Finders Keepers
December 27, 2010
How could this have happened? Draco thought to himself as he held his son's hand, walking from the apparition point down the alley. A ring doesn’t just go missing. There’s no way that it could have been misplaced, and he knew that the woman who sold it to him wrapped it and put the jewelry in the bag handed to him. Honestly, who bought their girlfriend Snitch-shaped earrings for Christmas? It was tasteless, and Draco considered himself to have impeccable taste and was an excellent gift giver.
“Daddy?” Scorpius asked, his grey eyes looking up at him innocently, white blonde hair curling out from under his hat. “Are you going to find Miss Emma’s ring?”
“Oh, I’m going to find it, Scorp, don’t worry,” Draco stated, his eyes narrowed as they finished their way towards Enchanted Tomes. Boxing day had been spent at the manor with his parents. Lucius Malfoy, as a father, had his moments but for the most part, it had been a nightmare the wizard could never wake from. The man as a grandfather, on the other hand, was a sight to behold. The second wizarding war has tempered the pureblood and softened his demeanor. Lucius adored Scorpius, and Narcissa spoiled him rotten.
“Nana said that she could give you a ring if you wanted,” the young boy spoke as if the news wouldn’t annoy his father more.
“And how does Nana know there was a missing ring to begin with?”
“I told her about Emma’s gift,” he stated proudly. Groaning to himself, Draco opened the shop door, little bells ringing ahead. The last thing he needed was for his mother to get involved in this fiasco of an engagement.
“Hello, Miss Hermione!” Scorpius beamed, letting go of his hand and running towards the witch who was scribbling at the checkout desk. Curls bounced from the messy bun on top of her head as chocolate eyes looked at him and smiled brightly.
“Hello, Scorpius,” Hermione smiled, standing up and going behind the counter to get their usual. “How was your Christmas? Did you have fun with Emma?”
“Miss Emma has a tree that isn’t real,” Scorpius babbled, crawling his way up into the stool beside the pastry case. “But there were lights that were all kinds of colors and something she called tinsel. It was very shiny.”
“You had your first muggle Christmas tree experience, I see,” Hermione giggled, setting his hot butterbeer and apple turnover in front of him. Walking over to the coffee pot, the witch rolled up the sleeves of her lilac sweater. “I have gingerbread scones again today or lemon blueberry. Which would you like, Malfoy?”
“I’ll take the gingerbread,” Malfoy smirked. “And how was your Christmas, Granger?”
“It was nice,” she spoke softly, making his coffee just the way he liked it. He knew it would be perfect. “I spent it at Grimmauld with the family. Theo and Harry brought the twins over, and we had breakfast and exchanged gifts.”
As the hand with the singular freckle that Draco couldn’t help but notice, he reached out with his coffee, and a new discovery was uncovered. There on her left finger lay a ring, a familiar ring that caused his grey eyes to widen. Memories began to flood through his mind of the night he purchased the ring. Fireworks. Oliver Wood. Panic Attack. Dropped bags. Salazar fucking Slytherin, Oliver Wood took the ring and proposed to Hermione.
“Granger… something you forget to mention?” Draco stated, choking out the words as her hands clenched, his magic crackling within him. When he got his hands on the Quidditch-obsessed prat, he would really go to Azkaban for murder.
“Oh!” Hermione exclaimed, looking down at her hand and then back up to Draco. “Oliver proposed. It was a bit unexpected. I’m still processing it all, I think.”
“I can see that,” he chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. “What a unique ring. Family heirloom?”
“Oh no,” she stated, shaking her head and bagging up two scones for him. “He picked it up at the jewelry store just down the way. I’ll admit I honestly didn’t think he knew what kind of ring I would love, but this… well, it’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s definitely something,” he laughed nervously, his eyes never leaving the antique piece that lay on her finger as if it were made to be there. “You uh, you must really love Wood then, hmm?”
“I… yes,” Hermione nodded, trying to block out the flashes of memories of the drunken night of confessions with Draco. Laughter. Elf-made Wine. Full Moon. Secrets whispered. “I love him. We are still working a few things out, but… I said yes.”
“Well, congratulations, Granger,” Draco smirked, looking over to his son, who was happily eating his turnover. The first thing he was going to do when he got to the Ministry was force Potter to tell him where the fuck to find Oliver Wood. “Where’s Black?”
“He will be here soon,” Hermione smiled gently, looking over at Scorpius fondly. He truly was the sweetest boy, nothing like his father was when they were at Hogwarts. Emma was a lucky girl. “Just had to take care of something with Teddy this morning. Scorpius is more than welcome to hang out with me, though until he arrives.”
“Are you sure? It’s no problem at all to have my mother come and get him,” Draco asked, turning back to her and handing over his coins.
“It’s no problem,” she smiled, golden flecks sparkling in her eyes as she gazed at him. “Are you going to argue with me about your change again?”
“It’s only an argument on your end,” he winked before turning back to his son. “Scorpius, be good for Miss Hermione, alright? Uncle Theo will swing by to pick you up soon.”
“Ok, Daddy!”
“Granger,” Draco nodded to her, walking out of the store with determination. When he reached the apparition point, he disappeared with a crack.
&&&
“Potter!” Draco sneered, taking his coat and scarf off after dropping the pastries on his desk. In his chair sat the Boy Who Lived, his unkempt hair habitually messy compared to the style of Draco’s hair these days. He kept the top longer, a slight curl to the ends, but the sides were cropped. Much more regulation if one were to ask his opinion, though no one ever did. Harry looked at him expectantly as he rummaged through the pastry bag, raising his fist in triumph when he spotted the extra scone. “Just the man I wanted to see.”
“Gingerbread,” Harry moaned after taking a bite of the pastry. “I swear she puts a secret ingredient in these.”
“Potter, I know you were raised by animals, but you can act civilized, can’t you?” Draco rolled his eyes, rolling his shirt sleeves up in frustration before sitting down in the chair across from his desk.
“I was raised in a cupboard under the stairs, technically,” he smirked, taking another bite. “But I do suppose Vernon and Dudley ate like animals. So you’re half right.”
“What are you doing in my office? Don’t you have your own, with paperwork, might I add- piled high waiting for your signature?” the blonde scoffed, taking a sip of his coffee and a bite of his own scone.
“Exactly the point,” he stated, pointing to his brain. “Smart man you are. Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to see me? I already knew, so I was waiting for you.”
“If I recall, it wasn’t my mind you were linked to,” Draco chuckled. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Bringing up my parents’ murderer, ouch, Malfoy,” Harry smirked, wiping the crumbs from his beard before returning his attention back to his best Auror and sometimes friend. “What can I do for you?”
“Granger is engaged?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow to gauge his reaction. It was no secret to any of their blended group that Harry wasn’t exactly thrilled with the love match that was Hermione and Oliver. There were even bets that he was actively trying to sabotage the relationship. Draco himself didn’t think it was Harry; his bets were all on Black and Lupin. It was no secret that the two men were the last remaining Marauders, and their legacy for mischief was well known.
“Ugh! Don’t remind me,” Harry scoffed, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. “I don’t even know why he thought proposing to her was a good idea! Especially after he dropped the bomb on her that he was transferring to a different team and that would require him to move, just expecting her to drop everything and go with him. I still can’t believe she said yes.”
“Wait, what? Granger is moving?” Draco asked, an eyebrow raised. He couldn’t imagine a world where Hermione Granger moved away from England to follow a Quidditch coach. Who would run Enchanted Tomes? Who would make him his perfect coffee and give him an extra scone just so Potter couldn’t steal his? “She didn’t tell me that this morning.”
“Well, of course she didn’t,” Harry laughed, leaning back. “She thinks she doesn’t have to. But if she’s going to marry him, well, things will change.”
“Potter, how well do you know Wood?” Draco asked, changing the subject. He didn’t want to even think about how he would tell Scorpius that his favorite person would no longer see him every day. “Would you say he’s a good person? Trustworthy?”
“Well, I mean, I think he’s a shite boyfriend,” he answered, looking at the stag tattoo on his forearm prance around the doe. “I really only knew him through Quidditch. He was a great captain, a little obsessive and eccentric, but still. A little dull, in my opinion, but he fought alongside the rest of us. I would like to think he’s trustworthy.”
“What if I told you I knew for a fact he was a liar and a thief?”
“You’ll have to give me more than that, Malfoy.”
“Oliver took the ring I was going to give to Emma on Christmas Morning, and apparently, instead of telling her the truth, he proposed to her.”
Silence rang throughout the room as Harry’s green eyes bore into him, wide and inquisitive.
“I’m sorry… What was that?”
“The ring that Granger has on her finger, it’s the exact one I picked out with Scorpius at that little shop in Diagon Alley. We ran into Wood on our way out, and there were fireworks out of nowhere, fucking Weasleys, and we dropped our bags. Clearly, we grabbed each other’s things.”
“I’m not saying I don’t believe you,” Harry pointed out. “But how do you know it was switched with his?”
“Because who the fuck picks out Golden Snitch earrings to give to their girlfriend, Potter?”
“Oliver Wood,” they said together, and Harry slammed his hands on the desk before standing up and pacing. Draco watched in amusement as a multitude of emotions danced across the wizard’s face. Theo was right; he really did have a terrible poker face.
“I knew there was something off,” he grumbled, crossing his arms as he huffed in anger. “I could tell by the look on his face. He looked as if he was just as surprised by the ring as she was. The fucking nerve to lie right to her face, in front of all of us. When I get my hands on him, I swear-”
“Potter, you’re rambling,” Draco stood, stopping him in his tracks. “Do you know where I can find him? I think we need to have a little chat.”
“I don’t know where he is right now,” Harry shook his head. “But I know where he will be later. He’s filling in for someone in Control of Magical Creatures for the pickup game today.”
“Perfect.”
&&&
Sitting in the makeshift stands, Hermione sipped her cocoa as she waited for the others to arrive. As much as she heard about Quidditch from Oliver, she still loved watching the pickup games that the Ministry put on. Watching Harry and even Draco was nostalgic and forced her to remember the good memories of her school days at Hogwarts.
“Auntie Mione!” James squealed as he and Lily walked up to the stands with Theo.
“Miss Hermione!” Scorpius waved enthusiastically.
“Hello, my little loves,” Hermione smiled, opening her arms for the kids to run into. She listened with rapt attention as the three children regaled her with tales of their day with Theo. Transfiguring a blanket from her gloves, the witch wrapped them all up, keeping them close.
“The child whisperer, I swear,” Theo chuckled, taking a seat. “Where is everyone?”
“They should be here soon,” Hermione smiled softly at him. “Oh, I brought over the files you wanted me to look at. I put some notes in there, but obviously, they are just suggestions you don’t have to-”
“Hermione,” the wizard with tamed brunette curls and cerulean eyes chuckled as he shook his head. “Let’s be honest. You and I both know I hand you files for you to give me your thoughts and opinions. I want you to give your input. It’s invaluable to me. Contrary to what you seem to believe, your opinion matters to me.”
“I know I get a little… intense about it sometimes.”
“It’s one of my favorite things about it,” Theo shrugged nonchalantly. The two continued to chat, keeping an eye on the children as more and more people piled into the stands.
“Look, Hermione!” Teddy exclaimed, bounding up into the stands proudly sporting a Potter emblazoned jersey. His hair had shifted into messy raven waves, and he had bright green eyes. “I look like Harry!”
“That’s… very creepy, Teddy,” Theo chuckled, looking at Sirius and Remus, who were standing behind him, the former looking proud while the latter shook his head in exasperation.
“He’s the team mascot,” Sirius winked, taking his seat behind Hermione and kissing the top of her head. It didn’t take long for Teddy to get distracted and shift back to his normal hair and eye colors. Theo and Remus were discussing the new werewolf legislation he was working on enthusiastically. It wasn’t long before the stands were full, and the players were filling out onto the makeshift pitch.
“Just follow my lead,” Harry stated, adjusting his gauntlets before he eyed his family in the stands and began to wave enthusiastically at the twins. Draco shook his head, following his line of sight to see his own son waving at him excitedly as he sat next to Granger. Waving back, the blonde wizard smiled proudly. He had tried to get Emma to attend the match, but she still wasn’t completely comfortable coming into the wizarding parts of London. “You get all Malfoy when you talk to people.”
“What does that even mean?” Draco scoffed, slinging his broom over his shoulders, following Harry towards the other team, his eyes set on Wood, who seemed to be enthusiastically speaking with everyone around him.
“It means you are intimidating and do that thing with your face and either scare people or anger them,” Harry replied, retying his long raven head back in a secure bun. “The last thing needed is a fight to break out on the pitch between the two of you, in front of everyone, including all the children.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied, stopping as he stood in front of Oliver. “Wood. I hear congratulations are in order.”
“Oh, for the job? I didn’t think you cared about any of the Ireland teams. I assumed you were a Harpies fan,” Oliver shrugged, looking at the Slytherin. “Since your friend is married to Ginny.”
“He’s talking about the engagement, you twat,” Harry snapped, throwing his hands up in frustration.
“And you were worried about me losing my cool,” Draco murmured under his breath. “New job and new fiance all in one weekend? Wow.”
“Right, Hermione,” Oliver nodded, scratching his head. “Yeah… a bit of a surprise that one. But it’s great. I love her, you know.”
“I bet it was a surprise,” he chuckled darkly, his molten silver eyes boring into Oliver’s. “Seeing as how it was my ring and not yours to give.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You lied and gave Hermione a stolen ring. What is wrong with you?” Harry snapped. “Not to mention just expecting her to pack up her entire life and move to Ireland with you. I can’t believe you have the nerve to stand there and just-”
“Potter!” Draco sneered, looking at him. Holding his hands up, Harry turned and walked away. “Listen, Wood. We both know what happened. We picked up each other’s bags at the shop after the fireworks incident. I want my ring back. And don’t say you don’t know what I’m talking about. I saw it on Granger’s hand this morning.”
“Why were you with Hermione?” Oliver glared.
“At the shop, you dunderhead,” he continued, realizing quickly that this conversation was going to go nowhere. “If you don’t give me my ring back, I’ll tell Granger exactly what happened and why you were so surprised at your own gift for her.”
“You aren’t going to tell her anything,” Oliver sneered, stepping into Malfoy’s personal space and lowering his voice. “We all know that since the war, she hasn’t quite been herself. I know for a fact if you do anything to upset her, Sirius Black will be on your arse. So no, you won’t tell her anything because Merlin knows why, but she likes you, and you won’t hurt her like that.”
“So what? You’re just going to lie to her?” Draco chuckled, shaking his head. “Merlin, you’re pathetic.”
“Malfoy!” Harry shouted. “Let’s go! We have a game to play!”
Up in the stands, Hermione watched as Draco returned to Harry, all the players mounting their brooms and taking to the skies. “What was that about?” Theo whispered in her ear.
“I have no idea,” the witch shrugged her shoulders, watching Oliver, but she couldn’t help but avert her attention to Harry and Draco every so often. Clearly, something was going on between the three men, but she didn’t know what exactly. It was no secret to her that her friends and family didn’t exactly approve of her relationship with Oliver, but Draco arguing with him didn’t make any sense.
The game continued for over an hour, the score going back and forth as the Snitch hadn’t been sighted. Hermione couldn’t help but admire the way that Draco seemed to be built for his position as a beater, even if, at one point, it seemed as if purposely knocked a bludger in the direction of Oliver, who swerved away at the last minute. It wasn’t until Harry caught sight of the Snitch and Draco cleared the path for him that the DMLE was finally announced as the victor. The children screamed loudly, cheering for their fathers, who were flying through the sky performing tricks and flips just for them. Even the curly-haired witch couldn’t deny that Draco had a body sculpted by the gods and curated by his years of quidditch training. She shoved those thoughts deep down into the recesses of her mind with the other thoughts that she kept locked away.
“I think Teddy has Scorpius convinced that he can be a Quidditch player,” Draco chuckled, leaning his head back against the padded cushion and staring at the enchanted ceiling. “You know… I once wanted to be a professional Quidditch player. Flying… it’s one of the only times I feel so free.”
“Well, you definitely have the build for it,” Hermione snorted into her drink. “Have you seen your thighs? Not to mention the muscles in your arms, Godric fucking Gryffindor don’t even GET me started on the muscles in your back.”
“Granger, have you been checking me out?” he smirked, his eyes hazy from the alcohol.
“I do have eyes, you know.”
“So do I. You’re too beautiful for a man like Wood.”