Harry Potter and The Charming Prince (BP7)

Time felt like it went in slow motion as Draco tried to pull his wand and cast a spell to stop his son's fall. Valen was plummeting toward the ground, and Draco's stomach lurched in fear as he realised he wouldn't be fast enough to save him.

Harry didn't even know what sort of magic he threw at his child, only that it was fast and powerful. He caught Valen with it, ensuring that the boy didn't hit the ground. His steady hand lowered in tiny increments, matching the slow pace at which Valen was lowered and when he turned his palm carefully, his son's body twisted slightly until he was coming down to land on his feet.

Draco shivered at the surge of power from his husband and his knees shook with relief at seeing their son float gently to the ground.

Harry's heart was still beating furiously. He let Valen reach the grass, breathing heavily. The sudden release of magic and his own adrenaline left him shaking now and he leant forward for a moment to rest his hands on his knees and take deep breaths.

Draco felt a spike of anger now as strode forward, grabbing Valen by both upper arms. He had the urge to shake some sense into the child and wanted to hug him close at the same time. "Valentine Leander Malfoy!" he yelled from only inches away.

Harry followed after his husband, staring angrily down at their son. "Why did you do that?" he demanded. "You know you're not supposed to fly big brooms. You know that."

Valen seemed to recover, despite still being held in a hard grip by Draco. He lifted his chin defiantly and his eyes were that same flashing green Draco knew so well. "I know. But I did it and I was good at it!" he answered.

Harry bit his tongue hard for a moment. "You could've killed yourself, Valen! What then?!"

Valen scowled, the expression so like Draco that the blond father nearly smirked in response. "But I didn't," the child insisted.

"But you could've!" Harry said through gritted teeth. "And you had your sister lie for you!"

That last one seemed to hit home and Valen had scruples enough to flush then and look down.

Draco shook his head. "Look at me, son," he insisted. He had to clench his teeth for a minute not to give in when he saw his son's eyes watering now. "It was bad enough you endangered yourself, but getting your sister in trouble when you were supposed to be taking care of her, was not honourable."

Harry had to actually look away in order to not give in. Valen had just broken two clear rules and Harry felt bad.

Valen blinked, eyes wide and a tear running down one cheek, then another on the other side. Apparently the issue of honour had not occurred to him before and he was stung now. His mouth opened but then closed again, as he struggled for something to say.

"We cannot do things just because we want them," Draco continued. "To be honourable you must weigh how your actions affect others." His heart ached to pull the boy into a hug but he kept a stern face.

Harry swallowed and nodded, chancing a glance down at Valen.

"I – I'm sorry," Valen gasped, beginning to tremble now.

Draco felt torn, not knowing if this was enough. It wouldn't have been enough for his father but he didn't want to be like Lucius. He glanced up at Harry, wanting his guidance now.

Harry bit his lip, not entirely sure what to do either. He met Draco's eyes for a moment and then dropped down to the ground next to him. "Valen," he said in a gentler voice than he'd been using before. "We love you, and that's why we don't want you to get hurt. You could've got hurt on that broom. And Daddy Draco's right, it's not honourable at all to have your little sister lie so that you can go off and do something you know you're not supposed to. I think we'll take away your broom for a while, but you can earn it back if you're good."

Valen's tears flowed a little faster now but he actually looked relieved as well.

Draco understood that. Knowing the punishment was better than fearing it. "And you will apologise to your sister; Hermione and Ron as well."

Harry nodded in agreement, still staring at Valen. He knew his son came by his actions honestly; Harry had broken more than his share of rules in school and Draco had a talent for finding ways around them. As much as Harry wanted to forbid Valen from ever getting on a broom after seeing his tiny body fall, Harry knew that would only make Valen want it more.

Draco pulled his son to him then, letting out a sigh that was almost a sob himself and Valen buried his face against his father's chest.

Harry smiled a little, hugging the both of them and rubbing Valen's back in soothing circles. "You won't do that anymore?" he asked quietly.

Valen pulled back a bit turning his head to look into Harry's eyes, his own eyes shining green as well. "But Daddy, I want to fly," he whispered.

Harry's heart clenched a little. "I know," he said, understanding that feeling completely and forcefully keeping himself from calling Valen ‘baby.’ "You just have to wait a while before you can ride a big broom. It's easy for me to lose control on a big broom. I can take you for rides, but it's not a good idea for you to do it all by yourself."

Hope flared in the boy's eyes. "You'll take me?" he asked in a small voice.

Draco kept one arm around Valen but reached the other to pull Harry closer. He snorted with amusement now.

Harry smiled. "Yes, I'll take you," he said. "You should've asked rather than get in trouble, kid," he continued, raising an eyebrow.

"Thank you, Daddy," Valen said, throwing both arms around Harry's neck and kissing his cheek.

Draco was grinning now. He didn't say it but he wouldn't be surprised if Harry could see it in his eyes. He absolutely believed this kid would be sorted into Slytherin.

Harry shook his head at Draco, smiling wryly now. "Go on and say you're sorry now," he said to Valen. "We'll be right behind you."

Valen stepped back, wiping his eyes and face on his sleeve. He smiled at the two of them before running back in the direction toward the rest of the family. Harry continued to shake his head, getting to his feet and holding his hand out to Draco.

Draco grinned, taking his hand and getting to his feet, using his other hand to dust off grass from his trousers.

"You don't even need to say it," Harry said.

That just made Draco chuckle, grinning so big it nearly hurt. He reached for Harry, pulling his husband against his own body.

Harry smiled, laying a kiss against Draco's lips and slipped his tongue into his husband's mouth, hands pressed firmly to the small of Draco's back. "If Ron and Hermione didn't have all three of our children and one of their own, I would fuck you right here," he said lowly.

"Mmm," Draco hummed, kissing Harry more fully. Now that the fear had faded, he still felt flushed and it felt very good to hold Harry. He would like to have done more then too but his husband was right. He pulled back and smiled at him. "We should put the broom away. Maybe I should lock them up from now on."

Harry sighed and rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "Probably a good idea," he said. "I can't believe he did that." He paused for a moment as his eyes swept the empty sky above them. "Well, actually I can, but still."

Draco chuckled, nodding as he stepped away from his husband and picked up the broom. "Knowing him, Locking Charms may not hold long," he said with a sigh.

Harry let out a breath. "No, I guess not," he said. "Maybe he won't try it again. I did agree to take him on rides."

Draco returned the broom to the broomshed, placing on it the best Locking Charm he knew and returned to Harry, holding out his hand.

Harry took Draco's hand in his own, Apparating them back to their friends.

Ron and Hermione were both sitting on the blanket again, herding fast-moving babies. Valen and April were chasing each other a few feet away.

Draco shook his head in both wonder and exasperation at their children. "Did he apologise?" he asked the other two.

Hermione smiled wryly at Harry and Draco both. "Yes," she said. "But he didn't say what he did."

Harry frowned at Draco before he went to the blanket to get Sev.

Draco huffed. "Valen," he said sharply.

The boy froze where he was, eyes wide. Then he came to stand in front of his fathers.

Harry raised an eyebrow at his son. "You didn't tell them what you were saying sorry for?"

"You didn't tell me to do that," Valen answered, hands on his young hips. He tilted his head, his green eyes darting from Harry to Draco.

"An apology without meaning is not of much use," Draco countered.

"It's not up for argumentation," said Harry, eyebrow still raised. "Say you're sorry and what for."

Valen frowned, pursing his lips. "I apologise for telling April to lie and for breaking the rule not to ride a real broom," he said in a careful tone that showed he was choosing his words carefully.

Harry shook his head, but it sounded all right to him. He nodded to Valen.

Hermione gasped quietly. "He rode a real broom?" she asked.

Valen grinned and Draco tried not to smirk as he nodded.

"Which one was it?" asked Ron, who kept several of his models in the broomshed.

"My five year old was flying a broom and you care which model?" Draco asked indignantly.

Ron had the sense to look cowed. "Well, he's all right," he said, shrugging one shoulder slightly and ignoring the look Hermione was giving him.

Harry rolled his eyes. "It was mine," he said.

"The Firebolt," Valen volunteered proudly.

"Yes," said Harry, unable to stop himself from grinning just a little. "A professional broomstick entirely not designed for five-year-olds."

Draco knew they shouldn't let on how proud they were in front of said five-year-old but he nodded. "He was at least thirty metres up," he added.

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Thirty?" he said in surprise. "During my first go I only made it to ...." But he fell silent at a more pointed look from Hermione.

"You could have been hurt," she said to Valen.

"I wasn't hurt and I wasn't afraid," the little blond insisted. "I love it."

"Well," said Harry dryly. "Love it or not, I better not ever catch you at that again. Not until you're older. You ask for a ride and remember that you're working on earning your own broom back."

"Yes, Daddy Harry," Valen said quickly.

Draco motioned to their daughter. "April."

April bit her lip, turning slowly and looking at Draco.

"You are never to lie to myself, your Daddy Harry, Ron or Hermione again. Even if one of your brothers tells you to. Understand?"

April frowned at Valen, but nodded. Valen gave his sister an apologetic look when she glanced at him, then both children turned to look at Draco.

"You can go play now," Draco told them and lay back down on the blanket. He sighed contentedly as Valen and April ran a few yards away and continued chasing each other.

Harry smiled at him and laid Sev back on Draco's chest. The little boy patted Draco's face and babbled at him.

"Well, glad to see you are happy," Draco told the infant with a quick smile up at Harry. Nothing better than relaxing and lying in the sun with his family. "Maybe we should get friends together for a Quidditch game soon," he suggested.

"Sure," said Harry. "Bet Valen and Chris would both love that."

"Sounds good to me," said Ron.

Sev didn't comment directly but slobbered on Draco's chest.

***

Two weeks later, Harry awoke a sleepy Valen and quietly helped him get dressed in the pre-dawn hours while the rest of the household slept. Once the two of them moved away from the bedroom suites, Harry Apparated them to the pitch where he had already placed his Firebolt after cleaning and trimming it the night before. The early morning sky was a deep grey colour and even the birds were still asleep in the trees surrounding the pitch. Harry took in a deep breath of the cool air and knelt down beside Valen who stood there eyeing the broom with a drowsy smile on his face. The slight chill in the air and the anticipation left two rosy patches on Valen's smooth, pale skin and Harry saw the excited light in his eyes.

"I was eleven years old before I rode my first broom, Valen," Harry said in a hushed voice, not wanting to break the stillness around them yet. "I made a lot of mistakes but I loved it right away. You love it too so I think maybe you and I should fly together and I'll teach you what I know." Harry pulled a small pair of flying gloves out of his back pocket and handed them to Valen to pull on before he tugged his own onto his hands. "Are you ready?"

Valen's green eyes were wide and the boy nodded eagerly. "Yes, Daddy."

Harry held his hand out in front of him and the broom leapt to the silent call, hovering in front of both of them. Throwing one leg over the broom, Harry then bent his knees and folded his legs to allow the broom to dip a little closer to the ground. He held out one hand toward his son.

"No riding in the back," Harry said, with a grin. "You get the front seat and make sure you hold on tight."

Valen grinned and took Harry's hand, climbing into place. Little hands gripped the broom handle and he looked back over his shoulder at Harry. "Holding on tight," he assured him.

Harry bowed forward slightly, creating a safe pocket that encompassed Valen's body and brought his own hands down to grip the broom. With a slight movement forward, the Firebolt heeded the subtle gesture from Harry and began to rise in the air with increasing speed until the self-created wind swept over father and son, whipping blond and black hair around two smiling faces. Harry manoeuvred the broom so that it flew in a figure eight within the pitch, steadily climbing higher. When they were able to see for long distances in any direction, Harry pulled the Snitch from his pocket; a special one that was charmed to move a little slower than a regulation Snitch and glowed to make visibility easier in the dim light of early dawn.

"Okay, son," Harry said, bringing his mouth to Valen's ear and holding the Snitch in front of him. "You're in charge now. Show me what you can do." And with those words, the tiny wings on the Snitch sped up until they were nearly invisible and the glowing orb leapt from Harry's hand and disappeared behind them.

Harry immediately felt the change in Valen's body as his shoulders hunched down and when his son turned his head, Harry saw that the easy smile had given way to fiery determination that fairly leapt from his searching green eyes. As Valen brought one shoulder down slightly and leaned, Harry followed the movements and the broom swiftly turned and headed in the other direction. It seemed that the Snitch had disappeared and Harry was torn between his instinct to look for it and watching the way his son seemed to know exactly what to do as his small body moved gracefully in tiny directions, skillfully mapping the pitch while his bright eyes scanned the spaces around them.

Behind Valen, Harry's face held a smile that was probably impractical while flying in the same places where insects flew but he couldn't help it. In all the times he had flown for Quidditch points and for pure pleasure, he had never really envisioned the day that he would share a broom with his son. Harry had known of Draco's fears about being a good father; Harry had always had similar fears since his time before Hogwarts had put him in the care of someone who hated him. His only real knowledge of what it meant to be a good father came from Arthur Weasley and Harry was grateful to the man for opening up his home and his life to Harry and sharing his family.

"You're doing a brilliant job, Valen," Harry shouted in the wind. "Straighten your back a little and lean forward if you want to go even faster."

Valen immediately heeded Harry's advice and Harry's body followed his son's which brought a burst of speed to the Firebolt, sending it racing across the pitch toward a soft glow in the distance. Harry blinked in surprise. Valen had seen the Snitch even before he had. One small hand carefully eased off of the handle and extended forward as the gap was closed. Harry held his breath, almost wanting to close his eyes, as the fingers stretched further and further until -

"I got it, Daddy! I got it!" Valen yelled, waving a fist with the struggling Snitch trapped inside of it. "Did you see that?"

Harry laughed out loud and brought one arm across Valen's chest to hug him close and keep him from falling off of the broom in his excitement. Valen had caught the Snitch! The Firebolt hovered high above the ground as Valen smiled at the captured Snitch and Harry smiled at Valen.

"I did see it, kid!" Harry shouted back. "You saw it even before I did!"

Harry heard the tiny snort of satisfaction and knew his son had a smug smirk on his face at that moment. He could already picture the identical look on Draco's face when Valen recounted everything once they got back to the Manor. Harry sighed and kept his arm close to Valen who leant back into his father's embrace and relaxed while happily studying the Snitch. This wouldn't last forever and Harry knew it. There would come a time when Valen would need to create distance in order to carve his own path but until then Harry wanted to hold on tight and never let him go. Harry glanced behind them and saw the tiny wedge of light that told him what was about to happen. He turned the broom around and bent his head close to Valen's.

"Lumos," Harry whispered and the sun broke over the horizon, spilling yellow and gold over everything in its path. Valen slowly turned his head until he could look his father directly in the face and Harry reddened slightly as Valen arched one eyebrow and shook his head in disbelief.

"Well, it would have worked on April," Harry laughed. "I had to give it a try."