What's in a memory?

Chapter Twenty-One

+

Draco kept his eyes closed. 

He didn't want his dream to end. Inside his head, Harry had his memories, Draco had the day off from work so no one was dying on his watch, and Teddy was happy and healthy. They were out flying and when Teddy pulled out of a loop, Draco was so proud and Harry let out hoots of laughter. 

He wished they could stay like that in his head. Perfect. Happy. Forever. 

Draco wasn't prepared to face the day. Yesterday had been wild; between the quiet breakfast with Harry, then the fight with Teddy. and the whirlwind of Harry's miraculous recall. And last night, wow. Last night, Harry recalled a lot. You couldn't fake that kind of knowledge or the heavenly mouth that sung Draco's praises into the early hours of the morning. 

Draco was a little sore, his muscles were pleasantly protesting prolonged energetic use and the two hours sleep was really not enough but it was nothing his potion and a pepperup wouldn't fix. 

But Draco wasn't ready to face another day. He'd hardly recovered from the last (emotionally speaking). 

He certainly didn't want to wake up and discover his husband had forgot their lives together again. 

He dare not hope to think of last night as anything but a fluke, however cynical that may be. Patients have good days, they have bad days, and Draco didn't know if he could take another bad day or worse, have Harry remember just to lose it again the next. 

He couldn't live like that. 

Harry shouldn't live like that, one day to the next. 

But Draco made a promise last night that he would do dad duty in the morning (and take the appropriate potions). So, he allowed himself to bask briefly in the memory of his dream before forcing himself to open his eyes. 

He tried to remember this feeling, Harry's weight on his chest, the scent of Harry's apple conditioner, the loose warmth of his limbs intertwined with his. 

The light outside danced through the bedroom curtains, thankfully not blinding him, as he stretched, taking stock as he went. Harry grumbled as he always did when his 'pillow' began moving underneath him.

Draco chuckled deeply.

"Good morning" He rasped, his voice had that distinctive sharp roughness from lack of sleep.

Harry grunted again, half-asleep, swatting at him to quiet him like he was an alarm clock. Harry hummed triumphantly as Draco settled beneath him once more. 

Draco looked down to his stubborn sleeping partner: the messy bedhead, his forehead unmarred with lines bar from his signature scar. Unthinkingly mapping out the sharp lines of his jawline and cheekbones, tracing the slight stubble that Harry's had been growing out this weekend. His long black lashes lowered to his slightly freckled checks. Draco noted the little divot on his nose where his glasses had sat for over two decades. 

He found himself carding his fingers through Harry's forever tangled locks before leaning down to place a delicate kiss on his lightning bolt.

"I love you." His lips grazed in a whisper.

That startled Harry for some reason. He jerked, almost colliding with Draco. 

That's when Draco saw it. 

This wasn't his Harry, the one from last night. 

Draco's stomach dropped and he swallowed hard.

"I think, I love you too" Harry mumbled.

Someone gasped, Draco wasn't sure who, he wasn't convinced it wasn't Harry himself, who looked a little shocked. 

An adorable blush gracing his cheeks, as he looked anywhere but at Draco. 

"What did you say?" Draco queried.

Harry looked sheepish for a moment, before he visibly swallowed. "I said, I love you"

Draco laughed. Slightly hysterical, kind of amazed. 

Of course, he knew that Harry loved him!, he'd whispered it a thousand times last night into his skin. They'd said it a million times in their years together; heatedly, lazily, compassionately, affirmingly. In all manner of ways and situations.

This was Harry's first time though, since the incident. It was beyond honey sweet, that he somehow earned this man's love not once, but twice in his lifetime. It was remarkable. Harry fricking Potter, saviour of the wizarding world, golden boy, loved him. Chose to love him. Draco Malfoy-Potter again.

He had to laugh, it was impossible, wonderful, and utterly ridiculous. 

Harry meanwhile, was looking bemused at him. 

"Did I say something funny?"

"Uh no. Not at all." Draco answered, trying to control his elation.

Harry's expression did not change.

"I just, I didn't expect you to say that, at..." He glanced at the clock, "bloody 6.45 in the morning, after you shagged my brains out last night."

"I-?" Harry looked quizzical, "I did?"

"Oh Bugger. Long explanation. Er, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm on the morning run." Draco told him.

"I thought you hated running?" Harry's head tilted in further confusion.

"Oh, no the school run. Weekend's over and Teddy has to be up by seven."

Harry's rubbed at his tired eyes. 

"Right. So, you plan to explain later?"

"Of course, Deerheart." He leaned over for a chaste kiss. "I love you too."

With that sorted, Draco really had to get a move on if he wanted to have time with Teddy before the school bus. He hadn't anticipated this morning at all, wincing as he shifted over to the edge of the bed. He really did need that potion. And coffee.

Determinedly, Draco got up, stretching until he heard his bones crack. 

Feeling Harry's eyes following him as he walked to the bathroom, he turned, seeing his husband's face flushed. He winked. Draco was still naked from last night's activities. The Gryffindor sat up straighter, shifting the disarrayed covers over himself modestly, making Draco grin wider. 

Before he accioed his robes and resolutely tugged them on. 

Harry frowned at this and slumped back against the headboard. 

"Go back to sleep, one of us needs the rest and I've got this, I'll bring you coffee at 9. Don't worry."

And 'got this' he did. Draco asked Kreacher to make scrambled eggs, whilst Draco collected all the clean school clothes Harry had organised yesterday and approached his snoozing preteen. He knocked a few times on the wooden door, a habit he was assiduously trying to pass down to Teddy after one too many close calls.

When no answer came, Draco rapt again, before entering. 

He found his son, loose limbed, flopped on his belly, one of his arms dangling off the side. Teddy's hair was a mousy brown whilst he slept, unable to keep the vivid colour whilst unconscious. Draco knelt by his low bed and began gently shaking his exposed shoulder.

"Go away," Teddy answered. His morning mood was as lamentable as Harry's. 

Draco smiled at the similarities in his boys. "It's time to get up," he sung softly.

"Nooo" Teddy whined, rolling over so his back was to his dad and the door.

"Come on Ted, it's gonna be a good day." Draco rubbed his back. Reflecting that this never happened during the weekends or holidays, strange that.

"Comfy." As he burrowed deeper into his warm sheets.

"I know. But you've got to get up anyway." Draco pulled at his comforter, slowly unwrapping his son.

Teddy moaned as he got up. 

"Hate you," he mumbled on the way to the bathroom, where Draco had already started the shower.

"Love you too." He replied happily after him. 

Draco was wearing plain robes, kind of missing the feel of his healer scrubs. He hadn't taken time off in a while, and it showed. He wondered how his patients were doing, the ones he reassigned in order to look after Harry. Maybe he could ask Imara to check on them personally, he pondered and then realised that the changes in Harry yesterday and his declaration this morning had allowed his brain to actually think for a moment about his normal life and routines.

When he got downstairs with a flick of his wand, he set the coffee machine whirring, as he always did when no one was around to notice and checked in on Kreacher, who seemed happier, now he was back to cooking breakfast for the Blacks...and Harry. Between Harry and Draco's work schedules they weren't usually home this much, so Kreacher had been preparing more meals than he had been the last couple of months.  

Draco thought he should try to give him more freedom in the kitchen during Harry's recovery but it was a balancing act between keeping Harry happy and Kreacher, who both found joy in the act of service. On balance Draco knew Harry's happiness would always win out with him, no matter how grumpy the house elf became.

He grabbed a much needed strong coffee and sat at the table, just as their owl Orion flew in with the morning paper. Orion pecked at his hands in search of treats, Draco merely soothed him with gentle strokes and he preened under the attention. Once he settled, Draco summoned the jar to reward the owl. 

Draco did a cursory look through for Harry's name in the paper, but he was blessedly absent from the pages. So he flicked to the sports section to read about the latest Quidditch scores. 

Teddy trudged into the kitchen, with a set of purple robes on, his hair a spiky blond and his eyes a deep-set green.

"Feeling better?"

Teddy grunted, as he shuffled over to the table. His eyes lit up as he saw the barn owl, and he sat closer to be able to pet him. 

"Shower help?"

Teddy glowered at him. Draco chuckled again, hidden behind the paper. Watching as his son's deft fingers stroked the soft plumage and smiling at the resulting cooing noises.

Kreacher toddled over to hand the youngest a plate of eggs. 

"Thank you" he mumbled before digging into the scrambled mess. Now the attention had shifted, Orion ruffled his feathers, peeved, squawking slightly before taking flight to a new perch.  

Kreacher sneered at the gratitude, but kept quiet. Harry and Teddy made an effort to thank the elf for his duties, and whilst Kreacher had grumbled about it at first, now accepted it with a pinch of salt. Draco was proud of the treatment, glad that Kreacher was now praised for a job well done, as every elf should be. Draco still struggled to remember most of the time, ignoring house elves completing their duties, a behaviour so deeply ingrained from his childhood, that it took real effort for him to remember or an irritatingly well placed wet fish hex from his husband.  

Draco strived to be better. He used to mistakenly believe that house-elves were mindless creatures of servitude, but being with Harry had shown him a different perspective. They deserved more appreciation for all they did.

When Draco was handed his own breakfast, he thanked Kreacher pointedly.

Hermione had tried to free Kreacher countless times over the years, never wanting to see slavery of any kind. She had tried to give him knitted hats, silk scarves, even cashmere sweaters in the hopes he'd take them and start a new life. 

But Kreacher, much like his masters, was stubborn. It was a revolting thought for him. To be set free was a kin to being banished from his home and rejected from his life's work. Eventually, she had ceased her endless attempts and accepted Kreacher's choice. It helped that she saw how Harry always gave him opportunities at the beginning of the new year, to leave or work elsewhere and the constant gratitude he was shown for his service. Kreacher would adamantly refuse, every time, but it felt good to know that he had a choice. So they would continue in vain, in case the house-elf ever felt trapped. 

Despite the original reluctance, Harry had insisted on four weeks holiday for Kreacher as any decent employer offered. Kreacher was always a little sour about that, but they gave him access to all of their properties so he could take a break away from the family effectively wherever he wished. He would grumble at the order but Draco suspected he had learned to enjoy his time away from their busy household. Not that they could ever get him to admit it. 

They had yet to get him to take all 28 days off, but would persist until it was the norm.

"So sleep well, Ted?" Draco asked, folding his paper to the side, quickly downing the two potions he'd grabbed earlier.

"Yep," he answered, continuing to shovel eggs into his wide mouth. 

Draco gave a pleased hum at that. 

"Is there anything you want to discuss before school?"

Teddy chewed thoughtfully for a moment.

"Not really. School's alright. Why? You're not still mad at me about yesterday are you, Papa? he asked cautious suddenly, his eyes no longer meeting Draco's.

"No, of course not Son! I'm just checking in, I know thing's have been weird for you lately." Draco answered honestly.

Teddy munched on that for a while. 

"I guess" he shrugged, his hair dulling in colour was the only indication that his papa's words were felt and considered more deeply.

"Is there anything you want to ask me?" Draco probed gently, sipping his coffee.

"Where's dad?" His son asked quietly, eyes turning towards the doorway nervously.

"He's sleeping, I wanted to spend some time with you before school."

Teddy took a sip of his orange juice, swirling it around as if pondering the truth behind his Papa's words. 

"He didn't want to get up either!" Teddy sulked.

Intelligent child, he chuckled.

"Yes, but rest assured I won't let him lie in bed much longer, either."

Teddy seemed appeased at this as he took another swig of juice.

"He was different yesterday." Teddy commented.

"He was." Draco acknowledged seriously.

"He was Dad again." 

"Yes, it seems our fight pulled the Dad part of him back for a bit." Draco replied softly.

Teddy swallowed, "Is he- normal again today?" he queried wistfully.

Draco sighed. "It doesn't seem like it, I'm afraid, memory recoveries are rarely in a straight line like that, but it proves he's in there and coming back to us, like I told you." Teddy nodded lip wobbling slightly at the bad news. "It also shows us that your Dad will never give up fighting to get back to us any more than we will fight to get him back" Draco pointed out.

Teddy smiled tremulously, "So, if we have a fight he'll remember he's Dad just to stop it?"

Draco grinned ruefully "Not exactly Teddy no, and we will NOT be experimenting with that theory again, okay?" He met his ten-year-old's eyes seriously until his son dropped his gaze and muttered his agreement.

"We have to go back to hospital for more tests." He explained patiently.

"Will he have to stay there again?"

Although there was a possibility for more observations, Draco answered resolutely, "No, we have so much more to go on after yesterday." he added encouragingly knowing the school bus wouldn't be long and Teddy needed to be in a positive, but realistic place before he left.

"Will he go back to work soon?" Teddy asked startling Draco with this tangent.

"I imagine so," He answered diplomatically rubbing his temples at the mere thought. They both knew Harry, he hated being stagnant. Memories or no, his husband would want to go back to catching the bad guys again soon.

"Does that worry you?" Draco added.

Teddy inclined his head slowly. 

"It scares me too, but you know Dad, he loves his work and is pretty incredible at it."

"But he went off on his own, against the rules and was hurt badly." Teddy accused angrily thumping his orange glass down.

"I know."

"What if he does that again and gets hurt badly?" he demanded, his hair flashing violently.

"Then uncle Ron will find him again and I will heal him." Draco replied firmly.

"And you're the best." Teddy echoed the family motto by rote.

"And I'm the best" Draco assured.

+

After seeing Teddy off, Draco made his way to his study. He had an hour or so to kill before waking Harry.

He started by organising his documents and filing them away properly, which killed a little time and helped calm his racing thoughts.

Yesterday had been a whirlwind but had taught him something. His Harry was still in there, waiting for the right lock and key. The memories hadn't been erased completely. That gave him more hope.

Feeling more optimistic about the situation, he strode over to his desk to scribble a quick message to work about booking a slot for Harry to see a Mindhealer, including all his observations over the weekend. 

"Orien," he summoned. 

The large owl fluttered in through the open window and sat perched on the windowsill awaiting further instructions.

"Take this to Healer Johnsen, please." Hastily fastening the scroll to the proffered leg. 

Orion gave a hoot of acknowledgment before swooping out. 

Draco breathed for a second, wishing he could floo over himself but deciding that he needs to be around for when Harry wakes up. 

Who knows where his head is at this morning?

Draco sat down again, thinking about everything that occurred. 

Maybe he should take up journaling? He knew that people did that in the morning to help organise their thoughts and feelings. One of the healers at work, Jakub, encouraged their less stable patients to try it out. He swore by the habit and the life-changing effects on mood.  

But as Draco stared at the blank page, all he could think to write was 'Harry confessed his love for me this morning'. 

He scrawled that down. Waiting to see if the quill would automatically flow his conscious thoughts onto the parchment. 

Harry loves me. 

It felt like that first time in the hallway of St.Mungos again. Harry stood pyjama-clad, hair pointed out from his restless sleep, and half delirious from his dream and his confession. Draco felt weightless in that moment.

He recalled it perfectly, he was working in the ER and had dealt with a lot of haphazard spells, charms, and drunks on very little sleep. It spurred his interest to why Harry would be there at the godforsaken hour, in his adorable niffler slippers. And regrettably, Draco had asked if he were under the influence, but who could blame him after the night he was having?

Then when Harry blundered through his true reasoning, Draco's heart floated up out of his chest. 

He couldn't bare the thought that Draco didn't know how much he cared-That he loved him.

Warmth engulfed him, spreading out of his chest and down to his toes. He felt giddy, cloud nine, beyond anything he'd ever felt before.

Draco was the luckiest man in the wizarding world. Having gained Harry's affection, he never wanted to lose that. 

But then there was the head injury, Draco crying into 'Mione and Ron's arms that he had never been unconscious for that long and swore that he would kill him for putting him through this crap when he woke up.

Then he had woken up and it was like a punch to the gut. Harry had forgotten him and the whole life they had shared. 

But here he was, having regained it.  

Draco felt like he caught the snitch at the world cup, he was so bloody lucky.

His mind spun. A mixture of thoughts and feelings bubbling and stirring within him. 

+

Time passed. Draco's thoughts were everywhere and nowhere all at once.

When he surfaced, he cast a tempus which told him it was 9.17 and he quickly got up to make Harry's promised wake-up coffee. 

Once he emerged upstairs, laden with caffeinate, he pushed the bedroom door open, expecting to see his sleepy husband sprawled across their marital bed. However, he was surprised to see it empty and beautifully made. 

"Harry," he called out, placing the mug down on a coaster before going to check the ensuite. "Coffee's ready." Toeing the ajar door open wide. Just to find it equally empty. 

Draco's heart started to race. Thumping loudly in his chest. Where was his husband?

He turned sharply, raping on Siruis' old bedroom door, when no answer came, he nudged it open, Harry had slept in here before when his memories were confused, perhaps he felt he needed space again. Draco wouldn't begrudge him, even after the confession this morning. Maybe Harry was having doubts or needed the headroom to think clearly. 

But Sirius' room was vacant as well. 

Draco tried not to panic, perhaps Harry slipped downstairs whilst he was distracted in the study. 

He began descending the many stairs of the house at a rather impressive pace. Calling out for his husband on every floor. Panic increasing with each unanswered level.

He turned into their wardrobe to see if he was in there getting dressed, or had yet again forgotten it wasn't his bedroom to no avail. He checked the lower bathroom and even Teddy's bedroom, where he found the bed curiously made. Odd, he didn't recall sending Teddy up to do that. 

Where was he? What if he left? 

Maybe, the realisation that they were in love was too much? Maybe he had freaked and decided to leave whilst he still could? Erratic it may be, but Gryffindors weren't known for their calm rationale. 

Draco tried to calm his racing thoughts as he glanced into the sitting room. Going as far as to look if any floo powder had scattered. Draco tried to look around the hearth for any indication it had been used but could find none. 

This didn't ease his mind, maybe he apparated, Draco surely would have heard the crack but he had been so absorbed in his thoughts, that it could have gone unnoticed.

Breathing harshly, he moved down to ground level, hopefully checking the study in case their paths had crossed and he was waiting there instead. 

All the way down until he reached the kitchen, which aside from Kreacher, was worryingly empty. 

"Have you seen Harry?" Draco gasped. 

"Master Harry has not had breakfast" answered Kreacher.

"But have you seen him?" Draco asked flustered, that was not his question.

"Master Harry has not been down for breakfast" the house-elf repeated in a grumble.

Draco groaned in frustration, before storming back to his study.

Okay, think if Harry left where would he go? 

20-year-old Harry wouldn't think to go to work would he? Unless, he was now 28 again, Oh fuck, if only Draco knew who he was dealing with. 

Determinedly, he thought to check first where both Harry's would expect to go when overwhelmed...

He swiftly threw floo powder into the fireplace and lowered to call the Granger-Weasley's, maybe Harry went there.

There was a flash of green smoke as he called out the name, and waited for the flames to burn red.

"Hello?" A frazzled Hermione answered, on her knees in front of her own fireplace, distractedly scrubbing at some sort of wet food on her robes. Draco could hear Hugo wailing in the background. 

"Mummy" yelled Rosy, somewhere out of sight. "He's throwing it at me!"

"Hugo," Hermione sighed resignedly, "We don't throw porridge!" she scolded. "Sorry, Dray, it's mad here."

"'Mione, have you seen my uniform?" Ron bellowed from elsewhere.

"Have you tried the airing cupboard?" 

"Of course I hav- Oh, nevermind!" Her husband answered, whilst Hermione shook her head.

"Hermione, I was wondering if-" Draco just needed a moment to ask, but was interrupted.

"-I got your letter, but I haven't had a chance to reply. Why would Harry ask about a party?"

"What?" Draco asked, before remembering last night's warning, "Oh, forget that."

"But why-?" She started when:

"Hermione!" Ron called again, "Have you seen my badge?"

"Merlin Ron, I'm on the floo to Draco right now."

Large bare feet moved into view beside her.

"Hermione, this is important. I can't go to work without- hello Draco- I can't go into work without it and I'm late enough as it is." 

"Mummy!" Rosy shrieked again, Hugo's cries taking on a whole new level by now.

"Ron, try the toy box, I think the kids were playing with it."

"Okay, babe." As Ron's feet retreated out of view again.

"Sorry about that Draco, as I was saying-"

"My hair!" cried Rosy from the next room.

"Hugo. Stop throwing breakfast." Hermione yelled back. She turned flushed back to Draco, "I love being a mother." She whispered under her breath.

Draco alarmed at the action going on in their home, called out, "Hermione! have you seen Harry?"

"What?" she asked, brushing her flyaway hair from her face. "What do you mean?"

"Uncle Harry?" Rosy asked, treading into view of the fireplace, her yellow dress and tangled curls doused in soggy oats. Hugo's faint voice was heard uttering, 'haza' in the background. Hermione turned aghast to her oldest. 

"I've kind of lost him," Draco muttered, embarrassed.

"Lost him!" Screeched the young girl.

"How could you lose a person?" Hermione asked whilst absentmindedly scooping chunks of porridge out of her daughter's hair and depositing them on the hearth.

"Have you tried his locator spell?" Ron asked reentering, his feet thankfully dressed this time. 

"It's in his ring" Draco bemoaned. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Well then try that." Ron offered, not seeing the problem, fastening his badge to his belt.

"He doesn't have it on him!" Hermione chastised, feeling like the only sane one here.

"Well, that's stupid-What happened to your hair?" Ron asked finally looking down. 

"Hugo." They all answered while the toddler in mention gave an irritable noise presumably from his high chair. 

"Right, so why did he take it off in the first place?" Ron asked quizically.

"Hey, this isn't my fault." 

"Sounds like it, he was in your care when he went missing."

"Missing" chimed a small voice in the background.

"Where did Uncle Harry go?" Inquired Rosy, who was trying to tug her hair out of her mother's hands. 

"Hold still." She grumbled, tugging it back. 

"Hurts," Rosy whined, whilst Hugo's wails started back up.

"Ron, could you-?" Hermione tilted her head in direction of their kitchen diner. 

"Sorry babe, I'm running late. Be home by five" Then Ron apparated out. 

Hermione groaned before summoning her child over, catching the struggling toddler in one arm whilst detangling goop with the other hand.

"I thought he might've come to you." Said Draco plaintively. 

"In the madhouse?" Hermione scoffed, "Not likely."

"Not like lee" Hugo echoed, cheery now that he was free. Hermione let him down for him to wander away again.  

"What's a mad house?" Rosy asked. "Why would Harry go there?"

"Hermione, have you seen him?" Draco cut in before the chaos took over again.

"Not since Saturday." Hermione snapped, finally tugging her hand free from the red curls. "Looks like a bath's in order."

"A scrougify?" Draco bleakly offered, between her and Harry, Draco learned it's a common trait for muggle-raised wizards to forget about magic in times of need.

"Oh, yes. Right then. Hold still, darling." Hermione eloquently and gracefully cast a cleaning charm. Rosy giggled as the spell tingled and fizzed on her skin. 

"Better?" Hermione asked, brushing her bouncy locks away. 

"Better," Rosy answered, twirling. "But we've got to go now. Or else we'll be late, again!" She pointedly looked at her younger brother, who merely giggled in response. 

"Late again" chirped the giddy boy. 

Hermione looked exasperated.  "Hugo! where are your trousers?"

"Hello?" Draco waved. "Forget about something?"

"I'm sorry, Dray, he's not here." Hermione said summoning her son and his errant trousers to her, once again, "And we're late, maybe try Molly's?"

"Thank you and good luck." 

 "I'm sure he's fine." She gnawed on her bottom lip. "let me drop the children and I'll be round."

Draco breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you," he reiterated, "And by the way, you have porridge on your robes too."

He heard Hermione shriek as the flames died out. 

+

Thus began the wild fire-calling.  Molly's was a bust, as was the manor not that Draco really felt Harry would retreat there. But he was running out of options. 

Draco sent a Patronus off to Ron, asking whether Harry'd gone to the ministry. Suddenly there was a loud crack and the lanky ginger span into the room.

"Still can't find him?"

"I've tried everywhere! No one has seen him. I even thought to head to the press, just in case any of their spies have caught him."

"Draco, breathe." All calm and commanding.

Draco tried but his chest wasn't complying.

"We are not contacting the press." Finality in his firm delivery. 

Draco opened his mouth to argue.

"They are the reason why you had Harry removed from the ward in the first place. And we do not need to spread more panic or advertise his whereabouts." Ron explained, rationally. 

It was odd seeing him like this, decked in his scarlet robes, face neutral, so unlike his usual honest stupidly easy-to-read expressions. He was in charge, in control, and calm in ways that Draco simply wasn't.

But this was Harry, not just some random missing case, this was their Harry and he was missing. And has Amnesia.

Why wasn't Ron losing his shit, too? 

Draco tried to take even breaths while Ron assessed the case in his mind, Draco could see his mind clicking together logically, the way he looks whilst playing chess, figuring out his next steps. 

"Now, when did you last see him?" Asking with all the tone of a refined Auror. Ever the professional. 

"This morning, in bed," Draco responded. If Ron could be analytical, he could too. Collect and assess the data rationally, it was half of Draco's job after all too. 

"Eug gross, no details." Maybe Ron was not so professional after all. 

"Right, so that was at quarter to seven. I'd told him I'd be back up at nine." Draco retraced his steps for Ron. Collect the data. 

Ron nodded, glad the subject of his best mate's sex life was a short one,  "And was he still 'our Harry'?" Already calculating his next strategic move in tracking. 

"No." Draco interrupted, "He wasn't." 

That's when the facade fell. Like, Ron was truly understanding the task at hand. They had to find a de-aged, mentally fragmented, auror-in-training, best friend war hero, in the whole of Great Britain. 

"Merlin, right, erm," Ron said, trying to find his footing. "Crap... Okay, so here's what we're gonna do..." Looking a little uncertain even as he was divulging the plan, "so I'm gonna check out the house."

"I've already-" 

"And you've obviously checked the wards and the floo records." He said flippantly as if running through a mental checklist. 

"The what's?" 

Ron gave him a scrutinising look, then repeated more slowly, "the wards and the floo records" as if Draco were an idiot. 

"But Harry has permission to all those!" Draco rejected the idea immediately, beside looking at the depleting floo powder, there was no way to trace whether Harry had used the floo to travel further afield than simply apparating, Which Draco had already done. And even if there had been some indication, there was no way of ascertaining where he'd gone. It was as pointless as catching smoke. 

Ron gave him another long calculating look as if he were trying to decide if Draco was being a moron. 

Which was so not fair, they have their wards to detect whether strangers, visitors, or Teddy had used the floo. As is want to do in households with wizarding children. But not Harry, was his own house after all, and as a senior auror it would be a complete breach of confidentiality for Draco to track his movements; to stake-outs, top secret meetings, training missions, informant's and perpetrators' locations. Ron knew that better than anyone! He was an ex- death eater 

So there was no way to identify his movements, and thus why Draco had been floo-ing, like a lunatic, everyone he could think of to try and find his husband. 

"I changed them." Ron said plaintively. 

"What?" Draco screeched.

"When Harry was coming home." Ron shrugged as if this was normal action to someone else's floo-network.

"You- in my house? What gives you the right?" 

Ron gave him a bitchface.

"He's my best mate." he listed, "Someone's trying to kill him and he doesn't remember any of it. He's an impulsive git who gets easily upset. So I changed the wards." 

"And put a floo log on." He added, unrepentantly. 

"And you didn't think to tell me this morning? At your house?! Before I called twenty people! including my mother and minevra!" Draco yelled.

But Ron was already walking away to check the logs himself. 

Draco continued cursing his name and was still doing so when Hermione stepped through the floo.

"I take it he's not back. I'll put the kettle on." She said, taking off her outer cloak.

"Well, looks like he didn't leave via the fireplace.He took the front door." Ron stated upon re-entering

"How bloody fuck would you know that!" Draco snapped.

"Because the ward alert is up and his running shoes are missing."

"What?" Screeching, feeling somewhat like an owl with his eyes bulging wide.

"Because the ward alert is up and his shoes are missing." Again, like he was an idiot.

"And," Hermione added helpfully, "He goes running every morning. Regardless of how old he is. Since before auror training."

The argument fell flat on his tongue. 

"I hate you both." he hissed.

"We'd have thought that was the first thing you'd have checked," Ron answered bluntly. 

"NO. Because he hasn't run since he came out of the hospital." Spoken more loudly than he intended. "I didn't think I bloody had to." 

Hermione and Ron shared a look. 

"Have you left him alone in the morning, since he came out of the hospital?" Hermione asked tentatively. 

"Well no," Draco grumbled.

"Case solved then," Ron said, wiping his hands together. Practically patting himself on a job well done. 

Draco's eye was twitching.

"He should be walking through the door any minute." Hermione surmised. 

"Mate, I'd put the wedding ring back on, in case anything like this happens again." 

Draco gave him a withering stare, "And I'll go reset the wards, shall I?" Ron said, unaffected, before leaving.

"And I'll make the tea," Hermione said, wilfully leaving Draco to stew. 

Draco was furious.

+

Minutes later, Harry breezed into the hallway, a light sheen of sweat making him look more adorable than normal. Balancing precariously on one foot to remove his trainer, he called out:

"Draco?"

He heard an explosion and splintering glass from the study.

"What the hell?" He whipped out his wand on instant alert. Leaping towards the door, yanking it open, and blindly casting a body bind on the intruder inside.

He heard a loud oomph and a thump.

His aim still rang true despite the missing years.

"Blimey Harry." He heard from behind him. He spun to find his best mate there, dressed in his Auror robes. Harry lowered his wand. "Wotcha do that for?" 

"You alright?" Trailing his gaze to Hermione at the end of the hallway, floating four mugs behind her, looking confused.

"I heard something," He shrugged, placing his wand in his waistband. 

"Well yeah, he's been going ballistic all morning."

"Who?" Harry asked, a nagging feeling in the pit of his gut.

"I will kill you." growled a voice from the other side of the desk. 

"Crap." Harry thought, felt, and hissed. Stepping forward, leaning over the side, where he found a very angry Slytherin husband bound in ropes. Writhing amongst shattered glass and pottery.

"Let me go." He snarled.

"Dray?" Harry muttered aghast.

"You have to the count of three to release me from this. Harry James Malfoy-Potter" He ordered, "Or so help me you'll regret it later." 

Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron were busy trying to hold themselves upright through the tears of laughter.

"Mate," Ron spluttered, "I don't think he's kidding. Might want to keep these games for the bedroom."

Hermione let out a shriek, this time of laughter. 

"One,"

"Er, think I'll take my chances."

"Harry!" Hermione glared, "You can't leave him there!"

"Stop, stop it's too much." Ron groaned holding his sides.

"Two," the blond seethed, eyes narrowing up at Harry. 

"Erm, what happens if I get to three?" Harry murmured disconcertedly.

"Don't test me." Draco hissed threateningly.

Harry muttered the unbinding incantation, backing up hastily, scooping up Draco's fallen wand from the floor as he retreated as far across the room as he could with Ron blocking the exit. Draco stood fairly bristling rage, eyes noting Harry's withdrawal and his missing wand in the same searing glance. Harry avoided his eyes, concentrating instead on using his magic to collect all the broken pieces littering the floor from Draco's obvious fury earlier, and carefully rebuilding and replacing them one by one on the shelves.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The blond fumed, advancing towards him. 

"I- er, it was a mistake." The ravenette stuttered.

"It is common courtesy to let someone know." 

"I called your name but you obviously couldn't hear over the-" He gestured vaguely at where the shattered items had been. 

"I don't mean the bloody body bind, you arsehole." The vein in his forehead was positively violent in its actions. Red-faced bringing out the steely stone colour of his eyes.

"What?" Wide eyes truly confused.

"You should've told me." His words cutting. 

"Er?"

"Like, oh hey Draco, I'm heading out on a run, be back soon, you selfish git." 

"I- I went out." Harry stuttered fumbling over words.

"Obviously." Draco snapped with a sneer rivalling that of the late-professor Snape.  

"I didn't think I had to..." With each word Harry uttered, it seemed to meerly fuel Draco's rage further

"You do." he hissed bitingly short.

The man was still enraged.

"You didn't mind the other times." Harry proffered, shrugging helplessly.

"WHAT. OTHER. TIMES." He spat. 

"Uhoh" Hermione gasped as a smug Ron, commented, "I told you."

"Ronald." The witch reprimanded, "Not now."

"What other times?!" Draco hissed suddenly deathly quiet, stepping forward alarmingly into Harry's space.

"I..." He looked to his friends as if to signal, 'help me'. 

They shook their heads as if to say, 'This one is all on you. You're doomed'.

"I- well- you see..." Harry supplied helpless in the face of Draco's ice cold visage.

"I have spent the entire morning, calling every person I could think of, searching for you. Whilst you were out, prancing around, risking your life...RUNNING." 

The silence echoed just how loud Draco had been.

"And now you're telling me you've done it before! Do you know how reckless, how carelessly stupid, How indefinably injudicious you have been? There is a mad wizard, nay probably a group of wizards, running around loose because of your previously misguided judgment and brash spontaneity, someone may I remind you who is far more trained and versed than yourself currently... and you decide that now would be a good time to go on a run, of all things."

"But, I always run Dray, I have to keep fit, you know? And otherwise, I get really jittery and my magic kinda, Umm, ... spirals..." He offered in a small voice.

"And you didn't think to tell me? Honestly." Draco demanded caging Harry against the wall physically , his eyes daring him to look away.

"I, you were busy, it sounded as though you were." He turned his head daringly away from Draco's deathly glare pleadingly to his observing friends who had somehow ended up banished to the other corner, as if they could vouch for him. 

Draco's hands dropped to his sides twitched, clenching for a second as if he thought for the merest second about strangulation, before all the energy drained out of his body and he took a deep calming breath, the fight bleeding out of him.

"Fine." He sagged visibly, stepping back "Give me my wand back." 

Harry wondered whether this was wise, considering his husbands emotional state, risking the briefest glance at Hermione again  seeing her nod firmly in affirmation, whilst Draco huffed in barely supressed exasperation holding out his hand demandingly before him.

"Okay." He said, handing it over gingerly, the magical zapped like an electric shock as it transferred to its rightful owner. Harry was half-expecting Draco to hex him instantly where he stood. 

But instead, the blond wizard turned, now ram rod straight and marched from the room, irritably shoving the obiediently floating mugs of tea in the hall away from him with a violent swish of his wand.  

"So, all good?" Harry asked his retreating form.

And the look he sent back over his retreating shoulder, told Harry, that No. It was DEFINITELY not 'all good'.

+