The Slytherin & His Gryffindor

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Scorpius was sitting in the sandpit, drawing shapes in the sand with a stick when he was interrupted by a little girl. He had never spent much time with other children so he was taken aback by the red-head. "Scorpius," he replied slowly, not quite sure what to do in this situation. But slowly he warmed to the idea of having a playmate and the two began climbing and running and jumping together.

Suddenly, a cry was heard through the park and every parent looked up in a panic to make sure it wasn't their child. Scorpius sat underneath the jungle gym, clutching his leg against his chest, eyes screwed shut with pain. Draco hurried down the hill toward the little blond boy. When he knelt down beside Scorpius, he saw that he had skinned his knee, ripping a hole in his pants in the process.

"Shhh," Draco said, rubbing the little boy's cheek in what he hoped was a soothing pattern. "Don't cry, Scorpius. I can fix this right up and then you can go back to playing with your new friend." Scorpius immediately stopped crying, and nodded, his lip still quivering.

Draco was thankful that this part of the park was hidden off so that Muggles couldn't get to it. He could heal Scorpius's knee right there without having to worry about Muggles watching. Draco took out his wand, pointed it at the scraped knee and whispered, "Episkey." The skin instantly closed overtop of the bleeding wound. "See? All better."

Scorpius hesitantly opened his eyes and looked down at his knee. He touched it nervously, expecting the pain to still be there, but when he saw that it really was better, his face broke into a delighted smile. "Now go on and play. Just be more careful this time." Scorpius didn't need telling twice. He ran away quickly to find his new friend.

Draco went to stand up, dusting the sand off of his knees, when the top of his head collided with the metal monkey bars above him. He dropped back down to his knees, and immediately put a hand up to his throbbing head. He could feel the skin swell tight under his fingers as he put pressure on top of his new injury.

He walked angrily back up to his bench. Apparently, the universe just couldn't give him a break.
 
Concerned for her new friend, Hope waited patiently back at the sandpit while Scorpius was treated by his father. Although not certain, the missing injury on Scorpius's knee was enough for Hope to question if this mysterious boy came from a magical background as well? She welcomed him back, taking his tiny hand in her own and lead them towards the swings.

"Does your daddy use magic?" She asked, sitting on the swing's chair and pushed off. "My daddy can use magic and so can my mum. I'm too young, though."

* * *

Grace had finished her biscuit and crawled onto Luna's lap once again. She enjoyed the blond's company and it wasn't long before Grace drifted off. While gathering the sleeping child in her arms, someone's disgruntled voice happened to catch Luna's attention. Lifting her eyes to survey the park, Luna's brow furrowed in confusion as she focused intently on the tall male with blond hair. He looked very familiar, but without a direct view of his face, she couldn't be sure in assuming his identity.

Raising to her feet, with Grace still held protectively to her chest, Luna approached the injured man with caution. She saw the swelling of his forehead, even from walking behind him. "Excuse me," her voice sounded just above a whisper. "I can help you." Luna is highly skilled in Healing spells, among other talents.

* * *

Having overstayed his lunch hour already, Harry hurried back to the Ministry.
 
Scorpius gave the little girl a confused look. "Of course Father can use magic," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He had never met a Muggle in his life and had no idea there was such a thing as a grown-up who didn't know magic. He picked up a stick from the ground and held it out like a wand, pointing it at Hope. "Episkey!" he exclaimed, repeating the spell Draco had just used. A wide grin was planted on his face. "That's the all better spell."


---


Draco winced as he sat back down on his bench, watching as Scorpius ran off to catch up with the little ginger girl he had been chasing earlier. His head turned sharply at the sound of someone addressing him. His eyebrows rose in surprise when it turned out to be none other than Loony Lovegood. He hadn't seen her in years.

"I'm fine," he replied stubbornly, turning his attention back to Scorpius. He really didn't want to get into a conversation with the girl who was kept prisoner in his dungeons for a month. "It was only a little bump."

He touched a finger to his head to show her that it wasn't a big deal, but his plan backfired when he winced even at this light touch. "Fine," he said begrudgingly. He figured that if she messed up and scrambled his brains he probably wouldn't be any worse off than he already was. "Go ahead and fix it if you think you can."
 
Draco should consider himself lucky. There's not many women in this world who would willingly heal someone that assisted in keeping them detained within a dungeon for weeks. Luna is not the sort of person to be interested in revenge, though. The past is left behind and those memories are buried, at least for her. She gently touched Draco's injury with the tips of her fingers, gliding them across the surface.

Whispering a spell underneath her breath, the tension which had built within Draco's head was immediately lessened and soon vanished entirely. The swelling remained slightly visible, but now it wouldn't bruise. Luna pulled her hands back, smiling and nodded silently to Draco. She didn't need any thanks or words of gratitude.

Grace squirmed in her hold, causing Luna to shift the baby's position and readjust her arms to keep Grace from falling. The young girl yawned, opening her green eyes and blinked curiously at Draco.

* * *

Scorpius was proving himself to be a very enjoyable friend. Hope giggled at his act with the stick and only became distracted from him when her aunt was seen with a mysterious man. "Who's that?" She raised a finger in Draco's direction, puzzled by the physical similarities between the man and Scorpius. Then it clicked, "Is that your dad?"
 
Scorpius nodded at the older girl's question. "You can tell because we have the same hair." He tugged at a few strands to prove that his pale blond hair was the same color as Draco's. Scorpius sunk down to the ground and started drawing pictures in the sand with his new stick. "Where is your father?" he asked, curiously, squinting up at Hope. "Do you have the same color hair as him too?"


---


The throbbing pain slowly subsided and Draco had to admit that Luna knew her way around a healing spell. He thought he should smile at her. He tried to smile at her. But it seemed like the muscles in his face had forgotten how to smile, and as much as he thought it was probably the socially acceptable response in this situation, his lips refused to make even the smallest upward curve. Instead he nodded his head and gave a generic, "Thanks."

He figured that in order to repay her for healing him, he would at least have to pretend to be interested in her life and engage her in small talk for a few minutes to be polite. He looked at the little blond girl in Luna's arms. She must have been around Scorpius's age, but didn't seem nearly as excited about the prospect of jumping around the playground.

"So how many of these little brats are yours?" he asked, sliding over on the bench to make room for her. It was a clear invitation for her to sit down. "I don't really know much about what you have been up to since…" he faltered. Since you were locked up in my house. "Since the war," he ended, hoping she wouldn't guess what he had been thinking.
 
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"No, I don't." Hope curled a lock of hair around her finger, playfully twirling it. "I have my mum's hair color. She says it's a genetic trait." Even at only four years old, Hope was displaying advanced speech development. She joined Scorpius on the ground, grabbing a stick and began contributing to the drawings. "I have a little sister too. Named Grace and she has my mum's hair as well. We both got our father's eyes, though." The one physical trait which Harry was glad they got from him.

* * *

"Hmm?" Draco's question was rather startling, but Luna quickly adjusted herself. Taking the offered seat, she decided to join Draco and shifted Grace into her lap. "She isn't my daughter," Luna explained, hugging the child closely. "This is Grace. She's Ginny and Harry's youngest."

Able to read Draco's expression, he seemed horrified. "They have an elder daughter as well. She's named Hope and Ginny is expecting another child soon." This information may not have been what Draco wanted to hear, yet now he would be aware. Luna's attention was forced downwards, Grace's tugging on her hair having distracted the elder from her conversation.

"Grace doesn't speak yet." No one quite knows the reason why. Judging by the licking motion of Grace's tongue along her lips, Luna deduced the problem and handed the troubled child a bottle of Apple Juice. "Do you have children, Draco?"
 
Draco's stunned expression must have been obvious to anyone watching. His jaw dropped slightly when Luna told him that the baby didn't belong to her, but to Harry Potter. And then there it was. All of the information he had been trying to force out of Harry the previous night was laid out for him on a platter. Two ginger girls and Ginny was pregnant with a third?

Draco once thought that at some point he would get used to having his heart torn up by Harry, but it still ached every single time. Ginny was pregnant. That meant sometime in the last few months they had been together. He cursed himself inwardly for ever thinking that maybe Harry was like him, hating his wife and being revolted at the thought of touching her. Unfortunately, it seemed Harry quite liked touching Ginny, given the fact that he had three children right in a row. Christ, it had only been five years since the war, and they were already working on kid number three.

After sitting in shocked silence for too many seconds, Draco remembered he was supposed to be having a conversation. He nodded slowly. "I have a son. He is playing down there right now," he said, pointing to where the little blonde boy sat happily drawing in the sand.

Even though he knew that it was bad for him, Draco couldn't help wanting to nose into Harry's private life. This was his golden opportunity. "So why do you have Potter's kids?" he asked, trying his best to sound as if he was just trying to make idle chit chat. He had an uneasy feeling that Luna could see right through him.


---


"I haven't got any brothers or sisters," Scorpius replied, matter of factly. He smiled at what Hope was adding to his drawings. He had been worried that she would ruin them, but she was just making them more squiggly and fun. "But I do have a house elf named Twinkle," he added, trying to find a way to make his own life sound as fun and interesting as hers.
 
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It wasn't Luna's place to speak openly about the private issues with Ginny and Harry, yet she didn't want to rudely ignore Draco's question. So, in an effort to accommodate the situation, Luna constructed a plausible lie that isn't entirely void of a certain truth.

"George and I miss being around the girls," she answered Draco, politely breaking eye contact to press a kiss onto Grace's forehead. The baby smiled, reaching forward for Luna's curly hair and began chewing idly on a strand. Luna didn't mind at all, Grace's teeth aren't able to cause any damage.

Luna wasn't sure if Draco knew about her marriage to George, though. "I'm the girl's aunt and George is their uncle. We're married." She quickly eliminated any doubt in Draco's mind. "We don't have children of our own, so instead we asked to keep the girls with us for a while."

* * *

Growing a tad bored with Scorpius's company, Hope sought out Luna. She searched the playground, till finding her sister and aunt seated on the bench with Scorpius's father. "Auntie!"

Overhearing an adorable little voice calling out to her, Luna lifted her eyes just in time to see Hope running over. Hope giggled, jumping up onto the bench and wrapped her arms tightly around Luna's waist. Grace giggled at her sister's company, playfully reaching out a hand.

Luna smiled, laughing softly as the girls began playing with each other. "Draco?" She directed his eyes to the older female seated on the bench. "This is Hope."
 
Draco was hoping for a more satisfying answer than that, but it seemed there really wasn't any mystery to solve. Luna was married to a Weasley, making her the aunt of Harry's children. Was it really just a coincidence that last night Harry had been completely sloshing drunk in a dive bar in the middle of the night, and today his children were being watched by someone else?

"What has Potter been up to these days anyway?" he asked, changing tactics to go for a more direct approach. He didn't even care that his questions were sounding less and less off-hand and more desperate.

He wasn't quite sure why his pulse hid starting to quicken. Draco knew that if he continued down this path, he would, once again, become obsessed with Harry Potter. But there was a kiss last night, wasn't there? Thinking back, he wasn't sure that there actually had been. Potter had been completely out of his mind and Draco wasn't exactly sober either. Maybe he just made the whole thing up. His head was pounding with guilt and anxiety and the burning desire to know what the fuck was going on in Potter's life.

Just as Draco thought he might explode, a tiny ginger girl ran up the hill towards them. So this was the other Potter child. She shared an annoying amount of facial features with the Weasley shrew, but he knew that he probably shouldn't hold that against her. Although Draco was now a father, and as such required to be around children, he never really knew how to react to the way children acted. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to the little girl.


---


Scorpius was quite offended that Hope decided she didn't want to draw in the sand with him anymore. He watched closely as she ran away up the hill right up to where his father was sitting. Carefully, he put down his stick, got to his feet and ran after Hope, stumbling a bit in the process.

"See, Hope?" he said, poking his new playmate. "Our hair is the same." He grinned as he pointed at Draco's hair and then back toward his own.
 
For someone with his own child, Draco seemed uncomfortable with the Potter children. Taking note of this, Luna tried to lessen his tension and engage him in a conversation with Hope. The girl did love making new friends and wasn't intimated by Draco, even though his strained expression was a tad awkward.

"Hope, this is Draco Malfoy." Luna gestured a free hand to the mature blond. "He went to school with your daddy, mummy, uncle and myself."

"Oh!" Hope's lips spread wide, hearing this exciting news for the first time. "You went to Hoggywarts with my dad?"

"Hogwarts, dear," Luna corrected.

Hope ignored her aunt's assistance, keeping her eyes focused on the pair of blonds. "I'm gonna go to that school one day! Mum says I'll be a Gryffinflor!"

"Gryffindor," Luna once again interjected.

Grace wasn't talkative like her sister, instead she watched the young boy and Draco with half lidded eyes. Realizing that Grace was beginning to fall asleep, Luna excused herself and went to change the baby's diaper and wasn't afraid of leaving Hope with the Malfoy boys. She knew he wouldn't do any harm to a child in the open with so many other people around.

Once Luna left, Hope continued her rambles. "My dad talked about you once." This little bit of information escaped from the mouth of an overly excited child. "You were really mean to him at school!" She accused, scolding Draco with a pointed finger. "You should apologize! That's what mummy says you're supposed to do."
 
Draco's eyebrows rose at the young girl's words. Of course she wanted to be in Gryffindor. She was a Potter-Weasley hybrid. Every member of her family was most likely telling her it was the best house. Draco had no idea why he felt that he needed to argue this point with a four year old, but he had to bite his tongue to keep from telling her that her parents were undoubtedly wrong.

He looked to Luna for help to calm the little girl's rantings, but Luna seemed happy to let the girl keep babbling on. He watched regretfully as Luna wandered away to change the younger girl's diaper. An irrational feeling of helplessness fell on him when he was alone with the little girl and he pulled Scorpius up onto his lap as a shield.

Draco was suddenly taken aback when Hope relayed that Harry had spoken about him. He mentally slapped himself from wanting to ask what his exact words were. But of course it could only be able his irrational hatred of Harry all through Hogwarts. "Well then, Hope, you have my word that next time I talk to your father I will give him my personal apology," he promised, and then hesitated, checking how far off Luna had gone. "Has he said anything else about me?"

He instantly regretted the words that came falling out of his mouth. He was acting like a love-sick school boy. He was getting sucked back into his obsession that was Harry Potter, and he couldn't do anything to stop his brain from clicking back into that unhealthy thought pattern.
 
"Well," Hope struggled to recollect all the memories that had Draco had the subject of its conversation. Her tiny hands raised, rubbing slowly at the sides of her forehead. Locked in deep concentration, Hope suddenly snapped her eyes up to Draco and wore a mad grin.

"He said you played Qudditch!" Harry had mentioned that a few times. "He also said you called auntie Hermione a really bad word!" The excitement gone, Hope had crossed both arms with a glare nearly identical to her mother's own. So far it would seem that Harry had only mentioned the rather unpleasant memories he had shared with Draco, but they weren't always at each other's throats.

It may have only been one incident, but Harry had purposely told his daughter about it. After her anger deflated, Hope's eyes fell to the ground and her hands nervously played with the tips of her hair. "My dad also told me something else." She began hesitantly, refusing to make eye contact with either blond. "You have a good heart."

The memory appeared behind Hope's eyes, replaying just as she spoke that sentence.

"Hope?" The young father called for his daughter, lifting her onto his knee and bounced her carefully. "I want you to know something very important." His wife was distracted, tending to their newborn baby. "Everyone has the potential to be a bad person, including you."

The girl gasped, her eyes widening and immediately tried to protest her father's claims. "I'd never do anything bad, daddy!"

Harry chuckled, affectionately stroking a hand through his daughter's hair. "I know that, sweetie. Just listen, okay?" She nodded, going silent and allowing him to continue. "I once knew someone at Hogwarts that acted cruel to everyone. He even hated me and wasn't polite about making it known either. This boy was rude, selfish, stubborn and a purist...."

"He sounds awful!"

Harry smirked, thinking back to the man in his memories. "He was, however, this man proved to have a good heart."

Hope's brow raised, the questioning expression fitted on her face so adorably. "A good heart?"

"Yes, darling. You see, he was given a task to do something truly horrible. To murder someone very important." Harry watched as his daughter's eyes began to dampen. "He had no choice. If he had refused, his parents would be killed as punishment. When the opportunity came for him to obey the mission, he chose not follow orders. He has never murdered anyone, even after that night. That was the first time I knew his heart hadn't been consumed by evil. Then, when your auntie Hermione and uncle Ron were helping me defeat Voldemort, he proved himself yet again."

"How?"

"He protected me. He didn't give me over to Voldemort."

"So, he's a good guy?" Hope's confusion made her frown.

"I don't know if I'd say that, dear. But, he has a good heart and for that, I'm grateful."
 
Draco listened attentively as she listed off random inconsequential bits of information she had heard. It seemed like he had been the subject of several conversations that Hope had been a part of. But, of course, it was all just rubbish that his name was caught up in passing, like "Remember that Quidditch game where I caught the snitch a second before Malfoy was able to get it?" But just as he decided this plan was useless, Hope relayed that Harry had said he had "a good heart."

That was odd. Draco didn't have any idea how to react to that one. What a very Gryffindor thing to say. He had no idea in what context that one had come up, or why, but Draco began feeling overwhelmed by the little girl's statement. "Well thank you very much, Hope," he said, bending down to speak to the little girl. "And I promise that the next time I see your father, I will do my very best to tell him I'm sorry." He thought it was best not to tell her that it would be a cold day in hell before he apologized to Harry about anything. Malfoys do not apologize.

He quickly stood up, hitching Scorpius up onto his hip. He motioned toward Luna to indicate that he was leaving, and once he was sure that she saw him, he Disapparated.

Once back at the Manor, Draco walked tentatively through the doors. He wasn't usually home at this hour, and wasn't quite sure whether Astoria was usually home either. If he did run into her, his plan was to ignore her and walk in the opposite direction. He didn't want Scorpius to witness his parents fighting twice in one day. However, they didn't run into Astoria for the rest of the afternoon and evening. True to his word, Draco ate dinner with Scorpius, helped him with his bath, and tucked him in to bed.

"Will you tell me a story, Father?" Scorpius asked, his light eyes staring up at Draco.

Draco nodded, and sat down next to Scorpius. He leaned in closely and spoke so that his voice was only a whisper. "There once were two little boys. One was very nice. He was good at everything and everyone liked him. The second boy was jealous of the first boy, so he was very mean. He would call him names and curse him and once, he even dressed up like a Dementor to scare the nice boy.

"Then one day, the two boys were trapped in a fire together. The nice boy found a broomstick and was flying out. The mean boy was climbing up and up, trying to stay away from the fire, but do you know what happened then?"

Scorpius's eyes were locked onto Draco. "Did the nice boy leave the mean one there in the fire?"

A small smile fell across Draco's lips. "For a moment, it seemed like he was going to, but at the last second, the nice boy pulled the mean boy out of the fire and onto the back of his broomstick and they rode out together. And then they became best friends and lived together happily for the rest of their lives."

Scorpius looked delighted at this outcome, and the imaginary ending made Draco feel strangely satisfied. He wished that everything was really that simple. "Now close your eyes and go to sleep," Draco kissed Scorpius on the forehead and turned out his bedside light. He left the door a crack opened and wondered for a moment whether he should just stay here tonight.

That thought was met with a resounding NO from every other part of Draco's mind. He needed to go back to the Hog's Head. What if Harry actually showed up?
 
"Did you girls have fun at the park today?" Luna questioned both daughters, opening the door and letting everyone inside. Grace crawled along the floor, but grinned happily at Luna's inquiry. Even though she couldn't talk, that smile was answer enough.

As for Hope, well, the elder daughter still couldn't control her excitement after setting foot inside the house. She continued bouncing around on the tips of her toes, ginger hair flying madly in all directions. "I met a new friend today, auntie!" She proclaimed, following Luna into the kitchen. "His name is Scorpius!"

Laughing inwardly without a sound, Luna smiled and began brewing some tea in her favorite kettle. "You mean Draco's son?" She already knew the boy's father, but waited for Hope's reply.

"Yeah. Do you think he can come over and play?"

While Luna wouldn't mind having Draco and his son in her home, she wasn't quite sure how well George would accept that suggestion. Not exactly a fan of Draco's and rightfully so. Either way, Luna left the question unanswered and walked upstairs to her where her husband was still diligently working.

She came up from behind, wrapping both arms tightly around his waist and let her head rest between his shoulders. "We're home."

* * *

The Potter household was fairly quiet and that alone was enough to frighten Harry upon his return. A stressful day at the Ministry had him aching for a drink, but after discovering his daughters were missing, Harry had a few things to address first before leaving for the pub.

"Ginny?" Harry found her in the kitchen, preparing a meal that was only enough for two people. That's when Harry realized that at least his children hadn't been kidnapped or abducted. "Where's Hope and Grace?"

"I asked Luna and George to watch them for a few days," came Ginny's reply, her back still turned towards him.

Ginny had sent the girls away? Harry's brow twisted in confusion. "Is something wrong, Gin?" He shouldn't have asked, but felt obligated. She wasn't acting normal.

"I just thought we could enjoy a few days without the girls." Ginny turned around and plated the meal, setting the dishes down onto the table. "Is that a problem, love?"

In the past, Harry wouldn't have minded a gesture like this. However, he wasn't so accepting at this moment. "They're my kids too, Ginny!" The shout was unconventional. "You don't have a right to make decisions without me when it concerns them!"

Harry's anger was boiling to the surface and he couldn't understand why. Ginny's actions had been a kind gesture, to offer them some privacy and bonding time. He shouldn't have been upset and yet, he wanted to leave desperately. That's exactly what he did.

* * *

The pub welcomed him inside. Harry seated himself at the bar for a change, ordering a simple rum and coke rather than the Fire Whiskey from yesterday. A hand ran through his messy hair, nails scrapping against his scalp angrily. Green eyes were downcast, avoiding the crowds and even the bartender's own eyes. Harry slumped forwards, shoulders arched and head hung in shame.

Ginny's final words continuing to echo within his ears.

"You're a horrible husband, Harry! Horrible!"
 
Draco breathed out nervously as he changed his clothes. His heart was already pounding against his ribs. He hated that he felt like a love sick school girl every time he wondered whether Harry would show up tonight. He pulled off his shirt and stared at himself in the mirror for a long time. It was no wonder he couldn't forget Harry. He had left a permanent reminder of himself on Draco in the form of a jagged scar bisecting his chest. He touched the white line carefully, feeling the raised skin. He knew that it would never go away completely. There was no way to heal a wound made by dark magic.

He quickly pulled on a plain black button down shirt and headed out the door, feeling lucky at not having run into Astoria. He knew that any other sane person would get a divorce if they spent every waking minute trying to avoid their spouse, but Purebloods didn't get divorces. They stayed together in loveless arranged marriages for life. Draco would do the same. In the Pureblood community, appearance was everything.

Draco headed out to the bar. It was the same one he always went to. The same one where met Harry the previous night. The same one he had told Harry to come back to. At the door, he breathed out slowly, trying to calm his nerves before walking in.

His heart shot into his throat. Harry was sitting at the bar. Draco crossed his fingers that Harry had not already started knocking down bottles of Firewhiskey. He wanted to have a conversation with Harry while he was still in his right mind.

He carefully walked up to the bar, and the old wooden stool creaked as he sat down next to Harry. The bartender raised an eyebrow. He must have found it very odd that Draco wasn't sitting at his usual stool by the wall. But he said nothing and put Draco's regular drink in front of him. All day his mind had been running through what he would say to Harry if he actually showed up, but he hadn't quite prepared the right thing to say.

"So, Potter," he started, nerves taking hold of him. "I see you aren't drinking Firewhiskeys tonight. Have you decided on trying to keep your liver in one piece?"


---


George overheard Hope's question and was completely shocked. Had they run into Malfoy and his son while they were out? He made a mental note to ask Luna where the hell they had gone to run into him. Hopefully she didn't wander down Nocturn Alley with the girls. He turned back to the new Wheeze he had been working on. He hadn't gotten nearly as much done as he wanted.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as he felt arms wrap around him. "Merlin, Luna," he said, smiling toward his wife. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
 
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"Hope made a new friend today," Luna whispered. George had turned, allowing Luna to hug him more comfortably. She smiled, resting her head against the warmth of his chest. "She seemed to be quite taken with Malfoy's son." Harry and Ginny might be worried about this budding friendship once informed, but to Luna, this was an opportunity for the errors of their pasts to be repaired.

* * *

"I see no reason to go home with another drunken stupor." That's all Harry replied when questioned by Draco. Saying nothing else as the blond haired male joined him at the bar, Harry sipped slowly at his alcoholic drink and lavished the blissful taste on his tongue. Knowing that Draco would not leave him alone, Harry surrendered to the other man's company and engaged him in conversation.

"Why do you frequent the pubs so often now, Malfoy?"
 
A small smile played at the corners of Draco's lips. Relief flooded over him that Harry was actually talking to him. He had known that questions about his home life were coming and Draco decided to give reasonably honest answers. After all, he wanted Harry to stay as long as possible, and not offending him seemed like the best way to do that, even if it was annoyingly Gryffindor. "Well it's a much better choice than going home, isn't it?" He had a feeling that Harry could relate completely to this statement.

He took a long sip of his drink and turned on his stool so that he was facing Harry. He was already beginning to feel increasingly bold with his words. "I can tell that there is something going on with you, Potter." Draco decided against mentioning the ginger shrew directly. He didn't want Harry to start regretting leaving her company for his.


---


George exhaled slowly, his mind running over why on Earth Luna would let the Malfoy boy influence Hope. But then, it really wasn't much of his choice whether the two children were friends. He was their uncle, not their father. "I suppose it really isn't up to us," he replied, wrapping his arms around his wife. "It's Ginny and Harry's decision. And I can't see Harry letting his kids hang around Draco Malfoy of all people."

George chuckled at the thought of Harry going to the Malfoy Manor to drop his kids off for a play date. A full smile broke out across his face. "I mean, it's Malfoy. He's the one person who has had an irrational hatred of Harry since the moment they met. And I am sure that Malfoy wouldn't want Harry's kids anywhere near his precious little Pureblood heir either."
 
"I don't want to talk about my personal life, Malfoy." The pub was his savior, it offered a place to relax and escape the world. Ginny floated within his memories, the argument and fight that resulted in such terrible words to be exchanged between husband and wife. Harry's shoulders dropped with a sigh, he sunk into the chair and his grip loosened on the glass in his hand.

He needed a friend. Harry couldn't speak the truth of his doubts with anyone, especially not Ron. There is no one for him to rely on. Harry is all alone, consumed by the darkness of his own depression. "Malfoy? Do you ever feel like..." Harry struggled, tightening his hold on the glass and knuckles went white. "...Do you ever think that you might have made a massive mistake and there's nothing you can do to change the decision because now you have the responsibility of someone else?"

* * *

"There's no reason to carry on the feud through their children." The kids should be allowed to make their own choices. If Hope and Scorpius decide to be friends, then nothing should stand in their way and prevent the union from beginning. Of course, Luna should have expected her husband to say such a thing, though. He shares Harry's dislike towards the Malfoy family and by rights that foul opinion of Draco would be attached to his son as well.

Luna sighed, breaking away from George and went to sit down at the kitchen table. "The war continues to influence decisions, even years after."
 
Draco's heart began beating at an irregular rhythm. He had no idea how Harry had managed to say everything he had been feeling for years in just one simple sentence. A small, sad smile crossed his lips. "Potter, I feel like that every day of my whole damn life." He let out a painful chuckle. It was ironic that Harry felt that way. Draco's mistakes had gotten people killed. They had gotten Dumbledore killed. But had marrying Astoria been a mistake? He wasn't sure about that. While it was true that he hated her, she had given him Scorpius, and it kept up his appearances in the Pure Blood community. And it wasn't like he had any other options at the time. The person he really wanted to be with was, sadly, already married. His only other option was to live in the ever lonely Manor by himself. He was sure that if he did that too long, he would lose his sanity.

But he understood that his mistakes were much different than Harry's. It seemed like Harry was talking about his family as if he didn't want them any longer. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around the other man and stay like that for eternity, but he held back. Harry seemed like he would leave at the smallest movement. It didn't take long for Draco to give up his self control and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "There are a lot of moments in my life that I would like to do over, but sometimes the stars don't line up the way we want them to. All we can do is deal with all of our shit, and take the things we want later on."
 
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Draco had a point. The mistakes of their past could not be changed, even with Hermione's Time Turner (if she would ever let Harry touch it again). Decisions were made, children born from unions not entirely made to succeed and the world kept evolving without regard or consideration to anyone else. "Y'know, Draco, I had my life ruined before it even truly began." The memories that had been locked away for so long, the shattered moments of his infancy, vaguely came to the surface. "It took me years to fully discover the fragments hidden within my subconscious, but I finally did it. I remember hearing my mother's screams as she desperately and valiantly fought to shield me from Voldemort's curse. Sometimes, if I focus hard enough, I can even hear the faint echoes of my father's final screams for mercy on behalf of my mother and myself."

Retelling these personal experiences was not something Harry did openly, but he needed to speak with someone and Draco was the company he had. "I sometimes wonder if I was cursed that night, but not how Voldemort had intended I be." Emerald eyes dampened, tears bubbling beneath his glasses and balanced precariously at the lash line. "I was cursed to live a life of suffering. Everyone I ever sincerely cared about has either lost their life or endured terrible experiences at my expense. What if my children will be subjected to that as well?"
 
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