What If? - Drarry - Chapter 50: Chapter 50
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"Here's to never having to attend a hearing again!" Neville yelled, a little drunkenly. "Hip hip!"
"Hooray!" Chorused the other DA members. They all sat in the Three Broomsticks, and despite their large circular table, there was only just enough space for everyone. Harry was uncomfortably squashed in between Ginny and Ron.
It had been Luna's idea to go out for a drink after the last hearing. Most of the members of the DA had seen almost as many court cases as Harry, and now that the very last one was out of the way it was as though a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Hopefully, they could now focus on getting their lives on track and leaving the war behind. Ginny would be returning for her final year at Hogwarts at the end of August. Ron and Hermione had been managing Weasley's Wizard Wheezes because George had barely left his and Fred's old room since the Battle. Neville wanted to be a teacher and had already started training, and Luna had joined her father in writing the Quibbler full time. It seemed they all had a plan - or at least knew their next steps. Harry took a big gulp of his firewhisky, enjoying the burning sensation in his stomach. He had no idea what he was going to do. He didn't even know where to start.
The door banged open, and the DA members at the table jumped, whipping around to face the sound. It was Dean and Seamus, late as usual. Everyone relaxed, even laughed a little, and stood to greet them, squeezing up even more to make space for them. Harry, realizing that he had his wand out and pointing at the new arrivals, turned red and quickly hid it in his pocket. Ron, noticing, nodded.
"I do that too. Don't even realise. A car exhaust popped outside the shop yesterday and before I knew it, Hermione and I were hiding behind the counter and grabbing our wands, like we thought we were being attacked."
"Oh yeah? Glad to know I'm not the only one," Harry grimaced.
"Hermione said that Muggles had a name for it. PTD, or something like that. Hermione?"
"Hm?" She turned from her conversation Neville.
"What did you say muggles called that trauma thing?"
"You mean PTSD?"
"That's the one," Ron smiled, and turned back to Harry. "It happens to lots of people who go through stuff like we did."
"I got it after first year," Ginny said suddenly. Harry hadn't realized she'd been listening. "I used to have nightmares all the time about being possessed or trapped. I get them now, too. So does Harry. I've woken up to him yelling in his sleep before."
Ron looked uncomfortable at the hint at Harry and Ginny's relationship, but didn't mention it. "Me and Hermione get the same. I should think everyone here does, to some extent."
"Feels like the War's still following me around," Harry muttered, staring at his drink. "I just want to forget it ever happened."
"Think we all do, mate," Ron smiled a little sadly. "It'll get better, though."
Harry smiled at him. "Let's hope so."
0o0o
"Aren't you an early riser?" Harry tried to sound cross but couldn't in the face of Teddy Lupin's toothless, dribbly grin. "Loving the red-hair look, by the way. Very Weasley."
Teddy gurgled happily as Harry lifted him out of his crib and carried him through the messy apartment to the kitchen, where he sat him on the high chair by the table.
"For someone who can't speak, you really talk a lot, don't you?" Harry grinned, tapping Teddy on the nose before turning and looking in the cupboard for baby food. "What are you feeling? I got carrot and pea, and sweet potato, both of which look exactly the same. You know, I think it's a carrot and pea day, don't you?"
Harry liked having Teddy round. He looked after his Godson one night a week to give the Tonks some time off, and despite the lack of sleep, he loved every minute. Teddy seemed to enjoy it just as much as Harry did and constantly babbled in an illegible stream of baby talk, to which Harry replied as though he were having a full two-sided conversation. In all honesty, he found his Godson to be better company than most people.
After a game of 'Here comes the aeroplane' - something which had completely baffled all the purebloods who'd seen him feed Teddy, but which Teddy loved - Harry brought Teddy back through to the spare room, which had quickly become Teddy's bedroom.
"Do you know who we're going to see today?" Harry chatted as he changed Teddy's nappy and put on his day clothes. "We're seeing your cousin Draco! Isn't that exciting?" Teddy kicked his chubby legs about and waved his hands in the air for Harry to pick him up. "And we have to go by taxi because you can't apparate or floo. Aren't you an annoying little thing?" Harry said affectionately, placing Teddy down into his play area. "Now you wait here while I get changed."
Ted and Andromeda hadn't liked the idea of his bringing Teddy to a prison, but something in Harry made him adamant that it was the right thing to do. Draco didn't have much family left - his mother was in prison for longer than he was, having been a Death Eater, and the rest of his family was in Azkaban - and seeing Teddy might make him happier, as it did with Harry. Moreover, Harry wanted Teddy to see that good people and bad people weren't always easily marked out from one another. It was a lesson that had taken him too long to learn, and one he intended to pass on.
And so it was that Harry and Teddy found themselves in the waiting room of the Moody Institute, and if people had stared at Harry before, it was nothing compared to how they reacted to a baby with hair that had rapidly changed from yellow to pink to green as they waited to be allowed in. With the same punctuality as the previous week, the guard appeared and the visitors filed in, the room looking exactly the same as it had the last time Harry visited.
"Hey," Harry said, sitting down.
"Hi," Draco was watching Teddy curiously. Teddy had gone oddly quiet, staring back at Draco with round, solemn eyes. "I'm guessing this is Teddy."
"It is indeed," Harry held Teddy so that he stood on Harry's knees, though Harry supported his weight. "Teddy, this is Draco, your cousin."
They both looked at Teddy, who was silent for a moment before his hair turned firmly blonde. Draco's mouth fell open.
"I didn't know he was a Metamorphmagus!" Draco exclaimed.
Teddy giggled and moved his hands. Harry began to bounce him a little, which Andromeda had said he should do to strengthen his legs.
"He's great, isn't he?" Harry grinned as he looked down at his Godson.
"How old is he?" Draco asked, still watching Teddy who had begun his incessant baby-talk once more, happily bobbing about on Harry's knees.
"Seven months, but he's bloody precocious. Been crawling way before any of the other babies in his playgroup, and constantly talks gibberish, as you can see," Harry lifted Teddy a little higher into the air as though he was jumping, earning a squeal of delight. "That's part of the reason I look after him once a week. Andromeda and Ted couldn't deal with someone as high-energy as he is twenty-four-seven."
"So he coped well after... well, after the Battle?"
Harry looked at the energetic toddler on his lap. "We think he's dealing well, but we can't really be sure at this age. He doesn't really seem to cry that much though - unless he's hungry or something - so I guess that's probably good?"
"I guess you'll know once he's able to talk." Draco seemed mesmerised, watching his cousin babble to himself as Harry bounced him.
"Do you want to hold him?" Harry asked.
"Hold him?" Draco peered at Teddy suspiciously. "Won't he throw up on me or something?"
"Probably not, he's past that stage a bit."
Draco remained unsure. "I've never held a baby before."
"He does most of the work for you. Just hold him so that he feels like he's standing up, he loves that. He really wants to walk."
"Okay..." Draco held out his arms and Harry passed Teddy across the table. Teddy, finding this journey to be tremendous fun, giggled and kicked his legs through the air.
"He's not contagious," Harry laughed as Draco held Teddy almost at arm's length. Teddy reached a tiny hand towards Draco's face as Draco cautiously brought the toddler a little closer. Quiet with concentration, Teddy put his hands on Draco's nose.
"Why is he doing this?" Draco asked in a muffled voice as Teddy continued to explore his face, almost sticking a hand into Draco's mouth.
"Babies and toddlers learn about new things through touch," Harry explained. "He likes new textures."
"Ouch!" Draco yelped as Teddy grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. "Merlin, kid, do you have to?"
"Yeah, he does that to me all the time," Harry grinned.
"What is he- his eyes look like mine now!" Draco laughed. "That was disconcerting."
"He must like you, he's trying to look like you."
"How flattering," Draco smirked.
"I'm glad you get on," Harry said smilingly. Draco cocked his head, still looking at Teddy.
"He's cute, I guess."
"How complimentary of you," Harry laughed.
"So how's life?" Draco asked, bouncing Teddy as Harry had been doing. "What've you been up to?"
"Oh, you know," Harry shrugged.
"No, I don't."
"Nothing's been happening," Harry confessed. "I haven't been up to anything."
"Surely you've done something," Draco pressed. Harry thought.
"I did an interview for the Daily Prophet. Again."
"How did that go?"
"Better than Rita Skeeter's old interviews used to," Harry shrugged. "I don't know, I kind of go on autopilot when the press is around."
"Do you get lots of attention from people?"
"They stare, or come and ask for autographs. A surprising amount just leave me alone now. It's not as bad as it was for the first few weeks. I could barely leave the house then."
"Must be annoying."
"Eh, it's not so bad."
"Ha!" Teddy exclaimed, reaching back to Harry. "Ha!"
"That means Harry," Harry explained, reaching across for Teddy. "Here, pass him over."
"Ha." Teddy babbled. Harry grinned.
"How's prison?" Harry asked, looking back up at Draco.
"Fine," Draco shrugged. "Boring, mostly."
"Do you get other visitors?"
"Blaise. He never got involved in either side of the war so he's free. He comes on Mondays, that's the only other visit day."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
Harry cleared his throat. "Well..."
"Yeah," Draco sat up. "You probably have places to be."
Harry nodded. "Do you want me to come back next week?"
"Sure. I mean, yes, thank you." Draco gave a small smile. "Take care."
"You too," Harry smiled. "See you."
"Hooray!" Chorused the other DA members. They all sat in the Three Broomsticks, and despite their large circular table, there was only just enough space for everyone. Harry was uncomfortably squashed in between Ginny and Ron.
It had been Luna's idea to go out for a drink after the last hearing. Most of the members of the DA had seen almost as many court cases as Harry, and now that the very last one was out of the way it was as though a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Hopefully, they could now focus on getting their lives on track and leaving the war behind. Ginny would be returning for her final year at Hogwarts at the end of August. Ron and Hermione had been managing Weasley's Wizard Wheezes because George had barely left his and Fred's old room since the Battle. Neville wanted to be a teacher and had already started training, and Luna had joined her father in writing the Quibbler full time. It seemed they all had a plan - or at least knew their next steps. Harry took a big gulp of his firewhisky, enjoying the burning sensation in his stomach. He had no idea what he was going to do. He didn't even know where to start.
The door banged open, and the DA members at the table jumped, whipping around to face the sound. It was Dean and Seamus, late as usual. Everyone relaxed, even laughed a little, and stood to greet them, squeezing up even more to make space for them. Harry, realizing that he had his wand out and pointing at the new arrivals, turned red and quickly hid it in his pocket. Ron, noticing, nodded.
"I do that too. Don't even realise. A car exhaust popped outside the shop yesterday and before I knew it, Hermione and I were hiding behind the counter and grabbing our wands, like we thought we were being attacked."
"Oh yeah? Glad to know I'm not the only one," Harry grimaced.
"Hermione said that Muggles had a name for it. PTD, or something like that. Hermione?"
"Hm?" She turned from her conversation Neville.
"What did you say muggles called that trauma thing?"
"You mean PTSD?"
"That's the one," Ron smiled, and turned back to Harry. "It happens to lots of people who go through stuff like we did."
"I got it after first year," Ginny said suddenly. Harry hadn't realized she'd been listening. "I used to have nightmares all the time about being possessed or trapped. I get them now, too. So does Harry. I've woken up to him yelling in his sleep before."
Ron looked uncomfortable at the hint at Harry and Ginny's relationship, but didn't mention it. "Me and Hermione get the same. I should think everyone here does, to some extent."
"Feels like the War's still following me around," Harry muttered, staring at his drink. "I just want to forget it ever happened."
"Think we all do, mate," Ron smiled a little sadly. "It'll get better, though."
Harry smiled at him. "Let's hope so."
0o0o
"Aren't you an early riser?" Harry tried to sound cross but couldn't in the face of Teddy Lupin's toothless, dribbly grin. "Loving the red-hair look, by the way. Very Weasley."
Teddy gurgled happily as Harry lifted him out of his crib and carried him through the messy apartment to the kitchen, where he sat him on the high chair by the table.
"For someone who can't speak, you really talk a lot, don't you?" Harry grinned, tapping Teddy on the nose before turning and looking in the cupboard for baby food. "What are you feeling? I got carrot and pea, and sweet potato, both of which look exactly the same. You know, I think it's a carrot and pea day, don't you?"
Harry liked having Teddy round. He looked after his Godson one night a week to give the Tonks some time off, and despite the lack of sleep, he loved every minute. Teddy seemed to enjoy it just as much as Harry did and constantly babbled in an illegible stream of baby talk, to which Harry replied as though he were having a full two-sided conversation. In all honesty, he found his Godson to be better company than most people.
After a game of 'Here comes the aeroplane' - something which had completely baffled all the purebloods who'd seen him feed Teddy, but which Teddy loved - Harry brought Teddy back through to the spare room, which had quickly become Teddy's bedroom.
"Do you know who we're going to see today?" Harry chatted as he changed Teddy's nappy and put on his day clothes. "We're seeing your cousin Draco! Isn't that exciting?" Teddy kicked his chubby legs about and waved his hands in the air for Harry to pick him up. "And we have to go by taxi because you can't apparate or floo. Aren't you an annoying little thing?" Harry said affectionately, placing Teddy down into his play area. "Now you wait here while I get changed."
Ted and Andromeda hadn't liked the idea of his bringing Teddy to a prison, but something in Harry made him adamant that it was the right thing to do. Draco didn't have much family left - his mother was in prison for longer than he was, having been a Death Eater, and the rest of his family was in Azkaban - and seeing Teddy might make him happier, as it did with Harry. Moreover, Harry wanted Teddy to see that good people and bad people weren't always easily marked out from one another. It was a lesson that had taken him too long to learn, and one he intended to pass on.
And so it was that Harry and Teddy found themselves in the waiting room of the Moody Institute, and if people had stared at Harry before, it was nothing compared to how they reacted to a baby with hair that had rapidly changed from yellow to pink to green as they waited to be allowed in. With the same punctuality as the previous week, the guard appeared and the visitors filed in, the room looking exactly the same as it had the last time Harry visited.
"Hey," Harry said, sitting down.
"Hi," Draco was watching Teddy curiously. Teddy had gone oddly quiet, staring back at Draco with round, solemn eyes. "I'm guessing this is Teddy."
"It is indeed," Harry held Teddy so that he stood on Harry's knees, though Harry supported his weight. "Teddy, this is Draco, your cousin."
They both looked at Teddy, who was silent for a moment before his hair turned firmly blonde. Draco's mouth fell open.
"I didn't know he was a Metamorphmagus!" Draco exclaimed.
Teddy giggled and moved his hands. Harry began to bounce him a little, which Andromeda had said he should do to strengthen his legs.
"He's great, isn't he?" Harry grinned as he looked down at his Godson.
"How old is he?" Draco asked, still watching Teddy who had begun his incessant baby-talk once more, happily bobbing about on Harry's knees.
"Seven months, but he's bloody precocious. Been crawling way before any of the other babies in his playgroup, and constantly talks gibberish, as you can see," Harry lifted Teddy a little higher into the air as though he was jumping, earning a squeal of delight. "That's part of the reason I look after him once a week. Andromeda and Ted couldn't deal with someone as high-energy as he is twenty-four-seven."
"So he coped well after... well, after the Battle?"
Harry looked at the energetic toddler on his lap. "We think he's dealing well, but we can't really be sure at this age. He doesn't really seem to cry that much though - unless he's hungry or something - so I guess that's probably good?"
"I guess you'll know once he's able to talk." Draco seemed mesmerised, watching his cousin babble to himself as Harry bounced him.
"Do you want to hold him?" Harry asked.
"Hold him?" Draco peered at Teddy suspiciously. "Won't he throw up on me or something?"
"Probably not, he's past that stage a bit."
Draco remained unsure. "I've never held a baby before."
"He does most of the work for you. Just hold him so that he feels like he's standing up, he loves that. He really wants to walk."
"Okay..." Draco held out his arms and Harry passed Teddy across the table. Teddy, finding this journey to be tremendous fun, giggled and kicked his legs through the air.
"He's not contagious," Harry laughed as Draco held Teddy almost at arm's length. Teddy reached a tiny hand towards Draco's face as Draco cautiously brought the toddler a little closer. Quiet with concentration, Teddy put his hands on Draco's nose.
"Why is he doing this?" Draco asked in a muffled voice as Teddy continued to explore his face, almost sticking a hand into Draco's mouth.
"Babies and toddlers learn about new things through touch," Harry explained. "He likes new textures."
"Ouch!" Draco yelped as Teddy grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. "Merlin, kid, do you have to?"
"Yeah, he does that to me all the time," Harry grinned.
"What is he- his eyes look like mine now!" Draco laughed. "That was disconcerting."
"He must like you, he's trying to look like you."
"How flattering," Draco smirked.
"I'm glad you get on," Harry said smilingly. Draco cocked his head, still looking at Teddy.
"He's cute, I guess."
"How complimentary of you," Harry laughed.
"So how's life?" Draco asked, bouncing Teddy as Harry had been doing. "What've you been up to?"
"Oh, you know," Harry shrugged.
"No, I don't."
"Nothing's been happening," Harry confessed. "I haven't been up to anything."
"Surely you've done something," Draco pressed. Harry thought.
"I did an interview for the Daily Prophet. Again."
"How did that go?"
"Better than Rita Skeeter's old interviews used to," Harry shrugged. "I don't know, I kind of go on autopilot when the press is around."
"Do you get lots of attention from people?"
"They stare, or come and ask for autographs. A surprising amount just leave me alone now. It's not as bad as it was for the first few weeks. I could barely leave the house then."
"Must be annoying."
"Eh, it's not so bad."
"Ha!" Teddy exclaimed, reaching back to Harry. "Ha!"
"That means Harry," Harry explained, reaching across for Teddy. "Here, pass him over."
"Ha." Teddy babbled. Harry grinned.
"How's prison?" Harry asked, looking back up at Draco.
"Fine," Draco shrugged. "Boring, mostly."
"Do you get other visitors?"
"Blaise. He never got involved in either side of the war so he's free. He comes on Mondays, that's the only other visit day."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
Harry cleared his throat. "Well..."
"Yeah," Draco sat up. "You probably have places to be."
Harry nodded. "Do you want me to come back next week?"
"Sure. I mean, yes, thank you." Draco gave a small smile. "Take care."
"You too," Harry smiled. "See you."
End of What If? - Drarry Chapter 50. Continue reading Chapter 51 or return to What If? - Drarry book page.