A Stranger Garden

Chapter 10.

2040

"Al, why don't you and Scorpius move in here with the children? There's plenty of room and the Manor will be yours when I go anyway."

"Dad, why are you insisting on giving me the Manor? James is rather annoyed at you for that, you know."

"I know, but James doesn't have the same feel for the place you do. Besides, he's getting all my liquid funds and don't even think about telling me Lily would want this place."

Al laughed as he shifted baby Serena in his arms until she settled once more to the bottle. Harry smiled hearing the soft sucking noises as his newest grandchild drank her evening bottle in the cosy warmth of the nursery. "Do you think if you gave the whole place over to the Museum she might relent and visit?"

"No, she's decided to side with Ron and Hermione who think that I am unreasonably obsessed with Draco and she refuses to have anything to do with me here."

"She has a point, dad. You do spend a lot of time with him and it's a bit...odd spending all that time with a portrait."

"Be that as it may, I'm not a hermit or a crazy recluse, so how I spend some of my spare time is none of her business."

"You don't think that's why you've not been able to maintain a long term relationship?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you seem to go out with someone for a few weeks and then something happens and you lose interest."

Harry frowned. He'd bemoaned his single state often enough, but none of the people he'd dated, male or female, seemed to be able to hold his interest for very long. They either tended to get testy about the time he spent with Draco or wanted him to move in with them. Looking at it from Al's point of view, it might look like he was putting Draco above the partners in his life. He mentally shrugged. Perhaps he was. Which was odd, because he'd really hated Draco back in school. He didn't now.

"I think I feel a bit sorry for him, actually," Harry said trying to articulate why he spent so much time with Draco. "When he's not being a completely arrogant twat, he's actually quite good company. I think perhaps I'm looking for the chance to do it right this time."

Serena slurped the rest of her milk and was sucking on the teat of an empty bottle. Al smiled proudly as he put the empty bottle on the table. "You're a good girl, aren't you?" He grinned, tickling her chin, before lifting her up against his shoulder and patting her back gently.

"Why do you need to do it right this time?" Al asked, turning to Harry.

"I just have a feeling. Perhaps it's guilt that he was killed on his first day released from house arrest."

"That's hardly your fault," Al pointed out logically.

"Yes, I know." A loud gurgling burp came from Serena, which made both of them laugh. "I can't help thinking though that if I'd only pushed a little harder he'd have not had such a long sentence."

"And by the sound of it, he'd have just been killed earlier. The man was on a revenge mission and he obviously knew when Draco was being freed. Even if it had been earlier he would have still known, still attacked him."

Harry looked at Al with his eyebrows raised, ready to throw his hands in the air in surrender. "You're right. I have no excuse, then, I just like his company and with our history, it's the best I can do towards feeling I'm putting things right."

"He's pretty good looking, Dad, you sure you didn't carry a flame for him from back in your school days?" Harry knew Al was teasing; Al was aware of the history between them and there had been plenty of family 'discussions' about their odd friendship over the years. Harry ignored him and moved to take the baby, cradling her in his arms as she dozed, full of warm milk and happily sated.

"He looks a little like Scorpius," Al continued, smiling sideways at Harry as he folded down the covers in the cot. "Same blond hair, similar eye colour..."

"Ah, but your Scorpius is as quiet and gentle as Draco is obnoxious and rude."

"Would you have been interested in him if he'd still been alive?"

Harry laughed. "Well, he's still such an arrogant sod that I think we'd still be hating each other. It's only that he can't escape me and that I'm the only one who visits him that's made him accept my friendship."

"You underestimate yourself, Dad. For an old guy you're still in great shape and he'd be nuts to knock you back."

"Wait, wait," Harry protested, laughing softly as Serena became restless at the noise. "I never said I was interested. Besides, he's a portrait."

"But you are, though."

He could never get anything past Al. Harry thought that it was because they were so alike in personality. Harry loved all his children to distraction, but he would admit that the one he felt most connected to was Al because he never felt like he had to be the perfect father; he was allowed to relax and enjoy his son.

And the truth was that had Draco been alive, Harry would have definitely been interested. Although, he wondered if that was partly because at the moment Draco looked eighteen and Harry did like his male partners younger. Always had.

That was actually the way Al and Scorpius had come to be together. Harry had met the blond at a Ministry party and was immediately intrigued by the young man. He'd never liked Scorpius' father - Theo Nott had been one of Draco's friends at Hogwarts. His association with Voldemort had been more than hinted at, and only the fact that he'd not had the Mark had kept him from Azkaban. That and the fact that he'd married into the Greengrass family as soon as he could manage it, which was shortly after the final battle. Astoria and her family had declared for the Light and it had been enough to keep Theo free. Harry had not forgotten that Theo had refused to see Draco but over the years they'd let the friction over it fade away. On that night, though, neither of Scorpius' parents had been in attendance and Harry had spent a lot of time chatting to the young man and asked him back to his house for drinks.

He laughed about it now but, at the time, it was a bit of a wake up call because when Scorpius met Albus they only had eyes for each other and hadn't been apart since. Harry took that as an indication that he was getting old and should probably start looking for partners closer to his own age to settle down with.

Now Al and Scorpius had two children. They'd adopted Aries when her parents abandoned her on the steps of the newspaper that Lily ran. She was three years old, all golden bouncy curls and cheek and everyone who met her was entranced. And there was the baby, Serena.

Both Al and Scorpius decided they had wanted a biological child each and had engaged the services of one of their friends as a surrogate. Serena was the much-loved result of their first attempt and she was Al's biological child. The sudden increase in the size of their family had made them realise that their flat was too small, hence Harry's offer for them to move in.

"Maybe," Harry finally allowed. "Think about moving in here, will you? You both love the Manor and Draco has met you and approved." He grinned because Draco had spent one whole visit telling him how hopeless Potter genes must be to have sprouted a look-alike four-eyed git. But then he'd asked after both of them on each subsequent visit, especially when the adoption was being processed and the surrogate picked, so Harry knew he approved even if he wouldn't say it.

"Scorpius has mentioned it," Al admitted, taking Serena and laying her in the cot, covering her tenderly and kissing her on the forehead. "He has one condition, though."

"What's that?"

"You know how his family is with all the pureblood traditions?" Al was looking a bit tense, so Harry just nodded and waited for him to continue. Al beckoned him out of the room and shut the door after them. "He says that if we move in here, that seeing as it will be ours when you go, we should adopt the Malfoy name so that the tradition will be carried on."

That shouldn't hurt as much as it did, Harry thought. It was just a name and he'd always argued against keeping the old tradition of valuing a name over the person, believing that it had led to too many wars and too much needless bloodshed, and yet here he was feeling kicked in the stomach because his son wanted to give up the Potter name. He'd thought his son was proud of his name. The Potters weren't unknown in the wizarding world even before Harry's catapult to fame. Even as he thought it, he knew how hypocritical he was being, and suddenly it was a lot clearer how Draco must have felt. Even so, he still held to the belief that when it came down to it, it was a person that held worth and not a name.

"And what do you think?" Harry asked, noticing that his son was uncomfortable.

"I don't think I want to take the Malfoy name. Neither of us changed our names when we married but because you're leaving the house to me, will it count if only Scorpius adopts the Malfoy name?"

"I don't know."

"I mean, Scorpius and his family don't see it as such a big deal. They say it's done all the time because over the years they've had to adopt other bloodlines into the family or else they'd have died out with inbreeding at some point. I'm just not sure I want to give up my name."

"Perhaps I can leave you both the Manor. That will work. I'll think about it."

And he would have to think hard because he did want Al and Scorpius living in the Manor with him. He loved them all, and this place was so huge and with so many rooms he was sure that they wouldn't get under each other's feet. He had no doubts about the permanence of Al and Scorpius' relationship. They were like long lost halves of each other's souls and no one could split them up. Harry couldn't imagine one without the other anymore.

He'd just have to get over himself and ignore the residual abhorrence he still felt when he thought of the associations to the name Malfoy.

"Thanks, Dad." Al grinned. "Now, how about a beer? I'm parched and Scorpius won't be back with Aries for at least another hour."

.o0o.

"Sixty years old this year, Potter."

Draco knew there was a smirk on his face; he'd put it there deliberately. Their playful insulting banter had become a comfortable, familiar cloak he wore these days. Somewhere down the long years, his hatred had worn thin and though his sense of self preservation had not allowed him to admit he actually might like Potter, he would grudgingly accept that he appreciated his company. It wasn't like he had anyone else visit him regularly and his ten years of virtual isolation under house arrest had taught him that you valued what you had. Like he'd valued Andromeda and Teddy. Now, despite himself, he found he valued Potter.

It didn't mean he had to fawn all over him like he would bet the adoring general public still did.

"And what is that smirk for?" Potter asked.

"Oh, nothing, just looking at how you've aged. There's more grey in your hair every year and finally I can see the changes in your body. You're not a young man anymore."

Potter moved on the couch he'd had set up in the Ballroom. He came most nights to read or they'd talk. At some point, Potter had set up a wizarding wireless that he'd charmed to operate on Draco's command...polite request. Draco could have quite easily kissed Potter for that. He loved playing the harp, but the sound of instruments other than his beloved harp lifted his spirits amazingly. He'd even begun to teach himself to play some of the new chamber music the radio played so that he could join in on Tuesday evenings at 9.00pm for their parlour evening, feeling like he was part of the orchestra.

"Just because some people will do anything to stay eighteen forever, doesn't mean the rest of us care that we get old and sport a few wrinkles here and there."

"Oh, low blow there, Potter. That was beneath you." Draco had become reconciled to his future many years ago but he was still ambivalent seeing how Potter aged. There was this obstacle he found it hard to get around most of the time. Seeing himself unchanging in the mirror each day was one thing, remembering Potter at the same age - or even checking him out down in the dungeon - made him realise just how much he'd changed over the years. When you saw it happen gradually it wasn't noticeable until you looked a number of years later.

Objectively, though, he could see that Potter was still fairly decent looking, and fit, no matter how much he teased him otherwise.

"You hand out the insults, you have to expect them back, Draco."

Draco laughed. Potter never had taken any of his shit without flinging some of it back in his face. It was comforting and he'd had to stop himself on a number of occasions from feeling dependent on that comfort. In many ways it was still an uneasy truce they had between them; both of them still ready to flare up at each other at a moments notice, though he had to admit those instances were becoming less and less fights between enemies and more and more fights between people who'd lived with each other for a long time.

"Very well. Is your family planning to celebrate your birthday?"

"I think they're planning a surprise party for me, but I might surprise them and not turn up." Potter laughed. Draco liked it when he laughed; the wrinkles around his eyes deepened and made them look like they were dancing.

"I still don't understand why you don't travel. You have been to exactly how many places besides England?"

"Shut it, you. I prefer to stay in England. I'm happy here. Besides, who would keep you company and out of trouble?"

Oh, Potter was laughing at him now. Draco narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "And I am likely to get into what sort of trouble exactly?"

"Oh, I don't know," Potter replied, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I might miss you wanking again."

Draco scrunched up his face. "Merlin, Potter that was ten years ago! Are you ever going to forget it?"

"Hardly, Draco. It was too sweet."

"Sweet?" Draco screeched. "Just because your latest nappy wearer dumped you and you've not had sex for what, a month? Doesn't mean you can come here and watch me wanking."

Potter just smirked.

"I mean, I know I'm gorgeous and all, being young and perfect, but I am way out of your league and you know it."

Potter laughed and his eyes did that crinkly thing again. "You mean you really wouldn't want my hand on you wanking you right now?"

Well not until you and your crinkly eyes mentioned it, you bloody tosser. Stupid fanciful thoughts of ridiculous dancing eyes. Draco thanked Merlin that he hadn't said that aloud and stormed off to get himself a drink.

"Oh, come on, Draco, don't get all huffy on me. I was teasing, I wouldn't touch you if you paid me."

Draco rounded on Potter, half full glass slopping over the sides, gathering all the worst names to call him, only to find Potter right up close to the portrait grinning and making Draco wish his portrait was life sized.

"Just calm down, Draco. You're gorgeous and perfect and I would love to have your hard dick in my hand or my mouth, but it's not going to happen, is it, so let's just change the subject."

"You're an arse, Potter."

"No, but I do have a good arse."

"Merlin, but you're in a strange mood, today. You getting frustrated at the lack of sex?"

Potter sighed and poured himself a drink before sitting back down on the couch. "No, it's not that, although the lack of sex is annoying. Perhaps I am just feeling my age after all."

"I doubt it."

"Then I'm just restless," Potter replied, downing his drink in one gulp.

"I keep telling you, you should travel. You deserve some time to yourself. Those children of yours are running true to Weasley form and breeding like rabbits, and running you ragged."

"Hey, enough!"

"Just saying there are lots of them. I can only imagine the horror of a Weasley family gathering where the whole family is there."

"And I am sure they'd think it horrid if you attended, too. They're huge these days because Molly is ill and they're not sure how much longer she has left, so they're all making sure they see her whenever they can, though big family functions tire her badly now."

"Speaking of family, how's the new baby settling in?"

For some reason, Draco had taken to the younger Potter son and his partner Scorpius. When Draco met them for the first time, he'd sensed eternalness between them. Potter's son was a mini-Potter and Scorpius was a well-mannered young pureblood. It made Draco feel a bit proud that Theo and Astoria had such a refined young son.

They'd only visited the once, but Draco hoped that they'd soon bring the baby in to see him. Mostly, he didn't mind that few people came to see him. It was generally only Harry and if he were honest, he was happy with that arrangement. If only because it meant he didn't need to learn to be polite to hordes of Gryffindors.

"Serena is doing well." Potter smiled. "I've asked them again if they want to move in here with me."

"Are they going to?"

"I think they will, but I have a proposition I want to put to you first."

"Oh, I didn't know you felt that way, Potter, but I don't think they allow portraits to marry." Draco was teasing.

"You're lucky I even care, now shut up and listen. Scorpius thinks that if they move in here they should take your name, seeing as I'm leaving Al the Manor in my will anyway."

Draco's eyebrows rose to his non-receding hairline in surprise. "You mean you'd let a Potter change his name to Malfoy? Why?"

"Scorpius was raised pureblood, he tells me Theo and Astoria would approve as it's been done in the past. It's an acceptable way to continue the line, apparently."

"It is, I told you that years ago."

"I see that. Al isn't sure he wants to give up his name and basically, unless he does, there won't be any Malfoys in the Manor anyway, until or unless Al dies and leaves the Manor to Scorpius."

"There's no Malfoy now, Potter, and hasn't been for thirty years, so what difference does it make?"

"I was thinking that if I willed the Manor to both of them, then Scorpius being a Malfoy and heir to the Manor would work even if Al doesn't change his name."

"You'd do that for me?" Draco wasn't quite sure what to say.

"I think there's some formal name adoption process, isn't there? Where you allow them to formally adopt the Malfoy name."

Draco nodded, rather speechless.

"I'll let you know then," Potter said and turned to leave for the evening, damping down the fire and lowering the lights. "Goodnight, Draco."

"Good night, Harry," Draco replied, thinking that after all this time, after giving him the opportunity to have a family again, he deserved Harry rather than Potter.