Chapter TextThey survived the party. Draco was glad to find Luna at least, and most of the others were willing to give him a wide berth. He stood to the side as Harry greeted people, and he couldn't help being glad that he was here because Harry shouldn't have had to be alone and face everyone talking about what had happened. Draco could at least draw attention away from Harry, ensure he had a few moments when he needed them. It wasn't much, but it was all he could do for him.
Eventually, they were able to go home. He helped Harry out of his clothes, showered with him, and took him to bed. He lay against him, feeling the steady beating of Harry's heart. Harry's hand brushed against his side, and he knew that they were going to be okay.
The next week was a struggle. The Ministry wanted to borrow Harry for more events, more commemorations. For both Draco and Harry, the memories of what had been lost felt rawer than they normally were. And the NEWT exams were looming.
"Draco?" Harry asked one evening. The two of them had ended up curled side by side on the sofa, flicking through textbooks in a desperate attempt to cram just a little more information into their aching minds.
"Hmm?" Draco looked up from his text book to find Harry staring at him, almost shy.
"I..." Harry looked almost painfully nervous. "I've got a surprise for you?" He smiled a little anxiously. "I know you've been studying more than me, so I uh... I set up one of the spare rooms. For the kid, when they... I mean, I thought maybe they could have a crib in with us for a start, but-"
"I'd like to see." Draco answered, smiling. He knew Harry thought he was being subtle as he set up the room. Harry hadn't been subtle. More than once, Draco had caught him with flecks of paint visible on his clothing.
"I... I made it green for now, but we can change it if you want," Harry explained, bouncing off the sofa. Draco put his book to one side and held out his hands, demanding Harry help him up. Harry did and pressed a brief kiss to his lips, and then he lead him along to one of the bedrooms on the same floor as Draco's own. Draco couldn't help thinking of his room as theirs now, when Harry was there every night. Harry pushed open the door and smiled anxiously.
Draco stepped into the room. He'd been prepared to lie and say that he loved it, but the room was beautiful. It was a pale green with windows enchanted to give a view of the countryside. There was a crib with a mobile above, showing the different animals of the Hogwarts houses. There were shelves full of children's books, a changing table, and a wardrobe. There were a few toys scattered around. Draco thought his scorpion would be comfortable here.
"I asked Ron for recommendations of children's books and spoke to his mum..." Harry smiled shyly. "Andromeda too. And I thought..." he hesitated and gestured to a photo frame on one of the shelves. "Maybe we could take a photograph together, so our child has that."
"It's lovely," Draco said, and he meant it.
"We... Narcissa said that it isn't my place to ask about names, but..." Harry looked at him curiously. "Did you have one in mind?"
"Scorpius." Draco answered instantly, his hand resting over his not-so-little scorpion, knowing it wasn't long until they appeared in the world. "If it's a boy, Scorpius. Shaula for a girl."
"Oh?"
"Scorpio is... it's a constellation that's only visible in July. Shaula is the brightest star in the constellation. And... well, when it was just me and them who knew... I used to think of them as a scorpion. As this poisonous... as this dangerous secret. But I... I wanted them. Even when I didn't know we'd get this." He swallowed. "Middle names... it's your choice, that one. But I thought... well, if you wanted James, or Lily, or..."
"Scorpius," Harry said the word to himself, smiling a little. "Your family uses constellation names, right?"
"Yes. My mother's side does." Draco agreed, watching him. "What were you thinking?"
"Maybe Shaula Leah or Scorpius Leon?" Harry suggested, and he was smirking a little as he said it. Draco rolled his eyes, but kissed him anyway. They were ridiculous, Gryffindor names. But they were from Harry, proof Harry accepted their child. Proof that Harry wanted them, and Draco could accept a little ridiculousness for that. He smirked back.
"Come on, let's go to bed."
"Draco, it's not that late yet."
Draco arched an eyebrow at him, and after a second Harry laughed and rushed towards their room.
NEWTs came. They were an inevitable looming mass on the horizon, and even their distance from Hogwarts didn't allow them to escape their dreaded exams.
Given how far along Draco was in the pregnancy, they decided it would be better to take a room together in Hogsmeade rather than sleep in the dormitories at school. Draco adored Blaise and got on passably well with both Gregory and Theodore, but he didn't want any of them to be responsible for helping if his scorpion decided to make an appearance at an inopportune moment.
At the start of the year, Draco would have been devastated at missing the time with his friends. But he got to see them a lot now and had spent a few weekends revising in the library with them. He wrote to Blaise and Pansy often, and they were planning to visit over the summer, although both had made it clear that they weren't going to help with the child. It had been decided to make Ron and Hermione godparents, mostly because, unlike Draco's friends, they were excited about the arrival of the baby.
Draco had plans to go to St. Mungos a week after exams, but he also knew they would be able to get there faster if the need arose. Andromeda had gifted him with one of the emergency portkeys that she had for Teddy, and he wore it all the time.
Due to the difference in their subjects, Harry only had three sets of exams. His first one was Charms, which was on Tuesday. So on Monday he walked Draco to the school for his Ancient Runes exam. Draco and Hermione were the only students taking the examination, but Draco didn't mind that. He was glad for her company. She walked him back to Hogsmeade, going over exam questions and the different symbols. Then she returned to Hogwarts, and he went to cuddle up against Harry's side.
"Does she always insist on replaying every exam?" Draco asked as he skimmed over the notes that Harry was working on.
"You need to be clear she can't keep talking about an exam once it's over," Harry told him, going in for a kiss. Draco indulged him briefly, before pulling away with a smile.
"I have to study. Charms tomorrow."
Charms was probably the examination that Draco had been most nervous about, but he got through it. Then he had Potions. He had to take his practical exam in a separate classroom, which had been carefully charmed in order to ensure he wouldn't be exposed to any harmful fumes. He was also given a written list of the ingredients of a poison to identify, rather than a sample of the poison itself. He still produced the antidote for it within the time limit. Harry had spent the morning with Teddy and the afternoon preparing for Transfiguration, but he still was at Hogwarts after the Potions exam to greet Draco. They ate dinner together in Hogsmeade before Draco had to return to the school for Astronomy.
He spent Thursday asleep while Harry did his Transfiguration exam. Draco hoped he'd do well. He'd tried to make sure he prepared him for it, but he knew that Harry could panic sometimes under pressure. Sure enough, Harry admitted he had accidentally exploded a vase he was meant to be transfiguring, but he reassured Draco the rest had gone well. Draco picked ceramic shards from Harry's hair and gave him a kiss.
"This time tomorrow, it'll all be over."
"I never, ever, want to do an exam again."
"Aurors do exams," Draco pointed out with a smirk, and Harry shrugged and cuddled up closer. Draco kissed him in return. He wasn't sure what Harry would end up doing, but he would be there to support him in any way that he could be. He thought that Harry would be there for him as well.
The final exam was Defence Against the Dark Arts. The theoretical paper was challenging because it had clearly been updated to reflect recent events. Draco found himself staring blankly at the paper for several minutes when he turned a page to find himself faced with the question, "How did Death Eaters breach the defences of Hogwarts Castle during the period of 1996-1998?" He was shaking a little, and only snapped out of it when he heard Harry's voice breaking through the silence of the exam room.
"What the fuck?"
"Mister Potter-"
"What kind of a question-" Harry was starting to rant, and several of the examiners looked nervous. Draco twisted around and gave him a reassuring smile, and that seemed to calm Harry down. Draco flicked past that page, and scribbled the answers he could. Even skipping that page, he hoped he'd answered enough for a good grade. Eventually the exam was finished, and he could leave his desk. Harry was embracing him instantly, as several of the students glanced his way.
"Draco... Draco if you aren't able to do the practical, that's okay."
"I'm not letting them win." Draco spat, and Harry looked into his eyes and nodded. They ate lunch together in the Great Hall. Draco never imagined he'd eat at the Gryffindor table, but it seemed easier than leaving Harry's side, and the separation between houses didn't seem as enforced as it had been. Pansy and Blaise made their way over. Both of them looked pretty exhausted as well, and Pansy threw her arms around Draco's shoulders.
"I heard about the exam."
"It's alright," Draco told them. "I know I've passed." He smiled over at Blaise, who was fiddling with their wand, and after a moment they smiled back at him.
"And otherwise?" Pansy pressed. "Everything's set up, and-"
"It's fine, Pans. I'll get good doctors."
Blaise didn't look so sure at that. "They're willing to sabotage your NEWTs."
"It's the child of the Chosen One. I couldn't be safer." Draco reassured them, and tried to ignore the worried expressions on both his friends' faces. Harry frowned.
"Draco..." Harry seemed concerned, then turned to Blaise and Pansy. "You really think he's at risk?"
"I'd say you should make sure someone stays with him." Pansy answered. "Theo fell off his broom badly at the start of the year, had to go to St. Mungos, and... well. If Slughorn hadn't gone to fetch him back... he was in a worse state than when he went."
Harry looked upset. More than that, he looked angry. But he nodded. "Someone will stay with him."
Draco wanted to argue, wanted to say he could look after himself. But he wasn't going to put his scorpion at risk. He managed to eat, and then they went to wait to be called for their practical.
Eventually, one of the examiners called out "Potter, Draco!" And he stepped into the examination room. He squared his shoulders a little because he was more nervous about this exam than most. He wasn't so worried about the actual result, as long as it was a passing grade, but he knew some of the examiners were aurors. He walked in and found himself face to face with Auror Robards.
The man smiled. "Mister... Potter."
Draco crossed his arms, trying to work out why Robards had chosen to examine him and not Harry. He supposed they didn't actually care what grade Harry got, but were looking to humiliate him. Two could play at that game. He smiled, inclining his head politely. "Auror Robards, a pleasure."
"I saw they were letting you take this exam, and I thought it would be best to see for myself how you were doing. After all, you are regularly alone with Mister Potter, and I would hate for him to come to harm."
"We're alone every night," Draco agreed, keeping his voice sweet. "And don't worry, I'm more than capable of protecting him."
The auror frowned, but he nodded. "If you could produce a shield charm?"
"Protego," Draco demonstrated, waving his wand through the air in the familiar pattern, trusting it to protect him. It did, easily deflecting the spell sent his way. He held the shield for a few moments and then allowed it to drop. He was already feeling tired, but he refused to show weakness. Proximity alarms were easy to demonstrate, as were various wards - he'd grown up knowing those. Disillusionment charms he had used during the war. Disarming the auror was a pleasure - especially as given his condition, he wasn't able to fetch the man's wand.
Robards seemed to be disappointed by how easily Draco was meeting the spells he was being asked to handle.
"We do normally ask our NEWT candidates to engage in duelling practice at the end of their examination, however due to your circumstances that would clearly be inappropriate. It was decided therefore, that you producing a Patronus would be considered sufficient to cover that part of the test."
Draco nodded, not immediately acting, playing for time. He could refuse, but that would be a reason to fail him. Or he could attempt it, and fail for that reason. After the question he had faced earlier, he didn't want to fail.
The idea hit him just as he was aware he was running out of time. Harry would be almost finished with his own exam by now. It would be a risk, but it could work. Refusing or attempting the spell would cost him the exam.
He drew his wand and moved into a casting stance, standing with one foot slightly forwards. Then he cried out, his wand slipping from his hand as he gasped for air. He rested one hand on his stomach, looking around the room and stumbling to his seat. He gasped for air with deep, frantic breaths. He whimpered and risked a glance at Auror Robards.
The auror was almost frozen, staring at Draco in horror. "Mister Mal-Potter-"
"The nurse?" Draco asked. "Can... can you get the nurse, or-"
"I think you are right, you should go to the Hospital Wing," Robards agreed. Then he was half-pulling Draco up to his feet and pushing him over towards the door.
"My wand-" Draco protested, and the auror summoned it with a flick of his wrist then handed it over. He pushed Draco out into the corridor, closing the door behind him.
Draco stared at the closed door in mild disgust and went to lean against a suit of armour to wait for Harry. It wasn't long until Harry emerged, and he looked concerned.
"Draco, there you are-"
"Did they tell you I was in the Hospital Wing?" Draco asked, and Harry frowned.
"No, why would you-"
"I pretended to need it. I just got shoved out into the corridor." Draco muttered, and he felt a bit sick, even though he knew it was an overreaction. He knew he'd faked it. "It was Robards. He wanted to fail me."
Harry looked angry, but he focused on embracing Draco and leading him to an empty classroom so he could sit down and get his breath back. As he did, he explained his act.
The expression on Harry's face was somewhere between disbelief and admiration, and he kissed him when he had finished.
"Can we put in a formal complaint, after-"
"Yes. But for tonight, can we just... can I go home?" Draco swallowed. "I know there'll be afterparties, and you can go. But I'm just-"
"I want to stay with you." Harry promised. "The parties can wait. Tonight, I just need to hold you."
Draco didn't feel like arguing with that.
Draco had never actually expected to complete his NEWTs. Not since the end of Fifth Year at least, when all of his plans for the future came crashing down around his shoulders with Father's arrest. But he woke up the day after his final exam, in his own bed and with Harry's arms around him. He felt hopeful that the rest of his life would be like this, waking up slowly in his husband's arms. He knew that Harry would be a good father. Better than his own had been.
If Draco could have changed anything about his life, he would have wanted Harry to love him back. But he wasn't greedy, not about this, no matter what people said. Potter loved their child and was kind to him. That was more than enough.
"We don't have to study today, do we?" Harry mumbled into his shoulder, and Draco twisted to look at him. Harry's hair was always a mess first thing in the morning - worse even than it remained throughout the day. But that mess suited Harry. Draco smiled to himself, looking at him curiously.
"No, Potter, we don't have to study now that we've finished our NEWTs."
"Good." Harry yawned, and pulled the blanket tighter around them. "We'll be okay, won't we?"
"We'll be fine. Go back to sleep." Draco insisted, and he felt Harry's body relax. He smiled, reaching for Harry's hand and studying it. He had fallen hard. He thought of those ridiculous letters Hermione and Harry had forged, the ones that had saved his life. The ones where he had confessed feelings for Harry - feelings he hadn't felt then but felt now.
It didn't matter. His life was good, and he had a future. He didn't think his mother would be disappointed by his plan to stay with Harry for as long as the other man would have him.
Draco drifted off to sleep a little later and was woken by Harry untangling himself from where he was looped around Draco as he went to get breakfast. Draco smiled to himself as he heard Harry going upstairs to wash then heading to the kitchen. Harry floated in two plates of food just as Draco was getting to the point where he would have to get up.
"Really?" Draco arched an eyebrow. "Breakfast in bed?"
"Breakfast in bed," Harry agreed, slipping back under the covers. He pressed a kiss to Draco's cheek, and smiled. "You made it through NEWTs, you deserve a treat."
Draco nodded and laughed softly. "I suppose this can go on the list of things that my mother must never find out about." He smirked, putting on a high voice. "Only Muggles don't bother with the effort of going to the dining table for breakfast, Draco dear."
Harry's nose twitched in distaste. "Well, that makes no sense. We've got vanishing charms, and the Dursleys never..."
"You never have to see them again." Draco promised, because sometimes Harry needed to hear that. Harry nodded and leaned in for another kiss before he began to eat. Draco watched him fondly between bites of his own food.
"Draco?" Harry asked. "You okay?"
"More than okay," Draco promised. "Just... I'm happy."
"You looked like you're... thinking." Harry muttered at his breakfast. "Did I use the wrong fork again, or-"
"No." Draco shrugged. "Just... glad I ended up here, I guess. You've been kind to both of us."
He'd been expecting Harry to smile at that comment. Instead, Harry frowned deeply. "Draco... you two are my family, of course I'm-"
"I know you would be regardless, Harry. You're always..." Draco shrugged a little, staring at his plate. "You're good to everyone, Harry. I can still appreciate it."
"That isn't the point." Harry stared at him. "I'm good to you because I love you."
Draco almost dropped his fork. "You...what?"
"I... love you?" Harry repeated it carefully. "I thought... I thought you knew, I... oh god, Draco, I... I'm sor-"
"Don't." Draco lifted his hand, pressing a finger to Harry's lips. "Don't apologise."
"But you don't.... you don't?" Harry started, and he suddenly looked ill.
Draco reached out and took Harry's hands. "You idiot, Harry. I love you. I just... I didn't realise you felt the same."
"Oh." Harry blinked, and then kissed him, moving to wrap his arms around Draco. Draco quickly waved what remained of breakfast over to the side, indulging in another kiss. Harry grinned. "I love you. I love you."
Draco laughed, and kissed him again. Breakfast had gone cold by the time they returned to it.
That afternoon, Harry was fussing at the nursery, and Draco was watching him, when a sudden sharp pain shot through him. He cleared his throat. "Harry, I think we'd best head to St. Mungos."
Harry looked up, dropping the photoframe he'd been cleaning. Draco aimed a quick reparo, let the pieces of glass soar back into the frame, then cleared his throat again. "Harry, now."
Harry rushed to grab the bag Draco had prepared and held onto Draco as he activated his portkey. They emerged a moment later in a brightly lit atrium, and Harry waved over a Healer. Draco kept a tight grip on Harry's hand. It was all going to be alright. He knew that it would be, as long as Harry was there. Another sharp wave of pain crashed through him, and someone forced a potion into his mouth. He didn't let go of Harry's hand.
Draco was aware of Harry's hand holding his even before anything else came into focus. He was lying in a bed under a blanket, and Harry's hand was gripping his own. He tightened his grip for a moment, letting Harry know he was there, waiting to see what Harry said to him. There was a momentary pause, and then Harry's fingers tightened back.
"It's okay, Draco. It's okay." Harry's voice was calm, and Draco allowed himself a few moments to bask in that comfort, before reality slowly flooded over him. He remembered that they'd gone to St. Mungos using his portkey.
He remembered Harry, and then - "Are they alright?" Draco gasped, surprised that his voice sounded a little rough.
"Yes. They're fine," Harry told him, and he felt some of his pillows getting adjusted before Harry carefully moved him to sitting. Slowly, Draco opened his eyes, and found Harry was sitting there beside him. He looked exhausted, and his hair was worse than ever. But seeing Draco, he smiled. "You, on the other hand, gave us a fright."
"Oh?"
"Apparently…well. Remember how you feared that our magic wasn't compatible-"
"Yes…" Draco stared up at him, trying to understand. He was sure their magic was compatible. It explained a lot. It had been a comfort through everything. Surely Harry wasn't about to take that away from him.
"It turns out you could not have been more wrong," Harry stroked his fingers through Draco's hair. "You gave us quite a scare. Our magic is so similar that the baby's is almost exactly like ours. So your magic got tangled with his, and there wasn't enough difference between the two of you for a quick and easy delivery. It took them a while to fix it without leaving you injured. It's alright though, they managed to separate the two strands without leaving either of you powerless…"
"Where's-"
"They're just being checked over by a Healer, but I'll go and fetch them…" Harry lifted Draco's hand and pressed a kiss to it as though he was a knight in some historic tale, and then walked out.
Draco winced at being left alone. He felt exhausted. But it wasn't long until the door opened, and Harry walked back in, a tiny bundle of blankets in his arms. He sat down beside the bed, and Draco reached for his child.
"Scorpius Leon Potter…" Harry murmured, gazing at the baby - their son - with reverence. The boy took after Harry in complexion, his skin a warm brown, but he still had a shock of Malfoy-blond hair. The child blinked up sleepily, and Draco saw that he had grey eyes flecked with green.
"Hello, Scorpius," Draco murmured, gazing down at the baby. The child seemed impossibly small and impossibly adorable. He allowed himself a moment to consider the enormity of the future stretching ahead of him, the fact this child could have cost him his magic, but he couldn't. All that mattered was Scorpius.
He smiled, and gestured for Harry to sit beside him. It felt right, cuddling up against Harry's side, holding their son. Draco kept watching Scorpius, fascinated, as a sense of tiredness crept over him, his magic exhausted by all that had happened.
He drifted off and woke to the sound of the door opening. His mother stood there, and she smiled. "Draco?"
"You… you should meet him…" Draco murmured. Mother approached, and Draco handed over his son, recognising the love that she looked at the boy with. The same love she showed Draco.
"Andromeda and I have decided that we can manage to turn the bedroom next to mine into a nursery, if you two ever need some time alone-"
"You're moving in with Andromeda?" Draco asked. He saw the concern flicker in his mother's eyes, hidden almost instantly.
"I know it's not ideal, Draco, but… I thought this would allow me to be closer to the three of you, and…"
"I'm glad you're not there any more, Mother." Draco promised. He was only too aware of how horrible it would have been for her to be alone in that space, surrounded by memories that she couldn't free herself from and without him there to comfort her.
"Thank you, Draco." Mother pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "You don't need to worry about me though. You've got this little one."
Draco allowed her affection. Mother never showed any kind of fondness in public, even though he knew she felt it. The fact that she showed it now meant that she had accepted Harry as part of the family.
"His name is Scorpius." Draco told her. She nodded her approval, reaching out to stroke those wispy strands of hair.
He yawned, and curled against Harry. His mother thanked them both politely and then left.
Harry gazed at him. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired, mostly," Draco replied.
Harry laughed a little, but it was a good sound. "I'll keep Scorpius out of trouble. You get some rest."
Knowing that Harry was there and that Scorpius was safe, Draco allowed himself to drift off.