Since the Days of Auld Lang Syne
Thursday, 31 December 1998
Harry and Andromeda stepped into the office 45 minutes after they’d left, and it was a real mark of Draco’s emotional growth that he looked at Harry and decided against making a snarky comment about them getting lost in the mines even though Harry could nearly see the quip forming in his mind.
“Can I see which one you chose?” Narcissa asked. Harry held out his left hand and she smiled softly, “it’s grandfather’s.”
Andromeda smiled and left it to Harry to decide whether he wanted to share the whole story or not as they left the bank.
“We found a note from him actually,” Harry said before giving them an outline of what Arcturus’ letters had said.
The boys let Andromeda and Narcissa choose the restaurant. They ended up at some high scale place Harry’d never heard of before.
“What are your plans for tonight?” Narcissa asked as they took their seats.
“A lot of people will be at Potter Manor,” Draco told her.
“That was really specific, Draco, well done,” Harry said, clapping him on the shoulder. “We’re hosting a party at Potter Manor starting at 9:00, no one will be on the family floor, so you’ll be free to roam there without running into any drunk teenagers. And I would really appreciate it if you two wouldn’t mind staying with Teddy tomorrow?”
“Of course,” Narcissa said. “Where will you be tomorrow?”
“New York,” Harry said.
“New York?”
“Hermione had an insane idea.”
“Sounds safe,” Andromeda said, looking rather amused.
“Don’t worry,” Harry said before he turned to Draco and Theo, “and you two better promise not to tell her, but I got official portkeys.”
“That ruins half the fun,” Draco complained.
“You were planning to take illegal portkeys across the Atlantic Ocean?” Narcissa asked, raising an eyebrow at her son.
“No?”
Harry decided it wasn’t the time to mention he was also pretty sure they’d been brewing something illegal in his basement that morning. Instead, he said, “I’ve got two lengths of rope that are set to leave at 1:00 in the morning our time, arriving in New York City in the wizarding section of Grand Central Terminal around 8:15 tonight their time. Kingsley told me about a bar owned by a wizard in Times Square that has a balcony that takes up magical space so no Muggles can see it and there’s always enough room for whoever shows up, so I think we should go there. Then the portkeys leave at 2:00 in the morning their time and arrive at Potter Manor around 7:15 tomorrow morning our time.”
“When did you have time to figure all this out?” Theo wondered.
“When you, Hermione, and Fred disappeared to talk about fireworks.”
“Are you saying you got portkeys directly from the Minister?” Draco asked.
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that a massive waste of his time?”
“Yes.”
“Alright,” Draco said with a shrug.
* * *
“So we’re doing what?” Neville asked.
“Taking portkeys to New York at one in the morning so we can celebrate New Years twice.” Harry yelled back from where he was getting dressed inside the walk-in closet.
“Why?”
“Because we can?” Harry responded, stepping back into the room.
“Fuck,” Theo breathed out.
Harry was in perfectly tailored black trousers and white high-top converse, but it was the sheer black short-sleeved button down with the buttons undone to the base of his sternum that was short-circuiting Theo’s brain. He wasn’t wearing his fang or wand holsters, but he was wearing the gold bracelet holster from Godric, so Theo had no doubt that he was armed to the teeth even though he looked unassuming, which really was more of a turn on than it should be.
His necklace with Lily’s engagement ring was hanging against his chest, falling right over the center of his second lightning bolt scar. His tattoos were visible through the fabric of his shirt, as were the rather impressive muscles he’d earned from two full hours of training every single morning. With the fingers full of rings and the single gold hoop earring, he looked hotter than Theo thought was strictly fair.
Theo didn’t realize he’d been staring, literally speechless, at Harry for at least a minute until he heard Neville say, “before you jump his bones, please remember I’m still in the room.”
“Then you should maybe leave the room,” Harry said, looking at Theo with the sort of intensity that made him feel like his veins were on fire.
Neville looked between them for a second before nodding and striding out the door, “you should probably lock this behind me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Harry said, waving him off, “go away.”
“Where did you get that shirt?” Theo asked, settling on the edge of the bed as he heard the door click shut.
“Hermione picked it out. Do you like it?”
“I think I owe Hermione a gift. Honestly. Harry, you look…” Theo trailed off with a huff.
“You alright there, darling?”
“You cannot use that pet name while looking like that, it’s just unfair.”
“Have you seen yourself?”
“What do you mean?”
“Theo,” Harry breathed out, stepping forward to stand between his legs and brushing the soft, dark brown waves off his forehead. “You’re beautiful.”
And he was, Theo was in dark brown trousers and a baby blue button-down. The soft dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks stood out against his pale skin and ocean blue eyes. His toned arms and chest were on display with the top few buttons of his shirt undone and his sleeves rolled up.
Harry put his hands on either side of Theo’s neck, pressing his thumbs against his jaw and tilting his head up as he leaned over to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Absolutely beautiful,” he whispered, resting his forehead against Theo’s. “Every single time you walk into a room you take my breath away. You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met, Theodore. I could swear you hung the moon.”
“Harry,” Theo sighed, his eyes fluttering shut.
“Theo,” Harry whispered back with a teasing grin.
“Kiss me?”
“Never stop asking that,” Harry murmured against his lips, pulling him into a lingering kiss.
Theo hooked two fingers through the chain around Harry’s neck and tugged him closer. Harry pushed Theo back against the mattress and crawled on top of him, straddling his hips and peppering kisses across his nose, cheeks, and jaw before running his tongue up Theo’s neck and nipping lightly at his earlobe.
“Fuck,” Theo breathed, running his hands down Harry’s sides and gripping onto his hips.
“Quick and dirty?” Harry teased with a smirk.
“Harry,” Theo panted, “if that tongue isn’t on me in the next five seconds I’ll do something drastic.”
“Now I kind of want to see what you’ll do”
Harry’s heart leapt into his throat as Theo’s eyes lit up and a slow, sexy grin spread over his face.
The next thing Harry knew, his back was hitting the mattress and had his hands pinned above his head. “Get these clothes off of us,” Theo whispered, his voice low as his breath ghosted across the shell of Harry’s ear. “Close those pretty green eyes and use that stupidly hot wandless, wordless magic and get these clothes off of us.”
Harry wasn’t about to argue, so he did as Theo asked. He groaned as Theo’s warm, flushed skin met his own.
“Now,” Theo said, lips brushing against Harry’s, “what’d you say about ‘quick and dirty’?”
* * *
“Are you two decent?” Hermione’s asked from the other side of the door a half hour later.
Harry looked down at the crumpled sheets and their naked bodies and called back, “not even a little.”
“Could you get decent? You have guests showing up in 20 minutes and you’re the only one who can add them to the ward book.”
“Ugh,” Harry sighed, “fine!”
“Enough of that tone, Harry James.”
“Sorry, mum,” he said with a laugh, “thanks for letting us know, we’ll be down in a minute.”
“Can we shower quickly?” Theo asked, still panting slightly.
“Yeah,” Harry said with a breathless laugh, “that’d be good.”
Within ten minutes they were both showered and re-dressed, which was pretty impressive if you asked Harry. “Theo?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you help me fix my hair?” Harry absolutely could’ve fixed it himself, but he’d do anything to see that proud little smile on Theo’s face every time he was able to tame Harry’s messy curls.
“Of course, love,” Theo said with a soft smile, pushing Harry into a chair so he could reach the top of his head. He used the time it took Theo to tame his hair to heal the fresh bruises and bite marks that were popping up along his and Theo’s necks, chests, and shoulders.
“Thank you, baby.”
Theo leaned over to press a kiss to Harry’s cheek, “anytime.”
* * *
“Game time!” Seamus called.
“What’re we playing?” Blaise asked.
“We’ve got options. We could do truth or dare, we could do never have I ever, we could do Ring of Fire. Any others?”
“We could teach them pong,” Oliver suggested from where he was sitting on the floor in front of Marcus with his head leaned against his thigh.
“What is ‘pong’?” Marcus asked, running his fingers through Oliver’s hair in a gesture so soft Harry’d previously thought it impossible.
“Muggle drinking game,” Dean said before briefly explaining the rules.
“That sounds fun,” Marcus said with a shrug.
Harry settled back in his chair and grabbed Theo’s arm as he walked past, pulling him down into his lap, “I really don’t feel like standing up so while they’re doing that, how about we play another game?”
“Never have I ever?” Ron asked.
“Alright,” Harry said, wrapping an arm around Theo’s waist as he let the other hand rest over the arm of the chair, a cigarette dangling from his fingers. “Who wants to start?”
“Wait, how does this game work again?” Theo asked, before he pulled Harry’s hand toward his mouth to take a drag.
“Someone says ‘never have I ever’ done something and if you’ve done that thing, you drink.”
“Easy enough,” Theo shrugged, leaning back against Harry’s chest. “Who’s starting?”
“I’ll go,” Dean said. “Never have I ever kissed a friend’s ex.”
Harry picked up his glass from where it was sitting on the floor and raised it to cheers Dean before taking a sip. Parvati did the same to Ron from where she was sitting at Neville’s feet with Lavender.
“My turn,” Seamus said. “Never have I ever had a crush on a professor.”
“When are you lot going to stop teasing us for Lockhart?” Hermione asked over Seamus, Dean, Neville, Ron, and Harry’s laughter.
“Never have I ever had a crush on Harry,” Neville said with a shit eating grin, sitting back and watching as nearly everyone in the circle drank. Though most of the circle paused when they saw Draco raise his glass.
“Did any of you see him when he showed up for third year?” Draco asked, one eyebrow raised. “Or sixth year? Merlin, I might’ve beat Theo to the punch sixth year if I hadn’t been so focused on my murder plot.”
“We’re related.”
“I didn’t know that at the time.”
“Harry spent most of sixth year stalking you,” Ginny very helpfully added. “I mean, I was actively dating him at the time and even I was a little suspicious of his motivation.”
“Enough out of you, Ginevra.”
“Never have I ever had a crush on Draco,” Blaise said with a mischievous grin.
Harry rolled his eyes and took a drink which nearly came back through his nose when he saw Hermione raise her glass as well.
“Wow,” Draco said, looking between the pair, “you two have really odd ways of showing you like people, has anyone told you that before?”
“I only punched you one time,” Hermione argued at the same time Harry said, “I didn’t know what the spell did!”
“Also,” Harry continued, “you once spent what must’ve been an insane number of hours charming buttons just to make fun of me.”
Before Draco could form any sort of response, Greg said, “no, he’s right, those buttons took you at least 20 hours to charm.”
“He spent most of those 20 hours muttering to himself like some crazed serial killer about how it’d finally get Harry’s attention, too,” Blaise added.
“Not to mention the fact that he tried out for Seeker so he could play directly against you,” Marcus called from across the room.
“Wow, Draco, I’m flattered.”
“Can we go back to the whole you stalking me thing?”
“Should I be worried?” Theo teased, pinching Harry’s cheek.
“Maybe,” Harry teased back, turning his head to press a kiss to Theo’s palm.
“Alright,” Ginny cut in with a laugh. “My turn, never have I ever used Peeves to prank a professor.”
“What?” Hermione said as she watched Ron, Harry, Fred, and George raise their glasses.
“Uncalled for, Gin,” Ron muttered, watching Hermione warily as he tried to figure out which version of Hermione Granger they were about to get.
“Which professor?” she asked.
“Well, Umbridge was common knowledge,” Harry said.
“Mate,” Fred sighed as Hermione said, “that implies you didn’t only prank Umbridge.”
“Does it rank above or below the time you two unknowingly pelted Voldemort in the face with snowballs?” Neville asked.
“Below,” George responded immediately. “Nothing we’ll ever do will outrank that.”
“All we did is teach Peeves several nursery rhymes and then had him follow Dumbledore around, hide, and sing them in a creepy voice,” Fred said. “It wasn’t even our best work, Gin just thinks it’s hilarious because she caught us.”
“You know,” Susan said, “it’s pretty comforting to hear that explanation because I remember hearing creepy nursery rhymes around the school third year and thinking I was going insane.”
“You had a mass murderer after you and you found the time to teach Peeves nursery rhymes?” Daphne asked, looking at Harry like he’d totally lost it.
“To be entirely fair,” Harry said, “the mass murderer was in Ron’s pocket the whole time.”
“I really don’t know if that makes it better.”
“But does it make it worse?” George asked.
Theo looked at his watch and decided it was time to interrupt this conversation, “oi! It’s almost midnight. Find someone to kiss and no, Draco, you cannot kiss my boyfriend.”
“May I kiss your boyfriend?” Blaise asked.
“No, you may not.”
“Killjoy.”
Harry ran his thumb along Theo’s hip and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, “someone feeling a little jealous?” he whispered.
“I’m fine,” Theo responded, “they both know I’m rather capable with a knife so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Not that that’s not incredibly hot,” Harry murmured, lips brushing against Theo’s ear, “but you should also know that there’s not a single person who’s currently walking or has ever walked this Earth that I’d leave you for.”
“Really?” Theo asked, his voice edging into vulnerability.
“Really,” Harry vowed, kissing Theo’s cheek softly and wrapping his arms tightly around his waist, “me and you forever, darling.”
“Okay,” Theo whispered, leaning back against Harry’s chest and letting out a breath.
“Theo?” Fred called. “Are you forgetting something?”
“Oh yeah,” Theo said, mood shifting immediately as he shot up and pulled Harry along with him, “everyone outside!”
Harry grinned at the expression of pure joy on his boyfriend’s face and happily followed him into the backyard.
“There’s a silencing charm up,” George said, stepping up next to Harry. “Theo wanted to launch fireworks earlier in the night before Teddy’s bedtime but the rest of us really wanted midnight, so he spent an hour this morning laying the charm around the house.”
Harry looked over at Theo and, not for the first time, thought about how miraculously lucky he was to have this man in his life.
“Happy New Years, Theodore,” Harry said, cupping Theo’s cheeks and pressing a kiss to his forehead.
“First of many?” Theo asked, leaning into Harry’s touch.
“First of many,” Harry whispered, locking his lips with Theo’s as the clocks chimed midnight.
“I love you,” Theo said as he pulled away, resting his forehead against Harry’s. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything, more than I ever thought it was possible to love. Harry, you’re everything to me, I hope you know that.”
“I know,” Harry whispered, brushing a featherlight kiss to the tip of Theo’s nose, “you’re my world, Theo. I’ll love you as long as I live.”
“So forever?” Theo teased.
“Yeah,” Harry said with a soft smile, “forever.”
* * *
“If you’re hopping the pond,” Harry called, getting everyone’s attention, “it’s time to go. We’ll only be there for six hours so no need to bring anything except yourselves.”
“Can you tell me the plan one more time?” Seamus asked.
“We’ll land at Grand Central and walk four blocks to the bar, it’s called Witches’ Brew. I know, super creative. We’ll be there until the portkeys are set to leave which is at 2 in the morning their time. Hermione will have the portkeys in her bag. Do not wander off. I repeat, do not wander off. I really don’t want to try my hand at international diplomacy trying to get any of you prats back on British soil.”
“Yes, sir,” Dean said with a salute.
“Jesus Christ,” Harry muttered, running a hand down his face and turning to Hermione, “this really was one of your more insane ideas, you know that right?”
“I’m aware,” she said, wrapping her arm around his waist, “no going back now.”
“Alright,” he sighed, “let’s go!”
The portkey across the Atlantic was the single most disorienting experience Harry had ever had with magical travel which was really saying something.
“Merlin’s pants,” Ron breathed, reaching out to steady himself against a wall which he promptly fell directly through.
“Huh,” Harry said, “guess that’s the exit.”
“I love how concerned you are for his well-being,” Theo quipped.
“He’s been through worse,” Hermione said, waving him off, “though we probably should follow him before he gets distracted and wanders off … Do you know where we’re going?” she asked, turning to Harry, “like specifically?”
“Yeah, Kings gave me directions.”
“You got directions to a bar from Minister Shacklebolt?” Pansy asked.
“No, I got directions to a bar from Kings,” Harry responded with a grin, “I assure you; those are two very different people.”
“Then lead the way,” Hermione said with a laugh, pulling Harry toward the wall Ron had gone thorough. They found him standing on the other side, leaning against a solid wall.
“Mate this place is insane,” Ron said when he spotted them.
He wasn’t wrong, Grand Central was busier than Harry had ever seen Kings Cross. There were people speedwalking in every direction, announcements going off constantly over the speakers, and the sounds of the city were coming through the doors. Harry looked around for a second trying to orient himself and then led the group out the door and down 42nd. He was rather grateful the public library they passed was closed or he was sure they’d never see Hermione again.
Witches’ Brew was above an NYC giftshop on the corner of 41st and 7th, they climbed one flight up and found a balcony that wrapped around both sides of the building, but Harry led them up the next flight like Kingsley had suggested and they came out on a rooftop that was far more than two floors off the ground.
They could see the whole city. Harry let out a breath at the skyline spread out in front of him. He was scanning the horizon when something caught his attention to the South. Something magical was happening at a building Hermione identified as the Empire State Building.
Theo turned to see what Harry was talking about and blinked several times, looking like he’d stared directly into the sun, “fucking hell,” he muttered, “is that where MACUSA is headquartered?”
“No, they’re in the Woolworth Building,” Harry said, trying to remember everything Kingsley had told him. “I think it’s a lot further south.”
Theo scanned the horizon and blinked hard again, “found it.”
“I forgot you could do that,” Hermione said, looking at Theo in interest. “Can you see magic or feel it?”
“Both, sort of,” he answered. “I can always feel it, but I’ve sort of learned to tune it out because it can get overwhelming, I really have to focus to actually see it. Different magic sort of looks like different colored lights to me and the stronger it is and something of a special type of crazy is happening there.”
“And something tells me we don’t want to find out what it is,” Harry said, not at all wanting to get involved in whatever fresh hell was happening in Manhattan.
“Good enough for me,” Hermione decided with a shrug, “who wants a drink?”
* * *
“Nearly midnight again,” Theo said, coming up behind Harry and resting his chin on his shoulder.
“You fishing for a kiss, Nott?”
“Always,” Theo said with a grin, turning his head to press a kiss to the underside of Harry’s jaw. “I really don’t think I’ve told you enough times how much I love this shirt. Do you understand how gorgeous you are?”
“I’m not sure I do. I think you’re going to have to keep telling me.”
“That I can do, though some of the ways I’d like to tell you might have to wait until we’re back in our bedroom behind a locked door.”
“I like the sound of that,” Harry said with a crooked grin, turning slightly to kiss Theo’s temple.
Before Theo could answer, what sounded like the entire city started counting down from 60.
“A full minute?” he asked, raising his voice so Harry could hear him over the noise.
“Apparently,” Harry responded with a laugh as he wrapped an arm around Theo’s shoulders and pulled him close.
10 … 9 … 8 … 7 … 6 …
“I love you, Harry.”
5 … 4 …
“I love you too,” Harry said, intertwining his fingers with the curls at the nape of Theo’s neck.
3 … 2 … 1
Harry tilted his head and pressed his lips to Theo’s. The cheering and yelling faded to the background as everything Theo filled his very soul. He smelled of fresh ocean air and new parchment mixed with sweat and whiskey and tobacco. His soft lips and searing kisses never failed to stop Harry’s world on its axis. He was everything; chaos and control, sunshine and shadows, comfort and courage.
“You are,” Harry whispered against Theo’s lips. “You are the love of my life, Theodore Nott.”
“And you’re mine.”