Broken Normalcy

Chapter two: The Happy Family

The house was dark and quiet when he returned, that was unusual. Harry placed the shopping bags on the kitchen table, managing to jump some Lego and a little pony at the same time. He was glad that Ginny wasn’t home with the kids yet. His eyes were probably red and Harry didn’t feel like explaining himself to his wife. With a sigh, he turned on the lights; it was six and outside it had been dark as if midnight since early five in the afternoon, unforgiving and cold this winter was. Harry resigned himself to order the grocery in the cabinets and fridge, knowing that if he’d leave the mess, Ginny would have a word or two with him.

Draco.

He couldn’t get the thought of the blond out of his mind. Harry had given him his mobile number, it made Harry’s heart accelerate with trepidation and he momentarily felt around his coat for his phone.

“I need a shower.” He announced to the empty house. “I need to cool down and just forget about everything.”

********

Warm water hit his skin, sliding down his body. Steam rising, the shower door misty already, Harry closed his eyes and let the water cascade on his head. He breathed, placing a hand on the shower wall as if for support as his body tensed and relaxed in painful quivers.

Draco.

Harry’s hand closed into a fist and a chocked cry escaped him.

~“Ginny?”
“Yes, she’s my wife now.”
“I’m seeing someone too.”
“Oh.”~

Harry had meant to say that he was glad that Draco had found someone, he had wanted to say that he looked happy and that even after all the war, his silver eyes still sparkled with life.

He hadn’t said anything about it.

~“Cooking?”
“Yeah, I like cooking.”
“Yes, eh, I remember. I’m just…surprised that you took it on.”~

Harry breathed a choke and a chuckle at the same time, leaning his head on the wall, the water hitting his neck and back. He tried to relax. Draco had always been good at potions, it wasn’t a surprise when he begun to nurse an interest for cooking, holding extraordinary talent for that too. Harry smiled sadly, eyes closed tightly, heart heavy but weak in his chest. He had always looked forward for Draco’s cooking.

~“Why are you making this such a big deal? I have my own life, you have yours. You can’t just expect me to leave it because you decided to show up and—”

“What? Potter, all I wanted was a nice conversation in front a cup of coffee, that’s all. I never meant to steal the great Daddy-Harry-Potter from his family. I just asked for a couple of hours of your life, is that too much?”~

Harry’s legs almost gave out and he cried even more.

Yes, too much for too little. What if he wanted more, what if—?

“Harry dear, I’m home!”

Harry quickly stood and stopped the water.

“Daddy!”

He smiled at the happy squeals coming from downstairs. He quickly grabbed at a towel knowing well what the current stampede was as it got closer and closer. There were hurried knocks on the door and he had little time to secure the towel around him when he was pounced on by two identical redheads.

“Daddy!”

Harry laughed, feeling warm at the sight of his kids and chuckled as they hugged at his knees and waist as he still held on the hem of the towel awkwardly.

“Daddy, Uncle Fred told me a new joke today!”

“I saw aunty Hermione! She helped me with my reading!”

“And then Grandpa promised as to go to Diagon Alley!”

“We even saw Uncle Ron getting scowled at by grandma!”

“And Uncle George said we could go in his and Uncle Fred’s joke shop again!”

Harry looked between them quickly as they talked animatedly, their dark eyes shining up at him, freckled faces curved in smiles. He was breathless at their energy and enthusiasm, and he smiled patiently even if he was dripping wet and cold air was coming from the open bathroom door as his kids were grasping at him.

“Kids, let Daddy go, don’t you see he’s just come out of the shower?” Melissa giggled wildly but reached for Harry’s hand.

“Da, Da!” She said ignoring her mother, “Will you tell Derrick and I about Hogwarts again? Please? Uncle Ron was talking about it today, and Aunty Hermione said that we’d probably go, oh, please tell us about it!”

Squeals of ‘please’ rose in the bathroom as the twins started a well practiced chorus. He looked up at Ginny, smiling.

The woman was leaning on the door, arms crossed over her green jumper, her hair in neat waves and soft make up on her face as she smiled at the scene.

“Hey love,” she said gently and came to peck Harry on the lips. Harry hesitated slightly in the kiss but if Ginny noticed, she didn’t show it.

“Eeww!”

Harry and Ginny broke in laughter and watched Melissa and Derrick jump around, covering their eyes with their little hands.

“Now, you two. You are not in the Weasley’s headquarters anymore so no more accepting apologies for acting like clowns. To your bathroom now, you’d better be all sparkling and clean before I set those spinaches Daddy bought on your plates.”

The twins both squeaked in horror at the mention of spinach and scrambled away.

“Daddy! Traitor!”

“You shouldn’t have bought the greens!”

“Out you!” Ginny scowled, but she wasn’t being severe and grinned as the two ran away.

“I swear, what with Ron telling them stories about all the evil Slytherins, they are never going to eat anything remotely green! Sorry I was late.” She said, closing the door. “Since it was the last day of school and it ended earlier we went to visit the Grandparents.”

Harry watched her move around the bathroom, taking away her earrings and rings.

“Later on, almost all the clan was there, we missed you.”

Her eyes met Harry’s trough the mirror and her smile faded a bit. She turned around, placing her jewelry on the basin.

“Harry, is there something wrong?”

“Huh?”

“Are you ok?”

Harry wanted to say something but he couldn’t speak, he nodded and after a pause he pointed to the shower. “I guess the shower made me drowsy, it’s been a long day.”

At this, Ginny smiled understandingly, and walked to embrace Harry.

“Ginny, I’m all wet, I—”

“I know.”

Harry awkwardly locked his arms around her, he could feel her breath on his neck and he swallowed. Soft lips pressed on his skin and Harry felt his body tensing.

“I’m so glad Christmas vacation finally started. No more picking the kids from school, no more running around to the ministry…More time to be together.”

“Gin—Ginny!”

The redhead was now trailing her lips on Harry’s collar bone; she smiled and nuzzled her way up to Harry’s cheek.

“I want you to make love to me tonight.”

“Ginny!”

“It will be fine, Harry, it will be fine.”

And her hands were suddenly pulling at his towel, caressing his tensed body and Harry jumped away. Ginny gasped in surprise and looked at Harry with a worried expression.

“Are you sure, you’re alright?”

“I, yes, I’m sure just…Dinner and the kids and really, I’m tiered…Later, ok?”

Ginny looked at him carefully, but then smiled.

“Ok, I’ll go prepare dinner then.”

With that, she walked by him, pressing a soft kiss on his cheek and went downstairs. Harry exhaled and backed to the wall. He closed his eyes, heart thumping so hard it hurt.

Not again.

After the Draco thing and the twins, it had taken years for Harry to be even comfortable to touch Ginny in any sexual way. However, Ginny had been patient and kind and now, only recently had they made actual love. Harry felt nothing of it, deep down. It was good, sure, it felt grand. But it felt like sex, not love. Ginny had gotten used to him tensing up at any of her advances, and she showed to be understanding enough, but when he had froze before, Ginny had looked almost hurt.

Draco.

It was always because of him. Harry had felt so attached to the boy that he couldn’t have faced sexual contact with any other for such a long time. It felt wrong and it made Harry feel so shameful he couldn’t explain it. However, with the years on, he had learnt to let go, to forget…

But seeing Draco today, it had changed everything.

Tears were stinging at his eyes again and Harry shook his head as he walked in his and Ginny’s room to find some clothes. Was it possible to be crying this much?

They had talked. It had felt as if nothing had really changed, they still couldn’t have a real normal conversation without a slight brawl in it. This made him smile, his heart giving a nostalgic thump.

Harry had given him his number. The man gulped passing a hand trough his wet hair. What had he been thinking? It was wrong of him to just, let it all happen. Not that something was happening, but it was happening to him anyways. And it couldn’t. “Just, as friends I mean, just to talk and have a cup of coffee.”

“Right.” He muttered under his breath, and he fumbled for some cloths.

*********
Harry,
You’ve must have been really tiered last night honey, you dropped dead on the bed and I didn’t have the heart to wake you for dinner. Now, it’s nine in the morning and I’m bringing the kids to the shopping center, the twins are looking forward to see Santa. We will be back by four or so, mom will join us soon. I’m sorry that I didn’t wake you, but you looked so at peace. Try to relax, ok? We send our love!
-Ginny

Harry dropped the note down on the kitchen table and sighed. The sun was pouring in the room, warm and gentle and Harry stretched. It was a beautiful morning, the birds chirped and the sky was light blue and looked so high and infinite that no clouds were visible.

Harry ruffled his hair and checked the cafeteria for coffee, there was none. Groaning, he began to prepare some more. It was roughly eleven o’clock in the morning when Harry had woken up, his first official day of vacation; it had felt magnificent to wake up with the thought. Sleep had been nice and refreshing; he was just turning on the fire under the coffee machine when he heard it, the vague ring of his mobile phone.

“Shit, not some emergency at the ministry!”

He skipped up the stairs and bolted in his room, searching his coat in a rushed way. Finally he found his phone but frowned at the display.

Private number.

Shrugging, Harry flipped it open.

“Hello? Harry Potter speaking.”

This was met by silence and Harry was about to ask if there was anyone on the line when a chuckle came.

“Do you always sound so serious on the phone?”

Harry’s mouth fell open and he lowered himself on the bed, stunned. He had forgotten all about last night.

“Draco?”

“Good morning, Harry.”

Harry’s mouth quivered and he begun to play with the quilt, nervously.

“I…Good morning.”

He hopped he didn’t sound as breathless as he felt.

“I don’t,” he said quickly, “sound so serious on the phone, I just thought it was the ministry or something.”

More chuckles. “No worries.”

Harry bight his lip, heart beginning that thump-thump against his chest. He gripped hard on his cell phone, scared that if he’d let go of it Draco would go away and even if they fell into silence, Harry was glad for it. He was glad that Draco wasn’t there, looking at him, so Harry closed his eyes, allowing a smile and he settled with listening to Draco’s somewhat unsteady breathing.

He wondered what Draco was thinking about.

“So what are you doing today?”

Green eyes burst open and it took a while for Harry to reply.

“Harry?”

“Eh, yeah I’m here just…I was checking my agenda.”

“Agenda?”

Harry felt himself flush. “Eh, yeah.”

Now, Draco laughed and Harry bit his lip as he passed his hand trough his hair.

“Okay, so what does your ‘agenda’ say?” Harry smiled, grateful that Draco had chosen to play along, somehow.

“That I might hmm, be free?”

“I like your agenda.”

“Thought you’d do.”

“You know me too well.”

“I’d say.”

They laughed and Harry felt sudden warmth from the simple conversation. His jaw was already a bit sore from all the smiling.

“Yeah,” he said after the chuckles had died out. However, Draco took over.

“Want to have breakfast together?”

“That’s weird; I was just making myself coffee.”

“Oh. Is Ginny--?”

“They are out shopping.” Harry found himself saying quickly. “They’re—”

“So do you want to meet?”

Harry bit his lip. “Yes.”

There was a pause with what Harry thought a sigh full of relief from Draco. He wasn’t sure how to take that sign.

“Would that café on Night’s Bridge road be ok?”

“Yeah, it would be fine. I’ll meet you there in—”

“Now?”

Did Draco sound hopeful just then? Harry stammered a bit but smiled as he nodded his head.

“Ok.”

“Grand.” Breathed Draco from the other end, it made Harry’s smile widen.

“Then, I’ll just get ready and I will—”

“Yes.”

“Will I find you there?”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll find you.”

“Oh. Okay then.”

“Yeah…”

“Then, I’ll see you in a moment.”

Another pause, his heart was all he could hear. He closed his eyes, wondering if Draco could hear it too.

“Bye, Harry.”

“Bye.” There was a click, the call ended. Harry plopped himself on the bed, eyes wide, hands suddenly cold and he gulped.

What had he done? Why was he starting his misery all over again? Why was he fiddling with unhealed scars? Yet, he couldn’t stop himself, not now. He raised the phone to his eyes.

Call ended.

Not anymore.

********