Chapter Text
Draco definitely did not want to be there. The laughter of children, a sound he’d once loved to hear, only suffocated him nowadays.
He’d contemplated for hours before hand, sitting at his desk and not being able to concentrate on reading the cases, mind too occupied.
I should go, I’ve seen her grow up. I was at the hospital when she was born.
Ron and Hermione would want him there. They deserved everyone, Merlin knows how difficult it was for them to conceive.
They weren’t as lucky as Draco, getting pregnant after opening his legs once, during what was supposed to be a simple one night stand.
As if anything had ever been simple with Potter.
Molly was worried about him, from all the owls she sent. It’d put her mind at ease to show his face.
Some of the people there took ages to accept you anyway, Draco. They’re probably glad your not around. All you have to do is maintain a smile during the maximum thirty minutes it’ll take to greet everyone and hand over the gift, and then you can leave.
It was that easy, mere child’s play. However, all reasons on why he needed to go were overweighed by one fact.
Harry would be there.
Maybe if he went early, he told himself, he’d be able to arrive and leave before Harry came. The Harry he knew would still not be there for another hour.
Telling himself this, he apparated to the Granger-Weasley House.
However, Harry Potter was no longer the man he knew, so he had already arrived and was sipping a beer, talking to Bill, Charlie and George. A dark haired women, Susan Bones, was stood close to him.
His new auror partner. Word had reached the Wizengamot about her, and people had warned Draco about her being a right slag who wouldn’t shy from stealing someone’s man.
He’s not your man anymore though.
No, Draco had cut off whatever fraying strands their relationship was holding onto, almost a year ago, and they had not seen each other since their immediate divorce.
Now Harry stood there, handsome as ever, laughing at whatever was being said. Draco couldn’t help the anger bubbling inside of him.
Had the past three years not meant anything to him?
It seemed only Draco had taken their marriage seriously. Harry had not hesitated to move on. Maybe he was already fucking that stupid woman next to him. Maybe he was glad that it had happened, and that their marriage had ended because of it.
Hermione and Molly rush up to him, with Victoire, who always stated that Draco was her favourite uncle (his fluent french being the main reason).
The adults looked over and shouted their ‘hey Draco’s’. The girl Weasleys beg for him to join their dressing up games, they’d always loved lavishing him up the most, due to his doll like beauty, and looked up to him with admiration.
Molly says how nice it is to see him. Hermione picks up Rose and put her in his arms, she’s old enough to not be carried but he thinks they’re not ready to accept she’s not a baby anymore. Especially since the healers had said the couple would not be able to have anymore children.
I had been pregnant, again, when it happened. It was never a struggle for us.
He’d already prepared himself for all the small talk, and so automatically reassures the two women that he’s fine. He then says hello to the few people that also come up to him, Fleur giving him an especially tight hug. He’s not sure who is avoiding who, but him and Harry do not interact.
Seeing the birthday girl blow out her cake with a ‘2’ candle on it, however, makes him throw himself into the kitchen, which is currently empty.
Scorpius never had the chance to blow out his second birthday cake.
Draco needs air, but the kitchen is getting stuffier by the second. The image of a blonde, curly hair toddler, smashing cake into his mouth and getting it all over his cherub cheeks, emerald green eyes glistening in glee flashes before his eyes. His knees fail him and he knows he’s about to hit the floor.
Suddenly, strong arms wrap around his waist from behind, holding him up. They are familiar, they feel like home and Draco can breathe for a few seconds.
“Draco! Are you okay!”
The words bring him back to reality, and he turns, shoving the arms away, so that the man he has been avoiding all day is face to face with him. Eyes the same colour as the toddler’s in his memory, look at him in concern.
“It’s fine, I’m leaving anyway.”
He’s about to head out, but Harry stands in front of him, blocking his way.
“You’ve just come, stay.”
Draco is getting frustrated. He wants to go back the his new apartment and cry.
“I want to go home.”
Harry’s voice softens, “No you don’t.”
He doesn’t. Of course he doesn’t. He hates that modern apartment the estate agent spent an hour praising. That’s not home, his home is Grimmauld Place.
Harry speaks again, “Let’s talk, please. How are you?”
“Why would you care?” Draco spits out.
“Draco, do not be like this.”
Harry sounds hurt, he looks hurt as well. How does he have the audacity to be hurt when he has obviously moved on, but Draco can’t even sleep the few hours that he does (which is on a good day), without smelling a blanket he’s charmed to never lose its scent.
“Be like what? I’m not being like anything. Please continue having your fun, I’m sorry to have interrupted you.”
Harry stood large and tall, adamant to stay. Draco had always admired the way Harry had grown and filled out after the war. He’d licked his defined abs, and those biceps that looked ready to burst out his shirt had carried Draco, flung Draco (onto the bed), pinned Draco (onto the bed) and without fail, wrapped around Draco every night as they slept, so that Draco always woke up hot and squished, but feeling safe and protected.
Those arms had also carried their son.
“Have you gone to the mindhealer I recommended? She’s really helped, Dray. It’s given me closure I thought I’d never achieve.”
Urgh, he was fed up about listening to everybodies advice about healers. They’d already gone to one straight after it happened, when their marriage began shifting. It hadn’t worked and after a month they’d gotten divorced.
“I’m fine, I’d rather not forget about the existence of my child.”
Harry looked stunned, mouth agape, “Draco,” he gasped, “I have definitely not forgotten anything. It just makes memories hurt less.”
Draco raised his wobbling chin, “Memories should hurt. They should remind us how useless we are, while our child is Merlin knows where on the planet with Merlin knows who because his parents failed him.”
Harry sighed. Draco was surprised, before when he said such things, Harry would either get angry or look at him like he was deranged. He’d made him feel crazy many times, which had been the main reason why Draco couldn’t stand their marriage anymore, and felt the need to end it.
However, now Harry just looked tired, “There was nothing we could do...”
“Yes, there was!” Draco snapped, “You may have moved on, bringing your new girlfriend to meet the family, but I’m still searching. I still listen for news and look around. I’m going to find him.”
Harry rubbed his eyes with his hands, and moved aside, knowing they were going into territory where it was useless to argue. Before he let Draco leave, he gave one final blow, had to hurt Draco one final time, as if he hadn’t hurt him enough over the past year and a half.
“Scorpius died, Draco. He’s never coming back.”