Nearly

Harry is still buzzing with excitement as he bounds down the stairs the next morning, but it quickly subsides as he stumbles into the kitchen and catches the glum looks on his dads faces, even though they quickly send pinched smiles his way to hide the traces of their serious conversation. 

”What?” Harry demands. ”What’s wrong?”

”Nothing’s wrong, Harry”, Remus says with a gentle sigh and guides him to his seat at the table. 

”Draco didn’t write?” Harry says in a small voice, completely ignoring the breakfast set in front of him. 

”Narcissa owled late last night”, Remus reassures him. ”Everything’s fine, and Draco can’t wait to spend the day with you.”

Harry glances over at Sirius suspiciously. The other man has pushed the chair back from the table and is balancing on its two back legs, staring at the ceiling. 

”Okay… So I can still go—?”

”Yes—” Remus says, but is immediately interrupted by Sirius rather louder voice, ”Yes, we’re all going, thought we’d make a day of it!”

”Sirius…” Remus mutters warningly. 

”If Lucius is going, then I’m going!” Sirius bellows and lets his chair fall back onto all fours with a loud bang that makes Harry jump slightly. 

”Keep your voice down”, Remus growls. 

Harry looks worriedly between his dads, his heart pounding in his chest. He can’t remember having ever seen his dads actually fight before. He’s caught plenty of looks they’ve thrown each other, and he’s walked in on what he’s assumed to be arguments between them but they’ve always covered it up quickly and cheerily changed the subject whenever he’s shown up. This is the first time either of them has raised their voice at the other in front of him, and for some reason it scares him. 

”I don’t have to go”, he blurts out. 

The two men turn to look at him in surprise, and the fight dissipates as quickly as it flared up, along with the tension in Sirius shoulders. 

”No, no”, the man says wearily. ”Of course you can go, Harry…”

”I don’t want to anymore”, Harry insists, but judging by the other men’s chuckles he figures he’s not very convincing. 

”How about I go with them?” Remus suggests, reaching out to squeeze Sirius hand gently. 

”Would you?” the man asks hopefully. 

”Sure”, Remus assures him soothingly. ”I think that’s the best compromise.”

”They’ll know why”, Sirius mutters. 

”I don’t care”, Remus says and shrugs. ”They won’t be surprised. Why else would Narcissa have mentioned where Lucius is going? She wanted us to know, so we could make a decision—”

Harry finds himself leaning in eagerly as he listens to the grown-up conversation unusually displayed before him, barely believing his luck as his mind whirrs with a hundred questions. But before any of them are accidentally answered, Sirius gives Remus a silencing look and throws a meaningful glance in Harry’s direction. 

”Well, that’s settled then!” Remus says cheerily and gets to his feet, and Harry leans back in his seat with a disappointed sigh and starts picking at his cooling toast as Remus walks by him with a gentle pat on his shoulder. ”I’ll go floo Malfoy Manor right now and let them know…”

Remus arranges to meet up with the Malfoys in The Leaky Cauldron just before noon and then spends the rest of the morning fussing over Harry’s clothes and trying to get his hair under control with a wet comb. Harry finally ducks away after an especially painful yank and Remus gives up with a sigh. 

”It’s getting worse”, he mutters. ”Maybe we should just cut it—”

”No!” Harry grumbles, definitiely not the for the first time in his life and probably not the last either, unfortunately. ”I like it this long!”

”Well it’s getting longer, that’s what happens when you never cut it…”

”Just leave it, Moony”, Sirius says, grinning from the doorway. ”You need to get going anyway…”

”Why can’t we Apparate?” Harry asks curiously as Remus ushers him over to the sitting room fireplace. 

”I’m feeling a little under the weather”, Remus says cryptically. ”I rather not risk Side-Along Apparation just at the moment. It’s okay, we can floo straight into The Leaky Cauldron.”

Harry shrugs. He really hates Apparating anyway, it always makes him nauseous. He catches Sirius giving Remus a gentle smile, then quickly looks away as the two men lean in for a kiss. 

”Have a good day, you two”, Sirius says and ruffles Harry’s hair fondly, receiving an exasperated look from Remus. 

”I’ll go first”, Remus says, grabbing a handful of floo powder and then steps into the grate. ”The Leaky Cauldron!”

”Harry”, Sirius says and squeezes his shoulder. ”You be good and listen to your daddy today, okay? If he says you can’t go somewhere, even if Draco and his parents are going, then you don’t go, understood?”

”Like where?” Harry asks, his brow furrowing in confusion. 

”Anywhere. Just listen to Remus. Okay?”

”Yeah, of course I will…”

”Good lad”, Sirius murmurs and gives him a quick hug. ”Now, have fun today!”

Harry grins and nods, eagerly stepping into the fireplace and reaching for the floo powder Sirius holds out. He grabs a big handful and then takes a deep breath, going over the destination a couple of times in his head, so he’ll get the words exactly right, just in case… The Leaky Cauldron, The Lea-ky Caul-dron… 

Sirius gives him an encouraging nod and grins when Harry very slowly and deliberately raises his arm, floo powder dripping from his fist. 

”The Leaky Cauldron!” 

Harry throws the floo powder at his feet and immediately great green flames roar to life all around him and he feels himself begin to spin. He catches sight of a few fireplaces circling around him in the darkness, then squeezes his eyes shut before he starts to get motion sickness. 

Just as suddenly as the spinning started, it stops again. Harry feels the familiar tickle of floo flames lick around his legs briefly, before he stumbles out of another fireplace and straight into the waiting arms of his daddy. Harry gratefully grabs a hold of the man’s arms until he gets his legs to steady under him and then he straightens up. 

Remus starts to brush the soot from his clothes with a brush he must have brought from home and Harry obediently turns around slowly to give him better access, vaguely aware of the pub’s ruckus dying down with a hush as the patrons become aware of his presence. 

A murmur of excited whispers slowly starts to replace the hush, like a cauldron reaching boiling point and Harry catches his name mentioned several times. He glances at Remus uncertainly, but the man is clearly ignoring the attention they’re receiving. 

”Harry!” someone yells happily over the noise suddenly and Harry spins around excitedly. 

Over at the muggle entrance to the pub, Draco Malfoy breaks away from his parents and runs over to the fireplace and almost knocks Harry off his feet as he crashes into him. Harry laughs and eagerly wraps his arms around his friend, hugging him back. All the subtle smells that make up the scent that is simply Draco wash over Harry all at once and his stomach flutters pleasantly. 

”I missed you”, Draco whispers, before finally letting go again, just in time for his parents to catch up with him and give him disapproving looks. 

”Really, Draco”, Narcissa mutters quietly. ”We’re in a public place… Mr Lupin, so nice to meet you at last—”

She extends a delicate hand and Remus shakes it with a polite smile that he then turns on Lucius and offers him his hand as well. Lucius makes a show of transferring his walking stick from his right hand to his left and removing one of his leather gloves, before finally shaking Remus’s hand with a tight smirk. 

”And Mr Potter”, Narcissa continues seamlessly, as though there hadn’t just been a great big awkward pause thanks to her husband. ”Nice to see you again… I must say, you’ve grown quite a bit over the summer!”

Harry feels his cheeks heat up slightly, but smiles at her and shakes her hand. He glances over at Draco shyly and it strikes him for the first time that the meagre inches of his own growth spurt is nothing compared to the blonde’s transformation. Draco is now almost a head taller than him and although his frame is still lithe, his shoulders have definitely started to broaden... Harry flushes deeper as Draco catches him staring. 

Lucius looks away in a subtle show of disapproval as the boys share a shy smile, but Remus and Narcissa exchange an amused look. 

”Well, shall we?” Remus suggests politely. ”I thought we could all have lunch together, before we start shopping for the boys supplies, if that’s okay with you?”

”That’s a splendid idea”, Narcissa says smoothly. 

As soon as they’ve all stepped through the barrier to Diagon Alley, Narcissa suggests a restaurant called The Griffin about halfway down the main street and they all make their way to it. Remus and Narcissa seem intent to make polite small talk at the head of the small group, leaving the boys to walk together and giving them some privacy. 

Well, Harry thinks, uncomfortably aware of Lucius eyes burning holes in the back of his head, privacy is a bit of an exaggeration… 

Draco’s fingers brush against the inside of his palm suddenly, and Harry feels his stomach jolt in excitement. 

Was it by accident, or did he mean to do it? he thinks nervously and glances sideways at the other boy. 

Draco glances back and smiles, then brushes his hand again. Harry immediately lets his arm still along his side and angles his hand a little outward. Draco slips his fingers through Harry’s and slides his palm into place against his and Harry releases a breath he wasn’t even aware of holding and gently squeezes the other boy’s hand.

”Here we are!” Remus says in an unnecessarily loud voice, and Harry and Draco immediately let go of each other again. ”Yes, this looks very nice Narcissa. Good choice.”

Narcissa’s mouth twitches and she inclines her head politely, then leads the way inside the small restaurant.  

Lunch is a rather tense affair, despite all three grown-ups making polite small talk, since Remus and Lucius seem to be engaged in some kind of stare down for most of the meal. Harry and Draco try their best to ignore them and exchange shy glances and small smiles, each of which cause Harry’s insides to flap and flutter pleasantly.

As they all file out of the restaurant, Lucius says he has some errands to attend to in a place called Knockturn Alley and Draco and Narcissa both turn to gaze down the main street with matching looks of neutral boredom on their faces. Harry looks at his daddy curiously. Remus has gone all tense again and the smile he gives Lucius is decidedly fake.

”That’s alright, we can meet you in Flourish and Blotts”, he says quickly, then turns to Narcissa. ”I thought we’d save the books for last, so we don’t have to carry them around all afternoon.”

”That’s a good idea”, Narcissa says with another incline of her head, before she turns to Draco and places the tips of her fingers gently on top of his shoulder. ”Draco darling, why don’t you take Harry to Florean Fortescue’s for an ice cream… Mr Lupin and I will join you shortly.”

”Yes mother”, Draco says quickly and grabs Harry by the hand. ”Come on, Harry!”

When the boys enter Florean Fortescue’s ice cream parlour, Draco eagerly shoulders his way to the very front of the cue in order to see all the different ice cream flavours and Harry smiles apologetically at the people he’s pushed aside. 

One witch gives him a withering glare as she repositions her crying toddler from one hip to the other and Harry mouths Sorry, before sidling up to Draco who is pulling on his arm excitedly. 

”Draco, we have to wait our turn”, Harry whispers. 

Draco frowns in confusion, ”What?”

”There are people waiting…” 

Draco looks around in surprise, ”So?”

Harry sighs, ”Never mind… What do you want?”

Draco takes his sweet time deciding his flavours, but finally orders a cherry sauce dripping four-scoop ice cream tower, swaying precariously in a waffle cone, and then proceeds to lick sticky, multi-coloured drops from the back of his hand until Harry has got his own cone, then insists on paying for them both. 

”You don’t have to, I’ve got money”, Harry mumbles and holds up his Galleon to illustrate his point. 

Draco gives him a funny look and promptly shoves his arm away, ”I’m taking you out for ice cream, you dolt. That means I pay, so put your gold away!”

”Oh, okay. Thanks then…” Harry mutters shyly and quickly turns away to hide his burning cheeks. ”Let’s sit over by the window!”

They squeeze together on a small settee crammed into the narrow space between the window, the table and a rather massive weeping fig, getting each other up to speed with everything that’s happened over the hols. Draco tells Harry all about the three weeks he spent in France with his mother at the start of the summer, and Harry tells Draco about the mail thieving house elf that appeared in his room. 

”It’s simply outrageous!” Draco hisses. ”If I had that creature here right now, I’d wring its neck!”

”I almost did”, Harry mutters. ”But I suppose he was just trying to help, in his own way…”

”I don’t care! That was way out of line and as a house elf, it should have known better!”

”Yeah, I know… But he said something really terrible is going to happen at Hogwarts this year.”

”Like what? They’re going to hide another philosopher’s stone there?” 

Harry chuckles and shakes his head, ”Merlin I’ve missed you…”

A subtle tint of pink creeps into Draco’s cheeks and he ducks his head a little, but smiles happily. 

By the time Remus and Narcissa comes to get them, Harry has finished his ice cream and Draco is munching on the soggy leftovers of his waffle cone. Narcissa takes the seat opposite the boys, insisting Draco finish eating before they leave and hands him a thick wad of tissues to clean his hands and face, even though he hasn’t left a single drop of ice cream on either as far as Harry can tell. Draco doesn’t complain however, but keeps wiping his fingers meticulously until Narcissa’s intense stare softens and she finally looks away, seemingly bored again. 

*

When they finally make their way to Flourish and Blotts, Harry notices the crowd around them getting larger and larger. In fact, it seems as though all of Diagon Alley has suddenly decided to visit the old bookshop at the same time.

”What’s going on, daddy?” he asks Remus, who is craning his neck to get a better look. 

”There’s a book signing”, he replies and points to a gigantic banner stretching across the shop window and doorway. 

As they get closer to the shop and the tall wizard in front of Harry slips inside the store, Harry finally gets a good look at the banner and can read the gold letters: 

”GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12.30-4.30 pm”

”Gilderoy Lockhart”, Harry murmurs. ”Where have I heard that name before…”

”Your book list”, Remus says.

Harry quickly gets his Hogwarts letter out of his robe pocket and scans the book list. Sure enough, out of the eight titles he’ll need aquire for his second year at Hogwarts, seven are written by this Gilderoy Lockhart. Whoever has taken over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts after Professor Quirrell, they’re clearly a huge fan of this Lockhart guy, Harry thinks.  

”Come on”, Remus urges and ushers the boys in front of him, through the small crowd jostling outside the door. ”Keep moving to the back of the store…”

”Calmly, please ladies”, a short stressed-looking wizard standing just inside the door begs the crowd, that is in fact mainly made up of middle-aged witches, Harry notices now. ”Don’t push, there madam… mind the books, now…”

”Keep moving”, Remus urges again and gives Harry a gentle shove. 

They keep weaving their way through the enthusiastic crowd and finally emerges on the other side, moving into the deserted travel section of the store.

”There”, Remus says. ”Now we can all breathe while we get your books…”

”Yeah, but… All the books we need will be over there, won’t they?” Draco says, pointing towards the chaotic book-signing in the back.

”Right…” Remus mutters. ”That’s alright. I’ll go get your books and you wait here… Where’s Narcissa?”

”Probably waiting outside”, Draco says. ”She doesn’t like people all that much.”

”Right”, Remus mutters again. ”Well. I won’t be long. Stay here…”

”Harry! Harry!”  

Harry turns around in surprise and barely registers the brown, bushy mane of one Hermione Granger bobbing towards him before he’s enveloped in a massive hug. He staggers back from the sudden impact, then awkwardly pats the Gryffindor girl’s back. She releases him again and grins excitedly, her large front teeth glinting in the dusty sunlight. Harry smiles back. 

”How was your summer?” he asks her politely. 

”Oh, just marvellous!” she exclaims, then noticing Draco for the first time she gives him a quick nod. ”Hi Draco, how are you?”

”Fine”, Draco mutters shortly, then swiftly turns away to ignore them both.

Harry gives Hermione an apologetic look.

”Have you seen Ron?” Hermione says, and Draco turns back again just as swiftly. ”He was just here… We met up in Gringotts earlier, I’m here with my parents, oh you must meet them Harry, they’re ever so excited — oh here they are —!”

Hermione nods towards something over Harry’s shoulder and he turns around to see what looks like the entire Weasley clan making their way through the crowd, accompanied by a slightly odd-looking couple wearing atypical muggle denims and snug-fitting jumpers instead of robes. Granger’s parents, Harry realises. 

”Over here!” Hermione yells and waves her arm. 

”Harry!” Ron exclaims happily as he hurries over and Harry grins back. 

”Hiya Ron! Fred, George, Mr Weasley…”

The three older wizards all shake his hand happily, then he turns back to Ron whose face has gone red for some reason, and the boy reaches out and puts a hand on top of Harry’s shoulder awkwardly. 

”This is Ginny, Harry”, one of the twins say, interrupting the moment and Harry feels strangely relieved as Ron’s hand immediately drop off his shoulder again. 

The twin gestures towards a small, redhaired girl whom Harry hadn’t even seen at first and he smiles at her. Her face goes beet red within seconds and she quickly looks down, shaking her red hair into her face to hide it. 

”Harry, these are my parents”, Hermione says. ”Mum, dad, this is Harry Potter.”

Harry shakes Mr and Mrs Granger’s hands as well and smiles tensely when they thank him for saving their daughters life. 

”Harry Potter!” an unfamiliar voice exclaims suddenly over the excited murmur of the crowd and a hush immediately breaks out in the small bookshop.

With dread pooling in his stomach, Harry slowly turns around. Every single person in the small bookshop is staring back at him, including a blonde wizard clad in forget-me-not blue robes that exactly matches his eyes, surrounded by large pictures of his own face. 

”Harry Potter”, a small, scowling wizard brandishing a large camera yelps and hurtles through the crowd to grab Harry’s arm.

Harry tries to resist and looks around in panic, searching the crowd for his daddy, but can’t see him anywhere. He stumbles after the persistant cameraman as the crowd parts to let them pass and before he knows it, he’s been pushed towards the blonde wizard in blue robes, who immediately slams his arm around Harry’s shoulders and clamps him to his side, before turning to beam at the camera. 

A small cloud of purple smoke errupts as the short wizard takes a photograph of the two of them, before dancing back a few paces to take another one. 

”Nice big smile now, Harry”, the blonde wizard says through his teeth. ”Together, you and I, will definitely make the front page!”

For the first time, Harry realises this blonde fop must be Gilderoy Lockhart himself. 

”Ladies and gentlemen”, the man says loudly, his grin never wavering. ”What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I’ve been sitting on for some time! When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography — which I shall be happy to present him with now, free of charge —”

The crowd applauds. 

”But he had no idea”, Lockhart continues. ”That he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical me… He and his school fellows will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!”

The crowd applauds again, cheering excitedly this time. Harry finds himself pushed away from Lockhart again, but before he can slip away completely, someone thrusts a whole tower of books into his arms and he almost trips over. 

He staggers back and knocks into a body. 

”S-Sorry —” he gasps and twirls around, trying to keep the pile of books from toppling.

Remus’ arms shoot out to steady him. 

”Daddy!” Harry gasps. ”I couldn’t find you —!”

”I was at the counter, paying for your books…”

”Someone just gave me these”, Harry mumbles uncertainly. 

”It’s his collected works, isn’t it?” Remus mutters. ”Great. As if one set wasn’t useless enough… Go and wait with the Malfoys, Harry, while I go return these…”

When Harry rejoins his friends in the travel section, Narcissa is still nowhere to be seen but her husband has appeared next to Draco and seems to be having a rather tense conversation with Mr Weasley. 

”—busy time at the Ministry, with all those raids… I do hope they’re paying you overtime, Arthur”, Lucius sneers, then reaches into Ginny Weasley’s cauldron and extracts a very old and battered copy of A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration. ”Obviously not… Dear me, what’s the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don’t even pay you well for it?”

Mr Weasley flushes an even darker shade of red than Ginny, ”We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy.”

”Clearly…” Lucius says as his pale grey eyes stray over to Mr and Mrs Granger. ”The company you keep, Weasley… and I thought your family could sink no lower —”

There is a sudden clang of metal against stone, as Arthur Weasley throws himself at Lucius, knocking Ginny’s cauldron out of her hands and sending it crashing to the floor in the process. Lucius is knocked backwards into a bookshelf and dozens of books thunders down on all of their heads. 

”Get him dad!” the twins shout as the two men continue to tussle along the bookshelves, causing more books to rain down on them. 

”Gentlemen, please — please —!” the shop assistant cries from the midst of the retreating crowd, murmuring and moving away from the fight like a herd of startled sheep. 

”Harry!” Remus shouts worriedly as he breaks away from them. 

Grabbing Harry with one hand and Draco with the other, Remus quickly ushers them into the safety behind another bookshelf, before he jumps in and positions himself between the two fighting men, holding each at an arm’s length and yelling at them both to pull themselves together. 

Mr Weasley pants heavily but finally nods, sucking his split lip into his mouth as he lets the Encyclopedia of Toadstools, that is to blame for the steadily darkening black eye on Lucius face, slip from his fingers. Lucius rearranges his robes and hair with a haughty huff, tossing Ginny’s old Transfiguration book back into her cauldron. 

”Here, girl — have your book — it’s the best your father can give you!”

”That’s enough!” Remus barks, quickly maneovering Mr Weasley back behind him again as the man tries to lunge at Lucius once more. ”Both of you! There are kids here, for Merlin’s sake!”

Remus makes sure to keep himself between the two men until Lucius has stormed out of the store, then he quickly grabs Harry and Draco by the hands and leads them outside. Lucius and Narcissa seem to be having a quiet argument, but stop as soon as they’re joined by the others. 

”Well, I think that’s quite enough for one day”, Narcissa says. ”Draco, say goodbye to Harry.”

Draco lets go of Remus’ hand and gives both him and Harry an embarassed look. Remus gives him a small smile, but that only seems to make Draco more uncomfortable. 

”I’ll see you soon”, Harry says. 

Draco nods, ”Yeah… See you…”

Harry and Remus stay outside Flourish and Blotts and watch the Malfoys disappear down the street. Draco looks back over his shoulder once and Harry immediately waves at him, but the blonde doesn’t wave back. 

”Come on, Harry”, Remus murmurs gently after a while and steers him back towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Later that night, Harry lies in his bed pretending to sleep as he listens to Remus tell Sirius all about it. 

”I mean to say! In front of all of our children, not to mention the rest of the customers, the new Defence professor and a photographer from the Prophet! What kind of example are they setting for the kids, resorting to violence at the slightest provocation like that, I mean really —!”

”Calm down, Moony”, Sirius soothing voice interrupts the tirade finally. ”No-one was hurt… it’s over now…”

”You should have seen Draco’s face, he was mortified… and Harry —!”

”It’s over now”, Sirius repeats firmly. 

”You’d think we were still in school”, Remus mutters stubbornly. 

He is finally silenced however, not by anything his husband says but, judging from a familiar humming noise he makes, a deep kiss. Harry smiles to himself and finally closes his eyes, letting sleep overtake him for real.