Author's Notes: Written for flamingolady as part of hd_relief's Japan Fest on livejournal. Prompt #23.
Harry was frantic with worry. Sweat poured down his face and his breathing came in laborious pants as he pelted down Diagon Alley, his eyes rolling every-which-way so quickly, you'd have thought he had magical ones la Mad-Eye Moody.
"Teddy!" he called out as loudly as his scratchy throat would allow. "Teddy, where are you? Please answer me, Teddy!" The only response was dead silence and the looks of shock on every face in the alleyway. "Fuck!" he swore, turning away from all the staring eyes.
Harry then paused to catch his breath and ran his hands though his hair, which was much wilder than usual, the product of his hands desperately pulling at it for the last twenty minutes. That was how long he had been searching for Teddy. Harry had taken his godson to look for a suitable necklace for Andromeda's upcoming birthday, and Harry had taken his eyes off Teddy for just one second, but that was all it took. Teddy was gone.
At first Harry had calmly walked through the shop, pretending to admire the sparkling jewelry while really looking for his wayward godson. It wouldn't do to cause a stir by shouting through the store for him. As Harry came back to the showcase he had started at however, he was forced to conclude that Teddy was no longer in the store. He immediately became tense and worried. Teddy was not usually one to just wander off; whenever they went out, he was typically attached to Harry's hip. He (much like Harry) was uncomfortable around all of Harry's many admirers and fan-girls. The noise and attention seemed to frighten him. Harry couldn't imagine him just walking off into a crowd on his own. He had exhaled loudly as he realized just how long he'd been standing there and jolted into motion, springing out onto the street to search for the seven year-old.
He had gone into every store he came to and called for Teddy, no longer caring about making a scene, but had had no luck so far. Not even in Quality Quidditch. He had been desperately hoping that he would find Teddy ogling the newest racing broom or beater's bat, but instead found the hope draining out of him when he saw no shock of green hair.
He couldn't bring himself to even briefly think about the possibility of not finding Teddy; the boy was Harry's whole world. He was the reason Harry got up in the morning and the reason he had founded the Albus Dumbledore Memorial Orphanage after the war. Teddy had never lived in the orphanage though. Harry had loved and raised him like his own from day one, but knowing that there were countless other children like Teddy out there, magical and Muggle alike, Harry knew he had to do what he could for them all. Harry felt a deep connection with Teddy, and after caring for the boy for seven years, life without his godson, his son, would be miserable and meaningless, and Harry couldn't face it.
Having gotten some of his breath back, Harry hurried to continue his search. The only shop he had yet to look in was the Apothecary, and he barreled through the narrow door hastily, willing his eyes to show him Teddy through the gloom.
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Draco was bored out of his mind. He had thought that scoping out the latest line of cauldrons would be the highlight of his day, (and wasn't that just depressing) but now he was here in front of them, he couldn't help but be disappointed. His cauldrons at home were vastly superior to this "new and improved" piece of shit. The shop keeper had been hovering around his elbow ever since he entered, fetching ingredients and other supplies as Draco called them out, and trying to push him into purchasing the copper crap-pile. Draco had tuned him out some time ago.
"...and it's charmed to never form patina-" Draco heard the man say, before he cut him off.
"You can save your breath, I won't be buying one," he drawled lazily, but with a finality in his tone that raised no objections from the man.
"Very well, sir," he said, looking a bit put out. "I'll just bring your things up to the counter. Take your time." He scurried away from Draco, who sighed lightly.
He always looked forward to the weekends because it meant he could relax and brew potions in his lab to his heart's content, unlike the work-week, when he barely had time to breathe, let alone enjoy his hobbies. Well, hobby. He really only had the one. From an early age, Severus had instilled in him an appreciation and a real passion for that "softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes." Draco snorted; his godfather would have been proud of him for remembering his words from all those years ago. Then he would have told him to quit his boring job at Gringotts and go for his Potions Mastery. Draco had no desire to do either; he actually enjoyed his job, feeling very much at home dealing with numbers and figures and gold all day. If he became a Potions Master, he'd never sleep for all the inquiries and requests from St. Mungo's or the Ministry, requiring the assistance of a specialist for one case or another. He didn't want to end up dreading time spent in the lab. Brewing potions was a way for him to relax and have fun, after all.
Going through the list of ingredients he needed for the afternoon in his head once more, Draco looked up and saw a pair of shockingly purple eyes staring at him from between the shelves. He stared back at the strange-colored eyes in bemusement for a moment before they blinked, and suddenly were no longer purple. He was utterly stunned to see his own stormy gray eyes looking back at him.
"What the..." he began, but then the eyes were gone, and a small boy came into view at his left. The child was short, he couldn't possibly be more than eight or so, definitely not Hogwarts-age yet, and was wearing a worn Weird Sisters' tee-shirt and Muggle jeans. His hair was shoulder-length and bright green, his eyes still the same shade as Draco's own. In his hand he held a small plushie dragon with red scales. Draco did not quite know what to make of him.
"Hi," the boy said, extending the small hand not holding the plushie out toward Draco. "My name's Teddy. What's yours? This is my dragon, Remus. He's named after my dad. My bio-dad, I mean. Not my dad-dad. Do you like potions? You sure are getting a lot of ingredients. I love potions. Dad says I can't make them by myself until I go to Hogwarts though. He worries too much. Are you good at potions?" All of this was spoken in a rush that made Draco's head spin. He looked down at this Teddy, and, having had good manners drilled into his head from an early age, he silently shook the boy's waiting hand. Not knowing what else to do, but never one to reveal that he was flustered, he cleared his throat and answered as best he could.
"Hello, Teddy. I am Draco Malfoy. I am excellent with potions, as it happens. Do you-" But he was cut off by a sharp cry form Teddy, who looked up at him in awe.
"You're Draco Malfoy? But you're my cousin! My mom was Tonks! Dad talks about you all the time! I've wanted to meet you for forever! I..." Teddy went on babbling about Merlin only knew what, because Draco was no longer listening. This boy was Teddy Lupin, his first cousin once-removed and adopted child of none other than Harry Potter. Potter, whom Draco had only seen a handful of times in passing in the last seven years. Potter, on whom Draco had something of a crush. No wait, not a crush. Malfoys didn't have crushes. He held Potter in high regard, that was all. Not to mention the man had a fine arse...or so he was told. He'd never looked or anything, of course.
"Teddy," Draco interrupted whatever it was the boy had been saying, "Did you say that your father talks about me? What does he say?" Draco hoped that maybe his little cousin would prove to be an ideal way to get to Potter. First he wanted to know what the other man had to say about him.
"Oh, he says how you were good with potions, and how you were his only real competition at Quidditch! He misses flying all the time, I think. And he told me it was your wand that he used to stop that Voldy-guy, and that you and your mom both saved him during the war. That that was really brave. He really likes you, I think. Always tells Uncle Ron to stuff it when he says something not nice about you or Slytherin. Dad says that not all Slytherins are bad, like you and Snape. I want to be in Slytherin when I go to Hogwarts! Aunt Hermione says..." Once again, Draco's mind wandered away from what Teddy was saying. Potter liked him, did he? Defended him from the Weasel, even. Along with Snape and Slytherin, too. That was certainly encouraging. Now what to do with this information? Maybe he could arrange a visit with Teddy, and then use that time to also talk with Potter himself. They could make it a weekly thing, or...wait a minute. Where was Potter? Draco suddenly realized he hadn't seen any sign of the man the whole time he'd been talking with Teddy.
"Say, Teddy, where is Pot-I mean your dad?" That question effectively put an end to Teddy's rambling for the first time since he'd began. He shot Draco a sheepish grin. There was guilt written all over his face.
"Well, we were looking for a present for Gram and it was a bit boring. I mean, how much jewelry does she need, anyway? And so I just wanted to come look at some stuff for potions..." Draco wanted to laugh because if Andromeda was anything like her sister, then she absolutely did not need any more jewelry. However, it sounded like Teddy had left without telling Potter, and Draco knew the poor man was probably running around like a madman trying to find him. And then it struck him: if Draco brought Teddy back to Potter, his stock would go way, way up in the man's eyes. He mentally smirked as images of the things Potter might do to repay him sprang to mind.
"So your dad doesn't know you left the jewelry store, does he?" Teddy shrugged and shook his head while Draco inwardly cheered. "Alright then, why don't I help you find him? I'm sure he's worried about you." He placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder and called to the store clerk to save his purchases, he'd come back for them later. Just as he and Teddy were turning toward the door, it swung open with a bang and there was Potter, all wild hair and eyes.
He did in fact look like a madman, and his voice was hoarse when he called out, "Teddy! Are you in here?" He sounded panicked and close to tears.
Draco pulled Teddy over to the door so he would be in Potter's line of vision. The boy's expression was both guilty and nervous. Draco hoped Potter wouldn't be too hard on him for running off.
"I'm here, dad. I'm sorry I, I just..." but the rest of Teddy's sentence was unheard due to a strangled cry from Potter, who, upon seeing his son, lunged at him and enveloped him in a fierce bear-hug. He was stroking the green hair and murmuring soft words of relief in Teddy's ear. Draco could see Teddy's shoulders sag and his small hands grip Potter's shirt. He was about to say something when Potter stepped back to speak.
"Ted Remus Lupin! If you ever walk away from me in public without so much as a word again, I'll make Grandma Molly's punishments look like a day at the carnival! Do you hear me? I had no idea what happened to you and I was scared out of my mind. Never do that to me again!" He hadn't yelled, but the low, dangerous tone of voice was even worse than shouting, Draco thought.
Teddy was snuffling a little when he said, "I really am sorry, dad. I was bored with jewelry and wanted to look at some potions stuff. I was coming back though, honest. Draco was helping me find you, and..." Teddy continued on with his explanation, but it was clear Potter was no longer listening. At the mention of Draco's name, his head snapped up and he seemed to notice Draco standing there for the first time. His expressive eyes behind their round frames went wide with shock for a few seconds, and Draco thought he saw a flash of something in them before Potter looked back at Teddy.
"Draco found you? He was helping you?" Teddy nodded, seeming to sense that his dad wasn't really paying attention fully to his words anymore. In a moment, Draco had all the wind knocked out of him as he found himself with an armful of grateful Potter, hugging him every bit as fiercely as he'd hugged Teddy. He was stunned still for all of two seconds, and then his very blood seemed to jolt in his veins, his arms wound around a solid waist, and he inhaled deeply, Potter's fresh scent blocking out the strange odors from the various ingredients around the shop. He smelled of early morning dew and something close to vanilla, and Draco was in heaven.
So when Potter pulled away slightly after a moment, Draco was thoroughly disappointed. Then he saw the look of gratitude on the man's face and the heat in his eyes, and he felt a bit better.
"Thank you, Draco. Thank you so much. I was out of my mind. If you hadn't found him, if someone else would have taken-" He cut off with a shudder, looking haunted by the very thought. Draco felt his regard for, oh sod it, his crush on Potter grow as he gazed into those huge, earnest eyes. Before he knew quite what had happened, he was leaning forward, brushing his lips against Potter's soft, pink ones. Potter's eyes went even wider, and for a moment Draco feared he had gone too far, but then the lips beneath his sprang into action, sliding against his own in a most delicious way that sent sparks flying through Draco's entire body. His hands gripped Potter's waist tightly as his eyes slid closed in bliss. Strong, warm hands slid into his hair, gripping firmly. Draco's knees began to tremble and, honest to Merlin, he could have just stayed there kissing Pot-Harry forever. Just as he felt a wet and very welcome tongue seeking entrance into his mouth, a loud crash sounded from right behind him, making him jump about half a meter into the air and effectively and rather abruptly ending the sublime kiss. He swiveled his already spinning head around to find a boy with short blond hair and green eyes standing there with a smashed jar of rat spleens at his feet. He almost looked like a cross between himself and Harry. Not a bad picture. Draco shook his head at that thought. It was way too early to be thinking things like that! When he saw the dragon plushie in the boy's hand, Draco gave a start and realized that it was Teddy.
Harry chuckled, the sound reverberating through Draco due to their close proximity. "Teddy, how many times have I told you not to touch things in stores? You're even worse than your mum, I swear." There was nothing but amusement and affection in his deep voice, and Teddy grinned up at him in return.
"Sorry, dad. You know I can't help it. I'm a klutz. Feel free to keep kissing Draco though, I don't mind." Draco felt his cheeks flame as Harry's warm laughter washed over his neck and shook his frame. It was a marvelous sound.
"Thanks, son, but I'd say that's really up to Draco, wouldn't you?" Draco turned back to face Harry. There was really only one answer to that, so he leaned in once more and placed a soft, lingering kiss on Harry's lips. They were both smiling when he pulled back.
Draco smirked and murmured silkily, "I'd say it's an excellent idea, Harry. You have an intelligent young man here. Besides which, you do owe me for finding him and ensuring his safe return. You want to show him that it pays to help those in need, don't you?"
Harry's eyes danced happily. "Well in that case, I think a bit of a treat is in order! How about we go for a cone at Fortescue's? On me, of course, and we can discuss your...payment." At Draco's nod of acceptance, Teddy cheered and jumped up and down. Then he ran over, grabbed Harry's and Draco's hands, and began to pull them toward the door. Harry laughed some more while Draco smiled fondly down at the bobbing blond head.
Teddy Lupin was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time, and as he looked over at the handsome face of the man being dragged along with him, he realized gleefully that it was only the beginning.