Chapter 24
“All rise for his Majesty The King, and his Royal Highness the Duke of Diagon.”
Draco hardly heard the cheers. He was caught off guard by the king having given Teddy the formal dukedom traditionally given to the first born child in line for the throne. Hearing Teddy heralded as such made it more real to Draco that one day Teddy would be king.
“The Honorable Marquess of Wiltshire, and Lord Malfoy.”
Draco stumbled over his first step, so caught up in processing what he’d just heard. He had never asked what had happened with his father’s lands and holdings. Clearly the king had gifted them to Andromeda, in addition to Grimmauld Place. Somewhere out there was the ruins of his family’s manor in Wiltshire and they were now owned by the woman at his side.
Draco was so caught up in these revelations that he didn’t have time to be nervous about his debut. He did still note the strange glances he received, and how they were followed by whispered comments between courtiers. Thankfully, he was outshined in every way by his young cousin.
Teddy entered the room with big eyes and curiosity. He clung to his godfather as King Harry descended into the reception hall. Yet each loud noise startled the boy and Teddy had tucked his head against King Harry’s neck before the king was halfway down the staircase. Teddy looked back up the stairs behind him at Draco and Andromeda. Draco stuck out his tongue, then smiled reassuringly. Teddy managed a small smile back.
It was no exaggeration that the king would be swarmed at the bottom of the stairs. Courtiers jockeyed for the closest position.
The winner amongst them was an older, short, squat woman in a bright pink dress that did no favors for her pale complexion. Her wide mouth stretched into a long smile across her broad face, reminding Draco vaguely of a toad. She proudly wore a gold pendant on her breast. It was shaped like a quill laid on top of a book. It marked her as a member of the Small Council: the overseer of the kingdom’s university and scholarly libraries.
Draco saw the subtle tension to King Harry’s back when she stepped forward. The king did not like this woman, but he could not refuse to greet a member of the Small Council.
“Hem hem,” the woman said. It was hardly anything but those around her silenced themselves when they heard it. “Happy birthday, your majesty!” she declared with an ungraceful courtesy. “It is wonderful that you finally brought little Teddy to visit us. Do have him look up. Hello, Teddy! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you, and I’m sure we’ll be very good friends!”
The lines of the king’s body were rigid in anger. Draco saw him take a deep breath before speaking. Unfortunately, his words were addressed to his godson. “C’mon Teddy, say hello to Lady Umbridge.”
Teddy only buried his face further into King Harry’s shoulder.
“Tut, tut. That won’t do, now, will it?” Lady Umbridge said in a sickly sweet tone so vile Draco could spit. “I should like you, please, to reply ‘Good morning, Lady Umbridge.’ One more time, please. Hello, Teddy!”
The boy was gripping King Harry’s arm as tightly as he could, with no intention of letting go, looking up, or responding.
Draco could see Lady Umbridge’s smile turn nasty and pleased. She was prepared to do something horrid.
In his short life Draco had proved many times over all the horrible things he could stand, but watching the king let his cousin be bullied was not one of them. Draco stepped forward, having to twist his arm out of his aunt’s grasp in the process. He walked down the remaining steps to be level to the king. Who cared if the courtiers gasped and gawked at his audacity. Draco only had eyes for the woman.
Draco smiled the special cruel smile he had tucked away the day they lost the war and he lost his status. Cruelty felt unnatural now, but he was willing to work for what mattered to him.
“Dolores,” Draco stated, smacking his lips around the name he deliberately chose over her formal title. “I thought you looked familiar! It has been too long. When did I last see you? It must have been four years ago when you visited my father.” The gasps were louder this time. The portraits missing from the walls made clear that in King Harry’s castle some people were meant to be forgotten. People like Lucius Malfoy, who Dolores Umbridge had definitely known. She had never been important enough for Draco’s father’s attentions, but she had tried desperately to gain favor right up until it was clear where the war was headed. Clearly she had jumped ship early enough and must have been some sort of clever to rise so high in the aftermath.
“Now, I know, Dolores, that you and my family have always been such good friends and it feels like formalities are unnecessary. And, of course, the king can call his godson Teddy. However, I, my cousin’s most loyal and dedicated servant, only go so far as to address him by his given name of Edward. Whereas you,” Draco paused there, the smile slipping. He held Dolores gaze until her smile broke into a scowl. “Well, I suppose ‘your grace’ would be acceptable, if you simply cannot manage ‘your majesty.’”
If looks could kill Draco would be dead and buried, unless Dolores managed to first skin him alive before chopping his head off and putting it on a spike to rot while crows picked out his eyes. Her bulging eyes looked ready to pop out of her face.
The king broke the painful, resounding silence by laughing. “Thank god for Draco. Finally, someone to help me keep track of proper etiquette.” He said it with a wink to the crowd. The dam broke and everyone laughed with the king.
King Harry nodded respectfully at Dolores, then walked in a different direction, letting the crowd part to let him through before closing tightly behind his entourage.
Draco hung backwards a respectful step. When he moved again it was not Andromeda at his side, but a woman only a little older than Draco with large bushy brown hair. Draco’s eyes widened in recognition.
“That was clever, but stupid,” Hermione Granger whispered to him.
Draco struggled not to lose step as they walked. Hermoine had maintained her smile for the crowd while delivering her message and Draco was determine to match her in skill.
“Anyone who knows me well would tell you how fond I am of stupid, clever choices,” Draco replied.
“You can do that in the country, but this is the castle. They play a more dangerous game.”
Draco hummed. Both he and Hermione paused with the king, who had stopped to talk to another courtier. Draco narrowed his eyes at the man speaking to the king, tracking every movement to make sure none of it upset his cousin. “If it’s so dangerous he never should have brought Teddy here.”
“Aren’t you to call him Edward?” Hermione asked with the slightest smirk.
Draco struggled not to glare at her, lest he disrupt the united front they were displaying to the crowds. He growled through a smile, “It’s an affectionate nickname between me and Teddy. You wouldn’t understand.”
Hermione’s chime of laughter wasn’t faked. “I have two children, I understand fine.” Now that she said it Draco did recall some rundown of Weasley cousins and offhand mentions of Hermione marrying into the family.
The king moved along and they followed, advancing only a meter or two at a time so the king could fulfill his social obligations.
“I advised against bringing you, but Andromeda vouched on your behalf and the king took her word,” Hermione said.
Draco couldn’t help but sigh. “Perhaps stupid choices are hereditary,” he offered.
Hermione pinched him. “Don’t speak ill of your aunt. She’s the greatest political mind Harry has.”
That was surprising to hear. Draco glanced back to find his aunt. She wasn’t far, but was making use of the pauses to talk to courtiers who were clamoring to have some connection to the king, no matter how small. “Then I’m thankful to have her on my side,” Draco said honestly.
“Be on her side, in return,” Hermione insisted. “You can’t step out of line like that. Harry’s position isn’t firm enough yet. If you must be here, be here making friends and showing the old families that it’s in their best interest to side with the king.”
That made Draco’s face slip, if only for a moment. Which old families could she mean? People like the Dolores, who were willing to side with King Voldermort as long as he won? Or people like Horace Slughorn, who the king was now greeting warmly like they were old friends, before the king turned to Colton Slughorn and greeted him with a kiss to his hand. The king looked sincerely smitten and for some reason watching made Draco feel cold. Soon, the king moved on, and when Draco walked past the Slughorns he saw another gold pendant on Horace’s chest: overseer of finance. Draco forced a smile as he exchanged nods with Colton.
“The old families do not care for me, anymore,” Draco said once the Slughorns were gone.
Hermione shrugged. “They will now. Make it count.”
Draco struggled to remain affable for the rest of the long walk to King Harry’s destination. He was so very thankful when they reached a long table at the front of the room, and the King handed Teddy off to Draco for safe keeping.
The king had his back to the room and for one brief moment no one could see his face. He used the moment to show his complete and utter relief. “Thank you,” he whispered softer than even Hermione had spoken. Then he turned back around and dived into the frey.
Draco slumped in a chair with Teddy on his lap. He looked around at too many unfamiliar faces before spotting Ronald standing guard just as if they were still at home. “Ronald!” Draco called out. The knight turned at his name. “Would you be so kind as to find us some cake, then sit down so you can test if for poison or whatever you do.”
Ronald shook his head and gestured to the folks around him. “Literally these folks are here to help you.”
“I respect servants far too much to ask them to die on my behalf, that’s why we have you,” Draco retorted.
The knight glowered, but he did know where to find the cake and nabbed three pieces before sitting next to Draco. “This is unprofessional,” Ronald said, shoving the cake in his mouth.
“That’s the spirit,” Draco drawled.
Being cordoned off by two adults Teddy knew was helping him to relax. Draco tucked the boy closer to his chest. What got Teddy to cheer up for the first time since reaching the bottom of the stairs was when Draco put a fork in his hand and let him have a go at an entire piece on his own. Draco did his best to tuck a napkin in first so the frosting didn’t smear over his fancy clothing.
“Did Hermione chew you out, then?” Ronald asked.
Draco sniffed. “She was perfectly polite.”
“That doesn’t sound like my Hermione,” Ronald said.
“Careful, she’ll pinch you if she catches you saying that,” Draco warned.
Ronald grinned. “Now that sounds like Hermione.”
Draco couldn’t help but chuckle good naturedly. Then they settled into comfortable, cake-filled silence.
Draco watched the ballroom, doing his best to make sense of the activity. He’d lost sight of his aunt and Hermione, and found he recognized so few others. The king, of course, was always easy to spot due to the gaggle of courtiers that followed his every movement. He was a bit far to say for sure, but while King Harry was smiling Draco also thought he looked exhausted. Occasionally someone would set eyes on Teddy and Draco with an eager glint in their eye. In those moments, Draco would harness all his pent up pride and inner disdain for being left to rot after the war and used that emotion to stare down the courtier until they turned tail and left.
“You catch more flies with honey,” Ronald said after Draco scared the third person away.
Draco ignored him and instead scrubbed Teddy’s face with a napkin. “How was the cake, Edward?”
“It’s yummy! Please can I have more,” Teddy said with his cute puppy dog eyes.
Draco bopped him on the nose. “Yummy cake is special food. We’ll have more the next birthday.”
Ingenuitive Teddy looked to Ronald. “Is it your birthday tomorrow?” he asked.
Ronald grinned but shook his head. “I’m afraid you missed it. Next year, mate.” Teddy’s pout just made Ronald smile more.
“Now that we’ve had delicious cake, how do you feel about meeting new friends?” Draco asked.
Teddy immediately shrank against him, hidinging his face again. “I don’t like new friends,” he said.
Draco patted Teddy on the back and gave Ronald an “I told you so” look. Ronald rolled his eyes but let it go. “Isn’t one of your siblings here? We could be good sports and chat with them,” Draco offered.
Ronald shook his head. “It’s not like this is Harry’s actual party. He doesn’t set the guest list,” Ronald explained.
Draco glanced over at the king again, still surrounded by overzealous people and forcing himself to smile through it.
Eventually, Ronald did nod to a few people to invite them to the table. Draco recognized the Longbottoms, who were exceptionally considerate of how difficult this was on Teddy. He met Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, who were clearly skeptical of Draco but willing to let it slide for a pal like “Ron” - Ronald’s name according to all his friends. The Patil sisters stopped by, polite in the way the old families were trained to be from a young age. They acknowledged they knew Draco, but it was truly a distant memory so their lack of affection didn’t offend. For so long Draco had been able to read everyone around him, he was realizing that courtiers had greater talent to conceal their thoughts and he couldn’t read them at all.
So it continued, until Draco himself was exhausted and Teddy was ready to jump out of his skin.
“We need to go,” Draco told Ronald.
Ronald was clearly going to argue, but then he looked at sullen Teddy, tugging at his outfit and ready to throw a fit at any moment. Ronald glanced back up at the room, as if there was anyone there he could consult. Of course there wasn’t. This party was never for Teddy no matter what the announcement said.
“They’ll figure it out,” Ronald agreed.
Both men got to their feet, Draco still holding onto the child.
The moment they were back in their chambers Draco let Teddy tear off his clothes, with Draco only interfering to help when Teddy would otherwise get stuck. Once naked, Teddy ran around the suite of rooms shouting. The nursemaid chased after him, but Draco didn’t bother. He only wished they could go outdoors and run and shout in the sun until Teddy was exhausted and Draco was reinvigorated.
“Andromeda was right, you did good,” Ronald said with a pat to Draco’s shoulder.
“I’ll murder his majesty if he tries to do this to Teddy again,” Draco replied.
Ronald rolled his eyes but didn’t look perturbed. “Do you need me to pass that message along, or can you handle it?”
“I don’t even know when I’ll see the king again,” Draco said.
“Tonight, at his party,” Ronald answered.
Draco glanced at him. “Wasn’t that his party?”
Ronald scoffed. “That was his birthday reception to introduce Teddy to the upper crust of society. Tonight is his party, where we try to stop him from getting too drunk and offending half of court.” Ronald paused a moment in consideration. “You’re good at babysitting. Care to try your hand on him?”
Draco ignored Ronald’s characterization of his relationship with Teddy and focused solidly on looking agog. “The king?” he asked, disbelieving.
Ronald honestly just looked tired. “Yeah, mate. You took down Umbridge and scared off Rita Skeeter with your glare. If you set your mind to it, I’m sure you can keep Harry out of trouble just for one night.”