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“Are your dragons friendly?” Scorpius asks Charlie with very little restrained enthusiasm as they walk down the dirt pathway to their cabin. Draco can’t hold back his grin as the oddly attractive and rough around the edges Weasley proceeds to explain, with equal enthusiasm, the different characters that his dragons have. Hermione’s walking right next to them and Fred’s a few steps behind them, right by Draco’s side. Despite Charlie being his uncle, the boy seems quite shy towards the dragon tamer, who he barely ever saw. But he still only narrowly avoids tripping over his own two feet as his gaze is glued to the faraway sky, where a young looking dragon is flying in and out of the clouds.
They made plans to visit the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary this year during winter break. Ginny and Nevil were in Norway again and Fred wasn’t very keen to spend his first winter break from Hogwarts in a small cabin in the mountains, among his younger siblings and the two constantly screaming twins. Draco had a newfound respect for Nevil and his ability to calm down his two raging daughters, and also thanked all the damn Gods that Lyra did not have that lung capacity.
So, they asked Fred if he wanted to join them on their family trip.
Just as Draco constantly predicted, the clever boy made Slytherin and despite the house not having quite the best reputation, Fred was happy and proudly wore the green colours everywhere. Draco actually saw him right at the beginning of the school year. There had been an awful incident at Hogwarts involving some fifth year students who secretly wanted to brew Felix Felicis and ended up in the medical ward with severe magical burns that wouldn’t heal. St. Mungo was called in and Draco volunteered himself along two other Healers. He spent the whole night brewing a counter potion and closing the agonising wounds.
Being completely exhausted, he almost missed Fred calling out to him just as he and the other Mediwizards were making their way out of the castle. With a tired grin he turned back and hugged the ever growing taller boy and asked him how school was. They sat down on a bench and Draco tried not to fall asleep as Fred enthusiastically recalled some of his favourite lessons and the new spells he learned, clearly very eager to show off. Then, just as Draco was planning on making his escape and saying goodbye to Fred, he saw some older students out of the corner of his eye. Clearly having a hushed conversation about them. And maybe it was being there in the castle again after so many years, or maybe Fred’s starkly reminiscent uniform that put Draco in a weird mindset, but he immediately clenched his jaw at the annoyance. Fred seemed to notice and followed his gaze across the yard.
“Oh, don't worry about them. They’re just gossipy Griffindors.” He said nonchalantly as the bell rang. “I'm glad I saw you before you left, tell Scorp I miss him loads.” Fred gets up and Draco can’t help himself.
“They’re not… mean to you? Are they?” He’s already thinking about marching back into McGonagall’s office, but Fred just scoffs.
“They wouldn’t dare, not with uncle Bill teaching here.” He really doesn’t seem to mind and Draco almost relaxes, but then Fred frowns and looks away. “They said some mean things about you in the beginning, but I made them stop. They don't know anything.” Draco knew this day would come. Fred’s naive perception about Draco’s character would never hold out in the harsh environment of Hogwarts. He was bound to find out eventually. He’s just surprised that Fred didn’t write him sooner, surely he had questions.
“They’re probably right about the things they’re saying, Fred.” Draco admits in a soft voice. He definitely doesn’t want the kid defending him and lying on his behalf.
“No, they’re not.” He said it so smoothly and so confidently that even Draco almost believed it himself. “They can say whatever they want about the mistakes you once made, I don't care about that. The person you are now is the one I’m standing up for and if those mistakes helped make you who you are, then they were worth it.”
The whole walk from the castle to Hogsmeade Draco kept wiping stupid tears off of his face .
“They’re amazing.” Fred gasps as he almost trips again and Draco wishes the boy was still small enough to be put over his shoulders.
____
“I don't have to go, Draco.” She says for probably the fifth time.
“Are you actually telling me that? Or are you just trying to talk yourself out of it?” He asks her from the armchair where he’s sat by the fireplace with a book on his chest. The boys are both sleeping in the other room, already exhausted from both the Portkey and the day spent riding and feeding baby dragons. Lyra is in a cradle by their bed, Draco charmed it to rock her to sleep right after Hermione finished feeding her.
“I honestly don’t know anymore. I'm both concerned about how this will go and about your feelings on the matter.” She’s clearly having second thoughts about this whole trip. Despite it being her own idea.
After getting her memories back, Hermione told Draco that she had mixed feelings about how everything with Ron ended. She felt like she wronged him in some way. Something Draco didn’t fully understand, but he wanted to support her in this strange quest to make amends with her ex. Something that even Harry, of all people, seemed to get his knickers in a twist about. But Draco honestly didn’t care. If setting things right with the most prickly of the Weasleys was what she felt the need to do, then Draco fully supported her
Which did not mean he had any intentions to actually meet the fucker, but he was fully confident that Hermione could handle the situation on her own. Ronald didn’t actually become a Dragon Tamer like his brother, but instead opened a tavern at the edge of the sanctuary. Seemed on point for him, but Hermione very much informed Draco that Ron was apparently sober.
“But what if he… you know, tries to start something with her again.” Potter asked from where he was half naked and shivering on the examination table. It was his third check up after managing to get hit with an old curse that no one had even heard off in the last century. The fucker. Things were looking good, but with Potter you never knew who else was trying to implant part of their soul into his stupid forehead.
“What am I doing diagnosing your abdomen? It's clearly the head that’s gone batty, if you would even think that I'm worried about him, Potter.” He says and continues to work for a few minutes in a very suspicious quietness. “Spit it out.”
“I always saw how much his behaviour was hurting Hermione and I never did anything… or I didn’t do enough. I never want her to be treated that way again.” Draco already knows this. He had been under Potter’s watchful eye ever since he started dating Hermione. He never said anything, but Draco knew that one wrong move and Azkaban would have seemed like a vacation resort compared to what Harry would have done to him.
“Potter, she fell in love with me twice.” Draco says smugly. “And she now has much higher standards than she ever did.” Harry didn’t seem to actually believe him. But Draco wasn’t putting on a false bravado for show. He truly believed this and if he had any doubts he would have told Hermione this and they wouldn’t be here.
“Hermione… I love you and I honestly couldn’t be more okay with this. It doesn’t mean I understand you wanting to have anything to do with that— prat, but I really don't have to understand it. And I'd gladly accompany you for moral support, but I think we both know that would be a bad idea.” She sighs and grabs her cloak, but as she walks over to Draco for a goodbye kiss the adjoining bedroom door opens and both boys stumble out, still rubbing their eyes and yawning.
“Scorpius can’t sleep, he has the magic jitters.” Fred tells them and then immediately notices the cloak. “Are you going somewhere, Hermione?”
Scorpius has been getting the magic jitters ever since his seventh’s birthday. It's quite early for the magic to start roaming through his body, seeking a release. It woke him up a few times at night. Draco either gave him his wand to try out a few charms or took him flying on his broom to release the magic and settle him down.
“Can we come with?” Scorpius asks, suddenly wide awake.
He and Hermione share a look. It's probably not the best thing ever to bring two underage children to a tavern at the edge of a Dragon Sanctuary in Romania, but Draco again isn’t too concerned. He knows his witch is more than capable of protecting the boys, so he shrugs.
“Alright, you two can come along, if you get dressed fast enough.”
____
Draco doesn’t know if the two Hebridean Blacks are arguing or doing some kind of mating ritual, but they’re continuously circling each other on top of the far off mountain. If it wasn’t for the full moon or the occasional puff of fire, you wouldn’t even be able to tell that the two marvellous creatures were up there. They were like a silent storm.
It was late and he really should be sleeping, but it was their final day here and between caring for his daughter and flying around with the two energetic boys, Draco didn’t really have any time to actually admire the vast beauty of this place.
So, he’s sitting down on the ground by a short cliff and taking in the view before him.
He sighs…
He never thought that his life would ever have a shot at this much happiness. His heart had been so full these past few days, it's a miracle it didn’t burst.
Footsteps approach him from behind and they are much too light to be Hermione’s. Maybe, if he’s lucky they’ll be Charlie’s.
“I don’t really like uncle Ron.” Fred told him as Draco helped the young man out of the flying gear. They had a minor scare earlier, when Fred lost his grip on the broom he was using and tumbled down. Draco had Scorpius on his own broom, so he couldn’t do anything as Fred plummeted to the ground. Luckily Charly was quite fast and dove down after him at an incredible speed. He had to apparate once he grabbed Fred, because they were both too close to the ground to pull back up. Fred made it out completely unharmed, but Charlie suffered a minor splinching, one that Draco immediately fixed entirely, leaving not even scars behind, only a thin line of pale skin. He was offered a smile in return. An easy smile, not a forced one for Hermione’s sake.
“Why not?” Hermione didn’t say much about how the visit went, but Draco doubted that she accomplished what she wanted the other night. Her disappointment was clear when she got under the covers and curled by his side. Draco could throttle that idiot.
“He’s… too angry at the world.” He was sure that Fred would grow up to accomplish great things in his life.
“Maybe you’ll help him heal, one day.”
“Why me? You’re the healer.”
Draco smiled down at him and ruffled his hair as they walked back to the cabin. “Because you’re a kinder man than I’ll ever be.”
“Ferret.”
“Weasel.” Draco didn’t miss a beat and he is quite satisfied with the frustrated inhale he gets in return.
Silence follows for the next few moments, but Draco doesn’t intend on speaking first. There is simply nothing he wants to say. If Ronald would like to get something off of his chest, then he’ll just have to dig in his pants and find the balls to do it.
“I'm only doing this because of Hermione, so if there’s something you want to say to me, then say it.” He comments and Draco frowns. Did he not just think about how there was nothing he wanted to say to him?
“What on earth are you talking about?” He keeps his tone bored and unbothered. Even though he would much rather go back to enjoying the silence.
“Hermione said she would appreciate it if I gave you a chance. So I’m giving you a fucking chance.” Draco is no less confused. Yes, Hermione would probably like for them to get along, but what kind of stupid peace offering was this? “Aren’t you going to apologise to me?” Oh, the audacity.
Draco maintains his calm and keeps on looking in the distance, deeply contemplating and probably pissing the other man off with his leasureness.
“If memory serves…” Draco starts, looking completely unaffected by how much the memory of his younger self actually hurts him. “I did grobble at your feet for an apology once and you… didn’t appreciate it.” Maybe Ron didn’t think that Draco would bring it up, because the air between them got even more tense. “I have absolutely no intention of offering you any kind of follow up apology at this time, I'm afraid.” He knows how his tone has always affected the redhead and is ready for the snarl that follows.
“You haven’t changed one fucking bit, you’re just the same pretentious git.”
Damn it, the dragons are gone and Draco failed to see if they left together or not. Trust Weasley to ruin something interesting. Draco starts to get up and hears feet shuffling backwards. It's hard to keep the smirk off his lips.
“Don’t be ridiculous, we’ve all changed. Even you.” He only lets his eyes linger on Ronald’s body for half a second, but it's enough to make the other man immediately suck in his gut and stand up straighter. He had put on a few pounds and judging by the cigarette in his left hand he picked up some awful habits, still, Draco can objectively say he’s not an unattractive man. However, he’s also entirely too easy to figure out, he always has been. Despite him playing it off, Draco knew he always landed his mark with him as a kid. If it wasn’t a sore spot, it wouldn’t have hurt when Draco dug his finger into it.
“And you’re a saint now? You expect everyone to just forget what you did and—”
“And what did I actually do to you?” The question catches Ron off guard and he frowns, then lets out a noise of indignation.
“You must be joking.” He spits. “The sun will implode by the time I'm finished with that list.” Of course.
“Go on, then.” Draco stands his ground, hands in the pockets of his black cloak as he stares down the other man. He knows he’s won when Ron starts off with a stutter.
“Y-you were a spoiled rotten prick all—”
“Yes, yes, I was a bully and I called you mean things and made fun of you for being poor. How tragic. Anything else?” Draco uses the following beat of silence to emphasise his next sentence. “Did I ever hex you? Beat you up? I’ve been told I once poisoned you, albeit you weren’t the intended target. But I don't ever remember using an unforgivable on you—”
“You took Hermione from me!” He takes a step closer, fury burning in his eyes. “You lied your way into my family and you tricked Harry into believing your bullshit.” At least Draco can appreciate the level of drama, but he now sees that there’s no real point in arguing with someone as delusional and full of hatred.
“I won't bother with most of those statements , because frankly they seem like issues that you should be discussing with Harry and your family. However, I’m saying this because I will not tolerate you thinking so low of my wife . Hermione was miserable when you left. She didn’t immediately jump into a relationship with me and there had been absolutely nothing going on while you were still together. She waited over a year for you to come to your senses and return to her.” By the look on his face, no one had ever told him that.
“Don’t fucking lie to me! I saw pictures of you in the Prophet not even a month after I left. You looked very friendly with each other.” Draco tries to think back to that time, the papers had been full of photographs and titles like “The Death Eater and Hermione Granger, enemies turned lovers” for months after they'd first been spotted together.
“If you’re referring to the time I embraced Hermione after we left the caffè, well I only did that because I saw a photographer outside and she had been crying her eyes out. I stepped in front of her and she used my shirt to wipe off her tears. Tears she shed for you.” Draco might as well have slapped him. “I listened to her cry for days, weeks and months. I never dared to hope for everything I got, but I still got it.” He passes right by Ron, walking more leisurely than he had since they arrived here. Then he lies through his teeth for the sole purpose of hurting the other man. “Thanks to you.”
He’s greater than his body allows it when he's with her. He can fly at soaring heights when he’s with her. There’s a fire burning inside him and he’ll use it to scourge the whole world, if they try to take her away from him. When he’s with her, he’s a dragon.