He was just waiting for them to crash, which he felt might be soon considering the show of tears they're putting on right now.
"No! Papa! No Merpeople out of water!" Albus screamed over the sound of water filling up the porcelain tub. They were in Harry and Draco's ensuite. It was their favorite bathtub to use when they played 'Merpeople' because it was considerably large. Actually, it was probably bigger than Harry and Draco really needed it to be.
He was still able to recall the words Harry spoke when they walked through the open house. They were the only people in the vicinity at the time, not considering the realtor who was hidden away in the kitchen. They strolled through house making comments like, "when we have kids, they can use this room to play!" or "this would definitely be your office."
When they found themselves in front of the master bedroom, they walked through the door frame hand in hand. Their whole house hunting journey had been an exciting process. It gave them a glimpse into their future. It made everything feel more real.
As they made their way through a handful of homes, they quickly discovered that the exploration of the bedroom that could potentially be theirs, was the most sentimental. It felt so intimate. It was their space to love each other without any boundaries.
As they stood in the ensuite, Harry ambled up behind Draco and enveloped his arms around Draco's waist, pulling him flush against his chest. Harry's lips instantly found their way to Draco's neck like a magnet and they quickly got to work by pressing quick kisses below his ear.
"And this." Harry trailed off, his hot breath lingering on Draco's ear lobe. Draco swallowed heavily, feeling the flush of his skin run up his neck.
"Harry—" He tried to tell him to stop. Not now. Not here. But he was only able to let out a soft whine.
"This bathtub will be where I fuck you so slowly and gently that we will be in it for hours. I can see it already."
Of course not all of their fantasies actually followed them into their reality.
They ended it abruptly when their kids began using the tub for bath time. Sex in the bath their kids splashed around in hours before was a huge turn off for them, as it rightfully should be. All good things always come to an end anyways, Draco supposed.
"Papa!" Albus whined, dragging out the 'a'. The fluctuation of his sing song groan brought Draco back to earth. It was then when he began to remember why he was in the bathroom in the first place.
"Albus, can't I be like the Little Mermaid? She had legs, didn't she?" Ever since their Auntie Hermione, also known as Auntie Nee by Albus, played the Lion King for them, Rose, and Hugo, they've been obsessed with all things Disney.
"You not a princess, Papa!" Scorpius informed him, like he didn't know that already. 'Yeah, well you're not a merperson either, but you still get to be one.' Draco wanted to snap back, but then he remembered this was his four year old son he was talking to.
Draco sighed, knowing he was fighting in a battle he could never win. Stopping the faucet from filling the water too high, he finally gave into the brat's wishes. Looks like he was going for a swim tonight as well.
•——————•——————•
With a pair of Harry's swim trunks on (because he couldn't find his own, of course. Not because he just wanted to wear Harry's), he shamefully trudged back into the ensuite with his head hung low. He ordered his boys to wait on the floor while he went to change. He's aware of the fact they they're old enough to be in the water while he steps out for a moment, but it still freaks him out nonetheless.
The sight of Draco in a swim suit made the two boys explode with euphoria. Their Papa was going to play with them in the bath! It was the most excitement they've experienced all day (that is, if you don't count their dessert before dinner)!
"In you go, boys." Draco gestured, still feeling slightly annoyed with himself that he agreed to this. 'What in the name of Merlin am I doing.'
"Papa, come on!" Scorpius stood at his feet with his small hand held out to Draco's. "It okay, Papa. It will be fun." Oh how Draco hoped Scorpius wasn't lying.
And he wasn't.
Only after 5 minutes in the bath, Draco had found himself laughing harder than he's had in weeks. From Albus already creating white long beards out of soap, to Scorpius utilizing a plastic strainer to make it "rain" on Draco's head, he was a giggling mess.
"Papa you have to be King of Mertown. You just have to be!" Albus splashed around in his space, still overjoyed by the fact that his Papa agreed to play with them.
"Still not a princess?" Draco joked, referring back to the Little Mermaid. Scorpius roared with laughter, his wet curls now sticking to the side of his face. Draco absentmindedly combed his fingers through the dripping locks, slicking his hair back and off his forehead.
It was always an odd sight to see, Scorpius with his hair slicked back. He looked uncannily like Draco when he was his age and the image always sent shivers up his spine.
Harry believed that Scorpius looked adorable like that, though. It was only for the shear fact that he did resemble Draco.
"But you always made fun of my hair when I was eleven." Draco would point out.
"That's because I was also eleven and I wasn't sure how to act around cute boys, so I made fun of them." He would reply. Draco knew this was probably not true—to an extent at least. The relationship they had through Hogwarts was something Draco still couldn't quite explain.
"'Corpus, who you gonna be?" Albus asked, pushing over Draco so he could see his brothers face.
"We are bad guys!" Scorpius shouted, bright eyed and gleaming back at Albus. "We take over the town!"
Albus seemed to like that idea and so they started their little game of Merpeople.
"Hello King Papa, I here to be Prince!" Albus' started after explaining how the game will work. Draco guessed that he didn't explain it well enough, because he was still confused as to what they were doing exactly. He could've sworn they were the 'bad guys'.
"I thought you were going to be a bad guy. No?" Draco questioned, raising his eyebrow in confusion.
"Papa, no! You have to pretend, ok? Me and 'Corpus are bad guys. You aren't 'upposed know." He explained. "Got it?"
"Yes, Sir." Draco saluted him, causing a small giggle to escape past his lips. "Alright, Prince. What is your name?" Draco hoped that was the right response. He didn't know if he could sit through the explanation of the game again.
"I Prince Albus." He answered, very matter-of-factly.
"I thought you came here to be a Prince? You're already one?" Draco hesitated. He has never felt so lost in his life.
"Papa! Stop! I said I was Prince! I come to be your Prince. I explain, okay?" Albus drew in a breath of frustration and his eyebrows scrunched together.
"Papa. We Merpeople. Me, you, and 'Corpus." He stated, pointing to everyone as he acknowledged them. Draco instinctively turned to glance at Scorpius when Albus' tiny finger waved in his direction.
The boy was trying to balance a blue plastic cup on the top of his head, completely drowning out the conversation Albus was trying to hold. The cup tumbled down his backside and hit the water with a splash.
"—and then Prince 'Corpus will come in? Got it now Papa?" Albus finished and Draco realized he just missed the whole of Albus' explanation.
"Uh, yeah. Got it." Draco replied warily. He lazily waved his arms around underneath the water, feeling the silky liquid graze upon his skin.
"Princess Papa?" Scorpius questioned while meeting Draco's gaze. Albus began to cackle and hit his small hands against the bubbles that littered the waters surface, sending droplets of water flying in every direction. He was acting like it was the funniest thing in the world, and to him, it probably was.
"Yes, mon petit Prince?" Draco responded, seamlessly transitioning from English to French.
"What the fuck!" Albus screeched, still splashing around and unraveling into a fit of laughter.
"Albus Severus! Where did you learn that?" Draco gaped, whipping his head around so quickly that he's surprised he didn't pull a muscle.
"Daddy! He say fuck. I heard him when he got hurted!" Oh, he was going to kill Harry when he got home.
"Daddy should not be saying those words, they are not nice. Don't repeat words you do not know like that. Come and ask me if you are not sure and I will tell you. Do you understand?" Draco asked, trying to suppress the anger that bubbled in his chest resulting from Harry's carelessness.
"Ok, Papa. I sorry." Albus apologized and his joyful splashing faltered.
"I'm not mad, I promise. How about we continue to find out what happens with Prince Scorpius and Prince Albus?" Draco redirected, hoping it would liven Albus' spirit again.
The glowing smile across the boys face said it all.
•——————•——————•
"Princess Papa! We come to take over!" Scorpius shouted, hanging off of Draco's right shoulder. Albus was clutching onto the opposing one in a similar stance as his brother.
He wasn't sure when the transition went from 'King' to 'Princess', but he decided to not correct them. If it made them laugh, who was he to tell them to stop?
"I can't allow it! This is my Kingdom, Princes! You can not dethrone me!" Draco fought back, pretending to put effort into pushing his clingy children off of him.
"'Corpus! It time for attack!" Albus devised before slipping off of Draco and reaching for the first toy he could find. Scorpius followed suit, picking up on Albus' movements quickly.
Soon their ambush commenced and Draco found himself to be the primary target. Water was flying about and hitting every exposed surface of Draco's skin. Scorpius was holding the water strainer directly over Draco's hair and Albus was bouncing up and down, creating his own makeshift wave pool.
Water spilled over the edge of the tub and pooled on the tiled floor, but Draco couldn't find it in himself to care. He could barely hear his children's laughter over his own as he screamed out for mercy.
"So this is where all the action is tonight?" A voice cut through the sound of screams and laughter, and the noise instantly died down.
"Daddy!" Albus cheered, frantically swimming to the edge of the tub to get out and greet him.
"Hey, hey, you stay there, I'll come to you." Harry jumped in, already having visions of the small boy slipping on the water that slicked the bathroom floor.
"Hurry!" Albus held his arms out in front of him and grabbed at the air in Harry's general direction.
"Me first, Daddy!" Scorpius chimed in mimicking Albus' movements.
Upon seeing Harry, Draco immediately forgot that he was supposed to be angry at him for swearing in front of the boys.
He couldn't even find it in himself to speak a single word. He felt caught. Suddenly he became very aware of the fact that he was sitting in a bath with two 4 year old boys.
"Did you fall inside trying to get them in?" Harry chuckled. He noticed the pink flush of Draco's skin, but he couldn't discern if it was from embarrassment or the warm bath water.
"Daddy! You have to see the lego I made!" Albus giggled, still clawing at the air to get Harry's attention. Harry quickly spelled the floor clean and picked Albus up out of the tub.
"Mine too! I made you and Papa!"
"Swim trunks? Wow, you guys were really living the dream today." He commented once he saw Albus sporting his golden snitch swim suit. He grabbed three of the towels stacked up on the shelf and casted a warming charm on all of them.
Harry lowered himself onto one knee, directly in front of Albus, and slipped a towel around his tiny frame before engulfing him in a tight embrace. He placed a loud kiss on his left cheek, then his right, one on his forehead and finally two soft pecks atop his button nose. It was a ritual he did every time he got off of work, whether it was him coming back from the Ministry or him coming out of the home office.
He lifted Scorpius out of the tub and continued with the same pattern of movement, drying him, hugging him, then kissing his face.
Draco felt like an idiot sitting in the bubble bath all by himself surrounded by children's toys.
"Daddy! Me n' Albus took Princess Papa's castle!" Scorpius giggled, scrunching his nose when Harry placed a kissed onto it.
"Princess Papa?" Harry raised a questioning eyebrow as he ruffled Scorpius' Curls with a towel.
"Yeah! We bad guys!" Albus' added, hanging off of Harry's neck while chewing on the edge of his towel. Draco sheepishly stared back, wondering why the hell he hasn't made an effort to move yet.
"Come on, up you get, Princess." Harry teased, making his way over to the edge of the tub. Just like he previously did with his four year olds, Harry snaked his hands around Draco's ribcage and settled them underneath his armpits.
"I can get up myself, you know." Draco mumbled, not looking Harry in the eye.
"Of course, but sometimes even the big babies need help too." Harry joked and smiled back at Draco with a lopsided grin.
"I am a grown man, thank you very much!" Draco lifted his arm and lightly punched Harry's shoulder, which only catered to the fact that he was acting like a child.
"Hey! What happened to the 'I miss you so much, Harry! Please come home now! Fuck the Ministry tell them to bring my husband home!'?" Harry mimicked Draco from his letter. This earned Harry an extra punch for swearing once again in front of their children.
"Daddy! That not nice to say, Papa says so!" Albus scolded, stomping his foot against the tile. Harry only laughed at his sons attempt to reprimand him.
"Papa said so, yeah? Sorry, little guy, I was only using your Papa's exact words. He said it, not me!" Draco's jaw dropped at Harry's words. He couldn't believe he just exposed him, especially after he had his talk with his kids.
"No one will be saying that word, ok Albus?"
"Yeah, alright." Harry scoffed. "I'd like to see you try."
"Fuck you." Draco replied, only mouthing the curse word so the kids didn't hear, but Harry heard him loud and clear.
With a little help, he still let Harry lift him up and out of the tub and their two brats instantly latched back onto Harry like leeches. Harry picked up the last towel and wrapped it around Draco's shoulders, repeating the same exact process he went through with his kids.
Harry pulled him into a tight hug and Draco nuzzled his nose into his neck, letting himself get lost in Harry's scent for a moment. He placed a gentle, chaste kiss to Harry's skin before tugging back from his grip.
Harry's eyes scanned every feature on Draco's face and his smile grew larger by the second. Draco couldn't help but grin back at the man and his heart fluttered like he was a bloody sixteen year old with a school crush.
Harry leaned in and placed his first kiss, right under Draco's eye on his left cheek. He pulled back and instantly shifted to the right side, touching his lips to the softness of Draco's skin.
Harry's fingertips ran up and down the sides of Draco's towel covered arms as he placed one quick peck to his forehead followed by two small kisses on his nose.
The ritual he did with the kids wasn't something Draco ever partook in. It was Harry's special greeting for them and he never found himself on the receiving end. Harry's moves were graceful and gentle, and he understood why the kids loved it so much. He felt special.
He leaned in until his lips met Draco's, pulling him in for a light kiss. Draco's eyelids drifted shut and he let himself bask in the warmth of Harry's lips.
"Hurry, Daddy! I show you my legos now!" Albus impatiently tugged at Harry's trousers and Harry reluctantly pulled back from Draco to acknowledge his son.
"Of course! You go get them ready for me and I'll be down in a minute, ok Bud?" Harry suggested, ruffling the top of Albus' head. The two boys nodded eagerly and raced off towards the the living room, leaving Draco and Harry alone.
"Now want to tell me why the hell I found you in the tub?" Harry questioned, suppressing a laugh.
"Oh, Harry!" Draco dramatically cried out, throwing his arms up. "It was awful! They kept asking me for all these things and I tried to say no, but they kept insisting! I don't even know why the hell I was in the bath! One moment I was sitting at the edge of the tub and I blink once, and the next thing I know I'm sitting inside with my swim trunks on pretending to be a Princess!"
"You mean my swim trunks?" Harry commented, tugging at the waist band as if he was inspecting them to make sure his observations were correct.
"Of course that's what you would focus on." Draco laughed, breaking his character of a damsel in distress.
"Was it really all that bad? I mean you sounded like you were having a blast when I came home. You were the loudest out of the three of you!" Draco rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face was still prominent.
"No, it wasn't. Those little guys are a riot in the tub, I will admit. It is true that I have a hard time saying no, though. I guess that's one parenting trait I latched onto from the great Lucius Malfoy." Draco joked before going wide eyed with realization
"Merlin, am I raising them to be spoiled brats when they grow up?" It was a genuine question, but Harry seemed to think it was hilarious.
"No, my love. We're raising them to be strong, polite young men. I think you make one hell of a Father." Harry reassured, squeezing Draco's shoulders in his hands.
"Don't ever leave me by myself with them again." Draco groaned and he let his forehead fall onto Harry's shoulder.
"I'll try." Harry chuckled, knowing it was inevitable that Draco would find himself left alone with the kids once again.
Harry gave him a week before Draco found himself back in the same situation again.
To my beautiful husband whom I love with all my heart,
I regret to inform you that your husband (who did I mention loves you with his whole heart?) was called into the Ministry about five minutes ago and had to slip through the office floo to get there as fast as possible. Do not ask him why he had to be there as fast as possible, because he does not have an excuse for that yet. Just know that, again, he loves you very much, like so much. Like more than he loves treacle tart and flying (which is a fuck ton might I remind you!!)
He will be here fairly late, so if you love your husband as much as he loves you, would you be so kind as to leave some leftovers on the counter again? Much appreciated x
On the plus side, at least you'll have some time alone to spend with the kids!
Forever yours if you'll let me,
That wonderful husband of yours who loves you very much x
P.S. Make sure they are well bathed for when I get home :) !! xx
Potter,
Fuck you.
Forever isn't looking so long now is it,
Your ex husband x