Chapter 6
As draco and harry arrive in front of draco's potion shop, harry almost gags at the sight as draco rolls his eyes. "Be careful potter. Wouldn't want boy saviour to die in front of my shop."
Harry just scoffs. "C'mon malfoy, this place stinks. Do you not clean it?"
Draco lets out a chuckle, rubbing his head. "Ah i do. I do it everyday when i close the shop but some people don't prefer that."
"What do you mean?" Harry asks looking down at the bins of trash thrown on the door step.
"What i mean is that people hate me and rather die but not miss a day of reminding me of my past." Draco sighs bending over to pick the bins.
"Are you saying the wizards around here do that?"
"I am not getting myself in trouble potter, its best we get the ingredients and leave and before you can offer, i don't want to complain to the ministry." Draco says quickly.
"Wasn't planning on, got already too much on my plate." Harry responds unbothered and draco halts again. This harry is different. Though he does lift some bins up placing them on the side as draco takes them behind out of everyone's sight. "Your sign "Potions shop" sounds too dull and looks too plain. One could expect a much better name from a malfoy." Harry says looking up at the dull gray sign which probably doesn't even light at night.
"Keeps me out of everyone's attention." Draco puts in the key and opens the door.
"How do you get customers?"
"My work is perfect potter, no matter how much one hates me, once their child or spouse gets sick, they come to me."
As harry enters he can see a much different interior. "Ah so the inside is where you want the attention." He says as he walks in to see an open ceiling with wooden beams above to let rays of sunlight pour in, from the beams hang different types of plants occasionally touching the glass beakers and bottles placed on the shelves filled with various potions each labelled by draco himself in a very neat tidy writing. Beautiful - if harry could think of one word but he'd rather keep it to himself. As they approach the front harry sees three desks placed beside each other reminding him of something.
"Before you go nuts, i didn't steal them potter. I took the school's permission to get these desks."
"No wonder they seemed so familiar. But why have desks from hogwarts and why three?"
"Memories and its not like my children will ever go. One day i wish to pass this on to my children if the society accepts us or atleast them and then they can have a taste of hogwarts as well. Still smells like it." Draco pats on the table.
Harry doesn't know what to say so he just nods and looks around, no pictures just nature around. Harry wouldn't mind coming here after a long busy day. "So where do you work?"
"Here." Draco points on the side and harry sees three cauldrons of different sizes. "Didn't have money to afford a back room."
"Here's the list, get the ingredients and i shall be on my way." Draco nods and heads between the shelves disappearing as harry touches the desk. As his fingertips trace the desk he's hit with nostalgia of potions class, of home. Hogwarts was truly home for him, his escape and god knows he'd reverse time just to go back there again. Well as long as he doesn't have to battle anyone. The memory makes him smile now. He wonders if draco would want the same. Did draco love hogwarts the same way as him, with the same intensity. Draco doesn't even want his children attending hogwarts, the two kids think they are muggles or maybe they are pretending to? Thoughts race through his mind as draco appears again with a few beakers.
"This shall be enough to start on a potion potter, though if you ask me its best to work here and not in the ministry. I know my way around here and i have everything."
"So does the ministry and it will just take a day or two for you to find your way around." Harry says quickly not leaving room for disagreement. Draco can only nod, at least he tried. He hands the potions over to harry.
"Also potter, return the stones if they aren't dangerous."
"Alright." With that harry leaves.
As harry apparates to the ministry, he walks quickly to the potions room. He is met with Hermione. "These are the potions he gave." He hands them quickly as hermione wears her spectacles analyzing them carefully.
"Will they be enough?" She asks and harry shrugs.
"Kingsley believes him." Harry is about to leave but he remembers the stone. "Here. Check for traces of anything dangerous." And hands her the box of stones.
Hermione raises her eyebrows. "Harry what are these?" She picks them up observing them, dangling them in her hand.
"Be careful, could be dangerous. Malfoy's son stole them." Harry says holding her hand to stop her from moving them.
"And that makes them scary? He's just a kid harry." She smiles withdrawing her hand. "But if you as an auror want this then i shall trace them."
"Alright let me know if you find anything." He says and ron enters the room.
"You got the stuff harry?"
"Yea."
"Lets go for a beer then yea?"
"Sure."
Ron kisses hermione on the head as harry leaves giving the couple some time. By the time Harry and ron reach the pub, hermione has sent an owl confirming no evil traces on the stones rather many good ones belonging to great wizards.
As harry sips the butterbeer he wonders what to do with the situation. "Ron what should i do with the stones?"
"By the looks of it mate, you should sell them. Will earn alot of galleons for even a tiny one. Maybe you can gift me one too. My birthdays coming." He winks at harry.
"They aren't mine, they belong to malfoy's kid. But its still not his. I should just return them to their rightful owners." Harry says.
"You mean the 105th descendant of some random wizard? How will you find them all, there are too many stones and too many families who will pretend its theirs."
"I can't keep the stones with me."
"Keep them, maybe you need the luck. Its been years, its good to have someone."
"No time. No need."
"But yes want."
"What?"
"Just return them to the kid harry. Is all i can tell you now."
"I wonder why no one would buy from him, surely wizards must be aware of such stones."
"Not proper marketing maybe." Ron smiles. "Its a kid harry, he wouldn't know about stones and malfoy's too busy affording a roof above their head to check by himself."
"I bet malfoy knows." Harry snorts.
"Still not many would choose to buy from a former death eater. Its kind of crazy you know, hermione and I think its bollocks that us who fought on the front line against them are fine with malfoy but the rest of the world who barely lost anyone cares so much."
"They aren't wrong to think that, better be safe than sorry. One alone is enough to repeat what we went through."
"That isn't malfoy, stop wasting your time on him and find the real culprit. The world needs auror harry not sixth year obsessed with malfoy harry."
"You guys are the one discussing him and I wasn't wrong that time." Harry smirks.
"He's got kids harry, won't do wrong this time."
"Lucius had him too and you know what he did. No matter what the rest of you think, lucius loved draco, they were a happy family so kids necessarily don't stop you from evil."
Ron's not paying attention rather staring at the letter hermione sent till his eyes pop us and a smile appears on his face. "Oh hermione will love this! Harry we know no one will buy from the malfoys but they'll buy it from you, why don't you in your event tomorrow auction them!"
"Are you mad?!"
"No but c'mon, you can give malfoy the money and this way with proper advertisement the actual stone owners will step forward. You have got plenty with you. Its gonna make tons!"
"Why would i do this for them?"
"Because they are kids with a single father who can't make ends meet. Me and hermione found out the last time they went to an event was never. They aren't invited to any and if they were people would throw them outside unless its your because if harry potter doesn't have an issue then the world doesn't either." Ron grabs harry's hand excitedly reminding him of ginny.
"But harry potter does have an issue." Harry frowns.
"You aren't gonna do anything with the stones, give them to me and hermione will sell them with pleasure."
"Forget it i will do it, i was a bit rude to the son."
Its late night and draco is getting ready for bed. The kids are sleeping and draco is patting scorpius's hair staring at the door. There is fear inside him because any second the aurors can once again barge in threatening them. His thoughts are interrupted as a small envelope passes under the door. Draco hears no footsteps and after much hesitance he walks to the door and picks up the envelope shakily. Why has he become so weak? He sees its an envelope from the ministry, he quickly tears it open revealing an invitation card inviting them to an event tomorrow. There's no information given except for the fact that its too raise money for sick children and the dress code is formal. He opens the door to see if someone is there but no one is. Draco ponders if he should attend or not, surely the children would love it for they have never attended any formal event and they'd get to eat good food too. After seeing scorpius flushed blotchy red face upon seeing draco not return back with the stones, he should ask harry again for the stones. Tomorrow shall be a good day after months of bad ones and draco for once is excited.