Chapitre 04
The rest of the day passed without a hitch. Once the couple separated from Blaise and Pansy, they went to pick up Gabriel at Narcissa's house, then returned home to spend the rest of the evening.
The next day was a completely different story, and Harry had understood that he would not have peace of mind for quite some time. An owl he didn't recognize arrived early that morning, while the family was having breakfast and wasn't fully awake yet. - Apart from Gabriel, who woke up very early, from whom did he get this trait? No one knew... - Harry and Draco looked at each other, while Gabriel tried to catch the bird's feathers by laughing and putting jam everywhere. - Where he had gotten that jam, Harry and Draco had no idea and had stopped searching. He was Harry's son, after all. -
« Are you waiting for something? » Asked Draco as he put his cup of coffee back on the table.
« No, » replied Harry, « I've never seen that owl before. »
« Why do I get the feeling we're not going to like what he's brought us? »
« I don't know, » laughed the brunette lightly, taking the envelope and giving some treats to the owl, who didn't wait to leave.
Draco watched his husband open and then read the letter, his face closing more and more as he read. The blond man sighed, he knew exactly who had sent this now.
« What does it say? » He asked.
« I'm invited to lunch at the Burrow this afternoon, » Harry said bitterly, « without you, of course. »
« Of course. »
« I'm getting a little annoyed, » sighed dark-haired man, « we have to go buy Gab's things today. »
« Go ahead, »
« But 'Dray I can't go and leave you two. »
« Go, eat and come back in the middle of the afternoon, you know very well that Blaise and Pansy won't be here before three o'clock anyway, » insisted Draco, « if you don't go today, you know very well that they won't let go of your case. »
« I know, but I don't want to go. » Sulked the adult Harry was.
« Maybe the twins will be there? »
« I hope so, I don't want to be alone with a bunch of hungry lions, » replied Harry, « I have absolutely nothing against Arthur, but he has too much trouble not following Molly like a good little husband. »
« At the same time, she can be a little scary... Especially when you have to share a roof with her. »
« True enough, » nodded the one with the emerald eyes, « although I'm glad I don't. »
« Indeed, it turned out that as you got older, your tastes improved, » said Draco calmly as he joined his husband and circled his waist.
« Hm, I'm almost certain it's because of a certain blond found in the desert, » Harry murmured.
« You should thank him if you ever see him again, it's the least you can do. » The blond closed his eyes to kiss his husband.
« Da, » exclaimed a small voice behind them, « I over! »
« I'm coming, baby, » sighed Draco as he stepped back, « and you, Love, you're going to go, and if they try to force anything, you get angry. They can't do anything to you, Harry, no matter how much they think they can make you "see the light of righteousness". You're not fifteen years old anymore, you're an adult who can make your own choices. Stop thinking like a teenager at war when they're around, and show them the man you've become. »
« I know you're right, but still... »
« Still nothing, Mr. Potter, hold your head up high. Besides, it might be fun, » replied the blond replied with a wink.
« Why don't I like the way it's going? » asked Harry suspiciously.
« I don't know what you're talking about... »
« I don't know what you're up to, 'Dray, but I have a feeling this isn't going to be a boring meal, » Harry laughed softly, « I'm going to go get ready now... I'll meet you back here at about three o'clock? »
« Yes. Hopefully the other two will be on time for once. »
« Ideed. »
Harry bent down to kiss Draco quickly, then did the same on his son's forehead before going upstairs to get ready for a long, long meal...
Everyone in the Weasley family was nervous. They'd taken their chance, once again, by getting Harry to come in and eat... They might as well have done it before, they would've been sure he was coming... ...but now the opposite was much more likely. He had, after all, made it very clear that until they changed their minds he wanted nothing to do with them.
Hermione sighed as she helped Molly set the table. Harry's plate had, of course, been set too. In the place he had been used to for so many years. She still couldn't get used to the idea that the present was like that and not as she had imagined it so many times with Ron. She wasn't an idiot, she knew that everything wouldn't be as she had imagined it to be, or as she wanted it to be. But that's how far away it was... Maybe Harry was right. Maybe they hadn't been there for him as much as they thought they were. But why didn't he tell them that earlier? Why just leave without saying anything? She was really hoping that whoever she thought was still her best friend would come along, and they could talk again. More quietly.
Ron closed the Quidditch magazine he was flipping through and looked at the time. If everything went the way they wanted it to, Harry would be here any minute. This was their chance! Their chance to show him that he'd made the wrong choice, but it wasn't too late. That he could still divorce that Malfoy who had brainwashed their dear friend. That he could get with Ginny and become a real part of their family. All that was needed was a little time in familiar surroundings. And safe in the darkest moments. Ron knew that was all it took. He was sure of it.
Ginny was getting ready. Of course Harry wasn't going to look at her the way he did last time. She hadn't been in her best light. And even she could admit that she hadn't been very... subtle. And now... Yes, today she was going to put on her best clothes. Be tactful and show Harry that she was the one for him. That she was the one who should be Mrs. Potter. No one else!
Arthur watched as his family agitated in every direction to avoid the nervousness that had settled in their home. He loved his family. He really did. But he wasn't so blinded by that love that he didn't realize that sometimes they pushed things too far. He understood that Harry was not going to change... Not for them. Not for anyone. The frail little boy he'd first seen years ago now had grown up. Grown up to be a man worthy of the name. A happy man, who had the life he wanted and deserved to have the life of his dreams after all he'd been through. Yes, Arthur loved his family, and he knew what they were doing was wrong. But Arthur knew there was nothing he could do to change their minds, except try to do damage control.
The whole big family was now sitting in the living room, waiting for their guest to arrive. Fred and George had arrived a short time ago... The hour passed slowly, and for once, silence had invaded the Burrow. As the minutes passed, they wondered if Harry was coming. They knew it was a big gamble, but they had hoped... Maybe a little too much? Maybe for nothing.
All of a sudden, a big "POP" sounded, a noise meaning someone had just appeared. Everyone in the room - except the twins - reached out to see who had just arrived. A few knocks were heard at the door before it slowly opened, making Harry appear in all his splendour.
« Harry, » exclaimed Molly as she stood up, « I'm so glad to see you here! »
« Good morning, Molly, » replied the brunette politely.
« Come in, come in, don't be shy, » continued the Matriarch Weasley, « you know the house. »
« Yes, I do. »
So Harry entered the house completely and took off his coat. Molly quickly directed him to one of the sofas to make him comfortable. - Hint: he wasn't comfortable. - Ron and Hermione looked at the newcomer, not knowing what to say. Ginny, on the other hand, was too busy admiring the man in front of her. Harry had become a very handsome man indeed...
« Harry, » said Fred, « glad to see you! »
« We missed you so much, » George continued.
« Fred, George, we saw each other this weekend, I believe? » Harry smiled in reply.
« That was a long time ago, » said Fred, « you've had an eventful life, my friend. »
« So even though only a few days have passed, a lot must have happened to you. » Says George.
« ... I can't really disagree with you, » laughed Harry, surprising everyone.
After Harry said hello to everyone, - he didn't want to come. But Draco had made sure he was always cordial. Whether or not he liked the people in front of him. - Molly brought drinks and snacks.
« We have so much to catch up, » Molly said, « so much to talk about. »
« It's been a long time since we've all been together, hasn't it, Harry? » Smiles softly Hermione, « spending our days at the Burrow, talking about everything and nothing. Those were good days. »
« ... I don't really have a bad memory of them either, » Harry said hesitantly.
« We can go back to the good old days, » Ron said cheerfully, « and eat a nice meal that Mom made for us, and then spend the afternoon playing chess or even Quidditch! »
« Or just talk, Ronald Weasley. You know, like adults, » Hermione replied.
« That would be... Tempting, » began Harry, « but I just came to eat with you. I can't stay here all day. »
The silence greeted this reply. Harry, not paying attention, looked at the twins with a smile. As one of them was about to open his mouth, Ginny came out of her stupor.
« You're not staying the day? » She asked what she hoped would be a little voice.
« No, I have to be home by three. Things to do. » Smile, Harry.
« And what could be more important than staying with us? »
« Lots of things, Ginny, lots of things. »
« Harry, you haven't been here in over five years, why don't you just enjoy it? » Try to convince Molly, « what you need to do can be put off till later. »
« Especially since I don't see what you might have to do, » says Hermione, seemingly forgetting her good resolutions, « you're not even working. You can take some time off to spend a day of nothing with friends, can't you? »
« That's just what I'm doing, Hermione, » Harry replied a little more closed, « I'm coming to eat with you, even though you only invited me this morning, without worrying whether I was busy or not. I would have left for three hours, meal finished or not, to meet Draco and some friends on the Diagon Alley. »
« You kidding me! » Exclaimed Ron, « are you going to leave for him again? »
« Yes, Ron. »
Harry looked the redhead in the eyes, waiting for him to say something that he would - surely - regret later. But Hermione had had a long talk with her husband about keeping himself in check and not exploding. Not when Harry had come and given them that chance today. So Ron didn't answer. The silence quickly became heavy. No one dared to speak for fear of saying something that would upset Harry. They didn't know how the now older man might react. The twins took pity on them. - Well, not really, they just didn't like the silence. -
« Gabriel's going to be going to his new school soon, isn't he? » Asked George.
« Yes, » smiled Harry, « next week if all goes well. »
« Wizard’s school or Muggle school? »
« Wizard. You know how Draco is, » replied the brunette, looking up to the sky, « he absolutely refuses to put Gab' with the Muggle. »
« It's not that bad, » said Fred, « the boy knows the existence of magic. I don't think it would be wise to put him in a Muggle school when he can't yet control his magic. »
« That's what I thought, » Harry nodded, « it was a bit difficult to find a school that wasn't biased by my name or 'Dray's, but we finally found one. It's a little far from Magic London, but he should enjoy it. »
« That's the most important thing, » the twins smile.
« Hm. That's why I have to be out of here by three o'clock, we're going to go and buy what he needs before he starts his year, » Harry confessed.
The other Weasleys present listened silently to the exchange, and now that they had the reason for Harry's departure they could understand and - reluctantly - accept the fact that he wasn't staying. They didn't like Draco. They absolutely hated him. And so did Harry's life choices, but his son had nothing to do with it.
« Oh, so an afternoon with the family? » Tease Fred.
« Yes and no, I managed to get Blaise and Pansy on board with us, » Harry said proudly.
« How could you get them to come? » Wondered the second twin.
« Oh you know, a little of this and a little of that, » replied the dark-haired man mysteriously.
« Draco is rubbing off on you, » Fred laughed, « you're becoming a little more of a Slytherin with each passing day. »
« That's not really new, » replied Harry vaguely, « it's not really Dray's fault. But all this to say that I managed to convince Blaise and Pansy. »
« Tell your secret! »
« I just said that Blaise would be my shield if anything went wrong, and that I'd just forget for today that I'm "a powerful Wizard such as we haven't seen in centuries apparently," » Harry replied as if it were perfectly normal.
« You're going to make yourself vulnerable to this Slytherin, » Ron shouted, « you've gone completely mad. »
« No, absolutely not, » said Harry, « I'm not going to start - YET - a conversation about this with you, Ron. So either you calm down, or I'm going! »
« Come, » spoke Arthur for the first time since Harry arrived, « calm down, why don't we start eating? If Harry has to leave early to rejoin his family, we shouldn't dawdle. »
« Thank you, Arthur, » smile softly, Harry.
So everyone listened to the head of the family and went to the dining table. Ginny insisted on sitting across from Harry... Ron and Hermione next to each other and Harry in the middle of the twins. The brunette prayed that the meal would go by as quickly as possible. It was already exhausting.
« So, Harry, » Molly began, « Hermione told me you've decided to go on 'Vacation' and aren't working? »
« Yes, I am. After I ended my contract in the United States, I decided I needed a little rest, » Harry replied.
« But Draco is working, » George said.
« And, uh... What does he do? » Hermione asked derisively.
« Mostly potions. He opened his own business in America, it worked well enough for him to open his second store, « Harry explained, « it's still open and Kyle - the manager he hired - is running it for now, although Draco will have to go back at least once in a while. »
« He's still doing mail order, isn't he? Then he's also a supplier for some hospitals in Europe if I remember correctly? » George inquired.
« Absolutely, » smiled Harry, « he couldn't handle all the orders anymore, so I had to force him to hire an apprentice to help him. »
« It must have been complicated... »
« You don't even imagine, » laughed the dark-haired man, « to answer your question Hermione, Draco is a potionist. »
« All right, » She admit, « but you can't live off his salary, no matter how good it is. »
« Just because I don't work doesn't mean I don't earn anything, Hermione, » sighed Harry.
« I don't understand, » said Ron.
« What do you mean, Harry? »
« Just that I have investments here and there, and that I've taken over some companies and things over the last five years, » Harry explained, « I'm still taking care of it right now, but it's not a real job, which is why I say I'm on holiday. »
« Investments? You? » Curly-haired brunette wondered.
« Yeah, me. Draco recommended it when we met again. I wasn't really sure at first, but in the end it paid off, » said Harry.
« So you can do whatever you want now, » Ron exclaimed, « you can be an Auror! »
« In theory, yes, Ron. But I don't WANT to be. I have other plans that will begin to take shape in a few weeks, » Harry confessed.
« Projects such as...? » Asked Hermione.
« Plans. Plans that I'm going to make happen. »
« What plans, Harry? »
« It's none of your business, Hermione. If one day I tell you what I was doing, you'll know it like everyone else. In the newspaper or by chance, » Harry replied curtly, « only Draco and my close friends know what I'm going to do. »
Hermione couldn't find anything to answer that. She wanted to push harder, to say she could help him. She was smart and knew how the business worked. She could be useful to him. Plus they were all curious, and it hurt to think Harry didn't trust them enough to tell them what he wanted to do.
« I work at the Ministry Harry, » Hermione began, « I could help you get all the required authorizations and everything you need. »
« I never said that my projects were going to be on British soil, Hermione, and I don't think your position in the Ministry would be of much help to me anywhere else, » Harry replied, « thank you for the thought, however. »
« Not in England? Are you going to move again? » Shout Ginny, « we just found you, you can't go back yet! »
« I don't plan moving again, Ginny, » sighed the brunette, « and I have a project I'd like to do here. »
« Well, in that case— »
« Like I told you, Hermione, I don't need your help. I can get all the necessary permissions through the Ministry and Gringotts. You're not the only person I know working on it, I'm already in contact with some of the people there about this project, » Harry cut in.
No one answered and the meal ended somewhat tense, but with some conversation that had turned to lighter subjects. The fact that they had all wanted to show Harry what he was missing, of the family he might have had, had failed. But at least the dialogue was there. More or less. Harry wasn't as hostile toward them as he used to be.... That was a good sign, wasn't it?
« The food was good, Molly. » Says Harry before he gets up.
« Thank you, how about coming back here Sunday? » She asked smiling.
« With pleasure, » replied the brunette.
« Great, » said the family, they'd just had a little victory.
« However, if you want my presence, you'll have Gabriel and Draco with you, » Harry continued with a grin, « I won't come without my family anymore, Molly, today was just an exception. »
« I, uh... Understand, » Molly said with difficulty.
« However, Sundays are not possible, we have a family meal at Malfoy Manor with Narcissa, » smiled Harry coldly, « you understand, she would like to see her grandson as much as possible, besides it became a tradition even before Gabriel was born. »
Three hours were well past and Harry was late, he had to hurry if he didn't want Draco to have a fit.
« I really got to go, everybody. » Announced Harry, « Fred, George, I'll see you in a week for - what I told you about? »
« Affirmative, » they answered in a heartbeat.
« It's been a pleasure, Harry, » said Molly softly, « come back anytime, even if it's with... Him. »
« Goodbye, Arthur, Molly, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. »
As he was about to leave the house, a "Plop" similar to the one he had made when he had arrived earlier, resounded through the house. This time it meant several people were coming. Harry burst out laughing, already knowing who it was.
« I knew he was up to something, » he said affectionately as he opened the door.
Who is it? The shopping session between the little family with Blaise and Pansy is coming up. Is it going well?