Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR, of course. Just puttering about in her world.

"Quit fussing and come on, Draco. We're late already," Harry called in amusement. They'd brought their children and belongings to Malfoy Manor for the Christmas holiday, but had plans to meet for a group dinner with the other young Hogwarts professors to celebrate the end of term. The blond was having a harder time leaving the children in his mother's care than Harry, seeming to endlessly remember one more thing to tell Narcissa.

Draco's pale skin slightly flushed with embarrassment as he realized what he was doing, and he came to join Harry at the Floo. "I know she can find us easily, but..." His voice trailed off as Harry smiled and tugged him close for a fond kiss.

"There's no one I trust more to leave our children with," Harry reminded him softly. It was true. He was absolutely certain Narcissa Malfoy would die before harm befell either child. She'd laid claim to his son with a grandmotherly fierceness that overrode any lack of blood tie to Richard, even surprising Harry by learning sign language even though the baby was too young yet to truly converse.

The emphasis on 'our' earned him a beautiful smile from Draco and a less chaste kiss than he'd given. The blond fussed with his robe, making sure the lines of the deep blue silk fell properly over his white tunic and trousers. He followed it with adjusting the collar of Harry's shirt and brushing his fingers along the emerald green vest the dark-haired man wore beneath matching green robes. "Let's go then."

Harry chuckled as he preceded his fiancé through the Floo, arriving in the popular Diagon Alley restaurant and waiting to offer his hand to Draco when he emerged. He'd not been all that thrilled that the group wanted to have dinner at such a popular hotspot for the younger wizarding population, but the women of the group had insisted that Rio was the best place to celebrate. At least the food would be a new experience, since the place specialized in Brazilian food.

Draco immediately began scanning the tables, before leading Harry to the young witch acting as hostess and telling her they were joining the Hogwarts table. She did a double take as she recognized the couple before her, but quickly remembered her job when the blond arched an elegant eyebrow at her.

As they followed the girl to the table where their friends and colleagues were already gathered, Harry flashed Draco a grin. "You have to teach me how you do that. Imagine if we did it in concert to everyone who gave us that startled look."

The blond laughed softly. "A few of them might faint dead away, you know."

There had been surprisingly little opposition from others when they'd begun appearing in public together after the understated announcement of their engagement in the newspapers. Most reactions were much like the girls', or sometimes akin to what Harry had seen on Muggle entertainment shows about fan reactions to movie stars. He'd been relieved that the ten years he'd been gone had allowed much of the British wizarding population's fascination with him to fade, and the Malfoys' mostly restored reputation meant that it was viewed merely as a pending alliance of families common to the wizarding world.

They took their seats as the others greeted them. Harry was happy to be amidst this group of friends. Being at Hogwarts had allowed him to happily enjoy the renewing friendships with his old friends, as well as making new ones with those spouses who he'd not known before. He ended up seated next to Millicent Bulstrode-Weasley and smiled brightly at the stout witch.

"Bit loud in here tonight. You'd almost think that everyone's out celebrating end of term," she commented.

"Downside of end of term falling on a Friday, I suppose."

She nodded. "But I have to admit it's good to be surrounded by a noisy crowd mostly our own age instead of having to be on the lookout for students' mischief amidst their noise."

Harry snorted. "Like they try any mischief with you within sight." Millicent's reputation among students nearly put Severus' to shame, although she was known for a strict sort of fairness that reminded Harry of the retired Minerva McGonagall.

"You'd be surprised what I come across and just wait until young Richard is the same age as my Constantine. No respect for my fearsome professorial reputation at all from that young one."

That caused her husband, seated to her left, to break out into laughter and join the conversation. "You expected anything else from a Weasley son, dear?" Charlie asked.

Harry's laughter at Millicent's mock despair drew Draco out of the conversation he was having with Hermione, seated to his right. When the joke was explained, he patted the witch's hand and winked at her. "See, Millicent, that's why Hermione's considered the brightest witch of our age. She was smart enough not to take on the Weasley bloodline."

Everyone at the table now laughed. Half the table was a Weasley couple, although only Percy was a professor rather than a spouse.

Ron grinned. "Well, she proved herself the bravest witch of our age. She did take on the Longbottom bloodline, after all." He yelped as Hermione's Stinging Hex landed, but laughed as his wife congratulated Hermione on her aim.

The interaction of the women made Harry smile. He'd worried at first when he returned that there would be at best coolness between Orla and Hermione, considering she'd dated Ron for three years. But it seemed the witches had an easy friendship between them, one he figured came from being completely content in their choice of marriage partners. Neville certainly held nothing but warm friendship for Ron, but Harry had expected that. Orla, being a younger Ravenclaw, had been an unknown for him.

As Hermione turned her attention to him, Harry wasn't entirely sure he liked the teasing glint in her eyes. "As challenging as Weasley or Longbottom bloodlines might be to parent, who do we sympathize with you two?" she asked, causing the rest of the table to begin laughing again. "Honestly, Malfoy versus Potter? The world's only safe because you can't actually combine your genetics!"

While Harry laughed, he realized Draco hadn't. Hermione came to the same realization and instantly sobered to apologize if she'd offended the blond.

Draco gave her a reassuring smile, but it held none of its usual brilliance. "I know blood doesn't matter to us as parents, but it feels so strange, to know we'll need some stranger's help anytime we want children," he explained, voice soft enough that those on the opposite side of the table had to strain to hear.

"Why do you have to choose a stranger?"

Harry almost smiled. Luna's voice hadn't lost its dreamy tones even in an adulthood that included marriage to Viktor Krum, four children of her own, and control of Hogwarts' version of a primary school.

"Well, that's how this surrogate thing works, right?" Draco frowned, glancing between Harry and Hermione for confirmation.

"Depends really," Harry said. "Sometimes it's a family member, like Jamie did for Jessie and I, or a close friend."

Draco shrugged. "Neither of us have a sibling like Jamie to help." He startled as Hermione swatted his arm indignantly.

"It might not be by blood, Draco, but Harry does have siblings, and I for one would be happy to help out."

That earned her stunned looks from both Harry and Draco, and Harry's gaze went quickly to Neville, who only smiled serenely before speaking. "Hermione and I discussed it the day we realized you two were serious," he explained. "And when you're ready for more children, we thought it'd be so much better if you knew absolutely everything about the surrogate mother."

"It isn't just them," Ron said, blue eyes serious. "We've all discussed it as couples, you know." Orla nodded, and Harry was startled to see the other couples also nodding in assent, even Percy's wife Patricia, who rarely spoke to him unless spoken to.

Draco's attention seemed drawn to Luna, who'd started this revelation off with her sweetly voiced question. "Even you, Luna?" he asked softly.

Viktor spoke before his wife could, covering her small hand with his own large one and smiling. "Surely you know by now that my love considers Harry her brother in heart." His accent was barely noticeable after a decade spent in Great Britain at Luna's side.

Luna's focus on Draco was intent. "I've four wonderful children already," she said. "I know Harry's like me, wanting a large family because he grew up an only child. I'd carry a dozen children for you two if you needed me to."

Harry found his voice at last. Hermione and Luna offering wasn't that surprising, all things considered, but the other women and their Weasley spouses seemed equally confident of the offer being made. "I don't think we'd ask for a dozen," he managed, feeling Draco's fingers tighten around his hand in search of comfort and reassurance.

Luna hummed happily. "Just think, Draco. I look so much like you in coloring that any child I had would fit right in with Allie and Richard."

All the Slytherin managed was a quiet thank you, his gaze seeking his menu as he swallowed hard. Harry tugged his fingers free to put his arm around the blond's shoulders instead, happy when the other man leaned into him.

Harry met the gaze of each couple, finally nodding. "When we're ready, we'll sort things out then." His chest felt constricted with emotion and warmth at the sheer amount of love he saw in everyone's gazes. It made him wonder how he'd managed to stay away so long, and he spared a moment's wish that he'd brought Jessie home to know these people who all loved him so unquestioningly. It passed, as he realized his late wife would be overjoyed to know he'd come home and found Draco.

"So it's true, Malfoy," a rude voice cut into the quiet sense of companionship encircling the table.

Feeling Draco stiffen under his arm, Harry looked up to see two couples hovering. He recognized Goyle easily, as the man hadn't changed much in full adulthood, but the bulky man and the woman at his side hadn't been the speaker. That woman looked familiar, in the way he knew meant she was a classmate he'd forgotten, and the man with her all but hid behind her as they became the focus of twelve intent sets of eyes.

"If you're referring to the fact that you can read and know Harry and I are engaged, Daphne, then yes, it's true." Draco's voice was cool, dismissive, and so utterly Malfoy that Harry had to smile.

She'd have been pretty if not for the sneer that twisted her features, Harry thought, and he steeled himself for what he expected to follow. Homophobia didn't normally plague the wizarding world the way it did the Muggle, but it still existed, and Harry knew that look unfortunately well.

"And your father consented to this?" she continued. "After all he's done to restore your family and now you're a shirt-lifter who won't even provide the family an heir?"

"Funny that you speak of heirs," Draco replied, still cool and dismissive. Harry was proud he didn't seem to be letting his former housemate's disgust affect him. "You don't seem to have any, but then again, marrying your own cousin tends to make such things difficult at best."

Fury contorted the woman's features. "I have an heir, you bastard."

"Ah, yes. Astoria does have children now, doesn't she." Draco turned as if to explain to Harry. "The Greengrasses do allow for a female head of family, but rumor has it that Nigel Greengrass intends to name his younger daughter head of family when he dies, since she married a Muggleborn and has two sons by him."

Harry addressed the woman at last, his voice near-arctic in its chill. "You claim an heir you didn't birth, yet malign Draco that he'll do similar?"

Her timid husband was tugging almost desperately at Daphne's arm, but it was another who succeeded in deflecting the woman at last. "Just because you failed in your bid to become a Malfoy doesn't mean you should be attacking Draco now." The quiet words in the deep baritone voice drew Harry's attention to Goyle, whom he'd forgotten when the confrontation had begun.

The unexpected input caused Daphne to lose whatever reply she'd been readying for Harry, and with a strangled noise, she stalked off, her husband trailing at her heels after an apologetic look to the group.

As soon as she was out of sight, Harry felt Draco relax against him, and the blond's attention turned to his childhood friend. "Thank you, Greg. I didn't know you were back in the country."

The large man shrugged, a slow smile lighting his features. "Eileithyia thought the kids should learn more about where their father's from." He drew his wife forward, allowing her to be introduced to everyone and accepting the invitation to join them. The pretty Greek woman was drawn into conversation with Hermione as Goyle settled next to his friend and studied Harry closely before obviously finding whatever he was looking for and nodding in approval.

"Will you be staying long?" Draco asked, all coldness melted away as he smiled at the bulky man.

"Depends. Wasn't sure how welcome I'd be back here. Not something I wanted my children exposed to, having to live with the mistakes I made." He made the sort of unconscious gesture to his left forearm Harry was used to seeing from redeemed Death Eaters. "But Eileithyia and I would prefer to send the kids to Hogwarts instead of the school she attended in Greece. She likes the prestige of it."

Draco's attention had also been drawn to the gesture Goyle had made at his forearm, and after a glance at Harry, who nodded, he drew back the sleeve of his robe and began unbuttoning his shirt cuff. They both watched Goyle closely as the blond revealed unmarked pale skin.

"How?" The question held so much pure hope that Harry's heart lurched in response. He'd made the offer to Lucius and Severus, who had both refused to have their Mark removed, but he'd not thought of the others like Draco who'd had to choose between death or the Mark when they were barely out of childhood.

"Harry took it away using a spell he learned in America."

Goyle looked to Harry, startled, and Harry smiled and drew his wand, making the offer obvious. The man's fingers were clumsy as he attempted to unfasten his shirt cuff, causing Draco to bat them away and finish the job. The faded silvery mark was more obvious on his darker skin than it had been against Draco's paleness, and Harry drew on his power as he spoke the spell, his wand tracing the ugly Mark. As it faded, the other man gasped, taking deep, shuddering breaths that caused his wife to place a hand at his back in concern.

The table was quiet as the large man got his emotions under control, his fingers tracing the clear skin of his forearm in awe. "It's gone. Really, truly gone." When he met Harry's gaze this time, his dark eyes were bright with unshed tears. "There was always a taint left, even on my magic," he admitted.

Harry smiled sadly. "I know, Goyle. I felt how deeply it reached when I took Draco's away."

"Greg."

"What?"

"My friends call me Greg."

Harry's smile brightened. He knew Draco had missed his friend, who'd persistently stayed abroad much like Harry had, avoiding reminders of the war. Maybe now the man would come back home. "Greg, then."

The waitress came then, and in sorting out orders, any further serious conversation was lost, but Harry couldn't help realizing that tonight's dinner to celebrate the end of term had turned into something so much more. The thought made him warm to the core.