Secret Santa!

If you are still without a gift, dont fear! Were on it, and you will have one by the end of the week curtsey of myself, marta or one of our volunteers! :)

I would like to apologise to everyone without gifts, Im so sorry you ended up with nothing because of the circumstances of some people. I can only say Im sorry and try to make it up to you now!

This is a Secret Santa gift for @wandofhawthorn Hi Elizabeth! I am your surrogate Secret Santa. I offered to help make gifts for those (like me, actually) who haven’t got any gifts yet and whose real Secret Santa seems to be unable to make anything (for whatever reasons). I was told you like Drarry, but as that’s not really my cup of tea, it did not turn out especially shippy or fluffy, and I sincerely apologise for that and hope you won’t mind too much. (Also I threw in Teddy Lupin, because really, he’s adorable.)

Happy quite belated Christmas, Elizabeth!

It’s a Start

Harry Potter was walking down Diagon Alley, a two year old toddler grasping his right hand. Harry couldn’t help but marvel at how the place had changed in the time since Voldemort had been defeated. The alley had been ashes and rubble and boarded up shops and sinister people when he, Ron and Hermione had broken into Gringotts all those months ago. Now shops were open – old ones, new ones – and people were strolling about in the warm sunny air. He looked down at the child and a pang of guilt pierced him.

Teddy Lupin had grown so much in the two years since the battle of Hogwarts, but his parents had never been there to see it. Harry still beat himself up a lot about that. Had he only decided to sacrifice himself earlier, they could have been alive to see their son growing into the most adorable boy. Hermione always tried to reason with him. ‘How could you have known? You gave yourself up right after you’d seen Snape’s memory! It’s not your fault, Harry. It’s entirely Voldemort’s!’

Ron on the other hand seemed to understand Harry’s feelings. Harry guessed he thought of Fred and how he also could have been alive today, if Harry had known earlier that he had to die to defeat Voldemort. Ron didn’t resent him for this, Harry knew, but he understood.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he did not notice the strange haggard looking woman walking down the street – directly towards him with a look of fury on her face – before she was only a few feet away.

Harry instinctively pulled Teddy behind him and gripped his wand under his robes. The woman halted before him and hissed at him angrily:

'Harry Potter, my husband is in Azkaban because of you!’ she spat and her eyes were angry slits now.

Harry stared at her defiantly. 'That’s probably because your husband is a Death Eater. If you’d excuse me.’

He grabbed Teddy and lifted him up into his arms, stepped around the furious woman and resumed his way down the street. Therefore he did not see the woman draw her wand, he only heard the beginning of a curse ('Avada-’) and then someone shouted 'Stupefy!’ and Harry whirled around to see the woman hitting the floor with a thud, blowing up a cloud of dust.

As the dust settled he could make out a lone figure standing opposite him – the woman lying between them. Slowly he saw neat black robes and then a head of pale blond hair. The person lowered their wand. Ice blue eyes looked up into Harry’s.

'Malfoy?’ Harry asked stupidly. Teddy twisted around in his arms, curious about the man his Uncle Harry had addressed. Teddy had never heard that name before.

Draco Malfoy lowered his wand and turned to leave.

'Draco, wait!’ Harry yelled and walked towards his former schoolmate. Draco stopped and turned back to Harry, a defiant look on his face.

'Potter.’ He nodded curtly and turned to leave once again.

'Wait, we have to call the Aurors.’ Harry gestured towards the unconcious woman on the ground. 'You have to give a statement.’

And Harry drew his wand to send a Patronus to the Ministry of Magic. Draco sighed but made no move to leave. The Aurors took not long to turn up and took statements from both Harry and Draco. When they were done they took the woman into arrest.

Draco and Harry were standing around awkwardly for a moment, Teddy still clinging to Harry, but looking at Draco curiously.

'That yours?’ Draco finally asked, nodding towards the little boy in Harry’s arms.

Harry looked town at Teddy as if only just realising that he was there. 'No…’ he said slowly. 'Actually that’s your cousin, Teddy Lupin.’ Harry watched Draco for any sign of antipathy towards the toddler, but Draco’s face only showed mild surprise. 'Teddy, this is your cousin, Draco. His mum is your granny’s sister,’ Harry explained to the child. He wondered if Teddy even understood any of it, but the boy just smiled shyly and waved at Draco, who winced a bit but finally waved back.

'Uhm, thanks by the way,’ Harry finally said, 'for saving us back there.’

'Guess we’re even now, Potter,’ Draco responded, the corner of his mouth curling upwards slightly, forming somthing that was not a real grin, but some kind of friendly expression. For Draco that was a lot, thought Harry.

'Guess so,’ Harry said, extending his Teddy-free Hand. Draco took it and they shook hands.

'Well, I have to go. Business,’ said Draco.

He had barely taken five steps when Harry – although he would later claim he had no idea what possesed him to do so (Hermione would only smirk knowingly) – called out 'Oi, Malfoy!’ and he turned around again. 'Want to get a cup of coffee sometime?’

Draco looked surprised but somehow pleased. 'Yeah, why not. You’re on, Potter.’

Harry watched Draco walk away and suddenly couldn’t help grinning and calling after him:

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

For Sarah @wrenegadeandmagicath for the Harry Potter Secret Santa. (I know it’s late and I’m sorry! Sick kid over Christmas kind of threw me off.) I hope you like it!