Chapter 1: October 1st 2000
Chapter Text
The first time I saw his smile again it was hesitant, even though we had agreed to meet at the new coffee place around the corner from St. Mungo’s – Coffee Joe’s or Mocca Joe or Joe’s Mocca Coffee. I don’t know.
I didn’t really pay that much attention to the name.
I paid attention to him though.
The way his eyes scanned the room.
The way they glanced over me at first, only to stop and zoom in on me with lightning speed.
I smiled at him and he smiled back at me.
His body was firmer than I remembered, his smile not as wide as I had hoped.
“It’s good to see you, Draco. You look good, I mean well, you look well.”
“You too, Harry.”
“How long is your break?”
“Half an hour give or take. You know how Abrahamson gets if I am delayed.”
“Yes, your descriptions of him were very thorough”
“Yes, well, I thought you might like the entertainment in whatever hut you were squatting in at the time.”
“I resent that, it was one hut.”
“And a cave, and a shack…”
“Anyway. How are things? How is second year treating you?”
“I still love it and now I get the privilege of actually speaking to the patients myself. Though that has been trying sometimes, people are idiots. But it is better than observing and I love the mystery of trying to figure out what is causing a discomfort or pain.”
“I might see you in there, I am a month late for the start of Auror-training, but they made an… well, they made an exception.”
“Of course they did.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
“Like what, Harry?”
“Like it’s a given”
“It is a given.”
“It shouldn’t be.”
“Wait, what do you mean you’ll see me at St. Mungo’s?”
“Well Aurors get beat up a lot, even the trainees, or so Ron tells me.”
“One of the reasons he is not doing it anymore I suspect.”
“Maybe. But you know me – what’s life without a bit of risk?”
“Yes, why would anyone sleep in a clay hut if that was not their primary philosophy on life?”
“Exactly”
“I have to head back now.”
“Oh, right.”
He got up from his chair, smoothing out his healer robes as he stood. With another glance back at me, he gave me a tiny nod and a tug of his lips and left.
Chapter 2: October 14th 2000
Chapter Text
The next time I saw his smile he was sitting crossed legged on the floor of Mrs. Tonks living room laughing at Teddy’s attempts at pulling of the Harry Potter look; the scar proved difficult and Teddy kept adding every odd shape known to wizarding kind to his forehead. From my spot in the doorway I barked out a laugh as Teddy’s tiny forehead sported a shape that I can only describe as not suited for children.
Draco’s head whipped around at the sound of my laugh, a chuckle still in his throat.
“You are here”
“I am. Should I feel offended that you have more time for my godson, than for me?”
“You could.”
He got up from the floor in one swift motion, a hand running through his hair.
His hair was longer than I remembered. Mine was too. I hadn't noticed at Joe's Coffee Mocca Corner (?).
“Walk with me.”
“Harry…”
“It is just a walk, it won’t kill you.”
“It might. It is as cold as the towers of Nurmengard out there.”
“We’re fucking wizards, Draco.”
“Fine. Wanker.”
I saw it then, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
“So, are you going to avoid me forever?”
“I am not avoiding you; I am merely trying to be civil.”
“Right.”
“Yes, well, I have not seen you for more than a year. The sporadic owl now and then does not make a friendship.”
“I know I have been out of touch, I know that, I just thought… when I got back, I don’t know.”
“I am quite busy at work. I cannot spend all of my free time drinking pretentious coffee with you.”
“I know that, I’m busy too.”
“Did they cease with the improper special treatment at last?”
“I got in the program on that, they drill me just as hard as anyone else.”
“I bet.”
“Maybe harder.”
“Would not surprise me.”
“Shut up.”
“It is not that I do not want to see you Harry, it is just too hard… to balance everything. I patched things up with Blaise, as you know, and I have a standing lunch date with Pansy.”
“Sure, I get it. I’ll stop writing. I guess I just… I thought maybe…”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe you missed me too.”
He stood frozen, both from the lack of heating charm and from lack of things to say and I walked away. I had to be the one to walk away once, even though I never wanted to again.
I did not know it at the time, but a tiny smile played on his lips as I hurried towards the warmth of the house and the comfort of family.
Chapter 3: November 17th 2000
Chapter Text
I heard his smile more than I saw it this time.
I was in a haze, in and out of consciousness, the lights of St. Mungo’s dancing behind my eyelids as I listened to the conversations around me.
I heard Draco’s voice first:
“He is going to be ok, Hermione.”
“He is so stupid. He should not throw himself into danger like that.”
“Well, he would not be Harry Potter if he did not.”
“I suppose. Why are you still here Malfoy?”
“I work here.”
“I know the healer schedule by heart.”
“Of course you do.”
“So, I will ask again. Why are you here? Ron will punch you again if he sees you here off duty.”
“I know. I just have to be here.”
“Yes, well.”
“I know ok, I know, Granger.”
“I don’t think you do actually.”
“He was hurt back then, but I had to, it was too much… I…”
“Why? Why did you have to? No, wait, you should speak to Harry about this, he is the one who deserves to know.”
“I am aware who deserves what in this scenario.”
“Oh? Well by all means tell me Malfoy.”
“I don’t deserve anything at all, I am trying to be better, do better, deserve more. Fuck. It was not fair to him back then, do you not see that? I wasn’t ready for anything, I couldn’t… shit. I cannot do this.”
“I think you sell yourself short on a couple of things to be honest, but Malfoy, I feel for you I really do, but if you hurt him again, Ron’s fist is the last thing you should be worrying about."
I didn’t hear his response; my heart was pounding so hard in my chest my eardrums were about to pop out of my head. Leave it to Hermione finally to get me some answers. Almost a year and a half wondering what the fuck went wrong. I wanted so bad to open my eyes at that moment and tell him that I don’t care about any of it and explain to him that I was never as happy as when he wanted to be with me.
I heard the door shut behind Hermione as she left.
I felt my bed tilt slightly at the weight of Draco’s hand beside my head as he leaned down and whispered in my ear.
“You have to be alright, Harry. I need you to wake up. Don’t leave me. Please, do not leave me.”
Chapter 4: November 18th 2000
Chapter Text
He smiled through doubtful eyes at me as the rain poured down his face. He was standing on the steps at Grimmauld Place; his healer robes soaked through. He wasn’t wearing a cloak.
There was a single drop of water forming at the tip of his nose, getting heavier and heavier until it dropped down only to be caught by his lower lip.
“You left.”
“I was released, so I went home.”
“Oh, ok.”
“I know you were there.”
“Yes, well, I work there.”
“I heard you sometimes.”
“I didn’t think you could.”
“I guessed as much. When did Ron punch you?”
“Right after you left England.”
“Did you mean any of it?”
“Any of…”
“Draco.”
“Yes, I suppose I meant some of the things…”
“Some?”
“Fine, all of them. I miss you too, I have been missing you.”
Even though I was only wearing my tattered pyjama bottoms I stepped down the steps towards him. My feet getting cold from the wet stones.
“You have always been enough for me, Draco. You don’t have to be any more than you already are.”
I saw it then in his eyes, the warmth of the smile that I remembered. I don’t know if it would have reached his lips had I not claimed them with my own.
Chapter Text
I saw almost all of his smiles during that month.
I saw his smirks when he bested me.
I saw his discreet tugs of the upper lip when he tried to hide them.
And finally I saw the smile I had been missing most of all. The one only for me. I could drown in that smile. I almost did. It’s hard to remember who said what, it’s even harder to remember anything but a feeling of belonging. Like I finally came home.
He looked up at me, trusting eyes. God I missed him. I don’t know how I ever took a breath without knowing he was there to provide the air.
“Draco, tell me if I’m hurting you.”
“You won’t. Just… “
“Fuck. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. I never stopped.”
“Don’t ever leave me again.”
“Never. Fuck. Harry.”
“Are you ok?”
“Perfect. It’s perfect.”
“You look gorgeous like this.”
I lost myself in him then.
We stayed tangled in each other for hours. Even as the owls came swooping in with stacks of presents to lay at the foot of my bed.
“Happy Christmas, Harry.”
“The first of many. I am never letting you go now.”
“You better not.”
And for the first time he smiled at me like he might actually believe it.
Notes:
One chapter left!
Kind of an epilogue.
Thanks for all the comments and kudos, I love hearing what you guys think!
Love
Elly
Chapter Text
Exactly three years after our first kiss, he is finally standing in front of me, hands in mine vowing to never love anyone else. As my turn comes to say the words that my thoughts have been screaming for the last three years – I see his hesitant smile. He has just opened up, promised me everything and even though he knows that I love him I still see the self-doubt. It is not my intentions or my love he doubts - it is himself. After all these years, he still can’t fully believe that I chose him.
I do, though. I always choose him.
I keep his hand firmly in mine as we walk through the garden at The Burrow, his smile is strained after endless greetings and well-wishes.
He looks at me in confusion as I pull him with me towards a large oak tree in the back of the garden. Out of sight from the party, I press him up against the trunk, kissing his throat and his jaw and cheek.
“Thank you for doing this.”
“I am almost a Weasley now, or so Mrs. … Molly tells me. I might as well acclimate myself.”
“I still appreciate it.”
“I gathered that.”
“Oh, you did?”
“Harry…”
“What?”
“Could you not ravish me in my in-laws back garden?”
“I’ll ravish my husband wherever I want.”
“Husband. Fuck that’s weird.”
“It’s fucking brilliant.”
“It is.”
I can’t not touch him, though I guess he’s right about it not being the right place for a thorough celebration, so I just keep kissing him, stealing little touches above his clothes.
“Harry…”
“Mmmm”
“Do you know Andromeda is sick.”
“Yes, I heard. How sick”
“Not dying. I talked to her today though.”
“About?”
“Are you too distracted for me to ask you something important?”
“Maybe. No, sorry, I’ll behave, I thought all the important questions were answered earlier today.”
“Yes, well, I have another one for you.”
“Shoot.”
“It’s Teddy.”
“What about Teddy, is he sick to? Where is he, he seemed fine earlier.”
“He’s fine Harry, it’s just getting to be a little much for Andromeda, that’s all.”
“Oh.”
“She wanted to know if…”
“If?”
“Well, if we would take him, see how it goes.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes.”
“Really? Fuck, that would be, I can’t even… I never thought…”
“It’s ok if it’s too much, we can just visit more and babysit more…”
“Too much. It’s - fuck. It’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. I mean if you want to?”
The smile he gives me is everything. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more.
Notes:
And that's all she wrote.
I hope you liked it. It's probably the fluffiest thing I will ever write, but there you have it, my vision for the boys and their happily ever after.
Thank you to all who followed along and thanks to all who has joined later.
Love
Elly

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