Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Christmas Loan ❯ Human ( Chapter 13 )

The Christmas I Loaned My Sons

By: Ellipsis the Great

DISCLAIMER: The idea is from `Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul.' Harry Potter and all things affiliated with him belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. I own the Potter twins, and all of the plot outside what I garnered from CSFTCS.

Summary: After losing his wife and son to a magical disease, Draco Malfoy puts an ad in an editorial to borrow a son for Christmas. Harry Potter answers.

Rated: T just in case. May change later on.

Spoilers: Five years post-Hogwarts. Compliant with all books, sans the epilogue in DH.

Warnings: CONTAINS SLASH! There WILL be shounen-ai in this story! Maybe actual yaoi later on, but definitely shounen-ai!

 

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Human

 

Alright, confession time.

Confession number one: my crush on Draco Malfoy had never gone away. I had become a master at ignoring and hiding it, but it was always picking at some corner of my mind. And just so it's known, kissing the object of my crush did absolutely nothing to help the situation.

Confession two: if Cho's kiss was `wet' and Ginny's was `nice,' then Draco's was…`fiery.' I had never expected such a seemingly cold person to have such unbearably hot lips, but he did. Added on to that was the way Draco felt so small beneath me—not fragile, mind you. Merlin knew Draco had never been fragile. But small—somehow I still felt as if I was somehow going to swallow him up, with both my body and my lips.

In some sort of attempt to stop myself from completely encompassing him (although he didn't seem to mind, if that nearly inaudible moan was anything to go by), I leaned forward on my knees a little. This had the added affect of bringing our groins closer together; both a good and a bad thing for reasons best left to the imagination. It also softened our kiss, which had previously been a bruising thing—the latter was more suited to our past relationship, perhaps, but the former was a bit more enjoyable.

And it was in this moment that the fireworks went off.

It wasn't the old cliché `kiss that caused fireworks.' No—things had never been that simple for me. Fireworks actually went off.

This, of course, was compliments of George's `First Crush Mistletoe.'

I had never had fireworks go off right beside my ear before, but rest assured that it became my dearest wish that it should never happen again.

Remember how I had been leaning up to keep from smothering Draco? I was still in that process when the fireworks started.

Which brought us to the third confession: I was a very jumpy person. Some credited that to Voldemort and the war—I had always given credit to Dudley, myself—but either way the result was…chaotic.

My legs kicked out, spring-boarding me off of Draco's lap and the couch. I landed on the floor with a resounding thump, skidding backwards until a stack of presents stopped my progress by toppling on top of my head.

“Daddy!” The twins exclaimed as the mistletoe let out one last crackling cackle and disappeared.

“Oh, Harry!” Luna gasped as gifts were lifted off of me via a few quickly-cast levitation spells.

“Yeah…I think I was too dazed for the fall to do much.” I said. Truth be told, I was still a bit dazed, although some might have attributed that to the spectacular fall I had just taken.

“Are you hurted, Daddy?” Nix asked as Byrne worriedly checked me over for bumps and bruises.

“No, no, I'm fine.” I said, looking at Blaise and Luna. “You might have warned me about that little detail, though.”

“I swear I would have if I'd known, Harry.” Luna promised.

“I wouldn't have.” Blaise muttered, just barely dodging the elbow Luna tried to dig into his stomach.

“I'm so sorry, Harry.” Luna said as if she had not just tried to cause her husband bodily harm. “Are you sure you're alright?”

“Promise.” I said with a nod. “Draco?”

Everyone turned to look at the blond in question, who was staring at me with a surprisingly blank expression on his face. He inclined his head slightly, still staring at me.

“Well…up you come.” Theodore said awkwardly, grabbing one of my hands and pulling me to my feet.

Draco finally showed some emotion when I wavered on my feet a little, frowning and rising to his feet. “You didn't give yourself another concussion, did you?” He asked, his voice flat.

“No—the noise has thrown my balance off a bit, I think.” I said, motioning above his head at the space where the mistletoe had been.

In spite of my answer, I heard him mutter a diagnostic spell under his breath, nodding with satisfaction at whatever results he got. I assumed they were positive, as he didn't try to force me to sit or drink anymore of his foul-tasting potions.

“So…I'm assuming the kiss was good.” Blaise smirked, looking from me to Malfoy and back again.

“There were definitely fireworks.” I said with a sage nod.

“That was Uncle George, Daddy!” Byrne giggled, apparently satisfied that I was alright.

“Was it really?” I asked with false shock. “I suppose Draco isn't as good a kisser as I thought, then.”

“I beg your pardon!” Draco frowned at me. I figured he was on the verge of discovering what I was doing. I couldn't just kiss him again, after all. There was no longer a reason for me to do it without raising suspicions about my not-really-all-the-way-gone crush. But if he kissed me in a sudden bout of anger…

Well, that was another matter entirely.

“I said you aren't as good a kisser as I thought.” I said flippantly, hoping beyond all hope that I was being more of a sly Slytherin than it felt like I was. “I mean, if my brother-in-law has to provide the fireworks…”

His eyes narrowed, but I could see a small, amused spark in the silvery orbs—he had definitely caught on to what I was up to…and apparently he wasn't as opposed to the idea as I would have thought.

His face took on a decidedly clandestine expression.

“Well, then, I suppose I'll have to kiss you again, eh, Harry?” He practically purred my name, and I think even the twins and Val began to pick up on our not-so-subtle flirting. I had to hide the shiver that ran down my spine at his words.

“That's entirely up to you.” I replied with a wistful smile.

“Hm.” Then, in some cruel twist of fate, his Slytherin inclinations came out. “You'll have to wait, Potter.” Fascinating how one voice could make my last name sound like an insult or an endearing sobriquet with no more than a slight change in the intonation used. “I'm not much of an exhibitionist.”

I realized with a start that he was teasing me. Not making fun of me, not using my feelings or actions against me—just outright teasing me.

Draco Malfoy, my first crush and rival, was teasing me!

I decided to see how far my luck would take me.

“When's the date, then?” I asked, allowing my voice to take on husky undertones.

“There's no fun in setting dates for kisses.” He said, his tone almost scolding. “I'll surprise you.”

“I'll look forward to it.” I said, then erased any and all acknowledgement of the conversation, turning to Blaise. “So, is it you or Theo who's the youngest, now? I always forget.”

“T-Theo.” Blaise said, gaping at Draco and me.

“Alright, then.” I looked at Theodore. “You'd best hurry up, mate. The kids will be wanting to go to bed soon—the sooner they're asleep, the sooner Santa will come visit!”

“Santa!” Val clapped her hands together excitedly, beginning to bounce up and down on her feet.

“Hurry up, hurry up!” Nix said, grabbing Theodore's hand and trying to pull him toward the presents. “We gotta go to bed on time so Santa won't give us coal!”

“You'll prob'ly get coal anyhow.” Val snickered as Theodore rolled his eyes and grabbed his gift.

“I'm not gonna get coal, you are!” Nix retorted, blowing a raspberry at her. “Stupid girl!”

“You're stupid!” She said, sticking her tongue out.

“Don't call Nix stupid!” Byrne scowled.

“He called me stupid!” She said.

“That's just `cuz you said I was gonna get coal!” Nix yelled.

“Well you both prob'ly will! `Cuz you're stupid!” She yelled back.

“Don't call us stupid!” The twins shouted in unison.

“Oi!” I grabbed the back of the boys' shirts, lifting them up. “None of that! What did I tell you two about fighting?”

“She started it!” They said, still in synch. It was a rare occurrence, made odd to all of us after having become so used to Fred and George's antics.

“I don't care who started it. Play nice.” I said firmly, looking at Val. “That means you, too, young lady. No more fighting—it's Christmas.”

“You're not my daddy! I don't have to listen to you!” Val said.

“Valerie Alena Goyle!” Millicent gasped. “I did not teach you to speak that way to your elders!”

“They're being meanies!” She said.

“She's right.” I said, setting the boys down. “Both of you—apologize right now.”

“And then you can apologize to them and especially to Mr. Potter, Valerie.” Gregory added.

“'M sorry.” Nix sighed, rolling his eyes.

“I'm not.” Byrne crossed his arms over his chest, giving me a defiant glare. “She was being mean to Nix! No one's `lowed to be mean to Nix, not ever!”

Only my son would pick then to stop being the shy and quiet twin.

“That's true, Byrne, no one should be mean to him.” I said carefully. I didn't want to discourage him standing up for himself and his brother, after all. “But that doesn't mean you're allowed to be mean, either, especially not on Christmas. Apologize.”

“Nuh-uh!” He shook his head vigorously. “She's gotta say sorry first!”

“Byrne…” I warned.

“No, Daddy! I'm not sayin' sorry `til she does!”

“That's fine.” Millicent said. “Valerie is the one that started the fight, after all.” She gave her daughter an expectant look. “Valerie?”

“I'm sorry for being mean, Nix.” Val bit her lip, looking genuinely sorry. “You too, Byrne. I didn't mean it.”

Byrne relaxed a little. “Me neither.” He murmured, grabbing Nix's hand.

Then Val looked up at me. “I'm sorry for being rude, Uncle Harry.”

I ruffled her hair. “It's alright. It's Christmas, right? Forgiveness and all that.” I frowned at the twins. “But I think the boys need to go to bed if they're going to be cranky. They're probably sleepy.”

“No! I don't wanna!” Nix protested, backpedaling away from me and pulling Byrne along with him. “'M not tired!”

“Wait until everyone's opened their present!” Val said. “You can't make them go to bed `til then, Uncle Harry, you just can't!”

“Yeah!” Nix agreed. “And we gotta give Grandmother `Cissa her present!”

“Alright, alright.” I gave in, seeing Narcissa blush prettily out of the corner of her eye—she looked even more surprised than Draco had about getting a present.

As if their earlier argument had never happened, all three kids cheered. Byrne latched onto both Draco and I, shepherding us back to the couch as Val and Nix did the same with the rest of the adults. Theodore, Blaise and the rest of my generation of adults opened their gifts with little pomp and circumstance (Theodore received a book on runes from Draco, Blaise laughingly opened a do-it-yourself gingerbread house-making kit from the twins and I (he had revealed to Nix that he had never built one before, so my youngest son had insisted we buy him one), and Gregory and Millicent received the joint present of a set of matching dress robes from Val).

“Now it's your turn, Grandmother `Cissa!” Nix exclaimed excitedly. He toddled over to the presents, studying them for a moment before finally reaching forward and grabbing one. He returned to where she was sitting, all but shoving the six-by-two inch box at her. “'S from me and Byrne and Daddy.”

“Oh…thank you, Phoenix.” She said almost breathily as she took it from him, opening it so pristinely it was a bit of a shock when I realized that her hands were shaking ever so slightly with excitement, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She finally lifted the lid off of the box, her eyes widening just a bit as she picked up the golden locket that lay within it. It was oval in shape, and engraved on the front was a picture of a laurel branch twined together with a daffodil (1). “It's beautiful!”

“You like it, Grandmother?” Byrne said, leaning nervously against my leg.

“I love it, Byrne.” She said.

“You gotta open it!” Nix said. “Open it, Grandmother `Cissa!”

“There's more?” She asked even as she opened the locket. Though I couldn't see it from where I was sitting, I knew what was in it—a picture of her late husband holding a much younger Draco on the left, and on the right an eerily similar picture of Draco holding Adder. As I watched her mouth spread into a surprisingly pretty smile and her eyes fill up with bittersweet tears, I knew that what I told Molly had definitely been correct.

The Malfoys were most definitely just as human as anyone else.

 

ENDCHAPTERTHIRTEEN

(1): The laurel is one of the symbols of Apollo, the Greek god of light. Lucius means `light' in Latin. The daffodil is also known as the narcissus plant, which is obviously where Narcissa's name comes from. Just me being weird again! XD

Also! I think the timeline for this story is confusing some people, so here `tis:

This story takes place five years after Harry's seventh year. Harry would have been seventeen then, which makes him and all of the other adults (except for Narcissa and Luna) twenty-two. He and Ginny got married right out of school, but were unable to have children for a while, when they finally had the twins and Ginny died in childbirth. That makes the twins three years old. Greg and Millie also got married straight out of school, but Millie got pregnant right after they got married, which makes Val five years old (maybe a little less than five years old, technically, but it's close enough that I'm not really going to get finicky about it. It won't really matter in this story, anyhow).

I hope that cleared things up for everyone!