Harry Potter and The Dragon’s Treasure (BP6)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
43
Views:
24,522
Reviews:
198
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
43
Views:
24,522
Reviews:
198
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Returning Heroes
Chapter Number/Total: 2/41
Chapter Title: Returning Heroes
Words: 3156 Words
Harry lifted Valen into the air and laughed as the baby smiled down at him, reaching for his glasses. They were both in the dining room with Draco, Ron and Hermione. Their trip to France had ended a couple of weeks earlier, and while the holiday had been nice -- very nice -- it did feel good to be home. Though Harry was still tired of the letters. Those hadn't really stopped.
"Oh, look," said Ron through his mouthful of food as he read the paper, "thirty-five. Thirty-five times you've been on the front page."
Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, lowering Valen again. "You're still counting?" he asked.
Ron shrugged. "Just seeing how many front page stories you can possibly make."
Draco smirked, sipping his tea. "What's this one about?" he asked.
"Well, I suppose it's not exclusively about Harry," said Ron, frowning as he skimmed the article. "S'bout our year going back to school and asking if Harry'll be one of them, oh, and, Draco, you're mentioned too, of course... I didn't know our year was going back to school."
Hermione suddenly snatched the paper from his hands, frowning as well. "I never heard such a thing," she said, reading very quickly.
Harry raised an eyebrow.
Both of Draco's eyebrows arched too and he went to look over Hermione's shoulder at the article. "I heard no one took N.E.W.T.s. They had to postpone them because of the war."
Right then, Leakey popped in, like he had been doing all too often, Harry thought, bearing a silver tray with four letters upon it.
"I has letters for Masters Draco and Harry, and Mr Weasley and Ms Granger," he said.
Harry took his off the tray when the elf came round, holding Valen in one arm. It looked like a Hogwarts letter.
Hermione gasped in excitement as she took hers and Ron shook his head at her.
Draco took the newspaper from Hermione and his letter, sitting down with both.
Harry had to try and open his own letter with one hand, and then hold the parchment away to read it so that Valen couldn't get to it.
Dear Mr Potter,
It is with great hopes that you wish to complete your education that we, the staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, invite your class to return to take your N.E.W.T level examinations. Circumstances are such that no credit has been taken and you are welcome to attend practical lessons from October first to October thirteenth. Enclosed is a list of subjects and books to prepare for the examinations. We very much hope you will be joining us.
Sincerely, Headmistress McGonagall
Draco chuckled. "Back to school for N.E.W.T.s?" he said in surprise.
Harry looked up and then pulled the list out of the envelope, skimming it. "Looks like it," he said.
"But it's almost September!" said Hermione, eyes wide with worry.
Ron made a face at her. "You act as if you haven't been studying for N.E.W.T.s since fifth year," he said.
She scowled at him.
Draco smiled. "So, Harry," he said, "do we want to go back to school?" He arched an eyebrow at his husband.
Harry looked down at Valen and then back up at Draco. "Do we?" he asked.
"Why not?" Draco asked, shrugging. "We have no other plans."
"Well, we'd have to take him," said Harry, indicating their son. "But I suppose he wouldn't be any trouble."
"You have to go, Harry," said Hermione. "What a waste of six years if you don't."
"I didn't say I wasn't going to," said Harry. "I would actually like to go. We've already all said it would be good to take N.E.W.T.s."
Draco snorted at the idea of Valen not being trouble. "Yes, I think I would enjoy just being a student again for a while," he said. "And I suppose McGonagall would let us have our tower room back."
Harry smiled and nodded. "Unless there's some other accidentally bound couple using it."
"I wonder who else will return," Draco mused, wondering about old friends. Most of his were dead or in Azkaban.
Harry shrugged. "Probably a good number. Can't really get a great job without N.E.W.T.s." He frowned, thinking of Seamus.
"They're only giving us one week for practicals!" said Hermione. "That's hardly anything at all!"
"Well, we should all be able to ace Defence Against the Dark Arts," Draco said. "And I seem to have got a lot of practise in Charms," he added, smirking at his husband.
Harry snorted, nodding. "And Draco is exceptional at Potions. I'm sure he won't mind helping you if you have questions. Don't fret, Hermione. We'll all do fine. And you have been studying for N.E.W.T.s since fifth year."
Hermione looked disgruntled. "I'll draw up some study schedules for all of us," she said. "And we should set aside at least a few hours a day for using the library. Honestly. I can't believe they're sending us these only now!"
Ron took a deep breath. "And now you get to see what we really went through for six years," he said to Draco.
She scowled at him again.
Draco laughed and nodded. He figured that studying for N.E.W.T.s would actually be a lot easier than researching Horcruxes and reading Harry's parents' journals. He was delighted by the looks on Ron and Harry's faces.
***
Not even in school had Hermione worked Harry and Ron so much. She wasn't as hard on Draco, as he didn't really go off into dazes like Harry and Ron did, but she wasn't easy on any of them. It was like having their own Professor McGonagall, perhaps even stricter. However, one thing did make all the work much easier than it had been in school. Harry's study breaks did not consist of flying or a walk on the grounds. Now they consisted of hot sex with his husband. He enjoyed it quite a lot, and Hermione had thought they were going off for Potions lessons, although he was pretty sure she had figured them out by the end, as Harry was still not terribly good with Potions when she gave them their pre-tests.
Eventually, though, it came time to head off to Hogwarts and they left for the school with two week's worth of what they needed, Harry and Draco with much more than Hermione and Ron, as they had Valen's things in tow as well. They arrived at the school that evening, through Floo, and Professor McGonagall had a house-elf collect their things to take up to Gryffindor tower. The elf gave them her message that they were to join the rest of the school for dinner.
"Sitting with us?" Ron asked teasingly, nudging Draco as they walked along the corridor.
"I should sit with my House," Draco answered. "Valen can sit with me," he added with a smirk.
Harry shot him a sideways look, raising an eyebrow with amusement. "His middle name means lion," he said. "He will so be a Gryffindor."
"He's a Malfoy," Draco countered, one eyebrow arched in his classic expression.
"By name," Harry remarked, raising his chin with a sort of sure smugness.
"By all appearances, too," Draco smirked.
"He has my eyes and my lips," Harry countered with a smile.
They were nearly to the Hall and Draco held out his hands to his husband for their child. "Then what are you worried about?" he asked, grinning.
"I'm not worried about anything, love," Harry replied, looking between Valen and Draco. "Not even sitting at the Slytherin table would keep him from being a Gryffindor," he said, still amused.
Ron and Hermione were watching them with weary expressions, having heard this conversation plenty of times before.
Draco gently took the baby from his husband's arms. Valen squeaked and burbled happily. "Nor does sleeping in Gryffindor tower make me one," he teased.
Harry smiled and shook his head. "I will be eagerly awaiting his first letter home from school," he said, reaching the doors now.
Draco arranged his face in his classic "Malfoy" look and took his husband's hand. He looked to the others, too. "Ready to make an entrance?" he asked.
Harry snorted.
"An entrance?" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows.
"But of course," said Ron, grinning.
"Open the doors, Harry," Draco said, hands full. He wanted Harry to use his magic for him.
Harry shook his head at his husband. Feeling his face flush, he made a small sweeping gesture with his hands and opened the door using his magic. He laughed as Valen made quite a show of liking it.
As the four stepped into the hall, everyone inside grew very quiet, which made Valen's noises seem even louder, echoing around the room. The murmuring grew until it was like a dull roar, the words, "Harry Potter," and, "Draco Malfoy," easily discerned. Ron and Hermione's names could be heard too, and, of course, all over there was, "and that's their baby." Several people waved at them from the Gryffindor table, and some even cheered. Harry felt like an idiot, but a happy one.
Draco couldn't quite keep the smirk off his face. He leaned over and kissed Harry quickly but firmly on the lips before releasing his hand and, with an eyebrow waggle, turning to head over to the Slytherin table.
Harry stared at his husband. He hadn't actually thought Draco would go over to Slytherin. Harry walked with Ron and Hermione to the Gryffindor table, greeting Neville, Dean, and the rest of their year, as well as Ginny, who was there for her actual seventh year. He kept an eye on Draco, watching him and their child.
Draco scanned his table, heart clenching when he realised that, although he recognised several of the younger students of his House, there were only two others from his year - Pansy and Theo. Those two were sitting across from each other. Which one did he sit beside? Both ideas had problems. Given that his last encounter with these two and Blaise had nearly got him killed, it was awkward. On one hand, though, Pansy usually had the worst temper, so he chose the slightly less dangerous "friend." He strode up and a sixth year moved over to make room for him beside Theo.
Harry happily began to chat with his old Housemates and some of the people from other Houses came up to speak with him as well. He knew that nothing was actually going to happen to Draco and Valen in the middle of the Great Hall, but he too remembered being in Hogsmeade, and being attacked, and so he still watched.
Everyone at the Slytherin table was quiet and staring at Draco and Valen. Then the whispering began among the first years and spread around the table. Draco ignored it. "Pansy, Theo," he acknowledged.
"Ooh, is that Potter's baby?" Pansy asked, reaching across the table to touch him.
Draco nearly pulled back to avoid that hand, but settled on warily watching her as she wiggled fingers in front of Valen's face. Valen, for his part, seemed equally suspicious and was being unusually quiet as he watched her with big green eyes. "He is our child," Draco replied, aware that she probably already knew that. "Valentine Malfoy," he said, loud enough that the rest of the table could hear.
"He looks like you," Theo said with a smirk.
"What's Draco sitting over there for?" asked Ginny, watching him as Harry was.
"I don't know," Harry said. "Suppose he wanted to catch up."
"But didn't they ...?" said Ron, frowning.
Harry nodded, knowing he was talking about Hogsmeade.
"Do you think they fought in the battle?" asked Neville.
Harry shrugged, his eyes slightly narrowed.
"You're all staring at them," said Hermione, lifting an eyebrow at them.
Harry looked around and realised she was right, and that they probably all looked like idiots. "Come on now. Only me," he said to his friends. "They're my Malfoys."
Ron snorted as he and the rest went back to their plates.
"Yes," Draco answered Theo. "He is a Malfoy."
Valen made a disgruntled noise when Pansy tweaked his nose and Draco gave her a warning frown.
She pulled her hand back and picked up her fork, eating again. "So, I didn't think infants would be allowed at Hogwarts. Shouldn't he be with his nanny?" she asked.
Draco was not explaining that Harry breastfed. That, at least, had not been in the papers yet. "Special circumstances," he said. "And we don't use a nanny."
Pansy looked disapproving of that and there were quite a number of surprised expressions around the table.
Draco shifted Valen to his silver arm, pressing the child to his chest as he began to eat.
"Why aren't you sitting with Potter?" Theo asked. "Didn't you change your colours?"
Draco controlled his face, looking unconcerned despite the flare of anger inside him. "I'm a Slytherin," he answered.
Harry actually thought about joining Draco at the Slytherin table and had begun drumming fingers on his plate in his unease.
"Mate," said Ron, sounding annoyed as he grabbed Harry's hand to stop him.
Harry huffed, letting his hands fall into his lap. He thought maybe he understood why Draco wanted to eat with the Slytherins, but the last time he and Draco had eaten willingly apart had been in Hogwarts. So he was being a bit stupid about it, but he wanted his husband and child next to him, where they belonged. He was pulled from his thoughts by a tap on the shoulder and looked up to see an excited-looking second year staring at him, quite close to his face. He frowned in confusion.
"Hi, Harry," she said. "Will you sign this?" She held out a piece of parchment and a quill, smiling widely at him.
Harry's frown grew and then looked over to see Ron very happily signing something of some other student's. He sighed, nodding as he took the quill. He glanced at Draco and Valen again.
Draco looked over to see Harry signing autographs. He smiled and was delighted when those green eyes met his. In his arms, Valen grabbed the fork and tried to eat it. That caught Draco's attention as he looked down and pried it from his son's grasp. "No, you get yours after I eat," he told the baby.
Theo was looking at Draco strangely and Draco glanced up and met the other man's eyes. A shiver of memory moved through him and he looked back to his plate.
"I never pictured you as the fatherly type," Theo said, a touch of heat in his voice as he spoke.
Draco nodded, focusing on his food. Pansy laughed. "No Truth or Dare games any more, Draco?" she teased.
Harry smiled back when Draco looked at him, though the smile was probably a bit strange. And then, disgruntled, he turned back to the parchment he was signing. It seemed word had spread that he'd signed one person's parchment, so a whole slew of them gathered around him.
"Oy!" said Ginny, elbowing Jimmy Peakes out of her side, where he was pressed as he tried to reach Harry. "You went to school with him, Jimmy," she said, frowning at him. "It's not as if you've never seen him before."
Jimmy ignored her. "Will you sign my broom, Harry?" he asked over the heads of some first-years.
Harry huffed, looking up at the staff table and wondering how long Professor McGonagall would let this go on.
Draco nearly flushed at the memory of, not only his last Truth or Dare game a year ago at the Burrow, but at the last one he had ever played in Slytherin.
Apparently, Theo remembered too because he chuckled beside him. "Now that would be a shame," the man said. "You had quite a knack for those dares."
Draco wasn't able to completely control his flush then, which made the other two laugh even harder. Luckily, Draco was saved coming up with an answer when a commotion broke out over at the Gryffindor table.
"All right!" Harry shouted, just so he could be heard over the voices. "I'm the same bloody bloke you've all seen before! I don't want to sign anything else!"
"Aww, Harry, just this," said several people.
"No," Harry said firmly. "You're lucky I signed what I did."
And when only a few of the students cleared away, Professor McGonagall finally stood and shot them a very stern look. "Please, take your seats," she said briskly, and they did, quite quickly at that.
Harry straightened his glasses and robes.
Professor McGonagall did not take her seat again, however. She remained standing. "I would like to welcome our guests back," she said, and there was a loud round of applause and some more cheering.
Valen startled at the clapping and squeaked nervously, his green eyes gone large and round.
Draco set his fork down and rubbed the baby's chest and belly, soothing him. "It's fine," he whispered to the infant.
Professor McGonagall got the Hall quiet again with another of her looks. "Yes, it's all well and good," she said. "Furthering one's education is among the greatest things one can do in life."
Hermione nodded in happy approval.
"I would ask that the returning class meet in the library after the meal," McGonagall continued, "so that the details of the examinations and lessons may be explained. I would also like to add: Please do not harass our guests. They are here for learning and only have a short time to do so. If I see it happening, it will mean House points. Carry on." She took her seat again.
Just as the Headmistress went to sit, Valen let out a high pitched squeal that filled the Hall and made his father wince in pain. The infant was staring off at Harry and waving his little arms.
Harry smiled at him, waving back as there was a collective, "Awwww," from many of the girls. "Excuse me," he said decisively to his friends, getting to his feet and striding across the Hall. He stood next to the Slytherin table, intending to sit, but saw that there wasn't an empty space next to Draco.
Theo was regarding the Gryffindor but didn't move aside to make room for him.
Valen was squeaking and wriggling in Draco arms, even more enthusiastically when Harry approached the table. Draco turned and held the child up for his husband to take.
Harry smiled as he took Valen, rubbing his nose against the baby’s, and then he stared at Nott, clearing his throat.
Draco stood, climbing off the bench. "He's hungry," he told his husband as he stepped up to him.
"Oh," Harry said, turning his attention to Draco again. "Okay. I'll go feed him then. You going to come with me?"
Draco looked at his half eaten-plate of food. "Yes," he said, taking Harry's hand.
Chapter Title: Returning Heroes
Words: 3156 Words
Harry lifted Valen into the air and laughed as the baby smiled down at him, reaching for his glasses. They were both in the dining room with Draco, Ron and Hermione. Their trip to France had ended a couple of weeks earlier, and while the holiday had been nice -- very nice -- it did feel good to be home. Though Harry was still tired of the letters. Those hadn't really stopped.
"Oh, look," said Ron through his mouthful of food as he read the paper, "thirty-five. Thirty-five times you've been on the front page."
Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, lowering Valen again. "You're still counting?" he asked.
Ron shrugged. "Just seeing how many front page stories you can possibly make."
Draco smirked, sipping his tea. "What's this one about?" he asked.
"Well, I suppose it's not exclusively about Harry," said Ron, frowning as he skimmed the article. "S'bout our year going back to school and asking if Harry'll be one of them, oh, and, Draco, you're mentioned too, of course... I didn't know our year was going back to school."
Hermione suddenly snatched the paper from his hands, frowning as well. "I never heard such a thing," she said, reading very quickly.
Harry raised an eyebrow.
Both of Draco's eyebrows arched too and he went to look over Hermione's shoulder at the article. "I heard no one took N.E.W.T.s. They had to postpone them because of the war."
Right then, Leakey popped in, like he had been doing all too often, Harry thought, bearing a silver tray with four letters upon it.
"I has letters for Masters Draco and Harry, and Mr Weasley and Ms Granger," he said.
Harry took his off the tray when the elf came round, holding Valen in one arm. It looked like a Hogwarts letter.
Hermione gasped in excitement as she took hers and Ron shook his head at her.
Draco took the newspaper from Hermione and his letter, sitting down with both.
Harry had to try and open his own letter with one hand, and then hold the parchment away to read it so that Valen couldn't get to it.
Dear Mr Potter,
It is with great hopes that you wish to complete your education that we, the staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, invite your class to return to take your N.E.W.T level examinations. Circumstances are such that no credit has been taken and you are welcome to attend practical lessons from October first to October thirteenth. Enclosed is a list of subjects and books to prepare for the examinations. We very much hope you will be joining us.
Sincerely, Headmistress McGonagall
Draco chuckled. "Back to school for N.E.W.T.s?" he said in surprise.
Harry looked up and then pulled the list out of the envelope, skimming it. "Looks like it," he said.
"But it's almost September!" said Hermione, eyes wide with worry.
Ron made a face at her. "You act as if you haven't been studying for N.E.W.T.s since fifth year," he said.
She scowled at him.
Draco smiled. "So, Harry," he said, "do we want to go back to school?" He arched an eyebrow at his husband.
Harry looked down at Valen and then back up at Draco. "Do we?" he asked.
"Why not?" Draco asked, shrugging. "We have no other plans."
"Well, we'd have to take him," said Harry, indicating their son. "But I suppose he wouldn't be any trouble."
"You have to go, Harry," said Hermione. "What a waste of six years if you don't."
"I didn't say I wasn't going to," said Harry. "I would actually like to go. We've already all said it would be good to take N.E.W.T.s."
Draco snorted at the idea of Valen not being trouble. "Yes, I think I would enjoy just being a student again for a while," he said. "And I suppose McGonagall would let us have our tower room back."
Harry smiled and nodded. "Unless there's some other accidentally bound couple using it."
"I wonder who else will return," Draco mused, wondering about old friends. Most of his were dead or in Azkaban.
Harry shrugged. "Probably a good number. Can't really get a great job without N.E.W.T.s." He frowned, thinking of Seamus.
"They're only giving us one week for practicals!" said Hermione. "That's hardly anything at all!"
"Well, we should all be able to ace Defence Against the Dark Arts," Draco said. "And I seem to have got a lot of practise in Charms," he added, smirking at his husband.
Harry snorted, nodding. "And Draco is exceptional at Potions. I'm sure he won't mind helping you if you have questions. Don't fret, Hermione. We'll all do fine. And you have been studying for N.E.W.T.s since fifth year."
Hermione looked disgruntled. "I'll draw up some study schedules for all of us," she said. "And we should set aside at least a few hours a day for using the library. Honestly. I can't believe they're sending us these only now!"
Ron took a deep breath. "And now you get to see what we really went through for six years," he said to Draco.
She scowled at him again.
Draco laughed and nodded. He figured that studying for N.E.W.T.s would actually be a lot easier than researching Horcruxes and reading Harry's parents' journals. He was delighted by the looks on Ron and Harry's faces.
***
Not even in school had Hermione worked Harry and Ron so much. She wasn't as hard on Draco, as he didn't really go off into dazes like Harry and Ron did, but she wasn't easy on any of them. It was like having their own Professor McGonagall, perhaps even stricter. However, one thing did make all the work much easier than it had been in school. Harry's study breaks did not consist of flying or a walk on the grounds. Now they consisted of hot sex with his husband. He enjoyed it quite a lot, and Hermione had thought they were going off for Potions lessons, although he was pretty sure she had figured them out by the end, as Harry was still not terribly good with Potions when she gave them their pre-tests.
Eventually, though, it came time to head off to Hogwarts and they left for the school with two week's worth of what they needed, Harry and Draco with much more than Hermione and Ron, as they had Valen's things in tow as well. They arrived at the school that evening, through Floo, and Professor McGonagall had a house-elf collect their things to take up to Gryffindor tower. The elf gave them her message that they were to join the rest of the school for dinner.
"Sitting with us?" Ron asked teasingly, nudging Draco as they walked along the corridor.
"I should sit with my House," Draco answered. "Valen can sit with me," he added with a smirk.
Harry shot him a sideways look, raising an eyebrow with amusement. "His middle name means lion," he said. "He will so be a Gryffindor."
"He's a Malfoy," Draco countered, one eyebrow arched in his classic expression.
"By name," Harry remarked, raising his chin with a sort of sure smugness.
"By all appearances, too," Draco smirked.
"He has my eyes and my lips," Harry countered with a smile.
They were nearly to the Hall and Draco held out his hands to his husband for their child. "Then what are you worried about?" he asked, grinning.
"I'm not worried about anything, love," Harry replied, looking between Valen and Draco. "Not even sitting at the Slytherin table would keep him from being a Gryffindor," he said, still amused.
Ron and Hermione were watching them with weary expressions, having heard this conversation plenty of times before.
Draco gently took the baby from his husband's arms. Valen squeaked and burbled happily. "Nor does sleeping in Gryffindor tower make me one," he teased.
Harry smiled and shook his head. "I will be eagerly awaiting his first letter home from school," he said, reaching the doors now.
Draco arranged his face in his classic "Malfoy" look and took his husband's hand. He looked to the others, too. "Ready to make an entrance?" he asked.
Harry snorted.
"An entrance?" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows.
"But of course," said Ron, grinning.
"Open the doors, Harry," Draco said, hands full. He wanted Harry to use his magic for him.
Harry shook his head at his husband. Feeling his face flush, he made a small sweeping gesture with his hands and opened the door using his magic. He laughed as Valen made quite a show of liking it.
As the four stepped into the hall, everyone inside grew very quiet, which made Valen's noises seem even louder, echoing around the room. The murmuring grew until it was like a dull roar, the words, "Harry Potter," and, "Draco Malfoy," easily discerned. Ron and Hermione's names could be heard too, and, of course, all over there was, "and that's their baby." Several people waved at them from the Gryffindor table, and some even cheered. Harry felt like an idiot, but a happy one.
Draco couldn't quite keep the smirk off his face. He leaned over and kissed Harry quickly but firmly on the lips before releasing his hand and, with an eyebrow waggle, turning to head over to the Slytherin table.
Harry stared at his husband. He hadn't actually thought Draco would go over to Slytherin. Harry walked with Ron and Hermione to the Gryffindor table, greeting Neville, Dean, and the rest of their year, as well as Ginny, who was there for her actual seventh year. He kept an eye on Draco, watching him and their child.
Draco scanned his table, heart clenching when he realised that, although he recognised several of the younger students of his House, there were only two others from his year - Pansy and Theo. Those two were sitting across from each other. Which one did he sit beside? Both ideas had problems. Given that his last encounter with these two and Blaise had nearly got him killed, it was awkward. On one hand, though, Pansy usually had the worst temper, so he chose the slightly less dangerous "friend." He strode up and a sixth year moved over to make room for him beside Theo.
Harry happily began to chat with his old Housemates and some of the people from other Houses came up to speak with him as well. He knew that nothing was actually going to happen to Draco and Valen in the middle of the Great Hall, but he too remembered being in Hogsmeade, and being attacked, and so he still watched.
Everyone at the Slytherin table was quiet and staring at Draco and Valen. Then the whispering began among the first years and spread around the table. Draco ignored it. "Pansy, Theo," he acknowledged.
"Ooh, is that Potter's baby?" Pansy asked, reaching across the table to touch him.
Draco nearly pulled back to avoid that hand, but settled on warily watching her as she wiggled fingers in front of Valen's face. Valen, for his part, seemed equally suspicious and was being unusually quiet as he watched her with big green eyes. "He is our child," Draco replied, aware that she probably already knew that. "Valentine Malfoy," he said, loud enough that the rest of the table could hear.
"He looks like you," Theo said with a smirk.
"What's Draco sitting over there for?" asked Ginny, watching him as Harry was.
"I don't know," Harry said. "Suppose he wanted to catch up."
"But didn't they ...?" said Ron, frowning.
Harry nodded, knowing he was talking about Hogsmeade.
"Do you think they fought in the battle?" asked Neville.
Harry shrugged, his eyes slightly narrowed.
"You're all staring at them," said Hermione, lifting an eyebrow at them.
Harry looked around and realised she was right, and that they probably all looked like idiots. "Come on now. Only me," he said to his friends. "They're my Malfoys."
Ron snorted as he and the rest went back to their plates.
"Yes," Draco answered Theo. "He is a Malfoy."
Valen made a disgruntled noise when Pansy tweaked his nose and Draco gave her a warning frown.
She pulled her hand back and picked up her fork, eating again. "So, I didn't think infants would be allowed at Hogwarts. Shouldn't he be with his nanny?" she asked.
Draco was not explaining that Harry breastfed. That, at least, had not been in the papers yet. "Special circumstances," he said. "And we don't use a nanny."
Pansy looked disapproving of that and there were quite a number of surprised expressions around the table.
Draco shifted Valen to his silver arm, pressing the child to his chest as he began to eat.
"Why aren't you sitting with Potter?" Theo asked. "Didn't you change your colours?"
Draco controlled his face, looking unconcerned despite the flare of anger inside him. "I'm a Slytherin," he answered.
Harry actually thought about joining Draco at the Slytherin table and had begun drumming fingers on his plate in his unease.
"Mate," said Ron, sounding annoyed as he grabbed Harry's hand to stop him.
Harry huffed, letting his hands fall into his lap. He thought maybe he understood why Draco wanted to eat with the Slytherins, but the last time he and Draco had eaten willingly apart had been in Hogwarts. So he was being a bit stupid about it, but he wanted his husband and child next to him, where they belonged. He was pulled from his thoughts by a tap on the shoulder and looked up to see an excited-looking second year staring at him, quite close to his face. He frowned in confusion.
"Hi, Harry," she said. "Will you sign this?" She held out a piece of parchment and a quill, smiling widely at him.
Harry's frown grew and then looked over to see Ron very happily signing something of some other student's. He sighed, nodding as he took the quill. He glanced at Draco and Valen again.
Draco looked over to see Harry signing autographs. He smiled and was delighted when those green eyes met his. In his arms, Valen grabbed the fork and tried to eat it. That caught Draco's attention as he looked down and pried it from his son's grasp. "No, you get yours after I eat," he told the baby.
Theo was looking at Draco strangely and Draco glanced up and met the other man's eyes. A shiver of memory moved through him and he looked back to his plate.
"I never pictured you as the fatherly type," Theo said, a touch of heat in his voice as he spoke.
Draco nodded, focusing on his food. Pansy laughed. "No Truth or Dare games any more, Draco?" she teased.
Harry smiled back when Draco looked at him, though the smile was probably a bit strange. And then, disgruntled, he turned back to the parchment he was signing. It seemed word had spread that he'd signed one person's parchment, so a whole slew of them gathered around him.
"Oy!" said Ginny, elbowing Jimmy Peakes out of her side, where he was pressed as he tried to reach Harry. "You went to school with him, Jimmy," she said, frowning at him. "It's not as if you've never seen him before."
Jimmy ignored her. "Will you sign my broom, Harry?" he asked over the heads of some first-years.
Harry huffed, looking up at the staff table and wondering how long Professor McGonagall would let this go on.
Draco nearly flushed at the memory of, not only his last Truth or Dare game a year ago at the Burrow, but at the last one he had ever played in Slytherin.
Apparently, Theo remembered too because he chuckled beside him. "Now that would be a shame," the man said. "You had quite a knack for those dares."
Draco wasn't able to completely control his flush then, which made the other two laugh even harder. Luckily, Draco was saved coming up with an answer when a commotion broke out over at the Gryffindor table.
"All right!" Harry shouted, just so he could be heard over the voices. "I'm the same bloody bloke you've all seen before! I don't want to sign anything else!"
"Aww, Harry, just this," said several people.
"No," Harry said firmly. "You're lucky I signed what I did."
And when only a few of the students cleared away, Professor McGonagall finally stood and shot them a very stern look. "Please, take your seats," she said briskly, and they did, quite quickly at that.
Harry straightened his glasses and robes.
Professor McGonagall did not take her seat again, however. She remained standing. "I would like to welcome our guests back," she said, and there was a loud round of applause and some more cheering.
Valen startled at the clapping and squeaked nervously, his green eyes gone large and round.
Draco set his fork down and rubbed the baby's chest and belly, soothing him. "It's fine," he whispered to the infant.
Professor McGonagall got the Hall quiet again with another of her looks. "Yes, it's all well and good," she said. "Furthering one's education is among the greatest things one can do in life."
Hermione nodded in happy approval.
"I would ask that the returning class meet in the library after the meal," McGonagall continued, "so that the details of the examinations and lessons may be explained. I would also like to add: Please do not harass our guests. They are here for learning and only have a short time to do so. If I see it happening, it will mean House points. Carry on." She took her seat again.
Just as the Headmistress went to sit, Valen let out a high pitched squeal that filled the Hall and made his father wince in pain. The infant was staring off at Harry and waving his little arms.
Harry smiled at him, waving back as there was a collective, "Awwww," from many of the girls. "Excuse me," he said decisively to his friends, getting to his feet and striding across the Hall. He stood next to the Slytherin table, intending to sit, but saw that there wasn't an empty space next to Draco.
Theo was regarding the Gryffindor but didn't move aside to make room for him.
Valen was squeaking and wriggling in Draco arms, even more enthusiastically when Harry approached the table. Draco turned and held the child up for his husband to take.
Harry smiled as he took Valen, rubbing his nose against the baby’s, and then he stared at Nott, clearing his throat.
Draco stood, climbing off the bench. "He's hungry," he told his husband as he stepped up to him.
"Oh," Harry said, turning his attention to Draco again. "Okay. I'll go feed him then. You going to come with me?"
Draco looked at his half eaten-plate of food. "Yes," he said, taking Harry's hand.