Harry Potter and The Charming Prince (BP7)

Time raced by until it seemed that the only thing moving faster was two-year-old Valen, with a mouth to match. April started walking and babbling little words as well, though her temper hadn't settled down at all for the one-year-old.

Percy Weasley married his girlfriend Julie in January and Fred and George opened their second shop, in Hogsmeade. Ron became manager of the new shop, as well as continuing to develop his new broom design. He had plenty of help, with Harry, Hermione, the twins and, even occasionally Draco, making suggestions. Yet, it was Ron's idea and his new broom, now in the testing stage, looked like it would surpass the Nimbus broomsticks in both speed and height.

Harry and Draco raised their children happily, and Harry even learnt to like Theo Nott. Sort of. A little. He was Theo now, at least. He'd become used to the man as Draco's friend and even spent time with him and Draco every once in a while. He was happy and more than content in his own relationship and right then his only worry was having to come up with what to get his husband for his 20th birthday, which was only weeks away. Harry wanted to do something special for Draco that would show him just how much he was loved and trusted. Their rule about birthdays being for sex would still factor in since it happened to be pretty much the only rule that Harry knew he would never want to break. The special day was creeping up fast, though, and Harry still had no idea what to do. He only knew that it had to be perfect.

Harry leant over and kissed Draco's head, smiling, as their children played on the floor of the sitting room.

Ron was looking under cushions for some sort of ... thing ... he'd been working on for his brothers. He had no idea where it had got to and Fred and George were due to arrive and pick it up any minute. "Why put an Anti-Accio Spell on it?" he grumbled, on his knees and looking beneath a chair.

"Do you want me to help you?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ron sighed. "You don't even know what it looks like," he said.

Draco looked up from his book, frowning. "What are you looking for?" he asked.

Ron sighed again, more of a huff this time, and sat up on his knees. "It's a ... pre-production ... essay generator," he said, throwing Hermione a cautious look.

She narrowed her eyes. "It's only an object that will be used to dim minds of Hogwarts students," she said. "Honestly, I can't believe you're helping them to make it. I have half a mind to Floo Headmistress McGonagall and notify her before it even hits shelves." She crossed her arms.

Ron muttered something that sounded like, "A Galleon's a Galleon."

"And what does this thing look like?" Draco drawled, still frowning.

"It's sort of like a ... blue box with red buttons ..." Ron said distractedly, crawling along the floor again. "A bit lopsided though – and a bit small."

"I hope you don't find it," Hermione insisted with a sniff of irritation.

Ron made a disgruntled sound.

"And just how is this box supposed to operate?" Draco asked, becoming more curious now. He had never needed help with his essays in school but the mechanics of it intrigued him and he knew that there were probably many students, including Slytherins, that might take advantage of such a device.

"Well, it's supposed to give you many different options, namely Hogwarts class options," said a voice from the doorway. "Set it to third year essay on Grindylows and out pops the paper." The twins entered the room with smiles on their faces.

"There are still bugs, of course," said Fred. "Like that it keeps mixing Transfiguration with Herbology, but we'll get it."

"And where is our wonderful little blue box, dear brother?" asked George, looking over at Ron with raised eyebrows.

Ron's ears reddened.

Draco closed his book, setting it aside. "And where does this box draw the information from?"

"Interesting, isn't it?" said Fred, leaning over the sofa. "George and I wrote all the essays with memory quills, extracted the memories of the words from the page and inserted them into the generator. Does it mean that people will eventually start having the exact same essays? Well, of course. But it'll last a while and the Galleons will pour in."

"It'll be worth the wrist strain," said George. "That is, if we can find it."

Harry noticed then, that Valen was being awfully quiet. He watched his son for a moment while the others talked.

"You wrote the papers?" Draco said, sceptical. "It's not like you two had high marks."

"Hey," said George, obviously not really offended. "We had higher marks than the average student."

"If we cared enough to do the assignment," Fred agreed. "No need to be rude, Mr Outstanding." He smirked.

"Valen," Harry called. "What have you got?"

Valen hid something behind his back and looked up at Harry with wide green eyes.

Harry beckoned the little boy with one finger. "Come here," he said.

Valen shook his head and backed up.

Harry sighed and got to his feet. "Will I have to take it from you?" he asked, standing in front of Valen and holding his hand out.

Fred and George grinned at each other. "Looks like we've found it," said George.

Valen made a dash for the door, running as fast as his little legs could take him.

Harry dove after him, scooping the little body into his arms just in time. He had to wrestle what was indeed a blue box with red buttons from two small hands.

April laughed at them.

Draco shook his head, grinning as he watched them. Harry was young and still had a Seeker's reflexes but Draco knew it wouldn't be long before Valen would be able to outmanoeuvre both of them. When that time came, he and Harry would need to work on being smarter rather than faster.

"Mine, mine!" Valen yelled, trying to reach the box and take it back from his father.

"Uh uh," Harry disagreed, holding the device out of Valen's reach. "It's not yours and you know it. That's why you ran." He placed Valen back on his feet on the floor.

"I knew I put it on the table!" Ron exclaimed.

"Valen nicked it," said Harry.

Valen scowled and crossed his arms across his small chest. He looked just like Draco as he did it.

Harry couldn't help an amused smile at the pose. "You're cute, but you can be quite something," he said, turning to hand the generator to Fred.

Valen ran to Draco and hugged his leg. "Want buttons!" he cried, sobbing into Draco's knees.

Draco petted his son's hair. "Not Valen's buttons," he echoed his husband.

"Tins!" yelled April, seemingly just to join her brother. She toddled over and hugged Draco's free leg.

Draco now petted both children but looked up in confusion at his husband. "Surely we can find something with buttons that isn't a prototype of an illegal device," he drawled.

Hermione sniffed, a noise of agreement with Draco. The noise levels coming from the children increased and made it impossible to think or carry on conversations.

Harry strode over to the toys they kept in the room and rummaged through them, pulling out a toy with buttons that made music. He came back over and offered it to his son.

Valen stopped sobbing and looked up with his wet face at the toy. He eyed it suspiciously.

"Go ahead, you can have this one," Draco encouraged.

Valen took it and sat down on the floor between Draco's feet and began pushing buttons. The toy emitted warbling sounds.

Harry sighed, shaking his head a bit at the children.

"Well, no harm done," said Fred, slipping the device into his pocket.

Ron let out a sigh as well, his of relief.

Draco reached down and picked up April, sitting her in his lap, and continuing to pet her dark hair. "So, other than trying to drive McGonagall insane, what have you two been up to?"

George chuckled. "Watching his every move," he said, indicating Ron.

Ron rolled his eyes. "I do fine at the shop," he said.

"Ooh, anyone would do fine with that Samantha working over there," said Fred. "She has got the nicest ti-"

Hermione cleared her throat, eyes narrowed.

"Only joking," said Fred with a wide grin, holding his hands up.

Ron's ears reddened again.

Draco's eyes widened a bit and he smirked, enjoying the twins. April seemed content to lie back against him and cuddle. "And outside the shop?" he asked.

"Eh, just hanging around," said George. "What have you lot been up to?"

"Same thing," said Harry with a shrug. "Hanging around."

"Well, we're all just having loads of fun," said George.

"Fun?" said Ron. "I didn't know the word existed anymore." He stood and dropped down next to Hermione.

She kissed his hair. "You've been doing wonderfully – most of the time," she added with a stony look to Fred and George.

They were only amused.

"We should get a game together soon," Draco said. "We haven't been playing as much as we used to."

"Yeah, that could be fun," said Fred. "We could invite Samantha to cheer."

Harry laughed as Hermione huffed. Harry knew that Hermione liked Fred and George but she wouldn't be encouraging their behaviour.

"She doesn't play?" Draco asked, his tone amused.

"Wouldn't be as fun to watch," said George, winking at Draco with a smirk.

Both twins then laughed and Hermione rolled her eyes, giving up on them.

Ron expertly kept from laughing, but Harry knew that he would have, had Hermione not been there.

"Oh, hey," said Fred after a moment. "What are you all doing this weekend?"

Draco looked over at Harry and shrugged. "I don't know of anything," he said.

"Nope, nothing planned," said Harry. Most weekends were spent playing with the children and enjoying each other which didn't actually differ much from the weekdays except that Draco always put his work aside come Saturday and Sunday.

"I was going to work some more," said Ron, sounding like he didn't really want to. "But, why? What's up?"

"Well, there's that new club that just opened up in London. You know, Two Worlds?" Fred continued.

"Ocean and land themed," said George with a small eye-roll. "But actually Muggle on the bottom and hidden wizards on the top."

"Why, you going?" Ron asked, glancing at Hermione out of the corner of his eye.

"Was thinking about it," said George.

Draco looked at Harry, arching an eyebrow in question. He wanted to go but wasn't going to push Harry. Draco was sure that Harry would enjoy it but even though time had passed and his husband was more confident, he knew Harry still disliked being stared at and whispered about by the wizarding world when they were out in public. Draco suspected that a club filled with wizards their age would still result in stares but not for the same reasons. Young wizards, dancing and drinking, would stare at Harry because he was hot.

"I've never been to a club before," Harry said to the twins. While Harry had no regrets about his life and would never want to be anywhere else other than with his husband and children, he did realise that he had missed out on things most young people took for granted such at going to clubs on the weekends. Harry might have been nervous about going on his own but being there with Draco sounded like it might be fun.

"It can be a good time," said George with a shrug.

"Want to go?" Harry asked, turning his head to look at Draco. He knew Draco was probably already hoping that they might go and was waiting for Harry to agree.

"Yes," Draco answered smiling. "Weddings aren't the only place we can dance," he added with a wink.

Harry grinned and Fred and George smirked.

"How about you?" Fred asked Ron and Hermione.

"Yeah, let's go," said Ron with a bit of a pleading look. "I could use a drink."

"Oh, fine," said Hermione. "I suppose it could be all right."

Ron smiled. "It will be," he said.

"Will you dance with me?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Ron sighed. "Yes, I'll dance with you."

Hermione looked pleased and Ron couldn't help but smile when he saw that.

"We just have to find someone to watch the children," Draco added.

"I bet Mum'll watch them," said Ron. "It's been a while."

"We can ask her," said Harry.

Draco nodded, kissing the top of April's head where the little girl was now asleep against his chest. Valen was still making odd musical combinations with the toy. "Saturday night?" he asked.

"Saturday night," said George with a nod as he rubbed his hands together. "We've all seen the show you two put on at weddings; can't wait to see what you do at a club!"

Draco only laughed and looked over at Harry who shook his head and smiled back. Silently, though, Harry and Draco both had to wonder the same thing.

[Is dancing in public safe for them?]