Chapter 18

"How could we ever raise two Hupplepuff kids? I think that's unheard of any kids of a Gryffindor and Slytherin marriage, and we did it twice," Draco sighed, asking Harry, as she was watching the said two little (but not so little, anymore, as they were both of age) pests bicker, waiting for Christmas family dinner.

Everyone was coming: all the Weasleys, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Snape, Hagrid, Pansy, and even the Malfoys were said to make some kind of appearance during the night.

It could have been a miracle if Grimmauld's place was still standing after everyone gathered, but it had been more than 20 years since they always had a similar crowd, and so far even Lucius Malfoy had learned he'd rather keep his (unpleasant) opinions to himself.

"Maybe we didn't have much to do with it," Harry humored her. "Teddy was always going to be one, and Gwyn just followed him. You know how inseparable they are."

"I guess you're right," Draco said, deep in her thoughts.

"It doesn't mean we can't take credit," trust Harry to make Draco laugh every day still.

"I mean, we're the best parents, so of course I'm taking credit," Draco said in such a tone that made Harry laugh in turn. "It's just kind of lonely that they don't need us anymore."

"They do," Harry argued. "Just because they moved out doesn't mean they don't."

"I'd never thought I'd say this, but this place is almost too quiet without them," Draco admitted.

"Not during the holidays," Harry said. "And you know… if you're bored of my face, we could always do a thing."

"I'm not."

"But I have a brilliant idea if you could just ask me what it is," Harry smiled at her.

"Please don't say it requires acrobatics in bed," Draco asked. "I don't think I could do that at my age without injury."

"We aren't even that old," Harry grinned.

"Harry James POTTER," Draco warned.

"Fine, it's our honeymoon," Harry suggested. "We never had one, so maybe we could travel somewhere just us, for a couple of days. And if we still haven't strangled each other by the end of it, maybe do it each year."

"Hmm," Draco considered. "I think it could be great."

"Did you just directly say my idea was great?" Harry teased.

"Sometimes even the unthinkable happens," Draco teased back.

"Yeah?" Harry asked.

"And it's much better than some awkward positions neither of us would like, but would pretend to care about just for the other's sake," Draco jokingly added.

"But if it's our honeymoon, we could always try some of the easier ones," Harry suggested. "If you throw out a hip, I promise to fix it with a spell…"

"How DARE you," Draco supposed she started it by calling herself not as young as they once used to be, but Harry joking with her age was crossing a line.

She kissed Harry to prove a point and malevolently planned to leave him hanging the next, but Harry was definitely not feeling his age when he picked her up as only a Muggle would, carried her to their bed, and wouldn't stop teasingly kissing her back until it became something more than kissing.

"The guests are about to arrive," Draco didn't think she had it in her heart to make him stop, so she tried to reason with him to stop.

"Yes, and I believe they can wait just a few minutes more," Harry promised her with a cheeky grin.

"You didn't even lock the door."

"Anyone who would walk into our bedroom without knocking first deserves whatever they happen to see."

"You do have an answer for everything, don't you," Draco noted, resigned to the fact that they'd be less than the perfect hosts.

On the bright side, Harry made it worth even the looks they got from some people. And when everybody was just a little drunk and very festive, and the kitchen was not as silent as Draco complained, everyone talking so loud that nobody could decently hear each other, Draco only kissed Harry briefly when she saw he was looking at her, and he took her hand under the table.

"Nobody travels in January," Harry said. "It's almost here, but we'd be able to make the necessary arrangements."

"You've been plotting this for a while," Draco realized.

"Your Christmas present might be an international portkey," Harry admitted. "But I expect to be taken along."

"I don't have a problem with that," Draco agreed. "You're surely amusing enough."

"It's my superpower," Harry managed to say with a straight face. "And I think my talent in the arena would only grow if I get all sorts of stupid ideas while traveling and seeing new things."

Draco could only see that happening, as Harry had participated in only so many pranks with the kids, even the smallest colorful or funny thing inspiring him to match their kids' age throughout the years, so she noted.

"Maybe I should be the one to ask so you wouldn't leave me behind."

"No way, I couldn't be myself if you weren't you," Harry said, and it might have been just another coquet remark, but it suddenly hit Draco how far they'd come, and how far they could still (probably) go.

It wasn't usual that Draco would get this close to emotional by Harry's flirting, especially not when the Malfoys were present, but it seemed even after more than two decades together, there could be surprises.

"I'm so sorry," Harry immediately said, getting close, trying to help her so nobody saw. "I didn't think before I spoke."

"These are tears of joy, don't apologize," Draco quickly corrected. "I simply didn't expect that such a remark would hit me so hard. I'll be fine in a minute."

And she was, on more counts than one, but their little time off didn't go unnoticed. After dinner, Draco had to reassure Ginny just about fifty times until the youngest Weasley believed she didn't have to teach Harry a lesson because all Harry did was being great.

Only then did Lucius come to gloat - and Narcissa tried to stop him. Or, at least that's what Draco thought.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. "With you and Potter."

"No," she said. "It's no time to bring out the champagne, father, we aren't splitting up."

"Is it the kids?" Narcissa stepped between them. "Do you miss them so much?"

"I love them terribly," Draco said. "But no, I wasn't crying because my adult children decided they wanted some space from us."

They all stood there for some time before Lucius said.

"Are you cursed or ill, mayhap?"

"Harry just said something sweet," Draco sighed. "Something so sweet, that I'm still struggling sometimes to believe it, but our life together is proof he means it."

"I can't say whether that's true or not," Lucius observed.

"It is," Draco warned. "Not that it's necessarily your concern, but it's true."

"Well, I have no choice but to accept that," Lucius said in a cold tone. "But just know: we're still your parents. If Potter did anything…"

"He didn't, and he WON'T either, and I don't appreciate the insinuation."

"Just know you could always return to the Manor," her father finished. "We also have a family relic you might remember, and I'd give it to you, should you need it."

"Is it a cursed object? I thought we were on somewhat better terms after all these years," Draco reminded him.

"It's a Time Turner, that can be used for years," Narcissa quietly said. "Just in case…"

"Even a Time Turner can't change what's already happened," Draco reminded them. "And I'm happy—"

"This one can," Lucius said. "Not that it should be used lightly, but if Potter abuses you…"

"Abuses?! FOR MERLIN'S SAKE," Draco stopped it. "If you truly care about me, accept my partner, and how he's the best for me! And if you have such an object, destroy it, before it gets stolen."

Lucius was about to add something else, but Narcissa stopped him.

"It's just unfortunate," she tried to calm Draco down. "We tried to support your marriage with Harry, but in the end, he took you from us."

"He didn't," Draco told them. "That was you're doing. And I haven't completely shut you out either, because we wouldn't be here talking if I did. But when you suggest that I should solve problems that aren't even there by changing this timeline where I'm happily married to the love of my life and have two boys who also mean the world to me, it makes me lose my non-existing patience."

Not to mention how just the existence of the Time Turner in Lucius' hand unnerved her, but by then, she had learned that she can't concern herself with Lucius' business anymore.

"We'll go," Narcissa offered. "It has been a long night, and your father might be a little bit tipsy anyway. I know I am."

It was a classic: blame-it-all-on-the-liquor move, but Draco let it go, too.

Only to turn for the door when they left, finding Harry there, looking at her.

"Are you okay?"

"How much have you heard?"

"Enough," Harry said. "Do you think he was lying?"

"Lucius, that he has a Time Turner?" she asked, and when Harry nodded, she added. "If anyone would spend a fortune on locating the last of a kind object in existence, it would be him."

"Maybe we should report it to the Ministry, then."

"He won't use it," Draco said as if trying to convince herself as well. "We barely escaped the second war unscathed, and he spent the last decades building his reputation back. Now if he turned back time to stop me from marrying you, and it worked, he'd still have to repeat all that unpleasant business."

"I hope you're right, but he already used it," Harry squeezed her hand. "He just used it to threaten you."

"Ha," Draco laughed.

"Draco, this is serious."

"I know, it's not that," Draco planted a kiss on her husband's cheek. "It's just I haven't even considered it as a threat, so it's refreshing. Maybe if I'm not a Malfoy long enough, someday I might be able to trust other people as well as I trust you."

"You trust all our friends."

"I get along with them, and up to a limit, I trust they would act in just as much of a pleasant way as I do towards them, but it's not the same," Draco said.

"Give it another few decades, and you'll see I was right," Harry shook his head, but then he was making an effort to change the topic. "I did hear you saying I was the love of your life, though…"

"I didn't think it was news to you?" Draco asked with a smile.

"No, but it's always nice to hear."

"I'd tell you plenty during our honeymoon," Draco offered. "So all we need to discuss is where we should go."

They did travel to a lot of places over the years, seeing so many different kinds of magic and people that it became a habit, and if one had a life expectancy of 150-200, it also meant that they were - sort of - running out of places they haven't visited yet.

"So what do we do, this year?" Draco wondered out loud.

"We could always start it all over again," Harry said. "The places we visited 50 years ago won't look the same now, I'd assume."

"50 years ago," Draco sighed. "That thought makes me feel old."

"Old enough for the—"

"Not old enough for your jokes about my age," Draco warned him. "I'll never be that old. Even if I was on my deathbed, you better point out how I wouldn't look a day over 30."

"For the record, you don't," Harry said.

"You're lucky you're such a good liar," Draco kissed him.

"I'm not even kidding," Harry said. "How long can witches have children? Maybe we should try for another one."

"You're pushing it too far," Draco warned him.

"Am I?" Harry had to be doing it on purpose.

"Yes, why not," Draco joined him in the joke. "Because our grandkids would surely appreciate it if we had a child who's their age."

"You see? It's a phenomenal idea, and we should start working on it right away," Harry beamed at her.

"You know, if you wanted me in bed, after a marriage so long, that's all you have to say," Draco sighed.

"I want you in bed, Draco," Harry immediately said.

"Thought you'd never ask," Draco replied likewise, and even when they were done, and just took some time enjoying the calm after sex, Harry looked at her with a smirk.

"I guess we could say I wanted you bed-ly."

"That's a horrible pun," Draco noted.

"But you're still laughing. A lot."

"Well, I guess I'm just glad," Draco admitted. "That even after so much time, you still haven't changed."

"Excuse you," Harry looked at her funny. "This is the face of Harry Potter who isn't the savoir of the wizarding world anymore, but instead a proud grandfather of 3 and counting…"

"We wish," Draco noted because while Teddy had married, Gwyn was taking a bit longer to find someone, and Draco had to consciously tell herself not to pull a "Narcissa" and try to set him up with someone, thinking she knew better what was right for him, than Gwyn himself, when he had a rather distinguished career instead.

"…so I'm nothing like I once was," Harry said. "And I, for one, would like to flatter myself thinking I've only changed for the better."

"I agree," Draco said.

"Excuse me, I didn't hear that," Harry trolled her.

"You heard me, Potter."

"Please."

"You're the best, and not only that, but the best you've ever been," Draco begrudgingly said. "I'm lucky to have you both as a husband and as a father to our kids."

"Merlin," Harry said.

"What."

"I can't make fun of you for saying any of that, and now I don't know what to say," Harry was laughing at himself.

"You'll live," Draco promised him, kissing him. "But now it's your turn to say something nice about me, and you better not think for too long, or I might just think it was hard to come up with something."

Harry didn't then, too busy laughing with her, but it could be said that he postponed it, still showering Draco with just as much attention as he did when they were arch-enemies, only it could be argued that his ways of expressing interest had radically - and yes, for the better - changed.