Chapter 16
After staring into space, contemplating his impending doom for a while, Harry finally stood up and asked the house elves for supplies once more. He figured he’d bake something child-friendly. Except Harry didn’t really know what kind of baked goods were child-friendly.
He settled on cookies, you can’t go wrong with cookies and they were easier to transport than say, a whole cake. As he finally asked the exasperated house elf for the supplies Draco watched him with a half amused, half worried look from his place on the couch.
“Why are you so nervous?” Draco asks standing up from his seat.
Harry sighed, “It’s been six years, six years of mind healing, six years of learning the way they treated me was really shit, six years of distancing myself as far away as possible.”
“You’re not obligated to go back.” Draco rubs his hand on Harrys back soothingly.
The house elf pops back into the room with a handful of the shrunken-down supplies. Harry floats them to the kitchen and gestures for Draco to follow him.
“I know,” Harry takes a deep breath as he unpacks the bags, “But it wasn’t Dudleys fault, it was his parents that made him treat me like that, not his own decision, it would be stupid to hold that against him.”
Draco smiles in a sad way.
“Well, no time like the present.” Harry stands up and dusts off his jeans, staring at Draco when he makes no move to get up, “I thought you said you were coming?”
“The cookies, Harry.”
“Fuck.” Harry sits back down and stares forward.
***
Draco watches Harry and starts to wonder if he even wants to go. He seems a lot like he’s about to implode, vibrating in his seat like that. The cookies go off and Draco stands up figuring that Harry would rush him out the door any moment now, he’s immediately proved correct when Harry places a warming charm on the cookies and shoves them into a ziplock, shrinking down the ziplock and its contents and then shoving the ziplock in his pocket.
Harry starts shoving him towards the floo and they floo directly to Grimauld place. At least Draco assumed he was supposed to follow, Harry didn’t really say anything as he stepped into the fireplace.
When he arrives on the other side Harry is already rushing around and collecting clothing. Grimauld doesn’t look anything like it used to. The dark and dirty corners were bright and cheery, the dark artifacts were replaced with homey clutter, and the stiff and regal furniture was replaced with worn and bright furniture.
“It looks really different than it used to.”
Harry distractedly shoved a helmet and a jacket into his arms, “Had plenty of time to do renovations, put those on.”
“Why,” Draco asked pulling it on.
“AWA’s Draco, whats your shoe size.”
“10?” Draco doesn’t like the helmet, its claustrophobic and awful.
Harry chucks a pair of black slightly heeled boots and gives him a once over as he pulls them on, “You look great,”
Harry has similarly adorned a jacket and boots but has neglected to wear the helmet, Draco has to admit that he massively pulls off the look.
“No helmet?” Draco asks, Harry chuckles nervously and shakes his head.
“Protection charms for me, the helmets for when Hermione rides, she doesn’t trust them.” Harry waves his hand over his face and a blue light spreads over his body, “I’ll do you too, you can leave the helmet if you’d like,”
Draco puts the helmet down and lets the warm wash of magic flow over him, “Ride what.”
“Oh,” Harry walks outside and gestures for Draco to follow him outside, he yanks a tarp off revealing a motorcycle, “My bike.”
“No.” Draco turns around and attempts to walk back inside but Harry grabs him by the scruff of his jacket.
“C’mon it'll be fun.” Draco highly doubts that.
Harry hops on the bike and pats the place behind him. Draco hesitantly climbs on.
“I had to take off the sidecar, but it’d be embarrassing to ride like that anyway, stick your feet on those pegs back there,” Draco does as he’s told, “Alright, now hands around my waist and tuck in close,”
Draco gently places his arms around Harrys waist, making Harry laugh, “You’re gonna wanna hang on a little tighter, good, now lean when I lean,”
Harry starts the bike making Draco clutch even closer to him as it rumbles to life underneath him. Harry laughs again and pulls out of the area. He starts by going at a reasonable speed but once Draco gets just the smallest bit comfortable he begins to go way too fast.
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Draco hisses, he doesn’t expect Harry to hear him over the roar of the wind but he laughs anyways and speeds up even more.
It doesn’t get better.
***
Harry doesn’t think Draco likes his bike.
Arriving at Dudley's house he takes a deep breath in and rings the doorbell, Draco jumps at the sudden noise and glares at the button. Dudley’s wife, Olivia, answers the door she smiles but she looks a bit frazzled.
“Come right on in.”
Walking in, there’s no child on the ceiling but there is a charred curtain, still smoking
Dudley’s sitting on the floor having a serious conversation about why it’s wrong to set curtains aflame, with a significantly less serious child who was staring at his eyebrows, after a moment she kindly set’s those on fire as well.
Olivia slaps Dudley with a dish towel until the fire goes out and sighs.
“Hey guys,” Harry says with a little wave, Esme cowers behind Dudley, “We probably look scary with all of this gear, huh?”
Harry waves both his and Draco's gear away and Esme peaks out from behind Dudley, Draco clears his throat.
“Harry we’re still wearing scary band tees.” Draco points out.
Harry grins at him, “They’re not scary, right Esme? Let's prove the ferret wrong.”
Esme walks towards Harry, “Hi.”
“That’s your uncle Harry Es,” Dudley introduces him, “And his friend, Draco.”
“Did you see me fire Daddy's eyebrows?” She asks excitedly.
Harry grins, “I did it was so awesome, up high,”
He holds his hands up and Esme gives him two little high-fives.
“Uncle Harry and Draco are here because they're like you,” Dudley smiles at his daughter.
Harry pulls out his wand, which he doesn’t really use other than for teaching, and grows Dudley's eyebrows back and repairs the curtain. Esme’s eyes go comically wide and she stares at his wand.
“Awesome.”
“Right? Draco’s gonna talk to your mum and dad about how they can help with your special powers while I hang out with you, is that cool with you?”
She nods and Harry smiles, “I’m honoured,”
She really is damn cute.
***
Dudley offers both Draco and Harry tea, and they both exist. Draco talks to Olivia for a bit while he waits for Dudley to get back.
“Your daughter’s very clever.” He chuckles, “Seems like she’s going to be a Slytherin.”
Olivia gives him a confused look and he remembers she doesn’t know about Hogwarts.
“Sorry, when your daughter turns eleven she’s going to need to go to a boarding school, Harry and I teach over there and I can assure you she’ll be in good hands, there's four houses…”
He finishes explaining Hogwarts to the woman just in time for her husband to get back with the tea. He glances over at Harry who’s playing with Esme and showing her little tricks with magic. He can’t help but smile fondly at the scene.
“Oh yeah,” Harry pipes up, “I brought cookies,”
He unshrinks the cookies and floats them to the table.
“Cookies,” Esme shrieks and runs towards the table where Olivia scoops her up.
“You haven’t eaten your apple slices yet, finish those and then you can have a cookie.” Olivia hands the apple slices to the little girl.
Esme frowns at the apple slices and plops herself on the floor, “I want a cookie.”
A cookie starts floating towards her. She grins and Harry grabs it out of the air, making tears well up in her eyes.
“Let's not pull a Halloween town, Ms. Sophie.” He sets the cookie back on the table, “Do what your mum asks and then you can have it deal.”
She stares him down and he raises an eyebrow, “Fine.”
She eats her apples and Harry hands her a cookie. After she finishes it she grins covered in chocolate and Harry waves it away.
“Pretty good deal, huh?” Esme nods rapidly and Harry pats her on the head before shifting his attention to the Durselys, “Do you mind if I magic-proof your house?”
“Anything to keep the carpet soot-free.” Dudley nods.
Harry kneels down to Esme, “You wanna help?”
She nods excitedly and Harry starts wandering around the house casting spells.
Draco starts to explain how to raise a young witch.
~~~
By the time Draco’s finished explaining it’s nearly noon.
“We’re gonna head out, I’m not a big fan of driving my bike after dark, we’ll have someone come by and install a floo system later so you can pop in whenever, alright?” Harry asks, standing up from his place on the ground next to Esme.
“Don’t go Uncle Harry,” Esme whines.
Harry ruffles her hair, “Don’t worry, I’ll visit, and maybe you can even visit.”
Esme looks at her father hopefully who nods, “Yay.”
“Draco will wait on us like princesses,” He grins at Draco who rolls his eyes, “I’m gonna go start my bike,”
Harry walks outside leaving Draco alone with the Dursleys.
“How long have you known each other,” Olivia asks warmly.
“Since we were eleven,” Draco smiles, “We used to hate eachother believe it or not.”
Draco doesn’t mention they almost killed eachother on multiple occasions, not in front of the four-year-old.
“Aw, how long have you been together,” Olivias follow-up question has Draco going a violent red.
“We’re- uh- We’re not.” He splutters.
Dudley butts in, “I’m not like my folk, the queers don’t scare me.”
Olivia hits Dudley on the shoulder, “I don’t think you’re sposed to say that, honey,”
“Oh no it’s fine,” Draco laughs awkwardly, “but we’re not together,”
Dudley smiles, “Oh alright,”
And than he winks, he has the absolute audacity to wink. At this moment Harry comes back inside.
“Bikes ready put your gear back on.” Harry looks around the room, “What did I miss?”
“Nothing,”