Dragon and Angel

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

LEARNING TO SHARE

Hermione arrived home from work to find Harry sitting in their front parlor, looking absolutely devastated. She knew he had been to the Burrow to help Draco talk to Drake about his part in Angel's accident. Something had obviously had gone wrong, terribly wrong judging by the expression he wore.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked softly in a concerned tone.

"I've lost them, Mione," Harry replied flatly.

"Lost who?"

"The twin's."

"What makes you think that?" Hermione sat on his knee and stroked the side of his face gently.

"They're all over him! It's like I don't exist anymore."

"All over who?"

"Draco Bloody Malfoy."

"Harry, he's their father."

"I'm their godfather."

"He's new in their lives. Of course, they're going to pay him extra attention."

"But--"

"No 'buts'. Just wait till things settle down. They'll get used of having Draco around and then things will return to normal."

"They won't-- he's not going away."

"Wasn't it you who always said he should be part of their lives?"

"Yeah, but I didn't know it was going to make me this crazy."

"Maybe you and Draco need to talk."

"Why would I talk to him?" Harry could think of other things he'd like to do to the blond wizard right now and none of them involved talking.

"Well, from what you told me happened at the hospital, he's just as jealous of you as you are of him."

"I am not jealous."

"Oh?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at her husband.

"I'm not," Harry reiterated, but his conviction was not as strong this time.

"Harry, there's nothing wrong with what you're feeling. In fact, it's perfectly normal. You have been their surrogate father since they were born. What is important is how you handle your feelings."

"So, you reckon I should talk to him?"

"Yes. Draco seems to be having a similar problem with you, from what you told me."

"Maybe--"

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Tuesday Lunch Time

"Mr. Malfoy, there's an Auror to see you," Draco's secretary informed him from the doorway.

"Who?"

"Harry Potter," she responded. Draco could clearly hear the awe in her tone as she voiced the name of his old rival.

Merlin woman you don't have to sound so impressed, he sighed. "Show him in."

"Yes, sir. Right away."

"Malfoy," Harry greeted his old adversary.

Draco rose to shake Harry's hand. "Potter. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if, maybe you had time for a chat."

"I was about to have lunch. Care to join me?"

"Yeah, that'd be good."

The two wizards made their way out into Diagon Alley and to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Tom," Draco greeted the aging barkeep.

"Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter. A pleasure to see you."

"Tom," Harry responded.

"Mr. Potter and I require a private table for lunch," Draco instructed pompously.

"Of course, Mr. Malfoy. Right this way." Tom indicated that they were to follow him.

Once seated at the very rear of the establishment, Harry and Draco ordered their lunch and sat back to survey each other briefly.

"So what can I do for you, Potter?"

"Well, it's about yesterday." Harry was not really sure how he was going to admit to the wizard sitting across the table that he was jealous of him.

"Yes?"

"Something happened -- something I didn't expect-- Hermione thought you and I should have a word."

"What happened?" Draco frowned. To his knowledge everything had gone well yesterday.

"Well, it's more to do with the way I felt," Harry told him awkwardly.

"How did you feel, Potter?" Draco asked feeling a little impatient.

"Jealous."

"Jealous? What! Of me?"

"Yeah."

"But-- you-- "

"Look, I know it's stupid but-- well, you know how Drake greeted you yesterday-- that's how he used to greet me." Harry had cut Draco off when he tried to speak.

"You've had them all their lives," Draco pointed out curtly.

"And I don't want to give them up."

"They're my children!" Draco stated boorishly.

"They're my godchildren!" Harry shot back heatedly.

"You think I like it when they're all over you?" Draco spat at him.

"I--"

"It kills me that I've missed out on years of their lives, and you-- you were there instead-- playing happy families, with my children." The accusation was quite clear.

"I never played happy families with them. I did what I had to for them, because you weren't there."

"THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT!" Draco yelled at him.

"I KNOW!" Harry bellowed in return.

Both men sat glaring at each other in the silence that followed their outburst.

"I-- I'm jealous of you and, if I'm to be perfectly honest, I always have been," Draco admitted quietly.

"That's what Mione said, but I don't understand how or why."

Draco sighed despondently. "You've spent all that time with them and you know them so well. I should know them like that"

"You will-- it takes time."

"I know, but it's hard knowing that you-- you--" Draco wasn't sure how to feel about the wizard across the table, now that he knew Harry felt the same as he.

"Maybe I could help you to understand them better."

Draco perked up a little. "Are you serious?"

"Sure, why not?" Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"That would be great! You know, I don't really know what I'm doing,"

"Yeah, a Hufflepuff could see that." Harry grinned cheekily at him.

"You--" Draco paused in refutation and smiled. "Yeah I guess they could."

Harry chuckled at Draco's admission.

"It's not easy, is it?" Draco asked seriously.

"No. Not at all easy."

"I don't want to make any mistakes with them, you know?"

"Arthur told me that making mistakes is all part of parenting, but I know what you mean. The thought always scared the hell out of me."

"Yeah," Draco agreed solemnly.

"Harry!" Hermione called from across the room.

Harry stood up to greet his wife. "Hello, love." He placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Malfoy." Hermione smiled at Draco. She was glad to see Harry had taken her advice and was talking to Draco.

"Granger," Draco drawled.

"It's Potter now," Hermione reminded him.

"Of course, my apologies." Draco smiled at Harry cheekily.

"So what are you two doing?" Hermione asked innocently.

"Err-- learning to share," Harry said with a wink in Draco's direction.

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