The next morning Harry rolled over, put his glasses on, and watched Draco while he slept. He was never the first one awake and it was fascinating to see Draco so relaxed and peaceful. His face wasn't so angular when he was sleeping and his mouth almost curved into a smile. He would have kissed him but he didn't want to wake him just yet, he enjoyed watching him this way. He had very light hairs coming in on his chin and he smiled at the thought of the blond hairs that mingled with his dark ones last night. It had been a pivotal point in their relationship and Harry was more sure than ever that there was no turning back. He watched the heartbeat in the nape of his neck and he smiled; that heart loved him.
The sky was lightening, and he looked out the window at the pink glow and noticed an owl flying towards the house. He climbed gently out of bed and pulled on his shorts, moving to the window. As it got closer, he recognized the bird as one of the ones that belonged to the school. He quietly opened the window and the bird landed on the sill and held out it's leg. He untied the envelope and saw his name penned in purple ink in McGonagall's writing. He looked at Draco still sleeping, and he wandered out into the hall. He peeked in Teddy's door and saw he was still asleep as well, so he made his way downstairs. He sat down at the kitchen table and opened the letter, a smaller note tucked inside that one. He opened the first letter and began reading.
'Dear Harry,
Your aunt asked that I deliver this letter to you. She wasn't sure where to reach you, so I assured her I would get it to you safely. I hope your holiday has been pleasant and I look forward to seeing you back at school soon.
Enjoy the rest of your time off,
Professor McGonagall'
Harry carefully set the note down and picked up the other envelope. His fingers trembled as they passed over his name, written in Petunia's tidy handwriting. He took a deep breath and slid it open.
'Harry,
I'm sorry I couldn't speak with you when we met in the shop. I was stunned by your presence, and that of the other young man and the story he told us. I know the Christmas holiday will soon be ending and I would like to see you before you return to your school. Vernon will be out of town for the next few days on business. I would appreciate if you stopped by the house for a quick visit.
Please feel free to bring your friend from the shop. Drop a note back to let me know.
Sincerely, Aunt Petunia'
Harry read the note twice and then put it down, thinking. What in the world could she want to see him for? He heard the owl hooting and footsteps coming up behind him. Draco slid his arms around his shoulders and kissed him in the crook of his neck.
"Good morning, Harry. I missed waking up to you this morning. I was hoping we could have picked up where we left off last night," he whispered and slowly slid his hands a little farther south. He pressed another kiss on his neck and pulled back. "Are you alright?" Harry shrugged under his hands and held the note up for Draco to read over his shoulder. Draco finished reading with an 'Ah,' and then turned Harry around, watching him closely.
"Good morning," Harry whispered. He kissed Draco lightly and then held the letter up again.
"Are you going to go?"
"I don't know. I'm shocked by this, I must say. Never in my life would I have imagined she would want to see me again. I have no idea what she could want. I feel kind of like maybe this is something I should do."
"Well, if you did want to go, I'd be right there with you, if you'd like," Draco told him quietly.
"Yeah, I think that would be good. This morning ok? We'll be going back to school tomorrow so it's my last chance." Draco nodded and walked off to get Teddy who they could hear starting to babble in his room. Harry scrawled a quick reply and gave it back to the owl to deliver to his aunt.
When they arrived on the corner of Privet Drive two hours later, Harry's hands started sweating. He had dressed in his new clothes and Draco was wearing his usual dark grey and green, his hair combed to perfection. Even Teddy had cleaned up well and was wearing a cheery Christmas-red romper. Harry knew Aunt Petunia would be peering through the curtains as they walked up so he didn't glance over as they got closer. They stopped at the mailbox and Draco leaned down and gave Harry a soft peck on the lips. Harry was glad that he had come along but he was worried about what Aunt Petunia would think and how she would treat Draco if she saw the two of them kissing. She would probably faint right on the carpet.
"It's not too late to turn back, Harry. Just say the word."
"I know. I'm okay though." He squeezed Draco's arm and straightened Teddy's hat. He looked at the house, the place he had lived for so many years of his life. The place he had lived but had never called home. He took another deep breath, watched the curtains flutter, and led their small group up the walkway. He wondered if Dudley was home as he knocked on the front door. Draco looked down at him and Teddy smiled, relaxing Harry somewhat. They only had to wait a moment before they could hear her heeled shoes clicking on the floor and the door opened, Petunia standing alone. She had a smile on her face but it was pinched as she looked between them.
"Hello, Harry. Thank you for coming." She inclined her head at them and stepped back so they could enter. Harry stood back and motioned for Draco to go inside with Teddy and he gently placed his hand on his back as he followed him in. He was flooded with memories and his eyes lingered over the cupboard door under the stairs, the locks still bolted to the wall. He looked back and saw Draco staring at the cupboard as well, his eyes narrowed so slightly that only Harry could tell.
"Aunt Petunia, this is Draco Malfoy." He decided not to go any farther. He didn't want to divulge anything about their relationship to her and ruin the chance to find out why she had invited him back.
"It's nice to formally meet you, ma'am. Thank you for the invitation. I hope you've had a happy Christmas," he added, extending his free hand and offering a sweetly charming smile. Petunia took his hand and shook politely, obviously impressed by Draco's manners and good breeding.
"And this is Teddy Lupin," Harry added. "He's my godson, and Draco's nephew." He ran his finger along Teddy's cheek which elicited a small giggle from him. Draco took his hat off and Petunia looked at his teal colored hair with wide eyes, but she didn't remark on it. Draco ruffled his fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead.
"His mother was my cousin and his father was our teacher, and a very dear person to Harry. They were both killed in our war," he said faintly and he looked at Harry and smiled. "We are trying our best to help my aunt and my mother raise him." He winked down at Harry who smiled. A flicker of grief flashed across Petunia's face but she recovered quickly.
"He's a handsome little boy," she said hesitantly. "Let me take your coats please." Harry helped Draco get Teddy out of his and they passed them over. She laid them on a bench and led the way into the sitting room. This was the last place he had seen Mad-Eye Moody, and he grinned to himself when he thought about Fred and George dropping the toffee for Dudley. Draco put Teddy's bag on the floor and gently sat down with him. Harry took a seat on the sofa next to them and started tapping his foot while they all watched each other for a minute.
"I'm sure you must be wondering why I asked you to come today."
"Yes, actually I am. I was a little shocked when I received your letter this morning."
"I understand. Well, I have a few things to say to you and a few things to give you as well." She twisted her hands and then abruptly stood up and went upstairs. Harry raised his eyebrows and sighed.
"Are you okay?" Draco asked. Teddy babbled up at him and Harry smiled down at him and he nodded at Draco. He looked around and noticed that the house hadn't changed much. "You were never up there, were you?" Harry looked at the mantle where Draco was pointing.
"No," he answered quietly. "You would have never known there were two children growing up in this house." Draco squeezed his hand before settling his arm across his shoulders. He turned back to see his aunt standing in the doorway, her face pinched, and Draco took his arm back, bouncing Teddy up and down again. She squared her shoulders and sat in the chair opposite them. She had a long, flat dress box on her lap and she untied the ribbon, placing the box on the table between them. Draco squeezed his hand encouragingly and Petunia watched their exchange before gesturing at the box, intending for Harry to open it.
He scooted forward in his seat and lifted the lid, revealing piles of old newspapers. Bewildered, he looked up at his aunt but she kept her eyes on the papers. Draco sat forward as well and pulled out a clipping, holding it out away from Teddy's reaching hands.
"These are from the Daily Prophet," he said, sounding surprised and he looked at Harry, confusion in his eyes. Stunned, Harry picked through them as well. Not only were there clippings from the Daily Prophet, but from the Quibbler as well.
"How did you get these?" Harry asked breathlessly, shuffling through them all. He found one from the Tri-Wizard Tournament and another from his escape from Malfoy Manor. Draco looked at it without expression but then handed him one of him just after the war, bruised but smiling.
"Mrs. Figg started sending them to me years and years ago. I never had the courage to speak with you about them. Even when we had to leave the house she found ways to send them to me. They always arrived when Vernon was away." She looked close to tears and she picked up a photo of Harry standing in the Great Hall after the battle, Ron and Hermione by his side. He knew Voldemort's body was lying in that same room at that point. She put the clipping back and twisted her hands again. "I never knew how strong he was, this thing that killed your parents. I knew they had been murdered, of course, but I didn't know how much farther it had gone beyond that. I'm sorry."
Harry wasn't sure what to say. He grabbed more papers and looked through them. He even found a snippet about Remus and Tonks. Draco read it over his shoulder and gave Teddy another kiss on his forehead. Petunia stood up and went to the window and Harry wasn't sure what to do. She stood there looking out for a moment before turning back around.
"I was always so insanely jealous of Lily. She had everything I ever wanted, and then you came along and had it too. I was angry and resentful. I'm not making excuses for my actions, but I would like to try and apologize now. I know I can't make up for the way we treated you. I am sorry, Harry." She sniffed loudly again and turned out of the room, hurrying up the steps once more. He watched her back as she left, completely baffled by everything. He was stunned that she had kept these clippings a secret from Vernon. He put his head in his hands for a moment, trying to process it all. He looked up when Teddy started fussing. His hair was black and he was reaching out to him, his little fingers stretched outwards. Harry grinned at him and pulled him into his lap. He tickled his sides as Draco warmed up his bottle. Teddy blew raspberries at him and Harry laughed, sighing against his little head. Teddy grinned up at him again with his big brown eyes and Harry tickled him again.
"He's been so great today. How are you doing, Harry? You look a little pale."
"It's a lot to process," he sighed, and he settled Teddy back so he could comfortably drink his bottle. Draco scooted closer and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Better?" Draco laughed, and Harry grinned at him. Draco leaned back in and kissed him again, and Harry sighed and laughed, grabbing Draco's hand, neither noticing Petunia watching from the doorway. She cleared her throat and they broke apart, their faces burning. Draco put his arm protectively around Harry's shoulders though as they all sat and watched Teddy drinking his milk. Petunia looked at the curtains once again and sighed.
"Dudley is due home any minute. I have something I'd like to give you before he comes in." Draco gently took Teddy and Harry sat forward in his seat. She was holding a small wood box and she opened it slowly, carefully withdrawing a long chain of pearls. "These belonged to my mother, your grandmother. As you know, they all died before you were born." She stroked them longingly before handing them over. Harry held them and tried to imagine them around the neck of his own mother. "And this," she continued, pulling out a pocket watch, "this belonged to your grandfather. There isn't anything mag... anything special about them, per say, but I think you should have them. I believe you'll care for them." Harry opened the watch and listened as the soft ticking filled the quiet room. Heirlooms, from his family, something he'd never imagined he would have. He closed the watch carefully and looked over at Draco and Teddy and his heart clenched, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Heirlooms to pass along to his own family one day...
"Thank you, Aunt Petunia," Harry croaked out around the lump in his throat. She nodded tersely and pulled a stack of photos from the box as well. She shuffled through them and named people and places. These Muggle photos had captured the faces of the family that he had seen years ago in the Mirror of Erised. She had labeled the backs of them and he was just reading one when Teddy began to whimper. He was rubbing his eyes and Draco nestled him close to his chest, getting up and walking him around while rubbing his back. Harry smiled after them and he could feel his aunt's eyes on him. He was a tiny bit curious to know what she thought of the three of them but he wasn't going to ask. They watched as Draco paced around the room, Teddy falling asleep against his shoulder. It was an interesting sight, seeing Draco in the house where he had grown up. So much turmoil and heartache in this house but there was now a little sunshine to be had here after all. He smiled as he watched Draco rubbing Teddy's back as he whispered sweetly in his ear, Teddy's eyes fluttering sleepily. In the quiet, they could hear voices in the driveway and Harry knew their time there had come to a close.
"Thank you for coming today, Harry." He nodded at her and she handed him the box in which he carefully placed the prized possessions back inside. He grabbed Teddy's bag and carefully placed the box inside. He heard the front door open and close and Dudley walked into the room, still as big as he had ever been. Harry watched as Draco tensed and his hand went to his pocket where he knew his wand was, his other instinctively tightening around Teddy.
"Draco," he said quickly, "this is my cousin, Dudley." Draco slowly pulled his hand out of his pocket and sized him up. He nodded his head at him, offering a hello and he went back to rubbing Teddy's back, not taking his eyes of Dudley though. "Dudley, this is Draco Malfoy. He's a special friend of mine. And he's holding Teddy, my godson and his nephew." He watched Dudley mull over the words in his mind and he smiled, offering his hand to Harry.
"Glad to see you again, Harry. You seem to be doing good." Harry shook his hand, remembering their last exchange.
"Thanks, Dudley." Harry watched Dudley discreetly study the three of them as they got Teddy and themselves into their jackets. Harry slung the diaper bag over his shoulder and carefully put Teddy's cap on.
"If I had known you were coming today I would have been here."
"Oh, well, that's okay. I didn't know I was coming until we received the letter at our house early this morning. No worries," he added with a shrug. He bit back a grin as Dudley's eyes narrowed and then widened as he looked between he and Draco again.
"I would appreciate if you would please keep this between us," his aunt pleaded. "I don't know when we could do this again, but maybe we could try. You would all be welcome back."
"Thank you," he said as he nodded. He led them to the door and took one more look around. He looked again at the cupboard under the stairs and Draco grabbed his hand.
"Everything ok, love?" Draco asked, and Harry squeezed his hand in reply. Dudley looked at his mother with wide eyes but he didn't say anything.
"Yes," Harry answered quietly, still looking around.
"It was nice to meet you both," Draco said with a nod to Petunia and Dudley. Harry opened the door for him and the three of them walked out to the front walk. Draco placed a kiss on his lips before they turned off and walked down the street. Harry was certain Petunia and Dudley watched them until they were out of sight.
***
Later that evening after Teddy had been settled back home with Andromeda and his mother, Draco and Harry had returned to Grimmauld Place and packed up their school trunks. They were sitting on the couch in front of the fire, enjoying their last hours of freedom.
Draco flipped through Harry's photo album and through the pictures his aunt had given him that morning. There were magical photos of his parents, happy and alive, so long ago. There was even a photo of baby Harry zooming around on a toy broomstick. And then there were the muggle photos of his mother's family. There was a remarkable resemblance between Harry and them.
"Everyone is right," he told Harry. "You're the spitting image of your father, but your beautiful green eyes belong to your mother." He delicately ran his fingers over the photo of young Lily Evans. They were the same eyes, and the same smile sat at the corner of her mouth that did at Harry's. He looked at Harry now, grinning back at him, his hair playing at his forehead. He wondered what a child of Harry's would look like. He furrowed his brows and turned away. If they kept up with their relationship, Harry would never get the chance to find out and that didn't set well with him.
"What are you thinking?" Harry asked. He must have noticed his face change, but Draco hesitated to answer.
"Nothing," he answered quietly.
"Oh, come on, I know you better than that. What are you thinking thats got you so quiet?"
"Well, I guess I was thinking about what your children would look like," he replied quietly, and he went back to shuffling through the photos.
"What made you think of that?" Harry asked, and he ran his finger along the edge of Draco's ear. He smiled and tapped the photo of baby Harry. He closed the book and set them all down carefully on the table and turned to Harry.
"Obviously we can't have a child together. And looking through these pictures, I guess I feel guilty that you being with me, well, you might lose out on the chance to find out. I feel like I would be taking something so special from you." Harry's eyebrows knit together in concentration before he spoke.
"Well, what about you? What about your chance?"
"Don't worry about me. I've been thinking for some time and I don't want children of my own. I don't want my Malfoy or Black blood to be passed into an innocent child, it wouldn't be fair to them."
"Oh," was all Harry said.
"What does that 'oh' mean?" Draco asked cautiously.
"Well," Harry began but he stopped. He shrugged and started playing with a string on the sofa pillow. "I know we've never talked about our long-term future or if we were together would we want kids and I know we're still young, but seeing you with Teddy and having him for a while, well it's been nice to kind of pretend like we were our own little family." He blushed as he finished, and Draco smiled. "I didn't know that you didn't want children."
"Harry," he said, understanding dawning. He chuckled and felt a warmth spreading through his body. "Biologically no, I don't want to have a child. I hate the genes that run through my body and I don't want to pass their history along to anyone else. But one day, I would like to have a child, or even two or three. And besides, that's not the only way to have a child. There are plenty of kids out there who need loving homes."
"Like adopting a child?"
"Sure. I think of you, having been forced to live under the stairs with your aunt and uncle. And I even think of Tom Riddle, what would have become of him if he had been raised in a happy home? It may not have changed a thing, but it could have done something." Harry nodded and Draco was curious as to what he was thinking.
"What if the child wasn't a witch or a wizard? What if they had no magical blood?" he asked quietly.
"Well, it would certainly be a learning experience," Draco smiled and shrugged. "There are so many children out there that need love and a family. And I'm certain any child I could have with you, magical or not, would have all of the love we could possibly give." Draco was glad to see Harry blush and smile.
"That's good to hear," he said. He toyed with the string on the pillow for a moment longer and then his eyes settled on their school trunks. "We'll have to come back to this conversation later. For now though, I just want to be with you. We'll be back at school tomorrow and we need to take every chance we get..." Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry and grinned mischievously. He pulled Harry onto his lap and locked his legs behind him.
"Good idea," he answered with a kiss.